קריאת שמע ג

This is what is brought in the Kavanos regarding Pesach: then the illumination of Leah enters Rachel. This is the secret of the destruction of chametz on the night of the fourteenth, which is the secret of the completion of the moon, etc. — and is the destruction of chametz. Therefore, all the kavanos of the night of Pesach are in Rachel, not in Leah. 2

Therefore, when Yehudah was born — from whom came forth Mashiach ben Dovid — Leah said (Bereishis 29): "Hapa'am odeh es Hashem" — "This time I will give thanks to Hashem." Therefore she called his name Yehudah — from the word todah [thanksgiving] and hoda'ah [acknowledgment]. 6

This is the aspect of the mitzvah of Kri'as Shma, which is the essential holy emunah — the opposite of avodah zarah/ail achair/kefiros, which is the aspect of sh'mad. The essential thing is the kutz'a d'os daled [the thorn of the letter daled] in "Echad" — which is the aspect of the tzaddik, as is brought. This is the aspect of the nekudah of Moshe who elevates from sh'mad to ratzon. For through the kutz'a of the letter daled, one nullifies and subjugates the ail achair and is included in "Echad" — the difference between them being only the kutz'a of the daled. Therefore one must prolong the daled, as is brought — meaning as above: for the kutz'a of the daled is the aspect of the tzaddik, the aspect of Moshe who elevates, etc. 9

Therefore twenty-four thousand students of Rabbi Akiva died during the days of the Sefirah. For Rabbi Akiva was the son of geirim and ascended to the place he ascended — until he merited that his neshamah departed with "Echad." Thus the essential sweetening was through him. But his students — although they were holy and great tzaddikim — blemished by not having love among themselves. Therefore they did not have the power to draw the tikkun that Rabbi Akiva was engaged in: to draw from the kutz'a of the daled, from the twenty-five letters of Yichuda Ila'ah, from the upper Ratzon, from the all-encompassing pidyon — downward to the twenty-four batei dinim. 14

This is what our Sages said (Pesachim 56a) regarding Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso Li'Oalam Va'ed — that Yaakov said it before his histalkus. As they expounded on the verse (Bereishis 49): "Vayikra Yaakov el banav vayomer hai'asfu..." — "Yaakov called his sons and said: Gather together..." — he wished to reveal the kaitz, but the Shechinah departed from him. He said: "Perhaps there is a blemish in my bed?" They opened and said: "Shma Yisrael Hashem Eloakeyenu Hashem Echad" — "Just as there is in your heart only One, so too in ours..." Yaakov then said: "Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso Li'Oalam Va'ed." 19

This is the aspect of the Birchos Kri'as Shma, which are seven berachos. As our Sages said (brachos 11a): in the morning one blesses two before and one after; in the evening, two before and two after. The Birchos Kri'as Shma begin with the berachah of the luminaries. The poskim already wondered: what is the connection between the berachah of the luminaries and Kri'as Shma? 32

After Kri'as Shma we say the berachah of geulah — the berachah of Emes V'Yatziv. There we mention the geulah of Mitzrayim and ask for the future geulah, as it says: "U'f'dai chin'umecha Yehudah v'Yisrael Go'alainu Hashem Tzevakos Sh'mo..." — "Redeem as You have promised; Yehudah and Yisrael — our Redeemer, Hashem of Hosts is His Name..." — and it concludes: "Ga'al Yisrael" — "He redeemed Yisrael." 49

The essential are the holy sefarim that lead to practice — to the fulfillment of the Torah. For this, one needs a great many sefarim without end — so that every person, whatever his level, in whatever passes over him all the days of his fleeting life, in his youth and old age, in good times and in trouble, chas v'shalom — can revive himself, restore his soul, and receive and draw from them true counsel on how to conduct himself in a way that he will remain standing. And if he falls, he will not be completely cast down, etc. 32

This is also what is explained (in Siman 61, the Torah "Chadi Rabbi Shimon") [LM I:61]: through machlokes, a sefer is made — the aspect of (Iyov 31): "V'saifer kasav ish rivi" — "The book my adversary has written." For all machlokes is the aspect of doubts — from the abundance of forgetfulness, machlokes increases. Through this, many sefarim are needed to clarify the doubts and to clarify the decision and psak halachah between the disputants. By rectifying these doubts at their holy root, the evil doubts of the metzach of the nachash (whose essence is through the doubts it casts upon the Ratzon) are nullified. 34

Also, the Tefillin must be sewn with sinews specifically. Even after placing the parshiyos inside the batim, one cannot receive the light until they are sewn with gidin [sinews] — to conceal the light so it does not exceed the proper measure. The 365 sinews correspond to the 365 lo sa'aseh [negative commandments] — the aspect of dinim and contractions. The blood — the essential chiyus of man and every living creature — courses through these 365 sinews. The essential drawing of chiyus is through the containment of the light.

As explained in the Torah "Uv'yom HaBikurim — Hastarah" : chiyus is drawn constantly from Chei HaChayim [the Living G-d], and the essential tikun is that through the Torah (which is the Name of Hashem), chiyus is drawn into the keilim and midos. The chiyus flows through the blood in the 365 sinews (= contractions) — for the essential chiyus comes through the rectification of keilim and contractions.

This is: "Sh'mi im Y-H" = 365. The Name = the chiyus = "Nefesh chayah hu sh'mo" [a living soul — that is his name]. Just as a person's chiyus is bounded within his name, so too the Torah is the Name of Hashem — and through Torah we call Hashem by His Name and draw chiyus from Him into the keilim (= the letters of Torah = the Name). Therefore "Sh'mi im Y-H" = 365 = the 365 lo sa'aseh = 365 sinews = contractions and keilim to receive the light in measure. Also: 365 days of the year — the essential chiyus of all the days of the year is through these 365 contractions.

Therefore Tefillin (= Chayim = the Name of Hashem: "All peoples will see that the Name of Hashem is called upon you — these are Tefillin") must be sewn with sinews — to contract the light, which is the essential tikun of the Mochin that are the Chayim.

"Sh'mi im Y-H" = 365; "Zichri im V-H" = 248. Although the 248 positive mitzvos come from the right side and the 365 negative mitzvos from the left side of holiness, the 365 are alluded to in the first two letters of the Name (which are higher). This reflects the principle that the rectification of keilim must be drawn from the very highest light — a very great Moach is needed to fashion the keilim (= 365 = the Name) so as to make Hashem's greatness known to all, to magnify His Name throughout the earth. This is the tikun of Tefillin: drawn from an exceedingly high Moach through many contractions, until even we — and all who enter the world — will know of His Name and might: "All peoples of the earth will see that the Name of Hashem is called upon you" — these are Tefillin.

"Vayihyu chayei Sarah me'ah shanah v'esrim shanah v'sheva shanim, shnei chayei Sarah" — "The life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah" . The word "shanah" appears four times — corresponding to the four parshiyos of Tefillin, which are the essential chiyus of the years a person lives.

This is what our Sages said : "At one hundred as at twenty, and at twenty as at seven." This is the essential perfection — to begin living anew each time, so that even in the days of ziknah, one still sees oneself as a complete yanuk, as if one has not yet begun to live and serve Hashem at all, and begins anew each time. "At one hundred as at twenty, at twenty as at seven" — "Shnei chayei Sarah kulan shavin l'tovah" — "The years of Sarah's life were all equal in goodness." The older the Tzaddik grows, the more he still sees himself as a child. Through this he adds to his avodah each time and merits true arichas chayim — all his days and years are truly years of life, for he does not lose a single day without adding holiness and chiyus = Tefillin.

Sarah = Malchus/emunah — she who rules over the entire world: "V'hayah Hashem l'Melech al kol ha'aretz" . This is the essence of Tefillin: the essential drawing of Mochin of Tefillin is through the reshimu of emunah remaining in the heart. Through the Mochin of Tefillin, emunah then shines with greater light and perfection — one depends on the other: through emunah one receives the Mochin, and through the renewal of Mochin received via emunah, emunah is completed, magnified, and strengthened ever more. And so on endlessly.

For there is perfection within emunah above perfection. One can merit Rosh Emunah [the head / summit of faith] — which is above all Mochin. This = Tefillin shel Rosh. Tefillin shel Yad = "Vayhi yadav emunah" [his hands were emunah]. Tefillin shel Rosh = Rosh Emunah — merited after all the Mochin perceptions — above all Mochin.

For it is a principle in the Kabbalah that Malchus (= the lowest level of the upper world) is the root of Atik (= the highest level of the lower world). Malchus = emunah; Atik = the wondrous, awesome devekus in Hashem — Ra'ava d'Ra'avin, will of wills, yearning of yearnings — the sweetness of wondrous devekus: "Tzam'ah lecha nafshi, kamah lecha besari" ; "Kalah she'eiri ul'vavi, tzur levavi v'chelki Elokim l'olam" ; "Nichsefah v'gam kalsah nafshi l'chatzros Hashem, libi uvesari yeranenu el Eil Chai" . For this Dovid HaMelech prayed all his days: "Achas sha'alti... lachazos b'no'am Hashem" . This is the devekus of Tefillin: "V'atem had'veikim..." ; "Simeini kachotam al libecha, kachotam al zero'echa, ki azah kamaves ahavah, kashah kish'ol kin'ah..." . Fortunate is he who merits this!

However, there are levels of devekus that are below the emunah of a higher level — for Atik of Asiyah is lower than Malchus of Yetzirah (= emunah), all the more so below the Malchus/emunah of still higher worlds. Therefore the essential beginning is emunah, and the end is emunah and devekus. In truth, they are one — for the devekus of each world and level (yearning to ascend = Atik = Ra'ava d'Ra'avin) is itself the illumination of emunah (= the Malchus of the world above it), which is the root of the chiyus of that Atik/Ra'ava d'Ra'avin of the world below.

Thus: the essential Mochin and chiyus of Tefillin = the illumination of emunah, which is completed and magnified ever more. Therefore Tefillin = Chayei Sarah — the life of Malchus/emunah (= Sarah, who rules over the entire world) = the revelation of His emunah and Malchus to all: "V'hayah Hashem l'Melech al kol ha'aretz."

This is the aspect of Me'aras HaMachpelah — doubled in couples: Adam and Chavah, Avraham and Sarah, etc. . The city is called "Kiryas Arba" — for the four couples. The four couples = Tefillin shel Rosh and Tefillin shel Yad: the four parshiyos of shel Rosh = four Mochin of the masculine; the four parshiyos of shel Yad = four Mochin of the feminine. Kiryas Arba = the four Names of the Tefillin.