נשיאת כפים א

Based on all the above, it is clear that Tefillin = pe'er = Mochin illuminating the Beis HaMikdash = Shabbos. It follows naturally why Shabbos is not the time for Tefillin: on Shabbos, the Mochin (= pe'er = the Tzaddik's light) illuminate automatically through the intrinsic holiness of the day itself — Shabbos, which is the Tzaddik's light. Likewise Yom Tov: the Or HaPanim (= pe'er) shines through the intrinsic holiness of Yom Tov itself. Therefore Yom Tov too is not the time for Tefillin.

Therefore one must engage in both Torah and business → "the toil of both causes sin to be forgotten." Business alone is certainly nothing — one cannot draw Chesed Chinam through business alone to nullify the kitrug, only when one engages in Torah truly. As explained in the above Torah: the wicked cannot receive from this Chesed Chinam except through the great Tzaddik who engages in Torah truly — who receives from the Chesed Chinam during his pshitus and through this sustains all. The closer one is to Torah, the more Chesed Chinam flows to him. Likewise, Torah alone is also not completeness — even one deeply attached to Torah must nullify himself sometimes when necessary. Through his bitul (when he becomes completely simple) → he sustains himself from the path to Eretz Yisrael (= Chesed Chinam) → sustaining and maintaining all simple people engaged in m'lachah and business. All crafts and business in the world = accomplished and sustained only through the Tzaddikim, who draw Chesed Chinam during their pshitus.

This is what the Zohar HaKadosh writes (Parashas Chayei Sarah): the mystery of Tefillin is that they are in the aspect of "V'asu li Mikdash" — "Make Me a Sanctuary." As it says there: "K'gavna d'Mikdash" — like the pattern of the Mikdash, as it is written: "V'asah keruv echad mikatzeh mizeh u'cheruv echad mikatzeh mizeh" — and upon them is the dwelling of the King in four letters; and the Kohen Gadol enters, and the Moach rests upon them in the dwellings of HaKadosh Baruch Hu in four parshiyos. Based on all the above, Tefillin = Shabbos = the Tzaddik's light = the Mochin illuminating the Beis HaMikdash — exactly as the Zohar states: Tefillin are in the aspect of "V'asu li Mikdash."

Based on what Rabbainu (may his light shine) wrote: one must draw arichas yamim [length of days] into Malchus, and this is accomplished through engagement in Torah — which is Sh'ma d'Kudsha B'rich Hu [the Name of HaKadosh Baruch Hu] — through which one calls out the Life and draws it into the Middos and Kailim [attributes and vessels]. See the entire ma'amar beginning "Uv'Yom HaBikurim" in Siman 56, Likutay part 1.

This is the aspect of Kreyas HaTorah [Torah reading]. Although Torah study in any form draws arichas yamim, Kreyas HaTorah is especially suited for this — for the Torah as it is written before us is the aspect of Sh'ma d'Kudsha B'rich Hu, His essential Name itself. The pasuk "V'hay'sah imo v'kara vo" — "It shall be with him and he shall read in it" — is also said regarding the Sefer Torah a king must write. Therefore it is called "Kreyas HaTorah" — literally "calling": "V'kara vo kol y'may chayav" — "And he shall call/read in it all the days of his life" — through which one calls forth Chai HaChaim [the Life of lives]. This is why the Sages said: whoever leaves a Sefer Torah open and goes out — his days are shortened (the opposite of arichas yamim). Therefore Kreyas HaTorah was established on Shabbos, Yom Tov, Shabbos Minchah, Monday and Thursday — all days of ratzon, when shefa is drawn → one must read the Torah to call the life (= the shefa) into the Middos and Kailim, so there will not be an excess of light. Therefore Kreyas HaTorah was established during tefillah — tefillah = Malchus → through tefillah the shefa is aroused → one must draw arichas yamim into Malchus (= draw life into the Middos). Every day this is accomplished through Kedushah d'Sidra (also a reading of p'sukim, through which one calls the shefa into the Middos). Therefore it is forbidden to leave the shul before Kedushah d'Sidra, just as it is forbidden to leave during Kreyas HaTorah. But on Monday, Thursday, and other holy days (days of ratzon when great life and shefa are aroused), Kedushah d'Sidra alone does not suffice → one must also read from a kosher Torah, through which the essential calling of life occurs. Therefore one does not read fewer than ten p'sukim — to rectify Malchus, whose smallest comprehensive unit is ten (saray asaros [officers of tens]: there are officers of thousands, hundreds, etc., for Malchus is comprised of ten-within-ten-within-ten; the minimum comprehensive unit = ten). The exception is Parshas Amalak, which has only nine p'sukim. (What the Shulchan Aruch wrote "e.g. Parshas Amalak" — this is not merely an example, for in truth no other reading of nine p'sukim exists; only Parshas Amalak read on Purim.) Against the Malchus d'Kedushah stands the Malchus HaRish'ah [evil kingdom] — the kingdom of Haman — which draws from ashirus [wealth]. Amalak's kingdom = the Nachash wrapped around kedushah, drawing from the feet of kedushah (= ashirus, the last/lowest aspect: "raglayim" [feet]). Therefore Parshas Amalak has only nine p'sukim — for then his memory is not yet erased completely: "Ki yad al kais Yah" — "A hand upon the throne of God" — the Kisai [throne] is lacking and the Name is divided, due to his drawing and overcoming from kedushah. In truth, all his drawing and overcoming against kedushah is the aspect of "Ais asher shalat ha'adam ba'adam l'ra lo" — "A time when man rules over man to his [own] detriment" (Koheles 8). There is power in Malchus d'Kedushah (= Mordechai) to extract what he swallowed: "Chayil bala vayki'enu" — "Wealth he swallowed but will disgorge" — and make from it Torah (= Aishes Chayil). Malchus is deliberately given over into galus there, so it will extract all the holy sparks. This is "Ki yad al kais Yah milchamah laHashem ba'Amalak midor dor" — the lacking throne and divided Name are themselves Hashem's war with Amalak from generation to generation, until his memory is erased entirely. This we saw in the days of Mordechai. It is puzzling: given Vashti's great wickedness, how did Haman become her great adversary? He should have been her advocate, being like her in wickedness! But the Sitra Achra's calculation was for the end-game — that Esther would be taken to the king's house, so they would capture Malchus d'Kedushah. Yet in truth, precisely this was their downfall. All their overcoming — bringing Malchus deeper into hiddenness (= Esther taken to the palace) — precisely through this came their immense downfall. Conversely, Malchus d'Kedushah ascended greatly → extracted with her all the holy sparks they had swallowed → made from them a new Torah: the Megillah, which the Sages compared to the Torah in all its laws — writing, ruling, and reading (Megillah 16). When things were reversed and they extracted what he swallowed ("Chayil bala vayki'enu": "Vatasem Esther es Mordechai al bais Haman" — "Esther placed Mordechai over the house of Haman") — from all this, Torah was made (= the Megillah fashioned from this story). Therefore on Purim we read Parshas Amalak even though it has only nine p'sukim — for precisely through this [his parasitic drawing] came his downfall. The deficiency is completed through the reading of the Megillah afterward — itself an aspect of Kreyas HaTorah in all its laws. No public reading exists except Kreyas HaTorah and Kreyas HaMegillah — for it is truly Kreyas HaTorah. This is what the Sages said (Shabbos 88): "Kiy'mu mah shekib'lu k'var" — "They fulfilled what they had already accepted" — for then Kabbalas HaTorah was completed, through the Megillah completing what the Torah had lacked. This is why each oleh must read a minimum of three p'sukim, and one does not read with fewer than three olim (Kohain, Levi, Yisrael). The completeness of Malchus is through drawing into it life and arichas yamim (= Da'as = Shalom = machlokes l'shaim Shamayim [dispute for the sake of Heaven]). Shalom = the third party that adjudicates — for peace exists only where there are two opposites and a third adjudicates between them (right, left, and the middle that arbitrates). Therefore three olim are needed — to complete Malchus through Shalom (= Da'as = arichas yamim). Therefore on Monday and Thursday Bais Din also sits in judgment (= Shalom: the verdict is the adjudication and peace): "Umishpat shalom shiftu b'sha'araichem" — "Judge with true justice in your gates" (Z'charyah 8). After writing this, I found the Taz citing the Bais Yosef in the name of Orchos Chaim z"l: regarding Parshas Amalak — they did not add p'sukim before or after because HaKadosh Baruch Hu said: "Amalak caused My Name and My Throne to be lacking — so his parashah is lacking." And in the Yerushalmi: "He performed a truncated act, therefore his parashah is truncated." My eyes were illuminated — praise to God, I saw that Hashem guided me on the path of truth, as I wrote above: Parshas Amalak having only nine p'sukim is in the aspect of "Ki yad al kais Yah." I also found afterward that the Bais Yosef writes in the name of the Poskim that "Uva l'Tziyon" was instituted so that all Yisrael would fulfill Torah study every day. This accords precisely with what we wrote above — that Uva l'Tziyon stands in place of Torah study, for one must specifically learn after tefillah to draw life and arichas yamim. This is also explained in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 155:1): one should go from the shul to the bais midrash to learn. By this reasoning it is also correct that we do not say Uva l'Tziyon on Shabbos morning — only at Minchah — because on Shabbos morning we read from the Torah and Haftarah (as the Bais Yosef explains). On Monday and Thursday, although we also read, since we read only a little and do not read the Haftarah, we still need Uva l'Tziyon as well. Note: Halacha 2 is lost — "its location is unknown; we do not know whether it was never written or was written and lost, in our many sins." Translator's Overview The following summary and diagram are not part of the original text. This halacha explains Kreyas HaTorah through LM I:56: Torah = the Name of HKB"H → reading it literally "calls forth" Chai HaChaim into the Middos/Kailim (= Malchus). The minimum of ten p'sukim corresponds to the ten-fold structure of Malchus. Parshas Amalak's nine p'sukim reflect the Nachash's parasitic hold — the throne and Name are not yet complete. But Purim reveals the paradox: the very deficiency became Amalak's downfall, and the Megillah (= a new Torah) completed what was lacking. Three olim and three p'sukim per oleh correspond to Shalom (= the adjudicating third = Da'as = arichas yamim). Kedushah d'Sidra functions as daily Kreyas HaTorah; Uva l'Tziyon replaces Torah study after tefillah. Reb Noson delightfully confirms his insights from the Taz, Bais Yosef, Yerushalmi, and Orchos Chaim.