תפלת ערבית א

Hilchos Birchos HaRe'iyah [Blessings of Seeing] v'Sha'ar Brachos Pratiyos [and Other Specific Blessings] Halachos 1–3 COMPLETE

This hints that the essential kaitz of the final geulah is in the aspect of todah and hoda'ah — which is the secret of Shavuos, when Ra'ava d'Ra'avin is revealed in completeness, and the chametz itself is transformed to good and rises as a korban, for it draws sustenance from the Metzach HaRatzon, as above — through which is the essential final geulah. 7

Halachah 1 — Seeing a Friend: The Sparkling of the Mind and the Resurrection of the Dead

Halachah: One who sees his friend after thirty days blesses SheHechiyanu [Who Has Kept Us Alive]. After twelve months, he blesses Mechayeh HaMaisim [Who Revives the Dead].

For Rabbainu zichrono livrachah says ( LM II:72 ): through seeing oneself with the tzadik , one receives greatness. The essential greatness is lowliness, etc. Through seeing, the mind sparkles. According to the sparkling of the mind, one receives greatness. Through this, illuminations of the Torah are drawn. Through this, shame is drawn. Shame is teshuvah . Teshuvah is the aspect of Shabbos — eternal life. The lowliness in every Jew is revived — this is the essential Resurrection of the Dead: the lowliness of each person will be revived. See there well.

It emerges: through seeing oneself with the tzadik , the aspect of the Resurrection of the Dead is effected, as explained well in the above teaching. Although the essential power belongs to the tzadik of the generation (the aspect of Moshe), whose very sight alone causes the mind to sparkle until one merits the aspect of the Resurrection — nevertheless, every single Jew has a good point within him that is the aspect of tzadik , as Rabbainu explains elsewhere ( LM I:34 ). This good point (= the aspect of tzadik ) is the aspect of Moshe — for Moshe Rabbainu is the totality of all Israel, spreading into every Jew. Every Jew has within him the aspect of tzadik , the aspect of Moshe (as also explained in that teaching and elsewhere, LM II:26 : Moshe Rabbainu is clothed within every Jew). Therefore, great is the peace and love among Israel: "love your fellow as yourself" — Rabbi Akiva said: "this is a great principle of the Torah." Through the love between one person and his friend, they are encompassed in each other, illuminating each other and receiving from one another. The essential love is that they see each other — as Rabbainu writes elsewhere ( LM I:183 ) on our Sages' statement: "the Sanhedrin sat in a semicircle so they could see each other." The essential love is seeing each other — not being able to bear not seeing one's friend. When they see each other, they receive from one another and each one's mind sparkles through his friend. Each one has a good point (= the aspect of tzadik , the aspect of Moshe) relative to his friend — therefore through looking, the mind sparkles. Therefore the essential vitality is through the peace and love among Israel — seeing each other. The essential vitality is from the mind and intellect: "wisdom gives life." The essential sparkling of the mind is through seeing each other — meriting eternal life, the Resurrection of the Dead. This is: "either companionship or death." The essential vitality is through the love of friends — illuminating each other, the mind sparkling — the essential vitality, the Resurrection of the Dead. The essential vitality is love and peace. "Either companionship or death" — when there is no love and there is separation, it is impossible to receive vitality — the aspect of death: "for death separates." Separation between one person and his fellow is the aspect of death. This is: "love is as strong as death" — love is so fierce that one would rather die, chas v'shalom , than lose the love, as Rashi explains regarding the love of Hashem. Regarding love between one person and his friend as well — love is so fierce and strong that one would rather die than have the love destroyed, chas v'shalom : "love is as strong as death" ; "either companionship..." etc. The essential vitality is from love and peace. Through love — seeing each other (the essential love), and each one having the aspect of tzadik — through seeing, the mind sparkles, and from there comes the essential life: eternal life, the Resurrection of the Dead. This is why we bless Mechayeh HaMaisim [Who Revives the Dead] upon seeing a friend after twelve months — specifically when one sees him and rejoices at seeing him, as explained in the Shulchan Aruch . Friends who love each other are certainly close and adjacent at their root — they need each other, each illuminating the other. When one gazes at his friend, the mind sparkles, drawing the Resurrection of the Dead. They bless Mechayeh HaMaisim upon seeing each other — through seeing oneself with the tzadik , the Resurrection is effected. Every Jew has the aspect of tzadik within him. Specifically after twelve months — for the twelve tribes of Hashem correspond to the twelve months of the year, vivifying the entire year. The essential vitality: Israel (= the twelve tribes) are encompassed in each other — drawing vitality to the twelve months of the year. When one does not see his friend for twelve months, he must bless Mechayeh HaMaisim — new vitality must now be drawn (= the Resurrection), since they have not seen each other for twelve months. At minimum, one must see his friend once a year — to be encompassed in each other and draw vitality for the whole year.