ענין ספירת העומר ב

And this is the aspect of what is found in the writings [of the Ari] regarding the differences between Shabbos and Yom Tov — that on Shabbos one receives an exceedingly great additional light, within garments (levushim); but on Yom Tov, the additional light is lesser than Shabbos, but it is without garments — see there. For because on Shabbos the additional light of Torah and tefillah is drawn from above, as mentioned, therefore a very great light is drawn within garments. But on Yom Tov, when the light from above is only in the aspect of Torah, but the aspect of tefillah we still need to raise through our own service, as mentioned — therefore one does not receive as great a light, and it is without garments. For through tefillah one can receive the great and awesome lights within garments and wondrous contractions (tzimtzumim). For the essential garments are made and completed through tefillah, which is the aspect of the vessel and the garment through which one receives all the lights — in the aspect of: "I clothed myself in righteousness and it clothed me." "Righteousness" (tzedek) is Malchusa Kadisha (the Holy Sovereignty), which is the aspect of tefillah, the aspect of "and I am tefillah" that Dovid HaMelech said, as mentioned. For tefillah is the aspect of emunah, as Rabeinu, of blessed memory, wrote in many places. And through emunah one can receive all the lights. For in emunah, everything can be clothed. For within da'as (knowledge) there is a boundary — each person according to his da'as — and it is forbidden for him to go beyond the boundary of his da'as, in the aspect of: "Into what is hidden from you, do not inquire." And it is impossible to reveal to him what is beyond the boundary of his da'as, lest his da'as be ruined entirely — for too much oil causes the extinguishing of the candle, as is known. But emunah is a vessel through which one can receive all the lofty lights and all the secrets of the Torah, in the way of emunah — even though it is above his da'as. And so it is understood from the words of Rabeinu, of blessed memory, in many places — that through tefillah one merits to receive the secrets of the Torah. And as is explained in the Torah [discourse] "Chosam B'soch Chosam" in Siman 22 — that tefillah is the aspect of nishma (the hidden/heard), the aspect of the concealed, the aspect of Toras Hashem. And it is understood there that each person must pray much to Hashem, blessed be He, that he should merit to attain and understand the Torah that is hidden from him. And through this he merits afterward to attain it, so that it becomes his own Torah, etc. — see there. And this itself is the aspect of making from the Torah, tefillah.

Even though seemingly there it appears to be the opposite — for there it is explained that one must make from the tefillah, Torah — and here we are speaking of making from the Torah, tefillah. But in truth, they do not contradict at all. On the contrary — there it is well explained, this very matter of making from the Torah, tefillah. And through this itself, the tefillah becomes Torah. For the essential thing about making from the Torah, tefillah, as mentioned, is that one must take from the aspect of the hidden — the aspect of Toras Hashem, which is itself the aspect of tefillah, the aspect of nishma, as explained in the Torah [discourse] "Chosam B'soch Chosam" mentioned — one must make from this, tefillah: to pray to Hashem, blessed be He, that one should merit to attain the hidden. It comes out that one makes from Torah, tefillah — that is, from Toras Hashem, from the aspect of the hidden, one makes from it tefillah. And through this itself, afterward the tefillah becomes Torah — that is, it becomes one's own Torah — meaning, one merits to attain it, as mentioned.

And this itself is the matter of making from the Torah, tefillah, that Rabeinu, of blessed memory, urged extensively, as mentioned. For certainly the Torah and mitzvos that a person has already merited to attain and fulfill in completeness, as is proper — he certainly does not need to pray about this, since he has already merited it. Rather, the essential thing of making from the Torah, tefillah, is to pray to Hashem, blessed be He, regarding the Torah and mitzvos that one has not yet merited to attain and fulfill — that one should merit to attain and fulfill them properly. And this is the aspect of the secrets of the Torah for him, according to his level and standing. And even an utterly simple person who is still far from fulfilling the mitzvos in their plain sense — and he needs to pray about this and to make from the Torah, tefillah — this too is called, for him, the secrets of the Torah. Since he is still far from fulfilling them, they are called "hidden" for him. For the essential thing of the Torah is the fulfillment — for "not the study is the essential thing, but the action." For example, one who studies Torah that discusses the mitzvah of tzedakah, and he is far from tzedakah, and he prays to Hashem, blessed be He, that he should merit to give tzedakah — as long as he has not yet merited to achieve his request to fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah, then the mitzvah of tzedakah is called for him the aspect of the hidden, the aspect of Toras Hashem. For the Torah is not called "his Torah" except when he merits to fulfill it — and this is the essential study of the Torah in completeness: to study in order to fulfill. And also in truth, because he does not fulfill the mitzvah, he has no comprehension in it at all, and it is the aspect of the hidden from him. And afterward, when he merits to fulfill it through the tefillah that he prayed about this — this is the aspect of having made from the Torah, tefillah: that is, from the aspect of the secrets of the Torah according to his level — because he had not merited to fulfill it, he made from this, tefillah. For the secrets of the Torah are in truth the aspect of tefillah, as mentioned. And through this he merited afterward that it became his Torah, as mentioned.

And similarly, even afterward, when he merits to fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah but does not yet fulfill it in the ultimate completeness, as is proper — then this aspect that is still distant from him is the aspect of the hidden for him. And he must make from this Torah, tefillah, for it is the aspect of Toras Hashem for him — which is the aspect of tefillah. Therefore he must make from this, tefillah — that he should pray much to Hashem, blessed be He, that he should merit to fulfill it in completeness, until he merits this. And then the tefillah becomes — from the aspect of Toras Hashem, the aspect of the hidden — it becomes his own Torah. It comes out that what is explained there — to make from the tefillah, Torah — and what is explained here — to make from the Torah, tefillah — is all one, as mentioned.

In any case, it emerges from there that the hidden — which is the aspect of Toras Hashem — for him is the aspect of the light of the Infinite (Ain Sof), which is the aspect of tefillah — which is the aspect of bittul (self-nullification) and d'veikus (clinging) to the Infinite — see there. Therefore one must pray much until one merits to attain it through the tefillah, etc. It comes out that through tefillah one can receive and attain all the lofty lights — ever higher and higher — see there in the Torah [discourse] "Chosam B'soch Chosam" mentioned, and you will understand.

And therefore on Shabbos, when the additional light itself, from the holiness of the day itself, is the aspect of the completeness of Torah and tefillah — therefore one receives a very lofty light, through garments. But on Yom Tov, when the additional holiness of the day itself is only in the aspect of Torah — therefore one does not receive as lofty a light, and it is without garments. For the essential garments and vessels are completed through tefillah, as mentioned.

And therefore Shabbos is the aspect of emunah, the aspect of tefillah, the aspect of Malchus d'Kedushah — called "Kallah" (bride), as is known. And as we say on Shabbos: "Come, O bride," etc. For "Kallah" is so named because she is comprised (kelulah) of everything, as found in the holy Zohar and the writings [of the Ari]. For emunah/tefillah — which is the aspect of the holiness of Shabbos — is comprised of all the lights in the world. For all the lights that cannot be received through any da'as whatsoever can be received through emunah, the aspect of tefillah, which is the aspect of Shabbos, as mentioned. May Hashem, blessed be He, grant us to come to this — to engage all our days in Torah and tefillah, and to make from the Torah, tefillah, always — until we merit to attain it and fulfill it in completeness, so that it becomes our own Torah. Amen and amen.

And this is the aspect of the public Torah reading on every day that has additional holiness — which are Rosh Chodesh, Yom Tov, Chol HaMoed, Yom HaKippurim, and Shabbos, etc. And this is the aspect of the distinctions in the number of those called up [to the Torah] on the days when we read, as they said in the Mishnah: "On Monday and Thursday, three are called up. On Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed, four. On Yom Tov, five. On Yom HaKippurim, six. On Shabbos, seven," etc.

For on every day that has additional holiness, the tefillah ascends on it more, as explained in the Kavanos in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory — that on all these days the tefillah ascends more according to the additional holiness of the day. And therefore we read the Torah on them, for the essential ascent of the tefillah is when one makes from Torah, tefillah. And therefore we read the Torah during the time of tefillah — in order to draw the tefillah from the Torah, which is its essential ascent, as mentioned. And the essential completeness of the ascent of the tefillah at its ultimate is on Shabbos, which is holier than all the days and times. And therefore then we read from the Torah more than on all other days, for then we call up all seven, which is the ultimate completeness of the Torah reading — through which the tefillah ascends in the ultimate ascent. For the completeness of the Torah and the tefillah is through the seven shepherds — Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, and Dovid — who are the aspect of the seven called up on Shabbos, as is known. And as long as one does not merit to draw the holiness of all these seven shepherds mentioned, the ascent of the tefillah is not yet in its ultimate completeness. For Dovid is the aspect of the completeness of tefillah, and he is the seventh of the seven shepherds. And therefore the essential completeness of the ascent of the tefillah is on Shabbos, when seven are called up, as mentioned. And therefore then on Shabbos there is complete cessation of melachah.

But on Yom Tov and Chol HaMoed, etc., when seven are not called up — therefore the ascent of the tefillah is not in such completeness; rather, it is only according to the additional holiness. And similarly the number of those called up to the Torah. And similarly one merits to draw the holiness of the tefillah — that is, to make from the Torah, tefillah, which is its essential ascent, as mentioned. Therefore not all the melachos are nullified then, because the ascent of the tefillah is not yet in the ultimate completeness, as mentioned.

And this is what they said there — the reason for the number of those called up to the Torah: because of the cessation of melachah. That on a day that has greater prohibition of doing melachah, a greater number of men are called up to the Torah. That is, as mentioned — for the prohibition of melachah on Shabbos and Yom Tov is according to the ascent of the tefillah in completeness. And similarly the number of those called up to the Torah, as mentioned. For Torah and tefillah are dependent on each other. And on a day when the tefillah does not ascend in completeness, the Torah also does not have as much completeness. Only, the essential thing that we need to toil in now is to raise the tefillah from its fallen state and its lowliness. For the essential blemish touches the tefillah, which is the aspect of Malchus, where all the blemishes reach and where all the tikkunim are. Therefore people treat the tefillah specifically with contempt, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "These are things that stand at the summit of the world, yet people treat them lightly. And what are they? Tefillah."

And this is what we said above — that on Yom Tov, melachos of ochel nefesh are permitted, because then the ascent of the tefillah is not in completeness as on Shabbos. And the essential lack is noticeable in the tefillah. For in the Torah, the blemish and contempt do not touch as much — for people treat specifically the tefillah lightly, as mentioned. And therefore on Yom Tov one must do the melachos of ochel nefesh, which correspond to the aspect of tefillah that we still need to clarify and raise even on Yom Tov. For according to the clarification that we still need on our part, to that degree some doing of melachah is still needed, as mentioned.

And this is what we said above — that on Yom Tov the essential additional holiness is in the aspect of Torah, but the aspect of tefillah we still need to clarify and raise. For even though in truth Torah and tefillah are both dependent on each other, as mentioned, and when the tefillah is not yet in ultimate completeness, certainly the Torah also is not yet in ultimate completeness — nevertheless, because the essential lack and blemish touches and is noticeable in the tefillah more, therefore on Yom Tov, which has great additional holiness, only not yet in the ultimate completeness as on Shabbos — therefore in the Torah the lack does not touch, only in the tefillah. Therefore melachos of ochel nefesh are permitted on it, which correspond to the aspect of tefillah that we still need to clarify and raise even on Yom Tov.

But on weekdays, the lack touches even the Torah, and great toil is needed to clarify and raise the holiness of the aspect of Torah and tefillah. Therefore then there are all the thirty-nine melachos, as mentioned. And conversely, on holy Shabbos, when the Torah and tefillah ascend in the ultimate completeness — therefore all the melachos are entirely nullified on it, as mentioned.