עירובי תחומין ב

The following summary is not part of the original text. 10

This compact halacha unfolds the inner mechanism of N'filas apeye'im and Kedushah d'Sidra in a single movement. Drawing on LM I:31, Reb Noson teaches that the kisufin (yearnings) of N'filas apeye'im shape the letters and transform the person into a vessel fit to receive the shefa drawn during tefillah. On Shabbos/Yom Tov, the nefesh y'sairah already renews the nefesh — no falling on the face is needed. Kedushah d'Sidra (Uva l'Tziyon) then completes the process: speaking Kedushah in both Lashon HaKodesh and Targum perfects the holy tongue → sh'miras habris → holy vessels for shefa. On holy days when shefa flows all day, this Kedushah is deferred to the day's end (Minchah or N'ilah) to form and sanctify the entire day's flow. 11

For Shabbos is the aspect of drawing life into the Malchus (see the teaching “U’v’Yom Ha’Bikkurim,” siman 56). For Shabbos is the aspect of Malchus, the aspect of “Shabbos Malk’sa” [Shabbos the Queen], and then is the drawing of life, the aspect of “Those who taste it merit life.” And therefore, according to all opinions, the Torah was given on Shabbos. For through the Torah is the drawing of life into the Malchus, as is written there — for through the Torah one calls the life-force into the midos [attributes] and kailim [vessels], so that the excess of oil should not cause the extinguishing of the lamp. For the Torah is the Name of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, as is written there (siman 27; see there).

And this is the aspect of “V’karasa la’Shabbos oneg” [“And you shall call Shabbos a delight”]. “Oneg” [delight] is the aspect of the Torah, through which one draws life into the vessels and attributes, the aspect of Eiden-Nahar-Gan [Eden-River-Garden]. For Eiden is “the eye has not seen” — it is impossible to gaze there because of the abundance of light, for there it is still in the aspect of without constriction. And one needs to constrict the light, to draw from there the river into the garden — which is the aspect of drawing life, meaning the da’as, into the midos. “V’karasa la’Shabbos” — “v’karasa” specifically, the aspect of “And he shall read in it all the days of his life.” And this is accomplished on Shabbos, for then the Torah was given. For Shabbos itself is the aspect of the Torah, the aspect of “B’raishis — yarai Shabbos” [B’raishis rearranges to “one who fears Shabbos”]. For Shabbos is the Name of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. And this is the aspect of techumin — that it is forbidden on Shabbos to go beyond the t’chum [boundary], the aspect of “Who placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,” as is brought in the Tikkunim. Meaning, on Shabbos, when there is the drawing of life, it is forbidden to go beyond the boundary. For this is the main drawing of life: through drawing into the vessels and midos, so that the excess of oil should not extinguish, etc. And this is what is brought in the Tikkunim, that techumin are the aspect of “chai” [life = 18] — for 8,000 amos are the techumin, and Shabbos is the aspect of yud [10], as is brought there. Meaning, the techumin are the aspect of life. And therefore they are 2,000 amos — meaning 2,000 steps, as is written in the Shulchan Aruch — corresponding to the 2,000 years that the Torah preceded the world. Meaning, the aspect of 2,000 levels through which the Torah descended until it spread into this world. For each year is the aspect of a stature [komah]. It emerges that the Torah descended through the aspect of 2,000 statures until it was clothed in this world. And corresponding to this, it is forbidden to go on Shabbos further than those 2,000 statures — which are the aspect of 2,000 steps of the t’chum Shabbos. For with each step one uproots his stature from place to place. And as I understood from the conversation of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, that with each step a person walks from place to place, he comes each time to other worlds. And therefore it is forbidden to go on Shabbos — when it is the aspect of the giving of the Torah, the drawing of da’as — beyond those 2,000 steps, the aspect of 2,000 statures, the aspect of 2,000 years that the Torah preceded the world. For “in what is wondrous beyond you, do not investigate” — and on the contrary, going beyond the t’chum is a corruption of the da’as, for the excess of oil, etc. And therefore the techumin differ for each individual person in Yisrael, according to where he acquired his sh’visah [resting place] on Erev Shabbos. For each person in Yisrael has a different t’chum according to his level and his comprehension. And as I heard from our master, our teacher, and our rebbe, of blessed memory, that each person has what is “before” and what is “behind” according to his level. And this is the aspect of the letters of the Torah, which are the midos and vessels, as is written there. And each letter has a different boundary, and it is forbidden for one to enter the boundary of its fellow — and therefore, if they touch one another [in a Torah scroll], they are pasul [invalid]. Similarly, each person in Yisrael has a specific letter in the Torah, and therefore has his own boundary and t’chum. And the main thing depends on where one acquired sh’visah on Erev Shabbos. For “today is for doing them” — and Shabbos is the aspect of Olam HaBa, where there is no action. Rather, each person according to how much he toiled in the service of Hashem during the weekdays, so he merits to perceive on Shabbos, the aspect of “Six days you shall work, and on the seventh day, Shabbos.” According to the work of the six days, so is his Shabbos. And therefore, each person according to where he acquired sh’visah on Erev Shabbos — meaning, up to the place he reached by the end of the week — from there he can walk and reach up to his t’chum as above, no more. For beyond this is for him the aspect of “in what is wondrous beyond you,” the aspect of excess oil, etc. And therefore, if one places an eruv — meaning, one places there bread for two meals — then the t’chum begins from there. For the bread is the aspect of the da’as, the aspect of the man [manna], the aspect of “bread from heaven,” from which we derive the laws of techumin, as is written: “Let each man remain in his place” (Sh’mos 16:29). And therefore, since he merited during the weekdays to draw the influence of the bread to that place where he placed the eruv — meaning, the bread that is the aspect of da’as — therefore he acquired the aforementioned sh’visah there, and from there the aforementioned t’chum begins. And therefore the eruv is food for two meals, corresponding to the man that descended for two meals — and from there we derive techumin, as above.