מלמדים א

And this is the bechina [aspect] of challa (the dough-portion, separated from one's bread-dough and given to the Kohen [Priest]). For it has already been explained that Israel must sanctify their eating, so that they may receive the illumination of the ratzon [Divine will] at the time of eating — and it is for this reason that all the priestly gifts (matenos kehunah) must be given from everything one eats, as has been explained at the beginning of this discourse. And this is the bechina of challa to the Kohen. For even though one has already given terumos [heave-offerings] and maasros [tithes] from the grain at the threshing floor, one must still give challa to the Kohen at the time when one puts water into the flour and begins to knead the dough to make bread from it — for the essential ratzon shines most intensely at the time of eating itself, as is explained there in the above-mentioned Torah teaching: that specifically at the time of eating does one receive the illumination of the ratzon. Therefore, when one is occupied with making bread from flour — which is the very essence of the eating — one requires all the more to sanctify the bread so that one can receive through it the illumination of the ratzon. Therefore one gives challa when one begins to make bread, since this is closest to the eating and hence closest to the illumination of the ratzon. Therefore at that very moment one must sanctify it yet again by giving challa to the Kohen, who encompasses the da'as [sacred knowledge] of son and disciple — and through this the illumination of the ratzon shines at the time of eating, as above.

And therefore challa is the language of tochelets [hope] and longing — which is the bechina of ratzon and yearning, the bechina of טוֹב וְיָחִיל וְדוֹמֵם לִתְשׁוּעַת ה' ["it is good to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of Hashem"]. As it is written: וַאֲנִי תָּמִיד אֲיַחֵל ["and I will always hope"]. And as it is written: כִּי חָלָה לְטוֹב ["for she longed for the good"]. For the hope and the anticipation (tikvah) are the bechina of ratzon — one hopes and longs that Hashem may fulfill our good desires to draw close to Him and to His holy Torah. And for this reason it is called challa — for through giving challa to the Kohen one merits the illumination of the ratzon, which is the bechina of hope and anticipation, as above. And therefore the mitzvah of challa was ordained by our Rabbis z"l even in this time, even in the lands outside of Israel (chutz la'aretz). For this alone remains with us in our long and bitter exile: our ratzon, our longing, our tikvah, and our hope — still strong — to return to Him, blessed be He, and to His land and His Torah, etc. For even though what passes over us is what passes, both collectively over all of Israel and individually over each and every one — such that there is nearly no hope left, G-d forbid — for troubles upon troubles of different kinds arise at every moment, in body and soul and livelihood. And as our Rabbis z"l said: there is no day whose curse is not greater than that of the day before, etc. And we have no vitality whatsoever except the tikvah and the hope and the strong ratzon, which is the bechina of the above-mentioned illumination of the ratzon. As it is written: וָאֹמַר אָבַד נִצְחִי וְכוּ'. זֹאת אָשִׁיב אֶל לִבִּי עַל-כֵּן אוֹחִיל ["and I said: my hope has perished — yet this I return to my heart, therefore I will hope"]. And this is the bechina of: הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ["I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem"] — referring to the nations of the world, as Rashi explains there. מַה תָּעִירוּ וּמַה תְּעוֹרְרוּ אֶת הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ ["why do you rouse and why do you stir up the love until it is desired"]. That is, Israel says to all those who obstruct from holiness — who are the bechina of the nations and the Sitra Achra [the Other Side]: Why do you rouse and stir the love between me and the Omnipresent until it is desired — for you will accomplish nothing by all your incitements, enticements, and obstructions through which you prevent us from His Torah and His service, blessed be He. For even though it may appear to you that you have accomplished much, since you have nullified so many of our sanctities collectively and individually — you have destroyed our Beis HaMikdash [Holy Temple] and exiled us from our land, and still you dance and lord over us gratuitously with countless kinds of obstructions and distractions, nullifying Israel greatly from Torah and prayer, etc. — nevertheless you will accomplish nothing. For מַה תָּעִירוּ וּמַה תְּעוֹרְרוּ אֶת הָאַהֲבָה: you cannot corrupt the love between us and the Omnipresent, as Rashi explains there: עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ — "while it still desires." For still our desire and ratzon and yearning toward Him are exceedingly powerful and strong — and since the ratzon is strong, you will certainly accomplish nothing at all with all your tumult of obstructions and confusions, for the ratzon rises above everything. As has been explained in our words many times — the extraordinary, infinite power of the ratzon. And therefore our Rabbis z"l ordained that even now in this time, even outside of Israel, the Torah of challa shall not be annulled — for challa is the bechina of the illumination of the ratzon at the time of eating, as above, which remains with us even now in our long exile, as above. And this is the bechina of: וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶם לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְּעַלְתִּים לְכַלֹּתָם ["and even this, while they were in the land of their enemies, I did not despise them nor loathe them to destroy them completely"]. And it is found in the Zohar that the word לְכַלֹּתָם [literally "to destroy them"] is written defectively (chaser), hinting at כַּלָּה [bride/longing], etc., see there. And by this we can explain it toward our subject: that כַּלָּה is the language of ratzon and yearning, as it is written כָּלָה שְׁאֵרִי וּלְבָבִי ["my flesh and my heart long intensely"]. That is: in the very depth of our exile, in the land of our enemies, Hashem promises Israel and says: לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְּעַלְתִּים לְכַלֹּתָם — specifically the word לְכַלֹּתָם [to destroy them] — on account of the bechina of the kilyon einayim [the straining of eyes with longing] and the tikvah and the ratzon and the powerful yearning that they have to return to Him, as above. And this we draw down upon ourselves through the mitzvah of challa, as above — which is the bechina of גַּם זֹאת [even this]: for the required measure of dough for challa is forty-three eggs, as is brought in his words z"l (in Siman 55 of Likutay [Moharan] Aleph, in the Torah teaching Abba Shaul, etc.). That is, through the mitzvah of challa — which is the bechina of גַּ״ם זֹאת [gematria: 43] — through which the bread is sanctified (bread being the very essence of eating), until one merits through it the time of ratzon as above — through this: לֹא מְאַסְתִּים etc., לְכַלֹּתָם — because of the great kilyon einayim [straining longing] that they have for the true salvation, to return to Him, blessed be He, which is the bechina of the illumination of the ratzon, as above. And therefore the Torah was precise in the mitzvah of challa and wrote: וְהָיָה בַּאֲכָלְכֶם מִלֶּחֶם הָאָרֶץ תָּרִימוּ ["and it shall be, when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall set apart"] etc. — for the Torah expressly mentions the eating. To teach that the essential mitzvah of challa is at the time of occupation with making bread for eating — for then one requires most to draw down the illumination of the ratzon that shines at the time of eating: the bechina of וְהָיָה בַּאֲכָלְכֶם specifically, as above. And therefore the Torah portion of challa was placed adjacent to the Torah portion of the meraglim [the spies]. For the sin of the spies was through them that the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed — which is the bechina of the damage to the illumination of son and disciple (ben v'talmid), as has been explained well in the above-mentioned Torah teaching. And therefore adjacent to this was placed the Torah portion of challa, which is the bechina of the illumination of the ratzon at the time of eating — which is the opposite of the above-mentioned damage. For Moshe Rabbeinu, through his prayer in which he prayed סְלַח נָא ["please forgive"] etc., repaired the damage of the spies and drew down the bechina of the illumination of the chanukas ha'bayis [dedication of the Beis HaMikdash], which is the bechina of the illumination of the da'as of son and disciple — and through this the illumination of the ratzon at the time of eating was drawn down, which is the bechina of the mitzvah of challa, as above. And therefore immediately after the Torah portion of the spies was placed the Torah portion of menachos [meal-offerings] and nesachim [libations]. For menachos and nesachim are the bechina of וּמַלְכִּי צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיַיִן ["and Malki-Tzedek king of Shaleim brought out bread and wine"] etc., as is explained there in the above-mentioned Torah teaching — regarding the illumination of the ratzon at the time of eating through the Kohen, the bechina of וְהוּא כֹהֵן ["and he was a Kohen"] etc., as is explained there. And it is found in the words of our Rabbis z"l on the verse וּמַלְכִּי צֶדֶק etc., הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיַיִן, that he hinted to him regarding the menachos and nesachim. It is thus found that menachos and nesachim are the bechina of the illumination of the ratzon at the time of eating. Therefore they were placed adjacent to the Torah portion of the spies — for they are the tikkun [rectification] of the sin of the spies, as above. For it has already been explained that all the sacrifices (korbanos) of the Beis HaMikdash are in the bechina of eating, through which the illumination of the ratzon shines. And therefore the Torah commanded that with every offering (korban) one must bring menachos and nesachim — that is, bread and wine — which are the very essence of eating and drinking, for there is the essential illumination of the ratzon. For bread and wine are the essence of human eating and drinking. And therefore the illumination of the ratzon at the time of eating is alluded to in the verse: וְלֶחֶם לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ יִסְעָד וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב ["and bread sustains the heart of man, and wine gladdens the heart"]. As is brought there in the above-mentioned Torah teaching. For bread and wine are the essence of eating where the illumination of the ratzon shines — which is the bechina of the bread and wine that Malki-Tzedek brought forth before Avraham, which is the bechina of menachos and nesachim. And therefore they were placed adjacent to the portion of the spies, and immediately afterward the portion of challa — for it is all one, as above. And this is [the meaning of] Malki-Tzedek bringing out the bread and wine to Avraham at the time when he returned from the battle of the four kings. For then Malki-Tzedek saw the exceptional strength and power of Avraham, that he was a man of great valor (ish chayil). And therefore he brought out before him bread and wine etc. — alluding to the illumination of the ratzon at the time of eating. For one must be a man of valor (ish chayil), as is explained there, as above. In particular, because Avraham saved Lot at that time — and the entire battle was for this reason, because he foresaw that from him would unfold the birth of Mashiach [the Messiah], as our Rabbis z"l said on the verse: מָצָאתִי דָוִד עַבְדִּי ["I have found David My servant"] etc. For the essence of the holy kingship will be merited by Dovid Mashiach — and in him is the entire strength and dominion of holiness, and through him is the essential illumination of the ratzon, by which every member of Israel merits at the time of eating according to their strengthening themselves to be a man of valor, etc., as above. And therefore specifically then did he bring out before him bread and wine, as above.