T73 Petten Nanach Commentary - Ki VaMayim Ta'avor (Tefillah Lishmah/Ani Vessel, 2 segs)

Beginner: Opening verse: 'For you will pass through waters, with you I am' (Isaiah 43:2). Torah is both hidden (nistar) and revealed; God is also both nistar and revealed. What is revealed to us is the garment and the externality; what is hidden from us is the p'nimiyus (the inner essence). Every person must strive urgently to attain the p'nimiyus — the hidden aspect. But how can one reach what is hidden? Through tefillah lishmah — prayer for its own sake, where one binds thought to speech in a mighty and strong bond. God desires the prayers of the righteous (Chullin 60b). Why? Because God desires chesed (Micah 7:18) and always wishes to flow influence and blessing — but the divine shefa can only descend through a vessel called 'Ani' (I). As the verse says: 'And I will bless them' (Numbers 6:26). This vessel — the 'Ani' — is created by every Jew who prays with his thought genuinely bound to his words of prayer. Thus tefillah lishmah creates the vessel that allows the hidden to become revealed. Intermediate: Frame verse: Yesh 43:2. Torah + Hashem = nistar + galuy. Revealed = garment; hidden = p'nimiyus. How to reach nistar: tefillah lishmah = bind thought to speech. Chullin 60b: Hashem desires tzaddikim's prayers. Micha 7:18: desires chesed. Vessel for shefa = 'Ani' (Bamidbar 6:26). Tefillah lishmah creates the Ani-vessel.

Beginner: One who receives pleasure from another is called 'nukva' (feminine/receptive) in relation to the one giving pleasure. Therefore, when Hashem, as it were, receives pleasure from Israel's prayers — He becomes 'nukva' in relation to Israel. This is the meaning of the verse 'A fire-offering, a pleasing aroma to Hashem' (Numbers 28:2) — through the pleasing aroma of Israel's prayers, Hashem receives pleasure and enters the aspect of 'nekevah' (the feminine). This is the mystery of the verse: 'A woman encircles a man' (Jeremiah 31:22) — the inner p'nimiyus becomes external. Now the verse is explained: 'Ki va'mayim ta'avor' — 'ta'avor' (you will pass/cross) is the language of revelation, as Onkelos translates the verse 'And Hashem passed over Egypt' (Exodus 12:23) as 'Hashem was revealed.' And 'mayim' (waters) = Torah (Bava Kama 17a). Therefore: when you desire that the hidden within Torah be revealed to you — 'itti ani' — 'with you I am' — meaning: you will make the vessel called Ani, and then the hidden will be revealed. Intermediate: Receiving pleasure = nukva. When Hashem receives pleasure from Israel's prayers = Hashem nukva to Israel. Bamidbar 28:2 'reiach nicho'ach.' Yirm 31:22 'nekevah tsorev gaver.' Ta'avor = language of revelation (Onkelos on Shemot 12:23). Mayim = Torah (BK 17a). Hidden Torah revealed = make the Ani-vessel = 'itti ani.'