Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Ha’azinu 5769

D’ei Chochmah
L’nafshechah
“Let your soul know wisdom”
Parshas Ha’azinu

From the discourses of Moreinu v’Rabeinu

the Gaon and Tzaddik Shlit”a

- not for general circulation -

Published by the Yam Hachochmah Institute

Under the auspices of “Yeshivas Toras Chochom”
for the study of the
revealed and hidden Torah

4 Ohalei Yosef st., Jerusalem

D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Ha’azinu

Shalosh Seudos of Parshas Ha’azinu 57671

.‫ֹאמרוּ ָל ְך‬
ְ ‫ֶיך וְ י‬
ָ ‫ זְ ֵקנ‬,‫ֵד ָך‬
ְ ‫יך ְו ַיגּ‬
ָ ‫אָב‬
ִ ‫ ָודֹר; ְשׁאַל‬-‫ ִבּינוּ ְשׁנוֹת דֹּר‬,‫עוֹלם‬
ָ ‫" ְזכֹר ְימוֹת‬
‫ ִכּי‬.‫ ְל ִמ ְס ַפּר ְבּנֵי יִ ְשׂ ָר ֵאל‬,‫ַצּב ְגּ ֻבלֹת ַע ִמּים‬
ֵ ‫אָדם; י‬ ָ ‫ ְבּ ַה ְפ ִרידוֹ ְבּנֵי‬,‫גּוֹים‬
ִ ‫ְבּ ַה ְנ ֵחל ֶע ְליוֹן‬
".‫ַח ָלתוֹ‬
ֲ ‫ ֶח ֶבל נ‬,‫ ַי ֲעקֹב‬:‫ֵח ֶלק ה' ַעמּוֹ‬

“Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations; ask
your father and he will declare unto you, your elders, and they will tell you.
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He
separated the children of men, He set the borders of the peoples according to
the number of the children of Yisrael. For the portion of Hashem is His
people, Yaakov is the lot of His inheritance.”2

The Arizal explains that the four Divine Names of HaVaYaH-EHYH and
HaVaYaH-ADNI have a combined numerical value of 138, and the four Names
correspond to the four worlds of Atzilus, Beriyah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah.3 [‫= יהו"ה‬
26; ‫ = אהי"ה‬21; ‫ = יהו"ה‬26; ‫ = אדנ"י‬65; total = 138] It is regarding this that the

1
The lesson was delivered at the third meal of Shabbos during Shabbos Shuvah, at the holy burial
place of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, in Uman.
2
Devarim 32:7-9
3
Sha’ar Hapesukim, Parshas Ha’azinu

3
D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Ha’azinu

verse states: "‫ַח ָלתוֹ‬

ֲ ‫ ֶח ֶבל נ‬,‫ ַי ֲעקֹב‬:‫“—" ִכּי ֵח ֶלק ה' ַעמּוֹ‬For the portion [‫ = חל"ק‬138] of
HaVaYaH is His people, Yaakov is the lot of His inheritance.”
These four worlds also correspond to the four letters of the Shem
HaVaYaH itself. The yud corresponds to Chochmah / Abba which is the primary
aspect of the world of Atzilus. The first hei alludes to Binah / Imma, which is the
most essential element in the world of Beriyah. The vav corresponds to the six
lower sefiros which correspond to Ze’ir Anpin, the main aspect of the world of
Yetzirah. The final hei represents the lowest sefirah of Malchus, which is the main
element of the world of Asiyah, or Action.

The Level of Adam HaRishon

Before Adam HaRishon sinned, our purpose was to serve Hashem in the
world of thought. This means serving Hashem primarily by making holy
unifications, since there was at that point access to the higher mochin of Abba and
Imma [Chochmah and Binah]. After Adam ate from the tree of knowledge of
good and evil and descended to the level describe in the verse: ‫ וְ לֹא‬,‫ָבל‬
ָ ‫" ַעם נ‬
"‫“— ָח ָכם‬A fallen and vulgar nation, that is not wise”4—he lost this level of
Chochmah, and his main task fell into the realm of action. This form of avodah is
associated with Yisrael Sabba u’Tevunah. [Note: The Arizal explains that Imma
and Abba are the masculine and feminine aspects of Abba / Chochmah, while
Yisrael Sabba u’Tevunah are aligned with Imma / Binah.]
Similarly, when the Jewish people stood before Mount Sinai in preparation
for receiving the Torah, they were so purified that they were worthy of the first set
of tablets which were drawn from the highest levels of Abba and Imma. For them
4
Devarim 32:6

4
D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Ha’azinu

as well, the main element of avodah was in the mind and through making holy
yichudim. After the sin of the golden calf, however, they lost access to this level
of Chochmah and Binah. (The ox itself symbolizes Binah—“They exchanged
their glory for the form of an ox, eating grass.”5) They became, “A people without
guidance, lacking insight”6 because they lost touch with the true insight and
guidance that is rooted in the world of thought, yichudim, and supernal vision.
They fell down to the level of the second set of tablets which are associated with
the realm of Yisrael Sabba v’Tevunah. And ever since those tablets were hidden
away, we find that even the mochin of that level are lacking. It is written that in
the ultimate future, all of the Jewish people will feast at the seudah of Moshiach
upon the flesh of the wild ox and the leviathan. This symbolizes the restoration of
the mochin of the higher levels of Chochmah and Binah.
The great tzaddikim throughout the generations, all of whom embody an
aspect of Moshiach, drew down the higher light of the first tablets into their own
works so that even simple people like ourselves can taste of it if we apply
ourselves sufficiently. Hashem granted us His Torah in order that we should
actively fulfill it, and the Vilna Gaon explained that this means making yichudim
in the realm of action from every part of the Torah. It is not enough for a person to
contemplate Divine Names and make yichudim in the manner taught by the holy
Arizal and the Baal Shem Tov. Even though it is impossible to estimate the beauty
and preciousness of the contemplative avodah that can uplift a person to the
worlds of vision and thought, there is still another aspect of avodah that must be
undertaken. One must work to rectify all of creation actively, by drawing down a
5
Tehillim 26:20
6
Devarim 32:28

5
D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Ha’azinu

pathway to accomplish this from the higher world of contemplation. This is the
nature of Rebbe Nachman’s work Likutei Moharan: a revelation of yichudim
translated into action. Every single lesson contained within Likutei Moharan is yet
another revelation from higher worlds that clarifies yet another practical aspect of
making a yichud. Unfortunately, many people study the words of the true
tzaddikim only superficially, in a manner associated with the diaspora. This is
why we are still in the state of, “They are a people without guidance, and have no
insight.”

“And Moshe Took the Bones of Yosef with Him”

This is the message hidden within the Torah’s teaching that when the
Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt, Moshe Rabbeinu took the bones of
Yosef with him. When we will ultimately be redeemed again, we will have to
“raise up the bones of Yosef” with us. This is the avodah of uplifting the spiritual
tools that were revealed by the true tzaddikim to the aspect of Eretz Yisrael, to use
them to effect yichudim practically and unify Hashem’s Name in action, not just
through visualization and contemplation.
In the place where the pure body of the tzaddik is buried, that is where the
shach and par Dinim are to be found. [These are two numbers, 320 and 280, each
of which refer to aspects of fallen holiness—what we call heavenly judgments—
that require repair.] The dinim are expressed in the all of the revelations and
practical guidance that the tzaddik revealed which are associated with the mochin
of Yisrael Sabba u’Tevunah [and which people misunderstand or improperly
apply]. However, it is very different for people to understand clearly the words of
the tzaddik. This is why it is so important, when coming to prostrate oneself at his

6
D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Ha’azinu

gravesite, to fulfill the duty to “take up the bones of Yosef,” to take the advice of
the true tzaddikim up to Eretz Yisrael, to the world of Atikah Sesima’ah so that the
mind can constantly contemplate them. This is what can bring a person to possess
a mind that is pure and holy in the aspect of Eretz Yisrael.
All the while that a person’s mind is in the diaspora, meaning that he only
learns the words of the tzaddikim superficially, the truth is still far from him and
hidden away. This is why each person is convinced that only he has the truth, and
this is the root of the pain and suffering associated with the diaspora.7 However,
when a person’s “first tablets” are restored to him, when he is drawing wisdom
from the realm of Atikah Sesima’ah (rather than from Arich, which is the spiritual
source of Yisrael Sabba u’Tevunah), he receives insight into how to unite the
world of thought and the world of action, which is the unification of Ze’ir Anpin
and Nukvah / Malchus.
Many people believe that they will accomplish great things spiritually, but
when it comes to action they don’t get anything done. This is why a person must
learn to unite the potential with the actual, and this is the very beginning of
teshuvah—to resolve to complete that which one planned to accomplish in avodas
Hashem. This is what the true tzaddikim taught us, and this is where we must
begin. The entire redemption depends on this. This is what is meant when the
Gemara states that in the ultimate future the shuls and batei medrash of Bavel will
eventually ascend to Eretz Yisrael.8 These “minor sanctuaries” which symbolize
all of the revelations of the tzaddikim that are presently in the diaspora state, will

7
Likutei Moharan II:71
8
Megillah 29a

7
D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Ha’azinu

ascend to Eretz Yisrael, to the world of thought so that one’s mind can always
consider them and their application.
In general, one must realize that all true spiritual growth depends on
consistency; one cannot waver in one’s mind or actions, but must instead focus
his thoughts on the Divine Names as taught in the Zohar and by the Arizal and the
Baal Shem Tov. And the completion of this practice is in bringing it down to the
level of action, to consider the teachings of the tzaddikim and learn them in order
to fulfill them. Then the beauty of the tzaddikim shines forth. Until we see their
teachings in a real light, we cannot possibly appreciate their greatness—our own
sins make us insensitive to their holiness. The same can be said of a person who
distanced himself from the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael; he cannot possibly honor the
land properly. The more that we begin to honor and appreciate Eretz Yisrael, the
more we will be able to really raise her up on her rightful pedestal. So too, when
we begin to walk the pathways of the “land of life,” the land of faith and dveikus
brought into the realm of action, the more we will be able to unify Ze’ir Anpin and
Nukvah at their source in Abba and Imma and regain the first tablets of Sinai.

“Humble Ones, the Time of Your Redemption Has Arrived”

The sages taught that when Moshiach arrives, he will stand on the roof of
the Beis Hamikdash and call out to the Jewish people, “Humble ones, the time of
your redemption has arrived. And if you don’t believe, see my light that has shone
upon you. As the verse says: ‘Arise, shine, for your light has come and Hashem’s
glory has shone upon you.’ And it has shone upon you alone, and not upon the

8
D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Ha’azinu

nations of the world. As the verse says: ‘For behold the darkness will cover the
earth and a dark cloud the nations, and Hashem’s light will shine upon you and
His glory will be seen upon you.’”9
This is another way of expressing that which we have already learned. The
“humble ones” of Ze’ir Anpin must be raised up to the level of the upper three
sefiros of the mochin—to the “roof of the Beis Hamikdash.” The tzaddikim of
Bavel need to rise up the level of the mind of Eretz Yisrael. “And if you don’t
believe”—because the sitra achra is always working to obscure the tzaddik so
that people do not believe in “Hashem and Moshe, His servant”—look toward the
light. Realize that if you do not rise higher to the true intention of the tzaddikim,
you will remain in the darkness of exile. If you want the light, you must rise to the
world of thought bound to action.

The Gold and Silver, the Fear and the Love

When the Jewish people left Egypt, Hashem wanted them to take gold and
silver out with them, in fulfillment of His promise to Avraham Avinu. This
represents their acquisition of the holy attributes of love and fear (since silver /
‫ כסף‬is rooted in love and longing, and ruddy gold is associated with yirah). But
Moshe Rabbeinu knew that this is insufficient—that to merit redemption the
Jewish people would need not only these “external” [emotive] attributes, but also
the inner vessels of contemplation and thought revealed by the tzaddikim,
represented by the bones of Yosef. He knew that it is only with all of these
elements that a person can come to see the light of Moshiach, which is the

9
Pesikta Rabasi, #36

9
D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Ha’azinu

primordial light that Hashem hid away at the beginning of time.10 This light, the
light of the tzaddik which is called “strength”11 shines from one end of the earth to
the other,12 and when it is revealed it will bring true peace in its wake. “Hashem
will give strength to His people, Hashem will bless His people with peace.”13
Once everyone sees the greatness and holiness of the true tzaddikim, all
conflict will naturally disappear since it is only because people are confused about
the truth that they engage in controversy. As soon as the guidance of the tzaddik is
revealed fully, all of the barriers of the diaspora will fall away. Right now, the
tzaddik is in a place that does not befit him,14 but when he is placed in his rightful
position together with choshen and the urim v’tumim, then as a matter of course
we will come to see “eye to eye, Hashem’s return to Tzion.”

Tishrei and the Revelation of Advice

May Hashem help us so that as we stand close to the holy burial place of
the true tzaddik we really cleave to his true words of advice and guidance. The
Arizal taught that we fell into the state of “a people without guidance” by first
sinning through, “Will you repay Hashem this way?”—“Will you repay the hei of
Hashem’s Name, the attribute of Binah, this way?” Because we fell away from
Binah, we lost our connection with good and true advice and guidance.15
Thankfully, Hashem’s mercy far outweighs His judgment, and so we have the
opportunity presented by the month of Tishrei, when the time is ripe to reconnect

10
Ibid.
11
Mishlei 18:10
12
Chagigah 12a
13
Tehillim 29:11
14
Zohar III:280a
15
Sefer Halikutim

10
D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Ha’azinu

with the attribute of Binah.16 Rising on [the fires of] Binah [and teshuvah], we
will merit to “fly on wings of eagles” and return to the aspect of Tzion and the
heavenly Beis Hamikdash that will descend fully rebuilt from the heavens. (The
“wings of eagles” are associated with the Divine Name M”B—the permutation of
the Shem HaVaYaH that has a total gematria of 42. As is well known, Rebbe
Nachman’s soul was rooted in the world of Binah.17) Of course, we will only
merit this if we are constant in our pursuit of the Torah’s wisdom and the making
of yichudim. As the verse states, “And you shall speak in them [‫ = ב"ם‬42] when
you sit in your house and in your going on the road, in your lying down and in
your rising.”18 Then we will merit to see Hashem’s light shining upon us, with the
arrival of our righteous redeemer in mercy.

“Let Your Soul Know Wisdom”

This is the meaning of the phrase: "‫—"דעה חכמה לנפשך והיא כתר לראשך‬
“Let your soul know (d’ei) wisdom (Chochmah), and it will be a crown (Kesser)
for your head.”19 It requires a very deep Da’as in order to unite the yichudim of
Chochmah with the action of the level of nefesh / Asiyah. One must diligently
delve into the works of the tzaddikim to merit to discover the practical advice in
all that they teach. We must learn to walk through the world of thought and the
Torah’s wisdom, from chamber to chamber and room to room, and raise up every
teaching to the world of yichudim united to practice. Then we will see that,

16
Sifra D’tzniusa
17
Kochvei Ohr
18
Devarim 6:7
19
From the Shabbos zemer “D’ror Yikrah,” based on Mishlei 24:14.

11
D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Ha’azinu

“Hashem alone [‫ ]בדד‬will lead him.”20 The word ‫ בד"ד‬has a gematria of 10. To
come to the level of Hashem leading us “alone,” we must contemplate His ten
sefirah attributes with devotion and mochin d’gadlus, consistently and diligently.
Then we will find that we can walk through the King’s palace, come to His
chambers and rejoice in Him, and see the greatness of the King. Then, “it will be a
crown to your head”—we will merit to experience the light of Kesser, the level of
Atikah Sesima’ah. “Guard your holy mitzvos”—the light of Kesser will destroy
[‫ ]כתר = כרת‬the evil within us so that there will be no obstacles to our full
observance of every detail of the mitzvos. “Guard you holy Shabbos”—we will
come to the level of Shabbos, shemittah, and the holiness of Eretz Yisrael
personified by the tzaddikim. May Hashem help us to study their works and
absorb the yichudim and practical advice to be found in them. “For the thing is
very close to you, in your mouth and heart to do it.” It is “in your mouth”—
through diligent study—“and heart to do it”—you will come to make yichudim in
the realm of action. Then we will merit to have the first tablets restored to us and
see “eye to eye, Hashem’s return to Tzion.”

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

Please feel free to send comments, questions, and any feedback to:
tc7@neto.bezeqint.net .

20
Devarim 32:12

12