"Open my eyes so that I may see the wonders of Your Torah"

Wonders
‫בס"ד‬

Weekly Magazine of the Shiurim and Farbrengens

Issue 126 of HaRav Yitzchak Ginsburgh
Shabbat Vayeira 5785 J November 15-16, 2024
‫טו חֶ ׁ ְש ֹון תשפ"ה‬-‫ יד‬J ‫ׁ ַש ָּבת ַוי ּ ֵָרא‬

Rain represents the Torah’s revealed dimension, while dew symbolizes its hidden dimension....
Just as rain is needed for our material existence and falls directly from the heavens, the Torah’s
revealed part ensures our physical survival and directly guides us in the world.... Just as dew
forms invisibly without being seen, so too does the Torah's hidden dimension work within us
beneath the surface, in ways that are not always conscious.

3 Rain and Dew, Action and Relaxation, West and

East

9 Story: The Ahavat Shalom: The Wheel of Fortune

13 Partzuf: Permutations and God’s Pity

 The Lubavitcher Rebbe to Rav Ginsburgh, Elul 5741
“…It would be proper
to publish your classes
in book form.
An anthology from the shiurim and farbrengens
With blessings for success…”
of Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh

An anthology from the shiurim and farbrengens

of Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh Wonders
Editorial Board: Moshe Genuth and Itiel Giladi
An anthology from the shiurim and farbrengens
of Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh
Wonders
Editorial Board: Moshe Genuth and Itiel Giladiis distributed weekly in Israel and North America.
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Wonders Staff
R. Moshe Genuth, Editor • Shelli Karzen , Associate Editor
Yoel Broderick, Typesetting
RAIN AND DEW, ACTION AND
RELAXATION, WEST AND EAST
O n Simchat Torah we begin to praise
God for bringing rain, but the
official prayer requesting rain begins only
material 1 existence, and we depend on it
for our livelihood, like servants who sit
at their master’s table. Although rain falls
on the night of the 7th of Cheshvan (in the primarily during winter (in the Land of
Land of Israel; outside the Land of Israel it Israel), it is the only element of the water
is said 60 days after the start of Autumn). cycle that is not deterministic. In other
It is made up of one short line, integrated words, we cannot predict when and where
into the usual prayer text: “Grant dew and it will fall with scientific laws. This is why
rain for a blessing upon the face of the the Torah refers to it as a gift from heaven
earth” ( ‫)ו ְֵתן טַ ל ו ּמָ טָ ר לִ בְ ָר ָכה עַ ל ְּפנֵי הָ אֲ ָדמָ ה‬. which comes as a direct response to our
Let’s examine this blessing and, through actions: “If you will diligently obey My
it, explore the spiritual meaning of water in commandments... I will give you rain for
general in light of Kabbalah and Chasidut. your land in its season,” and conversely,
“Take heed lest your heart be deceived, and
BETWEEN DEW AND RAIN you turn aside and serve other gods... then

W ater is a metaphor for Divine

abundance, and specifically for
Divine wisdom, primarily Torah. Water
God’s anger will be kindled against you,
and He will shut up the heavens so that
there will be no rain.” 2 It is also why the
descends from hidden sources, quenches sages established the practice of praying
our thirsty souls, and is necessary for our for rain and even decreeing public fasts in
survival; in this way, it serves as a living response to a prolonged drought.
illustration of the abundance and wisdom Dew, on the other hand, is a metaphor
our souls seek to draw from God. for God’s hidden Presence, as He dwells
In light of this, what does it mean that within our world. On the one hand, dew
the request for rain refers to two types is constant and precipitates throughout
of precipitation— “dew” (tal) and “rain” the entire year, but on the other hand, its
(matar)? Simply put, it seems to suggest origin is invisible—it seems to form by
that we distinguish between two types of itself during the night. 3 Similarly, God is
Divine abundance and wisdom.
Rain is a metaphor for God’s direct 1. In fact, the Hebrew word for “rain” (‫ ּג ׁ ֶֶשם‬,
supervision of His world, as a Sovereign pronounced geshem) is the root of the word meaning
who resides above it. Rain descends openly “materiality” (‫ ּג ׁ ְַש ִמי ּ ֹות‬, pronounced: gashmiyut).
2. Notice the shift from referring to God in the first
from above to below, as if it pours directly person in the earlier verses, “My commandments,”
from God. It is directly essential for our to referring to Him in the third person, “God’s
anger,” suggesting that God turns His back on us.
3. The prayer we say:“who brings dew down” (‫מ ֹו ִריד‬

‫ ∕ ָ רא י ֵַּו ת ב ָּ ַׁש‬WONDERS 3
universally present in our world at every which is not measured quantitatively (in
moment and in every place, but He acts terms of how many commandments we
and reveals Himself in hidden ways that fulfilled) but only qualitatively. Just as
are not noticed without careful attention. dew forms invisibly without being seen,
In physical terms, the power of dew is so too does this inner wisdom work within
less than that of rain—it cannot provide us beneath the surface, in ways that are not
water to sustain a large population, and always conscious.
no one save specialists would measure how T h e s e p a r a l l e l s a r e b e au t i f u l l y
much dew has fallen at night. Spiritually, illustrated in the Hebrew words for “rain”
however, it resonates more deeply in ( ‫מָ טָ ר‬, pronounced: matar) and “dew” ( ‫טָ ל‬,
our souls. It reminds us that there are pronounced: tal), respectively.
subtle and hidden qualities in the soul The word matar is the root of the word
that emerge naturally when we are in a matarah ( ‫)מַ ּ ָט ָרה‬, meaning “goal.” This hints
“nocturnal” state of calm and relaxation. at the linear and goal-oriented thinking
It is also explained that the Resurrection of the Torah’s revealed dimension and
of the Dead will occur through the “dew of faith in God as Sovereign. The word
of resurrection” ( ‫)טַ ל ְּת ִחיָּה‬. Thus, dew is tal on the other hand is the two-letter
a metaphor for the infusion of new life root of the word bitul ( ‫ ) ִ ּב ּטו ּל‬meaning
within us. “self-nullification.” This word hints at
So far, we have discussed dew and rain the annulment of pride and ego, which
as symbols of Divine abundance. Now, is the primary objective of the Torah’s
what about their role as symbols of Divine concealed dimension and of faith in God
wisdom? as omnipresent.
In this context of Divine wisdom, rain These ideas reveal to us a profound
represents the Torah’s revealed dimension, secret about the prayer “Grant dew and
while dew symbolizes its hidden dimension. rain for a blessing,” which, among other
The revealed part of the Torah includes things, is a request to harmonize the
the commandments and laws given to us revealed and hidden dimensions, in both
by God as Sovereign. Just as rain is needed Torah and in life.
for our material existence and falls directly
from the heavens, the Torah’s revealed part
BETWEEN CHAOS AND
ensures our physical survival and directly
RECTIFICATION
guides us in the world.
The hidden part of the Torah, in contrast,
is secretive and nocturnal like dew and
A basic principle in the Torah states,
“God has made this opposite that” 4:
everything has a positive version and a
includes the inner wisdom of Judaism, negative version. In Kabbalistic/Chasidic
terminolog y the negative version is
‫ )הַ ּ ַטל‬describes the formation of dew as a descent. described as tohu—a chaotic, unrectified,
We can understand this, not as a descent from the or coarse version—and the positive version
heavens to the earth, but a “descent” in physical
state, namely the condensation of water from its
vapor/gaseous state to a liquid state. 4. Ecclesiastes 7:14.

4 SHABBAT VAYEIRA 5785 ∕ ISSUE 126

is described as tikkun—a refined, orderly, integrate with one another—they open up
and rectified version. to receive from one another and incorporate
This principle also applies to the each other’s truths and perspectives.
respective qualities of dew and rain: there The tikkun versions of dew and rain are
are a negative—tohu—dew and rain and a therefore characterized by their ability to
positive—tikkun—dew and rain, and we contain each other’s qualities: rectified dew
must distinguish between them. contains a drop of rain, and rectified rain
The tohu rain manifests in harnessing contains a drop of dew.
linear, goal-oriented movement toward Indeed, it is easy to see that the key
achievement for the sake of personal to transforming negative achievement-
empowerment and self-aggrandizement. oriented behavior (tohu rain) into a
The pursuit of achievements whether life of elevated, purposeful striving
external, like accumulating wealth or (tikkun rain) lies in infusing a little self-
gaining fame, or spiritual, like acquiring nullification and relaxation (dew) into
knowledge or developing skills, when our purposeful pursuit. All our endeavors
done primarily to showcase our virtues and accomplishments are forever imbued
and talents, is an exploitation of the power with personal ambition and will result
of rain/goal-oriented energy in a noxious in chaos unless we carry them out with
manner. a sense of humility before the will of the
The tohu dew is the degeneration of Supreme Sovereign who sends us to do
noble self-nullification (bitul) into idleness them. While striving toward our goals, we
( ‫ ַּב ּ ָט ָלה‬, pronounced: batalah)—shirking must introduce moments of surrender—
responsibility in the name of unconditional pauses where we stop to take a breath and
self-acceptance. The tohu dew may take remember why we are striving to succeed
the form of overt laziness, like lounging in in the first place.
front of the TV, but it can also hide behind Simi l arly, t ransfor ming negat ive
a seemingly spiritual facade of tranquility idleness (tohu dew) into positive self-
and relaxation. Either way, it is a damaging nullification (tikkun dew) is achieved by
manifestation of the quality of dew. setting a goal (rain) to which we become
How can we transition from these nullified. The dew’s relaxed mode of
negative types of rain and dew to the being is not inherently negative but rather
positive ones? depends on how it is realized. If we simply
In Kabbalah, it is explained that the nullify our will without any purpose, we
fundamental difference between a reality end up wasting our lives away. But if we
of tohu and one of tikkun is that in tohu/ nullify ourselves to a higher goal, for the
chaos, each individual element believes it sake of fulfilling God’s will in the world
is the only one with the right to exist, and and creating a life of meaning and giving,
therefore the elements are separated and in then our release from familiar perceptions
conflict with one another. In contrast, in and attachments becomes a means of
tikkun/rectification, the different elements elevation and growth.

‫ ∕ ָ רא י ֵַּו ת ב ָּ ַׁש‬WONDERS 5
DEW AND RAIN, EAST AND WEST and to preserve” 5 the world. To “cultivate”
means to develop and improve the world
I n a broader social context, in our
contemporary reality, we can identify
phenomena of tohu rain primarily in
in the spirit of the West, and to “preserve”
it means to let the world remain as is,
following the spirit of the East, lest it be
Western culture, and phenomena of tohu
destroyed and corrupted.
dew primarily in Eastern culture.
Similarly, the Torah commands people
In general, the West is characterized
to rectify the exterior functionality of the
by rational, systematic, and goal-oriented
individual and the community (primarily
thinking, as well as values of achievement,
through its revealed dimension, akin to
excellence, and self-fulfillment—all traits
rain as mentioned above) while at the
we have associated with rain. These
same time inviting them to deepen their
values have led to remarkable scientific
awareness of their interior, delving into
and technological achievements, but at
their souls, and thereby drawing closer to
the cost of arrogance, an inflated sense of
the Creator and cleaving to Him (primarily
omnipotence, and the belief that “the end
through its hidden dimension, akin to
justifies the means.” These flaws stem from
dew). These and other combinations are
an almost complete absence of the value
all reflected in the Torah’s fundamental
of self-nullification, that is, from a lack of
distinction between the six weekdays
balancing dew.
dedicated to labor and during which we
The E ast, on the other hand, is
engage in rectifying our surroundings
characterized by a more circular and
and environment, and the Sabbath, during
holistic worldview, less focused on
which we allow the world to function as
conquering reality and more on integrating
is and focus on the workings of our soul.
with it and turning inward—the qualities
This reveals to us another great secret
of dew. As a result, it has delved deeply
about the blessing “Grant dew and rain for
into human consciousness and developed
a blessing”: its messages of aspiration to
the inner world, but in other respects,
integrate, in a rectified way, the qualities
it has remained stagnant. In the name
of the East and the West through Judaism.
of “accepting reality as it is”—in other
Judaism seeks to infuse the dew of the East
words, the denial of the rain/goal-oriented
into the rain of the West and vice versa,
mentality—it has left billions with a
until the proper blending of these qualities
lowly idol-worshipping worldview, not to
is achieved—dew and rain of rectification
mention an economically underdeveloped,
in the Land of Israel.
Third World condition.
T h e To r a h o f I s r a e l — w h i c h BETWEEN ISRAEL AND EGYPT
geographically emerged and developed
between Asia and Europe—has always
sought to integrate the worldviews of the
B eyond mere integration between
dew and rain, where each contains
something of the other, it is clear that the
East and West. The Torah teaches us that
humankind is commanded “to cultivate
5. Genesis 2:15.

6 SHABBAT VAYEIRA 5785 ∕ ISSUE 126

best scenario is to truly merge them—to However, this comes at a price. In exchange
be both dew and rain simultaneously. But for the stable flow of water, the Egyptians
even here, we must ensure that we achieve had to build complex irrigation channels
a tikkun combination of dew and rain and or trudge back and forth to the Nile to
not a tohu one. What are these two types water their fields bucket by bucket (“and
of merging? water it with your foot”). This way of life
Well, before the Jewish people were symbolizes the type of mentality that Egypt
exiled to the East (Babylon) and then to the represents—a mentality that prefers to
West (Rome), our forefathers were exiled rely on earthly sources of security over
to the land of Egypt. Egypt was the first maintaining a demanding relationship
exile that enslaved us, and the exodus from with a Heavenly Ruler, even at the cost of
it was the first redemption we experienced. hard physical labor.
Egypt is also the opposite of the Land of This consciousness reflects the merging
Israel, its mirror image. This is evident, of tohu rain and dew, that is, external
among other things, with respect to the achievement coupled with idleness.
integration of dew and rain, the East and This may sound contradictory, or even
the West. The Lands of Israel and Egypt impossible, but unfortunately, it is all too
embody two forms of merging these two common in the modern era. It is manifest
cultures: a positive merging of the tikkun in the familiar middle-class lifestyle which
versions of dew and rain, and a negative could be described by “our goal: idleness.”
merging of their tohu versions. People devote themselves to building a
Interestingly, this is revealed through career in the first half of life, in order to
the comparison the Torah makes between indulge in a lazy retirement in the second
the water systems of Israel and Egypt: half. Egypt’s approach, willing to work
For the land that you are entering to hard just to secure a life of comfort and
inherit is not like the Land of Egypt, security, represents an ancient version of
from which you came, where you would this same concept.
sow your seed and water it with your The Land of Israel, on the other hand, is
foot, like a vegetable garden. But the not flat like Egypt and does not have large
land you are crossing into to inherit is lakes and rivers, and therefore depends
a land of hills and valleys that drinks entirely on rain. On one hand, this creates
water from the rain of heaven. A land a challenging reality of dependence on the
which Havayah your God cares for; the heavens—it is a land, “which Havayah your
eyes of Havayah your God are always God cares for,” i.e. constantly lies under
upon it, from the beginning of the year God’s magnifying glass as it were. On the
to the end of the year. other hand, when the rain does come,
The land of Egypt does not rely on there is no need for complex irrigation
intermittent rains descending from the systems—the farmer finishes his work,
heavens but is constantly irrigated by goes to sleep, and the heavens give him
the mighty Nile River flowing through it. rain directly where it is needed. This

‫ ∕ ָ רא י ֵַּו ת ב ָּ ַׁש‬WONDERS 7
reality symbolizes the type of mentality and Israel sheds new light on the story
represented by the Land of Israel. Instead of Israelites’ descent into Egypt and the
of relying on earthly sources of security, we Exodus from Egypt. The descent into
must lift our eyes to the heavens in prayer Egypt, which, as we recall, occurred
for blessing. This demands that we invest due to a severe drought, is revealed as a
in our relationship with God, but if we are metaphor for a kind of spiritual decline,
worthy, we will receive great blessing and driven by the hardships of life, from a
abundance. life of faith in Divine grace to reliance on
T h i s c ons c i ou s n e s s re f l e c t s t h e earthly foundations. The Exodus from
merging of the tikkun rain and dew, Egypt back to the Land of Israel through
meaning the striving for an elevated goal a wilderness where even bread descends
together with a sense of self-nullification. from the heavens, serves as a metaphor
This combination can be described as for a willingness to return and devote
nullification toward a goal—complete ourselves to a life of faith.
devotion to our purpose as servants of God The connection between the blessing of
in this world—free of the goal of reaching dew and rain and the Exodus from Egypt is
retirement—coupled with a willingness to reflected in the fact that we stop requesting
accept whatever He gives us, for better or “dew and rain for a blessing” and begin to
for worse. This combination is expressed request only “grant a blessing” on the first
in what the Ba’al Shem Tov defined as day of Passover, the official end of the rainy
“relaxed quickness” ( ‫)זְ ִריזו ּת ִ ּב ְמ ִתינו ּת‬. This season on the Hebrew calendar.
special state of mind calls for energetic But now, as we stand a few weeks after
action outwardly, but from a place of inner Rosh HaShanah, with a long drought
tranquility rooted in faith. The approach of behind us, and an uncertain winter ahead
the Land of Israel, which forsakes earthly of us, we must dedicate this period, from
security in favor of a life of real and the 7th of Cheshvan to the 15th of Nissan,
exposed connection with God, symbolizes to deep and pure prayer for dew and rain—
this merging. the inner Jewish merging of attaining goals
with a sense of self-nullification—bitul and
RETURNING TO FAITH matarah. With God’s help, we will thus

T he correspondence between these

two ways of merging the dew and
rain energies with the imagery of Egypt
merit a winter of literal dew and rain, and
on Passover—the Festival of the Spring—a
true Exodus from Egypt.

8 SHABBAT VAYEIRA 5785 ∕ ISSUE 126

STORY
THE AHAVAT SHALOM:
The Wheel of Fortune
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager of Kosov was born in 5528 (1768) to Rabbi
Yaakov Kopel Chasid and his wife Chayah. For most of his life, he devoted
himself to Torah study, engaging in business only to earn his necessary
livelihood and no more. After his teacher, Rabbi Ze'ev Wolf of Chornyi-
Ostriv, made aliyah to the Land of Israel, he accepted the position of rabbi in
Kosov. Within a short time, he became the spiritual guide for thousands of
chasidim and was known eponymously after the collection of his teachings,
Ahavat Shalom.
His descendants include the Rebbes of the Kosov dynasty, and later also the
Vizhnitz, Seret-Vizhnitz, and other Chasidic courts. He departed from this
world on the 17th of Cheshvan 5586 (1825) and was buried in the cemetery
in Kosov.

When the Ahavat Shalom was still a young man, he lacked the means to hire a
wagon, so he would walk to his rebbe on foot. One evening on his way to his
rebbe, he stopped to rest at an inn owned by a Jew who lived at the edge of a
village. Since he had not eaten all day, he asked the innkeeper if he could have
a taste of some food. The innkeeper replied that his children had also gone to
bed without food, and he had no bread to give them tomorrow either, as he
was not making a living.
In the morning, after praying, the Ahavat Shalom set out again on his journey,
his heart broken from the distress of seeing the hungry children. On his way,
a wagon with a wealthy Jew inside drew near. The wagon stopped, and the
wealthy Jew asked the Ahavat Shalom where he was headed. He replied that
he was on his way to his rebbe, the holy Rebbe Meshulam Faivush of Zbarazh.
The wealthy man said, "I too am traveling to the rebbe. Why are you walking?
Perhaps you'd like to join me and continue your journey in my wagon? Come,
get on the wagon and I'll take you to the rebbe." However, the Ahavat Shalom,
whose heart was broken over the family's situation, replied to the wealthy
man, "I cannot travel with you unless you give me one hundred gold coins."
The wealthy man was taken aback by the young man's audacity to request such
an exorbitant sum in exchange for his generous offer, but to avoid turning
him away empty-handed, he agreed to give him five gold coins. However, the
Ahavat Shalom said to him, "I didn't request that you let me ride on your
wagon. If you want me to get on the wagon, please give me the sum that

‫ ∕ ָ רא י ֵַּו ת ב ָּ ַׁש‬WONDERS 9
 I requested." The rich man didn't agree, and the Ahavat Shalom bid him
farewell and continued walking.

The wealthy man also continued on his way, but feelings of regret arose in
his heart. He returned to the Ahavat Shalom and offered him twenty gold
coins. Nevertheless, the Ahavat Shalom was unwilling to get on the wagon.
The wealthy man realized that this young man was not a simple person, and
his heart wouldn't let him leave him alone on the road. He agreed to give all
hundred gold coins, if he would get on the wagon so they could continue the
journey. But the Ahavat Shalom replied, "No, we are not continuing on our way
yet." He told him that he needed the sum for a poor Jewish innkeeper whose
children were hungry and asked him to turn back and go to the innkeeper’s
house to give him the money.

Again, the wealthy man was unhappy that the young man had asked him to
extend the journey after he had already given him the entire sum but knowing
that without this he wouldn't agree to get on the wagon, he thought to himself:
Let's see the good deeds of this young man who insists on benefiting a Jew
with such devotion. He turned the wagon towards the inn. When they arrived,
the holy Ahavat Shalom entered the inn together with the wealthy man. He
handed the innkeeper the hundred gold coins and instructed him to go to
the city to buy brandy, so that he would have something to sell and feed his
children.

Before parting from the innkeeper, the Ahavat Shalom whispered to him,
"Take a ledger, and record the profits from this business every day from now
on, because when the time comes, you will need to share them with your
wealthy benefactor."

When they arrived at the holy Rebbe Faivush, the rebbe proclaimed before
all that were present, "Make way for those who perform mitzvot!" He received
them with great joy and showed them a great deal of endearment.

The wheel of fortune turns in the world. Days and years passed. The poor
innkeeper became wealthy, and the wealthy man who had given him a
hundred gold coins lost his fortune. He was so poor that he had to join one of
the groups of the needy who went from city to city collecting alms. In those
days, the Ahavat Shalom had become known as a generous rebbe and a worker
of wonders. Needy people flocked to his doors, and he revived them all with
his blessings and generous and respectful charity.

One day, the once-wealthy man came to the house of the Ahavat Shalom.

10 SHABBAT VAYEIRA 5785 ∕ ISSUE 126

 The Rebbe recognized him immediately. The Ahavat Shalom instructed his
attendant to call this poor man and bring him into his room. The Rebbe
received him with a pleasant countenance and reminded him of that wagon
journey, and the money that he had given to the innkeeper. The Ahavat Shalom
gave him a letter for the innkeeper, who had in the meantime become wealthy.
He asked him to make a fair accounting with his benefactor, and to give him
half of his profits. The innkeeper fulfilled the rebbe's request completely, and
the former rich man became wealthy once again and gave charity generously.
The holy Ahavat Shalom was not initially blessed with a pleasant voice. Once,
he was in a certain town where there was a cantor with a wonderful voice. The
Ahavat Shalom noticed that after the cantor finished leading the prayers, he
inquired among the women how his prayer was received. The Ahavat Shalom
raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Master of the Universe, if You give me
a pleasant voice, I will pray only for Your glory and not to impress others,
Heaven forbid." From then on, the Ahavat Shalom received an exceptionally
pleasant voice, and every Shabbat he would compose a new melody or tune.
Once, the Ahavat Shalom was in a certain city on Shabbat during the Three
Weeks of mourning for the Temple in Jerusalem, and there was such great joy
on Shabbat that people were dancing on the rooftops. After the holy Shabbat,
the townsmen and Torah scholars came to him. He asked them, "What do you
say about the joy on Shabbat?" The Torah scholars replied that it was excessive,
given that it was during the Three Weeks. He answered and said: "Is not
Shabbat a gift, as it says in the Talmud, ‘I have a precious gift in My treasury,
and Shabbat is its name,' and the law of pre-emptive sale to a neighbor1 do not
apply when it comes to a gift.”

1. This is known as Dina DeBar Meitzra in the Talmud. Since Shabbat is a gift from God to the Jewish
people, and someone who receives land as a gift is not obligated to preemptively sell it to his neighbor, so the
Shabbat does not have to give up anything to the mourning period of the Three Weeks.

Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Kosov greeting for Shabbat: “Shabbat Shalom.”

is known eponymously as the Ahavat Regarding charity, the verse says, “And the
Shalom—the collection of his teachings. act of charity will be peace.” 2 Finally, in
Why did he give his book this name? In Kabbalah, the sefirah of foundation, which
the book's introduction, it is explained that corresponds to the procreative organs, is
almost every teaching in it refers to the referred to as shalom. For this reason, we
Shabbat, to charity, and to the safeguarding chose to bring these three stories about
of the covenant (i.e., rectifying one’s sexual the Ahavat Shalom, which illustrate
urges). These three matters all relate to
peace (shalom). We all known the common
2. Isaiah 32:17.

‫ ∕ ָ רא י ֵַּו ת ב ָּ ַׁש‬WONDERS 11
his approach to these three matters. In this relationship. Although it was already
our explanation, we will see that these included in the previous story, here it
three points together touch upon all is treated independently of the other
the conscious soul powers within a Jew, sefirot. The reason for this is that the root
rectifying them and connecting them to of foundation is found in the sefirah of
holiness. knowledge (da’at): “And Adam knew Eve,
The mitzvah of charity rectifies the his wife.” Knowledge is divided into two
behavioral faculties within a person, halves known as the coronet of kindnesses
which include the sefirot of victor y, and the coronet of judgment. The upper
a ck now l e d g me nt , fou nd at i on , and third of the sefirah of beauty (tiferet) is also
kingdom (netzach, hod, yesod, and included within it.
malchut). The habitual/behavioral faculties The covenant (referring to marital
direct the soul to practical action and union and fidelity) is also known as
influence. When a person uses these "the quill of the soul," an idiom that the
powers to give others the money that he has Alter Rebbe would commonly refer to
toiled for, he transforms the soul-powers melodies with. This connection between
from instruments for self-realization into the covenant and music is also expressed
tangible interfaces with other people and in the Ahavat Shalom’s choice to compose
with God. Moreover, the source of these a new melody specifically ever y holy
sefirot (netzach, hod, and yesod) is in the Shabbat, the time of marital union for
lower two-thirds of the sefirah of tiferet, Torah scholars. This is the secret of the
whose inner essence is compassion. Giving Song of Songs recited on Shabbat eve:
charity does not begin with immediate this most select song is the love song
action. As in our story, first and foremost, between the Almighty and the people of
it starts with true compassion for others, Israel. The loving tzaddik trembles at any
which is the essence of these two-thirds attempt to turn it into a song for strange
of tiferet. women.
As we climb up to the next level of the After we have surveyed the powers of
soul’s faculties, known as the emotive action and emotion, Shabbat arrives and
level, we encounter the story about the expresses the intellectual attributes of
cantor who prayed to impress the women wisdom and understanding. Here we can
and the rectification for which the Ahavat see the rebbe's sense that the essence of
Shalom prayed. The sefirah of foundation Shabbat is not the fancy meals or the day
(yesod) is associated with the connection of the week, but rather the simple joy we
between a man and a woman and the feel at having merited to receive a precious
rectification or potential corruption of gift from God’s treasury.

12 SHABBAT VAYEIRA 5785 ∕ ISSUE 126

PARTZUF
PERMUTATIONS AND GOD’S
PITY
PITY IN THE TORAH HOW PITY IS DIFFERENT FROM
COMPASSION
T wo of the angels God sent to meet
Abraham continued to S o dom
where one was tasked with destroying W hat then is the difference between
compassion ( ‫ ) ַרחֲ ִמים‬and the words
the five cities of the plain and the other we have translated as “pity” ( ‫?)חֶ ְמ ָל ה‬
was entrusted with Lot and his family’s Compassion is considered the inner aspect
survival. As they were departing the city, of the sefirah of beauty (tiferet). As such,
the Torah tells us that Lot, “Lingered and it lies on the middle axis between love and
out of God’s pity on him, the men grasped might (or judgment). In fact, compassion
him and his wife and two daughters by is considered the source of both love and
the hand, they led them out and left them judgment—the opposite pair of emotive
on the outskirts of the city” 1 (ּ ‫וַי ּ ְִתמַ ְהמָ הּ וַיַּחֲ זִ קו‬ faculties that lie on the right and left axes
‫הָ אֲ נ ׁ ִָשים ְ ּביָד ֹו ו ּבְ יַד ִא ׁ ְש ּת ֹו ו ּבְ יַד ׁ ְש ּ ֵתי בְ נ ֹ ָתיו ְ ּבחֶ ְמלַת י־הוה עָ לָיו‬ of the sefirot, just above beauty. So, though
‫)וַי ֹּצִ אֻ הו ּ וַיַ ּ ִ ּנחֻ הו ּ ִמחו ּץ לָעִ יר‬. it would be an over-simplification to say
Though translated as “pity,” the adjective that compassion is a composite of loving-
describing God’s manner with Lot is not the kindness and might, it does include both.
usual Hebrew word ‫רחמים‬. Rather, it is the One of the ways in which compassion is
word ‫חמלה‬, a very rare root in the Pentateuch. described in Chasidic writings is that it
In fact, this root appears only two more represents the willingness of a judge to
times in the entire Torah. To understand act with leniency because of compassion.
how it is different from compassion, let us In a sense, when an individual acts with
quote the two other instances it appears. compassion, he is trying to include both
The first appears when Bityah, Pharaoh’s judgment and love simultaneously in his
daughter, sees Moses in his basket on the approach.
Nile, “Opening it, she saw the child crying, so Pity ( ‫ )חֶ ְמ ָל ה‬is different because it tends
she had pity on him…”2 ( ‫ו ִַּת ְפ ּ ַתח ו ִַּת ְראֵ הו ּ אֶ ת הַ יֶ ּלֶד‬ to flip the verdict entirely—it takes the
‫)ו ְִה ּנֵה נַעַ ר בּ ֹ ֶכה ו ּ ַַת ְחמֹל עָ ָליו‬. The second is in the judgment and completely transforms it
Torah’s treatment of a Jew who incites others into loving-kindness. For example, in
to worship a false deity. The Torah warns us, Bityah’s case, when she found the baby
“you must not love him nor hearken to him; Moses, he was under the decree made
you eye should not have mercy on him, nor by Pharaoh that all male boys should
should you pity him; you must not cover be drowned in the Nile. Yet, her pity
up for him” 3 ( ‫ל ֹא ֹת א ֶב ה ל ֹו ְו ל ֹא ִת ׁ ְש מַ ע אֵ ָל יו ְו ל ֹא ָת ח ֹו ס‬ completely reversed the judgment as it
‫)עֵ י ְנ ָך עָ ָל יו ְו ל ֹא ַת חְ מ ֹל ְו ל ֹא ְת ַכ ּ ֶס ה עָ ָל יו‬. were and not only did she save Moses,

‫ ∕ ָ רא י ֵַּו ת ב ָּ ַׁש‬WONDERS 13
but she raised him in Pharaoh’s palace. n number of things can be made. This is
Likewise, the Torah warns us not to let known as the study of Combinatorics in
our emotions and care for an inciter get mathematics and its first instance in Torah
the better of us and convince us to simply can be found in Sefer Yetzirah (the Book of
cover-up his machinations. Likewise, Lot Formation) whose contents are attributed
was guilty of colluding with and enabling to Abraham:
the people of Sodom. 4 Thus, the pity that Two stones build two houses; three
God had on him transformed his verdict build six; four build twenty-four; five
from being guilty to being saved. build one hundred and twenty; six build
What we would like to do now is to place seven hundred and twenty; seven build
the word “pity” in the context of the model five thousand and forty; and beyond this
of the ten sefirot. To do so, we will now their numbers increase so that the mouth
present one of the most important methods can hardly utter them, nor the ear hear the
of analyzing words using the sefirot. number of them. 5
The way to calculate the number of
PERMUTATIONS AND possible combinations of n objects is given
COMBINATORICS by the factorial function, which is written

W hen const r uc t ing par tzuf im,

models based on the Torah’s inner
dimension, one of the techniques we often
as n! (read: n factorial). The factorial
function is defined as the product of all the
integers up to and including n. Translating
make use of is permutations. The topic the contents of the text from Sefer Yetzirah
of permutations begins with the simple above, stones refer to letters and houses to
question of how many combinations of words and thus:
2 letters can form 2 words because 2! = 1 ∙ 2 = 2
3 letters can form 6 words because 3! = 1 ∙ 2 ∙ 3 = 6
And, 7 letters can form 5040 words because 7! = 1 ∙ 2 ∙ 3 ∙ 4 ∙ 5 ∙ 6 ∙ 7 = 5040
Our second step in understanding the three root letters of God’s essential
permutations is based on the well-known Name, Havayah, the Tetragrammaton.
fact that most words in Hebrew stem from These are yud-hei-vav ( ‫)יהו‬. The 6 possible
a three-letter root (there are exceptions). permutations are: yud-hei-vav, yud-vav-
It follows then that a three-letter root can hei, hei-yud-vav, hei-vav-yud, vav-yud-
be permuted in 6 different ways, provided hei, and vav-hei-yud. Since there are six,
that the three letters are different. If two we would naturally like to correspond
letters are identical there will only be 3 them with the six emotive faculties from
significant permutations. loving-kindness to foundation. How to
go about this? We turn to our sources.
THREE-LETTER ROOTS AND THE SEFIROT We find that both in the Zohar and in the

T o illustrate how all this connect with

the construction of a partzuf/model
based on a three-letter root, let us consider
writings of the Arizal, the order of the
permutations appears in various contexts.
The predominant model used 6 is:

14 SHABBAT VAYEIRA 5785 ∕ ISSUE 126

 might-gevurah ‫ְּגבו ָּרה‬ loving-kindness-chessed ‫חֶ סֶ ד‬
‫הוי‬ ‫יהו‬
beauty-tiferet ‫ִּת ְפאֶ ֶרת‬
‫ויה‬
acknowledgment-hod ‫ה ֹוד‬ victory-netzach ‫נֶצַ ח‬
‫היו‬ ‫יוה‬
foundation-yesod ‫יְס ֹוד‬
‫והי‬

What is the logic behind this model? It wisdom, the letter hei with the sefirah of
is actually quite simple. In Havayah, the understanding, and the letter vav with the
letter yud corresponds with the sefirah of sefirah of knowledge, as follows:

understanding-binah ‫ִ ּבינָה‬ wisdom-chochmah ‫חָ כְ ָמה‬

‫ה‬ ‫י‬
knowledge-da’at ‫ַּדעַ ת‬
‫ו‬

The permutations under each letter are the letter of the three-letter root of “pity,”
two that begin with that letter. There are which is ‫חמל‬, corresponds to which letter
slight variations in the order of the two of ‫יהו‬. This requires some knowledge
permutations under the hei ( ‫ )ה‬and under and experience. In our case, the letter
the vav ( ‫)ו‬, but as noted, we present the corresponding to wisdom is the ‫מ‬, the
order that is most ubiquitous in Kabbalah letter corresponding to understanding
and Chasidic writings. is t he ‫ל‬, and t he ‫ ח‬cor resp onds to
The next step is to identify which knowledge.

understanding-binah ‫ִ ּבינָה‬ wisdom-chochmah ‫חָ כְ ָמה‬

‫ל‬ ‫מ‬
knowledge-da’at ‫ַּדעַ ת‬
‫ח‬

All that is left now is to substitute the mapping we have found into the partzuf
letters of our root ‫חמל‬, according to the of permutations, and we get:

might-gevurah ‫ְּגבו ָּרה‬ loving-kindness-chessed ‫חֶ סֶ ד‬

‫לחמ‬ ‫מלח‬
beauty-tiferet ‫ִּת ְפאֶ ֶרת‬
‫חמל‬
acknowledgment-hod ‫ה ֹוד‬ victory-netzach ‫נֶצַ ח‬
‫למח‬ ‫מחל‬
foundation-yesod ‫יְס ֹוד‬
‫חלמ‬

‫ ∕ ָ רא י ֵַּו ת ב ָּ ַׁש‬WONDERS 15
 J
What we notice immediately is that with victor y or eternity, the emotive
our root, ‫חמל‬, the three-letter root of source of forgiveness. The permutation
“pity,” appears in the location of the that corresponds with acknowledgment
sefirah of beauty (tiferet). Every one of ‫ למח‬does not have a meaning (not every
the sefirot has an inner experience and permutation does; there are only 7 three-
that of beauty is compassion ( ‫!) ַר חֲ ִמ ים‬ letter roots in Hebrew all of whose 6
Let us explore the rest of the roots in permutations have meaning). This is in
this partzuf in short: ‫ מלח‬means salt keeping with the statement that, “My
and represents the might within loving- vigor [i.e., acknowledgment] has turned
kindness, alluding to the lower waters against me.” 9 Finally, the permutation
(separated from the higher waters by corresponding with foundation, ‫חלמ‬,
the firmament on the second day of means a dream, which is clearly related
Creation), who love and therefore yearn to Joseph the tzaddik—the archetypal
to rejoin the higher waters. 7 ‫ לחמ‬means soul of foundation—who was an expert
bread and war, alluding to the verse, dream interpreter.
“Go and make war with my bread [i.e., This is a very strong example of how
with Torah].” 8 The next permutation, the meaning of words in Hebrew perfectly
‫מחל‬, means to forgive and it corresponds corresponds with the sefirot.

(from Amudeha Shivah, Vayeira, pp. 95-96 and Sod HaShem LiYerei’av, pp. 102-103)

1. Genesis 19:16.
2. Exodus 2:6.
3. Deuteronomy 13:9.
4. See Rashi on Genesis 19:17, “You sinned with them, but are being saved through the merit of Abraham.
It is not fitting that you should witness their doom whilst you yourself are escaping” (based on Bereishit
Rabbah 50:11).
5. Sefer Yetzirah 4:12.
6. Zohar 3:243b and 3:17a (with a slight variation). Pri Eitz Chaim, Sha’ar HaLulav, ch. 3. Keter Shem Tov §2.
7. See Likkutei Torah Vayikra 3d and ff.
8. Proverbs 9:5.
9. Daniel 10:8.

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