Chassidic Discourse Parsha Reah Elul 5715

Chapter 2
To understand this we need to first explain the two ways of service “from above to below” and “from below to above”. Generally each has its own specific time. Elul is a preparation for Tishrie and Nissan is a preparation to the giving the torah however both modes of service are also found through out the entire year. They are the service of torah and the service of tiffila-prayer.
The idea here is (see hemshech 5672 above) how the difference between torah and prayer is similar to the difference between the name m’ah and the name b’an (1numerical equivalents to hashem’s name yud keh vov keh).

Torah is the category of m’ah (see glossary) as is written (numbers chukat chapter 19.14) this is the ritual: when a person-adom, and adom is numerically m’ah (pardas shar 23). The service of torah is in the category of drawing down from above to below. (Torah comes from g-d who is above to man below)
Tiffila however is in the category of b’an as is written (psalm 109.4) “but I am all prayer” which refers to the 2 sefira of malchut which is the category of b’an. The service of tiffila is
In the category of elevation from below to above. (Man below asks for his needs from g-d above). as is written lman yezamarcho vlo yidom (psalms 30.13) referring to the river below which is never silent and calls constantly to the river above (zohar 2 page 140.1) the idea of elevation from below to above. yet this is not contradictory to what was taught (hemshech 5672) that m’ah and b’an are orot (light) and kalim (vessels) whereby light is m’ah and is in the category of elevation to become absorbed in its source and the vessels are in the category of the b’an and they descend and flow below (which is the opposite of what was taught earlier that m’ah is from above to below and b’an is from below to above).
Because this that the light is in a constant state of elevation (to its source and the infinite) and the vessels are descending downwards below (to limitation and creation) is in accord with what they are essentially. By way of their very coming into being –how they where created- .
Foot notes
1-the name of hashem yud keh vov keh can be spelled in four combinations and each then add up to a different number
Ab-72, sag-63, m’ah-45, b’an-52. (See glossary in chapter one number three the idea of gematria). Each being a different revelation of an aspect of the divine name. (see glossary on ma’ and b’an)
2-there are ten seferot. chocmo being the highest and malchut being the lowest. in all they are chocmo –bina-das-chesed-gevura-tiferes-netzach-hod-yesod-malchut. (See glossary seferot)
3-the river below and river above refer to g-d dividing the waters during creation. Placing some water on earth; rivers oceans, springs and the water above in the sky; clouds, rain.
The water below yearns to reunite the waters above and be closer to g-d it source in heaven as the waters above are.


Glossary
M’ah and b’an:
M’ah means what is? It corresponds to the level of chochmo which is bitu; self nullification to Ohr Ein Sof. While b’an corresponds to the level malchut which is the beginning of yesh- existence (g-d uses malchut to create the world).
Hence chochmo or m’ah is the higher level and malchut which is b’an is the lower level)

Seferot: kabbala explains that g-d created so to speak within him ten seferot that act as a channel through which the infinite and the finite are able to interact with each other.

Nehora tato and nehora ela: can also refer to the feminine waters that yearn for the flow of the masculine waters see zohar. Using the lower and upper waters in creation to teach us about elevation teaches as well how the physical world derives from the spiritual.

Orot; light and kalim; vessels are terms used by the kabbalists
To denote the infinite being contained in the finite. The light representing the infinite and the vessel representing the limitation that the light takes on. Light by definition is connected to its source in a revealed way while the vessels are connected to their source in a hidden way which is way they are able to limit the light.

ani ldodi elul 5715

Chassidic discourse reah Elul 5715

Chapter 1
1-Ani l’dodi v'dodi li. i am my beloveds and my beloved is mine; (shir hashirim 6.3). However before this it is stated dodi li vani lo. My beloved is mine and I am his (shir hashirim 2.16). It is known that the words my beloved is mine and I am his (dodi li vani lo) is from above to below and refers to the time of the month of Nissan which is a preparation to giving the torah. As the verse states a “and when you have freed the people from Egypt you shall worship G-d on this mountain (exodus 3.12 see rashi) and the giving of the torah was from above to below. However the words I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine refers to the time of the month of Elul which is a preparation for tishrie this is in found in the words I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine each of these words end with a letter yud and the fours yuds refers to the forty days that Moses our teacher was on the mountain (rashit chochmo shar ha’tshuva chapter 4) which began in the beginning of the month of Elul.
And this is “I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine for the first letters of these words spell Elul (pri etz chaim shar r’h chapter 1) for the month of Elul the order of services is from below to above. yet we need to understand (see sefer mamarim 5672 ani ldodi) what is the idea of my beloved is mine and I am his which is from above to below and I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine which is from below being as well since both statements conclude with the same words; haroa bshoshanim who browses among the lilies. Though each statement represents the opposite of each other never the less it says by both “who browses among the lilies" (shir hashirim 2.16-6.3)

[Summary: ani ldodi vdodi li and dodi li vani lo refer to the service of below to above and above to below – to the month of Elul and the month of Nissan. asks why both verses conclude with the same words; ho’roa bshoshanim]



Foot notes
1-the term from above to below literally milmalo lmata is a common term in Chassidic philosophy and refers to any divine influence initiated by g-d here it is referring to exodus and the giving of the torah that came about through g-d as the Jewish people where not yet worthy of the miracles and the torah. For more usage see glossary).
2-Elul being ani ldodi vdodi li. for more acronyms on this word see glossary
3-tishrie refers to the month following Elul which is replete with holidays. Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Sukkoth and Simchat Torah.
4-each letter has a numerical value which is known as gematria the number yud is ten. It appears here four times at the end (sofi tevot) of each word of ani ldodi etc and ads up to forty. for more gematria see glossary.
5-sinai
6-rosh chodesh
7-roshie tevot. For more examples see foot note 2
8-literally Seder hoavodo the order of service. In Chassidic philosophy there is a proper service that mans must do to correspond to the spiritual process of that event in order to illicit and receive the full potential of divinity in it.

Glossary chapter one.
1-from above to below:
Other ideas of from above to below and from below to above
Is the classic idea of esarusa delesata an arousal from below and esarusa delelalo an arousal from above. i.e. who inspires man first to return to g-d? Does he awaken himself and then g-d helps or does g-d really plant in man the first thought of return and man acts upon it. The difference is not for here to discuss.
2- The word Elul hints to a) ish lraiahu umtanos levyonim -charity b) eno lyado vsamti loch –torah study c) ashiro lashem vamru lamer – future redemption d) es lvovcho ves levav-repentance
3-gematria i.e. numerical value of letters hinting to deeper meanings in the word. A favorite among others is the Numerical vale of ohr-light is 207 and the word secret spelled roz is also 207. Teaching us that the path to discovering the light of the torah is through studying is secrets.