Lech Lecha: Chapter 26

"After these things"

Synopsis

In the material world, the Light of the Creator can only manifest through a physical medium or instrument, which Kabbalah refers to as a Vessel. Just as sunlight requires physical matter to reveal its radiance, spiritual Light requires a Vessel in order to express itself. Though many spiritual traditions teach renunciation of material existence, Kabbalah takes a very different view. Rather than meditating on a mountaintop above the fray and fracas of our daily existence, we must embrace the chaos of life, using it as an opportunity, as a vessel to reveal Light. Spiritual Light ignites in that momentary flash point of character transformation.

Relevance

When we acknowledge and root out the negative, dark side of our nature, and confront chaos and conflict, we have the opportunity to change our nature. We must initiate the physical actions necessary to transform ourselves, change our world, and reveal the spiritual Light of the Creator. This portion strengthens us so that we successfully confront life's challenges and begin a process of self-transformation.

Abram Blessing

261. "After these things, the word of Hashem came to Abraham..." (Beresheet 15:1). Rabbi Yehuda opened the discourse by quoting, "I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me" (Shir Hashirim 7:11). As has been explained, this means that awakening below results in awakening above. There can be no awakening from above until there is awakening from below. In addition, blessings from above rest in a place of substance, not in an empty space.

261. אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הָיָה דְּבַר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם וגו'. ר' יְהוּדָה פָּתַח אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ. הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, אֲבָל בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא, אִשְׁתְּכַח אִתְעֲרוּתָא לְעֵילָא, דְּהָא לָא אִתְעַר לְעֵילָא, עַד דְּאִתְעַר לְתַתָּא. וּבִרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָא לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי, אֶלָּא בַּמֶה דְּאִית בֵּיהּ מַמָּשָׁא, וְלָאו אִיהוּ רֵיקַנְיָא.

Blessing Elisha Fingers House Obadiah Oil Shewbread Table

262. How do we know this? We know this from the wife of Ovadyahu, to whom Elisha said, "Tell me, what have you in the house" (II Melachim 4:2). He asked this because blessings from above do not rest on an empty table, AS WILL BE EXPLAINED ABOUT THE SHEWBREAD, or in an empty place, AS IS TOLD OF THE WIFE OF OVADYAHU. "And she said, 'Your handmaid has nothing in the house but a pot of oil'"(Ibid.). AND HE ASKS, What is a pot? AND HE SAYS, There is only enough oil IN THE POT to smear the little finger.

262. מְנָלָן. מֵאֵשֶׁת עוֹבַדְיָהוּ, דַּאֲמַר לָהּ אֱלִישָׁע הַגִּידִי לִי מַה יֵּשׁ לָךְ בַּבָּיִת, דְּהָא בִּרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָא, לָא שָׁרְיָין עַל פָּתוֹרָא רֵיקַנְיָא, וְלָא בַּאֲתַר רֵיקַנְיָא. מַה כְּתִיב, וַתֹּאמֶר אֵין לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ כֹּל בַּבָּיִת כִּי אִם אָסוּךְ שָׁמֶן. מַאי אָסוּךְ. אֶלָּא אָמַר לוֹ, שִׁיעוּרָא דְהַאי מִשְׁחָא, לָאו אִיהִי, אֶלָּא כְּדֵי מְשִׁיחַת אֶצְבְּעָא זְעִירָא.

Blessing Elisha Oil

263. ELISHA said, You have relieved me. Because I did not know how the blessings of above would rest in an empty place. But now that you have some oil, this is the place where the blessings shall rest. How do we know this? Because it is written, "It is like the precious ointment..." (Tehilim 133:2). And how does the verse end? With the words, "for there Hashem has commanded the blessing, even life for evermore" (Ibid.). SO in this place, NAMELY IN THE OIL, there are blessings.

263. אֲמַר לָהּ, נִחַמְתַּנִי. דְּהָא לָא יְדַעְנָא, הֵיאַךְ יִשְׁרוֹן בִּרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָא, בְּדוּכְתָּא רֵיקַנְיָא, אֲבָל הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִית לָךְ שֶׁמֶן, דָּא הוּא אֲתַר, לְאִשְׁתַּכָּחָא בֵּיהּ בִּרְכָאן. מִנָּלָן דִּכְתִיב כַּשֶּׁמֶן הַטּוֹב וגו'. וְסֵיפֵיהּ מַה כְּתִיב, כִּי שָׁם צִוָּה ה' אֶת הַבְּרָכָה חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם. וּבְאַתְרָא דָּא שָׁרָאן בִּרְכָאן.

Blessing Dew Mountains Oil Zion

264. You might think that in the words, "like the dew of Chermon descending upon the mountains of Zion" (Ibid.), FOLLOWED BY THE WORDS "FOR THERE HASHEM HAS COMMANDED THE BLESSINGS," dew is mentioned rather than oil. DEW IS THEN THE PLACE FOR THE BLESSING AND NOT OIL. BUT, HE REPLIES, It is oil and it is dew, MEANING THAT THEY ARE THE SAME. BECAUSE this dew is what the Holy One, blessed be He, drew out of the supernal oil, which comes out of the right side.

264. וְאִי תֵימָא כְּטַל חֶרְמוֹן שֶׁיּוֹרֵד עַל הַרְרֵי צִיּוֹן, וְלָא כְתִיב שֶׁמֶן אֶלָא טַל. אֶלָּא, אִיהוּ שֶׁמֶן, וְאִיהוּ טַל. הַהוּא טַל, אִיהוּ, דְּאַטֵּיל קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִמִּשְׁחָא עִלָּאָה. דְּהַהוּא שֶׁמֶן נְפַק לְסִטְרָא דְּיָמִינָא.

Blessing Flow Kingdom Oil Vessels Wine

265. These are two things - wine and oil - and they flow to two sides. Wine flows to the left and oil to the right. And from the right side all blessings come forth and descend to this world, and from there, the holy kingdom, WHICH REFERS TO THE KINGS OF YISRAEL, is anointed. Because oil is first prepared below, MEANING THAT SHE HAD THE POT OF OIL, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE AWAKENING FROM BELOW, then the oil was available from above, referring to the flowing of the blessings FROM ABOVE, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE AWAKENING FROM ABOVE, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "UPON HER SONS, WHO BROUGHT THE VESSELS TO HER; AND SHE POURED OUT" (II MELACHIM 4:5).

265. תְּרֵין אִינוּן: יַיִן וְשֶׁמֶן. וְאָזְלוּ לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין, יַיִן לִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא, שֶׁמֶן, לִסְטַר יָמִינָא. וּמִסִּטְרָא דְיָמִינָא, נָפְקֵי בִּרְכָאן לְעָלְמָא, וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְמְשַׁח מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא. וּבְגִין דְּשֶׁמֶן הֲוָה אִתְתַּקַּן לְתַתָּא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, שֶׁמֶן אִזְדַמַּן לְעֵילָא, אֲרִיקוּ דְּבִרְכָאן.

Banners David Oil Solomon Yishai

266. Come and behold, from the awakening of this oil above, it was poured on David and Solomon, so that their sons would be blessed. How do we know this? It is in the verse, "And the oil stopped (lit. 'stood')" (II Melachim 4:6). THIS IS ANALOGOUS TO WHAT IS written elsewhere, "A root of Jesse, that stands for a banner of the people..." (Yeshayah 11:10). BECAUSE THIS VERSE ALLUDES TO DAVID, SOLOMON, AND THEIR DESCENDANTS, WHO ARE FROM THE ROOT OF JESSE, THEN HERE AS WELL THE VERSE ALLUDES TO DAVID, SOLOMON, AND THEIR DESCENDANTS.

266. תָּא חֲזֵי, מֵאִתְעֲרוּתָא דְּהַאי שֶׁמֶן דִּלְעֵילָא, קָאֵי לַאֲרָקָא עַל דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה, לְאִתְבָּרְכָא בְּנוֹי. מנ"ל, דִּכְתִיב, וַיַּעֲמֹד הַשֶּׁמֶן. כְּתִיב הָכָא וַיַּעֲמֹד. וּכְתִיב הָתָם שֹׁרֶשׁ יִשַּׁי, אֲשֶׁר עֹמֵד לְנֵס עַמִּים.

Blessing Shewbread Table

267. Come and behold, just as the table of the shewbread, from where all the blessings and replenishment of the world come, should not remain empty even for a moment, so that the blessings may not be removed from there, one should never recite blessings over an empty table. The blessings from above will not rest upon an empty table.

267. תָּא חֲזֵי, מִשֻּׁלְחָן דְּלֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, דְּבִרְכָאן נָפְקִין מִתַּמָּן, וּמְזוֹנָא לְעָלְמָא, לָא בָעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּכָּחָא רֵיקַנְיָא, אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא חָדָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִסְתַּלְּקוּן בִּרְכָאן מִתַּמָּן, אוּף הָכֵי לָא מְבָרְכִין עַל שֻׁלְחָן רֵיקַנְיָא, דְּהָא בִּרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָא, לָא שָׁרְיָין עַל שֻׁלְחָן רֵיקַנְיָא.

268. Come and behold, it is then written, "I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me." First, "I am my beloved's," and then, "his desire is towards me." "I am my beloved's" to prepare a place for him at first BY THE AWAKENING FROM BELOW, and afterwards "his desire is towards me."

268. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ. אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וּלְבָתַר וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ. אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי, לְאַתְקָנָא לֵיהּ דּוּכְתָּא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, ולְבָתַר, וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ.

Purification Shechinah Wicked Wickedness

269. Another explanation for "I am my beloved's" is based on the understanding that the Shechinah does not reside among the wicked. As soon as a person desires to purify himself and come close to the Holy One, blessed be He, only then does the Shechinah rest upon him. Therefore it is written, "I am my beloved's" first, and then, "his desire is towards me." Because when a person comes to be purified, he is purified.

269. דָּבָר אֲחֵר אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי. דְּהָא תָּנִינָן שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת עִמְהוֹן דְּחַיָּיבַיָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאָתֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִתְדַּכָּאָה, וּלְמִקְרַב גַּבֵּי דְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּדֵין שְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ. הה"ד אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ לְבָתַר. אָתֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִתְדַּכָּאָה, מְדַכְּאִין לֵיהּ.

Abraham Abram Fear Repentance Shield

270. Come and behold, "After these things--" after Abraham pursued the kings, and the Holy One, blessed be He, killed them off, Abraham was wondering if "I have lost all the reward from bringing people to repent and return to the Holy One, blessed be He, and holding onto them to draw them nearer to Him - since now people were killed by me!" Immediately, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Fear not, Abraham, I am your shield, your reward shall be exceedingly great." You are receiving a reward for them, BECAUSE THEY WERE KILLED, because none of them shall ever be able to improve their behavior.

270. תָּא חֲזֵי, אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, דְּרָדַף אַבְרָהָם בָּתַר אִלֵּין מַלְכִין, וְקָטֵיל לוֹן קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֲוָה אַבְרָהָם תּוֹהֶא, אֲמַר דִּילְמָא ח"ו, גָּרַעֲנָא הַהוּא אַגְרָא, דַּהֲוֵינָא אַהֲדַר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לְגַבֵּי קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאַחִידְנָא בְּהוֹ, לְקָרָבָא לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְקְטִילוּ בְּנֵי נְשָׁא עַל יָדִי. מִיָּד אָמַר לוֹ קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה וגו'. אַגְרָא קַבִּילַת עֲלַיְיהוּ, דְּהָא כָּלְהוֹ לָא יִזְכּוּן לְעָלְמִין.

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