Vayigash: Chapter 1

"And Judah came near to him"

Synopsis

Rabbi Elazar discusses the role and meaning of the letters of the Aleph-Bet. Just as the Torah begins with Bet, so was the world and man created with this letter. The Nukva, we are told, is as the Father, always standing by to bless. The relationship between the Creator and the Nukva is also discussed in some detail, along with its importance for the recitation of blessings.

Relevance

Because Bet is the first letter in the word blessing, Bet was chosen to be the instrument of Creation. The Hebrew letters are very much like DNA - they are the spiritual genetic information through which all existence comes into being. Connecting to the letters through this passage brings renewal, rejuvenation, and the connection with the Divine creative forces that give rise to the universe as a whole.

Abraham Adam Creation Judah Sixth Day, The Torah

1. "Then Judah came near to him" (Beresheet 44:18). Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion with the verse, "You are our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Yisrael acknowledge us not. You, Hashem, are our Father, our Redeemer; Your name is from everlasting" (Yeshayah 63:16). This verse has already been explained, yet come and behold, When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He did each day the work befitting it. When the sixth day arrived - the time for Adam to be created - the Torah came before Him and said, 'Adam, whom You want to create, will provoke You. Unless You curb Your wrath, it would be better for him not to be created.' The Holy One, blessed be He, asked, 'Am I called long-suffering for no reason?'

1. וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וגו,' רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פְּתַח, כִּי אַתָּה אָבִינוּ כִּי אַבְרָהָם לֹא יָדְעָנוּ וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יַכִּירֶנּוּ אַתָּה ה' אָבִינוּ גוֹאֲלֵנוּ מֵעוֹלָם שְׁמֶךָ. הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַלְמָא, כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא, עָבֵיד עֲבִידְתָּא, כִּדְקָא חָזֵי, בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא כְּמָה דְאִצְטְרִיךְ, כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא יוֹמָא שְׁתִיתָאָה, וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִבְרֵי אָדָם, אָתַת אוֹרַיְיתָא קַמֵּיהּ, אָמְרָה הַאי אָדָם דְּאַתְּ בָּעֵי לְמִבְרֵי, זַמִּין הוּא לְאַרְגָּזָא קַמָּךְ, אִלְמָלֵא לָא תַאֲרִיךְ רוּגְזָא, טַב לֵיהּ דְּלָא יִתְבְּרֵי. אֲמַר לָהּ קב"ה, וְכִי לְמַגָּנָא אִתְקְרֵינָא אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם.

Creation Hebrew Letters Torah

2. All was created through the medium of the Torah, and constructed by means of the Torah. AND AS THE TORAH BEGINS WITH THE LETTER BET, SO WAS THE WORLD CREATED WITH THE LETTER BET. For before the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world - THE NUKVA - all the letters were presented before Him one by one, in reverse order.

2. אֶלָּא, כֹּלָּא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְבְּרֵי, וְכֹלָּא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִשְׁתַּכְלֵיל, בְּגִין דְּעַד לָא בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַלְמָא, אַתְיָין כָּל אַתְוָון קַמֵּיהּ, וְעָאלוּ כָּל חַד וְחַד לְמַפְרֵעַ.

Creation Ezekiel Righteous Sanctuary

3. Tav came before Him and said, 'Would You create the world through me? The Holy One, blessed be He, responded, "No, for many righteous people are destined to die through you, in accordance with the verse, "and set a mark (Heb. tav) upon the foreheads of the men" (Yechezkel 9:4). We have also learned this from the verse, "and begin with My sanctuary" (Ibid. 6), in which the word 'sanctuary' should be read as 'sanctified' - WHO ARE THE RIGHTEOUS. The world therefore will not be created through you."

3. עָאֳלַת תי"ו, אֲמָרָה קַמֵּיהּ, רְעוּתָךְ לְמִבְרֵי בִּי עַלְמָא, א"ל לָאו, דְּבָךְ זְמִינִין כַּמָּה צַדִּיקַיָא לְמֵימַת, דִּכְתִיב וְהִתְוֵיתָ תָּיו עַל מִצְחוֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים וגו.' וְתָנִינָן, דִּכְתִיב וּמִמִּקְדָּשִׁי תָּחֵלּוּ אַל תִּקְרֵי מִמִּקְדָּשִׁי אֶלָּא מִמְקוּדָּשַׁי וּבְגִין כָּךְ עַלְמָא לָא יִתְבְּרֵי בָּךְ.

Falsehood (Sheker) Hebrew Letters Sheker (Falsehood)

4. The three letters Shin, Kof, and Resh came before Him, each on its own. The Holy One, blessed be He said, 'It is not worthwhile to create the world by you, for you are the letters which combine to create the word 'lie' (Heb. sheker), and no lie deserves to rise before Me," as has already been explained.

4. עָאלוּ תְּלַת אַתְוָון: שִׁין, קוּף, רֵישׁ, כָּל חַד וְחַד בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, א"ל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לָאו אַתּוּן כְּדַאי, לְמִבְרֵי בְּכוֹ עַלְמָא, דְּהָא אַתּוּן אַתְוָון דְּאִתְקְרֵי בְּכוֹ שֶׁקֶר, וְשֶׁקֶר לָאו אִיהוּ כְּדַאי לְמֵיקַם קַמַּאי, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ.

Blessing Creation Crowns Hebrew Letters Righteous

5. Then came the letters Pe and Tzadi, and so on until the letter Caf. Once Caf descended from the Crown (Heb. keter), the higher and lower worlds shook until all was established using the letter Bet, a sign of blessing (Heb. berachah) - and the world was created and constructed by it.

5. וְעָלוּ פֵּ"א צד"י, וְכֵן כֻּלְּהוּ, עַד דְּמָטוֹ אַתְוָון לְאָת כ"ף, כֵּיוָן דְּנָחַת כּ"ף מֵעַל כִּתְרָא, אִזְדַּעְזָעוֹ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי כו,' עַד דְּאִתְקַיֵּים כְּלָא בָּאת בֵּי"ת, דְּאִיהוּ סִימָן בְּרָכָה, וּבֵיהּ אִשְׁתַּכְּלֵל עַלְמָא וְאִתְבְּרֵי.

Creation Other Side

6. You may say that Aleph is the first letter, AND THAT THE WORLD SHOULD HAVE BEEN CREATED THROUGH IT. HE ANSWERS, True, but because the word damned (Heb. arur) begins with the letter Aleph, the world was not created through it. Thus, although Aleph pertains to a Supernal Secret, the world was not created by means of it, so that no opening - NAMELY, POWER AND STRENGTH - could be given to Other Side, called 'damned.' Rather, the world was constructed and created by Bet.

6. וְאִי תֵימָא, דְּאל"ף אִיהוּ רֵישָׁא דְּכָל אַתְוָון, יָאוֹת אִיהוּ, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאִתְקְרֵי בֵּיהּ אָרוּר, וּבְג"ד לָא אִתְבְּרֵי בֵּיהּ עַלְמָא, אע"ג דְּאל"ף אִיהוּ אָת דְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה, בְּגִין דְּלָא לְמֵיהַב דּוּכְתָּא לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, דְּאִקְרֵי אָרוּר, לָא אִתְבְּרֵי בֵּיהּ עַלְמָא, וְאִשְׁתַּכְלֵיל בְּבֵי"ת עַלְמָא, וּבֵיהּ אִתְבְּרֵי.

Blessing Creation Grades Nukva Zeir Anpin

7. Come and behold, "You are our father" means that this world - THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'YOU' - was constructed and created in this grade, MARKED BY BLESSING. SIMILARLY, THE WORLD WAS CREATED AND CONSTRUCTED THROUGH BET, WHICH WAS A SIGN OF BLESSING. Man was also created through it - THROUGH THE SIGN OF BLESSING - and was issued into the world. THEREFORE, IN THIS RESPECT, THE NUKVA WAS CONSIDERED THE ROOT OF MAN, AND WE ADDRESS HER AS 'YOU ARE OUR FATHER' - THAT IS, 'YOU ARE OUR ROOT.' HUMANKIND TOO WAS CREATED WITH THE MARK OF BLESSING.

7. תָּא חֲזֵי, כִּי אַתָּה אָבִינוּ, בְּגִין דְּהַאי עַלְמָא, בְּהַאי דַרְגָּא אִשְׁתַּכְלֵל וְאִתְבְּרֵי, וּבַר נַשׁ בֵּיהּ אִתְבְּרֵי, וּנְפַק לְעַלְמָא.

Abraham Angels Blessing Ephraim Evil Ishmael Menashe, King of Judah Nukva

8. The verse, "though Abraham be ignorant of us," means that although the world is sustained by him[THE SECRET OF CHESED - AS IT IS WRITTEN, "THE WORLD IS BUILT BY CHESED" (TEHILIM 89:3)] he nevertheless did not care for us as he did for Ishmael, as it is written, "O that Ishmael might live before You" (Beresheet 17:18). The verse continues, "and Yisrael acknowledges us not," for all the blessings he should have conferred on his sons, he let this grade - THE NUKVA - have, to bless all. THUS, ACCORDING TO THE VERSES, "AND THIS IS THAT WHICH THEIR FATHER SPOKE TO THEM" (BERESHEET 49:28), THE NUKVA - CALLED 'THIS' - SPOKE ON BEHALF OF THEIR FATHER AND BLESSED THEM. ALSO WHEN HE BLESSED EPHRAIM AND MENASHEH, HE SAID, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "THE ANGEL WHO REDEEMED ME FROM ALL EVIL" - NAMELY, THE NUKVA - "BLESS THE BOYS" (BERESHEET 48:16).

8. כִּי אַבְרָהָם לֹא יְדָעָנוּ, דְּהָא אע"ג דְּבֵיהּ קִיּוּמָא דְעַלְמָא, לָא אִשְׁתַּדַּל עֲלָן, כְּמָה דְאִשְׁתַּדַּל עַל יִשְׁמָעֵאל, דַּאֲמַר לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יַכִּירֶנּוּ, בְּגִין דְּכָל בִּרְכָאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְבָרְכָא לִבְנוֹי, שָׁבַק לְהַאי דַרְגָּא לְבָרְכָא כֻּלְּהוּ.

Amidah (Standing Prayer) Angels Blessing Hands Head Nukva Standing Prayer (Amidah) Tfilin

9. "You, Hashem, are our Father" - NAMELY, THE NUKVA - always standing by to bless and care for us, like a father taking care of the needs of children; "our Redeemer; Your name is from everlasting," for You (THE NUKVA) are our Redeemer - She is called 'the angel who redeemed.' Thus, in the phrase, "our Redeemer; Your name is from everlasting." "Your name" is assuredly THE NUKVA CALLED 'THE NAME OF HASHEM.' We have learned that we should not stop between reciting the blessings, "who has redeemed Yisrael," and the Amidah; or between the blessing of the hand Tefilin and that of the head Tefilin - as has already been explained.

9. אַתָּה ה' אָבִינוּ, דְּהָא אַנְתְּ קָיְימַת עֲלָן תָּדִיר לְבָרְכָא, וּלְאַשְׁגָּחָא עֲלָן, כְּאַבָּא דְאַשְׁגַּח עַל בְּנִין, בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לוֹן. גּוֹאֲלֵנוּ מֵעוֹלָם שְׁמֶךָ, דְּהָא אַנְתְּ הוּא גוֹאֵל, דְּהָכֵי אִתְקְרֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל, וְדָא גוֹאֲלֵנוּ מֵעוֹלָם שְׁמֶךָ, שְׁמֶךָ וַדַּאי. תָּנִינָן אֵין מַפְסִיקִין בֵּין גְּאוּלָּה לִתְפִלָּה, כְּמָה דְלָא מַפְסִיקִין בֵּין תְּפִלָּה שֶׁל יַד, לִתְפִלָּה שֶׁל רֹאשׁ, דְּבָעֵי לְמֶחֱזֵי דְּכֹלָּא חַד, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ.

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