A lesson given in his home by Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit”a,

 to the young boys of the Yeshiva Ketana, Parshas Toldos.

 

Click here to listen to the cassette of this lesson.

 

The Rebbe writes in Likutei Moharan I:42, that the most important thing is to sing the words of the prayers with a melody. If a person wants his prayers to be accepted, he must sing the entire prayer service. Each and every letter should be sung with a melody, for only such a prayer is acceptable to G-d. This is the meaning of the verse, “And He saw their trouble, when He heard their song” (Tehillim 106:44). It is the melody and song that mitigates and sweetens harsh judgments. It is only if a person sings the words of the prayers clearly and purely that he can sweeten judgments in the world.

Likewise, we see in the holy Zohar, Parshas Pinchas 215 that “the rainbow is the Shechinah.” Just as the rainbow needs color—it has three main colors, red, green, and white—so too does every individual need to make sure that his prayer should be filled with melody [which adds “color” to the words]. The rainbow has three main colors: red, which parallels Yitzchak, green, which parallels Yaakov, and white, which parallels Avraham. The three colors of the rainbow combine to form seven colors, and those form ten. However, the fundamental colors are three, and their combining yields the colors blue, purple, and blue-green [techeiles]. [The Rav is not only speaking in the literal sense of color-wheel combinations, but also of the Kabbalistic middos.] The Zohar says that there are three fundamental colors to the rainbow—white for Avraham, red for Yitzchak, and green for Yaakov. Green comprises both red and white. They symbolize the Patriarchs [the Avos, both the Patriarchs themselves, as well as the nickname of the first blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei]. Who are the colors? The Patriarchs sang songs all day long to the Shechinah. All day long! Like Ruth who, “saturated the Holy One with songs and praise.” The Patriarchs sang songs constantly.

Song is absolutely the very highest level. It is the level of the world of ta’amim, the musical notes that accompany the Torah text. The Zohar in Tikkun #13 says that the heavenly chamber of melody is the highest chamber of all. In order to reach this chamber of melody, one must study a great deal of Gemara. “And they are the garments of the Shechinah.” The Zohar says that the Patriarchs are the garments of the Shechinah. “And when the Shechinah dons the bright and shining garments”—when a person sings songs to G-d, sings out the words of the prayers, when he gets up early in the morning to begin the prayers early so that he has already sung out the prayers by the time he reaches the Shemoneh Esrei, the standing silent prayer—that is when the Patriarchs/Avos become the garments of the Shechinah.

“And when the Shechinah dons her shining garments,” this is how the letters are enclothed in “shining garments.” When a person hurries through the prayers, swallowing the letters, because he woke up late—today, the latest time for reciting Shema is 7:55AM, and the latest time for Shemoneh Esrei is 9:05. If a person wakes up after the end of the time for Shema, G-d forbid, after the time for Shemoneh Esrei, so it is obvious that this kind of prayer is unacceptable. He is just praying to fulfill his duty, but it is certainly the case that this kind of prayer is unacceptable. And how much more is this so when we consider that, according to the Rambam, the fundamental obligation is to pray with the sunrise. “And He saw [the rainbow after the flood] and remembered the eternal covenant” (Bereishis 9:16). Then, “the King’s fury subsided” (Esther 7:10).

So, if a person gets up in the morning and prays to G-d with sweetness, every word sweetly, clearly, purely, and he sings the prayers, he’ll feel love for G-d. Just as Rebbe Nachman says, that if you want to feel love for G-d, you must love every single Jew with your very soul, with your heart and soul (Likutei Moharan I:17).

“When she [the Shechinah] dons the bright and shining garments,” that is when “He sees her and remembers the eternal covenant.” Then, G-d remembers us. For all of the terrible decrees that threaten the Jewish people are a result of not singing the prayers. This is [one of the reasons] why there was a Holocaust, and this is why there are all other kinds of harsh decrees, because people do not sing the prayers. If people would only sing the prayers, they would nullify all of the evil decrees. “And He saw their trouble, when He heard their song.” If Hashem sees that we sing the prayers, He cancels all of the evil decrees in the world. Because we are His children—we are literally G-d’s children! The King has ministers and servants, but we are literally His children! “You are children of Hashem, your G-d”  (Devarim 14:1).

How could it be that the King’s son suffers more than His ministers and servants? It shows that the son’s words aren’t reaching the King at all. He doesn’t know how to reach the King; he doesn’t know how to reach his Father. Because he isn’t singing the prayers, they fail to ascend; they don’t rise up to G-d at all. G-d isn’t even seeing the prayers. But, “when she dons the bright and shining garments,” the garments of light…

Sometimes, you have a person who is wearing garments of darkness, and so no one can see him, everyone pushes him away. But when he goes with garments of light… It is possible that a prominent person could go with garments of darkness, while a more simple person goes with garments of light, and then you find that others are more receptive to the one with the illuminated garments even though he is far less important a person. If he would sing the prayers, if each prayer would be filled with song and melody, then he could sweeten all of the judgments that threaten all of the Jewish people.

This is the meaning of the verse, “And He saw it and remembered the eternal covenant.” Hashem said to Noach, “When I saw the rainbow, if you would only have sung the prayers, I would have cancelled the decree of the flood.” Noach did not know this secret, that one must sing and make melody of the prayers. He wasn’t aware of this. He would rebuke the sinners of his time, he would speak, and he would say harsh words, words like fire. The Gemara in Sanhedrin 108b says that he would speak very harsh words to chastise the people of his generation. It is forbidden to ever speak harshly. One must always speak gently because, “gentle speech breaks [even something as hard as] a bone” (Mishlei 25:15). Even a generation as wicked as they were at the time of Noach would have responded to gentle and sweet words. It was just that he was unaware of the secret—that one must only speak in a harmonious and pleasant way.

The Rebbe said in the lesson “Tik’u Tochachah” (Likutei Moharan II:8) that rebuke has to be like a melody. “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden” (Bereishis 2:10). The river is the sound of melody, of song. One should speak like a melody, like a song. Just speaking praises of G-d. Every word that a person says, whether to his friends or to his parents, has to be like a melody, like David HaMelech who, “knew to make melody” (Shmuel I:16:18). He knew how to request; whatever David HaMelech said, he said it with song. It was with such sweetness, every word of his was said with the utmost sweetness. That is why the verse says, “I have seen in the house of Yishai of Beis Lechem one who knows to make melody, a staunch soldier, a man of war, who understands a matter, a man of countenance, and Hashem is with him.” It is because he knew to make melody—he made music all the time. He got up at midnight and sang. Everything was with a melody. His Torah was like a song. His prayer was like a song. When he spoke with others, it was like a song.

What does it mean that he knew to make melody?

“Rabbi Yehuda said in Rav’s name: Do’eg HaEdomi only said this entire verse of praises of David HaMelech for the purpose of slander” (Sanhedrin 93b). Do’eg wanted to provoke Shaul, so all of this praise was merely meant to anger him and incite him against David HaMelech. This is what it means when the Gemara says that it was intended as slander.

What does it mean that he knew how to make music? That he knows how to request!

He speaks with such sweetness, and Do’eg was trying to tell Shaul, “You don’t speak with such sweetness.” He wanted to tell Shaul that if he also had this kind of sweetness about him, the entire people would have repented. Then, he would have been able to destroy Amalek. He would have waited for Shmuel—he would have had the patience to wait for Shmuel.

A person’s entire spiritual task is only about nullifying himself to the Tzaddik! This is the entirety of one’s avodah! There is no other avodah at all—just nullifying oneself to the Tzaddik. Shmuel told you to wait? So wait! What did Shmuel ask of you? To wait. He said to wait. “Why hasn’t Shmuel come? Why has he delayed? Why has Shmuel…”? I’m already waiting here for seven days for him, the people have already dispersed. They came all the way from Gil’ad; Shaul had declared a revolt against the Pelishtim [Shmuel I:13:8-9]. Who needs this revolt? The Jewish people are not a rebellious people! Fine, you declared a revolt. But wait! Wait for Shmuel! Wait for Shmuel, wait for him! Nullify yourself to him! You [Shaul] are truly a Tzaddik, you really are. But, “[Shaul] struggled at the river” (Shmuel I:15:5). When he was at the river, he said to himself, “I don’t understand Shmuel.” [See Rashi there.]

The Gemara in Yoma 22a explains this phrase as Shaul’s struggle and failure to understand Shmuel HaNavi. What does Shmuel HaNavi want? To murder innocent men, babies, delicate women and children? What have they done wrong? Soldiers, one could understand. But even they did nothing wrong. Amalek did nothing at all. “And he struggled at the river.” Shaul thought that he was wiser than Shmuel. Shaul was certain that he was wiser than Shmuel, that his understanding is greater than Shmuel’s. It was clear to him that he was a far greater scholar than Shmuel. He didn’t have any doubt about this. “And he struggled at the river.” What is this struggle at the river, then?

The Gemara says, it means he struggled over something that pertained to the river. Rabbi Mani said, “about something transacted at the river.” When HaKadosh Boruch Hu told Shaul to go and strike Amalek, from babies in arms to the elderly, children and women too, Shaul did not understand. He didn’t understand what Hashem was saying to him. To murder children, babies? Little, sweet, cute children? Who has ever heard of such a thing? The whole world will rise up against us and destroy us. What kind of people is this who murder babies, who murder women. What kind of a cruel nation? All they do is murder people.

It isn’t for nothing that the Nazis killed the Jews. They said that these people are a nation of murderers! The Nazis were very refined and elevated people. They couldn’t bear murderers, a nation of murderers. Wherever you open up scripture, you see that they are a nation of murderers. The Nazis resolved to deal with this nation, to redeem the world and ensure that there won’t be any murderers or killers left in the world, but only nice and refined people.

So Shaul was afraid. What is going on here? What is going on here? To murder innocent men? Such sweet and good people—how could it be? Why is Shmuel so cruel?

“And he struggled at the river,” over things transacted at the river. When HaKadosh Boruch Hu said to Shaul to go and strike Amalek, from young men to the elderly, He said that he was exacting retribution for what Amalek did to the Jewish people when they left Egypt (Shmuel I:15:2). “Now go and strike Amalek, and destroy all that is theirs utterly, and do not have pity on him; kill men and women, young children and even nursing babies.” What did the nursing babies do? What did the young children do? “Even unto the sheep, the camels, even unto the donkeys.” How can one possibly understand this? How can one possibly understand this verse? The Jewish people are supposed to be enlightened!

During Yom HaKippurim, there were Jews who could not tolerate remaining in Israel. Everyone is fasting; there is no such thing as a Jew who doesn’t fast. Anyone who doesn’t fast takes a trip to Germany. He goes to the Baltic Sea, and suntans on the beach. He goes and spreads himself out on the sands together with all of the refined and enlightened Germans. Refined and lofty people. Especially when they wanted to exterminate the Jewish people.

And Shaul was also infected by something of this spirit, l’havdil elef havdalos, even though he was, “a year into his reign.” [Rashi brings from Chazal on Shmuel I:13:1, that Shaul was as pure of sin during his reign as a one-year-old.] However, he did not attain self-nullification before Shmuel. He lacked this self-nullification before the Tzaddik—the acceptance that perhaps the Tzaddik knows better than he does—self-nullification before Shmuel, acceptance of every single word and gesture of Shmuel. Shmuel said to wait for seven days. Wait for seven days! The entire nation had already assembled. They had crossed the Yarden; they came from the Gil’ad. “And Shmuel rose and went up from the Galgal to the hills of Binyamin, and Shaul commanded the people…” (Shmuel I:13:15). 

“Shaul was then one year into his reign, and he ruled over the Jewish people for two years. And Shaul chose three thousand of the Jewish people. There were two thousand with Shaul at Michmash and the mountain of Beis El, a thousand were with Yonatan in the hills of Binyamin, and the remainder of the people he sent back to their own tents” (Shmuel I:13:1-2). He did not keep a large force with him. He knew that he had no need of a lance. The verse says, “During those days, a metal plow was not to be found in all of the land of Israel, for the Pelishtim had said, ‘lest the Hebrews make a sword or a spear from it’” (Ibid. 19). There was no metal plow. Once upon a time, there were no swords. Not like today, when there are tanks and fighter planes—what an embarrassment. It used to be that the Jewish people would throw some dust and it would be transformed into swords. They would throw straw, and it would be transformed into arrows. But Shaul didn’t have swords or spears. Shaul had three thousand men, but each one held a handful of earth in his fist. Three thousand men, and each held a bit of sand in his hand, and that’s how they went to war, with drop of sand! They went out to war with a drop of sand! No plow, no spear, and no sword. Once, there was no such thing as swords and spears. There was no such thing among the Jewish people. These are all innovations that our forefathers never even heard of. When did the Jewish people hold swords or spears? There was never any such thing among the Jewish people. Swords and spears—G-d forbid!

When did a Jew ever use a sword or a spear? There was never any such thing among the Jewish people. So the Midrash asks, “If there were no swords and spears, how did Shaul manage to get some?” We have a simple contradiction here in the verses. An outright contradiction [See Shmuel I:13:19-22]. Here (verse 19) it says, “During those days, a metal plow was not to be found in all of the land of Israel, for the Pelishtim had said, ‘lest the Hebrews make a sword or a spear from it.’” And the three thousand men—two thousand were in Michmash and the mountain of Beis El, and another thousand were with Yonatan—didn’t have a sword or a spear. They went to war against the Pelishtim—they declared a revolt against the Pelishtim. Why did they declare a revolt? Why did they need to revolt against the Pelishtim? What’s so bad about the Pelishtim? What, are the Pelishtim no good? What, are the Palestinians no good? What, Arafat is no good? What’s so bad about the Palestinians? Who told you that they aren’t any good? Why should they declare a revolt? Here’s another question! In any event, they did declare a revolt, without any swords or spears. No sword, no spear, no nothing. The only thing they had in their hands was a fistful of earth.

So the Midrash asks, “How, then, did Yonatan manage to have a spear?” If he didn’t have a sword…what, was he a member of the underground? Were they making swords for him in the underground? Yonatan studied Torah twenty-four hours a day. He learned for twenty-four hours. He would catch a quick nap for a total of four hours, and learn for twenty. When did he have the time to forge a sword or a spear? “And the Pelishtim descended upon all of Israel to remove each man’s plow and scythe” (Shmuel I:13:20). “And it was on the day of the war that no sword or spear was to be found in the hand of any of the men with Shaul and Yonatan.” There were two thousand then with Shaul, and a thousand with Yonatan, and no one had a sword or a spear. No sword! “And it was on the day of the war that no sword or spear was to be found.” No sword! Once, the Jewish people had no swords. They had no weapons. “And there was no spear in the hand of the entire people.” The entire people, all of the three thousand soldiers—the two thousand with Shaul and the thousand with Yonatan—and not a single one of them had a sword or a spear. Suddenly, “…and there was found.” Suddenly, Shaul had a sword. Where did he get this sword from? What, did he steal it from the Pelishtim? Is it permitted to steal?

Thou shall not steal! How is it permitted to steal a sword from the Pelishtim? There were no swords, so how did Shaul happen to have one? What, did he manufacture it in the underground? Was he a member of the underground? What, did he dig tunnels, like Shuvu Bonim who make swords and spears in their tunnels? They learn for an hour and then spend eighteen hours forging swords and spears in the tunnels. They make machine-guns, Kalashnikovs, they have whole ammunitions factories going, nuclear weapons…they have all kinds of things hidden under the yeshiva. But Shaul didn’t have any tunnel under his yeshiva where he would manufacture swords and spears. And Yonatan didn’t have any tunnel under his yeshiva either where he would make swords and spears. So the Midrash points out the contradiction here. “There was no sword or spear to be found in the hand of any of the people that were with Shaul and Yonatan.” There wasn’t. But then, “And [weapons were found] for Shaul and Yonatan his son.” So the Midrash at the end of Parshas Kedoshim asks, “How could this be? We have a contradiction!” Shaul, who was as pure as a one-year-old a year into his reign, who knew nothing but Torah study and prayer, how could it be that he would suddenly have a sword and a spear? So the Midrash asks when it was that Hashem [supplied] it. “There was no sword or spear to be found on the day of war.” There was none to be found—and you say that there was. Who made it? How could Shaul have had a sword? How could Yonatan have had a spear? How could you say this? Who made it for him?

So Rav Chaggai says in the name of Rabbi Yehudah: “An angel made it!” An angel descended from heaven so that the king would have a sword, so that the king would have a spear. Rav Chaggai says in the name of Rabbi Yehudah, “The angel made it.” And the Sages said that it wasn’t an angel; it was the Holy One Himself, in His glory, who sent him a sword. It was the Holy One Himself, in His glory, who sent him a spear. Where did Shaul and Yonatan get their sword and spear? The Midrash at the end of Parshas Kedoshim says, “Rav Chaggai says that an angel made it.” And the Sages say that it was the Holy One Himself, in His glory, who made it. “And it was on that day, and Yonatan the son of Shaul said to the lad, his arms bearer, ‘Let us go and cross over to the garrison of the Pelishtim, on yonder side’; but he said nothing to his father. And Shaul tarried at the uppermost part of Givah beneath the pomegranate tree, in Migron; and the people that was with him were nearly six hundred men. And also Achiyah ben Achituv, the brother of Ichavod ben Pinchas ben Eli, the priest of Hashem who bore the ephod in Shilo; and the people did not know that Yonatan had left” (Shmuel I:14:1-3).

Yonatan left. “And between the passes that Yonatan had sought to cross to reach the garrison of the Pelishtim, there was a rocky crag on one side, and a rocky crag on the other side; and the name of the first was Botzeitz, and the name of the other was Seneh.” One can still see this today near Michmash; there are two huge stones there, and there is a walkway between the two stones. It is still there to this today.

“And the point of the first projected sharply northward opposite Michmash; and the other southward, opposite Gevah. And Yonatan said to the lad, his arms bearer, ‘Let us go and cross over to the encampment of these gentiles—perhaps Hashem will help us, for nothing can impede Hashem from bringing salvation, by many or by few.’” Hashem can bring salvation through just a few people. To go out [to war] with just a few people similar to what happened with Gid’on. Hashem told him to send everyone home until there were only three hundred people left. “For nothing can impede Hashem from bringing salvation by many or by few. And his arms bearer said to him, ‘Do all that is in your heart. Turn you, for behold I am with you according to your heart.’” His arms bearer was completely submissive to him. “And Yonatan said, ‘Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them. If they say to us “Wait until we come to you,” then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them. But if they say, “Come up to us,” then we will go up, for Hashem has delivered them into our hand. And this will be the sign for us.’”

“Come up to us, then we will go up.” We will fall upon them, even if there are only two of us against a million. Just as we said today in Hallel: “All the nations surround me; it is in the name of Hashem that I cut them down. They encircle me, also they surround me; it is in the name of Hashem that I cut them down. They encircle me like bees, but they are extinguished like a fire of thorns; it is in the name of Hashem that I cut them down” (Tehillim 118). A single Jew could stand against a million Arabs, a million non-Jews, even a single Jew. As it says is Tehillim 3, “I will not fear from a multitude of nations that come against me. Rise up, Hashem, my salvation is to You, for You have struck all my enemies upon the cheek. You have broken the teeth of the wicked. Salvation is to Hashem, Your blessing is on Your people, selah.”

A single Jew can stand against the entire world, against all the non-Jews. That is why David HaMelech said, “All the nations surround me; it is in the name of Hashem that I cut them down. They encircle me, also they surround me; it is in the name of Hashem that I cut them down. They encircle me like bees, but they are extinguished like a fire of thorns.” He says, “They encircle me, also they surround me” to allude to the four kingdoms, the four exiles, every type of exile. A single Jew who says Tehillim can stand against the entire world, against all the nations, against all of the non-Jews.

And now they are two against a million Pelishtim, a million Arabs. If they say, “Come up to us,” then this is the sign. Then the two will stand up against a million Pelishtim, against a million non-Jews who are as numerous as the sands on the shore. “And Yonatan said, ‘Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them. If they say to us, “Wait until we come to you,” then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them. But if they say, “Come up to us,” then we will go up, for Hashem has delivered them into our hand. And this will be the sign for us.’ And both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, ‘Behold Hebrews coming forth out of the holes where they hid themselves.’” The Jews are coming out of the holes. These Jews, these murderers, the murderers have come; they are only coming to kill. We are good people, we are refined people. They are, as Avimelech said to Avraham, “You have sinned greatly.” How did you behave like that, is that a way to behave? Avimelech is reproving Avraham Avinu!!!

The non-Jews are always reproving the Jews, the secular are always reproving the religious, the sinners are always reproving the righteous. They’re always reproving them, just like Avimelech.

“And the men of the garrison spoke to Yonatan and his arms bearer, and said, ‘Come up to us, and we will show you something.’ And Yonatan said unto his arms bearer, ‘Come up after me, for Hashem has delivered them into the hand of Yisrael.’” This is the sign that Hashem has delivered them into the hand of Yisrael. “And Yonatan climbed up upon his hands and knees, and his arms bearer after him. And they fell before Yonatan, and his arms bearer slew them after him. And that first slaughter, which Yonatan and his arms bearer made, was about twenty men, within a half a furrow’s length in an acre of land.” This was the first slaughter.

It is written about David HaMelech that, “one of you will rout a thousand” (Yehoshua 23:10). This verse is referring to David HaMelech, who routed a thousand with a single strike. And here Yonatan slaughtered twenty with a single strike. David HaMelech killed a thousand men with a single arrow. It is written in Moed Katan that David HaMelech would kill a thousand men with every single arrow shot; each arrow was like an atomic explosion. Every arrow of David HaMelech was like an atom bomb. Each arrow of his would cleave through a thousand men. A million would stand packed together—a thousand arrows equals a million people. One thousand arrows. In a thousand seconds, David HaMelech could wipe out a million men. That was David HaMelech. Because the truth is that it is impossible to stand against a Jew. The whole world could rise up against a single Jew and not be able to beat him. And the Gemara says in Moed Katan that when David HaMelech went out to war—the verse that appears in Yehoshua—“one of you will rout a thousand,” applied to him. When David HaMelech went out to war, he could kill a thousand men with a single arrow.

“These are the names of the mighty men [can also be read “acts of valor”] of David: Yoshev Bashevet.” What does this [name] allude to? That a man can sit [yoshev] and still perform feats of might. He sits, and still has power. For the main thing is to sit and learn Torah. If a man sits and learns Torah, he could slay a thousand men with a single arrow. “Yoshev Bashevet”—while he would sit in yeshiva. He never sat on a bench or on pillows or seats. There was a time when people sat on pillows and seats. But he always sat on the ground. Even when his own mentor, I’ra HaYa’iri, died, he continued to sit on the ground. Though he was already the head of the Sanhedrin, he sat on the ground.

So Rav Abahu says, “These are the names of the acts of valor of David: Yoshev Bashevet. When he sat in the yeshiva, he sat on the ground and not on cushions or seats, but on the earth itself.” David HaMelech, the king of the entire Jewish people, who could slay a thousand men with a single arrow, sat on the ground and asked Mefiboshet, “Did I judge correctly? Did I acquit properly?” [David HaMelech was so humble that he said:] “My heart is empty within me,” and “I am a worm, and not a man” (Tehillim 109:22, 22:7).

“These are the names of the acts of valor of David: Yoshev Bashevet.” So the Gemara asks, “How could one sit on the ground and also perform acts of valor?” But this is the secret. A person who sits on the ground is performing every act of valor [lit. “he does all of the gevurot”]. When a person is sitting on the ground, he does all of the gevurot in the world. He is like a worm—he humbles himself down to the ground—so he can do all of the acts of valor in the world. He can destroy all of these “lovely” goyim, these “lovely” Nazis.  So whoever sits “bashevet” [i.e. sitting passively], who humbles himself to the ground, can destroy all of them with a single arrow. “These are the names of the acts of valor of David: Yoshev Bashevet.” All the while that I’ra HaYa’iri was alive, David sat on the ground and his mentor sat on cushions and seats. The main thing is that a person should completely nullify himself, that he should have no existence at all, no ego, until he becomes like nothing [Ayin]. And Ayin is the level of Keter—he becomes [united with the Divine level of] Ayin completely.

So David HaMelech spent his entire life sitting on the ground and not on a bench or on cushions or seats—just on the ground. And all the while that I’ra HaYa’iri was alive, it was he who would sit on the cushions and seats, and David would sit on the ground. David HaMelech was the student of I’ra HaYa’iri. But the moment that I’ra HaYa’iri died, and David was sitting “bashevet”—Tachkemoni. Tachkemoni.

What does the word “Tachkemoni” mean? That he was the head of the Sanhedrin! That was when David HaMelech was found worthy of becoming the head of the Sanhedrin.  He was sitting on the ground. David HaMelech [was] the head of the Sanhedrin. “Tachkemoni”—the Holy One said to David HaMelech, “If you humbled yourself, you will become like Me.” [kamoni] What is the meaning of the word “Tachkemoni?” If a person humbles himself, if he allows everyone to run him down and oppress him, he will be like Me, like the Holy One. Hashem will make a decree, but he will be able to overturn it. He will make a decree, and Hashem will uphold it. “You will be like Me.” You will be like Me! Because you are sitting on the ground and humbling yourself. I will make a decree, and you will overturn it. You will be the head of the “captains” [shelishim—which alludes to the number three]—the head of the three Patriarchs.

David HaMelech merited being the head of the three Patriarchs—he merited being the head of the three Patriarchs. They were to his right and to his left, except for Yitzchak. And David HaMelech was the chief of them all, because he humbled himself more than anyone else in the world. Because David HaMelech humbled himself more than anyone else in the world, he merited more than anyone else. He merited being the chief of the three Patriarchs, of the seven shepherds. For David HaMelech was only occupied with humbling himself, with lowering himself, day and night as much as possible. This is what is written… The seven shepherds… David is in the middle, is the chief, of the three Patriarchs. He is in the middle. He will be in the middle, and Adam will be sitting, and Metushelach will be to his right. Metushelach who lived 999 years will be to the right side of David, and Shet the son of Adam HaRishon will be to the right of David, and Adam HaRishon will also be to the right of David. Adam and Shet and Metushelach will be to his right, and who will be to the left of David HaMelech? Who will sit to the left of David HaMelech? Avraham Avinu. David will be the chief of them because he reached the apex of humility, which has nothing to compare with it in the world.

So Avraham will sit to his left, and Yaakov will sit to his left, and Avraham and Moshe Rabbeinu will also be to his left side. He too sits to his left—all of them sit to his left. David HaMelech merited attaining all of this because he had reached a state of self-nullification to which no other human being had ever come. He merited reaching a state of self-nullification to which no other creature had ever come, and so he merited to be the chief of the three Patriarchs. And Adam and Metushelach and Shet will be to his right hand side, and Avraham and Yaakov and Moshe will be to his left hand side because he merited to reach such a level of humility, such self-abnegation, that he used to sit on the ground and allow everyone to walk all over him and put him down and belittle him. He didn’t sit on cushions and seats, but only on the ground. So the Holy One said to him, “You humbled yourself, so you will be like Me.” You will be like Me. I will make a decree and you will overturn it. The chief of the captains, of the three Patriarchs. You will be the chief of Avraham, Yaakov, and Moshe, of Adam HaRishon, Shet, and Metushelach.

And there is more.  “He will also be known as Adino HaEtzni.” What does the name Adino mean? That he would “me’adein” [bind himself up, to flatten himself] like a worm.  Everyone stepped on him. Everyone spat on him. Everyone belittled him, and he would [flatten/bind himself up] like a worm. When Adino HaEtzni would learn Torah, he would [flatten/bind himself up] like a worm, but when he went out to war, he would make himself [“Etzni”—tree] like a tree. So he merited being like a worm his entire life, and this made him worthy of attaining all the spiritual levels that he attained.

But Shaul declared a rebellion against the Pelishtim and people from all over the land began to gather around him. They even came from Gil’ad, from the other side of the Yarden, “when the men of Yisrael saw that they were in a strait” (Shmuel I:13:6). They crossed the Yarden and began to come from every direction—from the Golan, from the Bashan, from the Gil’ad. All of them had heard that Shaul had declared a rebellion. “Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Yarden to the land of Gad and Gil’ad; but as for Shaul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling” (Shmuel I:13:7).  All the people followed him trembling. Shaul declared a rebellion against the Pelishtim, and Shaul … “And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Shmuel had appointed; but Shmuel did not come” (Ibid., 8). 

And Shmuel did not come. Shmuel hasn’t arrived. They are waiting for Shmuel and Shmuel doesn’t come. What happened to Shmuel? Doesn’t he have a watch? What happened to Shmuel? Why hasn’t he come? Perhaps he forgot? “But Shmuel did not come to Gilgal.” And Shmuel hasn’t come. So the people said to Shaul, “That’s it. You haven’t got the strength to make a war. You’re fearful; you’re too softhearted. “And the people scattered from him.” And they said to Shaul, “That’s it. You aren’t making any war. We’ve already stood for seven days opposite the Pelishtim, and the Pelishtim are as numerous as the sand on the beach, soon they will destroy all of us here. You aren’t mounting an offense. You aren’t any kind of king. What a pity that we voted for you.” “And the people scattered from him. And Shaul said, ‘Bring to me the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings.’ And he offered the burnt offering. And it was then, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Shmuel came. And Shaul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.”

Suddenly, ten minutes later, Shmuel arrives. His [Shaul’s] vision was obscured. Because of just ten minutes—if he had only waited another ten minutes for Shmuel, if he had only waited for Shmuel…he only had to wait another ten minutes. But he has no patience. Because of just ten minutes, he lost his entire world, both this world and the eternity of the world to come—eternal kingship, everlasting kingship. He could have built the Beis HaMikdash, the resurrection of the dead could have happened in his time, and it all would have been to his credit—the eternal life of the world to come, eternal life forever and ever. But he didn’t have the strength to wait for Shmuel. He didn’t nullify himself before Shmuel.

The tribe of Zevulun, on the other hand was different. “Zevulun is a people that jeopardized their lives unto death” (Shoftim 5:18). Whatever Devorah said, Zevulun did right away. Any word that the righteous Devorah said, they fulfilled. If Devorah said to go out to war, they did it right away. “Zevulun is a people that jeopardized their lives unto death, and Naftali on the high places of the field.” No other tribe merited to that which the tribe of Zevulun did. The holy Arizal says that Zevulun merited reaching the level of Keter. They merited achieving self-nullification before the Tzaddik. Zevulun merited to nullify himself. Whatever the Tzaddik told him, he did right away. Every word that the Tzaddik told him, he did right away. For one could see flames above Devorah’s tent. Why was [she] called Lapidot [flames]? Because she reached the level of Moshe Rabbeinu. When she would experience prophecy, people could see flames over her tent. Over Devorah’s tent one could see flames, literally flames above Devorah’s tent. One could see flames of burning fire. That was why she was called Lapidot. For when she would experience prophecy, everything was on fire. Her tent was filled with a burning fire, like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai at the bar mitzvah of his son, Rav Elazar. The whole house was filled with fire. So whenever Devorah would receive prophecy, one could see fire—fire above the tent, sparking fire, burning flames, burning fire—lightning-bolts of fire. That was why she was called Lapidot. Because whenever she received prophecy, one could see flames above Devorah’s tent.

So Yael said no—“ayin.” Sisera had told Yael to say no. [“And he said to her, ‘stand in the door of the tent, and it will be, when any man does come and ask of you and say is there any man here, you will say: No’” (Shoftim 4:20).] Yael merited the level of ayin, and so she merited to subdue Sisera. Both Devorah and Yael were ayin—they merited reaching the level of ayin, complete and incomparable nothingness. That is why they both merited reaching such levels that they could subdue Sisera, who received his spiritual sustenance from the ten permutations of the Divine Name Havaya, from the “backward” permutations.

That was why he was called Sisera, which is S”G (63) and ten permutations of the Name Havaya. For, he derived his spiritual sustenance from all of the permutations of the Name Havaya. The Arizal says that Sisera reached the levels that he did, that he derived his spiritual sustenance from such a lofty heavenly chamber of holiness, that no one else in the world managed to reach what he did. It was only Yael and Devorah who were able to subdue him. And it was all through the power of the tribe of Zevulun. Zevulun nullified itself before Devorah. “Zevulun is a people that jeopardized their lives unto death.” He went out to war—he went out to war and saw, what, everybody ran away? Devorah said to all of the tribes, “Why did you flee?”

“…Then was war in the gates; was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? …Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives…and the princes of Yissaschar were with Devorah, as was Yissaschar, so was Barak. Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuven there was great resolve of heart. Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the piping for the flocks? At the divisions of Reuven there were great searchings of heart. Gil’ad dwelled beyond the Yarden, and Dan, why does he travel by the ships? Asher dwelt at the shore of the sea, and stays by its bays” (Shoftim 5:8, 12, 15-17).

What happened to Gil’ad? “Gil’ad dwelled beyond the Yarden.” Gil’ad fled to the other side of the Yarden. He ran away, he ran as far east as possible. For everyone could see that Devorah was going to war. They said, “Has she gone mad? Why should she make a rebellion? Why should she make a war? Is it permitted to make a rebellion? It’s forbidden to rebel.” And everyone ran off. “Gilad dwelled beyond the Yarden, and Dan…” Dan entered his ships and began to sail to far-off lands. He said, pretty soon not a single Jew will remain here. Has Devorah gone mad? Why has Devorah gone mad? Why is she making rebellions? Revolts are forbidden. And Dan immediately fled. He entered into his ships, and Chushim the son of Dan fled from the land. “And Dan, why does he travel by the ships?” Asher was in such a state, that he prepared himself. He said, “If Devorah loses, we’ll flee right after Dan.” All of the tribe of Asher, the women and children too, everyone settled by shore and set up tents near the beach to see who would win. “Asher dwelt at the shore of the sea, and stays by its bays.” All of the families left their homes. They said, Devorah will certainly lose right away, and as soon as she loses we’ll flee from here.” “Asher dwelt at the shore of the sea, and stays by its bays.” Who stayed in the war, then? Only Zevulun! Only the tribe of Zevulun remained to fight! He was the only one who stayed for the war! All of the other tribes ran away. Some ran away immediately and got into their ships like Dan. Gilad fled to the other side of the Yarden as far eastward as possible, and the rest of the tribes prepared to run. And Reuven… “Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the piping for the flocks?” To hear who was winning the war so you would know to which side you ought to go? Each tribe chose a different means of escape. Zevulun was the only one that “jeopardized their lives unto death.”

Zevulun therefore merited to reach the level of Keter, says the Arizal. This is the meaning of Moshe’s blessing, “Rejoice, Zevulun, in your going out” (Devarim 33:18), that Zevulun is a people that “jeopardized their lives unto death.” Zevulun had true self-nullification before Devorah. How do we understand then, that which is written in Divrei HaYamim, “And of Asher, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, forty thousand” (Divrei HaYamim I:12:37). Forty thousand! Forty thousand!

“And on the other side of the Yarden, of the Reuveni, and the Gadi, and of the half-tribe of Menashe, they were with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, a hundred and twenty thousand. All these, being men of war, that could order the battle array, came with a whole heart to Chevron, to make David king over all Yisrael; and all the rest also of Yisrael were of one heart to make David king” (Ibid., 38-39).

“Of Zevulun, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, with all manner of instruments of war, fifty thousand; and that could order the battle array [la’ador], and were not of double heart [b’lo lev v’lev—literally, without a heart and a heart].” Zevulun has no heart! A tribe without a heart! A tribe without a heart! I don’t understand what is happening here. Before, we called Zevulun, “a people that jeopardized their lives unto death.” And then we look into Divrei HaYamim and see that the opposite is recorded there. No heart. This is a tribe without a heart. They run away. “La’ador” [literally, to gather together or arrange, like one gathers a flock]. What does this word mean? What did they gather together? What, did they go to war with shepherd’s crooks [ma’adarim]? I don’t understand what this means here? What is the straightforward sense? I don’t understand.

Previously we read that they were, “a people that jeopardized their lives unto death.” We’ll have to cancel the lecture. Here is a very big question. Go home and think of an answer, think it over until tomorrow morning. Everyone should think it over, and if anyone solves the problem we’ll give him a prize. An answer that is 100% correct will mean $100. An answer that is 90% correct will earn $90.What is going on here? It’s full of contradictions. I’m all confused. I’m just confused. I don’t know what to say. Go home. The lecture’s no good. There it says, “a people that jeopardized its life unto death,” and Devorah only won the war in Zevulun’s merit. And here it says the opposite, “Of Zevulun, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, with all manner of instruments of war, fifty thousand; and that could order the battle array [la’ador], and were not of double heart [b’lo lev v’lev—literally, without a heart and a heart].” They were without a heart—a tribe without a heart. They didn’t have a heart. This tribe didn’t have a heart at all. A tribe without a heart!

What is happening here? I don’t know. Maybe this is an error? Who printed this? A charedi Jew? Is he reliable? It’s from Koren publishers, Jerusalem. The letter kuf [of Koren] is a letter associated with Gehinnom. Someone else should perhaps print it, a company with a different first letter like alef or beis. Beis is for brachah, blessing. Alef is arrur, cursed, but beis is for brachah. Why does alef stand for arrur, cursed? Alef also stands for emet, truth. Alef is ohr, light. Alef is ahavah, love. One could find many nice words. Why did they have to go and pick the word arrur, cursed, to connect with alef? Open a dictionary and see what words begin with the letter alef and you’ll find a million nice words. Ahavah, love; emet, truth; ohr, light; achvah, brotherhood. Not that beis stands for brachah and alef stands for arrur. Say, rather, that beis stands for bilbul, confusion. In beis one could also find a million bad words and a million good words. Why on earth…? So that’s why I say that maybe, since we find a kuf here, maybe that is where the confusion has come from. Because kuf is the letter appointed over Gehinnom.

In any event, we’ve already discussed alef and beis, so let us ask ourselves, why is it really alef and beis? The Sfas Emes asks, “Why should alef signify arur—cursed?” Because alef has no deference, no self-nullification. Alef says, “I’m alef (“A-1”), I’m the most important, I, just me. Me, and nobody else but me.” This is the explanation of the Sfas Emes. Beis already implies two, as in, “The matter will stand based on the testimony of two” (Devarim 19:15). When there are two friends, there has to be deference in the relationship. “Let us make man” (Bereishis 1:26). When you have two friends, one wakes the other for vasikin, one wakes the other to get up to pray in the morning. They encourage each other, they speak together. When you’re alone, when you’re just one, just alef, even if there is also ahavah and achvah, and ohr and emet, and all of the other nice words with alef, if he’s alone it’s not worth anything. Beis means that there are already two. But when there’s just one, it isn’t worth anything.

That is why I said [before] that they should have started this Tanach with the letter alef or beis, then we would have an answer to this difficult problem. But this is why one must study the text together with the Midrash. We must make a resolution to learn the entire Tanach with the Midrash, each and every parshah with the Midrash.

What does the Midrash say? We are focused on the end of Parshas Kedoshim here, the Midrash asks. Every question that we ask has already been written about in the Midrash. Every question in the world is written about in the Midrash. Why does it say in one place, “Zevulun was a people that jeopardized their lives unto death,” and in another, “who could order the battle array without a [double] heart”? The Midrash says that the truth is quite the contrary. You don’t know the straightforward meaning of the text. You have a twisted mind. If a person doesn’t guard his eyes, if he goes outside with his eyes open, he understands everything upside-down. What is the meaning of the phrase, “Who could order the battle array without a [double] heart?” The Midrash says that the phrase, “Who could order the battle array without a heart,” means that Zevulun had such self-effacement before the Tzaddikim, had such selflessness before Devorah, such deference to all of the Tzaddikim, to Yissaschar and to all of the Tzaddikim of the generation, that it was this self-effacement that brought them victory. What does it mean, “Who could order the battle array without a heart?” The Midrash says that when a person goes out to war he needs to bear in mind that it is like Yom Kippur. He has to pray with focused attention on that day. And if he doesn’t pray with focused attention, he will die. He will lose the battle! But all of the rest of the tribes says the Midrash, if they didn’t pray with focused attention G-d help them.

Today it’s dangerous to go out into the street. You don’t know what will happen to the bus you take. You have no idea what could happen from moment to moment. We need to pray shemoneh esrei with focused attention. We must pray with concentration to sweeten the heavenly judgments.

“Zevulun is [a people who jeopardized their lives unto death].” The Midrash says about the tribe of Zevulun, “Rav Tanchumah said, ‘Anyone who goes out…’” If any tribe went out to war without praying with focused attention on every single letter that day, it would immediately fall. If he didn’t concentrate on the prayers, who knows what would happen? Who knows if he would return home safely or not?

But Zevulun, the tribe of Zevulun had such humility before the Tzaddikim that every single word the Tzaddikim said was like the holy of holies. Every single word that the Tzaddik said to them was the holy of holies, and they didn’t have any doubt or reservation or anything like that about it, not a single question on the Tzaddikim. They didn’t have a single thought or doubt about the Tzaddikim in their minds at all. So Zevulun, a “people who jeopardized their lives unto death,” who had this true and absolute self-effacement before the Tzaddikim, so even “without a heart”—the verse is telling us this incredible new idea—that even “without a heart,” even if they went to war and didn’t manage that day to concentrate fully on their prayers, even “without a heart,” but because they had this absolute bittul to the Tzaddikim and in its merit, they were worthy of winning every battle. And Devorah merited to win using this power of the tribe of Zevulun that “jeopardized its life unto death,” this genuine self-effacement such that they accepted without a single doubt or question everything that the Tzaddikim said. They didn’t wonder, “How will we win,” or “What will we win,” or “What will happen here?” They didn’t have a moment’s confusion. “Zevulun is a people that jeopardized its life unto death.” He just jumps right into the fire—right into the firing line, into the war.

This is what Rebbe Nachman says, that there is one type of person who is like a son, and he jumps right into the fray, right into the war, he doesn’t ask any questions. But there is another type of person who is more like a servant. He tries to get out of anything that he can. This is what it means to be like a servant who is always trying to weasel out of his duty and only seeks the easy tasks. But there is a person who is like a son who jumps right into the most challenging tasks; he goes right into the fire. He runs out right away to do whatever is Hashem’s will at that moment. This is what the verse means, “Be ravished with her love always” (Mishlei 5:19). When such a person gets up in the morning he doesn’t pay attention to whether or not it’s difficult for him. He gets up in the morning with love for Hashem—he’s burning with love for Hashem, all day long he’s on fire with love for Hashem. “Be ravished with her love always.” (See Likutei Moharan II:5:15.)

And one must throw aside all of one’s intellectual pseudo-sophistication [chochmos] and occupy himself with Hashem’s service in total simplicity. He must even be prepared to act in a way and do things that appear to others like a kind of madness—even if they will say about you that you’re crazy. Shuvu Bonim has driven you crazy. So what? The main thing is that here we speak about loving Hashem. “My soul thirsts for Hashem, for the living G-d. When will I come and see the face of Hashem?” (Tehillim 42:3). Here, we want to see Hashem “face to face.” “When will I be worthy to see the face of Hashem?” “My soul thirsts for Hashem, for the living G-d. When will I be worthy to see the face of Hashem?” Even if they say that you are crazy, just like the burgher did who saved the wife of the poor man. [See Story #10 of Rebbe Nachman’s Tales, “The Burgher and the Pauper.”] He did a completely mystifying and crazy thing for the sake of serving Hashem.

“Be ravished with her love always.” Jump right into the fray and do things that can seem crazy, for the sake of Hashem. “For one must roll around in all kinds of refuse and filth to do Hashem’s will” (Likutei Moharan II:5:15)—even if they kill a person. “…And not necessarily only to do an actual mitzvah, but any thing that has an element of Hashem’s will to it is also called a mitzvah…Then, when his love for Hashem is so strong that he throws aside all of his worldly wisdom and throws himself into the mire for the sake of His service, and jumps right into the muck…” It was then that the Rebbe himself fell into the mire. When the Rebbe told over this lesson, he himself fell right into the mire. He lowered himself to extract [lost] souls from the spiritual mire, because the Rebbe can save anyone who fell into the mire, even now. He can save thousands and millions of souls, until the end of time.

“Just to be able to give Hashem a little pleasure and satisfaction…and through doing this one can achieve such a level of understanding...” Then a person merits to attain such an expanded consciousness that he can know things that even Moshe Rabbeinu was not permitted to know “like knowing why the Tzaddikim suffer and why the wicked prosper (Brachos 7). This is the aspect of the corruption of judgment, because it appears as though Divine justice is unjust, G-d forbid.” And so anyone who enters the fray to the extent that he enslaves himself completely, he can reveal concepts that weren’t ever even entrusted to a “son.” This is because even the “son” when he searches through the King’s treasury is still not permitted to enter certain places, meaning, that there are spiritual concepts that even someone who has the aspect of “son” is not permitted to attain. But when such a “son” throws aside all of his worldly wisdom and devotes himself without any reservation to serving Hashem, his Father has pity on him and reveals to him that which a “son” normally cannot attain, such as spiritual concepts on the level of “why do the Tzaddikim suffer, and the wicked prosper.” Even Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t attain understanding of this in his lifetime. This concept is expressed in the verse, “And I will have pity on them just as a man has pity on his son who serves him” (Malachi 3:17).

And this is what our holy and awe-inspiring Rebbe says to us, that a person’s entire mission in this world is to learn to learn Torah in depth, to learn with force and energy. Similarly, the Rebbe says that one must sing the words of the prayers so that it will be pure and clear. Prayer must be pure and clear—pure and clear melodies.  The entire prayer must be said with great purity and clarity, and every single word must be pure and clear, the Rebbe says. And then Hashem sees the Shechinah and “the fury of the King abated” (Esther 7:10). When prayer is pure and clear, meaning, when the melody, which embodies the three colors of the rainbow, is extremely clear and pure, then every word is zechus Avos, empowered by the merit of the Patriarchs [related to zakut, for purity]. For, the three colors parallel the three Patriarchs, and they are the garments of the Shechinah. And when the garments are shining with purity and splendor then every word is called “the merit / zechus of the Patriarchs.” Then, “I saw it [the rainbow] as a remembrance of the eternal covenant” (Bereishis 9:16). And then, “He repented according to the multitude of His mercies” (Tehillim 106:45), meaning, that “the fury of the King abated,” and the judgments were sweetened/mitigated.

All of the judgments are sweetened with a person sings the prayer. When he makes a pure and clear melody of the prayer, all of the harsh judgments in the world are sweetened and he merits reaching the level of ayin. As we find written regarding Sisera, “They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera” (Shoftim 5:20). Why did the stars fight against Sisera? Because Devorah merited to reach such a stated of self-nullification that the stars themselves fought mightily against Sisera. This is the meaning of the phrase, “They fought from heaven.” “Min HaShamayim Nilchamu” has the same first initials as the name Haman [HaMaN]. This is because Sisera had a spark from the soul of Haman within him. Sisera has a numerical value of 331; this comprises 10 x 26 (the gematria of the shem Havaya) plus another 71. If you add another one for the kollel, 71 becomes 72, which alludes to the shem ayin-beis. Ayin-beis is the inner meaning of the name of Sisera, which is a permutation of the shem Havaya filled-in with alephs—Mem-hei and chaf-vav [which equals 45 + 26 = 71]. This is why Sisera has an additional 71; mem-hei and chaf-vav are the gematriot of the two Divine Names from which he derived his spiritual life force. He also drew sustenance via the samech and reish of his name, which alludes to the 10 permutations of the shem Havaya. This is the inner meaning of the name Sisera. Therefore, only Devorah and Yael could possibly subdue him. This is because Yael said, “ayin.” Yael was herself ayin—[selfless, nothing, without ego]. And the name of the king of Canaan was Yavin, which alludes to binah, understanding.  “Yavin” because he derived his spiritual sustenance from Abba. Sisera derived his spiritual sustenance from “behind” Imma, and Yavin derived his spiritual sustenance from “behind” Abba. That is why he is called “Yavin”—it has the numerical equivalent of 72. “Yavin” is the aspect of Chochmah.

So it comes out that 71 alludes to Imma and 72 alludes to Abba. “Yavin” comes from the word binah, because Chochmah is only revealed through binah. All of this is from the spiritual root of Kayin. And that is why the phrase quoted above has the initials of the name Haman. “They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera”—“Min Hashomayim Nilchamu” bears the initials HaMaN. Two times Haman… “I will prepare my spirit…” There are two spirits of Haman, above and below, and that is why we have the initials of Haman twice, one after the other. “Min Hashomayim Nilchamu, Ha’kochavim M’mesilosam Nilchamu.” There is spirit of Haman above and below, and that is why…

Akiva ben Yosef knew the secret [of the root of his soul], and that is why Yael struck [Sisera] in the temple, for that was where the root of… Akiva ben Yosef. And even Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat who was a teacher of young children was a descended from those great-grandchildren of Haman who studied Torah in Bnei Brak. (See Gittin 57b). This is Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat who taught the young children—he was a descendant of Haman and was from the spiritual soul-root of Kayin. Sisera is connected to the concept of Da’as. And that is why when “they fought from heavens, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.” This is equal to two times Haman… And Leah came out from there…This is the knot of the Tefillin, the concept of Binah, because Yael was from the soul-root of Leah, and that is why the verse says, “and with the hammer she smote Sisera. She smote through his head; she pierced and struck through his temples” (Shoftim 5:26). That was where the spiritual root of Akiva ben Yosef was, in his temple, because he subdued that place that was the spiritual root of Akiva ben Yosef. (See Sha’ar HaPesukim of the Arizal.)

This is why the Rebbe says that the main thing is for a person to study Torah b’iyun, in depth. He says that a person can’t say a single word if he doesn’t study Torah in depth, and a person must know the Beis Yosef by heart. He must know the entire Beis Yosef by heart, and he must know Torah in depth. One must study Torah in depth and know the Tur by heart, the Beis Yosef by heart. This is why the Rebbe says in Likutei Moharan I:101 that it is only through in-depth Torah study that one can subdue the negative desires and impulses, the terrible blemishes of the covenant. This is why the Rebbe says to study Torah in depth, because the yud represents the intellect of the Torah. “You are called Adam.” [Possibly the Rav is referring to the ma’amar Chazal on the beginning of Parshas Chukas: Adam ki yamus ba’ohel, “the Torah is only fulfilled in a person who kills himself over it,” and the words of Chazal on the phrase from Yechezkel 34:31, “you are Adam,”—You are called Adam, and not the nations. Yevamos 61a.]  This comes only through learning Torah in depth. The Rebbe says to learn Torah in depth. A person has to learn sixteen hours a day, with eight hours for eating and sleeping…for hisbodedus and prayer, long prayers and Tehillim, and sixteen hours of in-depth study the rest of the time. A bochur has nothing else to do in the world but learn.

Rav Yisrael of Valednik says that the sins that one does before the age of twenty are far more serious than the sins that one does afterward. This is because until the age of twenty, a young man has no burden of responsibilities or family to take care of. So Rav Yisrael of Valednik discusses how the sins that one does until the age of twenty are much more serious. A young man has everything. A young man has every hour of the day at his disposal to learn Torah, and whatever sins he does until the age of twenty are much more serious. Because those sins that a person does between the ages of thirteen and twenty are much worse, there is no way to atone for them. Even though it is written that the heavenly court doesn’t punish a person during that time, the fact is that there is no atonement for those sins. Because why has the person sinned? Why did you sin? It is just wildness; just foolishness. What, do you have a wife and ten children? Are you $100,000 in debt? It is just wildness, just foolishness. Are they phoning you a million times a day, and you don’t know where to run to or where to hide? You need spiritual encouragement [hitchazkut]? You don’t need any hitchazkut!

And the main sin… There is the sin of youth, and there is the sin of old age, which is even worse than the sin of youth. It is called the “private domain.” When you were in the “public domain” you were in the middle. We have the bar mitzvah, which is called the “private domain,” because then there is no evil inclination at all. The Arizal says that on the day of the bar mitzvah, the boy does not have any evil inclination—one day in a person’s life when he is free of the yetzer hara. It is then that he can accept upon himself all of his resolutions. Whoever missed out on the day of his bar mitzvah really suffered a terrible loss, an irreplaceable loss. Because the Arizal says that on the day of the bar mitzvah, a person can merit [so much]. He can receive everything that he asks for. If he will only continue keeping his head pure, he can reach all of the levels in the world on the day of his bar mitzvah. It’s a day when there is no evil inclination; the entire slate is wiped clean. The evil inclination is erased. He has no yetzer hara.

So he says that this is the meaning of the verse, “And Yitzchak went out to speak in the field” (Bereishis 24:63). In the field from which Eisav fled, when Yitzchak blessed Yaakov. This is coming up right now in our parshah, Yitzchak is about to bless Yaakov Avinu, and he needs to fool Eisav. Why does he need to fool Eisav? How could it be that he makes a mistake at all? How could it be that Yitzchak makes a mistake? And Rivka says to him, “If you don’t bless him, [i.e. receive the blessing,] I’m going to go in there and make a big tumult. I’m going to make a scandal.” Rivka the tzadekes, whose light shone from one end of the world to the other, the Pardes says that this was the light of the kadkod stones [implied in the word kad—ewer, with which Rivka drew water for Eliezer’s camels]. Just then [at the well], it was the quiet of evening and all of a sudden the whole world was filled with light and the water rose to meet her. So, Rivka said to him, “If you won’t go in, then I will.” She said, “I’ve been told prophetically that you must go in.” “But, mother, how can I obey you?”

Self-nullification towards his mother—how can a person come to do such a thing?

She says, “I’ve been told this prophetically.” She says, “I received a prophecy. You go in there right now, this instant.” And he merited reaching this level of self-nullification before his mother. He nullified himself right then before his mother. The mother speaks, and whatever mother says is the holy of holies. If a person would only nullify himself before his mother, he would never sin!

His mother said, “You must go in, you must go in!” Yonatan ben Uziel translates, “And now, my son, listen to my voice,” (Bereishis 27:8) and, “Just hearken to my voice,” (Bereishis 27:13) as, “It has been told to me through prophecy.” Right now, I have been told through prophecy that you must enter! And now he must merit reaching a state of self-nullification before his own mother. So Rivka says, “If you don’t enter, I will. Be advised, if you don’t go in I will go to your father and I will say, ‘Yaakov is the Tzaddik and Eisav is the rasha!’ I will go and tell him, ‘Yaakov is a Tzaddik, and Eisav is a rasha! You must go in!”

Rav Yitzchak says: “Your curse will be upon me, my son” (Bereishis 27:13). It is incumbent upon me to go in there and tell your father that Yaakov is a Tzaddik and Eisav is a rasha! “I’m going in to father right now,” and it was then that Yaakov received the blessing.

The Arizal says that this is what happens at the bar mitzvah. This parshah is about the bar mitzvah. The entire Parshas Toldos is about a person’s bar mitzvah. He is about to be blessed with such blessings, and the boy, a boy of thirteen has a foolish mind, he doesn’t understand what’s going on. He sees gifts, he sees guests. He doesn’t understand what’s going on. Keep hold of [the purity of] your mind!

Thirteen-year-old boy: keep hold of [the purity of] your mind! Right now you can be like Moshe Rabbeinu, like David HaMelech, to be like Yaakov Avinu and merit all of the levels in the world. Keep hold of your mind right now. Right now they’re giving you the blessings: “And Hashem will give you of the dew of heaven, and of the fat places of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Peoples will serve you, and nations bow down to you. You will be lord over your brothers, and your mother’s sons will bow down to you” (Bereishis 27:28-29). Right now, it is possible to receive all of the blessings. On the day of the bar mitzvah, says the Arizal. Parshas Toldos refers to the day of the bar mitzvah. There is no evil inclination on the day of the bar mitzvah. That was why Esav ran away; the evil inclination flees a person on that day. It sees the holiness that descends upon the person, like a fire. Like the Zohar says, a fire descends upon a person on the day of the bar mitzvah. A fire literally descends upon him. Fire, the person is surrounded by fire, and the evil inclination literally flees from him, for it has no power over him on that day.

So the holy Arizal says, the holy Arizal explains that the entire Parshas Toldos refers to the day of the bar mitzvah. And the entire incident between Esav and Yaakov, “And Yaakov prepared a stew…” (Bereishis 25:29), “And the first one emerged ruddy…and they called his name Esav,” (Bereishis 25:25), that the evil inclination is Esav. And Yaakov is the good inclination. And when a person reaches the age of thirteen, a fire descends that surrounds him for three days; he is surrounded by fire for three days. It is then that the evil inclination cannot approach him, that it has no power over him. Whatever he asks for [he will receive]. He can recite Tehillim, and he will receive whatever he has in mind.

This is why the Midrash says, “And his name [was] called Yaakov” (Bereishis 25:26). [The verse can be read literally, “And his name called Yaakov.”] The name calls—the name itself calls out the name of the person. It gives the person his name. “And his name called Yaakov.” “And the boys grew up” (Bereishis 25:27), and they reached the age of bar mitzvah. And the evil inclination is the “man of the field” who says, “Come to the field. Let’s go out for a hike.” “The man of the field”—he wants the things of this world! “And Yaakov was a simple man, a dweller in the tents” (ibid). He just sits and learns Torah, sits and learns Torah.

“And Yaakov prepared a stew…” Yaakov was making a stew. What was this stew? He was saying, “How can I serve Hashem?” When a person gets to the age of bar mitzvah, he thinks, “Master of the universe, how will I serve You? How will I become close to You?” He ponders this. And the evil inclination sees that a fire is descending from the heavens that surrounds the bar mitzvah. The Zohar says (15-17) that the evil inclination is called the “man of the field.” And this man says [to the boy], he makes him all kinds of offers. “Look at what’s going on outside. Check this out.” But a person knows that everything happening outside is just murder—it’s illusion. It’s all bandits and murderers and sinners, all those people wandering around outside in the streets. And he sees what the end of all these murderers and sinners wandering around the street will be. The evil inclination, the “man of the field,” says, “Come out to the field with me.”

Esav came from the field. “Let’s go out to hunt.” He calls to Yaakov and says, “Let’s leave the yeshiva.” You go out for a walk for half an hour, and all you do is corrupt your eyes [by seeing forbidden things]. You’ll see what goes on. And this corrupts one’s eyes, and this damage can never be repaired. If a person damages his eyes, nothing will help him, ever… As soon as a person damages his eyes, nothing can help him. Even if he received the Torah from Mount Sinai, it won’t help him if he damaged his eyes. Even if he were to receive the Torah from Sinai right now, he would lose everything if he damaged his eyes.

The Lev Eliyahu [Rav Eliyahu Lopian zt’l of Kfar Chassidim] says that even if a person were to stand at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah right now, even if he were to hear Torah directly from Hashem, [all that Torah wouldn’t help him] if he would afterwards go and damage his eyes. This is what the foremost Litvak says, Rav Eliyahu Lopian. The foremost Litvak. He brings this [idea] in his teachings on Parshas Pinchas about the war with Midyan. The verse says, “Your teeth are like a grouped flock…they are all well-matched” (Shir HaShirim 4:2). He says that they [the Jewish people] all went with buckets full of ashes—they were all men. This was during the forty years that they were in the wilderness. Anyone who had been alive forty years earlier had been privileged to stand at the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Even the fetuses in the women’s wombs were privileged to be there. Of all those who were older than forty, of all those who went out to fight against Midyan, the majority had been present for the giving of the Torah. They heard the Ten Commandments, and each and every one of them still went with a bucket full of ashes. Whenever they entered the house, they spilled ashes [on to the women there, in order that they wouldn’t be tempted to look at them]; they spilled ashes, ashes, ashes… They were all of the dor dei’ah, the “generation of knowledge” that had received the Torah, and still no one relied on himself [that he would not sin]. They all went out to the street with buckets of ashes, with black spray paint, and spilled endless amounts of ashes, just ashes and ashes.

So Rav Eliyahu Lopian says that a person needs to know that when he goes out into the street, the angel of death is standing and waiting there for him outside. The angel of death is waiting for him outside. The angel of death! And every person, he says, everyone—even those who stood at Sinai to receive the Torah—even they still needed to prepare endless buckets of ashes for themselves. They just spilled ashes and more ashes, and brought more and more ashes until they went through tons of it.

He says that a person must know that every woman that he sees in the street is literally the angel of death, that the angel of death is in the street. These are the words of Rav Eliyahu Lopian, the foremost Litvishe mashgiach, the foremost Litvishe ba’al mussar. He is saying this as a Litvak. Be advised that when you go out into the street, he says, just be advised that the angel of death is out there. You are looking at the angel of death. You are literally seeing the angel of death! These are his words. Four lines from the end of [his lesson on] Parshas Pinchas. “For the angel of death is out in the street!” Everyone should be advised that the angel of death is in the street! The angel of death is wandering the streets!

That is why it says here about the daughter of Yiftach that no man ever saw her in her life. Similarly it says about Rivkah—that no man ever saw her in her life, that she never even saw any man. The daughter of Yiftach was just such a tzadekes, that is says of her, “only she alone,” unique among all the generations (Shoftim 11:34). She was unique among all the generations that lived then. Of her entire generation only she reached the level of being unique [in her righteousness]. “Only she alone” reached this level among her contemporaries. Only she alone! This awe-inspiring Midrash tells us that only she alone [reached this level]. Why does the verse say, “only she alone?” Was there no other woman in the world? What does it mean, “only she alone?” How could this verse in Shoftim 11:34 say, “only she alone?”

“And Yiftach came to Mizpeh to his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances.” Songs, dances, harps, flutes, timbrels, pianos, accordions—all of the dances were there, all of the musical notes were there. “And, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels…only she alone.” What does this mean, “only she alone?” Was there no one else with her? No! Only she alone. Only she went out with timbrels, only she went out with dances, only she always sang. Only she alone. Why only her? Because she reached such a level of self-effacement that no one in the world had ever attained.

The Avudraham says that this level of self-effacement reached by the daughter of Yiftach had never been attained by anyone else in the world. “Only she alone.” She merited reaching such self-effacement that no one had ever merited attaining. Only she reached it, and that is why the verse says, “only she alone.” She alone nullified herself completely before the Tzaddik, for it says, “Yiftach in his time is considered like Shmuel the prophet in his time.” The Gemara in Rosh HaShanah 25b states that, “Yiftach in his generation is considered like Shmuel the prophet in his generation.” Let [the Tzaddik] be Yiftach—what difference does it make? [Because Yiftach was not objectively great.] But he is considered like Shmuel. Yiftach is like Shmuel. Yiftach merited to reach the level where he was considered in his time like Shmuel was in his own time. She reached a level of self-effacement that had never existed before. “Whatever they do to me, they can kill me for all I care. Whatever the Tzaddik says [I will do]—if he tells me to jump off the roof, if he tells me to fling myself into the fire.”

So the Gemara says that Yiftach in his generation is considered like Shmuel in his own. (And like Moshe and Aharon in theirs). “And Hashem sent Yeruba’al, and Bedan, and Yiftach, and Shmuel”(Shmuel I:12:11). “Yeruba’al is Gid’on, and why was he called ‘Yeruba’al? Because he fought [meriva is from the same Hebrew root as yarev, as in Yerub] against the [worship of the] ba’al in [the region of] Dan. This [Bedan] is Shimshon, and why was he called Bedan? Because he came from Dan. Yiftach is himself in the verse. The verse in Tehillim 99:6 says, “Moshe and Aharon are among His priests, and Shmuel is among those who call on His Name.” [The Sages taught that we see from this verse’s juxtaposition that Shmuel is considered to be on the level of Moshe and Aharon.] Scripture paralleled three of the least worthy people with three of the greatest people of all time. This is meant to teach us that Yeruba’al in his time is like Moshe in his own time; Bedan in his time is like Aharon in his own time; Yiftach in his time is like Shmuel in his own time.”

There is a book here called Nitzotzei Shimshon that explains this whole piece. He explains that is was Yeruba’al in particular who merited attaining the level of Moshe Rabbeinu. Yeruba’al was incorporated within [the spirit of] Moshe Rabbeinu. Gid’on merited rising to the level of Moshe Rabbeinu. “Yeruba’al in his time is like Moshe in his own time.” This means that he merited the level of Moshe Rabbeinu. Yeruba’al rose to the level of Moshe Rabbeinu and Yiftach rose to the level of Shmuel HaNavi. Then it says, “Only she alone.” What does this mean, “Only she alone.” Why does it say, “Only she alone?” Why did she merit reaching a level that was just hers, alone? She merited reaching this level where only of her is it said, “Only she alone.” What, was she the only unique one?

The Avudraham says that at the moment that they took the daughter of Yiftach out to be slaughtered, at that moment, all the water in the world turned to blood. All the waters in the world turned to blood. She was the tzadekes of the generation. So the Sha’ar HaTekufos says here that, at that moment, all the water in the world turned to blood. He found written in the Avudraham that she was the daughter of Yiftach. “Only she alone,” because she reached such a state of self-nullification that she merited reaching the level of yechidah. And during each and every age, at the moment that Moshe struck the water, the waters of the Nile turned to blood. All the waters in the world turned to blood. And at the moment that Moshe struck the rock, all of the waters in the world turned to blood. And at the moment that Avraham took Yitzchak on Yom HaKippurim to be bound on the altar, all of the waters in the world turned to blood. And at the moment that they took the daughter of Yiftach, he says that she merited to the aspect of, “Only she, alone/yechidah.” She reached a level of self-nullification, of bittul, that never existed before. That she was willing to immediately do whatever the Tzaddik said, even to be slaughtered. Nothing mattered to her; she didn’t have any second thoughts, any hesitations, or any questions.

Whatever Yiftach said, [Yiftach] who had reached the level of Shmuel. Who, right now, is like Shmuel? She was even prepared to be slaughtered; she was even prepared to be bound on the altar like Yitzchak who willingly went to the akeidah. This is just how she went to the akeidah, without any second thoughts, without any doubt, without any hesitation—maybe he is wrong? Maybe Yiftach is making a mistake? She didn’t have a single doubt, not a single hesitation. Only she alone merited to reach the level of yechidah. She reached such a level of yechidah! Complete self-nullification before Yiftach. Complete self-nullification to whatever the Tzaddik said, even if it meant jumping into the fire, even if it meant getting burned, even if it meant getting bound on the altar, even if it meant getting slaughtered. And at the moment that they brought her out to the altar, she went with such innocence, such sanctity, such purity. Only she, alone. There was never such a unique one in history, anywhere in the universe.

At that moment, says the Avudraham, at that instant, all of the waters in the world turned to blood. Because she was the tzadekes of the generation, so everything turned to blood, she left all of the worlds. What does she care if Yiftach slaughters her, G-d forbid? All of the waters in the world turned to blood. “But I have received a tradition,” says the Avrudraham, “That just as Yitzchak was not actually slaughtered because of a last-minute heavenly intervention, [a voice said] ‘I only said to bring him up, now take him down,’ so too have I received a tradition…” He says that Yitzchak and Yiftach’s daughter were never slaughtered at all. The daughter of Yiftach wasn’t slaughtered, instead they built a house of seclusion for her, a house for hisbodedus, and there she remained in hisbodedus and in a state of constant attachment to Hashem all day long. They went to visit her four times a year, and she spent her entire life in a state of mystical attachment to Hashem without any interference at all, without any extraneous thoughts at all, without any mental distraction at all. She merited reaching such [exalted] levels, and that is why it says about her, “only she alone.” Only she merited to be unique among all the generations, because her level of self-nullification had only been seen before in Avraham and Yitzchak. Such self-nullification before Hashem hadn’t existed since the creation of the universe, and that is why she was worthy of the title, “only she alone.” No one else in all of human history had ever reached such a level of self-nullification, throughout all of the generations. No one else merited to reach the level of self-nullification that she did. (That is why it says what it does here.)

And this fits in with what we’ve already explained, that there were four times / t’kufos [of transition of the seasons], and it was therefore the Jewish custom not to drink water during those four transitional times. But we aren’t careful about such matters at all any longer because we rely on the axiom, “G-d protects the fools” (Tehillim 116:6). But once upon a time, when people had more powerful minds, they were cautious about this. During those transitional times, he says that at the moment of the equinoxes and solstices, and what happened with Yiftach’s daughter happened at the moment of the winter solstice in Teves. It was at that exact time that Yiftach’s daughter reached the awesome level that was hers alone, yechidah. For there are [five levels to the soul:] nefesh, ruach, neshamah, chayah, and yechidah. Yechidah signifies that there is no one but Hashem at all, ein od milvado. This is the level that the daughter of Yiftach merited to reach, and that is what each and every person must strive to attain, this absolute self-nullification before the Tzaddik, self-nullification to that which Yiftach says.

Shmuel. One should not to be like Shaul who was thinking every minute, “Maybe he’s made a mistake? Maybe Shmuel is making a mistake? Maybe Shmuel is in error? Shmuel told me such-and-such, here he said to wait.” That is why it says in Tanach that David came and corrected this. How did David repair this? It says that David repaired this when the verse tells us that Hashem said to him, “And it will be, when you hear marching in the tops of the mulberry trees” (Shmuel II:5:24). Hashem was telling him this so that he could repair Shaul’s prior sin [of haste]. Hashem told David HaMelech, Hashem didn’t allow him to begin fighting until he would hear marching, “in the tops of the mulberry trees” [b’roshei ha-b’cha’im]… At evening time…then Hashem said to David that he should wait until he hears the sound of marching from the tops of the mulberry trees, he must not begin…to fight…throughout the land. And it says that Hashem told him… (See Shmuel II:5).

 “And it will be, when you hear marching in the tops of the mulberry trees…” Hashem said to him, “Since Shaul declared a rebellion against the Pelishtim and he didn’t wait for Shmuel, now you should declare a rebellion against the Pelishtim without making the mistake that Shaul did before you. You must wait even when you see that [waiting will mean that] all is lost, just as it was for Shaul, that is seemed that all was lost. A million Pelishtim. Those who had come from the Gil’ad and from the Bashan abandoned him, and he was left on the battlefield. The evil inclination said to him, “Just sacrifice that burnt offering. Don’t wait for Shmuel. Shmuel doesn’t get anything accomplished. Who knows when he’ll come? Who knows? Maybe he’ll come next year? He went to do hisbodedus. Maybe he forgot? He hasn’t got a watch, he doesn’t know whether it’s day or night. Forget about him. Just bring up that burnt offering already!”

Ten minutes later, he came!

So now Hashem says to David, “Now you have to repair Shaul’s sin. You go and declare rebellion against the Pelishtim and then sit tight. Don’t shoot an arrow even if they’re standing right opposite you with unsheathed swords in your face. You just look at them there across from you with their unsheathed swords and don’t make a move. This will be your test!” This is the only way that you’ll be able to repair Shaul’s sin. Shaul waited for seven days, you’ll wait for an hour or two. Declare a revolt, and the battalions will come. Billions of them, together with the European Union, with America, everyone will come in an instant—they’ll come today. You don’t make a move! You just stand right there!”

Unsheathed swords, artillery standing right opposite you, and you don’t do anything. Nothing! Let them approach closer, and closer, and closer, a millimeter away from you—it doesn’t make a difference to you!

So Hashem said, “And it will be, when you hear marching in the tops of the mulberry trees…” Hashem said to him, “You are to be hidden behind them and you may not make a move against them even if they are literally right under your noses. I want to see your faith in Hashem. David HaMelech is to be victorious not by virtue of might, or spear, or sword, or anything like that. I want that they will stand right under your noses with their arrows and swords and lances and spears, and that you won’t make a move until you receive a heavenly sign! Even if it means that you die! You don’t move from your place!”

“And it will be, when you hear marching in the tops of the mulberry trees…” Hashem said to him, “They will be standing right under your noses. Don’t ambush them, and you may not make a move against them, even if they are right in front of you. Why? This is all so that you can repair Shaul’s sin.” In order for the Beis HaMikdash to be built and the dead to be resurrected, you have to reach such a state of self-nullification that you don’t take a single step, nothing, even if [your enemy] is right in front of you.

And the Pelishtim were close by and David was standing with his hundred men, just like Gid’on had stood with his three hundred men, and he was forbidden to do anything but stand. “Even if they are right in front of you, you don’t do a thing until you receive instruction from above.” A test, that they draw closer, and closer, and closer…a kilometer, half a kilometer, one hundred meters, fifty, ten meters, five meters, two meters… David! What’s going on? Two meters away there are a million soldiers amassed against you. You are standing with one hundred men, and they have a million. They are just two meters away from you—four cubits!

And the Jewish people see them approaching closer, and closer, and closer, and now they’re already only four cubits away, two meters, and David HaMelech and his men aren’t moving, they don’t even fire an arrow, they don’t draw out a single spear. Everyone is just in silent communion with Hashem, saying verses of Tehillim. You don’t see and you don’t hear. You couldn’t care less until you receive a sign from heaven.

What is a sign from heaven? Maybe David is having a vision, maybe he’s dreaming? What, is David a prophet? David says, “No. You don’t move until you receive a sign from heaven.” And the Jewish people see them coming closer and closer until they were only four cubits away. They said to David, “Two meters!” A millisecond before they were going to die. A millisecond. “Just let us do something. At least we can die honorably.” The Jewish people said to him, “David, why are we standing here? They’re only two meters away, four cubits.” He answered, “G-d has commanded me. This is what Hashem told me to do.” Hashem had spoken to David; he had experienced a revelation. “Hashem revealed to me that I am to repair Shaul’s sin.” “He waited seven days, but couldn’t hold out the last ten minutes.” “Now we will wait out this hour patiently. Until the last millisecond. We’ll wait another millisecond. Another millisecond.”

The Jewish people said, “What is happening here, David? Four cubits—two meters!” The Jewish people said to him, “Why are we standing still?” He answered, “This is what Hashem commanded me! Hashem commanded me that I may not fight until I see the trees shaking. The sign is that the wind will come and shake the branches. A strong wind will shake the branches. At the moment that it shakes the branches, then we will start to shoot our arrows and unleash our spears. And then not a single remnant of all these million people will remain.”

And this is…Hashem said to him…“And it will be, when you hear marching”—the marching means the Pelishtim, “in the tops of the mulberry trees”—the trees, when the branches will start to rock, will start to rustle, a wind will come and rustle them, that is the sign! But better by far that we should die fulfilling G-d’s word. Hashem said to us, Hashem commanded me not to begin fighting, and I will not begin to fight. Better that we die following G-d’s word and not start to fight. Even if it means that we will certainly die!

David said to them, “Until I see the tops of the trees shaking.” They said to him, “But we are going to die!” Better we should die righteous and as Tzaddikim, than start any kind of a war or revolt [against Hashem’s word].

With Hashem’s help, Hashem should help us and we will pray tomorrow the morning prayer in the merit of the Tzaddikim and Rabbeinu HaKadosh, and we will be victorious over all our enemies and foes, and we will merit the complete redemption in the merit of Moshiach ben David.

 

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[We are adding on here a prayer, written by the Rav, which we happened to translate recently, which deals with the subject of prayer mentioned in the lesson.]

 

Sweetening Judgment through Prayer and Faith

 

In the merit of our holy Rebbe…

 

“Hear Hashem, my song, listen to my prayer.” Help me, please, Hashem, my G‑d, that I should merit to pray with full concentration and with great joy and with a true awakening of the heart. May I be privileged, through Your great mercy and assistance, to arrange my prayers before You in a voice of joy and melody, to sing the tune of the letters of the prayers. Help me to make the sound of its music wonderfully beautiful, clear, and sharp, until I finally merit dressing the mighty Shechinah in the garb of light, and through this, your mercy should pour out upon the Nation of Israel. See our woes, pain, our toil, and our pressures, be they physical, emotional, or financial, and remove Your anger from us. Let the verse be fulfilled, that You will, “see her and remember the everlasting covenant.”

 

Remember the covenant of our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, and have mercy on us in their merit. Hear our prayers, and listen to our cries. Let our singing appear before You, and fulfill the verse, “And He saw their troubles as He listened to their songs.”

 

Sweeten, mitigate, and nullify from upon us and the entire Jewish people all the harsh judgments in this world, and send down upon us an abundance of Your goodness, blessings, mercy, life, peace, and everything that is good. Reward us with Your kindness and goodness always, dear G-d.

 

And thereby enable us to merit Your great compassion and mercy, and shower upon us a powerful faith in You and Your holiness. May we merit having complete faith in our Sages. Help me to believe that every word and deed of the true Tzaddikim is neither simple nor mundane, but rather, has deep secrets within it. I will therefore merit seeing the light of the Divine Presence and unveiling every shroud of obscurity and darkness that surrounds Her. I will dress Her in the garb of light and holiness that are in the secrets of our Holy Torah, and by this I will merit to sweeten and destroy all harsh judgments from upon us and from the entire Jewish people, now and forever. Amen.

 

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