Elul Redemptions

From the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria; translated and edited by Moshe Yaakov Wisnefsky

Kabbalah teaches us that Elul is the best time for reforming our inner selves.

"When you will go out to war against your enemies, and G‑d your Lord will deliver them into your hand, and you will capture its captivity; and you will see among its captivity a woman who is beautiful of form, and you will desire her, you may take her to yourself for a wife."

"You shall bring her to the midst of your house; she shall shave her head and let her nails grow. She shall remove the garment of her captivity from upon herself and sit in your house and she shall weep for her father and her mother for a full month; thereafter you may come to her and live with her, and she shall be a wife to you." (Deut. 21:10-13)

This verse, the opening of parashat Ki Teitzei is always read at the beginning of the month of Elul, the final month of the Jewish year. The Arizal reveals how this verse teaches a lesson specific for this month.

As the good inclination does not enter the person until he is 13 years old, his limbs are used to [following] the evil inclination from the day he is born.

The divine soul is held captive by the body that has become accustomed to following the evil inclination….

The "evil inclination", the drive each of us is born with toward fulfilling our material needs and focusing mentally on ourselves, is present from birth. In contrast, the altruistic "good inclination" enters consciousness slowly, beginning with proper religious education and blooming fully at age 13 for boys and 12 for girls. Thus, the evil inclination is at a distinct advantage, having accustomed the individual's body to taking its orders for 12-13 years.

chanoch adds: In modern times, science specifically psychology, has learned that children are groomed by their potential abusers. This is what allows the children to be abused. This is what is being described in the above commentary. What has yet to be studied yet is beginning to be discussed is how society grooms its children through patriotism and demonizing citizens of other countries. This is my opinion.

When a person desires to repent, he "goes out to war against his enemies", i.e. the evil inclination and the limbs of his body. "…And G‑d, your Lord, delivers it to you…" refers to the evil inclination, and then "…you will take its captive", referring to the limbs of the body.

Continuing along these lines:

"And you see amongst the captives a beautiful woman…" refers to the soul.

chanoch adds: In my opinion, it is important to keep in mind that the soul has many levels and components. As such the above sentence by the ARI may apply to some parts of the soul and not to other parts. This would depend on where in the process of tikune each component has reached.

The divine soul is held captive by the body that has become accustomed to following the evil inclination.

"…And she shall shave her head…" means that [the soul] will remove any evil beliefs [it held].

When held captive by the force of the evil inclination, the soul becomes "indoctrinated" with distorted or evil philosophies and beliefs, such as Deism, pantheism, atheism, cynicism, etc.

"…And make her nails…" means cutting away and renouncing unnecessary indulgences.

Nails symbolize extraneous life-force, since they grow but can be cut without pain.

"…And remove her captivity dress…" refers to the "garment" produced by sinful acts, similar to the idiom, "remove the filthy garments [off him]." (Zachariah 3:4)

Repeated sinful acts weave a crude and vulgar 'garment' that the soul gets used to wearing….

A "garment" of the soul is a means of expression. Repeated sinful acts weave a crude and vulgar "garment" that the soul gets used to wearing. Its desensitization to spirituality makes it insensitive to the crudeness of vulgarity and gives it the impression that expressing itself in crude ways is sophisticated or chic. So it gets used to thinking, talking, and acting in these crude ways.

"…And she shall weep for her father…" refers to [her heavenly Father,] the Holy One, blessed be He.

"…And her mother…" refers to the collective soul of Israel, similar to what is written, "After my return, I comforted…" (Jeremiah 31:18)

The penitent must, as part of his repentance, realize that his past acts have "harmed" G‑d, i.e. prevented Him from advancing His purpose in Creation. Similarly, he has "harmed" the Shechina, which is the collective soul of Israel, by preventing it from actualizing divine consciousness in reality. Remorse for this helps the penitent reorient his energies toward goodness.

The verb "I comforted" in the verse from Jeremiah is transitive, as if to mean, "I comforted [G‑d]."

"…and she shall weep…for a month of days" refers to the month of Elul, which are days and not years, and are the [most propitious] time for repentance.

The idiom "days and not years" is taken from the Talmud (Shabbat 105b) and means "only a short time."

The passage concludes: "…and then she shall be brought to you and you shall become her husband, and she shall be your wife." (Deuteronomy verse 14)

Translated and adapted by Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky from Likutei Torah and Sefer HaLikutim; subsequently published in "Apples From the Orchard."

Mystical Arsenal of War

From the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria; translated and edited by Moshe Yaakov Wisnefsky

Kabbalah teaches that success in the war against evil is predicated on holy conduct.

The portion of the Torah read this week begins:

"When you go out to war against your enemies, and G‑d your Lord delivers him into your hand, and you capture its captives, and you see amongst the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire her, you make take her for a wife. You shall take her into your house, and she will shave her head and grow her nails long. She shall take off her beautiful dress of captivity and dwell in your house, mourning over her father and mother for a month. Only after this may you again engage in intercourse with her, and she will become your wife. But if [after the mourning period] you do not desire her, you may send her away, but you may not sell her for money…." (Deut. 21:10-14)

Know, that the hair of Zeir Anpin is black, due to the influence of the states of gevura [which produce this hair]. [His hair] is black as a raven, due to [the influence of] the attribute of judgment.

The flow of divine energy between the partzufim is reflected in the hair….

The male (Zeir Anpin) is the archetype of chesed while the female (Nukva) is the archetype of gevura. This is because the female personifies G‑d's drive to be revealed in Creation, and this requires both strength and severity (to resist the enticements of evil), while the male personifies the abstract Divine idea itself, outside the context of Creation.

chanoch adds: The above commentary is a beneficial method to think about the role of mankind. When we are perceiving an intellectual idea it is best to think of it as an abstract thought that must develop the passion to manifest in the world.

One aspect of the flow of divine energy between the partzufim is reflected in the hair. Hair is seen as a hollow channel filled with divine "light". However, since it is possible to cut the hair without experiencing any pain (which is of course not the case with any other part of the body), the life-force present within hair is seen to be extremely attenuated. The force flowing through hair is thus highly contracted, a manifestation of the power of gevura and judgment - in the sense of being strictly rationed and apportioned.

The hair of the Nukva is red, since Nukva is itself constructed out of gevura….

The black hair of Zeir Anpin is contrasted with the white (or grey) hair of Arich Anpin. Arich Anpin is such a high, intense level of divine consciousness that even the contraction represented by hair does not produce truly contracted (dark) light, but rather a lower state of chesed.

the hair of the Nukva is red, since Nukva is itself constructed out of gevura.

As our sages said, "Black [blood] is really red [blood] that has deteriorated" (Nidda 19a), this being [the influence of] the attribute of judgement.

The color red is associated with gevura. The fact that black (in this case) is a form of red provides the association between black and gevura.

The Mishna lists five colors of blood that are considered a sign of menstrual impurity, but the Sages of the Talmud find only four scriptural allusions to different colors of menstrual blood. This is solved by pointing out that black blood is simply red blood that has changed its color. As the Talmud continues, "….Black blood is not black originally. It assumes the black color only after it is discharged, like the blood of a wound which becomes black after it had been discharged from it."

These powers of judgement are the ten names Elokim that enter Zeir Anpin from Imma, and then return upward as reflecting light, which is judgement.

The process of intellect becoming emotion…is a further contraction….

The name Elokim is associated with the sefira of bina, and specifically, with its power of contraction and limitation. Bina in general is a process of limiting, defining, honing down and contracting the infinite insight of chochma. But beyond this, the process of intellect becoming emotion - the creation of Zeir Anpin out of Imma - is a further contraction, a quantum leap lessening the intensity of revelation characteristic of intellect into that characterizing emotion. The ten names Elokim are the ten sub-sefirot of bina that enter into Zeir Anpin.

If so, [the light] which itself is judgement is surely severe judgement, enough so that the red is changed into black, as it is written, "His locks are curly, black as a raven". (Songs 5:11)

The Song of Songs is considered, Kabbalistically, to be the song of love between Zeir Anpin - the groom and Nukva of Zeir Anpin - the bride.

These are the hairs whose numerical value is ten times that of Elokim, being equal to the word for "lock".

The numerical value of "Elokim" (alef-lamed-hei-yud-mem, 1 + 30 +5 + 10 + 40) is 86. Ten times 86 is 860. The word for "locks" (in Hebrew, "taltalim") may be split into the singular for "lock" ("taltal") and the plural suffix (-im). The numerical value of "taltal" (taf-lamed-taf-lamed, 400 + 30 + 400 + 30) is 860.

The plural suffix - "-im", spelled yud-mem, = 50 - of the word for "locks" signifies the 50 letters comprised by the ten names Elokim. This is why the verse concludes, "dark as a raven".

Each name Elokim comprises five letters, 10 x 5 = 50. The word "taltalim" thus signifies the numerical value of ten names Elokim and the letters that form these names.

When the Jewish people used to go out to make war, the five names Elokim of the right side would be joined with the five names Elokim of the left side, in order to exact vengeance from their enemies. All that would thus be evident of these ten names Elokim would be the five of the right side, for would the five of the left side be visible, the forces of evil would latch onto them.

Although one would think that wartime is when one should demonstrate gevura, the power of the left side, we learn here that this is not the case. True, power and might (gevura) must be present within the army (or individual) waging war, but its/his outward conduct must be that of chesed. The fact that the enemy has chosen to oppose the forces of holiness means that he must be fought, conquered - and if necessary annihilated - for his own good. (It should be remembered that the Torah enjoins the nation to exhaust peaceful overtures before resorting to war.)

Fighting the enemy is an act of chesed for him and for reality as a whole….

Thus, fighting the enemy is an act of chesed for him and for reality as a whole. There is thus no place for any outward demonstrations of vindictiveness or the like. On the contrary, should the people evince any of the outward trappings of gevura unnecessarily, they weaken themselves by allowing the essence of their enemy to intrude into their being. This of course lessens their merit to win. As we are taught, when the Jews were crossing the sea on dry land and the Egyptians were being drowned in it, the angels complained to G‑d that both parties were guilty of idol worship; why, then, was He showing favor to one over the other? And anger, according to Sages, is equivalent to idol worship. Also, the Song at the Sea, which the Jewish people sang to G‑d after being delivered from the Egyptians, mentions G‑d's right arm twice, but not His left arm.

This is why the straps of the tefillin are black, for they are to reflect these black hairs of Zeir Anpin. Furthermore, the right strap is to be longer than the left one.

The tefillin manifest the flow of consciousness from the intellect of Zeir Anpin (the man wearing them) downward. The head tefillin comprises four compartments, signifying chochma, bina, and the two aspects of daat (the five states of chesed and the five states of gevura). The two sides of the straps emerging from the head tefillin and encompassing the head signify chesed and gevura themselves. The knot at the rear of the head signifies tiferet. The two straps descending from the knot signify netzach and hod.

The female is the warrior whose task it is to battle the materialism of this world….

The straps are to black in order to reflect the hair of Zeir Anpin, i.e. the protracted flow of divine light into Nukva and the world in general. This is reflected in the fact that the partzuf of Leah is said to be situated behind the head of Zeir Anpin, at the level of the knot of the head tefillin, while the partzuf of Rachel is the hand tefillin itself. As we said, the female (both in woman in general as well as in the female aspect of man) is the warrior whose task it is to battle the materialism of this world. Thus, in the flow of divine energy reaching her through Zeir Anpin, the right side must predominate. Then the war will be able to be fought properly, as described above.

This is alluded to in the verse - which opens this passage of the Torah. The numerical value of the word for "when" - in Hebrew, "ki" together with the first letter of the word for "you go out" - "tetzei", tav - is that of the five names Elokim of the right side.

The numerical value of "ki" (spelled kaf-yud, 20 + 10) is 30; that of tav is 400; 400 + 30 = 430. The numerical value of "Elokim", as above, is 86. 5 x 86 = 430.

These [aspects of the name Elokim] appear [in this verse] with G‑d's proper Name [the name Havayah].

[G‑d's proper Name is spelled] Havayah [and read as] Ado-nai; the numerical value of these together is 91, the numerical value of "amen".

Havayah (yud-hei-vav-hei, 10 + 5 + 6 + 5) = 26; Adni (alef-dalet-nun-yud, 1 + 4 +50 + 10) = 65. 26 + 65 = 91. Amen (alef-men-nun, 1 + 40 + 50) = 91.

This is also the numerical value of the remaining letters of the word for "you go out" ["tetzei"].

"Tetzei" is spelled tav-tzadik-alef. The numerical value of the final two letters (tzadik-alef, 90 + 1) equals 91.

This, then is the implication of this verse: "When you go out" - alludes to the five names Elokim of the right side, together with G‑d's proper Name, Havayah, - as we have said. "…to war against your enemies" - in this way -, then it is a sure thing that "G‑d – Havayah - your L-rd - from the name - Elokim", i.e. - G‑d as manifest in - these two names Havayah and Elokim "will deliver him into your hand". "Your hand" alludes to the five names Elokim of the right side, reflected in the five fingers of the right hand. Then, "you will capture its captives".

Thus, success in the war against evil is predicated on holy conduct, as opposed to fighting evil with evil conduct.

Translated and adapted by Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky from Likutei Torah and Sefer HaLikutim; subsequently published in "Apples From the Orchard."

Light Which Transforms - Part 1

Two Lights - Betrothal and Marriage

From the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria; translated and edited by Moshe Yaakov Wisnefsky

In this parashah, the laws of divorce begin with the phrase, "When a man takes a wife and engages in marital relations with her…" (Deut. 24:1) The laws of betrothal and marriage are derived from this passage. In Jewish law, "betrothal" (kidushin) is not simple engagement, but rather a legally binding relationship that establishes a quasi-marital bond between the betrothed couple. The marital bond is not fully actualized until "marriage" (nesu’in), which occurs when the couple first engages in marital relations.

Know that when a man betroths a woman, a certain spirit from the spirit of the husband is drawn down upon her. [This spirit] is an encompassing light.

There are two types of "lights," or spiritual energies. Encompassing light does not enter into the operative consciousness of the entity it encompasses. Rather, it serves as a source of inspiration or protection. In contrast, "inner" light informs the consciousness of the entity it enters and remakes its possessor’s world-view, changing the way the possessor lives his or her life.

Once the encompassing light has been drawn down upon her from his spirit, he can then engage in full marital relations with her. This imparts to her an additional level of spirit from him, an inner light.

The inner spirit cannot enter her until the encompassing spirit of this same [inner] spirit enters her first

"Full" marital relations involve the union of the souls of the couple, not just their bodies. By the same token, full union is not possible without bodily union, either. But the ideal is that these two types of union enhance each other. Therefore, no matter how close the couple become by being betrothed, their full spiritual union is not possible until their marriage is consummated.

Betrothal must therefore precede [marriage], for the inner spirit cannot enter her until the encompassing spirit of this same [inner] spirit enters her first.

Note the use of the verb "to enter" for the encompassing spirit as well as for the inner spirit. This is because the "encompassing" spirit does not physically surround the entity to which it has been given, but metaphorically. It is present within the entity as is the inner spirit, but since it does not inform its consciousness, it is always "at a distance."

For the continuation of this information, please see Light Which Transforms - Part 2.

Translated and adapted by Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky from Ta’amei HaMitzvot and Shaar HaMitzvot.