Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)
Hashem's light and intellect are infinite, and the human mind is finite.
In order to be able to grasp apsects of the inifinite light of His
wisdom, we must first constrict Hashem's light to within the bounds of
workable human parameters. Just as someone who wants to drink a quart of
water, but only has a five ounce glass must refill the glass several
times until he consumes the desired almount, so too we must infuse our
limited hwnan minds with Hashem's wisdom in small quantities, acquiring
new knowledge in measured amounts, in a balanced way. The way this
process works is as follows: Through Torah study, prayer, and the
performance of good deeds, we draw some of Hashem's infinite light into
the confines of the nine chambers. When the nine chambers are full of
Hashem's light, our minds gwd bodies tire and need rest. This means that
we have reached a plateau where we lack the capacity to tolerate higher
doses of Hashem's light. At that point, we cannot and should not advance
any further, but should rest.
So, sleep of holiness ultimately elevates a person. When a Tzaddik
sleeps, his soul and consciousness ascend to the upper worlds, the place
of joy and his mind sifts through and organizes all of the newly
acquired light from Hashem. A Tzaddik's sleep is connected to the
spiritual energies of joy derived from the hereafter.
Conversely, the sleep of partial death involves attachment of a person's
mind and consciousness to the essence of death, sadness and despair. In
this case, the ascent to the upper worlds is far different than that
associated with the sleep of holiness. Despair constricts the mind,
limiting its scope and vision. A constricted mind is unhappy because it
cannot perceive that the ways of Hashem are beneficial. This causes a
person to do things that distance himself from Hashem, Who is the source
of all joy. Therefore, a person's behavior is greatly influenced by the
type of sleep he had. One whose consciousness is nourished with joy
through holy sleep wakes up with an upbeat attitude and expanded mind.
This influences his actions, bringing him closer to HaShem. Those whose
sleep is of partial death, whose consciousness is nourished by the
spiritual energies of sadness, wake up with a contracted mind and
negative attitude. This leads people to do foolish things that separate
them from HaShem and true joy. This is called exile of the mind. Thus,
joy provides us with the wisdom to come close to Hashem, and despair has
the opposite effect.
Phoraoh's reaction to Yosef's brilliant interpretation of his dream and
words of advice was, "...Since Hashem has informed you of all this [that
you know all of the pathways that lead to joy and have the knowledge and
skill to connect even the deepest darkness to them], there can be no one
so discerning and wise as you [your extraordinary intelligence comes
from your ability to connect your mind to the roots of joy, when your
mind and consciousness ascend to the upper worlds during your sleep]."
(Genesis 41:39) Although in the dark pit of prison, Yosef was
nevertheless able to connect his consciousness to joy as alluded to in
the verse: "The prision warden did not scrutinize anything that was in
his charge inasmuch as Hashem was with him (Yosef), and whatever he did,
Hashem made successful [even while in prison].' (Genesis 39:23) Hashem
detests despair and distances Himself from those people who are immersed
in it. Therefore, the verse says, "Hashem was with him," indicating that
Yosef was always cheerful, even while in captivity. The verse also says,
"Whatever he did, Hashem made successful," success is the result of
being happy and success also brings joy.
As mentioned above, each Jew contains a spark of the Tzaddik within him.
Therefore with the birth of each Jew, the spiritual energies of joy are
drawn from the uppcr worlds into this world, in ever greater
concentrations. The Sahtan (the angel of evil) is acutely aware that the
holy nation needs joy, peace and brotherhood to connect with and serve
Hashem and to destroy evil. Therefore, the Sahtan brought confusion
amongst the brothers causing them to hate Yosef, the Tzaddik HaEmes, the
greatest source of joy in the world - the one who was best able to guide
them and the world on the path that led to Hashem. A major purposc and
goal of creation, upon which everything is dependent, is joy. Therefore,
the main way to achieve both worldwide and individual joy is io be
united under the guidence of the Tzaddik HaEmes.
All of the spiritual energies of joy in the world are drawn from the
upper worlds through the Tzaddik HaEmes. No person, other than the
Tzadik HaEmes, is able to appreciate or grasp joy when it is on this
level. What would be joyful to the Tzadik HaEmes on his lofty level,
might be considered suffering by someone not on such an exalted level.
[For example, a sage who loves to learn the holy Torah would derive
great joy from many hours of intense study, whereas a simple person
might consider this to be suffering.] Therefore, it is necessary to
dilute the joy down from the level of the Taddik HaEmes, to the level at
which the average person can appreciate it. This was the job of
Binyamin. He was connected to the highest levels of time and space,
which is associated with the Temple and the land of Israel. Once the
energies of joy were brought down to the level of time and space,
through Binyamin [through the Temple and the land of Israel], every
person, even the lowest of the low could then access joy, each person
according to his owm ability, because the spiritual energies of joy were
then drawn down to the physical plain. Thus Yosef insisted that Binyamin
be brought to him in Egypt. Without Binyamin and what he. represented,
the energies of joy could not have been made available to all.
Since the world was in the middle of a famine causing worldwide despair,
it was critical for Binyamin to come down o Egypt and meet with Yosef at
that time so that the combination of their respective powers would cause
joy to resonate throughout the world and be made available to all. Rav
Noson concludes that this epsisode teaches us that salvation is brought
about mainly by transforming sadness into joy, which can only ne
accomplished through attaching oneself to the true Tzaddikim. [Note: Fnd
the Tzadik HaEmes is extremely difficult, especially in our generation.
We must pray with all our hearts for Hashem to reveal such a person to
us. Furthermore, Tzadikim are considered alive even after their deaths,
and so it is possible to attach ourselves to those Tzaddikim through
their teachings. May Hashem help us connect ourselves to true Tzadikim
and thus to true joy and greater connection to Him. Amen!] (Lekutai
Halachot: Orach Chaim: Hilchot Ho'Daw'ah 6:38-43)
There are essentially two types of sleep. One type is described by the
Talmud as, "...one sixtieth part of death" (Talmud: Berachot 57b) This
form of sleep is connected to the spiritual energies of sadness and
despair becausc death is the ultimate form of sadness. The other type is
the sleep of the righteous called holy gleep. During their waking hours,
each Tzaddik (saint) pursues the light of Hashem that is contained in
what the Zohar calls the nine chambers [of wisdom]. These chambers
contain the light of Hashem that nourish the holy minds of the Tzaddikim
with portions of Hashem's wisdom. Through their good deeds, the
Tzaddikim are able to draw Hashem's light of deep wisdom from the nine
chambers and store it in the recesses of their minds. Every good deed a
person performs spiritually expands his mind, increasing his capacity to
contain Hashem's light of wisdom, enabling him to understand greater and
deeper concepts, as the Talmud teaches, "[Rebbe Chanina ben Dosa] used
to say, 'Anyone whose good deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom will
endure [because through his good deeds, he creates vessels and
therefore, a place where Hashem's light of wisdom can be stored]; but
anyone whose wisdom exceeds his good deeds, his wisdom will not endure
[because he has no place to store Hashem's light]." (Talmud: Avoth
3:12)
When a person rests as a result of reaching a spiritual plateau, the
energies activated from this rest of holiness create new chambers which
enable him to store more information when he resumes his devotions later
on. Rabbi Nachman taught that a person must be an expert in knowing when
to advance toward Hashem and when to step back. One cannot always go
forward. The body must rest because it cannot tolerate excesses, as the
verse says, "And the Hayos (a type of angel) ran forward [toward Hashem]
and returned [because even the angels cannot tolerate too much of
Hashem's infinite light, how much more so humans]." (Ezekiel 1:14)
Rav Noson says that it is critically important to avoid sleep that is
"one sixtieth part of death," associated with the spiritual energies of
despair. Just prior to retiring in the evening, we should study some
Torah and recite the bed-time sh'ma with all of its associated prayers
(k'riyat sh'ma al hamita). These activities are connected to the
spiritual energies of joy and ensure that our sleep is of holiness
similar to that of the Tzaddikim and not the type of sleep that is
one-sixtieth of death. King David prayed for sleep of holiness,
"Brighten my eyes [through the spiritual energies of joy], lest I
slumber into death." (Psahns 13-.4) Rav Noson elaborates upon this verse
to further explain the difference between the sleep of holiness and the
steep of partial death and their significance: The type of sleep that
one has is critical, one's eternity depends upon it. When a person
sleeps in holiness, his mind and consciousness ascend to the upper
worlds -- the place of true joy, and are nourished by the spiritual
energies of happiness, causing his intellect to expand. Consequently,
the individual is clearly able to see the benefits of following Hashem's
ways, causing him to flourish and merit the hereafter.
The solution to this exile of the mind is to connect oneself to the
Tzaddik HaEmes (the leading saint of a generation). The mind of the
Tzaddik HaEmes is connected to the roots of true joy and thus to true
wisdom. Therefore, the Tzadik HaEmes is able to discover the proper
methods and paths that can comect any Jew to joy, and thus to Hasbem, no
matter what the situation or circumstance. Such a person, connected to
the roots of joy and wisdom, knows how to detect and recognize happiness
and wisdom wherever they might be hidden, even in the darkest of
situations. Therefore, he is able to interpret dreams, because the
Tzaddik HaEmes can see through the darkness and confusion of any dream,
even one that was derived from the sleep of partial death. The light of
the Tzaddik's joy can illuminate even a mind that has become trapped in
the darkness of a confusing dream derived from the spiritual energies of
death. He can clearly interpret the dream, thus rescuing the mind of the
dreamer from its exile, Yosef was such a individual -- he was the
Tzikddik HaEmes of his generation.
Pharaoh had a dream. In his dream hc saw seven healthy, robust cows
swallowed up by seven lean, emaciated cows. The seven emaciated cows
represented seven years of famine, Famine is when things don't grow, and
is associated with death and despair. The seven healthy cows represented
seven years of plenty. When there is plenty and prosperity things are
growing and flag, which is associated with the spiritual energies of
joy. in other words, Pharoah's dream meant that the spiritual energies
of famine, death, and despair wantcd to swallow up the energies of
plenty and joy. Phoaroh's dream brought tidings of cataclysmic
destruction through a world-wide famine. The situation looked bleak and
hopeless. However Yosef was connected to the spiritual energies of joy
at their root, and used these powers to provide the solution to the
impending worldwide death. Yosef was so skilled and adept at discovering
joy, that even within the twofold darkness of the impending famine
revealed through the impure Pharoah's dream (a manifestation of the
sleep of death), he was still able to discover the solution to save the
entire world. Additionally, Yosef was able to draw to himself the
spiritual energies of joy hidden within Pbaroah's bleak dream, and was
therefore able to solve his own problems, gaining release from his long
imprisonment and, soon after was appointed viceroy.
Holiness is associated with joy. A holy person is someone who is joyful.
Holiness connects a person to Hashem, and Hashem is the source of all
joy, therefore, in order to be connected to Hashem one must be joyful.
The righteous are therefore happy people, as the verses state, "Rejoice,
righteous ones..." (Psalms 97:12); "Joyfully exult [you] righteous
ones." (Psalm 33:1) Every Jew has the spark of righteousness (or tbe
Tzaddik) within him, as the verse says, "And your people (the Jews) arc
all righteous..." (Isaiah 60:21) As mentioned above, righteousness is
associated with joy, therefore this verse tells us that every Jew is
ultimately connected to joy. Rav Noson says that the spark of
righteousness within each Jew has become covered over due to the long
and bitter exile. However, when one finds a true Tzaddik, who is "a man
in whom rests the spirit of Hashem," (Genesis 41:38) then the spark of
righteousness found within each Jew is illuminated by the great light of
the Tzaddik, just as a candle can be lit with the flame from a torch, a
the verse says, "The light of the righteous [causes] rejoicing, but the
lamp of the wicked shall be put out." (Pmverbs 13:9) This is why Yosef
was called an 'aV(B)RaiKh' (Genesis 41:43), which comes from the Hebrcw
word BeReKh-knee. [Note: The name or title given to a person is an
indication of the spiritual energies he possesses]. The feet are the
lowest part of the body and the only part which touch the ground. The
ground was cursed as a result of Adam's sin (cf. Genesis 3:17). A curse
is associated with the spiritual energies of despair. Therefore, the
feet represent those who have fallen to the lowest spiritual levels.
Yosef's title, Avraikh, refers to his ability to rectify the people on
the lowest spiritual levels. aV(B)RaiKh also comes from the Hebrew vmrd
for blessing - B'RaKha. This indicate that Yosef had the power to
rectify the hands, which are responsible for transmitting blessing [a
blessing is associated with the raising or placing of the hands]. Rashi
says that the word av - father or chief - be found in the word Avraich,
to indicate that Yssef was the father or chief of all wisdom. Yosef's
mind was perfected with holy wisdom, because he connected his
consciousness to joy. both while awake and sleeping. Yosef was also
called Zafnat Pa'nai'ach - he who explains what is hidden. (Rashbam)
(Genesis 41:45) This title indicates that Yosef was able to reveal the
hidden mysteries of the universe that are stored in the nine chambers of
wisdom, mentioned above.
True joy is derived from the belief in and knowledge of the truth that
there is a G-d. Therefore, faith and truth lead people to joy and thus
to Hobem. Men are strongly connected to the spiritual energies of truth
and women to the spiritual energies of faith. Together, they create
children - most joyful events. Thus, truth (the masculine spiritual
energies) and faith (the feminine spiritual energies) creates joy.
Children are associated with the spiritual energies of joy. "A wise son
makes a father glad." (Proverbs 10:1), "The father of the righteous
shall greatly rejoice; and he that begot a wise child shall have joy in
him. Your father and your mother shall be glad, and she that bore you
shall rejoice." (Proverbs 23-24.25)
Avraham (Abraham), the epitome of faith, was the first to reveal to the
world that there was a G-d. Ya'akov (Jacob), Avraham's grandson, was the
epitome of truth and completed what Avraham had started, by producing
twelve holy Tzaddikim, the twelve tribes. Each one of the twelve holy
sons that were born to Ya'akov brought to the world the spiritual
energies of joy because they were all righteous, and the righteous are
connected to the spiritual energies of joy, as mentioned above. However,
the most joy was created when Yosef was born, for he was the Tzaddik
HaEmes, the epitame ofjoy.
UNITY OF THE TWELVE TRIBES
Our parsha also describes the great controversy between Yosef and his
brothers, when before Yosef revealed his true identity, he wanted the
youngest of the twelve brothers. Binyamin (Benjamin) to be brought down
to Egypt, but his brothers resisted Yosef's demand. Rav Noson explains
the deeper significance behind the great fuss made over Binyamin and why
he was treated so differently than his brothers: The land of Israel and
especially the Temple site are places which are associated with the
spiritual energies of joy more so than any other place on earth. The
Temple site was situated in Binyamin's territory. Binyamin was the only
one of twelve holy brothers born in the land of Israel. This indicates
that Binyamin's soul was connected to the land of Israel, to the Temple
and thus to joy more than any of his siblings, except Yosef. Binyamin
surpassed his brothers' connection to joy on the physical plain. (With
the exception of Yosef who was the Tzadik HaEmes. A Tzadik HaEmes
transcends time and space. Therefore, Yosef was even greater than
Binyamin in connecting himself to joy. This is why Yosef was able to
remain cheerful even in the pit of hell, imprisoned in a dungeon in
Egypt.)
Based on the advice of our sages (Talmud: Megilah 28b), Rabbi Nachman
stressed that everyone should study at least one law from the Shulchan
Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) (or its equivalent, other books which are
based on the Shulchan Aruch) everyday without fail. Sichot Haran 29) (It
is forbidden to wash with hot water on the Sabbath, even if it was
preheated before the Shabbath. There are some exceptions to this rule,
refer to last week's sheet). On the Sabbath and Yom Tov (festivals), the
practice is generally not to wash the whole body, even in cold water,
but only those parts which are not thickly covered by hair. If one is
suffering from discomfort, as on a very hot day, one may take a shower
(only in cold water or water from which the chill was taken out before
the Sabbath and which doesn't feel warm to the touch) in the same way as
on a normal weekday. However, one should be careful not to squeeze out
any hair (for this violates a negative commandment). Swimming is
forbidden, both on the Sabbath and Yom Tov. It Is also the practice, on
the Sabbath and Yom Tov, not to bathe In the sea or in a pool, even
without swimming. (Shimerat Shabbat K'Hilchata 14:11,12)