CHANUKAH SECRETS
Free translation and adaptation from a discourse of
Rabbi Sholom Dov Baer Schneerson
Chanukah 5678 91917)
by Rabbi David Rothschild
[bracketed remarks are the translator's, usually based
on other discourses]
Part 2 (of 3)
Part 1
B
Fix Evil
The rectification of the Left Side must occur from the Left Side itself.
This can be understood through the difference between the Levites and
the Cohens. Both participated in the running the Temple's sacrifices.
The Cohens originate from the Right Side. The Torah writes, "The
Cohen is a man of kindness." The Levites are from the Left Side.
Their true purpose is to rectify the Left Side. The Torah refers to the
Levites with the word "it". This term connotes that which is
concealed. The object is unknown; this is why it can only be referenced
as "it." The Zohar says, "It is the Ancient One".
The understanding of this connection of concealment to the Levites' ability
to rectify the Left Side elucidates the power of Chanukah lights.
When G-d created the worlds a north wind circled the Earth. At a certain
point G-d terminated creation. If He hadn't, the north wind would have
completely encompassed the world. Then, evil's power would have been unstoppable.
Still, the strength of evil is great. It adheres to the Left Side to nurture
life-force. Being, however, its power isn't absolute, this sucking from
the Left Side can be rectified.
The Levites executed this rectification by slaughtering the sacrifices
in the northern section of the Temple. North corresponds to the left.
That's because G-d's Presence is revealed in the Tablets of Law. Inside
the Temple the Tablets faced east. From G-d's perspective north is on
the left-hand side.
Holy Union
As mentioned above, the term "it" refers to the concealed.
There are ascending levels of "the unknown." After creation
there appeared two categories of worlds: The Revealed World, and the Concealed
World. In this context, The Concealed World is the attribute or sefirah
of Understanding ("Binah").
[The set of sefiros on the left side commence with Understanding. The
seferah directly below Understanding is "Gevorah" or Severity.
On the right side the first sefirah is Wisdom "Chochmah"). Below
Wisdom is "Hesed" or Kindness.]
Inside the sefirah of Understanding shines a revelation of "the
Ancient One" ("Atik"). [Atik in Hebrew means to duplicate.
Atik is a copy of the essence of the Infinite Light even after creation.
As it is above revelation, it can only reside within a concealed place.
The letters of Understanding give space for revelation.]
Wisdom is above creation and can thereby accept within itself a revelation
of the Infinite Light of Atik. Understanding then receives this revelation
of Atik from Wisdom.
Kabbala calls Understanding "Mother" and Wisdom "Father."
They are bound together in an everlasting unity. Their bond is brought
about by the Levites. Moreover, the word Levy in Hebrew means to bind
together and connect.
Thus the Levites cause the revelation of the Absolute Infinite Light
in Understanding. This then is the explanation of what the Zohar said,
"It is the Ancient One". The Ancient One - Atik - is revealed
in Understanding.
The Free World
The sefirah of Understanding is also called the "Free World."
Being that the Infinite Light shines there, evil cannot exist. It's called
the Free World because it is free from evil. As the Levites' source is
Understanding, they are intrinsically above evil. Therefore they have
the power to cause its rectification.
The Left Side, then, begins in the free-from-evil world of Understanding
where incomprehensible Infinite Light shines. Below Understanding starts
Severity. This is still in the realm of holiness. It's just that the dynamic
of Severity restricts and constricts light. As a result, at the bottommost
level evil is created and nurtured. The way to deal with evil, then, is
to decimate it at its source - the source of the Left Side.
Sweet Severity
As mentioned above the source of the Left Side - Understanding - has
the power to eradicate evil. But what is intrinsic to Severity that only
through its source can it be rectified?
[Each sefirah contains within itself an expression of the other ten sefiros.
Inside Understanding for example, resides the sub-sefirah of Severity
of Understanding.]
The secret is that at its source, Severity isn't severity at all. The
source of Severity is Understanding, and in Understanding there is no
severity. That's because the Kindness of Wisdom itself becomes the Severity
of Understanding. As the essence of Severity is loving kindness, the Kabbala
calls it sweetened severity.
The sweet severity in Understanding is the source of the lower sefirah
of Severity. By operating at the level of the source of Severity, the
Levites - themselves a manifesting of this source - rectify the Left Side
and evil itself.
Hair Tubes
This explains why the Levites were commanded to constantly shave all
the hair off their bodies. Hair is like a narrow tube that constricts
the life-force which passes through it. Evil attaches itself to the extremities
of the hair where it can nurture off the diminished light. To eliminate
that possibility, the Levites shaved.
The Cohens, though, assisted the Levites in the Temple service. When
Levites lifted certain offerings, the Cohens first placed their hands
under the Levites' hands. Together they would raise the sacrifice.
The principle here is that in order to elevate the physical to spiritual,
the act must be preceded by an influx of G-dly Kindness from above. That's
why the Cohens -- representing Kindness - helped the Levites. But there
is a deeper reason.
Not Yet
These days, spiritual conduct must be performed specifically through
Kindness. Only in the Future Era will Severity be primary. The Ari said,
"In the future the Levites will be Cohens." Thus during Temple
times, the Levites required assistance from the Cohens. Kindness was,
and continues to be, the way to serve G-d. Nevertheless, the service of
the Levites was to rectify the Left Side of severity.
[In the Future the attribute of G-d's Essential Severity will dominate.
The nature of severity is to overpower. G-d will force a revelation of
the unrevealable.]
Holy Eight
The Greeks conspired to coerce Jews to abandon Torah. The Macabees were
victorious on the battlefield by virtue of their literal self-sacrifice
to preserve the Torah. In this merit, they drew down a revelation of the
Absolute Infinite Light of G-d's Essence to rectify the Left Side. This
is why they instituted Chanukah lights. The lights manifest the Absolute
Infinite Light. This Absolute Light is a revelation of the higher name
of G-d which itself is represented by the number eight.
The prophet Samuel said, "You are my candle G-d, G-d makes my darkness
light."
The names for G-d here are the holy four-letter name. [Each of the four
letters connotes a phase in the process of revelation, expansion, descent,
and the final expansion of light.] G-d is represented by two identical
names appearing juxtaposed in the Torah.
The first, or lower name, refers to the light which enacts the system
of creation. This is the diminished Limited Light mentioned above. Its
source is the Relative Infinite Light which had to be concealed. Then
the Limited Light descended below. As the light moves downward it is further
reduced by a multitude of veils. At the end of the process the light has
reached such a limited state that it can now be a source of life for finite
entities. This is what Samuel meant by "You are my candle, G-d"
-- the lower name which makes creation.
The second, higher name of G-d, is above the system of creation. It is
the Absolute Essence of Light. This is the intention of the second half
of his statement, "G-d makes my darkness light." To illuminate
darkness requires a revelation of the higher name above creation.
[on to Part 3]
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