Lots of Luck Free
translation and adaptation of a discourse by The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Schneerson Purim 5713 [1953] by Rabbi David Rothschild
OUTLINE
of part 2: II. Mute Monarch Almighty Ahasuerus
Silent Sheep Unchained Divinity Display Part
2 (of 3) [In the text an attempt was made to abridge and elucidate
their content. To provide background information for difficult terms and concepts,
additional material from other Chassidic discourses, appears in brackets. The
remaining content is a free translation.] II. Mute
Monarch Almighty Ahasuerus
King Ahasuerus's name also
indicates transcendence beyond the limits of reason and understanding. The Midrash
reveals that "Ahasuerus," the letters rearranged spells: "The end
and the beginning are His."23 Ahasuerus actually refers to G-d who is elevated
above the locations of beginning and end; beyond creation's system of Worlds. Ahasuerus
is also a construct of two Hebrew words: hash-rash. 24 "Hash" translates
as silence. Silence refers to the sefirah of Crown, which is above Wisdom. As
Job said, "Wait for me a bit, and then I will tell you." 25 [Job
uses the Aramaic word for waiting - keter. A respectful state of quietude is a
precondition for eliciting a superior's discourse. 26] Rabbi Akiva also
enunciated this principle: "A fence for wisdom is silence." 27 Silence
precedes and is elevated above Wisdom just as the attribute of Crown is above
the Worlds. Silent Sheep
An opposite connotation of silence,
though, is espoused by Isaiah, "Like sheep being led to slaughter or a lamb
silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth." 28 [Isaiah
employed the Hebrew word for muteness, "alem." Alem is built from the
two-letter root, "lm." These letters also serve as the root for the
Hebrew word to conceal, "he'elem."] In this context, silence denotes
the deed of Kelipat Nogah. Kelipot are shells that conceal Divinity. That is,
they cover over and hide the Divine Speech of the World of Speech. [Nogah,
meaning "shining" indicates that this level of klipah is not solely
evil, but contains a potential for good.] [The World of Speech refers
to the sefirah of Kingship (Malchut) of the World of Emanation (Atzilut). 29 Every
sefirah contains an aspect of the other nine sefirahs. And the vessels of each
of these sub-sefirahs have an inner, intermediate and external dimension.
Kingship's
Thirty Vessels descend below to become the soul of the ten sefirahs of the Worlds
of Creation, Formation and Action. There, they bring into being, from a state
of void to actual existence, the thirty vessels of the Three Lower Worlds. Divine
Speech is the limited, Inner Light that continuously recreates and sustains the
worlds. Human speech functions in a similar manner. Words are directed
outside of one's self toward a recipient who is an independent entity. G-d
exhorted Moses, "Who has made man's mouth or who has made man mute?"
30 When Supernal Speech is not revealed, the world functions according to the
laws of nature. In such circumstances, G-d is referred to as speechless. Dumbness
also resembles sleep as King David beseeched, "Awake, why sleep my L-rd?"
31 Since during sleep one doesn't talk. Evildoers and accusers against Israel
covet the world's operation according to nature [without Divine intervention].
The righteous, though, seek the revelation of Divine Speech. Isaiah prophesized
about the Messianic Era, "And the glory of G-d will be revealed, and all
flesh, together, will mutually see it, when the mouth of G-d has spoken."
31] Unchained
However, as discussed earlier, there is
an aspect of silence that is above speech: the inability to speak. The Talmud
advises, "If you wish to purchase speech with one selah, spend two selahs
to buy silence." 33 Again, referring to the sefirah of Crown that is above
the system of Worlds. [Creation was first manifest by the emanation of the
ten attributes or sefirahs; the first being Wisdom. Genesis' first word "In
the Beginning"34 hints to Wisdom, also called "the beginning."
35 As King Solomon says, "The beginning of His way." 36 Rabbi Yehudi
observes in the Zohar, "What is the significance of 'In the Beginning': In
Wisdom." 37 Wisdom is likened to a flash of lightning that appears
unexpectedly out of darkness. "Wisdom is found out of nothingness."
38 Nothingness refers to the attribute of Crown, called by this term because it
is hidden from our perception. Like darkness, Crown alludes to the intangible
and unknown. Just as a discovery appears "out of the blue," so Wisdom
emerges out of nothingness. Kabbala terms the creation process, "the
[downward progression] chaining of the Worlds." Following the initial revelation
of Wisdom in the World of Emanation, light and life-force are passed from one
attribute to the next. This cause and effect carries on downward through the four
worlds of Emanation, Creation, Formation and Action. At each step along the way
light is further reduced in quality and quality. Then at the final stage, G-d
Himself intervenes directly to convert spirituality into this physical world. The
system of Worlds involves the limited "Filling Light," in contrast to
the revealed infinity of the Encompassing Light, which is manifest before and
above creation.] Divinity Display
This, then, is the significance
of Ahasuerus: hash-silence, which is elevated above the system of Worlds. And
due to the transcendent aspect of Ahasuerus, the King "displayed the glory
of his splendorous grandeur to the entire population." 39 If the revelation
was merely according to the system of creation, then the exhibition of Ahasuerus's
grandeur would have been restricted to his ministers of state and servants, who
were a regular presence in his inner chambers. But since the revelation
was from Ahasuerus - Divinity above creation - it was revealed to everyone. To
those appropriate in their homes, the light shone in their homes; to those befitting
in their gardens, in their gardens; and to those suitable in their courtyards,
in their courtyards. 40 [Homes, gardens and courtyards symbolize sefirahs
in the Worlds of Creation, Formation and Action.] Notes: 23.
Magen Avraham I, page 182:a; Likutei Torah, page 28:2 24. Torah Ohr, page
118:a 25. Job 36:2 26. Rashi on the verse 27. Mishnah, Tractate The
Ethics of our Fathers, chapter 3, law 13 28. Isaiah 53:7 29. Introduction
to Tikunei Zohar 30. Exodus 4:11 31. Psalms 44:24 32. Isaiah 40:5
33. The Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Megilla, page 18:a 34. Genesis 1:1
35. Rashi on the verse 36. Proverbs 8:22 37. Introduction to the Zohar,
page 3:b 38. Job 28:12 39. Paraphrase of Esther 1:4 40. Paraphrase
of Esther 1:5 [on to Part 3]
[Rabbi David Rothschild, a resident of Tsfat, is the founder and editor
of Nefesh Magazine.] |