Likutey Halakhos, Yoreh Deah 1, Kley HaYayin 1. Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon. Ratzon (Yearning) Creates Yirah (Respect for Hashem) Through Observing the Holidays; Length of Days via Tzedakah (Charity); Two Aspects of Wine; Two Kinds of Yirah; The Purpose of Suffering; Joy.
This halakha is based on 2Likutey Moharan 4. וּבְיוֹם הַבִּכּוּרִים, בְּהַקְרִיבְכֶם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַייָ בְּשָׁבֻעֹתֵיכֶם, מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ – “On the day of the first fruits, when you offer up a new meal offering to the Lord, on your festival of Weeks; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall not perform any mundane work“ (Bamidbar 28:26).
01:10 – INTRODUCTION. Brief overview of 2Likutey Moharan 4. רצון – desire and yearning for Hashem – creates יראה – respect for Hashem. The most opportune time for this process is during Pesach, Shavuos and Sukkos, when we celebrate Hashem’s miracles as expressions of His ratzon – favor towards Am Yisrael.
05:30 – Tzaddikim counteract the false thinking of “wild animals” – scientists and philosophers who explain miracles as “natural” in denial of Hashem.
08:28 – Metzach HaNachash – “Brow of the Serpent”. Each day a person lives he needs to increase holiness and דעת – awareness of Hashem. If not, he gives life-energy to negative forces.
10:05 – Hashem equates “light” with “day”, as in וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים | לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם – “And Hashem called the light ‘day’ “ (Bereishis 1:5). If a person doesn’t increase holiness and דעת each day, he’s in danger of falling into bitterness as he ages, Heaven forbid.
11:06 – Through the mitzvah of tzedakah the despair of “fallen days” is transformed into “new light” and “length of days”. שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥ב הַיָּמִ֖ים תִּמְצָאֶֽנּוּ – “Cast your bread upon the surface of the water [share your wealth with others], for after many days you will find it” (Koheles 11:1).
13:48 – When there is a revelation of Hashem’s light, יראה – respect for Him increases. יראה is an aspect of constriction and creates a vessel or conduit, as in וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלָ֑יו – “…and the staff [of rulership] from between his feet…” (Bereishis 49:10, Vayechi). The revelation of Moshiach is the revelation of Hashem’s ratzon.
17:03 – Q&R about the dynamic between Jews and non-Jews when Moshiach is revealed.
17:32 – PARAGRAPH 1. The Torah prohibits a Jew from drinking wine made or stored by a person who worships idols. Wine is an aspect of gevurah, as inה֕וֹי גִּבּוֹרִ֖ים לִשְׁתּ֣וֹת יָ֑יִן וְאַנְשֵׁי־חַ֖יִל לִמְסֹ֥ךְ שֵׁכָֽר – “Woe to the mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mix strong wine” (Yeshayahu 5:22). Wine has two aspects, negative and positive.
19:46 – Faith in Hashem creates a vessel to benefit from the positive aspect of wine.
21:50 – Wine is associated with יראה and דין. A person who has strong faith in Hashem has joy no matter what.
**23:28 – יְהֹוָ֣ה לִ֖י לֹ֥א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה לִ֣י אָדָֽם – “Hashem is for me, I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Tehillim 118:6). Even if at times a person suffers, he can still be b’simcha – joyful. Since illness and other difficulties purify the soul, they express Hashem’s kindness, as in טֽוֹב־יְהֹוָ֥ה לַכֹּ֑ל וְ֜רַֽחֲמָ֗יו עַל־כָּל־מַֽעֲשָֽׂיו – “Hashem is good to all, and His mercies are upon all His creatures” (Tehillim 145:9).
27:07 – Suffering has its limits, as Hashem assures in כִּ֣י לֹ֚א לְעוֹלָם֙ אָרִ֔יב – “For I will not contend forever…” (Yeshayahu 57:16).
30:13 – How fortunate the life of a person who has emunah because he knows that everything is from Hashem. עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה בְּיִרְאָ֑ה וְ֜גִ֗ילוּ בִּרְעָדָֽה – “Serve Hashem with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Tehillim 2:11).
32:28 – The story of Rabbi Akiva when he was once traveling and had to sleep in forest outside a city because no one gave him shelter. He saw everything as a benefit from Hashem even when his lantern went out and his animals were killed. In the morning he discovered that all in the city had been murdered, so each “misfortune” had actually saved his life (Berakhos 60b).
33:24 – יִשְׂמַ֣ח צַ֖דִּיק כִּֽי־חָזָ֣ה נָקָ֑ם פְּעָמָ֥יו יִ֜רְחַ֗ץ בְּדַ֣ם הָרָשָֽׁע – “The righteous man will rejoice because he saw revenge; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked” (Tehillim 58:11).
35:25 – In Mispar Katan (a type of gematria) the Name of Hashem Y-H-V-H is 17 – טוב – good. (Yud is one, Hey is five, Vuv is six, and Hey is five.)
36:00 – The solution to suffering is אמונה – faith in Hashem. Connection to the teachings and ways of tzaddikim strengthens emunah.
37:21 – Q&R about free will. It’s beyond our understanding that even though Hashem allows people to do whatever they want, He “always comes out on top”, as in וְאַתָּ֥ה מָ֜ר֗וֹם לְעֹ֘לָ֥ם יְהֹוָֽה – “But You remain on high forever, Hashem” (Tehillim 92:9).
41:51 – Q&R about fear and suffering. The distinction between emunah – faith – and bitachon – trust.
*43:22 – Q&R about Yaakov Avinu’s confrontation with Esav increasing Yaakov’s fear of Hashem.
44:08 – Reference to Likutey Moharan 60 – there are two kinds of yirah, one positive and negative. The positive aspect is expressed in יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֖הוָה תּוֹסִ֣יף יָמִ֑ים – “Fear of Hashem increases days” (Mishlei 10:27). Similarly, there two aspects of fire: at Har Sinai during Matan Torah, fire brought dread. However, the flames of the Chanukah lights bring life. Yirah, emunah, and simcha are constantly changing in a person. These elements are dynamic, moment to moment.
46:36 – Reference to 2Likutey Moharan 5.
48:18 – NOTE about the flood negative fears in the world today. Only someone with emunah experiences true happiness in life.
49:32 – Closing blessing.
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