Likutey Halakhos, Yoreh Deah 1, Kley HaYayin 1 – Para. 8-10. Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon. Chanukah; Oil and Joy; 13 Midos Shel Rachamim; Cup of Wine at Bris Milah; Ratzon (Will) of Hashem.
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).
00:00 – PARAGRAPH 8. Chanukah and the spiritual aspect of oil.
03:00 – Oil is associated with רצון, as in Moshe Rabbeinu’s blessing to the tribe of Asher: וּלְאָשֵׁ֣ר אָמַ֔ר בָּר֥וּךְ מִבָּנִ֖ים אָשֵׁ֑ר יְהִ֤י רְצוּי֙ אֶחָ֔יו וְטֹבֵ֥ל בַּשֶּׁ֖מֶן רַגְלֽוֹ – “And of Asher he said: ‘May Asher be blessed with sons. He will be pleasing to his brothers, and immerse his foot in oil'” (Devarim 33:44, VeZos HaBracha). The source of Hashem’s רצון is called Metzach HaRatzon – the “Countenance [literally forehead] of Favor”.
05:34 – Spiritual significance of the beard of Aharon HaKohen.
06:04 – How family relationships correspond to the order of the sefiros.
07:13 – The correspondence between the oil of the Chanukah lights and concepts of Metzach HaRatzon and יראה – fear/respect.
08:07 – כִּ֚י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֵ֥שׁ אֹֽכְלָ֖ה ה֑וּא – “For Hashem is a consuming fire…” (Devarim 4:24, VeEschanan). יראה is associated with fire.
09:07 – The oil for the Chanukah lights is רצון, and the fire with which we kindle the flames is יראה. Respect for Hashem is a vessel in which we can receive His kindness.
10:52 – On Chanukah we increase tzedakah – charity.
13:27 – Oil indicates happiness. וְיַ֚יִן | יְשַׂמַּ֬ח לְבַב־אֱנ֗וֹשׁ לְהַצְהִ֣יל פָּנִ֣ים מִשָּׁ֑מֶן – “And wine, which cheers man’s heart, to make the face shine from oil” (Tehillim 104:15). Reference to Likutey Halakhos, Orach Chaim 3, Hilkhos Chanukah.
* 15:00 – Reference to the Pri Etz Chaim where the Arizal describes how the 13 Midos Shel Rachamim correspond to the eight days of Chanukah. Yaakov is an aspect of 7 and Yosef HaTzaddik is an aspect of 6.
17:19 – Q&R about saying the word אמת eight times after Kriyas Shema in Shacharis. שְׁלַח־אֽוֹרְךָ֣ וַֽ֖אֲמִתְּךָ הֵ֣מָּה יַנְח֑וּנִי – “Send Your light and Your truth, that they may lead me” (Tehillim 43:3).
18:23 – PARAGRAPH 9. The spiritual process of Bris Milah. Reference to 2Likutey Moharan 67.
20:06 – וּמִצְחַ֥ת נְח֖שֶׁת עַל־רַגְלָ֑יו – “And copper armor covered his legs” (1Shmuel 17:6). Golias attacked the faith of Am Yisrael every morning and every evening at the time of reciting Kriyas Shema. מצח refers to the Metzach HaNachash of evil which opposes the Metzach HaRatzon of Hashem.
22:05 – מִפְּנֵ֤י שֵׂיבָה֙ תָּק֔וּם וְהָֽדַרְתָּ֖ פְּנֵ֣י זָקֵ֑ן וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּֽאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ – “You shall stand up for an elder and respect the venerable face, by which you shall fear your Hashem” (Vayikra 19:32, Kedoshim). The beard contains 13 spiritual elements that beautify the face.
23:17 – Reference to Likutey Moharan 31.
24:06 – The word Bereishis is a combination of the words Bris and Aish. Yosef HaTzaddik and the concept of Tikkun HaBris. The mitzvah of Bris Milah was accepted by Klal Yisrael with שמחה – joy.
26:00 – Reference to Likutey Moharan 27 which explains the connection between emunah and bris.
30:00 – How the process of Bris Milah removes false concepts that cover up the Light of Hashem. Every Bris Milah is a revelation of the fact that everything in the world is רצון of Hashem.
31:27 – There are different categories of evil; only klipas nogah can be transformed to good.
32:50 – Q&R about the relationship between יראה – fear – and אהבה – love.
34:10 – PARAGRAPH 10. The cup of wine at Bris Milah when the name of the child is announced. The root of the word milah is מל which is 70, as is יין. The Seventy Faces of the Torah oppose the false beliefs of the Seventy Nations.
38:00 Encouragement about the difficulty of this halakha. Location of other halakhos related to Kley HaYayin.
39:12 – NOTE about the 30,000 Jewish martyrs who were massacred in Uman because they refused to bow down to a cross.
41:25 – Closing blessing – Elul is begematria Binah. 40 days to Yom Kippur.
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