Parshas Kedoshim teaches the mitzvah of respecting elders and Torah scholars. The verse (Vayikra 19:32) says: “מִּפְּנֵי שֵיבָה תָּקוּם וְהָדַרְתָּ פְּנֵי זָקֵן ה יִּנֲא ךיֶהֹלֱאֵּמ ָתאֵרָיְו.'- Before someone old you should stand up, and you should honor the face of a זָקֵן-elder, and you should fear your Lord, I am Hashem.”
The Talmud explains (Kiddushin 32b) that the term זָקֵן, which literally means “elder,” is actually referring to a Torah scholar, regardless of his physical age. Since the term "שֵיבָה" means someone who is physically old, the term “זָקֵן" must be referring to someone else. The Gemara teaches that this is referring to a Torah scholar, even if he is young. The word “זָקֵן" is interpreted as an acronym for the following two words: “זֶה קָנָה- this person acquired [Torah knowledge].”
In the eighth chapter of Mishlei, King Shlomo describes the greatness of the Wisdom of the Torah. One of the verses there (verse 22) describes how Hashem acquired the Torah knowledge as His primary acquisition, and it existed before the entire world was created.
“ה' קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכוֹ קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָז׃-Hashem acquired me [the Torah], I am the beginning of His ways, I existed before time, before He made anything else.”
The Talmud learns from this verse that the "זָקֵן" who “acquired” something of value (זֶה קָנָה- this person acquired), must be referring to a Torah scholar, since this is the ultimate acquisition, resembling Hashem who “acquired” the Torah.
In this maamar, the Alter Rebbe will describe the greatness of “acquiring” the Torah. The way that the Alter Rebbe teaches us to “acquire” the Torah is not just by learning Torah, but by engraving it into our memory. The reason we are required to show extra respect to a Torah scholar is that the Torah that is etched in his memory, and is therefore always with him. The holiness of the Torah (which is totally united with Hashem) is thus always in his mind wherever he goes and whatever he does.
Every single Jew needs to emphasize Torah study in a manner of “engraving,” where the Torah becomes engraved into one's memory so that the holiness of the Torah, and the connection to Hashem that it brings, will always stay with us.
The Rebbe wrote in many letters (14 printed letters to date) to various individuals, that they should engrave the words of this maamar into their memory so that they can repeat it by heart. The Rebbe said that this would help them to retain their learning, to overcome the Yetzer Hara, and to help them overcome past negative spiritual occurrences.
Therefore, this maamar is numbered into 33 lines, to make it easier to fulfill the above directive of actually memorizing the original Hebrew words of the maamar. (The instruction was to memorize all the words from וְהָּד רְ ת ַָּׁ line 1 until וְנָּאוַָּׁהַׁ line 33. However, the small words in brackets that are sources for verses from Tanach and Talmud were not included in this directive).
In addition to the great advantage of memorizing this maamar, properly learning the maamar has the powerful effect of helping one internalize the deep revelations of Chassidus and of the inner dimension of one’s neshama.
“And You Should Honor the Face of an Elder”
It says in the verse (Vayikra 19:32) “And you should honor the face of a זָקֵן-lit. “elder”),” the Talmud (Kiddushin 32b) explains that the term זָקֵן is referring to “the one who acquired Wisdom [of the Torah].”
The idea of saying that a Torah scholar “acquired” the Torah wisdom means, as it says in verse, (Yirmiyahu 2:8) “and those who grasp the Torah.”
Meaning, someone who grasps the knowledge of Torah and retains it in his faculty of memory, and it is engraved upon his heart constantly.
Like our Sages say, (Shabbos 114b) “Who is a Torah scholar [that should be appointed as a leader over the community]? Anyone that can be asked a question of Halacha (Jewish Law) [anywhere in the Torah and can answer right away].”
The fact that he can answer any question of Halacha right away means that the knowledge of the Torah is fully grasped and engraved in his memory constantly.
Then, when he has the Torah grasped in his memory, it is a mitzvah to stand up before him, even when he is not involved in Torah study.
This is because the Holy One, Blessed be He, dwells eternally within him, even when he is involved in material matters.
Since the Torah is engraved in the faculty of memory of his soul and upon his heart, and, (as it says in the Zohar), “the Torah and the Holy One Blessed be are completely united.”
Therefore, when the Torah is engraved in one’s mind and heart, the above-mentioned unity of the Torah with Hashem Himself is absorbed into the person’s mind and heart.
Therefore, any heartfelt person “whose heart moves him” (see Shemos 25:2) should strive for this level.
The Zohar’s Explanation
In the Zohar it says that the reason we have to stand up for a Torah scholar is that he reflects the holiness of Hashem. This corresponds to what the Alter Rebbe says here, that the reason for standing up for a Torah scholar is because the Torah is engraved in his mind, and the Torah is totally united with Hashem, so the holiness of the Torah and the unity with Hashem becomes a part of the Torah scholar’s being.
Yearning for Connection
And his soul yearns to connect to Hashem constantly, and that Hashem should dwell within him constantly, without any interruption forever, even for a moment. He should acquire the Torah in the faculty of memory of his soul.
Then, even when he is involved in his material needs, the Torah exists, hidden in the subconscious of his soul. This Torah wisdom that shines into his subconscious memory is referred to as the letter י' of Hashem’s Name Havaya, which corresponds to חכמה-wisdom, shining into him subconsciously.
The Four Letters of Hashem’s Name
- The letter י' – חכמה: The subconscious ability for intellect; imagination; abstraction; the initial flash of insight
- The first letter ה' – בינה: Logic; processing information; defining ideas concretely
- The letter ו' – חסד-גבורה-תפארת-נצח-הוד-יסוד: Emotions of attraction or repulsion and all possible combinations of these
- The second letter ה' – מלכות: Kingship; actual interaction with others
Memory and the Five Books of Torah
This is why, in the passage (Shemos 13:2) entitled “ק ד ש לִי כָל בְכוֹר-sanctify for me all the firstborn,” which, on a Kabbalistic level corresponds to the level of חכמה, it is written, “and they (the head Tefillin) should be a reminder between your eyes,” as is known. This shows that the level of חכמה and the letter י' of Hashem’s Name are connected to the faculty of memory in the person. This is because it is this level that shines into the person’s subconscious memory from all the Torah learning that he retains.
With this, it will be understood the reason for what is written in the Laws of Torah Study (1:4) in the name of the Sifri (Eikev, section 48): “It is a mitzvah on every (male) Jew to know the entire Torah, meaning to know all of the 613 Mitzvos with all of the details of how to fulfill them.”
This is in order to draw down the Light of Hashem onto all of the 613 aspects of his Divine soul, in all of their details.
Completion and the Soul
Like it is written, (Shir Hashirim 4:7) “(Hashem says to the Jewish People) you are completely beautiful, my partner, and there is no blemish in you.” The verse stresses that we need to be “complete” in our connection to Hashem. This “completion” is attained through connecting every one of the 613 aspects of our soul to a corresponding aspect of the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah.
Since the Mitzvos of the Torah connect our soul completely to Hashem, it is for this reason that the source of this revelation of Hashem of the 613 physical Mitzvos, the way it exists above in the spiritual world of Atzilus, also has 613 aspects, and is called “(the spiritual source of the Mitzvos for) Man,” as it is written (Yechezkel 1:26), “And on the spiritual likeness of the ‘throne,’ there was a spiritual likeness that looked similar to the level of man.”
The source of the Torah in the spiritual world of Atzilus is described as a man, which is expressed in the spiritual world of Beria, known as the “throne” on which Atzilus rests. This means that the Torah has 613 aspects, corresponding to the 613 aspects of the soul of man. This is because the Torah on the level of Atzilus is intended to connect us to Hashem. Therefore, its mitzvos correspond in number to the features of our souls. (See Tanya Igeres Hakodesh chapter 7).
Challenges and Practical Advice
However, due to the difficult times we live in (which distract us from learning Torah, due to our struggle for sustenance), and our insufficient mental capabilities (to memorize the entire Torah), and the depth of the subject (of Torah knowledge), at the very least one should try to receive in his soul the strength and might of the Torah by engraving in the faculty of memory of his soul the Five Books of the Torah written by Moshe Rabbeinu, that he wrote from what he heard directly from Hashem Himself, which are the source of all of the remaining 19 books of the Written Torah (Tanach) and of all of the teachings of the Mishna and Talmud, etc. in the Oral Torah.
As is known what the Talmud (Menachos 29b) says, that “Rabbi Akiva would expound mounds of Torah laws from the points on the crown of every letter of the Chumash.” It is just that all of these laws and insights are buried deep in the text, on a hidden level. And from the “Revealed Level” of the Oral Torah, at the very least he should acquire and engrave in his memory the Order of Mishnayos of Kodashim (Sacrifices), which is referred to as “חָכְמָה” in the words of our Sages (Shabbos 31a), and חָכְמָה is especially connected to the faculty of memory, as mentioned above, and learning these Mishnayos of Kodashim atone for a person’s sins, as mentioned by the Arizal.
