The Sedra tells us that “Abraham was old, coming on in days, and Hashem blessed Abraham bakol with everything”. The Rebbe RaShaB explained that this is a very exalted blessing, which includes ‘everything’, since it is beyond all divisions.
The fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Dovber Schneersohn (1860-1920). His birthday is on 20 Cheshvan, and this discourse was said by our Rebbe shortly after that date. See the end of his discourse entitled VeAvraham Zaken 5666.
Maamar VeAvraham Zaken 5735 (1974), taught by the Rebbe on Parshat Chayei Sara. Printed in Dvar Malchut Chayei Sarah 5786. It was not edited by the Rebbe.
However, although it is so exalted that it is beyond divisions, it is revealed in the world in very specific positive ways. This is expressed by the fact which Rashi points out, that bakol ‘with everything’ has the same gematria as the word ben, a son. Thus the exalted blessing beyond divisions is manifest in the fact that Abraham has a son.
This also relates to the continuation of the Sedra, which speaks of the steps towards the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca. For the power of the Ein Sof, the Infinite, is revealed in marriage, through the process of bearing children, and then children’s children, and onwards without end, as is explained in the Rebbe RaShaB’s discourse Samach Tesamach.
The Talmud gives another explanation of the words ‘and Hashem blessed Abraham with everything’. Rabbi Yehudah says this means he had a daughter. Other say, he had a daughter, and her name was Bakol. Now, it is well known that all interpretations by the Sages of a verse are not only true in their own right, ‘both these and those are words of the living G-d’ but they also interconnect. So we must ask, how does the interpretation that bakol means a daughter connect with the idea mentioned earlier, that bakol means a blessing from an exalted level beyond all division?
Abraham was given this special blessing after several important stages in his life. Earlier, his name was Avram, which literally means Av Ram, exalted father. That means he was at a spiritual level termed ‘the intellect beyond any idea’. [Then Hashem added the letter Heh to his name, so that he became Avraham and he was more able to reach downwards into the world.] Then there was the further stage that he is called zaken, old, which means zeh kanah chochmah, this person has achieved wisdom. In addition, he is described as ‘coming on in days’. This means, perfection in his service to G-d in keeping Miztvot.
After these stages it says that Abraham was blessed by Hashem with bakol, ‘everything’, which that he was granted access to the level called he’elem ha-atzmi, the concealment of the Essence. This is higher than all the levels he had reached before.
The ‘intellect beyond any idea’ is described as the something concealed, but existing, like the flame hidden in a hot coal. The ‘concealment of the Essence’ is described as the concealment which is beyond existence, like the spark concealed in the flint.
See Torah Or, Chayei Sarah, 16a.
Eruvin 13b, speaking of the different views of Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai.
Bava Batra 16b.
This is a series of discourses taught by the Rebbe RaShaB in 1897 at the wedding celebrations of his son Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak, who would later be the 6th Rebbe. The phrase Samach Tesamach (Rejoice, rejoice..) begins one of the seven marriage blessings.
But in order to draw down from that exalted level, it was necessary to have the quality of ‘a daughter’.
[There are two types of spiritual flow: from above downwards, and from below reaching upwards. That which flows from above is easier, it simply flows down, like a ‘male’ flow. But that which reaches upwards, like a ‘female’ flow, the arousal from below, reaches a more precious level.]
In order to reach that level of the concealment of the Essence, Abraham had to make a tremendous effort from below, reaching upwards. Like the effort in struggling with a subtle spiritual idea, or the intense self-sacrifice that was involved in the Akeda, the Binding of Isaac.
This means for us, that in order to access the concealment of the Essence, one must embark on a service of study of Torah and keeping Miztvot with true effort, even with self-sacrifice, mesirat nefesh. However, in our prayers we ask G-d not to test us, and the kind of test that Abraham had came from above, as it says about the Akeda that ‘G-d tested Abraham’. This means we should not be looking for occasions for self sacrifice.
Instead what we need is true Kabbalat Ol, the willing acceptance of the yoke of Heaven. And this is the service which is expressed by the idea of a daughter.
This also links with the theme of marriage in the Sedra. Because it is on the level of worldly life, a husband and a wife creating a home together, the expression of the tenth Sefira Malchut, Kingship (and the feminine), that the infinite Ein Sof can truly be revealed.
This will be fully revealed in the future, when ‘the female will surround the male’. At this moment it is concealed. But Abraham was able to experience this revelation of the concealment of the Essence in his lifetime, and that is why (according to some) his daughter’s name was Bakol.
This is because a name expresses revelation: our name is generally for the sake of other people around us, that they can address us. In the case of Abraham the name of his daughter was Bakol, signifying that the concealment of the Essence was revealed.
Jeremiah 31:21
The Zohar explains Isaiah 64:3 ‘He will [redeem] those who wait for Him’ as meaning those who struggle with a subtle spiritual idea. ‘Wait’ is mechakeh and the similar term dachakeh means intense spiritual and intellectual exploration.
See Hayom Yom 29 Menachem Av.
But we too, through our efforts in learning Torah and keeping Mitzvot, with kabbalat ol, are also able to draw down the potential of this revelation, which will be fully disclosed with the coming of Moshiach. For the moment, our knowledge of this process increases our chayut, our energy and enthusiasm in service of Hashem.
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