There is a Possuk in this week’s Parsha that says: כְּנֶשֶר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ גוֹ׳ יִשָאֵהוּ עַל אֶבְּרָתוֹ “As an eagle awakens its nest ... carrying them on its pinions”.
The Rebbe Maharash, whose Yohrtzeit is being commemorated, brings in his Maamor with the same opening words that was delivered on Shabbos Parshas Ha’azinu in the year 5641-1881. Rashi explains this Possuk to mean that HaShem acts with the B’nei Yisroel with mercy and compassion like an eagle that carries its fledglings upon its wings, and explains this in the analogue that even though HaShem does not have the form of a physical body, nevertheless we do find the concept of two hundred and forty-eight limbs. As is known, the two hundred and forty-eight commandments (which are the Mitzvos Aseh - the obligatory Mitzvos) are referred to as the two hundred and forty-eight limbs of the King Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
It is about this that the Torah is referring when it says יִשָאֵהוּ עַל אֶבְּרָתוֹ “carry them on its pinions” above the two hundred and forty-eight limbs which are the Mitzvos, and this refers to ‘Teshuvah’ as a result of which a person is catapulted above the two hundred and forty-eight limbs of the King.
The Analogy of the Eagle
This then is the merciful eagle, which symbolises the arousal of great mercy above, categorised by our patriarch Yaakov who also includes Avrohom and Yitzchok as the Possuk states: זְּכֹר לַעֲבָדֶיךָ לְּאַבְּרָהָם לְּיִצְּחָק וּלְּיַעֲקֹב “Remember your servants, Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov.” This is as the Rebbe Maharash explains in the above mentioned Maamor that: Even a complete Tzaddik needs great mercy from above since the body of the Tzaddik also conceals.
As is known, there is also this concept of mercy applying to the upper worlds, for they are also called worlds where the Hebrew word for world really means concealment. As the Possuk states: מַלְּכוּתְּךָ מַלְּכוּת כָל עֹלָמִים “Your kingdom is a kingdom of all worlds”.
Mercy and Concealment
We can add in parenthesis, consistent with the Rebbe RaShaB’s writings that explain this Possuk מַלְּכוּתְּךָ מַלְּכוּת כָל עֹלָמִים that the numerical value of the word כָל amounts to fifty and refers to the fifty thousand jubilees, and this is the meaning of the Possuk when it states מַלְּכוּתְּךָ מַלְּכוּת כָל עֹלָמִים that all of the fifty thousand jubilees are all only from the state of Malchus alone.
Because fifty thousand jubilees include every conceivable elevation of every world to the highest level of all the worlds. And as it is known regarding the division of time into day and years as is reflected and expressed within the worlds in general that ‘years’ down here below are considered as ‘days’ in the world above it.
From this principle the value and greatness of ‘years’ in the highest of worlds is understood, and how much more so the virtues of the ‘Shmitah’ year, which is akin to the virtue of the day of Shabbos in comparison to the six days of the week. And most definitely the virtue of the jubilee year and then even more so the fifty thousand jubilee years.
It is about this that the Possuk states: מַלְּכוּתְּךָ מַלְּכוּת כָל עֹלָמִים that even the ultimate exaltedness of fifty (כָל) thousand jubilees is only from the state of Malchus alone.
All Worlds as Concealment
This is also why all the worlds are referred to as עֹלָמוֹת (as the Possuk states כָל עֹלָמִים) with the word עֹלָם from the word הֶעְּלֵם meaning concealment. From this it is understood by using a כָל שֶכֵן and a קַל וָחוֹמֶר regarding the world below which is most definitely a concealment, which is why even the body of a Tzaddik is a concealment as we find with Moshe Rabbeinu that he temporarily left his physical body in the spiritual world of ‘Yetzirah’ (only Eliyohu Hanovi was able to purify his body to the extent that he was able to ascend into the heavens with his body.)
Because of this concealment that even a complete Tzaddik needs to arouse great mercy from above as outlined by the parable of the ‘eagle’.
