There is a Possuk in this week’s Parsha: וַיְדַבֵּר משֶׁה אֶׁל־רָאשֵּי הַמַטּוֹת לִבְנֵּי יִשְרָאֵּל לֵּאמֹר זֶׁה הַדָבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָה הֲוָיָ׳: אִיש כִי־יִדֹר נֶׁדֶׁר גוֹ׳: “Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of the B’nei Yisroel, saying: This is the thing Hashem has commanded: If a man makes a vow...”
In a Maamor for this week’s Parsha in Likkutei Torah the Alter Rebbe (as well as in later Maamorim, particularly in a Maamor with the same opening verse from the Rebbe Rashab that he delivered in the year 5679 (1919) as well as in the Maamor from the Frierdiker Rebbe whose anniversary we have just celebrated) the question is asked “What precisely is this concept of taking an oath to forbid oneself from something permitted?”
The Yerushalmi asks: “Are the Torah restrictions not enough, that one seeks to add restrictions?” And if this is so, what is the virtue of making a vow that forbids oneself from something permitted?”
Additionally, what is the significance in the words: זֶׁה הַדָבָר “This is the thing?”
This can be understood (as is explained in the above mentioned Maamorim) according to a statement in the Mishneh נְדָרִים סְיָג לַפְרִישות “Vows assist [are a safeguarding fence around] abstinence” the Medrash Shmuel writes that the explanation of this [above-mentioned] statement is considered as מִילֵּי דַחֲסִידותָא ‘A matter of piousness’ (which explains why this statement is brought in ‘Pirkei Ovos’ which is a collection of מִילֵּי דַחֲסִידותָא) the parameter of מִילֵּי דַחֲסִידותָא is explained elsewhere that the virtues of a Chossid are greater than the virtues of a Tzaddik.
In general, there are three spiritual levels of Jews: Reshoim, Beinonim, and Tzaddikim. However, there is a virtue which is even greater than the virtue of Tzaddikim and that is the virtue of a Chossid.
The Possuk says: בְלִבָםגַם אֶׁת־הָעֹלָם נָתַן “also, the wisdom of the world He put into their hearts”. It is understood from here that just as there are three spiritual levels in man’s spiritual attainment so too these three levels can be found in the world at large.
Every person is obligated to say “For me the world was created.” And “Everything was only created to serve me”. Everything is for a person’s ‘Avodas Hashem’. If this is so, then in the world as well there are different levels that correspond to the differences in a person’s Avodah.
The difference between ‘Reshoim’, ‘Beinonim’ and ‘Tzaddikim’ in the worlds are the differences between the three spiritual worlds of ‘Asiyah’, ‘Yetzira’ and ‘Briyah’ because there is a big difference between them.
This means: although the word for world is ‘Olom’ which comes from the word ‘He’elam VeHester’ meaning conceal and hide, nevertheless there are different levels within the Seder Hishtalshelus of the different worlds.
The world of ‘Asiyah’ is primarily evil, as is explained in ‘Pri Eitz Chayim’ and is brought down in Tanya. That this world [is a world] full of Kelipos etc and the ‘Reshoim’ have the upper hand in this world. Not within the ten Sefiros of the world of ‘Asiyah’ themselves G-d-forbid but [only] in the [externality of the] world of ‘Asiyah’ in its garments.
In the spiritual world of Yetzirah it is half and half and the bad is mixed together with the good. However, in the spiritual world of ‘Briyah’ which parallels the ‘Tzaddik’ it is primarily good, and the minute bit of evil is not mixed with the good.
As can be seen clearly that someone who is of a refined nature (who has Eidelkeit) cannot tolerate evil in his nature. This is especially so concerning something which is considered evil in the Torah and particularly according to that which the Possuk states: לֹא־יְאֻנֶׁה לַצַדִיק כָל־אָוֶׁן “No sin shall be caused for the righteous”. This is what it meant when it is explained that the world of ‘Yetzirah’ which is half good and half evil, parallels the ‘Beinonim’ and the world of ‘Briyah’ which is primarily good and the good is not mixed with any evil, parallels the ‘Tzadikkim’. [This parallel applies to Tzadikkim in general notwithstanding the fact that there are many different kinds] and even though it is brought down in the Tanya that an incomplete Tzaddik, (A nondescript Tzaddik) and most certainly a complete Tzaddik has no ...
