ויחל כי העולם הזה הוא גשמי, לכן צריך דצדיקים שעבודתם היא גשמית במצוות מעשיות.
However, since this world is physical, we need to have the second type of Tzadikim who serve Hashem physically, who fulfill mitzvos in a physical manner.
וזהו שאמרו רז"ל: "עמוד אחד וצדיק שמו, שעליו העולם עומד".
This is the idea expressed by our Sages in the teaching (Chagiga 12b), “There is one pillar, called a ‘Tzadik,’ upon which the world stands.”
"כל מה שיש ביבשה יש בים"
And, “Everything that exists on dry land is found in the sea as well.” (Chullin 127a) Meaning, just as Hashem created life in the ocean corresponding to life on land, so too, Hashem created the two types of Tzadikim, the hidden and the revealed, to be complementary to each other.
כי באמת צריכים להיות הא והא: For, truthfully, they are both equally needed.
Two Types of Tzadikim
יש בחינה של צדיקים נסתרים, שהם כ"נוני ימא" (דגים שבים), ועבודתם רוחנית גבוהה מאוד, כמו דגים השטים בים במהירות ובקלות, ומגיעים למעלות עליונות.
Because, the path of the first type of tzadikim, called “the fish of the sea,” is very high and lofty. This is similar to fish, which swim in the sea. Just as fish swim quickly and without excessive effort in the sea, so too, these Tzadikim “swim” up the spiritual levels of Hashem’s revelations, and in one “stroke” they reach tremendously high levels.
וגדולה הרבה מעבודת צדיקים שמגשימים – "שמחה בבשר", שהכל למטה במדרגה.
And this service of Tzadikim that are like fish is far superior to the service of the second type of Tzadikim who serve Hashem physically, with “joy from meat,” i.e., love of Hashem experienced in the physical heart of flesh and blood, which is all on a lower level than the purely spiritual service of the first type of Tzadikim.
מה שאין כן הילוכם, שהוא כמשל דג השט מקצה העולם ועד קצהו – כך עולים ומגיעים למעלה מעלה.
Unlike their manner of service, which is likened to a fish in the sea that makes one stroke and crosses from one side of the sea to the other. Similar is the spiritual way of the hidden tzadikim who with one “movement” reach the loftiest heights.
ואין זה כלל בבחינת התלהבות ורתיחת הדמים כמו עבודת צדיקים שמגשימים – "שמחה בבשר", "שמחה ביין", בבחינת רשפי אש ושלבת, אלא...
And this not at all in a manner characterized by “excitement” or “hot-blood” from elevating the sparks of physicality, like the service of the tzadikim who serve Hashem physically, with the “joy of meat” and “the joy of wine.” These two types of joy represent a fiery and passionate love of Hashem. Rather,
אדרבה, בקרירות הדמים ובנחת, ובטיסה אחת מגיעים למעלה מעלה.
tzadikim compared to fish serve Hashem in a cool and calm manner, and with one effort are able to reach lofty heights.
ואי אפשר לבאר דבר זה בדיבור מה הוא.
But it is not possible to put into words to explain exactly how this works.
Summary
To summarize: There are two types of Tzadikim, the “revealed” Tzadikim, and the “hidden” Tzadikim. The “revealed” Tzadikim serve Hashem through elevating the physical world, and creating a fiery passionate love for Hashem in their physical heart. This love of Hashem is called “joy from meat and wine” since it is a joyous love of Hashem in the flesh of the heart, similar to someone who actually drank wine.
(Which is also the reason why Nadav and Avihu, in Parshas Shemini, were considered “drunk from wine” when they entered the Holy of Holies, even though they did not drink any physical wine. Their love of Hashem was so intoxicating that it pushed them to come close to Hashem until their souls left their body in yearning for Hashem’s closeness, (as explained in the Ohr HaChaim on this Parsha.))
The “hidden” Tzadikim serve Hashem through a spiritual process of contemplation that enables their souls to ascend up the “chain” of spiritual levels, up to the highest spiritual level. Instead of refining the physical and coming to fiery love of Hashem, they elevate themselves to the highest spiritual levels, and connect that lofty level to the physical world. The Alter Rebbe says this process is so lofty that he cannot even describe it in words.
ולכן לא קיים רבי שמעון בר יוחאי בהיותו במערה כמה מצוות מעשיות, אלא הכל בנחת רוחנית – למעלה מבחינת "שמחה בבשר".
Therefore, Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai did not keep many physical mitzvos while he was in the cave. Rather, he accomplished everything spiritually, on a level higher than the “joy from meat.”
The Livyason and Its Fins
וזהו ענין סנפיריו של הלוויתן (הנקרא פלושן פעדערן), שבהם שט מן הקצה אל הקצה.
This is the idea of the “fins of the Livyason,” with which it swims across the sea.
ולכן "העולם כולו עומד על לוויתן" – כי כל העולם קיים בזכות הצדיקים הנסתרים.
Therefore, the entire world stands on the Livyason, which swims around the entire world, as is known from the words of our Sages. The commentaries on the Gemara and Midrashim give various explanations as to what it means that the Livyason “encompasses the world.” (Like many statements in the Midrash and Agada, some of the statements about the Livyason are not necessarily referring to things in the physical world that we see, but refer to spiritual realities and levels.)
In this maamar, the Alter Rebbe explains: The “Livyason” is a reference to the hidden Tzadikim. The entire world exists on the merit of the hidden Tzadikim and what they accomplish with their spiritual service of Hashem. In that sense the hidden Tzadikim (Livyason) “encompass” the entire world in their merit and accomplishment.
The Future Battle: Livyason and Shor HaBar
ולעתיד הלוויתן יעשה מלחמה עם שור הבר וישחטנו בסנפיריו.
In the future times of Moshiach, the Livyason will go to war with the Shor HaBar and slaughter it with its fins.
If Livyason refers to hidden Tzadikim, and Shor HaBar refers to revealed Tzadikim, what does it represent when they “battle” with each other?
The Service of Shor HaBar
כי הנה עבודת הצדיקים שבבחינה השנית נקרא "שור הבר" – "פני שור מהשמאל" (יחזקאל א, י), אלא שהוא בר זך וכו'.
Now, the service of the second type of tzadikim known as the Shor (Ox) HaBar, are called this because their service of Hashem derives from “the face of the ox on the left” side of the Supernal Chariot in the prophecy of Yechezkel. However, the Shor HaBar is “בר-clean and pure.”
The angels of the world of Beriah are referred to as the “Merkava-Chariot,” i.e., vehicle of Divine revelation. They are the first creations from the level of Malchus of Atzilus, and since they feel their source in Malchus, they surrender their ego and lose themselves in their devotion to Hashem, to the point that they are like only a vehicle for Divine revelation. These angels of the Merkava have four “faces,” i.e., aspects. They are the “face” of a man, ox, eagle, and lion. The “face” of the ox in their “left side,” i.e., in the aspect of Gevura-Severity. From this aspect of Gevura comes limitations and concealments on Hashem’s Light. This is what produces the animal soul of a person that is naturally inclined to seek out physical pleasure instead of Hashem’s closeness and revelation.
The service of the revealed Tzadikim is to transform the animal soul that derives from the “face of the ox on the left.” This is why they are called “שור-Ox הבר-who is purified.” (The simple meaning of “הבר” is “Wild,” something that lives “outside” of civilization. However, here the Alter Rebbe is using a different explanation of the word “הבר” that means purified or refined.)
The idea of the Shor HaBar being “clean and pure” refers to a level of physicality which has become elevated and purified. Thus, we are not referring to coarse materialism here, but rather to physical things that have been transformed into holiness. In the Alter Rebbe’s words:
כי הנה גם עבודתם במעשה ומגשמת כמו "ושמחת בחגך ביום טוב" – "אין שמחה אלא בבשר" וכו'.
For also their service by action with physicality, such as “being joyous on the festivals” that fulfills the idea that “there is no joy without meat,” is not to be taken literally as the joy of eating the animal’s meat to fill one’s stomach, G-d forbid. Rather, this is the joy of elevating physicality by using it for holy purposes. This is like the Peace Offering of Joy from physical meat that was eaten in the times of the Beis HaMikdash. This offering caused an actual “spirit of satisfaction for Hashem.”
ועל דרך זה השמחה בבשר יום טוב, וכמו שאומרים: "וישמחו בך" וכו', דהיינו בך דייקא.
Similarly, the joy of eating meat on the festivals is also “for Hashem,” as we say in the festival prayers, “And we will rejoice in You,” meaning that this joy is specifically “in Hashem.”
אלא שהוא לשון בקשה – מפני שחרב בית מקדשנו וכו'.
And we only state this as a request that we rejoice with Hashem, because the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed. Thus, we presently do not bring this offering to eat of the meat that is literally “for Hashem,” and are unable to rejoice in Hashem on the physical level as in the time of the Beis Hamikdash.
וזה נקרא "שור הבר" – מלשון "בר לבב" (תהילים כד, ד), פירוש: בשר זך.
And this is known as the Shor “הבר-HaBar”, from the expression “בר- Pure לבב -heart” (see Tehillim 24:4), meaning, meat that is refined and pure in the spiritual sense.
דהיינו שמחה לה' הנולד מזה ברשפי אש והתלהבות וכו'.
This refers to fiery and passionate joy in Hashem, which is produced in prayer using the energy received from eating this “refined meat.”
אלא שאף על פי כן מילתא זוטרתא היא לגבי עבודת הצדיקים הנקראים לוויתן, לפי שבא מדבר גשמי ובעל גבול וכו'.
Nevertheless, this is only a “small matter” compared to the amazing service of the Tzadikim called “Livyason,” since this service uses physical things, which are limited.
אבל עבודת הצדיקים הנקראים לוויתן – בטיסה אחת בקרירות ובנחת מגיעים למעלה מעלה, שהיא גדולה לאין קץ.
This is not the case in the service of the Tzadikim called “Livyason,” who, in one stroke and in a cool and calm manner, reach the greatest heights, which are infinitely greater than the level attained by serving Hashem physically.
ולכן הלוויתן "ישחוט את שור הבר" – פירוש: יעלה אותו על ידי הטיסה שלו.
Thus, the Livyason “will slaughter the Shor HaBar.” Meaning that the Livyason will uplift the Shor HaBar with its ascent. The word “שחט-slaughter” comes from the word “שחוט -drawn out,” since both the method of shechita and its meaning is to “draw out.” The method of shechita is to draw out the knife over the neck and slice it, instead of chopping down into it. The idea of shechita is to draw upwards and elevate the animal to a status of being able to be eaten by a Jew, and thus become part of holiness. The same idea here: The Livyason “draws upward” the revealed Tzadikim to a higher level, by connecting them to their lofty manner of service of Hashem.
In simpler terms, the Livyason “wins the battle” of who serves Hashem better, since the hidden Tzadikim surpass the revealed Tzadikim. However, instead of merely showing their superiority, they actually share their advantage with the revealed Tzadikim, and give them some ability to serve Hashem in a similar manner, thereby elevating them.
וזהו "בסנפיריו", שבהם ועל ידם עיקר העליה שלו וכו', שזהו למעלה מכחם עצמם של הצדיקים הנקראים "שור הבר".
And this is why the Midrash says that the Livyason will slaughter/uplift the Shor HaBar “with its fins,” since the fins are the primary means by which the Livyason propels itself upward. And this is above the capacity of the tzadikim who are called “Shor HaBar.”
אמת גם שור הבר יעלה את הלוויתן, כי בבחינה אחת עבודתם נעלית יותר.
However, truthfully, also the Shor HaBar will elevate the Livyason. This is because there is also a perspective from which the service of the “Shor HaBar” tzadikim is superior to that of the “Livyason” tzadikim.
אף שהיא בבחינת עבודה גשמית, הרי כן צריך להיות על פי התורה – "ושמחת בחגך", "אין שמחה אלא בבשר ויין" וכו', ומצד זה יעלה הוא אותו.
Despite the fact that their service is physical, this is superior since that is the way the Torah commands us to serve Hashem. Hashem said in the Torah: “You shall rejoice on the festival,” and “there is no joy without meat and wine.” From this perspective, the Shor HaBar will uplift the Livyason.
In other words, just as the Livyason wins the battle of whose service of Hashem is superior, the Shor HaBar also wins the battle. Hashem’s ultimate desire is to transform the physicality and to have a dwelling place in the physical world. Therefore, the revealed Tzadikim who are more involved in transforming physicality have the greater advantage. In that sense, they “win the battle” against the Livyason. However, as explained above, the revealed Tzadikim are not merely showing their superiority over the hidden Tzadikim. They are also sharing that advantage with them. Through their connection with the hidden Tzadikim, they enable them to also have the merit and accomplishment of transforming physicality.
It thus comes out, that both methods of service of Hashem are superior in a certain way, and the ultimate service of Hashem is to combine both methods together.
וזה יראה הקב"ה לצדיקים לעתיד, שכללות עבודתם בעולם הזה – שניהם כאחד טובים, בזה הא עדיף ובזה הא עדיף.
And Hashem will show this to the Tzadikim in the future, so that they see the entirety of the service to be performed in this world and realize that both are complete when joined together. One type of service is superior from one perspective, and the other type of service is superior from a different perspective.
והנה הלוויתן ישחוט את שור הבר בסנפיריו – אף שכשם שחיטה כזו פסולה מחמת ההפסק וכו'.
Now, the Livyason will slaughter the Shor HaBar with its fins, even though presently such a slaughter would be entirely unfit due to the interruption, etc.
