There is a Possuk in this week’s Haftorah that states: הַבָּאִים יַשְׁרֵש יַעֲקֹב יָּצִיץ וּפָּרַח יִשְׁרָּאֵל וּמָּלְׁאוּ פְׁנֵי תֵבֵל תְׁנוּבָּה "Those who came, whom Yaakov caused to take root, Yisroel flourished and blossomed and they filled the face of the world with fruitage."
The commentaries explain that the word הַבָּאִים of our Possuk bears reference to the same word used at the very beginning of Sefer Shemos, where the Possuk states: "And these are the names of the B’nei Yisroel who came to Mitzrayim." This implies that our Possuk הַבָּאִים יַשְׁרֵש also discusses the coming of the B’nei Yisroel to Mitzrayim. The Baal HaHilulah, the Alter Rebbe, delivered a Maamor [which has been transcribed] in the Sefer ‘Torah Ohr’ [in which he has provided an elucidation of this Maamor, and thereafter there is further elucidation], and further elaboration in Chassidic discourses delivered by Chabad Rebbeim of subsequent generations, clarify what is the association between these two Pesukim. Specifically; the affiliation of the word הַבָּאִים (the coming to Egypt) and the taking root (יַשְׁרֵש יַעֲקֹב Yaakov will take root).
In this Possuk there appear to be three unrelated concepts and they signify three different levels; Starting with the level of ‘taking root’ continuing with the level in which ‘Yisroel will bud and blossom’, and thereafter ‘will fill the face of the earth like fruit’.
Another question posed is; when discussing ‘taking root’ why does the Possuk first use the name of ‘Yaakov’ and thereafter use the name ‘Yisroel’ who will ‘bud and blossom’?
Notwithstanding the above, this Possuk is generally referring to the descent of the Neshomoh into a physical body which is an incredibly great descent; from ‘A high roof to a low pit’ metaphorically speaking. The extent of this descent is from a lofty place that is so much higher than the metaphoric roof, descending to a lower place which is so much lower than the metaphoric pit; in other words a drastic descent to a place which is utterly incomparable to its origin.
The purpose of this descent is to benefit an ascent that follows; for specifically this lowly world is connected to the essence and very being of HaShem Blessed be He, that He has no pretext or cause that preceded Him G-d forbid, as is detailed in several places in Chassidus. This is the concept of הַבָּאִים יַשְׁרֵש ‘coming, to take root’, that specifically in Egypt, in the very lowest place of all, where there is no lower, the underbelly of civilisation, and the most corrupt and depraved of all civilisations does the root and the Principal exist, and in the words of the ‘Zohar’ עִייקָּרָּא וְׁשֹרְׁשָּא דְׁכֹלָּא ‘The principal and the root of everything’.
This means that in this, there are two issues; one that it is ‘the root of everything’, and secondly, that even after everything has been brought into existence it is still the Principal of everything. This idea, also exists in more detailed form in the Avodah of the Neshomoh below, for the primary virtue of Avodah is in the lowest form of Avodah, the lower state of ‘Yiroh Tato’ah’ and ‘Kabbolas Ohl’, and as it is explained in ‘Tanya’ that ‘Yiroh’ and ‘Kabolas’ Ohl, are the beginning of ‘Avodah’ as well as its principal and its root.
It can be said that also within these two previously-mentioned matters; besides that which it is the root and source of everything, from which all the details are drawn, afterwards as well, but when all the details of the Avodah have been worked out, the ‘Yiroh’ remains to be the primary principal of all matters. And in the aforementioned words of the Zohar: “The principal and the root of everything”, is not just the root of everything, but the principal of everything too, and therefore as a result of this Avodah can one draw down HaShem’s very essence and HaShem’s very being, blessed be He.
This is also hinted in the name יַעֲקֹב which can be read as the letter ‘י’ (Yud) עָּקֵב (Okeiv) which means ‘heel’ (as in the heel of the foot), alluding to the ‘Yud’ of the lowest low, the ‘Yud’ of the heel. This can be explained: that specifically the lower form of ‘Yiroh’ is the root and principal of everything, for besides the fact that there is the rule that ‘The higher from which something falls, the lower it descends’ it is thus known that all the levels in Yiroh are interconnected with each other, so it transpires that the most internal point of יִרְׁאָּה תַתָּאָּה the lower form of the letter ‘Yud’ is the same state of the upper form of the letter ‘Yud’, יִרְׁאָּה עִילָּאָּה.
Even though the letter ‘Yud’ (of ‘Yiroh’) is the principal and root of all else, nevertheless, in order to complete the ultimate intention, as the Medrash says: “Hakodosh Boruch Hu desired to have a dwelling place in the lower realms”, that the concept of ‘dwelling’ carries through to all aspects the matter of the root and the principal is just not enough, but there also needs to be an Avodah in the peripherals and in the details.
This also explains the continuation of the Possuk where it is written: יָּצִיץ וּפָּרַח יִשְׁרָּאֵל – ‘Yisroel will bud and blossom’, that from the letter ‘Yud’ not only is the name ‘Yaakov’ extended which as mentioned is the ‘י’ (Yud) עָּקֵב (Okeiv) the Yud of the heel, but so too is the name Yisroel יִשְׁרָּאֵל the letters of לִ י רֹאש – ‘to me a head’ and the name Yisroel יִשְׁרָּאֵל is also from the words of the Possuk: כִ י שָּ רִ יתָּ עִ ם אֱֹלהִ ים וְׁעִ ם אֲנָּשִ ים וַתּוכָּל because you have wrestled with [an angel of] G-d and with men, and you have prevailed. That you shall rule (You shall be the master of the house) in HaShem and in men etc, to conquer them and make them into a dwelling place for HaShem blessed be He.
However, even this matter is still not enough, because it is feasible that this Avodah could be focused on the four cubits of prayer or in Eretz Yisroel, and the ultimate purpose is to make this whole world into a dwelling place for HaShem, blessed be He. This also explains the continuation of the Possuk where it is written: ּומָּ לְׁ אּו פְׁ נֵי תֵ בֵ ל תְׁ נּובָּ ה – "and fill the face of the earth like fruit", for this concept is extended outwards to תֵ בֵ ל ‘the whole world’, in a manner of ּומָּ לְׁ אּו of ‘filling up’, and in a manner of תְׁ נּובָּ ה ‘Tenuvah’ and as is explained in Chassidic discourses that the letters of the word תְׁ נּובָּ ה are the same as the letters for the word תְׁ בּונָּה and refers to the supernal sphere of בִ ינָּה meaning understanding. The word תְׁ נּובָּ ה is also made up of the letters תְׁ נּו בָּ ה; an expression of giving, as the maxim "If someone already gives, he gives nicely", which is the way in which the Divine Hamshocha comes into this world.
And we can connect all this with the beginning of the Parsha where it says: וְׁאֵ לֶּה שְׁ מֹות בְׁ נֵי יִשְׁ רָּ אֵ ל הַ בָּ אִ ים מִ צְׁ רָּ יְׁמָּ ה - And these are the names of the B’nei Yisroel who came to Egypt. As is brought in the Medrash [that the sons of Yaakov] were called by names that refer to the redemption. In other words, when the children of Yisroel came down to Egypt, at the very beginning of the descent, already then was there in a state completion the intention and purpose of all, a descent for the benefit of an ascent, the redemption of Yisroel.
To the extent that this redemption is in a manner as is outlined in next week’s Torah portion of ‘Vo’eiroh’ a revelation of the state of visualisation, and ‘Seeing is not as hearing’, for this is the substance of the sort of revelation there will be in the future, as the Possuk states: "And the glory of HaShem shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of HaShem spoke". And since the revelation is through vision, therefore everyone can see equally, as the Possuk specifies יַחְׁ דָּ ו ‘together’. For this is also why אָּ ז יָּשִ יר משֶּ ה ּובְׁ נֵי יִשְׁ רָּ אֵ ל וְׁגֹו׳ Then Moshe and the children of Yisroel sang etc, that this song was said by Moshe and all the B’nei Yisroel even by the unborn children in their mothers’ wombs, and they all sang the Shira song together (with the same Nussach) to the extent that it is referred to in the Torah in the singular form (literally) אָּ ז יָּשִ יר ‘he sang’.
Similarly, it will be in the future times yet to come, in the tenth Shira, which it is stated: אָּ ז יָּשִ יר משֶּ ה ּובְׁ נֵי יִשְׁ רָּ אֵ ל גֹו׳ Then Moshe and the B’nei Yisroel will sing etc, as the maxim of our Rabbis of blessed memory: שָּ ר לֹא נֶּאֱמַ ר אֶּ לָּא יָּשִ יר. It does not say ‘Sang’, but ‘will sing’, which alludes to the future, for then too, it will be in the singular form, meaning everyone united together equally as one.
And particularly that we say this Shira every day in the morning prayers after פְׁ סּוקֵ י דְׁ זִ מְׁ רָּ ה (verses of praise) [and there are some that maintain that the Shira is the conclusion and finale of the verses of praise], and this means that at the beginning of the day, before one descends to engage in the world of commerce and worldly matters, as the Talmud states: הַ נְׁהֵ ג בָּ הֶּ ם מִ נְׁהַ ג דֶּ רֶּ ך אֶּ רֶּ ץ engage together with [Torah study] a life conducted in the way of the world, and even before Torah study from the בֵ ית הַ כְׁ נֶּסֶּ ת (prayer hall) to the בֵ ית הַ מִ דְׁ רָּ ש (study hall), and thereafter we finish our prayers with the Possuk: אַ ְך צַדִ יקִ ים יֹודּו לִ שְׁ מֶּ ָך יֵשְׁ בּו יְׁשָּ רִ ים אֶּ ת פָּ נֶּיָך But the righteous will thank Your name; the upright will sit before You.
And may it be the Supernal Will, that this be fulfilled in actuality, that it should truly be that “The righteous will thank Your name; the upright will sit before You” speedily in our days Mamosh, with the rebuilding of the third Beis Hamikdosh and speedily in our days מַ מָּ ש!