The Alter Rebbe will quote the Eitz Chayim to explain what the Zohar means when it says that the Metzora should be “elevated” and that he should “become included” in Hashem:
These words of the Zohar have been explained in Eitz Chayim, and have been brought in the commentary of Rabbi Moshe Zakuta at the end of parashas Tazria:
“Through him (the Metzora) being brought to the Kohen below (in the physical world), this causes that above (in the spiritual world) the lights from “the Mother” (Bina of Atzilus), which were expressed in Zeir Anpin, which went outside (of the realm of holiness) and became (the source for) Tzaraas, should return to their original place (in Bina) - in a manner of descending and returning - and through that, there will be no power for the forces of unholiness to gain life (from those lights).”
The Eitz Chayim is explaining the Zohar to mean that when the Metzora is brought to the Kohen, this causes the source of Tzaraas - the lights of Bina that left the realm of holiness due to “yearning without returning” - should be brought up to “the Kohen,” referring to Hashem. These lights should go up and become reincorporated in their original, holy source.
The Explanation in the Service of Hashem
Now, the maamar will explain words of the Eitz Chayim, and how they apply to our service of Hashem:
Even though the cause of Tzaraas is the removal of “the Intellect of the Father” - which is the of idea self-nullification to Hashem and “returning” [to reveal Hashem in the world] – due to that [removal], there is drawn forth life to the forces of unholiness from the “yearning” and excitement from “the Intellect of the Mother” (which were not channeled properly),
We could have thought that to correct this problem it would be sufficient to just bring back the revelation of “the Intellect of the Father,” meaning, to “return” to reveal Hashem through learning Torah; that through this is drawn forth “the Intellect of the Father” into the letters and vessels of the Torah as explained above; we would think that, through returning “the Intellect of the Father” into Zeir Anpin as this revelation was previously, the problem would be corrected since the light of “the Intellect of the Father” pushes away the forces of unholiness - but this is insufficient.
We explained above that when a person comes to a “yearning” to be bound up with Hashem but does not bring that yearning into a “return” to reveal Hashem through learning Torah and fulfilling Mitzvos, then from the excitement and yearning which are not channeled properly, a person can come to unholy excitement or anger, etc.
Since the problem came from not bringing the “yearning” into a “returning,” in order to correct the problem we would assume it is sufficient to now focus on “returning” and start learning Torah, etc. However, the maamar will explain that simply rectifying the aspect of “returning” is not sufficient. Since the “yearning” is also flawed, in order for his service of Hashem to be complete, he must first repair the aspect of “yearning,” and then he must channel that new and proper “yearning” into a proper “return.”
Correcting the Yearning and Returning
The maamar will explain this idea and how it applies to the purification of the Metzora:
However, in truth, it is impossible to bring forth the revelation of “the Intellect of the Father” into Zeir Anpin without first correcting the flaw and defect in the “Intellect of the Mother,” since like it says in the Gemara (Yoma 86b), “Teshuva (return, correction) has to be in the same place as the problem was,” and only afterward he can draw forth the revelation of “the Intellect of the Father.”
The maamar will now explain how to make a “correction” in the place where the problem was, meaning, in “the Intellect of the Mother:”
Meaning, that the person needs to arouse the “yearning” and the excitement which comes from “the Intellect of the Mother,” and afterward, to connect that to the self-nullification to Hashem of “the Intellect of the Father,” which is the idea of what it says in Sefer Yetzira, “If your heart runs in yearning, return to reveal the One Hashem through Torah and Mitzvos.”
In order to fully correct the problem, he must first awaken a yearning and reconnect it to a return.
The Two Steps in Teshuva
The maamar will now show how these two steps (1- having a yearning, and then 2-connecting it to a return) are hinted to in the word "תשובה" - “Return:”
This is the idea of 'תשובה' (return, correction) - to return the 'ה' to the יו"ד. Here, we are translating the word תשובה as if it were two words - תשוב ה' - to return the letter ה'. Where are we returning the letter ה' to? To the letter יו”ד. The maamar will explain the meaning behind this.
This is so, since the higher letter ה' (the first letter ה' in Hashem’s name, הוי') is the sefira of Bina (understanding), and through his sin [of yearning without returning] he blemished it, causing that it become separated from the letter יו"ד, which is the aspect of the nullification before Hashem, which comes from the sefira of the Higher level of Chochma [of Atzilus], and through this [separation,] life is given to the forces of unholiness from “the Intellect of the Mother”, which this is the [spiritual] cause of Tzaraas.
The Four Letters of Hashem’s Name
The four letters of Hashem’s name, י- ה- ו- ה, correspond to four aspects in the World of Atzilus.
The letter י' corresponds to Chochma, which shows total nullification before Hashem, like the letter י', which is only one small point, without any expansion, symbolizing a complete lack of ego. This is the idea of Chochma, the intellect’s ability to see and become bound up with something higher than intellect, higher than itself, which is the idea of objectivity and being egoless.
The letter ה' corresponds to Bina, which is a person’s understanding with length and breadth. This is like the letter ה', which has three lines, indicating length, width, and breadth to attain a complete understanding that is fully developed. Bina is fully expressed during contemplation, which then leads to emotions, such as the yearning to be included in the Truth of Hashem.
Thus, when Bina – ה' is connected to Chochma י' -, then a person’s yearning, which comes from his contemplation, returns its focus to revealing Hashem in this world, since the individual is totally nullified to, and sees the Hashem’s true desire for us to reveal Him here.
By not connecting his Bina - ה' to his Chochma - י', his Bina became blemished, since his contemplation and yearning were not properly channeled into fulfilling Hashem’s Will.
And through awakening himself with Teshuva (return) from the depth of the heart, as it says (Tehillim 130:1): “From the depths [of my heart] I call out you,” (the word “depths” in plural shows at least two deep levels, and is a reference to) the two depths of Yesod Aba and Yesod Imma as they come together,
meaning - “Yearning” and “Returning,” which is the Great Love of Hashem and the nullification before Hashem, which is even higher than the love; through this connection between the two aspects is accomplished that the ה' is returned to the י'.
But, before this awakening of “yearning” from “the Intellect of the Mother,” it is impossible to draw forth from “the Intellect of the Father.”
The only way to come to “return” is to first have a “yearning.” When someone has a great yearning to be included in the Truth of Hashem and he wants to escape the limitations of physical existence in order to be completely bound up in the Higher Reality, then he must come to a higher recognition of Hashem. This higher recognition is an awareness that Hashem’s true Will is for us to reveal Him here.
However, if someone never had such a yearning, then from where is he “returning?” Where did he go in the first place that he must “return” to reveal Hashem in this world?
In other words, in order to come to this higher recognition of Hashem’s Truth, one must first reach the lower level of recognition of Hashem’s Truth. The lower level is to recognize that Hashem’s truth is infinitely more desirable than anything in this physical world, and to have a yearning to be bound up with this truth. The higher level is to recognize and “see” that Hashem is equally exalted above physicality and spirituality, and that His will is to reveal Him here, where we can connect to His Essence. A person cannot skip the first stage of recognition. If they still desire physicality and think that the physical world is the true reality, then they cannot truly come to this higher level of total nullification to Hashem Himself. Thus, even if someone learns Torah, if they don’t have the “yearning” first, then his learning is not a true “return” and is not accompanied by this higher recognition of Hashem.
The Service of the Levites and Kohanim
Similarly, it is stated (Bamdibar 18:23), “And the Levi will serve Him” (the word “הוא - Him” is a reference to Bina), meaning that the service of the Levites was to draw forth from “the Intellect of the Mother,” which is the idea of what is accomplished through their song, and through that service of song there can, afterwards, be drawn forth the “Intellect of the Father,” which is the idea of what is accomplished through the service of the Kohanim. However, to have the complete service of the Kohanim without first having the service of the Levites is impossible.
At the beginning of the maamar, we mentioned that the service of the Levites is to sing and bring about a great, fiery love of Hashem through contemplation, prayer and song. This is like the idea of “the Intellect of the Mother,” as explained above.
The service of the Kohanim is to bring down the fire from Above into this world, so that it could consume the sacrifices that were offered on the Mizbeach. This is also the reason that the Kohanim performed their service in silence, since their service was not to come to great excitement, but to become completely nullified to the Truth of Hashem.
This true nullification is the recognition that Hashem’s presence should be revealed into this world. This is akin to a servant in the presence of the King. The servant is completely silent, since he is totally nullified before the King.
Similarly, the service of the Kohanim is to become completely nullified to the Truth of Hashem and reveal this in the world. The Kohanim accomplished this through the service of the Korbanos (sacrifices), when the Fire from Above descended and was revealed in this world. This type of service is like “the Intellect of the Father,” as explained above.
A person cannot come to a complete recognition of Hashem and “see” that Hashem is the True existence and that we are in His presence without first coming to the lower recognition of the greatness of Hashem. Likewise, the Kohanim could not reveal the Truth of Hashem in this world without first having the spiritual elevation which was accomplished through the song, prayer and contemplation of the Leviim.
Returning the Lights to Their Source
And this is the meaning of what is written in Eitz Chayim: “That those lights (which were in Z’eir Anpin) should return to their place (in Bina), in a manner of “descending and returning,” which is similar to the idea of “Yearning and Returning.”
In the Eitz Chayim (quoted above), it is explained that when the person has only the excitement that comes from Bina (contemplation) without coming to the nullification that comes from Chochma, the lights that came from Bina into Zeir Anpin leave the realm of Holiness and become the source for Tzaraas. In order to correct this and have those lights return to holiness and to their source in Bina, the Metzora must attain the nullification that comes from Chochma. This fulfills the complete process of “descending and returning.”
“Descending and returning” means that there are two opposite tendencies in the light. One tendency is to shine down into the place of the darkness. The other tendency is to return to its source in the luminary and regain its power of luminescence.
This is similar to the two tendencies in the G-dly soul. One tendency is to shine into the body and illuminate the body and the world. The other tendency is to return to its source in Hashem. This second tendency is the idea of “Yearning,” and the first tendency is the idea of “Returning.”
When a person has both aspects of “Yearning and Returning,” then the lights Above will “return” to their source in Holiness (in Zeir Anpin and Bina).
The Process of Purification
This corrects the problem of Tzaraas.
And with this explanation, we can explain why it says first, “And [the Metzora] shall be brought to the Kohen,” and then it says, “And the Kohen shall go out to him:”
“And he shall be brought to the Kohen” - means to awaken the “Yearning,” which comes from “the Intellect of the Mother,” and that this “Yearning” should come and become included (elevated) into the nullification to Hashem which comes from “the Intellect of the Father.”
The idea of “being brought to the Kohen” means that the “yearning” that came from his contemplation of Hashem’s greatness becomes connected and elevated to the higher level awareness – the selfless dedication to Hashem that comes from “seeing” himself in the presence of Hashem and realizing that he was sent to fulfill Hashem’s mission in this world. This higher awareness and dedication to Hashem is the idea of the Kohen. Thus, he must elevate himself to the level of the “Kohen.”
This idea is similar to the idea of “returning the ה' to the י'.”
