וְיִּחו ד אֲמִּ ית ִּ י ב ִּבְחִּינַת יִּחו דָ א־עִּילָאָה, ב ִּיט ו ל ב ִּמְ צִּיאו ת מַמ ָש
Known and felt, so that we should truly experience the fact that we have no existence whatsoever, other than that we are part of Hashem’s True Unity.
וְנַעֲש ֶ ה ַכָ שְמַה יֵׁדְי לַע ֹוז הָניִּחְ ב
Through fulfilling the mitzvos, this awareness is created and drawn down into our faith, which is referred to as “אֶרֶַׁץ-earth,” as explained above regarding the comparison between “earth” and faith.
This faith that is permeated with an awareness of Hashem, is then called “‘אֶרֶַׁץ-the Land/faith’ that flows with milk and honey.”
"חָלָ ב" הו א ב ְחִּינַת הַגְד ָלַ ת הַמ ִּד וֹ ת
“Milk” represents the ability to develop one’s emotions, just as milk helps a baby grow and develop. This means that the love for Hashem that is hidden in our hearts should be developed and revealed from its potential feeling of love to an actual feeling of love.
(The Tzemach Tzedek notes: True development of our Divine emotions is only derived from our belief in Hashem, as He is “Soveiv Kol Almin,” whereas, from the level of how Hashem is “Memalei Kol Almin-permeates all worlds,” an unlimited love and fear for Hashem will not be produced).
Even though we must come to have an awareness of how Hashem permeates all worlds, and this also produces love and fear for Hashem, it is not sufficient. Since our awareness of Hashem on that level is limited to how He creates and interacts with the world, our corresponding love and fear of Him are also limited. In order to develop our hidden love of Hashem, which is truly unlimited (since our souls derive from Hashem's Infinite Essence), we need to have an awareness of Hashem on the level of how He encompasses all worlds beyond all limitation.
"ו דְ בָש " הו א ב ְחִּינַ ת מְ תִּ יקו ת וְתַעֲנו ג
“Honey” represents sweetness and enjoyment, as it is written, “Then you will have enjoyment from Havayah,” (Yeshaya 58:14) meaning enjoyment from an awareness of how Hashem is “Soveiv Kol Almin.”
This means that when one will think about the idea that “I, Havayah, have not changed,” and “You were the same before the world was created, and are the same after the world was created,” and it is only “His Glory” that is creating the heaven and earth, yet, “He raised the glory of His people... the Children of Yisroel, the nation close to Him,” literally. Then, his heart will rejoice and exult, and he will literally delight in Hashem.
This is the meaning of “a righteous person ‘יִחְיֶהַׁ-will live’ through his faith” (Chavakuk 2:4), the expression ‘יִחְיֶהַׁ-will live’ is also an expression of enjoyment and expansion of the soul, as we find in the “Borei Nefashos” blessing, recited after eating certain foods: “Blessed are You Hashem...who creates numerous souls and ‘חֶסְרוֹנַָּׁם-their needs,’ for all that You have created ‘לְה חֲיוַֹׁת-to give enjoyment’ through them to the soul of every living thing.”
The meaning of the phrase “חֶסְרוֹנַָּׁם-their needs” is food that one needs for his life and existence. However, the next phrase, “‘לְה חֲיוַֹׁת-to give enjoyment’ through them to the soul of every living thing” is referring to foods that are only for enjoyment and expansion of the soul.
So too, “a righteous person, with his faith ‘יִחְיֶהַׁ-he will have enjoyment,’” since this faith will return his soul to him more than any other pleasures, “even more than an abundance of all other good things,” (Devarim 28:47) as it is written, “Who do I have in the heavens, and besides for You Hashem, I do not want anything on earth” (Tehillim 73:25).
Summary of Chapter 3:
Our belief in Hashem that He is “Soveiv Kol Almin-encompasses all worlds” is something that we need to establish in our consciousness and internalize. If we have simple faith in Hashem, but it is not developed within our psyche, then it is like the “earth” that is the foundation of everything but is also the lowest level. We need to make this “earth” into an “earth flowing with milk and honey.”
This means that we have to use it to develop our emotions into a revealed love and fear of Hashem (like milk develops a baby) and enjoy and rejoice in our faith in Hashem as something as sweet as honey.
How do we do this? Through the Torah and mitzvos that derive from Hashem as He is “Soveiv.”
In particular, there are three aspects to this:
- Torah is Hashem’s “Names.” When we learn Torah, we call to Hashem by name, so that He will come to us.
- Mitzvos are vessels for drawing down the level of “Soveiv” into our physical life.
- Prayer is when we awaken in ourselves a great yearning to truly experience Hashem as He really is, on the level of “Soveiv.” Specifically, when we recite Shema, we focus on the idea that we want Hashem – Havaya - Who is connected to the source of our souls on the level of “Soveiv” – Elokeinu - to become revealed and experienced as אֶחָ ד - as One in the seven heavens, the earth and the four directions (i.e., to be experienced in our physical life as well).
