In Pashas Vayechi, Yaakov our forefather blesses his children before he passes away. He blesses his son Yehuda that his brothers will be submissive to him, and make him their leader, and that his descendants will the leaders of the Jewish people for all time. As the leader, Yehuda and his descendants will lead the Jewish army into battle against their enemies. The enemies will turn back and flee in retreat, so that the Jewish army’s “hands” will pursue their enemies facing the back of their necks.
In this maamar, the Alter Rebbe will explain the mystical meaning of the verse.
Chapter 1
“Yehuda, your brothers will be submissive to you, your hand will be at the back of the neck of your enemies; the children of your father will bow to you.” (Bereishis 49:8)
Now, the name ‘Yehuda,’ comes the phrase said by his mother Leah when naming him “this time I will humbly give thanks to Hashem.” Leah humbly gave thanks and praise to Hashem for giving her a fourth son, more than her equal share of three sons per wife of the four wives of Yaakov, who was destined to have only 12 sons.
We see that the name ‘Yehuda’ is connected to humbling oneself to Hashem, which is expressed in giving thanks and praise to Hashem.
This corresponds to the aspect of ‘humble submission and gratitude’ to Hashem that is found in the souls of the entire Jewish People.
The word ‘הו דָּיָּה’ (in the context of our soul’s relationship with Hashem) is difficult to translate into English. It means a combination of three things: 1- submission 2- gratitude 2- devotion. It represents how our Divine soul perceives Hashem as its true source of Life, Father, and King, all at once. This is expressed in a feeling of submission to Hashem as our King, gratitude to Hashem as our Father and Source of life and all good things, and devotion to Hashem as our Father and King.
Throughout the maamar terms will be used connected to the phrase ‘הו דָּיָּה,’ such as או דֶה and מו דִּ ים, which are all connected to the name ‘Yehuda.’
Whenever a word connected to this phrase is used keep in mind the three ideas of this phrase as submission, gratitude, and devotion to Hashem.
This is expressed in our daily prayers when we say in the Shemona Esrai prayer: “we ‘מוֹדִ ים-humbly give thanks’ to You [Hashem, that You are Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our fathers],” and in the Aleinu prayer: “we bend our knees, bow down, and ‘מוֹדִ ים-humbly give thanks’ [to the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He].”
However, down here, in the physical world, which is under the limitations of time [and space], this submission/gratitude is called “This time I will humbly thank Hashem.” Since, as we experience it in the physical world, not all times are the same.
Since our Divine soul is clothed in a physical body, which dampens our perception of the soul, we do not always feel our submission and gratitude to Hashem the same.
However, Above, in the Source from which the soul is derived, it exists beyond the limitations of time. In the source of the soul Above, it always has complete submission, gratitude, and devotion to Hashem.
There, at that level, it is called “‘הָּד והְי-he will always humbly thank [Hashem],” since the letter י' at the beginning of the word shows that it is in the present tense, something this always happening, as in the phrase “this is what Iyov ‘י עֲש ֶה-would always do,’” (Iyov 1:5)
The verse discusses how Iyov had a custom to offer sacrifices to Hashem as an atonement for possible sinful behavior of his children. This was something he would always do. Because it was something constantly happening on a regular basis, it is written in the present tense with the letter י' at the beginning of the word ‘יַעֲש ֶה.’” Thus, the letter י' at the beginning of the word signifies both present tense as well as something that is constantly happening on a continual basis. In that sense, the word ‘יְהוּדָּה’ means both present tense and something that is always constant. This is the level of submission-gratitude to Hashem in the soul as it exists Above, beyond the limitations of time.
Based on this, the explanation of the word ‘הָּד והְי’ would be the same meaning as the word ‘יוֹדֶ ה-he will always humbly thank [Hashem]’ with an added letter ה' (after the י'), as if it was pronounced “יְהוֹדֶ ה” (i.e., with the ה' spelled הו instead of הוּ and the ד' spelled דֶ instead of דָּ ).
(In fact, in the Book of Nechemya (11:17) the word ‘יו דֶה-he will humbly thank [Hashem]’ is written “יְהוֹדֶ ה” with an added ה' after the י' and a segol under the ד'.)
The verse reads: “וּמַתַּנְיָּה בֶן מִּיכָּה בֶּן זַבְדִּּ י בֶן אָּסָּף ר אש הַתְּחִּלָּּה יְהוֹדֶ הַַׁׁלַתְּפִּלָּּה-Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the head to begin the thanksgiving in prayer.”
Rashi explains that Mattaniah was appointed in charge of the Leviim (Levites) in the Beis Hamikdash to begin the singing praises and thanks to Hashem. The word “יְהו דֶה” in the verse refers to giving thanks to Hashem. It is written with a י' at the beginning since this is something he would constantly do every day. (Rashi also notes that it is the same meaning as the word ‘יו דֶה’ but with an extra letter ה'.)
The idea of Leah saying that “This time I will humbly thank Hashem,” means that after she gave birth to Reuven, Shimon, and Levi, and these levels are now revealed, only at that time is it possible for “Yehuda-submission/gratitude to Hashem” to be revealed, since they are the ones that cause this level of “הוֹדָּיָּה-submission/gratitude” to be expressed.
This is the inner meaning of “your brothers will cause your level of הוֹדָּיָּה to be expressed.” The simple meaning of “your brothers will be submissive to you,” i.e., Yehuda’s brothers will accept his leadership. The mystical meaning of “they will cause you to have הו דָּיָּה,” i.e., they will cause the person to have submission/gratitude to Hashem.
This refers to the idea Yehuda’s brothers Reuven, Shimon, and Levi, represent spiritual levels of Divine service. When these three aspects are in found in a person, he will be able to reach the spiritual level represented by Yehuda, the level of ‘הו דָּיָּה-submission/gratitude to Hashem.’ This is what the Alter Rebbe will continue to explain:
The Explanation of this Idea
Now, the name “Reuven” comes from the phrase said by his mother Leah when naming him “See my son [how special he is],” which is the aspect of seeing things. Rashi (on Bereishis 29:32) explains that Leah meant that people should see how special her firstborn son is compared to other firstborn children. Eisav was the firstborn and hated his competing younger brother Yaakov, whereas Reuven was the firstborn and saved his competing younger brother Yosef when his brothers wanted to kill him.
Leah used the term “seeing” and vision in connection to the special quality of Reuven.
This aspect of “seeing” is what causes a person to be drawn to love something. As it is written regarding the angels of the Merkavah-Chariot (Yechezkal 1:10): “the face of the ‘lion’ was on the right side,” and the letters of the word ‘lion’ are the same as the letters of the word ‘seeing.”
Since the “right side” represents kindness and love, and the face of the “lion/seeing” is on the right side, this shows that the concept of “seeing” is connected to kindness and love, the “right side.” (The connection between the “lion” and the “right side” is explained elsewhere in Chassidus, see Likutei Torah beginning of Parshas Eikev.)
Similarly, the “Tribe of Reuven’ encamped on the south side” of the Mishkan,” (Bamidbar 2:10). The south side corresponds to the right, since when a person is facing east, the south will be on his right. Since the entrance of the Mishkan was on the east, from the perspective of the Mishkan, south is on the right. Thus, Reuven’s encampment on the south corresponds to the “right side” of kindness of love. Since Reuven is the idea of “seeing,” love is connected to “seeing.”
Because the idea of “seeing” something is that it brings about affectionately drawing close to it, as it is written (Hoshea 9:10): “like a ripe fig on a fig tree, in its beginning, I saw your forefathers;”
Rashi explains: The forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, were precious to Hashem like when a person finds the first ripe fruit of his fig tree. After many years of hard work, the personally can finally enjoy something from his labor; similarly, after close to two thousand years since Hashem made the world, He finally is enjoying the fruit of His labor in the forefather’s devotion to Him. The verse uses the phrase “I ‘saw’ your forefathers,” since Hashem’s “seeing” the forefathers represents His love and connection with them.
This is also the idea of the verse (Bereishis 29:32): “Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son and she called him ‘Reuven,’ for she said ‘for Hashem has ‘seen’ my affliction, and now my husband will love me.” Leah was worried that Yaakov would not love her fully since he originally only wanted to marry Rachel. When she gave birth to a son, Reuven, she felt that now her husband, Yaakov, would fully love her. The verse connects Yaakov’s love for Leah with Hashem “seeing” Leah’s suffering, implying that Hashem’s “seeing” Leah caused love from Yaakov to her, showing again how “seeing” brings about love.
This idea of how “seeing” causes one to draw close in the context of the Jewish People’s service of Hashem is the aspect of “gazing at the Glory of the King,” Hashem is the King, and “gazing at His glory” refers to thinking deeply into the true greatness of Hashem.
Meaning, to awaken the love for Hashem until it brings the person to a true inner desire to connect to Him.
It is regarding this matter that they (the Sages) established to recite the ‘Pesukei Dezimra’ and ‘Yotzer Or’ before reciting Shema, in order to that one should come to fulfill the command “you should love Hashem” which is stated in the Shema.
The Pesukei Dezimra are verses mainly from Tehillim that describe how Hashem takes care of everyone and runs the world, and makes miracles for us. Yotzer Or describes how the sun and moon and other heavenly bodies and all the angels praise Hashem. When we contemplate on the above themes this brings us to love Hashem.
For the main purpose of recounting the praises of Hashem, is that it is not enough to only have a knowledge of Hashem in the ‘back of the mind,’ since then, it is hidden, and our Sages say (Brachos 63a) “a thief when he is about to tunnel into someone’s house to rob him, will pray to Hashem to succeed in his robbery,”
A thief’s knowledge of Hashem is only in the “back of his mind” and does not affect his actual conduct to prevent him from stealing. Similarly, a person’s subconscious knowledge of Hashem does not affect his daily life.
and he will not come to fulfill the command of “you should love Hashem” unless his knowledge of Hashem comes from the hidden subconscious, to revelation in his conscious mind, and from consciously knowing it to actually “seeing” it, which is the full revelation in the person, that is referred to as specifically “gazing” at the Glory of the King.
In short, a person’s knowledge of something can exist in three levels: 1- subconciously, like a thief’s knowledge of Hashem that motivates him to pray for success in robbing, 2- conscious effort to understand an idea, like one who understands a teaching of Chassidus well enough to repeat to someone else who is unfamiliar with the concept, 3- “gazing” at the idea until the person loses himself in the concept and it “takes him over” as it were.
In order to bring out a true love for Hashem it is not enough that we briefly remind ourself that we a subconscious knowledge of Hashem. It is also not enough to think through an idea of Hashem’s greatness in way of comprehension, even though this is an important and necessary step to achieve. In addition to comprehension there needs to be “gazing” at the concept, to focus on the knowledge of Hashem so powerfully that we lose ourself in that concept.
The Previous Rebbe explains: When one is looking at painting from a true artist, there are different kinds of looking. There is a brief glance where one sees the general picture and that it is a nice piece of art. Then there is looking at to study all the different scenes in the painting, to comprehend what the artist was conveying. But then there is “gazing” at the painting to see how every detail is expressing something unique, and to feel the life and energy of the artist in the painting, until one loses oneself in “experiencing” the vitality and beauty of the art.
The same idea is when we look at a teaching of Chassidus, such as the concept of creation of the world something from nothing. We can know about this in a general manner, or in a detailed manner, or we can “experience” the concept. This is called “gazing at the Glory of the King.”
This is accomplished through recounting at length the praises of Hashem, and to think deeply into the idea that, for example, “Your Kingship is a Kingship over all worlds,” (Tehillim 145:13) and “millions of angels serve Him, and hundreds of millions of angels stand in awe before Him,” (Daniel 7:10) and only He is One and alone (the only real existence) just as before the world was created, as we say (in Shachris): “You who are the Only One, are the King who is the life of all the worlds,” and the true idea of being the Only One is that “There is only Him, and there is no other existence.”
The idea of the word “אֶחָּד-One” is that the א' (which stands for ‘אחדות-Oneness’) comes into the ח' and ד', which are the 7 heavens and the earth (which together are ח'-8( and the four )'ד( directions, causing them to become bateil- subservient/transparent- to Hashem’s ‘אחדות-Oneness’, represented by the letter א'.
This further causes that the life-force of the heavens and earth ascends to become included in its Source in Hashem, i.e., they reconnect to their source in Holiness. In fact, even the life-force of the spiritual levels needs to ascend and reconnect to its Source, as it is written (Divrei Hayamim I, 29:11): “To You Hashem is the attribute of Greatness (Kindness), Gevura (Severity) etc.” The simple meaning of the verse is praising Hashem for His greatness and power etc.
