Chapter 4 )ד(
“And he arose during that night and he took his two wives and his two maidservants, and his eleven children, and he crossed the river crossing of ‘יַבֹּ"ק-Yabok,’ and he took them and brought them across the stream, and he took across what was his.”
The meaning of ‘יַבֹּ"ק-Yabok’ is an acronym for “יִַּׁחוּד-Unity, ב ְַׁׁרָּכָּה-blessing, and קְַׁׁדוּש ָּּה-holiness.”
Crossing the physical river Yabok reflected crossing over the spiritual level that unites “blessing and holiness,” as will be explained.
The idea refers to what is stated (Yehoshua 24:2), “Your ancestors have always dwelled on the opposite side of the river.” The “river” here is a reference to the level of Bina-Understanding of Atzilus, as the verse says, “And there was a river flowing from Eden to irrigate the Garden.”
‘Eden’ represents the level of Chochma-Wisdom of Atzilus, that the ‘river’ of Bina flows from. The ‘Garden’ represents the level of Malchus of Atzilus, which receives the flow of Divine knowledge and power from Bina and Chochma.
Now, the spiritual source of the forefathers was “from the opposite side of the river,” meaning from the level of Keser which is above the “river” of Bina mentioned above.
Even though the ‘river’ is a reference to Bina, but since this ‘river’ flows from Eden – Chochma – so Chochma is connected to the river of Bina. The level that is truly beyond the ‘river’ refers to Kesser-Crown, which is beyond even Chochma which is the source of the river of Bina.
Thus, saying that the forefathers come from ‘beyond the river’ means that they come from a level beyond Chochma and Bina, which is the level of Kesser.
However, even though the forefathers’ spiritual source was in Keser, above Bina, the forefathers came down and were lowered to the other side of the “river” of Bina, to the level of Zeir Anpin of Atzilus.
If Chochma and Bina are the river and the source of the river, then being on the ‘other side of the river’ can either refer to a level higher than Chochma or lower than Bina. In our case, the level lower than Bina is Ze’eir Anpin, the emotive attributes of Atzilus.
And when Yaakov wanted to draw down the Encompassing Light of Tohu, above Atzilus, despite his soul’s spiritual source in Keser, which is also above Atzilus, since Yaakov had already come down to a lower level than his original souls-level, he had to first cross the aforementioned river and reach a level higher than Atzilus.
And this is the meaning of “And he crossed the ford of ‘יַבֹּ"ק-Yabok,’” since ‘יַבֹּ"ק’ refers to the ideas of “יִּחוּד-Unity, בְּרָּ כָּה-blessing, and קְדוּש ָּּה-holiness,” all of which represent the idea of “the River” of Bina through which flows all blessing, influence and Supernal Unifications, as the verse states, “there is a river (Bina) that flows out from Eden (Chochma) to provide water (in Ze’eir Anpin) for the Garden (of Malchus) ...”
The Mittler Rebbe explains in Toras Chayim (Vayishlach and at greater length in Beshalach):
- Unity (יִּחוּד): Ze’eir Anpin and Malchus become united on a much deeper level than they usually are. This is similar to how the souls of a Jewish husband and wife merge together to draw down new souls from Hashem, the ultimate Source of all souls. Even though Ze’eir Anpin and Malchus are always connected, but usually it is on more external aspect for the purpose of creating the world, only through Torah and Mitzvos is the deeper unity accomplished that brings down the Infinite Light of Hashem that is beyond all worlds.
- Blessing (בְּרָּ כָּה): Once this Unification of the inner dimension of Ze’eir Anpin and Malchus takes place, it draws down the Infinite Light from the level of Kesser into Atzilus, until it reaches Malchus. This drawing down of Light that becomes revealed in Atzilus is called “בְּרָּ כָּה” since the word ב.ר.ך. also means to bend down something to a lower level in a tangible sense. (Like bending down a grape vine into the ground to replant it somewhere else to produce new fruits in a different location.) This more “tangible” Light is revealed through the recitation of the “בְּרָּ כָּה-Blessing” before performing the mitzvah.
- Holiness (קְדוּש ָּּה): This refers to the deepest dimension of what is accomplished through the Unification of Ze’eir Anpin and Malchus when we do a mitzvah: We connect to the holiness of Hashem Himself, as He is above all levels of Hishtalshelus. The word “קְדוּש ָּּה-holiness” means separate and removed, and in the ultimate sense refers to Hashem as He is Above all levels. This holiness and connection to Hashem’s Essence that is accomplished through the mitzvah will only be (fully) revealed in the Future Era.
All the types of revelations accomplished through mitzvos, both those of Kesser that are on the level of “בְּרָּ כָּה-Blessing” and the deeper level of connection referred to as “קְדוּש ָּּה-Holiness” flow through the ‘river’ of Bina. Since Bina-Understanding is the river of Divine awareness and knowledge, so all revelations of Hashem in Ze’eir Anpin and Malchus flow through Bina. Therefore, Bina is called “the river of ‘יַבֹּ"ק-Yabok.’”
Even though the ‘river’ usually refers to Bina, but since Bina flows from Chochma, in this context Chochma is considered part of the “river crossing of ‘יַבֹּ"ק-Yabok,’” since Chochma is inseparable from Bina. Thus, the “other side of Yabok” means above Chochma, which is Kesser.
And once Yaakov crossed over the ‘river’ of Chochma and Bina, reaching the level above the ‘river,’ then he was no longer distant from the Encompassing Light of Tohu, which is higher than Atzilus.
Adam Kadmon-Original Will and plan for entire Hishtaleshelus
Akudim-10 Sefiros in way of abstract potential
Tohu-10 Sefiros, each Sefira revealed in unlimited manner similar to its unlimited potential, unlimited Light that is too powerful for the Keilim
Kesser of Atzilus-Will and pleasure for a new phase of Hishtalshelus called “Tikun”
Atzilus-10 Sefiros, each Sefira working with the other 9, the Light is limited to the capacity of the Sefiros as they work together
Bria-Yetzira-Asiya: Created worlds
As can be seen on this chart, Kesser of Atzilus is right after Tohu, being the next step in the order of Hishtalshelus. Thus, by bringing his family and possessions to that level, he was able to make them receptive to receive the Encompassing Lights of Tohu.
And this is the meaning of, “And he crossed over what was his,” – everything that he rectified in service of Hashem, he elevated to that level of Kesser, which is Above Chochma and Bina of Atzilus.
However, Yaakov himself remained below the ‘river of Chochma and Bina’ in this world, as the verse states (ibid. 25), “And Yaakov was left there alone,” since he wanted to repair Eisav, who was still fragmented, as the messenger angels notified him, etc. This is the idea of “And an angel disguised as a man wrestled with him,” as is known.
It says in the verse that after Yaakov brought his family across the river he remained alone on the other side of the river. The Midrash asks: Why did Yaakov return to the other side of the river instead of staying with his family? It answers that he returned to retrieve some small items that were left behind. It was at that point that the angel of Eisav, disguised as a man, wrestled with Yaakov the entire night. He injured Yaakov on his right thigh, but Yaakov was stronger than him and forced the angel to admit that Yaakov is the legal owner of the status of first-born. After he defeated Eisav’s angel, he was able to defeat Eisav himself.
Yaakov elevated his family and property to a level that Eisav would not be able to harm them. However, he himself stayed on the lower level so that he could deal with Eisav in his own terms.
(This is a second reason for bringing them across the “river”: The first reason, mentioned above, was to bring them to Kesser which is close to Tohu so that they would be able to receive the Encompassing Lights of Tohu. Yaakov himself was certainly on this level of Kesser as well in order to receive the Lights of Tohu. However, he wanted his family and possessions to stay on the level of Kesser in order to protect them from Eisav, while he had to return to the physical level of this world in order to transform Eisav at Eisav’s level.)
Therefore, the fight with the angel of Eisav was in the physical world: Since Eisav’s problem, his fragmentation, was in the physical realm, in his being overcome by physical desires, his correction also had to be in the physical realm.
An analogy: In order to correct the animal soul, which is from Tohu (like Eisav), we also find these ideas: On the hand, in order to be protected from its harmful influence, we need to elevate ourselves to a higher level, to Yichuda Ila’a, the absolute Oneness of Hashem as the only existence, as explained in Kuntres Eitz HaChayim. At the same time, in order to change the animal soul itself it is only through explaining to it concepts it understands on its level, which is Yichuda Tita’a, how Hashem is creating and guiding the world, as explained there at length.
(Perhaps we can say: Just as Yaakov had to first defeat Eisav’s angel before defeating Eisav himself, so too we need to first defeat the spiritual aspect of the animal soul in prayer, before we can defeat the physical aspect of the animal soul’s desires in eating and business etc. This is explained at length in Padah Beshalom 5659.)
