(א) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃ (ב) וְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ לְג֣וֹי גָּד֔וֹל וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה׃ (ג) וַאֲבָֽרְכָה֙ מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ד) וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אַבְרָ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ ה' וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִתּ֖וֹ ל֑וֹט וְאַבְרָ֗ם בֶּן־חָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּצֵאת֖וֹ מֵחָרָֽן׃ (ה) וַיִּקַּ֣ח אַבְרָם֩ אֶת־שָׂרַ֨י אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ וְאֶת־ל֣וֹט בֶּן־אָחִ֗יו וְאֶת־כׇּל־רְכוּשָׁם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָכָ֔שׁוּ וְאֶת־הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֣וּ בְחָרָ֑ן וַיֵּצְא֗וּ לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן׃ (ו) וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר אַבְרָם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ עַ֚ד מְק֣וֹם שְׁכֶ֔ם עַ֖ד אֵל֣וֹן מוֹרֶ֑ה וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י אָ֥ז בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
(1) ה' said to Abram,
“Go forth from your land,
and from your birthplace,
and from your father’s house
to the land that I will show you.
(2) I will make of you a great nation,
And I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
And you shall be a blessing.
(3) I will bless those who bless you
And curse the one who curses you;
And all the families of the earth
Shall bless themselves by you.”
(4) Abram went forth as ה' had commanded him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. (5) Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the wealth that they had amassed, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran; and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in the land of Canaan, (6) Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, at the terebinth of Moreh. The Canaanites were then in the land.
~ What sets of four can you find in this text? What sets of three?
~ How well-crafted seems this text?
~ What are questions this text brings to you?
(א) וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וגו' (בראשית יב, א), רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח (תהלים מה, יא): שִׁמְעִי בַת וּרְאִי וְהַטִּי אָזְנֵךְ וְשִׁכְחִי עַמֵּךְ וּבֵית אָבִיךְ, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה עוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, וְרָאָה בִּירָה אַחַת דּוֹלֶקֶת, אָמַר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהַבִּירָה הַזּוֹ בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו בַּעַל הַבִּירָה, אָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הַבִּירָה. כָּךְ לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם אוֹמֵר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הָעוֹלָם. (תהלים מה, יב): וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ יָפְיֵךְ כִּי הוּא אֲדֹנַיִךְ. וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ יָפְיֵךְ, לְיַפּוֹתֵךְ בָּעוֹלָם, (תהלים מה, יב): וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִי לוֹ, הֱוֵי וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם.
(1) “The Lord said to Abram: Go you, from your land, and from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).
“The Lord said to Abram: Go you, from your land…” – Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “Listen, daughter, see, and incline your ear. Forget your people and your father’s house” (Psalms 45:11). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This is analogous to one who was passing from place to place, and saw a building burning. He said: ‘Is it possible that this building has no one in charge of it?’ The owner of the building looked out at him and said: ‘I am the owner of the building.’ So, because Abraham our patriarch was saying: ‘Is it possible that this world is without someone in charge?’ The Holy One blessed be He looked at him and said to him: ‘I am the owner of the world.’ “The king will desire your beauty, as he is your master” (Psalms 45:12) – to show your beauty in the world. “And bow to him” (Psalms 45:12) – that is, “the Lord said to Abram.”
~ What is the main question this midrash is trying to address?
~ What does it point in terms of Abram's personality?
~ How does that impact your understanding of what it means to be Jewish?
ויאמר ה' אל אברם לך לך כו'. נ"ל דהנה צריך האדם לעבוד הבורא ב"ה בשלש מדריגות זו אחר זו, דהיינו [א] מתחילה צריך לשבר כח התאווה המוטבע באדם מדרך הטבע כגון אכילה ושתיה וכיוצא בהם שיהא אכילתו בקדושה ובטהרה, ועל ידי זה הוא משבר כח 'אלקים אחרים' ד'אלקים' גימטריה 'הטבע', ואחר שמשבר כח אלקים אחרים, זוכה לבוא למדריגת יראה שהוא אלקים חיים,
God said to Avram: 'Go forth from your land etc' (Gen. 12:1) ~ it seems to me that behold, a person needs to serve the Blessed Creator in three levels, one after the other, which are (1) at the outset one needs to break the strength of desire, the natural desire found in a human due to the nature of humans. Examples are eating and drinking, and such, so that one's eating will be in holiness and purity, through that one breaks the strength of "other gods" (elohim acherim) since "gods" has the same gematria as "the nature" (hateva), and one the forces of "other gods" are broken, one merits to come to the level "living God" (E-lohim chayim".
~ How does the Noam Elimelech understand the presence of God in someone?
~ Are the actions what matters?
~ How do you personally understand this idea of raising the sparks and achieving a higher spiritual level? Why do you think that the Noam selects eating and drinking as primary examples?
[ב]. צריך האדם לשבר המידות השפלות שבו שהם אצלו בתולדה מיום צאתו מרחם אמו, יש בני אדם שמידותיהם יותר גרועים משאר בני אדם במידה זו, דהיינו למשל מדת כעס וכדומה, ששאר מידותיו גרועים מחבירו בתולדה, ואחר שמשבר כח המידות השפלות והגרועות הוא זוכה לבוא לאהבת הבורא ב"ה.
(2) A person needs to break the lower traits that they have. From the moment one comes from their mother's womb, there are those who have worse traits than others, for example, they are easily angered and so on, and the rest of their traits are worse than the traits of their fellows. And after the breaking of the lower traits, one merits to come to the [level of] loving the Blessed Creator.
~ Here he is talking about personality traits. What examples do you think of when he mentions "lower traits"?
~ Can we change our personality?
[ג] ואחר כל זאת צריך לבוא למדריגה ג' שהיא התפארות, כמו שמבואר לעיל בפרשת נח, שכל מעשיו יהיו יפים ומפוארים, כמו שאמר התנא "כל שהיא תפארת כו׳ ותפארת לו מן האדם".
(3) And after all this, one needs to come to the third level, which is making oneself splendid, as explained before in parshat Noach, that all Noach's deeds were beautiful and splendid, just as the tanna said "all that is a splendor etc and splendor for him from other people."
תפארת is a word that is hard to translate. Here it is translated as "splendor", but beauty and balance and glory are also possibilities.
~ What does it mean to have deeds that both God and humans would consider "splendid"? "Beautiful"? "Balanced"? "Glorious"?
~ How do those translations impact our understanding of what the Noam is trying to say?
(א) רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיָּבֹר לוֹ הָאָדָם, כֹּל שֶׁהִיא תִפְאֶרֶת לְעוֹשֶׂיהָ וְתִפְאֶרֶת לוֹ מִן הָאָדָם. וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְבַחֲמוּרָה, שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת. וֶהֱוֵי מְחַשֵּׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ, וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה כְנֶגֶד הֶפְסֵדָהּ. וְהִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאִי אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה, דַּע מַה לְּמַעְלָה מִמְּךָ, עַיִן רוֹאָה וְאֹזֶן שׁוֹמַעַת, וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ בַסֵּפֶר נִכְתָּבִין:
(1) Rabbi Said: which is the straight path that a man should choose for himself? One which is an splendor to the person adopting it, and [on account of which] splendor [is given] to him from others. And be careful with a light commandment as with a grave one, for you did know not the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments. Also, reckon the loss [that may be sustained through the fulfillment] of a commandment against the reward [accruing] thereby, and the gain [that may be obtained through the committing] of a transgression against the loss [entailed] thereby. Apply your mind to three things and you will not come into the clutches of sin: Know what there is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.
~ How does knowing the context impact your understanding of how the Noam Elimelech uses the quote?
וזה הוא רמז "לך לך מארצך", רמז למדריגה ראשונה שהיא התאוות הארציות הגשמיות שהוא מוטבע בהחומר וצריך לצאת ממנה, "וממולדתך" רמז למדריגה ב׳ שהם המידות הגרועות הנולדים עם האדם, "ומבית אביך" רמז למדריגה ג׳, דהנה עיקר התפארות השפלות באים לאדם ע"י שהוא מתגאה ומתפאר באבותיו שהוא בן גדולים, וצריך לצאת מהמידה הגרועה הזאת להתפארות אחרת הטוב בעיני ה׳ ואדם כנ"ל, "אל הארץ אשר אראך" רמז לארץ עליונה. וזהו "השתחוו לה׳ בהדרת קודש", פירוש להדר ולפאר בתפארת את הקדושה שהיא מדריגת התפארת.
And this is a hint of "go forth to yourself from your land [eretz]", a hint to the first level, which is the desire of the materialistic corporeality which is natural in the [human] raw material, and one needs to go out of that [level]. "And from your birthplace" is a hint to the second level, which are the ugly traits that are born in every human. "And from the house of your father" is a hint to the third, that behold, the essence of the lower splendors come to a person through their arrogance and self-boasting of one's ancestors, if one is the descendant of great people. And a person needs to come out of this ugly trait to glorify oneself after what is good in the eyes of both God and humans, as explained. And this is [the message in] "bow down to Ad-nai, in the glory of holiness" (Psalms 29:2), meaning, to reach glory and splendor in making holiness splendorous, which is the level of splendor.
~ What has Avram become? What does his calling become?
~ How applicable is all this to our lives?
וזהו "נופת תטופנה שפתותיך כלה כו׳", רמז ג"כ לשלש מדריגות הנ"ל, "נופת תטופנה" רמז למדריגת יראה, 'נוטפות מור' ודרשו חז"ל 'אל תקרי מור' כו׳, ו"שפתותיך כלה" רמז למדריגת אהבה, ככלה האהובה לארוס שלה, "דבש וחלב תחת לשונך" רמז למדריגה ג׳, שכל מעשיו הם כדבש ומפוארים לכל אדם.
And this is [the meaning of] "sweetness drops from your lips, bride, [milk and honey are under your tongue] etc" (Songs 4:11) - also a hint to those three levels. "Sweetness drops" is a hint to the level of awe, [since] "myrrh drops" (Songs 5:13) is explained by our sages z"l with "do not read myrrh but etc" (Shabbat 30b:6). And "your lips bride" is a hint to the level of love, like a bride is beloved by her fiance. And "honey and milk under your tongue" is a hint to the third level, that all one's deeds are like honey and are splendid for all people.
~ Why is it important for the Noam to connect his re-reading of the portion to the text in Song of Songs?
~ What is the traditional way of reading Song of Songs?
או יאמר "נופת תטופנה", דהנה בהתחלת האדם לבוא בעבודתו יתברך ויתעלה, צריך להיות ביראה, ומחמת שעדיין אינו מתוקן כל צורכו, לכן לפעמים מדבר דברים בגלוי בלא בושה, ואח"כ כשעולה במדריגה יתירה, הרי הוא מתבייש מלדבר לגלות את מעשיו בדיבוריו ככלה שמעשיה בחשאי, וזה הוא בעבור כי יראתו על פניו, ואח"כ כשעולה למדריגה יתירה הרי הוא צנוע בכל מעשיו, וזה "נופת תטופנה" רמז שמתחיל בהתחלת עבודתו, אזי הוא מטפטף דברים כנ"ל, כי עדיין אין יראתו שלימה, ואח"כ "שפתותיך כלה", ר"ל שדבריו נאמרים בבושה ומעשיו הן בחשאי ככלה, ואח"ז "דבש וחלב", פירוש דברים המתוקים כדבש וחלב, הם "תחת לשונך", שהוא הצנע לכת לגמרי.
Or it can be said "sweetness drops" - behold, when a person begins to enter in the service of the Holy and Exalted that person needs to be in awe, and due to the fact that one has not yet fixed all they need to, therefore they speak things explicitly and without shame, and afterwards, when they come to an additional level, behold they get embarrassed of speaking about their deeds, just as a bride whose deeds are done secretly, and this is because God's awe is in that person, and after that when they go to an additional level behold they are modest in all their deeds, and this is "sweetness drips", a hint that one begins at the beginning of their service, and then they leak [their] words, as explained, since their awe is not complete. And after that, "your lips, bride", meaning, that their words are said with embarrassment and their deeds are hidden as a bride's. And after that, "honey and milk", meaning, words that are sweet as honey and milk, they are "under your tongue", that one is walking modestly, absolutely.
~ How can shame be positive?
~ How are awe and shame connected?
~ How are modesty and shame connected?
או יאמר "לך לך". נ"ל ע"ד הרמז, שצריך האדם לחקור ולדרוש ולחפש תמיד לראות רוממות אל מכל דבר אשר יראו עיניו, ועל ידי זה יזכה שיתן לו השי"ת שכל ובינה להבין ולהשכיל בעולמות העליונים, ואופן אשר יגיע למדריגה הנ"ל להסתכל ברוממות אל, צריך האדם מקודם לתקן את מידותיו, כי השי"ת ב"ה ברא את האדם בכל מיני מידות, וכל מדה ומדה שבאדם יש צד וחלק באותה מדה אל הקדושה, וכן להיפך לרע ח"ו כידוע, וצריך האדם לשבר עצמו בבחירתו להפך את המדות רק אל הקדושה לבדה, ואז יזכה להבין ולהסתכל ברוממות אל, והשי"ת ב"ה פותח לו מעיינות החכמה להשיגו ולהשכילו בכל פעם בשכל עליון יותר ויותר מה שלא ראו עיני שכלו מעולם.
Or one can say "go for yourself" - it seems to me [we can understand this] through the way of a hint: a person needs to research, and search, and seek, always in order to see the greatness of God in every thing that their eyes see, and through this they will merit that the Holy Blessed One will give them intelligence and understanding to succeed and comprehend the upper worlds. And the way to reach this level of being able to observe the greatness of God is to fix one's traits first and foremost, since the Exalted Holy Blessed Name created the human with all sorts of traits, and each and every single trait has a side and a piece that is towards holiness, and also towards the opposite, God forbid, as known. And a person needs to break into their choice so as to use their traits only to holiness, and then they will merit to understand and observe the greatness of God. And the Exalted Holy Blessed Name opens for that person the springs of wisdom, to conceive and comprehend in every instance with the one's higher understanding, more and more, what one's mind eyes have never seen.
~ This is almost a different take on our portion. How so? What is the Noam Elimelech talking about?
וזהו "לך לך", פירוש לעצמך כפשוטו, דהיינו שתסתכל על עצמך תמיד שתפרוש ממדות ארציות שבך שתהפכם לטובה כנ"ל, וזהו "מארצך", ותביאם אל הקדושה לבדה, "וממולדתך", פירוש דאדם שהוא מתנהג במדות מגונות, אזי יוצא ממנו תולדות רעות חלילה, שמדה אחת מולדת את חברתה ע"ד 'עבירה גוררת עבירה', וזהו 'וממולדתך', "ומבית אביך", פירוש דלפעמים מוטבע באדם מדות ע"פ טבעית הבאות לו מכח אביו שהכניס בו המדות הללו, צריך לצאת מהם ולהכניסם אל הקדושה, וזהו 'ומבית אביך', ואז תזכה "אל הארץ אשר אראך", שתזכה לשכל העליון ולהארץ העליונה שאראך אשר מעולם לא ראית.
And this is "go for yourself", as its simple meaning, that is, you should observe yourself always so as to separate yourself from your corporeal traits [artziut] so as you can switch them to good, as explained. And this is "from your land [artzecha], to bring them only to holiness. "And from your birthplace" meaning, a person who behaves with disgusting traits then from that person come evil results, God forbid, since a trait gives birth to another similar trait, through "a transgression brings about a transgression" - and this is "from your birthplace". "And from the house of your father", meaning, sometimes certain traits get imprinted in a person according to the environment that happens to the person, from the parental forces that insert those traits into the person. One needs to get out of those and make them enter into holiness, and this is "from the house of your father". And then you will be able to merit "to the land that I will show you", that you will merit the higher mind, and the higher land that I will show, a place you have never seen.
~ What does it mean to switch your personality traits?
~ Is the Noam Elimelech talking about changing your personality?
(5) Leave your way to Ad-nai; trust in Him; He will do it.
וזהו "גול על ה׳ דרכך", פירושו ג"כ כנ"ל, כי "גול" הוא לשון התגלות, שתגלה "דרכך" ומדותיך, שתסתכל בהם ותראה שיהיו כולם "לה'", "ובטח עליו", פירוש מה שהאדם מסתכל ברוממות אל זה נקרא 'בטחון', "והוא יעשה", פירוש ואז יעשה לך השי"ת ב"ה עשיות חדשות מה שלא ראית מעולם ולא הבנת מעולם, "והוציא כאור צדקך". והבן.
And this is "leave גול your way to Ad-nai" (Psalms 37:5) - meaning, as explained above, since גול comes from the expression for revelation, התגלות, that your way and your traits will be revealed: you will scrutinize them and you will see that all of them are "to Ad-nai", and you will "trust in Him", meaning, when a person observes and scrutinizes the greatness of God, this is called "trusting". "And He will do" - meaning, then the Blessed Holy Name will do new doings, something you have never seen and never understood, and He "will bring about your righteousness like light". And sit with this to understand.
~ How does the Noam Elimelech understand trusting in God?
~ What will God do, in his reading?
~ Is his reading in tension with a simple reading of the text?