לקוטי שיחות חלק א׳ - נח

Parshas Noach

1. In Torah Or, Parshas Noach, it is explained that the Flood was not only a punishment but also a matter of taharah (purification) — the Flood purified the world, which before the Flood had been impure. That is why the Flood lasted forty days — corresponding to the forty se'ah of a mikveh. That is why the Flood is called "the waters of Noach"^[1] — nicha d'rucha (gratification of the spirit)^[2].

The same applies — as is explained at length there in Torah Or — to the worries and preoccupations of earning a livelihood, which are called "many waters": they wash away from a person the things that ought not to be, and thereby they too bring about a nicha d'rucha.

2. The explanation of the connection between worries of livelihood, the Flood and a mikveh is as follows:

The inner meaning of a mikveh is bittul (self-nullification), as the Rambam^[3] writes: "that he immerse himself in the waters of pure knowledge." Therefore a mikveh must hold forty se'ah, which is the measure "in which his entire body is immersed"^[4], i.e., they surround the whole human body; and tevilah (immersion) has the same letters as habittul (the nullification)^[5], meaning that the bittul by which he goes out of his own self brings about in him an elevation, so that he becomes a vessel for holiness.

This is also the true intent in giving a person worries of livelihood. Although they disturb and confuse him for a time, through them he becomes broken within himself and goes out of his own self — and through this he becomes a vessel for holiness.

3. Now, since the true intent is not, G‑d forbid, to punish him, but rather to wash off and cleanse from him the things that are not good — it is self-understood that this can be accomplished even in a single minute: if in a single moment he grasps its inner intent and brings about in himself what the matter is meant to accomplish, he has thereby already fulfilled his obligation, and he can then attain the "nicha" both materially and spiritually.

(From a talk of Shabbos Parshas Bereishis, 5713)

4. The "raging waters" of the Flood are divided into two parts: a) "the great deep," b) "the windows of heaven." So too are a person's preoccupations and disturbances divided into the same two parts:

"The great deep" refers to preoccupations with material, lowly matters — worries of livelihood and the like. "The windows of heaven" refers to preoccupations that stem from spiritual, lofty matters, such as communal work and the like, which nevertheless keep a person from studying and fulfilling mitzvos.

True, one must be active in communal work, but this must not interfere with studying Torah and fulfilling mitzvos. For the point of mitzvos is that through them there comes about "And you who cleave to the L‑rd your G‑d are all alive this day"^[6] — they bind the person who fulfills the mitzvah with G‑d^[7], and through this G‑dly vitality is drawn down to him. But if this is lacking — what is accomplished by all his involvement in all these things, when he does not do what is written in the Shulchan Aruch?

His claim that he is occupied with "the windows of heaven" — with spiritual matters — is a mistake. This claim comes not from the G‑dly soul but from the animal soul. The best proof of this is that since it is a hindrance to Torah study and the fulfillment of mitzvos according to the law of the Shulchan Aruch, it is certainly something that is contrary to holiness.

And since it is contrary to holiness, then although for the time being he is occupied with "the windows of heaven," in the end he goes, may G‑d spare us, lower and lower, until "the windows of heaven" become "the great deep."

5. The remedy for the waters of the Flood — both "the great deep" and "the windows of heaven" — is "Come into the ark"^[8]. Teivah (ark), the Baal Shem Tov explains, refers to the teivos (words) of Torah and prayer. Coming into the teivah means that one must enter into the letters of Torah and prayer — to be surrounded by them; then it is certain that nothing will flood him, and "Noach, a righteous man," together with his household, will remain whole.

Therefore the order of the day is that as soon as one rises from sleep, before going out into the world — into the "raging waters" — the very first thing one says is "I give thanks before You… for You have restored my soul within me"^[9]. He acknowledges that the life of his soul comes only from G‑d. Afterwards he says the morning blessings and thanks G‑d for each detail separately: "Who clothes the naked," and so on. Seemingly, he has something to wear — so what is the meaning of the blessing "Who clothes the naked," and likewise of the other blessings?

It is because "Who is wise? One who sees what is born"^[10]. Who is wise? One who sees how everything is born (created) every moment from nothing into something^[11] — he knows that at every moment the "something" is brought into being from G‑dliness.

As stated in the Zohar^[12], Rav Yeisa Sava would pray that G‑d should give him his food. That is, even when the food had already been prepared for him, he would not eat until he had said this prayer. Seemingly one could ask: what point is there in praying that G‑d send him food, when he already has the food prepared before him?

The explanation, however, is that every created being, of itself, is constantly becoming naught and nothing, as it was before its creation; and the fact that it nevertheless exists is only because G‑d in His goodness constantly renews it, as it is said: "Who in His goodness renews each day, continually, the work of creation." Therefore it is fitting to pray even when the food is already lying on the table, and likewise with other needs, for the food that existed a minute earlier has, of itself, already become naught and nothing — so he must pray to G‑d to renew it, so that he will have what he needs.

When he has the preface of prayer, he knows that the physical has no existence of its own and that G‑d must constantly renew it, and that the entire existence of the world is only in order to carry out G‑d's intent of "I created it for My glory"^[13] — then he can enter into the matters of this world and has no reason to fear the "raging waters."

Before he prays, it is settled in his mind that the world is primary^[14], that it is, G‑d forbid, an existence in its own right; then it is quite simple to him that what is permitted may certainly be done, and even what he does not know for certain to be forbidden may also be done, since one must establish everything on its presumptive status (chazakah), and the presumption is — the world.

When, however, it is settled in his mind that in truth there is no existence — there is only G‑d, and He renews the world from absolute naught and nothing for the purpose of "The Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have a dwelling place in the lower realms"^[15] (G‑d created the world because He wished to have a dwelling, so to speak, here below) — then only that which leads to this purpose is "existence." This therefore leads to the opposite conclusion: that which is forbidden — and is therefore in contradiction to this purpose — may not be done; and not only forbidden things, but even superfluous (unnecessary) things may not be done either. And when the evil inclination comes with a claim and says that this is needed, one answers him: Bring proof! For the presumption is that only G‑dliness exists; hence "the burden of proof lies on the one who seeks to take from his fellow"^[16] (whoever wants to extract something from another must bring proof that he is in the right).

And as the Chassidic saying goes: "What is forbidden is forbidden, and what is permitted is unnecessary."

And this is the meaning of "Come into the ark" — to enter into the teivos of Torah and prayer, to be constantly surrounded by them. When it is settled in his mind that the primary reality is Torah and prayer and that all other things exist only for their sake, then even when he engages in physical matters, etc. — since one must, after all, have a healthy body — this itself becomes avodah (Divine service), or a matter for the sake of avodah.

The only remedy for being freed from the waters of the Flood, both from "the great deep" and from "the windows of heaven," is — "Come into the ark." Then he has no connection to anything that is not a matter of holiness, and all his affairs and needs become arranged in the manner of "In all your ways, know Him"^[17].

6. This does not mean, however, that he should merely shut himself up in the ark — the teivos of Torah and prayer — and that what happens to another person will not interest him at all, arguing "I have saved my own soul."

On this the Torah tells us: "Come into the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives." Not only you yourself, but also the members of your household, and also "your sons — these are the disciples"^[18]; and ultimately it means all Jews, who are included in the category of "your wife" or of "your sons." For a wife represents the concept of a recipient^[18*], and every Jew is in the category of a recipient, in that one Jew receives from another, for all Jews constitute one complete structure^[19] (one whole form).

You must therefore bring them all into the ark; that is, you must influence and have an effect upon all Jews, that they should enter into the teivos of Torah and prayer.

Even before the Giving of the Torah — when one might have erred and thought: what concern of mine is another person? "I have saved my own soul" — even then G‑d said to Noach, "Come, you… and your wife…"; and all the more so after the Giving of the Torah, after the covenant of mutual responsibility at Arvos Moav, by which "all Jews are guarantors for one another"^[20], one certainly cannot discharge one's obligation with oneself alone. The situation of another Jew must touch him truly and inwardly.

As mentioned earlier, all Jews are one structure; and just as in the human body the health of one limb is bound up with the health of another limb, so it is in the complete structure of the Congregation of Israel.

The spiritual health of one Jew affects another Jew. Consequently, when he does nothing for the other, something is lacking in himself as well.

7. When it is said that one must also influence other Jews, and especially the members of one's household — this must be done not merely to discharge an obligation; one must truly be immersed in it.

As in the well-known saying of the Rebbe Rashab^[21]: just as putting on tefillin every day is a Biblical commandment incumbent on every Jew, without distinction whether he is a great Torah scholar or a simple person, so too it is an absolute obligation on every Jew to think every day, for at least half an hour, about the education of children, and to do everything in his power, and even beyond his power, to bring about that the children go in the path in which they are being educated.

Seemingly — why did the Rebbe mention specifically the mitzvah of tefillin? There are, after all, other mitzvos as well. But one of the allusions in this is that the mitzvah of tefillin is not only a practical mitzvah; its inner content is the subjugation of the heart and the mind, as stated in the Shulchan Aruch^[22] and in Tanya^[23]. So too must it be in his influence on the members of his household: one must do it not merely to discharge an obligation, but one should put one's mind and heart into it.

And when he is not satisfied with himself alone, but acts — and not merely acts, but with this subjugation — to rescue another Jew from the raging waters of the Flood and bring him into the ark, then he can be confident regarding himself as well, that he will remain whole.

8. The explanation of this is: For everything one needs assistance from Above. Therefore, after Noach had already entered the ark, there was still a need for "and G‑d shut him in" — assistance from Above.

If one were to enter the ark — the teivos of Torah and prayer — with one's own strength, it is possible that it would not be at all as it ought to be.

As in the saying of our Sages, "They did not recite the blessing over the Torah first"^[24], the meaning of which is: in the blessing over the Torah one says "Who… has given us His Torah," and one concludes "Who gives the Torah" — "gives" being in the present tense — that is, he knows that he receives the Torah from G‑d. But "they did not recite the blessing over the Torah first" means that while studying Torah they forgot, G‑d forbid, about the Giver of the Torah.

So too with prayer: it is possible that one prays, but the prayer is not felt by him, and it does not affect his everyday matters so that they should be as they ought to be.

And this is the main purpose of "Come into the ark" — not to remain in the ark, but afterwards to go out into the world and make the world a dwelling place for G‑d. But in order for the prayer to affect the entire day, the prayer must be such that during the prayer he knows nothing at all of the existence of the world; he is then entirely divested of the world, he knows only G‑dliness; and later, after prayer, when he comes into the world, then — as with Noach — "he saw a new world": he beholds a new world.

As is related of the Baal Shem Tov^[24*], that before praying he would consider whether after the prayer he would remain alive in his body. He was not certain of it, because of the klos hanefesh (expiry of the soul) that he would experience during prayer.

And in order for Torah and prayer to be as they ought to be, one needs the "and G‑d shut him in," the help and assistance from Above.

And this help from Above is received through devoting oneself to another Jew. Then it is as our Sages say^[25] on the verse "G‑d enlightens the eyes of both of them"^[26] — that it becomes light for him as well — and then the "Come into the ark" is as it ought to be.

9. Furthermore, we find that G‑d told Noach to take into the ark all the things of the world that could otherwise be lost — "of every living thing, etc."

The instruction from this for every Jew is:

Whatever exists in the world that he knows will be destroyed and lost without his effort — he has an obligation to take it into his ark, in order to rescue it and elevate it to G‑dliness. If he thinks that it has no connection to him, this contradicts the fundamental principle of Divine Providence: since G‑d arranged that he should know of the existence of such a thing, and that without his effort it will be destroyed and lost, it is certainly in order that he draw it near and elevate it.

And then he receives the help and assistance from Above for the "Come into the ark," until there comes about in him "and to a cubit (amah) you shall finish it from above." Amah is an acronym for Elokeinu Melech HaOlam: through "our G‑d" (the G‑d of the Jews) He becomes "King of the world"^[27]; "you shall finish it from above" — the vessels too (for livelihood) are given to him from Above^[28], in the manner of "and He will sustain you"^[29] — until "I have set My bow in the cloud," "that which is likened to Me"^[30] — the bow (the rainbow) is, so to speak, likened to G‑d — that he makes the entire world a dwelling place for His very Essence.

(From a talk of Shabbos Parshas Bereishis, 5717)

10. There is a reshimah (a written Torah note) of the Tzemach Tzedek which begins: "Rabbi Akiva said: Fortunate are you, Israel! Before Whom do you purify yourselves, and Who purifies you?"^[31] This note dates from the months of Elul and Tishrei. The connection of "Rabbi Akiva said, etc." to this time is understandable, for it speaks of the service of teshuvah. That is also why the Mishnah "Rabbi Akiva said" was placed at the end of Tractate Yoma, where the service of Yom Kippur is discussed.

There is also a maamar of Chassidus with the same opening ("Rabbi Akiva said") from Shabbos Parshas Noach 5667, fifty years ago. Since it was said on Parshas Noach, this is a sign that it has a connection to this parshah. One can say simply, according to what is explained in Torah Or, that the Flood was akin to the waters of a mikveh, which purify (see above, section 1).

11. In teshuvah there are two aspects: a) the simple one — doing teshuvah for sins; b) the inner aspect of teshuvah^[32] — "and the spirit returns to G‑d Who gave it"^[33]; in the service of G‑d this is the level of re'usa d'liba (the deep yearning of the heart), which is above reason and understanding (higher than intellect).

This is also the precise meaning of the double expression: "Before Whom do you purify yourselves" and "Who purifies you." The first — "before Whom do you purify yourselves" — is teshuvah from below upward, teshuvah for sin. The second — "Who purifies you" — is teshuvah from above downward: "and the spirit returns to G‑d Who gave it." One can say that these two aspects of teshuvah are alluded to in Parshas Noach as well — according to the well-known interpretation of the Baal Shem Tov on the verse "Come into the ark," that one should enter into the letters of Torah and prayer. These two — Torah and prayer — are from above downward (Torah) and from below upward (prayer). The letters of Torah are in the category of stones, which are made by Heaven; the letters of prayer are likened to bricks, which are stones made by man^[34].

12. Re'usa d'liba and mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice), which are above reason and understanding, exist in various modes — lofty and lowly.

Mesirus nefesh means surrender of the will^[35] — giving over one's own will. And, as the Gemara says, "What difference is there to me between killing entirely and killing partially?"^[36] — so every time a Jew bends himself for the sake of G‑d, even with a slight movement, it is a "partial killing," and that too is mesirus nefesh. On the other hand, even for one who is the greatest of the great, the service that is according to reason and understanding is not sufficient; with him too there must be the bending with mesirus nefesh, for only then will he receive G‑dliness, as it is written: "I dwell on high and in holiness, and with the contrite and lowly of spirit"^[37] — specifically.

He cannot argue: since he is the greatest of the great, why is reason and understanding not enough for him? With his reason and understanding he accomplishes no less than another with mesirus nefesh!

He is told that there must be "with all your might (me'odecha)"^[38] — the "me'od" that is yours^[39]; and as long as he remains within his own reason and understanding, he cannot receive G‑dliness. To receive G‑dliness one must have mesirus nefesh specifically.

So too with the study of Chassidus: even one who studies Chassidus abundantly and conducts himself according to its customs and directives, and when he looks around him it may seem to him that he already stands at the summit — he is told that this is not enough; there must be avodah, and avodah with mesirus nefesh. As is explained in the Kuntres U'Maayan^[40], that one who has a good grasp and takes a matter in easily, so that what another must toil greatly for he grasps immediately — he too must nevertheless toil. For as long as he stands in his limited existence, as he is, he has no connection to G‑dliness.

13. This is the allusion in the fact that immediately upon leaving Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and the month of Tishrei, Parshas Noach is read.

On Yom Kippur "the essence of the day atones"^[41] (the day itself atones), and G‑d forgives all sins. Of Yom Kippur it is said that then Jews are united with G‑d — it is "Israel and the King alone," and their entire existence is G‑dliness. One might then think: why is the service of mesirus nefesh still needed, since their entire existence is G‑dliness? Therefore, as soon as one leaves the month of Tishrei, Parshas Noach is read: "Come into the ark" — enter into both lines (directions) of teshuvah, from below upward and from above downward — for one must have mesirus nefesh, since one cannot receive the Essence while one is an existence, however lofty that existence may be; it must be specifically "with all your might."

14. In light of this one will also understand what the Previous Rebbe, my revered father-in-law, related: once, on the day after Yom Kippur, he went in to his father, the Rebbe Rashab, and asked him: "Father, what now?" The Rebbe answered him: "Now one must begin to do teshuvah."

Seemingly this is not understood: since the teshuvah of Yom Kippur has already taken place and G‑d "forgives Israel and pardons the tribes of Yeshurun," why is it said that he must do teshuvah further? — As the Mishnah relates^[42], Bava ben Buta would offer a suspended guilt-offering every day, except on the day after Yom Kippur, because then no sin is yet applicable. —

The explanation, however, is that since the true meaning of teshuvah is "and the spirit returns to G‑d Who gave it," and G‑dliness is unlimited, the service of "and the spirit returns to G‑d Who gave it" is consequently also unlimited. For when oros makifim (encompassing lights) are drawn down, these lights become internalized, and higher encompassing lights are drawn down, in which there is the service of re'usa d'liba, which is above reason and understanding.

And this is the meaning of the answer that "now one must begin to do teshuvah": previously one could not do the higher teshuvah, for one was occupied with lower matters; but after Yom Kippur one must begin to do teshuvah — the inner dimension of teshuvah.

15. This, in general, is the matter of the service of teshuvah and mesirus nefesh — "What difference is there to me between killing entirely and killing partially." On the one hand, one must know that even when one is in a low state, nevertheless every breaking and bending by which one breaks and bends oneself before G‑d is reckoned as mesirus nefesh, for a "partial killing" is like a "complete killing."

And on the other hand, even when one stands at a higher level, one cannot discharge one's obligation with the service of reason and understanding alone; there must be a "complete killing."

And if this is absent, it does not mean that merely one detail is lacking — the detail of mesirus nefesh — but rather the entire bond with G‑dliness is lacking, for "I dwell on high and in holiness" is "with the contrite and lowly of spirit" — specifically.

As the Gemara^[43] says, even when there is the service of "with all your heart and with all your soul," but "with all your might" is lacking, this is already called "not doing the will of the Omnipresent"; and from this there can result — after much descent through the chain of levels — "not doing the will of the Omnipresent" in its plain sense, that one does not, G‑d forbid, do G‑d's will. It is otherwise, however, when there is mesirus nefesh with "with all your might" — each person according to his nature: then even if it is in lowly modes, it is already called "doing the will of the Omnipresent" — doing G‑d's will — which brings about "Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks"^[44]: even the "strangers" within oneself not only do not hinder, but actually help^[45].

16. The movement of mesirus nefesh means going out of oneself, out of one's own existence. But the intent is that afterwards too, when he returns to his existence, the movement of mesirus nefesh should be felt in him. As was discussed^[46] regarding the quality of unity of Shemini Atzeres, that it remains also in the weekdays after Shemini Atzeres.

And this is also alluded to in the Flood. During the Flood the whole world was submerged, to the point that even the constellations did not function then^[47]. The world was nullified; people were shut out from worldly matters and shut in within the "ark" — the letters of Torah and prayer.

It was akin to the service of the month of Tishrei, when one is closed off from the world. As is explained in the Zohar^[48] and in Likkutei Torah^[49] on the verse "And the ark rested in the seventh month," that this refers to the service of the month of Tishrei (which is the seventh month counting from Nissan).

The purpose, however, lay not in the Flood, but in the going out from the ark into the world, so that one should then be as one was in the ark.

17. This adds to the connection between the waters of the Flood and the waters of a mikveh: The Rambam says^[50] that purification is completed not while one is in the mikveh, but when one comes out of the mikveh; that is, when he comes out of the mikveh it must be evident on him that he was in the mikveh.

The same is true of "Come into the ark," entering into the words of Torah and prayer: the ultimate intent is not the nullification of one's existence during study and prayer, but that after prayer and study he should be as he was during prayer and study.

As was discussed (above, section 8) regarding the Baal Shem Tov: before praying he was not certain what would become of him after prayer, because of the expiry of the soul and the self-nullification during prayer — nevertheless he later came back into the world, for that is the main intent.

18. The Previous Rebbe, my revered father-in-law, once said^[51] that Parshas Noach is a "gloomy" week, and with Parshas Lech Lecha it begins to become more joyful, for then our father Avraham was born — and especially according to the inner interpretation of "Go forth… to the land that I will show you": that one is shown the virtue of souls.

May G‑d grant that all the matters that are at present gloomy — whatever the cause — should, as one enters Parshas Lech Lecha, become joyful and come down in revealed and manifest good.

(From a talk of Shabbos Parshas Noach, 5717)

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Key Lesson

The waters of the Flood, like the worries of livelihood and even "spiritual" busyness that crowds out Torah and mitzvos, are meant not to punish but to purify, the way a mikveh does through bittul. The remedy is to "come into the ark" — to surround oneself with the words of Torah and prayer — and to bring other Jews, and whatever in the world would otherwise be lost, in with us; this earns the help from Above. Yet the goal is not to stay in the ark: after the self-transcendence of Tishrei, of prayer and of mesirus nefesh, we must go out into a "new world" and carry that same state into everyday life.