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Adapted from Likutei Torah, "Hayam Ra'ah Vyanos", p. 16 by Yehoshua Metzinger
Every day of Pesach we say the Hallel prayer, which
contains a description of the exodus from Egypt, the splitting of the Red Sea,
and many other miracles connected with these events. "The sea saw and fled, the
Jordan turned backward. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like young
sheep." (Psalms 114:3) What quality do the mountains have that causes them to
skip, and why do the waters flee?  | | " ...where all souls share a common root and are like brothers to one another..." | | |
Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi explains that these two miracles
represent two kinds of service to G-d: one motivated by fear, the other by love.
The sea, like a servant, flees when the king reveals himself because he is
afraid that the king is displeased with him. The mountains, like a loyal
minister, are joyful when the king arrives and greets him, eager to carry out
his every command. This joy is expressed by the skipping of the mountains which
represent the world of Atzilut, where all souls share a common root and
are like brothers to one another and to G-d.
The concept of the source of the souls in Atzilut is
connected with another miracle that occurred during the parting of the Red Sea.
The Jewish People walking on dry land in the middle of the sea is similar to the
way their souls rose in the mind of G-d. How are these two things connected?
According to the Arizal, the Seventh Day of Pesach, a commemoration of the
parting of the Red Sea, is also the day when the souls of the Jewish People were
"born" - or brought down from Atzilut. True, they already had souls, but
this event was the revelation of the higher level of the souls.
How did this "birth" take place?
As mentioned above, all souls have their source in Atzilut
where there is a complete unity among them and with G-d. This level of unity is
ideal, but for a soul to exist as a separate entity and to be born, it must
descend to the lower level of Beriya through malchut. This process
is similar to that of speech. | | " Before one speaks, the words are not yet formed..." | | |
Before one speaks, the words are not yet formed, but the idea of
what is going to be said is unified in the mind. Even when the idea of the words
begins to emerge, this idea is still one idea. Once the words descend to a lower
level and leave the mouth, they are separate from the intellect. Malchut
represents the mouth in the process of speech, and it also represents the sea,
the part of the physical world which is concealed from view under the water.
The concealment by the aspect of malchut is necessary for
any birth or creation. Created things do not see or hear the words of G-d as the
words are creating them; if they could perceive these words, their existence
would be nullified to the words, just as rays of the sun can hardly be
distinguished from the sun itself. Even the angels in the higher worlds
understand clearly that they are created from the speech of G-d, and this
knowledge fills them with awe and love for their Creator. However, the process
of their creation is concealed from them also in the aspect of malchut.
| | " One can reach higher levels by "skipping"..." | | |
The concealment period or "pregnancy" of the souls begins on
Shemini Atzeret. The souls are brought from highest aspect within Atzilut
to malchut of Atzilut where they remain for seven months until
they descend on the seventh day of Pesach. Just as the human fetus receives
nourishment from its mother while it grows in the womb, so the souls receive
their nourishment from malchut of Atzilut. The souls remain there
for seven months until they descend on the seventh day of Pesach. When we ask
for rain on Shemini Atzeret, we are also asking for a successful "birth" of the
souls seven months later.
What energy propels the actual birth and creates "contractions"?
The energy must come from a higher level than Atzilut in order to "shake
up" Atzilut and release the souls. This energy is the light from the
first letter " hei" in G-d's name and serves as a catalyst for the
"birth". The impact of this energy from beyond the levels of the worlds is like
the supernaturally strong winds that G-d sent to split the sea. The energy that
propelled the winds is from the encompassing light and breaks the sea, which
conceals the supreme levels of G-dliness. When the encompassing light split the
sea, the mountains, representing the sefirot of chesed, gevura
and tiferet, began to dance, since these attributes are above the level
of the sea, which represents concealment.
The skipping of the mountains shows us that, at such a time, one
can reach higher levels by "skipping" from the lowest to the highest levels
instead of merely "stepping", progressing one level after another in sequence.
The seventh day of Pesach, then, is like a day of renewal for the souls of
Israel, a day when any Jew can "skip" to his or her highest spiritual potential.
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