From Pharaoh’s Slaves to God’s Deliverance עבדים היינו ויוציאנו הוי׳ אלקינו Kabbalah Rabbi Minkowicz

Welcome to our class on this. The name of the civic discourse is called Avadim Hayinu. The Rebbe said this Hasidic discourse on Shabbos Parshas Tzav, which is also Shabbos Hagadol, which is also the 10th day of the month of Nissan in the year taf shin chaf tes, 57 years ago, the same um Kvius, the same setup like this year where a Shabbos, this past Shabbos was Shabbos Tzav, it was Shabbos Hagadol, it was the 10th of Nissan. So, the Hasidic discourse is based on what it says Avadim Hayinu l'Pharaoh b'Mitzrayim. We were servants to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt. V'Yotzieinu Hashem Elokeinu misham, and God our God took us out from there. B'Yad Chazakah, with a strong hand. Uv'izra'a netuyah, an outstretched arm. That the previous Rebbe actually instituted that on Shabbos Shabbos Hagadol, like we did yesterday, um after Mincha, we we start reading the Haggadah from Avadim Hayinu. And he asked the question in the Siddur um of the Alter Rebbe, where you have different different Hasidic discourses with commentaries of the Mitteler Rebbe, and also footnotes from his grandson the Tzemach Tzedek. And he asked a very very simple but strong question. How is it possible that we, the Jewish people, could be servants of Pharaoh? And he will he says we'll understand it based on what he explains in the Hasidic discourse that what does it say? V'Yotzieinu Hashem Elokeinu. God our God took us out of there with a strong hand. In other words, when there is Hashem Elokeinu, when God is our God, then we can go out of Golus. What do we see from here? That God forbid when it's lacking that God is our God, then sadly we can be slaves to Pharaoh. And like he explains over there in in great length. So, the Rebbe says we're going to understand this with with more of an explanation based on what's explained in the acidic discourse from the Reb Maharash which was said 100 years before the Reb said the discourse. This is 57 years later, so it's around 157 years ago. Based on the verse where it says in the parsha of Torahs Zevach Shlamin. So it says and this is the extra of and this is the Torah of the sacrifice which is called the peace sacrifice. And he asked over here, why does it say this is? And this is. In other words, he's adding the letter vav before it says this. Because what's the question? Because we find by the carbon a sacrifice for a sin offering or a carbon a sacrifice that totally burned and given to Hashem, over there it says this is Torahs this is the Torah of the this is the law of the without saying this is. And the same thing with Torahs it says this is Torahs without the vav. And over here he adds the the letter vav where by the by the sacrifice specifically of the of the carbon shlamin. And he explains the the opinion of the which is a commentary in the and he brings differences between different type of sacrifice. In other words, we're going to start with the carbon the the sacrifice that is totally consumed to Hashem. So what happens over there when you bring a carbon everything all the inwards and all the blood goes on the altar. That's for the carbon. The carbon the sin offering, so that goes part of it goes on the altar and part of it goes to the priest. And the carbon shlamin the priest the the peace offerings, there's there's different the parts. There's part that goes on the altar like the carbon and the carbon and there's parts the the that go to the priest like the carbon not the carbon but here in the carbon shlamin there's a part that this the skin and the flesh go to the go to the people that brought it to the Israelites. Those are the three different levels in the sacrifices. In other words, this that is carbon oil on, which is totally consumed, all the inwards and all the blood is consumed on the altar, he explains in the acidic discourses over there in in the acidic discourse before that one as well, that when you bring the inwards and the blood, what does that mean in the world of Kabbalah? It's called mil mato l'maala. You're taking the inwards, you're taking the blood, and you're bringing it on the sacrifice. It means you're elevating it from here down high. And that's actually why it's called oil on, cuz it's going up, cuz it's it's a whole thing is going up, it's going up to Hashem. Which basically means it's having an elevation. Now, even though when it comes to a carbon oil on, it says, "Reiach nichoach l'Hashem." It's a pleasing fragrance to Hashem. In other words, what is Hashem saying? Nachas ruach. I take tremendous satisfaction because I told you what to do and you did it. So you So you see it's basically also that it it it's going mil maala, it's it's going mil maala mil mata, Hashem is getting very happy about it. But this that this happens after we brought the sacrifice. But the sacrifice itself is what what's all you give a sacrifice? It's mil mato l'maala. So even though yes, there's a component Hashem is happy and that brings down a blessing down in mil maala mil mata, but that comes afterwards. But the sacrifice is all about mil mato l'maala. So carbon oil on, everything goes to Hashem, mil mato l'maala. Does something come down? Yes, afterwards. But the process of the sacrifice is all called mil mato l'maala, bringing down from here on high. That's the carbon oil on. When it comes to the carbon chatas, so we have the part that gets burnt and goes to Hashem, but then we have the part the the breast the breast part and the shoyak, etc., goes to the priest. What does that mean? When it means the priest is getting it, that's not mil mato l'maala cuz the kohein is eating it. So it's called mil maala l'maala, it's going from high down to low. And the revealed la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la And that's And that's basically a an integral part of the sacrifice. Because why is the priest have to eat it? Because it says when the priest eats it, that's how the people get the atonement. Now, even though you're drawing it out in a revealed way through eating it, that means you're bringing it down to this world. So, this drawing it down is only to who? We're drawing it down only to our priests. Because we know the priest is on the level that Hashem makes them a partner with Hashem. And like the Rambam writes, that anybody who wants to dedicate their life and dedicate yourself to Hashem, you can go ahead and do that. And you can totally disconnect from anything in the physical world and you reconnect to Hashem. And just like it's down here, when they're eating this, they're technically eating from from from the table of Hashem. And like it says in Kabbalah and Chassidus, which is referring to what level when the priests are eating, it's level of Atzilut, of the first highest world. And we know the the world of Atzilut is also called the world of Achdus, the world of unity. Because we know in Atzilut, the famous saying in the Zohar says, "E U v'chayu chad." It and its light is one. And E U v'garmeihu chad, and and and and its vessels is all one. So, you see it's all the whole thing is a level of Achdus. Now, even though it says twice, "E U v'chayu chad" and "E U v'garmeihu chad" referring to light and the vessels, it says twice. Here we're saying it's unity, so then why why is the light and the vessels separate? So, even though we're we're we're we're making a distinction between the unity of with the light and the vessels, so what do we see? That the unity of of of the light is not like the same unity as the vessel. And like it's explained many many places in the Khassidus, but nevertheless nevertheless does say it's Khad, it's one. The light in the vessels is one. Yeah, it's light is light and vessel is vessel, but they say it's one. And that's why it's called the world of unity. Up to the point that we say that the world of um even the world of Atzilus is called of the world. We call it the world of Atzilus. We're not saying it's not a world, but it's a world that's unified. And the same thing also with the applies down here with the priest. That since a priest dedicates our life to Hashem, and they disconnect from the world, so it's like the world of Atzilus down here. And just like in the world of Atzilus is total unity, because they're bringing down godliness down to the world, and that's why it's called unity, because it unifies the spiritual with the physical. The same thing also with the priest, which is basically drawing down godliness into this world. And that's why it says that that God is their inheritance, because they don't have an inheritance. Their inheritance is God. And their their their wives can eat from the from from the from the sacrificial meat, their children, their servants. Why? Because the priests down here are unified with Hashem. And then you after it goes to the priest, which is the we said the world of Atzilus, from there it spreads further, and it goes down into the world of Briah, Yetzirah, Asiyah, and over there already we don't say the light in the vessels one. And that's explained in many many places that it's not one. Even in the level of the light it's not one. Okay, so so far we learned the two type of sacrifices. The one is the Korban Olah, which basically is going Ma'alah LeMa'alah. You're elevating it on high. On the other hand, when it comes to Korban Chatas, already now you bring it down into this world into the Kohanim, but it goes to the Kohanim. And now we talk about the Korban Shlamim, the sacrifice of the peace offering sacrifices, which is not only for the altar, which was exclusively by the Korban Olah. It's not only to the to the for the priest, which was which that was added by the carbon laws, but there's even a part that goes to the people that bring it. What is that we said? Is that's the skin and that's the flesh. That means that godliness is coming down even to a lower level. Now, the question is how is it possible that the people that are bringing the sacrifice should take part of the sacrifice? And the answer is because it says they're eating it in front of Hashem. They're eating it in front of Hashem. And like we said and like he said and he says literally that's not a physical eating it. They're eating a piece of flesh, they're eating a piece of meat. Because we know it says it says that the real joy comes from eating meat. We're not talking about the physical meat. We're talking about the spiritual connection to it. So this is a side note. We have to understand how does it go in line with the author who says in another place in the Torah that when it says that there's only joy by eating meat, it's referring to like we have for Yom Tov, physical meat. And here we're saying it's a spiritual eating. But that's the author who says we have to discuss it, but he doesn't go into right now and explain it here. But the point that let's go back to the point that that's the elevation that takes place by the carbon in the peace offering compared to the carbon laws because by the carbon laws where does it get drawn down only to the world of laws? Or even when it comes down into a lower level of creation, and that's the way it's connected still to the world of creation. And like we know in the laws, everything is in there. Even creation isn't in there. as well as a spiritual level. And that's why laws where from there it gets connected is actually 70 names. And over there he brings a parable of a king that made a feast for his son and his daughter, and he calls all his friends that just come and celebrate. And when the friends come and celebrate and they're happy, so then the king becomes happy. Think about the king is making the party, brings his son, his daughter, all the friends. They come to celebrate. What happens? The king gets happier. So, by the people coming, they're creating more happiness by the king. So, the same thing also happens on high. That when the time of rejoicing and celebration on high, Hashem calls us to celebrate with him in the Garden of Eden. And when the righteous people come, so that creates a greater simcha on high for Hashem, so to speak. And from the when the the minor points out that the the the joy that happens to Hashem comes through the work of the tzaddik. And that's why he says, "What's the real reward of a mitzvah? The mitzvah itself." Because you're creating a nachas ruach, a pleasing fragrance down here, you're creating that same thing on high. When you're excited about learning and praying and doing a mitzvah, Hashem gets excited. And when when the when we have joy and celebration, Hashem says, "Come, let's celebrate in the Garden of Eden." And then that creates the greatest simcha on high. And that's why he says, now we're going to bring it full circle. But watch what he says, "V'zois." The extra vav when it comes to the specifically the sa- the the the the laws of the sacrifice of the peace offering. With an extra vav. Why? Because zois with a vav of a That's the way Sefiras Hamalchus is standing on its own. There's no vav. Zois, Malchus where it's standing on the world of Atzilus. Because basically in like carbon oil, just it would just it would just went from matal l'maala. And then even carbon oil just went down from matal l'maala, but only it stopped in the world of Atzilus. And even it went down to the world of Biya, it went through the world of Atzilus. Versus carbon shlamim, that you create the greatest connection down here cuz we eat it and then we create a simcha for Hashem on high. And that's why he says specifically you with a vav. Because the vav it's saying is refer- we know the vav is is numerically a six. It's referring to Zeir Anpin, the small face of the six middos, Chessed, Gevurah, Tiferes, Netzach, Hod, Yesod. And that's the way the they they get totally unified. How does that happen? That happens specifically the unification of the above, the small face happens specifically through the carbon shlomi because shlomi comes to the idea of what of shlomi is complete. And that's why he says in the discourse that when we go ahead and bring the sacrifices, the carbon shlomi, we create that shalom means peace that the Hashem's sheer and Hashem's throne is pleased is complete. The key say that Hashem's throne is complete and Hashem's name is complete. Because as long as sadly we have anyone that exists from the ancestor of Amalek Hashem's seat is not complete. Hashem's name is not complete. But when we go ahead and bring the sacrifice, specifically the carbon shlomi, we create the completion in Hashem's seat and Hashem's name. What is the connection? Because when you bring a sacrifice and you what you do is you take the blood and you give it to Hashem, that's the opposite of Amalek. Because Amalek is all about me. And the same thing also when you take the fat of the sacrifice, which is basically fat is referring to the idea of pleasure and kabbalah it's called tinok. And when you bring the tinok to Hashem which is also the opposite of Amalek because Amalek is all about creating doubt. Not that tinok, not pleasure. And how do you how how do you have how do you have pleasure when when there's clarity, when there's certainty? And that's why when you go ahead and bring the the sacrifices, what are you doing? You're actually eradicating the name of Amalek. And then you create that Hashem's name should complete Hashem's name should complete complete and the the king of the throne of Hashem complete complete. But the Rebbe says we still have to understand because since it says that from there from Atzilut it goes out into the world of Briah, Yetzirah, Asiyah. In other words, it all comes from Atzilut and like it says ki sheshes yamim as well that the the six days I shall do which means that the the emotions itself come down into the world of so why can't we accomplish the same thing to the carbon copy so we'll understand it with an explanation of the second parable that he that he's brought down in the classic discourse in the sitter on the the verse of he gives a different a different parable and he says when a king goes ahead and makes a feast everyone can benefit. Everybody even the most simple people up to the point that says even the dogs come and they eat the the bones that are left over that's underneath the king of the king's table. So the river has a question how's it possible that that the previous parable said only the only the righteous people come and and celebrate and that creates the joy in high here he's saying that it goes down that even the dogs can celebrate from from the leftovers. And he explains something very powerful and says like this that in the discourse he's explaining the parable that when a king makes a feast for his son and his daughter. And in the in the in the in the discourse in the sitter he gives a parable when the king is making just a regular feast. Now the lesson of a of a feast that's uh for his child is referring to making a feast for the for the souls of the Jewish people. And that's the son is referring to the Jewish people. The daughter is referring to the feast is for the Jewish people and for now the difference between a feast for a son and a daughter the Jewish people and and it's a regular feast cuz a regular feast where does that come from it comes from the external part of and from the sadly can leech out into external places up to the point you can have dogs coming and eating underneath the the the the table and because the fact is a leftover under the king's table is a tremendous treasure. And the dogs coming to need it. However, when you're dealing with the feast of the sun, which is referring to the Jewish people, and the daughter of Torah, that's coming from where? From Pnimius Arot, in the internal part of the world of Asiyah. And over there there's nothing that can reach out. And therefore, when it comes to carbon chata'os, which basically drawing down from the external will, so therefore it don't only goes down to the priest. However, when it comes to carbon shlamim, it comes to it it it can come down even on the lowest level. And that's why he says, "Avadim hayinu l'Pharaoh b'Mitzrayim." We were servants to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and God took us out from there. God took us out from there with a strong hand and outstretched arm. What does that mean? In the time of exile, in other words, when we are in Egypt, and what do we mean Egypt? Not only physically the land of Egypt. We're talking on Egypt, which is the idea of Mitzrayim M'gulin, we're totally, you know, we're we're we're we're limited, we're we're we're we're far fetched, we're not thinking, we're not we don't have expansive way of thinking. In other words, we're not serving Hashem from a place of the fat, which is tainug, and and the and and and the blood. And because the difference between the fat and the blood is because the blood is in all over all over the all over the body equal. The blood in the head and the blood in the feet is the same the same that blood is all over the same thing. And like for just like the same thing when it comes to real tainug, real pleasure, real pleasure is all over the same thing. When a person has real tainug in the head and in the feet the same the same type of tainug. Now, so but so so what does cheilev v'dam mean? That you're basically you're serving Hashem from a place where it's all equal. You have true pleasure, and it's all consistent, and it's all predictable, it's all over. But what happens when you when you're serving Hashem not in the way of cheilev v'dam, then you're getting from where? From Chitzonius Arot, in the external world. And then when we're getting from the internal us and then saying yes, we could be slaves to Pharaoh the king of Egypt which is Pharaoh constant hire with the back. In other words, when we turn our back to Hashem and we don't turn our face to Hashem, then we have sadly a vote in my union with Pharaoh. But in the time of Hashem Elokeinu, God is our God, and as what do we feel? That God is our energy. Then God takes us out with a strong hand with an outstretched arm and we we what comes down is chesed, kindness, um and and then compassion and and uh strength from Hashem up to the to the to the lowest level of all levels to the next and not in a way that's leaching out from somewhere, but literally Hashem is giving us with everything that we need. And when Hashem gives us everything we need, that causes us to go out of Egypt. And just like when we went out of Egypt in the past, in the future Mashiach comes we're going to see tremendous wonders. And we're going to see it with the redemption, the true redemption, the complete redemption through Mashiach Tzidkeinu bekarov mamash. So here we have a beautiful chassidic discourse in honor of Pesach. What does it mean to be a slave and what does it mean to have real freedom? Let's hope and pray that we have the coming of Mashiach and next class will be in Yerushalayim, Ir Hakodesh. Have a great and blessed week. Shabbat tov, chag kasher v'sameach. We should all have an amazing um holiday of Pesach where we where we where we start living where God is our God and we'll experience the greatest freedom.