HOLY LETTERS

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

This coming week is Yud Shvat.

It is the day when the Previous Rebbe (Frierdike Rebbe) passed away in 1950.

It is also the day when the Rebbe (reluctantly) agreed to take the position of Rebbe, 1 year later in 1951.

The last series of discourses written by the Frierdike Rebbe is called Basi Legani. It is famous, deep and intricate and extremely interesting.

There are 20 sections, and the Rebbe would elaborate on 1 section each year, of the Frierdike Rebbe’s maamer

The section for this year that we focus on, is the 9th (It started in 1950, and it is now the 9th year of the 4th cycle -2019)

I personally find it so interesting how the SHAPE OF HEBREW LETTERS each carry their own story, and this comes up a lot through the 20 sections of Basi Legani.

So before explaining how it comes up in section 9, I will have to summarise the previous sections.

Apologies if it is a bit complicated!

Basi Legani is from Shlomo Hamelech’s Shir Hashirim, and means ‘I came into my garden my sister, my bride’.

The Medrash explains that this describes the close relationship between Hashem and the Jewish People, and refers to the time in the desert when the Shechina came down to earth (into the garden), which was the Sanctuary constructed by Mosheh Rabeinu.

The Medrash continues, that previously, from the time of creation, the Shechinah, through our sins, retreated from earth,one plane to the next, moving away from earth, moving through 7 planes as each generation weakened further.

It also returned back down again through 7 Tzadikim, Avraham, Yitzchak etc until Mosheh Rabeinu when it returned to earth.

It is also explained that the Shechina not only came down into the Temple, but also came into the heart of every Jew.

So there is an exact parallel between G-d’s presence (or ‘absence’) in the world and in the Mishkan/Temple, and in each individual according to our own personal behaviour.

And the Maamer then brings us valuable lessons we can therefore learn, by examining closely the make-up and service in the Mishkan, and how we can apply this personally to ourselves as follows:

The beams of the Mishkan were made of cedar wood – shitim

The root of this word also means to deviate, and also means foolishness .

Just as man has the potential to deviate from the middle path to below the level of an animal, similarly he has the potential to deviate above the level of wisdom to self-transcendence

The beams of the Mishkan are called kerashim, or singular keresh קרש

The Zohar describes the nature of all the Hebrew letters and states that the kuf (ק )and the resh (ר) belong to the evil side.

In order to maintain themselves they attach themselves to the letter shin. (The Hebrew word for bond is kesher, made up of the same letters)

The word sheker (falsehood) is also made up of these same letters.

The eqivalent holy letters to kuf and resh are daled and hei. Look at their shapes – daled is similar to resh, and hei is similar to kuf:

ד ר , ה ק

And what is the difference in shape?

The daled has a yud extra at its top right corner - behind, and the hei has a yud on the bottom left – in front.

The daled and hei are holy letters, and are in possession of a yud which refers to G-dliness.

The letters resh and kuf do not have this yud

There is a whole further explanation of how the gimel (which also means give), gives to the daled (and that is why the yud is on that right side), and the daled gives to the hei. The yud is now in front and the hei gives. This is tzedakah – tzedek hei

Also both dalet and resh have the meaning of poverty, but the daled is humility, and the resh refers to a poverty of ruination.etc etc. For those interested there is an English translation of the maamer

Which brings us to the 9th section which speaks about the boards in the Mishkan standing erect – OMDIM, and pillars are also referred to as AMUDIM.

it is here explained how to convert the word kaneh, (shaft and also reed), which is the long left leg of the kuf (evil and darkness), into hineh – revelation and light (ie קנה to הנה ) – so the long leg of the kuf has been shortened to make it a hei.

From the pasuk in Tehilim it says ‘Destroy the wild beast of the reeds’

Which means that we convert the wild beast (kaneh), through our service – dealing with our animal souls,( equivalent to the sacrifices in the Temple), into hineh, which means revelation.

Ie converting darkness into light – PILLARS OF LIGHT, STANDING UPRIGHT, connected to Above.

Which was the function of the Mishkan and Temple, to convert darkness to light.

Gut Shabbos to all.