Dov Ber of Mezrich, Torah Ohr, Parshat VaYigash

Maggid Devarav LeYaakov Dov Ber of Mezrich Torah Ohr (translation mine- please credit me if you reproduce) Parshat Vayigash “And Yehudah approached [vayigash] him, and he said to him, ‘it is me [bi adoni] etc...’ The rabbis may, their memory be blessed, said that ‘approaching[hagasha]’ is nothing but prayer. It seems to me that this is what the passage is referring to when it says “Vayigash elav Yehuda-- and Judah approached him...” It is saying that this is how “a man of Israel” who is called by the name “a man of Judah” when he is standing to pray before HaShem Yitbarach, should behave. This is this that all of the intention of his prayer will be to draw down influence [lehashpi’a] from the Presence of his Power [shechinat uzo]. And this is what the rabbis may they be blessed, said: “One only stands to pray out of koved rosh [honor/heaviness of the head]. This means the honor of the reisha de kol reishin- the beginning of all beginning. Even if one is requesting their own needs- their intention will be that this thing is not lacking above, perish the thought. For the soul is a piece of God from above, and she is a limb from the limbs of the Shechinah. This is the essence of the request-- that it will be filled and it will be influenced above. And surely through this his prayer will be acceptable, and there will be no accuser prosecuting him and he will not be like the servants who are made to shout “hav hav”- and it is [written] in the holy book of the Zohar. It is also known that Speech is called “Yehuda”-- for the Thought which is called the “Yod heh” from Yehuda continues to the Voice which is called “vav” and the “vav” flows out to the “dalet” and a “heh” is made. And this is the interpretation-- “Vayigash”-when one approaches in prayer-- and he says make my request for You, for I am a part of God above. This is what is meant by “bi adoni” (it is in me, sire)-- and so do not get angry that you will prosecute me, for all of my intention is to linfluence above to a piece of the Creator- which is in me. And this is “bi adoni”- it is in me, sire.....”

Siach Chayyim on the Torah--by Eliezer Chayyim of Yampoli

Siach Chayyim on the Torah by Eliezer Chayyim of Yampoli (decendant of Maggid of Zlotchov / Zlotshov) VaYeshev “And Israel said to Joseph, aren’t your brothers shepherding in Shechem...(Genesis 37:13)” One needs to understand what the Holy Torah is hinting at to us in this story, though this is known to one who knows. For all of the purpose of the simple will from the Creator, May His Name be Blessed in the bringing down of souls into this world of doing into bodies is for the good of the soul. For all of the souls before they come down to the world of doing sit underneath the Throne of Glory. They take pleasure in the light of the Shechinah. However, the Creator, May His Name be Blessed wants love and wants to bestow good and does good with all of the souls so that they will not take pleasure for free, without any action and that a reward may come to them in order that they will not eat of the Bread of Shame (Zohar), therefore he brings them down into bodies in the world of doing. And he gives them upright functions/orders in the form of aseh and lo ta’aseh (do and don’t do). And every single soul receives a reward according to her action in order that the souls will not take pleasure in the Bread of Shame. The Holy Torah gives this hint to us. For it is known that “Yisrael” is “Yisrael Saba”# And He is the Creator, may he be blessed, and the soul is nicknamed “Yosef” for she comes down to the world of doing in order that she will add (yityosef) for herself a reward, and in order that she will add nachas (nachat ruach) to the Creator by means of the virtue of its action. However, the soul from the greatness of her pleasure which she takes pleasure in from the precious brilliance, she does not want to go down to the world of doing. This is [the interpretation of the verse] And Yisrael Saba said to the soul which is called Yosef... ”Are not your brothers”-- these are all of the souls invited in the creation of the Universes (?)All of them are shepherds. These are the ones who are dependent upon “beshechem”, which is notarikon for bischar mitzvot (through the reward of mitzvot). Therefore one must go against their will, “and I will send you to them.” And when the soul sees that this is the will of the Creator, then the soul says to the Creator, May He be Blessed, “here I am.” As Rashi interpreted, even to death, perish the thought, if this is the will of the Creator. However, the soul does not know if she will return again to her Creator, to the source from which she was hewn. Therefore “And Yisrael Saba said to him” (this is the Holy Blessed One) -- “to the soul-- go, please and see the peace of your brothers--” these are the souls-- “and the peace of the cattle--” these are the bodies, “and bring back to me a word”-- against your will you wil in the future bring back a judgement and an accounting, “and He sent him to the soul from the depth of chevron--” these are from the depths of devekut, where the soul was attached to the Holy Blessed One in the upper Universe underneath the Throne of Glory, and she came to the world of doing. “Toward Shechem” in gematria is 365. For now the soul has come to be under “time”. For this is “time”-- it is the days of year of the world/universe of doing. For in the upper worlds/universes, she (the soul) is above “time”. “And he found a man--” for when the soul comes to the world/universe of doing she is made into “a man”. Therefore, he needs to be in the aspect of Gavriel in order to prevail (yitgaber) over his impulses to transgress a command of God, may his name be blessed. And this is the meaning of “shepherding in the field”. For he does not know who he will listen to-- to his impulse (yetzro) or to his Creator (yotzro) … Therefore, “and he asked the man”.... _______________________________________________________________________________________ 1 The Zlotchover maggid was born in Brody in around the year 1726 2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chokhmah_%28Kabbalah%29--):”In its fully articulated form, Chokhmah possesses two partzufim ("faces" or "features"): the higher of these is referred to as Abba Ila'ah ("the higher father"), whereas the lower is referred to as Yisrael Saba ("Israel, the Elder"). These two partzufim are referred to jointly as Abba ("father"). Chokhmah is associated in the soul with the power of intuitive insight, flashing lightning-like across consciousness. The partzuf of Abba Ila'ah is associated with the power to spontaneously extract such insight from the superconscious realm, whereas the partzuf of Yisrael Saba is associated with the power to subsequently direct it into consciousness.” JPG of Text: