Prayer at the Root: Rising and Self-Reckoning
“Avram passed through the land as far as the place of Shechem”: why say “place”? And why does the verse map his tent so carefully, Beis El to the west and the Ai to the east? Even his faith is puzzling: what is so remarkable in Avraham believing Hashem?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
Bereishis 12:6
וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי אָז בָּאָרֶץ
Avram passed through the land as far as the place of Shechem, as far as Elon Moreh; and the Canaanite was then in the land.
35Or we may read Avram's journey as the path of prayer: “Avram passed through the land as far as the place of Shechem.” At first glance the word “place” is superfluous. It seems to me that we must begin with our prayer, “All will thank You, and all will praise You …”1 That is, there are worlds called “all”: a world to which thanks belong and a world to which praises belong, and so each word of praise hints at the world it belongs to, the world where its root lies. This is the saying “Whoever has acquired knowledge has acquired all”:2 a person must first gain knowledge by learning about all the worlds, and then “he has acquired all,” meaning that he can rise and come to the level of directing his intent to the upper worlds, which are called “all.” This is the main thing in his prayer: that he pray in the root that belongs to that prayer. This is also what the verse says: “And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.”3 Yet this is puzzling: surely, once he called them by names, those were their names. Rather, it means that this is its name in the upper world, in the root that belongs to that creature or that animal. For Adam HaRishon directed his intent to call them by names that have their root in that very name in the upper world.
אוֹ יֹאמַר "וַיַּעֲבוֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם", לִכְאוֹרָה מִלַּת 'מָקוֹם' הוּא מְיוּתָּר. ונ"ל מִקּוֹדֶם דְּהִנֵּה אָנוּ אוֹמְרִים "הַכֹּל יוֹדוּךָ וְהַכֹּל יְשַׁבְּחוּךָ כּוּ׳", דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ עוֹלָמוֹת הַנִּקְרָאִים 'הַכֹּל', וְיֵשׁ עוֹלָם שֶׁשַּׁיָּיךְ בּוֹ הוֹדָיוֹת וְיֵשׁ עוֹלָם שֶׁשַּׁיָּיךְ בּוֹ שְׁבָחִים, וְכֵן כּוּלָּם מְרוּמָּזִים עַל עוֹלָם הַשַּׁיָּיךְ בּוֹ וְנוֹגֵעַ אֶל שׁוֹרְשׁוֹ. וְזֶהוּ "דַּעַת קָנָה הַכֹּל קָנָה", ר"ל שֶׁמִּתְּחִילָּה צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ יְדִיעָה עַל יְדֵי לִימּוּד כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת, וְאָז "הַכֹּל קָנָה", ר"ל שֶׁיּוּכַל לַעֲלוֹת וְלָבוֹא לְמַדְרֵיגָה לְכַוֵּוין הָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים הַנִּקְרָאִים 'הַכֹּל', וְזֶהוּ עִיקָּר בִּתְפִילָּתוֹ, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל בַּשּׁוֹרֶשׁ הַשַּׁיָּיךְ לְאוֹתוֹ תְּפִילָּה. וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב "וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָא לוֹ הָאָדָם נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה הוּא שְׁמוֹ", וְלִכְאוֹרָה קָשֶׁה בְּוַודַּאי כַּאֲשֶׁר קָרָא לָהֶם שֵׁמוֹת כָּךְ הָיָה שְׁמָם, אֶלָּא הַפֵּירוּשׁ הוּא כָּךְ הוּא שְׁמוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הָעֶלְיוֹן, בַּשּׁוֹרֶשׁ הַשַּׁיָּיךְ לְאוֹתוֹ חַיָּה אוֹ לְאוֹתוֹ בְּהֵמָה, שֶׁאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן כִּיוֵּון לִקְרוֹתָם בְּאֵלֶּה שֵׁמוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם שׁוֹרֶשׁ בְּהַשֵּׁם הַזֶּה בָּעוֹלָם הָעֶלְיוֹן.
- From the first blessing before the Shema on Shabbos morning. ↩
- Editor's note: It seems R' Elimelech is citing, in his own words, the saying “Have you acquired knowledge, what do you lack?” (Vayikra Rabbah 1:6; in Aramaic in Nedarim 41a). He gives it in these same words elsewhere in the sefer (Noam Elimelech, Shemos; Ki Seitzei). ↩
- Bereishis 2:19. ↩
Sources here
In shortEvery word of praise and every name has its root in an upper world; with knowledge of the worlds a person prays at that root, as Adam named the animals by their roots above.
36So this is “Avram passed through the land as far as the place of Shechem”: he rose in his prayer. As explains, he prayed there for the sons of Yaakov, who would one day fight at Shechem,4 and he directed his intent and rose in his prayer as far as the upper world that corresponds to Shechem. That is “the place of Shechem,” for everything below has a root above. “As far as Elon Moreh”: I have already explained that man is called a tree, in the spirit of the saying “Why is man compared to a planted tree …,”5 because man's root is above. Every word that leaves his mouth in holiness and purity becomes a tree too: branches growing from the root of the tree that is man. That is “he dwelt in Elonei Mamre,” the oaks of Mamre:6 Mamre (ממרא) speaks of amirah (אמירה), saying, for every single saying that left his mouth became trees. And so “as far as Elon Moreh”: moreh (מורה), which sounds like mora (מורא), awe, speaks of yirah (יראה), fear, for through his fear, as he sanctified and purified himself, his words became trees.
וְזֶהוּ "וַיַּעֲבוֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם", שֶׁעָלָה בִּתְפִילָּתוֹ שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב כְּפֵירוּשׁ רש"י ז"ל, וְהָיָה מְכַוֵּוין וְעוֹלֶה בִּתְפִילָּתוֹ עַד עוֹלָם הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁהוּא נֶגֶד שְׁכֶם, וְהַיְינוּ "מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם", כִּי כָּל דָּבָר לְמַטָּה יֵשׁ לוֹ שׁוֹרֶשׁ לְמַעְלָה, "עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה", כְּבָר פֵּירַשְׁתִּי דְּאָדָם הוּא נִקְרָא 'אִילָן' ע"ד שֶׁאָמְרוּ 'לְמָה אָדָם דּוֹמֶה לְאִילָן הַנָּטוּעַ' כּוּ׳, וְהַיְינוּ מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאָדָם שׁוֹרְשׁוֹ לְמַעְלָה, וְכָל דִּיבּוּר וְדִיבּוּר הַיּוֹצֵא מִפִּיו בִּקְדוּשָּׁה וּבְטָהֳרָה, הַדִּיבּוּר הַזֶּה נַעֲשֶׂה ג"כ אִילָן, דְּהַיְינוּ עֲנָפִים לְשׁוֹרֶשׁ הָאִילָן, וְהַיְינוּ "וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵלוֹנֵי מַמְרֵא", פֵּירוּשׁ 'מַמְרֵא' הוּא לְשׁוֹן אֲמִירָה, דְּהַיְינוּ כָּל אֲמִירָה וַאֲמִירָה שֶׁיָּצָא מִפִּיו, הָיָה נַעֲשֶׂה מֵהֶם אִילָנוֹת, וְזֶהוּ "עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה", מוֹרֶה הוּא לְשׁוֹן יִרְאָה, ר"ל שע"י יִרְאָתוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ וּמְטַהֵר נַעֲשֶׂה מֵהֶם אִילָנוֹת.
- Rashi on Bereishis 12:6. ↩
- The wording recalls Avos 3:17, “To what is he compared? To a tree …”; Kiddushin 40b, “To what are the tzaddikim likened in this world? To a tree …”; and Taanis 7a, on “For man is the tree of the field” (Devarim 20:19). ↩
- Bereishis 13:18. ↩
In shortAvraham's prayer for Yaakov's sons rose to Shechem's root above, and every word he spoke in holiness and fear of Hashem grew into a tree, branches of man's root above.
37“From there he moved on to the mountain”:7 this hints at the upper worlds called “Avos,” the fathers, for the Avos are called “mountains.”8 That is, the level we have described kept growing stronger and went on into the upper worlds. “Mikedem to Beis El,” east of Beis El: he longed so greatly and strengthened himself so much to reach a great level that is kedumah, prior, in holiness to Beis El, that is, higher than the holiness of the Beis HaMikdash, where holiness was at its fullest. For so a person must long and yearn to reach in the service of the Creator, without end or limit. “And he pitched his tent”: vayet (ויט) also means “he inclined.” Avraham Avinu inclined his tent, his fear of Hashem and the service with which he served Him, this way and that, to weigh truly whether he was whole or not. And he saw “Beis El miyam,” to the west, where miyam means “at the sea”: he considered that holiness was very far from him. “And the Ai mikedem,” to the east, where kedem also means “in front”: this was always before Avraham, that he was not serving Hashem, blessed be He, as he should, and he found failings and sins in himself. For the Ai hints at sins, since it was there that the sin came to light when Achan trespassed against the devoted spoil.9 Such is the way of the tzaddik: his deeds are never pleasing in his own eyes, and he always sees his own lowliness.
"וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם הָהָרָה", הוּא רֶמֶז לָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים הַנִּקְרָאִים 'אָבוֹת', דְּאָבוֹת נִקְרָאִים 'הָרִים', וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁהַמַּדְרֵיגָה הנ"ל הָיָה מִתְגַּבֵּר וְהוֹלֵךְ עוֹד לָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, "מִקֶּדֶם לְבֵית אֵל", ר"ל שֶׁהָיָה מִשְׁתּוֹקֵק כ"כ וּמִתְחַזֵּק עַצְמוֹ לָבוֹא אֶל מַדְרֵיגָה גְּדוֹלָה הַקְּדוּמָה בִּקְדוּשָּׁה יוֹתֵר מִבֵּית אֵל, דְּהַיְינוּ יוֹתֵר מִקְּדוּשַּׁת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁשָּׁם הָיָה עִיקַּר הַקְּדוּשָּׁה, כִּי כֵן צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לְהִשְׁתּוֹקֵק וּלְהִתְאַוּוֹת שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא עַד אֵין קֵץ וְתַכְלִית, "וַיֵּט אָהֳלוֹ", פֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ הָיָה נוֹטֶה אָהֳלוֹ, דְּהַיְינוּ יִרְאָתוֹ וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ שֶׁהָיָה עוֹבֵד להשי"ת, הָיָה נוֹטֶה לְכָאן וּלְכָאן לְהַכְרִיעַ בְּהַכְרָעָה אֲמִיתִּית אִם הוּא בִּשְׁלֵימוּת אוֹ לָאו, וְרָאָה "בֵּית אֵל מִיָּם", ר"ל וְחִישֵּׁב בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁהַקְּדוּשָּׁה רְחוֹקָה מִמֶּנּוּ מְאוֹד, "וְהָעַי מִקֶּדֶם", פֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁזֶּה הָיָה לִפְנֵי אַבְרָהָם תָּמִיד שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹבֵד השי"ת ב"ה כָּרָאוּי, וְהָיָה מוֹצֵא חֶסְרוֹנוֹת וַעֲווֹנוֹת בְּעַצְמוֹ, דְּ'הָעַי' רֶמֶז עַל עֲוֹנוֹת, שֶׁשָּׁם נִמְצָא עָוֹן שֶׁמָּעַל עָכָן בַּחֵרֶם, כִּי כֵן דֶּרֶךְ הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁאֵין מַעֲשָׂיו נוֹחִים בְּעֵינָיו וְרוֹאֶה תָּמִיד בְּשִׁפְלוּתוֹ.
- Bereishis 12:8: “From there he moved on to the mountain east of Beis El and pitched his tent, with Beis El to the west and the Ai to the east.” ↩
- So Rosh Hashanah 11a reads “skipping over the mountains” (Shir HaShirim 2:8): “in the merit of the Avos.” ↩
- Yehoshua 7:1–5: Achan took from the devoted spoil of Yericho, and Israel's defeat at the Ai brought his sin to light. ↩
In shortAvraham kept climbing beyond even the holiness of the Beis HaMikdash, yet he weighed himself honestly and always saw holiness far off and his own failings before him.
38This is what is said of Avraham: “He believed in Hashem, and he reckoned it to him as tzedakah.”10 Yet what is so remarkable about his believing in Hashem? What we have said explains this too. “And he reckoned it to him as tzedakah” refers to Avraham. Avraham always looked at himself and always found himself wanting. So when Hashem told him, “So shall your seed be …,”11 he believed in Hashem and wondered at himself: by what merit would this come to him? And he reckoned that it was nothing but Hashem's tzedakah, His charity. Understand this.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּאַבְרָהָם "וְהֶאֱמִין בַּה׳ וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה", וְלִכְאוֹרָה מַה רְבוּתָא בָּזֶה שֶׁהֶאֱמִין בַּה׳? ועפ"י דְּבָרֵינוּ הנ"ל יְבוֹאַר ג"כ, דְּ"וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה" קָאֵי עַל אַבְרָהָם, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁאַבְרָהָם הָיָה רוֹאֶה וּמִסְתַּכֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ תָּמִיד וְרָאָה תָּמִיד חוֹב לְעַצְמוֹ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ השי"ת "כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ כּוּ׳", הֶאֱמִין בַּה׳ וְהָיָה מֻתְמָהּ עַל עַצְמוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה זְכוּת יַגִּיעַ לוֹ זֶה, וְחִישֵּׁב שֶׁאֵין זֶה אֶלָּא צִדְקַת ה׳. וְהָבֵן.
- Bereishis 15:6. Rashi reads Hashem as the one who reckoned Avram's faith to him as merit and tzedakah; R' Elimelech reads the verb of Avraham himself. ↩
- Bereishis 15:5. ↩
In shortAvraham's faith was remarkable because he always found himself wanting: promised countless offspring, he credited it to Hashem's charity, not to his own merit.
R’ Elimelech reads Avram’s journey as the path of prayer. Every word of praise, like every name Adam gave the creatures, has its root in an upper world; one who has acquired knowledge of the worlds can pray at the root that belongs to each prayer. So Avram, praying for the sons of Yaakov, rose to the root above that corresponds to Shechem, and every word he spoke in holiness and fear became a tree, the oaks of Mamre and Moreh. He climbed on to the mountains, the Avos, longing for holiness higher even than the Beis HaMikdash, for a person’s longing should have no end. Yet he weighed himself honestly: Beis El, holiness, seemed far off, and the Ai, his failings, always before him. That is why his faith was remarkable: promised countless seed, he reckoned it as Hashem’s charity, not his own merit.
Takeaway
When you pray, aim each word at the root it rises to, and let every holy word you speak be planted like a tree. Long for more in your service without limit, yet weigh yourself honestly, as Avraham did, and when good comes to you, see it as Hashem's charity, not your due.
Learn this in the merit of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk. His yahrzeit and life ›
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English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.