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Noam Elimelech · Parshas Vayeishev · Maamar ב From the Torah ofRebbe Elimelech of Lizhenskרבי אלימלך מליז'נסקProfile ›

The Shechinah in Exile: Tamar Pleads for Israel

“These are the generations of Yaakov: Yosef” leads, by way of hint, into the story of Yehudah and Tamar. Who is Tamar, why must she be told that her father-in-law is going up to shear his sheep, and what are the seal, cord and staff she asks him for?

Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer

Bereishis 37:2
אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף בֶּן־שְׁבַע־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הָיָה רֹעֶה אֶת־אֶחָיו בַּצֹּאן וְהוּא נַעַר אֶת־בְּנֵי בִלְהָה וְאֶת־בְּנֵי זִלְפָּה נְשֵׁי אָבִיו וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת־דִּבָּתָם רָעָה אֶל־אֲבִיהֶם
These are the generations of Yaakov: Yosef, being seventeen years old, was tending the flock with his brothers; he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Yosef brought an evil report of them to their father.
6“These are the generations of Yaakov: Yosef.” It seems that this can be explained by way of hint. We are in this bitter exile, sick, swept away and hard pressed, pressed by the scarcity of the flow of blessing, which has been diminished from Israel because of our many sins. And Hashem, blessed be He, in His great compassion is, as it were, “with him in distress.”1 He has rested His Shechinah among us, and she is the one who sustains us, through the flow of blessing given by her hand. As Hashem promised Avraham Avinu, “Koh, so, shall your offspring be”:2 the Shechinah is called Koh, and she will be with your offspring always. This is what Hashem said to Adam HaRishon: “Ayekah?”3 Ayekah (איכה) means “Where are you?”, but here it is read as ei Koh (אי כה), “Where is Koh?” That is: How did you bring the Shechinah into exile, and where will she turn in exile?
אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף. נִרְאֶה לְפָרֵשׁ ע"ד הָרֶמֶז, דְּהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר הַזֶּה דַּוָּויִין וּסְחוּפִים וּדְחוּקִים בְּדוֹחַק הַשְׁפָּעוֹת שֶׁנִּתְמַעֲטוּ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל בַּעֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים, והשי"ת בְּרוֹב רַחֲמָיו כִּבְיָכוֹל "עִמּוֹ אָנֹכִי בְצָרָה", וְהִשְׁכִּין שְׁכִינָתוֹ בְּתוֹכֵינוּ וְהִיא הַמְּקַיֶּימֶת אוֹתָנוּ בְּהַשְׁפָּעָה הַנִּיתָּן עַל יָדָהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִבְטִיחַ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע"ה "כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ", פֵּירוּשׁ הַשְּׁכִינָה נִקְרֵאת "כֹּה", תִּהְיֶה עִם זַרְעֲךָ תָּמִיד. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר השי"ת לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן "אֵיכָה" - "אִי כֹּה", דְּהַיְינוּ אֵיךְ גָּרַמְתָּ גָּלוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה, וְאַיֵּה תִּפְנֶה עַצְמָהּ בַּגָּלוּת.
  1. Tehillim 91:15. ↩
  2. Bereishis 15:5. ↩
  3. Bereishis 3:9. ↩

Sources here

In shortIn our bitter exile the Shechinah, called Koh, dwells among us and sustains us, as Hashem promised Avraham; Adam's Ayekah asks, “Where is Koh?”
7This is “These are the generations of Yaakov: Yosef.” The flows of blessing that come from the world called “Yaakov” come through the Shechinah, which is called “Yosef.” That is the prayer of Musaf, the additional prayer: Yosef (יוסף) and Musaf (מוסף) both speak of hosafah, adding. For the flow of blessing comes with difficulty and needs great strength: we add strength upon strength to bring it down to us. “Being seventeen years old” speaks of the bitter exile, where “in all their affliction He is afflicted”:4 the Shechinah feels great pain that we are hard pressed, as we said. And the Name Havayah (הוי״ה), the four-letter Name, is then in its katnus, its smallness, where its value is seventeen.5 Even so, seventeen is also the value of tov (טוב), “good”: even in its smallness the Name is there to bestow all good on us.
וְזֶהוּ "אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב", ר"ל הַהַשְׁפָּעוֹת הַבָּאוֹת מֵעוֹלָם הַנִּקְרָא "יַעֲקֹב", הֵם בָּאִים ע"י הַשְּׁכִינָה הַנִּקְרָא "יוֹסֵף", וְהוּא תְּפִילַּת "מוּסָף" לְשׁוֹן הוֹסָפָה, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַשְׁפָּעָה בָּאָה בְּקוֹשִׁי בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל, שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ מוֹסִיפִים כֹּחַ עַל כֹּחַ לְהוֹרִיד הַשְׁפָּעָה אֵלֵינוּ, "בֶּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה", ר"ל בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל צָרָתָם לוֹ צָר, שֶׁצַּעַר גָּדוֹל לַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ דְּחוּקִים כנ"ל, וְהַשֵּׁם הוי"ה הוּא בְּקַטְנוּת גִּימַטְרִיָּה שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה, ואעפ"כ הוּא גִּימַטְרִיָּא "טוֹב" לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עָלֵינוּ כָּל טוּב.
  1. Yeshayahu 63:9. ↩
  2. In the small count, which drops the tens, yud is 1, so Havayah is 1 + 5 + 6 + 5 = 17 (in the plain count, 26). Tov is 9 + 6 + 2 = 17. ↩
In shortBlessing from “Yaakov” reaches us through the Shechinah, “Yosef,” only by added effort; “seventeen” is Hashem's Name in its smallness, which still equals tov, good.
8This is the meaning of “And it was told to Tamar, saying …”6 The Shechinah is called “Tamar,” the palm. The holy Zohar says that the palm is male and female.7 We may say that this is why the Shechinah is named after the palm. She bestows the good deeds of Israel on the upper worlds, and afterward she receives a flow of blessing from the upper worlds and bestows it on Israel. So she is called Tamar, for she is male and female: she gives to the upper worlds, and she receives the flow of blessing for Israel. This is what Chazal hinted at when they said, “All the moichos, the pressed ones, of Rebbi's household, Tamar shman, their name is Tamar.”8 Rebbi, R' Yehudah HaNasi, was always anxious and took no pleasure from this world. As the Gemara says, “On a day when Rebbi laughed, punishment came upon the enemies of Israel,” Heaven save us.9 This was because in Rebbi's days the repair of the Shechinah had to come about in this way. And the tzaddikim who walk in his footsteps, who crush themselves, press themselves hard and grieve over the exile of the Shechinah and the troubles of Israel, are called by the name of Rebbi's household. That is “the moichos of Rebbi's household”: moichos speaks of ma'uch, as in “crushed or battered.”10 And “Tamar shman”: they share in the pain of the Shechinah, which is called Tamar, as we said.
וְזֶהוּ "וַיּוּגַּד לְתָמָר לֵאמֹר כו'", דְּהַשְּׁכִינָה נִקְרֵאת "תָּמָר", דְּאִיתָא בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ דְּתָמָר הוּא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא, וי"ל דְּמִשּׁוּם הָכִי נִקְרֵאת תָּמָר ע"ש תָּמָר, דְּהַשְּׁכִינָה הִיא הַמַּשְׁפַּעַת לָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים הַמַּעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מְקַבֶּלֶת הַשְׁפָּעָה מֵעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וּמְשַׁפַּעַת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָכֵן נִקְרֵאת תָּמָר דְּהִיא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא, שֶׁמְּשַׁפַּעַת לָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וּמְקַבֶּלֶת הַשְׁפָּעָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁרָמְזוּ חז"ל (יבמות לד, ב) "מוֹעֲכוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבִּי תָּמָר שְׁמָן", דְּרַבִּי ע"ה הָיָה דּוֹאֵג תָּמִיד וְלֹא הָיָה נֶהֱנֶה מעוה"ז, דְּאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא "יוֹמָא דִּמְחַיֵּךְ רַבִּי אָתְיָא פּוּרְעָנוּתָא עַל שׂוֹנְאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" ר"ל, וְהוּא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁבִּימֵי רַבִּי הָיָה צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת הַתִּיקּוּן לְהַשְּׁכִינָה בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה, וְהַצַּדִּיקִים הַהוֹלְכִים בְּעִקְבוֹתָיו, שֶׁהֵם מְמַעֲכִים עַצְמָם וְנִדְחָקִים וּמְצַעֲרִים עַל גָּלוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה וְצָרוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֵם נִקְרָאִים עַל שֵׁם בֵּית רַבִּי, וְזֶהוּ "מוֹעֲכוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבִּי", ר"ל לְשׁוֹן מָעוּךְ וְכָתוּת, "תָּמָר שְׁמָן", שֶׁהֵם מִשְׁתַּתְּפִים עַצְמָם בְּצַעַר הַשְּׁכִינָה הַנִּקְרֵאת תָּמָר כנ"ל.
  1. Bereishis 38:13. ↩
  2. Zohar I 82a; Zohar II 37b. ↩
  3. Yevamos 34b. ↩
  4. Nedarim 50b; the Gemara has “punishment came upon the world.” “The enemies of Israel” is the way Chazal speak of a misfortune of Israel itself without naming it, as in Berachos 4b, where “the fall of the enemies of Israel” is said of “She has fallen … the maiden of Israel.” ↩
  5. Vayikra 22:24. ↩
In shortThe Shechinah is called Tamar, the palm that is male and female, for she both gives and receives; tzaddikim who grieve for her, like Rebbi, share her pain.
9aThis is “And it was told to Tamar, saying, ‘Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah …’” The union of the holy Names called Abba and Imma, “Father” and “Mother,”11 is now, in the bitter exile, because of our many sins, not a complete unity and union. It is only like chitun, the bond between in-laws, until our righteous Moshiach comes, speedily in our days; then the union will be whole. We may say that this is why chitun with idolaters, marrying into them, was forbidden to us:12 so that it would not harm what we must do, to unify the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah through chitun in the bitter exile.
וְזֶהוּ "וַיּוּגַּד לְתָמָר לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה חָמִיךְ עוֹלֶה תִמְנָתָה", דְּהִנֵּה הַיִּחוּד וְהַזִּיוּוּג הַשֵּׁמוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הַנִּקְרָאִים "אַבָּא וְאִמָּא", עַתָּה בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר בעוה"ר אֵינוֹ יִחוּד וְזִיוּוּג גָּמוּר אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ חִיתּוּן, עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹא מָשִׁיחַ צִדְקֵינוּ בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ אָז יִהְיֶה הַזִּיוּוּג שָׁלֵם. וי"ל שֶׁמִּטַּעַם זֶה נֶאֱסַר לָנוּ חִיתּוּן עכו"ם, לְמַעַן לֹא יַזִּיק לָנוּ לָזֶה שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ צְרִיכִין לְיַחֵד קב"ה וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ ע"י חִיתּוּן בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר,
  1. In the Kabbalah, Abba and Imma are the names of the sefiros Chochmah, wisdom, and Binah, understanding, seen as a father and mother. ↩
  2. Devarim 7:3: “You shall not intermarry (lo sischaten) with them.” ↩
In shortIn exile the union above is only like chitun, the bond of in-laws, until Moshiach; perhaps that is why chitun with idolaters is forbidden us.
9bThat is “Behold, your father-in-law”: Hashem, bound to the Shechinah now only as an in-law is, by chitun, in the bitter exile. “Is going up to Timnah”: timnasah, to Timnah (תמנה), speaks of the south, as in “Whoever wishes to become wise should turn to the south.”13 For there, in the attribute of Chochmah, wisdom, is the root of rachamim, compassion. So Hashem goes up to this attribute, to deal with us by the attribute of compassion, even though we are hard pressed and oppressed in the bitter exile. That is “to shear his sheep”: it hints at Israel, called “the holy flock,”14 who are “like a ewe before her shearers”15 under the pressure of the bitter exile. Even so, it comes in great compassion: it is only to make us afraid, and not in actual deed, Heaven forbid. And the Shechinah longs with great love that we lack no good; even this much she does not want, that fear should come over our heads and the voice of an oppressor rise over us. That is “Vayugad (ויוגד), and it was told, to Tamar”: vayugad is taken here as gidin (גידין), sinews, which shares its letters gimel and dalet: this news is as hard as sinews for the Shechinah, who is called Tamar.16 “Saying, ‘Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,’” only to make them afraid, as we said: this too is very hard for her, like sinews. And she always arouses compassion and pleads in our defense.
וְזֶהוּ "הִנֵּה חָמִיךְ" ר"ל בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר, "עוֹלֶה תִּמְנָתָה", תִּמְנָתָה הוּא לְשׁוֹן "תֵּמָנָה", דְּהַיְינוּ דָּרוֹם, הָרוֹצֶה לְהַחְכִּים יַדְרִים, שֶׁשָּׁם בְּמִדַּת "חָכְמָה" הִיא שׁוֹרֶשׁ הָרַחֲמִים, וְהַיְינוּ שהשי"ת עוֹלֶה לְהַמִּידָּה זֹאת לְהִתְנַהֵג עִמָּנוּ בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים הֲגַם שֶׁאָנוּ דְּחוּקִים וּנְגוּשִׂים בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר, וְזֶהוּ "לָגוֹז צֹאנוֹ", רֶמֶז לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּקְרָאִים "צֹאן קָדָשִׁים" הֵם כְּרָחֵל לִפְנֵי גוֹזְזֶיהָ מִדּוֹחַק הַגָּלוּת הַמַּר, אעפ"כ הוּא בְּרַחֲמִים גְּדוֹלִים, שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לְמַעַן לְיָרְאֵנוּ וְלֹא בְּפוֹעַל מַמָּשׁ חָלִילָה, וְהַשְּׁכִינָה תְּשׁוּקָתָהּ מְאוֹד בְּאַהֲבָה אוֹתָנוּ שֶׁלֹּא יֶחְסַר לָנוּ כָּל טוּב, וְגַם בָּזֹאת אֵין רְצוֹנָהּ שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה מוֹרָא עַל רֹאשֵׁינוּ וְלֹא יַעֲלֶה עָלֵינוּ קוֹל נוֹגֵשׂ, וְזֶהוּ "וַיּוּגַּד לְתָמָר" ר"ל שֶׁזֶּה קָשֶׁה כְּגִידִין לְהַשְּׁכִינָה הַנִּקְרָא תָּמָר, "לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה חָמִיךְ עוֹלֶה תִמְנָתָה לָגוֹז צֹאנוֹ" לְמַעַן לְיָרְאָם כנ"ל, גַּם זֶה קָשֶׁה לָהּ מְאוֹד כְּגִידִין, וְתָמִיד הִיא מְעוֹרֶרֶת רַחֲמִים וּמְלַמֶּדֶת זְכוּת עָלֵינוּ.
  1. Bava Basra 25b, R' Yitzchak. ↩
  2. Yechezkel 36:38. ↩
  3. Yeshayahu 53:7. ↩
  4. The phrase is from Shabbos 87a, where vayaged, “and he told,” is expounded as words that are hard for a person like sinews. ↩
In shortHashem turns to compassion, and the shearing of exile is only to make us fear; yet even this is hard as sinews for the Shechinah, who always pleads for us.
10“And she took off her widow's garments.”17 The Gemara says that almanah, “widow,” is named for the maneh, the hundred zuz of a widow's kesubah, her marriage contract.18 The holy Bnei Yisrael are “full of mitzvos like a pomegranate.”19 Only sometimes they fall a little short in matters of money: there is some division among them because of money. The Shechinah removes from Israel the accusation over this begidah, this betrayal, by pleading in their defense and showing their good and holy deeds before Hashem. That is “And she removed bigdei almenusah, her widow's garments”: she removes the begidah (בגידה), the betrayal, which is the shortcoming over the maneh, money. “And she covered herself with a tza'if, a veil”: the Targum renders it redidin, like “And they beat out the plates of gold,”20 which speaks of thinness. She clothes herself in holiness from the fine, spiritual things of holy Israel, who act with their holy deeds, and that is all her delight. Vatisalaf means “and she wrapped herself,” but here it is read as fainting from weariness, as in “He should not go into the bathhouse, lest he faint (yisalef).”21 The Shechinah in this bitter exile is weary and exhausted, and through prayer, Torah, mitzvos and good deeds we give life and delight to the Shechinah, as is found in the writings of . It is like a sick man who is very weak: we let him smell fragrant spices so that he will not faint. So too the Shechinah in this bitter exile is, as it were, fainting, and we give her a pleasing fragrance with our prayer and our holy Torah. That is “vatisalaf.”
"וַתָּסַר אֶת בִּגְדֵי אַלְמְנוּתָהּ", דְּאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא "אַלְמָנָה עַל שֵׁם מָנֶה", דְּהִנֵּה עַם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הֵם מְלֵאִים מִצְווֹת כְּרִימּוֹן, רַק זֶה לִפְעָמִים חֶסְרוֹנָם קְצָת עַל עִסְקֵי מָמוֹן, יֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם פֵּירוּד קְצָת מֵחֲמַת מָמוֹן, וְהַשְּׁכִינָה מְסִירָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל הַקִּטְרוּג שֶׁעַל הַבְּגִידָה זֹאת, ע"י שֶׁהִיא מְלַמֶּדֶת זְכוּת עֲלֵיהֶם בְּהַרְאוֹת אֶת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַטּוֹבִים וְהַקְּדוֹשִׁים לִפְנֵי השי"ת, וְזֶהוּ "וַתָּסַר בִּגְדֵי אַלְמְנוּתָהּ", שֶׁהִיא מְסִירָה הַבְּגִידָה שֶׁהוּא הַחִסָּרוֹן שֶׁל מָמוֹן, "וַתְּכַס בַּצָּעִיף" תַּרְגּוּמוֹ רְדִידִין כְּמוֹ "וַיְרַקְּעוּ פַּחֵי זָהָב" שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן דַּקּוֹת, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁהִיא מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בִּקְדוּשָּׁה מֵהַדְּבָרִים הַדַּקִּים וְהָרוּחָנִיִּים שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הַפּוֹעֲלִים בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַקְּדוֹשִׁים שֶׁזֶּה כָּל תַּעֲנוּגָהּ, "וַתִּתְעַלָּף" לְשׁוֹן עֲיֵיפוּת, מִלְּשׁוֹן "וְלֹא יִכָּנֵס לַמֶּרְחָץ שֶׁמָּא יִתְעַלֵּף", וְהַיְינוּ דְּהַשְּׁכִינָה בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר הַזֶּה הִיא עֲיֵיפָה וִיגִיעָה, וע"י הַתְּפִילּוֹת וְהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְווֹת וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים אָנוּ נוֹתְנִים חַיּוּת וְתַעֲנוּג לְהַשְּׁכִינָה כִּדְאִיתָא בַּכְּתָבִים, לְמָשָׁל הַחוֹלֶה שֶׁהוּא חַלָּשׁ מְאוֹד וּמְרִיחִים לוֹ רֵיחַ בְּשָׂמִים לְמַעַן לֹא יִתְעַלֵּף, כֵּן הַשְּׁכִינָה בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר הַזֶּה כִּבְיָכוֹל מִתְעַלֶּפֶת, וְאָנוּ נוֹתְנִים לָהּ רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ בִּתְפִילָּתֵינוּ וּבְתוֹרָתֵינוּ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, וְזֶהוּ "וַתִּתְעַלָּף".
  1. Bereishis 38:14. ↩
  2. Kesubos 10b, Rav Chana of Baghdad. ↩
  3. Eruvin 19a. ↩
  4. Targum Yonasan on Bereishis 38:14 (beredida); Shemos 39:3, which Onkelos renders verididu. ↩
  5. Shabbos 9b. ↩
In shortThe Shechinah removes the charge against Israel over money, clothes herself in their fine spiritual deeds, and is revived in her exile-weariness by our prayer and Torah, like a fragrance.
11a“And she sat at the entrance of Einayim”:22 she always goes around to those who learn Torah for its own sake. That is the hint in einayim, “eyes”: those who learn Torah are called “the eyes of the congregation.”23 She sits at their doorways to receive a pleasing fragrance and restore her soul, as it were, through their Torah learned for its own sake, to unify the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah. This is also the hint in “A person should not pray unless he goes in the distance of two doorways”:24 it hints at unifying the two Names, Havayah and Adnus, the Name of Lordship. “Which is on the road to Timnah” means: at the doorways of which Torah learners does she go around to sit? Those who walk on the road to Timnah. This hints that they learn Torah for its own sake and walk in the way of wisdom, as we said of timnasah: “Whoever wishes to become wise should turn to the south.”
"וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם", דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁהִיא מְחַזֶּרֶת תָּמִיד עַל לוֹמְדֵי תּוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ, וְזֶה רֶמֶז "עֵינַיִם", שֶׁהֵם לוֹמְדֵי תּוֹרָה הַנִּקְרָאִים "עֵינֵי הָעֵדָה", וְהִיא יוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּפִתְחֵיהֶם לְקַבֵּל רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ לְהָשִׁיב אֶת נַפְשָׁהּ כִּבְיָכוֹל ע"י תּוֹרָתָם לִשְׁמָהּ לְיַחֵד קב"ה וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ. וְזֶה רֶמֶז "אַל יִתְפַּלֵּל אָדָם אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יִכְנוֹס שִׁיעוּר שְׁנֵי פְּתָחִים", רֶמֶז לְיַחֵד שְׁנֵי שֵׁמוֹת הֲוָיָה ואדנ"י, וְזֶה "אֲשֶׁר עַל דֶּרֶךְ תִּמְנָתָה", ר"ל עַל אֵיזֶה לוֹמְדֵי תּוֹרָה מְחַזֶּרֶת לֵישֵׁב בְּפִתְחֵיהֶם? הֵם הַהוֹלְכִים בְּדֶרֶךְ תִּמְנָתָה, רֶמֶז שֶׁלּוֹמְדִים תּוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ וְהוֹלְכִים בְּדֶרֶךְ חָכְמָה כנ"ל, תִּמְנָתָה - הָרוֹצֶה לְהַחְכִּים יַדְרִים,
  1. Bereishis 38:14. ↩
  2. Bamidbar 15:24. ↩
  3. Berachos 8a, Rav Chisda. The Gemara says, “A person should always go in the distance of two doorways into the synagogue, and then pray.” ↩
In shortThe Shechinah sits at the doorways of those who learn Torah for its own sake, “the eyes of the congregation,” whose learning unifies Hashem and His Shechinah.
11b“For she saw that Shelah had grown up”: here gadal Shelah is taken as “the forgetting is great.” The Shechinah sees how great is the forgetting, that we have been forgotten in this bitter exile so many days and so many years. Shelah is from shol tashollu, which explains as forgetting.25 We may also take Rashi's second explanation, from “for your olives will drop (yishal).” In this exile, because of our many sins, Israel's flow of blessing has been diminished. The nations take all the flows of blessing, and we draw only from what is left over, meagerly, like something tossed to us when a little blessing is thrown our way. That is “for gadal shelah”: great is the length of the exile, and great the scarcity of blessing for Israel, because of our many sins. “And she had not been given to him as a wife”: for a long time now the Shechinah has been in exile, not in the true, complete union but only through chitun, as we said.
"כִּי רָאֲתָה כִּי גָדַל שֵׁלָה", ר"ל שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה רוֹאָה שֶׁגָּדוֹל הַשִּׁכְחָה שֶׁאָנוּ נִשְׁכָּחִים בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר זֶה יָמִים רַבִּים וְשָׁנִים רַבִּים, "שֵׁלָה" מִלְּשׁוֹן שׁוֹל תָּשׁוֹלּוּ, וּפֵירֵשׁ רש"י ז"ל לְשׁוֹן שִׁכְחָה, וְגַם י"ל הַפֵּירוּשׁ שֵׁנִי שֶׁל רש"י ז"ל מִלְּשׁוֹן וְיִשַּׁל זֵיתֶךָ, דְּהִנֵּה בַּגָּלוּת הַזֶּה בעוה"ר שֶׁנִּתְמַעֵט הַהַשְׁפָּעָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, וְכָל הַשְׁפָּעוֹת נוֹטְלִים הָאוּמּוֹת וְאֵין אָנוּ יוֹנְקִים אֶלָּא מֵהַתַּמְצִית, דְּהַיְינוּ בְּדוֹחַק כְּמוֹ זְרִיקָה שֶׁזּוֹרְקִים לָנוּ הַשְׁפָּעָה קְצָת, וְזֶהוּ "כִּי גָדַל שֵׁלָה", שֶׁגָּדוֹל אֲרִיכוּת הַגָּלוּת וּמִיעוּט הַהַשְׁפָּעוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בעוה"ר, "וְהִיא לֹא נִיתְּנָה לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה", ר"ל שֶׁזֶּה זְמַן רַב שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה בַּגָּלוּת שֶׁאֵינָהּ בְּיִחוּד הַגָּמוּר הָאֲמִיתִּי כִּי אִם ע"י חִיתּוּן כנ"ל.
  1. Rashi on Rus 2:16, who gives both explanations; the second cites Devarim 28:40. ↩

Sources here

In short“Shelah had grown up” means the forgetting of the long exile and its meager trickle of blessing have grown great, while the Shechinah's union is still only chitun.
12a“And Yehudah saw her and thought her to be a harlot.”26 The holy Zohar comments on the verse “She has fallen and will no more rise, the maiden of Israel.”27 The Gemara says that in the West, in Eretz Yisrael, they read it this way: “She has fallen and will fall no more; rise, maiden of Israel.”28 The holy Zohar explains it differently and speaks at length there through a parable. A king had a queen. Because his sons did not behave properly, he drove them away from him, and drove the queen out with them. Afterward his compassion was stirred for them, and he sent and took them back in secret, out of shame, since they still did not behave properly. Then they went further in their misconduct, and he drove them out together with the queen. And he said to the queen, “I will not come back to take you in secret as at first. When I see that they have mended their deeds, then I will come to you myself.”
"וַיִּרְאֶהָ יְהוּדָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לְזוֹנָה", דְּאִיתָא בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ עַל פָּסוּק "נָפְלָה וְלֹא תוֹסִיף קוּם בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל", וְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא בְּמַעֲרָבָא מְתָרְצִי הָכִי נָפְלָה וְלֹא תּוֹסִיף לִנְפּוֹל עוֹד, קוּם בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבַזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ פֵּירְשׁוּ בְּעִנְיָן אַחֵר, וּמַאֲרִיךְ שָׁם בְּדֶרֶךְ הַמָּשָׁל לַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וּמֵחֲמַת שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ בָּנָיו מִתְנַהֲגִים כַּשּׁוּרָה גֵּרֵשׁ אוֹתָם מֵאִתּוֹ וְגֵרֵשׁ אִתָּם אֶת הַמַּטְרוֹנִיתָא, ואח"כ נִכְמְרוּ רַחֲמָיו עֲלֵיהֶם וְשָׁלַח וְלָקַח אוֹתָם בְּהֶסְתֵּר מֵחֲמַת בּוּשָׁה שֶׁעֲדַיִין לֹא הָיוּ מִתְנַהֲגִים כַּשּׁוּרָה, ואח"כ הוֹסִיפוּ בְּסִרְחוֹנָם וְגֵרֵשׁ אוֹתָם עִם הַמַּטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְאָמַר אֶל הַמַּטְרוֹנִיתָא לֹא אָשׁוּב לָקַחַת אוֹתָךְ בְּהֶסְתֵּר כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּתְּחִילָּה, עַד אֲשֶׁר אֶרְאֶה שֶׁתִּקְּנוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, אָז אָבוֹא בְּעַצְמִי אֵלַיִךְ,
  1. Bereishis 38:15. ↩
  2. Amos 5:2. ↩
  3. Berachos 4b. ↩
In shortIn the Zohar's parable, a king brings back his sons and queen in secret, out of shame; when they sin again, he says he will come himself once they mend their ways.
12bHere is what the parable means. In the days of Ezra, Israel deserved to have a miracle done for them as in the days of Moshe. Only because of the sin of their foreign wives, Hashem took them out of the Babylonian exile in secret. That is “She has fallen and will no more rise, the maiden of Israel”: I will no longer raise Israel as at first, when I took them back in secret; only when they mend their deeds will I come to them Myself. That is the gist of the holy Zohar's words.29
כֵּן הַנִּמְשָׁל, בִּימֵי עֶזְרָא שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם נֵס כְּבִימֵי מֹשֶׁה, רַק מֵחֲמַת הַחֵטְא שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת, לָקַח אוֹתָם מִגָּלוּת בָּבֶל בְּהֶסְתֵּר, ע"ש הַלָּשׁוֹן בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ, וְזֶהוּ "נָפְלָה וְלֹא תוֹסִיף קוּם בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל", ר"ל לֹא אוֹסִיף עוֹד לְהָקִים אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּתְּחִילָּה שֶׁלָּקַחְתִּי אוֹתָם בְּהֶסְתֵּר, רַק כַּאֲשֶׁר יְתַקְּנוּ אֶת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם אָז אָבוֹא בְּעַצְמִי אֲלֵיהֶם ע"ש.
  1. The parable is in Zohar III 6a: a king, angry with his queen, sends her from his palace for a set time, and each time she comes back on her own; the last time he sends her far away and says he will go himself to bring her back. The sin of the foreign wives, through which the miracles due them in the Babylonian exile were lost, is in Zohar II 7a. R' Elimelech tells the parable in his own words and joins the two passages. ↩
In shortBecause of the foreign wives, Hashem brought Israel back from Babylon in secret; in the final redemption He will come Himself, once Israel mends its deeds.
12cThat is “And Yehudah saw her and thought her to be a harlot”: Hashem saw that their deeds were not yet mended, and that they had foreign wives. “For she had covered her face”: He was forced to take them in secret, out of shame. So “he turned aside to her by the road”:30 Hashem turned Himself toward her. “And he said, ‘Come, please’”: see that you are ready for the time when they mend their deeds, and “let me come to you”: then I will come to you Myself, as we said, and not as at first, when I took you in secret. “For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law”: yada, “knew,” speaks of love, as in “For I have known him.”31 In the bitter exile the union comes through chitun, the bond between in-laws, as we said, and in this Hashem, blessed be He, has no love, “for she was his daughter-in-law (kallaso)”: she is with Him like a kallah, a daughter-in-law.
וְזֶהוּ "וַיִּרְאֶהָ יְהוּדָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לְזוֹנָה", ר"ל שהשי"ת רָאָה שֶׁעֲדַיִין אֵין מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם מְתוּקָּנִים וְשֶׁהָיוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת, "כִּי כִּסְּתָה פָּנֶיהָ", פֵּירוּשׁ וְהוּכְרַח לִיקַּח אוֹתָם בְּהֶסְתֵּר מֵחֲמַת בּוּשָׁה, לָכֵן "וַיֵּט אֵלֶיהָ אֶל הַדֶּרֶךְ", פֵּירוּשׁ השי"ת הִטָּה עַצְמוֹ אֵלֶיהָ, "וַיֹּאמֶר הָבָה נָא", ר"ל תִּרְאִי לִהְיוֹת מוּכֶנֶת אָז כַּאֲשֶׁר יְתַקְּנוּ אֶת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וְ"אָבוֹא נָא אֵלַיִךְ", ר"ל אָז אָבוֹא בְּעַצְמִי אֵלַיִךְ כנ"ל, לֹא כְּבַתְּחִילָּה שֶׁלָּקַחְתִּי אוֹתָךְ בְּהֶסְתֵּר, "כִּי לֹא יָדַע כִּי כַלָּתוֹ הִיא", "יָדַע" מִלְּשׁוֹן "כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו" לְשׁוֹן אַהֲבָה, פֵּירוּשׁ שהשי"ת ב"ה אֵין לוֹ בָּזֶה אַהֲבָה, "כִּי כַלָּתוֹ הִיא", ר"ל שֶׁהִיא אֶצְלוֹ כְּכַלָּה, דְּהַיְינוּ בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר שֶׁהַיִּחוּד הוּא ע"י חִיתּוּן כנ"ל.
  1. Bereishis 38:16. ↩
  2. Bereishis 18:19; Rashi there explains it as a word of affection. ↩
In shortYehudah and Tamar are Hashem and the Shechinah in exile: He holds back His love until Israel mends its ways, for now their union is only chitun.
13“And she said, ‘What will you give me, that you may come to me?’”32 The Shechinah says to the Holy One, blessed be He: What more will You give me then, when You come to me soon, as You promise me? What good thing will You give me then, beyond the first ingathering of the exiles? “And he said, ‘I will send a kid of the goats from the flock’”:33 then I will send away and remove all the kelipos, the husks that hide holiness, and the sitra achra, the “other side” opposed to holiness, hinted at in “a kid of the goats.” I will remove it all “from the flock,” from Israel, the holy flock. “And she said, ‘If you give a pledge until you send it’”: eravon (ערבון), a pledge, speaks of areivus (עריבות), sweetness. The Shechinah asks Hashem to give her some sweetness in the meantime, in the bitter exile, before the time comes when He will send away the sitra achra. “And he said, ‘What pledge shall I give you?’”:34 Hashem asks the Shechinah what sweetness she is asking for. “And she said, ‘Your seal …’”: this is sweet to me, that we be sealed and inscribed upon You, “as a seal upon Your heart, as a seal upon Your arm.”35
"וַתֹּאמֶר מַה תִּתֶּן לִּי כִּי תָבֹא אֵלָי", פֵּירוּשׁ הַשְּׁכִינָה אוֹמֶרֶת להקב"ה מַה תִּתֶּן לִי אָז יוֹתֵר כִּי תָּבוֹא אֵלַי בִּמְהֵרָה שֶׁאַתָּה מַבְטִיחַ לִי, וְאֵיזֶה דָּבָר טוֹב תִּתֵּן לִי אָז יוֹתֵר מִקִּיבּוּץ הַגָּלוּת הָרִאשׁוֹן? "וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי אֲשַׁלַּח גְּדִי עִזִּים מִן הַצֹּאן", פֵּירוּשׁ כִּי אָז אֲשַׁלַּח וְאָסִיר כָּל הַקְּלִיפּוֹת והס"א הַמְּרוּמָּז בְּ"גְּדִי עִזִּים", אָסִיר הַכֹּל מֵהַ"צֹּאן", פֵּירוּשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל צֹאן קָדָשִׁים, "וַתֹּאמֶר אִם תִּתֵּן עֵרָבוֹן עַד שָׁלְחֶךָ", ר"ל הַשְּׁכִינָה הִיא מְבַקֶּשֶׁת מהשי"ת שֶׁיִּתֵּן לָהּ אֵיזֶה עֲרֵיבוּת וּמְתִיקוּת בְּתוֹךְ כָּךְ בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר קוֹדֶם שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ הָעֵת שֶׁתְּשַׁלַּח הס"א, "וַיֹּאמֶר מָה הָעֵרָבוֹן אֲשֶׁר אֶתֶּן לָּךְ", פֵּירוּשׁ השי"ת אוֹמֵר לְהַשְּׁכִינָה בְּאֵיזֶה מְתִיקוּת הִיא מְבַקֶּשֶׁת, "וַתֹּאמֶר חוֹתָמְךָ כו'", פֵּירוּשׁ זֶה עָרֵב לִי שֶׁנִּהְיֶה אֲנַחְנוּ חֲתוּמִים וּרְשׁוּמִים בְּךָ כַחוֹתָם עַל לִבֶּךָ כַּחוֹתָם עַל זְרוֹעֶךָ.
  1. Bereishis 38:16. ↩
  2. Bereishis 38:17. ↩
  3. Bereishis 38:18. ↩
  4. Shir HaShirim 8:6. ↩
In shortThe Shechinah asks what the final redemption will add; Hashem will remove the sitra achra from Israel, and meanwhile she asks for the sweetness of Israel sealed upon His heart.
14a“And your cord (pesilecha).” To explain it, we begin with the verses of tzitzis: “… on the tzitzis of the corner a thread (pesil) of techeiles, the sky-blue wool … and you shall remember … so that you remember …”36 At first glance, why is remembering said twice? It seems we can answer this way. The Gemara says, “Techeiles resembles the sea …”37 I have already explained this in another way, and now I would explain it so. “Techeiles” hints that the mitzvos “resemble the sea”: they have no end, like the sea, as “all the rivers go to the sea, and the sea is not full.”38 “And the sea resembles the rakia, the sky”: rakia speaks of “beaten-out plates” (riku'ei pachim), metal beaten thin and fine.39 “The sky resembles the Throne of Glory”: that is, although a person is busy with mitzvos that have no end, for this he must also look into fine, spiritual things, that is, in thought. And with all this, while he keeps the mitzvos and is busy with spiritual things, he still needs teshuvah every time. That is the hint in “the sky resembles the Throne of Glory,” in the spirit of “Great is teshuvah, for it reaches the Throne of Glory.”40
"וּפְתִילֶךָ", וְנַקְדִּים לְפָרֵשׁ הַפָּסוּק "הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת כו' וּזְכַרְתֶּם כו' לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ כו'", וְלִכְאוֹרָה כֶּפֶל הַזְּכִירוֹת לָמָּה? אַךְ נִרְאֶה, דְּאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא "תְּכֵלֶת דּוֹמָה לַיָּם כו'", כְּבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי בְּאוֹפֶן אַחֵר, וְעַתָּה אָמַרְתִּי לְפָרֵשׁ "תְּכֵלֶת" רֶמֶז דְּהַמִּצְווֹת "דּוֹמָה לַיָּם", דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם סוֹף כְּמוֹ הַיָּם, שֶׁכָּל הַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם וְהַיָּם אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא, "וְיָם דּוֹמֶה לָרָקִיעַ", וְרָקִיעַ הִיא לְשׁוֹן רִקּוּעֵי פַּחִים, "רָקִיעַ דּוֹמֶה לְכִסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד", ר"ל הֲגַם שֶׁעָסַק בַּמִּצְווֹת שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם סוֹף, צָרִיךְ לָזֶה לִרְאוֹת בִּדְבָרִים דַּקִּים רוּחָנִיִּים דְּהַיְינוּ בְּמַחְשָׁבָה, וּבְכָל זֹאת שֶׁמְּקַיֵּים הַמִּצְווֹת וְעוֹסֵק בִּדְבָרִים רוּחָנִיִּים, בְּכָל זֹאת צָרִיךְ תְּשׁוּבָה בְּכָל פַּעַם, וְזֶה רֶמֶז "רָקִיעַ דּוֹמֶה לְכִסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד" עַל דֶּרֶךְ "גְּדוֹלָה תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁמַּגַּעַת עַד כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד",
  1. Bamidbar 15:38–40. ↩
  2. Menachos 43b, R' Meir: “Techeiles resembles the sea, the sea resembles the sky, and the sky resembles the Throne of Glory.” ↩
  3. Koheles 1:7. ↩
  4. Bamidbar 17:3. ↩
  5. Yoma 86a. ↩
In shortTecheiles shows that the mitzvos are endless like the sea; a person needs fine spiritual thought besides, and even then teshuvah each time, which reaches the Throne of Glory.
14bThat is “a thread of techeiles on the corner, and it shall be to you for tzitzis.” Tzitzis speaks of “peering (metzitz) through the lattices”:41 through the mitzvah of tzitzis, which has techeiles, you will look and see that the mitzvos have no end, as we said: “Techeiles resembles the sea.” “And you shall see it and remember all the mitzvos of Hashem”: after you have looked at the techeiles of the tzitzis, as we said, even if you remember and think that you have already done all of Hashem's mitzvos, even so “and do them”: you must go back and do them anew, as we said, for this is something without end. “And you shall not stray …”: now you must do them without any ulterior motive or stray thought. “So that you remember”: the second remembering comes after you have done this. Then you will raise all the mitzvos you have done until now, raise them higher and higher, to be accepted with favor before Hashem, blessed be He. This answers the question of the double remembering.
וְזֶהוּ "הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִית", ר"ל "צִיצִית" לְשׁוֹן מֵצִיץ מִן הַחֲרַכִּים, דְּהַיְינוּ שע"י מִצְוַת צִיצִית שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם תְּכֵלֶת, עי"ז תִּסְתַּכְּלוּ לִרְאוֹת שֶׁהַמִּצְווֹת אֵין לָהֶם סוֹף כנ"ל, תְּכֵלֶת דּוֹמָה לַיָּם, "וּרְאִיתֶם אוֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת ה'", פֵּירוּשׁ וְאַחַר שֶׁתִּסְתַּכְּלוּ כנ"ל בְּצִיצִית הַתְּכֵלֶת, וְגַם אָמְנָם אִם תִּזְכְּרוּ וְתִסְבְּרוּ שֶׁכְּבָר עֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת כָּל מִצְווֹת ה', אעפ"כ "וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם", פֵּירוּשׁ צְרִיכִים אַתֶּם לַחֲזוֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹתָם מֵחָדָשׁ כנ"ל שֶׁהוּא דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין לוֹ סוֹף, "וְלֹא תָתוּרוּ כו'", דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁצְּרִיכִין עַתָּה לַעֲשׂוֹתָם בְּלִי שׁוּם פְּנִיָּה וְהִרְהוּר, "לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ", פֵּירוּשׁ הַזְּכִירָה הַשֵּׁנִית הוּא לְאַחַר שֶׁתַּעֲשׂוּ כֵּן כנ"ל, אֲזַי תַּעֲלוּ אֶת כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁעֲשִׂיתֶם עַד הֵנָּה, תַּעֲלֵם לְמַעְלָה לְמַעְלָה לְרָצוֹן לָהֶם לִפְנֵי השי"ת ב"ה.
  1. Shir HaShirim 2:9. ↩
In shortTzitzis means looking at the endless mitzvos: even after doing them all, do them anew without ulterior motive, and the second remembering lifts every past mitzvah on high.
15Now Tamar's second request, “and your cord (pesilecha)”: the Shechinah asks the Holy One, blessed be He, to help Israel, so that the threads (pesilim) will be a remembrance for them and they will come to the level we described: keeping His mitzvos and being always in teshuvah. For it is very hard for them to reach this level by themselves. Especially in the bitter exile, we have no techeiles, only white threads. This hints that we must serve Hashem with all our strength to arouse compassion, which is white (loven); and for this Bnei Yisrael need support to hold them up. “And your staff” hints at what Elisha said to his servant: “Take the staff, to revive the child.”42 This hints that the Shechinah asks Hashem to put this staff into the hands of the tzaddikim, so that they will have the power to heal and to revive through their prayer. “And he gave them to her”:43 Hashem agreed to her request, and all three, the seal, the cord and the staff, were given to her. “And he came to her, and she conceived by him”: then she conceives from the good deeds of Israel and brings them before Hashem. Through this, compassion and great flows of blessing are aroused for Israel forever, amen and amen. Understand this.
וְזֶהוּ "וּפְתִילֶךָ", ר"ל שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה מְבַקֶּשֶׁת מהקב"ה שֶׁהוּא יַעֲזוֹר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן הַפְּתִילִים, שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ לַמַּדְרֵיגָה הנ"ל לְקַיֵּים מִצְווֹתָיו וְלִהְיוֹת תָּמִיד בִּתְשׁוּבָה, כִּי קָשֶׁה לָהֶם מְאוֹד לָבוֹא לְמַדְרֵיגָה זֹאת מֵעַצְמָם, וּבִפְרָט בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר אֵין לָנוּ תְּכֵלֶת רַק חוּטֵי לָבָן, רֶמֶז שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ צְרִיכִים לַעֲבוֹד השי"ת בְּכָל כֹּחֵנוּ לְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים דְּהַיְינוּ לוֹבֶן, וְלָזֶה צְרִיכִין סַעַד לְתוֹמְכָם, "וּמַטְּךָ", רֶמֶז שֶׁאָמַר אֱלִישָׁע לְעַבְדּוֹ "קַח אֶת הַמַּטֶּה לְהַחֲיוֹת הַיֶּלֶד", וְזֶה רֶמֶז שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה מְבַקֶּשֶׁת שֶׁיִּתֵּן השי"ת הַמַּטֶּה הַזֶּה בְּיַד הַצַּדִּיקִים, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בָּהֶם כֹּחַ לְרַפְּאוֹת וּלְהַחֲיוֹתָם בִּתְפִילָּתָם, "וַיִּתֶּן לָהּ", שהשי"ת הִסְכִּים עַל יָדָהּ, וְתִנָּתֵן לָהּ כָּל הַשָּׁלֹשׁ הנ"ל, "וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ וַתַּהַר לוֹ", פֵּירוּשׁ אָז הִיא מִתְעַבֶּרֶת מֵהַמַּעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמְבִיאָתָם לִפְנֵי השי"ת, עי"ז נִתְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים וְהַשְׁפָּעוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן. וְהָבֵן.
  1. The verse has “Take my staff (mish'anti) in your hand … and lay my staff on the lad's face” (Melachim II 4:29). ↩
  2. Bereishis 38:18. ↩
In shortThe Shechinah asks that Israel be helped to constant mitzvos and teshuvah and that the tzaddikim's prayer heal; Hashem grants it, and Israel's good deeds arouse great compassion.
The maamar as a whole

R’ Elimelech reads the verses as a hint about our bitter exile. Hashem’s Shechinah, called Koh, dwells among us, and the blessing of “Yaakov” reaches us through her, “Yosef,” only with added effort. She is Tamar, the palm that is male and female, carrying Israel’s good deeds up and blessing down. In exile her union with Hashem is only like chitun, a bond of in-laws. Even a shearing meant only to frighten us is as hard as sinews for her; she pleads for us and is revived by our prayer and Torah. Hashem, who brought Israel back from Babylon in secret, will come Himself once we mend our deeds. Meanwhile she asks for His seal, cord and staff: Israel sealed upon His heart, help to do the endless mitzvos anew with teshuvah, and healing prayer for the tzaddikim. He grants them, and great compassion flows to Israel.

Takeaway

In our bitter exile the Shechinah stays with us, pained by our pain and pleading for us, and every prayer and word of Torah learned for its own sake revives her like a fragrance. She asks Hashem to help us with the mitzvos, which are never finished: even after doing them all, we must do them anew, without ulterior motive and with teshuvah each time, and so lift up everything we have done before.

Related learning

Sources he cites

Bereishis 3:9 · · · · Bereishis 38:13–18 · · Vayikra 22:24 · · Bamidbar 15:38–40 · Bamidbar 17:3 · Devarim 7:3 · Devarim 28:40 · Melachim II 4:29 · · · · undefined 5:2 · · · · Rus 2:16 · · Targum Jonathan on Bereishis 38:14 · Rashi on Rus 2:16 · Berachos 4b · · Shabbos 9b · · · · Yevamos 34b · Kesubos 10b · Nedarim 50b · · Menachos 43b · Zohar, Bo · Zohar, Lech Lecha · Zohar, Shemot

Tzaddikim he names

Avraham Avinu · Adam HaRishon · Yaakov Avinu · Yosef HaTzaddik · Rebbi (R’ Yehudah HaNasi) · The Arizal · Rashi · Yehudah · Ezra · Moshe Rabbeinu · Elisha HaNavi

Sefarim he cites

the holy Zohar (הזוהר הקדוש) · the writings (בכתבים), the Arizal’s writings

Translated with AI assistance. Sources and summaries were checked by a separate AI review; not yet reviewed by a human editor.

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