“And you who are cleaving to Hashem your God are all alive today.”305Devarim, 4.
3
ומסקי בגמרא [סנהדרין ס״ד ע״א] לא נצמדים שאינן מחוברים היטב רק דבוקים ממש ע״ש. ובתולדות יעקב יוסף מביא בשם הרמב״ם ז״ל שתכלית כל התורה ומצוות הוא לבא אל ובו תדבק. ומעתה עבודת החסידות לא תוספת עבודה היא שאפשר גם בלעדה, רק עיקריתה ותכליתה שא״א בלעדה. כי איך זה אפשר להתדבק ע״י עבודה דבוק ממש אם בלא נפש עובדים אותה, אף לא גילה אותה ולא בידו היא. רק ע״י עבודת החסידות שהיא בנפש גלוי׳, ואשר בידו לגלותה אפשר להתדבק בו ית׳ דבוק ממש, כל אחד לפי מצבו. והוא גם ענין המס״נ בעבודה, כמו שהבאנו לעיל בפרק ה׳ מבית אהרן שלכן נקראה מסירת הנפש ולא מסירת הגוף, מפני שאין הכוונה של מס״נ רק בשעה שבא לידי נסיון של כפירה ח״ו ומוסר את גופו להריגה, רק גם שכל עבודתו בכל ימי חייו, כלו, רצונו מחשבתו מדותיו וגופו מסורים לד׳ ולעבודתו ע״ש. כשבא ח״ו לידי נסיון אז חובה עליו לכלה את גופו וחייו ולמסרם לד׳, ועבודתו אשר בכל ימי חייו, חי יחי׳ ומ״מ מדבק את גופו נפשו וכל כחותיו בד׳, ומעט מעט בכל עבודה תורה ותפילה בכל עת ובכל שעה מוסר חלקי כחותיו נפשו רוחו ונשמתו לד׳ עד שכשמגיע לעת מצוא אחר אריכות ימיו ושנותיו נמצא כלו נתון בידיו יתברך.
The Gemara306Sanhedrin, 64a tells us that the word, “cleaving (d’veikim)” means an intensely close connection.307“Devekus” is the act of joining and uniting oneself with God. It could be described as an intense feeling of connection to God. Man indeed has the ability to unite with the Omnipresent, each at his own level, and reaching a state of deveikus is one of the primary goals of Avodas Hashem. In order to understand the phenomenon, the Rebbe points us first to the way Chazal used the term deveikus. It is not simply being close together, like a lid tightly fastened to a jar that can be removed with little effort, but in the imagery of the Gemara, “like two date palms that grew together.” wedged together, inseparable. It is the difference between a mere association and a long standing relationship where the two grew together, like a man and wife or a child and parent. When you achieve devekus you cannot be taken away from God, or even distracted from being conscious of His presence. The Toldos Yaakov Yosef308Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye, the “top student” of the Baal Shem Tov, published in 1780 (5540) the first sefer to quote teachings of his master Rabbi Yisrael. tells us in the name of the Rambam that the ultimate purpose of Torah observance is for man to reach the point where he fulfills the words, “and you shall cleave unto Him,” in all aspects of his Torah observance. With this in mind, we can understand how the teachings of Chassidus are not an optional avodah that the man of Israel can “get by” without. It is the central point of the Torah - its very culmination - and without it, man’s Torah observance is somehow incomplete.309Deveikus happens when there is a harmony and union between your desires and God’s desire. You can reach deveikus in learning and in davening, but it must be clear that an eved Hashem can reach deveikus in the performance of just about any commandment. Those who know little about Chassidus might have an image in their minds of Chassidim reaching deveikus by davening, singing, and dancing for long periods of time. Though Chassidus stresses avodah b’simcha, still, being a chassid does not mean dancing around and clapping your hands, “drinking l’chaims” and davening late. A chassid is a baal nefesh, and once in possession of your soul you yearn to cleave it to the source of all souls in everything you do. How is it possible to truly cleave God through avodah if that service is done without soul, or with a soul that is covered up, or with a soul that you have not yet mastered? One can only reach deveikus (intense closeness or cleaving) through the avodah of Chassidus through some mastery of a revealed soul. Once you succeed in revealing your soul you can then truly feel deveikus with Hashem, each according to his own level. There is a concept and practice of mesiras nefesh in avodah. Mesiras nefesh means delivering over of your whole soul in any service of God, as we mentioned in Chapter Five when we quoted the Beis Aharon.310Rav Aharon of Karlin, a generation after the Baal Shem Tov. When a man, God forbid, comes to a trial of faith at the hands of the oppressor, then he must relinquish himself in martyrdom and allow the destruction of his body and his life. It is only under highly rare conditions that we are asked to deliver our very lives to the avodah. And yet, every day, we have the ability to deliver our souls. For this reason it is called mesiras nefesh, (relinquishing the soul) and not mesiras hagoof (relinquishing the body). Mesiras nefesh is done when man’s desire, thoughts, behavior, and body are whole-heartedly offered to God in the context of the avodah. With the work of days and years, the eved Hashem directs all of his energies into the avodah. In this way he is really giving himself over to God. He still lives and walks the earth, but still, he delivers his body, soul, and all of his powers to God. After days and years pass he attains greater levels of devotion, until he reaches a point where he puts his life and soul311Here, as in many other places, the Rebbe Zts”l says, nefesh, ruach, and neshama, which we call, “soul.” into every act of kindness, every tefillah, and every line of Torah, every moment of the day. In his very lifetime he is wholly given over into God’s hands. And then, “at a time when God is found,”312Tehillim, 32:6. “a time when God is found … Rav Nachman bar Yitschak says, this is when one passes on.” (Gemara, Brachos 8a) after the length of days and years, he is then altogether given over to God.
4
לכן הכוונה של מס״נ שחוב עלינו לכוון בק״ש, לא רק מין היכא תמצא היא, שבאם יבא לנסיון ימסור נפשו, ועתה שאינו בא לידי נסיון ורובי דרובי ישראל שאינם באים לידי נסיון, מחשבתם של מס״נ בק״ש ח״ו רק מחשבה כצל עובר היתה בלא ממש, ד׳ ישמרנו מזה. מקדושנו הבעש״ט זצוק״ל איתא שבמקום שמחשבתו של האיש, שם כל האיש נמצא, לכן כשמצייר במחשבה חזקה כאילו ראה בעיניו ממש, אש לפניו והוא מושלך בתוכה, אז נחשב לו כאילו גם עתה עשה כן בפועל, כיון שהוא נמצא עתה במקום מחשבתו, במוקד. וראיתי בספר רמז בפסוק ״נחשבנו כצאן טבחה״, נחשבנו, ע״י מחשבתנו שחושבים המחשבה של מס״נ בזו בעצמה אנו כצאן טבחה כאילו היתה המעשה בפועל.
The Law requires that you keep certain things in mind when you say the Shema.313Such as the Unity of God, acceptance of the responsibility of the Torah, acceptance of the responsibility placed on us by the Sovereignty of Heaven. One of them is mesiras nefesh to the Master of All. Heartfelt mesiras Nefesh during the declaration of Shema is not an obligation that only takes effect if an Israelite is faced with martytdom, God forbid, and forced to surrender his life at the hands of his oppressor.314See Sanhedrin, 72b Even though you are not faced with such a trial, still, you strive to fulfill the mitzvah of Shema with all of your heart and soul. Far be it that the mesiras nefesh we offer during Krias Shema is a mere lip service - a dutiful thought as brief and superficial a passing shadow. The Holy Baal Shem Tov tells us that where a man’s thoughts are, there you find the entire man. So when you use your ability of intense thought and envision a pillar of fire before you, and you throw yourself in the fire in the sanctification of God’s name, then you really are in the place of your thoughts. You really do throw yourself into the inferno. I saw a hint of this in a commentary on the verse, “we are reckoned as sheep for the slaughter.”315Tehillim, 44”23 It is not only that others thought about us this way. The verse uses the word thought, or considered, to show how we can consider ourselves as offerings. But it is no loose consideration. When we use the power of our minds and intense contemplation to deliver over our souls, then for all intensive purposes, we are sheep for the slaughter, and really do give over our physical lives for God.
5
ועוד, לזה נחוצה המחשבה של מס״נ בק״ש, כדי לשעבד את כל עצמנו גופנו כל כחותינו נפשנו ונשמתנו לעבודה של מס״נ שבכל ימי חיינו, ולמסרם לד׳ בבחי׳ ״ואתם הדבקים בד׳ אלקיכם חיים כלכם היום״ דבוקים ממש. כי בזה שחושבים שמוסרים את עצמם להריגה לשם ד׳ משעבדים ומוסרים את כל עצמנו וחיותנו אליו יתברך, ויקל לנו לשעבדם בעבודה בכל עת ובכל שעה אשר יאריך ד׳ חיותנו. וזה שאיתא בספ״ק שכשאיש אומר ק״ש בבוקר בכוונה טובה אז עבודתו לד׳ בכל היום עולה יפה.
Mesiras nefesh during kriyat shema needs to reach a level of intensity where we surrender ourselves to God in total. It is a complete act of submission to God, where you relinquish all of your physical and spiritual powers to the avodah, with the full awareness that you will in this way be given over to the service of God all the days of your life. You then exemplify what God had in mind when He said, “and you who are cleaving to Hashem, your God, are all alive today,” - “truly cleaving.”316From the Gemara, Sanhedrin, 64a, mentioned above. When you see yourself giving up your life for the sake of God, subduing and delivering your whole being and life to the Blessed One, it will make it much easier for you to dedicate yourself to the details of day to day avodah, for the length of days and years with the life that God grants you. This is what the Holy Rebbes meant when they said,317Or, in the vernacular, “as it is brought down in holy seforim…” “If a man says the morning Krias Shema with clear intent, then his avodas Hashem will be successful for the rest of the day.”
6
ורק כשמחשבתנו זו בק״ש היא מחשבה של ממש בכחה לשעבד את כל גופנו כחותינו ונפשנו וכו׳ לד׳, ולא כשהיא מחשבה קלה כצל עובר. הבה נא ונראה אם מחשבה של פעולה ממשית היא אם לאו. הנה שלש פעמים ביום אתה מכוון מחשבה זו של מס״נ, אבל נסה נא גם לאמור בפיך, הנני מוכן למסור אותי להשרף באש לפני ד׳ [כ׳בין גרייט מיך צו לאזען פארברענען אין פאיער פאר דעם אויבערשטען], ואז תראה שבפעמים הראשונים יקשה לך לאמור ע״ע דברים כאלו להשרף באש, אם כן מחשבתך זו עוד אינה של מעשה ממש כיון שגם הדיבור ממנה קשה לך.
This only happens when we are aware of the deep and concentrated purpose of Mesiras nefesh while saying the Shema, with enough power to subdue our bodies and souls to God’s way, but not when the intention is dutiful but unthinking, like a shadow flashing across the wall. Let us see if your intentions are sincere and your mesiras nefesh during the recitation of the Shema is indeed heartfelt. You may have the intention of mesiras nefesh three times a day, but how do you evaluate the seriousness of your intentions? Try saying out loud, “I am hereby ready to be burned in fire before God.” You may find that it is difficult for you to say at first.318If so, then your thoughts are not yet completely honest to the point where your thoughts hold the force of reality, as was mentioned above from the Baal Shem Tov. If it is so hard to even say the words, then how much more difficult would it be for you to actually do!
7
לכן בבוקר קודם ק״ש תאמר כדברים האלו במו פיך ובכוונה ומחשבה חזקה אשר חזקת לך.
Therefore, in the morning, before davening, say the following out loud, with seriousness of intent and intensity of thought:
8
הנני מקבל עלי עול מלכות שמים באמת.
With a full heart, I hereby accept upon myself the yoke and responsibility of the sovereignty of heaven.
9
הנני מאמין באמת שרק השי״ת הוא הנמצא היחידי, וכל העולמות והנמצא בהם הארת ד׳ הם, שהאציל וברא ומנהיג את הכל בהשגחה פרטיות כרצונו הטוב.
I truly believe that only God exists, that all of the worlds and all of existence are an illumination of Godliness, that He brought forth319See Bamidbar, 11:17. “He’etsil,” means bringing forth anything from the source, where the source is not in any way lacking when it gives from itself, just as a candle can light any number of other candles without loosing any of its own fire, or a wise man could teach any number of students without depleting his own knowledge. The Kabbalists call this, “atsilut,” or the emenation of light from the light of the Infinite (Ayn Sof). and created them all, managing them down to the last detail320Hashgacha pratis. under His careful scrutiny and according to His good desire.
10
הנני משעבד, ומכניע, ומבטל לד׳ את הגוף נפש רוח ונשמה שלי בזה ובבא, ואת הרצון מחשבה דיבור ומעשה שלי. ובין בשעה שאני ער ובין בשעה שאני ישן לא יהיו רצוני, מחשבותי, התרגשותי דיבורי, ומעשי, ח״ו היפך מרצון ד׳, רק כרצון ד׳ לבד ארצה ואחשוב, אתרגש אדבר, ואעשה.
I hereby, surrender, subdue, and nullify321“Bittul” is a state of being whereby man relinquishes his personal wants and needs and becomes transformed into a vessel for God’s desire. It in no way implies that a man feels worthless or devoid of self esteem, but rather his desire to serve God in the path of Chazal is so great that he puts personal comfort aside in pursuit of the goal of being a worthy servant. A man in a state of bittul is not cowering in a state of terror before the all powerful, but a dignified and noble servant of the Almighty. He is a man of strength and restraint, but more importantly, he has a deep appreciation of the awesome majesty of God and His Torah. A simple example of bittul would be washing the dishes for your wife even if you would much rather see your friends or learn your Gemara. Bittul before the Torah is achieved by doing a mitzvah even when you have no urge to do so, or following the directions of your Rav even if you feel that it they are contrary to your own desires and opinions. When you accept that Chazal’s wisdom is much greater than your own, and in accepting that they simply knew better you adhere to their words, you are beginning to understand the concept of bittul. It is a noble and praiseworthy attribute. my body, nefesh, ruach, and neshama from this moment onward, to God, This includes my desires, thoughts, speech and actions. It remains in force while I am sleeping and while I am awake. At no moment shall any facet of my being go against God’s will, God forbid. My soul, mind, body, emotion, speech and actions will only be vessels for the fulfillment of God’s will and desires.
11
הנני מוכן למסור את עצמי לשריפה בשביל כבוד שמים, הנני מקבל עלי עול מלכות שמים באמת.
I am hereby willing to give over my body to be burned for the sake of God’s glory and honor, and I hereby accept upon myself the yoke and responsibility of the sovereignty of Heaven with absolute truth.
כ׳בין משעבד און מכניע און מבטל צום אויבערשטען, מיין גוף נפש רוח ונשמה בזה ובבא, און מיין רצון מחשבה דיבור ומעשה. וואכענדיגערהייט און שלאפענדיגערהייט זאל איך נישט וועלען, נישט אינזינען האבען, נישט מתרגש ווערין, נישט רעדין און נישט טוען קיין שום זאך וואס איז דער היפך פון רצון השי״ת, נאר דאס וואס איז דער רצון פון השי״ת זאל איך וועלען, אין זינען האבען, מתרגש ווערין, און רעדען און טוען.
15
כ׳בין גרייט מיך צו לאזען פֿארברענען אין פֿייער פֿארן אויבערשטען, כ׳בין אויף מיר מקבל עול מלכות שמים באמת.]
16
לא רק תיבות ודיבורים לבד תכוון במחשבתך, רק דברים של ממש ועצם הענינים, מאחר שמחשבתך כבר נתרחבה ונתחזקה ותהי לממש.
Don’t just say the words. Actually mean what you say. Since you are already traveling on the path of expanded and intensified thought, your words will reach the heart of the matter, and will indeed be substantial.
17
מלא כל הארץ כבודו, ואתה בפועל ממש משעבד מכניע ומבטל את כל עצמותך לפניו יתברך. ומחוזק מחשבתך זו ומהכנעתך המרובה, יש שגם גופך בפועל כורע וכאילו משתחוה עתה לפני הוד מלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ב״ה.
God fills the whole world with His glory, and you actually subdue, surrender and nullify your entire self and being before God.322Like a candle in the bonfire, and a bonfire in the midst of the sun. On the strength of this thought and to the extent with which your actually surrender yourself before Him, you may even find yourself bending and bowing before the Sovereign of all Sovereigns, the King of all Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.
18
והנה האש מתלקד והלהב מתלהט ואתה קופץ בתוכה לשם כבוד מלכותו ית׳.
The fire rages, the flames blaze, and you jump into the fiery hearts and tongues for the sake of the Glory of God’s Sovereignty, may He be blessed.
19
ולא תתחיל מיד את שמע רק הפסק רגעים אחדים וחשוב שעתה כבר באת לאמור בפועל שמע ישראל ולהמליך בפועל ממש אותו ית׳ עליך ועל כל העולם.
Don’t start saying the Shema right away. Pause for a few moments. Think about the words that you are about to say and the intentions that you have in saying them. Then think to yourself that you are about to actually say the Shema Yisrael. In doing so you crown Hashem as the Sovereign Ruler over yourself and the entire universe.
20
ומתוך מחשבה ודיבורים אלו אמור שמע והוי מכוון במחשבה חזקה להמליך את הקב״ה בשמים [וגם את ראשך הגבה אז למרום], על הארץ [והוריד את ראשך למטה], בכל ארבע כנפות הארץ [ונענע גם את ראשך בסביביך, כמ״ש בש״ע או״ח סי׳ ס״א סעיף ו׳] והוי מאריך באחד וכוון למס״נ כידוע.
After these thoughts and declarations, say the Shema. Use your faculty of intense thought to crown God as ruler of the heavens, (and then you may turn your head heavenward),323The Rebbe Zts”l is suggesting these motions, mentioned in the Halacha, but it might be noted that such motions are not obligatory. Ruler of the earth (and you may bend your neck and lower your head), and Ruler of the four directions of the earth (and you may turn your head in a circle).324See Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim, Siman 61, seif 6) Then extend the word, echad (one),325Based on the Tikkunei Zohar, six times the amount of times it would normally take to say it. drawing it out with your voice and thinking that your own willingness to give yourself over completely in the act of mesiras nefesh.326The Rebbe just says, “have in mind the mesiras nefesh when you say echad.” The Holy Zohar teaches us that God, The Torah, and Knesset Yisrael (the Community of Israel or the Shechina) are all one. Therefore, in giving yourself over to God, you are also giving yourself over to the Torah and Israel. And when you help another Jew, you are also giving yourself over to God and the Torah to the degree with which you help him.
21
ותרגיש שאחר ק״ש כזו כאיש אחר תהי׳, תפילתך תורתך ועבודתך יותר זכות תהיינה. וכל היום ההוא אחר תהי׳. נכון שלא לאמור זה בכל יום, כנ״ל מהמאו״ש שהתחבולה שמשמשים בה בכל יום לסוף אינה פועלת. רק ג׳ פעמים בשבוע, בשבת קודש, ובעוד שני ימים אשר תרגיש עצמך מוכשר לזה.
After you say keriyas Shema in this way you will indeed be a changed man. Your davening, your learning of Torah, and your avodas Hashem will all reach a greater level of refinement. As you go about your day, you will not quite be the same – not nearly. Of course you shouldn’t use this meditation, this intense structure of thought every day, for we have already learned from the Maor VaShemesh that a tactic that is used too often loses its potency.327And it seems that the more potent the tactic, the more quickly it will loose its potency, because our minds can only take so much. It is a question of spiritual pharmaceutics. Only do this intense thought three times a week, on Shabbos, and two other days that you deem necessary, and feel able to do it justice.
22
וד׳ ירחם עלינו
May God have mercy upon us.
23
ויקרבנו אליו בגוף נרו״נ
May He bring us close to Him, in body and soul. May (our avodah) expand,328“mitoch harchava.” May we have a greater ability to serve Him. And similarly we bless God to widen the revelation of His goodness in our lives.
24
מתוך הרחבה ישועות טובות ונחמות
(and in His great love for us) may He bring salvation and consolation,
25
וחסדים נגלים
revealing His benevolence in the world.
26
ונזכה במהרה לגאולה שלימה אמן.
May we merit the complete redemption soon and in our days, Amen.
קריאת שמע
Kriyas Shema.
ואתם הדבקים בד׳ אלקיכם חיים כלכם היום [דברים ד׳]
“And you who are cleaving to Hashem your God are all alive today.”305Devarim, 4.
ומסקי בגמרא [סנהדרין ס״ד ע״א] לא נצמדים שאינן מחוברים היטב רק דבוקים ממש ע״ש. ובתולדות יעקב יוסף מביא בשם הרמב״ם ז״ל שתכלית כל התורה ומצוות הוא לבא אל ובו תדבק. ומעתה עבודת החסידות לא תוספת עבודה היא שאפשר גם בלעדה, רק עיקריתה ותכליתה שא״א בלעדה. כי איך זה אפשר להתדבק ע״י עבודה דבוק ממש אם בלא נפש עובדים אותה, אף לא גילה אותה ולא בידו היא. רק ע״י עבודת החסידות שהיא בנפש גלוי׳, ואשר בידו לגלותה אפשר להתדבק בו ית׳ דבוק ממש, כל אחד לפי מצבו. והוא גם ענין המס״נ בעבודה, כמו שהבאנו לעיל בפרק ה׳ מבית אהרן שלכן נקראה מסירת הנפש ולא מסירת הגוף, מפני שאין הכוונה של מס״נ רק בשעה שבא לידי נסיון של כפירה ח״ו ומוסר את גופו להריגה, רק גם שכל עבודתו בכל ימי חייו, כלו, רצונו מחשבתו מדותיו וגופו מסורים לד׳ ולעבודתו ע״ש. כשבא ח״ו לידי נסיון אז חובה עליו לכלה את גופו וחייו ולמסרם לד׳, ועבודתו אשר בכל ימי חייו, חי יחי׳ ומ״מ מדבק את גופו נפשו וכל כחותיו בד׳, ומעט מעט בכל עבודה תורה ותפילה בכל עת ובכל שעה מוסר חלקי כחותיו נפשו רוחו ונשמתו לד׳ עד שכשמגיע לעת מצוא אחר אריכות ימיו ושנותיו נמצא כלו נתון בידיו יתברך.
The Gemara306Sanhedrin, 64a tells us that the word, “cleaving (d’veikim)” means an intensely close connection.307“Devekus” is the act of joining and uniting oneself with God. It could be described as an intense feeling of connection to God. Man indeed has the ability to unite with the Omnipresent, each at his own level, and reaching a state of deveikus is one of the primary goals of Avodas Hashem. In order to understand the phenomenon, the Rebbe points us first to the way Chazal used the term deveikus. It is not simply being close together, like a lid tightly fastened to a jar that can be removed with little effort, but in the imagery of the Gemara, “like two date palms that grew together.” wedged together, inseparable. It is the difference between a mere association and a long standing relationship where the two grew together, like a man and wife or a child and parent. When you achieve devekus you cannot be taken away from God, or even distracted from being conscious of His presence. The Toldos Yaakov Yosef308Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye, the “top student” of the Baal Shem Tov, published in 1780 (5540) the first sefer to quote teachings of his master Rabbi Yisrael. tells us in the name of the Rambam that the ultimate purpose of Torah observance is for man to reach the point where he fulfills the words, “and you shall cleave unto Him,” in all aspects of his Torah observance. With this in mind, we can understand how the teachings of Chassidus are not an optional avodah that the man of Israel can “get by” without. It is the central point of the Torah - its very culmination - and without it, man’s Torah observance is somehow incomplete.309Deveikus happens when there is a harmony and union between your desires and God’s desire. You can reach deveikus in learning and in davening, but it must be clear that an eved Hashem can reach deveikus in the performance of just about any commandment. Those who know little about Chassidus might have an image in their minds of Chassidim reaching deveikus by davening, singing, and dancing for long periods of time. Though Chassidus stresses avodah b’simcha, still, being a chassid does not mean dancing around and clapping your hands, “drinking l’chaims” and davening late. A chassid is a baal nefesh, and once in possession of your soul you yearn to cleave it to the source of all souls in everything you do. How is it possible to truly cleave God through avodah if that service is done without soul, or with a soul that is covered up, or with a soul that you have not yet mastered? One can only reach deveikus (intense closeness or cleaving) through the avodah of Chassidus through some mastery of a revealed soul. Once you succeed in revealing your soul you can then truly feel deveikus with Hashem, each according to his own level. There is a concept and practice of mesiras nefesh in avodah. Mesiras nefesh means delivering over of your whole soul in any service of God, as we mentioned in Chapter Five when we quoted the Beis Aharon.310Rav Aharon of Karlin, a generation after the Baal Shem Tov. When a man, God forbid, comes to a trial of faith at the hands of the oppressor, then he must relinquish himself in martyrdom and allow the destruction of his body and his life. It is only under highly rare conditions that we are asked to deliver our very lives to the avodah. And yet, every day, we have the ability to deliver our souls. For this reason it is called mesiras nefesh, (relinquishing the soul) and not mesiras hagoof (relinquishing the body). Mesiras nefesh is done when man’s desire, thoughts, behavior, and body are whole-heartedly offered to God in the context of the avodah. With the work of days and years, the eved Hashem directs all of his energies into the avodah. In this way he is really giving himself over to God. He still lives and walks the earth, but still, he delivers his body, soul, and all of his powers to God. After days and years pass he attains greater levels of devotion, until he reaches a point where he puts his life and soul311Here, as in many other places, the Rebbe Zts”l says, nefesh, ruach, and neshama, which we call, “soul.” into every act of kindness, every tefillah, and every line of Torah, every moment of the day. In his very lifetime he is wholly given over into God’s hands. And then, “at a time when God is found,”312Tehillim, 32:6. “a time when God is found … Rav Nachman bar Yitschak says, this is when one passes on.” (Gemara, Brachos 8a) after the length of days and years, he is then altogether given over to God.
לכן הכוונה של מס״נ שחוב עלינו לכוון בק״ש, לא רק מין היכא תמצא היא, שבאם יבא לנסיון ימסור נפשו, ועתה שאינו בא לידי נסיון ורובי דרובי ישראל שאינם באים לידי נסיון, מחשבתם של מס״נ בק״ש ח״ו רק מחשבה כצל עובר היתה בלא ממש, ד׳ ישמרנו מזה. מקדושנו הבעש״ט זצוק״ל איתא שבמקום שמחשבתו של האיש, שם כל האיש נמצא, לכן כשמצייר במחשבה חזקה כאילו ראה בעיניו ממש, אש לפניו והוא מושלך בתוכה, אז נחשב לו כאילו גם עתה עשה כן בפועל, כיון שהוא נמצא עתה במקום מחשבתו, במוקד. וראיתי בספר רמז בפסוק ״נחשבנו כצאן טבחה״, נחשבנו, ע״י מחשבתנו שחושבים המחשבה של מס״נ בזו בעצמה אנו כצאן טבחה כאילו היתה המעשה בפועל.
The Law requires that you keep certain things in mind when you say the Shema.313Such as the Unity of God, acceptance of the responsibility of the Torah, acceptance of the responsibility placed on us by the Sovereignty of Heaven. One of them is mesiras nefesh to the Master of All. Heartfelt mesiras Nefesh during the declaration of Shema is not an obligation that only takes effect if an Israelite is faced with martytdom, God forbid, and forced to surrender his life at the hands of his oppressor.314See Sanhedrin, 72b Even though you are not faced with such a trial, still, you strive to fulfill the mitzvah of Shema with all of your heart and soul. Far be it that the mesiras nefesh we offer during Krias Shema is a mere lip service - a dutiful thought as brief and superficial a passing shadow. The Holy Baal Shem Tov tells us that where a man’s thoughts are, there you find the entire man. So when you use your ability of intense thought and envision a pillar of fire before you, and you throw yourself in the fire in the sanctification of God’s name, then you really are in the place of your thoughts. You really do throw yourself into the inferno. I saw a hint of this in a commentary on the verse, “we are reckoned as sheep for the slaughter.”315Tehillim, 44”23 It is not only that others thought about us this way. The verse uses the word thought, or considered, to show how we can consider ourselves as offerings. But it is no loose consideration. When we use the power of our minds and intense contemplation to deliver over our souls, then for all intensive purposes, we are sheep for the slaughter, and really do give over our physical lives for God.
ועוד, לזה נחוצה המחשבה של מס״נ בק״ש, כדי לשעבד את כל עצמנו גופנו כל כחותינו נפשנו ונשמתנו לעבודה של מס״נ שבכל ימי חיינו, ולמסרם לד׳ בבחי׳ ״ואתם הדבקים בד׳ אלקיכם חיים כלכם היום״ דבוקים ממש. כי בזה שחושבים שמוסרים את עצמם להריגה לשם ד׳ משעבדים ומוסרים את כל עצמנו וחיותנו אליו יתברך, ויקל לנו לשעבדם בעבודה בכל עת ובכל שעה אשר יאריך ד׳ חיותנו. וזה שאיתא בספ״ק שכשאיש אומר ק״ש בבוקר בכוונה טובה אז עבודתו לד׳ בכל היום עולה יפה.
Mesiras nefesh during kriyat shema needs to reach a level of intensity where we surrender ourselves to God in total. It is a complete act of submission to God, where you relinquish all of your physical and spiritual powers to the avodah, with the full awareness that you will in this way be given over to the service of God all the days of your life. You then exemplify what God had in mind when He said, “and you who are cleaving to Hashem, your God, are all alive today,” - “truly cleaving.”316From the Gemara, Sanhedrin, 64a, mentioned above. When you see yourself giving up your life for the sake of God, subduing and delivering your whole being and life to the Blessed One, it will make it much easier for you to dedicate yourself to the details of day to day avodah, for the length of days and years with the life that God grants you. This is what the Holy Rebbes meant when they said,317Or, in the vernacular, “as it is brought down in holy seforim…” “If a man says the morning Krias Shema with clear intent, then his avodas Hashem will be successful for the rest of the day.”
ורק כשמחשבתנו זו בק״ש היא מחשבה של ממש בכחה לשעבד את כל גופנו כחותינו ונפשנו וכו׳ לד׳, ולא כשהיא מחשבה קלה כצל עובר. הבה נא ונראה אם מחשבה של פעולה ממשית היא אם לאו. הנה שלש פעמים ביום אתה מכוון מחשבה זו של מס״נ, אבל נסה נא גם לאמור בפיך, הנני מוכן למסור אותי להשרף באש לפני ד׳ [כ׳בין גרייט מיך צו לאזען פארברענען אין פאיער פאר דעם אויבערשטען], ואז תראה שבפעמים הראשונים יקשה לך לאמור ע״ע דברים כאלו להשרף באש, אם כן מחשבתך זו עוד אינה של מעשה ממש כיון שגם הדיבור ממנה קשה לך.
This only happens when we are aware of the deep and concentrated purpose of Mesiras nefesh while saying the Shema, with enough power to subdue our bodies and souls to God’s way, but not when the intention is dutiful but unthinking, like a shadow flashing across the wall. Let us see if your intentions are sincere and your mesiras nefesh during the recitation of the Shema is indeed heartfelt. You may have the intention of mesiras nefesh three times a day, but how do you evaluate the seriousness of your intentions? Try saying out loud, “I am hereby ready to be burned in fire before God.” You may find that it is difficult for you to say at first.318If so, then your thoughts are not yet completely honest to the point where your thoughts hold the force of reality, as was mentioned above from the Baal Shem Tov. If it is so hard to even say the words, then how much more difficult would it be for you to actually do!
לכן בבוקר קודם ק״ש תאמר כדברים האלו במו פיך ובכוונה ומחשבה חזקה אשר חזקת לך.
Therefore, in the morning, before davening, say the following out loud, with seriousness of intent and intensity of thought:
הנני מקבל עלי עול מלכות שמים באמת.
With a full heart, I hereby accept upon myself the yoke and responsibility of the sovereignty of heaven.
הנני מאמין באמת שרק השי״ת הוא הנמצא היחידי, וכל העולמות והנמצא בהם הארת ד׳ הם, שהאציל וברא ומנהיג את הכל בהשגחה פרטיות כרצונו הטוב.
I truly believe that only God exists, that all of the worlds and all of existence are an illumination of Godliness, that He brought forth319See Bamidbar, 11:17. “He’etsil,” means bringing forth anything from the source, where the source is not in any way lacking when it gives from itself, just as a candle can light any number of other candles without loosing any of its own fire, or a wise man could teach any number of students without depleting his own knowledge. The Kabbalists call this, “atsilut,” or the emenation of light from the light of the Infinite (Ayn Sof). and created them all, managing them down to the last detail320Hashgacha pratis. under His careful scrutiny and according to His good desire.
הנני משעבד, ומכניע, ומבטל לד׳ את הגוף נפש רוח ונשמה שלי בזה ובבא, ואת הרצון מחשבה דיבור ומעשה שלי. ובין בשעה שאני ער ובין בשעה שאני ישן לא יהיו רצוני, מחשבותי, התרגשותי דיבורי, ומעשי, ח״ו היפך מרצון ד׳, רק כרצון ד׳ לבד ארצה ואחשוב, אתרגש אדבר, ואעשה.
I hereby, surrender, subdue, and nullify321“Bittul” is a state of being whereby man relinquishes his personal wants and needs and becomes transformed into a vessel for God’s desire. It in no way implies that a man feels worthless or devoid of self esteem, but rather his desire to serve God in the path of Chazal is so great that he puts personal comfort aside in pursuit of the goal of being a worthy servant. A man in a state of bittul is not cowering in a state of terror before the all powerful, but a dignified and noble servant of the Almighty. He is a man of strength and restraint, but more importantly, he has a deep appreciation of the awesome majesty of God and His Torah. A simple example of bittul would be washing the dishes for your wife even if you would much rather see your friends or learn your Gemara. Bittul before the Torah is achieved by doing a mitzvah even when you have no urge to do so, or following the directions of your Rav even if you feel that it they are contrary to your own desires and opinions. When you accept that Chazal’s wisdom is much greater than your own, and in accepting that they simply knew better you adhere to their words, you are beginning to understand the concept of bittul. It is a noble and praiseworthy attribute. my body, nefesh, ruach, and neshama from this moment onward, to God, This includes my desires, thoughts, speech and actions. It remains in force while I am sleeping and while I am awake. At no moment shall any facet of my being go against God’s will, God forbid. My soul, mind, body, emotion, speech and actions will only be vessels for the fulfillment of God’s will and desires.
הנני מוכן למסור את עצמי לשריפה בשביל כבוד שמים, הנני מקבל עלי עול מלכות שמים באמת.
I am hereby willing to give over my body to be burned for the sake of God’s glory and honor, and I hereby accept upon myself the yoke and responsibility of the sovereignty of Heaven with absolute truth.
[כ׳בין אויף מיר מקבל עול מלכות שמים באמת.
כ׳בין מאמין באמת אז נאר דער אויבערשטער איז דער איינציגער נמצא, אלצדינג וואס דער אויבערשטער האט מאציל געוועזין און בעשאפין איז הארת ד׳, אלצדינג פיהרט דער אויבערשטער בפרטיות, כרצונו הטוב.
כ׳בין משעבד און מכניע און מבטל צום אויבערשטען, מיין גוף נפש רוח ונשמה בזה ובבא, און מיין רצון מחשבה דיבור ומעשה. וואכענדיגערהייט און שלאפענדיגערהייט זאל איך נישט וועלען, נישט אינזינען האבען, נישט מתרגש ווערין, נישט רעדין און נישט טוען קיין שום זאך וואס איז דער היפך פון רצון השי״ת, נאר דאס וואס איז דער רצון פון השי״ת זאל איך וועלען, אין זינען האבען, מתרגש ווערין, און רעדען און טוען.
כ׳בין גרייט מיך צו לאזען פֿארברענען אין פֿייער פֿארן אויבערשטען, כ׳בין אויף מיר מקבל עול מלכות שמים באמת.]
לא רק תיבות ודיבורים לבד תכוון במחשבתך, רק דברים של ממש ועצם הענינים, מאחר שמחשבתך כבר נתרחבה ונתחזקה ותהי לממש.
Don’t just say the words. Actually mean what you say. Since you are already traveling on the path of expanded and intensified thought, your words will reach the heart of the matter, and will indeed be substantial.
מלא כל הארץ כבודו, ואתה בפועל ממש משעבד מכניע ומבטל את כל עצמותך לפניו יתברך. ומחוזק מחשבתך זו ומהכנעתך המרובה, יש שגם גופך בפועל כורע וכאילו משתחוה עתה לפני הוד מלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ב״ה.
God fills the whole world with His glory, and you actually subdue, surrender and nullify your entire self and being before God.322Like a candle in the bonfire, and a bonfire in the midst of the sun. On the strength of this thought and to the extent with which your actually surrender yourself before Him, you may even find yourself bending and bowing before the Sovereign of all Sovereigns, the King of all Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.
והנה האש מתלקד והלהב מתלהט ואתה קופץ בתוכה לשם כבוד מלכותו ית׳.
The fire rages, the flames blaze, and you jump into the fiery hearts and tongues for the sake of the Glory of God’s Sovereignty, may He be blessed.
ולא תתחיל מיד את שמע רק הפסק רגעים אחדים וחשוב שעתה כבר באת לאמור בפועל שמע ישראל ולהמליך בפועל ממש אותו ית׳ עליך ועל כל העולם.
Don’t start saying the Shema right away. Pause for a few moments. Think about the words that you are about to say and the intentions that you have in saying them. Then think to yourself that you are about to actually say the Shema Yisrael. In doing so you crown Hashem as the Sovereign Ruler over yourself and the entire universe.
ומתוך מחשבה ודיבורים אלו אמור שמע והוי מכוון במחשבה חזקה להמליך את הקב״ה בשמים [וגם את ראשך הגבה אז למרום], על הארץ [והוריד את ראשך למטה], בכל ארבע כנפות הארץ [ונענע גם את ראשך בסביביך, כמ״ש בש״ע או״ח סי׳ ס״א סעיף ו׳] והוי מאריך באחד וכוון למס״נ כידוע.
After these thoughts and declarations, say the Shema. Use your faculty of intense thought to crown God as ruler of the heavens, (and then you may turn your head heavenward),323The Rebbe Zts”l is suggesting these motions, mentioned in the Halacha, but it might be noted that such motions are not obligatory. Ruler of the earth (and you may bend your neck and lower your head), and Ruler of the four directions of the earth (and you may turn your head in a circle).324See Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim, Siman 61, seif 6) Then extend the word, echad (one),325Based on the Tikkunei Zohar, six times the amount of times it would normally take to say it. drawing it out with your voice and thinking that your own willingness to give yourself over completely in the act of mesiras nefesh.326The Rebbe just says, “have in mind the mesiras nefesh when you say echad.” The Holy Zohar teaches us that God, The Torah, and Knesset Yisrael (the Community of Israel or the Shechina) are all one. Therefore, in giving yourself over to God, you are also giving yourself over to the Torah and Israel. And when you help another Jew, you are also giving yourself over to God and the Torah to the degree with which you help him.
ותרגיש שאחר ק״ש כזו כאיש אחר תהי׳, תפילתך תורתך ועבודתך יותר זכות תהיינה. וכל היום ההוא אחר תהי׳. נכון שלא לאמור זה בכל יום, כנ״ל מהמאו״ש שהתחבולה שמשמשים בה בכל יום לסוף אינה פועלת. רק ג׳ פעמים בשבוע, בשבת קודש, ובעוד שני ימים אשר תרגיש עצמך מוכשר לזה.
After you say keriyas Shema in this way you will indeed be a changed man. Your davening, your learning of Torah, and your avodas Hashem will all reach a greater level of refinement. As you go about your day, you will not quite be the same – not nearly. Of course you shouldn’t use this meditation, this intense structure of thought every day, for we have already learned from the Maor VaShemesh that a tactic that is used too often loses its potency.327And it seems that the more potent the tactic, the more quickly it will loose its potency, because our minds can only take so much. It is a question of spiritual pharmaceutics. Only do this intense thought three times a week, on Shabbos, and two other days that you deem necessary, and feel able to do it justice.
וד׳ ירחם עלינו
May God have mercy upon us.
ויקרבנו אליו בגוף נרו״נ
May He bring us close to Him, in body and soul. May (our avodah) expand,328“mitoch harchava.” May we have a greater ability to serve Him. And similarly we bless God to widen the revelation of His goodness in our lives.
מתוך הרחבה ישועות טובות ונחמות
(and in His great love for us) may He bring salvation and consolation,
וחסדים נגלים
revealing His benevolence in the world.
ונזכה במהרה לגאולה שלימה אמן.
May we merit the complete redemption soon and in our days, Amen.