The Torah Elevates the Prayers - Parshat Lech Lecha from the Gaon and Tzaddik

"Go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you... and I will make your name great."

"And I will make your name great"—this hints at the study of the Shas (the six orders of the Talmud). "Shmecha" (your name) has the numerical value (gematria) of 360, and "Shas" also equals 360. One must know that if a person does not study Shas, he has nothing; he lacks the Tzelem Elokim (Image of G-d), he is not even a human being. A person's entire name and essence are built through the study of Shas. The whole of man is only the Shas, and this is what Hashem promised our forefather Abraham: "And I will make your name great," meaning that his offspring would engage in the Torah and study Shas (Shmecha). Only this is called temimus (wholeness/simplicity), as it is written: "Praiseworthy are those whose way is wholesome (temimei darech), who walk in the Torah of Hashem" (Psalms 119:1). Wholeness is only achieved when a person studies Shas.

The Rebbe [Nachman] brings in Torah 1 [of Likutey Moharan]: "Know that through the Torah, all prayers and all requests that we ask and pray for are accepted, and the chen (grace) and importance of Israel are elevated and raised before all those necessary, both spiritually and physically." Only through the Torah are all prayers and requests accepted. Whenever a person sees that a prayer was not accepted, it is because he is not studying enough Shas. All the grace and importance of Israel depend on those who study Shas, because the Torah is called a "lovely hind and a graceful doe" (Proverbs 5:19), for it bestows grace upon those who study it. The Torah literally brings grace upon a person. When a person comes home, if he has studied Torah, he merits grace; his wife sees that he has grace, the Shechinah (Divine Presence) rests upon him, and there will be joy in the house. But if he comes without Torah, without grace, coming home broken and irritable, then there is no joy in that house.

And now, due to our many sins, the grace and importance of Israel have fallen. Currently, the primary importance is with the nations and the wicked, and this is for only one reason: because people are not studying Shas. "For a Jewish man must always look at the 'sechel' (intellect/wisdom) within everything, and bind himself to the wisdom and intellect that exists in everything, so that the intellect within everything may shine for him, for the intellect is a great light and illuminates all his paths." The true intellect is only the study of Shas; besides this, there is no intellect in the world. What illuminates a person and guides him is only the intellect. A person must ensure that the intellect shines and progresses, shines and grows, as it is written: "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full day" (Proverbs 4:18). A person's entire service is only to increase the intellect, and to the extent that he increases his intellect and studies Shas, he builds the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple). If we want to build the Beis HaMikdash and hasten the Geulah (Redemption), we must increase the intellect and increase da'as (knowledge), as our Sages of blessed memory said: "Anyone who has da'as, it is as if the Beis HaMikdash was built in his days." To the extent that he increases da'as and intellect, he builds the Beis HaMikdash. The reason the Beis HaMikdash has not been built is because people do not study Shas with depth and analytical focus. Today, building the Temple is simply studying Shas; the moment a person studies Shas, the Sitra Achra (the 'Other Side'/evil forces) will fall. One must sharpen the intellect. A person's work is to sharpen the mind, to study Torah so that he has a fast and sharp brain, a luminous brain. As our Rebbe [Nachman] says: "It is a great mitzvah to sharpen the intellect." The 'Chesed L'Avraham' says there are 10 screens over the brain, 10 klipot (husks) over the brain, and everyone needs to remove these klipot, to sand them down and clean them, and this is only through studying Shas with depth and analysis.

A person needs the da'as (knowledge) to realize that Breslov and Gemara are one and the same. The point of Breslov is that we follow what is written and not our feelings or opinions, nor what is convenient. "Go out by the footsteps of the sheep and graze your kids by the shepherds' dwellings" (Song of Songs 1:8)—one must listen to the voice of the Tzaddikim, the voice of the shepherds. If you are a Breslov Chassid, you must listen to Likutey Moharan. The very first thing written in Likutey Moharan (Torah 1) is that a person must have intellect, that he should study Shas, and only this is called temimus (wholeness). "Praiseworthy are those whose way is wholesome, who walk in the Torah of Hashem." A person must know that Breslov Chassidus did not come, G-d forbid, to nullify even a small point of the law, nor any custom of the Jewish people, nor anything accepted among Israel. It only came to add more things—to add more fear of Heaven, more guarding of the eyes, and more holiness. A person has apikorsus (heresy) in his heart; he doesn't believe that Hashem stands before him every moment. The reason a person doesn't focus during prayer and doesn't feel that Hashem is standing before him is because he has apikorsus in his heart, not believing that Hashem is present.

When a person speaks with a friend, he is careful to think about every word he utters, especially if it is a king; he is even more careful so that he isn't caught in some mistake, G-d forbid, or saying something illogical. When he speaks with a friend, he doesn't just talk aimlessly; he can speak for 10 hours because he sees a "person" before him with a face, hands, and feet. Yet Hashem, who is living and enduring, is right in front of us and we do not feel Him—this shows that we have no intellect, no brain. When a person doesn't feel Hashem and doesn't focus in prayer, it is only because he lacks intellect. Just as there are illnesses where people lose their minds and don't recognize their parents, so too, if a person has no intellect and no Torah, he doesn't recognize his Father and Mother, which is the Holy One, Blessed be He. If a person could, he would transplant an intellect for himself, but they haven't yet found how to transplant a brain.

And to receive intellect and a brain, our holy Rebbe says, is only through studying Shas with depth, the study of Torah. When one studies Torah, he merits to nullify the apikorsus in his heart and to feel Hashem. He merits grace and importance, and his prayers and requests are accepted.

Torah Insights (Parparos)

To the land that I will show you (12:1) - The Illumination of the Will

Rashi explains that He did not reveal the land to him immediately in order to make it beloved in his eyes, etc. This is because the primary perfection of the Land of Israel is that there one merits the "Illumination of the Great Will." Therefore, He did not reveal the land to him immediately, so as to make it beloved in his eyes, so that he would want, yearn, and desire more and more to arrive there. Specifically through this, he would merit to arrive there and receive the holiness of the Land of Israel in its perfection. The essence of this holiness is the will and the yearning for Hashem, which is the aspect of all the obstacles (mneiot) that everyone faces regarding holy matters. The greater the holy thing is, the more obstacles it has. It is all for this purpose: since the essence of holiness is to merit the "Will," which is the ultimate goal, they obstruct him so much so that he will have a stronger will. Through this, he will merit the holy matter in perfection and receive it properly with a good will and wonderful yearning, which is the main goal. For even afterward, when one comes to the Land of Israel or to a holy matter, one still needs to overcome with good desires and great longings for Hashem, for this is the essence.

And this is "I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great," which promised him children, wealth, and a name, etc. (Likutey Tefillot 7). For the attainment of a "son" is the aspect of "Ayay" (Where is He?), and the attainment of a "student" is the aspect of "Melo Kol Ha'aretz Kevodo" (The whole earth is full of His glory). One must include them together, and through this, livelihood is bestowed, and through this, one merits the Illumination of the Will. This is the aspect of the Holy Da'as (Knowledge) that one merits in the Land of Israel. Through the illumination of "son" and "student," one merits livelihood and wealth, and this is why He promised him wealth, as it says, "And I will bless you" with wealth. For through this Da'as, one merits money and wealth.

And this is "And I will make your name great," because the more one overcomes with good desires and holy longings for Hashem, the more one is included in His Holy Name. Likewise, his name becomes great in the world, and everyone yearns and wants to be included in him and to draw close to him.

This is the aspect of the letter 'Heh' that was added to his name, as it says, "Your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham." For the letter 'Heh' has no physical substance, only longing and will, which is the aspect of the holy name 'Mah,' which is the Name of Havayah (the Tetragrammaton). For the 'Heh' is [the source of will], and Abraham merited this through the greatness of his will and his good longings for Hashem. Through this, he merited the Land of Israel and the magnifying of his name, etc. As it says (Likutey Moharan 142), the main service of our forefather Abraham was the "Good Will," for he was the first "generous heart" (nadiv lev). Since the Torah had not yet been given, his entire service was only will, yearning, and good longings. And so too now, after the giving of the Torah, the main thing is the Good Will. (Likutey Halachot, Netilat Yadayim 6:26-27)

A Story for the Parsha

"And Abram was very heavy with livestock, with silver, and with gold" (13:2)

The Admor, Rabbi Israel of Rizhin, conducted his court with great external splendor and royal mannerisms, which caused wonder among Chassidim and "Misnagdim" (opponents) alike.

Once, his close associates asked him: "Let our master teach us, how does pure Chassidus settle with this immense wealth that we see with the Rebbe shlit"a?"

Rabbi Israel replied to the questioners: "Regarding Abraham our forefather, the Torah tells us: 'And Abram was very heavy with livestock, with silver, and with gold, and he went on his journeys from the south even to Beth-el...'"

"The question arises: Why did the Torah see a need to specify this detail, that Abraham was at that time overflowing with great property?"

"Rather," continued the Rizhiner Rebbe, "the Torah comes to emphasize to us that at the time Abraham our forefather began moving from place to place to spread the word of Hashem to the masses, he made sure to take as much property as possible on the way. For the way of the world is that people treat with respect and honor only someone who has money in his pocket. And we have already found in Tractate Gittin (59a, 71a) that Moshe Rabbeinu, the giver of the Torah, and Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the editor of the Mishnah, and Rav Ashi, the arranger of the Gemara—all three were wealthy, and in them was fulfilled 'Torah and greatness in one place.'" The Rizhiner added with a smile: "It is a good thing it was so, because if they did not have 'Torah and greatness in one place,' it is possible that people would not have accepted their Torah. Even in Psalms we find a hint to this: 'The Torah of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver' (119:72)—from someone who has 'thousands of gold and silver,' people also love to hear Torah from his mouth..."

"Terah begot Abram" (11:27)

The Admor, Rabbi Abraham of Slonim, was once invited by one of his Chassidim to the bris milah (circumcision) of his son and was honored with reciting the blessings after the circumcision. When he reached the words "And his name shall be called in Israel...", he turned his head toward the "Baal HaBris" (the father of the child) so he would tell him the name of the newborn. However, the father hesitated for some reason, so Rabbi Abraham continued and announced on his own: "And his name shall be called in Israel, Abraham." At the end of the blessings, the father apologized for his silence at that moment, but remarked with amazement that he had indeed intended to call the child "Abraham" after his wife's father. When the Chassidim heard about this, a great commotion arose in the Beis Medrash (study hall) over the Rebbe's miracle, that he had intuited the father's mind as if he knew human thoughts.

However, when the matter reached the Admor's ears, he cooled the Chassidim's enthusiasm, saying to them: "There is no miracle or wonder here. Rather, what happened was this: When I looked at the face of the father and saw him standing silent like 'Terah,' I said to myself: If the father is 'Terah,' it follows that it is appropriate to call the son 'Abraham'..."

Courtesy of "Tzama Nafshi"