The Secret of the High Souls within the Klipos (Husks of Impurity)

Lesson No. 7 | 12th of Iyar 5755 - Continued from No. 6 / 14th of Iyar 5755 - Melaveh Malkah (festive meal after Shabbat) / 14th of Iyar 5755 - Continued in No. 8

The Tzaddik sees the root of every person's soul and knows how to rectify it, even when it is found in the lowest places. This article reveals the awesome secret behind the portion of the Mekalel (the Blasphemer) in the desert—how specifically within the greatest tumah (impurity), the highest souls are hidden, and the missed opportunity of those who could have drawn close to the Tzaddik and merited a complete tikkun (rectification).

The Tzaddik’s Vision from One End of the World to the Other

The True Tzaddik, who is the aspect of Adam HaRishon (the first man), includes within himself all the Tzaddikim (righteous ones) who have ever existed. He knows about every Tzaddik created from the beginning of the world until the end of generations—what he said, what he wrote, what the root of his soul was, and from which supernal aspect he drew his spiritual sustenance. He knows to whom he taught Torah, where he sat at the time of his histalkus (passing away), and where his soul arrived afterward.

There are different levels in the roots of souls: The holy Baal Shem Tov was from the root of 'Binah' (Understanding), and the Maggid of Mezeritch was from the root of 'Chokhmah' (Wisdom). Although Chokhmah is generally higher than Binah, there is a level of Binah that is higher than Chokhmah, depending on whether it stems from Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man) or Atik Yomin (The Ancient of Days). The Tzaddik sees this entire spiritual map with absolute clarity.

The Torah of our holy Rebbe (Rebbe Nachman) is above all the Torah teachings said since the creation of the world. People do not grasp at all where these words come from. Rebbe Nachman himself said: "My Torah is the waste of the waste, thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads of levels lower than what I actually perceive." That is to say, what the Rebbe reveals to us is only what he contracted for us, because his true perceptions are impossible to contain. And yet, the moment the Rebbe says a word of Torah—one can reach every level in the world through it. All the abundance in the world, all the chayus (life force), everything is drawn down through the Torah of the Tzaddik.

The Terrible Missed Opportunity of Those Close By

When one knows the greatness of the Tzaddik's stature, they understand the magnitude of the missed opportunity for someone who did not draw close enough. The Rebbe said: "I feel bad for you." After all, you have already taken the big step, you have already drawn close, you left behind the vanities, the old friends, the imaginary careers. So what is missing? Just a bit more. One more small effort of drawing closer.

There are people who are completely far away, tinokos shenishbu (captured infants who were never taught Torah) who knew nothing—for them, there is great mercy, and they will need to return in reincarnations until they merit their tikkun (rectification). But the greatest pain is for those who already knew of the Rebbe, who were already inside the house, but did not take the extra step to completely nullify themselves and fulfill his words with temimus (simplicity).

"A person has already drawn close, knows that the Rebbe is the Tzaddik, travels to Uman for Rosh Hashanah—if he had drawn close just a tiny bit more, there would be no level in the world that the Rebbe would not have brought him to."

The pain of this soul after passing away is terrible. When a person passes away and lies with his feet toward the door, he suddenly realizes: "Where was I? I was so close! If I had given just a bit more of my heart, I would have completed all my tikkunim (rectifications) perfectly."

The Secret of the Four Laws Hidden from Moshe

The Torah tells of four cases where the law was hidden from Moshe Rabbeinu: Pesach Sheni (the Second Passover), the Mekoshesh Etzim (the wood gatherer), the Mekalel (the Blasphemer), and the daughters of Zelophehad. The Targum Yonatan ben Uziel explains that it wasn't that Moshe didn't know the laws—after all, he was on Mount Sinai for forty days and learned the entire Torah. Rather, Moshe wanted to teach the Sanhedrin (the High Court) that they must ask Hashem about everything, and primarily—that in every case there is a new detail, a new birur (clarification/refinement) that needs to descend to the world.

Let us look at the case of the Mekalel (Leviticus 24). The Blasphemer was the son of Shlomit bat Divri and an Egyptian man. Ostensibly, this was a lowly person, an "Amalek" born within the People of Israel. The holy Zohar says that when Hashem removes the power of Amalek from the nations of the world, this klipah (husk of impurity) sometimes reincarnates within the souls of Jews, and then they become worse and want to uproot the faith more than the gentiles.

But Moshe Rabbeinu, with his far-reaching vision, saw something else entirely there. He saw a giant soul that had fallen into the depths of the klipos (husks of impurity).

High Souls in the Depths of the Klipos

This Blasphemer was not just an ordinary person. He had immense spiritual power. Our Sages expound on the verse "And the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed [Vayikov] the Name"—that he used the Shem HaMeforash (the Explicit Name of G-d). He knew how to combine the letters with which heaven and earth were created. He had the potential to be a master of Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration), to create worlds. But what happened? He took this mighty power and used it for a curse, to create a "hole" (v'yikov - and he pierced) and a blemish in the upper worlds.

Moshe Rabbeinu hesitated. He knew that specifically the greatest souls are placed in the filthiest places. This is the secret of the gerim (converts), the secret of Iyov (Job), and the secret of Avraham Avinu who came from Terach. "Specifically the greatest souls are placed within the greatest klipos."

Sometimes, to extract the soul from the klipah, it must pass through severe suffering or even the death penalty, as in the case of the Blasphemer and the Wood Gatherer. This seems cruel to us, but it is the only tikkun (rectification) that can burn away the klipah and release the light hidden within it.

"Take the Blasphemer outside the camp and let the entire congregation stone him"

Taking him "outside the camp" and the stoning were intended to nullify the klipos (husks of impurity) that enveloped him. Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to bring light even to this low place. Moshe's work was to illuminate even those Jews who are in the aspect of "Amalek," because the moment they are called Jews and were born to a Jewish mother—there is a spark in them that can be brought back in teshuvah (repentance). If we were worthy, we could bring back even the most distant ones, because Hashem knows there is a way to rectify everyone.

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Part 1 of 4 — Lesson No. 7
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