The Betrothal Between Hashem and Knesses Yisroel - Parshas Ki Teitzei

00:00 One of the Alter Rebbe’s great chassidim was the well-known chossid Reb Shmuel Munkes. Reb Shmuel Munkes was among the early chassidim, a passionate and joyful chossid. Many stories are told about him, and his conduct was always marked by joy. He concealed his greatness through all sorts of behavior, jokes, and the like. But as the remarkable stories chassidim tell about him show, he was one of the great chassidim. The Frierdiker Rebbe related one incident, which the Rebbe recorded in a diary that was found and remains [unclear] of the Rebbe. There he relates that in the month of Tishrei 5559, Reb Shmuel Munkes came to the Alter Rebbe. There is a whole story about how events unfolded and everything surrounding them, but in any case, Reb Shmuel Munkes was with the Alter Rebbe that Tishrei. In the middle of Sukkos, they came to arrest the Alter Rebbe. This was the well-known arrest of 5559, which later led to the establishment of the Yom Tov of 19 Kislev. In the middle of Sukkos, they came to take the Alter Rebbe into custody, and he escaped through a side door. In any case, he managed to escape, and—

01:30 he sent for Reb Shmuel Munkes. Reb Shmuel came, and the Alter Rebbe told him that they had come to arrest him and take him into custody, and he was unsure what to do. After all, they would come back to look for him. Should he go with them or not? In other words, should he accept the imprisonment, or actually flee and hide? Reb Shmuel Munkes told the Alter Rebbe that the Rebbe could go, that he had nothing to fear, and that he should go with them into custody. The Alter Rebbe asked: How do you know? Why? What should I do? Why do you think so? Reb Shmuel Munkes answered in these words: “If you are a Rebbe, this whole imprisonment will not harm you. And if you are not a Rebbe, you deserve to sit in prison for a while. Why? Because you took away our enjoyment of all the delights of this world.” In other words, Reb Shmuel Munkes told the Alter Rebbe: If the Alter Rebbe is a Rebbe, a tzaddik, then surely this entire affair, whatever happens, will not harm him; something more will come of it. And if, G-d forbid, he is not—if in this [unclear] he is not a Rebbe—then, so to speak, he deserves this imprisonment. Why? Because the Alter Rebbe took away the chassidim’s enjoyment of all the delights of this world.

03:05 Although Reb Shmuel put it in those words, his intention, of course, was to express the Alter Rebbe’s greatness and stature: that he could be confident he should accept this, and that what did in fact emerge would emerge from the event. We see that an even greater revelation came out of the darkness, as explained in all the sichos. That was Reb Shmuel Munkes’s greatness: he could say such a thing to the Alter Rebbe. And the Rebbe repeated these words at a farbrengen to emphasize the point we see from this ruling: this is one of the things Chassidus accomplished, which the Alter Rebbe revealed—to take the enjoyment out of all the delights of this world. To remove the pleasure, the desire, the energy, and the passion from material things. This is a central part of the avodah of Chassidus that the Alter Rebbe accomplished: taking away the enjoyment of all the delights of this world. And as is known, [unclear] the Alter Rebbe did indeed go afterward, and from this came the great Yom Tov of 19 Kislev. In the weekly parsha, Parshas Ki Seitzei, we find a parsha full of mitzvos. One of the important mitzvos in Parshas Ki Seitzei is the mitzvah of kiddushin: “When a man takes a wife.” From this verse we learn the laws of kiddushin. When a person wants to marry, it must be through

04:42 the mitzvah of kiddushin. As the Rambam explains, before the Giving of the Torah, the practice was that a man would take a woman in the marketplace, and there was no institution of kiddushin. When the Torah was given, a new requirement was introduced: for a person to marry, he must first perform kiddushin. Only afterward can the marriage take place. What is kiddushin? As the first Mishnah in Tractate Kiddushin says: “A woman is acquired in three ways.” How is a woman acquired? The Mishnah says: “Through money, through a document, or through marital relations.” These are three ways to betroth a woman: with money, including something worth money—and the Mishnah goes on to discuss whether the amount is a perutah or a dinar, a dispute between Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel; with a document, in which the wording of the kiddushin is written; and through marital relations, the third way to effect kiddushin. The Rambam says that Jewish custom is to do this specifically with money. And kiddushin through money also has all its details about how it must be done. In any case, these are the laws of kiddushin. But as is known, every aspect of Torah and mitzvos has a reflection and an interpretation in a spiritual sense, in a person’s soul and in serving Hashem. This is one of the main things the teachings of Chassidus revealed: that every mitzvah, every halachah, and every verse has an inner dimension, the—

06:20 soul, and that we can translate it into serving Hashem. What we learn about kiddushin—that a man betroths a woman and “a woman is acquired by her husband”—also exists in serving Hashem. The woman alludes to Knesses Yisroel, the collective soul of the Jewish people, which is called a woman throughout Shir Hashirim; her husband alludes to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. And “a woman is acquired by her husband”—how a Jew gives himself over to Hakadosh Boruch Hu, how the bond of kiddushin between a Jew and Hakadosh Boruch Hu is formed—these are the laws of kiddushin. And since we are in the month of Elul, the time is fitting. This is no coincidence; it is obvious that, as is known, what we learn in the weekly parshas is connected to the time. This week, we learn about kiddushin in the parsha because that is the essence of this time. The month of Elul, as is known and as written in the sefarim, is connected with one of its famous acronyms, perhaps the most famous of them: Elul is an acronym for “Ani ledodi vedodi li”—“I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” And this is the idea of kiddushin. “I” alludes to Knesses Yisroel—this is a verse in Shir Hashirim—to the woman who is Knesses Yisroel. “My beloved” alludes to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. “I am my beloved’s”—the Jew connects himself and gives himself over, cleaving to my beloved, to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. “And my beloved is mine”—Hakadosh

07:51 Boruch Hu connects Himself with the Jews. This is the meaning of the acronym Elul: the month of Elul is when the whole process of kiddushin begins, and afterward comes the marriage, through the holidays that follow—Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos, and Simchas Torah. It is explained in the sefarim that the period of Elul and Tishrei is the time of the marriage of Hakadosh Boruch Hu and Knesses Yisroel. As the Alter Rebbe explains, it is like what is written in Parshas Ki Seitzei about the procedure concerning a beautiful captive woman: “She shall weep for her father and her mother for a month, and after that you may come to her and marry her.” This alludes to the times of Elul and Tishrei. “She shall weep for her father and her mother for a month”—these are the thirty days of Elul and the Ten Days of Teshuvah. And afterward comes “you may come to her,” the marriage—Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the time of marriage, when the Jews are joined to Hakadosh Boruch Hu, “Yisroel and the King alone.” The Jews and Hakadosh Boruch Hu become one, to the point that this is expressed afterward in the great joy of Simchas Torah as well. And this whole idea, in our avodah, is, as we said, the idea of kiddushin. For a woman to be acquired by her husband, there must be kiddushin. What is kiddushin? We find in the Gemara that kiddushin means “he makes her forbidden to everyone else, like something consecrated.” That is, the first thing

09:13 in kiddushin is that the woman is removed from the domain of everyone else: “He makes her forbidden to everyone else.” She becomes forbidden to everyone else, like something consecrated. That is one aspect, primarily the aspect of “turn away from evil”—“he makes her forbidden to everyone else.” On the other hand, kiddushin also has a positive aspect: she is betrothed to her husband. In other words, kiddushin creates a bond, a connection and a union between husband and wife. That means there are two movements in kiddushin. There is the movement of “he makes her forbidden”—so to speak, separating the woman from everyone else. And then she is betrothed to her husband, bound to her husband. That is where the marriage begins, along with all the legal parameters that kiddushin brings with it, as discussed by the later authorities. Kiddushin has an aspect of prohibition and an aspect of acquisition. On the one hand, kiddushin separates her from everyone else; on the other hand, there is the act of acquisition, through which she is acquired by her husband. There is an entire discussion of this among the early and later authorities: what is the defining nature of kiddushin? And in our avodah, this refers to both aspects of “turn away from evil and do good”—moving away from one place and drawing close to another. For a Jew to become like a woman betrothed to her husband, both of these are needed. She must

10:39 To be in a state of “forbidden to the whole world.” A Jew needs to detach himself from all worldly matters, to take the pleasure out of worldly things, as in the story of Reb Shmuel Munkes. To take the pleasure out of this world, so that he is “forbidden to the whole world”—detached from the entire world, from worldliness, materialism, physicality, and making the physical into an end in itself—and to fulfill “Sanctify yourself in what is permitted to you.” That is one aspect. After “forbidden to the whole world” comes the second stage, the aspect of “do good”: to connect with G-dliness, to bond with it, and to become one with it. This is the positive aspect of kiddushin, the “do good” within them. Regarding love of Hashem, we cite the well-known statement brought in Chovos Halevavos: “Just as fire and water cannot dwell in one vessel”—just as water and fire cannot occupy the same vessel—so too, “love of Hashem and love of this world cannot dwell in the heart of a believer.” The two cannot occupy the same heart. One must cleanse the heart and remove from it, in the spirit of being “forbidden to the whole world like something consecrated,” everything that stands opposed to G-dliness. This is the idea of iskafya—working on oneself to detach from the desires of this world. Then love of Hashem can take hold: a Jew bonds with Hakadosh Boruch Hu, becoming like a woman betrothed to her husband, giving herself over to him. What—

12:12 In this connection, there is an interesting sicha of the Rebbe in which the Rebbe explains the basis of an entire question for investigation. [unclear] the points of this matter. She needs to detach from the desires of this world, and only then can there be love of Hashem, through which a Jew bonds with Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and she becomes betrothed to her husband, giving herself over to him. In this connection, there is an interesting sicha of the Rebbe in which the Rebbe explains the basis of an entire question for investigation. [unclear] the points of this matter. What do we see there? The husband gives her money or something worth money; he gives his wife money, and that constitutes the kiddushin. Is it the giving of the money that creates the kiddushin? Or is it the other way around: because the kiddushin take place, she consequently receives the money? Which is the cause and which is the effect? Does the giving of the money create the kiddushin, or do the kiddushin bring about her acquisition of the money? There are many details to this in halachah. But I want to dwell on the point as it relates to love of Hashem. What is the question here regarding love of Hashem? There is an interesting question here. First of all, love involves two things: turning away from evil and drawing close to Hashem.

13:25 There is “turn away from evil” and there is “do good”: detaching from the desires of this world, removing the pleasure from worldly things, and placing that pleasure in love of Hashem. The question is, which is the cause and which is the effect? How does it work? There are two approaches. One approach says that first there must be “turn away from evil,” and afterward “do good.” What does that mean in the context of kiddushin? Being “forbidden to the whole world like something consecrated” is “turn away from evil”; the money is “do good.” For it is explained regarding money—in halachah, [unclear] in detail—that the Hebrew word for money, kesef, is related to “I have yearned deeply.” Kesef represents love. This is love and attachment to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. That is the spiritual allusion in kiddushin performed with money. And here is the question: Which comes first? Which is the cause and which is the effect? Must she first become “forbidden to the whole world like something consecrated”—the kiddushin—and does that then awaken the kesef, the love? First she purifies herself and detaches from all the desires of this world, and only afterward can she have kiddushin through kesef, the “deep yearning,” love of Hashem—first “turn away from evil,” then “do good.” Or is the order reversed, from above downward: awaken and reveal love for Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and [unclear] once you have love of Hashem, your attachment to worldly things will fall away of itself; you will lose your pleasure and enjoyment in them.

14:49 So perhaps the kesef is the cause, and the kiddushin—being “forbidden to the whole world like something consecrated”—are the effect. These are two approaches, and both are correct. As explained in Chassidus, in the ordinary order of serving Hashem taught by the Torah, one must first turn away from evil and then do good, as the verse says: “Turn away from evil and do good.” That is the usual order: first one must remove the dirt from oneself, and then one can bring love of Hashem within. As the familiar expression puts it, first the dead must be taken out, and then the bride can be brought in. Taking out the dead means, here, removing the things associated with death, with the yetzer hara—things of darkness and evil. Afterward the bride can be brought in, bringing the bride, the vessel, into the yearning for attachment. That is the usual order. But sometimes a way of serving Hashem is needed that transcends the usual order and progression, a way that proceeds from above downward. A Jew places himself from the outset in a higher world of “do good,” of deep yearning, and the evil will disappear on its own. That is the order in extraordinary times, in a manner of service that is above [unclear]. And on this the Mishnah says: “A woman is acquired in three ways.” There are three ways in which a woman is acquired: with money, with a document, and through intimacy. Chassidus offers several explanations of these three aspects—kiddushin with money and the others—in the service of Hashem.

16:23 The teachings of the Baal Shem Tov. In [unclear], the Baal Shem Tov offers an interpretation of these three aspects—money, a document, and intimacy—in the service of Hashem. The Baal Shem Tov explains that the first is money, which represents love and supernal kindness. Kesef, money, is related to “I have yearned deeply”; it represents love, kindness. And the money is what the husband, the Rebbe, who is the man [unclear]—the man, when he comes to marry a woman, comes [unclear] Knesses Yisroel—gives her; this is a great love. He instills love in her, and that kindles kindness and love in the soul [unclear] toward greatness. That is the first thing: it shines and burns within him. Then comes the document. After an initial revelation, after an initial awakening from above—as we see in practice—the first time it will burn within him, but it does not remain forever. Suddenly it subsides and disappears. What is the remedy? The document. The document is Torah, Torah [unclear]. Sometimes the flame of love does not shine in a person; the flame of the soul does not burn within him. To this we say: the document. The point here is that even if he has no love, no awe, no feeling, and no kesef, he still has Torah and prayer. And this is a wonderful redemption, as brought from the Baal Shem Tov: when a person finds himself at a time when the light of his soul does not shine within him, he must connect with the [unclear]

17:57 That is the document. In simple terms, it is Torah and prayer. And we see this again with regard to love, what is called “second maturity” in the language of Kabbalah, which is tiferes—an attachment that comes afterward. There is unity with the Torah, and subsequently one reaches intimacy, the inner union between a Jew and Hakadosh Boruch Hu, as brought from the Baal Shem Tov. All of this is explained in Chabad Chassidus, in maamarim, particularly the maamarim of the Tzemach Tzedek, and in other maamarim of Chassidus that discuss the subject at length. There is a maamar of the Rebbe Maharash, of which a written record was preserved, that he delivered at the wedding of the Rebbe Rashab, which took place during Elul. That week, the Rebbe Maharash delivered many maamarim of Chassidus; it is explained that about thirty-two maamarim were delivered that week. Written records of several of them have come down to us, and this is one of them: the maamar “A Woman Is Acquired.” There he explains many details of serving Hashem found in this Mishnah, the first Mishnah of Tractate Kiddushin. Chassidus explains that the three aspects of money, a document, and intimacy correspond to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, who represent the three pillars of Torah, avodah, and acts of kindness. Three things

19:26 on which the world stands—the pillars of the world, Torah, avodah, and acts of kindness—correspond to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. Acts of kindness correspond to Avraham, whose defining quality was kindness; Avraham embodies the attribute of chesed, and this is the aspect of money. Quite literally, money is associated with giving tzedakah, with kindness. Then there is the document, which represents gevurah, the attribute of Yitzchak. As the Rebbe’s father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, writes in his commentaries, in a letter he wrote to the Rebbe before his wedding, he explains: Where do we see that a document represents gevurah? From where do we derive kiddushin through a document? From a get, a divorce document. “And she leaves and becomes”—the verse draws a comparison between becoming married and leaving a marriage. From a get we learn that kiddushin can be performed with a document. The fact that kiddushin through a document is derived from a get shows that a document represents gevurah. A get is an expression of gevurah, and from it we learn about a document in kiddushin as well. This is the aspect of Yitzchak. Furthermore, in serving Hashem, this is Yitzchak’s path: gevurah, the path of severity, offerings, and ascent. Other maamarim say that the document corresponds to Torah study; this is the aspect of the document, as we learned from the Baal Shem Tov. The document corresponds to Torah, and that is the path of Torah. And there is a third aspect, which is

21:19 The matter of intimacy, which corresponds to Yaakov’s attribute. Yaakov’s attribute is compassion, and this is the inner bond—“You will give truth to Yaakov”—an inner bond, as explained in the maamarim. There is another approach here: if we say that the document corresponds to gevurah, to offerings and to an ascent from below upward, then intimacy corresponds to Torah, and this is the inner union, the matter of the document. The Alter Rebbe says in Tanya that through Torah study there comes about “a wondrous union, the likes of which, or even anything comparable to it, is not found at all in the physical world: to become truly one and united from every side and angle.” But as explained in other maamarim, this is the path of inner work in prayer. Through prayer, the intimacy and inner union between a person and Hakadosh Boruch Hu come about. This is the meaning of prayer, related to the expression “one who joins pieces of earthenware”: union, connection, closeness and bonding, so that a Jew becomes one with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. There is a maamar of the Alter Rebbe, an interesting maamar, in Maamarim Haketzaarim. It is one of the maamarim the Alter Rebbe delivered in the early years, even before Petersburg. It is worth knowing that in those days the Alter Rebbe spoke very briefly, and his fiery words of Torah set the world ablaze. There is a teaching there, printed in Maamarim Haketzaarim, on the Mishnah. It is a rich explanation, connected somewhat to “kesef,” but also to “nichsof,” longing. The Alter Rebbe says there: “A woman is acquired through intimacy”—this refers to a Jew, to a soul that wants to devote itself

22:50 to Hakadosh Boruch Hu, to be acquired by her husband, meaning Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Intimacy is the way a Jew is bound to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. And about this the Mishnah says: first comes kesef, love—“I have longed so deeply.” Love and yearning for G-dliness awaken. This is service along the lines of kindness and love. Then comes the second matter, the document. As we know, a document is associated with gevurah. The Alter Rebbe explains: Where do we find gevurah in a document, a shtar? The Alter Rebbe says that shtar is also related to mishtar, discipline, which is a matter of gevurah. It is also related to soter, spelled with a samech. Soter means to slap someone, to strike him across the face. That is soter—a slap. This is the work of “A person should always incite his good inclination against his evil inclination”: the strength needed to fight the evil inclination, slap it and speak to it firmly. This is the second path in serving Hashem, in bonding with Hakadosh Boruch Hu. After that comes intimacy, which, as he adds there, is also related to “bringing”—bringing something inside. This is a Jew’s inner bond with Hakadosh Boruch Hu: bringing inward and drawing out the hidden love found within every Jew, deep in the heart, so that it becomes revealed. The Alter Rebbe continues to explain the rest of the Mishnah. The Mishnah asks how much kesef is required and gives two

24:29 opinions. Beis Shammai say a dinar, and Beis Hillel say a perutah. The Alter Rebbe explains: What is at the heart of this? The disagreement concerns how love is awakened. To awaken love, to have the “kesef,” the “I have longed so deeply,” so that a Jew feels love and yearning for G-dliness, he must contemplate. What should he contemplate? Beis Shammai, whose approach is one of gevurah, of strong and deep love, say that it must be with a dinar. What is a dinar? One’s contemplation must focus on lofty levels of G-dliness, on sovev kol almin, on aspects of G-dliness entirely beyond the world. In the face of these levels, a person’s entire existence is as nothing. And when a Jew contemplates sovev kol almin, how the entire world is as nothing, a feeling of “dinar” awakens in him. The Alter Rebbe explains: “Dinar” means “dein nor”—I am entirely Yours alone. I have no independent existence; my entire existence is G-dliness. And this is true love, the love of “Whom do I have in heaven? And besides You, I desire nothing”: I want nothing but You Yourself. This is what Beis Shammai expressed. At their level, that is what defines love. Beis Hillel say that the kiddushin must be with a perutah. The Alter Rebbe explains that “perutah” is related to peratim, details. In other words, the opposite approach: to awaken the “kesef,” the “I have longed so deeply,” the love, one must contemplate the details. “Details” means the Divine life-force within the particulars of the world. That is, one must contemplate the details of the life-force and the details of [unclear], as the Baal Shem Tov taught, in every particular—in every inanimate object, plant, animal and person. This particular way in which the Divine life-force enters each thing is what awakens love for Hakadosh Boruch Hu. That is the difference between Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel: Beis Shammai, whose approach is one of gevurah, speak of a loftier level. They therefore say that contemplation should focus on sovev kol almin, on levels of G-dliness beyond the world. This awakens a great love in a person, through which he devotes himself to Hakadosh Boruch Hu beyond reason: “I am entirely Yours alone.” Beis Hillel say the opposite: consistent with their approach, they bring it down to a simpler way—to contemplate the details, the Divine life-force in every particular, which, as the Baal Shem Tov taught, gives life to every created being. In this way, the love is a love of [unclear], a love that a person can relate to more readily within the terms of the world. This is the meaning of the Mishnah’s statement: “A woman is acquired in three ways.” When [unclear], during the month of Elul we read Parshas Ki

26:00 To awaken the “kesef,” the yearning of “I have yearned so deeply,” the love, one must contemplate the details. “Details” means the Divine vitality within the particulars of the world. That is, one must contemplate the particular ways that vitality is present and the particular [unclear], as the Baal Shem Tov taught, in every detail—in everything inanimate, in plants, in animals, and in people. This particular way in which Divine vitality is invested in each thing is what arouses love for Hakadosh Boruch Hu. This is the difference between Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel: Beis Shammai, whose approach is associated with the level of gevurah, speak of a higher level. They therefore say that one should contemplate matters of sovev kol almin, levels of G-dliness beyond the world. This arouses in a person an abundant love, through which he gives himself over to Hakadosh Boruch Hu beyond reason and understanding: “I am entirely Yours alone.” Beis Hillel say the opposite: in keeping with their approach, they bring this down to a simpler way—contemplating the details, the Divine vitality within each particular thing, which, as the Baal Shem Tov taught, gives life to every created being. In this way, the love is a love [unclear], a love a person can connect with more readily within the bounds of the world. This is the meaning of the Mishnah that says, “A woman is acquired in three ways.” When [unclear], and during the month of Elul we read each year Parshas Ki

27:28 Seitzei every year. We read the parsha that discusses kiddushin because Elul is the time of “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” That, after all, is what kiddushin is about: “I am my beloved’s.” As explained in many maamarim of Chassidus, this is the relationship of husband and wife, Hakadosh Boruch Hu and the Jewish people: Jews draw close to Hakadosh Boruch Hu, “my beloved,” out of love, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu draws close to the Jews out of love. “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” This is Elul, the time when the Jewish people draw close to Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and from there we move on to Tishrei. The entire theme of Elul and Tishrei, as explained in Chassidus, is the wedding of Hakadosh Boruch Hu and the Jewish people. The sefarim explain that everything we do on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos and Simchas Torah expresses the marriage of Hakadosh Boruch Hu and the Jewish people, until we reach the greatest joy. The words “on His wedding day” refer to the Giving of the Torah. The Mishnah at the end of Tractate Taanis also explains that this refers to Yom Kippur, when the second tablets were given. And the joy and dancing of the wedding, of “on His wedding day—this is the Giving of the Torah,” take place on Simchas Torah, Shemini Atzeres, when we complete the Torah and the joy

29:03 is at its greatest. That is when the marriage of Hakadosh Boruch Hu and the Jewish people takes place. So this is what we are saying: the whole sequence must be followed, and first there must be kiddushin. And kiddushin—the order of service during Elul, the time of kiddushin—means “she becomes forbidden to everyone else, like something consecrated”: removing the taste and pleasure from this world. As Reb Shimon Monkes said to the Alter Rebbe, first one must remove the taste for this world, and afterward one must “enter her husband’s domain”—devote oneself to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. And we devote ourselves to Hakadosh Boruch Hu through all the particulars we have discussed: kesef and the document, and how they are understood in our service—all the details of that service. Afterward, this leads to the marriage, as the Alter Rebbe explains in Likkutei Torah on Parshas Ki Seitzei: this is the theme of Tishrei, of Simchas Torah, when the yechidah of the soul is revealed, and “Yisroel and the King are alone together”—the Jews and Hakadosh Boruch Hu become one. From this then comes the flow of blessing in both the spiritual and the physical, and our service in Torah and mitzvos throughout the entire year. May we indeed merit that the wedding take place at the right time, that everything progress [unclear], and that we merit the complete Geulah. May it be a good and blessed year; may you be inscribed and sealed for a good, sweet year, both materially and spiritually.