Explanations of the Prayer - Ashrei - Part 1

00:00 Speaker 1 King David, King David and Pesukei Dezimra. King David below corresponds to the sefirah of malchus above. That is why King David offers praise in Pesukei Dezimra and explains the whole idea of malchus. This is not some private, secondary matter. As we know from Chassidus, malchus is the source of all the influence that reaches creation. Ultimately, all that influence, and the entire purpose, is accomplished through malchus. The whole purpose is to draw Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s kingship into the world. And not only to draw His kingship into the world: as explained in Chassidus, there are views that malchus itself must receive from levels above malchus. Because although malchus is central, malchus also involves a descent. From the level of malchus, the influence can come in a way that gives rise to a sense of independent existence, with bittul revealed only within that existence. The goal is to draw into malchus from its source and origin, which is keser. So here he says: “A praise of David.” We explained that “A praise of David” means revelation. Tehillah means revelation. The simple meaning of tehillah is praise: praise and acclaim. Yes, “A praise of David”—David’s praise. David offers praise. But hillul, too, has the sense of revelation. So we explained that the word hallel, hillul, is also an expression of appearing, of becoming visible; it is related to yahal, hillul with a hei. It is an expression of holiness, an expression of revelation. That is why Hillel and Shammai correspond to chesed and gevurah: Shammai is related to shuma, assessment, while Hillel is related to hillul, meaning revelation. So the meaning here is that “A praise of David” means bringing about revelation in David—drawing a revelation of G-dliness into malchus. Since malchus on its own is a place where there is a sense of independent existence, we need to draw

02:30 Speaker 1 a revelation of G-dliness into malchus. Actually, it can also be explained the other way around. “A praise of David” is the praise offered by David, by malchus. It is not from above downward, but from below upward: malchus offers praise and acclaim. In other words, malchus rises to higher levels. In one approach, a revelation of G-dliness is drawn into malchus. In another, malchus rises; through its praise and acclaim, malchus moves toward revelation so that G-dliness will be drawn into it. It is what the recipient does so that the giver’s influence will be drawn into it. But this is the foundation of all prayer: as malchus rises, all the worlds rise with it, so that G-dliness from the very highest levels will be revealed within them. What does that mean? Here he begins to set out the various details of this praise offered by malchus in an orderly way. First he says: “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever.” What is the simple translation? “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King”—I exalt You; and “my G-d, the King” refers to the sefirah of malchus. So he says, “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King”: I exalt “my G-d, the King,” the sefirah of malchus, “and I will bless Your name forever and ever.” I will always bless Your name. In simple terms, King David is saying that he exalts and praises Hakadosh Boruch Hu’s kingship and always blesses His name. That is the plain meaning. What does it mean on the inner level? When you say, “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King,” we see that “my G-d, the King” refers to the sefirah of malchus. What does “I will exalt You” mean? What does “I will exalt You” mean? To raise up malchus. Yes, malchus needs to be raised up. Malchus is in a state of descent and lowliness. Malchus is the Shechinah as it enclothes itself in the world, lowering itself to give life to creation, bringing about tzimtzum and a sense of independent existence. Malchus needs to be raised up. Yes.

04:59 Speaker 1 That means bringing about an ascent in malchus and raising it to the level of keser. Because exaltedness is, in fact, connected with keser. Exaltedness—what does it mean? Height: high and exalted. That relates to keser, which is intrinsically exalted. Malchus is what lowers itself into creation. So “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King” means raising malchus and connecting it with higher levels—raising malchus to its root and source, which is keser. To put it another way, there are two approaches here. Actually, they are not two interpretations, but two levels, two ideas. The reverse: not raising malchus to keser, but drawing keser into malchus. There is another way to understand “I will exalt You.” This is how the Rebbe explains it in Chassidus, as it is also explained in many maamarim. There is an entire series in Hemshech Ayin Beis centered on this verse, and a series of Pesach maamarim by the Rebbe Rashab also explains it at length. The Rebbe also has a series from Tishrei 5725. This is one of the verses discussed extensively in Chassidus. And the khaf, with its long downward stroke, indicates drawing down. In general, elongated letters express the idea of drawing down. Yes. Accordingly, “I will exalt You” does not mean from below upward, but the reverse: exaltedness is drawn down below. The exaltedness of keser—rather than “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King” meaning raising malchus, “I will exalt You” means taking the exaltedness of keser, the exaltedness of Ein Sof, and drawing it into “my G-d, the King,” into the sefirah of malchus. As Chassidus also says regarding “my G-d, the King”: the maamarim explain that “my G-d” has two meanings. “My G-d” can mean G-dliness—G-dlichkeit, the quality of G-dliness. “My G-d” can also mean power. That is, everything that—

07:19 Speaker 1 “My G-d” can mean power, as in the word Elokim. Yes, the idea of power. Light and power, light and power. This brings us to the distinction between light and power, one of the subjects discussed a great deal in Chassidus. In the maamarim—we saw it in the maamar I mentioned earlier, and in several others—it is explained that there are two kinds of Divine influence. There is Divine influence in the form of light, and Divine influence in the form of power. This is very well known. Yes. In other words, light is the revelation of G-dliness. It is called “light” because it reveals: it openly reveals Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Power is the opposite. Power involves enclothement. It does not—no, no, no—it does not come through revelation. It is separate. Yes, power is the ability to act; it enclothes itself in the action. Generally, light and power are two different levels. There are levels of G-dliness characterized by revelation, by an unlimited quality, and there are levels of G-dliness characterized by power, by enclothement and separateness, through which a sense of independent existence comes about. As we learn in [unclear]—uh, in Likkutei Torah, the whole subject. The difference between Atzilus and Beriah: Atzilus is characterized by revelation, while Beriah is characterized by concealment. We learned about that. Yes, Atzilus and Beriah. In general, then, these are two different things. Yet both are present in the same words, “my G-d, the King.” Both are here: light and power. So the point of “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King” is really to bring the two together, and that is the key to the whole matter: even within G-dliness as it comes in the form of power, through enclothement in a world that has a sense of independent existence, the essential light—the aspect of G-dliness and revelation—should become manifest. That is the meaning of “I will exalt You, my G-d,

09:17 Speaker 1 “the King.” By drawing down the exaltedness of Keser, it becomes possible to bring about “my G-d, the King,” so that it is drawn down into the level of koach as well. The koach also brings things into being through koach. The Divine power that is enclothed in the world, and is drawn down with revelation here, is the level of daas, the level of G-dliness. After that he says, “And I will bless Your name forever and ever.” Now, “And I will bless Your name forever and ever” means, according to the explanation we are giving, that “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King”—“I will exalt You, my G-d”—is the idea of exaltation. “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King” means raising Malchus to the level of Keser. That is why it then says, “And I will bless”: the purpose of the exaltation is for it to come into revelation. That is the idea of blessing. Blessing means drawing down. Yes, that is the first part of the verse. It is more a movement of ascent: “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King” is a movement of ascent. The second part of the verse is a movement of drawing down: “And I will bless Your name forever and ever.” That means the blessing and the drawing down should be forever and ever, extending into creation as well. Yes. In other words, the first part of the verse speaks mainly about levels within G-dliness: how these matters are within G-dliness, Malchus connecting with Keser, Malchus connecting with Yesod. And the second part of the verse explains how this is revealed here in the world. Through the connection of Malchus with Keser, with the levels of ascent and drawing down, through Malchus connecting with its root and source, “I will bless Your name”—so that one can draw down and bless; “blessed” means drawing down. “Your name,” which is Malchus: bringing it down into the world, revealing it so that it extends to Yesod as well. That is what it says. There are broader discussions of this in Chassidus, here and elsewhere, but this is the perspective from which “I will bless” is explained. Of course, anyone who wants to can take the introduction and study it there in terms of avodah, [unclear], and so on and so forth.

11:17 Speaker 2 Yes, but “I will exalt You, my G-d” is an ascent, while Malchus is a descent.

11:23 Speaker 1 Ah, “I will exalt You, my G-d” contains both ideas here, but the main emphasis in “I will exalt You, my G-d” is on how it is within the sefiros, how it is in Malchus and Keser. The second part is about how it then continues here, how it enters creation. After bringing about the connection of Malchus with Keser, another step is needed—another request—that it be drawn down and revealed below, with Hashem’s help. After that he says, “Every day I will bless You.” “Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” What does “Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever” mean? On the simple level, what is he saying? That every day he blesses Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Yes, every day he blesses Hakadosh Boruch Hu, “and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” He always praises the name of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Now, when you learn it on the simple level, it seems almost repetitive. How can he say the same thing several times? What is the point in Chassidus? Chassidus emphasizes here that “Every day I will bless You” means—there is...

12:34 Speaker 3 Gevuros, for example, correspond to it.

12:38 Speaker 1 All right, it is explained: the idea of a day.

12:41 Speaker 3 I like to go into detail.

12:41 Speaker 1 A day is connected with the sefiros of the middos.

12:45 Speaker 3 Yes, that doesn’t sit right.

12:48 Speaker 1 To my mind, it...

12:50 Speaker 3 For example, [unclear].

12:53 Speaker 1 Each day is a different middah, named for that middah. In other words, in the previous verse he was speaking mainly about the sefirah of Malchus. So who can bring it about? [unclear] with regard to Malchus. After that, when he says, “Every day I will bless You,” he explains how this reaches the other sefiros as well: a Jew has the power to bring about a revelation of G-dliness not only in Malchus, but also in the middos, each day. Each day is a middah. Each day is a middah of its own. “Every day I will bless You”—each day brings a new drawing down, a different drawing down. This too can be explained in several ways. One way to explain it follows from the discussion here. “Every day I will bless You” can mean that it is not enough to draw it down into Malchus, to draw a revelation of G-dliness into Malchus. That alone cannot reach creation; within this itself, there must also be a particularized drawing down. In other words, the sefirah of Malchus alone is not enough. The avodah must also draw it into the middos. As we say in avodah, there is the avodah of kabbolas ol. A person must accept the yoke of Heaven upon himself; there must be bittul. Then he will do everything Hakadosh Boruch Hu wants. He accepts the yoke of Heaven, and that is the beginning of avodah. It is the root, the foundation, everything, and so on. But ultimately that is just one aspect, the aspect of Malchus. For the service of Hashem to be complete, it is not enough for the avodah to come only from Malchus, from kabbolas ol. A person must work with his middos as well: his love must be love, his awe must be awe, so that all his middos

14:47 Speaker 1 are connected to G-dliness, not only Malchus. Like the well-known story with Reb Eliezer Wolfish, to whom the Tzemach Tzedek said, “Eliezer...”

14:59 Speaker 3 Now, this is difficult.

15:01 Speaker 1 Malchus is only one sefirah. There are other sefiros. Do you know the story? Hm? Sometimes, specifically, there is the expression about Reb Tzvi Elimelech, Reb Lipman [unclear]. Lipman [unclear] had very strong kabbolas ol. With him, Malchus was all kabbolas ol, kabbolas ol. He had kabbolas ol as well, [unclear]. He came to [unclear] and learned kabbolas ol. That is something very, very great, but you are doing it with only one sefirah. There needs to be more. There are other sefiros. In other words, the avodah needs to involve all of them, not only the sefirah of Malchus. Yes, it does. It does. As [unclear] said, Malchus has its own aspects. It has to extend through all the middos, all the details. So that is the point. At first he says: I want to take the yoke of kingship upon myself. Then he says something more: “Every day I will bless You”—to bring about the drawing down of G-dliness into each and every middah. Each day, in each and every middah, G-dliness should be drawn down and revealed. That is also the simple meaning of “every day.” Each day is a different middah. Each day is a different sefirah. “Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” What is the difference here between the first idea, “I will exalt You,” and the second, “I will praise Your name forever and ever”? Chassidus explains this. There is blessing and there is praise. What is the difference between blessing and revelation? Blessing means drawing down. But something can be drawn down and still lack revelation. There must be more than blessing; we must bring about its revelation as well. One thing is “Every day I will bless You.” The second is “And I will praise Your name”—that it should be in a manner of praise, a manner of revelation. We see, for example, [unclear]. Now, this is

17:08 Speaker 1 the distinction between blessings and Hallel. They are two different things. A blessing is a drawing down; a person draws something down. We do not say Hallel every day. We say Hallel only at special times. In fact, the Gemara says, “Anyone who recites Hallel every day...” So—“I have become small”? No, that is not quite it. We do not say Hallel every day. In other words, they are two different things. What is the difference between blessing and revelation? Blessing is drawing down, drawing G-dliness into the world. But there is also the special idea that G-dliness be drawn down in a revealed way. In other words, that we visibly see the G-dliness. That is why it is specifically on Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah and Purim, at special times, that we say it, but not all the time. Generally, the world has to function according to the natural order, not in a manner of open revelation. At special times, though, it does come in a revealed way. That is what “Every day I will bless You” means: drawing down blessing each day, into each middah and each level, day after day. “And I will praise Your name forever and ever” means that it should also be in a manner of praise—that it should come into revelation. Note three. The Gemara discusses these two verses. The Gemara derives the wording of a blessing from them. In a blessing we say, “Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe,” and then we say the particular blessing. From where do we derive this wording? From this verse. Yes, because first it says, “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King,” and afterward, “And I will bless Your name forever and ever.” Yes, that is what we learn from it. First there must be “I will exalt You, my G-d, the King”—that is the wording “King of the universe.” Then comes the particular blessing for whatever one is blessing. That too.