The daily strengthening from The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a — In order to repair the sin of Adam HaRishon, one must know the secret of song.

“With the jawbone of a donkey—donkey upon donkeys; with the jawbone of a donkey I struck down a thousand men” (Judges 15:16)

“And I said to you: ‘In your blood, live!’” (Ezekiel 16:6)

“Six were comparable to Adam HaRishon” (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer 53)

“And Shem and Yefes took the garment and placed it upon both their shoulders” (Genesis 9:23)

“Shaul was one year old when he began to reign” (I Samuel 13:1)

Tuesday, 4 Iyar 5783 — “A person comes to repair many kinds of souls, and according to the souls he came to repair, thoughts pass through him—and only the Tzaddik knows which souls he came to repair.”

These are his holy words:

It is written in Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer: “Six were of the likeness of Adam HaRishon.” Six came to repair the sin of Adam HaRishon. They began to repair it through free choice—but they did not know the secret of song. King Chizkiyahu did not know the secret of song.

“Six were comparable to Adam HaRishon” (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer 53)—Shimshon, where with each blow he killed a thousand men. There is no such thing; even Moshiach will not kill a thousand men like that.

Shimshon—with each blow, a thousand men: “With the jawbone of a donkey—donkey upon donkeys; with the jawbone of a donkey I struck down a thousand men” (Judges 15:16). A person must reach a state where each “blow” is like a thousand men—taking down a thousand with a donkey’s jawbone.

Even though it says “donkey upon donkeys,” meaning he had not yet emerged from all blemishes—because Galei Razya explains that Shimshon contained two souls: both Yefes and Shem (in Galei Razya and Yalkut Reuveni (Noach; and the entry on reincarnations, siman 18, 19, and 39; and the entry on Samael) it is written that Shimshon was a reincarnation of Yefes—one spark from Yefes and one spark from Esav; and when Shimshon went off to a corrupt path, the spark of Yefes flew away from him.)

“And Shem and Yefes took the garment and placed it upon both their shoulders” (Genesis 9:23). This hints that they would come together in gilgul (reincarnation). For although Yefes learned from Shem, that Shem and Yefes would literally come together within the very same body—this happened only with Shimshon, who had two souls.

Everyone has several souls. Shimshon had two souls—both from Shem and from Yefes. A person comes to repair many kinds of souls; accordingly, thoughts pass through him—according to the souls he came to repair—and only the Tzaddik knows which souls he came to repair.

Because Shaul needed to nullify himself to Shmuel. Shaul came to repair Lemech, but Shaul himself did not know whom he came to repair—he did not know! If Shaul had known, he would have repaired differently.

Shaul had only one test—to nullify himself to Shmuel: “Shaul was one year old when he began to reign” (I Samuel 13:1). Rashi explains: Our Rabbis said (Yoma 22b), “Like a one-year-old, who has not tasted the taste of sin.” The yetzer hara makes him fall—but you must nullify yourself to Shmuel.

Shaul needed to wait seven days—but how can a person wait? They told him to wait seven days—seven days—how will he wait seven days? Everyone had already gathered: all of Am Yisrael came from the Golan, they came from HaRamah, they came from everywhere, and they tell him to wait seven days…

It’s already two minutes to twelve and Shmuel still hasn’t arrived. Everyone tells him: Come on, offer the sacrifice already—because you can’t go out to war without a sacrifice. You’re not going to go to war like this for nothing. Bring an olah, shelamim—bring something; let’s see you.

The test is difficult, but nullify yourself to Shmuel—Shaul needed to wait for Shmuel to come.