The Secret of Binyamin's Portion: The Power of Nullification to Ignite the Fire of the Tzaddik in the Heart

Class No. 276 | * Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh Parashas Chayei Sarah, Eve of 28 Cheshvan 5761 - Class for Shadarim (Emissaries) in the Wall (Continued from 275)

In order to merit the fire of holiness and to identify the true tzaddik, the trait of bitul (self-nullification) is required. Binyamin the tzaddik, who came to Yosef with the greatest bitul of all, merited that his portion would be five times larger — the secret of the five beacons that ignite the heart up to the highest level of the soul.

The Gemara in Tractate Eiruvin (100b) states that one can learn good character traits from animals. In fact, one can learn the entire Torah from creation, because Hashem scattered all 613 mitzvos among all the animals and creations. As it is written in the Book of Iyov (Job): "Who teaches us from the beasts of the earth, and makes us wise from the birds of the heavens." One can learn modesty from a cat, the laws of forbidden relations from a dove, and appeasement from a rooster, which teaches us about shalom bayis (marital harmony). One can even learn distancing oneself from robbery from an ant — for although it will take from the whole world, it will never touch the wheat of its fellow ant.

Touring All the Holy Places of the Torah

Just as we learn from all of creation, so too we must learn from all the holy books. Rebbe Nachman says in Sichos HaRan (Section 28) that in the World to Come, a person will boast of every book he learned in this world. Rebbe Nachman wants us to go through all the holy books: Tanach, Gemara, Mishnah, Rambam, and Chassidic works like the Maor VaShemesh.

Just as a wealthy person boasts that he has toured the entire world — Warsaw, Amsterdam, or Mississippi — and takes pride in having been to places where others have not been, so too a person should boast in the World to Come that he has toured all the holy places of the Torah. "It is fitting that a person in this world should be in all the holy places of the Torah, so that he will be able to boast in the World to Come."

If it is difficult for a person to wrap his head around deep Talmudic topics in the Gemara, let him learn Maor VaShemesh, and afterward let him learn Likutey Moharan, which is a completely different light. In truth, all the books in the world come to explain a single word in Likutey Moharan, and when a person learns them, he understands the words of Rebbe Nachman with tremendous depth.

The Secret of Binyamin's Portion and the Five Beacons

In Parashas Vayigash, we read about Yosef's revelation to his brothers. Yosef represents the aspect of the Tzaddik Yesod Olam (the Tzaddik who is the foundation of the world). When the brothers sit before him, the Torah relates:

"And he took portions (masos) from before him unto them, and Binyamin's portion (masas) was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank, and became intoxicated with him."

The Maor VaShemesh explains that the word "masas" (portion) is related to the word "masuos" (beacons) — to raise up a fire. When one comes to the tzaddik and has *bitul* (self-nullification) to the tzaddik, then one receives a fire in the heart. All the brothers had bitul; they came ready for self-sacrifice, to kill and be killed. But Binyamin had the greatest bitul of all. He searched for his brother, cried over him, and honored him with his heart and soul. The more bitul a person has to the tzaddik, the more fire is ignited in his heart. Therefore, Binyamin received five times as much as each and every one of them.

This concept is hinted at in the Mishnah in Tractate Rosh Hashanah, which describes how they would light beacons to announce the sanctification of the new month. The Mishnah lists exactly five beacons:

"And from where did they light the beacons? From the Mount of Olives to Sartava, and from Sartava to Gerofina, and from Gerofina to Chavran, and from Chavran to Beis Biltin... until he would see the entire Diaspora before him like a bonfire of fire."

The first beacon begins at the Mount of Olives (Har HaMishchah), which is adjacent to the portion of Binyamin. The light begins from Binyamin and spreads to five beacons. The Mishnah calls this "masuos" (beacons), and this is the secret of "masas Binyamin" (Binyamin's portion) — the tzaddik ignites torches of fire in our hearts, just like Devorah the Prophetess, whose torches were seen on her tent and who ignited the fire in the heart of all of Israel.

Identifying the Tzaddik Through Self-Nullification

There are many tzaddikim, but how will we know who is the true tzaddik, the Tzaddik Yesod Olam? The answer is the fire. Whoever merits to draw close to the true tzaddik immediately has a blazing fire ignited in his heart. But in order for this fire to be ignited, a person must have bitul. Without bitul, the fire will never be ignited and we will not be able to discern who the tzaddik is.

Binyamin arrived with the greatest bitul, and therefore the fire was ignited within him five times more than everyone else. "Five portions (yados)" also hints at five times the word "yad" (hand, which has the numerical value of 14), which together equals 70 — the same numerical value as "yayin" (wine). This is the preserved wine that Yosef left for us from the world of Binah (Understanding).

Through bitul to the tzaddik, one receives holiness five times over, and merits the five levels of the soul: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah, and Yechidah. Through the tzaddik, one receives the level of '*Yechidah*' — the recognition that there is none besides Him. And through this, we will merit that the Beis HaMikdash be built for the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen.

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