The Secret of Intellect and Faith on the Fifteenth of Av
Lesson No. 106 | Cassette 106, Lesson No. 1
The fifteenth of Av (Tu B'Av) is not merely a day for shidduchim (marriage matches); it is a supreme time of favor during which holiness is drawn down from the Holy of Holies. On this day, the secret of the tzaddik is revealed—the one who connects the intellect with emunah (faith). Through him, all wisdom and spiritual attainments for the entire year are bestowed upon a person.
The fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur are days of immense joy, during which everyone ascends to the level of "Imma Ila'ah" (the Supernal Mother) and merits complete atonement. These days serve as a profound sweetening and a great tikkun (rectification) for all the sorrow of the Nine Days and Tisha B'Av. Regarding these days, it is said that the daughters of Israel would go out in borrowed white garments, which is the secret of the verse:
"Go forth and gaze, O daughters of Zion, upon King Solomon, upon the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the gladness of his heart."
Specifically on the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur, the holy tikkun of weddings and marriage is revealed. This is a supreme time of favor, during which the perfect unification is forged between the Holy One, Blessed be He, and His *Shechinah* (Divine Presence), and between the entire Jewish people and Hashem.
The Holiness of the Holy of Holies and the Universal Intellect
This supernal unification flows down and influences all those who get married close to the fifteenth of Av, and especially those who merit to marry on this very day, whose spiritual stature is beyond measure. This is a holy union, because holy marriages are drawn from the spiritual level of the Holy of Holies and the Even HaShetiyah (Foundation Stone).
When we approach the Western Wall and the Holy of Holies, we ascend to the level of the "Universal Intellect." In contrast to the individual intellect, where a person only understands what his eyes see, one who merits the Universal Intellect receives tremendous illumination. He lives with perfect emunah, causes no distress to anyone, and knows that everything comes from the Holy of Holies. The holiness of the fifteenth of Av is drawn directly from the holiness of the Holy of Holies, and therefore, it is the most auspicious time for *shidduchim* (marriage matches), engagements, and weddings—to build an everlasting edifice.
On this day, the level of Kesser (Crown) is revealed, which is above the first three Sefiros (Divine emanations), in the secret of "the crown with which his mother crowned him." This is "the day of his wedding, and on the day of the gladness of his heart," the time when Hashem rejoices with His handiwork. Moshe Rabbeinu, in his prayer of "Va'eschanan," begs to merit returning to these supernal states of mind—a mindset of humility and holiness. The entire spiritual work and intense effort of the tzaddikim is to bring us to the Holy Temple and the Holy of Holies, and this is what we merit on the fifteenth of Av, which is a continuation and inspiration drawn from Yom Kippur.
Reb Noson of Breslov explains that the main thing is to merit ascending to the Universal Intellect. All of these immense spiritual heights are achieved only when we truly bind ourselves to the Universal Intellect, which is the true *tzaddik*. It is in the hands of the *tzaddik* to sweeten all the harsh judgments and transform everything into complete sweetness.
The Tzaddik as the Gardener of the Garden of Eden
Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Shklov, a disciple of the Vilna Gaon, reveals a wondrous secret about the work of the tzaddik. He explains that the tzaddik blows his holiness toward us from the four corners of the world, in the secret of the verse:
"Come from the four winds, O breath."
The tzaddik is called "Gananah D'Ginta"—the gardener of the Garden of Eden, as brought down in the Tales of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. He is constantly hoeing, weeding, and planting within the garden. The tzaddik is the secret of the river that flows out of Eden to water the garden.
The word "Eden" (עדן) has a gematria (numerical value) of 124. When this is multiplied by four (corresponding to the four winds), the result is 496, which is the gematria of the word "Leviathan" (לויתן) as well as the word "Malchus" (מלכות - Kingship). The tzaddik who merits the level of four times Eden draws down peace from all corners of the earth and from all four winds, infusing holy awareness into the world.
Moshe Rabbeinu, who is the true tzaddik and the embodiment of the "gardener of the garden," passed away during the time of "Ra'ava D'Ra'avin" (the Will of Wills). He is entirely composed of yearning and love for Hashem, and he sees nothing in the world besides the Creator. The ultimate purpose of the tzaddik's work is to bestow his holiness, purity, and spiritual awareness to all four corners of the world.
However, when a person begins to draw close to the tzaddik, it sometimes seems as though the tzaddik is actually pushing him away. A story is told about Rabbi Asher of Stolin and Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lechovitch, who debated to which Chassidic court a certain chassid—who was a great servant of Hashem—belonged. They decided that both of them would push him away, and whoever the chassid stubbornly insisted on drawing close to despite all the rejections—that would be the sign that he belonged to his soul root. The true *tzaddik* does not seek followers for himself; on the contrary, his role is sometimes to distance a person in order to test the authenticity of his desire and to build the proper spiritual vessels within him.
The Tzaddik's Thirst and Self-Sacrifice
Based on this, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Shklov explains the prayer of Moshe Rabbeinu:
"O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand."
Seemingly, we must ask: What is the meaning of "You have begun"? After all, Moshe Rabbeinu had already seen the Ten Plagues, ascended to heaven, received the Torah, and split the Red Sea! Rather, the commentators explain, a person is always shown only the Sefirah of Malchus (the lowest emanation, Kingship) of the spiritual level pertaining to him—Malchus of Asiyah (Action), Yetzirah (Formation), or Beriah (Creation). But almost no one reaches Malchus of Atzilus (the highest world of Emanation).
Moshe Rabbeinu, through his tremendous spiritual work, merited to be included in all ten Sefiros of the world of Atzilus, until he reached the supreme spiritual attainment of "Malchus of Akudim" (a primordial spiritual realm). Despite his immense attainments, Moshe Rabbeinu felt he was only at the beginning, and therefore he said, "You have begun." He was filled with an infinite thirst for Hashem, in the aspect of "What (Mah) does Hashem your God ask of you, but to fear"—to illuminate within himself the trait of "Mah" (Nothingness), the absolute nullification to the Infinite.
The tzaddik, who is "a man in whom there is spirit," breathes the spirit of life into all mortals across all corners of the world, for without this spirit, the world cannot exist. But how did the tzaddik reach this level, where everyone he blesses is blessed? The beginning of the tzaddik, his "Bereishit," is built entirely on pure faith and self-sacrifice. Even if the tzaddik appears covered in a thousand garments and concealments, he is always connected to the inner diamond point. The tzaddik is called "Leviathan" because he is accompanied (*melaveh*) and constantly attached to Hashem, serving Him with limitless self-sacrifice.
The Perfect Connection Between Intellect and Faith
The great rule in the spiritual work of the tzaddik is that every new intellect and spiritual attainment he receives immediately brings him to strengthen himself with new faith, in the secret of the verse:
"They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Shklov emphasizes a tremendous foundational principle: Every time a person gains new intellect, he must immediately increase his faith and trust. "If you add flour—add water." There must not be a single moment of intellect without faith, for this creates a state where "his wisdom exceeds his deeds." Intellect by itself can become the opposite of faith, whereas faith without intellect can slowly evaporate and fade away. But when a person connects faith together with intellect—there is no level higher than this.
This complete connection between faith and intellect is attained on the Fifteenth of Av (Tu B'Av). This day is connected to the Hebrew letter Samech, which is the 15th letter of the Aleph-Bet. The letter Samech is completely closed on all sides, hinting at the secret of the Garden of Eden. Whoever merits this spiritual illumination becomes like an ever-flowing spring, "like a spring of water whose waters do not fail," constantly flowing with wisdom.
By using intellect to strengthen faith, one ascends to the level of "Abba Ila'ah" (the Supernal Father/the source of divine wisdom), from which all wisdom and spiritual attainments flow for the entire year. The Fifteenth of Av falls exactly forty days before the 25th of Elul (the day the world was created). On this day, all shidduchim (marriage matches) are announced in Heaven, and a person is granted all the wisdom and mochin (expanded consciousness) that will serve him throughout the entire year. Everything a person attains during the year is merely a development of what he received on this holy day. In the merit of this illumination, may we merit the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen.
Part 2 of 4 — Lesson No. 106