The Secret of Shabbat Meals and the Rectification of the World of Shattering

Class No. 419 | Sunday, 18 Tishrei, 3rd day of Chol HaMoed Sukkot 5765 - Yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of Rebbe Nachman - Part 1.

Why is it specifically on Shabbat that a person is liable to experience the most difficult spiritual falls? A profound discourse explaining the secret of the Shabbat meals, the purpose of the sin of Adam HaRishon (the First Man), and how our falls are designed to rectify the souls from the World of Shattering.

When a person attains humility and lowliness, his sins are forgiven. Why are sins forgiven specifically on Shabbat? Because on Shabbat, a person can see his own lowliness and understand where he truly stands. All week long he is busy and running around; he has no time to see which desires he is sunken into. But on Shabbat, when he is alone with himself, this is the time when he can truly come to know himself.

Visions of God or the Lowest Depths

Unfortunately, sometimes it is specifically on Shabbat that a person discovers to what lowest depths he has fallen. Instead of meriting on Shabbat the aspect of:

"And I saw visions of God" (Ezekiel 1:1)

the greatest fall occurs. This is a complete reversal from one extreme to the other.

If a father experiences his greatest spiritual falls on Shabbat, how can he later expect his children to become baalei teshuvah (returnees to the faith) and serve Hashem? A child sees everything. Even from the stage of pregnancy, everything is engraved upon his soul—what kind of father and what kind of mother he has. The child sees the spiritual reality in the home more sharply than any screen. Afterward, the person wonders why his children go astray and why they are not accepted into educational institutions.

In order to merit "visions of God" on Shabbat, we must invest in serving Hashem. We used to pray on Shabbat for seven hours, until four in the afternoon. Today, people pray until noon, but afterward, one must sit for long hours and sing all the zemirot (Shabbat table songs) and melodies with the children.

The Bread of the Resurrection of the Dead

The Shabbat meals contain a tremendous secret. The piece of bread we eat at the Shabbat meal is the "bread of the Resurrection of the Dead." People think it is just ordinary bread, but on Shabbat, we ascend to the supernal worlds of 'Atika' (the Ancient One), 'Arich' (the Long Face, representing Divine patience and mercy), and 'Adam Kadmon' (Primordial Man, the highest spiritual realm).

The holy Arizal explains that if Adam HaRishon had not sinned, he would have ascended during the first meal to 'Arich', during the second meal to 'Atika', and during the third meal to 'Adam Kadmon', thereby completing the tikkun (rectification) of the worlds.

However, had he not sinned, he would have rectified only the souls belonging to the "Name of Ma" (the Divine Name associated with rectification and the World of Atzilut). Billions of souls belonging to the "Name of Ban" (the Divine Name associated with judgment)—the World of Shattering—would have remained without a tikkun (rectification).

The Secret of the Fall: Rectifying the World of Shattering

Therefore, Hashem orchestrated everything from Heaven. Even when a person sins, the matter is arranged from Heaven—on the condition that he immediately does teshuvah (repentance) and does not remain in his fall. All the falls, including the Sin of the Golden Calf, were part of a Divine process. As Reish Lakish said:

"Let us be grateful to our ancestors who sinned, for had they not sinned, we would not have come into the world" (Avodah Zarah 5a).

The main thing is to catch ourselves immediately and say, "I want to see Hashem! Why on earth would I make a Golden Calf?" If not for the Sin of the Golden Calf, the Resurrection of the Dead and the rectification of the worlds would have already occurred, but we—the souls belonging to the Shattering—would not have been rectified. Mashiach is delayed because he sees that someone else is doing teshuvah (repentance), another awakening from below. He is waiting until all the souls are rectified.

The Tzaddik Who Leads with a Pillar of Fire

The true tzaddik is above all the souls. Since the creation of the world, they have been waiting for this tikkun (rectification). When Malki-Tzedek brought out bread and wine to Avraham Avinu (our Patriarch Abraham), he revealed to him the secret of:

"Who has wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning?" (Isaiah 41:4)

He showed Avraham that all the wars he fought and everything he did were all directed toward the revelation of the tzaddik, who is the root of all tzaddikim.

There is a tzaddik who leads the entire world with a pillar of fire. Just as King David, even before he was created, already led the world with a pillar of fire and walked before the Children of Israel. This is the supernal soul that walks before us, illuminating our path out of the darkness and brokenness.

Part 3 of 4 — Lesson No. 419

→ Previous part | Next part ←

All parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (current) | Part 4