The Secret of the Tears of Our Mother Leah and the Sweetening of Judgments

Lesson No. 222 | Cassette 222 Sunday, Parashas Vayetzei, the eve of 6 Kislev 5760 - Awakening gathering in Bnei Brak at the King David Halls Wednesday, Parashas Vayishlach, the eve of 16 Kislev 5760 - Distribution of certificates and scholarships at the Breslov Kollel for young men

An in-depth discourse on the spiritual difference between Rachel and Leah, and how our Mother Leah merited the birthright, Yaakov, and Mashiach ben David in the merit of the power of tears. Through the secrets of Kabbalah, it is explained how Yaakov Avinu ascended to the level of the Jubilee and sweetened the roots of judgment.

We have gathered here for the elevation of the soul of R' Yosef HaKohen, to sweeten the judgments together as one, so that this soul will be able to enter directly into the supernal chambers, into the heavenly Holy Temple, and continue its holy service there. The secret of sweetening the judgments is hidden in the path of Yaakov Avinu, as it is written:

"And Yaakov left Be'er Sheva and went to Charan."

Yaakov completed all seventy years, all seventy spiritual levels. After not praying for seventy years, now "he went to Charan" – he encounters terrible charon af (burning wrath), and the question arises as to how one sweetens this wrath.

The Secret of Rachel and Leah

Yaakov Avinu placed the stones of the place around his head. Yaakov's mind was focused on Rachel. He knew he was going to take Rachel, the daughter of Lavan, as he was told: "Arise, go to Padan Aram... and take for yourself a wife from there, from the daughters of Lavan, your mother's brother." Yaakov knew he was going to take Rachel, but after seven years of hard work, about which he said:

"By day the scorching heat consumed me, and the frost by night,"

he ascended to tremendous spiritual levels that he had never even imagined. A heavenly voice rang out and said: "From the world and unto the world." "From the world" – this is Rachel, "and unto the world" – this is Leah. Rachel represents the aspect of Shmitah (the Sabbatical year), whereas Leah represents the aspect of Yovel (the Jubilee year). Yaakov ascended to the level of the Jubilee, which is called Leah.

Leah is the aspect of the back of Imma Ila'ah (the Supernal Mother, representing the higher function of understanding and judgment), and she is drawn from a very high place – from the mazal (spiritual channel) of 'Nakeh' from the Dikna Kadisha (Holy Beard) of Arich Anpin (the Supernal Countenance of Divine Will and Mercy). Therefore, Yaakov initially had no comprehension of Leah, because Yaakov is the aspect of Zeir Anpin (the Lesser Countenance, representing the revealed emotional attributes). Rachel, on the other hand, is drawn through tikkunim (rectifications) from the Sefirah of Malchus (Kingship) of Zeir Anpin.

The Destiny-Altering Power of Tears

King David asked in Psalm 39: "O Hashem, make me know my end, and the measure of my days, what it is." David descended from the children of Leah, and from him came the King Mashiach. And how did Leah merit all of this? Through her crying.

The holy Zohar says that Leah would sit at the crossroads and shed rivers of tears. Every day she would ask what Esav was doing and what Yaakov was doing. After all, they would send letters; Lavan and Rivkah corresponded, and they knew that "the older daughter will be for the older son, and the younger daughter will be for the younger son." Leah would cry all day long, until it was said: "And Leah's eyes were tender" – from so many tears and so much crying.

The moment a person sheds tears like water, oceans of tears, there is no harsh decree that he cannot annul, and no destiny that he cannot change. Through tears, a person can merit the most excellent thing in the world. And this is how Leah merited Yaakov.

Rachel was certain that Yaakov belonged to her. She did not shed a single tear, because she thought everything would come easily, through natural means. But Leah, who shed rivers of tears and went out every day to hear new stories about Esav and Yaakov, preceded Rachel. In the merit of her tears, Leah merited six sons, she merited Mashiach ben David, and she merited to be buried with Yaakov in the Cave of Machpelah. The heels of Leah enter into the crown of Rachel, and Rachel only begins at the end of Leah's heels.

The Ascent to the Fiftieth Gate

Yaakov had no comprehension of Leah until he received the name "Yisrael," and then his comprehension of her began. All of his thoughts and meditations were always on Rachel. From the day she was born, he knew she was destined for him. But Hashem wanted him to merit much higher spiritual levels.

Through the seven years of "By day the scorching heat consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes," through the tears that Yaakov would cry in the mountains, in the frost and in the heatwave – he reached exalted levels. There was not a single night that Yaakov did not finish the entire Book of Psalms. The Psalms, which Adam HaRishon knew and which Yaakov knew, brought him to ascend from the level of Shmitah to the level of Yovel. He ascended to the Fiftieth Gate of Binah (Understanding), and there the gates were opened for him.

This is the secret of the verse "And Yaakov left Be'er Sheva" – he completed the seven levels of the Middos (emotional attributes: Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferes, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, Malchus), and now he is going to the roots of judgment, to the Sefirah of Binah, about which it is said, "All judgments are awakened from it." "And he went to Charan" – he is going to sweeten the judgments of Binah, the roots of judgment, and to draw down loving-kindness and abundance to the world. For this is the entire work of the tzaddikim: to draw down overflowing loving-kindness to the world.

Part 1 of 3 — Lesson No. 222

Next part ←

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