The Secret of Yearning: The Powerful Illumination of the Groom and Bride
Class No. 205 | Wednesday, Parashas Nitzavim-Vayeilech, 21 Elul 5759 - Sheva Brachos (Seven Benedictions)
A profound discourse on the spiritual essence of the Jewish wedding, which parallels the revelation at Mount Sinai. The Rav explains how the immense yearning of the groom and bride for Hashem causes their souls to soar, and reveals the secret of the bride's great light that burns away all impurity.
The verse states: "But you who cling to Hashem your God are all alive today." There is a level of deveikus (cleaving) to Hashem where a person reaches such intense yearning and longing that their soul actually departs from them. The tremendous novelty that the verse speaks of is that even though you reach such an immense level of deveikus, you nevertheless remain alive. This is a great wonder.
When a groom and bride stand under the chuppah (wedding canopy)—those from whom Mashiach ben David is destined to emerge—they reach such intense yearning and longing for Hashem, blessed be He, that the true novelty is that they remain alive. A wedding is like the Giving of the Torah, exactly like the Ten Commandments. Under the chuppah, one hears the five voices of the Giving of the Torah, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi taught. A wedding is an aspect of the Resurrection of the Dead—the soul departs from the sheer intensity of yearning and longing for Hashem, and yet, they remain alive.
The Departure of the Soul from Intense Longing
When true tzaddikim speak words of Torah, the souls of the listeners can actually depart. It is told about Udel, the daughter of the Baal Shem Tov, that when she would hear the Torah of the Rebbe, her body no longer knew what was happening to it. Everything was with the Rebbe, her soul was with the Rebbe, and when he spoke Torah—her soul would leave and soar.
This was also the case with disciples who heard Torah. Once, Rabbi Shmuel of Kaminka came to Rabbi Baruch of Medzhybizh, and upon hearing him, he exclaimed in amazement: "Such prayer and such Torah I have never heard in my life!" Rabbi Baruch was exacting regarding this external display of amazement, because these teachings were not merely "Torah novelties"—this was the Torah itself, the kind of Torah from which the soul would depart.
The Wonder of the Generation of the Wilderness
Moshe Rabbeinu marveled at the Generation of the Wilderness: How did they remain alive at all? They saw such things, heard such voices, witnessed the Giving of the Torah and the Clouds of Glory. "I do not know what strength you had to return the soul to your body," Moshe Rabbeinu marveled.
With every single utterance they heard from the Almighty, their souls departed, and an angel came and returned it to them. This was the greatness of the Generation of the Wilderness. They saw Clouds of Glory and pillars of fire—by day a pillar of white fire, and by night a pillar of red fire. And why were they surrounded by fire? Because the entire Generation of the Wilderness was fire. The hearts of every single Jew burned like fire for Hashem.
Returning to the Light of the Garden of Eden
During the Sheva Brachos (Seven Benedictions), one can reach those same yearnings and longings of the Generation of the Wilderness. We bless, "Bring great joy to these loving friends, just as You gladdened Your creation in the Garden of Eden from of old." At a wedding, we return to the creation of the world, to the World of Atzilus (the highest spiritual realm of Divine Emanation), to the state of the Garden of Eden from of old before the sin of Adam HaRishon (the First Man), to a place where there are no bodies at all, but only souls that are consumed with yearning for Hashem.
Rebbe Nachman explains that Adam HaRishon could not look at the face of his wife, Chava, because of the sheer intensity of her light. The holy Zohar states that Chava's light was many times greater than the light of Adam HaRishon. The holy Arizal explains that Chava radiated with 370 myriad nehorin (lights), whereas Adam HaRishon radiated with only 150 myriad nehorin—less than half.
Why does the bride radiate more than the groom? Because the bride has a greater level of *deveikus* (cleaving to Hashem). The bride's soul pines for Hashem, and she yearns for Him with true longings even more than the man. From the day she is born, she possesses only yearning and longing for Hashem.
The Fire of Yearning that Burns Away Impurity
If the groom knows how to appreciate what a kosher bride he is receiving, what a treasure of yearning and longing she possesses, he understands the spiritual power of the home he is building.
Regarding such a bride, who pines and yearns for Hashem in the aspect of "My soul yearns, indeed it faints, for the courtyards of Hashem; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God," it is said regarding the secret of the techeiles (blue thread): "It consumes everything and destroys everything" (meaning it burns away all negativity).
When there is such a bride, whose body is consumed and burns from intense longing for Hashem, then all the Sitra Achra (the Other Side; forces of impurity) is burned and consumed. The immense light of this yearning burns away all impurity, leaving no trace of it. By the groom and bride yearning together for Hashem, they merit to consume all evil and draw down into the world all the highest wisdoms, intellects, and supernal illuminations.
Part 1 of 2 — Class No. 205
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