The Daily Chizzuk of our Rebbe Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a — We want Hashem to “pray for us.”
Thursday, 10 Tamuz 5783
These are his holy words:
We begin the prayer of the 13 Attributes of Mercy with “Kel Rachum V’Chanun.” The first name Hashem in the 13 Attributes, the second name Hashem — we want Hashem to “pray for us.”
The Rebbe writes in Likutey Moharan 105 that the first name “Hashem” is simple mercy. We want to draw mercy like this, mercy such as this which sweetens every judgment in the world; “I will pass all My goodness before you” (Shemot 33:19). Even though we sinned with the calf, even though we sinned in everything.
It is written that over a course of 40 days and nights, Moshe did not stop praying — for the calf, there is no forgiveness; for the sale of Yosef, there is no forgiveness. We wanted to draw from the second name, which is more complete — a little bit of great mercy, abundant mercy. Such a prayer is called “al Hashem — on Hashem” — this is Atika Kadisha (the Holy Ancient One).
All our task is to reach Adam Kadmon, to Atika Kadisha, and from there to draw all the mercy in the world, abundant mercy, on Hashem. Channa reached there with her prayer. Channa ascended to Atika Kadisha, to the place that is called “on Hashem” — “[she] prayed on Hashem” (I Shmuel 1:10).
“On Hashem” — this is Zeir Anpin (the Small Face), Rachel and Leah. All the task of a person is to reach “on Hashem,” to reach Atika Kadisha. Channa reached there with her prayer — that Hashem became spiritually channeled through her, the angel Mem-Tet.
All Chanuka comes from Atika — this is the aspect of “the prayer of Hashem.” We light the Chanuka candle. The entire Chanuka candle is in the merit of Channa, that she prayed about Chanuka.
Like Rachel, who prayed that 600 men would remain from the whole tribe, the tribe of Binyanim, after the concubine in Givah. Because Binyanim is without heart. No heart is needed. Binyamin goes without heart. This is a tribe that has no heart.
It is written in Midrash Rabbah, in the second section, the explanation of “without heart.” Do you go to war without a heart? A war is more serious than Yom Kippur. You need to repent; so how do you go without a heart?! You need to know that now is a war — repent now. A person doesn’t know if he will return alive from the war. The Books of the Living and the Dead are open before him.
So it is written in Parashat Kedoshim — how do you go to war without a heart? Who invented this verse [about] going to war without a heart? How is such a thing possible? Rabbi Tanchuma said: What is the explanation of “without heart”? We’ll read the verse, “Of Zevulun — fifty thousand going out in the army, who deployed themselves for war with all kinds of weapons of war, who arrayed themselves without a heart and a heart [i.e. without two hearts, without hesitation]” (I Divrei HaYamim 12:34) — they have no heart. They don’t need a heart. Why do they go out without a heart? Because they are going with the Tzaddik!
You go with the Tzaddik — then you don’t need a heart!
Barak asked Devorah who will go.
She answered: Zevulun will go! Tell Zevulun to go — they will go immediately. They obey the Tzaddik without a passing thought. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a man or a woman. Devorah says to go to war. She says: So says Hashem — now you perform periya after the cutting of milah: “Bifroa pera’ot b’Yisrael” (Shoftim 5:2). Because until her time, they were not doing milah properly; they didn’t know the law of milah. They would do like Arabs do, only cutting. We also do the cutting, also periya, and also metzitza. The Arabs only do the cutting.
Before the war, they were perform milah like Arabs, only cutting. Therefore Sisra was in control. Devorah said: From today, there will also be periya and also metzitza. They listened to the voice of Devorah — now you can go out to war. You know how to do milah, you can go out to war. But Zevulun, whether they intend or not, they go out to war and win.
