Short Summary of Torah Ohr Daf 63 - Mitzvahs & Infinity w/ Rabbi Dovid Leib Shmerling

• “Ashira l’Hashem ki ga’o ga’a”. Onkelus: “geyah al giyusnei”.
• We know that the neshama descends into this world to achieve things that it could not do in Gan Eden. There. Is had Ahavah and Yiraah, Razto and Shuv. Here, those things are concealed and of a lower quality. So what is gained by coming into this world? 
• “Hamichadesh bituvo”= The maintenance of the world through Mimaleh Kol Almin. This comes from Adon Haniflaos, Sovev kol Almin. The way the neshama reaches dveikus is through its understanding of Elokus. This can only apply to the lower level of Elkous which is present in the world and prvides the neshama with its life force (MMK”A). however, Adon Hanifalos is beyond comprehension (norah sehilos). We can only access that level through Torah and Mitzvos. 
• Krias Yam Suf= Yichud Sovev uMimaleh, as a preparation for Matan Torah.
• The words of Torah are called susim, because they can help the neshama achieve things it can’t reach on its own. This applies to the verbalizing of the words of Torah, even without understanding.
• However, this only works if a person has Ahavah and Yiraah, which are the “wings” which allow mitzvos to ascend. 
• Mitzvos, and especially Tzedakah= darchei Havayeh, they draw Elokus into this from the very highest levels (rachamim rabim).  
• With reference to Tzedaka, we often mention both “Mishpat” and “Tzedaka”, which means that we want there to be a Gilui Elkous from the highest levels, but because at that point it is possible for this gilui to go anywhere, we want it to be channeled to BN”Y through Hashem’s Gevurah (mishpat). These are achieved by Mitzvos and he avoidance of physical extravagance in ones own physical possessions.
• One who fulfills the Mitzvos is called “Tzaddik”, because he causes a hashpaah of Or Ein Sof into/through Mitzvos.
• This is the meaning of yeridah tzarich aliya: through the neshama’s descent into this world, it is able to draw down the deepest levels of Hashem’s Compassion (Rachamim) through Tefilah, Torah, and Mitzvos.
• “Ashira l’Hashem ki ga’o ga’a”: Krias Yam Suf= Hamshachas Sovev Kol Almin, which is now accomplished through Torah and Mitzvos, and whose revelation we will experience by Moshiach (then, it was Matan Torah).

1. Torah and Mitzvos reach higher than Ahavah and Yiraah, but still require it.
2. When drawing from the highest levels, we need to ensure that Elokus flows in the fight direction. 

• “Lisusasi b’richvei Paro dimisich rayasi”.
• “Sus”= Horses= Letters, which are both controlled by the person(s Sechel) but which can transport the neshama to a farther place than it can reach on its own, beyond Sechel. This is through Davening. Ideally, one also needs to be misbonen, at the very leastm in the words themselves. And even all this is not the highest level.
• There are two kinds of letters: “Female” Letters: those of Tefillah, which function bottom-up, the ascent of Tefillah. “Male” Letters: those which function top-down, draw Elokus into this world. These are the letters of Torah. Through Torah, we bring Hashem Himself into this world. 
• Just as there are letters in Keduash, there are also letters in Kelipah. These are the letters of Devarim Biteilim and Lashon Harah, which drag down our nefesh to a degree it couldn’t have descended to on its own and draw down even deeper layers of Kelipah on the neshama (osios zcharim). 

1. The Power of Letters/Speech. 
2. Two kinds of letters: Tefliah and Torah.
3. Letters of Kedusha, Letters of Kelipah. 

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