Torah Ohr Daf 102 - The Meaning of Shechem w/ Rabbi Dovid Leib Shmerling

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“And now, I assign to you one portion more than to your brothers, which I wrested from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

Q1: What’s the meaning of “schem”?

Q2: Where do we mention that Yaakov waged wars?

Q3: We describe the Shevatim as ascending, and Yosef as descending. Why?

• Hashem Himself is beyond relating to the world (i.e. is beyond Sefiros, which are Hashem’s means of interacting with things removed from His Essence). And yet, Hashem has the capacity to relate to things “outside of” Himself; the Sefiros exist in abstract form in Hashem Himself. However, in order to elicit these Sefiros (i.e. yichud oros v’keilim d’Atzilus), there are two stages: Isarusah Delesata and Isarusah Delieilah, which are represented by the Shevatim and Yosef, respectively. 
• “Shchem”= the divine energy provided for non-Jews. Although this level of Divine energy is what obscures the Divine Presence in this world, when Moshiach comes, we will all appreciate the Divine nature of reality, and will thus be “One portion” (“shchem echad”). 
• Prior to this, we must first sever our 1) prioritization of physical pleasures and 2) our sense of ego, which prevents us from recognizing Hashem’s presence (“asher lakachti miyad haEmori… cherev pipiyos”). 
• This “severing” comes through our avodah [the following is a chart of the symbols used to describe 1) the pathways between the physical mind and heart/body; 2) the “direction of influence”; 3) the Sefirotic equivalents 4) the negative manifestations of these; 5) the positive manifestations of these]:
• Trachea= Mind-to-Heart= Sar Hamashkim= providing Kelipah with energy. Torah/Hisbonenus b’Sovev= Mitzvos Aseh
• Esophagus= Mind-and-Heart= Sar HaOfim= The Middle Man (Emori)= Evil Thoughts/Deeds of Bnei Yisroel. Spoken Words of Torah
• Veins= Heart-to-Mind= Sar Hatabachim= eliciting energy for Kelipah. Ahavas Hashem= Mitzvos Lo Saaseh
• Torah and Tefillah are the two sides of the sword which sever the flow of energy directed towards Kelipah.

Concepts

1. The difference between Yosef and the Shevatim: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up
2. All energy given to Kelipah stems from our thoughts and behaviors. 
3. The ways in which we sever our obsession with the physical, the flow of energy to Kelipah, and thus foster our ability to experience Elokus.

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