Chapter 1

Lecha Dodi, 5714

לכה דודי, תשי״ד

לכה דודי לקראת כלה פני שבת נקבלה

“Come my Beloved to greet the Bride, let us welcome the Shabbos.” The previous Rebbe relates in the discourse לכה דודי, which is included in the series of wedding Maamarim, 1 that a groom is like a king and a bride a queen. 2 [Metaphorically], the groom refers to G-d and the bride to Israel. [In the spiritual realms], the Sefiros, Ze’er Anpin [Z”A] represent the groom, and Malchus the bride. [The phrase] “Come my Beloved to greet the Bride” represents a transmission of influence from Z”A to Malchus which follows an ordered pattern. First, there is an external transmission of influence (from Z”A to Malchus) which is only an encompassing light [i.e. a revelation of a level too high to be internalized which leaves only a general impression] followed by an internal transmission. A similar procedure occurs in every transmission of influence from a Mashpia (giver) to a Mekabel (receiver). At first, the influence must be transmitted from the external aspects of the Mashpia to the external aspects of the Mekabel. Through this bond, the Mekabel can rise up and approach the level of the Mashpia, thus acquiring the capability to receive a transmission of the Mashpia’s inner aspects.

The previous Rebbe gives two examples [of this process] which illustrate this point: the instruction given by a teacher to his students and a father playing with his small child. It is possible to say, that the purpose of giving these examples was not merely to demonstrate the order of transmission, i.e. that an external bond precedes an internal one, but (also) to emphasize the great level contained within these two transmissions of influence. In these cases, even the external transmission of influence represents a very high level, to the point where it possesses an advantage over even the internal connection. The external influence, which is an encompassing [light], is above the vessels [i.e. ability to contain] of the receiver. (In contrast, the influence transmitted through the internal bond can be received [and grasped] by the receiver.) Nevertheless, [despite the advantage of the external connection], it is only an introduction to the internal bond, for through the internal bond, a level is attained that is even higher than the encompassing light. This level is [alluded to in the maamar in the quotation] “upon all the glory shall there be a canopy.” 3 The word all implies two aspects of glory the glory of the groom and the glory of the bride [in the spiritual realm Z”A and Malchus], and on an even higher level, 4 the glory of the Supernal Father [the Sefirah of Chochmah wisdom] and the glory of the Supernal Mother [the Sefirah of Binah understanding]. Through this [the transmission of glory an external bond] the union of Chochmah and Binah and the union of Z”A and Malchus is brought about. Although both glory and the marriage canopy of Chochmah-Binah and Z”A-Malchus are “encompassing lights,” nevertheless, only through the union of Z”A and Malchus (which is an inner bond) is the Essence drawn down. 5