והנה The [lower] level of matzah, [which corresponds to the matzah eaten before midnight,] requires protection,
In the previous section, the Alter Rebbe spoke of two levels of bittul:a) bittul where man’s self-concern is subjugated but not erased entirely; and b) a level where G‑dliness is revealed in an essential manner, causing a person to transcend his self-concern completely. In this section, the Alter Rebbe develops both these themes and connects them with two dimensions of matzah eaten by the Jews in Egypt: a) the matzah eaten before midnight; and b) the matzah eaten after midnight.
as it is written:1 “And you shall watch over the matzos.”
This refers to the matzos that were to be eaten with the Paschal sacrifice before midnight. See Pesachim 40a.
[Implied is that they] must be protected from the influence of the external forces
This refers to the forces of evil. They are called “external” because: a) they are outside the realm of holiness; and b) they derive nurture from the external dimensions of G‑d’s will. He does not desire them in an ultimate sense and grants them influence like one who gives gifts to an enemy by throwing them over his shoulder (see Tanya, ch. 22).
so that they do not become leavened. [In a personal sense,] this refers to pride and haughtiness. Since one is on the lower level of fear
As explained above, a person on the lower level of faith is still dominated by self-concern and nullifies himself before G‑d only because he realizes that it is in his own self-interest. As such, “protection” is necessary, lest his self-concern lead to pride.
and his connection [to G‑d] is based merely on faith that is lower than understanding and knowledge, protection is required.
The essential connection the soul shares with G‑dliness — a level that transcends understanding — is the source of faith. On the other hand, like the child’s recognition of his father mentioned in sec. 3, faith can be vague and underdeveloped, below one’s intellectual capacity. Such faith requires “protection,” for as a person grows intellectually, his understanding may bring about questions and difficulties which appear to run contrary to this basic faith.
For this reason, the term matzos [associated with this level] is lacking a vav, because it [refers to] an underdeveloped level.
I.e., it lacks the revelation of G‑dliness symbolized by the letter vav.
Also, when matzos is written without a vav, it relates to the term matzusa, meaning “strife,” as in the expression “strife and controversy.”2
The Zohar, Vol. III, p. 251b, explains that the places mentioned in Shmos 17:7, Maseh and Merivah, should be understood as referring to strife and controversy, with Maseh being understood as synonymous with the term matzah. Similarly, the matzah eaten on Pesach brings about strife with the external forces, preventing them from entering the realm of holiness.
The “controversy” [is a spiritual one, leading to] the negation of one’s self-concern [yeshus] and pride, similar [to our Sages’ charge]:3 “A person should always incite the yetzer tov (the good inclination) against the yetzer hara (the evil inclination).” Therefore [this matzah was eaten] before midnight.
I.e., before the revelation of G‑dliness. As will be explained, when G‑dliness is revealed in a consummate manner, a person’s self-concern falls away naturally. Until then, however, a person must work to subdue his ego and self-concern on his own.
משא"כ In contrast, the second dimension of matzah was revealed after midnight, after [the offering of] the Paschal sacrifice, and after [the King of kings...] was revealed to them. The intent of the Paschal sacrifice (korban pesach) is [to evoke] u’pasach Havayah: “G‑d leaped over.”4 [Literally, this phrase refers to G‑d] leaping [over the houses of the Jews to save their firstborn from death. In a spiritual sense, it refers to] drawing down [G‑dly influence] that is beyond Seder HaHishtalshelus (the Spiritual Cosmos),
Ordinarily, Divine influence is conveyed downward in an ordered progression. For that reason, the Spiritual Cosmos is referred to by the term Seder HaHishtalshelus, literally,the Chainlike Order. Just as every link in a chain is connected to the one above it and the one below it, so too, the progression from higher levels of spirituality to lower ones follows a measured sequence in which the progressive descents are relative in scope.
Leaping,” by contrast, refers to conveying influence that does not conform to such a pattern. Instead, G‑d’s infinity is revealed as it is and yet that unbounded revelation is projected into the context of our limited world.
as implied by the expression “‘With great awe’:5 this refers to the revelation of the Divine Presence,”6 i.e., [G‑d’s] infinite light that utterly transcends the chainlike progression of spiritual existence.
Not only did this infinite light bring about a miracle within the world at large, it shined within the souls of the Jewish people.
This [dimension] shined forth and was revealed in their G‑dly souls.
וזהו This is the meaning of “the King of kings.... was revealed to them.” “Of kings” refers to the four levels of the attribute of Malchus
Lit., “sovereignty.” The last of the Sefiros in a particular world which brings about revelation in the world below it.
that shine [respectively] in the four worlds: Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. ”The King of kings” refers to the Malchus of Ein Sof (G‑d’s infinity) that is far above the chainlike progression of the four worlds of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah.xiiThe redemption came about through the revelation of this level, as it is written:7 “‘And I will pass through the land of Egypt’ — ‘I’ and not an angel.”
The intent of citing the verse is to emphasize that the redemption came from G‑d’s Essence and not from any intermediate level in the Spiritual Cosmos.
ולכן For this reason, the term “With great awe” uses the word moreh,
Which uses a masculine form of the word.
rather than yireh,which is the feminine form. Yireh refers to the lower level of fear, which is drawn down from the level of Malchus [as manifest in] Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, each world according to its nature. But “great awe,” using the word moreh,the masculine form, refers to the sublime awe, which is [described with the analogy of] a male.
For, on this level, awe does not merely involve submitting one’s will to G‑d, but rather serves as an active, motivating force, molding the individual’s personality.
[This great awe] is drawn down through the revelation of the level of King of kings described above.
וזהו This level is [manifest in] the second level of matzah which is eaten after midnight. For matzah is identified with bittul, as explained above. The matzah [eaten] before midnight, by contrast, is identified with the lower level of fear and [also] the attribute of faith as it is enclothed in the levels below intellectual comprehension, as explained above. This [childlike dimension has its parallels in our relationship with G‑d,] as it is written:8 “When Israel was a youth, [I loved him].” [And it is written:]9 “[I remember…] the kindness of your youth, [how you followed after Me in the desert].”
The verse connects the youthlike dimension of the Jewish people with the Exodus, when they showed a commitment to G‑d based on simple faith.
[And it is written:]10 “From [the time of the exodus from] Egypt, I (G‑d) have called My son [the Jewish people].” [G‑d’s expression of love for the Jewish people evokes a response on their part,] like a child’s calling “father.” [All of this is associated with the matzah eaten before midnight.]
אבל The matzah eaten after midnight, however, is identified with true bittul and sublime awe that are drawn down from a level [of one’s connection to G‑d] that transcends intellectual comprehension. At the time [of the Exodus], this level illumined their souls; i.e., the revelation of [G‑d’s] infinite light that transcended the Spiritual Cosmos shined upon them at that time from Above downward, as an arousal from Above.
For at that time, the Jewish people were on a low spiritual level and did not perform a level of Divine service worthy of evoking such a revelation.
וזהו This is what is meant by “‘With great awe’: this refers to the revelation of the Divine Presence.” The level of matzah associated with such a revelation does not need to be guarded at all against leavening — [whose spiritual parallel are] the traits of self-concern (yeshus) and pride — since the external powers have no foothold and [cannot receive] nurture from this level at all.xiii
In the spiritual realms, the external forces — and in a personal sense, self-concern and pride — can only gain a foothold when G‑dliness is revealed in a diminutive manner. When, by contrast, G‑dliness is revealed in its full force, without limitations,there is no possibility for one to conceive of any existence outside of Him.
וזהו [On this basis, we can appreciate the intent of the quote:] “The dough of our ancestors did not have the opportunity to rise before [the King of kings...] was revealed to them.” This refers to the second level [of matzah], where there is no possibility of leavening at all because of the awesomeness of the revelation of the King of kings to them.
I.e., it is not because there was no time for the dough to leaven; instead, the awesomeness of the revelation prevented the leavening. On this basis, we can understand why, as the Alter Rebbe proceeds to explain, even though the dough could have naturally leavened, it did not. The awesomeness of the revelation prevented that from happening.
On that level, there can be no nurture or foothold for the external forces identified with self-concern (yesh) and pride, which are called chametz.
וזהו This is also the meaning of the verse: “And they baked the dough that they took out of Egypt as cakes of matzah, because it did not leaven” — i.e., it could not have become chametz. “For they were driven out of Egypt” — [and] on this level, there is no foothold at all for the Egyptians
And the boundaries and limitations that the name Egypt (Mitzrayim) suggests.
because “[the King of kings...] was revealed to them.” If so, as a natural consequence, [the dough] did not become leavened.
ולכן Therefore, in their journey from Egypt to Ramses — although it was [hurried by] “shortening the journey”11
I.e., G‑d miraculously causing the Jews to travel faster than ordinarily possible (kevitzas haderech).
— when adding the time it took to light fires in order to bake the dough, [the dough] certainly rested more than the time necessary for it to become chametz.
Dough which rests, i.e., is not worked, for eighteen minutes will leaven.
[Nevertheless,] it did not become chametz for [the above] reason.xiv
I.e., because of the awesomeness of the Divine revelation.
וע"כ Accordingly, in this instance, matzos is written with a full spelling, including a vav. The [vertical form of the] vav reflects drawing down influence from the level of “great awe” and “sublime fear.” Thus in the Shemoneh Esreh, [when we praise G‑d as being] “awesome, the sublime Almighty,” vehanora (והנורא), “awesome,” is written with a vav.
The first blessing of the Shemoneh Esreh uses the wording of Devarim 10:17 that praises G‑d as hagadol hagibor vehanora (“the great, mighty, and Awesome Almighty”). In the Torah, the terms hagadol hagibor (הגדל הגבר) are written in short form without a vav, while vehanora (והנורא) is written with a full spelling, including a vav.
[In the previous words of praise,]
In the prooftext,
by contrast, [the adjectives] “the great” and “the mighty” (hagadol hagibor) are written without a vav.xv
(Although the Alter Rebbe states that these terms are written without a vav “in the Shemoneh Esreh,” his intent is that in the prooftext that serves as the source for the wording of the blessing, the terms are written in that manner. In actual practice, many Siddurim — including Siddur Tehillat Hashem — write the terms in a full form to facilitate the reading of the text.)
משא"כ [By the same token,] the lower level of fear is identified with matzos as written without a vav.
I.e., that term is also written in short form, indicating that it is lacking this revelation of G‑dliness.
Therefore, it must be protected from the external forces. The second level of matzah, by contrast, [associated with the term matzos] which is written with a full spelling, including a vav, does not require protection.xvi
Because of the revelation of G‑dliness with which it is associated.
הנהו On this basis, we can offer a resolution to the question raised above: Why do we say that the matzah we eat before midnight [is eaten] “because the dough of our ancestors did not have the opportunity to rise”? Seemingly, [the dough not rising] refers to the second aspect and dimension of matzah that was [not manifest] until “[the King of kings]... was revealed,” i.e., after midnight.
אך The concept [can be explained as follows]: The entire [rationale why this level could be revealed only after midnight] resulted from the fact that
Before the Exodus
the Jewish people were in exile in Egypt
Where they were affected by the constraints on the revelation of G‑dliness associated with that land.
and had not yet [been given] the Torah and mitzvos. Therefore they were unable to receive the vast revelation of “great awe” [which would bring them] to the level of bittul and sublime fear before midnight.
For G‑dliness had not yet been revealed, and on their own initiative, they were not able to achieve this spiritual level.
Instead, before midnight, [they were] only [able to relate] to the level of matzos lacking a vav, the lower level of fear [that requires a person to] negate his will. This [preliminary service, however,] enabled them to receive, after midnight, the [higher] revelation described above. And, in consequence, an [unlimited] dimension [of G‑dliness] was drawn down to them, [preventing] their dough from becoming leavened.
אבל In contrast, after the Jewish people received the Torah and its mitzvos at Mount Sinai, however, they [have the potential to] draw down G‑dliness through the Torah and its mitzvos throughout the entire year, even before Pesach.
There are two dimensions of the effect produced by fulfilling the Torah and its mitzvos throughout the year:
a) doing so expresses kabbalas ol, the acceptance of G‑d’s yoke, a level parallel to the matzos eaten before midnight;
b) through the fulfillment of mitzvos, one draws down G‑dly light; as the Alter Rebbe proceeds to explain, this parallels the matzos eaten after midnight.
Therefore in this matzah which we eat before midnight, we can {— through the observance of the Torah and its mitzvos the entire previous year —} receive the revelation of the Divine Presence — [a level equivalent to] the revelation of “the King of kings to them” that took place after midnight [on the original Pesach].xvii
Indeed, the matzah we eat today has an advantage even over the matzah eaten after midnight at the time of the Exodus. For the mitzvos establish a connection with G‑d’s Essence that transcends the revelation of the King of kings (the maamar entitled Matzah Zu, 5749, [Sefer Maamarim Melukat, Vol. III, p. 114]).
והיינו [To explain:] Through the observance of the Torah and its mitzvos, the 620 pillars of light from the sublime Kesser are drawn down.
As explained in Tanya, Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 29, the Hebrew term Kesser, lit., “the crown,” refers to the inner dimensions of G‑d’s will, a level of G‑dliness that transcends intellect, just as a crown is worn above the head. Kesser (כתר) is numerically equivalent to 620, the sum of the 613 mitzvos of Scriptural origin and the 7 mitzvos of Rabbinic origin. The mitzvos are described as pillars because just as a pillar extends from the roof to the ground, these mitzvos draw down light from this transcendent spiritual level to our material earth.
This parallels the concept that “the King of kings... was revealed to them.”
For that revelation also involved drawing down the highest spiritual rungs to the lowest depths of material existence.
Therefore the qualities that were revealed to them at [that] midnight, which was a time of Divine favor, are drawn down to us in the matzah that we eat before midnight, for we possess the Torah and its mitzvos [the entire year] which constitute the essence of the sublime will.
Our fulfillment of the Torah and its mitzvoscreates a setting for the revelation of these higher spiritual qualities.
וזהו This is the intent of the statement in the Haggadah: “This matzah that we eat, what is the reason?” The meaning [of the question] is: It can be understood that when the Jews were in exile in Egypt, [not only were they enslaved physically, they were in] exile [spiritually], very much under [the influence of] kelipah and the sitra achra.
Two kabbalisticterms for the unholy dimension of existence. See the explanations in Tanya, ch. 6.
[Since] they did not possess the Torah and its mitzvos, they were commanded to eat matzah before midnight. [Although this] matzah lacked a vav, [symbolizing a lesser level of Divine light, it served as] a preparatory step for [the Jews], enabling them afterwards to receive the great revelation described above. We, by contrast, have already been given the Torah and its mitzvos.xviii If so, of what purpose is [our] eating this matzah before midnight?
ומשני The resolution is [implied by the phrase]: “Because [the dough of our ancestors] did not have the opportunity....” The intent is that our eating of matzah, even though it is before midnight,
And thus, seemingly, we should only be able to draw down the spiritual influence associated with the matzahthat parallels man’s efforts to achieve bittul.
nonetheless draws down not only the first level of matzah but also the second level, the level associated with bittul and “great awe,” to theextent that, [as it were, the dough] “did not have opportunity to rise” [because] “the King of kings... was revealed to them and redeemed them.” This represents the revelation of [G‑d’s] infinite light which transcends the Spiritual Cosmos. This influence is drawn down to us through this matzah, because of the above reason.xix
I.e., because the matzah we eat is a mitzvah and thus connected with drawing down G‑d’s infinite light.
Summary
In the previous section, the Alter Rebbe spoke of two levels of bittul:a) bittul where man’s self-concern is subjugated, but not erased entirely; and b) a level where G‑dliness is revealed in an essential manner, causing a person to transcend his self-concern completely. In this section, the Alter Rebbe develops both these themes and connects them with two dimensions of matzah: a) the matzah eaten before midnight; and b) the matzah eaten after midnight.
He begins by explaining that the matzah eaten before midnight refers to a person who retains self-concern. In that context, matzah relates to the term matzusa meaning “strife,” referring to a person’s striving to battle his own yetzer hara. The matzah eaten after midnight, by contrast, is associated with the revelation of G‑dliness that transcends the Spiritual Cosmos. This revelation causes a person to lose his self-concern entirely.
This is the meaning of the phrase: “The dough of our ancestors did not have the opportunity to rise before the King of kings... was revealed to them.” The awesomeness of the revelation of the King of kings left no possibility for leavening at all.
On this basis, we can explain why the matzah that we eat before midnight is associated with the revelation of the King of kings. In Egypt, the Jews had not been given the Torah. Hence, the matzah that they ate could only relate to the lower level of matzah, the level that allows for a person’s self-concern.
We, by contrast, have already been given the Torah. Hence, we are able to draw down the same essential light that was revealed at the time of the Exodus through our observance of the Torah and its mitzvos throughout the year. Thus when we eat matzah before midnight, due to the influence of the Torah, we are also able to draw down the second, higher level, the level associated with transcendent G‑dliness.
