Emor: Crowning Hashem with our Surrender to Him
ד“ה לבאר הדברים ע“פ ונקדשתי
In our Kedusha, we say the threefold praise of the Serafim “קדוש קדוש קדוש”, “Holy, Holy, Holy is Hashem the Lord of Hosts”.
The word Kadosh means separate. It refers to levels of G-dliness that completely transcends the world and Creation. The word Kadosh can be written קדש or קדוש. When written with the Vav, it represents how Hashem’s transcendent light is drawn down into the world. This drawing down is represented by the shape of the Vav - a descending vertical line.
Based on the Zohar, the Alter Rebbe explains that the three repetitions of Kadosh, represent three stages in the drawing down of Hashem’s transcendent light. Each stage is affected by a different type of Avodah of the Jewish people.
The transcendent light (Kesser), is aroused through the service of Mesiras Nefesh. This is the absolute surrender to Hashem that comes from our Yechidah, the essence of the soul.
The second Kadosh represents how the transcendent light of Kesser is drawn further down, into the emotional Sefiros of the world of Atzilus. This is achieved through the study of Torah.
The third Kadosh represents how the light of Kesser is drawn even further down into Malchus, and from there into the lower worlds. This is achieved through keeping Mitzvos. Since Mitzvos are the Divine Will as it descends into physicality, they have the power to bring transcendent G-dliness into the lower worlds.
However, the foundation to the entire process is the absolute surrender of Mesiras Nefesh. The service of Torah and Mitzvos is limited and defined. But Mesiras is an infinite power that breaks all boundaries and limitations and can arouse the unlimited G-dly light in its source.
There is another Midrash on the praise of Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh. By way of a parable, the Midrash offers a fantastic insight as to what happens when the angels say these words before Hashem;
Once, the people of a city presented their king with three crowns. What did the king do with them? He placed one on his own head and he placed the other two on the heads of his sons.
So too, with each of the three praises of Kadosh, the angels present Hashem with a crown. What does Hashem do with these three crowns? He places one upon His own head and He places the remaining two on the heads of the Jewish people, His children.
The two crowns placed on the heads of the sons refer to last two references of Kadosh. Since they represent our ability to draw G-dliness down into the worlds through our service of Torah and Mitzvos respectively, they are attributed to us - Hashem’s children.
The first Kadosh, the crown aroused by our Mesiras Nefesh, is the crown that Hashem proverbially places on His own head.
This crown is alluded to in the verse in Shir Hashirim;
צְאֶ֧ינָה ׀ וּֽרְאֶ֛ינָה בְּנ֥וֹת צִיּ֖וֹן בַּמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה בָּעֲטָרָ֗ה שֶׁעִטְּרָה־לּ֤וֹ אִמּוֹ֙ בְּי֣וֹם חֲתֻנָּת֔וֹ וּבְי֖וֹם שִׂמְחַ֥ת לִבּֽוֹ
Daughters of Tzion go out and see king Shlomo, with the crown that his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding and the day of the rejoicing of his heart.
The Midrash explains that Hamelech Shlomo refers to Hashem Himself. His mother, who places the crown upon His head, refers to Kneses Yisroel, the Jewish people. This is the third crown, the one that Hashem places on His own head that comes through the Avodah of Mesiras Nefesh.
When the Jewish people give this 3rd crown of absolute surrender to Hashem, they are described in Shir Hashirim as “His mother”.
The Midrash on this Posuk relates how Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai asked Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Yossi if he had heard anything from his father on the meaning of this verse. Rabbi Elazar replied with the following parable;
There was a king who had an only daughter who he loved very deeply and he would call her ‘my daughter’. He did not move away from his love for her until he called her ‘my sister’. He did not move away from his love for her until he called her ‘my mother’.
So too, Hashem loves the Jewish people deeply and powerfully. In different Pesukim, He refers to us as His daughter, His sister or His mother. The three levels; daughter, sister and mother, represent three different levels of relationship with Hashem.
The lowest level is the daughter. Through the keeping of the Mitzvos, we are like the daughter, who follows the directives of her parents. This is the crown of the third Kadosh. The sister represents a higher level of relationship, the second crown of Kadosh that is effected through the study of Torah.
In our most lofty state, Hashem calls us ‘My mother’. Like a parent who provides for and nourishes their child, on this level, we become like benefactors to Hashem. This is the rank that we reach through Mesiras Nefesh.
The verse alludes to Hashem being crowned by “His mother”, because it is the Avodah of Mesiras Nefesh that creates the crown that Hashem keeps for Himself.
The verse in Shir Hashirim alludes to this with its opening word - צאינה, “Go out”. On a deeper level, this means to go out of ourselves; to transcend our own limitations and boundaries. This does not only allude to moving beyond our negativity. Even the service of Torah and Mitzvos in and of itself can be limited.
With Mesiras Nefesh, absolute surrender and dedication to Hashem, we go beyond ourselves, breaking all boundaries. Then we can be the “mother” that crowns Hashem. Then we must channel the foundation of Mesiras Nefesh into our Torah and Mitzvos, to complete the three crowns of Kadosh.
ד“ה לבאר הדברים ע“פ ונקדשתי
In our Kedusha, we say the threefold praise of the Serafim “קדוש קדוש קדוש”, “Holy, Holy, Holy is Hashem the Lord of Hosts”.
The word Kadosh means separate. It refers to levels of G-dliness that completely transcends the world and Creation. The word Kadosh can be written קדש or קדוש. When written with the Vav, it represents how Hashem’s transcendent light is drawn down into the world. This drawing down is represented by the shape of the Vav - a descending vertical line.
Based on the Zohar, the Alter Rebbe explains that the three repetitions of Kadosh, represent three stages in the drawing down of Hashem’s transcendent light. Each stage is affected by a different type of Avodah of the Jewish people.
The transcendent light (Kesser), is aroused through the service of Mesiras Nefesh. This is the absolute surrender to Hashem that comes from our Yechidah, the essence of the soul.
The second Kadosh represents how the transcendent light of Kesser is drawn further down, into the emotional Sefiros of the world of Atzilus. This is achieved through the study of Torah.
The third Kadosh represents how the light of Kesser is drawn even further down into Malchus, and from there into the lower worlds. This is achieved through keeping Mitzvos. Since Mitzvos are the Divine Will as it descends into physicality, they have the power to bring transcendent G-dliness into the lower worlds.
However, the foundation to the entire process is the absolute surrender of Mesiras Nefesh. The service of Torah and Mitzvos is limited and defined. But Mesiras is an infinite power that breaks all boundaries and limitations and can arouse the unlimited G-dly light in its source.
There is another Midrash on the praise of Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh. By way of a parable, the Midrash offers a fantastic insight as to what happens when the angels say these words before Hashem;
Once, the people of a city presented their king with three crowns. What did the king do with them? He placed one on his own head and he placed the other two on the heads of his sons.
So too, with each of the three praises of Kadosh, the angels present Hashem with a crown. What does Hashem do with these three crowns? He places one upon His own head and He places the remaining two on the heads of the Jewish people, His children.
The two crowns placed on the heads of the sons refer to last two references of Kadosh. Since they represent our ability to draw G-dliness down into the worlds through our service of Torah and Mitzvos respectively, they are attributed to us - Hashem’s children.
The first Kadosh, the crown aroused by our Mesiras Nefesh, is the crown that Hashem proverbially places on His own head.
This crown is alluded to in the verse in Shir Hashirim;
צְאֶ֧ינָה ׀ וּֽרְאֶ֛ינָה בְּנ֥וֹת צִיּ֖וֹן בַּמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה בָּעֲטָרָ֗ה שֶׁעִטְּרָה־לּ֤וֹ אִמּוֹ֙ בְּי֣וֹם חֲתֻנָּת֔וֹ וּבְי֖וֹם שִׂמְחַ֥ת לִבּֽוֹ
Daughters of Tzion go out and see king Shlomo, with the crown that his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding and the day of the rejoicing of his heart.
The Midrash explains that Hamelech Shlomo refers to Hashem Himself. His mother, who places the crown upon His head, refers to Kneses Yisroel, the Jewish people. This is the third crown, the one that Hashem places on His own head that comes through the Avodah of Mesiras Nefesh.
When the Jewish people give this 3rd crown of absolute surrender to Hashem, they are described in Shir Hashirim as “His mother”.
The Midrash on this Posuk relates how Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai asked Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Yossi if he had heard anything from his father on the meaning of this verse. Rabbi Elazar replied with the following parable;
There was a king who had an only daughter who he loved very deeply and he would call her ‘my daughter’. He did not move away from his love for her until he called her ‘my sister’. He did not move away from his love for her until he called her ‘my mother’.
So too, Hashem loves the Jewish people deeply and powerfully. In different Pesukim, He refers to us as His daughter, His sister or His mother. The three levels; daughter, sister and mother, represent three different levels of relationship with Hashem.
The lowest level is the daughter. Through the keeping of the Mitzvos, we are like the daughter, who follows the directives of her parents. This is the crown of the third Kadosh. The sister represents a higher level of relationship, the second crown of Kadosh that is effected through the study of Torah.
In our most lofty state, Hashem calls us ‘My mother’. Like a parent who provides for and nourishes their child, on this level, we become like benefactors to Hashem. This is the rank that we reach through Mesiras Nefesh.
The verse alludes to Hashem being crowned by “His mother”, because it is the Avodah of Mesiras Nefesh that creates the crown that Hashem keeps for Himself.
The verse in Shir Hashirim alludes to this with its opening word - צאינה, “Go out”. On a deeper level, this means to go out of ourselves; to transcend our own limitations and boundaries. This does not only allude to moving beyond our negativity. Even the service of Torah and Mitzvos in and of itself can be limited.
With Mesiras Nefesh, absolute surrender and dedication to Hashem, we go beyond ourselves, breaking all boundaries. Then we can be the “mother” that crowns Hashem. Then we must channel the foundation of Mesiras Nefesh into our Torah and Mitzvos, to complete the three crowns of Kadosh.