Mitzvas Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefilla, Perek 10.

Mitzvas Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefilla, Perek 10, Class 31.
Beginning of Perek 10, Yichudim
Story of the Ba’al Shem Tov (the letter to Reb Gershon Kitiver) about Moshiach’s coming depending on two things: 1) Yichudim, 2) כשיפוצו מעינותיך חוצה.
The Ba’al Shem Tov’s tears and the Alter Rebbe and Reb Boruch of Mezibuzh.
Ta’amei HaMitzvos:
1) מדות טובות
2) דיעות נכונות
3) יחודים
to be continued.

Mitzvas Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefilla, Perek 10, Class 32.
Review of yesterday, the RaMbaM and Chassidus’ view of טעמי המצות in general.
1) מדות טובות
2) דיעות נכונות
3) יחודים this was explained at length, with the preface of the debate about עבודה צורך גבוה whether it’s בתמי’ה (Philosophy) or בניחותא (Kabbalah).
There are two ideas in יחודים: In Atzilus for Atzilus’ sake; or in Atzilus כמונח בקופסא.
The question of לשם יחוד we say it (not like the Misnagdim) but only once a day in the morning (not like Sfardim and Chassidim) and it is a פעולה נמשכת for the entire day.
4) בירורים we’ll explain in the next class IYH.

Mitzvas Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefilla, Perek 10, Class 33.
The discussion of the levels of טעמי המצוות continued:
4) בירורים uplifts קליפת נוגה; we discussed בנין עולם התוהו ושבירה ובנין עולם התיקון and the idea of נצוצי קדושה having been planted that are released through בירורים.
5) תשובה elevates the elevatable: ג’ קליפות טמאות ורעות לגמרי the reason this happens is because Teshuva is a negatively motivated thing (and therefore it is so strong as לאו קודם להן or in the words of the Gemara ברישא חשוכא והדר נהורא

Mitzvas Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefilla, Perek 10, Class 34.
The discussion of the levels of טעמי המצוות continued:
6) נסיונות the idea that darkness itself (no spark of G-dly light) at all does exist. These realities (on the surface) have no reality whatsoever, but are (in nature) impossible to overcome. But when one is stubborn and immovable, he discovers that he was fighting with nothing literally.

Mitzvas Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefilla, Perek 10, Class 35.
יחודים are (similar to but not identical with תפלה and the idea of יודעים לכוין בשם) about כונת המצוות (which is not the same as ענין התפלה).
1) The questions are revisited: why יחודים if it is “only” in אצילות?
The idea of כטיפה מן הים ועוד פחות מזה.
2) How could the Zohar call the (unity of) ספירות by the divine names: קוב”ה ושכנתי’ה?
3) If קוב”ה means G-d and שכינה G-d how and what are we bringing together.
Answer (in short) we have no choice: if we want a connection this is how it starts.

Mitzvas Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefilla, Perek 10, Class 36.
The answer to part of these questions, why יחודים is acceptable and why it is necessary.
The יחודים are not between the מדות and ספירות but the אור אין סוף which is in the מדות and כלים.
We cannot reach the אור אין סוף directly but only through the מדות מתייחדים.

Mitzvas Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefilla, Perek 10, Class 37.
The משל of the השתלשלות of כחות הנפש.
There’s חיות כללי and חיות פרטי; here we are discussing neither of those, but the idea of adding MORE חיות פרטי to the existing כחות that it must go through the השתלשלות of the כחות.
Otherwise it doesn’t work.

Mitzvas Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefilla, Perek 10, Class 38.
The idea of לפי שכלו יהולל איש (comes into the Ma’amar as part of the Mashal that explains the need ‘to go through the steps’ or the need for יחודים.
In this class we explored this idea.
The difference between intelligence and wisdom. Some of the smartest people in the world are the biggest fools (even idiots). When one has more wisdom he is more human (closer to “the image of G-d”).
You know their wisdom by their hobbies and how they spend their leisure time, this is their יהולל that reveals their שכלו.

Mitzvas Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefilla, Perek 10, Class 39.
We explain:
1) זעיר אנפין
2) שכינה
3) קודשא בריך הוא both the קדוש part and the ברוך part.
We answer the final question about Hashem having more than one name for our sake.
We then started the next פרק י”א and addressed the issue of אור אין סוף having many levels but still (really) being אין סוף.