This ma’amar discusses Chanuka and is also an Achdus Hashem ma’amar based on the pasuk, “Ani Hashem Lo Shanisi” (I Hashem (Havaya) have not changed). Based on different interpretations of the word “Havaya” the meaning of “lo shanisi” also changes. The first half of the discourse is mystical and philosophical and is meant to be...

Part 1: Structure of the ma’amar. Perek Aleph: 1) Many Questions about Chanukah licht. 2)Ner Mitzva (is the oil) and Torah Ohr (is the light.) 3) Mitzvas are done with physical objects. The point is to make the Yesh bittul to the Ayin. The next three parts discuss how there is no change regarding how...

Part 2: Idea of Chanuka. Torah and neshamos. Text: p 35 First Paragraph. To the outside: The purpose of the Chanukah Licht is for pirsumei HaNes. Put the licht in the doorway on the LEFT side opposite the mezzuza. If there is no mezzuza, put it on the right side. Questions: 1) Why to the...

Part 3: Chanuka – Mesiras NEFESH, HIGHER THAN TORAH. Text: covers first paragraph of maamar and ois dalet. Three knots:1) Hashem to Torah 2)HaShem to Yidden 3)Yidden to Torah. Torah is HaShem’s Light, Hashem’s wisdom. Yid is Hashem’s child, His Chosen ones. Since Torah is HaShem’s Wisdom it must be reasonable with limitations and not...

Part 4: Torah-Ohr, Mitzva- Nehr. Mitzvos – physical. Text: p.36 U’biur. Ner Mitzva v’Torah Ohr… A ner is anything that conducts light and holds it here (in this world). Fire is goshmius but is used as a moshol to explain ruchnius. Fire wants to go away back to its source. We need to keep it...

Part 5: HISBONENUS. We need to Bittul the yesh of the nefesh habehamis to the Ayin, and even now we can do it completely. In chagas chassidus the Rebbe does all the work and brings Emuna to the chossid. In Chabad chassidus we do the work and develop Emuna inside ourselves. How? By Hisbonenus. Think...

Part 6: (1) First answer – AIN ETZEM etc.. (2) three steps of creation. Definitions: Helem = hiding, too far away to see. Hester= blocking. Beriah is Yesh Mei’Ayin. Light is Ain Sof. Aibishter is Ain Techila. There are differences in the worlds as to how Elokus is perceived (above Atzilus, in Atzilus, and below...

Part 7: Second answer – SOVEV the same all over we get different. Review of three steps of creation: 1) Machshava – world comes into being in ruchnius 2) Dibbur a) words travel out b) can only say one word at a time c) amount of air is limited. Hashem seems to leave the world...

Part 8a: HASHEM – metzius bilti metzius nimtza. Lo shanisi in ATZMUS. The third Lo Shanisi speaks about Atzmus, in this case the Aibishter Himself. This is very unusual, a big chidush for a maamar to speak about the Aibishter. There is no king without a nation. Hashem wants an Am (a people), so He...

Part 8b: HASHEM – metzius bilti metzius nimtza. Lo shanisi in ATZMUS. 3rd Lo Shanisi cont. Atzmus – The Aibishter is above sekel, you cant know Him. To be a metzius one needs a Guf appropriate to a particular place. Story of ben Durdaya doing teshuva and getting Yochanon Kohen Gadol’s mitzvas as garments in...

Part 9 (C): In ATZMUS – bilti metzius nimtza (continued). Review Definitions. Review Lo Shanisi on 3 levels. Why did the Aibishter make the world? He wanted to express His Kingship. A king needs a people who have Free Will and are separate from Him. The Aibishter has a tyva. We don’t ask questions on...

Part 10: (p 37 3 lines from bottom) HAMAOR HU B’HISGALUS. Tzimtzum c’peshuto or c’lo peshuto. Alter Rebbe”s chidush: The source of light i.e. the Aibishter is revealed in this world. Metzius nimtza is something that exists in time and space in relation to other things. Ohr Ain Sof is also a metzius. It doesn’t...

Part 11: Ch. 2 intro. World only appears to exist. World is not what is appears to be, i.e.yesh and nifrad (independent and separate), but is really bittul to Hashem. To US, there is a world, but our reality isn’t true. Story about the Rebbe and Albert Einstein. Atoms are 99.9% space. the space is...

Part 12: Philosophers believed in HASHEM and yet were Apikorsim. Philosophers say that in order to establish that something exists you have to prove it. If you can’t prove it, then it doesn’t exist. They equate a nonproof to a proof of NOT. They can’t prove yesh mayin so they say that chomer (the raw...

Part 13: YESH MEAYIN vs. ILA V’ALUL- 2 types of cause and effect. Speech: a) Words are separate from the person b) can only speak one word at a time c) and with a limited amount of energy. ILA V’ALUL = cause and effect = something from something else – maker and made. YESH MEAYIN...

Part 14: Inside p. 39. YESH MEAYIN / ILA V’ALUL Cont. Yesh meayin = yesh meyesh. ILA V’ALUL is involved in seder hishtalshelus. Examples: 1) potter’s clay egg changed to a bowl. or 2)Sechel and Middos. Middos already exist in Sechel, only they come out in the heart. YESH MEAYIN – the AYIN is from...

Part 15: p. 39-40. EFES, AYIN, EFSHARI HAYESH, YESH First thing is Efes, a non world – one infinite Ain Sof with infinite sefiros. Then Hashem “thinks” that He wants a world, and 10 sefiros are designated from the infinite number of sefiros to make the world, but its still swimming in a sea of...

Part 16: Ain Koach Chosar poel Lemaala- YESHUS is only CHIDUSH Four Levels: EFES, AYIN,EFSHARI YESH, YESH. What is the difference before maase? The Ruchnius of the world exists but not the goshmius (in a later maamar the Rebbe says even the goshmius exists but not the yesh.) Yeshus is the LIE that says I...

Part 17: Inside p. 40 The only chidush in creation is the LIE, the Yeshus. Hashem made the world out of Himself. It is from G-tlikeit. The world is false. It is the koach of Elokim that creates the things we see. Independent existence is a myth. Hashem needs to constantly keep creating the YESH...

Part 18: (p. 40 bottom) TZIMTZUM K’PSHUTO, LO K’PSHUTO Entire reality is only words of Hashem. Hashem makes the chomer (raw material) and the tzura constantly, but we can’t see G-dliness. Hashem wants us to think that we exist, and to buttel ourselves to Him, i.e. make from the YESH, AYIN. When Hashem wanted to...

Part 19: (text p 41 5 lines from bottom) TZIMTZUM K’PSHUTO, LO K’PSHUTO. The Alter Rebbe says that Hashem is not only still here in creation, but is more revealed than when the light was here and shining.Think about an eclipse. The light is also here although not revealed to us, but Hashem sees the...