Elevating Malchus to Da’as
The main weapon of Moshiach is Tefila, the aspect of the chotem (nose) / da’as.

Rav Kook suggested that Yaakov's
“בְּחַרְבִּ֖י sword” and “וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי bow”
are mental tools employed
to ready oneself for prayer.

Rav Morgenstern / Rav Kook / Baal Hasulam on Chukat

-Rochel Leah Weiman

Through our learning we are feeling the light of connection to Hashem. 

The Baal HaSulam explains that even when one feels a deep pleasure from the illumination afforded him while learning a particular holy work, she should never think the light is from the sefer alone. Such a thought constitutes forgetting about Hashem. One who does so will find that she has lost her original feeling for the sefer, since when one forgets about Hashem the light is extinguished. Hashem does not want us to focus on the superficial cause of our deep feelings.

Instead, we must direct our attention to the inner meaning of the light – that through our learning or tefillos we are feeling the light of connection to Hashem. In this manner, we reconnect to the source.

בזֹ֚את חֻקַּ֣ת הַתּוֹרָ֔ה,” Elevating Malchus to Da’as

This is how we can better understand the Arizal’s teaching, ““Zos chukas haTorah {these are the decrees of the Torah} [19:2]בזֹ֚את חֻקַּ֣ת הַתּוֹרָ֔ה,” alludes to elevating Malchus to Da’as.

Malchus signifies the world of Asiya / action. When we feel deep pleasure through our actions we must elevate this to Da’as, to awareness of the Divine.

We do this when we keep our source foremost in our minds; this intensifies our dveykus and elevates it to Hashem.

In this manner one is saved from the result of the breaking of the luchos. On the contrary, one reveals “It is the well which the princes had dug, where the nobles of the people had delved, by order of the lawgiver, with their scepters. From the wilderness it followed us even as a treasure,"

אָ֚ז יָשִׁ֣יר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את עֲלִ֥י בְאֵ֖ר עֱנוּ־לָֽהּ׃
בְּאֵ֞ר חֲפָר֣וּהָ שָׂרִ֗ים כָּר֙וּהָ֙ נְדִיבֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם בִּמְחֹקֵ֖ק בְּמִשְׁעֲנֹתָ֑ם וּמִמִּדְבָּ֖ר מַתָּנָֽה׃

In this manner, the light of the Torah spreads to every place and Hashem is provided with a dwelling place among us (tachtonim).

This is Hashem's purpose for us — through shining the light of Torah into our actual life and everyday reality, we reveal that Hashem is really in every place. Makom – “Because He is the place of the universe.”]

✨✨✨PAUSE AND BREATH

Rebbe Nachman revealed that the main weapon of Moshiach is Tefila.

Rebbe Nachman revealed that the main weapon of Moshiach, and indeed of every single Jewish person, is prayer /tefila. [ Likutei Moharan Part 1 Torah 2.] Prayer is the aspect of the chotem (nose), of da’as.

✨BREATH

Her chius / vitality
comes through (nostril / breath) prayer,
and all her wars will be waged
and will be won through tefila / prayer.

With my Sword and my Bow

As we find in the pasuk that Yaakov says, 'I conquered Shechem with my sword and my bow,
בחרבי ובקשתי. הִיא חָכְמָתוֹ וּתְפִלָּתוֹ:

Rashi says ‘ by means of his spiritual weapons חָכְמָתוֹ his chochma and וּתְפִלָּתוֹ his tefila.’

The Mishnah records the practice of chasidim rishonim who resided in Eretz Yisrael, who meditating for a full hour before each prayer. They would not begin to pray until they were certain that “their hearts were fully directed toward their Father in heaven” (Mishnah Berakhot 5:1).

We may not be able to do this, but maybe we can take 5 minutes or 3 breaths of kavana ... before tefilla

✨✨✨PAUSE AND BREATH

The meditative techniques of the chasidim rishonim

Rav Kook suggested that Yaakov's
“בְּחַרְבִּ֖י sword” and “וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי bow”
are mental tools employed
to ready oneself for prayer.

(ravkooktorah .org/VAYEHI)

אֲשֶׁ֤ר לָקַ֨חְתִּי֙ מִיַּ֣ד הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י בְּחַרְבִּ֖י וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי:

These weapons represent methods to clear one’s thoughts and refine one’s mental images in preparation for a pure experience of tefila.

The meditative method that utilizes the refined visualization of Rav Kook is called: השלילה הגדולה / the great negation (of ego)

בְּחַרְבִּ֖י— necessary in order to cleave to the light of the Ein Sof — this technique purifies all of life’s forces.

It raises them above all lowly, mundane qualities (malchut). It also elevates everything associated with the person who meditates using mystical yichudim, by reflecting on this profound thought with all the depths of one’s ruach and neshama, with spiritual clarity and elevation.”

✨ BREATH

בְּחַרְבִּ֖י* 🗡️The “sword”

is a technique to slash and cut away all erroneous thoughts, pruning away all limiting concepts of Hashem. This process is the “great negation / (bitul of ego / השלילה הגדולה (Rav Kook)

We reject the idolatrous defining of the Ein Sof / Infinite and the Unlimited, and we gain awareness of the all-encompassing light of the Ein Sof.

✨ BREATH & MEDITATE ON בְּחַרְבִּ֖י

🏹 וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי Yakov's “bow”

This refers to focus and concentration.

“Tefila that is based on this lofty yearning is infused with pure inspiration. It scores its mark like the bow and arrow of a champion archer.

The “bow” is a metaphor for a state of mental focus during prayer. The imagery is taken from the practiced art of an expert archer, who takes careful aim before releasing the arrow.

✨ BREATH & MEDITATE ON וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי

Hebrew word for intention / kavanah literally means “to take aim.”

This is a quality of pure Divine Avoda that Yaakov used to free himself from the (our inner foreign parts) influences of the Amorites

אֲשֶׁ֤ר לָקַ֨חְתִּי֙ מִיַּ֣ד הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י בְּחַרְבִּ֖י וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי:

(Adapted Orot HaKodesh vol. IV, p. 448)

It is the work of every Jewish person, especially as we approach the end of days, to toil in tefila and to conquer the world (our inner and outer world) through revealing Elokus (G-dliness) in everything.

✨ BREATH

Shabbat Shalom

❤️RL

Women Sharing & Supporting each other in the Wellsprings of Pnimius Torah. https://chat.whatsapp.com/ETfGVQDAgqp39KoVMS7Ahq