Week 11 (Book 5): Staying True to the Covenant

SONG OF SONGS:

14. My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the coverture of the steps, show me your appearance, let me hear your voice, for your voice is pleasant and your appearance is comely.'

15. Seize for us the foxes, the little foxes, who destroy the vineyards, for our vineyards are with tiny grapes.

16. My beloved is mine, and I am his, who grazes among the roses.

70 SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Tzochar

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: Daf 11 - Ketoret (Incense)

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 11

Week 11 in the Jewish calendar is the week of Yud Kislev, which celebrates the release and redemption of the Mitteler Rebbe. The first verse from Song of Songs for this week is from G-d’s perspective. The second and third one are from the Jewish people’s. The verses continue the theme of this month: the spiritual and physical struggle against Greek domination, and the miraculous victory over it.

The first verse speaks of the Jews as a faithful dove, crying out to G-d in purity and despair, in the face of the enemy. Rashi interprets this to mean the crying out of the Jews by the Red Sea, which revealed the inner essence of the Jewish people. This is similar to the hidden flask of pure oil stamped with the seal of the Kohen Gadol found on Chanukah. (Interestingly, the voice of the Jewish people, which is the cry of the dove, is described as pleasant, Arev, which also spells the word for Orev, raven, the animal of Week 12 in Book 1)

The second verse speaks of little foxes who destroy vineyards. As explained in Book 1, the fox is a reference to the destruction of the Temple. Rashi makes a reference to the fact that the Egyptians would throw our male infants into the Nile. In the end, the Egyptians themselves were the ones inundated and drowned. Wine (like oil) is a reference to wisdom and Torah. The Greeks came to destroy our knowledge at a time when the people’s level of knowledge was lacking, like infants and tiny grapes.

The third verse speaks of the intimate and all-encompassing relationship between the Jewish people and G-d. Rashi states: “He demanded all His needs from me... All my needs I demanded of Him, and not of other deities.” This is something rationalist (as well as the pagan) Greeks could not understand.

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the eleventh mentioned is Tzochar, spelled Tzadi, Chet, Reish. Tzochar also appears in the Torah as the name of the father of Ephron the Hittite, who sold the Ma’arat HaMachpelah to Avraham in Hebron in order for him to bury Sarah. Tzohar, with a Heh, was a light in the Ark. Perhaps Tzochar is mentioned here to represent the difficulties (similar to Abraham’s) of dealing with other nations occupying the Land of Israel, as well as the light of Chanukah. The Tzohar, like the Temple’s Menorah, not only served internal illumination purposes, but external purposes as well.

Daf Yud Aleph (Folio 11) of Shvuot discusses the holiness of the ketoret and of Hekdesh. The Ketoret is associated with the number 11 as explained in Book 1.

Chapter 11 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above. In the verses, Hashem tells the prophet to speak to Jerusalem (See Week 11, Book 1, about speaking “to the heart of Jerusalem”) and mentions, again and again, the “fathers,” showing the continuity from generation to generation, similar to that of the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe. Another repeated term is“covenant,” Brit, which as mentioned before, is something the Greeks strongly opposed:

2. Hearken to the words of this covenant, and you shall speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

3. And you shall say to them, so said the Lord God of Israel; Cursed be the man who will not hearken to the words of this covenant,

4. Which I commanded your forefathers on the day I took them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying: Hearken to My voice and do them, according to all that I will command you, and you shall be to Me for a people, and I will be to you for a God.

5. In order to establish the oath that I swore to yourforefathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey as of this day. And I replied and said, "Amen, O Lord."

6. And the Lord said to me; Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hearken to the words of this covenant and you shall do them.

7. For I warned your forefathers on the day I brought them up from the land of Egypt until this day, warning early every morning, saying: Hearken to My voice.

8. But they did not hearken, neither did they bend their ears, and they went, each man according to the view of his evil heart, and I brought upon them all the words of this covenantthat I commanded to do, and they did not do.

9. And the Lord said to me; A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10. They have returned to the iniquities of their first forefathers, who refused to hearken to My words, and they followed other gods to worship them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah broke My covenant that I made with their forefathers.

Week 12 (Book 5): Longing for G-d

SONG OF SONGS:

17. Until the sun spreads, and the shadows flee, go around; liken yourself, my beloved, to a gazelle or to a fawn of the hinds, on distant mountains."

1. On my bed at night, I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him but I did not find him.

2. I will arise now and go about the city, in the market places and in the city squares. I will seek him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but I did not find him.

70 SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Saul the son of the Canaanitess

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: Daf 12 – Hekdesh leftovers and the scapegoat of Azazel.

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 12

Week 12 in the Jewish calendar is the week of Yud Tes Kislev, which celebrates the release and redemption of the Alter Rebbe, and is known as the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidut. All Song of Song verses for this week are from the Jewish people’s perspective. The first verse speaks of the sun spreading. After his redemption, the Alter Rebbe spread Chassidut throughout the land: to distant mountains, in one’s bed at night (ie. in exile); in the city, the market place and the city squares. There was no place in which Chassidut could not penetrate.

Overall, the verses for this week speak of a deep longing for G-d. The Alter Rebbe was known for having a tremendous longing for Hashem, to such an extent that he had a respiratory problem related to it. (Likkutei Dibburim)

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the twelfth mentioned is Saul the son of the Canaanitess. Rashi explains that this is actually the son of Dinah, who had been raped and taken captive by a Canaanite who intended to marry her. One of the main themes of Chanukah is the fight again intermarriage and assimilation. In the story of Dinah, Shimon and Levi act zealously (similar to the Maccabees) in order to save her.[1]

Daf Yud Beit (Folio 12) of Shevuoth discusses the idea of buying Hekdesh on condition that one can make use of what is left over, and discusses what to do with animals left over from sacrifices; it then discusses the atonement of the goat sent to Azazel, which atoned for anything for which the goat offered in the inner courtyard did not atone. Similar to the above, one of the innovations of Chassidut is that everything is holy and has a purpose. Every Jew is holy; even the animal soul can be made holy (which parallels the goat sent to Azazel).

Chapter 12 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above. In this chapter, Hashem depicts tragedy after tragedy and rebukes the people for not following in His ways, yet all the while referring to the people as “My inheritance,” and “My soul’s beloved.” As mentioned previously, the Greeks wanted the Jews to abandon the belief that they had a portion in Hashem, that He was their inheritance; furthermore the Greeks could not understand or grasp the loving relationship that exists between Hashem and the Jewish people.

7. I have abandoned My House, I have forsaken My inheritance; I have delivered My soul's beloved into the hand of her enemies. 

8. My inheritance was to Me like a lion in the forest; she raised her voice against Me; therefore, I hated her. 

9. Is My inheritance to Me a speckled bird of prey? Are there birds of prey around her? Go, gather all the beasts of the field; come to eat.

(…)

14. So says the Lord: Concerning all My wicked neighbors who touch the inheritance that I have given My nation, Israel, to inherit, behold I uproot them from upon their land, and the house of Judah I will uproot from their midst.

15. And it shall come to pass, that after I uproot them, I will return and have pity on them, and I will restore them, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. 

16. And it shall be, if they learn the ways of My people to swear by My name, "As the Lord lives," as they taught My people to swear by Baal, they shall be built up in the midst of My people.

The Midrash tells us that "darkness symbolizes Greece, which darkened the eyes of Israel with its decrees, ordering Israel to, 'Write on the horn of an ox that you have no inheritance in the G-d of Israel.'”[2]

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[1] Nevertheless, it is important to note that, unlike the heroic acts of the Maccabees, the violent and somewhat deceitful actions of Shimon and Levi were not appropriate, and strongly condemned by Jacob. The Tribe of Levi ultimately learns how to use its zealotry for the good.

[2] Genesis Rabba 2:4

Week 13 (Book 5): Finding G-d in Exile

SONG OF SONGS:

3. The watchmen who patrol the city found me: "Have you seen him whom my soul loves?"

4. I had just passed them by, when I found him whom my soul loves; I held him and would not let him go, until I brought him into my mother's house and into the chamber of her who had conceived me.

5. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, that you neither awaken nor arouse the love while it is desirous.

70 SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Levi

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: Daf 13 - Things For Which Yom Kippur Does Not Atone

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 13

Week 13 in the Jewish calendar is the week of Chanukah. The Song of Songs closes the month of Kislev with two verses from the People of Israel to G-d, and one verse in which the Jewish people address the other nations (the last verse is actually the same as the last one in Week 8).

After searching and searching for Hashem and not finding, and after asking the watchmen (which Rashi notes is a reference to Moshe and Aharon, but perhaps also a reference to the leaders, prophets, and Kohanim of each generation), finally we found Him. That is Chanukah! Hashem reveals Himself to us on Chanukah, in the miraculous victory over the Greeks and the open miracle of the oil of the Menorah lasting eight days.

The Song of Songs states that once we found Him, we did not let go until bringing Him to “mother's house and into the chamber of her who had conceived me,” clearly a reference to the Chanukah rededication of the Temple, the home of the Shechinah, the Feminine Divine Presence.

In the third verse, the parallel with Week 8 is quite significant, because in this battle against sinking into assimilation, it is on Chanukahthat we can declare that we have been victorious. The confrontational tone towards the nations therefore here can be seen as a cry of victory.

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the thirteenth mentioned is Levi. The connection of Levi to Chanukah could not be more obvious: all Kohanim and the zealous Maccabees that brought about this victory were all his descendants.

Daf Yud Gimmel (Folio 13) of Shvuot discusses whether Yom Kippur atones for all sins, whether or not a person repented, with three exceptions: “one who denies the basis of Torah, one who ridicules Torah, and one who annuls circumcision (he does not circumcise himself, or he stretches his skin in order to appear uncircumcised).”[1]Again, the parallel with Chanukah and the confrontation with the Greeks is very clear. The denial of the Divine origin of the Torah and the specific practice of annulling circumcision were two of the main conflicts Jews had with Hellenist culture. The daf also specifically discusses the atonement of Kohanim, separate from the rest of the people.

Chapter 13 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above. The prophet describes how he is told to wear a girdle and that the girdle later becomes rotten and of no use. Hashem then compares the Jewish people to a girdle: “just as the girdle clings to a man's loins, so have I caused the entire house of Israel and the entire house of Judah to cling to Me.” This appears to be clearly connected to the Brit Milah, the primary mitzvah we perform on our male loins, a signal of our covenant with G-d. The chapter also repeats the theme of “skirts” of the Jewish people being “uncovered,” and pulled over their face. (Verses 22; 27) This seems to be another reference to circumcision, and specifically the process of annulling circumcision.

The verses speak of the corruption and false that was taking hold, similar to that of Chanukah, specifically of darkness (associated with Greece): “Give the Lord your God honor before it becomes dark, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and you shall hope for light, but He will make it into darkness, and making it into a thick cloud.” (Verse 16)

22. And if you say in your heart, "Why have these befallen me? For the greatness of your iniquity were your skirts uncovered, your steps cut off.

23. Will a Cushite change his skin, or a leopard his spots? So will you be able to improve, you who have become accustomed to do evil.

24. And I will scatter them like straw that passes with the wind, to the desert.

25. This is your lot, the portion of your measures, from Me, says the Lord, for you have forgotten Me, and you have trusted in falsehood.

26. And I also have uncovered your skirts over your face, and your disgrace has been seen.

27. Your adulteries and your neighings, and the thoughts of your harlotry; on hills in the field have I seen your abominations; woe to you, Jerusalem, you shall not become purified. After when shall it ever be?

The reference to the Cushites (descendants of Ham, who was known for his sexual impropriety) is significant. Even more significant is the reference to the leopard, who throughout Jewish tradition is particularly connected with Greece.[2]As Rabbi Slifkin explains in his book, the connections are many: their beauty, their swiftness, and perhaps most importantly, the boldness.

The word for the Leopard’s spots in Hebrew can also be translated as stains, kesem, such as those associated with ritual impurity. Leopards are also known to mate with other animals, not of their species, perhaps also a reference to assimilation.[3]

The last verse speaks of the impurity of Jerusalem, and asks when will it ever become pure. In fact, Jerusalem was purified in the times of the Maccabees.

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[1]http://dafyomi.co.il/shevuos/points/sv-ps-013.htm

[2] Rabbi Slifkin devotes most of his chapter on Leopards of his Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdomto this connection. Available at http://zootorah.com/assets/media/LeopardChapter.pdf.

[3] Ibid.

Week 14 (Book 5): Sticking with the Torah and the Temple

SONG OF SONGS: 

6. Who is this coming up from the desert, like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, of all the powder of the peddler?

7. Behold the litter of Solomon; sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel.

8. They all hold the sword, skilled in warfare; each one with his sword on his thigh because of fear at night.

70 SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Gershon

TALMUD SHEVUOTH:  Daf 14 - Forgetting the Laws of Impurity

Book of Jeremiah: Chapter 14

Week 14 in the Jewish calendar is the continuation of Chanukah, and also includes Rosh Chodesh Teveth.  The verses from Song of Songs for this week are very upbeat: they are said by the Jewish people and describe its state of closeness with G-d. The first verse speaks of traveling through the desert with G-d miraculously protecting them with the Clouds of Glory. Chanukah is also about Divine protection during exile and is eight days long in order to parallel Sukkot, which commemorates our protection under the Clouds of Glory while in the desert.

Rashi notes that the verses relate to the Mishkan, the moveable Temple, and to the "the war of Torah, and similarly, the priests who surround it, who camp around the Mishkan, skilled in the order of their service." There’s a clear relation to Chanukah. 

There is also an interesting parallel with Rosh Chodesh Teveth, in that Rashi describes that not only is the Mishkan being guarded, but the Torah itself, both Written and Oral. It is well known that the destruction of the First Temple, which began with the siege of Jerusalem on the 10^th of Teveth was due to the lack of proper (spiritual) importance given to the Torah. Here are Rashi's comments:

each one with his sword: his weapons. These are the Masorah and the mnemonics, by which they preserve the correct version [of the Oral Law] and the masorah (the traditional spelling and reading of the Scriptures), lest it be forgotten.   

because of fear at night: lest they forget it, and troubles will befall them, and so Scripture says (Ps. 2:12): “Arm yourselves with the grain [of Torah] lest He become angry and you perish on the way.”

Night appears to be a reference to the darkness of Greece. It is incredible how Rashi also explains that the weapons used are for preserving the correct written and oral traditions, not only in line with the struggle of the Maccabees against Greek perversion of the law, but also a reference to giving the proper spiritual importance of the Torah, one of the main themes of this month, the lack of which caused the destruction of the First Temple, as explained in the previous books.

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the fourteenth mentioned is Gershon. Gershon is the name of one of Levi’s sons as well as one of Moshe’s. It is a name connected to being in exile, and the fight to maintain one’s identity in the face of foreign influences. In fact, Moshe’s son Gershon was brought up by both Yitro and Moshe, and Yitro’s influence had long term negative effects. As also explained previously, Chanukah connected to the word Chinuch, education, and is related to the fight against assimilation and idolatry. Gershon and his family also played an important role in the upkeep of the Mishkan.

Daf Yud Dalet (Folio 14) of Shvuot comprises of a continuation of the discussion of the atonement of Kohanim, separate from the rest of the people. It also begins a new chapter that introduces the concept of awareness of impurity and what happens when one forgets the laws of impurity. The continuation of the laws of the atonement of the Kohanim parallel the continuation of Chanukah this week. Impurity versus purity is a general theme of Chanukah. Impurity and ignorance of the Law (lack of education) are ideas also connected to Chanukah and the 10th of Teveth.

Chapter 14 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above. The entire chapter is about a drought, generally associated with G-d’s displeasure with the Jewish people prior to the destruction of the Temple. Furthermore, a well known concept is that “Ayn Mayim Elah Torah,” every Biblical reference to water is a reference to the Torah itself.. At the end there is also a clear connection to themes of Chanukah, the Temple and the Brit (mepher brit means annulling the covenant of circumcision, prevalent among some Hellenized Jews at the time of Chanukah)

21. Do not condemn us for Your name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of Your glory. Remember, do not break Your covenant with us.  

for Your name’s sake: that you are called merciful.  

the throne of Your glory: The Temple. And according to Midrash Aggadah, Israel who is engraved on the throne of Your glory.   

Week 15 (Book 5): Jerusalem and Motherhood

SONG OF SONGS:

9. King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the trees of Lebanon.

10. Its pillars he made of silver, its couch of gold, its curtain of purple, its interior inlaid with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.

11. Go out, O daughters of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon, upon the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his nuptials and on the day of the joy of his heart.

SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Kehath

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: Daf 15 - Adding to Jerusalem

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 15

Week 15 in the Jewish calendar is the week of the 10th of Teveth, which marks the Babylonian siege, which led to the destruction of the First Temple.

The section of Song of Songs for this week speaks of the Jewish people as a “mother,” and we are taught that “Solomon”in the Song of Songs is always a reference to G-d Himself. Rashi cites a Midrash explaining that G-d's calling the Jewish people His "mother" is the highest demonstration of his love. The positive and joyous image of the Jewish people as motherly stands in direct contrast to what took place during the siege of Jerusalem as reported by Jeremiah in the Book of Lamentations, Chapter 3:

9. Better off were the victims of the sword than the victims of hunger, for they ooze, pierced by the fruits of the field.

10. The hands of compassionate women boiled their own children; they have become their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11. The Lord has spent His fury, He has poured out His fierce anger, and He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has consumed her foundations.

In the future, the 10th of Teveth will be a day of great joy. This section of Shir HaShirim appears relate to this future Messianic time, and is replete with references and descriptions of the Temple and the Tabernacle, as well as Jerusalem. It also makes reference to the giving of the Torah (the day of his nuptials) and the dedication of the Tabernacle (the day of the joy of his heart).

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the fifteenth mentioned is Kehath. Kehath is the grandfather of Moshe and Aharon, as well as their uncle, the brother of their mother, Yocheved.[1]The Rebbe explains that Kehoth comes from the word, “to gather.” Kehath’stask regarding the Tabernacle was the highest of all the Levites – to carry the Holy Ark and its equipment. At the same time, Kohath’s camp was that of Korach, which saw tremendous destruction due to his actions.[2]The destruction seems parallel to the one related to this week, while the highest Temple tasks appear related to future times, when the Temple will be rebuilt and this day will be one of great joy.

Daf Tet Vav (Folio 15) of Shvuot speaks of the sanctification of the Klei Sharet (the instruments used in the Temple service) and the concept of “adding on” to Jerusalem or the Azarah (the entranceway of the Temple). The ritual of “adding on” involves singing and carrying loaves of bread. It stands in stark contrast to the events of the 10th of Teveth when Jerusalem was not “added to,” but rather restricted under siege. Instead of singing there was mourning, and instead of bread there was famine. Again, this seems to be related more to Messianic times, when this date will be one of feasting instead of fasting.

Chapter 15 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above, although focusing on the negative aspects of this week, both related to the theme of motherhood and of Jerusalem. It also mentions the famine and distress that would come.

8. His widows are to Me more numerous than the sand of the seas; I have brought to them upon the mother a chosen one who will rob them at midday; I have cast upon her suddenly a city and terrors.

Rashi - upon a mother: Upon Jerusalem, which is a city (and a mother) in Israel.

9. She who bore seven has been cut off, her soul grieves, her sun sets when it is still day. She is ashamed and confounded. And her remnant I shall deliver to the sword before their enemies, says the Lord.

10. Woe is to me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of quarrel and a man of contention to the whole land.

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[1]http://m.chabad.org/m/article_cdo/aid/733394

[2]http://www.njop.org/html/printfiles/Bamidbar5771.html

Week 16 (Book 5): Being Wife and Midwife

SONG OF SONGS:

1. "Behold, you are fair, my beloved; behold, you are fair; your eyes are [like] doves, from within your kerchief; your hair is like a flock of goats that streamed down from Mount Gilead.

2. Your teeth are like a flock of uniformly shaped [ewes] that came up from the washing, all of whom are perfect, and there is no bereavement among them.

3. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your speech is comely; your temple is like a split pomegranate from within your kerchief.

70 SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Merari

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: Daf 16 - Holiness of the First Temple

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 16

Week 16 in the Jewish calendar is the third week of Teveth. As mentioned previously, Teveth is known as the month in which “the body takes pleasure in the body,” a reference to how the essence of the Jewish People connects to the essence of Hashem. (See Book 1) The Song of Songs verses for this week and next, the first six of Chapter 4, are the ones that most openly use the metaphor of the female body as a reference to qualities of the Jewish People.

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the sixteenth mentioned is Merari. Merari family’s task regarding the Tabernacle was the least prestigious, and yet the hardest: carrying the beams, crossbars, pillars, and bases.[1] Merari comes from the word Mar, bitter, the same root of the name Miriam. The Rebbe’s father explains that of the three children of Yocheved, Miriam parallels Merari. These were the foundations of the Tabernacle, without which the other parts could not stand, similar to the discreet yet crucial role of Miriam as a midwife. Teveth is a cold and is some ways bitter month, yet it is also connected to strength/foundation and the capacity to multiply (characteristics of the Tribe of Dan).

Daf Tet Zayin (Folio 16) of Shevuoth discusses whether the holiness of the First Temple was temporary or permanent. It also discusses the case of someone who became impure when in the Temple, and the laws related to bowing in it. The fast of the tenth of Teveth is particularly linked to the destruction of the First Temple.

Chapter 16 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above, especially regarding marital relations and our ability to multiply:

1. And the word of the Lord came to me saying:  

2. You shall take no wife, and you shall have no sons or daughters in this place.  

3. For so said the Lord regarding the sons and the daughters born in this place and regarding their mothers who bear them and their fathers who beget them in this land. (…)

9. For so said the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cut off from this place in your presence and in your days a voice of mirth and a voice of gladness, a voice of a bridegroom, and a voice of a bride. (…)

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[1] http://en.yhb.org.il/2013/05/17/the-sweetness-of-bnei-merari/

Week 17 (Book 5): Our Intimate Connection with G-d

SONG OF SONGS:

4. Your neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model; a thousand shields hanging on it, all the quivers of the mighty men.

5. Your two breasts are like two fawns, the twins of a gazelle, who graze among the roses.

6. Until the sun spreads and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.

70 SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Yocheved

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: Daf 17 – Sins of the Temple and Marital Relations

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 17

Week 17 in the Jewish calendar is the last week of Teveth, which includes the 24^th of Teveth, the yahrzeit of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe. As mentioned in the previous week, the verses from Song of Songs for this week has some of the most open uses of the metaphor of the female body as a reference to qualities of the Jewish People. 

One of the references made in Song of Songs is to “two breasts,” which is related to childbearing and procreation, themes of the month of Teveth. Rashi notes that this is a reference to Moshe and Aharon as well as to the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments. Rashi further explains how the laws on the first tablet (between man and G-d) correspond to those on the second one (between man and man). Similarly, the Alter Rebbe’s name, Shneur, means Shnei Or, two lights, and the Alter Rebbe fulfilled the potential of his name, revealing the light of Chassidus and the deep secrets of the Torah, which comprise the Tanya and other holy works, as well as a light in the revealed aspects of the Torah, which comprise his Shulchan Aruch, known as Shulchan Aruch HaRav, and other works as well.

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the seventeenth one, who is not explicitly mentioned, is Yocheved. Yocheved is the mother of Moshe and Aharon. She, like Miriam, was also involved in the discreet task of midwiving Jewish children.

Daf Yud Zayin (Folio 17) of Shvuot speaks of the prohibitions against not properly taking one’s time when leaving the Temple, as well as taking the shortest path out. It also discusses entering the Temple grounds in an abnormal manner. The daf then switches to a different Mishnah, which leads to a discussion of how to withdraw from a woman that becomes a Niddah (impure due to menstruation) at the time of intercourse. The daf appears related to two distinct themes of this month, sins related to the Temple, as well as marital relations.

Chapter 17 of the Book of Jeremiah contains one of the main themes of the month, multiplying after being very small in number. This theme is found in the song of the wild goose in Book 1, which is contained in this chapter (the wild goose is the Perek Shirah animal for Week 15, also in the month of Teveth):

5. So says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart turns away from the Lord.  

6. He shall be like a lone tree in the plain, and will not see when good comes, and will dwell on parched land in the desert, on salt-sodden soil that is not habitable.

   

7. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord; the Lord shall be his trust.

8. For he shall be like a tree planted by the water, and by a rivulet spreads its roots, and will not see when heat comes, and its leaves shall be green, and in the year of drought will not be anxious, neither shall it cease from bearing fruit.

It is also interesting that the chapter include references to nature and to trees, as the following week is that of Rosh Chodesh Shevat.

Week 18 (Book 5): Nature as a Metaphor and the Setting for Our Relationship with G-d

SONG OF SONGS:

7. You are all fair, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you.

8. With me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon shall you come; you shall look from the peak of Amanah, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from mountains of leopards.

9. You have captivated my heart, my sister, [my] bride; you have captivated my heart with one of your eyes, with one link of your necklaces.

70 SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Judah

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: Daf 18 –  Distancing oneself from forbidden pleasures and wrongful acts

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 18

Week 18 in the Jewish calendar is the week of Rosh Chodesh Shevat. Shevat connected to nature, as it celebrates the Rosh Hashanah of the trees. It is also connected to emunah (faith) and ta’anug (pleasure). It is also related to the Oral Torah.

The theme for this week, in particular the second verse (verse 8), is very much connected with nature. It speaks of the forest of Lebanon, of various mountains, of lions and of leopards. Rashi also relates that this verse to the fact that Hashem is with us in exile, and how He will return with us from it as well. The peak of Amanah has the same root as the word Emunah.

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the eighteenth mentioned is Judah. Of all the brothers, it is perhaps Judah that most represents the importance of the Oral Torah. It was Judah that was sent by Jacob to establish a yeshiva in Egypt, before the rest of the family came down. Judah also is very much connected to the concepts of pleasure and faith.We see how Judah often played the leading role among the brothers, and showed tremendous Emunah when confronting the viceroy of Egypt,  who turned out to be Joseph. We also see that his pleasure-seeking actions (such as those regarding Tamar) got him in trouble, but that he was not afraid to take responsibility for them, and repent. 

Daf Yud Cheit (Folio 18) of Shvuot comprises of a continuation of the discussion of withdrawing from a Niddah, how the main thing is to avoid pleasure. It also discusses separating from a Niddah before her predetermined period of impurity. Finally, it discusses whether one must know what made him impure before he forgot that he was impure – it discusses forbidden foods, forbidden relations with a Niddah, and actions that show lack of faith, such as work on Shabat and Yom Kippur. Some of the topics appear still related to the previous month, but are also connected to this month, such as faith and pleasure.

Chapter 18 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above. The chapter is about Hashem as the potter (we need Emunah that everything comes from Him). It is also about nature and our lack of Emunah, about inappropriate pleasures, and about “cold flowing water.” It is in Shevat, that the sap of the trees begin to flow, although we are still in the middle of the cold winter at this time.

9. And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant,   (…)

14. Shall one abandon [water flowing] from rocks of the field [that comes from] the snow of Lebanon? Shall strange cold flowing water be abandoned?

The Levanon (Lebanon), which is a forest whose trees were used for the Temple, is mentioned also in the verses of the Song of Songs above. Levanon is often a reference to the Temple itself.

Week 19 (Book 5): Spiritual Pleasure

 

SONG OF SONGS:

10. How fair is your love, my sister, [my] bride; how much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than all spices!

11. Your lips drip flowing honey, O bride; honey and milk are under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12. A locked up garden is my sister, [my] bride; a locked up spring, a sealed fountain.

SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Shelah

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: Daf 19 - Oaths against eating food

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 19

Week 19 in the Jewish calendar is the week of Yud Shevat. The verses of Shir HaShirim of this week again address the theme of nature, as well as Ta’anug, pleasure.

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the nineteenth mentioned is Shelah. Judah’s first two sons are skipped because they died childless due to their sins. Shelah’s brothers also represent the idea of inappropriately engaging in pleasure. Shelah was also supposed to marry Tamar, yet he was still young and later Yehudah thought of ways to prevent him to be given to her.

Daf Yud Tet (Folio 19) of Shvuot is primarily about discussing the law of someone who forgot both that he was impure and that he was in the Temple. It also discusses the two primary kinds of oaths, both of which are related to food. The first part appears to be associated with the Oral Law, the focus of the month of Shevat. The second part, regarding food, is related to Ta’anug, pleasure.

Chapter 19 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above. The chapter speaks about eating and pleasure, and how these concepts can be completely corrupted:

4. Because they forsook Me and they estranged this place and burnt incense therein to other gods, which they had not known, they, their forefathers, and the kings of Judah, and they filled this place with the blood of innocent people.

5. And they built the high places of Baal to burn their children with fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command, neither did I speak nor did it enter My mind. (…)

9. And I will feed them the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and each one will eat the flesh of his friend, in the siege and the straits that their enemies and those who seek their lives will inflict upon them.

Week 20 (Book 5):Perez and Bursting Out of the Cold

SONG OF SONGS:

13. Your arid fields are as a pomegranate orchard with sweet fruit, henna and spikenard.

14. Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all frankincense trees, myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices.

15. A garden fountain, a well of living waters and flowing streams from Lebanon."

SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Perez

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: Daf 20 – Oaths related to eating and pleasure.

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 20

Week 20 in the Jewish calendar is the week of Tu B’Shvat. Tu B’Shvat is the Rosh Hashanah of the trees. The verses of Shir HaShirim of this week again address the theme of nature, as well as pleasure. This week, however, fruit and trees are mentioned specifically.

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the twentieth mentioned is Perez. His name means to “burst forth.” Perez’s birth is described in quite detail, and how he burst forth to become the firstborn. It seems related to also how the flowers and fruits must “burst forth,” after the trees’ enduring the cold winter.

Daf Kaf (Folio 20) of Shvuot continues to discuss different laws related to oaths, most of which are also related to eating and pleasure.

Chapter 20 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above. The chapter speaks of pain endured by Jeremiah, but its most striking part is when he speaks of the day of his birth. It seems to relate back to the themes birth and conception related to this month:

14. Cursed be the day in which I was begotten; the day in which my mother bore me shall not be blessed.  

  

15. Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, saying, "A male child has been born to you," making him glad. 

16. And that man shall be like the cities that the Lord overturned and did not repent, and let him hear an outcry in the morning and a scream at noontime.

17. That he did not put me to death from the womb, that my mother should be my grave and her womb a perpetual pregnancy.

  

18. Why did I come forth out of the womb to see toil and grief, and my days end with shame?

Week 21 (Book 5): Celebrating "Sweet Fruit" in the Winter

SONG OF SONGS:

16. " Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out; let my beloved come to his garden and eat his sweet fruit."

1. "I have come to my garden, my sister, [my] bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my sugar cane with my sugar, I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, beloved ones."                        

2. "I sleep, but my heart is awake. Hark! My beloved is knocking: Open for me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is full of dew, my locks with the drops of the night."

SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Zerach

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: DAF 21 – Oaths and Eating

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 21

Week 21 in the Jewish calendar is the last week of Shevat. The verses of Shir HaShirim of this week again address the theme of nature, as well as pleasure. It speaks of eating sweet fruit of a garden, spices, sugar cane, wine and milk. Wine and "drinking abundantly" is also mentioned, perhaps a reference to the coming month of Adar. The last verse also contains a theme similar to that of Shevat: "I sleep, but my heart is awake..." We are still in the middle of winter, but it is past Tu B'Shvat and the sap inside the trees has begun to melt.   

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the twenty-first mentioned is Zerach. Zerach is Perez’s brother. His name means sunrise. During his birth, he was the first to stretch out his hand, although he ended up being born later, after Perez. Similarly, sunrise is the first moment in which the morning Shmoneh Esreh can be said and the day initially begins, although most people begin prayer much later. This is all related to Shevat, the first “appearance” of spring and the sun, although spring itself comes much later.

Daf Kaf Alef (Folio 21) of Shvuot continues to discuss different laws related to oaths, most of which are also related to eating.

Chapter 21 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above. The chapter has many references to nature: valleys, plains, fruit, and a forest:

The chapter speaks of pain endured by Jeremiah, but its most strking part is when he speaks of the day of his birth. It seems to relate back to the theme of “natural” birth related to this month:

13. Behold I am against you, O dweller of the valley, rock of the plain, says the Lord, those who say, "Who will encamp upon us, and who will come into our dwellings?"   

14. And I will visit upon you according to the fruit of your deeds, says the Lord, and I will ignite a fire in her forest, and it will consume all her surroundings. 

Week 22 (Book 5): Mordechai the Shepherd

SONG OF SONGS:

3. "I have taken off my tunic; how can I put it on? I have bathed my feet; how can I soil them?"

4. My beloved stretched forth his hand from the hole, and my insides stirred because of him.

5. I arose to open for my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers with flowing myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

SOULS THAT DESCENDED TO EGYPT: Hezron

TALMUD SHEVUOTH: Daf 22 - Oaths and Drinking

BOOK OF JEREMIAH: Chapter 22

Week 22 in the Jewish calendar is the week of Rosh Chodesh Adar. The verses of Shir HaShirim of this week speak of removing one’s head garment and bathing one’s feet. Removing one’s head garment appears to be a reference to the notion of letting go of the intellect, related to this month, focusing on the feet. Similarly, the Rebbe’s Ma’amar Ve’Atah Tetzaveh speaks of Mordechai, the Moshe of the generation, being the head, and the Jewish people being the “feet.” (See also Book 3, on Yaakov and Yikveta de Meshicha, being on the "heels" of the Messianic age).

The second verse in the Song of Songs is extremely reminiscent of perhaps what are the two most crucial verses in all of Megillat Esther (5:2):

And it came to pass when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she won favor in his eyes, and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand, and Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter. 

The third verse, makes reference to myrrh, Mor in Hebrew. The Talmud states that Mordechai is hinted in the Torah in Exodus 30:23, in the verse about “pure myrrh,” Mor Dror, which in Aramaic is Mara Dachia.[1] (Chullin 139b)

Of the seventy souls of the Jewish people that descended to Egypt, the twenty-second mentioned is Hezron. (Hezron, the descendant of Reuven, has already been discussed in Week 4). Interestingly, in Book 3, this Hezron, son of Perez, can be found in week 25, also in the month of Adar. There, it is written that Hezron comes from the word chatzer, which means courtyard, or enclosure. In order to be able to carry in a courtyard, two neighbors need to set up an eruv chatzeirot.[2] Interestingly, the word Eruv comes from the same root as Arev, which means sweet. When Jews come together, and their duality serves a positive function, there is sweetness. This is also one of the themes of the month of Adar.

Daf Kaf Beit (Folio 22) of Shvuot continues to discuss different laws related to oaths, related to eating. However, the main emphasis of this daf relates to the laws of speaking, and also whether drinking should be included in the category of eating. Clearly drinking is one of the main themes of Adar. Specifically, drinking to point of not being able to know the difference between “blessed in Mordechai and cursed is Haman.” This daf begins the discussion of speaking by mentioning how someone who curses (“blesses”) Hashem by mistake must bring a sacrifice.

Chapter 22 of the Book of Jeremiah contains a similar theme to the above. It speaks of a situation of the Jewish people being left leaderless, confused, as well as of eating and drinking.

15. Shall you reign, for you compete with the cedar? Your father-did he not eat and drink and perform justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.  (...)

22. All your shepherds shall be broken by the wind, and your lovers shall go into captivity, for then you shall be ashamed and confounded because of all your evil. (…)

29. O land, land, land, hearken to the word of the Lord. 

  

30. So said the Lord: Inscribe this man childless, a man who will not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David or ruling anymore in Judah.

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[1]http://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/380247/jewish/Purim-and-Providence.htm; http://www.aish.com/tp/i/pp/141352743.html

[2] http://www.dailyhalacha.com/Print.asp?ClipID=1079