“Sha’arei Leshem Shevo V’Achlamah,” which we
present to you for sale at Mile-Chai.com
Rabbi Elyashiv lived 84 years, from 1841 to 1925, and, when his eyes became too
weak to see, he dictated his final work to his grandson, the present-day Rabbi
Elyashiv.
Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv is well-known in the appropriate circles for his
tremendous breadth and depth of ALL aspects of Torah-from revealed Torah to
Hidden Torah, Pshat to Sod (simple to esoteric).
What makes learning the 'Leshem' so fascinating and enjoyable is the way he is
able to express very difficult and complicated concepts in terms that are more
readily understandable. Obviously one still requires the appropriate
background to understand his writings, because, he is addressing the deepest
concepts known to man. However, to borrow a term from the computer world and
apply it here, it would be the term 'user-friendly.' Exceedingly holy, but,
nevertheless, accessible.
Many of the sections of the original works are very long and quite technical,
kind of like the 'Quantum Mechanics' of Torah, l'havdil. However, many beautiful
and crucial pieces of philosophical understanding are interlaced
throughout, and, should be known by as many people as possible. Knowing such
concepts not only adds beauty and depth to the rest of Torah, but, it affects
the way a Jew goes about deciding his or her priorities in life.
As a result, in 1994, Rabbi Yehoshua Edelstein of Ramot, Jerusalem, 'sifted'
through the many works of the Leshem, and, extracted the philosophical sections
from: 'Hakdamos v'Sha'arim' (Hakadosh), 'Drushei Olam HaTohu'
(Dayah), and, 'Sefer HaKlallim,' and organized the material into a single work
called, 'Sha'arei Leshem Shevo v'Achlamah'-the 'Gates of the Leshem Shevo
v'Achlamah.'
Rabbi Moshe Shapiro, shlita, who is as about as mainstream as they come, and one
of the greatest rabbis of this generation wrote a beautiful and sincere
approbation for the work.
We at Mile-Chai are certain that you will find this work to be among the most
crucial in your Torah library. Absolutely every Torah scholar and student
will benefit from learning from "The Leshem."
Leshem Shevo V'Achlama translations
Gan Eden Consciousness:
Remember well the transcendental level of all reality and the elevated stature
of Adam HaRishon [the First Man] before the Fall. [Similar to human and animal
life] vegetation itself as well as the act of eating was of a
different nature altogether. All of these matters are completely beyond our
present level of conceptualization. This is especially true regarding the Tree
of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Even in the present Soul World [also known
as the "Lower Garden of Eden"] there is absolutely no physical eating
at all. This is true to an even greater degree regarding the exalted and
elevated stature of Adam HaRishon and the level of reality that existed at that
time.
Now, although these matters recorded in the Torah are written in exact accord
with their literal meaning, it is totally beyond our ability to grasp their true
nature. This is due to the fact that the level of reality that existed
at that time utterly and absolutely transcends our present consciousness to a
degree that is inexpressibly awesome. Yet, from that time of the Fall until now,
a devolutionary collapse has taken place in which an exact ratio has been
retained. It has proceeded in a completely isomorphic fashion from each subtle
plane of existence to its corresponding grosser plane, which then devolved into
its corresponding grosser mirror image, almost ad infinitum.
It has gone from soul to body, from body to garment, and from inner garment to
outer garment, like a stamp that leaves its imprint on another stamp, which then
leaves its imprint on another stamp, and so forth. Since each
level must conform to the particular stage of reality to which it belongs, it is
a lower manifestation of the level that precedes it. Nevertheless, it is an
exact duplicate of the level that precedes it. It is in this way that the
final and most exterior manifestation of these matters [as they are written in
the Torah] are literally true. And this is sufficient. (Leshem Shvo Ve'achlamah,
Sefer HaDe'ah 2:4:3, p. 79 (40b))
It is known to all Jews of complete faith that the entire sacred Torah is
divided into layered aspects [that would correspond to a person's] soul, body
and external clothing. The highest aspect of the Torah is known as the
"soul of the soul" (Zohar 3:152a). All of these levels are holy and
all are true. The body, the sheath and the inner casing all constitute the
corpus of the Torah, and all of them are the Life of Existence. Still, as the
heavens are
supremely higher than the earth, so also are the esoterica and the mysteries of
the Torah supremely higher than its revealed teachings and external appearance.
(Leshem, Sefer HaDe'ah, p. 1)
The work that [Adam] was to perform was similar to that of the ten emanations of
Divinity [the Sefirot of Atzilut] as they exist now. Their service is to unite
themselves in an awesome unity into the Source of Emanation, the
Infinite Oneness, may His Name be praised, and to nullify themselves to Him to
the utmost possible degree, constantly and uninterruptedly. Their entire service
involves taking the awesome unifications of the Torah and the commandments [that
rise up from below] and elevating them higher and higher into the Infinite
Unity. In this way they themselves are drawn ever closer, eternally uniting into
the Unity of the Infinite Emanator to the utmost degree of unity, enraptured in
the bliss of His Radiance. According to the exalted level that he was given at
that time, Adam's service was supposed to mirror that of the Sefirot of Atzilut.
(Leshem, Sefer HaDe'ah 2:4:20:5, p. 167 (84a, top))
[As a consequence of Adam's eating from the Tree of Knowledge] the External
Forces now have control over the emanations of the Light of Knowledge that
descend below. This is the exile of the Torah. As a result, the Torah has become
clothed in foreign garments and klipot (shells) that are not befitting or comely
to her as, for example, the section at the end of Vayishlach, "These are
the kings that reigned in the land of Edom..." (Genesis 36:31-39). [This
section contains the foundations for the Zohar's Sifra DeTzeniuta upon which the
GRA wrote his extensive commentary; it is the basis for most of Lurianic
Kabbalah as well.] This is also true with regard to the section in the book of
Deuteronomy, "And the Avvim dwelt in Chatzerim..." (Deuteronomy 2:23)
[and other similar passages discussed in Chullin 60b where entire sentences
appear to be superfluous]. In the same manner there are numerous Aggadot of the
sages which are difficult to believe, and one's sensibilities are astounded at
them. Yet, the secrets of the Torah are hidden within them. This is all due to
the emanations of the Light of Knowledge becoming clothed in the Klipot-Shells
of the External Forces, God save us. Thus, the exile of the Shechinah, the exile
of the People of Israel, and the exile of the Torah are all due to Adam's eating
from the Tree of Knowledge.
(Sefer HaDe'ah, Drush Etz HaDa'at, p. 305 (177b))
In the Future, God will purify the entire earth and nullify evil along with all
of its manifestations. At that time all corporeality and physicality will be
distilled and transformed into supernal luminescence. The entirety of the
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil will literally be reconstructed into the Tree
of Life. The skin of the Leviathan, as well, will be reconverted from
"garments of skin" (Kotnot Or with an Ayin) to "garments of
light" (Kotnot Or
with an Aleph). That which is now the skin of the Orlah [both anatomically and
conceptually] will become part of the crown [of the Brit Kodesh] itself. Its
skin will become [absorbed into] the flesh, "totally consecrated (kodesh)
unto God." The three utterly evil layers of true Orlah... will be
completely nullified, while the fourth layer, the Nogah, the essence of the skin
which is essentially good, will remain and revert to the original holiness of
the
flesh. (Leshem Sh'vo VeAchlamah, De'ah 2:4:10:3, p. 100 (50d).
------------------------------
[The Talmud (Bava Batra 75a) states: In the World to Come the Holy One will make
a banquet for the tzadikim from the flesh of the Leviathan... and He will make a
Succah (canopy) from its skin... The rest [of the skin] will be spread out by
the Holy One upon the walls of Jerusalem, and its radiance will shine from one
end of the world to the other, as it is said: "Nations will walk in your
light, and kings in the radiance of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:3).
A pervading theme of Leviathan is Da'at-Knowledge. This is not ordinary
knowledge; rather it is a synthesis of all possible modes of knowing. In fact,
the Hebrew root of the word Leviathan is Lavah, meaning "attachment"
or
"union." It represents the pure state of God-consciousness that
mankind will attain when all Chochmah-Wisdom (the "right side" or
intuitive mode of knowing truth) and Binah-Understanding (the "left
side" or analytical mode of
knowing truth) will be synthesized together in Da'at-Knowledge (the ultimate
union of the intuitive and analytical modes). (Note 1) Leviathan is thus the
Supernal or Cosmic level of Da'at-Knowledge. It is the, union of 6000 years of
subjective experience and objective analysis, the fusion of religion and
science. It is the confluence between the Oriental search for truth and the
occidental quest for knowledge when, "I [God] will transform the nations to
a purified language, that they may all call in the name of God and serve Him
with one consent" (Zephania 3:9). It is the next stage of human evolution
when, "In the World to Come the tzadikim will recline with their crowns in
their heads and delight in the radiance of God's presence" (Note 2). It is
the primordial light of creation with which Adam HaRishon "saw from one end
of the universe to the other" and which will be revealed again in the
Ultimate Future (Note 3). The Leviathan is all this and more.
The Talmud makes a distinction between the "flesh" of the Leviathan
and its "skin." Whereas the Tzadikim will eat the flesh, part of the
skin will be used to make a Succah and the remainder will be spread on the walls
of
Jerusalem. According to the GRA, the flesh of Leviathan alludes to internal
knowledge and its consumption to the process of universal permeation. He thus
states, "The feast of Leviathan refers to the spread of Divine Knowledge (Da'at)
throughout the world and the unsurpassable joy [that this will
effect]." (Note 4)]
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