תזריע א

B"H Okay, let's break down this sicha (discourse) from the Rebbe. The goal here isn't just to translate the Yiddish but to explain the concepts, the flow of the argument, and the deeper meaning the Rebbe is uncovering, assuming you're starting with little background knowledge. **Introduction: The Custom of Kvatter at a Bris** * **The Sicha Starts with a Custom:** The Rebbe begins by describing a well-known Jewish custom related to a *bris milah* (the ritual circumcision ceremony for a baby boy, usually held on the eighth day after birth). The custom involves a couple, often husband and wife, called the *kvatters*. * **What Kvaters Do:** The *kvatterin* (the woman) carries the baby to the entrance of the synagogue or room where the *bris* will take place. Then, the *kvatter* (the man) takes the baby from her and brings him to the "Chair of Elijah" (*Kisei shel Eliyahu*). This special chair is set aside at every *bris*, symbolizing the presence of Elijah the Prophet, who attends every circumcision. * **The Importance of Custom:** The Rebbe immediately quotes a fundamental principle: "**Minhag Yisrael Torah Hi**" – "A Jewish custom is Torah." This doesn't just mean customs are important; it means they have the weight, sanctity, and depth of Torah law itself. They aren't just quaint traditions; they contain profound lessons and are binding. * **The Rebbe's Initial Observation/Question:** Given that customs are "Torah," the Rebbe wants to understand the meaning behind this *kvatter* custom. Specifically, he notes something interesting: the woman (the *kvatterin*) plays a key role, *even though* the *mitzvah* (commandment) of performing the circumcision itself doesn't primarily fall upon women. * **Background on Milah Obligation:** The primary obligation to ensure a son is circumcised falls on the *father*. If the father doesn't arrange it, the Jewish court (*Beis Din*) is obligated. If that doesn't happen, the boy himself becomes obligated when he reaches adulthood. A woman is generally *not* obligated to perform or arrange the circumcision. There's even a discussion in the Talmud (the central text of Rabbinic Judaism) about whether a woman is *halachically fit* (kosher) to perform a circumcision, with differing opinions. * **Finding a Hint in the Torah:** So, why is a woman so involved in the *bris* ceremony via the *kvatter* role? The Rebbe suggests a textual hint in the Torah portion read this week, *Parshas Tazria*. * The verse stating the commandment, "On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised" (Leviticus 12:3), appears immediately *after* the verses discussing the laws related to a woman who gives birth ("When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male..."). * The Rebbe points out the significance of this placement: The *mitzvah* of *milah* is placed right in the context of the *mother* ("the woman who gives birth"), even though the obligation isn't hers. Furthermore, the verse about *milah* itself doesn't explicitly state *who* should perform it (though tradition and other verses clarify it's primarily the father's duty). * **The Hint's Meaning:** The Rebbe suggests this placement in the Torah serves as a *remes* (hint or allusion) that women *do* have a significant connection to the *mitzvah* of *milah*, and this connection is expressed through the custom of the *kvatterin*. **Section B: A Second Custom - Pregnant Kvatterin?** * **Introducing Another Custom:** The Rebbe now brings up a related custom practiced in *many* Jewish communities: A pregnant woman is generally *not* asked to be the *kvatterin*. * **Validating the Custom:** Since this is also a widespread "Minhag Yisrael," it too must be considered "Torah Hi" – valid, meaningful, and carrying the weight of Torah. The Rebbe references a famous responsum (answer to a legal query) by the Rashba (Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet, a major medieval authority), who stated that established customs, even those passed down by "elders and elderly women," should not be dismissed lightly, even if we don't immediately grasp the reason or have questions about them. * **Searching for the *Real* Reason:** The Rebbe acknowledges that various reasons are often given for this custom – concerns about potential danger (*sakanah*) to the fetus, or worries about *ayin hara* (the "evil eye," a concept referring to potential harm caused by jealousy or excessive attention). However, knowing the precision and depth inherent in Jewish customs, the Rebbe finds these explanations somewhat superficial. He suggests the *true* reason isn't based on external fears or side issues, but is intrinsically connected to the *very essence and meaning* of the *kvatter* role itself. * **Deeper Meaning of "Minhag Yisrael Torah Hi":** The Rebbe elaborates on this phrase: 1. It means the custom has the *force* of Torah – it's binding and shouldn't be changed ("Do not change the customs of your fathers"). 2. It also means the custom serves as a *teaching* (*hora'ah*, related to the word Torah) – it reveals something fundamental about the *mitzvah* or concept it's associated with. The custom itself *instructs* us. **Section C: Connecting Bris to Weddings - Shushvinin** * **Drawing a Parallel:** The Rebbe points out a similar custom found at Jewish weddings (*chasunah*). The ultimate purpose of marriage is *pru u'revu* (the commandment to "be fruitful and multiply"). At the wedding ceremony under the *chuppah* (wedding canopy), the bride and groom are traditionally escorted by *shushvinin* (essentially, "best men" and "maids of honor," often a married couple). * **The Same Custom Applies:** Just like with the *kvatterin*, there's a parallel custom that a pregnant woman generally does not serve as the female escort (*shushvina*) leading the bride or groom to the *chuppah*. * **One Custom, One Reason:** The Rebbe cites "Seforim" (holy Jewish books) which state that these two customs – a pregnant woman not being a *kvatterin* at a *bris* and not being a *shushvina* at a wedding – are considered "**chad minhaga hu**" (Aramaic for "it is one custom"). If they are fundamentally the *same* custom, the Rebbe reasons, then they must share the *same underlying explanation*. **Section D: A Simple Explanation - The Kapparos Connection** * **Finding an Explanation in Kapparos:** The Rebbe now offers a seemingly straightforward explanation based on a different Jewish practice: *Kapparos*. * **Background on Kapparos:** *Kapparos* is a custom performed by many Jews on the eve of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). A chicken (or money) is used as a symbolic substitute, with prayers asking that any harsh decrees destined for the person be transferred to the substitute, which is then given to charity or slaughtered. * **Kapparos for a Pregnant Woman:** The Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) discusses the *kapparos* practice for a pregnant woman. In addition to the chicken (a hen) for herself, she also takes a chicken for the fetus she carries. * **How Many Chickens?** There's a slight difference in opinions recorded: 1. Some say one rooster and one hen suffice. Why? A male takes a rooster, a female takes a hen. If the fetus is female, the mother's hen covers them both (as two females can use one hen). If the fetus is male, he needs a rooster, and she needs her hen. 2. Others, including the custom based on the teachings of the Arizal (Rabbi Isaac Luria, a seminal Kabbalist), say she needs *three* birds: a hen for herself, and *both* a rooster *and* a hen for the fetus, covering both possibilities ("due to the uncertainty of the fetus's gender"). This is the widely accepted Chabad custom. * **Applying Kapparos Logic to Kvatter/Shushvinin:** The Rebbe connects this back to the *kvatter* and *shushvinin* customs. * The *Kapparos* custom demonstrates that the fetus is considered significant enough to require its *own* symbolic atonement, treating it, in a sense, as an additional entity. * The established custom for both *kvatters* at a *bris* and *shushvinin* at a wedding is that there should be *exactly two* people involved – a man and a woman (or sometimes two men and two women, but always pairs). * Therefore, the Rebbe suggests, the reason a pregnant woman isn't chosen is that she brings an "extra" presence – the fetus. This makes the count *three* (mother + fetus + male partner), disrupting the required pairing of *two*. It might also disrupt the balance of male and female participants, which could also be relevant. **Section E: Refining the Question - Is the Fetus Really a "Participant"?** * **A Potential Challenge:** The Rebbe anticipates a question: Hold on, the *mother* is the *kvatterin* or *shushvina*, not the fetus inside her. Why should the fetus count as a "participant" in this role? There might be many other people standing under the *chuppah* or present at the *bris* – we don't worry about them disrupting the count of two *shushvinin* or *kvatters*. What makes the fetus different? * **The Rebbe's Answer:** The difference is crucial. Other people present are just bystanders or guests; they aren't fulfilling the specific role of *shushvin* or *kvatter*. However, the fetus is not merely *present*; it is an intrinsic *part of the mother* who *is* acting in that specific role. Therefore, the mother's participation inherently includes the fetus, making her presence qualitatively different from just "one woman." * **An Analogy from Jewish Law (Testimony):** The Rebbe brings an analogy from the laws of *eidus* (witness testimony). If a group of people come together *intending* to testify as a unit, and it turns out one of them is disqualified (e.g., related to the litigants, or otherwise invalid as a witness), the testimony of the *entire* group can be invalidated because they functioned as a single entity. However, if a disqualified person was merely *present* when the event occurred but had no intention of joining the others as a formal witness, their presence doesn't invalidate the testimony of the other, valid witnesses. * **Applying the Analogy:** The fetus is like the intrinsically linked member of the "testifying group" (the mother acting as *kvatterin*/*shushvina*), not just a bystander. Its presence is inseparable from her fulfillment of the role. **Section F: Deeper Insight from Kapparos - Changing the Mother's Status** * **Digging Deeper into Kapparos:** The Rebbe refines his understanding of the *Kapparos* example. * **A Nuance:** Does the *Kapparos* custom *really* mean the fetus is considered a separate person needing atonement? The Rebbe asks: What "atonement" (*kapparah*) could an unborn fetus possibly need? It hasn't sinned! * **The Real Meaning:** Instead, the Rebbe explains, the fetus *changes the fundamental reality and status of the mother herself*. It adds a dimension to *her* being. Because of the fetus, the mother is now considered, in a certain sense, "more than one," or perhaps "a unit of potential multiplicity." * **How This Works:** Imagine the pregnant woman ate something forbidden, requiring atonement (*kapparah*). That forbidden food became part of *her* flesh and blood, but also contributed to the flesh and blood of the *fetus* growing within her. When atonement is needed for the "person," it covers all their parts. For a pregnant woman, the fetus is like an extension of her own being ("like her thigh," as the Rebbe puts it metaphorically) that is intrinsically part of the entity needing *kapparah*. * **Reinterpreting the Three Chickens:** So, when she takes an extra rooster "in case the fetus is male," it's not strictly an atonement *for the fetus*. Rather, the *possibility* of her giving birth to a male reveals that *her current state* (being pregnant with that potential) is such that *her own* complete atonement now requires the symbolic element represented by the rooster (male) in addition to the hen (female). Her reality has expanded. * **Applying the Refined Understanding:** This refined understanding fits the *kvatter/shushvina* custom perfectly. A pregnant woman isn't chosen, *not* because the fetus is literally a "third person" crashing the party, but because *she herself*, due to the pregnancy, is considered "more than one woman" in this context. Her status has changed, and she no longer fits the required "one woman" part of the "one man, one woman" pair. **Section G: Why Specifically a Man and a Woman for Kvatter?** * **A New Question:** Okay, we understand why a pregnant woman might disrupt the count. But *why* is the custom specifically for *kvatters* at a *bris* to be a *man and a woman* pair in the first place? * For *shushvinin* at a wedding, it makes intuitive sense: they correspond to the groom (*chatan*) and bride (*kallah*). The male escort supports the groom, the female escort supports the bride. * But what's the specific connection between a *man-woman pair* and the *mitzvah of bris milah*? * **Reminder:** Remember "Minhag Yisrael Torah Hi" – the custom must teach us something about the *essence* of *milah*. * **Explaining the Simple Role of Shushvinin:** First, the Rebbe revisits the basic function of wedding *shushvinin*. Marriage is a huge step, joining two people who were previously separate. It can involve shyness, adjustment, etc. The *shushvinin* act as "friends" or supporters (*re'im*) for the bride and groom. They offer encouragement, support, and help bridge the gap, easing the transition into intimacy and unity. It makes sense that a man (especially a married one who's "been there") can best support the groom, and a woman (especially married) can best support the bride. **Section H: The Spiritual Source - Heavenly Shushvinin** * **From Physical to Spiritual:** The Rebbe introduces a core Chassidic principle: Everything in the physical world below is a reflection of, and derives from, a spiritual reality above. * **The Ultimate Wedding:** The relationship between G-d and the Jewish people is often described as a marriage. The Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai (*Matan Torah*) is called the "wedding day." * **The Heavenly Escorts:** At this ultimate "wedding," there were also two "Shushvinin": 1. **Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses):** He was the *Shushvina d'Malka* – the "Escort of the King" (G-d, the Groom). His role was to draw G-dliness *down* from Above to the Jewish people below. 2. **Aharon HaKohen (Aaron):** He was the *Shushvina d'Matronisa* – the "Escort of the Matron/Queen" (the Jewish people, the Bride). His role was to elevate the Jewish people *up* from below, preparing them to unite with G-d. * **Why Were They Needed?** The Jewish soul descends from a very high spiritual place ("a high roof") into the deep concealment (*helem v'hester*) of the physical world ("a deep pit"). This creates a vast distance. When approaching G-d, there's a natural feeling of awe, even bashfulness (*busha v'yirah*), due to G-d's infinite greatness. The *Shushvinin* bridge this gap: * Aharon, representing the "female" aspect (receptive, devoted, "doing the will of her husband"), helps elevate the people (the "Bride"). * Moshe, representing the "male" aspect (influential, dominant, "he shall rule over you"), helps bring G-dliness (the "Groom") down. **Section I: Shushvinin and Joy (Simcha)** * **Connecting to Joy:** Why are *shushvinin* associated with the *simcha* (joy) of a wedding? * **Joy from Novelty:** Joy often arises from experiencing something *new*, a breakthrough. * **The Novelty of Marriage:** A wedding brings together a man and woman who were separate individuals since birth (even though, mystically, they are considered two halves of one soul – *palga gufa*). The *shushvinin* facilitate this union, bringing them together into a state of closeness and oneness. This creation of unity from separation causes tremendous joy. * **The Spiritual Parallel:** Similarly, the soul, having descended and become seemingly separate from its Divine source, reunites with G-d through the study of Torah and performance of *mitzvos* (commandments). This process also involves refining the physical world (*birur*) – finding and elevating the sparks of G-dliness hidden within mundane things. This reunification after separation, bridging the spiritual and physical, also generates immense spiritual joy. * **Matan Torah as the "Day of His Heart's Joy":** This explains why the Giving of the Torah is called "the day of His wedding and the day of His heart's joy." Before *Matan Torah*, a spiritual decree existed: "The upper realms shall not descend to the lower realms, and the lower realms shall not ascend to the upper realms." The "wedding" at Sinai *broke* this decree. It allowed G-d (Upper) to connect intimately with the Jewish people living in the physical world (Lower), and enabled the physical world itself to be elevated. This profound unification *is* the source of G-d's "heart's joy." **Section J: Applying it All Back to Bris Milah and Kvatter** * **Milah as the Embodiment of Union:** Now the Rebbe ties everything back to the *kvatters* at a *bris milah*. The *bris* represents the deepest, most essential, and *internalized* point of union between G-d and the Jewish people. * **"My Covenant in Your Flesh":** The *bris* fulfills the verse, "My covenant shall be *in your flesh* as an everlasting covenant" (Genesis 17:13). The covenant isn't just spiritual or intellectual; it's physically sealed onto the body. * **Milah Makes Matan Torah Tangible:** The breakthrough of *Matan Torah* – the merging of spiritual ("upper") and physical ("lower") – becomes visibly manifest through *bris milah*. G-dliness ("upper") descends and connects with the physical body ("lower"), and the physical body is elevated to the point of carrying G-d's covenant. This physical manifestation of the bond is more pronounced in *milah* than in other *mitzvos*, where the connection, while real (every *mitzvah* connects us, as the word *mitzvah* relates to *tzavsa*, meaning connection), isn't physically etched onto the person. * **Connection to the Alter Rebbe's Teaching:** This adds depth to a statement by the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Chassidus) in his Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), that the *mitzvah* of *milah* is the "initial entry point for this holy soul" (*nefesh hak'dosha*) into the body's experience. * **The Kvatter's Spiritual Role:** Therefore, just as the *shushvinin* (man and woman) at a wedding facilitate the union by representing the groom's side and the bride's side (spiritually, Moshe bringing G-dliness down and Aharon lifting Israel up), the *kvatters* (man and woman) at a *bris* serve a parallel function. They symbolize the two directions of the profound G-d/Israel union that *bris milah* embodies: * The male *kvatter* represents the "male" principle, the flow from Above (like Moshe, the *Shushvin d'Malka*). * The female *kvatterin* represents the "female" principle, the drawing upward from Below (like Aharon, the *Shushvin d'Matronisa*). * **The Punchline:** This explains *why* the custom insists on a *man and a woman* pair for *kvatters*. They mirror the essential spiritual dynamic – G-d reaching down, Israel reaching up – that culminates in the profound bond of *bris milah*. **Section K: Milah, Joy, and the Future Redemption** * **Why Bris Milah is So Joyous:** Based on the above, the Rebbe explains why *simcha* (joy) is such a central theme specifically connected to *bris milah* (even more emphasized than with other *mitzvos*, although *all* service of G-d should be joyous – "Serve Hashem with joy"). * He cites King David's verse, "I rejoice (*sass anochi*) over Your word," which the Sages (in the Talmud) famously interpret as referring primarily to the *mitzvah* of *milah*. People accepted this *mitzvah* with exceptional joy. * He also quotes the Talmudic reason for *milah* being on the 8th day: "Why did the Torah say circumcision on the eighth day? So that the father and mother should not be sad while everyone else is rejoicing." (This refers to the mother's ritual impurity after childbirth lasting seven days; by the eighth day, she can fully participate in the joy). The Rebbe notes this explanation connects directly to our Torah portion, which places the *milah* verse right after the laws of the seven-day impurity period. * **The Source of the Joy:** The intense joy comes from the *novelty* and *unification* explained earlier. Just like a wedding unites two separate people, *bris milah* achieves the ultimate, *internalized* union between G-d ("Groom") and the Jewish soul/body ("Bride"), physically manifesting the covenant: "My covenant *in your flesh*." This profound breakthrough naturally evokes immense joy. * **An Aside on Women:** The Rebbe briefly notes that for women, who are considered spiritually "as if circumcised" from birth (*k'man d'mahila damya*), this essential connection is established immediately at birth. * **Conclusion and Blessing for the Future:** The Rebbe concludes by linking the fulfillment of these two fundamental *mitzvos* – *Pru U'revu* (procreation, the goal of marriage between man and woman) and *Bris Milah* (the covenant sealed in the flesh) – to hastening the ultimate Redemption (*Geulah*). * In the Messianic Era, there will be the perfection of *milah* ("And Hashem, your G-d, will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring..." - Deut. 30:6) and the perfection of the "marriage" between G-d and Israel ("...for your Maker is your Husband..." - Isaiah 54:5). * At that time of ultimate union and joy, the ultimate *Shushvinin* – "Moshe and Aharon will be with us." **In Summary:** The Rebbe takes seemingly simple customs – the *kvatters* at a *bris*, the avoidance of a pregnant *kvatterin*, and the similar custom of *shushvinin* at a wedding – and reveals their deep interconnection and profound spiritual meaning. He shows how they all relate to the core concept of the union between G-d and the Jewish people, a union analogous to a marriage, which finds its preparatory expression at *Matan Torah* and its most intimate, physical actualization in *Bris Milah*. The man-woman pairing required for these roles mirrors the spiritual dynamic of G-d reaching down (male aspect, Moshe) and Israel reaching up (female aspect, Aharon). The reason a pregnant woman is excluded isn't superstition, but because her very being, encompassing the fetus, alters her status, making her "more than one woman" and thus not fitting the required "one woman" role in the symbolic pair representing this perfect union. This entire process of unification after separation is the source of immense joy, both at a wedding and, most profoundly, at a *bris milah*, ultimately pointing towards the perfect union and joy of the final Redemption.