The Rebbe's Rambam | Marking the completion of the entire set

Hilchos Melachim | Ch 12

mikln zekld

465

 change that will be brought on by the coming of Moshiach. 1. “ Yam ”: The sea is the place where water collects and pools together. When the verse states that the “earth” will become like the “sea,” it is referring to a shift in how the world is seen. When Moshiach comes, it will become clear that the earth isn’t an existence unto itself, rather it is really a “sea” — a place whose sole purpose is to collect water, a place created exclu sively for the Torah and its performance (which is compared to water). 2. Higher than the yam is the “waters” which cover the sea: The sea, notwithstanding its tremendous size, has fixed dimensions. Water, on the other hand, represents infinity. While the sea represents a world that recognizes that its true existence is the Torah, that recognition is dependant on G-d’s infinite Wisdom enclothing itself into specific laws and statutes which deal with the physical world. Like the sea itself, it is limited to a fixed space. The water that covers the sea is the unadulterated revelation of Hashem’s Wisdom and Desire, without the limitations imposed by the mundane world. 3. Higher still is the final word “ mechasim ”: Water, though unlimited, is still limited to a specific medium, water. “Covers” refers to a level beyond the water or the sea. Beyond Hashem’s Wisdom or Desire, this represents the part of Torah which reveals G-d’s very Essence, where “the Torah and Hashem are one.” 570 Through this revelation, the world becomes completely nullified, totally “covered” with G-dliness. Hadran 5751. Sefer Hasichos vol. 1 pg. 110 180. “Like the waters cover the seabed” A Kabbalisic interpretation: The Hebrew word for sea, yam, has the numerical value of 50. It represents the lofty shaar hanun, the “fiftieth gate of wisdom” which will be revealed throughout the world upon Moshiach’s arrival. Water, mayim, is in plural. This refers to the plurality of the physical universe, which is direct contrast to the oneness of G-d. This same plurality is expressed in the word mechasim, “covers.” In other words, the final words of the verse, kamayim layam mechasim, indicate that Moshiach’s arrival will reveal to us that the plurality of the entire physical

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Pardes Hamelech

world (“ mayim,” “ mechasim, ”) was a mere “ cover ” for the yam, the highest levels of G-dliness. Lech Lecha 5752. Sefer Hasichos pg. 82 181. “Like the waters cover the seabed” The Rambam concludes his work on the topic of unity — unity among people, and unity between the world and G-dliness. The culmination of the Halachah expresses not only unity with the Divine, but also complete bitul; the world will be subsumed by G-dliness, “Like the waters cover the seabed.” In the tradition of connecting the beginning of the work with the end, 571 the Rambam begins Mishneh Torah on the same topic: He says that “the foundation of all foundations and the pillar of wisdoms is to know that there exists a First Being,” the recognition that everything in the universe comes from the same source — Hashem Himself. Sefer Hasichos 5749 vol. 1 pg. 145 182. “Cover the seabed” The Rambam intended that the Mishneh Torah be learned directly following the study of the Written Torah, and that by completing the entire work, one will have studied the totality of the Oral Law. As the Rambam states in his introduction, “Therefore, I have called this text Mishneh Torah — a person should first study the Written Law, and then study this text and comprehend the entire Oral Law from it.” Therefore, we can suggest a connection between the Mishneh Torah and both the Chumash, i.e., the Written Torah, and the Talmud, i.e., the principle work of the Oral Torah; the beginning and conclusion of the Mishneh Torah correlates to parallel segments within the Chumash and Talmud. The Torah commences with the account of creation; it relates that Hashem created the world and describes how He carried it out. Similarly, the Rambam begins Mishneh Torah with a discussion regarding Hashem’s creation of the world. (The Mishneh Torah also ties its beginning with its end, by concluding with a descrip tion of the redemption and the nature of the world at the time of Moshiach, which is the culmination and fulfillment of the purpose of creation.) The Talmud opens with the Mishnah discussing the daily obligation to recite Shema. Commentaries explain

.570 æ"å÷ú .à ,ñ á"ç .à ,ãë à"ç øäæ äàøå .â"ëôø .ã"ô àéðúá àáåä øäæ .ãåòå .(à ,ãñ) á"ëú .(á ,àë) å"ú .571 õåòð" ,(úéùàøá ïúçì úåùøî çñåðë) "äîìùäì äìçúä ïéôéëúî" øù÷ì äæ ïéðò íöò íâù ,øéòäì .(æ"î à"ô äøéöé øôñ) "'åë ïúìçúá ïôåñ

ãòå ,úå÷ìçúä êåúî à÷åã äàáä úåãçàä ìò äøåî äìçúää íò íåéñä ,äæ øôñá ãåîéì ìë íãå÷ øôñä úìçúä :äö÷ä ìà äö÷ä ïî úå÷ìçúäì .åìåë øôñä ìëá äòéãéäå ãåîéìä éøçàì ¯ øôñä íåéñå