ChaBaD

29 Adar II 5782

“This contraction (which ChaBaD of Atzilut undergo in order to radiate in Beriah) thus causes the souls in the World of Beriah to be illuminated by a glow of ChaBaD of the Ein Sof (i.e., ChaBaD of Atzilut)” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 39)

The contracted light that shines forth from Atzilut, specifically, is the reward of the souls whose abode is the level of Beriah. Why? Because they toiled in understanding G‑d and his Torah they deserve to fully receive His illumination, that of the Ein Sof. However, they can only receive it up to a point where they still retain their existence without becoming nullified and reverting to G‑dliness itself.

“If a man loses the hair on (the back of) his head, his bald patch, he is ritually pure.” (Vayikra 13:40)

There is a beautiful dispute between Rashi and Ramban on the meaning of this verse: Rashi holds that this verse comes to teach us that a person with a bald patch is exempt from the impurity of nesek (that which is found in an area where hair usually grows) there. He also learns from this verse that the area reverts to the status of normal flesh, and as such, it is susceptible to the same signs of tzara’as as normal skin. Ramban holds that nesek, in general, is a combination of a) hair falling out in an area and b) golden hair growing in its place. He uses this verse to teach that regular baldness, over a larger area, cannot be seen as step a) in the above process, and as such golden hair that grows there does not constitute nesek.

Rashi thus reads our verse as follows, “If a man loses the hair on (the back of) his head and then develops a tzara’as lesion there his bald patch reverts to the status of normal, exposed skin. So if he develops a nesek there, with golden hair he is ritually impure.” Ramban reads the verse as, “If a man loses the hair on (the back of) his head it is not a sign of tzar’as, but merely his natural bald patch. Therefore he is ritually pure.” (Italics added)

“Let them praise the Name of the Lord, for His Name is sublime, to Himself; its radiance [alone] is upon earth and heaven.” (Tehillim 148:13)

When we understand the beauty of the above dispute, we have already earned ourselves a small portion in Beriah, the heaven of binah (understanding). There the radiance of His light shines forth in a contracted degree so as to ensure the souls have the maximum enjoyment possible from their toil in this world.