Hayom Yom 14 Tammuz - Why don’t the people living in America fall off?
The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman · Rabbi Yosef Katzman
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Show Notes
זֶה לְשׁוֹן הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק בְּאֶחָד מִדְּרוּשָׁיו
The following are the words of Tzemach Tzedek in one of his maamarim:
רַבֵּנוּ ז"ל בְּאִמְרוֹתָיו לְבָנָיו יוֹם ג' פָּרָשַׁת בָּלָק שְׁנַת תּקס"ב אָמַר וְזֶה דְּבָרָיו
The [Alter] Rebbe, when speaking with his sons on the Tuesday of Parshas Balak, 5562 (1802), said the following:
לְהָבִין קוּשְׁיַת הַתּוֹכְנִים
“The astronomers ask,
מֵאַחַר שֶׁהָאָרֶץ הִיא כַּדּוּרִית וַעֲגוּלָה כְּתַפּוּחַ
that since the earth is spherical like an apple,
לָמָה אֵינָם נוֹפְלִים אוֹתָם בְּנֵי אָדָם הַדָּרִים כְּנֶגְדֵנוּ מִלְמַטָּה בְּאַמעֶרִיקאָ
why don’t the people living opposite us — down below, in America — fall off?...
וְתֵּרוּצָם אֵינוֹ אֱמֶת
Their resolution is incorrect….”
וְרַבֵּנוּ ז"ל אָמַר כִּי הַתֵּרוּץ הוּא
The [Alter] Rebbe stated that the solution is [as follows]:
דְּהִנֵּה מְבוּאָר בְּעֵץ חַיִּים שֶׁהַתִּשְׁעָה גַּלְגַלִים מְקַבְּלִים מִבְּחִינַת עִגּוּלִים
“It is explained in Etz Chayim that the nine heavenly orbs receive [their vitality] from the [spiritual rung] described as iggulim, “spheres.”
וּבְהָעִגּוּל אֵין בּוֹ מַעְלָה וּמַטָּה
Now, a sphere has neither top nor bottom.
וּמֵהַאי טַעְמָא הִנֵּה אוֹתָם בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁהֵם כְּנֶגְדֵנוּ לְמַטָּה
Thus the people who are opposite us, down below,
הֲרֵי הָרָקִיעַ שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם הוּא לְמַעְלָה בְּהַשְׁוָאָה אַחַת עִם הָרָקִיעַ שֶׁעָלֵינוּ
the sky above them, is above exactly as the sky here is above us.
וְהָאָרֶץ דְּשָׁם הִיא מַטָּה לְגַבֵּי הָרָקִיעַ שֶׁעָלֶיהָ
And the earth there is below, relative to the sky that is above it.”
Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English
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