Hayom Yom 17 Tishrei - Self sacrifice reveals the essence of the soul
The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman · Rabbi Yosef Katzman
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Show Notes
גַּם בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְצָהֳלָה
[In the last stanza of Lechah Dodi] we say gam besimchah u’vetzahalah.
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם, אֵשֶׁת חַיִל, מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד, דָּא הִיא סְעוּדָתָא, וְיִתֶּן לְךָ אוֹמְרִים בְּלַחַשׁ
The hymn beginning Shalom aleichem, the passage beginning Eishes chayil, the psalm Mizmor leDavid, and the pronouncement Da hi seudasa, are recited in a whisper. The same applies to VeYiten Lecha [on Motzaei Shabbos].
בְּמוּסַף - וּמִנְחָתָם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם אַחֲרֵי פְּסוּקֵי כָּל יוֹם וְיוֹם
In the Mussaf Service, the sentence beginning U’minchasam veniskeihem is recited after the verse that details each day’s sacrifices.
בְּשַׁבָּת אֵין אוֹמְרִים הוֹשַׁעֲנוֹת
On Shabbos, no Hoshanos hymn is recited.
עַל יְדֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה דְּנִסְיוֹנוֹת מִתְגַּלָּה בְּחִינַת יְחִידָה שֶׁבַּנֶּפֶשׁ
By serving G‑d in the face of challenges, the yechidah in the Divine soul becomes revealed.
כְּמַאֲמַר
An allusion to this may be perceived [through a mystical interpretation of the following phrases from the Hoshanos prayers]:
חֲבוּקָה וּדְבוּקָה בָּךְ — הִתְקַשְׁרוּת הַנְּשָׁמָה בֵּאלֹקוּת
Clinging and cleaving to You: This phrase speaks of the soul’s attachment to G‑dliness.
וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה — טוֹעֶנֶת עוּלָּךְ — בְּקִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת בִּמְסִירַת נֶפֶשׁ
As a result of this, the soul… bears Your yoke, by observing the Torah and its mitzvos with self-sacrifice.
הִנֵּה — יְחִידָה לְיַחֲדָךְ — שֶׁמִּתְגַּלָּה בְּחִינַת יְחִידָה שֶׁבַּנֶּפֶשׁ
Thereafter… the one [nation] affirms Your Oneness: The level of yechidah within the Divine soul is revealed.
דְּעַל יְדֵי הִתְגַּלּוּת זוֹ נֶהְפַּךְ יְחִידָה שֶׁבַּנֶּפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית לֵאלֹקוּת
This revelation transforms the yechidah of the animal soul into G‑dliness.
שֶׁהוּא עִנְיַן הַתּוֹקֶף בְּקִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת בְּחַיּוּת פְּנִימִי
This intensifies one’s observance of the Torah and its mitzvos with inner vitality,
וּבְהֶרְגֵּשׁ תַּעֲנוּג גָּדוֹל וַהֲנָאָה מְרוּבָּה בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה
and with a sense of great pleasure and satisfaction in one’s Divine service.
וּבְכָל עִנְיָנֵי הָעוֹלָם הֵן וְלַאו שָׁוִין אֶצְלוֹ בְּהַשְׁוָאָה אֲמִתִּית
[For such a person], success or failure in all worldly matters are equally inconsequential,
כִּי נִלְקַח מִמֶּנּוּ הַתַּעֲנוּג וְטוּב טַעַם שֶׁבָּעִנְיָנִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים
for he has lost all pleasure and enjoyment in material concerns.
Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English