Parshat VaYakhel/Pekudey - The 11 Drapes of Izim (Goat-skin)

 BH

The Coverings of the Mishkan

In this Parshah the Torah again describes the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Rashi himself notes that the details of the Mishkan were already explained earlier in Parshat Terumah and Tetzaveh, and therefore much of his commentary in Vayakhel refers back to those earlier explanations. For this reason, in examining the Mishkan’s coverings we will draw on Rashi’s commentary from Parshat Terumah as well.

The Mishkan itself had several layers of coverings. The first covering was known as the Mishkan itself—ten beautiful curtains woven from fine fabrics dyed with techelet, argaman, and crimson wool. These curtains were crafted with intricate designs and joined together in two groups of five. Each group was connected through loops and clasps so that the ten curtains formed a single covering.

This magnificent covering lay directly above the interior of the Mishkan, forming the ceiling above the Kodesh and the Kodesh HaKodashim. Beneath it stood the Ark in the Holy of Holies, and in the outer sanctuary were the Menorah, the Shulchan with the showbread, and the incense altar. Because this covering formed the immediate roof over the sanctuary, the Torah refers to it simply as the Mishkan—the dwelling place of Hashem.

The ten curtains themselves carry symbolic meaning. The commentators explain that the division into five and five corresponds to the two Tablets of the Covenant—the shtei luchot habrit—with five commandments on each tablet. The joining point of the two sets of five curtains was positioned precisely above the parochet, the curtain that separated the Kodesh from the Kodesh HaKodashim. Even in the covering above, there was a corresponding division reflecting the separation within the Mishkan itself.

The Eleven Drapes of Goat Hair

Above this first covering was a second covering known as the yeriot izim, the drapes made from goat hair. These drapes were slightly longer than the inner curtains so that they fully covered and protected the beautiful fabric below. Unlike the colorful inner covering, this upper covering was made from goat hair threads that had been braided in a remarkable way.

Rashi explains that skilled women braided the goat hair while it was still attached to the goats. Only afterward were the skins removed and the materials prepared for weaving. The Midrash records differing opinions about whether these coverings were fashioned as one large piece or assembled from multiple sections, but in any case the Torah describes them as consisting of eleven drapes.

Here the arrangement differed from the inner covering. Instead of five and five, there were two sections—one of six drapes and one of five. These were again joined together with loops and clasps positioned exactly above the parochet, just like the covering beneath them.

The obvious question is: why eleven? The inner covering had ten curtains, but this upper covering included an additional strip. What purpose did the extra curtain serve?

The Folded Curtain at the Entrance

Rashi addresses this question in his commentary to Parshat Terumah. The Torah states that the sixth curtain—the additional one—was positioned toward the entrance of the Mishkan. Half of it was folded over the entrance of the Ohel Moed, the Tent of Meeting, while the other half hung downward.

In other words, this extra curtain was deliberately doubled over the eastern entrance of the Mishkan. Rashi explains that this folding resembled the modest covering worn by a bride. Just as a kallah covers herself modestly, the Mishkan too had a kind of covering at its entrance.

This comparison raises a deeper question. Why does the Torah associate this curtain with the modesty of a bride? What is the meaning behind the distinction between the ten inner curtains and the eleven outer ones?

Ten and Eleven

To understand this symbolism, we must examine the significance of the numbers ten and eleven.

The inner covering of ten curtains represents holiness. In many areas of Torah, the number ten symbolizes completeness in holiness. We see this in the Ten Commandments, the ten sefirot, and even the quorum of ten required for a minyan. The number ten expresses a full structure of sanctity.

The outer covering, however, consisted of eleven curtains. Rav Noson, in Likutey Halachot, drawing upon teachings from Kabbalah, explains that these eleven curtains correspond to another group of eleven that appears in the Mishkan service: the eleven spices of the Ketoret, the sacred incense.

Both the incense and the goat-hair drapes share a similar role. Their purpose is to confront the forces of impurity and prevent them from drawing nourishment from holiness.

Protecting the Mishkan from the Outside

This function becomes clearer when we consider the environment in which the Mishkan stood. The Jewish people were traveling through the wilderness—a place associated in Torah with spiritual danger. The desert is described as a domain of snakes and scorpions, a barren region where holiness appears absent and forces of impurity dominate.

Because the Mishkan radiated immense holiness, it required protection from these outside influences. The inner coverings sheltered the sanctity within, but the outer layer—the yeriot izim—faced the outside world.

The word izim, goats, is related to the root azut, which can mean brazenness or boldness. There is azut d’kedushah, boldness in holiness, and there is negative brazenness as well. In this context the goat-hair coverings represent a form of spiritual boldness that stands guard against the forces of impurity surrounding the Mishkan.

Eleven and the Forces of Impurity

Kabbalistic sources explain that evil also mirrors the structure of holiness. Just as holiness is structured through ten levels, the forces of impurity have their own distorted parallel known as the asarah kitrin d’mesavuta, the ten crowns of impurity.

How, then, do those forces draw nourishment from holiness? Through an eleventh channel.

The number eleven represents a gateway through which impurity attempts to draw energy from holiness. This concept appears elsewhere in Torah as well. For example, the descendants of Esav were organized into eleven chiefs—the alufim of Esav. The number eleven thus became associated with the structure of impurity.

To counter this, the Mishkan employed its own structure of eleven. The eleven drapes of goat hair and the eleven spices of the Ketoret served to confront that negative force and prevent it from drawing sustenance from holiness.

The Eleven Spices of the Ketoret

The Ketoret itself contained eleven spices. Ten of them were fragrant and pleasant, but the eleventh—chelbenah, galbanum—had a foul smell. Yet when the eleven were blended together, even the unpleasant scent became part of the sacred incense.

The sages explain that this mixture possessed extraordinary spiritual power. Through the eleven spices the incense could penetrate the domain of impurity, extract holiness trapped there, and elevate it back to its proper place.

The Zohar describes this process through a vivid metaphor. The Ketoret is like a chain lowered into the depths of impurity. Once it reaches the trapped sparks of holiness, it gathers them and pulls them upward again. The Aramaic word katar, from which Ketoret derives, itself carries the meaning of connection or binding together—like links of a chain.

In the same way, the eleven drapes of goat hair functioned as a protective barrier around the Mishkan. Facing the outside world, they guarded the sanctuary from the negative forces of the wilderness while simultaneously enabling holiness to reclaim what had fallen into impurity.

Together, the coverings of ten and eleven reveal a profound spiritual structure: the inner perfection of holiness and the outer system designed to confront and overcome the forces that oppose it.

Through the power of the Ketoret, holiness continually reclaims what has been taken from it

The Inner Ten Curtains — The Essence of Holiness

If the outer covering consisted of eleven drapes, what about the lower covering—the one actually called the Mishkan? There we find the number ten. The Mishkan itself was covered by ten curtains, and these ten represent the essence of holiness.

Unlike the outer covering, these ten curtains were completely hidden. From the outside, no one could see them at all. The only covering visible to someone standing outside the Mishkan was the layer of the yeriot izim. The ten inner curtains remained concealed within.

The commentators explain that this hidden layer corresponds to a deeper level of holiness—the very essence of holiness itself. In spiritual terms, this refers to the essence of the Jewish soul. There are situations in which holiness becomes trapped through ordinary misdeeds, where sparks of holiness fall into the domain of impurity and must later be elevated. But there is a deeper and more serious form of damage connected to pegam habrit, blemishes in sexual purity.

In such cases, the damage does not merely affect external sparks of holiness. Rather, it involves the very essence of the soul. Just as misused seed results in spiritual energy becoming trapped in the domain of evil, the holiness contained within that energy must eventually be rescued before it becomes absorbed into impurity. This is why transgressions in this area are considered especially severe: they affect the root of holiness itself.

The Limits of the Ketoret

Rabbi Yonatan Eibeschutz discusses this concept in connection with an episode later in the Torah. When Korach and his followers caused strife among the Jewish people, a deadly plague broke out. Moshe Rabbeinu instructed Aharon to quickly bring the Ketoret, the incense, and stand between the living and the dead. The Torah relates that Aharon did so and the plague stopped immediately.

The Ketoret possesses the power to repair damage caused by conflict and wrongdoing among Jews. Through its eleven ingredients it can penetrate the domain of impurity, extract trapped sparks of holiness, and restore balance.

However, Rabbi Yonatan Eibeschutz explains that this power has limits. When the tribe of Shimon later fell into immorality through the actions of Zimri ben Salu and Kozbi, the Ketoret was not used to stop the situation. Instead, Pinchas had to intervene directly.

Why was the Ketoret not sufficient in that case? Because the Ketoret functions like a chain that connects holiness to the fallen sparks. As long as the chain remains intact, the incense can reach downward and retrieve what has fallen. But when the damage reaches the deepest level—when the very root of holiness is affected—the chain is considered broken. At that point the Ketoret alone cannot repair the damage.

A deeper force is required.

The Ten Types of Melody

This deeper force corresponds to the number ten—the hidden layer of the Mishkan. Rebbe Nachman, drawing from the Zohar, teaches that the root of holiness is expressed through the asarah minei neginah, the ten types of melody. These correspond to the ten utterances through which the world was created and to the ten sefirot that structure the flow of Divine energy.

King David expressed these ten types of melody through the Psalms. Rebbe Nachman revealed that ten specific Psalms correspond to these ten spiritual melodies, forming the basis of the Tikkun HaKlali. These melodies reach the deepest level of the soul and have the power to rectify even the most profound spiritual damage.

For this reason, the ten inner curtains of the Mishkan were concealed and protected. They represent a level of holiness that must remain guarded, accessed only when absolutely necessary.

The Protective Role of the Eleven Drapes

With this understanding we can see the relationship between the two coverings of the Mishkan. The eleven outer drapes—the yeriot izim—serve as a protective barrier. Their role parallels that of the Ketoret, which confronts impurity directly and prevents holiness from falling deeper into its grasp.

When the protection provided by the Ketoret is functioning properly, the deeper level represented by the ten types of melody does not need to be activated. The outer layer guards the inner sanctity.

This idea is hinted to in the verse from Mishlei: Oz vehadar levushah vatischak leyom acharon—“Strength and splendor are her garment, and she laughs at the final day.” The word oz, strength, alludes to the boldness associated with the goat-hair coverings. These coverings function like a protective garment, shielding the deeper sanctity within.

Rashi compared the folded curtain of goat-hair at the entrance of the Mishkan to the modest covering worn by a bride. Just as a bride protects her beauty through modesty, the Mishkan’s inner holiness was protected by the outer covering.

Simcha as Protection

Rebbe Nachman and Reb Noson explain that the Ketoret is deeply connected to simcha, joy. When joy is present, holiness flourishes. Joy strengthens a person spiritually and protects him from falling into destructive behavior.

For this reason we recite the section of Ketoret in our daily prayers. The spiritual force associated with the incense continues to function, drawing holiness upward and restoring joy even when negativity attempts to overwhelm us.

The eleven drapes of goat hair therefore symbolize the protective power of simcha. They guard the deeper holiness represented by the ten inner curtains, preventing a person from falling to the point where the deeper remedy would be required.

The Mishkan and the Tzaddikim

Rebbe Nachman teaches in Likutey Moharan (Lesson 70) that the tzaddikim themselves are called a Mishkan. The word Mishkan is related to moshech, the power of drawing. The tzaddik has the ability to draw the Divine Presence into the world and to draw souls back to Hashem.

The ten inner curtains correspond to this deeper power of the tzaddikim—the ability to rescue souls that have fallen far from holiness. Surrounding them are the eleven drapes, which correspond to the disciples and followers who work to maintain joy and holiness among the people.

Rebbe Nachman notes that the number eleven is associated with Yosef HaTzaddik, the eleventh son of Yaakov Avinu. From Yosef descended Yehoshua bin Nun, the faithful disciple of Moshe Rabbeinu. In this way the number eleven represents the students and followers who support and protect the work of the tzaddikim.

Their task is to strengthen joy among the Jewish people, constantly extracting holiness from the forces that oppose it. By doing so they protect the deeper sanctity represented by the tzaddikim themselves.

The Final Victory of Simcha

The verse declares that “she laughs at the final day.” Evil may appear to mock and attack holiness throughout history, claiming victory over the Jewish people. But in the end, holiness has the final laugh.

Through the power of the Ketoret, holiness continually reclaims what has been taken from it. Sparks of holiness trapped within impurity are brought back to their rightful place, restoring joy to Am Yisrael.

Thus the eleven drapes of goat hair symbolize the protective force of simcha, while the ten inner curtains represent the deepest power of holiness that restores and redeems.

These ideas are profound, but they teach us something practical as well: by strengthening simcha and holiness in our lives, we participate in this process of restoring the sparks and protecting the sanctity of the Jewish soul.

May we merit to internalize these teachings and live them in our own lives.

Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov.

Meir Elkabas

This article also appears on the BRI breslov.org website: https://breslov.org/the-11-drapes-of-izim/ 

For a video presentation of this article: https://youtu.be/8WDZJF_PFWg

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Parshat Ki Tissa - The Light of the 2 Crowns

BH

 From the Joy of Purim to the Golden Calf

At first glance the Parshah seems to move in the opposite direction. Right after the great joy and miracle of Purim, we encounter the story of the Golden Calf. It appears as if we are moving backwards—from redemption to collapse. How can it be that after such a powerful revelation of salvation we read about the Jewish people falling to one of the lowest levels imaginable?

Yet in truth, the episode of the Golden Calf brought about the revelation of a higher level of compassion. As a result of that sin, Hashem revealed to Moshe Rabbeinu the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. This revelation represents a deeper level of Divine compassion that had not previously been revealed. In that sense, the miracle of Purim and the events of Parshat Ki Tissa are closely connected. Both emerge from a hidden level of redemption and compassion that becomes revealed specifically through crisis.

To understand this more deeply, we must examine several details in the Parshah—how Moshe Rabbeinu spoke with Hashem in order to calm the Divine anger, what Hashem said in response, and what spiritual damage was caused by the Golden Calf.

Moshe Rabbeinu’s Argument

After the sin, Moshe Rabbeinu pleaded with Hashem not to destroy the Jewish people. He presented a powerful argument: if Hashem would forgive the people, then all would be well. But if not—“v’im ayin, mecheini na misifrecha”—then blot me out from Your book. Moshe declared that he did not want to become the founder of a new nation if the current people would be destroyed.

Moshe explained his reasoning with a striking analogy. If a table with three legs cannot stand, how could a table with only one leg stand? The Jewish people stood upon the merit of the three forefathers—Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. If their descendants could not endure even with the merit of those three pillars, how could Moshe expect his own descendants alone to succeed? Through this argument Moshe Rabbeinu succeeded in persuading Hashem not to destroy the Jewish people entirely.

Nevertheless, the situation was still extremely serious. Hashem declared that those who sinned would still be punished. In addition, He announced that His Divine Presence would no longer accompany the Jewish people in the same way.

The Removal of the Divine Presence

In chapter 33 the Torah describes Hashem telling Moshe that His Presence – the Shekhinah – would no longer travel directly among the Jewish people. Instead, He would send an angel to accompany them. Paradoxically, this was actually for their benefit. The holiness of the Divine Presence is so intense that even a slight blemish among the people could provoke severe judgment. If the people were not able to maintain the necessary level of holiness, that closeness itself could bring destruction. Therefore Hashem said He would send an angel instead.

When the Jewish people heard this announcement, they mourned deeply. The verse says that no man placed his edyo—his crown—upon his head. What crown is this referring to? The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat teaches that when the Jewish people declared at Mount Sinai, “Naaseh v’Nishma”—“We will do and we will listen”—six hundred thousand angels descended and placed two crowns upon every Jew: one crown for “Naaseh” and one crown for “Nishma.”

Yet the verse describing their mourning mentions only a single crown. The people did not place “the crown” upon their heads. Immediately afterward, Hashem tells Moshe to instruct the people to remove the crown from their heads. Then the next verse states that the Jewish people removed their crowns—now in the plural. The commentaries ask the obvious question: if they had already removed the crown, why does Hashem command them to remove it again?

The Two Crowns of Naaseh and Nishma

The Midrash and the commentators explain that every Jew received two crowns—one for Naaseh and one for Nishma. The crown of Naaseh represents action, the commitment to perform Hashem’s commandments. The crown of Nishma represents something deeper—the inner desire and yearning to fulfill Hashem’s will.

Because of the sin of the Golden Calf, the crown of Naaseh was already blemished. The Jewish people themselves removed that crown. But Hashem then instructed them to remove the second crown as well. Even the crown of Nishma, the crown of desire, had to be taken away. This is why the verses first mention the crown in the singular and then in the plural: first the crown they removed themselves, and then the second crown that Hashem required them to remove.

Reb Noson explains that the crown of Nishma represents the deeper level of ratzon, the yearning to serve Hashem even when one is unable to act. Action is one level, but desire is far deeper. The tragedy of the Golden Calf was not only a failure of action—it was also a failure of inner desire.

The Meaning of the Crown — The Keter

Reb Noson explains that these crowns correspond to the concept of Keter, the “crown” described in Kabbalah. The Keter represents the gateway through which a person receives and perceives the Infinite Light of Hashem. That light is constantly flowing, sending vitality and abundance—chiyut v’shefa—to every person.

Yet the Keter functions in a surprising way. According to Likutey Moharan lesson 24, the Keter actually pushes a person back. When someone advances toward spiritual light, he experiences setbacks and obstacles. This pushback is not a punishment; it is part of the mechanism through which the Infinite Light enters his life.

The Zohar describes this dynamic as “reaching and not reaching.” A person moves forward and then is pushed back. He advances and then retreats. Through this process he develops the vessels necessary to receive greater light. Without setbacks, a person cannot grow. If someone imagines that spiritual life consists only of continuous advancement without difficulties, he fundamentally misunderstands how spiritual growth works.

Rebbe Nachman teaches in Sichot HaRan that if a person cannot accept setbacks with faith and patience, he can never advance. The ability to endure those setbacks is precisely what allows the Infinite Light to enter.

The Two Levels of Keter

The two crowns correspond to two aspects of the Keter. The crown of Naaseh represents the Keter associated with action—when a person is actively doing mitzvot and advancing spiritually. The crown of Nishma represents the deeper level—the Keter associated with desire. When a person cannot act, when he experiences setbacks or obstacles, his yearning to come close to Hashem grows stronger.

Rebbe Nachman explains that desire becomes stronger precisely when something is withheld. When a person is prevented from attaining something, his longing intensifies. Thus the setbacks themselves create the deeper crown—the crown of desire.

Both crowns together enable a person to receive the Infinite Light.

The Despair of the Golden Calf

The tragedy of the Golden Calf was that the Jewish people fell into despair. Satan deliberately created confusion while Moshe Rabbeinu was on Mount Sinai. Through deception, he caused the people to miscalculate the time of Moshe’s return and even showed them an illusion of Moshe’s body suspended in the air, as if Moshe had died.

Under that pressure the people panicked. The Erev Rav, the mixed multitude, urged them to create a new leader. Hur attempted to stop them and was killed. Aharon tried to delay the process as much as possible, hoping Moshe would return before the situation spiraled further. Nevertheless, the pressure and confusion led many people to participate in creating the Golden Calf.

This represents a failure of patience. When a person faces pressure and uncertainty, he may make impulsive decisions rather than waiting with faith. Instead of enduring the setback and trusting that Moshe would return, the people rushed to create their own solution.

That despair blemished the crowns. The Keter is meant to function through setbacks: a person falls, but then he rises again. When someone experiences a setback and still cries out, “Hashem, I want to come close to You,” that desire itself draws the Infinite Light. But when a person falls and declares that everything is finished—that is the opposite of the Keter.

Those who maintain their desire will eventually rise again. But those who surrender to despair fall completely. That is what happened with the Golden Calf. Under pressure and confusion, many people abandoned patience and hope, and in doing so they lost the crowns that once connected them to the Infinite Light.

Because we failed to use the crowns properly—and in the absence of the Beit HaMikdash—their light must now be accessed through the true Tzaddikim

The Keter and the Settling of the Mind

Rebbe Nachman explains that the Keter also serves another purpose: it settles and organizes the mind. When a person is advancing and absorbing spiritual light, the experience can become overwhelming. The influx of light comes so quickly that the mind has no opportunity to absorb and integrate it.

Therefore the Keter introduces a pushback. The brakes are applied, so to speak, and the person is pushed away temporarily. This pause allows the mind to settle and become organized. Only then can the person properly receive and contain the light that he is being given.

In the episode of the Golden Calf, however, the Jewish people blemished both aspects of the Keter. They damaged the crown of Naaseh through their actions in creating the Golden Calf. But they also blemished the crown of Nishma, the crown of desire. When they concluded that Moshe Rabbeinu was gone and declared, “This is your god, Israel,” they demonstrated that they had lost patience with the process entirely.

Such a reaction occurs when a person cannot tolerate a setback. Instead of enduring the pushback and waiting for clarity, he panics and searches for an immediate replacement. The Keter, which requires patience and trust, becomes impossible to sustain.

For this reason Hashem commanded that the crowns be removed. The system of Keter was no longer functioning properly among the people. In truth, this removal was not a punishment but a necessary adjustment, because the people were not yet capable of using the crowns correctly.

The Tent Outside the Camp

If the crowns were removed, however, a difficult question arises. Without access to the Keter, how could an ordinary Jew continue to advance spiritually?

The answer appears immediately in the next verse. After the crowns were removed, the Torah states: “U’Moshe yikach et ha’ohel”—Moshe Rabbeinu took his tent and placed it outside the camp, far from the encampment of the Jewish people. He called it the Ohel Moed, the Tent of Meeting.

The Torah then explains that anyone who sought Hashem—“v’haya kol mevakesh Hashem”—would go out to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.

This movement outward carried deep significance. A person who truly wished to seek Hashem had to leave the familiar environment of the camp and travel outward to Moshe Rabbeinu. That journey itself demonstrated how much he desired to connect to Hashem.

The Light Given to Moshe Rabbeinu

The Zohar teaches that the word ohel—tent—can also refer to a halo or surrounding light. The verse in Iyov says, “b’hilo nero alei roshi,” describing a light shining above one’s head. The Zohar connects this idea with the crowns that were removed from the Jewish people.

The light of those crowns did not disappear entirely. Instead, it was transferred to Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe received the spiritual light that had once been distributed among the entire nation.

From that point onward, anyone who wished to access the Infinite Light could no longer do so independently. The crowns of Naaseh and Nishma had been blemished. Therefore the only path was through Moshe Rabbeinu.

Anyone seeking the Divine Presence had to approach Moshe’s Tent of Meeting. There, the Shechinah rested with Moshe Rabbeinu, and through him the Jewish people could once again access the light that had previously been available to them through the crowns.

This arrangement remained in place until the Mishkan was erected on Rosh Chodesh Nisan. Once the Mishkan was established, the Divine Presence rested there, and the various vessels of the Mishkan—the Aron, the Menorah, the Showbread, and the altar of Ketoret—became channels through which the Jewish people could once again receive spiritual light.

Leaving the Comfort Zone to Seek the Tzaddik

There is an important message here for every generation. When a person pushes himself too aggressively in spiritual growth and cannot tolerate the inevitable setbacks, he may lose his connection to the Keter. When he insists that things must happen immediately, according to his expectations, he loses the patience required to allow the mind to settle.

At that point the only path forward is through the Tzaddikim—the spiritual leaders who possess access to the light of the crowns.

Yet even this path contains a test. Moshe Rabbeinu’s tent was deliberately placed outside the camp. Anyone seeking Hashem had to leave the familiar surroundings of the community and travel outward in order to find the source of light.

This pattern appears again in the story of Purim.

The Example of Mordechai

At the end of Megillat Esther we read that Mordechai became second to King Achashverosh and that his influence spread throughout the entire empire. The nations feared the Jews because of the miraculous reversal of events—v’nahafoch hu—in which the Jewish people, who had been destined for destruction, were instead empowered to defeat their enemies.

Yet the Megillah concludes with a surprising detail: Mordechai was accepted by the majority of his brethren, but not by all of them. Some members of the Sanhedrin distanced themselves from him.

Rashi explains that since Mordechai became involved with the government, he was able to devote less time to Torah study. Because of this, some scholars questioned his role.

This situation reveals the same pattern we saw with Moshe Rabbeinu. The Tzaddik who holds the light is not always fully accepted by the establishment. Sometimes his position appears unusual or controversial. This creates a test for those who are truly seeking Hashem.

The Test of the Mevakesh Hashem

A person who is genuinely a mevakesh Hashem, someone seeking Hashem, must sometimes step beyond the familiar structures of religious life. This does not mean abandoning Torah or Halacha. Rather, it means being willing to search for the deeper truth, even when it lies outside the comfortable framework of convention.

The Torah hints to this idea through Moshe Rabbeinu’s tent outside the camp and through the partial acceptance of Mordechai among his peers.

Throughout history, those who have sought the deepest spiritual light have often faced opposition or misunderstanding. This pattern is well known in the history of the Breslov movement itself. From its earliest days there were debates, opposition, and doubts about following Rebbe Nachman. Yet such opposition is part of the test faced by anyone who sincerely seeks Hashem.

The question becomes: are we willing to leave the comfort of the status quo in order to pursue truth?

Restoring the Crowns

Because the Jewish people once failed to use the crowns properly, the light of those crowns must now be accessed through the Tzaddikim of every generation. In the absence of the Beit HaMikdash, the spiritual light that once radiated from the Temple is found through the true Tzaddikim who guide the generation.

This situation continues until the coming of Mashiach. At that time the crowns will be restored to the Jewish people. The Gemara in Shabbat teaches that the ornaments that were removed—the two crowns of Naaseh and Nishma—will once again return.

The verse promises: “v’simchat olam al rosham”—an eternal joy will rest upon their heads. The crowns that once rested upon the heads of the Jewish people will return, restoring the full light of Divine connection.

May we merit to find the true Tzaddikim who illuminate our path with the light of Naaseh and Nishma, and may we soon witness the restoration of those crowns with the coming of Mashiach.

Shabbat Shalom, and may we merit the purification of the Parah Adumah as preparation for Pesach, b’ezrat Hashem.

Meir Elkabas

This article also appears on the BRI breslov.org website: https://breslov.org/the-light-of-the-crowns-2/ 

For a video presentation of this article: https://youtu.be/3yuA7_TXjVc

This class is based on Likutey Moharan lesson 24. 

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