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Vol 32.11 - Iyar                                            Spanish French Audio  Video

Hebrew Text:

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Summary:
Iyar is the acronym: "I am G-d who heals you" -

The innovation in the segulah (protection) of healing of the month of Iyar and the connection of this month since it is second month (from Nisan);

The example of healing the soul

 

Translation:

1. It states in Sefarim that Iyar (אייר) is the acronym:

"I am the L-rd Who heals you" (אני ה׳ רופאך). (The two Yud's represent G-d's name)

This means that this month is meritorious for healing (מסוגל לענין הרפואה).

In the matter of healing itself, there are several manners. And here it is emphasized that the healing of “Iyar” is related to “I am the L-rd Who heals you" - specifically G-d’s healing. For the novelty of this healing is explicitly stated in the verse, namely that:

             "All the sicknesses that I have visited upon Egypt I will not visit upon you, for I, the L-rd, heal you"

In other words that G-d prevents the sickness from coming to the person, at the very onset.

(This is in accordance with Ramban who states that if a person is properly cautious in his eating etc., according to the conduct that is explained in his Hilchot De’ot, then: “I guarantee that he will not become ill all his life" (אני ערב לו שאינו בא לידי חולי כל ימיו)).

And one could add that the innovation of G-d’s healing is not just that it prevents illness, but that even when the person’s conduct causes illness to come upon him, the healing that comes from “I am the L-rd Who heals you" is in a completely different way than healing that comes from a mortal doctor

(Even though that even physician’s healing comes from G-d who gave "permission (and power) to the doctor to heal").

The healing of mortal physician helps (in general) only "from now and in the future” (מכאן ולהבא),

(As is explained in the Talmud regarding the difference between nullifying vows by a Sage who "uproots the vow from its source" versus the healing of a wound by a doctor "who only heals from now and the future"),

 Whereas the healing of the Holy One, blessed be He,

(Since its manner is "I will not visit (at the very onset) upon you”),

uproots the sickness as if it had never existed at all.

Moreover, it is explained in Tzafnat Paneach that even regarding healing from a mortal there are:

“Two types of healing: one that is from now and in the future; and one that is retroactive"

Nevertheless there is an innovation in G-d's healing even regarding the healing that is "retroactive". For the reason that there can be healing (through a mortal) that is in a manner that it effects “retroactively” is only because "healing is only to clarify” (שהרפואה היא רק לברר).

This means that through the healing it becomes clarified that there was no wound, from the very onset. However, if he did have a wound, then it is impossible for a mortal to uproot the wound “retroactively”.

However G-d’s healing is in a manner of “I am the L-rd Who heals you”. For since its manner is that of “I will not visit upon you”, therefore even when the person has already contracted the illness, the healing uproots it, as if it was never placed upon the person, from the very onset.

And since "Iyar" is the acronym of: “I am the L-rd Who heals you”, it is understood that the segulah of this month, in the matter of healing, is in a manner of “I am the L-rd Who heals you”, who uproots the entire aspect of the illness from it root.

2. This can be understood by prefacing the reason that in the five books of the Torah, the months are called by their numerical order (במספרם הסדורי),

(The month of Nisan is called the first month; the month of Iyar, the second month etc.) –

and the Torah did not specify a name for each month.

One could say that one of the reasons is that, with this, it hints, that besides the unique property of each individual month (as is explained in many sefarim) – the twelve months of the year are (also) one entity and continuation (מציאות והמשך אחד).

Therefore the months are called by their numerical order, which emphasizes that all the months, contain one context.

(For plainly, when we say “second”, it emphasizes that it comes in continuation to the first etc.)

From this it is understood that the aspect of each month is (also) a preparation and preface to the aspect of the month that follows (and is the continuation of it).

(and one could say that this is the (inner) reason that Shabbat Mevarchim (שבת מברכים - the Blessing of the New Month) is always – even when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat – (the last Shabbat of) previous month. This shows that the “blessing” (ברכה) and wherewithal to perform the Avodah of the coming month, comes from the previous month).

According to this one can say regarding our topic – the month of Iyar –

Which is the second month that comes in continuation of the first month, the month of Nisan (and is blessed from it) –

that the reason that the healing of the month of Iyar is in a manner of “I am the L-rd Who heals you” - specifically G-d’s healing - is because it comes after and in continuation to the month of Nisan.

The aspect of the month of Nisan is – the month of the Geulah. And the intent of this is – miraculous Geulah (גאולה נסית), which is above nature. This is plainly like the Geulah of Egypt, which came about through miracles and wonders that were completely above nature.

(Not like the Geulah of Purim in the month of Adar that was through a month that was enclothed in nature).

And this is also alluded to in the name of the month – “Nisan” – from the word “miracle” (“Neis”). And in this itself, there are two letter Nun’s in the name “Nisan/ניסן” that depict “miracle of miracles” (נסי נסים).

In other words, since the Geulah of Egypt came through that which the “King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them (in His glory by Himself) and redeemed them“, therefore the Geulah came about without any enclothment in the ways of nature.

And this is the connection between the two month of Nisan and Iyar. The month of Nisan, the first month, gives an impetus in the month of Iyar that follows, that it becomes meritorious (מסוגל) for the aspect of healing (as aforementioned). In other words, the healing comes in a manner of “I am the L-rd Who heals you”, G-d’s healing in His glory and by Himself, which is a healing that is above nature that uproots the illness as if it never existed at all.

3. It is known that just as there is bodily illness and healing, there is also illness and healing of the soul. And as is explained at length in the Shmonah Perakim of Rambam (in the name of the early Sages).

According to this one could say that that the primary aspect of “I am the L-rd Who heals you” of the month of Iyar is connected to the healing of the soul. And from this it spreads and is drawn down afterward as a segulah also for the healing of the body.

(Especially as it is known, that the Torah speaks in the supernal and alludes to the lower realms. (שהתורה מדברת בעליונים ומרמזת בתחתונים). In other words that the aspects of Torah primarily speak regarding “supernal” aspects (as they are explained in their spiritual context). And their plain meaning (the way the words of Torah are explained in the “lower realms” – namely in this world) is just the “hint” of the Torah. The same is in our case, that when the Torah speaks regarding the aspect of “healing” – its intent is, at the beginning, primarily to healing that is in the spiritual context (in the “supernal”).

And with this, the connection of the aspect of healing to the month of Iyar is understood. For this accords to what is explained in the Midrash Shmuel, that one of the reasons that we recite Pirkei Avot between Pesach and Shavuot, is because:

“From here begins the time of warming and awakening physical desires, and the Yetzer Hara begins to rule and have power, and this Tractate (Avot) is filled with rebukes and awakens the person to pursue every positive characteristic (כל מדה טובה) and to enable the Yetzer Tov to overpower the Yetzer hara etc.”.

We thus find that from the month of Iyar, the main necessity of healing of the soul begins (since then there is an overpowering of the Yetzer Hara).

According to what has been explained regarding the aspect of the healing of the month of Iyar that:

  1. It comes in a manner of “I am the L-rd Who heals you”, and that
  2. The power for this is from the month of Nisan ( the first month),

one must say that, similarly, it is so regarding the aspect of healing of the soul, that is in the month of Iyar, which contains these two parts.

In other words

  1. In the month of Iyar there is the wherewithal from Above that the healing of the soul should come to the person in a manner of “I am the L-rd Who heals you”, above nature
  2. The power for this healing comes from the month of Nisan, which precedes it.

4. This can be understood by prefacing an explanation of the difference between the month of Nisan and the month of Iyar in Avodat HaAdam:

Just as the month of Nisan is the “month of the Geulah” in physicality, so too it is the time of the Geulah of Yisroel, spiritually. As is known that the Geulah of Egypt, besides being a physical Geulah – where Bnei Yisroel were physically redeemed from the land of Egypt, it was also a spiritual Geulah. For Bnei Yisroel, being slaves of Pharaoh, were sunk in the impurity of Egypt, so much so that they sunk to the forty-ninth gate of impurity. And when G-d, in His glory and by Himself, “revealed Himself to them . . and redeemed them“, we were redeemed from the impurity of Egypt.

And this spiritual Geulah was in a manner of “miracle of miracles” (נסי נסים), above nature. And not in any order or progression at all – for G-d completely lifted Yisroel above the impurity of Egypt.

And the same occurs each year when the month of Nisan arrives – that a person is obligated to see himself as if he went out of Egypt. For this month gives the power to each and every one of Yisroel to redeem himself from all undesirable aspects, in a manner that he attains the condition of “Free men” – (בני חורין). In other words, it is not just that it is in his power to rule over his inclination (and not the opposite, G-d forbid) but more than that, namely that it does not require any battle at all (שאין צריד למלחמה כלל), for he is a “free man” (בן חורין) - in a state of freedom from the Yetzer Hara.

And this spiritual redemption of the month of Nisan comes into expression in that it is the sole month of all the months of the year that we do not recite Tachanun, the entire month.

And as has been explained many times that it is impossible to say that in the days that one does not recite Tachanun (and consequently, the person does not ask for forgiveness for his sins), that it is worse than what is accomplished by reciting Tachanun (which is the forgiveness and atonement of sins).

For if so: just because we find ourselves on an auspicious day that we do not recite Tachanun, does a person remain with his sins without forgiveness and atonement!

But rather it is certain, that in the days that we do not recite Tachanun, the forgiveness of sins is accomplished due to the segulah of the day itself (without having a person requesting this).

And the reason why we do not recite Tachanun in the entire month of Nisan is because since it is the “month of Geulah”, where G-d redeemed each and every one of Yisroel and lifted him above all undesirable traits so much so that he is in a condition of a “free man”. Therefore there is no need to recite Tachanun.

Therefore, we find that in the month of Nisan, we do not require the aspect of the “healing” (the healing of the sickness of the soul), for we are in a condition of a “free man”, and above all boundaries of the aspect of illness.

5. However, the aspect of month of Iyar is the opposite extreme –

  • Both in physicality, where the time of the overpowering of nature begins. In other words, not only is it not a time of “miracle of miracles” (נסי נסים), but on the contrary – it is a time of the overpowering of nature. As we actually see, that the beginning of the blooming of the trees begins then etc. and everyone can see that nature is in its strength etc.
  • And both in spirituality (as aforementioned). For them it is the overpowering of the Yetzer and one needs a special power (that begins with the study of Pirkei Avot) in order to overpower the Yetzer etc.

(And it is understood, that they are dependent upon each other, for since it is a time of the overpowering of the power of nature in the world, this causes an overpowering of the Yetzer and the warming and awakening of desires etc.)

And this is the “blessing” (ברכה), namely that the month of Iyar is blessed from the month of Nisan that precedes it.

For a proper blessing contains two things:

  1. The subject of the blessing is in accordance with the power of the one that gives the blessing.
  2. On the other hand, it is measured according to the needs of the recipient of the blessing. (for if this were not so, there could be an outpouring of good that could not be able to be received)

The same is in our case, that the blessing of the month of Nisan is that it should be “I am the L-rd Who heals you”.

For in this there are the two extremes:

  • On one hand, it is a blessing in the aspect of healing. For this itself emphasizes that we are in a condition that requires healing.
  • Yet on the other hand, the manner of the healing corresponds to the aspect of the month of Nisan – “Geulah”, in a miraculous manner, above the nature of the world – G-d’s healing that uproots the illness entirely, as if it never existed at the very onset ( as aforementioned par. 1)

And plainly – this is the wherewithal, that even in the month of Iyar, a person can lift himself above all aspects that confound etc., so much so that he is in a state of spiritual freedom ().

MSichas Shabbat Parshat Shemini, Mevarchim HaChodesh Iyar 5747

 

Links:

http://www.insidechassidus.org/fall/254-complete-likutei-sichos/1146-likutei-sichos-vol-32-iyar-.html  (Audio)

 

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