Liolom Yehei Adam, Class One (Yeshiva 5781/ 2020).
Introduction: the 4 things we say before Korbanos: 1) Ma Tovo, 2) Adon Olom, 3) Akaida (with a before and after), 4) Liolom Yehaid Adam.
From Tana Dvei Eliyahu, it’s about saying Shma and more.
We read the first half inside.
Liolom Yehei Adam, Class Two (Yeshiva 5781/ 2020).
Inside with commentary from the beginning.
The “big idea” is the idea of Adam being as infinite as Me’od in it’s balance and integration and that is the meaning of M”A (repeated multiple time in the paragraph): it isn’t a question it is a statement.
M”A meaning Bittul this allows for תיקון, התכללות, אדם being manifestations of the Ein Sof.
Liolom Yehei Adam, Class Three (Yeshiva 5781/ 2020).
The next two paragraphs and Shma.
We inherit from all three Avos, thus the balance (the “Adam”).
Yaakov’s three names יעקב ישראל ישרון.
לפיכך bringing Him down into the Middos, and praising Hashem for the opportunity, logically above logic and absolutely (above logic).
Shma, a meditation; ViAhavata a desire; Vihayu satisfying the desire.
Liolom Yehei Adam, Class Four (Yeshiva 5781/ 2020).
The first of the two אתה הואs was explained.
Bringing G-dliness into Adam HaElyon (as per the RaMaK) and Adam HaTachton (as per Chassidus).
Kidush Hashem and saying Kedusha, this too is מקדש שמו.
Liolom Yehei Adam, Class Five (Yeshiva 5781/ 2020).
The second of the two אתה הואs was explained.
This is a lower level than the first אתה הוא; it represents
1) “Only” knowing Hashem from the word, and not as He is “by Himself”
2) His relationship with us during Galus.
The RaMaK provides two key clues to this paragraph:
A. קבץ נפוצות קויויך we are scattered due to שנאת חינם (and we ask that He gather and heal us from this due to our Emuna (“קויויך”).
B. ארבע כנפות הארץ refers to Malachim (angels) during Galus that have only four wings and not six.
It starts with healing Yidden and then the entire world.
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לעולם יהא אדם Class One.
17 Wednesday 20 Adar 5775/ March 11 2015.
This prayer actually is found in the oldest Sidurim we have. It is from the תנא דבי’ אלי’. The prayer has various ideas: 1) To say שמע before coming to Shul in times of crises, 2) submission to Hashem and asking for unconditional gifts, 3) Sacrifice to Him. 4) To say שמע in time we must on occasion say it before Davening. In this class we explored the reasons for the prayer and we read all of it inside. It is a prayer that flanks קריאת שמע and encourages worshiping Him.
לעולם יהא אדם Class Two. In this class we began a series of comparative Nusachs. Since this prayer is so old, and (at the same time) based on a Midrash, it combines great uniformity with very significant (large and small) variances. We explore the first four lines and will continue doing so until we complete this IYH. 1) Should the first two lines be said altogether. 2) בסתר, בספר ובגלוי, בסתר כבגלוי. These small differences matter a lot. 3) the oldest version demands complete Yirah, this was changed and why. 4) Emes, emes in one’s heart. 5) The machzor Vitri adds a second level to why Hashem will help us beyond His great mercies.
לעולם יהא אדם Class Three מה אנו… seven ‘מה’, The מה ישענו that some say The רמב”ם adds מה מעשינו. לעולם יהא אדם
לעולם יהא אדם Class Four. We explore the end of רבון העולמים and we read אבל. The suggestion is that the RaMbaM has the philosophical approach where 1) Yiddishkeit is only for man and 2) We don’t have a special Soul. The Alter Rebbe (the מקובלים) see that 1) we have a special נשמה, and 2) what we do is affecting on high as well and accordingly most of the difference of נוסח can be explained.
[לעולם יהא אדם [לפיכך Class Five. This Part of the prayer has three parts: A) לפיכך אנחנו חייבים it speaks to out obligations to our Creator in three aspects 1) to Him, 2) to His world, 3) to His Name, and revealing it B) אשרינו מה טוב חלקינו celebrating our gifts from Him: , גורל, ירושה, חלק C) אשרינו that we can do something for Him!
אתה הוא…] לעולם יהא אדם] Class Six. אתה הוא… We explore just a few lines and analyze the different versions. We are praising God on a level of Truth not on a level that relates to us.
[לעולם יהא אדם [קדש את שמך Class Seven.
18 WEDNESDAY 24 IYAR 5775/ MAY 13 2015.
The second half of the first אתה הוא. Here to reveal his name (light) in the world. He makes a Kidush Hashem and we also do. The discussion involves if His name rests on the world or also on Yidden, and which comes first the world or the Jew and what it all means: Chakira, Kabalah and Chassidus.
Class Eight אתה הוא הוי’ אלקים…
19 WEDNESDAY 2 SIVAN 5775/ MAY 20 2015.
This second אתה הוא is clearly lower than the first one. It discusses Hashem in the world rather than He is by Himself. It discusses the need to have Yidden lifted from the Galus. The RaMbaM completely deletes this part of the Prayer and we attempted to explain why. We explore the various anomalies in this prayer based on the assumption that the darker Galus gets the more involved the prayer for the exit from it becomes.
Class Nine: לעולם יהא אדם… שמע ישראל
20 WEDNESDAY 9 SIVAN 5775/ MAY 27 2015.
Four שמע ישראל per day. This class is based entirely on the Arizal, who explains that the recitation of קריאת שמע sets up the יחודים of זו”נ achieved each morning and night. Though שמע is מן התורה and שמונה עשרה is מדרבנן, nevertheless, יחוד או”א דק”ש sets up the יחוד זו”נ דשמונה עשרה. There are four קריאת שמע two connected to מעריב and two connected to שחרית. The morning is about subtlety and nuance and the night about faith and simple strength. This class is an attempt to convey a strictly Kabbalistic idea in Chassidic language.
Class Ten: לעולם יהא אדם
21 WEDNESDAY 16 SIVAN 5775/ JUNE 3 2015.
This class starts over from the beginning and explores the first two paragraphs of this prayer based on 1) The רמ”ק, and 2) סדר היום, and the 3) של”ה, and 4) חסידות. This class is based on the mystical idea of אדם and that behind the order and balance of אדם lies ירא שמים בסתר etc. We ask for רחמים רבים rather than His צדקה. What is מה ?אין ?תהו ?הבל? These are further ideas explored as we learn these paragraphs of Davening.
Class Eleven אבל אנחנו עמך… לפיכך אנחנו חייבים
22 WEDNESDAY 23 SIVAN 5775/ JUNE 10 2015.
Our ancestors each had the אדם quality, each holding the מדה opposite his nature, in addition to his nature. From them we inherit the obligation to engage in יחודים- bringing down (or up) the ten Sefiros. However we have something in addition which we did not inherit, but that we have from Sinai. That is our אשרינו on two levels: 1) To live like a Jew doing actions of מצות on three levels: limited (חלקינו) unlimited (גרלינו) and the strength of the value of the גוף itself (ירושתינו) without doing anything. 2) The idea of מסירת נפש על קידוש השם as represented by the recitation of שמע.
