Vayigash (5736)

The Alef Kabbala Group (18 December 2012) explored an edited discourse taught by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in December 1975. The Sedra speaks of Judah coming near to Joseph, which the Zohar explains as a particular moment in daily prayer, as one begins the Amidah. Judah represents the stillness of the Amidah, and Joseph expresses the positive emotion of the prayers leading up to the Amidah. These two aspects are explained in the discourse as the Sefirot Malchut (Kingship) and Yesod (Foundation). At a further stage, Kingship expresses the Essence, and the emotional flow of Yesod means spiritual revelation and experience. This is beautiful, but in ultimate terms, the Essence is higher. To see the pointed Hebrew text of the discourse , and for the audio file,