Lowering the sitra achra, raising kedushah

במד' זה קרבן אהרן כו'.

In the Midrash on "This is the korban of Aharon…" (Vayikra 6:13):

The Sefas Emes opens from the Midrash that expounds on the word "zeh" ("this") in connection with Aharon's offering.

אלקים שופט זה ישפיל וזה ירים כו'.

"Hashem is the Judge; this one He lowers and this one He raises" (Tehillim 75:8).

The Midrash applies this verse — that Hashem brings one down and lifts another up — to the recurring word "zeh," which appears both in contexts of downfall and of elevation.

בלשון זה השפיל ויצא העגל הזה.

With the expression "zeh" He brought low — "and out came this calf (ha'egel hazeh)" (Shemos 32:24).

The word "zeh" appears in the sin of the Golden Calf, where it marks the lowering and disgrace caused by sin.

בלשון זה ירים.

And with the expression "zeh" He raises up.

That same word "zeh" also appears in contexts of elevation and holiness, as the Midrash now illustrates.

עוד שם חביב קרבן אהרן כנשיאים דכתיב בהו זה קרבן נחשון וחביב קרבן נשיאים כשירה דכ' זה אלי כו'.

Further there: the korban of Aharon is as beloved as the offerings of the Nesiim, of whom it is written "this (zeh) is the offering of Nachshon" (Bamidbar 7:17); and the offering of the Nesiim is as beloved as the Shirah, of which it is written "this (zeh) is my God" (Shemos 15:2).

The Midrash chains together three holy uses of "zeh" — Aharon's korban, the Nesiim's dedication offerings, and the Song at the Sea — each marking a moment of profound elevation.

הענין הוא דכתיב זה לעומת זה עשה האלקים.

The matter is as it is written: "this corresponding to this (zeh le'umas zeh) Hashem has made" (Koheles 7:14).

Hashem created the world in pairs of opposites — for every force of kedushah there is a corresponding force on the other side.

כמו שיש סדר מיוחד בקדושה כמו כן יש לעומת זה הנהגת הטבע שמזה נמצא הסתרת הסט"א בעולם.

Just as there is a special order in kedushah, so correspondingly there is the conduct of nature, from which the concealment of the sitra achra (the "other side") arises in the world.

Opposite the unique order of holiness stands the realm of nature, which conceals Hashem and gives the sitra achra its foothold in the world.

ועבודת בנ"י להשפיל כח הסט"א ולהרים סדר ההנהגה המיוחדת בקדושה.

And the avodah of Bnei Yisrael is to lower the power of the sitra achra and to raise up the order of conduct that is unique to kedushah.

This is the twofold task of Yisrael: to suppress the side of concealment and impurity, and to elevate the hidden order of holiness — "this one He lowers and this one He raises."

ובני ישראל זכו לזה ביציאת מצרים והוא ג"כ בחי' החודש הזה לכם.

Bnei Yisrael merited this at Yetzias Mitzrayim, and this too is the aspect of "this month shall be for you" (Shemos 12:2).

At the Exodus, Yisrael were empowered to reveal the inner order of holiness — alluded to in "hachodesh hazeh lachem," another instance of the elevating "zeh."

וגם בעבור זה עשה ה' לי שיתגלה סדר המיוחד לבנ"י.

And likewise, "because of this (zeh) Hashem did for me" (Shemos 13:8) — that the special order be revealed to Bnei Yisrael.

The redemption itself was for the sake of revealing this unique order of kedushah to Yisrael, again signaled by the word "zeh."

ובנ"י הכירו זאת על הים ואמרו שירה זה אלי.

And Bnei Yisrael recognized this at the Sea and sang the Shirah: "this (zeh) is my God."

At the splitting of the Sea, Yisrael perceived the revealed order of holiness so clearly that they could point and say "zeh Keli" — "this is my God."

וזה הסדר מתחדש בכל י"ב חודש בכח י"ב השבטים וזה קרבן הנשיאים.

And this order is renewed throughout all twelve months by the power of the twelve Shevatim, and this is the offering of the Nesiim.

The twelve tribal princes, each offering on a different day, channel this order of kedushah through the twelve months of the year — renewing it continually.

ולכן חשוב קרבן ציבור שדוחה את השבת לפי שחנוכת הנשיאים הי' לגלות הי"ב שערים שמאירין לכל העולם.

Therefore it is considered a communal offering (korban tzibbur) that overrides Shabbos, because the dedication of the Nesiim served to reveal the twelve gates that illuminate the entire world.

The Nesiim's offerings are treated like a public sacrifice — even pushing aside Shabbos — because they opened the twelve "gates" of kedushah through which Divine light shines into all the world.

ומעין זה מתחדש בכל יום.

And something of this is renewed every day.

This same revelation of holiness is renewed in miniature each and every day, not only at the original dedication.

וע"י עבודת הכהן העובד ה' במקדש מתחדש ההנהגה הפנימיות כמ"ש מחדש בכל יום מעשה בראשית.

And through the avodah of the Kohen who serves Hashem in the Mikdash, the inner conduct (hanhagah penimius) is renewed, as we say, "He renews each day, continually, the work of Creation."

The Kohen's daily service in the Mikdash renews the hidden inner order of the world — paralleling Hashem's daily renewal of Creation itself.

ולכן גם החביתין דוחה שבת וחשיב קרבן ציבור.

Therefore the chavitin (Kohen Gadol's daily meal-offering) also overrides Shabbos and is considered a communal offering.

Because the Kohen's daily offering accomplishes this renewal for the whole community, it too has the status of a korban tzibbur that overrides Shabbos.

וגם כל עובד ה' תכלית העבודה להשפיל כח הסט"א ולהרים כח הקדושה.

And likewise, for every servant of Hashem, the purpose of avodah is to lower the power of the sitra achra and to raise the power of kedushah.

This is not limited to the Kohen — every Jew's avodah has the same goal: to suppress the side of concealment and to elevate holiness.

ואיתא הנפש דומה להקב"ה מה הקב"ה דן העולם הנפש דן את האדם.

And it is taught: the nefesh resembles HaKadosh Baruch Hu — just as HaKadosh Baruch Hu judges the world, so the nefesh judges the person.

The soul mirrors Hashem: as Hashem is "shofet" (Judge) over all the world, the soul acts as judge over the person, weighing and directing him.

וצריך להשפיל כח הגוף ולגבור כח הנשמה זה ישפיל וזה ירים כנ"ל.

And one must lower the power of the body and strengthen the power of the neshamah — "this one He lowers and this one He raises," as above.

The inner avodah of every person is to subdue the demands of the body and elevate the neshamah — the very "zeh yashpil v'zeh yarim" enacted within oneself.

כי ב' הסדרים אשר בכלל העולם הם בפרט כל איש ישראל.

For the two orders that exist in the world at large exist in particular within every individual Jew.

The cosmic pairing of kedushah and nature, "zeh le'umas zeh," is replicated in microcosm inside each person.

כי הגוף הנהגה בטבע.

For the body is the conduct of nature,

The physical body corresponds to the outer realm of nature that conceals Hashem.

והנפש הנהגה הפנימיות ולכן הוא עולם קטן שהכל תלוי עליו לקרב ולרחק:

and the nefesh is the inner conduct (penimius); therefore he is a small world (olam katan), upon whom everything depends — to bring near and to distance.

The soul corresponds to the inner, hidden order of holiness. Thus man is a "miniature world" who, by choosing to elevate the soul over the body, holds the power to draw near to Hashem or to push away.

Summary: The recurring word "zeh" — appearing in the Golden Calf, the Nesiim's offerings, and the Song at the Sea — embodies "this one He lowers and this one He raises." Hashem made the world as paired opposites, kedushah opposite the concealing order of nature, and the avodah of Bnei Yisrael (revealed at Yetzias Mitzrayim and renewed daily through the Kohen's service) is to suppress the sitra achra and elevate holiness. This same struggle plays out within every person, a "small world," who must lower the body and raise the neshamah, holding in his hands the power to draw near to Hashem.