בזאת יבא אהרן אל הקודש. צורך גבוה הוא להעלות מדרגה תחתונה אל העליונה, בסוד בזאת יבא אהרן אל הקודש, וכדי שיוכל להעלותה, צריך לירד תחלה לאותה מדרגה, כדי שיוכל להעלותה, וכמו שזכרנו במשל שר אחד ששינה לבושי בגדי החמודות ולבש בגדי הפחותין, כדי להעלות הבן אל אביו המלך וכו', והנמשל כי אדם שהוא מלגאו הם שלומי אמוני ישראל, ולבושי האדם הם אנשי המוניים מלבר, בסוד (ירמיה ל"א) נקבה תסובב גבר, וצריך לפשוט את עצמו מן מדרגת ובחינת אדם מלגאו, לירד לבחינת לבוש מלבר, כדי שיהיה במדרגתו, אז יוכל להעלותו, כמו שזכרנו בפירוש הש"ס (ר"ה דכ"ט ע"א) כל שאינו מחוייב בדבר אינו מוציא הרבים ידי חובתן יעו"ש, וכמו שנזכר בירושלמי (תענית פ"ב הלכה זיי"ן) שמואל הנביא לבש חלוקן של ישראל ואמר חטאנו וכו' שירד למדרגת לבוש, שהם המוני העם, ואמר חטאנו: (תוי"י פ' מצורע דצ"ג ע"ד).
With this shall Aharon enter the Sanctuary… (ibid. 16:3) That is, for the sake of a higher purpose, to raise the lower level to the higher one. This is the meaning of “With this shall Aharon enter the Sanctuary.”3According to the Zohar, the word “this” – zot – refers to the Shechina, the Divine Presence (corresponding to the Sefirah of Malchus). In this case, the Baal Shem Tov uses it as a reference to the common folk, who are also on the lowest level. However, in order to uplift it, one must first descend to that level, as in the parable of the king’s minister who exchanged his beautiful garments for those of the commoner in order to return the prince to his father. Because the “inner man,” are the “perfectly faithful of Israel,” whereas the “garments of man” are the masses, who are on the outside.4The Baal Shem Tov compares the entire congregation of Israel to a man and his garments. The body of this “man” are the Righteous, who believe in and serve G-d with complete faith. The common folk are compared to the garments. This is the meaning of “a woman shall surround a man” (Jeremiah 31:21).5In Kabbalah, the concept of man and woman, or masculine and feminine, correspond to the concepts of lights and vessels, giver and receiver, or inner and outer. (Of course, these are only general categories that cannot be applied wholesale to individuals.) The Baal Shem Tov reads the verse from Jeremiah as referring to the quality of the female surrounding – i.e., containing within her – the masculine, for every vessels contains light within it. A person must divest himself of the level and aspect of the “inner man,” and descend to the level of the garments, which are external. This is in order to be on their level, in order to uplift him. Thus, we explained the Talmud’s statement: “One who is himself not obligated in a mitzvah cannot exempt the public from their obligation.”6Rosh Hashana 29a. The Talmud’s discussion revolves around the mitzvah of blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashana. It concludes that only a person who is himself obligated to hear the shofar can blow it for others, as opposed to a slave or a non-Jew, who are exempt from the mitzvah. In this context, the Baal Shem Tov means that a Tzaddik can only elevate the masses if he has some connection to their level. And as we explained the statement from the Jerusalem Talmud: “Samuel the Prophet wore the garment of Israel, when he said, ‘We have sinned…’” (I Samuel 7:6).7Jerusalem Talmud, Ta’anis 2:7. That is, he descended to the level of the garment, which are the masses, and said, “We have sinned.” Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Metzorah, p. 33d
בזאת יבא אהרן אל הקודש. צורך גבוה הוא להעלות מדרגה תחתונה אל העליונה, בסוד בזאת יבא אהרן אל הקודש, וכדי שיוכל להעלותה, צריך לירד תחלה לאותה מדרגה, כדי שיוכל להעלותה, וכמו שזכרנו במשל שר אחד ששינה לבושי בגדי החמודות ולבש בגדי הפחותין, כדי להעלות הבן אל אביו המלך וכו', והנמשל כי אדם שהוא מלגאו הם שלומי אמוני ישראל, ולבושי האדם הם אנשי המוניים מלבר, בסוד (ירמיה ל"א) נקבה תסובב גבר, וצריך לפשוט את עצמו מן מדרגת ובחינת אדם מלגאו, לירד לבחינת לבוש מלבר, כדי שיהיה במדרגתו, אז יוכל להעלותו, כמו שזכרנו בפירוש הש"ס (ר"ה דכ"ט ע"א) כל שאינו מחוייב בדבר אינו מוציא הרבים ידי חובתן יעו"ש, וכמו שנזכר בירושלמי (תענית פ"ב הלכה זיי"ן) שמואל הנביא לבש חלוקן של ישראל ואמר חטאנו וכו' שירד למדרגת לבוש, שהם המוני העם, ואמר חטאנו:
(תוי"י פ' מצורע דצ"ג ע"ד).
With this shall Aharon enter the Sanctuary… (ibid. 16:3)
That is, for the sake of a higher purpose, to raise the lower level to the higher one. This is the meaning of “With this shall Aharon enter the Sanctuary.”3According to the Zohar, the word “this” – zot – refers to the Shechina, the Divine Presence (corresponding to the Sefirah of Malchus). In this case, the Baal Shem Tov uses it as a reference to the common folk, who are also on the lowest level.
However, in order to uplift it, one must first descend to that level, as in the parable of the king’s minister who exchanged his beautiful garments for those of the commoner in order to return the prince to his father. Because the “inner man,” are the “perfectly faithful of Israel,” whereas the “garments of man” are the masses, who are on the outside.4The Baal Shem Tov compares the entire congregation of Israel to a man and his garments. The body of this “man” are the Righteous, who believe in and serve G-d with complete faith. The common folk are compared to the garments. This is the meaning of “a woman shall surround a man” (Jeremiah 31:21).5In Kabbalah, the concept of man and woman, or masculine and feminine, correspond to the concepts of lights and vessels, giver and receiver, or inner and outer. (Of course, these are only general categories that cannot be applied wholesale to individuals.) The Baal Shem Tov reads the verse from Jeremiah as referring to the quality of the female surrounding – i.e., containing within her – the masculine, for every vessels contains light within it. A person must divest himself of the level and aspect of the “inner man,” and descend to the level of the garments, which are external. This is in order to be on their level, in order to uplift him.
Thus, we explained the Talmud’s statement: “One who is himself not obligated in a mitzvah cannot exempt the public from their obligation.”6Rosh Hashana 29a. The Talmud’s discussion revolves around the mitzvah of blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashana. It concludes that only a person who is himself obligated to hear the shofar can blow it for others, as opposed to a slave or a non-Jew, who are exempt from the mitzvah. In this context, the Baal Shem Tov means that a Tzaddik can only elevate the masses if he has some connection to their level.
And as we explained the statement from the Jerusalem Talmud: “Samuel the Prophet wore the garment of Israel, when he said, ‘We have sinned…’” (I Samuel 7:6).7Jerusalem Talmud, Ta’anis 2:7. That is, he descended to the level of the garment, which are the masses, and said, “We have sinned.”
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Metzorah, p. 33d