1717-1787
Rav Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk (Poland) (1717-1787) was one of the founding rebbes of the Hasidic movement. He was a close talmid of Rav Dov Ber of Mezeritch, who was a talmid of the Ba’al Shem Tov. His talmidim included the Chozeh of Lublin and the Maggid of Koznitz.
His work, the Noam Elimelech, developed the Hasidic idea of the tzaddik, and is full of interpretations that are deep ideas based on alternate pronunciations of words in the Torah.
Bereishit
Bereishit 1:1
Rashi: World was made for Torah called Reishit and Am Yisrael called Reishit. When one sees the refined tzaddikim of the world, with midot refined by the Torah, it's a testimony that Hashem made the world (and gave us the Torah to refine ourselves with).
Bereishit
Bereishit 4:1
Why does it say Adam knew (yada) his wife and not other verbs? Avraham says yadati (12:11). Only near Mitzrayim does he notice Sarah's beauty, as he married her for all her other fine qualities. Adam did this w/ a focus on beauty, resulting in Kayin.
Noach
Noach 6:9
A person who elevates himself and performs everything for Hashem, even material needs, ascends to a new level known as a "dor." Noach was a tzaddik and tamim on each new level that he reached.
Noach
Noach 6:9
When a tzaddik performs righteous acts, he brings Hashem's kedusha to the world. He is thus doing a favor to his generation. Noach's temimut tzidkato helped "dorotav."
Noach
Noach 6:9
Why not "doro" (in singular)? Every generation has the one mitzva it needs to fix, more than all other mitzvot. Such as our current generation (of the Noam Elimelech) we need to fix the mitzva of tzitzit, more than all others. So too each generation has one. Noach in each generation that he lived, strengthened and fixed the special mitzva of that specific generation.
Noach
Noach 6:10
A tzaddik has to fix himself on 3 levels. Shem - to fix his childish acts to do things for Hashem. Cham - to spread chamimut (warmth). Since there is also the lower levels of love of money or lust, one must then elevate his love to love Hashem and thereby rectify those original loves. Yafet - Then he has to work on all his actions being beautiful in the eyes of all creations.
Lech Lecha
Lech Lecha 12:1
A person needs to serve Hashem on 3 levels. 1) Me'artzecha - get rid of ta'avot for the artzi and gashmi (material). 2) Mimoladtecha - the bad midot a person is born with that he has to work on, such as anger issues. 3) Mibeit avicha - pride in his fathers; instead he should have pride in our avot, who are truly great and worthy of pride.
Vayera
Vayera 18:1
When it says Avraham (or David) was "zaken ba bayamim" it is because the upper worlds are called yamim, and the tzaddik lives in those upper worlds even during his physical time on earth. When Avraham is sitting in this verse kechom hayom, it meeans he is sitting surrounded by the "chamimut" (warmth) of kedusha and deveikut. This also explains how Hashem can visit him there, as otherwise it is difficult how Hashem can visit Elonei Mamrei (among non-Jews, etc.).
Vayera
Vayera 18:10
How could Sarah laugh? And then deny it? A tzaddik words hard to not even a have a fleeting foolish thought. Sometimes they happen and she thought because she got rid of it right away and didn't want it, it's like it didn't happen. Hashem said it is still a sin.
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