I will be in the states for the next two weeks, b'ezrat HaShem I will be able to post from there; but if it happens only rarely, then may my time be spent absorbing new Torah to share and raise up when I return.
There is an understanding that galut is good for personal growth, and that the deepest Torah is revealed only along the way. May this trip be a galut that reveals new and deeper levels of Torah.
30.7.07
27.7.07
minting peace
The Talmud tells us that HaShem wants our hearts. (רחמנא לבא בעי)
The Baal HaTanya (Iggeret HaKodesh 4) explains Mosheh Rabbeinu's comments in the Torah (ומלתם את בשר לבכם) to explain that we must remove the thick outer foreskin of our hearts, to learn to love HaShem, and in turn he will remove the finer casing around our hearts, and reveal our inner essence to his light. He says that Tzedaka is the best way to hasten this process.
We see, sadly, in this day and age just how close money can get to our hearts. Bills can pile up and cause physical pain, serious stress on our fragile hearts. The best way to combat this reality is to give tzedaka. In a way through tzedaka we are putting our money where it can't be touched by anyone..we are putting it in the only sure-fire investment. Every cent or agurah that goes to tzedaka is a scale in the armor that protects us in this world and the next.
Why did Mosheh pray to HaShem through the language of ואתחנן? It seems to me to be language that relates to tzedaka and begging. Mosheh was pouring out his heart, appealing to HaShem's midah of Tzedaka, knowing that since Tzedaka is the deepest power we have, it is also the most powerful of HaShem's midoth.
Let's give tzedaka to awaken HaShem's tzedaka and bring peace to all of klal Yisrael.
The Baal HaTanya (Iggeret HaKodesh 4) explains Mosheh Rabbeinu's comments in the Torah (ומלתם את בשר לבכם) to explain that we must remove the thick outer foreskin of our hearts, to learn to love HaShem, and in turn he will remove the finer casing around our hearts, and reveal our inner essence to his light. He says that Tzedaka is the best way to hasten this process.
We see, sadly, in this day and age just how close money can get to our hearts. Bills can pile up and cause physical pain, serious stress on our fragile hearts. The best way to combat this reality is to give tzedaka. In a way through tzedaka we are putting our money where it can't be touched by anyone..we are putting it in the only sure-fire investment. Every cent or agurah that goes to tzedaka is a scale in the armor that protects us in this world and the next.
Why did Mosheh pray to HaShem through the language of ואתחנן? It seems to me to be language that relates to tzedaka and begging. Mosheh was pouring out his heart, appealing to HaShem's midah of Tzedaka, knowing that since Tzedaka is the deepest power we have, it is also the most powerful of HaShem's midoth.
Let's give tzedaka to awaken HaShem's tzedaka and bring peace to all of klal Yisrael.
25.7.07
go out and learn
One of my professors from university, way back when, has a blog which he calls Angry Lucifer, anyways over there he just posted a long thoughtful piece on how life is a repetition of patterns even when those patterns are no longer meaningful.
I find that observation interesting in light of Judaism's intense insistence on laws that lead to a lot of repetition. On the one hand you could say it's just the religion's way of playing to our genetic need to act in patterns, but it's interesting and a little subversive (in the Diamond Age sense of the word) to think that all the major Jewish figures in history were those who broke with the patterns of the times and the world around them.
Starting with Avraham, who shattered his father's idols. Yaakov who bought a "birth"right. Yosef who broke the nature of desire. Mosheh Rabbeinu who (k'vyachol) doubted God. Aharon HaKohen who used deception to bring peace. David HaMelech who stared down a giant with a sling, and accepted a curse as God's will. Rebbe Akiva who laughed when everyone cried. etc. etc. We recognize those who defied the patterns of humanity in the name of God.
There is an interplay here in the difference between nature, which tends toward chaos, and life which is a movement towards order. Torah seeks a balance of the two. We move away from chaos, but don't want to get too close to order. On the border between the two is free will and Godliness. צא ולמד
I find that observation interesting in light of Judaism's intense insistence on laws that lead to a lot of repetition. On the one hand you could say it's just the religion's way of playing to our genetic need to act in patterns, but it's interesting and a little subversive (in the Diamond Age sense of the word) to think that all the major Jewish figures in history were those who broke with the patterns of the times and the world around them.
Starting with Avraham, who shattered his father's idols. Yaakov who bought a "birth"right. Yosef who broke the nature of desire. Mosheh Rabbeinu who (k'vyachol) doubted God. Aharon HaKohen who used deception to bring peace. David HaMelech who stared down a giant with a sling, and accepted a curse as God's will. Rebbe Akiva who laughed when everyone cried. etc. etc. We recognize those who defied the patterns of humanity in the name of God.
There is an interplay here in the difference between nature, which tends toward chaos, and life which is a movement towards order. Torah seeks a balance of the two. We move away from chaos, but don't want to get too close to order. On the border between the two is free will and Godliness. צא ולמד
23.7.07
until when?
When HaShem first sent for our geulah, our redemption, Mosheh Rabbeinu said to him שלח נא ביד תשלח - send, please, by the hand of the one you will send. He asked HaShem to find a more appropriate messenger than one so lowly and incomplete as himself.
I woke up in the middle of the night, the night before tisha b'av feeling sick. In my head this passuk kept repeating itself. I got up to learn a little and try and put myself to rest, because when you wake up in the middle of the night it is good to learn something in case you awoke for that very reason.
I started looking up perushim on the passuk but before I found anything, it had switched in my head to סלח נא ביד תסלח - forgive, please, by the hand of the one you will forgive.
In any case, I kept looking, Rashi, Ohr HaHayyim haKadosh, Ba'al Shem Tov, Heichal Berachah, I didn't find anything that explained my dilemma to me, or gave me any peace of mind. In the end I opened Pri Ha'aretz (Reb Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, the first Hassidic Rebbe to make it to Israel and write his perush on Torah here) and sought out parashath Shemoth. It seemed to have only a short paragraph on an earlier passuk in Shemoth, but once I looked into it, it did indeed mention the passuk in question--how could it not?--but I didn't get to finish reading the paragraph, instead I sneezed and the book flipped to Parashath Vayeshev. I looked down and there was a Torah on the holy hebrew letters, a topic dear to my heart and something I am currently learning in the Notzer Hesed so I kept reading, he is explaining how Tzaddikim rise up throught their tefilloth above the space of letters and bring about all the needs of Israel, on the second page we get to what I was looking for:
It is only through smallness, through lowliness that we can accomplish two things: 1. To raise ourselves up from lowliness to greatness, and more important 2. That we can raise the Shechinah up from lowliness back to Her rightful place of greatness.
Chazal explain that a person who wants to remain great always and never wants to fall is a fool, because he thinks he has intrinsic value to the world--man's only value is that in raising himself up again, he raises others (including the Shechinah) up with himself.
This he says, is the tikkun of the sin of Adam HaRishon. Both Yaakov Avinu and Mosheh Rabbeinu had the face of Adam HaRishon because it was there role to perform this Tikkun of Adam HaRishon. (This, he explains, is why Yaakov Avinu was punished for attempting to sit in peace rather than fighting the battle against the klippoth.)
Here, everything becomes clear. The Ohr HaHayyim explains that Mosheh tells HaShem בי אדני - the flaw is within me, I'm not a vessel fit to carry out Your will. Now, we can see from the Pri Ha'aretz why this was such a problem. The responsibility fell upon Mosheh to recognize that his flaw was precisely what made him worthy to perform such a mission. He could raise himself up and through this he could raise the Shechinah and all of Am Yisrael up with him. For someone lacking this flaw, like Aharon HaKohen, this could not have been possible.
So it is fitting that we read Mosheh Rabbeinu's words in this new way: סלח נא ביד תסלח - forgive please, by the hand of whom you will forgive. Since only someone who is lowly is in need of forgiveness, and HaShem forgives all those who turn to Him in Teshuvah. Let us ask HaShem to forgive all of klal Yisrael because it is appropriate that we ask it of Him, because only someone who has fallen has the power to rise up and raise up the Shechinah and the klal along with him.
It is our flaws that give us the leg to stand on, that we might be able to ask forgiveness not only for ourselves but for everyone and everything.
It is precisely because we are so flawed and so low and have so much left to do that we can bring about the geulah.
I woke up in the middle of the night, the night before tisha b'av feeling sick. In my head this passuk kept repeating itself. I got up to learn a little and try and put myself to rest, because when you wake up in the middle of the night it is good to learn something in case you awoke for that very reason.
I started looking up perushim on the passuk but before I found anything, it had switched in my head to סלח נא ביד תסלח - forgive, please, by the hand of the one you will forgive.
In any case, I kept looking, Rashi, Ohr HaHayyim haKadosh, Ba'al Shem Tov, Heichal Berachah, I didn't find anything that explained my dilemma to me, or gave me any peace of mind. In the end I opened Pri Ha'aretz (Reb Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, the first Hassidic Rebbe to make it to Israel and write his perush on Torah here) and sought out parashath Shemoth. It seemed to have only a short paragraph on an earlier passuk in Shemoth, but once I looked into it, it did indeed mention the passuk in question--how could it not?--but I didn't get to finish reading the paragraph, instead I sneezed and the book flipped to Parashath Vayeshev. I looked down and there was a Torah on the holy hebrew letters, a topic dear to my heart and something I am currently learning in the Notzer Hesed so I kept reading, he is explaining how Tzaddikim rise up throught their tefilloth above the space of letters and bring about all the needs of Israel, on the second page we get to what I was looking for:
It is only through smallness, through lowliness that we can accomplish two things: 1. To raise ourselves up from lowliness to greatness, and more important 2. That we can raise the Shechinah up from lowliness back to Her rightful place of greatness.
Chazal explain that a person who wants to remain great always and never wants to fall is a fool, because he thinks he has intrinsic value to the world--man's only value is that in raising himself up again, he raises others (including the Shechinah) up with himself.
This he says, is the tikkun of the sin of Adam HaRishon. Both Yaakov Avinu and Mosheh Rabbeinu had the face of Adam HaRishon because it was there role to perform this Tikkun of Adam HaRishon. (This, he explains, is why Yaakov Avinu was punished for attempting to sit in peace rather than fighting the battle against the klippoth.)
Here, everything becomes clear. The Ohr HaHayyim explains that Mosheh tells HaShem בי אדני - the flaw is within me, I'm not a vessel fit to carry out Your will. Now, we can see from the Pri Ha'aretz why this was such a problem. The responsibility fell upon Mosheh to recognize that his flaw was precisely what made him worthy to perform such a mission. He could raise himself up and through this he could raise the Shechinah and all of Am Yisrael up with him. For someone lacking this flaw, like Aharon HaKohen, this could not have been possible.
So it is fitting that we read Mosheh Rabbeinu's words in this new way: סלח נא ביד תסלח - forgive please, by the hand of whom you will forgive. Since only someone who is lowly is in need of forgiveness, and HaShem forgives all those who turn to Him in Teshuvah. Let us ask HaShem to forgive all of klal Yisrael because it is appropriate that we ask it of Him, because only someone who has fallen has the power to rise up and raise up the Shechinah and the klal along with him.
It is our flaws that give us the leg to stand on, that we might be able to ask forgiveness not only for ourselves but for everyone and everything.
It is precisely because we are so flawed and so low and have so much left to do that we can bring about the geulah.
22.7.07
hollowing out an altar
Regarding the layout of the Mishkan, the Noam Elimelech explains the proximity of the Mizbeah, (the altar) the Shulchan, (the table of the show-bread) and the Menorah. (the lamp)
The Menorah reminds us of HaShem's greatness and then the Shulchan reminds us of our lowly physical needs, the Mizbeah shows that to rise up to HaShem you need to cycle between these two other states. This is the meaning of the "sovev" the platform around the Mizbeah upon which the Kohanim were meant to walk which was called "sovev" or "to circle."
He relates this to the passuk דרשו את ה' בהמצאו - seek HaShem where he can be found. Because HaShem can only be found by virtue of His own tzimtzum, we must seek him out through our own personal tzimtzum.
This echoes nicely something I said in a previous post. Avakesh also posted on the topic of tzimtzum two days after my own post. [Which either means I'm channelling ASJ's ability to connect to the collective subconscious of (at least) the jblogosphere or that it is somehow a response to my own posting, perhaps fearful that I was getting lost in my own terminology.]
The Menorah reminds us of HaShem's greatness and then the Shulchan reminds us of our lowly physical needs, the Mizbeah shows that to rise up to HaShem you need to cycle between these two other states. This is the meaning of the "sovev" the platform around the Mizbeah upon which the Kohanim were meant to walk which was called "sovev" or "to circle."
He relates this to the passuk דרשו את ה' בהמצאו - seek HaShem where he can be found. Because HaShem can only be found by virtue of His own tzimtzum, we must seek him out through our own personal tzimtzum.
This echoes nicely something I said in a previous post. Avakesh also posted on the topic of tzimtzum two days after my own post. [Which either means I'm channelling ASJ's ability to connect to the collective subconscious of (at least) the jblogosphere or that it is somehow a response to my own posting, perhaps fearful that I was getting lost in my own terminology.]
19.7.07
black fire on white fire
It occurred to me, while looking at a sefer that newborn babies love the contrast of black and white because they were learning Torah in the womb in it's raw form of black fire on white fire.
give and take
Today is the hillulah of Rabbi Menachem Azarya of Pano
He shared this truly awesome Torah: (quoted from nehora.com)
He shared this truly awesome Torah: (quoted from nehora.com)
The word "Tzedakah" -- Tzadi, Dalet, Kuf, Hey -- when transposed into its At-Bash equivalent (whereby each letter, according to its order in the alphabet, is interchanged with the letter in the corresponding place starting from the other side of the alphabet. Thus the first letter (Aleph) becomes the last (Tav), Bet becomes Shin, etc.) comes out to be the exact same word spelled backwards -- Hey, Kuf, Dalet, Tzadi! This may be meant to demonstrate that whatever charity a person gives is bound to return to him in the opposite direction, as "charity" from God! Give charity, and God will safeguard your wealth.This is just amazing. If you want to see it in action, you can use my simple gematria engine (it gives you the atbash אתב"ש of the word as well as all the words in chumash that share the gematrias in question) You can also find a brief explanation of Atbash and a table of the permutation here. (it's the about page from the gematria engine)
writing is scary
I did a Q&A over at A Simple Jew.
You will have to head over there for the answer, the question is mirrored here:
Scary because what if I confuse some people, what if I make their lives more complicated instead of helping? Ironically the answer addresses just such a question. go see
You will have to head over there for the answer, the question is mirrored here:
A Simple Jew asks:It was a harrowing experience. It's scary enough writing on my own blog with a very limited readership--much more intense writing for ASJ who has a much larger audience.
Each year as we review the Chumash, we continue to be baffled by just how quickly the Jews started complaining after they witnessed miracles as they left Egypt and crossed through the Yam Suf.
One could argue that we too are often blind to recognize the continuous miracles that Hashem performs in each of our lives, yet the miracles in the Chumash seem to us to be on a much grander scale than those in our lives.
We may ridicule the Jews in the desert for their lack of emuna, but then when we turn around and judge ourselves by a similar standard, do we measure up to our standard, or are we also just a bunch of wandering complainers?
Scary because what if I confuse some people, what if I make their lives more complicated instead of helping? Ironically the answer addresses just such a question. go see
trade old lies for new foundations
Life is a constant war between the good and the bad middoth. (attributes) Each individual is always working on putting their energy into the good middoth (humility, kindness, charity, justice, etc.) and breaking free of their ingrained more natural animal traits. (selfishness, hubris, jealousy, etc.) We slip so often in this conflict as to make us doubt whether we're gaining any ground at all.
The Noam Elimelech gives us a little tip that's both a strategy and a baseline from which to judge our progress: The root of all bad middoth is sheker, lies. If we cling to the truth with all our might, then our bad middoth have no solid footing. If we strike out from a platform of truth we have the upper ground.
The Mishkan, Tabernacle, was made out of the posts, kerashim, that made up its wall. Keresh, (קרש) board, is the same letters as sheker, (שקר) lie, but in a different order, showing that keresh is the opposite of sheker. If we surround ourselves in the truth, the anti-sheker, then we become a dwelling place, a mishkan, for HaShem's divinity in this world.
From here on out we can look honestly at ourselves and see how often we fall into lies. Be they innocent ones or the more serious guilty variety, any lie at all is weakening our position and reinforcing our bad middoth.
I think it is appropriate to bring this connection here:
There are a number of sources that describe Tefillin as the weaponry of Bnei Yisrael. When we bind our Tefillin we are girding ourselves for battle. Now we know that Tefillin are tantamount to the entire Torah as it is written in the Tefillin themselves (parashath Kadesh li kol b'chor) "It should be for you a sign on your hand and a rememberance between your eyes, so that the Torah will be in your mouth." We also know that Torah is emeth, objective truth. When we bind our Tefillin we can have in mind to bind ourselves, surround ourselves, in the truth of Torah, to undermine and uproot all of our negative middoth, that we can serve HaShem and create for Him a dwelling place "with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might." (as it says in Shema Yisrael, another of the parashioth in the Tefillin)
The Noam Elimelech gives us a little tip that's both a strategy and a baseline from which to judge our progress: The root of all bad middoth is sheker, lies. If we cling to the truth with all our might, then our bad middoth have no solid footing. If we strike out from a platform of truth we have the upper ground.
The Mishkan, Tabernacle, was made out of the posts, kerashim, that made up its wall. Keresh, (קרש) board, is the same letters as sheker, (שקר) lie, but in a different order, showing that keresh is the opposite of sheker. If we surround ourselves in the truth, the anti-sheker, then we become a dwelling place, a mishkan, for HaShem's divinity in this world.
From here on out we can look honestly at ourselves and see how often we fall into lies. Be they innocent ones or the more serious guilty variety, any lie at all is weakening our position and reinforcing our bad middoth.
I think it is appropriate to bring this connection here:
There are a number of sources that describe Tefillin as the weaponry of Bnei Yisrael. When we bind our Tefillin we are girding ourselves for battle. Now we know that Tefillin are tantamount to the entire Torah as it is written in the Tefillin themselves (parashath Kadesh li kol b'chor) "It should be for you a sign on your hand and a rememberance between your eyes, so that the Torah will be in your mouth." We also know that Torah is emeth, objective truth. When we bind our Tefillin we can have in mind to bind ourselves, surround ourselves, in the truth of Torah, to undermine and uproot all of our negative middoth, that we can serve HaShem and create for Him a dwelling place "with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might." (as it says in Shema Yisrael, another of the parashioth in the Tefillin)
forty years on the temple mount
The Midrash HaNe'elam (Zohar parashath Hayyei Sarah) explains that forty years before a soul is born, it comes down to dwell on Har Tzion until the time of its birth.
I just realized that the neshama of my son, and any other children born this year, have been dwelling on Har Tzion since 1967 when Har HaBayit was captured and Jerusalem was reunited.
That's an amazing first experience as a Neshama dwelling on har habayit.. Of course I have no idea of the deeper meaning of the Zohar in question.
[ps. I still maintain that that was the year the moshiah was actually born, which must also have been a very amazing event for all those neshamoth.]
I just realized that the neshama of my son, and any other children born this year, have been dwelling on Har Tzion since 1967 when Har HaBayit was captured and Jerusalem was reunited.
That's an amazing first experience as a Neshama dwelling on har habayit.. Of course I have no idea of the deeper meaning of the Zohar in question.
[ps. I still maintain that that was the year the moshiah was actually born, which must also have been a very amazing event for all those neshamoth.]
Rav Steinsaltz' Daf Yomi
Rav Steinsaltz on the Daf Yomi it's in english and it's a useful Torah link to anyone who might not know about it.
18.7.07
don't leave anywhere without it
My friend Oren hit upon a very powerful Torah at our seudah on Rosh Hodesh Menachem Av.
We were discussing the teaching (in multiple places) of the Alter Rebbe of Lubavitch that this world is far greater than the world to come. Oren also brought up a story about the Baal Shem Tov after his passing not wanting to return to the darkness of this world, not even to help his own drowning son.
We wondered at that, how can it be that this world is so amazingly unbelievable but then we move on to another world, which seems so amazing that we forget that our previous incarnation was even more blessed? To which we discovered the answer is not that one world or place is better than another, but rather that wherever you currently are situated is the best (and brightest) of all worlds. Being that HaShem always puts us 'here' now.
The best oppurtunity we have to connect to HaShem is always right 'here' right now. Any time wasted thinking about being somewhere else is a lost (unparalleled) oppurtunity to connect to HaShem in the unique way open and available to you at this very moment.
That's the lesson of the Baal Shem Tov, but it took us a number of different lessons and different stories to really own it.
May we all be able to connect to HaShem wherever we may be right now. דרשו את ה' בהמצאו - seek out God where you can be found.
We were discussing the teaching (in multiple places) of the Alter Rebbe of Lubavitch that this world is far greater than the world to come. Oren also brought up a story about the Baal Shem Tov after his passing not wanting to return to the darkness of this world, not even to help his own drowning son.
We wondered at that, how can it be that this world is so amazingly unbelievable but then we move on to another world, which seems so amazing that we forget that our previous incarnation was even more blessed? To which we discovered the answer is not that one world or place is better than another, but rather that wherever you currently are situated is the best (and brightest) of all worlds. Being that HaShem always puts us 'here' now.
The best oppurtunity we have to connect to HaShem is always right 'here' right now. Any time wasted thinking about being somewhere else is a lost (unparalleled) oppurtunity to connect to HaShem in the unique way open and available to you at this very moment.
That's the lesson of the Baal Shem Tov, but it took us a number of different lessons and different stories to really own it.
May we all be able to connect to HaShem wherever we may be right now. דרשו את ה' בהמצאו - seek out God where you can be found.
a theory to put into practice
In the past I've spoken about how tzimtzum (what is normally translated as the constriction of HaShem's light) can actually be seen in reverse, where HaShem reveals too much light, such that we cannot possibly receive it. In such a case, all that light appears to us as darkness.
How do we sensitize ourselves to receive more of HaShem's light? By relegating ourselves to the edges and making more space for HaShem in the middle, essentially performing our own personal tzimtzum. In essence we are opening ourselves up further, to be able to receive more light from HaShem transitioning from something that was once darkness (to us because of the overwhelming magnitude of HaShem's light) into a space of light.
We can learn this lesson from our own eyes. When there is little or no lighting, our eyes open as wide as possible, to gather more light. Similarly, when we are in a dark space spiritually, our souls need to open up as wide as possible to gather more of HaShem's light.
We find something very cool. That HaShem created the world through tzimtzum, to bring his light down to us, and then we return to HaShem through our own tzimtzum, making ever-greater levels of His light available to/through us.
This not only is the picture perfect image of a marriage, where both parties move themselves to the edges so that something much greater than the sum of its parts, a new house of israel, can take form in the middle; it is also the answer to a curious puzzle I raised previously. [here in a shield from death]
I was pondering why it seems that with any revellation of HaShem's being, there corresponds a fall in spiritual level, a kind of death. It seems here after this discussion, that the death that happens is the tzimtzum of the individual that brings about the revellation of HaShem. Rather than the death following the revellation of HaShem, it is possible to understand that the death actually happens first (as a form of tzimtzum) and only through the revellation of HaShem is life restored.
Even from the passuk this can be seen: לא יראני האדם וחי - man cannot see me and live. Instead we can read it like this: לא יראני - someone who is metzumtzam [לא is also א-ל the name that corresponds to din and tzimtzum] will see me. האדם - (which is gematria 50, the final gate of understanding (בינה) which is the level of אין (ayin) nothingness) become ayin [אדם also means 'red' which is the color of דין a midah which also relates to tzimtzum-- ie. האדם can mean become red--a command to undergo tzimtzum.], וחי - and live. (ie. and I will revive/revitalize you)
In short: "Only one who is metzumtzam cane see m; Undergo tzimtzum and live."
This is a Torah that came out of the seudah we had on Rosh Hodesh Av for the sake of the oneness and unity of klal yisrael.
[Note than when speaking of nothingness it isn't necesarily related to the nothingness of other meditational paths (that have nothing to do with Judaism) nothingness in this context (in which I am speaking) is davka the most supreme level of something-ness. Since we are understanding tzimtzum in a way opposite to the concept of 'constricting' or 'minimizing.' Only through tremendous growth and 'opening in order to receive' can you get to this place of tzimtzum.]
How do we sensitize ourselves to receive more of HaShem's light? By relegating ourselves to the edges and making more space for HaShem in the middle, essentially performing our own personal tzimtzum. In essence we are opening ourselves up further, to be able to receive more light from HaShem transitioning from something that was once darkness (to us because of the overwhelming magnitude of HaShem's light) into a space of light.
We can learn this lesson from our own eyes. When there is little or no lighting, our eyes open as wide as possible, to gather more light. Similarly, when we are in a dark space spiritually, our souls need to open up as wide as possible to gather more of HaShem's light.
We find something very cool. That HaShem created the world through tzimtzum, to bring his light down to us, and then we return to HaShem through our own tzimtzum, making ever-greater levels of His light available to/through us.
This not only is the picture perfect image of a marriage, where both parties move themselves to the edges so that something much greater than the sum of its parts, a new house of israel, can take form in the middle; it is also the answer to a curious puzzle I raised previously. [here in a shield from death]
I was pondering why it seems that with any revellation of HaShem's being, there corresponds a fall in spiritual level, a kind of death. It seems here after this discussion, that the death that happens is the tzimtzum of the individual that brings about the revellation of HaShem. Rather than the death following the revellation of HaShem, it is possible to understand that the death actually happens first (as a form of tzimtzum) and only through the revellation of HaShem is life restored.
Even from the passuk this can be seen: לא יראני האדם וחי - man cannot see me and live. Instead we can read it like this: לא יראני - someone who is metzumtzam [לא is also א-ל the name that corresponds to din and tzimtzum] will see me. האדם - (which is gematria 50, the final gate of understanding (בינה) which is the level of אין (ayin) nothingness) become ayin [אדם also means 'red' which is the color of דין a midah which also relates to tzimtzum-- ie. האדם can mean become red--a command to undergo tzimtzum.], וחי - and live. (ie. and I will revive/revitalize you)
In short: "Only one who is metzumtzam cane see m; Undergo tzimtzum and live."
This is a Torah that came out of the seudah we had on Rosh Hodesh Av for the sake of the oneness and unity of klal yisrael.
[Note than when speaking of nothingness it isn't necesarily related to the nothingness of other meditational paths (that have nothing to do with Judaism) nothingness in this context (in which I am speaking) is davka the most supreme level of something-ness. Since we are understanding tzimtzum in a way opposite to the concept of 'constricting' or 'minimizing.' Only through tremendous growth and 'opening in order to receive' can you get to this place of tzimtzum.]
the extent of free will
I didn't understand this dvar Torah from Rabbi Gil Locks:
"...However, with the uncleanliness concerning the contamination of the Land of Israel, the Torah is referring to a type of contamination that is entirely spiritual. When there is sin in the land, the land itself becomes spiritually unclean. This means that such things as seeing the spiritual perspective and learning Torah will become much more difficult than when the land was pure. In such a place, it will seem that God is hiding more. Good deeds will become rare, and kindness will all but disappear..."Then I remembered what I had just learned in the Hesed L'Avraham. Rav Azulai explains that the land of Israel is protected entirely from the influence of the other side by a shell that surrounds it. God never lets the outer forces breach this barrier and enter the land except when a person chooses to let these forces in by using his own free will to sin. Because HaShem gives us complete free will, we have the ability to bring these dark influences even into the land of Israel which HaShem constantly protects from such influences.
16.7.07
it's not so different from playing catcher
In yesterday's Tanya, R' Shneur Zalman of Liadi explained that HaShem's forgiveness is infinite. He also went into how we bless Him that he forgives us right after we ask for forgiveness, without even waiting to see if we are forgiven. This is because HaShem has infinite mercy and is always willing to forgive even after repeated transgressions. He's willing to forgive as readily after the thousandth transgression as He was to forgive the first time. In this He is utterly different from a person, who is willing to forgive and forget the first time, but becomes increasingly doubtful with each continued ill.
I'd like to take this in a slightly different direction. The Baal HaTanya also talks about how since we know that HaShem's kindness is infinite, so we know that all of His attributes are similarly infinite. From here he explains how it is that HaShem's Gevurah is able to hide and contain his Hesed, his kindness, when it isn't called for. Since HaShem's Gevurah is also infinite, it can hold back HaShem's infinite kindness.
Now, I'd like to learn about the rest of the Berachoth in the Amidah, the Shemonah Esrei, from what the Baal HaTanya taught yesterday about the berachah of סלח לנו - forgive us. Just as we say that HaShem forgives us immediately after our asking him to, so too we must learn the other berachoth similarly: When we ask HaShem for healing, for beracha/rain/livelihood, for the ingathering of the exiles, for the rebuilding of the Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash, for the coming of ben David, for the answering of our prayers, for the return of His Divine Presence to Zion, for bringing peace to Israel, etc. when we ask HaShem for any of these, we also must know that He grants them immediately.
We have to bring ourselves around to this understanding, we have to come to this level of emunah, just as we need to understand and truly believe that HaShem forgives us completely as soon as we ask it of Him.
One might say "this sounds nice, but that isn't the way the world works." Isn't it? How much of a difference does one's expectations and perceptions have on the outcome of one's efforts? When people (especially children who lack the learned cynicism of adulthood) expect to recover from illness, medical treatments are far more effective. When people lack confidence they fail far more often. When people think something is impossible they give up far more quickly. When people are empowered by faith in themselves and others' faith in them, they accomplish exponentially more.
How do we know it isn't us holding ourselves back? Look to the story of the meraglim. How do we know HaShem's hands aren't open to give us every single thing that we could possibly want or need and it that it isn't just us and our lack of faith getting in the way?
Oh wait, it is just us, because HaShem tells us Himself that the evil never comes from My mouth.
HaShem waits with open arms all day every day for us to jump into them, to say "Abba, protect us, help us, save us."
There is a principle of berachoth in which we say הכל הולך אחר החתימה - everything goes according to the seal. The normal understanding of this is that the most important part of the berachah is the end--it's not complete until the end defines where the berachah is really going. But, we can also read it: everything goes after the seal. After the berachah is already sealed and done, that's where all the challenge comes in. We have to be ready to receive the berachah, if we aren't then all the berachoth in the world won't help us.
I'd like to take this in a slightly different direction. The Baal HaTanya also talks about how since we know that HaShem's kindness is infinite, so we know that all of His attributes are similarly infinite. From here he explains how it is that HaShem's Gevurah is able to hide and contain his Hesed, his kindness, when it isn't called for. Since HaShem's Gevurah is also infinite, it can hold back HaShem's infinite kindness.
Now, I'd like to learn about the rest of the Berachoth in the Amidah, the Shemonah Esrei, from what the Baal HaTanya taught yesterday about the berachah of סלח לנו - forgive us. Just as we say that HaShem forgives us immediately after our asking him to, so too we must learn the other berachoth similarly: When we ask HaShem for healing, for beracha/rain/livelihood, for the ingathering of the exiles, for the rebuilding of the Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash, for the coming of ben David, for the answering of our prayers, for the return of His Divine Presence to Zion, for bringing peace to Israel, etc. when we ask HaShem for any of these, we also must know that He grants them immediately.
We have to bring ourselves around to this understanding, we have to come to this level of emunah, just as we need to understand and truly believe that HaShem forgives us completely as soon as we ask it of Him.
One might say "this sounds nice, but that isn't the way the world works." Isn't it? How much of a difference does one's expectations and perceptions have on the outcome of one's efforts? When people (especially children who lack the learned cynicism of adulthood) expect to recover from illness, medical treatments are far more effective. When people lack confidence they fail far more often. When people think something is impossible they give up far more quickly. When people are empowered by faith in themselves and others' faith in them, they accomplish exponentially more.
How do we know it isn't us holding ourselves back? Look to the story of the meraglim. How do we know HaShem's hands aren't open to give us every single thing that we could possibly want or need and it that it isn't just us and our lack of faith getting in the way?
Oh wait, it is just us, because HaShem tells us Himself that the evil never comes from My mouth.
HaShem waits with open arms all day every day for us to jump into them, to say "Abba, protect us, help us, save us."
There is a principle of berachoth in which we say הכל הולך אחר החתימה - everything goes according to the seal. The normal understanding of this is that the most important part of the berachah is the end--it's not complete until the end defines where the berachah is really going. But, we can also read it: everything goes after the seal. After the berachah is already sealed and done, that's where all the challenge comes in. We have to be ready to receive the berachah, if we aren't then all the berachoth in the world won't help us.
learning from the master
We mentioned in the past that the Ohr HaHayyim explains that HaShem created all of the "construction materials" in the very first expression of the word בראשית. (Bereishith) Then he set everything up on the following six days, leaving everything unfinished, so that we could play our part and finish it.
This morning I was thinking about David HaMelech, he wasn't given permission to build the Beit HaMikdash, but he was promised that his son, Shlomoh, would be the one to build it. This is interesting, because he apparently takes a lesson from HaShem's creation of the world. Even though David HaMelech couldn't build the Beit HaMikdash, he gathered the construction materials that would be necesary in its making, so that Shlomoh wouldn't waste any time in getting straight to the building of it.
[When I was younger and came on trips in the summer to Israel, I remember thinking the Machon HaMikdash (the foundation that prepares the vessels for the Third Temple) was a little off.. but apparently they're just taking their lead from David HaMelech who was copying the original act of creation. May they be blessed in this world and the next.]
This morning I was thinking about David HaMelech, he wasn't given permission to build the Beit HaMikdash, but he was promised that his son, Shlomoh, would be the one to build it. This is interesting, because he apparently takes a lesson from HaShem's creation of the world. Even though David HaMelech couldn't build the Beit HaMikdash, he gathered the construction materials that would be necesary in its making, so that Shlomoh wouldn't waste any time in getting straight to the building of it.
[When I was younger and came on trips in the summer to Israel, I remember thinking the Machon HaMikdash (the foundation that prepares the vessels for the Third Temple) was a little off.. but apparently they're just taking their lead from David HaMelech who was copying the original act of creation. May they be blessed in this world and the next.]
12.7.07
end to the means
There's a level of mitzwah performance in which we derive so much joy from the simple performance of HaShem's Will that all we want as reward is the oppurtunity to perform another mitzwah. The mitzwah is its own reward.
Similarly there is a way to live during the six days of the work week where all our thoughts and all our efforts are so focused on reaching, honoring, and celebrating Shabbath such that we are actually experiencing Shabbath all week long.
This, Rebbe Natan says in Likkutei Halachot (Hilchot Tefillin 4) is the level of relating to God through an 'illuminated lens.' [ispaklaria me'ira] (as opposed to a 'cloudy lens')
Similarly there is a way to live during the six days of the work week where all our thoughts and all our efforts are so focused on reaching, honoring, and celebrating Shabbath such that we are actually experiencing Shabbath all week long.
This, Rebbe Natan says in Likkutei Halachot (Hilchot Tefillin 4) is the level of relating to God through an 'illuminated lens.' [ispaklaria me'ira] (as opposed to a 'cloudy lens')
opening the book
I have a number of different sedarim of learning every day. It's not by any means a long list, but I try to learn at the very least a little after shacharit, (in the morning) a little after mincha, (in the afternoon) and a little after arvit. [maariv] (at night)
It is so hard not to get caught up in the routine, and to open up the sefer and learn like there's nothing else in the world right now except you and HaShem and this sefer as your medium of connection.
But, that's what learning Torah is.
Somehow I received this knowledge from my parents as a child I don't know how else one can attain this, I imagine it must be very very difficult.
It is so hard not to get caught up in the routine, and to open up the sefer and learn like there's nothing else in the world right now except you and HaShem and this sefer as your medium of connection.
But, that's what learning Torah is.
Somehow I received this knowledge from my parents as a child I don't know how else one can attain this, I imagine it must be very very difficult.
9.7.07
the peace of the wise
וכל המקים את דברו רוח חכמים נוחה הימנו
anyone who keeps their word brings solace to the wisemen.
anyone who keeps their word brings solace to the wisemen.
This is the final statement in Masechet Shevi'it, the mishna which discusses the laws of the Shemitah year. The Shemitah year is the seventh year in a repeating seven year cycle in which we are commanded to let the land lay fallow.
More relevant to this particular quote is that all debts between people are to be (automatically) forgiven/forgotten upon the arrival of the Shemitah year. The quote praises those who pay their debt in any case, because then lenders won't be affraid to lend out money to those in need during the sixth year in the cycle. The quote is actually a more general phrasing praising everyone who keeps their word because when people keep to their word, there is no need for disputes in court. Everyone is honorable.
Keeping our word, being upstanding and honorable Jews brings peace to the Hachamim. Since we are overcoming our nature, it seems natural that we are bringing peace to the world and this in turn brings peace to the Hachamim.
I think another reading of this same phrase may be: "all those who keep HaShem's Word, Which is to say all those who keep the Torah, the spirit of the Hachamim rests upon them."
We find this in a number of places, especially in the stories of the Talmidim of the Arizal (whose hillulah is tonight and tomorrow) who merited the ibur of (the impregnation of their soul with the soul of another) a tzaddik from the earlier generations (the Tannaim or Amoraim) because of their extraordinary performance of a particular mitzwah.
scoring on the rebound
The Baal HaTanya explains that our soul is like a rope that connects us to HaShem, through our actions, either we ascend upward to unify with HaShem or else we drag HaShem's head down into the muck with us. (A metaphor for bringing down the divine influx to feed the side of impurity)
We also see in Hesed l'Avraham that Rav Azulai describes how the Shechinah, in Her current state of exile greatly relishes the blessings brought down by even our simplest mitzwoth, being that She is so lacking. Likewise She calls out for judgement when our actions have negative repercussions and cut off the tenuous flow that She still receives.
In parashath Mishpatim, the Noam Elimelech gives us some crucial advice:
When one becomes aware of a sin one committed, one should immediately do teshuvah. He explains that while one remains in his condition of having sinned, any act of Kedushah that s/he may perform will nourish not only the side of holiness but also the "other" side. (chas v'shalom) By performing immediate teshuvah, not only are we cleansed of the sin, but we prevent our unintentional empowerment of the forces of impurity.
All of these different sources have cropped up in my learnings these past few days. Taken together we see the importance of Reb Melech's advice. Whenever we catch ourselves in a transgression, or whenever afterwards, whenever it comes to our attention, we should stop everything and return to HaShem at that very moment.
There are times when our emotional psychological and spiritual wellbeing all require that we pretend that we are perfect tzaddikim with no sins whatsoever--sometimes that is the only way to move on, it is actually part of our secret nuclear arsenal against the yetzer hara. But like any weapon it can be used for good or evil, we must also recognize the times when our avodah will be stronger by fessing up as soon as possible, pausing for a moment and taking responsibility for our actions. Perhaps this is a small taste of what it is to be a true Tzaddik, after all the Noam Elimelech is called the Book of Tzaddikim. We can see David HaMelech, Mosheh Rabbeinu, and other Tzaddikim on numerous occasions falling before HaShem in immediate teshuvah and prayer when they recognized even a potential wrong on their part.
Don't try to jump ahead of yourself, Reb Elimelech also points out that parashath Mishpatim comes right after the commandment not to alight on steps to the mizbeach in the end of parashath Yitro. This is an admonishment about rising above our level, rather than growing slowly and steadily. Perhaps from time to time we can start to introduce immediate Teshuvah into our lives when we have the strength and courage to do so.
In our teshuvah b'zrizut may we merit to receive the countenance of the Shechinah.
We also see in Hesed l'Avraham that Rav Azulai describes how the Shechinah, in Her current state of exile greatly relishes the blessings brought down by even our simplest mitzwoth, being that She is so lacking. Likewise She calls out for judgement when our actions have negative repercussions and cut off the tenuous flow that She still receives.
In parashath Mishpatim, the Noam Elimelech gives us some crucial advice:
When one becomes aware of a sin one committed, one should immediately do teshuvah. He explains that while one remains in his condition of having sinned, any act of Kedushah that s/he may perform will nourish not only the side of holiness but also the "other" side. (chas v'shalom) By performing immediate teshuvah, not only are we cleansed of the sin, but we prevent our unintentional empowerment of the forces of impurity.
All of these different sources have cropped up in my learnings these past few days. Taken together we see the importance of Reb Melech's advice. Whenever we catch ourselves in a transgression, or whenever afterwards, whenever it comes to our attention, we should stop everything and return to HaShem at that very moment.
There are times when our emotional psychological and spiritual wellbeing all require that we pretend that we are perfect tzaddikim with no sins whatsoever--sometimes that is the only way to move on, it is actually part of our secret nuclear arsenal against the yetzer hara. But like any weapon it can be used for good or evil, we must also recognize the times when our avodah will be stronger by fessing up as soon as possible, pausing for a moment and taking responsibility for our actions. Perhaps this is a small taste of what it is to be a true Tzaddik, after all the Noam Elimelech is called the Book of Tzaddikim. We can see David HaMelech, Mosheh Rabbeinu, and other Tzaddikim on numerous occasions falling before HaShem in immediate teshuvah and prayer when they recognized even a potential wrong on their part.
Don't try to jump ahead of yourself, Reb Elimelech also points out that parashath Mishpatim comes right after the commandment not to alight on steps to the mizbeach in the end of parashath Yitro. This is an admonishment about rising above our level, rather than growing slowly and steadily. Perhaps from time to time we can start to introduce immediate Teshuvah into our lives when we have the strength and courage to do so.
In our teshuvah b'zrizut may we merit to receive the countenance of the Shechinah.
5.7.07
pursue her
Bein HaMeitzarim, between the narrows, is the name of this time of year, from the 17th of Tammuz until the 9th of (Menachem) Av.
I wanted to re-link a couple of posts which previously mentioned bein haMetzarim:
the future of song and for the holy Arizal's hillulah.
Most important though, is to know that while we have all different times of the year set aside to fix all different kinds of things (the omer to perfect ourselves to be ready to receive Torah, the 10 days of teshuvah to cleanse us of our sins, the seven days of pesah to remove the "chametz" from our lives, the seven days of sukkoth to acknowledge to transient in our lives, etc etc) this time of year is special in the potential for Torah study. This is the hottest most difficult time of the year (full of so many distractions and diversions) and those who break themselves to attain Torah in this time will not be left unrewarded.*
If you were thinking about starting a chevruta, were curious about a certain sefer in Tanach, fell behind in daf yomi and gave it up, always wanted to get back to that masechet that you learned in yeshivah, or if you just wish you had the time to sit down and say tehillim or go over the weekly parashah, now is the time to do it!
*studying Torah never goes unrewarded (in fact, anyone who ever studied any Torah goes to Gan Eden -Zohar), but it's more accessible now than ever.
I wanted to re-link a couple of posts which previously mentioned bein haMetzarim:
the future of song and for the holy Arizal's hillulah.
Most important though, is to know that while we have all different times of the year set aside to fix all different kinds of things (the omer to perfect ourselves to be ready to receive Torah, the 10 days of teshuvah to cleanse us of our sins, the seven days of pesah to remove the "chametz" from our lives, the seven days of sukkoth to acknowledge to transient in our lives, etc etc) this time of year is special in the potential for Torah study. This is the hottest most difficult time of the year (full of so many distractions and diversions) and those who break themselves to attain Torah in this time will not be left unrewarded.*
If you were thinking about starting a chevruta, were curious about a certain sefer in Tanach, fell behind in daf yomi and gave it up, always wanted to get back to that masechet that you learned in yeshivah, or if you just wish you had the time to sit down and say tehillim or go over the weekly parashah, now is the time to do it!
*studying Torah never goes unrewarded (in fact, anyone who ever studied any Torah goes to Gan Eden -Zohar), but it's more accessible now than ever.
4.7.07
ani moser nafshi
I found in the back of my mincha siddur that I leave at work a kavannah for saying Amen in kadish.
It points out that אמן = אני מוסר נפשי - Amen is an acrostic for I willingly sacrifice my soul.
I never heard that before and it's wild. I always wondered what else Amen meant besides אל מלך נאמן.
It points out that אמן = אני מוסר נפשי - Amen is an acrostic for I willingly sacrifice my soul.
I never heard that before and it's wild. I always wondered what else Amen meant besides אל מלך נאמן.
a shield from death
I'd be interested to know about any sources that discuss this idea.
During tefillah today, I realized that there's a direct connection between revellation of HaShem and breaking. The most obvious is of course: לא יראני האדם וחי - man will not see me and live. We know that any fall in spiritual level is considered a "death." Literally the passuk can be understood to mean, "Every revellation of HaShem comes with a spiritual fall."
This plays itself out in the Amidah: (aka the Shmoneh Esrei) After the first berachah and the revellation of HaShem's love for us, we immediately say the berachah "who reanimates the dead." (מחיי המתים) Meaning, since we just experienced a revellation of HaShem, we just experienced a death, and now we praise HaShem for giving us further life. Again, after the first three berachoth, the fourth berachah is חונן הדעת - "He graces us with knowledge" (knowledge of HaShem) the next berachah is immediately "Who desires our teshuvah." (הרוצה בתשובה) Teshuvah is when one returns to life from the death of a sin.
Finally, we already know that the midrash says that with each of the dibrot, the commandments, that Bnei Yisrael heard at Har Sinai their souls would leave their bodies--ie. death--and would be returned to them.
If the sources bear out support for this idea, (I hope to get a chance to speak to my Rav, perhaps tomorrow) then it seems, the shattering of the vessels and the original sin were all necesary steps in the revellation of Godliness in the world. They were the requisite "deaths" that allowed the continuation of the revellation of Godliness in the world down to the lowest level.
Note, in this scheme of things, the Torah is unique in that the Torah is a shield to all who involve themselves in it. Torah is the only way to a revellation of divinity that doesn't involve a coincident death.
During tefillah today, I realized that there's a direct connection between revellation of HaShem and breaking. The most obvious is of course: לא יראני האדם וחי - man will not see me and live. We know that any fall in spiritual level is considered a "death." Literally the passuk can be understood to mean, "Every revellation of HaShem comes with a spiritual fall."
This plays itself out in the Amidah: (aka the Shmoneh Esrei) After the first berachah and the revellation of HaShem's love for us, we immediately say the berachah "who reanimates the dead." (מחיי המתים) Meaning, since we just experienced a revellation of HaShem, we just experienced a death, and now we praise HaShem for giving us further life. Again, after the first three berachoth, the fourth berachah is חונן הדעת - "He graces us with knowledge" (knowledge of HaShem) the next berachah is immediately "Who desires our teshuvah." (הרוצה בתשובה) Teshuvah is when one returns to life from the death of a sin.
Finally, we already know that the midrash says that with each of the dibrot, the commandments, that Bnei Yisrael heard at Har Sinai their souls would leave their bodies--ie. death--and would be returned to them.
If the sources bear out support for this idea, (I hope to get a chance to speak to my Rav, perhaps tomorrow) then it seems, the shattering of the vessels and the original sin were all necesary steps in the revellation of Godliness in the world. They were the requisite "deaths" that allowed the continuation of the revellation of Godliness in the world down to the lowest level.
Note, in this scheme of things, the Torah is unique in that the Torah is a shield to all who involve themselves in it. Torah is the only way to a revellation of divinity that doesn't involve a coincident death.
3.7.07
teshuva in a moment
ScienceBlog mentions a scientific study bent on discovering how our brain responds to mistakes:
The second time seems kind of sudden, what happened to three strikes and you're out?
From this study we can see that there is a rational behind wisdom of the Talmud. The second time we make a mistake, in less than a tenth of a second the brain has already picked up on it to warn us. The same is true for sins. The second time we perform one, if we don't immediately acknowledge our wrongdoing and do vidui (express our acknowledgement of our wrongdoing before HaShem) we knowingly deny that there was anything wrong in what we did.
On the other hand, when we want to do teshuvah, we see how rapidly the brain is willing to play its part and help us along, keeping us on our toes.
'It's a bit of a cliché to say that we learn more from our mistakes than our successes,' said psychologist Professor Andy Wills of the University of Exeter, 'but for the first time we’ve established just how quickly the brain works to help us avoid repeating errors. By monitoring activity in the brain as it occurs, we were able to identify the moment at which this mechanism kicks in.’This is an interesting study in that the Talmud says that anyone who sins and repeats the sin a second time, that particular sin becomes permissible in his eyes. In other words, once we do something wrong, and then we willingly repeat it, it ceases to have that feeling of wrongdoing in the back of our minds. It's still wrong, we just don't pick up on it anymore.
The second time seems kind of sudden, what happened to three strikes and you're out?
From this study we can see that there is a rational behind wisdom of the Talmud. The second time we make a mistake, in less than a tenth of a second the brain has already picked up on it to warn us. The same is true for sins. The second time we perform one, if we don't immediately acknowledge our wrongdoing and do vidui (express our acknowledgement of our wrongdoing before HaShem) we knowingly deny that there was anything wrong in what we did.
On the other hand, when we want to do teshuvah, we see how rapidly the brain is willing to play its part and help us along, keeping us on our toes.
a growing optimism
It's been such a bright and amazing day, both the end of yesterday and the first half of today (17 tammuz) it feels like the only walls that were broken down today were the walls of Yerushalayim shel ma'alah that were keeping us out. B'ezrat HaShem may we witness the rebuilding of Yerushalayim in our immediate future.
2.7.07
of men and angels
The Ohr HaHayyim HaKadosh describes how when God created the angels he reversed the normal order of things specifically so that no one might think the angels had a hand in creating the world. בדבר ה' שמים נעשו וברוח פיו כל צבאם - In the word of HaShem the heavens were established, and with the breath of His mouth, all of their hosts. Normally breath is a precursor to speech, but in this case, even though the angels were created through his breath, God made His speech work differently, such that the speech came before the breath and not after.
Coincidentally, I learned a day earlier what the Baal HaTanya has to say in comparing the creation of men and angels in his Iggeret HaTeshuvah. (part 3 of the Tanya) He explains that while the angels were created through speech, the externality of God's will, man was created from the inner essence of HaShem's will. This can be seen by the phrase ויפח באפיו נשמת חיים - and He blew into his nose, a living soul. It is explained that to blow requires a much more earnest effort than the small amount of breath expelled in speech. (מן דנפח מתוכיה נפח)
According to the teaching of R' Avraham Azulai in Hesed L'Avraham: He explains that while the awesome holiness of the angels (and constant awareness of the divine presence) surpasses our own, only man can bring about the unification of HaShem with the world, and increase infinitely the influx of HaShem's blessing in the world.
Finally we need to connect this with the Midrash (Midrash Rabbah Bereishit) that when Man was created, the angels couldn't tell him apart from HaShem.
What does all this say to me?
According to the Ohr HaHayyim, HaShem went to great lengths to quell any confusion about the angels' involvement in creation. He didn't take them as a partner, rather He created all the world and everything in it, in order that we could be His partners, that we could be close to him. אשר ברא אלקים לעשות - which the Lord created in order to do. HaShem created everything exactly as it is, so that we, who dwell in the world of עשיה the world of doing, could complete it through our actions.
Rebbe Nachman explains that the paradox that gives us free will is completely beyond our understanding and is the very same paradox that prevents the angels from having free will. (and similarly is beyond their comprehension)
When it comes down to it, the creation of man is the unknowable essence of the creation of the world. As it is taught בראשית, for Israel which is called ראשית (first) the world was created.
Coincidentally, I learned a day earlier what the Baal HaTanya has to say in comparing the creation of men and angels in his Iggeret HaTeshuvah. (part 3 of the Tanya) He explains that while the angels were created through speech, the externality of God's will, man was created from the inner essence of HaShem's will. This can be seen by the phrase ויפח באפיו נשמת חיים - and He blew into his nose, a living soul. It is explained that to blow requires a much more earnest effort than the small amount of breath expelled in speech. (מן דנפח מתוכיה נפח)
According to the teaching of R' Avraham Azulai in Hesed L'Avraham: He explains that while the awesome holiness of the angels (and constant awareness of the divine presence) surpasses our own, only man can bring about the unification of HaShem with the world, and increase infinitely the influx of HaShem's blessing in the world.
Finally we need to connect this with the Midrash (Midrash Rabbah Bereishit) that when Man was created, the angels couldn't tell him apart from HaShem.
What does all this say to me?
According to the Ohr HaHayyim, HaShem went to great lengths to quell any confusion about the angels' involvement in creation. He didn't take them as a partner, rather He created all the world and everything in it, in order that we could be His partners, that we could be close to him. אשר ברא אלקים לעשות - which the Lord created in order to do. HaShem created everything exactly as it is, so that we, who dwell in the world of עשיה the world of doing, could complete it through our actions.
Rebbe Nachman explains that the paradox that gives us free will is completely beyond our understanding and is the very same paradox that prevents the angels from having free will. (and similarly is beyond their comprehension)
When it comes down to it, the creation of man is the unknowable essence of the creation of the world. As it is taught בראשית, for Israel which is called ראשית (first) the world was created.
1.7.07
to order and establish
The Ohr HaHayyim teaches, in the beginning of his perush on the Torah, that the beginning of the Torah is open to misunderstanding and if we misunderstand it, there are those who will assume that certain things predated the creation of the world. Namely that the fire and water, basic elements of the heavens, always existed and were merely formed into "the Heavens" by HaShem when he created the world.
Instead, he explains, HaShem created everything with the utterance of the first word בראשית and only perfected and arranged everything each on its appropriate day. This is like one who builds his palace first by preparing all of the raw materials and only then putting each stone in its proper place.
He proves this from the text: בראשית ברא - in the beginning HaShem created. ששת ימים עשה - six days He established the heavens and the earth. The act of creation was at the beginning, all the rest of the time was a matter of establishing each created thing its place.
In honor of the hillulah of the Ohr HaHayyim today, I'd like to develop this idea and apply it to us in our daily lives. We are commanded to work for six days, and rest on Shabbath, the seventh day. Just as the six days of creation were involved in establishing everything as it had already been created earlier, so to it is our job to establish and order everything HaShem gives us, so that it will all be complete for Shabbath. We don't need to worry where the raw materials will come from, we don't need to worry about our livelihood. That has already been created by HaShem, we only need to worry about putting our livelihood to good use.
Instead, he explains, HaShem created everything with the utterance of the first word בראשית and only perfected and arranged everything each on its appropriate day. This is like one who builds his palace first by preparing all of the raw materials and only then putting each stone in its proper place.
He proves this from the text: בראשית ברא - in the beginning HaShem created. ששת ימים עשה - six days He established the heavens and the earth. The act of creation was at the beginning, all the rest of the time was a matter of establishing each created thing its place.
In honor of the hillulah of the Ohr HaHayyim today, I'd like to develop this idea and apply it to us in our daily lives. We are commanded to work for six days, and rest on Shabbath, the seventh day. Just as the six days of creation were involved in establishing everything as it had already been created earlier, so to it is our job to establish and order everything HaShem gives us, so that it will all be complete for Shabbath. We don't need to worry where the raw materials will come from, we don't need to worry about our livelihood. That has already been created by HaShem, we only need to worry about putting our livelihood to good use.
wealth has its benefits
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov says (Likkutei Moharan I:60:1) that there are very deep understandings in Torah that are only attainable by those with great material wealth.
the light of life
A year ago to the day, I woke up in the morning and remarked to my wife that (although it was still early early morning) the day was absolutely full of light. It was such a spiritually bright day that I knew it was something really special, but I had no idea why. Later on that day, I looked on the internet and discovered that it was the hillulah (the death anniversary) of the Ohr HaHayyim (A Rav who is referred to by the name of his greates work, literally, "the Light of Life.")
Today is the hillulah of the Ohr HaHayyim haKadosh. R' Hayyim ben Atar. The Chida (R' Hayyim David Azulai) was his student for just one year, but still he called him the teacher from whom he learned everything he knew.
The students of the Baal Shem Tov (who was a contemporary of the Ohr HaHayyim) say that on the day of the death of the Ohr HaHayyim, the Baal Shem Tov informed his students of his passing, even though the Ohr HaHayyim lived in Israel many thousands of miles away. How did he know what transpired? "There is a special secret intention in washing one's hands that is revealed to only one person in the world, and in our time it was revealed to the Ohr Hayyim," He explained, "and today that secret intention (kawannah) was revealed to me." [You can find the story with more detail over at Heichal HaNeginah]
I was blessed this year to make it to his kever motzaei shabbath before the crowds really started to show up.
Today is a powerful day for the Jewish people, a great day to perform mitzwoth and pray. May we all merit to serve HaShem with true intentions today through these challenging times ahead in the merit of the Ohr HaHayyim, the Light of Life.
Today is the hillulah of the Ohr HaHayyim haKadosh. R' Hayyim ben Atar. The Chida (R' Hayyim David Azulai) was his student for just one year, but still he called him the teacher from whom he learned everything he knew.
The students of the Baal Shem Tov (who was a contemporary of the Ohr HaHayyim) say that on the day of the death of the Ohr HaHayyim, the Baal Shem Tov informed his students of his passing, even though the Ohr HaHayyim lived in Israel many thousands of miles away. How did he know what transpired? "There is a special secret intention in washing one's hands that is revealed to only one person in the world, and in our time it was revealed to the Ohr Hayyim," He explained, "and today that secret intention (kawannah) was revealed to me." [You can find the story with more detail over at Heichal HaNeginah]
I was blessed this year to make it to his kever motzaei shabbath before the crowds really started to show up.
Today is a powerful day for the Jewish people, a great day to perform mitzwoth and pray. May we all merit to serve HaShem with true intentions today through these challenging times ahead in the merit of the Ohr HaHayyim, the Light of Life.
forever bound
I was learning Hesed l'Avraham (1:23) this morning on the way to work, something I only get to do if I don't have to drive. He was speaking about the Shechinah and the Mishkan, and it occurred to me that many parents can identify (l'havdil) with HaShem's desire to maintain a presence with their children no matter where they may go. Hence, the Shechinah goes with us even into Galut.
Which lead me to see the cellular phone in a whole new light. The cellphone is, l'havdil, the aspect of the Mishkan in our daily lives. Through it, we may remain in contact with those closest to our heart and soul no matter where we go.
Which lead me to see the cellular phone in a whole new light. The cellphone is, l'havdil, the aspect of the Mishkan in our daily lives. Through it, we may remain in contact with those closest to our heart and soul no matter where we go.
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