In Halachic Man, I'm told Rav Soloveitchik describes how the Halachic Jew sees the world through a lens of Halachah. The whole world is revealed in the light of Halachah. Every object takes on a Halachic value, something which reveals its inherent potential to be used by the Jew to serve HaShem. (I haven't read the book myself, but I find this idea beautiful, as it is a beautiful idea.)
It occurred to me that this is just one of the שבעים פנים, the seventy faces, of the Torah. There are seventy different ways in which every Jewish person can look out on the world and view every single object through that lens. In this way the whole world is rich with Torah content, this is evident from the fact that the world has no existence that is independent from the Torah. As the midrash explains, the Torah was the pattern, blueprint, and inspiration for the creation of the world and everything in it.
I came to this understanding because the vantage point from which I generally peer out upon our world is subtly different from the Halachic lens. My lens is one of the poetry of Tanach, the way that everything and every moment that will ever fall upon me have already been written into a scroll thousands of years old. The awareness that every action and every interaction are just reexpressions of things hinted at and revealed from a fire-swathed mountaintop to my ancestors thousands of years ago.
It is not a perception of the pervasive nature of Torah Law on all levels, it is the perception that every moment in my life is the equivalent of the unnecesary but thoughtful and pleasantly surprising chocolate mint on my hotel room pillow. I don't need it, I wouldn't have complained if it wasn't there, and it certainly wasn't necessary to go to so much trouble for someone so insignificant as myself, but I'm delighted to see that it's there.
That's from the Yirah side.. and from the Ahavah side, it's being the object of affection, pursued ever more brilliantly, ever more overwhelmingly until I long ago lost the ability to breath. I couldn't possibly bear the next show of affection and still continue to exist.
There's at the very least sixty-eight more where those came from, and I'm excited to explore.
28.11.07
letters that unite above and below
I always thought that the angels were called the numerous above (המוני מעלה) and we down here were known as the group below (קבוצי מטה) and together, each in our rightful place we praise HaShem and say קדוש, kadosh. I understood that so many mistakes were made throughout history because we didn't understand or accept our place. Hassidut did a great service and helped us to realize that there is no better place to be than in the world, involved in Torah, Tefillah, and Mitzwoth. That is our job. (or to quote an 80s movie, Goonies, "it's our time, our time down here.")
Rav Avraham Azulai explains (Hesed L'Avraham 2:22) the secret on a deeper level: The "numerous above" are the souls of the Tzaddikim in Gan Eden who ride down upon the ladders created by the letters of new Torah being learned in the world in order to unite with those down here who are learning Torah. This joining of the Tzaddikim in shamayim and Bnei Yisrael in the world is exactly the right formula to complete the union of HaShem's dwelling place within the world. This is the secret of the המוני מעלה and the קבוצי מטה.
Rav Avraham Azulai explains (Hesed L'Avraham 2:22) the secret on a deeper level: The "numerous above" are the souls of the Tzaddikim in Gan Eden who ride down upon the ladders created by the letters of new Torah being learned in the world in order to unite with those down here who are learning Torah. This joining of the Tzaddikim in shamayim and Bnei Yisrael in the world is exactly the right formula to complete the union of HaShem's dwelling place within the world. This is the secret of the המוני מעלה and the קבוצי מטה.
fond memories
In the desert, we complained about the סיר הבשר - the pot of meat we had in Egypt. Of course life wasn't as good as we claimed, one of the explanations of this verse says that we didn't get to eat meat, we were slaves, but just being downwind from the cooking of the Egyptians was something we remembered fondly.
On a deeper level we weren't complaining about a pot of meat, but about the experience of being within the womb of Egypt. Surrounded by the heat of our mother's flesh. According to a metaphorical approach, we were a fetus developing within the womb of Egypt. When we were fully developed, we were born out of Egypt, passing through the breaking of the water, and into the world, one whole nation, screaming/singing praises to HaShem. (Shirat HaYam/Az Yashir) This level of metaphor even explains the death of the Egyptian people at the time, the now unnecessary placenta.
Imagine a baby's first few months in the world, some pediatricians explain the first three months of a baby's life as a fourth trimester of pregnancy, the only difference now is that the baby is on the outside. Surely the baby remembers the warmth and comfort of the womb, all its needs met with no effort to suck or swallow, no freezing air with each labored breath, no struggle to evacuate its own waste.
Think about it, one day again soon (may it be very soon) we will cry about the סיר הבשר, the fond memory of the womb of this world. Sure we can look back on the pre-infant that was Israel in Egypt and point out: what's all the commotion about, it wasn't comfortable at all? Yeah we got food but we had to break our backs for it. Sure we lived and grew and multiplied, but they tried to destroy us! We can certainly say the same things about this world, it's not easy, its no comfort, but nonetheless this world is a womb where all our needs are met, preparing us for birth into something bigger, more real, the next step in our development. At the same time it will be disorienting, just as this world is for a newborn, just as the desert was for the fledgling nation which begot us.
On a deeper level we weren't complaining about a pot of meat, but about the experience of being within the womb of Egypt. Surrounded by the heat of our mother's flesh. According to a metaphorical approach, we were a fetus developing within the womb of Egypt. When we were fully developed, we were born out of Egypt, passing through the breaking of the water, and into the world, one whole nation, screaming/singing praises to HaShem. (Shirat HaYam/Az Yashir) This level of metaphor even explains the death of the Egyptian people at the time, the now unnecessary placenta.
Imagine a baby's first few months in the world, some pediatricians explain the first three months of a baby's life as a fourth trimester of pregnancy, the only difference now is that the baby is on the outside. Surely the baby remembers the warmth and comfort of the womb, all its needs met with no effort to suck or swallow, no freezing air with each labored breath, no struggle to evacuate its own waste.
Think about it, one day again soon (may it be very soon) we will cry about the סיר הבשר, the fond memory of the womb of this world. Sure we can look back on the pre-infant that was Israel in Egypt and point out: what's all the commotion about, it wasn't comfortable at all? Yeah we got food but we had to break our backs for it. Sure we lived and grew and multiplied, but they tried to destroy us! We can certainly say the same things about this world, it's not easy, its no comfort, but nonetheless this world is a womb where all our needs are met, preparing us for birth into something bigger, more real, the next step in our development. At the same time it will be disorienting, just as this world is for a newborn, just as the desert was for the fledgling nation which begot us.
27.11.07
falling out of touch
When we are in the middle of tefillah, we are in a space of gadlut, an enlightened state. When we leave prayer, we leave that state, and with it we leave that closeness we share with HaShem and go back into normal reality. The goal is to bind yourself so tightly during tefillah that you don't come down, don't let go of HaShem, not even when you've gone back to mundane reality.
[brought down by the Noam Elimelech (parashath Emor)]
How close can we bind ourselves to HaShem in tefillah? I don't know if there's a limit, but I do know that in the past we mentioned the Noam Elimelech discussing souls of the Tzaddikim unifying with HaShem in the words of prayer and Torah learning. I think there is an attainable level of davening for us where we are aware of the words of our prayers leaving our lips. Through this awareness we can come close to kissing HaShem.
[brought down by the Noam Elimelech (parashath Emor)]
How close can we bind ourselves to HaShem in tefillah? I don't know if there's a limit, but I do know that in the past we mentioned the Noam Elimelech discussing souls of the Tzaddikim unifying with HaShem in the words of prayer and Torah learning. I think there is an attainable level of davening for us where we are aware of the words of our prayers leaving our lips. Through this awareness we can come close to kissing HaShem.
keeping everything in context
The Noam Elimelech (parashath Emor) explains that when trying to influence an individual through advice or encouragement, it is very important to relate to the klal, the entirety of Israel, rather than just to the individual. This is one of the meanings of "being careful with the great as well as with the small" (להזהיר גדולים אל קטנים)
vessels for oil
Melachim Bet perek 4 has the story of Ovadiah's wife who comes to Elisha and says she has nothing but a small bottle of oil. Elisha tells her to gather as many vessels as she can, and then to go into her house and pour out the oil into all the vessels. The oil flowed without limit, only the number of vessels put a limit on the oil. When there were no vessels left, the oil ceased to flow.
This is the secret of the world to come. Our mitzwoth and Torah and all of our actions in this world create vessels through which we are able to receive HaShem's infinite light in the world to come. The more and finer vessels we create in this world, the more of HaShem's light we will be able to perceive in the world to come. HaShem's light is infinite and so the only limit on our experience in the world to come is the vessels which we create in this world.
[Oil is one of the names used to refer to Hochmah, wisdom, in the Kabbalistic literature.]
This is the secret of the world to come. Our mitzwoth and Torah and all of our actions in this world create vessels through which we are able to receive HaShem's infinite light in the world to come. The more and finer vessels we create in this world, the more of HaShem's light we will be able to perceive in the world to come. HaShem's light is infinite and so the only limit on our experience in the world to come is the vessels which we create in this world.
[Oil is one of the names used to refer to Hochmah, wisdom, in the Kabbalistic literature.]
a secret of dancing
At a simcha, (even moreso than a mundane gathering of a large group of Jews) the Shechinah is present. There is a tremendous ratzon from shamayim to entertain the ba'alei simcha and through them, the Shechinah, the dancing is a major part of this. When you realize that it isn't your energy you are dancing with, that you have the ability to become a kli, a vessel, to express this ratzon, to dance indefinitely, it is like giving feet to the Torah on Simchat Torah. And as chazal tell us, the Aron was nosei et nos'av. (the ark carried those who carried it)
[see Dixie Yid for a post about getting into the dancing]
[see Dixie Yid for a post about getting into the dancing]
26.11.07
prayers of princes
In Tzava'ath HaRivash, the Baal Shem Tov teaches that the angels in the supernal realms are like ministers to the King, HaShem. Just as the minister always fears angering the King, so too the angel lives in fear of angering HaShem. For this reason the angels in shamayim pray very simply before HaShem utteringly only a single passuk or even a single word.
Unlike the ministers of the King, the King's son not only doesn't fear his Father's anger, the son's presence actually calms the King's anger. Therefore it is the Son's responsibility to speak the King's praises at length, because only he can.
We, Bnei Yisrael are called HaShem's children, and so it falls upon us to pray at great length, this brings tremendous happiness to our Father, and much rachamim upon all the world.
Unlike the ministers of the King, the King's son not only doesn't fear his Father's anger, the son's presence actually calms the King's anger. Therefore it is the Son's responsibility to speak the King's praises at length, because only he can.
We, Bnei Yisrael are called HaShem's children, and so it falls upon us to pray at great length, this brings tremendous happiness to our Father, and much rachamim upon all the world.
learning the body and understanding the soul
Finishing off our discussion of the holiness of the letters of Torah as discussed in the Hesed L'Avraham, (last discussed here) we reach an important question:
Well, if we do actually benefit from learning and reading the Torah even if we don't understand or remember it, then what is the point of understanding it and remembering it?
Simple. The person who learns and understands is able to connect to a far loftier reality of the Torah than one who learns without understanding. This is so much the case that the learning of the one who understands is like unto the soul compared with the body of the learning of the one who does not understand. This relationship plays out further in that the learning of one who understands the sod, the secrets of the Torah, is similarly far beyond (as the soul to the body) the learning of someone who understands only the p'shat, the simple/basic understanding.
He goes on even to list a number of levels of sod, of hidden understandings and meanings, including the understanding of the secrets of the letters, and above this the understandings of the secrets of the permutations of the letters, and above this the understandings of the secrets of the names of HaShem, and above this the understandings of the secrets of the permutations of the names of HaShem. [He warns though that while it is permitted to learn this level for the sake of growing closer to HaShem, it is forebidden to use this knowledge actively as most of this knowledge is lost to us and it is impossible to make use of it without causing dire harm to oneself [and the world.]]
Well, if we do actually benefit from learning and reading the Torah even if we don't understand or remember it, then what is the point of understanding it and remembering it?
Simple. The person who learns and understands is able to connect to a far loftier reality of the Torah than one who learns without understanding. This is so much the case that the learning of the one who understands is like unto the soul compared with the body of the learning of the one who does not understand. This relationship plays out further in that the learning of one who understands the sod, the secrets of the Torah, is similarly far beyond (as the soul to the body) the learning of someone who understands only the p'shat, the simple/basic understanding.
He goes on even to list a number of levels of sod, of hidden understandings and meanings, including the understanding of the secrets of the letters, and above this the understandings of the secrets of the permutations of the letters, and above this the understandings of the secrets of the names of HaShem, and above this the understandings of the secrets of the permutations of the names of HaShem. [He warns though that while it is permitted to learn this level for the sake of growing closer to HaShem, it is forebidden to use this knowledge actively as most of this knowledge is lost to us and it is impossible to make use of it without causing dire harm to oneself [and the world.]]
the poor at harvest's end
At the end of Parashath Kedoshim the Noam Elimelech explains that a Tzaddik who is connected to HaShem always on a very high level shouldn't perform the physical actions of mitzwoth directly [presumably excluding the mitzwoth one must perform with one's own body] rather to let others do the physical act of the mitzwah for them. Through the physical actions of the mitzwah we purify and refine our bodies to be able to receive Godliness, the Tzaddik whose body is already refined should let someone else perform the action, since their body needs no further refinement. This person who is should still perform the physical action is alluded to as an ani, a poor person.
He also mentions that in the coming of Moshiah, Moshiah will give to each whatever he desires, be it gold, silver, or other physicality. Those who take Moshiah's offerings will remain too physical and corporeal to alight with the Moshiah (and the Tzaddikim who have drawn close to him) to Gan Eden.
I was thinking perhaps there is a relationship between the two statements. On the one hand, the Tzaddik no longer needs the physicality, but the poor people who still measure their wealth based on physicality, still needs the physical performance of the mitzwoth to purify their corporeality. Perhaps the people being left behind while the Tzaddikim go into Gan Eden doesn't signify a sad end, but rather another chance. The Tzaddikim leave the physical performance of the mitzwoth to these poor people, so that they too can rectify their physical body and eventually alight to Gan Eden.
He also mentions that in the coming of Moshiah, Moshiah will give to each whatever he desires, be it gold, silver, or other physicality. Those who take Moshiah's offerings will remain too physical and corporeal to alight with the Moshiah (and the Tzaddikim who have drawn close to him) to Gan Eden.
I was thinking perhaps there is a relationship between the two statements. On the one hand, the Tzaddik no longer needs the physicality, but the poor people who still measure their wealth based on physicality, still needs the physical performance of the mitzwoth to purify their corporeality. Perhaps the people being left behind while the Tzaddikim go into Gan Eden doesn't signify a sad end, but rather another chance. The Tzaddikim leave the physical performance of the mitzwoth to these poor people, so that they too can rectify their physical body and eventually alight to Gan Eden.
21.11.07
for all their brains, jews still can't count - a reminder to myself and whoever else wants one
One of the explanations for what happened at Har Sinai with the Egel Hazahav is that we failed to count the days in question, counting one less than we were meant to. This is one of the explanations we are given as children in school. We have this thing about counting short.. we don't give the full forty lashes, only 39, there aren't forty avot melachot on Shabbath, there's only 39. Maybe we had a valid basis to count only 39 days by Har Sinai also... but what can we learn from it all?
Don't get bogged down in the math. Afterwards, the math will work itself out, in the meantime we have to keep doing what we're doing. Especially regarding Moshiah, the descendant of David HaMelech, the future messiah of Israel.
It's not our job to figure out when its going to happen, in fact trying to do so usually has the opposite of the desired effect. If we find amazing hints that the Moshiah is coming this pesach, it means that we still have a few more months to goof off, and then, come the sobriety after Purim we'll start to really put the pedal to the metal and get all our mitzwoth in before its too late.
True, for some, telling them moshiah is coming in a month might get them to hunker down and get to work, for most, as long as moshiah is coming the day after tomorrow, we can still worry about it tomorrow instead of today.
Who really wants to wait two years, two months, even two days for a better job, a better house, a better car, if it could be had today, wouldn't we make it happen today? Shouldn't we make it happen today?
Our unique and individual relationship with HaShem is nice and comfortable, but couldn't it be more? In the time of Moshiah won't it be better? In the time of the world to come won't it be even better? Why not strive for that relationship with HaShem today, after all as far as HaShem's concerned time doesn't exist. HaShem is totally, completely and unequivocally beyond time.
He only put time into place so that we can build the tools over time to bring ourselves closer to Him, to be able to receive the reality of Him. ושכנתי בתוכם - and I will dwell within you. What's our excuse? What are we waiting for?
We think that time is there to give us more chances to connect to HaShem, what we don't understand is that time is there to enable us to make use of every second to be more ready and more able to receive Him. Every minute of the day that isn't devoted to making room in our lives, in our selves, for HaShem is a minute we don't get back, it's a whole world of perception, of connection, that is now closed to us.
The Tzaddikim are called Shabbath because they live all week on the level of revelation of HaShem that is available to us only on Shabbath. The Tzaddikim are said to live in the time of Moshiah because they prepare themselves to receive HaShem on the level of the revelation of Moshiah every day. The Tzaddikim are said to live in the time of the Resurrection of the Dead because they take the opportunity available to them every minute because they know HaShem doesn't put the breaks on our development, only we do.
Stop counting, stop divining, and start growing, building, and doing. We want Moshiah now.
Don't get bogged down in the math. Afterwards, the math will work itself out, in the meantime we have to keep doing what we're doing. Especially regarding Moshiah, the descendant of David HaMelech, the future messiah of Israel.
It's not our job to figure out when its going to happen, in fact trying to do so usually has the opposite of the desired effect. If we find amazing hints that the Moshiah is coming this pesach, it means that we still have a few more months to goof off, and then, come the sobriety after Purim we'll start to really put the pedal to the metal and get all our mitzwoth in before its too late.
True, for some, telling them moshiah is coming in a month might get them to hunker down and get to work, for most, as long as moshiah is coming the day after tomorrow, we can still worry about it tomorrow instead of today.
Who really wants to wait two years, two months, even two days for a better job, a better house, a better car, if it could be had today, wouldn't we make it happen today? Shouldn't we make it happen today?
Our unique and individual relationship with HaShem is nice and comfortable, but couldn't it be more? In the time of Moshiah won't it be better? In the time of the world to come won't it be even better? Why not strive for that relationship with HaShem today, after all as far as HaShem's concerned time doesn't exist. HaShem is totally, completely and unequivocally beyond time.
He only put time into place so that we can build the tools over time to bring ourselves closer to Him, to be able to receive the reality of Him. ושכנתי בתוכם - and I will dwell within you. What's our excuse? What are we waiting for?
We think that time is there to give us more chances to connect to HaShem, what we don't understand is that time is there to enable us to make use of every second to be more ready and more able to receive Him. Every minute of the day that isn't devoted to making room in our lives, in our selves, for HaShem is a minute we don't get back, it's a whole world of perception, of connection, that is now closed to us.
The Tzaddikim are called Shabbath because they live all week on the level of revelation of HaShem that is available to us only on Shabbath. The Tzaddikim are said to live in the time of Moshiah because they prepare themselves to receive HaShem on the level of the revelation of Moshiah every day. The Tzaddikim are said to live in the time of the Resurrection of the Dead because they take the opportunity available to them every minute because they know HaShem doesn't put the breaks on our development, only we do.
Stop counting, stop divining, and start growing, building, and doing. We want Moshiah now.
of clothes new and old
Continuing along [from yesterday] in Hesed L'Avraham (2:11) of Rav Avraham Azulai (zt"l) we learn that while each of the letters of the Torah is rooted in the spiritual and not merely a tangential physical phenomenon, the combination of the letters awakens and emerges a new state of existence, a new creation that until now had never been.
In fact, the nature of the Torah is imbued with the union of all of the different relationships, combinations, and permutations of all the letters. As we are able to remove the physical clothing of our souls, in the days to come, so too will the Torah be removed from her physical clothing. The more removed from the physical we become the more readily the deeper secrets of the interactions of the letters of the Torah will be revealed and come alive.
He notes that it is important to understand that [just as we are still us, underneath all the clothes, so too,] the revelation of the Torah in no way reflects a change in the underlying Torah, only a change in our ability to receive and connect to the Torah.
In fact, the nature of the Torah is imbued with the union of all of the different relationships, combinations, and permutations of all the letters. As we are able to remove the physical clothing of our souls, in the days to come, so too will the Torah be removed from her physical clothing. The more removed from the physical we become the more readily the deeper secrets of the interactions of the letters of the Torah will be revealed and come alive.
He notes that it is important to understand that [just as we are still us, underneath all the clothes, so too,] the revelation of the Torah in no way reflects a change in the underlying Torah, only a change in our ability to receive and connect to the Torah.
20.11.07
of books, scrolls, and something else entirely
The Written Torah isn't simply a means devised by the transmitter to encode information in written form. If it were, then once someone knows the information by heart, the writing no longer serves a purpose. Similarly, if one were to struggle for years and never retain anything, we would assume he wasted those years and writing is of no use to him.
The letters themselves are inherently spiritual, and awaken great spiritual power from the highest of places every time they are spoken or written, or even thought.
(paraphrased from Hesed L'Avraham 2:11)
19.11.07
mixed multitudes
I've mentioned a number of times (here's one for example) that it bothers me why we need to relate to HaShem through so many intermediary means, rather than relating directly through prayer all the time. Why do we need these different structures and systems? Why do we need all these worlds?
The Noam Elimelech has a great answer for me:
What exactly was Kayin's sin that he offered up fruits of the earth, he was a farmer? The problem is, that HaShem created many many worlds and it is our job to connect them all back to HaShem, to relate to HaShem through them all. It isn't enough to say simply, I know and believe that God exists, for what do I need all these worlds? Kayin wanted to do that, he said, I'm a farmer, I rely on HaShem for everything He provides, and I will relate to Him on that level.
This isn't enough. All the worlds and everything in creation was created for the sole purpose of our connecting to and interacting with HaShem. We need to relate to Him via all available media.
The Noam Elimelech has a great answer for me:
What exactly was Kayin's sin that he offered up fruits of the earth, he was a farmer? The problem is, that HaShem created many many worlds and it is our job to connect them all back to HaShem, to relate to HaShem through them all. It isn't enough to say simply, I know and believe that God exists, for what do I need all these worlds? Kayin wanted to do that, he said, I'm a farmer, I rely on HaShem for everything He provides, and I will relate to Him on that level.
This isn't enough. All the worlds and everything in creation was created for the sole purpose of our connecting to and interacting with HaShem. We need to relate to Him via all available media.
15.11.07
a prayer offering
Rav Avraham Azulai (Hesed L'Avraham 2:5) explains that the Karbanot in the Beit HaMikdash are able to unify and connect all the lower and upper worlds. The elevation of the Karban, the act itself, would unite and connect the three lower worlds, Beriyah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, and the intent of the Kohen would unite and connect them all back with the highest world, Atzilut. Without the intent of the Kohen, the light can't flow as it is meant to and the worlds cannot truly benefit from and enjoy the Karban. This is true of both the Ketoret, the incense offering, and the other animal offerings. The only other mitzwah that has this same power to unite and connect all the worlds is Tefillah, prayer, which was instated along the lines of the daily and special musaf offerings.
14.11.07
investing today in tomorrow
In the past I've spoken about how every revellation of holiness involves an element of death. In looking into the first two berachoth of the Amidah (shemoneh esrei) I've gained a new understanding. The relationship of the first two berachoth is the relationship of Hochmah (Wisdom) and Binah. (Understanding) These two attributes are called Abba and Ema, father and mother. According to Chazal, a child begins as something purely intellectual, a drop that begins in his father's mind and eventually impregnates his mother. Within his mother the drop is fleshed out from something barely corporeal into a fully-formed complete person. (a Komah Shelaimah)
What in the past has appeared to me as an element of death is actually the fall of the drop from the intellect of the father into the womb of the mother. It is a yeridah l'tzorech aliyah, a fall in order to rise. In the womb the idea is given clothing, garbed in manifold layers of interfaces with which it can interact with the world, expressing its underlying will. These interfaces are the 248 limbs and 365 sinews. Through each element of the body, the clothing of the soul, one of the 613 mitzwoth is given voice.
There is a major element here that I had never really considered or understood before. The pure intellectual drop cannot grow, it has no permanence, without the womb. Only in the womb of the mother can that momentary thought find a chance at a real and lasting life. It is important to recognize that just as the initial inspiration drop was hidden away inside the mind of his father, so too is the drop hidden away within his mother's womb. Only in a hidden place can this drop come to be, and only in a hidden place can this drop grow into a whole and complete world.
Of course to accomplish anything, to express his will, the new child must exit the womb and enter into the world. The revealed world is where the most important actions of the child will take place. Only in the light of day is the child's true character revealed.
This is an important point. Every day consists of a period of light and a period of darkness. The light of day is there to determine and make known what is. The darkness of night is the time in which growth and change actually take place. As Shlomo HaMelech says, "there is nothing new under the sun." Only in the darkness of night is there newness, the moon which changes and grows anew each month, each hodesh, each hadash, each newness.
Each morning a new light is shined upon the world that never was seen before, and each night the light dissipates so that new growth and change can be.
In this sense, night goes from being a time of fear and dinim, to a time of blessing and growth, true the light has left the world, but only to hide all of creation so that HaShem may actively recreate us, grow us, into something new and greater.
Each night before we sleep it is important to say Shema and vidui (acknowledge all our shortcomings of the day) then we sleep--our Neshama, our soul, ascends to the spiritual heights and is allowed to grow and develop only to return new and greater the next morning when we wake to the light of the new day to see what changed and what has become of the world overnight.
For someone who fears the darkness it is comforting to awaken each morning and see that everything is just as we left it. But, for someone who wants to grow so much, wants the world and life to be so much more, everything being the same tomorrow is what we fear.
This is why emunah is so important in the night, emunah is the recognition that only HaShem controls what will be, because only HaShem can cause real growth. Our actions during the day show HaShem how much we want to achieve how much we really want to grow, how much we we made use of everthing HaShem gave us today, and in the night is when HaShem assesses and fulfills our desires of the day.
That's the fear of the din, the judgment, of the night, we fear that we didn't make it clear how much we want and need from HaShem tomorrow. We fear that perhaps HaShem will find us lacking and give us a rude awakening tomorrow. It behooves us to give HaShem everything today so that HaShem will give us everything tomorrow.
What in the past has appeared to me as an element of death is actually the fall of the drop from the intellect of the father into the womb of the mother. It is a yeridah l'tzorech aliyah, a fall in order to rise. In the womb the idea is given clothing, garbed in manifold layers of interfaces with which it can interact with the world, expressing its underlying will. These interfaces are the 248 limbs and 365 sinews. Through each element of the body, the clothing of the soul, one of the 613 mitzwoth is given voice.
There is a major element here that I had never really considered or understood before. The pure intellectual drop cannot grow, it has no permanence, without the womb. Only in the womb of the mother can that momentary thought find a chance at a real and lasting life. It is important to recognize that just as the initial inspiration drop was hidden away inside the mind of his father, so too is the drop hidden away within his mother's womb. Only in a hidden place can this drop come to be, and only in a hidden place can this drop grow into a whole and complete world.
Of course to accomplish anything, to express his will, the new child must exit the womb and enter into the world. The revealed world is where the most important actions of the child will take place. Only in the light of day is the child's true character revealed.
This is an important point. Every day consists of a period of light and a period of darkness. The light of day is there to determine and make known what is. The darkness of night is the time in which growth and change actually take place. As Shlomo HaMelech says, "there is nothing new under the sun." Only in the darkness of night is there newness, the moon which changes and grows anew each month, each hodesh, each hadash, each newness.
Each morning a new light is shined upon the world that never was seen before, and each night the light dissipates so that new growth and change can be.
In this sense, night goes from being a time of fear and dinim, to a time of blessing and growth, true the light has left the world, but only to hide all of creation so that HaShem may actively recreate us, grow us, into something new and greater.
Each night before we sleep it is important to say Shema and vidui (acknowledge all our shortcomings of the day) then we sleep--our Neshama, our soul, ascends to the spiritual heights and is allowed to grow and develop only to return new and greater the next morning when we wake to the light of the new day to see what changed and what has become of the world overnight.
For someone who fears the darkness it is comforting to awaken each morning and see that everything is just as we left it. But, for someone who wants to grow so much, wants the world and life to be so much more, everything being the same tomorrow is what we fear.
This is why emunah is so important in the night, emunah is the recognition that only HaShem controls what will be, because only HaShem can cause real growth. Our actions during the day show HaShem how much we want to achieve how much we really want to grow, how much we we made use of everthing HaShem gave us today, and in the night is when HaShem assesses and fulfills our desires of the day.
That's the fear of the din, the judgment, of the night, we fear that we didn't make it clear how much we want and need from HaShem tomorrow. We fear that perhaps HaShem will find us lacking and give us a rude awakening tomorrow. It behooves us to give HaShem everything today so that HaShem will give us everything tomorrow.
13.11.07
empty acts
The Baal HaTanya explains that when we perform mitzwoth the life force we use derives from our Godly soul. On the other hand, when we perform aveiroth (transgress prohibitions) the life force we use to do so derives from our animal soul.
The Noam Elimelech runs with this idea and explains something fantastic:
When we perform a mitzwah, we move or gesture in a certain way. This particular motion that we do is a revellation of our Godly soul, a revellation of HaShem's infinite light in this finite world. When somebody else sees that motion and imitates it, they have none of the same intentions or spiritual forces at work, all they are doing is moving their body. In other words they are performing a meaningless action for its own sake. This, the Noam Elimelech explains, is avodah zarah. They didn't even understand that what they found desirable about the gesture was not the gesture itself but the soul revealed in that particular gesture. This is why the gestures of Tzaddikim cause people great joy.
This is a kind of abstract idea, but it has cool implications. I think it pays to look at it like this:
When someone smiles at you, they are expressing a spiritual joy at seeing you. When this mkaes you smile, your soul is sharing and reciprocating that joy. This makes all the difference, because when someone smiles at you just to perform the act of smiling at you, it doesn't make you feel the same way, there's no soul in that gesture, just the gesture itself.
In a sense smiling without meaning it is what the Noam Elimelech is talking about, it is a lie that does nothing but increase the uncertainty in the world, it is a kind of Avodah Zara. [A subtle point: if you are smiling to be nice out of derech eretz, then that is something else entirely.]
The Baal Shem Tov explained this experience: We can see that it is the soul within a person that interests us, because if the person were lying lifeless before you, the body is still there, but you wouldn't address them with the same interest.
The Noam Elimelech runs with this idea and explains something fantastic:
When we perform a mitzwah, we move or gesture in a certain way. This particular motion that we do is a revellation of our Godly soul, a revellation of HaShem's infinite light in this finite world. When somebody else sees that motion and imitates it, they have none of the same intentions or spiritual forces at work, all they are doing is moving their body. In other words they are performing a meaningless action for its own sake. This, the Noam Elimelech explains, is avodah zarah. They didn't even understand that what they found desirable about the gesture was not the gesture itself but the soul revealed in that particular gesture. This is why the gestures of Tzaddikim cause people great joy.
This is a kind of abstract idea, but it has cool implications. I think it pays to look at it like this:
When someone smiles at you, they are expressing a spiritual joy at seeing you. When this mkaes you smile, your soul is sharing and reciprocating that joy. This makes all the difference, because when someone smiles at you just to perform the act of smiling at you, it doesn't make you feel the same way, there's no soul in that gesture, just the gesture itself.
In a sense smiling without meaning it is what the Noam Elimelech is talking about, it is a lie that does nothing but increase the uncertainty in the world, it is a kind of Avodah Zara. [A subtle point: if you are smiling to be nice out of derech eretz, then that is something else entirely.]
The Baal Shem Tov explained this experience: We can see that it is the soul within a person that interests us, because if the person were lying lifeless before you, the body is still there, but you wouldn't address them with the same interest.
11.11.07
the real war is the small battle
Chazal explain that wherever you find HaShem's greatness, there you find HaShem's humility. We see many examples of this: Esav was the big important man who accomplished things and Yaakov Avinu was quiet and dwelt in the tent, studying Torah. HaShem chose Yaakov Avinu to be His holy nation. Har Sinai was the lowest of all the mountains, and yet it was there that HaShem chose to reveal the Torah in the world. Mosheh Rabbeinu was more humble than any man, and it was through this humility that he merited to receive the Torah.
One of the questions we could ask is, "why?" But I'm more interested right now in looking at what that it means for us. Perhaps in this way we can also see a little bit of one of the reasons as to why.
In order to create an environment in which each person truly has free will to choose HaShem's Torah, the choose life, HaShem had to hide Himself. There are many levels and many ways in which HaShem hides Himself. First and foremost is that He constricts His light in such a way that we experience darkness, both on a spiritual and a physical level. This step wasn't enough in and of itself, rather he created spiritual forces that pull us in directions opposite to HaShem's will. In such ways he creates a vaccuum, we feel the pull of our natural desire to do HaShem's will, and the pull of our yetzer hara to go against HaShem's will. Right there, in the middle of these to competing forces, we have an area of free-fall, an area of free will. We can choose whether to reinforce our positive or our negative desires. We rule over both of them and they don't rule over us.
The Satan, (S"M as he is called) is the collective total of all those forces that pull us away from HaShem's will. He tries to break down and pull under any person who might try to raise themselves up in the service of HaShem.
What happened with Esav and Yaakov? Why did Yaakov merit to receive the blessings of his father? Esav was the more powerful, Esav had far more potential than Yaakov, so logically the Satan bent all his effort and all his will to seduce, beat down, and destroy Esav. Yaakov, who held himself humbly and made himself seem unimportant was no threat, and therefore of no interest to the Satan.
Realize what this really means. Even if the Satan knew about Yaakov Avinu's potential, if he neglected Esav and worked whole-heartedly to depose Yaakov Avinu, Esav could have become a Tzaddik and the Satan would not have had the power to stop him. In such a way, the Satan must always confront the greater and more powerful threat and neglect the lesser threat who makes himself small.
This is the greatness of HaShem that reveals His humility. The world is created such that only those who make themselves small and humble can succeed at connecting to HaShem. That success will also inevitably overcome the Satan. Since the Satan's great power is spent on knocking down those who try and raise themselves up. Through this system HaShem ultimately knocks down the Satan who raises himself up.
Evil cannot win. ever. This is the kindness of HaShem and the system which He created, to allow us individual souls to choose between good and evil, to play our part in the epic saga of existence. Through our choices we show our true colors, it becomes clear where we put our faith.
On the high level everything is preordained, on the low level, we get to choose sides and our ultimate fate.
Yaakov already beat Esav, Mosheh already killed Bilam, the Torah has already been given, Eretz Yisrael has already been given. Our choices and our actions determine whether we side with Yisrael, Mosheh, and Torah, or whether we choose death.
Since the real choices are only in the lowest of places, that is where you find HaShem's greatness, that he gave us a real choice to act as independent creations.
One of the questions we could ask is, "why?" But I'm more interested right now in looking at what that it means for us. Perhaps in this way we can also see a little bit of one of the reasons as to why.
In order to create an environment in which each person truly has free will to choose HaShem's Torah, the choose life, HaShem had to hide Himself. There are many levels and many ways in which HaShem hides Himself. First and foremost is that He constricts His light in such a way that we experience darkness, both on a spiritual and a physical level. This step wasn't enough in and of itself, rather he created spiritual forces that pull us in directions opposite to HaShem's will. In such ways he creates a vaccuum, we feel the pull of our natural desire to do HaShem's will, and the pull of our yetzer hara to go against HaShem's will. Right there, in the middle of these to competing forces, we have an area of free-fall, an area of free will. We can choose whether to reinforce our positive or our negative desires. We rule over both of them and they don't rule over us.
The Satan, (S"M as he is called) is the collective total of all those forces that pull us away from HaShem's will. He tries to break down and pull under any person who might try to raise themselves up in the service of HaShem.
What happened with Esav and Yaakov? Why did Yaakov merit to receive the blessings of his father? Esav was the more powerful, Esav had far more potential than Yaakov, so logically the Satan bent all his effort and all his will to seduce, beat down, and destroy Esav. Yaakov, who held himself humbly and made himself seem unimportant was no threat, and therefore of no interest to the Satan.
Realize what this really means. Even if the Satan knew about Yaakov Avinu's potential, if he neglected Esav and worked whole-heartedly to depose Yaakov Avinu, Esav could have become a Tzaddik and the Satan would not have had the power to stop him. In such a way, the Satan must always confront the greater and more powerful threat and neglect the lesser threat who makes himself small.
This is the greatness of HaShem that reveals His humility. The world is created such that only those who make themselves small and humble can succeed at connecting to HaShem. That success will also inevitably overcome the Satan. Since the Satan's great power is spent on knocking down those who try and raise themselves up. Through this system HaShem ultimately knocks down the Satan who raises himself up.
Evil cannot win. ever. This is the kindness of HaShem and the system which He created, to allow us individual souls to choose between good and evil, to play our part in the epic saga of existence. Through our choices we show our true colors, it becomes clear where we put our faith.
On the high level everything is preordained, on the low level, we get to choose sides and our ultimate fate.
Yaakov already beat Esav, Mosheh already killed Bilam, the Torah has already been given, Eretz Yisrael has already been given. Our choices and our actions determine whether we side with Yisrael, Mosheh, and Torah, or whether we choose death.
Since the real choices are only in the lowest of places, that is where you find HaShem's greatness, that he gave us a real choice to act as independent creations.
8.11.07
life of a window
Everything of value to us is a window through which we can connect to HaShem. Every person, every place, every thing, every activity. They are all windows through which HaShem shines his light upon us.
When my grandfather of blessed memory passed away two days ago, (my grandfather who became my father in many ways when I moved to Israel,) I didn't feel a loss the way most people say it should be felt. It's taking me a long time to work through my feelings, but most of all it has given me new insight. Even in death my grandfather hasn't stopped instructing and teaching.
I was priviledged and honored to have grown up with him as the definition of what a grandfather should be. Others should be blessed to be so priviledged. He always loved unconditionally, and had equally unconditional expectations. If you want to do something you must do it to the utmost. That's what he taught me most of all.
That window of HaShem's light, through which I could perceive HaShem's endless affection for and devotion to me, doesn't shine out of a body anymore. But that window is still there, indellibly etched on who I am and how I think, what I expect of myself. What HaShem expects of me.
Even now I can't be sad, the particular design, engineering, and execution of said window is no more, but the light still shines from it so brightly.
When what we possessed is a relationship with HaShem, it's never lost--it only gets deeper, more powerful, and more present.
(You can see the Tanya of a few weeks ago for more in depth explanation.)
When my grandfather of blessed memory passed away two days ago, (my grandfather who became my father in many ways when I moved to Israel,) I didn't feel a loss the way most people say it should be felt. It's taking me a long time to work through my feelings, but most of all it has given me new insight. Even in death my grandfather hasn't stopped instructing and teaching.
I was priviledged and honored to have grown up with him as the definition of what a grandfather should be. Others should be blessed to be so priviledged. He always loved unconditionally, and had equally unconditional expectations. If you want to do something you must do it to the utmost. That's what he taught me most of all.
That window of HaShem's light, through which I could perceive HaShem's endless affection for and devotion to me, doesn't shine out of a body anymore. But that window is still there, indellibly etched on who I am and how I think, what I expect of myself. What HaShem expects of me.
Even now I can't be sad, the particular design, engineering, and execution of said window is no more, but the light still shines from it so brightly.
When what we possessed is a relationship with HaShem, it's never lost--it only gets deeper, more powerful, and more present.
(You can see the Tanya of a few weeks ago for more in depth explanation.)
6.11.07
rabbonim declaring true things false
There is a phenomenon taking place lately, that Techdirt has named the Streisand Effect. Basically the effect is: the more you do to draw attention away from something the more attention you actually draw to it.
For certain Chazal was highly aware of this phenomenon which is actually a basic part of human nature. This leads me to ask the following question: Is it possible Chazal used this tool intentionally to highlight specific teachings or stories by claiming that the story or teaching was false in order to get people to pay it more attention--without committing to specifically dealing with the content of the teaching or story?
For certain Chazal was highly aware of this phenomenon which is actually a basic part of human nature. This leads me to ask the following question: Is it possible Chazal used this tool intentionally to highlight specific teachings or stories by claiming that the story or teaching was false in order to get people to pay it more attention--without committing to specifically dealing with the content of the teaching or story?
kohanim at kivrei tzaddikim
Lately I've noticed a number of people raising the issue of Kohanim visiting Kivrei (graves of) Tzaddikim. I don't know anything on this topic, just wanted to add some anecdotal evidence, in the sefer Toldot Ha'Ari it is clear that the Arizal ordered the Kohen (Kohanim?) that was (were) in his presence to leave the room before his passing.
Perhaps the death of Tzaddikim still involves a problem for Kohanim, or perhaps the Arizal was unwilling to take for granted that he was a Tzaddik? (Note that despite this potential explanation of humility, the Holy Arizal did give his followers specific instructions on the preparation of his body for burial, including the fact that his body would immerse itself in the mikvah and they were not permitted to immerse it for him. So, it doesn't appear that it was an issue of modesty.)
Update: I had the priviledge of asking Rav Yisrael Avihai (Rosh Yeshivat Hamekubalim in the old city of Yerushalayim) about the Arizal's position of kohanim visiting the graves of Tzaddikim. He said it was forebidden.
Perhaps the death of Tzaddikim still involves a problem for Kohanim, or perhaps the Arizal was unwilling to take for granted that he was a Tzaddik? (Note that despite this potential explanation of humility, the Holy Arizal did give his followers specific instructions on the preparation of his body for burial, including the fact that his body would immerse itself in the mikvah and they were not permitted to immerse it for him. So, it doesn't appear that it was an issue of modesty.)
Update: I had the priviledge of asking Rav Yisrael Avihai (Rosh Yeshivat Hamekubalim in the old city of Yerushalayim) about the Arizal's position of kohanim visiting the graves of Tzaddikim. He said it was forebidden.
peace for peace
[I'm sure there must be precedent for this in the literature of Chazal, but for me this is a hidush.]
We are taught that on our wedding day we are forgiven for all our sins.
My hidush is this: Every day that we restore our relationship to the status it had on our wedding day, we are forgiven for our sins.
People may say (and rightly so) no, your relationship has grown since your wedding, bringing it back to the relationship it was on the day of your wedding would be a step backwards. True. But the intention here is not that your relationship is the same as on your wedding day, but rather just as on your wedding day you were in a state of complete peace with one another, any day you restore total and complete shalom bayit, that day is like your wedding day.
To those who feel this isn't very difficult, I'm happy to hear that. I don't even know if it is difficult at all. My point is that the kavanah of the statement that we are foregiven for our sins on our wedding day is based in the shalom and unity of the new couple. Whenever we act to maintain that unity, HaShem certainly forgives us our past sins.
[this is why, in shacharit, creating shalom bayit is one of the things that "we eat the fruits in this world, and the keren, the lump sum, is waiting for us in the next world," we merit to be foregiven in this world, that is the fruit we eat, and in turn, because we are absolved in this world, we receive the next world as well.]
We are taught that on our wedding day we are forgiven for all our sins.
My hidush is this: Every day that we restore our relationship to the status it had on our wedding day, we are forgiven for our sins.
People may say (and rightly so) no, your relationship has grown since your wedding, bringing it back to the relationship it was on the day of your wedding would be a step backwards. True. But the intention here is not that your relationship is the same as on your wedding day, but rather just as on your wedding day you were in a state of complete peace with one another, any day you restore total and complete shalom bayit, that day is like your wedding day.
To those who feel this isn't very difficult, I'm happy to hear that. I don't even know if it is difficult at all. My point is that the kavanah of the statement that we are foregiven for our sins on our wedding day is based in the shalom and unity of the new couple. Whenever we act to maintain that unity, HaShem certainly forgives us our past sins.
[this is why, in shacharit, creating shalom bayit is one of the things that "we eat the fruits in this world, and the keren, the lump sum, is waiting for us in the next world," we merit to be foregiven in this world, that is the fruit we eat, and in turn, because we are absolved in this world, we receive the next world as well.]
5.11.07
inheriting emunah
The Pri Ha'aretz hit me pretty hard, the one we quoted recently from Hayyei Sarah. How could it be that everything we're accomplishing ends up feeding the other side? That's depressing, no matter how many victories we have we're still going to screw up tomorrow. At least until we're perfect tzaddikim, which is hard to imagine (for me at least) that this is a milestone within reach.
How can we take away from this a useful lesson that we can apply daily in our lives?
First of all, whenever we say the first berachah of the Amidah, it has a whole new meaning. Magen Avraham--HaShem protects Avraham--from falling to the yetzer hara, through Avraham's emunah and yirah, fear of heaven.
This understanding also gives us hope, because Avraham had no zchut avot to rely on. It was just him versus his yetzer. We, on the other hand, have Avraham's emunah and yirah as a yerushah, an inheritance from our father Avraham. When we are faced with a test of emunah, we can simply say, well, of course I can overcome this test, I have Avraham Avinu's emunah to guide me.
How can we take away from this a useful lesson that we can apply daily in our lives?
First of all, whenever we say the first berachah of the Amidah, it has a whole new meaning. Magen Avraham--HaShem protects Avraham--from falling to the yetzer hara, through Avraham's emunah and yirah, fear of heaven.
This understanding also gives us hope, because Avraham had no zchut avot to rely on. It was just him versus his yetzer. We, on the other hand, have Avraham's emunah and yirah as a yerushah, an inheritance from our father Avraham. When we are faced with a test of emunah, we can simply say, well, of course I can overcome this test, I have Avraham Avinu's emunah to guide me.
temporary relocation
Since my web hosting provider has been sketchy in its uptime of late, i've switched to hosting this blog on blogspot, until i've found a more realiable webhost.
the new url is http://awaxingwellspring.blogspot.com
On the plus side, this means i can possibly incorporate some of the new features that are blogspot-only.
In the meantime i will also be experimenting with alternate interfaces to this blog on my usual domain, thismortal.co.il
b'ezrat HaShem none of this will interfere with the outpourings of Torah that is my #1 goal here.
ps. I turned off anonymous commenting because i got hit with 60-something pieces of spam comments that were very difficult to delete when my blog was being published via ftp. now that it's via blogspot, hopefully i will be able to turn anonymous comments back on shortly.
the new url is http://awaxingwellspring.blogspot.com
On the plus side, this means i can possibly incorporate some of the new features that are blogspot-only.
In the meantime i will also be experimenting with alternate interfaces to this blog on my usual domain, thismortal.co.il
b'ezrat HaShem none of this will interfere with the outpourings of Torah that is my #1 goal here.
ps. I turned off anonymous commenting because i got hit with 60-something pieces of spam comments that were very difficult to delete when my blog was being published via ftp. now that it's via blogspot, hopefully i will be able to turn anonymous comments back on shortly.
4.11.07
clothes and stronger clothes
In yesterday's Tanya we learned that our mitzwoth are the clothes of our soul in the lower Gan Eden. In the Upper Gan Eden, the intentions, our love and fear of HaShem, with which we performed the mitzwoth are our clothes.
The Pri Ha'aretz might help us understand the ramifications of this a little. In parashath Hayyei Sarah, he explains that Avraham finally reached a level where he was untouchable by the Yetzer Hara. This level bears a little explaining: No matter how high a level we achieved yesterday, when the Yetzer Hara gets the best of us today, we will fall, and all of our previous level will be given over to the klippoth. So basically, the more we achieve, the more we feed the other side! We can't win!
The only way around this, he explains, is through attaining levels of emunah, pure faith in HaShem, and yirah, awe of HaShem's greatness. As you replace your performance of the mitzwoth for personal gain with your performance of the mitzwoth out of emunah and yirah, you free your mitzwoth of any foothold the Yetzer Hara might have. Once you gain no personal benefit from your actions, then the Yetzer Hara can't either. In the end, once all of your middot are perfected in this manner and turned to causes other than yourself, you are free from the stranglehold of the Yetzer Hara.
From here we can see the dynamic nature of the system and how our intentions in performing the mitzwah affect us on an even deeper level than the performance of the mitzwah itself.
The power of our mitzwoth are beyond compare. Even the simplest of physical actions, when elevated through the performance of a mitzwah, clothes our soul in the lower Gan Eden, allowing us to receive directly from HaShem's infinite light. Because these actions are still vulnerable to the Yetzer Hara while we are still in this world--as long as we derive some intended benefit from their practice--they have as well a spiritual weakness, and that weakness makes them over-sensitive to the greater divine illumination of the higher Gan Eden.
At the level of the higher Gan Eden, only the purest intentions that were clothed in our mitzwoth can offer us the necessary interface to fully receive HaShem's boundless radiance. This is because they are completely impervious to the taint of the Yetzer Hara.
The Pri Ha'aretz might help us understand the ramifications of this a little. In parashath Hayyei Sarah, he explains that Avraham finally reached a level where he was untouchable by the Yetzer Hara. This level bears a little explaining: No matter how high a level we achieved yesterday, when the Yetzer Hara gets the best of us today, we will fall, and all of our previous level will be given over to the klippoth. So basically, the more we achieve, the more we feed the other side! We can't win!
The only way around this, he explains, is through attaining levels of emunah, pure faith in HaShem, and yirah, awe of HaShem's greatness. As you replace your performance of the mitzwoth for personal gain with your performance of the mitzwoth out of emunah and yirah, you free your mitzwoth of any foothold the Yetzer Hara might have. Once you gain no personal benefit from your actions, then the Yetzer Hara can't either. In the end, once all of your middot are perfected in this manner and turned to causes other than yourself, you are free from the stranglehold of the Yetzer Hara.
From here we can see the dynamic nature of the system and how our intentions in performing the mitzwah affect us on an even deeper level than the performance of the mitzwah itself.
The power of our mitzwoth are beyond compare. Even the simplest of physical actions, when elevated through the performance of a mitzwah, clothes our soul in the lower Gan Eden, allowing us to receive directly from HaShem's infinite light. Because these actions are still vulnerable to the Yetzer Hara while we are still in this world--as long as we derive some intended benefit from their practice--they have as well a spiritual weakness, and that weakness makes them over-sensitive to the greater divine illumination of the higher Gan Eden.
At the level of the higher Gan Eden, only the purest intentions that were clothed in our mitzwoth can offer us the necessary interface to fully receive HaShem's boundless radiance. This is because they are completely impervious to the taint of the Yetzer Hara.
1.11.07
a chevruta or death
[touching on our chevruta topic]
On the Shuvu Bonim website, I found a shiur delivered by the Rosh Yeshivah, the first couple of paragraphs mention the importance of chevruta:
On the Shuvu Bonim website, I found a shiur delivered by the Rosh Yeshivah, the first couple of paragraphs mention the importance of chevruta:
‘Either a study partner or death,’ - in very short he brings down that for Jews, seeing one another revives us, whereas being appart brings death, that's why a Jew makes the blessing מחיי מתים (Blessed is he who revives the dead) when he hasn't seen his fellow Jew in a long time--their coming together is a revival. (paraphrased by me)He says a lot more than this simple distillation. It's worth taking a look at.
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