All of creation really only takes place between two opposing forces. We learn from Chazal that HaShem thought to make the world with Hesed but needed to combine that Hesed with Din, Gevurah. The whole world is this balancing act of giving and holding back. That's why HaShem created the klippoth, the other side, they do the taking, HaShem does the giving.. in between the two, unholiness and holiness is where People were created.
We get to choose, we're the most alive out of anything in creation because we are balanced between the two. Our actions make us either alive and Holy, or dead and Unholy. That's why HaShem gave us the Torah and said, "choose life."
Out of the Ten Sayings through which HaShem created the world, Chazal teach that only the first one is a ma'amar satum, or a Sealed Saying. To me this means it's fundamentally unique. As we said, everything in creation is brought about by a balancing act, the contrariness of two opposing forces. When it came to the very first act of creation, there are no two opposing forces, there's only HaShem, (well, there's always only HaShem, but that's a discussion for another time) that first saying is Sealed because it's beyond comprehension, the initial creation of things without a duality as a backdrop, without the vacuum created by those two opposing forces.
In this Parashah VaYeChi, we learn from Chazal that Yaakov Avinu wanted to reveal the final Redemption but at that moment it was hidden from him. This is so important but to understand this we need to think a little bit about the nature of creation and the roles that will play themselves over the course of it.
Chazal teach us also that the redemption from Egypt is a microcosm of the macrocosm that will be the eventual redemption. In the final redemption the "other" side, death itself, will be obliterated from existence. Similarly, in the Exodus, The Jewish Nation emerged from the splitting of the sea alive, whereas the Egyptian Nation washed up on the shore dead.
This is a direct metaphor for the birth process, as we've written before. The placenta is what initially provides the developing baby with life, up until the moment of birth at which the baby is born alive and the placenta is born dead. The placenta is essentially the scaffolding that allows the baby to be properly "built." Once the building, the baby, is complete, the scaffolding is removed, ceases to have a function.
In the very same way, the "other" side is a temporary creation, the scaffolding upon which humanity could be created and elevated to their eventual heights, to truly be alive in the service of The King, to "choose life." At the point in which the choice is made and Humanity truly "lives," the "other" side, death, is no longer necesary, the scaffolding falls away and the creation is complete.
Just as the first step in this creation is absolutely Hidden by the fact that it is incomprehensible how the world came into being without the dual background vacuum of opposing forces, so too, the completion of that creation, our "life" beyond death, beyond the "other side" where we no longer have a counter-force to the force of Holiness is beyond our ability to conceive and so it is hidden in the very same Seal, as the first Sealed Saying.
This is why Yaakov Avinu couldn't reveal the end time, it is by its very nature always hidden.
Instead all Yaakov Avinu could do is describe the final challenges of his children prior to the end time, and this is what he did in his blessings, laying out for each one his challenges and how to overcome them.
Showing posts with label creation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creation. Show all posts
16.12.10
9.9.09
the end embedded in the beginning
Procreation and the root of evil share the same source. Both draw their life from the initial phrase of creation, בראשית. This phrase is referred to as a sealed phrase, but we aren't going to get into why, suffice it to say the answer may be beyond our ability to understand. (Likkutei Halachot Hilchot Kibud Av:4)
It is known that procreation creates a child who is imbued with an animal soul, which includes at least some small part of evil. The Godly (totally good) soul only comes later, at maturation, the age of mitzwoth. (bar/mat mitzwah)
What I'd like to focus on is an interesting tangent: The initial creation of the world involved (at least the potential for) evil, as Rebbe Nachman just explained. Shabbath, the essence of good and all blessing, the perfection of creation, was only created on the seventh day.
To me it's another striking example of how perfect HaShem's world is that the microcosm so perfectly mirrors the macrocosm, a child is created initially with a soul partially evil, and the perfection, the completion of the child only comes about at thirteen (twelve for women) years of age.
13.12.08
the greatest expectations: no expectations.
Many things in life are affected by our initial expectations. When we go into an experience with an open mind, expecting nothing in particular other than to be surprised, the surprise is often a positive one.
In this way, your every meal can be delicious, almost every experience a positive one. This is actually a major secret of being happy with one's lot in life. If we don't look at what others have, and based on this form expectations, then we can very easily enjoy whatever it is that we receive.
The Mei Shiloah explains that this was Yaakov Avinu's midah, that he had no desires for anything other than what was his, he didn't feel a lack of anything. This was the meaning behind איש תם יושב אוהלים - a simple tent-dweller.
Rebbe Nachman takes this idea in a slightly different direction and explains that just as HaShem creates us new every day, we need to interact with HaShem and the world with this knowledge. Every day we should serve HaShem anew, with whatever is given to us in this day. This is the extreme version of the idea of being unexpecting. Not only don't we have expectations about our life, but every day is itself a new surprise.
Rebbe Nachman basically explains that this is the secret to staying young at any age, and judging from the elderly people that I've met, the happiest seem to have arrived at a similar understanding to that of Rebbe Nachman.
In this way, your every meal can be delicious, almost every experience a positive one. This is actually a major secret of being happy with one's lot in life. If we don't look at what others have, and based on this form expectations, then we can very easily enjoy whatever it is that we receive.
The Mei Shiloah explains that this was Yaakov Avinu's midah, that he had no desires for anything other than what was his, he didn't feel a lack of anything. This was the meaning behind איש תם יושב אוהלים - a simple tent-dweller.
Rebbe Nachman takes this idea in a slightly different direction and explains that just as HaShem creates us new every day, we need to interact with HaShem and the world with this knowledge. Every day we should serve HaShem anew, with whatever is given to us in this day. This is the extreme version of the idea of being unexpecting. Not only don't we have expectations about our life, but every day is itself a new surprise.
Rebbe Nachman basically explains that this is the secret to staying young at any age, and judging from the elderly people that I've met, the happiest seem to have arrived at a similar understanding to that of Rebbe Nachman.
3.9.08
a holy remnant
Tikkunei Zohar (Tikkun 16) brings down something from the Midrash, that Rashi apparently quotes in his commentary on Bereishith: Man is the Challah of the world.
There is a mitzwah, whenever one makes dough, to take a portion of the dough and devote it to God. Were there a Beit HaMikdash at present, this dough would be given to the Kohanim, in our days we burn it till it is inedible so that no one else will benefit inappropriately from this Holy dough.
The Rabbis teach that Man's creation was HaShem separating Challah from the world. The earth and the water were mixed into a dough, and from that dough, Challah was taken, and into that Challah, HaShem blew a divine soul.
We are a portion of the world, set aside in Holiness by HaShem, since the time of its creation.
15.4.08
fabric of song
There are many ways in which humankind are animal, but there are ways in which humanity is undeniably different. True, if we abdicate our ability to grow beyond our animal nature we become it. But, in the instances that we manage to overcome, to shine the light of a mitzwah, the light of our neshama on the world, something totally beyond nature can be glimpsed.
Rav Azulai in Hesed L'Avraham (4:3) explains the difference: HaShem, being the ultimate source and root of all of creation, created each creation out of a subset or lone aspect of the totality of His expression, His komah, His level. Man however, HaShem created in His image, a representation of His complete level.
This difference plays out in a very practical way: Because all of creation is rooted in HaShem's image, and we were created in HaShem's image, we can take responsibility for the livelihood of all of creation.
I wanted to expand on this teaching to understand how the world's underlying means of management is song. The Zohar begins in Parashath Bereishith explaining how the letters of the Torah are directed and animated by the ta'amim, the musical notes. All of creation follows the underlying tune, the niggun. Indeed the word Bereishith itself is an anagram of Shirath Av, a father's song. So too, Yisrael, who is created in the image of God, is an anagram of Shir E-l. (Godly Song)
Rav Azulai continues to explain that each element of creation has a specific song, [described in Perek Shirah] yet man has the ability to understand and unify and bring out the depth of all of the songs of creation through his tefilloth. All of creation (even the heavens) is compelled to raise up the words, the breaths, and even the sounds of man's Tefillah, so that all may be blessed.
What we see from all this is that truly, on the deepest of levels, HaShem runs the world through song, and that through our song we are given to care for and nurture all of creation, just as Adam HaRishon was the caretaker of Gan Eden. Lest we worry that perhaps our vocal skills aren't up to the challenge. The concept of song itself is a complex one. The Zohar quoted earlier refers to the music as ta'amim, which bears also the connotation of meanings. It is clear from everything we know about prayer that it must come from the heart, and what comes out from the heart enters the heart. As the Talmud explains, HaShem wants our hearts. (רחמנא ליבא בעי) When we pray from the depths of our hearts, that is the most crisp, most pure song that could be. When it is clear from our prayers that HaShem is the creator of all, and upon him, solely, we rely. That is the most beautiful song.
Rav Azulai in Hesed L'Avraham (4:3) explains the difference: HaShem, being the ultimate source and root of all of creation, created each creation out of a subset or lone aspect of the totality of His expression, His komah, His level. Man however, HaShem created in His image, a representation of His complete level.
This difference plays out in a very practical way: Because all of creation is rooted in HaShem's image, and we were created in HaShem's image, we can take responsibility for the livelihood of all of creation.
I wanted to expand on this teaching to understand how the world's underlying means of management is song. The Zohar begins in Parashath Bereishith explaining how the letters of the Torah are directed and animated by the ta'amim, the musical notes. All of creation follows the underlying tune, the niggun. Indeed the word Bereishith itself is an anagram of Shirath Av, a father's song. So too, Yisrael, who is created in the image of God, is an anagram of Shir E-l. (Godly Song)
Rav Azulai continues to explain that each element of creation has a specific song, [described in Perek Shirah] yet man has the ability to understand and unify and bring out the depth of all of the songs of creation through his tefilloth. All of creation (even the heavens) is compelled to raise up the words, the breaths, and even the sounds of man's Tefillah, so that all may be blessed.
What we see from all this is that truly, on the deepest of levels, HaShem runs the world through song, and that through our song we are given to care for and nurture all of creation, just as Adam HaRishon was the caretaker of Gan Eden. Lest we worry that perhaps our vocal skills aren't up to the challenge. The concept of song itself is a complex one. The Zohar quoted earlier refers to the music as ta'amim, which bears also the connotation of meanings. It is clear from everything we know about prayer that it must come from the heart, and what comes out from the heart enters the heart. As the Talmud explains, HaShem wants our hearts. (רחמנא ליבא בעי) When we pray from the depths of our hearts, that is the most crisp, most pure song that could be. When it is clear from our prayers that HaShem is the creator of all, and upon him, solely, we rely. That is the most beautiful song.
1.4.08
the judgement of the tzaddik is mercy
The Midrash speaks about how HaShem chose to create the world with Din, might and judgement, but saw that it couldn't stand so He partnered Rachamim, mercy, with it.
Many Hassidic Rebbes tackled the apparent change in HaShem's thought process, as if the Rabbis (chas v'shalom) were saying HaShem made a mistake. Of course He doesn't make mistakes, He's beyond time and infallible, so the concept of a mistake makes no sense in the context of HaShem. So what's the Midrash coming to teach us?
The Noam Elimelech has a unique take on this: He explains that there was no change, that the world still functions according to Din. But in order that the world would be able to exist, the Tzaddikim emerge in great Gevurah, great might, ascend to the root of all Din, and overcome and master the Judgement. Essentially the whole system works based on Gevurah or Din. Rachamim is the term for the victory of the Tzaddikim's Holy Gevurah over the natural Din HaShem bestowed within the system. This, he explains, is why the word 'partnered' (שתף) is used in the midrash as opposed to another word. HaShem allows the Tzaddikim through their great Holiness and desire to become partners in sustaining the world.
Many Hassidic Rebbes tackled the apparent change in HaShem's thought process, as if the Rabbis (chas v'shalom) were saying HaShem made a mistake. Of course He doesn't make mistakes, He's beyond time and infallible, so the concept of a mistake makes no sense in the context of HaShem. So what's the Midrash coming to teach us?
The Noam Elimelech has a unique take on this: He explains that there was no change, that the world still functions according to Din. But in order that the world would be able to exist, the Tzaddikim emerge in great Gevurah, great might, ascend to the root of all Din, and overcome and master the Judgement. Essentially the whole system works based on Gevurah or Din. Rachamim is the term for the victory of the Tzaddikim's Holy Gevurah over the natural Din HaShem bestowed within the system. This, he explains, is why the word 'partnered' (שתף) is used in the midrash as opposed to another word. HaShem allows the Tzaddikim through their great Holiness and desire to become partners in sustaining the world.
9.1.08
upon my word
In Pirkei Avoth, we learn that Avtalyon says "wisemen be careful with your words, lest you require an exile, and you will be exiled to a place of poisoned water, and your students will drink from it and die, and the name of heaven will be disgraced."
The Notzer Hesed explains this verse, emphasizing "be careful with your words." Everything else that comes about in the verse, he explains, comes from being careless and saying unnecesary words.
Tonight, learning this with my hevruta, Pesah, we arrived at an understanding of just how much our words affect our world, until even the meaningless unnecesary words have such an impact.
Only through this lesson was I able to understand the words of the Pri Ha'aretz that one who understands that it is not his own voice but the voice of HaShem speaking can create worlds. HaShem created us b'tzelem elokim, in His divine image. He gave us speech. Just as the world was created when He spoke, so too, when we speak we are creating worlds. If we do not heed our words, the worlds of our creation will be distorted and damaging. If we speak with the proper awareness and humility of where our voices, our words, come from, then we can create worlds of bounty and blessing.
[this is the 630th post to this blog, which is the gematria of קצתי בחיי which has special significance to me. Thank you HaShem for all of your beauty and kindness, I lack nothing, and have so very much. I am diminished from all of your kindness. טובה הארץ מאוד מאוד - the land is exceedingly good]
The Notzer Hesed explains this verse, emphasizing "be careful with your words." Everything else that comes about in the verse, he explains, comes from being careless and saying unnecesary words.
Tonight, learning this with my hevruta, Pesah, we arrived at an understanding of just how much our words affect our world, until even the meaningless unnecesary words have such an impact.
Only through this lesson was I able to understand the words of the Pri Ha'aretz that one who understands that it is not his own voice but the voice of HaShem speaking can create worlds. HaShem created us b'tzelem elokim, in His divine image. He gave us speech. Just as the world was created when He spoke, so too, when we speak we are creating worlds. If we do not heed our words, the worlds of our creation will be distorted and damaging. If we speak with the proper awareness and humility of where our voices, our words, come from, then we can create worlds of bounty and blessing.
[this is the 630th post to this blog, which is the gematria of קצתי בחיי which has special significance to me. Thank you HaShem for all of your beauty and kindness, I lack nothing, and have so very much. I am diminished from all of your kindness. טובה הארץ מאוד מאוד - the land is exceedingly good]
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.
22.9.07
eating with heavenly intent
Chazal Tell us that on Yom Kippur Bnei Yisrael are like Angels.
We also see in Bereishith, that Havah (חוה) was told by the Snake that on the day she ate from the Eitz Hada'ath her eyes would be opened like the Elohim. (There are places in Tanach where Elohim means Angels)
So it seems to me that Havah ate from the tree to give us the day of Yom Kippur. (One transgression to ensure that your descendants would have a day of divine mercy and forgiveness every year? sounds like a sound investment to me. This happens to also explain the question raised about the Talmud that specifically says אחטא ואשוב twice. Why twice? Once for Havah and once for Adam.)
We also see in Bereishith, that Havah (חוה) was told by the Snake that on the day she ate from the Eitz Hada'ath her eyes would be opened like the Elohim. (There are places in Tanach where Elohim means Angels)
So it seems to me that Havah ate from the tree to give us the day of Yom Kippur. (One transgression to ensure that your descendants would have a day of divine mercy and forgiveness every year? sounds like a sound investment to me. This happens to also explain the question raised about the Talmud that specifically says אחטא ואשוב twice. Why twice? Once for Havah and once for Adam.)
18.7.07
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.]
16.7.07
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.]
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.
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