Shabbat

Hashem created the world with speech. Hashem continues to create the world with speech. Speech is effortless in comparison with action; it follows then that Hashem did not have to work too hard to create the universe.

So why dies he get so tired? Why does he need to rest every weekend? And how does the world continue to exist if the creator is resting?

It's not hard to talk to someone who shares your knowledge, background, culture, and expertise. It is, however, very difficult to talk to someone who does not share your perspective and with whom you have nothing in common.

For the first six days of creation, as well as every week day, Hashem works very hard. He is talking to a realty that does not understand him. He must limit how much he revels of himself. He is like the great scientist trying to explain to a five year old child a theory far too complex for most adults. No wonder he gets so tired.

Then, finally, on the seventh day, as well as every Shabbat, he stops working hard. He is like the professor that was suddenly transported to a room full of PhD’s. There is no need to hold anything back. There is just a flow of revelation.

That is why Shabbat is a spiritual day. You may have to work harder to understand what Hashem is telling you, but it's all there. He isn’t hiding anything. All you need to do is tune in.

(Bireyshis, Ateres)

The Secret of "Kabalat Ol"

You are the kind of guy who, in Yeshivah, would be called a “kabolas Ol’nik”. Your motivated to do the right thing, and to follow Hashem’s instructions as much as possible. Your not in love, or in awe, or overtaken by the beauty of it all.

Some misunderstand you. They pity you; they assume that you put yourself aside for Hashem leaving no room for personal satisfaction and meaning. Some may even suspect that you have a low self esteem; after all you devote yourself to someone other then yourself.

Nothing is farther from the truth. In fact you hold yourself in high regard and you take yourself very seriously. You understand your own significance, your actions acutely make a difference; Hashem does care, really.

So the heart of the guy who’s in love with Hashem is drawn to Hashem with great passion, but that same heart is sometimes filled with doubt: does he really care? If I do my own thing for an hour would it make a big difference? Do my choices have meaning?

You don’t have these doubts. You understand the importance of every aspect of your life. You respect yourself. After all you're a “kabolas Ol’nik”.

(Bi'ha'loscha Atere"s)

Understanding Oneness

It is impossible to understand Hashem’s oneness. Oneness means there is nothing besides for the one, understanding means there is a mind grasping something else. If there is a mind there is no oneness.

The G-dly soul, however, is another story altogether. It can declare “Hashem is our G-d Hashem is one”, because it is not a separate existence, its part of Hashem’s oneness.

That is why the G-dly soul says “our G-d” refereeing to its fellow G-dly souls. The animal soul is excluded because it can’t identify with the oneness. The best it can appreciate is “blessed is the glory of G-d forever”, it can appreciate the ray of G-d that breathes life into the world and into its very being.

Oneness? You got to be it to believe it.

Terumah, Ateres

The Nature Of Atzilut

Read the kabalistic descriptions of Atzilut and you will find conflicting reports. On one hand we read that the first attribute, the attribute of wisdom, is new, It never existed prior to the world of Atzilut. In Kabalistic terminology its Yesh Meayin - something from nothing. On the other hand we read that the attributes of Atzilut are merely revelations of the concealed. Meaning that the ten attributes aren’t new, they are just a concrete manifestation of something that existed earlier.

So what is Atzilut? Is it just a revelation of Hashem, or is it a new creation?

Will power is undefined, it can desire anything. When a person desires a specific thing, say wisdom, that specific will is closely connected to the general will, as they are both will. Eventually when the person exercises his mind and develops wisdom, the wisdom is completely new, it never existed, previously there was a will for wisdom, but no wisdom.

The infinite light of Hashem can be compared to the will power, Atzilit can be compared to actual wisdom, and in between the two is what we call "the ten attributes that are hidden within their emanator" where there is a desire for ten attributes, yet there is only will. So, on one hand, yes, Atzilut is a revelation of the concealed, after all, it’s only the actualization of the previous will for wisdom. Yet, on the other hand it can be called a new reality for the wisdom is new.

This leads to the next drastic difference between Atzilut, which is considered a G-dly world, and the world of Briah, creation. The world of creation’s existence is dependent on the G-dly light, it’s source, concealing itself. For the moment we would get a glimpse of the creative light we would cease to see an independent creation. By contrast, Atzilut’s existence, as a G-dly world, is dependent on a revelation of it’s source. For it’s Hashem’s will for wisdom, that takes the limited, defined, specific attribute of wisdom and imbues it with the undefined limitless light of the creator.

Parshas Mishpatim, Ateres

The Letter “Hey”

Tough you could barley hear its sound and its voice is soft, the Hebrew letter Hey is powerful. Hey represents expression. When it came time for Avrom and Saray to have children, to give birth to an expression of their souls, Hashem added a Hey to their names. To quote the Midrash: “Avram can’t give birth, Avraham can. Saray can’t give birth, Sarah can”.

A few generations later, of Yakov’s four wives only Rachel, the only matriarch without the letter Hey in her name, was barren. What did Rachel do? She told her husband “Here is my maidservant Bilhah, marry her, and I too will be built from her”. Bilhah had two “Hey’s” in her name, Rachel felt that she “will be built” from Bilhuh’s double Hey.

Rachel had a harder time expressing herself then her sister Leah, for Laeh represents taught while Rachel represents speech. Leah had the easier job of expressing her idea’s in her own mind, Rachel had to find the words reach others.

When Rachel finally overcame her spiritual challenge and gave birth, her child was a master of expression. Joseph alone was able to articulate and express holiness to the Egyptians. Only He could find the words to bring the “outsider” into the family.

Ateres - Vayechi

“He placed His spirit within her”

Imagine a teacher and a student, most likely their relationship will not last a lifetime. The teacher and student may loose interest in each other. They will move on to other experiences and relationships.

What can the teacher do to maintain the connection? The kabbalists have a formula: The Teacher gives the student a spirit from within himself; the spirit pulls the student back to the teacher, who is then awakened by his own spirit to share even more of his spirit with the student.

They explain: the teacher should give part of his essence to the student. The teacher’s spirit which is now within the student yearns to reunite with the teacher who is its source. The spirit will continuously pull the student back to the teacher to hear more, because that is were the spirit is comfortable.

Ten years down the line when he’s pulled back to his teacher, who has since lost interest in teaching this student, he begins to talk and the teacher is awakened at once. The student’s words move him to once again be interested in sharing his great wisdom.

How did the teacher regain his interest? It can’t be because of the student, for the teacher is by now very removed from the student. The secret is that the teacher was inspired by his own spirit, the spirit that he left within the student. He hears himself in the student’s voice, and he is awakened to open up and share even more.

And so the cycle continues, teacher gives the student a spirit, the spirit pulls the student back to the teacher, who is then awakened by his own spirit to share even more of his spirit to the student.

And the cycle continues

[In kabalistic terminology: Z”a gives of itself to Malchut. The spirit of Z”a within Malchut draws Malchut back to Z”a, and awakens Z”a to share even more of itself with Malchut]

(Vayigash, Ateres.)

Right, up or down?

The mystical explanation of right and left is fairly simple. Right represents giving in a downward flow. Left represents the elevation, the upward surge that is caused when the G-dly light is held back.

There is, however, an alternative interpretation that sees “right” as representing closeness and left representing distance. The divine commandments are on the right side because they create closeness between the physical world and Hashem by elevating the material world. According to this interpretation the right represents not a drawing downward but a closeness that pulls the world upward.

The Torah on the other hand travels downward to the most distant places, to the “left” side. It travels to the world of un-holiness. In order to determine the difference between kosher and non kosher, between truth and lie, the Torah must descend into the world, causing its closeness to Hashem to be concealed.

Similarly, the Chanukah Menorah is placed at the left side of the door. for It too has the power to descend to the "left" side, bringing its beauty, tranquility and brightness to the most unlikely of places.

When you’re on the “right” side you’re in the light, however, you can’t communicate beyond your realm. On the left side you will only find a tiny flame, tiny, but powerful, it can reach anywhere and everywhere.

ATERES - Vayeshev

Mediate On Life

Here is what Chasidus teaches:

Look, you feel your energy, you feel that you are alive, you love your life. Now, all you have to do is realize that the energy that you already feel is G-dly energy. The breath of life within you is G-dly. Everything in this universe is absolutely unimportant in Comparisson to your life.

The beauty of this meditation is that it can’t be that difficult, after all, most of it is already done. You already feel your life and you would sacrifice anything for it. There is just a little more that you have to do, and your life will never be the same again.

(Kol Ha'Marich B'echod - Ateres )