Been Here All Along

The child locks her mother out of the home - with the only key on the kitchen table. when the mother overcomes her panic she is able to couch her daughter and instruct her how to open the door with the key.

Mother never felt so vulnerable in her life.

The Kabbalists were troubled by this. The Arizal taught that in order for G-d to create the world he first had to create a "vacuum and empty space" by "moving his light to the side", and only then, after the world is created, can the human being draw the infinite light back into the "vacuum and empty space". Now, if we are the child who through our divine service we "draw" G-d into this world, then does that not mean that G-d is weak? Isn't the Kabbalah's only acceptable definition of G-d is that he is complete - "Shleimut" - and there can be nothing incomplete about him?

So we need to scrap that parable and think about this one instead:

Mother and daughter are both home. Daughter does not realize that mother is home (or she does not recognize this person to be her mother). Mother is therefore locked out, not of the home but, of her daughter's perception. When the daughter discovers the mother and brings her into her own perception she did not affect any change in her mother, because, objectively, mother has been here all along. The "vacuum and empty space" created by G-d, should not be taken literally. G-d's conceals his infinite light so that in our perception there is a "vacuum and empty space". 

So open your heart and mind and allow the divine presence into your world. But remember: He has been here all along.

(While learning Likutey Torah Parshas Balak)

The Red Cow

All you need to know for your spiritual life lies in this one law.

The opening words of the law of the red cow, who's ashes were mixed with water and sprinkled to purify the ritually impure, are: “This is the decree of the Torah”. Meaning that this law captures the essence if all the Torah wants to teach. We therefore do not have the luxury to skip this portion and move on to the more exciting parts of the Torah. If it's the “the” decree of the Torah, then we must figure out the message of this law to us living in the twenty first century when we have no Holy Temple and no physical red cow.

All you need to know for your spiritual life lies in this one law.

The purifying waters have two ingredients that are opposites:the ashes which are produced by fire and water. In essence the law is telling us that our approach to spirituality must contain of the opposing extremes of fire - the gravity defying passion and yearning to escape the confines of the physical reality. And water – the downward flow, the “return” from the yearning to the world, imbuing the physical existence with spirituality.

Conventional wisdom teaches that to be spiritual one must escape to the Himalaya and abandon the challenges of materialism that present themselves in every day life.

“Not true!” cries the red cow, you must have the water that nourishes all life on earth. If you want to connect G-d you must find him on this earth. Yet, just as important, you must have the other essential ingredient: the ashes produced by fire. Because in order for your “bowl of water”, your material life, to become holy and not swallow up your spirit – you must mix the ashes in to the water, balancing the extremes, for only by yearning to escape the confines of the earth can we imbue are life on earth with meaning.  

On Sadness and Joy

Tisha Biav is the saddest day of the Jewish year. Yet, as a child, the saddest point of the year was the night after Thisha Biav. 

I would watch my father break his fast and wonder what changed? Why is the mourning over? Was the temple rebuilt?

This was in stark contrast to the joy that we all felt on Motzay Yom Kippur. As we sang and watched the Rebbe during Napoleon's march the awe of Yom kipput was transformed to intense joy. But after Tisha Biav, there was no reason to celebrate.

Then Shabbaos Nachamu would come around and then we would go to the Avraham Fried concert to celebrate the season. But it always felt strange to me, after all why and how are we comforted of the reality on the ground did not change since Tisha Biav?

Last week when I read what I think us the most powerful Mammar in Lekutey Toarh - the Mammar for Parshas Divarim - I thought I may have the answer. 

The Alter Rebbe explains that the verse “You shall love your G-d with your whole heart” refers - not to the conventional interpretation which is with both your good and evil inclinations, but - with both parts of your heart, with your joy and with your sadness. For if you are joyous because of material success and sad because of material lose then you don’t really love Hashem. “With all your heart” means that you are happy because you are close to Hashem and you feel sad when you feel far from Hashem.

- By the way, this one teaching includes, in my opinion, everything that Chasidus asks of a person - 

Perhaps this is the comfort. We are comforted on Shabbos Nachamu because we feel close to Hashem trough reading the Haftorah which describes his great love to us. And when we feel his love - especially after the destruction - we can fins comfort and joy amidst tjhe destruction around us. And may the Joy propel us to the day when there will no longer be ant destruction - with the coming of Moshiach.

The Dreamer

I know a guy who’s a dreamer.

He’s always coming up with a new idea that is interesting but crazy at the same time.  He’s a nice guy (usually), but (almost always) out of touch with reality.

Is the dreamer someone lacking intelligence, allowing his imagination to take over, or is he someone who can go deeper then reason, to try, and sometimes succeed, to make connections that no one has made before, to connect two seemingly opposing ideas, and to innovate beyond any expectation?

We live in a dream.

We live in a reality in which opposing truths can coexist. Where one can love Hashem in one moment and love the world a moment later. Is that a good place to be in? Does that mean that the love of Hashem is just an illusion? 

One must understand, answers the alter Rebbe, that looking from our perspective this reality is indeed contradictory. However, in it’s spiritual source, there is no contradiction at all; because, in truth, the world and Holiness are, not opposites but, one and the same, both expressing the greatness of Hashem. 

We are frustrated because, in our mind, we are like the dreamer who does not realize that he is simultaneously entertaining two ideas that cannot coexist. Yet, in truth, we are not living a contradiction. In truth, we are the dreamers who can reach deeper then the perceived truths, we are the dreamers who are not afraid of apparent contradiction, and we are the dreamers who look at the world and see it for what it really is: an expression of Hashem. 

(Based on Torah Or Parshas Vayeshev, D”H Shir Hmaalos... Hayinu Ki’cholmim).

The Exalted

We keep doing it.

I never figured it out. Why do we keep exalting him, telling how awesome and removed he is from us, all while trying to connect to him in Prayer.

To me, it always felt strange; I felt that the more exalted he is, the harder it is for me to connect to him.

This Morning the Alter Rebbe explained it: Hashem is exalted, therfire the entire creation is insignificant before him. As soon as I'll realize this truth the world will not be able to interfere with my connection to Hashem; after all it's insignificant.

(Lek"t Masey)

Return then Run

Life, like energy, is a constant pull between running and returning. The soul yearns to connect to G-d, yet it must “return” to this world, bringing the light of Hashem down to this earth, through the Torah and Mitzvot.

Then the cycle starts again, after it returned the soul starts “running” and yearning again.   

This idea appears continuously in Chasidic philosophy; yet only this Shabbos did I realize an important detail of the process. In Lekutey Torah the Alter Rebbe explains that the cause for the “running” after the “return” is the “return”. The fact that the Jew drew g-d into his life, return, now makes him appreciate G-dlyness that much more, thus causing another “running” yearning to Hashem.  

(Leku"t Naso)

Listen

Prayer is on of the three pillars of divine service, the other two are study and acts of kindness. The Alter Rebbe teaches that prayer isn’t about talking, as one would think by walking into a synagogue, rather prayer is all about listening. The talking that we do is just to get us into the right mind frame to be able to listen.

What should you listening for? For the sound of your soul, as well as the soul of every creation, singing and longing to G-d. For the divine energy within each person, and each creation, is continuously singing a love song to G-d. For the energy feels it's source and it wants to return to it's source, the divine infinite light. The fact that it is placed in this world by the divine plan does not diminish it's continues yearning to return.

So, next time you go to shul, between reading all those words, make sure you make time to listen. Listen to the voice singing in your heart, in the heart of every human being, in every blade of grass, in every drop of water.

Listen and perhaps sing along.

(Chasidus Mevueres Tefilah, first Mamar)

Boundless

If I only had one word to capture the essence of Purim I would choose boundless.

The Jews' commitment to Hashem was boundless. It defied logic. There can be no logic in being prepared to give your life for a cause. That's why there is no reason given in the Torah explaining why one should give up their life to sanctify Hashem name, because there is no reason.

The commitment was boundless.

So, when the sages instituted a celebration for Purim, they understood that the joy commandment in the Torah on the Holidays would not capture the essence of the day, so they said "a man must rejoice on Purim until he does not know the difference between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai". "Until one does not know", until we break the boundary of our Knowledge, until we reach boundless Joy. 

Only boundless joy can celebrate a boundless connection.

(Torah Or – Chayav Inish) 

Jewish Concept of the Monarchy

Malchus is Keser.
How is that possible?
Well, Malchus is the lowest level of the preceeding world and is the highest level of the subsequent lower world.
In this past week's entry in Torah Or we have another explanation. M'l'malah L'mate and M'l'mate L'malah. What does this mean? The maamar goes on to explain that the level of Malchus is considered to have nothing original, Lais La M'garma Klum, but after it becomes a receptacle for all the higher levels it then becomes King and lords over all these higher levels. This is called Keser Malchus and it is called such because it becomes a Keser only after it receives from the higher levels, hence M'l'mate L'malah.
The maamar continues with an allegory about a human King of flesh and blood. A King collects gold and silver as taxes yet he rules over the people despite the fact that they are the ones giving him wealth (and power).

When we look at the concept of Jewish monarchy we see an altogether original concept a King that has responsibilities to his people. The verses which introduce the King in D’varim only mention his responsibilities and none of his rights. “Som Tosim Alecha Melech” means coroneted by the people (chosen by Hashem through his Novi) as opposed to taking rule as an extension or son of the divine.
We see here some fascinating parallels with the maamar.

Listen, He's Talking

Did you ever read an introduction that is more powerful then the actual message? Have you ever enjoyed a forward more then the book?

Well, I have. Perhaps the most powerful verse in the story of the Ten Commandments is the introduction: "and Hashem spoke all these words to say". Beacuse all Jews were present at the giving of the Torah and heard it from Hashem fist hand, the words "to say" can't mean "to say to others" as is their usual meaning. Rather, "to say" means to repeat. When we read a verse in the Torah we are repeating Hashem's words. A Jew, reading a book in her living room in the twenty first century, is experiencing the giving of the Torah; she is repeating the words Hashem is saying at that very moment.

Some times the Torah's massage seems simple and mundane; don't kill, don't steel, don't be jealous. But more powerful then the the commandment is the commander; more powerful then the teaching is the teacher. When I study a verse in Torah here he is, the infinite creator of the world, in all his glory communicating with me.

If I listen carefully I'll hear him.

(Torah Or, Yisro)

The Salty Paradox

Is salt tasty? On one hand it does not have a taste on it's own, on the other hand it gives taste to other foods, it's the salty paradox. Salt has an important place in Judaism, as seen in the Torah's commandment to salt all the sacrifices offered in the temple, a commandment that is commemorated until this day by the custom of dipping our bread in salt.

To understand the significance of salt we must look at the analogy the Torah uses to describe itself: bread. Just as the bread eaten is digested, becoming part of the human being, so does the Torah learned become completely united with the mind. In fact this is the great advantage of Torah over all other commandments, in the words of the Tanya "the study of Torah creates a great unity like no other, and this unity has no comparison in the physical realm to be like one from every angle". The significance of Torah is it's ability to be understood, therefore if you just read the Torah without understanding, you are missing the point, there is no unity.

For this reason the great sages of the Talmud spent their entire lives debating matters of law concerning simple and mundane objects, what to do if a ox goers a cow, or if two people are holding a garment, for although it does not feel as spiritual as discussing the spiritual worlds, it offers the opportunity too grasp Hashem's wisdom. Having said that, there is a crucial part of Torah that can't be understood, the light of Hashem that is beyond wisdom that is en-clothed within the Torah. This aspect in Torah is especially evident in the Mitzvah to tread the written Torah even without understanding, here the unity is not as great but we connect to the essence of Hashem which is far greater then his wisdom.

While studying Torah there are two important ideas that we must constantly keep in mind, firstly, we must remember that we can only understand a tip of the iceberg of the Torah's true significance most of which is far beyond our understanding. Secondly, Torah is not just a tasteless, spiritually dull, body of law about a physical reality, rather it is a manifestation of Hashem's will and wisdom.

To help us relate to these two messages the Torah says that whenever we bring an offering we should salt it. Salt represents the mystical secrets of the Torah, that physical beings cannot comprehend, it has no taste, it's salt. It however gives taste to the bread, the reavealed part of Torah. Making us aware of the great paradox: in order to achieve unity we must understand; yet we are uniting with a being who is beyond understanding.

(Likutey Totrah, Vayikra)

Moshe And The Sea

A great revelation of G-dly-ness took place at the splitting of the Sea of reeds. “A maidservant, At the sea, saw that which even the greatest of prophets could not see”. The sea represents the hidden spiritual worlds, and the splitting of the sea was a physical embodiment of a spiritual splitting of all concealments.

The sea split before Moshe hand, for only Moshe had the spiritual capacity to be the conduit for this revelation. Batya, Pharoh’s daughter, named him Moshe for “from the water I have drawn him”. He was a transplant from the sea of the concealed worlds. He therefore could not speak eloquently, for expression was the antithesis of his naturel habitat, the concealed worlds.

While studying this Chasidic interpretation this past Shabbos morning, we came up with an interesting idea.

After witnessing the splitting of the sea the torah declares “they believed in G-d and in Moshe his servant”. Why is this the first time that the Jews believed in Moses? Didn’t he perform the ten plagues in Egypt, miraculously freeing them from slavery?

Perhaps we can say that up until that point, although they have seen Moshe’s performance, they did not see his essence. The nation could not understand where he was coming from. When the sea split and all of the hidden worlds were torn open, the Jews were finally able to recognize Moshe for what he really was: drawn from the waters of the concealed worlds.

Torah Or - Bi'sha'lach

Riding the Waves of Financial Worries

You're drowning. You're drowning in a never ending current of frightening thoughts, worrying whether you'll be able to take care of your family and provide for your loved ones. Even when you find the time to visit the park with you’re family you're mind is wondering, even while opening a prayer book in the synagogue, the torrents of worry catch up with you. You have nowhere to hide.

Financial worries can be as destructive as the biblical flood. In fact, just like all of the Torah, every detail of the Torah’s description of the flood is relevant to the spiritual journey of a Jew. The flood is the financial worries that threaten to drown us all; the protective Ark is the words of Torah and prayer. Just as the floods water lifted the ark to great heights, the financial worries actually lift the prayer and study to a higher plane.

Spiritual sustenance is necessary not merely to satisfy your yearning soul, or to intellectually entertain by broadening the horizon of human experience. It’s the secret to survival in a challenging world. The spiritual haven is most appreciated when you realize that it is your protective shelter.

You see, before the flood the ark will sometimes feel confining. Even while praying and studying part of you lured toward the attractive world. When the world is flooded you realize that the ark is a source of peace, having spent time within it’s protective walls, having captured it’s tranquility, you can then bring it’s peacefulness along wherever you go.

Conventional wisdom leads a person to think that "I need to work extremely hard until I have enough money to buy piece of mind", that doesn't work. As the Ethics of Our Fathers teach: "one who adds money adds worry". The opposite is true, first you must find your ark, the protective and comforting words of Torah and prayer, only then can you be sure that when you have money it won’t rob you of your most important possession: piece of mind.

(Torah Or, Noach)

I Was Cold

I’m Cold

Just hearing the word Noach makes me want to cuddle up in a warm sweater, and wrap a wool scarf around my neck.

The winter is here, I’m cold. The clock is going to change, leaving me in the dark at ten to five in the afternoon.

I get home and look at the Parsha, it’s even more depressing. The water, the flood, the destruction. I guess that will make for a gloomy weekend.

Until I open the Torah Or.

“Great waters will not be able to extinguish the love and rivers wont be able to wash it away”. I hear the Alter Rebbe explain: the water – the distractions, the coldness, cannot extinguish the flame of love burning in the soul. The waters? They intensify the fiery love. The force of the river forces the soul to intensify it’s flames.

Just as the waters of the flood lifted Noach’s ark so do our floods elevate our ark, our sanctuary of words of prayer and study.

I put down the Mamar, and an entire weeks worth of coldness disappears. I’ve got the warmth to make it through the winter.

Ten Women, One Oven.

“Ten women will bake their bread in one oven, they will place their bread on a scale, and you will eat and not be satisfied.” This is one verse from the rebuke, where the Torah tells us what is going to happen if we abandon G-d’s commandments.

Chasidus, the inner light of Torah, reveals and teaches that every verse in the Torah has a deeper meaning. The simple meaning of the word is the “body” and the mystical interpolation is the “soul”. This verse is no exception, it may seem to be terrible curses but truthfully under the surface they are great blessings.

This verse describes the process of baking bread. The bread in this verse refers to the Torah.

To make bread you must bake the dough. The heat of the fire allows the dough to be digested. If you eat dough that wasn’t baked with fire then it will just sit in your stomach and it will not be digested to become part of your bloodstream, part of you.

The Torah that you study must become part of you, it must not remain a distinct entity just sitting in your body. The Torah must become part of your bloodstream, not just an intellectual idea to study.

How does this happen? How can the words of Torah that I study become part of me? Well, the bread, the Torah must be baked with fire. The fire enables the dough to unite with me.

The fire is the love of Hashem. The heart surges upward like a flame yearning to escape the grip of the wick to join and reunite with its source.

The great but hidden blessing in this verse is that the fire will consume and involve all ten faculties of the soul, all ten women and direct them to one oven, to one love, a love that will transform every part of the person.

And then comes the climax. The greatest blessing: and you will eat and not be satisfied.
Your love and yearning will never cease. You will never be satisfied with your state of being, you will always yearn to grow closer, and the love will only intensify.

You will not be satisfied. You put on Tefilin today, you learned a portion of the torah today, well, you’re in love. Your love is so great that when you meet your beloved again tomorrow morning with the Tefilin you are excited as if it were the first time you are meeting. You take out a book of Torah as if you’ve never done anything like that before. You are excited and your heart is jumping like a flame on a torch.

Bake your bread. Gather all ten women to one oven, to one fire, to one love. Most importantly eat but don’t be satisfied.

(lekutei Torah Parshas Bechukosay)

P.S. while writing all this down I became hungry, I found a bagel, and after biting into it I discovered that it wasn’t so fresh. I put into the oven and I enjoyed a delicious, crispy and irresistible bagel.

Love. Like Fire, Like Water

Love is the desire to connect. When you love, you want to connect to your beloved in every possible way.

There are two general categories of love. One is the "Love like water". You feel yourself, you feel that you want to connect. That is a love likened to water. Water connects, when you pour water onto flour you get one piece of dough, the water connects all of the individual "pieces" of flour and creates one entity.

Rabbi Elazar Hakalir, the great first century sage and poet, authored many of the most beautiful and poetic prayers that we say until this day. In a beautiful prayer he asks Hashem to "remember the father drawn to you like water" referring to Avraham's great love.

There is another category of love. A love where you don't feel yourself, You don't exist. The beloved is all you can feel, there is a fire burning in your heart, you and your needs are out of the picture.

Fire takes things apart. Mimondies teaches that every physical object is composed of four elements, fire water air and earth. When fire consumes something it decomposes the four elements that make up the object. The elements of fire water and air go up in the smoke, while the element of earth becomes ashes.

When there is a fire burning in your heart you can’t feel yourself. It burns you up. You “decompose” of your selfishness. The flame surges upward, you are drawn to your beloved with a selfless love.

Awaken your heart every day during prayer, ignite the fire in your soul, lose yourself in the words of prayer, but remember that fire can’t burn indefinitely, a human can’t go on forever without feeling himself and his own needs and desires.

The love like water on the other hand can last. You could love Hashem while feeling yourself. You sense that you will only be able to be happy when you are with him. You feel a yearning and a desire to be close to him.

Likutei Torah Parshas Behar