Chasidut su Salmi 34:19

What is the meaning of eating “kodesh” – the meat of the Temple sacrifices? It means that a person eats a holy substance that is absorbed in his body. When he serves G-d with the energy he gained from that food, the food itself is elevated. One could argue that for a person who is blemished at the core of his soul, the prohibition of eating kodesh should be greater than for entering the Temple grounds. Eating the kodesh will cause greater destruction than treading on holy ground, since the food is absorbed in his body, and he can use its energy to do whatever he wants, whether good or evil. If he decides to use the power of the kodesh to do something evil, he drags the holy power of the food down to the lowest of levels. In the case of a blemished individual entering the Temple, the holiness surrounds him, and he cannot damage the force of holiness to such a great extent. The essence of Rabbi Shimon’s solution is that blemished Cohen is not at all blemished at the core of his soul. Rather, out of his great love for God, he willingly accepted this blemished state even before he was created – to undergo a process of purification and to endure suffering.⁴⁴²Rav Menahem Nahum of Chernobyl (1730-1798) teaches a similar idea in his work, Meor Eynaim, at the beginning of Parshat Vaeira. God’s hidden wisdom knows exactly how to run the world, and exactly which level of effluence is needed to sustain every particular time, place, and soul. God knows the proper attribute or Sefirah through which this effluence must be revealed. When one experiences success, it is because God’s wisdom knows that that is the precise level of Divine effluence needed for that person. When one endures some kind of suffering or failure, then God had discerned in his impenetrable wisdom this is exactly what is needed for this person in this time and place. No matter what attribute one experiences, it is absolutely essential, and there is really no need for jealousy, because one is just as essential as the other. This is the secret of the verse in the Shema, “You shall love God with all your abundance,” as the Talmud says (Berakhot, 54b), “in whichever attribute God deals with you, thank Him greatly.” According to R. Gershon Hanokh, the soul of the blemished priest – and of every individual who suffers in life – is privy to this knowledge before birth, and willingly accepts G-d’s judgment in his coming into this world. This is as the Zohar says, “God wants these souls in all of their sadness and all of their brokenness.” That is to say, the suffering soul wants to be pushed out to the furthermost place, to be clothed in a garment that is furthest from the Divine source, and to suffer greatly, for by serving God in the dark, concealed place, he magnifies and sanctifies the Glory of Heaven. This passage in the Zohar concludes: “From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord” (Yeshayahu, 66:23) “All flesh,” precisely. They will be completely rejuvenated, and need to be renewed in the renewal of the moon.⁴⁴³The Zohar uses the moon as a symbol for the Shekhina, which is presently blemished and in exile – corresponding to the moon’s own waxing and waning. This deficiency in the Shekhina is the source of all the pains and suffering of humankind. In the Messianic era, when the Shekhina will be redeemed and fully united with G-d, the “moon” will be full, and human suffering will come to an end. They are in a constant partnership with the moon, sharing her blemish. For this reason, she dwells constantly within them, never leaving them. This is as it is said (Yeshayahu, 57:15), “I dwell with the downtrodden and broken of spirit.” And it is written (Tehillim, 34:19), “God is close to the broken hearted.” Since they suffer the same blemish as the moon, they are always close to her. Therefore, in order to bring new life to the broken hearted, they will have a portion of that life that will be renewed. The ones that suffer together with her shall be renewed together with her. This is called the suffering of love. This suffering is born of the soul’s love, and not from the man himself. It is out of love, for the light of the small love is blemished and pushed away from great love.⁴⁴⁴The Mikdash Melech reads, “‘The small love’ – Malkhut. ‘From the great love,’ Zeir (Anpin), for Malkhut is built out of the Hasadim (forces of loving-kindness coming through Zeir Anpin), which is called, ‘love.’”