욥기 19:32의 Chasidut

The true foundation of the fear of God is faith. Only by understanding and consciously believing in the supreme lofty heights of God, and then actively fearing Him, does fear become complete. Man’s normal experience of fear usually stems from an awareness of his own deficiencies. Of this it is said (Yeshayahu, 44:17), “He makes himself an idol and bows down to it.”¹⁹⁶In other words, he makes of himself an idol, which he bows down to. This kind of fear is called by the Zohar (Vaeira, 29a), “their fear.”¹⁹⁷That is, their own personal fears, which they project outward, upon the idol. Since idolaters are deficient, they believe that by prostrating themselves to an idol and expressing their fear, stemming from a recognition of their own deficiency, the idol will emit a flow of energy to fill their lacks.¹⁹⁸Using the example in note 177, above, we can say that a strong person fears being weak. He therefore prays to an idol to save him from weakness, although all he his really doing is projecting his own inner fears outward, and fearfully worshipping them. And even though the idol is actually powerless to do so, the idolater still believes that by projecting his fear outward, he himself will become complete. Ultimately, he is only worshiping the very deficiency that he fears. This is called, “bowing down to his idol.”¹⁹⁹In other words, to the particular trait or idea that he has idolized. The word for idol in Hebrew, “pesel,” is connected to the word for pasul, which means “invalid” or “deficient.” Further in the Beit Yaakov it will be explained that the fear of the idolater, expressed in a place where he knows he is lacking, takes on two forms. The idolater will either erect a form of the lack itself, or a form of the fulfillment of that lack. A weak person will worship either the image of a hero, or the image a weakling. This will all be explained. The service of Israel, however, is different. For we recognize the awesome heights of God precisely through our own deficiencies,²⁰⁰This is opposite the process that leads to idolatry. Here, the awareness of one’s own deficiencies leads to an awareness of God’s grandeur and exaltedness, engendering a fear of God’s own greatness – not the projection of one’s own deficiencies onto an idol. as it is written (Iyov, 19:26), “From my flesh (meaning my limitations and deficiencies) I shall see God.” It is written in the Zohar (Emor, 90b): “I will dwell among the downtrodden and low of spirit.” (Yeshayahu, 57:15) This is the place of the greatest wholeness. When one brings himself low so that the awesome pride of the Supernal One, the Pride of all, may rest upon him, this is a place of wholeness.²⁰¹One’s personal sense of lowliness brings about a revelation of Supernal Pride; that is, lowliness itself engenders a sense of a wholeness in that it connects one to God. This is mentioned in the introduction to the Tikkunei Zohar (5b): The seventh level in the fear of God is one who lacks nothing,²⁰²Note the subtle shift of approach the author makes with this passage of the Zohar, as well the following one. Previously, R. Gershon Henokh juxtaposed the fear of idolators, which is born out of their sense of personal lack, to the rectified fear of Israel, in which a sense of lack produces an appreciation of God’s completeness. Now, the author begins to discuss a type of fear that is the result of completeness. Based upon this and other Izhbitzer texts (see Tzidkat HaTzaddik 212), he seems to mean the following: Because of Israel’s belief (emunah) in God’s utter transcendence, the sense of lack they feel does not result in idolatry – which is the transference of personal lack onto the divinity. Rather, Israel’s lack proves the very opposite – that God is wholely complete and transcendent, as R. Gershon Hanokh interprets the verse, “From my flesh, I see God” – “from my limitations, I deduce the Divine.” In other words – ironically – the idolaters desire for wholeness only exacerbates his weakness, whereas Israel’s acceptance of their weakness allows them to partake of the Divine wholeness. The author further explains that the correct means by which to assuage one’s sense of lack is Torah study. For Torah study frees a person from being fixated on a singular value or truth; thus he does not experience the fear resulting from a sense of personal deficiency in its loss. What is left is a sense of Divine transcendence, which engenders awe. (See note 195.) as it is written (Tehillim, 34:10), “Fear God, His holy ones, for there is nothing lacking to those who fear Him.” He is not one of those of whom it is said (Mishlei, 11:24), “Another withholds unduly, but only comes to lack.” If he is a Torah scholar, he shall not be lacking in Torah, for without Torah, there is no fear of God. This is as it is said (Pirkei Avot, 2:5), “An unlearned person does not fear sin.” Just as there is no Torah without the fear of God, similarly, there is no fear of God without the Torah.

Avraham, however, understood that God, “fills the whole world with His glory.” He removed the orlah,³⁹Orlah means “foreskin.” The author is stating that Avraham’s removal of concealment of G-d paralleled his own act of circumcision. This idea is found in the Zohar, and many Kabbalistic and hasidic writings. the force of concealment, which divided God’s light from man’s understanding. Thus we find after he was given the commandment of circumcision (milah) it is said (Bereshit, 21:33), “And he called in the name of Hashem, the God of the world.” This means that God’s existence became apparent in all aspects of the creation, as the Midrash Rabbah (Vayera, 48) states, on the verse (Iyov, 19:26), “‘From my flesh I shall see God’ – Were it not for the act of circumcision, how could God have been revealed to me?” That is, he saw God’s light in every detail of creation. When Avraham said, “I raise my hands to the Supernal God,” it was before the circumcision.⁴⁰See the Beit Yaakov in parshat Lech Lecha, 33. Similarly, we find that the Patriarchs taught the Torah to their sons. The Midrash⁴¹Midrash Tankhuma, Vayigash 11; Midrash Rabbah,Vayigash 95; Midrash Rabbah, Shemot 5. tells us that while Israel was in Egypt they possessed scrolls with which they would delight in each Shabbat.

In the beginning of Kanfei Yonah,³⁵⁹R. Moses Yonah, a student of R. Isaac Luria, both in 16th century Safed. the Ari [R. Isaac Luria] is cited as saying the following: “Know that we are granted permission to speak in corporeal metaphors only in order to facilitate our understanding, as the verse says ‘and from my flesh I shall see my God.’³⁶⁰Job 19:26. But you, wise one, purify your thoughts and know that there is no corporeality above, God forbid, and that we have no permission to engage in matters prior to Atzilut...but regarding the ten sefirot and below, we do have permission to utilize metaphors and imagery.” And in his commentary to Sifra diTzniutah,³⁶¹A section of the Zohar; literally translated as “Book of the Modest (or Humble).” he says “Let not your thoughts entice you into saying that in the supernal emanations there are apparitions and colors, for those who believe as such are doomed to hell...for there are no colors nor apparitions...indeed, though, their roots are above…” That is, regarding the realm above Atzilut we do not even have permission to contemplate, even metaphorically; it is only from the ten sefirot and below that we have permission to utilize metaphors and imagery.

Thus, the study of Kabbalah did not change via hasidism, but was rather understood via hasidism.³⁷³Hasidim functions, therefore, as a hermeneutic lens through which kabbalistic teachings are refracted and clarified. When Kabbalah speak so the supernal, hasidism reveals the corollaries of those teachings in this material world, and within Israel. The supernal entities are not mere metaphors and idioms but rather truly exist, and are not just Above but also in this world, and even within a person. When we learn Kabbalah as presented by the hasidic tzaddikim, especially in the works of the Maggid and his student, my grandfather the Kozhnitzer Maggid, we often see that they simultaneously speak of the lofty kabbalistic matters as expressed both Above and within a person—not metaphorically, nor in the sense of ‘this sort of thing occurs within a person as well;’ rather they speak of it all in one utterance, as if the human is Above and the upper worlds are in the human. As they say about the Mishnah, ‘Know that which is above you,’³⁷⁴Mishnah Avot 2:1. if you want to know that which Above, you may do so from yourself, for it is all one. Even the verse “from my flesh I shall see God,”³⁷⁵Job 19:26. often employed in Kabbalah to explain lofty matters via that which one finds within oneself, his limbs, his traits, etc. is also, according to hasidism, not meant metaphorically but rather as we write here.

From the Besh"t of blessed memory. "For from within my flesh I will see [God]" (Job 19:26). Just as a physical union is not fertile except with an erect penis [אבר חי, lit. "living limb"] and embrace and joy, so too a spiritual union -- and this is words of Torah and prayer -- when engaged with with a living limb and joy and delight, then it will be fertile...

In God’s great mercies, He established Torah scholars in every generation to seek the knowledge of God, and open the gates of Torah knowledge according to the needs of the times. The Zohar (Bo, 2b) quoted above makes mention of this idea, how the prophecy of Yehezkel was suited to the needs of his generation. In the same way God sent a redeemer to Israel, whose splendor was as the Holy One of Israel,¹³⁶This is a play on words, the Baal Shem Tov, whose name was Israel, was a redeemer for the nation of Israel. our master and teacher, whose name pleasant and whose pleasantness fit his name, Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov. God opened the gates of wisdom, understanding, and consciousness for the Baal Shem Tov. He sought out the knowledge of God’s perfect Torah, and prepared his heart to explicate and discourse on the hidden realms of wisdom. In his days, he managed to bring the sublime secrets of wisdom down into the boundaries of human understanding. He succeeded in making the Torah accessible to the masses of Israel. For the Torah was not given to God’s holy angels, but to the seed of Yaakov whom God had chosen,¹³⁷This is referring to the famous story in the Talmud that relates and angel’s complaint, when God gave the Torah to Israel. In defence of God’s decision, Moshe asked the angels, “What is written in the Torah? ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt.’ Did you go down to Egypt? Were you enslaved to Pharaoh? Do you worship idols, kill or steal? Why then should the Torah be yours?” From here, concludes the Midrash, we see that the Torah is meant for man, not for angels. In R. Gershon Henokh use of the image, he means to say that even the highest realms of Torah – the secrets of Kabbalah – is meant for the masses, and not merely elite scholars. and it is essential for every soul of Israel to reach everything that is written in the Torah and bring it within the boundaries of his mind’s grasp and knowledge. And even for our generation, a generation of lowly status and little knowledge, did God send him with the perfect language necessary to teach, understand, and come close to even the most sublime of the Torah’s mysteries. The Baal Shem Tov opened up an inner gate that had been closed until his days. He opened it before the entire community of Yaakov, for the Torah is not in Heaven,¹³⁸See Devarim 30:12. BT Bava Meziah 29b. but the birthright and fiancée¹³⁹See BT Berachot, 57a: “If one dreams he has intercourse with a betrothed maiden, he may expect to obtain knowledge of Torah, since it says (Devarim 33:4): “Moses commanded us a law [Torah], an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. Read not morashah [inheritance], but me’orasah [betrothed].” of every Jew. Everyone who seeks God with a full heart will find in the Baal Shem Tov’s words the way of understanding and clear path for the upright in order to understand, discern, hear, learn, teach, guard, perform, and uphold all the words of the Torah.¹⁴⁰Weekday morning liturgy, blessing preceding the recitation of the Shema Yisrael. All of the Divine attributes and Sefirot, whether mentioned or hidden, contain the whole order of God’s governance of everything, from the highest heights of the spiritual world down to lowliest of levels, and man is capable of receiving them within the limits of his mind. And all of the events recounted in the Torah are experienced by every one of Israel in every generation, in general and in particular. The Torah is the essential teaching for every Jew to enable him to conduct all his affairs justly.¹⁴¹See Tehillim 112:5. The Baal Shem Tov opened a gate in the brilliant light of the firmament, the holy teachings of the Zohar and the writings of the Arizal, explaining all their words in clear and straightforward language, the language of wisdom. In this way the Divine abundance of the mysteries may drip into the heart of man, so that he may behold God from his very flesh.¹⁴²See Iyov 19:26. From the days of the Baal Shem Tov and onward, the gate to the garden of God and the paradise of wisdom had been opened, inviting man to enter. From his days, the spring has begun to flow from the House of God,¹⁴³See Yoel 4:18. and with the passage of time, it only grows stronger and stronger. The Baal Shem Tov established many students, all geniuses and holy servants of God.