Chasidut sobre Deuteronômio 6:26
Mevo HaShearim
Therefore, hearken and hear the words of the living God, avreikh-hasid, lift up your eyes and see283Genesis 13:14. that God is with you wherever you are—when you sit in your home and travel on the road, when you arise and when you lay down284Deuteronomy 6:7.—if you will but toil in the Torah, i.e. performing both your learning and your avodah in the commandments with toil rather than superficially. Then, you will burrow and enter into the Lord, God of Israel, Who is garbed in the Torah. For, as we have told you, the Written Torah is enclothed in Asiyah, and our Sages of blessed memory have removed the clothing from the Oral Torah and revealed it on the level of Yetzirah and Beriyah, [revealing] even in its humanity. And—Who is dressed in all these? The Lord, God of Israel.
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Likutei Halakhot
This corresponds to washing the hands in the morning. Sleep corresponds to bitul-submergence into the Absolute by closing the eyes, which is the root of sleep (see LM 1 54). For during sleep, we bond with the World of the Future, representing bitul/submergence. From LM I 7, on the story, "Rabbi Eliezer was sleeping," we also see that sleep corresponds to submergence, to, "No eye has seen." In fact, the main reason why God puts man to sleep is for these above reasons, to escape from the judgments and suffering that are all caused by a confused mind, as we have spoken about elsewhere. Man has been sent into this world for one reason alone — to fight a holy war against desires and confusions and to bind one's thought to God at all times. But this tires the mind. Therefore, God imprinted the instinct in man that when the mind is too confused and tired that one falls asleep, closing one's eyes and submerging the mind, completely letting go of one's consciousness and intellect. This is the submergence, surrendering oneself into the Absolute Good, where all confusions, including all judgments, troubles, pains and obstacles, disappear and are all submerged into the ultimate purpose. This is why sleep is innate to man and to all creatures. Therefore, it is possible to attain very sublime perceptions during sleep, since one is then submerged into the Light of the Ein Sof, by means of which one is able to perceive great things, as stated in the holy Zohar on the verse, "Who will ascend God's mount?" (Psalms 24:3; Zohar 11 195b). Therefore, one must wash the hands with water upon awakening from sleep, for wakening from sleep corresponds to returning from submergence, when judgments and confusions, the cause of all impurities, seek even more intensely to overwhelm the person, as explained in the lesson. Specifically then one must muster more strength to subdue them by the Torah that one draws from the Impression, which corresponds to water. This is why we wash the hands with water immediately upon awakening from sleep. Since awakening from sleep corresponds to submergence, we must immediately evoke the waters of Torah in order to abolish the spirit of impurity that rests upon the body, only on the hands. The forces of judgment and confusion stand in ambush over the human body during the submergence, waiting for the moment when a person's consciousness will return so that they will gain even firmer grip on him. Therefore, we must be careful to banish them immediately upon awakening from sleep by purification with water, which evokes purity and sanctity from the waters of Torah that are from the Impression of the submergence, from which all suffering and judgments come after one has returned. As our Sages of Blessed Memory said on the verse, "Which I have commanded you ; today" (Deuteronomy 6:2) (the words of Torah should be new in your eyes everyday" (Sifri ad loc). Hence, one must receive the Torah anew every day, for through sleep, which corresponds to submergence, one receives a renewal of the Torah in order to counter judgments and impurities that seek more than ever to overwhelm a person specifically at this time. Fortunate is he who attains this to perfection, attaining new and authentic Torah insights every day. However, even the majority of people who cannot attain this should at least do their best to study Torah in the morning upon awakening from sleep. Jewish literature is full of the importance of rising early in the morning to study Torah in order to quench the soul's thirst, to banish suffering, judgments, the forces of evil and all confusions by means of the Torah that one receives from the impression. Therefore, even someone who is not really able to attain new Torah insights must at least make great effort each and every day to study Torah with renewed enthusiasm and passion, that it will be literally "as new" for him, for this too is considered a renewal of the Torah, as explained elsewhere. This corresponds to tzitzit, tefillin, kriat shma and prayer, all of which represent a renewal of the mind that is drawn upon each Jew every day. All this is evoked by the shining and the impression of the Submergence into the Absolute, which corresponds to sleep.
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Mareh Yechezkel on Torah
And these three correspond to the three [items] mentioned previously. For we can recognize the existence of God, by way of the heavens and the earth. This is like their statement, may their memory be blessed, “When Avraham died, [God] hung [Avraham’s healing stone] upon the sphere of the sun” (Bava Batra 16b); and like the Rambam, may his memory be blessed, wrote (Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 2:2), “and when [a person] will think of all these matters, and those like them, he will be taken aback and stricken with awe.” And it is like David said, “When I behold Your heavens, etc. (Psalms 8:4). And knowledge of the truth of the Torah is [attained] by way of circumcision. For the Jewish people are one of [God’s] acquisitions (Pesachim 87b), since we were acquired by him as His slaves – and it is customary that when one acquires a slave for life, a tag is placed upon [that slave]. And since we are his slaves, we are obligated to do [His will] – as it is written, “today upon your hearts,” such that they should be in your eyes like new items every day (Deuteronomy 6:6 with Rashi) – just like we run to find out a [new] decree of a king. And hence circumcision (brit) has a numerical equivalent (gematriya) of 612; and with [the addition of] this commandment, itself, it adds up to 613. Therefore, one who rejects idolatry is as if he assents to the entire Torah (Kiddushin 40a); as the main thing is that he takes on the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven upon himself – ‘and the rest is commentary.’ And the third is [knowledge of the existence of] reward and punishment; and it is felt by way of the Shabbat, which is ‘a taste of the world to come, the day of Shabbat rest.’ And therefore Scripture opened with, “In the beginning,” to hint about the three of them together, since they are the purpose of existence – the creation and the day came ‘together with circumcision.’
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Kedushat Levi
In support of the arguments just quoted, our author sees further proof in Song of Songs 8,1 where Solomon says: מי יתנך כאח לי, יונק שדי אמי, אמצאך בשוק אשקך, ”if only, when I find You in the street you were like a brother to me, someone who had nursed at my mother’s breast; so that I could kiss you in the street” (a public place, without feeling ashamed). In this verse Solomon alludes to two types of “love,” i.e.אהבה מגולה , “love openly displayed,” and אהבה מסותרת, “loves that is concealed.” The love between a man and his wife is considered as “hidden love,” as it is expressed within the privacy of their home. The love between brother and sister, on the other hand, is described as a love that is openly displayed; so much so, that on occasion brothers and sisters are observed kissing in public and no embarrassment attaches to this display of their fondness for one another in spite of that love being displayed openly.
Solomon portrays the כנסת ישראל, the collective soul of the Jewish people, expressing the wish to be able to display its fondness for G’d and G’d’s fondness for the Jewish people openly, publicly; [although, ideally, the relationship of G’d and the Jewish people is portrayed (allegorically) as like that between groom and bride, a brother-sister type relationship also has its advantages as it may be displayed openly before the gentiles. Ed.] This is an allegory of G’d’s proximity being found in the form of the previously mentioned “sparks” of the Shechinah, in the most unlikely places, “on the street,” as opposed to “inside the synagogue or Yeshivah.” This loving relationship is completely devoid of any physical attraction or desires between the parties concerned. Love such as this, has been described as אהבה עזה כמות, a love as powerful as death, in Song of Songs 8,6. It is recognizable when the person concerned is able to accept painful afflictions as willingly and even joyfully, as he would welcome manifestations of G’d’s grace discernible as such to any ordinary human being. Our sages in B’rachot 54 explain the word מאדך in the first paragraph of the keriyat sh’ma as referring to this kind of love, where the Torah asks us “to love the Lord your G’d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your capacity.” (Deut.6,5) The word מאד there is understood as an alternative for the word מדה, i.e. we are to accept with love every attribute of G’d with which He sees fit to relate to us. For a person who is truly convinced that everything that the Creator does is intended for our benefit, even if this is not immediately apparent, it is possible to say, without being hypocritical, גם זו לטובה, “this (unwelcome blow of fate), is also meant for the best.”
When a person has attained this level of spiritual maturity, what had been intended by G’d as a reminder that he must perfect himself further, will be converted into an act of Mercy rather than an act of Justice and reproof. When looked at allegorically, this is the message of Deut. 8,15 that “G’d makes water come out of a rock in the desert that is as hard as granite.” The word מים is usually a symbol of “life-giving” material, whereas the word צור, symbolizes something rock-hard, unyielding. The manner in which a person is able to accept what must at first glance appear as a harsh decree by G’d determines the extent to which it is converted into a benevolent decree, something that will be recognized as such retroactively by the person concerned. Yaakov was able to accept what appeared as harsh in such a spirit, thereby displaying what Solomon described in Song of Songs as אהבה עזה, a powerful love for G’d. This is why he was now able to settle in the land in which both his forefathers had always remained “strangers,” though they sojourned there many years, Yitzchok during all of his life. Our author understands the word מגור in the verse above as derived from ויגר, “he was afraid,” i.e. as opposed to his father who was never at ease.
Solomon portrays the כנסת ישראל, the collective soul of the Jewish people, expressing the wish to be able to display its fondness for G’d and G’d’s fondness for the Jewish people openly, publicly; [although, ideally, the relationship of G’d and the Jewish people is portrayed (allegorically) as like that between groom and bride, a brother-sister type relationship also has its advantages as it may be displayed openly before the gentiles. Ed.] This is an allegory of G’d’s proximity being found in the form of the previously mentioned “sparks” of the Shechinah, in the most unlikely places, “on the street,” as opposed to “inside the synagogue or Yeshivah.” This loving relationship is completely devoid of any physical attraction or desires between the parties concerned. Love such as this, has been described as אהבה עזה כמות, a love as powerful as death, in Song of Songs 8,6. It is recognizable when the person concerned is able to accept painful afflictions as willingly and even joyfully, as he would welcome manifestations of G’d’s grace discernible as such to any ordinary human being. Our sages in B’rachot 54 explain the word מאדך in the first paragraph of the keriyat sh’ma as referring to this kind of love, where the Torah asks us “to love the Lord your G’d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your capacity.” (Deut.6,5) The word מאד there is understood as an alternative for the word מדה, i.e. we are to accept with love every attribute of G’d with which He sees fit to relate to us. For a person who is truly convinced that everything that the Creator does is intended for our benefit, even if this is not immediately apparent, it is possible to say, without being hypocritical, גם זו לטובה, “this (unwelcome blow of fate), is also meant for the best.”
When a person has attained this level of spiritual maturity, what had been intended by G’d as a reminder that he must perfect himself further, will be converted into an act of Mercy rather than an act of Justice and reproof. When looked at allegorically, this is the message of Deut. 8,15 that “G’d makes water come out of a rock in the desert that is as hard as granite.” The word מים is usually a symbol of “life-giving” material, whereas the word צור, symbolizes something rock-hard, unyielding. The manner in which a person is able to accept what must at first glance appear as a harsh decree by G’d determines the extent to which it is converted into a benevolent decree, something that will be recognized as such retroactively by the person concerned. Yaakov was able to accept what appeared as harsh in such a spirit, thereby displaying what Solomon described in Song of Songs as אהבה עזה, a powerful love for G’d. This is why he was now able to settle in the land in which both his forefathers had always remained “strangers,” though they sojourned there many years, Yitzchok during all of his life. Our author understands the word מגור in the verse above as derived from ויגר, “he was afraid,” i.e. as opposed to his father who was never at ease.
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Torah Ohr
The very root of the soul, which is united with G-d, is so lofty that it cannot be contained within one’s physical self, and the same is true of the Great Love that is in the root of the soul. Ahava rabba, Great Love, is present in every single Jew, but it is so basic, so close to the indefinable essence of the person, that it is often imperceptible on a conscious level. That is why it is also called “Hidden Love” – although it can indeed be brought to revelation. It is to this revelation of ahava rabba that the Torah is referring in the verse (Deuteronomy 6:5, recited as part of the Shema), “And you shall love G-d your L-rd … with all your might.”
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Kedushat Levi
Deuteronomy 1,5. “on the far side (east bank) of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this Torah;”
A look at Rashi, based on Tanchuma, shows us that Moses translated the Torah into 70 languages. Why did Moses find it necessary to choose this time and location to translate the Torah into all the known languages at the time? If this was indeed so, this helps us explain a verse in psalms 87,6 ה' יספור בכתוב עמים זה ילד שם סלה, “The Lord will inscribe in His register of all the peoples that have been born, selah.”
It is an accepted rule that on occasion the Torah writes some words in Aramaic, such as in Genesis 31,47 “יגר סהדותא,” “the stone of witness,” whereas Yaakov named the very same heap of stones גלעד in its Hebrew equivalent. Aramaic is not the only foreign (non Hebrew) language that is found in the Torah. An example that comes to mind is the word טוטפות used by the Torah to describe the area on the forehead where the phylacteries are to be placed. (Deuteronomy 6,8). The word may describe some jewelry worn on the head. There are still other occasions when the Torah uses words from the Greek or other languages. The Talmud Zevachim 37 deals with the subject.
The point is that the gentiles come across words in the Torah which are familiar to them from their own language. More than that; the language of a nation is an essential part of its “life,” i.e. its culture, its reason for being a separate nation. Seeing that G’d foresaw that at some time in the future the Jewish people would spend their lives in exile amongst people speaking an “alien” tongue, the fact that the odd word of such languages were familiar to them from the Torah would serve as an encouragement to them, reminding them that they were not in a totally alien world. It is this thought that the psalmist alluded to in psalms 87,6 when he referred to the Jewish people though in exile will never be counted as an integral part of the host nation, but as “Zionists,” see reference in the verse preceding psalms 87,6. (Compare Alshich)
According to our author, the smattering of foreign words in the Torah is designed to give Jews born in foreign lands due to their parents being in exile, confidence that they can live there as Jews, provided they live as a צדיקים, righteous persons, as the tzaddik is also referred to as זה, (Compare B’rachot 6) and this is what the psalmist alludes to when writing the word זה after the word עמים in the verse quoted earlier from psalms 87,6. The Talmud quotes as its example the word זה in the last verse of Kohelet, where the line כי זה כל האדם, for this is the “whole” human being, implies that only a person who is a ירא שמים, ”lives in awe of His Creator,” is truly a human being.
The reason that the Torah refers to Moses explaining the Torah in the land of Moab is that only in חוץ לארץ, outside the Land of Israel proper, is there any need for Torah also to be understood by resorting to a tongue other than the holy Tongue.
A look at Rashi, based on Tanchuma, shows us that Moses translated the Torah into 70 languages. Why did Moses find it necessary to choose this time and location to translate the Torah into all the known languages at the time? If this was indeed so, this helps us explain a verse in psalms 87,6 ה' יספור בכתוב עמים זה ילד שם סלה, “The Lord will inscribe in His register of all the peoples that have been born, selah.”
It is an accepted rule that on occasion the Torah writes some words in Aramaic, such as in Genesis 31,47 “יגר סהדותא,” “the stone of witness,” whereas Yaakov named the very same heap of stones גלעד in its Hebrew equivalent. Aramaic is not the only foreign (non Hebrew) language that is found in the Torah. An example that comes to mind is the word טוטפות used by the Torah to describe the area on the forehead where the phylacteries are to be placed. (Deuteronomy 6,8). The word may describe some jewelry worn on the head. There are still other occasions when the Torah uses words from the Greek or other languages. The Talmud Zevachim 37 deals with the subject.
The point is that the gentiles come across words in the Torah which are familiar to them from their own language. More than that; the language of a nation is an essential part of its “life,” i.e. its culture, its reason for being a separate nation. Seeing that G’d foresaw that at some time in the future the Jewish people would spend their lives in exile amongst people speaking an “alien” tongue, the fact that the odd word of such languages were familiar to them from the Torah would serve as an encouragement to them, reminding them that they were not in a totally alien world. It is this thought that the psalmist alluded to in psalms 87,6 when he referred to the Jewish people though in exile will never be counted as an integral part of the host nation, but as “Zionists,” see reference in the verse preceding psalms 87,6. (Compare Alshich)
According to our author, the smattering of foreign words in the Torah is designed to give Jews born in foreign lands due to their parents being in exile, confidence that they can live there as Jews, provided they live as a צדיקים, righteous persons, as the tzaddik is also referred to as זה, (Compare B’rachot 6) and this is what the psalmist alludes to when writing the word זה after the word עמים in the verse quoted earlier from psalms 87,6. The Talmud quotes as its example the word זה in the last verse of Kohelet, where the line כי זה כל האדם, for this is the “whole” human being, implies that only a person who is a ירא שמים, ”lives in awe of His Creator,” is truly a human being.
The reason that the Torah refers to Moses explaining the Torah in the land of Moab is that only in חוץ לארץ, outside the Land of Israel proper, is there any need for Torah also to be understood by resorting to a tongue other than the holy Tongue.
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Likutei Halakhot
So behold, the main intent of the above words, for practical application, is what I saw and heard from the mouth of Rabbeinu z"l himself, many times, that he lived new life all the time; like I heard from him many times saying, “I lived life today, such life as I had never experienced” etc. And also I heard him other times speaking a great deal about life, that the world calls everything life etc., and even regarding painful life there are many differences etc., see there in the Sichoth [CM #400], but actually the essence of life is True Longevity, which is the aspect of the Long Life of the blind one, who really lives long life, for he boasts that he is utterly old and yet utterly a suckling babe and still has not begun to live at all. For this is the essence of life: when one starts serving Hashem anew all the time, as if he has still not started serving him at all, as written (Deut. 6), “Asher anochi metzawekha hayom/Which I enjoin you today.” And our Rabbis z”l (Sifri there), commented, “Every day let them be new in your eyes;” and (ibid. 27) “Hasket ush'ma` Yisrael, hayom hazeh nihyeytha le`am laShem Eloheikha/Pay attention and listen, Yisrael: this day you are become a people to Hashem your God,” and our Rabbis z"l explained (brought in Rashi): every day let them be in your eyes as if today you have entered the covenant with him. And like I saw from Rabbeinu z"l innumerable times, that even though he had previously boasted of big and wondrous things, and revealed wondrous Torah never before heard, as he usually did — and then afterwards we saw him in great pain, and many times he laid out his pain and conversation before us from the depth of his heart, that he is extremely afflicted over how to attain being a Jew, like someone who never before smelled the spirit of serving Hashem. And whoever did not see this, it is impossible to describe it to him in writing, but a little about this is already explained in this Shevachim that are printed, and every time he would say that now he knows nothing at all, nothing nothing at all etc., even though earlier he had revealed what he revealed and boasted that he attained what he attained that is impossible to reveal; nevertheless immediately after he would say that he knows nothing at all. So the rule was that he never stood on one level, but just always quickly went from level to level in the apex of uppermost and loftiest levels, and even when he reached what he reached etc., his mind still did not grow cool to this etc. But here is not the place to prolong discussion of this, but it will be explained elsewhere. And this is truly the essence of life, when one attains always beginning anew in serving Hashem, which is truly the essence of life, as written (Deut. 30:20), “Ki hu chayeykha/It is precisely your life.” And the essence of serving Hashem is to always perform one's service anew, and to not fall into old age of the Sitra Achra; that his service not become old for him, God forbid, as Rabbeinu z"l warned us against and said it is forbidden to be old; not an old tzaddik and not an old chasid, old is not good etc., as explained in his holy Sichoth appended to Sipurei Ma`asiyoth, namely, one needs to always begin anew. And this is the essence of the long life of the holy elder who is the blind one, for he was most old and most yanik [infantile, lit. suckling], that is, the more he grew and became subsumed into holy elderliness which is the aspect of `Atik de`Atikin, the more yanik he became. For, each time he perceived that he is utterly far from Hashem Yithbarakh, for “there is no probing His greatness,” therefore the more he was subsumed into holy elderliness, the more he saw and perceived that he still has not begun living at all, until he attained the aforementioned Long Life where elderliness and infancy and united, which is totally impossible to comprehend. And this is the aspect of tefillin which are drawn from the aforementioned Elder, who is the root of the tefillin, brains, as mentioned., which are the aspect of life, as mentioned., the aspect (ibid 4), “We'atem hadeveqim baShem Eloheikhem chayim kulkhem hayom/And you that cleave to Hashem your God, all of you are live this day,” which is said of tefillin, as is known, for this is the essence of tefillin-brains, in order to attain, through the mitzwah of tefillin, living new life of holiness, to renew his days like an eagle, to begin serving Hashem Yithbarakh anew all the time, and not fall into the oldness of the Sitra Achra, to not view his devotion be as old; on the contrary, tangibly new, as if he had never ever began. For in truth, even one who is a very great tzaddiq and has labored and toiled many years in His Blessed devotion, nevertheless in accord with the Every Day Renewal of Creation, he still has not begun at all, for Hashem Yithbarakh does new things all the time, as written, “and in His goodness renews every day constantly the work of creation,” and no day is like another, and no time is like another, and each and every moment there are changes in the rising of the worlds and their order and position and conduct, in unfathomably wondrous and awesome changes. And all their vitality derives from the devotion of the man in this world, on which it all depends, from the head up to the Ein Sof. Therefore one must always serve Hashem Yithbarakh anew, in accord with the renewal of the work of creation in all the worlds needed now, and in accord with the revelation of the greatness of the Blessed Creator that needs to be revealed now. For, “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge” [Ps. 19], as every day, every night, every time and every moment, His Blessed Greatness is revealed in a new consciousness and awareness that never before existed. Therefore one needs to begin in His service new every time, in the aspect of, “Let them be like new in your eyes every day,” and this is the essence of vitality, this aforementioned aspect of long life, and as explained in Rabbeinu z"l's words, that the essence of longevity, the aspect of long life, is to see to it, every next coming day, to extend the day with additional sanctity and consciousness. For, the day, at its beginning when it comes to a man, is very narrow, and one needs to see to it to widen and lengthen it with additional sanctity all the time. And so every day one needs to see to it that each day be longer than the other, with additional sanctity and purity etc. (as explained in the Torah Pathach R' Shim`on in LM #60). And this is the essence of length of days, the aspect of long days, namely all the time beginning new in new service, with great addition. For, all the service he has performed until now, he needs to forget entirely, and now begin new, as mentioned. And by tefillin we attain this, as mentioned. And this is the essence of the mitzwah of tefillin that we lay every day, in order to attain life, the aspect of “You who cleave” as mentioned, that is, to attain the aforementioned long life, to renew is life of holiness at all times, beginning new all the time, and this is the essence of brains and life that originate are drawn from the aforementioned Most Supernal Elder, where the source of tefillin is, as mentioned, as he lives the aforementioned long life, as there, elderliness and infancy are united together, which this is the aspect of (Ps. 103), “That your youth be renewed as an eagle,” as our Rabbis z"l said (brought in Rashi there), “This eagle, the older it gets...”, that is, the older it gets, the more it renews its vitality and begins new, all the time beginning new life. And therefore he had concurrence from the Great Eagle specifically, for such vitality is the aspect of “Being renewed as an eagle” as mentioned. And the aspect of tefillin, which are the aspect of this life, is from there, as mentioned.
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Hakhsharat HaAvrekhim
If this is the case we do not have to add to what has already been said, because the real point is translating the advice into action. More words will indeed give them delight, but it is only the delight in hearing and getting excited about fiery mussar, which is not much different than getting excited about downing shot-glasses of 120 proof bourbon, or immersing in a boiling mikveh. Such people delight in the burn on their skin or in their throat. Though they suffer and wake up, they will still not make any great efforts in doing. Take a hard look at the words of the holy Tsaddikim that we have quoted and you will see that the main point of avodas Hashem is the struggle to fulfill the advice in real actions. In the Iggeros HaKodesh of Rav Shneor Zalman of Liadi (Ch. 12) that “the term avodah only applies to divine service that is the product of a tremendous struggle against his nature,103The struggle is dual. It is both the fight against his unrefined behavior as well as the intense effort at deepening his holy avodah. through which his own nature and will are nullified before God’s supernal will, may He be blessed, to the point where his exhausts all the power of his soul in Torah and avodah.”104Shochet (Tanya, p. 455) renders this, “he abnegates his nature and will before the blessed Supreme Will; as for example to exhaust himself in Torah and prayer, ‘to the extent of pressing out of the soul.’ ” Shochet notes “Pressing out of the soul,” (mitsui hanefesh) is an idiom taken from Sifre, Deut. 32 (on Deut. 6:5) Even with the greatest of the Tsaddikim we find that their level of avodah did not come easy, but was rather sorely won through constant and diligent work. Such work is not just the struggle of the great Tsaddikim, but a struggle needed for everyone according to his own level to arrive at any state of kedushah or purity.
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Kedushat Levi
Exodus 24,10. “they saw the G’d of Israel, and beneath His feet something resembling a brick made of sapphire pure as the heavens.” We are all familiar with the concept of אהבת הבורא, “love for the Creator,” after all we have been charged with loving Him in Deuteronomy 6,5 and we recite this verse three times daily. Nonetheless, any thinking person must ask himself how he could describe himself as “loving G’d,” seeing that He is so far above us human beings that a mutual love relationship as we comprehend it seems impossible, and anyone claiming to feel such feelings surely must be guilty of boasting, or something worse, blasphemy!
There is a third “dogma,” that anyone claiming to be a true believer in Judaism must embrace, and that is that the Creator is our Father, we are His children, and that in spite of the fact that G’d like any father is wiser, more experienced, more knowledgeable than his children, this does not preclude Him from enjoying his children, even engaging in the equivalent of “playing games with them.” The fact that the Creator is able to do this is what enables Him to become beloved by His creatures/children.
These three “dogmas,” or מידות, were prominently displayed in varying degrees by the patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov. Avraham excelled in love for his Creator, Yitzchok excelled in his awe of the Creator, and Yaakov excelled in תפארת ואמת, “harmony and truth.” Avraham’s level of faith was complemented and thus made complete by his grandson Yaakov, and this is the meaning of Isaiah 29,22 saying בית יעקב אשר פדה את אברהם, “the house of Yaakov who redeemed Avraham.” The right hand of a human being, the left hand and the torso, allude to these three virtues, religious “dogmas.”
There is another virtue, faith, אמונה, i.e. actually a twofold “faith” the belief in both the authenticity of the written as well as the oral Torah. What this “faith” involves is the absolute certainty that the Creator guides the universe, according to how He sees fit. This aspect is included in the term תורה שבכתב, “the written Torah.” At the same time we must believe that G’d carries out the wishes of the collective soul of the Jewish people. The first mentioned aspect of faith is primarily the faith demonstrated by Moses, whereas the latter aspect, belief in the authenticity of the oral Torah was what Aaron the High Priest, excelled in. In other words, basically what Yaakov excelled in and what Aaron excelled in were similar, the difference being that Yaakov’s “faith” included the belief that G’d is amused and delights in the Jewish people to the point that He “boasts“ about them. However, this is not yet sufficient for Him to fulfill their wish for Him to guide the world according to the wishes of the people of Israel, seeing that even if a father in our world of mortals, just because his son pleases him on occasion or even most of the time, does not re-orient his lifestyle on account of that. It requires the additional virtue of Aaron, i.e. Yaakov, in order for Israel to persuade Him to re-orient His manner of guiding the universe so that it coincides with the wishes of the collective soul of the Jewish people.
In the event, Yaakov became equivalent to his son Levi who was found worthy to also become the founder of the priesthood in Israel. It was Yaakov who fathered the children who were eventually adorned with the title “Children of Israel.” The reason why the priests wear 4 distinct garments when performing their functions in the Temple, is that they embody the four virtues we have described earlier as being essential for the truly believing Israelite. These 4 virtues, i.e. “dogmas” of Jewish belief, are also represented in the four letters of the holy name of the Lord, the tetragram. The four garments of the priest worn in our “lower” part of the universe, symbolize the letters in the tetragram, reminiscent of the “upper” world. This is one way in which G’d is represented among the Israelites in their world at all times.
There is a third “dogma,” that anyone claiming to be a true believer in Judaism must embrace, and that is that the Creator is our Father, we are His children, and that in spite of the fact that G’d like any father is wiser, more experienced, more knowledgeable than his children, this does not preclude Him from enjoying his children, even engaging in the equivalent of “playing games with them.” The fact that the Creator is able to do this is what enables Him to become beloved by His creatures/children.
These three “dogmas,” or מידות, were prominently displayed in varying degrees by the patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov. Avraham excelled in love for his Creator, Yitzchok excelled in his awe of the Creator, and Yaakov excelled in תפארת ואמת, “harmony and truth.” Avraham’s level of faith was complemented and thus made complete by his grandson Yaakov, and this is the meaning of Isaiah 29,22 saying בית יעקב אשר פדה את אברהם, “the house of Yaakov who redeemed Avraham.” The right hand of a human being, the left hand and the torso, allude to these three virtues, religious “dogmas.”
There is another virtue, faith, אמונה, i.e. actually a twofold “faith” the belief in both the authenticity of the written as well as the oral Torah. What this “faith” involves is the absolute certainty that the Creator guides the universe, according to how He sees fit. This aspect is included in the term תורה שבכתב, “the written Torah.” At the same time we must believe that G’d carries out the wishes of the collective soul of the Jewish people. The first mentioned aspect of faith is primarily the faith demonstrated by Moses, whereas the latter aspect, belief in the authenticity of the oral Torah was what Aaron the High Priest, excelled in. In other words, basically what Yaakov excelled in and what Aaron excelled in were similar, the difference being that Yaakov’s “faith” included the belief that G’d is amused and delights in the Jewish people to the point that He “boasts“ about them. However, this is not yet sufficient for Him to fulfill their wish for Him to guide the world according to the wishes of the people of Israel, seeing that even if a father in our world of mortals, just because his son pleases him on occasion or even most of the time, does not re-orient his lifestyle on account of that. It requires the additional virtue of Aaron, i.e. Yaakov, in order for Israel to persuade Him to re-orient His manner of guiding the universe so that it coincides with the wishes of the collective soul of the Jewish people.
In the event, Yaakov became equivalent to his son Levi who was found worthy to also become the founder of the priesthood in Israel. It was Yaakov who fathered the children who were eventually adorned with the title “Children of Israel.” The reason why the priests wear 4 distinct garments when performing their functions in the Temple, is that they embody the four virtues we have described earlier as being essential for the truly believing Israelite. These 4 virtues, i.e. “dogmas” of Jewish belief, are also represented in the four letters of the holy name of the Lord, the tetragram. The four garments of the priest worn in our “lower” part of the universe, symbolize the letters in the tetragram, reminiscent of the “upper” world. This is one way in which G’d is represented among the Israelites in their world at all times.
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Kedushat Levi
Genesis 24,7. “do not bring my son back there under any circumstances.!” We find that G’d confirmed Avraham’s attittude concerning Yitzchok not leaving the soil of The Holy Land, when He said to Yitzchok (Genesis 26,2) אל תרד מצרימה, שכון בארץ..גור בארץ הזאת, “do not go down to Egypt; reside in the Land…even if you have to be a transient in this land!”
We have a standing rule according to which it is permissible to be afraid of something or someone bigger than oneself, whereas it is forbidden to be afraid of someone smaller than oneself. In other words, whereas it is permissible to be afraid of G’d, it is not permissible to be afraid of anyone other than G’d. This is why all manner of idol worship is prohibited.
The attribute of love enables one to love those who are “smaller” than we are, notably the members of our household who depend on us. When we keep this rule in mind we will be able to understand a story in the Talmud Kiddushin 57 where it is related that Shimon ben Ammasuni undertook to explain the meaning of each word את in the Torah, proving that the word invariably includes something that the Torah had not spelled out specifically. However, when he came to the line (Deuteronomy 6,13) את ה' אלוקיך תירא, “you are to revere the Lord your G’d,” he was stymied, not knowing what the word את in that line could possibly add, as it is forbidden to revere anyone other than the Lord. His students asked him if he thought that all the explanations that he had found for the other times that the word את occurs should be disregarded? He replied that “just as the Torah promises a reward for explaining its intricacies, so it rewards those who refrain from offering explanations that are not appropriate.” In the meantime, Rabbi Akiva who had heard of Shimon ben Ammasuni’s dilemma, said that even this את added an additional meaning to the verse in which it appeared, suggesting that the Torah scholars deserve to be revered also. Rabbi Akiva was able to offer this explanation since Torah scholars are “greater” than the ordinary people consulting them, so that they fit the principle that it is allowed to revere, be in awe of, people that are greater than oneself. This is a basic difference between the attribute of reverence, יראה, and the attribute of אהבה, love. While it is in order to say: “I am afraid of you,” to someone more powerful than oneself, a king for instance, it is not in order to say to such a king: “I love you.” It is, however, permissible to say to such a king: “I love to be in your house,” “I love to serve you,” etc.
The above distinction explains why Shimon ben Amassuni had not found a problem with the word את in Deuteronomy 6,5 where the Torah writes: ואהבת את ה' אלוקיך, “you shall love the Lord your G’d.” He understood this verse as not applying to G’d’s essence, but to attributes of G’d, attributes worth emulating because they make Him lovable. This is also why Rabbi Akiva was able to resolve his difficulty when he suggested that reverence for Torah scholars, who are an extension of G’d from Whom they received their knowledge and stature, therefore qualify for a portion of reverence that is due to their Master. Seeing that the Torah scholar is a servant of G’d, he too is entitled to some of his Master’s reflected glory.
Avraham’s major attribute was אהבה, his love for people. This attribute included even in their concerns with matters that did not involve their relations to the Creator. This being so, G’d did not object to his descending to Egypt, leaving the soil of the Holy Land. His son Yitzchok’s primary attribute was יראה, reverence for the Essence of G’d; i.e. he concentrated all his faculties on how to serve G’d. This being so, it would have interfered with his basic character were he to leave the sacred soil of the land of Israel for even a short period.
We have a standing rule according to which it is permissible to be afraid of something or someone bigger than oneself, whereas it is forbidden to be afraid of someone smaller than oneself. In other words, whereas it is permissible to be afraid of G’d, it is not permissible to be afraid of anyone other than G’d. This is why all manner of idol worship is prohibited.
The attribute of love enables one to love those who are “smaller” than we are, notably the members of our household who depend on us. When we keep this rule in mind we will be able to understand a story in the Talmud Kiddushin 57 where it is related that Shimon ben Ammasuni undertook to explain the meaning of each word את in the Torah, proving that the word invariably includes something that the Torah had not spelled out specifically. However, when he came to the line (Deuteronomy 6,13) את ה' אלוקיך תירא, “you are to revere the Lord your G’d,” he was stymied, not knowing what the word את in that line could possibly add, as it is forbidden to revere anyone other than the Lord. His students asked him if he thought that all the explanations that he had found for the other times that the word את occurs should be disregarded? He replied that “just as the Torah promises a reward for explaining its intricacies, so it rewards those who refrain from offering explanations that are not appropriate.” In the meantime, Rabbi Akiva who had heard of Shimon ben Ammasuni’s dilemma, said that even this את added an additional meaning to the verse in which it appeared, suggesting that the Torah scholars deserve to be revered also. Rabbi Akiva was able to offer this explanation since Torah scholars are “greater” than the ordinary people consulting them, so that they fit the principle that it is allowed to revere, be in awe of, people that are greater than oneself. This is a basic difference between the attribute of reverence, יראה, and the attribute of אהבה, love. While it is in order to say: “I am afraid of you,” to someone more powerful than oneself, a king for instance, it is not in order to say to such a king: “I love you.” It is, however, permissible to say to such a king: “I love to be in your house,” “I love to serve you,” etc.
The above distinction explains why Shimon ben Amassuni had not found a problem with the word את in Deuteronomy 6,5 where the Torah writes: ואהבת את ה' אלוקיך, “you shall love the Lord your G’d.” He understood this verse as not applying to G’d’s essence, but to attributes of G’d, attributes worth emulating because they make Him lovable. This is also why Rabbi Akiva was able to resolve his difficulty when he suggested that reverence for Torah scholars, who are an extension of G’d from Whom they received their knowledge and stature, therefore qualify for a portion of reverence that is due to their Master. Seeing that the Torah scholar is a servant of G’d, he too is entitled to some of his Master’s reflected glory.
Avraham’s major attribute was אהבה, his love for people. This attribute included even in their concerns with matters that did not involve their relations to the Creator. This being so, G’d did not object to his descending to Egypt, leaving the soil of the Holy Land. His son Yitzchok’s primary attribute was יראה, reverence for the Essence of G’d; i.e. he concentrated all his faculties on how to serve G’d. This being so, it would have interfered with his basic character were he to leave the sacred soil of the land of Israel for even a short period.
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Kedushat Levi
Genesis 24,7. “do not bring my son back there under any circumstances.!” We find that G’d confirmed Avraham’s attittude concerning Yitzchok not leaving the soil of The Holy Land, when He said to Yitzchok (Genesis 26,2) אל תרד מצרימה, שכון בארץ..גור בארץ הזאת, “do not go down to Egypt; reside in the Land…even if you have to be a transient in this land!”
We have a standing rule according to which it is permissible to be afraid of something or someone bigger than oneself, whereas it is forbidden to be afraid of someone smaller than oneself. In other words, whereas it is permissible to be afraid of G’d, it is not permissible to be afraid of anyone other than G’d. This is why all manner of idol worship is prohibited.
The attribute of love enables one to love those who are “smaller” than we are, notably the members of our household who depend on us. When we keep this rule in mind we will be able to understand a story in the Talmud Kiddushin 57 where it is related that Shimon ben Ammasuni undertook to explain the meaning of each word את in the Torah, proving that the word invariably includes something that the Torah had not spelled out specifically. However, when he came to the line (Deuteronomy 6,13) את ה' אלוקיך תירא, “you are to revere the Lord your G’d,” he was stymied, not knowing what the word את in that line could possibly add, as it is forbidden to revere anyone other than the Lord. His students asked him if he thought that all the explanations that he had found for the other times that the word את occurs should be disregarded? He replied that “just as the Torah promises a reward for explaining its intricacies, so it rewards those who refrain from offering explanations that are not appropriate.” In the meantime, Rabbi Akiva who had heard of Shimon ben Ammasuni’s dilemma, said that even this את added an additional meaning to the verse in which it appeared, suggesting that the Torah scholars deserve to be revered also. Rabbi Akiva was able to offer this explanation since Torah scholars are “greater” than the ordinary people consulting them, so that they fit the principle that it is allowed to revere, be in awe of, people that are greater than oneself. This is a basic difference between the attribute of reverence, יראה, and the attribute of אהבה, love. While it is in order to say: “I am afraid of you,” to someone more powerful than oneself, a king for instance, it is not in order to say to such a king: “I love you.” It is, however, permissible to say to such a king: “I love to be in your house,” “I love to serve you,” etc.
The above distinction explains why Shimon ben Amassuni had not found a problem with the word את in Deuteronomy 6,5 where the Torah writes: ואהבת את ה' אלוקיך, “you shall love the Lord your G’d.” He understood this verse as not applying to G’d’s essence, but to attributes of G’d, attributes worth emulating because they make Him lovable. This is also why Rabbi Akiva was able to resolve his difficulty when he suggested that reverence for Torah scholars, who are an extension of G’d from Whom they received their knowledge and stature, therefore qualify for a portion of reverence that is due to their Master. Seeing that the Torah scholar is a servant of G’d, he too is entitled to some of his Master’s reflected glory.
Avraham’s major attribute was אהבה, his love for people. This attribute included even in their concerns with matters that did not involve their relations to the Creator. This being so, G’d did not object to his descending to Egypt, leaving the soil of the Holy Land. His son Yitzchok’s primary attribute was יראה, reverence for the Essence of G’d; i.e. he concentrated all his faculties on how to serve G’d. This being so, it would have interfered with his basic character were he to leave the sacred soil of the land of Israel for even a short period.
We have a standing rule according to which it is permissible to be afraid of something or someone bigger than oneself, whereas it is forbidden to be afraid of someone smaller than oneself. In other words, whereas it is permissible to be afraid of G’d, it is not permissible to be afraid of anyone other than G’d. This is why all manner of idol worship is prohibited.
The attribute of love enables one to love those who are “smaller” than we are, notably the members of our household who depend on us. When we keep this rule in mind we will be able to understand a story in the Talmud Kiddushin 57 where it is related that Shimon ben Ammasuni undertook to explain the meaning of each word את in the Torah, proving that the word invariably includes something that the Torah had not spelled out specifically. However, when he came to the line (Deuteronomy 6,13) את ה' אלוקיך תירא, “you are to revere the Lord your G’d,” he was stymied, not knowing what the word את in that line could possibly add, as it is forbidden to revere anyone other than the Lord. His students asked him if he thought that all the explanations that he had found for the other times that the word את occurs should be disregarded? He replied that “just as the Torah promises a reward for explaining its intricacies, so it rewards those who refrain from offering explanations that are not appropriate.” In the meantime, Rabbi Akiva who had heard of Shimon ben Ammasuni’s dilemma, said that even this את added an additional meaning to the verse in which it appeared, suggesting that the Torah scholars deserve to be revered also. Rabbi Akiva was able to offer this explanation since Torah scholars are “greater” than the ordinary people consulting them, so that they fit the principle that it is allowed to revere, be in awe of, people that are greater than oneself. This is a basic difference between the attribute of reverence, יראה, and the attribute of אהבה, love. While it is in order to say: “I am afraid of you,” to someone more powerful than oneself, a king for instance, it is not in order to say to such a king: “I love you.” It is, however, permissible to say to such a king: “I love to be in your house,” “I love to serve you,” etc.
The above distinction explains why Shimon ben Amassuni had not found a problem with the word את in Deuteronomy 6,5 where the Torah writes: ואהבת את ה' אלוקיך, “you shall love the Lord your G’d.” He understood this verse as not applying to G’d’s essence, but to attributes of G’d, attributes worth emulating because they make Him lovable. This is also why Rabbi Akiva was able to resolve his difficulty when he suggested that reverence for Torah scholars, who are an extension of G’d from Whom they received their knowledge and stature, therefore qualify for a portion of reverence that is due to their Master. Seeing that the Torah scholar is a servant of G’d, he too is entitled to some of his Master’s reflected glory.
Avraham’s major attribute was אהבה, his love for people. This attribute included even in their concerns with matters that did not involve their relations to the Creator. This being so, G’d did not object to his descending to Egypt, leaving the soil of the Holy Land. His son Yitzchok’s primary attribute was יראה, reverence for the Essence of G’d; i.e. he concentrated all his faculties on how to serve G’d. This being so, it would have interfered with his basic character were he to leave the sacred soil of the land of Israel for even a short period.
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Kedushat Levi
Exodus 11,4. “Moses said: ‘thus has the Lord said, etc.;’” we have to understand why the expression כה was used here to introduce Moses’ prophecy when we had learned that whereas all the other prophets introduced their prophecies with this word, Moses prophesied by using the vision he referred to as זה, “this,” i.e. as a clear vision.
We gain the impression from this preamble to the prophecy of the plague of the death of the firstborn that Moses had not been granted to see this vision as clearly as he had seen other visions, and that he had attained the level of seeing visions described as זה, only at the revelation at Mount Sinai. In Exodus 19,1 we read ביום הזה באו מדבר סיני, “on this day (first of Sivan) they arrived in the desert of Sinai.”
The words of that verse help us understand the formulation of the question in Deuteronomy 6,20, attributed in the Haggadah shel Pessach to the “smart” son, מה העדות והחוקים והמשפטים, “what are the testimonies, the statutes and the social laws, etc.?” The Torah there should have written: על מה, i.e.” why were these laws given,” not “what are these laws”, seeing that the questioner had demonstrated that he was familiar with these laws already!
Looking at this verse purely from the p’shat,, the “smart” son appears to enquire for the reasons underlying these various types of commandments in the Torah. He does not address the commandments themselves. Seeing that this is so, he should have asked: על מה, “why or what for”, did G’d command these different observances? Not only do we find the formulation of the questions difficult to understand, but, at least in the Haggadah shel Pessach, [as opposed to the answer given in the written Torah, Ed.] how does the answer of אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן, “one must not eat a dessert after having consumed the meat of the Passover offering,” answer the question?
The proper answer to the smart son’s question is that G’d took us out of Egypt using all kinds of supernatural miracles in doing so, and that this redemption was not a temporary redemption subject to being reversed, but that it made of the Jewish people a free people, a people never again to become enslaved collectively. Not only did the Egyptians “let us go,” but they tried to “expel” us out of fear that more of their number would die if we stayed on their soil a minute longer. The answer that the author of the Haggadah shel Pessach suggests that the father give to this “smart” son seems to leave out the principal reasons for the legislation by concentrating on something of secondary or even still lesser significance.
We gain the impression from this preamble to the prophecy of the plague of the death of the firstborn that Moses had not been granted to see this vision as clearly as he had seen other visions, and that he had attained the level of seeing visions described as זה, only at the revelation at Mount Sinai. In Exodus 19,1 we read ביום הזה באו מדבר סיני, “on this day (first of Sivan) they arrived in the desert of Sinai.”
The words of that verse help us understand the formulation of the question in Deuteronomy 6,20, attributed in the Haggadah shel Pessach to the “smart” son, מה העדות והחוקים והמשפטים, “what are the testimonies, the statutes and the social laws, etc.?” The Torah there should have written: על מה, i.e.” why were these laws given,” not “what are these laws”, seeing that the questioner had demonstrated that he was familiar with these laws already!
Looking at this verse purely from the p’shat,, the “smart” son appears to enquire for the reasons underlying these various types of commandments in the Torah. He does not address the commandments themselves. Seeing that this is so, he should have asked: על מה, “why or what for”, did G’d command these different observances? Not only do we find the formulation of the questions difficult to understand, but, at least in the Haggadah shel Pessach, [as opposed to the answer given in the written Torah, Ed.] how does the answer of אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן, “one must not eat a dessert after having consumed the meat of the Passover offering,” answer the question?
The proper answer to the smart son’s question is that G’d took us out of Egypt using all kinds of supernatural miracles in doing so, and that this redemption was not a temporary redemption subject to being reversed, but that it made of the Jewish people a free people, a people never again to become enslaved collectively. Not only did the Egyptians “let us go,” but they tried to “expel” us out of fear that more of their number would die if we stayed on their soil a minute longer. The answer that the author of the Haggadah shel Pessach suggests that the father give to this “smart” son seems to leave out the principal reasons for the legislation by concentrating on something of secondary or even still lesser significance.
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Kedushat Levi
Another way of looking at this unusual utterance by Moses, in which, at least superficially, he appears to describe reverence for G’d as an attribute that is easily cultivated by man. We read in Deuteronomy 33,26 where Moses describes some of the phenomenal capacities of the Creator in the words: רוכב שמים בעזרך, “He rides the heavens in support of you (His people).” Although G’d’s abilities are unlimited, אין סוף, He has nonetheless imposed restrictions upon Himself out of His love for the Jewish people, so much so that when applying His many attributes in practice, He first compares the way in which His people, Israel, practice these same attributes down here on earth. When G’d observes the Jewish people excelling in the practice of loving kindness for their fellow Jews, He in turn, will also practice this attribute in a very generous measure. The same is true of other attributes such as displaying unforgiving hostility towards those who blaspheme and belittle G’d, or worse. He will deal with such people harshly, having taken His cue from the way His people behave toward them. This was implied when we mentioned earlier in connection with G’d being described both as Hashem and as elokim in the same verse, (Deut. 6,4) (compare page 732) that whereas the name Hashem is a “comprehensive” name including all of G’d’s manifold attributes, the name “elokim” is used when referring to a specific attribute of His being prominent at that time. When Moses, in our verse here, stresses the name of G’d as His attribute of אלוקיך, “your G’d,” this suggests that He applies His attributes according to the way His people practice this attribute on earth in their dealings with others.
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Sefat Emet
The verse says (Deuteronomy.6.5-6) "You shall love the Lord your God... And these words shall be upon your heart." Sifri and Rashi explain: "What is this love? By taking these words to heart, you will come to recognize the Holy One blessed be He, and cleave to His ways."
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Kedushat Levi
Deuteronomy 6,4. “Hear O Israel!” it is a rule based on tradition that when the Israelites pray and address G’d as הא-ל הגדול, “the great G’d,” G’d responds by wrapping Himself in greatness, whereas when we add the words: הגבור, “the mighty One,” G’d drapes Himself in garments signaling that He is mighty. When we continue in our prayers to refer to G’d as הנורא, “the awesome One,” G’d garbs Himself in a robe symbolizing that adjective or attribute. The phenomenon of G’d garbing Himself in various robes in response to our prayers is known as אם, an abbreviated form of the word אמה, “cubit,” a basic unit in measuring lengths. [If I understand correctly, this is used as a device to interpose between the root, the essence, and visual image of the essence it hides. Ed.] The “essence” behind is known as מטי ולא מטי, “both capable of being found and not capable of being found;” [in the sense of “at one and the same time attainable and yet not attainable”. Ed.] Even this expression never appears without an accompanying modifying adjective, attribute.
When we recite the first line of the kriyat sh’ma, i.e. the verse above, we refer to G’d in His essence prior to His having garbed Himself in “robes,” in order to make it easier for us to visualize Him, seeing that His Essence is beyond our ability to visualize. The moment we add the word: אלוקינו, i.e. “our G’d,” we have already added something that reflects how G’d has imposed restrictions on Himself and the absolute freedom represented by His Essence. It is important for us to remember at all times that we do not address our prayers to the “visualized” version of “Hashem,” but to His Essence.
[In order to understand the concept of אם המדידה the “mother of measuring,” the reader may recall that there is a rod exactly one meter long preserved in Paris as a terms of reference whenever a dispute would arise about the accuracy of a device claiming to be exactly one meter long. Ed.]
When we recite the first line of the kriyat sh’ma, i.e. the verse above, we refer to G’d in His essence prior to His having garbed Himself in “robes,” in order to make it easier for us to visualize Him, seeing that His Essence is beyond our ability to visualize. The moment we add the word: אלוקינו, i.e. “our G’d,” we have already added something that reflects how G’d has imposed restrictions on Himself and the absolute freedom represented by His Essence. It is important for us to remember at all times that we do not address our prayers to the “visualized” version of “Hashem,” but to His Essence.
[In order to understand the concept of אם המדידה the “mother of measuring,” the reader may recall that there is a rod exactly one meter long preserved in Paris as a terms of reference whenever a dispute would arise about the accuracy of a device claiming to be exactly one meter long. Ed.]
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Kedushat Levi
Numbers 24,17. “a star emerging from Yaakov has begun its journey, a scepter from Israel. It smashes the corner posts of Moab the foundation of all the descendents of Sheth.” The poetic language of Bileam becomes clearer when we look at psalms 22,29 כי לה' המלוכה ומושל בגויים, “for dominion belongs to Hashem and He rules the nations;” This will be demonstrated when ועלו מושיעים בהר ציון לשפוט את הר עשו והיתה לה' המלוכה, “when the liberators (exiles that have been freed) will march up Mount Zion to wreak judgment on Mount Esau and dominion shall be the Lord’s.”(Ovadiah 1,21)
We need to understand the difference between the words ממשלה and מלוכה, both of which refer to the exercise of authority, rule. The word מלוכה, when used in Scripture, refers to rule by a king whose subjects have submitted to it willingly, whereas the word ממשלה is used in Scripture when the subjects are unwilling, but unable to shake off the rule by the monarch or dictator. As a general rule, only the Jewish people are described as willingly submitting to G’d’s rule, whereas the gentile nations described in these verses as being in exile, submitted to G’d’s rule under protest, and rebelled against it whenever possible. G’d imposes His rule upon them in order to frustrate their evil designs against His people. In the eras described, both in psalms and Ovadiah, this situation will have changed and the gentile nations will willingly appoint G’d as their king also. (Compare Rashi on Deuteronomy 6,4,on שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד.( He quotes both Zecharyah 14,9 and Tzefaniah 2,9 in support of his statement.
We are aware that it is impossible for mortal man to have a true concept of the essence of G’d as we know from Tikkuney Hazohar chapter 11. When we recite daily in our prayers the line ברוך אתה ה', “blessed are You Hashem,” this is because through making judicious use of the letters, i.e. concentrating on the written text of our prayers, Jews can achieve comprehension of concepts that are incapable of comprehension to human beings if one would think about them only in the abstract. The letters, i.e. the sacred letters of the printed or written words: אתה וגו', illuminate for us the concept of G’d’s dominion over the Jewish people. As a result of this advantage we possess, tzaddikim are able to use the 22 letters in the aleph bet at will for the furtherance of loving kindness, mercy and life through our prayers which will then become engraved in the throne of Hashem.
The numerical value of the tetragram, i.e. י-ה-ו-ה is 26. When you add to this the 22 letters in the aleph bet, you will get the numerical value of the word כוכב, “star” in our verse. Homiletically speaking, Bileam refers to the emergence of a person in Israel who, by judicious use of the name of the Lord and the 22 letters He has used to create the universe, has tremendous influence on the decision making process in the celestial regions. His power will extend to smashing Moab and other enemies of Israel. When Bileam speaks of וקם שבט בישראל, the word שבט is to be understood as a simile for the rule by the Jewish people, whereas the word פאתי in the line ומחץ פאתי מואב, refers to צמצום, contraction as opposed to largesse, i.e. a major aspect of דין, application of the attribute of Justice, which severely impairs the freedom granted to human beings as long as they have not abused it (grossly) by rebelling against G’d. [Some of these words are mine. Ed.] The word מואב in our verse also alludes to the source of these disasters befalling Moab being G’d, i.e. Israel’s spiritual “Father,” מ-אב emanating from the father.
A recurring theme in the author’s definition of true service of the Lord is that when pertaining to service of the Lord, ecstasy is not only permitted but desirable, whereas ecstasy when applied to anything material, secular, is strictly forbidden. Furthermore, true service of the Lord is performed in a “hidden” manner, i.e. must not attract public attention, so as not be seen as arrogant behaviour. Whatever man does publicly, i.e. to draw attention to himself, is by definition חצוניות, externalism, not reflecting the sanctity of the soul. Bileam refers to the קרקר, extreme coldness, to be maintained when engaged in secular but necessary activities, so that any show of enthusiasm for the performance of such tasks will not be mistaken as religiously inspired.
We need to understand the difference between the words ממשלה and מלוכה, both of which refer to the exercise of authority, rule. The word מלוכה, when used in Scripture, refers to rule by a king whose subjects have submitted to it willingly, whereas the word ממשלה is used in Scripture when the subjects are unwilling, but unable to shake off the rule by the monarch or dictator. As a general rule, only the Jewish people are described as willingly submitting to G’d’s rule, whereas the gentile nations described in these verses as being in exile, submitted to G’d’s rule under protest, and rebelled against it whenever possible. G’d imposes His rule upon them in order to frustrate their evil designs against His people. In the eras described, both in psalms and Ovadiah, this situation will have changed and the gentile nations will willingly appoint G’d as their king also. (Compare Rashi on Deuteronomy 6,4,on שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד.( He quotes both Zecharyah 14,9 and Tzefaniah 2,9 in support of his statement.
We are aware that it is impossible for mortal man to have a true concept of the essence of G’d as we know from Tikkuney Hazohar chapter 11. When we recite daily in our prayers the line ברוך אתה ה', “blessed are You Hashem,” this is because through making judicious use of the letters, i.e. concentrating on the written text of our prayers, Jews can achieve comprehension of concepts that are incapable of comprehension to human beings if one would think about them only in the abstract. The letters, i.e. the sacred letters of the printed or written words: אתה וגו', illuminate for us the concept of G’d’s dominion over the Jewish people. As a result of this advantage we possess, tzaddikim are able to use the 22 letters in the aleph bet at will for the furtherance of loving kindness, mercy and life through our prayers which will then become engraved in the throne of Hashem.
The numerical value of the tetragram, i.e. י-ה-ו-ה is 26. When you add to this the 22 letters in the aleph bet, you will get the numerical value of the word כוכב, “star” in our verse. Homiletically speaking, Bileam refers to the emergence of a person in Israel who, by judicious use of the name of the Lord and the 22 letters He has used to create the universe, has tremendous influence on the decision making process in the celestial regions. His power will extend to smashing Moab and other enemies of Israel. When Bileam speaks of וקם שבט בישראל, the word שבט is to be understood as a simile for the rule by the Jewish people, whereas the word פאתי in the line ומחץ פאתי מואב, refers to צמצום, contraction as opposed to largesse, i.e. a major aspect of דין, application of the attribute of Justice, which severely impairs the freedom granted to human beings as long as they have not abused it (grossly) by rebelling against G’d. [Some of these words are mine. Ed.] The word מואב in our verse also alludes to the source of these disasters befalling Moab being G’d, i.e. Israel’s spiritual “Father,” מ-אב emanating from the father.
A recurring theme in the author’s definition of true service of the Lord is that when pertaining to service of the Lord, ecstasy is not only permitted but desirable, whereas ecstasy when applied to anything material, secular, is strictly forbidden. Furthermore, true service of the Lord is performed in a “hidden” manner, i.e. must not attract public attention, so as not be seen as arrogant behaviour. Whatever man does publicly, i.e. to draw attention to himself, is by definition חצוניות, externalism, not reflecting the sanctity of the soul. Bileam refers to the קרקר, extreme coldness, to be maintained when engaged in secular but necessary activities, so that any show of enthusiasm for the performance of such tasks will not be mistaken as religiously inspired.
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Kedushat Levi
Genesis 31,13. “I am the G’d of Betel to Whom you have vowed, etc.” The spelling of the word ביתאל both here and in 35,1 suggests that a house may serve more than one function. It may serve a person to dwell in, just as clothing serves the body as a “house” to surround him with a feeling of security and familiarity. When you see the clothes a person wears, this serves as a preparation to making the acquaintance of the personality behind these clothes. When you see the house a person lives in, you get an initial impression of what kind of a person lives in such a house.
When a person prepares to “meet” his Creator, in prayer, etc., he also has to prepare himself for what to expect, by performing certain commandments that serve his soul, much as his clothing serves his body. One of the most appropriate “introductions” prior to addressing G’d is to do so in a house designated for this purpose, i.e. a synagogue. The type of “preparations” used, depend on the importance of the “interview” one expects to have with one’s Creator. Issues involving life and death, obviously deserve a more careful preparation.
In psalms 84,2 and 84,3 respectively, the authors (sons of Korach) describe their yearning for entering either the dwellings of G’d on earth, or at least to be allowed to enter the courtyards of these dwellings. They speak of both their body (flesh) and their “heart,” (spirit) yearning for this. They hope that admission to these sites will enable them to shout for joy to the living G’d. Their yearnings reflect the fact that they are in exile, and they pray that they not be treated worse than birds that always can return to their nest. They are aware that in order to really come close to G’d, they must first make the appropriate preparations, i.e. build a Temple with the courtyards surrounding it. The psalmist clearly suggests, at the end of verse 3, that only after these preparations have been made can his heart and body rejoice having come closer to His Creator. He can then approach G’d being certain that he, on his part, has made the appropriate preparations.
Our author sees in the word נכספה at the beginning of verse 3 an additional spiritual plus of the psalmist, as he made plain that he had made the necessary preparations that would entitle him to have the desired “interview” with Hashem, but he emphasizes, that contrary to performing such a commandment as putting on phylacteries, an act that does not involve pleasurable sensations of his body, what he did when building a courtyard and temple for G’d involved him emotionally on the highest level. He was literally yearning for the spiritual experience no less than the body on occasion yearns for satiating physical urges.
On folio 40 in Kidushin 40, where the Talmud deals with the relative moral/ethical value of appropriate intentions when compared to performance, but not necessarily with appropriate intentions, we are told that if someone planned sincerely to perform a certain commandment but was prevented from carrying out his intention by forces beyond his control, he is credited with having performed the commandment. In emphasizing the value of a constructive attitude, the Talmud adds that planning to commit a transgression, and carrying it out, brings in its wake a penalty only for the execution, not for the planning that preceded carrying out the foul deed. [The planning of idolatry is the only exception to this rule. ibid. Ed.]
This is also the meaning of Deuteronomy 6,6: והיו הדברים האלה אשר אני מצוך היום על לבבך, “these matters that I command you this day shall be on your heart.” Even commandments that are not capable of being fulfilled in exile should remain part of our constant consciousness through discussion between father and son, pupil and teacher, so that we are not deprived of receiving a reward for them as if we had actually performed them. The desire to be able to perform the respective commandments in reality is the principal criterion used by G’d to judge our mitzvah performance. Even King David in Chronicles I 22,14 already referred to this when he said (concerning his desire to build a Temple) והנה בעניי הכינותי לבית ה' זהב ככרים מאה אלף כסף וגו', “and here through denying myself, I have set aside for the house of the Lord one hundred thousands talents of gold, and one million talents of silver, etc;” what David meant was that the commandment of charity cannot only be fulfilled by the actual handing out of sums of money, but can also be carried out by preparing such monies to be ready when the need arises. David adds that even while he was not able to hand out sums that were needed because he was temporarily short of even bare essentials for himself, i.e. בעניי, his sincere desire to be of help would be accounted for him as if he had actually carried out his desire, as we know from psalms 119,106 נשבעתי ואקימה לשמור משפטי צדקך, “I have sworn to keep Your just rules.” [As soon as the opportunity will arise. Ed.] Yaakov had similar thoughts when he vowed that if G’d would be with him and grant him even minimal comforts he would turn what is now merely a stone into a building designed to serve G’d. G’d reminds him (31,13) of this vow by describing Himself as אנכי הא-ל ביתאל, saying that His presence will not only be with him in his heart, but that he can now carry out his desire to convert the stone he had anointed into a house of G’d.
When a person prepares to “meet” his Creator, in prayer, etc., he also has to prepare himself for what to expect, by performing certain commandments that serve his soul, much as his clothing serves his body. One of the most appropriate “introductions” prior to addressing G’d is to do so in a house designated for this purpose, i.e. a synagogue. The type of “preparations” used, depend on the importance of the “interview” one expects to have with one’s Creator. Issues involving life and death, obviously deserve a more careful preparation.
In psalms 84,2 and 84,3 respectively, the authors (sons of Korach) describe their yearning for entering either the dwellings of G’d on earth, or at least to be allowed to enter the courtyards of these dwellings. They speak of both their body (flesh) and their “heart,” (spirit) yearning for this. They hope that admission to these sites will enable them to shout for joy to the living G’d. Their yearnings reflect the fact that they are in exile, and they pray that they not be treated worse than birds that always can return to their nest. They are aware that in order to really come close to G’d, they must first make the appropriate preparations, i.e. build a Temple with the courtyards surrounding it. The psalmist clearly suggests, at the end of verse 3, that only after these preparations have been made can his heart and body rejoice having come closer to His Creator. He can then approach G’d being certain that he, on his part, has made the appropriate preparations.
Our author sees in the word נכספה at the beginning of verse 3 an additional spiritual plus of the psalmist, as he made plain that he had made the necessary preparations that would entitle him to have the desired “interview” with Hashem, but he emphasizes, that contrary to performing such a commandment as putting on phylacteries, an act that does not involve pleasurable sensations of his body, what he did when building a courtyard and temple for G’d involved him emotionally on the highest level. He was literally yearning for the spiritual experience no less than the body on occasion yearns for satiating physical urges.
On folio 40 in Kidushin 40, where the Talmud deals with the relative moral/ethical value of appropriate intentions when compared to performance, but not necessarily with appropriate intentions, we are told that if someone planned sincerely to perform a certain commandment but was prevented from carrying out his intention by forces beyond his control, he is credited with having performed the commandment. In emphasizing the value of a constructive attitude, the Talmud adds that planning to commit a transgression, and carrying it out, brings in its wake a penalty only for the execution, not for the planning that preceded carrying out the foul deed. [The planning of idolatry is the only exception to this rule. ibid. Ed.]
This is also the meaning of Deuteronomy 6,6: והיו הדברים האלה אשר אני מצוך היום על לבבך, “these matters that I command you this day shall be on your heart.” Even commandments that are not capable of being fulfilled in exile should remain part of our constant consciousness through discussion between father and son, pupil and teacher, so that we are not deprived of receiving a reward for them as if we had actually performed them. The desire to be able to perform the respective commandments in reality is the principal criterion used by G’d to judge our mitzvah performance. Even King David in Chronicles I 22,14 already referred to this when he said (concerning his desire to build a Temple) והנה בעניי הכינותי לבית ה' זהב ככרים מאה אלף כסף וגו', “and here through denying myself, I have set aside for the house of the Lord one hundred thousands talents of gold, and one million talents of silver, etc;” what David meant was that the commandment of charity cannot only be fulfilled by the actual handing out of sums of money, but can also be carried out by preparing such monies to be ready when the need arises. David adds that even while he was not able to hand out sums that were needed because he was temporarily short of even bare essentials for himself, i.e. בעניי, his sincere desire to be of help would be accounted for him as if he had actually carried out his desire, as we know from psalms 119,106 נשבעתי ואקימה לשמור משפטי צדקך, “I have sworn to keep Your just rules.” [As soon as the opportunity will arise. Ed.] Yaakov had similar thoughts when he vowed that if G’d would be with him and grant him even minimal comforts he would turn what is now merely a stone into a building designed to serve G’d. G’d reminds him (31,13) of this vow by describing Himself as אנכי הא-ל ביתאל, saying that His presence will not only be with him in his heart, but that he can now carry out his desire to convert the stone he had anointed into a house of G’d.
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Me'or Einayim
Go yourself (Gen. 12:1): Rashi explained, “For your pleasure and your benefit.” Now, our Sages of Blessed Memory said, regarding the verse, Do you indeed, who are mute, speak righteousness? (Psalm 58:2): “How should a person act in this world? Let him make himself as a mute. Could this even apply to words of Torah? The verse teaches, speak righteousness” (Hullin 89a). For it is known that it is written, Lord, open my lips (Psalm 51:17), because the Blessed Creator, the whole earth is full of [God’s] glory (Isaiah 6:3), no place is void of [God]; but [God’s] glory connotes cloaking as is known, that Blessed [God] is cloaked in each thing. And this aspect is called Shekhinah because it dwells [shokhein] in each thing; and that is the Blessed Name Lord. And it is also called the world of speech since By the word of YHVH the heavens were made (Psalm 33:6) and “the Holy Blessed One created the world through Torah” (Zohar 1:5a), meaning through the twenty-two letters of the Torah – the world of speech – all the creations were created. And it is stated in Sefer Yetzirah, “They were set in the human mouth” (Sefer Yetzirah [Luria ver.] 2.3), and that is the meaning of Lord, open my lips. And therefore our Sages of Blessed Memory said that “Evil speech is equivalent to idolatry” etc. (Arakhin 15b), for a person who speaks evil speech does not believe that his words are the world of speech, the charateristic of Lordship. And that is [the meaning of the verse], With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us? (Psalm 12:5), as we have explained elsewhere. And that is [the meaning of the Talmud’s statement], “Make himself as a mute,” meaning his essence. That is, he should not speak any speech unless he believes that of his own account he is mute, and his only speech is the world of speech, the characteristic of “Lord” as we have explained. And they ask: “Could this even apply to words of Torah,” that a person should not learn unless he believes as we have explained? “The verse teaches, speak righteousness,” it is a mitzvah to learn even if it is not for its own sake. And that is [the meaning of] what our Sages of Blessed Memory said, “Someone who converses meaningless conversation transgresses a positive commandment, as it says, you shall speak of them (Deut. 6:7) and not of meaningless things” (Yoma 19b). And it would seem, how could it be possible that a person should speak no speech other than words of Torah as is implied by the language of you shall speak of them etc.? But the explanation is this: you shall speak of them means to say that whatever you speak, you should believe that you speak with the Torah, whose speech is the world of speech, the twenty-two letters of the Torah as we have explained. And when you speak through world-guiding, do not worry, for the Holy Blessed One created the world through Torah and guides the world through Torah; all the world are led by the twenty-two letters of Torah, the world of speech, but only if you believe this as we have explained. But if you speak not for the sake of world-guiding, that is called “meaningless things.”
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Flames of Faith
Shema: The Jewish prayer beginning with, “Hear, O Israel, God the Lord is our God, the Lord is One” (Deut. 6:4), which Jews recite to declare their faith and accept upon themselves the sovereignty of Heaven.
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