Chasidut para sa Isaias 48:8

The blemish of the moon reflects the deficiency that God programmed into the very fabric of creation. God saw the necessity for such a deficiency in order to give man the possibility of serving Him. This is as it is written in the Zohar (Tetsave, 184a): Man only serves God from amidst darkness… This is as it is written (Yeshayahu, 48), “You are called a criminal from the womb.” God concealed the good that results from this type of service until the final redemption, to that special day known only to Him. This is as it is written in the Talmud (Shevuot, 9a) concerning the goat offered of the new moon (Bamidbar, 28:15), “‘And one goat for a sin offering for God.’ Why does the verse here say, ‘for God,’ which is not said after other offerings? It is as if God is saying, ‘Bring a sacrifice for Me, in order to atone for My own sin of diminishing the moon!’”⁴⁴⁵Chulin, 60b: Rav Shimon ben Pazzi pointed out a contradiction between two verses. One verse says, “And God made the two great lights,” and immediately the verse continues, “The greater light . . . and the lesser light.” [In other words, are they both great, or are they great and small?] The moon said unto the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the Universe! Is it possible for two kings to wear one crown?” [I.e. can there be two great lights?] God answered, “So go and make yourself smaller.” The moon cried, “Master of the Universe! Since I have suggested that which is proper, I have to make myself smaller?” He replied: “Then you will go and rule by day and by night.” [I.e. the moon can be see both at night and by day.] “What is the value of this?” cried the moon; “What is the use of a lamp in broad daylight?” God answered, “Go. By you will Israel calculate the days and the years.” “But it is impossible to calculate the seasons without the sun!” said the moon, “as it is written, And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years.” “Go, for the righteous shall be named after you, as we find, Yaakov the Small, Shmuel the Small, David the Small.” On seeing that the moon would not be consoled, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “Bring an atonement for Me for making the moon smaller.” This is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish meant when he said, “Why is it that the he-goat offered on the new moon is phrased differently in that after it, it is said, ‘a sin offering for G-d’? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Let this he-goat be an atonement for Me for making the moon smaller.’” It is hinted at here that a person should not complain angrily to God, but rather, should accept everything with love. This is what the Zohar meant when it quoted the verse, ““from new moon to new moon… all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord.” The word, “flesh,” hints at the deficiency which exists in the very nature of the creation, as the Talmud states (Sotah, 5a), “the word, ‘flesh – basar,’ is an acronym for ‘busha – shame,’ ‘sruha – stench,’ ‘rima –worm.’” Thus, “flesh” is the root of all deficiencies. Yet, the future renewal will be built from this deficiency and raised up out of this shame. This is as our passage in the Zohar continues (Tetsave, 184a): He opened and said (Yeshayahu, 52:13), “Behold, My servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and he shall be very high.”⁴⁴⁶This is a prophecy concerning the righteous in the messianic era. Fortunate is the portion of the righteous to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, reveals the way of the Torah and how to live by it! Come and see how this verse is a sublime mystery. “My servant shall prosper,” has been explained. Yet come and see! When God created the world, He created the moon, and then made her light smaller. In this way, she would not have any light of her own. Since she made herself smaller, she only reflects the light she receives from the sun and the power of the supernal luminaries. In the days of the Holy Temple, Israel was assiduous in bringing sacrifices together with all the other services performed by the Cohanim, Levi’im, and Israelites. Their service wove bonds of union and caused an intense illumination. After the Temple was destroyed, the lights were darkened, and the moon no longer shined from the light of the sun. Ever since the sun withdrew from her, the days are fraught with curses, affliction, and pain.⁴⁴⁷This is a metaphor for creation in its present, exilic state, in which the light of the son (G-d) no longer shines upon the moon (our world). Thus, it is a period of suffering and pain. But of the time when the moon will shine with her original light, it is said of her, “Behold, my servant shall prosper.” This is the mystery of emunah (faith). At that time, there will be an awakening in the upper realms, like someone who, upon catching a sweet scent, wakes up and looks out at the world. “He shall be exalted,” from the side of the most exalted of luminaries. And as in the verse (Yeshayahu, 30:18), “And He will be exalted that He may have mercy upon you.” “Lifted up,” is from the side of Avraham. “He shall be (very) high,” is from the side of Yitzhak. Whereas “very” is from the side of Yaakov. in the mystery of wisdom. At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause an awakening on high in order to allow the moon to shine in her full splendor, as it is written (Yeshayahu, 30:26), “Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days.” For this reason, an exalted spirit will be added to the moon which will rouse the dead who sleep in the dust. This is the meaning of “My servant,” who has the key of the Master in his hand.

The first book of my fathers that I published was the Beit Yaakov HaKollel, a concise and comprehensive explanation of the holy Torah. It will open the gate that was closed by our predecessors, whose words were difficult to understand. The knowledge found in this book brings the words of the Torah into the grasp of man’s understanding, offering the consciousness necessary to reveal the depths of the Torah’s mysteries and the path of faith, free of doubt concerning God’s governance and providence over His creation. It contains moral instruction to refine the hearts of Israel, with advice on proper conduct. The book also explains the prayers and festivals, the fundamentals of the inner meaning of mitzvot, and a commentary on the Tana”ch and selections from the Talmud, all explained according to the “Pardes.”¹⁷⁶Literaly “orchard” – an acronym for Pshat, Remez, Drash, Sod, referring to the four levels of Biblical exegesis, from the simple meaning to the allegorical to the mystical. Its goal is to show how all matters of Torah are relevant for all people, and how the events recounted in the Torah are experiences common to everyone. One may learn from this book how to serve God and truly fulfill that which He asks from us at any point in one’s life – from the first moment he decides to conduct his life according to the wellsprings of Torah which flow from the house of God, to the time he draws the waters of salvation to heal the source of his soul. Through this knowledge one may even fix the deficiency he bears from the day of his birth, “for he is called an offender from his birth.” (Yeshayahu, 48:8) He will be, “like a tree planted by streams of water, who spreads out its roots by the river.” (see Tehillim 1:3 and Yirmiya, 17:8) He will see with faith how to strengthen his heart and proceed with courage. He will have hope and resolve, knowing how to take his soul in his hands and pray the God, trusting in Him forever.