a waxing wellspring

Magnetic attraction

2013年03月11日T18:34:00.001+02:00

The Zohar (end of parashat shemot) asks how Moshe rabbeinu knew that Har Sinai was Har ha-elokim? In answer it explains that both Har Sinai and Moshe rabbeinu were waiting since he creation of the world to fulfill their purpose, matan Torah. So that when Har Sinai sensed Moshe rabbeinu nearby, it jumped closer to him just as an iron filing jumps towards a magnet. When Moshe saw the mountain jump to him, he also jumped to the mountain when he recognized it was Har ha Elokim. The rest is history.

everybody put your hands in the air!

2012年10月09日T18:33:00.000+02:00

Sometimes, for a person to pray to HaShem, they need to pick themselves up. It's not enough to know you are insignificant and powerless. Sometimes you need to appreciate how much power you actually have. You need to remember that you are a descendant of the Holy forefathers, Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov. You need to remember that you carry within you an infinite Godly soul.

If we pray, HaShem will listen, because He cares about us.

This is the lesson of Mosheh's hands in the battle with Amalek - if we lower our hands, if we think we are insignificant, Amalek will win. But, when we raise up our hands and recognize our divine origins, then we shall overcome.

The trick is where our focus lies, if we are focused on our physical side, then we are truly limited and no amount of raised hands will help. If we raise our spiritual hands in supplication to our Heavenly Father, we will not be denied.

[Menorat HaZahav, BeShalah]

Second Skin

2012年10月09日T17:11:00.000+02:00

The Snake was the most cunning of all the animals in the garden of Eden.

Literally in hebrew the word meaning cunning and the word meaning naked are interchangeable.

According to the Tikkunei Zohar, (Tikkunim #57-63 approx.) when HaShem created the forces of darkness, He didn't leave time to create clothing for them, so hence the Snake was naked.

It was the Snake's nakedness that made him jealous of Man, because, as the Zohar explains, at the time when HaShem would have been creating the clothes for the forces of darkness, He was instead creating Adam.

Adam was originally clothed in clothing of light. The Snake was jealous of these beautiful vestments. The result was that he tricked Hava and Adam into losing their clothes of light.

The irony that I noticed this time around is that HaShem then clothes Adam and Hava in clothes of leather. (or literally 'skin') The Zohar explains that these physical bodies we inhabit now are called "The Skin of the Snake."

The Snake's treachery leads HaShem to create the Snake's Garments which He hadn't made previously, but instead of the Snake getting to wear them, Man got them instead. Either way the Snake is still naked.

I've been out of it for a little while [and everyone's having delusions of grandeur]

2012年09月27日T18:31:00.001+02:00

Sorry for the delay in posting for a while. My learning seder was lacking that crucial Hasidic component that allows me to synthesize my thoughts, so my thoughts in general have been somewhat blurry of late. As I, b'Ezrat HaShem, pick up some new directions in Hassidut, and more importantly, return to some old ones, I hope to incorporate all the other new material I have been consuming but which less lends itself to simple exposition.

May all who read this (and those many more who don't) share a wonderfully sweet year full of health, happiness, and family!

Sukkot: The Yom Kippur After-Party!

2012年09月27日T18:15:00.000+02:00

I happened across the opening paragraph of Rabbanit Yamimah Mizrahi's Yom Kippur lesson and the Rabbanit quotes a great Ye'arot Dvash. (which I didn't see inside) He says that since the Yetzer HaRa has no control on the day of Yom Kippur, he puts everyone into a deep depression (Marah Shchorah) prior to Yom Kippur since the essence of Teshuvah is Simchah, happiness.

Interesting. Going into Yom Kippur with the express goal of being happy, is really actually a nice way to experience Yom Kippur. Also, we know that Mosheh Rabbeinu tells us that all the bad things we have coming to us are because we didn't serve HaShem in happiness!

In the eyes of this new Torah we can look at Sukkot, called "The Chag" by Chazal, in a new light. A Chag is different from Shabbat in that we need to celebrate a Chag by being happy. That's why we say Chag Sameach, but not Shabbat Sameach.

We go almost straight into Sukkot after Yom Kippur as a means of showing HaShem: "See? I really internalized the teshuvah of Yom Kippur, I'm serving You through Simcha!"

So by all means, may have have a great big party this Sukkot!!

[Now all of a sudden the question "Why does simchat beit haShoeva happen on Sukkot?" (something I've always asked myself) doesn't seem like a question at all.]

Seeing. Praising. Blessing.

2012年06月07日T19:35:00.000+03:00

This is a condensed version of the speech I gave at the Simchat Bat for our daughter Sarah Tehillah Berachah:

Sarah we chose because we liked the name and because we have collectively three great-grandmothers who shared that name. The name Tehillah came to my wife in a beautiful dream of redemption, months before Sarah was born. (we found out later it's verbatim straight out of Isaiah:60) And Berachah is my mother's first name. There is a lot of beautiful family history in the names and each one of our great grandmothers was extraordinarily special and I need to speak about them but this is not the place. Here I will speak about the divrei Torah I related to the names we chose.

There are three topics I've mentioned a number of times to people on seemingly endlessly appropriate occasions but they all bear strong relevance to our daughter and her names so I will recall them here.

By the splitting of the sea, the accusing angels in heaven called Bnei Yisrael idol-worshippers. "How could that be?" Asks the Sfat Emet. They were believers and children of believers, they certainly did not worship idols in Egypt. However, because they believed that their slave labor was the result of their rulers' decrees, rather than the decree of heaven, they were considered to be idol-worshippers. Had they served out their sentence of slavery in the name of HaShem, because it was His Will that they do so, it would have been considered Holy service.
The Midrash describes the tremendous prophetic revelation that took place by the splitting of the sea, a simple maid saw greater visions by the sea than Yehezkel (Ezekiel) saw in his great vision by the river. But what did they see? The Midrash states very clearly that by the splitting of the sea, HaShem appeared to the whole nation in prophetic vision as a young warrior. The text of The Song At The Sea corroborates this nicely, "HaShem Ish Milchamah." The Noam Elimelech, in two unrelated places in his books describes the event differently. "By the sea, they saw HaShem as a hoary grandfather full of kindness and compassion." How could this be? It is my belief that it was the tremendous level of the Noam Elimelech that gave him this elevated insight. (We are taught that in Rebbe Meir's Torah, by Adam and Chavah, instead of 'robes of leather,' it said 'robes of light.' (a one letter difference in the Hebrew) This was because Rebbe Meir's body was spiritually refined.) What others saw as war and judgement appeared to the Noam Elimelech in its true form of kindness and compassion.
The Ten Commandments start with an acknowledgement "I am the Lord your God who took you out of Egypt." The first part of the passage, "I am the Lord your God," the Netivot Shalom explains, requires our unwavering belief in the one-ness of HaShem, that there is nothing beyond Him. The second half of the passage is interesting: "Who took you out of Egypt." Why not say, "Who created the world in six days?" What do we learn from the reminder that HaShem took us out of Egypt? The Netivot Shalom says this is the root of Bitachon, of unwavering trust in HaShem. Our sages teach that in Egypt we had sunken to the lowest level possible, the 49th gate of impurity. At our lowest point in our history, HaShem called us his beloved first-born and took us out of Egypt with great wonders and miracles. We must learn from here just how much HaShem loves us, that he showers us with blessings even when we are totally without merit. So we should never feel that God is inaccessible to us, His love for us is without bound. We must always trust in this, in His love for us.

Each of these three teachings truly echoes the lessons we want Sarah to embody with one of her names.

Sarah, our Rabbis teach that her name comes from the root "shur" to see. Sarah saw with prophetic vision. May she have the eyes to see HaShem's kindness and compassion even when it might look like judgement, just as the Noam Elimelech saw HaShem by the splitting of the sea as a gentle grandfather.
Tehillah, is a song of praise. May she always sing HaShem's praises for the kindness she always sees with her true vision. Just as Bnei Yisrael could have served in Egypt for the sake of HaShem's greatness, rather than to pacify the will of their opressors.
Berachah, a blessing. May HaShem shower her always with blessings, as He does to each and every one of Bnei Yisrael because of His great love for us, whether we are living up to our potential or not.

And all of these blessings and names reinforce and reinvigorate each other. The clearer the sight, the more praise, the greater the blessing, the more evident, the clearer the sight and so on.

But the biggest blessing that any person could receive is the blessing of appreciating all they have been given. We are surrounded by so much blessing, each of us, each day. The worst thing is to not be aware of it, to not appreciate it. When you say her name in order it means, "Sarah should be blessed" (שרה, תהי--לה ברבה) May she be blessed always to recognize just how blessed she is.

And may all of Israel, all of us, regardless of status, designation, or creed, be blessed with her. Because HaShem loves us all, without prejudice; more than we could begin to imagine. And may we merit to appreciate that.

Approved!

2012年05月29日T12:32:00.000+03:00

While stopping in at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh this past Shavuot to visit my brother I heard a great teaching from Rav Darmoni:

When we say Shema Yisrael, HaShem Elokeinu HaShem Echad, we acknowledge that everything out there has a singular source -- It's all HaShem.

When we say Baruch Shem Kvod Malchuto L'Olam Va'ed, we are saying that we are happy with everything HaShem has done.

So why do we say it quietly? (someone in the class asked.)

Because we can't always honestly say we're happy with every single thing that has happened right now (even when you lost a loved one?) -- we know and trust that really everything is good, but our current limited understanding requires us to say it quietly.

(In the world to come we will see how everything is really good, and then we will say it aloud.)

I added facebook comments to the blog

2012年05月29日T11:56:00.004+03:00

let me know if this is something you'd use -- or if you think it's a bad idea.

Keep in mind the goal is to foster thought and conversation about Torah.

Thanks,
Yitz..

"I’m scared to sleep alone. Don’t leave me alone,"

2012年05月24日T15:30:00.002+03:00

A little girl lost her entire family two days ago. It's so heart-wrenching. How is she expected to go on with her life when all those she loved, and all those who loved her are now gone?

When we are born, our soul is cast out of her Father's home, and clothed in the dark coldness of living flesh. Trapped in the world of lies and darkness she calls out, "I'm scared to sleep alone. Don't leave me alone." Heed her call. You cannot directly save that little girl. Someone will, but she is beyond your grasp, the best you can do is pray for her. But your soul is in the same situation and only you can help her. She is entirely dependent on you. Save her.

Don't become a whole new person, you're already great. Don't despise who you were until today. Just think about her a little, when you are presented with choices, make those that are important to her. Choose kindness over selfishness. Happiness over sadness. Optimism over despair. Show her warmth.

Save her.

Tell her, "You won't sleep alone. I won't leave you. Ever."

If you do, she won't leave you. Ever. After one hunder and twenty years when she is called to return to her Father's house, she will say, "I'm sorry, I can't leave. Ever." And her Father will do what He must. The only way to get His daughter back is to take you too.

That's what it means when we say "Od Avinu Chai, Yaacov Avinu still lives."

[Hinted at in parashath VaYihi, see the Zohar around p.234]

all day long

2012年05月16日T19:27:00.002+03:00

Chazal teach in Masechet Berachot, "if only a person could pray the entire day."

The Kabbalists taught, a person can be involved all day in yichudim, intense kabbalistic meditations, this is what Chazal meant.

Still it was only once Hassidut was revealed that it become clear how to live this teaching of Chazal. These yichudim are a matter of using the whole world as a means of interacting with HaShem.

To me, this becomes the most clear when we realize that the whole point of prayer is to put aside all of our complications and recognize that HaShem is truly everywhere. The minute we wish to be with our Father, He's waiting there for us. Wherever we are, both in the physical and spiritual sense of where.

HaShem explains, that He fills the entire world. All the obstacles cannot be obstacles for HaShem, nothing prevents Him from doing anything. The obstacles are our obstacles. When we get past the obstacles, that is the essence of prayer. Finding some time to be alone with HaShem. Alone in all of creation, there's just you, and HaShem.

When we recognize this, then we understand what Chazal meant. Don't spend a minute of your day believing all those perceived obstacles out there provide any barrier or separation between you and HaShem.

Even our own sins that the Torah describes as separating between us and HaShem -- that's only from our side of things. From HaShem's side our sins certainly cannot keep Him from being with us. It's only us. If we don't want to have anything to do with "us" and all we care about is HaShem, so those sins cannot hold us back. That is the essence of Teshuvah, leaving the "us" behind in order to return to HaShem.

Instead of reading: "If only a person could pray the entire day," read: "If only a person could spend the entire day with HaShem."

HaShem spends every day with us. It's up to us to spend the day with Him.

Iconoclasty

2012年05月13日T15:50:00.000+03:00

Chazal explain that Israel has no Mazal. If you translate it literally it means Israel has no luck. In actuality what they're teaching us is that we are not subject to nature. Nature is a law and order to the way things behave. If you invest this much energy you obtain that much energy as a result. Newton, Action = Reaction. Midah k'neged Midah.

Bnei Yisrael is not subject to this simple law. Eretz Yisrael, as Rebbe Nachman and others teach, operates on the level of miraculous every single day.

This is why when we left Egypt (and on the first month of every year (Nisan)) we brought/bring the Pascal lamb, the Zodiac's representative for the month of Nisan, and we slaughter it.

Lag BaOmer

2012年05月10日T19:29:00.000+03:00

Today was my son Benayah's Halakeh. (or Upsherin for the ashkenazim out there)

I spoke about Lag BaOmer, why I think we cut a boy's hair at age three, and what makes the act really important.

First it seems to me that everything needs to happen in a three stage process. (1)We begin with a burst of newness. (2)Next we need to hide and bound that primary burst. (3)Finally we reveal that newness in a palatable and productive way. This is the case with the first three sefirot Hochmah, Binah and Da'ath; the second three sefirot Hesed, Gevurah, Tiffereth, and the third three sefirot: Netzah, Hod, Yesod.

Netzah is the desire to completely conquer all opposition. This is a powerful and dangerous force.

Hod is the hiding of Netzah.

Yesod is the controlled revelation of Netzah in a way that it can be productive, using it only where it will be helpful.

The secret level of Torah encompasses God's utter victory. The clear and certain reality that He Is Was and Will Always Be King, that nothing exists outside of HaShem, and that nothing at all could even continue to persist without His constant Will making it so.

Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai represents the level of Torah that is secret, and so during his lifetime the secret Torah remained unrevealed.

It's only truly with the revelation of Hassidut that the secret Torah is made accessible and useful to all in a productive fashion.

Now the Ba'al HaTanya explains in today's Tanya that HaShem (figuratively) put Himself aside to create us, in order to be able to spend time with us. Ideally a person should put himself aside as well in order to spend time with HaShem.

We named Benayah, Benayah Ariel -- A prayer that HaShem should rebuild the Beit HaMikdash (Ariel is one of the names of the Mikdash) -- and the Beit HaMikdash is the physical manifestation of HaShem's desire to put Himself aside as it were, and come be with us. Similarly our presence in the mikdash is the physical manifestation of our putting ourselves aside in order to be with HaShem.

But, Hassidut teaches that every interaction we have with HaShem is an opportunity to put ourselves aside and focus on sharing an experience with HaShem.

This is what is special about the Halakeh or Upsherin, at age three a child has reached the completion of the third stage (the first year is exponential growth, the second is a year of internal development and a discovery of self -- to the negation of what exists beyond the self, and the third year is a year of awareness of the world beyond oneself. By age three developmentally almost all children can speak, for example -- in order to communicate beyond themselves.) It is at this time that we must start to educate them in the performance of mitzwoth.

The first thing we do however, is not quite a mitzwah, but through a simple act, like a haircut, we educate about the mitzwoth. We teach the child that even though we are cutting their hair, we don't cut the payot, because there is a mitzwah forbidding it.

It is special that we are taking a non-mitzwah act and showing the child the holiness and awareness of HaShem in even a mundane act. From there we move on to other mitzwoth, Kippah, Tzitzith.

But this act of cutting the hair shows just how far we can elevate the physical world. Leaving ourselves (the hair that used to be part of us) behind and cleaving to HaShem -- even when a mitzvwah isn't actually happening.

The final level is the recognition that the Beit HaMikdash isn't really a place meant for just an individual to become close to HaShem, but rather it is for the collective whole of Bnei Yisrael to come and unite with HaShem.

This is why we make a celebration out of the Halakeh -- To teach the child that becoming close to HaShem involves becoming close to the rest of Am Yisrael as well.

It's evident even in the secret Torah, whenever we focus our intent by thinking or saying a passage that begins "L'shem Yichud" (In order to unify myself with HaShem) we continue and end the phrase "B'shem kol Yisrael." (In the name of ALL of the people of Israel)

Whenever we perform a mitzwah, the secret Torah says it's of paramount importance to perform the mitzwah as a part of the whole of the nation of Yisrael.

May we all merit to unite ourselves with Am Yisrael and with HaShem in all of our worldly endeavors. Because HaShem wants nothing more than that.

we are hallowed skin

2012年04月01日T14:37:00.002+03:00

The Talmud talks about the passukim in HaShem's tefillin. (HaShem's Tefillin? Yes. Berachot 6a-6b) The Ariz"l says that our tefillin have the same passukim as HaShem's tefillin. This makes it seem like there's a disagreement between the Sages of the Talmud, and the Ariz"l. (Something the Ariz"l wouldn't do, since he came along a thousand and more years after them.)

The answer, (R' Tzvi Hassid of Yampala teaches) is that the Talmud agrees with the Ariz"l and the question in the Talmud was actually, upon which klaf (parchment) are HaShem's tefillin written? The passukim put forward are the klaf, not the passukim written on the klaf. Interesting.

Reb Zusha explains one level further: Bnei Yisrael are the klaf of HaShem's tefillin. So if, Has v'Shalom, The Jewish people were not tzaddikim, then HaShem's tefillin wouldn't be kosher, since tefillin need to be written on kosher klaf. So therefore, clearly, since HaShem's tefillin are (obviously) kosher, Bnei Yisrael are tzaddikim.
[Menorat Zahav (Parashat Bo)]

It was a setup from the start

2012年03月26日T18:29:00.000+02:00

Why did the sin of the Golden Calf happen through Aharon HaKohen? One of the biggest tzaddikim who ever lived. He was called the "man of kindness." He was known as the "lover of peace and pursuer of peace." He was chosen to represent the people and God in the Holy Mishkan (Tabernacle)

Answer: It was a setup - since Aharon clearly regretted it immensely even in the midst of the performance of the aveirah, and he was punished for it severely, fixing what was broken is far easier than it otherwise would have been. The fact that Aharon HaKohen was involved in it was the achilles heal of the sin of the golden calf.

[I don't currently have a source for this teaching, but I feel I know it to be true. If you do have a source, feel free to share it with me!]

The fool who follows the fool

2012年03月22日T18:30:00.000+02:00

Ever had trouble learning Torah somewhere? You're sitting there, a book is open in front of you, there may even be a chevrutah opposite you, but you just can't focus; Why?

R'Zusha explains (see Menorat Zahav, Parashat VaYigash) that it is because you are sitting in a "moshav leitzim." The imprint left on that place by other Jews who spent time in that place without learning Torah.

It's a basic teaching of the Baal Shem Tov (and if you stop to think about it, Chz"l in general, see Parashat Noach) that our actions have a profound and lasting effect on our environment. When we invest our time and energies in meaningless pursuits, that leaves an impression in that place. For someone else, to occupy that same space and then perform mitzvot is more challenging because of us.

Wow that's a lot of responsibility. But that's what I like best about Hassidut, with great responsibility comes great power. It means the reverse is also true. Want to ensure that it's easier for another Jew to learn Torah somewhere or do mitzvot in some place? Do a few mitzwoth yourself, learn a little Torah there and you've now made their lives a little easier.

Spread the light.

the one that got away

2012年03月01日T17:00:00.000+02:00

There's a story about R' Zusha and R' Elimelech (two famous Hasidic brothers and Rebbes) going to ask the Maggid (of Mezritch, their teacher and mentor) a very profound question:
Rebbe, it is taught that Adam contained the souls of all of Bnei Yisrael. If this is so, then we were there too. If we were there, part of Adam, we never would have let him sin, so how is it possible that he sinned?
The Maggid replied: Before the sin, a number of holy souls fled his body and only then was he able to sin, you were among those souls.

I love this story for a number of reasons, maybe most of all is the pure simplicity of R' Zusha and R' Elimelech in their certainty that Adam could not have sinned if they were in any way part of Adam. Now, I trust this story because of the holy chutzpah it contains, but I'd never seen Kabbalistic or Hasidic support for it until now.

The Ben Ish Hai on this week's parashah (Tetzaveh) explains that the Tzitz hints at the entirety of the souls of the Jewish people. The first Tzadi represents the 90 (gematria of צ) souls that left Adam before the sin, the Yud represents the 10 which remained, and the final Tzadi represents the 900 (the gematria of tzadi sofit) souls that fell into the klippot and must be redeemed.

So finally the story has some corroboration I'm happy to say. (Obviously if I'd learned any serious amount of the teachings of the Ariz"l, which I haven't, I would've probably already learned the source of this idea.)

the words of the father

2012年02月28日T15:42:00.002+02:00

Yosef was overcome by rachamim (feelings of mercy) for his brothers. Even he was shocked by this, he thought he had steeled himself against this, what got the better of him? Rashi explains Yosef was caught off guard because of his father's prayers that his brothers should find favor in his eyes.

I think we should follow Yaakov Avinu's example.. but on a larger scale: What if we prayed to HaShem each day that we should all have tremendous rachamim on each and every member of Klal Yisrael? May HaShem answer our prayers in the merit of Yaakov Avinu whose very same prayers were answered.

not all thoughts are created equal

2012年02月28日T15:29:00.001+02:00

כי לא מחשבותי מחשבתיכם ולא דרכיכם דרכי... כי גבהו שמים מארץ כן גבהו דרכי מדרכיכם ומחשבתי ממחשבתיכם (ישעיה נה, ח-ט)

My friend Yehoshuah recently shared a phenomenal teaching from the Torah Ohr with me. (Purportedly from parshat Zachor) The Baal HaTanya says, what does it mean "your thoughts aren't like HaShem's thoughts"?!? When we're learning HaShem's Torah, our thoughts are exactly HaShem's thoughts! (This is a truly foundational principle in the Tanya, in case you didn't know) Rather, you have to read the next part of the passuk to understand it's true meaning: "Your ways are not like My ways." This is actually an explanation of the first part of the passuk. If your ways are not like HaShem's ways, (ie. If you aren't involving yourself in mitzwoth) then your thoughts certainly aren't HaShem's thoughts!

Its the journey not the destination

2012年01月12日T17:53:00.000+02:00

The Noam Elimelech on parashath Shemot says something very cool: Why does the parashah start with Bnei Yisrael coming down to Egypt and continue about Bnei Yaacov who arrived in Egypt? He explains: The Tzaddik who is starting out on his journey is called 'Yaacov', and often this Tzaddik feels like he has already attained righteousness, he's already arrived. But the true Tzaddik is called 'Yisrael' and he knows that his accomplishments are forever dwarfed by what he has yet to achieve, and so he is always "on his way," never actually getting there.

I think one thing we can learn from this teaching of the Noam Elimelech is that in order to attain holiness, we need to first think we've arrived, that we already made it, so that all the depression and self doubt don't trip us up. Only after we've achieved some level of holiness, we need to start recognizing how far we still have to go.

In order to get anywhere, we need to arrive first.

Remember to put on your tefillin when you put on your tefillin

2011年12月29日T08:53:00.001+02:00

When you put on your tefillin, it's easy to just put them on by rote. But you can just as easily remember R' Nachman's Likkutei Halachot, and when you wrap the hand-tefillin think of and connect with Klal Yisrael. When you donn your head-tefillin think of and connect to HaShem (if you feel too distant from HaShem at present you can connect to the true tzaddikim, who exist solely for the purpose of helping us connect to HaShem.)Now you've put on your tefillin.

The elephant in the room

2011年12月28日T11:47:00.001+02:00

When we talk about the number of candles we light on Hannukah, we inevitably ignore the Shamash, after all, it isn't one of the actual candles of the mitzwah. It's a helper candle. Yet, for children, and even for our own eyes, it's a constant source of cognitive dissonance. On the first night we light one candle. ..in addition to the Shamash, so when we look and see a Hannukiah (aka. Hannukah Menorah) lit on the first night, there will be two candles there.

Yeah ok, we all can deal with a little cognitive dissonance, but since nowadays everyone lights the Shamash, and (almost) everyone lights according to Beit Hillel, we should delve into the deeper meaning of the Shamash as well.

One thing to learn from the Shamash, is that whenever we are involved in a mitzwah, HaShem is right there with us, involved too. The Shamash's light represents that, and helps us to properly perform the mitzwah, just as HaShem is always helping us to perform each mitzwah.

Normally HaShem's presence is implicit, why make it explicit on Hannukah? On Hannukah a unique and elevated light is revealed in the world, so high that we can't use it for any other purpose than simply to look at the candles. Also, on Hannukah, that light illuminates in the lowest places, even deeper than HaShem's light normally descends the rest of the year. So on Hannukah, the Shamash represents HaShem's participation in our mitzwot in a more visceral way than the rest of the year.

So when we look at it that way, there's no cognitive dissonance, as the Baal Shem Tov teaches, [see: helping us (all) along] HaShem always helps us do the mitzwoth.. He even does the lion's share of the work, we do the physical action and He reflects those actions in more radical changes throughout the upper worlds.

One little light

2011年12月27日T09:51:00.001+02:00

In the Sefer Menorat Zahav parashat Bereishit we learn about the debate between Rav Zusha of Anipoli and his brother the Noam Elimelech regarding how better to approach service of God.

Is it better to recognize one's own insignificance in order to arrive at an understanding of the greatness of God? Or is it better to focus on the greatness of God in order to arrive at a true level of humility?This is the question they posed to their Rebbe, the Maggid of Mezritch.

This Hanukkah it occurs to me that this question mirrors the two methods of lighting the hannukiah put forward by Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai. Beit Hillel says you start with a single light, with the humility of your own insignificance and then you build to many lights recognizing the greatness of HaShem's presence in the world. Beit Shammai says you start with all the beautiful greatness of HaShem's many lights and then work your way down to the smallness of your one little light.

The Maggid's answer to the original question is in line with the Halakha as well: they are both the words of the living Torah. But it is more correct (safer) to start from one's own smallness in serving HaShem.

And so that's another reason we start with just the one little light on the first night of Hannukah.

All the way down

2011年12月20日T11:33:00.001+02:00

Today I was reminded of something the Tanya mentioned a few weeks ago:

"Learning Torah reveals tremendous amounts of light in the upper worlds.. but only prayer draws that light down into this world."

The shacharit prayer is constructed such that there's an ascension in the first half, a silent focused prayer at the pinnacle of the world, and then a descent back to earth in the second half... It's during the second half where we draw the light back down into this world.

Sadly I usually rush through the second part of the tefillah, even though, when you think about it, if you don't invest energy in bringing the light down, you climbed all the way up for nothing.

(of course not entirely nothing, and I could explain why at length, but let's just say for now, what Rebbe Nachman says, no positive action or good intent is ever lost.)

Peace is worth fighting for

2011年12月13日T16:17:00.003+02:00

[This is one of the biggest relationship/parenting secrets I know of for overcoming anger.]

Every time you catch yourself getting angry at someone else, or experiencing any other similarly negative emotion, realize that the source of that emotion isn't within you but within the yetzer hara. When you recognize that you have no vested interest in this feeling, turn that feeling on its source, get angry at the yetzer hara instead.

This clears out so much damaging negative emotion from our interpersonal relationships, so much that gets in the way of peacefully interacting with our loved ones as much as with random walkers by.

It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.

2011年12月13日T16:07:00.000+02:00

At the stroke of solar midnight we mourn. The reasons for this mourning are manifold. We've lost so much. But one thing I never knew we were meant to mourn is (according to the Ben Ish Hai - Parshat VaYishlah 11) the secrets of the Torah which were exiled among the "externalities."

I was reviewing this teaching while sitting at the kever of Benayahu ben Yehoyada, and it hit me that these lost sparks of the hidden Torah are all the truths buried in pop culture, common sense, and Science.

To think that all of these truly enthralling truths are in exile, and that if they could be perceived through their true lens would be that much more wonderful really makes me sad. Sad and hopeful. Expectant for what is to be -- which is exactly what Tikkun Hatzot is supposed to be all about.