The Fountainhead for Discovery

Presidential Election Day will be November 3rd, 2020. 

That'll be 16 of Cheshvan, 5781.

Cheshvan is "חודש השני" in Tanach.

Where's that month mentioned in Tanach?

(Go to toraware.com; Find Phrase; Key in "חדש שני"; Select option "Adjacent words"; Hit GO.)

Here's 5 of the first "hits"; We're only interested in the first:

namely, Noah 7:11

בשנת שש מאות שנה לחיי נח בחדש השני בשבעה עשר יום לחדש ביום הזה נבקעו כל מעינת תהום רבה וארבת השמים נפתחו

Take a look at the date during that "2nd Month": The possuk relates to 17th day of Cheshvan.

That's the 1st day for the next president, which will of course be Mr. Donald Trump! (Don't forget that we crossed the threshold, from Exile into that Era of Redemption, and the good gushing forth is easily evident and tangible.) Of course the foolish left will be trounced. But more significantly, inasmuch as we expect events of unbelievable (miraculous) circumstances and proportions-- in our times, may it be speedily, something else, besides his landslide victory, will also come to be, perhaps in the form of a "flood" - as per that possuk. 

"On that day, all the wellsprings from below shall burst open, and the heaven's floodgates opened."

On the face of it, at the story-telling level, (or "Nigleh"), the verse sounds ominous, as a prelude to a fatal flood. Chassidus, on the other hand,  brings the possuk to radiate a deeper meaning. 

The "waters from above" represent the New Light of Torah, that which transforms the world during the Era of Redemption; Which we happen to be in!

The "waters from below" represent the secular parallel of that new, strong light. What resonates below derives from the new spiritual awakening. 

For, just as sure as Chassidus began to shine forth this new light, which began already with the Arizal, in 1573, about 450 years ago, and continued to expand and accelerate since then -- this brought about, albeit unawares to the public as to why, a parallel, explosive age of discovery in the secular arena. 

As Chassidus began to sprout and blossom, the secular world began to thrive, and the economy of the world began to reshape. New light brought with it new growth ability from "below", the secular landscape.

As Chassidus continued to spread out, more with every generation, so too - in parallel, new innovations and scientific explorations thrust our technology into a prolific mode, onto an exponential vector of discoveries, from the micro to the macro.

After all, the better we grasp and appreciate our environment, the better and deeper we can comprehend, and the more truth we'll find to see that Hashem stages this whole beautiful world before our eyes -- every moment of the day.

So what has 16th of Cheshvan have in store? It'll be great for sure. I'm curious to find out.

Chassidic Countdown to Redemption: 5780

חצות

Today is Friday, the 6th day, God's 6th millennium since He created Earth, after the night has passed, the time at 5780 being 12:43 pm.

If, as Moses explains,

כי אלף שנים בעיניך כיום אתמול כי יעבר

"For a thousand years are in Your eyes like yesterday, which passed ...." (Tehillim (90:4)

then we've passed from nightime, the first 500 years of that millennium, which began in year 5000, and have already entered daylight hours. If 500 years equals 12 hours, and we are 280 years since morning, and morning was at 6:00 am - let's say - then the time right now is 12:43 pm, 43 minutes after חצות!  

עלות השחר

The year the Ba'al Shem Tov went public was at 6:00 am, at dawn of the 6th day. The Alter Rebbe of Chabad became the 3rd generation thereafter to expose Chassidut, in the year 5550.

The light of Chassidus was lost from most Jews for 1,950 years; Since the 2nd Temple's destruction in the 4th millennium. Jews stuck with Torah, to be sure, but only to the well known 4 layers of Torah. The 5th layer of depth was an entirely new perspective of Torah that only Chassidus now brought to the public's cognitive grasp. 

This was a taste of the new light of Moshaich. This made for Jews for Moshiach to again become a valid topic of discussion. This new insight would have been shunned by Jews before that had they learned about it then because this topic brought about sorrowful memories. It had been a taboo subject earlier. The Jewish mind back then was unprepared to entertain the concept of Moshiach having been deeply frustrated over the years with fake candidates and, instead, met only with severe oppression by host countries.

The Wellsprings of Chassidus Opening Up

Kabballah, which preceded the exposure of Chassidus, began the reawakening of this secretive aspect of Torah, but only to a limited extent. Some secrets were then revealed, but kept under low profile because not everybody was "suited" in mindset to accept these. Kaballah opened the gates, so to speak, for Chasidus to begin trickling out.

Dawn arrived with the Ba'al ShemTov in 5500, and especially after sunrise the Alter Rebbe, in the year 5550, began to spread the word widely. By then all Jews were cognitively equipped by God to better digest this new light, this new spiritualism, of Chassidus.

These dates are significant from a Jewish Halachic perspective! How so?

We know that Chassidus will be learned during the Sabbatical Era in the 6th millennium. We will then be immersed in it, learning the most inner secrets of the infinite Torah. That will be the entire purpose of Jewish existence. This is what is meant by the metaphor, that in Moshiach's time we will partake in the festive "feast of the Leviathan and the Wild Bull" (סעודת שור הבר והלווייתן). That food is Chassidus.

Halachically, on Friday, once daytime arrives, it is a Mitzvah - a commandment for every Jew - to taste of the food being prepared for the Sabbath (טועמיה חיים זכו). That Mitzvah is time-dependent, sanctioned only starting at daybreak. Thus since the year 5500, we are obliged to taste some of that food in anticipation of what it'll be like.

Had you learned some Chassidus before 1740, it would have meant little to you because the command to learn Chassidus, that is -- to taste the future food of Shabbat -- only took effect in the year 1740, with the exposition of the Ba'al Shem Tov.

Other halachic aspects concern the times when formal prayer services begin or end. So, for example, the time of Tefillah, the  Shmoneh Esrei morning prayer, is a time that Chassidus regards as a fight -- as a struggle to keep well concentrated in prayer, doing our best to keep from being distracted. These times may well translate into what happened to the Jewish people during the progroms and then the holocaust.

Anyhow, those time of day aspects, as to how and when they occurred, are now well behind us. For us Jews today, we only await the Ultimate Redemption that's about to happen any day now. Surely God won't wait until the last minute to debut Shabbat aspects, as if Friday hours were as secular as before. Rather, along the lines of the אחישנה possibility, which is one way Moshiach can come, aside from the other inevitable way (בעתו), the blessings will shower down a lot sooner than expected.

 
[Gleaned form a Maamar (להבין הקושיא הידוע) of the 5th Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Rebbe Rashab, who founded the first officially Chassidic Yeshivah, said in 1903.]

"Garments" - And of Redemption - 5780

Think good; Will be good!

God gave us "Freedom of Choice". We express this freedom in 3 ways:
Free to think thoughts of one thing or another;
Free to speak words of one sort or another;
And free to do, one way or another.

In 3 ways we can align with, or misalign with, a given perspective.

You can think good thoughts or bad thoughts.
You can say good things or bad things, and
you can do either good or bad.

Thinking, saying and doing are referred to in chassidus as "garments". Just as you can choose which garment to wear or shed, so too you can decide to "wear" new thoughts and thereby abandon ("shed") your former thoughts; As you can say words that please in place of words that displease; And you can do favors and avoid crime, instead of proceeding otherwise.

Can emotions also be referred to as "garments"? No! There's no "free choice" for emotions. Emotions pursue thought, and not the other way around. Thoughts evoke emotions.

However, because emotions follow reflexively from thoughts, the garment of thought can be changed. This change of thoughts will trigger new emotions to supplant those that preceded.

Free choice, in light of chassidus, subdivides into thoughts, speech and behavior.

That bit of chassidus also sheds light on how to control emotions.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe wanted us well-versed in the topic of Moshiach because that's the Era we've entered, according to him. And if you think of it, thinking about Moshiach, whose revelation is approaching rather swiftly, will lead -- if you trust the Rebbe -- to good feelings during Moshiach's Eras.

The Rebbe so instructed us because he wanted us to see spectacles we'd otherwise never sense. Our panoramas are vast and exactly what to look for in this broad landscape to discern a moving target, among lots of activity, needs special attentiveness.

Learning about Moshiach and speaking and doing about Moshiach grows spiritual antennas. There are things happening locally and globally and to feel good amid these swirling events -- to be able to connect the dots of all these events in a refreshing light, they must be identified in proper context.

In other words, if we believe the Rebbe and do as he wishes, we'll discover that worldly events, which happen beyond our control, are actually benefiting us. We can begin to appreciate the good the Rebbe wants us to experience these days, much as father wants to impart his love to his child.

For those who think thoughts devoid of Moshiach, or have an entirely different perspective, the lesson of the Rebbe will be missed by them. Here's an example of this phenomenon today: What might appear to one person as a political fluke, as it might concern a politically-immersed person of the Democrat party, say regarding president Trump's election win in 2016, and he's expecting that already in 2020 Trump will be replaced by a "suitable" candidate -- to another person is a laughing joke. This other person, well-versed in Torah's views on Moshiach, sees that event as a palpable marker of a new era in history. This event was not at all a fluke. Rather, it was a sharp upturn in Moshiach's momentum.

This is an example of how "garments" of thought give one person agony for 4 long years, and to the other sheer ecstasy, under the same circumstances, seeing an altogether different pattern in the mosaic developing before him.

One will wallow while the other will thrive under the same circumstances. Think good; Will be good. Think Moshiach; Will sense Moshiach's imminence!

The Secret of Jericho

Mechanisms in place can elevate the level of a Jew’s soul. Although it arrived into this world from one spiritual level, potential is available so it can now reach an even higher spiritual level than was upon entry.

He can achieve this in two ways: He can mend his emotive constitution, and, also, he can strategize the way he thinks, speaks and acts.

Thought, speech and action are entirely under a person’s control! Changing one’s emotional instincts, in contrast, takes inordinate efforts that cannot be relied upon.

This is why G-d did not command Moses to spy on the Land of Israel. Moses sent spies on his own accord. But before Joshua took the Jews into the Holy Land, that's when G-d commands that he send spies, and then - only that they spy the city of Jericho - not the entire country. Jericho is the key to unlocking Israel!

Why only Jericho and not the entire country?

Spying out Jewish territory implies, at the spiritual level, inspecting one's own self for Torah-true resilience. The Jew's soul is his personal Holy Land. Spying out the entire Jewish land means spying out both one’s temperaments as well as one's behavior. In turn, conquering the Canaanite land means to overhaul the entire terrain, both emotive and behavioral. However, only the conquest of Jericho, one's behavioral component, can be relied on for full control.

This is why G-d commanded that only Jericho be spied out, be investigated to see if one’s own “Jericho” subserves G-d’s wishes. Jericho, which comes from the Hebrew word “odor”, relates to smell; Just as smell affects us, but leaves no imprint, so too thought, speech and action do not reside within us.

These 3 behaviors do not "own" the person. Speech and action certainly can be good or bad, completely under full control. Even a bad thought too, should it arise, can easily and effectively be deflected with a good one. In contrast, a poor emotional response cannot so easily be mastered.

These capabilities or energies derive from an outside - higher - source made available for our use; They are not as integrative with our being as are our emotive facets. We use them to interact, but they are not tightly bound into our constitution. These faculties are tools, as "ropes" to climb with, available at our behest.  They provide us with choice under our full control. We can ascend with these ropes to draw ourselves higher. Other ropes, also of higher source, but of the negative kind, can also be used, only these would take the Jewish soul to a lower than original depth. The choice is either to climb up with them to noble loftiness, or use them to climb lower and deeper into a rut.

To analogize, think of a car. The car will not function unless gas “from the outside” is fed into it. Similarly, our souls access thought, speech and action from available external albeit higher divine sources.

Because of their higher point of derivation, these 3 faculties can raise the level of the soul to guarantee it attains a higher perch from the level it originated from in the first place. Why else was the soul sent down here into the nethermost of all worlds - if not to improve its lot?

(We spoke earlier of sources of divinity, how one is higher than the other - here.)

This is why how a person can better himself; By proper control of his "Jericho" - his thoughts, speech and actions. Like a circus acrobat who swings from rope to rope to reach a higher landing, so too the divine soul, by grabbing on to the right 3 "garments of the soul", can lift itself higher from where it initially stood.

Of course, the corollary of this configuration implies the person can also climb steeply downwards. For just as he can choose to deflect bad thoughts and change bad speech and behavior in favor of good ones, so too, by choosing the 3 garments purveyed by the Bovine Soul, his Divine Soul can be dragged to a level far lower from where it originated.

(adapted from ma'amorim of the Rebbe MH"M)

Tisha B'Av - From Condolences to Cheers

Nearly 2,000 years ago the Romans destroyed the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem. Banished from their beloved Land of Israel, Jews were scattered across the globe.

Was this punishment? Yes, superficially, but no, when you look at the destruction of the Temple as a phase in the rebuilding of the 3rd temple. Without the Second Temple's demolition, the Third Temple would be unattainable.

Holiness, should it suffer a decline, suffers the decline for the purpose of achieving thereafter an even higher than original state of holiness. As a prerequisite for this higher level of holiness, the descent is a necessary component, as sure as a seed must first decompose in the earth before it "recovers" and creates a tree.

The first two Temples were built by human hands. The third Holy Temple will be built by God, leaving about 1% of the job for man to finish.

To merit this ultimate, eternal Temple, Jews had to undergo exile for nearly two millennia, which forced upon them a refinement that only an exile, a long one at that, could accomplish. Exile to the Jew has been the smelting process from which he can be extracted in his refined state.

Tisha B'Av for Jews is a day of mourning for on this calendar day both Temples were destroyed (and other Jewish tragedies). But chassidus of the last several generations has given impetus to think positively of the whole mess, to reveal that despite the travails, an ulterior purpose, a good one, is being served.

And therefore Tisha B'Av is also the day the supernal light impregnating this darkness took conception. For on the day of the 2nd Temple's destruction, a higher cause was also put into motion; On that day, Midrash Eichah tells us, Moshiach was born.

(A question arises for those who believe the Rebbe of Lubavitch is Moshiach, for the Rebbe's birth date is different from Tisha B'Av; Here's a resolution of that riddle: link)

This brightest of stars, we began seeing glimmers of its shine breaking through the fog of a turbulent world, at least for those whose eyes are keenly focused to the teachings of our sages and Rebbeim.

This bright floodlight will soon bathe the earth, will raise the earth orders of magnitude in spirituality, will reward people with this new insight, will sweep away evil and will bring the utopia meant for in the first place - may it happen very soon, in our own days.

Why "CHABAD"?

(Here's a short extract of a Maamer of the Rebbe, with my own translation & highlighting, where the Rebbe asks a rhetorical question about the Rebbeim of Chabad (נשיאי חב‫"‬ד) )

----------

‫ומה גם שנקראים בשם נשיאי חב"ד דוקא, ולא באפן של חוקה חקקתי גזירה גזרתי

(במדב"ר ריש חוקת. תנחומא שם ג ח. ועוד)

 'ואין לך רשות להרהר אחרי

(רש"י ריש פרשתנו [מיומא סז ב‪[‬)
דהן אמת שקיום הדברים במעשה צריך להיות באופן של חוקה חקקתי

"And why are our Rebbeim particularly called Princes of CHABAD [an acronym for 3 faculties of intellect]; Would it not be more appropriate from a Torah perspective to use a term that suggests 'Do it because I so established it and you have no right to question me'? After all, in truth, the actions of chassidim should spring from an unquestioning mindset;

וגם יודע הוא בוודאות גמורה שהדברים שנאמרו ע"י רבותינו נשיאינו שהם סמוכים איש מפי איש עד משה רבינו הם אמיתיים בתכלית

"And as you know, with complete certainty, the words spoken by our Rebbeim were endorsed from one leader to the next all the way back to Moshe Rabbeinu and prevail as absolute truth;

ואשר רבותינו נשיאינו (בעלי המאמרים) בטח הבינו את הדברים. וגם יודע שצ"ל דיוק בשמירת דברי הרב

 (ראה סה"מ ה'תש"ח ע' 296 ואילך. ובכ"מ)

"And that our Rebbeim certainly understand the content; And they well understand there must be precision when quoting a Rav.

אבל יחד עם זה צ"ל ההשתדלות שהדברים יהיו מושגים ומובנים גם בשכלו

"Nevertheless, there must be the endeavor to grasp and comprehend these words as well.

וכאשר אינו מבין צריך לבקש (קומען און קלאפן אויפן טיר אין מיטן נאכט) שיסברו לו הדברים. וזה גופא היא הסיבה למה שלא הסבירו לו את הדברים, כדי שיבוא ויבקש (קומען און קלאפן אויפן טיר). ובכלל צריך להיות היגיעה בהבנת הדברים. וארז"ל (מגילה ו, ב) יגעת ומצאת תאמין. דמארז"ל זה הוא בנוגע לעניני העולם, ומזה מובן בק"ו שכ"ה גם בנוגע לעניני התורה, שע"י היגיעה באה המציאה

"And if one doesn't get it, he needs to ask (go knock on someone's door at night) for an explanation. In fact, this is why he was not explained the concept to begin with - so he should go ahead and ask (go ahead and knock on a door). Generally, toil must precede comprehension. As our sages tell us, if one toils and says he gets it, believe him. This saying regards worldly affairs, so how much more so in matters of Torah learning - where toil will yield mastery.

היינו שע"י היגיעה באים לענין של מציאה שאינו בערך היגיעה, ואינו צריך אלא לכופף עצמו ולהגבי' את המציאה

 (ער דארף זיך אנבויגן און דאס אויפהויבן)

"That is to say, with toil will come an understanding of a higher magnitude than the effort that was invested for it, and all he need do is bend down and pick it up."

________________________

(Segment from the Rebbe's Ma-amar of ש"פ חוקת, אדר"ח תמוז ה'תשד"מ   

"והי' מדי חדש בחדשו")

G-d's Imprint on Man

Inert matter cannot move on its own. Plant life can move by growing, but remains attached to the earth below. Animals were given freedom to wonder. Humans have, in addition, intellect to reason with.

Given that intellect, let's ask: What gives the human being that unique feeling of "independence" he feels as he goes about his daily life and daily business?

After all, in truth, he too is tethered to Nature's requirements to sustain his life. Nevertheless he seems to FEEL, after he replenishes his temporary needs for sustenance with gifts of Nature, as if he truly is an independent psychological nomad. During most of his waking hours, man usually feels he's the sole governor of his "free-wheeling" life.

Why should man be imbued with this feeling, when in fact empirically it isn't true? He is relatively more free from his immediate environment than is the stone, flower or cat, but wherefrom did that rather false notion of "freedom" he bears come from; Where COULD that come from?

To answer the question, we look for an analogy. A human can calculate. He then can create a computer to do calculations for him.

Similarly, G-d is independent. G-d is All There Is, and nothing BUT He exists. This is why and how He could imbue all us creatures with that "feeling" of independence. It is not true we are independent, but that illusory independence is at least "felt" to be true.

Just as a computer calculates based on code it received by human programmers, the human being can "feel independent" because that's how G-d wired him up - to resemble "the divine image by which he was created"

ויברא אלהים את האדם בצלמו, בצלם אלהים ברא אתו

(Gen. 1:27)

The name "Adam" can derive from the root word Adamah (earth); But it also derives from the root verb Adame (to resemble), "אדמה לעליון", in that man resembles the Creator in certain ways ‫-‬ as in feeling independent, having intellect or reasoning power, even given the power to procreate.

The Inverted Tree

If the entire universe is an expression of God, He Who is One, then there must be some way to comprehend how a world that embodies finiteness and boundaries can stem from, or represent, the Single God.

Chassidus resolves this conundrum with the concept of "Levels of Derivation". The best way I know to describe this concept is by imagining an upside-down tree, where its root, which points upward, represents our abstract of God, and therefrom descends the tree-trunk, which gives off branches along the way. The higher the branch, the loftier its creative source. Each branch along the trunk can become the source for created elements.

For example, take the case of "miracles". These can be generalized into two categories, those that override Nature and those that cooperate with Nature.

Those miracles that occurred in Egypt, starting with water turning into blood, and, finally, the splitting of the Reed Sea, derived from one level of Godliness.

The other sort of miracle, those that enclothe themselves within Nature, keeping intact the framework of Nature, have another source. The miracles of Purim and Chanuka exemplify this category.

In fact, according to the Rebbe, the latter miracles derive from a level higher than the source of those miracles that break the rules of Nature.

There is yet a third level of miracles, those that derive from the highest source; These miracles the person cannot recognize them for what they are. Such a miracle only God Himself is privy too.

Within the mechanics of Nature God can manipulate things as we go about our daily tasks using free choice, to produce for us miracles. The better Nature conceals the miracle, the loftier its source. But, of course, the source is the One Above, only the level at which things derive and "drop-off" for Nature to absorb have differences.

(An idea involved in the Rebbe's Ma-amar [Sefer Hama-amarim, Melukat vol. 4, pp.123-134], although not yet well enough understood by me. Please forgive me, though, for scribbling my premature thoughts. The learning of these Ma-marim requires industrious study. They differ from normal "talks" [שיחות] in that they reflect divinity more directly [דברי אלוקים חיים] and thus I must return to these preambles to correct or just slice away some parts until they are more fully understood. Again my apologies.)

Self-Nullification

The one concept Chassidus teaches that intrigued me most, which I had to struggle with most, back when I was turning religious, was the concept of "self-nullification" (ביטול).

Basically that means you must nullify your personal considerations in favor of what G-d would want you to do instead; That you prevent your ego, your pride, or your professed wisdom from interference with G-d's wishes. You first need to override your selfish desires before you can absorb properly the dictates of Hashem.

We can illustrated this concept as follows. If you have a glass that contains a small amount of dirty water, and you want a drink of water, you would first need to empty out the dirty water before you pour clean water into the glass, otherwise all the water becomes dirty.

Similarly, in order to appreciate and eventually understand the benefits of keeping G-d's commandments, you must first empty yourself of your own presumptions and professed wisdom, which will only interfere with the divine knowledge you wish to finally acquire.

Just as the seed placed into the earth cannot develop and blossom into the tree it is meant to become unless - at first - it undergoes a decomposition! The planted seed must first start to rot before it can grow into a big, beautiful fruit tree!

Similarly, the Jew who won't set aside his ego cannot ever get a good perspective of chassidus or divinity and all that these entail. To learn Torah and chassidus with commitment, or to become observant, cannot be accomplished without first negating all prior presumptions you had regarding the subject. On the other hand, if you allow the psychological space required for this study, then you're suited to dive in.

Another way to regard "self-nullification" is "a descent for the sake of an even greater ascent" (ירידה לצורך עלייה). It's analogous to an Olympic high-jumper who wants to achieve a high jump; He must first take a few steps backward, so he can launch forward and achieve greater heights.

(Like in organic chemistry, where you need first arouse a higher, more volatile, energy state, the transition state, in order for an exothermic reaction to settle at a more stable energy state.)

Is this concept not inherent in the saga of the Jewish people's existence? Which people knows better than Jews that they first require the deep descent into the Diaspora (exile) before their ultimate elevation to be acquired in the Era of Final Redemption (soon to be revealed)?

Only with humility can a Jew become righteous and sagacious.

Jacob's Humility

As heard from Eiezer Zalmanov

To qualify as a platform from which God would present the Jews the Torah, Mount Sinai was chosen because it stood high, but not too high. The symbolism is clear: A Jew must know his worth and be proud, but must carefully refrain from being haughty. Humility is practically ingrained in the Jewish soul, for we have had it since our forefathers and since Moses, who was the most humble of all.

A hint to this trait we find in the verse, where Yaakov worries he is in overdraft on his account of goodnesses God has dispatched his way (Gen.32:11).

קטנתי מכל החסדים

I have become smaller from all the goodnesses ...

The gemora (Sotah 5a) reminds us a Torah scholar must have only an eighth of an eight of haughtiness (= 1/64)! Otherwise he is arrogant!

By divine providence, the above verse falls out to be the 8th in the 8th parsha. Yaakov's "smallness" of 1 in 8 by 8 is quite fitting therefore. Were he to become even one notch haughtier, that would yield 1/63, which would already be too much, as suggested by the gematria of haughtiness ( גס = 63). 

A pertinent anecdote:
As a single man, after having attended Chabad yeshiva after becoming observant, a Skolener Chassid hosted me at their house for a weekend in Borough Park, Brooklyn.

That Shabbos the host said to me, "I'll take you to a lecture given by one of the brightest rabbis in the community." I was delighted. He escorted me to a shul, then continued on his way. I walked in and the place was packed. I stood in the back.

After listening some 15 minutes I found myself fidgety. The rabbi speaker kept saying things like, "When I discovered this ...", "Yesterday when I told you ...", and "I think that ...".

I was glad to be standing at the back of the shul because I quickly made my way out the door.

When my host discovered my premature exit, he asked "Why?". I told him "I could not tolerate all his 'I this' and 'I that'". He laughed and said, "Now you've learned a key feature of Chassidus!"

All is God and God is All

A guest at my Shabbos table told us of a religious Jewish professor who sat next to him on a flight from Israel. This Jew began philosophizing about the powers of God. He engaged questions such as, "What could God do and what could He not do", or "Where could God be and where can He not be". Our young Chassid guest said he wanted to jump out of his skull but hung on tightly to his seat, shuddering all the while, to let this man unload his nonsense before answering him.

Are God and the universe two separate things? The answer is a resounding and definite "No!". Most Gentiles (except for Noahides) and even some religious Jews, such as our professor, still make this mistake.

When Torah tells us God created the universe, this universe is real insofar as it becomes our frame of reference, for such is as we can make it out to be, but to believe it is actually apart from its Creator -- is heresy!

One of our opening daily prayers reads "אדון עולם". An incorrect interpretation of these words would be "Master of the universe". For that, proper Hebrew would read, "אדון העולם". The correct interpretation is "Master - universe", or "Master [is the] universe".

God, as it were, attires Himself for us to see as the universe. One is not separated from the other. We must understand, despite our perceptions, "I God do not change." (Malachi 3:6).

Anecdote: A Chassid applied for the position of a rabbi in a town full of Misnagdim. During his interview with the electing committee he was asked, "What's the difference between Chassidim and Misnagdim?" He said, "Misnagdim always think about God; Chassidim always think of themselves."

His answer appealed to the committee and they proudly hired him. Later one of the committee members approached the new rabbi and asked, "What did you mean?"

The Chassid explained: Chassidim know for sure nothing in the world exists but God. Therefore this leaves them always thinking "So am I real, or am I not real?" - thus they always are thinking of themselves. Misnagdim, on the other hand, feel certain they themselves are real, so perforce they keep asking themselves, "So is God also real as me, or maybe not?" - thus always thinking of God.

Two realities exist, one higher than the other. There is the absolute reality of God, which comprises the core of Jewish belief.

Then there is a relative reality, that which we humans sense and interact with. But while this second reality is our 4-dimensional frame of reference in which we operate, we know this reality is subordinate to the absolute reality that is God; Except that we, as mere products of God, can never really fathom the real truth of Our Creator. Any time God wishes, He can simply turn the entire universe "off".

In the middle of our prayers too we say, "אפס בלתך" - "There is nothing but You!";
"גדלו וטובו מלא עולם" - "His greatness and goodness fill the universe";
"מלא כל הארץ כבודו" - - "The entire world if filled with His glory";
and, of course, "שמע ישראל ד‫'‬ אלקנו ד‫'‬ אחד" - "Understand Israel God our Lord that God is One". This last statement means that everything is God and God is everything.

We conclude every daily prayer during עלינו לשבח with this quote from Torah (Deut. 4:39), "God is in the heavens above and on the earth and below - there is nothing else!".

(For those who understand Hebrew, this 1-minute video illustrates the Chassidic concept that despite the differences we ourselves see, God remains unchanged.)

A Chassidic Axiom - The Moses of the Generation

Jews pray daily, including these words from Torah:

"ויאמינו בד‫'‬ ובמשה עבדו"
"And they believed in God and in Moses his servant,"

But why not just say,

"ויאמינו בד‫'‬";

Is this phrase in itself not enough? Why is there, in addition to the belief in God, also the addition of the phrase "ובמשה עבדו", invoking belief in Moses too?

The answer is a simple axiom of Chassidus: Because there can be no connection directly to God without the mediation of the "Moses of the generation"! As sure as every body needs a head to function, God casts a Moses for every generation to be its leader (Tikunei Zohar 469). No generation can exist without its "Moses" (Beraishit Rabba 56:7).

"אתפשטותא דמשה בכל דרא ודרא"......, "אין דור שאין בו כמשה"

Failure to believe in this Tzaddik, the leader of the generation, causes forfeiture of the belief in God - because the Moses of the generation is the perfect conduit through whom belief in God can be actualized.

One might ask, "Who needs Moses (or the present leader of the generation)? I can believe or connect to God directly - without need of a "conduit" (ממוצא המחבר)!

That's like saying, "I'll pray to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to help me out"; But who says they will accept you? But, if your request is carried to them by the "Prince of the Generation" (נשיא הדור), now suddenly your request is deemed worthy for acceptance.

That's just what Torah insinuates. There is a formal channel of communication to God. You might have the right "number" to dial, but without the right "area code", you cannot get through.

(How failure of faith in God manifests is a different story.)

So it is not for nothing "ובמשה עבדו" follows "ויאמינו בד‫'‬"! One requires the other!

This truth might hurt those who do not practice "ויאמינו במשה עבדו", in which case "ויאמינו בד‫'‬" therefore fails, but this is Torah truth, and nothing but Torah truth!

As R' Yossi taught, "Woe to those who see, but know not what they see, who stand, but know not upon what they stand; Upon what does the earth stand? ... 'And the righteous one is the foundation of the whole world' (Proverbs 10)." (Chagigah 12b)

Here's an indication of the same concept. It says "And when you wish to raise the heads of the Jewish people ..." (Ex.30:12), you do it by counting them, because counting attributes equal importance to every Jew. You count them by counting the coins they each provide, the Half-Shekel (מחצית השקל) coins. The word מחצית, says the Tzemach-Tzedek, shows that those who connect to the Tzaddik, represented by the middle letter of this word - are "alive", as suggested by this letter's two adjoining letters, חי; Whereas those remote from the Tzaddik, as suggested by the two letters furthest from the Tzaddik, מת, suffer a metaphoric death. To be uplifted, then, a connection to the Tzaddik of the generation is warranted.

(See also "The Chassid-Misnagid Barrier is Melting", here.)

Like an Eagle Awakens Her Nest

"Like an Eagle Awakens Her Nest"

כנשר יעיר קנו

(Deut. 32:11)

Jews are like just-hatched chicks of the mother eagle. They look around but see no mother just yet. So too the Jewish people scurry about, mostly oblivious to the God that watches over them.

The way the mother eagle, upon returning to her nest, to feed or visit her chicks, does it is interesting. Were she to simply fly in and land in front of them, her size and speed would frighten them to death. So she first lands nearby, out of sight, and then begins to shake branches or make movements to draw their attention from afar. Then she slowly will advance towards them.

So to we Jews may not behold God if He were to suddenly present Himself, as happened in Mount Sinai when the Jews received the first two commandments from God Himself. It says there, they had to be miraculously resuscitated, when, with each commandment, the fright killed them. They then persuaded Moses to be the conduit and through him, instead, receive the remaining 8 commandments.

This is how God is preparing us for the Final and Ultimate Era of Redemption. He cannot reveal Himself suddenly. He does it gradually. First He brings Chassidus into the world. He raises a dynasty of Rabbis who, with every passing generation, spread Chassidus more and more, each Rabbi reaching out much more than his predecssor, taking these waters of the utopic fountain of eternity to wherever Jews find themselves. By now, there hardly remains a Jew worldwide who has not been touched by the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

Unlike the nitty-gritty stuff that makes up the Talmud, and unlike the harsh approach of Mussar to rally the Jews to observance, Chassidus is lofty and mellow. It brings to light new aspects of Torah heretofore concealed from even the greatest minds. Chassidus awakens the soul with sweet-talk of God and the value of the Jewish soul. It talks of the role of Moshiach, the meaning of a conduit, and what redemption means. It talks about God's eventual revelation to us in dimensions as of yet unbeknown to us.

Before the Sabbath dons on us, the obligation of the Jew on Friday is to have a foretaste of the Sabbath - by tasting a bit of the dish prepared for the approaching Sabbath day. Similarly, on the eve of the eternal Sabbath, we, today, at the threshold of the Era of the Final and Ultimate Redemption, must get a foretaste of the Eternal Sabbath era. How so? By studying Chassidus, or, at the very least, studying about Moshiach! In order that we stand prepared.

The Chassid-Misnagid Barrier is Melting

What differentiates a "Misnagid" from a "Chassid"?

Both Jews can be G-d-fearing, careful in observing even the minute requirements of law. Both can sit and learn Torah day and night. And both can open their hearts to do good deeds and charity. If so, at what point do their paths diverge?

The answer relates to what King Solomon said (Koheles 3, 11), "He [G-d] made everything perfect for its times...". That is, whatever G-d reveals, He reveals at its appropriate moment in history.

For example, no raw material we have today went missing in the times of our forefather Abraham. Had he been privy to technological knowhow we have today, he too could have built a motor car. But G-d did not reveal this knowledge then. He preferred, for His own reasons, people then commute by camels and mules.

Similarly with all sorts of knowledge. Each has its own time and place for discovery and application.

The 6 sets of Mishna appeared during the era of the Tana'im. Why? Because their predecessors had no need for them. Two hundred years later, the Bavli and Yerushalmi Gemoras came into existence - something the earlier Tana'im initimately understood and had no need for in print. But once this knowledge surfaced as literature, no man could claim he knew as much as his predecessors without availing himself to Mishna or Gemora. For surely, were one to study this way, he'd be left wanting or lacking something he'd otherwise never know.

Similarly with Chassidus. Until 1732, when it was publicly first revealed, those who learned Torah missed nothing in the course of their studies. But those who came thereafter, no matter what aspect of Torah they would study without this new light, would overlook the important Chassidic contribution.

Chassidus is where the Chassid and Misnagid part their ways. The Misnagid rejects this new revelation. He prefers to remain in the same place as his predecessors; Just as they did without Chassidus, he too, he asserts, can delve into all aspects of Torah without Chassidus. Why should he go on a foray on a path his forefathers never took?

But here is his mistake. He does not realize he is missing what his predecessors did not miss.

There's another issue to be reckoned with. As sure as a body needs a head to function, so too the Jewish people require a Moses to be at the helm in every generation. There is no Jewish people without a head. And every Jewish leader has a unique agenda to fulfil, which may well be quite different from that of his predecessor (See Rashi, Deut. 31, 7). Chassidus intimately understands the concept of a "Moses in every generation", although the Misnagid may not appreciate it. By fixating in the past, he spurns the directives of the leaders of current generations, as well as the Torah light they divulge.

Originally, Misnagdim had good reason to reject Chassidus (although their hostile behavior was unwarranted). They suspected Chassidus diverted Judaism towards false illusions, such as did the sordid Shabtai Tzvi affair. But today they certainly can have no such suspicion. If anything, those who keep Judaism as it should be, like not shaving, like drinking milk and bread from Jewish producers, like donning Rabbeinu Tam tefillin - are Chassidim. So they have no good reason today to bear antagonism to Chassidus.

So, in a sentence, why did Chassidus arise in recent history? To shine a new light into the world - to elevate it, to remove the anti-Messianic trance it was in, so as to permit the Jewish people to usher in Moshiach's soon-to-be-revealed new utopic era. From what I see about me, it seems even non-Chassidim sound more and more like Chassidim because Moshiach's imminent arrival seems to be anticipated also by them. We have to greet Moshiach as one, close family.

The Secret of Superpower Status

Is America as the world's superpower on the decline? It may well look like it is, with Obama steering it to Hell, but this thesis predicts a more cheerful outlook.

One of the earliest superpower nations was ancient Egypt. While Jews lived there, its reign extended to include the entire world (with the help of Joseph). Subject nations were beholden to her with taxes and slaves. But once the Jews fled the country, Egypt lost this status (Mechilta, Shmos, 14, 5).

This Midrash tells that all nations that ruled over Jews achieved superpower status, projecting their control over the entire world. Why so? Because thereby G-d gives honor to His people. It would be unworthy of G-d's people to reside under the dominance of a nation less than the world's most powerful.

Babylonia too ruled the entire world, as G-d says in Yirmiyah (27, 6-8), "And now I make all these lands subject to Nevuchadnetzar's control ...,", with no exception. The same held true with the dominion of the Persians and Medes, then of Greece (under Alexander the Great), followed by the rule of Rome (Daniel, chpts. 6 & 7). 

The Alter Rebbe asserts the same thesis holds true today, namely, that the country which contains most of the Jewish population automatically gains superpower status - for the sake of Jewish honor. (Otherwise, who would even know what a Jew was, lost somewhere among two-bit nations ruling over them.)

I know too little about world history, but I'd not be surprised to learn the glory achieved by empires in Europe and Asia correlates with the majority of Jews they harbored within their borders.

Think back only a few decades ago, when both America and the Soviet Union hotly competed to see who could outmuscle the other with more intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads. These mutual threats were grave concerns for these two superpowers of the world. Remember too that both Russia and America then housed most of world Jewry.

As proof for the above thesis, the Rebbe points out the moment Russia finally raised its "iron curtain" to  permit emigration and 95% of Jews streamed out of the country, the former mighty Soviet Union evaporated. Overnight, without a shot fired, it lost its awesome superpower status. Political pundits most likely attribute the Soviet Union's downfall to the policy and wisdom of Ronald Reagan. But their analysis omits the workings of divine providence.

Today, only the U.S. retains its superpower status.

Remember too, not long ago, how powerful became the industry of Japan, how everything was made in Japan, and how strong the Yen seemed to be? In the end, their climb to the top fizzled. Why? They have no significant quantity of Jews in that country, so why would G-d flaunt their banner? Are you worried about China and its projected power? Don't be - they hardly have any Jews there.

There's a sorrowful irony in this. The problem for Jews throughout history has been, that despite their major host country achieving superpower status, Jews continued to be hounded. This ill fate has, however, finally changed with our American host. Why so? Says the Rebbe, because we've entered the eve of the "Era of the Ultimate Redemption". (And for no other reason). This favorable fate shall continue until that era finally dawns.

The corollary of this thesis also held true, namely, whenever Israel was to be conquered, G-d would only allow the mightiest of nations to conquer His people. Paradoxically, that too was for the honor of the Jews.

This corollary holds true today too and I relate to the threat by Iran to wipe Israel off the face of the globe. Israel too, after all, with its own large population of Jews, is a powerful force to be reckoned with, despite some Obama-like creeps in the hierarchy. Iran is a punk-country and there's no chance G-d would allow it to subdue His people, just as Israel's enemies have been unable to beat Israel over the years no matter how many punk-countries colluded to destroy her.

Moshiach's Shadowy Trail

Where did the holy, maternal seed of Moshiach originate? In Sodom! And what event received this first honor? Incest! From this union came Ruth and Na'amah, wives of Boaz and Shlomo, respectively. 

And what misdeed initiated the fraternal, genealogical line of Moshiach? A union between Tamar, draped as a roadside prostitute, and Yehuda, her former father-in-law whom she seduced, from which Peretz was born. Her intent, to be sure, was sublime and pure.

Although beneficent, G-d introduced bad into the world to balance out the good, to give mankind free choice, to provide merit for their good choices and demerits for their bad ones. Similarly, G-d infuses counter-forces, or "dark" forces, into the world to fight and balance out holy forces, or sources of "light". No initiative for the sake of sanctity can exist without its corresponding counter-measure that promotes desecration. 

Being that Moshiach, the holiest of souls, is predestined to escort the world to its ultimate level of sanctity, a mighty counter-measure of "darkness" has the capacity to resist this "light". To give rise to the holy Moshiach, the seeds that will unite in creating this person must find a way to materialize, by removing resistance to their existence. Only under a facade of "darkness" can these seeds retain their holiness and survive. Under the guise of illicitness, this condition fools the unsuspecting opposition. This counter-force of darkness simply does not expect to find holiness within an apparent taboo, thus resistance is effectively eliminated. 

Lot and his 2 daughters escaped from Sodom as this huge city and its 4 neighboring cities underwent an unnatural upheaval and infernal destruction. Only 10 generations earlier the Great Flood erased all life from the face of the earth. Now too, they thought, a similar event repeated itself. They thought they were the world's only survivors. The oldest daughter therefore proposed to her sister a scheme to inebriate her father so progeny can result from intercourse with him. Their intention came from this purity of wish.

Camouflaged by otherwise abhorrent acts, this "purity of light" managed to dodge the suspicions of the opposer. This opposition never suspected an act of incest or "prostitution" requires his intervention or resistive force. The seeds thereafter will need to find future conditions that masquerade as seemingly improper situations where their holiness can dwell, to remove the bad opposer's suspicion and survive yet another critical juncture along the holy genealogical path. 

Once married, the seeds of Boaz and Ruth established the House of David. Thereafter, the seeds of Na'amah and Shlomo finalize the familial dynasty towards Moshiach.  

Events cast in murky circumstances typify the path of this pure light that must not call attention to itself, but rather must hide in places of impurity, if not from generation to generation, then at least at important genealogical intersections, to assure its survival, until it finally arrives to its final destination and revelation - the end-product that manifests as Moshiach.

Take the story of aging Boaz, the greatest personage of that generation, who decides to marry the younger Ruth. The circumstances that lead to this moment are all fascinating, but we focus on one of them. He calls together the elders to rule whether or not he can marry Ruth, who derives from the most despicable nation, Moav. The elders rule a Moabite can never enter the Jewish nation, but a Moabitess - can. Boaz then marries her - and passes away the same day! The elders, taken aback, now think perhaps they ruled incorrectly. So the seed of Oved comes to life with an aura of suspicion cast upon him.

Now take the story of Oved's son, Yishai. He was extremely righteous, one of the few in the world who never sinned. After having 7 sons, he rethinks his grandfather's affairs, and suddenly, as if a screw loosened in his brain, is seized with terror. Could it be, in fact, his grandfather Boaz illicitly married Ruth? In his righteousness he wants to prevent his virtuous wife from bedding with a Moabite such as he, in fact, may be. So he shuns her. His sons later realize the separation. Years later, knowing Hashem wants for people to live normally on earth, he sets his eyes upon his Gentile maidservant. He conditions a marriage with her as follows: He releases her from servanthood and to become a Jewess if he, in fact, is a kosher Jew; But she remains a servant in case he's not kosher, in which case she retains her Gentile status and is permitted to lay with him. 

Seeing Yishai's wife in anguish from the separation, the maidservant offers her a scheme, to exchange herself just as Rachel had replaced herself with Leah the night she wedded Jacob, 10 generations earlier. Months later the boys note the mother's pregnancy and tell the father she and her fetus must be killed. The father agrees but points out a "technicality"; Casting aspersion on the mother's conduct automatically casts this same aspersion upon the boys themselves, for if she prostituted herself for this child, who is to say she didn't do the same previously. So they decide to banish the child-to-be, David, from their sight, by sending him off to shepherd their flock. Chances are also good this shepherd could die in these far off pastures, where lions and bears roam. Only when Shmuel anointed David did Yishai realize his son's legitimacy.

Then the whole story of David, after his anointment, yet unable to reign for another 7 years; His horrible years when haunted by King Saul who seeks to kill him; And later, when his own sons seek to kill him. Then there's the episode of the so-called "sinful" marriage to BatSheva, the mother-to-be of King Shlomo. Only before his death, does King David manage to usurp control from competing forces to crown Shlomo.

The final story of this characteristically shadowy trail is still unwritten. Before long, Moshiach will reveal himself, and the world will transform into a utopia. Darkness itself will shed its cover to reveal the inner good that gave it its life-force in the first place.

The Bulkhead - By Dr. Yaakov Brawer

There are Chassidim who relish davening on airplanes. Immediately after takeoff, a Chassid of this breed stands up in the aisle (the farther forward, the better), intones a thunderous brachah, and with a great sweeping motion, envelops himself in a tallit, causing nearby passengers to flinch as flying tzitzit miss their eyes by millimeters. He then prays with an ardor rarely seen in shul, blocking the aisle and attracting the attention of everyone on the plane, and that, of course, is precisely his intent. He is, after all, a Chassid, charged with the mission to reveal G-d's presence within whatever niche of creation he happens to occupy at any given moment. Although the airline is under the impression that it has staged the flight in order to make money, and the passengers think that they are on the plane in order to actually arrive somewhere, the Chassid knows better. The Chassid understands that the objective of the flight is to sequester 150 souls 50,000 feet above sea level so that they can watch him daven and learn that there is a G-d in the world. When finished davening, any Chassid worth his salt works the cabin, entwining Jewish men in tefillin, reminding Jewish women to light Shabbat candles, and exhorting non-Jews to keep the seven Noahide commandments.

Although my admiration for these stalwarts knows no bounds, I am most definitely not one of them. I just do not have the genes. I abhor public display and I can not bear to make a spectacle of myself, no matter how worthy the cause. It goes without saying that I am useless on mitzvah campaigns, except in those instances in which an adult is simply needed to drive the getaway car.

Thus, some years ago, while en route to LA, my stomach knotted up as I realized that I would have to daven on the plane on my return trip.  (Read the rest here.)