The Mystical Quest

There is a well known story likely set in Medieval times. A young Torah scholar approached a master of Kabbalah and requested to be educated in the mysteries.

The master asked, “Is it the same to you if someone speaks nicely to you or insults you?”

The young scholar replied, “No, it’s not the same at all. I like it when someone speaks nicely to me and I dislike being insulted”.

“Then you are not yet ready”, cautioned the master.

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Today, we see that so many enter into the gates of Kabbalah study without such steep qualifications. What has changed over time?

To appreciate what changed, it’s important to first understand that at its heart Kabbalah is continuation of the prophetic experience. Therefore, it concerns itself with God’s names and revelations. Though these experiences are no longer available on the levels at which the Biblical prophets had accessed them, generally speaking the tradition still continues on through the generations. Ultimately, just like the prophets of old, one can still cleave to the Shechinah, God’s manifest presence. However, the connection occurs in a lower spiritual world within the realms of holiness than it had back in the days of the Biblical prophets; a mere shadow of what once was.

This kind of access requires meditative instruction and living one’s life in heightened purity, which allows the initiate to remain openly continuous with the spiritual realms of holiness. Apparently, from the above story, the indication that one was ready to enter into such a life calling could be garnered from one’s relationship with God’s Oneness. Was the belief in the Oneness just in one’s head or was it a visceral experience as well? If visceral, then no matter occurred in life, it should be accepted happily and with total equanimity. If this was the standard at the threshold, one can only imagine what must have been required once inside the door.

Over time, a conceptual language has developed around this core of Kabbalah. It was a slow process and developed in layers; layer upon layer. Kabbalah is a branch of Oral Torah. Part of the process of Oral Torah allows for teachings inherently present, but latent, within the body of Torah to get exposed and articulated. This is how Rabbi Akivah learned piles upon piles of Torah Law from each and every crownlet in the Torah scroll. (see Menachot 29b) Similarly, generation after generation of Kabbalists teased concepts out of the mystical tradition.

Once the process had started, a later period would typically add a layer of conceptual clarity to what an earlier one had taught. Initially, conceptual language surrounding the core experience was intended just as a kind of ladder leading back to the experiential. However, in time the developing conceptual side of the tradition had reached a level of clarity where it began to serve another function as well, slowly becoming an unofficial philosophy of Judaism.

At the time the above story took place, some level of the conceptual language had already existed. But, it was only developed to the level where it was meant to serve as a ladder into the experiential. Today’s students of Kabbalah have the benefit of centuries of conceptual layering which allow for Kabbalah to be studied theoretically. To study theory, the standards at the threshold do not need to be so steep. This is why today, the study has become more accessible. In fact, it seems like the theoretical study is what will help us enter the messianic era with compassion; as it provides an educational foundation for what the Messiah will teach.

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Becoming a Torah Sage

Last week I read a short Torah lesson from Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi which really inspired me. It was not the first time I encountered it. However, it was the first time the teaching hit me in that certain way. I couldn’t tear my mind off it until it became clear to me what message I unconsciously absorbed.

The basic idea conveyed by the lesson is that becoming a Torah sage (talmud chochom) is not only a scholarly designation, but a spiritual one too. When a person becomes a Torah sage, he has enough Torah within him that God’s light is attached to him on a uniquely high level. This is one of the reasons why Judaism requires one to rise up in respect when such a person enters the room.

Since this lesson seems to be speaking about someone else, other than me, why was I so inspired? What personal ray of hope did I glean, even if unconscionably?

Granted, the amount of Torah which needs to be memorized to attain the level of Torah sage seems beyond my present reach. Still, some spark of it must also reside in me and in many other Jews as well. Why?

It’s impossible that any Torah-studying observant Jew does not have at least some Torah memorized, even if not always verbatim and only conceptual. Just praying the liturgy, keeping the Sabbath, eating kosher, celebrating the holidays, ... already requires committing to memory many Torah concepts and even words, by osmosis alone. Add to that, the Jews who spend time daily studying, to actively expand their base of Torah knowledge. Certainly, much has seeped into memory whether or not they’re aware of it. Of course, none of this activity alone is likely to grow a person to the extent of officially being considered a Torah sage. However, since the Torah is one with God (as the Zohar teaches), something of this level of spiritual light needs to accompany such a person along the road of life too; even if only on the level of a spark as compared to a flame.

True, a mere spark does not define the person’s identity and official societal designation. Still, its value and beauty shines when it’s not compared to others. There are many people blocked by their life circumstances from becoming a Torah sage in the fullest sense. Sometimes other obligations, physiological and/or psychological limitations get in the way. Yet, if we do not compare such people to the high achievers in the field, but just to what they can do, they truly shine. God celebrates them and we should too, especially when it’s ourselves. Any bit of Torah we know is a point of connection to His light. That’s a celebration!

When it comes to connecting to God’s light, it’s not like an on/off switch. It’s more like a dimmer switch with multiple settings along the dial, like a spectrum from very dark to very bright. By being anywhere on the dial we already share something in common with the true Torah sages. In spiritual terms, closeness and distance is defined by similarity and dissimilarity. Thus, by sharing a similarity with the Torah sages something of their brightness already rubs off on us.

Interestingly, it dawned on me that since the Torah is referred to as upright (Yashar), the true Torah sages embody that quality too. Perhaps, by rising in their presence, becoming physically upright, we form a new point of similarity with them; thereby, increasing our connection to the brightness they bear.

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Here’s a translation of the Torah lesson which inspired in me the above train of thought:

The teaching by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (translated from Hebrew)¹

“...And you shall respect an elder...” ²

[An elder in this verse refers to] one who acquired wisdom, [in the sense of] what’s stated, “...those who grasp the Torah...”. ³ Which is one who holds the Torah in memory and upon whose heart it’s indelibly impressed. As our sages teach, “Whose a Torah sage? Anyone who can be consulted on [in all areas] of Torah Law .” ⁴ Then [for such a sage] it’s a mitzvah to respectfully rise for him even at times when he’s not occupied with Torah study, for the Holy One dwells within him even as he attends to mundane affairs; since the Torah is indelibly impressed in his soul’s memory and upon his heart. And [due to his retention of Torah, the Holy One permanently dwells within him because] “the Torah and the Holy One are one”.⁵

Therefore, any sensitive person whose heart is aroused and whose soul yearns to cleave constantly to the Blessed One, such that God will permanently dwell within him, unceasingly without even momentary lapses, should grasp the Torah with his soul’s memory. Then even as he attends to bodily needs the Torah exists in the hidden recesses of his soul, illuminated by the letter “Yud” of God’s essential name. ⁶ As is known, that’s why the Torah passage of “Sanctify for me each firstborn” writes [about such memory], “And it shall be for a reminder between your eyes”.⁷

With this teaching it can be appreciated the reason why “The Laws of Torah Study”, quoting the Sifrei states that it’s a mitzvah for each and every Jew to know the entire Torah, meaning all the 613 mitzvahs and their details.⁸ The deeper meaning is that one should draw God’s light down upon all his 613 soul powers, reaching into all their components.

[Referring to the soul’s root origin above] it states, “My beloved, the totality of you is flawlessly beautiful”, with a special emphasis on the words “the totality of you”.⁹ Accordingly, [to manifest as the 613 powers of the soul] the root origin of its flow from above is a “totality” of 613 [latent potentials]. These [613 potentials] are referred to as “man”, as in “...upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness of the appearance of a man”. ¹⁰

However, due to the outcry of the times and attention spans too short to focus on conceptualizing the depths of concepts, one should at least strive to receive spiritual strength and fortitude by acquiring and carving the on his soul’s memory the Pentateuch, written at God’s dictation; for they’re the source of the entire written and oral Torah. It’s known that Rabbi Akivah discovered from each crownlet [above the letters on the Torah scroll] piles upon piles of laws [belonging to the oral Torah] ¹¹. [What he discovered pre-existed,] only they were in a very hidden state; as they belong to the hidden world. [In contrast to the written Torah,] the oral Torah belongs to the revealed world.

[From the oral Torah] one should at least acquire and commit to memory the Mishnaic order of “Kodashim”; as our sages called it “wisdom”. ¹² Additionally, the Ari z”l teaches that its study atones for one’s sins.

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1 This teaching is from “Likutei Torah” of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Kedoshim, page 60.

2 Leviticus 19:32

3 Jeremiah 2:8

4 Shabbat 114a

5 Zohar, end of Kedoshim, page 87b

6 This is the name Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey; known in English as the Tetragrammaton.

7 Exodus 13:2 & 9

8 Shulchan Aruch HaRav, 1:4; Sifrei, Deuteronomy 48

9 Song of Songs 4:7

10 Ezekiel 1:26

11 Menachot 29b

12 Shabbat 31a

Personal Space

These days, the authorities recommend that everyone remain at a distance of six feet away from each other. For Torah purposes, six feet is the minimum measure for four cubits. Four surrounding cubits is how the Torah defines one's personal space for various purposes. 

For example, with the Amidah prayer, ideally one is supposed to be at least four cubits away from his/her fellow congregants. In his book, "Jewish Meditation - a practical guide" Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan o.b.m. explains that the reason is because one's spiritual field extends four cubits all around. Thus, in heightened states of consciousness, like during deep prayer, one's concentration can be disturbed if his/her spiritual field is entered into by another.

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A Thought

Paradoxically it is the illusion of separation from the Oneness, which makes the relationship with Him real.

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Nadav and Avihu

(translated from a Hebrew summary of Likkutei Sichos, Volume 32, Acharei 1)¹

"God spoke to Moses after the demise of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew close to God’s presence and passed on”. ²

From the commentary “Ohr HaChaim” on the verse:

God explained to Moses that they [Nadav and Avihu] passed on by coming close to God. What’s meant is that in a state of holy love they drew close to the presence of the supreme light. This is how they passed on. (This is the mystery of the “divine kiss” by which the saintly pass on.) ...The scripture hints at the amazing love the saintly possess that even when they sense they’re passing on, they don’t hold back from drawing close to the cleaving, which is pleasant, savory, endearing, loving, kissing and sweet; until their souls take leave in ecstacy.

How do the Ohr HaChaim’s words reconcile with the explicit message of the verse, “...they presented an alien flame before God, one which was not commanded of them”?³

The clarification depends on understanding the main difference between the service of sacrifice and that of the incense offering.

The Hebrew word for sacrifice is “Korban”, whose grammatical root means “closeness”. Through a sacrifice a person drews his outer layer of self close to the Holy One, but does not actually attach to Him. In contrast, the word for incense, “Ketoret”, derives from a root which means “binding”. Through the incense offering a person binds to the Holy One from his inner soul; becoming attached to Him. Indeed, this clarifies what occurred when the sons of Aaron presented their incense offering. They drew close to the Holy One and cleaved to Him (“by drawing close to God’s presence”), until their souls left them (“and they passed on”).

This is what’s meant by “...each took his incense pan, set them ablaze, placed incense upon it, and presented an alien flame before God, one which was not commanded of them.”⁴ The sacrificial service is a kind of service which requires a divine command; as a person is still at a stage of being separate from the divine. In contrast, the service of offering incense does not require a divine command; as at this stage the person becomes attached to the Holy One and automatically senses His will, without needing a command.

It’s possible to suggest that the source for this explanation is found in what Moses stated, “This is what God [meant when He] spoke, ‘I will be sanctified by My intimates.”⁵ The commentator, Rashi, clarifies that Moses meant, “I prophetically knew that the Tabernacle will be sanctified by the intimates of the Omnipresent One...”

Paralleling the two stages of human divine service, sacrifices and incense, there are two levels of God’s revealed presence resting upon the Tabernacle.

1. God’s presence rests. However, it’s in a way that the revelation of God’s presence and the Tabernacle remain two separate entities.
2. The structure itself is sanctified, such that the Tabernacle is not separate from the holiness. The holiness permeates the essence and body of the Tabernacle’s structure.

These two levels are reflected in the two flames which had emerged from God's revealed presence.

1. “Upon the altar, a flame emerged from God’s presence and consumed the burnt offerings and the fats...”⁶ This statement refers to the first level of God’s presence resting upon the Tabernacle, one which comes through offering of sacrifices.
2. “A flame emerged from God’s presence and consumed them...” ⁷ This statement refers to the second level of God’s presence resting upon the Tabernacle, which came from the incense offerings of Nadav and Avihu (as in “...I will be sanctified by My intimates.”).

In accordance with the above, it’s understood why this topic is uniquely presented in a Torah portion which deals with the Yom Kippur service; which mainly emphasizes offering the incense before the ark in the holy of holies. As this service parallels the binding of each Jew’s inner soul and its union with the Holy One.

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1 See “Otzer Likkutei Sichot”, volume 2, page 166

2 Leviticus 16:1

3 Ibid 10:1

4 Ibid 10:1

5 Ibid 10:3

6 Ibid 9:24

7 Ibid 10:2

A Piece of Prayer

Thank You that I’m feeling alive with inspiration from the Torah I’ve been studying, especially over the Sabbath. It would be nice if I could isolate a particular teaching which is really inspiring me, like a coal hot with a long enduring glow. Perhaps, my feelings are not so much from a particular teaching as much as from an overall euphoria from multiple yet unified voices of Torah.

Each book I study is a different voice of Torah.

~ The Lubavitcher Rebbe is a voice.

~ The Alter Rebbe is a voice.

~ The “Benei Yissaschar” is a voice.

~ “Otzrot Chaim” is a voice.

~ “Sha’ar HaKavanot” is a voice.

~ The Maimonides is a voice.

~ The “Ma’am Lo’ez” is a voice.

~ The “Ben Ish Chai” is a voice.

~ The Talmud is a voice.

~ The Pentateuch is a voice

~ “Ethics of the Fathers” is a voice.

~ The “Book of Psalms” is a voice.

I guess I’m just feeling giddy from hearing so different many sweet voices of such depth, insight and connection to You. They all flow from You. They’re all integrated. My heart feels them like a song sung by a harmonious choir of voices. But, they’re so much more than that.

True music is a manifestation of something so much more significant, something which reaches to the highest of high to the point where it’s closely associated with You. The voice of You echoing into refraction as the voices alive in so many works of Torah just makes me want to sing, dance and jump for joy!

You may have stopped Biblical prophecy, but You’ve given us works of Torah in which Your voice can still be heard in various, though unified, refractions. These are not mere recordings of Your voice. That would not be a living experience. These works of Torah are channels for Your voice. Studying Torah, I hear Your voice anew.

This does not mean that I have become a “prophet” or the like. A prophet hears an entirely new message. I’m just sometimes privy to feelings of new life within existing messages. Even my flashes of new insights are usually sparked out of the internal friction to reconcile and integrate such existing messages. Though new, they’re forged on the existing.

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From the Next Day’s Prayer:

Yesterday, I waxed poetic about Your voice. I was so drunk in love with You, so overwhelmed, that my feelings ran ahead of my articulative capacities. Now, that my articulative capacities have caught up, “What is this voice?”

It was not that I literally heard a sound, not even an imaginary one. It was that I felt feelings behind the words, animating them very vividly. These feelings were too overwhelming, sweet and powerful for me to believe that they were entirely internally generated. I believe that at least in the main they emanated from you. My heart was just like a radio amidst the waves, singing them forth. Flows of Your feelings met mine and then Yours’ overwhelmed, took over. Yes, what I meant by Your voice is the feelings which await access behind every word of Torah.

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Seasons of Purification

There are two seasons in Judaism’s annual cycle noted for their opportunity to attain purity in preparation for redemptive outcomes. The first one is the season of Passover and the sefirah count, which is followed by the giving of the Torah on Shavuot. The second one is the season of the late summer month of Elul through Yom Kippur, which is followed by the forgiveness of Yom Kippur.  The former is a 50 day period and the latter is a 40 day period.

These two periods are rooted in the history of the Exodus from Egypt and the events leading up to Moses descending with the second set of Tablets, after an abortive attempt, i.e. the first Yom Kippur. These historic events became part of Judaism’s annual cycle of holidays because they did not just happen “back then”. Every year, different aspects of their spiritual energies reoccur, presenting us with both their challenges and redemptive capacities, as they provide us with fresh opportunities to attain greater levels of holiness and closeness to God.

As a child, I was taught that in the 40 day period of Elul through Yom Kippur, we are given a unique opportunity to seek forgiveness and purify ourselves in preparation for the miracle of forgiveness which occurs on Yom Kippur. If this opportunity is properly treated, there’s a higher probability that we’ll be redeemed from the debt of misdeeds. 

Then as a youth, I was introduced to the notion that from Passover to Shavuot is a period of purification leading up to receiving the Torah, the true final phase of the redemption from Egypt.  As we wallowed for 210 years in Egypt, our souls have become encrusted with a layer of uniquely Egyptian impurity. We needed a 49 day period to detox and detach from this spiritual impurity to ready ourselves to receive the Torah. Then the awaited event, receiving the Torah, occurred on the 50th day, as a whole nation, in a state of collective prophecy.

Ever since I heard of this second season of purification, I wondered what’s the essential difference between the two of them. It’s a question I have been harboring in the recesses of my heart for quite a long time. Vaguely, I sensed the difference. However, I wasn’t able to precisely articulate it, even to myself. 

Recently, it dawned on me that there are two scenarios which allow a person to acquire spiritual impurity. One is through wrongdoing. The other scenario is surprisingly by being exposed to impurity while simply going about one’s normative and expected business. It could be that the person even contracted impurity while being involved in a mitzvah. For example, King David could not build the Temple because his soul bore the taint of battle; even though what he did was a huge mitzvah, as it was necessary to defend his people from murderous enemies.     

When we emerged from Egypt, our souls were encrusted with a layer of impurity; one which rubbed off on us from Egyptian society. This was not our fault. Since we were essentially blameless, we were not tasked with seeking forgiveness for our deeds. We were simply tasked with restoring our character traits to their initial state of wholesomeness, to regain the innocence of spiritual sensitivity. 

On the other hand, with the “golden calf”, there was a new kind of impurity we encountered. This one was a direct consequence of wrongdoing. The only possible way out was to seek forgiveness. Therefore, Moses and the people spent time praying for forgiveness. Once forgiveness was granted the redemption came in for the form of the second set of Tablets, which Moses brought down on Yom Kippur. 

So the answer to my longstanding question is that one season is for faultless impurity and the other one is for faulted impurity. The way one deals with faultless impurity is mainly by detoxing and detaching from the situation which brought it on; thereby, restoring wholesomeness. The way one deals with faulted impurity is to seek forgiveness. While this recipe may seem simple, it’s only speaking broadly. It’s describing what the primary focus of each season is. 

Closer to the truth, both are somewhat intertwined. There are times when we need to face deeds to regain wholesomeness. Otherwise, we might not see the doorway opening to what needs correcting. Conversely, there are times when we need to face traits in order to ultimately change our behavior patterns. Otherwise, there’s a real risk of repetition.

It turns out that between the two seasons, the Jewish calendar has 90 days dedicated to purification. That’s a quarter of the year, which is about 360 days. Possibly, we are being mathematically advised on how to proportion our time. Perhaps, we should spend one quarter of our active hours on inner improving and three quarters on outward doing. 

Also, the number 90 numerically equals the letter צ, tzadi, which in later usage has come to mean “saintly”. Accordingly, these 90 days are intended to bring a person to “saintliness”. 

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