Thursday, September 11, 2014
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Joyful Crying
One of the Pesukim (verses) we recite after blowing the Shofar is בשמך יגילון כל היום , "In Your name we will rejoice all day." Rebbe Nachman points out that the first letters of the words of this verse can be rearranged to form בכיה, crying.
What is the connection between rejoicing and crying?
As we have pointed out before the connection is that they are both expressions of a deep seated desire for connection. Whether it manifests itself as unbridled joy or an outpouring of tears, or both, what we are seeking on Rosh Hashanah is to get in touch with our desire to connect to Hashem.
What is the connection between rejoicing and crying?
As we have pointed out before the connection is that they are both expressions of a deep seated desire for connection. Whether it manifests itself as unbridled joy or an outpouring of tears, or both, what we are seeking on Rosh Hashanah is to get in touch with our desire to connect to Hashem.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Kruvim
There are those who are troubled by the various uses of trumpeting devices in the Torah. On the one hand we find that they are used on Fast Days and other times to awaken the people to Teshuva. On the other hand we find that they are used at times of joy to symbolize joy. Which one are they? Symbols of somber attitudes, or symbols of joy?
The Zohar teaches that the כרובים (Cherubim) which stood on top of the Aron (Ark) symbolize the lungs of a person. The כרובים are located in the Holy of Holies. In their childlike appearance they represent the idealism and enthusiasm of the youth, those who are not afraid to express their true feelings and desires. As the lungs, they represent the life force of the Nation and the ability to transmit these attitudes through the entire body - the entire Jewish people.
So too is the representation of the trumpeting devices. The power behind a trumpet comes from the lungs, the essential life force of a person. Is there a distinction in the essence of a person between the cry of a desire to do Teshuvah and renew his connection to Hashem and the elation one feels at a joyous occasion? Each of them comes a from primal desire to connect to that is what is truly essential in life. Laughing and crying are two expressions of the same thing. The same trumpet blows for each.
The Zohar teaches that the כרובים (Cherubim) which stood on top of the Aron (Ark) symbolize the lungs of a person. The כרובים are located in the Holy of Holies. In their childlike appearance they represent the idealism and enthusiasm of the youth, those who are not afraid to express their true feelings and desires. As the lungs, they represent the life force of the Nation and the ability to transmit these attitudes through the entire body - the entire Jewish people.
So too is the representation of the trumpeting devices. The power behind a trumpet comes from the lungs, the essential life force of a person. Is there a distinction in the essence of a person between the cry of a desire to do Teshuvah and renew his connection to Hashem and the elation one feels at a joyous occasion? Each of them comes a from primal desire to connect to that is what is truly essential in life. Laughing and crying are two expressions of the same thing. The same trumpet blows for each.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Incensed
On Yom Kippur the burning of incense within the קדש הקדשים, the Holy of Holies, plays a central role in the service of the כהן גדול, the High Priest. There are several distinctions between the daily burning of the incense and that of Yom Kippur. We will focus here on one of those distinctions. During the daily incense burning, which took place on the Golden Altar in the Outer Sanctuary of the בית המקדש, Temple, the Kohen who was preparing the incense had to ensure that the incense burned until it formed a pillar of smoke that flowed directly upwards. By contrast, on Yom Kippur where the Kohen Gadol was offering the incense by the Aron (Ark) in the Kodesh HaKadashim he was required to wait until the incense smoke filled the entire chamber.
What is the reason for this distinction? Why everyday is there an imperative for a pillar and on Yom Kippur for a room filled with the smoke and scent of incense?
To understand this we need first to delve a little deeper into the symbolism of the קטורת, incense. The קטורת was made from eleven ingredients. Kabbalistic thought teaches us that the world was created by means of ten Sefiros which are the spiritual sub-atomic particles which form the building blocks of Creation, each one of the Sefiros representing a different Middah (trait). Conversely, as there is balance throughout Creation between good and evil, there are ten such elements which represent each of these traits being used for evil. Despite the fact that these evil ten represent the anti-spirituality of existence, Hashem gives them the power to exist. That existence bestowed upon them by Hashem is element number eleven. It is only on the side of evil that there are eleven elements as the elements themselves are unGodly they need an eleventh to give them existence. On the side of good, of spirituality, there are only ten as each one is, in and of itself, infused with Godliness.
The word קטורת (incense) has at its root the word קטר which means a knot. The קטורת symbolizes the recognition that even those things which represent evil and seem to be anti-God are all tied together and connected to Hashem. By recognizing this and by tying them and acknowledging, we are changing them from being forces of evil to being forces of good. This is because one of the central themes of Creation is the realization that even that which appears to be evil is all part of Hashem's presence. When used as a vehicle for this recognition the evil becomes good.
The idea of recognizing that even that which appears to be evil comes from Hashem is one that deserves a lengthy discussion. As such a discussion would be book length it is beyond the scope of this post. But our Sages teach us that truly comprehending this is difficult, if not impossible, during our mundane lives in the world as it is. While it is possible to intellectually understand the idea that everything, even evil, is connected to Hashem to truly feel and internalize this idea - to really see Hashem in every aspect of Creation - is beyond us while we remain in the pre-Messianic world.
It is for this reason the קטורת,which represents the tying together of the elements of evil and connecting them to Hashem, all year long is burned until the smoke forms a pillar. This is because the best we can do then is to understand with our minds that there is a connection between what appears to be evil and Hashem. Intellectually we can draw a line between what we see, what we are taught and Hashem. But we are still in the Outer Sanctuary and do not truly feel this connection. On Yom Kippur we are trying to raise our consciousness to a higher level, to a Messianic consciousness that empowers us to see Hashem's presence throughout Creation, even in evil, even within our own sins. We enter into the Holy of Holies, the center-point of our being where we are no longer seeing things with an intellectual superficiality, but feeling them with our entire selves. At this time the קטורת is burned until it fills the entire room to symbolize our true knowledge that Hashem is present throughout Creation, even within evil.
What is the reason for this distinction? Why everyday is there an imperative for a pillar and on Yom Kippur for a room filled with the smoke and scent of incense?
To understand this we need first to delve a little deeper into the symbolism of the קטורת, incense. The קטורת was made from eleven ingredients. Kabbalistic thought teaches us that the world was created by means of ten Sefiros which are the spiritual sub-atomic particles which form the building blocks of Creation, each one of the Sefiros representing a different Middah (trait). Conversely, as there is balance throughout Creation between good and evil, there are ten such elements which represent each of these traits being used for evil. Despite the fact that these evil ten represent the anti-spirituality of existence, Hashem gives them the power to exist. That existence bestowed upon them by Hashem is element number eleven. It is only on the side of evil that there are eleven elements as the elements themselves are unGodly they need an eleventh to give them existence. On the side of good, of spirituality, there are only ten as each one is, in and of itself, infused with Godliness.
The word קטורת (incense) has at its root the word קטר which means a knot. The קטורת symbolizes the recognition that even those things which represent evil and seem to be anti-God are all tied together and connected to Hashem. By recognizing this and by tying them and acknowledging, we are changing them from being forces of evil to being forces of good. This is because one of the central themes of Creation is the realization that even that which appears to be evil is all part of Hashem's presence. When used as a vehicle for this recognition the evil becomes good.The idea of recognizing that even that which appears to be evil comes from Hashem is one that deserves a lengthy discussion. As such a discussion would be book length it is beyond the scope of this post. But our Sages teach us that truly comprehending this is difficult, if not impossible, during our mundane lives in the world as it is. While it is possible to intellectually understand the idea that everything, even evil, is connected to Hashem to truly feel and internalize this idea - to really see Hashem in every aspect of Creation - is beyond us while we remain in the pre-Messianic world.
It is for this reason the קטורת,which represents the tying together of the elements of evil and connecting them to Hashem, all year long is burned until the smoke forms a pillar. This is because the best we can do then is to understand with our minds that there is a connection between what appears to be evil and Hashem. Intellectually we can draw a line between what we see, what we are taught and Hashem. But we are still in the Outer Sanctuary and do not truly feel this connection. On Yom Kippur we are trying to raise our consciousness to a higher level, to a Messianic consciousness that empowers us to see Hashem's presence throughout Creation, even in evil, even within our own sins. We enter into the Holy of Holies, the center-point of our being where we are no longer seeing things with an intellectual superficiality, but feeling them with our entire selves. At this time the קטורת is burned until it fills the entire room to symbolize our true knowledge that Hashem is present throughout Creation, even within evil.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Wordless
The power of speech is what differentiates between man and animal. It is how the Torah defines man at Creation. It is generally the primary vehicle used to express our relationship with Hashem. But, yet, on Rosh Hashanah, the day on which we renew that relationship, the primary Mitzvah is performed with our mouths, but without the power of speech.
On the contrary, the blowing of the Shofar does not require the formation of words. Words, which are the means by which we take the lofty concepts of our minds and bring them forth into the physical world, are conspicuously absent. All that is present is sound. Sound coming not from the lips or vocal cords, but from the air in our chests. It is our life breaths that are utilized and not our minds.
We have discussed elsewhere the pitfall of allowing a relationship to be defined by the intellect and the superficial rather than by the essence of the parties to the relationship. In our relationship with Hashem the same pitfall exists. People can mistake a great intellectual study of Torah and philosophy for a true relationship with Hashem.
This is what is being avoided and symbolized with the blowing of the Shofar. Shut down your minds and the intellectual expression of verbiage. Hashem wants to connect to our essence and not allow words to confuse. Let the very breath of your lungs be the expression of your desire to have a relationship with Hashem.
Let the Shofar sound.
On the contrary, the blowing of the Shofar does not require the formation of words. Words, which are the means by which we take the lofty concepts of our minds and bring them forth into the physical world, are conspicuously absent. All that is present is sound. Sound coming not from the lips or vocal cords, but from the air in our chests. It is our life breaths that are utilized and not our minds.
We have discussed elsewhere the pitfall of allowing a relationship to be defined by the intellect and the superficial rather than by the essence of the parties to the relationship. In our relationship with Hashem the same pitfall exists. People can mistake a great intellectual study of Torah and philosophy for a true relationship with Hashem.
This is what is being avoided and symbolized with the blowing of the Shofar. Shut down your minds and the intellectual expression of verbiage. Hashem wants to connect to our essence and not allow words to confuse. Let the very breath of your lungs be the expression of your desire to have a relationship with Hashem.
Let the Shofar sound.
Friday, August 31, 2012
The Shofar Tube
A horn which is naturally solid is not valid for use as a Shofar (even if hollowed out); only those horns which are naturally hollow are fit for use. The Rashb"a explains that this is because the word שופר (Shofar) is based on the Hebrew word שפופרת (Sh'foferes), a tube.
Why must it be naturally hollow?
We find the word שפופרת (Sh'foferes) used in the context of a discussion about a Mikveh. If there is a pool of water which does not meet the Halachic requirements of a Mikveh, but it is connected by means of a tube (שפופרת) to a Kosher Mikveh it then renders the previously unfit Mikveh Kosher. We see then that the שפופרת is used to take a pool of water that is lacking in purification power and to connect it, however minimally, to one which can purify. The connection alone empowers the first pool of water to now have the ability to purify.
This reflects the theme of Rosh Hashanah. Unlike on Yom Kippur where our Teshuvah is focused on sin - regretting, refraining, resolving - on Rosh Hashanah the focus is on reconnecting to Hashem. The primal call of the sound of the Shofar is our voice calling out to Hashem that we wish to be connected to Him. Ignore all of the external issues that may have impacted upon that connection and throw us a lifeline, the tube that connects us to you.
As the Mishnah reminds us at the end of Meseches Yoma the Mikveh for the Jewish Nation is Hashem. By reconnecting to Him, even minimally, through the tube of the Shofar there is instant purification.
Why must it be naturally hollow?
This reflects the theme of Rosh Hashanah. Unlike on Yom Kippur where our Teshuvah is focused on sin - regretting, refraining, resolving - on Rosh Hashanah the focus is on reconnecting to Hashem. The primal call of the sound of the Shofar is our voice calling out to Hashem that we wish to be connected to Him. Ignore all of the external issues that may have impacted upon that connection and throw us a lifeline, the tube that connects us to you.
As the Mishnah reminds us at the end of Meseches Yoma the Mikveh for the Jewish Nation is Hashem. By reconnecting to Him, even minimally, through the tube of the Shofar there is instant purification.
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