Shemittah - Overview - II

We have described the superficial view of life, however a glance at the internal view of life shows an unbreakable bond between all the individuals in the Jewish Nation. We are all one soul. The essence of all our lives emanate from one source and receives its liveliness from one spiritual root. When any one person performs a Mitzvah it strengthens the root soul of everyone. When one limb is ill it weakens the entire corpus. Similarly, if one person sins all souls feel it deeply because the source of all good, the light of the Schechinah, is diminished by the sin. Conversely, when a person performs a Mitzva, all of Jewry is blessed by an outpouring of light resulting from the good deed.

Externally we appear to be separate from one another. Internally, however, there is a strong bond of life which is the secret of our power and the source of our existence as one nation, one entity, one soul and one lot in life.

There are some Mitzvoth that can appear to be for the benefit of the individual alone, e.g. Tefillin, Tzitzis, Mezuzah, Matzo, Sukkah, Lulav. But it is the public Mitzvoth that reveal the truth of what lies within the Jewish Nation, These Mitzvoth manifest themselves in a public manner which relates to all facets of the Nation. They remove a person from his self-centered outlook into a life which is infinitely greater. They enable him to feel as part of a larger, broader entity, as part of Klal Yisroel.

These awaken feelings that are similar to those which arise at times of war. Those are times when we feel mutual love and connection, when a feeling of unity flows through the veins of the nation. People care about each other, there are feelings of brotherhood and shared goals are strengthened. The pulse of life of the Jewish Nation is alive and strong at these times and it is evident that we are one nation. During our regular everyday lives each person crawls into his own home and his own business, concerned with his own health and livelihood. At war time people feel that the main thing is the nation. This invests the people with great strength which are rooted in our essential unity.

The same is true of the years of Shemittah and Yovel. They are years of national life, of dedication to the nation and a feeling of connection to the entire family.

Shemittah - Overview - I

The Mitzvos of Shmittah (the Sabbatical year) and Yovel (Jubilee) encompass a broad range of concepts to the extent that they alter the very character of the life of the Jewish Nation. There is almost no area in the national life that is not influenced by the Year of Shemittah and the Year of Yovel. All of commerce, society, physical and spiritual life undergo numerous changes during these years which testifies to the great depth that is hidden with these Mitzvos. Prior to addressing them in detail, we will point out what is unique about these public Mitzvos.

The Jewish Nation is one entity, one powerful and holy Neshama that is revealed by every member of the Nation. The source of holiness of each Jew is the overarching Neshama of the Jewish Nation, the Holy Schechina. A person does not live as an individual and cannot sanctify himself without a relationship to the Jewish Nation, just as a capillary has no life unless it is attached to an artery. Since we are born into a world in which each individual feels his individuality, and feels that his life is not connected to everyone else, it is difficult to grasp this concept. We accept the yoke of Mitzvos with an attitude that it is our own personal pursuit, we express our Judaism through our own Mitzvah fulfillment, we stand alone before God, are responsible for our own life in this world and the World to Come, with no connection to the rest of the people.

It is not easy to feel the truth - that we are one nation, one entity and that all the Mitzvos done by each individual are incorporated within the Divine service of the entire Nation. Together they increase the light of the Schechina and the soul of each individual and the entire nation. When performing a specific Mitzvah, like Tzitzis or Tefillin it is difficult to feel a connection with another. "I am doing this Mitzvah and receiving a reward, and he is wearing Tefillin and getting his reward. There is no connection between my Tefillin and his Tefillin." Naturally, a person will make sure that he has the nicest possible Tefillin for himself, but won't concern himself that someone else should have the nicest Tefillin. All this results from not feeling a real connection between the performance of Mitzvos and one's spiritual life. It seems that everyone is climbing his own stairway to heaven, and will get his own eternal reward for his actions. Superficially, there is no connection between the spiritual efforts of my friend and my lot in life.

Chesed & Din - Internal vs. External

Chesed is the root of the light, the Neshama, in contrast with Din which is the root of the vessels and the body. Din, the power of constriction, creates the vessels within which Chesed shines and lights up the soul. Ergo, Chesed relates to the internal, the soul, and Din to the external, the body. Because of the aspect of Din there are people whose purpose is to focus on all the external issues and to fight against them.

The purpose of judges, the representatives of Din, who are also referred to as אלוקים (Elokim, one of the names of God), is to focus specifically on that which is problematic and needs to be rectified. The Talmud teaches us, "A judge only has that which his eyes see." The judge is not meant to deal with external issues on the basis of understanding the defendant's inner soul. After all, if he judges every person on the basis of his soul, rather than his actions, everyone would be innocent and the judge would not inspire people to rectify their behavior. The Mahara"l and Rav Kook both teach that a judge needs to focus on the superficial and the problems, as his job is to work in the realm of the external and to fix it. This is also the function of the revealed Torah which sees the external of things, sees all the problems, the causes of damage, sins and impurities, and directs how they should be dealt with. This is the function of the Levites who represent Din and they have the mandate to demand purity and the rectification of wrongdoing.

In contrast with the judges who represent Din are the Kohanim who represent Chesed and are skilled in working with inner purity. They awaken the soul that is sleeping within the heart. They do not speak a lot of bone-breaking Mussar (rebuke), but speak softly to the hearts of all with sweet and kind words. With love and compassion, with their great spirit and powerful soul, with good hearts and faith in every Jewish person, they succeed in breaking through the walls and awaken the hearts with holiness. They fill hearts with a deep desire to connect to God. It is specifically their internal view that does not focus on sins and wrongdoing, and does not classify people only on the basis of their actions, which can fill people with hope. The people are comforted from their inner turmoil caused by their distance from God, and their hearts are filled with a loving desire to develop a relationship with the Divine.

The Kohanim stay in the House of God day and night focusing on the merits of the Jewish Nation and saying to God, "The Jews are pure and holy, and if they have fallen in sin, their hearts are burning with a fire that cannot be seen externally. Awake and seeking, awake and feeling pain because of the distance. The desire for God is strong in the heart of every Jew, even in one who is not cognizant of it it is present.

Kabbalistic Integration - III

One way to bring out our point is by giving an example with regards to the Jewish Nation and its sins. We will illustrate this with a parable. There was once a holy and righteous man who had many students. The teacher saw that his best student had the ability to continue his path. Therefore he was extra strict with this student and demanded a lot from him. He reprimanded him for any display of weakness, and didn't smile at him as much as he smiled at the other students. An outsider might assume that this was a weak student who was not valued by his teacher. He might conclude that this is the right way to treat weak students. However, this would be because he was not understanding the daas of the teacher. He only saw the external actions and statements from which he came to erroneous conclusions.

In the same manner, a person can take quotes from the Zohar and other Kabbalistic works about  the repulsiveness of sins, and thereby fill himself with hatred towards other Jews all the while thinking to himself that his attitudes demonstrate his faithfulness to Kabbalistic thought. In reality he has no idea what it is talking about and has not understood the depth of its meaning. He has never seen the relationship between the Zohar and the Chosen Nation which is the only way to appreciate the demands made on them for their stumblings and the filth created by sin. These demands are not made of other nations.

One who can place every quote and principle in its correct place, is one who has understood the depth of the concepts, and has broadened his mindset until he can see the entire breadth and depth. He can place everything where it should be in a word of tikkun shining with the light of holiness. Rabbi Chaim Vital writes that the main lesson of Kabbalah is that things are understood in relationship to one another, and it is necessary to learn how each thing fits into the greater picture.

Kabbalistic Integration - II

The inner Torah contains many topics and expositions, as there are in the other portions of Torah. The number of topics is unfathomable. The most fundamental point is the daas of the inner Torah, the deep understanding of the essential concepts which creates a framework for understanding all the details.

When a person achieves daas within Torah, he is close to understanding the true meaning of the concepts discussed within. This sheds light on all aspects of life and broadens a person's perspective on mankind, the world, life, purpose and every aspect of existence. It is similar to the distinction between the understanding of a child as compared to the understanding of an older adult. The distinction is not measured in terms of the quantity of learning. So, too, the heart of the inner Torah is daas, and one who has it has listened to its whispers. This is like a student who understands the mind of his teacher, who cannot merely repeat the words of his teacher, but knows his mind. He has captured the mindset of his teacher, the foundational thinking which defines all of his teachers outlook.

A person can study the inner Torah from a place of small-mindedness and doesn't truly understand its daas. Another person, with a broader mind, understands its workings. It is like a person deep in a forest who cannot see the forest for the trees. If a climbs a tree his perspective will change and everything will appear differently to him. If he could then fly above the forest and see it in all its wonders, he will appreciate its beauty even more.

The same is true with regards to spirituality, and the manner in which a person understands the inner workings of the Torah and his outlook. A person can know many details, he can even arrange them and organize, ask and answer, but still not understand its daas - he won't truly understand its concepts. He is like someone who enjoys hiking in the forest, but knows nothing and learns nothing about the forest. He is in the midst of something great, but does not know anything of its essence. And, because of his lack of understanding, he has no idea how to reach his goal, he may even be getting further and further away. Because in order to understand the forest you must be able to see from above. Then you can see the goal and where you are in relationship to the goal.

Kabbalistic Integration - I

One can't truly comprehend the deeper portions of the Torah through intellectual study alone. A person needs to raise up the level of his life, by working on his inner will, so that all that he studies doesn't fly away from him, but should integrate within his heart to expand his mind and his worldview on the basis of what he has learned.

Otherwise, he can be an expert in all the intricate discussions of Kabbalistic thought without truly comprehending the depth if its meaning, to what it is referring, and its intent. He is like a child who can repeat conversations about politics  without any understanding of what it entails. The result is that he can entirely misconstrue matters.

Imagine a child who doesn't yet understand the intricacies of relationships, the vicissitudes of life and the concerns of his parents regarding his education and personal growth. This is not because these are such complex issues, but because of the gulf between the mind of a child and the content of these concepts. Without any life's experiences in these areas any discussion about them is lacking in understanding.

The revealed portions of the Torah (nigleh) discuss matters of this world - oxen, donkeys, clothing. It focuses on experiences of the physical world which are experienced by the senses. Matters of Kabbalah are the concepts of the Neshama and the Ruach which may be obvious to our souls but not to our minds that are accustomed to a stunted view of a life that is far from these concepts. Only by bringing oneself closer to these concepts until he can understand them as naturally as he understands matters of the physical world. Without this a person is apt to fill himself with concepts that he doesn't understand, and to discuss them without comprehension. He is so distant from these concepts that any discussion of them is severely lacking.
ה"ו קע"ט

Bridge Building - II

There is another value to uniting people in that it is the foundation for the Bais HaMikdosh (Temple). The Bais HaMikdosh is that house that belongs to all of us, in order to inspire the need for and connection to the home for all of u,s we need to feel as one united family. The way of the world is that a person doesn't feel the need to make a home for strangers. Only a family seeks a home. In order to find the inspiration to rebuild the Bais Hamikdosh we need to be a family.

The house for all of us needs to be built on the foundation of our being one family that needs one home to gather us all and to serve as the expression of our unity and mutual love. Every act that breaks barriers which divide the Nation has a great effect. As each persons approaches a neighbor or acquaintance who comes from a different world, and develops a relationship with him for the purpose of being good neighbors with a pleasant friendship he is infusing unity within the body of the entire Nation, the whole House of Israel. He is joining together the disparate limbs of the Nation which now may be in proximity to one another, but are not attached in a way that forms one living organism.

It is vital that we work diligently to infuse this elixir of life throughout the entire Nation like the sap of a tree. This is accomplished through the many small acts of each individual, and through the efforts of many dedicated to this ideal. These actions have a great effect in Heaven; they demonstrate that we are one Nation and wish to be together and will result in the quickening of the building of the Bais HaMikdosh as we are united. All we need to do is get things started, Hashem will finish it for us.

Also, every movement has difficulty getting started. After some time many people join in. The same is true for this, while it is rough to begin with, it will get easier. People will become accustomed to this idea, and with the help of Hashem this ideal will be sought after as each person will seek another to graze together in a beautiful field, to know each other, to pay attention to and absorb the words of Hashem, as we converse together, creating joy for our mother and father, The Holy One Blessed be He and the Corporation of Israel, who are waiting to see that their children love and honor each other.