Monday, December 15, 2014

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.

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