The Depth of a Cry

I want to share with you something that will offer a path of understanding of what is happening in our times and is the key to redemption. The Ariza"l teaches that it is only at the End of Times that we will have the ability to create the strongest connection with the highest levels and to awaken the hidden love. The awakening is beginning, the redemption is coming, and our souls are forging this deep relationship which emanates from the hidden-most places, brought about by our inner cries.
In no generation have their been souls that are as distant and thoroughly lost to the extent that exists nowadays. They are chained in the depths of disconnection and disbelief until they have forgotten the most basic concepts of Judaism, frequently intentionally and with great anger. But this terrible apostasy comes from God as there is not one Jewish soul, no matter how forgone that is not inspired to connect to God. Even those who have sunk to the depths of the klipot and who are buried under deep piles of debris, from there their souls cry out, from the depths of the seas arise their cries, the shouts of their hearts and the soul that will never sleep. This awakens the deepest love of God.
It is like an angry child who runs away from his parents and does not communicate with them for years. Suddenly, one day he has a twinge of missing his family. This slight expression awakens the greatest love on the part of his father, much more so than any expression of love by all of his siblings who are found every day around their father's table. It is the distant son, with the slightest movement that is perhaps not even visible, who can awaken the deepest love of the parent.
We see this paradigm in our earlier redemptions. In Egypt the Jewish Nation had sunk to the lowest levels of depravity. It was only then that their cries were heard by God. God then "knew," He felt the deepest possible love and brought forth the majestic miracles of the Exodus from Egypt. In the time of Purim, the people were asleep with regards to their Mitzvah performance. They were distant from God and felt completely abandoned by Him. When they then cried out, the love engendered brought about a great redemption.
The same is true in our times as millions of Jews cry out to God in the depths of their hearts, the cry of children who are far from their father, awakening His love and desire for them.
א"ב רס"א

Torah and Prayer

If a person neglects to immerse himself in the study of Talmud and Halacha, in all its depth and breadth, and delve into the understanding of belief and the deeper understanding of Torah, and instead he focuses on listening to lectures that are meant to inspire, but lack a depth of Torah and do not deepen one's understanding, he is like someone who wishes to create a bonfire out of twigs. The fire will ignite quickly, but just as quickly it will burn itself out.
In the same vein, someone who views Torah as a means to inspire himself to pray better and to live a more inspired life, but does not delve into its study with an appreciation of the value of the Torah and its study, then his prayer will end up lacking consistency, strength and depth which can only arise from chopping the strong trees of delving deeply within Torah, in all its facets, with toil and effort. Otherwise, he is embarking on a path that is weak and contains many pitfalls as he is lacking balance by overdosing on the emotional without having a solid, logical base. It can also lead a person to only following his emotions, and to think that his emotions are defined by Torah.
On the other hand, if a person only studies Torah, but neglects his prayer, it is like building a bonfire out of many logs, but with nothing with which to ignite it. If a person just learns with his intellect, but does not inspire his heart and invest in its purification, he is likely to have a constipated soul that is truly distant from what he is studying. The Torah is lofty and disembodied, and can only be appreciated with inspired feelings that need prayer, Tehillim, songs and desire for a divine relationship. By focusing solely on Torah study and ignoring the service of the heart, his prayer will lack life and substance and he will never understand the depth of the Torah in which the light of God is found.
א"ב רמ"ב

Creativity

If Torah is presented in a stifling manner that minimizes the importance of engaging with this world, and presents a paradigm in which the goal is rejecting any involvement with the material world - to the extent that there is no purpose to work and being creative - then people who are naturally creative will feel suffocated in the world of Torah because their God-given creative talents need to find expression somewhere, yet they are under the impression that the Torah forbids actions and creativity in this world. There is an essential spark of their life that cannot find itself in the framework of Torah which can lead to a number of issues. First of all, these talents will then find expression outside of the framework of Torah. Secondly, that expression will likely manifest itself in a manner that is anti-Torah as they find the Torah to be a threat to their very existence in that it gives their talents no legitimacy. They will rebel against the Torah to give themselves expressive freedom. This all results from their stunted view which assumes that the Torah is opposed to developing creative, this-worldly talents. This comes about due to a mistake in comprehending what the Torah is, in that it is not made clear that the Torah has the ability to shine light in all areas of the world. Not only is it not opposed to one's unique talents, on the contrary, it can grow and develop them and infuse them with deep meaning.
People mistakenly think that the Torah is the enemy of their talents and denies their value and the joy that creativity brings to them. The see the Torah as darkness, that it stifles one's thinking and creativity. So they rebel against the Torah and choose another path all because of an error of seeing the Torah as stifling. They assume the Torah sees no value in work, music, social life, beauty, free thought and wishes to erase all of them. Consequently, those who love beauty, people with musical talent, deep thinkers have the impression that the Torah is attacking the essence of their humanity by telling them that they may not think, they may not question. So they rebel.
This is all a terrible mistake that results from the way that Torah is presented to people. The truth is just the opposite. Hashem is the source of all, He created all of these talents. These are amazing talents which Hashem gave to people so they should be utilized to create beautiful things by improving the world in all its facets - the physical world, social networking, spirituality - and infuse them with a beautiful and holy light. The Torah is the soul of the world, and all the talents in the world are the body to the soul of the Torah. When they are developed in a manner that is true to their source, to holiness, they reveal the great light of God.
א"ב קפ"ז

Tochecha - The Mistake

When someone thinks that the purpose of Tochecha is to point out to someone all of his wrongdoings, he is making a huge mistake. This behavior is damaging and is the opposite of Tochecha. Don't allow yourself to be sucked in by someone's public denials to think that he is unaware of what he is doing; he knows exactly where he is falling short. When you insist on pointing out all of his mstakes all you are doing is pouring salt on pre-existing wounds. Even if you have the best intentions, that the person should improve his behavior, your actions are wrong and damaging.
What is needed is to emphasize how good the person is, strengthen his self-image, only then will he find the inner will to pull himself out of the mud. This is not accomplished with words, too many words show that you don't really believe what you are saying.
A person would not go over to a donkey and begin to rebuke it because it isn't allowing another donkey to eat the grass. A donkey is a donkey and there is no hope that it will learn to behave in a more considerate manner towards others. Tochecha comes from the fact that you believe and know that the person has the ability to be different, it comes from your belief in his greatness not your awareness of his deficiencies. It is grasping the good of the person that has not yet been actualized, and is an attempt to open the person to a vision of what he can aspire to. The greatest gift that one can offer is letting another person know how much you believe in them to the extent that you understand that any wrongdoing on his part is not truly who he is. You don't identify the other person with his mistakes.
When a person  identifies himself by his mistakes he begins to give up on ever being good. The primary goal of one's Yetzer Hora is to have the person develop a negative self-image. Once that is accomplished the person stops fighting. When you comes to give Tochecha you aren't meant to be fighting the other person, you are fighting any areas in which he has given up on himself. You have to let him know that the evil does not define him and that you believe in his innate goodness.
דברים תתי"ג

Tochecha - Face to Face with the Truth

There is a common misconception that assumes that most people think that they are good and are in denial of their shortcomings. The truth is the opposite. That which is wrong is very evident both to the person as well as to others. Every person knows the deficiencies of his heart and they cause him great pain. Guilt is rampant within Judaism, more often than not to a much greater degree than is reasonable. It is a destructive emotion which affects a person's self-image, his joi de vivre, his sense of success, and his knowledge of his innate abilities and goodness.
The good parts of a person are generally well hidden. A person may not have awareness and recognition of them and he is unsure if he is good. People who try to tell you how good they are are usually people who need to hear their own self-assurances as a means of trying to get themselves to believe in their own innate goodness. Only people who are truly convinced of their own goodness have the ability to be honest of the places where they are lacking. It is their own sense of security which empowers them not to fear their challenges which they know are only superficial. But when you see a person denying a fault, the denial does not emanate from wickedness, on the contrary, it comes from a deep desire to be good that leaves him frightened of his faults. He is afraid that if he would admit his faults they would define who he is, and he refuses to accept that.
To offer someone Tochecha one must be mature, introspective, and able to see the good in others. He must see the others' good so completely that he is not at all influenced by their shortcomings. He realizes that they are merely superficial and temporary. This is the deep love that is required. Not merely to care about the other, but to see him from a perspective of Chesed that only focuses on the good. Recognizing the good he has a desire to remove the bad from the other, as he knows that it is truly foreign to him and not fit for the person he is.
The primary aim of Tochecha is not to point out where the person is doing wrong, just the opposite, it is pointing out the good in him and emphasizing it. The person receiving the Tochecha must be made aware of the fact that he is good through and through.
This is different than merely praising a person. Praise is generally focused on superficial acts of another person. It celebrates how the inner good of the person manifested itself externally. It is limited in that it does not truly address the entire person, and in that you don't want the recipient of the praise to be filled with hubris when hearing how wonderful he is. Tochecha delves deeply into the potential of the person which is much greater than any good that he has already demonstrated.
דברים תתי"א

Tochecha - Born of Love

טובה תוכחה מגולה מאהבה מסותרת
The deep love which much underlie any Tochecha (rebuke) is not meant to just be hidden in the heart but must be externally visible and define the Tochecha. One might think that Tochecha which is focused on the negative is the opposite of love which only sees good. This Pasuk is telling us the opposite that the point of Tochecha is to find the good in a person, not the bad.
Prior to beginning to offer someone Tochecha one must ensure that he is infused and inspired by love. "What do I really think of this person when I am alone? Do I value him and his capabilities? " These are very critical pre-Tochecha inner discussions. It is vital that a parent prior to offering Tochecha to a child see both the potential of the child as well as the good that is present right now. The parent must see beyond what his child is at the moment and see the purity of his heart, what a beautiful human being he is and the light that will eventually shine from him. If a person cannot see the good within someone else, be it a child or a friend, he has no business starting to offer Tochecha.
Evil, which by its very nature focuses on the superficial, manifests itself in ways that are easy to see. It is easy to recognize and discern evil. The evil within any person is noticed by himself just as easily as others can see it. One must begin with the assumption that most people know their own weaknesses and challenges and they are very pained by them. In contrary to the common misconception that the purpose of Tochecha is to point out to someone shortcomings of which he is unaware, in the vast majority of cases this is completely unnecessary. Not only is the other person aware of his shortcomings, but he is full of despair and pain over their existence.
Furthermore, even is a person denies his shortcomings and responds vigorously with denials to those who point them out, this is only external. Internally he is very aware of his own issues and the pain is so bad that he wants to hide from it. His denials emanate from a desire to avoid this depressing topic. He is so ashamed of the fact that others have become aware of his deficiencies and his self-esteem is taking a huge hit. He is in denial in order to protect his self-respect.
When a person engages in criticism, not only is he mistaken in the assumption that the other person needs to be made aware of his wrongdoing, but he may be causing even more damage. The point of criticism is not to point out weaknesses, it is something much deeper.
דברים תת"ט

Tochecha- The Challenge

My next few posts are based on an essay by HaChalban on Parshas Ha'Azinu about Tochecha, usually translated as "rebuke." However, based on how the Chalban explains the concept I am choosing to eschew the English translation so that we don't lose focus of the full richness of his explanation. CL

Tochecha is rooted in love. It is important to understand this in order to comprehend both the purpose and methodology of successful Tochecha. Superficially Tochecha would appear to be rooted in Din (judgement) and to be focused on the areas in which a person is weak and deficient. However, we see from many Pesukim that this is not the case. כי את אשר יאהב ה' יוכיח, He who God loves he gives Tochecha, is but one such example.

Indeed the fact that Tochecha is aimed at getting someone to change is an expression of Din which is focused on building a person and improving him. Chesed is an act of bestowing and is primarily centered on the one who is giving, in contrast to Din which is focused on the recipient, his needs and his abilities. Any act which is centered on the improvement of the recipient is, by definition, rooted in Din. However, this aspect of Din as it relates to Tochecha is focused only on its superficial manifestation, but, at its root, that which motivates the one giving the Tochecha is a deep love which is expressed in his or her caring for another and a desire to see them at their best.

Tochecha  is Chesed cloaked in Din; Chesed  is the light, Din is the vessel. This is what makes Tochecha so difficult as it requires two opposite traits and it is difficult to balance them in one act. On the one hand the person's heart much be full of love, while at the same time his mouth is focused on critique. By nature, Chesed would say to overlook and forgive, whereas Din demands anger which can overcome the heart and will often drive out any sense of love. Others are so rooted in Chesed that they overlook everything and do not offer Tochecha at all. This is also untenable as there are times when a person is obligated to offer Tochecha for example a parent to a child or a teacher to a student.

The challenge lies in finding the balance between these two traits and uniting them so that love fills the entire person and he only sees good, love and blessing, and then cloak that in Din so that he can offer an effective critique which will inspire an other to improve.

As we continue we will first examine each aspect separately, the Chesed and then the Din.
דברים תת"ז

The True Chossid

אין חסיד אלא המתחסד עם קונו
The Tikkunei Zohar teaches us that the true Chossid is one who is kind to his Creator. Why is this?
One who loves one of God's creations, even if he is full of love towards it, his love is limited as it is is directed to only one part of Creation. To the rest of Creation he has no feelings of love. He is therefore not connected to the light of Chessed (kindness) which permeates all of Creation. One who is connected to the light of Chessed itself feels a love that is deeply essential and is not limited to a particular recipient of that love. One who feels love only towards those he loves, and towards others he feels no love is lacking the essential Chassidus, it is merely something that he experiences now and then towards his children or some other target of his affection.
True Chassidus is intimately connected with the Godly Chessed which permeates all of Creation with no limits. The goodness of Hashem and His mercy extends to all of his creatures. The same is true for all those who have truly connected to Chassidus. Love of Hashem is the root of the love for all.
ה"ו שנ"ו

Extra Credit

Acts of Chassidus (in context Chassidus refers to behaviors that are beyond what one is obligated to do by the Torah and the person is taking them on) depend on the roots of one's own Neshama. Each person is rooted in different aspects of spirituality which are the areas in which he or she is meant to operate. This is why we find that different righteous people emphasized distinctly different areas of Chassidus. Each one sought to add behaviors that were commensurate with his own spiritual inclinations. One whose soul is rooted in Chesed is meant to seek out unique opportunities to perform Chesed. One whose soul is rooted in Malchus should be especially scrupulous in his performance of Mitzvos. In order for Chassidus to be real, a person needs to understand his own spiritual roots so that he does not undertake behaviors of others that are not appropriate for his own spiritual makeup, and will only serve to damage those areas in which he is more connected.
ה"ו שנ"ג

Being Present

The present is what is most important. It is for this reason that the primary name of Hashem is י--ה---ו--ה a name which indicates that He is always in the present.
What does it mean to be in the present? It means to succeed in focusing on the present to the extent that one has no thoughts on anything other than what he is involved with at this moment. The reason we spend so much time thinking about the future and the past is because we are not fully invested in the present. Since we aren't completely immersed in what is occurring now, our energy becomes scattered and we jump to day dreams of the future or reminiscences of the past.
The fact that we are experiencing time, the past and the future, shows how weak is our grasp on the present. If we felt the richness of the present, there would be no room to be feeling anything else. Olam HaBa, the World to Come should not be understood as day after day with no end for all eternity. That isn't eternity, it is past, present and future with no end in sight. Eternity is above any concept of time. It is a state of always being in the present until there is no feeling of any other time, past or future.
We don't mean to say that the past is unimportant. We need to learn from the past, to know where we are coming from and where we are heading. The future is important as we need to use the present to set ourselves on a productive path for the future. But both past and future are tools to direct the present, anything else is memory and fantasy. They are important, but only as a means to the primary, and one cannot allow them to define the present. They need to be used where they are helpful, and pushed away when they limit us.
ח"ת פ"א

Inside... Outside

Within a person's being there is an inherent contradiction. On the one hand we find ourselves surrounded by many boundaries, on the other hand, internally, we desire to reconnect to the infinite, to break out of all boundaries and to enjoy the infinite benefits. It is this struggle and the eventual victory of the soul, the infinite that is with us, that is the reason for Creation. This can only be accomplished in a limited world, and not in an infinite dimension. Only the finite which seems to be so constricting, can bring forth the infinite in such a wondrous manner.
We find our limitations to be very difficult. Some people allow  the limitations to lead them to giving up, bitterness, frustration and feeling down. They are focused on what isn't, on the boundaries and on the pain. There is a broader way to view the difficulties and that is by realizing that they are an integral part of what creates life, movement and progress. The world would never progress if there was no pain, without difficulty and without there being limitations. The deficiencies found within the world are what push people to find their inner strength to overcome the obstacles. We can see the contradiction between the internal and the superficial, between the infinite and the finite, as something frustrating that we cannot escape. But we can also see it as an opportunity to grow, to gain, to find new streams of life to be victorious, and give birth to something new. To not allow external forces to overcome us, to darken our spirits and take away our joi de vivre.
Sometimes our life's circumstances change. Suddenly we discover that things that we were able to do previously we can no longer do. This can also lead to frustration. But at its root is a great opportunity to dig deep into one's essence and draw forth new abilities that can overcome the challenges. Deep down the soul is free and not limited by external factors. From the freedom of the soul one can find the strength to free himself from a no-longer-existent past. Rather than longing for a time that was and is no longer, he can become free and look at the present, find the light within, and choose it. While this is difficult, the more we believe in our internal freedom, the more it becomes possible.
The two primary limitations are time and space. Removing oneself from the limitations of time includes becoming free of the past, including those good things that were in the past and are no longer. Good things can become obstacles. They were fun when you had them and frustrations when they are gone. We have the ability to enjoy them, and not allow them to interfere with out freedom. We can forget them and progress further.
ח"ת ע"ט

Tekia, Teruah - Part II

All difficulties and deficiencies within Creation emanate from boundaries and tzimtzum (constriction). The simple light of God is complete and lacking nothing, but the appearance of creations that are separate created room for blemishes. When a creation is bounded, and then strays out of bounds, it is problematic. Evil is defined as stepping out of bounds, which creates difficulties for the one who has stepped out, and all those around him. If a person plays just one note on an instrument it is never wrong. A note can only be wrong when it is in the middle of a song and the wrong note is played. Because the note is not harmonious with the surrounding notes, the entire composition is ruined. The same is true of our actions. There is no such thing as a wrong action in a vacuum, it is always the context which defines our acts. It is the fact that there are multitudes within creation that creates room for deficiencies. These multitudes are symbolized by the Teruah, the Schechinah.

The Tikkun is achieved by returning to the source of Oneness prior to the existence of distinctions and multiplicity. We begin with a Tekiah, move to multiplicity with the Teruah, and then return once again to Unity with yet another Tekiah, the return to the source. Rosh Hashana is called יום תרועה, a day of Teruah because our focus today is on taking the Teruah and returning it to its source. This is why the Seforim explain that Rosh Hashana is the day of fixing the Schechina by returning it to its upper place in the light of Hashem which is unblemished. By doing so the Schechina rises above any damage caused by sins and other deficiencies of Creation, and it returns home undamaged and perfect. The Teruah is equal to the Tekia with no difference at all. This is why Halacha states that they must be of equal length to show the Schechina returning to its source unblemished. 

The relationship between the Teruah and Tekia is akin to the relationship between the infinite and the finite, between unbounded light, and Creation with boundaries. But the fundamental sound is identical, only the breaks are new, not the sound. This teaches us that within the finite, in a world of boundaries, is found the infinite light. It is the simple sound, from which the Teruah and the entire panoply of sounds, is heard as an echo of the infinite light.

ח"ת ע"ה

Tekia, Teruah - Part I

The Shofar sounds - Tekiah and Teruah - are meant to last in total the same length of time.
The Tekiah, a simple, single sound, represents the world prior to Creation, a state of simple unity. The Teruah, formed of a series of small sounds, represents the world the was created, the transition from unity to multiplicity. Where there had been infinite, there now appeared numerous finite creations, each one different than the other. This process, called tzimtzum, was designed to define the unique parameters of each creature. This was not a creation from absolute nothingness, as before creation there had been an undifferentiated light. Rather, it was a change in nature of reality from one unified light lacking in distinction and multiplicity, to one in which there were many distinct creatures.
This can be compared to a flute into which one blows, generating one simple sound. By opening holes, or placing obstacles on them, the one sound is changed into a symphony of distinct sounds, all emanating from the simple primordial sound. The sound that would come from just blowing is analogous to the light that existed before Creation, tzimtzum is like pressing on the holes of the flute creating a melodious tune made of numerous sounds.
In this vein we can understand that the Tekiah represents the sound that is not blocked in any way, like the unified light that was before existence. The Teruah represents the changing of the simple sound to create the many faceted existence. What is new about the Teruah is not the sound, but the interruptions to the sound. It is the same sound, but it is blocked now and then resulting in many sounds. The Teruah is a multi-faceted Tekiah.
This is the meaning of the verse עלה אלוקים בתרועה ה' בקול שופר. The Tetragrammaton which represents the unlimited force of God, is the simple sound of the Shofar, the Teruah is represented by the name Elokim, the name of limitation.
חגי תשרי ע"ג

Brotherhood

During the Month of Av we renew our feeling of being the children of Hashem. This should bring about another very precious feeling within a person, that of the feeling of brotherhood with each member of Klal Yisroel. If a person truly feels like a child of his Father in Heaven, it follows that he feels that every Jew is his brother. Anyone who is lacking a feeling of brotherhood with all Jews is testifying to his not truly feeling like a child of Hashem.
This is a very fundamental principle. One who serves Hashem as a servant alone does not feel a relationship to the entire body of Klal Yisroel. One slave does not feel a kinship with another, his only goal is to find favor in the eyes of the master so that he will give him his basic needs and not punish him for his wrongdoings. But someone who feels that he is a child is serving out of love feels a deep connection with every member of Klal Yisroel as they are all his brothers.
One whose heart is distant from love of Jews is making it clear that he is not serving Hashem as a son. That much is obvious.
ה"ו ת"ח

Joy

How can a person be happy if he is lacking many things and is faced with many problems and challenges? From where can he draw the light of joy and its power when he is stumbling under a heavy load? Our Sages teach us that a prisoner cannot free himself from jail. How can someone from within his prison of struggles free himself on his own?
The answer is to have the awareness that all of the issues are in the externals of life: belongings, physical issues, even spiritual ones, but none of them touch a person's inner soul. Just as we know that sins only affect a person superficially, the same is true with other of life's troubles, they are superficial. But internally the flow of life through a person is complete and filled with light. The Soul is never depressed or oppressed, but it shines with a lofty sense of completeness.
If a person can learn to jump from the external to the internal, from an external existence full of challenges and pain, to an internal existence full of completeness and joy, he will then receive an outpouring of light which will enable him to find the ability to heal his wounded external.
The bottom line is that the external is,indeed, very deficient, but the internal is perfect. One who knows how to connect himself to the internal will find powerful joy, and imbue his external with fresh life that has the power to fight against challenges, depression and oppression, and to shine with a complete light.
דברים תש"ח

Individuality vs. Subordination - II

The function of educators is חנוך לנער על פי דרכו, to lead each student along a path that will reveal his unique soul. With an intimate knowledge of his own identity the student will be able to joyfully go in the path of Hashem, be G-d fearing and trust in the Sages. He will subordinate himself to those more knowledgeable, especially his teachers, but not to the point where he will be mindless, thoughtless and give up his own will. This is the idea of חכם ומבין מדעתו, someone who receives wisdom from his teachers, but then applies his own understanding to develop it further.
This is similar to the distinction between the relationship of a king with a servant and a father with his son. A servant will never be the king, there is no need for him to learn discernment and the ability to choose; he only needs to listen. But when someone teaches his own son, or his students, he wants to empower them to be no less than he is. The teacher must pay attention to the heart of the student to see if he is understanding and developing, not just to see if he is listening.
In no way does this contradict the need for the student to be subordinate to the teacher. It is impossible to receive Torah without true subordination. But subordination is not the opposite of self- esteem and introspection. It is Hashem's will that a person understand, think, discern and not erase the precious God given abilities that he was has. He needs to come to his teacher and ask. Needless to say he must do so with humility, and without any hubris whatsoever. If he doesn't understand he should assume there is something he is missing and not that his teacher is mistaken, but he should press on asking until he understands. Anyone who has studied is aware that the Babylonian Talmud is replete with students questioning their teachers. The idea that it is necessary to throw away ones intellect and free-will and not think at all, is not the path of Hashem. Hashem gave each person valuable abilities to develop them into beacons of light with which to serve Him no less than with a person's physical gifts.
דברים תשנ"ה

Individuality vs. Subordination - I

Each person needs to search deep within his heart to find the unique light within himself, reveal it and shine it onto the world. A person should not demean himself by saying that he has nothing and is unimportant; the holy soul within him is very precious and has the ability to cast a light upon the world that shines brighter than gold and for which there is no substitute. In order for a person to recognize his own unique light, he needs to listen to the depths of his heart. His Neshama rests in his heart and from there speaks to the person. Hashem gave every person free will so that he should listen to his heart and his will and thereby reveal the special light within. Hashem did not want a person to erase himself and his personality, lose his free will and only follow orders with no thinking, feeling, or self will.
We should point out something with regards to the relationship between free will and subordination to Torah scholars. Even though a person should greatly subordinate himself before Torah scholars, make a rabbi for himself to follow his guidance, that doesn't mean that a person should lose his will, free choice and thoughts, to erase his personality as having no desire, and follow thoughtlessly whatever he is taught. This is not the way things should be and is not the will of Hashem. The precious notion of subordinating to Torah scholars is not mean to negate a person's free will and self-esteem. A person knows how to question, discern and learn, and he can't learn if he is afraid to ask. Our Sages teach us that a student must ask his teacher whatever he does not understand, and not to be satisfied with the idea that if the teachers says so, it must be so. He is not arguing with his teacher but making every effort to understand.
דברים תשנ"ד

Small Experiences

Some people are reluctant to reach out to others because they say that there is no benefit to only having a few minutes in which to dialogue with someone about Judaism. What value is a few minutes when there are so many influences in the other direction? Anyway, the conversations don't seem to have any effect.
The fact is that even if a person finds only a tiny bit of inspiration, it has a great effect on their soul. Such things can't be judged with the naked eye. Experience shows that even a short conversation can lead to a close relationship and to a person renewing his relationship with Judaism. It's like a small hole in the dike, as the water flows, the hole grows larger.
Also, when it comes to tasting Torah, quality counts for more than quantity.  Just the exposure to Torah ideas, which sates the soul with a holy drink, without the person himself even being aware, will cause an impression that the soul won't forget.
ה"ו שכ"ב

Happiness

Most people think that happiness results from being in a good situation. Happiness comes from the pleasure and sense of fulfillment when all is good and one feels successful. It is the result of a sense of completeness, that when all is complete joy results. The flip side is that people think that if things are not perfect there is no room for happiness. "How can I be happy if I am lacking this or that or if I am having some difficulties?" All of the problems and difficulties that people face come and throw dirt on their souls and blocks the light of happiness. But, if you think about it, who doesn't have challenges? You cannot find a single person who doesn't have suffering, painful situations, and challenges. Perfection is very distant for most people. This is world of toil, not a world of perfection. Any person in this world has certainly not achieved perfection, otherwise, what is he doing in this world, he belongs in the World of Souls. Perfection is only in the World to Come, this world is the place to fix the broken existence that is corrupted with the sins of the Ancients and the sins of those alive today. The bottom line is that if people believe that happiness comes from perfection, then happiness is impossible. Even if a person might occasionally feel a sense of accomplishment, and be happy about it, that is only for a fleeting moment, because the next challenge is lurking around the corner. Challenges are the rectification of the world and come to a person so that he should rectify the world and raise it up. The fact is that this is a mistaken assumption. Happiness is not a result of perfection, rather, it is the power that drives us to perfection and actualizes it. We are not disputing that people feel happy when they are successful, our point is that this is a very truncated view of happiness. Happiness is not a result, it is a power that pushes and leads to rectification. When there are difficulties and challenges, it is the feeling of happiness that will infuse a person with the inner power to complete all the deficiencies and to fix all the problems. Without happiness a person will be weak, pushed down by life, depressed and crushed from the problems that surround him. Happiness is the light of the soul, the outpouring from above that offers a person the strength to overcome all difficulties. A person needs to tell himself, "I will not await until everything is perfect until I am happy and in the meantime all my challenges to depress me, and my deficiencies to oppress me. No! I will be filled with joy, with boldness and efforts." That will chase away all the challenges and minimizes the difficulties, and give the person the power to fix them. כי בשמחה תצאו, it is only with joy that we can leave exile; the communal as well as personal exiles.

Serve Hashem with Joy, not Fear

In our generation, the generation of Geula, serving Hashem has to be from happiness and awe of the greatness of Hashem, and not from fear of punishment. All the Neshamos of this generation are inspired to serve Hashem from love and a connection to the divine, and inwardly truly desire to follow Him. This needs to be nurtured with love and a recognition of Hashem's greatness and not from fear of retribution which emanates from a distrust of human nature, and assumes that a person's inner desire is to act against the will of God, hence the need to frighten him. That's not true; the inner-most desire of those of this generation is to discern the will of Hashem and raise the Schechina. Even if they may be mistaken in the path they take, this is not because they have a bad nature, but because their understanding is confused and inside they are pure and seeking Hashem. Therefore, it is necessary to educate the members of the generation of redemption with light, encouragement, love and joy in the greatness of Hashem, and not with pressure, fear and the bitterness of fear of retribution which hammer a person's soul and weaken it. They give people the impression that inwardly they are evil, and they need to have the filth beaten out of them.
Not only does fear of retribution not succeed, but it causes some to rebel and reject fear of God and the Mitzvos. The person's soul which thirsts for light will fight against the threats and reject everything. Even though rejection will not result in anything good, and it is a mistake to reject, but it results from the threats and frightening demands which are battering an inside that is truly good and not evil.
דברים תרח"צ

A True Tzaddik...

A true Tzaddik, as well as anyone who is not infused with selfishness, feels and cares about the lives of others, his neighbors and acquaintances, his community and nation, mankind in general - Jews and Gentiles - wild animals and farm animals, and everything in Creation. In his heart he desires good for every one of them, for the desire of the Tzaddikim is only good, and he prays for good for all, and he has mercy like the mercy of Hashem for every one of His creations with no exceptions. In his heart he feels everyone's pain, prays for all of them and wants the complete redemption which will bring about the rectification of everything - the Jewish nation who He loves and is close to, all of the Gentiles and their governments, and all creatures. This Tzaddik, the man of pure heart within which the Schechina rests cannot feel completely happy only on the basis of what is occurring in his own life, not even from his own spiritual accomplishments, for these joys pale in comparison with the joy of the redemption of the Schechina and the complete rectification of Israel and the entire world.
דברים תרפ"ג

Spiritual Entropy

In our Thursday night discussions of the writings of the Chalban, we just concluded the section on Parshas Noach. The essence of his theme has been that the sin of the דור המבול, the Generation of the Flood, as well as the דור הפלגה, the Generation of Dispersion at the time of the Tower of Babel, was rooted in the fact that they desired to live a life that was completely without boundaries. Even though the creation of the Universe was predicated upon the creation of boundaries and separation (דין), they wanted to enjoy the unbounded and unconstricted bounty of God (חסד) and they rejected the concept of any boundaries at all. This is why at the time of Noach they engaged in theft and adultery and why at the time of the Tower they were completely united, each represents a rejection of boundaries.
HaChalban explains that this unboundedness, the drive for תהו, is actually an attempt to return to a pre-creation world in which boundaries did not exist, there was just one homogeneous God. While rooted, therefore, in something of value, it still mitigated against the foundation of Creation and was not tenable. I would add that entropy, one of the most basic forces of nature, is the drive drive for תהו, and rooted in the fabric of physical existence inexorably trying to return to its pre-Creation state.
He continues to explain that before the time of Avraham there was no concept of 613 Mitzvos, rather one could connect to God through every facet of his life. When God created more boundaries with the creation of 70 nations, he also created the boundaries and delineations which are the 613 Mitzvos and from then on it was only within the framework of those 613 boundaries that man could connect to God. For this reason we don't find any discussion of the 613 before Avraham.
Finally, he says that the entire concept of boundaries and constrictions was much weaker throughout existence prior to the time of Avraham. At this time God chose to make these lines drawn much more firmly than they had previously been drawn.
With this last line it became clear to me that the reason the people in those earlier eras, in the 2,000 years of תהו, had spent so much time pushing the envelope and trying to dispense with all lines, is because the lines themselves were not so firmly drawn as they are today. It was almost as if they were being invited to challenge them, weak as they were.
I also understood now why the Mitzvah of Bris Milah did not exist until the time of Avrohom. There is no Mitzvah that illustrates the idea of constriction and limitation as much as the Mitzvah of Milah. Prior to Avrohom, with the whole idea of constriction being weak, there was no place for a Mitzvah such as Milah. Only with the advent of the new and improved constriction was there a place for this Mitzvah.

Fear

The biggest obstacle to increasing the level of holiness in the world is fear. Not any external enemies, not the pursuit of physical pleasure and not any intellectual challenges. Within the world of holiness, in the souls of those who are God fearing, there is power-sapping trepidation which prevents Kedusha from being present in the world. There are very powerful desires hidden in the souls of all those who want to do the will of God, but worries and fear, a feeling of powerlessness, lack of self-confidence, and trust in God, prevent these holy forces from doing their job.
More so than the need to do Teshuva for any sins, it is necessary for people to do Teshuva for their laxity when it comes to holy things. The laxity and weakness is the source of all sins and stumblings.
As we are living in a time of Geula, we need to gird our loins, to be strong, powerful hearts and bold, to get up and act for the sake of Schechina, for the sake of Klal Yisroel, and to incease the light of Kedusha. This is a more difficult challenge than that which faces a soldier in battle. A soldier is fighting enemies and can easily inspire himself to fight and destroy them. He is in battle and his challenge is to find strength. When it comes to the Teshuva movement the foundation is love, a smiling face, drawing close and sweetness. It is the movement of great kindness and unity. It is predicated on kindness, not judgment and deals with those who are your brothers. It is more difficult to find the inner strength for this endeavor and the internal resistance is stronger than that facing a soldier in battle.
ה"ו ש"ט

Wicked-I

The Wise Son finds it natural to toil in Torah study and to find God through his intellectual efforts. The Simple Son (תם) has the trait of תמימיות, by which he recognizes that God directs everything, and is the foundation of all existence. God operates through nature and all that happens to him comes from God. He walks after God with perfect and relaxed faith. He asks simple, "What's this?" The word זאת, this, indicates something that is clearly present and can be pointed at. It is the presence of God that he sees clearly throughout existence.

But what of the Wicked Son and the One Who Knows Not How to Ask? They share something in common. Neither one can relate to the way things appear superficially. The Wicked Son sees the Torah and it doesn't sit well with him because he has questions and opposition in his soul. The One Who Knows Not How to Ask looks at the world and finds it so perplexing that he has no idea even where to start asking questions. In order to ask, there has to be some minimal amount of understanding through which he can translate what he comprehends into a question and advance in his understanding. But for someone to whom everything is a riddle, he grasps nothing, there is no place for questioning. The inability to assimilate that which is in front of a person, whether on the part of the oppositional Wicked Son or of the One Who Knows Not How to Ask, even though there is something lacking in consequence, there is also the spark of something hidden, which shows a connection to a deeper realm. The inability to reconcile with and understand what is seemingly obvious is rooted in a desire for something greater and more clear. This is why there is opposition which manifests itself either as wickedness or an utter lack of understanding to the point of being unable to even formulate a question.

The Wicked Son is rooted in the concept of Tohu, the destruction of the world order. Tohu desires to destroy what is present because it seeks a greater light. Questioning always strengthens that which was questioned, and forces it to find something deeper within. Yes, the Wicked Son is opposed to the Torah, but that opposition will cause a deepening of the Torah to reveal greater light until his opposition is complete gone. The Wicked Son truly desires the Torah, but in its present form it is being presented to him in a manner that is incomplete. His heart is troubled by what he is shown and he is full of questions and rejection. He may even think that he is opposed to the Torah, but deep down it is not the Torah to which he is opposed, he just wants a broader and deeper Torah. He is rejecting explanations that come from a Torah which is neither broad nor deep.

Notice that despite his wickedness the Torah refers to him as a son. His behavior may be corrupt, we may need to knock out a few of his teeth, but we must still relate to him as a member of the family.

In his dissatisfaction with what seems to be obvious to others he forces his parents and teachers to deepen and broaden their own understanding in order to reach their distant brother.

Four Sons - Many Approaches to Relating to God - Part II

Every parent and educator has an obligation to broaden his or her perspective on the greatness of Hashem. They will then appreciate that God reveals Himself even in mundane matters, which is the way to God for people who are in the workforce. God is revealed in the soul, which is the spiritual path of artists. God is revealed through intellectual pursuit and logic, which is the path of those who are engaged in Torah study. The primary failure of education is educating a child along a path that is not appropriate for his or her soul. One who understands Hashem and recognizes the myriad ways in which He reveals Himself, can then mentor many people and direct them along the path that is appropriate for their unique spiritual roots.

One of the most basic rules of Chinuch (education) is that prior to examining the souls of one's own children a person needs to know that many facets of God and the many approaches to Torah, and the various forms of serving God. This will prevent the parent from becoming stuck in the notion that his path is the sole path to Hashem and thereby attempt to force the child along a path that is perhaps not at all the path for his soul. A parent doesn't give his child a soul, only the outer garments that clothe the soul. The child's path, however, is rooted in his own soul. It is therefore entirely possible for a parent to have a child whose spiritual path is completely unlike that of the parent. We see this all the time.

Even if a parent is open to the possibility of his child having an alternative path to God, if the parent does not value the path of the child, he will not be able to educate him properly. If the father thinks there is one proper path to serving God - perhaps he feels that it is through intensive Talmudic study - even if he senses that this is not the path for his child who would rather be engaged in stories or songs, if he doesn't force his child down the Talmudic path, but still feels his child's path is mistaken, there will be consequences in the child's overall foundation. Nothing fills a child with life more than the feeling that his parents are proud of him. If the father is still dreaming that his son would be someone else, all the candies and nice words won't help. If the heart isn't in it then the child won't get the nutrition he needs for proper growth.

But the parent can't lie to himself. If he really believes there is only one path to God then in his heart, his child is a failure. And his child will sense this. The parent needs to appreciate the multiplicity of approaches and value their manifestation of God's will, and happily encourage his child from the depths of his heart to go according to his nature and sanctify the name of God in the way that meets his own soul. 

Four Sons - Many Approaches to Relating to God - Part I

God reveals Himself in many ways in the world. This is the root cause for their being so many different types of people. The distinctions between people and the way in which their souls operate are rooted in the spiritual light at the core of their existence. Each person is rooted in a distinct light of God's manifestation which establishes his nature, what attracts him, and his approach to life. Some souls are more connected to chesed, others to gevurah, some to tifereth, and yet others to malchuth.

This is the basis for a proper understanding of educating children, "Educate a child according to his path," the personal spiritual path of the individual child. In order to be ready to properly educate children according to their unique paths a person must first educate himself in the panoply of ways in which God is manifested in the world. Each person is a revelation of God's holiness through his own soul, in his unique expression of holiness which is his task in this world. To understand the uniqueness of each individual it is necessary to first understand the many facets of God's light in order to connect the soul of the child with the particular light which is appropriate for him.

If a person is only familiar with one manifestation of the Divine light he will attempt to educate all his students and children along that path. Since he is unaware of other paths, he assumes that this is the one truth. These efforts will fail for those whose souls are destined for another path. They will be resistant to his efforts, and, as they are not offered an alternative that suits them, will feel opposition in general to God and are likely to reject everything. Almost all rebellion against spirituality results from the lack of awareness that there are other approaches, based in the broad selection of ways in which God is manifest in the world, which could direct these individuals down the path that fits their own personality and desire. The lack of involvement in Kabbalistic study, leads to a lack of understanding of the multiplicity of approaches, and leaves people stuck in one way of serving God. The result is rejection in the hearts of those for whom the most popular path is not the right path.

We are not referring to the realm of Halacha which is established and incumbent on every Jew, and is not dependent on ones personal inclinations. However, the main difficulties in education are not in the area of Halacha, but due to the soul. When a person finds his place within Jewish spirituality, the toil in Halacha will also be sweet to him. He will desire the Mitzvoth of Hashem, even those which are naturally difficult.
הגדה

השתא עבדי - Now We are Slaves

In the introductory words to the Hagaddah we mention that we are currently slaves. Is that really true? We are no longer subject to the legendary tyrannical poritz of the shtetel. There is a Jewish government in Israel. Why are we calling ourselves slaves?

The answer is that slavery as well as freedom comes in many forms. In recent generations we have, thank God, left the difficult places of exile, and are no longer subject to the pogroms that we endured for 2,000 years. But we are not yet in a state of rest and peace. Slavery is not just to external masters; it can also be internal. Being subject to the dictates of others, involvement in activities or attitudes that minimize one's spirit and self-esteem. Jealousy and fighting are rulers over a person.

The complete redemption for which we hope incorporates a world of love and pleasantness, of brotherhood and trust. No locks or chains. All people will treat each other as family. The forces of destruction, petty pursuits, theft and embezzlement, and miserliness will melt in the face of an abundance of love and understanding. It will be a world filled with smiles, filled with song, and feelings of generosity. As long as their are still high walls between families and people's hearts, if there is distance and coldness between people, then we are still slaves with heavy chains on our souls which are filled with love, shining faces and integrity.

Yes, we are still slaves. But this is not a thought that should fill us with despair, but one which points to the deficiencies of the present with an eye to the belief that change is coming. If we withstood Paroh, we can withstand this The experience of leaving Egypt fills us with hope, and even an expectation, that we will overcome the present challenges as well and build a world in which is filled with peace and song.
הגדה

Of Prayers and Wicks

תפלה (prayer) is the essence of ones thirst for God. It is rooted in the word פתיל (wick), which is formed by twisting two thin threads until they become one. So, too, prayer is a person's wrapping himself around the light of God to unite with Him. Creating a wick is creating a tie, as the Ramba"m writes that if one twists two threads to form a wick on Shabbos, he is considered to have transgressed the prohibition of tying. Through prayer we tie ourselves and literally unite with Him.

The ultimate purpose of prayer is complete unity; we unite with God to become one. Prayer is a movement towards unity. The highest points of prayer, reciting the ד of the word אחד in recital of the Shema, or the mentioning of the word באהבה in the first blessing of the Shemoneh Esray, are each moments of complete unity with God to truly become one.

We conclude our prayers with והיה ה' למלך על כל הארץ ביום ההוא יהיה ה' אחד ושמו אחד, and God will be the King over the entire Earth, on the day God will be One and His name will be One, as it is an expression of the Unity which is the goal of prayer. Israel is part and parcel of God and our souls are connected to him. This is not just truly of Jews, but the entirety of Creation contains within it sparks of holiness which are naturally connected to God. The entirety of Creation proclaims the honor of God which fills and is found within everything.

Understanding Orders vs. Following Orders

Without the perspective of Kabbalistic thought a person will not comprehend the connection between the Mitzvoth he performs and the rest of the Jewish Nation. The revealed portion of the Torah is not focused on the reasons for the Mitzvoth, rather it is focused on the parameters and methodology of fulfilling the requirements. Someone who is of a small mind lacks the depth and breadth to appreciate the true nature of Mitzvoth and what they accomplish. He is primarily focused on his own self-improvement and his own reward in Olam HaBa. This is what inspires a small person to fulfill Mitzvoth and to accept what he is told without any explanation and reason.

The study of Kabbalah empowers a person with the reasons behind Torah and Mitzvoth. He learns of the hidden connections between himself, the Schechina and the other worlds. He comes to a clear understanding how each specific action of a Jew is incorporated into something much greater, and brings an outpouring of blessing onto the entire Nation.

The connection between an individual and the Schechinah is hidden from the typical eye, and is only open through the study of the deeper portions, which lead a person to climb the ladder to serving Hashem for the sake of the Schechinah and its growth.

It turns out that the primary distinction between small mindedness and broadmindedness is in the intention and not in the action. The actions of all the people are identical, but in the intent and desire behind them, in the understanding of life which gives meaning to the actions is where there is a great gulf. It is like two soldiers who have each been ordered to deliver orders to a distant location. One knows nothing of the nature of the orders, whereas the other one knows that he carries information vital to the security of the nation and success in battle, and that many lives depend on his delivery of the orders. Even though they each do the same action, their intent is completely different. This distinction will be apparent in the diligence and dedication with which they carry out their assigned tasks.

ה"ו קצ"ז

Priorities

In order to make the will of God paramount, and one's own will secondary, it is necessary to understand the fundamental principles of Torah which delineate the full depth of will of Hashem. This requires studying both the revealed as well as the hidden aspects of the Torah. The Torah is full of commandments, however, in order to properly do the will of God it is necessary to see the Torah holistically the way it truly is - as a tree, with a trunk, branches and leaves. Within the Mitzvoth and the will of God there are fundamental principles and there are corollaries which branch off from them.

If a person turns a branch into the trunk he has violated the will of Hashem. Giving too much weight to one thing comes at the cost of something even more important, creates a situation in which the harm is more than whatever good is accomplished. (מצוה הבא בעבירה) Just as one can't steal in order to give charity, and one can't cook of Shabbos in order to feed guests, so too it should be obvious to all that one may not create a Chillul Hashem or create animosity and separation within the Jewish Nation, in order to be extra scrupulous about a point of Halacha that is not truly a requirement. Hashem's desire that there be unity within the Jewish Nation is the tree, the trunk and the roots. Even though it is not a Mitzvah that has many carefully delineated details like the laws of Shabbos, it is still the foundation of the entire Torah. This is  why our Sages teach us that even if the entire Nation is worshiping idols, if they are living in peace among themselves, they will be protected from their enemies.

These values and fundamental principles are not written at length in the revealed portion of the Torah. The revealed portion is primarily focused on detailing each Mitzvah and its rules. It is the secret portions, the inner Torah, that instills the fundamentals in a person's soul in their proper measure. It sees the entirety of the Mitzvos and gives each one its proper weight, and their relative value so that it paints a picture of a beautiful, large tree. From that there develops a proper sense of balance, to put each value in its place and to conduct oneself in the proper manner of actualizing the will of God.

Without studying the inner portion it is not possible to fully fulfill the will of Hashem as one is lacking in certain fundamentals. Just as it is forbidden to say that which is kosher is un-kosher and vice-versa, so too it is forbidden to say that which is primary is secondary and that which is secondary is primary. One who says that which is kosher is un-kosher can easily find his error, however, one who is confused about the fundamental principles of Torah and makes the secondary primary, and fights for that which is secondary and neglects that which is fundamental, thinks that he is doing the will of god. He walks with fiery righteousness after this own ideas, and is really just destroying the basic roots of Torah, and is completely oblivious of his error.

This is all a result of a lack of study if the inner portion of Torah which inspires within people to truly follow God. It instills love of every Jew within people's hearts, so they walk in holiness and kindness. It crowns them with the shine of the Schechina, and they always act in a pleasant manner while at the same time being scrupulous with every Halachic detail. The love bursts forth from his heart, and helps him feel a connection to every detail and experience of life. Other people begin to value him, and his approach and his principles and are open to his influence. They are impressed with his refined character and wish to emulate him, and God is proud of him as well.
ה"ו קפ"ה

Open rebuke must come from a deep love - I

There are two important factors in helping people rectify their behavior. First off, it is only by recognizing their inner purity that you can be inspired to help others change and improve their behavior. Secondly, those behaving improperly need to believe in their inner purity if they hope to change anything.

If one looks only at the superficial, they will be struck by the improper actions and give up on any hope of improvement. By emphasizing the sins the person may feel that he is so disconnected from his spiritual side that his situation is hopeless. Once he gives up, he may just sink lower and lower.

We can use children as an example. If a child lies or steals the father needs to rebuke him from a place of knowing the true depth of the child. If he only looks at the negative behaviors and allows himself to feel anger, even more so if he screams at the child, "YOU LIAR," he will cause great damage and accomplish nothing. The father needs some self-control, and to know what is truly in the child's heart. He needs to know that stealing and lying are not truly what the child is all about. It is because the child doesn't realize that that isn't who he is, that he allows himself to engage in these negative behaviors. The father needs to inspire the child, and possibly even punish him, but it must all come from a place of a deep understanding of the child, Open rebuke must come from a deep love. Only love and believing in the child, which will awaken feelings of concern for his lowly activities, need to motivate the judgement and punishment.  Any critique must come from a deep love. And when the father is full of love for the child, the child will feel his father's love, he will know that his father believes in him, and that will awaken within him a desire to change.

When the father educates the child and points out his undesirable behaviors, he needs to concern himself that the child understands two things. First, that the actions are not good and they should not be done. Second, that these behaviors are unworthy of who the child is. Inside they are good and pure. That's why, if the child lies you can't shout at him, "LIAR." Saying that will instill within the child that he is connected to falsehood and that his identity is that of a liar. Why then should he change himself? If that is who he is then lying is what he should do! The desire to change must emanate from the feeling that he is not a liar, and that is the father's job to communicate.
ט"ח במדבר שנ"ח

Perverting the Truth to Attack Israel

The Ariza"l writes that the nations of Midian, Moav and Amalek, who are all relatives of Avrohom Avinu, each have within them sparks of holiness. These sparks are points of light from the holiness of Klal Yisroel which were scattered among the nations and appear in different forms. For example, the soul of a convert is a spark that landed among the nations. So too there are good values and good ideas that are found that emanate from Judaism. However, they are often hidden amongst the Klipos, which creates a situation in which that which is true and valuable is taken and twisted into something false and perverted. The Klipah needs the holiness of truth to sustain it.

One example of this is Christian morality which expresses itself today in the false morality of Europe. It comes and accuses Israel of war crimes when its true aim is just to find cause to attack Israel. They have assumed the mantle of justice - morality and human rights - to further their evil and perverted goals. This is the idea of sparks held captive by the Klipos. The Klipah is well aware of the holiness of these sparks and captures them and utilizes them to its own poisonous end.

In the same vein they draft "peace" as a way of attacking out possession of the Land of Israel. Morality and justice are used to handcuff us in our fights against our enemies. The spark is a bit of true godliness which the Klipah hijacks to use in its goals of evil and perversion. It fights against Jewry and increases impurity in the world.
ט"ח בלק שמ"ה

Shemittah - A Return to Normalcy

Shemittah is an elevator that lifts us to a higher experience of life than that which we experience on a daily basis. Generally speaking each person exists within his own personal experience of life. He worries about his family's financial needs. The underlying concept is that each person lives his own life and everyone else is a stranger. This finds its expression throughout the full gamut of economic activity. If I have something of value I will not give it away unless I receive something of value in return. Each person needs money and property. This world is predicated upon financial needs in which each man is for himself. Without working and making money a person can't feed his family.

This creates a situation in which everyone else is outside of one's own circle of need. One's own needs are primary, those of others are pushed into a corner. Conflict arises between store owners and customers, manufacturers and retailers, and people fighting over the right to purchase limited resources. There is constant strife to be first in line, to be most successful etc.

Negative character traits emanate from this reality. People see others as aggressive and trying to take what is their's. People plot, act deceitfully, steal and take advantage of others. The government then needs to legislate to counter these tendencies.

Shemittah opposes this worldview. Each person is commanded to abandon his focus on his personal success. Rather than make money from selling his field's produce, he is told to turn it all over to the public. Open the doors of your private property and allow everyone to feel at home. Release all debts. Stop being focused on "I" and stop worrying about your's and your family's financial advancement. Broaden your circle of life until it includes others as well. Just as you feed your family from your field each year, you offer others the same opportunity this year. Everyone is one big family. Everyone is equal. This is what the Torah asks of us during Shemittah.

Shemittah appears to be a big burden. It is a huge demand that we would be happy to give up. It seems unnatural to stop worrying about yourself, to fight against that tendency and to give yourself over to the needs of the public. It seems that the six years are "normal" life, and Shemittah is an abnormal temporary unnatural state.

But if you have a deeper understanding you will know that the opposite is the truth. Shemittah is the expression of the normal state of man. 

Shemittah - Overview - III

The Mitzvoth of Shemittah relate to all areas of life, the physical as well as the spiritual. It is not a purely spiritual Mitzvah such as Tefillin or Shofar, rather it reaches all the way down into actual physical life. Agriculture, the economy, the release of debts and relinquishing fields. It comes to reveal the facets of holiness that are hidden within physical life. It is also a very spiritual Mitzvah, a Shabbath to Hashem, as it ties together the physical and spiritual by giving a glimpse of the future when the physical and spiritual will unite to reveal the holy light of God in all aspects of life.

Throughout the years each person works for his own sustenance. One person has a vineyard, another an olive orchard and a third has a grain field. Each person worries about his own family and household. He puts great effort into his produce and nurses it to its fullest potential and then sells it to make money. This economic system allows him to provide for his family's physical needs. In the Shemittah year he is then ordered to abandon his field for everyone's use. The Torah orders him to give up his field for the economic good of the public at large. Every other year if a person wants grapes he goes to the market and pays good money for grapes. In Shemittah he can just stroll into his neighbors vineyard and eat as many grapes as he wants. The owners of the land have no greater rights to the fruit than anyone else including the animals.

What about the economic needs of the farmer? What about his family? How will he survive a full year? What does the Torah really want with this difficult Mitzvah?