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

The Meaning of the High Holidays - III

The Ariza"l teaches us the inner meaning of these days, their annual renewal, and the reason why they are spread across twenty-one days. They are rooted in the time of Creation, with Adam in the Garden of Eden.

Rosh HaShanah is the day that Adam was created. He incorporated within himself all the souls of the Jewish Nation, the revelation of the Schechinah, the root of the souls of the Jewish nation. In dealing with the inner basis for the holidays of Tishrei the Ariza"l teaches us that were it not for the sin of Adam, had he waited to eat from the Tree of Knowledge until after Shabbat had begun, then all the worlds would have been rectified and come to their perfection and completion. The Sin of Adam threw the worlds down, the falling of the Nukvah into the Klipot and thereby prevented perfection from being achieved. The sin resulted in two outcomes. First of all, it now became impossible to bring about the rectification at one time in one moment. It now became necessary for a 6,000 year process to unfold. Days turned into millennium as each Day of Creation expanded to 1,000 years with Shabbat corresponding to the 7th millennium.

By the way, we are currently approaching the conclusion of the 6th millennium and we can already smell the Shabbos food cooking. We are even trying to taste that food before Shabbat begins. By performing the Mitzvot in Israel in this epoch we are enjoying great spiritual pleasure similar to that of the 7th millennium,

As the 7,000 years correspond to seven days each year contains within it the ability to bring about the complete tikkun, rectification, but only of a small portion of existence. Each year, another portion.

The second result of Adam's Sin is that whereas he had the chance to bring about the tikkun in one moment, had Shabbat begun everything would be perfect, we bring about perfection over the course of twenty-one days. Each aspect of the tikkun is brought about on one of those days as we climb the ladder from Rosh HaShanah until Shemini Atzeret. What should have happened in an instant was slowed by the sin until it developed into a slow process. 

The Meaning of the High Holidays - II

The Ramcha"l, basing himself on the teachings of the Ariza"l, explains the beginning of the world-building process that starts on Rosh HaShanah. He explains that it is a day of Din (judgement) because it is the day of the building of the Nukvah, the capacity to receive for the coming year, the Knesseth Yisroel, the corporate body of the Jewish Nation.

On Rosh HaShanah there is judgement. As this is the anniversary of the creation of the world, the building of the Nukvah is renewed. It needs to be built in a manner that reflects the actions of those within Creation, as the Nukvah is the root of Creation. As such it is necessary to discern how to direct things with the roots as well as the branches. Should they be brought close and offered life, or, God forbid, pushed away and die. Should they receive in abundance and enjoy wealth, or in a limited measure and live in poverty. All sorts of similar things need to be established on Rosh HaShanah in order to determine how the Nukvah should manifest itself in the coming year. This is what leads God to reexamine mankind each and every year.

These are the days when the essence of each person's relationship with God is established and how the relationship will be actualized over the year. The entire standing of the Jewish Nation before God throughout the year is being determined at this time.

The Ariza"l bases this paradigm on the verse, "His left arm is under my head, and his right arm will hug me." This is an allusion to the thread that runs through and unites all the High Holy Days and Sukkoth into one complete experience of relationship between Knesseth Yisroel and its Beloved. In short, it is a love-in involving God and the Jewish Nation.

These are days of continued ascendancy. As we continue to improve the Knesseth Yisroel develops continuously to achieve it full height and strength. The soul of the Jewish Nation is reborn each Rosh haShanah through a process that continues through Shemini Atzeret when we are finally complete.