Hidden Connections

Every Mitzvah has reasons that are revealed. Frequently these reasons seem to show that certain Mitzvos have no connection. One example is the ארבע פרשיות which seem to have each been instituted for a reason that is independent of the others. The same is true of other Torah concepts which seem to have an independent existence with no connection to another. However, beneath the veneer of revealed reasons lies a hidden realm which intimately ties together all the parts until they are one entity forming a comprehensive picture expressed by numerous parts that had seemed to lack any connection. Hidden lines and thin threads weave together all the aspects of the Torah to form amazing connections. We frequently find in the Tikkunei Zohar connections between seemingly distant topics, which are then united by their hidden ties.
Topics such as conversion, Korbanos, Tzitzis, redeeming first-born donkeys, Amalek and marriage which are each found in a different part of Shulchan Aruch and have no connection in the revealed world, are deeply connected in the Zohar. One can study Mesechet Kiddishin and have a comprehensive knowledge of the laws of marriage without knowing anything of the laws of mixing meat and milk. But Kabbalah connects them. In the revealed world discussions about certain topics are generally focused solely on that topic. It is then expounded upon through numerous citations from the sages until the topic is completely clarified and its practical application understood. However, within their words the Sages sprinkled hints, sparks of the hidden teachings, which direct us to discover the hidden principles, and the connections between disparate topics. Often these are predicated upon shared usage of certain terms.

פורים כ"ו

Simcha - I

Simcha is rooted in the sefira of Binah which is also the root of din. Two principles of din are that it is the place where vulnerability to klipot exists, and that it can only be sweetened (mitigated) at its root. Therefore one can only sweeten the din by connecting to Binah.
 There are a number of other Sefirot which relate to din, namely all the 'left-side' sefirot of Gevura, Hod and Malchut. They are knowמ collectively as אלוהים (Elokim). In its most perverted sense Din is exemplified as the self-centered Yetzer Hora which manifests anger, hubris, lust and other egoistical traits. One must get to the roots of the four sefirot in order to mitigate the din.
Binah is the root of Simcha, Gevurah is fear and overpowering, Hod is acknowledgement of truth, and Malchut is humility.
 One mitigates the Din in Malchut by feeling the pain of the damage one has caused by improper behavior. This is exemplified by the humility demonstrated by King David in the wake of his sin. Stubborness is the root of sin, and breaking that weakens the evil within the uncircumcised heart.
Within Hod, by admitting the truth of one's failings and reciting Viduy one mitigates the Din. The sin came about because he was blind to falsehood. By owning up to the reality of the wrong he wrought, he breaks the power of delusion,and enters the realm of truth.   Within Gevurah one mitigates the Din by learning how to be a God-fearing person. Sin comes from forgetting who God is, and magnifying onesself. When one visualizes God before himself, the Yetzer is weakened and mitigated. In a similar vein within Gevurah, the Din is sweetened by fighting and overcoming the Yetzer as the fighting is inspired by the fear of God found within.
תפלה פ

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