Weekly Story: Light Gives Clarity

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

Being that next  Shabbos is the birthday of both the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe, I decided to write a point that I am planning to mention bezras Hashem, this Thursday evening at a farbrengen in honor of this auspicious day.

Additionally, this coming Shabbos, the 11^th of Elul is one year since I resolved to add some Chassidus to the weekly story, I am asking for you, the readers imput, if I should continue basing it on the maamar that is printed in the Dvar Malchus or perhaps it should be on some other maamar or sicha etc.

As always, your comments and feedback is greatly appreciated.

The Rebbe writes in HaYom Yom (entry for 6^th of Elul), The Baal Shem Tov cherished light exceedingly. He explained that the Hebrew word for light is אור (Ohr) whose numerical value equals 207, just as the word רז (secret) does. The one that knows the secret (inner dimension) of something can illuminate [and clarify] it to others.

In essence this is the life story of both the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe. Chassidus gives an entire new appreciation to the Torah. It clarifies the deeper dimension and reason for all the mitzvos and halachos, (see this week’s A Taste of Chassidus which comes after the story).

This is the reason why chassidim call this day of Chai Elul, “The birthday of the two illuminaries.” For they both lit up the world.[1] Yet at the same time we also say that Chai Elul is the day that gives Chayus (vitakity) in one’s avodah (service) of the month of Elul.

By illuminating that while a person is definitely supposed to take stock of what he/she has done during this past year, and correct what has to be corrected (do teshuva (repentance)), nevertheless, Chassidus teaches us that the main point of Rosh Hashanah, and consequently the preparatory month of Elul which comes before that, is to proclaim our acceptance of Hashem as the King over the entire universe. So if I didn’t fulfill a mitzva properly, that demonstrates my lack of realization that Hashem is our King, and therefore I regret some of my thoughts, speech and actions.

The Alter Rebbe brings another clarification and explains, that while the King knows that we have erred, and some may say that He is therefore upset at us, that we have distanced ourselves from Him, you should know that in Elul, He comes to us, at the level we presently as an expression of His tremendous love and affection for us. [This is expressed in the Alter Rebbe’s famous parable that the King is in the field (not the capital city or palace) and greets all the people who are in the field and come to Him, graciously.

The Rebbe heard this saying from his father-in-law, the Frierdiker Rebbe, and at that time the Frierdiker Rebbe related the following story.

The disciples of the Baal Shem Tov knew that he always wanted the shul to be shining brightly with numerous lights. Once when they were preparing the shul for a gathering, they saw that despite all their efforts, the shul was not shining bright enough. Sensing that the Baal Shem Tov might not be happy about this situation, they felt they had an obligation to inform him, before he entered the beis hamidrash.

The Baal Shem Tov instructed them to take the icicles that were hanging from the roof of the Beis Hamidrash and light them. Heeding his instruction his disciples did so, and the icicles indeed began to brightly shine up the entire shul.[2]

I heard from Mashpiim, this is the accomplishment of Chabad Chassidus. When the Frierdiker Rebbe came to America, generally speaking American Jewry was cold and indifferent to Judaism. But the Frierdiker Rebbe and our Rebbe took those “icicles” and infused in them the light of Chassidus, and not only weren’t they cold to Judaism, but they into became lanterns of tremendous lights and began illuminating and igniting additional “icicles.”

Another interesting aspect to point out. The Baal Shem Tov was born in the year תנ”ח (1698), when these three  letters are rearranged, we get the word of נחת. Depending on which vowels are placed under those three letters you will have, either the word of nuchas which means it descended, or the word nachas which means it brought happiness to Hashem.

Indeed, this is one of the main principle teachings of Chassidus. 

In most of the maamorim in Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, the Alter Rebbe asks, why did Hashem cause the soul to descend from its lofty place, as all souls were standing by the Heavenly throne where G-dliness is prevalent, and sent it to this materialistic world, where G-dliness is hidden. Or in simple terms, why did Hashem place the neshoma in a situation that it may conduct itself contrary to Hashem’s will?

On this the answer is that it is for a lofty mission. The neshoma as it is enclothed in a physical body, living in a materialistic world should bring clarity to the world that the universe (world) and everything in it was created by Hashem.

By conducting ourselves while we are living in and occupied with worldly things in the way Hashem instructs us in the Torah, we are demonstrating that Hashem is the controller of the world, not nature or influential individuals. This gives tremendous joy and happiness to Hashem, and ultimately transforms the world into becoming the true dwelling place for Hashem.

This thought brings us to yet another principal teaching of Chassidus that everything is by divine providence, and not by chance. He was born in that year, because Hashem gave him the mission to teach the Jewish people the reason why everyone’s neshoma descended into the world.

By commemorating this day, we are acknowledging, that not only were the neshomos of great tzaddikim sent down to this world to accomplish their mission, but each one of us also was sent to accomplish our personal and unique mission.

What exactly it is, we don’t know, but in general it is what the Torah informs us about Avrohom Avinu, that not only did he call out in the name of Hashem,  but he caused that the world around him calls out in the name of Hashem. 

May we indeed bring vitality in our service of greeting the King and proclaiming that He is the King (he only conductor of everything and anything) of the entire world (universe).

A Taste of Chassidus

Lo Sacharosh Shor Vchamor 

In this week’s parsha, the Torah prohibits us from using any two different species of animals to work together, plowing a field or pulling a wagon etc. Yet, the Torah specifies an ox and a donkey.

The midrash informs us the first time this statement was first said was by Yaakov Avinu.

When Shechem’s father Chamor, came to Yaakov to request that he allow his son Shechem to marry Dinah, he said, Your grandfather [Avrohom] was a prince, and I am a prince. [So it is an appropriate match, equal status.]

Yaakov replied, a prince is one who is connected to the spiritual level of oxen, [as it says And Avrohom ran to the oxen], however, you are a chamor (donkey), and the Torah prohibits the combination of an ox to a donkey.

In order to understand the deeper or inner meaning of these cryptic words, we have to first understand the spiritual reason[3] why Chamor wanted this marriage in the first place.

An ox represents the spiritual level of strength (gevurah) of holiness,[4] and Avrohom [who is the epitome of kindness] is kindness within gevurah. While chamor represents kindness of impurity.[5] Being that everything, including all impurities need a source of life, so they try to siphon it off from holiness. Therefore, in order to exist he desired and needed this connection to Yaakov,.

In general, the way kelipa (impurity) is able to siphon off from holiness, is because or when the spiritual level has a concealment upon it, and therefore it is revealed only in a limited and sometimes in a very limited level, and unholiness can take from that level.[6]

The children of Yaakov understood this spiritual phenomenon and said we will allow it if you remove your foreskin. 

Chamor and his son agreed to this condition, but they didn’t realize that once they remove their foreskin, i.e. the concealment of the holiness, they would not be able to connect and siphon off anything from holiness.

Another explanation given as to why the Torah specifies an ox and donkey is, that not only is chamor (donkey) connected to impurity of gevurah, but the Shor (ox) is also connected to the impurity of kindness.

The reason why we are commanded to not unify them together, is because that creates a third level of impurity of a kelev (a reference to Amalek).

Furthermore, if one takes the first letter of these three animals, a cheis from chamor, the shin from shor and the kof from kelev, you have the word choshech, which means darkness, indicating a lack or absence of the light of holiness.

[The word Torah is synonymous with the word Hora’ah, which means teaching.] We now have to understand how we can apply this teaching in our service to Hashem?

Our sages state that they never called their ox, my ox, but my field.

The reason for this is, OX is referring to the animalistic soul (whose source is the ox by the side of Hashem’s throne), and the animalistic soul is also called a field, in which the G-dly soul should make its imprint upon it and elevate it, and that is accomplished by planting seeds of holiness in it.

But in order to be able to plant seeds, the field has to be plowed and that is normally accomplished by an ox. So therefore, they called their ox, field, as the main purpose of the ox is to plow and break the earth into small pieces, so that it can be cultivated.[7]

in simple words it means that the coarseness of the animalistic soul, has to be broken and become subservient to the G-dly soul.

Additionally, the Jewish people are also called a field as the Baal Shem Tov explained, just as all minerals are covered up by the earth, so too all Jews have tremendous qualities, but they are covered. In order to bring them out into the open, the person may need some humbling and that too is accomplished through the plowing of the oxen.

In essence this is the guidance to us, in our service of Hashem; it means that we must use the  ox to weaken the coarseness of the earth (our animalistic soul) in order that the earth produces positive aspects.

This thought is based on the first explanation, that ox is a reference to kindness of holiness, while donkey is a reference to the indifference of impurity.

We will now show how the second explanation that they are both impure, plays out in a person’s service to Hashem. Here the ox is being compared to an ox that habitually gores and does damage, even when it receives no benefit from that act (which is an impure act).

If we join the coldness of a donkey with the strength of an ox, the result is the creation of Amalek.

All of the nations heard of Hashem’s miracles for the Jewish nation. Their response was on of fear and trepidation, while it made no impression on Amalek. Yet while that demonstrates Amalek’s indifference, but at the same time, they went (like an ox) with strength and determination to fight against the Jewish people. 

While a Jew’s nature is to be connected to Hashem, but through habit a person can damage this special relationship with Hashem. Therefore, the Torah is guiding us not to connect our power of action to coldness and indifference to G-dliness. Because the result of that union is not only that that can cause the person themselves to temporary break their bond with Hashem, but it can create a situation, that they actively fight against one who is connected to Hashem (just as Amalek tried to cool off everyone’s admiration and wonderment of Hashem’s greatness.

Therefore, Yaakov who successfully changed the ox and donkey that they too serve Hashem said to Esauv, “And I have the ox and donkey,” meaning I transformed them into holiness.

Posted in the zechus that Yosef Shlomo ben Risha and all that need a healing should be blessed by Hashem with a complete and speedy recovery.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be reached at avtzonbooks@gmail.com

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[1] Here is not the place to discuss the different accomplishments each one achieved, although it is one and the same teachings of Chassidus.

[2] I heard the following observation from Rabbi Nissan Mangel sheyichye; One may ask what is the greatness of this miracle, doesn’t the gemorah relate that it occurred with Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. His daughter informed him that she doesn’t have any more oil to use for lighting the Shabbos candles. He replied, use the vinegar, and the One who gave oiul the ability to create a flame, would give the vinegar the same ability.

However, the difference between them is as follows, while vinegar wasn’t given the natural ability to be used as fuel for a fire, its essence does not essentially oppose fire. In addition of a fire giving off light, it also gives off warmth. However, the nature of an icicle is to make the objects that are close to it cold and perhaps even frozen as the icicle is,

In other words the Baal Shem Tov changes and transformed its essence completely, and that is the mission that Hashem gave us to transform this world into becoming His dwelling place, and with the power of Chassidus, we will fulfill this holy Mission, bringing about the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu speedily in our days.

[3] Chassidus explains that everything that happens in this world, is because or as a result of its spiritual source above.

[4] Being that the ox is on the left side of Hashem’s throne and left symbolizes gevurah.

[5] A donkey is an impurity as the Talmud states, a donkey is cold (indifferent) even when the sun (G-dliness) is shining. Meaning it refuses to become inspired and remains apart from any holiness.

[6] This explains why Avrohom was able to have a son as Yishmael. As Yishmael was born before Avrohom was circumcised, the foreskin is a concealment, as we that the Torah says And Hashem will circumcize the stubbornness/coarse covering of your heart.

[7] This is similar to what we say push away with the left (weaker) hand, meaning the ox which is on the left side of the throne, holiness is weakening and defeating the earth unholiness.