The nature of the Egyptian exile was that the people lacked da'at1 - the ability to conclude2 that there is One Creator, "who in His goodness, constantly renews the act of creation" 3 - until Moses came, and through the miracles he performed, showed that there is One Creator who constantly renews the world.
However, the aspect of da'at that was revealed in the Exodus was Feminine4; whereas the da'at that will be revealed in the future, in the days of the Messiah, will be Masculine.5 Thus, the verse says: "Your eyes will behold your Master" (Isaiah 30:20). Then, everyone will see with their eyes the letters of Torah and prayers that they are studying and praying, for these are the purified worlds.6 This is what the Sages said: "[Know what is above you,] an eye sees, and an ear hears."7
This is also what is written in the Passover Hagadah: "Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said, Though I am like a man of seventy years, I did not merit to mention the Exodus from Egypt in the nights." 8 That is, to make known the renewal of the world - called "the exodus from Egypt" - in the night, when the lights and supernal worlds are hidden. This is because the darkness of the impure shells, called "nights," makes it impossible to mention the Exodus from Egypt, which is the revelation of the renewal of the worlds.
"Not until Ben Zoma expounded. . .." For exposition has the power to break the shells.9 Then it was possible to show the presence of the Exodus from Egypt, which would otherwise be impossible until the future, when we will see "eye to eye."10 And this is what the Sages said, that this goal will be reached in the days of the Moshiach.
1Da'at refers to a direct, spiritual perception of G·d. See the Torah portion VaYetze, fn. 7.
2The Baal Shem Tov uses a uncommon word to describe this lack of da'at: l'hachria which means decide between multiple options and reach a conclusion. The nature of the da'at consciousness is the reconciliation of opposites (as in the unified, mystical experience). The lack of da'at, therefore, would mean that a person is trapped between opposites, unable to come to any singular conclusion.
3From the daily, morning prayers.
4Da'at d'nukba, in the Aramaic of the Zohar.
5Da'at ded'chura. To briefly explain this complex idea, according to the Sages, there are two levels of prophecy: through a clear lens, and through an unclear lens - aspaklaria d'me'ira and aspaklaria d'eina me'ira. Feminine da'at, that was revealed at the Exodus, means that the Jewish people had a perception of G·d that was filtered through the emotions (and possibly, the imaginatively faculty, following Maimonidies definition of "unclear" prophecy). Only Moses merited perceiving G·d through a clear lens, which means a direct, intellectual perception of Divinity, and the workings of the supernal worlds. All Israel did briefly attain this level at the revelation at Sinai, although they lost it soon afterward. However, in the World to Come, this level of spiritual perception will be regained.
6According to R. Yitzchok Isaac of Komarno (Otzar HaChaim, Behar), this is not merely a visual experience of the letters, but a perception of the absolute Oneness and Providence of G·d: ". . . . each person will feel and see that the entire world is filled with His glory, for the darkness of the impure shells causes concealment and illusion, until the future time, when the glory of His kingdom will be revealed. And the entire world will see that everything is His simple Will, and that all that happened was through His direction, down to the smallest detail, and that the Master of the World was in each and every gesture, for the essence of the craftsman is in the object he creates, and the creation is like a snail, whose garment is itself."
7Pirkei Avos 2:1.
8I.e., in the evening prayers, in the last passage of the Shema, that speaks of the commandment of tzitzit. This passage was included in the evening prayers because it mentions the Exodus, not because of the mitzvah of tzitzit, which does not apply at night.
9The process of expounding upon the Torah, derush, brings to light previously unrecognized details of the text or clarifies issues that were difficult to understand. In both cased, it is as though a "shell" that covers the meaning of the Torah has been cracked. When Ben Zoma expounded upon the verse, he not only broke the shell of the Torah, he broke the "impure shells" that prevent the consciousness from experiencing a perception of G·d. Thus R. Elazar was able to make mention of the Exodus from Egypt in the night; that is, to reveal the presence of G·d even in exile - a foretaste of the revelation of the World to Come.
10Isaiah 52:8: "Hark, your watchmen! They lift up the voice, together they sing; for they shall see eye to eye the return of the L·rd to Zion."
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, VaYishlach
Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα Kabbala. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων
Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα Kabbala. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων
The Divine Service of Deuteronomy
The purpose of all the songs in the Bible is to express
thanks to the Almighty, with great joy. Of all the songs,
the one that seems different is the Song of Ha’azinu. Its
literal meaning seems to be a rebuke of Jewish people
and a warning lest they deviate from God’s path. In a
certain sense, this is fitting, since the song of Ha’azinu
appears at the end of the Book of Deuteronomy whose
central theme is Moshe Rabbeinu’s reproach to the
people on the eve of their entering the Land of Israel.
However, the Chassidic approach is that it is
specifically those things that seem negative that contain
the greatest light. We should therefore read the Song of
Ha’azinu while keeping in mind that actually contains
infinite Divine pleasure, which brings to a climax the
depth of love that is hidden in open reproach. Indeed, in
Hebrew, the letters of “rebuke” ( תֹּוכֵחָה ) equal the value
of the words “out of love” ( תֹּוךְ אַהֲבָה ), or “love inside.”
Indeed, we see that immediately after this climactic end
to his reproach, Moshe Rabbeinu ends the Torah with a
parshah-long blessing, parshat Vezot Habrachah. Thus, in its
inner essence of rebuke and criticism is blessing (as
taught by the Ba’al Shem Tov, the Magid of Mezritch,
and the Alter Rebbe). Particularly, the blessing hidden
within open rebuke comes from the highest level and can
only descend incognito, concealed within harsh words.
Since the general them of Deuteronomy is reproach, it is
incumbent upon us to now reveal how it actually alludes
to the highest levels of Divine service and blessing that
we can merit receiving. Let us proceed to list the 11
stages of service that correspond to Deuteronomy’s 11
parshah’s with which we can merit bringing the out the
highest light from the apparent darkness.
The first parshah, Devarim, alludes to the word for
“leader.” Since it is in the plural it refers to both Moshe
Rabbeinu and Joshua, who overlapped to some extent in
their leadership. In parshat Devarim, these two leaders
unite,1 just as the all-inclusive soul of the leader of the
generation and the spark of Divinity within the soul of
every individual unite to become one. Every Jew contains
a spark of Moshe Rabbeinu, the all-inclusive leader, and
the way to reveal this spark is to identify and connect
with the Moshe Rabbeinu, the leader of the generation.
Thus the first stage of Divine service that reveals the
infinite pleasure hidden within the rebuke (in our times:
the state of exile we are still in) is nourishing our soulful
connection with the Moshe Rabbeinu of our generation,
the individual in whose words the Divine Presence is
heard.
The second stage is alluded to in the name of the
second parshah, Va’etchanan, meaning “I begged.” It is not
enough to merely identify the Moshe Rabbeinu of our
generation and create a bond with him. We must also
identify and empathize with the heavenly decree the
leader faces; in Moshe Rabbeinu’s case this was the
decision that he would not enter the Land of Israel. We
must then cry out from our innermost depths, his own
existential cry of “How long…?!” How long will the exile
last until we merit the true and complete redemption?
The essential characteristic representing the
identification of a true disciple of the Moshe Rabbeinu of
the generation is his ability to not only identify, but to
actually experience the leader’s existential distress.
We then proceed to parashat “Eikev,” which alludes to
Ikveta Demeshicha, a difficult time period where we know
the Mashiach is already present because we see his
figurative heels, but we cannot experience his complete
presence. In its first few words, parshat Eikev advises us
that, “Because you shall listen…” ( וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן ). By
listening and understanding that the Mashiach is already
here (even though his presence cannot be seen) we are
prompted to improve our conduct, altering the way we
approach even the lightest commandments of the Torah
and preparing us for the next stage: seeing!
The name of the next parshah, Re’eh, means “See!” The
next word in the parshah is Anochi, the form of “I” with
which the Almighty refers to himself in the Ten
Commandments. The true leader of the generation
reveals the aspect of Moshe-Mashiach described as the
“Infinite within the finite.” The stage of our service
described in parshat Re’eh is to actually see the Mashiach.
These first four steps allow those who have engaged in
seeking, identifying, and connecting with the Moshe
Rabbeinu of the generation to direct their efforts
externally and rectify the world, transforming reality
into a dwelling place for the Almighty, where God can be
revealed openly.
Transforming reality begins with the three communal
commandments that we the Jewish people were
commanded with upon entering the Land of Israel:
Appointing a king, annihilating Amalek, and building
the Holy Temple. These three commandments
correspond to the next three parashot in the Book of
Deuteronomy: Shoftim, Ki Teitzei, and Ki Tavo. Shoftim opens
with the commandment to appoint the religious judicial
court and continues with the commandment to appoint
a king. Ki Teitzei opens with a description of laws related
to making war and concludes with the war against
Mazal tov to Rabbi Chaim Moshe and Leah Jacobson on the upcoming upshernish of Yosef
Yitzchak David. May they merit speedily returning to our holy land.
Mazal tov to the parents of the new chayal betzivot Hashem, Yitzchak Feivish Eidelsohn, may
they merit to raise him to be a chayal, yereh shamayim, and lamdan, all in good health
Amalek. Ki Tavo opens with the commandment to bring
the first fruits to the Holy Temple.
Freed from the burden of war as described in Ki Teitzei
and Ki Tavo, we proceed to the final goal of the
communal commandments, the unity of the Jewish
people, described in the opening verses of parshat
Nitzavim. Complete Jewish unity is possible when all
Jews (from the greatest to the smallest) recognize their
common spiritual root as manifest in the soul of Moshe
Rabbeinu and the Mashiach.
From parshat Nitzavim we continue to Vayelech, wherein
Moshe Rabbeinu elevates higher and higher in order to
bring about the revelation of the 50th Gate – the
revelation of the Divine essence. Revealing the 50th Gate
came as an answer to his supplication from 38 years
prior, “Show me Your glory.”2
This week’s parshah, Ha’azinu, reveals the hidden
pleasure inherent in every event that occurred and will
occur in the history of our nation until the coming of the
Mashiach (revealing the 50th Gate), the resurrection of
the dead and life in the World to Come.3 It is then that
we will able to wholeheartedly identify with the words
spoken by Isaiah, “I thank you God for Your reproach…
You have comforted me.”4 The great tzadikim deeply
endeared parshat Ha’azinu because through its reading, we
merit being shown how the rebuke and the blessing
come together as one, as above.
Finally, we come to the termination of the Book of
Deuteronomy in parshat Vezot Habrachah where we read of,
“…The blessing that Moshe, the man of G-d, bestowed
upon the Children of Israel before his death.” When
Moshe Rabbeinu is fully revealed, “…before the eyes of all
Israel,”5 then end of the Torah reconnects with its start,
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth”6 revealing to us all, “…the new heavens and the
new earth”7 that were always before God.
(Based upon the Daily Dvar Torah for Ha’azinu, 5768)
Notes:
1. The possibility of Moshe Rabbeinu and Joshua uniting in a single generation is one of the most important signs of
the coming redemption, as explained by the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
2. Exodus 33:18.
3. As alluded to in the seventh verse of the parshah.
4. Isaiah 12:1.
5. Deuteronomy 34:12.
6. Genesis 1:1.
7. Isaiah 66:22.
thanks to the Almighty, with great joy. Of all the songs,
the one that seems different is the Song of Ha’azinu. Its
literal meaning seems to be a rebuke of Jewish people
and a warning lest they deviate from God’s path. In a
certain sense, this is fitting, since the song of Ha’azinu
appears at the end of the Book of Deuteronomy whose
central theme is Moshe Rabbeinu’s reproach to the
people on the eve of their entering the Land of Israel.
However, the Chassidic approach is that it is
specifically those things that seem negative that contain
the greatest light. We should therefore read the Song of
Ha’azinu while keeping in mind that actually contains
infinite Divine pleasure, which brings to a climax the
depth of love that is hidden in open reproach. Indeed, in
Hebrew, the letters of “rebuke” ( תֹּוכֵחָה ) equal the value
of the words “out of love” ( תֹּוךְ אַהֲבָה ), or “love inside.”
Indeed, we see that immediately after this climactic end
to his reproach, Moshe Rabbeinu ends the Torah with a
parshah-long blessing, parshat Vezot Habrachah. Thus, in its
inner essence of rebuke and criticism is blessing (as
taught by the Ba’al Shem Tov, the Magid of Mezritch,
and the Alter Rebbe). Particularly, the blessing hidden
within open rebuke comes from the highest level and can
only descend incognito, concealed within harsh words.
Since the general them of Deuteronomy is reproach, it is
incumbent upon us to now reveal how it actually alludes
to the highest levels of Divine service and blessing that
we can merit receiving. Let us proceed to list the 11
stages of service that correspond to Deuteronomy’s 11
parshah’s with which we can merit bringing the out the
highest light from the apparent darkness.
The first parshah, Devarim, alludes to the word for
“leader.” Since it is in the plural it refers to both Moshe
Rabbeinu and Joshua, who overlapped to some extent in
their leadership. In parshat Devarim, these two leaders
unite,1 just as the all-inclusive soul of the leader of the
generation and the spark of Divinity within the soul of
every individual unite to become one. Every Jew contains
a spark of Moshe Rabbeinu, the all-inclusive leader, and
the way to reveal this spark is to identify and connect
with the Moshe Rabbeinu, the leader of the generation.
Thus the first stage of Divine service that reveals the
infinite pleasure hidden within the rebuke (in our times:
the state of exile we are still in) is nourishing our soulful
connection with the Moshe Rabbeinu of our generation,
the individual in whose words the Divine Presence is
heard.
The second stage is alluded to in the name of the
second parshah, Va’etchanan, meaning “I begged.” It is not
enough to merely identify the Moshe Rabbeinu of our
generation and create a bond with him. We must also
identify and empathize with the heavenly decree the
leader faces; in Moshe Rabbeinu’s case this was the
decision that he would not enter the Land of Israel. We
must then cry out from our innermost depths, his own
existential cry of “How long…?!” How long will the exile
last until we merit the true and complete redemption?
The essential characteristic representing the
identification of a true disciple of the Moshe Rabbeinu of
the generation is his ability to not only identify, but to
actually experience the leader’s existential distress.
We then proceed to parashat “Eikev,” which alludes to
Ikveta Demeshicha, a difficult time period where we know
the Mashiach is already present because we see his
figurative heels, but we cannot experience his complete
presence. In its first few words, parshat Eikev advises us
that, “Because you shall listen…” ( וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן ). By
listening and understanding that the Mashiach is already
here (even though his presence cannot be seen) we are
prompted to improve our conduct, altering the way we
approach even the lightest commandments of the Torah
and preparing us for the next stage: seeing!
The name of the next parshah, Re’eh, means “See!” The
next word in the parshah is Anochi, the form of “I” with
which the Almighty refers to himself in the Ten
Commandments. The true leader of the generation
reveals the aspect of Moshe-Mashiach described as the
“Infinite within the finite.” The stage of our service
described in parshat Re’eh is to actually see the Mashiach.
These first four steps allow those who have engaged in
seeking, identifying, and connecting with the Moshe
Rabbeinu of the generation to direct their efforts
externally and rectify the world, transforming reality
into a dwelling place for the Almighty, where God can be
revealed openly.
Transforming reality begins with the three communal
commandments that we the Jewish people were
commanded with upon entering the Land of Israel:
Appointing a king, annihilating Amalek, and building
the Holy Temple. These three commandments
correspond to the next three parashot in the Book of
Deuteronomy: Shoftim, Ki Teitzei, and Ki Tavo. Shoftim opens
with the commandment to appoint the religious judicial
court and continues with the commandment to appoint
a king. Ki Teitzei opens with a description of laws related
to making war and concludes with the war against
Mazal tov to Rabbi Chaim Moshe and Leah Jacobson on the upcoming upshernish of Yosef
Yitzchak David. May they merit speedily returning to our holy land.
Mazal tov to the parents of the new chayal betzivot Hashem, Yitzchak Feivish Eidelsohn, may
they merit to raise him to be a chayal, yereh shamayim, and lamdan, all in good health
Amalek. Ki Tavo opens with the commandment to bring
the first fruits to the Holy Temple.
Freed from the burden of war as described in Ki Teitzei
and Ki Tavo, we proceed to the final goal of the
communal commandments, the unity of the Jewish
people, described in the opening verses of parshat
Nitzavim. Complete Jewish unity is possible when all
Jews (from the greatest to the smallest) recognize their
common spiritual root as manifest in the soul of Moshe
Rabbeinu and the Mashiach.
From parshat Nitzavim we continue to Vayelech, wherein
Moshe Rabbeinu elevates higher and higher in order to
bring about the revelation of the 50th Gate – the
revelation of the Divine essence. Revealing the 50th Gate
came as an answer to his supplication from 38 years
prior, “Show me Your glory.”2
This week’s parshah, Ha’azinu, reveals the hidden
pleasure inherent in every event that occurred and will
occur in the history of our nation until the coming of the
Mashiach (revealing the 50th Gate), the resurrection of
the dead and life in the World to Come.3 It is then that
we will able to wholeheartedly identify with the words
spoken by Isaiah, “I thank you God for Your reproach…
You have comforted me.”4 The great tzadikim deeply
endeared parshat Ha’azinu because through its reading, we
merit being shown how the rebuke and the blessing
come together as one, as above.
Finally, we come to the termination of the Book of
Deuteronomy in parshat Vezot Habrachah where we read of,
“…The blessing that Moshe, the man of G-d, bestowed
upon the Children of Israel before his death.” When
Moshe Rabbeinu is fully revealed, “…before the eyes of all
Israel,”5 then end of the Torah reconnects with its start,
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth”6 revealing to us all, “…the new heavens and the
new earth”7 that were always before God.
(Based upon the Daily Dvar Torah for Ha’azinu, 5768)
Notes:
1. The possibility of Moshe Rabbeinu and Joshua uniting in a single generation is one of the most important signs of
the coming redemption, as explained by the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
2. Exodus 33:18.
3. As alluded to in the seventh verse of the parshah.
4. Isaiah 12:1.
5. Deuteronomy 34:12.
6. Genesis 1:1.
7. Isaiah 66:22.
Wine and Oil
Kabbalah and Chassidut :
Wine and Oil of Torah
The secrets of the Torah are likened both to wine
and to oil. The wine hints at the “secrets of Torah”
רַזִין) ) and the oil hints to the “secret secrets of
Torah” ( רַזִין דְרַזִין ).
What is the difference between the two?
The secrets of the Torah refer to the teachings of
the Arizal, Rabbi Isaac Luria, the holy Kabbalist
who lived in Safed over 400 years ago. His Kabbalah
describes the secrets of what took place after God
contracted His infinite light (the tzimtzum). The
secret secrets of Torah refer to the teachings of the
Ba’al Shem Tov and his students, whose Chassidic
teachings reach beyond the contraction and address
the levels of reality that existed before it, i.e., God’s
infinite light as it was revealed before the
contraction.
Though this explanation of the difference
between the wine and the oil of Torah, between
Kabbalah and Chassidut is technically correct, it is
not very revealing to those who do not have the
intimate knowledge of Kabbalah needed to
appreciate it. Let us therefore turn to Chanukah to
provide us with a more instructive explanation.
Secret and Top Secret
There are two types of secrets that people have.
First, there are personal secrets.
These might be events or actions that a person conceals because of
shame and which should be confessed only before
one departs the world. Or, they might be the good
and important actions one has performed in life, or
the sweet feelings that a person has in his heart—
these are the love and fear that we possess, about
which the Torah says that they should be “hidden
for Havayah our God.”1 Sometimes personal secrets
are about events that occurred in childhood, so we
know about them, but there are those that are from
the time we were in the womb; these are concealed
even from our own consciousness, all the more so
secrets from previous incarnations. About all these
types of personal secrets the sages say that, “When
wine goes in, secrets come out.”2 Personal secrets
can be revealed if we drink enough wine therefore
they are likened to wine. Wine also alludes to the
mother principle ( פַּרְצוּף אִמָּא ) in Kabbalah.
“mind of the Mother” – with the mercy of the
mother, who engages and raises, and keeps all the
secrets of the child).
But, there is also a much higher grade of secret,
the secret secrets, which are called “top secret.”
These are military secrets.
Military secrets must be
guarded with all of one’s strength because they
involve matters of life or death. When a person
knows a military secret, he has to sacrifice himself
in order to keep it. But, while personal secrets are
likened to wine that is meant for personal
consumption, military secrets are like oil; oil is a
source of energy, a part of society’s infrastructure,
and like all energy sources it is handled at the
public level, providing fuel for all of us together.
Top Secret Secrets from the Chanukah Candles.
Chanukah is the festival of light and oil and was
the favorite holiday of our teacher the Ba’al Shem
Tov. During Chanukah, the oil candles of our
menorahs reveal top secret military secrets—the
secret of how the Hasmoneans, who were few in
number and weak, were victorious over the great
numbers of powerful Greeks and their Hellenized
supporters.
The secret of victory is of course in the spirit and
carrying over to our age, the thirty-six candles that
we light on Chanukah relate the stories of the
thirty-six tzadikim, the righteous individuals, in
whose merit the world exists. One might think that
stories about tzadikim are about personal secrets,
revealing how each tzadik exercised his attributes of
love and fear in order to serve God. Actually,
though, the candles are meant to reveal the tzadik’s
military secrets—his tactics for winning the war
against exile and bringing the final redemption.
Some tzadikim also have personal secrets, stories
that tell us how they carried out their own personal
rectification. Personal rectification relates to the
soul as it exists after the contraction—a personal.
T
Secret reveals the soul’s root in Primordial Man (Adam Kadmon).
But the tzadikim, disciples of the
Ba’al Shem Tov, dedicated their lives not to their
own personal rectification, but to actions on behalf
of the entire Jewish people, actions that would lead
to tikun olam (rectifying the world) under the rule of
the Almighty.
One of the military secrets passed on to us by the
Chassidic masters is that we must be willing to give
up our entire part in the World to Come in order to
bestow kindness on even a single Jew. Devotion to
acts of loving-kindness at this level is a top secret
military secret used by Tzivot Hashem, the armies of
God, who must be devoted to one another like
soldiers on the battlefield.
Following the above distinction between wine
and oil, personal secrets pertain to the rectification
of the individual, but the secrets that come from
prior to the contraction, the Torah’s military secrets
relate to the redemption of the entire Jewish
people. Revealing these top secret secrets taught by
our teacher the Ba’al Shem Tov and demonstrated
by the Chassidic masters is likened to a king
wasting his most valued treasures in wartime in
order to force a victory.
Military Secrets in Pharaoh’s Dream
Military secrets also play an important role in this
week’s parashah, Mikeitz, which is always read over
Chanukah. All of Pharaoh’s advisors interpreted his
dream as revealing a personal secret (seven
daughters, etc.). Only Joseph the tzadik, was able to
interpret it as revealing a military secret—an
interpretation that affected Egypt at large, not just
Pharaoh personally.
There is a well-known question regarding
Joseph’s apparent chutzpah in offering Pharaoh
further advice on how to prepare for the imminent
famine.4 Following our present discussion, the
reason for this is that revealing the military secret
in Pharaoh’s dream required Joseph to assume a
leadership role. Knowing military secrets 'elevates
the private individual to his soul’s root prior to the
contraction, requiring him to take responsibility
and act. Furthermore, even though, according to the
laws of Egypt, a slave was restricted from political
power, once Joseph had revealed the military secret
and became essential for Egypt's emergency
plans, this restriction was cancelled.
Forget the Cup-Bearer
We can now understand in more depth why
Joseph had to be forgotten by Pharaoh’s cup-bearer.
The cup-bearer was responsible for Pharaoh’s wine,
which we already know represents only personal
secrets. If Joseph had been brought before Pharaoh
thanks to the cup-bearer, he would have been
limited to revealing only personal secrets,
specifically his own personal secret as a man
kidnapped from the land of the Hebrew, an
innocent man placed in prison. But, he would not
have been able to reveal his higher source before the
contraction—the man destined to save Egypt,
Pharaoh’s greatest military secret. Indeed, when
Joseph eventually comes before Pharaoh to
interpret his dream, there is no mention of Joseph’s
personal secrets, they are forgotten and instead
Joseph becomes the voice for God’s words.
Finally, the value of “military secret” ( סֹוד צְבָאִי ) is
the same as the all important initial three words of
the Ten Commandments, “I am Havayah your God”5
אָנֹכִי י ־הוה אֱ ־לֹהֶיךָ) ). It also equals the words, “Open
my eyes”6 ( גַל עֵינַי ), which begin our prayer to God,
“Open my eyes so that I may behold the wonders of
Your Torah.” May we merit revealing the top secret,
military secrets of the Torah that guide us in how to
influence all our Jewish brothers and sisters to
return to God in preparation for the complete and
final redemption.
Notes: 1. Deuteronomy 29:28. 2. Eiruvin 65a 3. See in
Bati Legani, c. 11. 4. See Likutei Sichot 15, pp. 339ff. 5.
Exodus 20:2 6. Psalms 119:18.
Wine and Oil of Torah
The secrets of the Torah are likened both to wine
and to oil. The wine hints at the “secrets of Torah”
רַזִין) ) and the oil hints to the “secret secrets of
Torah” ( רַזִין דְרַזִין ).
What is the difference between the two?
The secrets of the Torah refer to the teachings of
the Arizal, Rabbi Isaac Luria, the holy Kabbalist
who lived in Safed over 400 years ago. His Kabbalah
describes the secrets of what took place after God
contracted His infinite light (the tzimtzum). The
secret secrets of Torah refer to the teachings of the
Ba’al Shem Tov and his students, whose Chassidic
teachings reach beyond the contraction and address
the levels of reality that existed before it, i.e., God’s
infinite light as it was revealed before the
contraction.
Though this explanation of the difference
between the wine and the oil of Torah, between
Kabbalah and Chassidut is technically correct, it is
not very revealing to those who do not have the
intimate knowledge of Kabbalah needed to
appreciate it. Let us therefore turn to Chanukah to
provide us with a more instructive explanation.
Secret and Top Secret
There are two types of secrets that people have.
First, there are personal secrets.
These might be events or actions that a person conceals because of
shame and which should be confessed only before
one departs the world. Or, they might be the good
and important actions one has performed in life, or
the sweet feelings that a person has in his heart—
these are the love and fear that we possess, about
which the Torah says that they should be “hidden
for Havayah our God.”1 Sometimes personal secrets
are about events that occurred in childhood, so we
know about them, but there are those that are from
the time we were in the womb; these are concealed
even from our own consciousness, all the more so
secrets from previous incarnations. About all these
types of personal secrets the sages say that, “When
wine goes in, secrets come out.”2 Personal secrets
can be revealed if we drink enough wine therefore
they are likened to wine. Wine also alludes to the
mother principle ( פַּרְצוּף אִמָּא ) in Kabbalah.
“mind of the Mother” – with the mercy of the
mother, who engages and raises, and keeps all the
secrets of the child).
But, there is also a much higher grade of secret,
the secret secrets, which are called “top secret.”
These are military secrets.
Military secrets must be
guarded with all of one’s strength because they
involve matters of life or death. When a person
knows a military secret, he has to sacrifice himself
in order to keep it. But, while personal secrets are
likened to wine that is meant for personal
consumption, military secrets are like oil; oil is a
source of energy, a part of society’s infrastructure,
and like all energy sources it is handled at the
public level, providing fuel for all of us together.
Top Secret Secrets from the Chanukah Candles.
Chanukah is the festival of light and oil and was
the favorite holiday of our teacher the Ba’al Shem
Tov. During Chanukah, the oil candles of our
menorahs reveal top secret military secrets—the
secret of how the Hasmoneans, who were few in
number and weak, were victorious over the great
numbers of powerful Greeks and their Hellenized
supporters.
The secret of victory is of course in the spirit and
carrying over to our age, the thirty-six candles that
we light on Chanukah relate the stories of the
thirty-six tzadikim, the righteous individuals, in
whose merit the world exists. One might think that
stories about tzadikim are about personal secrets,
revealing how each tzadik exercised his attributes of
love and fear in order to serve God. Actually,
though, the candles are meant to reveal the tzadik’s
military secrets—his tactics for winning the war
against exile and bringing the final redemption.
Some tzadikim also have personal secrets, stories
that tell us how they carried out their own personal
rectification. Personal rectification relates to the
soul as it exists after the contraction—a personal.
T
Secret reveals the soul’s root in Primordial Man (Adam Kadmon).
But the tzadikim, disciples of the
Ba’al Shem Tov, dedicated their lives not to their
own personal rectification, but to actions on behalf
of the entire Jewish people, actions that would lead
to tikun olam (rectifying the world) under the rule of
the Almighty.
One of the military secrets passed on to us by the
Chassidic masters is that we must be willing to give
up our entire part in the World to Come in order to
bestow kindness on even a single Jew. Devotion to
acts of loving-kindness at this level is a top secret
military secret used by Tzivot Hashem, the armies of
God, who must be devoted to one another like
soldiers on the battlefield.
Following the above distinction between wine
and oil, personal secrets pertain to the rectification
of the individual, but the secrets that come from
prior to the contraction, the Torah’s military secrets
relate to the redemption of the entire Jewish
people. Revealing these top secret secrets taught by
our teacher the Ba’al Shem Tov and demonstrated
by the Chassidic masters is likened to a king
wasting his most valued treasures in wartime in
order to force a victory.
Military Secrets in Pharaoh’s Dream
Military secrets also play an important role in this
week’s parashah, Mikeitz, which is always read over
Chanukah. All of Pharaoh’s advisors interpreted his
dream as revealing a personal secret (seven
daughters, etc.). Only Joseph the tzadik, was able to
interpret it as revealing a military secret—an
interpretation that affected Egypt at large, not just
Pharaoh personally.
There is a well-known question regarding
Joseph’s apparent chutzpah in offering Pharaoh
further advice on how to prepare for the imminent
famine.4 Following our present discussion, the
reason for this is that revealing the military secret
in Pharaoh’s dream required Joseph to assume a
leadership role. Knowing military secrets 'elevates
the private individual to his soul’s root prior to the
contraction, requiring him to take responsibility
and act. Furthermore, even though, according to the
laws of Egypt, a slave was restricted from political
power, once Joseph had revealed the military secret
and became essential for Egypt's emergency
plans, this restriction was cancelled.
Forget the Cup-Bearer
We can now understand in more depth why
Joseph had to be forgotten by Pharaoh’s cup-bearer.
The cup-bearer was responsible for Pharaoh’s wine,
which we already know represents only personal
secrets. If Joseph had been brought before Pharaoh
thanks to the cup-bearer, he would have been
limited to revealing only personal secrets,
specifically his own personal secret as a man
kidnapped from the land of the Hebrew, an
innocent man placed in prison. But, he would not
have been able to reveal his higher source before the
contraction—the man destined to save Egypt,
Pharaoh’s greatest military secret. Indeed, when
Joseph eventually comes before Pharaoh to
interpret his dream, there is no mention of Joseph’s
personal secrets, they are forgotten and instead
Joseph becomes the voice for God’s words.
Finally, the value of “military secret” ( סֹוד צְבָאִי ) is
the same as the all important initial three words of
the Ten Commandments, “I am Havayah your God”5
אָנֹכִי י ־הוה אֱ ־לֹהֶיךָ) ). It also equals the words, “Open
my eyes”6 ( גַל עֵינַי ), which begin our prayer to God,
“Open my eyes so that I may behold the wonders of
Your Torah.” May we merit revealing the top secret,
military secrets of the Torah that guide us in how to
influence all our Jewish brothers and sisters to
return to God in preparation for the complete and
final redemption.
Notes: 1. Deuteronomy 29:28. 2. Eiruvin 65a 3. See in
Bati Legani, c. 11. 4. See Likutei Sichot 15, pp. 339ff. 5.
Exodus 20:2 6. Psalms 119:18.
The story of Pi - Shakai - Almighty - ENOUGH - Limit
One of God’s Names, Shakai, normally translated as Almighty, is profoundly linked with π.
The gematria of Shakai ( שַׁדַי ) is 314, easily suggesting π’s first 3 digits:
3.14.
It is essential to note that the Torah uses base 10 numbering but does not use the decimal fraction.Therefore, a number such as 3.14 can only be suggested by its integer counterpart, 314. The two numbers are of course equivalent.
The sages explain that Shakai is an acronym for “He told His world, ‘Enough!’” ( שֶׁאָמָר לְעֹולָמֹו דַי ). As expounded in the midrash, the world was created by expansion, but the expansion was at first without limit,prompting God to limit it so that reality should have boundaries. This limiting process is the equivalent of the mathematical finite limit, whereby, through a series of infinite operations, we can come progressively closer to the value of π, but of course can never define it exactly.
The implication that π can be known through a limiting process is found in the first verse of parshat Va’eira,I have appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob by the Name of Kel Shakai, but by my Name, Havayah, I was not known to them.
In this verse, first, the 3 patriarchs are mentioned.
Then the Name Kel ( אֵ־ל ) appears, whose numerical value is 31.
Then, the Name Shakai, whose numerical value is 314.
Hence, this verse reveals the first three numbers in the infinite progression that is π : 3, 3.1, 3.14, …
The identification of π with 3 made by the sages is itself an allusion to the 3 patriarchs, since the sages themselves denote the intrinsic connection between
the patriarchs and the number 3,
“Only three are called patriarchs, Abraham. Isaac, and Jacob.”
The ratio of 3:1 alludes to the clear-cut faith that the patriarchs bestowed unto the Jewish nation, the faith in one God.
1
The numerical value of the three patriarchs ( אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק יַעֲקֹב ) is 638, or the product of 22 and 29. If 638 is the circumference of a circle then the closest integer to its diameter would be 203, or 7 · 29. Indeed, this illustrates the closest ratio to π for integers under 100,which is 22/7. 203 is also the value of just the first three letters of “Abraham” ( אבר ) before the hei that God added to his name upon commanding him to circumcise himself. The literal meaning of these three
letters is “limb” or “wing” (i.e., “arm”), suggesting the diameter of a circle. In addition, these three letters permute to spell bara ( ברא ), “create,” the first verb of the Torah, and indeed the first three letters of the Torah.
If we then add the circumference to the diameter we get 841, or 292 or 21 (which denotes the inspirational number of 21, or 212 ┴ 202).
Amazingly, the value of the words “to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב) ) is 737, the exact value of “He told His world, ‘Enough!’” ( .(שֶׁאָמָר לְעֹולָמֹו דַי 737 is also the value of the words, “With all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your all”2 בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ) ), whose three
aspects, three levels of love of God, correspond to the three patriarchs.
The most important example of two words in the Torah that exhibit a circumference to diameter ratio (within integers) are the first two words of the Ten
Commandments, “I am Havayah [your God]…”: The word for “I am” ( אָנֹכִי ) equals 81, while Havayah (י־הוה) equals 26.
If we follow the same rationale for “Shabbat”,(שָׁבָּת702 which we saw above corresponds to the suppression of the remainder of π, we find that its diameter would be 223, or “There is none but Him” ( אֵין עֹוד מִלְבַדֹו ), or “This is the thing,” ( זֶה הַדָבָר ), both
indicating a revelation of the Radla, as above. The latter,in particular, is the idiom that differentiates between the clarity of Moshe’s prophecy and the riddled nature of other prophets’ prophecies. Indeed, Moshe Rabbeinu received prophecy through his faculties of thought (particularly his wisdom), whereas all other prophets received it through their faculties of imagination.
3
Returning to the finite limit of π, the next decimal fraction is 3.142 (this is the closest decimal approximation to 3.14159…) and its integer equivalent is 3142. Does 3142 also appear in this verse? If it does, we ב"ה would expect it to appear in the words following the Name Shakai (314), “but by my Name, Havayah, I was not known to them.” Rashi writes that God is saying that by not revealing the Name Havayah, “I did not reveal to them my measure of truth.” In our context,God’s measure of truth refers to the secret of the true measure of π. In other words, what the verse is saying is
that God’s Name Havayah ( וּשְׁמִי י־הוה ) contains the secret of the remainder of π. Let us see how.
The gematria of the words in the verse up to this final phrase
( (וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵ־ל שַׁדָּי is 1292.4 The remaining two words in the verse, “But, by my Name, Havayah” ( וּשְׁמִי י־הוה ) both have 4 letters. The secret here is that instead of just the regular gematria of these two words, we need to calculate the equivalent of their dot product (this is called “particular multiplication,“ הַכָּאַָה פְּרָטִית , in Kabbalah).
י ∙ ו ┴ ה ∙ ש ┴ ו ∙ מ ┴ 10 = ה ∙ י ∙ 6 ┴ 300 ∙ 5 ┴ 6 ∙ 10 ┴ 10 ∙ 5 = 1850
And indeed, 1292 ┴ 1850 = 3142!
Continuing the above logic, the next whole number to look for is 31416. To discover this number in our verse we need to divide it into two parts, 31 and 416.5
First note that the two-letter Name of God Kel ( ,(אֵ־ל 31, appears 3 times before in the verse as “to” ( אֶל ), “to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”6 In the final phrase of the verse these same two letters invert to spell lo ( ,(לא “no” or “not,” “I was not known to them,” alluding to the unknowable remainder of π.
Now note that the first word of the verse (for which
the Torah portion is named) is “I have appeared” ( (וָאֵרָא
shares the same number, 208, as one of the three
patriarchs mentioned immediately in the continuation:
Isaac. This phenomenon is understood to mean that the
Divine revelation to all of the three patriarchs was
through the conduit of the soul-root of Isaac (208 = 8 ·
26, or 8 times Havayah). The sages teach us7 that Isaac is
the patriarch of the future. The light inherent in his
soul and name will be the Divine revelation of the
future.
The word after “I have appeared” is “to” ( אֶל ), whose
value is 31. The word before “Isaac” is also “to” ( .(אֶל
The word between the two “to” is Abraham, whose
name equals 248, or 8 times “to” ( אֶל ), meaning that the
three words between “I have appeared“ and “Isaac“ are
equivalent to 10 times “to” ( אֶל ), or 310, which
according to the logic of our present analysis is the
same as 31! And the gematria of these two words, “I have
appeared” ( וָאֵרָא ) and “Isaac” ( יִצְחָק ) both equal 208 so
their combined value is 416. So here we have discovered
the two parts of 31416 in our verse! This is the
beginning of the revelation of the future.
In the future the exact value of the transcendental
number π will be known to all those who will connect
to God in awe, as it is said, “the secret of Havayah is to
those who fear Him, and His covenant He will make
known to them.”8 The secret of π’s remainder relates to
name Havayah, as we saw, and this secret will be made
known to those who fear Him. In Hebrew, the word
used in reference to the patriarchs, “I did not make
known [to them]” ( נֹודַעְתִּי ) is the same as the word in
this verse, “I will make known to them” ( .(לְהֹודִיעַם
Furthermore, both verses refer to God’s covenant,
implicitly implying that the secret of π’s remainder is
the secret of God’s covenant with the Jewish people.
The finite limit approach to π’s remainder reflects the
stage of separation. The very concept of a limit, a
dividing line, is an expression of separation. In
addition, the particular verse in which this approach to
π’s remainder refers to God’s covenant, which was
given to Abraham as the commandment of circumcision
(itself separating between the Jewish people and all
other peoples of the earth). We noted above that
separation corresponds to the first mal, as in
circumcision. God’s covenant refers specifically to the
sefirah of foundation (in the human form, the
procreative organs corresponds to foundation). God’s
Name that corresponds with foundation is Shakai and
as learned from this verse, it is the Name associated
with His covenant.
Notes: 1. 3 is the 3rd prime number (counting 1 as a prime). Most
interesting is the fact that the 31st prime is 113, whose relationship
with π will be explained in the next chapter. The 314th prime is
2081. If we add these three together, we get 2197 or 133. 2.
Deuteronomy 6:5 3. Rambam Hilchot De’ot 7:6. 4. The gematria of “I
was not known to them” ( לֹא נֹודַעְתִּי לָהֶם ) is 646, which is exactly
half of 1292, an example of a whole and a half, as explained
elsewhere. 5. 31 is the value of God's Name, Kel ( 416 .(אֵ־ל is 16 times
the value of God's essential Name, Havayah. 6. Note that the
average value of “to… to… and to…” ( אֶל אֶל וְאֶל ) is 33 or “by [the
Name of] Kel” ( 7 (בְּאֵ־ל . Shabbat 89b. 8. Psalms 25:14
Dedicated in honor of the wedding of
Yosef Yitzhak Eliayhu and Naomi Tilles
Kof Kislev, 5770
The gematria of Shakai ( שַׁדַי ) is 314, easily suggesting π’s first 3 digits:
3.14.
It is essential to note that the Torah uses base 10 numbering but does not use the decimal fraction.Therefore, a number such as 3.14 can only be suggested by its integer counterpart, 314. The two numbers are of course equivalent.
The sages explain that Shakai is an acronym for “He told His world, ‘Enough!’” ( שֶׁאָמָר לְעֹולָמֹו דַי ). As expounded in the midrash, the world was created by expansion, but the expansion was at first without limit,prompting God to limit it so that reality should have boundaries. This limiting process is the equivalent of the mathematical finite limit, whereby, through a series of infinite operations, we can come progressively closer to the value of π, but of course can never define it exactly.
The implication that π can be known through a limiting process is found in the first verse of parshat Va’eira,I have appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob by the Name of Kel Shakai, but by my Name, Havayah, I was not known to them.
In this verse, first, the 3 patriarchs are mentioned.
Then the Name Kel ( אֵ־ל ) appears, whose numerical value is 31.
Then, the Name Shakai, whose numerical value is 314.
Hence, this verse reveals the first three numbers in the infinite progression that is π : 3, 3.1, 3.14, …
The identification of π with 3 made by the sages is itself an allusion to the 3 patriarchs, since the sages themselves denote the intrinsic connection between
the patriarchs and the number 3,
“Only three are called patriarchs, Abraham. Isaac, and Jacob.”
The ratio of 3:1 alludes to the clear-cut faith that the patriarchs bestowed unto the Jewish nation, the faith in one God.
1
The numerical value of the three patriarchs ( אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק יַעֲקֹב ) is 638, or the product of 22 and 29. If 638 is the circumference of a circle then the closest integer to its diameter would be 203, or 7 · 29. Indeed, this illustrates the closest ratio to π for integers under 100,which is 22/7. 203 is also the value of just the first three letters of “Abraham” ( אבר ) before the hei that God added to his name upon commanding him to circumcise himself. The literal meaning of these three
letters is “limb” or “wing” (i.e., “arm”), suggesting the diameter of a circle. In addition, these three letters permute to spell bara ( ברא ), “create,” the first verb of the Torah, and indeed the first three letters of the Torah.
If we then add the circumference to the diameter we get 841, or 292 or 21 (which denotes the inspirational number of 21, or 212 ┴ 202).
Amazingly, the value of the words “to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב) ) is 737, the exact value of “He told His world, ‘Enough!’” ( .(שֶׁאָמָר לְעֹולָמֹו דַי 737 is also the value of the words, “With all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your all”2 בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ) ), whose three
aspects, three levels of love of God, correspond to the three patriarchs.
The most important example of two words in the Torah that exhibit a circumference to diameter ratio (within integers) are the first two words of the Ten
Commandments, “I am Havayah [your God]…”: The word for “I am” ( אָנֹכִי ) equals 81, while Havayah (י־הוה) equals 26.
If we follow the same rationale for “Shabbat”,(שָׁבָּת702 which we saw above corresponds to the suppression of the remainder of π, we find that its diameter would be 223, or “There is none but Him” ( אֵין עֹוד מִלְבַדֹו ), or “This is the thing,” ( זֶה הַדָבָר ), both
indicating a revelation of the Radla, as above. The latter,in particular, is the idiom that differentiates between the clarity of Moshe’s prophecy and the riddled nature of other prophets’ prophecies. Indeed, Moshe Rabbeinu received prophecy through his faculties of thought (particularly his wisdom), whereas all other prophets received it through their faculties of imagination.
3
Returning to the finite limit of π, the next decimal fraction is 3.142 (this is the closest decimal approximation to 3.14159…) and its integer equivalent is 3142. Does 3142 also appear in this verse? If it does, we ב"ה would expect it to appear in the words following the Name Shakai (314), “but by my Name, Havayah, I was not known to them.” Rashi writes that God is saying that by not revealing the Name Havayah, “I did not reveal to them my measure of truth.” In our context,God’s measure of truth refers to the secret of the true measure of π. In other words, what the verse is saying is
that God’s Name Havayah ( וּשְׁמִי י־הוה ) contains the secret of the remainder of π. Let us see how.
The gematria of the words in the verse up to this final phrase
( (וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵ־ל שַׁדָּי is 1292.4 The remaining two words in the verse, “But, by my Name, Havayah” ( וּשְׁמִי י־הוה ) both have 4 letters. The secret here is that instead of just the regular gematria of these two words, we need to calculate the equivalent of their dot product (this is called “particular multiplication,“ הַכָּאַָה פְּרָטִית , in Kabbalah).
י ∙ ו ┴ ה ∙ ש ┴ ו ∙ מ ┴ 10 = ה ∙ י ∙ 6 ┴ 300 ∙ 5 ┴ 6 ∙ 10 ┴ 10 ∙ 5 = 1850
And indeed, 1292 ┴ 1850 = 3142!
Continuing the above logic, the next whole number to look for is 31416. To discover this number in our verse we need to divide it into two parts, 31 and 416.5
First note that the two-letter Name of God Kel ( ,(אֵ־ל 31, appears 3 times before in the verse as “to” ( אֶל ), “to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”6 In the final phrase of the verse these same two letters invert to spell lo ( ,(לא “no” or “not,” “I was not known to them,” alluding to the unknowable remainder of π.
Now note that the first word of the verse (for which
the Torah portion is named) is “I have appeared” ( (וָאֵרָא
shares the same number, 208, as one of the three
patriarchs mentioned immediately in the continuation:
Isaac. This phenomenon is understood to mean that the
Divine revelation to all of the three patriarchs was
through the conduit of the soul-root of Isaac (208 = 8 ·
26, or 8 times Havayah). The sages teach us7 that Isaac is
the patriarch of the future. The light inherent in his
soul and name will be the Divine revelation of the
future.
The word after “I have appeared” is “to” ( אֶל ), whose
value is 31. The word before “Isaac” is also “to” ( .(אֶל
The word between the two “to” is Abraham, whose
name equals 248, or 8 times “to” ( אֶל ), meaning that the
three words between “I have appeared“ and “Isaac“ are
equivalent to 10 times “to” ( אֶל ), or 310, which
according to the logic of our present analysis is the
same as 31! And the gematria of these two words, “I have
appeared” ( וָאֵרָא ) and “Isaac” ( יִצְחָק ) both equal 208 so
their combined value is 416. So here we have discovered
the two parts of 31416 in our verse! This is the
beginning of the revelation of the future.
In the future the exact value of the transcendental
number π will be known to all those who will connect
to God in awe, as it is said, “the secret of Havayah is to
those who fear Him, and His covenant He will make
known to them.”8 The secret of π’s remainder relates to
name Havayah, as we saw, and this secret will be made
known to those who fear Him. In Hebrew, the word
used in reference to the patriarchs, “I did not make
known [to them]” ( נֹודַעְתִּי ) is the same as the word in
this verse, “I will make known to them” ( .(לְהֹודִיעַם
Furthermore, both verses refer to God’s covenant,
implicitly implying that the secret of π’s remainder is
the secret of God’s covenant with the Jewish people.
The finite limit approach to π’s remainder reflects the
stage of separation. The very concept of a limit, a
dividing line, is an expression of separation. In
addition, the particular verse in which this approach to
π’s remainder refers to God’s covenant, which was
given to Abraham as the commandment of circumcision
(itself separating between the Jewish people and all
other peoples of the earth). We noted above that
separation corresponds to the first mal, as in
circumcision. God’s covenant refers specifically to the
sefirah of foundation (in the human form, the
procreative organs corresponds to foundation). God’s
Name that corresponds with foundation is Shakai and
as learned from this verse, it is the Name associated
with His covenant.
Notes: 1. 3 is the 3rd prime number (counting 1 as a prime). Most
interesting is the fact that the 31st prime is 113, whose relationship
with π will be explained in the next chapter. The 314th prime is
2081. If we add these three together, we get 2197 or 133. 2.
Deuteronomy 6:5 3. Rambam Hilchot De’ot 7:6. 4. The gematria of “I
was not known to them” ( לֹא נֹודַעְתִּי לָהֶם ) is 646, which is exactly
half of 1292, an example of a whole and a half, as explained
elsewhere. 5. 31 is the value of God's Name, Kel ( 416 .(אֵ־ל is 16 times
the value of God's essential Name, Havayah. 6. Note that the
average value of “to… to… and to…” ( אֶל אֶל וְאֶל ) is 33 or “by [the
Name of] Kel” ( 7 (בְּאֵ־ל . Shabbat 89b. 8. Psalms 25:14
Dedicated in honor of the wedding of
Yosef Yitzhak Eliayhu and Naomi Tilles
Kof Kislev, 5770
The Names are a tool to help humanity gain control over chaos
Kabbalah teaches that every human being shares the same ultimate purpose in life, which is to receive the complete joy and fulfillment that God desires for us. But while this is easy to say, true spiritual work is needed to remove the negative tendencies that separate us from life’s gifts. And as we undertake this work, our souls need technical support, as would a computer or any other highly sensitive mechanism.
One of Kabbalah’s most important teachings is that we are not alone in life’s tasks. There are powerful tools to help us, including the Bible itself. Kabbalah teaches that the Bible is neither a topic for academic study nor a book of commandments and prohibitions meant to be taken literally. Rather, the Bible is a coded document in which the true underpinnings of the universe lie hidden — including the amazing spiritual technology known as the 72 Names of God.
What exactly are the 72 Names? According to Kabbalistic teachings, 72 unique combinations of Hebrew letters from Chapter 14 of the book of Exodus create a spiritual vibration that is a powerful antidote to the negative energy of the human ego. This revelation is a crucial step forward in the work of Kabbalistic masters over thousands of years.
Each succeeding generation of sages has advanced the task of decoding the Bible — each building on the work of those who came before, each making its own contribution to Kabbalistic wisdom. The purpose and commitment of the Kabbalah Centre is to continue this work. Kabbalistic scholar Yehuda Berg devoted five years to researching and discovering the concealed meanings of the combinations of letters that comprise the 72 Names. Their revelation has been a breakthrough in the centuries-long history of Kabbalah.
The key to connecting with the power of the Names is found in the specific biblical passages from which they are derived. As the Bible describes, 600,000 Israelites stood on the banks of the Red Sea. Pharaoh and the Egyptian army were in pursuit. With the water in front of them and their enemies behind them, there seemed to be nowhere the Israelites could turn. They could only cry out to God for salvation. And what did the Creator say in response to their cries? This is one of the most carefully studied and debated passages in all biblical scholarship. The reply was: "Why are you calling out to me?"
But whom could the Israelites call upon if not God? The Kabbalists explain that the passage is an encrypted message explaining the secret of human nature and the way to overcome the challenges we face throughout our lives.
In its commentary on this passage, the Zohar, the source of Kabbalistic wisdom, explains that there was no need for the Creator's help — because at that moment Moses revealed the 72 Names, and the collective consciousness of the people was elevated. But not a single molecule of water moved until the people had physically moved forward into the sea with unwavering certainty. Only when they were neck-deep in the waves — and still maintained complete certainty that the water would part — did the sea part to give them a passage to freedom.
As the Zohar makes clear, the purpose of the 72 Names is hidden in the story in which they are found. The Names are a tool to help humanity gain control over chaos by controlling physical nature. By their use of the 72 Names, the Israelites overcame the ego-based negativity of doubt and thus changed the nature of water until it no longer flowed. According to Kabbalah, humanity is destined to have control over physical nature; the only obstacle is our ego. Overcoming ego at its very foundation brings control of the physical world, and that is the purpose of the INSTRUMENT THAT IS THE 72 NAMES.
The Zohar further explains that, despite what we might believe, our ego is not actually who we are. Rather, the Kabbalists describe the ego it as a garment, a curtain that hides the Light of our genuine selves. Our purpose in this world is to remove the garment that conceals our true essence and potential.
One of Kabbalah’s most important teachings is that we are not alone in life’s tasks. There are powerful tools to help us, including the Bible itself. Kabbalah teaches that the Bible is neither a topic for academic study nor a book of commandments and prohibitions meant to be taken literally. Rather, the Bible is a coded document in which the true underpinnings of the universe lie hidden — including the amazing spiritual technology known as the 72 Names of God.
What exactly are the 72 Names? According to Kabbalistic teachings, 72 unique combinations of Hebrew letters from Chapter 14 of the book of Exodus create a spiritual vibration that is a powerful antidote to the negative energy of the human ego. This revelation is a crucial step forward in the work of Kabbalistic masters over thousands of years.
Each succeeding generation of sages has advanced the task of decoding the Bible — each building on the work of those who came before, each making its own contribution to Kabbalistic wisdom. The purpose and commitment of the Kabbalah Centre is to continue this work. Kabbalistic scholar Yehuda Berg devoted five years to researching and discovering the concealed meanings of the combinations of letters that comprise the 72 Names. Their revelation has been a breakthrough in the centuries-long history of Kabbalah.
The key to connecting with the power of the Names is found in the specific biblical passages from which they are derived. As the Bible describes, 600,000 Israelites stood on the banks of the Red Sea. Pharaoh and the Egyptian army were in pursuit. With the water in front of them and their enemies behind them, there seemed to be nowhere the Israelites could turn. They could only cry out to God for salvation. And what did the Creator say in response to their cries? This is one of the most carefully studied and debated passages in all biblical scholarship. The reply was: "Why are you calling out to me?"
But whom could the Israelites call upon if not God? The Kabbalists explain that the passage is an encrypted message explaining the secret of human nature and the way to overcome the challenges we face throughout our lives.
In its commentary on this passage, the Zohar, the source of Kabbalistic wisdom, explains that there was no need for the Creator's help — because at that moment Moses revealed the 72 Names, and the collective consciousness of the people was elevated. But not a single molecule of water moved until the people had physically moved forward into the sea with unwavering certainty. Only when they were neck-deep in the waves — and still maintained complete certainty that the water would part — did the sea part to give them a passage to freedom.
As the Zohar makes clear, the purpose of the 72 Names is hidden in the story in which they are found. The Names are a tool to help humanity gain control over chaos by controlling physical nature. By their use of the 72 Names, the Israelites overcame the ego-based negativity of doubt and thus changed the nature of water until it no longer flowed. According to Kabbalah, humanity is destined to have control over physical nature; the only obstacle is our ego. Overcoming ego at its very foundation brings control of the physical world, and that is the purpose of the INSTRUMENT THAT IS THE 72 NAMES.
The Zohar further explains that, despite what we might believe, our ego is not actually who we are. Rather, the Kabbalists describe the ego it as a garment, a curtain that hides the Light of our genuine selves. Our purpose in this world is to remove the garment that conceals our true essence and potential.
Transform ourselves
The purpose of our lives is to transform ourselves so that we can receive complete and ultimate fulfillment. We are here in this world to reach our potential and literally become like God, with giving and sharing as the foundation of our being. Yet the process of self-transformation is not something that happens on an abstract or theological level; instead, it takes place between ourselves and other people. Our relationships — especially those with the people to whom we are closest — are the real opportunities we are given to emulate the tolerance, sharing, and love that are the Creator’s essence. These are the qualities that our relationships can teach us, and these are the qualities we most need to learn if we are to fulfill the true purpose of our lives.
Once we understand this, everything that takes place between ourselves and others appears in a new light. Being in love — and opening ourselves to an infinite range of shared emotions and experiences — becomes much more than just romantic or exciting. On a far more profound level, at the level of our souls, we are changing and growing. We are literally drawing closer to God, and in so doing we are opening ourselves to the fulfillment that closeness brings.
What’s more, it is not just the joyful moments we share that foster this transformation; even hard times or points of conflict are opportunities for positive change. In fact, the difficult moments we face are the real opportunities that a relationship gives us. What seems to be a problem is actually a gift: a chance to remove an internal obstacle that stands between ourselves and the unlimited happiness that is our real destiny.
Too often our focus is on meeting the right person, on somehow discovering that one-in-a-million human being who exactly fits our needs and specifications. But Kabbalah teaches that this is putting the emphasis in the wrong place. Becoming the right person — not finding the right person — is the real key to loving relationships. What’s more, difficulties and disagreements are without exception opportunities for us to become that right person — to take complete responsibility, both on the practical level of how we deal with conflict, and on the level of how we see our lives as a whole. When we shift perspective away from "winning" and toward helping those we love — especially when we’re angry — anger immediately dissipates. This is not a miracle; it’s simply the way things work at the level of positive and negative energies. Just as darkness cannot coexist with light, conflict cannot remain when you have a true intention to help and share with others.
If you keep experiencing the same relationship problems over and over again, it’s because you haven’t realized where the real problem lies. You’re still waiting for others to change without really correcting the aspects of yourself that you need to transform. Making this correction is a fundamental aspect of our spiritual work. There’s even a Hebrew word for it: tikkun. Completing your tikkun is why your soul is in the world in this lifetime. In fact, the Kabbalists explain that souls come to the world many times in order to attain their spiritual correction, and they will continue to do so until they finally achieve the correction once and for all. Your closest relationships are the place where your tikkun can really be completed — where you don’t just find the person you were looking for, but literally transform yourself into the person you are meant to be.
God created the world; God caused us to come into being. But now our task is to become the cause in our own right: to emulate the sharing essence of the Creator, and in this way receive the fulfillment that the Creator desires and intends for us. This is the knowledge and the wisdom that our relationships have come to teach us. And this is what we must open our hearts to learn.
Call out quote: "It is nothing less than the reason the world, as well as the universe as a whole, was created at the beginning of time."
Once we understand this, everything that takes place between ourselves and others appears in a new light. Being in love — and opening ourselves to an infinite range of shared emotions and experiences — becomes much more than just romantic or exciting. On a far more profound level, at the level of our souls, we are changing and growing. We are literally drawing closer to God, and in so doing we are opening ourselves to the fulfillment that closeness brings.
What’s more, it is not just the joyful moments we share that foster this transformation; even hard times or points of conflict are opportunities for positive change. In fact, the difficult moments we face are the real opportunities that a relationship gives us. What seems to be a problem is actually a gift: a chance to remove an internal obstacle that stands between ourselves and the unlimited happiness that is our real destiny.
Too often our focus is on meeting the right person, on somehow discovering that one-in-a-million human being who exactly fits our needs and specifications. But Kabbalah teaches that this is putting the emphasis in the wrong place. Becoming the right person — not finding the right person — is the real key to loving relationships. What’s more, difficulties and disagreements are without exception opportunities for us to become that right person — to take complete responsibility, both on the practical level of how we deal with conflict, and on the level of how we see our lives as a whole. When we shift perspective away from "winning" and toward helping those we love — especially when we’re angry — anger immediately dissipates. This is not a miracle; it’s simply the way things work at the level of positive and negative energies. Just as darkness cannot coexist with light, conflict cannot remain when you have a true intention to help and share with others.
If you keep experiencing the same relationship problems over and over again, it’s because you haven’t realized where the real problem lies. You’re still waiting for others to change without really correcting the aspects of yourself that you need to transform. Making this correction is a fundamental aspect of our spiritual work. There’s even a Hebrew word for it: tikkun. Completing your tikkun is why your soul is in the world in this lifetime. In fact, the Kabbalists explain that souls come to the world many times in order to attain their spiritual correction, and they will continue to do so until they finally achieve the correction once and for all. Your closest relationships are the place where your tikkun can really be completed — where you don’t just find the person you were looking for, but literally transform yourself into the person you are meant to be.
God created the world; God caused us to come into being. But now our task is to become the cause in our own right: to emulate the sharing essence of the Creator, and in this way receive the fulfillment that the Creator desires and intends for us. This is the knowledge and the wisdom that our relationships have come to teach us. And this is what we must open our hearts to learn.
Call out quote: "It is nothing less than the reason the world, as well as the universe as a whole, was created at the beginning of time."
Evil Eye
Long ago, the ancient kabbalists revealed a powerful technology of protection. Its purpose is twofold: to protect us from the envious looks of others, and to help us eliminate feelings of jealousy and resentment in ourselves. The technology is the Red String: a strand of red wool worn around the left wrist. This technology is an indispensable tool for spiritual and physical protection.
The teachings of Kabbalah do not include prohibitions or commandments. Instead, the kabbalists speak of positive and negative energies. The negative energies of jealousy and envy emanate through the eyes—which gave rise to the very vivid and very ancient term, the Evil Eye.
The Evil Eye is part of the wisdom history of all humanity. It was spoken of by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. It was written of in the Bible. It has been accorded fear and respect by kings, queens, and conquerors throughout the ages. The ancient Greek seafarers painted eyes on the prows of their ships as protection against this power. The Romans called it oculus malus. To the Scots it was droch shuil. Kabbalists refer to it as ayin horeh.
According to the kabbalists, this form of negative energy can affect our lives and well-being. It can hold us back from achieving our destinies and it can also cause us to lose what we have already achieved.
Applying the Red String Technology
Worn around the left wrist, the Red String works in the same way as the vaccines of modern medicine. When we receive a vaccination against a disease, a weakened strain of the illness is integrated into the vaccine. Spiritual immunizations are based on a similar principle. Kabbalah teaches that colors have specific frequencies and energies. Red, for example, is the color of danger. By binding a Red String to ourselves in a very specific manner, we shield ourselves against the dangerous negativity that might be directed our way—a spiritual vaccine against the destructive forces of the Evil Eye.
The color red is one part of the technology. The rest begins in Israel, where a length of Red String is wound around the tomb of Rachel, the matriarch of the Bible. Rachel is considered by kabbalists to be the mother of the world, and her greatest desire is to defend all of her children from evil. Throughout her life, Rachel acted as the protector of all humankind. According to Kabbalah, the burial sites of the righteous are a portal to the energy they created in their lifetimes. The Red String is brought to Rachel’s tomb where it is infused with her force of protection—for no power is stronger than a mother’s natural protective love. In a practical sense, this is a challenging task, because Rachel’s tomb is located in one of the most politically volatile areas of Israel. But each and every Red String sold by the Kabbalah Centre must undergo this process in order to be considered an authentic form of protection against the Evil Eye.
The Red String is individually sized and worn around the left wrist. The left side of the body has been identified by kabbalists as the area where energy enters. The left arm and hand pertain to the concept of receiving; the right arm and hand embody the power of imparting. Negative forces, therefore, enter the body through the left side. By wearing the Red String on the left wrist, negative energies are intercepted at the precise point of entry. The string is tied in a carefully prescribed sequence of seven knots, each of which symbolizes a separate spiritual dimension that infuses our reality. It’s important that someone who loves us—someone we deeply trust—ties the string around our wrist. As they do, we should ask for the power to radiate kindness, compassion, appreciation, and absence of the Evil Eye to everyone around us.
The teachings of Kabbalah do not include prohibitions or commandments. Instead, the kabbalists speak of positive and negative energies. The negative energies of jealousy and envy emanate through the eyes—which gave rise to the very vivid and very ancient term, the Evil Eye.
The Evil Eye is part of the wisdom history of all humanity. It was spoken of by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. It was written of in the Bible. It has been accorded fear and respect by kings, queens, and conquerors throughout the ages. The ancient Greek seafarers painted eyes on the prows of their ships as protection against this power. The Romans called it oculus malus. To the Scots it was droch shuil. Kabbalists refer to it as ayin horeh.
According to the kabbalists, this form of negative energy can affect our lives and well-being. It can hold us back from achieving our destinies and it can also cause us to lose what we have already achieved.
Applying the Red String Technology
Worn around the left wrist, the Red String works in the same way as the vaccines of modern medicine. When we receive a vaccination against a disease, a weakened strain of the illness is integrated into the vaccine. Spiritual immunizations are based on a similar principle. Kabbalah teaches that colors have specific frequencies and energies. Red, for example, is the color of danger. By binding a Red String to ourselves in a very specific manner, we shield ourselves against the dangerous negativity that might be directed our way—a spiritual vaccine against the destructive forces of the Evil Eye.
The color red is one part of the technology. The rest begins in Israel, where a length of Red String is wound around the tomb of Rachel, the matriarch of the Bible. Rachel is considered by kabbalists to be the mother of the world, and her greatest desire is to defend all of her children from evil. Throughout her life, Rachel acted as the protector of all humankind. According to Kabbalah, the burial sites of the righteous are a portal to the energy they created in their lifetimes. The Red String is brought to Rachel’s tomb where it is infused with her force of protection—for no power is stronger than a mother’s natural protective love. In a practical sense, this is a challenging task, because Rachel’s tomb is located in one of the most politically volatile areas of Israel. But each and every Red String sold by the Kabbalah Centre must undergo this process in order to be considered an authentic form of protection against the Evil Eye.
The Red String is individually sized and worn around the left wrist. The left side of the body has been identified by kabbalists as the area where energy enters. The left arm and hand pertain to the concept of receiving; the right arm and hand embody the power of imparting. Negative forces, therefore, enter the body through the left side. By wearing the Red String on the left wrist, negative energies are intercepted at the precise point of entry. The string is tied in a carefully prescribed sequence of seven knots, each of which symbolizes a separate spiritual dimension that infuses our reality. It’s important that someone who loves us—someone we deeply trust—ties the string around our wrist. As they do, we should ask for the power to radiate kindness, compassion, appreciation, and absence of the Evil Eye to everyone around us.
Scorpio
The month of Scorpio is often viewed as a difficult one. The Zohar describes it as a time when challenges can arise. Following the month of Libra, with its holidays and cosmic openings, Scorpio can seem like a dark time, a letdown from the previous month. But we know that the greatest potential exists when things appear darkest. That's certainly true now.
The Tetragrammaton combination for Scorpio, the four channels through which the Light of the Creator flows down to us and to this world, is Vav Hei Hei and Yud.
The first point to notice about this combination is that the two instances of the letter Hei, the feminine side, are enclosed on one end by the Vav and on the other end by the Yud, two male aspects. This signifies that the feminine aspect of the manifestation of the Light of the Creator is enveloped and protected by the male aspect.
As the kabbalists explain, in this month there is an element of challenge. Every one of us will probably feel it. We also have the Vav and the Yud protecting our more vulnerable feminine side. When we look at Scorpio's combination of letters - Vav, Hei, Hei and Yud - we understand that meditating on these letters gives us the ability to protect and elevate ourselves for the many challenges or difficulties we may experience during this month.
Certainly, whenever we encounter difficulties, it's important to remember one of the most important lessons that I've learned from the Rav, my father, which is that although there are going to be difficult situations in life, as long as we have certainty that eventually the outcome will be positive, we won't worry so much about how we are going to get there. This is a key understanding for us to keep in mind during Scorpio. When we connect with and meditate on the tool of the Tetragrammaton, we will have certainty of the final positive outcome, despite any interim ups and downs.
When we are certain that the end of each process will be positive, the fact that there are challenges along the way will not faze us. This is why the Tetragrammaton for this month ends with the Yud, which we know is the seed from which all blessings, all great manifestations come from. So in constructing this code in this way, the kabbalists are teaching us that the end is in the beginning and that the positive beginning is also at work in the end, so there is nothing to worry about.
Another important lesson for this month concerns the concept of "borrowed Vessels." When my father was living in the United States and Rav Brandwein, his teacher, was living in Israel, they would often speak on the phone and correspond through letters. In one such letter, Rav Brandwein taught the Rav, and all of us, a very important lesson: The Light cannot rest with darkness. Rav Brandwein wrote, "Blessings cannot come together with curses. In order to draw more Light – to draw more fulfillment and more blessings into our lives – we need to be of Light. We need to be like the Creator. We cannot draw the Light of the Creator into our lives unless we are like the Light of the Creator."
That's an interesting conundrum because it implies that if we are not yet completely connected to the Light of the Creator, we can't receive more Light.
But if we can't receive more Light, how can we become more like the Creator? How can we draw more Light into our lives? If blessings cannot rest with curses and if Light cannot manifest with darkness, then how do we draw more blessings into our life when we are not yet perfect, when we are not yet connected to the Light?
In answer to this question, Rav Brandwein explained that what we need to do is borrow from our own perfection. The kabbalists teach that each one of us is guaranteed to achieve perfection. Every single one of us will perfect our soul and will connect completely to the Light of the Creator. Every single one of us will eventually be fulfilled. We will receive the fulfillment and blessings for which we are brought into this world.
How long that process will take is something that only we can determine. It may take us a day, or a year, or 50 years, or even many lifetimes. But once we know that the end is guaranteed, that every single one of us will achieve that perfection, then, as Rav Brandwein explained, we can draw upon that connection. We can draw upon our own future perfection.
We know, as the kabbalists teach, that time – the concepts of today, yesterday, and tomorrow – is an element that exists only in this physical world. The spiritual world, the Supernal World, does not operate within the framework of time limitations. There is no time, space, or motion in the spiritual world. That means that the ultimate perfection that will be achieved by us at some point in time can actually be connected to right now.
This is one of the key teachings of Rav Ashlag in The Ten Luminous Emanations. There is no time, space, and motion at the highest level of reality. So the perfection that each one of us is guaranteed to achieve some time in the future is actually, in the spiritual world, already a fact. We can connect to that perfection at this very moment. We can draw upon that perfection to help us in the physical world. What an exciting, amazing concept this is! At this exact moment, every single one of us can connect to our perfected self, to the self that is completely connected to the Light, completely at peace, and completely fulfilled.
Not only can we do this, as Rav Brandwein explained, but we need to do this. If we want to draw more Light into our life, connecting to our perfected self is the first step. We must know in our consciousness that we can do this and that we will do this. Then we can draw that perfection and use what Rav Brandwein called our "borrowed Vessels" to draw Light.
This means that anytime I am in a situation where I want more Light – whether it is in my relationship with my children, with my wife, with my family, whether it's in business or in any aspect of my life where I want more blessings – I can have those blessings immediately because I actually already have them in the Supernal Realm
Of course, there needs to be a meditation to connect to our perfected self that precedes the drawing of the Light. If we want to draw Light, if we want to draw blessings, we must have a Vessel that the Light can enter into. That Vessel is our perfected self. This is a very basic understanding. Without it, Rav Brandwein explained we cannot draw the maximum volume of Light; we can draw a limited amount of Light. But if we want to draw boundless Light and endless blessings, then we need to connect to our perfected self.
Once again, the dark side will question us whether we really deserve to achieve perfection. Do we really believe that we deserve to have complete fulfillment? But we do deserve it because in the spiritual world, in the metaphysical world beyond our five senses, there is the perfection that we have already achieved. Our perfected self is already there. Every single one of us is perfect at this very moment. Through our meditation and our consciousness, we simply need to connect to that perfected self. Then, through those borrowed Vessels, we can draw all the boundless Light into our life. But until we begin to connect to our perfected self, until we begin to understand the concept of borrowed Vessels and connect to that reality, we can only draw a limited amount of Light.
This month of Scorpio has within it the gift for every single one of us to connect to our perfected self. Simply grasping this fact brings immense encouragement for reaching our ultimate goal. Once we understand the power of this month, we not only acquire the Vessel but also the ability to draw endless blessings and Light into the Vessel of our lives.
So, during Scorpio, whether it's every day or every two days or however often we choose, we need to take the time to meditate, to think, to strengthen our consciousness of our perfect self. As Rav Brandwein wrote, it is through our awareness and our consciousness and our meditation that we create a borrowed Vessel through which endless Light can enter our lives. Unless we utilize this gift of the borrowed vessel, the amount of Light that we draw into our lives will be limited.
I hope we're now beginning to see that the entire month of Scorpio is a tremendous opportunity to connect with the energy shield that can protect us from all darkness and negativity and to experience a truly exalted and powerful life.
The Tetragrammaton combination for Scorpio, the four channels through which the Light of the Creator flows down to us and to this world, is Vav Hei Hei and Yud.
The first point to notice about this combination is that the two instances of the letter Hei, the feminine side, are enclosed on one end by the Vav and on the other end by the Yud, two male aspects. This signifies that the feminine aspect of the manifestation of the Light of the Creator is enveloped and protected by the male aspect.
As the kabbalists explain, in this month there is an element of challenge. Every one of us will probably feel it. We also have the Vav and the Yud protecting our more vulnerable feminine side. When we look at Scorpio's combination of letters - Vav, Hei, Hei and Yud - we understand that meditating on these letters gives us the ability to protect and elevate ourselves for the many challenges or difficulties we may experience during this month.
Certainly, whenever we encounter difficulties, it's important to remember one of the most important lessons that I've learned from the Rav, my father, which is that although there are going to be difficult situations in life, as long as we have certainty that eventually the outcome will be positive, we won't worry so much about how we are going to get there. This is a key understanding for us to keep in mind during Scorpio. When we connect with and meditate on the tool of the Tetragrammaton, we will have certainty of the final positive outcome, despite any interim ups and downs.
When we are certain that the end of each process will be positive, the fact that there are challenges along the way will not faze us. This is why the Tetragrammaton for this month ends with the Yud, which we know is the seed from which all blessings, all great manifestations come from. So in constructing this code in this way, the kabbalists are teaching us that the end is in the beginning and that the positive beginning is also at work in the end, so there is nothing to worry about.
Another important lesson for this month concerns the concept of "borrowed Vessels." When my father was living in the United States and Rav Brandwein, his teacher, was living in Israel, they would often speak on the phone and correspond through letters. In one such letter, Rav Brandwein taught the Rav, and all of us, a very important lesson: The Light cannot rest with darkness. Rav Brandwein wrote, "Blessings cannot come together with curses. In order to draw more Light – to draw more fulfillment and more blessings into our lives – we need to be of Light. We need to be like the Creator. We cannot draw the Light of the Creator into our lives unless we are like the Light of the Creator."
That's an interesting conundrum because it implies that if we are not yet completely connected to the Light of the Creator, we can't receive more Light.
But if we can't receive more Light, how can we become more like the Creator? How can we draw more Light into our lives? If blessings cannot rest with curses and if Light cannot manifest with darkness, then how do we draw more blessings into our life when we are not yet perfect, when we are not yet connected to the Light?
In answer to this question, Rav Brandwein explained that what we need to do is borrow from our own perfection. The kabbalists teach that each one of us is guaranteed to achieve perfection. Every single one of us will perfect our soul and will connect completely to the Light of the Creator. Every single one of us will eventually be fulfilled. We will receive the fulfillment and blessings for which we are brought into this world.
How long that process will take is something that only we can determine. It may take us a day, or a year, or 50 years, or even many lifetimes. But once we know that the end is guaranteed, that every single one of us will achieve that perfection, then, as Rav Brandwein explained, we can draw upon that connection. We can draw upon our own future perfection.
We know, as the kabbalists teach, that time – the concepts of today, yesterday, and tomorrow – is an element that exists only in this physical world. The spiritual world, the Supernal World, does not operate within the framework of time limitations. There is no time, space, or motion in the spiritual world. That means that the ultimate perfection that will be achieved by us at some point in time can actually be connected to right now.
This is one of the key teachings of Rav Ashlag in The Ten Luminous Emanations. There is no time, space, and motion at the highest level of reality. So the perfection that each one of us is guaranteed to achieve some time in the future is actually, in the spiritual world, already a fact. We can connect to that perfection at this very moment. We can draw upon that perfection to help us in the physical world. What an exciting, amazing concept this is! At this exact moment, every single one of us can connect to our perfected self, to the self that is completely connected to the Light, completely at peace, and completely fulfilled.
Not only can we do this, as Rav Brandwein explained, but we need to do this. If we want to draw more Light into our life, connecting to our perfected self is the first step. We must know in our consciousness that we can do this and that we will do this. Then we can draw that perfection and use what Rav Brandwein called our "borrowed Vessels" to draw Light.
This means that anytime I am in a situation where I want more Light – whether it is in my relationship with my children, with my wife, with my family, whether it's in business or in any aspect of my life where I want more blessings – I can have those blessings immediately because I actually already have them in the Supernal Realm
Of course, there needs to be a meditation to connect to our perfected self that precedes the drawing of the Light. If we want to draw Light, if we want to draw blessings, we must have a Vessel that the Light can enter into. That Vessel is our perfected self. This is a very basic understanding. Without it, Rav Brandwein explained we cannot draw the maximum volume of Light; we can draw a limited amount of Light. But if we want to draw boundless Light and endless blessings, then we need to connect to our perfected self.
Once again, the dark side will question us whether we really deserve to achieve perfection. Do we really believe that we deserve to have complete fulfillment? But we do deserve it because in the spiritual world, in the metaphysical world beyond our five senses, there is the perfection that we have already achieved. Our perfected self is already there. Every single one of us is perfect at this very moment. Through our meditation and our consciousness, we simply need to connect to that perfected self. Then, through those borrowed Vessels, we can draw all the boundless Light into our life. But until we begin to connect to our perfected self, until we begin to understand the concept of borrowed Vessels and connect to that reality, we can only draw a limited amount of Light.
This month of Scorpio has within it the gift for every single one of us to connect to our perfected self. Simply grasping this fact brings immense encouragement for reaching our ultimate goal. Once we understand the power of this month, we not only acquire the Vessel but also the ability to draw endless blessings and Light into the Vessel of our lives.
So, during Scorpio, whether it's every day or every two days or however often we choose, we need to take the time to meditate, to think, to strengthen our consciousness of our perfect self. As Rav Brandwein wrote, it is through our awareness and our consciousness and our meditation that we create a borrowed Vessel through which endless Light can enter our lives. Unless we utilize this gift of the borrowed vessel, the amount of Light that we draw into our lives will be limited.
I hope we're now beginning to see that the entire month of Scorpio is a tremendous opportunity to connect with the energy shield that can protect us from all darkness and negativity and to experience a truly exalted and powerful life.
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