"When Jacob finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet onto the bed;he expired and was gathered to his people"(Gen. 49:33). While by Abraham, the Torah explicitly states:"And Abraham expired and died (Gen. 25:8), and by Isaac as well,"And Isaac expired and died"(Gen 35:29), the Torah does not tell us anywhere that Jacob died. From this we can logically conclude that Jacob did not in fact die. Jacob was embalmed, and eulogized and buried but he didn't die?
In Jeremiah 30:10, G-d speaks directly to Jacob:"But as for you, do not fear, My servant, Jacob, the word of Hashem, and do not be afraid, Israel; for behold, I am saving you from distant places and your descendants from the land of their captivity..." From this prophecy, we see that the future redemption of the Jewish people, Jacob's descendants, will take place simultaneously with Jacob's personal redemption. So Jacob remains in the same state of spiritual living in this world as his descendants. In other words, the continued spiritual survival of the Jewish people is essentially linked to the continued spiritual existence of Jacob's soul in this world.
From this we see the importance of focusing on the good side of every Jew and emphasizing their connection to G-d, the true source of life. Because by doing this, we are seeing their true value as descendants of Jacob and the fulfilment of Jeremiah's prophecy that Moshiach is coming to redeem a living Jewish people along with their living ancestor Jacob.
Based on the Talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
When the Angels come calling...
Following his circumcision, Avraham is all of a sudden visited by three "men"(Gen. 18:2), who later in the text are revealed to be angels (Gen. 19:1). These angels come to tell Avraham that he and Sarah are finally going to have a son together. But their opening remark is puzzling: "They said to him,"Where is Sarah your wife?"(Gen. 18:6). Why do the angels need to know where Sarah is in order to fufill their mission?
Our sages point out to us that it is proper conduct for a guest to inquire as to the welfare of the host as well as the host's wife. At this critical juncture in the birth of the Jewish people, the Torah is teaching us about politeness? Yes, just like a soul cannot function alone in this world without a body, so also a spiritual lifestyle must be accompanied with a respect and endearment for those around them. Bringing down G-d's light to the wold also involves nourishing the emotional and personal needs of those with which one is involved.
It's evident that all of Avraham and Sarah's lives have led up to this moment. Their legacy and work can only be preserved in the way of a son like Yitzchak. If they can transfer their ideals to the next generation, it means that they have connected to the ultimate truth, which is eternal. This truth can only be fostered in an environment of warmth and caring, where every guest receives the attention they deserve, and the host and hostess are recognized and thanked for their efforts.
Our sages point out to us that it is proper conduct for a guest to inquire as to the welfare of the host as well as the host's wife. At this critical juncture in the birth of the Jewish people, the Torah is teaching us about politeness? Yes, just like a soul cannot function alone in this world without a body, so also a spiritual lifestyle must be accompanied with a respect and endearment for those around them. Bringing down G-d's light to the wold also involves nourishing the emotional and personal needs of those with which one is involved.
It's evident that all of Avraham and Sarah's lives have led up to this moment. Their legacy and work can only be preserved in the way of a son like Yitzchak. If they can transfer their ideals to the next generation, it means that they have connected to the ultimate truth, which is eternal. This truth can only be fostered in an environment of warmth and caring, where every guest receives the attention they deserve, and the host and hostess are recognized and thanked for their efforts.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
I did it G-d's Way
The Torah tells us that man was created in G-d's image: "For in the image of G-d He made man"(Gen. 9:6). Yet at the same time we know that G-d has no physical form, so what could it mean that man was created in G-d's image?
There are four levels of life forms in the world - inanimate, vegetable, animal and man. Man has a different relationship with G-d unique from all other life forms as we are told:"and He blew into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living being"(Gen. 2:6). The soul of life that was planted in man is unlike that of any other creation and manifests itself in our ability to contemplate our existence and change our environment both from a technological standpoint as well as a moral standpoint. Our G-d given intellect is to be used for making the right choices and dedicating our life to elevating the world around us.
And yet, what is the underlying intention of the Torah in informing us that we have this intellectual advantage over all other life-forms, that makes us more G-d-like? Here the Torah is coming to help us escape one of the greatest philosophical quandries. Philosophers posited that if G-d gave us a mind, aren't we supposed to use it autonomously to decide what is good or what is bad? Why do we need some "book of rules", an ethical code, by which to run our lives? Why can't we decide individually by using our intellect what is the right moral code for us?
Here the Torah teaches us: the fact that our intellective soul, was created in G-d's image means it is being breathed into us constantly. The energy and vitality of the mind hinges on this very fragile connection with G-d. When we use our mind for mundane activities, our mind becomes jaded by the physicality of the world, and the connection with G-d becomes weakened, and our intellectual prowess and uniqueness weakens as well.
However, in order to make the right moral decisions, we need to to have full access to the energy and vitality of our breath connection with G-d. How do we reconnect the intellective soul to its source? By attaching ourselves to his Wisdom and Will as embodied by the Torah's commandments. Moreover, the Zohar teaches that the life and vitality of every Jew is distributed to them through the leading Torah Sages of the Generation, the Heads of the Jewish People. By seeking the guidance of our teachers and mentors, we are reconnected to our head and our life source in G-d and then we are certainly empowered to make the right decisions.
There are four levels of life forms in the world - inanimate, vegetable, animal and man. Man has a different relationship with G-d unique from all other life forms as we are told:"and He blew into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living being"(Gen. 2:6). The soul of life that was planted in man is unlike that of any other creation and manifests itself in our ability to contemplate our existence and change our environment both from a technological standpoint as well as a moral standpoint. Our G-d given intellect is to be used for making the right choices and dedicating our life to elevating the world around us.
And yet, what is the underlying intention of the Torah in informing us that we have this intellectual advantage over all other life-forms, that makes us more G-d-like? Here the Torah is coming to help us escape one of the greatest philosophical quandries. Philosophers posited that if G-d gave us a mind, aren't we supposed to use it autonomously to decide what is good or what is bad? Why do we need some "book of rules", an ethical code, by which to run our lives? Why can't we decide individually by using our intellect what is the right moral code for us?
Here the Torah teaches us: the fact that our intellective soul, was created in G-d's image means it is being breathed into us constantly. The energy and vitality of the mind hinges on this very fragile connection with G-d. When we use our mind for mundane activities, our mind becomes jaded by the physicality of the world, and the connection with G-d becomes weakened, and our intellectual prowess and uniqueness weakens as well.
However, in order to make the right moral decisions, we need to to have full access to the energy and vitality of our breath connection with G-d. How do we reconnect the intellective soul to its source? By attaching ourselves to his Wisdom and Will as embodied by the Torah's commandments. Moreover, the Zohar teaches that the life and vitality of every Jew is distributed to them through the leading Torah Sages of the Generation, the Heads of the Jewish People. By seeking the guidance of our teachers and mentors, we are reconnected to our head and our life source in G-d and then we are certainly empowered to make the right decisions.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Crimes of Passion - A Feasible Start for Humanity
The beginning of the Flood is described twice in Genesis Ch. 7. First in Gen. 7:12, "And the rain was upon the earth forty days... Then again in Gen. 7:17, "When the Flood was on the earth forty days, the waters increased..." The rain came down as a last attempt to awaken mankind to repent. But since they did not, it became a flood that wiped out the world. The first ten generations rebelled against G-d with defiance, transgressing intentionally to anger the One Above. Their defiance was to such an extent that even as the floodwaters came down, they refused to repent.
The generations between Noach and Abraham also acted immorally. And yet they were not wiped out. Rather, out of these ten generations came Abraham, who began the proces of making G-d's Kingdom down here in this world. In fact, even when these generations openly rebelled against G-d, they were not punished severely (Gen. Ch.11). Furthermore, we also see in Abraham's interaction with Pharaoh and later with Abimelech, that both these kings repented immediately when they realized they had acted against G-d will (Gen 12:17-20, Gen. 20:3-17).
The Torah is teaching us here that there are two kinds of negative energies in the world. One type of negative energy is so empty that the only way to deal with it is by washing it completely out of one's life. The other negative activity is also self-centered but nevertheless it can also come to benefit others and make the world a better place by transforming it into a constructive activity. One energy is based on a dogmatic selfishness, around which a whole system of laws and relationships is built. The other immorality manifests itself in the form of passion and heat.
In our own lives, there is a dogmatic selfishness that can only be washed away over time through the "floodwaters" of life's travails. Our passions, on the other hand, can be transformed and channeled always towards a positive and creative purpose.
The generations between Noach and Abraham also acted immorally. And yet they were not wiped out. Rather, out of these ten generations came Abraham, who began the proces of making G-d's Kingdom down here in this world. In fact, even when these generations openly rebelled against G-d, they were not punished severely (Gen. Ch.11). Furthermore, we also see in Abraham's interaction with Pharaoh and later with Abimelech, that both these kings repented immediately when they realized they had acted against G-d will (Gen 12:17-20, Gen. 20:3-17).
The Torah is teaching us here that there are two kinds of negative energies in the world. One type of negative energy is so empty that the only way to deal with it is by washing it completely out of one's life. The other negative activity is also self-centered but nevertheless it can also come to benefit others and make the world a better place by transforming it into a constructive activity. One energy is based on a dogmatic selfishness, around which a whole system of laws and relationships is built. The other immorality manifests itself in the form of passion and heat.
In our own lives, there is a dogmatic selfishness that can only be washed away over time through the "floodwaters" of life's travails. Our passions, on the other hand, can be transformed and channeled always towards a positive and creative purpose.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
What doesn't Begin, and never Ends?
"In the beginning, G-d created the Heaven and the Earth" (Gen. 1:1). This is how the Torah begins. And the astute reader asks, what are the words, "in the beginning", coming to teach me?
The Torah is a book of laws for upright moral behavior but it is also a portal between the physical dimension and G-d. How can the two connect? How can the limited and finite connect with the unlimited and infinite. These are what the words, "in the beginning", are describing. They are describing the connecting piece between us and G-d. "In the beginning" means that prior to creation was created already the potential for G-d and created beings to connect.
Inside the world, is nested the potential for bridging that gap. However, this also means that the Five Books of Moses are predicated on the understanding that there is the One Above who has no beginning and no end, and it is our intention to bond with Him through our observance of His Torah. "In the beginning" also means that our world has a beginning, but our G-d does not. He is not defined or limited.
The giving of the Torah is compared to a marriage. The first stage in a marriage is that the newly-weds come closer - they open up to each other. Nevertheless, any good relationship hinges on the recognition that there will be aspects of the other person that I will never understand or relate to. The Torah can describe to us certain aspects of G-d and bring us closer to Him. But it is predicated on the understanding that there are aspects of the relationship that go beyond words and these aspects we cannot even "begin" to describe
The Torah is a book of laws for upright moral behavior but it is also a portal between the physical dimension and G-d. How can the two connect? How can the limited and finite connect with the unlimited and infinite. These are what the words, "in the beginning", are describing. They are describing the connecting piece between us and G-d. "In the beginning" means that prior to creation was created already the potential for G-d and created beings to connect.
Inside the world, is nested the potential for bridging that gap. However, this also means that the Five Books of Moses are predicated on the understanding that there is the One Above who has no beginning and no end, and it is our intention to bond with Him through our observance of His Torah. "In the beginning" also means that our world has a beginning, but our G-d does not. He is not defined or limited.
The giving of the Torah is compared to a marriage. The first stage in a marriage is that the newly-weds come closer - they open up to each other. Nevertheless, any good relationship hinges on the recognition that there will be aspects of the other person that I will never understand or relate to. The Torah can describe to us certain aspects of G-d and bring us closer to Him. But it is predicated on the understanding that there are aspects of the relationship that go beyond words and these aspects we cannot even "begin" to describe
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Taking the Egyptians out of Egypt
In several places the Torah warns us against returning to Egypt:"He will not return the people to Egypt...for Hashem said to you,"You shall no longer return on this road again."(Deut.17:16), "For as you have seen Egypt today, you shall not see them ever again"(Exod. 14:13), as well as Deut. 28:68.
In the same vein, ancient Egypt was such a cesspool of immorality and outright wickedness that the Torah testifies about Egyptians that only after a conversion and three generations of waiting are they really ready to become completely Jewish (Deut. 23:8-9). Nevertheless, we have a tradition that the people inhabiting the land of Egypt today are only made up of a small minority of the original Egyptian nation. However, since the rest of the populace does nothing to subdue or combat their negative influence, their negativity still impacts all of Egypt in a way that makes it forbidden to dwell there even today.
But when an Egyptian today chooses to leave behind their Egyptian identity and join the Jewish people, they have completely removed themselves from the influence of this pernicious minority, and statistically it is extremely unlikely that this Egyptian convert has actual blood ties to the ancient Egyptians. Therefore, they are not bound by the Torah's limitation regarding Egyptian converts of old.
Today more than ever we see the end nearing for this small minority of people stubbornly clinging to its wicked and destructive lifestyle. The self-serving, morally corrupt ways of the Egyptians of old are reflected in the traditional authoritarian government systems in the Middle East. However, as dawn of the age of Redemption is breaking forth, more and more of the citizens of these countries are accessing their power and privilege to free themselves of their evil and narrow-minded rulers.
We must take these events of dramatic change to heart and allow them to inspire us to become more free of the old self-serving model, and prepare to enter an age of inspiration, harmony, and rapid spiritual development.
In the same vein, ancient Egypt was such a cesspool of immorality and outright wickedness that the Torah testifies about Egyptians that only after a conversion and three generations of waiting are they really ready to become completely Jewish (Deut. 23:8-9). Nevertheless, we have a tradition that the people inhabiting the land of Egypt today are only made up of a small minority of the original Egyptian nation. However, since the rest of the populace does nothing to subdue or combat their negative influence, their negativity still impacts all of Egypt in a way that makes it forbidden to dwell there even today.
But when an Egyptian today chooses to leave behind their Egyptian identity and join the Jewish people, they have completely removed themselves from the influence of this pernicious minority, and statistically it is extremely unlikely that this Egyptian convert has actual blood ties to the ancient Egyptians. Therefore, they are not bound by the Torah's limitation regarding Egyptian converts of old.
Today more than ever we see the end nearing for this small minority of people stubbornly clinging to its wicked and destructive lifestyle. The self-serving, morally corrupt ways of the Egyptians of old are reflected in the traditional authoritarian government systems in the Middle East. However, as dawn of the age of Redemption is breaking forth, more and more of the citizens of these countries are accessing their power and privilege to free themselves of their evil and narrow-minded rulers.
We must take these events of dramatic change to heart and allow them to inspire us to become more free of the old self-serving model, and prepare to enter an age of inspiration, harmony, and rapid spiritual development.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Gifts on the Road to Mental Freedom
"But when you send him [the Hebrew slave] away from you free , you shall not send him away empty handed. Adorn him generously..."(Deut. 15:13-14)
The Torah commands us to give a gift upon sending away the person who has worked for us. What is the nature of this gift? Is it part of the payments and benefits that a master owes to his worker or is it a form of tzedaka (donation) unrelated to wages. It seems clear that the latter is a more accurate description from the next verse in the same passage. "You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Hashem, your G-d, redeemed you; therefore I command you regarding this matter today."(Deut. 15:16)'
The release from Egypt of the Jewish people was the ultimate show of free kindness and generosity on G-d's behalf. The miracles that G-d wrought and the riches that the Jews left with cannot be considered as a wage or reward for their work in Egypt. Rather, they are an example of a free gift. So also the commandment of "adorning" a released Hebrew slave involves giving a free gift beyond any legal financial obligations. We have to reenact the "coming out of Egypt" for our workers through fulfilling the "adorning" commandment.
In spiritual terms, a servant and master represent two opposite states of consciousness - restricted consciousness and expanded consciousness. Restricted consciousness comprising very basic mental functions while expanded consciousness describes the ability to delve deeply and meditate on a certain idea at length, until it becomes internalized completely in all its aspects. Usually, a student's mental state compared to his teacher is like the relationship between restricted and expanded consciousness, or the relationship between a slave and a master. While a teacher is obligated to teach the student so that they will eventually be able to reach parity with their teacher's normal restricted mentality, the free gift from the teacher involves giving the student the tools to even reach the level of the teacher in his expanded mental state.
When I am teaching someone a certain concept, I need to teach them the basic principles and definitions. But I must also reveal to them the added levels of complexity that make up a mature understanding of the idea. The student must be given a glimpse of the challenges as well as benefits involved in studying and living with the idea for many years. The expanded consciousness of the teacher is a vision of the ultimate freedom that can be achieved with the proper toil and self-application.
The Torah commands us to give a gift upon sending away the person who has worked for us. What is the nature of this gift? Is it part of the payments and benefits that a master owes to his worker or is it a form of tzedaka (donation) unrelated to wages. It seems clear that the latter is a more accurate description from the next verse in the same passage. "You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Hashem, your G-d, redeemed you; therefore I command you regarding this matter today."(Deut. 15:16)'
The release from Egypt of the Jewish people was the ultimate show of free kindness and generosity on G-d's behalf. The miracles that G-d wrought and the riches that the Jews left with cannot be considered as a wage or reward for their work in Egypt. Rather, they are an example of a free gift. So also the commandment of "adorning" a released Hebrew slave involves giving a free gift beyond any legal financial obligations. We have to reenact the "coming out of Egypt" for our workers through fulfilling the "adorning" commandment.
In spiritual terms, a servant and master represent two opposite states of consciousness - restricted consciousness and expanded consciousness. Restricted consciousness comprising very basic mental functions while expanded consciousness describes the ability to delve deeply and meditate on a certain idea at length, until it becomes internalized completely in all its aspects. Usually, a student's mental state compared to his teacher is like the relationship between restricted and expanded consciousness, or the relationship between a slave and a master. While a teacher is obligated to teach the student so that they will eventually be able to reach parity with their teacher's normal restricted mentality, the free gift from the teacher involves giving the student the tools to even reach the level of the teacher in his expanded mental state.
When I am teaching someone a certain concept, I need to teach them the basic principles and definitions. But I must also reveal to them the added levels of complexity that make up a mature understanding of the idea. The student must be given a glimpse of the challenges as well as benefits involved in studying and living with the idea for many years. The expanded consciousness of the teacher is a vision of the ultimate freedom that can be achieved with the proper toil and self-application.
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