R' Ashlag Ch. 8

Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"

-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

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Chapter 8

1.

"So let's now plumb the depths of the kabbalists’ viewpoint we cited in the third inquiry (in Ch. 2). We were struck by their statement (there) that our souls are a part of G-d much the way a stone is a part of the mountain it's hewn from, the only difference being that one is a 'piece' while the other is the 'whole'."

-- What does the statement that "our souls are a part of G-d" mean? G-d certainly can't be subdivided, because if we assumed that He *could* be then we'd be forced to arrive at certain inanities like the idea that everyone is, say, a trillionth of G-d. But if that were so, then G-d would only be an aggregate of His parts, and as soon as one would be missing, He'd be that much less-than perfect. But that's absurd since G-d is perfect and whole, "one, sheer, complete, total, unalloyed, and indivisible" (2:1).

"For after all, it's one thing to say that a stone can be hewn from a mountain by an ax made for that purpose -- but how could anyone say anything like that about G-d? And *with what* were our souls 'hewn' and withdrawn from Him in order to become created entities?"

-- There's also the dilemma of what tool one could ever use to separate a "part of G-d" from "the rest of Him". It would obviously have to be stronger than Him, which is also absurd, by definition.

2.

"But now we can understand this for ourselves: for just as (something physical like) an ax can hew and separate physical things from each other, (something intangible like) a difference of *tsurah* can likewise separate two spiritual things from each other. Let's illustrate that. While we'd consider two people who love each other as being 'attached' to each other and a single entity (for all intents and purposes), on the contrary we'd consider two people who hate each other as being as disparate as east is from west."

-- This is a complex paragraph, with many points made. Let's begin by defining terms. One's *tsurah* {*tsurot* in the plural} is his make-up and character, which is to say his physical, intellectual, and emotional selfness -- your impalpable "you", and my impalpable "me". And we'lll add that a tsurah is termed "spiritual" even though it has nothing to do with one's soul because it refers to a person's intangible personal qualities.

-- Now, the Hebrew term for "attachment", *d'vekut*, usually alludes to the sort of selfless and utterly amorphous adhesion onto the Divine that the righteous long for and sometimes achieve. It's taken to be the fulfillment of a great degree of adoration for G-d and is often depicted as swooning before the Divine Presence. The closest everyday experiences we have of it are great and whole camaraderie or romantic love. But R' Ashlag will present us with an entirely different understanding of the term.

-- His point here is that when one person's make-up, and character is aligned with another's, the two are very compatible and they're thus great friends or in love with one another, and are "attached". Contrarily, if their make-up and characters are *in*compatable, there's an intangible psychic breach between them that's just as real as the breach between two hewn stones. Hence, what attaches people to each other is the likeness of their tsurot.

"It wouldn't be a question of their physical proximity so much as a compatibility of tsurot."

-- Their physical proximity wouldn't have anything to do with their attachment, since they could be "close" to each other on an emotional, psychic level even if they were worlds apart if their tsurot were on par. After all, they'd be compatible because of the high degree of affinity between them.

"For when their tsurot are so identical that each loves what the other loves and hates what the other hates they in fact love one another and are 'attached' to one another. But if they have disparate tsurot -- meaning that one of them loves something that the other hates (and vice versa) -- then the more disparate they are, the farther from and less attached are they to each other. As such, if they're comprised of opposite tsurot and each one loves what the other hates and vice versa, then they're as distant from each other as east is from west, which is to say, utterly so."

-- So what is it that attaches us onto G-d? It must be the things we have "in common" with Him. Apparently, then, when we're at variance with Him we're distant from Him. Recall, though, that G-d is everywhere; so in fact the only way anyone could ever be said to be "distant" from Him would be in his make-up and character.

(c) 2004 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

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Get your own copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” by logging onto http://www.aronson.com/jbookstore/ and typing in "The Gates of Repentance".
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has translated and commented upon "The Gates of Repentance", "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). And his new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available from Judaica Press.
His works are available in bookstores and in various locations on the Web.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled "Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal".

A Condensation of Tanya (Part 4)

A CONDENSATION OF RABBI SHNEUR ZALMAN'S "TANYA"
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
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PART FOUR: Ch's 26-34

1. There are several things for each one of us to watch out for that could dissuade us from drawing close to G-d and to dedicating ourselves to His service -- things that eat away at our simple happiness.

2. After all, success at drawing close to Him hinges upon our ability to overcome our untoward urges, and we only manage to do that well when we're happy, enthusiastic, and inspired in our Divine service. But we fail at it when we serve G-d in a sluggish, humdrum, worrisome, and dispirited sort of way. So it would obviously serve us well to know how to be and stay happy.

3. For, "if it's true that when one of two wrestlers trying to throw the other to the ground is sluggish, the other is sure to win even if the sluggish one is actually stronger, it's likewise true that it's impossible to defeat the yetzer harah sluggishly" (Ch. 26), despite your innate goodness and gifts. So we'd also need to learn how to avert the sort of sluggishness and humdrum borne out of sadness.

4. The truth be known, sometimes it's perfectly appropriate to be averse to and bitter about (though not saddened by) by certain things -- like your failings. But it's important not to be sad or worried about everyday things not related to your spiritual standing, even when they touch upon some serious things like family, health and livelihood. You're to do all you can to accept everything happily (in ways to be explained).

5. Even when your sadness is based upon your spiritual standing, there's a healthy way to react to it. It would be to express contrition and *bitterness* about your sins (i.e., to experience a "bad taste in your mouth" about them; to find them disgusting and unpalatable, rather than bleak and disheartening). But even that should only be expressed at specific times. If such feelings come upon you on their own, though, then you're to do all you can to nullify them, since sadness then is rooted in unholiness.

6. In fact, there's little difference as to whether sadness comes over you when you're engaged in mitzvot or at work (for example); it only comes upon you to throw you off-track and to encourage you to sin. But if it comes upon you at work than you should be glad about being given the opportunity to fulfill the injunction not to be swayed by the promptings of your heart or your eyes. If it comes upon you while you're engaged in mitzvot, then you're to likewise reject them. But don't then be concerned that you should be having untoward thoughts or the like while you're praying or studying Torah, since rather than indicating that you're unworthy, it underscores the fact that you're being (deservedly) challenged.

7. Now, if you suffer from the aforementioned sluggishness and dispiritedness, and you can't arouse yourself to serve G-d, then know that all that comes over you because your inner husk is overcovering G-d's light and thus closing you off to its influence. The best thing to do would be to shatter that husk by subjugating yourself to G-d and asking Him for help. It also helps to realize your distance from G-d at that time and how impure your sins have left you, and to dwell upon your spiritual stature even in comparison to many others you'd ordinarily consider to be more lowly than you.

8. Should that make you sad in fact (which we're trying to avoid, recall), know that that's a beneficial sadness which will help you to overcome your failings, and will lead to the aforementioned cleansing and beneficial contrition and bitterness that would foster true repentance and the sort of joy that comes from liberating one's soul from the exile of life in a body.

9. In fact, having that perspective also makes it easier for us to love other Jews as we're enjoined to. After all, we'd have come to realize how much more significant the soul is than the body in the big picture, and how much more joy there is in spiritual rather than material attainment. And that would lead us to focus upon the soul of our fellow Jews rather than upon their personal selves, and to love them on *that* level (which in turn helps us to foster a love of G-d).

10. In any event (returning to our main theme for this section), the best way to achieve true joy is to dwell deeply upon the reality of G-d's omnipresence and dominion (as is explained), and to set that in your heart firmly. For that will enable you to set up a dwelling place for Him in your full being.

(c) 2004 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

********************************
Get your own copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” by logging onto http://www.aronson.com/jbookstore/ and typing in "The Gates of Repentance".
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has translated and commented upon "The Gates of Repentance", "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). And his new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available from Judaica Press.
His works are available in bookstores and in various locations on the Web.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled "Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal".

A Condensation of "Da'at Tevunot" (Part 3)

A CONDENSATION OF RABBI MOSHE CHAIM LUZZATTO'S "DA'AT TEVUNOT"
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Part Three: The Epoch of "Hester Panim" (The Concealing of the Divine Visage)

1. This epoch is characterized by the presence -- and outright prominence -- of both right and wrong, throughout. Neither right nor wrong is as clear-cut or open-and-shut as it could be; and each has its own vindicator. While baffling, that situation still and all allows for choice, and it thus affords us the chance to perfect ourselves (by choice). But it also allows for out-and-out wrong and all its complications to become stronger.

2. Despite that, though, and not withstanding its hiddenness, G-d's goodness and presence still *does* manifest itself in the universe then, though in a relatively reduced state.

3. Another way of putting that is to say that despite appearances, G-d's utter dominion *is* still in play then -- in the background. It's in fact the force behind all that happens, and it still-and-all sees to it that everything -- right and wrong -- that happens contributes to the eventual revelation of G-d's utter dominion. (Ponder the stunning implications of that! And consider it in light of Song of Songs 2:9's statement that "My beloved is like a gazelle or young hart", so swift is He; "behold, He stands behind our wall" for now, but He nonetheless "looks in through the windows, and peers through the lattice", ready to come forward any moment.)

4. It's just that the Divine attribute of justice (which rewards right and disciplines wrong) must still play itself out in the course of things as they are now, even though G-d's ameliorating attribute of utter dominion (which transcends right and wrong) is still-and-all here as we said, in the background.

5. But that raises another question about G-d's revelation of His ultimate dominion. Didn't we already point out that G-d's full Being can't be comprehended? So what's the significance of the statement that He'll eventually reveal His full dominion?

6. This touches on a profound notion with wide and high implications that's only to be said outright by the unperturbed, and in a hush. But let's at least offer this: that it does indeed speak to G-d's very Being itself. Yet let's also suggest that we not go deeper into the sea than we can swim.

7. But in short, it harkens back to the idea we'd mentioned that G-d utilized and manifested just a fragment of His Being to create the cosmos (see Part 2, #1 and #21; and #2 above), and thusby created the universe that we could endure (and that could provide us with all our needs), rather than one that He's fully capable of creating. It's also important to underscore that He likewise created us in a way that only expresses a fragment of *our* being, in order to allow us the opportunity to perfect ourselves.

8. So, in answer to the question posed in #5 above, when G-d reveals His utter Dominion over everything, that wouldn't be His very Self He'd be revealing so much as "only" the highest and most sublime aspect of Himself that He utilizes to interface with the truncated universe He created. But we're also taught that that revelation will then undue our blemishes and will allow us to achieve the sort of relative perfection apropos to our beings. (Ramchal refers to our ultimate perfect state elsewhere, but that's beyond the scope of the subject at hand).

9. Everything in the universe -- right and wrong, major and minor, etc. -- will serve to have ushered in that near-perfect state at that point. And we'll come to understand in the course of the World to Come just how everything in fact played such a role and served to assert G-d's Omniscience.

10. At bottom it all comes down to the fact that every act of perfection is attributable to something G-d Himself did or had something else do, much the way that everything continues to exist thanks only to G-d's own will that it does. For G-d must exist for anything else to exist while everything exists only because G-d wants it to. For His will provides the "space" (i.e., wherewithal) for everything to exist. After all, He existed before anything else did and thus enabled and continues to enable everything else to exist; and he's utterly independent -- though desirous -- of them and everything associated with them.

(c) 2004 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

********************************
Get your own copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” by logging onto http://www.aronson.com/jbookstore/ and typing in "The Gates of Repentance".
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has translated and commented upon "The Gates of Repentance", "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). And his new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available from Judaica Press.
His works are available in bookstores and in various locations on the Web.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled "Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal".