"The Great Redemption" (14)

"The Great Redemption" by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto

-- A Discourse on The End of the Exile and the Beginning of the Great Redemption

Translated by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
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14.

Since the tzaddik was calling out to the Shechina, as I explained, because so much darkness had overtaken it till then, there didn't seem to be any place for light and the Jewish Nation was despairing of ever being redeemed ... “because of their anguished spirit and ... the cruel labor” (Exodus 6:9). So the Shechina said to the tzaddik, “I have taken off my robe; how could I put it back on?” (Song of Songs 5:3).

But let me tell you what this “robe” is. It's the precious and glorious cloak given the Shechina by Binah. It's said about this, “As an eagle stirs up its nest, flutters over its young, spreads out its wings, takes them, bears them on its pinions; so did G-d alone lead him, and there was no strange god with Him” (Deuteronomy 32:11). No stranger can approach holiness nor see G-d's presence when this robe is upon the Shechina.

When the Shechina plummeted into exile it “undressed and bared” itself (see Isaiah 32:11). That is the secret import of “bare and lacking everything” (Deuteronomy 28:48), for “bare” refers to the aforementioned robe which was set up to protect it from the cold and to guard it; and “lacking everything” refers to the tzaddik. So she wears other, black and meager, garments that are termed “weekday clothes”.

There seemed to be no way to return this robe to its (rightful) place, since the Jewish Nation had committed so many sins and the husks had grown so strong, which is why it's written “I have taken off my robe; how could I put it back on?” (Song of Songs 5:3).

And in fact, there's another impurity (in play) as well, (termed) the “washing of the legs”. And, as it's known, impurity takes hold of these legs. As it's said, “Her legs descend downward to death” (Proverbs 5:5).

The two Moshichim are these legs, and they're to redeem the Jewish Nation. And even when the impurity gains strength in their roots, their ability to redeem won't be withheld, which is why it's written, “I have bathed my legs; how could I soil them” (Song of Songs 5:3). In fact this verse is a figure of speech that means to say, “I have *soiled* my feet; how could I *bathe* them”.

As such, to this point it's very hard to bring about rectification and redemption -- (and that will be true) until the King's volition will become stronger. Thus it's said, “My Beloved sent forth His hand through the hollow, and my insides yearned for him” (Song of Songs 5:4).

But, understand (what is actually occuring) and see great mysteries (unfold)!

(c) 2005 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

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

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AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman's translation of "The Gates of Repentance" has been reissued at *at a discount*! You can order it right now by logging onto www.tinyurl.com/49s8t (or by going to www.rowman.com and searching for it). 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".

"The Duties of the Heart" Gate Ten, Intro.

"In Search of Spiritual Excellence"

-- A Reworking of Classical Mussar Texts

Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org
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"The Duties of the Heart" Gate Ten, Intro.

We're about to enter the very last gate of our book, entitled "Loving G-d Wholeheartedly”. It's comprised of some very precious, fervent notions that have transported sensitive souls to higher and higher planes of Divine service.

Ibn Pakudah offered it at this point, he tells us, because he'd already cited the idea of loving G-d in the previous gate (see Ch's 3-4 there) so he thought he'd finish off the book itself with insights into how to come to love G-d in fact. After all, as he put it, "it's the greatest skill to have" to achieve spiritual excellence, "and the highest level of service to G–d humanly possible".

Loving G-d wholeheartedly is also absolutely central to the subject of this entire book, he also says. Since everything mentioned in it "about (fulfilling) the duties of the heart, about achieving good personal qualities and being benevolent is but a rung and a step up to the great level we intend to explain in this gate". And besides, "every single obligation and good quality required of us ... is an aspect of and a step up to the love of G–d, which is their aim and purpose. For there is no higher, more advanced level than it."

Now, we're taught there's another way to react devoutly to G-d aside from loving Him. And that's by fearing or, better said, *revering* Him. But the two are fundamentally different. After all, when we revere G-d, we stand apart from Him in utter awe and trepidation, respectfully; while when we love Him we draw close to Him, Intimately. So, given that both are important, though each is unique unto itself, which should we concentrate on first?

The Torah itself often places reverence for G–d before the love of Him, as in "And now, Israel, what does G–d your L–rd ask of you but to revere G–d your L–rd... and to (then) love Him" (Deuteronomy 10:12); and, "You will revere G–d your L–rd ... and (then) cling to Him" (Ibid. 10:20). Hence it seems important to learn to revere G-d before learning how to love Him. And Ibn Pakudah agrees, since "reverence is ... the most accessible step to the love of G–d, and the first gate to it". In fact, it's actually "impossible to come to the love of G–d without having come to revere Him first".

We're also told, incidentally, that "one of the greatest deterrents to the love of G–d ... is the love of *the world*", and that's another reason why Ibn Pakudah placed the Gate of Abstinence before this one. We're thus counseled to "empty our heart of the love of the world", and that "the love of G–d will fix itself in our heart, and establish itself in our soul" as a consequence.

We'll be focusing on these seven things in the course of this final gate: just what the love of G–d is; the various kinds of love of G–d; how we come to love G–d; whether it's actually humanly possible to love G–d, seeing how sublime a phenomenon it is; what prevents us from loving G–d; the various signs of the love of G–d; and finally, on the practices of those who do indeed love G–d.

(c) 2005 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman and Torah.org

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

********************************
AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman's translation of "The Gates of Repentance" has been reissued at *at a discount*! You can order it right now by logging onto www.tinyurl.com/49s8t (or by going to www.rowman.com and searching for it). 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".

"The Great Redemption" (13)

"The Great Redemption" by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto

-- A Discourse on The End of the Exile and the Beginning of the Great Redemption

Translated by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
_____________________________________________

13.

I’ll now explain certain verses from Song of Songs that incorporate major themes about the P’kidah.

It’s written, “I am asleep, but my heart is awake” (Song of Songs 5:2). We know that the Shechina has a great Source that never veers from its place of honor, about which it’s said ”my heart is awake”, since this Source has never fallen into the deep sleep of galut like the others. It is the “I” referred to in “I am asleep”.

The truth of the matter is that the P’kidah has to come about when the Jewish Nation is in the thick of the great darkness and pitch black in which it’s most overpowered, and when it will be cast as far away from the Source as it could. Hence it’s said, “The voice of my Beloved knocks (‘dophek’)” (Song of Songs 5:2) since dophek has the very same (Hebrew) letters as (the word) P’kidah. For everything is heading to the same point.

For the P’kidah will only come about by means of the light of Chochma. But since Chochma is its Luminary, it will only illuminate the P’kidah as if from behind. This enigma is termed pk’d which is a revuah of 72. But Binah will illuminate in the course of the Z’chirah, along with Chochma rather than alone, face to face (with her) rather than from behind, which is z’chor.

For nothing will be done without Chochma -- and certainly the gates won't be opened without it. This is expressed by the vowel signs kametz-patach. That’s why the P’kidah is to come about through its power and illumination.

That’s what’s being alluded to by “Open up to me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one” (Song of Songs 5:2), with its four salutations (corresponding to) the four letters of (G-d’s name,) A-D-N-Y. (In the phrase) “my head is filled with ‘dew’” (the word ‘dew’ ['tal']) is (numerically equivalent to the letters) YOD HAY VAV, and (the phrase) “my locks (are wet) with the drops of the night” (Ibid.) refers to the final HAY. Thus we find him now calling out to her to conjoin with him as hadn’t happened for so long.

I’ll now apprise you of several great secrets (regarding this) according to the order of some (other) verses.

(c) 2005 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

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

********************************
AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman's translation of "The Gates of Repentance" has been reissued at *at a discount*! You can order it right now by logging onto www.tinyurl.com/49s8t (or by going to www.rowman.com and searching for it). 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".