Something and Nothing

n the first day of Shavuos, we read the description of Matan Torah where Hashem Hershel Reichman Ospeaks to the entire nation of Bnei , RIETS Yisrael and tells them of the Aseres Hadibros, the Ten Commandments. Compiled by Rabbi Tani Prero Rashi explains that the Ten Commandments include the entire Torah. The Jewish people accepted a body. Motion is foreign to Him. why we think God is hidden. At Har the whole Torah at Har Sinai, even He is everywhere. Targum Onkelos Sinai, Hashem removed the blindfolds though they only heard the Ten translates vayered not as motion, but that stop the human spirit from seeing Commandments. The rest of the as a revelation, v’isgeli. According to Him. God let Himself be perceived. Torah was given to them during their the Targum, the Almighty appeared at This is what the Targum means 40 years in the desert. By accepting Sinai. What does this mean? — v’isgeli — God revealed Himself. the Ten Commandments, Bnei Yisrael essentially accepted the entire Torah. Chassidus teaches a basic rule of the Inspiration from Above and spiritual world about the interplay Shem Mishmuel, Yisro 5671, cites the Below between man and God. In the human Gemara, Shabbos 86b, that records experience, we oscillate between a dispute as to the exact date of the In truth, the world is filled with God’s perception and revelation of Hashem. giving of the Torah. All opinions glory — M’lo chol ha’aretz k’vodo Surprisingly, Hashem does not control agree, however, that Hashem gave (Yeshayahu 6:3). Hashem is found this. Rather it is controlled by people. the Torah to the Jewish people on everywhere. But there is a barrier in He would reveal Himself, but we are the day of Shabbos. We mention our perception of Him. We don’t see the ones who don the blindfolds. The in our Shabbos prayers that Moshe Him everywhere. Our perception is prophet said, “Avonoseichem hayu received the luchos on Shabbos. weak. If a blind person is in a room mavdilim beineichem u’vein Elokeichem Apparently this was an important part with beautiful paintings, he won’t — your sins separate you from your of Matan Torah. Why was the Torah see them because his perception is Lord” (Yeshayahu 59:2). Our own supposed to be given on Shabbos? limited. A person who can see but failings prevent us from seeing the is wearing a blindfold won’t be able The verse (Shemos 19:20) tells us glory of Hashem. He would allow to see either. Hashem’s presence is that Hashem came down (vayered) Himself to be seen if only we would everywhere. We should be able to on Har Sinai to teach the Ten remove our masks. see it because we are spiritual beings. Commandments. Vayered can’t be But there is something blocking our This human influence on the spiritual taken literally. God doesn’t have sensitivity to this perception. This is world is called isarusa d’l’tata, the movement from below. Human In the human experience, we oscillate between beings create the beginning of the movement. Then Hashem responds perception and revelation of Hashem. with an isarusa d’l’eila, a movement Surprisingly, Hashem does not control this. from above. This is like two spouses who had a Rather it is controlled by people. He would fight. One of them will have to make the first move toward reconciliation, reveal Himself, but we are the ones who don either the husband or the wife. the blindfolds. According to Chassidus, in our

23 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Shavuot 5776 relationship with Hashem, we deep eitza b’lev ish, a spiritual wisdom, discuss divrei chol, sports, business, the people have to make that first waiting to be tapped. This is where and recreation. It is a day dedicated to move. In halacha, the effectiveness the isarusa d’l’tata comes in. You prayer and study of Torah. It is a day of teshuva also begins from our crack open the passage for those deep when families come together. It is a side, from below. The Midrash Shir( waters, and Hashem will widen that beautiful, holy day. 5:2) describes this crack for you, giving you access to a Hashirim Rabbah The day of Shabbos itself supports as if Hashem says to us: Open for me whole world of spirituality. the isarusa d’l’tata. Even this the tiniest crack in your iron armor, As a in a yeshiva, I see an movement from below has a secret which is blinding you and blocking amazing amount of spirituality guiding hand from above. Hashem you from me, and I will widen this sitting in the Jewish soul. We should gives us the day of Shabbos, a special crack to be as wide as the grand not write off people as impossible day to rest from the wearisome, stale entrance to a huge hall. People must to reach. Mayim amukim, eitza b’lev atmosphere of the six days of the make that first move, then Hashem ish. The underground water is a week. We can find our refuge and true responds with much more than what tremendous reservoir below the selves on the holy day of Shabbos. people can do themselves. The isarusa surface. Once you crack that surface, It gives us the ability to open up is the first move. It makes the d’l’tata it is revealed. Each person himself and make the first move toward the first crack in the wall that separates has the ability to uncover his latent Almighty. us from our Father in Heaven. After spirituality. We must believe that we we make the first move, Hashem will The day comes with so much are able to do this. make the rest of the wall crumble. revelation and holiness. The Jew I have seen people make such great begins the process with isarusa מַ יִם עֲ מֻ ִים ּקעֵצָה בְלֶב אִ יׁש וְאִ יׁש ְ ּתבּונָה changes in their lives. They did not d’l’tata and Hashem continues יִדְ ֶל ָ ּנה. discover something new. The power to with isarusa d’l’eila. Shabbos is the day Deep waters are the thoughts of man’s change and grow already exists deep of Matan Torah, because Shabbos is heart and a wise man will draw them inside of us. The ability to connect the day on which we are ready to make out. to our Creator is a latent ability the first move toward Hashem. On Mishlei 20:5 within us. Isarusa d’l’tata is the first Shabbos we connect to Him — and Chovos Halevavos, in his introduction, step required to evoke the isarusa that’s why He connects to us. explains that underground there is a d’l’eila when Hashem comes down in lot of water, which can nurture many response to us. Yesh and Ayin, To Be or Not people as well as animals and plants. To Be? The only problem is that it’s not easily Shabbos: The Best Day accessible. We have to dig deep to to Access Your Spiritual Shem Mishmuel explains a great find it. Many people have a feeling that Reservoir concept, the problem of yesh and ayin, they don’t have a spiritual capability. existence and nonexistence. The This is a mistake. The human being The best day of the week to open question is, do I really exist, am I real, has an amazingly deep reservoir of our spiritual reservoir is Shabbos. or is the only true existence Hashem? spirituality. Even if it is covered, it is Shabbos is a day dedicated completely After all, what am I in contrast to still there under the surface. This is to God. We completely abandon Him? Shem Mishmuel explains like an underground well, waiting to our weekday focus and burdens. the Chassidic understanding of the be tapped to release its voluminous On Shabbos we don’t discuss our philosophical issue of man’s worth in waters. In the human soul there is a financial needs and plans. We don’t the shadow of God.

Find more shiurim and articles from Rabbi Hershel Reichman at http://www.yutorah.org/Rabbi-Hershel-Reichman

24 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Shavuot 5776 Is Adam something, yesh, or nothing, Yesh and Ayin in Our Avodas world a place of spirituality. We have ayin? Chassidus, and Torah in Hashem tremendous power to achieve, and we general, take a dialectical approach to have great responsibility that comes address this issue. On the one hand, In Chassidus, there are two ways that with the power. man is great. People are like angels, we serve Hashem. One way is by There is a different way of serving sometimes even greater than angels. being a yesh, being something with Hashem, as ayin. The thought The whole world is created for people. tremendous spiritual energy. We have process of ayin is somewhat different. The heavens, sun, moon, and stars great worth. We must serve Hashem I will let Hashem take over, I am were all created for man to be able with our powers and strengths. On too weak. If I try too much it is to serve God. God spent six days the other hand, there is a service of audacious. I will give myself to preparing a gorgeous hotel that we call the Almighty through bitul hayesh, by the Master of the Universe and let earth. People are great, so Hashem being an ayin, a nothing, and losing Him take me wherever He wants. wanted the world to be great for them. yourself in the vastness of Hashem’s This is the mida of Avraham ohavi, People are the goal and crown of all of infinite being. When we lose ourselves who said “I am nothing but dust.” creation. in Him, He then takes us as ayin. This is also the mida of Moshe, This is a very high level of service of On the other hand, our importance who said v’nachnu ma. This was Hashem. This is the level of Avraham, fades when contrasted with the also the mida of David Hamelech, who said (Bereishis 18:27) anochi Creator of it all. When faced with who said ani tola’as v’lo ish, “I am afar va’eifer, “I am nothing but God, man seems to be practically [insignificant as a] worm.” (Tehillim dust.” Hashem calls Avraham ohavi, worthless. As David wrote in 22:7)” Hashem shelters me and my beloved (Yeshayahu 41:8). Tehillim 8, “What is man that you protects me. Moshe Rabbeinu also said (Shemos pay attention to him?” Our planet 16:7) v’nachnu ma, “Who are This is how Hashem treated Bnei Earth is not even a speck in the Aharon and I, we are nothing,” Yisrael when He took us out of universe. The stars appear to us as just part of God’s reality, which is Mitzrayim. Hashem told us before He mere specks of light in the skies, everything in this world. According gave us the Torah: but we know how big they really to Chassidus, this is a higher level of אַ ּתֶם רְ אִיתֶ ם אֲ ֶ ׁשר עָשִיתִ י לְמִ צְרָ יִם וָאֶשָ א are. Someone standing on a planet serving Hashem. אֶתְ כֶם עַ ל ּכַנְפֵ י נְׁשָרִ ים וָאָבִא אֶתְ כֶם אֵ לָ י. in another galaxy would barely see our sun, and certainly would never All of us live this dialectic. We You saw what I did in Egypt, I carried see Earth. The Milky Way itself is a know we have to do great things you on the wings of eagles and I brought relatively small galaxy compared to to observe Torah and mitzvos. We you to Me. others. Our sun is a relatively small have to use our skills and abilities Shemos 19:4 star, and our planet is relatively small to achieve greatness. We must face Hashem took Bnei Yisrael on clouds in comparison to the rest of the solar challenges and overcome them. We of glory to carry them to Sinai to system. On our planet, we humans are yesh. We have an identity; we have receive the Torah. Still today, we are are smaller than the oceans and the responsibility to use our power. We riding on His wings. We are nothing, mountains, the elephants, whales and must be active, get up and conquer the like little children clinging on to trees and many other beings. When world for God’s sake and the Torah’s our mother’s bosom, as the verse in compared to Hashem’s vastness and sake and to make this world a better Tehillim (131:2) says, k’gamul alei infinity, we are truly nothing. place. Each person has his unique imo. Like a baby who completely responsibility that he must contribute On the one hand, Adam and Chava identifies and clings to his mother, to the world. This is all a function are direct creations of God and we cling to Hashem, our father and of yesh. We are more than anything the whole world is created to serve mother. From this perspective, the else God created. Vatchasreihu me’at them. On the other hand, they are nothingness of a human being is his me’elokim, we are just a little lower meaningless and infinitesimal. greatness because it means he has a than God (Tehillim 8:6). He charged complete connection with Hashem. us to make this world a better place. We must help the poor, make the

25 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Shavuot 5776 We are each involved in this paradox the Torah in its fullest sense, he must own abilities. He cannot say I have between yesh and ayin. We are make himself like a desert. A desert limited skills or abilities. Mayim powerful and yet we are helpless, we has nothing, no trees nor flowers. A amukim eitza b’lev ish. We don’t know are mature adults and at the same person who wants to gain Torah must the extent of our abilities. I am always time helpless babies. We confront this not be interested in a fat bank account, surprised as a teacher to see how paradox all the time. There are things not interested in luxuries. He is like many students become great in Torah. that we should do, and there are things a desert, which doesn’t even have Their abilities lie untapped under the that are beyond our ability to control. rain. There’s nothing there but sand surface. Once tapped they gush forth We live with this paradox all the and dust. Hashem gave it to us and like fountains of water. These are the time. We have to work to get our jobs gave us power to explain and develop abilities planted deep within every done, and we must be willing to step it. As special and great as we are, to Jewish person back to let Hashem finish the work receive Hashem’s special incredible Today in Israel we see Jewish children sometimes. We need to be humble at Torah, we must understand still that gushing with Torah. Children age 7 times. a person is nothing. Moshe was the or 8 know whole sforim of chumash by most humble of all people. This is why heart, and mishnayos too. It is mayim he was zoche to Torah. Humble people Torah and Yesh and Ayin amukim eitza b’lev ish. Now this are the greatest Torah scholars, and potential is being tapped in front of the greatest of the Jews. Within Torah as well there is a struggle our very eyes. between the yesh and ayin, between My Rav zt”l rebbe At the same time, we must realize that the me and the not me. Hashem was so humble. My Rav rebbe muvhak we are dust at the feet of our Torah gave us the Torah, and gave us the Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt”l was also teachers. It is important to let the ability to study and understand it. exceedingly humble. These two great Torah teacher take you on his wings He even gave us the power to make giants always had time to answer even up to the Torah. It is important to be decisions about Torah, the power to the most elementary questions of a humble and not a baal gaavah. The implement the Torah. This starts with young student. They made themselves Torah does not like haughtiness. Like the talmid chacham who interprets like a midbar. They were able to say “I water, the Torah goes down to the Torah lishma as his mind sees it. It is as don’t know. I spent 75 years studying lowest point. Torah seeks those who if He says, “My dear Jewish children, Torah, I’m a genius and I still say I are humble. take the Torah and use it. It is yours.” don’t know.” This is the greatness The Gemara says Torah dilei, the of gedolei Yisrael. They know the secret We Jews are privileged to have Torah of a talmid chacham is his own of being like a desert and of losing received the Torah from God. We (Kiddushin 32b). This is why he can oneself in the vastness of the Torah. received this lesson of being at the forgive his kavod (honor) as a talmid The Torah is the daas of Hashem, same time both something and chacham. He is a partner in Torah expressed in this way. A person must nothing, isarusa d’l’tata, our actions with Hashem Himself. The oral Torah make his ego null and void to truly when we act as a yesh, and isarusa was given to the scholars of Israel to merit Torah knowledge. d’l’eila, Hashem’s actions, and we interpret and to try to understand are ayin. God responds to us from We don’t learn the Torah with what God meant. The Gemara says Infinity to take away the mask that we close up personal interest. We must that that Hashem said “nitzchuni ourselves have put over our own eyes. banai — My children defeated me,” approach it with the question: What when the overruled a heavenly is Hashem teaching me? We lose Let us hope and pray that on Shavuos, voice. “Now that My children have ourselves in His values, goals and we study, learn, live and receive the made a decision about halacha, I have teachings. Torah. May we be zoche to know when to understand as My children have we are something and when we are explained,” concedes Hashem. Conclusion nothing, how to be humble and great at the same time! On other hand, the midrash Someone who wants to be a great ( 1:7) says that if Bamidbar Rabbah student in Torah must recognize his someone wants to merit receiving

26 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Shavuot 5776