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What Have We Done for God Lately

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What Have We Done for God Lately PARASHAT MATOT-MAS’EI 5772 • VOL. 2 ISSUE 41 and bizarre. Certainly if, God forbid, we were KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ – to find ourselves in a bar, we would be hard- pressed to focus on anything sacred. The only SIDEPATH WE’RE GOIN’ HOME way we can maintain a sacred focus is to have Why is there depression, sadness and faith in the teachings of genuine tzaddikim. suffering? Our Sages teach: Whoever Believing and bearing in mind that they are By Ozer Bergman mourns Jerusalem will yet share in its the ones who are fit to lead us, gives us the rejoicing (Ta’anit 30b). Without experienc- ability to follow their lead. “Moshe wrote their goings out for their ing sorrow and mourning, there is no way journeying at the word of God” (Numbers Because another reason we are in exile is to for us to appreciate its opposite. We have 33:2). “complete” the Torah. Many think that the nothing with which to compare our Trick question: What is the opposite of sinat Torah ends with the Written Torah, or the happiness. Therefore, we must experience chinam (baseless hatred)? If you said ahavat Talmud, Kabbalah, etc. Not so. The Torah is suffering. Only then can we know the true chinam (baseless love), you’re wrong. There incomplete. As history evolves and taste of joy (Crossing the Narrow Bridge). is no such thing. If there were, it would mean humankind moves closer to Utopia—the coming of Mashiach—we Jews need more loving even the most vile, violent, cruel and deadly human animals that ever disgraced and more Torah—advice and suggestions on the planet and mankind. There is no such how to live with genuine Jewish values, even PARASHAH PEARLS mitzvah. What is the opposite of sinat as the world around us becomes more chinam? Shalom (peace). fractured and insane. When we believe that there exist authentic chakhamim who are By Chaim Kramer In Likutey Moharan I, 40, Rebbe Nachman worthy and capable of guiding us, their 30:2 This is the word that God has writes that “This is the travelogue of the words have meaning and become Torah. Children of Israel” (Numbers 33:1) is the commanded tikkun (rectification) for “Israel, this [golden There is an unexpected benefit from Moses Knew There Is No Way To Fully calf] is your god” (Exodus 32:4). What was following their lead wherever we go. Because Understand God the underlying flaw that led to such a such chakhamim increase shalom in the heretical pronouncement? A lack of faith in world (Berakhot 64a), the world becomes All the other prophets gazed into a mirror Moshe Rabbeinu. more unified. When we have faith in such that does not shine, whereas Moses gazed chakhamim, people become less jealous into a mirror that does shine (Yevamot 49b). When some had thought that Moshe was about possessions and territory, less insistent never coming back from Mount Sinai, they on the differences between themselves and All the prophets other than Moses perceived felt no need to continue following the path “others,” and more aware of the sameness images and manifestations of God, which they that he had outlined. Nor did they feel any that unites us. When we have such faith. related to as if they provided Infinite need to consult Moshe’s closest disciples Knowledge. But this was an unclear view, about what should be done. They were smart Moshe Rabbeinu was so able to re-instill corresponding to the verse "The whole earth enough, they thought, to know how to be emunat chakhamim in us that he included our is filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3)—i.e., the Jewish on their own. Oy! They ended up with desert travels in the Torah. He brought us to manifestation of Godliness via our realm of a golden calf for which we are still suffering believe that God’s will for mankind is being. (Sanhedrin 102a). contained in the Torah. So as we traveled, we focused our minds on the Ark and its Moses, however, attained a clear perception That’s also why we Jews have been contents, the Ten Commandments, ready to of Godliness on the level of the sefirah of wandering in exile, privately and collectively, live by God’s will wherever we would go and Keter, which is associated with the word MaH what). In other words, he attained the ,מה) for a few thousand years. As always, God’s wherever we would stop. When we’ll travel intention is for our benefit. Anytime and like that, with emunat chakhamim and knowledge that there is no way to fully anywhere we travel—on land, sea or air; by focused on the Torah, we’ll bring shalom to understand God’s Infinite Being. Therefore he foot, horseback, car, train, jet or boat—He the world and make it into one big Eretz always asked, “What?”—meaning, “What else wants each of us to remember to become at Yisrael. Amen. can I find out about God?” (LM II, 7:8). least a little bit stronger in emunat 31:6 Moses sent them...to the army chakhamim (faith in genuine tzaddikim). a gutn Shabbos! together with Phineas What does a walk around the block or Shabbat Shalom! commuting to work have to do with emunat —Based on Likutey Halakhot, Don’t Be Fooled By The Wicked chakhamim? Pikadon 5:19-23 Phineas flew in the air, as did Balaam Wherever you go, wherever you step, stand (Targum Yonatan on Numbers 31:8). or sit, you can elevate that place to God. But For every deed performed by a tzaddik, we you can’t do it on your own. We both know can find similar acts performed by the that even standing at the Kotel on a Friday wicked. One can be easily fooled into thinking night, our minds can wander to the foreign that a wicked person is righteous after travels we undertake when we go to our substitutes for the sacrifices, and it is written witnessing his successes and performance of houses of prayer and when we travel to the regarding the sacrifices, “Whoever has a miracles. But in the end, though the damage tzaddikim (LH VII, p. 150). blemish shall not draw close” (Leviticus the wicked do is considerable, the righteous 21:18). [On the other hand,] when a person is 35:4 One thousand cubits all around always prevail (LH I, p. 282). without blemish, this is the concept of holy The Power of “Azamra” And “Ayeh” fear, as it is written, “Nothing is lacking for 31:23 Everything that goes into fire, you those who fear Him” (Psalms 34:10). should pass through fire Two thousand cubits of land surrounded Through holy fear, a person merits each Levite city. The inner 1,000 cubits were We Must Transform Our Lust For This wholeness and peace (Zohar II, 79)—that is, to be left empty for the inhabitants’ use. The World Into Passion for God to have “peace in his bones”—and there is outer 1,000 cubits were designated for fields harmony between his body and his soul. A person should always beseech God to and vineyards (Rashi). Then he will draw close to the pure, purify his heart. one thousand) is spelled the untainted service of God and his prayer will ,אלף) ELePh the first letter of the be complete. Through prayer, he will merit ,אלף) If he has already begun serving God, he same as ALePh should increase his devotions with renewed Hebrew alphabet). To truly take refuge from “overall peace,” which is the perfection of all passion. But if until now he has been burning the forces of evil, one needs the two lessons the worlds. For this reason, prayer is called with lust for the things of this world, he must of Rebbe Nachman that begin with the letter KoRBan (sacrifice)—since it effects a KeiRuV I will (a “bringing near”), bringing the worlds ,אזמרה) !The first is Azamra .(א) transform that desire into a passion for the Aleph service of God. Thus, “everything that goes sing), which speaks of finding the good points closer to their perfection. This is what is into fire”—the fire of lust—“you should pass within oneself (LM I, 282). For the “land” meant by “overall peace,” or peace in all the through fire”—you must transform it into a should be planted, and you can find good worlds, and this is why we conclude the passionate devotion to God (LM I, 156:1). things to “grow and develop” within yourself. [Amidah] prayer with the word BaShalom But when you think that things are very bad (with peace). 33:1 These are the travels and you have so many unanswered [This idea is exemplified in Phineas, who Idolatry And Lack Of Faith Lead To Travel questions, you must recall the lesson of Ayeh? achieved “overall peace,” as it is written, ”Where) (ibid., II, 12). Even though the “Behold, I give him My covenant of peace ,איה) Because the Jews sinned with EiLeH Elokekha “land” seems empty, devoid of Godliness, it is These are your gods) (Exodus (Numbers 25:12). The prophet Elijah also ,אלה אלהיך) not. It serves a purpose, and God exists even came to make peace, and Elijah is one and the 32:4), they had to experience EiLeH masei there (LH III, p. 75a). These are the travels) (Asarah same personage as Phineas. All this came ,אלה מסעי) about through prayer, as it is written, “And Ma’amarot; Yalkut Reuveini, Mas'ei).
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