Learning for Times of Uncertainty and Challenge 7 December Loving the Brokenness: Chassidic sources on love and challenge
Rabbi Menahem-Mendl of Kotzk, Sefer Amud Ha-Emet, p. 89 אין שלם כלב שבור, אין ישר כסולם עקום, ואין עקום כבדותת-יושר (גלייך ווערטל) There is nothing more whole than a broken heart. There is nothing more straight than a crooked letter. And there is nothing more crooked than true stories.
Leviticus 19:18 ֹ ֹ ֽל ִא־תקֹּ֤ם וְֽל ִא־תטֹּר֙ ֶא ְת־בֵּ֣ני ַעֶמָּ֔ך You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against וְֽאָ ַהְב ָתּ֥ ְלֵרֲעָ֖ך ָכּמ֑ ָוֹך ֲאנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃ .your countrymen Love your fellow as yourself: I am the LORD.
וְֽאַָהְב ָתּ֥ v'ahavtah ְלֵרֲעָך֖ l'reiachah ָכּמ֑וָֹך kamochah ֲאִ֖ני ani יְהוָֽה adonai ְלֵרֲעָך֖ Defining the word ֵרַע 1. shouting, roar ֵרַע 1. friend, companion, fellow, another person 1. friend, intimate 2. fellow, fellow-citizen, another person (weaker sense) 3. other, another (reciprocal phrase) ֵרַע 1. purpose, aim, thought Source: Open Scriptures on GitHubCreator: Based on the work of Larry Pierce at the Online Bible רעע ra'a' II) is probably a loan word from Aramaic. It's equivalent to the Hebrew) רעע The verb רע rasas) , which means crush or break in pieces. But note that in Isaiah 45:7, the word) רצץ verb ,shalom), meaning whole or unbrokenness) שלום ra') , meaning evil, is used juxtaposed with) suggesting that "evil" in essence is brokenness, or the existence of space between elements that ra'a') is used about eight times, in the meaning) רעע designed to be firmly connected. Our verb of literal breaking something (Jeremiah 11:16), or figuratively in the sense of brokenness by God due to sin (Job 34:24).
Source: Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary
Besht: Torah Portion Kedoshim: #21: Recorded in Otzar Hachaim Israel ben Eliezer (born circa 1700, died 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov or Besht, was a Jewish mystical r abbi considered the founder of Hasidic Judaism. "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, meaning "Master of the Good Name" or "one with a good reputation."
ואהבת לרעך כמוך וגו' .פירוש הפסוק :The explanation of the verse “Va’ahavtah,” is such ואהבת לרעך, שכמו שאתה תתנהג עם רעך ,Just as you behave with your fellow in love and unity באהבה ואחדות, כמוך אני ה', שאני ה' אהיה like you, “I am God.” That is, that I, God, will be like כמוך, והוא בסוד ה' צלך(תהלים קכ"א, ה')יז) you [kamochah ani hashem]. And this is with the שנתבאר בדברי מרן אלוקי הבעש"ט, שכמו (secret meaning of “God is your shadow,” (Psalm 121 שאדם מתנהג למטה עם חבירו ורעו, as will be explained in the words of our master, the באהבה ובמדות טובות, וכך יתנהג עמו מלך divine, The Baal Shem Tov, that just as a person עליון, וכמו הצל,שכל תנועה שאדם עושה כך behaves below with his friend and fellow, with love עושה הצל כנגדו, כן הוא יתברך עם האדם, and with good attributes, thus the lofty king behaves וזהו ואהבת לרעך, כי כמוך אני ה', להתנהג with him. And like the shadow, that every movement גם עמך באהבה וכל טוב: (אוצר החיים that a person does, so the shadow does in relation to (פרשת קדושים דף קע"ב ע"ד .him, thus Hashem may He be Blessed is with a person And this is “And you shall love your fellow” [v’ahavta l’reachah] because like you [k amochah], I am god [a ni Hashem], to behave with you with love and all goodness.
Now, translate the words in the verse based on the above: - וְֽאַָהְב ָתּ֥ v'ahavtah - ְלֵרֲעָך֖ l'reiachah - ָכּמ֑וָֹך kamochah - ֲאִ֖ני ani - יְהוָֽה adonai
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וְֽאַָהְב ָ ֥תּ ְלֵרֲעָ֖ך ָכּמ֑וָֹך ֲאִ֖ני יְהוָֽה
Likutei Moharan Torah 165 Nachman of Breslov (April 4, 1772 – October 16, 1810), was the founder of the B reslov H asidic movement. A great-grandson of the B aal Shem Tov, he revived the Hasidic movement by combining the esoteric secrets of Judaism (the Kabbalah) with in-depth T orah scholarship. He attracted thousands of followers during his lifetime, and his influence continues today through many Hasidic movements such as Breslov Hasidism.
ואהבת לרעך כמוך אני ה'. היינו שתקבל ”.And you shall love your neighbor as yourself, I am God“ באהבה, כל הרעות והיסורין הבאים That is, that you shall receive in love, all of the evils and עליך, כי ראוי שתדע, שלפי מעשיך אחר challenges that come to you. Because it is worthy that you כל היסורים והרעות שיש לך, עדיין הוא should know, that according to your actions following all מתנהג עמך ברחמים, כי הי' מגיע לך of the challenges and evils that you have, still He behaves יותר ויותר ח"ו, לפי מעשיך. וזהו ואהבת with you in mercy. Because according to your actions [in לרעך, שתאהוב הרע שבא לך, היינו response to your suffering], there would reach you more הרעות והיסורין הבאים עליך ח"ו, and more [suffering], God forbid. And this is “Love your תקבלם באהבה, כי כמוך כמו שאתה [neighbor” [reachah] that you should love the evil [rah הוא, היינו לפי מעשיך, אני ה', בעל that comes to you, God forbid. You should receive [the הרחמים, עדיין אני מתנהג עמך ברחמים challenges] with love. Because like you, like you are :כנ"ל k amochah] , according to your actions, that’s how much I] am Hashem [ani hashem] . [I,] master of mercy, will behave with you in mercy, as we mentioned above.
Now, translate the words in the verse based on the above: - וְֽאַָהְב ָתּ֥ v'ahavtah - ְלֵרֲעָך֖ l'reiachah - ָכּמ֑וָֹך kamochah - ֲאִ֖ני ani - יְהוָֽה adonai
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וְֽאַָהְב ָ ֥תּ ְלֵרֲעָ֖ך ָכּמ֑וָֹך ֲאִ֖ני יְהוָֽה
Meor Einayim: Torah Portion Chukat Rabbi Menachem Nochum Twersky of Chernobyl (born 1730, Norynsk, V olhynia - died 1787, Chernobyl, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) was the founder of the C hernobyl Hasidic dynasty. He was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and the M aggid of Mezritch, and published one of the first works of Hasidic thought.
ולכך אומרים קודם כל תפלה הריני... And therefore before prayer say “Behold, I accept upon מקבל עלי מצות עשה של ואהבת לרעך ,myself the positive command of loving your neighbor וגו' כי הכל הוא אחדות גמור כמו התורה ,etc.” [before prayer] because it is all with complete unity שנקראת תורה בהצטרף כל האותיות כולן like the Torah, that is only called Torah when all of the ואף אם רואה בחבירו שום דבר רע ישנא letters join together. And even if he sees in his fellow הרע שבו אך החלק הקדוש יאהבנו מאוד some bad thing, he will hate the evil within himself. So כנפשו כי הבעל שם טוב נבג"מ אמר ,too, the holy part [in another] he will love very much שהצדיק הגמור שאין רע בקרבו אין רואה like his own soul. Because the Ba’al Shem Tov, his soul is שום רע על שום אדם אך מי שרואה שום in the treasure of on high, said that the true righteous רע בחבירו הענין הוא כמו שמסתכל person that has no evil within him, cannot see any evil במראה אם פניו מטונפין רואה גם כן about any person. But a person who sees some evil in his במראה כך ואם פניו נקיים אינו רואה fellow, that matter is like he has looked in a mirror: if his במראה שום דופי כמו שהוא כך רואה וזהו face is dirty, he sees thus in the mirror, and if his face is ואהבת לרעך כמוך (ויקרא יט, יח) פירוש ,clean, he doesn’t see in the mirror any blemish. As he is כמוך כמו שאם יודע האדם בעצמו שום רע so he sees. And this is what the verse means “Love your בקרבו משום הא אינו שונא את עצמו אף neighbor as yourself,” the explanation of “as yourself” is ששונא הרע שבקרבו כך גם כן על חבירו כי like that if a person knows in himself some evil inside באמת הכל אחד כי הלא גם לחבירו יש גם him, from this he does not hate himself, rather, he hates ... כן חלק אלוה כמוהו ויש לו אות בתורה the evil within himself which leads him to feel the same towards h is fellow. Because truly it is all one, because behold also in his fellow there is a portion of the divine, like him, and he too has a letter in the torah. ...
translate the words in the verse based on the above: - וְֽאַָהְב ָתּ֥ v'ahavtah - ְלֵרֲעָך֖ l'reiachah - ָכּמ֑וָֹך kamochah - ֲאִ֖ני ani - יְהוָֽה adonai
Add punctuation based on your translation:
וְֽאַָהְב ָ ֥תּ ְלֵרֲעָ֖ך ָכּמ֑וָֹך ֲאִ֖ני יְהוָֽה
Mei Ha’Shiloach, Volume II, Leviticus, Kedoshim 7 Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica (1801-1854) was a rabbinic Hasidic thinker and founder of the Izhbitza-Radzyn dynasty of H asidic Judaism. He was a disciple of Reb S imcha Bunim of Peshischa where he joined Rabbi M enachem Mendel of Kotzk and Rabbi Yosef of Yartshev. His students included Rabbi Zadok HaKohen of L ublin (1823–1900), his son, Rabbi Yaakov Leiner (1828–1878) and his grandson Rabbi Gershon Henoch Leiner of Radzyn.
וכן צריך לקיים מצות ואהבת לרעך... and therefore a person needs to establish the mitzvah of ... כמוך שכמו שהאדם אוהב את עצמו אף Love your neighbor as yourself,” that just as a person“ על פי שמכיר עצמו ויודע חסרונו, מ"מ על loves himself, even as he recognises himself and knows his כל פשעיו תכסה אהבתו לנפשו. וכן צריך faults, on all counts, he should cover his faults with the לאהוב גם את חבירו אף על פי שמכיר ,love for his soul. And thus he needs to also love his fellow אותו לבעל חסרון. וזה מורה אני ה' שכמו even though he recognises him as a master of faults. And שהשי"ת אוהב את שניכם אע"פ שמכיר this teaches about “ani hashem” - just as Hashem may he חסרונכם, כדאיתא בגמ' (קידושין ל"ו.) be blessed loves both of you, despite recognising your .'בין כך ובין כך אתם קרוים בנים וכו faults [so too you must love each other]. Like if you look in the Talmud in Kiddushin 36: “Between you and between you: you are both called children.
translate the words in the verse based on the above: - וְֽאַָהְב ָתּ֥ v'ahavtah - ְלֵרֲעָך֖ l'reiachah - ָכּמ֑וָֹך kamochah - ֲאִ֖ני ani - יְהוָֽה adonai
Add punctuation based on your translation:
וְֽאַָהְב ָ ֥תּ ְלֵרֲעָ֖ך ָכּמ֑וָֹך ֲאִ֖ני יְהוָֽה
Kiddushin 36a רבי מאיר אומר בין כך ובין כך אתם And Rabbi Meir says: Either way you are still called sons, as it קרוים בנים שנאמר בנים סכלים המה is stated: “They are foolish sons” (J eremiah 4:22). And it also ואומר בנים לא אמן בם ואומר זרע states: “Sons in whom there is no faithfulness” (Deuteronomy מרעים בנים משחיתים ואומר והיה And it states: “A seed of evildoers, sons who deal . (32:20 במקום אשר יאמר להם לא עמי אתם corruptly” (Isaiah 1:4) . And it states: “And it shall come to יאמר להם בני אל חי pass that, instead of what was said to them: You are not My people, it shall be said to them: Sons of the living God” (Hosea 2:1). [email protected]
And I would travel with you by Anita Barrows
And I would travel with you to the places of our shame
The hills stripped of trees, the marshes grasses oil-slicked, steeped in sewage;
The blackened shoreline, the chemical-poisoned water;
I would stand with you in the desolate places, the charred places, soil where nothing will ever grow, pitted desert; fields that burn slowly for months; roots of cholla & chaparrala writhing with underground explosions
I would put my hand there with yours, I would take your hand, I would walk with you through carefully planted fields, rows of leafy vegetables drifting with radioactive dust; through the dark of uranium mines hidden in the sacred gold-red mountains;
I would listen with you in drafty hospital corridors as the miner cried out in the first language of pain; as he cried out the forgotten names of his mother I would stand next to you in the forest’s final hour, in the wind of helicopter blades, police sirens shrieking, the delicate tremor of light between leaves for the last time Oh I would touch with this love each wounded place