שלהבות של אמונה י״זFlames of Faith 17

א׳

1TRANSFORMING THE PHYSICAL INTO THE SPIRITUAL

ב׳

2The spark within nogah can be raised in several ways. On the lowest level, one enjoys the physical for the sake of the spiritual. For example, if you are hot and thirsty and cannot concentrate on learning Torah and you then eat an ice cream cone and enjoy its cool refreshing smoothness so that you will be able to learn Torah. A higher level of spark elevation entails ignoring all physical pleasure. A tzaddik eats with special meditative intent. The only reason why he puts the morsel of food in his mouth is to raise sparks with the act. Such a person was Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel from Apt:³¹⁶See Lesson Three. He was born in 1755 and he passed away in 1825. He was filled with overflowing love for all Jews, and he was a student of R. Elimelech of Lizhensk.

ג׳

3It is well known that the Rebbe from Apt would eat a great deal. He once said, “Believe me, with every bite I chew I feel a taste that is as bitter as the bitterest herbs.” When he would complete his meal he would apologize to those foods that he had not succeeded in consuming. [The explanation of all this is that] his eating was exclusively for the sake of holy sparks that are within the foods.³¹⁷The Rebbe of Klausenberg, Imros Tzaddikim, pg. 18.

ד׳

4Another example of a tzaddik who turned a physical act into a spiritual act is our forefather Jacob. The Torah relates that after Laban agreed with Jacob, that our forefather would serve Laban for seven years to earn Rachel’s hand in marriage:

ה׳

5Va-ya’avod Yaakov be-Rachel sheva shanim va-yihyu be-einav ke- yamim achadim be-ahavaso osah.

ו׳

6And Jacob worked for Rachel seven years, and they were in his eyes as a few days, due to his love for her (Gen. 29:20).

ז׳

7Jacob’s feelings seem unusual. If someone desperately wants some- thing, being forced to wait for it is torture. Every minute becomes an eternity. If Jacob loved Rachel, shouldn’t the seven years have been seven thousand years in his eyes? The answer is that Jacob’s love was unique.

ח׳

8When we desire an item, we want it for selfish pleasure. You may hear someone say, “I love fish. Whenever I go to a restaurant, I order salmon.” Then he does not love fish. Were he to love fish, would he kill them and eat them? The real meaning of his statement is that he adores himself, and his eating fish is an example of how he indulges in self-gratification. Since we are focused on ourselves, when we have to wait for hedonistic attainment it seems like an eternity.

ט׳

9Jacob never thought of himself. According to the Midrash, Jacob was a merkavah of the Shechinah; his body was a throne that God’s Presence resided upon. He achieved this degree of devotion because he fully emptied himself of all egotism.³¹⁸Arrogance causes God to be pushed away, to be filled with God implies a total renunciation of all ego. If Jacob desired someone or an item he only sought it in order to benefit God’s service.³¹⁹Even his service of God was in no way linked to desiring reward or avoid-ing punishment, for he did not think of himself. He performed Mitzvos for God’s sake, because they furthered the Divine purposes of Creation.

י׳

10The Torah emphasizes the uniqueness of Jacob’s feelings in the words be-ahavaso osah, “in his love for her.” He loved her, not himself. When one of us tells someone, “I love you,” we usually mean, “I love myself, I enjoy what you do for me, therefore I want your company.” Jacob was unique. He fully loved Rachel and did not consider himself at all. Since the items we love are means to further our ego, when we have to wait for them, every moment hurts. Jacob had no ego, which is why it was not an eternity for him to wait for Rachel.

י״א

11He desired Rachel because the marriage of Jacob and Rachel would cause the appearance of powerful streams of spiritual blessings. He wanted to marry Rachel in the same way a tzaddik wants to perform a Mitzvah. He endeavored to cause a Heavenly flow of blessing, through the seemingly physical act of uniting with Rachel. When one truly wants to perform God’s service, one becomes inspired, rising over the dimension of time, one rushes to do the act with zerizus, “industrious speed,” and the moments pass quickly.³²⁰See further Pachad Yitzchak, Pesach, Ma’amar 1.

י״ב

12Alternatively, for Jacob each day of work for Rachel was a Mitzvah, for he was walking along the path to an act that would bring enormous blessings to God’s world. The search for Mitzvos and the preparatory steps to enable Mitzvah observance are themselves Mitzvos. Since he was a tzaddik all the Mitzvos that he performed were pleasurable, as a result his days of work passed quickly.

י״ג

13On a deeper level, we can suggest that the Divine motivation of Jacob was the desire to reveal the spark of Yovel—the Jubilee year—which Rachel contained.

י״ד

14Yovel Restores Branches to Their Roots

ט״ו

15In the land of Israel, after every forty-nine years, during the fiftieth year, a special Heavenly spirit descends into the world. This shefa, abundant flow of blessing, has a unique characteristic; it returns all to their root. In the Torah, the unique character of the fiftieth year is expressed in the following passage:

ט״ז

16Ve-kiddashtem es shnas ha-chamishim shanah u-krasem dror ba- aretz le-chol yoshveha, Yovel hi tihyeh lachem, ve-shavtem ish el achuzaso ve-ish el mishpachto tashuvu.

י״ז

17And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year, proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants, it shall be a Jubilee for you; each of you shall return to his ancestral lands and every man will return to his family (Lev. 25:10).

י״ח

18What is the meaning of the name Yovel? Rashi suggests that this name refers to the fact that the year’s special laws are set in motion through blowing the ram’s horn. Nachmanides however offers a different expla- nation, “In my opinion, Scripture does not call the year Yovel because of the blowing [of the horn], but with reference to ‘the liberty’ [that it brings the inhabitants of the land].” Nachmanides then quotes many sources for his contention that Yovel means “to bring.” He closes his argument by stating, “By the way of truth [we learn]... Yovel means that every being will return [be brought back] to the source [yoveil] where his roots lie.”³²¹Nachmanides, commentary on Lev. 25:10.

י״ט

19Nachmanides quotes as a source for his explanation of the name Yovel a verse in Jeremiah, Ve-al yuval yishallach shorashav, “And its roots will be sent forth” (Jer. 17:8). Yovel is when spiritual roots spread out to return their offshoots home. Yovel’s nature is further reflected in its two defining laws.

כ׳

20The first law of Yovel is freedom. Yovel frees the eved ivri—the Jewish servant. Who is the eved ivri? A thief who was sold. Why is a thief punished with servitude? And why does Yovel free him?

כ״א

21The material possessions you own contain nitzotzos, sparks of light from your soul. Those sparks need you to elevate them. You are given possessions that are related to your soul for only your correct usage will redeem those sparks. When someone steals your possessions he is taking a part of your extended person and preventing you from fulfilling your mission. To rectify his misdeed, he must return the stolen object. If he cannot return the object then he must give you its monetary equivalent. If he cannot afford to pay, the court will sell him as a servant, an eved ivri. Theft removed items from their rightful place, as a punishment the thief must leave his domain, and he is separated from his family and subjugated.

כ״ב

22Spiritually, the eved falls to a wretched state. Prior to his sale, he was a fully vested member of the Jewish community; after his theft and sale he loses much of his spirituality, and he may marry the Gentile maids in his master’s home.³²²The word for family and wife in Hebrew is mishpachah. The thief has defiled the forty days of his formation and the forty days of Torah instruction at Sinai. The letter mem has a gematria of forty. Since he has lost his forty days, he is left with shifchah (mishpachah without the mem), the Hebrew word for a Gentile maid (Rav Wolfson). Yovel brings all to their roots and it returns the Jewish servant to his appropriate spiritual condition. As a result, during Yovel he returns home to his family and spiritual level.

כ״ג

23Most servants do not need a full-fledged Yovel to effect freedom. The usual term of service for a Jewish servant is six years, and in the seventh he goes free. The seventh year shares a quality with Shabbos, the seventh day. The light of Shabbos³²³The word Shabbos shares a root with the word shav, “return,” for on Shab-bos we all return to our root. Adam committed his sin and ate from the tree of knowledge on Friday afternoon. The punishment due for that misdeed was banishment from the Garden of Eden. However, God allowed him to spend Shabbos in the garden because Shabbos restored his soul to its root, which had not tasted sin. also pulls all to their root, and thus it lifts the slave back to his root. Only the servants who insist after six years of work that they do not wish to leave their master need a full Yovel. These men were inducted into eternal servitude when the master pierced their ear lobe. Yet, once Yovel occurs even these servants go free, for Yovel pulls all to their root.

כ״ד

24All returns to the source emerge from Yovel. For example, the eved who leaves in the seventh year tastes freedom because of the Yovel- aspect within the seventh year. Yovel as the fiftieth year is a display of the spirituality symbolized in the number eight. Seven times seven represents the most complete form of seven. The fiftieth year represents the number eight, a number above sevens. In the spiritual domain every higher level extends into the lower level, the level of eight can be found in the seventh. Thus, even the seventh day and the seventh year that return offshoots to their source stem from Yovel, the Yovel that is in Shabbos.

כ״ה

25The second law of Yovel is the return of land. When the Jewish nation first entered the land of Israel, Joshua divided the land among the families within the nation. The portion one received was an eternal inheritance, it could not be lost. Even if someone in a family sold that land, when Yovel arrived, the land would return to the family that had initially received it from Joshua.

כ״ו

26Land has a root-quality. Every nation is attracted to their homeland and countries of origin are frequently called fatherland or motherland because they are viewed as a source for national life. Since Yovel returns branches to the root, it returns the individual to his or her land.

כ״ז

27The Place of Yovel

כ״ח

28Spiritual concepts appear in the dimension of time, person, and place.³²⁴See further Lesson Two. In time, Yovel is the fiftieth year. The place of Yovel is Bethlehem. In Hebrew, this is Beis Lechem Yehudah, whose first three letters are the same as the word Yovel.³²⁵The roshei teivos of Beis Lechem Yehudah (י''בל) are the same as Yovel (יבל) spelled without the vav (ו). It is spelled without the vav in Lev. 25:54. Bethlehem is famous for its role in the book of Ruth.

כ״ט

29The book of Ruth is the story of Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth. Naomi and her husband Elimelech were the gentry of Bethlehem. They left the town to avoid the hordes of poor who were begging for their help during years of famine. The family moved to the land of Moab, and Naomi’s two sons married Moabite women. After Elimelech and his sons died and much of the family’s wealth was lost, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem. Ruth, Naomi’s former Moabite daughter-in-law, followed Naomi and joined the Jewish nation. According to the Chida,³²⁶Rav Chaim Yosef David Azulai (1724-1806) was one of the great Sephardic Kabbalists; he is known by the acronym Chida. Ruth always possessed a Jewish soul; it had been born into a Moabite family though. Ruth’s conversion was really a return of a spark to its rightful place, Yovel effected that process. In God’s plan, Naomi left Bethlehem in order to return Ruth to her rightful fold. Perhaps Bethlehem as the place of Yovel caused this story of a return to its root.

ל׳

30Yovel Personalities

ל״א

31Maimonides explains that the hallmark of the Messiah is that he will return the dispersed Jews to the Land of Israel, their homeland. This aspect of the Messianic mission is the force of Yovel. The Messiah will have within him a bit of the spirit of Yovel, and that will cause the nation to return to the Land of Israel, our root. He will be a descendant of David, and a gilgul, a transmigration, of David’s soul.³²⁷Adam (אדם) is the acronym for the names of a single soul that appeared in Adam (א), the first man, David (ד), the first Jewish king, and Moshiach (מ), the final human king. David is named in the Prophets, Ben Yishai beis ha-lachmi, “Son of Jesse the Bethlehemite.” David is a descendant of Ruth who lived in Bethlehem, and he was born in Bethlehem. Perhaps the fact that he is the personality of Yovel emerges from his birth in the place of Yovel.

ל״ב

32Rachel is buried in Bethlehem, because Rachel is a personality of Yovel. When the Jewish nation went out into exile the souls of our ancestors interceded with the Divine on our behalf. Rachel’s prayers were answered in the affirmative.

ל״ג

33Koh amar Hashem, kol be-ramah nishma, nehi bechi tamrurim, Rachel mivakkeh al baneha me-anah le-hinnachem al baneha ki einenu. Koh amar Hashem min’i koleich mi-bechi ve-einayich mi- dimah ki yesh sachar li-feulaseich neum Hashem ve-shavu me-eretz oyeiv. Ve-yesh tikvah le-achariseich neum Hashem ve-shavu vanim li-gvulam.

ל״ד

34So says God, a voice is heard in Ramah, it is the wail of travails, Rachel is crying for her children, refusing consolation for her children are missing. So says God, remove your voice from sobs and your eyes from tears; there is reward for your good deeds, by Lord, they will return from the land of the enemy. There is hope for you! Your children will return to their land (Jer. 31:14-16).

ל״ה

35God promised to return us to our root in her merit for she has the personality of Yovel. God promised that return in the words, neum Y-H- V-H ve-shavu vanim li-gvulam. The first letters of the last four words spell Yovel, for Yovel returns the children to their land.³²⁸Tzion Ve-Arehah pg. 59. Perhaps the reason why when the Jews left Israel, they passed by her grave was to convey this message to the exiles, “Do not despair, the force of Yovel is in your nation, Rachel is your mother and she is the person of Bethlehem, the place of Yovel and redemption. Yovel teaches that at some point even the lowliest will return to their root. You too will someday return home to your rightful place.”³²⁹Tzion Ve-Arehah pg. 58.

ל״ו

36Jacob, Rachel, and Yovel

ל״ז

37Jacob spent seven years working for Rachel, and then Laban had him marry Leah. Once he found out that he had been tricked he waited seven days and then married Rachel in return for promising to work for another seven years (see Gen. 29:27-28). These two sets of seven, first years and then days, represent the full complement of seven. Jacob spiritually accomplished what seven times seven regular years usually accomplish. After the two sevens of forty-nine years, we have Yovel, and after Jacob’s two sevens he too received Yovel, the light of Messiah, through marriage with Rachel.

ל״ח

38According to the Zohar, Rachel’s death was an unparalleled calamity for Jacob. Perhaps it was because Rachel contained within her the spark of Yovel and redemption that her loss was so devastating to Jacob.³³⁰The Baal Shem Tov once traveled on a Friday afternoon to visit a simple Jew in the forest. After spending some time with that Jew, the Besht insisted on leaving even though it was late Friday afternoon and he would not reach the next Jewish village before Shabbos. After he left, his students asked him, “Rebbe, why did you insist on leaving this Jew?” To which the Besht responded, “The man I was visiting contained the soul of the Messiah. I know that due to the unworthiness of our generation he will die this Shabbos. I cannot stand to see the loss of a spark of the Messiah.” Witnessing the loss of great hopes is heartrending. After Rachel died, Jacob traveled to Migdal Eder.³³¹See Targum Yonasan to Micah 4:8. Targum Yonasan³³²See Megillah 3a. explains that Migdal Eder is the place where Messiah will be revealed.

ל״ט

39Migdal Eder literally means “tower of the flock.” The reason for this name is that Messiah will collect together the dispersed Jews of exile, the many flocks of sheep, and unite them into a single flock. Perhaps God was comforting Jacob by showing him that the light of Messiah was not fully lost, and it will yet be revealed in Migdal Eder.

מ׳

40When Jacob kissed Rachel he did not view the act as a physical act. It was like kissing tefillin, or more accurately kissing the Torah scroll, for the Torah is also the root of the Jewish nation. Since Rachel personified Yovel, the years that Jacob worked for her flew by.

מ״א

41A parable might help explain why Jacob’s years of labor seemed to be short days. Imagine if you could see the light of redemption at the end of a tunnel. With every step along the tunnel you see the light a little clearer. As you move forward, you can constantly measure progress and frequently feel the fulfillment of goals nearing accomplishment. The brighter the glow the more excited you get. Even if it took years, wouldn’t the years seem like a few moments?