A Final Exodus

Exodus from Egypt involved a) destruction of Egypt and b) disengagement from Egypt. This is because ancient Egypt represented the constraints and limits imposed upon us by the unholy - the G-dlessness in the world. This un-holiness is the product of what the Kaballah calls “Tzimtzum” - the ‘hiding of G-d’s face’ and concealment of His presence. In that darkness all wickedness is possible.

The destruction of Egypt was the antidote to that Tzimtzum and made it possible for future generations to live free of such constraints. Once this evil was defeated there was no reason to stay, for it offered no further potential for good. So the children of Israel left that land and were ready to receive the Torah with its instructions on removing all evil from our lives. We have the freedom to do that because we are no longer slaves to Tzimtzum.

Before the coming of the Moshiach we need another exodus to free us of another constraint. This exodus involves a) refinement, not destruction, and b) perfection, not disengagement. This is because the constraint now is the physical world itself.

The world was created out of G-d’s infinite ability to be tiny as well as vast; hence, the world does not truly conceal G-d at all. Indeed, it actually reveals his ‘smallness’ - his ability to care about the little things.

The world shows us one of G-d’s faces; only Tzimtzum hides that fact from us. Remove the Tzimtzum and we see the world for what it is: a finite expression of G-d himself. This is a good thing and must not be destroyed, but it is also a constraint, as it limits our perception of G-d to the finite.

I will not sin, nor deny G-d, because I am free of Tzimtzum’s gravitational pull towards evil. I will serve G-d whom I recognize in creation. It’s His world I live in, he gives me life, so it’s only right to live it the way He wants. I will therefore serve Him whenever I can; in my spare time, with my spare change, when I’m feeling good, as long as it doesn’t interfere with my own life and needs. You know… reasonable, realistic, practical - finite.

This reserved, reasonable relationship with G-d cannot reach intensity of intimacy and is, in the end, sterile. We need another exodus, but this time not an escape from the world, only its refinement. Like refined gold, we separate the good of the world from its limits - for good is endless - and use the world as impetus towards an unconditional enthusiastic devotion to G-d’s vast eternal plan, thus bringing the world its “Tikkun”, or perfection. When it serves as catalyst for a oneness with G-d that is indestructible, ineluctable, ineffable, incomprehensible, and irresistibly and irreducibly Jewish. In other words, intimate!

This accords with the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov that the world is not the enemy. G-d is creating the world at all times and wants to be on earth with us more than in heaven. He therefore is involved in every detail of our lives, protecting us, expecting greatness from us, and looking forward to the day when we - He and his people - can settle down to a permanent intimate relationship in the world that has become the Holy of Holies.

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q&a: Forgiving vs. Fixing - Part II

Q. onionsoupmix asked, "Why can't G-d just change the nature of the child or some other transformation that does not involve an actual death?"

A. Hi! Thanks for the follow-up. The Tanya you are referring to is describing the different types of Klipah - un-holiness - in the world.

There is Klipah ‘lite’ which is permissible stuff that can be elevated to holiness by using it for a G-dly purpose. (I know you have studied this already but this is for those who have not.) The Rebbe then describes the ‘dark’ Klipah as stuff that is forbidden: non-kosher food, non-kosher relationships, etc. The un-holiness here cannot become good through good intentions. Marrying a non-Jew with holy intentions does not make it kosher. Eating pork “l’kovod Shabbos Kodesh” does not make it holy. However, Teshuva can.

When a person does Teshuva for a sin, he can redeem the energy which he invested in the sin – the energy that made evil stronger in himself and the world - and bring that energy back to holiness. If the Teshuva is intense and loving it can turn even the sin’s energy from the totally dark Klipah into light and goodness.

This is all quite beside the forgiveness that Teshuva always brings.

Now the Gemara (Talmud) says there are sins whose energy is so vile that Teshuva alone does not erase it. Only Yom Kippur will. Kippur means ‘cleanse’, not forgive.

Then there are sins which even Yom Kippur does not erase and for this purpose G-d invented death. Death means that evil cannot live forever.
So when man dies, his soul - everything good and holy about him - continues to live. This way we generally remember only the good.
Death terminates only the klipah that is attached to the person. Then, the Teshuva that he did while alive redeems the energy of even the vile Klipah.

Now we can understand the statement that the birth of a child through incest is a Klipah that WE cannot correct. Yet G-d, of course, can and does by inventing death. So the good news is that no damage caused by humans is permanently irreparable. This child lives a full life - nobody prays for him to die G-d forbid. And, as with all of us, his death erases the accumulated un-holiness including his illegitimacy. But the question still stands... why death? More to come...

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Two's Better Than One

Day by Day
Having two souls may make life more interesting but it’s not pleasant. There are moments when we lose ourselves in an experience as though we lose one of our souls and for the moment we are one – inner peace. This phenomenon can be negative, like “getting angry is like idolatry,” for in the moment of anger your G-dly soul is stirred into silence as if you have no G-d.

It can also be positive as when dancing on Simchas Torah as if no one were watching; holding your newborn for the first time; or as Tanya describes the davening of the “average Jew”, or Benoni, who is totally absorbed in thoughts of G-d’s greatness. At such a time he feels G-d’s closeness so intensely that the pleasure of the G-dly soul overflows the right side of the heart flooding the left side with G-dly pleasure, which carries the animal soul along for the moment and he feels like the Tzaddik, as if he had but one soul.

Another occasion would be ‘Yechidus,’ – a private audience with one’s Rebbe – when after months of intense preparation a chassid is alone, soul to soul, with his Rebbe. His mind and heart and even his senses are exquisitely focused on the desire for G-dly closeness and his other soul can only wish him success.

Now imagine a chassid who has studied that chapter of Tanya with the description of the Benoni’s prayers and is heartbroken over his own inability to prayer like that. He asks for an audience with his Rebbe and seeks advice on how to gain this feeling of inner peace, as if the G-dly soul was his only soul.

The Rebbe might say to him, “When two Jews speak of G-dliness and study together it is two G-dly souls against one animal soul.” This means that each of their animal souls remains alone, since there is no oneness in un-holiness. (My evil inclination has no interest in your sins.) But the G-dly souls unite in their desire to serve G-d.

Thus the animal soul is overwhelmed by the double G-dliness and can only be jealous and wish you success. These are very pleasant moments.

On that note, check out Hayom Yom of Teves 20 and Tanya for that same date.

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q&a: Forgiving vs. Fixing - Part I

Q. onionsoupmix asked, "The child produced from an adulterous union has to die before teshuva is fully accepted. Why isn't G-d more flexible?"

A. Hi! Welcome aboard, and thanks for the tough questions. They're always the
best.

You ask why G-d cannot be more forgiving in the instance where a child is born illegitimate.

For starters, here's an important point:

I assume you were referring to the Talmud's statement, "What is a deviation that cannot be corrected? It is giving birth to a child through incest or adultery." The Teshuva is not complete as long as the child is alive.

But notice, the Talmud is not speaking of sin. The Talmud uses the word "Meuves", which is a deviation, something crooked that needs straightening. And the question is not whether Teshuva brings forgiveness. The question is how we erase the consequences of the sin after being forgiven.

In other words, the question is Tikkun. You break someone's arm and he forgives you. Yet as long as his arm is in a cast you cannot forgive yourself.

So G-d is forgiving even for sins of adultery or incest. The problem is cleaning up the mess.

Keep me posted with your thoughts.

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Down Memory Lane...

Here's a little trip down memory lane...
Rabbi Friedman helping a man put on Tefillin in 197?.

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Dinosaur-Speak:

In response to the likes of a recent op-ed article published in the Jerusalem Post which is critical of Chabad for being too tolerant, Rabbi Friedman wrote the following comment:

Do you know why scientists have a hard time explaining the extinction of the dinosaurs? It’s because they are not extinct at all but very much in evidence - particularly in the behavior and thinking of many Jews. We need only read recent columns in the Jerusalem Post and elsewhere for clear corroboration of this theory.

These dinosaurs are among us and are in pain! It is sad to hear and see fellow Jews suffering in vain. They are the saddest collection of Jews and for no good reason. The ‘dinosaurs’ still think of Judaism as a religion! For shame.

A religion dictates that you will have your religious types and your non-religious types. As a religion you will spend your life defending against non-believers and hopelessly justifying, defending, protecting the religion itself. (Every religion seems to need defenders as it cannot defend itself.) As a religion you must emphasize reward and punishment to keep the people in line. And you find yourself quibbling among yourselves – “more punishment less reward” or “more reward less punishment.”

As a religion, you will watch in despair as more and more members defect or just drift away. But you half expected that, and sometimes you wish you could bring yourself to do likewise. You think reform and conservative congregations are your enemy because all the denominations are ‘religious’ to varying degrees and you must insist that your degree is the correct one. You are not ashamed to say that to your Judaism “denomination matters”. You have put your finger on the problem but don’t yet know it.

Come into the light of Torah. It will be a balm for your weary soul.

The dinosaur Jew believes that Judaism is simply about “Torah and Mitzvot, obedience and limitations, maintaining laws and traditions to transmit to the next generation.” If I believed that, I would be depressed as well!

This pithy summary of Judaism is fine as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. It is missing a soul. It is missing purpose. It is missing G-d. Such thinking should have gone out the window three hundred years ago. So try a more Jewish approach. Try imitating G-d!

1. G-d is not religious; don’t be more religious than Him.

2. G-d loves Jews, not religion.

3. G-d asks Jews to join Him in all that is precious to Him: keep ‘my’ Shabbos, ‘my’ Mitzvot, ‘my’ Torah, love ‘my’ children; they are the apple of my eye.

4. Esther told Mordechai to proclaim a fast on Pesach. Mordechai objected and Esther asked, “Im Yisroel ayin, Pesach lomo?” Without Jews what is Pesach? G-d agreed with Esther and the rest is history.

5. To G-d the Jew comes first. He chose Abraham and his children. He comes down to Egypt to take out “a nation from among nations”, not by messenger or angel. He comes personally to carry them on “wings of eagles” and then gives them His Torah.
He makes them His partners in creation and depends on them to make this world G-dly for that is His purpose, His end goal. Toward that purpose His people have toiled and sacrificed for three thousand years.

Now as we get closer to the objective, we encounter stiffer resistance - it’s the bottom of the barrel - we are almost done. Yet the bottom is the grubbiest and hardest to clean, and His people will face the evils of communism, Nazism, ‘enlightenment’ and destruction. A whole generation grows up unaware of Torah, traditions, or punishment.

Yet, defying all logic a Jew gets into his car on Shabbos and drives to a place where other Jews observe Shabbos, wear sheitels and beards, speak of G-d and His chosen people; where this Jew will feel totally inadequate and out of his element.

He does this against the advice of his family and rabbi to find something he cannot articulate or justify, but neither can he deny it. He is a Jew and he will find his Father in heaven. Peer pressure will not stop him, discomfort and embarrassment will not keep him away. His family is upset with him, but he cajoles and insists and he brings them along.

But the Jewish dinosaur wants me to tell him, he who is closer to G-d than I, that he is violating G-d’s will and he is not welcome!

Understand that this Jew is moving closer to G-d. By learning about the Mitzvos, he is closer to observing them and his sincerity and purity of intentions makes me jealous and refreshes my soul. Yes my soul, which has become complacent in the habit of Mitzvot and in the arrogant assumption that G-d is pleased with me.

So let’s do ourselves a favor. Let’s stop defending Torah and start defending G-d’s children. Let’s stop practicing a religion and just be Jews. And, please, let’s stop promoting a denomination; let’s promote a world of Torah and Mitzvot created by the collective effort of fourteen million Jews and six billion human beings.

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There's Nothin' To It... Part III

Nothing is Everything
Roses are red
Violets are blue
But beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Round is round
Square is square
But beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Why? What is beauty? What makes it so different? (I know… we’re talking about intimacy. I’m getting to it…)

Beauty is the result of harmony. Harmony is the absence of conflict. When you have two colors and they blend nicely, you have a beautiful shade of color. Red alone is red. Yellow alone is yellow. To become beautiful, the two have to mix. But if they mix badly, if they clash, the result will be ugliness.

If the colors blend pleasantly you have beauty. But the beauty is not a thing you can point to. You still have only the two colors, red and yellow, no new ingredient has been introduced. The beauty is what you don’t see, namely, conflict. The red is not arrogant, demanding all the attention. Nor is the yellow. They leave room for each other. They absorb each other. It is that humility that is beautiful. But how do we see humility? We see the absence of conflict; we see what is not: nothing comes between them and that pleases the eye.

Holiness is like that, too. It is not something you can see; it is the absence of conflict. It is holy because of what it doesn’t have – duality.

Now to intimacy. When two people can remove all possible obstructions between them; when nothing at all gets between them; when they have a connection that is not dependent on any thing – that is intimacy.

Love can come from having many things in common, but intimacy is much more than love. Intimacy is more sacred, more pure, more dangerous and it can make babies!

The baby is not produced by some things alone - just some stuff contributed my mother and father. Babies are made by what is absent between them – duality. “And they shall become one flesh”. Remove all things that separate one person from another. They become one. That which allows such oneness can also produce a child.

So here’s the thing: Intimacy that is motivated by the desire for conquest is not the real thing. Conquest is a thing that comes between them. Sexual pleasure is also a thing that can come between man and wife. Ask your grandmother, “What do husband and wife do behind closed doors?” and she says, “Nothing.” Do you think she’s lying or not willing to tell you? She is telling you the truth. ‘No-thing’ is the perfect description of intimacy. If they were doing ‘some-thing’ it would no longer be intimate.

So, you see, ‘no-thing’ really is everything.

In a materialistic society, it is hard to relate to what is not a thing. We don’t understand G-d, beauty, holiness or intimacy because we are busy looking for the thing. But enough already…

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There's Nothin' To It... Part II

Sophistication - Disintegration
Holiness is a state of harmony; oneness. Duality is unholy. Divisiveness is evil. Fragmentation is dead. Holiness has a cadence. So does life. The parts of life all flow together in harmony creating a seamless and therefore pleasant experience.

Sophistication has brought ruin to life. Because we are sophisticated we think physical contact between man and women is just polite (a hand shake) and not sexual. We also think sex need not be intimate (or meaningful), but that it can be casual; exploratory; recreational. We also think intimacy need not mean marriage: a meaningful relationship doesn’t have to be permanent. We then think marriage need not be a family; (married with children or married without children.) So, touch is not sexual, sex is not intimate, intimacy is not marriage, marriage is not children. Like pearls without a string, the precious parts of life never become a necklace; they don’t hang together.

But wait! There is more.

If touch is not sex, sex is not intimate, intimate is not marriage and marriage is not children, then… children doesn’t mean marriage and marriage doesn’t mean intimate. You can have a child without marriage and you can have a child without being intimate. But what kind of child can this create? A cute little thing that will resent you, hate itself and be bent on self destruction?

Holiness is life; cadence. Un-holiness is de-cadence! It breaks the rhythm; life decomposes into a series of good feelings. Moments of pleasure, not one of which ever reaches critical mass and together do not produce life. Soon they lose pleasure and become empty rituals with only a memory of joy, what follows is ennui, despair, Prozac, etc. To regain life, find the sanctity. Find the thread that brings it all together; the whole that is greater then the sum of its parts. That which is not a thing, that which turns things into life. It’s called intimacy. But enough already…

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There's Nothin' To It... Part I

Men Fear Nothing
Women have many fears. Men fear nothing.

This is not to imply that men are fearless - not so! Men have one great fear, and what they fear is nothing – because man comes from nothing. Man was created from nothing (dust) and will return to nothing (dust.) Thus, man’s primal memory is of nothingness. G-d fashioned man out of earth and breathed into him a life – man existed before he lived – this memory of nothingness haunts man all his life and make him desperate to prove that he is something.

Men have a more fragile ego which they hope to hide with their machismo. To a man, every slight or criticism suggests that he is, in the end, really nothing. That hurts. Man is afraid of his own annihilation; women have no such fear.

Woman was created from a living man. Her primal memory is of being a man. Crush a woman’s spirit and she will revert to primordial state by losing her identity in some guy. She will become him. Crush a man and he will become a nothing.

Treat a man like dirt and he is frightened. Treat a woman like dirt and she is indignant.

Man needs to go from zero to one and always worries whether he made it. Woman needs to go from one to ten; for her zero is not in the equation.

When Hillel told the man on one foot “That which is hateful to you do not do unto to others” he was referring to ‘that’ thing which all men hate – being reminded of their nothingness.

Men spend their lives trying to prove themselves. Wealth, power, fame, women. Whatever goes from zero to sixty, but none of it works.

The most accomplished men have not rid themselves of this demon. One misstep, one criticism can cause annihilation. The most powerful men are often the most paranoid.

Now we know why men are not comfortable with what s not: “It’s not about you” or “its not what you have that counts” or “ask not…” or “Thou shalt not”.

Men just don’t like what is not. It suggests nothingness. In fact, men don’t even like ‘no.’ Being told ‘no’ destroys a man because he hears ‘no-thing’ and he must protect himself from annihilation. (A woman should never be in a position where she has to say ‘no’ to a man she likes.)

Bu… however… on the other hand… conversely, should a man accept his nothingness and make peace with the fact, he will free himself of his demon. Humility for a man is life-giving: “If in fact I am nothing and it is not about me, then whom shall I serve? What good shall I do? I am available. Send me. “Hineini!”
Hineini means, “I have resolved my obsession with survival, I have disarmed my ghost that haunts men and I am not longer distracted. So what do you need?”

Whereas women are capable of nurturing by nature - “I am something, I don’t need to ‘become’, so if someone does need I can help” - men can become nurturers if and when they become comfortable with their insignificance. This leads us to another subject: intimacy. But enough already….

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The Source of All Evil

Day by Day
Earlier this week we observed the “Fast of Tevet”. Like all fast days, it was a time for introspection and correction. Here’s an interesting though.

Tanya makes a distinction between the sins of forbidden relations, which involve two people, and the ‘wasting of seed’, which involves only ones self. The spiritual effect of a forbidden relationship is difficult to correct because the sin takes hold in the other person. You can repent that part of the sin that is within you by exorcising it from your system. But you cannot control that part of the sin that is now held within the other. This calls for thorough Teshuva (repentance). The wasting of seed on the other hand, produces more un-holiness, quantitatively, but it is more easily removed from the system.

Now consult your Hayom Yom for Tevet 10: "Let the sinner leave his path and the man of transgession his thoughts." The Rebbe explains this verse in this way: Just as the sinner must abandon his evil ways, for without Teshuva he cannot get into a life of holiness, so must the opinionated abandon his thoughts. One must not insist, “I say…” (my opinion is authoritative) or, “I think…” (my opinions are correct), for every “I” is the source of trouble and creates divisiveness.

This was said to “a Chassid during Yechidus”. Yechidus is a Chassid’s private audience with his Rebbe when a meeting of the souls is supposed to happen. In this case, the Rebbe was telling the Chassid that his self-importance is preventing the Yechidus from really happening, it is ‘divisive’.

The quote in the Hayom Yom is getting to the heart of that day’s Tanya reading: The ‘sinner’ in the verse relates to the sins of illicit relations as metioned in Tanya. (Unless otherwise indicated, 'sin' usually refers to sexual offense.) This sinner must abandon his sin with thorough Teshuva for the un-holiness he created involves other people.

The ‘opinionated’ one, who says “I say” or “I think”, is like the wasting of seed. Since his offence involves only himself, excluding all others, he needs only to abandon his thoughts; nevertheless, the quantity of evil he produces is greater. The “I” is the source of all trouble and the cause of divisiveness.

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On Serving

Here's a "class quote" taken from the Bais Chana website's "Essays" page.

Serving

"Sometimes we feel a sense of injustice, that we give to our husband or children more than we get in return.

"In reality, we were created to give, to serve. This is what life is all about from beginning to end. We are here to serve G-d. When you acknowledge that you were created to serve your Maker, serving you spouse and children is part of the bigger picture. But if you’re not serving G-d, why should you serve others?

"We’re confused. “Becoming something” has replaced serving the Creator. “Be all you can be” has replaced G-d.

"Let’s get back on track. Ultimately, the only thing we won’t regret in our lives is the service we did for others. That’s what has real validity.

"So ignore it when your children say you’ve ruined their lives. And the fact that your mother was always there for you will, in the end, outweigh what she did or didn’t do for you. We will always regret some things we did to our kids. But we will never regret that we did for them. Be totally comfortable doing the serving -- not to receive in return, just to serve; that is true humility. "

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Comments: Ground Rules

This blog project thrives on your comments! You are encouraged to post questions, comments, even criticism… any kind of feedback – almost. There is one simple rule: Keep comments appropriate and relevant! (It is sad that this needs to be said, but that’s the internet for you…)

So, to keep this blog running smooth, enjoyable and purposeful, all comments will be moderated. In all likelihood, your comment will be posted. But if it is deemed inappropriate, it will be rejected.

Looking forward to a lot more great learning and discussing.

~The BlogMaster

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Wise. Humble. Royal.

Day by Day
Those who personify true royalty have both superior intelligence and great humility.

King Saul, for example, was “head and shoulder above the rest.” A superior mind was his strong suit.

King David, who said “I am a worm, not a man”, embodied more humility.

Judah was royalty with emphasis on humility. Yehudah, which is etymologically related to “Hodaah”, means acknowledging and submitting to what is greater than oneself.

Yoseph was royalty with emphasis on intelligence. “There is none wiser or more knowing than you in all the land.”

In the story of Joseph and his brothers we read of the big showdown. Vayigash - Judah approaches Yoseph asking for peace. True peace in the area of royalty means harmony and unity of the two dimensions - wisdom and humility. Now Judah, the simple sincere student humbly asks Yoseph, the all knowing oracle, to enlighten him with wisdom thereby uniting the qualities of Royalty.

He says to Yoseph: a) to me you are royal like Pharaoh b) you will be punished bitterly like Pharaoh was punished for withholding my grandmother. c) you are disingenuous like Pharaoh d) I will kill you and Pharaoh.

It is fascinating how themes run through torah making connections where you don’t expect any.

The Alter Rebbe in his introduction to Tanya advises those students who seek wisdom and guidance to find teachers among the older scholars. To the scholars the Rebbe says: 1. do not make pretence of humility – that would be disingenuous 2. there is bitter punishment for those who withhold knowledge - as when Pharaoh withheld Sarah from her husband. 3. there is great reward for those who share - enlightenment from the Almighty Who bestows life - hence withholding would result in the loss of life, it will “kill you and Pharaoh”

The corresponding installment of Hayom Yom (5 Tevet) says: Our king, Moshiach, will make us understand the greatness of simple, sincere, humble service of G-d. Moshiach’s royalty will combine great wisdom with complete humility, thereby reigning forever.

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Essence of the Essence

Day by Day - Tevet 2 (See today's Hayom Yom here. )
Q. How do Torah and Mitzvot bring us closer to G-d if we are already a part of G-d above?

A. Torah is like water. Just as water flows from a high place to a lower place, Torah brings G-d’s unknowable will and wisdom - “no thought can comprehend Him” - down to this world so all minds can comprehend Him.

Now, why the comparison to water? If a concept is so subtle that we can’t grasp it, then a comparison to something more concrete is helpful. But we all know what downhill means (particularly us over forty) Torah was in Heaven and it came down like water, from high to low, downward, downhill, descending, from teacher to student. Okay, we got it!

Ah, but do we?

Knowledge flowing down from a teacher to a student gets filtered, suggesting it is diminished, altered to suit the student’s level of comprehension. The analogy to water reveals the unique nature of Torahs descent: Water arrives at bottom of the hill unchanged, unaltered, undiminished. So too, Torah, being G-d’s will and wisdom here on earth is the original unchanged product.

The Greeks in the Chanukah story had no idea. They naturally assumed that when G-d gave us the Mitzvot he gave them away. They were His in Heaven; G-d keeps the Mitzvot in some divine, celestial way. But when Mitzvot are given to humans, they become `humanized’, serving to raise the humans for their benefit in ways that their mind can appreciate.

The problem, they felt, was with the Jews who insisted that the Mitzvah, performed with physical material by physical bodies with human intelligence, is satisfying a divine need.

And that is the truth.

A Mitvah performed is not a fraction of his will or facsimile of what He really wants. It is all that He wants. It’s the whole thing. It fulfills His will. It satisfies His deepest, truest desire undiminished by its physical embodiment.

Our soul, by contrast, is a part of G-d above as it comes down into this world “from a lofty perch to a deep pit” it is diminished in some way; it is now a soul, where before it was just Him. By doing Mitzvot our souls are re-connected to Him as before their decent.

In its very essence, on the other hand, the soul has not changed at all. The core of the soul is immutable, essence of the Essence. In fact, the Jewish soul that performs the Mitzvah gives the Mitzvah its true divinity. Because the Mitzvah is His will, indeed a very intimate aspect of Him. The soul, however, is Him.

In conclusion: On the surface, Torah brings the Jew closer to G-d. On the deeper levels, Jews bring the Mitzvot closer to G-d. You now understand the Kabbalistic secret, “G-d, His Torah and His people are one.”

Be sure to check out the Hayom Yom and Tanya reading for today.

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Songs of Praise

Day by Day - Tevet 1 (See today's Hayom Yom here. )
Is there really a difference between nature and miracle? Is nature itself not a miracle?

Upon further thought we realize that nature should make us aware of G-d as much as a miracle does.

The very existence of a created being tells of a creator! The total obedience of light to the command ‘Let there be light’ is high praise o the creator. A universe consisting of miscellaneous mineral, vegetable and animal beings attests to a inscrutable Divine Plan: Only He can make something great out of such ordinary materials.

And so every creature sings His praise and nature itself is the ongoing miracle that can and should heighten our awareness of G-d and His vast eternal plan.

Check out the Hayom Yom and the Chabad version of the Hallel blessing.

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