Thick Cords of LOVE
To help us understand our true nature, who we really are, and ultimately how to view the rest of mankind, the Baal haTanya brings a famous parable about the son of the king. Since it’s very similar to the story that I said over on Shabbos, about two great tzaddikim whose yahrzeits are in the three weeks, Yismach Moshe and the holy Chozeh from Lublin whose yahrzeit is Tisha B’av, and since it’s a great story, let’s open with that.
Initially the Yismach Moshe, Rav Moshe Teitelbaum, was opposed to the way of the Baal Shem Tov. Only after finding out that his soninlaw was a Chassid, did he eventually travel and meet his Rebbe, the Chozeh from Lublin. During his journey he was pondering his questions against Chassidus. Doesn’t it say in the beginning of the codes of Jewish law that it’s befitting for every person who fears Hashem, to be worried in his heart over the destruction of the holy temple? It seemed to him that the Chassidim were always happy, and this very much perplexed him. Then it fell into his mind the verse, someone who comes to purify himself, they help him. He thought to himself, they help him? It should say Hashem, He helps him. Why they plural?
It must be a hint to the tzaddikim, and so he prayed that when he came to the holy tzaddik, that he would have an answer for his question. When he walked into the study of the holy Chozeh from Lublin, before he even opened his mouth, the Chozeh said to him, why are you so sad? True, it’s written in the codes that it’s befitting for a person who fears heaven to be worried in his heart over the destruction of the holy temple. Let me tell you a parable that I heard from my Rebbe, Reb Shmuel Shmelke.
There was once a prince who was taken into captivity, and he escaped. At midnight he arrived at the door of his friend, and when his friend opened the door, he was filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, he was ecstatic to see his friend, the prince. On the other hand, he was dressed in torn clothes of a captive, dirty, bloody, and he didn’t know how to respond. On one hand, it was so painful to see the prince like this. On the other hand, he was filled with joy to see him alive. Out of honor for the prince, outwardly, he was filled with joy, but in his heart, he felt the pain of the exile.
This is the proper way to be in the world, says the Chozeh to the Yismach Moshe, and maybe you’re asking yourself why I’m telling all this? Doesn’t it say that somebody comes to purify himself, they help him in plural, meaning the tzaddikim?
The Yismach Moshe understood that the Chozeh could see everything. He had answered all his questions. He went on to bring Chassidus to Hungary, becoming the father of the Satmar dynasty.
The Baal HaTanya brings this parable to explain to us that we are a walking contradiction. Each and every one of us is a walking exile. Why did the Creator create a world with unconsciousness, with transgression, with exile? What are we supposed to learn? What should we do?
Our souls which are a portion of Hashem, mamash, holy, healthy, and happy, have been incarcerated in a physical body, in a physical world, and most of us are sunk into passions and desires of worldliness. This is exile. There is a reality to the sides of our shortcomings. There are special times and occasions, teaches the Baal HaTanya, to lament, and to have remorse, a broken heart, like Tisha B’av. That’s not the focus of our discussion now. The real reality is our holy souls, and this is our joy, for the divine presence only rests in a place of joy. As the verse says, His place is one of power and joy. This is what the ARIZal teaches. That even worrying about one’s transgression, is only for the limited time of confession, viduy, and not during prayer and learning which must be done in great simcha.
He can console himself and say, yes, it’s true. I’m far from Hashem, sunken in physicality, but that’s my external self, that’s my body, but inside of me is a spark of Hashem, mamash. It’s just that my soul is in exile and if so, the deeper I’m in galus, the greater I have to have compassion on myself, to put all of my efforts in taking out my soul from the exile. This is our life’s mission. All of our days to serve Hashem with great joy. The joy of the exodus of the soul from the darkness of physicality and returning it to the palace, its former glory. There is no greater joy than the soul returning from exile.
If I really want to console myself, I can say, I didn’t create myself, Hashem brought about the situation. A holy, holy soul cast down into physicality. This is an aspect of yeridah l’tzorech aliyah. Don’t get upset, you’ve been set up. Hashem cast your soul down into the physical world in order for you to raise up the lost sparks of klipas nogah. With each action, thought, and deed you’re raising up your soul. As the verse says, “eilecha Hashem nafshi esa,” to You I lift up my soul. Therefore, the Torah’s called Meshivas Nefesh, it returns the soul. Here the Baal HaTanya says, when you have the proper outlook on yourself, meaning to say that you have a deep understanding that we live in a state of contradiction. On one hand, we’re holy and a soul in joy, and then there’s the other side.
This way of thinking is the straight and easy way to fulfilling the mitzvah of loving your brother like yourself. For when a person’s focus is on his soul and not his body, on spirituality and not physicality, it’s possible to love everyone no matter what level they’re on. Why? For the source of all souls is from one place, chochmah elyonah. In that place all of us are united, we are all brothers and sisters and it’s only our bodies that separate us.
When one centers his life around physicality, it’s impossible to be in the state of love and peace and that’s what we see in the world. This is why this mitzvah is called a klal gadol b’Torah, an allinclusive rule to the Torah because the whole entire Torah is coming to teach us to raise up our souls from the physicality, to raise it up to its roots, its source. Even those that it’s a mitzvah to dislike, it’s only from the side of their body. Disdain the evil, but love the side of good, the hidden good, the spark of godliness and to arouse compassion in your heart. For your friend, just like you, is in an aspect of exile.
Listen to these amazing words. The compassion nullifies, subjugates the hate and arouses love. This is a foundational idea of Tanya and the philosophy of Chabad. There is a reality to unconsciousness. There’s a reality to transgressions. The improper reaction is disdain and hate. The proper response is to see the big picture, to have da’as and compassion and let this compassion bring us to love of mankind which brings us to unity and divine blessing.
At the end of the silent prayer, Shemoneh Esrei, we say, “barcheinu avinu,” bless us, our Father, “kulanu k’echad,” all of us, like one, “b’or panecha,” the light of Your face, Your countenance. When we are unified, in a state of oneness, then we are aligned for blessing and not Gd forbid, when we’re in a state of separation. For the Holy One, Blessed be He, doesn’t rest in a broken place of separation.
The way to be in the world is to be like Hillel ha’zakein and by the way, with Hashem’s help, we’re going to start next time with the story of Hillel standing on one foot. In the first chapter of Pirkei Avos, Hillel says, be a student of Aaron. Love peace. Love the creation and draw them to the Torah.
Meaning to say, says the Baal HaTanya, even if they’re far from Torah and serving Hashem, one must draw them, pull them with thick cords of love. Then maybe you’ll succeed to bring them close. If not, you haven’t lost out on the merit of loving your brother. This is a true Chassid. This is going to bring us out of exile, bring us to redemption, and this is the way to the Third Temple.