Preparing Us for the Future

Another Puzzle

We have discussed so far how the dire situation of the Jewish people necessitated the dissemination of Kabbalah, despite the reservations expressed in the past about doing so.

Were this to be the sole justification for the popularization of Kabbalah in the current era, it would leave us with yet another puzzle.

As was noted at the beginning of the last chapter, the mystical teachings of Judaism were actually first transmitted at Mount Sinai. Moreover, at Sinai the mystical experience dominated. The mystical experience was so powerful that it and overshadowed their grasp of the Ten Commandments with all of their detailed nuances. Only after Sinai, did the mystical experience recede into the background and the emphasis on the Torah’s practical directives emerged. Afterwards, only the spiritual elite were entrusted with this delicate knowledge.

Based on the above, one is entitled to ask, why did G-d have to make the revelation of the mystical teachings of Torah the dominant aspect of His communication at Sinai? If the objective of Sinai was to instruct us how to live our lives and to serve as a “light unto the nations” as to how they should live their lives, why was it necessary to reveal the teachings of mysticism at all?

When and if the need would arise to reveal these teachings to shore up the sagging spirits of the Jewish people, G-d could have revealed this knowledge to the select few, who, in turn, would reveal it to the masses at the right time. Why did this revelation have to reach everyone at Sinai, only to be withdrawn and kept secret for most until recent times?

Integral Part of Torah; Not just a Remedy

We are thus compelled to conclude that the teachings of Kabbalah are an integral part of Torah. Furthermore, these teachings are more than just an important part of Torah knowledge; they form its very essence. There was therefore a need for G-d to have revealed these teachings at Sinai, to underscore their centrality to Jewish knowledge, even as He was planning to deny these esoteric teachings from the overwhelming majority of the masses. The concealment of mysticism was meant to be temporary. Ultimately, these teachings would have to become the property of all.

Preparation for the Future

Indeed, according to the Chassidic tradition, there is a totally different reason for the transformation of mysticism from the province of the spiritually elite, to the entire world. The teachings of mysticism were not only needed to lend us support, but to prepare us for the Messianic Age when the mystical knowledge will pervade the entire world.

Whereas our first explanation for the necessity of exposing the teachings of mysticism relates to the spiritual weaknesses of our age and the inferiority of our period relative to earlier times, this explanation is based on the spiritual strength and the superiority of our age.

The Paradox

This paradox – that we are simultaneously spiritually inferior and superior to our ancestors – can be understood by way of introduction.

Let me first explain why the belief is that we are spiritually inferior to our ancestors. Many would take issue with this contention and find it rather offensive.

One way of measuring spirituality is to ask ourselves what is our “recollection” of the experience at Sinai. Judaism’s – indeed, the world’s – most pivotal event was the revelation at Sinai. At that point G-d informed the world what was the very purpose for its creation. That is when G-d made His “marriage” covenant with the Jewish people. It is axiomatic in Judaism that there will never be another such revelation at Sinai. In simple terms; the revelation of Sinai was and will remain the most important event!

So important was this event that our sages, based on Biblical sources, tell us that the souls all of the Jewish people – from the very beginning of time to the very end of time – were present at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah.

So central was the Sinai experience to our Jewish existence is that if even one Jew would have been absent, our sages tell us, G-d would not have given us the Torah. According to another Midrashic account, the words of G-d at Sinai reverberated to the whole world, indicating that although not all people were present at the foot of Mount Sinai, the effects of Sinai extended to the entire human race.

The sounds of Sinai, our sages say further, did not have an echo. This miracle, Chassidic commentators explain, was not really a miracle. The voice of Sinai permeated all of existence to the point that the normal echo which is created by the sound “bouncing off” a physical surface did not occur, because the sound was absorbed by even the physical matter. Everybody and everything was affected by the revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai in an unprecedented and unparalleled manner.

It is not far-fetched, then, to describe our generation’s “spiritual lowliness” in terms of its recollection of or distance from Sinai.

Denying our very Legitimacy

To further illustrate what is meant by the spiritual degradation of our time. Let me refer to a troubling recent phenomenon. There are people who deny that the Holocaust happened! I cannot think of another issue that unites all Jews and all decent people. Everyone is outraged and utterly disgusted at the suggestion that the most brutal event in history simply didn’t happen! Words are inadequate to express our emotions when we hear these so called “revisionists” deny the Holocaust.

Why are we so outraged? It is not simply the fact that we cannot tolerate people who distort the truth and who deny valid historical events. If these same people had denied most other historical events of recent vintage we would not experience the same feelings.

In very simple terms, the disgust that we feel is because the one who denies the Holocaust denies our legitimacy as a victim and by extension denies our legitimacy, period. When you victimize a person, you strip the person of their dignity, their humanity. You’ve killed them in one sense of the word. Our sages thus say that embarrassing someone in public is like bloodshed, because you destroy their self-image.

There is, however, one thing left to the victim with which he or she can salvage his or her dignity. That is the ability to claim that he or she is a victim and demand that the perpetrators make amends for their crime.

When one denies that the crime took place, they deal the victim the ultimate blow to his or her dignity and humanity. It’s like saying to the victim, “you don’t exist.” Nothing can be more painful than being de-legitimized.

Sinai: The Most Defining Moment of our History

If this is true concerning our status as victims, then it is certainly true about our very raison d’être. The experience at Sinai is what made us who we are. It is what gives our lives meaning. It is the most defining point of our existence. We are what we are because of Sinai. To deny Sinai is the most de-legitimizing experience.

The further away we get from the initial experience of Sinai, even chronologically, makes that experience more hazy. It is harder for us to visualize something that happened to our ancestors over 3,000 years ago.

Added to the passage of time, are the many challenges that the Sinai experience received from the enemies of Israel, the skeptics within our community and from those whose lifestyles were at variance with the dictates of Sinai. The discomfort at realizing their errant ways induced them to either deny or suppress their knowledge of the Sinai experience. For the majority of people today, however, it is just a case of ignorance; benign neglect. Most people were simply not taught that this experience occurred and that it was the single most important experience in the world’s history.

To the extent that our generation has distanced itself from Sinai, we are in an inferior spiritual position as compared to our forebears. This distance from Sinai, is the reason for the deterioration of Jewish values and the preservation of Jewish existence. Record number of Jews are assimilating and losing contact with Judaism and the Jewish people.

Because of this lowliness, our generation needs to be infused with additional measures of spirituality to awaken us and to refresh our “memory” of Sinai. Even if we were not told of this event, our soul has the memory of it imprinted on it. The popularization of the “soul” of Judaism – Jewish Mysticism – in our time, has the capacity to awaken our own souls and to make its memories come alive.

Closer to the Mission’s End

On the other hand, our present age, and our generation in particular, is unique in a positive sense as well. Though we are farther away from Sinai, we are nevertheless closer to the ultimate objective of Sinai.

What is the objective of Sinai? And how are we closer to the realization of this goal if, as stated above, we are chronologically and spiritually, farther away than ever before? How can we reconcile this apparent contradiction?

Let us first come to grips with what is perhaps the most important question of all: what are we here for? What is our purpose?

This reminds me of a story:

A certain Chasid came to his Rebbe, his spiritual mentor, Rabbi Schneur Zalman and presented him with a long list of problems and needs he had. “Please, Rebbe, tell me what to do. How do I resolve my problems and take care of my many needs?”

Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s reply to him was: “You’ve given me a long list of what you need, I do not see anything in your list that explains why you are needed.”

The Chasid, upon hearing these pointed words fainted. He was revived and spent the next few months in deep introspection, reevaluating his whole life and what it was that was wanted of him. Needless to say, this reassessment resulted in helping him solve many of his other problems that arose due to false expectations and distorted priorities.

Why are we needed?

G-d’s Master Plan

In more theological terms, the question can be phrased, “Why did G-d create this world? What are His expectations of us? What is His goal?

According to the Midrash, the purpose G-d had in mind when He created the world was to have a “dwelling place” in this world. This means that G-d would create an untamed, unrefined and incomplete world; a world that does not naturally recognize its Creator and that there are responsibilities to Him, one‘s fellow man and the rest of the universe. This is a world that is not very hospitable to G-d. But, ultimately, this unfriendly world would become receptive to G-d’s presence to the point that G- d would “feel” comfortable here.

By giving us the Torah at Mount Sinai, with all of its commandments, we gradually tame, refine, and complete the world and thereby “invite” G-d to reside here. Every Mitzvah we perform makes the world a little bit better. No matter how evil the world can be at a given time in its development, it does not detract from the cumulative good that was generated by generations of good deeds.

The Cumulative Effects of Mitzvot

In effect, the world is, by definition getting better every day. In a certain sense, the world is getting closer to Sinai every time we do something right. Despite the fact that there is still much evil – and even as recently as a halfcentury ago, the world experienced unprecedented barbarism and savagery during the Holocaust – it did not cancel or neutralize the cumulative effects of millennia of good. Evil cannot and does not last forever as good does. When evil people repent or die or suffer, their evil is slowly but surely dissipated. Good can never be dissipated.

Accordingly, though we find ourselves at the farthest point from Sinai in the chronological as well as spiritual sense, we are actually closer to it, by virtue of all the good that we accumulate from our forebears.

Moreover, because we are so far away from the original experience of Sinai, every act of goodness and holiness that we perform has even greater value, for it is done without the aid and encouragement of the memory of our covenant at Sinai.

Why No Feeling?

There is only one problem that remains to be resolved. Why don’t we feel the effects of this cumulative goodness? We should feel so good and holy and the world should be impervious to any evil because it is so saturated in goodness?

The answer to this dilemma lies in the concept of free choice. To facilitate a balance between good and evil, G-d allowed for evil to be overt and blatant while good remains beneath the surface.

While we can easily experience delight and pleasure in the world of immorality and evil, it takes effort and sophistication to appreciate the rewards of goodness and morality.

Accordingly, evil is more potent because it is on the surface, but the forces of good are more powerful because, unlike evil that is “skin deep,” the forces of holiness grow deep roots within the inner dimension of a person and the world.

So there is a duality to our situation. On the one hand, we are at the most remote point from the experience of Sinai, yet, on the other hand, we are as close to the realization of the objectives of Sinai as ever.

Going East or West?

A simple analogy will prove helpful in understanding the duality of our existence. A person is travelling eastward on a boat at a speed of 50 knots. This individual who has been standing on the eastern side of the ship has now decided to walk westward at a normal walking pace across the deck of the ship. If one were to be asked in what direction is this person travelling, one might come up with two – equally valid – answers. From the perspective of the person who is walking, he is going westward, but from the perspective of the ship and its destination, this person is going eastward.

While we appear to be regressing and distancing ourselves from Sinai, in truth we are simultaneously traveling inexorably in the direction of realizing the goals of Sinai, even as we feel that we are going in the opposite direction.

The Circle

Another analogy that applies here is a circle. When we are standing at a given point in a circle and then move in any direction. Every step we take away from our original point is simultaneously a step in the direction of returning to that original point. In a linear scheme the further away one moves from the original point, the further away s/he is, but in a circular scheme it is the opposite.

Game of Charades

One significant dilemma still persists. While our actions have accumulated all the spirituality and goodness that have made the world an inviting place for G-d, the world does not experience it. For all of the holiness generated by our actions, we do not appreciate it. How long does this “game of charades” have to persist? When will the reality of our accomplishments parallel, the world’s perceptions?

The answer lies in a better definition of mysticism. At Sinai, a Jew felt the presence of G-d and His unity; i.e., that G-d pervaded all of existence. This means that at Mount Sinai, a Jew, while recognizing the existence of the physical universe, was able to see through it and realize its true G-dly nature. When the Sinai experience was over and this feeling evaporated, G-d’s intention was that ultimately it would return.

In order to restore this awareness, the world had to first be transformed by way of the Mitzvot that instilled divinity into the physical actions and resources that go into a mitzvah. Every time a Jew puts on Tefillin, gave tzedakah, lit a Shabbat candle, etc., the physical action that caused the mitzvah was instilled with a G- dly energy and the resources with which the mitzvah was performed were likewise invigorated with spirituality.

As we get closer to realizing our goal and the world is filled with the accumulation of G-dly energy, the world is ready for the Messianic Age, at which time all for these accomplishments will be clearly seen by all.

This means that in the Messianic Age we will see the soul of all the Mitzvot that we did. G-d will be present in every aspect of our lives, just as it was at Sinai, with one major difference.

Whereas Sinai was a temporary and fleeting experience the sense of Sinai that we will recapture in the Messianic Age will be forever.

Sample of the Future

To prepare for this realization, G-d in His infinite kindness introduced the souls of people such as the Ba’al Shem Tov and others. Their G-dly nature enabled them to introduce this G- dly awareness through the G-dly teachings of mysticism, in a way that could be absorbed by all. In effect, when the Messianic Age arrives, we will not be “strangers” to this experience.

From this perspective the popularization of Kabbalah in our times was necessitated not by the depressed sate that we were in, but, on the contrary, because of the closeness we are to the Messianic Age, when these teachings will be totally open.

The Historic Letter

The Ba’al Shem Tov, in a letter to his brotherin-law, Rabbi Gershon of Kitev, relates how on Rosh Hashanah of the year 5507 (251 years ago) is soul experienced “Aliyat Haneshamah-the Ascension of his soul” to the higher spiritual spheres. There he went from one “palace” to another until he reached the palace of Moshiach (the Messiah) and asked him: “Aimatai Ka’ati Mar?-When is the Master going to come?” .

Moshiach’s response to the Ba’al Shem Tov was: Le’ke’she’yafutzu Ma’ayanatecha Chutzah- When your wellsprings will be disseminated to the farthest reaches.”

Based on this response the masters of the Chassidic movement, realized that the dissemination of the teachings of mysticism – as they were adapted by the Chassidic movement to make them accessible to the average person – was a necessary prerequisite to the coming of the Redemption through Moshiach and the onset of the Messianic Age.

Hence, the popularization of the teachings of mysticism is a positive development and is not only for the purpose of lending support to depressed spirits, but that it is to prepare us for the future when these teachings and the perceptions of spirituality that they engender will pervade the world.

To further comprehend the role of mysticism in our time, Chassidic thought refers us to a custom that originated with the great Kabbalist – the Ari – concerning the way we prepare for the Shabbat. On Shabbat we are required to eat good and tasty foods, so that our enjoyment of the Shabbat is at its peak. When preparing these foods on Friday, there is a custom for people to taste the food.

According to Biblical calculations we are in the end of the sixth millenium since the creation of the world. Each millenium, the Kabbalists say, based on the Talmud, corresponds to the six days of creation, the six days of the week. Accordingly, the seventh millenium is the climax of creation. At that time we will reach the peak of spiritual pleasure, because all of the G-dly energies that we unleashed in the last six millennia by way of our performance of Mitzvot, will be realized. It will be like a person who looks back at the work s/he’s achieved upon completion of a most monumental task. The delight is immense.

A Foretaste of the Feast of the Future

If the analogy of the Shabbat to the seventh millennium is valid, then we are at the “Friday, late afternoon” of creation. This is the time when the preparations for the Shabbat assume a more frenetic and urgent pace. But, it is also the time when we are given a taste of the experiences that are to follow. Hence, samples of the mystical teachings that will be fully revealed are now being tasted by us, to savor the taste of these delectable delights and to whet our appetite for the onset of the Shabbat when the entire feast will be ours.

Pearls and Coals: Two Parables, Two Reasons

Two parables were given by Chassidic masters to describe the concept of Chassidic/mystical thought. As we will see the two parables parallel the two reasons that were given above as to why the mystical teachings have been popularized in recent times.

Pearls can be found in the depths of the ocean. Likewise coals, which provide light and warmth, can be found in the bowels of the earth. To obtain these objects, one must follow the instructions of their foreman, but that alone does not suffice. When digging beneath the earth’s surface one must have a lifeline that connects him to the outside. The oxygen that the foreman breathes does not help the coal miners who are beneath the surface. Similarly the diver who plumbs the depths of the ocean to find the peals must be provided with air from the surface of the earth.

The analogy of coals that provides light and heat, necessities of life, parallels the function of mysticism that enables us to cope with the darkness of exile. To buttress our sagging spirits as we travel through the period of exile and away from the Sinai experience, G-d enabled us to become “miners” who penetrate the surface of our souls and discover its Inner Light and life. The means to do this is through the soul of Torah – mysticism.

In the winter we cannot tolerate the cold and in order to survive it is imperative that we have coals or other sources of energy to keep us warm and to provide us with light. This parallels the first reason for the popularization of Kabbalah; to instill life and warmth into our Jewish life.

Pearls, by contrast are luxuries. One can live without them, but they do enhance our appearance. Now, despite the fact that pearls, or other jewelry, are a luxury, there are times when they become a necessity. When we are preparing ourselves for a wedding, particularly if it is our own wedding, pearls and jewelry become a necessity.

This analogy to pearls parallels the second reason for the popularization of the mystical aspects of Judaism (the “pearls of Judaism”). While in the past, one might have viewed these teaching as adornments and luxuries, as we stand before the Messianic Age, which has been likened to a wedding, we must adorn ourselves and be dressed for the occasion.

Hence the need for the teachings of mysticism in our times to adequately prepare us for the future.

From the book Safe Kabbalah, Part One: Opening the Gates by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.