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by Rabbi E. Tauger
Teves
A Month
When We Come To Terms With Exile
The month of Teves is mentioned in the Bible
in two contexts:
a) As the month in which the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's
armies began;
b) As the month in which Esther was taken to the palace of King
Achasverush.
Both events point to the severity of the exile to which our people
were subjected. It is explained that there is a more severe dimension
to the fast of the Tenth of Teves than any of the other commemorative
fasts: Were the fast to fall on Shabbos, we would be required to
fast despite the joyous nature of that holy day. Why? Because the
beginning of a cycle contains all the energy that will ultimately
be manifest in its conclusion. So if the destruction of the Temple
on Tishah BeAv is considered a tragedy, the severity of that tragedy
is felt on the Tenth of Teves.
Esther's being taken to the palace represents a further descent.
A righteous Jewish woman was violated. The inner dimension of intimacy
reserved for holiness was taken by a lustful gentile by force.
Spiritual Mechanics
To focus more deeply on the above: The most
obvious dimension of exile is that it is punishment. But the punishment
is not arbitrary, dictated by Divine decree without any reason.
On the contrary, it is ordained "measure for measure."
Just like in the material world, every action dictates an appropriate
reaction, so too, in the spiritual realm; exile is an appropriate
reaction to the Jews' conduct.
The Jewish people had been granted their land. In it, they had the
opportunity to live according to G-d's intent and desire, but they
failed to do so. Instead of living their lives according to the
Torah and its mitzvos, they sought to imitate gentile lifestyles.
Since they accepted the gentiles as their masters in a spiritual
sense - i.e., they looked up to them for the values and styles on
which to base their culture - they soon found themselves looking
up to gentiles as masters in a physical sense. They lost their independence
and became subjected to the rule of gentile powers.
And then even the most sacred things were lost. Jerusalem was besieged
and fell, and Jewish women were taken by gentiles as their wives.
A Springboard for Growth
But the inner motif behind exile is much
deeper than finding appropriate punishment for our people's sins.
After all, G-d is the ultimate of good. Yes, He is a G-d of judgment
and therefore the concept of reward and punishment is considered
as one of the fundamental principles of our faith; but the entire
thrust of reward and punishment is motivated by positive energy.
He wants to elevate us. It's only that sometimes, because of our
conduct, the only way He can elevate us is through subjecting us
to negative influences that purify us.
However the intent is not merely to expiate the bad. Instead, the
entire process is aimed at raising man to a higher rung than he
occupied previously. The descent must be for the purpose of an ascent,
to climb above one's level before the sin. The G-dly purpose in
the cycle of sin and punishment is that man reaches a level far
higher than he could have conceived of previously. But like an athlete
seeking to leap forward, before advancing, one takes a couple of
steps back to get a running start.
To explain this idea in the context of exile: The Baal Shem Tov
interprets the verses: "My flesh longs for You in a parched
and thirsty land. So to have seen You in the Sanctuary…"
as meaning that King David was asking: "Would it be that I
could have experienced the same yearning and desire for G-d in the
Temple that I experienced in the thirsty lands of exile." Going
into exile, being distant and removed from G-dliness, awakened a
higher level of thirst and desire than he had experienced beforehand.
The same applies for our people as a whole. Although being sent
into exile has taken us away from the revelation of G-liness in
the Temple, it arouses our thirst and desire, motivating us to seek
Him out with greater intensity.
Not For One's Self Alone
But the intent of exile is not only for the
heightening of spiritual consciousness within the Jewish people.
It is part of G-d's plan to bring the entire world to its state
of consummate fulfillment. To explain: Within every element of existence,
there are sparks of G-dliness, for it is His energy and vitality
that maintains the existence of our world. Nothing could exist without
Him continually bringing it into being.
Nevertheless, His influence is hidden. We don't see G-dliness overtly,
nor do we even perceive the workings of His hand at all times. On
the contrary, we see a natural world that appears to exist independently.
Our lack of awareness, however, does not change the true reality.
Whether we perceive it or not, it is G-d's world. But the intent
is not for this inner G-dliness to remain hidden. Instead, G-dliness
should be brought out into revelation. This can be achieved by utilizing
the material entity for a spiritual purpose.
This defines the mission of the Jewish people: To wander from country
to country and from culture to culture, and bring out the spiritual
dimensions of these lands and lifestyles by aligning their material
existence with their inner G-dly core.
As a New Day Breaks
Both of these concepts are uniquely evident
in the present era. Despite - and perhaps because of - the overwhelmingly
material affluence of our lifestyle, people are not content and
want something more. We are witnessing the fulfillment of the prophecy:
"Days are coming..., [when people will be] hungry -but not
for bread, thirsty -but not for water, but to hear the word of G-d."
People from all walks of life are seeking spirituality. It is so
powerful a trend that all sociologists have highlighted it as one
of the major forces molding our society.
Similarly, the second element - that everything in the world should
be used for a spiritual purpose - is also being granted full expression.
Television, video, internet, data bases - and all the other breakthroughs
of the technological and communications revolution have been used
for spreading Torah knowledge. Indeed, at times, the impetus to
spread Torah knowledge has been the driving force for certain technological
breakthroughs.
All of this is not coincidence. We are living in unique times. Mashiach
is not a dream of the far-off future, but a reality that is becoming
increasingly more manifest every day. In previous generations, our
people said: "I will wait for him every day, that he come,"
as a hope and a prayer. Today, as we see these two motifs at work
in our society, there is a unique opportunity to anticipate the
redemption: i.e., to apply the mindset that will characterize that
future era in our present existence. By studying about and internalizing
the nature of the spiritual forces that will shape the era of Mashiach,
we can live with Mashiach today.
Doing this is also the most effective way of making Mashiach's coming
a reality. For when people see a person living this way, they will
seek to emulate such conduct in their own lives. And then the waves
of change will spread, making the world a fit setting for the Redemption.
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Telling
Tales
In connection with the Alter
Rebbe's yahrzeit on 24 Teves, we would like to share the following
story:
Once a chassid came to the Alter Rebbe for
consultation regarding a particular matter. In the midst of their
conversation, the Alter Rebbe had to leave for a moment. The chassid
noticed that there was a clock on the Alter Rebbe's desk and that
the time was not the same as on his watch. Now he had purchased
his watch from a renowned jeweler who had told him that it would
not ever be slow or fast. Without a second thought, he adjusted
the clock on the Rebbe's desk to the time on his watch.
When the Alter Rebbe returned, he noticed that something was amiss.
He asked the chassid whether he had touched the watch. The chassid
answered that he had.
"Why did you?"
"It did not have the right time."
"How do you know it did not have the right time?"
The chassid explained the uniqueness of his watch. The Alter Rebbe
answered him that his clock was set according to the changes in
the mystic forces above and thus its time was certainly correct.
For a Rebbe, the material realm is no more than an extension of
the spiritual and what goes on above is reflected below.
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Torah
readings of the month
Parshas Mikeitz
There is an obvious question
in this week's Torah reading. Joseph becomes viceroy in Egypt. Now
he has been separated from his father for 13 years. As a servant
and as a prisoner, he did not have the opportunity to notify his
father that he was alive, but as viceroy, why didn't he? He was
now a free man, the second most powerful person in Egypt, why would
it have been so hard to send a messenger to Eretz Yisrael?
In resolution, let's consider a teaching from the Midrash. The Midrash
tells us that for several of the years that Joseph was in Egypt,
Isaac was alive and knew through the spirit of prophecy, that Joseph
was alive. Why then didn't Isaac tell Jacob?
The Midrash answers that Isaac made a simple reckoning. How did
he know that Joseph was alive? Through the spirit of prophecy. Well
Jacob also possessed the spirit of prophecy. Obviously, G-d wanted
Isaac to know, but did not want Jacob to know. "And,"
thought Isaac, " If G-d does not want to inform him, I also
should not.
Similarly, Joseph knew of his father's prophetic qualities. Thus
he thought: If G-d has not told my father where I am, I should not
either.
This reflects a unique dimension of a righteous man's conduct: to
trust G-d even when he does not understand why He does what He does.
Parshas VaYigash
When the Torah speaks about
the journey of Jacob and his family to Egypt, it counts all of them
and comes to the total of 70 individuals. It, however, describes
the 70 individuals as nefesh, using the singular term. Now when
it described the journey of Esau and his family, it speaks of 6
nefashos, using the plural, so we see that the plural form could
have been used when speaking about Jacob's family. But that's precisely
the point. The six members of Esau's household were six separate
individuals, each primarily concerned with himself. The 70 members
of Jacob's household, by contrast, were characterized by unity.
For sure, they had an individual identity, but even as they existed
as individuals, they never lost sight of the greater whole and the
inner bonds that tied them together.
Parshas VaYechi
The name of this Torah reading
means "And he lived." And yet, the Torah reading speaks
almost solely about Jacob's death - the sickness that preceded it,
the blessings that he gave his sons before passing, and his burial.
This gives us some understanding of the way the Torah looks at death:
that it's like passing from one room to another. At first one is
living on the material plane, afterwards, one's life is on the spiritual
plane. But life continues.
It could not be otherwise. The soul is an actual spark of G-d, infinite
and eternal as He is. So there is no way that a soul can die. It
just is no longer manifest in this world to the same degree. And
the emphasis is - "to the same degree." For a soul in
the spiritual realms can arouse mercy for its loved ones in this
realm. And we know that there is communication from souls above
to individuals on this realm. Thus for us on this plane, the death
of a loved one is a tragedy, but for the soul itself, it is a liberating
experience. It is freed of the confining dimensions of material
reality and experiences the spiritual directly.
Parshas Shmos
When the Torah begins describing
the manner in which Moses began to take independent action, it states:
"And Moses matured and he went out to his brethren." What
is Moses' first step when he comes of age? He goes out to his brothers.
Now he was raised in Pharaoh's palace. He had the opportunity to
indulge in the luxury of royal life without giving a second thought
to his origins. But he didn't, he thought of his brethren.
And what did he do when he went out to his brethren? He risked his
life by killing an Egyptian who was mistreating a Jew. Moses knew
what the consequences of his act could be and yet he willingly accepted
the danger.
This is what marks a Jewish leader: that he does not think of himself
and thinks only of his people. This characterized Moses' activity
from the outset and throughout his life. At every stage, he was
willing to put his own interests - indeed his very life - aside
and concern himself with his people's welfare.
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Dates of the Month
Teves 5 - Didan Netzach;
the date of the historic ruling ordering the return of the library
of Agudas Chasidei Chabad to its rightful owners
Teves 10 - Asarah BeTeves; the fast commemorating the beginning
of the siege of Jerusalem
Teves 20 - the yahrzeit of Maimonides, the Rambam
Teves 24 - the yahrzeit of the Alter Rebbe, R. Shneur Zalman
of Liadi, founder of Chabad Chassidism
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