An "Illuminating" Journey

The section Behaalos'cha begins with a detailed description of the daily service of the Menorah lighting in the Mishkan.[460] This service was singled out since kindling the Menorah -- lighting the seven-branched candelabrum in the Sanctuary and Holy Temple -- served as a crucial and integral part of the Sanctuary service. As such, it is indicative of the service of all Jews in their spiritual efforts of transforming their personal selves into individual shrines for G-d.[461]

So vital is this service, that it exists eternally; whereas offerings were brought only during the time of the Beis HaMikdash, the service of "kindling the lights" -- as permanents expressed in lighting the Chanukah Menorah -- endures forever.[462]

We thus understand that the service of "kindling the lights" is the most vital and integral part of our spiritual service, applicable in all times, in all places, and in all situations. What causes this mode of service to be of such crucial import?

Each and every Jew possesses a soul that is a "G-dly light," the "lamp of G-d.[463]" The soul is to be kindled with the "light of mitzvos" and illumined with the "illumination of Torah.[464]" This causes the soul to flame and shine with its intrinsic brilliance and brightness. In turn, the soul's illumination enlightens all other aspects of the person, up to and including his very physicality, as well as those individuals with whom the person interacts.

Ultimately, the soul's brilliance and gleam affects the portion of the physical world with which the person comes into contact. For when the soul is kindled, one's actions are such that all of them are "for the sake of heaven,"[465] and the person "knows G-d in all his ways and paths,"[466] the physical included.

Man is to progress in this service: first refining himself -- by lighting and illuminating his own being with the "light of Torah and illumination of mitzvos" -- and then advancing to communicating and conveying this spiritual and sacred illumination to the rest of the world. Acting in this manner results in the entire world becoming a "dwelling for G-d."[467]

This sequential order of service -- first illuminating oneself, then other people and the world around him -- is also alluded to in our portion. For after the description of kindling the Menorah, the Torah goes on[468] to describe the order and manner of the journeys of the Jewish people in the desert, as the verse states, "When the cloud would lift from upon the Sanctuary the Jewish people would continue on their journey" to Eretz Yisrael:

First[469] comes the service of illuminating and transforming oneself into a Sanctuary through the light of Torah and mitzvos. Thereafter, even when one is journeying on his "ways and paths," i.e., as he wends his way through life, it should be recognizable to all that his "ways and paths" all lead in the direction of "knowing Him."

Just as the travels of Jewish people in the desert encompassed forty-two separate journeys, so too, our lives -- from the time of birth until life's end -- consists of forty-two journey's, or stages, of life. While most of these "journeys" consist of stations of spiritual and moral development and the like, nevertheless, some of them actually consist of physical journeys -- traveling or moving one's residence from one place to another.

Our journeys are similar to the travels of the Jewish people in the desert. Just as their travels were for a spiritual purpose -- journeying and coming ever closer to the Promised Land -- so, too, regarding our travels:

As the Baal Shem Tov states:[470] "A Jew must know that when he goes from one place to another, he is not going on his own, but is being directed from Above. And the intention and purpose in this is 'to cause His name to dwell there' -- that is, to make G-d known in that Jew's locale."

Moreover, before a Jew embarks on a journey he should prepare himself twofold: On the one hand, he should do everything possible within the realm of nature to assure that his journey be a smooth one and that he succeed on his journey.[471]

At the same time, he is to realize that his travels are a result of a "directive from Above" -- he is not traveling of his own volition, on his own personal journey, and for his own personal motives. Rather, he is traveling on "G-d's path."

This is not felt by the person to be a contradiction, for he knows that G-d desires that his journey whose source is truly above the natural realm, be clothed in the realm and orbit of nature.

Recognizing the above, and most importantly, acting in accordance with this recognition, is an assurance of complete success. That is to say, the person will succeed not only in the spiritual aspect of his journey -- "making G-d known" by kindling, illuminating and transforming the world with the light of the Menorah-light of Torah and mitzvos -- but also succeeding in the physical and material aspects of his journey as well.

Based on Sefer HaSichos 5749, Vol. II, pp. 522-531

"Humble, Humbler, Humblest"

Moshe Rabbeinu, Moshe our Teacher, was known for his profound humility, anavah -- "The man Moshe," declares the verse, "was the most humble -- anav -- of all men upon the face of the earth."[472] This verse, in fact, comes on the heels of the verses' description of the great quality of Moshe's degree of prophecy, for as our Sages state,[473] humility leads to prophecy and Ruach HaKodesh.

Thus the note of the Commentators that Moshe's quality of humility is juxtaposed with his quality of prophecy, for it was his extreme degree of humility that led to his extreme degree of prophecy. What was so unique about Moshe's level of humility?

Though there are many degrees of humility, they generally fall into three categories:[474]

The first level is where the person is not taken with his own self, not making a "production" and fuss over his own importance. As a result, he does not feel himself to be more important or loftier than others. Which is to say, though the person is aware of his own qualities -- qualities that truly set him apart from and cause him to be loftier than others -- and is cognizant of his own position, still this cognition does not at all cause him to feel superior to others.

The person's sense of humility stems from his recognition that G-d gifted his qualities to him. He thinks to himself, that were G-d to have provided others with the same qualities, they too would have achieved that which he achieved. Moreover, it is distinctly possible that were another to have been granted these inborn superior traits and qualities, then that person would have attained through his spiritual service even greater success than that which he achieved.

A second degree and level of humility is where the person not only does not "pat himself on the back," but he humbles himself and feels himself to be spiritually inferior to others. For he is truly so humble and self-negating, that he takes it as a given that were his fellow to possess the same qualities and innate talents that G-d granted him, then that person would surely have had greater achievements.

The highest degree of humility is when the person's humility actually causes him to descend and occupy himself even with those who he knows without a doubt to be on a truly lowly state and level.

Since humility leads to the indwelling of the Shechinah and Ruach HaKodesh, it is self-understood that the greater the degree of humility the greater the degree of the Shechinah's revelation within that individual.

The explanation of this matter is as follows. Self-abnegation and humility are required not only to achieve prophecy and Ruach HaKodesh, but also to accomplish any and all levels of the indwelling of the Divine Presence, such as the indwelling that results from the assembly of a quorum, or that results from even one individual's Torah study. For the principle that "G-d only resides within something that is nullified to Him,"[475] always applies.

This, then, is the first level of humility that serves as a necessary prerequisite to the indwelling of the Shechinah; without this elementary degree of humility the Divine Presence cannot rest upon an individual at all.

The second level is the degree of humility that directly "leads to Ruach HaKodesh" -- it is not merely humility that neutralizes one's lack of humility that serves as a hindrance to the indwelling of the Divine Presence. Here we speak specifically of humility that leads to Ruach HaKodesh, which is even loftier than the general level of the indwelling of the Shechinah.

Nevertheless, even this level is a state of man's humility, i.e., the person is -- at least to some degree -- aware of his state and trait of humility, it is he who has humbled himself before his fellow man.

The third and loftiest degree of humility and self-abnegation is where he

1. not only does not sense any degree of superiority and

2. he is truly humble before all men, but also

3. he descends and occupies himself even with those who he knows without a doubt to be on a truly lowly state and level.

On this level, humility and the indwelling of the Shechinah are not two separate states where one leads to the other, but they are truly one and the same:

For a truly lofty individual's descent to occupy himself with truly lowly individuals, is not a natural state of man -- it derives from Divinity; only G-d has this natural ability to bring about that "He, Who is most high, resides within those who are truly low."[476] Thus, the third level of humility is in and of itself the indwelling of the Shechinah within man.[477]

This profoundly sacred level of humility is referred to in the Torah when it states, "The man Moshe was the most humble of all men upon the face of the earth." For the truly lofty and humble individual, Moshe, devoted his entire life to assist those who were so far removed from his most sacred level.

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXXVIII, pp. 40-47.

   

Notes:

460. (Back to text) Bamidbar 8:1-4.

461. (Back to text) See Alshich, Shemos 25:8; Shaloh 69a; Likkutei Torah, p. 31b ff., et al.

462. (Back to text) See Ramban beginning of Behaalos'cha.

463. (Back to text) Mishlei 20:27.

464. (Back to text) Ibid., 6:23.

465. (Back to text) Avos 2:12.

466. (Back to text) Mishlei 3:6. See Rambam, Hilchos De'os, conclusion of ch. 3; Tur and Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim, Section 231.

467. (Back to text) Tanchuma, Naso 16; Tanya ch. 36, et al.

468. (Back to text) Bamidbar 9:15ff.

469. (Back to text) See Bava Metzia 107b.

470. (Back to text) HaYom Yom, entry 18th of Elul; Keser Shem Tov, Hosafos sec. 3.

471. (Back to text) "One is not to rely on a miracle." -- Pesachim 64b

472. (Back to text) Bamidbar 12:3.

473. (Back to text) See Nedarim 38a.

474. (Back to text) See Toras Chayim, Shmos 120b ff.; Sifrei HaMaamarim 5665, p. 219; 5679 p. 91; 5710 p. 236; Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XIII, p. 30ff.

475. (Back to text) Tanya, ch. 6.

476. (Back to text) Yeshayahu 57:15.

477. (Back to text) See Tanya ch. 35 (44b).