Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)

Parshiyos Acharei Mos/K'doshim 5756

(Leviticus 16:1-18:30 - Leviticus 19:1-20:27)

"Any man of the Children of Israel and of the convert who dwells among them who will trap a beast or bird that my be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth." (Leviticus 17:13)

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In the upper worlds there are no distinctions, Everything reflects the unity of Hashem. Only in this physical world are there differences and distinctions. However, this is an illusion, because although each physical item appears to be unique, distinct and separate, it is still rooted within Hashem's unity. The Torah commands that when a Jew slaughters any species of kosher birds or non-domesticated animals, he must cover part of the blood. Since the soul resides in the blood, it is not proper to eat the flesh of an animal while its blood is still exposed. However, sacrificial blood is never covered, so the species used for offerings--cattle, sheep, and goats--are exempted from this commandment and the Torah extends this to ordinary human consumption as well. (Chinuch) Let us explore, based on the teachings of Rabbi Nachman and his student Rav Noson, why it is necessary to cover the blood of a slaughtered animal.

BLOOD AND DUST CONTAIN ASPECTS OF TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD

One of the main causes of evil and impurity is falsehood. One of the main sources of good and holiness is truth. The commandment of covering the blood illustrates the impact of truth and falsehood upon our lives. Blood contains the nefesh, the spiritual component which sustains all of the body's functions. On the one hand, the blood's spiritual energies fuel animalistic desire, the root cause of all evil. On the other hand, the blood sustains the body and it is through the body that we are most able to recognize and serve the Creator. Since the blood contains both positive and negative aspects, it is essential that we sift, separate, and elevate the good aspects from the bad.

Truth is also associated with the ground as the verse says, "Truth will sprout from the earth." (Psalms 85:12). Falsehood is also associated with earth, "And Hashem said to the snake [the source of all evil and falsehood], 'Because you have done this [enticed Adam and Eve to sin],(upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life." [The verse associates the snake, the epitome of falsehood, with the dust.] (Genesis 3:14) In this way, the earth and blood are alike since they both resonate with an admixture of good and evil.

TRUTH IS ONE AND FALSEHOOD IS MANY

Rav Noson says that in the upper worlds there are no distinctions, everything reflects the unity of Hashem. Only in this physical world are there differences and distinctions. For example, in this world there is a notable difference between silver and gold. However, in the upper worlds, the spiritual source of silver and the spiritual source of gold are both Hashem's infinite light. Before an object is formed in this world, it is connected to all other things within Hashem's unity. After it is formed and takes on a physical appearance, it appears to be separate and distinct from every other object. However, this is an illusion, because although each physical item appears to be unique, distinct and separate, it is still rooted within Hashem's unity in upper worlds. This is the negative and false aspect of earth. As Rabbi Nachman said, truth is one, but falsehood is many. For example, in reference to silver, the truth is that it is silver, and nothing more. Falsehood has infinite possibilities--calling silver gold or copper or plastic, etc. (1 Lekutai MoHaran 51) However, as illusory as the physical world is, in the end, when all objects decay and disintegrate into the same material--dust--the truth is ultimately revealed that in reality everything is the same, unified within Hashem's Oneness, as the verse says, "All [things] go to the same place [they are all connected and unified within Hashem]; all [things] originate from dust and all [things] return to dust." (Eccl. 3:20) Thus, it is through the earth that the truth about the Oneness of Hashem is revealed. So we must sift the positive aspects of dust from the negative ones in order to discover truth.

UNIFYING ONE'S MUNDANE ACTIVITIES WITH HASHEM

Rav Noson says that in order for our activities in the mundane world to be associated with truth, they must be connected to or unified with Hashem. He gives several examples: One should earn his livelihood with the sole intention that he will use the proceeds of his income to serve Hashem by giving charity, supporting his own Torah study, creating a Torah lifestyle for himself and his family etc. Then, when such a person works, he connects all of the hours he expends on earning a living to truth, unifying all of his work to the Oneness of Hashem, the source of all truth. Thus he lives a life of truth. Conversely, a person who goes to work without these intentions leads a life that is very far from truth. Such a person is likely to be dishonest in business, because his motives for working are not associated with truth--he is not interested in facilitating his service of Hashem. [Note: People who cloak themselves in the garb of religiosity while conducting themselves dishonestly are in the same category. Their religiosity is not for serving Hashem, but rather themselves.] In another example, Rav Noson says that all scientific knowledge is worthless if one does not use it to recognize that it was Hashem Who created and continues to operate the wonders of nature. What does it matter if, for example, a person researches and discovers the dimensions of the sky. In the end he will return to the dust and his knowledge will be worthless to him. Scientific knowledge that is not used to acknowledge and serve Hashem actually results in driving people even further from truth. Such scientists are not only far from the truth themselves, but they mislead the masses, inculcating them with false beliefs that preclude belief in Hashem. However, when a person uses his scientific knowledge as support for the reality of the Creator and the requirement to serve Him, he connects his knowledge to truth. Then his knowledge unifies him in Hashem's Oneness.

COVERING BLOOD, SUBDUING ENERGIES OF FALSEHOOD

As mentioned above, blood is associated with the spiritual energies of animalism and hedonism, the root of all evil and falsehood. Also mentioned was the fact that everything decomposes to become earth, affirming the truth that everything is connected to Hashem and His Oneness. Thus, this aspect of earth is associated with the spiritual energies of truth. So when we cover the blood of a slaughtered animal with earth, we rectify the false aspects associated with blood, i.e. by covering the blood with the spiritual energies of the truth that are associated with the earth, we rectify that part of the blood which engenders hedonistic desires leading to a life of temporary and false values, detached from Hashem and His truth. In this way the spiritual energies of falsehood contained in the animal's blood are subdued and the positive aspects of the blood, those which provided life to the animal, in order that Hashem could be served, are elevated.

NO NEED TO COVER THE BLOOD
OF SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS

The Temple and the Temple service have the ability to connect one to Hashem and truth. As discussed above, the blood of cattle, sheep, and goats did not require covering. Within the context of the sacrificial offering, the blood was sprinkled upon the altar which connected it to truth. Thus there was no need to access the earth's resonance with truth by covering the blood. [Note: Although not all cattle, sheep, or goats were offered upon the altar and today there is no Temple, since all cattle, sheep, and, goats come from the same spiritual roots, they are all connected to truth through those animals which were actually sacrificed, for through their being sacrificed, they drew the spiritual energies of truth to the entire spiritual root].

SINCERITY IN THE PURSUIT OF TRUTH

The goal and purpose of life in the physical world is to come closer to Hashem, the source of all truth, through serving Him and doing His will. Rav Noson says that the barometer of an activity's being rooted in truth or falsehood is whether or not it is useful in the service of Hashem. What if a person truly wants to serve Hashem, but unintentionally becomes a follower of a person whose activities that are rooted in falesehood or of a false philosophy? Rav Noson explains that such a person will not be held responsible. Furthermore, if in his heart, he is sincerely looking for truth, Hashem will eventually open his eyes and make him realize that that particular leader or thought system which he believed would lead him to Hashem is in fact false. Rav Noson cautions that one should not rationalize adherence to a person or philosophy that he knows to be false based upon the possible material benefits. Hashem cannot be fooled. He knows everyone's intentions. Rav Noson therefore suggests that in order to avoid the pitfalls of self-delusion or uncertainty, one should verbally declare to Hashem that he wants only to be led to truth and then give over all of his thoughts, speech, and actions to Hashem in order that Hashem will lead him to the truth. Even if the individual has not yet found truth, if he sincerely seeks it, Hashem will eventually lead him to it. Finding truth entails being associated with the true Tzaddikim (saints) and adhering to their teachings. Thus, one who is sincerely seeking the truth Hashem will lead to a true Tzaddik. And the more we strive to find such a Tzaddik, the sooner it will happen.

STARS AND DUST: A FALL FOR THE SAKE OF THE ASCENT

On the one hand, the Jews are compared to the stars, "[Hashem said to Abraham, the father of the Jewish People] 'Gaze, now, toward the Heavens, and count the stars(so shall your offspring be!'" (Genesis 15:5) In another verse the Jews are compared to the dust, "I (Hashem) will make your offspring as the dust of the earth..." (Genesis 13:16) The sages explain that when the Jews fall, they fall to the depths of the earth and when they ascend they ascend to the stars. Rav Noson further elaborates: It is the spiritual energies of falsehood, associated with the dust, that influences the Jews to sin, causing them to fall to the dust. However, once they have fallen, the true Tzaddikim are then able to activate the positive aspects of earth--which are the spiritual energies of truth--enabling the Jews to return to truth as they ascend to the heavens. In another way of understanding this concept, after sinning, but before they fall to the earth, the Jews are unable to realize that their sinful path is wrong, destructive, and full of falsehood, leading them away from truth. But once they have fallen, they are able to clearly recognize that it was their belief in falsehood and sinful behavior that was responsible for their downfall. This activates the other aspect of the dust, the energies of truth which helps the Jews correct their behavior, propelling them once again to the heavens.

Every fall is good because it provides us with a perspective of truth which we are unable to perceive while in an elevated position. We must fall to the dirt associated with the spiritual energies of truth in order to dispel any misconceptions we may have about our position in life and relationship with Hashem. Rabbi Nachman calls this process a descent for the purpose of achieving an eventual ascent. Thus, the positive aspects of the dust are used to negate the negative aspects of the dust.

THE TRUTH IN DUST AND ASH:
A PRAYER TO SAVE A CITY

Every fall is good because it provides us with a perspective of truth which we are unable to perceive while in an elevated position. The above discussion illuminates Abraham's prayer in his attempt to save the city of Sodom, which Hashem was about to destroy for the extreme wickedness of its residents, "Behold now, I (Abraham) desired to speak to my G-d [in order to plead the cause of the wicked people of Sodom] although I am but dust and ash." (Genesis 18:27) The wickedness of the people of Sodom resulted from their great love and attachment to falsehood. Every human being has some good within him, even the most wicked. However, the people of Sodom were so corrupt, wicked, and attached to falsehood that it was even very difficult for Abraham, a man who saw the good in everybody, to find any good within them. Still, Abraham was well aware of the above mentioned principle and so, believed that there must have been some good hidden amongst the people of Sodom worth saving. This is why he pleaded their case. Abraham felt that in order to discover the true good hidden within the Sodomites, as discussed above, he had to connect himself with the spiritual energies of the truth, which are associated with the earth. By declaring that he was nothing but dust and ash, Abraham was able to merge his essence with the spiritual energies of the dust. As mentioned above, dust attests to the unity and Oneness of Hashem, which is associated with the spiritual energies of absolute truth. Once Abraham was connected to absolute truth, he would be able to discover the underlying good of the people of Sodom, that he was sure was hidden within them. Once Abraham would be able to see the good within the people of Sodom, he would be better able to defend them.

THE RED HEIFER, THE SOTAH WATER
AND BURIAL IN THE GROUND

The ashes of the red heifer were able to purify a person who had become spiritually contaminated through contact with death. The sages explain that ash and dirt contain the same spiritual energies, for Numbers 19:17 also refers to ashes as dirt, "They shall take for the contaminated person some of the dirt [referring to the ash] of the burning of the purification [animal]..." Death was decreed upon the world as a result of the snake having enticed Adam to sin against Hashem. As mentioned above, the essence of the snake resonates with the negative energies of dirt, i.e. falsehood and evil. Since the entire universe is either associated with or dependent upon the earth, when the snake caused the negative aspects of earth to prevail over the positive aspects, meaning that falsehood obscured truth, it caused man and the entire universe to become detached from truth and Hashem. Originally, before Adam's sin, man and the entire universe was attached to truth and therefore did not need to die or decay having no need to reconnect to the positive aspects of earth. However, when through his sin, man became detached from truth, it became necessary for him and all creatures to reunite with truth by dying and becoming dust once again. Furthermore, life requires one to deal with the falsehood of this world. Living in an environment of falsehood causes mankind and everything else to eventually expire and decay. In order for man to cleanse himself of the impurity of falsehood that he absorbs from this world, after his demise he is placed in the ground, which reunites him with the spiritual energies of truth and purges him of the negative spiritual energies of falsehood. Since death is associated with falsehood, the ashes of the red heifer, which contained the spiritual energies of truth, were sprinkled upon the contaminated person to cleanse him of the impurity. In addition, a woman suspected of being unfaithful to her husband, called a sotah in Hebrew, had to drink of water that contained holy earth taken from the Temple grounds. This drink, which was also associated with the spiritual energies of truth, determined the guilt or innocence of the suspected woman. If she was indeed guilty, these waters would cause her death, because by acting immorally, she was connected to one of major falsehoods in the world and needed spiritual healing that only returning to the earth could accomplish. Conversely, if she was proven to be innocent, these waters would cause her to enjoy improved health and she would merit to produce beautiful children. Because she did not detach herself from the ways of truth, the holy earth contained in the waters would increase her connection to the truth even more and she would flourish. [Note: On the physical level one's body is thrown into chemical imbalance when he tells a lie. This demonstrates how death is associated with falsehood and life with truth.] (Lekutai Halachot: Yorah Dayah: Hilchot Behayma V'Chaiya Tehora 4:23-29)

STORY

Truth brings one closer to Hashem and falsehood has the opposite effect(Our Rabbis taught: Four men entered the 'Orchard' [They ascended to heaven by uttering Hashem's Name. (Rashi)] [The 'Orchard' is an expression for paradise where the souls of the righteous are kept (Maharsha)]. [The four were] Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher [Lit. 'other', the name by which Elisha ben Abuya is referred to because he became an apostate as the result of this incident], and Rebbe Akiva. Rebbe Akiva [their teacher] said to them, "When you arrive at the stones of pure marble [which give the illusion of water] say not, Water water! For it is said, "'He who tells lies will have no place before My (Hashem's) eyes." (Psalms 101:7) [They performed certain rituals and uttered certain prayers with purity. Through these procedures they were able to go from chamber to chamber in the upper worlds and were able to observe angles performing their duties. They eventually reached an inner chamber that appeared to be filled with tens of thousands of waves of water. However, there was actually not even one drop there. If they would declare that this chamber actually contained water, which was a falsehood; since Hashem cannot tolerate falsehood, they would be ejected from this inner chamber. (Hakosev)]. Ben Azzai looked and died [As the verse says, "For no human can see My (Hashem's) face and live." (Exodus 33:20) (Rashi)] [The Orchard contained the wisdom of G-dliness. This enflamed Ben Azzai's soul with a passionate love for Hashem and the bright light there caused his soul to separate from his body, divesting itself of the physical. This indicates that Ben Azzai was on a very high level. (MaHarsha)]. Of him the verse says, "Precious in the sight of Hashem is the death of His saints." (Psalms 116:15) Ben Zoma looked [at the Shechina, the Divine Presence] and became demented [Ben Zoma experienced what Ben Azzai had experienced, but since he wasn't on the same high level, Ben Zoma was not able to absorb the light with such clarity. This caused his mind to became confused, just a person becomes confused when he encounters something that isn't clear. (MaHarsha)]. Of him the verse says, "If you have found honey, eat enough for you, lest you become sated with it and vomit it." [He overstepped the boundaries of deriving pleasure from a sweet thing i.e. the Divine Presence, which is similar to overeating honey.] (Proverbs 25:16) Acher mutilated the shoots [meaning he became an apostate. He didn't properly comprehend what he saw. This misunderstanding caused him to erroneously conclude that there was more than One Divine power. (see Maharsha)] Rebbe Akiva departed unhurt. [This indicates that Rebbe Akiva was [spiritually] complete in every category. When he realized he had reached the maximum limits of human intelligence, he was able to control himself and not break through the boundary [of safety] and did not approach any closer to Hashem [than safety would permit]. (Maharsha)]. (Talmud: Chagiga 14b)

HITHBODEDUTH (secluding oneself)

Rabbi Nachman taught that as well as reciting the mandatory daily prayers contained in the prayer book, we should also speak to Hashem, just as we would confide in our best friend: in seclusion, in the language and style with which we feel most comfortable. This is based on the advice of our sages, just to mention two sources: "Rebbe Yitzchak said: 'Why were our forefathers barren? Because Hashem desires the prayers of the righteous."' (Talmud: Yevamoth 64a) "Hashem seeks nothing other than to hear the prayers of Israel." (Medrash Tehillim 116:1) The following is an example of such a session:In [the future Messianic era] the true truth will be revealed to the world. Then You will recompense everyone, based on the judgment that You render through Your characteristic of truth. This, Your characteristic of truth, is the very same characteristic that is unable to tolerate the wicked, the haters, and pursuers of Your people Israel, who revere You. Then [in the Messianic era], everyone will return to Your service through the revelation of truth. [Therefore], help me to be worthy, with Your great compassion, of acquiring the characteristic of truth. Let us merit to have revealed to us and to the world, the absolute truth, as it will be revealed in the future [Messianic era], which will cause the wicked to fall, through the revelation of that truth. The revelation of truth will cause everyone to return to Your service, whereupon everyone will call upon Your Name in truth. (1 Lekutai Tefilos 66)

HALACHA

Based on the advice of our sages (Talmud: Megilah 28b), Rabbi Nachman stressed that everyone should study at least one law from the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) [or its equivalent, other books which are based on the Shulchan Aruch] everyday without fail. (Sichoth HaRan 29) Someone who slaughters fowl or a non-domesticated animal must cover its blood, whether it was just trapped or whether it was already in his possession from before. (Maran) The requirement to cover the blood is a commandment that stands alone [and is not dependent on the slaughtering]. [Therefore], the slaughtering [of the animal] is valid even if one has intentionally neglected to cover the blood (Rama) [In addition to covering over the blood (Taz) one must also] have loose dirt placed beneath it and must verbally declare beforehand that he is going to use the dirt [that is placed beneath the blood for the commandment of covering the blood (Shach)] Others say that this verbal declaration is not necessary. (Maran) One can [fulfill the commandment to cover the blood) with one's hand, the slaughtering knife [but only with the handle, because one might damage the blade, which might render any future slaughtering with it invalid (Taz)], or with any other utensil. However, one should not use one's foot [to fulfill this commandment] in order not to denigrate the commandment. (Maran) (Shulchan Aruch: Yorah Dayah 28:1, 5-6)

Volume 4, Issue 28