Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)
"Hashem said to Abraham, 'From the time I created My world until now, I longed to bless My creatures--as it is written, 'Hashem blessed them [Adam and Eve]' (Genesis 1:28); 'Hashem blessed Noah and his sons' (Genesis 9:1)--but from now on, the blessings are transferred to you. Whomever you wish to bless, bless!' This is the meaning of the verse, 'And you (Abraham) shall be a blessing(' (Genesis 12:2) After Abraham died, Hashem appeared to Isaac and blessed him...Isaac in turn blessed Jacob and Jacob blessed his twelve sons. After that, Hashem said, 'From now on, the blessings are transferred to the kohanim. They shall bless My children...'" (Bamidbar Rabbah 11:12; Midrash Tanchuma Lech L'cha 4) This Midrash teaches us that the power to bless is closely associated with the three patriarchs. How is it possible for a person who cannot even remotely match the awesome spiritual power possessed by the three patriarchs to bestow blessings that are similar the patriarchal blessings? What is so special about the formula for the birkat kohanim and in what way does it benefit the recipient? In the following paragraphs, based on the teachings of Rabbi Nachman and his student Rav Noson, we will explore the dynamics of these issues.
In the Messianic period, when universal peace reigns, people and
property will no longer incur damage, as the verse says, "And a wolf
shall live with a lamb [and not desire to harm it]...They [predators]
shall neither harm nor destroy on all My (Hashem's) holy mount, for the
land shall be full of knowledge of Hashem as the water covers the sea."
[Everyone and everything, even animals, will be at peace because they
wll share a common goal--to do Hashem's will.] (Isaiah 11:6, 9) Rav
Noson says this verse suggests that all destruction results from a lack
of peace. Extreme selfishness breeds anger and dissension, leading
people to hurt one another. Hashem sends animals to damage humans in
order to purge them of their sinful and selfish behavior. The forces of
evil, which are responsible for all the unhappiness and destruction in
the world, flourish when there is anger and discord. Respect and
understanding of one's fellow brings peace to the world and dwindles the
evil forces.
One can educate a person who is ignorant of the ways of Hashem, only if
one is willing to ignore all of his obvious shortcomings. He must focus
only on that person's good points. Such an attitude fosters respect and
creates an atmosphere of peace. When the spiritually advanced and the
spiritually ignorant are bonded together through respect and peace, they
can both have a greater appreciation for Hashem and His ways. Without
such respect, there can be no peace or love, and neither the ignorant
nor the educated can truly come to acknowledge Hashem. Therefore, it is
Toras Chesed that brings divergent people together, uniting them with
Hashem and bringing peace and harmony to the entire world. Toras Chesed
influences disenfranchised Jews to become Ba'alei Teshuva (those who
were not brought up in or departed from the ways of Hashem, but who
later become inspired to adhere to His ways) and non-Jews to convert,
becoming closer to Hashem. Rabbi Nachman says Hashem's prestige and
honor is most magnified by those who were most distant from Him
returning to serve and acknowledge Him. This is why Toras Chesed is so
important and praised so highly.
Each Jewish soul is derived from Hashem Himself and is bound to His
glory. Therefore, respect and honor helps to elevate a person's soul to
its spiritual roots to merge it more securely with the Creator. Hashem's
glory and honor is manifested in a spiritual energy center (s'firah)
called Malchut. When man (including Gentiles) is given respect, Hashem
is glorified and honored, because we give respect to the image of Hashem
with which each human being is endowed. So, honoring man is like
honoring Hashem. It is similar to the joy and pride parents feel when
someone compliments their child, for the child is an extension of its
parents. In the same way, when we respect another human being, we give
joy and respect to the One Who created him. Since each soul is
associated with Hashem's glory or prestige, the soul is nourished
through respect and shrivels when it is denied respect. Hashem has
endowed each soul with its own unique light which reflects an equally
unique aspect of Hashem's infinite light, and thus brings an
understanding of Hashem into the world that would not otherwise happen.
In order for a soul to contribute its unique aspect of Hashem's light to
the world, it must have respect. This is why Rebbe Yehudah HaNasi and
Rebbe Akiva respected the wealthy. They honored them, not because of
their financial power and influence, but for the sake of accessing the
great spiritual light found behind the wealth which would enhance and
better the world. Since the wealth is a vessel for a very powerful
light, the souls of wealthy individuals need the greater nourishment
afforded by honor and respect in order for them to hold such great
light. [Note: By respect we do not mean selfish ego or pride, but rather
the basic respect that every human being needs to function properly,
have a happy and healthy life, and better fulfill his mission on earth.
The absence of such respect is a form of emotional abuse which causes
hurt and makes it more difficult for the victim to function.]
The holy Ari says that of the souls which were destined to be born, most
were contained in Adam. Adam's sin caused his soul to fragment. Many of
these precious fragments or holy sparks fell into the depths of the
forces of evil and became trapped there. (Sha'ar Ha'Gilgulim) In many
cases, this is manifested on the physical level when a Jew is born into
a family with an anti-religious or weak religious background. In many
other cases, these holy fragments even fell into the Gentile domain,
explaining why some Gentiles are inspired to convert and others aren't.
Souls of disenfranchised Jews or non-Jews which have become distanced
from Hashem's Glory are in desperate need of the spiritual nourishment
that comes from increasing the soul's pride and honor. It is the
essential nourishment that these souls need to be revived and come back
to Hashem.
The flocks that Ya'akov acquired from Lavan were vastly improved, both
in numbers and their physical condition. In fact, Ya'akov's flocks were
of the highest quality, indicating that he had successfully elevated the
holy sparks associated with his possessions to a much higher level. The
soul fragments were raised enough that, in future incarnations, they
would emerge as ba'alei teshuva and converts--a full return to the side
of holiness. Ya'akov worked his father-in-law's flocks honestly,
protecting them from harm and causing them to flourish. They flourished
even more as they came under his ownership and increased in value. As
mentioned above, wealth is associated with respect and the nourishment
of the soul. Therefore, the increase in value and thus respect of his
flocks nourished the holy sparks they contained (including the sparks of
Ya'akov's wives and sons as well), enabling them to return to the side
of holiness. These concepts are alluded to in the verse, "Then [after
Ya'akov had became exceeding wealthy as a result of tending Lavan's
flocks] [Ya'akov] heard the words of Lavan's sons, saying, 'Ya'akov has
taken all that belonged to our father [the fallen holy sparks], and from
that which belonged to our father he amassed all this wealth (lit.
kavod, honor).'" [Indicating that Ya'akov nourished and elevated the
fallen souls, infusing them with kavod, respect or honor.] (Genesis
31:1)
Ya'akov's soul was associated with the spiritual roots of the Torah, as
the verse says, "The Torah that Moshe (Moses) commanded us (the Jews) is
the heritage of the congregation of [the patriarch] Ya'akov [meaning the
Torah that the Jews were given as an inheritance from the patriarch
Ya'akov was rooted in his soul]." (Deut. 33:4) In addition to elevating
the fallen souls by magnifying their value and respect, Ya'akov raised
them through his connection to Torah. Ya'akov made many converts, as
alluded to in the verse, "Ya'akov settled in the land of his father's
sojournings." [The word used for sojournings, m'GuRaY, shares a common
root with the word m'GaYeiR, to make converts. Therefore, this verse
implies that Ya'akov made many converts just as his father and
grandfather before him.] (Genesis 37:1) This means that Ya'akov raised
the fallen souls, the future ba'alei teshuva and converts, through his
association with them. Since Ya'akov's soul was rooted in the Torah,
which is the are a of Hashem's will, his connection with those souls
brought them up to that area.
Rav Noson explains that Ya'akov's accomplishment of raising holy sparks
through tending the flocks could be categorized as Toras Chesed. For it
culminated in elevating the minds of estranged Jewish souls to the level
where they could eventually be synchronized with the will Hashem.
Ya'akov opened the door and released the trapped souls, initiating a
process which, generations later, would ultimately lead these souls to
return to their rightful place. What Ya'akov did was much more difficult
and complex than what most other righteous individuals have
accomplished. Ya'akov's Toras Chesed was on the level of the holy
sparks, whereas the Toras Chesed of many of the other righteous
individuals has been on the level of dealing with a living person in his
present incarnation.
The second verse of the birkat kohanim is "May Hashem shine His face
upon you and be gracious to you." (Numbers 6:25) A person's inner nature
is reflected on his face. Hashem's face, as it were, is the Torah. The
essence of this blessing then is, "May the spiritual energies of the
Torah shine upon you. May Torah values that incorporate all goodness
spread throughout the entire world." As mentioned above, when all people
become influenced by the Torah to have the same goal of serving Hashem,
then everyone respects each other, because a focus on serving Hashem
eliminates hatred and dispute. When there is an atmosphere of respect,
the soul flourishes. In a world influenced by Torah values and with an
atmosphere of respect, the next verse of the priestly benediction can be
fulfilled. "May Hashem lift His face to you and may He grant you peace."
(Numbers 6:26) As mentioned above, world peace is the greatest
protection of all against harm. Amen! (Lekutai Halachot: Choshen
Mishpat: Hilchot So'chair 2:1-2, 5)
We can see how the characteristics the kohanim possess are so strongly
associated with the benedictions they confer and why it is appropriate
that they were chosen to confer them. We can also see that the kohanim
inherited Ya'akov's role of rectifying estranged and fallen souls. What
Ya'akov accomplished through many years of hard work rectifying the
fallen and estranged souls, the kohanim were given the gift to
accomplish through their special powers channeled through the birkat
kohanim. In the merit of these blessings, may the long awaited era of
peace be ushered in. Amen!
The two wives returned home. Blimi related the Rebbe's blessing to her
sick husband, who was delighted and encouraged by it. He began to
recover and soon was completely healed. Hashem saved him just as the
Rebbe had promised. Miriam's husband, however, greeted the news
suspiciously. How could bloodletting possibly help him pay the overdue
rent? The deadline was drawing nearer. No help was in sight. In
desperation Chaim Yankel decided to do what the Rebbe said. And so he
bought leeches and bloodsucking worms, which he placed on his body. They
bit into his skin and began sucking his blood. Shortly after this a
messenger from the squire arrived with the final notice, stating that if
he didn't pay the rent today he would be evicted from his home, liquor
store, and from the village. Because no one answered the door the
messenger walked into Chaim Yankel's home. He was shocked to see Chaim
Yankel lying on his bed writhing, with blood flowing from his wounds all
over his body! It looked like Chaim Yankel was on his deathbed.
Therefore, the messenger didn't even bother to deliver the letter and
immediately returned to the squire, relating what he had seen. The
squire sent several servants with a wagon to Chaim Yankel's home and had
him brought on a bed to his mansion. The Jew looked frightful with blood
oozing from his cuts and wounds, streaming down his body. He was an
awful sight to behold. The squire's wife recoiled at the sight of her
tenant and demanded to know what had happened. To his utter amazement
Chaim Yankel realized, that everyone thought that he was badly hurt. He
then realized that this would be a perfect opportunity through which he
could possibly save his family and livelihood, although it meant telling
a lie. Chaim Yankel explained, "Yesterday I rode into town to borrow the
money I owed you. Several people lent me money and I was able to scrape
together the necessary funds to pay the rent. On my way home, I was
jumped by several bandits, who grabbed all my money, beat me, and left
me lying on the road."
The squire's wife lamented, "Its all our fault that this poor man was
beaten up! We were the ones who forced him to borrow money to pay us.
Not only was he beaten up, but he lost all of the money he borrowed.
Now, not only does he still owe us the rent, but in addition he owes the
people who he borrowed from." "Don't worry!" she comforted Chaim Yankel.
"You don't owe us anything. And to make things easier for you, so you
can repay the people who you borrowed money from, for the next three
years you can have the liquor store rent-free." "What a miracle!" Chaim
Yankel whispered. The Rebbe's advice, strange though it had sounded, had
worked.
When Rebbe Yisroel recounted this story to Rebbe Aaron of Karlin he
commented, "I had no idea that the two women mixed up their slips of
paper. I advised each woman based on the slip of paper they handed me. I
think heaven brought it about that the strange advice would work,
because of their pure faith." (Sipuray Tzaddikim)
The Talmud says, "The Jewish people are above the dictates of the
zodiac." (Talmud: Shabbos 156a) Rashi explains that through prayer,
charity, and other good deeds, a Jew can change his destiny [which
otherwise is determined by the power Hashem has instilled within the
zodiac]. According to the Zohar, the ability to change our destiny is
rooted in Chochmah, Divine thought. [Hashem has the power to change or
accomplish anything through His thoughts. When we live up to the high
standards implied in the title Israel, by serving Hashem and doing His
will, we become synchronized and merged with His thoughts and are
therefore able to change the dictates of destiny.] This means that
worthy, righteous Jews can draw their earthly sustenance directly to
themselves instead of having it affected by the alignment of the zodiac.
(Tikuney Zohar 69) In the Messianic era, all people will be worthy and
the need to earn a living will come to an end because everyone will
receive their livelihood directly from Hashem as a result of their
prayers.
Rabbi Nachman taught that all business activity is dependent upon a
certain lack of peace, for it is impossible that the will of the buyer
and the seller be the same, i.e. one party wants to sell at the highest
price possible, while the other wants to buy at the lowest. Such
divergence can be defined as a lack of peace or unity. If the will or
goals of all people were the same, it would be impossible to transact
business. [A brief example: If everyone in the world owned the perfect
house, no one would buy new homes. Today, people buy new homes only
because there is no ideal home, and thus people are always seeking
improved lodgings. People sell homes only because there are those who
desire to move to a better home or who want the profit that the sale
would bring. In the Messianic period, when everyone will be satisfied
with their lodgings and financial situation, the need to buy or sell
homes (to conduct business) will be eliminated.] That business activity
is dependent upon strife is alluded to in Genesis 13:7, "Friction
existed between the shepherds of Abram's flocks and the shepherds of
Lot's flocks and the Canaanites were then in the land." [Rashi explains
that the Canaanites were businessmen--the word Canaanite itself means
businessman. Thus, the verse associates strife ("friction") with
Canaanite (business), indicating that business is dependent upon
disharmony.] Through prayer, universal peace will be achieved and all
business activity eliminated [because then everyone will have all of
their needs met directly by Hashem, without the intermediary of business
activity or physical labor]. (1 Lekutai MoHaran 14:12)
PEACE MEANS NO BUSINESS
Rav Noson teaches that the most effective way to increase respect for
others and bring peace to the world is through Toras Chesed. Toras
Chesed means that one who knows Torah and the ways of Hashem goes out of
his way to teach others who are not as fortunate and have little or no
knowledge of Torah and Hashem. Rabbi Nachman said that this is the
greatest kindness one can do for another. The Zohar says that informing
others about Hashem is one of the greatest mitzvahs (good deeds) that
one can do. The reward for this is so great that it is worthwhile to run
after people in order to teach them the ways of Hashem. [Countless
Tzaddikim (saints) and holy books talk about the greatness of Toras
Chesed. For example, the Chafetz Chaim (Rabbi Israel Meir of Rudin), in
his book Ahavas Chesed, dedicates many sections to this mitzvah. It is
clear that this is one the greatest mitzvahs.] Rav Noson explains why
this mitzvah is so great. By educating individuals who know little about
Hashem, they are redirected to the proper path, helping them better
synchronize their minds with Hashem's. The entire purpose for the
creation was that man should use his free choice to acknowledge and
emulate the good ways of the Creator. When the minds of Hashem and man
are one, there is peace and happiness in the world, because man has then
invited Hashem into his domain, so to speak, the source of all goodness
and joy.
Rabbi Nachman taught that everyone has a natural desire for money. The
spiritual energies of money are derived from the highest places in
heaven, the very same lofty place from which comes the soul of each Jew.
Rabbi Nachman says that it is not the money that people love, but the
light contained in the money. People love money because it has same
spiritual resonance as their souls. Thus, the Talmud says, "Rebbe
[Yehudah HaNasi, a holy sage and the redactor of the Mishna] showed
respect to the wealthy, and Rebbe Akiva [a holy sage and one of the ten
martyrs] also showed respect to the wealthy." (Talmud: Eruvin 86a)
Based on the above, we can now understand why it is so important to
avoid incurring financial losses in addition to each Jew's
responsibility to try to save his fellow Jew from suffering any losses
if at all possible. When a person suffers a loss, that part of his soul
that was contained in the damaged or lost item becomes damaged or lost
as well. Then, the remaining part of his soul is diminished and cannot
function to its full potential. A partially functioning soul cannot
fully reveal its unique facet of Hashem to the world and so, not only
does the individual suffer, but the world is deprived as well.
Ya'akov (Jacob) produced twelve holy sons, the foundation of the Jewish
people. Hence, all of the souls of Israel were contained in Ya'akov. So
whatever Ya'akov did or accomplished in his life had a direct impact on
each and every Jew. Many of the above mentioned holy sparks fell into
the domain of Lavan (Laban), Ya'akov's father-in-law . Ya'akov was aware
of this, therefore his main purpose in tending Lavan's flocks was to
reclaim the fragments of the holy soul, returning them from the depths
of impurity. When Ya'akov first started tending Lavan's flock, all the
sheep belonged to Lavan, were few in number, and in poor physical
condition. The longer Ya'akov tended Lavan's flock, the more he
succeeded in elevating the hundreds of holy sparks, trapped in Lavan's
domain, to the side of holiness. Rav Noson points out that Ya'akov's
accomplishments in this area were manifested physically in several ways.
Firstly, that Ya'akov married Lavan's two holy daughters, who produced
the twelve holy tribes, indicates that Ya'akov successfully elevated
those particular sparks associated with his wives and sons to their
highest possible level. Secondly, through his business dealings, Ya'akov
was eventually able to acquire many of Lavan's flocks and sell them in
exchange for such things as camels, donkeys, male and female servants
etc.
That Ya'akov worked so hard to protect his flocks brought the spiritual
energies of peace into the world and to the holy sparks which were to be
his future offspring. As explained above, loss or damage to one's
property not only results in physical damage, but in spiritual damage as
well, because the physical object is needed to hold the essence of the
spiritual light it contains. Therefore, when one's physical
manifestation is diminished, he has a smaller vessel and so, has
diminished spiritual manifestation as well. So by protecting his flocks,
Ya'akov had better vessels to allow the holy sparks they contained to
flourish and grow to reach their full potential, eventually returning to
Hashem and coming to a state of peace, as the verse says, "Ya'akov
arrived intact [lit. complete, shalem, from the root shalom peace,
indicating that he had, through his hard work, brought himself and all
of the holy sparks he rescued from Lavan's domain to a state of
completeness and peace] at the city of Shechem..." (Genesis 33:18)
Based on all of the above, we can now understand the dynamics of the
priestly benedictions and why the kohanim were chosen to bestow them
upon the people. Each soul and person is a composite, incorporating many
different combinations of energies, abilities, and aspects. The
kabbalists say that the soul of each kohen is associated with the
energies of kindness, chesed. In addition, like Ya'akov, each kohen is
strongly connected to the inner essence of the roots of Torah, as
indicated by the verse, "They [the kohanim] shall teach Your ordinances
to Ya'akov and Your Torah to Israel..." [The kohanim were commanded to
teach Torah to the people because of their special ability to teach the
ways of Hashem. This ability is derived from the special souls they
possess, which are rooted in Torah] (Deut. 33:10) As mentioned above,
teaching Torah to others is called Toras Chesed. Since the souls of the
kohanim are bound to the energies of chesed and rooted in Torah, their
focus was to be on transmitting Toras Chesed. Therefore, the Torah tells
us that the kohanim are most suited for teaching the people Torah.
Another aspect of the priestly soul is that it is more strongly
connected to Hashem's Glory or Honor than any other soul. This is the
reason behind the commandment, "You (each Jew) shall sanctify him (the
kohen)." [The rest of the nation must recognize the sanctity of the
kohanim by showing them respect and giving them precedence in all
matters. This is why a kohen is called to the Torah first and has
priority in leading the assemblage in the Grace after Meals. (Rashi;
Talmud Gittin 59b)] (Lev. 21:8) Since the kohanim are connected to
Hashem's honor, they have the unique ability to infuse respect and
dignity into the souls they touch. Respect and dignity nourish the soul
and therefore can restore any fallen, estranged, and down-trodden Jew
and strengthen their weakened links to Hashem. Respect, honor, and the
restoration of one's dignity can help return a soul to its proper place,
close to Hashem. When this occurs the soul is at peace. Thus, a kohen
ultimately has the ability to restore a person to a peaceful state, as
the verse says, "Behold! I (Hashem) give him [Pinchas and all other
kohanim like him] My covenant of peace." (Numbers 25:12)
Each of the above mentioned priestly characteristics are associated with
a different aspect of the birkat kohanim, the priestly blessings. The
first of the three verses of the birkat kohanim is "May Hashem bless you
and protect you." (Numbers 6:24) Our sages say, "May Hashem bless you("
with wealth. (Bamidbar Rabbah) Based on the above, it means may you be
blessed with wealth so that your soul can receive its proper nourishment
and flourish from the spiritual energies contained in wealth. Wealth,
withing the framework of holiness is food for the soul. When the soul is
properly nourished it can serve Hashem better. Our sages say, "(and
protect you"--from all damages and harm. Loss, injury, and damage causes
the soul to shrivel, as explained above. A diminished and undernourished
soul cannot serve Hashem properly.
The power of blessing was given to the kohanim. A similar power to
bestow blessing was given to the righteous(There were two different
couples, living in two different villages who were friends. As for the
first couple, the husband, Yossel, strongly believed in the power of
Tzaddikim (saints), however his wife Blimi didn't share her husband's
faith. As for the second couple, the situation was just the opposite,
Miriam had absolute faith in the power of Tzaddikim and her husband,
Chaim Yankel, was more skeptical. One day Yossel fell seriously ill, and
the doctors were unable to find a cure. Too weak to travel, he sent his
wife Blimi to the Tzaddik, Rebbe Yisroel of Rizhin to pray for him. She
didn't have much confidence in the power of Tzaddikim, but she was a
good wife and agreed to go only because she knew it meant a lot to her
husband. The second couple was in dire financial straights. The due date
for their rent had arrived and they were unable to pay the squire what
they owed him. The squire was threatening to take away their liquor
store if they couldn't pay the rent. This meant they would lose their
home as well. Miriam also decided to travel to Rebbe Yisroel and ask for
his blessings of salvation. The two women met on the way to the holy
Tzaddik. After they had arrived, something unexpected happened in the
waiting room. Their slips of paper, upon which their requests were
written for the Rebbe, accidentally became exchanged. Blimi handed
Miriam's slip of paper to the holy Rebbe and Miriam handed Blimi's slip
of paper to the holy Tzaddik. After the Tzaddik read Blimi's slip (which
was really Miriam's) he assured her, "Hashem will save you." Blimi
interpreted this to mean that Hashem would cure her husband and she left
satisfied. When Miriam handed her slip (which was really Blimi's), the
Rebbe read it and said that her husband should place worms on his body,
bloodletting, the standard medical procedure in those days. This seemed
like a strange solution for someone with financial problems, but her
faith was firm and she did not question the Rebbe's response.