Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)
Just like the prophet Isaiah, Rabbi Nachman, in later generations, acted OT as a consoller giving encouragement to a nation replete with broken and fallen souls, who had lost G-d's light because of intensity of the darkness of a prolonged and spiritually crushing exile. In the following paragraphs we will discuss some of Rabbi Nachman's insights on the importance of providing encouragement in the wake of tragedy.
There is one tiny bone contained in the spinal column called in Hebrew the "Luz" bone (believed to be either the top bone of the spine - the atlas, or the bottom - the socrum or coccyx) . The most powerful forces in the world are unable to destroy this bone. The Talmud tells us that in the time when G-d will resurrect the dead all the decayed bodies of all those people who are destined to rise will be reconstructed from the remains of this tiny bone.
On the eve of the fast of the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, the custom is to partake of a hard-boiled egg just prior to the commencement of the fast as a token of our remorse over the destruction of the -Temple. The Rabbis compare the egg to the luz bone, just as the seemingly lifeless egg breaks open revealing new life, so too will the dead emerge from their graves at the time of the final redemption. If this is what the egg symbolizes, why do we partake of it at the time of our greatest anguish and remorse? Is it proper to display the symbols of joy and hope at such a time? Rabbi Noson answers that displaying a symbol which is reminiscent of the final redemption at the time of our greatest mourning teaches that everyone must go through periods of suffering, pain, and bitterness in order to attain universal and personal bliss. The Talmud says: "Three things are obtained only through suffering; the Torah, the land of Israel, and the hereafter".
Rabbi Noson adds that the partaking of an egg, a symbol of hope, at a time of grief, teaches that although we must mourn over the loss of the Temple and over our estrangement from G-d, we are not permitted to dwell in a perpetual state of mourning for extended periods of time. All tragic events, after a initial display of grief, must be followed by a period of consolation where the confidence of the grieving and shattered souls is restored by a reminder of G-d's Guarantee to brinq the future redemption. We can deduce this from the behavior of Jeremiah the prophet, who had suffered and witnessed, first-hand, the massive carnage surrounding the destruction of the first Temple. Jeremiah opens his series of laments with: "I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His (G-d's] wrath [referring to the destruction of Jerusalem]. Me, He (G-d] has driven out, and led into darkness, but not into light" (Lamentations 3:1-2). Jeremiah concludes his lament with a series of consoling phrases to encourage himself and the shattered nation: "This is the answer I give to (calm] my heart [and to calm the heart of the nation]: therefore I will wait (in confidence]. It is through G-d's kindness that we are not consumed, because His mercies have no end" (Lamentations 3:21-22). We must build upon this idea whenever we realize how far we have drifted from G-d. At these times, the Satan comes to demoralize us causing us to think all hope is lost and that we are eternally doomed. We must encourage ourselves with the words of Jeremiah and others that there is always salvation, which echos what Rabbi Nachman always preached: "There is absolutely no reason at all for despair!" When trouble comes we must be reminded of what Rashi says: "The righteous always experience suffering in the early segments of their lives, but in the end they experience tranquility; the opposite is true for the wicked." Every Jew should consider himself to be righteous (even the worst sinner), because each Jew is automatically connected to G-d. This is not dependent on merit, and therefore each Jew is guaranteed to have a good end after he is purged of all sin, as the verse says: "And all your people [each Jew] are righteous" (Isaiah 60:21).
Therefore, partaking of an egg the eve of the fast teaches us that we must encourage ourselves at the time of remorse, and it reminds us, after feeling the suffering, to detach from the tragic present and look toward the brighter future. It teaches us that we have good reason to be encouraged and feel selfsatisfaction - our intensive suffering and bitterness indicates that we are on the right track; as we mentioned above, suffering is the prerequisite to holiness. One must first encounter the peel (suffering) before one can eat from the fruit (which is closeness to G-d) . (This is a very lengthy and involved topic, which is beyond the scope of our discussion) . The Talmud tells us that the eminent sage, Rabbi Akiva, rejoiced upon witnessing the suffering of his Rabbi. Rabbi Akiva explained that he rejoiced for he saw this as an indication that his Rabbi was destined for the hereafter. His Rabbi, Rebbe Eliezer Halgadol (the great), did not respond to the attempts of his other students to comfort him for his great suffering, but he responded to Rabbi Akivals words as follows: "Akiva you have comforted me." As we recite in Hallel: "G-d has chastised me [the righteous King David and all those who suffer] exceedingly, but He did not let me die [in the hereafter, thanks to the suffering]. (Because of all my suffering I beg G-d to] open for me the gates of righteous [and] I w@ll enter them and thank G-d [for all my suffering which brought me to appreciate and know G-dj. This (all spiritual growth through suffering] is the cjate to (intimacy with] G-d; the righteous will enter through it [this gate]" (Psalms 118:18-20). Suffering is a tool which G-d gives us so that we may become closer to Him. Suffering makes us physically taste the pain of the soul, which we have damaged through our sins and it helps us see that both physical and spiritual survival is dependent on G-d. Thus, even the most hedonistic person will receive suffering as G-d attempts to bring him close.
The Talmud specifies how we can accurately distinguish between kosher and non-kosher eggs. Any egg that has both ends that are either rounded or sharp is definitely the sign of a non-kosher egg. The rounded edge represents suffering and the sorrow of mourning. For the Talmud tells us that mourning is like a sphere which revolves around the world, eventually reaching everyone. The egg's sharp edge represents the exact opposite of the round edge, denoting laughter and rejoicing. People who exclusively live for the pleasures of this world, who are frequently found celebrating at empty and meaningless parties and indulging in many other empty pleasures, pay little or no attention to the inevitable f inal, solo, one way trip we must all make to the cemetery. The wise King Solomon, who had it all, wrote: "[The empty and temporary] Joy [of pleasureseeking] what does this do (and accomplish for a person's eternal status in the hereafter]?" (Ecclesiastics 2:2). A person who is unfortunately lost in this type of situation does not cultivate faith in G-d, he lives for today and for himself and he feels he has noone to answer to. These people only look toward the double sharp ended eggs as their life's ideology.
As we mentioned above, the grief of mourning inevitably reaches everyone, represented by the round edge of the egg. What happens to a person such as we like we have just described, when "the party is over"? Because this person did not develop faith in G-d, he now has nothing to hold on to, and is unable to justify or explain what went wrong. A person like this can fall into a deep depression from which he is unable to extricate himself, which could even lead to the use of harmful drugs or to his committing suicide. He now becomes a totally broken person with nowhere to turn. This is why Rabbi Nachman says that a man without faith has no life, every little mishap can crush him.
Every physical item found in the world was created by G-d for the sole purpose of instructing us how to conduct our lives, helping us to come close to G-d. If an object would lack this ability, G-d would not have created it. Therefore, the criteria of a kosher egg - one end round and the other end sharp and pointed - teaches us a lesson in proper conduct. Balancing one's life, avoiding extremes is the kosher and most successful way to live. Enjoying good times should never cause us to be deluded by thoughts that we no longer need to seek out G-d or that it's ok to pursue aimless and self-serving pleasures. This type of behavior will not lead us to G-d, the source of all true happiness. The rounded side of the kosher egg tells us that we must neutralize this attitude. The rounded end of the egg reminds us that the good days will ultimately end and that we must prepare ourselves for our final destination, the hereafter. On the other hand, if a person has come upon bad times, he must look at the sharp end of the kosher egg. He must realize that his suffering is a calculated and deliberate act of G-d designed for his ultimate good with the purpose of bringing him to eternal joy G-d, and therefore he should not fall into despair. He must believe that his suffering will not last forever. The reason for suffering is that the urges of the physical body cause moral weakness and diminishes the self-discipline needed to seek out G-d. Suffering weakens the body, which makes one more spiritually sensitive and helps him to detach himself somewhat from the finite values of this world. The sharp end of the egg reminds the afflicted person that he will eventually see good times again, whether in this world or in the next, after his spiritual flaw has been corrected. The balanced approach to life helps us have it good in this world, find G-d, and merit the hereafter. This is one of the major lessons that we derive from the kosher egg.
The non-kosher egg represents the extreme life-styles that we have described above, the result of having little or no faith in G-d's teachings. A person who has no faith in G-d has great difficulty in dealing with the unstable fluctuations of life, constantly being blown about by the frequent winds of change. Lack of balance in one's life is a symptom of one who has no faith in G-d and is not the smart and kosher way to live. G-d prohibited this type of food to indicate that this type of life-style is very destructive and leads to a dead end.
Therefore, we eat an egg to demonstrate remorse over the destruction of the Temple. Eating an egg at this time helps us have the proper perspective on all the events in our lives, and helps us to approach this situation with the proper balance. The egg reminds us that we should not fall into despair over any setback, for all mishaps are part of G-d's plan to bring the sufferer to the good light that is at the end of the tunnel. We should express our sorrow for our loss in a balanced way without going to extremes, for hope and faith are cultivated in the wake of tragedy. Therefore, we should feel confident in the belief that the third Temple will ultimately be rebuilt Amen!
There is, one additional law concerning the positive identification of a kosher egg. There are some varieties of non-kosher eggs that possess the same characteristics of a kosher egg (one end sharp and the other end round). Therefore, if one finds such an egg and is unaware of the egg's origin, he is required to ask the seller to identify the species from whence the egg was derived. If he is able to do so, the egg is then permitted. If he is sure that the egg looks exactly like other kosher eggs that he has seen n the past, the egg is then permitted. The non-kosher egg that possess the same features as the kosher egg teaches us about those pleasure-seekers who are self-disciplined and lead balanced lives. They adhere to the work ethic and have good work habits, not because they strive for the eternal joys of closeness with G-d. but because this is the only way to achieve their goals of worldly pleasure, leisure, and relaxation in this temporal world, represented by the sharp end of the egg. They look to the round end of this type of non-kosher egg, only because they realize that unrestrained pleasure will make them lose the higher level pleasures that they crave. If they should encounter failure and are unable to achieve their goals of attaining the higher level pleasures that come from hard work and discipline, they look toward the sharp end of the non-kosher egg to encourage themselves that this setback is only temporary and a chance occurrence which will eventually pass through some obscure twist of fate or through expending extra effort which will eventually allow them to achieve the pleasures they seek. This attitude,. which unfortunately is prevalent amongst most people in and out of the religious community, reflects a lack of true faith in G-d. The final result of one who pursues only pleasure through hard work is not much different than that of the undisciplined pleasure-seeker. Pleasure-seeking as a goal, in any form, prevents one from attaining the true goal of life, closeness to G-d. Rather one should divert all his worldly resources to the pursuit of coming closer to G-d. Certainly we are all made of flesh and noone, not even the biggest Tzaddik (saint), can have a healthy mind and body without having the basic joys and necessities of life. We are required to strive to attain them. However, the basic necessities of life should only be used as a means to help one find G-d and not become the goal. one must be very honest with himself and maintain the proper balance in this area as well.
The non-kosher egg which resembles the kosher egg represents the lifestyle of the balanced and disciplined pleasure-seeker. However, this egg and the life-style it symbolizes is just as non-kosher as the other more obvious types of non-kosher eggs and life-styles. The danger is that this type of egg and life-style is much harder to identify.
The Torah requires that in a chance encounter with a kosher mother bird, found in the wild, which happens to be sitting on its nest of eggs or young, the mother must be chased away before one is permitted to take the eggs or the chicks. The holy Ari says that on the allegorical level the eggs or young chicks refer to those Jews who are spiritually weak and immature and are far from G-d. The mother bird symbolizes the alien ideologies of the Diaspora which many Jews consider to be the true way to live their lives. This causes them to remain spiritual infants and they become totally dependent on the alien way of life just as the young chicks depend on their mother. The law requires that the mother bird ' be removed before the eggs or the young can be taken. This refers to removing the alien ideologies from the mentality of the spiritually lost Jews. The exile cannot end until every single Jew is brought back to G-d, therefore the Messiah, in conjunction with every Jew, must remove the alien ideologies from their minds, just as the mother bird must be removed from her nest. This is related to the Medrash which says that Moses was denied entrance into the land, he begged G-d that he be allowed to enter the land of Israel in the form of a bird. Moses specifically chose this alternative, because he wanted to rectify all the spiritually weak Jews who are compared to young chicks. G-d informed Moses that he had rectified many lost souls during his life and it was not yet the right time to perform this very powerful type of rectification. This would be left for the Messiah to complete, therefore Moses would not be permitted to enter the land in any form whatsoever. (Lekutai Halachoth: Yorah Dayah: Hilchoth Bay'tzim 5:1-6)