Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)
The Talmud says, "All beginnings are difficult." This means that all
beginnings are associated with the spiritual energies of din. When
someone experiences or learns something for the first time, it is very
difficult to fully comprehend the material or perform a task with
proficiency. This is the result of the smallness of mind-- the spiritual
energies of din associated with all new beginnings.
Ya'akov's three eldest sons are associated with din because they were
born first, and thus were the beginnings of the holy nation's
foundations. Not only are Re'uven, Shimon and Levi associated with the
spiritual energies of din from the aspect of beginnings, but from their
individual essences as well: "[Leah] called his name Re'uven, as she had
declared, 'Because Hashem has discerned my affliction [afliction is
associated with harshness--din].' She conceived again and bore a son and
declared, 'Because Hashem has heard that I am hated [hatred is
associated with din], He has given me this one also,' and she called his
name Shimon. Again she conceived, and bore a son and declared, 'This
time my husband will become attached to me [meaning before Levi's birth,
Ya'akov, Leah's husband, was not attached to her in complete unity and
love. This is also associated with din.], for I have borne him three
sons,' therefore, she called his name Levi." (Genesis 29:32-34)
There is a rule governing spiritual realms that evil can be neutralized
only at its source. There is another rule that the spiritual energies of
evil can be neutralized with the mirrored energies from the side of
holiness, as the verse says, "Everything that comes into fire, you shall
pass through the fire [in order to bring spiritual cleansing]." (Numbers
31:23) Now we can understand why Ya'akov rebuked his sons. Since
Re'uven, Shimon, and Levi were born first, it indicates that they were
connected to the spiritual energies of din, as explained above. Ya'akov
chastised them with holy words of positive rebuke--words uttered in
sincere concern and love. Such rebuke is also associated with din,
however, they are from the side of holiness. So the spiritual energies
of positive and holy rebuke were able to neutralize the negative
spiritual energies of harshness that were connected to Re'uven, Shimon,
and Levi.
After Ya'akov diminished the effects of the negative spiritual energies
upon the three eldest brothers, which indirectly neutralized any harsh
energies connected to the remaining brothers, Ya'akov was then able to
openly praise and bless his fourth son Yehuda (Judah), for the forces of
evil were neutralized and could not be nourished by those praises.
Yehudah represents those people who have become enlightened by the Torah
teachings of a Tzaddik and inspired to seek and serve Hashem with love
and joy, as the verse describes him at his birth, "'This time, let me
gratefully praise Hashem [praise connected to the spiritual energies of
joy associated with an expanded mind]'; therefore she (Leah) called
[him] Yehuda." (Genesis 29:35). This illustrates our teaching that those
who are distant from Hashem due to their smallness of mind (from
connection to the spiritual energies of harshness, represented by
Re'uven, Shimon, and Levi) can transform themselves to the status of the
expanded mind of Yehuda by hearing the Torah of a Tzaddik at holy
gatherings.
In the same way, when those who are most distant from Hashem join their
fellow Jews in worship, their participation negates the energies of
harshness that hold all Jews captive in the chains of exile. This is
because all Jews are part of one collective soul. So when din is
counterbalanced through increased awareness of Hashem by those who are
far removed, the Messiah will come.
The communal heads hastened to seek assistance from the mayor of
Baghdad, a man sympathetic to the Jews. He quickly sent an armed force
to enable the Jews to bury their sacred leader. Meanwhile, the muchtar
had assembled a huge force of ruffians and hooligans to disturb the
funeral. The two groups clashed in fierce fighting until the mounted
police succeed in evicting the muchtar and his men. The Jews were then
able to bury Rabi Abdallah Somech with the proper honor and dignity.
Weeks later, a local Arab leader reported to the Jew hating, Mustafa
Pasha, the Turkish ruler of Iraq, that the Jews had attempted to rebel
against him and had attacked many faithful Moslems during the funeral of
Rabi Abdallah Somech. The Pasha jumped at this opportunity to hurt the
Jews. He ordered eighteen Jewish community leaders jailed and gave the
police a free hand in inciting riot mobs and pogroms against the Jews.
The Jewish community was in grave danger. They alerted the Jewish
community in London who took immediate action and pressured the British
Government to intervene on behalf of Iraqi Jewry. The British Government
warned the Turkish Sultan, Abd el Chamid, that if he did not intervene,
the British Army would send its forces to save the Jews of Baghdad. Not
wanting to antagonize the mighty British empire, the sultan capitulated
and stepped in to protect the Jews. The Sultan still felt that he had to
appease the Moslem population and ordered that the body of Rabi Abdallah
Somech be removed from its grave and transferred to the ancient Jewish
cemetery. Fearing renewed riots, the heads of the Jewish community gave
their consent.
Tens of thousands of Jews came to Rabi Abdallah Somech's second funeral,
eighty four days after his death, to pay their respects. Fearing the
body had already decomposed, the government sent medical experts with
embalming fluids to preserve what was left of the body. As soon as the
casket was opened, however, they found that the holy Rabbi's body was
fully intact and clean, as if he had just died. The very shrouds which
covered him gleamed with their original whiteness. All present were
taken aback and the Sultan's soldiers, in a show of respect, dismounted
their horses to escort the holy man's casket. The perfect condition of
the Tzaddik's body was the talk of the city for a long time. Many
Moslems were so impressed that they converted to Judaism, including some
of the original rioters. However, many Jews were disturbed by the fact
that heaven did not allow the body of their holy Tzaddik to rest in
peace after his passing.
The holy Ben Ish Chai, through Divine inspiration said, "My holy
teacher, Rabi Abdallah Somech contained a spark of the soul of Achaz,
King of Judah (cf. Kings). In order to repair this spark, he had to be
buried a second time, as Achaz had been. Achaz's son, Chizkiya, ordered
that his father's bones be taken from the grave and dragged upon a
stretcher as an atonement for having closed all the study halls of the
land in the hopes of eradicating the knowledge of Torah. Rabi Abdallah
Somech rectified this sin by establishing a great house of study, where
many became great scholars. Rabi Abdallah Somech's soul was very holy
and certainly will be a good advocate for us in heaven." The explanation
consoled the Jews of Iraq for they knew that the Divine Presence was
speaking through their holy Rabbi. (Stories of the Ben Ish Chai)
The level of "Ya'akov" is compared to a fetus in its mother's womb--a
state of potential--as the verse says, "In the womb, he (Ya'akov) took
his brother (Aesav) by the AKeV [the heel, the word from which the name
ya'AKoV is derived. Thus we see that "Ya'akov" is associated with
smallness.]" (Hosea 12:4) A person who studies Torah, but is unable to
comprehend it, is [in such a state of smallness]. However, when an
individual fully understands the Torah he has learned, it indicates that
his mind is expanded--he has come to the level of "Yisrael". He is
compared to a fully developed baby after birth. These concepts are
illustrated in the following verse, "For Hashem chose Ya'akov as his
own, Yisrael as His special one." [Again, "Ya'akov"--associated with
smallness--is the level where a particular teaching is not fully
understood. The teaching can be said to be in its original state, the
way "Hashem chose" it. The expanded level of Yisrael can be attained, as
mentioned above, through the teachings of a Tzaddik, or through the
individual's efforts to understand what he is studying. The letters of
YiSRaeL can be arranged to spell LeY RoSh--I have a head--which alludes
to understanding a particular teaching very well. At first, the Torah is
difficult to understand, but consistent reviewing and relearning brings
one to a level where he understands the Torah concepts very well, so
well that it becomes "His special one"--something special to him because
he worked so hard at it.] (Psalms 135:4)) So we see that "Ya'akov"
alludes to smallness and "Yisrael" to greatness. We see that Ya'akov's
secret message includes the concept that Jews from all walks of life
must gather together to hear awesome Torah teachings from holy Tzadikim
so that they become purified and inspired to come closer to Hashem.
Every Jew must be raised to higher levels of spiritual sensitivity so
that they fully resonate with the name Yisrael (Israel). It is this
which will help bring Moshiach. [Note: A nu mber of steps involved in
the derivation of the above concepts were omitted for the sake of
brevity.] (1 Lekutai MoHaran 21:8)
The Torah records that moments before his death, Ya'akov blessed his
twelve holy sons. However, he rebuked his three eldest sons, Re'uven
(Reuben), Shimon (Simeon), and Levi. This incident is consistent with
our teaching. Improper behavior is the result of a small mind and incurs
rebuke. The admonished sons represent those who have gathered to hear
the words of the true Tzaddik when they have only a minimal
understanding of Hashem and His ways--the level associated with a small
and diminished mind, compared to a fetus in its mother's womb.
Conversely, Ya'akov's remaining sons, whom he praised, represent those
who have achieved a greater and deeper understanding of Hashem and His
ways, associated with an expanded and more developed mind. They have
heard the Tzaddik and therefore have been touched by the pure and great
light of the Torah, enabling them to better perceive Hashem, inspiring
them to seek Him out with greater enthusiasm. Smallness, constriction,
confinement, depression, troubles, and a fetus in the womb are all
associated with the spiritual energies of harshness, din.
It was important to neutralize the negative spiritual energies of
harshness because there is a concept that whatever comes first has a
strong influence on what follows. Not only would the harsh spiritual
energies associated with the eldest sons damage them and their
offspring, but they would have damaging effects on the other brothers
and their offspring as well, creating eternal spiritual barriers which
would predispose them towards improper behavior and prevent them from
ever leaving Egypt. This is why Ya'akov rebuked his sons. He was aware
that this was the only way to counter the negative aspects of din to
which they were connected and had led to their inappropriate behavior.
Re'uven had tainted the sanctity of his father's marital life by his
hasty, indignant response over what he perceived as a slight to his
mother, Leah's honor (he rearranged the wive's beds, taking Bilhah's bed
out of Ya'akov's tent and putting his mother's in instead). Shimon and
Levi, in their holy rage, avenged the rape of their sister, Dina by
slaughtering the entire city of Shechem. They were also the ones who had
strongly advocated that their brother Yosef (Joseph) be executed,
because they wrongfully perceived Yosef as a threat to the family's
spiritual survival. The positive aspects of the spiritual energies of
din, injected into the three eldest brothers through Ya'akov's
constructive rebuke, was like holy fire which burnt away the negative
aspects of din that had become attached to them. The heat from the love
of Ya'akov's holy rebuke incubated their talents and thus the talents of
the remaining brothers, helping to lay the foundations of the holy
nation..
Struggle, difficulty, confusion and turmoil are parts of the process of
both spiritual and physical growth. They are part of the process of
transforming lack of understanding, mental smallness, inexperience,
dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and distance from Hashem into wisdom,
expanded consciousness, happiness, contentment, and intimacy with
Hashem. This applies not only to the individual, but on the national and
global level as well. Ya'akov's three eldest were the only sons who were
subject to his rebuke at his death-bed. Parallelling this, the three
eldest sons were the only ones to have their genealogies enumerated at
the Torah's description of the Egyptian enslavement of the Jews, just
prior to the Exodus. (cf. Exodus 6:14-28) A genealogy is a listing of
births. That the genealogies of Re'uven, Shimon and Levi, who are
associated with the spiritual energies of harshness and the status of a
fetus in its mother's womb, are the only ones listed in connection with
the oppression of the Egyptian slavery, indicates that the cruel
harshness of the Egyptian exile and slavery and every individual's
suffering is associated with the birth process. The rigors of the
Egyptian slavery molded and transformed Ya'akov's small family into a
well disciplined and organized nation. At first they were trained to
obey the orders of their slavemasters, which eventually conditioned them
to obey the will of Hashem after they had been freed. Thus, the
harshness of the Egyptian slavery resulted in spiritual growth,
transforming the small-minded Jews, who had started to assimilate in the
hedonistic Egyptian society, into servants of Hashem, to the heights of
intelligence, when they accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai. Just as the
energies of din incubate a fetus while in its mother's womb, so the din
connected to the Egyptian slavery incubated the Jews into a well
disciplined nation which has remained loyal to Hashem despite its many
centuries of adversity, exile, discrimination, suffering, and
wandering.
THE BIRTH PROCESS AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Based on the above, Rav Noson says that the redemption from Egypt was
entirely dependent upon neutralizing the energies of din associated with
the first three tribes of Re'uven, Shimon, and Levi. Redemption can only
be achieved by acknowledging Hashem, which is associated with wisdom and
an expanded intellect. The Egyptians were able to continue the
enslavement of the Jews only as long as the Jews were unable to
acknowledge Hashem. The Jews' affliction resulted in spiritual growth,
leading them to finally acknowledge Hashem, as the verse says, "The
children of Israel groaned because of the work and they cried out [in
prayer]. Their outcry [of prayer] went up to Hashem [at last, they
realized that their only hope for redemption was Hashem]." (Exodus 2:23)
As soon as they acknowledged Hashem, redemption soon followed. Thus the
Jews, through the harsh rigors of slavery, went from the
small-mindedness of near assimilation, to the spiritual heights of
receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. Torah contains the energies that
most expand the mind so that one can better perceive Hashem. This all
happened because the negative aspects of din, which were initially
connected to the root of the Jewish nation through the tribes of
Re'uven, Shimon, and Levi, was neutralized by positive aspects of din
activated by the slavery in Egypt. It is to this that Rashi alludes when
he says that the reason why the Torah cites only the genealogies of the
three rebuked sons is to indicate that they were still important despite
their culpability. They were important because, through them, the
spiritual energies of harshness were neutralized which enabled the Jews
to be redeemed. They were the key that unlocked the spiritual prison
cells of Egypt. If those negative, harsh spiritual energies had not been
nullified, the Jews could not have been redeemed.
Every individual must experience rebirth countless times throughout his
life in order to reach higher spiritual levels that will catapult him
ever closer to Hashem. Just as an individual grows as a result of each
problem he confronts, so too does the world. It is this 'birth process'
which will eventually spawn Moshiach. Thus, Moshiach will be a
descendant of Ya'akov's fourth son, Yehuda. Yehuda represents the wisdom
of an expanded mind which comes as a result of neutralizing the
spiritual energies of harshness that are generated by adversity.
Therefore, no one should ever despair when troubles come, for
difficulties are Hashem's tools for an individual's, as well as the
nation's growth towards greater intimacy with Him. Therefore, we must
unify ourselves to annul all din, using our collective talents to help
each other grow closer to Hashem, especially by helping those who are
most distant from Him. When this occurs, the prophecy hidden in
Ya'akov's blessings will be realized and Moshiach will come. Amen! [This
topic is covered in far more depth in the source material.] (Lekutai
Halachot: Choshen Mishpat: Hilchot A'vaida U' Metziah 3:11, 12)
The saintly Rabi Abdallah Somech was the brother-in-law and teacher of
the holy Ben Ish Chai, the leading sage of Iraqi Jewry and of the
Sefardic community in the last century. Rabi Abdallah, who lived in the
village of Garada, near Baghdad, died from a plague that was sweeping
through all of the villages surrounding Baghdad. The members of the
burial society had already begun digging his grave when the Arab muchtar
suddenly appeared with a large escort, forbade further digging on the
site and locked the gates of the cemetery. Meanwhile, most of Baghdad's
Jews had assembled outside the cemetery, together with a large crowd of
Moslems who had revered the G-dly Tzaddik (saint), in order to
participate in the funeral and pay their last respects.