Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)
All human beings require love and respect. Without it a person would wither and die. In the secular world people want to be around politicians, movie stars, heads of state - anyone of elevated status - because they want to bask in their aura of success, hoping that some of the honor and glory will be passed onto them. The Jewish soul originates from Hashem's (G-d's) throne of honor meaning that the essence of the soul is honor. Hashem is the source of all honor, as the verse says, "Who is the King of honor? Hashem, the L-rd, strong and mighty..." (Psalms 24: 8) Hashem created this world in such a way that anyone in a position of authority must draw their dominion from Him. Those who possess honor and glory can dominate others, as the verse says, "Ascribe to G-d honor and strength [power]," (Psalms 29:1) associating honor with power, showing that honor gives its possessor power. Since each soul, at its root, is derived from Hashem's honor, every person needs honor and respect to nourish his soul and foster health and longevity. The greater the soul, the more honor and respect the person needs. Rabbi Nachman says, "Through giving honor to true Torah scholars, one transfers part of his owm honor which nourishes and enlarges the soul of the recipient. This enables the scholar to reveal greater and deeper insights from heaven which he uses to draw people closer to Hashem." (1 Likutei MoHaran 7) This principle applies to any authority figure, e.g. rulers, the wealthy, parents, teachers, employers, etc. Everyone in a position of power has a greater soul than the average person. They mirror aspects of Hashcm's own power. For example, A wealthy people reflect Hashem's dominion over finance. We can learn many lessons about Hashem by observing financial or other worldly power. People must not use their positions of power for self-aggrandizement, but only to bring discipline and order to those under their jurisdiction for the sake of unity and cohesion in a team effort to meet their goals. Without hierarchy, the world could ot exist. Hashem's authority is bestowed upon mankind and intended for the betterment of the world, but leaders who abuse that power steal from and diminish Hashem's glory, preventing others from recognizing the power of Hashem in the world. The Talmud says such rulers reduce their own life span, cause a desecration of Hashem's holy name, and will have to give an accounting for their actions at their final judgment.
Kabbalists say that speech is connected to the spiritual power known as "malchut", which means kingship or authority. We know that speech is connected to the power of authority because Hashem authorized the creation of the world through speech. Speech is also connected with honor. Psalms 24:7 says, "The King of honor," associating kingship with honor, and thus speech with honor. Speech, therefore, has the ability to augment or diminish a person's honor.
When Yosef (Joseph) revealed his identity to his brothers, he said, "And you [Yosef s brothers] shall tell my father of all mv honor in Egypt." (Genesis 45:13) Why was it necessary for Yosef to boast of his greatness to his father? Being a leader in Egypt, one had to be an idolater, immoral, hedonistic, and self-serving, quite the opposite of what a man like Ya'akov desired for his children. The knowledge that Yosef had made it to the top of the immoral Egyptian society would only serve to anguish Ya'akov. Then why did Yosef insist on relaying this point to his grieving father? There must have been a much higher concept associated with the message which Ya'akov needed to know. In the following paragaphs we will discuss, based on the insights of Rabbi Nachman and his student Rav Noson, the importance of Yosef's message to his father.
The descent of Ya'akov and his family to Egypt was the beginning of the long and hard Egyptian exile. The Torah's description of the Egyptian exile applies to all the troubles that would afflict the Jews throughout the ages. As we mentioned above, those who possess Hashem's honor have power and authority. Hashem always imparts the power of His honor directly to the Jews. All others obtain this honor indirectly, receiving it from the spiritual channels of the Jews. The Jews acquired this special privilege in the merit of the patriarchs. Hashem chose the patriarchs' offspring to be the leading nation on earth in order that they fulfill their legacy of spreading the knowledge of the existence of Hashem throughout the world. Hashem's honor comes to the world in the form of spiritual energy or spiritual light. When the Jews are living in accordance with Hashem's will, they create the spiritual vessels needed to retain this powerful light, giving them great political power. If the Jews fail to abide by Hashem's will, it causes their spiritual vessels to be damaged, letting Hashem's power of rulership fall into the hands of the other nations, giving them dominion over the Jews. Historically, the Jews, due to their sins, have not had the vessels to hold Hashem's light. Hashem's power of rulership, when it falls away from the Jewish people, mainly goes to those nations with the greatest population of Jews. [We see that practically every great world power throughout history has had large numbers of Jews living within their territories. As soon as the Jews left or were expelled, the power of the empire waned. Spain is a classic example. The Jews helped Spain to prosper, but upon their expulsion, Spain's domination of the world dwindled.] Thus, when the nations of the world possess Hashem's power to dominate, they automatically are able to control and dominate the Jews. This is what gave the Egyptians and all subsequent empires dominion over the Jews.
Yosef's arrival in Egypt assured the Jews' survival there. Through his awesome spiritual accomplishments, Yosef was able to possess and control the power of Hashem's honor, causing him to become highly regarded, even by Pharaoh, and appointed ruler, second only to the king. This respect and honor also gave Yosef the power to control the Jews, for their souls are rooted in and reflect Hashem's honor, as was mentioned above. Ya'akov's awareness that Yosef had control over the spiritual energies of Hashem's honor convinced him to consent to moving his entire family to spiritually perilous Egypt. Ya'akov knew that the Jews had no choice but to live where Hashem's honor is found, for the spiritual light of Hashem's honor provides the essential spiritual nutrients of the Jewish soul. He knew that Yosef would be able to influence the Jews towards holiness to ensure that they would be loyal to Hashem, even while living amongst the corrupt and immoral Egyptians. Now we can understand why Yosef and manv other great Tzaddikim (saints) such as Moshe (Moses), Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai (author of the holy Zohar), Rav Yosef (leading sage of the Talmud), and countless others, including Pabbi Nachman, informed the masses of their great spiritual achievements. Their intent was to inform the Jews that they possessed the spiritual nutrients of Hashem's honor that their souls so desperately needed to survive in this spiritually polluted world. Rabbi Nachman taught that the highest level of humility is when someone can publicly declare their great achievements without feeling the slightest degree of pride, as was the case with Moshe. Practically the entire Torah, written by Moshe himself, recounts his own praises. The Torah constantly mentions that Hashem spoke to Moshe and talks about the great miracles Moshe performed. Is describing his great accomplishments for everv generation to read for all time the act of a humble man? Hashem's ultimate description of the essence of Moshe was, "The man, Moshe was extremely humble, more so than any other man who was [ever] upon the face of the earth." (Numbers 12:3) Rabbi Nachman says that Hashem's praise in this fashion indicates that Moshe felt absolutely no negative pride in publicizing his mighty deeds. (1 Likutei MoHaran 4:7) So too, Yosef's message to his father, declaring his great status, reassured Ya'akov that Yosef indeed possessed that which would nourish the Jews during the initial stages of the Egyptian exile, enabling them to survive the many bitter years of soul crushing slavery until they would be redeemed.
Moshe could not understand how Hashem's honor could have fallen from the Jews into the hands of the Egyptians, enabling them to dominate and torture the Jews. Rashi tells that Moshe asked himself this question as he saw an Egyptian task-master relentlessly and mercilessly, beating a Hebrew slave. Moshe knew that when any oppressor is allowed to maltreat, abuse, or beat an individual Jew or the Jews as a whole, it indicates that Hashem's honor has fallen into the hands of their oppressors, because throu-h their sins, thev misused that honor that had been graciously allotted to each Jew for the purpose of serving Hashem. Othenvise, it would be impossible for any oppressor to inflict any sort of harm upon the Jews whatsoever.
Moshe's question was answered the very next day. Moshe saw two Jews fighting, as the verse savs, "And he [Moshe] went out on the second day [after the incident of the Egyptian beating the Hebrew], and behold two Hebrew men were fighting with one another." (Exodus 2:13) Rashi explains that Moshe suddenly realized that this sort of behavior was why the Jews were made to suffer and were being punished so severely under the hands of the Egyptians. Rav Noson asks why the Jews deserved to be punished more than the rest of the nations of the world? After all, only a few Jews fought with each other and these fights never ended in homicide. Other nations of the world are known to have committed many more and far greater sins than the Jews, such as unprovoked warfare, mass murder, wholesale destruction, fights, and many other atrocities, in which they even prided themselves. Rav Noson answers, when arrogant Jews fight against other Jews, they initiate a spiritual chain reaction that greatly damages Hashem's honor. Especially when these Jews fight against true Tzaddikim and G-d fearing Jews do they cause Hashem's honor to fall into the hands of the other nations. For true Tzaddikim and G-d fearing Jews possess more of Hashem's honor than anyone else. When Hashem's honor is damaged in this way, it delays the coming of moshiach (the Messiah). The closer the destined time of the arrival of moshiach, the greater the infighting Satan instigates amongst the Jews and especially amongst the sages. Satan knows that feuding, hatred, and disrespect amongst the Jews prevents the coming of the Messiah. [Why the angel named Satan works against the coming of moshiach is beyond the scope of this discussion.] Since each Jew possesses very high levels of Hashem's honor, any hatred, show of disrespect, or dispute amongst them does more damage than the same sort of behavior amongst the other nations. The greatest damage of all to Hashem's honor is when one sage hates and disrespects another. [Today the Satan is unfortunately all too successful in this area.]
When Moshe saw two Hebrews fighting he understood why the Jews were being dealt with so severely. He knew that because the Jews were chosen by Hashem to be the spiritual leaders of the world, Hashem had imbued them with an infinitely greater measure of His honor. Therefore, any relatively mild infraction of Hashem's ways causes untold spiritual damage to Hashem's honor and to the upper spiritual worlds. Infighting damages Hashem's honor most of all. Therefore, the seemingly mild internal disputes amongst Jews damage the universe spiritually far more than rampaging, imperialistic nations who cause such great physical damage. Atrocities perpetrated against the Jews physically are but a manifestation of the spiritual damage done to the upper realms through the Jews' sins, especially the sin of hatred and disrespect toward their fellow Jews.
In the year 1648, Bogdan Chmelnitzky incited the Ukrainian Cossacks to rebel against Poland. His defeat of the Polish army signaled a general uprising through the region. Bands of peasants went from village to village slaughtering tens of thousands of Jews. After the Cossack rebellion was quelled, a fast day was observed throughout Poland on the twentieth of the Hebrew month of Sivan in commemoration of the massacres. (Through Fire and Water, p. 10, Breslov Research Institute, POB 5370, Jerusalem, Israel) The holy Zohar had predicted that the moshiach would come that very year. (Zohar: Toldos p. 139) Rav Noson asks the obvious question, how did the time of the expected redemption become a time of slaughter for so many Jews who had refused to give up their faith? In light of our discussion, we can readily understand how this can happen.
When the moshiach comes, Hashem's honor will reach its zenith. At no other time in the history of the world will there be such an open display of Hashem's honor, as the verse says, "Over you [the Jews] there will shine forth Hashem and his glory will be seen over you [the Jews, at the time of the Messiah's coming]." (Isaiah 60:2) [the same concept is mentioned in many other places.] At the anticipated time of the arrival of moshiach, massive doses of Hashem's honor were unleashed to the Jews. But because of their sins, the Jews were unworthy of redemption. Their spiritual vessels remained unrectified causing the light of Hashem's honor to fall away from the Jews into the hands of the Gentiles. Since the Jews were unable to contain Hashem's honor in the proper way, Hashem's honor had to manifested in another way. Tens of thousands of Jews gave up their lives for Hashem's honor, to magnify His name in a way other than by the final redemption. By forfeiting their lives rather than being forcibly converted, they demonstrated the value of their attachment to Hashem that they were willing to die rather than have their connection to Hashem severed. Throughout history, every tyrant and dictator has been well aware of the Jews' determination to die rather than forsake their faith. Therefore, whereas all others were forced to worship the conquering dictators' gods, Jews were exempted. For example, the Greeks and Romans imposed their deity upon all the vanquished nations except for the Jews (although later this exemption was rescinded). The Jews' determination to cling to their faith caused many of their Gentile governors to bend the rules to accommodate them. Even today, employers allow Jews to leave work early on Friday, allowing them to make up the time on other days, so thev can observe the holy Sabbath.
As we mentioned above, tens of thousands of Jews were slaughtered in the year 1648. There are also many examples of righteous people who died because they did not handle Hashem's honor properly. The two sons of Aaron, the brother of Moshe, were both killed when they brought an unauthorized offering in Hashem's honor as the verse savs, "It [the Tabernacle] shall be sanctified by My [Hashem's] honored ones." (Exodus 29:43) In King David's time the holy ark of the covenant, which contained the tablets of the law, was brought up to Jerusalem. On the way, Hashem's honor was magnified when the righteous Uzah died trying to prevent the ark from falling off the wagon that was transporting it. When King David discovered the exact spot of the site of the Temple, which is the place where Hashem's glory is revealed more than any other, thousands of Jews died because they were not spiritually prepared to encounter this higher manifestation of Him. We should not despair over these tragic events. The millions of Jews who sacrificed their lives to magnify Hashem's honor and glory, from the time of the destruction of the Temple to this very day, will have every drop of their spilled blood accounted for by Hashem. It will be in the merit of individuals like the holy Rebbe Akiva and the ten holy Martyrs, that enough spiritual vessels are created to hold Hashem's glory, the glory that was unleashed through their suffering and sacrifice. When all the spiritual vessels will have been rectified, moshiach will reveal himself, manifesting Hashem's glory in a positive way, enabling the final redemption. (Likutei Halachot: Choshen Mishpat: Hilchoth Ha'cho'vail Be'Chavayro 3:5-8)
Although ultimately no one can claim to understand Hashem's ways, especially for such a controversial subject as the Holocaust, the aforementioned concepts can give us insight into why the Jews regained control over the land of Israel just three years after the destruction in Europe. Indeed, this event is a far cry from the absolute redemption, but as Maimonides teaches, it is far better to have Jews who are distant from Hashem control the Holy Land than non-Jews.
Estranged Jews are nevertheless connected to Hashem's highest level of glory through the nation of Israel as a whole which is better than having the Land controlled by those who are not connected to that higher level at all. The fact that Jews now control the land of Israel implies a greater manifestation of Hashem's glory in the world than has been present since the destruction of the Temple. This indicates that the spiritual vessels which contain Hashem's glory are near completion and that, in a short while, the King Moshiach will appear and rebuild the Temple, removing the current leadership and form of govenunent and restoring the true Tzaddikim to their rightful positions of authority, teaching Hashem's ways to the Jews and to the world, which will cause the greatest manifestation of Hashem's glory the world has ever known. Amen!