Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)
Rabbi Nachman taught that everyone must strive to break his fantasies and animal desires in order that his innate intelligence will be in control of his actions so that he can recognize and follow the ways of Hashem. After one has worked hard to perfect himself on a given spiritual level and is thus ready to advance to the next level, he must first encounter and conquer the forces of evil that guard and prevent entry into that higher spiritual plane.. Such an encounter will engender all sorts of fantasies, illusions, and delusions which blinds his niind's eye, disabling him in finding the path which leads to the gate of the next spiritual level. No human being is capable of overcoming these assaults alone, without Hashem's direct assistance. To activate and receive Hashem's Divine assistance and intervention in overcoming the forces of evil to open the gates of holiness, leading to the next level, Rabbi Nachman taught that one should give tsedaka (charity - lit. righteousness) to worthy causes and individuals. The way charity activates Hashem's power to provide the vital assistance needed to overcome the forces of evil is explained as follows: There is a large assortment of spiritual energies contained by different colored spiritual lights (ga'veen'um e'law'yim) which emanate from Hashem and produce various effects upon the universe. When one gives tsedaka to worthy causes, he activates and accesses these spiritual energies or lights [in direct proportion to the level he is on, his sincerely, and spirit in which the tsedaka is given]. The lights illuminate the beleaguered person's mind, allowing him to see the path through the confusion brought about by the forces of forces of evil and enter the gate to the next spiritual level. In addition, these lights of Hashem chase away the forces of evil. Since these lights are connected to a very high place in Heaven, only Hashem's chosen people have access to them. Once the forces of evil are eliminated, one regains his clarity of mind and all the illusions, delusions, and fantasies attached to the previous level disappear. This process is repeated throughout a person's lifetime, as he ascends from level to level. (1 Lekutai MoHaran 25)
The most important wisdom and knowledge in this world which guides a person to sanctify his mind [allowing him to connect and perceive Hashem with the utmost clarity] is the wisdom of the Torah, as the verse says, "The begining for major source] of [all] wisdom is the fear of Hashem [which is developed only through Torah learning], good understanding to all who perform [Hashem's commandments]..." (Psalms 111:10) Knowledge of Hashem is an integral element in every person's eternal well being and it is not something that is gained without great effort. In fact Hashem structured this world in such a way that one is not able to attain this knowledge until he has first, in accordance with Hashem's will, broken his connection to his fantasies [which include chasing after the illusional goals of this temporary world which, indeed, seem real to those who pursue them] and the forces of evil that block his attempts to attain this knowledge. As mentioned above, it is impossible for a person alone to break the forces of evil, he must activate Hashem's light by giving tsedaka which will empower him in attaining new and deeper Torah knowledge and closeness to Hashem. When one earns a living honestly and with the intention that he will donate a portion of his earnings to a worthy charity, the spiritual lights of Hashem are activated and beamed into the metaphysical body of the money earned. This is one of the reasons why Hashem forces us to go to work. If a person's intention is to earn money without giving tsedaka, his money does not access these spiritual powers. This is why the Talmud teaches, "Rabban Gamliel the son of Rebbe Yehudah HaNassi says, 'Torah study is good together with an occupation, for the exertion of them both makes sin [in this case the forces of evil] forgotten.'" (Talmud: Avoth 2:2)
This is why the Jews were first given over to Egyptian servitude before they could receive the Torah. Egypt was the most materialistic and immoral society that ever existed. The Jews first had to discover for themselves that the false goals associated with the fantasies of the Egyptian societv were mere illusions. Once this was accomplished, Hashem could bring them out of Egypt with great physical wealth, part of which would be used to construct the Tabernacle (a form of tsedaka). Only after these events were the Jews given the Torah. The main reasons for the Jews' enslavement and subsequent redemption from Egypt was to attain true freedom and receive the Torah, as Hashem told Moshe, "When you [Moshe] have brought out the people from Egypt, you [all the Jews] shall serve Hashem upon this mountain [Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. Serving Hashem is the definition of true freedom]." (Fxodus 3:12) [The reason why the Jews had to be engulfed in the darkness of the most immoral and materialistically based country in the world before they could receive the Torah was to counterbalance the great light of the Torah and enable it to exist in the physical realm. The greater the darkness, the greater the light hiding behind it.] Breaking the connection with the illusory importance of materialism in Egypt is synonymous with the aforementioned concept that one must first break the fantasies of his current level in order to be able to receive new Torah knowledge. in addition a person must obtain money, with the intention of donating a portion to tsedaka, drawing the spiritual energies into his money. The hard work in overcoming the fantasy of temporary, worldly goals and donating a portion of one's income to tsedaka will break the forces of evil, meriting the individaul a clear and purified mind, enabling him to obtain new and deeper Torah knowledge. Those insights further increase his ability to find and perceive Hashem within the world.
To better understand how this process purifies and expands the mind, consider the following: The mind or one's intelligence is of three modes. There is the dormant mode, which, in Hebrew, is termed as the mind being be'ko'ach, referring to the knowledge stored in a person's memory which is the basis for acquiring new knowledge. This mode is associated with the spiritual power of knowledge called chochma - knowledge of facts. Rabbi Nachman breaks the Hebrew word chochma into two words, ko'ach maw - the power of nothingness - which can also be described as potential knowledge. In the second mode, the mind draws from the stored knowledge of the first mode and actively seeks to gain new knowledge by building on the foundation of the stored knowledge, assimilating new ideas through analysis, questioning, discussion, and debate. In this mode, the spiritual energies of chochma - knowledge, and bina - analysis are combined, which is known as the mind being be'po'ail. In this stage, there are not yet any clear conclusions nor is there clear understanding of the new knowledge. Further analysis and sifting is needed. The third mode that the the brain goes into is called say'chel ha'nik'naw - acquired knowledge, when after careful analysis and discussion, one sharply discerns the true point of knowledge, the sifted, sorted, and completed form. This newly acquired knowledge is then added to the previous knowledge and stored within the recesses of the brain becoming the dormant knowledge of a new first stage. When the individual seeks new knowledge, this process is repeated. In this mode, the spiritual energies of chochma, combine with the spiritual power of bina to obtain the point of knowledge, called daas.
In and of itself, knowledge is mainly a spiritual trait, and since knowledge is obtained through the three modes of the brain, it is the Torah that provides the proper spiritual nourishment for those three modes. Therefore, the Talmud teaches, "A certain Galilean lectured in the presence of Rav Chisda: "Praised be Hashem who gave a threefold Torah [Torah -Pentateuch, N'vi'im - Prophets, and K'suvim - Hagiagrapha] unto a threefold people [the Jews are comprised of three different groups, Cohanim - Priests, Levi'im - Levites and Yisraelim - Israelites] through a man [Moshe] who was the third child of his parents [Miriam, Aaron were his older siblings] on the third day after being separated from their wives, [in order to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai in a state of purity] and in the third month [of the Hebrew, lunar based calendar]." (Talmud: Shabbos 88b) From this teaching we realize that the giving of the Torah was associated with the number three alluding to the fact that the Torah was designed to spiritually nourish and facilitate the brain's acquistion of knowledge during every phase of the three mode process.
This is why the process to determine the correct interpretation of any verse found in the Torah must be through three phases. First, a verse is observed simply, just as it is written in the Torah. However, the full and true intent of a verse usually cannot be known from its original form which is consistent with the first mode of the brain mentioned above, where the basic knowledge is in the dormant and unusuable stage.
The second phase involves an examination of the Mishna's comments on the particular verse that we are seeking to understand. The MIshna contains the Oral Torah [concise explanations of the Written Torah as transmitted by Hashem to Moshe and by Moshe to the elders and to the population at large, with each succeeding generation meticulously teaching their children orally until approximately 220 C.E. when, due to the danger of losing information because of the tens of thousands of Jews killed by the Romans, (among other reasons), it was redacted into written form.] The Mishna is written in a vague style and serves as the basis for the later rabbinical discussions and interpretations of the practical law and meanings of verses which formed the Gemara. [Together, the Mishna and Gemara form the Talmud] This second step is synonymous with the second phase of the acquisition of knowledge, where one's previous knowledge is used to analyze the new infommtion, which nevertheless remains unclear. The third and final, like the third mode of brain function, is to arrive at a clear understading of the verse. This is accomplished through the intense give and take of the Talmudic debates.
The purpose of acquiring knowledge is that it should influence a person to act upon it in the service of Hashem. When the soul returns to its true abode in the hereafter, the only thing it takes with it for all time is the wisdom that was used, during the person's lifetime in serving Hashem. Any other wisdom which does not bring a person to better serve Hashem is lost forever to that soul. This is why the Talmud teaches "study is not the main goal in serving Hashem but action (induced by study]. (Talmud: Kiddushin)
To recap, the wisdom contained in the Torah, the truth of Hashem, can only be attained by neutralizing one's illusions such that he has a clear and pure mind. Money used for holy purposes activates spiritual powers which, when combined %vith hard work, eliminate the forces of evil that cloud a person's mind, enabling him to acquire the clarity to be able to see and understand the truth of the Torah, purifying him in all three modes of the mind mentioned above, enabling understanding of the three phases of Torah study (Verse, Mishna and Talmud) to determine a verse's true intent. The Talmud teaches, "A person should always divide his possessions into three parts. One third should be in hard currency, one third should be invested in merchandise, and one third should be in real estate. (Talmud: Bava Metziah: 42) Wealth in the form of hard currency, when saved with intent to use it to serve Hashem, lies dormant and helps eliminate the forces of evil connected with the dormant or stored knowledge of the first mode of the brain, helping the mind access the basic knowledge of scripture. Merchandise, which is not as stable as cash because it can be traded away for money or other valuables, is the form of wealth, which when used to serve Hashem, helps eliminate the forces of evil in the second mode of the brain - analysis, the knowledge of the Mishna. Real estate is the most stable of all a person's possessions, for one doesn't often sell his home or land. This form of possession, when used to serve Hashem, helps to eliminate the forces of evil from the brain's third mode, and enables one to access the knowledge contained in the Talmud and arrive at the true and final conclusion.
How was it possible that the Jews, after witnessing all the miracles in Egypt and the revelation of Hashem at Mount Sinai werc able to stoop so low as to worship the Golden Calf? Rav Noson answers that on every new level to which one advances, one must encounter and break the forccs of evil associated with that level, forces which are stronger than those of the previous level. At times, this new encounter can cause a person to have a great downfall. This is what happened to the Jews when they reached such awesome spiritual heights at Mount Sinai. They were not yet able to handle the evil forces of the next level and they fell very low and built the Golden Calf. This is why Hashem commanded the Jews to build the Tabernacle as an atonement for worshipping the Golden Calf. The Tabernacle consisted of thirteen materials which were donated by the Jews. The charitable contributions of the thirteen materials activated all of the spiritual lights or colors, which eliminated the forces of evil not only for the next level, but for every future level the Jews would encounter for all time, for the Jews carried the Tabernacle wherever they traveled until it was replaced by the Temple in Jerusalem. After the destruction of the Temple the synagogue became a miniature Temple whereby the Jews would be able to activate the holy colors of Hashem's light when charity was given to worthy causes, enabling them to eliminate the forces of evil at each new level for all time.
Thus Parashat Mishpatim, which deals with financial laws, follows the section which deals with the giving of the Torah. The laws teach how to avoid any theft or impropriety in finance. When a person follows these laws, he sanctifies his earnings. When one has attained his money honestly and through adherence to the laws of Torah donating a portion of his income to tsedaka, he activates the holy colors as the vme says, 'You (Hashem) have established uprightness, justice [following the Torah laws of finance] and charity (donating some earnings to tsedaka] amidst Jacob [the third of the Patriarches, represents the rectification of the three activities of the brain that drive away the forces of evil in those three areas to attain the three parts of the Torah mentioned above] You have instituted" (Psahm 99:4) (Lekutai Halachoth: Choshen Mishpat: Hilchoth Govah Chov May'Kar'ko'oath 3:1-4).
The verse says, "Israel encamped before the mountain" (Exodus 19:2) Rashi adds, "As one man and with one heart [in unity and brotherhood]." This teaches us that only through love of one's fellow Jew can anyone merit to receive a deeper understanding of Torah. Tsedaka is a demonstration of concern and love for one's fellow man. Thus Torah learning and money earning [which is the source of tsedaka are intimately related.
A group of chassidim were on their way to see their Rebbe, Rabbi
Ya'akov Yitzchok, the famous Chozeh (seer) of Lubin. He was called
the chozeh because he had an extraordinary ability to see into a
person's soul. Their wagon driver, Yoel asked if they would include
his written request (Kvittel) for a blessing among their own
requests when they saw the Chozeh. When they presented their written
requests with Yoel's among the@ the Chozeh gasped with admiration.
"Who is this Yoel whose name shines so brightly with light?" he
asked. "That's just our wagon driver. He takes us to Lublin every
year and he asked us to give you his kvittel." the chassidim
responded. The Rebbe continued to gaze intently at the signature. "I
see from his name that right now his soul (neshamah) is shining
and is glowing with joy."
The chassidim wanted to discover what Yoel was doing that had caused
such a reaction from their holy Rebbe. They eventually found Yoel
dancing, leaping and twirling at a wedding that was being given in
someone's home.
The chassidim, curious as to what caused him to dance with such fervor
and joy, asked Yoel if he was a relative or friend of the couple.
Yoel replied that it was the wedding of an orphan boy and girl and he
had never seen them before in his life. The chassidim pressed Yoel
and wanted to know why he was dancing so. Yoel realized they would
not leave him alone until he told them the truth, and he told them
what happened. "After you left my wagon to go see the Rebbe, I fed my
horses and then I took a stroll through the streets. I heard music
and went inside this house and I found people dancing and singing
before the bride and groom. Suddenly an argument broke out The
celebration stopped and was replaced by angry shouts and threats. The
bride had promised to give the groom a tallis (prayer shawl) as
part of her dowry. She was unable to get the money to buy the
tallis since she was a poor orphan. The friends of the groom
were urging him to break off the wedding and not go to the
chupah because she had not kept her part of the bargain. My
heart went out to the bride. How devastating and humiliating it would
be to have a wedding called off! I decided I must do something. I
took out my purse and gave her everything I had. "Now you can buy
your groom a tallis," I whispered to her. After that the bride
and groom made up and everyone became happy and they got married. Now
if you don't mind, I want to resume dancing. It is a big mitzvah to
gladden the hearts of the bride and groom."
In awed silence the chassidim left the house. Once outside they
exclaimed, "What a good deed this simple wagon driver just did!" They
all marveled, "He is so poor himself! Who knows if the marriage would
have taken place if he had not done what he did? And what about our
Rebbe, he saw it all just looking at Yoel's signature!" (Chassidic
Stories)
We stated above that the greatness of tsedaka activates the upper
Divine lights to shine. The following true story illustrates this
point.