Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)
Why is the Torah;s last message so important? Why does the Torah praise Moses for breaking the Tablets of the law? Every child knows that every Torah Scroll is extremely holy and is to be treated with the utmost respect. Why then did Moses intentionally break the tablets of stone that were i@tely more holy than any Torah scroll and nevertheless was congratulated for this act by G-d Himself. Why, in the Diaspora, do we celebrate the most important and joyous occasion of Simchat Torah, completing the reading of the Torah, on the second day of the festival, as required by rabbinical enactment, not by biblical law? [as a rabbinical enactment which was instituted in ancient times, an additional day was added to each holiday to counter the doubt as to the exact day of the festival in the Diaspora. Until the fourth century C.E., the festivals were detemiined based upon the sighting of the new moon in the Land of Israel. The doubt arose due to the difficulty of sending messengers to announce the sighting date. The Torah empowers the Sages to make such enactments which are therefore binding. Anyone who does not adhere to rabbinical decrees violates the biblical commandment which requires we listen to our sages]. Why is it necessary that as soon as we finish reading the Torah, we immediately begin anew to read from the very beginning of the Torah? We will try to answer these questions based on the teachings of Rabbi Nachman and his student Rav Noson.
Knowledge and intelligence are the most valuable resources in the cosmos. They are what distinguishes man from animals. Through our intellect, we can come to know of G-d, the source of all joy. The possession of a great abundance of true knowledge can make life happier and easier. Rabbi Nachman taught that faith and knowledge of G-d and His ways can help a person reduce or even eliminate feeling the pain and the suffering of this world. King Solomon wrote: "And knowledge [of G-d and His works] will make your soul [feel] pleasant." (Proverbs 2:10). In addition, the Talmud says: 'Rav Eleazar said: (for) Whoever possesses knowledge [of G-dl it is as if the Temple has been built in his days [referring to the eternal Messianic Era of joy and tranquillity]" (Talmud: Berachoth 33a).
On the physical level, in the modem era, technological know-how has made lifemuch easier. Such discoveries as the phone, jet, car, computer, etc. have reduced the effort needed to complete tasks. There are millions of examples of how knowledge can make life easier and more pleasant. Today, the information industry is a multibillion dollar industry. There are thousands of "how to" books on the market--how to have a better marriage, a better relationship, lose weight, be successful etc. Conversely, a lack of knowledge such as the simple act of misplacing one's glasses--not knowing where they are-= cause great aggravation, frustration, and loss of valuable time. Often, we must even pay for our lack of knowledge. We pay the doctor, plumber, mechanic, electrician etc. for their knowledge. If we had the knowledge, we could heal all illness and save lives.
Suppressing information about the free world enables dictators to control the masses. An awakening amongst the common people that the aristocracy didn't care about them and that the aristocracy needed them more than they needed the aristocracy gave impetus to modem democraticrevolution, and gave more personal freedoms to the common man. Based on these few examples, we can clearly see that our lives and well-being are centered and revolve around the pursuit of positive knowledge. Constructive knowledge is life itself, as the verse says: "Wisdom gives life to those who possess it."(Eccl. 7:12). This is why the Torah urges in so many different verses that all men should seek true knowledge [as opposed to knowledge that leads to destructive and degenerate behavior] and should cling to men of true wisdom. It is only through wisdom that one can become attached to G-d, Who is the source of all wisdom and life. Since G-d is the source of all wisdom, He knows all things, as the verse says: "The beginning [or foundation] of [all] wisdom is fear of G-d [respecting G-d causes a person to follow His teachings in order to derive all wisdom, for G-d knows all things]." (Psalms 111:10). This is why G-d designed the world so that it cannot function without wisdom and knowledge in every facet of life, both on the physical and spiritual levels, as the verse says: "G-d has founded the earth upon wisdom." (Proverbs 3:19). This is to make us aware that we need G-d, and even more importantly, that gaining wisdom willeventually lead one to discover the source of all this great wisdom, G-d. As was mentioned above, the more knowledge one processes the easier and happier lifeis. Therefore, this makes G-d the source of all joy. Therefore, the root of all suffering and unhappiness in the world is a lack of positive knowledge and especially the lack of knowledge about G-d. Harmful knowledge, which can lead to degeneracy, is destructive as the verse says: 'They [the wicked] die, and this [is because they are] without wisdom [not luiowing G-d's ways]." (Job 4:21).
Rabbi Nachman teaches that all knowledge can be placed into two categories. There is the mentality of the land of Israel which derives its spiritual power from a chamber in heaven known as the "Noam HaElyon" (the upper pleasantness). A person whose mind is connected to this chamber draws down Light that, with minimal effort, will enable him to come to conclusions that will make his life more pleasant and easy. This head-space rarely produces arguments and major disagreements. Although the mentality of the land of Israel originates and can primarily be found in the land of Israel, a worthy person can access these mental powers even in the Diaspora. The second category is the mentality of the Diaspora--outside die land of Israel. Conclusions derived through this mentality come only with great toil and effort, often leading to arguments, fights, and erroneous or unclear thinking, ultimately making life much more difficult.
G-d created this world only for the purpose that man discover Him and choose to serve Him through the power of free choice. In the words of the Talmud: 'All that G-d created in the world, He only created for His glory.' This means that everything that G-d created in this world was created to reflect and teach some lesson about Him. Since this world is essentially one big classroom that leads us to discover Him, G-d wants every human being to participate in and be productive in the maintenance of the world. If we were to compare the world to a machine, we would see that every single person operates a different part of the machine-a part which no other person could ever operate. In order for the machine to run properly, every person must operate his own part correctly. This enables every other person to benefit and to use the machine to gain insight into G-d, insight that could not have been gained had even one person not done his job well. Thus being productive brings honor to G-d. When a person is productive, it enhances the @ng of the machine (the world), enabling more and more people to learn more and more about G-d. Being productive refers to both physical and spiritual productivity. A person who has more talents should use them accordingly and the one who has greater physical talents must put them to the maximum use. (The greatest productivity is to produce a child who will grow to serve G-d.)
Productivity ultimately makes the world a better place. The resources necessary to implement one's productivity in the world comes from the Noam HaElyon which manifests itself as talents, intelligence, athletic ability and financial resources, etc. Noam means pleasant. Thus the Noam HaElyon provides all the resources with which to make the world a pleasant place, which gives honor to G-d. The Light of the Noam HaElyon is the same as the Light from the mentality of the Land of Israel (mentioned above). The spiritual energies of the Diaspora also can be used to rectify and make the world a more pleasant place, but on a lower level, with more difficulty and less complete. When the energy from the Noat?i HaElyon is released into the world the spiritual forces of the Diaspora try to derive nourishment from the Noam HaElyon so they can receive their rectification, which would endow those people living in the Diaspora with the mentality of the land of Israel enabling them to make their lives easier and more pleasant. However, when those people residing in the land of Israel lose their respect [Hebrew: kovod] for G-d causing them to become unproductive, violating G-d's laws and wishes, they cause damage to die Noatn HaElyon, giving the forces of the Diaspora the capacity to overwhelm and damage the light of the Noam HaElyon. This causes the residents of the land of Israel to draw their mental outlook and abilities from the Diaspora resulting in disputes, difficulties, and a very harsh quality of life, even in the land of Israel.
To better understand the difference in the effects of these two different headsets, we must look at Adam's situation before and after his sin. Before Adam sinned, his closeness to and perception of G-d came with ease and was even above that of the angels. He lived a life of ease and total comfort in the bliss of paradise. The spiritual energies that enabled him to live this way came from the Noam HaElyon. Adam's sin damaged this Light causing pain, suffering, and hardships to come to the world. Not only did Adam's physical life become more difficult as a result of the damage he caused to the Noam HaElyon, but his spiritual life suffered as well, malting it more difficult to feel joy, satisfaction, and sweetness when seeking out and serving G-d. When a person respects G-d by humbling and submitting himself to follow G-d's wishes, he draws energy from the Noam HaElyon which makes his Torah study and service to G-d sweet and pleasant. (2 Lekutai MoHaran: 71 and Lekutai Halachoth: Yorah Dayah: Hilchoth Kebud Av Vi'Aim 1:1)
When the Jews left Egypt, Moses, without consulting G-d, allowed thousands of Gentiles to join them. Since the goal of the Jewish people was to receive the Torah and then go to the land of ' Israel, which would enable them to easily access the energy of the Noam HaElyon, Moses thought that by allowing the mixed multitude of Gentiles to join them, he would be able to rectify the mentality and harshness of the energy that is derived from outside die land of Israel. Moses was unaware that the mixed multitude was so polluted [mainly through sexual impurity] that not only was the energy of the Noam HaEl)!on, which was accessed through the receiving of die Torah on Mount Sinai, unable to rectify them, but that the mixed multitude caused tremendous damage to the Noam HaElyon, damage which cannot be completely repaired until the con-dng of the Messiah. Thus, the mixed multitude caused the Jews to draw to themselves die mental ezierlies of the polluted Diaspora, which led to their worship of the Golden Calf. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai and saw that the Jews were worshipping the Golden Calf, he realized that this was the result of damage done to the Noam HaElyon. Moses realized that die oi-dy way to prevent further damage to the Noaiii HaEl ' von would be to break the tablets of the law. Mie giving of the Torah in the form of the tablets accessed the Noaiii HaElyon, so breaking the tablets close off tl-ds access.] Moses' act not only saved the Noam HaElyon from total destruction, but it also initiated the process by which it could be repaired. The Talmud tells us that the breaking of the tablets brought forgetfulness to the world. Before this occurrence, no one would ever forget what he had learned. Forgetfulness engendered dispute and difficulty in coming to a clear decision in understanding G-d's law. Thus the disputes between the holy sages throughout the generations in their attempts to come to a clear determination of G-d's law was brought about through Moses breaking the tablets. The friction of these rabbinical disputes actually cleansed the Noam HaElyon, not unlike how friction is used to scrub off a stain from soiled clothing.
The verse emphasizes that Moses broke the tablets "in front of their eyes", which hints that there was an additional benefit to Moses' action. Anyone who would taste the sweetness of the inner essence of the Torah would not allow anything to deter him from nmning after this sweetness. Thus, impure and unworthy people would be drawn to study the Torah, which would cause the same type of damage to the Noam HaElyon that occurred at the time of the giving of the Torah. Therefore, the disputes between the sages, the hard toil in trying to understand the Torah, and the discipline of one's character necessary to access and feel the sweetness of the inner essence of the Torah all came about as a consequence of the breaking of the tablets and were set up to mask and camouflage the Torah in order to keep unworthy people away, and protect the Noam HaElyon from @er damage. The Torah says that Moses broke the Tablets in front of their eyes meaning that, to the unworthy masses, the Torah looks flawed and broken, unworthy of any effort to understand it, but the worthy man of faith realizes and sees that the Torah was given by G-d, Himself and that men of wisdom and high moral standards are intensely involved in studying and fulfilling its laws--that although the Torah seems to be flawed on the surface, there is a great treasure hidden beneath and, therefore, it is worth the effort to delve into it. Now we can understand why G-d congratulated Moses for brealdng the tablets. He protected the Noam HaElyon (which is accessed through Torah) from damage by unworthy individuals, allowing it to be repaired which willeventually help bring moshiach (the Messiah). Additionally, we can now understand the importance of the Torah's parting message: Moses broke the tablets, thus the Torah appears flawed and broken. However, the person of true faith should strengthen himself not to be fooled by appearances, but discipline himself to delve into the depths of the Torah, despite its flawed appearance, and thus gain access to the Noam HaElyon and the Heavenly bliss of being truly connected to G-d.
As explained in the introduction, the celebration of a second day of each festival in the Diaspora as instituted by rabbinical enactment, is due to a doubt as to the exact day of observance. As we mentioned above, the source and root of dispute is forgetfulness and doubt. The spiritual friction caused by holy dispute cleans the Noam HaElyon. Each festival that we celebrate accesses the energy from the Noam HaElyon, which is why it is easier to feel good and cheerful during those celebrations. The sages added a second day to each festival in order to access the energy of the Noam HaElyon in the Diaspora, utilizing the power of doubt, activating the power of holy dispute, thus neutrafting much of the negative spiritual energies become attached to the Noam HaElyon by way of the mentality of the Diaspora and because of our sins and through unworthy people who study the Torah for the wrong reasons. FWs fulfills the spiritual principle that evil cannot be eliminated unless it is broken at its source.] Now we can understand why we celebrate the most holy event of the conclusion of the reading of the Torah on the rabbi@cally ordained second day of the festival--Simchat Torah. On Simchat Torah, we give great honor and respect to G-d, by calling up all those who are present to read from the Torah, [including cWldren--wWch is not done at any other time of the year] until its conclusion, by the great merry-maldng, dancing, singing, and then by reading from the beginning of the Torah once again, which describes how G-d created the world and demonstrates and declares that He is the Master and King of this world. As we mentioned above, giving honor and showing respect to G-d repairs and allows the Noam HaElyon to function properly, which, when completely repaired, will cause the Messiah to emerge.
In the land of Israel, the Rabbis did not add an additional day to each festival--they are all celebrated for one day, as prescribed by the Torah, with the exception of Rosh Hashana (New Year). The reason for this is that the land of Israel is the source from where the energies of the Noam HaElyon are derived. This energy, combined with the power of each holiday itself, gives the Noam HaElyon the power to neutralize any energies from the Diaspora that have attached themselves in order to be rectified. However, the nature and spiritual energy of Rosh Hashana is severe and harsh judgment such that even the power of the land of Israel cannot neutralize the negative energies that come from the Diaspora. Therefore, to prevent damage to the Noam HaElyon on Rosh Hashana, itis necessary to have an additional day, even in the land of Israel, added by rabbinical law for the same reasons as we described for the Diaspora. (Lekutai Halachoth: Orach Chaim: Tefelath Mincha 6:10-12)