The Zohar (Noso 123) teaches; 'Every day has good, but there is a gate which
prevents people from reaching the good…'
Every day has good in it. Every day we have the potential to come close to
Hashem and to experience His existence and kindness. But there is a 'gate' which
prevents us from finding this good. The 'gate' which prevents us from finding
the good and spirituality in our days are the various forms of
disturbances and activities which take up all our time and effort, until we
don’t have any more time nor strength left to search for the good and spiritual
element of our days. Furthermore, the yetzer hara keeps us occupied with
his desires and ideas, and therefore the good which is hidden within every day
is often concealed, and often remains concealed. Only the person who believes
that there is good within his days, and he will be strong and steadfast to
search for the good, only he will merit to find and enjoy the good.
The Likutei Maharan (84) writes; 'Snakes and scorpions (yetzer hara) confuse the
mind of those who desire to study the secrets of the Torah. But if one desires
immensely, then heaven will grant him the opportunity, and he will find the good
hidden in the day.'
Secrets of the Torah
One may ask, 'Why should I seek to study the secrets of the Torah? Am I on this
level? It is sufficient for me to keep the Torah on its simplest level'.
However, the Likutei Maharan (73) writes; 'everyone must actively attempt to
attain the levels which are hidden from him'. Everyone must strive to discover
the hidden and concealed Torah.
It is explained in Chasidic sefarim that the 'Hidden Torah' is not the Kabalah.
The kabala is actually part of the revealed Torah. Anyone can open up the kabala
sefarim and study its words; so the kabala is not hidden at all, rather it is
revealed. The 'Hidden Torah' are the deep inner feelings of joy and attachment
to Hashem which one feels when he studies the Torah, and keeps the mitzvos. It
is viewing the entire world with eyes of faith. This is the idea of discovering
the 'Hidden Torah'.
The study of kabala will definitely help one find the 'Hidden Torah', because it
will open his eyes to recognize Hashem. However even a person who has not
studied the words of the kabala, can discover aspects of the Hidden Torah, on
his level, as he recognizes Hashem in his life.
Therefore the Zohar writes; 'every day has good hidden in it, but there is a
gate which holds people back from reaching the good'. When we overcome these
'gates' then the gates themselves themselves will actually turn to become our
helpers, to help us find the good of the day.
Now we will study how we can apply this lesson in a practical manner, and
explain why this lesson is related to the days of the sefirah.
The Purpose
Hashem Yisborach gave the Torah to the Jewish nation, and we were granted the
good-fortune and privilege to be able to give Hashem pleasure when we serve Him
from within this physical world. This world is a world of trials and tests,
temptations, troubles, worries, fears, fights, etc., and from within this
difficult and concealed world, we are expected to recognize Hashem, believe in
Him, and serve Him. When we overcome all obstacles and we serve Him, we will be
bringing great pleasure to Hashem. The mitzvah of believing in Hashem also
includes the mitzvah in believing in ourselves. We must believe that Hashem
chose each and every one of us to be part of His holy nation, and to recognize
Him. As it is written in the Zohar, 'the purpose of creation is to recognize
Hashem'.
There are several levels of recognizing Hashem. The simplest level of emunah is
to know and to believe that everything that happens to us was arranged and
directed by Hashem. Higher levels of faith is to believe that Hashem is deeply
involved and interested with everything that happens to us in our lives. An even
higher level of faith is to believe and to recognize that Hashem is truly here
with us.
As we grow in our recognition of Hashem, we also grow in the recognition of our
own greatness. We begin to realize that Hashem derives pleasure from every good
deed that we do. This faith brings us great joy when we do the mitzvos, and it
gives us the incentive to overcome all temptations and to serve Hashem properly.
Some people reach even higher levels, and their entire minds and hearts are
filled with love and fear of Hashem. There are endless levels which a
person can reach in discovering and recognizing Hashem in the world.
613 Counsels
On Har Sinai Hashem gave us the Torah with the 613 mitzvos. The Zohar calls the
mitzvos; 613 counsels, because the mitzvos are advices, teaching us how we can
connect with Hashem from our lowly world; a world filled with challenges,
difficulties, worries etc. Every mitzvah has its own unique manner how it brings
us close to Hashem, as it is described in our holy sefarim. Shabbos brings us
close to Hashem in one manner, and Yom Tov brings us close to Hashem in a
different manner, and so on with the rest of the mitzvos, such as, tefillah,
talis, tefillin, etc. etc.
Even when a person did not study the secrets of the mitzvos, and he doesn’t know
what type of blessings and closeness to Hashem he is attaining through the
mitzvos, nevertheless, the overall knowledge that the mitzvos are bringing us
closer to Hashem, and that Hashem is watching and enjoying our mitzvos is
sufficient to fill our hearts with joy, and to attach our souls to Hashem.
We must believe that every mitzvah that we do has endlessly deep and wonderful
aspects and concepts, and that we are bringing great pleasure to Hashem, and
likewise we are creating a great light and great joy in heaven. When we believe
this, then never will a mitzvah appear too small for us. Furthermore, regardless
if we are being successful in our avodas Hashem or not, we will never entirely
despair, because we realize that every mitzvah that we do is still a very great
accomplishment and creating a great pleasure for Hashem.
When we serve Hashem in this manner, then even the worldly things which we do,
we will begin to do them in a more elevated manner, because we know that with
everything that we do, we can connect to Hashem. Eating, working, speaking, and
being at home, etc. everything will be done in an uplifted and spiritual manner,
because we believe that everything that we do has deep and meaningful purposes.
Our holy sefarim teach us some ideas about how a person should eat, and how a
person should act in the home, and how a person should do business, etc, and
they teach the benefits which are gained from behaving properly during these
times. However, even if a person does not know these ideas, the basic knowledge
that he is serving Hashem with everything he is doing, and that there are
incredibly great secrets and purposes for everything that happens, will elevate
his thoughts and he will keep his obligations with joy and purpose and
with closeness to Hashem.
The ideal day to strengthen our awareness of Hashem's presence in our lives is
on Shavuous, because Shavuous is the day when we receive every year the Torah as
new. It is the day when the 613 counsels are given, with ideas of how a person
can constantly connect himself to Hashem.
Sefiras Ha'omer
Before we receive the Torah we must first purify ourselves from the impurities
which refrain us from recognizing and feeling our attachment to Hashem. We must
purify our minds from thoughts of heresy, depression, lusts etc. which detain us
from appreciating our closeness to Hashem. This purification is achieved through
counting the Omer, as we count and look-forward towards the upcoming day of
Shavuous, when we will receive the Torah. .
The days of Omer are therefore considered to be difficult days; days of din and
katnus, days of confusion and impure thoughts, because during these days we are
being tested to see whether we truly want the Torah and truly desire to live our
lives with the uplifting joy of recognizing Hashem, and to bask in His presence,
or not. If we are truly ready to overcome all distractions and disturbances, and
to find Hashem within our daily lives..
Every day of the Omer we must correct one attribute of katnus, one attribute of
detachment from Hashem, and to replace it with a feeling of closeness with
Hashem. As it is written in our holy sefarim, every day of the Omer we receive
one aspect of purity of mind which will be revealed on Shavuous, the day
we receive the Torah. During the days of the Omer we must be careful not
to think thoughts of desires and lusts, or fears or other improper thoughts,
rather our minds should be strong with faith. As we overcome all improper
thoughts, we rectify and purify ourselves to receive the perfect faith which is
hidden within these days.
There are sefarim which describe the deep secrets of every day of the sefirah,
and what every day represents, and which attributes we must correct every day.
But on a general level, even a person who did not study these ideas, can reach
his purity by overcoming the tests and trials which he confronts during the days
of the sefirah.
The Likutei Maharan (182) writes; 'know, everything that people speak during the
sefirah, they are only speaking about the sefirah of that day. Someone who
understands, if he will pay attention to what they are saying, he will realize
that they are speaking about the sefirah of that day'. Every day there is
another attribute and aspect of our faith which needs to be corrected. The
correction occurs when we overcome the tests which we confront during this time;
because they are all related to the sefirah of that particular day. When we
serve Hashem during this time, and we overcome all tests which come our
way during the days of the Omer, we are correcting the aspects of our emunah
which need correction, and we are preparing ourselves for Shavuous and matan
Torah.
It is mostly important during the days of the Omer to think thoughts of emunah
and fear of heaven. In this manner we will be preparing our minds for shavuous,
when we will receive the ability to be attached to Hashem throughout the day,
and in every situation.
Today is also a Day
As we explained, every day of the sefirah has its own attribute and aspects of
faith which needs to be rectified and revealed. Therefore every day a person
will need to go through confusions and disturbances and tests, in order to reach
the holiness of faith and purity of mind which is related to the sefirah of that
day. Because when we pass the tests which are given to us during the days of the
Omer, we will reveal the 'Hidden Torah' which was related to that day.
When people suffer difficult tests, they assume that 'today is not a good day to
serve Hashem' and they push off serving Hashem until the next day. But the next
day new tests arrive, and once again people push off serving Hashem for a later
date, until months and years pass by. Therefore Hashem gave us the wonderful
mitzvah of counting the Omer. When we count the Omer we are announcing; 'today
is a day!' If we overcome the difficulties of the day, we will reveal the hidden
Torah, we will reveal Hashem's presence which is hiding within our world.
Words have a very strong influence. When a person announces that 'today is a
day', then although the day appears to be filled with tests and trials, and it
appears to be a day which is very difficult to serve Hashem, nevertheless, we
announced and we believe that today is also a day, and we can also accomplish
great things, and we can attain clarity of faith on this day, if we strive for
it.
Lag b'Omer
The Gemara teaches; "Our Rabbis gathered in Yavne and said; 'one day the Torah
will be forgotten'. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai told them that they were mistaken;
'The Torah will never be forgotten from klal Yisrael!' The Likutei Maharan
(introduction) explains that Rabbi Shimon was certain that the Torah would never
be forgotten, in the merit of the Zohar which he taught.
This Gemara needs clarification. Why did the Rabbis think that the Torah would
be forgotten? Can't we write down the Torah, and then it will be preserved for
eternity? The answer is; the Torah can be preserved, but the purpose of the
Torah would be forgotten. They were afraid that the main purpose of the Torah,
which is to recognize Hashem, would be forgotten. This fundamental aspect of the
Torah cannot be written down, because everyone grasps this concept differently,
according to his level. Therefore they were certain that after the destruction
of the beis hamikdosh, the Torah would be forgotten. Rabbi Shimon insisted
however that it would not be forgotten, thanks to the Zohar which he would
teach.
But there is still room for mistake. People may think that merely by studying
the words of the Zohar and other kabalistic writings in an intellectual manner,
without heart and feeling, and without recognizing Hashem's presence in their
lives, that they have still reached the purpose of the Torah. Therefore we must
learn from the tzaddikim who followed Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and taught us how
to utilize the ideas of the kabala in a manner which can apply to every person,
every day, so that everyone will recognize Hashem in the world.
In the merit of the holy tzaddikim, may we merit to keep the mitzvah of sefiras
ha'omer properly, with holiness and purity, and to truly believe in the immense
influence of this great mitzvah, so that we can attain perfect faith, and
receive the Torah properly on Shavuous
