By: Rabbi Yitzchak Schwartz
'TRANSCENDENT TORAH POWER' [PART 2]
Shalom and Blessings
SUMMARY OF LAST WEEK'S TORAH ESSAY
1. I'll begin with the greatest tool of all--'REVIEW'---that which separates the minor league Torah learners from the major league scholars. As you may recall, last week we discussed the concept of learning Torah with extraordinary effort, called 'Amal'. Amal effects not only the wellbeing of the Torah learner, but also draws down blessed Divine Providence for the learner's community and sometimes even for the entire world. In our efforts to fathom how that works, we brought our sages’ incredible mystical axiom; 'Hashem, Torah and Yisrael are one'. Our contemplations elicited 3 transcendent ramifications [their acronym is C.I.T.];
a. Correspondences-----[Activatin
b. Infinite Interinclusiveness-----[Since G-d is infinite and is one with the Torah, Yisrael and Reality, therefore, just as any PART of infinity is as infinite and all-containing as the WHOLE of infinity, so too the same is true of any part of Torah, Yisrael and Reality].
c. Tikun-----[ the concepts brought in a and b above, are called into action by the universe's constant drive to rectify everything----ie...elevating and Divinizing 'fallen' reality].
SOME CONTEMPLATIVE INSIGHTS
2. Let's take our contemplations a step further. We now understand that we have in our hands [if we harness the Torah learning properly], the ability to traverse and impact different dimensions. We also understand that we as microcosmic beings have the ability to press the right psychic buttons inside of ourselves & thereby fix up the whole world [including ourselves]. Our means for accomplishing this is Torah learning in the proper way. We now have the ability to answer the question that we raised last week, 'How can a person's [or a community's] concerted learning effort in Torah draw down blessed Divine Providence [or to the contrary, how can the lack of 'Amal' block it up G-d forbid].?' The answer is simply that the Torah is that which connects Hashem to us---and to the extent that we activate this amazing channel, we reap the fruits of our trans-dimensional efforts.
THE TORAH'S VERY CLOSE TO YOU
3. I hope you're enjoying [at least a little bit] our contemplations of the transcendent side of Torah. But I have to interrupt at this point. Torah is referred to as 'Torat Chayim' [A Living Torah], which means that it's meant to be learned as a recipe for living. Towards the end of the Chumash [5 Books of Moses], there is an amazing verse illustrating this point:
'Because [the Torah] is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart to do it' [Parshat Nitzavim 30\14]. Our sages explain the verse as follows---If your intention is to do it [ ie... to actually carry out the concept that you are learning about], then Torah will be intimately close to you----open your mouth, it's right there---open your heart---it's right there!! So without further ado, I present to you some techniques for accessing transcendence in Torah learning. We'll arrange the techniques into various categories, all of which address various aspects of transcendence that we have been discussing. Due to time and space limitations, we will only begin the list this week and B"H continue next week. It is my hope and prayer that you find yourself resonating with one or more of these techiques so much so, that you'll be inspired to be a true 'AMAL' Torah learner. Once you taste a bit of the expanded consciousness that Torah can give to you, and understand the inexhaustible blessing you can bring upon yourselves [and the whole world], then you will want more and more of it!! Who knows, you may just become seriously addicted to it, and go and hide out in a cave somewhere and do nothing but learn Torah all the time for 13 years like R. Shimon bar Yochai !!
TRANSCENDENT TORAH LEARNING TECHNIQUES
4. Let's begin with techniques that can all fit into the category of self-actualization....ie....me
a. 'YOUR TAKE'----based on the teachings of the Arizal, a very powerful way to actualize our soul's potential is to express our 'take' in Torah. We are all unique and we all have therefore a unique way of seeing reality and understanding Torah. Just like any master of creative expression needs to grow to maturity by actually expressing themselves in the context of their particular art form, the more we express our unique perspective in Torah--which is the ultimate reflection of our soul---the more we mature and perfect ourselves. The Arizal speaks about going through all of the Torah [ie..all the weekly Parshas] and basically writing your own commentary. This may be a bit of a leap for many people. I would suggest to start on a smaller scale. Choose one particular topic in any Parsha in the Torah that truly speaks to you, and simply write [or teach] a commentary that expresses your unique perspective. Once you've got the hang of it--Expand!
b. 'BE A WARRIOR FOR CLARITY'-----here we learn another way of self actualization from the Arizal---The Arizal would enter into a study session with the goal in mind of identifying all areas of the topic at hand that were unclear, difficult or contradictory...etc...He saw these grey areas as being 'Klipot' [ie..representatives of the realm of evil]. He then, like a spiritual warrior, would unrelentingly pursue the absolute truth of the matter, leaving no room for doubts, inconsistencies or unclarities of any kind. By the end of a learning session, he would literally be drenched in sweat from exerting himself so much. The important point to understand, is that those doubts 'on the page', in a different garb, are the roots of the same blocks, doubts, fears and baggage that we have in our lives. Clear up the former ones and the latter ones automatically clear up also. We can easily understand how to carry this out, the hard part is the actual clarifying. Take any piece of Torah that you encounter [from anywhere in the Written or Oral Torah], and go to work. Try to locate that which is unclear or somehow inconsistent with other aspects of the text, or with what you understand to be true, and keep fighting for an explanation that rings true.
c. ' 5 LEVELS OF SOUL TORAH'----Here too, the Arizal guides us to soul actualization. This approach is based on the principle that the layout of Torah parallels the layout of a person. Just as we have 5 levels of soul, so too are there 5 corresponding approaches to learning Torah---whose acronym is P R D S [ the word PaRDeS is a garden as in PaRaDiSe--the garden of Eden--- which a person can get to by carrying out the holistic Torah approaches we are discussing]---
P= Pshat= [the simple understanding]-----learning a Torah topic in it's simple or plain sense. This type of learning rectifies one's lowest soul level of Nefesh ....
R=Remez=[the hinted understanding]---- learning the hinted messages that are usually conveyed through numerical values of key words, or acronyms..[recently someone presented to me a Torah work which matched the 5800 plus verses of Torah with the 5800 plus years since the Creation showing how the verse that corresponds to that year accurately describes the corresponding historical events of that year--probably this too would qualify as Remez or the hinted Torah realm]. There are specific Torah works that concentrate on this area, if someone would like more info, please contact me...This type of learning rectifies the soul level called Ruach...
D=Drash=[the homiletical understanding]---this area of Torah is built on an Oral Tradition that derives moralistic lessons and spiritual concepts and principles from the verses of the written Torah. There is a vast Torah literature in this realm, including the 'Midrash' and the 'Aggadah' and all of their commentary spanning thousands of years...This type of learning rectifies one's soul level of Neshama...
S=Sod=[the secret understanding]---the Kabbalah is the secret area of Torah---over the ages, it has been transmitted in a very discreet and secretive manner. It's content is an expression of the verses of Torah in a subtle, mystical and Prophetic manner. There are a lot of books on the market for those who want to open up this part of Torah and their souls but I would suggest a lot of discretion in getting only those that are really dependable. I would just like to make an important point. Just as the lower soul levels are accessed before the higher ones are, so too in learning, stability and being properly grounded in Torah is achieved by going and growing in order....This type of learning rectifies the level of soul called the Chayah...
[ the 5th level of soul, the Yechidah is accesed by a totally transcendent level of mysticism which is beyond the scope of this essay and for that matter beyond words altogether]...
There's more folks, but yours truly has run out of energy, and I'm sure you too could use a break until we continue next week...
Shabbat Shalom
Yitzchak
'TRANSCENDENT TORAH POWER' [PART 2]
Shalom and Blessings
SUMMARY OF LAST WEEK'S TORAH ESSAY
1. I'll begin with the greatest tool of all--'REVIEW'---that which separates the minor league Torah learners from the major league scholars. As you may recall, last week we discussed the concept of learning Torah with extraordinary effort, called 'Amal'. Amal effects not only the wellbeing of the Torah learner, but also draws down blessed Divine Providence for the learner's community and sometimes even for the entire world. In our efforts to fathom how that works, we brought our sages’ incredible mystical axiom; 'Hashem, Torah and Yisrael are one'. Our contemplations elicited 3 transcendent ramifications [their acronym is C.I.T.];
a. Correspondences-----[Activatin
b. Infinite Interinclusiveness-----[Since G-d is infinite and is one with the Torah, Yisrael and Reality, therefore, just as any PART of infinity is as infinite and all-containing as the WHOLE of infinity, so too the same is true of any part of Torah, Yisrael and Reality].
c. Tikun-----[ the concepts brought in a and b above, are called into action by the universe's constant drive to rectify everything----ie...elevating and Divinizing 'fallen' reality].
SOME CONTEMPLATIVE INSIGHTS
2. Let's take our contemplations a step further. We now understand that we have in our hands [if we harness the Torah learning properly], the ability to traverse and impact different dimensions. We also understand that we as microcosmic beings have the ability to press the right psychic buttons inside of ourselves & thereby fix up the whole world [including ourselves]. Our means for accomplishing this is Torah learning in the proper way. We now have the ability to answer the question that we raised last week, 'How can a person's [or a community's] concerted learning effort in Torah draw down blessed Divine Providence [or to the contrary, how can the lack of 'Amal' block it up G-d forbid].?' The answer is simply that the Torah is that which connects Hashem to us---and to the extent that we activate this amazing channel, we reap the fruits of our trans-dimensional efforts.
THE TORAH'S VERY CLOSE TO YOU
3. I hope you're enjoying [at least a little bit] our contemplations of the transcendent side of Torah. But I have to interrupt at this point. Torah is referred to as 'Torat Chayim' [A Living Torah], which means that it's meant to be learned as a recipe for living. Towards the end of the Chumash [5 Books of Moses], there is an amazing verse illustrating this point:
'Because [the Torah] is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart to do it' [Parshat Nitzavim 30\14]. Our sages explain the verse as follows---If your intention is to do it [ ie... to actually carry out the concept that you are learning about], then Torah will be intimately close to you----open your mouth, it's right there---open your heart---it's right there!! So without further ado, I present to you some techniques for accessing transcendence in Torah learning. We'll arrange the techniques into various categories, all of which address various aspects of transcendence that we have been discussing. Due to time and space limitations, we will only begin the list this week and B"H continue next week. It is my hope and prayer that you find yourself resonating with one or more of these techiques so much so, that you'll be inspired to be a true 'AMAL' Torah learner. Once you taste a bit of the expanded consciousness that Torah can give to you, and understand the inexhaustible blessing you can bring upon yourselves [and the whole world], then you will want more and more of it!! Who knows, you may just become seriously addicted to it, and go and hide out in a cave somewhere and do nothing but learn Torah all the time for 13 years like R. Shimon bar Yochai !!
TRANSCENDENT TORAH LEARNING TECHNIQUES
4. Let's begin with techniques that can all fit into the category of self-actualization....ie....me
a. 'YOUR TAKE'----based on the teachings of the Arizal, a very powerful way to actualize our soul's potential is to express our 'take' in Torah. We are all unique and we all have therefore a unique way of seeing reality and understanding Torah. Just like any master of creative expression needs to grow to maturity by actually expressing themselves in the context of their particular art form, the more we express our unique perspective in Torah--which is the ultimate reflection of our soul---the more we mature and perfect ourselves. The Arizal speaks about going through all of the Torah [ie..all the weekly Parshas] and basically writing your own commentary. This may be a bit of a leap for many people. I would suggest to start on a smaller scale. Choose one particular topic in any Parsha in the Torah that truly speaks to you, and simply write [or teach] a commentary that expresses your unique perspective. Once you've got the hang of it--Expand!
b. 'BE A WARRIOR FOR CLARITY'-----here we learn another way of self actualization from the Arizal---The Arizal would enter into a study session with the goal in mind of identifying all areas of the topic at hand that were unclear, difficult or contradictory...etc...He saw these grey areas as being 'Klipot' [ie..representatives of the realm of evil]. He then, like a spiritual warrior, would unrelentingly pursue the absolute truth of the matter, leaving no room for doubts, inconsistencies or unclarities of any kind. By the end of a learning session, he would literally be drenched in sweat from exerting himself so much. The important point to understand, is that those doubts 'on the page', in a different garb, are the roots of the same blocks, doubts, fears and baggage that we have in our lives. Clear up the former ones and the latter ones automatically clear up also. We can easily understand how to carry this out, the hard part is the actual clarifying. Take any piece of Torah that you encounter [from anywhere in the Written or Oral Torah], and go to work. Try to locate that which is unclear or somehow inconsistent with other aspects of the text, or with what you understand to be true, and keep fighting for an explanation that rings true.
c. ' 5 LEVELS OF SOUL TORAH'----Here too, the Arizal guides us to soul actualization. This approach is based on the principle that the layout of Torah parallels the layout of a person. Just as we have 5 levels of soul, so too are there 5 corresponding approaches to learning Torah---whose acronym is P R D S [ the word PaRDeS is a garden as in PaRaDiSe--the garden of Eden--- which a person can get to by carrying out the holistic Torah approaches we are discussing]---
P= Pshat= [the simple understanding]-----learning a Torah topic in it's simple or plain sense. This type of learning rectifies one's lowest soul level of Nefesh ....
R=Remez=[the hinted understanding]---- learning the hinted messages that are usually conveyed through numerical values of key words, or acronyms..[recently someone presented to me a Torah work which matched the 5800 plus verses of Torah with the 5800 plus years since the Creation showing how the verse that corresponds to that year accurately describes the corresponding historical events of that year--probably this too would qualify as Remez or the hinted Torah realm]. There are specific Torah works that concentrate on this area, if someone would like more info, please contact me...This type of learning rectifies the soul level called Ruach...
D=Drash=[the homiletical understanding]---this area of Torah is built on an Oral Tradition that derives moralistic lessons and spiritual concepts and principles from the verses of the written Torah. There is a vast Torah literature in this realm, including the 'Midrash' and the 'Aggadah' and all of their commentary spanning thousands of years...This type of learning rectifies one's soul level of Neshama...
S=Sod=[the secret understanding]---the Kabbalah is the secret area of Torah---over the ages, it has been transmitted in a very discreet and secretive manner. It's content is an expression of the verses of Torah in a subtle, mystical and Prophetic manner. There are a lot of books on the market for those who want to open up this part of Torah and their souls but I would suggest a lot of discretion in getting only those that are really dependable. I would just like to make an important point. Just as the lower soul levels are accessed before the higher ones are, so too in learning, stability and being properly grounded in Torah is achieved by going and growing in order....This type of learning rectifies the level of soul called the Chayah...
[ the 5th level of soul, the Yechidah is accesed by a totally transcendent level of mysticism which is beyond the scope of this essay and for that matter beyond words altogether]...
There's more folks, but yours truly has run out of energy, and I'm sure you too could use a break until we continue next week...
Shabbat Shalom
Yitzchak
Website: http://www.paradiseprinciple.com/
Email: yitzchakschwartz@msn.com
No comments:
Post a Comment