בס״ד

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Near or Far?


The [words] of the Baal Shem Tov: I heard in the name of my teacher, [Achiyah the Shilonite, that when we say] "You are He Who is Hashem our G-d," the meaning is:
When a person thinks that he is close to Hashem, using the [intimate second-person] pronoun "You," at that point he is far from Hashem, the distant [third-person] pronoun "He." On the other hand, if one thinks that one is not special and is distant from Hashem, the [distant] pronoun "He," then he is is close and and near Hashem, the [revelatory] appellation "Hashem our G-d."
 ~ Keser Shem Tov, 29

The father and the greatest of all prophets, Moses, reached such exalted heights because he was "extremely modest, more than any man on the face of earth." (Bamidbar 12:3) It is because of his self-nullification before G-d that "the Shechinah spoke from his throat." (Zohar III, 234a, et al.) A further indication of his nullification before G-d, the Five Books of Moses are remarkable for their lack of personal coloring. Like a chariot that goes nowhere but where its driver directs it, so was Moses with Hashem. (This is why our forefathers are termed "the Chariot of G-d," and the study of the spiritual realms of the angels, who selflessly perform G-d's Will, is termed "the Account of the Chariot," Ma'aseh Merkavah.)

A person who thinks that with his limited mind he can understand G-d -- he has the wrong god. Meditate on this, and attach yourself to the love and fear of G-d.

No comments:

Post a Comment