Thursday, February 22, 2007

The entire description of Ezekiel is metaphoric, it should not be taken literally. So too all of the descriptions of the angels as Hayot – horns hooves etc. these are only metaphors. Nevertheless, even one who does not know the explanation of the terms being hinted to cannot help but be affected by the light that flows through these descriptions. Reading it will increase one’s love and connection to G-d. A person will realize one thing. That this world that we perceive to be “real” is actually small, lowly, an inconsequential when compared to the supernal realms and worlds of Kedushah. A person can have this awareness even if one does not understand what the supernal worlds actually consist of. Because to be in awe – that affect actually can come only from the infinite one, and there is no mind that can actually grasp Ain Sof. Because to grasp G-d in one’s mind would necessitate a substantiation of the divine and G-d is not any substance. One can not know G-d in his essence, the greatness of G-d can only be revealed through his affects and work. Yet, this is no small matter and should not be belittled. Just because we can know G-d in his essence does not mean that we can have no awareness of him. But rather, through his and his affects one actually reach self nullification. Through understanding the greatness of his affects one can reach a deep abiding love of G-d.
Because one is accustomed to seeing the physical world all the time, one must struggle with the commandment to “Love G-d” one must make it second nature. As the sages say, “ A drop of water that falls on a rock will eventually make a hole”
“Faith” itself is called by the sages “crown” because just as crown surrounds the head and is not pulled in to affect the heart…. To actually affect the heart one must pull the awareness of the divine down into one’s heart in the way of Knowledge – “daat is actualized knowledge” One must also know that all the pleasures of this world are derived from the 288 holy sparks that have fallen to Beit Peor, pleasure of the world stem from “refuse” of supernal pleasure, and the Torah is the innermost channel – as it says …. Ones days are lengthened with the right and from the left wealth and glory. Wealth and glory come from the “refuse” the leftovers of the energy that is drawn down by the torah. As it says, “carved for you PSL, the PSLOt the leftover from the carving – the sapphire of the luchot became the wealth of mose – ( Here we see the metaphor – refuse – being tied to the reality)
Similarly, this is related to the digestion of food. Food is digested in the stomach, a place designed for this purpose, fire and water with all of their intense energy cannot digest food. Also, the food has to have that concealed potential to be digested, a stone even though it consists of similar elements can not be digested.
So too above in the G-dly energy that flows in the upper heaven by way of reflection,,, the supernal angels draw down and absorb this energy and from there is drawn down the Torah and g-dly pleasure in holy things. But there are angels that through their digestion of pure G-dly energy they produce silve , gold and all the pleasures of the world. There is vitality in these things, it just comes from refuse. They derive their energy from the refuse of the tablets, there is no comparison between G-dly pleasure and worldly pleasure – it is like the metaphor of filth and refuse that is a byproduct of digestion

1 comment:

Jonah R said...

This quotation was very interesting to me, “Because one is accustomed to seeing the physical world all the time, one must struggle with the commandment to “Love G-d” To love God is a commandment many people do have trouble understanding. The majority of this passage deals with out inability to understand God, and also warns us against seeking greater understanding of God in certain sectors. We must love God without fully knowing why. We are only allowed to understand certain aspects of Gods while others leave us totally in the dark. There for I propose this question, how does someone love something that they do not understand? True love means that you love every part of that someone, yet we don’t know many aspects about God therefore how can we love every aspect of God?