The Weekly Dvar Torah
Volume I Issue #24
Holy Bodies and Holy Souls
Lech Lecha
Adapted from the wisdom of Rav Meir Simcha HaCohen of Dvinsk from the Meshech Chochmoh and Rav Tzadok HaCohen from Pri Tzadik and other works.
By Rav Yitzchak Schwartz Rosh Yeshiva Orchos Chaim Jerusalem
yschwartz@orchos.org.
This publication, Zichron Yehoshua, is in memory of Yehoshua Yakov ben Moshe-Jeffrey Nussbaum through a generous grant from Dr. Eric Nussbaum and family.
This issue is dedicated to my dear cousin and friend David Reichman and family in honor of the birth of their new son. May Hashem Yisboroch bless them with hatzlocho, brocho, yeshuos and nachass; and merit to usher their new son into the bris of Avrohom Avinu a"h
Breishis 12:1,7 "And Hashem said to Avram you shall go from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's home to the land that I will show you…. And Hashem appeared to Avram and he said: to your offspring I will give this land; and he built there and altar to Hashem that appeared to him."
Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk points out that although the Torah records several cases of audible prophecy between Hashem and man, since the days of Adam no one had the merit to experience a visual revelation of Hashem until Avraham arrived in the land of Israel. This is why the verse emphasizes that Avraham built an altar to Hashem that appeared to him.
Rav Meir Simcha offers a fascinating explanation of the significance of visual revelation over audible prophecy. The neshama-soul of man is a G-d given spiritual entity that has the capacity to see Hashem; to directly perceive with absolute clarity his glory and his splendor. The neshama, inasmuch as it is intrinsically metaphysical, unfettered from the physical restrictions of the human eye that is capable of seeing only that which is finite and physical, can see a spiritual entity. Once the neshama enters the body its ability to see is severely obstructed by the unrefined physicality of the body. In order to overcome this limitation Hashem gave us the Torah through which it is possible to purify and elevate the raw physical body to the degree that it no longer interferes with the supernal vision of the neshama.
Purification and elevation of the physical is central to Torah ideology. The transformation of the physical body takes place in successive stages and is accomplished through applying the spiritual force and energy of Torah. At first the body is transformed into a transparent window for the neshama. Rav Meir Simcha adds that eventually through deep and passionate effort in observance and study of Torah one can accomplish an even greater transformation. At its advanced levels the Torah serves not only to refine and polish the body but as a microscope that when incorporated into the body can magnify the vision of the neshama a thousand fold. The ability of the neshama to see Hashem is immeasurably increased when dwelling in the body of a person who has purified and elevated his raw physicality through intensive study and fulfillment of Torah.
In the Book of Iyov-Job 19:26 the verse states "… and from my flesh I see Hashem." The Hebrew word for "see" that appears in this verse is "echezeh". This word connotes a close and penetrating look. The Biblical story of Iyov is well known. His suffering was so horrendous that it became a metaphor for horrific suffering in all generations. His flesh was totally emaciated; the remains of his body a mere shell. Iyov underwent drastic surgery but the results were equally dramatic. Iyov's withered body was transformed from a window through which his neshama could see Hashem to a powerful magnifying glass that increased the scope and depth of his neshama to see Hashem. This is what Iyov was referring to when he pronounced "from my flesh I see Hashem"!
Avraham's arrival in eretz Yisrael afforded him the ability to elevate and purify his body to an even higher degree than was previously possible. He was now able to see in a way that was never before possible. That is the deeper meaning of the verse (12:7) Hashem "appeared to Avram". Avraham commemorates this extraordinary achievement by building an altar to Hashem that "appeared to him". In contrast we find the disturbing story of Adam and his wife Chava (Breishis 3:8-10) who subsequent to their infamous sin suffered an enormous spiritual decline. "And they [Adam and his wife] heard the voice of Hashem moving in the garden to the east and Adam and his wife hid from Hashem in the trees of the garden. And Hashem called to Adam and he said: where are you? And he said I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid." Previous to his sin Adam and his wife were not embarrassed by their nakedness even in the presence of Hashem as is explicitly stated in Breishis 2:25. After their sin, having used their bodies in breach of Hashem's explicit will, they became self-conscious of their nakedness and were embarrassed to appear in front of Hashem. Their bodies were relegated to objects of cloudy physicality that blocked the supernal vision of their neshama. They could no longer see Hashem, only hear his voice; they were embarrassed.
The transformation that Iyov experienced after painful affliction of his body can now be accomplished without the pain and agony that he suffered. Through enthusiastic and whole hearted observance of Torah the body can be raised to heights that can elevate the neshama beyond its inherent capabilities. All of our patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yakov merited the remarkable achievement of visual revelation, as is explicit in the Torah narratives about their lives. Through continual steadfast devotion to Hashem's service they raised themselves and their bodies to the degree of sanctity and purity that Adam and Chava possessed before their sin. Our patriarchs are the role models for the Jewish people in every generation. The more we emulate their ways and walk in their footsteps the more sacred we become. Holy bodies with holy souls can see things that are invisible to others.
By Rav Yitzchak Schwartz Rosh Yeshiva Orchos Chaim Jerusalem
yschwartz@orchos.org.
This publication, Zichron Yehoshua, is in memory of Yehoshua Yakov ben Moshe-Jeffrey Nussbaum through a generous grant from Dr. Eric Nussbaum and family.
This issue is dedicated to my dear cousin and friend David Reichman and family in honor of the birth of their new son. May Hashem Yisboroch bless them with hatzlocho, brocho, yeshuos and nachass; and merit to usher their new son into the bris of Avrohom Avinu a"h
Breishis 12:1,7 "And Hashem said to Avram you shall go from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's home to the land that I will show you…. And Hashem appeared to Avram and he said: to your offspring I will give this land; and he built there and altar to Hashem that appeared to him."
Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk points out that although the Torah records several cases of audible prophecy between Hashem and man, since the days of Adam no one had the merit to experience a visual revelation of Hashem until Avraham arrived in the land of Israel. This is why the verse emphasizes that Avraham built an altar to Hashem that appeared to him.
Rav Meir Simcha offers a fascinating explanation of the significance of visual revelation over audible prophecy. The neshama-soul of man is a G-d given spiritual entity that has the capacity to see Hashem; to directly perceive with absolute clarity his glory and his splendor. The neshama, inasmuch as it is intrinsically metaphysical, unfettered from the physical restrictions of the human eye that is capable of seeing only that which is finite and physical, can see a spiritual entity. Once the neshama enters the body its ability to see is severely obstructed by the unrefined physicality of the body. In order to overcome this limitation Hashem gave us the Torah through which it is possible to purify and elevate the raw physical body to the degree that it no longer interferes with the supernal vision of the neshama.
Purification and elevation of the physical is central to Torah ideology. The transformation of the physical body takes place in successive stages and is accomplished through applying the spiritual force and energy of Torah. At first the body is transformed into a transparent window for the neshama. Rav Meir Simcha adds that eventually through deep and passionate effort in observance and study of Torah one can accomplish an even greater transformation. At its advanced levels the Torah serves not only to refine and polish the body but as a microscope that when incorporated into the body can magnify the vision of the neshama a thousand fold. The ability of the neshama to see Hashem is immeasurably increased when dwelling in the body of a person who has purified and elevated his raw physicality through intensive study and fulfillment of Torah.
In the Book of Iyov-Job 19:26 the verse states "… and from my flesh I see Hashem." The Hebrew word for "see" that appears in this verse is "echezeh". This word connotes a close and penetrating look. The Biblical story of Iyov is well known. His suffering was so horrendous that it became a metaphor for horrific suffering in all generations. His flesh was totally emaciated; the remains of his body a mere shell. Iyov underwent drastic surgery but the results were equally dramatic. Iyov's withered body was transformed from a window through which his neshama could see Hashem to a powerful magnifying glass that increased the scope and depth of his neshama to see Hashem. This is what Iyov was referring to when he pronounced "from my flesh I see Hashem"!
Avraham's arrival in eretz Yisrael afforded him the ability to elevate and purify his body to an even higher degree than was previously possible. He was now able to see in a way that was never before possible. That is the deeper meaning of the verse (12:7) Hashem "appeared to Avram". Avraham commemorates this extraordinary achievement by building an altar to Hashem that "appeared to him". In contrast we find the disturbing story of Adam and his wife Chava (Breishis 3:8-10) who subsequent to their infamous sin suffered an enormous spiritual decline. "And they [Adam and his wife] heard the voice of Hashem moving in the garden to the east and Adam and his wife hid from Hashem in the trees of the garden. And Hashem called to Adam and he said: where are you? And he said I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid." Previous to his sin Adam and his wife were not embarrassed by their nakedness even in the presence of Hashem as is explicitly stated in Breishis 2:25. After their sin, having used their bodies in breach of Hashem's explicit will, they became self-conscious of their nakedness and were embarrassed to appear in front of Hashem. Their bodies were relegated to objects of cloudy physicality that blocked the supernal vision of their neshama. They could no longer see Hashem, only hear his voice; they were embarrassed.
The transformation that Iyov experienced after painful affliction of his body can now be accomplished without the pain and agony that he suffered. Through enthusiastic and whole hearted observance of Torah the body can be raised to heights that can elevate the neshama beyond its inherent capabilities. All of our patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yakov merited the remarkable achievement of visual revelation, as is explicit in the Torah narratives about their lives. Through continual steadfast devotion to Hashem's service they raised themselves and their bodies to the degree of sanctity and purity that Adam and Chava possessed before their sin. Our patriarchs are the role models for the Jewish people in every generation. The more we emulate their ways and walk in their footsteps the more sacred we become. Holy bodies with holy souls can see things that are invisible to others.