Rebbe Shimon teaches in the Zohar connected with this week's Torah reading that the deepest exile is not to know of the existence of G-d - in general or in particular. Egypt was the essence of all exiles and this lack of knowledge of G-d was the darkest aspect of that exile. We constantly remember coming out of Egypt because that is the essence of the struggle in our own lives - to leave the darkness and to know G-d.
In his commentary on the weekly Torah reading, the Ari discusses the spiritual origins of the Ten Plagues. The names of the plagues, as well as their numerical values and the divine names associated with them all reveal deep secrets as to the nature of these powerful tools that G-d visited upon Egypt. The Ari, in particular, and Kabbalah, in general, reveal that all experiences which may appear very harsh on the surface are actually profound ways of effecting healing and rectification for the good of all Creation.
In this week's torah reading, the Shelah teaches that all the miracles performed by G-d in Egypt, which defied all known laws of nature, were invoked by the Ineffable Four-lettered Name, "Havayah", which symbolizes G-d as a composite of the Hebrew words for "He was, He is, He will be", the One who created the world ex nihilo and Who is eternal. The name "Elo-him", on the other hand, symbolizes nature, i.e. the laws of nature. The Hebrew word for "the nature", "ha'teva", has the same numerical value as the word "Elo-him". According to the Zohar, that name also represents a "line", i.e. the rules of law and order.
The commandment that precedes all others is to know G-d. Ultimately, this means to realize that everything that happens to us in life, and in the world around us, is from G-d. A person who has wealth, honor, and blessing in his life, should realize that they come from the trait of loving-kindness in the Holy Presence. Likewise, a person who suffers poverty and affliction, G-d forbid, is experiencing the trait of strictness in the Holy Presence. If one feels that both traits are present in his life, he should realize that they derive from the trait of mercy, a combination of both loving-kindness and strictness.
In this week's Torah reading, Kabbala teaches that Moses and Aaron personify the two divine names Havayah and Elo-him, respectively. The name Havayah signifies G-d's transcendence, while the name Elo-him signifies His immanence within Creation. The allusion to these two names in both orders refers to the experience of the union of these two names, i.e. the consciousness that G-d's transcendence informs His immanence.
In the beginning of this week's Torah reading, G-d informs Moses that the purpose of the Egyptian exile is specifically to reveal G-d's four-letter name Havayah, the name that specifically denotes that He is faithful to fulfill His promises. In order to merit this lofty revelation, there first had to be a very difficult two-fold exile with both difficult physical conditions and a blackout from spiritual consciousness. We had to feel very far away from G-d to experience feeling very close.
The Egyptian exile and redemption was the prototype for all of the other exiles. Therefore, these verses tell us something about our own times - this last and final exile with the imminent arrival of the Mashiach, the Moses for our generation. This coming redemption will be all-encompassing, just like the Egyptian redemption was. It will be both a redemption from physical hardship (sweating for our livelihood) and spiritual hardship (our negative inclinations that push us away from the truth). Thus, it will also bring about the revelation of the highest conceivable portion of G-d that can be revealed through the most holy name.
The 24th of Tevet is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shneur Zalman
Shabbat Shalom.
Comment
