Rabbi Elazar opened [his discourse with the verse]: "Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart ['levavecha'] that G‑d He is Elokim". (Deut. 4:39) This passage should have said [in a different order]: 'Know therefore this day that G‑d, He is Elokim and place it in your heart' [for first one knows and only later can consider it]. Also, it should have said 'libecha ' [with one Beit; why does it say instead Levavecha with 2 Beit's?]
But Moses said [to Israel], If you really want to understand this and know that G‑d is Elokim, then "consider it in your heart (levavcha)" and thus know it. For "levavcha" [pl.] means the Good Inclination and Evil Inclination that are inter-included within one another and dwell in one heart. 1 Then you will find that G‑d [the Divine Name connoting He Who does goodness and mercy] is Elokim [the Divine Name connoting He Who directs the world with judgment, and there is nothing but Him] because they are included one within the other, and they are one [for the judgment includes mercy and they are one and there is no mercy that isn't partners with judgment.] Therefore: "and consider it in your heart" to know that.
Rabbi Elazar also said [concerning:
'and consider it in your heart']: The wicked cause a blemish
above. What is the blemish? That the left
[the attribute of judgment] is not included within the right
[that of lovingkindness, rather
judgment rules by itself, and] the Evil Inclination [of the left] is not
included in the Good Inclination [of the right] because of the sins of
people. 2
But they do not cause a blemish [in the sefirot themselves
above] but actually to what relates to themselves [for the Supernal Will
brings them good through the sefirot, but when one causes a blemish the
sefirot are unable to influence them].
BeRahamim
LeHayyim:
The month of
Elul is oh so soon to be upon us! Though we are not required to complete the
task of return, which is an ongoing process, we still must labor in its
efforts. And labor we do in moving through the above process. And it's not
even Labor Day yet!
The Zohar takes the standard commentary on "with all your heart"/levavecha and really runs with it. G‑d desires the heart—your heart—and not just part of it. G‑d is yes the Jealous G‑d, as jealous for your complete admiration as a spouse should be for the other's affection and attention. That does not mean just your desire to fulfill "good" feelings; it also includes those energies that are off the straight and narrow path: carnal pleasures, sensual temptations, anger, etc. We are to try to muster these too for G‑d's service in our command to love Him.
To unify fiery desires with the water of mercy is to make heaven on earth. For Aish is fire and Mayim is water and ShaMayim is Aish/Mayim, fire and water. So too must we do with our love for our Creator in our daily service. This causes infinite pleasure above, and helps the flow of beneficence to move through all the worlds.
What does the above mean for your teshuva, and why is it being revealed to you now?
Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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