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ב"ה

THEMES of Featured Chasidic Masters Articles

Building G-d's Dwelling Place
The Temple was a manifestation of various spiritual forces
The Temple was constructed to mirror the structure of the worlds as they emanate from the essence of G-d. The process of emanation includes both an internal, permeating light that provides revelation of divinity within each realm as well as a light that "surrounds", remaining hidden.
Divine Dwelling Among Us
A small taste of the Unknowable Creator was experienced via the articles in the Tabernacle.
The "kernel" containing the sum total of G-d's expression to the universe and the source of that expression throughout the allegorical "body" of the sefirot is the "great face" G-d shows to the highest spiritual realms.

However, for the spirituality of the Torah to reach a level accessible to us mortals, G-d "compressed" His wisdom, just as a child's mind needs an idea to be brought down to its level. This "lesser face" G-d shows us is symbolized by the cherubs, whose faces were those of children.
Transforming Bad Habits
The Baal Shem Tov mentioned, in the name of Rabbi Sa'adia Gaon, that it is appropriate to desire all kinds of material things.
Gold, Wood, Gold
Intermediate
Gold, Wood, Gold
The Three Layers of Self
The ark that the Jewish people constructed in the Sinai desert contained 3 layers representing three human dimensions. The innermost, made of pure gold and tucked inside the other two layers, reflected the Divine, spiritual essence. The middle ark made of wood reflected the more visible conscious personality. Nonetheless, our outer behavior must remain pure similar to the third and outer ark, made also of pure gold.
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