Usually I am not able to simply, boom, hit you over the head with the amazing thought or idea that I had today. Typically there is an elaborate introduction, so why should this post be different from any other post? Today at Passaic Torah Institute, I had wondered if during the mussar  (*…traditional Jewish spiritual discipline that offers sound guidance to help you cultivate the qualities of your soul.*) part of the morning plan if Rabbi Shlomo Singer might start speaking about Purim, Asara B’teves or even the relatively minor TuB’Shevat. The surprise was,… ready,… Peysach. We began learning from a Sefer written by Rabbi Y. Hamburger, who is a brother of the Rabbi Hamburger we know in Passaic, NJ.

After spending so many hours learning with R. Singer, i guess I have become more comfortable about putting in my two cents and sharing my  opinions and thoughts about the subject matter at hand. Also I have become aware of the need to become a active participant in the learning otherwise there is the possibility that I would learn the same thing which I may have learned previously the last time I attended these sessions.

Rabbi Singer had asked the question, Why should the statement be “to see yourself as if it was you yourself coming out of Mitzrayem” (Egypt). I had made the comment that maybe it is not so much that we ourselves did not physically come out of Mitzrayem (I quickly made the point about the Mitzrayem as a metaphor for a spiritually low point) but rather that because only 1/5 of the Jews actually made it out of Mitzrayem, that it would be a humble statement to say that if we were there we ourselves might not have made it out. The thought being that it would fit in with the idea of maintaining a humble outlook which is indeed part of the holiday.

I want to mention here that while I take notes on the shiur, or perhaps better stated as the learning our chevrah (friends) accomplish at PTI, that these writings do not simply serve to record these shirum. However it is my take, on the shirum, and the issues or matters that interest me, that get recorded here on this website. Ideas that I identify as coming from a particular source, are just that, while others which I do not identify are my own ideas.

Rabbi Singer has repeatedly explained how the neshoma (soul) comes down to the world because it is in pain. The nature of the neshoma, (R. Singer repeatedly reminds us) is that it needs to grow. While we are two people at the same time, a neshoma and a guf (body), the neshoma is who we truly are. R. Singer likewise emphasizes that we do not want freebies (meaning getting something for nothing) which touches on the mostly kabbalistic concept of bread of shame. Our neshoma therefore comes to this world with a specific mission which will allow it (us) to grow.

There were a few questions that came up fro the chevrah which are noteworthy, someone asked, can Hashem grow. The answer from R. singer came back as no, which somehow for some reason I added in my two cents and said that “If Hashem could grow, it would mean that Hashem is not already complete, or perfect in every way. Then I thought to argue with myself and started to make some comment about we, being created in the likeness of Hashem. I would have went on with my reasoning however Rabbi Singer is very fast and quick to make the point that we are a chalick (portion or piece) of Hashem. Rabbi Singer was quick to point out this important difference, however I though I pretty much was pointing a pshat (straight literal interpretation) of Genesis 1:26 “ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” a well known pusek (verse) in our Holy Torah that has  983,001 references according to google. While this particular pusek of Torah presents some difficulties, too complex to fully detail here in this particular piece. I only brought this up due to the direction in which Rabbi Singer was pulling us.

In other words, G-d is infinite but we are finite. However my question was going in the direction that we were made in G-d’s image according to Gen 1:26, however that is a major difference. Now as I read and reflect about what I just read there is another extremely important difference in that we are created beings, while G-d is the cause of all causes, and was not ever created, because G-d always existed. I need to wrap up this huge concepts for now by simply stating what i think were the two different ideas that may have been zipping around the table at PTI at the time:

R Singer: The neshoma has one agenda, to grow because we are part of Hashem. In Shemayim the neshoma gets freebies and does not earn its benefits (bread of shame) so is therefore in extreme pain. The neshoma comes down to this world to grow.

We all pretty much seem to have gotten the idea and no one was arguing or questioning the idea. Meanwhile I was putting together my own theory of why the neshoma comes down the this world, along with a beautiful mushell (analogy) of my own to explain it within the context of mitzrayem. Then someone asked if Hashem grows, the answer came back quickly from R. Singer, No! However I was having a problem really understanding that idea. I now realize that this could become one of these  irreconcilable ideas. On one hand we believe and accept with all our heart and soul that Hashem is perfect in every way.  However when we try to understand Hashem using our limited mental faculties (no matter how great these may be) we will always fall short because  a complete understanding of Hashem and Hashem’s ways are beyond the reach of the human mind.

For example we can ask the classic question, can Hashem create a vessel so strong that even He (Hashem) can not break it.  The logic one might employ to to solve such a riddle might evoke another pop culture image of our famous hero from Star Trek stating “ everything I say is a lie ” (46 million 800 thousand results when googled, add star trek and the number comes down to a mere 2,530,000). The exercise in logic might seem silly because even a child might ask, why would Hashem want to make a vessel so strong that he could not break it. However, spin the question slightly differently and ask:

Could Hashem make a vessel so strong that it could contain all his light?

Answer deepest Kabbalah crash course in the Ten Luminous Emanations:

Two answers to why Gen 1:26 reads “… Let us make Man in our Image… “:

Answer # 1: When Hashem made man, he consulted with Angels.

Answer # 2  During the act of the cosmic creation, where G-d created the heavens and the earth; G-d created vessel to receive his light of creation. There were ten utterances, where Hashem spoke, and things came into being. These vessels were not able to contain the light of Hashem, and they broke. The were ten of these vessels, corresponding to the ten utterances. These vessels fused to create primordial man or Adam kadmon.

Certainly the ideas above are difficult enough to understand, now when the question gets asked as to how come Hashem did not make the vessels strong enough to contain all the light that he “uttered “ ?Then we must simply get back to the thought of creation. In the quick research I did I noticed at least one concise explanation that these ten utterances were these forces that created all that was, is and will be in the universe. These forces were being represented in the microcosm of man. If these forces were bottled up, and contained (not shared) then they could not grow. What was required for the creation of primordial man, or Adam Kadmon was a fusion of each of these divine forces, into one being.

Now, that being said here is one of my unique little thoughts which I shared with with a nice Chabad couple when my daughter and I were first becoming frum. The vessel that gets broken at the wedding ceremony is often said to be a reminder of the destruction of the 1st Beis Hamikdash. I prefer to think of the breaking of the wine glass as a reminder of the cosmic creation of primordial man; Adam Kadmon. When we complete the wedding ceremony as evidenced via the physical act of the breaking of the glass, we are reenacting the original breaking of the cosmic vessels which were part and parcel of Hashem’s creation of man in his image. Indeed it is the sacred union of the husband and wife that allows for the bringing of the neshoma into this world.

There was much more, but once again my subject matter took me into a very strong but important tangent, and I felt it proper to simply go with it. I hope to share my new mushell and new understanding of the Lamed Vav Tzadikim. as well as further develop my ideas on the finite/infinite nature of the neshoma in future postings, maybe even as soon as tommorrow, G-d willing.

Aharon Moshe (Stephen) Sanders

December 22, 2009

5th (Hey) of Teves 5770

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