The Secret of the Border Crossing and the Infinite Light Hidden in the Letters
Lesson No. 27 | Wednesday, 14 Tammuz (Continued from No. 26), Thursday, Friday, 15-16 Tammuz, Parashas Pinchas 5755
Arriving at the synagogue is compared to crossing a national border, where the evil inclination tries to invalidate a person's "visa" and prevent him from entering. The article reveals the secret behind the difficulty of connecting to the words of prayer, and explains how within each and every letter is hidden the light of the Infinite (Ein Sof) and immense spiritual treasures.
The great principle in the Torah and in the virtues of the tzaddikim (righteous ones) who walk before God is "I have set Hashem always before me." The spiritual work begins immediately upon waking up in the morning, as it is stated: "He should strengthen himself like a lion to stand up in the morning for the service of his Creator, so that it is he who awakens the dawn."
The Border Crossing at the Entrance of the Synagogue
One must know that coming to the synagogue is exactly like crossing a border. Rabbi Moshe Lipa of Chmielnik says that the entrance to the synagogue is like a border crossing between one country and another. At a border crossing, they search for contraband and check passports. Just as a person trying to cross a border might have his visa or passport invalidated and be sent back—so too does this happen to a person on his way to the synagogue.
On the way, he suddenly regrets it, becomes confused, and thinks that perhaps it would be better for him to stay home. All of these confusions stem from the fact that a person listens to weakening thoughts, which disqualify him from coming to the synagogue. King David says:
"But as for me, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness I will come into Your house; I will bow down toward Your holy temple in awe of You."
When a person arrives at the entrance of the synagogue, he is inspected from head to toe. Therefore, he must come with one clear thought: he is coming to do teshuvah (repentance). Our holy Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman, says (Likutey Moharan, Torah 72) that the entire essence is to do teshuvah (repentance) for bad thoughts, flawed reflections, and forbidden sights, until he merits that the letters will illuminate within him.
Opening the Choked Throat
Sometimes a person feels that he is in a state of "my throat is parched." He cannot manage to get the words out of his mouth. It is brought down in the book Emek HaMelech that the word "Garon" (throat) has the same numerical value (gematria) as three times the Divine Name 'Elokim'. When the Name 'Havayah' (the Tetragrammaton) does not illuminate, and the Name 'Elokim' is not connected to it, the person feels choked in his throat. The spiritual work is to connect the three times the Name 'Elokim' in the throat with three times the Name 'Havayah'.
Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz explains that when a person begins his spiritual work, he must first start quietly. Even if he is able to shout, he must begin with a quiet melody, say the words calmly, and slowly connect with the letters. From the low voice, he transforms into "Mayin Nukvin" (feminine waters, an awakening from below), and then he can elevate his spiritual service.
The Infinite Distance Between the Letters
Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz adds a tremendous foundational principle: naturally, no person truly has the desire to begin. Why does he come anyway? Because he believes and knows that one must put on tefillin and one must stand before Hashem. But from the perspective of natural feeling, the desire is lacking.
The reason for this is that every single word is distant from the next by several thousands of worlds, and every letter is distant from the next by thousands upon thousands of parasangs (Persian miles)! Why is the distance between the letters so immense? As explained in Likutey Moharan (Torah 4), the will of the Infinite (Ein Sof), blessed be He, is clothed within the letters. Within each and every letter, the will of Hashem, may He be blessed, and the literal light of the Infinite is clothed. The holy Baal Shem Tov taught that the light of the Infinite rests upon every letter.
Treasures of Millions in Every Letter
A person could go through his entire life with just one single letter, with the tiny dot inside the letter Beis of the word "Bereshis" (In the beginning)! If a person were to merit to be purified, to become holy, and to emerge from the blemishes of his thoughts, the light of the Infinite would be revealed to him in every letter and in every dot. Since the light of the Infinite is clothed in every letter, the transition from one letter to another is a leap across an infinite distance.
Therefore, when a person begins, it is difficult for him to have proper intention (kavanah) in the first words. Hours of preparation are required to merit reaching the Shemoneh Esrei prayer and to even know what he is uttering from his mouth. The letters are literally the light of the Infinite; they are treasures worth millions.
When a person is told: "Travel to America, maybe you will receive a million dollars there," he will hesitate. Why should he waste a week of his life on a doubt? But if he is told that the million dollars are waiting for him right here, in the nearby hotel, he will run immediately. Such is our attitude toward the letters. In our eyes, it seems like a very distant thing that through the letters we will receive salvation, but the truth is that within the holy letters are found all wisdoms, all salvations, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Every letter is an immense treasure waiting for us to discover it.
Part 1 of 4 — Lesson No. 27