The Secret of the Lower Waters and the Path to Seeing Hashem
Lesson No. 22 | Lesson 1 - Thursday, Parashas Balak, 8 Tammuz 5755 (Continued from No. 21)
An in-depth article explaining the secret of the creation of Gehennom (Hell) and the dispute between the upper and lower waters. Through the story of Korach and On ben Peles, it is explained how nullifying pride and reaching the level of "Ayin" (nothingness) are the key to meriting all salvations and seeing the face of Hashem.
The Gemara in Tractate Pesachim discusses the time of the creation of Gehennom. Once, it is implied from the scriptures that Gehennom was created before the creation of the world; another time, it implies it was created on the second day; and yet another time, on Friday at twilight. The Gemara explains that before the creation of the world, only the "space" of Gehennom was created, similar to a person who builds a large oven but has not yet ignited the fire within it.
Before the creation of the world, everything was Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden). There was no sin at all, and even that space of Gehennom was actually Gan Eden. On the second day of creation, the dispute began. The lower waters began to envy the upper waters and speak against them.
The Wisdom of Women Builds Her House
Similar to the lower waters, Korach also envied Elitzaphan ben Uzziel. The tribe of Reuven complained about the tribe of Yissachar being given precedence, and Dassan, Aviram, and On ben Peles joined the dispute against Moshe Rabbeinu.
However, regarding On ben Peles, the verse was fulfilled:
"The wisdom of women builds her house, but folly tears it down with her own hands."
The wife of On ben Peles told him, "I do not agree with this behavior!" A person needs to have an Eishes Chayil (a woman of valor) who will stop him from doing foolish things. When a woman sees that her husband is doing something that is not good, she has the right and the obligation to cry out and protest.
Korach had a wife who "did the will of her husband" even for a transgression, and he descended into Gehennom along with her. In contrast, On ben Peles had a wife who opposed him. She gave him wine to drink so that he would sleep for twenty-four hours, and thus he was saved from the dispute. For this reason, his name was called "On," because he sat in aninusa (mourning) all the days of his life and fasted over the fact that thoughts of disputing Moshe Rabbeinu had even entered his mind.
The Virtue of the Lower Waters and the Secret of "Ayin"
Let us return to the dispute of the waters. The lower waters argued, "We want to be before the King." After all, "the whole earth is full of His glory"; Hashem is everywhere. The difference is that the upper waters see Hashem naturally, whereas the lower waters must work hard to merit this.
There is a person who is born with a great soul and sees Hashem easily, and there is a person who must toil for this. But precisely because the lower waters worked and toiled to see Hashem, they will ultimately merit to be on a higher level than the upper waters.
How does a person merit to see Hashem? Only when he turns himself into "Ayin" (nothingness). If a person thinks he is worth something, he cannot see Hashem. There is no such thing. The entire matter of Rebbe Nachman and all the tzaddikim is that a person should work on realizing that he is worth nothing. Consequently, he will not hold a grudge against anyone, he will not get angry, and he will not be jealous.
The moment a person becomes "Ayin," everything jumps toward him. The shidduch (marriage match) jumps toward him, the parnassah (livelihood) jumps toward him. This was the case with Yitzchak Avinu. At the Akeidah (Binding of Isaac), he offered himself up for slaughter and became "Ayin." Immediately afterward, when he went out to converse in the field and prayed, his shidduch jumped toward him. When a person sacrifices himself for the sanctification of Hashem's Name, all salvations jump to him.
The Extinguishing of Gehennom and the Dance of the Tzaddikim
The Gemara says that Gehennom "has no extinguishing forever." The question arises: Will Gehennom not be extinguished in the Future to Come? Rabbi Yossi explains that the word "forever" (olamis) means: as long as the world (olam) exists in its current format. But when the world is renewed at the Resurrection of the Dead, Gehennom will also be nullified.
How will Gehennom be extinguished? Regarding this it is said:
"Those who pass through the valley of weeping make it a spring."
The entire essence of Gehennom is disputes, evil speech, and jealousy—this is the secret of Korach. But Korach himself, who cries out from Gehennom every Rosh Chodesh, "Moshe is true and his Torah is true," weeps tears of regret. With every such cry, he extinguishes another drop of Gehennom, until eventually, Gehennom will be completely extinguished.
In the future to come, Hashem will enter into that void of Gehenna and transform it back into Gan Eden. There, a dance will be held for the tzaddikim, and each one will point with his finger and say: "Behold, this is our God for whom we hoped." This is the entire essence of the World to Come – songs, circles, and dances of holiness. May we merit the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen.
Part 3 of 5 — Lesson No. 22
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