Sunday, January 31, 2010

I doubt the םבין will יבין, but...

You know why it says, (Leviticus 19, 17) "Rebuke you shall surely rebuke", and the Rabbis say, "Even a hundred times"? I'll tell you why: it's because the first 99 times the person you're trying to straighten out will laugh in your face. In the spirit of that, I present today's Tanya, courtesy of Chabad.org. I sincerely hope that those who this applies to will take it to heart and won't continue to be a source of embarrassment to the rest of us. (If you aren't interested in reading what the Alter Rebbe has to say [and if that's the case, shame on you!], scroll down to the bottom for more from myself)
--

ומה שפיקוח נפש דוחה שאר עבירות וגם יעבור ואל יהרג

True, we find a principle that saving a life overrides other prohibitions though not the prohibition of idolatry; so too the law sometimes calls for one to commit a transgression rather than be killed, whereas with idolatry, incest and murder, the law requires that he submit to death rather than commit any one of the three.

This would seem to indicate that the Torah itself distinguishes between idolatry and most other commandments — while the Alter Rebbe previously stated that the adultress who makes such a distinction has been blinded by a ”spirit of folly,“ for in reality every sin tears one away from G‑d in the same way as idolatry.

In the following paragraph the Alter Rebbe states that there is no contradiction here. The requirement or non-requirement to sacrifice one’s life for a prohibition does not reflect its intrinsic worth.

היינו כפירוש חז״ל: אמרה תורה, חלל עליו שבת אחת כדי שישמור שבתות הרבה

This fact that saving a life overrides other prohibitions is because, as the Sages explain; 1 ”The Torah declares: ‘Desecrate one Shabbat for his sake so that he may live to observe other Shabbatot.’

When the medical treatment of a patient involves an activity normally forbidden on Shabbat, the Torah requires that we desecrate the Shabbat to cure him so that he may live to observe Shabbat in the future. Thus the precept of Shabbat has not been waived in the face of an external consideration. It is in the interests of the Shabbat itself (i.e., the patient’s future observance of Shabbat) that we desecrate this one Shabbat,

ולא משום קלות העבירות וחומרן

and it is not because of the relative leniency (of the Shabbat) or gravity of the sins (such as idolatry), that one is waived while the other is not.

תדע, שהרי שבת חמורה ושקולה כעבודה זרה לענין שחיטת מומר לדבר אחד, ביורה דעה סימן ב‘

(2This contention is supported by the following fact: Violation of the Shabbat is a grave offense, and comparable to idolatry with regard to the law of Shechitah by anyone who habitually violates a particular precept, as codified in Yoreh Deah, Section 2.

There the Shulchan Aruch states that one who regularly desecrates the Shabbat is unfit for Shechitah, as though he habitually practiced idolatry.

מה שאין כן במומר לגילוי עריות

A habitual sexual offender on the other hand does not have the same law applied to him as a habitual idolator, indicating that the violation of Shabbat is graver than sexual offenses.

ואפילו הכי פיקוח נפש דוחה שבת ולא גילוי עריות

Yet the consideration of life overrides Shabbat, but not the sexual prohibitions.

Thus it cannot be argued that the requirement to sacrifice oneself for the sexual prohibitions is due to their gravity, for we see that the desecration of Shabbat is even graver than them with regard to Shechitah. Hence we must conclude that the laws governing self-sacrifice are no measure of the relative gravity of the mitzvot,

אלא דגזירת הכתוב הוא

but they are simply a matter of Scriptural decree. 3

The sinner, however, who does distinguish between the gravity of the various transgressions, sacrificing his life for the prohibition of idolatry but not even restraining his desire for others, surely has his thinking clouded by the ”spirit of folly“ of the kelipah, which obscures his hidden love of G‑d. For in reality, every transgression creates the ultimate separation between the sinner and G‑d.

The Alter Rebbe now goes on to say that if a difference is indeed to be drawn between the various sins, it is only with regard to their effect after they have taken place.

אלא שלאחר מעשה החטא, אם היא מעבירות שאין בהן כרת ומיתה בידי שמים

After the sinful act, however, if the sin is of the type that carries neither the penalty of karet (spiritual extinction of the soul), or death at the hands of heaven,

שאין נפשו האלקית מתה לגמרי ונכרתת משרשה באלקים חיים

in which case the divine soul does not completely perish and is not entirely cut off from its source in the living G‑d;

רק שנפגם קצת דביקותה ואחיזתה בשרשה בחטא זה

except that through this sin its attachment to its source and its connection with it has been weakened somewhat, in the case of such a sin, the Alter Rebbe concludes (after a parenthetical note), the animal soul and the body can rise out of the kelipah and unite with the holiness of the divine soul.

The difference between — on the one hand — the sins carrying the penalty of karet or death at the hands of heaven, and other sins, is explained elsewhere4 as follows: The connection of the divine soul with its G‑dly source is comparable to a rope woven of 613 strands, each strand representing one of the commandments. Every sin severs a corresponding strand. When one strand is broken, the entire rope is weakened, but not severed entirely. The penalties of karet or death at the hands of heaven, however, cut the rope entirely, so to speak.

* * *

In the following note, the Alter Rebbe states that the varying degrees of severity in the punishments imposed for various sins correspond to the blemish caused by each sin. The purpose of punishment is not the punishment per se, but purification of the soul from the blemish which the sin brought about. Thus, the greater the blemish, the more severe the punishment.

הגהה

ולפי ערך וחלוקי בחינת הפגם בנפש ובשרשה בעליונים

NOTE

Corresponding to the extent and specific nature of the blemish caused by the sin in the soul and in its source in the supernal worlds,

כך הם חלוקי בחינות המירוק והעונש בגיהנם או בעולם הזה

are the various purifying processes and punishments in purgatory or in this world (i.e., the suffering of the soul in purgatory, or one's suffering in this world - whose purpose is to purify the soul),

לכל עון וחטא עונש מיוחד, למרק ולהעביר הלכלוך והפגם

for each transgression and sin its appropriate punishment, for the purpose of cleansing and removing the stain and the blemish caused by that specific sin.

וכן בחייבי מיתה וכרת אין פוגמין כולם בשוה

Similarly, the blemish caused by the sins carrying the penalty of death at the hands of heaven or karet varies from one sin to another.

END OF NOTE

הרי גם נפשו החיונית הבהמית המלובשת בגופו, וכן גופו

(To return to our original point:) After the sinful act, in the case of those sins which do not carry the punishment of karet or death at the hands of heaven, the sinner’s animal soul, which animates the body and is clothed in it, as well as his body itself,

חוזרים ועולים מהסטרא אחרא וקליפה זו ומתקרבים לקדושת נפש האלקית המלובשת בהם

return and rise from the sitra achra and kelipah whereto they descended when the sin was committed, and they draw closer to the holiness of the divine soul that pervades them.

המאמינה בה’ אחד, וגם בשעת החטא היתה באמנה אתו יתברך

The divine soul always believes in the One G‑d, and remains faithful to Him even while the sin is being committed.

For it is only the animal soul, via the body, that performs the sinful act.

רק שהיתה בבחינת גלות ממש תוך נפש הבהמית מסטרא אחרא, המחטיאה את הגוף ומורידתו עמה בעמקי שאול

But at that time, [the divine soul] was in a state of veritable exile in the animal soul — which derives from the sitra achra — which causes the body to sin, and drags it down with itself to the lowest depths;

למטה מטה תחת טומאת הסטרא אחרא וקליפת עבודה זרה, ה‘ ישמרנו

so low, in fact, that it is even lower than the impurity of the sitra achra and the kelipah of idolatry (May G‑d preserve us!).

An exile’s foreign surroundings restrict him from expressing his abilities and ideas. Similarly the divine soul (which is in exile within the animal soul when one sins) is unable to express itself in mastery of the body and in harnessing it for the service of G‑d, by reason of the foreign environment of the kelipah.

ואין לך גלות גדול מזה, מאיגרא רמה כו’

There is no greater exile than this exile of the divine soul within the animal soul, that is brought on through sin. It is a plunge ”from a lofty roof [to a deep pit].“

וכמו שכתוב לעיל, דשרש ומקור נפשות כל בית ישראל הוא מחכמה עילאה, והוא יתברך וחכמתו אחד וכו‘

For, as explained earlier, 5 the source and root of all Jewish souls is in the Divine Wisdom, and G‑d and His wisdom are one and the same... and sin plunges the soul from this lofty plane to the depths of exile within the sitra achra.

והוא כמשל האוחז בראשו של מלך ומורידו למטה וטומן פניו בתוך בית הכסא מלא צואה, שאין לך עלבון גדול מזה, אפילו עושה כן לפי שעה

It is comparable to one who seizes the king’s head, drags it down, and dips his face in a privy full of filth — the ultimate in humiliation, even if he does it only for a moment.

שהקליפות וסטרא אחרא נקראות קיא צואה, כנודע

For the kelipot and sitra achra are called ”vomit and filth,“ as is known.

Similarly, when one seizes the divine soul, which stems from Divine wisdom (”the king’s head“), and through his sins forces it into the kelipah (”a privy full of filth“), he brings upon his soul the most unspeakable humiliation — even if he does so only for a moment (for afterwards the soul rises out of its exile).

We thus see that the differences between the various sins apply only after the sin has been committed. During the act, however, every sin tears one away from G‑d. Since every Jew is endowed with a hidden love of G‑d, by virtue of which he wishes to be constantly united with Him, and never to be separated from Him, not even for a moment, he can employ this hidden love in fulfilling all the mitzvot and in avoiding every sin — as the Alter Rebbe concludes in the following chapter.

--

So, you got all that? You really enjoy sticking the head of the king in the toilet? Do I really have to repeat this ninety nine more times?

43 comments:

Anarchist Chossid said...

Isn’t it strange that murder and adultery are always lumped in the same category, while, seemingly, one takes the life away, while the other creates life?

e said...

that head-in-the-toilet line used to get to me.

Anarchist Chossid said...

Have you seen Sin City?

Just like a guy said...

CA: And of course idolatry doesn't really do much of anything.

e: Until?

CA: No.

Anarchist Chossid said...

It creates nice sculpture.

I was asking e. One would hope you haven’t seen the Sin City — otherwise, your license may be revoked.

Modeh B'Miktsas said...

snag reporting.

Just like a guy said...

CA: 1: True.

License?

Modeh: Huh?

Anarchist Chossid said...

License to do the trs’ing.

Just like a guy said...

trs'ing?

Anarchist Chossid said...

It’s a verb formed from the noun “TRS”.

Just like a guy said...

Well yes, but what does it mean, and what does having seen sin city have to do with a license to do what exactly?

Anarchist Chossid said...

You are asking me what it is you’re doing?

If you watch Sin City, your neshama will break so much, you won’t be able to trs anymore. At most you might be able to vir.

Just like a guy said...

By "trs'ing" you mean, "participating in the TRS community"?

His neshama isn't in great shape anyway, what difference will a little watching here and there do?

Anarchist Chossid said...

By trs’ing I mean making TRS posts.

I was talking about your neshama.

Just like a guy said...

But e doesn't make those, I do!

I thought you were talking about e's?

e said...

trs: you are forgetting that you are The Real Shliach, to whom the masses look up for inspiration and guidance.

CA: I haven't seen it.

Just like a guy said...

OK, there was a misunderstanding on my part. CA asked if you had seen it, and then said that if I had then I'd lose my license. I thought he was referring to you in the latter part of his statement, hence my confusion.

yossi said...

sorry to hijack the tread, but this is you. http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/awoda/yosemite_firefall_pic/

specifically this comment by the original poster (digital) http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/awoda/yosemite_firefall_pic/c0jsauv

yossi said...

it was a totally random thread where someone posted a picture of a neato waterfall, some idiot made a conspiracy theory comment, and then the next idiot made a remark about how there are no jews in Yosemite (because, of course, jews are behind all conspiracies), then someone posted a picture of you as a counter point.

Just like a guy said...

Wait... what? Let me see this again!

Just like a guy said...

That's hysterical! How did you find that?

Just like a guy said...

You're laughing about the thread on TRS or the thread about TRS?

e said...

the latter

Just like a guy said...

Yeah, that's pretty funny, eh? It's also funny that he was immediately accused of photoshopping it...

e said...

I didn't catch that. lemme read it again.

e said...

j00=photoshop job?

Anarchist Chossid said...

There is a very good reason why it’s suspected of being photoshopped. Who in his mind will appear wearing a white shirt in Yosemite?

(Of course, a normal Lubavitcher is not in his mind, but goyim don’t know that...)

Just like a guy said...

e: "Shoop"

CA: What if I was in a left mind?

Anarchist Chossid said...

You would recycle.

Just like a guy said...

So what if I recycled the white shirt?

Anarchist Chossid said...

That would make you a single chossid.

Just like a guy said...

Single or singular?

Anarchist Chossid said...

Cingular.

Just like a guy said...

iPhone.

Anarchist Chossid said...

Sic transit gloria mundi.

Just like a guy said...

Particularly onions.

Anonymous said...

nice post. thanks.

Anonymous said...

No one commented on this as of yet, but I saw the "mem sofis" in the title as perhaps a typo - but better yet: ..Hashgocha Protis!

Chassidus explains the peculiar appearance לםרבה המשרה (yup, that was done purposely!) in the MIDDLE of a word in Yeshaya chap. 9, is to allude that the "hidden" as this mem is enclosed on all sides, will be revealed in the future Geulah. (off-hand, as my books aren't with me).

Just like a guy said...

Not so much a typo as trying to type on one of those virtual hebrew keyboards- a real pain. Still, as you say, Hashgocha Pratis.

e said...

anon: and what does it symbolize over here?

trs: where do you get a virtual keyboard? I use the one and hebrewbooks.org, but it ain't that great.

Just like a guy said...

http://www.mikledet.com/

e said...

May I also point out a grammar mistake--I mean hp? According to the conventions of mixing Hebrew with English, the title should have been "I doubt the mavin will be mavin," but that sounds very funny and doesn't use the exact same words as "v'hamevin yavin."

Just like a guy said...

Precisely my thoughts!