Emulate Our Creator - attribute of being tolerant

Chapter one

It is proper for man to emulate his Creator, for then he will attain the essence of the Supernal Form in both image (tzelem) and likeness (demus). For if his physical form reflects the Supernal Form, while his actions do not, he falsifies his stature. They will then say of him, “a handsome form whose deeds are ugly.” For the essential aspect of the Supernal image and likeness are His deeds. And what use will it be to him to reflect the Supernal Form physically with the likeness of the shape of his limbs, when his deeds do not emulate those of his Creator? Thus, it is proper that man emulate the functions of keser – which are the Thirteen Supernal Attributes of mercy – alluded to, in the essence of the verses (Michah 7:18-20): “Who is God like You, Who pardons iniquity and removes transgression for the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His wrath eternally for He is desirous of kindness. He will again be merciful to us, He will suppress our iniquities, and You will cast into the depths of the sea all of their sins. Grant truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham, as You have sworn to our forefathers from days of old.” Therefore, it is proper that one should contain in himself these Thirteen Attributes. We will now explain the thirteen functions of these attributes.

Who is God like You?

This attribute teaches us that the Holy One, Blessed is He, is a forbearing King Who tolerates insult in a manner beyond human comprehension. Without doubt, nothing is hidden from His providence. In addition, there is not a moment that man is not nourished and sustained by virtue of the Divine power bestowed upon him. Thus being, no man ever sinned against G-d without G-d Himself bestowing His existence and the ability to move his limbs, at that very moment. Yet, even though a person uses this very power to transgress, He does not withhold it from him at all. Rather, the Holy One, Blessed is He, tolerates this insult and continues to bestow on him the power to move his limbs. Even at the very moment that person uses this power for transgression, sin and infuriating deeds, the Holy One, Blessed is He, continues to tolerate him. One cannot say, G-d forbid, that He cannot withhold this benevolence, for it is within His power to shrivel up a person’s arms or legs instantly, just as He did with Yaravam (See Melachim A13-4). Yet, even though it is within His power to withdraw the power that he bestowed, and He could maintain, “Since you sin against Me, sin with that which belongs to you, not with that which belongs to Me,” He does not, for this reasoning, withhold His goodness from man; rather, He tolerates the insult and continues to bestow power and benefits man with His benevolence. Behold, this is a degree of insult and tolerance of it that is immeasurable. For this reason, the ministering angels refer to the Holy One, Blessed is He, as the “Forbearing King” (Pirkei Heichalos Chapter 24). This is the meaning of the saying: “Who is G-d like You” – You are G-d Who possesses kindness, Who is benevolent. A G-d Who possesses the power to take revenge and claim what is rightfully Yours, and yet, You are tolerant and forbearing until man repents.

Thus, this attribute of being tolerant, is one that man should emulate. Even when he is insulted to such a degree (mentioned above), he should still not withdraw his benevolence from the recipient.

Divided for daily study each month with an English translation edited by Rabbi Dov Fink and Rabbi Shimon Finkelman

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The Way of God - Introduction and Chapter 1 The Creator

Ramchal is a name by which Rabbi Luzzato is commonly known and is a Hebrew acronym for Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto the outstanding scholar and teacher of Jewish ethics who lived in the 18th century.

Translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

This blogger will post audio chapters of this wonderful book AND highly suggests studying this book so that one can cling to our Creator.

INTRODUCTION

THE CREATOR

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Our Soul

The soul is a pure ray of spiritual light emanating from God, a Divine spark which gives life to the human form. The soul is a spark of the Al-mighty, an immortal heavenly breath which the Creator Himself breathed into man. Its mission on earth is to ennoble the body, control its animal instincts, and uplift man morally and spiritually. The soul is a holy, heavenly flame with but one desire to return, at the conclusion of its earthly mission, to its Creator, the source of its life, and to take its deserved place in the glorious kingdom of immortality.

http://www.science-halacha.com/Thrs/thrs_eng4.htm

SOURCE
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Understanding the nature of Circumcision

This Maamar is customarily recited at a Bris Milah"

In that selfsame day, Avraham was circumcised."[1] Many Torah commentaries pose the question: Why didn't Avraham circumcise himself beforehand? [The Talmud[2] declares, that Avraham] fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given, including even [Rabbinical decrees such as] Eruv Tavshilin. [If so, why didn't he circumcise himself as well?]

To understand this concept, we must first understand [the nature of] circumcision. [Circumcision is alluded to in the verse,[3]] "It is not in heaven that you should say: (vnhnav ubk vkgh hn) Who shall go up for us to heaven?" [The first letters of this phrase] serve as an acronym [for the Hebrew word] Milah [meaning circumcision]. The final letters of those words are an acronym for the [Name of G-d] Havayah [v-u-v-h].

[What is the connection between circumcision and the name Havayah? Besides the physical deed, circumcision reflects a spiritual service. We find two references to this concept in the Torah.] One verse[4] declares, "You shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart." The second declares,[5] "The L-rd, your G-d, will circumcise your heart," i.e. there are two aspects of circumcision: one [performed by man in his striving to elevate himself] from below to above. [This service] necessitates the circumcision of the heart, i.e., the service of teshuvah, as it is written,[6] "You shall return to the L-rd, your G-d." [This return is expressed] through the fulfillment of Torah and its mitzvos, and [will lead to the future redemption,] as our Sages declared,[7] "If the Jewish people turn [to G-d] in teshuvah they will be redeemed and if not, they won't be redeemed."

In regard to the era which follows [the redemption and] the return of the dispersed remnants [of our people], the Torah declares,[8] "(G-d) will bring you to the land...and He will do you good...." This represents [the second level of] circumcision, [involving the descent of G-dliness] from above to below, the level described in the verse, "And G-d will circumcise your heart." (Therefore, the verse says, "He [G-d] will do you good even more than for your fathers," i.e., He will reveal "the great good that You hid...."[9] [The connection between circumcision and good can be seen in the case of] Moshe, who was born circumcised.[10] [Concerning his birth, the Torah comments[11]] "And she saw that he was good.")

Hence the first level of circumcision is an arousal from below, i.e., a (striving of man) from below upward. This is followed by the second level of circumcision, an arousal from above, the revelation of "and G-d will circumcise your heart."

This, the second level of circumcision which will be revealed after the fulfillment of the entire Torah and the return of the exiles, is the level of circumcision referred to in the verse, "Who shall go up for us to heaven?" the acronym for circumcision. From this verse, we see that circumcision is above Torah. Torah is "not in the heavens" for it has descended below. Therefore, the Talmud states,[12] "Rav Yehoshua declared, We shall pay no attention to a heavenly voice." [Why?] because Torah is not in the Heavens, but below.

Therefore, the Torah is called the Torah of Havayah (Yud-Hay-Vov-Hay) [for that Name of G-d also implies a process of descent]. Yud - standing for contraction, Hay - for expansion, Vov - for drawing down, etc. Through [this name] G-dliness is drawn down below.

However, circumcision is above the Name Havayah. Therefore, in the aforementioned verse its acronym is alluded to by the phrase's first letters, and the Name Havayah by the phrase's last letters. Circumcision is on the level of "heaven," while Torah has descended from these heavens.
Therefore, our sages declared,[13] "Great is the mitzvah of circumcision, behold thirteen different covenants were established over it." [When they declared] "great," they referred to the greater aspect of circumcision, the revelation from above to below in which "G-d will circumcise your heart."[14]

This [higher] level is connected with thirteen covenants. For a covenant also represents [a bond] above intellect and knowledge. When two friends establish a covenant to continue their friendship, what in fact they do is compel their feelings of friendship. Even if [at a later time] these feelings would not be naturally expressed based on their intellect and knowledge, they force themselves (to express) these feelings, [revealing] a love that is above the limits of intellect and knowledge.

Similarly, [circumcision is related to thirteen covenants, because] in order to reveal and draw down the higher level of circumcision (the level of "Your great good"), [it is necessary to arouse] the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, which also transcend the limits of wisdom. [This allows circumcision to rise] above the limits of the Name Havayah and above the limits of Torah (just as the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are above Torah and therefore are the source for the forgiveness of our sins).

This principle is brought out in the verse, "Until Your people pass over, O G-d."[15] [The Name of G-d used in the verse is Havayah. The verse can be interpreted -] "Until Your people pass over [and reach a higher level] than Havayah." ([The connection of the world] "pass over" to this level [is emphasized by the fact that] in connection with the Thirteen Attributes the Torah states,[16] ["and G-d] passed over.")

[With this foundation, we can answer our original question:] Avraham fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given. Nevertheless, he did not fulfill the mitzvah of circumcision. Why? Because he wanted to reach the higher level of circumcision, [the level connected with the revelation] from above to below. Therefore, he fulfilled the entire Torah that was on a lower level than circumcision and through those efforts he merited that higher level of circumcision.

To highlight this, the Torah states, "Avraham was circumcised," [using the passive voice] and it does not say he circumcised himself. In the case of Yishmael and the slaves, the active voice is used, for they merited only the lower level of circumcision [the level that can be achieved by man's actions in] "circumcising the foreskin of your heart." However, concerning Avraham, the passive is used because there [the higher level, the aspect beyond our powers] the level of "and G-d will circumcise your heart" was revealed.

Therefore the Torah declares "in that selfsame day;" - [the Hebrew word for selfsame, etzem, also means "essence." The verse can be interpreted to mean] "in the essence of that day Avraham was circumcised." [The word "day" is a reference to the Era of the Redemption] "the day which is all long and all good."[17] The essence of the day refers to the essence of the great revelation that will take place then, the revelation of "Your great good" (and therefore it is "all good"). Therefore, when "the essence of the day" was revealed to him, Avraham was circumcised.

BIRTH OF A SON
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Heavenly Temple

Introduction

My purpose in this work is to discuss the subject of the Heavenly Temple mentioned by our sages, to explain its form and structure in all their various details, and to show how the structure and dimensions of the earthly Temple are in direct alignment with those of the Heavenly Temple.

And you, dear, pleasant reader: Apply yourself with all your mental powers. Pay full attention, and I will teach you wondrous wisdom the like of which you have never heard. Then you will know how the King of the kings of kings watches over His creatures and conducts His universe in an ordered manner. He instituted the order of the universe so as to set it on a firm foundation and bring it to perfection in truth and faith.

These deep matters are way beyond the grasp of the human mind. No man has ever succeeded in fathoming the wisdom of his Creator and traveling the path of truth and justice in order to grasp and understand the works of God. But now I will lay these matters before you in a single, all-inclusive introductory work that will enable you to understand the way the world is run and how God gives each day's portion of food and sustenance to all His creatures, each in its proper time.

READ HERE
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Are You Sick?

"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, Someone with a headache should busy himself with Torah, as it is said, `For they shall be a diadem of grace for your head' (Proverbs 1:9).

Someone with a sore throat should busy himself with Torah, as it is said, `and chains about your neck' (ibid.).

Someone with stomach pains should busy himself with Torah, as it is said, `it shall be health to your navel' (ibid. 3:8).

Someone with aching bones should busy himself with Torah, as it is said, `and marrow to your bones' (ibid.).

And if his whole body is aching, he should busy himself with Torah, as it is said (ibid. 4:22), `and health to all his flesh'" (Eruvin ibid.).

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Pigs Have Kosher Feet

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Tisha B'Av - Special Clip

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Flotilla Choir presents: We Con the World

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Chabad Wins World Cup

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EXCLUSIVE! OIL SPILL IN GULF - Hand of God? Connection to Israel?

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ANSWERS TO A PASTOR

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