How is the light of Rashbi relevant to me, given the fact that the Zohar is deep Kabbalah, and I can hardly understand a single word of it!
The pnimius haTorah definitely has some complicated parts to it, but they are not the main point of pnimius haTorah! Pnimius haTorah is relevant to every single Yid! It reveals to us a deeper way of looking at all of Torah and mitzvos, a deeper way to look at every Yid, and a deeper way to live with emunah!
Rashbi is the rebbi of every Yid! He teaches us to look beyond the surface and find Hashem in whatever we are doing. Instead of the tefillin being an almost meaningless act done on ‘auto pilot,’ it becomes an amazing act of tying ourselves with Yichudo Vachaduso, (the Oneness of Hashem) and gaining incredible mochin (a tangible spiritual connection to Hashem), and so with all mitzvos.
And even things that aren’t technically mitzvos in the Torah, become understood and full of light, like negel vasser (washing our hands in the morning). We might otherwise look at it like just some action we are supposed to do in the morning when we get around to it, but Rashbi teaches us that when we get up in the morning we have klippos on our hands who want to stop us from doing Hashem’s Will. Thus we have to get rid of them by washing our hands. This gives us an amazing simchah and appreciation for negel vasser, and makes us want to do it first thing in the morning next to our beds!
(The Rebbe emphasized the following points with strong passion:) But really it is even deeper than that! The Rashbi teaches us the truth of all of Yiddishkeit!! He teaches us of the connection that Hashem has with each Yid, without this one cannot really become close to Hashem. Like the Zohar screams:
“אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, אִלְמָלֵי הֲוו יַדְעָין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, רְחִימוּתָא דִרְחִים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲוו שַׁאֲגִין כְּכְפִירְיָא לְמִרְדַף אֲבַתְרֵיה”
“If people would understand the love that Hashem has for the Jewish people, they would chase after Him like a roaring lion.”
Rashbi teaches us that Hashem loves each and every Yid, because we are his dear children, we are a cheilek Elokai mima’al! Rashbi teaches us about the absolute yichud Hashem, that Hashem is always with us, always watching over us with hashgacha pratis!
All this brings a person to feel connected and close to Hashem. It brings a person to talk to Hashem constantly, and be filled with joy from Hashem’s presence, and to never, ever feel distant or disconnected from Hashem because there is nothing that can disconnect a Yid from Hashem!!!!
Yidishkeit is not an ATM. It is not about doing mitzvos and getting rewarded, or doing aveiros and getting punished. Yidishkeit is about being connected and attached to Hashem!!
When a person falls, and encounters his shortcomings, he tends to feel distanced from Hashem, but Rashbi teaches us that this is a chitzoniyesdig (external) look at Yiddishkeit. Pnimius tells us that the avodah is just to keep on believing in Hashem and His love for us, and not to let go. Keep up your avodah. B’vadaai gam shom nimtza Hashem Yisborach!! (Certainly there too, Hashem Yisboroch is found).
The same thing is in everything in life. Keep Hashem real and alive. We are not dependent on our job or business, not on our doctor or our money: only on our dear Father, Avinu sheba’Shamayim!!
What is so special about Rabi Shimon bar Yochai, that we celebrate his hilula more than any other Tzadik?
Rabi Shimon was chosen to be the one who revealed the depth and pnimius of the Torah. He uncovered the light of Hashem which is hidden in the Torah. He was given an extremely lofty neshamah which was tasked with this special mission. This does not diminish in any way from the greatness of any other Tzadikim. It is simply that the Rashbi’s abilities and tafkid (mission) were very unique.
Now, of course, this doesn’t mean to say that since he had this tafkid, he was able to fulfill it with ease, and these madreigos (spiritual levels) were just poured down upon him! The Rashbi toiled and toiled. He searched and ran after the Shechinah Hakdoshah with all his might, and through this he was zoche to be able to actually fulfill his tafkid and be the tzinor (pipeline), to bring down pnimius haTorah!
The same goes for every Yid and his avodah. One person’s tafkid is to be a posek, so he has to toil and sweat to immerse himself fully in Torah, and run after the Shechinah in a way of learning, and then he is zoche that Hashem opens up to him the gates of Halachah and he can be a tzinor of Halachah for Klal Yisroel. This is always the way it works: Hashem chooses the tafkid, we have to toil, and then we are zoche to the siyatta diShmaya to become the tzinor of this shefah.
What chizuk can the Rebbe give to someone who really would want to be in Meron on Lag Ba’omer, but is unable to be there?
One has to know, that like we said earlier, Rashbi teaches us that the main thing is the pnimius, not the chitzoniyus. Pnimius can not be constricted to a certain place. Just like when one is attending a sibling’s wedding, the simcha isn’t the piece of chicken that he is eating at the hall. It is his joyful heart!
Each and every Yid can bring the light of Rashbi to him in his place, by doing a small avodah l’maaseh (practical action) to pull down the spiritual energy! Of course in Meron it is easier to tap into the light, but really it is possible everywhere.
AVODAH L’MAASEH:
One should light a candle l’chvod Rashbi or sing “Bar Yochai,” or even make a little seudah, and think how he can learn from Rashbi and connect to his light.
One should also be mekabel on himself to try learning a little Zohar every day. (For example, there is a sefer called Niglos Hazohar that can make this easier.) If that is too hard, then one should make a kabbalah to learn sifrei Chassidus and pnimius that are all based the Zohar.
Try to be mekabel on yourself to live with the teachings of the Rashbi for the next year, to dive beyond the surface of the chitzoniyus, and get filled up with pnimius, and through this we can be zoche to “korvo el nafshi geula,” “close to my soul is redemption,” both a geulah klalis (national redemption) and geula pratis (individual redemption)!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 35 Lag Ba’omer Edition.
