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The Joy of Repentance\Guilt-Free
Based on Tomer Devorah by the Holy Ramak
Authored and Published by the Salant Foundation
Distributed by Feldheim
The Root of Man’s Holy Soul Bestows Life Upon Him
וּרְאֵה כִּי כְמוֹ שֶׁהַתְּשׁוּבָה יֵשׁ בָּהּ שֹׁרֶשׁ כָּל הַנִּמְצָאוֹת בְּסוֹד הַיּוֹבֵל.
(6) And see, that Teshuvah (Repentance) contains within it the root of every Being, by virtue of the “Secret of the Jubilee Year.”
The Ramak tells us that every person has their root in the lofty realm of Binah (Divine Enlightenment). Consider a tree, comprised of trunk, branches, leaves and fruits. Disparate though these parts may be, they all derive from the same source, the root. Indeed, the tree that both grows forth from and receives nourishment through the root could not exist without it. The Rashbah also expresses this idea, albeit more briefly (HaRashbah, Brachos 7): “The branches of the tree derive solely from the power contained within the root!”
Similarly, the root of man’s holy soul bestows life upon him, as the verse states (Beresheis 2:7), “And He blew into his nostrils the soul of life, and Man became a living being.” We can conclude that a person’s corporeal aspects resemble nothing more than the branches of a tree. Whereas his root – his holy soul – imbues him with life and establishes the true reality and essence of his being. Therefore, when a person intends to ascend to his holy root in Binah, he will assuredly be transformed to pure goodness.
The Holy of Holies Alludes to Man’s Soul
In his Mishnas Rebbi Aaron, Rabbi Aaron Kotler, presents an idea that dovetails beautifully with this concept, based on the verse (Yechezkal 13:10): “You, Son of Man, tell the Children of Israel about the Beis HaMikdash” (Holy Sanctuary). Rabbi Kotler notes that the Beis HaMikdash is not only the Creator’s dwelling place on earth; it also serves as a microcosm of the Universe itself. As such, every component of the Sanctuary corresponds to a different element of Creation. For example, the Golden Menorah (Candelabra) alludes to the Luminaries; the ever-present blue fabric alludes to the Heavens, etc. If so, what does the Kodesh HaKodashim – the Holy of Holies – represent? The answer is – Man’s soul!
This insight reveals that just as the Kodesh HaKodashim is the spiritual core of the Beis HaMikdash and is supremely holy, so too, Man’s soul is eminently sanctified. More, just as holiness radiated from the Kodesh HaKodashim and permeated the entire Beis HaMikdash; so too, the holy soul serves as a wellspring to fill a person’s entire being with Sanctity! However, this blinding radiance is almost completely obscured by the nearly overwhelming nature of our base corporeal existence. The coarse thickness of our physicality effectively conceals our inner light, making us virtually oblivious to our innate holiness.
Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed Be He commanded His Prophet, "Tell the Children of Israel about the Beis HaMikdash!" The spiritual impressions made in the Holy Sanctuary are deeply ingrained in our national psyche, and the sanctity of the Beis HaMikdash resonates eternally in the consciousness of the People of Israel. Even today, almost two thousand years after its physical destruction, the Sanctuary remains the focal point of our prayers.
By meditating on the Beis HaMikdash – by contemplating its structure, components, and the Divine service performed therein – we stimulate these impressions and recall the experience of being in the presence of the Shechinah (Divine Presence). An awareness of the powerful holiness of our souls is aroused within us, inspiring us to return to our Father in Heaven.
The Maharal From Prague
Indeed, one of the primary functions of the Beis HaMikdash was to grant people a miraculous glimpse into their souls and to connect them with their own innate sanctity. The experience of communing with the Shechinah awakened new vistas of inspiration in the hearts of the Jewish people. As the Maharal M’Prague23 explains (Gevuros HaShem, Chapter 5), one of the epithets for the Beis HaMikdash is “The Mount of Lebanon.” This is because just as a mountain rises above its surroundings, so does the spiritual dimension manifest in the Beis HaMikdash tower over every other facet of Creation. Only in that rarified atmosphere is the Shechinah revealed to the fullest extent possible in this world, and in an ongoing fashion. When the People of Israel entered that sacred domain, they were literally charged with holiness, rising above the strictures of nature and the bonds of physicality. They experienced a glimmering of their true essence and an inkling of the Almighty’s sanctity!
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