On 27 Adar 5775, March 18, 2015, Rabbi YY Jacobson addressed Chabad Chassidim at 770 Eastern Parkway, broadcast to communities the world over. The address called on the audience to realize their true inner beauty, to see themselves as the blue sky, not as the black clouds, and to reestablish Torah as the supreme value in our lives.

Reestablishing Torah as the Supreme Value in Our Lives

To See Yourself as the Blue Sky, Not as the Black Cloud

The Talmud states that the Tzaddik can create worlds. But how? What was the contribution of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe? Why does Chassidus dissect G-dliness so much? Understanding the process of integrating our individuality with its true essence.

Aware of Your True Essence, Your Words Create Worlds

Basi L'Gani 5715 -- Shiur 6

The Silent Parrot&nbsp;
&nbsp;
An old Jew received a parrot from his sons after his wife died, to keep him company. He discovered that the parrot had heard him pray so often, that it had learned to say the prayers. The old man was so thrilled, that he decided to take his parrot to the synagogue on Rosh&nbsp;Hashana&nbsp;(the Jewish&nbsp;new year). When he entered with the bird, the rabbi tried to protest, but when he told him the parrot could pray ("daven" in Yiddish), the rabbi showed interest, though still skeptical. People started betting on whether the parrot would pray, and the old man happily took all the bets that went up to $50,000.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The prayer starts – but the bird is silent. The prayer continues - not a word from the bird. The prayer ends, and the old man, crestfallen, is now in debt $50,000 for all of the bets. On the way home he thunders at his parrot: "Why did you do this to me? I know you can pray, you know you can pray, why did you keep your mouth shut? Do you know how much money I owe people now?"&nbsp;
&nbsp;
To which the parrot replied: "A little business imagination would help you, dear friend. You must look ahead: Can you imagine what the stakes will be like on Yom Kippur?"&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Purpose of Life&nbsp;
&nbsp;“Rabbai&nbsp;Gamliel’s son, Shimon, would say: All my life I have been raised among the&nbsp;wise,&nbsp;and I have found nothing better for the body than silence.”&nbsp;
--&nbsp;Ethics of the Fathers, 1:17&nbsp;(chapter of this week.)&nbsp;
What is the meaning of these words? Why is there nothing better for the body than silence?&nbsp;And why the emphasis on the body, more than on the general person (“I have found nothing better for the person…”).&nbsp;
Silence is certainly a positive quality in life, especially in particular instances. But is really nothing better for the human body than silence?&nbsp;
The Talmud goes even further,&nbsp;stating&nbsp;a&nbsp;deeply enigmatic&nbsp;statement<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref1')">[1]</a>: “What is man’s task in the world?&nbsp;To make himself as silent as the dumb.”&nbsp;&nbsp;
Surely, silence is not&nbsp;always&nbsp;a bad idea, especially for certain types of people. But is this really man’s task in the world? Were we created merely to be silent?&nbsp;Does the Talmud believe&nbsp;that the entire purpose of our creation was to keep our mouths shut?&nbsp;
A Thing of Silence&nbsp;
In a brilliant exposition, the&nbsp;Lubavitcher&nbsp;Rebbe&nbsp;once&nbsp;presented the following interpretation<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref2')">[2]</a>.&nbsp;
The Torah defines all of existence as G-d’s speech. As Genesis puts it:&nbsp;“G-d said: ‘Let there be light!’ and there was light.” G-d said: “May the earth sprout forth&nbsp;vegetation,” etc.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Why does Torah employ the metaphor of speech to define the process of creation?&nbsp;Because in speech – unlike thought&nbsp;–&nbsp;the&nbsp;words&nbsp;of the speaker&nbsp;leave&nbsp;his or her&nbsp;domain and travel into&nbsp;a&nbsp;world&nbsp;outside of the speaker.&nbsp;When a person&nbsp;thinks, the ideas exist only within his&nbsp;or her&nbsp;own mind; when the thought is&nbsp;translated into words,&nbsp;it&nbsp;departs&nbsp;the&nbsp;person’s inner world,&nbsp;to attain&nbsp;an existence distinct&nbsp;from his.&nbsp;
This is why creation is described as G-d’s speech:&nbsp;G-d created a world which though completely dependent on Him (like words on the speaker), and continuously sustained by Him,&nbsp;nevertheless&nbsp;perceives&nbsp;itself as distinct and separate from G-d.&nbsp;In our world,&nbsp;one can remain completely oblivious to G-d and to any&nbsp;deeper&nbsp;reality pervading existence.&nbsp;One can enjoy the status of “agnostic” or “atheist,”&nbsp;walk&nbsp;our planet for ninety years and not even once entertain the idea that the presence of the living G-d vibrates through every moment of consciousness and every being.&nbsp;G-d “spoke” us into existence and thus allowed us to experience ourselves as&nbsp;“outside” and&nbsp;detached from His reality.&nbsp;
There is, however, a single exception to this model for the essential nature of all created things: the soul of man.&nbsp;The soul, the&nbsp;Neshamah, is described in&nbsp;Torah&nbsp;and Kabbalah<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref3')">[3]</a>&nbsp;not&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;Divine word but&nbsp;as&nbsp;a G-dly&nbsp;thought.&nbsp;
Why the metaphor of thought?&nbsp;Just as a thought never departs from the&nbsp;inner domain of the&nbsp;thinker, the soul, too,&nbsp;is a creation which&nbsp;never&nbsp;“departs” from the all-pervading reality of G-d.&nbsp;Unlike the rest of the world which experiences itself as an egotistical reality,&nbsp;separate from the Divine, the soul experiences itself as submerged&nbsp;in the cosmic oneness of reality, and&nbsp;never&nbsp;sees&nbsp;itself as an “entity” distinct from its Creator.&nbsp;
When G-d speaks, a universe is created. When G-d thinks, a soul is created.&nbsp;
Alone in a verbose world, the soul of man is a&nbsp;“thing of silence.”&nbsp;And its mission in life is to impart this silence to the world about it.&nbsp;
We were created to share the “silence” of the&nbsp;soul with the rest of the world, beginning with our own bodies.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn1')">[1]</a> Talmud,&nbsp;Chulin&nbsp;89a.&nbsp;
<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn2')">[2]</a> The&nbsp;Lubavitcher&nbsp;Rebbe&nbsp;communicated this idea during an address on Shabbos&nbsp;Parshas&nbsp;Acharei&nbsp;Mos, 24 Nissan, 5719 (May 2, 1959), published in&nbsp;Likkutei&nbsp;Sichos&nbsp;vol. 4&nbsp;Avos&nbsp;ch.&nbsp;1. Cf. the rendition of&nbsp;Rabbo&nbsp;Yanki&nbsp;Tauber of this talk at&nbsp;<a href="http://meaningfullife.com/torah/ethics/1/The_Soul_COLON_A_Thing_of_Silence.php">http://meaningfullife.com/torah/ethics/1/The_Soul_COLON_A_Thing_of_Silence.php&nbsp;</a>
<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn3')">[3]</a> Zohar part II p.&nbsp;119a;&nbsp;Ohr&nbsp;Torah (by Rabbi&nbsp;DovBer&nbsp;the Maggid&nbsp;of&nbsp;Mezeritch) 2c;&nbsp;Tanya Chapter&nbsp;2.&nbsp;

You Were Created to Be Silent - When G-d Speaks, a Universe is Created; When G-d Thinks, a Soul is Created

When G-d Speaks, a Universe is Created; When G-d Thinks, a Soul is Created

You Were Created to Be Silent

Why Do the Highest Souls End Up Sometimes In the Lowest Places?- The Secret Behind Boaz Removing the Shoe. Studying the Book of Ruth, Class 8

The Secret Behind Boaz Removing the Shoe 

Ruth #8: Why Do the Highest Souls End Up In the Lowest Places?

Likkutei Torah Tzav Maamar Hayam Raah Vayanos

Birth of a Soul

The Forgotten Souls - When Rabbi Akiva showed Moses how to appreciate the alienated Jews

When Rabbi Akiva Showed Moses How to Appreciate the Alienated Jews

The Forgotten Souls

The Two Faces of Your Spouse: Why Is Marriage Compared to the Splitting of the Sea?

Why Is Marriage Compared to the Splitting of the Sea?

Essay 7th Day of Pesach/Beshalach

The Two Faces of Your Spouse

Forty years ago, when America watched news reports from Woodstock, the youthful counter-culture saw a celebration of their generation. But many of their elders saw an unimaginable horde of immoral, drug-abusing, morally unrestrained freaks.&nbsp; 
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The rebellion of the youth of the 60&rsquo;s culminated with what has become a cultural symbol - the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in August of '69 that drew close to a half million people to a pasture in Sullivan County, N.Y. For four days the pilgrims experimented with extraordinary quantities of drugs, &quot;free&quot; love, and minds and hearts open to anything and everything. The music, which began Friday afternoon, Aug. 15 and continued until mid-morning of Monday, Aug. 18, captured the wild life of the flower generation, as their teachers and parents looked on in shock, grief, awe or a combination of the three.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Why did an entire generation of young and bright Americans reject the pragmatic and sensible path of their parents and grandparents? Was it&nbsp;an expression of immature naivet&eacute; and futile innocence?&nbsp;Was it simply one hell of a party, legitimizing hedonistic temptations? Was it merely a holiday of dumb luck before the realities of capitalism resumed? Was Woodstock a whole lot of people getting stoned at a rock concert, which was much easier than working to change the world?Or was there something deeper at stake? </div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The Lubavitcher Rebbe (1902-1994), one of the great moral voices of that generation, in a historical address six months after the event, Purim 1970, saw it as something far more profound and existential than just lots of youngsters living out their natural animal passions *.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">A little introduction is necessary.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Drunk</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">An intriguing and uncharacteristic statement in the Talmud (the primary body of Jewish law and literature) declares that &quot;On Purim a person is obligated to become intoxicated until he does not know the difference between 'Cursed is Haman' and 'Blessed is Mordechai.'&quot; (Talmud, Megilah 7b). 
 
In Judaism, excessive drinking is seen as both repulsive and destructive. In Genesis we are informed that intoxication by Noah and then Lot led to disaster. Little needs to be said today to validate this truth. In America today, as in so many other parts of the world, alcoholism has destroyed too many a life and family. For people who have fallen prey to the devil of addiction, no religious excuse should ever be employed to allow the horrible demon of alcoholic or drug addiction to destroy themselves and their loved ones. 
 
Yet for individuals living up to Talmudic moral and spiritual standards - abstaining from any form of&nbsp;excessive drinking all year around and, instead, toiling to refine their characters and dispositions under complete sobriety -- Jewish tradition designates one day of the year when they ought to leave the inhibitions of the rational mind in order to express the depth and glow of their passions, which are usually stored in the super-conscious chambers of their souls. An individual who has dedicated an entire year to work soberly on his or her psychological, emotional and spiritual identity, as Judaism incessantly demands, is highly unlikely to be pulled down by the once-a-year consumption of alcohol. 
 
Still, the Talmud's demand that under the spell of intoxication one ought to forget the difference between &quot;Cursed is Haman&quot; and &quot;Blessed is Mordechai&quot; seems absolutely bizarre. 
 
Haman was a ruthless power monger, a self-centered egomaniac and an evil barbarian who schemed to exterminate every single Jew living in the Persian Empire. He was the Hitler of his day. Mordechai, on the other hand, was a saintly sage, a genuine leader, a lover of G-d, of his people and of humanity. It seems obvious that a decent human being should never forget that Haman must be cursed and Mordechai blessed. Moral equations between monsters and good people, although popular in some academic circles today, are grotesque and disgusting. They allow the monsters to continue their work. 
 
What is even more bizarre is that we are enjoined to engage in this forgetfulness on the Jewish holiday of Purim - the day in which we celebrate Jewish deliverance from the vicious Haman as a result of the courageous spiritual and political leadership of Mordechai. The very holiday of Purim is about the fall of Haman and the rise of Mordechai. How, then, are we to make sense of the Talmud's demand that on Purim we know not &quot;the difference between 'Cursed is Haman' and 'Blessed is Mordechai' when this distinction is what constitutes the very essence and purpose of the holiday! 
 
Obviously, then, we must understand these words of the Talmud in a deeper way. Indeed, interpretations are abundant. What follows is one of my personal favorites presented by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, delivered at that Purim assembly in 1970, some six months after Woodstock. 
 
</div>
<div style="text-align: center; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Why Should I Be a Good Person?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> 
There are two levels of consciousness, the Rebbe explained, in which one can distinguish between &quot;Cursed is Haman&quot; and &quot;Blessed is Mordechai.&quot; The first is pragmatic and materialistic; the second is soulful and eternal. One speaks in the name of self-interest and personal gain, the other in the name of meaning. 
 
From a pragmatic and materialistic world outlook, Haman's path ought to be rejected, and Mordechai's lifestyle embraced. Indeed, many of our parents and grandparents employed the pragmatic argument in order to persuade us to live the good and decent life. 
 
&quot;If you wish to get into a good college,&quot; they told us, &quot;you should keep away from drugs and alcohol. If you want to graduate with honors, you must abstain from promiscuity and frivolousness. If you desire to be hired by a successful firm or company, you need to demonstrate responsibility, consistency and trust and get a good education. If you want to generate a good income, live in a beautiful home, take a few vacations a year, and own three cars and a summer home, you need to get up early each morning, put in a full day at the office, remain loyal to your spouse and stay away from dangerous and trippy&nbsp;behavior. If you wish to be respected socially and invited to upper-class receptions, stay away from any form of racism, bigotry and violence. You must behave like a 'mentch.' 
 
&quot;And,&quot; they continued, &quot;if you manage to give some charity on the side, you might even be honored one day at fund-raising dinners and have your name engraved on a building or two. When you hit old age, you will retire with dignity, accompanied by a hefty savings account and time for golf and relaxation. If you make enough money, you may even establish a tax-deductible foundation on your name.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
This is, admittedly, a nice vision (a certain part of me likes it too, though I must confess I have at this stage of my life already violated many of the ground rules.) It promotes decent behavior, loyal citizenship, hard work and faithful family commitments. It works for many youngsters and has proven successful with many American Jews who made a life for themselves. Yet it proved futile with millions of American and Jewish youngsters who in the 1960s revolted against the &quot;Establishment&quot; and embraced a lifestyle of boundless frivolousness, uninhibited intimacy and uncontrolled acid trips. 
 
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">In the view of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, large segments of American youth were consciously or subconsciously rejecting the pragmatic but essentially self-serving philosophy of their teachers and parents because it failed to address the depth of their souls. It spoke in the name of financial security, comfortable living and a respectable social status. It attempted to impress them with the glamour of a comfortable life style, a nice home, beautiful clothes and engaging entertainment. 
 
These are certainly tempting to many of us. But what about the idealistic cords inherent in the soul of our youth? What about the passion for truth and the dedication emblematic of the human spirit? What about human beings' quest to touch infinity and live a life of true meaning? On this count the Establishment failed them miserably then, as it does so often now. Not because it demanded too much, but because it expected too little. It reduced souls to machines, spirits to robots and humans capable of moral greatness to self-centered creatures. It spoke not to the profoundest passions of our youngsters but rather to their most superficial instincts. It addressed not their idealistic and spiritual yearnings, only their bodies and physical cravings.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&ldquo;We are not only animals,&rdquo; was the subconscious cry of a generation, &ldquo;searching for self gratification and self aggrandizement. We are souls; we care not only about a capitalistic secure financial future, but for deep meaning and the echo of truth.&rdquo; 
 
When the distinction between &quot;Cursed is Haman&quot; and &quot;Blessed is Mordechai&quot; is founded merely on materialistic, self-serving and pragmatic benefits rather than on the deepest passions and commitments of the human soul; when it speaks in the name of external satisfaction rather than with the voice of existential wholesomeness, the youthful spirit is likely to reject it and, in his or her rebelliousness, travel to the opposite extreme where the distinctions between Haman and Mordechai are blurred and all moral standards become hazy and meaningless.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">When the goals of education and decent behavior are motivated by superficial human qualities they do not resonate with deeper, more sensitive and more spiritual kids. And in their attempt to touch their own depth, they reject all standards and boundaries.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Shattering the Myth 
 
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">This is the meaning behind the Talmud's demand that on Purim we must lose our knowledge of the distinction between Haman's evil and Mordechai's goodness. There is no question that even on Purim we must know the difference between good and evil, between light and darkness, between love and hate, between a life committed to building the world and a life dedicated to destroying it. Never are we permitted to forget the difference between a lifestyle of morality and virtue vs. a lifestyle of immorality and selfishness. 
 
What the Talmud is telling us, however, is that for the distinction between the two to resonate deeply and eternally, sometimes the superficial basis for the distinction between the two paths of life must first be destroyed. It is only after we know not the difference between Haman and Mordechai on a superficial level &ndash; because we are not driven merely by our selfish instincts and motivations -- that we can discover the essential difference on a far truer and deeper level. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">And this, the Rebbe concluded, was the true calling behind the rebelliousness of the youth. They were rejecting the superficial distinctions between &ldquo;Haman&rdquo; and &ldquo;Mordechai,&rdquo; because these did not resonate with their deep, sensitive souls. Morality must speak in the name of truth and depth, not in the name of shallow narcissistic benefits. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t blame the youth, blame the educators,&rdquo; the Rebbe declared. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Now, he believed, we have the opportunity to teach the youth about the true and profound distinctions between the two lifestyles and philosophies, founded on the soul's awareness that man was created to become larger than human, and that in a life committed to goodness, kindness, morality and the service of G-d the soul encounters itself in its profoundest dreams, tragedies and hopes.&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> 
And Today...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> 
Forty years have passed. Woodstock today is nostalgia. And even nostalgia today is not what it used to be like, as one old nostalgic man remarked.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Yet so many youth still find themselves in the muddy fields of unrestrained passion and behavior. Are they too not responding to the superficial messages coming from their teaches and parents?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">*) The Lubavitcher Rebbe, in his usual style of avoiding direct references, did not mention Woodstock by name, only an entire generation of young people who rejected the Establishment.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>

The Legacy of Woodstock - When the youth loses sight of the difference between right and wrong, a new opportunity is born

When the youth loses sight of the difference between right and wrong, a new opportunity is born

The Legacy of Woodstock

$100 from G-d

A&nbsp;little boy wanted $100 so badly that he prayed for two weeks, but nothing happened. He decided to write a letter to the Lord requesting the $100. When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to "Lord, USA," they decided to send it to the President at the time, Donald Trump. &nbsp;

The President was so impressed, touched, and amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5 bill. Mr. Trump thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy. &nbsp;

The little boy was delighted with the $5 and sat down to write a thank-you note to the Lord, which read: &nbsp;

"Dear Lord, &nbsp;

"Thank you very much for sending me the money. It's just a pity you had to send it through Washington, D.C. and, as usual, those guys deducted $95."&nbsp;

In the Womb&nbsp;

In a passage demonstrating a keen sensitivity to the subconscious of a human being, the Talmud describes the experience of the embryo while in the uterus<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref1')">[1]</a>: &nbsp;

"A lamp is lit above the child's head, by which it can see from one end of the world to the other end; there are&nbsp;no days during which a person experiences more bliss than those days in his mother's womb. They [G-d and the angels] teach the unborn child the entire Torah, but as soon as the child is to emerge into the air of the world, an angel comes and strikes it on&nbsp;its mouth, causing it to forget the entire Torah." &nbsp;

But what's the point? Is it not futile to teach an embryo the entire Torah if it is made to forget it shortly thereafter? &nbsp;

Several answers are given to this question. As we approach the festival&nbsp;of&nbsp;Shavuos, commemorating the giving of the Torah 3,335&nbsp;years ago, I wish to present one of the answers, culled from the writings of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of&nbsp;Liadi<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref2')">[2]</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Inner Melody&nbsp;

It is extremely difficult to remain spiritually and emotionally inspired while living in this world. G-d may give us life, but He does not always grant us the ready-made inspiration required for living a meaningful and elevated lifestyle. We need to stimulate and motivate ourselves through our own efforts.

But how?&nbsp;Life is&nbsp;often stressful and burdensome. Also, our physical and animalistic cravings and temptations are so powerful that they almost completely eclipse our sensitivity to spirituality.&nbsp;

This is the accomplishment of G-d infusing each unborn child with the entire Torah before he is born, though he later forgets it all. This nine-month implantation of G-dliness&nbsp;and holiness in the brain of the child creates a condition in which the spiritual message of the Torah forever remains the most familiar information to the soul. &nbsp;

Affluence, power, good food, nice clothing, and physical temptations may excite us. Debt, responsibility, laziness, and numbness may bog us down. Yet despite all of these sensations being a real part of our lives, the voice of our inner spirituality -- the voice of Torah within us -- has a deeper, though often inaudible, resonance within us.  &nbsp;

It's like a melody that you once knew and have since forgotten. When it is sung to you again, you don't have to memorize it anew, because the song was always a part of you, stored in the memory of your brain.  &nbsp;

The melody of spirituality and Torah has been on the lips of our souls since time immemorial. Although in the process of growing up, we may have forgotten the tune, none of us have to learn it anew. We need only to&nbsp;pay heed to the silent vibrations stored within us since our days in the womb.&nbsp;

So although upon birth we were made to consciously forget, the truth remains etched in our unconscious psyches. When we discover a truth in our lives – when we are educated&nbsp;and taught wisdom – the truth resonates, because we already have it inside ourselves; it was just concealed beneath the conscious layers of existence.

The function of a true Torah teacher is never to teach people a new truth, but to help them access the truth ingrained already deeply within them. A good teacher is one who helps us cut away the weeds and uncover the flowers within.

Or as the Italian sculptor, Michelangelo once said: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Draw Me&nbsp;

This is the deeper meaning in King Solomon's presentation of the bride saying to her groom, "Draw me, we will run after&nbsp;You, the King has brought me into His chambers<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref3')">[3]</a>." The grammar in the verse seems amiss: If the King already brought me into the chambers in the past, why is there a need to "draw me" close to Him in the present?

But King Solomon is addressing two different times in our lives, the time of pre-birth innocence vs. the time of adulthood disillusionment. We turn to G-d in our days of adulthood and say, 'Draw me, we will run after&nbsp;You,' which means that if G-d draws us in a little bit, we will run after Him.

The reason is that since 'the King has brought me (us) into His chambers' during the nine months in the womb, long before we developed&nbsp;our cynicism, we already have experienced the purity of G-dliness<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn4" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref4')">[4]</a>.&nbsp;

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn1')">[1]</a> Niddah&nbsp;30b. &nbsp;

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn2')">[2]</a> 1745-1812. The following teaching is in&nbsp;Likkutei&nbsp;Torah&nbsp;Shelach&nbsp;43a. Cf.&nbsp;Likkutei&nbsp;Torah&nbsp;Shir&nbsp;HaShirim&nbsp;8d. &nbsp;

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn3')">[3]</a> Song of Songs 1:4.&nbsp;

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref4" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn4')">[4]</a> Likkutei&nbsp;Torah&nbsp;Shelach&nbsp;ibid.&nbsp;

The Angel in the Marble - Looking for Inspiration? Go to the Mirror

Looking for Inspiration? Go to the Mirror

Essay Shavuos

The Angel in the Marble

Please Pass the Salt - A Journey into the Five Layers of Torah Study, and the Five Layers of Human Identity

A Journey into the Five Layers of Torah Study, and the Five Layers of Human Identity

Please Pass the Salt

The Two Ingredients to Preserve Judaism: Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik (1903-1993) and the Lubavitcher Rebbe (1902-1994) on the Two Layers Covering the Tabernacle

The Two Ingredients to Preserve Judaism

Rabbi JB Soloveitchik and the Lubavitcher Rebbe on the Two Layers Covering the Tabernacle

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