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YOM KIPPUR â 5785
WHAT ARE WE MISSING?
The Anatomy of Sin
âFor on this day He shall provide atonement for you to purify you; from all your sins, before G-d shall you be purified.â
In our liturgy we find three kinds of sins mentioned in relation to Yom Kippur. There are the unintentional sins known as chataim, intentional ones known as avonos, and rebellious sins known as peshaim. Yom Kippur is a day of Atonement for all three of these categories of sin.
The question is asked: why then does the Torah here mention only the unintentional ones?
A second question can be raised about the redundancy in this verse. After it states that âFor on this day He shall provide atonement for you to purify you from all your sinsâ why must it go on to say âbefore G-d shall you be purifiedâ?
A third question: Why do we need to ask for atonement for the unintentional sins? Shouldnât the criterion for the need for forgiveness be intent?
Upon reflection we will see that the answer to the third question is also the key to answering the other questions.
The Anatomy of Sin
When we dissect the anatomy of sin, we discover that all three categories of sin, the unintentional, intentional and rebellious forms, derive from the unintentional ones.
To explain:
The entire concept of sin is problematic. We all possess a G-dly soul, a part of us that is in constant touch with G-d. How then can a person act in a manner that contradicts his or her very essence? This, indeed, is what the Zohar wondered in commenting on the verse âA soul who will sin.â How can a soul sin?
The answer is in the second soul that we possess, an Animal Soul. The Animal Soul blocks the influence of the G-dly soul and is responsible for our penchant to forget about our relationship with, and our essential identity of, our G-dly soul. Indeed, we are taught that the very root of sin is forgetfulness. We forget who we are. We forget that G-d is continuously creating the world. How could we possibly transgress when we know that our entire existence is G-dâs energy?
Thus, when a person commits a sin unwittingly it is because of forgetfulness. It is a sign that oneâs Animal Soul has desensitized us to G-dâs will. This is why a person who commits an unintentional sin must seek atonement. The atonement is not for the sin itself but for the desensitization process that allowed the person to forget.
How does one become desensitized?
It does not happen overnight. All our materialistic engagements and hedonistic pleasures create barriers that curtail and obstruct the G-dly soulâs light. At first, the barrier is like a see-through curtain, then translucent and ultimately opaque.
Once the Animal Soul dominates, we can degenerate into intentional transgressions motivated by desire and lust. From there it may even sink further until we can become rebellious.
But if we trace the most egregious behavior to its source, we will discover that it derives from the Animal Soulâs influence that causes us to forget who we truly are. Forgetfulness is the root of all evil.
We can now answer the question about the redundancy:
After informing us that G-d will provide atonement for us for our unintentional sins, the Torah adds that we can thus be purified from all our sins. When G-d forgives and purifies us He enables us to access our G-dly soul. Once we are no longer desensitized, then we are cleansed of all our sins, including the intentional ones.
Missing the Mark, Not Sin
The Chassidic work, Knesses Yechezkal offers a novel way of interpreting this verse that answers the questions posed above.
The Hebrew word for sin, cheit, does not really mean sin, but rather âlack,â âdeficientâ or âshort of the mark.â
When the Bais Hamikdash stood, it was easy to be inspired to do Teshuvah. The people were elevated just by virtue of living in the Holy Land. They were elevated even more when they came to the Bais Hamikdash and witnessed the daily miracles there, especially on Yom Kippur, when they witnessed how the scarlet ribbon would turn white to indicate that they were forgiven, among other signs.
But now that the Bais Hamikdash is absent, we too have become diminished. We can no longer see G-dliness the way our forebears did. We no longer see miracles, especially the ones that occurred on Yom Kippur, the way our ancestors did. Itâs no wonder that we have become deficient, fallen short of our mark and transgressed.
Accordingly, the foregoing words âfrom all your sinsâ can be reinterpreted: They do not refer to sin, but rather they refer to the deficiencies we experience that provide us with some measure of justification for our transgressions in general.
This is how the verse should be retranslated:
ââFor on this day He will atone for you to purify you because of all that you are lacking.â
The reason G-d will purify us is that we have been deprived of the sources of holiness that would have prevented us from sinning. It is because of our exile that we transgress.
This idea that G-d will forgive us because of what we are lacking is rooted in the Talmud, which states that the Yetzer Hara is one of the things G-d regrets having created. This means that G-d Himself accepts the defense that exile conditions made it possible for us to sin.
However, this idea sounds rather strange. If this is a valid defense, why do we need to do Teshuvah? And why does it work specifically on Yom Kippur? And it is quite ironic that when the Bais Hamikdash stood, it brought atonement. And now that we donât have a Bais Hamikdash, that too brings atonement. How could both having and not having a Bais Hamikdash effect atonement?
A Caveat
The answer lies in the caveat suggested by the Knesses Yechezkal, who interprets the end of the verse which responds to our concerns; there is a catch to this defense:
We can implicate the lack of the Bais Hamikdash as a source of atonement, but only if we truly feel the pain of its absence. When a Jew feels that he or she cannot fully enjoy life when G-dâs presence is absent â due to the lack of the Bais Hamikdash - then G-d will purify us because He realizes that our transgressions are a symptom of exile. When we experience the hole in our hearts created by the absence of the Bais Hamikdash, it cleanses us.
This, then, is what the verse means when it adds:
ââŚbefore G-d you will be purified.â
It is a fundamental fact in our faith that G-d knows our innermost thoughts and aspirations. When G-d sees the feelings in our heart, as only He can, that the absence of the Bais Hamikdash truly bothers us, then we will be purified; it will be clear that our transgressions are a product of exile.
We may add to this thesis that our passion for Moshiach and the Bais Hamikdash places us in the Bais Hamikdash. As the Baal Shem Tov taught, a person is situated where his will is. If we crave the Bais Hamikdash enough then we are there and enjoy its purifying energy.
When Yom Kippur arrives, and we feel the absence of the service the way it was practiced in the Bais Hamikdash, it awakens in us a powerful desire and yearning for Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdash. That is the force that transports us to the Bais Hamikdash and is the source of our atonement and purification.
Rationale for Exile
This explanation by the Knesses Yechezkal will shed light on the prayer that we say on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and other major Holidays: âBecause of our sins we were exiledâŚâ
The prayer is meant to explain that our prayers are substitutes for the Festival sacrifices that were brought in the Bais Hamikdash.
The question is asked:
If exile is a punishment for our sins, why are we still in exile? Havenât we suffered enough to have expiated the sins of our ancestors?
The answer provided by Chassidic thought is that, prior to the exile, the holiness of the Land of Israel and the Bais Hamikdash itself sufficed to refine the rest of the world. Their powerful holy light spread throughout the world. However, as our sins caused the light of the Land of Israel to diminish we are compelled to bring the light, directly, to each place individually.
However, in light of the Knesses Yechezkalâs thesis we may suggest an additional reason for this prayer by which we present a defense for our transgressions. We say to G-d that we have become desensitized because we no longer have a Bais Hamikdash. And we therefore beseech Him: âBring us Moshiach, rebuild the Bais Hamikdash, dwell in our midst and we will no longer sin.â
However, for this justification to be effective we must feel the pain of being deprived of the Bais Hamikdash and the revelation of G-dliness. Moreover, as mentioned, the very fact that we crave Moshiach and Redemption is a sign that we are already in that state of purity and holiness and can avail ourselves of the atoning and cleansing properties of the Bais Hamikdash.
But when if feel comfortable in exile and donât clamor for Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdash, then we have failed to deserve the very power of atonement we need. We ask for Moshiach not just to rid all the suffering from this world, but to purge it of all iniquity and bring purity and holiness to ourselves and the entire world.
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NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH â 5784
MOSESâ GOING
Where Did He Go?
The second of the two Parshas we read this week, Vayeilech, begins with the following verse, one that describes the final words of Moses to the Jewish people:
âMoses went and he spoke the following words to all Israel.â
Commentators have been puzzled at the meaning of the word âVayleiechâ-and he went. The Torah fails to explain where Moses went. Dozens of explanations have been offered to explain this enigmatic word.
The Midrash Tanchuma states that the words âhe wentâ are an expression of rebuke.
This too needs clarification. How does Mosesâ going indicate that he was offering words of rebuke to the people?
Second, how do these words connect to the rest of the verse: that he âspoke these words to all of Israel.
Actions Are Louder than Words
The work Aryeh Shaâag explains this by referring us to a common expression in Ethics of the Fathers that introduces the teaching of a certain Sage with the introductory words: âHe used to say.â The deeper meaning of these words is that this Sageâs very being would speak as loud as words. The Sageâs comportment itself can serve as a powerful lesson in ethics without the need to say anything. A righteous and ethical personâs very behavior dramatically expresses his values and is the best form of rebuke.
If we want to influence others there are two approaches:
The first, and most common way to do so, is verbal. To make the speech more effective many speakers will employ all sorts of rhetorical devices, from a âfire and brimstoneâ form of delivery to engaging stories and parables. The inadequacy of this approach is that the harsh style can turn people off, and the more engaging style might be too mild to have an impact.
The more effective approach, however, is to be a living model of righteousness. One does not have to worry that your words will be overbearing and insulting or that they will lack emotion or empathy. Leading by example is the most effective form of rebuke and the least likely to backfire.
Thus, the Torah states that when Moses just walked, he expressed his noble character and holiness. Without having to say a single word of rebuke, he spoke volumes.
Thus, the Midrash Tanchuma states that the words âMoses wentâ are words of rebuke. Mosesâ mere walking served as the greatest lesson.
The question can still be raised, why didnât the Torah make this case for Moses before? Why did the Torah wait for his last day on earth to teach us that Mosesâ mere going about served as a source of rebuke? And how, specifically, does Mosesâ âwalkingâ serve as a source of rebuke?
Perhaps, the fact that Moses, knowing that this was his last day on earth was the greatest form of rebuke to all of us. No matter how old we are and no matter how high we may have climbed, we must never stop growing in our spiritual lives.
But a question remains:
How does Mosesâ desire for continued growth relate to the words that follow:
âI am a hundred and twenty years today and I cannot go out and come back for G-d has said that I cannot cross the Jordan.â
These words appear to contradict the notion of growth. Here Moses states that he cannot go out.
True Growth
The answer to this question we can find by offering a different explanation of Mosesâ going and how it connects with Mosesâ speech.
In the Passover Haggadah: we find the introductory words to the Four Sons: âA wise person what does he say?â âA wicked person, what does he sayâ? âA simple person, what does he say?â The Previous Rebbe provided an alternate translation of these words: âA wise person, what he is, he says.â This means that the words of a wise person reflect who he truly is. Similarly, the wicked and simple personâs wickedness and simplicity are reflected in their words.
The same can be said of the Mishnaic expression cited above, âHe used to say.â This can be interpreted to mean that whoever he is he would say. The speech of the sage reveals who he truly is. Speech reveals the inner essence of the speaker.
After the Torah states that Moses âwent,â to suggest that Moses did not stop growing in his spiritual life despite this being the last day of his life on earth, the Torah then explains how we know that Moses continued to grow. What did he do to demonstrate that? The answer lies in Mosesâ next words:
âI am a hundred and twenty years today and I cannot go out and come back for G-d has said that I cannot cross the Jordan.â
When we study these words, we can see how they reflect Mosesâ devotion to constant growth, ironically when he was told that he will not go on to cross the Jordan. Even when he was about to cease living and growing, his speech reflected the opposite, an obsession with growing.
This can be seen by analyzing Mosesâ message.
At first glance Moses acknowledges that he cannot move on to the next phase of life for the Jewish people, that of crossing the Jordan. Yet, contrarily, Mosesâ acceptance of G-dâs decree was the ultimate form of movement and growth. Mosesâ inability to cross the Jordan was not due to his own decision to stop growing or because he was too frail or that he no longer had the impetus to grow. On the contrary, he was doing what G-d wanted of him. When G-d tells you to stop growing and you accept G-dâs command despite your passion to do otherwise, that is the ultimate form of growth.
A Quantum Leap
To explain:
True growth is when we make a quantum leap from our earlier position. If our growth is incremental, it is not truly growth in the ultimate sense of the word, because our new position is within reach of our original position. Only when we jump to a higher level, completely out of reach of our former position, does that rate as true growth.
How does one make that quantum leap?
When we grow by surrendering our passion, because it is G-dâs will for us to do so, when we break out of our mold and leap to the higher level, that is what constitutes true growth. Mosesâ mold was one constant growth and movement. To break out of that mold paradoxically was the ultimate form of growth.
Thus, the Torah explains that the reason Moses will not cross the Jordan was not because he didnât want to or that he thought that he couldnât because of his old age and infirmity. On the contrary, Moses wanted nothing less than to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land; it was his greatest passion. His not crossing the Jordan was strictly due to G-dâs telling him that he could not. Moses was looking past his own desire and obsession to grow incrementally to conform to G-dâs will and thus, leap to an infinitely higher level.
The Fiftieth Gate
The fact that this happened on the day that he departed is tied in by the statement of our Sages that Moses achieved the 49th level of understanding and craved for that transcendent 50th level. Only on the day that he passed away was he able to achieve that level. Mosesâ exponential growth up to the 50th level was only possible through his acquiescence to G-dâs will that he remain behind while his people cross the Jordan.
We are taught that when Moshiach comes we too will be exposed to the 50th level. To hasten that process of growth it behooves us to make our own lesser quantum leaps, and rise above our comfort zones in the quest to fulfill G-dâs will.
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KI SEITZEI â 5784
MOSHIACH AND ELIJAH
Sending Away the Mother Bird
One of the commandments featured in this weekâs parsha (Ki Seitzei) deals with a person who chances upon a nest of birds with their mother crouching above them. If you want to take the birds, you must first send away the mother bird.
The Midrash comments on this commandment:
What does it mean that you shall send away the mother?
If you have fulfilled this Mitzvah you will hasten the coming of the King Moshiach, concerning whom the expression of âsendingâ is written, From where? âFor it is stated, âWho send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.â (Isaiah 32:20). The reference to the donkey as Moshiach is based on the verse that Moshiach will come riding on a donkey.â (Zecharia 9:9)
Alternatively: R. Tanchuma said, If you have fulfilled this Mitzvah you will hasten the coming of Elijah the prophet of whom the term âsendingâ is written. As it is stated, âBehold I send you Elijah the prophet. (Malachi 3:23) And he will come and comfort you, From where [do we know this?] âFor it is stated, âAnd he will reconcile the hearts of father to the sons.â
The connection to the theme of âsendingâ can be explained considering the idea that Moshiach and Elijah are charged with a mission. The Rebbe pointed out that the word Moshiach is the numerical equivalent of the word shliach-messenger plus 10. This means that Moshiachâs mission is all-encompassing; it permeates all the 10 facilities of his soul.
But the question is: what is the connection between the Mitzvah of sending away the mother bird and the sending of Moshiach and Elijah?
The Mother of Redemption
The Chassidic work Noam Megadim found the connection to the meaning of the commandment to send away the mother in the word for mother, ××-ame, which consists of the letters aleph and mem. These two letters stand for Elijah ××××× and Moshiach-×׊××. Likewise, the exodus from Egypt was facilitated by -××ר×-Aaron and ×׊×-Moses. And likewise, the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman came through -×ץתרEsther and -×ר×××Mordechai.
The deeper connection between the theme of sending away the mother bird is that the mother bird represents the Shechinah, the Divine presence that has been sent away from her children in exile. And just as the mother bird feels compassion for her children, so too G-d will feel compassion for the Jewish people and take them out of exile.
Why Both?
We still must understand why there is a need for both Moshiach and Elijah.
The simple answer is that Elijah will be the one who will announce the coming of Moshiach and will pave the way for his coming by bringing the fathers and sons together.
But this explanation is not adequate because the Midrash mentions Elijah after Moshiach, which suggests that Elijah will have a separate function other than paving the way and announcing the coming of Moshiach.
Your Light and Your Truth
We can find a solution to the issue of the Midrash mentioning both Moshiach and Elijah by citing two conflicting interpretations of a verse in the book of Psalms (Psalm 43:3): âSend forth Your light and Your truthâŚâ
Rashi interprets the light as a reference to Moshiach and the truth as a reference to Elijah. The Midrash, however, reverses it: Moshiach represents the truth while Elijah is the light.
[Note that the expression of sending is mentioned here also [âsend forthâ] which connects this verse to the other two verses cited above that allude to Moshiach and Elijah.]
That Moshiach is described as light is understandable. Rashi quotes the verse (Psalms 132:17): âI will prepare a candle for My anointed one.â In addition, Moshiach will lead the construction of the third Bais Hamikdash, which is referred to as the âlight of the world.â But why is Elijah described as truth?
The following is based on a talk of the Rebbe:
The definition of the Hebrew word for truth, emes, means much more than just the opposite of a lie. Emes, the Jerusalem Talmud explains, means absolute consistency; that the ideal you represent is consistent from the beginning through the middle to the end. Indeed, as the Talmud explains, the word emes consists of the first, middle and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
This description applies to Elijah who never died. He ascended to Paradise with his body and returns in every generation to perform various missions such as saving people and even teaching Torah to the Sages as recorded in the Talmud.
This may explain why our Sages stated that Elijah will be the instrument through which the dead will be brought back to life in the later stages of the Messianic Era. The great 20th century sage and prolific author, R. Yoseph Engel, explains that Elijah is empowered to do that because he himself defied death.
This power possessed by Elijah is the hallmark of emes.
We might add that it is Elijahâs possession of the power of emes that will enable him to âreconcile the hearts of fathers to the sons.â The world that we inhabit presently, is a world of inconsistency; a world where generation gaps are the rule not the exception. Where the values of one generation are not passed down to the next generation. That is the antithesis of emes. Elijahâs personification of emes-consistency, will reverse that trend and restore the heart of the children to their parents and the parents to their children.
Connecting Moshiach to Truth
The other Midrashic source that ascribes light to Elijah and emes to Moshiach can be explained in the following manner:
Elijah, according to several sources, was the same person as Pinchas, a Kohain, whose role it was to kindle the Menorah in the Bais Hamikdash. Hence, Eijah is the source of light.
Moshiach is identified with Emes because, according to Nachmanides among others, Moshiach will live forever, introduce eternal life to all and resurrect the dead.
According to this opinion, Moshiachâs soul transcends the soul of Adam, whose transgression brought death to the world. Moshiachâs soul, which is greater than
Adamâs soul, and which was unlike the rest of humanity, was not tainted by the sin of the Tree of Knowledge and its consequence: death. Hence, Moshiach himself represents the ultimate form of emes, because his soul cannot be corrupted by sin and therefore eludes death.
It may be suggested that both Midrashic versions address the Psalmâs moniker of âemesâ in relation to the ultimate goal of the Messianic Age and of the very existence of the universe.
There is a dispute between Maimonides and Nachmanides concerning this matter. Maimonides maintained that the objective of life and its ultimate reward was for the soul be divested from the body. In that state, o it can bask in the most sublime G-dly light unhindered by the corporeal body. As such, everyone, including Moshiach will die after enjoying long life. Even before the world experiences that divestiture of the soul, Moshiach will pass away and be succeeded by his descendants.
Therefore, according to Maimonides, the trait of emes cannot be ascribed to Moshiach because Moshiach, like everyone else, will pass away.
Nachmanides, as agreeing with the preponderance of opinions, maintained that the ultimate reward will be eternal life where the soul and the body will coexist in the most harmonious way and Moshiach will never pass away. Thus, the Midrashic version that ascribes emes to Moshiach.
We can now understand the Midrash that associates the sending away of the mother bird with Moshiach and then with Elijah. This Midrash follows the approach that accords a special status to Elijah that even Moshiach does not possess, the trait of emes in the most radical version of the word. That trait can only be ascribed to Elijah.
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RâEI â 5784
TRUE LOVE
Itâs a Test!
If there will arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of a dream, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
And the sign or the wonder of which he spoke to you happens, [and he] says, "Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us worship them,"
You shall not heed the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of a dream; for the L-rd, your G-d, is testing you, to know whether you really love the L-rd, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul.
The question has been raised, why does failing a test only indicate that the person does not love G-d with all his heart. Why isnât it also an indication that the person does not fear G-d? If a person feared G-d, and especially if he has reverence for G-d, he will certainly not worship other g-ds. Why does it take intense love for G-d to not succumb to the temptation to follow the false prophet who performed miracles?
The following is an explanation based on the work, Even Moshe:
Rationalizing Infidelity
If a personâs devotion to G-d was strictly a result of his fear or reverence for G-d, he still may have surrendered to the false prophetâs demands and worshipped other g-ds. A person may witness a false prophet perform a miracle and logically conclude that a miracle can only be performed by G-d. Therefore, it âprovesâ that G-d truly wants him to worship other g-ds. The fact that it contradicts other explicit commandments to not worship other g-ds will not faze him because he might reason that G-d may have made an exception.
This can be based on two premises as explained by Nachmanides in his commentary on the Torah:
First:
The Torah itself commands us to follow a prophet if he orders us to temporarily suspend one of the Torahâs commandments. There is one notable exception to that rule, as Maimonides explains: If a prophet orders a Jew to worship other g-ds even one time, the Jew may not do so, and the prophet is deemed a false prophet. However, it is quite possible that one will take the performance of a miracle as a sign that G-d truly wants to make an exception and wants the person to worship other g-ds on an ad hoc basis. The fact that this Jew fears G-d will not deter him because in his mind he is doing G-dâs will by listening to a prophet who channeled this miracle from G-d.
Second:
One of the religions that broke away from Judaism developed a belief in a human deity and still claimed to have maintained to be a monotheistic religion. The human mind is ingeniously capable of reconciling opposite beliefs by tweaking the religion. Instead of one indivisible G-d, the proponents of that religion created the notion that there can be a composite g-d. Judaism, however, rejects that notion and that the belief in a trinity is a total repudiation of the words we recite thrice daily, âHear O Israel, G-d is our G-d, G-d is one.â He is absolutely a non-composite unity, as Maimonides explains in the beginning of his magnum opus, the Mishneh Torah.
However, we can see how easily otherwise rational and even G-d fearing people could find ways of rationalizing this heretical and baseless belief, particularly, when they witness the false prophet performing miracles.
In stark contrast, a person who enjoys a passionate relationship with G-d will not make that rationalization. The best example of this would be for a married man or woman that hints to his or her spouse to commit an act of infidelity. If their relationship would be based strictly on fear of even respect, there could still be room for the spouse to rationalize that their partner doesnât care. Indeed, in our society there is an evil phenomenon of open marriages.
If, however, the marriage is based on genuine love, they would not allow their relationship to be compromised, even if the spouse would hint or even state explicitly that they would like their partner to engage in infidelity.
This interpretation is based on the Halachic ruling of the Maharik (R. Yoseph Kolon, 15th century Italian rabbi): In Jewish law, a wife that commits adultery is forbidden to remain with her husband. What if she thought that adultery was not a sin, she is still considered an adulteress and has to separate from her husband, because if she truly loved her husband she would not consider adultery even if she was convinced that it wasnât a sin. The prohibition of adultery is not just as sin against G-d it is a betrayal of the relationship. No hint or even explicit license would justify that betrayal.
Similarly, our relationship with G-d has been described, Biblically, as the love between husband and wife. That relationship was initiated at Sinai at which time we were âbetrothedâ to G-d for all eternity.
This premise has been cited as the basis for the juxtaposition of the words, âG-d is oneâ and âYou shall love G-d with all your heart and with all your soulâŚâ The philosophical work, Ikarim of R. Yoseph Albo, explains that maintain an unadulterated belief in one G-d is predicated on the love of G-d.
Based on the above, the work Divrei Shaul explains why, according to many opinions, the belief in a non-composite G-d is directed to the Jewish people exclusively. A non-Jew, who is also commanded to not worship idols as one of the Seven Noahide Commandments, is not enjoined to not believe in a composite G-d.
Only the Jewish people who enjoy a unique relationship with G-d can be expected to not compromise their relationship with Him even in the most subtle ways. Our understanding of monotheism is absolute and unadulterated.
The Renegade Rabbiâs Error
Acher, the renegade rabbi who rebelled against Judaism was asked why he doesnât do Teshuvah, return to G-d. His reply was that he heard a heavenly voice that said that he was a lost cause and could not return.
His error was that he interpreted that G-dly voice as a sign that his relationship with G-d had been severed and he could continue with his infidelity. In truth, it was G-dâs way of testing him to see if his relationship was based on love.
Nothing Else but G-d
On a deeper level, Chassidic thought explains that the notion of one G-d is more than just the negation of idolatry and a composite G-d. G-d is one is that their nothing else but G-d. All of existence is no more than manifestations of G-dâs creative power which is the essence of all existence. This belief, rooted in the verey words of the Torah, has become popularized in recent generations.
The reason for this more radical view of monotheismâs popularity in recent times is due to our close proximity to the Messianic Age, when the world will be filled with His presence; when we will all not only believe in that notion that there is nothing but G-d, it will be experienced by all of us.
And this ties in with another phenomenon of the Messianic Age: The marriage between G-d and the Jewish people will be consummated.
These two phenomena go together. Because our enhanced experience of G-dâs unity, we will enjoy an enhanced marriage with G-d. That reciprocal love, which was hidden in periods of exile, will become totally manifest in the days of Moshiach.
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OUT PATH TO REDEMPTION!!!
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