“Run to Me” p: 161

AyinBase with R' Paltiel Sunday 21 Iyar 5772  

Page 161 – at about 10 lines from the top of the page (line starts, 'simchat...') For text, see link top right of the blog. Or for text right click here.

The union of body and soul requires a supreme input to accomplish this. They are completely opposite and both have to undergo profound change. For example the body completely 'gives up on its natural tendencies' and becomes sensitive to the soul. The soul likewise though it might be in a state of great elevation, hasagah niflah – perception of, and union with infinity, yet still, the soul won't separate from the body and will revert back to its connection with the body and influence of the body.

This is seen in the Hebrew word for bride – kallah. It has 2 opposite associations. Kiloyon – going out in consuming love. Kaleh – prison, and bound with the body.

So the soul stays with the body, contrary to its own desire. After every 'running'. Striving towards Him. This is different from walking which is more measured. 

Running is not 'jumping', but is is a rapid striving for a goal. Unlike walking, you don't test each step... you disregard your previous stance and location and launch forward...

So the soul is running powerfully towards the infinite. Anything he had before does not compare to this goal. Yet no matter the strength of the striving and running the soul return back to his place.

Why? What brings the soul back to the body?

And this return is much more difficult than the running! Why is the return hard? 

Because when the soul is in a state of love and pleasure (ahavah betynugim) it is beyond sechel/mind and an experience of great pleasure and wonder! It is more pleasant to be in this state of pleasure and union, than to re-identify himself and return. Even though in this kilayon he is losing his own metziut/identity, nevertheless due to the pleasure it is easier it dive into that pleasure than to revert back and return.

The Alte Rebbe and Avaham ha Malach were once learning together and due to the level of their learning were in danger of expiration. The Alte Rebbe took a bagel with some butter and took a bite and gave some to his partner and this way the managed to return back to their bodies...

The return is that the soul puts aside his will and pleasure, to do His will and be dressed in, and remain in the body and fulfill His will. This is not a simple step...

The soul's running for G-d is not 'a personal desire'. The desire to rise higher and have real love, is not done for himself, but for Him. G-d calls for this. It is not satisfying a personal appetite.

G-d calls for us to serve Him with love and fear. So if the soul reaches a state of hasagah niflah it was due to the process of fulfilling His will... and so that is why the Rebbe tells us here that the return is a greater fulfillment of His will...

The return to the body is a move of even greater humility since the soul sets aside his desire in order to return to the body, and thus provide a greater fulfillment of His desire.

So the soul in its humility says, 'okay, you want me to remain here with this body that has no concept of what I am talking about..!' This is deep humility.

There was a teacher who would always compare the letter to something the children had seen. 'The aleph looks like a water carrier with his buckets... ' he would say. And he's teaching the holy language! He gets the child to relate to the form of the letter. The Rebbe wrote in his memoirs that 'wherever the child walked he would be reminded of what he learned in cheder'. So this is completely devoid of what the teacher really wanted to teach the children, but he's fully dedicated and puts aside his personal involvement to present something to the children that they can relate to. This is an illustration of 'hanachat ha-atsmuso' – putting oneself aside.

This humility comes from the essence of the soul (etzem haneshamah). And here we mean not the manifestation of the essence but the essence per se. It itself.