Parshas Acharei Mos - The Secret of Connection and Ahavas Yisrael

The Two Ways to Draw Close to the Ultimate Purpose

There are two ways to break evil and draw close to the ultimate purpose. One way is through knowledge. To know, to learn, to understand, to draw conclusions, to make a spiritual accounting, to examine, and to see. This is essentially the straight line. However, the second way of drawing close to this truth is the exact opposite—through not knowing.

This is the moment when the true point of the heart awakens within us, when a person truly wants to pour out his heart to his Father in Heaven, connecting to Hashem and knowing that Hashem will never abandon him. He connects to emunah (faith) and he connects to the holy Torah, to all the wonderful things that delight the soul. He wants to linger in the supernal worlds and remain completely attached to Hashem. This is essentially the circle.

In order to attain joy, one must overcome the Sitra Achra (the Other Side). One must overcome the kelipah (spiritual impurity) and the earthiness of the physical body. Because the body is always tired; it only wants to eat, drink, and sleep. It possesses an evil eye and a narrow perspective, and all these things cause us sadness. When we engage in all sorts of physical, bodily pursuits, thinking that they will bring us happiness, we immediately sink and fall. Why? Because we become disconnected. This is called disconnection.

When a person derives pleasure outside the realm of holiness, he becomes disconnected. The motto is connection, and the greatest threat to connection is disconnection. One must hold on tight. When a person rides a bus and the bus takes sharp turns, he feels like he might fall, so he holds on tightly. If you ask someone, "How did you manage to hold on throughout your entire life?" he will answer, "I held onto the rope tightly the entire time; I didn't let go for a single moment."

Rabbi Nosson said to Rebbe Nachman, "Hold me very, very tightly. Even though I am holding onto you, give me your hand as well. So that I won't fall, hold me." Because the moment a person stops holding on, even for a second, the sudden turbulence of life causes him to fall. He might not even call it a fall anymore, because he fails to recognize it. This is especially true for young people, whose lives are flowing smoothly, everything is wonderful, and they haven't experienced many disappointments yet. But we see what happens in life—what happens to our parents, to everyone around us, to the entire Jewish people throughout history, and also what happens to us in between, and all sorts of similar things.

We know only one thing: A Jew does not have many different interpretations. He has only one interpretation: disconnection or connection. That is all. How can we connect to the fire and ascend upward—since the soul is a fire—and not sink into the dust below? How do we rectify all this evil? There are two ways to rectify it: one way is through knowledge, and the second way is the opposite of knowledge, through not knowing.

The Power of the Tzaddik to Atone

"And no man shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he comes to provide atonement in the Sanctuary, etc." (Vayikra 16:17)

Our Sages of blessed memory taught (Jerusalem Talmud, Berachos Chapter 1): "And no man" refers to the Supernal Man, etc. Understand well where the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) entered, and all this was to atone for all the sins, to rectify those who had fallen into the depths of the kelipos (spiritual impurities). And the true tzaddik is even greater than the Kohen Gadol who enters the innermost sanctum, as our Sages of blessed memory taught (Sotah 4a): "It is more precious than pearls—more than the Kohen Gadol who enters the innermost sanctum."

For there are sins that even the Kohen Gadol cannot atone for on Yom Kippur, as our Sages of blessed memory taught (Yoma 86a) that there are sins for which Yom Kippur suspends punishment and death provides the final atonement. However, the true Torah scholar can enter even deeper into the innermost realms and draw down atonement and tikkun (rectification) even for those sins.

"The wrath of a king is like angels of death, but a wise man will appease it." (Mishlei 16:14)

This means that there are iniquities that arouse the wrath of the King, Heaven forbid, to the point that even the atonement of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur is ineffective for them, leaving only the "angels of death." Their atonement is not completed until death, which is the concept of Yom Kippur suspending punishment and death providing the final atonement. However, "a wise man will appease it," because the true wise man, who represents the true tzaddikim, can rectify everything, if one merits to truly believe in them. (Likutey Halachos, Laws of Krias Shema 4:13)

The Mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael in Our Generation

The Gaon Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, the "Chazon Ish" zt"l, writes in his commentary on the Rambam, Laws of Character Traits: The mitzvah to "love your fellow as yourself" applies even to Jews who are not observant of the mitzvos, and even to transgressors, as they are included in the category of "your fellow." For our Sages taught us in Tractate Sanhedrin (52b) that even a wicked person who has incurred the death penalty, the Beis Din (Rabbinical Court) selects a "beautiful death" (an easier death) for him, because of the mitzvah to "love your fellow as yourself."

And regarding what our Sages said, that it is a mitzvah to hate transgressors (Pesachim 113b)—this only applies to someone who was rebuked properly and did not accept the rebuke. But in our times, when we do not know how to rebuke properly, every transgressor is considered as if he has not yet been rebuked. (As brought in Tractate Arachin 16b, in the name of Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, who said: "I wonder if there is anyone in this generation who knows how to rebuke"). Therefore, every transgressor is considered an "oness" (someone acting under compulsion), and it is a mitzvah to love him.

The Rambam rules similarly in the Laws of Character Traits (6:3): It is a mitzvah for every person to love each and every Jew exactly like his own body, as it is stated: "Love your fellow as yourself." Therefore, one must speak their praises and be careful with their money, just as he is careful with his own money and desires his own honor. And one who honors himself through the degradation of his fellow (who shames his fellow) has no portion in the World to Come.

He Who Dwells with Them in the Midst of Their Impurity

"He Who dwells with them in the midst of their impurity." (Vayikra 16:16)

The tzaddik Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apt zy"a, author of the "Ohev Yisrael," once traveled to spend Shabbos in a city in central Romania. In that place lived two wealthy homeowners whose houses were spacious and tastefully furnished. Both of them sought the great honor of hosting the "Ohev Yisrael" of Apt, the rabbi and luminary of the Jewish people, in their home.

The Tzaddik of Apta inquired about the character and deeds of these two homeowners. It became clear to him that one of them was not particularly meticulous in his observance of mitzvos, yet he was humble, modest, and did not flaunt his wealth. In contrast, the second wealthy man was known as a God-fearing Jew who beautified the mitzvos, but he would boast about his Torah learning and deeds to others. The Rav of Apta chose to lodge with the first homeowner (the humble and modest one), even though people gossiped about him that he did not distance himself from sin.

When the Tzaddik was once asked by his close associates why he preferred that lodging and passed over the home of the wealthy man who was known throughout the city as being meticulous in both light and severe mitzvos, the Rav replied to them: "That wealthy man is indeed clean of any sin, but since he is flawed with the trait of arrogance, the Gemara says about him: 'Hashem says: He and I cannot dwell together in the world' (Sotah 5a). And if Hashem, so to speak, cannot be in the same space as an arrogant person—how much more so applies to me!"

"However, the second wealthy man, who has the traits of humility and modesty ingrained in him, even though he occasionally stumbles in one sin or another—the Torah says about him: 'Who dwells with them in the midst of their impurity' (Vayikra 16:16). And if Hashem, so to speak, finds a place for Himself to dwell amidst the impurities of the Jewish people—certainly I too am permitted to be in such a lodging..."

To Immerse in Ahavas Yisrael (Love of Fellow Jews)

The tzaddik Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl was meticulous his entire life to immerse in the mikvah on the eve of Yom Kippur, before the Minchah prayer. Once, many chassidim gathered in his home, seeking to be blessed by their Rebbe ahead of the holy day, and the time for Minchah arrived. The tzaddik saw that he would not have enough time to immerse in the mikvah, because the time for the Seudah Hamafsekes (the final meal before the fast) was rapidly approaching.

He therefore stood up from his chair and bowed his head and body into the crowd of chassidim standing around him, as if he were immersing his body in a mikvah of water. The tzaddik did this three times, and then said to the astonished onlookers: "At the end of Tractate Yoma, the following verse from the prophecies of Yechezkel is brought: 'Mikveh Yisrael Hashem' (Hashem is the hope of Israel). According to the simple meaning, the prophet is saying here that Hashem is the hope of the Jewish people. However, our Sages expound this verse as follows: Just as a mikvah purifies the impure, so too Hashem purifies the Jewish people on Yom Kippur.

"Now, you must know that besides a mikvah of water, a person can purify himself in another 'mikvah of purity' called 'Yisrael': to draw his body and soul close to the entire congregation of Israel, and to feel true love for every single Jew. In such a 'mikvah of purity,' I have just immersed before you, and with this, I am ready and prepared to stand before the Creator of the Universe on the holy day that is approaching us for good."

A Prayer for Love of Friends

Please, grant us merit, O Creator of mountains, grace us with the charm of shepherds, with the love of friends. May we merit to fulfill "Love your fellow as yourself" with all our heart and soul, to find favor and bestow loving-kindness, to love with self-sacrifice.

"Set a guard, Hashem, for my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Tehillim 141:3).

So that I will not stumble in the utterances of my lips, lest I open my mouth against my brothers and friends, upon whose affection my salvations depend. May I merit before prayer to be included—in all the souls of Your people, the House of Israel, until the Redeemer comes to Zion. May I merit to set into the crown of the King of Kings, every precious stone of the children of kings, until the crown of the letters of the words takes flight even to the nations and foreigners, penetrating their hearts and converting righteous converts.

For Israel, the Torah, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, are one. And when Israel becomes one nation, each person included in his fellow, they become included in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.