Parashat Ki Tisa - The Secret of the Galbanum: The Power to Bring the Redemption

The Secret of the Galbanum: Who Uplifts the Prayers?

The 'Meor Einayim' asks: Who is it that truly uplifts the prayers? Who is it that uplifts all the prayers of the Minyan? The 'Meor Einayim' says that there are eleven ingredients of the Incense (Ketoret), and the eleventh ingredient is the "Galbanum" (a spice with a foul odor).

The one who merits to feel that he is the "Galbanum," the one who merits to feel that he is the worst of all, he specifically merits to uplift all the prayers of the entire Minyan.

What Delays the Redemption

The Redemption is ready to come at any moment; our redemption, the redemption of the People of Israel, could be today! At this moment! This very second! If everyone would decide for themselves: "I am the lowest person in the world, there is no one lower than me." If one decides he is the lowest, then the Redemption arrives today.

Because what delays the Redemption is only our pride. A person lives in an illusion that he is more important than the other, more precious than the other, more understanding than the other, and this illusion is what delays the Redemption.

A person is a block of pride. From the moment a person is born, he is full of pride; he thinks he is the smartest and cleverest. He always seeks to be with the most important company, with the most important people, and even if he is among lowly and lesser people, he will say: "No! I am among the most important people! These are the most important!" Out of his pride, he imagines to himself that he is among the most important people and that he is the most important of all.

A person needs to know: I am the worst, the worst of the worst, and there is none lower than me, and I deserve nothing. I have no complaints against anyone—why don't they give me this? Why don't they appreciate me? Why is it like this and why do they treat me this way? I have no complaint at all.

The Tzaddik Who Would Not Enter the Minyan

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak would always tell of a great Tzaddik who was never late for the Minyan. Once it happened that he was half an hour late; he entered the synagogue and left, and only after half an hour did he return.

His students asked him: "What happened that you entered, left, and returned after half an hour?"

That Tzaddik answered them: "I do not enter to pray in the Minyan before I make a calculation that I am worse than every single person present in the Minyan! I am worse than this one and that one... this one recites more Psalms, this one cries, this one sheds tears in prayer, this one is a master of charity. I do not enter the Minyan until it is clear to me that everyone is better than I am! This person is patient and forgives his insult; this one sits all day with his Tallit and Tefillin, sitting and learning—whether he understood or didn't understand, he does not move from his four cubits! I always make this calculation that I am worse than everyone!"

The Tzaddik continued and told: "Today I entered the synagogue and saw someone who was known to have committed a certain sin in the city, and I was startled! I saw him and said—oy oy, how will I make the calculation that I am worse than him? After all, he committed a severe sin! Since I have a rule that I do not enter to pray without knowing I am worse than everyone, I left for half an hour! I tried to find a hundred possibilities of how I am worse than him and I couldn't!"

"I began to cry out to Hashem—Master of the Universe, now I cannot enter the Minyan! I have a rule that I don't enter the Minyan until I know I am lower than everyone. Suddenly an idea came to me: that if I had committed that sin, I wouldn't have come to pray at all! I wouldn't have come! I would have sat at home quietly for a few days until everything was forgotten. But he, even while the whole city is gossiping about him, strengthens himself and comes to the synagogue! He prays and cries out as if nothing happened. Such a thing I can no longer do; he is already better than me."

Humility - The Source of Joy and Vitality

The Rebbe says that humility and lowliness is not being a "shlimazel," it is not laziness! Humility and lowliness is believing that all my vitality is from Hashem, Blessed be He; every breath of mine is from Hashem. Every single breath I breathe is from Hashem, every word I speak is from Hashem! Hashem speaks from within me!

Lowliness is not being a shlimazel; it is not sleeping all day. On the contrary—lowliness is all the vitality, it is all the joy. The more lowliness a person has, the more he merits joy! More vitality! He is more energetic, he is more diligent.

Because one who is in pride has no vitality! Anything that doesn't go his way, anything that doesn't please him, he can no longer move! He has no joy! He is already despondent, he is already lying in bed. But a person who is full of lowliness and full of humility is at the peak of joy! Nothing stops him! He only seeks to give pleasure to Hashem, and nothing can stop him.

The Synagogue of the Redemption

The Holy Zohar says:
> "Through one city or one synagogue, the Redemption will be."

There could be one synagogue that will bring the light of Redemption. Who is this synagogue? Who is the synagogue that will bring the Redemption, bring Mashiach ben David, and bring the Resurrection of the Dead?

It is that same 'Bei Kenishta', that same synagogue where everyone comes with a truly broken heart, with true lowliness. Those people who pray in that synagogue are in true brokenheartedness and they feel that they are the "Galbanum" of all of Israel! They feel that their prayers do not ascend and they come to pray only because of Hashem's command! That congregation which is at the peak of a broken heart, at the peak of lowliness—that congregation will merit to bring the Redemption.