The Secret of Renewal: How to Turn Falls into Sublime Ascents

Lesson No. 250 | Cassette 250 Friday, Parashas Pinchas, 18 Tammuz 5760 - Bris at Chen Halls, Kiryat Sanz, Jerusalem Wednesday, Parashas Balak, 9 Tammuz 5760 - Affixing Mezuzahs * Wednesday, Parashas Chukas, 2 Tammuz 5760 - Chuppah (wedding canopy) in the Beis Yisrael neighborhood, Lesson 1

A person experiences descents and falls in his life that are meant to awaken him, but with the power of the tzaddik (righteous one), every crisis can be transformed into a wellspring of wisdom. Affixing a mezuzah symbolizes a person's inner, hidden spiritual work, through which he merits to recreate his world anew every single day and start from the very beginning, without any despair.

We are here in this world to bind father and son together as one, out of a deep understanding that every descent is ultimately for the sake of an ascent. This is why we travel to the tzaddikim (righteous ones), to Rachel Imeinu (our Matriarch), and to the holy Avos (Patriarchs), because they descend in order to elevate souls from the valley of tears. The tzaddikim know that we have fallen into the depths, that we have stumbled in terrible blemishes and in guarding our eyes, but we must know: "The more we fall, the greater the ascents we achieve through the power of the tzaddik."

When a person falls, he is liable to lose his emunah (faith) in the tzaddik and fall into despair. His fall stems from suddenly discovering that he is in a worse state than he previously thought. But in truth, all of these falls are just the tip of the iceberg compared to the true falls that could have been. When a person comes to the tzaddik and sees his own shortcomings, he might plunge into absolute despair, but the truth is that the fall merely shows him where he is truly holding, and now, through the power of the tzaddik, he will ascend to much greater heights.

From the Valley of Tears to the Wellspring of Wisdom

"Those who pass through the valley of tears transform it into a wellspring; even with blessings the early rain covers it."

When a person stumbles and falls, he finds himself in terrible dangers and descents, disconnecting from all the lifelines of holiness. It is comparable to a person whose veins have all been severed. Yet, the tzaddik immediately reconnects him and brings him into an even higher place. When a person weeps over his spiritual blemishes and sheds oceans of tears, he merits the aspect of "transforming it into a wellspring" – the wellspring of wisdom opens up for him, as it is stated, "And a wellspring shall emerge from the House of Hashem." Specifically through the falls, a person receives all the blessings and goes from strength to strength.

This was the mistake of the wicked Bilaam. He saw the Sin of the Golden Calf and thought that no nation had ever committed such a severe sin, and that they had abandoned their G-d. However, he did not understand that this very sin created free will. Without the yetzer hara (evil inclination), there is no free choice, and if there is no free choice, there is no reward. The greater a person's yetzer hara, the greater his reward. Therefore, a person must never let his spirit fall because of his descents; rather, he must only cling to the tzaddik and shed tears like water.

The Precise Balance Between Loving-Kindness and Judgment

Why do we say in prayer, "The King of Judgment"? Why doesn't Hashem conduct His world solely with chesed (loving-kindness)? The answer is that "if a person only experienced loving-kindness, he would sin and fall completely. He would say that everything is fine with him and forget his Creator." On the other hand, if he only experienced strict judgment, he would fall into absolute despair.

Therefore, Hashem gives a person a "drop of judgment" every day – sometimes he doesn't feel well, sometimes there is a difficulty at home. This descent is meant to break his pride. If a person only had ascents, he would become filled with immense arrogance. This measured judgment is actually a wondrous loving-kindness that keeps a person close to Hashem.

The Secret of the Mezuzah: Internalized Spiritual Work

Korach argued against Moshe Rabbeinu: "Why do we need a small mezuzah? I am wealthy; I will distribute entire Torah scrolls to every tent in Israel!" Korach wanted external displays, but he did not know that the essence of serving Hashem is internalization. The mezuzah is covered; it is not seen, it is hidden within the wall.

"The main thing is the spiritual work a person does in his innermost chambers where no one sees, and this is the secret of the mezuzah – internalized work." Affixing a mezuzah is like recreating the world anew. The word "Bereishis" (In the beginning) is composed of the letters that spell "Rosh Bayis" (head of the home). Every home where Torah is studied, guests are welcomed, and life is lived according to Halachah (Jewish law) is a new creation of the world. Whoever affixes a mezuzah can start his life completely anew.

Today I Was Born: Recreating Ourselves Every Day

We must strive to study Torah and pray out of a true connection. Even Hashem, as it were, engages in Torah and prayer. A person should not be afraid to open a Gemara (Talmud) or wake up early in the morning. What will happen if a person wakes up at four-thirty, goes to the mikvah (ritual bath), puts on tefillin, and finishes his prayer at six-thirty? What disaster could possibly come from that?

The greatest rule in serving Hashem is that everything starts anew every single day. It is forbidden to dwell on what happened yesterday – "Yesterday I didn't learn," "Yesterday I woke up late," "I forgot to put on tefillin." Every day is a new creation, a new incarnation.

"Hashem said to me, 'You are My son, today I have given birth to you.'"

King David walked with this principle that every day he was born anew, even though everyone pursued him and wanted to kill him – Shaul, Avshalom, Sheva ben Bichri. Even in the darkest situations, even in Auschwitz, a Jew says to himself: "I am still alive, I am breathing. Maybe I will survive, maybe I will open a yeshiva and spread Torah." Everyone has a mind and strength, and everyone just needs to decide that today the spiritual impurity has ceased and he is beginning to serve Hashem anew. "Every day is a new creation and a new birth, and everyone can ascend higher and higher."

Lesson No. 250