The Secret of the Border Crossing and the Infinite Light Hidden in the Letters

Class No. 27 | Wednesday, 14 Tammuz (Continued from No. 26), Thursday, Friday, 15-16 Tammuz, Parashas Pinchas 5755

Arriving at the synagogue is compared to crossing an international border, where the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination) attempts to invalidate a person's "visa" and prevent him from entering. This article reveals the secret behind the difficulty of connecting to the words of prayer, explaining how the Infinite Light and immense spiritual treasures are hidden within every single letter.

The great principle in the Torah and in the virtues of the tzaddikim who walk before God is, "I have set Hashem before me always." The spiritual work begins the moment one wakes up in the morning, as it is stated: "He should strengthen himself like a lion to stand up in the morning for the service of his Creator, so that he awakens the dawn."

The Border Crossing at the Entrance of the Synagogue

One must know that coming to the synagogue is exactly like crossing a border. Rabbi Moshe Lipa of Chmielnik says that the entrance to the synagogue is like a border crossing between two countries. At a border crossing, they search for contraband and check passports. Just as a person trying to cross a border might have his visa or passport invalidated and be sent back—so too does this happen to a person on his way to the synagogue.

On the way, he suddenly feels regret, becomes confused, and thinks that perhaps it would be better for him to stay home. All of these confusions stem from the fact that a person listens to weakening thoughts, which disqualify him from coming to the synagogue. King David says:

"But as for me, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness I will enter Your house; I will bow down toward Your holy sanctuary in awe of You."

When a person arrives at the entrance of the synagogue, he is inspected from head to toe. Therefore, he must come with one clear thought: he is coming to do teshuvah (repentance). Rebbe Nachman says (Likutey Moharan, Torah 72) that the entire essence is to do teshuvah for bad thoughts, flawed contemplations, and forbidden sights, until he merits that the letters will illuminate within him.

Opening the Choked Throat

Sometimes a person feels that he is in a state of "my throat is parched." He cannot manage to get the words out of his mouth. It is brought down in the book 'Emek HaMelech' that the word "Garon" (throat) has the same gematria (numerical value) as three times the Divine Name 'Elokim'. When the Name 'Havayah' (the Tetragrammaton) does not illuminate, and the Name 'Elokim' is not connected to it, a person feels choked in his throat. The spiritual work is to connect the three times the Name 'Elokim' in the throat with three times the Name 'Havayah'.

Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz explains that when a person begins his spiritual work, he must first start quietly. Even if he is able to shout, he should begin with a quiet melody, say the words calmly, and slowly connect with the letters. From this low voice, he transforms into "Mayin Nukvin" (feminine waters, representing an awakening from below), and then he can elevate his spiritual service.

The Infinite Distance Between the Letters

Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz adds a tremendous foundational principle: naturally, no person truly has the desire to start. Why does he come anyway? Because he believes and knows that one must put on tefillin and one must stand before Hashem. But from the perspective of natural feeling, the desire is lacking.

The reason for this is that every single word is separated from the next by thousands of spiritual worlds, and every letter is separated from the next by thousands upon thousands of parasangs (miles)! Why is the distance between the letters so immense? As explained in Likutey Moharan (Torah 4), the Will of the Infinite One, blessed be He, is clothed within the letters. Within every single letter, the Will of Hashem, may He be blessed, and the actual Infinite Light are clothed. The holy Baal Shem Tov taught that the Infinite Light rests upon every letter.

Treasures of Millions in Every Letter

A person could go through his entire life with just one letter, with the tiny dot inside the letter Beis of the word "Bereshis" (In the beginning)! If a person would merit to purify himself, sanctify himself, and break free from his flawed thoughts, the Infinite Light would be revealed to him in every letter and in every dot. Since the Infinite Light is clothed within every letter, the transition from one letter to the next is a leap across an infinite distance.

Therefore, when a person begins to pray, it is difficult for him to have proper intention in the first words. Hours of preparation are required to merit reaching the Shemoneh Esrei prayer and to even know what is coming out of his mouth. The letters are literally the Infinite Light; they are treasures worth millions.

When someone tells a person, "Travel to America, maybe you will receive a million dollars there," he will hesitate. Why should he waste a week of his life on a doubt? But if they tell him that the million dollars are waiting for him right here, in the nearby hotel, he will run immediately. Such is our attitude toward the letters. In our eyes, it seems like a very distant concept that through the letters we will receive salvation, but the truth is that within the holy letters are found all wisdoms, all salvations, Chochmah (wisdom), Binah (understanding), and Daas (knowledge). Every letter is an immense treasure waiting for us to discover it.

Part 1 of 4 — Class No. 27

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