The Secret of the Formation of Time: The Heart of the World and True Kindness

Class No. 220 | Cassette 220 Tuesday, Parashas Toldos, 30 Cheshvan 5760 - Pidyon HaBen (redemption of the firstborn son) in Har Nof, Jerusalem Thursday, Parashas Toldos, eve of 3 Kislev 5760 - Sheva Brachos (seven wedding blessings) at Shaarei Simcha Hall, Jerusalem

Time is not an absolute entity, but rather a dimension that is created anew every single day through acts of loving-kindness and charity. A fascinating discourse on the secret of the Heart and the Spring, and on the immense power of a mitzvah performed at the very last moment to grant life to the entire world.

On the third day of the seven days of the wedding feast, the power of the third beggar from Rebbe Nachman's Tales of the Seven Beggars shines forth—the beggar with the speech impediment (the stutterer). This beggar testifies about himself: "I do not have a speech impediment at all; rather, the words of the world that do not contain praises to Hashem lack perfection." Therefore, he appears to have a heavy mouth, because he is heavy-mouthed regarding these worldly conversations. But in truth, he is a wondrous orator and speaker, who knows how to speak in riddles and songs.

Rebbe Nachman reveals that the root of wisdom is hidden within song and melody, in the secret of the verse:

"Sing with understanding" (Psalms 47:8).

Through song, one becomes wise and understanding (Likutey Moharan 64). The more a person sings and plays music, the more wisdom he draws upon himself, until there is no creation in the world that will not want to listen to him. Within these riddles and songs, all the wisdom of the world is concealed.

Wise Like an Entire Day

In the story of the Seven Beggars (Tale 13), all the wise men gather, and each one boasts of his wisdom. One says that he is as wise as the day, because he can learn all the wisdom of all the generations in a single hour. He claims: "I am truly as wise as an entire day, where every minute contains new wisdom."

But then the beggar with the speech impediment answers him and asks: "Like which day are you wise?" The wise man replies that if he asks such a question, it is a sign that he is wiser than him. Why? Because the questioner understands that every day, every Shabbos, every Rosh Chodesh (New Month), and every Torah portion is an entirely new wisdom. Every minute, new wisdom is revealed in the world, until the end of all generations.

But why, in truth, is the questioner wiser? Because he is connected to that great man called the "Man of True Kindness." The Man of True Kindness is the one who actually creates time.

The Secret of the Formation of Time

We must know that time is not an absolute entity, but rather it is created. Time is a dimension in and of itself, and it is formed from true kindness. When one performs an act of true kindness and gives charity for the sake of Heaven, time is created.

Therefore, the one who asked, "Like which day are you wise?" is greater than the one who merely knows the wisdom of the days, because he is the one who creates the day! There is a tzaddik (righteous person) who creates the day, creates time, and creates the year.

On Rosh Hashanah, we create the new year, and every single day we bring this from potential into actuality, from concealment into revelation. Every day must be created anew through the actions we perform on the previous day. The one who creates the days, forming the seconds and the moments, is greater than the one who merely knows their wisdom.

The Heart of the World and the Spring

In the story of the Beggars, another secret is brought down: There is a mountain, and on the mountain stands a stone, and from the stone flows a spring. Everything has a heart, and the world as a whole also has a heart. The Heart of the World is a complete stature, and there is a tzaddik who is the Heart of the World (such as King David).

This Heart stands at one end of the world, and the Spring is at the other end. The Heart yearns for the Spring with an immense longing, crying out greatly to come to it, and the Spring also yearns for it. However, the Heart suffers from two weaknesses that burn it:

The first weakness is the burning sun; these are the lusts, the harsh judgments, the blemishes of the covenant, and the evil thoughts that burn a person. The second weakness is the yearning itself. The Heart truly wants to reach perfection, to know the Torah and the holy books, and from the sheer intensity of its yearning and soul-consuming longing for the Spring, it is burned. Every breath of a Jew is a desire to reach perfection, and this yearning alone burns him.

So that the Heart can rest a little from these two fires, there is a great bird that protects it. This bird is Torah and prayer, in the secret of the teaching of the Zohar:

"And if not for the wings of the lungs that blow upon the heart, it would burn the entire body" (Tikkunei Zohar).

The wings of the lungs, which represent the holy Torah, slightly cool the heart and allow it to continue yearning for the spring.

Last-Minute Charity

The heart cannot come close to the spring, because the moment it draws near and loses sight of the mountain's peak, its soul will expire. And if the heart were to depart, the entire world would be nullified, because the heart (the tzaddik) is the life-force of everything. Although the tzaddik himself lives and endures forever and is not dependent on a physical body, the existence of the world depends on him.

The time of the spring exists only in the merit of the heart gifting it one day. And when the day reaches its end and is about to finish, the entire world faces the danger of annihilation. In Heaven, they say, "There is no more day." Hashem looks and asks, "For whom should I recreate the world?"

At that exact last second, there is a Jew who performs a mitzvah. The tzaddik places a thought into a person's mind to go and perform an act of loving-kindness and charity in the final minute of the day. In the merit of this self-sacrifice and charity, Hashem says, "For this, I am willing to create another day."

The Man of True Kindness gathers these acts of kindness and gifts one day to the heart, and the heart gives it to the spring. Thus, through this last-minute charity, the new day is created. In truth, no day is to be taken for granted—every day, and every Shabbos, must be recreated anew through true loving-kindness.

Part 2 of 4 — Lesson No. 220

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