The Secret of the Infinite Light: The Power of Joy to Subdue Melancholy
Tuesday, Parashas Vayishlach, 13 Kislev 5764 - Distribution of Certificates at Shaarei Torah Part 2
An in-depth discourse on the path to attaining true awe of Heaven through joy, and on the secret of the Hidden Light that shines during Chanukah. The Rav explains how one can overcome sadness and imagined suffering by binding oneself to the tzaddik (righteous person) and attaining 'love within the mind' (a conscious, holy love).
The essence of serving Hashem is to attain awe and holy fear. Yaakov Avinu (our Patriarch Jacob) revealed that one can only receive true fear of Heaven through joy. It is impossible to enter the depths of awe of Hashem out of melancholy. A fear that is accompanied by melancholy and sadness is not a true fear of Hashem.
A person must constantly overcome his nature and remain in a state of joy, because human nature is naturally drawn toward melancholy and sadness. Sometimes a person thinks that through his melancholy he is becoming the greatest hidden tzaddik, but in truth, true fear of Hashem is achieved only through enthusiasm and expanded consciousness (mochin d'gadlus).
The Greatness of the Creator and the Light of Chanukah
"It is impossible to subdue illusions except through the greatness of the Creator" (Likutey Moharan, Torah 25).
When Rebbe Nachman delivered this teaching on Friday night, he burned with such a tremendous holy fire that he had to place a towel over his head so that his fire would not be seen. Anyone who looked at him could have been burned by the sheer intensity of the blaze, because his soul was receiving the light from the Ein Sof (the Infinite).
Reb Noson explains that the entire essence of Chanukah stems from the light of the Ein Sof. This light emanated from the Holy Temple, reflecting the concept of "Let there be light." The light was created before everything else, on the very first day of the Act of Creation. "Let there be light" corresponds to Avraham; "Let there be light" corresponds to Yitzchak; "Let there be light" corresponds to Yaakov. The light was initially created in holiness, and it illuminated from one end of the world to the other.
The Secret of the Whisper and the White Tallis
There are secrets that are transmitted in a whisper. Our Sages say: "Just as I told it to you in a whisper, so too must you say it in a whisper." It is forbidden to change the movement or the melody; everything must be passed down in that exact same whisper. Our Sages reveal to us that, as it were, Hashem wrapped Himself in a white tallis (prayer shawl), and His light flashed from one end of the world to the other, and then He said, "Let there be light"—and there was light.
Everything comes from the tallis, from the light that constantly shines within the tzitzis (fringes). When Hashem wraps Himself in a white tallis, He sees from one end of the world to the other. And this is exactly the light of Chanukah, the light of the Act of Creation, "And God saw the light, that it was good." Had our Sages not expounded this, we could never have deduced such profound concepts on our own.
Proportion in Life: Overcoming Imagined Suffering
Through the miracle of Chanukah and the light of Shabbos, we draw down the fire of holiness and nullify all sorrow. Rebbe Nachman says regarding all the sadness a person experiences: Unless you are undergoing surgery and having a limb amputated, what real sadness do you actually have? A person thinks he is suffering because someone spoke against him, or because he was fired from his job. This is merely imagined suffering.
True suffering is internal pain, like the pain of a woman giving birth. A woman bringing souls into the world endures terrible agony, crying out in pain, and this is true suffering. But you? What suffering do you really have? After all, you have Hashem, you have "Likutey Moharan" and "Likutey Halachos". All the evil inclination and suffering a person experiences stem solely from a lack of spiritual awareness (daas).
Love Within the Mind and Binding Oneself to the Tzaddik
In Torah 33, Rebbe Nachman explains the concept of "love within the mind." A person needs all of his loves—the love for his children, the love for his friends—to be rooted in holiness and in the awareness of Hashem. Regarding this it is said, "Either companionship or death." True friends are like the friends of Iyov (Job), who, even without a phone call or a letter, immediately sensed his sorrow.
When a person is in distress, he must know that everything passes. As it is written in Shir HaMaalos (Song of Ascents): "When Hashem will return the captivity of Zion, we will be like dreamers." All the suffering of the seventy years of exile will ultimately seem like a passing dream, and when the tzaddik appears and shines the light of the Ein Sof—all questions are answered.
Receiving a "Double Portion" Specifically During a Descent
A true student must personally feel all the ascents and descents of his teacher. Rebbe Nachman explains (Torah 66) that the aspect of a "double portion" can only be received specifically during the tzaddik's descent, which is considered an aspect of sleep. When the tzaddik is engaged in active spiritual work and ascent, it is impossible to receive the "double portion" from him. It is precisely when he is, so to speak, sleeping or eating, that he radiates to the world and one can receive his light.
Regarding this, Yaakov Avinu said: "How awesome is this place; had I known, I would not have slept." But in truth, he needed to sleep in order to draw down into the world the immense light he had received during the fourteen years he studied in the study hall of Ever without sleeping. Just as branches on a tree feel the nourishment drawn from the root, so too the student feels the tzaddik. The root does not draw nourishment equally throughout the year; there are times of winter dormancy and there are times when the sap rises in the trees, but it is all designed to bring forth new fruit.
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