The Secret of the Letters of the Torah and the Refinement of Matter in the Future to Come
Class No. 259 | Cassette 259 Tuesday morning, Parashas Re'eh, 21 Menachem Av 5760 - at the yeshiva / Wednesday morning, Parashas Re'eh, 22 Menachem Av 5760 - at the yeshiva Thursday morning, Parashas Re'eh, 23 Menachem Av 5760 - at the yeshiva / Monday morning, Parashas Shoftim, 27 Menachem Av 5760 - in...*
All changes in creation, from the weather to a person's success, are dictated by the letters of the Torah and the novel Torah insights of the tzaddikim. In the Future to Come, the power of the Torah will bring about the abolition of wars and the complete refinement of the physical body, which will return to its spiritual level from before the sin of the Tree of Knowledge.
Regarding the verse, "He established the boundaries of nations according to the number of the Children of Israel" (Devarim 32:8), a tremendous foundational principle is brought down in Likutey Halachos (Even HaEzer): Everything that the Sages innovate in the Torah, combining its letters, creates the changes in the world each and every day. All natural phenomena—heat and cold, rain and drought—as well as all the changes in human life—who succeeds and who does not, who becomes wealthy and who becomes impoverished—everything depends on the letters of the Torah that each person learns.
The letters of the Torah are what raise up and bring down, elevate and crown. Hashem makes endless changes in creation at every moment and in every era, and everything depends on the Torah study of that generation. As we say in our prayers, "And in His goodness, He renews the act of creation every day, constantly"—all the renewals of the act of creation are accomplished through the tzaddik and the Torah. When a person draws close to the Torah and to the tzaddik, the tzaddik changes and transforms the entire creation for him.
Illuminating Study and Israel's Dominion in the World
Every event in the world depends on what the true tzaddikim expound and innovate in the Torah, because a person on his own, without the Torah, is like a dry tree that bears no fruit. But when the study is "sapphire and clear" (brilliant and lucid), when the Torah study truly illuminates, then Hashem changes the times and brings about novelties in the world.
Only when Torah study illuminates do the Jewish people merit to rule over the world. As the Rambam brings at the end of Hilchos Melachim (Laws of Kings), in the Future to Come, Israel will rule over the world. This concept is connected to a dispute brought in Tractate Shabbos (63a) regarding carrying weapons on Shabbos.
Weapons in the Future to Come - An Ornament or a Disgrace?
The Mishnah rules that a person is forbidden to go out on Shabbos into the public domain with a sword, bow, shield, club, or spear. However, Rabbi Eliezer disagrees and says:
"They are ornaments for him."
The Sages challenge him from the verse in Yeshayahu: "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Yeshayahu 2:4). If weapons are an ornament, why are they destined to be abolished in the days of Mashiach?
The Gemara presents two approaches to understanding Rabbi Eliezer's opinion. According to one approach, Rabbi Eliezer agrees with the Sages that in the Future to Come, weapons will be abolished. However, in the meantime, as long as there are wars in the world, they are considered an ornament and a symbol of victory. In the Future to Come, when there will be absolute peace, walking with a sword will be like a "candle at noon"—something superfluous and ridiculous.
According to the second approach, Rabbi Eliezer holds that weapons will not be abolished in the days of Mashiach, but will remain as splendor and glory until the Resurrection of the Dead. This approach aligns with the opinion of Shmuel, who says that there is no difference between this world and the days of Mashiach except for our subjugation to foreign empires.
The Dispute Among the Rishonim in Understanding the Days of Mashiach
The Rambam rules that wars will not be abolished immediately in the days of Mashiach, and that which is stated, "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid" (Yeshayahu 11:6), is a metaphor and a riddle for the peace that will exist between Israel and the nations. Nevertheless, the Rambam adds that we will only know the absolute truth when Mashiach arrives; then we will see eye to eye what was a metaphor and what was meant literally.
The Raavad disagrees and holds that these matters will be fulfilled quite literally—evil beasts will cease from the land and peace will be absolute. The Radbaz resolves the Rambam's approach, explaining that the verse "nation shall not lift up sword against nation" refers to the relationship between the nations of the world and the Jewish people. The nations among themselves might continue to fight over territories, but only the King Mashiach will be able to establish true peace between them.
The Refinement of Matter and the Abolition of Bodily Desires
The Maharal of Prague (in his book Netzach Yisrael, Chapter 5) expands on this matter and explains that even according to the one who says, "There is no difference between this world and the days of Mashiach except for our subjugation to foreign empires," tremendous changes will still occur in the world. The primary change will be the nullification of materialism. The body will become spiritual, and human beings will return to their holy level from before the sin of Adam HaRishon (the First Man).
The Maharal brings proof from the words of Rabban Gamliel in Tractate Shabbos (30b):
"In the future, a woman is destined to give birth every day."
The moment the body changes and becomes completely spiritual, the pangs of childbirth and the pain of pregnancy will be nullified. The curse of "in pain you shall bear children" came into the world only because of the sin of the Tree of Knowledge. Adam HaRishon (the First Man) performed an action that seemed small, but in doing so, he overturned the entire order of creation and spoiled the Divine plan for a perfect world in which "conception and birth occur simultaneously."
Bodily Desires Are Not Our True Nature
We must understand that this entire body, with all its myriad desires, is not the original will of Hashem, may He be blessed. People mistakenly think that desires are the "nature" of the body. But the truth is that the material body and its desires are the result of the corruption of creation. Each one of us was a soul that participated in the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, and therefore our bodies are born with blemishes and desires that draw us toward negative things.
Everything the material body demands—these are not true desires, but rather symptoms of an illness. This is similar to a sick child who insists on eating sweets and drinking harmful beverages. The mother does not allow him because she knows it will only worsen his illness. So too is the person who sinks into the lusts of eating and materialism—he is only making himself sick and destroying the order of creation.
Our role in the world is to rectify these corruptions. When a person breaks free from desires and stops believing that they are his true nature, he begins the healing process that will reach its perfection in the Future to Come, when we will merit a pure, spiritual body just like at the beginning of creation.
Part 2 of 4 — Lesson No. 259
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