The Secret of the Lower Waters and the Path to Seeing Hashem

Lesson No. 22 | Lesson 1 - Thursday, Parashas Balak, 8 Tammuz 5755 (Continued from No. 21)

A profound discourse explaining the secret of the creation of Gehenna (Hell) and the dispute between the upper and lower waters. Through the story of Korach and On ben Peles, it is explained how nullifying pride and reaching the level of "Ayin" (nothingness) are the keys to meriting all salvations and seeing the face of Hashem.

The Gemara in Tractate Pesachim discusses the time of the creation of Gehenna. At one point, it implies from the scriptures that Gehenna was created before the creation of the world; at another point, it implies it was created on the second day; and yet another time, on the eve of Shabbos at twilight. The Gemara explains that before the creation of the world, only the "void" of Gehenna was created, similar to a person who builds a large oven but has not yet lit the fire inside it.

Before the creation of the world, everything was Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden). There was no sin whatsoever, and even that void of Gehenna was actually Gan Eden. On the second day of creation, the dispute began. The lower waters began to envy the upper waters and speak against them.

The Wisdom of Women Builds Her House

Similar to the lower waters, Korach also envied Elitzaphan ben Uzziel. The tribe of Reuven complained that the tribe of Yissachar was given precedence, and Dathan, Abiram, and On ben Peles joined the dispute against Moshe Rabbeinu.

However, regarding On ben Peles, the verse was fulfilled:

"The wisdom of women builds her house, but folly tears it down with her own hands."

The wife of On ben Peles told him, "I do not agree with this behavior!" A person needs to have an Eishes Chayil (a woman of valor) who will stop him from doing foolish things. When a woman sees that her husband is doing something that is not good, she has the right and the obligation to cry out and protest.

Korach had a wife who "did the will of her husband" even for a sinful matter, and he descended together with her into Gehenna. In contrast, On ben Peles had a wife who opposed him. She gave him wine to drink so that he would sleep for twenty-four hours, and thus he was saved from the dispute. For this reason, his name was called "On," because he sat in aninusa (deep mourning) all the days of his life and undertook fasts over the fact that thoughts of disputing Moshe Rabbeinu had ever entered his mind.

The Virtue of the Lower Waters and the Secret of "Ayin" (Nothingness)

Let us return to the dispute of the waters. The lower waters claimed, "Anan ba'ina lemehevei kodem Malka" (We want to be before the King). After all, "The whole earth is full of His glory"; Hashem is everywhere. The difference is that the upper waters see Hashem naturally, whereas the lower waters must work hard to merit this.

There is a person who is born with a great soul and sees Hashem easily, and there is a person who must toil for this. Yet, specifically because the lower waters worked and labored to see Hashem, they will ultimately merit to be on a higher spiritual level than the upper waters.

How does a person merit to see Hashem? Only when he transforms himself into "Ayin" (nothingness). If a person thinks he is worth something, he cannot see Hashem. There is no such thing. The entire essence of Rebbe Nachman and of all the tzaddikim is that a person should work on realizing that he is worth nothing. Consequently, he will not hold a grudge against anyone, he will not get angry, and he will not be jealous.

The moment a person becomes "Ayin," everything leaps toward him. His shidduch (marriage match) leaps toward him, his parnassah (livelihood) leaps toward him. This is what happened with Yitzchak Avinu. At the Akeidah (Binding of Yitzchak), he surrendered himself to be slaughtered and became "Ayin." Immediately afterward, when he went out to converse in the field and prayed, his shidduch leaped toward him. When a person sacrifices himself for the sanctification of Hashem's Name, all salvations leap toward him.

The Extinguishing of Gehenna and the Dance of the Tzaddikim

The Gemara states that Gehenna "has no eternal extinguishing." The question arises: Won't Gehenna be extinguished in the Future to Come? Rabbi Yossi explains that the word "eternal" (olamis) means: as long as the world (olam) exists in its current format. However, when the world is renewed at the Resurrection of the Dead, Gehenna will also be nullified.

How will Gehenna be extinguished? Regarding this, it is said:

"Those who pass through the valley of weeping make it a wellspring."

The entire essence of Gehenna is disputes, evil speech, and jealousy—this is the secret of Korach. But Korach himself, who cries out from Gehenna every Rosh Chodesh, "Moshe is true and his Torah is true," weeps tears of regret. With every such cry, he extinguishes another drop of Gehenna, until ultimately, Gehenna will be completely extinguished.

In the Future to Come, Hashem will enter into that very void of Gehenna and transform it back into Gan Eden. There, a dance will be held for the tzaddikim, and each one will point with his finger and say, "Behold, this is our God, for whom we hoped." This is the entire essence of the World to Come—songs, dances, and rejoicing of holiness. May we merit the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen.

Part 3 of 5 — Lesson No. 22

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