The Secret of the Song of the Cherubim and the Power of Melody to Purify the Soul
Class No. 245 | Cassette No. 245 Wednesday, Parashas Nasso, the eve of 4 Sivan 5760, class at the Shaarei Torah Yeshiva for Youth, Jerusalem, side A
An in-depth article explaining how the song of the Cherubim and holy melody are the key to nullifying the forces of evil and the evil inclination. Through the secrets of the Book of Ruth and the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, it is revealed that the true path to purity of thought and guarding one's eyes is through connecting to the song of the tzaddik.
When the Shechinah (Divine Presence) would rest upon the Kapores (the Ark cover), the Cherubim would begin to raise their wings, strike them together, and sing a song. And what song would they sing? "For Hashem is great and exceedingly praised; He is awesome above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols." The truth is that there are no nations, there are no idols, and there are no gentiles. Nothing is called truth besides our King; there is nothing but Him.
"You shall know this day and take it to your heart, that Hashem is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other."
The verse says: "Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust of the scales." What is the "dust of the scales"? In a pharmacy, there are scales that weigh milligrams. Every fifteen minutes they are cleaned of dust, because even a speck of dust has weight and affects the measurement. The nations are not even the dust of the scales; they simply do not exist.
The Roman Army is Like the Morning Mist
The Midrash tells of Rabbi Shimon, the son of Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, who saw an entire battalion of Romans. Each one of them was a giant like Og, King of Bashan. When he saw them, he became faint-hearted. He thought to himself, "Now they will conquer the entire land and destroy us all, Heaven forbid."
His friend, Rabbi Chiya, saw his fear and said to him, "Come to the market." When they arrived, he showed him flies standing on the fruit and said to him, "Do you see? The nations and the flies are the exact same thing." This is exactly how he viewed them—like flies, not even like lice. They simply do not exist; they are like the morning mist that fades away on its own.
This realization is only attained by one who hears the song. When a person sings the prayer and hears the song with his entire soul, he sees that there are no nations and there is no reality of evil whatsoever. All the wicked people and enemies that we see are actually our own sins. They are the demons that a person has created himself. But through song and melody, they are all destroyed.
The Secret of the Youths in the Book of Ruth
The holy Zohar on the Book of Ruth reveals an immense secret. When Boaz said to Ruth, "And you shall cling to the youths," he was referring to the Cherubim. The Zohar explains that wherever it is written "youths," the hidden meaning refers to the holy Cherubim.
"May the Angel who redeems me from all evil bless the youths."
These are Metatron and Sandalphon, the two Cherubim from whom all blessings flow. Ruth the Moabite wanted to convert, but in truth, she wanted to see the Cherubim and hear their song. She searched for the tzaddik who would open her ears so she could hear the song of the Cherubim emerging from the Tablets, and through this, she would be able to receive the Torah and guard her eyes in holiness.
The True Path to Purity of the Eyes
Rebbe Nachman says in Torah 72 in Likutey Moharan, that when a person turns his head away to be saved from forbidden sights and from the negative commandment of "Do not stray after your heart and eyes," this is only a temporary solution. In that second he is saved, but afterward, he is liable to stumble again. One day he doesn't have the strength to bend down, another day he is in sadness or brokenhearted, and then the restraint is loosened.
Of course, a person is obligated to keep the Halacha and turn his head, and he is forbidden to despair and say, "Since I have blemished again, I can no longer succeed." But in order to solve the problem from the root, to uproot the 'leprosy of the serpent' and the spirit of foolishness, one cannot settle for merely bending the head. We must have the song and the melody.
It is impossible to reach true purity without the tzaddik, who embodies the aspect of Boaz. Boaz merited holiness through his song and melody. The name "Boaz" contains the letters "Oz Bo" (strength is in him), and he is the one who transforms the 39 curses into 39 blessings, taking us out of the 49 gates of impurity into the 49 gates of purity. Only one who draws close to the tzaddik who has already been completely cleansed and hears only melodies and songs, can truly purify his blood.
Part 2 of 3 — Class No. 245
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