COME WITH ME - WE DON'T ENTER THE DARKNESS ALONE
Bo
The Zohar teaches us how Hashem led Moshe through the chambers of unholiness, taking him deeper and deeper, chamber within chamber within the realms of evil.
As he approached the Kelipah of Pharaoh, the great serpent, Moshe was frightened and could not advance further. Seeing Moshe’s fear, Hashem said “Behold I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great serpent that crouches in his streams…”, for only Hashem alone could wage war with this evil.
With this, the Zohar explains why Hashem said to Moshe בא אל פרעה - come to Pharaoh. As Hashem was sending Moshe to Pharaoh, He should have said לך אל פרעה - go to Pharaoh.
Hashem was not sending Moshe alone to face the great evil embodied within Pharaoh. Rather, He Himself was going to wage war against Pharaoh and was calling Moshe to “come” with Him.
The Neshama comes into this world as a Shaliach of Hashem to make the world into a dwelling place for the Divine presence. We do this through transforming and refining the physicality of the world, to become a vessel for G-dliness.
We do this through two modes of Divine service; Iskafya and Is’hapcha - suppression and transformation. Iskafya refers to pushing away negativity and evil, supressing materialism and evil and our desire for it. The service of Iskafya is necessary when we are challenged by temptation and struggle with desire. We must push these away and distance ourselves from them
Whilst necessary, this is not the ultimate service. Hashem desires a dwelling place in the most spiritually distant space; that even the darkness becomes a vessel for G-dly light. We cannot achieve this through running away from physicality and negativity. The ultimate is to engage with physicality and negativity and transform it; from dark to light and from bitter to sweet.
In Tehillim we read סור מרע ועשה טוב, “turn away from evil and do good.” The Baal Shem Tov explains the inner meaning of this verse, which encapsulates the totality of our Avodah in this world. The word עשה meaning “do”, also means “to make”. At the start of our Avodah we must “turn away from evil”. But the ultimate is when we take that evil and “make it good”.
But how can we be asked to engage with negativity and ? Every morning we pray that Hashem not bring us to spiritual challenges and one who knowingly places themselves in the face of a spiritual challenge, is liable for their failure.
If even Moshe Rabbeinu was afraid to face the great evil of Kelipah, how can we be expected to not only face the Kelipah but transform it?
In the Gemara, Rav Yitzchak taught that Rachav was so beautiful, that one who merely mentioned her name would be overcome by desire and temptation. On hearing this teaching, Rav Nachman responded that he has mentioned her name and is unaffected. Rav Yitzchak qualified his teaching that it only applies to “one who knew her יודעה and has recognised her”.
This story can be understood as a metaphor for the desires, allure and temptation of physicality and materialism. The word ידע also means to create a deep, intimate attachment.
When do we have to fear? When we are attached down below to a material existence. But when instead of “knowing” the world of physicality, we are deeply attached to Hashem, as reflected in the verse דע את אלקי אביך, we have nothing to fear.
This deep bond of “knowing” Hashem is achieved through the study of Torah, with the deep awareness and feeling that the words of Torah are the wisdom and words of Hashem.
When we enter and engage with the world but connected Above, we are not “going to Pharaoh” - alone. Instead, we are “coming” with Hashem and with His power. Just as Hashem certainly fears nothing because everything is like nothing before Him, when we are connected, we can face any snake and transform even the darkest place into a reflector of the greatest light.
~ Based on the Maamar of Basi Legani 5783
As he approached the Kelipah of Pharaoh, the great serpent, Moshe was frightened and could not advance further. Seeing Moshe’s fear, Hashem said “Behold I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great serpent that crouches in his streams…”, for only Hashem alone could wage war with this evil.
With this, the Zohar explains why Hashem said to Moshe בא אל פרעה - come to Pharaoh. As Hashem was sending Moshe to Pharaoh, He should have said לך אל פרעה - go to Pharaoh.
Hashem was not sending Moshe alone to face the great evil embodied within Pharaoh. Rather, He Himself was going to wage war against Pharaoh and was calling Moshe to “come” with Him.
The Neshama comes into this world as a Shaliach of Hashem to make the world into a dwelling place for the Divine presence. We do this through transforming and refining the physicality of the world, to become a vessel for G-dliness.
We do this through two modes of Divine service; Iskafya and Is’hapcha - suppression and transformation. Iskafya refers to pushing away negativity and evil, supressing materialism and evil and our desire for it. The service of Iskafya is necessary when we are challenged by temptation and struggle with desire. We must push these away and distance ourselves from them
Whilst necessary, this is not the ultimate service. Hashem desires a dwelling place in the most spiritually distant space; that even the darkness becomes a vessel for G-dly light. We cannot achieve this through running away from physicality and negativity. The ultimate is to engage with physicality and negativity and transform it; from dark to light and from bitter to sweet.
In Tehillim we read סור מרע ועשה טוב, “turn away from evil and do good.” The Baal Shem Tov explains the inner meaning of this verse, which encapsulates the totality of our Avodah in this world. The word עשה meaning “do”, also means “to make”. At the start of our Avodah we must “turn away from evil”. But the ultimate is when we take that evil and “make it good”.
But how can we be asked to engage with negativity and ? Every morning we pray that Hashem not bring us to spiritual challenges and one who knowingly places themselves in the face of a spiritual challenge, is liable for their failure.
If even Moshe Rabbeinu was afraid to face the great evil of Kelipah, how can we be expected to not only face the Kelipah but transform it?
In the Gemara, Rav Yitzchak taught that Rachav was so beautiful, that one who merely mentioned her name would be overcome by desire and temptation. On hearing this teaching, Rav Nachman responded that he has mentioned her name and is unaffected. Rav Yitzchak qualified his teaching that it only applies to “one who knew her יודעה and has recognised her”.
This story can be understood as a metaphor for the desires, allure and temptation of physicality and materialism. The word ידע also means to create a deep, intimate attachment.
When do we have to fear? When we are attached down below to a material existence. But when instead of “knowing” the world of physicality, we are deeply attached to Hashem, as reflected in the verse דע את אלקי אביך, we have nothing to fear.
This deep bond of “knowing” Hashem is achieved through the study of Torah, with the deep awareness and feeling that the words of Torah are the wisdom and words of Hashem.
When we enter and engage with the world but connected Above, we are not “going to Pharaoh” - alone. Instead, we are “coming” with Hashem and with His power. Just as Hashem certainly fears nothing because everything is like nothing before Him, when we are connected, we can face any snake and transform even the darkest place into a reflector of the greatest light.
~ Based on the Maamar of Basi Legani 5783