From: aaron@kesher.UUCP (Aaron Schmiedel)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: BEIS CHABAD #146
Date: 12 Aug 92 14:16:51 GMT
Organization: KESHERnet International - Dallas, TX



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Beis Chabad 
- A Weekly Newsletter Inspired by the Talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Sh'lita -

Parshas Chukas - Volume 1, No 46 


===================================================================== 
The Bond Between Body And Soul 
===================================================================== 

The Parsha entitled Chukas begins by setting out the laws for the purification 
of an individual who has become ritually defiled by coming in contact with a 
corpse.  This defilement is called tumas meis. 

In relation to this the Midrash recounts the following incident.  When Moshe 
became aware of the degree of defilement that comes about through tumas meis, 
he asked G-d: "If a person becomes so defiled, how is he to attain 
purification?"  Even after G-d answered him, "They shall take for the impure 
person from the ashes of the burnt atonement offering...," Moshe was still not 
completely satisfied, asking G-d, "Is this indeed purification?" 

Why was Moshe so troubled by the difficulty of achieving purification from 
tumas meis?  We find that there are a number of other types of defilement such 
as tumas zav and tumas metzora which in many aspects are even more severe than 
tumas meis.  Why did Moshe feel that securing this particular purification 
should be so difficult? 

All other ritual defilements of a Jew are related to a living body.  Even 
after it has become defiled, it still houses a soul which is "truly a part of 
G-d above."  Since G-d's ability is limitless, it may be readily understood 
that the soul is able to rectify the impurity, so that ultimately (e.g., 
through immersion in a mikveh) the person will become purified. 

However, this is not the case regarding tumas meis, wherein the very impurity 
stems from the fact that the body - having become sundered from the soul - has 
ceased to live; a body separated from its soul is but an inanimate object. 

Moshe was therefore perplexed:  "How is purification possible," he thought, 
"from such a severe manner of defilement?" 

G-d relieved his anxiety by saying, "These are the laws of the Torah":  the 
effect of the Torah and its mitzvos is so powerful that it can bring about 
purification even after the soul departs from the body. 

On a deeper and more esoteric level:  The spiritual aspect of defilement 
refers to a blemish on a Jew's relationship with G-d. 
 
Jews are considered to be "alive" as a result of their cleaving to Him.  When 
a Jew sins, this bond with G-d is weakened;  he is thus less "alive" and 
becomes defiled.  The further his relationship with G-d diminishes, the 
greater is his state of defilement. 

Even when there is a serious breach in his relationship with G-d, causing his 
defilement to be quite severe, nevertheless, so long as the relationship is 
not severed, the Jew retains his innate ability to become pure again by 
firming up his commitment to G-d and to His Torah and mitzvos.  However, when 
a Jew transgresses so severely that his cleaving to G-d is severed, then this 
results in the impurity of tumas meis. 

Moshe was baffled when it came to the means of purification from so forbidding 
a defilement.  He could not understand how it could be possible to achieve 
purification from tumas meis.  G-d resolved his perplexity by assuring him 
that a Jew's relationship to G-d is never totally sundered.  The innate 
relationship of a Jew with G-d and the effect of his previous fulfillment of 
Torah and mitzvos is so great, that even tumas meis is subject to 
purification. (The Chassidic Dimension, 199-201) 


===================================================================== 
Ahavas Yisroel Is The Entry-Gate 
===================================================================== 

The Alter Rebbe writes in his Siddur:  It is proper to say before prayer, I 
hereby take upon myself to fulfill the mitzva - "Love your fellowman as 
yourself."  This means that the precept of ahavas yisroel is the entry-gate 
through which man can pass to stand before G-d to daven.  By merit of that 
love the worshipper's prayer is accepted. (Hayom Yom, Tamuz 2) 

 
===================================================================== 
The Footsteps of Man 
===================================================================== 

In the early part of his leadership the Alter Rebbe taught:  "The footsteps of 
man are directed by G-d."  When a Jew comes to a particular place it is for an 
(inner Divine) intent and purpose - to perform a mitzva, whether a mitzva 
between man and G-d or a mitzva between man and his fellow-man.  A Jew is G-
d's messenger.  Wherever a messenger (shaliach) may be, he represents the 
power of the meshalei'ach, the one who sent him.  The superior quality that 
souls possess, higher than the angels (who are also "messengers"), is that 
souls are messengers by virtue of Torah. (Hayom Yom, Tamuz 10) 

 
===================================================================== 
A Commonplace Revelation 
===================================================================== 

The Divine revelation that will be revealed in the world during the days of 
Moshiach, "And the glory of the L-rd shall be revealed, and all flesh shall 
see it together...," will be a "commonplace" revelation and not an 
"innovative" revelation. 

An innovative revelation - When the flesh sees the Glory of G-d as a result of 
the fact that the Glory of G-d is without bounds, and therefore is able to 
"descend" down below, until He is "seen" via the physical body, then there is 
evidenced an innovation and addition to the world, since when the flesh sees 
it is not a result of its nature. 

A commonplace revelation - When the flesh sees the Glory of G-d in the same 
way that eyes of flesh see physical things, then this is a result of the 
nature and capabilities of the eyes of flesh themselves.  In the future the 
Divine truth will be seen in the same simplicity and natural manner that our 
eyes now see the physical world. 

And as is explained in Chassidus, the revelation of prophecy that everyone 
will have in the future, as it states "I will pour out my spirit upon all 
flesh...," will not be like the revelation of prophecy that the prophets 
exhibited, which required that many conditions be fulfilled, etc.  For even 
after these conditions were met, the revelation of the prophecy was a wonder 
that was above nature, while in the future, prophecy will be as a natural 
occurrence. (Likkutei Sichos, Volume 17, 93) 

-- 
| Aaron D. Schmiedel            |  All my opinions represent what is right  |
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