03\02\2017
The Necessary Annulment Between the Student and the Rav
- Come and see how grateful we should be to our teachers, who impart us their sacred Lights and dedicate their souls to do good to our souls. They stand in the middle between the path of harsh torments and the path of repentance. They save us from the netherworld, which is harder than death, and accustom us to reach the heavenly pleasures, the sublime gentleness and the pleasantness that is our share, ready and waiting for us from the very beginning, as we have said above. Each of them operates in his generation, according to the power of the Light of his Torah and sanctity. Our sages have already said, “You have not a generation without such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Baal HaSulam. Introduction to the Book PanimMeirotuMasbirot: - The righteous, through his righteousness, transfers his good desires and thoughts to others, so that they too have a good desire to adhere to the Creator with all their heart. Transferring his desire to others is considered an action, since out of his desire a deed was done for others. And this is the meaning of “opens his hand and satisfies the desire of all living”, because the righteous extends the abundance to all the worlds and all men. How does he perform it? By transferring his desire to others, all become righteous through him, and thus he is able to extend the abundance to them… Moreover, it is as if the righteous is able to open the hands of the Creator in order to bestow to the entire world. And how does he “open”? As it is written in the verse, “he satisfies the desire of all living” by satisfying their desire to love the Creator.
Noam Elimelech.LikuteiShoshana - The aridity and the darkness that have befallen us in this generation, such as we have never seen before. It is because even the worshipers of the Creator have abandoned the engagement in the secrets of the Torah.
Maimonides has already given a true allegory about that: If a line of a thousand blind walk along the way, and there is at least one leader amongst them who can see, they are certain to take the right path and not fall in the pits and obstacles, since they are following the sighted one who leads them. But if that person is missing, they are certain to stumble over every hurdle on the way, and will all fall into the pit.
So is the issue before us. If the worshipers of the Creator had, at least, engaged in the internality of the Torah and extended a complete Light from EinSof, the whole generation would have followed them. And everyone would be certain of their way, that they would not fall. But if even the servants of the Creator have distanced themselves from this wisdom, it is no wonder the whole generation is failing because of them. And because of my great sorrow I cannot elaborate on that!
Baal HaSulam. Introduction to The Book of Zohar - Great warning, that one should not study the Wisdom of Kabbalah on his own, from books, because it is impossible to attain this way the depth of the clarity of the intention of the Creator’s eyes, which are much greater than the human mind. Rather, through much holiness and purity, through a faithful, righteous and bestowing Kabbalist, who received from the mouth of a famous Kabbalist.
Rabbi Shlomo Ben EliyahuNisim, AderetEliyaho - In the book Lev Avot it is written “make yourself a Rav” meaning receive him as your Rav. And in order to benefit from the Rav the student must believe him and rely on his words. And remove all doubt, namely do not doubt your Rav’s words but depend on him because without it nothing will help you.
Rabbi Shmuel Di Ozida, “Midrash Shmuel”, Avot 1, 16 - It is known what the great educators said, that the student must acknowledge two things about his teacher and these will give him power to receive the teaching of his teacher with joy and with a willing heart.
1. That the teacher is wiser than him and knows what is good for him better than he does.
2. That his teacher’s intention is for his very best and not what’s good for himself or for any other intention. But only to establish his student on the stairway as his own son, for his benefit, success and wealth. When one is able to see it clearly and correctly, that the teacher looks after his good and also that he knows what’s good for him better than he does, then one will truly devote himself to his Rav as if he were his property, and everything that the Rav commands him he will do with great joy.
Rabbi SimchaMordechaiZyskind. “Chochma and Musar” Part 2, 225 - It is written (MoedKatan, 17, 71) “if the Rav is similar to the angel of the Lord, let them learn Torah from him, and if not, let them not seek Torah from him”. And they ask, should a person who seeks to study Torah from a Rav first see an angel and then, after he has seen the form of the angel of the Lord, then it is the time to seek a Rav similar to the angel of the Lord”?
This should be interpreted that if the Rav teaches the students that the work should be in order to bestow, meaning that the reason that one came into this world is to be a messenger for the Creator, to work for the benefit of the Creator, it follows that this person is a messenger of the Creator. Not that he is the landlord in this world but that he is a messenger of the Lord, namely the Creator’s messenger, which means an angel of the Lord. This is the meaning of “if the Rav is similar to the angel of the Lord, let them ask Torah of him”.
Rabash/Vol 2, Article 10 What is that the Ladder is Diagonal in the Work - Our sages have already said, “The fear of your teacher is as the fear of heaven.” This, therefore, will be the measure of exaltedness that such a man obtains by his sanctity, for his exaltedness will by no means exceed the exaltedness of his Rav. What the Rijnaar boasted about—that he was awarded a higher degree than all the sages in his generation because he acquired more faith in the wise than all of his contemporaries—we need to understand that faith does not come by lending. Such faith can be acquired by six year olds children, too, but as a feeling of the exaltedness and the inspiration to his soul from the wisdom of the wise who have shared from His wisdom to those who fear Him. I have already said and elaborated that the biggest Masach [screen] is in the work in the children of the land of Israel, since the domination of the Canaan Klipa is in this place, and each one is as low as the ground, his friend is even lower than the ground, and many others like him. Allegorically, you can say the words of our sages about the verse, “Leave Me and keep My law”—“I wish they would leave me” mean that they were proud of the exaltedness. And although “he and I cannot dwell in the same place,” still, “Keep My law,” be attached to a genuine righteous with proper faith in the wise. Then there is hope that the righteous will reform you and will sentence them to a scale of merit as is appropriate for the presence of the Creator. What could come out of their humility and lowness so the Creator will not move His abode from them, if they have no genuine righteous to guide them in His law and prayer, and lead them to a place of Torah and wisdom?
Baal HaSulam. Letter 43 - The loss of one’s father or the loss of one’s Rav, the loss of the Rav precedes, because his father brought him to this world and the Rav who taught him the wisdom, brings him to life in the next world. But if one’s father is a sage, his father precedes. If one’s father and one’s Rav carry a heavy load, he puts down his Rav’s and afterwards he puts down his father’s. If one’s father and Rav are in prison, he redeems his Rav first and afterward he redeems his father. And if his father is a sage, one redeems one’s father and afterward he redeems his Rav.
Talmud BavliMasechetBavaMetzia Page 33,1 - RavChasda said, everyone who argues with his Rav, it is as if he disagreed with Divinity, as it was said, when they argued with the Creator. Rabbi Chama said about Rabbi Chanina, all who argue with the Rav, as if they argue with Divinity, as it was said, these are the waters of Meribah about which the children of Israel argued with Moses, about the Creator. Rabbi Chanina Bar Papa said, one who has a dispute with his Rav, it is as if he had a dispute with Divinity, as it is written, your complaints are not about us but about the Creator. Rabbi Abahu said, everyone who doubts his Rav, it is as if he is pondering about Divinity, as it is written, the people spoke against the Creator and against Moses.
Talmud Bavli/ MasechetSanhedri Page 110, 1 - Lack of annulment to our sages (Ravs) is the root of all sin and the beginning of the destruction, God forbid, and all the merits do not compare with the root of all, which is faith in the sages.
The RavEliyahuDessler Letter from Eliahu - Now we can understand the above words: “The Creator saw that the righteous are few.” This means that not any person can become a righteous, for lack of the qualities for it, as it was written, that he is born a fool or a weakling; he, too, has a choice and his own qualities are no excuse. This is because the Creator planted the righteous in every generation.
Hence, a person has the choice of going to a place where there are righteous. One can accept their authority, and then he will receive all the powers that he lacks by the nature of his own qualities. He will receive it from the righteous. This is the benefit in “planted them in each generation,” so that each generation would have someone to turn to, to cleave to, and from whom to receive the strength needed to rise to the degree of a righteous. Thus, they, too, subsequently become righteous. It follows that “he did not say ‘a wicked or a righteous’” means that he does have a choice: he can go and cleave to the righteous for guidance, and through them receive strength, by which they, too, can later become righteous. However, if all the righteous were in the same generation, the fools would have no hope of approaching the Creator, and hence, would not have a choice. But by dispersing the righteous in each generation each person has the power of choice, to approach and draw near to the righteous that exist in every generation. Otherwise, one’s Torah must be a potion of death.
Baal HaSulam/Shamati 99 He Did Not Say Wicked or Righteous - The most successful way for one who wishes to learn the wisdom is to search for a genuine Kabbalist and follow all his instructions, until one is rewarded with understanding the wisdom in one’s own mind, meaning the first discernment. Afterwards, one will be rewarded with its conveyance mouth to mouth, which is the second discernment, and after that, understand in writing, which is the third discernment. Then, one will have inherited all the wisdom and its instruments from his teacher with ease, and will be left with all one’s time to develop and expand.
However, in reality there is a second way: through one’s great yearning, the sights of the Heavens will open for him and he will attain all the origins by himself. This is the first discernment. Yet, afterwards one must still labor and exert extensively, until one finds a Kabbalist sage before whom one can bow and obey, and from whom to receive the wisdom by way of conveyance face to face, which is the second discernment, and then the third discernment.
And since one is not attached to a Kabbalist sage from the outset, the attainments come with great efforts and consume much time, leaving one with only little time to develop in it. Also, sometimes the knowledge comes after the fact, as it is written, “and they shall die without wisdom.” These are ninety-nine percent and what we call, “entering but not exiting.” They are as fools and ignorant in this world, who see the world set before them but do not understand any of it, except the bread in their mouths.
Indeed, in the first way, too, not everyone succeeds. This is because the majority, having attained, become complacent and stop subjugating themselves to their teacher sufficiently, as they are not worthy of the conveyance of the wisdom. In this case, the sage must hide the essence of the wisdom from them, and “they shall die without wisdom,” “entering but not exiting.”
This is so because there are harsh and strict conditions in conveying the wisdom, which stem from necessary reasons. Hence, very few are regarded highly enough by their teachers for them to find them worthy of this thing, and happy are the rewarded.
Baal HaSulam The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence - אין תירגום
- אין תירגום
- Through adhering to wise disciples, it is possible to receive some support.
In other words, only a wise disciple can help him, and nothing else. Even if he is great in the Torah, he will still be called “a commoner,” if he has not been rewarded with learning from the Creator’s mouth.
Hence, one must surrender before a wise disciple and accept what the wise disciple places on him without any arguments, but by way of above reason.
Baal Hasulam/Shamati 105 A Wise Disciple Bastard Precedes a High Priest Commoner - In order to annul the body it was done by pain. Another way it was done is by annulling to the Rav, which is the matter of “make for yourself a Rav” and the matter of “making” is that it is done by force, without any reason. In the same way that pain annuls the body with action only, without reason, likewise annulling to the Rav is by force and not by reason. Meaning that even where one does not agree with his Rav’s opinion, one cancels himself and also the Torah and the work and comes to the Rav for guidance.
And there is guidance in the aspect of general called OhrMakif, which is a light that only illuminates on the outside, and this is without words, only by coming to the Rav and sitting in front of him, and sitting at his table during the meal or at during prayer. And there is another aspect which is the aspect of internality, and this is precisely through “mouth to mouth”.
Rabash. Vol 3 Article 680, Annulment According to the Path of Baal Shem Tov. - אין תרגום
- To explain the matter of the controversy between Korah and Moses, Moses said that everything that Korah claimed was not against Moses but against the Creator. Korah claimed that he believes in the Creator, as it is written “the whole assembly, all are holy”. The sages asked, all of them heard at Sinai “I am the Lord your God” but he does not want to believe in Moses. And indeed he had not yet experienced the private touch, namely that he had to make a major concession and believe in Moses, but after he saw the Elizaphan became a minister he understood within reason that he should have become a minister, and he had to believe Moses that the Creator commanded it, and naturally his faith in Moses was not so great.
And because it was not enough that he believed in the Creator and that the Torah was given by Moses, hence he should believe in him. And because one cannot understand the Torah according to reason, since the reason of the landlords is opposite to the reason of Torah and they need only the wisdom of the sages, because without the Torah it is impossible to know what is the reason of the Torah and the fear of heaven, because the common people are not righteous, as it is written “I wish that they would have left me and kept my Torah”. Therefore one cannot tell his friend that he only believes him for a small thing but not for a big thing since if one does not believe his friend for big things then he certainly does not believe him for small things and if it appears that he believes for a small thing it is because the small thing is not important to him, hence he thinks that even if the rest of his words are not true it is of no consequence.
It follows that when Korah did not want to believe Moses concerning the presidency it became instantly evident that he did not believe the rest of the things, therefore he asked about a prayer shawl that was entirely blue and a house full of books.
However one should be strong in the wisdom of the sages and humble himself to be low in his own eyes before the sages since the matter of humility is revealed mainly when one has to do something that his friend require of him when his own reason shows him the opposite of his friend’s reason, nevertheless he annuls himself, and this is called lowness, meaning that he lowers his reason.