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Exalt Him

In his book, A Passion for Truth, Heschel relates the following story: “During a visit to Kotzk by Reb Yankev Arye of Rodzhimin, Reb Mendl asked him, "Yankl, why was man created on this earth?" "He was created in order to restore the purity of his soul," Reb Y ankl replied. The Kotzker Reb be roared back at him, "Yankl, is that what we learned from the rebbe in Pshyskhe? Surely man was created to exalt the Heavens!"

 

What does the Kotzker mean….to exalt the heavens? I realize that the Kotzker is saying that man was not created to focus on himself, to restore the purity of his soul that had become sullied.  - Rabbi David Ebstein

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