A Soulful Journey

  Rabbi Menachem the son of Rabbi Yossi taught: “ ‘A mitzvah is a candle. The Torah is light.’ The verse used the analogy of a candle for a mitzvah and that of light for the Torah teaching that just as a candle only offers protection for a brief period, so too, a mitzvah offers protection only temporarily. The Torah, on the other hand, is described as light. Just as the light offers protection forever, so too, the Torah offers protection forever.” ~Talmud Sotah 21A Sit in the light.  Absorb its energy.  Then become the light.

" On the one hand, in a Sukkah the shadow must be greater than the sun.     That is true of our lives too. On the other hand, the branches must not be so thick that they blot out the stars.  We must see them.  “You do not need stars in the daytime when you have the sun.  But at night, and death is night, you need the stars".” Rabbi Henry Fisher Question: What are “the stars” in your life? 

The Vilna Gaon explained that the Hebrew word Shachar, morning light, is derived from another Hebrew word, Shachore, or darkness.  If there is a morning for the soul, it is rooted in the night of the body.  Indeed,  the Talmud teaches, "It is only from darkness that can perceive light.  For a candle that burns at noon is worthless."

A stranger finds a man on his hands and knees under a street lamp in front of his house. He asks what he's doing there. The man replied he's looking for his keys and the stranger than gets down on his hands and knees to help.  After while the stranger asks, "Where did you drop them?"   "In my house,"he says.   "Then why are you looking out here?"   "Because it is dark in the house."  There are times when, seeking to avoid pain or difficulties, we look for enlightenment where it cannot be found.

Gershon read: "Until the day be cool and the shadows flee away."  This refers to the secret known to the Companions, that when a man's time comes to leave this world, his shadow deserts him.  Rabbi Eleazar says that man has two shadows, one larger and one smaller, and when they are together, then he is truly himself."  - Chaim Potok , The Book of Lights This reference has several levels of meaning.  The "shadow" is just that - the darkness cast on the ground by our image bathed in light.  Yet, it also means our dark nature, our negative impulse.  It is important to ever beware of our yetser ha-tov and, at the same time, our yetser ha-ra .  Both are necessary as they make us fully human.

Ricky Ricardo comes home and finds Lucy searching the living room floor. When he asks what she is doing, she replies, “I lost my earring in the bed room” “What are you doing looking for it out here?” he asks. Lucy says, “Because the light is better out here.”  - Stuart Robinson Sometimes we deliberately avoid looking into our own shadows.

According to Greek a legend a woman came to the River Styx to be ferried across to the Region of the Departed. Charon, the kindly ferryman, reminded her that it was her privilege to drink the water of Lethe, and thus forget the life she was leaving. Eagerly, she said, "I will forget how I suffered! And, he added, "Remember too that you will forget how you rejoiced." The woman said, "I will forget my failures." Charon chimed, "And your victories." She continued, "I will forget how I have been hated." "And also how you have been loved," added the ferryman. She paused and then left the waters of Lethe untasted rather than give up on life's memories. Remember this story when darkness descends.  Once there was light.  And there will come a time when light returns.

“At that moment a light went on in the distant farmhouse, which stood on the horizon as if painted there, in the midst of the miserable gray dawning morning in Bavaria.    “Et lux tenebris lucet” – and the light shineth in the darkness.   Four hours I stood hacking at the icy ground. The guard passed by, insulting me, and once again I communed with my beloved. More and more I felt that she was present, that she was with me; I had the feeling that I was able to touch her, able to stretch out my hand and grasp hers. The feeling was very strong: she was there.  Then, at that very moment, a bird flew down silently and perched in front of me, on the heap of soil which I had dug up from the ditch and looking steadily at me.”   - Viktor Frankl Find your light.

A policeman noticed a shabbily dressed man looking down at the base of a street light a streetlight.  “Sir, can I help you,” asked the cop.  “Yes,” said the man. “I just now dropped a quarter/shekel  on the ground. Can you help me find it?” “Sure,” said the cop looking downward near the streetlight.” A minute later the cop tells the man he does not see the coin there. The man pauses and says, “That’s because I dropped it over there” - pointing to an unlit area a few feet away. “So why are you looking here, instead of there,” asks the cop.” “Oh,” says the man. “I’m looking here, where here where there’s light, because over there it’s too dark!” Nowadays, we delude ourselves thinking we can find happiness as we walk in darkness. But like our prophets of old let's shed some light on this matter.  Rabbi Joshua Adler

In the Midrash we are told that God said to Aaron, "During your days you have spared no effort to make whoever you touched better: you kindled the light of Torah in many hearts."  - Rabbi Wolfe Kelman

Bertrand Russell once gave a lecture on the logic of modern physics. Alfred North Whitehead, who was in the audience, rose to express his gratitude for an illuminating lecture but also thanked Russell “for not having up skewered the great darkness of the subject.” – Nehemiah Polen Real wisdom is acknowledging what you do not know.

The Baal Shem Tov said, “Like a lightning that all of a sudden illumines the world, God illumines the mind of man, enabling him to understand the greatness of the Creator.” This is what is meant by the words of the Psalmist: “He sent out His arrows and scattered [the clouds]; he shot fourth lightnings and discomfited them.” The darkness retreats, “The channels of water appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare.”  (Psalms 18:15-16). Look to the light.   It is always there.

Human beings are a little like electric bulbs. A little child found it electric bulb in the street and he brought it home to his mother. The mother said, ”Throw it away.”  “Why?” “It is broken,” said his mother. “But it doesn't look broken!” Said the child. “It is broken on the inside,” she said. That’s what God in prayer do to us.  They make us good on the inside. An electric bulb can give light but it has to be connected! So plug-in and you will shine and be beautiful before God before man!  - Rabbi Nathan Zelizer

The Zohar teaches  that each flame from a candle has several parts. There is the radiant white light above and a dark blue or black light below. The black flame is attached to the wick and its nature is to consume. The white flame does not consume; it is pure and benign. There is a third light in the candle flame, above the white light rests a concealed light, surrounding it as an aura. Darkness is with in the light for which most people is threatening and distractive. But if you can live by sacrifice, even the dark core can be nurturing." - Nehemiah Polen

"A little light dispels much darkness." - Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi

 "You can’t drive away the darkness with sticks or weapons. The only way is to light a candle and the darkness will disappear by itself. Our candle is the Torah."   -  Hafetz Hayim

“… I was once privileged to hear from my father (the previous Lbavitcher Rebbe) that his father, Rabbi Shalom Dover, of saintly memory, was once asked, ‘What is a Chabad-Lubavitch chassid?’ He replied, a chassid is like a street lamp lighter. In olden days, there was a person in every town who would light the streetlamps with a light he carried at the end of a long pole.  On the street corners, the lamps were there in readiness, waiting to be lit; sometimes, however, the lamps are not as easily accessible. There are lamps in forsaken places, in deserts or at sea. There must be someone to light even those lamps, so that they may fulfill their purpose and light up the paths of others. It is written, ‘The soul of man is the candle of G-d.’ It is also written, ‘A mitzvah is a candle, and the Torah is light.’ A chassid is one who puts his personal affairs aside and sets out to light up the souls of Jews with the light of Torah and mitzvot. Jewish souls are ready and waiting to b...

“They held in their hands the light of creation – and returned to the world the light of death.” - Chaim Potok in  The Book of Lights. Things are good or evil dependent upon the way we look at them.  What is evil to one person may be a blessing to another.  Think of the farmer who anxiously awaits rain and the entrepreneur who has planned an outdoor exhibition for months.  One wants a clear day while the other prays for a sopping rain. Seen in this light, perhaps not all prayers can be answered at the same time, granting each hope.

A Hasidic Story: There once was a Rabbi who was asked by his students, “Teacher, how should one determine the hour when night ends and day begins?” One student suggested, “Is it when one can distinguish a sheep from a dog in the distance?” “No,” said the Rabbi, “It is not.” A second student ventured, “Is it when one can distinguish a date tree from a fig tree in the distance?” “No,” said the Rabbi. “Please tell us the answer,” the students begged. “It is when you can look into the face of a stranger and see your sister or brother,” said the Rabbi. “Until then night is still with us.”

When Adam first saw the setting sun he cried, "Woe! I must have committed a sin for which the world is growing dark and reverts to its original chaotic state.  This is the death decreed by heaven for me!" Adam sat up all night fasting and weeping; Eve weeping at his side (k'negdo).  But then as the sun began to rise in its first rays of daylight, Adam declared, "This is part of the way of the world.  This is part of the way of the world!"  - Avodah Zarah 8a