Weekly Reading Insights:Devarim 5779

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We begin the book of Devarim this week. The whole book of Devarim consists of the final teachings of Moshe, which he delivered in order to prepare the Jewish people for entering the land. This week's portion begins with Moshe admonishing them, so they should not make the same mistakes again that they made during the forty years in the desert. This is important to each of us now, not only because the book of Devarim leads us into the high holiday period, but also because the first portion of Devarim is always read during the Bein Hameitzarim "between the straits" period. This is the three-week mourning period between the two fast days of the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av (this coming Shabbat - the fast is pushed off to Sunday). This period is, among other things, connected to the destruction of the two holy Temples in Jerusalem, approximately 2,000 and 2,500 years ago.

There is an important custom during these days to study about the actual physical structure of the Temple. By showing G-d that we care about the Temple in a physical, practical way, we will encourage Him to rebuild the third and final Temple speedily in our days.

Since the Temple was G-d's house on earth and each detail of how it was built was given to us by G-d's prophets, we would expect the details to be extraordinary and clear. Our best source for understanding the physical dimensions of the Temple are from Maimonides (Hilchot Beit Habechira). "When a person enters from the southern gate of the Temple Mount, the entire area is flat. No stairs. When you go from the Temple Mount to the actual Temple compound, the first space you enter is the Women's Courtyard. To enter the Women's Courtyard, you have to ascend twenty-two steps. The area of the Women's Courtyard is flat. When you go from the Women's Courtyard to the Main Courtyard (Azara) you have to ascend fifteen steps. The area of the Main Courtyard is flat. To leave the Main Courtyard to enter the Courtyard of the Kohanim (also called the Inner Courtyard), where the altar was and the offerings took place, you have to ascend one step of an ama height (about eighteen inches). From there to enter the enclosed Hall of the Temple where the Spice Altar and the Holy of Holies were, you have twelve steps. Within the Hall itself everything is flat."

What is obvious from the above reading is that when there was a difference in holiness from one section of the compound to the next, a person had to "go up" (going up stairs), to get to the next holier place. However, to go from the enclosed space of the Hall in order to enter the Holy of Holies, there were no steps.

The Holy of Holies was the most spiritually powerful place in the entire compound, in fact in the entire world. Why no steps?

To understand the physical structure properly we have to explain it in human terms.

In general, when a person moves from one level of holiness to a higher level, it affects the person. The person is also elevated. He or she becomes more sensitive to spiritual nuances, is more conscious of
G-dliness in the world and feels more distant from the mundane and material world. The higher the level, the more elevated a person becomes and feels. This is the inner meaning of the steps from space to space in the Temple compound. They represent the spiritual ascent that affects a person when he goes to higher levels in divine service and consciousness.

Entering the Holy of Holies was different. Going into the Holy of Holies did not elevate a person who entered there. The opposite was true. There was so much holiness in the Holy of Holies that the reaction of a person was not a feeling of elevation. Rather a person felt bitul (nullification) in the face of pure Divinity. He did not feel himself at all, only G-dliness. There is no elevation here, only that a person feels that everything before the Almighty is equal. One and a million are the same before the Infinite. All of a person's strengths are nullified completely before G-d, "before Whom small and big are all the same" (the Mitteler Rebbe - Dov Ber of Lubavitch 1173-1827).

This is the reason why there were no steps to enter the Holy of Holies. Entering there was not an elevation for the person. It made one equal to all - nullified completely before the Master of all.

One lesson to take from the above is to meditate about what is the goal of a Jewish person. Feeling holiness, feeling the ascent as we move to higher and higher levels of observance and consciousness is important. Feeling more connected to G-d is crucial for navigating the challenges and tests we face every day, every minute as a human being. But these revelations, these feelings, are not the ultimate. The ultimate is to understand that G-d is everything. On that level, all of my revelations, my feelings of holiness, the connection and power I feel and that vibrate through me, are a distraction. On the highest level, I do not exist, there is only G-d.

(Adapted from Collected Talks of the Rebbe, Vol. 9 page 77 and further.)

Rabbi Dovid of Tolna would speak a lot of the Mashiach's immanent arrival. He would encourage his followers to pray that they should merit to see the countenance of the Mashiach in their days. Once, a group of his followers asked him, "Why should we be so aggressive in requesting from G-d that Mashiach should come? When he comes we will all have to hide so that he should not see our low spiritual level!"

Reb Dovid told them, "Believe me, the minute that our Mashiach will arrive, there will be such a purification in the world, that even the lowliest of the low of the Jewish people will be able to approach King Mashiach and will not feel diminished or be embarrassed. It is my sincere wish that each of you publicize this to all the Jewish people in my name."

Shabbat Shalom, Shaul

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For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading, see the archive.

FROM THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org

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Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary Kabbalists, and more,
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Ascent Lights
Visions of Redemption

By Shaul Yosef Leiter

Every descent is for the sake of the ascent that will surely follow. The tragic events we annually mourn for at this time of year are for the purpose of the great elevation that will come from them, the rebuilding of the final and everlasting Temple, may this be fulfilled soon!

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