The Day of Yom Kippur offers a tremendous opportunity to connect in a way we cannot connect any other day of the year.
To understand the Light, not only to connect in our mind, we will read from the Zohar because the words of the Zohar are the way to awaken this Light.
In reading and listening, we are not simply learning, but are awakening for ourselves, and for the world, the Light of Yom Kippur.
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This is a preview of my new moon lecture:
This is a story from the Baal Shem Tov. On this day, many people become sad. We remember stuff we have done, things we want to get rid of. It’s necessary on this day, but it can bring sadness.
There is a school of thought that says one should be serious. But the kabbalists were always happy. On this day, they were the happiest.
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We know that the Zohar speaks at length about Yom Kippur being the day we connect to the realm of Binah, our supernal mother. The one physical equivalent we have is the power of the mikveh. The mikveh is a body of water, built to certain requirements. To connect to Binah, we immerse ourselves in that water. By immersing ourselves in the water of a mikveh, we can take off everything of a negative nature that is attached to us. If even one hair stays out of the water, the negativity can stay attached. Only if the person is completely immersed must the negative be released.
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I would like to share a story because we are not simply thinking about ourselves, we are also thinking about the world. The story is about two great kabbalists. As they were getting older, they made a pact. They said, if one of us passes away before the other, he will come back and tell the other what is happening in the next world.
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When we connect to the Zohar, it’s not simply to gain understanding, but the words also awaken the connection to the Tree of Life. There is no other day of the year when it’s as important as today on Rosh Hashanah. We want on this day to plant the seed so that all of our present year is connected to Etz Chaim.
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We know that the writings of Rav Ashlag are not simply teachings. By reading from his words, we actually connect to his essence.
Rav Ashlag did not have enough money for paper. Much of it is written in very small letters. The footnotes are even smaller.
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It says the negative side, the negative angel, gets nervous on Rosh Hashanah when he hears the blowing of the Shofar.
We need to strengthen our consciousness. We are not just studying about the reading or the blowing of the Shofar. We are strengthening our consciousness for ourselves and to send this awareness out to the rest of the world.
The Zohar, in Naso, speaks of those who merit to taste from the Tree of Life, the book of the Zohar. And it says because it is a connection to the perfect world of Binah, that is why those people who merit will not have any judgment, will go out of the exile with mercy. On Rosh Hashanah, the Zohar talks about how the true essence of the Light of Binah is awakened by the meditation of the blowing of the Shofar. It’s important to understand we are awakening this for the world.
One of the unique gifts that we have this year concerns the names of the year — Taf-Shin-Sameach-Zayin. The last two letters of the acronym can stand for many different things. One of the things is that this year will be the year of the Zohar.
I shared with you yesterday that I had a dream in which the Rav told me it’s about the Zohar. Every time you speak or think about the Zohar, there is always the question of how can you really express the power that is found in a set of what are books, now, in our time?That is one of the biggest barriers for us to connect to the power of the Zohar.
I was speaking with a chevre going to one of the other Centres for Rosh Hashanah and he asked me for one of the main consciousnesses we needed to have for this Rosh Hashanah. My answer was that it has to do with the name of this year. Whatever connection we think we have to the Zohar, to this amazing Light, this year should be a completely different and much more powerful connection.
I just want to share two ideas. I was talking to one of the chevre a few days ago about a certain city with a small group of people. I remember the Rav always made it very clear that it wasn’t the quantity, but knowing that if you are in the city, making your connections and connecting to the Zohar, that the effect, outside of the number, is that the Light being revealed through you cannot be measured in a material way. But, in your city, you are creating a source of Light. You are doing a great service, not only for yourself, but for the city and the world. Light does not get contained by walls and numbers of people. It permeates out.
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