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HH

A simple meditation before the Shmone Esray

The Shmone Esray is in the world of Atzilus, so upon saying the introductory verse before the Amida, Adonoy Sifusay Tiftach…. one should try to emulate this progression. Really all of the prayer leading to the Amida was to enact and raise the prayer to this world, however before the Amida it is highly conducive to briefly run through the stages so as to fully kick in to the Divine consciousness before him.

The first step is to acknowledge the nefesh – asiya, which is the body and the blood pumping in the veins and arteries. These are many, principally 248 limbs and 365 blood vessel. A person is a microcosm of the whole world, so included here is all of creation.

The second step is to pay attention to the ruach – yetzira, which is the spirit of speech, which emanates from all the body parts but already achieves a unity of expression.

The third step is to empower your thought over and throughout the nefesh and ruach. Your thought is focused and one, and now represents all of you, and all of creation for that matter, in unity.

The fourth step is to bind and conjugate the Divine Ein Sof to your thought. With a little work and practice, this should be enough to really blow your mind B"H.

To fully understand this one must read the Ramchal's instructions as to the proper tachlis of the kavanos of the prayer.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman

Hierarchy

HH

Korach told Moshe (16:13)
המעט כי העליתנו מארץ זבת חלב ודבר להמיתנו במדבר כי תשתרר עלינו גם השתרר
It is it not enough.... that you make take rule (office) over us as well

The Meshech Chuchma (Litvak Rabbi of Dvinsk) says a beautiful insight. We find in the mishna (Yuma 7:1 and Sota 7:7-8) that when the High Priest or King would read from the Torah before the multitudes, the Torah would be taken out by the President of the Synagogue, who would give it to the Assistant High Priest, who would give it to the High Priest, who would give it to the King. All of this was to bring more honor to the King.

This is what Korach accused Moshe, saying that Moshe was creating new offices and positions between him and the people, only to bring himself all the additional honor which comes with the appointment of every new station.

From this one should learn practically to inculcate different progressions of supernal worlds in his meditations and prayers to G-d. Before speaking to HY, or meditating of His existence, one can gain profoundly heightened consciousness by simply reviewing in his mind quickly the hierarchy of the seven heavens and seven heichulos (chambers).

There is another advantage as well, usually in order to fly one needs to first take some small jumps in progression. Similarly, at least for beginners, it might be hard to bind oneself directly to the Ein Sof B"H immediately, but by first grabbing higher cognizance one at a time, maybe B"H he will be able to go all the way to the Ein Sof B"H.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Yoke of Heaven -- way to freedom

HH

The Zohar reveals that the Yoke of Heaven actually serves to make things easier. A bird is free to fly if it can get off the ground. An engine can propel an object with great speed to its destination, but if the object is not directed, then it will just spin out of control. Fear of Heaven is the first gate to literally set one's soul flying in the spiritual worlds, one has to know how to harness himself properly in its yoke, and then can take off.

After writing this B"H I was blessed with further insight.

Fear of Heaven <Yiras Shumayim/Hashem> is the aspect of the woman, as the verse says 'eesha yiras Hashem', the woman's position is below the man, as 'malchus' is the final sfirah and mate to all the 9 sfirot. Malchus is 'ani' - I. When a person fears Hashem, there is a definite sense of identity, this person is fearing Hashem. This is firm rooting in the ground (also aspect of the female).
Keter - crown, the highest sfira, which is the emanator, is 'ain' <complete abnegation>. The crown is also the ultimate aspect of the woman of valor, as the verse says, "a woman of valor is the crown of her husband".
It is known (Zohar and other holy books, also see the letter of the Ramban) that through fear of Heaven, which is considered the aspect of the heel, one can come to humility, the aspect of the crown.

By embedding oneself in the malchus, which would seemingly ground him, on the contrary he completes his identity, and can abnegate himself even to Keter - the crown, divesting himself completely of all ego or credit, projecting only the malchus of the ein sof.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Holiness of eating

HH

Rabbi Nachman revealed that the Tzadik's eating is even higher than his conjugating.

When a person engages in a relationship the union draws down a soul or souls from Heaven. Great tzaddikim are even active in the actual choosing and drawing of the desired soul. Here we see that the main act is conducted in the actuality of this world, drawing from the supernal. In contradistinction when a person eats, grinding the food, pulverizing it, and ultimately completely negating it. It seems to me that a Tzaddik performing this would also come to such a consciousness of being completely abnegated before HY, and in this way the Tzadik draws the supernal life from the food, as he meets the food in complete negation before the Ein Sof, drawing the holy letters which stand out - receiving life directly from the Ein Sof. This is an act of complete abnegation to HY.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!