When I first opened this blog, I wrote a post to
explain the connection of the concept of One Above and Seven Below – אחת למעלה ושבע למטה – that we have in the avoda of Yom Kippur
to the theme of my book, which is the single level of Im Bechukosai Telechu
– One Above (אחת למעלה) versus the seven levels of V’Im
Bechukosai Tim’asu – Seven Below (שבע למטה).
In short, the seven lower drops represent the seven levels of sin in the tochacha in Parshas Bechukosai. I credited this connection to the Chizkuni in Vayikra
16:14.
I have just found another connection.
Last Motzaei Shabbos before selichos at Kehillat Bnei Torah, Rav Yitzchok Rubin,
Shlita, gave his regular pre-selichos schmooze and he brought down the words of
the Rem”a in Toras HaOlah 59. The Rem”a says that the One Above drop represents
the Neshama and the Seven Below drops represent the seven names that the Yetzer
Hara is referred by as stated in Sukka 52a: Rah, Arel, Tamei,
Sonei, Michshol, Ehven, and Tzefoni.
He says that each of these names represents seven steps
(levels) of the Yetzer Hara one above (below?) the other and they bring the
person down. Each level is stronger than the previous.
On the “other side” the Neshama drop stands alone and
it is the intellect and the Yetzer Tov. This is “One Above” and it does not
fall below this number (I think he means that it is not subject to a quantity
more than One). And this drop can overpower any of the seven names (levels) of
the Yetzer Hara.
This is as much as the Rem”a says explicitly. He does
not explain exactly how the Neshama can overpower the seven levels – or names –
of the Yetzer Hara. But other scholars such as Ben Yehoyada, not to mention Harav Rubin, fill in the
blanks. The gemara in Kiddushin 30b tells us: I (HKBH) created the Yetzer Hara
and I created the Torah as its antidote.
Further it says: If this vile one (the Yetzer Hara) meets up with you, pull
him into the Beis Midrash.
The Rem”a says that the Neshama is the intellect.
The Malbim in Mishlei (20:27) tells us that the Human was given this intellect for one purpose: to study and master the word
of G-d. This is why we begin the central part of the standard shmona esrei with
“Attah chonen l’adam daas…” Without this daas, we will fall prey to our Yetzer
Hara and fall into the Tahom Rabbah.
This drop is the “ameilus b’Torah” that is required to
achieve Im Bechukosai Telechu. The One Above – Achas L”Maala. The Seven Below
is ushered in by neglecting to use one’s intellect for Torah study. The first
level of the Seven Below – the first drop – is for one who neglects to study
Torah (lo lammad – Rashi) even though he is meticulous in performing mitzvos!
This is because, even though he does mitzvos, he has no
defense against the Yetzer Hara. In fact, the first thing that the Yetzer Hara
will do “for him” is to let him convince himself that he is a gold standard Jew
by virtue of the fact that he keeps mitzvos.
The next step is to let him convince himself that
certain altruistic activities - that aren’t truly mitzvos – are the greatest of
mitzvos. And then he will let the person convince himself that his concept of
mitzvos is more accurate than those who do indeed study the Law. He knows
better than the Rabbi or the Shulchan Aruch (which he barely knows at all).
And after this, the Yetzer Hara lets him convince
himself that he doesn’t really have to do mitzvos at all. After all, he is a “Human
Being” a mentsch, and this is all that HKBH really wants. The only purpose of
doing mitzvos is to help one become a mentsch, but for people like him who are already
a mentsch, there is no need. It is better to be a “Human Being” than a “Rabbi”.
So, now, he has descended to level 2 and, before he
knows it, he is at levels 3-4-5-6…of the slippery slope. Way down under.
Drop by drop.
Teshuva –
Tefillah – and Tzedaka will save us, but the
Tefillah and Tzedaka will only buy us time. It will not take us to where we
need to be. Only the Teshuva, which corresponds to Torah, can enable us to beat the Yetzer Hara and bring ourselves into the
One Above camp. This is where the Neshama is.
כי נר ה'
נשמת אדם
HKBH is waiting there – and He’s keeping the light on
for us.
Gmar Chasima Tova
2 comments:
"the teshuva, which is represented by Torah in every machzor"
How so? The superscript over teshuva in every machzor I've ever seen is tzom, not Torah.
Whoops.
Do you mean to tell me that there are people who actually read my posts?
I usually double check things I quote to avoid embarrassing mistakes like this. You caught me napping. I shot from the hip.
Anyway, I edited the post.
Thank you very much for reading the whole post and for waking me up.
Gmar Chasima Tova.
Chezkel
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