This weeks Torah portion, Ki Savo, speaks to the nation of Israel of the blessings they would enjoy for their observance of the commandments and the curses they would endure for their failure. Chapter 28, verse 13 relates the following blessing: You shall be only above and you shall not be below. The Kotzker Rebbe, of blessed memory, interprets the verse as follows: G-d created a ladder from which the souls of the upper world would descend to the world below into the bodies of human beings. No sooner do the souls descend than the ladder from above is removed. From Heaven the call goes forth to the souls: Return, return!! The souls, heeding the call, desire to return, but alas, there is no ladder. Three groups of souls emerge. One group, observing there is no ladder, gives up immediately in its quest to return Above. The second group is more tenacious and jumps Heavenward repeatedly in an attempt to go back to its roots Above. However, with time, it too succumbs to its earthly abode below, acclimating itself to its new environment. The third group remains determined to soar Heavenward and return to its place of origin. With every failure, it regroups with new vigor and strength. What distinguishes this group is that it maintains to continuously hear the Heavenly voice from Above, Return, return!! unabated. Eventually, the Lord Himself turns to this third group and lifts it above. As the Rabbis say, One who comes to purify himself is divinely assisted. Heavenly assistance is commensurate with the measure of the desire and sincerity we exhibit in our effort to return to our spiritual roots. G-d lifts, with both hands, those whose will it is to meet the challenge and go forth. With assistance from Above, there is no limit to our capacity for growth and ultimate success. Ours is but to do and G-d will do the rest. This, then, is the meaning of the blessing You shall be only above and you shall not be below. Our aspirations should always be Heavenward, never complacent and acclimated to those values which are below. Rabbi Kalman Winter zl
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 14:00:01 +0000
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