When I started getting deeper into YeKaCh (Judaism/Kabbalah/Chasidut) over a decade ago, I started seeking out various Masters to take me under their wings to teach me Torah. Eventually I found a Rabbi, a Tzadik HaNistar, who is considered to be an extremely formidable scholar and mystic. For the longest time I thought of him as a larger-than-life flawless icon, I was so very impressed by him and wowed by him. He taught me a great deal of academic, legal, and mystical information, and the most valuable to me was his emphasis on Tikkun Middot (character/behavior correction/modification) and Bitul HaYesh (nullification of self/ego regulation). The most influential part about it was his demonstration of these methods on his own self as part of his teaching mechanism. I witnessed his highs and lows, his struggles with his Ego and his inclinations, the battle with the illusions of this world and a great many other things. I witnessed how he worked through them all, and what he did to overcome them. Watching a transformation of a Master was not only enlightening and an opportunity for empirical observation, it made me realize that no matter how advanced a person may become they will always have more development to undergo. The whole entire Process was fascinating to observe. It also taught me how one can perceive a person based on preconceived notions that are actually true but require a more thorough analysis to properly identify. In other words, the perception is correct however it can only be correct after deliberation of experience and understanding. Again, this was a man who I saw as the larger-than-life flawless icon, a man who I was so very impressed by him and wowed by him. At first I was taken aback and very disappointed, as what I thought I saw seemed to be untrue. I started questioning whether or not I really had a Master for a teacher. After a while I discovered that this was one of the greatest teachings I ever was given. He turned out to be a Master of masters after all. He never pretended that he was not human with real human issues, he never pretended that he was perfect, he was always honest about the difficulties he was facing, he never tried to hide anything he was going through as he always used it as a way to teach his students while also progressing forward his own self. He used his actual Processes of transformation as a means to teach his students, utilizing the negativity that he was working on removing. He used his own development itself to play an integral role in the education. I realized that he was all of those things I had initially thought he was and more, so very much more. Not only did he educate me, but he showed me through his own living example what I too will need to go through and accomplish as I continue on the path. It does not get any realer than that. This has stayed with me to this very day. I am very grateful and feel very blessed to have had such an amazing teacher in my life. So much more now being that I am going through a very rigorous phase of my spiritual journey at the present time. I have patterned after him in so many ways, I aspire to be as incredible as he is one day.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 07:57:07 +0000
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