Former of Lights

Topic Details and Replies

- intomeaning 1 year ago
  
  בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה יוֹצֵר הַמְּאוֹרוֹת
  
  Blessed are You L·rd former of lights.
  
  כי השפע הנשפע מלמעלה יורד מן השמים עד הארץ, ואחר כן מקבל אותו האדם
  
  “For the spiritual abundance flowing from above comes down from shamayim [Heaven, the spiritual world] until the aretz [Earth, the physical world], and after this a person receives [the shefa spiritual abundance].“
  
  Ramchal Derech Etz HaChaim
  
  I understand Torah as shamayim and the practical laws derived from it as aretz. For example, the Torah commands that one should wear tefillin-that is Torah from shamayim. The practical details of how to carry it out is aretz. In other words, Torah and halacha are heaven and Earth connected; the halachot are shamayim manifest in aretz. Therefore, when I am holding a pair of tefillin, I am holding a piece of shamayim in the physical world. Furthermore Torah is light[1]– שפע הנשפע מלמעלה that is יורד מן השמים-and tefillin is shefa/light that is processed and formed עד הארץ by the yotzer hame’orot (the Former of lights). ואחר כן מקבל אותו האדם “and after this a person receives [the shefa spiritual abundance].” May we merit to properly receive the mitzvot as a gift from the Former of lights. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה יוֹצֵר הַמְּאוֹרוֹת
  
  [1] וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר “…and the Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23).
  
  Go to reply