Give me a Break!

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    • intomeaning 1 year ago

      והנה בזמן הזה, שהוא הרחק הערלה, ההבל היוצא מפיו הוא מכניע סיטרא אחרא ושוברה שבירה גדולה, וחוזר וממשיך הכח של התורה שקיבל בראשונה קודם שנולד

      “And behold in this time, that is the distancing from the orla (foreskin), the breath that leaves from his mouth submits the sitra achra (the other side, forces of evil, foreskin) and [the sitra achra undergoes] a breakage (shvira), a great breakage (shvira gedola), and the power of the Torah he received at the beginning, before his birth, returns and continues.” Ramchal Derech Etz HaChaim

      In this section of his Derech Etz HaChaim, the Ramchal (in my understanding) explains the process by which one distances themselves from the “foreskin” that blocks them from connecting to the intensity of Torah they originally had while in their mother’s womb[1]. The Ramchal describes how after one distances themselves from this blockage (through the study of Torah) there is a process of “breakage, great breakage” where the forces of evil surrounding a person (hence foreskin) are destroyed and one is left with the original Torah they received. That original Torah continues to intensify and the person is no longer subject to a yetzer hara that is attached to them.

      This concept of the Ramchal and the teachings of my Rebbe (Rabbi Simcha Weinberg shlit’a) reminds me of the ahava rabba prayer immediately preceding the kriat shma. It states maher vehave aleinu beracha veshalom mehera me’arba kanfot kol haaretz USHVOR ol hagoyim me’al tzevarenu “Speedily bring on us blessing and peace from all four corners of the Earth (It is at this point in time where we gather our tzitzit[2] together). And BREAK the yoke of the nations from upon our necks. I have in mind while gathering the tzitzit that I am gathering et kol mitzvot, “all the mitzvoth,” all of Torah and breaking the influence of the sitra achra (the other side) over me with my breath. May Hashem gather all those moments where each and every single one us gathers our tzitzit and empower our breath (when reciting shma)  to destroy all evil in the world.

      [1] According to the Ramchal, it is only after a child is born that the yetzer hara attaches to them. A child while still only contains the holiness of Torah.

      [2] It says in the kriat shma, ur’item oto uzchartem et kol mitzvot Hashem, “Look at them [the tzitzit] and remember all of the mitzvot of Hashem.” Tzitzit represent all of Torah

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