(1) The Sitra Achra [the Dark Side ] can be and often is dressed what looks like mitzvot. The Sitra Achra dresses and hides itself in Sitra DeKedusha the side of holiness. And holiness is hidden everywhere--even in secular things. Even in bad stuff.
(2) Reb Chaim from Voloshin thought that the only Divine service is learning Torah and everything else is to bring to the level of numinosity that comes into the world by means of learning Torah.
He thought that before the giving of the Torah one could serve God through and with anything. But after the giving of the Torah it is upon us simply to keep the Torah to the best of our ability.
But in the Rambam we see the mitzvot themselves are dependent on their reasons. This indicates that the reasons for the mitzvot are the things to aim for and the mitzvot themselves are to bring to these hidden purposes. (Also Reb Chaim is not taken seriously. Before you give money to a yeshiva ask what they would do if you would show up at their door and all you would want would be to sit and learn Torah and not ask for a penny what would they do? You know what they would do. They would throw you out on your nose. They don't believe in learning Torah. They believe in using Torah to get your money. )
(3) the Torah is hidden in everything and one can serve God though and with everything.
(4) But the Sitra Achra is dressed and hidden in the side of holiness. When you walk into a synagogue you are going to encounter the Dark Side.
(5) There is such a thing as Torah of the Sitra Achra. Torah of the Dark Side. You go to hear a Torah lesson from a rabbi. The probability is you will be hearing the Torah of the Sitra Achra.
(6) So we see the idea is to find the purpose of your life from the side of holiness. And to avoid the purpose that the dark side has in mind for you.
(7) So we have that in your life there is a meaning that comes from the side of holiness. But there is danger of finding and cleaving to the meaning that comes from the side of evil.
To give a few examples might be helpful. Shmuel Berenbaum you would have no trouble in discerning what was the meaning of his life. Right. Learning and teaching Torah. We don't expect that it would have been better of had becomes a mechanical engineer. As far as we can see in this case he found the meaning and numinous aspect of his life from teh side of holiness.
Albert Einstein would be another example of a person that found the proper meaning and purpose of his life--also from the side of holiness--but in a different way than Reb Shmuel.
(8) On the surface they look like two disparate purposes. But they are not. They both found the aspect of numinous aspect that applies to them from the side of holiness. Just in Physics the numinous aspect of holiness is hidden
(9) Last but not least I might mention my parents. They were not like Reb Shmuel. They did not see learning Torah as the one purpose of life though they had great faith in Torah. My Dad though a scientist was not like Albert Einstein either --not just the genius part but also he did not see science as his one and only purpose. His major meaning and the meaning of life for my mother also was in being good parents. That might not be so obvious to many people what that means. And I would have a hard time explaining it.
(2) Reb Chaim from Voloshin thought that the only Divine service is learning Torah and everything else is to bring to the level of numinosity that comes into the world by means of learning Torah.
He thought that before the giving of the Torah one could serve God through and with anything. But after the giving of the Torah it is upon us simply to keep the Torah to the best of our ability.
But in the Rambam we see the mitzvot themselves are dependent on their reasons. This indicates that the reasons for the mitzvot are the things to aim for and the mitzvot themselves are to bring to these hidden purposes. (Also Reb Chaim is not taken seriously. Before you give money to a yeshiva ask what they would do if you would show up at their door and all you would want would be to sit and learn Torah and not ask for a penny what would they do? You know what they would do. They would throw you out on your nose. They don't believe in learning Torah. They believe in using Torah to get your money. )
(3) the Torah is hidden in everything and one can serve God though and with everything.
(4) But the Sitra Achra is dressed and hidden in the side of holiness. When you walk into a synagogue you are going to encounter the Dark Side.
(5) There is such a thing as Torah of the Sitra Achra. Torah of the Dark Side. You go to hear a Torah lesson from a rabbi. The probability is you will be hearing the Torah of the Sitra Achra.
(6) So we see the idea is to find the purpose of your life from the side of holiness. And to avoid the purpose that the dark side has in mind for you.
(7) So we have that in your life there is a meaning that comes from the side of holiness. But there is danger of finding and cleaving to the meaning that comes from the side of evil.
To give a few examples might be helpful. Shmuel Berenbaum you would have no trouble in discerning what was the meaning of his life. Right. Learning and teaching Torah. We don't expect that it would have been better of had becomes a mechanical engineer. As far as we can see in this case he found the meaning and numinous aspect of his life from teh side of holiness.
Albert Einstein would be another example of a person that found the proper meaning and purpose of his life--also from the side of holiness--but in a different way than Reb Shmuel.
(8) On the surface they look like two disparate purposes. But they are not. They both found the aspect of numinous aspect that applies to them from the side of holiness. Just in Physics the numinous aspect of holiness is hidden
(9) Last but not least I might mention my parents. They were not like Reb Shmuel. They did not see learning Torah as the one purpose of life though they had great faith in Torah. My Dad though a scientist was not like Albert Einstein either --not just the genius part but also he did not see science as his one and only purpose. His major meaning and the meaning of life for my mother also was in being good parents. That might not be so obvious to many people what that means. And I would have a hard time explaining it.
