Shabbat Parashat Vaetchanan 5780

Ein Ayah: Ruining Alone, Fixing with Help

Gemara: [The idea that Hashem will tie a crown on one who returns from sinning] is support for that which Reish Lakish says: the pasuk “If for scoffers, he will scoff, and for humble people, He will give charm” (Mishlei 3:34) teaches that if one comes to defile himself, “the door” is opened for him, and if he comes to purify himself, he is assisted. 

Ein Ayah: All of existence and all of life that flows within it comes from the source of lofty sanctity and purity. That is the reason that if one comes to defile himself, even though he has free choice to act, which raises a person to the level of absolute freedom, there is only an opening of the door, but without any assistance. After all, all of the universe, its spiritual and physical elements, and all of the rules upon which the world is based on all of its levels, are opposed to the foundation of impurity and its infiltration into the souls of people.

To the contrary, the direction of the world is to elevate purity, which is fitting for the source of life and the whole world (i.e., Hashem). For this reason, one who comes to defile himself only has the door opened and no more, because impurity is transient, as it will be stricken from the land. Therefore, all manifestations of impurity are only the work of scoffers, who do not keep any connection to the true and actual existence of the world. That is why the pasuk says: “If for scoffers, he (the scoffer) will scoff.” He will be awarded the opportunity so that he not be deprived of the opportunity to have free choice, which would detract from his human form in the area of freedom.

In contrast, when one comes to purify himself, he aligns his personal situation with that of the world as a whole, with all of its loftiness and depth. For that reason, he is deserving of assistance. The foundation of purity is the imprint of complete truth, which is the exact opposite of the falsehood and negation of the reality of impurity. That is why it is referred to as scoffing and falsehood.

The foundation of revealing the truth is indeed the light of humility, for what individual place does each creation have in the grand scheme of the world! Truth recognizes that everything belongs to Hashem, Who lives forever and is the source of all life and every element of existence. When one comes to purify himself, he enters within the sphere of the light of humility, which shines the glow of truth and seriousness to fit in with the existence of the world. This is the exact opposite of impurity which goes along with the scoffing and lack of seriousness of impurity. For those who are humble indeed have charm, for all of existence is there to strengthen them in their quest.

These ideas find expression in the parts of the letter kuf, the letter that represents the holiness of Hashem. The leg of the kuf, which represents the light of the base of the sanctity, is hanging, which shows that the door of the light of sanctity and all of its sources are full of life. From the midst of the depths, there is a pillar of strength that allows one to climb to the highest levels of sanctity. “Open up the gates and a righteous nation, which guards its reliability, will come” (Yeshayahu 26:2).

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