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harav elazar mordechai kenig: on desire

The Baal Shem Tov had an only son and daughter. He greatly praised the level of his daughter, Udel, since all day, her heart was directed Above. Her only yearning and desire was to please God. Every Jew should merit such a high level, that his heart be constantly directed towards God.

There is a fundamental element to serving God called ratzon, desire. One’s desire to come close to God and please him should always be strong and powerful. Although everyone desires to do what God wants, not all desires are equal. Within one person, even during each moment, there are tremendous differences and distinctions in desire. Nonetheless, the guiding principle is constantly to desire and yearn for God.

Reb Noson says that it is impossible to describe in writing the greatness of one’s desire and yearning to do the Will of God (Likutey Halachot, Arev 3). He explains that the entire reason a soul is forced to descend from the upper worlds into this physical world is only for the sake of desire. It is only here that one can merit complete and perfect desire.

seeking the good point

 

There is a single point in the universe that attracts us with an irresistible force. It is a place of ultimate desire and yearning, where Man and God merge, the “meeting place.” It is here where all existence is nullified, since it is from here where the entire Universe burst forth. It is the place of teshuva, which precedes the Creation of the world. It is an all-inclusive point, encompassing all souls and is the essence of being realized during hitbodedut, the practice of speaking to God in your own words. This same point is the good point within yourself and others. It is the point of Truth, the Tzaddik, the Shechina. There are many names for it, but ultimately, it is the same point. The “good point.”

reb gedaliah aharon kenig: limits of the mind

We are called by the name Man (Adam) by virtue of our intellect and wisdom. It is impossible to separate intellect from the concept of Man. Without intellect, the concept of Man does not exist, since knowledge is what defines Man. Because of this, we possess a will and desire to know everything. Therefore, Man and intellect are one and inseparable. In this light, Rebbe Nachman writes in Likutey Moharan 62: "The truth is that it is a great mitzvah to sharpen the intellect in order to understand perfectly and completely what God has limited to the human mind." It is important to pay attention to exactly what Rebbe Nachman expresses in his golden language. He writes, "...what God has limited to the human mind." This means that man's intellect is limited. The obligation upon man to sharpen his intellect is only according to his ability, i.e., his measure and limit. He should not attempt to reach beyond this limit. If he does, it will result in what is called "breaking of the vessels." The idea of "breaking of the vessels" means destruction and collapse. The mind of man is like a vessel made to receive the light of the intellect in measure. But if we go beyond the measure, this vessel, the mind, comes to a breaking point, collapses and is ruined. It then loses the ability to receive anything more.

holy vessels

 

If someone were to ask you, "What is the purpose of life?" what would you answer? This question can surface during times of crisis or transition. If you are fortunate, it is also a question that can catalyze a shift in lifestyle. The bottom line is that the nature and direction of our lives depend upon how we answer this question.

Rebbe Nachman emphasizes throughout his teachings that the ultimate purpose of life is to come to know God. In Hebrew, knowledge of God is called Daat. "Knowledge of God might sound a bit irrelevant and unattainable for the average person, but it is possible to achieve, because it is the reason we were each put here in this world.

Daat is more than simply verbalizing that everything happening in the world is from God. More accurately, it is a deep internal awareness of direct and intimate Divine involvement in every detail of your life from the moment you were born. Random or chance occurrence doesn't exist. This level of consciousness can bring you to experience the entire Creation operating as a single unit, expressing one Divine will. Obviously this takes work, but when you actually live with this type of awareness, you are less angry, lonely and sad, and are more easily satisfied with every aspect of your life. Every moment becomes an opportunity to reveal God-awareness. To attain knowledge of God is the highest expression of the human intellect, but you have to consciously decide that this is what you want. And then, the challenge is to overcome all obstacles and distractions to get to the true purpose of life.