| Introduction
A Microcosm
of the Temple
Sustenance,
Clothing, Shelter
Man in the Aura
of the Tzelem
Reverse Order:
Shelter, Clothing
Sustenance
Five Levels
of the Soul -
Inverted Seal
Food,
Drink, Air
The Secret of the
"Primordial
Atmosphere"
Clouds of Glory,
Miriam's Well,
Manna
The World -
A Home for G-d
Mezuzah |
|
|
Kabbalah
and Modern Life - The Jewish Home
Part 9
The
World -
A Home for G-d |
| The
entire world must become a home for G-d |
One might have the misimpression that the home is primarily
for its inhabitants to enter and remove themselves from external social contact. But just
as the Temple was not intended to be entered without leaving, so with the home, a mikdash
me'at. Our Sages teach that a person who knows only how to enter and never leaves,
should not enter. The ultimate purpose of entering a holy context is always to integrate
and bring holiness, light, strength and closeness to G-d into one's consciousness, and
then to take that gift and bring it to the world. One's own home, as rectified as it may
be, is not sufficient. The entire world must become a home for G-d. This is the supreme
purpose of Creation. |
| He
must expand to all directions without any limit to encompass the entire world and all of
reality |
The purpose of one's home is that it should always expand.
The concept of home as one of the Three Forefathers corresponds to Jacob. Abraham called
the Temple site "a mountain," Issac called it "a field," and Jacob
called it "a home." Jacob is not intended to remain inside the home. On the
contrary, Jacob is called "unbounded inheritance." He is more unlimited
than Abraham and Isaac. Abraham and Isaac had certain limits, even in the extension of The
Land of Israel. Abraham was promised the Land of Israel until the Euphrates. Isaac was
promised certain boundaries. Jacob is the level of the Land of Israel that will expand to
all the nations of the earth, and will ultimately cover the whole earth. That is why Jacob
was commanded (Genesis 28:14): "And you shall spread out to the west, to the east, to
the north, and to the south." He must expand to all directions without any
limit to encompass the entire world and all of reality. |
| The
home, gives the person the self-sacrifice, to take the consciousness from within to
the outside world |
This is the reason that a man who does not have a home is
not called a man. Of all the three Forefathers, the one who most resembled Adam was Jacob.
"The beauty and appearance of Jacob resembled Adam." Adam was intended not just
to remain in the Garden of Eden, but to become so at one with the Garden of Eden that, had
he withstood the trial, he would have been able take the air and consciousness of the
Garden of Eden and bring it out to the entire world. Unfortunately, since he sinned, he
was driven out of the Garden of Eden, and couldn't take it with him.
To be a man, one must have self-sacrifice to go out
of his home. The home, malchut, gives the person the self-sacrifice, from
the power of keter, to take the consciousness from within to the outside world. The
world will then become permeated with this consciousness and will be a great home, for
G-d. |
|
|
