[Avodah] L?shem Yichud

[David Wacholder]

   1.
      1. Humbly, let me suggest that God's connection with us is the basic
                  mechanism of Torah and Mitzvoth. Active "Chai"
meaning going both ways and
                  reacting is the key  description of God.
                  2. The active and repeated even continuous intercession
                  by Hashem is the basis of Tefila. It is the
Connection with God as an
                  ongoing "unit/gestalt/dyad" that is basic Judaism.
hashem's intercession
                  is the basis for the Relationship.
                  3. Locate the epicenter! Look in Jewish history, for the
                  very basis and bedrock foundation words. Build the
Tower of Judaism on the
                  following Pasuk. Here is where the Connection is
most expressed. Here is a
                  transcendental expression of the powerful connection
Am Yisrael has with
                   Hashem:
                  4. UKVOD HASHEM MALEH ES HAMISHKAN.
                  5. God's Glory filled the Mishkan.
                  6. ===The great majority of Jews cared that The Glory of
                  HVHY should fill the Mishkan - specifically the
Divine Fire should consume
                  the Korbon in the Dedication of the Mishkan; Eliyahu
demonstrated that the
                  Divine Fire ate the sacrifices on Har Hakarmel.
                  7. It showed - that Hashem cares and is deeply involved
                  in caring for his people.
                  8. Just like a new-born does not question why his
                  mother's Yichus - -  the mother is there, the mother
is the entire world.
                  Only a grown up  adult and independent being,
suddenly realizes that "my
                  parents are unique and special individuals". That is
a weak metaphor I
                  admit. .
                  9. The Child has one question - is my mother here? If I
                  call will she come? Who will feed me?
                  10. They will never arrive at anything near Rav Saadya's
                  problems, much less their solutions.  They are well
into REM sleep in the
                  Table of Contents. Only the Rambam's dearest
students are still avidly
                  listening to Part 3 Chapter 51..7 of the Moreh. Only
there does the Rambam
                  allow picturing the One.
                  11. Rashi's Ehkeh - is that I care and will be there for
                  you again and again.  Rashbam's idea of Hashem is
one - based on what it
                  says in Rashbam al hatorah - means he focuses on us
with complete
                  dedication.  We need not look for any other Power or
SuperPower to save us.

                  12. A Non-Covenantal - also located outside the borders
                  called Eretz Hakodesh - not growing crops in Eretz
Hakodesh - that
                  "non-covenantalist" can with good conscience expect
help from Other Powers
                   besides the One.
                  13. For a Jew - a Ben Bris - that would be Treason -
                  Stoning doesn't begin to fit the crime.
                  14. In the teeth of the inquisition, Rashba moderated a
                  bit.
                  15. Rashba in Chidushim al Hahagados is but  a thin
                  little section in the Blue set of Rashba from Mosad
Harav Kook.  Likely it
                  was one of the most widely copied and read works  in
the Sephardic world.
                  To explain the idea of the Jews prior to Yetziat
Mitzrayim. The RASHB"A  -
                  apologetically advances that line of thought. What
is betrayal and treason
                  for the High Officers of teh Palace - is not a venal
act when performed by
                  the guards in a far off outpost. They are not the
Ro'ei Pnei hamelech - the
                  intimates of the Palace.

   1.
               2. RSG saw the One as identical or similar to the Perfect.
               Being of philosophical ideas.
               3. Some interpreted RSG as believing that the Oneness is a
               Perfect Being. The Perfect One - indescribably perfect
and One - was also
               isolated - He was so perfect in fact that He created a
liaison, called
               Kavod or Kvod HVYH.  The One remains immutable and
unapproachable. Any
               tzimtum comes by his command to the createe called
"Kavod". This nivra, the
               real Step-Down Unit, is on the Throne as described in
Maaseh Merkava. Kavod
               Nivra was able to connect with the material world. This
allows the  Great
               Oneness to remain Ideal. Admittedly, this is an
over-simplification, but
               quite a popular one.
               4. ==The idea that the Jew is commanded to mend Hashem's
               broken Unity - again I over-simplify lest I flutter
away and The Creation
               called Man has the power to reverse engineer Hashem's
Oneness - and talk
               casually about it - is much more of a "Mahapchani"
doctrine than we give it
               credit for. We hide behind the Great Rabbis of old -
who did run a Repair
               Shop. \
               5. The Chasidei Ashkenaz - specifically Rav Yehudah Chasid
               as explained by Rokei'ach - claimed they discovered RSG
and now became
               devoted followers. Baalei Teshuvah Saadayanites.
               6. Until further notice - Saadyanites - or whatever the
               moniker - say Hashem Echad hashem is unreachable. It is
not comprehensible
               in material terms.
               7. So why and how is it uniquely Jewish? Only the Jews
               really believe it and live by it.
               8. The simpler meaning of that is that the One is above our
               ability to affect Him.
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