The Divine Power of Hindsight…
The word for “month” in Hebrew is chodesh, which can also mean “new” (chadash) or “renewal”. The Kabbalistic teaching connected to this is that each month a new light comes into the world, allowing us a fresh perspective on life. How can we learn about this new light? By studying the month’s unique historical events.
This month is called Tammuz. The most famous day, the 17th , is not a happy one. Forty days before this date, the Jewish people received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Every single person experienced a Divine revelation. They could actually see G-dliness. The yearning for the Divine was so great that twice their souls jumped out of their bodies and G-d had to revive them. After the event, Moshe went back up the mountain to study the Torah with G-d. Yet on the 17th of Tammuz (this year on July 9 – a fast day), fearing that Moshe would not return, some of the Jewish people actually worshipped an idol, the ultimate act of betrayal. This tragic event is known as the Sin of the Golden Calf.
Moshe begs G-d not to destroy the people, and even more, to forgive them. G-d finally agrees. In that moment of sublime connection of Creator and His greatest prophet, Moshe asks G-d to show him G-d’s face (Shemot/Exodus 33:22), direct understanding of the Divine.. G-d answers that no one can see His face and live, but He will show him His back. Rashi explains that just as people wear Tefillin, so does G-d. Seeing G-d’s back refers to G-d allowing Moshe to see the back knot of G-d’s Tefillin,, which is part of the straps that tie the Tefillin to a person’s head. Essentially showing Moshe part of G-d’s crown, at least partially fulfilling his request. What is the connection between this amazing intimate event that Torah shares with us and the Sin of the Golden Calf?
I was once taught something that changed my life. Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, in his monumental commentary on the Chumash, takes this episode and changes the way we should look at the world. Seeing G-d’s face is the ability to see the future. This is out of the realm of humanity. Life would lose its meaning if we could do this. But G-d gave us another power, to see Him by looking into the past. Hindsight being 20/20 is the most Jewish of concepts.
A consuming and difficult battle with obesity as a teen convinced me to study nutrition. This decision brought me to a certain university. When I discovered that the university did not have the answers to my questions, I searched out a group of people who practiced using food for healing. On this new path, once while visiting home, I went to a health food store in Brooklyn to buy some supplies. In the store I ‘just happened‘ to meet the teacher of food healing who was an observant Jew. Even though a Moroccan, he was connected to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and connected me to him too. The Rebbe inspired myself and two other close friends that the way to bring ourselves and the world to it full potential and completion is to bring Jews back to their spiritual roots. So all those years ago, what I thought was the biggest curse (leaving university) ended up bringing me my biggest blessing and mission in life, Ascent of Tsfat, and even meeting my wife.
The Sin of the Golden Calf set the stage for an estrangement and then renewal of our relationship with G-d but on a much higher level than was imaginable before. Like friends or a couple when they overcome a problem between them, the process makes their love ever so much stronger. Similarly, the Sin of the Golden Calf brought the Jewish people to a connection with G-d that changed the whole game.
The lesson of Tammuz is not just to look back on our life’s challenges and realize that what seemed to be the most difficult events are in fact the corridor to our greatest treasures. It is to see the events now and realize that they are the entrance way to a new adventure and if we push just a little harder, the door will open up and we will see the light.
The Gematria (Jewish numerology) of Tsfat (? 90+ ? 80+ ? 400 = 570 ) is the same as the word shear (gate ? 300+? 70+ ? 200 = 570). One of the best gates to use to enter the world of Chassidut and Kabbalah (the inner dimensions of the Torah) is Tsfat!
Come and visit us very soon!
Chodesh Tov – wishing you a good and healthy month,
Rabbi Shaul Leiter
Director of Ascent