elul studies #2 - forbidden wisdom, innovative teshuva

8/11/2019 Elul Studies #2 - Forbidden Wisdom, Innovative Teshuva

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Teshuva and The Modern Jew

Study #2 - Innovative Repentance

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1. R. Nahman of Breslov (1772-1810),Likkutei MoHaRaN, no. 35 (ashrei ha-am yodei

teruah)

Know, that Teshuva means to return something to the place from which it was originally

taken/removed/plucked what is that place? It is called Hokhmah (wisdom). This isbecause wisdom is the root of everything, as it is written: you have fashioned everything

with wisdom. Therefore, each individual needs to protect themselves from outer wisdoms,

which are also called the daughter of Pharaoh...

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and when a person incorporates into his thoughts outside thoughts, which are these

outside wisdoms, then the holiness of ones intellect is detracted from, as the outside

wisdom occupies space dedicated for the holy intellect

And renewal of the intellect, which is actually renewal of the soul, is done through sleep, as

explained in the Zohar ha-Kadosh for when the minds are stressed, it is through this sleep

that they become renewed, as is evident in actuality...

And this is an/the aspect of the Tekiot on Rosh ha-Shana, because Rosh ha-Shana is itself an

asepect of sleep, as is known, which itself is an aspect of dealing faithfully, an aspect of basic

understandings of Torah and the Tekiot are a wake-up call from this sleep, which is a

renewal of the minds...

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The nation who knows teruah: knows, in the sense of connection/intertwining, teruah,

in the sense of breaking apart/shattering, for the sparks/lights are from the ultimate

shattering of the vessels.

...This is all to receive a enlightenment, a renewal of the minds, a renewal of the soul, and

through this we elevate all the sparks...

2. R. Isaiah Horowitz (SheLaH ha-Kadosh, 1565-1630),Shnei Luhot ha-Berit(Helek

Toledot ha-Adam, beit ha-Hokhmah tinyana), p. 72

And this is repentance, that returns all things to their source and their root, that alludes to

the emanation of Binah, which is called teshuva, within it included all the ten emanations

which correspond/are called the 10 days of repentance - themselves the root and the source

from which develop our entire year...

3. R. Natan of Nemirov (1780-1844),Sihot ha-Ran, no. 5 ,

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4. R. Natan,Hayyei MoHaRaN, no. 407, 408, 409 [selections]

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...and he forbade in the strictest terms from ever studying or looking in these books, God

forbid. And he expressed in great severity the level of the prohibition, because they confuse

the mind of man with strange ideas that do not agree with our holy Torah.

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Therefore, anyone who cares for themselves needs to stay far away from these books of the

sciences/philosophy that some of our own early greats wrote

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Praiseworthy is the one who walks with God in simplicity.

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And our Rabbi zl said that with regards to the Yad, in places where it speaks of Halakhic

matters, it is good to follow it, but with regard to The Guide, God should forgive him for the

perversions - without comparison - issued when speaking of the foundations of our holy

Torah

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5. Franz Rosenzweig, The Star of Redemption(Wisconsin: 2005); pp. 120-121

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6. Maimonides,Hil. Teshuva(Fraenkel ed.)

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7. R. Abraham Isaac ha-Kohen Kook (1865-1935), Orot ha-Kodesh; 1:1

Holy wisdom/Hokhmah is elevated beyond all other wisdoms, in that it

affects/transforms/uproots/overturns the will and the very essence of the soul of those who

study it, to bring them closer to that same loftiness that it derives its power from. This is not

so with regard to all other worldly wisdoms, despite the fact that at times they speak of

elevated, beautiful, and pleasing matters, they still do not retain this transformative, active

element, which allows the very nature of them to be extended and develop upon the one wholearns/studies/meditates upon them...

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8. R. Shimon Gershon Rosenberg (ShaGaR, 1949-2007), Torat Rabbeinu:Discourses of

R. Shagar zl on selections of Likkutei Moharan for Rosh ha-Shana(Unpublished,

2011); p. 27-28

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elul studies #2 - forbidden wisdom, innovative teshuva

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