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Orchard of Delights 19
notwithstanding, the Torah’s concern warns us that the process
of redeeming sparks of holiness trapped in impure places must be
approached with great care.
Rashi, citing classical sources, seems to explain that the Torah
only granted the soldier permission to take such a woman in this way
as a concession to the evil inclination, fearful that the soldier would
take her in a forbidden way, if he had no sanctioned option. Indeed,
reflecting the Torah’s feeling that this is not the best way to proceed,
the long and cumbersome procedure makes sound psychological sense
as it tends to discourage anyone from adopting it in the first place.
On an even deeper level, Rabbi Kahn explains that since the forces
of evil in the world want nothing better than to keep all the sparks of
holiness hidden and under their control, the attempt to redeem this
holy spark is not a concession to evil, but in fact a direct challenge to
its power and schemes!
Taking this one step further, we must realize that not only is there
an inner voice pushing us towards fulfilling our base desires, there is
also an inner voice urging us to shun idealism, to reject the search
for ways to rectify the world. This latter voice advises us to play it
safe, to focus on advancing our own private interests and ego-driven
realities. By rejecting both these voices and consciously attempting
to engage the world and elevate it, we are courageously declaring war
on the very essence of evil.
Translating this insight into our own contemporary reality, we
should realize that Kabbalah and Chassidut alert us to both the
implicit danger and amazing opportunity inherent in redeeming
sparks of holiness. For Torah-observant Jews living and working
in the modern world, this is no small test. It takes a high level of
discernment, commitment to principles, and self-control to follow
this higher calling. The Arizal and the Ba’al Shem Tov went even
further in stating that redeeming the fallen sparks of reality is not
only the responsibility of the individual but also the Jewish people’s
fundamental purpose. Indeed, they even explain that the long and
bitter exile needs to be understood in this context as, among other
things, an opportunity to gather the sparks scattered throughout the
world.
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Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, first chief rabbi of Palestine in the
years leading up to the creation of the State of Israel, waxed poetic
and mystical in describing the ingathering of the exiles. He taught
that when the Jews returned from the four corners of the earth they
would bring with them sparks of holiness from their host countries.
In the Land of Israel, these sparks would be elevated to their source,
as ultimately all wisdom and knowledge has its source in the Torah.
He envisioned this happening in the arts and sciences, and, in fact,
in all the secular disciplines. In our generation, Rabbi Yitzchak
Ginsburgh has dedicated most of his teachings and his nearly ninety
books (at last count) to reveal not only the compatibility of secular
knowledge and Torah wisdom, in general, but the Torah source of
seminal ideas in the arts and sciences, in particular.
On a more personal level, each person must face the challenge
of deciding what in the modern world to accept or reject, extract
or winnow. Certain components can be elevated and redeemed and
others need to be kept at a healthy distance. When it comes to raising
children, the choices that must be made become even more challenging
and at times quite confusing. Yet this is perhaps the most important
spiritual work that both individuals and the collective nation of
Israel can do. According to many, the very coming of Mashiach is
contingent on gathering, redeeming, and elevating all the sparks of
holiness scattered throughout the world. May this occur speedily and
in our days!
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£Falling from the RoofFalling from the Roof
££Falling from the Roof
“If you build a new house you should make a guardrail for your
roof, in order that you not bring blood upon your house if a fallen
one falls from it” (Deuteronomy 22:8). This mitzvah seems fairly
straightforward, as it joins a long list of commandments designed
to ensure that property owners take all the necessary precautions
to ensure that they are not responsible for injuring others. Since an
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