Shechinah

What We Understand

http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/73268/jewish/What-We-Understand.htm


The following is a free translation of a letter by the Rebbe dated Nissan, 5724 (March-April, 1964):



In answer to your query, in which you ask to explain the concept of shechinah (the divine immanence; lit. "indwelling"), which is mentioned many times in the teachings of our sages:



The concept is extensively expounded upon, particularly in the books and discourses of chassidic teachings-you can look it up in the indices published in the back of Tanya, Torah Ohr, Likkutei Torah and other works. Here I will offer a brief explanation, obviously not a comprehensive one, as space does not allow.



Since G-d is the ultimate perfection and is free of all limitations and definitions, it is self-evident that, in the words of the Alter Rebbe, "The fact that He creates universes does not express what G-d is." At the same time, He is, as Maimonides writes in his Laws of the Fundamentals of Torah, "the one who brings every existence into being; all existences exist only as derivatives of His ultimate existence" and the one whom "all existences are utterly dependent upon Him." It is also obvious that just as no creature can comprehend the nature of G-d’s creation of reality ex nihilo, so, too, no creature can comprehend the nature of G-d, even the nature of G-d as the creator of the world and the source of every existence.



In the words of the great Jewish philosophers: "If I knew Him, I would be Him."



So though a person realizes and understands that no thing can create itself, and that one must therefore conclude that the created reality has a source that generates its existence, this is only proof of the existence of the Creator, not an understanding of what He is, even as "Creator."




Nevertheless, G-d desired that the divine influences upon creation... and the divine immanence in the world should also include elements that the human mind can comprehend. In the words of the sweet singer of Israel, "When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers..." Indeed, this includes an instruction to man regarding the service of his Creator: "Lift your eyes upward, and see who created these..." (As the Alter Rebbe elaborates on this verse in a discourse that is also the basis of Sefer Hachakirah, authored by his grandson, the Tzemach Tzedek.)



This aspect of the divine reality-that which pervades our world to the extent that it can be discovered by G-d’s creatures-is what is meant by the term shechinah, i.e., that which dwells within and enclothes itself.



It is important to emphasize that one cannot categorize the divine reality into various aspects or areas, G-d forbid; it is only that from the perspective of the contemplating creature, there are things that he can comprehend and things that he cannot comprehend. In truth, however, there are no categories, in the plural, but a singular, utterly abstract reality.



Consider the soul of man: obviously, it is not divisible into 248, 365 or 613 components; nevertheless, the observing eye differentiates between the vitality of the foot and the vitality of the brain, though both are of a single essence-the soul that vitalizes the body. How much more so (to distinguish ad infinitum) is it so regarding the divine reality. Thus, when we say that the shechinah is present in the Holy Temple, this is not to say, G-d forbid, that only that "aspect" of the divine that is called shechinah is there, but to stress that there the divine reality is present in such a way that it "dwells within" and "clothes itself" to the extent that it is observable with our physical eyes, in the fact that "the space of the ark did not take up space," in the ten miracles that regularly occurred in the Holy Temple, and so on.




As we said, the above is but one approach to explain the concept of shechinah; many other approaches, and many other points in this approach itself, are elaborated in a number of books and discourses of chassidic teaching.



My hope is that you have set times for the study of the teachings of chassidut every day, and to an even greater extent on Shabbat, the day sanctified to G-d.



With esteem and blessings for a happy and kosher Passover,

The tefillin

http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/980333/jewish/New-Years-Message-to-Jewish-Soldiers.htm
New Years Message to Jewish Soldiers






By Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, The Lubavitcher Rebbe

Erev Rosh-Hashono, 5704 [the eve of Rosh Hashanah 1943]



ב"ה



Happy New Year! * לשנה טובה תכתבו!



Dear Friend:



We are sending you herewith a special message, based upon а talk with the celebrated Lubavitcher Rabbi, Rabbi Joseph I. Schneersohn שליט"א. This message has been published by us in small pocket-size form for your convenience. Added to it are also а few selected Psalms, specially recommended by the Lubavitcher Rabbi שליט"א, for their particular appeal and suitability for the Jewish service man.



Read this message frequently, and you will derive growing faith and courage from it.



We wish to add here a few words which have been recently pronounced by the Lubavitcher Rabbi at a great mass-meeting in New York:



"It is а great Mitzvah (precept) and a sacred duty upon each one of us to make known to every Jewish member in the armed services on land, sea, and in the air, the following:



"Our sages, their memory be blessed, said that 'he who puts on Tefillin regularly merits long life'.



"Brothers in the armed services! Be very careful to put on Tefillin on each weekday!



"The service man who has absolutely no possibility to put en the Tefillin in the morning, should put them on later in the day, but before sunset.



"The putting on of the Tefillin is a special merit which will evoke G‑d's mercy, that you may return home safely!"



We urge you to observe all our religious precepts with the same care as that of Tefillin. You should regard it also as your duty to urge your Jewish comrades to do likewise.



With our best wishes for a Happy New Year, a year of victory that will see you and your comrades return home safe and sound with a distinguished service record, both as a Jew and as an American; a year of Complete Redemption of our people through our righteous Messiah.



Very sincerely yours,



Rabbi Mendel Schneerson,

Chairman, Executive Committee

Indispensable Components of a Daily Study Program

http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/1341991/jewish/Indispensable-Components-of-a-Daily-Study-Program.htm


By the Grace of G‑d

11th of Nissan, 5720 [April 8, 1960]

Brooklyn, N.Y.



Greeting and Blessing:



I received your letter, in which you write about your general daily program, for your own studies as well as with others, etc.



At this distance it is difficult for me to give any specific recommendations in this connection, since many factors are involved. Therefore, you should consult with your local friends on any problems that might arise in connection with your daily program.



However, there is one general suggestion that I wish to make, namely that whatever your daily program of learning is, it should include the subject of practical Dinim [Torah laws], the knowledge of which is essential for daily conduct. Such study could be in Kitzur Shulchan Aruch [Abridged Code of Jewish Law], or similar sources. Also, the 3 daily Shiurim [study programs] of Chumash [Bible], Tillim [Psalms] and Tanya [the fundamental text of Chabad Chassidism] should be kept up faithfully. But with regard to other Shiurim you should consult your friends locally, as suggested above...



As requested, I will remember you in prayer when visiting the holy resting place of my father-in-law of saintly memory, in accordance with the contents of your letter, and may G‑d grant that you will have good news to report.



Wishing you a kosher, happy and inspiring Pesach [Passover],



With blessing, [signed by the Rebbe's secretary]

Motivated by sorrow

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To Be Motivated By Sorrow





Correspondence by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, The Lubavitcher Rebbe

By the Grace of G-d

1st Day of Chanukah, 5730 [December 5, 1969].

Brooklyn, NY



I was saddened to hear of the passing of your mother ע"ה.



I extend to you, and to all the bereaved family, my sincere sympathy and the traditional blessing of condolence –



.המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים



May you not know of any sorrow in the future, but only goodness and benevolence be with you always.



Cordially,



[Signature: M. Schneerson]



P.S. On the basis of our personal acquaintance, and what I have heard about you from mutual friends, I take the liberty of suggesting to you that in addition to Kaddish at the daily prayers, followed by Kaddish d'Rabonon after Mishnayos, as is customary, you also include learning 1ברבים a practical הלכה,2 such as from the Kitzur Shulchon Oruch. This is of special importance in our day and age, and it has many worthwhile implications. Above all, it is a Zechus Horabim,3 coupled with a special Zechus4 for the soul of the departed. Also, furthering adherence to the Will of G-d, especially by a person of influence, gives practical expression to יתגדל ויתקדש שמיה רבא5 ]



I also wish to make a further point in the light of Chassidus, which gives a new insight into the concept of Teshuvoh.



Teshuvoh, as interpreted in Chassidus, does not mean "repentance" (which is only one aspect of it), but -- as the word indicates -- a return of the soul to its "source and root." The "return" referred to here is not the return of the soul to its Maker at the end of its allotted years on earth, but its return to its true essence. As explained by the Alter Rebbe in his Tanya, chapter 31, this is achieved when the Jew is engaged in Torah and Mitzvos, especially when it is permeated with inner joy and inspiration. For at that time, too, the soul "departs from the body" -- in the sense that it abandons the bodily needs, inclinations and lusts. Moreover, at such time the soul actually involves the body in the spiritual exercise, inducing it, too, to obey the Will of G-d, the Source of the soul and of all existence, so that not only the soul returns to its Source, but it also takes the physical body along with it.



The above provides an insight into what seems to be a somewhat "incongruous" observation by the Rambam, 6 namely, that the period of mourning observed by a bereaved family has to do with Teshuvoh. [And it is written, "But the living shall take it to heart."7] One would expect that the first natural reaction of a person sustaining such a loss would be that of resentment and complaint. However, in the light of what has been said above, it is understandable why, on deeper reflection, the shock of seeing a dear soul depart this life should induce Teshuvoh. For this is a fitting time to reflect upon the opportunities which have been given to the soul to "return" to its Source while it is here on earth, housed in its body, and in this experience of Teshuvoh to live a meaningful and happy life to a ripe old age.



I trust there is no need for further elaboration on the above to you.



A word of explanation. This entire piece has been written as a P.S. and on a separate sheet, not because it is of lesser importance than the letter preceding it. [On the contrary!] However, our Sages wisely reminded us that allowances should be made for a person in distress. The thought might just occur that -- here comes a man who is not a relative, and wishes to take “advantage” of a profound and unhappy experience in order to advance “his ideals.” For this reason this part of the letter has been separated from the first. But in truth the two parts are not really separate but intimately connected. Besides, and this is the main point: these ideals are not only mine, but (also?) yours. To quote the Alter Rebbe again, "a Jew neither desires nor is capable of being separated from G-dliness." Only circumstances sometimes obscure the truth. “I believe with complete faith" that this is the way to gratify the soul which is in the World of Truth, and I venture to say that you also share this belief.



May G-d grant that henceforth you will actualize the above by the stimulus of happy occasions, in accordance with the contents of the said chapter in Tanya, through the study of our Torah, תורת אמת,8 the kind of study that leads to action, the fulfillment of the commandments in the daily life. And may you together with your wife bring up your children in this spirit. I refer not only to your natural children but also to your "children" figuratively speaking, namely, those who look up to you as teacher and mentor, as our Sages interpret the words, "And thou shall teach them diligently unto thy children" - "thy students."

The holiness of the sundance -Unnatural- Who are or were really civilized?

http://www.native-americans-online.com/native-american-sun-dance.html
Sun Dance

The sundance is the predominant tribal ceremony of Great Plains Indians, although it is practiced by numerous tribes today as a prayer for life, world renewal and thanksgiving. On a personal level, someone may dance to pray for a relative or friend, or to determine their place in the universe, while on a larger scale, the sundance serves the tribe and the earth. Indigenous people believe that unless the sun dance is performed each year, the earth will lose touch with the creative power of the universe, thereby losing its ability to regenerate.

The sun dance was outlawed in the latter part of the nineteenth century, partly because certain tribes inflicted self-torture as part of the ceremony, which settlers found gruesome, and partially as part of a grand attempt to westernize Indians by forbidding them to engage in their ceremonies and speak their language. Sometimes the dance was performed when reservation agents were lax and chose to look the other way. But as a rule, younger generations were not being introduced to the sun dance and other sacred rituals, and a rich cultural heritage was becoming extinct.

Then, in the 1930's, the sun dance was relearned and practiced once again. Michael Fitzgerald, an adopted member of the Yellow Tail family of the Crow tribe, and author of Yellow Tail Crow Medicine Man and Sun Dance Chief related this amazing story to me. A man by the name of John Trojillo was walking in the mountains while on a vision quest when he was struck by lightning. At that moment, the Spirit of the mountain came to Trojillo and carefully explained to him different healing ceremonies and medicines.

Three days later, Trojillo noticed himself walking through a rock, and then saw himself lying on the floor of the cave. He laid down in his body and awoke, realizing that he had been in his Spirit all this time, not his physical body.






Trojillo was given explicit instructions to follow for a years time. He was told to pray, to go on vision quests, and not to practice his medicine power. Afterwards, Trojillo was able to call upon the Spirits of the medicine fathers, whenever someone was in need of help, and was the vehicle for many miraculous healings. The first healing was especially dramatic, involving a man who had been shot twice, just above the heart. The doctors of this time were not skillful enough to perform such a delicate operation, but Trujillo prayed for the man, and sprinkled the wound with a sacred powder, called lightning root. The next day, the bullets worked themselves out and were lying beneath the man. The patient fully recovered and lived many more healthy years. While the herbs played a role, Trujillo credited the mans survival to the Spirits who had responded to his prayers.


Trujillo became prominent in his tribe as a result of this incident and was asked to reinstate the sun dance on the Shoshoni reservation. Then in 1941, he was invited to the Crow reservation to teach the sun dance, which had also been lost due to generations of U.S. government Indian policy. Since this new version differed from the original dance, the Crows called the ceremony the Crow Shoshoni sun dance.



The tribes learned that the sun dance consisted of various elements. There was the ritual of the sacred pipe, the purification ceremony, monthly prayer ceremonies, and a yearly ritual. The sun dance chief offers the prayers from the sacred pipe to the four directions, as well as the earth and sky, on a daily basis. The purification ceremony is performed before the sun dance and again afterwards. Monthly sun dance prayer ceremonies take place 12 times a year, at the time of the full moon. During this ceremony, two medicine bundles are opened, and ritual objects are taken out and placed on an elks skin in the middle of the floor. Heated coals are brought into the lodge, incense is placed on the fire, and special songs are sung to help carry the prayers of the smoke to a subtler world.

At the end of the ceremony, people in the audience come forth to be healed. Animal instruments, such as eagle feathers and otter skins, are used. Fitzgerald notes that a great spiritual leader, Yellow Tail, used a hollowed out horn of a spiked horn elk as his primary method of healing. Blowing on a patients back with the horn created a terribly shrill sound, but resulted in many miraculous cures and protection against danger. In one instance, a prominent American Indian was sent to Viet Nam and shot at close range by the Viet Cong. Although the bullet tore through his tee shirt, it did not penetrate him.






During the healings, the medicine man prays over the patient, touching him or her with the animal instrument. The bad spirits are taken into the prop, and then cast into the wind. Sometimes herbs are given to the patient to alleviate simple symptoms, but as mentioned earlier, the essential cure is through prayer. The medicine man calls forth spiritual entities to enter the physical world in order to cure the patient

In addition to the 12 monthly ceremonies, there is a three to four day sun dance that takes place each summer, usually in July. The preparation is too detailed to describe here, but involves building a lodge from a large cottonwood tree, with a forked branch in the middle. Twelve upright poles are placed about 13 paces from the center pole in a circular fashion, with rafter poles connecting the outside of the circle to the inner pole. From an aerial view, this appears as a wagon wheel with a hub in its center. This symbolizes the tribe (on the outside of the circle) trying to find their way straight to the center.

Fitzgerald told me about the preparations for the Crow sun dance, where the dancers greet each sunrise with sacred songs. Then the medicine man prays on behalf of the tribe, the world, and all creation. Throughout the day, 100 or more tribe members may dance to a drum beat, which represents the heart of the universe. The dancers fast for the duration of the ceremony. All their time is spent praying to the Creator and dancing toward and away from the center pole. The ceremony is brutal and causes many dancers to collapse, what Indians call taking a fall. This is followed by a vision, similar to what happens on a vision quest, only here many people are given guidance for the good of the tribe. In a sense, this is a community vision quest to renew the people and the bioregion.






On the second day, spectators from the tribe enter the lodge to be healed, bearing gifts of tobacco and incense. This is exactly the same process that takes place during the monthly prayer sun dance ceremonies, where harmful spiritual and physical manifestations are taken into an animal instrument and cast off to the wind, while prayers are said to heal the person.

Sun dance ceremonies typically end with a purification ceremony so that tribe members can re-enter the world refreshed and regenerated. Fitzgerald notes that this ritual is as concrete as it is symbolic, and related to me a time when he was in a purification lodge with Yellow Tail. While praying, Yellow Tail suddenly threw a scoop of water onto the very hot volcanic rocks. The force of the 212 degree steam knocked Fitzgerald down. He equated the feeling to that of an egg that sizzles when dropped onto a skillet. Yellow Tail continued to pray, and then asked Fitzgerald if he was alright. Fitzgerald leaned up onto his elbow to assure Yellow Tail that he was fine, feeling too embarrassed to admit that he was thrown onto the ground. At that moment, Fitzgerald realized that this was more than a symbolic death; there was an element of pure suffering accompanying this ceremony of death and renewal.






The dual meaning of this ritual is also expressed by Yellow Tail, who says, "When water is thrown onto the rocks, the heat does not merely cleanse us from the outside. It also goes all the way into our hearts. We know that we must suffer the ordeal of the heat in order to purify ourselves. In that way, we re-emerge from the sweat lodge at the end of the ceremony as new men who have been shown the light of the wisdom of our spiritual heritage for the first time. This allows us to participate in all of our daily tasks with the fresh remembrance of our position on earth, and our continuous obligation to walk on this earth in accordance with the sacred ways."