Now, we've reached Har Sinai

WE'VE REACHED HAR SINAI NOW

Excerpt of a shiur given by Rav Eliezer Berland, shlita, at an engagement on the Thursday night before the reading of Parshat Nasso.

Nachal Kishon, "Nachal Kedumim" is "The ancient brook[1]", which comes down from Adam Kadmon [Ed:a term referring to a specific kabbalistic world]. It says, "Half of them to the eastern sea, and half of them to the western sea[2]", because the whole spiritual work of a person is to be pass along the shefa (bounty) from the crown of Adam Kadmon, because Amram was the sa'arot (hairs) of Adam Kadmon – "Amar Nekei" "Clean wool[3]" {עמר נקא, עמרם}.

THE POINT OF LEAVING EGYPT WAS TO WORSHIP HASHEM

Rabbi Akiva was from Adam Kadmon, and therefore they combed his flesh with combs of iron, and he didn’t feel any pain, because the whole spiritual work of a person is to be included in Adam Kadmon. "

"With a high hand[4]", - this is Adam Kadmon, and therefore, "Be\nei Yisra'el went out with a high hand (triumphantly)" – the whole point of the departure from Mitzrayim (Egypt) was for the purpose of, "When you take this nation out of Mitzrayim, you will worship Hashem on this mountain[5]".

> Now we are going to 'this mountain', we reached Har Sinai. Now, we are all going up to Har Sinai.

And in truth, it says that,"The mountain of Hashem's house will be firmly established at the top of the mountains[6]", - meaning that all the mountains will unite – Tavor, Carmel and Sinai, and the Akeidah – the mountain of the Akeidah will be above them, - above them will be the 'Har Beit Hashem' – the Beit Ha'Mikdash.

Because now is the Akeidah. A person is sacrificing himself every second, every second he's going through the four different types of death that can be ordered by the Bet Din.

And this is what Rabbi Akiva said, "All my life I was worried: When will this Pasuk come to my hands and I will be able to fulfil it?[7]" He was a hundred and twenty years old – it was Yom Kippur. A person needs to pray that on his last day, he should be combed with combs of iron. Rabbi Akiva didn't feel any pain, because of all the avodah (spiritual work and effort) that he served Hashem with.

Rabbi Eliezer told him, "You missed many shiurim, if you wouldn’t have missed any of the shiurim then you wouldn’t have suffered yissurim (trials and tribulations, suffering)". Because the yissurim to listen to a shiur are like being combed by combs of iron.

Rabbi Eliezer told him, "You missed out a bit, but this 'bit' will cost you a lot, - they'll comb you with combs of iron. If you wouldn’t have missed out on any of the shiurim they wouldn’t have combed you with combs of iron."

THE WHOLE POINT OF THE SEFIRAH IS TO RECTIFY RABBI AKIVA'S STUDENTS

Because the whole inyan (purpose, point) of the sefirah is to rectify Rabbi Akiva's students, because they were the reincarnations of the people of Shchem[8], and reincarnations of the 10 Tribes.

Rabbi Akiva was the Shechinah. Because Rabbi Akiva is Yosef, - it says, "Vayikar Alef[9] {ויקר א'} – he merited to attain the Alef.

Because really you write Akiva with a 'Hey' {עקיבה}, but we write Akiva with an 'Alef' {עקיבא}, because in the days of the Sefirah then the Hey already turns into an 'Alef'.

It says, "A light is sown for the Tzaddik, and for the upright of heart, joy[10]". The last letters of the words in this verse spell out Akiva with a Hey – {אוֹר' זָרֻעַ' לַצַּדִּיק' וּלְיִשְׁרֵי' לֵב' שִׂמְחָה' = ע'ק'י'ב'ה'}, but we write it with an Alef, because Rabbi Akiva is Vayikar Alef {ויקרא א', עקיבא}.

The whole spiritual work is to reach to Alef – to Peleh (the same letters – אלף = פלא), to 'Peleh' – to 'wonders of wonders', we came to this world in order to reach to 'Peleh' - to 'wonders of wonders'. 

THE JEWISH NATION SEES MIRACLES EVERY SECOND

"Who is like You among the mighty, Hashem? Who is like You, glorious in holiness? Too awesome for praises, performing wonders[11]"...

Because the Jewish Nation sees all the miracles every second, every second Klal Yisra'el sees all the nissim (miracles) and nifla'ot (wonders).

A person came to this world only in order to see the nissim. Because when Hashem created the world he planned all the nissim that would be until the end of all the generations.

> A person has to go through all the seven levels of Gehenom and see nissim.

* Adapted from the 'Sparks of Light' newsletter. For comments and donations, or to receive Sparks of Light straight to your email, please contact: SparksofLight318@gmail.com [SparksofLight318@gmail.com]

[1] The brook Kishon swept them away, that ancient brook, the brook Kishon. Shoftim 5:21

[2] And it shall come to pass on that day that spring water shall come forth from Yerushalayim; half of it to the eastern sea, and half of it to the western sea; in summer and in winter it shall be. Zecharyah 14:8

[3] Daniel 7:9

[4] Shemot 14:8

[5] Shemot 3:12

[6] Yeshayahu 2:2

[7] Berachot 61b

[8] Brought in the Sefer Gilgulei Ha'Neshamot Letter 20 Siman 2 – Kozbi Bat Tzur

[9] The first word of Sefer Vayikra has a small Alef.

[10] Tehilim 97:11

[11] Shemot 15:11

[12] Light, one of the rules of Dikduk.