Bechor Beheyma Tehora 3 – Aharon HaKohen’s Humility Facilitated the Geulah – Ananei HaKavod – Mitzvos Are Infinite – Halakha Is Never Derived from Kabbalah – Parshas Shoftim – How to Deal with Conflict – Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon.
Hilkhos Bechor Beheyma Tehora is based on 2Likutey Moharan 5 – Tiku Emunah.
*00:00 – PARAGRAPH 6. Moshe Rabbeinu was hidden. He had difficulty speaking to ordinary people because he was on such a high spiritual level. Aharon HaKohen was the leader of Am Yisrael before Moshe Rabbeinu was revealed. Aharaon HaKohen was able to understand Moshe Rabbeinu and to speak to ordinary people, therefore Aharon was the one who revealed the greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu to Am Yisrael. Aharon HaKohen’s humility facilitated the geulah – redemption from Egypt.
07:30 – PARAGRAPH 7. The importance of a person constantly examining the status of his emunah. The two Shins (one with three heads and one with four heads) on tefillin refer to the Seven Shepherds of Am Yisrael.
10:00 – The Seven Shepherds correspond with the Ananei HaKavod – Clouds of Honor – and emunah. Clouds obscure light, and emunah requires closing the eyes to the appearances of the physical world and “darkening the intellect”. HaShem places His Light in the darkness. It’s impossible for a person to receive Daas other than through the darkness of emunah.
18:00 – PARAGRAPH 8. A Bechor Beheyma Tehora may not be sacrificed if it has a mum – defect. Reference to Likutey Moharan 31 – what really completes everything, is emunah. If emunah is lacking, even daas is lacking.
*22:00 – וְיַגֶּד־לְךָ | תַּֽעֲלֻמ֣וֹת חָכְמָה֘ כִּֽי־כִפְלַ֪יִם לְֽתֽוּשִׁ֫יָּ֥ה – “…and tell you mysteries of wisdom for the wisdom is double…” (Iyov 11:6). The Torah is “double” – whatever we think it is, it’s much, much more.
*24:00 – Every mitzvah is infinite, so we can never know its purpose or reasons. Only emunah is complete, while understanding is incomplete. We do a mitzvvah because it is the will of HaShem, and not for any other reason. When a person does simply what HaShem wants, this includes all the possible “reasons” for the mitzvah.
29:00 – PARAGRAPH 9. It is forbidden to derive a new Mitzvah based on Kabbalah.
*29:30 – Reference to Sichos HaRan 277. A person is permitted to bring forth innovations in Torah if they are qualified, but only on condition that a person does not derive a new halakha based on that innovation.
*32:00 – Parshas Shoftim – לֹ֣א תָס֗וּר מִן־הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־יַגִּ֥ידוּ לְךָ֖ יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹֽאל – “…you shall not divert from the word they tell you, either right or left” (Devarim 17:11, Shoftim). A Jew is not permitted to be more strict than halakha requires.
34:30 – Q&R – doing a mitzvah simply because it’s ratzon HaShem is an aspect of hisKashrus to the Tzaddik.
*35:30 – Q&R about blind faith with regard to false leaders. “With emunah alone, a person can fall.” Emunah does need to be combined with daas. The procedure for finding a worthy leader/teacher. To achieve clarity in this respect, a person needs to plead with HaShem.
42:00 – NOTE about Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld zal following the tradition he received for tefillin, even though it doesn’t follow Minhag HaZohar. Tefillin Shel Yad refers to Kisei HaKavod, so the Sefardim sit while putting on the Tefillin Shel Yad. Ashkenazim stand.
44:00 – The Zohar is followed for the custom of sitting down until the word “Tehillos” in Shacharis. One needs a worthy teacher to establish a derech with balancing halakha with kabbalah.
*47:00 – Q&R about how to deal with conflict and politics. A Jew needs to be flexible because Am Yisrael is diverse.
52:00 – Q&R about the concept of “Don’t do to someone else what you wouldn’t want done to yourself.”
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