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ShareFirst: a tradition is multivocal, and in that way, is a kind of model of reality that's especially appropriate for Jews. It says that reality is complex and multifaceted like its Creator. It says, as Whitman says in Song of Myself, "I am large; I contain multitudes." I contain multitudes as a learner of the tradition because I take into myself the many teachers and learners who preceded me, and the many teachers and learners around me.
Second: it's less lonely in a tradition. I experience God as El Nistater, as Isaiah 45:15 says. Truly You are a God who hides Yourself. For me, God is very elusive. And at times when God is hidden, when I pray, He/She is more accessible when my hevrutot and I tackle a demanding piece of Gemara. Together we are both enriched and comforted and sustained. Perhaps this is what the rabbis mean in the first perek of Brakhot when they say the Shekhinah is with a group studying.
We've all got a life to live
We've all got a gift to give
Just open your heart and let it out
We've all got a piece to bring
We've all got a song to sing
Just open your heart and let it out
Yeah
When I reach out to you and you to me
We become B'tzelem Elohim
When we share our hopes and our dreams
Each one of us B'tzelem Elohim
We've all got a tale to tell
We all wanna speak it well
Just open your heart and let it out
We've all got a mountain to climb
We've all got a truth to find
Just open your heart and let it out
Yeah
When I reach out to you and you to me
We become B'tzelem Elohim
(כו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃
(26) And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.” (27) And God created man in God's image, in the image of God, God created him; male and female God created them.
[Rabbi Akiva] used to say:Beloved is man for he was created in the image [of God]. Especially beloved is he for it was made known to him that he had been created in the image [of God], as it is said: “for in the image of God, God made man” (Genesis 9:6). Beloved are Israel in that they were called children to the All-Present. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that they are called children of the All-Present, as it is said: “your are children to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1). Beloved are Israel in that a precious vessel was given to them. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that the desirable instrument, with which the world had been created, was given to them, as it is said: “for I give you good instruction; forsake not my teaching” (Proverbs 4:2).
"A deeper love - it is revealed to them": Rambam explained: A deeper love did the Holy One, blessed be God, show to [Adam], as God informed and said to [them], "See, I have made you in the Divine image." Because one who benefits their friend and informs them of the good that they have done for them, shows a deeper love than if they had benefited them but it is not important [enough] in their eyes to inform them of the good that they have done for them. And it can be explained, "A deeper love - it is revealed to them;" a revealed and publicized love. As not only did the Omnipresent have a secret love for [people] but rather even a love that was revealed and known to all.
In Sefer HaMidot {The Aleph-Bet Book} it is written, 'Every universe and everything created has its own structure. For example, the lion ... and spiritual beings are all included in the forms of the letters and their combinations. One who is worthy of understanding the Torah...'. This appears to be related to a conversation we heard from the Rebbe's holy mouth before Shabbat Chanukah, 5565 (1805) regarding the creatures in the world. The Rebbe said, 'Every human likeness is included in the word adam when the Torah says , 'Let us make adam in our image' (Genesis 1:26). As soon as God said the word adam, God included every human likeness in that word.' 'The same is true of such words as beheimah {animal} and chayah {beast} used in the account of creation. These words include the forms of every animal and beast.... The same is true of everything else created.' The Rebbe spoke at length regarding this. He then said, 'There are categories of wisdom, even in this world, which can sustain a person without any other nourishment. There are such awesomely wonderful categories of wisdom even in this world. A person can live without eating or drinking with this wisdom alone.' The Rebbe spoke at length about this, but we were not worthy of recording the rest.
Exodus 8:4 “and this is how the lampstand (candlestick) was made, etc.”
We have a rule that there are three types of “love” in the universe, (objects of love). 1) The most common object of love are tangible phenomena. The Torah warns not to “love” certain tangible phenomena. 2) There are some tangible phenomena, which at first glance appear as permissible objects to be loved, but which on closer examination are only symbols of what is permitted to love, i.e. not the object itself but the concepts which the object represent. Therefore, the third type of love is our love for the essence behind the external symbols, the mitzvoth, in this instance, i.e. our love for Hashem.
When we love G’d in this manner, we succeed in helping the “sparks” to return to their original habitat as part of the Sh’chinah, (as explained in our translation on pages 21-23.)
It is not permissible for us to ever claim that there exist phenomena in our universe that are totally apart from their origin, from their holy roots. ... It is our task in this multifaceted material universe, to reflect the unity of the Creator by emulating God's virtues to the best of our knowledge and ability.
...
When the Torah relates how G’d set about creating the first human being, (Genesis 1,26) נעשה אדם בצלמנו, “let Us make man in our image, etc.” the words בצלמנו כדמותנו, “in our image, similar to Our likeness,” are parallel to the description of the candlestick being out of one chunk of gold, עד ירכה עד פרחה, colloquially speaking “from head to toe,” i.e. all of it. Although the human being contains parts difficult to associate with sanctity and holiness, as their function is to turn excess food into excrement, for instance, in the final analysis even dung is connected and remains connected to its Creator in heaven. We are asked to relate with love to that aspect of the phenomenon even if its exterior disgusts us....
"When I confront a human being as my You and speak the basic word I-You to him, then he is no thing among things nor does he consist of things.
He is no longer He or She, limited by other He’s and She’s, a dot in the world grid of space and time, nor a condition that can be experienced and described, a loose bundle of named qualities. Neighborless and seamless, he is You and fills the firmament. Not as if there were nothing but he; but everything else lives in his light.
Even as a melody is not composed of tones, nor a verse of words, nor a statue of lines–one must pull and tear to turn a unity into a multiplicity–so it is with the human being to whom I say You. I can abstract from him the color of his hair or the color of his speech or the color of his graciousness; I have to do this again and again; but immediately he is no longer You."