Extremism is not the Way of God. It is known that many religious people practice extremism and ruin their spiritual lives. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov warns about this:
"Extremism, in any form, is totally unnecessary - Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom #51.
"Rebbe Nachman teaches: Of those who are overly strict in serving God it is written (Vayikra 18:5), 'You shall live (and not die) by them.' Such people have no life. They are constantly depressed because they never feel that they've fulfilled their obligations while performing the mitzvot. Because of their stringencies, they don't experience any vitality – any life – from their deeds" - Likutei Moharan 2, 44.Rebbe Nachman shares the following true acccount about such people who overly focus on the externals of their practice:
"Once there was a well-known Rebbe who prayed in his private room adjacent to the synagogue. Hearing sounds outside his door and thinking it to be his Chassidim trying to catch a glimpse of their master's devotions, the rebbe prayed with great fervor and enthusiasm. Later, he discovered that the sounds had been caused by a cat scratching at the door. 'For nine years he prayed to a cat! Rebbe Nachman commented: 'God save us!'"This "well-known Rebbe" wasted nine years of his devotions praying to a cat! Performing for others to be empressed by his self-percieved piety! Perhaps this is too hard. Perhaps the Rebbe intended to demonstrate to his followers how to pray? Perhaps, but in either case it was nine years of show rather than true hitbodedut or heartfelt prayer. Such a waste. Such devotions are meaningless!
Those who seek to live in the Divine Presence do well to develop the Perspective of Balance. Again, our Rebbe shares an example. Once, seated in front of his window facing the marketplace, Rebbe Nachman saw one of his followers rushing by:
"Have you looked up at the sky this morning?" the Rebbe asked.
"No, Rebbe, I haven't had the time."
"Believe me, in fifty years everything you see here today will be gone. There will be another fair–with other horses, other wagons, different people. I won't be here then and neither will you. So what's so important that you don't have time to look at the sky?!"There is great wisdom here. On the surface, the Rebbe says in effect, "You can't take it with you" so why expend so much energy over tempurary, fleeing things? But his comment was more profound than this!
Why does he say to look at the sky rather than at a Torah scroll? Or the shul? Or your fellows? Of at the Rebbe himself? Why the sky?
It is because with proper understanding the open sky is a segulah, a thing that has some sort of mysterious power, although we may not understand how it works. Where the talmid (student) to gaze at the sky with spiritual intention (kavanah) HaShem would teach him deeper wisdom.
Consider: The expanse of the heavens surrounds and supports the Merkaba Throne of the Holy as conceived by Mystics like Navi Ezekiel. Sometimes the sky is clear and luminous. Sometimes the expanse is dark and filled with clouds. Just like out human consciousness.
When the sky is clear we can see as far as our vision reaches. But where there are clouds, our perceptions are blocked. So too with our consciousness. When we are positioned within devekut we can see as clearly as our individual perceptions are capable of. But when our consciousness is filled with thoughts, doubts, strengencies and so on, our pure vision is hampered.
Some people conclude that their thoughts, their various cloud formations, are the most important things, even more important that the Merkaba of HaShem. Religious extremism has its origin here. Religious extremists endlessly debate the proper shape and textures of the approved clouds and reprove those who look and consider other clouds. Such foolishness! The clouds are not the issue! See beyond them!
The clouds are even more temporary than our lifetimes! The winds blow and they are re-ordered, yet some who focus their gaze on the clouds can no longer see the clouds that are here today. They only permit themselves to percieve clouds as they were, or may have beenm in bygone days. While the heavens are constantly being refreshed by the Divine Winds, the heavens of the extremists become stagnant and unchanging.
Rebbe Nachman tells us that all of the obstacles we percieve, like the clouds in the sky, are illusory by their very nature. They are temporary at best. The perceived obstacles are only creations of the mind and keep us diverted from the Holy Merkaba before us.
However, this too is according to the Way of God! The essence of our physical reality is the "World of Thought." When we alter the paradigms of our realities our vision changes. Police officers are constantly dealing with people whose "skies" are dark with storm clouds. In time it is often seen that this constant exposure to negativity darkens their consciousness and they become suspicious, seeing the worst in people.
While we certainly need and support good officiers, theirs is not generally the way we wish to view the "sky" of our lives. In a similar way, many religious people isolatre themselves from the world and divide humans between the "saved" and "lost," the good people- like "us," and the bad people- like "them." We mostly make these judgements based on our perceived shapes of the clouds in our minds. This too is an inaccurate paradigm. Everything in human experience arises from these "clouds," and returns to them.This is true of everything in our physical universes. Our existence is like the clouds. Each created thing appears to be solid and firm, but in truth it is insubstantial and transitory. As we say on Rosh Hashanah at the end of U’nesaneh Tokef, "Like a broken shard, like withering grass, like a fading flower, like a passing shadow, like a dissipating cloud, like a gust of wind, like a swirl of dust, like a fleeting dream…" or as we recite in our siddur, "Everything but the pure Neshama or soul which is destaned to give a just accounting before God.
Despite the all the follies performed under the skies, as lamented by Shlomo HaMelech, the Neshama and its actions have eternal meaning and consequences. And as Rebbe Nachman notes:
"If a person doesn't focus on the purpose, what is the point of his life?" - Likutey Moharan I, 268.
"A person should long to attain the highest possible level. And must not allow themselves to fall from even the smallest level."
"When a person rises from level to level in this world, never ceasing to make fresh advances in serving God, so too in the world to come they will continue rising from level to level" - Siach Sarfey Kodesh 1-70, 85This is because as we read at Psalm 121:
"The Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps."Jews are protected by God AND commanded to take part in our own security:
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have placed before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants" - Deuteronomy 30:19.Our Creator has given us freedom to choose everything! We can focus on the clouds and remain locked in materialism, or we can go beyond the clouds of mental dualism and realize the Merkaba Throne of God in devekut. Its up to us. Eccelesiastes 3:1-8:
: There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven—A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.First and foremost we must strengthen our "spiritual weaponry." The Holy One enjoins us: "If you will follow My statutes and observe My commandments- I will establish peace upon the land."
With Peace we can focus on the things of God. The absence of peace causes many distractions.
Simplicity is the highest possible virtue- since God is certainly higher than everything and He is ultimately simple - Sichot Haran #101.
"There are times when the Talmud teaches that it is good to be strict in keeping certain mitzvot. Therefore, Rebbe Nachman taught that one should pick a particular mitzvah that they will be stringent in observing, although not to the point of foolishness. If only we would be worthy of keeping all of the Torah’s commandments simply, without any excesses” (Sichot Haran #235).
Don't follow excessive stringencies in your practice of the Torah. "God does not rule over His creatures with tyranny" (Avodah Zarah 3a) - "The Torah was not given to ministering angels" (Berachot 25b)Would you truly know God in a balanced way, beyond all religion, beyond all the human-made clouds? Here is the Way of God:
Depart from evil.
Do good.
Seek peace, and pursue it - Psalms 34:140.Got Questions or Comments?
Let us know* Rabbi Shlomo Nachman © February 26, 2024
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