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The Cleansing Compassion of Accepting Troubles with Love

31/7/2018

8 Comments

 
When struggling through a day in which I experienced a lot of physical pain and also lots of minor yet very frustrating obstacles every which way I turned (and having just faced a huge disappointment the day before), I came across this from the Kav Hayashar, Chapter 31:
וּמִזֶּה תִּרְאֶה, שֶׁזֻּהֲמַת הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא הִיא דָּבָר מַמָּשׁ, הַנִּדְבָּק בְּגוּף הָאָדָם, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְלַבֵּן וּלְהִתְרוֹקֵן אִם לֹא עַל יְדֵי יִסּוּרִים, כִּי אֵין יִסּוּרִין בְּלֹא חִמּוּם הַגּוּף. אַף הֲסָרַת הַכְּתָמִים מִן הַמַּרְאוֹת הַצּוֹבְאוֹת אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַעֲבִיר אִם לֹא עַל יְדֵי גַּחֲלֵי אֵשׁ, וְאָז יַחֲזֹר הַשְּׁפִּיגֶל כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה. כֵּן הָאָדָם אֵין לוֹ כַּפָּרָה עַל חֶטְאוֹ, אִם לֹא שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהִתְלַבֵּן בְּחִמּוּם הַיִּסּוּרִים כַּנִּזְכָּר. וּכְשֶׁאָדָם מְקַבֵּל הַיִסּוּרִים בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְחִבָּה מֵאֵת ה', אָז הוּא מַתִּישׁ כֹּחַ הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת זֻהֲמַת הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא. וְחָלִילָה לָאָדָם, שֶׁיִּבְעַט בְּיִסּוּרָיו, אֶלָּא יְקַבֵּל עָלָיו הַכֹּל בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְחִבָּה, הֵן בְּיִסּוּרִים שֶׁל גּוּפוֹ וְהֵן יִסּוּרֵי מָמוֹנוֹ, כִּי יֵשׁ אֵיזֶה אֲנָשִׁים — אִם יִקְרֶה לוֹ אֵיזֶה הֶזֵּק מָמוֹן — אֲזַי הוּא מִתְחַמֵּם וּמִתְלַהֵב בְּלֵב רַגָּז, וּמֵרִיב וּמְחַרְחֵר רִיב עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת — זֶהוּ אֲשֶׁר בּוֹעֵט בַּיִּסּוּרִין. אֶלָּא יִהְיֶה שָׁיֵף עָיֵל וְשָׁיֵף נָפִיק בְּלֵב נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה וּבְהַכְנָעָה, וְיֹאמַר תָּמִיד: ה' נָתַן וַה' לָקַח, יְהִי שֵׁם ה' מְבֹרָךְ. בְּזֶה מְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים שֶׁרוֹאֶה בּוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַכְנָעָה דִּילֵיהּ
One can understand, then, that the filth of the Sitrah Acharah is a tangible substance clinging to a person’s body, from which it is impossible to be cleansed without afflictions.

These cleanse because all afflictions are accompanied by a warming of the body. Therefore just as the stains on the mirror can only be removed with hot coals, after which it returns to its original appearance, so too a person can only achieve atonement through scorching, which is achieved through the heating of the body caused by afflictions.

When one accepts Hashem’s afflictions with love and affection he diminishes the power of the filth from the Sitrah Acharah to spread.

Therefore Heaven forbid that a person remonstrate against his afflictions!

Rather let him accept them with love and affection, whether they strike his body or his money.

For some individuals become very worked up and excited if they suffer any financial harm. Then with hearts filled brimming with ire then enter into conflicts and quarrels with others. This is the way of those who remonstrate against afflictions.

Instead let a person enter humbly and exit humbly, with a broken and contrite heart and with submissiveness. And let him say on every occasion, “Hashem gave and Hashem has taken, may Hashem’s name be blessed” (Iyov 1:21).

In this way he will arouse Heaven’s mercy, for the Holy One Blessed is He will take note of his submission.

It's nothing new, really.

But coming from a tzaddik similar to Rav Yehudah Petiyah and all those who understand what's going on in other worlds in other dimensions with spirits and beings most of us cannot perceive, it means a lot when Rav Tzvi Hirsch says that accepting afflictions and suffering with love (i.e., saying "Thank You, Hashem!" or "This too is for the best!" or "Baruch Hashem!") really does cleanse us AND "arouse Hashem's mercy."

May we all succeed in repenting from love without needing afflictions.

Related Post:
Encouraging Words from the Kav Hayashar
The One Thing to Say in Times of Great Stress
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8 Comments
Mangabey
31/7/2018 21:08:06

Interesting that 'afflictions are accompanied by a warming of the body', since anger makes one over-heated. Just like we do libun kal to kosher vessels, so we may have to be 'scorched' by something to affect a cleansing of the soul. In Breslov Chassidut this can be in the form of an insult (which makes one red in the face with busha). You must have a lot of forbearance to see the spirituality behind these tribulations - I wish I had your patience and equanimity! Here's hoping your difficulties are replaced by easier times.

Reply
Myrtle Rising
31/7/2018 21:29:54

Hi, Mangabey,

I really appreciate your insights about the heat of anger, busha, kashering vessels and how you wove it all together. I hadn't thought of all that, but it makes so much sense. Thanks so much for taking the time to type out your thoughts.

Also, in the interest of avoiding deception...I don't have so much patience or equanimity in the heat of a tribulation. The truth is that day, I was boinging up and down between trying to really feel it's all for the best and getting dragged back down into "I can't take this anymore!" Really ping-ponging back and forth with it.

Sort of like the spiritual bipolar discussed on Rav Ofer Erez's website. Well, that's how it goes until we finally make it to a high level, eh?

Thanks for your kind wishes. Really, things are going better already.

Thank you very much.

Reply
sc
1/8/2018 04:05:33

what you went through is what i have too have been going through, along with i do believe, many many others.

Thanking Gd, for the 'bad' too, as you posted, helped a lot.. believe me... its so true.


Have taken the advice you posted in your first paragraph. todah!!

Also the new post on 'Emunaroma blog', what Rivka wrote, spoke out to me...

Somehow, i get the answers, via blogs like yours and Emunaroma, and other blogs too, as well as listening to some Rabbis.

For all this that Hashem sends to me... answers... to my searching questions, i say.. Baruch Hashem.

Also i get the comfort from Hashem, that Hashem listens to all who seek H-m sincerely, Jews and non Jews.

I thank you, Myrtle once again.
Hashem bless you and yours.

Amen.

sc

Reply
Myrtle Rising
1/8/2018 10:42:34

What a lovely and inspiring comment, SC. Thanks for sending it in.

Sorry to hear you're suffering. May things take a strong turn for the better!

Reply
sc
1/8/2018 11:12:44

Hello again Myrtle,

No, not suffering now...

Taking the advice what you posted and translated from "Kav HaYashar'.is what helped me.

And to see it as Hashem trying to show me how to change for the better, by accepting and saying: gam zu letova...
this is helping.. and i am feeling much calmer and better for doing just that. B;H.

And thank you your posting helped me.. that's for sure...:)

sc

Myrtle Rising
1/8/2018 13:00:55

Baruch Hashem, I'm glad to hear it has helped you, SC.

It's a real kindness for all of us that so many of our tzaddikim wrote books to help us do the right thing and aim for the correct understanding.

EDUARDO
1/8/2018 19:33:57

Is comforting for a goy to read jewish texts that are directed to every human heart.

Reply
Myrtle Rising
1/8/2018 19:40:51

Thank God, Eduardo. It's so true what our Sages said that when words truly come from one's heart, they penetrate the receiver's heart.

Because the author of the Kav Hayashar was writing from his holy heart, his holy words are able to penetrate our hearts.

Thank you.

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