All nations do not sway - just Yisrael

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba recounts Rabbi Shimon's explanation of why the children of Yisrael sway when they read the Torah. He learned that the spirit of man is the candle of God, and that light flickers and moves, swaying to and fro.

Relevance

We are told that Israel sways back and forth when learning Torah, whereas idol worshipping nations are in constant repose, frozen still, with no flaming Light of Torah upon them. All of us are idol worshipping nations, to one degree or another. Idolatry does not pertain to manmade statues and icons before which we bow down. An idol is defined as any material possession or external situation that controls our emotions and behavior. Our negative tendencies lead us to become worshippers of wealth and disciples of decadence. We are adorers of images - the images and icons of our culture, and the self-image we feel we must project to others.

Should any of these determine or influence our degree of contentment and joy of life, then we have surrendered control and severed our connection to the Light of the Creator, our source and fountainhead for true fulfillment.

We remove the power and allure of the "idols" that control us by invoking the liberating Light of the Creator through the mystical insights of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

This great sage, we are told, cried as he revealed these hidden mysteries. His tears fall again, like fiery sparks of divinity that kindle the candle of the Creator - our souls - so that we flicker and sway, to and fro, with delight, as the secrets of the Torah radiate to the four corners of the world.

Sun Torah Water

114. We got up and walked on. The intensity of the sun's heat was excessively STRONG and made it difficult for us to continue. Then we saw some trees in the wilderness with water under them. We sat down in the shade of one of the trees in the wilderness, and I asked him, RABBI SHIMON: Can you explain to me why it is that of all the nations of the world the only one that sways is Yisrael? For when they study Torah they sway back and forth? And this is not something that they learned from anyone else, but they just cannot stand still.

114. קַמְנָא וְאָזַלְנָא. וְתּוּקְפָּא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא הֲוָה יַתִּיר, וְדָחִיק לָן בְּאוֹרְחָא. חֲמֵינָן אִילָנִין בְּמַדְבְּרָא, וּמַיִין תְּחוֹתַיְיהוּ. יָתִיבְנָא תְּחוֹת חַד טוּלָא דְּאִילָנָא דְּמַדְבְּרָא. שָׁאִילְנָא לֵיהּ, מַאי הַאי דְּכָל עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא לָא עַבְדִּין נִעְנוּעָא, אֶלָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ, דְּכַד לָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מִתְנַעְנְעָן הָכָא וְהָכָא, בְּלָא לִמּוּדָא דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּעָלְמָא, וְלָא יַכְלִין לְמֵיקָם בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ.

Beasts Candles Fire Idolatry Lamps Light Soul, The Torah Zeir Anpin

115. He said to me: You have reminded me of a heavenly matter, yet people do not know and do not pay attention. He sat down for a while and cried. Then he said: Woe to people who go around like the beasts of the field, without understanding. In this matter alone are the holy souls of Yisrael distinguished from the souls of the other peoples, worshippers of stars and constellations. The souls of Yisrael are derived from the holy burning candle, WHICH IS MALCHUT, as it is written: "The spirit of man is the candle of Hashem" (Mishlei 20:27). And when this candle is kindled from the higher Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, its light is not still for even a moment, and this is the secret of the verse: "Elohim, keep not silent" (Tehilim 83:2), WHICH IS WRITTEN ABOUT MALCHUT. And something similar is written ABOUT THE SOULS: "you that make mention of Hashem, keep you not silent" (Yeshayah 62:6), NAMELY you have no respite. Once the light of the candle has taken hold of the wick, that light will never rest, rather, the fire light sways to and fro, and never stays still.

115. אָמַר לִי, אַדְכַּרְתָּן מִלְּתָא עִלָּאָה, וּבְנֵי עָלְמָא לָא יַדְעִין, וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין. יָתִיב שַׁעֲתָא וּבָכָה, אָמַר, וַוי לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא דְּאַזְלִין כִּבְעִירֵי חַקְלָא, בְּלָא סוּכְלְתָנוּ. בְּמִלָּה דָּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן נִשְּׁמָתְהוֹן קַדִּישִׁין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, בֵּין נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּעַמִין עעכו"ם. נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְגְּזָרוּ, מִגּוֹ בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּדָלִיק, דִּכְתִּיב נֵר יְיָ' נִשְׁמַת אָדָם. וְהַאי נֵר בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְדְלִיק מִגּוֹ אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, לָא שָׁכִיךְ נְהוֹרָא עָלֵיהּ אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא. וְרָזָא דָּא, אֱלֹֹהִים אַל דֳּמִי לָךְ. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא כְּתִיב, הַמַּזְכִּירִים אֶת יְיָ' אַל דֳּמִי לָכֶם, לָא שְׁכִיכוּ לְכוֹן. נְהוֹרָא דְּשַׁרְגָּא כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְאַחֲדָא גּוֹ פְּתִילָה, הַהוּא נְהוֹרָא לָא שָׁכִיךְ לְעָלְמִין, אֶלָּא מִתְנַעְנְעָא נְהוֹרָא לְכָאן וּלְכָּאן, וְלָא מִשְׁתְּכִיךְ לְעָלְמִין.

Candles Flame Light Soul, The Torah

116. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּנִשְׁמָתַיְיהוּ מִגּוֹ הַהוּא נְהוֹרָא דְּשַׁרְגָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר מִלָּה חֲדָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, הָא נְהוֹרָא דָּלִיק, וְלָא יֵכְלוּן אִינּוּן לְאִשְׁתַּכְּכָא, וּמִתְנַעְנֵעָן לְכָאן וּלְכָּאן, וּלְכָל סִטְרִין. כִּנְהוֹרָא דְּשַׁרְגָּא, דְּהָא נֵר יְיָ' נִשְׁמַת אָדָם כְּתִיב.

Ezekiel Idolatry Light Soul, The Torah

117. And it is written: "But you...are men" (Yechezkel 34:31). This means that you, and not the nations of the world, are called 'men.' The souls of the idol worshipping peoples are of extinguished straw, with no light resting on them. This is why they are in repose and do not sway, for they have no Torah by which to be enflamed and no light rests on them. THIS IS WHY they stand like trees in a blaze, burning without a light resting on them, and so they are still without any light at all. Rabbi Yosi said: So this is the explanation of the matter. Happy is my lot that I deserved to hear this matter.

117. וּכְתִיב, אָדָם אַתֶּם, אַתֶּם קְרוּיִין אָדָם, וְלָא אוּמִין עכו"ם. נִשְׁמָתִין דְּעַמִּין עכו"ם, מִדְעִיכוּ דְּקָשׁ, בְּלָא נְהוֹרָא דְּשָׁרֵי עָלַיְיהוּ. וע"ד מִשְׁתַּכְכִין, וְלָא מִתְנַעְנְעָן, דְּהָא לֵית לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא דַּלְקִין בָּהּ, וְלָאו נְהוֹרָא שַׁרְיָיא בְּהוֹן, אִינּוּן קַיְימִין כְּעֵצִים בְּגוֹ נוּרָא דְּדָלִיק, בְּלָא נְהוֹרָא דְּשַׁרְיָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וע"ד מִשְׁתַּכְכִין בְּלָא נְהוֹרָא כְּלָל. א"ר יוֹסֵי, דָּא אִיהוּ בְּרִירוּ דְּמִלָּה, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי דְּזָכֵינָא לְהַאי, לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא.