Printed from Chabad.org
Contact Us
Visit us on Facebook
Meet the new Chabad.org
Switch to OLD version

67. The Mighty Waters

Print
E-mail

When the Mighty Waters cover your head, suffocating the soul and the flame that burnt inside . . .

When raging torrents of confusion drag you away in their current, ripping you from your hold on Life . . .

Look deeper. Beyond the soul.

For the soul itself, as well as the flame it holds, are rooted in a serene G‑dly World of Emanation, a world of quietness and sublime harmony.

But the turbulence of this world is rooted even beyond that, stemming from a World of Confusion, of light unbounded and untamed, before the orderly emanation of defined being, “and the world was confused and void, with darkness over the face of the deep.”

So you must dig deeper than those roots, to find the coals from which the flame arose and the flint rock from which the spark was struck. Deeper, until you reach the primordial essence of the soul, beyond Emanation, beyond Light—even beyond the unbounded light of pre-creation. Where there is nothing but the seminal thought which inspired all that is and was and will come to be.

And what was that thought? It was the thought of you here and now, in your struggle with this world, and the delicious taste of your victory.

And, since in that thought there is no past and future, there, in that thought, you have already won.

Now you must make it happen.

Based on letters and talks of the Rebbe, Rabbi M. M. Schneerson
From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. To order Rabbi Freeman’s book, Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, click here.
The content on this page is copyrighted by the author, publisher and/or Chabad.org, and is produced by Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with the copyright policy.
Print
E-mail
Sort By:
Discussion (28)
January 3, 2013
THE MIGHTY WATERS
Dear rabbi, what more can be said about this wonderful Message that has not been said above I I can only add as above so below, amen, many thanks for your inspiration.
G. FREDERIC FIRKEY
Shelton, CT.
January 2, 2013
Or...
Or let it happen...
Ben
ATX
January 2, 2013
this is, WOW
There is nothing to add or subtract from something this deep, this beautiful, this prescient. I can say, we are now in Aquarius, and whether or not as Jews we look to astrology, I see that it's all coming from the same Source, and a Water sign, seems to connect to this most eloquent, achingly beautiful truth. I remember, the story of Ezekiel's chariot and how they must not say, WATER.

This I know, and that is, something major is happening and I cannot move without seeing this something, so, since we are surely One, it's going to be a chain dance, as Chai is for LIFE.

We are not alone.

There is a place for children called New Beginnings en route to where I have taught, and it has a big butterfly beside it. I think on this now, that we are entering 2013 on the "other" equally significant, calendar.
ruth housman
marshfield hills, ma
January 2, 2013
the mighty waters
WOW. have never been to a place so peaceful and pure and healing. definitely must continue to re-read and remember this. as always, thank you!

(couldn't figure out how to leave a comment in the new version, thankfully the old version is still available!)
valerie
akron, oh
January 2, 2013
how moving and prescient
Anonymous
April 7, 2011
Re: Confusion
Steve, eventually, if not in one lifetime then in the next, eventually we succeed. That's guaranteed.
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman
mychabad.org
April 4, 2011
Confusion
Hello Rabbi Freeman:

I think I understand this meditation.

The idea is that when our soul is confused it is mimicking what the world was like before Hashem gave it form. Offhand, I am not sure which possukim in Bereshit show that. What I believe you are saying is that pre-Emanation the world did not have form and therefore was inherently confused and chaotic. And when we are confused that is where we are holding.

Where I "lost" you was when you talked about G-d's seminal thought to create the world and how that is where we are "right now." And then what I thought you said was that He somehow "knew" we would eventually succeed

I don't understand that statement. Maybe He knew that we wouldn't succeed. Maybe in that situation we were destined to fail and llearn from that "mistake" and succeed next time. You are going to need to explain that to me so I understand what you are saying.

I do lke the confusion analogy though and I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you, Steve
Anonymous
Chandler, AZ
October 5, 2010
Source--once again
This is actually a paraphrase of the Rebbe's maamar Mayim Rabim 5738, spoken shortly after his heart attack in 1977. I heard the Rebbe say the maamar, memorized it and repeated it over many times before I was able to make a synopsis.
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman
October 5, 2010
Mighty Waters
Reading these comments, it is very interesting to see/hear the different responses,clearly coming form many different angles and experiences - each of them powerful and inspiring in their own right. I can most certainly echo the previous contribution.
Rabbi Freeman - thank you again for your wonderful G-d given words and wisdom. Such a tower of strength the Mighty One has given you to share with the world.
Graham-Michoel
Wellington, NZ
October 4, 2010
Rabbi Freeman
Shalom Rabbi Freeman,
Whenever I feel lost, it is enough to click on my daily dose and feel myself again.
Anonymous
Tehran, Iran
Show all comments
1000 characters remaining
Email me when new comments are posted.
FEATURED ON CHABAD.ORG