One who returns from the darkness must bring of it with him and convert it to light, transforming an experience that previously dragged him down and further down into fuel to surge higher and yet higher.
Therefore, the one who returns from a distance is greater than the one who was always close. Because what matters is not so much where you stand, but with what force you are moving in which direction.
G d created both the light and the dark, and he said, ‘both are good.’ Both have always been good in their own different ways. Light glows in the day, even when the sun is hiding. It’s always there somewhere in G d’s sky, peaking out from clouds or lighting up his rainbow. All of us even animals enjoy the light and its warmth against our bodies. The light just seems to make our days and lives somewhat brighter. We want to hustle more, we’ve a kick in our step and even in our behaviors. However, when the sun goes down and darkness falls, we may get tired and retire for the evening, or hunt for a place with a so called sunny atmosphere to chase the darkness away. More crimes seem to be committed in the night. More fighting happens at night and some animals, such as big cats come out to prey on other animals. Even some minds become darker. We can’t destroy G d’s darkness, but we can learn to live with it by bringing more light into our minds, hearts, spirits in everything we do. Reply
This speaks to me because I'm definitely moving forward. Reply
I seems in past study and experience G-d is also in the Dark. Not only in the valley of the shadow of death , but that dark of wisdom? If we stay in the dark, His light is most evident with the hews of activity? Reply
SIBLING'S (Different as Night and Day) Speaking to his heart .. A Father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a well-favored time, we should celebrate. This brother of yours was missing, and he’s alive! He was blind, and has found reality... Reply
Exploiting Evil to Defeat Him
G-d created many depths of the evil within to tra us within ourselves and pits us against others.
He gave us the independence to discern this flaw and ask for the force to change our direction towards His ways.
He receives great joy in recognizing "My sons have defeated Me".
We beat Him at His game only to rise to a higher level of existence.
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what does "exploit" his experience mean? Reply
the two dogs
I just came back to this. what goes around, comes around. I love what anonymous wrote about The Two Dogs. A wonderful true metaphor for life.
This is how we shed light, through sharing.
The biggest question, when, is it about time, is answered here. It's NOW, it's always NOW, and in the now we all experience, the OW, the OY in Joy, so that's how the world turns, and how we are moved through E.. Motion.
this story is about L O V E.
Thank you for the music. The two most beautiful words have got to be, thank you!
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This is well said. I appreciate this. Reply
in the darkness
there is always light. I went into one of the darkest caves, or so I was told, and the cave was lit from within but we were told the lights would be thrown, so we would be in total darkness. I was afraid, and held my husband's hand in tight grip. At first it was black, inky darkness. And then, the darkness lifted and I could see shapes, the shapes of people, as in shadows, and also the stalagmites and stalagtites that decorated this cave, that did look like celestial instruments. And so it was.
My lesson, even when life throws you into the darkest of caverns and you feel oppressed and depressed, in the dark, remember there is always light, within. You will find your way.
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Which one wins? Heard recently....Everyone has two dogs within that are in a constant battle. One is good and one is evil. Which one wins? The one you feed the most. Reply
"..greater than..." ?! Nice, however, the words "..greater than..." can easily be misinterpreted as being condescending. All Yiddin are EQUAL; our different cadences toward revealing the same Torah within us all are perhaps best compared to where we, ONLY we, each of us, were holding before the change. Isn't that what the Baal ShemTov was after? Reply
This is true wisdom.
We all experience darkness, and we all experience the darkness in myriad ways. The difficult job is to take the darkness and by the alchemy of soul, turn it into gold. Express yourself, as in speed too, and the forcefulness of knowing, when what you are consciously doing, is an act of LOVE.
This too, came at the right time for me. So I do believe, G_d is acting through us all. To bathe in the Source, as beautifully written by Mr. Anderson, above.
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Especially the last two sentences.
Excellent, Rabbi!
Someone who was always close to something can develop an indifference to it, as can happen to those familiar things we may take for granted.
Someone who comes to something from a distance is drawn to it from something other than indifference.
The latter have the momentum of a new found awe and enthusiasm; troubling at times, but ultimately an often positive force.
I trust, Rabbi Freeman, you realize much of what you are implying here.
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How did you do that? This is so what is happening for me right now. No longer so polarized to the darkness of being sent so far away that I forgot where I came from. There is real hope. It takes light to see shadows. I want to bathe in the Source. Reply
Towards light! Great inspiration. I appreciate the spirit. G-D bless. Reply
Well said Rabbi Freeman. Those two paras above should be framed and hung up on the wall of every Chabad House that serves Jews who have lived their lives in modern secular society and are returning home. Reply
Every time I open the wisdoms massage I am really astonished how it comes in the exact time I need it or answers a question I have
Like somebody is reading my thoughts.
Thank you
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Opportunities from the Darkness All G_d waits for is an opportunity to help us come closer to His Light.
We are in the 'dark' when we are remote from Him.
To approach Him we need to come in unity, as one people with that desire to radiate His quality of love and connection between us. Then His Light radiates between us. When we lack this divine connection as separate entities there is no 'Light' between us.
Our people achieved this connection during the time of Abraham, then they fell into 'darkness' until Moses guided them in unity. Then the final destruction of their connection occurred after the fall of the second temple.
Now in this 21 Century, according to the kabbalists, we are required to re-ignite those connections which will radiate to all nations of the world.
Disconnect between us acts as help to force us to turn to Him in a request to bring us out of this darkness between us which manifest as crises in he world.
He responds to gift us the force of love between us, stronger and between all humanity.