Introduction :
"There is a private redemption which takes place for each person who works on it; then it is given to us as a gift, just as Hashem will bring the general redemption as a gift to the masses.
First, we need to know;
What is redemption?
What is true reality?
Redemption comes by firmly establishing in our thoughts- (without delving into this intellectually)- there is a Creator and His creations are not separate from Him (they are integrated with Him)."
Chapter 1: A Personal Redemption:
Ramchal: the greatest rule of life for man to know is that the 'his/her purpose in this world is to become close to Hashem'. Then we can look at everything through the lens of "How will this bring me closer/ to have d'veykus to Hashem?"
Zohar: the 613 mitzvos are advice on how to achieve this goal.
When we build our attitude and thoughts to begin to live this way, we can reach the root of redemption (closeness to Hashem) and then shine this light of our personal redemption on all the details of our avodas Hashem.
Chapter 2: Personal Redemption:
Uncovering the Root of Everything. Hashem
When we teach something in the name of the person we learned it from, we experience a feeling of the personal redemption, because we are connecting something back to its source. However, the deeper redemption and ultimate one will be when everyone connects everything back to the original source: Hashem.
Chapter 3: Who Will Merit Moshiach?
What is Moshiach? It is a recognition that everything exists for Hashem. Moshe Rabbeinu lived 'lishma'- he considered his existence only as a way to connect to Hashem. Redemption is rooted in the ability to act lishma. When Moshiach comes (IY'H today!) shelo lishma will vanish. Moshiach reveals the purpose of creation and this is why it is one of our fundamental principles of faith.
Part 2: Achieving Inner Redemption
Chapter 4: Nullifying Your "I"
Our mission is to reveal Hashem "from within ourselves". There are many paths to reveal Hashem.
613 mitzvos and 7 Rabbinical laws= 620 way to reveal Hashem. The Torah shows us how to reach Him, but the inner point - to reveal Him- never changes.
Perfection is when we leave our 'I'- when we realize that we don't live for ourselves and don't need to think and worry about ourselves. "The more a person purifies his "I" and leaves the ego - making space for Hashem to enter, the more he will live with Hashem in his life, and come to recognize Ain Od Milvado- 'there is nothing besides Hashem'-".
However, we find out who we are and build ourselves up, as a way to search for Hashem- this is lishma. Rather than searching for self knowledge as a way to build our ego up. In the lishma way, self knowledge enhances our avodas Hashem.
One way to see where we fall in this area:
"Avodas Hashem is not about you"- do these words make you feel free or make you feel sad? If they make you feel free, you understand that you no longer have to spend the day thinking about yourself, and can focus on Hashem and His Torah, no freer feeling than that!
If you feel upset and see that you have interests in seeking inward, other than Closeness to Hashem, daven to Him that your motivations will be pure. Since, the only way our avodas Hashem will last is when we are truly searching for Hashem and not to find our "I".
"This inner point is the understanding that all of the universe was created by Hashem for Himself. We were created for Hashem, not for ourselves. This point will be fully understood in the future- and that will be the redemption".
We need to have a plan how to get from lo lishma to lishma. Then Hashem can make a miracle that will bring us to lishma.
1. Know what you want to achieve- have it in your thoughts: "How many tears a person must cry to arrive at even a small percentage of truth, to really want to be in this for Hashem and not for himself".
2. Begin with actions that follow these thoughts.
"May Hashem merit all of us to give up our self and give Him space to enter our souls, and through this, we will all merit the revelation Ain Od Milvado- there is nothing besides Him".
IyH tomorrow will post next 25 pages outline...
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