WE ARE GETTING MARRIED! Sivan is when we are zoche to receive the Torah- it reveals a power in us of continuous growth. How do we keep the teshuka (desire) for Hashem and His Torah alive within us every day? By taking one small (even half a minute) step of avodah; whether it be learning Torah shelo lishma, doing a mitzvah shelo lishma, speaking to Hashem and asking Him to open us up to want to live lishma if we don't feel that way yet...
Rabbi Nivin recommends a. making the most out of the day before Shavuous; Malchus sheb'malchus- it has a special power and parallels all the other days, and b. learning a piece of Torah you love on Shavuous.
I am behind by one day in sending out our outline. Please listen to the most recent class via the recording to hear the summary of the last few chapters.
Please Hashem, let us all meet in Eretz Yisrael and receive the Torah together!
Chapter 7: Lishma, Part One:
Our “I” represents our shelo lishma, while our ability to go above our “I” represents our lishma. Lishma, then, is the desire to leave one’s ego and integrate with Hashem instead.
We find this power mainly in the power of Elokus (yirah which brings a person to nullify himself - when used with ahava- it can bring us to this state of desire for lishma) that is mainly manifest in our heart.
“The true desire for lishma is when a person makes room in his heart for Hashem to be revealed there.”
There are three levels:
1. total shelo lishma- no motivation for G-dliness or spiritual pleasure
2. Lishma, mixed with shelo lishma; the lishma wants G-dliness and the shelo lishma wants pleasure
3. Total lishma- removal of ego completely- the entirety of this will only be revealed in future
Chapter 8: Lishma, Part Two
Shelo lishma is a required human weakness so that we can achieve our mission = to negate it and reach lishma- become integrated with Hashem.
There are three worlds: the world of physical - we see with our eyes, the spiritual world- angels etc , and Hashem Himself.
We have three types of desires to parallel this, the physical and material, the spiritual desires, and the desire from the “yechida” in our soul that seeks to integrate with Hashem.
Four levels of shelo lishma:
1. desire for physical things, material and glory, fame etc
2. desire for spiritual things like reach hakodesh
3. desire to be attached to Hashem for ulterior motives, i.e., pleasure
4. desire to be close to Hashem because we want perfection
Perfect kind of lishma is: the will to integrate with Hashem without any reason.
From a place of hishtavus ask yourself what your real motivation is- ' am I acting because this is what Hashem wants or because this is what i want?'
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