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LETTING HASHEM IN
B.S.D.
Rabbi David Aaron
Excerpt from "Seeing G-d"
How do we open our souls' eyes to let Hashem in? To answer this question, we will now begin to explore the sefirot, the ten qualities of Hashem, one by one in detail. The first of the sefirot that we will examine is malhus, which is the power to see all the other qualities. Malhus is an attribute of Hashem within us. This attribute is consciousness itself. In other words, as mysterious as it may sound, the consciousness within us to see Hashem actually comes from Hashem.
Malhus literally means kingdom, that is, a collective of people who acknowledge a particular king. However, the Kabbalah intends a much broader definition-malhus really means that you experience yourself as a participant in a communal consciousness that recognizes and acknowledges Hashem not only as a Higher Power but as the Ultimate Supreme Sovereign Power. That collective recognition of Hashem channels the Divine Majestic Presence into this world.
The Kabbalah says, "There is no king without a nation." This point requires deep exploration. It may make sense that, in the human world, a king is dependent on having subjects who acknowledge his sovereignty. The last Emperor of China ceased to be emperor when there were no longer people who bowed when he entered the room. Even after the Communist government had exiled him, as long as people recognized him and acknowledged him as their sovereign, he was, in a very real sense, still a king, albeit without the power to rule. But Hashem is reality, so how can Hashem be dependent on human acknowledgment?
The world that you and I live in is a product of our perception of reality. The philosopher Immanuel Kant probed this concept. He asked: Do we see reality or do we see our perception of reality? Kant's answer, of course, is that we do not see reality, but only our perception of reality. In other words, is this world reality? No, this world is your perception of reality.
Therefore, the focus and clarity of your consciousness will determine the kind of world you live in.
Imagine three people sitting right next to each other in a doctor's waiting room. Are they sitting in the same room?
Let's say the first person walked in, and complained, "Oh, how small this room is!" The second person entered, and exclaimed, "Look how bright this room is." The third person came in, and thought, Ugh, what a messy room. Now, they are sitting inches apart, but they are not in the same room. The first person is sitting in a small room, feeling really cramped. The second person is sitting in a light room, feeling cheerful. The third person is sitting in a messy room, feeling disgusted. Essentially, what you see is what you get. The world you live in is a product of what you are looking at and are willing to see. This is expressed in the Zohar's commentary on the story of Jacob as he goes to Egypt to be reunited with his longlost son, Joseph. Jacob has misgivings about leaving the land of Israel, even to see his beloved son. Hashem appears to Jacob and says, "Jacob, don't worry. Joseph will close your eyes." The Zohar queries, what does this mean? According to Torah, when a person passes away, someone must close the person's eyes. The Zohar explains that the colors and textures and shapes of this world exist in your eyes. In order to enter a new world, a higher world, after death, the soul must first leave this world. This world exists in one's eyes, so the eyes must be closed in order to take leave of this world and see a higher world. Hashem is announcing to Jacob that he is going to die in Egypt and that Joseph will be there to close his eyes to this world, so that he will be able to enter, that is, see, the next world. Is the Zohar saying that this world is an illusion? No. The Zohar is saying that this world is your subjective perception. Your consciousness of reality determines the world you're in. Your consciousness of Hashem determines how much of the light and the truth of Hashem will be allowed into your world.
To the extent that you acknowledge Hashem, Hashem will be in your life. This is a very crucial idea. Although Hashem exists, Hashem is not revealed in your perceptual world unless you actively acknowledge and invite Hashem in.
Expanded Consciousness
The Talmud says that a beautiful spouse, a beautiful house, and beautiful objects expand a person's mind. Once I was visiting a friend who was in the throes of deciding whether to live in Israel or America. Moving to Israel would have meant a boost to his spiritual life, but a significant drop in his standard of living. He quoted to me the above verse from the Talmud. "I think I could probably have a more beautiful house if I lived in the America," he told me. "I could make more money. I could afford more beautiful furnishings. So why shouldn't I stay here in Chicago?" I replied: "The Talmud says those things will expand your mind. You have to decide how you are going to fill your expanded mind. If you have little to fill it with you will feel very empty." In this age, there is a lot of talk about expanded consciousness, but much less talk about how to fill that expanse once it is achieved. I have had students in my Isralight seminars who consider themselves very spiritual. Unfortunately, they are often the ones who seem blind to the needs of others and to their own responsibilities-they don't clean up their dishes, or pitch in with chores. They think they have an expanded consciousness, but of what? If you're conscious of yourself, then you're full of yourself, and your consciousness is very narrow.
True expanded consciousness is a collective, communal consciousness of Hashem-not a self-absorbed spirituality trip. It inspires us to want to help others. We treat each other with the love and respect due to royal subjects. This kind of expanded consciousness leads to turning this world into a kingdom filled with Divine majestic presence.
To the extent that we open our eyes to Hashem and fill the vessel of our consciousness with Hashem, Hashem will fill our world. It also works the other way around. To the extent that we deny Hashem, Hashem will not be in our world.
The Zohar, the basic text of Kaballah, says that consciousness is nothing in and of itself. It's value is only that which it receives. Malhus serves only as a channel for receiving the lights and the blessings of the divine qualities and for transmitting them into our world.
A friend of mine had an unpleasant experience with the mother of one his students. The student was about to be ordained a rabbi and this greatly upset his mother, who considered organized religion to be backward and fanatical. She was very nasty and cynical about her son's religious convictions. They were on the way to the ceremony when she turned to my friend and said, "Basically, I don't believe in God." My friend replied, "OK, fine! Don't believe in God." He was the first religious person to respond to her that way; others had always tried to convince her of God's existence. "What?" she exclaimed in surprise. "You don't want to believe in God?" he said. "Fine, so live in a godless world."
That's essentially the choice we have. If we don't want to believe in Hashem, then Hashem won't be in our world. That doesn't mean Hashem isn't real. Hashem is real, but not for those who choose to deny that truth.
In other words, if I've never tasted papaya, then there's no flavor of papaya in my life. Whether it's real or not for others, it's not in my life. If I'm blind to the color red, then red will not be one of the colors in my life. If mammals do not see colors, they live in a colorless world. If I'm not willing to see Hashem, then my world is godless.
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