One spring, Rabbi Shalom Ber from Lubavitch took his family to a country dacha. While walking with his son and future successor, Rebbe Joseph Isaac, Shalom Ber pointed to the sprouts of wheat sprouting in the surrounding fields and said:
- Here is a vision of the divine! Every stem, every movement in the wind is a manifestation of the mind of God. Creation is the thought of the Lord, manifested in the material forms of the world.
Suddenly Joseph Isaac realized that at some point his father’s words gave rise to a strange and completely distinct feeling in him. He felt that his body, other bodies, and the whole world in general were a manifestation of God. Walking around, he picked a leaf from a tree and began to absentmindedly fiddle with it, plunging deeper and deeper into the joyful experience of unity with existence.
- Joseph Isaac! - his father addressed him sternly. “We are talking to you about how the Lord manifests Himself in creation, and it is at this moment that you, tearing a leaf from a branch, destroy it without the slightest need.” Do you really think that this piece of paper had no other purpose in the world than to serve your thoughtless whim? Is his “I” less valuable than yours? Yes, you are different, but who told you that you are superior? Every thing has its own purpose from God, and you prevented this leaf from fulfilling its purpose, from revealing to the world the meaning of its existence.
Joseph Isaac was ashamed of his frivolity, and the rebbe said:
- Repentance is good. Take a lesson from this incident. Our sages teach: whether a person is asleep or awake, expect some harm from him.
Commentary by Rami Shapiro Are you sleeping or are you awake? And - most importantly - are you aware of the harm caused to you in both states? There are three types of people: sleeping, waking and awakened. Those who sleep are sure: God is separated from the world, One is beyond many. The Creator and creation, they believe, are “two big differences.” Those who awaken see the One at the expense of the many. For them, God is real and creation is illusory. Such people wander through the forest as sleepwalkers, not noticing the unique beauty of each tree. The awakened ones realize the One in plurality. For them, God is both all living things and the very Source of life. The difference between Him and creation is more quantitative than qualitative. Every tree is part of the forest, but none of them is a forest.
Rebbe Shalom Ber reminds us: sleeping or awakened, we can cause considerable harm. What harm does a sleeping person do? He usually sacrifices unity to multitude. What is the harm of being awakened? He may sacrifice many for the sake of unity. What harm is there in being awakened? That it cannot prevent harm from the first two.
Rebbe Shalom Ber calls on his son to awaken from the nightmare of duality without falling into the trap of monism. Encourages you to see both the forest and the trees. Understand that One and many are the essence of the manifestation of the One God.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru