12. Mishpatim 5779: Mount Sinai: Where There Is Smoke There Is Fire

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/avrohom.lipszyc/videos/10156787468938257/ Notes: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mfefxrc6lcf6eab/12.%20Mishpatim%205779.%20Mount%20Sinai%20-Where%20There%20is%20Smoke%20There%20is%20Fire.pdf?dl=0 Handout: https://www.dropbox.com/s/j7sl4omiu22jx8x/12.%20Handout%20for%20Mishpatim%205779.pdf?dl=0 John Bradshaw, in his book Healing the Shame That Binds You, coined the concept that we are Human Beings and not Human Doings. Bradshaw’s point being that we need to see beyond our self-worth as being only defined by what we are doing, but to see that our ultimate worth is that we are a Human Being of G-d. I would like to see this concept of Being versus Doing through the eyes of Judaism and specifically through the teachings of Chassidus. How does one become a spiritual Being, rather than, just a spiritual Doing? Or in the vernacular of Chassidus, how does one Become Torah and Judaism, rather than, just Doing Torah and Judaism? There is Torah as an academic exercise, which is the commandment of Knowing. Then there is the Torah as Knowing in order to Do. However, where is the Torah in order to Be? Let’s find practical words for this. How does one break the constraints between the Mind and the Body, and not just the extremities of the Body --the Tools of Actions--, but through to the Holistic Body’s Inner Dimension of Being, Feeling, and Experiencing? Thus, we are clearly stating that we can each reach the ultimate experience of To Be or Not To Be in our Judaism, way beyond just the To Observe or Not To Observe question. How? How can we break down the essence of barrier between the I and G-d, in which we can live simply within the absolute embrace of G-d in all of our Being-ness? Let us one more final time reword this. To live just within the To Observe or Not To Observe question, is to continuously wage the war of where G-d’s dominion (interference) within our lives ends, and where our freedom begins. It is a question that we will have to face over each of the 613 mitzvoit, and even again and again every time we face the same mitzvah. However, to boldly face the question of Being-ness instead of Doing-ness, the To Be or Not To Be question is to just have one question, just once, and to continuously implement our decision. Thus, begins a life of bliss in our Judaism, of inner-peace and total acceptance of living as one with G-d. This lecture is based on a maamor the Rebbe delivered in 1965, on this Shabbat, in which the Rebbe explores the purpose of why Mount Sinai was all smoking, why the smoke formed a cloud, and why G-d had Moses walk into a pathway that G-d opened for Moses within the smoke-cloud.