BS’D
Today, 12 of Tammuz, is the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yaakov Ben Asher author of the seminal book of Jewish law, The Tur. This was a groundbreaking contribution to Jewish scholarship in that it organized all practical Jewish law into four major sections, subdivided into hundreds of chapter headings. This system served as the foundation for all later rabbinic works, including Rabbi Yosef Karo’s Shulchan Aruch, the standard Code of Jewish Law. He lived in abject poverty most of his life. Rabbi Yaakov also wrote a commentary on the Five Books of Moses, entitled Ba’al HaTurim, which focuses on hidden messages in the Torah — gematria (numerology), acrostics and word patterns (Aish.com). May the zechut of the tzaddik serve as an advocate above for Klal Yisrael, Amen.
In his work Mesillat Yesharim, the Ramchal ztk’l writes that “Man is created to delight in Hashem and enjoy the radiance of His Shechinah.” This is our primary purpose. The radiance represents the joy of Gan Eden. “Gan Eden” is not a physical place rather a state of deveikut (bonding) to Hashem. In other words, the entire purpose of creation and everything in it is to enable us to attach ourselves to Him. That is the whole point of our lives.
The Sefarim Hakedoshim teach us that the way a person thinks and feels in this world indicates how he will think and feel in the World to Come. This world is ‘boot camp’ to train us how it will be in ‘real eternal life’ the World to Come. Therefore we ought to constantly strive to bask in the Divine radiance in this world so that we will be able to appreciate it in World to Come after 120, B’H.
The World to Come is referred to as “completely good.” What does this label mean? Dovid HaMelech zt’l teaches us in Tehillim (63:28) that, “…closeness to Hashem is my good”. Therefore, to merit this “goodness” in Gan Eden, we should live with the recognition that cleaving to Hashem in this world is the main source of good. All good flowing into this world is a result of attaching it to Hashem’s will. Once we have internalized this notion, we can understand the futility of ignoring Hashem in this world and delaying our bond with Him until the World to Come.
Let’s take stock of our spiritual position in life. Are our lives (including our learning, prayer and mitzvot) deepening our bond to Hashem? Are we getting distracted by trivialities? What is one thing we can do to feel – and be – closer to Borei Olam?
