The great Kabbalist, Baal HaSulam, certainly did. And his words, written in his introduction to the Zohar, still resonate with a raw, urgent power today.
He begins with a lament, a cry born from deep suffering. "Due to our many sins," he says, "we have witnessed everything described in that passage in Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar." It's a heavy statement, acknowledging the weight of collective actions and their consequences. The Tikkunei Zohar, a later addition to the Zohar, delves into profound mystical interpretations of the Torah, and to say we've lived through its prophecies... that's a serious claim.
Baal HaSulam sees devastation all around him. He echoes the sentiment of the Sages, who taught that calamity begins with the righteous. As they say, “Calamity befalls the world only when wicked people are in the world, but the calamity begins only with the righteous first.” It's a stark reminder that even the most virtuous are not immune to suffering; in fact, their suffering can often be a sign of deeper spiritual turmoil within the world.
Think about the Jewish communities of Poland and Lithuania, vibrant centers of learning and life for centuries, reduced to a handful of refugees seeking solace in the Holy Land. The pain is palpable.
But amidst the despair, Baal HaSulam finds a call to action. What do we do when everything seems broken? How do we pick up the pieces? "We, those who remain," he urges, "must now repair the horribly distorted situation." It's a call to responsibility, a recognition that those who survive bear a unique burden.
And what is the tool for this repair? According to Baal HaSulam, it's the pnimiyut haTorah, the "internal aspect of Torah." He emphasizes the importance of delving into the deeper, mystical meanings of the Torah, the secrets hidden beneath the surface. He believes, passionately, that studying the internal aspect, the hidden wisdom, is now more critical than focusing solely on the external laws and practices.
Why? Because the internal aspect nourishes the soul. Baal HaSulam challenges each of us to elevate our own pnimiyut, our own "Jewish aspect," our soul's needs. He wants our spiritual hunger to outweigh our physical desires. In his words, "Each and every one of us will be worthy of increasing the level of his own internal aspect... Those will become greater than his external aspect, the aspect of the 'other nations,' the needs of the body."
He's not saying to abandon the physical world, but to re-prioritize. To feed the soul first. To let our spiritual selves guide our actions.
It's a powerful message, one that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human. In the face of chaos and suffering, we have a choice. We can succumb to despair, or we can turn inward, seeking the light of wisdom and understanding.
Baal HaSulam's words are a reminder that even in the darkest of times, the potential for repair, for growth, for spiritual awakening, remains. The question he leaves us with is: are we ready to answer the call?