It asks, isn't our time here meant for avodah – service?
But what does that service actually mean? The text clarifies that our service is to remove the deficiencies that exist in creation. To tackle the negativity that clings to the world and strive to nullify it. It's a tall order, isn't it?
Da'at Tevunot suggests that this burden falls squarely on humanity's shoulders. We are tasked with rectifying first ourselves, and then, according to our capacity, the world around us. The Sages drive this home with an incredible idea (Sanhedrin 37a): Each person needs to feel that the entire world was created for them. Think about the weight of that for a second.
The idea is echoed and beautifully expanded upon in the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni Hosea, end of section 532). It uses the verse from Hosea (14:2), "For you have fallen because of your sin," as a jumping-off point. Rabbi Simai tells a parable: Imagine a large stone in the middle of a road junction, causing people to stumble and fall. The king, seeing this, doesn't immediately remove the stone. Instead, he orders it to be chipped away, little by little, until the time comes when it can be completely removed from the world.
What does this mean for us? We're not expected to fix everything at once. We're not expected to be perfect. Instead, we are called to slowly, deliberately, chip away at the imperfections within ourselves and the world around us. It’s a process.
But how exactly do we do this? What are the specifics of this service, this avodah? How can we truly contribute to the rectification, the Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">tikkun, of ourselves and the world? Da'at Tevunot poses the question, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of the practical ways we can engage in this ongoing project of repair. It’s a question worth pondering, a challenge worth embracing. Because maybe, just maybe, we are all here to help chip away at that stone.