Hayom Yom 5 Menachem Av - Make peace between physicality and the Divine
The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman · Rabbi Yosef Katzman
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Show Notes
סוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב בַּקֵּשׁ שָׁלוֹם וְרָדְפֵהוּ
“Turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.”
האָט דעֶר בַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב געֶזאָגט
The Baal Shem Tov explained this verse as follows:
אִין יעֶדעֶר דָּבָר גַּשְׁמִי פוּן דְּבָרִים הַמּוּתָּרִים
Every physical thing that is permitted to us
זַיינעֶן פאַראַן טוֹב וָרָע
contains good and evil.
דעֶר גַּשְׁמִי אִיז רַע
Its material dimension is evil
אוּן דעֶר חַיּוּת אֱלֹקִי וואָס אִיז מְחַיֶּה דעֶם גַּשְׁמִי אִיז טוֹב
and the Divine vitality that animates it is good.
בּאַדאַרף דעֶר מעֶנְטשׁ וואָס בּאַנוּצְט דעֶם גַּשְׁמִי זַיין אַ סוּר מֵרָע
A person who makes use of a physical object must “turn away from evil”
נִיט וועֶלעֶן דעֶם תַּעֲנוּג וואָס אִיז פאַראַן אִין דעֶם גַּשְׁמִי
and not long for the materialistic pleasure which that object affords.
אוּן זַיין וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב
He must also “do good” —
וועֶלעֶן געֶשְׁפַּייזט אוּן געֶהאָלְפעֶן וועֶרעֶן פוּן דעֶם חַיּוּת אֱלֹקִי וואָס אִיז אִין דעֶם דָּבָר הַגַּשְׁמִי
desire to be sustained and supported by the Divine life-force that lies within the physical object.
בַּקֵשׁ שָׁלוֹם וְרָדְפֵהוּ
Moreover, one must “seek peace and pursue it” —
דעֶר מעֶנְטשׁ וואָס אִיז אַ סוּר מֵרָע אוּן אַ וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב
a person who “turns away from evil and does good”
בּאַדאַרף זוּכעֶן אוּן נאָכְלוֹיפעֶן צוּ מאַכעֶן שָׁלוֹם
must actively seek to make peace
צְוִוישׁעֶן דעֶם גַּשְׁמִי אוּן חַיּוּת אֱלֹקִי וואָס אִיז אִיהְם מְחַיֶּ
between physicality and the Divine vitality that sustains it.
Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English
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