Description: Chapter 3 - 03
Derech Hashem
Chapter 3 – 03
Once Adam Harishon committed the ‘chait’ of the Eitz Hadaas, his intrinsic nature changed. The world was created with imperfections, and Adam Harishon’s job always was to complete the world, and all things were equal so that he could benefit from his own work. But now those imperfections increased considerably, and not only did Adam Harishon become much less perfect, the whole world was affected. The job of perfection both on himself and on the world, became much more difficult.
Initially, it was much simpler for him to avoid evil and the imperfections in the world, and to connect to what was good, and through that achieve perfection. The reason was because he wasn’t the cause of the imperfection – he hadn’t ruined the world. It was just what Hashem had naturally imbued the world that needed perfection, and it wasn’t difficult. As soon as he would avoid those pitfalls, he would achieve perfection. But now through his own actions he distanced the world from Hashem, created a barrier between the world and Hashem. He fell in his own level greatly. The ‘chisaron’, those imperfections became a part of him. His work was not only harder, it was double. He had to first purify himself, to revert back to the stage he was before the ‘chait’ of the eitz haddas. Only after he had accomplished that could he begin to do the job he was assigned at creation, to choose perfection, ‘tov’ over ‘rah’.
In addition, Hashem decreed, that it is impossible for the body to achieve perfection as it is. Initially, when Adam would achieve his goal, both the physical body and the neshamah would join in total connection to Hashem. Now that isn’t possible anymore, and the physical body must undergo destruction before it can be rebuilt to once again serve Hashem with perfection. That is why Hashem decreed death upon mankind, because that was the only way their bodies could achieve the level of Adam Harishon before his ‘chait.’ The world has to undergo this process as well, like Chazal say, the world will last 6000 years and then a 1000-years of chorbon. The years of destruction are equivalent to the death and decomposition of a person. After this time the man will be rebuilt with techiyas hamaisim, as will the world.
According to this, the true time that we will receive the reward, is in this rebuilt world. Only then can we truly enjoy the connection to Hashem with our purified guf and neshamah together. However, at that point there will be a marked difference between people. Those who put in the effort to perfect themselves in our world, who worked hard on purifying their neshamah, will reap the reward of those efforts. According to the amount they worked, that is the level of purity and perfection their neshamah will have reached, and thereby be able to impact the physical body as well, and bring it to perfection and purity. They both will become precious and great, and be able to connect and enjoy the presence of Hashem in a much larger fashion than others who did not.
Derech Hashem
Chapter 3 – 03
Once Adam Harishon committed the ‘chait’ of the Eitz Hadaas, his intrinsic nature changed. The world was created with imperfections, and Adam Harishon’s job always was to complete the world, and all things were equal so that he could benefit from his own work. But now those imperfections increased considerably, and not only did Adam Harishon become much less perfect, the whole world was affected. The job of perfection both on himself and on the world, became much more difficult.
Initially, it was much simpler for him to avoid evil and the imperfections in the world, and to connect to what was good, and through that achieve perfection. The reason was because he wasn’t the cause of the imperfection – he hadn’t ruined the world. It was just what Hashem had naturally imbued the world that needed perfection, and it wasn’t difficult. As soon as he would avoid those pitfalls, he would achieve perfection. But now through his own actions he distanced the world from Hashem, created a barrier between the world and Hashem. He fell in his own level greatly. The ‘chisaron’, those imperfections became a part of him. His work was not only harder, it was double. He had to first purify himself, to revert back to the stage he was before the ‘chait’ of the eitz haddas. Only after he had accomplished that could he begin to do the job he was assigned at creation, to choose perfection, ‘tov’ over ‘rah’.
In addition, Hashem decreed, that it is impossible for the body to achieve perfection as it is. Initially, when Adam would achieve his goal, both the physical body and the neshamah would join in total connection to Hashem. Now that isn’t possible anymore, and the physical body must undergo destruction before it can be rebuilt to once again serve Hashem with perfection. That is why Hashem decreed death upon mankind, because that was the only way their bodies could achieve the level of Adam Harishon before his ‘chait.’ The world has to undergo this process as well, like Chazal say, the world will last 6000 years and then a 1000-years of chorbon. The years of destruction are equivalent to the death and decomposition of a person. After this time the man will be rebuilt with techiyas hamaisim, as will the world.
According to this, the true time that we will receive the reward, is in this rebuilt world. Only then can we truly enjoy the connection to Hashem with our purified guf and neshamah together. However, at that point there will be a marked difference between people. Those who put in the effort to perfect themselves in our world, who worked hard on purifying their neshamah, will reap the reward of those efforts. According to the amount they worked, that is the level of purity and perfection their neshamah will have reached, and thereby be able to impact the physical body as well, and bring it to perfection and purity. They both will become precious and great, and be able to connect and enjoy the presence of Hashem in a much larger fashion than others who did not.