Accessing the Tools for our Soul

MyLife Essay Contest 2015

“If your only tool is a hammer you tend to see every problem as a nail.” —Abraham Maslow

In the toolbox of actions and reactions in today’s world most of society often reach for the hammer, and perceive it as their only life tool. They busy themselves with chiseling out their own ego spot, expecting others to attract to them, and bend their own morals, beliefs and values in deference to the fad of the moment. This is an umbrella issue that contemporary society deals with on a constant, in our world today. It encompasses, among other issues, our egos, the allowance of cultural influences to determine our destiny, and the force of assimilation and blending into the melting pot, which seemingly only turns murkier, as time marches on.

Society is bombarded with subjective media reports, social media, and the ever growing demand for political correctness, which at times may run contrary to the moral standards one would like to uphold.
That society at large contorts itself into the nail with which to be hammered, is a travesty of immense proportions. The line that is hammered into society, and society falls for, hook, line and sinker, is: “I was born this way, and therefore entitled, nay mandated to act this way. Furthermore, you need to accept and embrace me and my actions. Better yet, join me in my parade.”

However, society must recall that there are other tools at their disposal. There is the wrench, the pliers, and the screwdriver for starters. These tools are merely examples of some of the countless, found in your toolbox. They are the focus in this essay simply as a reference guide, and can be interchangeable for tools that the reader may find more effective in transforming his own self.

The wrench: “For man is born to toil” (Job 5:7). Man was created to struggle, and to battle the elements within and without. To overcome those obstacles constantly strewn in one’s paths, and those obstacles placed deep inside his inner self, and emerge victorious.

The plier: “A soul descends into to this world, clothed within a body and an animalistic soul; these two entities are there to conceal and hide the light of the soul and yet, the soul’s job is to [break through those barriers and] cleanse and purify the body, the animalistic soul, and its portion of its surroundings in the world, as well.” (Ma’mer Basi Legani 5710, Chapter 1)

The screwdriver: In a perfect world, no one would have to work on improving himself. But that is not why we were placed in this world. One of our universal jobs in this world is to dig deep within, and offer our natural tendencies as sacrifices for the exchange of a more pure and illuminated world.

In practical terms, how does one access these tools, and use them effectively, without losing his identity, with which he prides himself? As one goes about his day, no matter where his journey takes him, there will be obstacles that stand in his way. The obstacles can taunt and tease the individual, distracting one’s clarity from his purpose and mission. At times, this cunning obstacle can present itself as an opportunity to enhance ones proclaimed identity. Yet, a closer look will reveal that this opportunity is only a mirage towards the goal one actually needs to reach. Its actual purpose is to detract, and set one back from reaching a higher rung on the ladder of success. True success is measured, not by where on the ladder one stands, but by what means the individual worked to get there. The idea is: Just because something is “natural” to the individual, this does not mean that it is what is meant for him to do.

Overcoming the obstacles can mean to go against ones inherent nature, to do the opposite of what the body and intellect dictates as being the “right” way to function. “I” feel comfortable with who “I” am, and what “I” am doing. Yet, is that really where “you” belong, is that really what “you” are meant to be doing”? The world was created with a blueprint, the Torah. And for every aspect of one’s daily existence, the guidance is direct. Or sometimes it is not so clear cut. But this is why there is a directive to appoint a mentor for oneself (Ethics, 1:6 and Sicha of the Rebbe, October 19, 1986). The mentor guides the individual in the time of their confusion, to bring clarity to the situation, illuminate the dark spots and see which road can lead to the greatest illumination, within oneself, and towards the world around him.

In his last published discourse, [Basi Legani, 5710] the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe discusses the purpose of G-d’s creation of the world; to make a fitting dwelling place for Himself in the lowest of His created worlds. This is derived from the statement in Song of Songs, Chapter 4 “I have come to my garden”. The Rebbe explains that this statement is referring to G-d’s reaction to the construction of the Sanctuary that the Jews built in the desert. The purpose of this Sanctuary was for the Jewish people to have a medium through which they would have direct contact with G-d through the services that were carried out in this Sanctuary. But when G-d initially commanded, Moses to build the Sanctuary, He said: “Build me a Sanctuary, so I should dwell in them.” (Exodus, 21:8) That would seem strange, as grammatically, the scripture should have said “Build me a Sanctuary so I should dwell in it.”

The Midrashi explains that from here we see that the building of the Sanctuary was just a medium through which G-d would dwell within the hearts of each Jew. Thus, through man’s service of fulfilling G-d’s will, he creates the ability for His presence to remain within the presence of the Jew, and thereby, in this world.

We are all born with deficiencies, each to a deeper or lesser extent. The greater the deficiency, the greater is the ability to tap into the powers to master that deficiency and teach others to achieve that success as well. The first Chabad Rebbe explains in Tanya, Chapter 9 that our souls are constantly at war with each other. The animalistic soul wants to indulge in the deficiencies with which it defines the body, to convince the G-dly soul to throw up its hands in despair of ever having a chance on repairing said deficiency. At the same time, the G-dly soul insists that there is a purpose for this deficiency. One can perfect the deficiency, so that even though he has a “natural tendency” that “gives him little options but to react in a prescribed manner”, he can still work on overcoming that natural tendency, thereby breaking the barriers that are limiting his potential and creating an everlasting illumination within himself, and for those that interact with him as well.

This brings us to the next step. One of the main services in the Holy Temple was that of offering sacrifices. Here too, the wording in the scripture teaches us a unique lesson. G-d Commands Moses: (Leviticus 1:2) “A man who shall bring from you an offering to G-d, – of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock, shall you bring your offering.” Seemingly, it would have been more grammatically correct to say “A man from [amongst] you who shall bring an offering”. The placement of the words “from you” in the scripture teaches us that G-d’s directive to bring the sacrifices were aimed at the internal exchange the individual bringing the sacrifice was creating within himself, that G-d was truly seeking [Basi Legani 5710 pp. 2-3].

On the surface, it sure seems much easier to live a life where one does not have to work on sacrificing his pleasures, habits, or sense of self. Ultimately though, living in this way, the ego is that much harder to please and placate. The only way the ego can feel confident about itself is by insuring that others do not reach its ladder rung of success, or conversely blaming others for its own inability to achieve success.

The ego will do everything in its power to keep everyone and anyone from reaching his pedestal, or a pedestal parallel to the one he is on. It will even go so far as to break, and keep distant, otherwise solid relationships. It will create valid reasoning to show that in this case, no laws are being violated [Ma’mer Haichaltzu 5659, Chapter 4]. By doing so however, the individual denies himself the opportunity of bringing more illumination into the world. He creates a hollow for the essence of G-d to retreat into. As this is what occurred when Adam committed the first sin, and his children, the subsequent sins that caused G-d’s presence to retreat [Basi Legani, 5710, pg. 1]. This defeats the purpose of why G-d created the world. So that His Essence can remain present in our world of confusion. By going against our grains, we create clarity.

The greatest gift we can give ourselves is the act of bowing to G-d’s Will, and giving G-d the pleasure He desired at the outset of His creation of the world.