Spiritual “Ups and Downs” – 6: Sources From Sforim Hakedoshim

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by Rabbi Micha Hyman

The Strength of Your Yetzer Tov

1. We have passed down from our sages that a person has a Yetzer Hara from when he is born, but he only receives his Yetzer Tov at age 13, when he becomes responsible for all the Mitzvos. The reason that the Yetzer Hara gets such a “head-start”, is because our Yetzer Tov is so much more stronger, that if they started on equal footing, the Yetzer Hara would not stand a chance, and therefore there would be no free will. – Nefesh HaChaim.

The Importance of the Starting Point

2. We see that in the Laws of Pesach, there are many more stringencies than in any other area of Jewish Law. The Current Belzer Rebbe shlita explains, this is because Pesach is the first holiday of the year; since the spiritual level of everything follows the beginning, the starting point, we want that starting point to be perfect, without any infraction. If we are extra careful at the time of Pesach, then the rest of the year will follow suit.

3. Being in the womb before birth is one of the best experiences in a person’s life: surrounded by warmth, comfort of one’s mother, all of one’s needs are taken care of without the necessity of any effort, an angel who teaches you the entire Torah, etc. – Masechet Niddah 31. It is  the starting point of a person’s life, and the fact that the conditions both physically and spiritually are so optimal, gives us the ability to be successful afterwards in our lives.

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“Ups and Downs” – 5: Gadlus – Katnus – Gadlus

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by Rabbi Micha Hyman

Gadlus Rishon: A "Free" Experience

Before we enter into a state of free-choice in this world, we are given a reference point, an experience so great and certain beyond any doubt, that we are to use as our guide in making our choices. That is the initial greatness we experienced in the womb, in the desert, and in our individual experiences as we connected for the first time to Hashem’s Torah. The sages call this state Gadlus Rishon – Initial greatness. It is a free gift. It is a model to be used as a target for us, to aim for the goal of loftiness that we are able to achieve. The only thing lacking in it is that it came for free, it wasn’t an experience of our true greatness because it was given for free.

Katnus – When Gadlus Vanishes

After Gadlus Rishon, comes that state of feeling low, the feeling that all of those previous levels of spirituality have been lost, or were never really real in the first place. This stage is called Katnus – Smallness. Many people give up their quest for spiritual growth when they experience this stage, because of its apparent hopelessness. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. This is where it all begins, this is the birth into the world, into the land of Israel, into our ability to really achieve greatness through our own actions and decisions. This is the stage where all spiritual growth takes place – when that initial light is taken away and we have to create it ourselves. 

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“Ups and Downs” – 4: A Spiritual Pattern

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The Spiritual "First Burst"

Many people experience their entrance into Torah and its wealth of spiritual growth as a very strong blast of inspiration and clarity. Eventually, however, as time goes on, that fire seems to dwindle and a person can experience extreme lows in his relationship with the Torah and Hashem, and with spiritual growth in general. Sometimes it may even come to the point where one can come to resent the Torah and Hashem, chas v’shalom.

We know that Judaism stresses that all beginnings and starting points should be very strong because everything goes after the beginning. Our sages teach us, that when a child is in his mother’s womb before birth, he has an angel teaching him the entire Torah and all the wisdom that exists. It is an ideal state, surrounded by comfort and good. Then he is born into a state of being, where he must work and toil to achieve any good, forgetting all the wisdom he was taught, only to have to recover and rediscover it throughout his life. That is his task.

Rediscovering the Initial Point Through Toil

This same pattern was also present in the birth of Klal Yisrael. The beginning took place with the most miraculous events in history: the splitting of the sea, the Manna, the well of Miriam, the clouds of glory, and the pure revelation of Hashem on a daily basis. Then we entered in to the land of Israel, where all those realities ceased. We had to work for our food and water, and our relationship with Hashem was based solely on our level of commitment towards Hashem – nothing came for free anymore.

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“Ups and Downs” – 3: Tools to Help Us Deal

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by Rabbi Micha Hyman

Ignoring a Physical Need

1. Often a "down" can be a result of a bodily need that was ignored, such as not eating properly, not sleeping enough, not having proper outlets to express one’s unique talents, etc. Appeasing the body and taking care of any bodily needs that have been neglected, is a critical tool toward overcoming the "downs"¹.

Schedule Something Different

2. Initiate a "Chidush" in your day. Do something new, change the monotony of your schedule or routine. Even just a little change can refresh your entire perspective. This is one tool that we need to constantly use².

Think It Through

3. Let the mind come and decide - Yavo Ha’sechel v’yachria”. Sometimes we feel down because we lost clarity in what we are doing. We can get so caught up in our routine that we go into an “auto-pilot”-like existence. This can drain a person of inspiration, motivation, and happiness. Stop your routine to take time to re-think your life decisions: why are you doing the things you are doing? Maybe a change is necessary, or maybe a re-commitment to your original decision. Either one can lift a person up immensely³.

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