Thursday, April 3, 2014

Leadership and humility in one person?


Our sages tell us, in the month of Nissan (this month), we were redeemed from Egypt, in this month will come the final redemption.”

From the time of creation,  G-d chose this month as the month for redemption from Egypt.  Jacob received his blessings on this month,  Isaac was born on this month and was bound on this month, and the future redemption will be in this month.

The way Moshiach-Messiah who ushers in the final redemption is characterized, seems to be a combination of two opposite extreme qualities. On the one hand, he is a leper, a poor man riding on a donkey. This is obviously a description of simplicity, lowliness and of great personal humbleness.

On the other hand, the prophet Zechariah calls him a King. “ A King will come to you”. A king describes exaltedness, an elevated head and shoulders over the common folk. A King is strong and firm in his position of leadership and majesty, as the Talmud says, “The kings’ command, uproots mountains.”

Although it’s written King Moshiach will teach the greatest of the great and everyone will learn from the mouth of Moshiach, he will have this spectacular inner humility and will relate to the simple people as well. More so, he will adore and relish especially, the unpretentious and straightforward complete dedication  of the simple people.

Everyone has inside themselves, a small Moshiach- supreme leader to lead them to peace and G-dly purpose.  This merging and combination of qualities is expected and necessary in every person if they are to reach closer to spiritual enlightenment and deep blessings of happiness.

The Torah and more specifically mysticism teaches, the vessel to receive blessings, wisdom and G-dliness is sublimation to G-d and G-dliness. A complete doing away of the ego, a placing of one’s selfish side aside,  so none of the bloated exaggerated self- image remains.

On the other hand, G-d expects a person to be totally dedicated and committed with singleness of purpose and absolute strength to the mission one was created to fulfill. A person must muster all his strength necessary, to push aside any obstacles and hurdles that stand in his way in achieving what he is expected to accomplish.

How does a person contain at the same time that he has no sense of self, the intense power and extraordinary fortitude to go up against anything that stands in his way of fulfilling what he knows he must accomplish?

There is no contraction at all, and both drives, flow from the same root and source.

The only place from which  a person can draw absolute and never ending strength in his service of G-d, is from the deep recognition, that G-d is the one and only existence in the world and therefore, nothing is real enough to ever stand in the way of what G-d desires and what is expected from each one of us. This person isn’t  a conduit for his own desires, which can be mistaken and finite in reach, with bigger and stronger things that will stand up against him.

The person who is saturated with  the certainty that we ourselves are extensions of G-ds plan in this universe, since “there is no place void of Him”  and we, can use our freedom of choice to either connect with this truth and channel G-d in the world, or, assert our perceived individuality, and be restricted to our own limited strengths, this person, takes his steps in life with strength with a complete tranquil sense of absolute confidence.

It is the nothingness of the self that makes room for the truth and power of G-d to reside inside the person.  As it says regarding Kind David, “His heart was elevated (and strong), (because it was) in the path of G-d.”

G-d says, “I and the conceited cannot dwell together.” Therefore ego is so destructive within a person. And therefore, Moshiach, because he will be the ultimate in humbleness before G-d, the ultimate vessel for G-dliness, he will be able to relate to the simple and at the same time be the King to lead mankind to its final great destination.

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