HOD

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

Apologies for early email this week due to circumstances.

We are now in the middle of an amazing week, which is centred around the sefira of HOD, and in which we celebrate Lag Baomer, the hilula of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi).

I hope the explanation below will give a slight understanding of how great is this day of Lag Baomer

And closely connected are all our Family members who have simchos in this week of HOD ie Shlomo’s Barmitzvah, Shneur Zalman’s opsheren (haircut at 3), and the naming of Yehuda Zeev Levy.

These connections are so interesting because they relates closely to the maamer of the Alte Rebbe in his Siddur, which I have been learning for the past few weeks.

As with all maamorim of the Alte Rebbe (and all the Rebbeim), they are highly intricate, and so I hope this will not be too difficult.

THERE IS AN AMAZING CONCEPT THAT IS STATED IN SEFER YETZIRA IE THAT ‘THE BEGINNING (HIGHEST) CONNECTS TO THE END (LOWEST), AND THE END TO THE BEGINNING.’ Why should it be like this and why can’t the beginning connect to the middle or anywhere else?!

Let’s start with explaining the emotional character of HOD.

There are 3 intellectual characters and 7 emotional ones.

These are sometimes linked to the shape of the body, and it works out that HOD, which is the 5th of the 7 emotions, is the lowest part of the body itself. The last 2, yesod and malchut, have a character of external organs relating outward to others ie reproduction, and then the thighs, which support the body.

The root word HOD has a no. of uses

1. HUMILITY

Here hod is the quiet partner of the previous attribute of Netzach (Endurance) and it gives quiet direction to Endurance (where one should apply one’s endurance)

This humility is yielding, coming from ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, recognising our limitations, and the place of Hashem in our lives and in creation – how small we are and how great we can become. This yielding is not weakness. THIS HUMILITY AND MODESTY IS A GREAT STRENGTH. It is active, and not passive.

2. Acknowledgement - HODAAH

3. Thanks and gratitude – MODIM

In our prayers, in shemonei esrei, we show our gratitude to Hashem at MODIM, where we also bow down.

There are basically 2 levels of this recognition

1. Where we have a high level of knowledge and understanding and then express gratitude for the tremendous kindness and greatness which we can see. - Hodaah

2. Where we do not really see clearly, or not at all, BUT WE STILL ACKNOWLEDGE – Hodaah Lehodaah

Our sages recognised this level where we mostly all fall into, and they introduced the SECOND MODIM in shemonei esrei (which is in small print next to the main Modim) – called Modim DeRabanan.

Once we have any of these levels of acknowledgement, we are now open to receive the flow of light and energy of Hashem from a very high source.

Ie Because hodaah lehodaah is such a low level, it causes the connection to the highest of levels according to the concept in Sefer Yetzirah! Ie in particular to us little human Jews who have only the slightest recognition of Hashem – hodaah lehodaah.

And how does this connect to Lag Baomer?

Because the combination of characters on this day is HOD SHEBEHOD. - Hod, the lowest part of the body, and not only hod, but hod shebehod!

This is how great is the flow of light and energy coming down on this day, and this is the day that Rashbi passed on, and this is why he wanted his yohrtzeit to be celebrated with such great joy!

And so, what a week to have these celebrations, but I particularly want to make mention of Shlomo’s Barmitzvah and how this connects to all the above.

Shlomo was born on the second night of Pesach when we start counting the Omer (THE BEGINNING), and start refining ourselves and our emotional characters, to be ready to receive the Torah on Shavuos , and is celebrating the Barmitzvah on Lag Baomer (LOWEST PART WHICH RECEIVES THE MOST LIGHT)

Wishing you much light in your life Shlomo, and the lesson for you and all of us on your Bar MITZVAH, is to know, that the simple, bland physical acts which Hashem has commanded us to do (mitzvos), and which seem to be so unexciting (LOW POINT), have the power to connect us to the HIGHEST levels.

And then Yehudah Zeev - The word Yehudah is also based on the root of hodaah.

Mazal Tov and wishing everyone an inspiring Lag Baomer and Shabbos