Why Torah is Compared to Fire
- SHARE THIS POST
My words are like fire, says the Lord
Said Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok of Lubavitch on why Torah is compared to fire:
(a) Fire consumes and annihilates. (b) Fire sheds light and warmth upon its surroundings. (c) When fire burns in one place, it may suddenly flare up in another, especially if there is a bit of wind. (d) Fire generates fear. (e) Fire reveals the truth that the physical reality is of no substance: See, it says, how quickly all is gone!
So it is with Torah: (a) Torah annihilates the evil in one’s heart. (b) Torah sheds light and warmth upon its surroundings. (c) When Torah is studied and observed by one individual or community, it catches on in others – especially if there is a whiff of its inner spirit. [1] (d) Torah generates the fear of Heaven ( yirat shamayim ). (e) Torah reveals the truth: the material world is nothing, G-dliness is the only true reality.
[1] In Hebrew, the word ruach means both “wind” and “spirit.”
- SHARE THIS POST
Did you enjoy this? Get personalized content delivered to your own MLC profile page by joining the MLC community. It's free! Click here to find out more.
Related Content
Chapter five of Basi L’Gani offers us a novel and even revolutionary approach to the absurdity of our lives. Instead of just avoiding or ignoring the irrational, transform that mindless mindset into a supra-rational force of transcendence, creating something absolutely unusual — something absolutely crazy. Since you are already in a mad and wild state of mind — turn that wild energy into revolution, changing the status quo.
According to Kabbalah, the spectrum of human experience is divided into seven emotions and qualities. The sefirah (also known as the tree of life) outlines the different parts of your emotional life. To grow as a person, one must examine and refine these seven muscles.
In the Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, there is a map of the emotions. It’s a map that divides the emotions into seven categories, seven particular attributes and faculties.