It All Depends on Your Vessel

How the Torah Can Be an Elixir of Life or a Deadly Poison

It is taught in Kiddushin 30b: תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״וְשַׂמְתֶּם״ סַם תָּם, נִמְשְׁלָה תּוֹרָה כְּסַם חַיִּים (The Rabbis taught in a Baraita, “And you shall place [these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul]” [Devarim 11:18], a perfect elixir. The Torah is compared to an elixir of life).

How did the Rabbis derive this teaching? The word וְשַׂמְתֶּם [v’samtem, ‘and you shall place’] could be understood by a listener as if it were written וְסַם תָּם [v’sam tam, ‘and a perfect elixir’]. In other words, the pasuk could be understood as, “These words of Mine shall be a perfect elixir upon your heart and upon your soul.” And what is the meaning of ‘perfect elixir’? Rashi explains that it means שלם שאינו חסר שום הצלה [Whole, without lacking anything to provide relief].

Developing this idea further, it is taught in Yoma 72b: אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֹשֶׁה״, זָכָה נַעֲשֵׂית לוֹ סַם חַיִּים לֹא זָכָה נַעֲשֵׂית לוֹ סַם מִיתָה. וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רָבָא דְּאוֹמֵן לַהּ סַמָּא דְחַיָּיא דְּלָא אוֹמֵן לַהּ סַמָּא דְמוֹתָא (R’ Yehoshua ben Levi said, What is the meaning of that which is written [Devarim 4:44], “And this is the Torah that Moshe placed [before B’nei Yisrael]”? If one merits, it becomes an elixir of life to him; if one does not merit, it becomes a deadly drug to him. And this is as Rava said, For one who is skilled at it, an elixir of life; for one who is not skilled at it, a deadly drug). In other words, if someone just heard Devarim 4:44 being read without simultaneously reading it himself, he could misunderstand and think that the pasuk was written like this: וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר סַם מֹשֶׁה [And this is the Torah which is Moshe’s drug] – the words שָׂם [sam, placed] and סַם [sam, drug] having essentially the same pronunciation. Although this teaching is very clever, is not the real chiddush. The real chiddush is that there are two kinds of drugs, one for life and another one for death, and which one the Torah becomes depends entirely on us.

A third teaching touching upon this idea, i.e. that the Torah has within it two opposite potentials, can be found in Ta’anit 7a: תַּנְיָא הָיָה רַבִּי בְּנָאָה אוֹמֵר כׇּל הָעוֹסֵק בְּתוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ תּוֹרָתוֹ נַעֲשֵׂית לוֹ סַם חַיִּים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ״ וְאוֹמֵר ״רִפְאוּת תְּהִי לְשָׁרֶּךָ״ וְאוֹמֵר ״כִּי מֹצְאִי מָצָא חַיִּים״. וְכׇל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ נַעֲשֵׂית לוֹ סַם הַמָּוֶת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״יַעֲרֹף כַּמָּטָר לִקְחִי״ וְאֵין עֲרִיפָה אֶלָּא הֲרִיגָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְעָרְפוּ שָׁם אֶת הָעֶגְלָה בַּנָּחַל״ (It was taught in a Baraita, R’ Bena’ah used to say, Anyone who engages in Torah for its own sake [lishmah], his Torah becomes an elixir of life for him, as it says [Mishlei 3:18], ‘It is a tree of life to all those who take hold of it’, and it says [Mishlei 3:8], ‘It will be a healing [that enters] through your navel’, and it says [Mishlei 8:35], ‘For whoever finds me has found life.’ And anyone who engages in Torah not for its own sake [lo lishmah], it becomes a deadly drug for him, as it says [Devarim 32:2], ‘My teaching will drip [ya’arof] like the rain’, and the word drip [arifah] means killing, as it says [Devarim 21:4], ‘And they will decapitate [arefu] the calf there in the riverbed’). No doubt we want to be included in the group of people who learn Torah lishmah, and not in the group who don’t, so what does it mean to learn lishmah? Rashi says: משום כאשר צוני ה’ אלהי ולא כדי להקרות רבי (because Hashem commanded me and not in order to be called ‘Rabbi’). The bottom line seems to be that we need pure, unadulterated motives.

No matter how we look at it, these teachings are pretty heavy. Three separate teachings from Chazal that all emphasize the same point: our holy Torah has within it two opposite potentials, one for life and one for death. Therefore, if we learn Torah (which we are supposed to do), we need to be very careful. Chas v’shalom, we don’t want to ingest a deadly poison! Other than trying to learn lishmah (which, in and of itself, is not a simple matter, for who can say, ‘I’m pure. I don’t have any ulterior motives’?), what can we do to protect ourselves from the deadly poison?

This issue is thoroughly explained in Likutei Moharan 36:5: הַכֹּל לְפִי הַכְּלִי שֶׁלּוֹ הַיְנוּ כְּפִי תְּפִיסָתוֹ תְּפִיסַת הַמֹּחִין שֶׁלּוֹ (Everything depends on one’s vessel [k’li], i.e. according to one’s comprehension, the comprehension of his mind). In other words, if we have a pure k’li, then the light of the Torah that enters it will be received as an elixir of life. However, if we have an impure k’li, chas v’shalom, then the light of the Torah that enters it will be received as a deadly poison. It all depends on us. This is what is meant by the prophet who stated (Hoshea 14:10): מִי חָכָם וְיָבֵן אֵלֶּה נָבוֹן וְיֵדָעֵם כִּי־יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי יְיָ וְצַדִּקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם וּפֹשְׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָם (Whoever is wise will understand these things, discerning and he will know them, for the ways of Hashem are straight and the righteous walk in them, but the wicked will stumble in them). Either way you look at it, Hashem’s ways are straight. The determining factor is the people receiving the Torah. Some people walk in the Torah’s ways; others stumble in them. To some it is an elixir of life; to others it is a deadly poison.

Now we come to the important question. How do we make sure that we have a pure k’li to receive the Torah as an elixir of life rather than as a deadly poison? Let’s continue in Likutei Moharan 36:5: דְּזֶה הוּא כְּלָל גָּדוֹל שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְשׁוּם אָדָם לְהַשִּׂיג וְלִתְפֹּס בְּדִבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל הַצַּדִּיק אִם לֹא שֶׁתִּקֵּן תְּחִלָּה אוֹת בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ כָּרָאוּי וַאֲזַי יָכוֹל לְהָבִין וְלִתְפֹּס דִּבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל הַצַּדִּיק (This is a major principle: It is impossible for anyone to comprehend and grasp the utterance of the Tzaddik unless he first rectifies the sign of the holy covenant [brit] properly, and then he will be able to understand and grasp the utterance of the Tzaddik). If we want to ensure that we have a k’li to receive the light of Torah as an elixir of life and not as a deadly poison, we need to rectify our holy brit. There is no other way. And who is the Tzaddik being spoken about here? As we have explained in many previous issues of The Shoemaker Report, in its broadest application, the Tzaddik is the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu. Therefore, when R’ Nachman speaks here about the utterance of the Tzaddik, he is first and foremost speaking about the utterance of Moshe Rabbeinu, which is the holy Torah itself, as the prophet states (Malachi 3:22): זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אוֹתוֹ בְחֹרֵב עַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים (Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant, which I commanded him in Chorev, for all Yisrael, statutes and judgments).

Why is this so? Revealing the true meaning of a rather lengthy (and deep) section in the Zohar ha-Kadosh (Mishpatim 110a), R’ Nachman writes the following to summarize the spiritual mechanics of the process: דְּאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר: סִלּוּקָא דִּיסוֹדָא עַד אַבָּא וְאִמָּא שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה וּבִינָה שֶׁהֵם י”ה שֶׁהֵם מֹחִין (It is brought down in the Zohar: the ascent of the sefirah of yesod to Abba and Imma, which are the aspect of chochmah and binah, which are the י and ה of the name י-ה, which are the mochin).

Reading those words would result in most people walking away just scratching their heads. Pretty cryptic stuff there, isn’t it? So let’s unpack it a bit to understand what it all means. First of all, the default ‘location’ for the sefirah of yesod, which is the source of the holy brit, is ‘below’ the sefirah of tiferet and just ‘above’ the sefirah of malchut. However, the sefirah of yesod can have an aliyah, a rising, an ascent, all the way up to Abba and Imma. What does that mean? Abba [Father] and Imma [Mother] are Kabbalistic terms for the sefirot of chochmah and binah when speaking of them in terms of partzufim. Don’t get too caught up in the terminology. The main point is that yesod can make an ascent all the way up to the ‘brains’ (chochmah and binah), called here mochin. (Chochmah and binah are also represented by the first two letters in Hashem’s name י־ה־ו־ה, and therefore, they represent the name י־ה.) Here’s the bottom line: the sefirah of yesod can make its aliyah when it is fully rectified, i.e. when the holy brit is rectified in the Jew, and then, when it ascends it purifies the two vessels of the brain, so that they become pure as well. And once each k’li of the moach becomes purified, the mochin together are made into a pure k’li that is now capable of receiving the light of Torah so that it is received as elixir of life. As R’ Nachman explains there: נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁתִּקֵּן אוֹת בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ כָּרָאוּי אֲזַי הַמֹּחִין שֶׁלּוֹ בִּשְׁלֵמוּת וְיָכוֹל לְהָבִין דִּבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל הַצַּדִּיק. כְּפִי הַתִּקּוּן שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד כָּךְ הוּא הַשָּׂגָתוֹ (It comes out that when the sign of the holy brit is rectified properly, then one’s mochin are made whole, and he is able to understand the utterance of the Tzaddik [i.e. the holy Torah]. According to the rectification of each individual will be his comprehension).

Therefore, we see that even though only pure, undifferentiated Light emanates from Hashem – in the words of R’ Nachman there (L.M. 36:6), כִּי מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן לֹא תֵצֵא כִּי אִם אוֹר פָּשׁוּט (for from the mouth of the Most High emerges only a Simple Light) – the way the Light is received determines whether the Light becomes an elixir of life or, chas v’shalom, a deadly drug. R’ Nachman continues his explanation: אַךְ לְפִי בְּחִינַת כְּלִי הַמְקַבֵּל אֶת הָאוֹר כָּךְ נִצְטַיֵּר הָאוֹר בְּתוֹכוֹ אִם הַכְּלִי הוּא בִּשְׁלֵמוּת אֲזַי הוּא מְקַבֵּל בִּבְחִינַת מְאוֹרוֹת מָלֵא וְאִם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם הַכְּלִי אֵינוֹ בִּשְׁלֵמוּת אֲזַי הוּא מְקַבֵּל בִּבְחִינַת מְאֹרֹת חָסֵר וָאו (However, according to the aspect of the k’li that receives the Light, that is how the Light takes shape within it; if the k’li is whole then he receives in the aspect of ‘full lights’ [מְאוֹרוֹת, spelled with two vavs], but if, chas v’shalom, the k’li isn’t whole, then he receives in the aspect of ‘lights lacking a vav’ [מְאֹרֹת, spelled without vavs]). But how does he know that ‘lights lacking a vav’ is such a terrible thing? Because מְאֹרֹת [lights, spelled without vavs] has the same spelling as מְאֵרַת [curse], as in Mishlei 3:33: מְאֵרַת יְיָ בְּבֵית רָשָׁע וּנְוֵה צַדִּיקִים יְבָרֵךְ (The curse [מְאֵרַת] of Hashem is in the house of the wicked, but He will bless the habitation of the righteous). Therefore, without a rectified mind, i.e. without having rectified our holy brit, the Torah we receive will be received as a curse, the deadly poison mentioned by Chazal.

On the one hand, we have arrived at a very satisfying explanation of the teachings of Chazal that we began with, i.e. how the Torah can be either an elixir of life or a deadly drug. However, on the other hand, we should be somewhat troubled. How come? We live in a generation where the defilement of our holy brit has become very commonplace, to such an extent that rare is the individual who has completely rectified his brit totally to such an extent that he no longer has any trace whatsoever of any impure thought. In fact, as R’ Natan writes in Likutei Halachot (Kriat Shema 4:2): מַה יַּעֲשׂוּ הֲמוֹן עָם שֶׁרֻבָּם אֵינָם בִּכְלַל תִּקּוּן הַבְּרִית בִּשְׁלֵמוּת כִּי זְעִירִין אִנּוּן בְּכָל דּוֹר שֶׁזּוֹכִין לְתִקּוּן הַבְּרִית בִּשְׁלֵמוּת (What are the people supposed to do, for most of them have not rectified the brit completely, rather only a small number in every generation merits to rectify the brit). Realizing this, what can be done? Are we just to throw up our hands and say in despair, ‘Well, I guess I’m doomed to receive the light of the Torah as a deadly drug’? No! As R’ Nachman famously said (L.M. II:78): אֵין שׁוּם יִאוּשׁ בָּעוֹלָם כְּלָל (There’s no despair in the world at all).

So what can we do? The solution is to recite the Shema with emunah as explained in Likutei Halachot (Kriat Shema 4:4): וְעִקַּר הָעֵצָה לְכָל זֶה עִקַּר הוּא הָאֱמוּנָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבָרוּךְ שֵׁם כִּי עַל-יְדֵי אֲמִירַת שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבָרוּךְ שֵׁם זוֹכִין לְהִנָּצֵל מֵהִרְהוּרֵי נִאוּף (The main strategy for all this is the essence of the holy emunah, which corresponds to Shema Yisrael and Baruch Shem, for by reciting Shema Yisrael and Baruch Shem [with holy faith] we merit to being saved from thoughts of lewdness).

By concentrating on the six words of Shema Yisrael and the six words of Baruch Shem, and reciting them with real emunah we bind ourselves to Ya’akov Avinu and his 12 sons, all of whom were tzaddikim, who were the first ones to have uttered these holy words of emunah. In so doing, we merit to a rectification of our mochin, of our mind, even as they merited, thus creating the pure k’li necessary to receive the Light of our holy Torah for a blessing, to receive it as an elixir of life – even as we continue to work on rectifying our holy brit.

Baruch Hashem for his never-ending mercies!