Mysticism in Every Book

0:12So this very same Hashem created a Torah that has no end, but a lot of people like to go to the supernatural part, not so much to the basics—day-to-day Shabbat, Torah, kosher—you know, to make sure that you're a decent human being. No, that's boring. I want to figure out how to split an ocean. I want to figure out how I can make manna come from Shamayim. I want to figure out how I can turn this closet into complete gold. like to go to the supernatural part, not so much to the basics—day-to-day Shabbat, Torah, kosher—you know, to make sure that you're a decent human being. No, that's boring. I want to figure out how to split an ocean. I want to figure out how I can make manna come from shamaim. I want to figure out how I can turn this closet into complete gold. That's something to learn. That's what people want to learn. So you see people today, you tell them, listen, there's a shiur Torah tonight. What are you going to teach? Oh, we're going to teach Parashat HaShavua. No, not for me, not for me. Oh, I'm going to teach Gemara. No, not for me, not for me. I'm going to teach Halacha, learn how to keep Shabbat, so you actually get to Gan Eden maybe. No, not for me, not for me. Oh, I'm going to teach Zohar. Okay, Zohar for me. Zohar's for me. Zohar, Kabbalah for me. Why? Because Kabbalah...

1:17Zohar, it sounds like it's something from a different world. It sounds like it's supernatural. It sounds like by the time I leave the shiur, I'll be able to move things with my mind. It all connects, but the reality is people are fooled to think that the mystical and the supernatural are only in the Zohar. In reality, there's mysticism and the supernatural in every single page of the Torah. Whether it's the Tanach, or it's the Gemara, or it's the Zohar, or it's anything else. The only difference is that the Zohar and the things that you read about in Kabbalah, they sound more exciting to people because they don't hear that name so often. So where did this whole concept of mysticism come from? First of all, the word mystika came from the Greek word mystikos. And mystikos means something that's beyond our reach, something that is hidden. Similar to an optical illusion, where you see something but in reality it's really something else. Now, why do we have, as human beings, so much interest in something that's behind the wall? Why don't I care about what's here in front of me? Behind the wall, maybe there's something better. This actually comes from a chisaron, a deficiency in our middot. Why? We always want what we don't have.

2:24Now, why do we, as human beings, have so much interest in something that's behind the wall? Why don't we care about what's here in front of us? Behind the wall, maybe there's something better. This actually comes from a chisaron, a chisaron in our middot, a deficiency in our middot. Why? We always want what we don't have. We don't have they actually did a scientific study, and they showed a bunch of people, I think it was a thousand people, maybe 10,000 people, but they showed them a beautiful D flawless diamond that was very, very expensive, and then they showed them a box. They were asked, "Which one do you want? The box or this diamond?" Over 93% of the people picked the box, which ended up being empty, by the way. Over 90% of people picked the box, the empty box. Why? If you're showing me a diamond, what's in the box must be better. If what's obvious in front of me is a diamond, it's good. What's beyond the door, what I don't see, must be better. And the reality is that the grass is not always greener on the other side. It's not. Most of the time, it's the same shade. Sometimes it's even worse. But the reality is that we want to go to something that's nistar, that's beyond, because it's part of our being. What does that mean? B'tzelem Elokim bara adam. Hashem Yitbarach created mankind in His own image.

3:47is that the grass is not always greener on the other side. It's not. Most of the time, it's the same shade. Sometimes it's even worse. But the reality is that we want to go to something that's nistar, that's beyond, because it's part of our being. What does that mean? B'tzelem Elokim bara Adam. Hashem Yitbarach created mankind in His own image. Just like Hashem is not limited. He has no boundaries. He has no concept of time. There's no beginning. There's no end. There's no middle. There's no past, present, and future. There's no up and down. There's no concept of time. When it says the word "Bereshit" in the Torah, you should know the word "Bereshit" means "in wisdom," but it also means the creation of time. "Bereshit" means the creation of time. So for all of those people that always try to figure out how old the world is, when did they start counting, maybe they started counting after the fourth day because there was no sun,

4:54Maybe they started counting according to what the scientists are saying. People are constantly trying to compete with the Torah using science. In reality, if you read what the Mepharshim say, "Bereishit" means the creation of time. When did time start? Bereishit, the first day. So how did time elapse during the first few days before there was a sun? It elapsed because of the Creator of time, and He knows exactly what time it was. He doesn't need us to tell Him what time it was. Sun and the moon are an indication for us. It's not an indication for the One that's unlimited. He doesn't need any indication. But because we're constantly fascinated by things that are mysterious, which include science and we're constantly thinking that there is better. So people today, unfortunately, are so confused, even Orthodox Jews are so confused, that as soon as they see some scientist with a new theory, which by definition means an educated guess, immediately they say, "Oh, this is contradicting the Torah."

5:57This is kind of, maybe the Torah is a mistake. Maybe the Torah has a mistake. Immediately, they take the science side. Why? Because science is researchers. It's a scientific theory. And people don't know what theory means. They think theory means fact. So now, why do we have this nature? It's actually part of our creation. Hashem Himself is not limited, but He also created a part of us. Part of our neshama is also not limited. Part of our neshama is limited. Part of a neshama is not limited. So that part that's not limited wants to find something just like it. It wants to find something that's beyond, that has no limit. Something that's beyond the natural. The supernatural. It has this yearning for the supernatural. Why did Hashem give us such a thing that's leading to so many mistakes? We make so many mistakes. We look behind the door and realize there's nobody there. We should have been better off staying here. Why did Hashem give us such a thing that's leading to so many mistakes? People are constantly looking for things that are beyond the natural, and they end up falling. People that don't know enough Torah start learning the supernatural, and they end up becoming heretics. A lot of people who have become heretics have done so only because they went to things that are beyond them. So why did Hashem, huh? Things that are heretical, kefirah, things that are against the Torah.

7:22Same thing. Same thing. Apikoros is a type of heretic. So, why did Hashem put this in us? Because the Torah itself is supernatural.