It was the summer of 1896, and father and myself were strolling in the fields of Balivka, a hamlet near Lubavitch. The grain was near to ripening, and the wheat and grass swayed gently in the breeze.
Said father to me: "See G-dliness! Every movement of each stalk and grass was included in G-d's Primordial Thought of Creation, in G-d's all-embracing vision of history, and is guided by Divine providence toward a G-dly purpose."
Walking, we entered the forest. Engrossed in what I had heard, excited by the gentleness and seriousness of father's words, I absentmindedly tore a leaf off a passing tree. Holding it a while in my hands, I continued my thoughtful pacing, occasionally tearing small pieces of the leaf and casting them to the winds.
"The Holy Arizal," said father to me, "says that not only is every leaf on a tree a creation invested with Divine life, created for a specific purpose within G-d's intent in creation, but also that within each and every leaf there is a spark of a soul that has descended to earth to find its correction and fulfillment.
"The Talmud," father continued, "rules that 'a man is always responsible for his actions, whether awake or asleep.' The difference between wakefulness and sleep is in the inner faculties of man, his intellect and emotions. The external faculties function equally well in sleep, only the inner faculties are confused. So dreams present us with contradictory truths. A waking man sees the real world, a sleeping man does not. This is the deeper significance of wakefulness and sleep: when one is awake one sees Divinity; when asleep, one does not.
"Nevertheless, our sages maintain that man is always responsible for his actions, whether awake or asleep. Only this moment we have spoken of Divine providence, and, unthinkingly, you tore off a leaf, played with it in your hands, twisting, squashing and tearing it to pieces, throwing it in all directions.
"How can one be so callous towards a creation of G-d? This leaf was created by the Almighty towards a specific purpose and is imbued with a Divine life-force. It has a body and it has its life. In what way is the 'I' of this leaf inferior to yours?"
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Everything in this universe has a special purpose, and is therefore of vital importance. If this be true of a leaf, how much more so the person next to us! As a Rabbi recently said to me: "If an angel were to enter the room right now, everyone would be amazed and in awe. So how come when a fellow Jew (of whose Divine soul, we are taught, comes from an even higher place than angels) walks into the room, we don't show him the proper kindness and respect!?"
The answer, of course, is because we don't see the reality of existence; the G-dliness inherent in creation. Our job is to be aware of the inner reality of all things. By taking a time-out from our usual activities, to devote ourselves a little bit to contemplation and reflection, to a mitzvah or a prayer, we become better at appreciating every inch & moment of G-d's Divine world and plan, and reveal in the world around us - and in ourselves - the inherent holiness which we all possess.
Shabbat Shalom!
-Daniel
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