Inner "Shadow" Work - Rav Doniel Katz
Likitei Moharan 172:1
1Whatever lack a person experiences—be it children or livelihood or health—is entirely from the side of the person himself. For the light of God flows upon him continuously, but the person, because of his evil deeds, makes a shadow for himself so that God’s light does not reach him. And, commensurate with his deeds, so the shadow is cast which blocks God’s light. Thus, the lack which he experiences is in accordance with the deed through which the shadow was cast.
2Now, behold, the shadow comes from a material thing standing opposite a spiritual thing {i.e., which is more ethereal than it}. For example, the materiality of a tree or a stone opposite the light <of the sun or the moon> casts a shadow. Likewise, a solar or lunar eclipse <is> because of the earth’s shadow. And also the sun itself, vis-à-vis that which is above it, is material and casts a shadow opposite it.
3Therefore, a person, commensurate with his materiality and commensurate with his deeds, accordingly makes a shadow within himself which blocks from him God’s light and influx of bounty. But if a person nullifies himself so that he is not at all part of this world, then, he does not make a shadow and he receives the light of God.
4And the essence of the light of God is glory, because all that the Holy One created, He created only for His glory. As it is written (Isaiah 43:7), “I have created it for My glory….”
5This is the meaning of: “His glory fills the whole world” (ibid. 6:3). That is, if he nullifies the whole world, so that he is not at all a part of this world, he then receives God’s light—which is glory.
6This is also the meaning of: “The wise will inherit glory” (Proverbs 3:35). This is because “wisdom stems from nothingness” (Job 28:12). Therefore, the wise, who are “nothing,” merit to glory because they do not make a shadow that would obstruct—for they possess no materiality at all.
קע״ב:א׳
כָּל הַחֶסְרוֹנוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָאָדָם, הֵן בָּנִים אוֹ פַּרְנָסָה אוֹ בְּרִיאוּת, הַכֹּל הוּא מִצַּד הָאָדָם עַצְמוֹ, כִּי אוֹר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ שׁוֹפֵעַ עָלָיו תָּמִיד, אַךְ הָאָדָם עַל־יְדֵי מַעֲשָׂיו הָרָעִים עוֹשֶׂה צֵל לְעַצְמוֹ, שֶׁאֵין מַגִּיעַ עָלָיו אוֹר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וּלְפִי מַעֲשָׂיו כֵּן נַעֲשֶׂה הַצֵּל הַמּוֹנֵעַ אוֹר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וּמַגִּיעַ לוֹ הַחִסָּרוֹן לְפִי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁעַל יָדָהּ נַעֲשֶׂה הַצֵּל.
וְהִנֵּה הַצֵּל הוּא מִדָּבָר גַּשְׁמִי שֶׁעוֹמֵד נֶגֶד דָּבָר רוּחָנִי (הַיְנוּ דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא דַּק מִמֶּנּוּ), כְּמוֹ גֶּשֶׁם עֵץ וָאֶבֶן נֶגֶד אוֹר הַלְּבָנָה וְהַחַמָּה עוֹשֶׂה צֵל, וְכֵן לִקּוּי חַמָּה וּלְבָנָה עַל־יְדֵי צֵל הָאָרֶץ, וְכֵן הַחַמָּה בְּעַצְמָהּ נֶגֶד מַה שֶּׁלְּמַעְלָה מִמֶּנָּה, הוּא גַּשְׁמִיּוּת, וְעוֹשֶׂה צֵל נֶגְדּוֹ,
וְעַל־כֵּן הָאָדָם כְּפִי גַּשְׁמִיּוּתוֹ וּכְפִי מַעֲשָׂיו, כֵּן עוֹשֶׂה צֵל בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁמּוֹנֵעַ מִמֶּנּוּ אוֹר וְשֶׁפַע שֶׁל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. אֲבָל אִם הָאָדָם מְבַטֵּל עַצְמוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ כְּלָל מִזֶּה הָעוֹלָם, אֲזַי אֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה צֵל, וּמְקַבֵּל אוֹר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
וְעִקַּר אוֹר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ הוּא הַכָּבוֹד, כִּי כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא לֹא בָּרָא אֶלָּא לִכְבוֹדוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיהו מ״ג:ז׳): לִכְבוֹדִי בְּרָאתִיו וְכוּ'.
וְזֶה: מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ (שם ו); הַיְנוּ אִם הוּא מִלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ כְּלָל מִזֶּה הָעוֹלָם, אֲזַי מְקַבֵּל אוֹר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁהוּא הַכָּבוֹד.
וְזֶה (משלי ג׳:ל״ה): כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ; כִּי הַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא (איוב כ״ח:י״ב), וְעַל־כֵּן הַחֲכָמִים שֶׁהֵם אַיִן, זוֹכִים לְכָבוֹד, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁאֵינָם עוֹשִׂים צֵל לְהַפְסִיק, כִּי אֵין לָהֶם שׁוּם גַּשְׁמִיּוּת כַּנַּ"ל:
DAILY ELEVATION: The Most Basic Rule & Benefit of All Inner "Shadow" Work
Rav Doniel Katz
https://elevationproject.workplace.com/groups/1753207101640334/permalink/1932680960359613/
Rabbi Nachman Likutey Moharan 172
What is causing the challenges in our lives?
All the suffering or lacking in raising children, parnossa, sickness, it is all being caused and generated from within the person.
H’s light is infinite and constant - a constant flowing tap filling and guiding us. We create a shadow. We conceal the light based on our internal state. We create shade. “Shadow work.”
Because of the shadow in our lives that we create, Hahem cannot reveal His light. According to my middot rayot, our actions according to my negative desires, I create that holds back and seals H’ in my life.
Depending on the specific area of lacking ego: desire, addiction, negative thinking, destructive beliefs. That creates a specific shadow in my life is because I am creating a block, a concealment. a shadow of a lack of goodness in my life.
How do we heal ourselves and turn the situation around.
What creates a shadow? Shade:Tzail, Source: Devar Ruchni, Devor Gashmi: A solid object the blocks the subject. It doesnt have to be solid, it just has to be relatively more dense than the light.
Our consciousness, our yeshus, is actually more physical and a dense vibrational frequency which creates a shadow, a tangible challenge in our life. A tree or a stone or a rock. the light of the sun, hits the rock and creates a shadow.
You can even have the sun, moon and earth create an eclipse. so the sun is the source of light
the tree is the physical object. If there was something bigger than the sun…
The block created within you. The shadow creating element. It is more physical than the light.
According to our gashmius. A human being can be a source of light or we make shadows for ourselves. We conceal the divine light through our thoughts. If a person nullifies his ego side (lower self) eliminate the lower self and you have nothing of the ego within you. Then you dont caste a shadow in your life, then you see abundance in your life. and receive the light and the light shines through you.
The kovod / honor / glory of Hashem Yisborach, The main light is kovod. What had gravity for you. How do you give honor to?
Everything H’ creates in the world only created for His kovid. for the ultimate revelation of the good. Its not more people seeing more of you. Maybe doing the opposite. When you reveal the true H’ in the world. We want to see H’ revealed in the world … pleasure, goodness.
The kovod of H’ means the revelation and the world was created to reveal His light. I created the world to reveal my light everywhere.
The whole world is filled with his Glory. But in a deeper way. Earth will be a property to reveal H’.
Rav Nachman spins it to inner transformation…
If a person empties out the physical world (anger and beliefs that weigh us down) I have no yeshus of the world.
Melo kol haaretz. when a person takes out all the atzmius/ lower ego self, then kevodo.Then theres no shade. No longer the wall, then you’ll see every dimension of your life light up.
The incredible blessing is he loves you. He wants you to have abundance. Find our inner blocks, then the shade will lift and we will experience the light
Mishle the wise ones will inherit kovod.
Kovid, chochmim will inherit kovod. inheritance will flow hishtalshlus. Kovod will flow down to chochomim.
Not ego wisdom, or secular nonsense, then their mind becomes clear to revelation. iyov: chochma comes from ayin, bitul. Chochma means dveikus, getting rid of the noise of my mind and my heart
The light called kovid, will be inherited from the higher light, when we are in dveikus, and we access the light within, in a state of bitul.
People in a state of ayin will receive goodness, because they are not creating a shadow and not letting the light in.
They’ve taken away their ego self and have become transparent beings.
Take away: The challenges in our life: We are not praying to change Hashems mind we are praying to change our consciousness. and when you change your consciousness, then H’s shefa and blessing will change. What part can we own? How do I transform my own consciousness. And then of course Hashem wants to bless them. And we ask H’ to help open us up. The inner work of physical healing. Where am I throwing shade in my life? What is the tikkun and how can we turn back to Hashem and cause his light to flood back in?