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1. Devekut – The Mitzvah to Cleave to Hashem

2. Ramban and Sefer Mitzvot Hashem

3. Excerpts from Sefer Charedim (R. Eliezer Azkari, c. 1550)

4. The Baal Shem Tov (Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer, 1698-1760)

5. More Teachings from the Baal Shem Tov

6. Tanya – Sha’ar Ha’yichud Ve’ha’emunah

7. The Baal Shem Tov on Prayer and Meditation

8. The Maggid of Mezrich

9. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev

10. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

 Being Alone With G-d (Part 1)

1. Devekut – The Mitzvah to Cleave to Hashem

2. Ramban and Sefer Mitzvot Hashem

3. Excerpts from Sefer Charedim (R. Eliezer Azkari, c. 1550)

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1. Devekut – The Mitzvah to Cleave to Hashem

“If you will carefully safeguard and keep this entire commandment that I prescribe for you today – le’ahavah et Hashem Elohechem [to love Hashem], le’lechet be’chol derachav [to walk in all His ways], u’le’dovkah bo [and to cleave to Him], then Hashem will drive out all these nations before you…” (Devarim 11:22-23).

2. Ramban

U’le’dovkah bo [and to cleave to Him] – The mitzvah of cleaving to Hashem involves constantly remembering His love, and not allowing your thought to be distracted from Him – not when you walk on the way, nor when you lie down [to sleep], nor when you rise up – to the extent that even when you speak with people and engage in [mundane] conversation, your heart [i.e. inner point of consciousness] is not with them. Rather, [you will know that] you are standing before Hashem. Attaining such a lofty level, one’s soul is considered to be “bound up in the Bundle of Life” [i.e. the level of Binah, Imma Ila’a, the World-to-Come] while still alive in This-World, for he becomes a home [dwelling-place] for the Shechinah (Ramban, Devarim 11:22).

Sefer Mitzvot Hashem (citing Ramban)

A person should be mindful of the Blessed Name at all times, not separating his thought from Him, to the point that even when he engages in conversation with people, he knows in his heart that he is before the Blessed One. This is the meaning of U’Bo Tidbak [Cleave to Him]” (Devarim 10:20), i.e. become a home [dwelling-place] for the Shechinah. This mitzvah is applicable at all times and in all places, for men and for women (Sefer Mitzvot Hashem, Parashat Ekev, Mitzvah #435).

3. Excerpts from Sefer Charedim – The Book of the Awestruck (R. Eliezer Azkari, c. 1550)

Chapter 66, excerpts from paragraphs 19-32

66:19 – It is written, “To You I lift up my eyes” (Tehillim 123:1), “To You, Hashem, I lift up my soul” (ibid. 25:1), and “We lift our hearts up in our hands to heaven” (Eichah 3:41). It is known that a person’s livelihood is associated with the hands, as the verse attests, “You will eat of the toil of your hands” (Tehillim 128:2). Therefore, son of man, spread your hands out to Hashem and lift your eyes up to Him. Place your soul, your heart and your money in your hands and lift them up to Him, as one who offers a gift to the king…

66:20 – Imagine a boy riding atop his father’s shoulders, and yet asking everyone whom he encounters, “Have you seen my father?” Could there be anything more ludicrous than this?! Knowing that the Creator literally carries the whole world, aren’t you therefore duty bound to remember Him at all times? Shouldn’t you be mindful not to let anything distract your thought [consciousness] from Him?

66:21 – The main dwelling-place of the Shechinah is in the Jewish heart, as the verse states, “Let them make me a Mikdash [Sanctuary], that I may dwell in their midst [be’tocham]” (Shemot 25:8). [The verse does not say “that I may dwell within it,” but rather “that I may dwell within them” (Midrash Ne’elam, Zohar 1:129a).]

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai thus interpreted the following verse in a similar vein: “Hashem your G-d is constantly present in the midst of your camp [be’kerev machanecha]” (Devarim 23:15). “In the midst” [be’kerev] refers to none other than your heart, and “your camp” [machanecha] is your body with its 248 limbs… The verse thus continues, “Make sure that no unseemly thing/word [ervat davar] be seen in you [becha], which might cause Him to withdraw His presence.” Your body is a Temple for the Divine! Sanctify [i.e. elevate] your mind, speech and actions – even when you are engaged in permitted activities. [In other words, sanctification does not only refer to refraining from that which is forbidden, but, in addition, to being careful to elevate even that which is permitted (see Ramban, Vayikra 19:2).] Woe to you if you don’t, for it will considered as if you had defiled the Mikdash of the king!

66:24 – You are alive to the degree that Hashem’s Light shines into you. If He would retract His Light for a second, you would immediately perish. Knowing this, how can you hide your face from Him [i.e. how can you continue to avoid Him] and not seek to behold Him [in all things] at all times – just as He looks upon you and enlivens you! Could there be greater disrespect than this! Therefore be shamefaced and be humble before Him.

66:26 – Even though you might feel sad when considering your lowliness, you should balance this with incredible joy. This is especially true when you pray and serve the Blessed Name. Regarding this, it is written, “[Troubles have come upon you] because you did not serve Hashem your G-d with joy and gladness of heart” (Devarim 28:47). If this is true with regard to one’s service in general, it is all the more true with regard to prayer which is called the service of the heart.

66:27 – You are a Temple for the presence of the Holy King! As such, it is extremely important that you sanctify your heart and your soul, as well as all 248 limbs of your body. It is written, “The Holy One is in your midst [be’kir’becha]” (Hoshea 11:9), and “They [the people] are Hashem’s Temple” (Yirmiyahu 7:4), and “Be holy, for I, Hashem, am holy” (Vayikra 19:2), and “I will place My Mishkan [Tabernacle] in your midst [be’tochechem]” (Vayikra 26:11). Hashem means what He says: “I dwell in you!”

66:29 – Why do we close our eyes when we pray? It is as if to say, “We have died to the world [which creates the illusion that we are separate from Him].”

66:30 – Being that prayer is called avodah [service; literally “work”], and that the people of Israel are called Hashem’s avadim [servants; literally “slaves”], it is only fitting that you exert yourself with all your strength, with a mighty voice, with the movement of all your limbs, with the focus of your heart [consciousness], and with such intense listening of your ear – until you reach the point of total exhaustion! This is also the way to learn Torah – with complete focus and exertion of all your faculties. This is the underlying meaning of, “Happy is he who toils in Torah” (Berachot 17a). Similarly, they said, “Only he who toils on Erev Shabbat [in This-World] will eat on Shabbat [in the World-to-Come]” (Avodah Zarah 3a). These statements indicate the importance of serving the Creator with every ounce of our strength.

Being Alone With G-d In a Crowd

66:32 – It is written, “Et HaElohim hit’halech Noah [Noah used to walk constantly with G-d]” (Bereshit 6:9). This means that Noah would constantly seclude himself alone [hit’boded] to be with his Creator. In this way, he spent most of his time away from other people. Indeed, because of these regular times he spent alone, even when he came in contact with other people, they couldn’t disturb his peace of mind. This is what the poet [Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra] meant in his song, “Standing in the midst of Your congregation, O Rock, [with no intention but] to exalt You, I bow my head and lower myself before You.” Even when in the company of others, his focus is still exclusively on Hashem, to the extent that nothing can distract him.

All men are merely Hashem’s sheep, and He alone is their Shepherd who watches over every one of them individually [Hashgachah Pratit]. Each of them has naught but to look to Him for his needs, for all are equal in His eyes. No one has any advantage over his fellow!

This is what King David meant when he said, “Hashem is my Shepherd – I shall therefore never lack [– for we are equal]!” (Tehillim 23:1). [A person thought think:] In the same way that He cares for all His creations, He shepherds me too. Therefore, even when I must walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for He is with me! No one can harm me without His permission. And if I do suffer at the hands of evil men, He has merely used them as His rod. He is my Shepherd!

Next: BEING ALONE WITH G-D - 2

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