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Examining the Shade on the Night of Hosha’ana Rabbah
243. Examining the Shade on the Night of Hosha’ana Rabbah
Adar Aleph, 24, March 1, 1943, Tel-Aviv
Concerning the shade. On the night of Hosha’ana Rabbah [the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles], it is a custom that each one examines himself to see if he has a shadow, and then he is certain that he will have abundance (Shaar HaKavanot (Gate of Intentions), Sukkot Commentaries, 6-7). The shade implies clothing, the clothing in which the light dresses.
There is no light without clothing, since there is no light without a Kli [vessel]. According to the measure of the clothes, the lights increase and multiply. When one loses the clothing, the light that belongs to that clothing is proportionally absent from him.
This is the meaning of truth and faith. Truth is called “light,” and faith is called “Kli.” This is the meaning of “the Creator and His Shechina [Divinity],” and the meaning of “Let us make man in our image,” and “Surely man walks by the image.” Man’s walk depends on the Tzelem [image], meaning on faith. And this is why on Hosha’ana Rabbah, one should see if his faith is complete.
But why do we call the worlds above Tzelem? After all, above, there is no weight to faith. However, what appears to us as dryness is a great light above, except that we call that name “above” because it appears to us as a shade, and we name what is above after the lower one.
Bina is called “faith,” which is the light of the Ozen [ear], meaning hearing. Hochma [wisdom] is called “seeing,” which is a light that comes into the vessels of reception, considered eyes.