In Judaism, we have the concept that everything in the physical world is a mashal for something in the spiritual world. Nothing in nature is arbitrary, Hashem made everything in a specific way in order to teach us a lesson. Rav Nevensol explores this idea at length at the end of Parshas Shelach in explaining the significance of the techeles's connection to the sea and sky.
A question that I had was; What is the significance of the turning of the seasons? Why can't the weather just be pleasent all year round, why do we have to have these cold, bitter months? There is an approach to the turn of the seasons originally introduced by the Seforno in Parshas Noach, and later expanded on by the Malbim. The Seforno (unlike Rashi) says that originally, before the mabul, the world was constantly in the season of Spring. After the mabul, "Od kol yi'mei ha'aretz zera ve'katzir ve'kor ve'chom va'kayitz ve'choref ve'yom va'layla lo yishbo'su" From now on the different seasons will not stop going in their cycle. (Rashi interprets this passuk to be saying that the seasons will never stop cycling again, as they did during the mabul, the Seforno maintains that this was the first time there was going to be such a cycle.) The Malbim takes the Seforno's approach that having 4 seasons instead of one is not the ideal plan. He explains that Hashem had to run things this way because when it was spring all year round the people did not function at their best and became corrupt, (as we see by the Mabul.)
I think that there is an idea in Ali Shur that runs parallel to the Malbim's approach that will help us be more positivly impacted by winter and have a deeper understanding of its meaning.
In the begining of Chailek Aleph, Rav Volbe describes to us the Yimei Ha'ahava and Yimei Ha'sinah, (days of love and days of hate) that every individual cycles through. (I will attempt to summarize this chapter, but I highly recommend reading it from Rav Volbe's words.)
Basically, everyone encounters periods in their Avodas Hashem when they feel empty, without any of the desire and enthusiasim they normally have for Torah and Mitzvos. One may want to just sit back and drop everything, certainly the optional things, and even chiyuvim (obligations) are hard to maintain. These are called Yimei Ha'sinah, and they are natural part of growth, everyone gets them. The dependent factor is how long they last, it can be hours, days or weeks. The point is however, that during these time periods one should hold on as hard as possible to whatever he can and try hard not to drop everything. Also, it is important not to be entirely misya'aish, go into complete dispair, when the Yimei Ha'sinah come. Don't be so hard on yourself, take it easy and the Yimei Ha'ahava, of energy and excitement will come back again.
Why do things have to be this way? Why is it impossible to constantly be going in the same direction, why do people get these intense, hard time periods of Yimei Ha'sinah?
The answer to this question can be found in a Malbim in Shir Ha'Shirim on the passuk "Ki hinei ha'stav avar ha'geshem chal'af ha'lach lo." "For the winter has passed, the rain is over." Most Mefarshim explain that this passuk is talking about how the years of slavery for Bnei Yisrael are over, and they can now go into Eretz Yisrael (as the next pessukim talk about how Bnei Yisrael can arise and go forth!). The Malbim explains that this passuk is a mashal for the spiritual cycle that everyone goes through many times in their lifetime. There are periods of dormancy for every person where all their abilities and true desires are hidden, like in the winter when the ground's ability to grow and produce is covered up and supressed. We need these periods, as everything needs time to rest and rejuvinate, both your neshama and vegitation. Then come the times in life where one can "arise and go forth" and truely express their spiritual potential, like in the Spring when eveything is blooming and energetic. Hashem says to Bnei Yisrael, "The winter is over, the rains have gone - Your Period of Dormancy is over!! Arise and go forth, its Spring, you can now express your true selves.
This sounds a great deal like the Yimei Ha'ahava and Yimei Ha'sinah. It seems like Spring is a mashal for times focusing on spiritual growth, where as winter is a mashal for times when this is not so easy and we must focus on spiritual maintanence.
Even taking this more literally it makes sense. It is easier to be a happier enthusiastic eved Hashem when the weather is nice and pleasent than when its cold and yucky outside.
One can still ask though, how excatly do you get to the Yimei Ha'ahava when you are entrenched in Yimei Ha'sinah? Even though we need the Yimei Ha'sinah to repleneish our co'chos and its completely natural to go through them, how do we keep them to a minimum?
Rav Volbe already hinted to an answer, but he writes about this in greater detail in the introduction to the sefer. We already said that in times of sinah one should hold on to what he can and even if you ease up on optional things, one should try so hard not to stop keeping the Chovos.
This is not just some magic formula, Rav Volbe writes that this advice in hinted to the parshiyos of Shema. The first Perek of Shema starts out with "Vehavta Eis...." When you love Hashem... When you are in Yimei Ha' ahava, then put the words I tell you "on your heart" and learn them, and follow them... Thats when its easy to do, in Yimei Ha'ahava.
Then in the second perek of Shema the psukim talk about people who stray from Hashem "pen yifteh livavchem..." and do not feel connected to Him. What does the passuk say to do?
"Ve'samtem es divar'i ai'leh al lev'avchem...." Even if you don't feel it, put these words on your heart, learn them and do them. The you will come back to Hashem and feel it on the inside.
Its best to love Hashem and therefore do his mitzvos, but if you are not feeling anything, do his mitzvos anyway!!! and then you will come to love Him!
The message of winter is that we can't be going in the same direction all the time, thats part of nature. Take the days of Yimei Ha'sinah to evaluate and understand what you need to work harder on. Don't dispair during these times, and never give it all up!
A question that I had was; What is the significance of the turning of the seasons? Why can't the weather just be pleasent all year round, why do we have to have these cold, bitter months? There is an approach to the turn of the seasons originally introduced by the Seforno in Parshas Noach, and later expanded on by the Malbim. The Seforno (unlike Rashi) says that originally, before the mabul, the world was constantly in the season of Spring. After the mabul, "Od kol yi'mei ha'aretz zera ve'katzir ve'kor ve'chom va'kayitz ve'choref ve'yom va'layla lo yishbo'su" From now on the different seasons will not stop going in their cycle. (Rashi interprets this passuk to be saying that the seasons will never stop cycling again, as they did during the mabul, the Seforno maintains that this was the first time there was going to be such a cycle.) The Malbim takes the Seforno's approach that having 4 seasons instead of one is not the ideal plan. He explains that Hashem had to run things this way because when it was spring all year round the people did not function at their best and became corrupt, (as we see by the Mabul.)
I think that there is an idea in Ali Shur that runs parallel to the Malbim's approach that will help us be more positivly impacted by winter and have a deeper understanding of its meaning.
In the begining of Chailek Aleph, Rav Volbe describes to us the Yimei Ha'ahava and Yimei Ha'sinah, (days of love and days of hate) that every individual cycles through. (I will attempt to summarize this chapter, but I highly recommend reading it from Rav Volbe's words.)
Basically, everyone encounters periods in their Avodas Hashem when they feel empty, without any of the desire and enthusiasim they normally have for Torah and Mitzvos. One may want to just sit back and drop everything, certainly the optional things, and even chiyuvim (obligations) are hard to maintain. These are called Yimei Ha'sinah, and they are natural part of growth, everyone gets them. The dependent factor is how long they last, it can be hours, days or weeks. The point is however, that during these time periods one should hold on as hard as possible to whatever he can and try hard not to drop everything. Also, it is important not to be entirely misya'aish, go into complete dispair, when the Yimei Ha'sinah come. Don't be so hard on yourself, take it easy and the Yimei Ha'ahava, of energy and excitement will come back again.
Why do things have to be this way? Why is it impossible to constantly be going in the same direction, why do people get these intense, hard time periods of Yimei Ha'sinah?
The answer to this question can be found in a Malbim in Shir Ha'Shirim on the passuk "Ki hinei ha'stav avar ha'geshem chal'af ha'lach lo." "For the winter has passed, the rain is over." Most Mefarshim explain that this passuk is talking about how the years of slavery for Bnei Yisrael are over, and they can now go into Eretz Yisrael (as the next pessukim talk about how Bnei Yisrael can arise and go forth!). The Malbim explains that this passuk is a mashal for the spiritual cycle that everyone goes through many times in their lifetime. There are periods of dormancy for every person where all their abilities and true desires are hidden, like in the winter when the ground's ability to grow and produce is covered up and supressed. We need these periods, as everything needs time to rest and rejuvinate, both your neshama and vegitation. Then come the times in life where one can "arise and go forth" and truely express their spiritual potential, like in the Spring when eveything is blooming and energetic. Hashem says to Bnei Yisrael, "The winter is over, the rains have gone - Your Period of Dormancy is over!! Arise and go forth, its Spring, you can now express your true selves.
This sounds a great deal like the Yimei Ha'ahava and Yimei Ha'sinah. It seems like Spring is a mashal for times focusing on spiritual growth, where as winter is a mashal for times when this is not so easy and we must focus on spiritual maintanence.
Even taking this more literally it makes sense. It is easier to be a happier enthusiastic eved Hashem when the weather is nice and pleasent than when its cold and yucky outside.
One can still ask though, how excatly do you get to the Yimei Ha'ahava when you are entrenched in Yimei Ha'sinah? Even though we need the Yimei Ha'sinah to repleneish our co'chos and its completely natural to go through them, how do we keep them to a minimum?
Rav Volbe already hinted to an answer, but he writes about this in greater detail in the introduction to the sefer. We already said that in times of sinah one should hold on to what he can and even if you ease up on optional things, one should try so hard not to stop keeping the Chovos.
This is not just some magic formula, Rav Volbe writes that this advice in hinted to the parshiyos of Shema. The first Perek of Shema starts out with "Vehavta Eis...." When you love Hashem... When you are in Yimei Ha' ahava, then put the words I tell you "on your heart" and learn them, and follow them... Thats when its easy to do, in Yimei Ha'ahava.
Then in the second perek of Shema the psukim talk about people who stray from Hashem "pen yifteh livavchem..." and do not feel connected to Him. What does the passuk say to do?
"Ve'samtem es divar'i ai'leh al lev'avchem...." Even if you don't feel it, put these words on your heart, learn them and do them. The you will come back to Hashem and feel it on the inside.
Its best to love Hashem and therefore do his mitzvos, but if you are not feeling anything, do his mitzvos anyway!!! and then you will come to love Him!
The message of winter is that we can't be going in the same direction all the time, thats part of nature. Take the days of Yimei Ha'sinah to evaluate and understand what you need to work harder on. Don't dispair during these times, and never give it all up!
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