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Night is a time of darkness but you will not believe there is a way to have a strong light then
Is it possible that there will be a big light outside late at night?
Yes, but it's not lightning due to stormy weather or special lighting
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Rabbi Chaim David Kowalski
The digital gemara
The daily page
In collaboration with the Digital Gemara
Monday, 23 November 2020, 06:44
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Pesach Tractate Page B (Photography and Editing: Walla! NEWS)
Darkness and light, these are not only physical states, but also expressions that describe a spiritual and mental reality.
Light symbolizes wisdom, joy, life, and darkness symbolizes folly, sadness and death.
When it is good for us, we feel that everything is full of light, whereas in difficult situations we say that the world has become dark.
We all want to have light in life, but how do we do that?
Tractate Pesachim opens with the word light - "Light for fourteen Budkin the chametz by candlelight".
This means that on the fourteenth of Nisan, on the eve of Passover, one should check thoroughly throughout the house whether there is chametz left in it, and burn it.
But what exactly does the phrase "light for fourteen" mean?
The sages were divided on this: Rabbi Huna said that light means morning, and the chametz should be checked in the morning on the 14th of Nisan, while Rabbi Yehuda said that light means night, and the chametz test should be on the evening before the 14th of Nisan.
And so we ruled in theory.
Seemingly incomprehensible - why would they call the night "light"?
After all, night is a time of darkness.
Rabbi Chaim David Kowalski, presenter of the digital gemara, explained that the goal and purpose of all creatures in the world is - that man will make of them 'light'.
All the darkness in the world, all the things that seem negative, were created so that man would correct them and turn the darkness into light.
That is why night is also called light, because even though it is now dark - its purpose is for man to illuminate it as well.
When is chametz tested?
Chametz burning in Mea Shearim (Photo: Yonatan Zindel, Flash 90)
When the Blessed One created the world, what were the first words he said?
- "Let there be light".
This is the purpose of creation - to have light.
And the greatest light is the one that grows out of the darkness, as it is written "the advantage of light from darkness" - the advantage of light is precisely when it emanates and shines out of darkness.
So how do we do that?
By understanding that darkness is not real.
It's not really there.
A person whose eyes are covered may think that the whole world is dark and there is no light, but as soon as you remove the cover - you see that the sun is shining and everything is light.
Similarly, this world sometimes hides from us the true light of Gd, but once we recognize it - the darkness disappears.
To discover the light, we must multiply in the light.
To study Torah, to help the environment and society, to do good to the people around us even if we do not like them the most.
Seek the good even in the difficult things that come upon us.
Thus we will be privileged to turn darkness into light, and to have a bright and joyful life.
Add light.
A man lights candles in Prague (Photo: Reuters)
The lesson on adding light to the world is based on the Gemara in Tractate Pesachim, page B, and is also published in full on the Digital Gemara website.
In the section, you will meet daily at significant and fascinating points related to daily life, based on the daily study of the Gemara.
The project is free of charge for its participants.
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