“I visualize what it is, not what it isn’t” – Nas

We read, Hashem spoke to Moshe after the death of Aharon’s two sons, who drew close to Hashem & died.

Or HaChayim explains that the sins of Nadav & Avihu were very different than sins as we generally understand them. He explains that their sin involved allowing themselves to cling to Hashem so totally that their souls simply left their bodies - because it was the drawing close in the way they had that caused their death.

We are tasked with divesting oneself of materiality, but this spiritual ascent must be balanced. There is the concept of ratzo ve’shov, which means to run & to return. That ratzo must always be coupled with shov. Ratzo being the state of dveykut (longing for Hashem), the insatiable desire of the neshama to transcend its material existence, to “run forward” & cling & cleave to its Source. Shov is the neshama’s awakening & determination to “return” & to fulfill its mission, using the body, making the physical world a dwelling for Hashem. As much as our souls yearn to leave our bodies, it's our mission to fulfill the task that can only be done when the soul uses & elevates the body. Nadav & Avihu’s sin was abandoning the shov, the mission of this world. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that their yearning was not balanced with a commitment to worldly service.

We might not have the same struggle on the level of worrying about our souls ascending so high so as not to return to its body or our physical existence, but in our own world, we need to balance our spiritual & material pursuits.

As it’s stated in the Talmud, just as we are amply rewarded for performing avodat (in service of) Hashem, so too, at times we are rewarded for refraining – if what we’re looking to attain is beyond our spiritual grasp.

As we can all feel, everything, especially wellness, is about balance. But how do we find balance? How do we control our thoughts, lessening our anxiety & being more present…? Anxiety is born of worry of what might be. Faith is trusting the process & future while focusing on the moment.


Thanks for reading!
Much love & Shabbat Shalom!


- Erez // @erezsafar

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