Hayyim ben Joseph Vital

So to many people take this upon themselves today as a measure of extra holiness.

The Arizal says, He is quoted by Chaim Vital in Shara Mitzvahs as saying that there is nothing better to assist in one's understanding of the Torah than immersion in the mikvah as a result of Sheikha Zerah.

In other words, that this adds to the purity not only in a spiritual sense but also in a physical sense and affects one's physical understanding and mental abilities.

An interesting concept is mentioned by the Rambam in his legal code where he discusses these laws.

Not particularly negative words, but more, even worse than negative words, in a way, is just empty words, just words of no meaning.

And the antidote for that, the healing process, the ikkun for that, is like Rabbi Vital writes in Shari'a Kedusha the alternative for that and the way to heal that is through silence which means that through acting in a way of silence, through quieting the mind, through quieting what we say, we're able to have deeper intuition and deeper awareness connected deeper to our soul.

So the first thing that we have to do, we have to learn to quiet the mind because everything that comes out of the mouth, everything that is projected outwardly, from within us, is really rooted in a thought process that we had previously, maybe not conscious thought process, but there was a thought process.

And that's the way it works.

The second group in the second school that's critically important to the Machzor, and also to the Siddur, but here there's also a very significant stamp that this group made, are the Mikubalim.

The Mikubalim, of course, beginning with the Arizal, His Talman Rufa, Grub Chaim Vital, Rav Moshe Kareverem, Shlomo Alkabetz, Rav Moshe Ben-Machir, etc., etc., And this group of scholars, the 1,500, 1,600 in Sfas, also significantly, significantly added to the Machzar.

You know, now we're in Elul, so the David Hashem O'Revushi, of course, is a significant addition, you know, to the Siddur, to the Machzar, which, of course, is dated back to the Mikubalim.

Hashlech, again, time-dependent.

That was the case of David.

That was the case of Haim Vital.

For him to merit Rachel, he first had to elevate to another level of consciousness.

I think I'm not the same person I was.

Why is he doing it? Is it laziness? Is it Taiva? Is it Kaas? Is it Kinna? Is it Atslus? What is it? What is driving this to do? What's driving me to do it? When a person understands it a little bit and he picks those Midas that are still within striking range.

of his battles, that's where the person should focus, that's, when a person taps in, and we'll see next time, it's not going to be next week, but we'll see next time, how Imamish breaks up the Midas, in a fascinating way, every person is made up, of four different, you say, this is fascinating, it really comes from the Arizal, from Chaim Vital, but he says, he says, a person is made up of, and, Every person is made up of those four.

And Imamish lists the Midas.

Which ones come from Eish? Which ones come from Breach? Which come from Mayim? Which come from Hafer? And a person starts studying himself and realizing, what kind of person am I? Every person has an imbalance.

That he's on the short list for the restarting of smicha is a very big deal.

And because he gives smicha to Rav Chaim Vital.

Rav Chaim Vital is the chief student of the Ari in Tzfat.

He's the recorder of all of the Torah of the Ari.

So Rav Moshe Alshech is in this school on the one hand of Gemara, Halacha, let's restart, Smicha, and on the other hand, he's also in the school of Kabbalah and writes his commentary on much of Tanakh.

It would have been a decision.

So look what happens in source number one.

Rav Chaim Vital records the following.

In other words, there's an elevation of the person's self, which basically ourself is our emotions.

The Rabbi Chaim Vital said like that what is the person? The person is basically their emotions.

You could say, you know, a person could be the smartest person in the world, but if they're emotionally feeling something, then, then the mind is not going to help them interpret what they're feeling they want to interpret.

Exactly it.