Midot Hayom: Day 21: Malchut in Tiferet

When two are learning Torah together it is cherished on High, for it says, Then those who fear God spoke to one another, and God listened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear God and those who give thought to His Name.” (Malachi 3:16) The phrase, “Those who fear God”, refers to those communal leaders who issue a decree to ransom captives, and are unafraid to force the wealthy to pay the ransom money saying: “Let us release the prisoners and ransom the captives!” The Holy One, Blessed is He, grants them success in collecting the ransom, and they act immediately. The phrase, “Those who give thought to His Name”, refers to those communal leaders who flatter the wealthy and are reluctant to impose a levy on them, saying halfheartedly: “Let’s release the prisoners and ransom the captives.” The Holy One, Blessed is He, does not help them in collecting the ransom, and in the meantime, an angel comes and strikes the communal leaders down. Avot of Rabbi Nathan 8:6

How did the Sages switch from two people who are studying together to fearless and committed communal leaders? The shared quality is their fearlessness, which is develops from their fear of God. Torah is the ultimate tool to connect the Upper and Lower Worlds. We use Torah to discover the powerful, but often hidden, expressions of the transcendent in this world. Torah must, by definition, be shared and expansive. Its reach grows with the unrestrained perceptions of those who study with fearlessness. The two who study together do not function according to the rules and limitations of this world, but according to the unlimited principles of the Torah.

Our job, on this day of the Omer, is to study Torah with that sense of unlimited perspective. At the very least, we should appreciate the power of Torah to expand our perspective. It is best to study Torah this day with a partner who will challenge you.

This is also a wonderful opportunity to reflect on goals that seemed impossible to achieve. Examine those goals from the perspective of the fearless; do not begin with limitations. Ask yourself: “What would I like to do?”

Find and study examples of “Mitzvah Heroes” who were able to achieve great things with their fearless attitudes.