Midot Hayom 5770 Day 25: Netzach in Netzach

While Moshe was writing [the Torah], a bit [of the ink] was left in the pen. He passed it over his head, and from this came his rays of glory. [The ink left in the pen refers to the secrets of the Torah that were not intended to be written down but were revealed to Moses (Eitz Yosef)] (Shemot Rabbah 47:6).

From the sparks that emanated from the mouth of the Shechinah when the Holy One, Blessed is He, taught him Torah, he had rays of glory (Tanchuma, end of Ki Tisa).

The two Midrashim seem to debate whether Moshe’s rays of glory came from God or from him. Did they come from Moshe’s ink, or God’s Shechina?

Netzach in Netzach teaches us that the two Midrashim are not arguing. Only the man of Netzach could receive the Shechina as did Moshe, and imbue his ink with the sparks of the experience. Moshe made sure that not only the Torah he wrote was Netzach but that even the ink and quill he used to write it were imbued with the same sense of Netzach.

We have already discussed how there are Mitzvot that are “Olam Hazeh” Mitzvot, meaning their performance earns only a reward in this world, and Mitzvot that are “Olam Habah” Mitzvot, that create an eternal reward in the World to Come. All depends on how we perform the Mitzvah.

Each and every Mitzvah is Netzach, but in order to achieve the status of “Olam Habah,” it must be performed with a Netzach vessel, a human being who is attached to the eternal reality of Olam Habah. I cannot live an “Olam Hazeh” existence and then, focusing only on my mundane needs and desires, and perform an “Olam Habah” Mitzvah. I must become the quill and ink that already possess the quality of Netzach.

Tools:
Focus on this day of the Omer on your eternal life. What do you need in order to live with constant awareness of your eternal soul?

When you pray today address those needs. Even if you pray for something in this world, present your prayer as “this is what I need in this world in order to connect with my eternal soul.”