Mishlei Tools: The Three Weeks: Catching the Moments of Truth
“The lip of truth shall be established for ever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment (Proverbs 12:19).”The Divine Soul is unable to rule over the animal soul in the Benoni except when love of God is uncovered in one’s heart at specific times, such as the hour of prayer.
Even at this time, the Divine Soul only rules over the animal soul, as it is written, “One nation shall prevail over the other (Genesis 25:23).” When one rises the other falls, and vice versa. Thus when the Divine Soul gains strength and ascendancy over the animal soul in the source of Power, which is understanding, this understanding is manifested through reflection upon God, the blessed Ein Sof.
Through this understanding, a strong love of God, like sparks of fire, is born in the right ventricle of the heart. Then, the Sitra Achra of the left ventricle is subordinated to the love of God.
The type of love attained by the Benoni during prayer, is not called true love as far as the righteous person is concerned. This is so because this state of love is temporary and it passes immediately following prayer, as it is written, “The lip of truth shall be established for ever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment (Proverbs 12:19).” [Tanya; Likkutei Amarim, chapter 13]
One of of the most devastating verses in Lamentations is, “You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through (Lamentations 3:44).” We lost much of the power of prayer when we lost the Temple. However, if we can grab and hold on to the love, albeit temporary, that we attain during prayer, weekend then those sparks of fire into a passion so powerful that it will pierce the clouds blocking our prayers.
During the Three Weeks we must pay special attention to the sparks of love we attain during prayer so that we can send them into great passionate flames that will overcome the flames that consumed the Temple, and reach the heavens, burst through the Heavenly Gates and reach all the way to the Divine Throne.