Or Layesharim: Bringing The Highest Sustenance

The 24th of Chesvan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Hillel Moshe Meshel Gelbstein (1834-1904 or 1907), born in Bialystok, his mother was a 12th generation descendent of the Shlah HaKodesh. At the age of 15, he traveled to Kotzk and became of chassid of the Rebbe. After the Kotzker passed away, Rav Meshel adopted the Chidushei HaRim as his rebbe. On the 23rd of Adar of 1867, the Chidushei HaRim was nifter, and on the 13th of Nissan that same year, the Tzemach Tzedek was niftar. Considering himself orphaned, Rav Meshel moved to Eretz Yisrael and settled in Yerushalayim – he would never again sleep outside the walls of the city. His sefarims included Mishkenos Le’abir Yaakov, Ohr Leyesharim, and Ohr Zarua Latzadik.

The Talmud (Yoma 39) teaches that five miracles regularly happened in the Temple in Jerusalem during the forty years that Shimon HaTzaddik was the Cohen Gadol.

Everything in Torah connects, because they are all part of one truth. Therefore, when the Mishna (Avot 1:2) teaches that Shimon HaTzaddik was of the remnant of the Men of the Great Assembly, and that he taught that, “The world stands on three things: Torah, Avodah (Service of God) and Gemilut Chassadim (Acts of kindness), they are teaching us that Shimon’s connection with the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah is what brought those miracles to the Beit Hamikdash, and that we can keep that Spiritual Influence alive by following Shimon’s three steps. (Or Leyesharim: Introduction)

Application:
When we study Torah, pray and perform acts of Chesed, we must be aware that we are connecting to the same Divine Blessing that brought great miracles, that expressed God’s immediate involvement with the world to the Beit Hamikdash. We can bring the same level of Divine Sustenance with our Torah, Avodah and Gemilut Chasadim.

We must always be aware when studying Torah how absolutely everything is connected. We are delving into the Unity of God when we study Torah. This must be our intention when learning.