Spiritual Tools-Meriting the Divine Embrace
The 27th of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yosef Zundel Hutner (1846-1919). Born in Dvinsk, he published Bikurei Yosef at the age of 25. (In the introduction, he bemoans the passing of his young wife.) Thereafter he moved to Bialystok, where he remarried and learned bechavrusa with Rav Meir Simcha Hakohen of Dvinsk. In 1897, he became Rav of Eishishok.
“His left hand is beneath my head,” this refers to the Succah. “And His right-hand hugs me,” this refers to the Cloud of the Divine Presence that will appear in the Future World. In this world we are challenged to take all the holiness that is enclothed in physicality and discover its spiritual essence. However, a person who lives his life with this approach of the Succah, using the physical to create spiritual realities, empowering him to discover the spiritual in all that is physical, will merit to live at the level of having God’s right hand embracing him in the Future World, so that he will see all in its true spiritual and holy essence.
It is to this goal that I use all my Torah study; to discover the spiritual essence that lies with in all that is physical, and to use the physical to create spiritual realities. (Reishit Bikkurim-Bikkurei Yosef)