Lion of Fire

 

 

A friend told me about his dream.

 

In his dream, my friend saw himself in his dream building a wooden model of the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple). When he finished the model, he wanted to put a lion on the Altar (as the Sages relate, when the Jewish people were doing Hashem’s will there was a lion of fire crouching on the Altar). He went to a toy store and asked for a toy lion. The salesperson looked around and told him: "Sorry, I don’ t have a lion."

 

Suddenly, the dream changed and he saw himself looking at a huge screen. The screen was completely black except for three tiny white spots that were growing dimmer and dimmer. Three figures sat opposite the screen on three upholstered black leather chairs. He could only see them from behind. He realized that they were the three arch demons, the heads of the evil impure forces.

 

One of them asked the other: “What do you think? What is going to be with the Jewish people?”

 

The other answered in the tone of someone gloating over his accomplishments: “You see the screen, don’t you? This is the end!”

 

The third hesitantly asked: “Tell me, what do you think about that guy over there who’s building the Beit Hamikdash?”

 

They laughed at him: “Don’t you see he’s only playing around? That’s just a wooden model and no more. It means nothing at all.”

 

The vision changed again. The hero of our story was back in the toy store, and he pressed the salesclerk: “Please, try to find a lion for me anyways.”

 

The clerk became angry: “I told you we don’t have any toy lions here. Look, I have a porcupine, a giraffe, lots of other animals, but no lion.”

 

But the stubborn customer persisted, and finally the salesclerk came out with something: “This is the best we’ve got.” It was an old, worn-out cloth lion, shapeless and ugly.

 

“Okay, I’ll take it.” He took it home and placed it on the Altar.

 

Suddenly, a revolutionary change occurred in the dream. The model turned into reality — the Beit Hamikdash. The actual Beit Hamikdash! He saw the Kohanim (priests) hurrying in their service, the Levites singing songs to Hashem. The toy lion became a lion of fire crouching on the Altar, with a pillar of smoke that reached unto the heavens.

 

The vision returned to the huge screen. The chairs were empty, completely empty, as if no one ever sat there. The white spots on the screen grew brighter and brighter, spreading out and disbanding the darkness. A verse appeared upon the screen: “He that sits in Heaven laughs, Hashem mocks them.”

 

 

This emotional dream illustrates the Jewish people’s present situation. "On the ground" the situation appears hopeless, as if there is no sense in continuing our fight. The truth, however, is that although “darkness covers the earth and a cloud the nations,” nevertheless, “Hashem’s glory will shine upon you!”

 

It is precisely our puny deeds, our weak desires, our mitzvot that lack beauty and depth, our prayers so lacking in intent that will build the dwelling place for Hashem!

 

“For every prayer that each one prays is a limb for the Shechinah (revelation of the Divine Presence in the world). They are the limbs of the Mishkan, the Divine dwelling place… and all the prayers are elevated by the holy men of each generation, who build the Mishkan little by little, until its height is erected. Then, Moshiach will come and complete its building” (Likutey Moharan, Torah, 2,6).

 

The lion of fire that crouches on the Altar will be fashioned from our poor ‘toys.’ Our prayers will form a fiery sword in the Moshiach’s hand to cut off evil and its proponents forever. “For the Moshiach’s main weapon is prayer, that is his main vitality. All the battles he fights and the conquests he makes come from prayer” (Ibid. 1).

 

The souls of each generation are responsible to perfect a special tikun, rectification, unique to that generation.

 

Our generation, the heels of the Moshiach, must perfect the trait of emuna. Our Sages said: “The holy men determined the main service of each generation. The prophet, Chabakuk, established all the Divine service on one trait: ‘A righteous man shall live in his faith’” (Makkot 24).

 

There were generations that delved into the depths of Torah and discovered endless treasures of wisdom. There were generations that excelled in perfecting their character traits. But there has never been a generation such as ours where the “darkness covers the earth.” The concealment is enormous. There is no King and there is no Beit Hamikdash. There are no prophets. There is no revelation of the Shechinah and there is no Divine Inspiration. The wise elders are decreasing and leaving us. Troubles, both material and spiritual, are threatening to overwhelm us.

 

This is the biggest vacuum ever. Where is God and His mercies? Where is His guiding hand? Where is the glory of His people?

 

Yet, even within this darkness there remain faithful believers. They believe in His goodness and in His kindness. They feel His guiding hand and await the redemption of the Jewish people. They look heavenward for the light to return and illuminate the vacuum, to return and enlighten all the perplexities.

 

“The hand of Hashem came upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of Hashem, and set me down in the midst of the valley, and that was full of bones” (Yechezkel 37:1). “And He made me pass by them round about, and lo! they were exceedingly many on the surface of the valley, and lo! they were exceedingly dry. Then He said to me; "Son of man, can these bones become alive?" And I answered, "O Hashem God, You [alone] know” (Ibid. 2-3).

 

Even Yechezkel finds it difficult to believe that such dry bones can come back to life. Hashem commands him, and the wonder occurs before his eyes: “And I prophesied as He had commanded me, and the spirit came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, a very great army, exceedingly so” (Ibid. 10).

 

This vision was for the entire Jewish people, not just for Yechezkel! Hashem explained: “Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are all the house of Israel. Behold they say, ‘Our bones have become dried up, our hope is lost, we are clean cut off to ourselves’” (Ibid. 11).

 

Rashi explains: “They are an intimation and an example of the entire house of Israel in their exile, for they say, ‘Our bones have become dried up from the troubles; our hope is lost, and what further hope can we have for salvation?’” (Ibid. 11).

 

The Malbim explains that at the time of Yechezkel’s prophecy, the Jewish nation no longer had a king and ministers, no might or awakening army. They were in the grips of despair.

 

Amidst the death that threatens each one of us, amidst the dryness that takes the moisture out of our bones and the vitality out of our hearts – there are believers!

 

“Will these bones come to life?” asks Hashem.

 

His faithful ones answer: “Yes!” Against all "realistic" evaluations of the situation; against the entire world that chases a materialism, that sweeps them away and destroys them; against a world of destructive evil traits – we believe and we will continue to believe!

 

Can pure and holy thoughts and feelings survive? Yes! Even if they are trampled to the ground, they will rise and rebel against evil. The pallbearers of death will be cast aside to give birth to life, to new, true life, a life full of light, against all the dire predictions.

 

“These bones are all the house of Israel!” (Ibid. 11).

 

Prayer and Hitbodedut are the means to reveal this new life, a life of redemption and deliverance. “For prayer is above nature. Nature dictates such and such, but prayer changes nature. We need emuna to achieve this miracle. We must believe anew that there is a God, and He can create everything according to His will (even if it is against nature, for He created nature and rules over it)” (Likutey Moharan, Torah, 7,1).

 

Even if the screen is presently black, it is only an illusion. The Moshiach’s armies are growing and increasing. Hashem gathers every brick of prayer to build the Sanctuary. The day is not far away!

 

Believers – take arms! Raise your voice in prayer!

 

There is a Ruler of the universe; He alone directs all events.

 

Evil will disappear like a summer cloud.

 

“He that sits in Heaven laughs, Hashem mocks them.”

 

 

(From: www.levhadvarim.com)