Empower Your Mind!

You are children of the Lord, your God. You shall neither cut yourselves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. (Devarim 14:1) 

Be a King 

R’ Shlomo of Karlin, zt”l, said, “The greatest Yetzer Harah (evil temptation) is for a Jew to forget that he is the son of a King.” 
 

Hashem created a person with the ability to choose between good and evil. And, Hashem gave us the tools to succeed in that choice. He gave man the intellectual capabilities of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, and every Jew was given a neshama, a soul, that is literally a Godly portion from above that resides in their mind. 
 

These capabilities were given to us so that our intellect would overpower the stirrings of our heart. The neshama can and must overcome the physical temptations and desires of the corporal body, thus allowing a Jew to align all of his behaviors with Hashem’s Will and the cravings of his neshama, soul. 
 

A Jew can accomplish this when they become a “king” over all their limbs. The power of his emunah, faith, and understanding should guide him to live a life according to what he knows he must do. He cannot allow his natural desires and instincts – his heart – to pull him away from the right path. 
 

Hashem created a person with his head on the top of his entire body to remind us that our minds, our intellect, our neshama, must rule over the rest of the body. It must be “on top”. An animal, on the other hand, is ruled by their bodies; they live by instinct and desire alone. Therefore, their head is below their body, hanging down as they walk. 
 

Chazal teaches in Shabbat (111a) that all Jews are children of kings. When the Jewish people control their emotions, they are like a “king” ruling over all their strengths and abilities, and controlling their impulses and desires. 
 

The gentiles, however, are subservient to the desires of their heart. They promote and define “freedom” as the ability for someone to do whatever their heart desires. Consequently, they have created a culture that has abandoned all boundaries in the name of freedom, causing tremendous damage to society spiritually and physically. 
 

But a Jew knows that the focal point is his head, his mind. The Seforim HaKedoshim teach that the name Yisroel in Hebrew – ישראל – consists of two words, לי ראש, my head. A Jew, a Yisroel, utilizes his intellect, his neshama, to rule over the physical desires of his body. His neshama that resides in his mind can ensure that all of his strength and feelings are directed towards Avodat Hashem (the work of Hashem). 

The Power of Royalty 

When a person feels that an element of their Avodat Hashem is beyond their abilities, he needs to think clearly and realize that this is simply the temptations of his heart trying to dissuade and discourage him from serving Hashem. If a Jew constantly remembers this, he will train himself to control those desires with the powers of his mind, his intellect, and his neshama. And, he will be able to achieve amazing accomplishments in his Avodat Hashem, even when they seem impossible. 
 

The power and strength to rule over one’s heart is the result of the Jews being the children of the King of Kings, Hashem. By connecting to our Father in Heaven, we are empowered with the ability to rule over the entirety of our kingdom – our physical bodies. That connection creates our royalty. 
 

Therefore, we see that the great tzaddikim in each generation who are intensely connected to Hashem and who subjugate their hearts to their minds – they achieve incredible and wondrous heights in their Avodat Hashem. They controlled their intellect to the point that they were able to even withstand any outside influence, even intoxication from alcohol. 
 

My father-in-law, zt”l, recounted that his grandfather, Reb Uri from Sterlisk, zt”l, on Erev Yom Kippur would eat a certain fruit and drink mead, which was alcoholic, until he was unable to move and needed help getting to the Beit Midrash (synagogue). However, when he would get to the place for davening, he would transform instantly as if nothing had happened, and he would daven (pray) with the same fiery enthusiasm as was his holy way. 
 

My grandfather, the Rebbe of Linsk, zt”l, related that the Bnei Yissachar, zt”l, would use a very potent wine for the four cups at the Seder. He would use a large cup that measured a liter. And, he would drink every last drop. Despite that, he would be able to perform his holy Avodah at the Seder the entire night until daybreak. Then, he would daven Shacharit at great length, followed by his meal, and he would immediately daven Mincha-Maariv, and then begin the second Seder. And, this would continue until the end of Yom Tov. 
 

These tzaddikim were in complete control of their minds. 
 

One chassid told me that he had heard from the Minchat Eliezer from Makatsch, zt”l, that the R’ Levi of Berdichev, zt”l, said on Purim, that a Jew cannot allow himself for even a moment to be distracted and neglect his connection to Hashem. However, on Purim, we are required to be intoxicated to the point where we don’t know the difference between “blessed is Mordechai and cursed is Haman.” Therefore, we must drink, the Rebbe said. He then mixed mead, wine, and beer, and then drank. He was impacted a little, placed his head in his hands for a moment, and then picked up his head, clear and free of the intoxicating effects of his drink. 
 

We also find that the tzaddikim who ruled their hearts with their heads would lovingly accept everything in their lives. They would find happiness in even the most difficult circumstances, which would cause another person to become depressed and despondent. 
 

I heard that when the Belzer Rebbe, zt”l, had learned that his son had been burned alive during the Holocaust, he said, “Baruch Hashem, I am also able to bring a sacrifice to Hashem. ” I also heard that one time someone was telling the Belzer Rebbe about his suffering during the Holocaust and he said, “The Rebbe has also suffered.” The Rebbe grabbed the person and said, “Take back your words! I did not suffer.” 

Be Princes and Princesses

This is the lesson our pasuk is teaching us: 
 

“You are children of the Lord, your God” – You are the children of the King of Kings. Therefore, you can and must be rulers of your kingdom; you must rule over your hearts. Therefore, as the pasuk continues, “You shall neither cut yourselves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead”. Do not neglect the intellect which is between your eyes. Don’t follow the temptations of your heart. Let your mind rule over your hearts. 

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The Kalever Rebbe is the seventh Rebbe of the Kaalov Chasidic dynasty, begun by his ancestor who was born to his previously childless parents after receiving a blessing from the Baal Shem Tov zy”a, and later learned under the Maggid of Mezeritch zt”l. The Rebbe has been involved in outreach for more than 30 years, and writes weekly emails on understanding current issues through the Torah. You can sign up at www.kaalov.org.