C33@TAUNIVM.BITNET (Pinyele) (10/09/86)
B"H
Aquarian-Age Chassidus
Holy Man-Love (Sorry, I don't get off on the word "homosexuality") - We
hold this truth to be self-evident, that men love men! The question is,
what to do about it? How to express this love? Besides loving people, I
also love wisdom and G-d. In other words, there's 3 levels of
consciousness here. When someone's really 'high', he comes to the
realization that only G-d is real. He experiences complete 'Bittul'
(self-negation) to the ultimate reality. When he's 'high' but not so
'high', he experiences self-transcendance through involvement in wisdom,
art, literature, etc. When he's 'low' - just himself, he experiences
love of people. But is he going to let himself go down even lower than
the human level and descend into the animal level of lust? Besides, the
question of 'where' (to which level) one will allow oneself to descend,
there's the question of the other guy. We believe that each person
has in him a certain holiness. By bumping into this person, touching
him unnecessarily (in other words, acting creepy) we can offend this
certain holiness. Now, this holiness is the Messiah that exists in each
person. The Messiah is offended by even the slightest hint, 'scent' of
lewdness. So, by acting creepy towards the other person, we're crucify-
ing his Messiah. On the other hand, not looking at the person that one
has love feelings for, making believe that he doesn't exit, is a denial
of something very real and even holy on the human level. After all, love
is the holiness of the human level. So, one does give a love-look
which expresses interest in and concern for the other person. This look
says" "I think you're beautiful and wonderful, but I don't want to
descend into the depts, it's not good for you or me." This applies
equally to a close friend or a total stranger, to both men and women.
The juice of love should flow freely (not constantly - remember there's
wisdom and G-d) to all creatures one finds beautiful. But sex, no! One
should be married and should be raising a family. The needs of marriage
and family are NOT love-needs. These are seperate needs coming from a
different part of the psyche. Sex belongs there, with one's wife. Love
is an expression of expansion which has no end. It's 'Tohu'.
Marriage-sex is an expression of contraction, it's 'Tikun.' 'Tohu' is
limitless possibility, above time and place. 'Tikun' is limited
actuality, in time and place.
Note: Tohu is usually translated as 'void, disorder.' It occurs in the
Hebrew bible in the story of creation - the world was 'tohu and vohu'...
'Tikun' is a big Bresslover word. It is normally translated as 'a
reperation, a correction', but has a much broader meaning as I hope will
be revealed in subsequent articles.
Shana Tova and gemar chatima tovah
Dr. Pinchas (Pinyele) Gartenberg, the Honolulu Hassid
Computer Science Department
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv, Israel
C33@TAUNIVM.BITNET
There is a principle that everything can change to good.
If you believe that you can destroy and desecrate,
believe also that you can build and make holy...
Rebbe Nachman M'Breslav