Pinchas: Chapter 7

The attire of that world

Synopsis

Rabbi Elazar deduces from some verses in Zecharyah that it is a person's bad deeds that make a filthy garment for his spirit, and that everyone will be joyful if they can don a more suitable garment in the World to Come. Next the rabbis sit in the shade of a rock while they pause from their travels, and Rabbi Elazar says, 'Shade is without doubt the joy of the soul.'

Relevance

Throughout our life and our past lives, there have been countless times when we succumbed to our immoral impulses. When this occurred, we created a blemish, a blockage that soiled our soul. These blockages must be cleansed for the following reasons: Each negative deed committed is akin to placing a filthy piece of cloth over a lamp. A room, lit by a lamp, grows progressively darker each time another layer of cloth is draped over the lamp. It is this added darkness that incites chaos, turmoil, pain, and suffering in life. When these dirty cloths are removed, the Light is free to shine with maximum intensity.

According to the Zohar, Joshua and Pinchas wore garments that sparkled with cleanliness. Pinchas, we're told, "changed clothes" in one hour. Thus, one hour of contrite meditation upon this particular passage purifies our souls from all its iniquities. The passage allows us to "change clothes" like Pinchas did. And in the moment we share this purifying Light with our neighbors and the souls languishing in the underworld, the Gates of Entry into Hell are slammed shut for good. We liberate these newly cleansed souls from their burning abode as Hell undergoes a final meltdown. The entire world is attired in gleaming garments befitting the purity of this holy Book of Splendor.