The Fair Maiden’s Cry

What makes this idea so painful and difficult is the question of what happens after The One hears? I think of those forsaken hostages, stuck underground for almost two years. Surely they have been crying out. Surely Adonai hears their pleas. And? The faith that it takes to hold on in exceptional, horrific beyond imagination circumstances I can't begin to fathom. (And pray that I never experience.) The one that accosts us may be our own 'wild beast' metaphorically. That is a beast we can work to tame. But after a lifetime of hearing about atrocities, we are faced with the opportunity to see them up close. And we/I ask what happens when The One hears. How do we know we have been heard? Reply

I enjoyed the article. It was beautifully written. But as an artist, I am troubled not to see the very finely artwork credited either on or below the image. Reply

It is real, very very real, and these types of writings always make me cry. My heart becomes full of G DS, Presence and I just cry. There's one note I would like to add; when we sin and then we repent to G D, and the person we may have hurt, and promise to change that certain enemy in our minds to a friend. I feel the heart & pain we felt should never be completely forgotten, that pain didn't feel good and to remember some of it stop our minds & our entire being from repeating the same act again. Yes, we're forgiven by G D, but no one wants to feel the same hurt ever again. Reply

I thought of the Modeh ani as R. Freeman has written about before. Am I correct in my understanding of this prayer as it relates to the essay? Reply

very touching, the tragedy here "FEELS REAL"

seems this passage exemplifies an unspoken truth, that "Pain begets Growth" ?

a mysterious human transformation process vouched for, and actively promoted by G-D ? Reply

This section really blessed me....

....But if you could truly know the delight of your Beloved Above, His delight in that moment in which you struggled to return, in His bond with you that cannot be severed, in just you for who you are, nothing would stop you, ever. You would break free, cross every river, scale every mountain to find Him..... Reply

This Message really spoke to me.
Thank you so much for posting Reply

The forsaken maiden and Esau is the Yetzer Horah within us Reply

Things often need to get BITTER for Esau, our animal soul, before getting BETTER: 

Esau's journey through self-bitterness and hardship often serves as a precursor to divine illumination, which manifests through the emergence of Jacob, our divine soul. Our steadfast perseverance amid negativity ultimately leads to our redemption. This redemption surpasses ordinary understanding and human reasoning; it remains a profound, hidden truth—full of suspense and anticipation—a spiritual cliffhanger patiently waiting to be uncovered from within. Reply

How about dealing with this for a rape victim? Isn't anyone (author perhaps) willing to deal with my question? Even Jewish women are raped. Can we offer some kind of answer for the victim, or is this too taboo to discuss?? Reply

This is beautiful and powerful.
Thank you. Reply

My long comment included that point I said that. I added other things to try to cover more bases, but I did say that, Rabbi. Look again; I said:
"If the maiden is the soul...The soul cries out for relief from its physical incarnation, longing for the life of the spirit, and "there is none to hear"...HaShem is clearly...meant by the No-One in the story. HE is the non-being, the non-created, the Source of all being, known kabbalistically as No-Thing (since He is not a "Thing") and sometimes as No-One. HE hears the soul.... He offers Her relief. He is stronger than anything in the material universe, and He loves Her and he saves Her. if She is brokenhearted and cries out in anguish; the power of the repentant soul's cries are so great that even past sins are transmuted into mitzvot."

My insertion of material about the Shkhinah dilutes the material about the power of the soul that cries out--but I did primarily tell the soul story. The Shkhinah is extra. Reply

My reply to another person who didn't understand this one You ask for an explanation of the Daily Dose on the Fair Maiden, the rapist, and the Maiden's Beloved.

I will do what I can.

First, on the level of Pshat, the Torah tells us that if a woman says she was raped, but she was in the city and failed to scream, she is not believed. But if she was in the country, it is assumed that she dis scream, but there was none to hear.

Second, I disagree with the use of the word "sin" here. The Torah specifically says that she has done nothing wrong, but that she is in the situation of a man who is robbed by force. However, she is tarnished, damaged, just as the robbed man is diminished.

OK, now forget the Pshat, because now we go into Sod (secret, mystery) or possibly Remes (allegory). Maybe a bit of both.

If the maiden is the soul, then the rapist, Esau, may be the body, keeping the soul imprisoned in an alien and tarnishing and diminishing atmosphere. The soul cries out for relief from its physical incarnation, longing for the life of the spirit, and "there is none to hear"--because here in the physical universe, there can be none. No created being can help her. (The word "soul" is feminine, and so we refer to it as "she" and "her".)

Or the rapist may be our sins. Or it may be the physical universe. I am not totally clear on this detail. Since the rapist's name is Esau, he could represent Jacob's enemy and nemesis, which would imply that the maiden is Jacob--or, rather, Israel, the people, the collective soul of all Jews. That would mean the maiden is the Shkhinah, one of whose identities is precisely that of our collective Jewish "national" soul. Or, if the Shkhinah is the Divine Presence in the physical universe, then the Redemption of the Universe would occur when She is locked in the embrace of Her beloved, The One [see the next paragraph]. Unfortunately, when Israel sins, the Shkhinah is ripped from the arms of her true mate, and taken and raped by the Evil One...I do not recall exactly who that is....possibly the king of the demons, often denoted as Asmodai...possibly The Satan? I am not sure. And the Kadosh Baruch Hu, instead of His True Mate, the Shkhinah, must instead embrace Lilith, Queen of the Demons. This is so unfair. Of course at least one person sins sometimes. It is impossible for us all to be perfect! But that is the sod on the Shkhinah, so today's dose could be about saving the Shkhinah from the evil one. And today's dose offers hope that in spite of the seeming impossibility, HaShem can save the Shkhinah and thereby all the world. If we just cry loudly enough, HaShem can hear. HaShem is clearly Who is meant by the No-One in the story. HE is the non-being, the non-created, the Source of all being, known kabbalistically as No-Thing (since He is not a "Thing") and sometimes as No-One. HE hears the soul or the Shkhinah. He offers Her relief. He is stronger than anything in the material universe, and He loves Her and he saves Her. (HE being commonly called "Gd"--an inadequate name or title for Him, but His True Name, which actually means "causes to exist" is too sacred to write or say.)

When She cries out to Him, HE transforms all Her sins into mitzvot. Or, if She is the Shkhinah, then she is, among other things, the Soul of Israel, and He transforms ALL of our sins into mitzvot. If She is the Divine Presence in the physical universe, then the whole physical universe is redeemed.

It's a clever kabbalistic drash. If it is intended to be only about the single soul, it's like using your left hand to scratch your right ear. All this about the soul has often been said and cited in so many words : Gd alone has the power to save the hopelessly lost soul, and will certainly do so if She is brokenhearted and cries out in anguish; the power of the repentant soul's cries are so great that even past sins are transmuted into mitzvot. "Where the repentant sinner stands, the totally righteous can never stand."

However, if this Dose is intended to cover all the bases, from soul to Shkhinah, it is a compact way of getting it all into one story. Reply

hey,
i always read the quote of the day and i generally find it to be very inspiring and very comprehensive, but i reallly dont understand what this quote means or what i am supposed to get out of it. just saying Reply