Most People Just Don’t Get It

A few weeks ago I came across this old box of tapes in the garage (as seen in the picture above). One of the tapes lying on top (circled in red) was titled “Moshiach: Purpose Of Creation”. The title intrigued me so I got a tape recorder and started listening to this class from June 23, 1992 given at Young Israel of Ocean Parkway. The first 10 minutes or so really struck me.

And I realized most people just don’t get it.

I will explain:

Throughout my years of studying Chassidus I have read again and again the Alter Rebbe’s statement regarding Hashem’s desire for a dwelling place in the lower world and that “NO QUESTIONS can be asked in regard to desire“. Even after all the blog posts and classes currently posted on 11213.org regarding this subject these 10 minutes or so really hammered home the Alter Rebbe’s revolutionary statement.

It dawned on me that most people miss the extraordinary impact of the statement because this is how a typical conversation unfolds:

Me: Does Hashem Need Your Mitzvos?

Them: He doesn’t need them, he wants them.

Me: Meaning mitzvos are not really that important to him? Mitzvos are like dessert? You want dessert but you need food?

and so on..down the rabbit hole…

Basically they are saying there is a pecking order:

1. Lowest Level (and therefore not as important): Want

2. Higher Level (and therefore more important): Need

The Alter Rebbe introduced a third level:

3. Highest Level: (and therefore most important) Desire.

So does G-d Need Your Miztvos? The correct answer is YES and so much more than you can ever imagine…we are not talking want, we are not talking need, we are talking an essential desire which is much stronger than any need because it is coming from Hashem himself.

Here is a diagram:

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