Machshava:

Shabbat 

Collections: Rabbi Weinberger: Shabbos

Description

P. 89 in Raza D'Shabbos, Eliyah Weintraub, zt'l's piece on Tevila L'Mikveh B'Erev Shabbos. There is a tahara (purification) of daas that happens through the mikveh, which brings a person closer to the Eitz HaChaim (Tree of Life). The lulav is connected to daas, and the whole reality of Sukkos is connecting to the Eitz HaChaim. The neshama takes all of the powers of the body and directs them towards serving Hashem. Shabbos is the neshama of the week. The body has to be refined to be able to hear the voice of the neshama. The mikveh is the best thing for the body to cleanse it from the week. After the mikveh a person can really feel yira (awe) of Hashem's greatness, and his true face is revealed. A person should humble himself in teshuvah before going to the mikveh. Any rise up to a new level spiritually is also a death to the previous level. When the body is broken, then there is a greater possibility for daas to come in to the person.