The Cause of Illness—Why Jews Become Ill
The Cause of Illness—Why Jews Become Ill
Chazal teach that all problems come upon a person because of the sins of his youth—“Chetot Ne'urim”—חטאת נעורים.
When Adam HaRishon separated from his wife for 130 years, he brought forth impure forces—shiddim and mazikim (not according to his likeness and image), since for 130 years he wasted seed.
A person's seed is potential life. If the seed unites with the woman's egg, a person is born; if the seed does not enter its proper place and is spilled in vain, an impure force is created from it.
This sin is so serious that the Torah relates how Judah's two sons were punished for it. It is said of Onan that when he went to his brother's wife, he “spilled his seed on the ground”; “what he did was displeasing to G-d, and He put him to death as well.” The word “as well” indicates that the older brother, too, died as punishment for this same sin. (Vayeshev 38:9)
Chazal teach that an earthly court can obligate a person to be punished after the age of 13, while the Heavenly Court does so after the age of 20. Nevertheless, Hashem put these boys to death at the age of nine—so great is this sin in Hashem's eyes.
Adam HaRishon wasted his seed, and these souls returned through gilgul neshamot. For ten generations, from Adam to Noah, people continued to commit these same sins: “All flesh had corrupted its way before the Almighty.” Hashem decided to destroy these generations and brought the Flood—measure for measure: just as they spilled seed, so Hashem poured the waters of the Flood upon them.
After the Flood, these souls returned to earth in another gilgul. They no longer sinned through immorality, but through heresy and opposition to the Almighty: they decided to build the Tower of Babel. Hashem confused their languages so that they could not understand one another.
Then these souls entered Egypt. There, the sin of Adam HaRishon was atoned for.
The Arizal (may his merit protect us) explains that when Adam HaRishon sinned, he lost 288 sparks of holiness, “RaPaH Nitzotzot.” Tradition relates that one day the Arizal came to his disciple, Rabbi Moshe Achi, in a dream to reveal the secret of the blessing “Refa'einu” in the “Amidah.”
The gematria of the word “rofeh” (physician) is 288 (with the kolel). The cause of all illnesses is the “RaPaH Nitzotzot”—the “288 sparks of holiness” that fell into the kelipot.
When reciting the blessing, one should mentally ask G-d to, in His role as the Physician, sweeten the 288 sparks of holiness. This will help bring healing to the sick person.
The Arizal also teaches that the number 288 is encoded in the blessing “Refa'einu” in another way. The roshei tevot (initial letters) of the words “Rofeh Holei Amo Yisrael” (Healer of His people Israel) also equal 288.
All the illnesses of the Jewish people stem from those 288 particles that Adam HaRishon lost and that fell under the control of the impure force. The impure force is nourished by the holiness of these particles, and this is why the Jewish people become ill. When we pray, we ask that these 288 sparks of holiness be purified and that the impurity depart from them. Then there will be neither illness nor death.
Death came to Adam as a consequence of his sin: “On the day that you eat from this tree, you will die.” Seed is life, and if seed is spilled in vain, then measure for measure, life is cut off.
When the 288 particles entered Egypt, representatives of Adam HaRishon had to descend there as well—namely, the Jewish people. They had to undergo purification through suffering. The enslavement in Egypt involved clay and bricks, measure for measure, because the Tower of Babel had been built with clay and bricks.
Yosef was the first to enter Egypt as Adam's representative, for it is said that Jacob's countenance was like the countenance of Adam HaRishon, and Yosef resembled his father as though they were two drops of water—thus, he also resembled Adam HaRishon himself.
The first thing Yosef required the Egyptians to do after becoming ruler of Egypt was circumcision. This was the first rectification of those souls and of the place through which the sin had been committed.
Then Yaakov Avinu came to Egypt and remained there with his children for 210 years (117 years of enslavement after Levi's death).
Next, Moshe Rabbeinu came and led the Jews out of Egypt, together with the “erev rav” (the mixed multitude).
The gematria of “rav” is 202, which means that Moshe Rabbeinu rectified 202 of the 288 sparks of holiness. 86 remained—the gematria of the Name “Elokim”—which the Jews still had to rectify.
In the final blessing of the Amidah, “המברך את -עמו ישראל”—(hamavarech et amo Yisrael be-Shalom)—the initial letters of the blessing equal 86. This means that the essence of the blessing is that the Jewish people will elevate the 86 sparks of holiness be-Shalom—in peace—“86 be-Shalom.”
The Kabbalistic sages say that one who spills seed in vain—Motzi Zera Levatalah (whose initial letters, מ ז ל, form the word Mazal—(מזל))—damages his mazal, his destiny.
In the book Sha'ar HaKavanot, the Arizal explains that seed spilled in vain does not disappear. It is gathered by the demoness Lilith—480. In the spiritual realm, she becomes pregnant with these drops and gives birth to mazikim and shiddim. In other words, potential life is transferred to the forces of impurity. This gives rise to illness, problems, natural disasters, and so on.
How can this sin be rectified and illness and misfortune avoided?
The Ari HaKadosh teaches that every sin creates an impure force in the spiritual world, but this sin—the wasting of seed—is the most dangerous, because it creates an impure force in physical form. This spiritual being is permitted to enter any physical body in order to punish the person who committed the sin.
The Jewish people have a period called Shovavim—six weeks corresponding to the weekly Torah portions from Parashat Shemot through Parashat Mishpatim—a total of 42 days.
During these 42 days, the weekly Torah portions recount the exile and the Exodus from Egypt. Since the situation in Egypt was connected to the sin of Adam HaRishon, studying these portions, repenting, performing tikkunim, and fasting are all very helpful in overcoming sins of this kind.
The Arizal, of blessed memory, also taught that Keriat Shema al ha-Mitah, recited with kavanah, is the most effective weapon against the impure force created in this manner.
It is stated in Tehillim (149:6): “Romemot El bigrotam, vecherev pifiyot beyadam”—(Praises of G-d are in their mouths, and a double-edged sword is in their hands). This means that “Praises of G-d are in their mouths” refers to reciting the Shema at night, praising Hashem through the Shema, while “and a double-edged sword is in their hands” means that through this recitation—the praise of Hashem—a person strikes all impure forces as with a double-edged sword.
The Zohar HaKadosh states that one recitation of the Shema at night with kavanah kills 1,125 mazikim and shiddim.
The force that opposes Lilith is contained in the book of Tehillim, for the gematria of the word Tehillim is 485, while the gematria of Lilith is 480 (plus the five letters of the word).
And the most important remedy for all illnesses among the Jewish people is the Torah, for Chazal teach that Hashem created the remedy before the illness—and that remedy is the Torah.
It is beneficial for rectifying these sins to recite Tikkun HaKlali.
Tikkun HaKlali — Text with Introductory and Concluding Prayers
Arizal's Tikkunim—The Number of Fasts for Specific Sins
Tikkunim of the Arizal — Number of Fasts for Specific Sins
(compiled from the lectures of Rabbi Daniel Cohen—http://www.ravdaniel.сom)
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Tags: Refuah Shleimah, Gilgulim, Why Do Jews Get Sick?, The Secret of the Blessings in the Amidah, The Secret of the "Refa'einu" Blessing in the Amidah, Shovavim, The Cause of Illnesses, 288 Sparks, 288 Nitzotzot
