Unexperience - Chabad.org

The highest points in life are not the revelations and epiphanies. The highest points are not when you see truth, but when you do truth.

When you do truth, you may not feel a thing. You may not have a moment to ask yourself if you feel a thing.

But that is the true measure of truth. It is infinite and unbounded. If you can perceive it, know it and feel it, it is not the real truth.

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The Escape Hatch

Certainty

By Tzvi Freeman

From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.

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15 Comments

Tzvi Freeman December 16, 2015

For Monty "Doing truth" means doing what is right because it is right. Reply

Monty Pogoda Israel December 14, 2015

What is"doing truth"? Reply

Tzvi Freeman (author) Thornhill, Canada August 1, 2008

For Yohana again again Yes--now you are getting it. In your own words. So it is yours.
This is why, in Hebrew, there is no word "to teach". There is only "l'lamed"--to facilitate learning. Learning is not something someone does to you, it is something you must do. The teacher is there only to show you the path and provide the puzzles to solve. Reply

Yochana Bas Chana NYC, NY August 1, 2008

For Rabbi Freeman Thank you, Rabbi. I believe I see your point/purpose of your message.

It is not something GIVEN, though the giving must be appropriate to the other and even "customized," as with your exchange with me, but it is something individually FOUND that renders it learned and transformative. Yes? Reply

Tzvi Freeman (author) Thornhill, Canada August 1, 2008

For Yohana again The purpose is not the struggle. The purpose is that a person will come to know truth on her own, and so will come to own that truth, as something she attained through her own insight, rather than as a spoonfed child.

Your mention of the school system is apropos. The real crime of this system is that it robs young people of the power to direct their lives, to do real things that have real impact. Rather than assist them find their own truth by asking good questions and searching for answers, we spoonfeed them gulps of knowledge, only for them to regurgitate it all later. Reply

Yochana Bas Chana NYC, NY August 1, 2008

Correction to Rabbi Freeman from Yochana I wrote " I attribute much of the problems you mention to our free will given to us by G-d, and to the fact that truth can unfold in any moment without any inherent need for struggle, "

I meant to write "I attribute much of the problems you mention to our free will given to us by G-d along with the misplaced emphasis within our school system, and believe that truth can unfold in any moment without any inherent need for struggle, " Reply

Yochana Bas Chana NYC, NY August 1, 2008

For Rabbi Freeman With all due respect, Rabbi, I don't believe that G-d wants anyone to struggle to know Him by purposely putting conflicts and obstacles between this knowing.

To me I see no conflict in the statement
"G-d is all-loving," in the statement "G-d is all-knowing," or in the statement "G-d is all-powerful." .I do, however, understand that G-d gave man free will, which is an additional idea quite separate from the others, an idea that serves to explain much of the "hateful, ugliness" you speak of as opposed to any conflict inherent in the ideas about G-d,. Add to this a school system that teaches young people from pre-school throughout college and beyond to be me-oriented rather than we-oriented. I attribute much of the problems you mention to our free will given to us by G-d, and to the fact that truth can unfold in any moment without any inherent need for struggle, Reply

Tzvi Freeman (author) Thornhill, Canada July 31, 2008

For Yohana again I'm sure you've studied some Chumash and Tehillim where the ideas you cite are presented. I'm sure you've observed that there isn't a single verse that doesn't scream out, "Darsheini!"--meaning, "Let's see if you can figure this one out!" Everywhere you look, you will find seeming contradictions, enigmatic phrases and apparent non-sequiturs.

Certainly this is true in the statements you cite. If there is one G_d and He is all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful, then how on earth did all the hateful ugliness of this world come to be? Is there no conflict here? Only if you are willing to shut your eyes and ignore the reality about you. If it were so simple, why has it exhausted the wisdom of the wisest men and frustrated the search of every sincere seeker?

Truth is not something that can be fed with a dropper. It belongs only to those who struggle for it.

Take another look, it won't take long, and you will understand the words of this meditation on a deeper level. It's worth the effort. Reply

Yohana Bas Chana NYC, NY July 30, 2008

For Rabbi Freeman I do know in the deepest part of me that there is one G-d, that G-d is all-loving, all-knowing, and all- powerful. I believe you would agree with each of these ideas, and that each one is a simple statement without any conflict involved at all. Also, I can't imagine that you would think any one of these ideas is shallow or trite. I personally find these ideas to be the most cherished of ideas The person who shared these ideas did, in fact, hand it over to all of us without pause, and it was received as invaluable and certainly not considered to be cheap just because the ideas were given so simply, though I certainly recognize the relationship between work and reward.

So I believe that deep wisdom or a deeply wise idea can surely be communicated simply, a process which is quite separate from an individual's complex process of taking in such an idea.

I'm hoping you understand that I must speak my truth no matter to whom, and in the process, to learn. . . Reply

Tzvi Freeman (author) Thornhill, Canada July 30, 2008

For Yohana When you want to express a deep wisdom in human language, your only choice is with some irresolution, some conflict in the words and meaning. If everything is resolved, neat and tidy, then the thought is shallow and trite--and if so, need not be said. Deep wisdom, like deep beauty, is communicated not in the content itself, but by driving the reader to search into the words, seeking that resolution that perhaps can never be truly found.

You have found a clue to something deeper than the words in this meditation. You have an opportunity to dig deeper. If I hand it all to you, it will be cheap. If you think for yourself, what you come up with will be yours and you will truly know it. Reply

Yohana Bas Chana New York City, NY July 30, 2008

Unexperience As I would imagine all others reading your daily messages, I am so very interested in the wisdom of the Rebbe. I do, however, feel frustrated often with your messages. To me, the wisdom of a particular message is often conveyed in writing that is unclear and, therefore, rendered confusing..

In today's message, for instance, your first paragraph states emphatically that "if you can experience it, it COULD NOT be the most infinite." This goes to the title of this message. Yet in your second paragraph you state that you "MAY NOT feel a thing... But (when you just do) you are one with His essence and being."

What is the point of this message? If it is that we should just do, which is a simple and clear message, then why introduce additional related ideas that contradict each other? If the point of the message is that we can not possibly experience the consequences of just doing, then why not simply state that without contradiction? Reply

Cecilia July 30, 2008

Validation here as well Dear Rabbi,

I was just beginning to realize this. I sometimes feel that just as I stumble on an understanding, Daily Dose confirms it. Sometimes even on the same day!

I was just thinking about nothing travels at the speed of light except information, once it has acquired mass, it just won't you know travel that fast. Light moves without rest.

And I was just beginning asking myself, maybe that's what Rabbi Freeman meant by Just do something (while I was doing the grocery). Reply

Patricia via chabadpasadena.com July 30, 2008

Be Within Stay Above I was experiencing the infinite yesterday in the Chino Hills earthquake.
A lot of people are tense and rattled after that experience, I am thankful to reach beyond that awareness and give them comfort of feeling better.
I am also thankful that they are able to act and seek that experience. Reply

Anonymous July 30, 2008

Unexperience Today's paragraph on Unexperience, was exactly what I needed to read today. It's perfect, thank you. :) Reply

Joy Krauthammer Northridge, CA July 30, 2008

Being a ray Rabbi Tzvi Freeman,
Thank you for the validation, of (my) being a "ray" of G-d's light, which I may or may not feel as I "just do", but I do appreciate.

BlesSings, Reply

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