Pure Holiness

The Messilat Yesharim speaks of a level of spirituality that very few are able to achieve. This is the level of Kedusha, or holiness.

He describes these rare individuals that have worked very hard on themselves, to elevate their entire being. They learn how to disconnect from materialism and the physical world. They are constantly bound to Hashem, even with every mundane activity that they do.

If one is fortunate enough to meet one of these exceptional people, he will immediately feel the positive energy that comes from being in his presence.

This feeling is one of great contentment as you are enveloped with this holy aura. I used to feel this when I had private meetings with the late Tzaddik, Rav Elazar Abuchatzeira, of blessed memory. I thought that if I ever had to write an essay on “the person I would like to spend time with the most,” it would have been him.

This is why the Messilat Yesharim explains that we cherish the small gifts or mementos that we might receive from these holy people. This also explains why the Lubavitcher Rebbe gave away dollar bills. He wanted his followers to connect with him.

If we get so excited about saving an autograph of a famous person, or catching a foul ball at a baseball game, we certainly should get excited by having something that allows us to connect to the totally spiritual person.

We cherish objects left to us by our loved ones, because we don’t want to lose our bond with them. We should have a similar desire to bind ourselves to all that is holy and pure.