Always Reaching Higher Rabbi Lee Diamond, is based in Israel and began his unique rabbinate as an Israel Educator for the Diaspora. Rabbi Diamond has served as director of the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, and Associate Director of the Israel office of the UJR and NFTY Israel programs. He has dedicated his life to sharing the Israel he loves and creating an educational experiences for everyone visiting Israel. Rabbi Diamond’s philosophy: Israel is the stage on which I want to act out the drama of the Jewish people, its creative survival, and to affect people’s lives. When we see each other our discussion always seems to find its way to the ever changing political situation in Israel. In the end of course we come around to what is dear to the hearts of both of us: the importance of emphasizing Jewish values and ethics in our society.
Always Reaching Higher
An edited version of the story of the Ari and the ladder of faith. Always Reaching Higher
In the aftermath of the Golden Age of Spain, the Inquisition and the Expulsion from Spain in 1492, the Jewish world entered into deep depression regarding its fate. While some Jews found refuge around the world, there were those who determined to take the fate of the Jewish people an d its future into their own hands. One might call them early Zionists who no longer were willing to leave the fate of the Jewish people to a Land of Refuge or a “City of Refuge.” The time had come to change our destiny. The time of waiting for redemption had ended for these Zionist Jews.
The location was one of the 4 holy cities in Eretz Yisrael, the City of Safed nestled in the mountains of the Galilee.
The dates were the early to mid-years of the 16th century.
The scenery was the tragedy of the Expulsion from Spain and the depression that followed.
The characters are known to us
as the Cabbalists of Safed
A story
Once the Ar”I, Rabbi Isaac Luria
Requested of his disciples, to gather together
Three leading scholars, thinkers and Cabbalists of Safed
In one particular place in the mountains of
Safed:
Josef Caro
Moshe Cordovera
And himself, Issac Luria, the Ar”i
All were assembled on this spot
At this point the Ar”i requested of
Joseph Caro to stand firmly on the ground
He then requested of Moshe Cordovera to stand on Caro shoulders
And finally the Ar”I informed them that he would stand on the shoulders of Cordovera
Completing the ladder
The ladder was to reach the throne of God
Caro was the stable basis of the ladder as he was the author of the Shulchan Aruch- the Code of Jewish Law, the code that allowed Jews to live a life of Torah on a daily basis.
Cordovera was the second rung of the ladder, as he was the Cabalist who both organized the Cabala as well as one who sought the secrets of the Cabala that would lead to redemption.
The Ari was to be the top rung of the ladder as he was the active Cabalist who would reach into the Heavenly Abode and
RIP
The Messiah from his
Heavenly refuge
And force him to earth
to save and redeem the
Jewish People
We had patiently waited for the Mashiach
Throughout our history as we declared:
“I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah and
Though he may tarry,
I still believe.”
But the Ari determined that the time had come to
Reach Higher
To climb the ladder
To reach into Heaven itself
And to change
Our Destiny
With our own hands and all of our souls.
It was at this very moment that Moshe Cordovera
Died
And the ladder collapsed
Ever since this day Jews have never stopped reaching higher
Living as Jews
Searching for truth
And attempting to
RIP
The Messiah to earth to
Redeem the Jewish People
Some still wait patiently
But
Some of us are the disciples of the Ar”I
Always Reaching Higher.
