The Kabbalah speaks of "50 gates of spiritual understanding", 49 of which can be achieved by a person as a result of his own initiative. The final 50th gate is then granted by G-d from Above.
When Avraham had circumcised himself, he had reached the greatest degree of spiritual perfection that he could possibly achieve as a human being - the 49th gate - and he became "sick" yearning for the 50th gate. This is alluded to by the fact that choleh חולה [the Hebrew term for "sick person"] has the numerical value [gematria] of 49. Then "God appeared to him", revealing to him the 50th gate of spiritual understanding, which cured his spiritual sickness.
And, being that his physical sickness was a reflection of his spiritual dissatisfaction, the Divine revelation healed him physically too.
Based on Sichat Shabbos Parshas Vayeira 5750 - Lubavitcher Rebbe
1 comment:
5727 was the first year of the Ba'al Teshuvah movement, and it was the year of the reunification of Yerushalayim during the 6 Day War. The entrance to the 50th Gate of both the Ba'al Teshuvah movement and Yerushalayim is this coming Yom Yerushalayim 5776. The first 49 gates to Yerushalayim are mundane. The 50th Gate, or the Golden Gate known as Sha'ar HaRachamim in Hebrew, is the one gate that goes from a mundane place in the Qidron Valley to the Ezrat HaNashim on the Temple Mount. As we turned the page from 5775 to 5776, on Erev Rosh HaShanah all eyes were focused on the Temple Mount. I believe that by Shavuot 5776, all the machloket going on regarding the Temple Mount will be rectified by HaShem through Mashiach ben David. sooner rather than later....with G-d's help.
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