Sublime

finally, a community that believes—but I mean really, really believes—that Torah has a contribution to make to the redemption of the world, and that ultimately the world will not be redeemed without Torah.

Elijah’s ethical paradigm—mishnat ḥasidim—is incumbent upon anyone truly devoted.

and his trust in the Lord his God, and not think of any person or any creature at all while he is praying.

Tikkun olam as R. Isaac Luria conceived it, is a mystical and spiritual idea. It is not social action.

At a dramatic point in the scriptural tale, Harbonah (a eunuch in the palace of King Ahasuerus) advises the king to hang the Jews’ arch-enemy, Haman. The Midrash attributes this counsel to Elijah, who was impersonating Harbonah.19

A person may be totally unable to study Torah —whether because he is an ignoramus or because he is without a book, on a journey or in the desert, etc. But if his heart burns with desire and yearning to learn, the very desire and longing he has are “learning from a book” (142).

bringing him back into the camp is the cure.

‘Well,’ said the Rebbe, ‘I will tell you what you must do and teach others to do. Regard every person – familiar or a stranger, young or old, learned or unlearned, observant or unobservant – as if he or she might be the Messiah, for the Messiah will surely come in disguise. If only we would do this, we would find that, without our realizing it, the

That’s the paradigm. That’s how the Torah wants us to deal with the leper. Help him. And bring him back in.