Chai Elul ...

Thursday:

TEVET Tikkun - Controller: Liver

The sages teach us that "the liver is angry." The function of the liver [kaved, in Hebrew] is to purify the blood with which it is saturated. In Kabbalah, the liver corresponds to the primordial snake, whose rectification is personified by Dan. (The three "rulers" of the body and soul are the brain, the heart, and the liver, which correspond to Adam, Eve, and the snake, respectively). The snake, in Kabbalah, represents the initial state of immaturity of the soul, as characterized by the unrectified attribute of anger. The venom of the snake is hot like the fire of anger. When converted to the good, the fire (and blood of the liver) serves to warm the cold month of Tevet.

Kaved = 26 = Havayah. This reflects the secret mentioned above, that the sum of the four months which "fast" over the destruction of the Temple, which culminate in Tevet, together equal 26. By fasting over the destruction one rectifies one's liver--mellows one's anger--and thereby "sweetens" the anger of G-d (with Israel, the cause of the destruction) and arouses the mercy of Havayah to rebuild the Temple.

Posted 9/9/09 at 9:09 PM