Regarding the mitzvah of “Ledavkah Bo” (to cleave to the Shechinah—Divine Presence), our Sages tell us that if a person is in close contact with a Torah scholar, it is as if they are cleaving to the Shechinah. In Chassidic texts it is written that Hashem is compared to the father, Klal Yisrael (the Jewish nation) to the body of the child, and the tzaddik hador (the most righteous person of the generation) is likened to the head/brain. Just as the organs of the body receive their life-force from the brain, similarly Klal Yisrael is connected to Hashem through the tzaddik hador; the tzaddik hador (the brain) in turn gets his “nourishment” from Hashem (the father).
The mitzvah of connecting to a Torah scholar includes supporting him financially, helping him with his business ventures, marrying one’s daughter to a Torah Scholar, and, to “sit in the dust of their feet”, i.e. spend time in their presence).
In accordance with the verse, “your eyes shall behold your teacher”, texts extol the spiritual power of looking at the picture or visualizing the image of a Torah scholar, especially a tzaddik, such as one’s Rebbe. Visualizing the image of a Torah scholar can enhance one’s intellectual abilities, inspire their Torah learning, help them resist their yetzer harah (evil inclination) and weaken it, and enhance their service of Hashem.
Rav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, member of the Badatz of Crown Heights, Day-To-Day Halachic Guide, #333, crownheightsconnect.com
