In this week's parsha we read about the tragic sin of the golden calf and the breaking of the tablets. Our Sages tell us that when the Jewish People received the Torah that were on a very high spiritual level, the returned to the level of Adam Harishon in the Garden of Eden before he had sinned. When the Jewish People committed the sin of the golden calf though they once again reverted to the lower spiritual level that we are currently on.

The Ramchal explains that this high spiritual level is something that the entirety of our existence we are trying to once again attain. We do have a small glimpse of this spiritual level each and every week when Shabbas comes. Shabbas can give us a taste of the higher spiritual existence and the reason is that when Adam HaRishon sinned he sinned on Friday afternoon before Shabbas came into existence. Since Shabbas wasn't created yet, when Adam sinned and lowered the spiritual level of the entire creation Shabbas wasn't impacted in the same way. It wasn't tainted by the sin because it had yet to exist. Therefore when we properly observe the Shabbas we can once again tap into a higher untainted spiritual level. We can use the time to uplift ourselves from our regular mundane existence and tasks and experience true life!

Shabbat Shalom,

Heath