Making Trouble: Rosh HaShannah 16B

Rabbi Issac said: Three things cause a person's sins to be remembered in Heaven: [Walking under] an unbalanced wall [i.e. going to dangerous places] careful intention in prayer [where one is sure one's prayer's will be answered], and invoking divine judgment upon one's neighbor.

Our Personal Lights: Mei Shiloach on Hanukah

It's written in Psalms (119:105) "Your words are a candle for my feet and a light for my path."  "A candle for my feet," for G-d directed words of Torah that are in every particular detail of creation as a sign that G-d's kingdom is above all.  "A light for my path," for also in every dimension G-d chose a special part as a reminder that dominion belongs to G-d.  A candle is something particular, while light is a generality.  G-d created the world in general and included in it the three dimensions of world, time, and soul.  It's written (Psalms, 199:16) "G-d formed days and one of the days belongs to Him."  Thus, from each dimension G-d selected a choice part that would illuminate with a revelation of personal light and cause recognition of G-d's kingdom.
*G-d created the world and chose the land of Israel, and from Israel He sanctified Jerusalem, and from there he sanctified the Temple.  G-d commanded that the menorah should be lit in the Temple, to shine its individual light in that place.
*In time, G-d chose the sabbath, and we also find the commandment of sabbath lights.
*Among souls, G-d chose his nation Israel, and for the time being, before the Total Clarification, G-d chose the tribe of Levi, and from among Levi G-d chose the Cohanim, and from the Cohanim G-d chose the High Priest, and gave the High Priest the duty of lighting the Menorah.

In the days of the Hasmoneans, G-d showed a spark of the future light, that in the Time to Come the High Priest will merit to be king, as will be revealed in the future by the Messiah, son of David.  At the time of Total Clarification, the choice part of Israel will be the tribe of Judah.  Then, just as the Hasmoneans merited extra dominion, so to in the Time to Come each individual Jew will shine a line recognizing G-d's kingship.

Thus, from the miracle that occurred with the Temple Menorah, our sages established an personal candle, for each and every person to shine their individual light for the choicest part of their soul.  Thus King David peace upon him said (Psalms 7:6) "G-d will count the nations in writing, and G-d will say to Zion a person and a person were born in Her."  We interpret "G-d will count the nations in writing" as that G-d guides the nations just for the sake of perpetuation of the species, like the rest of creation.  "G-d will say to Zion a person and a person were born in Her, and he prepares Her above," that is each Jew when they are born has a recognition that they were born chosen, from a new soul, and this is why each and every individual must light their own candle on Hanukah.

The schools of Shammai and Hillel disagreed about how to light Hanukah candles.  The school of Shammai taught we start with eight candles on the first night and end with one candle on the last night, while the school of Hillel taught that we start with one candle on the first night and end with eight candles on the last night.  This disagreement reflects their disagreement about how to achieve spiritual perfection, the Total Clarification.  The school of Shammai things that we start with eight and end with one, because the process involves destruction of imperfections, until only the choice holiness remains.  The school of Hillel things that we start with one candle and add on, because the essential part of the process in their eyes is that holiness should spread out at all times, and imperfections with automatically be annulled.

Rabbinic Ecology: The Mei Shiloach on Creation

And G-d said ‘Let us make Man in Our image.’

The Holy One created all creatures other than people first.  The other creatures recognized and understood their shortcoming; they had nobody who could connect their existence to the Holy One.  For only by means of people can things of this world connect themselves to G-d.  People elevate  everything, as is known.   Earth and water’s strength give their strength to plants, plants to animals, and animals to people.  People, by means of serving the Holy One, elevate all of the strength that they receive from this world, even the strength of water and earth.  When other creatures saw they lacked this connection, they prayed for the creation of people.  Thus G-d said, ‘Let us make Man…’  That is to say, G-d said to all other creatures, ‘You will give your strength and partner in the creation of people.’  This gives people a share in all of you, and if people need something, all of the other creatures will arise to help them.   When people are bad, it’s bad for all creatures, as in the generation of the Flood, and when it’s good for people, it’s good for all creatures. 

How connected are we to G-d? Sotah 38B

The gemara discusses if, when the Cohanim pronounce the priestly blessing, if objects in between the cohanim can prevent the blessing from 'reaching' the people.

If tall people are in front of short people, there is no interruption [in the flow of the blessing to the short people.]  The Ark does not interrupt [the flow of the blessing.]  What about a wall?  Come and learn, Rabbi Joshua the son of Levi said, 'Not even an iron wall can separate Israel from their Father in Heaven.'

The Hidden Altar; Zohar 80a

Abraham built two altars, one for the level that is revealed, and one for the level that is concealed.  Come and see that this is so, for it is written, 'Abraham built an altar for G-d that appeared to him' and elsewhere it is written 'Abraham build an altar there,' without any elaboration, or mention of 'G-d that appeared to him.'

Matok M'Dvash explains that the altar to revealed G_d is parallel to the outer altar of the Temple, where many forms of sacrifice were performed by various priests.  It is also parallel to Malchut, the lowest of the sefirot.

The altar to the concealed G-d is parallel to the inner altar of the Temple, where the high priest performed the incense sacrifice. and also the higher, less accessible sefirah of Binah.

I note that incense itself tends to conceal, while many of the sacrifices performed on the outer altar, such as the animal sacrifices, tended to reveal what is normally hidden.

Forms of Beauty: Rabbi Steinsaltz on the Tanya Chap 27

R. Steinstalz writes in his commentary on the 27th Chapter of the Tanya:

There is a complete beauty, of harmony of form and color, and there is a beauty of complete lack, of distortion and flaw, prepared so that it is like spice for beauty.

A Response to Beauty: Avodah Zarah 20a

When Rabbi Akiva saw the wife of the Roman general Tornosrofus, he spat, laughed, and cried.  R. Akiva spat, for her origin was a gross drop [of sperm.]  He laughed, for he knew that in the future she would convert and marry him.  He cried, for such beauty was destined to be swallowed by the dust.