Ratzo VeShov — Running and Returning
Hebrew: רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב
Ratzo VeShov — “running and returning” — describes the fundamental rhythm of spiritual life: the soul’s yearning to transcend toward God (ratzo) and the return to engaged existence in the world (shov).
The Biblical Source
The phrase comes from Ezekiel’s vision of the chayot (Divine creatures): “And the chayot ran and returned like the appearance of lightning.” (Ezekiel 1:14)
The chayot’s constant motion — toward the Divine throne and back — represents the primordial spiritual rhythm: yearning for union, then returning to service.
The Two Movements
Ratzo (רָצוֹא) — Running/Yearning
The soul’s upward thrust:
- The desire to dissolve in the Divine infinite
- Mystical love (ahavah rabah) that seeks to transcend all limits
- In prayer: the moment of peak devekut when self-awareness dissolves
- In the Baal Shem Tov’s language: the fire that consumes everything in its ascent
Shov (שׁוֹב) — Returning
The return to bounded existence:
- Not a failure but a fulfillment — the purpose of creation requires engagement in the world
- The yoke of heaven (kabbalat ol) — accepting Divine will even when one doesn’t feel elevated
- In practical terms: returning from prayer to study, work, family — and sanctifying all of it
The Paradox
Pure ratzo without shov would lead to abandonment of the world — a pietistic withdrawal that fails to build the dirah betachtonim (dwelling in the lower worlds). The Baal Shem Tov taught against the hermit-monk ideal.
Pure shov without ratzo would be spiritual deadness — going through the motions without genuine yearning.
The ideal is the pulse: alternating between ascent and return, like the heart’s systole and diastole. Each return from ratzo is enriched by the upward reach; each shov is motivated by the love experienced in ratzo.
Application to the Beinoni
The beinoni lives this rhythm daily:
- During prayer: ratzo — the Divine soul is aflame
- After prayer: shov — returning to ordinary activities
- The challenge: to maintain some awareness of the ratzo-experience during the shov phase
Sources
- Tanya, Chapters 50 (in Iggeret HaKodesh)
- Torah Or — extensive treatment
- Alter Rebbe
- Baal Shem Tov, Keter Shem Tov