Jüdisches Denken zu Mischlej 9:1

Our sages agree that people and trees have much in common, are similar in structure and appearance. Just as the tree, though one integral unit, consists of separate parts, separate in their respective functions, so does man consist of separate parts. The roots and trunk of a tree are distinct from its branches, the former being rooted in the earth, the latter extending horizontally into the airspace surrounding it. Then there are the fruits to be taken from the tree to be consumed. So too, man has a trunk and root on earth, i.e. his material resources, vital juices, which enable him to exist in life on earth. Also, akin to the branches of a tree, man possesses wisdom enabling him to extend his life laterally and comprehend many disciplines, both secular and spiritual. Finally, the fruit of all these cognitive powers is recognition of G-d as one's Creator, and true belief in Him and in one's purpose in life. It is understood that if the trunk is healthy and wholesome, the chances of the branches developing properly and producing excellent fruit are good. True, there are exceptions when healthy trunks produce few branches and fruit. When the trunk is not sound however, abundance of branches and fruit will most certainly not be forthcoming. Similarly, a physically and ethically healthy human being may likely, though by no means certainly, achieve its purpose of cognition of G-d and true faith. We observe this phenomenon among many gentiles who have not had the benefit of revelation. When vital elements are lacking in the trunk however, i.e. the physical part of the human being, no true wisdom or true belief is likely to develop. By missing vital elements, we refer to the absence of good character traits, and the absence of vital senses. Just as a ladder cannot fulfil its function unless it is firmly planted on solid ground, and its rungs are sound, so progress toward the spiritual perfection of man depends on the availability of the basic ingredients. Absence of the necessary ingredients in the trunk can be traced to three causes. 1) Unethical conduct and poor character traits which prevent acquisition of wisdom, without which cognition of G-d will not follow. 2) Laziness and unwillingness to overcome natural handicaps and evil tendencies. 3) Lack of sensitivity to certain phenomena, resulting in a warping of the mentality (discussed in Chapter 8). Just as the successful growth of a tree and its development is noticeable first and foremost in the trunk which feeds the other parts, so man will be influenced primarily by his character traits rather than by his other accomplishments. It is natural that one will be influenced more by one's actions than by one's mind. He will not therefore discover true wisdom without being of good character, and if by chance he does find wisdom in spite of lack of good character, he will not be able to hold on to it. Just as a trunk which is weak or corrupt cannot for long feed the branches and the fruit, so an unhealthy character cannot for long support wisdom and spirituality. This is the gist of the message of Rabbi Eleazar ben Azaryah quoted from Avot. It is also the reason why many mussar books have been written to pave the way for those who are desirous of acquiring wisdom and cognition of G-d, to learn to excel first in truly ethical conduct. Aristotle's book of ethics is a fine example, designed to help man achieve harmony with the will of his Creator. Granted that all these admonitions are recorded throughout the Torah and the books of the prophets in a scattered fashion, one needs to thank the authors of these books for their systematic approach and the sound reasoning displayed in their treatment of this subject. This is especially true of the four major traits to be developed.

The instructions concerning the details of the appearance of the menorah which are given before its construction, then again while its construction was in progress, and finally- at least partially- in Parshat Beha-alotcha when the lighting of the menorah is commanded, pose the problem "why all this emphasis on the details?" Since none of the legislation in the Torah contains superfluous detail, it must be that the details are very important if they concern nothing more than a vessel that serves as the vehicle of a mitzvah, not the mitzvah itself. Why do we need to be told at that point that the construction of the menorah conformed to its blueprint? Who was it that carried out its construction? The craftsman who made it is referred to only by the words "he made it." The subject is nowhere mentioned by name, however. Why does Aaron need to be praised for not making any changes? Were the problems of cleaning the menorah so extraordinary that changes in its construction seemed to have been called for? Even stranger is the Midrash Tanchuma in Parshat Beha-alotcha, according to which Aaron was told that lighting the menorah was a commandment which would never become redundant, whereas offerings on the altar would cease with the destruction of the holy temple. Did not everything cease at that time, including the lighting of the menorah? Maimonides' answer that the Midrash refers to the lighting of the Chanukah lights seems far fetched. Aaron's mind would hardly have been put at rest by being told that a minor Rabbinic ordinance in the future would compensate him for not participating in the offerings that had been brought by the princes in which his entire tribe had not been represented. This is especially so, since even during the seven days of the inaugural service in the holy tabernacle, when Moses himself performed the sacrificial rites, Aaron's mind had already been troubled. This in spite of the fact that he would perform many more such sacrificial rites in the future. We therefore have to look further in order to understand that particular Midrash. There is a basic difference between the way man looks at things and in the way G-d looks at things. Man begins with the phenomena that he sees and hears, and proceeds by means of those phenomena to comprehend or assume the existence of other less familiar phenomena. Such unfamiliar phenomena may exist only in the abstract, never to be perceived visually or aurally. G-d, on the other hand, proceeds in the opposite fashion. Sof ma=asseh bamachashavah techillah, the final product had been envisaged at the very outset. This is the way He operates. Every manifestation of any phenomenon represents merely a step planned and necessary to lead to the ultimate total structure. Having planned the final product, He comprehends the significance of every step, every constituent part, even if it is apparently unrelated to the whole. He is aware that such a phenomenon is indispensable, an integral part of the whole to be revealed later. On his way to the inner sanctuary, man, observing the sacrificial rites of the burning of animals which symbolise removal of sin etc., begins to comprehend that the inner sanctuary must be approached only in a state of purity, after washing himself from the copper basin placed in front of the sanctuary. Inside the sanctuary are found the holy vessels of which the menorah represents the concept of enlightenment, wisdom, which though one, seeing the menorah has been hammered out of single chunk of gold, nevertheless contains seven arms, branches. These seven arms suggest seven different disciplines of wisdom and knowledge. Indeed, the wisdom that Solomon (Proverbs 9, 1) refers to, is the Torah itself. We find this also in chapter six of Proverbs, where we read "a mitzvah is a light, whereas Torah is the source of enlightenment." The menorah of the spiritual forces in our world is represented by Torah. It guarantees meshivat nefesh, (Psalms 19,8-11), the return to eternal life by the soul. The six arms are mentioned alternatively left and right, representing the physical forces, (left) and the spiritual forces (right). The words "testimony, mitzvot and judgments," refer to the three arms on the left, whereas the words "mandates, reverence and more desirable than fine gold," refer to the three arms on the right of the stem of the menorah. Simple man does not dream of, or aspire to greatness- even in this physical world. "The testimony of G-d is faithful," teaches that this does not hold true in Judaism. An inferior position in this physical world, does not constitute a barrier to reaching one's perfection, Divinely inspired goals. Machkimat peti,” it makes even the fool become wise." Torah promotes that kind of inspiration. The princes which govern this physical world are the willpower and freedom of choice which enable man to aspire to lofty heights in spite of lowly physical surroundings. Since man may have suffered corruption due to other material forces that interact with him, pikkudim, mandates are needed to counteract the inroads made by the aforementioned forces. The purpose of these pikkudim, is to make the positive character traits the norm rather than the exception. mitzvah, are those commandments which ennoble our lives on earth by constituting a symbolic link with our destiny, our relationship with G-d. Examples are tefillin, (phylacteries), tzitzit (fringes), mezuzah, lulav and others. "Enlightening the eyes," refers to the thoughtful performance of the commandments. Yir-ah, refers to the reverence which we demonstrate when we perform commandments which we are unable to rationalise. We demonstrate our obedience to G-d whose superior wisdom we acknowledge by performing these mitzvot. Omedet la- ad, endures forever, means that part of the Torah remains an eternal moral and intellectual challenge. Mishpatim, judgments, refers to the penalties in store for those who choose not to observe the legislation of G-d as revealed in the Torah. This reference is made especially to past generations whose failure in this respect resulted in their being punished in a manner that fitted their crimes. Tzadku, were just. The justness of the punishment suffered by those generations is apparent to the student of history, i.e. the history described in the Torah. Hanechemadim, that are more precious than fine gold, refers to the statutes whose purpose it is to assure us a reward in the world to come, a reward far greater than any material possessions in this world. The symbolism contained in the merit, the right to kindle the menorah which represents man's attempt to perfect himself, becomes clear then. Keeping to the exact order in carrying out this task is laudable since so much depends on its outcome. Just as the name menorah for the whole candelabra suggests enlightenment, its parts, i.e. stem, arms, chalices, and flowers suggest their respective functions. The stem is used to acquire wisdom; the chalice to be the receptacle of such wisdom; the flower suggests additional wisdom sprouting forth once the fundamentals have been observed properly. The height of eighteen tefachim, handsbreadths, represents the height of a man of average height. The number eighteen is symbolic of the word chay, alive, i.e. its numerical value. Man's intellect is divided into two categories, each of which is subdivided into three parts. There is practical as well as speculative reason. The practical reason deals in the first instance with man's personal concerns, in the second instance with the concerns of his household, and in the third instance with matters affecting the society in which he lives. Similarly, speculative reason. In the first instance, man identifies his own feelings and senses. In the second instance, he learns to determine the validity of all these sensations, whether the information they convey to him is true. (i.e. can one trust one's senses?) In the third instance, man acquires the ability to understand the interrelationship between all these phenomena. This third stage is generally known as beenah, insight. The three arms on the right side of the menorah represent the three kinds of speculative reason, whereas the three arms on the left side of the menorah represent the three levels of practical reason. The "knobs" on the stems are to be seen as "way stations." Since attainment of insights is achieved only gradually, step by step, these knobs represent the steps in man's intellectual progress.

Some are of the opinion that when the wise man said (Mishlei 9:1) "Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out her seven pillars", he had in mind the seven cornerstones which we have mentioned.