Chasidut su Genesi 48:16
הַמַּלְאָךְ֩ הַגֹּאֵ֨ל אֹתִ֜י מִכָּל־רָ֗ע יְבָרֵךְ֮ אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים֒ וְיִקָּרֵ֤א בָהֶם֙ שְׁמִ֔י וְשֵׁ֥ם אֲבֹתַ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֑ק וְיִדְגּ֥וּ לָרֹ֖ב בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃
L’angelo, che mi ha liberato da ogni male, benedica questi giovanetti, in guisa che si perpetui in essi il mio nome, e quello de’ miei padri Abramo ed Isacco, e si propaghino in gran numero in mezzo al paese.
Kedushat Levi
Another approach to help us understand the line ועשית בגדי קודש לאהרן אחיך לכבוד ולתפארת: We know that of the twelve months of the year 6 months belong to the season known as “winter”, whereas the other 6 months are known as “summer.” The twelve months correspond to the 12 lunar cycles each of which is identified by star patterns described as מזלות, “constellation of stars in the sky.” Each month another one of these constellations carries out its assigned tasks. The twelve constellations may be summed up as 6 holy attributes, part of the mystical אור ישר ואור חוזר, “direct light emanating from the source, and reflected light carrying the spiritual input by the creatures who had encountered it. The six holy attributes are: 1) man’s love for his Creator, and his desire to serve Him out of love so as to provide Him with pleasure from His creatures. 2) The awe in which man holds G’d; his dread of transgressing rules that outlaw certain activities and defy His wishes. 3) the glory of G’d that man must experience when he sees how G’d “boasts” of man’s good deeds, compare Isaiah 49,3: עבדי אתה ישראל אשר בך אתפאר, “You are My servant Israel in whom I glory.” 4+5) the faith Israel displays. These are two virtues, even though they have a common heading. [The author had on a previous occasion distinguished between faith which is totally oblivious of any advantage one might personally gain from it, and faith which is tied to certainty that G’d will reward one tangibly. Ed.] 6) The attribute of negating self interest by linking oneself unreservedly to G’d and being completely content with whatever it is that He has in mind for him.
The 12 constellations are represented in the gemstones of the breastplate of the High Priest where they symbolize the 12 tribes of the Jewish people, the holy nation.
The month of Adar corresponds to the tribe of Joseph from whom 2 of the twelve tribes emerged. This is why when there is a need to insert an extra month in the calendar to compensate for the 11 days plus, that the lunar “year” is shorter than the solar year, this month appears in our calendar as both Adar I and Adar II. The appropriate zodiac sign for this month is therefore that of דגים, fish, which are a symbol of fertility as we know from Genesis 48,16 where Yaakov blessed Joseph by predicting that his sons’ offspring would be as numerous as that of fish. Another example of Joseph’s numerous offspring is alluded to in the words בן פרת יוסף “Joseph is a fruitful son.” Genesis 49,22. Just as fish are safe from the evil eye, seeing they are not visible on the earth’s surface, swimming beneath the surface of the oceans, so the Talmud in B’rachot 20 understands the words עלי עין, in the same verse as the protection afforded Joseph’s offspring from the potential damage from the evil eye of people envious of them.
When the letters of the word דג, “fish” are inverted, the result is גד, a word related to מזל in the sense of good fortune. (compare Talmud Shabbat 67) There the sages accuse people who wish themselves “that their mazzal, גד (protective star), not be tired either by day of by night,” as uttering idolatrous phrases. In the case of Joseph, whose two sons were called מנשה and אפרים respectively, the former is an allusion to historically negative phenomena, whereas the word אפרים is symbolic of historically favourable occurrences. Joseph already presaged this when naming his sons (Genesis 41,51-52) when he saw in the birth of his first son a reminder of his years of suffering, whereas he predicted a better future as being associated with the birth of his second son. The month of Adar similarly symbolizes hard times for the Jewish people during the first half, until after the 14th when the nation during the reign of Ahasverus had been saved from Haman’s wicked plots.
According to the Talmud Shabbat 104, where positioning of the letters and its symbolic significance is discussed, the symbolism of the letters of the Jewish calendar telling us something through the sequence in which they appear, our sages see in the sequence גד an abbreviation of the words גומל דלים, “G’d at work in reversing the fate of the poor, (Jews in exile)” The letter ד is understood to refer to the initial subjugation of the Jewish people, whereas the letter ג is understood as the subsequent turn for the better in the fortunes of this people. This is used as a reversal of the normal interpretation of such pairings of letters when the letter that is later in the alphabet appearing first, is considered as a bad omen. It was reserved for G’d to demonstrate that when He, as opposed to astrological factors, i.e. mazzal, is involved, He can reverse the predictions of the astrologers based on idolatry. Besides, we must never forget that even when G’d subjects us to harsh measures, the ultimate objective is to bring about our repentance and subsequent redemption. The Purim story is the best example of this, although it was unique in that not a hair of a single Jew was touched on that occasion, the disaster having been warded off by the people’s repentance in time.
The 12 constellations are represented in the gemstones of the breastplate of the High Priest where they symbolize the 12 tribes of the Jewish people, the holy nation.
The month of Adar corresponds to the tribe of Joseph from whom 2 of the twelve tribes emerged. This is why when there is a need to insert an extra month in the calendar to compensate for the 11 days plus, that the lunar “year” is shorter than the solar year, this month appears in our calendar as both Adar I and Adar II. The appropriate zodiac sign for this month is therefore that of דגים, fish, which are a symbol of fertility as we know from Genesis 48,16 where Yaakov blessed Joseph by predicting that his sons’ offspring would be as numerous as that of fish. Another example of Joseph’s numerous offspring is alluded to in the words בן פרת יוסף “Joseph is a fruitful son.” Genesis 49,22. Just as fish are safe from the evil eye, seeing they are not visible on the earth’s surface, swimming beneath the surface of the oceans, so the Talmud in B’rachot 20 understands the words עלי עין, in the same verse as the protection afforded Joseph’s offspring from the potential damage from the evil eye of people envious of them.
When the letters of the word דג, “fish” are inverted, the result is גד, a word related to מזל in the sense of good fortune. (compare Talmud Shabbat 67) There the sages accuse people who wish themselves “that their mazzal, גד (protective star), not be tired either by day of by night,” as uttering idolatrous phrases. In the case of Joseph, whose two sons were called מנשה and אפרים respectively, the former is an allusion to historically negative phenomena, whereas the word אפרים is symbolic of historically favourable occurrences. Joseph already presaged this when naming his sons (Genesis 41,51-52) when he saw in the birth of his first son a reminder of his years of suffering, whereas he predicted a better future as being associated with the birth of his second son. The month of Adar similarly symbolizes hard times for the Jewish people during the first half, until after the 14th when the nation during the reign of Ahasverus had been saved from Haman’s wicked plots.
According to the Talmud Shabbat 104, where positioning of the letters and its symbolic significance is discussed, the symbolism of the letters of the Jewish calendar telling us something through the sequence in which they appear, our sages see in the sequence גד an abbreviation of the words גומל דלים, “G’d at work in reversing the fate of the poor, (Jews in exile)” The letter ד is understood to refer to the initial subjugation of the Jewish people, whereas the letter ג is understood as the subsequent turn for the better in the fortunes of this people. This is used as a reversal of the normal interpretation of such pairings of letters when the letter that is later in the alphabet appearing first, is considered as a bad omen. It was reserved for G’d to demonstrate that when He, as opposed to astrological factors, i.e. mazzal, is involved, He can reverse the predictions of the astrologers based on idolatry. Besides, we must never forget that even when G’d subjects us to harsh measures, the ultimate objective is to bring about our repentance and subsequent redemption. The Purim story is the best example of this, although it was unique in that not a hair of a single Jew was touched on that occasion, the disaster having been warded off by the people’s repentance in time.
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Kedushat Levi
The author now reverts back to Yaakov’s blessing of Yehudah in Genesis 49,10 where Yaakov said: לא יסור שבט מיהודה ומחוקק מבין רגליו, commonly translated as: “the scepter shall not depart from Yehudah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.” According to our author, if I understood him correctly, a King’s primary concern is the political freedom of the people under his rule and to ensure that they have adequate food supplies. Midrash Tehillim 80,2 alludes to this when it states that the provision of an adequate livelihood is more important than the provision of political freedom, גאולה, as the former is provided by G’d personally, whereas the latter has been entrusted to one of His angels. The author of the Midrash bases himself on Genesis 48,16 where Yaakov commands the “angel” who ensures political freedom, i.e. המלאך הגואל, whereas concerning the provision of adequate food supplies, i.e. livelihood, this is something that G’d personally is involved in, based on David in psalms 145,16 speaking of G’d opening His hand to all living creatures (to supply their needs). In Exodus 23,20 the Torah also writes of the angel that G’d will send ahead of the Jewish people,הנה אנכי שולח מלאך לפניך לשמרך בדרך וגו' , whereas when it came to supplying the manna, the Israelites’ food, no mention is made of an angel being involved. This is also how we must understand Song of Songs 8,10, “then I was in his eyes as someone who has found an abundance of peace.”אז הייתי בעיניו כמוצאת שלום רב. According to the Talmud Pessachim, 87 the composer, Solomon, compares the “bride,” simile for the people of Israel, as feeling secure in the house of her husband, i.e. G’d. In this verse Solomon also distinguishes between the “bride,” and her “breasts” as two different parts of herself, an allusion to the Jewish people either serving the Lord as “recipients,” or as having attained a level where they are entitled to also feel as “donors” vis a vis G’d as we have explained . The bride’s father in law’s house is a simile for the עלמא דנוקבא, whereas when mention is made by the composer of בית אביה, “her father’s house,” this is an allusion to the עלמא דדכורא, “the predominantly masculine domain in the celestial spheres.” When the “human donor” has succeeded to provide his Heavenly Father with joy through the manner in which he serves Him, then, in the words of Rav Chisda, his daughters would provide enduring joy to their husbands.
Having appreciated this concept, we can also understand the verse in which גאולה, “political freedom”, as we termed it earlier, when discussing the comparison made between the relative worth of political freedom and an adequate livelihood in the two verses quoted in Midrash Tehillim, 80,2. This Midrash is based on Bereshit Rabbah 20,9 where two verses are cited, i.e. suggesting that גאולה “redemption” has to occur on two levels. Man has to be redeemed from the repercussions of Adam’s original sin, and we have to be redeemed collectively from the exile in which we have waited for the redeemer for 2000 years.
In the book ראשית חכמה, by the famous Rabbi Eliyahu Vidash, the point is made that due to man’s original sin he had acquired (sustained) a blemish on his soul as an integral part of his being. Just as physical man consists of 248 limbs and 365 tendons, muscular tissue, a total of 613 parts corresponding to the 613 commandments in the written Torah, so there is a parallel division between 248 plus 365 parts in the spiritual part of man, his soul. The “damage” inflicted on our souls is known as חלל. In other words, any sin committed by one of these 613 parts of his body results in commensurate damage, or חלל in his soul. In order to cleanse the soul of these “holes,” it has to spend a period of time in gehinom, purgatory, until this damage has been repaired. This is man’s fate if he has not repented for his sins prior to his death, of course.
When Moses, in Deut. 32,18 says צור ילדך תשי ותשכח אלמחוללך, where the name for G’d as both צור and א-ל is repeated, this is also an allusion to the two types of גאולה, redemption, we need in order to recapture the pure state in which original man had been created. When describing the impending redemption after the people have done teshuvah Moses says:, ושב ה' אלוקיך את שבותך ורחמך ושב וקבצך מכל העמים אשר הפיצך ה' אלוקיך שמה, “and the Lord your G’d will return with your captives and have mercy upon you; and He will return and gather you in from among all the nations that he had scattered you to.” (30,3) The word: ושב, appears to have been repeated twice for no good reason. Actually, this verse alludes to two separate “returns” from “exile,” the physical as well as spiritual exile suffered by the souls. We find that just as when it came to פרנסה, two verses describe that G’d looks after this directly, i.e. for the nourishment of the body as well as that for the soul, so when it comes to “redemption”, a prerequisite for our being able to serve the Lord with maximum devotion, both the body and the damaged soul will be redeemed separately. Alternately, the two verses allude to the concept that G’d is both dispenser of largesse and recipient of the joy and selflessness that some of His creatures display by serve Him.”
Having appreciated this concept, we can also understand the verse in which גאולה, “political freedom”, as we termed it earlier, when discussing the comparison made between the relative worth of political freedom and an adequate livelihood in the two verses quoted in Midrash Tehillim, 80,2. This Midrash is based on Bereshit Rabbah 20,9 where two verses are cited, i.e. suggesting that גאולה “redemption” has to occur on two levels. Man has to be redeemed from the repercussions of Adam’s original sin, and we have to be redeemed collectively from the exile in which we have waited for the redeemer for 2000 years.
In the book ראשית חכמה, by the famous Rabbi Eliyahu Vidash, the point is made that due to man’s original sin he had acquired (sustained) a blemish on his soul as an integral part of his being. Just as physical man consists of 248 limbs and 365 tendons, muscular tissue, a total of 613 parts corresponding to the 613 commandments in the written Torah, so there is a parallel division between 248 plus 365 parts in the spiritual part of man, his soul. The “damage” inflicted on our souls is known as חלל. In other words, any sin committed by one of these 613 parts of his body results in commensurate damage, or חלל in his soul. In order to cleanse the soul of these “holes,” it has to spend a period of time in gehinom, purgatory, until this damage has been repaired. This is man’s fate if he has not repented for his sins prior to his death, of course.
When Moses, in Deut. 32,18 says צור ילדך תשי ותשכח אלמחוללך, where the name for G’d as both צור and א-ל is repeated, this is also an allusion to the two types of גאולה, redemption, we need in order to recapture the pure state in which original man had been created. When describing the impending redemption after the people have done teshuvah Moses says:, ושב ה' אלוקיך את שבותך ורחמך ושב וקבצך מכל העמים אשר הפיצך ה' אלוקיך שמה, “and the Lord your G’d will return with your captives and have mercy upon you; and He will return and gather you in from among all the nations that he had scattered you to.” (30,3) The word: ושב, appears to have been repeated twice for no good reason. Actually, this verse alludes to two separate “returns” from “exile,” the physical as well as spiritual exile suffered by the souls. We find that just as when it came to פרנסה, two verses describe that G’d looks after this directly, i.e. for the nourishment of the body as well as that for the soul, so when it comes to “redemption”, a prerequisite for our being able to serve the Lord with maximum devotion, both the body and the damaged soul will be redeemed separately. Alternately, the two verses allude to the concept that G’d is both dispenser of largesse and recipient of the joy and selflessness that some of His creatures display by serve Him.”
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