창세기 3:29의 Chasidut
Noam Elimelech
And behold, Chava heard the two levels, that are the learning of Torah in any way that it is learned as explained above, and also the rising of the sparks, and so she understood immediately that there is another level which is the complete clinging to the Creator, of Blessed Name, and this is what she said "you shall not eat from it neither shall touch it" (Genesis 3:3) - meaning, touching in this world, that is pausing clinging [to God] unintentionally you should not do, "lest you die" that is, interrupting clinging, since she reasoned that she was also commanded regarding this third level. And in truth, clinging comes directly from the two levels previously mentioned, and she wasn't yet on that level. And the snake that pushed her until she touched it and said "just as you did not die from this touching" (Rashi on Genesis 3:4 and Bereshit Rabbah 19:4) - the explanation is that you do not pause clinging through this, "so too there is no death from eating" meaning, even if you don't eat with the aforementioned intention, to rise [your] spirituality, "you will not die" (Genesis 3:4).
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Noam Elimelech
And behold, Chava heard the two levels, that are the learning of Torah in any way that it is learned as explained above, and also the rising of the sparks, and so she understood immediately that there is another level which is the complete clinging to the Creator, of Blessed Name, and this is what she said "you shall not eat from it neither shall touch it" (Genesis 3:3) - meaning, touching in this world, that is pausing clinging [to God] unintentionally you should not do, "lest you die" that is, interrupting clinging, since she reasoned that she was also commanded regarding this third level. And in truth, clinging comes directly from the two levels previously mentioned, and she wasn't yet on that level. And the snake that pushed her until she touched it and said "just as you did not die from this touching" (Rashi on Genesis 3:4 and Bereshit Rabbah 19:4) - the explanation is that you do not pause clinging through this, "so too there is no death from eating" meaning, even if you don't eat with the aforementioned intention, to rise [your] spirituality, "you will not die" (Genesis 3:4).
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Kedushat Levi
Let us first deal with a question raised by most commentators, i.e. the reason why Moses’ name has not been mentioned in this portion. In Proverbs 10,1 we read בן חכם ישמח אב, “a wise son brings joy to his father.” What precisely is this “wisdom” Solomon speaks of in that verse? Furthermore, what is the nature of “wisdom” that Job speaks of in Job 28,28 where we read הן יראת א-דוני היא חכמה, “here the awe of G’d is wisdom!”
We must remember that the Creator created all the phenomena in all the parts of His universe, and that when His creatures look at the world and realize that they themselves are totally powerless, they look at their own “lives” and are overcome by a feeling of awe for this Creator.
They also realize that the Creator in His wisdom has created phenomena that are direct opposites of one another such as fire and water, night and day, wind (air) and earth. When reflecting on this they realize that even these opposites possess a common denominator, they emerged into existence as an expression of the will of the One and only Creator. It follows that they should perceive themselves as being part of one great whole.
The word הן as explained by Rashi on Genesis 3,22 refers to man in the lower universe being as unique as G’d is unique in the higher universe. In Greek the word for “one, uniformity,” is also “hina” (compare ערוך). Unity in our world is the result of the recognition that we all share the same root. The fear inspired by this realization inspires unity, or at least should inspire unity, the common goal of all of G’d’s creatures being to serve the Creator. The well known verse, (Job 25,2):עושה שלום במרומיו הוא יעשה שלום עלינו וגו', “He who makes peace in His lofty heights may He also make peace among us, etc.;” alludes to the peace in the higher worlds being the result of the creatures in that world having realized that they are all part of the same root, something that alas, we on earth have so far failed to realize, or at least we have failed to let our actions reflect that realization.
Our sages (Bamidbar rabbah 12,7) when commenting on this verse says that the archangel Michael is made of snow whereas the archangel Gavriel is made of fire. In spite of this neither angel causes any harm to his colleague or celestial counterpart.
We must remember that the Creator created all the phenomena in all the parts of His universe, and that when His creatures look at the world and realize that they themselves are totally powerless, they look at their own “lives” and are overcome by a feeling of awe for this Creator.
They also realize that the Creator in His wisdom has created phenomena that are direct opposites of one another such as fire and water, night and day, wind (air) and earth. When reflecting on this they realize that even these opposites possess a common denominator, they emerged into existence as an expression of the will of the One and only Creator. It follows that they should perceive themselves as being part of one great whole.
The word הן as explained by Rashi on Genesis 3,22 refers to man in the lower universe being as unique as G’d is unique in the higher universe. In Greek the word for “one, uniformity,” is also “hina” (compare ערוך). Unity in our world is the result of the recognition that we all share the same root. The fear inspired by this realization inspires unity, or at least should inspire unity, the common goal of all of G’d’s creatures being to serve the Creator. The well known verse, (Job 25,2):עושה שלום במרומיו הוא יעשה שלום עלינו וגו', “He who makes peace in His lofty heights may He also make peace among us, etc.;” alludes to the peace in the higher worlds being the result of the creatures in that world having realized that they are all part of the same root, something that alas, we on earth have so far failed to realize, or at least we have failed to let our actions reflect that realization.
Our sages (Bamidbar rabbah 12,7) when commenting on this verse says that the archangel Michael is made of snow whereas the archangel Gavriel is made of fire. In spite of this neither angel causes any harm to his colleague or celestial counterpart.
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Kedushat Levi
Numbers 22,4. “now this multitude will lick up all that is around us as does the ox licking up the grass of the field, etc.;”
Why did Balak draw a comparison between the encampment of the Israelites and the manner in which oxen denude the soil of its grass cover? Before explaining this it will help to explain Deuteronomy 11,15 where the Torah promises the Israelites that when they observe the Torah once they are on their own soil: ונתתי עשב בשדך לבהמתך ואכלת ושבעת, “I will provide the grass of the field for your beasts and you will eat and be satisfied.” After the first sin G’d had condemned Adam to eating the grass of the field. (Genesis 3,18) We need to remember that whatever man eats is surrounded by commandments of the Torah being fulfilled in the process. Long before the farmer can eat the bread from the corn he grew this corn was subject to a variety of regulations of the Torah that have to be fulfilled first, in order for the farmer not to have been remiss. The farmer had to fulfill commandments relating both to ploughing, such as not having a donkey and an ox pulling the same plough; when seeding the farmer must take care not to seed the same field with a mixture of seeds of different grains, etc., before the tithes and related gifts to the poor, etc., of the actual harvest become applicable. (compare Deut. 22,10 and 9) By performing these various commandments prior to enjoying the result of his labours, the Jewish farmer becomes G’d’s partner in spiritually elevating the “sparks” (of holiness) contained in some of these foods, i.e. rehabilitating parts of G’d’s creation, such as some angels which had been spiritually downgraded through failing to perform their duties.
When man is reduced to eating the grass of the field, i.e. vegetation which grows without human input, he is unable through his eating, i.e. his partaking of G’d’s largesse, to accomplish his own or his environment’s rehabilitation.
This was the negative effect of the curse pronounced by G’d as part of Adam’s punishment, i.e. road to rehabilitation, decreed in Genesis 3,18. [This more than offsets the apparently beneficial effect of picking his food from the ground effortlessly and eating it as is. Ed.]
When the Torah describes the Israelite as “eating and being satiated” in Deuteronomy 11,15, it does not refer to the Israelite eating grass, but to his eating the ox after it has been duly slaughtered, examined for blemishes, its blood having been removed, etc., etc., i.e. numerous commandments having been performed, so that by eating it eventually the party doing so participates in the process of rehabilitating “fallen” sparks. Through this round about manner of man eating grass, i.e. grass which had first been eaten by the ox, he is enabled to participate in the rehabilitation of holy beings that had been demoted from their lofty origins.
In his writings, the Ari’zal has stated that the four basic levels of phenomena in this lower universe in which we mortals live, i.e. the inert, the vegetarian, the animalistic and the articulate, i.e. the human beings, there exist four levels in the universe known in a descending order as atzilut, b’riyah, yetzirah, and assiyah. In other words, the level of the animalistic, or חי, corresponds to the level of בריאה, creatures in the early stage of existence known as בריאה a stage in which this “creature” is distinct from other “existences” on a similar level.
The soul of repentant sinners is in a better position to help rehabilitate converts (who used to be pagans) than is the soul of a person who has always been a true believer in monotheism. The wicked Balak of which our portion speaks, was afraid of Israel because the Israelites had demonstrated their ability to help rehabilitate fallen sinners, i.e. “sparks,” during their journey through the desert, and he hated holiness, as has been alluded to in the line ויקץ מואב מפני בני ישראל, “that Moab was disgusted by the Children of Israel,” i.e. their moral/ethical values. The mere thought of having to be in the presence of holiness, literally caused Balak to puke.
[The root occurs in connection with Rivkah’s telling Yitzchok of being disgusted with her life if Yaakov would marry a daughter of Canaanite descent as had his twin brother Esau. (Genesis 27,45) Ed.]
According to Ari z’al what bothered Balak most, was the fact that during their wanderings the converts had been most successful in rehabilitating these “fallen” sinners, “sparks” and that is why the Torah describes this עם, i.e. the converts of the Jewish people as being רב, a major component of the people who rehabilitated sinners. He feared them more than the natural born Israelites, i.e. ויגר מואב מפני העם מאד, “Moab feared the newly converted Israelites very much.” The reason was that רב הוא, they were such a powerful influence in rehabilitating pagans. The Moabites were not nearly as afraid of the בני ישראל, the natural born Israelites being able to attract as many converts.
In Balak’s eyes it was as despicable to be an Israelite as it had been in the eyes of the new King over Egypt and his nation in Exodus1,8-12.
Moreover, he was aware that if his people would come into contact with other recent Jewish converts, the influence of those converts who had themselves come closer to G’d through joining the Jewish people, would be powerful enough for them to elevate Moabite converts to the highest spiritual level of life on earth, i.e. the level of בריאה. Referring back to the 4 spiritual levels of existence in the physical part of the universe, spiritual ascent, when it occurs, proceeds to the next higher level, the level of בריאה being the one corresponding to חי, the level of animalistic creatures. This is hinted at by Balak when he compared the people to the animals eating grass, i.e. כלחוך השור את ירק השדה.
Why did Balak draw a comparison between the encampment of the Israelites and the manner in which oxen denude the soil of its grass cover? Before explaining this it will help to explain Deuteronomy 11,15 where the Torah promises the Israelites that when they observe the Torah once they are on their own soil: ונתתי עשב בשדך לבהמתך ואכלת ושבעת, “I will provide the grass of the field for your beasts and you will eat and be satisfied.” After the first sin G’d had condemned Adam to eating the grass of the field. (Genesis 3,18) We need to remember that whatever man eats is surrounded by commandments of the Torah being fulfilled in the process. Long before the farmer can eat the bread from the corn he grew this corn was subject to a variety of regulations of the Torah that have to be fulfilled first, in order for the farmer not to have been remiss. The farmer had to fulfill commandments relating both to ploughing, such as not having a donkey and an ox pulling the same plough; when seeding the farmer must take care not to seed the same field with a mixture of seeds of different grains, etc., before the tithes and related gifts to the poor, etc., of the actual harvest become applicable. (compare Deut. 22,10 and 9) By performing these various commandments prior to enjoying the result of his labours, the Jewish farmer becomes G’d’s partner in spiritually elevating the “sparks” (of holiness) contained in some of these foods, i.e. rehabilitating parts of G’d’s creation, such as some angels which had been spiritually downgraded through failing to perform their duties.
When man is reduced to eating the grass of the field, i.e. vegetation which grows without human input, he is unable through his eating, i.e. his partaking of G’d’s largesse, to accomplish his own or his environment’s rehabilitation.
This was the negative effect of the curse pronounced by G’d as part of Adam’s punishment, i.e. road to rehabilitation, decreed in Genesis 3,18. [This more than offsets the apparently beneficial effect of picking his food from the ground effortlessly and eating it as is. Ed.]
When the Torah describes the Israelite as “eating and being satiated” in Deuteronomy 11,15, it does not refer to the Israelite eating grass, but to his eating the ox after it has been duly slaughtered, examined for blemishes, its blood having been removed, etc., etc., i.e. numerous commandments having been performed, so that by eating it eventually the party doing so participates in the process of rehabilitating “fallen” sparks. Through this round about manner of man eating grass, i.e. grass which had first been eaten by the ox, he is enabled to participate in the rehabilitation of holy beings that had been demoted from their lofty origins.
In his writings, the Ari’zal has stated that the four basic levels of phenomena in this lower universe in which we mortals live, i.e. the inert, the vegetarian, the animalistic and the articulate, i.e. the human beings, there exist four levels in the universe known in a descending order as atzilut, b’riyah, yetzirah, and assiyah. In other words, the level of the animalistic, or חי, corresponds to the level of בריאה, creatures in the early stage of existence known as בריאה a stage in which this “creature” is distinct from other “existences” on a similar level.
The soul of repentant sinners is in a better position to help rehabilitate converts (who used to be pagans) than is the soul of a person who has always been a true believer in monotheism. The wicked Balak of which our portion speaks, was afraid of Israel because the Israelites had demonstrated their ability to help rehabilitate fallen sinners, i.e. “sparks,” during their journey through the desert, and he hated holiness, as has been alluded to in the line ויקץ מואב מפני בני ישראל, “that Moab was disgusted by the Children of Israel,” i.e. their moral/ethical values. The mere thought of having to be in the presence of holiness, literally caused Balak to puke.
[The root occurs in connection with Rivkah’s telling Yitzchok of being disgusted with her life if Yaakov would marry a daughter of Canaanite descent as had his twin brother Esau. (Genesis 27,45) Ed.]
According to Ari z’al what bothered Balak most, was the fact that during their wanderings the converts had been most successful in rehabilitating these “fallen” sinners, “sparks” and that is why the Torah describes this עם, i.e. the converts of the Jewish people as being רב, a major component of the people who rehabilitated sinners. He feared them more than the natural born Israelites, i.e. ויגר מואב מפני העם מאד, “Moab feared the newly converted Israelites very much.” The reason was that רב הוא, they were such a powerful influence in rehabilitating pagans. The Moabites were not nearly as afraid of the בני ישראל, the natural born Israelites being able to attract as many converts.
In Balak’s eyes it was as despicable to be an Israelite as it had been in the eyes of the new King over Egypt and his nation in Exodus1,8-12.
Moreover, he was aware that if his people would come into contact with other recent Jewish converts, the influence of those converts who had themselves come closer to G’d through joining the Jewish people, would be powerful enough for them to elevate Moabite converts to the highest spiritual level of life on earth, i.e. the level of בריאה. Referring back to the 4 spiritual levels of existence in the physical part of the universe, spiritual ascent, when it occurs, proceeds to the next higher level, the level of בריאה being the one corresponding to חי, the level of animalistic creatures. This is hinted at by Balak when he compared the people to the animals eating grass, i.e. כלחוך השור את ירק השדה.
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Likutei Halakhot
And this corresponds to Rosh Hashanah, to the blowing of the shofar, which is the aspect of arousal from sleep. As is brought in the Kabbalistic texts, Rosh Hashanah corresponds to sleep, and the shofar representes arousal from sleep, since, "The whole world was created in Tishri" (Rosh Hashanah 10b). This is the aspect of disorder, Tav-Shin-Resh-Kuf, and when disorder is aroused, you must submerge yourself completely in sleep, which corresponds to the sleep of night. Rosh Hashanah is the first day of the Ten Days of Repentance, and the essence of repentance is to repent from haughtiness, humbling oneself and truly sensing one's lowliness and unworthiness. As our Sages said, "One self-chastisement is greater than one hundred floggings" (Berachot 7a), and, "He forgives transgression for the remainder" (Micah 7:18) - "to the one who makes himself a remainder" (Rosh Hashanah 17b). Therefore the essence of repentance is humility and humbleness, for all sins arise from disorder, from separating the Malchut and possessing it with haughtiness. That is the source of all judgments, to which the evil inclination and the forces of evil are attached, from which all sins arise. The holy books speak about haughtiness being the cause of all sins, since, "Whoever is haughty is as if he worshiped idols" (Sotah 4b), and, "Whoever acknowledges idolatry is as if he denied the entire Torah" (Chullin 5a). We find, all sins come through haughtiness, G-d forbid, for haughtiness separates disorder from order, which is the cause of all sins. Therefore, the essence of repentance for all sins is humbleness, making yourself as dust to be tread upon, sensing your lowliness and distance from Hashem, lowering yourself and breaking your heart before Hashem. That is how G-d will forgive a person, as written, "G-d will not scorn a broken and oppressed heart" (Ps. 51:19), and "Who forgives transgression for a remainder" - "for one who makes himself as a remainder". This is because humility and humbleness, one makes himself as Mah, as nothing and naught. In this way, one returns to order, represented by Mah, through which all judgments, which correspond to sins, disappear. Therefore, on Rosh Hashanah, which is the first day of the Ten Days of Repentance, the first day of Adam's creation, we must "sleep" - we must completely submerge ourselves as if we have no knowledge at all, but only cry out to G-d and declare Him King, in complete sincerity, without sophistication. On Rosh Hashanah Adam and Eve were created, corresponding to order and disorder. It was their task to rectify all the worlds, representing disorder, into order, to bring 'Eve' into 'Adam'. Had they done that, everything would have been brought into order, without any suffering and judgments, which represent disorder. But they blemished with their sin, and in doing so, they separated disorder from order, for their main sin was haughtiness, 'I shall rule', which was the essence of the Primordial Serpent's enticement, as written, "For G-d knows that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will be open and you shall be like G-d" (Gen. 3:5). As our Sages said, "It told them, 'Every craftsman hates his fellow craftsman - G-d ate from this tree and created all the worlds'" (Genesis Rabbah 19:4). In other words, he aroused jealousy in them and a desire to rule: 'you shall be like G-d' - 'creators of worlds', as if to say, 'Why should you subdue yourselves to Him? If you eat from the Tree of Knowledge, you will be a Gd and a King just like Him!' All this is the aspect of 'I shall rule', in that one desires to draw Malchut/Kingship to oneself, and then everything gets in disorder, for the person himself is in disorder. That is why all generations of mankind became destined to die, for they had blemished order, corresponding to wisdom, the source of all sustenance, as in, "Wisdom sustains life" (Kohelet 7:12), as in, "Mah is our life?". With their blemish, they separated themselves from order, from wisdom, from Mah, the main source of sustenance, and death as opposed to life was the inevitable result. Their blemish also caused everything to become disordered, represented by all the blemishes and decrees that were a result of their sin, as written, "With toil you shall eat of it...thorn and thistle will grow for you" (Gen. 3:17-18), upon which Rashi comments, "When you plant wheat, the earth will give forth thorn and thistle". All this corresponds to the disorder they caused with their sin, which was haughtiness, 'I shall rule', which caused all things to become disordered, since they had evoked disorder upon themselves with their sin. Not only did they not rectify, elevate and refine the world of the judgments that are attached to disorder, bringing everything into order, which is what they were supposed to do on the day they were created - for elevating the entire world to its source, merging disorder into order, was the very purpose for which Adam and Eve were created - but they caused great damage with their sin. The serpent first entices Eve, since she represents disorder, from which the forces of evil derive their power. The rectification should have been by merging disorder into order, by Eve being subservient to Adam, but the serpent overpowered Eve, representing disorder, enticing her to separate 'Eve' from 'Adam', disorder from order, so that Adam would follow Eve's will, so that disorder would rule over order. But they immediately repented and began rectifying everything, a rectification that would not be completed until the coming of the Messiah.
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Likutei Halakhot
And this corresponds to Rosh Hashanah, to the blowing of the shofar, which is the aspect of arousal from sleep. As is brought in the Kabbalistic texts, Rosh Hashanah corresponds to sleep, and the shofar representes arousal from sleep, since, "The whole world was created in Tishri" (Rosh Hashanah 10b). This is the aspect of disorder, Tav-Shin-Resh-Kuf, and when disorder is aroused, you must submerge yourself completely in sleep, which corresponds to the sleep of night. Rosh Hashanah is the first day of the Ten Days of Repentance, and the essence of repentance is to repent from haughtiness, humbling oneself and truly sensing one's lowliness and unworthiness. As our Sages said, "One self-chastisement is greater than one hundred floggings" (Berachot 7a), and, "He forgives transgression for the remainder" (Micah 7:18) - "to the one who makes himself a remainder" (Rosh Hashanah 17b). Therefore the essence of repentance is humility and humbleness, for all sins arise from disorder, from separating the Malchut and possessing it with haughtiness. That is the source of all judgments, to which the evil inclination and the forces of evil are attached, from which all sins arise. The holy books speak about haughtiness being the cause of all sins, since, "Whoever is haughty is as if he worshiped idols" (Sotah 4b), and, "Whoever acknowledges idolatry is as if he denied the entire Torah" (Chullin 5a). We find, all sins come through haughtiness, G-d forbid, for haughtiness separates disorder from order, which is the cause of all sins. Therefore, the essence of repentance for all sins is humbleness, making yourself as dust to be tread upon, sensing your lowliness and distance from Hashem, lowering yourself and breaking your heart before Hashem. That is how G-d will forgive a person, as written, "G-d will not scorn a broken and oppressed heart" (Ps. 51:19), and "Who forgives transgression for a remainder" - "for one who makes himself as a remainder". This is because humility and humbleness, one makes himself as Mah, as nothing and naught. In this way, one returns to order, represented by Mah, through which all judgments, which correspond to sins, disappear. Therefore, on Rosh Hashanah, which is the first day of the Ten Days of Repentance, the first day of Adam's creation, we must "sleep" - we must completely submerge ourselves as if we have no knowledge at all, but only cry out to G-d and declare Him King, in complete sincerity, without sophistication. On Rosh Hashanah Adam and Eve were created, corresponding to order and disorder. It was their task to rectify all the worlds, representing disorder, into order, to bring 'Eve' into 'Adam'. Had they done that, everything would have been brought into order, without any suffering and judgments, which represent disorder. But they blemished with their sin, and in doing so, they separated disorder from order, for their main sin was haughtiness, 'I shall rule', which was the essence of the Primordial Serpent's enticement, as written, "For G-d knows that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will be open and you shall be like G-d" (Gen. 3:5). As our Sages said, "It told them, 'Every craftsman hates his fellow craftsman - G-d ate from this tree and created all the worlds'" (Genesis Rabbah 19:4). In other words, he aroused jealousy in them and a desire to rule: 'you shall be like G-d' - 'creators of worlds', as if to say, 'Why should you subdue yourselves to Him? If you eat from the Tree of Knowledge, you will be a Gd and a King just like Him!' All this is the aspect of 'I shall rule', in that one desires to draw Malchut/Kingship to oneself, and then everything gets in disorder, for the person himself is in disorder. That is why all generations of mankind became destined to die, for they had blemished order, corresponding to wisdom, the source of all sustenance, as in, "Wisdom sustains life" (Kohelet 7:12), as in, "Mah is our life?". With their blemish, they separated themselves from order, from wisdom, from Mah, the main source of sustenance, and death as opposed to life was the inevitable result. Their blemish also caused everything to become disordered, represented by all the blemishes and decrees that were a result of their sin, as written, "With toil you shall eat of it...thorn and thistle will grow for you" (Gen. 3:17-18), upon which Rashi comments, "When you plant wheat, the earth will give forth thorn and thistle". All this corresponds to the disorder they caused with their sin, which was haughtiness, 'I shall rule', which caused all things to become disordered, since they had evoked disorder upon themselves with their sin. Not only did they not rectify, elevate and refine the world of the judgments that are attached to disorder, bringing everything into order, which is what they were supposed to do on the day they were created - for elevating the entire world to its source, merging disorder into order, was the very purpose for which Adam and Eve were created - but they caused great damage with their sin. The serpent first entices Eve, since she represents disorder, from which the forces of evil derive their power. The rectification should have been by merging disorder into order, by Eve being subservient to Adam, but the serpent overpowered Eve, representing disorder, enticing her to separate 'Eve' from 'Adam', disorder from order, so that Adam would follow Eve's will, so that disorder would rule over order. But they immediately repented and began rectifying everything, a rectification that would not be completed until the coming of the Messiah.
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Flames of Faith
For you are dust and to dust you shall return (Gen. 3:19).
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Me'or Einayim
But this is not true of the Nations of the World, who remain in smallness and materiality; and therefore our Sages of Blessed Memory said about Balaam, “He does not even know how to divine the mind of his animal!” (Berakhot 7a), and it is understood. A person is created small — in small mind — and yet the Holy Blessed One’s intention in creating humanity was to serve [God], so why did [God] create him initially without mind, without awareness to serve [God]? But this is also for the previously stated reason, for wisdom has the advantage over folly (Ecclesiastes 2:13), and darkness yearns to merge into light (Zohar 1:17a). For smallness is considered “feminine” with respect to greatness, Your desire shall be for your husband (Gen. 3:16). The feminine awakens longing in the groom; the person is initially in the aspect of smallness and afterward, when he comes into great mind, he attaches everything — even the smallness — to greatness and he has the aspect of “coupling.” And that is [the meaning of the verse], as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (Isaiah 62:5), and it will be clarified elsewhere. And it is impossible to come to the light of greatness immediately, therefore smallness comes first. And that is the second interpretation [of the question], “Why do goats [izzim],” which means a person’s arrogance [azzut], “walk in front.” That is to say, smallness comes to a person first; and the answer is “According to the creation of the world, which at first was dark” etc. as was stated. And that is [the meaning of the verse] And God called the light Day etc. — just as there is no day without night, just so there was evening, which is the smallness first, and afterward there was morning, the great mind that inspects his deeds. One day: they are made into a single unity. And this is the general order according to which every person should walk, that upon arriving at thirteen years awareness should enter him. “Awareness” connotes attachment from the lower level to the upper; and that is complete awareness along the lines of Return, wayward children (Jeremiah 3:22), which is to say things that have been made wayward as in he went wayward in the way of his heart (Isaiah 57:17), return and attach together. However, there are those who do not merit awareness even at thirteen years, and they are called “small.” And a person who has no awareness is seduced after his Inclination; and that is the meaning of the seduction that is written in the Torah, in the incident of Potiphar and Joseph. And one must save oneself as Joseph saved himself. And my Teacher, may he be remembered for life in the World to Come, commented on what [our Sages] of Blessed Memory said, that he saw a vision of his father’s image (Sotah 36b) and the clothes that she wore for him in the morning she did not wear for him in the evening (Yoma 35b): but Joseph gazed at the source of beauty and glorification — from where does it come? For the essence of glorification is God’s life-force, which is the characteristic of Jacob, Splendor. And that is [the meaning of] “a vision of his father’s image;” and we find that each person needs to do so.
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Kedushat Levi
Another way of understanding the verse of וירא אלוקים את בני ישראל וידע אלוקים, helps us explain a verse in Chabakuk 3,2 ה' פעלך קרב שנים חייהו בקרב שנם תודיע ברוגז רחם תזכור, “Oh Lord I have learned of Your renown; I am awed O Lord by Your deeds. Renew them in these years. O make them known in these years! Though angry, may You remember compassion.” The verse may be best understood by means of a parable. A poor man requests that a wealthy man grant his request as he knows that it is within the rich man’s power to grant same, and that once the rich man seriously considers the sorry state the poor man is in he will not be able to deny his cry for assistance. The Jewish people when in pain and in need, turn to G’d, as they are well aware that He has the power to help them. Because they are aware of this, it is their duty to keep this factor in mind and to turn to G’d in prayer. Moreover, the very word תפלה, “usually translated as “prayer,” is a word which expresses התחברות, a close association, joining together. We know this from Genesis 3,8 when Rachel called her second son by proxy (Bilhah) נפתלי, indicating that she felt that G’d had come closer to her, and that she was comparable to her sister now. Following the Jewish people’s first recorded prayer to G’d during over 80 years of enslavement, G’d immediately responded by coming closer to His chosen people and going about appointing their redeemer, Moses. The word וידע אלוקים was chosen therefore to remind us of this term used by the Torah when Adam for the first time had marital relations with Chavah, or as the Torah says elsewhere, “man and wife are to become one flesh.” (Genesis 3,24) [The author quotes Genesis 4,25, but my quote, I think is even more appropriate. Ed.] The words בקרב שנים in the verse from Chabakuk above, mean that “pain” is something that exists only in our world, a world that is limited in space and time. In regions that are not influenced by time, i.e. celestial regions, there is no such thing as pain, suffering, etc.; G’d now being in a relationship of וידע, i.e. establishing close contact with His people, their pain and suffering will come to an end as a result of their coming closer to these regions of the universe.
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Kedushat Levi
Another way of understanding the verse of וירא אלוקים את בני ישראל וידע אלוקים, helps us explain a verse in Chabakuk 3,2 ה' פעלך קרב שנים חייהו בקרב שנם תודיע ברוגז רחם תזכור, “Oh Lord I have learned of Your renown; I am awed O Lord by Your deeds. Renew them in these years. O make them known in these years! Though angry, may You remember compassion.” The verse may be best understood by means of a parable. A poor man requests that a wealthy man grant his request as he knows that it is within the rich man’s power to grant same, and that once the rich man seriously considers the sorry state the poor man is in he will not be able to deny his cry for assistance. The Jewish people when in pain and in need, turn to G’d, as they are well aware that He has the power to help them. Because they are aware of this, it is their duty to keep this factor in mind and to turn to G’d in prayer. Moreover, the very word תפלה, “usually translated as “prayer,” is a word which expresses התחברות, a close association, joining together. We know this from Genesis 3,8 when Rachel called her second son by proxy (Bilhah) נפתלי, indicating that she felt that G’d had come closer to her, and that she was comparable to her sister now. Following the Jewish people’s first recorded prayer to G’d during over 80 years of enslavement, G’d immediately responded by coming closer to His chosen people and going about appointing their redeemer, Moses. The word וידע אלוקים was chosen therefore to remind us of this term used by the Torah when Adam for the first time had marital relations with Chavah, or as the Torah says elsewhere, “man and wife are to become one flesh.” (Genesis 3,24) [The author quotes Genesis 4,25, but my quote, I think is even more appropriate. Ed.] The words בקרב שנים in the verse from Chabakuk above, mean that “pain” is something that exists only in our world, a world that is limited in space and time. In regions that are not influenced by time, i.e. celestial regions, there is no such thing as pain, suffering, etc.; G’d now being in a relationship of וידע, i.e. establishing close contact with His people, their pain and suffering will come to an end as a result of their coming closer to these regions of the universe.
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Sefat Emet
This verse make these afflictions depend upon the skin. This is based on the verse that says: "...the Lord God fashioned garments of skin for the man and his wife and God dressed them." (Genesis 3:21) The Midrash refers to a distinction between the "garments of skin" and "garments of light." It was because of sin that they came to be garbed in this coarse clothing, the skin of the snake. All of corporeality derives from there. Previously, they were in a spiritual state, as is said of the future. At the giving of the Torah, too, Israel were ready for this state. That is why it says of Moses that the skin of his face shone. (Exodus 34:29) He so redeemed "skin" that he was lit up through the shining speculum. But we did not remain at that rung. Therefore, the afflictions reappeared; the Midrash teaches that it was sin that made us again impaired. It is also known, however, that the skin is porous, containing many tiny holes. These allow the light to shine through its "shells." Only sin clogs up those pores, so that "darkness covers the earth." (Isaiah 60:2) That is why "the leprous affliction" is translated [into Aramaic] as segiru or "closing." Now we also understand why the purification rites are assigned to Aaron and his sons the priests; it was they who set right the sin of the Golden Calf.
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Kedushat Levi
Genesis 25,28. “Yitzchok loved Esau for he had a taste for game;” (normal translation). Our author, following a kabbalistic approach demonstrated ever since his approach to Genesis 3,1 (page 22) where he referred to certain sparks that fell off the Shechinah and landed somewhere in our world, has considered it the task and intense desire of the tzaddik to snare (hunt and capture) some of these 88 sparks of the Divine and make them his own in order to restore them to their origin. Accordingly, Yitzchok views Esau as in pursuit of this valuable “game,” hoping that his son Esau, the hunter, could help him in his quest. Although he was aware that Esau’s “hunting” was concerned with physical bounty, he hoped to sublimate his skills to pursuing something more spiritual by teaching him Torah, thus elevating him spiritually. After all, according to our tradition, the souls of famous converts to Judaism such as Shemayah and Avtalyon as well as the great scholar Rabbi Meir, are all reported to be descendants of Esau’s soul. There are more such “sparks” to be found on this planet until the messiah will come. (Sanhedrin 96)
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Likutei Halakhot
This corresponds to the 4 cups of wine at the Passover Seder. Wine has two parts, as our Rabbis Z"L said, "if a person is worthy it makes him a head and if he is not worthy it makes him a poor person". Yoma 76b. This means that a person's knowledge is elevated by the wine, and being that the essence of knowledge is the revelation of providence, knowledge of providence is enhanced by drinking wine and one becomes a 'head'. But when a person is not worthy, the opposite happens and one becomes poor, for the true pauper is he who lacks knowledge, which is the main cause of material poverty. When a person lacks knowledge of providence, which is the essence of knowledge, this causes poverty, as in, "you shall eat it with despair" (Genesis 3:17), representing oppression and poverty that come on account of the blemish of eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which corresponds to natural sciences. Furthermore, nature corresponds to darkness and night, corresponding to the blemish of the moon, which is the root source of poverty, as is known. Wine is therefore comprised of both elements: it brings on sleep, which corresponds to nature, which corresponds to night and sleep, and when one is worthy, it arouses from sleep, as in, "your pallet is like good wine which makes the lips of the sleeping speak". Song of songs 7:10. Good wine, which comes from the realm of holiness, arouses a person from sleep, represented by speech. During sleep, speech disappears, while good wine arouses from sleep and evokes speech, which comes from knowledge, as in 'makes the lips of the sleeping speak', which corresponds to providence, corresponding to the arousal from sleep. And since wine is comprised of both elements, when a person is worthy it represents knowledge, Providence, as in, "wine that makes glad", corresponding to the world of the future, as in "wine makes glad" (Psalms 104:15). And when one is not worthy it is an intoxicating wine, which confuses knowledge and errs with natural sciences, which corresponds to sleep. Therefore wine must be carefully guarded from the touch of a non-Jew, more than anything else. Nothing else in the world besides wine becomes forbidden by the touch of a non-Jew. As soon as a non-Jew touches wine, and touch is with the hands, the wine is drawn into the realm of nature, which corresponds to the non-Jew, since the wine itself is comprised of both aspects. Therefore a non-Jew, who corresponds to nature, makes the wine impure with the touch of his hand, for the wine is immediately drawn into the realm of nature, and is therefore unsuitable for a Jew, who is above nature, and whose food and drink should be holy, since the knowledge of providence is drawn through food and drink. Therefore, the blemish of the wine is specifically by their touch with the hands, for the blemish of the knowledge of providence is mainly through a blemish of the hands, of the 28 phalanges of the hands, which correspond to the 28 letters of creation. The hands of the non-Jews though, are the opposite of this, and are in the category of "the hands are the hands of Esau" (Genesis 27:22), corresponding to the mistaken belief in nature, corresponding to "my power and the might of my hand", and therefore wine is blemished by the hand of a non-Jew. This forbidden wine is then in the category of the mistaken belief in natural sciences, which corresponds to sleep. This is alluded to in the word Nesekh, נֶסֶךְ, the term for forbidden wine, as in, "For G-d Nasakh נָסַךְ (poured) a spirit of slumber" (Isaiah 29:10), which refers to stargazers who have a mistaken belief in the constellations. Therefore at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, when Providence was revealed, it is a commandment to drink 4 cups of wine, for wine is then in the category of 'if one is worthy the one becomes a head', for now at the Passover Seder, knowledge is elevated and providence is greatly revealed through the wine, for G-d drew Providence and broke the night, the sleep, as in "around midnight I will go out within Egypt". Wine is then in the category of 'wine makes glad' and a person is able to speak and tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt on this night, by means of the wine as in 'wine makes the lips of the sleeping speak'. This corresponds to "song is only recited on wine". Berachot 35b. For all songs are drawn from the world of the future, when song will be aroused in the world, as stated in the holy Zohar III 286b, as in, "Then Moses will sing". Exodus 15:1. It does not say 'sang', in the past tense, but 'will sing' in the future, teaching us that he will sing in the world of the future. Sanhedrin 91b. This is because the essence of song comes from the world of the future, when Moses will sing, for song will then be aroused in the world. This is the source of all songs - song in this world over miracles, for all miracles come about by G-d drawing providence from the end of the world, from the world of the future, into this world. And when a miracle takes place, we draw song from the world of the future into this world, which is all the songs for the miracles that we sing. Therefore, song is only recited over wine, for wine will then be absorbed into holiness, corresponding to knowledge of providence, for the essence of song is drawing providence, which is the song for the miracle, into this world, which is why song should be over wine. This is represented by the 4 cups of wine at the Passover Seder, corresponding to the Four Kingdoms. When wine is absorbed into holiness, corresponding to Providence, all exiles of the Four Kingdoms are subdued, for their main power is through nature, and by means of the Providence that is revealed by the knowledge that is drawn by the 4 cups of wine, they are all eliminated.
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Kedushat Levi
An alternative explanation of G’d’s directive to take along provisions. [The following is based on the Torah choosing the word מאכל instead of the customary word אוכל, for food. Ed.] (Compare Genesis 41,35; 41,48; 42,7 et al) By using the causative mode, מאכל as in מאכיל, the Torah suggests that G’d made it Noach’s task to feed others, primarily the animals, of course. When understanding the word מאכל in this way, a commentary by Bereshit Rabbah 19,12 becomes clearer. Rabbi Abahu there draws our attention to Adam when challenged by G’d (Genesis 3,12) if he came by the knowledge that he was nude because he had eaten from the tree that G’d had forbidden him to eat, having said: האשה אשר נתת עמדי הוא נתנה לי מן העץ ואכל, “the woman that You have given me to be my mate, she gave me from the tree vaochel”. Adam used the future tense when describing his having eaten instead of saying אכלתי, “I ate.” The author of the midrash sees in this Adam’s implied promise to repair whatever damage he had done by eating the forbidden fruit, by in future pronouncing a blessing before partaking of anything that G’d put at man’s disposal in this universe. He hoped to undo any harm his eating from the tree of knowledge had done. When Adam’s eating from the tree is looked at in this light, he had indeed “fed” the human beings that were born after him, by bequeathing them a world that they could call their own. This was confirmed by G’d at the moment when He told Noach קח לך מכל מאכל אשר יאכל, “Take for yourself of all the food that is fit to be eaten.” Noach’s taking with him all the animals into the ark set the stage for man’s being permitted to eat the meat of animals after they had died and become fit as food. This is also the allusion contained in Yoel 2,26 ואכלתם אכול, “and you will eat your fill (and praise the name of the Lord).” The repetition of the word אכול is the veiled reference to Adam’s having been responsible for all this in a constructive sense. [This editor views this midrash as especially inspiring, as it suggests that Adam himself “invented” the principle of the punishment having to fit the crime. Ed.]
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Likutei Halakhot
And this is the aspect of Hashem Yithbarakh's extolling Kenesseth Yisrael (Song 7), “Your navel is like a round goblet that lacks no mingled wine,” and our Rabbis z”l explained (Sanh. 37) regarding the seventy Sanhedrin who sat in a semicircle like the moon etc. “Your navel” is the aspect of the tefillin straps which descend from the head knot to the navel, which is drawn from the aspect of the kingship of David-Mashiach who is live and enduring, who is the aspect of the head knot as mentioned, as from there is drawn the strap unto the navel which is the aspect of “your navel like a round goblet,” the aspect of the seventy Sanhedrin who correspond to the seventy facets of the Torah, where David sat at the head, as our Rabbis z”l explained (brought in Rashi) on the verse, “Yoshev-Basheveth a Tachkemonite, head” etc. (2 Sam 23), for all the seventy Sanhedrin who are the aspect of the seventy faces of the Torah all receive from David-Mashiach, as all his vitality is from the aspect of the aforementioned elders, who are the aspect of Tiqunei Diqna Qadisha, the aspect of honoring the face, the aspect of Stories of Ancient Times, as all the seventy faces of the Torah are drawn from them, as explained in the Torah “Pathach R' Shim`on” (LM #60), see there; as thereby one can wake up from sleep, which is the absence of the brains. And by means of these elders, the aspect of the stories, are drawn all the seventy faces of the Torah and we wake up from sleep. Which, this is is the aspect of the seventy years that David a”h lived. And therefore he minimized sleep to the utmost, as our Rabbis z”l said (Sukkah 26), that David never slept sixty breaths, so as to not taste the taste of death. For sleep is one sixtieth of death, which is drawn from Adam haRishon's mistake, by eating from the Tree of Knowledge Good-and-Bad and blemishing the Tree of Life which is the aspect of the light of the tefillin, as is brought. For tefillin are the aspect of life, the aspect of the Tree of Life, of which is said (Gen. 3), “And he eat and live forever). And by causing this damage, death was decreed on him for generations. But actually, after the mistake, death and sleep are a great benefit, for had Adam not erred he would have attained true life which is everlasting life, long life, whilst still in the body, that is, in his body he would have been able to be included in the Ein Sof forever, running and returning, and live long life, that is, renewing his vitality forever, in the aspect of renewing life of the Highest Elder, who is the Blind One, who lived long life, as he is forever old and forever infantile etc. as mentioned. But after the mistake and having eaten from the Tree of Knowledge Good-and-Bad and being driven from Gan `Eden and the Serpent's filth taking grip on his body, the aspect of the “Serpent's bite,” it is impossible for him to live long life in his body forever. And it is impossible to attain everlasting life except by death, which is a great benefit, as written (Gen 1), “And behold, good me'od” — this is death (Ber. Rab. 9), for by means of death which is sleep, his brain is renewed. And then his body and life are renewed, and then he comes back to life in a body clean and pure that is entirely cleaned and purified of the Serpent's filth. And then he will attain receiving new brains in the aspect of tefillin, the Tree of Life, which are the aspect of long life he will attain then. That is, then he will attain living such life forever, as at all times life and brains will be added to him, until the older he gets, the more he will attain beginning anew. Which this is the aspect of the Blind Elder, which this is the essence of everlasting life that whoever attains will attain in the future to come. For constant delight is no delight and is not called true life, but rather when one attains living new life at all times, and this is the aspect of long life, everlasting life, that the tzaddikim will attain in the future after revival of the dead, that is, the aforementioned aspect, as they will attain renewing their life at all times, which this is the aspect of tefillin as mentioned.
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Kedushat Levi
This is a good opportunity to explain the question of Eliezer, Avraham’s foremost servant, and the answer he received from Avraham. Prior to the battle against the mightiest kings of the Orient and Occident undertaken in order to rescue Avraham’s nephew Lot from captivity, the sages quote Eliezer as having been asked how he killed the soldiers of all these kings. He told the questioners that Avraham told him to take clods of earth and to throw them in their direction. If he would do this, the earth clods would turn into arrows. [While the story in Bereshit rabbah 43,3 is similar, the common feature is that earth would turn into either swords or arrows. Ed.]
The question we must ask is why this miracle had to be performed by means of clods of earth. Why could some other vehicle in nature not have served G’d for the same purpose? We hope to explain this by referring to how David conquered the nations against whom he went to war.
Let us remember that when David found himself in need of vanquishing his enemies, he himself was attached closely to the attribute known as אין, [the eyn sof, essence of G’d. Ed.] He was conscious of the fact that all parts of his life, including his body, i.e. the ability of the living to move at will, were a part of Divinity. [Compare Tikkuney Hazohar Tikkun 1) This means that there is no single spot in the universe that is not permeated by some aspect of Divinity. In fact, if one were to find any part of the universe devoid of a spark of Divinity, such a part would be totally devoid of “Life.” be it human, animal vegetable or even the kind of life with which inert bodies such as the planets are equipped. Ed.] The author refers to his commentary on Deuteronomy 32,39 on the words כי אני אני הוא, “that I, I am He,” where G’d makes the point that neither man nor any of the various categories of angels, such as שרפים, חיות, אופנים are able to say of themselves that אני הוא, “it is I,” when speaking to one another.
The word אני, when used by a person, suggests that he is a person of substance, [in the sense of a physical presence, an independent personality, Ed.] In other words, by using that word when referring to himself, the speaker invites the person whom he addresses to regard him as someone of substance, of importance.
When we consider such a statement and reflect upon it, we realize that such a person wishes to convey to those opposite him that his very existence, חיות, his being alive, is something that he is in control of. What greater lie could he possibly convey than this false impression, seeing that not only does he not control other people’s lives, but he is not even in control of the next minute of his own life! Seeing that his own life is in the hands of his Creator, how could he arrogate to himself the right to speak of himself in terms of being an אני? We now understand why Moses quoted G’d in Deuteronomy 32,39 as saying ראו עתה כי אני אני הוא ואין אלוקים עמדי, “See then that I, I am He; there is no god beside Me.” What G’d is saying there is nothing other than that no-one but He is entitled to refer to himself as אני “I.” If a human being were (mistakenly) to describe himself as אני, he would in fact credit a “nothing” with such a grandiose title.
When we described this word as alluding to the Divine attribute of אין, the absolute disembodied essence of G’d, we also refer indirectly to the essentially disembodied nature of our real self, i.e. our immortal soul. The soul is immortal precisely because it can function without our bodies. This very fact is testimony to the fact that it is part of the Creator Himself, as He is the only Existence in the universe that functions without a body.
When we now consider the statement of our sages in Avot 6,12 [last Mishnah, Ed.] that everything the Creator created He created only for the sake of His greater glory, it is easy to understand that when one or more of His creatures no longer contribute to the purpose for which he or they have been given “life,” they have forfeited their claim to existence and deserve to die. Considering this basic truth, when David had to secure victory over his various enemies, he first had to “garb” himself with this attribute אין i.e. [אני, spelled in a manner that avoided that he really compared himself to his Creator. Ed.] When he would be confronted by uncircumcised pagans, he therefore felt entitled to put an end to their lives.
When Avraham confronted the four kings, symbolizing the anti-god from all four corners of the globe, who had taken Lot, who also shared that attribute, captive, he acted on behalf of G’d [although he had not consulted Him. Ed.]
When Avraham confronted the four kings, symbolizing the anti-god from all four corners of the globe, who had taken Lot, who also shared that attribute, captive, he acted on behalf of G’d [although he had not consulted Him. Ed.]
[This editor is troubled by the fact that at that time Avraham himself had not been circumcised, had not even been told that circumcision was an essential part of becoming Jewish. I am also troubled by the fact that Lot’s eventual escape from Sodom is not credited to his merit, but to G’d’s “pity” (Genesis 19,16. Ed.]
It is well known that the attribute אין also occurs in connection with Moses, at the time when he and Aaron were the victims of the Israelites’ complaints for their suffering from thirst. (Exodus 16,7) They replied with the words: ונחמו מה, “and what do we amount to?” [The reader will notice that Moses and Aaron spelled the word אנחנו without the letter א signifying the pronoun “I.” We also find David referring to himself in such derogatory fashion when he said: ואנכי תולעה “and all that I amount to is worms.” (Psalms 22,7) Avraham referred to himself as dust and ashes when he said: אנכי עפר ואפר. (Genesis 18,27) This is what the sages in the Midrash had in mind when they spoke about Avraham killing the mightiest armies in the world at that time by means of “earth, or dust.” By allying oneself with the Divine attribute of אין, Avraham was able to turn these pagans back into the raw-material they had been made of, i.e.עפר, as when G’d had said to Adam after his sin in Genesis 3,19, עפר אתה ואל עפר אתה תשוב, “you are dust and to dust you will have to return.” Seeing that Avraham was aware of his entire “life” being dependent on the אין סוף, “never ending (nor beginning) Creator,” so that the essential part of what he perceived as his “life” was bound up with this source of eternal life, he could function as the messenger that would terminate useless lives, lives that had not and would not contribute to the glory of the Creator on earth.Ed.]
The question we must ask is why this miracle had to be performed by means of clods of earth. Why could some other vehicle in nature not have served G’d for the same purpose? We hope to explain this by referring to how David conquered the nations against whom he went to war.
Let us remember that when David found himself in need of vanquishing his enemies, he himself was attached closely to the attribute known as אין, [the eyn sof, essence of G’d. Ed.] He was conscious of the fact that all parts of his life, including his body, i.e. the ability of the living to move at will, were a part of Divinity. [Compare Tikkuney Hazohar Tikkun 1) This means that there is no single spot in the universe that is not permeated by some aspect of Divinity. In fact, if one were to find any part of the universe devoid of a spark of Divinity, such a part would be totally devoid of “Life.” be it human, animal vegetable or even the kind of life with which inert bodies such as the planets are equipped. Ed.] The author refers to his commentary on Deuteronomy 32,39 on the words כי אני אני הוא, “that I, I am He,” where G’d makes the point that neither man nor any of the various categories of angels, such as שרפים, חיות, אופנים are able to say of themselves that אני הוא, “it is I,” when speaking to one another.
The word אני, when used by a person, suggests that he is a person of substance, [in the sense of a physical presence, an independent personality, Ed.] In other words, by using that word when referring to himself, the speaker invites the person whom he addresses to regard him as someone of substance, of importance.
When we consider such a statement and reflect upon it, we realize that such a person wishes to convey to those opposite him that his very existence, חיות, his being alive, is something that he is in control of. What greater lie could he possibly convey than this false impression, seeing that not only does he not control other people’s lives, but he is not even in control of the next minute of his own life! Seeing that his own life is in the hands of his Creator, how could he arrogate to himself the right to speak of himself in terms of being an אני? We now understand why Moses quoted G’d in Deuteronomy 32,39 as saying ראו עתה כי אני אני הוא ואין אלוקים עמדי, “See then that I, I am He; there is no god beside Me.” What G’d is saying there is nothing other than that no-one but He is entitled to refer to himself as אני “I.” If a human being were (mistakenly) to describe himself as אני, he would in fact credit a “nothing” with such a grandiose title.
When we described this word as alluding to the Divine attribute of אין, the absolute disembodied essence of G’d, we also refer indirectly to the essentially disembodied nature of our real self, i.e. our immortal soul. The soul is immortal precisely because it can function without our bodies. This very fact is testimony to the fact that it is part of the Creator Himself, as He is the only Existence in the universe that functions without a body.
When we now consider the statement of our sages in Avot 6,12 [last Mishnah, Ed.] that everything the Creator created He created only for the sake of His greater glory, it is easy to understand that when one or more of His creatures no longer contribute to the purpose for which he or they have been given “life,” they have forfeited their claim to existence and deserve to die. Considering this basic truth, when David had to secure victory over his various enemies, he first had to “garb” himself with this attribute אין i.e. [אני, spelled in a manner that avoided that he really compared himself to his Creator. Ed.] When he would be confronted by uncircumcised pagans, he therefore felt entitled to put an end to their lives.
When Avraham confronted the four kings, symbolizing the anti-god from all four corners of the globe, who had taken Lot, who also shared that attribute, captive, he acted on behalf of G’d [although he had not consulted Him. Ed.]
When Avraham confronted the four kings, symbolizing the anti-god from all four corners of the globe, who had taken Lot, who also shared that attribute, captive, he acted on behalf of G’d [although he had not consulted Him. Ed.]
[This editor is troubled by the fact that at that time Avraham himself had not been circumcised, had not even been told that circumcision was an essential part of becoming Jewish. I am also troubled by the fact that Lot’s eventual escape from Sodom is not credited to his merit, but to G’d’s “pity” (Genesis 19,16. Ed.]
It is well known that the attribute אין also occurs in connection with Moses, at the time when he and Aaron were the victims of the Israelites’ complaints for their suffering from thirst. (Exodus 16,7) They replied with the words: ונחמו מה, “and what do we amount to?” [The reader will notice that Moses and Aaron spelled the word אנחנו without the letter א signifying the pronoun “I.” We also find David referring to himself in such derogatory fashion when he said: ואנכי תולעה “and all that I amount to is worms.” (Psalms 22,7) Avraham referred to himself as dust and ashes when he said: אנכי עפר ואפר. (Genesis 18,27) This is what the sages in the Midrash had in mind when they spoke about Avraham killing the mightiest armies in the world at that time by means of “earth, or dust.” By allying oneself with the Divine attribute of אין, Avraham was able to turn these pagans back into the raw-material they had been made of, i.e.עפר, as when G’d had said to Adam after his sin in Genesis 3,19, עפר אתה ואל עפר אתה תשוב, “you are dust and to dust you will have to return.” Seeing that Avraham was aware of his entire “life” being dependent on the אין סוף, “never ending (nor beginning) Creator,” so that the essential part of what he perceived as his “life” was bound up with this source of eternal life, he could function as the messenger that would terminate useless lives, lives that had not and would not contribute to the glory of the Creator on earth.Ed.]
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Kedushat Levi
Genesis 8,21. “He smelled the pleasing odour, etc;” The Baal Haturim mentions that the expression וירח את ריח הניחוח, “he smelled a pleasing odour,” occurs only here and when Yitzchok smelled what he thought were Esau’s garments in Genesis 27,27. On the face of it, the comparison appears strange. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 37), throws light on this by suggesting that instead of reading the word בגדיו in Genesis 27,27 we should read it as בוגדיו, “its traitors, deviationists,” and the message is that in the future, even such people will please G’d by their actions. In Esau’s case, the deferential manner in which he addressed his father entitled him to be described in such complimentary terms. Noach’s deference before G’d, (when he could have asked G’d embarrassing questions about finding the earth in ruins) elicited this positive response by G’d. G’d Himself testified to this at the end of this verse (acknowledging the fact that man, having been born with an evil urge, was predisposed to do evil), hence, if he nonetheless decides to follow the path of goodness, thereby defeating the evil urge within him, this is a major moral achievement.
The author, quoting his father (if I understand correctly) traces the source of this pleasing odour, הניחוח, to pleasurable experiences by man on earth, (as opposed to spiritual experiences). If man can sublimate these pleasurable experiences to reinforce him in his service of the Lord, then G’d can truly “boast” of him as we read in Isaiah 49,3 ישראל אשר בך אתפאר, “Israel, I can glory in you.” The author continues by quoting Rabbi Dov Baer of Mezeritch, as tracing the word אתפאר, to the word תפר, describing the first garments Adam and Chavah made themselves from fig leaves to cover their nudity. (Genesis 3,7) “A pleasant smell” originating from appropriate clothing, is therefore the most ancient method of ingratiating oneself with G’d after one has fallen out of favour. Pleasant smells as a source of pleasure are familiar to us all, and describing G’d’s reactions to man’s good deeds in such terms is not at all far-fetched. “Clothes” has long been a simile for the deeds of people wearing them, whether good or evil; it is therefore appropriate that when the Torah describes these clothes in complimentary terms, i.e. as pleasing, the reference is to the good deeds performed by the people so described.
The author, quoting his father (if I understand correctly) traces the source of this pleasing odour, הניחוח, to pleasurable experiences by man on earth, (as opposed to spiritual experiences). If man can sublimate these pleasurable experiences to reinforce him in his service of the Lord, then G’d can truly “boast” of him as we read in Isaiah 49,3 ישראל אשר בך אתפאר, “Israel, I can glory in you.” The author continues by quoting Rabbi Dov Baer of Mezeritch, as tracing the word אתפאר, to the word תפר, describing the first garments Adam and Chavah made themselves from fig leaves to cover their nudity. (Genesis 3,7) “A pleasant smell” originating from appropriate clothing, is therefore the most ancient method of ingratiating oneself with G’d after one has fallen out of favour. Pleasant smells as a source of pleasure are familiar to us all, and describing G’d’s reactions to man’s good deeds in such terms is not at all far-fetched. “Clothes” has long been a simile for the deeds of people wearing them, whether good or evil; it is therefore appropriate that when the Torah describes these clothes in complimentary terms, i.e. as pleasing, the reference is to the good deeds performed by the people so described.
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Kedushat Levi
He (serpent) said to the woman; ‘although G’d has said you must not eat from any of the trees, etc;’ lest you die.” ….The serpent said: “you will surely not die, etc.”'.
Furthermore, it is clear from what follows that Adam and his wife did not die on the day they ate from the tree of knowledge. In fact Adam lived for close to 1000 years! (Genesis 5,5). Our sages have already had difficulty in reconciling these two verses.
In order to understand the whole episode, we must first of all understand what wiles the serpent used in order to seduce the woman. How could the serpent, a mere creature, persuade a human being to defy the law of its Creator? We must understand the serpent’s argument as follows: the serpent made it clear that it was aware that everything in this universe was created by G’d through a directive issued by word of mouth as when He said: “let there be light.” The continued existence of the universe is dependent every second since it began, and continues to depend on this original light created by G’d through His first directive. It follows that the tree of knowledge which also came into being by Divine command could not possibly be a source of harm and even death, seeing it too had been created subsequent to the original life-giving force in the universe, the light created on the first day. The serpent therefore argued that it follows that when G’d issued instructions not to eat from the trees in the garden, the reason for this command could not have been that it was a source of death for anyone eating from its fruit. Since this was so, why should man listen to a latter command, instead of to His initial command, as a result of which they had become living human beings!
This, however, was part of the perverted logic employed by the serpent. The truth of the matter is that the “root” of the tree of knowledge in the garden of Eden goes back to a period preceding creation of the physical universe and the “falling off” of 288 “sparks” from the Shechinah into the world of the קליפות, regions polluted by impurity, i.e. our physical universe.
Furthermore, it is clear from what follows that Adam and his wife did not die on the day they ate from the tree of knowledge. In fact Adam lived for close to 1000 years! (Genesis 5,5). Our sages have already had difficulty in reconciling these two verses.
In order to understand the whole episode, we must first of all understand what wiles the serpent used in order to seduce the woman. How could the serpent, a mere creature, persuade a human being to defy the law of its Creator? We must understand the serpent’s argument as follows: the serpent made it clear that it was aware that everything in this universe was created by G’d through a directive issued by word of mouth as when He said: “let there be light.” The continued existence of the universe is dependent every second since it began, and continues to depend on this original light created by G’d through His first directive. It follows that the tree of knowledge which also came into being by Divine command could not possibly be a source of harm and even death, seeing it too had been created subsequent to the original life-giving force in the universe, the light created on the first day. The serpent therefore argued that it follows that when G’d issued instructions not to eat from the trees in the garden, the reason for this command could not have been that it was a source of death for anyone eating from its fruit. Since this was so, why should man listen to a latter command, instead of to His initial command, as a result of which they had become living human beings!
This, however, was part of the perverted logic employed by the serpent. The truth of the matter is that the “root” of the tree of knowledge in the garden of Eden goes back to a period preceding creation of the physical universe and the “falling off” of 288 “sparks” from the Shechinah into the world of the קליפות, regions polluted by impurity, i.e. our physical universe.
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Kedushat Levi
He (serpent) said to the woman; ‘although G’d has said you must not eat from any of the trees, etc;’ lest you die.” ….The serpent said: “you will surely not die, etc.”'.
Furthermore, it is clear from what follows that Adam and his wife did not die on the day they ate from the tree of knowledge. In fact Adam lived for close to 1000 years! (Genesis 5,5). Our sages have already had difficulty in reconciling these two verses.
In order to understand the whole episode, we must first of all understand what wiles the serpent used in order to seduce the woman. How could the serpent, a mere creature, persuade a human being to defy the law of its Creator? We must understand the serpent’s argument as follows: the serpent made it clear that it was aware that everything in this universe was created by G’d through a directive issued by word of mouth as when He said: “let there be light.” The continued existence of the universe is dependent every second since it began, and continues to depend on this original light created by G’d through His first directive. It follows that the tree of knowledge which also came into being by Divine command could not possibly be a source of harm and even death, seeing it too had been created subsequent to the original life-giving force in the universe, the light created on the first day. The serpent therefore argued that it follows that when G’d issued instructions not to eat from the trees in the garden, the reason for this command could not have been that it was a source of death for anyone eating from its fruit. Since this was so, why should man listen to a latter command, instead of to His initial command, as a result of which they had become living human beings!
This, however, was part of the perverted logic employed by the serpent. The truth of the matter is that the “root” of the tree of knowledge in the garden of Eden goes back to a period preceding creation of the physical universe and the “falling off” of 288 “sparks” from the Shechinah into the world of the קליפות, regions polluted by impurity, i.e. our physical universe.
Furthermore, it is clear from what follows that Adam and his wife did not die on the day they ate from the tree of knowledge. In fact Adam lived for close to 1000 years! (Genesis 5,5). Our sages have already had difficulty in reconciling these two verses.
In order to understand the whole episode, we must first of all understand what wiles the serpent used in order to seduce the woman. How could the serpent, a mere creature, persuade a human being to defy the law of its Creator? We must understand the serpent’s argument as follows: the serpent made it clear that it was aware that everything in this universe was created by G’d through a directive issued by word of mouth as when He said: “let there be light.” The continued existence of the universe is dependent every second since it began, and continues to depend on this original light created by G’d through His first directive. It follows that the tree of knowledge which also came into being by Divine command could not possibly be a source of harm and even death, seeing it too had been created subsequent to the original life-giving force in the universe, the light created on the first day. The serpent therefore argued that it follows that when G’d issued instructions not to eat from the trees in the garden, the reason for this command could not have been that it was a source of death for anyone eating from its fruit. Since this was so, why should man listen to a latter command, instead of to His initial command, as a result of which they had become living human beings!
This, however, was part of the perverted logic employed by the serpent. The truth of the matter is that the “root” of the tree of knowledge in the garden of Eden goes back to a period preceding creation of the physical universe and the “falling off” of 288 “sparks” from the Shechinah into the world of the קליפות, regions polluted by impurity, i.e. our physical universe.
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Flames of Faith
Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate of the tree about which I commanded you saying, “You shall not eat of it,” accursed is the ground because of you; through suffering shall you eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread until you return to the ground, from which you were taken (Gen. 3:17-18).
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Mareh Yechezkel on Torah
Novel Understandings of Aggadah for Weddings or a Channukat HaBayit
“Male and female He created them; […] and He called them, Man (Adam)” (Genesis 5:2): We must understand the matter of being called a name – of her first also being called Adam, but afterwards He called her “woman (eeshah), for from man (eesh), was she taken” (Genesis 2:23); and afterwards [Adam] called her, Chava (Genesis 3:20). [This can be understood] according to that which is written (Deuteronomy 22:8), “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, etc.” For it must be understood why He mentioned specifically a new house, since this law applies even to an old house and in any situation in which one needs to remove a hazard from his home. And [we must] also [understand] that which is written, “if the faller should fall from it” – as Rashi had to stretch. And it appears to me [that it can be explained] according to that which was written in Noam Meggadim on the verse, “Wealth and riches are in his house [and his charity will last forever]” (Psalms 112:3), and by way of further explanation according to that which is written (Avot 4:1), “Who is wealthy? One who is happy with his portion.” I mean to say that the way of most people is to become sad about expenses and happy about that which remains to them. But it is just the opposite! For what remains to him is not his, as it was written about Moonbaz (Bava Batra 11a), “My ancestors stored up [money] in a place where the hand can reach (such that it is not assured).” But [as opposed to them,] he was happy with what he spent on charity and for good deeds, as this is truly one’s portion. And this is the meaning of that which is written, “Wealth and riches are in his house” – meaning to say, and he cannot be certain that there are his – however the charity that he has done is what will last him forever.
“Male and female He created them; […] and He called them, Man (Adam)” (Genesis 5:2): We must understand the matter of being called a name – of her first also being called Adam, but afterwards He called her “woman (eeshah), for from man (eesh), was she taken” (Genesis 2:23); and afterwards [Adam] called her, Chava (Genesis 3:20). [This can be understood] according to that which is written (Deuteronomy 22:8), “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, etc.” For it must be understood why He mentioned specifically a new house, since this law applies even to an old house and in any situation in which one needs to remove a hazard from his home. And [we must] also [understand] that which is written, “if the faller should fall from it” – as Rashi had to stretch. And it appears to me [that it can be explained] according to that which was written in Noam Meggadim on the verse, “Wealth and riches are in his house [and his charity will last forever]” (Psalms 112:3), and by way of further explanation according to that which is written (Avot 4:1), “Who is wealthy? One who is happy with his portion.” I mean to say that the way of most people is to become sad about expenses and happy about that which remains to them. But it is just the opposite! For what remains to him is not his, as it was written about Moonbaz (Bava Batra 11a), “My ancestors stored up [money] in a place where the hand can reach (such that it is not assured).” But [as opposed to them,] he was happy with what he spent on charity and for good deeds, as this is truly one’s portion. And this is the meaning of that which is written, “Wealth and riches are in his house” – meaning to say, and he cannot be certain that there are his – however the charity that he has done is what will last him forever.
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Likutei Halakhot
And this is (Ex. 1), “And it came to pass, when the midwives feared God, and He made them houses.” This is the aspect of the housings of the tefillin. For the midwives are the aspect of the children's mother, drawing the light of tefillin, which are the aspect of mother, upon the son, who are the aspect of giving birth to the brains, the aspect of (ibid. 13), “Sanctify to Me all the male firstborns, whatsoever opens any womb” as mentioned. And this is, “And it happened, when they feared” specifically. For tefillin are the aspect of fear, as written, “And all the people of the land shall see that Hashem's name is called upon you, and they will fear you.” And our Rabbis z”l explained these are the head tefillin. For the midwives are the mother of Aharon and Moshe. And Miriam their sister was the second midwife, from whom royalty issued, as Rashi explained there. For Moshe and Aharon are the essence of the tefillin. Aharon the Kohen Gadol is the aspect of the Eight Tiqunei Diqna of the Kohen Gadol, which are the aspect of the eight elders, the aspect of the eight head and arm tefillin passages as mentioned. Moshe Rabbeinu is the aspect of the Supernal Elder, who boasted that he is extremely old and yet is young and suckling entirely etc. and the whole world does not amount to him so much as an eyeblink etc. This is the aspect of Moshe Rabbeinu a”h who is the aspect of (ibid. 2), “And behold, a crying youth,” that even tough he reach what he reached, the perfect aspect of the Elder in Holiness, still he was entirely in the aspect of youth and suckling, in the aspect of (Ps. 37), “I have been young and also old,” that even though I have become so much an elder, still I am entirely young and suckling, which this is the aspect of the boasting of the foremost level elder who is the Blind One as mentioned. And therefore Moshe attained that it was written of him (Deut. 34), “His eye was not dim and his natural force was not abated” — even after death. For no oldness jumped upon him at all, even when dying at 120 years age. For he attained the ultimate elderliness, yet remained entirely suckling, as if he still had not begin living at all, as written (ibid. 3:24), “You have begun to show” etc.; that is, he still did not grasp at all; Hashem Yithbarakh only began showing him his greatness etc. Which, all this is the above aspect, always beginning anew as mentioned. For Moshe is the aspect of “MaN/Manna,” as is known, of which it says (Ex. 17:15), “For they did not know MaH/what it is.” It is impossible to at all know what he is, that someone born of a woman should attain what he attained. And this is the letters of MoSheH being Shin MaH — Shin, the three fathers who are the entirety of the brains, entirety of the tefillin; but everything is drawn from the aspect of MaH, the aspect of, “For they did not know what it is,” which this is the essence of the aspect of Moshe, who is the aspect of the aforementioned elder, who was elder and suckling etc. as mentioned, who is the root of everything and above everything as mentioned. As written (Num. 12), “And the man, Moshe, was extremely humble” etc., which is the aspect of (Ps. 131), “Like a weaned child with his mother; my soul is with me like a weaned child,” which David said. And this is that it is written in the Zohar, regarding Moshe, that amongst the Sabas/Supernal Elders he is the Elder, and amongst the sucklings he is the suckling, that is, as mentioned, that he is old and suckling etc. as mentioned. And this is his saying (Deut. 31), “I am one hundred and twenty years old today” — today my days and years are filled, for he can longer go, as our Rabbis z”l said (Sotah 13b), “this teaches that [the gates of wisdom] were closed to him. For he needed to live the aforementioned long life, going each time further and further, and when he cannot go further he was forced to pass away, as discerned in the holy talks of Rabbeinu z”l. And therefore (ibid. 34), “And no man knew his burial-chamber,” for they did not know what he is, as mentioned. Hence Moshe is the aspect of the aforementioned Supernal Elder, who is the root of tefillin, which are the aspect of the face's skin beaming, which Moshe attain, which are the aspect of the light of tefillin, as Rabbeinu z”l said in the torah, “Markevoth Par`oh..” (LM #38), from the aspect of that Elder. And Aharon is the aspect of the eight Tiqunei Diqna, which are the aspect of the eight tefillin passages that are drawn from Moshe's aspect, from the aspect of that Elder. And this is, “And He made them houses” — houses of priesthood and royalty (Sh”R 1). Houses of priesthood are the aspect of tefillin, which are the aspect of the priesthood's sanctity as mentioned, the aspect of the sanctity of the firstborn, to give him to the Kohen as mentioned. And houses of royalty are the aspect of kingship of David Mashiach, the aspect of Emunah, which all this is the aspect of tefillin as mentioned. And the essence of tefillin's sanctity is the aspect of grasping Godliness, which the true tzaddiqim, who are from the aspect of Moshe, draw upon us, through many constrictions, which this is the main thing, that they manage to attain such a high and enormous perception, that they can constrict and clothe the perception in many constrictions and vestments until we too can manage to grasp Godliness as mentioned. And this is the aspect of tefillin housings, for it is impossible for us to receive the light of the passages themselves except by way of the housings and straps, which are the aspect of limitations and vessels of `Olam haTiqun, to receive the light by degree and measure. For they are able to enter the aspect of the “Empty Space" and reveal His Godliness there, and thereby make holy vessels. For the essence of these vessels' genesis is by means of repair of the Empty Space which is the beginning of the limitation, which is the root of all the vessels and masks generated from the coarsening of the light and its becoming distant from the Emanator. For if there was no Empty Space then the coarsening of the light and its distancing would be irrelevant etc., as explained and discerned in the Writings. Hence the essence of the vessels' genesis derives from the aspect of the Empty Space. But by means of Adam haRishon's failure he was seized in his vessels, the essence of which is in the aspect of the skin, which is the ultimate vessel, the exterior of the exterior; and that is where he was seized the most as mentioned, which this is the aspect of the “Serpent's bite,” from whence is the grip of all the Qelipoth/Husks, God forbid. And therefore the main repair is by means of purifying and processing the hide in sanctity, which is the aspect of repair of the imagination, repair of the Empty Space, which the aforementioned great Tzaddiqim attain repairing, to the point that from it, specifically, they make the aspect of holy vessels to receive the light in degree and measure. Which, this is the aspect of the hide of a pure beast, insofar as the essence of writing the Torah and tefillin is on the hide specifically, and as mentioned. And this is the aspect of the housings made of hide. For we need to receive the light through limitations and vessels that are made by the repair of the Empty Space which is the aspect of repairing the imagination, which is the aspect of hide, as mentioned. And this is the aspect of (Gen. 3), “And Hashem-God made Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them” — garments of skin specifically, for the main repair is repairing the skin etc. as mentioned. For, the garments of skin are the aspect of Tallith and Tefillin, which come from skin and from the hair that grows on the skin, as explained in the Etz Chayim. Which, this is the aspect of (Ex. 22:26), “ki hu kesutho levaddah/for that is his only covering” — this is tzitzith; “hi simlatho le`oro/it is his garment for his skin” — this is tefillin (Tiqqunim #69), which are more internal and lofty than tzitzith, as written there. And all this is the aspect of repair of the imagination, which is repair of the Empty Space, as the essence of the repair is by means of Emunah as mentioned. And this is, “And it came to pass, as the midwives feared God” — feared specifically. For holy piety is the aspect of repair of the constriction and stricture of the Empty Space, which is sweetened at it root by means of holy piety, which is the aspect of a “holy decree,” as is known. Therefore by the aspect of piety are made housings, which are the aspect of fixing the vessels and limitations to receive the tefillin's light by degree and measure as mentioned. And this is, “And it came to pass, as they feared... [God] made them housings” as mentioned.
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Kedushat Levi
Exodus 15,8.“at the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up;” Onkelos translated the words נערמו מים as: “the waters acted intelligently.” This may be understood with the help of Proverbs 8,12: אני חכמה שכנתי ערמה, “I, wisdom, live with prudence;” we have discussed that if a person wishes to gain an understanding of the superior nature of G’d, he must first of all divest himself of all the materialistic “garments” that are part of his daily outfits. This is the first step in approaching the degree of awe and reverence. Having reached that degree, he may consider himself as possessing some חכמה, wisdom. This is also the meaning of Job 28,28: הן יראת אד-ני היא חכמה וסור מרע בינה, ”See fear of the Lord is wisdom ; to shun evil is understanding.” The root of the word נערמו in the verse quoted at the beginning of this paragraph is ערום,” intelligent, smart, as in Genesis 3,1 where the serpent is described as the smartest of all the creatures of the field. The sea possessed awe and reverence for G’d, being eager to fulfill the will of the Creator; this is what Onkelos wished to convey when he translated the “sea” as being intelligent, smart. [Possibly, as opposed to the earth, which had buried the blood of Hevel, thereby hiding a monstrous sin by Kayin. Ed.]
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