민수기 23:24의 Chasidut
הֶן־עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַאֲרִ֖י יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א לֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּב֙ עַד־יֹ֣אכַל טֶ֔רֶף וְדַם־חֲלָלִ֖ים יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃
이 백성이 암사자 같이 일어나고 수사자 같이 일어나서 움킨 것을 먹으며 죽인 피를 마시기 전에는 눕지 아니하리로다 하매
Kedushat Levi
Numbers 23,24. “they are a nation that rises like a lion, leaps up like the king of beasts. It rests not till it has feasted on prey and drunk the blood of the slain.”
In the matter of how to serve the Lord optimally, it is an accepted rule that the first stage of becoming a true servant of the Lord involves that the person concerned expects a reward as a form of recognition for his effort. It is simply not to be expected that every person will begin his career as a servant of the Lord by eschewing every kind of reward. When the Mishnah in Avot 1,3 teaches not to serve the Lord on condition of receiving a reward, it does not address “beginners.” Proof that this is the accepted norm is found in Pessachim 50 where the Talmud teaches that if we perform G’d’s commandments, even while also having ulterior motives, in due course we will do so without having ulterior motives. [This is part of the promise that the reward of performing a commandment brings in its wake performance of another commandment, (Avot 4,1) i.e. the same commandment, but on a higher level. Ed.] When one has attained this level of serving the Lord, one will also become the vehicle through which the “fallen” sparks, i.e. spiritual beings or human beings who have “fallen” from their erstwhile high moral/ethical level may be restored to grace through contact with such servants of the Lord. This has been spelled out in the writings of the Ari z’al.
As long as one serves the Lord expecting to be rewarded for this, the human being doing so is considered as on the level of a female, as by definition all females, i.e. their functions, are viewed primarily as recipients, vessels to be filled. Once having attained the level of serving the Lord without any expectation of reward, one has joined the ranks of the males. Not only does such a person not depend on “receiving,” but he is able to become a dispenser of satisfaction and pleasure even to the Creator. This is the true meaning of a statement in the Zohar III,7 that the Jewish people provide G’d with His sustenance, פרנסה.
This is also what Bileam had in mind when he said: הן עם כלביא יקום, “this is a nation that arises like a lioness,” but develops to the stature of being כארי יתנשא, “it elevates itself to become comparable to a mature male lion.” [According to our author Rashi commenting on that verse interprets it as sequential, i.e. beginning to serve the Lord while expecting a reward, progressing to serve Him without such expectations. I have not been able to find this Rashi. Ed.]
In the matter of how to serve the Lord optimally, it is an accepted rule that the first stage of becoming a true servant of the Lord involves that the person concerned expects a reward as a form of recognition for his effort. It is simply not to be expected that every person will begin his career as a servant of the Lord by eschewing every kind of reward. When the Mishnah in Avot 1,3 teaches not to serve the Lord on condition of receiving a reward, it does not address “beginners.” Proof that this is the accepted norm is found in Pessachim 50 where the Talmud teaches that if we perform G’d’s commandments, even while also having ulterior motives, in due course we will do so without having ulterior motives. [This is part of the promise that the reward of performing a commandment brings in its wake performance of another commandment, (Avot 4,1) i.e. the same commandment, but on a higher level. Ed.] When one has attained this level of serving the Lord, one will also become the vehicle through which the “fallen” sparks, i.e. spiritual beings or human beings who have “fallen” from their erstwhile high moral/ethical level may be restored to grace through contact with such servants of the Lord. This has been spelled out in the writings of the Ari z’al.
As long as one serves the Lord expecting to be rewarded for this, the human being doing so is considered as on the level of a female, as by definition all females, i.e. their functions, are viewed primarily as recipients, vessels to be filled. Once having attained the level of serving the Lord without any expectation of reward, one has joined the ranks of the males. Not only does such a person not depend on “receiving,” but he is able to become a dispenser of satisfaction and pleasure even to the Creator. This is the true meaning of a statement in the Zohar III,7 that the Jewish people provide G’d with His sustenance, פרנסה.
This is also what Bileam had in mind when he said: הן עם כלביא יקום, “this is a nation that arises like a lioness,” but develops to the stature of being כארי יתנשא, “it elevates itself to become comparable to a mature male lion.” [According to our author Rashi commenting on that verse interprets it as sequential, i.e. beginning to serve the Lord while expecting a reward, progressing to serve Him without such expectations. I have not been able to find this Rashi. Ed.]
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy