Kaisipang Hudyo sa Isaias 66:22: Akeidat Yitzchak, Derush Chiddushei HaLevanah & Sefer HaIkkarim

The pains taken when constructing a shelter reflect the purpose that shelter is to serve. If the shelter is to be no more than a temporary hut shielding shepherds against the heat of the sun, its materials and the care expended on its construction will be minimal. If, however, it is to serve as an all year residence, the utmost care will be taken to construct it of durable materials and to ensure precise workmanship. Similarly, bodily attributes such as hair, smoothness of skin, clarity of voice, none of which perform vital functions, often deteriorate at a rapid pace. Vital physical attributes such as the heart, digestive system, etc., will be observed to have been constructed of a far more durable nature. Nations whose continued existence in history G-d considered vital, have been given the Torah and commandments, whereas those nations whose future was considered marginal, were only given seven commandments, as if to indicate that their historic lease on life was relatively brief, when compared with that of Israel. Compare Isaiah 40, 15, "here the nations are like a drop fallen from the bucket." On the other hand, concerning Israel, G-d said "Place these My words on your hearts.. so that your days on earth will endure a long time. (Deut. 11,18-21) In view of the above, it becomes difficult to understand why the Torah has expended so much ink and parchment in detailing everything about the tabernacle, since it was not to be a permanent structure. Since the tabernacle was to serve only as a temporary abode while Israel was on the way to the holy land and until a permanent temple would be built, all these detailed instructions are hard to comprehend. Had it not been for the sin of the spies, Israel would have entered the holy land at once, and construction of the permanent temple would have begun at once. When one compares the brief reference in Chronicles concerning the blueprint for the permanent temple, the contrast becomes even more startling. One would have expected a wealth of detail either in the book of Kings or in Chronicles, if these events had been described according to normal usage, (compare Chronicles I chapter 28)

There are three elements in this aggadah that need elucidation. 1) Since angels are by definition incapable of such emotions as jealousy, why are they represented as being jealous? 2) Why, of all the examples that could have been used, are just the two of the Exodus from Egypt and work performance on the Sabbath used? 3) In the full text of that aggadah G'd is described by a variety of attributes, some opposite to others. Surely, this must have been very confusing for Moses? Since Torah contains lofty ideas, truths that are not easily understood by mortals engaged in satisfying their material pursuits, the angels thought that Torah could not be shared with such creatures. Moses pointed out that Torah addresses itself to conditions prevailing on earth. G'ds throne represents the intermediary between the totally abstract spirit on one side, and ordinary matter on the other. By holding on to the throne of G'd, Moses expressed the idea that Torah is the conduit between pure matter and pure spirit. Therefore it needs to be given to man, to enable the latter to rise to the level that represents his tachlit, objective, and perfection as a species. The spiritual part of man needs Torah to help it overcome the ascendancy of his body, its physical counterpart.

Reflecting the high standard of Israel, the opening Midrash described the disease as epilepsy, a temporary affliction, of brief duration. The remedy quoted, the kami-a, amulet, is considered spiritual in nature, not something organic, (in Talmudic and Midrashic parlance) This suggests that the aberration had been brief, subject to prompt correction by proper spiritual orientation. Angels achieve their shleymut, perfection, by means of a single expression, i.e. experience. (Daniel 4,14), whereas man requires two expressions, i.e. experiences. The first was "let Us make man in Our image," at the time man was being created. The second expression, a further stage leading to complete perfection was the revelation at Mount Sinai. Hopefully, the two experiences between them will achieve mankind's refinement, and convert our potential into the actual achievement of the finest our species is capable of.