Kedushat Levi

Letters of Approbation

The approbation of the famous Rabbi Ha-Hesid, a man of Gd, the rabbi of all
the exiled people of the Diaspora, Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel Av Beit
Din of the Afta and Mezavuz Rabbis:

This awareness throughout the country is the size of the sanctity and
magnificence of the honor of the famous Rabbi, the rabbi of all the Diaspora.
The man of God Kadosh is the late Rabbi Levi Yitzchok z "l, who was Av Beit
Din of the community of Arditsov, in whose light light is visible to the
righteous. Land and valleys. All of his words are the words of the living Gd, to
raise the hearts of our people to the work of our Creator, blessed be He, when
I have heard from His above words the words of the highest standing of the
world. And many are desiring to say, "Who will drink water from a well of
living water?" For from that well, the herds shall hush their flocks of holy
sheep to quench their thirst, because of the spirit of purity in the heart of the
late Rabbi Zalman HH The Honorable Rabbi, my great Rabbi The Wise, the
Wise, the Complete Wise Rabbi Yosef Rabbi Baharav HaCharef Hasidah and
Perry The late Sha Buchena Kadisha, the late Rabbi Meir, son of the same
Tzadik, the Ga'on of the above-mentioned world, and I have given Simcha
Belbi and Amina to Pa'al Teva, and they will be considered to live with a rabbi.

And certainly the right of the author of the author and the sanctity of the
above books will be a shield and shelter wherever they will be found to be
like a river of peace and the above books do not need my agreement that
from a holy place came out but the love and affection of the sons of the
author Rabbi ZLH who asked me to give consent And it is fitting for all of
Israel to assist in a commandment and to hasten to purchase these holy
books with full money, and there is no need to warn them not to attain their
limit for their place in the desolation of God. And in order not to be shluchim
mitzva there is a limit that I have forbidden to print these holy books, and all
the patterns are forbidden in this country both in another country and until 10
years from the date of printing these holy books And he shall bring upon him
a blessing of good, and shall see a seed long live. Until the house is built on
Mount Meromim 24, which speaks in honor of the Torah and in honor of the
author, the author of Elokim z "l.

A day that was doubled because it was good for the nine days of the month
of Kislev.

Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apta, a member of the Zaboza family, died

The approbation of the great Rabbi Ha-Hesid The Boseina Kadisha, a man of
God, sanctified by his name, Rabbi Aharon zt "l,
For the Jews, this light was the Torah of the Admor HaRav HaGaon, a man of
Gd, the late Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Zalah, who all of the House of Israel followed
in his light and all his words are the words of the living Gd, to awaken the
hearts of the Israelites to the work of our Creator. The Honorable Rabbi, Rabbi
and Rabbi Shoshon Hakham Rabbi Yossef in the famous Hassidic Rabbi Rabbi
Meir Zalleh in the books of Kedushat Levi A, who was already printed alive,
live on Chanukah and Purim. And on the Torah, which was printed after the
lesson of the Ark of God to the Heavenly Genes and with the addition of other
holy writings of the Admor of the Sages, and I have given gladness in my
heart and amina to the righteous, righteous and righteous.

Aharon was reduced to "Mordechai" of the Zutamar Rebbe

And it is certainly the right of DMB in the United Nations and the sanctity of
his books to be a shield and shelter wherever they may be found to be a river
of peace. And the above-mentioned books do not need my consent, because
from a holy place I have indeed come as Yehuda and another to warn all my
brothers not to attain a boundary of the grandson of the author of the above-
mentioned Maharai, not to place them, God forbid, for all the patterns in this
country and in another country, "For ten years from the date of the printing of
these holy books, the listener will be blessed with a blessing. 24, which
speaks in honor of the Rebbe, the author of the author, Asher, in whose light
we go.

Wednesday, Tevet, 1815, at the town of Barditshov:Genesis, Bereshit

The first thing G’d embarked on when creating the material universe was to
create heaven and earth.”

It is an axiom, general principle, that G’d created the entire universe, and
having done so, never withdraws from the universe for even a single
moment, [unlike sculptors or painters who, once they have completed a
sculpture or painting, move on to something else, having “finished” with their
previous “creation.” Ed.] This axiom is true both of what He created in the
heavens and what He created in the material, three-dimensional part of the
universe. We pay tribute to this in our daily prayers when we say ‫יוצר אור‬
‫ובורא חושך‬, “He creates and fashions (present tense) light, and He creates
darkness.” When speaking of any accomplishments of G’d’s creatures
however, we speak of them in the past tense, i.e. ‫יצר כסא‬, “he shaped a
chair,” or ‫עשה מזרון‬, “he made a mattress.” G’d’s creative activity is never
completed, as the Torah testified in Genesis 2,3 ‫אשר ברא אלוקים לעשות‬, “which
the Lord has created in order to complete it.” This means that G’d is part of
every creature He ever created, and once man realizes that he is nothing
without G’d Who has created him and Who provides him with all the strength
and creative stimuli that he possesses, he will be able to relate to Hashem as
an ongoing creative Force in His universe. This is reflected every morning
when we get up [after having used the washroom] and we refer to G’d with
the words ‫אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה‬, “Who has fashioned man with ‫חכמה‬,”
the word ‫ חכמה‬meaning the opposite of ‫אין‬, “nothing.” It is appropriate
therefore that in that prayer we refer to the creation of man in the past tense,
as opposed to the line we quoted earlier, seeing that we refer to something
or somebody who already exists, i.e. ‫יש‬. This explains why the Ari z’al , Rabbi
Yitzchak Luria, said that when we refer to G’d as ‫ה' מלך‬, usually translated as
“Hashem is King,” the reference is to the ‫אין‬, “nothing,” i.e. G’d at any given
moment gives us life, -by not withdrawing it from us.- The implied meaning of
the expression is that man is “nothing” unless he continues to exist as part of
G’d’s creative activity. The so-called ‫אין‬, “nothing,” in terms of metaphysical
beings, rules supreme in the regions beyond those that are part of the
physical universe, the one that we conveniently refer to as “nature.” This so-
called ‫אין‬, is not really a “nothing,” in terms of the universe, its “nothingness”
is such only vis a vis the physical part of the universe; in the celestial regions
this “‫ ”אין‬rules supreme. [as opposed to the ‫ חכמה‬in our part of the universe.
Ed. Although ‫ יש‬and ‫ אין‬are popularly perceived as absolute opposites, not
having anything in common, this perception is built on a fallacy; the linkage
between ‫ יש‬and ‫ אין‬are the mitzvot, Torah commandments, performed by the
Jewish people. The commandments are performed in the section of the
universe known as ‫יש‬, as a result of which close contact is maintained
between the aforementioned two domains of the universe. Ezekiel 1:14 refers
to the “mitzvot” in their capacity as providing the link between the terrestrial
and the celestial part of the universe with the words ‫והחיות רצוא ושוב‬, “and
the chayot ran to and fro”. According to the Zohar II 288, the mitzvot and the
Torah respectively, are viewed as related to one another like the “hidden” is
related to the “revealed,” both being part of the same whole. Torah and
mitzvot provide the link between these two domains, so that each domain is
not completely divorced from the other. This concept is contained in the
letters of the word ‫ מצוה‬when we divide it up into ‫ מצ‬and ‫וה‬. The letters ‫מצ‬
when we read the alphabet backwards, starting with the letter ‫ ת‬are
equivalent to the letters ‫יה‬, symbolising the totally abstract Divinity, whereas
the letters ‫ יה‬symbolize the hidden parts of the universe, ‫יש‬. The first half of
the word ‫ מצוה‬being read with the two letters used in reverse order of the
aleph bet, alludes to the “hidden” part of the universe, the domain exclusive
to Divine, abstract forces. Let us explain something about what precisely is
“hidden” and what is “revealed,” when it comes to the ‫מצוה‬, “Torah
commandment.” When we perform a ‫מצוה‬, we cause G’d to become pleased
with having created man, the choicest of His creatures. When we comply with
requests made to us by a fellow human being, we can immediately gauge
whether he is pleased by our actions or not, either by his face indicating this,
or by words of approval, something that is not the case when we comply with
G’d’s requests from us. Since He is invisible, and does not speak to us as He
did to Moses, “mouth to mouth”, we have no way of knowing if our efforts to
please Him have been successful. When we try to perform deeds that are for
our (immediate) personal benefit, we are able to determine if our efforts have
succeeded. This then is the “hidden” element present whenever we perform
any of G’d’s commandments, ‫מצות‬. This is what the Torah had in mind when
it wrote (Deuteronomy 29,28) ‫הנסתרות לה' אלוקינו‬, “the hidden aspects of
mitzvah performance are reserved for the Lord our G’d;” on the other hand,
‫והנגלות לנו ולבנינו עד עולם‬, “the benefits which the performance of the Torah
confers upon us will be revealed forever.” This is also the meaning of the
words ‫בראשית ברא אלוקים‬, (addressed to us) “at the beginning of G’d’s
creative activity G’d created the ‫יש‬, a physical domain of the universe.”
Through His creating ‫יש‬, i.e. ‫ראשית‬, a beginning, the creation of heaven and
earth came into being, for prior to that there was only the ‫אין‬, the abstract
universe. This is the meaning of Targum Yerushalmi who renders this verse as
'‫'בראשית בחוכמא ברא ה‬, “at the beginning G’d created by means of using
intelligence found in the domain of the abstract regions.” ‫חכמה‬, as we
pointed out earlier, is a quality inherent in the terrestrial domain.

This was portrayed in the passage at the beginning of Tikkuney Hazohar

(based on Zohar chadash 59, column 3) where the prophet Elijah appeared to
Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai and his son Eleazar in the cave where they were in
hiding from the Romans and Elijah planted a carob tree and provided a well of
spring water from which the two men ate and drank during the 12 years they
spent in hiding. Elijah would visit them twice daily and teach them, enabling
them to escape prosecution by the Romans. Among the lessons Elijah taught
them was the fact that in order to make use of G’d’s input into the physical
parts of the universe, G’d had to “clothe Himself,” i.e. conceal His essence,
by restricting the holiness He radiated, or this would have been too
overwhelming for the recipients thereof. Ari zal, sums this up as: “all parts of
the universe require that G’d’s essence reduces its natural radiations, as all
creatures in varying degrees are unable to withstand the brilliance of the
emanations from G’d’s essence unless they had first been screened to some
extent.” According to the Ari zal, any part of any universe, by definition
contains a degree of substance, as opposed to G’d, Who is entirely abstract,
spiritual. According to this view even the purest and holiest thought
entertained by a living creature contains an element of physicality, since only
G’d can be pure spirit.

It follows that before G’d could undertake the creation of a physical universe
He had to surround His essence with “garments” shielding His creatures from
this overwhelming spiritual radiance emanating from Him. In order to achieve
this, G’d “clothed” Himself in garments radiating light. If I understand this
correctly, the closer G’d came to the eventual physical world, the more
subdued was the brilliance exuded from His “garments,” which He changed
from stage to stage so as to enable the creatures in each world to tolerate it
without coming to harm through being blinded.

All of these “worlds” (regions inhabited by spiritual beings of varying degrees

of holiness) are extremely bright, Isaiah 58,11 referring to them as ‫והשביע‬
‫“ בצחצחות נפשך‬He will satiate your soul with brightness.”

Let us take a look at how Rashi, the most eminent of all Torah commentators,
explained the first verse of the Torah. Quoting Rabbi Yitzchok, Rashi writes:
“on the face of it the (written) Torah need not have commenced until the
chapter commencing with the laws of the Passover. (Exodus 12)” In light of
what we have just explained, the fact that the Torah commences as it does is
eminently plausible. What did Rashi have in mind then? The background of
Rashi, seizing on the explanation of Rabbi Yitzchok as his point of departure
of his entire commentary on the Torah, is none other than to remind us of
how much the beginning of the Torah has in common with what is written in
chapter 12 in Exodus.

Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer (quoted in Yalkut Shimoni Yirmiyahu item 263)

understands the shape of the letter ‫ ב‬seeing that it is open at one end, as a
challenge to heretics to produce the fourth of the four winds, the north wind,
if they are able, and thus close the letter, making it ‫סתום‬, hidden, i.e.
concealing what is inside it. Our sages (Rabbeinu Bachya Exodus 20,2) view
the entire Exodus as a replay of the creation of the universe, the difference
being that on that occasion there were human beings who could testify to the
power of the Creator, having witnessed all the miracles G’d had performed as
a prelude to the redemption. Initially, Rabbi Yitzchok thought that the
message about how G’d relates to His universe and the human beings He
created, could have been conveyed just as well by commencing with chapter
12 in Exodus. However, since G’d is interested in conveying additional
aspects of His function in the universe, He chose to commence with the
words: ‫בראשית ברא אלוקים את השמים ואת הארץ‬. Anyone reflecting further on
this will certainly understand.

Another word that at first glance appears as unnecessary, is the word ‫את‬,
which becomes clearer when we understand it as equivalent to the word ‫אתה‬,
as in ‫בא‬, meaning “it came, or He came,” as in Deut.33,2 ‫ה' מסיני בא וזרח‬
‫משעיר למו הופיע מהר פארן ואתה מרבבות קודש‬, “the Lord came from Sinai, He
shone upon them from Seir, He appeared from Paran having come from
Ribeboth Kodesh.” The word alludes to the fact that the original light of which
the Torah said ‫ ויהי אור‬instead of ‫ויהי כן‬, “and so it was,” -the Torah’s standard
phrase for nature having complied with any of G’d’s directives,- had been in
existence prior to heaven and earth being created, but while prior to that it
had existed only in a disembodied celestial world, it had extended its function
to light up the newly created physical universe. This light that had previously
only served the ‫אין סוף‬, the Creator, directly, now served His creatures also. It
did so to the extent that G’d’s creatures could benefit by it and not be blinded
by it. When we understand that word in this manner, we can also understand
why, at the end of the Torah’s report of the creation (Genesis 2,3) ‫אשר ברא‬
‫אלוקים לעשות‬, “which G’d had created to do;” the Torah writes the otherwise
superfluous word ‫לעשות‬. The Torah thereby also indicates that G’d renews the
creative process on a daily basis, both in its spiritual as well as in its profane
aspects. On the preceding six “days,” G’d had created worlds that served as
the prologue to the physical world.

Midrash Rabbah 8,5 relates that at the time when G’d was about to create the
physical universe containing man, Truth objected, saying that man would be a
corrupt being; as a punishment, i.e. means of educating Truth, G’d
condemned Truth to descend to earth and “live” there.

In order to comprehend the meaning of the Midrash we need to remember

that lying, the opposite of truth- is a sin which is in a category by itself, as
people known to be liars will find it difficult if not impossible to be accepted in
society even in this imperfect world where most people indulge in one sin or
another. If someone desecrates the Sabbath, this will not be held against him
by most of his peers who feel that it is a matter between him and G’d. If
someone deliberately hurts others bodily, or even commits murder, the
courts will punish him accordingly. In other words, there is a built in incentive
on this earth for people not to commit murder, etc., as they know they will
pay a heavy price when found out. Lying, because it is difficult for the courts
to deal with, is dealt with by consensus of one’s peers who will shun the
company of known liars. Sending “truth” to earth was G’d’s way of providing
incentives for potential liars to be truthful, as otherwise they would be
ostracised by their peers.

[In other words, rather than seeing in the Midrash above a “punishment” for
truth having opposed the Creator, our author sees in it an acknowledgment
by G’d that “Truth” in opposing the creation of the human species had a valid
point, and He appointed “Truth” to be active on earth in order to minimize the
potential danger to the whole species if too many people were to make lies
their way of life. Ed.] The message of the Midrash is that without “Truth” the
human species would not survive for long.

Turning now to the second verse in the Torah, ‫והארץ היתה תוהו ובוהו‬, “the
state of the earth had been utter chaos;” the author proceeds from our
tradition that the entire universe in all its parts was created only for the
benefit of the Jewish people, i.e. the physical universe that sustains living
creatures, was created only for the benefit of the Jewish people thereon, in
order for them to have a chance to become what the Creator hoped they
would develop into.

Once we reflect on this concept we will realize what a tremendous

responsibility each one of us has in becoming a willing servant of the Lord,
helping Him realize His fondest hopes for mankind. Even the angels were
created only in order to facilitate G’d’s fondest hopes for the holy Jewish
nation to be realized. Failure of any Jew to live up to the precepts of the Torah
puts the entire universe at risk. Our verse takes us back to the time when the
physical universe as we know it had existed in G’d’s mind only as a project.
Whatever follows in the report of creation reflects only the stages by which
G’d went about in carrying out this gigantic and mind-boggling project.
Without the existence of the “higher” world, it would have been impossible to
proceed with the creation of the “lower,” physical universe. The words ‫תוהו‬
‫ ובהו‬are meant to make us reflect on this.

[The following is a short synopsis of a long paragraph, one that deals also
with the apparent paradox of the statement in psalms 2,11 ‫עבדו את ה' ביראה‬
‫וגילו ברעדה‬, “serve the Lord in awe; rejoice greatly while trembling.” Ed.]

While the description of the state of the universe before man, i.e. Jews, had
been charged with the task of being a nation of priests and a holy nation, is
meant to make us aware of our duty to live as servants of our Creator and to
ensure that His handiwork will prove to be worthwhile, we face a dilemma,
portrayed in the following parable.

A great and powerful king once invited one of his loyal servants to
accompany him to his treasure chamber where he displayed a store of jewels
and other valuable artifacts. The servant was overjoyed at the king having
taken him into his confidence by showing him all his valuable treasures. He
became proud to be a servant to such a powerful king. Upon reflecting on this
however, he suddenly was overcome with trembling when thinking about
what a great wrong it would be to disregard even a minor paragraph in the
law books the king had issued to his subjects to live by. The psalmist’s words
reflect a similar dilemma. How can one at one and the same time be in awe
and full of joy? The Talmud B’rachot 30, tries to answer this apparent
contradiction by understanding the latter half of the verse as: “when in a
place where merriment is the rule, do not forget that it behooves you to be
trembling, seeing that you are always in the presence of the Lord.” Abbaye,
who, when in an extraordinarily happy frame of mind, was reminded of this
by a colleague, responded that as long he was wearing the phylacteries on
his head, this served him as a reminder not to forget this injunction.
Our author, instead of using the phylacteries, which are not always worn, as a
symbol of our duty never to forget our purpose on earth, uses the words of
our verse describing the utter chaos that prevailed prior to G’d having
embarked on His gigantic project of creating a universe inhabited by man
equipped with a free will, as such a reminder.

Our author sees in the word ‫ והארץ‬in our verse a veiled hint at the various
temptations that human beings are constantly exposed to by living in a
physical world, temptations that are apt to interfere with his desire to serve
G’d as a loyal servant.

Going back to Rashi’s first commentary on the first word in the Torah, where
he quoted Rabbi Yitzchok saying that the reason that the Torah does not
commence with the first verse in Exodus chapter12, is that the Torah wanted
to allude from the beginning by teaching the concept ‫כח מעשיו הגיד לעמו לתת‬
‫להם נחלת גויים‬, “He revealed to His people His powerful works by giving them
the heritage of (other) nations.” (Psalms 111,6) This is important to know in
the event that the nations will dispute the Jewish people’s claim to the Land
of Israel as being their heritage. As the Creator and hence, owner, of the
entire universe, G’d has the right to allocate parts of it to whoever He
chooses.

Expressed differently, since in the words of the introduction to the Zohar,

page 5, (based on Proverbs 8,30 (Torah speaking) “then I was with Him (G’d)
as an artisan,” i.e. G’d used the Torah and its letters as the tool with which to
create the universe; it follows that every part of the universe is imbued with
some letter of the Torah.

Just as man is charged to perform the Torah’s commandments with the

various limbs of his body, (248), so earth is also charged with the task of
performing “commandments” appropriate to its composition. The expressions
‫פי הארץ‬, ”the earth’s mouth,” or ‫עין הארץ‬, “the earth’s eye,” are more than
just figures of speech. Each of our limbs exudes the living essence of the
letter of the Torah that corresponds to a specific commandment that limb is
supposed to perform. Joshua was able to conquer seven lands (of the
Canaanites) because he understood what it was that enabled each specific
land to remain “alive.” Similarly, every city in those countries had been
charged since creation with performing certain duties vis a vis its Creator.
Joshua’s knowledge of these duties enabled him to “conquer” these towns
and countries with a minimum of Jewish blood being shed in the process.

According to the introduction of the Zohar page 5, there is no part of the

physical universe that does not in some way reflect the meaning of one of the
letters in the Torah. If any of these cities were to confront the invading Jewish
armies by calling them “robbers,” Joshua was able to remind them that the
previous residents in these towns had only leased the land, but had never
owned it, as it is G’d’s property. What could be more natural than that the
Jewish people, who by definition serve their Creator by observing the
commandments of the Torah, should now make their home on this part of the
earth. This is what the psalmist meant when he quoted G’d as having
revealed to His people the inherent strength of all His works, ‫כח מעשיו הגיד‬
‫לעמו‬. Wish that G’d were to grant each one of us the wisdom and the purity
of heart to be conversant with the specific commandment that is incumbent
upon each limb in our body to perform.

G’d called the light: ‘day;’" Bereshit Rabbah 3,8 comments that this phrase
refers to the deeds of the righteous, whereas the line ‫ולחושך קרא לילה‬, is
understood as referring to the deeds of the wicked. In order to make it plain
that the Creator preferred the deeds of the righteous, the Torah added the
adjective ‫כי טוב‬, “that it was good,” when defining the word ‫ אור‬in verse 4.

The average reader of this Midrash surely is puzzled by the fact that there
was any doubt as to whose deeds the Creator would prefer so that the Torah
had to indicate that G’d preferred the deeds of the righteous! Rabbeinu
Yonah, in his commentary on the last Mishnah in B’rachot chapter 9, explains
that the Mishnah, when referring to the need to serve the Lord with both
parts of our hearts, the urge to do good as well as the urge to do evil, speaks
of people who do serve the Lord. The Midrash quoted, was careful to refer to
the deeds of the wicked as opposed to the wicked themselves, also does so.
We may therefore understand the Midrash as also referring to good deeds,
the origin of which, however, differs. The difference between the two “urges”
is that the urge to do evil is by definition the result of anger and hatred,
whereas the deeds that are prompted by the urge to do good, are by
definition prompted by feelings of goodwill and love. No wonder that G’d
prefers the positive deeds that are also the result of constructive attitudes, to
the good deeds that are the result of the urge to do evil, even when both
deeds may be identical. This idea has been portrayed by Proverbs 3,17 where
Solomon has described the ways of Torah as being ‫דרכיה דרכי נועם‬, “her ways
are ways of pleasantness;” in other words, it is not only what you do that
counts but how you go about doing it.”

"Heaven and earth and all their components were complete; for on that day
G’d had ceased from all His work that He had created to be continued; (or, to
complete it).”

[The last words in the paragraph are especially enigmatic, as the beginning
of the paragraph creates the impression that the Torah reports about the
conclusion of the work of creation. Ed.]

Rabbi Levi Yitzchok understands the words ‫ השמים והארץ‬as referring to the
sum total of the tangible universe, reminding us that our sacred texts teach
us that prior to the creation of the universe there was only what is known in
kabbalistic parlance as ‫אין סוף‬, G’d as an “infinite,” a concept that is beyond
our capacity to understand. The story of creation conveys how through the
creation of the universe as we know it, this “infinite” became transformed
into something finite both in space and in time.

Man, the Creator’s most advanced creature, is able to be active not only in
the physical but even in more spiritually refined parts of the universe.
Nonetheless, he gradually grows further and further apart from his origin, the
“infinite,” pure spirituality that is G’d. The expression ‫שבת‬, used in our
paragraph, describes that G’d Himself used the Sabbath to “retrace” His
steps back to the origin of creation.

It is the function of the Sabbath to help man to similarly emulate G’d by using
the Sabbath to retrace the physical material concerns that preoccupied him
during the preceding six days, and to return to the spiritual origin of his soul
and be inspired to the extent that he sees in the actions he performed during
the weekdays something that has been suffused with the loftiest spiritual
values.

[In this respect the Sabbath is a day that completes a cycle and prevents us
from losing contact with our origins. Ed.]

"These are the developments of heaven and earth once they had been
created;” the author understands the word ‫ תולדות‬to mean “objective,
purpose;” when the Torah continues with the words; ‫ביום עשות ה' אלוקים ארץ‬
‫ושמים‬, “from the day the Lord G’d had completed earth and heaven,” the
message is that from now on the Torah is concerned primarily with what
happens on earth, as opposed to when what happens on earth, had been the
secondary concern up until the human species had been created. The
practical significance of this statement is that whereas prior to this point
earth had been the “recipient” of celestial input, from this point on it is the
task of earth and what occurs on its surface to “kick back” beneficial
vibrations to the celestial regions, i.e. the result of man fulfilling his duty on
earth. The author bases himself on psalms 148,13 ‫הודו על ארץ ושמים‬, which
he translates as “His majesty is above earth and heaven,” earth being
mentioned first. This implies that the heavens receive useful input from earth.

The author offers another way of understanding the verse ‫אלה תולדות השמים‬
‫'והארץ בהבראם וגו‬, and the verse following, ‫וכל שיח השדה טרם יהיה בארץ וכל‬
‫'עשב השדה טרם יצמח ואדם אין בו וגגגו‬, “when no shrub of the field was yet on
earth and no grasses of the field had yet sprouted, etc.;” he draws our
attention to Genesis 38,27: ‫ויהי בעת לדתה ויתן יד ותקח המילדת ותקשור על ידו שני‬
‫'ויהי כמשיב ידו וגו' ואחר כך יצא אחיו ותאמר מה פרצת עליך פרץ וגו‬, “when the time
came for her to give birth, there were twins; while she was in labor one of
them put out his hand and the midwife tied a crimson thread on that hand to
signify “this one came out first;” but just then he drew back his hand and out
came his brother; the midwife said: ‘what a breach you have made for
yourself” This one was called ‫פרץ‬, “breach,” whereas his brother was named
‫זרח‬, “brightness.”

Nachmanides, in his commentary on the Torah, writes concerning this

occurrence, quoting Rabbi Nechunya ben hakaneh, that the name ‫ פרץ‬is a
euphemism for the moon, whereas the name ‫ זרח‬is a euphemism for the sun.

[Rabbi Nechunyah ben hakaneh was a scholar of the second generation of

the authors of the Mishnah and the famous kabbalistic text known as sefer
habahir, has been attributed to him. Ed.]

Our author (as distinct from Nachmanides) understands the description of the
Torah of this unusual birth as illustrating how the various universes at any
given moment receive positive input from the Creator, and that when a
human being wishes to secure additional ‫שפע‬, Divine beneficial outpouring,
or input, for the world in which he lives, he must attach himself to the domain
we described as ‫אין‬, i.e. the disembodied spiritual domains of the universe,
i.e. to the domains in which G’d did not have to surround Himself with
screens in order to avoid blinding His creatures with His brightness. When he
has done so, G’d, in turn will respond by showering more of His goodness
upon His creatures in the various domains of the universe. In the verse under
discussion, the Torah describes a period when this interaction between man
and G’d had not yet taken place, i.e. nothing had grown forth as yet from
earth that would have such a positive influence triggering further beneficial
input originating from the heavenly spheres. This state of the universe, prior
to such interaction is what our verse speaks about when writing ‫טרם יצמח‬,
“had not yet sprouted,” and similar expressions. The words ‫ יצמח‬and ‫המטיר‬,
“sprouting and raining”, respectively, are similes for the reciprocal positive
input from the heavens to the earth and from the earth in the direction of the
celestial regions. The period under discussion in our verse precedes the time
when the Creator garbed Himself in shells that reduced the brightness of His
emanations, so that His creatures instead of being burnt up, could “warm”
themselves, spiritually.

The opportunities, i.e. precise moments in time, when G’d responds to man
attempting to cleave to Him with his soul, are fleeting moments during which
people doing this must perform a ‫מצוה‬, such as giving charity or studying
Torah, as a result of which G’d will provide additional ‫שפע‬, divine bounty from
above to below. If that moment has passed and not been taken advantage of,
G’d withdraws to the region of ‫סוד‬, “hidden” domains where He is only
partially within reach of the creatures who wish to establish intimate contact
with Him. The words: ‫ואדם אין לעבוד‬, may be understood allegorically as:
“there being as yet no human being who would yearn for a close relationship
with His Creator.”

The verses describing the births of Peretz and Zerach are meant to illustrate
how such attempted reaching for that which was not completed represented
a lost opportunity, so that the second of the twins wound up being the
firstborn [in the physiological and halachic sense, similar to Esau. Ed.]

We have a statement in Chagigah 15, according to which there is a heavenly

voice calling out once on each day emanating from Mount Sinai calling on
sinners to do penitence, excluding only Elisha ben Avuya. The Talmud there
illustrates that there exists an opportunity for each one of us to cement our
relations with our Creator. All that is needed is to demonstrate one’s sincerity
through performance of one of the mitzvot that are basic to Judaism, such as
giving charity or Torah study. The reference to ‫שיח‬, a word having several
meanings, may be to warn us that we are not to waste our time on earth in
idle conversation, if we aspire to establish a firm bond with our Creator. There
is no need to add that if one employs the gift of speech to indulge in
defamation of others, etc., that this instead of strengthening the bond with
our Creator, drives a wedge between Him and us.

Such abuse of the power of speech is forbidden even when we find ourselves
in the part of the universe that has either not yet emerged from the primeval
state of ‫חושך‬, darkness, or is on the verge of descending back into that sorry
condition. Our author refers to the mental state of a person yearning for the
closeness with the Creator that he describes as a state of ‫התעוררות היראה‬,
“an awakening to a feeling of awe of the Creator.” He has explained this
phenomenon in connection with a statement in B’rachot 64 according to
which the very existence of Torah scholars contributes to harmony, peace in
the lower universe. [As I have not found where the author’s explanation on
that statement in the Talmud has appeared in print, I will try and explain how
I understand his thoughts. Ed.]

As long as one has not attained the level of being a Torah scholar, the
yearning for close affinity to G’d is like a flash of lightning, something that
disappears as quickly as it had materialized. While in such a state, it cannot
be recaptured at will. This is the meaning of the verse. Once one has attained
the level of being a Torah scholar, similar yearnings for close affinity to one’s
Creator will not disappear, but will be a constant companion to the Torah
scholar. This was what Ezekiel 1,14 had in mind when he compared the
fleeting appearance of the ‫חיות הקודש‬, the highest category of angels running
to and fro, as fast as the momentary appearance of a bolt of lightning.
Whereas originally, man had to initiate this yearning for ‫דבקות‬, close affinity
to G’d, having experienced it once and continuing to recapture it by striving
to make spiritual progress, G’d will reciprocate by helping him to make this a
more permanent relationship. In his allegorical commentary on the birth of
Peretz and Zerach, Nachmanides views the words ‫ויתן יד‬, as reflecting G’d’s
helping hand. He views the entire paragraph there as a conversation between
G’d and man regarding this concept. Although Nachmanides uses the
conversation recorded as that between the moon and the sun and G’d, in
connection with who should have senior status (Chulin 60), our author views
is as between G’d and His subjects in that paragraph.

Another approach to the paragraph commencing with ‫אלה תולדות השמים‬

‫והארץ‬: Originally, man as G’d’s final act of creation, and therefore the most
sophisticated creature in the universe, was perceived as superior to the
angels even by the angels themselves. However, this was before man had
sinned. Ever since, the angels are viewed as superior to man. When the
psalmist in psalms 148,13 speaks of ‫הודו על ארץ ושמים‬, “His splendour covers
earth and heaven,” in that order, he draws attention to the condition of man
on this earth as it will be when man has attained his true stature prior to the
ultimate redemption. Up until then, due to his sin and consequently residing
in an imperfect part of the universe after having been expelled from Gan
Eden, he had not yet attained the stature envisaged for him by his Creator.
Hence the psalmist, quite realistically, describes G’d’s glory as it is on earth
before describing it as it is in the heavens. It is only after the redemption,
when the prophet describes the state of man with the words: ‫כי מלאה הארץ‬
‫ 'דעה את ה‬, “when the earth will be full of knowledge of the Lord,” (Isaiah
11,9) that the vision of the psalmist will be realized. The word ‫ תולדות‬in the
verse under discussion means the same as ‫תכלית‬, objective, purpose. The
purpose of the creation of the lower parts of the universe was that on the day
when the messiah comes, earth, where G’d wishes to make His permanent
home, will rank higher in the hierarchy of the universes than the celestial
regions. Once Israel will attain that rank they will have reached the level
known as “ayin,” ‫אין‬, a level higher than that of the angels in the heavenly
hierarchy. [The author had explained earlier that the level of ‫אין‬, is a state
that existed before G’d began with creating anything that contained an
element of “substance,” three-dimensional matter. Ed.]

"And a mist would rise up from the earth;” following the allegorical approach,
the author reminds the reader that G’d had created the Universe(s) in order
to provide Himself with satisfaction, and we find this concept alluded to in His
name ‫ה‬-‫ו‬-‫ה‬-‫י‬, the satisfaction being called: ‫אהיה‬, which according to our
author refers to the satisfaction the Creator hopes to derive from the positive
contributions to spirituality that will emanate from man on earth. [condensed
by me. Ed]

"A river comes out of Eden to irrigate the garden;” compare on Avot 2,1 ‫הוי‬
‫זהיר במצוה קלה כבחמורה‬, “be as meticulous concerning the performance of
commandments deemed as inconsequential, as you are with the performance
of commandments deemed of great significance, since you do not know the
amount of reward in store for any of the commandments.” Our sages
explained that the author of this saying referred to the amount of satisfaction
that the performance of each commandment gives to the Creator. We mortals
have no way of gauging what ranks high in the esteem of the lawgiver. The
only thing that we know definitely about this is that as a result of the
satisfaction that G’d derived from our mitzvah performance He will give us
opportunities to perform more commandments. When a father hears words of
wisdom from his son, he encourages him to come up with more wise
comments. Similarly, when G’d derived pleasure and satisfaction from the
deeds of one of His “children,” He encourages that “child” to continue to
come up with intelligent questions and answers.<br>Eden, this describes the
pleasure derived by G’d from His children’s words of Torah and performance
of His commandments, whereas the word ‫גן‬, “garden,” is a reference to the
various levels at which Torah can be studied, i.e. just as a garden contains
many flowers, each of which having a distinct appearance and pleasing
aroma. The words of Torah His children speak by means of which they provide
spiritual irrigation in all the four directions of the earth, are alluded to by: “the
river splitting into four heads,” in our verse.

Performance of the commandments is perceived as “irrigating” the brain

(cranium) that consists of 4 cavities, one of them being a cavity divided into
two parts. This “stream” channels this inspiration directly from G’d, and
branches out into 4 “rivers,” each channeling inspiration to the four lobes of
the brain that fill these cavities. Each branch feeds the appropriate lobe,
according to its function. The word ‫ עדן‬describes the region from which ‫תענוג‬,
pleasurable experiences emanate. The word ‫ גן‬in this allegory includes the
various disciplines comprising Torah study, commonly known as peshat, plain
meaning of the text, drush, allegorical meaning, homily, remez, allusion, hint,
and sod, mystical aspects. Keeping this in mind, we can understand why the
mishnah quoted began with a warning, i.e. ‫הוי זהיר‬, “be careful to discern,”
seeing that the same mishnah told us that we do not know how the various
commandments rate in terms of the reward for those who perform them.
Since we do not know, how are we to distinguish between what is weighty,
and what is relatively less weighty in the eyes of G’d? Most likely the answer
is that the commandments described as ‫ קלה‬are the ones that we can find
opportunities to perform, such as studying Torah, whereas the ones described
as ‫חמורה‬, are those that a person may have few opportunities to perform in a
lifetime, or no opportunity at all.

[Since mitzvah performance is incumbent both on the individual and the

entire nation, we each share in the performance of those who do have an
opportunity to perform those, such as the levirate marriage, to name just
one. Ed.]

The author of the mishnah warns not to use the fact that some mitzvot can
be fulfilled all the time as an excuse to postpone fulfilling same, as we do not
know how even these mitzvot rate in terms of the reward in store for us.

Another approach to the allegory of: “river, garden, and ‘Eden.’” It is well
known that every Jew is obligated to acquire and maintain good character
traits and to make them second nature. By doing so he provides G’d with
satisfaction. When serving his Creator by personifying these positive virtues,
he enables the Creator to ”boast” of His creatures, [as for instance we find
when G’d “boasted” to Satan about the piety of Job. (Job 1,8) Ed.] These
“virtues” are described in Avot 2,1 as ”in the eyes of his peers.” The author of
the mishnah, Rabbi Yehudah hanassi, uses the expression ‫תפארת לעושיה‬, to
describe that man’s Creator can use this as “boasting” or justifying His
having created the human species. When reading these words superficially
we must wonder why G’d is interested i.e. in “need” of our actions, seeing He
has myriads of angels ready to do His bidding. However, the very fact that
His people, the Jewish people, who have been assigned the “lower” portion of
the universe as their habitat with all the disadvantages that are prevalent in
that region, distinguish themselves by their loyal service to Him nonetheless,
is something extraordinary, that cannot be compared with angels. This is
what Rabbi Yehudah hanassi had in mind when he described loyal service to
G’d by His free-willed creature, man, as being ‫תפארת לו מן האדם‬, “something
glorious for Him performed by man.” G’d certainly has reason to “boast”
about such devotion when telling Satan that in spite of his activities as
seducer and spoiler, there are people who have not been deterred in their
loyalty to Their Creator. Genesis 2,10-14 describes this whole process of man
being encouraged by G’d to develop the appropriate virtues and how having
acquired them his Creator derives great satisfaction from that. The simile
used by the Torah of describing man’s watering G’d’s “garden” read:
“worlds,” as something that He takes pride in, is therefore a well chosen
euphemism.

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.

[The subject is dealt with in a book called ‫ עץ חיים‬by Rabbi Chayim Vittal,
foremost disciple of the Ari’zal, in which most of the oral teachings of the
Ari’zal have been recorded for posterity. It is understood, based on psalms
104,34-35 ‫אנכי אשמח בה' יתמו חטאים מן הארץ‬, “as a result of my rejoicing in
G’d, evil will cease from the earth,” that it is the function of the righteous in
our parts of the universe to “repair” the damage the “Shechinah” sustained
due to man’s first sin and to restore it to its uncorrupted wholeness. Creation
of a physical universe, by definition, required a ‫צמצום‬, voluntary contraction,
of the Creator whose universe had previously been filled completely with the
holiness of the Shechinah. Since the universe had been “full,” prior to this
creation of the physical universe, G’d had to “empty” some of its “space” in
order to make room for the new creation. Ed.] The 288 “sparks” that
separated from the Shechinah, are the kabbalists’ way of illustrating this.
[Possibly the numerical value of 288 being ‫רוח וחיים‬, “spirit and life,” accounts
for this number 288. Ed.] The tree of knowledge personified these 288 sparks
of the Shechinah after they had merged with secular matter, i.e. a mixture of
‫טוב ורע‬, “good and evil,” in the lower part of the universe. G’d had to forbid
man to eat from this “tree,” in order for the way to remain open for man to
“repair” the damage that the “Shechinah” had sustained. If man were to eat
from it, this would result in an impediment to his ability to restore the
Shechinah to its former wholeness. As it were, these “sparks,” descended
ever deeper into the physical universe as a result of Adam’s eating from it,
and, instead of him restoring the original spiritual light to its former brilliance,
he caused the earth to become a spiritually darker domain. The spiritual
decline of the earthly environment may be what is described in the Torah as
the “death” that would occur, the process only beginning on the day Adam
ate, but not resulting in his literal death until many years later. [Needless to
say, that man’s task of finding a way to reunite these sparks with the
Shechinah from which it had been separated has not been abandoned;
however it was made far more difficult as a result of Adam’s sin Ed.]

Our author quotes Sanhedrin 99 on B’rachot 34 where the Talmud describes

the “place” on which repentant sinners stand in the scheme of things as
superior to the “place” assigned to the righteous who never knew the taste of
sin. If man has sinned, and in spite of this, found his way back to G’d, this is a
greater moral ethical achievement than never to have been exposed to the
allure of sin in the first place, so that one’s steadfastness in the path of
temptation had never been tested.

In the words of our author, the brilliance of the “sparks” which had not yet
been sufficiently reduced in intensity for man, even an Adam, G’d’s personal
handiwork, to be exposed to without being harmed by it, [absorbing it
internally, Ed.] was the reason why G’d warned him on pain of death not to
eat from it.

The author illustrates all this by means of a parable. A son had become
estranged to his father, thereby losing the path he had walked and getting
lost in all kinds of dead end alleys which he found difficult to get out of.
When, in spite of these detours, he eventually found his way back to his
father’s home, the joy of his having returned pleased the father
immeasurably more than the satisfaction an obedient son who had never left
the parental home in the first place could have afforded him.

When considering the relationship between the tree of knowledge and its
roots in the celestial spheres, the words of warning issued by G’d, i.e. “on the
day when you will eat from it you will die,” will become clearer. The tree of
knowledge will remain alluring to its beholders as long as what they see
reflects the thinly veiled brilliance of its celestial origin. Only after man
violated G’d’s commandment did it cease to be such and assume more
earthly proportions so that being exposed to it any further will spell eventual
death as man had contaminated it. [“Death” may be perceived as the
ultimate contraction of Divine glory on earth, G’d having veiled His spiritually
illuminating light with so many veils that none of them reach man, and
therefore cannot “revive” his spiritual resources. Ed.]

The good deeds performed by the righteous reverse this entire process and,
ultimately, when brought to its successful conclusion, will enable a different
world from the one we are familiar with to be revealed even on earth.

In the dialogue just described by the Torah, the first difficulty is the meaning
of the word ‫ אף‬with which the serpent commences. Normally, we understand
this word to mean: “although, in spite of,” or something to that effect. Why
would the serpent begin the conversation by using this as an introductory
word? Furthermore, why did the serpent “quote” G’d as having said ‫פן תמותון‬,
“lest you will die,” when in fact G’d had said [concerning a single tree Ed.] ‫כי‬
‫“ ביום אכלך ממנו תמות‬for on the day you eat from it you will die.”(Genesis
2,17) G’d had made an absolute statement “you will die,” whereas the
serpent changed the statement to a warning rather than a threat, i.e. “lest
you may die,” describing death as a possible rather than as a definite result
of eating from the tree.'

Prior to the sin, both Adam and Chavah did not appreciate the concepts of
ascent and descent of “sparks” of the Shechinah, so that when they heard
G’d mention the word “death,” they had understood it as a merely temporary
condition, such as unconsciousness. They had not understood it as referring
to the “death” of worlds, and that is why the serpent’s argument made sense
to them, as they felt that the Creator would be contradicting all that He had
created if He were to allow it to disintegrate so easily by a relatively
insignificant action such as eating from the fruit of the tree.

When our sages in Chagigah 14 relate that four people “descended” into the
pardess, (acronym for “peshat, drush, remez, sod) the four disciplines used to
explore the depths of the Torah, and that only Rabbi Akiva, returned
unscathed, they meant to warn us not to embark on such excursions as they
might result in our death. Adam and Chavah entertained doubts about the
exact meaning of the result of disobeying G’d’s prohibition and its
consequences for anyone disregarding this command. These doubts made
them potential victims of the serpent, who phrased the ”threat” in such a
manner that Chavah thought there was logic to the serpent’s words,
especially when by repeating: ‫לא מות תמותון‬, the serpent claimed that no
manner of “death” would result from her eating from the fruit of the tree. The
serpent implied that creatures who are ranking as high in G’d’s hierarchy as
Chavah and her husband, did not have any reason to fear “death.” The
serpent implied that the unscreened “light” emanating from the Shechinah
was not beyond their ability to digest without harm, on the contrary, they
would gain additional wisdom, and become able to tolerate even more
intense rays of Divine “light.”

"And Noach found favour in the Lord’s eyes.” If a person finds favour in the
eyes of the Lord, then he becomes a ‫נח‬, i.e. the word being derived from
‫מנוחה‬, rest, G’d being at rest concerning such a person. When we speak of
G’d being ‫מגן אברהם‬, “the shield of Avraham,” this reflects a reaction by G’d
to Avraham who personifies the virtue of ‫חסד‬, loving kindness, so that G’d
protects, ‫מגן‬, such a person. Similarly if we speak of ‫מגן דוד‬, “shield of David;”
seeing that David personifies the attribute of ‫מלכות‬, “Royalty” in Jewish
history, G’d will act as the shield of David or his descendants, as the title
“king” cannot be applied to a person who does not have a people to rule
over. G’d must therefore be a shield for the King’s people, if He approves of
the King.

This idea is reflected in the Midrash on Genesis 2,2 ‫ויכל אלוקים ביום השביעי‬,
“on the seventh day G’d concluded His work.“ He did so because the Sabbath
symbolizes Royalty as is evident from the writings of the Ari’zal.

[According to Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer, chapter 18, the fact that G’d is not
described as either “creating” the seventh day, or “performing any work” on
the seventh day, and we do not find the phrase: ‫ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר יום שביעי‬, “it
was evening, it was morning, the seventh day,” in connection with this day,
this is significant. G’d used the seventh day to survey earth and especially
the crown of creation, man, whom He had made on the sixth day. He
entertained great hopes for man, and indirectly for Himself, when man would
choose to serve Him. He used the Sabbath as a King reviews his army, man
being equivalent to G’d’s “army” on earth, He being the Commander-in-Chief.
Ed.]

A completely different approach to the phrase ‫'ונח מצא חן בעיני ה‬: when the
tzaddik, righteous person, finds something that appeals to him, he
endeavours to use it or part of it, to enhance his service of the Creator. When
he sees a person enthusiastically preparing to commit a sin, he reflects that
he should be equally if not even more enthusiastic in his service of the Lord,
i.e. he uses even negative phenomena to sublimate them and use them
positively, constructively. The Torah in Genesis 6,2-reported on the elite of
mankind, ‫הים‬-‫ בני אלו‬selecting ‫בנות האדם‬, morally inferior women, as their
mates, showing thereby that they considered these women as possessing ‫חן‬,
“charm, grace,” possessing desirable qualities. The Torah testifies that Noach
resisted such attractions, though he had found them. He willed himself to be
attracted to G’d instead, exhorting His qualities, instead of the shallow
qualities exuded by the ‫בנות האדם‬.
Genesis, Noach

Genesis 6,9. “these are the generations of Noach;" there are two types of
righteous people, both of whom serve the Lord. The first category does so
with enthusiasm and profound devotion, but does so as an individual only,
not endeavouring to draw other people, admitted sinners, nearer to their
Creator.

There is a second category of tzaddik, righteous person, who not only serves
the Lord himself, but who also is instrumental in leading sinners back to their
Creator. Avraham was a prime example of the latter type of tzaddik. He was
busy converting pagans to monotheism.

According to Ari’zal, Noach was even punished for not rebuking the pagans in
his time; his punishment consisted of his soul being reincarnated in the body
of Moses in order to accomplish then what it had failed to accomplish on its
first round inside a human body. Moses made up for the sin of omission of
Noach by constantly rebuking the Israelites for their shortcomings. When our
sages in Kidddushin 40 discussed the difference between a ‫צדיק‬, “a righteous
individual,” and a ‫צדיק טוב‬, “a good righteous individual,” they said that the
former is righteous vis a vis G’d, whereas the latter is “righteous both vis a
vis G’d, and vis a vis his fellow man.” Being “good” to one’s peers involves
more than being helpful and charitable; it includes admonishing one’s
neighbour when one observes him violating G’d’s commandments. According
to Sanhedrin 99, teaching one’s neighbour’s son Torah is one of the most
important ways in which to demonstrate one’s concern for him, so much so
that a student who has been taught Torah by someone other than his
biological father is deemed as having been sired by that teacher. In
introducing Avraham to us, the Torah underlines (Genesis 12:5) that when
heading for the land of Israel from Charan, Avraham and Sarah took with
them ‫את הנפש אשר עשו בחרן‬, “the souls they had acquired while in Charan”.
(the converts to monotheism)

When the Torah refers to Avraham, it never wrote the line: ‫אלה תולדות‬
‫אברהם‬, as opposed to Genesis 6,9-10 where amongst the ‫ תולדות‬of Noach we
are told about his three sons; there is no mention or allusion to any converts
that Noach had attracted to monotheism other than his own flesh and blood.
The word ‫אלה‬, “these,” is almost always used as a limitation, i.e. “these and
none other.” In Noach’s case, he had failed to “acquire souls.”

When we reflect on this we will understand why the Torah wrote ‫ונח מצא חן‬
‫'בעיני ה‬, instead of ‫'ונח היה לו חן בעיני ה‬. The latter formulation would mean
that when Noach faced G’d he brought with him much to commend him, i.e.
his converts, whereas the formulation the Torah uses implies that G’d had to
go looking for Noach; indeed he was a valuable find, a ‫צדיק תמים‬, a perfectly
righteous man, but not one that could not be overlooked such as Avraham’s
“Chassidim.”

When the Torah testifies that ‫את האלוקים התהלך נח‬, “Noach walked with
G’d,” this sounds as proof of Noach’s aloofness vis a vis his fellow man [at
least during the 120 years prior to the deluge when he was busy building his
ark. Ed.] He was in step with G’d, but out of step with his peers. This is why
the Torah repeats once more (verse 10) that he sired three sons, although the
Torah had informed us of this already at the end of the last chapter (Genesis
5:32).

Noach, though aware of the many sexual perversions practiced by the people
around him, and being steadfast in not copying their behaviour, is attested to
by the Torah describing him as ‫תמים היה בדורותיו‬, “he was perfect in his time.”
Nonetheless, his loyalty to the Creator certainly did not endear him to his
peers, hence “he walked with G’d”, as there was no one else “with whom to
walk.” Sadly, only G’d appreciated his self-restraint, his righteousness.

Having said all this, we are faced with the question why according to Rashi,
(Genesis 7,7) Noach was of a category described by our sages as ‫קטני אמונה‬,
“lacking in adequate faith.” How could a man be described as perfectly
righteous, ‫צדיק תמים‬, and at the same time display a lack of faith in the Lord?
Another question we must ask is why Noach, if he did not feel that rebuking
his peers would help, did not at least pray for his fellow human beings prior to
the deluge?

We must refer once more to the distinction between the two categories of
righteous people. One category has earned the title “tzaddik” because he
serves only the one and only true G’d, the Creator, and believes that this
Creator is all powerful and guides the universe in accordance with His wishes.

Noach, though aware of the many sexual perversions practiced by the people
around him, and being steadfast in not copying their behaviour, is attested to
by the Torah describing him as ‫תמים היה בדורותיו‬, “he was perfect in his time.”
Nonetheless, his loyalty to the Creator certainly did not endear him to his
peers, hence “he walked with G’d”, as there was no one else “with whom to
walk.” Sadly, only G’d appreciated his self-restraint, his righteousness.

Having said all this, we are faced with the question why according to Rashi,
(Genesis 7,7) Noach was of a category described by our sages as ‫קטני אמונה‬,
“lacking in adequate faith.” How could a man be described as perfectly
righteous, ‫צדיק תמים‬, and at the same time display a lack of faith in the Lord?
Another question we must ask is why Noach, if he did not feel that rebuking
his peers would help, did not at least pray for his fellow human beings prior to
the deluge?

We must refer once more to the distinction between the two categories of
righteous people. One category has earned the title “tzaddik” because he
serves only the one and only true G’d, the Creator, and believes that this
Creator is all powerful and guides the universe in accordance with His wishes.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni in Moed Katan 16 commenting on Samuel II 23,1

where the prophet introduces King David’s last utterances, (actually a
“hymn,”) with the words: ‫נאום דוד בן ישי ונאום הגבר הוקם על‬, ”words of David
son of Yishai, and of the strong man who has been elevated and anointed by
G’d, etc.” He continues there in verse 3: ‫אמר אלוקי ישראל לי דבר צור ישראל‬
‫מושל באדם צדיק מושל יראת אלוקים‬, “Israel’s G’d said concerning me: ‘be ruler
over mankind, be ruler over awe of G’d.’” According to Rabbi Shmuel bar
Nachmeni, the somewhat enigmatic verse must be understood as follows:
David, who had raised high the banner of repentance (when he said to the
prophet Natan in response to his rebuke that he had been guilty of without ifs
or buts in the matter of Bat Sheva) “G’d rules man, whereas the righteous
rules G’d.” What is meant by “the righteous rules G’d?” Initially G’d decrees
what man’s fate will be; however, the intercession of a tzaddik’s prayer” may
result in G’d’s decree being cancelled.” The Talmud suggests that when a
tzaddik is not only concerned with his own salvation but endeavours to bring
sinners closer to G’d, his prayer can influence G’d to the extent that He will
cancel a decree of death already promulgated in heaven against certain
individuals or groups of people. Noach, alas, did not engage in active
attempts to influence people by rebuking them.

[No doubt, whenever Noach was asked during the 120 years that he built the
ark why he did so, he told his peers that G’d had instructed him to do this in
order to escape the deluge that would occur. Ed.]

One of the reasons that he did not pray for his fellow man may have been
that he felt inadequate to be able to cancel a decree that G’d had told him He
had issued. He may have been motivated by considerations we encounter in
connection with Neuchadnezzar (Sanhedrin 92). We are told there that when
throwing Chananyah, Michael and Azaryah into a fiery furnace from which all
three were saved, G’d also commanded Ezekiel to revive the dead bones of
the Jews that had been killed by Nevuchadnezzar when he destroyed
Jerusalem and burned the Temple. One of the newly revived was instructed to
touch Nevuchadnezzar on his forehead and to identify himself as one of the
many thousands who had been resurrected. Nevuchadnezzar was so
impressed that he began to compose songs of praise extolling the Almighty.
Thereupon an angel shut Nevuchadnezzar’s mouth to prevent him from
continuing. Had the angel not done so, all the hymns composed by King
David would have lost in value when compared to the songs composed by
Nevuchadnezzar.

The word used by the Talmud to describe what would have occurred is ‫לגנות‬,
“to denigrate, or defame.” When reminding ourselves of the tzaddik’s ability,
under certain conditions to reverse a decree that originated from the
Attribute of Justice, and to cause it to become a beneficial decree, we can
understand why Nevuchadnezzar had begun to sing the Lord’s praises; [after
all he had deliberately destroyed G’d’s Temple on earth. Ed.] When he noticed
that Ezekiel’s prayers had resulted in an army of people being resurrected, he
became afraid that another prayer by the same person, or persons like him,
would result in his life’s work, the destruction of the Temple, being reversed
also. In order to pre-empt any prayer by any tzaddik being able to achieve
this, he tried to pre-empt anyone from offering such a prayer and being
granted his request, by extolling G’d’s greatness in even more glowing terms
than David had done in the Book of Psalms.

Noach, far from being a boastful individual, proclaiming himself as a major

deity, was the very opposite, a humble person, to whom it would not have
occurred that a prayer of his would influence G’d to reverse a decree which
He had certainly not arrived at without first having agonized over it. [He even
told Noach that He would delay execution of this decree for up to 120 years,
this is why He told Noach when he was 480 years old to start building the ark.
Ed.] It was because he did not consider himself as especially righteous, that
he reasoned that just as he would be saved, so there must be numerous
other people of similar stature who would also be saved. When G’d noticed
this, He told Noach (Genesis 6,13) that He would have to proceed with His
intention to destroy the human race as there was no one who had tried to
intercede on their behalf. Nonetheless, He made plain to Noach, that although
he had not interceded on behalf of his fellow humans, He would maintain the
existing covenant between G’d and mankind through Noach and his family.
(Genesis 6,18).

An alternate approach to the verse commencing with ‫אלה תולדות נח‬. The word
‫ תולדות‬is a euphemism for the pleasure/satisfaction afforded G’d by the
righteous person who observes His commandments. The Torah informs us
that the true pleasure the tzaddik enjoys from performing G’d’s
commandments is the certainty that he has contributed to His Creator
deriving satisfaction from his deeds.

Still another facet of the line: ‫ תמים היה בדורותיו‬,‫ נח איש צדיק‬,‫אלה תולדות נח‬,
may be appreciated by the reader after we have “digested” Rashi’s
commentary on Genesis 7,7 ‫ אל התבה מפני מי המבול‬.....‫ויבא נח‬, “Noach (and
family) entered the ark on account of the waters of the deluge.” Rashi uses
this verse to state that Noach was deficient in his faith in G’d. [Rashi based
himself on Bereshit Rabbah 32,6 who explains the extraneous words: “on
account of the waters of the deluge,” as telling us that Noach did not enter
the ark until the rising waters of the flood made this unavoidable.”] This
exegesis appears to fly in the face of an explicit verse in Genesis 6,22
according to which Noach carried out every single one of G’d’s instructions
without exception. How could the author of the Midrash accuse Noach of
being lacking in faith? If someone spent 120 years building an ark,
anticipating a deluge, because G’d had told him to do so, how can this be
interpreted as “lack of faith?”We must bear in mind that all the holy “sparks”
are possessed of an urge to serve their Creator, just as do the different
categories of angels all of whom vie to fulfill the wishes of their Creator while
being in awe of Him. The tzaddik, being a mortal human being and burdened
with an evil urge within him, may not always serve his master with a similar
degree of single-mindedness. He may be sidetracked by thinking of money,
or the allure of secular attractions, including good-tasting fruit, etc. One of
the causes distracting the tzaddik from serving his Creator with the same
degree of single-mindedness as the angels is that in order to bring the
sinners closer to G’d, he must first befriend them. The sinners are sinners
because the have within them some of the 288 sparks that “fell off” the
Shechinah, as we explained on page 21.

[A ‫רשע‬, sinner, who too has been created in the image of G’d, contains within
him some of these sparks, though they have become tainted through their
close association with the sinner. Ed.]

In the process of “outreaching,” as it is commonly known in our time, the

exposure of the highest ranking type of tzaddik to the lure of secularism is
such that he may momentarily forget his true calling, feeling drawn to these
“perks” of olam hazeh, as advertised by Satan in eye-catching colors. A
tzaddik engaged in such activities may be viewed as being engaged in a
‫מלחמת מצוה‬, “a holy war,” on behalf of his Creator.

This idea is alluded to in the wording in Chagigah 3:1. The Mishnah there
discussing different degrees of holiness, i.e. that ‫קדשים‬, sacred parts of
sacrificial animals, have a higher degree of holiness than t’rumah, the portion
of the farmer’s harvest that has to be given to the priest. An example given
by the Mishnah illustrating this is that whereas two vessels which require
ritual purification through immersion in a ritual bath may be cleansed even
when one of them is inside the other, this ruling is not valid when the vessels
in question belong to a higher level of holiness known as ‫קדשים‬, vessels used
in handling the remains of sacrificial animals, for instance. Apparently, the
author of this Mishnah relates the rules pertaining to cleansing vessels that
have become ritually impure to their respective origins. In other words: the
holier one’s origin, the more stringent the rules for recapturing one’s purity
once it had been lost. The wording of the Mishnah, i.e. ‫ חומר בקודש מבתרומה‬,
can be understood allegorically as: “the reason why higher ranking holiness is
subject to more stringent steps of purification than lower ranking holy
vessels, is because the higher ranking ones had been inside the lower
ranking ones.” The word ‫ תרומה‬chosen by the Mishnah, has a double
meaning, i.e. it is something in need of being elevated further. Applied to the
‫ צדיק‬in our parable, it means that the tzaddik engaged in “outreach,” must be
much more on guard against being drawn into the sphere of the sinner than
the kind of tzaddik who does not venture to mix with the sinners even in
order to bring them closer to G’d. A tzaddik faced with this dilemma will do
well to remind himself that the allures of this world are transient, and cannot
be compared to the delights in store when the soul rejoins its place in heaven
after having successfully discharged its duties while within a mortal body.

When our sages in Avot 6,10 stated that everything that G’d created, He
created only for the sake of His glory, this is another way of saying that He
desires to have satisfaction from the conduct of His creatures.

This is also the meaning of psalms 119,98 ‫מאויבי תחכמני מצותך כי לעולם היא‬
‫לי‬, “Your commandments made me wiser than my enemies; they always
stand by me.” The letter ‫ מ‬in the word ‫ מאויבי‬must be understood in the
sense of “more than.” When read thus, the word is a reference to the evil
urge, which is not only David’s enemy, but the enemy of every human being,
implanting within us the powerful desires to taste the gratifications
advertised. However, the psalmist, upon reflecting that what is eternal must
be far more worthwhile than that which is merely transient, redoubles his
resolve to serve only the Creator, rejecting the deceptive allure of physical
delights.

Applied to the allegory in the Mishnah in Chagigah that we quoted, an

addiction to the delights of this transient world, when compared to an
addiction to serving the eternal Creator is like placing a tainted vessel inside
one that is not tainted, hoping to purify it by immersing only the outer vessel
in a ritual bath. Keeping the waters of the ritual bath “at arm’s length,” is
simply not good enough to cleanse oneself from the pollutants absorbed
through contact with the defilements of the earthly environment. The inner
vessel had lost some of the brightness with which it had been endowed as a
result of G’d’s original light having shone upon it before it became
contaminated through contact with the sinner.

Going back to the line: ‫את האלוקים התהלך נח‬, “Noach walked with G’d;” the
emphasis in this line is on the attribute for G’d used, i.e. ‫אלוקים‬, the attribute
of Justice. It was beyond Noach’s kind of tzidkut, righteousness, to turn the
attribute of Justice into an attribute of Mercy through his lifestyle. In this
respect he was different from Avraham and Yitzchok, concerning both of
whom the Torah writes that they “walked before G’d,” not merely “with G’d.”
(Compare Genesis 17,1 and 48,15) In those verses the Torah wished to alert
us to the patriarchs’ ability to persuade G’d to substitute the attribute of
Mercy for the attribute of Justice, on occasion.

The words: ‫לפני האלוקים‬, would have to be translated as “formerly the

attribute of Justice.”

Genesis 6,14. “you are to construct compartments in the ark.” The word ‫קנים‬
is the plural mode of the word ‫קן‬, “nest,” as in “bird’s nest.” In other words,
the ark was to serve as a residence for all the creatures within it. The word
‫ תיבה‬does not only mean “ark,” but also means: “word.” G’d tells Noach that
all his activities, would be confined to the inside of the ark, including speech
which would be taking place inside it, including prayer.

An alternate meaning to this line when understood in conjunction with the

first word of the next verse, i.e. ‫וזה‬: Noach is told to construct the ark in a
way that it be fit for the Shechinah, presence of the Lord. He may have told
Noach that by using the right words, he could construct the ark by merely
uttering the correct formula. Using the correct words would also ensure that
G’d would “feel at home” inside and around the ark. The dual meaning of the
word ‫תיבה‬, would bring home to Noach that he was in effect using words to
ensure the survival of man and the earth, i.e. G’d’s handiwork.

Genesis 6,15 “You are to construct it according to this blueprint.” (The author
continues with an approach bordering on the mystical, involving the
difference between the words ‫ זה‬and ‫ כה‬when they appear in the Torah. He
elaborates on this theme also in Parshat Vaeyrah, on Exodus 7,16)

There are tzaddikim who allow themselves to be guided by letters, i.e. the
two letters in the word ‫ זה‬in our instance. Other tzaddikim such as Moses, are
far more articulate, and the word ‫ זה‬is merely a prelude for them of the words
that follow. Sifri, on Mattot, 2, explains this with the following words: although
both Moses and other prophets introduced their prophecies or prophetic
announcement with the word ‫כה‬, i.e. ‫'כה אמר ה‬, “thus said the Lord,” Moses is
the only prophet whose pronouncements were sometimes introduced with the
word ‫זה‬, i.e. ‫'זה הדבר אשר צוה ה‬, “this is the word that the Lord has
commanded.” (Numbers 30,2). Moses’ advantage over other prophets,
sometimes described as that he received a clearer vision than the other
prophets, also consisted in his formulating the prophecy instead of merely
repeating what he had seen or heard. In the words of our author, he was
‫“ מנהיג את הדיבור‬formulating the wording.” When G’d said to Noach: ‫זה אשר‬
‫תעשה אותה‬, “this is how you shall construct it (the ark),” Noach was granted
the same level of clear vision as was granted to Moses when we understand
the word ‫ תיבה‬as word, ‫[ דיבור‬his reincarnate 800 years later. Ed.]

Geneis 6:15 “the length of the ark is to be 300 cubits, its width 50 cubits and
its height 30 cubits.”[The author continues with the allegorical approach to
the data provided by the Torah, presumably because it is clear that the Torah,
when providing us with these measurements, intended to convey more than
merely the bare facts. Ed.]

Whenever a human being makes use of the ability to communicate his

thoughts by articulating them, he must first and foremost remember the
exalted position of his Creator, the One, Who had endowed him with the
power of speech. Having done so, he will likely relate to the Creator with the
appropriate amount of awe and love. Subsequent to this, he may appreciate
the conveniences G’d’s puts at the disposal of His creatures in this physical
universe. The measurements of the ark listed here contain allusions to the
three ethical imperatives just mentioned. The measurement given for the
height of the ark alludes to G’d’s exalted position G’d occupies in His
universe. The width is an allusion to the love and reverence for the Creator
due Him; in terrestrial terms this is expressed by the direction north-south;
finally, the availability of the various conveniences for man that G’d has
provided is alluded to by the description of the length of the ark, i.e. the
direction east-west.

Genesis 6,15. “and you are to place the entrance to the ark on its side.”
When a righteous person uses the power of speech, he is expected to adapt a
manner appropriate to the feelings in his heart at that time, i.e. whether it is
an outpouring of his love for the Creator, or of his awe for Him, etc. This is
why the Torah refers specifically to the position of “entrance” of the ark;
[something that most of us reading the report after 3700 years could hardly
be expected to be very interested in. We must therefore endeavour to find a
mussar, ethical instruction, alluded to in every detail of the ark that the Torah
provides. Ed.]

Genesis 6,21. “and you are to take for yourself some of everything that
serves as food, etc;” here the Torah alludes to the reason why until the
deluge man was forbidden to eat animals, (according to Nachmanides).
Noach saved the animals from extinction during the deluge; he therefore- as
representative of the human race- became the “owner” of the animal
kingdom, and as such entitled to use some of the animals, after due
preparation without causing pain to the animals, as food for himself. When
Avraham, in Genesis 23,13 urged Efron to accept the money he had readied
for the purchase of the cave of Machpelah wherein he planned to bury Sarah,
the word ‫ קח‬is used as denoting the acquisition of something. Avraham had
learned this expression and its meaning from our verse where it is used in
this sense for the first time. Noach made an additional acquisition when
taking the animal into the ark with him. [He had previously been permitted to
use the animals as beasts of burden, etc. Ed.]

An alternative explanation of G’d’s directive to take along provisions. [The

following is based on the Torah choosing the word ‫ מאכל‬instead of the
customary word ‫אוכל‬, for food. Ed.] (Compare Genesis 41,35; 41,48; 42,7 et
al) By using the causative mode, ‫ מאכל‬as 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 ‫ מאכל‬in 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 ‫ אכול‬is 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.]

Once Avraham was born, G’d did not again punish a nation collectively unless
the nation in question had deliberately harmed the Jewish nation. Sins
committed by the members of other nations against G’d are stored up in His
memory to be requited at the time when the birth pangs of the messiah have
begun. Prior to Avraham’s birth, G’d’s attribute of Justice punished the
generation of Noach and the generation of the Tower collectively for sins
committed against Him.

Genesis 7,1 “For I have seen you being righteous before Me in this
generation;” these words must be understood according to the Zohar I, 67.
The author of the Zohar contrasts Moses’ reaction to G’d’s threat to
annihilate the Jewish people and to substitute him for the Jewish people
(Exodus 32,10) with Noach’s silence. Moses, had immediately responded to
this threat by saying: “erase me from Your Book, rather than make me the
founder of a new Jewish people. Moses was willing to give up his life if he
could thereby save his people”. When G’d (7,4) used the same expression
‫ומחיתי את כל היקום‬, “I will erase all breathing living creatures,” He elicited no
response from Noach, just as He had not elicited a response from him in 6,13,
or in 6,17. Moses, by offering his own life on behalf of his people during the
episode of the golden calf, atoned for Noach’s insensitivity at this time.
Moses is viewed by the Zohar as possessing a soul composed of all the souls
destroyed in the deluge. This is why our prophets refer to the deluge as ‫מי נח‬,
“the waters of Noach,” since Noach had not intervened on behalf of his
contemporaries. (Isaiah 54,9). The prophet appears to imply that Noach had
been remiss by associating the deluge with Noach (himself) instead of with
the sinners.

It is known that Moses was considered a tzaddik, righteous person. When our
sages state that all the prophets’ prophecies began with the word ‫כה‬,
whereas Moses’ prophecy on occasion commenced with the word ‫זה‬, “this,”
they meant to compare Moses to Noach of whom G’d had said ‫אותך ראיתי‬
‫צדיק לפני בדור הזה‬, “I have seen you that you are a tzaddik before Me in this
generation”. G’d implied that Noach would be restored posthumously to this
stature when Moses, a reincarnation of his soul, would make up for his
omission at this time. The words ‫בדור הזה‬, are understood as a hint that in
Moses’ time another tzaddik would compensate for the sin of omission in
Noach’s generation.

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 ‫ בגדיו‬in 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.

Genesis 8,21. “and I will not again smite all living creatures in the manner
that I have done.” The Zohar II 35 zeroes in on the words ‫כאשר עשיתי‬, by
reporting on a conversation between G’d and the Torah together with which
together He had created the universe) when He said: ‫נעשה אדם‬, “let Us make
Man, etc.” The Torah is reported to have warned G’d that man was liable to
be sinful thereby causing G’d to become angry so that unless he were to
restrain Himself man could never survive G’d’s anger. G’d responded that this
was why He employed the Torah as His assistant, so that people would see
that any reference to G’d as the merciful, patient G’d, etc., would not be an
empty compliment. In other words, the principal attribute of G’d at work on
earth is G’d’s attribute of Mercy. The words of the Zohar are echoed by
Bereshit Rabbah 12, where the Midrash states that G’d employed the
attribute of Mercy as His partner when creating Man. The Midrash quotes the
words ‫כאשר עשיתי‬, as the source for its statement. The author of that Midrash
understands G’d as saying that just as He had employed the attribute of
Mercy when creating the universe, (man) so He will henceforth continue to
employ this attribute in large measure. As a result, He will not again bring a
deluge of the dimensions experienced in the time of Noach.

Genesis, Lech Lecha

Genesis 6,9. “The Lord said to Avram: ‘go for yourself,’ etc.” Many
commentators ask why Avram endangered Sarai by taking her with him to
Egypt, seeing that G’d had not given any instruction for either him or his wife
to go to Egypt? The answer may be in the words: ‫אל הארץ אשר אראך‬, “to the
land that I will show you.” By being vague about Avram’s destination, and not
naming the country, G’d may have hinted that Avram should move to any
country which circumstances would indicate as a suitable destination for him.
Hence, when he came to Eretz Yisrael and shortly thereafter a famine struck
that land, he reasoned that it was time for him to move further south, to
Egypt where there was no famine. This is the meaning of 12,10 ‫ויהי רעב בארץ‬
‫וירד אברם מצרימה כי כבד הרעב בארץ‬, “It was that when a famine broke out in
the land, Avram descended to Egypt as the famine in the land was severe.”
He took the outbreak of the famine as a sign from G’d not to remain in the
land of Canaan, but to move on. He was convinced that he acted in
accordance with G’d’s wishes.

An alternate approach to the words: ‫אל הארץ אשר אראך‬, “to the land that I
will show you.” It is a general rule in life that when in doubt about a course of
action that one should pursue, one must rely on one’s G’d given power of
reason. G’d indicated to Avraham by giving him these vaguely worded
instructions that he was free to follow what his reason dictated to him.

Yet another possible meaning of these instructions: It is a general rule that

when a person flees from persecution in one location that he turns to a place
where he feels that he will be more secure, even if it means that he will have
to keep on moving instead of establishing a permanent home. Since Avram
had fled from Nimrod as we know from Bereshit Rabbah 38,13, G’d’s
instructions to Avram to proceed to a land that He would show him, was
meant to reassure him that he would no longer have to live the life of a
fugitive as had been the case as long as he was in Mesopotamia, a land
under Nimrod’s rule.

Concerning G’d’s adding that Avram was to move away from his birthplace
etc., ‫ ממולדך‬,‫מארצך‬, G’d made clear that contrary to the norm that when
someone moves to a new place he generally has some roots there already
and he will be accompanied by “the sparks” (see my discussion of this term
on page 21), in this instance G’d told Avram that this move would be of a
different dimension. He was to leave behind all that tied him to his previous
abode. While he would now proceed in the direction of his true spiritual roots,
what had gone before had no connection with his true roots. It had now
become his destiny to restore the “sparks” that accompanied him to their
true homes. We find an interesting verse in Samuel I 7,17, where the author
writes ‫ותשובתו הרמתה כי שם ביתו‬, “and Samuel returned to Ramah, for that
was where his home was.” The words “for that was where his home was,” are
redundant as the reader is familiar with this fact. The prophet added these
words to inform the reader that the prophet Samuel could be “at home,”
wherever he decided to spend the night. His “roots” were so inextricably
linked to his people that he was at home in any place in the land of Israel.
The same was true, of course, of Moses and Aaron.

Genesis 12,2. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you and
make your reputation great.” The Talmud (Pessachim 117) comments on this
verse that “making Avraham great,” meant that when referring to G’d the
Creator, people would describe G’d as “the G’d of Avraham.” The word ‫ואברכך‬
is a promise that the Israelites when praying will refer to G’d as “the G’d of
Yitzchok,” whereas the words: ‫ואגדלה שמך‬, “I will make your name great,”
refer to the Israelites referring to G’d as the “G’d of Yaakov” in their prayers. I
might have thought that when concluding the benediction they would also
mention the names of all the patriarchs; in order to signal that this is not so,
the Torah continues with ‫והיה ברכה‬, “be a blessing!” (sing) i.e. that the
signature of the benediction contains only the name of Avraham, i.e. ‫מגן‬
‫אברהם‬, “(Gd) the shield of Avraham.”

There are three attributes that G’d employs in His continuous relations with
the creatures in His universe; they are ‫אהבה‬, “love,” ‫גבורה‬, “power,” and
‫תפארת‬, “harmony, splendour.” When G’d relates to His creatures with the
attribute of ‫אהבה‬, “love,” all parts of the universe are filled with all manner of
“good” (welcome) phenomena. When He has recourse to the attribute of
‫גבורה‬, “power,” the result is that the creatures affected will feel the opposite
of comfortable. When G’d employs the attribute of ‫ תפארת‬in relation to His
creatures, the world will also feel an abundance of goodness, as it is G’d’s
purpose and desire to be able to glorify in His choicest creation, man. When
G’d is able to do this, He inundates the universe with love. We must not
misunderstand the attribute of ‫ גבורה‬by regarding it as something negative.
While the attribute of ‫גבורה‬, when active, may appear to the people affected
by it as something negative, unwelcome in the extreme, it is designed to
enable G’d to again relate to all His creatures with love, once that attribute
has accomplished its purpose.

This is what we are told in Job 8,7 (by Bildad) ‫והיה ראשיתך מצער ואחריתך ישגה‬
‫מאד‬, “though your beginning may be small (painful), in the end you will grow
very great.” The overriding function of the attribute of ‫ גבורה‬is to carry out
retribution in the world so that G’d will afterwards be able to pour out all His
goodness on His creatures. Historically, the person who had realized this
better than anyone else, was Nachum, nick-named, ‫איש גם זו‬, who whenever
something happened to him that was unpleasant, painful, etc., immediately
reacted by saying: ‫גם זו לטובה‬, “this too will eventually be revealed as having
been a positive, constructive event.” (Taanit 21).).

It is generally known that Avraham symbolizes the attribute of love, whereas

Yitzchok symbolizes the attribute of power, and Yaakov symbolizes a merging
of these two attributes, resulting in what we call ‫תפארת‬, harmony. When the
Talmud in Pessachim 117 first thought that it would be appropriate to sign the
first benediction of the amidah prayer by referring to G’d as the G’d of
Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, it concluded that the reason the sages who
formulated this prayer did not do so, was because they wanted to stress that
ultimately, what G’d is all about is the attribute of love, the attribute
personified best in the personality of Avraham. [The Maharshah on that
section of the Talmud points out that the letters in the word ‫ והיה‬are the same
as the letters in the tetragram, i.e. the name of G’d symbolizing the attribute
of Mercy. Ed.] The other two attributes’ function is auxiliary, i.e. to help G’d
be able to fully display His attribute of love.

The three attributes of G’d are also represented by the 12 tribes, as well as in
the phylactery worn on the head which features a three armed letter ‫ ש‬on
one side and a four armed ‫ ש‬on the opposite side of the housing. The three
armed ‫ ש‬symbolizes the twelve tribes, seeing that the head of each of these
“arms,” comprises four components, making a total of 12, each tribe being
“rooted” in one of these “roots. [For a comprehensive treatment of the
symbolisms in the letter ‫ש‬, the reader is referred to Rabbi Michael Munk’s
“wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet,” pages 207-213. Ed.] These 12 ‫שרשים‬,
roots, are also known as 12 dazzlingly white lights known as ‫ אין‬and ‫יש‬
respectively. There is another ‫שורש‬, root, above the twelve mentioned which
is known as ‫אפס‬, “void.” Concerning this latter root we are told in the Sefer
yetzirah (ancient kabbalistic text attributed to Avraham) ‫בלום פיך מלדבר ולבך‬
‫מלהרר‬, “restrain your mouth from speaking and your heart from even
contemplating.” (The subject is the ten emanations by means of which G’d
created the physical universe in stages.)

Let us try and explain the subject by means of a parable. A tree has
numerous branches; each of these “branches” is perceived as being “rooted”
in the tree’s trunk. The trunk itself possesses one root that includes all the
other roots of its branches. The word ‫“ אחד‬one,” alludes to this as the letters
12=‫ד‬+‫ח‬, whereas the letter 1= ‫א‬. The Zohar II,162, commenting on
B’rachot 17, that when saying the word ‫ אחד‬in the kriyat sch’ma, one must
not draw out the letter ‫ א‬as it refers to this “void,” refers to the line from the
Sefer Yetzira that even spending time on trying to understand the true
meaning of G’d’s uniqueness is forbidden [as it may lead one astray. Ed.]

Genesis 12,2. “and be a blessing!” The letter ‫ה‬-‫ י‬in the word ‫ והיה‬is an
allusion to G’d, whereas he letters ‫ו‬-‫ ה‬are an allusion to the Jewish people. As
long as Avraham had not existed, there had not been a human being who
tried to “awaken” G’d’s largesse to be dispensed in the lower regions of the
universe. G’d’s largesse, when it was dispensed for the good of mankind,
owed this exclusively to the Creator’s goodwill. As soon as Avraham became
active on earth, there were deeds on earth that “awakened” G’d to dispense
His largesse as a result of acts performed by His creatures. In other words,
prior to Avraham, G’d’s name could be spelled in the order of ‫ה‬-‫ו‬-‫ה‬-‫י‬, whereas
this order had now been reversed and His name could be spelled as ‫ה‬-‫י‬-‫ה‬-‫ו‬.
This is what the author of Bereshit Rabbah 39,11 had in mind when he said
that the meaning of the word ‫ והיה‬is equivalent to the meaning of the word
‫שמחה‬, joy, i.e. there had not been any joy on earth prior to the appearance of
Avraham on earth. The reversal of the sequence of the letters ‫ה‬-‫ ו‬hints at this
largesse having its origin in the lower, rather than the celestial regions. [I
have not found a reference to ‫ שמחה‬joy, in our versions of this Midrash. Ed.]

Genesis 12,3. “I shall bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I
shall curse.” At first glance it seems strange that the Torah changed the order
of subject and object when speaking of anyone who would curse Avraham.
Why would people who bless Avraham be given a blessing before they had
actually done so? We find here an example of the principle that G’d considers
good intentions as part of the carrying out of such intentions, i.e. the party
carrying out a noble intention, is retroactively rewarded not only for the deed
but also for the thoughts that led up to the deed. When planning something
wicked, G’d does not take this into consideration even after the wicked act
has been carried out. (Kidushin 40.)

Genesis 12,8. “he built an altar for the Lord Who had appeared to him there.”
Why did the Torah have to add the word ‫אליו‬, “to him,” at the end of this
verse? Would we not have understood this without being told?

I believe that on this occasion G’d promised material blessings, and this is
why Avraham felt obliged to build an altar in acknowledgment of this. The
word “altar” serves also as a symbol for man’s expressing his desire to come
closer to his Creator by means of a material offering. He does so by
reciprocating in the only way a human being can reciprocate for receiving a
gift from G’d. Accordingly, the word ‫ אליו‬describes an element of reciprocity
that occurred here in the relations between man and G’d, his remaining not
only at the receiving end of G’d’s largesse. In order to give expression to this
aspect of the man-G’d relationship he had to build an altar. Man’s gift to G’d
must be brought in a fitting manner, the altar serving as the vessel in which
this gift is presented.

Genesis 12,8. “Bet-El to the west and AI to the east;” it is understood by the
Kabbalists that the tzaddik must always remain attached to the ayin, ‫אין‬, i.e.
to a negation of that which is primarily physical, ‫ יש‬or known as “reality,” in
our parlance. He is able to ignore such “realities” due to his awe for the
Creator; the word: ‫והעי‬, is a variation of ‫עי השדה‬, “ruins in the field;” (Micah
1,6). When the tzaddik is attached to this ‫אין‬, he is able to draw down to our
physical universe goodwill and blessings from the celestial domain of the
universe. Our verse illustrates the concept of how a man of the caliber of
Avraham is able to be a source of good for the entire human race.

[The author’s approach to our verse is again based (in my opinion) on the
implied question of why the Torah would bother to inform us about such
apparently irrelevant details about locations, details which we read in public
year after year for over 3700 years. Compare author’s commentary on the
measurements of Noah’s ark. Ed.] The moral/ethical message of the verse is
that in order to enjoy the benefits available in this terrestrial part of the
universe, one must first make certain that one maintains close links with the
celestial parts of the universe, which is the source of these benefits. What
was considered a ruin, ‫עי‬, before the tzaddik had established close ties with
the celestial domain, turns into ‫בית אל‬, a “house of G’d on earth,” after he
has done so. The Torah confirms this a few verses later after Avraham returns
from Egypt, when he is described as very rich in livestock, silver and gold.
(Genesis 13,2)

Genesis 12,9. “Avram journeyed ‘southward’ in stages.” In order to

understand the significance of this verse we must remember that the
meaning of the word ‫נגב‬, becomes clear from Joshua 15,19, where Calev is
reported as giving his daughter Achsah to whom he had given some land in
the southern district of Yehudah, an additional source of irrigation in response
to her plea; the negev was known already then as a semi arid region. The
expression: ‫מנוגב‬, taken from the word ‫נגב‬, means “dried out, lacking in
moisture.” In fact, ‫ נגב‬is identical with ‫דרום‬, an allusion to G’d’s attribute of
‫חסד‬, loving kindness. When the word ‫ נגבה‬is used in our verse instead of the
word ‫דרומה‬, which in common parlance means the same thing, the reason is
that the Torah wished to draw the reader’s attention to the blessing inherent
in the word ‫נגב‬. Water, though generally perceived as a blessing, a necessity,
also has a down side, as we are all aware of. When the word ‫ נגב‬is used for
“south,” this implies that water flowing there is an unmitigated blessing. The
moisture mixed with the natural characteristic of ‫ נגב‬results in a perfect blend
of two elements. The Torah reports here that Avraham understood how to
blend service of the Lord with being of service to the people among whom he
lived. He knew how to “get out of his skin,” and to spread the generous
nature of which he was possessed far and wide. In doing so, he served his
Creator with his entire personality. [Some of these words are my own. Ed.]

An alternative approach to the meaning of this verse, not substantially

different from the previous one. There are two different methods in which
man can serve his Creator. The first method is based on man’s awe and
reverence for his Creator. The second method is based on man’s love for his
Creator. The basic difference between these two approaches is that he who
serves the Lord because of his awe and reverence for Him, reflects the fact
that he is rooted in the ‫יש‬, the material reality of the terrestrial part of the
universe, someone who is conscious of the limitations of the transience of
life, and the finite nature of everything physical; it is natural that he is
overcome with awe for the source of this finite universe, the Creator.

The second method of serving the Creator, i.e. the motivation being love for
the Lord, does so because he feels himself as totally unworthy, possessing no
so-called self-respect, but is part of the ‫אין‬, metaphysical aspects of the
universe. We must remember that among the people serving G’d out of love
for Him, some may be motivated by the awareness that serving the Lord
earns a reward, so that this may consciously or subconsciously affect the
purity of his service of the Lord. Anyone who serves the Lord in this fashion
belongs to the category of people serving Him out of the ‫ יש‬dimension of the
universe. Only he who serves the Lord exclusively by trying to provide the
Lord with a sense of satisfaction, pleasure from His creatures, belongs to the
category of people serving Him from the dimension of ‫ אין‬a domain totally
devoid of anything remotely physical. When the Torah wrote of Avram that
‫ויסע אברם הלוך ונסוע הנגבה‬, it testifies to the spiritual accomplishment of
Avram who had ascended to the level of serving G’d from love, i.e. by totally
negating himself as an individual. The term ‫ הנגבה‬is used to describe
something dried out, i.e. no longer possessed of physical urges, not even
serving the Lord for the promise of a reward.

Another angle from which our verse may be viewed zeroes in on the
repetition of the words denoting traveling, journeying, i.e. ‫הלוך ונסוע‬. Why did
the Torah have to write two verbs to describe this journey? The basis of this
exegesis is the Zohar III 263, according to which Avraham served G’d out of
feelings of love, and that the meaning of the word ‫ הנגבה‬is exchangeable
with ‫דרומה‬, an allusion to ‫חסד‬, love (as in ‫זכרתי לך חסד נעוריך‬, “I gratefully
remember the love of your youth as a bride” Jeremiah 2,1)

It is known that the Zohar (5 separate occasions) has repeatedly stated that
what occurs in our terrestrial world evokes its counterpart in the celestial
regions. If this is so, it is clear that by serving the Lord out of love, Avraham
evoked a reciprocal sentiment on the part of G’d, Who poured out His love for
the creatures on earth. Accordingly, our verse describes the journey
described as progressive, i.e. the repetition of ‫הלוך ונסוע‬, emphasizes how
Avraham moved closer and closer in the direction of the ideal ‫חסד‬, i.e. ‫הנגבה‬.
The first of these two words, ‫הלוך‬, logically, describes the direction in which
Avraham’s spiritual journey took him, whereas the second word ‫ונסוע‬
describes the reciprocal journey made toward him by the Lord.

This point is made even more clearly in Genesis 13,14 where we read: '‫וה‬
‫אמר אל אברם אחרי הפרד לוט מעמו שא נא עיניך וראה מן המקום אשר אתה שם‬
‫צפונה ונגבה וקדמה וימה‬, "and the Lord had said to Avram after Lot had separated
from him ‘raise your eyes and look northward, southward, eastward and
westward;’” this was a promise first and foremost that he would see in his
lifetime three of the patriarchs of the Jewish people, i.e. himself, Yitzchok, and
Yaakov. The first three directions mentioned here symbolize the attributes
‫ גבורה‬, ‫חסד‬, and ‫תפארת‬, referring to Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov in that
order.

When telling Avraham that he would see ‫את כל הארץ‬, “the whole of the land”
(future Eretz Yisrael), this refers to David, whose attribute is ‫מלכות‬, Royalty,
David representing this symbol on earth, the Jewish people. David is directly
linked to the patriarch Avraham, was shown “the whole land,” so that he
would be aware that the glory of the Kingdom of David would be directly
traceable to him. This is the reason why north and south, east and west are
listed here in this order. According to Ari za’l, ‫ימה‬, “west,” refers to the
emanation ‫יסוד‬, the emanation directly above the emanation ‫מלכות‬, the one
symbolized by the kingdom of David.

[Malchut, as the “lowest” of the emanations, is the one closest to the physical
universe. Rabbi Elie Munk (Ascent to Harmony) has described the emanation
Malchut as “History” (of man), thus seeing it as the bridge between the actual
physical universe and the celestial domains, since when something becomes
“history,” it has either receded or ascended (depending on whether the
persons making history made constructive or destructive contributions) to a
domain beyond the physical but robbing it of the “substance” common to
phenomena in the earthly domain of the universe. Ed.]

According to the Zohar, tzaddik and tzedek, the righteous person and the
performance of righteous deeds, are indivisible, i.e. the emanations ‫מלכות‬
and ‫ יסוד‬always go hand in hand. We find this concept first alluded to in the
Torah when Malki Tzedek, King of Shalem, (Jerusalem) in Genesis 14,18
congratulates Avram on his victory, blesses him in the name of the Lord, and
presents him with bread and wine. The word ‫לחם‬, commonly understood as
“bread,” is used to describe ‫חכמה‬, “wisdom,” whereas the word ‫יין‬, commonly
understood as “wine” means ‫בינה‬, “insight,” in this context. Malki Tzedek
presented these items as symbols of the two highest emanations man can
usually attain, both of which Avraham employed in his service of the Lord.

[As on previous occasions, the author sees in such apparently irrelevant

details as a King bringing bread and wine from hundreds of kilometers from
Jerusalem. According to Genesis 14,15, Avraham had pursued the armies of
Kedorleomer all the way to Damascus) an allusion to something far more
profound. Ed.]

The Zohar I,199 traces the fact that a tzaddik serves the Lord with ‫ חכמה‬and
‫ בינה‬to Job 28,28 ‫יראת ה' היא חכמה וסור מרע בינה‬, “Reverence for the Lord is
wisdom, to shun evil is understanding, insight.” The two blessings that Malki
Tzedek, who was viewed as G’d’s High Priest in those days, most likely Shem,
Noach’s oldest son, bestowed on Avram, represent the two emanations that
Avram had been able to use in his service of the Lord, and are reflected in
Targum Yonathan’s translation of the Torah, in the first verses of the Torah in
which they appear. [In our verses, instead of commending Avraham to G’d, as
we would translate the words ‫ברוך אברם ל‬.., Yonathan ben Uzziel translates:
‫ברוך אברם מ‬..., “Avram has been blessed by the supreme G’d, etc.” Ed.]
Targum Yerushalmi translates already the first words of the Torah, i.e. ‫בראשית‬
‫ברא אלוקים את השמים ואת הארץ‬, as “in the beginning G’d used the
emanation of ‫ חכמה‬to create heaven and earth.”

Genesis 13,16. “so that if one can count the dust of the earth then your
offspring too can be counted.” G’d’s comments were triggered by Avram
having seen in his astrology charts that he was not going to have offspring.
G’d taught him that “science” such as astrology is valid only in terms of the
terrestrial part of the universe. Astrologers therefore are able to decipher only
matters accessible to ordinary people’s powers of perception. The Jewish
people’s fate could not be predicted on the basis of such limited powers of
perception. This is why Jews are not allowed to attempt to count the stars as
we know from Yuma 22, where the Talmud states ‫כל המונה את ישראל עובר‬
‫בלאו‬, “anyone making a headcount of Israelites transgresses a negative
commandment.” The Talmud quotes Hoseah 2,1 in support of this. The result
of such a count would be misleading, as the yardsticks that apply to other
nations do not apply to the Jewish people. Avram who had not yet been aware
of this, had therefore misread what appeared to be written in the stars
concerning his future. The Talmud Shabbat 156 cites our verse in support of
this. [The verses cited there are Genesis 15,4 and 5. Ed.] Basically, seeing
that our prayers and/or repentance have the power to alter G’d’s decrees,
how could constellations in the sky that are predictable in advance have any
bearing on our fate?

Genesis 14,14. “when Avram heard that his brother (nephew) had been taken
captive, etc.” When the Torah continues and speaks about Avram taking with
him 318 men in his pursuit of Kedorleomer and his armies as far north as the
tribal territory of Dan (in the future), the number 318 is not accidental, but
represents the numerical value of the word ‫שיח‬, another word for ‫דבור‬,
suggesting that Avram defeated these armies by means of uttering the holy
name of G’d. [The reader is referred to when Moses killed the Egyptian in
Exodus 2,13, an act referred to in Exodus 2,14 as having been accomplished
by a word, i.e. ‫אומר‬. Ed.] The word ‫ דבור‬also means ‫הנהגה‬, leadership; the
word 318=‫ שיח‬also occurs in the sense of ‫השפלה‬, humiliation, i.e. Avram
humiliated these boastful kings. The word occurs in Proverbs 23,27 in that
sense, i.e. ‫שוחה עמוקה זונה‬, “a harlot is a deep pit.” [The author is at pains to
understand the number of men Avram took with him as also having profound
symbolical meaning. Ed.]

Genesis 14,18. “and Malki Tzedek King of Shalem produced bread and wine,
seeing that he was a priest loyal to the Supreme G’d.”

We have previously referred to two different types of people worshipping G’d,

one worshipping Him out of a sense of negating himself as a person, making
no demands on life, whereas the other expresses his worship of G’d through
performance of positive and negative commandments, as well as by being of
assistance to his fellow-man. The former is dedicated truly to the
metaphysical world, the totally spiritual Being Who created the universe, the
one we described as ‫אין‬, presiding over ‫ אין‬prior to commencing creation,
whereas the other serves the Lord under the heading ‫יש‬, thereby raising the
phenomena in the physical world from a mundane to a more spiritual level
when he performs the positive and negative commandments of his Creator.
G’d gave the Jewish people these commandments to perform as part of living
in a domain called “‫יש‬.” Since the person serving G’d under the heading of ‫אין‬
does not perform specific commandments applicable in the ‫ יש‬part of the
universe, he cannot draw down from the metaphysical world any of G’d’s
largesse, held in reserve by G’d for the human race.

It is an error to think that by performing ‫ מצות מעשיות‬commandments

involving our bodies in what appear to be mundane activities, we have closed
the door to being part of the meta-physical world, the ‫אין‬. This element of the
‫ אין‬part of the universes is the ‫נחת רוח‬, a pleasurable sensation, satisfaction
that man’s good deeds cause the Creator to experience.

Indeed, he who draws down upon himself physical gratifications in this world
by means of his ‫ מצוה‬performance, attaches himself both to the ‫ אין‬and to
the ‫ יש‬aspects of the universes; he does the former through having desired
to provide his Creator with this sense of satisfaction, with the feeling that He
has demonstrated to the creatures in the celestial regions that He had been
correct in His fondest hopes when He undertook to create a free-willed
human being; such a person also attached himself to the ‫ יש‬part of the
universe as the commandments of the Torah were given in order to make him
an inseparable part of this ‫ יש‬part of the universe. This is the reason why, on
occasion, we find that some people by dint of performing G’d’s
commandments find their livelihood on this earth.

Our sages in Yuma 28 express this thought when they said that Avraham kept
all the commandments of the Torah down to the minutest detail such as ‫ערובי‬
‫תבשילין‬, a rabbinic ordinance enabling us to cook and bake on the festival in
preparation for the Sabbath on the next day, something ordinarily forbidden
as it appears as if one used a holy day to prepare for the mundane day
following, by having made appropriate preparation for the observance of this
very festival on the eve of the festival in question by having prepared basic
meals for it. To the question how one could “fulfill” commandments of the
Torah at a time when the Torah had not been revealed yet, the answer is that
when man endeavours through intense mental concentration to divine what
is pleasing to his Creator, he can tune in to the appropriate “wavelength.”
Avraham was the first individual who succeeded in doing this. Avraham had
succeed in placing all his 248 limbs at G’d’s disposal, so that he was inspired
with divining the will of his Creator.

[Once the Torah had been given this feat could not be repeated, just as the
akeydah, Avraham’s offering his son as a sacrifice to G’d in response to G’d’s
request, could not ever be repeated. Ed.]

According to tradition each of our limbs has a function to perform for the 248
positive commandments of the Torah. In fact, unless these limbs were used to
perform G’d’s commandments, they have no claim to life on this earth (or at
least in the Land of Israel). In a descending order, the head fulfils the
commandment of wearing tefillin. As long as Avram did not live in the Holy
Land, he had not had an opportunity to fulfill any of these ‫מצות‬, “as yet
unrevealed commandments,” as there would be many commandments that
could not be fulfilled even after the Torah had been given, since they are not
inextricably tied to the soil of Land of Israel. He was therefore “missing” a
considerable number of limbs in his body, limbs that could not perform their
real tasks until he had settled in the Holy Land.

Avraham was aware of this; this is why he had served the Lord by the first
method that we described earlier, i.e. by selfless devotion to G’d, negating
any claim to the comforts life on this earth affords the creature living it,
serving Him exclusively from the ‫ אין‬aspect of the universe. This helps explain
why he allowed himself to be thrown into a fiery furnace by Nimrod in order
to demonstrate his utter devotion to the Creator. Once he moved to the Holy
Land, there was no more need for him to demonstrate his loyalty to G’d by
such negation of his entire body.

If the reader were to ask that Yitzchok’s being offered as a potential sacrifice
to G’d occurred in the Holy Land, something that does not appear to conform
to the principle just described, the answer is quite simple. Yitzchok’s being
offered as a sacrifice was the fulfillment of an express command by G’d,
whereas G’d had never told Avram to put his life on the line in his theological
confrontation with Nimrod. [In fact some commentators, especially Rabbi
Yitzchak Arama in his Akeydat Yitzchok, are extremely critical of Avraham for
having done what he did without express permission from G’d. Ed.]

Since Avraham’s service to the Lord was based on his attachment to the ‫אין‬,
the purely metaphysical domains of the universe, it is clear that he could not
draw down some of G’d’s largesse to the earth, the domain of the ‫יש‬, the
primarily physical, material domain of the universe.

Once he had moved to Eretz Yisrael, where he served G’d by performing

mitzvot with his limbs, the situation changed, and this is what made Rashi
comment that the words: ‫לך לך מארצך‬, mean that he was to undertake this
journey for his gratification and personal benefit, ‫להנאתך ולטובתך‬. [If that
were not the meaning, we would ask how being told to uproot himself could
be for his personal benefit. He had seemed to be quite at ease and content in
Charan. Ed.] Incidentally, this answers the query raised by Rash’ba why
Yaakov married two sisters while they were both alive, something that is
forbidden according to the Torah, and the patriarchs are presumed to have
observed Torah laws in their time. Since service of the Lord while outside the
boundaries of Eretz Yisrael did not consist of the body’s limbs fulfilling the
commandments, and it was therefore impossible to perform these
commandments, there was nothing wrong with marrying two sisters. This also
explains why one of these sisters had to die once Yaakov had crossed back
into Eretz Yisrael. He would not have violated the commandment even in
Eretz Yisrael when he married Leah, so that it was Rachel who would live “in
sin” with him in the Holy Land unless she had been immediately divorced.
Close scrutiny of what the Rash’ba wrote shows that he gave due
consideration to this.

Someone who serves the Lord under the auspices of the ‫ אין‬parts of the
universe, is granted a clear vision of G’d, whereas serving the Lord under the
auspices of the ‫יש‬, results in such a person being given an aspaklaria,
meurpelet, a vision screened by a veil. Association with the ‫יש‬, i.e. aspects of
the material part of the universe, results in all of one’s sensations being
affected by phenomena found only in this domain of the universe.

When the Torah writes at the beginning of chapter 15 that ‫היה דבר ה' אל‬
‫אברם במחזה לאמור‬, “the word of Hashem came to Avram in a ‘vision,’
proceeding to say, etc.;“ we understand this as a manifestation of G’d’s word
to Avram by a vision screened by a veil while he was engaged in serving G’d
by the performance of mitzvot with various parts of his body.

At that point G’d told Avram not to be afraid, ‫אל תירא אברם‬, as he would
continue to act as his shield, ‫אנכי מגן לך‬. G’d reassured Avram that the fact
that he was now serving Him by performing ‫מצות‬, i.e. under the auspices of
the ‫ יש‬instead of the auspices of the ‫אין‬, that this was not a lowering of the
standards that he was used to, but that on the contrary, he was in line for a
great reward, ‫שכרך הרבה מאד‬.

As long as the Torah had not yet been given, fulfilling the “commandments”
while in Eretz Yisrael was quite different from nowadays when the Torah has
been given, and fulfilling the parts of it that are capable of being fulfilled in
the Diaspora, is deserving of recognition. When Avram served G’d outside the
land of Israel, concentrating on the aspect known as ‫מסירת נפש‬,
wholehearted physical and mental devotion to the Lord, he thereby
“repaired” the reputation of G’d amongst mankind, which had sustained
considerable damage due to the sins of mankind which had apparently been
ignored by the Creator, thus giving the impression that He either did not care
or was unable to deal with.

Tanchuma 8 on Parshat Chukat, relates in the name of Rabbi Yossi bar

Chaninah, that at the time when Moses ascended to the celestial regions He
found G’d preoccupied with the details of the rules pertaining to the red
heifer. He overheard G’d saying that the correct ruling concerning the age of
the red heifer when it is to be burnt is according to “my son Rabbi Eliezer,”
i.e. when it is one year old. Anyone reading this Midrash must surely ask how
G’d had been able to say something like that, seeing that Rabbi Eliezer was
born more than 1000 years after Moses died. We have a tradition that man is
not programmed, can make his own decisions, so that it is impossible to
foretell who will say what tomorrow, never mind 1000 years hence?

In answering this justified question, we must consider that the domain we

called ‫אין‬, the totally spiritual domains of the universe, included within it all
the aspects of wisdom as something potential. While this potential had not
yet assumed definitive proportions until someone possessed of both body
and soul was able to formulate it, its very existence in “embryonic” form, so
to speak, makes it possible for a human being when the time comes to draw
upon this “wisdom” and make use of it in the material world of the ‫יש‬. The
example of the “red heifer” discussed in the Tanchuma is merely an
illustration of the principle that nothing “new” or “original” is produced in the
realm of the physical world, the world known as the ‫ יש‬in kabbalistic parlance,
or “olam hazeh”, in what we are used to refer to when speaking of what goes
on the planet we live on. The acquisition of such ‫חכמה‬, wisdom, as is
necessary to arrive at the conclusion that the red heifer must be two years
old when it is to be burnt, is largely a matter of the will of the individual
grappling with this halachic problem. The “freedom of choice,” as we call it,
means that we are free to decide if we want to make the effort to acquire
such wisdom or not. It is not withheld from anyone who truly labours to
acquire it by willing it with all his being. While he was in the celestial regions,
Moses heard that there would in due course be a scholar by the name of
Rabbi Eliezer who would have attained that particular piece of wisdom
enabling him to correctly rule on the problem that was under discussion in
the heavenly spheres at that time. Ed.]

G’d has two options when dealing with man’s aspirations. He can either
decide to grant man’s request in accordance with that person’s expressed
wish, or He can decide to be guided by what the overall situation in His
universe requires for its good at the time, [as frequently, if not most of the
time, the desires of an individual do not correspond to, or coincide with what
is in the best interests of the world as seen by its Creator.

The “decision” to grant man whatever he requests from G’d, or not, is known
as the ‫דעת המכריע‬, “The consummate wisdom of the supreme decision
Maker.” The alternate method of arriving at the decision to grant the requests
of individuals, i.e. to consider the overall interests of all those affected by
such decisions as paramount, is known as ‫דעת המתפשט‬, “the consummate
wisdom of the One Who takes into consideration the interests of all parties
affected”.

Avraham was under the impression that even though it had been decided by
G’d to grant him children, he could still continue to worship G’d from the
premise of the ‫אין‬, considerations involving only the metaphysical parts of the
universe. This is why he said that his servant Eliezer would be his heir, i.e.
that he personally could remain completely detached from earthly concerns.
G’d therefore corrected him, telling him that such a detachment would not be
possible, as he would have biological issue, [implying that he could not opt
out of the duty to raise a son in a material universe. Ed.] This is the meaning
of the line (15,4) ‫והנה דבר ה' אליו לאמור לא יירשך זה כי אם אשר יצא ממעיך הוא‬
‫יירשך‬, “and here the word of G’d came to him, saying: ‘this one will not inherit
you, but someone emerging from your entrails will inherit you.’” The
introductory words in this verse inform Avram that the decision concerning
this has already been made in heaven, though its implementation is not yet
due. According to Bereshit Rabbah 43,7 there is a disagreement between
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman and the other sages, concerning the meaning of
the verse ‫ל עליון‬-‫ ;ומלכי צדק מלך שלם הוציא לחם ויין והוא כהן לא‬according to Rabbi
Shmuel bar Nachman, Malki Tzedek revealed to Avram the deeper meaning
of the office of High Priest. It was the method of serving the Lord by using the
method of ‫מסירת נפש‬, the total negation of the self in exchange for
attachment to the ‫אין‬, totally metaphysical aspects of the universe.

According to the other sages, he revealed to Avram the more mystical

aspects of the Torah, i.e. how to serve the Lord by means of performing the
commandments designed to be performed by different parts of our body.

Genesis 14,19-20 “Blessed be Avram to the Supreme G’d,….and blessed the

Supreme G’d Who has delivered your oppressors into your hand.”

It is a rule that when G’d deals with a person on the basis of ‫מדה כנגד מדה‬,
“measure for measure,” reward or punishment will be in a reciprocal
relationship to one another. However, when G’d does not apply this method in
dealing with an individual, and He does man a favour-that he has not earned,-
he is the recipient of a gift from G’d. Since Avram was a person whose very
personality exuded loving kindness, it is clear that G’d reciprocated in equal
measure. In this instance, -the victory of a few men under Avram’s command
over mighty armies, was something he considered as way in excess of his
input thus far. In other words, G’d had given Avram a gift that he had not
deserved.The Ari’zal writes that when we recite three times daily the words
‫מלך עוזר ומושיע ומגן‬, “King, Helper, Saviour and Shield,” our sages used this
formulation to describe such an undeserved gift from G’d. We also find that
Onkelos translates the word ‫ חנם‬in Genesis 29,15 and in Exodus 21,2 as ‫מגן‬.
By using this formulation, Malki Tzedek gave Avram a hint that he had
received an undeserved gift from G’d. This hint was reinforced by Malki
Tzedek referring to G’d as the “Supreme G’d owner of heaven and earth.”
What man possesses he does not have to acquire. When he needs something
that he does not own, he has to acquire it. Avram did not need to acquire the
virtue of loving kindness, as apparently, he personified this virtue since birth;
However, the characteristic of ‫גבורה‬, the kind of bravery and heroism needed
to wage war successfully, was not a quality he possessed from birth, so that
he had to acquire it. Malki Tzedek blesses G’d for having provided Avram with
this quality at a time when he was really in need of it. Seeing that G’d “owns”
heaven and earth, He is able to bestow this quality on people whenever it
suits Him.

Another approach to Malki Tzedek’s blessing. There are problems [i.e.

obstacles erected by Satan’s involvement in our region of the universe, Ed,]
in this “lower” part of the universe that most people are able to deal with on
their own if they really put their mind to it. There are other problems that
man, without direct help from G’d, cannot deal with irrespective of how well
intentioned and capable he is. In such instances, when warranted, G’d has to
“kill,” i.e. neutralize the obstacles facing deserving individuals. When Avram,
representing “loving Kindness,” killed the four kings who had defeated the
Kings of Sodom and his allies, he did so by garbing himself in a halo of
heroism, appearing to be a powerful warrior, since he was engaged in battling
pagan forces, active deniers of the concept of monotheism. By engaging in
such a battle, he acted against all his natural instincts, on behalf of a higher
ideal.

Malki Tzedek praised G’d, the Supreme G’d, Who had enabled Avram to
prevail over his oppressor against what must have seemed like impossible
odds. Although G’d owns the whole universe, on this occasion He had allowed
or enabled Avram to assume powers that normally are reserved for the
Supreme G’d, exclusively. It was clear to Malki Tzedek that Avram on his own
could never have achieved such a stunning victory unless G’d had actively
intervened on his behalf.

As soon as Avram had completed his victory, after having temporarily set
aside his natural tendency of relating to all phenomena in the universe only
with loving kindness, he was given G’d’s promise that he would sire a son,
who in due course would personify this virtue of ‫ גבורה‬that Avraham had been
able to acquire when he thought that the situation demanded it. Until Avram
had demonstrated this ability to garb himself in ‫גבורה‬, the conditions had not
been ripe for him to sire a son such as Yitzchok. Up until now, had Avram
sired a Yitzchok, his son’s major characteristic would have been the opposite
of that of his father. This, in due course, would have resulted in an
estrangement between father and son. Now that Avram had learned to
appreciate the value and necessitude of this personality trait, the conditions
had been created for father and son to coexist harmoniously.

Yet another interpretation of Malki Tzedek’s blessing of Avram: We must try

and understand the sequence of “blessed be Avram to the Supreme G’d, the
owner of heaven and earth, and blessed this Supreme G’d Who acted as
shield against your oppressors delivering them into your hand.” When Malki
Tzedek refers to G’d as owning heaven and earth, we paraphrase this three
times a day in our prayers by referring to G’d as ‫קונה הכל‬, “He Who owns
everything.”

[If I understand the author correctly, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok proceeds at this
stage at quite some length and quoting many verses from Scripture, to
explain why Malki Tzedek’s definition of G’d as (separately) owning heaven
and earth may be misunderstood and has not been adopted by the sages in
our daily prayers who opted instead for “owning everything.”

Malki Tzedek’s definition contributed to man believing that there were forces
on earth, which though subordinate to G’d, the “Supreme G’d”, nonetheless
deserved a measure of man’s fearful or grateful recognition, as the case may
be. If G’d tolerated this prior to Avram’s becoming a factor on earth, He did so
out of the goodness of His heart, realizing that these visible phenomena, as
opposed to His invisibility, contributed to man’s errors in his perception of
Who is Who in the universal hierarchy. Ed.]

Genesis 15,1. “After these events the word of G’d came to Avram in a vision-
and said to him: ‘do not be afraid,’ etc. and he built an altar there to the G’d
Who had appeared to him.
[At this point the author claims to quote a commentary of Nachmanides on
the words “he built an alter there,” where Nachmanides questions why Avram
built an altar on this occasion, and not on a previous occasion. I have been
unable to find such a commentary by Nachmanides. The nearest thing to it is
a super-commentary by Sifssey Chachamim on Rashi Genesis 12,8 where he
raises such a question. I will nevertheless present the author’s commentary,
in which he deals with this problem supposedly raised by Nachmanides. Ed.]

In answering the question of why, until this time, Avram had not built an
altar, we must first explain the concepts of “altar” and “sacrificial offering.”
When a person experiences something painful, be it physical or mental, he is
not free to focus on the actual pain, but must focus on the causes of his
having to endure such pain, and why on account of this pain his ability to
serve his Creator had become impaired. When he reacts to his pain in this
manner he causes G’d satisfaction, ‫נחת רוח‬. Keeping this in mind we can
understand the Talmud Yerushalmi, B’rachot, 2,4 stating that the messiah was
“born” on the 9th day of Av, the day that the Temple was destroyed. This was
because the Jewish people felt such pain over the loss of the Temple, and
their inability to serve G’d there by offering their sacrifices. As long as the
Temple had been standing, G’d was able to derive satisfaction, ‫נחת רוח‬, from
the offerings presented on the altar in the Temple. We know this from
Leviticus 1,13 ‫'אשה ריח ניחוח לה‬, ”an offering by fire of pleasing odour to the
Lord.” This offering represented the opposite of ‫צער‬, painful feelings. As long
as the Temple was standing, the people of Israel dwelled in relative calm and
safety. The principal cause of Israel’s state of disquiet, pain, unrest, etc., is
the fact that we are not able to perform the sacrificial sacrifices by means of
which we could give “pleasure” to the Creator. As a corollary to our inability,
while in exile, to present these offerings, G’d in turn is not encouraged to
release the bounty of goodness He has in store for His faithful servants on
earth. We have pointed out previously that with the advent of Avram, this
reciprocal relationship between man and G’d had become of great benefit to
man. (Compare page 51 on this interaction).

Ideally, our joy in this world as well as our pain, must always focus on our
relationship with our Creator and how we can improve it; we must never
consider our personal feelings as being of the essence. “Joy” in the eyes of
the Torah, has not been granted in order for us to behave as do gentiles when
they set off “fireworks” to give expression to their feeling happy about
something.

It is worthwhile to remember that the Hebrew word for “sacrifice” is ‫קרבן‬,

from the root ‫קרב‬, to come close, or closer. When offering a “sacrifice,” to the
Creator, we are sublimating something mundane, usually something
representing some of the most treasured living creatures, animals which
serve as our livelihood, to the Creator Who had endowed the terrestrial part
of the universe with such creatures for the benefit of the highest ranking
living beings on earth, the ones who have been created in the image of their
Creator.

According to what we have said the query posed by Nachmanides is easily

answered. At the beginning of the portion where G’d had told Avram to leave
Charan for his own good, He had not promised him anything specific, such as
children, or that he and his children would inherit the land of Canaan, for
instance, even though G’d assured him of a great future in general terms, i.e.
“I will make you great and your name great.” He had basically assured him
only that he would not be losing anything by undertaking this journey. By
now, however, G’d had added specific promises in addition. These promises
concerned matters that are of importance to people who feel rooted in the
terrestrial life on earth. In recognition of these promises Avram built an altar,
i.e. he reciprocated the good that G’d had done for him with an act that
would bring him closer to G’d. He did so to show G’d that he did not view His
promises as intended for himself as such, but as a means of enabling him to
continue to intensify the manner in which he had been serving G’d.

[I feel constrained to add at this point that according to all our traditional
sources the revelation discussed in chapter 15 of Genesis occurred 5 years
before Avram was commanded to leave Charan to a destination G’d did not
immediately reveal. This interpretation is based on the fact that otherwise
the verse in Exodus 12,40 that the Israelites had dwelled in Egypt for 430
years is impossible to reconcile, as traditionally, the 400 years of which G’d
spoke in chapter 15,13 began with the birth of Yitzchok. Ed.]

Avram rejoiced that as a result of G’d’s promise his children too would be able
to serve their Creator in due course. We had pointed out that the significance
of offering G’d animal sacrifices on an altar was to demonstrate one’s desire
to tighten one’s bond with the Creator. The word ‫אליו‬, to him in 15,7 is not
really necessary, as there had been no interruption between this verse and
the one preceding it, so that it was necessary to insert this word to prevent
any misunderstanding about whom G’d was addressing. The word ‫אליו‬
appears to hint that in this instance G’d addressed Avram primarily in his
capacity as a member of the world of the ‫יש‬, the part of the universe in which
it is possible to sublimate the secular to a level of holiness, to elevate it to
the level of metaphysical dimensions. Our author concludes by repeating the
words of the verse that is not part of our chapter at all, i.e. ‫ויבן שם אברהם‬
‫מזבח לה' הנראה אליו‬.

Let us examine the meaning of the word: ‫מחזה‬, “vision.” When the prophets
either saw or heard the words G’d wished them to communicate to the
people, they would become completely detached from normal “reality;” this
was due to the overwhelming impact of hearing the word of the Creator. Once
they had cut themselves off from earthly concerns entirely, they would be
able to hear the instructions issued by the Creator. When the prophet in turn
would deliver these messages to the people, they would again be in a state of
suspended animation, their ordinary faculties, including their minds, ceasing
to function. Having delivered the message that G’d had instructed them to
deliver, their normal faculties would again become operative. The procedure
we just described applied to all prophets throughout the ages with the
exception of Moses, who did not need to go into a trance, abandoning his
ordinary faculties, in order to hear the word of G’d. G’d’s communications to
Moses took place while Moses’ faculties were fully operative, so that G’d
spoke to him as “man speaks to man.” Moreover, G’d’s communications to
other prophets were “dressed up” as a parable of some kind, or they were
shown an image of some kind illustrating G’d’s message. G’d never needed
to communicate with Moses by having recourse to parables or visions in order
to enable him to understand what He was saying to him. Seeing that G’d’s
communications to all the prophets including Avram were not perceived in
the manner our intellect receives input from our brain, G’d showed them
images, or illustrated what He wanted them to understand by means of a
parable when He addressed them. It follows that what the Torah describes
Avram as having experienced was not perceived in the manner that ordinary
perceptions are perceived by man. [According to the author, the brain acts as
an interpreter of G’d’s words before the prophet receives the message; when
communicating with Moses, G’d did not need to employ an interpreter for
Moses to understand His message. Ed.] When the sages describe other
prophets as having to negate normal channels of communication in order to
absorb what G’d wanted them to hear and communicate to their peers, this is
what they meant.

At any rate, when reading our portion, it is clear that the Torah speaks to us
no less in parable form than G’d did to Avram when He communicated with
him. If a man of the intellectual level of Avram, someone who had been able
to work out what would be written in the Torah in the future, had to be
addressed by G’d by means of a parable, how much more so do we ordinary
mortals need to have the report of such a prophecy “toned down” for us in
parable format. The entire paragraph commencing with ‫קחה לי עגלה משולשת‬
‫'וגו‬, “take for me a three year old heifer, etc.,” must be understood
allegorically, as Avram was not on the level of Moses so that G’d would have
communicated with him verbatim.

This is also what the Talmud (Yevamot 49) had in mind when we are told
there that all the prophets received their communications from G’d through a
“screened” vision, with the exception of Moses who enjoyed such
communications without any screen having been interposed between G’d and
him.

There is another level of prophetic insights which is somewhat between the

level of ordinary prophets and the prophetic level enjoyed by Moses; this
level is manifest when the source of the prophecy addresses the intellect of
the recipient, but in doing so has voluntarily restricted the intensity of the
message so that it does not overwhelm the recipient. It is this level that
Avram enjoyed when the word of G’d came to him in what the Torah
described as ‫מחזה‬, a “vision.”

An alternative way of interpreting the line: ‫היה דבר ה' אל אברם במחזה לאמור‬,
“G’d’s word came to Avram in a vision as follows;” there are two types of
verbal communication, ‫ דבר‬used by a master when he wishes to address his
servants. Some masters use a direct visual method of speaking to their
servants; others address their servants while being shielded behind a dividing
curtain. As a rule, the intimate friends or highly placed servants of the master
enjoy direct communication, whereas the lower echelon of servants does not
get to see the face of the master while being addressed by him. The reason
for this discrimination is that the Master is an intelligent being and his
method of expressing himself is not understood well by servants that lack
education.

While Avram had attained a degree of intimacy with his Creator that qualified
him for being addressed by the Master (Creator) in the manner prophets are
normally addressed, he had attained this status due to having served his
Master from feelings of love for Him. At the same time, he had not bonded
with his Creator through the use of additional virtues. Now that he had
defeated the 4 kings and their armies, using the characteristic of ‫גבורה‬,
valour and courage in the process, and had thereby avenged the manner in
which these kings and their followers had insulted G’d’s majesty, he had
qualified for a level of communication that, while not on the level of Moses,
was still superior to the manner in which G’d addresses most prophets. This is
why the Torah introduced this paragraph with the words: ‫אחר הדברים האלה‬,
“after the preceding events.”

Still another method of understanding our paragraph, and especially the

manner in which it is introduced: Service of the Lord may be predicated on
one of two considerations. 1) The person concerned, using his power of
reasoning, has come to the conclusion that the universe did not create itself
but was created by a Superior intellect, an intellect that is many times
superior to the human intellect. It seems clear to such a person that such a
Creator deserves to be worshipped. 2) Another reason why some people
worship G’d as the Creator and Master is that G’d has endowed them with a
special divine inspiration, commonly known as ‫סייעתא דשמיא‬, an assist
originating in the celestial regions. The former type of person has formulated
in his mind’s eye some notion of the essence of such a Creator; the latter
type of person, while loyal, has not formed any notion of what this Creator
may be like. The former type of individual, having arrived at certain
conclusions, is able to communicate them to other people and possibly
convince them to share his views so that these people too become servants
of the Lord. The second category of individual lacks this ability to convince
others to be like him, as he cannot explain to them rationally why he is
convinced that he is on the right path. Avram had by now attained a level of
intelligence, ‫במחזה‬, that enabled him to get a fairly clear vision of what G’d,
the Creator of a universe, is like. Having attained insights, -not unlike a father
who hands down to his son his insights- he could now be informed that he
would also be blessed with physical offspring, parallel to the intellectual
achievements that he had to his credit due to his own efforts.

Genesis 15,1. “do not fear, Avram, I will be your shield.” G’d reassures Avram
that He is aware that when he took revenge on the four kings and their
armies this was an act of self-defense, as they had planned to harm him. G’d
had protected him so that they could not carry out their evil designs. He had
killed these kings and their soldiers. G’d had done so because He loved
Avram and He would continue to act as his shield, but not from feelings of
revenge against them, but because of His love for him, so that Avram would
not have any of his merits and the reward due him deducted from his credit
balance in heaven, on account of G’d having come to assistance.

Genesis 15,2. “Avram said: ‘My Lord, what will You give me., seeing that I
walk on earth without a biological heir?’”

15,7. G’d responded immediately, by saying: ‫'והנה דבר ה' אליו לאמור וגו‬, it is
difficult to understand the word ‫לאמור‬, “saying, or to say,” since to whom
was Avram supposed to tell what follows next?

We may better understand this formulation by looking at Numbers 14,13-20

where Moses asks G’d how by wiping out the Jewish people at that time, His
name would be exalted amongst the gentiles; on the contrary the gentiles
would interpret this as a sign of G’d’s inability to keep His promise to His
people. Upon listening to Moses’ argument at that time, G’d relented and
forgave the people in accordance with Moses’ argument. On the last words,
Rashi comments: “on account of Moses having said due to G’d’s inability,
etc.” It is difficult to see in what way Rashi added anything to what Moses
had said, as reported by the Torah.

Upon reflection, Moses’ comment to G’d about what the Egyptians would say
if G’d were to wipe out the Jewish nation is difficult. Did Moses really think
that omniscient G’d needed him to tell Him about this? It appears from the
fact that Moses bothered to mention this to G’d that the words of a tzaddik do
have an influence on G’d’s decisions. This is confirmed in Job 22,28, ‫ותגזר‬
‫אומר ויקם לך‬, “you will decree and it will be fulfilled;” In the verses quoted
from Numbers 14 we find that G’d immediately responded to Moses’
argument by changing the decree. Had G’d wanted to prevent the Egyptians
to make the kind of comments Moses had assumed they would make if Israel
would be destroyed, He could have brought this about. The fact that He did
not, and preferred to cancel His own decree, bears witness to the
effectiveness of Moses’ prayer. Moses’ prayer prompted G’d to say: ‫סלחתי‬, “I
have forgiven, etc.” It is this that Rashi had in mind when he commented on
our verse above by saying. “on account of Moses having said, etc.”; Rashi
meant if Avram not mentioned the fact that he had no biological heir to G’d,
G’d would not have changed a heavenly decree that had been in existence
since before he had been born. In order for the decree that Avram would not
sire any children to be rescinded or altered, he himself had to mention his
grief about such a decree in a prayer. Only then could G’d respond to this
prayer. G’d had to use provocative statements in order to get the obedient
and unquestioningly loyal Avram to be provoked into making a comment that
appeared to question G’d’s promise that he would have children to be
converted. The word ‫ לאמור‬in verse 1 is the Torah’s hint that G’d engaged
Avram in the conversation following in order for him in the course of this
conversation to reveal to Him that he experienced mental anguish at not
having children of his own. Once Avram had revealed this in an unmistakable
manner, G’d was able to take into consideration the prayer of a tzaddik and
to change the decree Avram had read in the stars. Accordingly, Avram had to
be induced to say that Eliezer would be his heir.

Genesis 15,8. “how can I be certain that I will inherit it?" (the land of Canaan)
When looking at these words superficially, we must wonder how someone of
Avram’s caliber could express doubt in G’d’s promise being fulfilled. The very
idea that Avram requested some kind of visible token or miracle to confirm
the fact that G’d would keep His promise is revolting! Since when is G’d
required to confirm His prophecy by performing a miracle?

Furthermore, if this was the meaning of Avram’s question, he should have

asked: “how do I know that You will give the land to me!” After all, this was
what G’d’s promise to him had sounded like. To the average reader of the
Torah, G’d’s words meant that the reason G’d had saved Avram from
Nimrod’s furnace was in order to give him the land of Canaan. Besides, how
does G’d’s answer that Avram would die at a ripe old age long before the 400
years He had spoken of would have ended, answer Avram’s question? How is
the promise that after 400 years of being strangers in a foreign land, and
slaves to wit, and that the fourth generation would leave bondage with great
riches, relevant to Avram’s question?

If, according to the plain meaning of the text, G’d’s answer included a
punishment for Avram’s having questioned that G’d would keep His promise
the prediction that his offspring would have to endure a period of
enslavement in a foreign land, before leaving their with great riches, how
does the line commencing with ‫'ידוע תדע וגו‬, contain even the remotest hint of
this? We do not find anywhere an allusion that Avram’s question of ‫במה אדע‬
‫כי אירשנה‬, “by means of what sign will I know that I will inherit it,” was in any
way inappropriate, much less punishable! On the contrary, the assurance that
Avram himself would not share either the exile of the slavery but would die
contentedly of old age, sounds like the opposite of any punishment! The fact
that G’d implies that he will join his father in the hereafter suggests that even
Terach, Avram’s father, has a share in that hereafter.

Rashi, who was so astounded at that verse, concluded that in his old age,
Terach had become a monotheist, a repentant sinner.

At any rate, the suggestion that one of the patriarchs, who are presented to
us as the carriers of the legs of merkavah, the Divine chariot, would be
equated with Terach is too mind-boggling to be considered seriously.

Everything that has been handed down to us about Avram suggests that he
was unwavering in his faith in G’d from his very youth, and certainly did not
have any theological relapses. Nachmanides stated with absolute certainty,
basing himself on Genesis 25,8 that Avram had always considered anything
that happened to him as being G’d’s desire and meant for his own good.
Nachmanides understood this as being the meaning of the words: ‫זקן ושבע‬
‫ימים‬, “of old age, satisfied and satisfied in years.” Contrary to most people,
who are described in Kohelet Rabbah, 5,9 as leaving behind many unfulfilled
aspirations when they die, Avraham died fully fulfilled. In Baba Batra 117, as
well as in Sanhedrin 91 the meaning of the word ‫ מורשה‬is discussed, there
being different opinions of how the distribution of the ancestral plots in the
Land of Israel was determined by lottery; if the lottery only applied to the
tribal allocations, or to families. The discussion also concerns whether only
Jews who partook in the Exodus or their offspring were allocated land, or
whether the allocation included Jews who had lived before that period,
including Avram, Yitzchok, etc. Avram’s question of ‫במה אדע כי אירשנה‬,
meant: “how will I know that I personally will be included in the distribution of
the land at that time? He knew that he would not inherit a plot of land in
Israel as part of his father Terach’s merit, as he had been the first convert to
Judaism, something that was confirmed in Sukkah 49. Since he did not endure
slavery in Egypt as did the generation of the Exodus, he was not sure that he
would qualify at the time of the distribution.
Avram’s question had been triggered by G’d saying to him:, ‫לתת לך את הארץ‬
‫הזאת לרשתה‬, “to give to you this land in order to inherit it.” (15,7) Avram
wanted to know if he would live long enough to take part in the distribution of
the land in Joshua’s time, or how he was to understand the words: ‫לתת לך‬,
“to give to you.” The Talmud in Sukkah 49 quotes psalms 47,10 where we
encounter the expression ‫עם אלוקי אברהם‬, “the nation that worships the G’d
of Avraham”; a sage raised question whether G’d perhaps is not also the G’d
of the people of Yitzchok and the G’d of the people of Yaakov.” The answer
given is that Avraham was the first convert from which the Jewish people
developed, so that he enjoys a special status. As a reward, G’d gave the land
of Israel especially to him. Avraham wanted to know if, since the land of Israel
becomes a ‫מורשה‬, his share would be due to his father bequeathing it to him.
The term ‫ירש‬, “to inherit,” always implies that one inherits from a father. If
Avram’s question had been ‫במה אדע כי תתן לי‬, “how will I know that You give
it to me,” it would have been inappropriate, of course. G’d had spoken about
“giving;” Avram asked only about the hereditary aspect, ‫אירשנה‬.

We will deal with the expression ‫במה אדע‬, somewhat later in this paragraph.
When G’d introduced His reply to Avram’s question with the words: ‫ידוע תדע‬
‫כי גר יהיה זרעך‬, “you must truly realize that your descendants will be
strangers, etc.,” this can best be understood when referring to a commentary
by the Zohar I 87 on the verse: (Genesis 2,4) ‫אלה תולדות השמים והארץ‬
‫ בהבראם‬. The letter ‫ ה‬in smaller script in the middle of this word alerts the
reader not to read the word as a single word, but as ‫באברהם ברא‬, i.e. G’d
created the universe on account of, or with the eventual assistance of
Avraham.” Had G’d not foreseen that someone like Avram will be born, He
would not have considered it worth His while to create the human race. The
fact that Avraham, on his own, without prompting, would proclaim the name
of the Creator, made it worth G’d’s while to put up with all the sins man
would commit. Avraham would be the one to acquaint his peers with the
concept that G’d is One, is unique, is in charge of the universe and yet had
granted the creatures he made in His image freedom of choice to choose
their own path in life. The fact that this Avraham would sire a Yitzchok, and
Yitzchok in turn would sire a Yaakov who raised 12 sons who would form the
nucleus of the Jewish nation, a nation of priests, made it all worthwhile for
G’d. When the Jewish people collectively accepted G’d’s Torah, without
critically examining what was written therein first, this was a crowning
moment not only for the Jewish people, but it enabled G’d to converse with a
mortal human being, Moses, as if he were on His own level, i.e. ‫פנים אל פנים‬,
face to face.

When G’d introduced His reply to Avram’s question with the words: ‫ידוע תדע‬
‫כי גר יהיה זרעך‬, “you must truly realize that your descendants will be
strangers, etc.,” this can best be understood when referring to a commentary
by the Zohar I 87 on the verse: (Genesis 2,4) ‫אלה תולדות השמים והארץ‬
‫ בהבראם‬. The letter ‫ ה‬in smaller script in the middle of this word alerts the
reader not to read the word as a single word, but as ‫באברהם ברא‬, i.e. G’d
created the universe on account of, or with the eventual assistance of
Avraham.” Had G’d not foreseen that someone like Avram will be born, He
would not have considered it worth His while to create the human race. The
fact that Avraham, on his own, without prompting, would proclaim the name
of the Creator, made it worth G’d’s while to put up with all the sins man
would commit. Avraham would be the one to acquaint his peers with the
concept that G’d is One, is unique, is in charge of the universe and yet had
granted the creatures he made in His image freedom of choice to choose
their own path in life. The fact that this Avraham would sire a Yitzchok, and
Yitzchok in turn would sire a Yaakov who raised 12 sons who would form the
nucleus of the Jewish nation, a nation of priests, made it all worthwhile for
G’d. When the Jewish people collectively accepted G’d’s Torah, without
critically examining what was written therein first, this was a crowning
moment not only for the Jewish people, but it enabled G’d to converse with a
mortal human being, Moses, as if he were on His own level, i.e. ‫פנים אל פנים‬,
face to face.

Moses reminded the people in Deut. 5,4 how 40 years earlier, when most of
them had not yet been alive, G’d had addressed the whole nation on the ‫פנים‬
‫“ אל פנים‬face to face level,” [until the people asked Moses to be their
interpreter instead. Ed.] At that time all creatures on earth were in awe of
their Creator. When the people had consecrated the Tabernacle in the desert
as a “home” for Hashem in the lower parts of the universe, G’d took delight in
the world He had created, as we know from Taanit 26 where the Talmud
understands Song of Songs 3,11 ‫ביום חתונתו וביום שמחת לבו‬, “on His wedding
day, the day when His heart rejoices,” as referring to G’d’s feelings on the
day of the revelation at Mount Sinai, and the day when the Tabernacle was
consecrated, respectively. This is the kind of ‫נחת רוח‬, “pleasure, satisfaction,”
that man in the lower part of the universe can contribute to G’d in the loftier
spheres, in heaven. On both of these occasions the joy was reciprocal, G’d
showing that He can associate with earthlings and take pleasure from this.
The Israelites’ enthusiastic response after the splitting of the sea and their
miraculous and escape from Pharaoh’s pursuing armies, was another
occasion when the reciprocal nature of the relationship between G’d and His
“chosen” people was demonstrated publicly. Nowadays, almost 4000 years
later, we recall these events and praise the Lord every week when we
pronounce the blessings over wine. Not a day goes by without our giving
thanks to the Lord for the Exodus from Egypt.

At the time when Avram lived, the world, i.e. the planet earth and man on it,
was still in a state of semi-collapse, its continued existence far from assured,
until Yitzchok and Yaakov continued the work that Avram had started when he
kept proclaiming the power and goodness of the Creator. This assurance of
the earth’s continued existence was only confirmed with the creation of the
Jewish people, and this people’s leaving Egypt as G’d’s people, after having
slaughtered the Passover, and proven that they considered the Creator as
their highest authority.

The Tur, commenting on why we mention the Exodus of Egypt in the weekly
Kiddush, as opposed to the Kiddush on the festivals whose link to the Exodus
is self-evident, explains that the Sabbath harbours within it the ‫כח המוליד‬, the
power that enables creatures to regenerate themselves by producing
offspring. This “power” is conditional on the observance of the Sabbath (in
some form). Terach, Avram’s father, while able to produce physical offspring,
was unable to produce offspring equipped with the kind of soul that would be
active in spreading the message that G’d is the one and only Creator. [I have
not been able to find where the Tur writes this, although he writes about man
as well as most other living creatures becoming endowed with the ability to
procreate bodies in his Torah commentary. (Genesis 2,3)

Avram’s deeds, the ten tests G’d subjected him to, all of which he passed
with flying colours, became the foundation stone of the Jewish people. Had it
not been for this, the Jewish people would not have been witnesses to the ten
plagues with which Gd smote the Egyptians, nor would they have qualified for
G’d personally addressing them when He gave the Ten Commandments. This
assured Avraham his place as the founding father in the hierarchy of the
Jewish people, and therefore as a participant in the Exodus from Egypt. In His
answer to the question of ‫במה אדע כי אירשנה‬, “How will I know that I will
inherit it,” G’d assures him that he will be no less entitled to a share in the
Holy Land than the people who physically marched out of Egypt in Moses’
time.’’

G’d entertaining the thought that there would develop a Jewish nation, and
that this nation would proclaim Him as their G’d, etc., would result in
generating the necessary response in the form of a deed in producing the
required souls, ‫נשמות‬. This “thought” is expressed in the first two letters of
Avram’s name ‫אב‬. When G’d had that thought about a Jewish nation, He
referred to Avraham as ‫אב‬, not to Terach. A son’s claim to life in the world
after death is based on the spiritual merits possessed by his father.
Something similar occurs when the mother entertains the appropriate
thoughts at the time of marital union with her husband. Such thoughts
influence the baby to be born from that union, either positively or negatively.
By telling Avram details about how his descendants would develop into a
people, G’d also implied that contrary to what Avram might have hoped, his
father [at that time still very much alive. Ed.] would not be part of that chain.
[When we speak of Terach, Avram’s father in the Haggadah shel Pessach
every Seder night, the author has drawn a dividing line between Terach and
Avraham. Ed.]

The belief that the thoughts that cross the minds of parents engaged in
marital intercourse influence the spiritual focus of a child conceived as the
result of their union, is universally accepted in the writings of our sages, and
especially so in Nachmanides’ essay ‫האמונה והבטחון‬, chapter 15, page 395 in
‫כתבי רמב'ן‬, published by Mossad Harav Kook. [The authorship of this volume
has not been determined with accuracy even nowadays. Rabbi Chayim David
Chavell, whose edition I am using, devotes 11 pages to his introduction when
he explains that there is some genetic spiritual input by both the father and
the mother into the soul of the child they produce.

If I understand the message in these words, it is that this input is transmitted

only at the time when the parents conceive the child, and it outweighs what
the parents try to teach the youngster after he or she has been born. It
follows that if the parents are interested in transmitting their own and their
ancestors’ good characteristics to their own children, they must not only live
according to these principles, but even conduct themselves according to
these principles in the privacy of their bedrooms. Perhaps this sheds some
light on the lament of many parents who have one or more children who do
not follow in their footsteps and who fail to understand this. Ed.]

Pessachim 50 urging us to be careful to perpetuate the good practices of our

forefathers meticulously, the Talmud quotes Proverbs 1,8 ‫שמע בני מוסר אביך‬
‫ואל תטוש תורת אמך‬, “my son, hear the moral instruction of your father, and do
not forsake the teachings of your mother.” It is clear from the Torah’s
description of Terach before he had sired children (assuming he became a
monotheist later) that the thoughts we have described did not occur to him
when he and his wife conceived Avram. In fact, if Terach had been a believer
in the one and only G’d, much of the credit Avraham accumulated would have
been due to his father.

Avraham was the first human being, who, by absorbing some of the “sparks”
of the Shechinah which we discussed on pages 21-22 was able to transmit
such spiritual values by means of his semen. He himself had absorbed only
the kind of material input from his father and mother as is capable of being
defined through DNA in our days. In the parlance of our sages this input of
physical matter by the mother is known as ‫אודם‬, primarily cells which
produce blood, whereas the input by her male partner consists primarily of
‫לובן‬, albumen.

Terach and his wife contributed only elements of the material terrestrial part
of the universe to the fetus of Avraham, whereas G’d, anxious to see an
eventual Jewish people emerge from that embryo, contributed characteristics
that stemmed from the spiritual spheres of the universe. This is the meaning
of Avram’s question “how do I know that I will inherit?” The word ‫ דעת‬or ‫ידע‬
always describes a close attachment to the subject or object it describes.
Avram wanted to know which spiritual characteristic links him to his existence
in the terrestrial world, a link described in Proverbs 1,8 as ‫ אבי‬in the verse
‫שמע בני מוסר אביך‬, in which Solomon cautions his listeners to carefully
perpetuate the moral lessons absorbed from ‫אביך‬, your father, i.e. your roots.
His question was prompted by his realization that he could certainly not be
expected to perpetuate the moral lessons that he had been taught in the
house of his father Terach. If he were to do this, how could he possibly
bequeath to his offspring the qualities needed to become G’d’s people? He
knew instinctively that this could happen only if he had in his genes spiritual
input from a higher world. The characteristic that represented this spiritual
input is know as ‫אב‬, part of the name ‫אברהם‬. The word ‫ירושה‬, inheritance, is
always used in connection with inheritance from one’s father; hence seeing
that the word ‫אב‬, father, was part of his name this was the link that enabled
him to become the first patriarch of the Jewish people. Avram understood that
the origin of the Jewish people, a concept in G’d’s mind and the contribution
He had made as the third partner in any human being to Avram’s genes, were
of the same kind, so that the Jewish people could truly be described as having
its terrestrial root in Avraham, as he would be called shortly before Yitzchok
was born.

When G’d told him that he should realize that his offspring would begin their
collective life as “strangers,” i.e. as a new nation in the families of nations, it
was this strain that he shared his spiritual origin with. He would henceforth
have to concentrate on his role as the spiritual root of that nation as and
when it would become such. G’d reminded him already in verse 7 that this
was the purpose for which He had saved him from the fiery furnace in Ur
Kasdim continuing this theme in verse 18 when He entered into a sacred
covenant with Avram. He had given him a preview that the development of
this nation of which he would become the founding father, would undergo a
difficult “adolescence” and that these difficulties once endured and overcome
with His help would qualify them for their historic mission as trailblazers of
monotheism. Although Terach is credited with having sired Avram, (Genesis
11,26) this was merely a biological phenomenon; he was in no way an
ancestor of Avram in the sense that Avram as the son would continue a
tradition sacred to his father.To the question of how we are to understand
Genesis 15,15 ‫ואתה תבוא אל אבותיך בשלום תקבר בשיבה טובה‬, “as for you, you
will join your “fathers’ in peace and will be buried in a ripe old age,” the word
‫ אבותיך‬does not refer to Terach; but is an assurance that Avram would die
without sharing the servitude his descendants would experience.

The Zohar I 78 commenting on Genesis 12,5 ‫ואת הנפש אשר עשו בחרן‬, writes
that Terach became a penitent, but that this does not mean that Avraham
would be reunited with his father in the life after death, but since our sages
had difficulty in how to understand the words: ‫ואתה תבוא אל אבותיך בשלום‬,
they understood this as Terach sanctifying the name of Avraham’s G’d while
still alive. The name of “G’d” in that verse therefore is ‫אב‬, the spiritual genes
that we described above as having been injected by G’d into the ovum that
eventually developed into Avram.

[We may understand this as Terach establishing a horizontal spiritual bond

with his son through his penitence instead of the vertical bond created when
a father passes on his spiritual values to his son. Ed.]

If you find it difficult to accept the argument that Terach is not to be regarded
as Avram’s “father” in verse 15, consider the following statement in Yevamot
22. ‫גר שנתגייר כקטן שנולד דמי‬, “a convert after conversion is comparable to
that of a newly born baby.” He has no residue of the spiritual input normally
transmitted by the respective genes of his father and mother. The only
spiritual force active within him is that of the soul which has been given to
him by his Creator. He is no longer called after his father, when called up to
the Torah, the name of his father, the gentile, is not even alluded to. The
reason is that he no longer contains the spiritual input his father had
transmitted to him at birth. The separation of such a convert from his
biological father is so absolute, that according to Biblical Jewish law the
convert is free to marry his biological mother, or sister, (assuming either of
them has converted). [If the Rabbis forbade this, it is because it raises
suspicions that the conversion had ulterior motives. Ed.]. Avram/Avraham
both because he was a convert, and because his name was changed by G’d
before he sired Yitzchok, was no longer connected to Terach at all. When the
Torah writes in Genesis 25,19 ‫ אברהם הוליד את‬,‫ואלה תולדות יצחק בן אברהם‬
‫יצחק‬, “and these are the generations of Yitzchok; son of Avraham; Avraham
had sired Yitzchok,” the Torah makes a point of describing Yitzchok as
descendant of Avraham, whereas it never described Avraham as a
descendant of Terach. The term “father,” is mentioned in the Torah only in
connection with the characteristic ‫ אב‬which G’d had supplied to Avram, and
which helped him to sanctify G’d’s Holy name to large groups of people as we
explained previously.

An alternate approach to the line: ‫במה אדע כי אירשנה‬. There is no question

that Avram did not request a sign from G’d as proof that his as yet unborn
descendants would inherit the land of Canaan.

The idea that his claim to the land of Canaan could be remotely due to his
having Terach as a father never even occurred to him. If we needed proof of
that, we need only recall the Talmud B’rachot 16, according to which the
Jewish people have only three patriarchs and 4 matriarchs. The title
“patriarch” implies that one is the “root” of the son whom one has sired by
means of transmitting seed from the brain, the seat of one’s intelligence,
which transmits it to the semen. It follows that the thoughts that preoccupy
the father at the time when he engages in marital relations are transmitted
through his semen to the ovum upon merging with it. If the father-to-be
thinks holy thoughts at the appropriate time, some of these will be
transferred to his seed, etc. There can be little doubt that Avraham was not
the product of a father who entertained such godly thoughts when he helped
conceive him. How could he therefore be considered a patriarch of the Jewish
people? Terach was wholly consumed by thoughts and desires centered
around the physical part of his existence on earth. If his offspring was of a
diametrically opposite orientation this could not have been attributed to his
biological father at all. It must have been due to G’d’s desire that with the
development of the fetus resulting in Avram, G’d intended to lay the
foundation of a Jewish nation. We can think of it in terms of G’d providing
some additional spiritual light to His universe at the time of Avram’s birth. He
was destined to become a new type of “tree of life,” albeit outside the
boundaries of Gan Eden. According to Ari’zal, Terach and his wife became the
“go-between” before this light could be made available in the terrestrial
domain of the universe in order to assuage the feelings of Satan, who would
otherwise have accused G’d of having favoured the creatures in the “lower”
part of the universe. The fact that Terach, i.e. what he represented as a
merchant of idols, sired Avraham according to the norms prevailing in our
part of the “lower” universe, deprived Satan of the opportunity of accusing
G’d of such favoritism of the human race versus other loftier regions and their
inhabitants. [I have not seen the words of the Ari’zal, but I trust that I have
understood them correctly. Ed.] The essential thing to remember is that the
actual birth of Avram was a result through intervention by Divinely inspired
intelligence.

Terach does not feature at all in the ‫ אב‬part of Avram’s name; no part of his
intellect provided the characteristic in Avram’s personality that enabled him
to develop as he did.

[It is important to remember, especially for people who have little

background in kabbalah, that the idea of G’d predetermining a person’s
lifestyle and his abilities has been spelled out in the Bible when G’d told
Jeremiah that He had destined him to be the prophet during the period when
the Temple was in danger of being destroyed. G’d was nearing the end of His
patience with the Jewish state of that period even before he had been
conceived. (Jeremiah 1,4) Ed.] In spite of all the reasons for disqualifying
Terach from being given any credit as the indirect founder of the Jewish
people, the fact that Avram had spent 9 months inside the womb of his
mother after she had been impregnated with his semen, Avram was required
to undergo 10 “tests,” in order to cleanse himself ritually from the spiritual
contamination he experienced in his mother’s womb.

Rashi [not found there, Ed.] writes about this aspect of the ten trials Avraham
had to undergo in his commentary on Exodus 6,8 ‫'נתתי אותה לכם מורשה אני ה‬,
“I have given it to you as an inheritance, I am the Lord.” [The contradiction in
this verse is obvious; since when is an inheritance “given?” it is transmitted
from father to son upon the father’s death! Ed.]

Regardless, of where that Rashi may be, both in our chapter as well as in
Exodus 6,8 G’d speaks about the gift of the land of Canaan becoming an
inheritance. If Terach had been involved in the matter, why would G’d have to
“give” the land to Avram first? In his commentary on Choshen Mishpat, on the
section dealing with the laws of inheritance, the author of Meirat Eynayim
states that the expression ‫ירושה‬, inheritance, in legal parlance, applies only to
property inherited from one’s biological father. From the wording in Exodus
6,8 as well as from the wording in Genesis 15,18 it is clear that G’d considers
Himself as Avram’s “father” in the matter of bestowing on him the “gift” of
the land. His offspring, or the part of his offspring to whom he deeds it, will
henceforth “inherit.” It. When Avram heard this, he was unclear if he had
understood correctly, as he had never heard of an inheritance originating as a
gift. Hence he asked ‫במה אדע כי אירשנה‬, by what legal process can I be sure
that it will be mine as something to bequeath?” In other words, “who is my
father from whom I can inherit this land?” Avram’s question reflects his
awareness that “his father” in this instance could not possibly be Terach. In
response to Avram’s concerns, G’d answered him: “You shall be aware that
your descendants in their formative stages will experience both being
strangers and even slaves until at the end of the 400 years, I will judge the
people who have subjugated them and treated them cruelly, so that they will
leave that land with vast possessions.” G’d’s message to Avram is that the
Exodus of this people from the land of their oppression will be due to their
being his direct descendants. His very birth paved the way for the Jewish
people to come into existence and to in due course accept the very Torah
that Avram had already been observing without having been commanded to
do so.

In light of this, your very birth through Divine input of some holy spirit, seeing
that I am your “father,” enables Me to speak to you of “inheriting” the land
that I am promising to your descendants.” G’d implied that Avram had been
quite correct in surmising that Terach had nothing to do with the events
occurring in Avram’s future. The author refers to his exegesis of a statement
in Baba Batra 117 where the Talmud states that the so-called “inheritance” of
the Israelites being given the land of Canaan, is quite different from ordinary
inheritances. Normally, the living inherit the dead. In the case of the Israelites
receiving ancestral land in the Land of Canaan, the dead inherited the living.
The “normal” process of inheritance is based on the son being a branch of the
father, [the father being the trunk. Ed.] The trunk (father) provides the
elements that enable the branch to achieve its perfection (producing fruit).
This parable does not fit the Jewish people and its development. In the history
of the Jewish people, the “dead” are the generation of the Israelites that
experienced the Exodus as adults, who although not physically living to
experience the conquest of the land, “inherited” it, since, but for their
existence the next generation could not have taken possession of this land.

Rashi explains that G’d took the Jewish people out of Egypt in order for them
to inherit it by arriving there. Their arrival in the land constitutes their
achieving their objective, ‫שלימות‬, much as the branches of the tree producing
fruit achieve their objective. In Leviticus 25,38 we read: ‫הוצאתי אתכם מארץ‬
‫מצרים לתת לכם את ארץ כנען להיות לכם לאלוקים‬, “I have taken you out of the land
of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan to become your G’d.” According to
our author, Rashi explains the words ‫לתת לכם‬, as “in order for you to achieve
your ‫שלימות‬, maturity there by performing My commandments.” According to
Baba Batra 158 the very air of the Holy Land confers wisdom on its people.
The reason why even walking in the Holy Land [by Israelites, of course, Ed.]
adds to one’s wisdom is illustrated by an example of Rabbi Zeyrah who left
Babylon in order to settle in the Holy Land again, changed his mind on a
Halachic point involving the laws of inheritance, accepting the view of a local
scholar, whereas a sage who moved from the land of Israel, adopted the
former view of Rabbi Zeyrah when he came to Babylon.

Since the generation who left Egypt as adults did not get to the land of Israel,
only their sons, it follows that the parents did not achieve their ‫שלימות‬,
“maturity” until their sons had made the Land of Israel their ancestral
heritage. This is the meaning of “the dead inherited the living.”

This statement in the Talmud about the dead inheriting the living, also
explains another statement in the Talmud Sanhedrin 104, according to which
a son [while alive Ed.] can confer spiritual merits on his [deceased] father,
whereas his deceased father cannot confer merits on his surviving son. The
Talmud bases this on the example of the second generation of the Israelites
bestowing merits on their fathers after they carried out the task set by G’d for
this people of settling in the Holy land and observing the Torah there.
Avraham after his death, or Yitzchok, after his death, could not confer merits
on their respective sons that these had not acquired during their respective
lifetimes.
Let us now proceed to explain the first verse in our portion, ‫אל‬...‫לך לך מארצך‬
‫הארץ אשר אראך‬, a verse which presented many commentators with
difficulties. The major difficulty bothering these commentators is that we do
not find anywhere that G’d showed Avram the land of which He had spoken.
Another difficulty they raise is at the end of the previous portion when we
read about Terach taking his family, including Avram and his wife (Genesis
11,31) planning to settle in the land of Canaan, but remaining in Charan
without concluding his intention. Terach may have had reasons of his own
why he did not continue his journey, but why did Avram and his wife not
continue, as planned?

The author relates an answer to this query that he had heard from his father
of sainted memory and Rabbi Dov Baer of Mezeritch, based on a Zohar I 85
which discusses the mystery of the unity of G’d which comprised masculine
and feminine attributes. When or how did these “split?” [The souls that
descend into this world are perceived as the “fruit” i.e. results of the deeds of
the Creator, Ed.] In our domain of the universe we do not encounter such a
fusion of both attributes. [If I understand correctly Rabbi Dov Baer drew a
parallel to the Talmud Zevachim 51 where the problem of how blood of a
burnt offering that was slaughtered on the northern part of the altar, and
transferred to bowls there, could be poured down the south east corner,
without violating the rule that it must be poured down the ‫יסוד‬, base of the
altar, (Exodus 29,12, et al) when the south east corner of the altar did not
have such a base, [and the priests always had to walk in a certain direction
always turning right, not backtracking. Ed.]

The gist of the Rabbi’s commentary is that there are two ways in which to
serve the Lord. One is based on awe of the Creator, ‫יראה‬, the other on love
for Him, ‫אהבה‬. [The matter has been touched on already in connection with
Genesis 14,15, page 56. Ed.]

In order to serve G’d out of feelings of true awe one must first have mastered
Torah and its various disciplines and have toiled greatly through study and
concentration, performance of the commandments, and good deeds; only
then will one be qualified to be granted the ability to serve the Lord by
embracing the attribute of awe, involving, as we explained previously, a total
negation of the self in doing so.

On the other hand, it is impossible to truly love one’s Creator except through
one’s (good) deeds. Love, i.e. selfless love, is based on recognizing this
attribute in G’d, Who has nothing to gain by performing loving deeds for man
who is unable to reciprocate, as He is not in need of anything His creatures
can offer Him. If someone employs his G’d given intellect to search and find
the goodness of G’d, he will be rewarded by receiving further enlightenment
from G’d.
We read in the Zohar that Avram realized that in the Holy Land one could
perform service of G’d properly; so that he “wrapped,” i.e. committed himself
wholly and enthusiastically to G’d. As a result, whereas Terach had moved to
Charan after Avram had been saved from Nimrod’s furnace, only in order to
save himself from his former customers who accused him of having sold them
useless idols, he stayed there. Avram immediately experienced a call from
G’d, Who wished to help him fulfill his wish to go to the Holy Land. By telling
him that only he was to do so, G’d showed him that if one honestly and
sincerely wishes to serve His Creator, the Creator, in turn will extend a
helping hand. Since at that time Avram’s awe was the principal element that
prompted him, seeing that he had experienced such a miraculous escape
from Nimrod’s furnace, he remained on this level of serving G’d from ‫יראה‬, a
feeling of reverence and awe, for the time being.

When G’d spoke about “showing” him the land to which he should proceed,
He meant that unless he would be given further guidance by Hashem, he
would not ascend higher rungs on the ladder that would bring him closer to
his Creator. G’d mentioned three separate stages involved in his reaching his
self-imposed objective. He had to shed certain concepts that had previously
attached him to the community surrounding him. They are: ‫ בית‬,‫ מולדך‬,‫ארצך‬
‫אביך‬, “your native land, your birthplace within that land, your family, i.e. the
house of your father.” The three places mentioned represent ,‫ נשמה‬,‫ רוח‬,‫נפש‬
1) “physical life-force, known as the body’s essence; 2) the “spirit”, seat of
one’s urges and physical aspirations; 3) the spiritual essence, the soul.

Up until the time when Avram left Charan he had served G’d by engaging the
three attributes we just mentioned. Now that his quest to be near to his
Creator would be reinforced by his being on holy soil, he would qualify for
more comprehensive revelations from G’d, enabling him to proceed from
serving G’d out of feelings of awe to serving Him out of feelings of love.

We have already explained why G’d promised Avram that He would make his
name great, that he would be a source of blessing to all with whom he would
come into contact and that his name would be “great.” (pages 41-44) We ask
ourselves, that if Avram had followed G’d’s instructions to set out into a new
and unknown land without having first been given these assurances by G’d if
he would not have earned a great deal more merit than he did after being
“armed” with these promises?

In fact, the reverse is the case. When the Torah tells us that Avram set out in
accordance with the instructions he had received from G’d (Genesis 12,4) the
reason the Torah adds the words: “as G’d had commanded him,” is to inform
us that the only reason Avram emigrated from Charan was because G’d had
told him to. It did not occur to Avram that the promises G’d had made to him
would be fulfilled by his obeying G’d. [Compare Or Hachayim on this verse, or
my translation of his commentary on page 123 Ed.] Accordingly, if Avraham
had not known that he would receive a reward for undertaking this journey
and all that it entailed, it would not even have rated as one of his “ten trials,”
so that his reward would have been much less. Being able to serve the Lord
after having received promises from Him, without these promises affecting
the quality of his service, was a far greater ethical achievement than serving
the Lord altruistically, but not knowing that such service carries the promise
of a reward. G’d’s challenging Avram to do just this was the essence of the
trial.

Genesis 15,14., “and also the nation whom they will serve I shall judge;”
many commentators were stymied by the connective letter ‫ ו‬at the beginning
of the word ‫וגם‬. What does this letter connect to? [Compare Or Hachayim my
translation pages 141-143. Ed.]

It seems to me that Avram viewed the fate of his ancestors during this period
as being subjected to 400 years of the rule of the attribute of Justice, as is
evident from his reaction to this prediction with a dark sense of foreboding.
(see 15,12) G’d assures him that He would not single out Avram’s
descendants for the rule of the attribute of Justice, but that the nation that
enslaved his descendants would experience retribution also, and in the end
the Jewish people would recognize this period with its deprivations as having
ultimately been of benefit for them.

Genesis 15,17., “and behold a smoking furnace and flaming torch that had
passed between these pieces;” in this instance the Shechinah, G’d’s
presence, passed between the pieces of the sacrifices, prior to G’d making a
covenant with Avraham;

[this was similar to heavenly fire descending on the communal offerings

offered by the Israelite in the Tabernacle. Ed.] The reason it is described as
‫עבר‬, briefly passing, is so that we would not confuse this phenomenon with
the Shechinah that rested permanently on the Tabernacle during the
Israelites’ wanderings in the desert.

Genesis 16,8 or Genesis 16,11., “The angel of G’d said to her (Hagar) etc.” It
is somewhat surprising that whereas Manoach upon realizing that he had
seen an angel was afraid that he would die forthwith, (Judges 14,22) Hagar
did not react with fear at all. The reason may be that the angel which
appeared to Hagar had appeared as an angel in the garb people expected
angels to appear in. The angel that had appeared to Manoach and his wife
had assumed human form, though he had looked awe-inspiring, so that
Manoach and his wife had assumed that he was merely a prophet. When
upon his departure to the celestial regions in the smoke rising from
Manoach’s offering, it turned out that they had seen a heavenly being,
Manoach reacted with fright, and his wife had to calm him by showing that
his fear was quite unreasonable. (Verse 20-23 there).

Genesis 16,12,” “his hand raised against all, and everyone’s hand raised
against him;” (normal translation)

Our author, basing himself on Zohar II 32, understands the word ‫ כל‬in this
verse as ‫ברית‬, covenant. This has been expounded upon in ‫שערי אורה‬, [a
book authored by Rabbi Joseph ben Avraham G’iktiliyah, a disciple of the
famed Rabbi Avraham Abulafia. Ed.] The word ‫ ידו‬refers to the power and
authority enjoyed by Ishmael. To the question why Ishmael had been
endowed by G’d with such greatness, the answer is that this was the reward
for his agreeing to have himself circumcised at an age when this is extremely
painful. There is, however, a minor difference between the type of
circumcision performed on Ishmaelites and that performed on Jews, i.e. an
extra thin membrane around the glans being removed in a halachic
circumcision. This is hinted at in the word ‫יד‬. The last word ‫כל‬, hints that the
other nation with whom G’d has a covenant based on circumcision, Israel, will
eventually overcome Ishmael.

Genesis 17,4., “I, here My covenant is with you; you will become (founder) of
a multitude of nations.” The principal task of the tzaddik’s service of the Lord
is to ascend spiritually to higher levels, so that the entire human race residing
in the “lower” part of the universe is elevated. The Zohar expressed this by
writing: “we need to be able to make an appearance, facing the King.” It is
clear that there is a danger that when the tzaddik, (Avraham) in order to fulfill
the mission of founding numerous nations, has to descend to the
moral/ethical level of these people in order to subsequently elevate them, he
faces the danger of becoming submerged among them instead. Avraham was
keenly aware of that. Here G’d assures him that He will protect him against
these dangers as His covenant will accompany Avraham all the way when he
undertakes “outreach.”

Genesis 17,13., “to be circumcised, etc.:” [what follows is not documented

although the author quotes Bereshit Rabbah, 49. It is not found there, nor in
Bereshit Rabbah 47, where it ought to be, if at all. The author himself appears
to have had his doubts, and this is why he attributes the so-called “quote” ‫די‬
‫לעבד להיות כרבו‬, “it is appropriate for a servant to emulate his master,” to a
statement in the Levush. The authenticity of the statement has been
questioned as it implies that just as G’d is “circumcised,” so His favourite
creatures must be. I will content myself with paraphrasing the thoughts of the
author. We know that in order to create a physical world, G’d had to “reduce”
the impact of His emanations, or to be ‫מצמצם‬, “to understate the extent of
His brilliance.” In order for G’d to conclude a covenant with Avraham in his
capacity as the founder of the Jewish people, G’d’s “junior” partner on earth,
he and the people under his authority had to perform a symbolic act on their
body, i.e. the removal of their foreskin. By doing this they emulated an
attribute used by their Creator. This explanation may answer the question
that if G’d created everything in His universe in a perfect state, (compare
Genesis 1,31) why would it be necessary at this stage for Avraham to remove
a G’d given part of his body? Ed.]

Genesis 17,22., “G’d ascended from above Avraham.” In order to understand

the significance of what is written here we must go back to Bereshit Rabbah
42 where Avraham is described as consulting with his friends Aner, Eshkol,
and Mamre, on his having been commanded to circumcise himself. Two of his
friends advised against it, whereas Mamre reminded him that the G’d Who
had saved his life several times, would most certainly not demand something
of him that was not in his interest. Mamre was rewarded for this by G’d. The
point our author sees in our verse is that Avraham was given an opportunity
to refuse carrying out this commandment, so that if he withstood the
temptation to do so he could receive an even greater reward for having
resisted the urgings of the evil urge, dressed up as “pious advice.” G’d’s
“ascending from ’above’ Avraham,” means that G’d distanced Himself from
Avraham for a while in order to give the evil urge, Satan in the guise of two of
his friends, an opportunity to tempt him not to obey this commandment.