The Face of Symbiosis – Beha'alotcha
דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרֹת אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת (במדבר ח, ב).
When HKB"H created the world, on the third day He created trees. Actually, His intention was to create only one tree, the עץ החיים. This special tree, symbolizing the Torah, was the only tree necessary to sustain the world. The fruit of this tree is called לחם אבירים, or what we also know as Mann. There was no need for any other kind of tree because the fruit of the עץ החיים could taste like whatever you wanted it to taste like, mangos, kiwi, apples, papayas, oranges, bread, T-bone steak, pizza, hamburgers, chocolate chip cookies … If you have such a miraculous tree, there is no need for myriad other, distinct, individual trees, each with only one specific kind of fruit.
That was the plan. However, the earth disobeyed HKB"H's directive. It reasoned, using its own "logic", that if the tree would be the עץ חיים, where the branches of the tree were edible as well as the fruit, that man and beast would not only eat the fruit, but also the tree itself and then - there would be no tree left!
Even though the Rambam tells us that all the planets (including the earth) have their own נשמה and intelligence, (הלכות יסודי התורה, פ"ג, ה"ט) obviously, HKB"H's Divine wisdom surpasses the limited powers of logic of the earth and nothing is beyond HKB"H. If He wants something to be a certain way, He will ensure that somehow that will be possible. As we know, the עץ החיים, the Torah, is like a candle. Even if someone transfers the flame of a candle to another candle, the fire of the original candle is not diminished in any way. Similarly, HKB"H would have seen to it that if both the tree and the fruit were edible, that even if the tree would be eaten, it would not disappear, but would regenerate, like the flame of a candle.
As a result of the earth's interfering with HKB"H's Divine mechanics, כבשונו של מקום, the tree manifested in a different way to HKB"H's directive and ended up that the branches of the tree tasted different to the fruit, i.e not one integral unit, but a whole made up of different parts. This tree was the עץ הדעת טוב ורע, comprising not one integral truth, but disparate elements (Meir Panim).
HKB"H could have ripped up this errant tree and burned it, but that is not the way HKB"H works, אם אחפץ במות הרשע כי אם בשוב רשע מדרכו וחיה (יחזקאל לג, יא). HKB"H does not eliminate wayward elements in His world before He gives them a chance to do tshuva and make a tikkun. So HKB"H did not destroy the עץ הדעת. He left it in Gan Eden, pending the tikkun. However, He fenced it off to prevent anyone from going near it and being influenced by it.
Since the original, intended tree, the עץ החיים, had not yet appeared as intended, HKB"H continued to create it, the right way!
There were now two trees in Gan Eden, the wayward עץ הדעת and the intended tree, the עץ החיים. HKB"H placed them both in the center of Gan Eden, next to each other, but with the עץ הדעת fenced off to prevent access. The עץ החיים was located in the south and the עץ הדעת in the north.
On the 6th day HKB"H created man and placed him in Gan Eden לעבדה ולשמרה – to do avodah, using the עץ החיים, the Torah, and לשמרה, to guard himself, to keep far away from the עץ הדעת. This was spelled out to Adam Harishon in an explicit איסור – do not eat from the עץ הדעת. Focus on the integral truth of the עץ החיים and do not allow the disparate influences טוב ורע of the עץ הדעת to become part of you.
As we know, Adam Harishon failed in this task and he eventually ate from the עץ הדעת and thus the disparate elements comprising the עץ הדעת became part and parcel of him and our world was subsequently separated into these two disparate components, the עולם העשייה and the עולם הרוח.
Just as HKB"H did not destroy the עץ הדעת and allowed it an opportunity to achieve tikkun, similarly HKB"H did not destroy the world and begin from scratch, but rather allowed an opportunity for tikkun, to repair the disparity between these two components in the world, so that they would eventually reacquire the integrality of the עץ החיים as was originally intended. It is the role of Am Yisrael to effect this integrality, to bring about the tikkun.
This is why, when Am Yisrael were redeemed from Egypt, HKB"H gave them Mann, the fruit of the עץ החיים, to elevate them to the level of angels, of Adam Harishon before the sin, in order to bring about integrality. This occurred at Har Sinai when we received the Torah and the world was restored to its originally intended state.
However, Am Yisrael then sinned with the עגל and again the world became split into disparate components and we were plunged back into the reality of having to still achieve the tikkun. HKB"H, however, now gave us the tools to bring about the tikkun, the Torah.
We are now 3335 years on from Har Sinai and we have still not yet achieved that final tikkun.
We still have disparate elements in our world, they are not yet fully integrated. We have the עולם העשייה and the עולם הרוח. It is Am Yisrael's responsibility to imbue the עולם העשייה with רוח. This is the purpose of the Torah and the תרי"ג מצוות, to elevate the physical to a higher spiritual level, for example by making a bracha before (and after) eating food, before performing physical actions (e.g. hafrashat challah). To create symbiosis between the two worlds and achieve integrality.
This motif is echoed repeatedly in various aspects of Am Yisrael, in the Beit Hamikdash, the Twelve Tribes, for example.
In the Beit Hamikdash there are two כלים that reflect these two disparate components. The Menorah reflects the עולם הרוח and the Shulchan Lechem Hapanim reflects the עולם העשייה. Both these כלים resemble "trees".
The Menorah has a central stem, like the trunk of a tree, with six stems radiating out from it, like branches of a tree. The Menorah is one integral unit מקשה אחת and it reflects the עץ החיים in Gan Eden and its location is the same, on the southern end of the Heichal.
The Shulchan Lechem Hapanim also has a tree-like structure. The "snipim" (called קְשׂוֹתָיו in the passuk) the uprights that flank the two piles of bread on either side, resemble a central trunk of a tree with branches radiating outwards, to support the breads so that they do not bend and deform. Unlike the Menorah, the Shulchan is not one integral unit, it is made from many disparate parts. The Shulchan reflects, and is a tikkun for, the עץ הדעת and is located on the northern end of the Heichal.
In fact, these two כלים mirror the two trees in Gan Eden.
These two כלים achieve the tikkun through their symbiosis. The Menorah draws the sustenance (olive oil) for its light from the עולם העשייה. The Shulchan, representing the עולם העשייה, is imbued by the spirituality of the light of the Menorah, the עולם הרוח. One cannot exist without the other, they are a pair, a team. This is why they stand side by side in the Heichal.
This is also the concept of אם אין קמח אין תורה ואם אין תורה אין קמח. The one cannot exist without the other. Without Torah and Divine blessing there is no עולם עשייה – there will be no rain, no food and the world will cease to exist. Similarly, without food, there can be no Torah, no עולם הרוח. If there is no food to sustain life, there is no life and no Torah study.
This motif is also echoed in the Twelve Tribes, the tribe of Yissachar, representing the Menorah, the עולם הרוח and Zevulun, representing the Shulchan, the עולם העשייה.
This model of symbiosis is the key to achieving the tikkun and restoring integrality to the world.
Symbiosis means working as a team, each component recognizing the essentiality and worth of the other and working together in harmony.
If, however, there is dissonance between the two components and symbiosis and harmony is absent, disaster results. If the עולם העשייה disconnects from the עולם הרוח and believes it can function on its own, independently, it becomes a רשות בפני עצמו and is tantamount to עבודה זרה, because it then operates on the premise that there is no G-d. Similarly, if the עולם הרוח disconnects from the עולם העשייה and believes it can function on its own then it is defying HKB"H's Divine plan to achieve tikkun. This was the sin of the מרגלים and will be explored in next week's shiur.
As we approach the end of the sixth millennium, (5783 years out of the 6000 - until the final Geulah בעתה), this issue becomes all the more acute and amplified. The Geulah is coming whether we like it or not. HKB"H redeemed us from Egypt, even though we were not worthy of it. We will similarly be redeemed in the final Geulah whether we are worthy of it or not. However, just like our Exodus from Egypt, the Geulah through the medium of בעתה is fraught with pain and suffering (from the word בעיתה, meaning kicking). In יציאת מצרים four fifths of Am Yisrael perished in מכת חושך. Am Yisrael have the opportunity to bring about the final Geulah without the pain and suffering, the חבלי משיח, through אחישנה – but in order to do so we need to be worthy, we need to bring about the tikkun ourselves, through symbiosis and harmony between the עולם הרוח and the עולם העשייה.
The issue of the conscription of the Charedim into the army is not a new one, it has existed since the inception of the State of Israel. Recently it has again been catapulted into the news spotlight following the government passing the budget, allocating additional funds to the Charedi sector and expanding the exemption legislation. In tandem with the increasing polarity in Israeli society, the intensity and degree of the conflict has escalated accordingly. I am not talking about the small group of left wing, liberalist, radical provocateurs whose sole purpose is to sow chaos and mayhem, who lack any rational, intellectual reasoning and have no care for the good of Klal Yisrael. I am talking about the large majority of normal, rational people on both sides.
This is clearly a situation of two disparate components. The עולם העשייה, the Secular Israeli component, placing emphasis on the pioneers who physically established the state and drained the swamps, the soldiers who serve in the army and physically protect the country from its many enemies and the economic sector with a thriving, world leading hi-tech industry, who physically fuel the economy. Then you have the עולם הרוח, the Charedi component, who place emphasis on studying the Torah, leading Torah lives and spiritually protecting Am Yisrael from its enemies. (There is also a "hybrid" sector, the National Religious sector, who try to combine both components by dividing their time and resources between the two, trying as it were לרקוד בשתי חתונות, something that is not always possible and not necessarily the optimal, Divinely intended model for every tribe – some tribes have intended specificity).
The goal is to have the two polar components working symbiotically in harmony, like Zevulun and Yissachar, like the Shulchan and the Menorah. Unfortunately, this is not currently the case and needs to be rectified.
The lack of harmonic symbiosis is not one sided, it is the mutual fault of both sides and it stems from a basic absence of recognition of the other component's worth and a faulty perception that their component can exist independently of the other.
The Secular Israeli sector perceives that it is their grandparents who died from malaria draining the swamps. It is them and their sons who are dying in combat defending Israeli on multiple fronts from vicious enemies and terrorism. It is them and their sons who are fueling the thriving economy, by studying a trade and working in the industry. They perceive that the Charedi sector are getting a free ride על חשבונם and are not participant in any way in the ongoing success of Israel and the Jewish People. They are the עולם העשייה with a disconnect from the עולם הרוח. They do not recognize that without the merit of Torah and mitzvot, all of the above would never have come about. If not for Am Yisrael's spiritual merit the State of Israel would never have been established, we would have never have prevailed over our enemies and we would be an itinerant 3rd world country. If we were to rely entirely on כוחי ועוצם ידי, without HKB"H's help, we would not be where currently are. The degree of HKB"H's help correlates directly to our spiritual merit.
The Charedi sector perceives that it is they who are truly protecting Am Yisrael through their Torah study and קיום מצוות. They perceive themselves to be the tribe of Yissachar whose job is to sit and study Torah full time to spiritually protect Am Yisrael, while the Secular sector, the tribe of Zevulun, should be supporting them and enabling them to do so. They are the עולם הרוח with a disconnect from the עולם העשייה. They do not recognize that a Yissachar/Zevulun relationship has to be consensual! You cannot force such a relationship on the Zevulun party. Such a relationship needs to be forged from a reality of mutual recognition where Zevulun feels that Yissachar cares just as much for Zevulun as Yissachar cares about Yissachar. If Zevulun feels that Yissachar does not care about Zevulun, that Yissachar despises Zevulun and everything he stands for, does not respect Zevulun's השתדלות and part in facilitating HKB"H's larger plan, then Zevulun perceives that perhaps all that Yissachar is interested is Yissachar's own Olam Habah and not Klal Yisrael's.
So how does one repair this disconnect? The answer is to be found in the passuk from our parsha above.
The beginning of Beha'alotcha speaks about the seven stemmed Menorah and the second passuk (above) says that the seven lights of the Menorah will cast light onto the פני המנורה. The Mefarshim ask, what is the פני המנורה? Most commentators say יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת, that all seven candelabra of the Menorah point to and shine towards the central stem, which is called the פני המנורה. However, there is a mathematical problem with that explanation. If the central stem is the פני המנורה and the other six stems point toward it, the passuk should say יָאִירוּ שֵׁשֶׁת הַנֵּרוֹת . How can the seventh, central stem point toward itself?
The Rashbam on that passuk says something completely different. The Rashbam says that the פני המנורה is referring to the Shulchan Lechem Hapanim (פני/פנים), that the Shulchan is the "face of the Menorah". As we know (Meir Panim), the Lechem Hapanim resembles a smiling face. The Shulchan Lechem Hapanim stands beside the Menorah with a smiling face, it is smiling at the Menorah! In return the Menorah smiles back at the Shulchan with its light. This is symbiosis in harmony.
Instead of attacking each other in anger and hate, if both sectors would tone down their arrogance a notch – they both have a little too much כוחי ועוצם ידי, both the Secular sector and the Charedi sector, each believing that they are independently and solely responsible for the success of Am Yisrael – and adopt a little more humility and mutual recognition, then we will have the beginning of something.
If, instead of searching with a magnifying glass to find each and every fault with the opposing component, we would invest equal energy searching with a magnifying glass to find the merits of the opposing component, then we will have the beginning of something.
If we can wipe off the smirks and the vicious stabs of hate from our faces and replace them with a smile for one another, then we will have the beginning of symbiosis, the beginning of harmonic symbiosis and the realization of the tikkun through אחישנה, without the accompanying חבלי משיח. Why do we need to wait for HKB"H to give us a "klap"? Why do we force His hand to forcibly instill unity within us by the only proven method in our history – by bringing צרות down upon us? Why do we invite our own suffering?
Let us all make a concerted effort to smile more, to work on our humility, to start thinking in terms of Klal Yisrael and less in sectorial terms. Let us stop trying to remake the other sectors in our image and instead begin working together as the team we are. In a soccer team (lehavdil) all the players have a specific, different role. If we were all goalies, we would never score any goals and if we were all right wingers (the soccer kind, not the political kind) we would never stop the opposing team from scoring goals. We are not all the same, we are not meant to be. We are the Twelve Tribes. All HKB"H asks from us is that we respect Him and respect each other - and function symbiotically, together as a team.
