Quantum Judgement

(Based on Bais Sha'ar Yerech Ha'Aysonim - 30)
The Gaon of Vilna explains that the three books open on Rosh Hashana represent  חסד, דין וגבורה , unlimited kindness, judgement (and constriction) and mercy. The balance is achieved through the pointer-rider which is Rachamim (mercy) and creates the balance between Chesed and Din. For this reason the month of Tishrei is traditionally symbolized by the constellation Libra because it is the balance of the scale which brings about merciful forgiveness.
דעת (literally, understanding) which is the balance between חסד and דין emanates from a very high place. It has the ability to contain within it all of the possibilities of  innocent and guilty simultaneously. Its power to sway the balance comes from the fact that in the highest of places Chesed and Din are one. This sounds like an impossibility and is a difficult concept to grasp with our linear thinking minds. 
Kabbalistically the "place" of this Daas is referred to as רישא דלא איתידע, the head the is unknown. Any comprehension of it is unknowable as we are taught "the ultimate knowledge is to know that we don't know." Our lack of knowledge is predicated on its existence in multiple states at once that seem mutually incompatible to us.

"Tear Down This Wall"

As I was reading the Torah portion this week I was struck by the allusions to the unfortunate death this week of Aharon Sofer. ואשר יבא את רעהו ביער, "And that which he comes with his friend into a forest," is how one case of unintentional death is prefaced in the Torah reading. Later on the protion discussed the finding of a dead body in a rural area. Neither case described in the Torah was identical to the Sofer case, but they were close enough that the echoes were loud. Trying to get a deeper understanding of the Torah's message I consulted a few of my favorite Kabbalistic commentators. Both Rav Moshe Dovid Valle as well as the Ricanti shared the same theme. Each of them explain that the reason for the deaths are strong presence of Din (judgement) in the world. These destructive forces are finding place to vent their nature and people are dying. The Torah then prescribes how to respond to the Din, it describes procedures of how to deal with manslaughter as well as the finding of a body murdered by persons unknown. The intent of these processes is to rid the world of those destructive fores.

Which led me to my next question: Why was their Din in the world? Why did this young man die?

I don't know the answer. Truthfully, in most cases it disturbs me when I hear people give their opinions as to why one calamity or another occurred. But there are reasons why those opinions usually disturb me. First of all, they generally lack any sense of מדה כנגד מדה. We are taught that God metes out punishments measure for measure. A punishment is a reflection of the wrongdoing and helps us to see what the wrong was. Secondly, more often then not, those opining the reasons for a calamity are pointing the finger at other people and telling them that they are the ones who are wrongdoing and responsible for one calamity or another. Rarely is the finger self-directed. I will try to avoid these two pitfalls and share my thoughts.

There is an irony that there was recently a discussion about the propriety of Yeshiva Bachurim in Israel taking vacation while a war was ongoing. Many Yeshivas cancelled vacation, while others, including the Yeshiva which Aharon Sofer attended, had vacation as usual. The Charedi Yeshivos don't send their students to the army because the study of Torah is paramount. It is, they say, more important than being a soldier. Their Torah study will protect the people as much as the army will, if not more. It saddens me, truly, to hear at times those in the Charedi world belittling the Torah study of those in the Hesder Yeshivos as somehow being of lower quality. Truthfully, I have been exposed recently to several works authored by those in the Hesder system. I would venture to say that they are often of higher quality than that which you find in the Charedi world. Perhaps there is something to be said for the תורה שלמדתי באף, Torah study under adverse circumstances, such as those faced by those who are soldier-students, has a significant advantage over the Torah studied by those sitting at peace in Lakewood or B'nei Brak.

Is there not an irony that Aharon Sofer disappeared just as the war came to an end. That those bachurim who spent the next days searching lost their last days of summer vacation? And then the Ellul Z'man was meant to begin in the middle of the search. What could be more precious to Hashem than the Torah learning at the beginning of the month of Ellul? And, instead of being able to be in the Bais Medrash learning, hundreds of bachurim were out searching for Aharon Sofer. What message was God sending to us? Why did He orchestrate this? For those who have been taught to examine things in the manner of מדה כנגד מדה the logical conclusion has to be that He was trying to send a message as to priorities. You think your vacation is appropriate during wartime? Do you think your Torah study is more important that protecting people's lives? There is something interesting in that it was OK to cease Torah study to search for him as it was פיקוח נפש, but not OK to join the army to defend people from incoming missles. And the pictures of women not dressed according to laws of tznius giving instructions to searchers seems to put paid to arguments about not going to the army because of the women there.

It is my contention that people who wish to engage in self-honesty would look at this terrible tragedy and question certain long held assumptions about yeshivos and the army. I know that the past few months, culminating with this incident have certainly caused me to rethink my attitude.

In general, I would suggest, and I am not the first one, that it is time for the Charedi leadership to rethink its manifesto. After the War the Jewish nation was on life-support. Led by people such as Mr. Mendlowitz and Rav Aharon Kotler in the United States, and the Chazon Ish and Rav Shach in Israel, the Jewish Nation was beautifully rebuilt. It is truly a sight to behold. The fact that there are today Ohr Mitzion Kollelim in Modern Orthodox communities and the quantum increase in Torah study in Conservative and Reform temples testifies to how pervasive this success has been. But there comes a time when the patient needs to come off of life-support. He needs therapy to be able to leave the hospital and re-engage with the world.

Judaism was never meant to be a cloistered religion. It wasn't in the Tanach, it wasn't in the Talmud. To whatever extent we were ghettoized in Europe it was at the insistence of our enemies, not our demands.

And, if the doctors in charge do not realize that the patient needs to be given the chance to re-engage, they are facing the distinct possibility of the patient taking charge of his own care. The increasing rumblings questioning the wisdom of claimed Daas Torah is testament to the patient stirring Starting with the Slifkin debacle and on to today's sex-abuse scandals more and more people are questioning the wisdom of the Charedi establishment leaders. It is time for them to show some leadership. To be as brave as Rav Aharon and the Chazon Ish and blaze new paths for today's world.

History tells us that in most wars there was always one army fighting the previous war. They therefore lost the current one. Let us hope that our leaders don't make the same error.

The Power of Song

Ever wonder why it is that in the Bais HaMikdosh (Temple) it is the Leviim who sing and play musical instruments?
Rabbi Moshe Dovid Valle explains that the Leviim represent the aspect of din, of judgement and constriction. (This is a well-known Kabbalistic concept and the Leviim stand in this way in contrast to the Kohanim (Preists) who represent Chesed, the outpouring of God's goodness. I assume this is why it is Levi who is foremost in the killing out of the city of Schechem as din is his trait.) He explains then that the power of music is to uproot from a person the forces of din that are plaguing him and leave him free to experience life in a more expansive state.
I guess this is why we find music played for King Shaul as well as the Prophet Elisha at times when they were in a down state.

Long Hair etc.

Yesterday's Torah portion discussed the idea of Nazir, a person who makes a vow and is thereby forbidden to cut his hair, drink wine, or defile himself by contact with the dead (e.g. attending funerals, or visiting cemeteries) for at least thirty days. Such a person is referred to as Kadosh (holy) by the Torah.
Why are these three elements needed to complete the profile of the Nazir. What do they signify? Kabbalistic thought teaches us that in the uppermost spiritual worlds all that can be seen is the infinite and unbounded kindness of God which is referred to as Chesed. In the process of creation, in order to leave room for Creation to exist, as well as to allow for free will and the ability to do wrong, this Chesed was subject to limitations and boundaries. The trait of binding and limiting is referred to as Din. We therefore live in world that is a mix of Chesed and Din and spend our lifetimes navigating the waters between them.
The Nazir, by contrast, is attempting by means of his vow and subsequent abstinence to raise himself up as much as possible to the spiritual worlds in which there is only Chesed and Din is completely absent.
It is for this reason that he is instructed to refrain from wine and all grape products. The redness of wine is a symbol of bloodshed, surely an act of Din. Death and all that is associated with it is also a product of Din. The Nazir has no place associating with either of these phenomena.
Kabbalsitic thought also teaches us that in the uppermost spiritual realms, hair represents the media through which God's Chesed is received and then transmitted to others. As that is the realm in which the Nazir wishes to temporarily repose, he should maximize his Chesed transmitting hair as much as possible.
Another way to understand the prohibition against drinking wine and shaving is that people often drink wine in order to enhance their spirit. Living in this world of a mix of Chesed and Din it can often be difficult to get in touch with one's Chesed side without the aid of some wine. The Nazir, inhabiting a world of Chesed at all times, should have no need for a boost to achieve that consciousness. Additionally, by inhabiting that upper world of the spiritual he is bringing himself to a point where Adam was prior to his sin. That is a world in which death has no part, therefore he should have no part of death.
These explanations can open our eyes to a better understanding of the most famous of all Nizirim, Shimshon (Samson). That will wait for the next post.