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Rabbi Haim Lifshitz
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On the Book of Exodus l'ilui nishmat Esther bat Mrdechai Introduction, Part I The Book of Exodus is a new innovation in the fundamentals of religion. The news it brings obligates both God and man. From individual heroes who comprise the three pillars that serve as the main supports of the Divinity, a nation is born that will bear the tidings of Divinity to the world. “Behold a nation has gone forth from Egypt.” “A kingdom of priests and a holy people.” Pharoah himself senses the birth of this new phenomenon. The tribal grouping of an extended family has turned into “the nation of the children of Israel.” A religion that wins representation as a nation must necessarily undergo fundamental change. “The Awakening of the Lower” Versus “The Awakening of the Higher.” The covenant that God sealed with each one of the three forefathers included a division of tasks between themselves and the Creator of the universe. They would bear responsibility for the management of the universe, for better or for worse. This would be expressed through positive imperatives and negative imperatives. “Guard” and “remember” the Sabbath. “Work it and guard it.” These commandments included preserving what was pre-existing, cultivating and developing the natural creation (ecology) and preserving the relationships between the forces of creation, so that they would not harm or interfere with one another. They were to encourage the positive elements of the creation and suppress the negative. With the forefathers, a direct bond with the Creator of the universe expressed this imperative, in most cases. This is because our sacred forefathers did not require any of the details. They needed but a few road markers, for direction, which were conveyed to them by way of certain major events. The rest, they understood on their own, out of their own sacred and vast wisdom. Their wisdom was decisive, and forged the path that would ascend to the house of God. This initiative expressed the sense of Godly presence that was inherent in them. The element of the Godly image, inherent and innate within them was thus expressed. Human initiative of this nature merited the title, “the awakening of the lower.” We find here before us the first foundation of the bond with the Lord. The entire Book of Genesis describes this sacred human initiative. However, such human-Godly initiative is not what fills the pages of the Book of Exodus. As the circle of individuals expanded, to the point of becoming transformed into a nation, belief in the Creator of the universe could no longer rest on the shoulders of a few individuals. The need was born for a wider base of faith, that would become an organized methodology that could bear its own blessing, as in “something that is living and self-sustaining.” Thus the tangible religious perspective was born, which answered the need for ritual, for practical commandments that would be obligatory under all circumstances, for guidelines to a permanent behavior, not only one that would apply in the event of conflict. One could no longer rely on the individual’s judgment, on his free will, on his heart’s sense of things. The need was born for detailed guidelines from above – in the form of a direct Godly initiative, a direct Godly leadership that would not be given to individual subjective interpretation. In short, “the awakening of the Higher” was needed – a Godly initiative that would be directly involved in the creation, and mainly, that would guide human behavior. This initiative would take the form of a Torah, which would include guidelines for head (mind) heart (emotion) and hand (practical action). All the while, the freedom of the individual would be strictly guarded. It would be a direct Godly initiative that would leave ample space for human initiative. Here is born an amazing relationship between the two foundations of religion: Divine Providence marches arm in arm with free choice, each encouraging and strengthening the other, with neither impeding the progress of the other. The Jewish religion is a miracle of Godly presence. The Written Law is the “awakening of the Higher,” serving as the basis for the Oral Law, which is wholly the human response to the Godly initiative, wholly the “awakening of the lower.” The Oral Law is built upon the Written Law and serves as its tangible expression, transforming the Written Law into God’s will, giving it tangible presence in a tangible world. To such an extent does this relationship create the perfect merger that the presence of each body of law is not felt separately; they are rather both felt as a single solid block. To be continued… |