Did "You precede the ministering angels", Or "The mosquito preceded you"
Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald
The Parasha in the everyday life - Bereshit – 5781
At a good time, בְּשָׁעָה טוֹבָה we start again from 'Bereshit', we start reading the Torah anew, delving into, and finding inspiration in it for our conduct.
At the center of the Parasha, the 'creation of man' - on Friday, a creation that has a polar complexity of opposites. עָפָר֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה 'the dust of the earth' and נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים 'the breath of life' from G-d. On the one hand, נזר הבריאה'the 'crown of creation' - creation with free choice, and the ability to have a tremendous influence on the visible and hidden world, to which the responsibility for guarding the paradise was given ''לְעָבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ "to till it and tend it". And on the other hand, he is determined, he has difficulty in accepting authority, he is inclined to control, to his weaknesses, instinctual lust, and temptations. Already on the day of his creation he sinned in the 'Tree of Knowledge 'עץ הדעת, did not accept responsibility for his failure, and blame it on his wife. He missed the opportunity and was expelled from his paradise.
What is the connection between the opposite human complexities and its place in the order of creation?
ת"ר אדם נברא בערב שבת ומפני מה ...שאם תזוח דעתו עליו אומר לו יתוש קדמך במעשה בראשית
The Sages taught in a baraita (Tosefta 8:7): Adam the first man was created on Shabbat eve at the close of the six days of Creation. And for what reason was this so? … so that if a person becomes haughty, G-d can say to him: The mosquito preceded you in the acts of Creation, as you were created last. (Sanhedrin 38a).
אִם זָכָה אָדָם אוֹמְרִים לוֹ אַתָּה קָדַמְתָּ לְמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת, וְאִם לָאו אוֹמְרִים לוֹ זְבוּב קְדָמְךָ, יַתּוּשׁ קְדָמְךָ, שִׁלְשׁוּל זֶה קְדָמְךָ.
If a man merits, they say to him, 'You preceded the ministering angels' and if not, say to him, 'A fly was created before you', 'a mosquito', 'an earthworm preceded you'. (Bereishit Rabbah 8:1)
This complexity expresses the shortcomings and weaknesses of man, but it also teaches him how to prepare his strengths according to the challenges he will be facing:
כל הנאמר לגדלותו של האדם, וכל מה שנאמר לקטנותו, הרי הוא אמת. זכה קדם למעשה בראשית. לא זכה יתוש קדמו. על כן צריך הוא להשתמש תמיד באלה ההשקפות השונות לטובתו
Everything that is said about man's greatness, and everything that is said about his smallness, is true. He preceded in the creation of the world. He did not merit, the mosquito preceded him. Therefore, he should always use those different views in his favor. (Shmonah Kvatzim 2:281)
In obtaining spiritual strength to do positive things:
לענין הערת רוחו לאידיאלים גבוהים ונישאים, ישאב מכחה של השקפת עולמים על דבר גדלו. איך הוא מרכז כל יצורי קדם וכל מעשה בראשית בו כלולים. ובעילויו הכל מתעלה, ובשפלותו הכל נשפל
"For the sake of his spiritual awakening to high ideals, he will draw power from a worldview on the matter of their greatness. How he coordinates all beings of creation and creation itself. And in his ascension, everything ascends, and in his humiliation, everything is degraded" (ibid).
And therefore, when required to deal with his weaknesses and things he considers difficult to achieve:
ולגבי חריצות מעשה, ופעלים תרבותיים כלליים או פרטיים מחיי החול לך אל נמלה עצל, ראה דרכיה וחכם. ישתמש בהשקפת יתוש קדמך
"And as for diligence of deed, and general or private cultural actions from the life around you: 'Go like an ant, see its ways and be wise' – the animals around never stop, don't give up, and so remember the fact that the mosquito preceded you" (ibid).
Unlike last year, this year we start from "Bereshit' (the beginning) when the corona pandemic is in full swing and we want to learn from the Parasha about our situation: the areas in which there is an expression of human greatness and on the other hand his weaknesses.
On the eve of the appearing of the corona in our lives, humanity was at the height of its strength and had the possibility to control over the world. It had a significant amount of arrogance. It saw itself to a fine degree as the 'lord of the world', who in its power and abilities could run the world as it wished, ignoring 'the One Who spoke and the world came into being said and was the world' שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם.
And here it is, a small virus that forces the entire humanity to take things into proportion in relation to its power and abilities. It is a challenge just as 'the mosquito preceded you', bend down and accept its dictates.
In the face of the challenge posed by the small virus, there is the complexity of man. On the one hand, there is an option in which the human being is told: 'the mosquito preceded you', Surrender to human weaknesses, allow them to take over, be tempted to crowd in and remove your mask ‘because it’s hard’. Violate the guidelines, because 'who are they'- the authorities, that I should accept their authority and instructions!? Justify the irresponsible conduct of conspiratorial theories and denial ('it is no more than a flu', 'it is only meant to serve the politicians', etc.), or on a more advanced level: evade responsibility and impose it on others ('those' who are easy to hate, guilty of spreading the pandemic). Make the crisis a political ax to advance political agendas. Turn the crisis into a tool in the hands of the media to stimulate dramatization and garner more ratings. And to degrade the social discourse, to stir up quarrels and debates and to spread hatred against ideological rivals.
Although, on the other hand, there is an opposite option: to allow the ability and powers of the human being to transcend, in the sense of 'You precede the ministering angels'. To place the sanctity of life of 'וָחַ֣י בָּהֶ֑ם 'which man shall live' above all, as פִיקּוּחַ נֶפֶשֶׁ דּוֹחֶה אֶת כל המצוות כולן 'saving a life overrides all the commandments'.
Accept the necessary restrictions both to protect oneself and one's family, and others, out of 'mutual responsibility', as in times of war. To adapt oneself to the new situation and get out of the fixation, to be able to accommodate the required changes in our lifestyle.
The Secret of the Creation Circles
Parsha and its Implementation - Bereshit - Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - 5780
The creation of the world in Parashat Bereshit is fundamental to understand the format of the world, its laws of existence and the way it is conducted. This feature exists on all levels; In the cosmic and human level, since "man is a small world and the world is a great man," "He created in man everything he created in His world" (Avot D'Rabbi Natan 31).
In creation there are two elements: the constant and the changing element, the creation and the renewal. On the one hand, the basis of Creation’s unchanging laws of nature is the foundation of the world and its stability depends on it. And the ever-changing element of creation and innovation that allows the world to move forward and evolve.
These two elements are essential to the existence of the world, the constant element of creation giving it the solid foundation for its very existence. Changes in the laws of creation can undermine the world stability. And the element of renewal gives it the dynamism and process that allows it to progress, develop and fulfill its destiny. Without it, the world will set and never advance. The Almighty set a clear boundary between the elements so that the forces of change would not enter the realm of creation laws and damage the existence foundation, and on the other hand, the stable forces will not enter into the realm of renewal and determine it.
We mention the element of creation in the Kiddush Levanah*:
אֲשֶׁר בְּמַאֲמָרוֹ בָּרָא שְׁחָקִים, וּבְרוּחַ פִּיו כָּל צְבָאָם חֹק וּזְמַן נָתַן לָהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יְשַׁנּוּ אֶת תַּפְקִידָם שָֹשִֹים וּשְֹמֵחִים לַעֲשֹוֹת רְצוֹן קוֹנָם פּוֹעֵל אֱמֶת, שֶׁפְּעֻלָּתוֹ אֱמֶת
“Who by His word created the heavens, and by the breath of his mouth all their hosts. He set for them a law and a time, that they should not deviate from their task. And they are joyous and glad to perform the will of their Owner; they are workers of truth whose work is truth.” (Talmud Sanhedrin 42a) and Rashi: "Workers of truth – those that do not change their order". But there we also mention the opposite element - the changing element, in relation to the moon:
וללבנה אמר שתתחדש עטרת תפארת לעמוסי בטן שהן עתידין להתחדש כמותה
" And to the moon He said that it should renew itself as a crown of beauty for those He carried from the womb, as they are destined to be renewed like it” (ibid). And in Rashi: "And to the moon He said- renew every month."
Both elements are also mentioned in Tfilat Shachrit. The basic element of creation: יוצֵר אור וּבורֵא חשֶׁך
“who forms light and creates darkness”, and the changing element:
וּבְטוּבו מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל יום תָּמִיד מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית
"In His goodness, G-d daily renews the work of Creation". "And although there is no noticeable novelty…Not every day is similar to the one before and the one after." (Nefesh Hachaim)
The Kabbalah sages pointed to the duality that exist between the Creation’s two dimensions; The 'Yosher' (the three-column "upright" diagram, related to the "line" beamed into the Khalal), and the 'Igulim' (concentric "circles" within the "circular" Khalal). One of these dualities is that ‘Igulim’ also contains the fixed element of reality: "The necessary laws. The rigid iron laws, which do not change." (Orot HaKodesh 3). On the other hand, "Yosher" includes the changing and renewed electoral element: "Freedom of life, absolute freedom, etc." (ibid.).
It is explained in Hasidism, that the human soul has "Igulim" and "Yosher" within. The basic naturalness and order of life, the free choice, the renewal and change.
The Torah commandments are also analogous to a human: "In these 613 commandments, רמ"ח אברים ושס"ה גידים
248 limbs (evarim), the numerical equivalent of the word ramach. In addition to ramach limbs, we have 365 sinews and ligaments (giddim), the numerical value of shesah. (Yeshayahu ben Avraham Horowitz also known as the Shelah HaKaddosh).
The 365 שס"הnegative precepts, preserve the spiritual life, and harming it, weakens its mere existence.
248 רמ"ח are positive precepts, these are the ‘evarim’ organs, through which we act, move forward, renew and change.
The set element and the changing element, the Creation and the renewal exist in the Torah in another perspective. Most of the Torah and its foundations are eternal, permanent and unchanging, but its application in the ever-changing life are constantly being renewed:
דברי חכמים כדרבונות וכמסמרות נטועים בעלי אסופות נתנו מרועה אחד למה נמשלו דברי תורה לדרבן לומר לך מה דרבן זה מכוין את הפרה לתלמיה להוציא חיים לעולם אף דברי תורה מכוונין את לומדיהן מדרכי מיתה לדרכי חיים אי מה דרבן זה מטלטל אף דברי תורה מטלטלין ת"ל מסמרות אי מה מסמר זה חסר ולא יתר אף דברי תורה חסירין ולא יתירין ת"ל נטועים מה נטיעה זו פרה ורבה אף דברי תורה פרין ורבין" (חגיגה ג ב).
“The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are those that are composed in collections; they are given from one shepherd” (Kohelet 12:11). Why are matters of Torah compared to a goad? To tell you that just as this goad directs the cow to her furrow to bring forth sustenance for life to the world, so too the words of Torah direct those who study them from the paths of death to the paths of life. The Gemara asks: If so, derive the following from that same analogy: Just as this goad is movable and not rigid, so too matters of Torah are movable in accordance with circumstance and are not permanent. Therefore, the verse states: “Nails,” which are permanent. The Gemara further asks: If so, one can explain as follows: Just as this nail is diminished in size and does not expand, as it wastes away over time, so too matters of Torah are gradually diminished and do not expand. Therefore, the verse states: “Well fastened [netuim].” Just as this plant [neti’a] flourishes and multiplies, so too matters of Torah flourish and multiply". (Chaggigah 3b).
In the Torah as in the world, one must know the clear boundaries between the fixed 'nails': their stability must not be discussed as this could weaken the existence of the Torah, and the 'well fastened': which must deal with the renewed reality, otherwise it will be perceived as irrelevant.
It seems important to mention it these days. There are some who deal with Halakhah that, with the enthusiasm and desire for openness and renewal, hurt and damage the "nails". On the other hand, some are so concerned about the renewal and damaging the 'nails', that they prevent any possibility of coping with the changing situations and the growth of the 'netuim'.
* Kiddush Levanah: Sanctification of the Moon- In Kabbalistic tradition, the new moon is sanctified seven days after its appearance, under a clear sky, standing facing east. It may be said as early as three days after the new moon, and as late as a day before the full moon (the moon should still be visibly waxing).