1Parashat BaMidbar
from Likutei Torah by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Gedalia Potash and William Schecter, MD
Friday May 14, 2021
The Elter Rebbe begins his commentary by quoting the first passage of this week’s Parasha.
וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֛ה בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד בְּאֶחָד֩ לַחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֜י בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית לְצֵאתָ֛ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר׃ On the first day of the second month, in the second year following the exodus from the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, saying:
שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ כָּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שֵׁמ֔וֹת כָּל־זָכָ֖ר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם׃ Take a census of the whole Israelite community by the clans of its ancestral houses, listing the names, every male, head by head.
Before we get into the spiritual aspects of the Elter Rebbe’s commentary, let’s review the chronology of what is happening here. Recall that the Exodus of Egypt began on the 14th day of Nissan. 7 weeks later, on the 5th of Sivan, the Children of Israel reached the base of Mount Sinai. The next day Moses ascended the mountain to receive the Torah. We celebrate this event on the Holiday of Shavuot which begins this Sunday evening May 16, 2021. 40 days later, on the 17th of Tammuz, Moses descended from the mountain with the two tablets and encountered the sin of the Golden Calf. He broke the tablets, reascended the mountain and returned 40 days later with new tablets after pleading with G-d for the forgiveness of the Jewish people. The people, who have sinned, tremble in fear and notice light radiating from Moses’ face. The word in Hebrew for radiation, keren, also means horn. In Renaissance art, the incorrect translation of the word keren (radiating light) to horn in the Vulgate Bible led to the belief among many Christians that Jews had horns – and perhaps the Tfillin shel Rosh (the forehead Tfillin) covered the horn.
The first Yom Kippur, the 10th day of Tishrei, was the day that the Jews received forgiveness for the sin of the Golden Calf. The next several months were spent in the desert and preparing for the construction of the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was established on the First day of Nissan, 11 ½ months after the Exodus. The first Passover celebration occurred two weeks later on the 14th day of Nissan, one year after the Exodus. We count each day between Passover and Shavuot. This is called the counting of the Omer. The Omer was a sheath of barley which was brought as an offering to the Temple. Barley was used because the barley harvest precedes the wheat harvest in the Land of Israel. Shavuot, in addition to celebrating the Giving of the Torah, also celebrates the harvest (of wheat).
The preceding remarks should clear up the Torah quotation which the Elter Rebbe discusses. The first day of the second month of the second year following the Exodus is the first of Iyar. It was one month after the erection of the Tabernacle and 13 months after the Exodus. Now G-d says to Moses: take a census of the people.
Rabbi Potash commented: The Torah portion talks about the counting of the Jewish People. Counting occurred several times. The first counting occurred after the Exodus. The second counting occurred after a plague following the sin of the Golden Calf. So, this counting, one month after the erection of the Tabernacle, was the third census in a year. Counting, says Rabbi Potash, expresses the fact that each person is important regardless of their particular skills. Here we are being told that the human being is of infinite value. We are all made in the image of G-d. The counting is an expression of a deep love between the person and G-d. Every Soul is counted and precious, regardless of the spiritual level it is at. The reason why everyone is cherished is because they have a soul. The corporeal being is temporary but the soul is permanent. In Parashat Trumah (Exodus 25) the Torah tells us that the people are asked to donate items for the construction of the Tabernacle. In Parashat Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:12) a census is taken for the purposes of a half a shekel tax. In this our portion this week, Parashat BaMidbar we are counting the people and making them count. Not only showing the people how precious they are but how precious they can become.
The Torah uses an interesting word to express counting. The Hebrew word for count is ספור (sfor) but the Torah uses the word שאו (seu) which means uplift. It says lift up the heads of the Children of Israel (according their Tribes) listing their names according to their skulls. What is the Torah talking about? Why talk about heads and then use the word skull? The different aspects of the head are represented by the function of the head (the brain containing the intellect, that is Chochma {wisdom}, Bina {understanding} and Knowledge {Da’at}) and the brain’s protection—the skull.
The Elter Rebbe continues: To understand the issue of uplifting the head and the relationship of this Parasha to the Tabernacle we must consult the passage “Man was created in G-d’s Image” (Genesis 1:26). Just as there is a corporeal head and skull and the essence of the head is the brain and the boney skull surrounds it, so there are three intellectual attributes in the spirituality of the Soul: Chochma (חכמה- Wisdom), Bina (בינה - Understanding) and Knowledge (דעת - Da’at). These three intellectual attributes are abbreviated by the acronym חב״ד (Chabad) which is formed by the first Hebrew letters of each of the three words. You no doubt notice that Chabad is also the name of Chabad Chassidut, the movement to which our teacher Rabbi Potash belongs, which was founded by the Elter Rebbe. Since we have discussed these three intellectual attributes many times before, I will use the term Chabad from now on without further explanation. The Elter Rebbe continues: The Ratzon (desire) emanating from the Chabad to animate the emotional attributes both is stimulated by the Chabad and causes the Chabad to be activated.
Rabbi Potash commented: The three spiritual intellectual faculties, Chabad, need to have a drive, a motivation in order to be activated. By way of example, if a hammer is on the table, it is only used when there is a job to be done. The hammer is a tool to achieve the goal. The Chabad is not very useful unless there is a crowning Ratzon (desire) to activate the Chabad to achieve the goal. The galgolet (skull) which encompasses and surrounds the brain is metaphorically the Ratzon. Without the Ratzon, the Chabad is not very useful.
The Ratzon is synonymous to the Heavenly attribute of Keter. Keter is a foundational and essential transformative element that symbolizes the King’s uniqueness that is separate. Similarly, we have the 10 Sephirot but there Is above this Keter, that can activate all the Sephirot towards the supernal Ratzon. The galgolet activates the Chabad.
Ok everyone. Let’s review what Rabbi Potash is talking about. Remember that there are 10 Sephirot which contained Divine Energy.1This Energy is so great that we cannot perceive it. The Sephirot are aspects of this energy that we have some relationship with. For example, if we look at light in a green glass, the light looks green. We know that the visible spectrum of light contains many colors (red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo and violet, if you remember High School Physics). There is also an infrared and ultraviolet spectrum of light which we cannot see. Similarly, when we talk about the Sephirot, which are reflected in the Soul of Man, we categorize them so that we can discuss them but they really are only an infinitesimally small part of the Divine.
At any rate, in Kabbalistic thought, there are 10 attributes of the Soul which correspond to the 10 Sephirot. The first three attributes, which have the highest spiritual levels, are Chabad. Below that are the 7 emotional attributes such as Hesed (loving kindness), Gvurah (discipline), etc. However, above all of these attributes is Keter (crown). The Keter is analogous to the Ratzon (the desire) which animates all of the attributes.
The Elter Rebbe now continues. There is a lower and a higher Ratzon (desire). The higher Ratzon is called the superior Ratzon, corresponding to the Galgolet (skull), which surrounds the brain. The Elter Rebbe begins his clarification of this concept by quoting from the Proverb “A Woman of Valor”: “Her husband is known in the Gates of the City” (Proverbs 31:10). The Zohar interprets this passage to mean that everyone according to his measure (ability).
The Elter Rebbe is using a play on word here. On the simple level, the proverb is talking about the husband of the Woman of Valor sitting with the elders at the Gates of the City and presumably deciding weighty matters. But the word for gate, שער – Sh’ar, also means rate or measure. For example, שעור תמותה (Shiur Tmutah) means mortality rate.
The Elter Rebbe continues: Meaning that by contemplation of one’s Chabad (intellectual attributes), focusing on the greatness of G-d in accordance with the depth of one’s thought (abilities), one can elevate one’s heart one to know one’s Creator in the depts of one’s heart and cleave unto Him. However, one’s thought is unable to grasp G-d, meaning G-d’s essence. Nevertheless, every man must contemplate the fact that He created the infinite number of Supernal and Lower Worlds, gives life to them and brings them forth from nil to existence and renews within them His Goodness each day and each moment.
I would comment that modern String Theory postulates an infinite number of universes (See: “The G-d Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything” by Michio Kaku).
Everyone according to the measure of his heart is able to expand his knowledge and fire his heart and Soul towards a connection to G-d and cleave to Him in accordance with the dept of his intellect and understanding and with great perseverance and passion awaken in the heart of each person the burning desire to cleave unto G-d. The use of “is known” (from the Proverb “A Woman of Valor”: “Her husband is known in the Gates of the City” (Proverbs 31:10)) refers to the relationship between G-d (the Husband) and Israel (the wife).
A word on philology (no pun intended!): The Elter Rebbe uses the Aramaic term Matronita (מטרוניתא) for wife. Matronita is derived from the Latin word “matrona” meaning an honorable woman.
The expression “is known in the Gates of the City” refers to the fact that G-d lowers Himself through the process of Histalshalut, the downward cascade of Divine Energy undergoing the process of contraction which limits the Energy so our World is not consumed, and diffuses His Greatness throughout our World so He is known. And through this process each man grasps within himself, each according to his own ability, the desire to continue to connect with G-d and to cleave unto Him. “Is known” is the language of connection and communication.
Rabbi Potash commented: The verb Yada (ידע) can imply an intimate connection. For example, in Genesis 4:1, the Torah says Adam knew Eve (אדם ידע את חוה) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. So, to know can imply an intimate connection.
In light of this, when G-d told Moses to count and elevate he Jewish people, He intended that they know and love G-d even more. We have explained that there is Ratzon (analogous to Galgolet—the skull) which surrounds and compels the animation of the intellect. But what is the intellect? We use our brain for all of our activities. But that is not really the sum total purpose of the brain. The brain is to be used to bond to G-d by using our mind to contemplate G-d as much as possible and contemplate the miracle of creation. This is the ultimate purpose of the brain.
By thinking about something (with the Chabad) we have an emotional connection with the object of our contemplation which is the function of the remaining 7 emotional attributes. Now back to the original quotation. How do we really uplift or elevate the head? The idea of counting the people is to elevate their heads to contemplate their relationship with G-d. The counting was a task of cultivating and developing the intellect of Bnei Israel to contemplate their relationship with G-d. Elevation of the mind is the beginning of the relationship. When we cultivate the mind and entertain spiritual and G-dly ideas, the relationship begins.
Contemplation evokes and awakens an emotional attraction and the desire to connect with G-d. That triggers a Ratzon, a desire, to connect. If we look at the Ratzon vis à vis the intellect, the more you learn the more you want to learn. The intellectual understanding is feeding the desire. So, what is feeding what? Is the Ratzon feeding the intellect or the intellect feeding the Ratzon? The Ratzon derived from Chabad is powerful but not the ultimate power. Even though the Ratzon is a driving force, it is limited by the intellect. But sometimes there is a different type of Ratzon that comes from an absolute place of complete ignorance. That is, we don’t understand but we have a Ratzon that desires and animates all the other faculties to achieve. This is the highest level of Ratzon—the one that drives the intellect rather than the Ratzon which is driven by the intellect. This is what the Elter Rebbe was referring to in the beginning of his remarks. The high Razon is the desire that drives the Chabad. The lower Ratzon is the Chabad stimulating the Ratzon to motivate us further. So, the High Ratzon and the Chabad have a two-way relationship each stimulating the other.
Rabbi Potash explained this concept with the metaphor of a smart student in class: the more he understands, the more he wants to understand—this is one level of Ratzon. However, there is a student sitting in a class with weak abilities, but even though he is frustrated and doesn’t understands, a driving will power overcomes the limitations of his intellect unleashing a new found ability. This is an analogous to the higher Ratzon that comes from the essence of the person and can drive and unleash the power of the intellect
1. Here is an image of the hierarchy of the 10 Sephirot which may help conceptualize the spiritual attributes which appear in Kabbalistic thought.
