- I present a general way of blending the intellect and ethics and morals based on Talmudic sources.
- We discuss how the Yom Kippur service mirrors this framework, as connecting the Holy of Holies with repentance.
- We can see that the Zohar's framework, connecting Bina with Malchut as the act of Teshuva.
וּמָה רָאוּ לוֹמַר תְּשׁוּבָה אַחַר בִּינָה — דִּכְתִיב: ״וּלְבָבוֹ יָבִין וָשָׁב וְרָפָא לוֹ״.
And why did they see fit to say the blessing of repentance after the blessing of understanding? As it is written: “And they will understand with their heart, repent, and be healed” (Isaiah 6:10-11), showing that repentance follows understanding.
רַבִּי אוֹמֵר... וֶהֱוֵי מְחַשֵּׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ, וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה כְנֶגֶד הֶפְסֵדָהּ.
וְהִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאִי אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה, דַּע מַה לְּמַעְלָה מִמְּךָ, עַיִן רוֹאָה וְאֹזֶן שׁוֹמַעַת, וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ בַסֵּפֶר נִכְתָּבִין:
Rabbi Said: ... Also, reckon the loss [that may be sustained through the fulfillment] of a commandment against the reward [accruing] thereby, and the gain [that may be obtained through the committing] of a transgression against the loss [entailed] thereby.
Apply your mind to three things and you will not come into the clutches of sin: Know what there is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.
From here, we can implicitly derive a definition of Good and Evil behavior.
By guaraneeing that if we consider the effects of our behavior we will never come to sin, we are defning sin as behavior that would not be chosen when acting based on a full information set.
שֶׁ֧בַע פָּרֹ֣ת הַטֹּבֹ֗ת שֶׁ֤בַע שָׁנִים֙ הֵ֔נָּה וְשֶׁ֤בַע הַֽשִּׁבֳּלִים֙ הַטֹּבֹ֔ת שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים הֵ֑נָּה חֲל֖וֹם אֶחָ֥ד הֽוּא׃ וְשֶׁ֣בַע הַ֠פָּר֠וֹת הָֽרַקּ֨וֹת וְהָרָעֹ֜ת הָעֹלֹ֣ת אַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ן שֶׁ֤בַע שָׁנִים֙ הֵ֔נָּה וְשֶׁ֤בַע הַֽשִּׁבֳּלִים֙ הָרֵק֔וֹת שְׁדֻפ֖וֹת הַקָּדִ֑ים יִהְי֕וּ שֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֥י רָעָֽב׃
The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good stalks are seven years, it is one dream. And the seven empty and bad cows that came up after them are seven years and the seven empty and windswept stalks will be seven years.
Note how in Hebrew, Tov, Good is not just ethical good, but it means steadfast and healthy. Similarly, Ra doesn't only mean ethical evil, it can mean sick shaky or ugly.
The intellect is steadfast and leads to good health. The imagination or passions are volatile (ra'ua) and lead to sickness.
- The Goat for Azazel represents
- The Yetzer Hara = The Evil Urge = Fantasy/Imagination = System 1 = Drive for pleasure
- We take it out of the Temple to show what happens to "evil" things.
- The word "evil" means shaky, and sick.
- The Goat for HaShem represents
- The Yetzer Tov = The GoodUrge = Intellect = System 2 = Drive for long-run satisfacion.
- We take into the Holy of Holies to show what happens to "good" things.
- The word "good" means strong and healthy.
- The two Goats:
- Are "twins" to showhow a single person (or nation) can choose either path
- The lottery shows how the decision is not determined by Heaven or Earth (the Kohen)
- The Holy of Holies represent:
- Olam Haba - the eternal destination for good behavior and ideas
- The source of learning, which leads to teshuva and forgiveness.
- The Incence represents knowledge and information.
- The High Preist represents:
- The Angel Michael
- The interface between Mankind and God: the universe itself.
- The Priest represents us and also teaches.
ואלו שנקראים ׳חוקים׳ כשעטנז ובשר בחלב ושעיר המשתלח, אשר כתבו עליהם החכמים ׳ז״ל׳ ואמרו: ״דברים שחקקתי לך ואין לך רשות להרהר בהם והשטן מקטרג עליהן ואומות העולם משיבים עליהן״
לא יאמין המון ה׳חכמים׳ שהם ענינים שאין להם סיבה כלל ולא בוקש להם תכלית – כי זה יביא לפעולות הבל (כמו שזכרנו); אבל יאמין המון ה׳חכמים׳ שיש להם עילה – רצוני לומר: תכלית מועילה על כל פנים, אלא שנעלמה ממנו אם לקיצור דעותינו או לחסרון חכמתנו.
There are commandments which are called ḥuḳḳim, “ordinances,” like the prohibition of wearing garments of wool and linen (sha‘atnez), boiling meat and milk together, and the sending of the goat [into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement]. Our Sages use in reference to them phrases like the following: “These are things which I have fully ordained for thee: and you dare not criticize them”; “Your evil inclination is turned against them”; and “non-Jews find them strange.”
But our Sages generally do not think that such precepts have no cause whatever, and serve no purpose; for this would lead us to assume that God’s actions are purposeless. On the contrary, they hold that even these ordinances have a cause, and are certainly intended for some use, although it is not known to us; owing either to the deficiency of our knowledge or the weakness of our intellect.
וְהַשָּׂעִ֗יר אֲשֶׁר֩ עָלָ֨ה עָלָ֤יו הַגּוֹרָל֙ לַעֲזָאזֵ֔ל יׇֽעֳמַד־חַ֛י לִפְנֵ֥י ה' לְכַפֵּ֣ר עָלָ֑יו לְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֹת֛וֹ לַעֲזָאזֵ֖ל הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃
while the goat designated by lot for Azazel shall be left standing alive before ה', to make expiation with it and to send it off to the wilderness for Azazel.
Uzza and Azael represent the two aspects of the Yetzer Hara: Love and Hate, Pleasure seeking and anger.
אמר סמאל לפני הקב"ה רבון כל העולמים על כל העכומ"ז נתת לי רשות ועל ישראל אין אתה נותן לי רשות,
אמר לו הרי יש לך רשות עליהם ביום הכפורים אם יש להם חטא, ואם לאו אין לך רשות עליהם,
לפיכך נותנין לו שוחד ביום הכפורים שלא לבטל את ישראל שלא לבטל קרבן של ישראל, שנאמר "גורל אחד לה' וגורל אחד לעזאזל".
Sammael said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all the universe ! Thou hast given me power over all the nations of the world, but over Israel Thou hast not given me power.
He answered him, saying: Behold, thou hast power over them [xk: even] on the Day of Atonement if they have any sin, but if not, thou hast no power over them.
Therefore they give him a bribe on the Day of Atonement, in order that he should not nullify them or their offering, as it is said, "One lot for the Lord, and the other lot for Azazel" (Lev. 16:8).
Given that giving a bribe to the devil is exacly what devil worship is about, and that is explicitly forbidden in the Torah, we reject a simple reading. So what is the meaning here?
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, רָמַז הָכָא דְּזַמִּינִין בְּנוֹי דְיַעֲקֹב לְקָרְבָא שְׁנֵי שְׂעִירִים, חַד לַה', וְחַד לַעֲזָאזֵל בְּיוֹמָא דְכִפּוּרֵי. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, קָרִיבַת שְׁנֵי גְדָיֵי עִזִּים, (קמ"ה ע"ב) חַד בְּגִין דַּרְגָּא דִלְעֵילָא, וְחַד בְּגִין לְכַפְיָיא דַרְגֵּיהּ דְּעֵשָׂו דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עֲלֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, וְעַל דָּא שְׁנִי גְדָיֵי עִזִּים, וּמִתַּרְוַיְיהוּ טָעִים יִצְחָק וְאָכִיל.
Rabbi Yehuda said that this alludes to the descendants of Jacob, who in the future offered two goats on Yom Kippur, one for Hashem and one to Azazel. For this reason, Rivkah offered "two kids of the goats," one for the supernal grade [xk: Jacob]and one to subjugate the grade of Esau, so he would not rule over Jacob. Thus, there were two kids of the goats. From both, Isaac tasted and ate.
We see in this Zohar, that the two Goats represent Esau and Jacob.
The Zohar earlier in Toldot and later in Vayeshev says that Esau and Jacob represent the Yetzr Tov and Yetzer HaRa, the Intellect and the Imagination.
תָּא חֲזֵי, הַהוּא שָׂעִיר דִּמְשַׁדְּרִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲזָאזֵל, לְהַהוּא מַדְבְּרָא, בְּגִין לְמֵיהַב חוּלָקָא לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, לְאִתְעַסְּקָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ. וְאִי תֵּימָא, תְּרֵין שְׂעִירִין אֲמַאי הָכָא, חַד לַה'' וְחַד לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. תִּינַח הַהוּא שָׂעִיר דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. לַה'' אֲמַאי.
100. Come and behold: Yisrael sent the goat to Azazel, to the wilderness, so as to give a portion to the Other Side with which to be occupied. You may ask why there are two goats here, one for Hashem and one for the Other Side. It is understandable TO SEND the goat of the Other Side TO AZAZEL, but why the goat to Hashem?
The Zohar Gives an Analogy. Here are the steps & Meaning:
- The King invites the bailiff = Satan to dine with him.
- Refers the taking of lots, where both goats are present in the temple.
- Means that God is indifferent for either path, and gives free will, and will punish for bad just as well as reward good.
- The son gets scared and changes his way.
- The son realizes he can't realy on the King to save him, and must behave better.
- Israel is reminded that the choice is in their hands
- The king ans son dine together.
- This parralels the bringing of the Goat to the Holy of Holies, the unity between Israel and God's blessing.
- The Bailiff has a meal by himself.
- Parallels the sending of the Goat out.
- Represents the destruction meeting the evil, or showing how the Evil temptations are best ignored (sent away) , or how evildoers eventually dissipate.
- The pupose of the Satan is realized when we DON'T listen to it, when we "send it off"
- When the Satan acheives his "goal" and we don't listen to it, the Satan is "happy"
We see in the Talmud quoted above that Bina, understanding leads to Teshuva. We will see this echoed in the Zohar.
The assumption here is that one who considers his behavior with a full information set will never sin
101. HE ANSWERS: IT IS SIMILAR to a king who was angry with his son. He summoned a bailiff, who regularly meted out justice to people, in order to come and punish his son. The bailiff rejoiced and entered the king's palace to eat there. As soon as the son saw him, he thought: Certainly, the only reason this bailiff has come to my father's palace is because the king is angry with me. What did he do? He tried to please him. Once he pleased him, the king ordered a magnificent feast for himself and his son, and commanded that the bailiff would not know of it. Afterward, the bailiff came. The king thought: Now if he knows of the grand feast that I prepared for my son and myself, there will be confusion at the table. What did he do? He called the butler in charge over the feast and told him, 'prepare something to put before me and the bailiff, so that the bailiff would think that he dined with me, and would not know about that other precious feast for me and my son. He would then take that portion and leave, and disengage from our joyous feast.' If the king had not done this, that bailiff would not have left the king's palace.
כַּךָ אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַזְמִינוּ תְּרֵין שְׂעִירִין, חַד לִי וְחַד לְהַהוּא דַּלְטוֹרָא, בְּגִין דְּיַחְשִׁיב דְּמִסְּעוּדָתָא דִּילִי קָאֲכִיל, וְלָא יִנְדַּע בִּסְעוּדָתָא דְּחֶדְוָה אַחֲרָא דִּילָן, וְיִסַּב הַהוּא חוּלָקָא, וְיֵזִיל לְאָרְחֵיהּ, וְיִתְפְּרַשׁ מִבֵּיתִי.
כֵּיוָן דְּאִמָא עִלָּאָה, עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, אָתֵי לְמִשְׁרֵי (ק' ע"ב) גּוֹ הֵיכְלָא דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, לְאַשְׁכְּחָא נְהִירוּ (נ"א לאשגחא עלה בנהירו) דְּאַנְפִּין, דִּין הוּא דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח הַהוּא דַּלְטוֹרָא, וְלָא מָארֵי דְּדִינִין לְקַמֵּיהּ, כַּד אַפִּיק כָּל בִּרְכָאן, וְאַנְהִיר לְכֹלָּא. וְכָל הַהוּא חִירוּ יִשְׁתְּכַּח, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל נַטְלֵי מֵאִינּוּן בִּרְכָאן.
102. So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Yisrael: 'Prepare two goats, one for Me and one for that Slanderer', NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE, 'so that he will think that he ate from My meal and will not know of the other, our own joyous meal. Let him take that portion and go his way and depart from My house.' Since supernal Ima, which is the World to Come, NAMELY BINAH, came to dwell in the sanctuary of the Lower World, to observe it with a radiant face, it is only right that the slanderer would not be present, nor the plaintiffs, when He takes out all the blessings and illuminates everything. And all manner of freedom is available, and Yisrael receive those blessings.
The Zohar's framework for Teshuva:
Here's the broad framework:
- Mind = Bina = Yud (or Upper Heh) = Heaven = Future Goals = End of Days
- Spine = Yesod = Vav = Life = Ladder of Jacob = Planning Process = Covenant
- Heart/Body/Actions = Malchut = Lower Heh = Female = Earth = Current Actions = Teshuva
- Teshuva is a change in heart or behavior (that stems from achange of heart)
- This happens because of
- first having an enlightenmentin "bina" = understanding
- Carrying those ideas to the "heart" . The channel whereby ideas are transmitted is "Chai life.
וְדָא אִיהוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה גְּמוּרָה, דְּגָרִים לְאָהַדְּרָא בִּינָה דְּאִיהוּ יד"ו, לְגַבֵּי ה' דְּאִיהִי מַלְכוּת
59. All this happens with complete repentance, which effects the return of Binah, that is Yud-Hei-Vav, to Hei, which is Malchut
Note how the Zohar connects the expression of Torah to the concept of "life"
Repentance is the incorporation of new ideas into action. Thus, teshuva gives these new ideas "life"
וּתְשׁוּבָה דָּא אִתְקְרִיאַת חַיִּים, (משלי ד׳:כ״ג) כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תּוֹצְּאוֹת חַיִּים, דְּאִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
וְאִיהוּ הֶבֶל דְּנָפַק וְעָאל בְּפוּמָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, בְּלֹא עָמָל וּבְלֹא יְגִיעָה. ה' דִּבְּהִבָּרְאָם.
וְעָלָהּ אִתְּמַר, (דברים ח׳:ג׳) כִּי עַל כָּל מוֹצָּא פִּי ה' יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם. וְהִיא עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ. עָלָה אִתְּמַר, (במדבר י״ב:ח׳) וּתְמוּנַת ה' יַבִּיט. (תהילים ל״ט:ז׳) אַךְ בְּצֶּלֶם יִתְהַלֶּךְ אִישׁ.
(Ra'aya Mehemna) 31. This repentance, is called life: "For out of it are the issues of life" (Mishlei 4:23).
These are the souls of Yisrael, and is the breath that a person exhales and inhales through the mouth without toil or effort. Hei of "When they were created (Heb. BeHibar'am)" (Beresheet 2:4)
About this, it is written: "But by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Hashem does man live" (Devarim 8:3) which is above the head of the man.' About this, it says: "And the likeness of Hashem does he behold" (Bemidbar 12:8): "Surely every man walks in a vain show (image)" (Tehilim 39:7).
פָּתַח רִבִּי יִצְחָק (ס"א יהודה) אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר, (דברים ד׳:ל׳) בַּצַּר לְךָ וּמְצָאוּךָ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְגוֹ'. בַּצַּר לְךָ, מִכָּאן דִּתְשׁוּבָה מֵעַלְּיָא מִכֹּלָּא, עַד לָא יִשְׁרֵי דִּינָא בְּעָלְמָא. דְּבָתַר דִּשְׁרֵי דִּינָא תַּקִּיף חֵילֵיהּ מַאן יַעְבַּר לֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא וִיסַלֵּק לֵיהּ. דְּהָא כֵּיוָן דְּשָׁארִי דִּינָא, לָא אִסְתְּלִיק עַד דְּיִשְׁתְּלִים. בָּתַר דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים, וְעֲבַד תְּשׁוּבָה, אַתְקִין עָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ. מַשְׁמַע, דִּכְתִּיב וּמְצָאוּךָ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, וּכְתִיב וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ וְגוֹ'. כִּי אֵל רַחוּם ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ וְגוֹ'.
Rabbi Yitzchak (other versions Yehuda) said after him: "when you are in distress because all these things have befallen you and, in the end, return to Ad-nai etc" (Deuteronomy 4:30). "When you are in distress" - from here [we learn] that teshuvah is better than everything since judgment still rules in the world. Once judgment rules in the world, its force is strong, one who crosses it goes from this world, that, behold ...since Judgment rules one cannot go until one pays. Once one paid, and did teshuvah, one fixed all worlds. Meaning, since it is written "and those things will find you at the end of the days" (Deuteronomy 4:30) and it is written "and you will return to Ad-nai your God etc" because "Ad-nai your God is a compassionate God etc" (Deuteronomy 4:31)