Parashat Trumah
From Torah Or
By Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Commentary and Translation by Rabbi Gedalia Potash and William Schecter, MD
February 2024
This draft has neither been edited nor approved by Rabbi Potash
Rabbi Potash opened the discussion of the Elter Rebbe’s comment by saying: This week’s Parasha discusses the construction of the Mishkan, a small but powerful edifice that controls the relationship between the Jewish People and G-d. G-d is giving the Jewish People a project and through their efforts, the Jewish People will have buy in to the relationship with G-d. The Jewish People could use their creativity to create the Mishkan. Rabbi Potash quoted the Zohar: ממטה למעלה (from below to above) to describe the role of the construction of the Tabernacle by the Jewish People in a sense reaching up to G-d. The sense of Holiness in the Mishkan lasted much longer than the Holiness of Mount Sinai. We don’t know exactly where Mount Sinai is and it is no longer considered a Holy Place as opposed to the Mishkan which lasted for about 500 years and then reappeared, so to speak, with the construction of the Holy Temple.
The Elter Rebbe’s discussion as you will see below deals with the desire of man to have a relationship with G-d and vice versa. But how can man “know” G-d? The Ten Sephirot in the Kabbalah cosmology represent certain aspects of G-d but just as a name does not really signify the essence of a human being, the multiple names of G-d, including the Tetragrammaton and the Sephirot can in no way describe the unknowable Divine Essence for the Divine is Infinite and unlimited by names and descriptions. The supernal attribute of Chochma in the Kabbalistic cosmology is a link between the Divine and the 7 emotional attributes of the Sephirot. The Sanctuary, described in detail in Parashat Trumah, serves as a connection between G-d and the Jewish People.
The Elter Rebbe begins his discussion with a quotation from the Song of Songs: “ If only it could be as with a brother, As if you had nursed at my mother’s breast: Then I could kiss you” (Song of Songs 8: 1) This quotation represents the community of Israel’s request to G-d concerning the time of the Exile to return to the time that the Holy Temple existed when Israel was called the brothers of G-d as it is written למען אחי ורעי (for the sake of my brothers and friends—Psalm 122:8) and afterwards it is written :”for the sake of the Lord our G-d…” (Psalm 122:9) that is to say, the Jews were referred to as brothers during the time of the Holy Temple and therefore now (in the time of Exile) the community of Israel requests “If only it could be as with a brother” once again.
The Elter Rebbe now launches into a discussion of the Cherubs which were carved out of the solid pure gold of the Kaporet (covering) of the Holy Ark. Re: the Cherubs which were in the Holy Temple it is written that they were facing each other. It is written: “you shall make two Cherubs….” (Exodus 25:18) “one Cherub on one side (of the Ark)……” (Exodus 25:19) The Rabbis in the Talmud described the Cherubs1 in greater detail by saying each Cherub had the face of a human, one being an adult and the other being a child (cherub) (Chagigah 13: b).
On the Chariot (Throne), there was the image of a Man, but we must understand that this is not the image of a physical body. Rather, the Torah is called “Man”, meaning that the Rabbis of the Talmud considered that the entire Torah contained all the Names of G-d and the Ten Sefirot are called the Names of G-d (Zohar),
Rabbi Potash explained: In Ezekiel’s Vision (Ezekiel 1) he describes a Chariot (Throne) upon which is seated the image of a Man who then speaks to Ezekiel saying “He said to me, “O mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, that nation of rebels, who have rebelled against Me.—They as well as their fathers have defied Me to this very day …….for the sons are brazen of face and stubborn of heart. I send you to them, and you shall say to them: ‘Thus said the Lord GOD’—” This passage is troubling as it raises the question “How can we assign an image of G-d in the form of Man when G-d has no form?” The Elter Rebbe explains that Adam is a metaphor for the Torah. Adam is a metaphor for multilayered existence. The form does not sum up the totality of what a person is. The same thing is true with Torah. Through the study of Torah, we are connected to G-d’s wisdom. Just like when we shake someone’s hand, we don’t have mastery over him. G-d makes Himself accessible to us through Torah but it is not the sum total of what G-d is. The entire Torah is like G-d’s name (Zohar). Your name isn’t really you. It calls attention to you but doesn’t really define you. Just like when you call someone’s name, they answer, so when we read Torah, G-d is with us. The Elter Rebbe says we can understand the 10 Sephirot as the 10 names of G-d.
The Elter Rebbe continues: “By way of example, just as a man is called Abraham or Jacob, this name does not touch the essence of the man, which comprises his particular intellect and qualities. If this is so, he really does not need his name which is external to his core being and is useful only to draw his attention when one is calling to him.
So too regarding G-d: even His Supernal Intellect, not to speak of the other Supernal Qualities, have no value at all vis à vis G-d’s true Essence, for His Essence is above the confines of Wisdom and the existence of the 10 Sefirot comprising the 10 Names of G-d, which is only the light in the World which does not touch to the Essence.
Rabbi Potash commented: Even though we attribute the 10 Sephirot to G-d, any Sephirah or attribute is distant from the true nature of G-d. His essence is not defined by those names.
And here it is written: G-d in Wisdom is the revelation of this light which has the attribute of the Name of G-d as it is written “I am the Lord this is my Name it has the attribute of Wisdom and through Wisdom the Eternal Light is drawn down in all 10 Sefirot ….. and therefore Wisdom of Adam (Man) is called the First Man and in the Zohar אדם קדמא (Adam Kadma—primordial man)3 For the first Wisdom is analogous to the dispersion and drawing down of the light and vitalization of the Soul in the body that the revelation of the entirety of Life is drawn from the Soul which enlightens and invests the intellect in the head and through the intellect the light (energy) is subsequently drawn down to each organ, each receiving enough energy for its specific purpose. So, the entire vitality (energy) required by all the organs of the body is found in the brain. Just as the intellect vitalizes all the organs of the body, by way of analogy, the revelation of the Eternal Light above is drawn down and invests in the Wisdom and by way of this Wisdom, the Light is drawn down and invests the 10 Sefirot. If so, the Torah is produced from Wisdom and is called Adam (Man).
The Elter Rebbe here is explaining why the Man in Ezekiel’s Vision is a metaphor for the Torah and not G-d (because G-d is unknowable and not subject to description despite the troubling passage in Ezekiel I).
The Elter Rebbe now goes on to quote Sefer Hadarat HaMelech by saying the 248 positive commandments are analogous to the 248 organs of the body and the 365 negative commandments are analogous to the 365 tendons of the body and the Talmud brings to action for the light is drawn from the intellect to each organ thus connecting the Torah to G-d.
Rabbi Potash explains יהו׳ (the Tetragram) means He was, He is, He will be. Just as in the human experience, the Life force is drawn from the brain throughout the body—Chochmah is the origin of the life force within the body. Just as in the body, in the metaphor of the Sefirot, Chochmah is the life force for the rest of the Sefirot. The Sefirot are not all equal. Chochmah is the Highest Sefira which is the life force for the rest of the sefirot. Just as all the organs of the body are dependent on the life force from the brain. So too, all the other Sefirot are dependent upon the Life Force from the Sefiirah of Chochmah. יהו׳ is the origin of all creation. Each part of the world is getting a different kind of energy according to it needs
.
The Torah is supernal in order to be the drawing force of Supernal Wisdom to be invested in the Torah in the World of Briah through the process of contraction (Tsimtsum—Contraction of the Supernal Energy). The Rabbis of the Talmud commented that the Divine Presence (Shekinah) contracted between the two ends of the Holy Ark (carrying the 10 commandments and a copy of the Torah written by Moses). And because the Voice of G-d spoke to Moses from there (the Holy Ark), the face of the Cherub is called the Child (because of the contraction—making smaller of the Divine Light {Energy}) or the Small Man because the revelation in its intellect more contracted than in the Adult (the Great Man).
And here the attribute of man is called Adam Gadol (the Great Man) compared to the face of the adult in the carved Cherub of the Holy Ark because the Supernal Wisdom is the attribute of the Eternal and as it is written “His wisdom cannot be fathomed” (Isaiah 50:28) for He is the One who knows and He is Knowledge. So, the first Cherub at one end of the Ark represents the drawing down of the Light from above to below to be the source and root of the drawing down of the Light (Energy) to the Worlds of Briah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. And the Cherub opposite this one represents the awakening from below during the recitation of the Shm’a to transmit to his Soul the Love (of G-d—which begins the second paragraph of the Shm’a). And through the Shm’a, Israel contemplates how the Lord is One, how He is unchanging, how He uttered a Word and the World came into existence, because he commanded and created…….and everything else is insignificant compared to G-d. And through this contemplation will come the transmission to the Soul of “And having You, I want no one on earth.” (Psalm 73:25) Therefore, the entire community of Israel is referred to as “craving” (a relationship with G-d) from below to above. So, there is a two way relationship here. On the one hand, G-d is reaching down to us through the process of creation and then contraction of his Eternal Light to reach our World, and we, through desire and craving reach up to G-d to establish a relationship.
And this is the attribute of Cherub on this end (of the Ark) to arise from the Worlds of Briah, Yetzirah and Asiyah and to be absorbed into the Eternal Light to gaze upon the dearness of the King (G-d) as in Our Eyes are lifted towards G-d. And through this, the “Waters of the Face” are brought down from on high and we can gaze upon the reflection of G-d in the waters. (Proverb 27:19).“And from the cover of the Ark you shall make Cherubs” ( Exodus 25:19 )4 this is the attribute of “encircling all the worlds”
Cherub: The Talmud defines a Cherub: “The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of “cherub”? Rabbi Abbahu said: Like a baby [keravya], for in Babylonia they call a baby ravya”-- מַאי כְּרוּב אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ כְּרָבְיָא שֶׁכֵּן בְּבָבֶל קוֹרִין לְיָנוֹקָא רָבְיָא (Chagigah 13: b)
- Ezekiel I: “וּמִמַּ֗עַל לָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־רֹאשָׁ֔ם כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה אֶֽבֶן־סַפִּ֖יר דְּמ֣וּת כִּסֵּ֑א וְעַל֙ דְּמ֣וּת הַכִּסֵּ֔א דְּמ֞וּת כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה אָדָ֛ם עָלָ֖יו מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃
Above the expanse over their heads was the semblance of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and on top, upon this semblance of a throne, there was the semblance of a human form.
- To explain the difference between Primordial Man (Adam Kadmon or Adam Kadma) and Adam Rishon (the First Man=Adam), I am copying a piece that I found in Wikipedia which is the simplest explanation I have found to date of Kabbalistic Cosmology. Here it is: In Kabbalah, before creation began, all that existed was God's Infinite Light. The first stage of creation began when God contracted His Infinite Light to create the vacuum. Then a ray of divine light penetrated the vacuum and the persona of Adam Kadmon was projected into the vacuum. The first stage of Adam Kadmon was in the form of ten concentric circles (igulim), which emanated from the ray. The ray of light was then enclothed by the anthropomorphic form of Adam Kadmon (yosher), which is a realm of infinite divine light without vessels, constrained by its potential to create future Existence. Adam Kadmon is sometimes referred to as Adam Ila'a (Aramaic: "upper man") or Adam Elyon (Hebrew: "upper man").
The soul of Adam HaRishon ("the first man") was the supreme essence of mankind. It contained within it all subsequent souls. In the midrash, he is sometimes referred to as Adam HaKadmoni ("the ancient man"),[6] Adam Tata'a (Aramaic: "lower man") or Adam Tachton (Hebrew: "lower man").
The anthropomorphic name of Adam Kadmon denotes that it contains both the ultimate divine purpose for creation, i.e., mankind, as well as an embodiment of the Sefirot (divine attributes). Adam Kadmon is paradoxically both "Adam" and divine ("Kadmon-Primary").
Adam Kadmon preceded the manifestation of the Four Worlds, Atzilut ("emanation"), Beriah ("creation"), Yetzirah ("formation") and Asiyah ("action"). Whereas each of the Four Worlds is represented by one letter of the divine four-lettered name of God, Adam Kadmon is represented by the transcendental cusp of the first letter Yud.
In the system of the sefirot, Adam Kadmon corresponds to Keter ("crown"), the divine will that motivated creation.
The two versions of Kabbalistic theosophy, the "medieval/classic/Zoharic" (systemised by Moshe Cordovero) and the more comprehensive Lurianic, describe the process of descending worlds differently. For Cordovero, the sefirot, Adam Kadmon and the Four Worlds evolve sequentially from the Ein Sof (divine infinity). For Luria, creation is a dynamic process of divine exile-rectification enclothement, where Adam Kadmon is preceded by the Tzimtzum (Divine "contraction") and followed by Shevira (the "shattering" of the sefirot).4.