Infinity/Infinities

Relative infinities can be many. 

  But Asolute Infinity can only be One.

~ Rav Bachya Ibn Pequda 

Shavat and Aquarius

Tonight's the beginning of the Jewish month of Shevat which is associated with the zodiac sign of Aquarius, the water carrier. In Hebrew the name of Aquarius is "deli" and literally means, "bucket". 

The great Chassidic master Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov teaches, in his work "Bnei Yissaschar", that Aquarius is the zodiac sign of the Jewish people and it also bears a unique association with Abraham's servant Eliezer. 

The great Torah commentary Rashi explains that Eliezer doled out drinks from the Torah of his master Abraham. Hebrew word for doling out is "doleh" and is grammatically related to the word "deli", Aquarius.

In reviewing this teaching, I notice that Rashi does not state that Eliezer doled out food from his master's teachings, but rather drinks. This got me thinking, what's the difference between doling out food and doling out drinks?

Then it dawned on me, food requires that the person chew, i.e. process. Drinks just smoothly go down, requiring much less effort. 

When giving over from Abraham's Torah, Eliezer didn't hand it over to the students raw and unprocessed. Rather, he was concerned to present the teachings in a way which they can be related to. Therefore, he carefully ensured that the teachings were brought down to where they met the students at eye level.

Chabad mystical philosophy teaches that there are two kinds of bowing. One kind is what we're commonly familiar with, where someone of a lower rank bows before someone of a higher rank; like a servant before a master. While bowing, the servant temporarily sets aside all traces of personal identity in order to internalize the master's message. 

No doubt Eliezer was adept at setting aside his identity before his master Abraham. For example, when he was entrusted with the sensitive mission of finding a bride for Isaac, he remains entirely nameless.  The Bible does not mention his name and neither does he mention his own name. When identifying himself to Rebecca's family, he opens with the words, "I am Abraham's servant..." without any mention of his name.

However, Eliezer was also a master at the second kind of bowing. The second kind, might be even harder than the first. It's when someone of higher rank figuratively bows to someone of lower rank. This kind of bowing can require even more humility.

But what does such bowing look like? It's when someone of higher stature  mentally steps into the situation of a person of lower stature to delicately convey a message in a manner which can be easily understood. Likely, the most commonly observed example of this scenario is that of a teacher who really reaches the students. In such a scenario difficult concepts are brought down to students in ways in which they can relate.

By stating that Eliezer doled out water Rashi is conveying that Eliezer was precisely this kind of teacher. He transformed the difficult concepts into water, meaning that he made them near effortless to internalize. 

Being a master of both kinds of bowing turned him into an ideal bridge personality, as he brought together various levels of people in common continuum of communication.

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Abraham's Hospitality

The Midrash relates that Abraham would ask his guests to thank God after he served them a luscious meal. If they refused, he then requested that they then pay for the meal instead. 

He'd claim, "If you don't believe that God provided you with this meal then it must be me that did. In that case I want to be paid for my services. Let's see, how much does bread and meat cost in the middle of the desert?"

As he'd rack up the huge bill, the guests would open their mouths and start thanking God.

It was taught to me that having guests is huge mitzvah, in and of itself. Therefore, for the past 26 years I have wondered why did Abraham make his hospitality contingent on his guests thanking God? 

Recently, it dawned on me that possibly the answer lay in the special relational bond which only a mitzvah can form. Since there is no parity between Infinite and finite, how the two can ever form such a bond is truly a quandary. 

What solves this quandary is a mitzvah, a Torah commandment. Even in circumstances where parity is out of reach, the Infinite and finite can meet around a mitzvah - a common interest that a certain act should be performed.

In Chabad teachings the following parable is offered to highlight how this kind of bond can be formed:

In a university, there was a world renowned professor. He was a top thought leader in his field. One day while studying he notices someone at the other end of the work spectrum, the janitor. Other than being under the same roof, the two share little in common. 

Yet today he wants something from the janitor. So, he motions him over. 

"Could you please prepare for me a tea with a few biscuits today and every day at 3pm?", he requests.

The janitor nods compliantly and begins a routine of bringing him his daily treat. 

Though there's little parity between the two of them, by fulfilling the professor's request a bond starts to form. Similarly, when God's requests (i.e. His mitzvahs) are fulfilled a bond is formed with Him. And even a human being, a lowly finite creature, can form a relational bond with the Infinite One.  

In Abraham's time there were only seven mitzvahs. Hosting guests was not among them. However, monotheism was. 

By urging his guests to express their thanks to God, Abraham was engaging them in an act of monotheism. Thereby, he turned the whole act of hosting them into that mitzvah. All the delicacies he served became like firewood to fuel their expression of thanks, their act of monotheism. 

In short, this was his way of turning hosting guests, which was not yet a mitzvah, into a mitzvah. 

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A Hanukkah Address to Noahides

About a week ago, I was invited by a Noahide community in a distant country to give them a remote class via Zoom. I prepared to talk about the Oneness of God, figuring that it's a great Noahide topic. But the moment we connected online, the community members asked me to speak about Hanukkah.  

Their request caught me by surprise.  Largely because it was a personal challenge for me, as I typically think of Hanukkah in Jewish terms and was not sure that I could find a message in my heart which would apply to Noahides as well. So, we agreed that I would go on discussing my planned topic and to return to the topic of Hanukkah later on; though I was still unsure what I would say. 

Continuing on, I explained the Oneness of God in terms of the concepts expressed by Rabbi Bachya ibn Pequdah in his “Gate of Unity”. Then I touched slightly on concepts expressed by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi in his “Gate of Unity and Faith”. I merely touched on the latter and didn't overly elaborate on the concepts because I felt that they may have been too deep to get across in one sitting and certainly, with a translator struggling along to convey the ideas. Also, it seems to me that knowing Rabbi Bachya ibn Pequda teachings on monotheism alone, already makes a person into a “kosher” monotheist; without needing to delve conceptually deeper. 

When I completed my discussion of God’s Oneness concept, suddenly before I knew what I said, a Hanukkah concept I had studied earlier that day from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, just popped my mouth in a way which was perfectly suited for Noahides.  

The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught that the Hellenists harbored a deep appreciation for philosophy and culture. Therefore, they tended to leave local wisdoms and cultures intact with an eye towards incorporating them into a larger Hellenic framework. Their seemingly even handed approach was applied to Judaism as well. They adored Jewish wisdom and culture, so long as they can get the Jewish devotion to God out of the way; meaning, the Hellinists were irked by the idea that ultimately a Jew practices Judaism not because it’s intelligent or culturally expressive, but because of what God commands. 

This applies to Noahides as well. There are lots of people in the wider world who technically can be said to unknowingly practice some or even all the Noahide commandments because they believe that it’s intelligent and the finer way to be. Thank God that there are such people. Certainly, the world is a safer place and maybe even a kinder place because of them. However commendable this may be, broadly speaking, they are still not really practicing out of a conviction that God commanded them to and are therefore, missing the main point which truly connects their practice with God. 

Just as a Jew celebrates on Hanukkah that s/he’s practicing Judaism firstly and primarily because the “mitzvahs” are God’s commandments, so too a Noahide can celebrate the same for his or her “mitzvahs”.  A “mitzvah” is a “mitzvah”! In this sense, what difference does a number make, whether it’s seven or 613?

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An Afterthought: 

In Chabad thought, it’s taught that the beauty of a “mitzvah” is that it offers connection without requiring parity. 

Usually, when two entities bond there must be some parity; namely, a significant area of overlap upon which the bonding can occur. For example, with a teacher and a close student, even if the teacher is far more educated than the student, they share much in common: their humanness, academic interests, likely common life experiences, etc. 

When it comes to the relationship between humans and God, there is no parity; hence, no automatic relational bonding. God’s absolutely Infinite and humans are finite. Compared to Him, even the highest of spiritual realms, let alone their resident souls and angels, are finite and share nothing at all in common with Him. If so, how is any true contact made?

The answer is via “mitzvahs”, commandments. Carrying out a command requires no parity. The Infinite One commands. The finite being carries it out. And despite the unbridgeable disparity, in that moment the two have connected. Thus, “mitzvahs” become the relational solution for the disparity.

In fact and perhaps surprising, the Torah turns certain human states of heart and behaviors, into “mitzvahs”, even though they naturally occur in human relationships without ever needing to be commanded. Examples of these can include: loving God, revering Him, imitating His ways, praising Him, thanking Him, etc. Why does the Torah turn these beautiful, sweet and often spontaneous feelings and gestures into commandments? 

It’s likely because with humans love, reverence, imitation, praise and thanks can build relational bonds; but, only because there’s parity between them.   

In truth, since there is no such parity with God, in order for such human feelings and efforts to form a relationship with God, they must first be turned into “mitzvahs”. Only as “mitzvahs” can they ascend to attain their desired goal of bonding with God; as “mitzvahs” are the only vehicle which bond beyond disparity.

(This also clarifies why a “mitzvah” is more potent when performed by the one who is commanded than by a well intentioned volunteer.)  

The special bond with God which “mitzvahs” afford is truly a cause for celebration. Hanukkah celebrates that this bond was preserved against severe pressure from the Hellenic cultures of the time (and in future generations as well). It’s a celebration which Noahides can also share in. As they too were given “mitzvahs” by the Creator; seven, sub-divided into many, direct means to access and connect with Him. 

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Think ...

Stop!

Before you address Me,

Think about...

- How many angels can dance on a pinhead?

- What does it mean that I am One?

- What does it mean that I am Infinite? 

- What does all this mean to you?

Now let's talk...

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Shhhh...Patience...Please

It can take many moons,
  To reflect the light of a single sun.

It can take many lifetimes, 
  To reflect the light of a single soul.

It can take many life stages,
  To reflect a single spark of soul.

It can take many books,
  To reflect the core idea of an author. 

Please do not lose patience, 
  With the protracted pace of your life,

For it's all a reflection,
  Of the higher unto the lower,

The Infinite unto the finite,
  The Single unto the multiple.

To Illuminate what's nether,
  Requires time,  often lots of time. 

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Flashes of the Divine Thought

The universe is immersed,
  In a Divine thought,

For it is less than
  Even a single Divine thought;

Not less fractionally, 
  But less in an ineffable sense.

What's at core a thought, 
  Seamless, Whole n' Infinite, 

Is caught by pieces,
  Of a fragmented world.

Imagine a picture,
  Projected on shreds of screen.

Fundamentally,
  The picture's whole, 

What's fragmented, 
  Is the screen. 

So too Divine thought,
  Remains undivided.

Yet, its manifest flashes,
  Provide a basis to appreciate. 

Appreciate that ...
  All you see, hear, taste, smell n' feel 

Are solidified flashes
  Of the Infinite Divine thought. 

Appreciate that ...
  All you read n' hear of Torah,

Are verbalized flashes,
  Of the self-same Divine thought.

Though a flash is not,
  The entirety of Divine brilliance,

It's still a precious drop,
  A derivative of the Infinite beyond.

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~ Dedicated to my daughter "See Em" in honor of her brilliant question which inspired the outpouring of this poem.