The Great Paradigm Shift
Exploring the Challenge of Embracing Both Dimensions of Being Human
In recent times, Reb Shaya'la of Kerister has gained immense popularity. He was especially known for his dedication to feeding the poor and hungry under any circumstances, often performing miraculous feats to provide sustenance for those in need. Thousands of Jews travel to his kever every year, where they daven and also partake in lavish and sumptuous meals. This phenomenon has intrigued me, and my wife shed some light on it after reading his biography. She explained that Reb Shaya’la epitomized the concept of utilizing our materialistic aspects to enhance our spiritual growth. By attending to people's physical needs, they were able to attain spiritual well-being. Perhaps this is the attraction to the kever of this great man.
Being human often brings a sense of conflict. We are drawn to both the material world, focusing on our physical needs, and the spiritual realm, seeking deeper connections, how do we strike that balance?
One example in Judaism is that we have Chagim. These are times to connect with God through both our physical actions and our spiritual devotion. This can feel conflicting, but it is also a framework of how we are meant to utilize the physical pleasure and uplift it to reach spiritual heights.
Perhaps we can look at this weeks Parashah to gain a deeper understanding of this concept.
As Bnei Yisrael prepare to depart from Har Sinai after experiencing a peak of spirituality, they suddenly realize the importance of tending to their physical needs. They find themselves yearning for meat, craving the familiar food they had back in Mitzrayim.
This unexpected desire for variety causes a dilemma. Moshe, feeling perplexed and somewhat defeated, contemplates relinquishing his leadership role. In response, Hashem instructs him to gather 70 elders who will assist in guiding the people during their journey.
What is the underlying meaning behind these events? Why does Moshe seemingly give up on the people? Does he fail to comprehend their hunger? And what causes the sudden dissatisfaction with the manna they had been receiving?
The Sfas Emes1 offers a profound explanation for the events that unfolded. Until this point, Moshe and Bnei Yisrael had been together at Har Sinai, reaching extraordinary heights of spirituality. However, the time had come for them to transition and journey towards the Land of Israel. This shift required them to descend from their spiritual peak and re-engage with the earthly realm. This posed a risk: they might become consumed by materialism, potentially forgetting the spiritual energy they had accumulated.
As soon as they began preparing to leave, their thoughts turned to longing for better food than the mann that they had been consuming. This natural inclination arose from the aftermath of coming down from their spiritual elevation. The Malbim elaborates on the two facets of the mann: its physical and spiritual aspects. Physically, it served as nourishment for their bodies. However, its source was spiritual, encapsulating the potential to grant individuals ruach hakodesh, the gift of prophecy. If a person possessed spiritual readiness and consumed this food, they would ascend to greater spiritual heights. However, for those lacking spiritual sensitivity, it would merely be ordinary sustenance. The people's complaint stemmed from their desire for variety, yearning for other types of food like meat. The people quickly spiraled down to a level that was heretofore only seen in Mitzrayim. As the Pasuk says, that when Moshe relayed the news of their redemption from Mitzrayim, they were unable to listen due to their lack of Ruach2 - they were in a place devoid of spirituality.
However, as Rabbi Sacks writes3 "If you want to improve people's spiritual state, first improve their physical state." Moshe believed that he could only lead a people who were on the same spiritual level as him. He no longer resided on the same plane as his flock. The notion of descending in spirituality to guide the people as they sought to integrate the physical realm into their lives was inconceivable to him.
Therefore, Hashem instructed him to gather 70 elders who would share the leadership responsibility. These 70 individuals represented the diverse ways to understand the Torah and paralleled the 70 nations the Bnei Yisrael would encounter during their wanderings.
As they moved beyond Har Sinai, a new form of leadership was necessary. The completely spiritual leadership of Moshe was no longer sufficient. They now faced the challenge of balancing their physical desires with their spiritual needs, striving for harmony between the two aspects of their existence.
Rav Yehuda Amital taught4 that in the Parashah, the words "Ruach" (spirit) and "Basar" (flesh) are mentioned 10 times each. This repetition is meant to convey an important lesson: the most effective way to address the problem of materialism, which led to the complaints of the Bnei Yisrael, is to foster an equal and positive environment rooted in spirituality. By doing so, the problem will naturally diminish.
Rav Kook emphasizes5 the need to give equal importance to our spiritual and physical well-being. He points out that we have often prioritized spiritual matters at the expense of our physical health. However, he argues that we require a healthy body just as much as a nurtured spirit. According to this holistic perspective, the body and spirit are deeply interconnected. True repentance and spiritual growth can only be achieved when we care for our physical selves by maintaining good health, blood circulation, and strong muscles. Our physical well-being reflects the sanctity of our bodies, and through it, our weakened spirit can be revitalized. These teachings encourage us to embrace both the spiritual and physical dimensions of life, recognizing that faith should permeate not only our spiritual pursuits but also our tangible experiences in the physical world.
Other religions believe that holiness can be achieved only through the denial of material pleasures, since in their mind physical indulgence is an obstacle to spirituality. It's something that lowers a person and is at best a concession to the base, weaker drives of mankind.
However, this is not the Jewish perspective on holiness. In Judaism, everything holy is intricately connected to the physical realm; it cannot exist without it. Hashem does not desire for us to disconnect ourselves from His world.
Our challenge is to infuse holiness into our engagement with the world, utilizing it in the appropriate manner. The spiritual quality of an action is defined by our intentions and purpose. This was the underlying goal when we journeyed from Sinai to the Holy Land—to bridge the gap between the spiritual and the physical. However, it often feels like walking on a tightrope, delicately maintaining balance.6
As we begin our wandering from Sinai to the Holy Land and beyond, it is crucial to understand our nature as human beings. We are both spiritual and physical beings. However, we must strive to maintain a balance between the spiritual and the physical aspects of our lives. Materialism and spirituality are not opposing forces but rather two sides of the same coin. They are complementary to each other, both seeking to achieve the common goal of acting in a balanced way to bring about Tikkun, the repair and harmony of our existence.
Yechezkel7 prophesied about the time of Mashiach when a transformation will occur within us.
וְנָתַתִּ֤י לָכֶם֙ לֵ֣ב חָדָ֔שׁ וְר֥וּחַ חֲדָשָׁ֖ה אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם וַהֲסִ֨רֹתִ֜י אֶת־לֵ֤ב הָאֶ֙בֶן֙ מִבְּשַׂרְכֶ֔ם וְנָתַתִּ֥י לָכֶ֖ם לֵ֥ב בָּשָֽׂר׃
And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit into you: I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh;
וְאֶת־רוּחִ֖י אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֗יתִי אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־בְּחֻקַּי֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ וּמִשְׁפָּטַ֥י תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶֽם׃
and I will put My spirit into you. Thus I will cause you to follow My laws and faithfully to observe My rules.
The Malbim8 explains that until the Geula our hearts are compared to stone. This stony heart inclines us towards sin and evil desires, resisting moral teachings and reproach. However, the prophecy promises a change.
These new hearts will incline solely towards goodness and cultivate a reverence and love for the divine. The focus is on a spiritual transformation, shifting from a state of sinfulness and resistance to one of receptivity and righteousness.
The ultimate goal is to regain a balanced state, where both the spiritual (Ruach) and the physical (Basar) harmoniously coexist, enabling us to properly observe the Torah.
May we merit the arrival of that great and harmonious day.
Behaaloscha
Shemos 6:9 - וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה כֵּ֖ן אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָ֖ה קָשָֽׁה׃
Shmona Kvatzim 3;273 , Orot: Orot M’Ofel, Orot HaTechiya 33
As we see in Shelach, with the Meraglim.
Yechezkel 36:26
ibid.