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Orchard of Delights Tetzaveh
interpreted favorably differs by stating that while the leaders actually Many commentaries point out that the unclothed male and female
did eat and drink, they only did so after experiencing the vision as cherubim over the ark represent Adam and Eve in their pristine state
a way of celebrating the experience and thanking God for such a of innocence before they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and
precious and uplifting gift. Both Onkelos and Ramban explain that Evil. Before they ate from the Tree, the Torah relates that “They
the verse needed to mention that God did not send His hand against were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed”
them to ensure the reader that even though they had experienced (Genesis 2:25). As soon as they ate the forbidden fruit, the Torah
such a powerful vision of God no harm came to them. comments that “then the eyes of both of them were opened and they
realized they were naked and they sewed together fig leaves and
Clearly, Rashi and the Midrash are biased against the leaders while
Onkelos and Ramban are biased in their favor. This fundamental they made for themselves garments” (Genesis 3:7). Their unashamed
insight guides their reading of this somewhat ambiguous incident. nakedness obviously represented a state of innocence while their new
However, the reason for these biases is unclear. A deeper understanding sense of shame and need for clothing symbolized their fall to a lower
of the interplay between the spiritual and the physical will help us state of consciousness. Indeed, a literal peshat understanding of the
understand the rationale underlying the two different approaches text, leaves the reader with no doubt that the first garments were
and the critical role that eating and drinking played. worn out of a sense of sinfulness and shame.
The relationship between the physical and the spiritual can Paradoxically, however, while Adam and Eve’s nakedness
be compared to that of matter and energy. Science has revealed represented a pristine state of innocence, it also attested to the
that beneath matter’s superficial outer form there is pure energy. fact that humanity was too immature to handle such a pristine
Similarly, when physicality is stripped of its external form, we find spiritual level. As various Midrashim attest, the snake symbolizes
an inner core brimming with spiritual potential. The physical and the unrectified aspect of sexuality and the ensuing tension that
the spiritual, like matter and energy, are two sides of the same coin, percolated beneath the surface of the protagonists’ minds in the
intrinsically bound together. Garden of Eden. Just like the vessels that could not contain the
primordial light, human consciousness – symbolized by nakedness
The ladder in Jacob’s dream that stretched from earth to heaven is – could not handle the subtle psychological undercurrent present
a powerful symbol of the importance in Judaism of uniting opposites. in the Garden of Eden. On the one hand, the exile from Eden is a
Not only are the physical and the spiritual complementary but, punishment for Adam and Eve’s misdeed, but, on the other hand, it
paradoxically, in Judaism, the more firmly the ladder is entrenched is an opportunity for humanity – which was not yet ready to exist
in the physicality of the earth, the higher we can climb towards on a higher spiritual level – to begin the long journey to healing and
heaven. This process can only be successful though if we focus on rectification. Indeed, the very seeds for rectifying matter are to be
the ultimate goal of piercing through the coarse shells and allusions found in the fallen state.
of physicality in order to extract and uplift the sparks of holiness
entrapped within material reality. Within this context, the clothes Adam and Eve wore are not just
the consequence of their sin and accompanying sense of shame, they
The Rebbe of Slonim explains that the process of transforming become a potent symbol and practical vehicle for a spiritually uplifting
the physical into the spiritual unfolds in two stages. We must first modesty: the physical body and all its potential for enslavement to
sever our servitude to our baser desires and our attachments to the baser desires is hidden, in order to reveal the soul within the body,
material attractions of the physical world. Only after doing so can the real essence of the individual.
we proceed to make proper use of the physical world around us,
converting materiality into opportunities for spiritual growth.
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