Parshat Emor – 2010
When someone gets an idea in an instant flash, with the twinkle of an eye he envisions how it will look in its completed form. When the knowledge of the idea is applied and finally implemented you have the finished product – the brainchild of that idea. Knowledge is called knowledge only when one “knows” Hashem, as it says in Likutey Moharan. This is the first stage of something developing, like an embryo before it becomes an infant, before it becomes a child, before it becomes an adolescent, before it becomes an adult. Before we reach the highest levels of our souls and our goals, before they are actualized – we have to have an idea.
When the Bnei Yisrael were slaves in Egypt their minds were wiped blank. They couldn’t think for themselves. So, when it was time to leave and they witnessed great miracles upon the exodus and they amassed great wealth too, there was something else that they took with them when they marched away from Egypt toward a new frontier. They took with them the freedom to think. Now they were able to experience the potential and soon the actual when they would enter their Land.
As we count the enumerations (sephirot) during the time period of leaving Egypt and then receiving the torah, we begin with the first stages of Chochmah and Binah – wisdom and understanding culminating in knowing – Da’at- the signals of a free mind. As the knowledge is processed and we proceed to count the days through the sephirot as we did then, new ideas come to mind about how to bring the next stages of history to full potential. (Note: These are the three highest sephirot and therefore they are not mentioned as we recite the daily counting but they must precede the other 7 lower ones in every instance.) The next rung of the sephirot- Chesed and Gevurah, a mix of loving kindness and restraint bring a level of harmony and beauty in Tiferet. The proper application of Netazch and Hod, overcoming obstacles but knowing that Hashem is right there pushing from behind leads us to Yesod- where thoughts are turned into actions, as represented by Yosef Hatzaddik (Josef the Righteous One) who turned all of his ideas into practical solutions on a pragmatic level.
G-d’s bounty extends from above and is channeled through the spheres through Yesod into the final sphere – Malchut. While no-one can ever know what one is thinking- a person’s thoughts are revealed through his speech in Malchut. “Malchut thus represents the culmination of the entire process of thought as well as the trigger for new thoughts, which could not have been called to mind had other thoughts not been expressed and heard.”– Rabbi Chaim Kramer. This is Emor- This is saying it- out loud- the pinnacle of all of the spheres. This is why your voice needs to be heard. It is not enough to have an idea anymore. In order to reestablish the Davidic Kingdom in Israel today it is a call of duty to speak out- EMOR for the Land of Israel.
Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith
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