Wednesday, March 19, 2008

צלם #7 Zehira and Shichecha

Here is my answer to Matt and Marshall

The key issue I would like to point out is the factor of Shichecha- regressing into the ego stance of our animal psyche. The key problem of this is clear from Chazal.
The Rabbis have said: It is forbidden for someone to benefit from this world without a bracha. And all those who benefit from the world without a bracha, is moel (misappropriating possessions of the Beit Hamikdash).
What is being said by the metaphor of missappropriating from the Beit Hamikdash? The essential idea is that our animal psyche views its existence as intrinsically valuable and necessary. In reality, as created beings, this is not the case. It is so easy to "forget" (Shichecha) our existence has a lowly, though very real, place in the system of creation as assigned to it by Chochmas Hashem. As such the definition of food that Marshall suggests, that which removes hunger, is open to deep misinterpretation. In the absence of focus on our place in the system of Creation through Beracha, we will distort food and ourselves. This is because we will view eating as significant in maintaining our existence per se. This elevates our existence beyond its proper place as being significant only as a relatively small part of the Creation system, not per se as our psyche wishes. As such it is like misappropriating from the Mikdash. The Mikdash property, representing the governance of all Creation by Chochmas Hashem, should be used to grow in understanding of Chochmas Hashem in Creation, not be lowered to being the instrument of our individual or species self aggrandizement.

The metaphor of Beit Hamikdash is also used to show the compartmentalization that is the common error for man. This compartmentalization recognizes Malchus Shamayim only in formal environs such as the Beit Hamikdash (shul, school, etc.) and excuses the shichecha outside of these places (our “zone of privacy”).

In this sense Matt, practical wisdom is knowledge, but a knowledge of a qualitatively different kind. Knowledge that is useful for human existence only is intrinsically limited, it does not point to the yesod hayesodot directly. Indeed it lends itself to the constant danger of Shichecha, precisely because it does not relate to a Chochma maintaining the existence of the Creation system but rather the aretz ecosystem only. Chochma isn't that which sustains man in his environment. It is that which sustains the entirety of the Creation system that man is part of.As such it requires constant reframing to remind (Zechira) us of this reality- Blessed are you God our lord king of the Universe...

This is the point of the following quote:
Rabbi Levi shows a contradiction, it is written: “to G is the earth and all that is in it” and is it not also written “the heavens are to G and the earth is given to the sons of man.”?! This is not a difficulty, here (the first quote) is before bracha and here (the second quote) is after bracha.

8 comments:

Matt said...

Rabbi Sacks,

Wow.

That's all I can think of right now. I think some of the ideas you've been talking about for a while finally hit me in this post. I may have some questions after I rebound from the recoil, but things are definitely clearer than they were.

Thank you for explaining everything.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said...

I'm really glad Matt. As Plato puts it we have gone the first leg, "going to the principles". Now we are starting "back again" seeing their application in familiar things like Brachos.

Matt said...

Rabbi Sacks,

What does R' Levi when he says that the statement "the earth is given to the sons of man" refers to after the berachah?

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said...
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Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said...

MattRabbi Levi shows a contradiction, it is written: “to G is the earth and all that is in it” and is it not also written ?! This is not a difficulty, here (the first quote) is before bracha and here (the second quote) is after bracha.

The second statement “the heavens are to G and the earth is given to the sons of man.” is interesting. It seems to imply that the "Heavens" belong to G in a more substantial way than Earth does. Isn't the entire Creation equally Gods?

In terms of needing G, the entire Creation is equally unable to exist without Him it is true. But in the sense of being a medium of Chochma- not every part of Creation is equal. Those parts that make His Chochma discernable are more worthy of being "His possesion". In kiddush Hashem this is the pasuk "He said you are my servant, Israel through whom I am Glorified".

In this framework of being a superior or inferior medium of Chochma, the heavens are Gods and the Earth is given to Man. The Chochma guiding man on aretz is a n inferior form than that of the creation system generally. We are moved by an immature, incomplete Chochma at the best of times.
This reality of human limitation or "shame" is the source of yiras hashem. We cannot completely get past this problem. Every insight we have reveals our ignorance and shame more clearly. Our eating therefore will never be a true expression of knowledge-we dont have a complete enough knowledge by definition. So what do we do? We recognize our limitation through the matir of beracha. The beracha points to the general knowledge that we do in fact have,Baruch ata Hashem Elokaynu Melech haolom. But it is a formula, an incompletely understood formula as indicated by the Shem ha-shem which is incompletely understood.

The Earth is potentially ours-haaretz natan livnei adam- if we acknowledge our incomplete knowledge through the matir of beracha. Before this the Earth is still part of Shamayim va-aretz,not yet recognized as the platform for incomplete knowledge. This is the state of "la-hashemn haaretz umeloa."
Once we formulate the reality through beracha, we create a new framework for ourselves, the olam hazeh framework. The olam hazeh is the bridge to olam haba. But we are not involved in yishuv olam hazeh unless we actively designate ourselves as doing so as Rambam says davar katan is the great good by which we cultivate olam hazeh,to attain olam haba. Our eating will not be yishuv without the instrument of beracha. This incomplete yishuv knowledge is the reference of "vihaaretz natan livnei adam".If we use the tools of beracha to make our eating part of yishuv,then we can relate to the world made for humble men -bnei adam.

Matt said...

Rabbi Sacks,

I have some questions about your answer:

1) What is the "Olam ha'Zeh framework"?
2) What is "yishuv Olam ha'Zeh"?
3) How, exactly, does berachah change our eating? I understand that berachah reminds us of our incomplete knowledge of malchus Hashem, but how does that affect our eating?
4) I still don't understand the metaphor of "vihaaretz natan livnei adam". In what sense does the world become ours?

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said...

Nice questioning Matt. I think we will make this the topic of Chabura this week and we will try to put it on the site next week.