Korach #5: Answers to The family Rosenthal

Dear Pinny and family,

I can almost taste the sweet nectar of Eretz Yisrael on your post materially and Nafshayically- אשריכם !

Rabbi Rosenthal asks about the room full of Seforim. In essence I suggest that Korach satisfied the urge for security of paradigm, released from the preoccupation with reality testing of the Zocher. The result of this false security was an impatience with the process of gradually exploring the distortions the psyche imposes upon its place in Creation. This impatiencetranslated into contempt for tzizit and the tendency of mitzvos generally to immerse man in the realia of his interaction with the material environment. Rather than recognizing the mussar value of applying the fundamental principles again and again in one life scenario after another Korach attributed the mussar aspect of Mitzvos to the arrogance of Moshe Rabbenu. Rather than recognize the gift of liberation from distortion Mitzvos provide, Korach accused Moshe of fearing competition. Notice the similarity to the chayt of Adam ha-Rishon and Chava.

In line with this mezuza is also a symptom of the same problem. A room full of seforim is also a room dedicated to the objective of mind, a holy purpose detached from old style Egyptian problems. Why should a modern culture dedicated to thought -a room full of seforim- have to preoccupy itself with  zechira tools like mezuza like ancient primitives who would ecstatically dance around a calf at the drop of a hat?

Rebbetzin Rosenthal asks what about women. The issue that drives paradigm security is success, specifically political recognition. Women, by virtue of attachment to their home and children, less attracted by the allure of political appointment. They tend to connect to this attainment more like Michelle Obama than like Hillary Clinton. The torah reinforces this tendency by culturally reinforcing this tendency through limiting women's involvement in the necessary evil of political office as well. We see this in the wise counsel of Devorah to Barack. As much as Devorah was superior to Brack, she insisted that he should lead, for the benefit of the social structure. As such, if the male culture is properly effected by the zechira tools, female culture will follow. It is only when male culture is beyond the pale that the voice of Devorah's is overwhelmed as we see in Breeshis. Zacha- ezer lo zacha kinegdo!

Pinny asks about the specific of tzizit as opposed to tefillin tefilla etc. The tzizit is the primary mazkir because its essence lies in reframing clothing. Tefillin etc are based upon the kedusha of the shem hashem embedded in them. They are in essence a shem and secondarily a reframed cultural object. This is one level more abstract than tzizit that is in essence a beged and only secondarily an indicator of the shem via the hint of tcheiles. As such tzizit has no kedusha, but is more powerful as a mazkir because it is more part of our material world.

Again enjoy your time together and Shabbat Shalom.