Timeless Torah

Madonna is doing it. Even more impressive, your unaffiliated, previously disinterested Jewish neighbor is doing it. We're talking of course about Kaballah, mysticism, the hidden secrets, old-age Judaism garbed in new-age terminology and the latest fad to capture the imagination of those seeking greater spirituality and inspiration.

Us Chassidim should have no qualms about embracing this new found excitement in the esoteric. Indeed, we are now celebrating the 300th anniversary since the birth of the Baal Shem Tov and his Chassidic teachings. That's three centuries of living and learning Jewish metaphysical theology.

So put on your seat belt, hang on tight and let us explore this week's Biblical portion according to the Book of Splendor, otherwise known to the novice as the Zohar.

The Torah relates that, "the Children of Israel were armed, 'Chamushim', when they went up from the Land of Egypt." Ras i, the classical commentator of the Bible, cites two distinct interpretations. The first is that the Jews were armed and the second is that only one fifth (Chamushim is etymologically related to the Hebrew word for five) of the former slaves merited to participate in the Exodus. Rashi's latter insight is actually based on the Midrashic teaching, "Four fifths of the Jewish people did not wish to be part of the redemptive process and perished during the plague of darkness."

Enter the Zohar who interprets Chamushim as one fiftieth. Does that mean that of every 50 slaves only one wanted freedom? This is where the Book of Splendor becomes cloudy. The Kaballah makes many statements. Unfortunately one who does not comprehend nor refer to the original Hebrew text and context of the passage is bound to misinterpret its mystical message.

What the Zohar is alluding to is a far more profound concept than the physical departure from bondage. The Exodus primarily constituted a spiritual liberation. The Jewish soul had been captured and thrown into the abyss of paganism. The Hebrew bondsmen had become immured to G-dliness and (according to Jewish mystical writings) sunk to the 49th level of impurity. One more drop, one more step downwards and they would have struck rock bottom, level number 50, the point of no return, where even the long hand of salvation could not reach.

It was because of this spiritual status or lack thereof that they subsequently counted 49 days and on the morning of the 50th received the Decaloge at Sinai. Each day represented an uphill battle, a tiny progressive move towards inner refinement. Each day they rose a mere 1/50th. And so it was even on the first day, "And the Children of Israel wnt up one fiftieth..."

Not much you might say. But who says Redemption is anything more than one small step in the right direction.