Timeless Torah

One of the earliest and without question the most common tactic employed is that of tying a knot. Even the Kabballistic work, the Zohar, commenting on this week’s Biblical portion, relates how the two sages, Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yossi, would tie knots in order to remember their Torah study.

Remembering who you are and your relationship with G-d should be easy. Surely every Jew realizes that his continued existence and well-being is dependent upon G-d. With this in mind, it seems incredible that anyone would ever sin. The Kabballists explain that our errant behavior is not because we don’t believe, but for that moment we become unaware of G-d. We simply forgot that we are constantly on “Candid Camera” and that G-d is watching.

In this week’s Torah portion, Moses asks G-d to reveal His full glory. G-d declares this to be impossible since, “Man cannot have a vision of My essence and still exist.” Nevertheless, the Almighty promised Moses a glimpse, so to speak. He did so by revealing Himself in disguise. Covered by a prayer shawl and phylacteries, He permitted Moses a view of the tefillin knot placed behind His head, which in Kabbalah is symbolic of the thirteen Divine attributes of mercy.

Coincidentally, both the tallis and tefillin which contain knots are worn, among other reasons, as an aid in remembering G-d, Torah, and all the other commandments.

In our own daily lives we must search for reminders. One cannot underestimate the importance of tying spiritual knots to recall our continuous relationship with G-d. Whether they are the daily ritual of donning a prayer shawl or a Kippah, saying a blessing, or the weekly reading of the Timeless Torah, /all of these can serve as thoughtful and incisive reminders that we must stay connected with the Cameraman upstairs.