Embodied Manifestation
A thought on Parashas Balak
This essay is based on a fundamental idea which Rav Reuven Sasson teaches in the most recent volume of his magnificent B’or Panecha series.
He explains that the mikdash and its vessels were the physical manifestation of the spirituality of the Torah. Each part of the mikdash had to be designed very specifically in order to manifest this spiritually correctly. Similarly, the human body is a physical manifestation of the neshama. Each body is different as it needs to correspond to the unique detail of its neshama.
Bilaam was sent on a mission by Balak to curse the Jewish people and prevent them from taking over Moav. Each time Bilaam attempted to go about this missive, he was miraculously halted. The Torah says that Bilaam said the following:
נְאֻ֤ם בִּלְעָם֙ בְּנ֣וֹ בְעֹ֔ר וּנְאֻ֥ם הַגֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן׃
[These are the] Words of Bilaam son of Beor, [the] Word of the man whose eye is true.
Targum Onkelos explains the words שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן׃ to mean אֵמַר גַּבְרָא דְּשַׁפִּיר חָזֵי, that he sees well.
Why is Bilaam starting off his prophecy with a reference to his eyes?
The Gemara1 teaches that there are three partners in the creation of Man.
The father contributes the bones, the sinews, the nails, the brain that is in its head, and the white of the eye. The mother contributes the skin, the flesh, the hair, and the black of the eye. And Hashem inserts into him a ruach, a neshama , his countenance [ukelaster], eyesight, hearing of the ear, the capability of speech of the mouth, the capability of walking with the legs, understanding, and wisdom.
The Baal Shem Tov taught that man is capable of reaching very high levels of holiness, even prophecy. This is done by elevating oneself and their body and using it for kedusha. When one elevates their 5 senses, they are elevating the points of their neshama which correspond to these senses. They are now able to achieve higher levels of holiness. These are the same 5 senses which Hashem gives us with our creation.
Bilaam was the antithesis of this. He used all his senses for impurity, things which were degrading for his soul. He did not do anything to elevate his soul. He was the opposite of a Kadosh. Yet, Bilaam somehow attained the highest levels of prophecy. Rashi2 explains that Bilaam was the answer to the nations of the world who would have used an excuse for their sins by claiming that they did not have a Navi. Hashem gave them Bilaam, as a prophet who misappropriately opened them up to the worst kinds of immorality and perversity.
The Baal Shem Tov explained that it was so important that Bilaam be a prophet, therefore Hashem blinded him in one eye. With the blind eye, he was unable to sin and therefore able to reach the level of holiness needed to attain prophecy.
This explains Onkelos who explains שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן׃ to mean that he sees well. If not for his blindness, he would not have been able to prophesize. He saw more with his one blind eye than he would ever see with two regular eyes.
Hashem gave us a body to manifest our neshama and its holiness towards being productive and fruitful in this world. If we use our body in a way that is not elevating us, we are wasting its potential. Perhaps the Torah is teaching us to not be like Bilaam. Do not use your body for impurity. Use your body in an elevated way where you can connect to Hashem on a higher level. With this you can bring your unique ruchnius into this world in a more wholesome way.
Dedicated in memory of Mechael Zev ben Yaakov, Michael Pomeranz of Pomeranz Books who passed away this week.
Nidda 31
Bamidbar 22.5
Great thought, thanks for sharing