The Tension of the Water Above and Below the Heavens

The Tension of the Water Above and Below the Heavens

Rav Adi Nussbaum

With the first appearance of water in the Torah, we find a strong hint to the tension and conflict that water is destined to bring to the world: "G-d said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate between water and water." (Bereishit 1:30) The firmament, which is a heavenly item that enters within the water and separates between those above and below, comes to allude partly to what the Ramban writes: "Just as there is distance between the firmament and the water that is on earth, there is also distance between the upper waters and the firmament - this teaches that they are suspended by His word," something that we call "tension in the air." It further alludes to the words of R. Chanina in the Midrash, who explains the lack of the phrase "that it is good" on the second day: "On it conflict was created ... If even about separation which is for the improvement and habitation of the world, it does not say, "it is good," dispute which makes the world turbulent - all the more so!"

Conflict and tension connected with water, which symbolize lack of peace and eternal movement, bring with them this state, in regards to both positive things and those that are not, as we see in our Parsha over and over. The lack of quiet, and the spiritual and physical quarrels related to water, accompany us in reading this parsha, openly and as an undercurrent.

The first tension that appears in the parsha is the tension between life and death, between purity and defilement. A live person who touches a corpse or is defiled in the tent of a corpse, encounters this tension. This spiritual tension bring defilement, that of tum'at met, and is removed through the ashes of the red cow that is mixed with mei nidah - fresh spring water, that will be sprinkled on the defiled person on the third and seventh day. If he does not do so, he will remain defiled, and will even defile the Mishkan of G-d when entering - "for the water of nidah was not sprinkled on him." (19:13)

"They shall take for the contaminated person some of the ashes of the burning of the purification [animal], and put upon it fresh [spring] water in a vessel." (19:13) "The water should be poured to the vessel first ... afterwards 'put upon it' - put the ashes into the water, but he should not leave the ashes floating on the water, but rather mix it in the water through stirring, so that the water is now above the ashes. (R. Shimshon R. Hirsch) This mixture of earth-ashes of the cow, which comes from destruction and death, with fresh spring water is the meeting of life and death. In one vessel opposing forces are mixed: ashes vs. water, death vs. life, and black vs. white. The water, in the end, will overcome and bring purification, but not to all.

R. Shlomo Ephraim b. R. Aharon, in his commentary Kli Yakar explains the resolution of this contradiction with the principle: "Something is elicited only by its opposite." The contrast, in particular, elicits response and arouses. Therefore, the opposing items sprinkled on the one who is defiled will arouse within him a response of purity. The ashes of the cow, which are entirely impure, and the water, which is entirely pure - are mixed together and sprinkled on the impure. He is not affected by the defiled ashes which are of his type, but rather he is inspired and influenced by the water that is opposite to him, which overcomes the impurity and he is purified. The opposite process occurs to a pure person who carries the water of sprinkling He is not affected by the pure water, which is of his kind, but rather by the ashes that are his opposite, and they defile him. However, despite all this, the water for the purification of the defiled is not enough by itself, because one needs to know the source of defilement - which is represented by the ashes. Therefore, this particular kind of defilement needs to be mixed with pure water.

This same water, later in the parsha, was lacking after the death of Miriam, who waited for Moshe at the water to see what will be of him, and in this merit earned the well of fresh water for Israel. (R. Bachya) She left after her death a great lack and thirst for water by the "congregation" (eidah). However, the argument was aroused by the "people" (am) - generally the part of Am Yisrael of lesser quality - who were lead to arguments and screaming: "The people quarreled with Moshe ... Why have you brought the congregation of Hashem to this wilderness to die there, we and our animals?" (20:3-4) The forces of the desert - "the desert of death," is elicited by the lack of fresh water and leads to quarrel; quarrel with Moshe, and, on a deeper lever, quarrel with G-d.

This nation, which quarreled in the past with Moshe on this same issue, upon leaving Egypt, and already tested G-d: "The people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moshe, and it said: Why is this that you have brought us up from Egypt to kill me and my children?" (Shemot 17:3) However, there we are dealing with a younger, less mature nation, with less experience; a blunt nation that left Egypt. Therefore, the solution is: "Strike the rock and water will come forth from it." Striking the rock with the staff will bring it to give water, something that can occur also naturally when a rock is split from a mighty strike and water is aroused to come out from the depths of the ground.

Forty years after leaving Egypt another miracle is required, to a new generation, more mature, "for it is not proper to hit with a stick only a young fool, but when he is old, a rebuke will land on one who understands." (Kli Yakar 20:8) This time the water needs to be higher, more spiritual. It should not come from breaking, hitting and force, but instead through talking, the ability that connects material and spiritual. It will connect between the upper and lower water that separated and were distanced, and this time the people would merit spiritual water - upper water. "Therefore, G-d command that the rock should turn into water, as it says, 'it should give its water' - i.e., that water should be from the rock - not drawn from some other source to it. This is possible only through turning the form of rock into the form of water ... and this nature has never done under any circumstance." (Sforno 20:8) The rock, which represents the most inanimate physical item - was destined through Moshe's speech to turn into fresh water that move, spiritual water. However, they did not merit all this, on account of striking the rock.

Israel's self-defense before Edom, and the promise, "We will not drink well-water" (Shemot 20:7), do not reduce the tension between Am Yisrael and Edom, and even their agreement to buy with cash, "If we drink your water ... I will give their cost" (20:19) - is of no avail, until "Israel turned away from him."

Towards the end of the parsha, the song of the water - "Then Israel sang this song," which replaces "Then Moshe sang" - is a result of maturity. Before, when leaving Egypt, Moshe did not leave them to sing alone, but rather like a child who says with his teacher. (Based on Yalkut Shimoni Chukat and Tanchuma.) When they were young they could not say song because even something for water - needs guidance. A child can thank, but will be drawn to thank on the material and small and temporary things, but does not know to appreciate and thank for the proper points. His inner tension between the pure and important and the impure and secondary - is great. In the child's mind different thoughts are mixed, forces of more importance with those less important, that don't have place here in thanking G-d. He still needs to be directed in the correct path, in a proper spiritual direction. This song needs to be clean and pure without taint. After maturing forty years, it is possible to say a new song of a new generation. This time it is a song clean and pure with much less tension and conflict. This time it is a live song, pure and clean like pure spring water - the pure upper water.

May we merit soon that stream of water issuing from the Holy of Holies and near it all kinds of fruit. (Sanhedrin 110a, based on Yechezkel 47:12) This alludes to the world to come that is full of spiritual force, which still has eating and drinking - spirit and body one beside the other.  

 

 

קוד השיעור: 3807

סרוק כדי להעלות את השיעור באתר:

(Translated by Rav Meir Orlian)

לשליחת שאלה או הארה בנוגע לשיעור:




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