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Sh'lah on the Torah |
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Parshat Toldot The following translation by Mr. Eliyahu Munk is an excerpt from the book Shney Luchot HaBrit -- the Sh'lah We read in Samuel 1 16, 12 that David is described as “Admoni im yafeh einayim v’tov ri’eeh”, “ruddy cheeked, bright-eyed and handsome.” The first person to be described as Admoni (ruddy) was Esau; it is therefore hardly a compliment to David to be similarly described. The essential difference is that whereas Esau was Ayin ra (evil eye), represented all that is negative associated with the eye, David was the reverse, and is therefore described as Yafeh Einayim (bright eyes). In David’s case the positive aspects of eyes are meant: the prophet therefore describes him as tov ri’eeh. Solomon, who says in Kohelet 10,8: that “he who breaches the fence will be bitten by a snake,” may have referred to David’s forbear Peretz, whom the Torah had described as “bursting out” (Genesis 38,29). The nachash (snake) referred to is the power of Esau. King Saul repaired the fence partially when he defeated Nachash, king of Ammon, who went to war against Israel as reported in Samuel 1 11, 1. David also accomplished a great deal in this area during his reign. In the future, as the Messiah, however, he will take revenge on the forces of Esau in the manner of a serpent, as we know from Isaiah 14,29: “For from the root of a snake there sprouts an asp.” We are told in the Zohar Parshat Vayishlach, Sullam edition page 16, that Jacob and Joseph jointly donated 70 years of their lives to David. The Zohar writes as follows: David, [though extant in concept] had not been allocated any life on earth at all. When Adam saw this he donated 70 years of his life to David. This is why he did not live to be the 1000 years he was entitled to, but died at 930. The first 1000 years of human life may be understood as a combination of the lives of Adam and David. Rabbi Shimon continued to expound on Psalms 21,5: “He asked You for life; You granted it; a long life everlasting.” The first part of the verse applies to King David who, when his soul was created and placed in Gan Eden, saw that no lifespan on earth had been allocated to him. As soon as Adam was created, he concluded that Adam’s life was the answer to his prayer. Rabbi Shimon added that each one of the patriarchs also donated a portion of their designated lifespans to David. Abraham contributed, so did Jacob, and so did Joseph. Isaac did not give up any part of his life on earth in favor of David. The reason is because David “was from his side,” Abraham donated five years of his life; he died at 175 instead of at 180 as he was meant to. Jacob, who was meant to live the same number of years as Abraham, i.e. 175, died at 147; he donated 28 years of his designated lifespan to David. This gives us 33 years that Abraham and Jacob contributed to David’s lifespan. Joseph was meant to live to the same age as his father, i.e. 147. However, he died at 110. The 37 years missing in his lifespan were given to David. Thus the patriarchs and Joseph together contributed 70 years to the lifespan of David. The reason that Isaac did not contribute was that Isaac was Choshech (darkness) [a term for the left side of the diagram of the emanations containing din (judgment), something discussed by the author on numerous occasions, Ed.], the same side that David stems from. Anyone who originates in that region is not entitled to light, i.e. life, at all. This is the reason that originally no lifespan had been allocated to David’s soul. The other patriarchs who had been granted life, provided “light”i.e. life for David’s soul. You may ask how it is that Joseph is included in the list of patriarchs, and even contributed more than the other patriarchs combined? The answer is that Joseph was the moral equal of all the other patriarchs combined, seeing that all our literature describes him as Yosef HaTzadik, Joseph the righteous. In that capacity he “illuminated the moon,” the symbol of all that is feminine, more than any of the others. This is why he could contribute more years of life to David than all the others. The allusion to this in our scriptures is found in Genesis l, 17; “G-d positioned them in the sky of the firmament to give light on earth.” Thus far the Zohar. We see from the above that both Jacob and Joseph repaired damage caused by the admoni (the ruddy one),” since both hated Esau. What our sages said about Adam giving 70 years of his life to David is also true. The whole point of granting life to David was to repair the damage done to G-d’s universe by Adam, without which a Messianic age and all its benefits to mankind would not be needed. Adam’s divine image, needed to be restored first and foremost through the constructive lives of the patriarchs. We explained all this in our commentary on Parshat Chayey Sarah (page 129). The 70 years Adam donated to David were “illuminated,” assumed a positive meaning through Jacob and Joseph having donated 70 years of their already meaningful lives. We have explained earlier that the “beauty” of Jacob was of the same quality as the beauty of Adam [before his sin, of course, Ed.]. Genesis 39,6 describes Joseph as: he had handsome features for he evidently inherited these from his father, seeing Joseph is viewed as his father’s replica. We have seen from Samuel 1 16 12 that David’s features are described in similar terms. Once the Messiah will arrive on earth, Adam will be rehabilitated completely, will be AD”M, the first letters respectively of the incarnations Adam Dovid Moshiach. |
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Ascent of Safed
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