Harmony, Expulsion, Frustration - Parsha Naso - By Rabbi YY Jacobson

[Music] you [Music] good evening and welcome to all tonight's class is dedicated in honor of EDA Schottenstein by her husband the vid Schottenstein thank you so much they tell the story about a Jew who decided there's not enough spirituality in Judaism somehow the cholent the kögel and the kiddush and synagogue on Shabbos was not doing it for him so he travels to the Far East he decides to become a monk and he comes into the monastery and they tell him it's fine you could become a monk but it's years and years of training in addition to the fact that there's no talking for five years and every five years you can say only two words do you agree with these conditions and the Jew says I agree I'm in are you sure the monk who's there asks him I mean I know you're a Jewish person you're not gonna speak for five years and every five years you will only say two words I'm fine I'm in the juices okay great and his journey begins one year two years three years four years five years finally arrived and now he is granted the permission to say two words and he says two words food bad okay another five years pass he hasn't said a single word after five years passed the second set of five years he's granted once again the permission to say two words and his two words this time are mattress bad okay another five years pass and once again he has given the permission to say two words it's now been 15 years and the Jew turns to the chief monk and says two words I quit and the monk says good about time that you quit and the Jew says why good and he says well all you have been doing since you came here is complain that's it you have been doing nothing but complaining food bad mattress bad what do you expect it's about time that you're quitting this anecdote is an appropriate introduction I think to our discussion this evening where we will explore the respective forms of labor by three families of the Jewish people discussed in this week's portion in the portion of naso in the book of by Midler The Book of Numbers as you know Lavy Levi was the third son of the twelve sons of Jacob of Yaakov Aveeno lavey and his wife gave birth to four children one daughter your heaven and three sons the names of the three sons were Gershon Kohath and Merari yo Kevin is the famous mother who married Amram her nephew Amram was a son of Kohath and she mothered Aaron moysha Miriam Aaron who becomes the high priest of Israel Miriam the famous prophetess Miriam as well as Moses Moshe who becomes the great teacher and leader of the Jewish people the other three sons Gershon Kohath and Merari they became the fathers of the Levite family of the family of l'viyah and at the end of the portion of bemidji are and in the beginning of the portion of naso they are designated to carry the tabernacle the Michigan the sanctuary during the 40-year sojourn of the Jewish people in the Sinai desert from time to time they had to transport the sanctuary from one location to another location it was these three families Gershon Kohath and Merari the children of Lavy who were designated and responsible to carry the furniture and the items and the vessels of the sanctuary from one location to another location the family of co-hosts the caja sites they carried the holiest items of the tabernacle the Ark of the our own the candelabra the menorah the shoes on the table the two altars the two miss Baker's the copper altar and the golden altar and all of their utensils the family of Gershon the descendants of Gershon the gershonites they were given the job of carrying the coverings and the curtains of the tabernacle the third of the Levites families Murari they were responsible to carry the planks bars pillars and Sacketts of the tabernacle structure now here we find something interesting that the Midrash and of the commentators always sensitive to nuance in the biblical texts make sure we note at the end of Bamidbar when the Torah - when God tells Moses to take a census to count the members of the COS family and to charge them with the mission of carrying the most sacred items of the tabernacle the choice of words used is no so estrogenic AHA's take a census of the children of costs literally no so as rosh means elevate the head of the children of chaos which is a euphemism of counting them taking a census and designating them through this count for a particular labor which is a form of status of elevating their head elevating their status which is why you're counting them because they're designated for a special mission for a unique significant form of labor in the beginning of naso God tells Moses no so as Suresh Binet Gershon gam Haim take a census of Gershon as well just as you have done it to cos to at the Gershon and here again the choice of words is not so asteroids beggars and elevate the head of the children of Goshen as well just as you have done to the children of course later when the Torah discusses Murari the third Levite family the word not so as rosh is not to be found he just says the children of Merari ought to be counted and be designated to do this labor in the tabernacle they do not get these words Nasia suresh elevate the head although they're taking their counted there's a census taken of them and they also have a mission and carrying this Tabernacle why the difference now in the literature of a siddhis of Hasidism there is often the discussion of the fact that this whole experience of Gershon Kohath and Merari carrying different parts of the tabernacle is not just a historical story that occurred occurs thousands of years ago when the jews are carrying the tabernacle but it is reflected oh so in the heart and the soul of every individual the story of the Levites transporting the tabernacle is not only a story about a particular family thousands of years ago but it's also an individual story reflected in the microcosm within the psycheon in the heart of the Jewish P we can in other words make this story relevant and significant to our lives as well in the present day and age individually and collectively but in order to do this we have to delve deeper into the symbolism of these three families and the work they did in the tabernacle and as usual the symbolism is contained in their names because in Judaism the name orphan reflects a very powerful truth about the soul which carries this name let us then understand these three names Gershon Kohath and Merari or in their order the way they're discussed in this portion co-hosts Garin and Merari the way they're express expressed collectively in Jewish history and individually within each and every human being there are three stages in Jewish history and three dimensions in each of our lives Cohoes in Hebrew means harmony as the verse in parshas why you see the logic as Haman to him nations will gather and assemble Cohoes represents unity integration and harmony Garen in Hebrew its etymology as the word Girish Girish expelling to expel this is Gershon Murari the translation of Murari from the word Mar is frustration or bitter bitterness Jewish history is comprised primarily of three stages there was the time of chaos when all of the Jewish people in harmony were gathered together assemble together in one land in their homeland in one country living as one people in one land this is the time when the Jewish people entered into the land of Israel they had the sanctuary later built to be some the Holy Temple the epicenter of spirituality in the world where God's manifest present was conspicuous and we read well this is the time of co-hosts the Jewish people gathered together as one nation with one identity in one land then comes the stage of Gershon when they were expelled Gerrish when they were expelled from their land and sent into exile in that itself there is stage number three of Merari in exile itself when the jewish people were banished and expelled from their land they were then the times of special bitterness of unique frustration and savage suffering when the alienation of the jewish people whether psychologically emotionally and spiritually reached a peak when the jewish people often experienced tremendous bitterness and frustration as Jews in the lands that they were exiled to these three names these three prototypes exist also within the individual psyche within each of us in different people and within each person at different stages of his or her life every heart every soul essentially is a Michigan is a tabernacle as a sanctuary where God's presence can be found every person has a space in their identity called a neshama the nefesh a locus the soul where the godliness of God is manifestly present it's the part of the human being that mirrors and reflects godliness and there are three families who were designated to carry this sanctuary to carry this space where God's presence dwells the family of Cohoes the family of Garin the family of Merari three types of people three types of Jews which are carriers of this tabernacle the first type of jukka Haas represents the human being who succeeds in integrating all the facets of his or her personality into a cohesive and harmonious whole Cohoes as we said means to assemble together to integrate this is the remarkable individual who manages to transform all of his or her traits and characteristics into sacred items all of his or her limbs and organs into sacred utensils housing the presence of the divine reality so this is a person who experiences true wholesomeness unity oneness and harmony in his or her life this is the person therefore who carries the ark the candelabra the table the altars because this person's life has become saturated with their inner soulfulness with their most meaningful dimension which permeates the entire personality of this human being so there's total integration and peace in this person's life all of him or her has been transformed into the holiest items of the tabernacle and this is what he carries each day of his life or her life then there is the second type of jewel Gershon the name of the Levites family assigned to carry the coverings and the curtains of the holy Tabernacle Garrison personifies the human being who constantly needs to expel and drive away garish the immoral impulses sensations that intrude on his or her psyche this individual cannot define himself as harmonious and completes his job and life rather is to ensure that the sacred tabernacle existing within his heart remains protected and shielded from the many physical and emotional hazards that threatened to undermine it this is a person who needs to struggle and must fight to expel and banish thoughts habits instincts cravings appetites that threaten to undermine his tabernacle that threatened to destroy his or her soul that threatened to overtake his or her integrity purity goodness kindness and holiness this is a person who cannot claim that there is one calling of integration that permeates his life no he must fight he must expel he must stand guard and therefore what does he carry he carries the coverings and curtains of the tabernacle the coverings and the curtains were their protections of the tabernacle because that is his job he always makes sure that it's protected why does he have to protect it because there are many thoughts and cravings that want to intrude on his psyche on his purity on his soul and he must create the curtains and the veils and the partitions and the coverings to make sure that his sacredness his truthfulness his happiness his wholesomeness is protected and this is the second stage in Jewish history and it's the second dimension in the human psyche now we understand why by the children of cohosts the Torah uses the words Nasia Suresh elevate their heads by Gershon - Nasia storage manager Shin gamma Haim true Gershon is not on the same level like a Haas but yet even the children of Gershon know CS rajma negation gamma Haim elevate their head as well the level of Gershon is not the same level like a Haas co-host is the personal man to create complete harmony and peace Garen is the person whom still must struggle to expel because there is negativity there is darkness there is laziness there is apathy there is sluggishness there is melancholy there is guilt shame fear insecurity or other forms of negativity that threaten him and undermine him but he stands guard and he expels them and therefore he too receives those words no say yes Rajesh Khanna Gershon gam hain in Jewish history as well there is the status of the Jewish people when they were in their land cos when they were expelled and yet even on the level of Gershon there is the elevation of the soul and of the head expelling all negativity but then there is the third dimension represented by the name and the family of Murari Murari the name of the family which carried the pillars and the planks of the tabernacle personifies that individual who may not even be expelling the negative patterns inclinations and habits of his or her daily life there are times that this person may stumble and fail and cannot say that he or she is in the level of Gershon standing guard around the tabernacle carrying and holding on to its coverings and it's tents making sure that no negativity infiltrates into the holiness of this person but this human being is not apathetic to his lowly condition he is Murari Meyer he's frustrated by it he is perturbed by it he's disturbed by it he longs he yearns he pines for wholesomeness and redemption they once asked a Jew what's the difference between ignorance and apathy and the Jew answered he said to tell you the true I don't know and I don't care Murari is not in a state of apathy yes he may not be the COS person and he's not even the garrison person but he's frustrated by the status quo by his condition here by Murari the Torah does not use the words no say a suresh representing elevation inspiration exhilaration the jew represents costs the jew symbolized by the title of costs his or her life is characterized by osseous rush by a sense of fulfillment serenity elevation there is a charm and an exhilaration that accompanies his life filled by spiritual ecstasy by emotional bliss that comes from the harmony and integration and peace of mind and heart personified by colossus even the Gershon Jew the Torah says nah see yesterday's negation Gawain he may not be on the same level or status of cajas but gamma hane here there's also the sense of inspiration fulfillment and wholesomeness stemming from the fact that you know that you manage to expel on a daily basis all of the darkness that threatens to undermine the integrity and holiness of the human spirit but the Murari Jew doesn't have that sense of no seus race he doesn't have that sense of inspiration and exaltedness of elevating his head because the Murari Jew may not always expel all of the darkness of his life the Murari Jew is a person who often has to deal with various demons or ghosts or skeletons or negative qualities or addictions or habits or a sense of laziness and sluggishness guilt and security shame and other forms of negativity that it can undermine him and make their way into his psyche but yet he is frustrated by it comes the tauren tells us one may think that a human being in this state is not one of the carriers of the divine the Jews in a state of Merari is not really caring and transporting the Mishkan the place that houses the divine presence after all he seems so distant from the spiritual sacredness of his or her soul but in truth it's this frustrated human being who carries the very foundations of the divine Tabernacle the very pillars they're very planks the very bars and the very sockets of the divine structure are being carried by this person because the beginning of all healing and the foundation of all growth and the core of all change is the feeling of frustration and yearning is the discontentment with the status quo the disappointment and lack of contentment with one's present condition is what propels a person to discover and explore new horizons in life if you're truly frustrated by your present situation if you're in a state of Merari you're in a place far better than you can imagine now get on with the journey in stride one of the great Hasidic master said I guess when I Eden is qu v Law the sigh of a Jew is a very very high level of repentance they're very sigh they're very discontentment and the humility that comes with that should not cause you to think that although there's no naseous Rajesh there's no glamour there's no sense of fulfillment ah I'm such a great person I'm such a good person I'm a casa Jew I'm a Garinger the Murari Jew doesn't feel that but because he doesn't feel that notwithstanding the fact that he doesn't feel and sometimes because he doesn't feel it the very foundations of God's structure are being carried by the Jew called Murari the Madras Robin when explaining the contrast between Gary and costs and Murari and you have it in your curriculum right below the video the madras raba in not a passive of Pisgah Dalit says and I quote be been a colossal negation never behind SCS race shackle a clamor could his borough who covered the co-host buffer quite her errand allegation of salah/prayer the family of Carson Gatien God gives special honor and he says naseous rajesh elevate their head why cos it was because of the respect of the ark it's what they carried they carried the holy art garrison because he was the oldest Garin was the first the oldest son of LaVey Ifill been a mere Irish annoy how you will have been a partial Vytas my son like hi Alex Russian Mowbray shienbaum would invite on him whenever BAM Nasir Suresh Murari lacked both the children of Murari would burn a portion they were the children of a simple member of the Levite family not of the Prairie not of the oldest on the other hand what was their labor they didn't carry the ark like AHA's they carried the pillars the planks the sockets the bars so themselves they were not the oldest like Gershon what they did they weren't dealing with the holy ark they were dealing with the pillars and planks and therefore by them it doesn't say no Co Suresh this represents the story of Murari psychologically and spiritually as well he's not the oldest he's not the butler he doesn't have that superiority that sense of exaltedness and what is he carrying he's not dealing with the Holy Ark not even with the tents he's dealing with the barren planks and bars and so forth and he's been a portions he's the child of the portrait of the simple one and yet on a deeper level it's he who is carrying the very foundational structures of the tabernacle it's that sense of yearning and frustration I want to get out of here I am disappointed that carries within itself the deepest sparks and the deepest hope for healing and redemption sometimes you're not in a state of spirituality where you can claim that there is complete integration not even a state where you know that you have banished and expelled everything negative about your life but if there's a sense of yearning of Samba lekanoff see if there's a frustration remember that you're carrying the foundations the fundamental aspects of the divine tabernacle and now you can grow step to step from irori to guaran and then from garrison to Cohoes they tell a story about the holy baal shem tov a jew once came to rabbi you saw baal shem tov the founder of the Hasidic movement and says I hear you're a great sound Akira righteous man and I'm looking to be able to experience tremendous spiritual Heights I want to have Gillooly Yahoo which is the term I want to be able to see Elijah the Prophet the Baal Shem Tov looks at him and says you think you just come here and you merit the revelation of Elijah the Prophet go home work on yourself it's up to you excavate your soul discipline yourself challenge yourself refine your qualities you characteristics your traits and then you may merit some great spiritual revelations and then come back here don't come back here for 10 years till you finish working on yourself and the man says ok and he leaves the chamber of the pontiff in ecozone and for 10 years he challenges himself to his core he disciplines himself and mortifies his body and works on his character and on his faculties and on his personality and tries to grow higher and higher in his service of God in his prayer in his self refinement and sense of transcendence but doesn't it feel that he really got anywhere certainly did not see a large of the Prophet and after 10 years he comes to the baal shem tov but this time he's a very different person he's broken frustrated he comes in he says Arriba ten years down the drain ten years hard labor in vain I achieved nothing I worked and worked and worked Elijah the Prophet I never saw godliness I did not experience I'll skip path it was all waste it was all in vain I achieved nothing I acquired nothing the Baal Shem Tov looked at him and said don't say you acquired nothing you acquired something very great and very deep maybe the greatest of all you acquired another you became a humble human beings have a good night [Music]