Tazria- Metzora- The Heart knows...
For Year 2 of Parsha Lesson, I will be focusing on one practical middah, character trait, to think about in the week ahead and steps we can take to attain it.
Background
At the end of last week’s Parsha, Shemini, the Torah taught us the laws as to which animals are kosher (fit to be eaten) and which are not kosher. Much of this week’s Parsha deals with the laws of which people are impure, how do they become purified,etc.
The Medrash explains that the Torah teaches us the laws of animals before the laws of people just like animals were created before people. The Maharal explains that just like in the creation of the world Hashem created animals before people, in order to make people humble (how can you be arrogant, an ant was created before you!), so too the Torah now finishes off the creation of animals (in teaching its laws) before that of people in order to encourage humility.
The Gemara in Sanhedrin (38a) gives another explanation as to why people were created after animals. The Gemara says that man was created last ‘in order that he should enter into the meal immediately.’ The Gemara explains with an analogy to a king who makes a feast and does all of his preparations and only afterward welcomes the guests in.
The commentators explain that since Man is the pinnacle of creation and the purpose for the existence of the entire universe, therefore it is most fitting and proper that the world should be created first in order that Man can enter into a made world.
Question
This explanation of the Gemara is not only a ‘different understanding,' rather, it would seem to completely negate the other explanation! If Man is arrogant, how would it help to tell him that an ant was created before him!? The arrogant person would merely respond- ‘but of course! Since I am SO great and the world was created for me, therefore everything was created before I came along!’
How is it possible for someone to be encouraged to humility by contemplating the fact that an ant was created before them- when there is also this other explanation that ‘since I am so great- THEREFORE everything was set and prepared before I came along!?’
Answer
Man is a composite of a G-d-like soul or essence, inextricably bound to a physical, animal-like body. The soul, nashama, of a person is capable of amazing nobility and greatness, while the animal-like body and spirit of a person is capable of tremendous evil and wickedness. The challenge is, who is going to rule: the G-d-like spirit of a person or the animal-like spirit of a person?
The G-d-like spirit of a person IS the pinnacle of creation! That aspect of the Human being is noble and great and worthy of creating the entire world on its behalf! However, the animalistic aspect of a person is not only not as great as the G-d-like part of the Human, it is in fact inferior to other animals.
What comes out is that this same thing, being created after animals, is BOTH reasons at the same time: the animallike aspect of the person was rightfully created in order of significance- last. However, the soul, or G-d-like part of the Human is SO noble and SO great that it is worthy to have the entire world created to serve it.
If Man will then contemplate that animals were created before him, and that he is quite insignificant in the animal kingdom, this will lead him to properly feel inferior, with respect to this aspect of a person’s essence which is currently in charge- the animallike part of the Human- and therefore take away the allure and control of his animalike spirit.
Lesson
We learn from here an amazing lesson- that a person, while still in the grips of their animalistic spirit and caught up in their arrogance can come around to the truth and from there to proper character traits. How does this happen?
As I learned with the girls in the Middle School Ethics class, R’ Yisroel Salanter says that the barometer of truth is ‘if one’s heart can bear testimony to the words coming out of one’s mouth.' What this means is that a person’s heart will ALWAYS be able to tell someone what the truth is.
There is a sense of truth within a person which will always know- regardless of how well one can fool others- what the absolute, real truth is. A person can justify as much as possible, convince everyone they come into contact with and be able to argue their case loudly and publicly- but that inner sense inside of them will know the score.
First Step
The first step to cultivating this inner sense and ‘barometer of truth’ is to challenge one’s self as to whether or not that that which one says or does is in fact true, and to then listen to that voice inside.
Just like people and particularly babies, become conditioned to stop trying to communicate when they realize no one is listening, that voice and sense of truth inside us quiets down as it is ignored and shunned. The key is to encourage that sense of truth by listening to it.
If a person can listen to that voice of truth inside of them even once, that will put a person more in touch with the truth and enable it to be more effective the next time.
Have a wonderful Shabbos!
Rabbi Eli Meir Kramer
