Dixie Bit: The essence of Binyomin, Yosef, and Yehuda (Izhbitz and Beis Yaakov)

Dixie Bit: [short ideas taken from various sources or my thoughts - not as well formed or with clear citations as a proper blog post]

 

Who and what is Binyomin as a shevet and in his essence? The following is based on the Mei Hashiloach and Beis Yaakov of Izhbitz.

As I've posted before, the essence of Binyomin is the ability and proclivity to take the good from the nations of the world and the physical world generally and bring it into the Jewish people, and thereby, back to its source, Hashem. This is the avodah of "v'yinatzlu es Mitzrayim, and you shall empty out Egypt," mentioned in the last pasuk of the 2nd perek in this week's parsha (Shmos).

This is based on Yaakov's blessing, "Binyomin is a Wolf that tears" sparks of holiness from the nations of the world in order to bring them into the Jewish people. It is also based on the stone from the Ephod corresponding to shevet Binyomin, the "yashpeh" which the Izhbitzer says is a contraction of the words "yesh peh, there is to him a mouth" to consume the holiness that is trapped among the nations of the world to bring it back to the Jewish people.

Why is Binyomin consumed by the need to look for holiness outside the walls of the beis medresh in order to bring it back? Why is he not satisfied and calm, willing to look for holiness only where it is apparent? Why isn't he patient enough to wait for "b'ita, its time," the appointed time of redemption when Hashem Himself will bring back everything to its source and redeem those sparks of holiness Himself when He decides the time is ripe? Why must he insist on "achishena, I will hasten it?" Why must he reach into the mud to bring goodness back *now*?

The Izhbitzer's son, the Beis Yaakov, gives us the backstory.

The Beis Yaakov explains the differences between Yehuda, Yosef, and Binyomin. In short, their essences are the following (I'll note below some obvious questions about the following given other things we know about these players):

• Yehuda is the tzadik who recognizes that the whole purpose of life is the higher world. This world is transient and our avodah is to live purely for the higher world. He is patient and will wait for "b'ita, its [the redemption's] time." He has no need to live for or see the redemption of the holiness that he know intellectually exists in this world. So he is patient and doesn't see the rush to involve one's self in the physical world or the nations to redeem the holiness trapped there.

• Yosef expands on Yehuda's satisfaction with only involving one's self with things that are already outwardly spiritual. He stretches out Yehuda's interests by showing how there is value in being involved in the world, settling and improving it. Yosef takes care of every detail of running a country. He gives Yehuda the ability focus on those details of this otherwise insignificant world in Yehuda's own malchus.

• Binyomin takes this a step further. He is not satisfied with "b'ita," waiting until Hashem is good and ready to redeem the holiness within this world at the end of time. He has no patience for that. He demands redemption in the way of "achishena, I will hasten it." That is why he looks to the good points within the physical and within the nations of the world in order to take them away from their captivity there and bring it into the Jewish people, Hashem's bride, into Hashem's household. He must do this now, before the ultimate redemption.

This is why Yehuda was so distraught when he came to Yosef-viceroy at the beginning of Vayigash. He knew that his kingship had no staying power in this world without Yosef and Binyomin. Without a focus on the good/the value in this world, Yehuda would disappear as far as any existence in this world goes. Granted, he was part of the cause of the loss of Yosef, but sometimes "you don't know what you've got till it's gone."

Yehuda had already lost Yosef, which, together with his intent to focus on the higher world, gave him the ability to extend his upper-worldly life into this world. But at least he still had Binyomin. Now, though, Binyomin was about to suffer the same fate as Yosef. He was about to be swallowed up by the very impure world he was trying to redeem. Yehuda therefore guaranteed Binyomin's return to his father Yaakov. If he lost Binyomin, he would have no further reason to live in this world, so he guaranteed Binyomin's return with his own life.

And by doing so, Yehuda merited not only the ability to retain physical life by keeping Binyomin's influence in his life, but he also merited to regain Yosef's influence as well.

We can see from this how all types of Jews and darchei avodah across the spectrum (i) of living only for apparent holiness while rejecting any essential purpose in this world, on one hand, to (ii) intense involvement with the nations and the physical world, on the other hand are both needed. It is a symbiotic relationship whereby we are only complete as a people when we have both sides to do their respective jobs but also to keep the other side grounded and balanced.

I previously commented that Binyomin would be a great name for a Ger because such a person extracted his own soul from captivity among the nations. It's not a completely clean extraction though. There's junk that comes along into the Jewish people along with the holiness that had been there. Binyomin struggles to cleanse himself from that junk while still able to see the good in the world outside and trying to bring it up without being taken captive again by it. He must be anchored by the purity of Yehuda who'll save him from the brink when he's almost lost.

***

As I learn more, I don't yet know enough to fully get my head around these ideas or how they shtim with the fact that Yehuda is the son of Leah, the embodiment of the "alma d'iskasya, the hidden world." He should be the one to look for the hidden kedusha in this world, right? He's also malchus, the ability to bring all of the higher kochos all the way down into the details of this world. Isn't that the essence of malchus? Why does he need Yosef for that? Or is Yosef the reason why Yehuda can do it? But if so, what is malchus?

And Binyomin is a son of Rochel, the embodiment of the "alma d'isgalya, the revealed world." Shouldn't that mean he's the one who only deals with the world of revealed holiness, nigleh? Shouldn't he be the one with patience who doesn't need to see how the hidden holiness in the physical world will return to the world of holiness? He should be satisfied with the revealed holiness of the spiritual world and not so preoccupied with revealing that which is hidden.

Perhaps some of you can help me fit some more pieces of the puzzle together.

Videos of African American Ger Tzedek's Tena'im, Chasuna, & Mitzva Tantz in Williamsburg - Beautiful!



HT to A Simple Jew for this!

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Story of the Steipler, Tzadikim Knowing Things, and Potential Gerus

I saw this interesting quote from Y.Y. Rubinstein's new book That's Life, quoting a story from the Steipler Gaon that related to him "knowing things" that he couldn't naturally have known. The story also related to gerus in an interesting way. People who read my post on Tzadikim knowing our thoughts and actions (especially Snag!) will find this story particularly interesting. And those who remember our discussion on the difference between a Ger's soul before and after Gerus may be interested as well since the story discusses the difference between a Jewish and non-Jewish soul.

Very interesting story I once heard from Rav Baruch Rappaport, shlita, an example of the sort of thing that the Steipler “saw.”

Once, a bachur who had been learning in Bnei Brak came to the Steipler for a berachah. The young man had just become a chasan and he wanted his engagement blessed.

The Steipler looked at the young man and, instead of giving a berachah, told him to go and bring his rosh yeshivah. The boy was obviously distressed and shortly returned as requested. He was instructed to wait outside while the Steipler Gaon spoke to the rosh yeshivah.

The rosh yeshivah was astonished when the Steipler asked him, “Vi macht ir a shidduch mit a Yiddishe meidel and a goy? How do you come to sanction a match between a Jewish girl and a non-Jewish boy?”

The rosh yeshivah was dumbfounded. He protested that the boy was a Jew. He had personally known the boy’s parents in America for many years. They, like him, were very fine people. The boy was a talmid chacham possessed of good middos.

The Steipler was unimpressed and insisted that the young man was not Jewish. Inquiries were made, and indeed the Steipler was proved right. There had been a conversion that was in reality no conversion at all. The conversion occurred three generations before, through the maternal line. The parents were unaware of it, as was the bachur.

I never heard the conclusion of the story, but if he was as exceptional as his rosh yeshivah described, it would be easy to assume that an authentic conversion followed.
I did, however, hear of the question that the much surprised rosh yeshivah put to the Steipler Gaon after the truth had come out.

“How did you know?”

That was a very reasonable question indeed. The boy’s “genetic” makeup was overwhelmingly Jewish. He looked Jewish. He spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, and probably Yiddish, too. He learned well.

The Steipler was perplexed by the question and replied, “Er hot nicht gehat a neshamah! He had no neshamah.”

The word neshamah is usually translated as “soul.” That is not accurate. Every human being has a soul. A neshamah might be best translated as “super-soul.”

When I am teaching my students, I always draw an analogy with a truck. When the truck is empty, you will see one of the double sets of wheels at the back, raised off the road. When it is fully loaded, these extra wheels are lowered to help carry the heavy weights the truck has to transport.

Since Jews have an extra spiritual burden to carry - more mitzvos than non-Jews - they are given an extra spiritual component to bear it. That is a neshamah. The Steipler “saw” that the bachur who had come to seek a blessing did not have one.

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Even Your Private Successful Battles Make a Difference - Great Story

Shmuel, over at the Tikun! blog, has a great story told to him by the Giores wife in a young couple who ate by him Friday night. She grew up in a Catholic home in the Philipines. In her story, she told of seeing someone's private successful battle against the yetzer hara. The story's a big chizuk to us.

Key quote:

She couldn't believe it! To be sure, she turned around to see if he would maybe turn back after they had passed each other and sneak a peek, but as far as she could tell, he kept going on his way without stopping.

In a place where everyone is looking to satisfy their urges, could such a thing be possible? Who was that boy? Upon returning to her apartment, her roommate informed her that the boy she had seen on the street was a Jew. Until that point, she had never seen a Jew, didn't know what a Jew was or looked like, knew nothing about Jews at all.

Give it a read to read the whole story.

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Bleg: Looking For Insights to Help Understand This Difficult Torah on Gerim

A Simple Jew pointed out a couple of interesting Torahs relating to Gerim that he found in the second Chelek of Mei Hashiloach from the Izbitzer. I translated the first piece (below), but I'm not sure of how to explain it other than what it says on its face, which is fine. I'd settle for having my "ceiling" being the level of Tzadik, though the teaching is still somewhat disconcerting. The pshat may just be that not everything is bunnies and puppies and I just need to learn the truth for what it is. After this teaching, I wanted to point out another one which serves as an interesting counter-point. I'm interested to understand more deeply how the two pieces shtim.

Mei Hashiloach Beis, Parshas B'ha'alosecha, D"H "Vayomer al na ta'azov osanu"

This requires explanation. Moshe did not need Chovev (Yisro) to be his guide. And why did he tell him "You shall be eyes for us." The idea here is as the Gemara in Bava Basra 75a, which says "ואמר רבה א"ר יוחנן עתיד הקב"ה לעשות שבע חופות לכל צדיק וצדיק שנאמר (ישעיהו ד) וברא ה' על כל מכון הר ציון ועל מקראיה ענן יומם ועשן ונוגה אש להבה לילה כי על כל כבוד חופה מלמד שכל אחד ואחד עושה לו הקדוש ברוך הוא חופה לפי כבודו עשן בחופה למה אמר רבי חנינא שכל מי שעיניו צרות בתלמידי חכמים בעולם הזה מתמלאות עיניו עשן לעולם הבא ואש בחופה למה אמר רבי חנינא מלמד שכל אחד ואחד נכוה מחופתו של חבירו "

"Raba said in the name of Rav Yochanan, in the future, Hakadosh Baruch Hu will make seven chuppahs for each and every tzadik, as the pasuk says (Yeshaya 4:5 - "וּבָרָא ה עַל כָּל-מְכוֹן הַר-צִיּוֹן וְעַל-מִקְרָאֶהָ, עָנָן יוֹמָם וְעָשָׁן, וְנֹגַהּ אֵשׁ לֶהָבָה, לָיְלָה" 'And Hashem created on every dwelling place... because he dwells above every chuppah.'" This teaches that Hakadosh Baruch Hu makes a chuppah for every individual according to his kavod. Why does there have to be "smoke in the chuppah"? Rabi Chanina said that anyone who looks with suspicion at Talmidei Chachamim in this world will have his eyes full of smoke in the world to come. And why is there "fire in the chuppah"? Rabi Chanina says that this teaches that every individual will be burned by his friend's chuppah." And chuppah primarily means that which is written in the same pasuk that according to each person's kavod is his chuppah.

This means that each person will be honored according to what he acquired in this world and he will be honored by comparison to his friend who is lower than him. But even the lowest Jew will feel honored relative to the greatest of the Gerim. And therefore it must be there there should be Gerim in the world to complete the greatness and the kavod of Klal Yisroel to show them to their eyes that relative to the kavod of the Ezrach (born-Jew) and of the root of Yisroel, it is impossible for any creature, even after great avodah, who is not of the seed of Yisroel to attain that level of kavod. And even though, in truth, the Ger has done a great thing to enter under the wings of the Divine Presence, nevertheless, the Zohar says (Yisro 87a) "The convert is called 'righteous' (Ger Tzedek), but nothing more." And this is what Moshe meant when he told Yisro " And you shall be eyes for us." As the pasuk said in Yeshaya (66:21) And even from them (Gerim) I will take as Kohanim and as Levi'im." Meaning that even though Gerim may attain the level of "Avodah," they can never reach the root of Yisroel in the garment of Gerim, as the Zohar has already said (Saba Mishpatim 95b).

Then, the Mei Hahsiloach says in the last piece in Vayikra in the second chelek that just as a born-Jew, through is minus, i.e. longing against the ratzon Hashem, can distance himself from his root, so too, a Ger, even though he is not from the seed of Yisroel, can become planted in Yisroel through his desire and longing.

Looking at these two pieces together, is the Izbitzer saying that the default level of the Ger is lower than an "Ezrach" as he described in the piece in B'ha'alosecha, but that through great Tshuka, desire, the Ger can replant himself as part of "Zera Yisroel?" Or is that understanding belied by his statement that even after great avodah, the Ger cannot reach this level? Or is that statement referring only to a case where the Ger works in the bechina of avodah (alma d'bechira, l'umas alma d'yedia), but where he tries to reach the level of shoresh Yisroel through tshukah, then he can attain that level?

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Were Cham and Kena'an Not Actually Cursed With Avdus and Turning Shachor?

Apropos to Parshas Noach, This post by MaNishtana makes an interesting argument, going back to Gemara and Midrash, that Cham and Kena'an were not cursed with blackness, and therefore that Noach's curse of slavery pinned on them was not referring to the African race. I like his use of comparative psukim and Gemaras to ellucidate the meaning of uncommon and unusual words, though I simply don't have the time to do independent research into the issue right now.

While the author's (almost) use of curse words and his erroneous assumptions about Rashi and other Rishonim are offensive, he does have some very interesting arguments that I had not heard before.

Do any of my more knowledgable readers know if these arguments are legitimate? Shkoyach!

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