LESS MAKES MORE
In this week’s Parsha, Bo, we became a people. Not a regular people, but specifically the people of HaShem. This happened through the command HaShem gave us and our fulfilling that command. There were two mitzvos in that command. The first mitzvah was to prepare and offer the Pesach offering to be eaten on the night of the 15th of Nissan. The second mitzvah was to circumcise every male in our nation. If, for whatever reason, they were not circumcised they were not able to participate in the first mitzvah. In fact, if one’s child or slave was not circumcised the father/owner could not participate in the Pesach offering either.
What is the significance of the Bris-Milah that it forms the cornerstone of our becoming the People of HaShem?
When considering the title of “The People of HaShem” it is somewhat of an oxymoron. If we are a people, then how do we become something Godly? People, by definition, are human creatures. How does a creation become associated with its Creator?
Everything in the physical world is nothing more than physical material, nothing more. There is one exception; the human being. Man was blessed with a soul that transcends the physical world, it comes from the spiritual world. However, in this world, that soul is trapped in the material body and cannot express its real self. There is, however, a mechanism by which Man can give his soul expression. This mechanism is by converting himself from chomer to tzura.
The chomer / tzura relationship we addressed a few weeks ago was illustrated with a block of wood that has no shape other than a perfect cube. This is pure chomer, a base physical material. When the sculpture chisels away a little wood here and a little wood there he adds tzura, he adds form to the block and has converted this chomer to tzura. It is no longer defined as a block of wood. It is defined as a wooden elephant. The elephant is the tzura. It is interesting to note that while adding tzura elevates the status from an nondescript wood to an elephant, it nevertheless requires diminishing the chomer, by chiseling away some of the wood. The only way to give form to the base material is by chipping away at the chomer. The key to creating tzura is by cutting out parts of the chomer.
In order to create the possibility for Man to elevate himself, HaShem created him with extra chomer. So long as he identifies himself as nothing higher, there is no need to remove or to chip away at that chomer. However, when HaShem chose the Children of Israel to be for Him, to be His nation, to be the people who will carry His torch by which to illuminate the world, He needed that they should elevate themselves from chomer to tzura.
It is for the reason of elevating ourselves from base material beings to becoming the people chosen by HaShem, that we are commanded to circumcise our bodies. By chipping away at our chomer we become the greatest sculptures. While Michelangelo could turn a stone into a person with a chisel and a hammer, we are able to turn a human being from a base material creature into a Godly image!
It is no wonder that on the cusp of our becoming the people designated to hold HaShem’s torch to light the world, that HaShem required that no Jew be left behind. Absolutely every Jew had to be circumcised before we could embark on our historic journey.
Have a very safe and very wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind