MASTER SPINNERS
The Parsha tells us how “all the women whose hearts inspired them with wisdom spun the goat hairs.” The Torah associates the spinning of the goat’s hair into yarn with the women whose hearts were inspired with wisdom. It would seem that there is some unique connection between women and their wisdom to the art of spinning the hair into yarn. Why should this art be unique to women?
There is a remarkable phenomenon that takes place in the spinning process. Let us take, for example, a goat whose hair is four inches long. This means that there is no fiber on this goat that is longer than four inches. Nevertheless, through the spinning process you can end up with yarn that is hundreds of feet long. How does that occur, if no fiber exceeds four inches? The answer is that as one fiber spins, it catches the fiber behind it and the first and second fibers are now attached to each other. As one continues spinning the first and second fibers the third fiber behind the second fiber gets caught on the second fiber and the sequence continues until you have hundreds of feet of yarn.
This remarkable phenomenon finds its parallel in the continuity of our nation. No generation lives more than 100 years, and yet our people maintain a continuity of over 3,300 years since receiving the Torah! How does that occur?
When contrasting the human condition to the animal condition we find a distinct difference. Although Man is clearly the Master creature as we do control the world, nevertheless, Man is so weak and delicate for the first many years of his life. If a three year old child would be left alone, G.D forbid, his chances of survival would be low. There is no such parallel in the animal world. Why did HaShem make us so dependent?
Perhaps we were designed this way to allow for the continuity of society. The design HaShem used in planning Man was such that there is much bonding between the child and his mother during his most formative years. The bonding is used not only for nurturing the material needs of the child but it is used to nurture the emotional needs of the child. The emotional needs of Man are certainly greater than those of animals. Healthy strong emotions can take Man to heights of accomplishments that can actually help him transcend human limitations. So many great men have exceeded human limitations by the force of their strong emotions of commitment and bravery and courage. All these qualities develop through the bonding period that the child goes through with his parents and primarily his mother.
Once the child matures and becomes a mother herself she will bond with her child just as her mother bonded with her and she will transmit those beautiful strong qualities to her child and the process continues.
Behold! Although any given generation lives no more than 100 years the yarn that it generates continues endlessly.
Perhaps the reason why the Torah associates the art of spinning short fibers into endless feet of yarn with women and their wisdom is because they are the ones who know the art of spinning the society of Torah into an eternal continuity of history.
How grateful we must be to the mothers of our people.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind