BURNT BY THE SUN
This past Shabbos we read Shir HaShirim in which Shlomo Hamelech depicts the Jewish people as a beautiful woman whose husband sent her away. She finds herself alone among other women who look at her in her desolate state of exile. She tells these other women ‘Although I am blackened, I am truly beautiful. It is the exposure to the sun that blackened me. Once I will retreat into the shade my beauty will shine forth.’ This is King Solomon’s depiction of our depressed state in exile.
He demonstrates to us that there is a natural resilience to our purity. We need only to stay away from the sun, the source of bad influence, and we will return to our natural state of beauty. Where are the areas that expose us to the sun? From what should we take protection?
In this week’s Parsha, Shmini, the Torah teaches us many of the laws governing kosher and non-kosher food. The Parsha states if one eats from these animals u’nitamtem es nafshoseichem, and their soul will be blocked. This is clearly a blocking of spiritual energy. What is the nature of this blockage?
Every Jew has a neshama whose root is fastened in the spiritual world and ex-tends into the physical world into our heart. Since Man who is on the physical end is limited by physical limitations, he has little communication with his up-per roots. In spite of these physical barriers there are some great people who are able to gain influence from their spiritual roots. What are they doing that opens them up to be capable to receive influence from higher up? Perhaps the question could be reversed, what is it that we do that closes us up?
There are two planes of existence; the material physical world and the spiritual world. The difference between them compares to the difference between light and darkness. In a state of darkness one lacks awareness of something only inches away from him. In a state of light one has awareness of things that are miles away. The soul is a spiritual being and her perceptions are not bound by physical distance. Nevertheless, when she finds herself in the confines of this physical world she is limited in her perception.
Through Torah study and observance of mitzvos along with proper midos (fine character traits that include humility and gratitude) the neshama gains greater access to her natural perceptions in spite of her being confined in this material world. The reason for this is because by living a life that is driven by spiritual achievements she is given prominence and is able to shine.
With respect to the food we eat, the Torah is teaching us in this week’s Parsha that even when the neshama is given prominence the material we ingest affects our spiritual openness. When the Parsha states that eating non-kosher foods create blockage for our soul, the intent is this concern. Even when everything else is in perfect order and the soul’s path of connection with her roots is open, the ingestion of non-kosher food blocks that path.
In other writings of Shlomo Hamelech he uses the Sun as the metaphor for the ruler of the material world. Perhaps his message in Shir HaShirim is that the darkness of our skin color is a consequence of our exposure to the Sun. If we will only retreat from the influences of the material world and enter the shade, where the Sun’s influence is highly diminished we will regain our natural beauty.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind