WOOD OR ELEPHANT?
As we begin the Book of Shemos in which our people are born, I would like to share an insight presented by the Maharal through which we can appreciate who we, as a people, and how we ought to perceive ourselves. The importance of our self perception goes beyond feeling proud of who we are. It impacts how we feel towards our fellow Jew and the responsibility it places on us.
Everything in this world can be defined in two ways; by its chomer or by its tzura. Chomer is the physical material from which it is made. Tzura is the form which it holds. Let us give two illustrations, the first a concrete the second abstract.
For the concrete illustration let us take a block of wood which has no tzura, form. The only way to define it is ‘a block of wood’. A sculpture then takes the wood and forms it into a magnificent elephant. When asked to define the same piece of wood the response will be a ‘wooden elephant’. Wood is now the adjective and elephant is the noun. Behold! The tzura redefines the object it is no longer defined by its chomer but by its tzura!
For the abstract illustration let us take a spoon that is being used to carry a few grains of salt. The spoon is the chomer and the salt is the purpose of the chomer, hence it is the tzura. Regarding the laws of Shabbos carrying a spoon on Shabbos constitutes a melacha. Carrying a few grains of salt does not constitute a melacha since it is an insignificant amount. If one were to carry our spoon with the few grains of salt on Shabbos it would not constitute a melacha, even though the spoon without the salt would be a melacha. The reason for this is that when the spoon is in the service of the salt, it becomes redefined by its purpose, namely the salt. Hence, it is not a melacha.
Whenever the chomer serves its own purpose it is defined by its chomer because there is no tzura. However, when the chomer serves a purpose other than itself it is defined by its tzura. The spoon is therefore no more significant than those few grains of salt which it carries. Behold! Even a spoon which is considered significant in its own right, nevertheless, when it is serving something insignificant it loses its significance.
The prophet Yishayahu tells his people in the name of HaShem “This nation I have formed for Myself (for My purposes) they shall relate My praises.”
Every nation in the world from the beginning of history onward served the needs of its people or the needs of its leaders. They served no other purpose. We, on the other hand, have only one purpose, to serve HaShem. While other nations proclaim “G.D bless our country”, we proclaim “Jewish People bless G.D” as we recite the Shema twice a day.
Given the Maharal’s insight we, who are the carrier of HaShem’s Presence in this world, are defined by that significance. There is no wonder why HaShem insists that we honor, that we love and that we care for every other Jew. It is HaShem Himself who we honor, love and care for!
So while the wood becomes an elephant and the spoon becomes a few grains of salt we have become the Peo-ple of the Torah and the People of her Author.
Have a very safe and very wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind