The portion of Mishpatim begins with the law of the Jewish slave: “If you buy a Jewish
bondsman, he will work [only] six years; in the seventh he will go free….”
Why did G-d decree that the Jewish slave should work no more and no less than six years? Why may the Jewish bondsman marry a Canaanite slavegirl? This is a heinous sin, [as it is written,] “he consorted with the daughter of an alien god.”
Furthermore, why is the law of the Jewish slave different from that of the Jewish handmaiden? Our sages said that “a Jewish slave serves the [master’s] son but not his daughter, [while a Jewish handmaiden serves neither the master’s son nor his daughter].”
A Canaanite slave, we find, serves everyone [in the master’s household], as it is written, “And you shall pass them on to your children after you.” The Canaanite slave is only obligated to perform those mitzvot that [Jewish] women are obligated in. I.e., all passive (i.e., “negative”) commandments and those active commandments not required to be done at specific times.
Although the Canaanite slave is a non-Jew, his acquisition by a Jew is a semi-conversion of sorts, and he becomes thereby obligated in the performance of mitzvot to a certain degree. The mystical explanation of all this is as follows:
Every person possesses [at least] a soul [nefesh] from the world of Asiyah. Even if this soul is derived from a higher level of the world of Asiyah, it is still no more than a nefesh. This soul is called “the nefesh of Atzilut,” or “the Canaanite slave-girl.”
The five levels of the soul, in ascending order, are nefesh (active soul), ruach (emotional “wind” or “spirit”), neshamah (“breath” of life), chayah (“living being”), and yechidah (“unique one”). In general, these five levels are associated with the five worlds of Asiyah, Yetzirah, Beriah, Atzilut, and the keter of Atzilut, respectively.
Each of the five levels exists in each of these worlds. Thus, one can possess, in addition to the basic level of nefesh of Asiyah, a ruach of Asiyah, etc. But since these are all aspects of Asiyah, they are all considered, generally, on the level of nefesh. These “souls” or “levels of soul” are levels of consciousness of G-d and the relationship with G-d that results from this consciousness.
The world of Asiyah (“action”) is the world where action is paramount; everything is evaluated and conceived of in terms of action. A person whose G-d-consciousness (“soul”) is on this level relates to G-d in a very behaviorally-oriented, perhaps even perfunctory way. He has a nefesh, he is alive, but not much more than that. He is not emotionally and certainly not intellectually involved in his service of G-d. He serves G-d like a Canaanite slave-girl, perhaps not altogether against his will, but if it were up to him he’d rather be doing something else
From Apples from the Orchard
Why did G-d decree that the Jewish slave should work no more and no less than six years? Why may the Jewish bondsman marry a Canaanite slavegirl? This is a heinous sin, [as it is written,] “he consorted with the daughter of an alien god.”
Furthermore, why is the law of the Jewish slave different from that of the Jewish handmaiden? Our sages said that “a Jewish slave serves the [master’s] son but not his daughter, [while a Jewish handmaiden serves neither the master’s son nor his daughter].”
A Canaanite slave, we find, serves everyone [in the master’s household], as it is written, “And you shall pass them on to your children after you.” The Canaanite slave is only obligated to perform those mitzvot that [Jewish] women are obligated in. I.e., all passive (i.e., “negative”) commandments and those active commandments not required to be done at specific times.
Although the Canaanite slave is a non-Jew, his acquisition by a Jew is a semi-conversion of sorts, and he becomes thereby obligated in the performance of mitzvot to a certain degree. The mystical explanation of all this is as follows:
Every person possesses [at least] a soul [nefesh] from the world of Asiyah. Even if this soul is derived from a higher level of the world of Asiyah, it is still no more than a nefesh. This soul is called “the nefesh of Atzilut,” or “the Canaanite slave-girl.”
The five levels of the soul, in ascending order, are nefesh (active soul), ruach (emotional “wind” or “spirit”), neshamah (“breath” of life), chayah (“living being”), and yechidah (“unique one”). In general, these five levels are associated with the five worlds of Asiyah, Yetzirah, Beriah, Atzilut, and the keter of Atzilut, respectively.
Each of the five levels exists in each of these worlds. Thus, one can possess, in addition to the basic level of nefesh of Asiyah, a ruach of Asiyah, etc. But since these are all aspects of Asiyah, they are all considered, generally, on the level of nefesh. These “souls” or “levels of soul” are levels of consciousness of G-d and the relationship with G-d that results from this consciousness.
The world of Asiyah (“action”) is the world where action is paramount; everything is evaluated and conceived of in terms of action. A person whose G-d-consciousness (“soul”) is on this level relates to G-d in a very behaviorally-oriented, perhaps even perfunctory way. He has a nefesh, he is alive, but not much more than that. He is not emotionally and certainly not intellectually involved in his service of G-d. He serves G-d like a Canaanite slave-girl, perhaps not altogether against his will, but if it were up to him he’d rather be doing something else
From Apples from the Orchard
No comments:
Post a Comment