November | 2013 | Jewish Temperament

The forefathers are referred to as a merkavah, a chariot for G-d, meaning that every step they took was in complete accordance with G-d’s will. This was possible because their entire self was entirely dedicated to G-d. This, however, didn’t detract from their particular personalities, and it is for this reason that each of the forefathers represent a different spectrum of G-d’s attributes, directly corresponding to their own temperament.

What’s more, the Gemara states that all Jewish people possess three qualities: humility, empathy, and generosity. These qualities are inherited from the forefathers, with each one contributing a different quality. It turns out that each of the forefathers specifically contributed the quality that most represented their own temperament.

Yitzchak is famously cited in Chassidus as representing the left path — meaning the contractive path — of the sefirot, which include binah, gevurah, and hod. It is taught that the fact that Yitzchak resembled his father was miraculous, due to the vast difference in their respective personalities. In this way, Yitzchak was a Guardian, embodying such traits as logistical — organizing — intellect, a need for tradition and aversion to change, respecting and obeying authority unquestioningly, yet being amicable and social. The Torah doesn’t say much about Yitzchak, which is as much a testament to his humility than anything. Nevertheless, let’s see what we can find:

Logistical, organizing intellect: On the road with his father, unknowingly proceeding to his own slaughter, Yitzchak asks the simple question of, “Where is the sacrifice?” But notice his precise word usage and method, signifying his deductive and logistical reasoning: “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for slaughter?”
Later in life, Yitzchak is said to have reaped one hundred times what was expected. This may be a simple, or even exaggerated, statement, or it may be a testament to Yitzchak’s innate ability for accounting.
Yitzchak was also known to be careful about his properties and those of his father, so that he would argue over wells dug, and he went out of his way to re-dig his father’s wells that were clogged by the Plishtim.
As well, something that impressed Yitzchak about his son Eisav were his questions about the details of ma’aser, in which a tenth of one’s possessions is given to charity.
Yitzchak also scheduled a meeting with his son Eisav, offering to bless him only after he brought Yitzchak a meal. The timing was significant on the other side as well, as Yitzchak was trying to fit in the blessing before his anticipated passing.

Traditional and change averse: Yitzchak was not allowed to leave his birthplace as his father did, rather he had to stay put in his traditional setting. As with Avraham, although this was instructed to him by G-d, Yitzchak was obviously the one temperamentally suited for such an instruction.
Somewhat inexplicably, Yitzchak claimed about his wife that she was his sister, following directly in the footsteps of his father who had done the same.
Additionally, Yitzchak was only convinced of his wife’s worth when she displayed the same three miraculous abilities as his mother Sarah: her bread was unusually satiating, her lamp lasted for an entire week, and a cloud hovered above her home.

Respect and obedience: The most glaring example of this is when, after being told he was the intended sacrifice for slaughter, Yitzchak walked with his father with the exact same level of cooperation he had before.
In an effort to respect his father’s honor, Yitzchak re-dug wells of Avraham that the Plishtim had plugged.
Yitzchak also clearly valued respect, which easily explains why he loved his son Eisav, even in the face of his great wickedness. Eisav is cited in the Gemara as being the greatest historical model of respecting one’s father. No wonder Yitzchak valued him so.
Yitzchak’s blessing to Ya’akov was filled with a message of being a master over his brother, and demanding his obedience.

Social: We don’t find much in the way of Yitzchak’s social life, however we do see that he made allies with Avimelech in a peace pact. Along the way, Yitzchak displayed his hospitality, giving his guests a meal and a place to stay the night.

Ultimately, Yitzchak is a good representation of what we know as the Guardian, the contractive type, and it is therefore fitting that we inherit from him the limiting attribute of humility.

November 3, 2013

Personalities: Avraham

by Zalman

Avraham is famously cited in Chassidus as representing the right path — meaning the expansive path — of the sefirot, which include chochmah, chessed, and netzach. There is even a midrash that states that G-d’s attribute of chessed complained that it has nothing to do since Avraham entered the world. In this way, Avraham was an Artisan, embodying such traits as tactical intellect and creativity in action, generosity, impact, influence, spontaneity, audacity and boldness. Let’s take a look:

Tactical intellect and creativity in action: Avraham famously manipulated and strong-armed people into blessing G-d, by giving them meals and lodging in middle of the desert, and then charging them exorbitant prices for these services. For his guests, the only way out of paying was for them to bless G-d. To Avraham, the thought and emotion of the guest didn’t matter much, it was the action of blessing that was deemed important.
Another anecdote well expressing Avraham’s tactical intellect was when he taught his city about G-d… by destroying his father’s entire inventory of idols and fabricating an elaborate tale to prove his point. He claimed that the idols had begun fighting over who should receive an offering he had presented them. The largest idol, Avram claimed, had picked up a hammer and smashed the lot of them. His point? Idols cannot see, hear, speak, or think, much less protect their worshipper. The aftermath of this spectacle highlighted another aspect of Avraham’s expansive temperament, as we shall see.

Generosity: One need not search long for Avraham’s generosity. His home was famously open in each direction, to welcome in wayfarers. He would treat all with the utmost hospitality, no matter their origins or beliefs. The Torah recounts that he once slaughtered three choice calves to serve three guests whom he’d never met previously.
When Avraham heard that his estranged nephew Lot had been captured in an epic battle, he magnanimously set off to rescue him. Upon return from battle, Avraham declared that he would not take even a shoelace from the spoils, rather he would give them back to the captives.
Later in life, after the Torah testifies that “G-d had blessed Avraham with everything,” Avraham signed away every last of his possessions to his son, Yitzchak, to give him a better chance at marrying the right girl.

Impact and influence: Avraham was widely recognized in his time as a leader of the generation. This was in part due to his elaborate displays of faith, which included many miracles, as well as his talking to and convincing others, authoring and publishing books on monotheism, and more.
After Avraham’s miraculous salvation from a fiery furnace, he convinced an entire city of idolaters, the infamous Nimrod among them, to accept Hashem as the only true G-d.
When Avraham threw a party for his newborn son, Yitzchak, all the Kings, noblemen and leaders of the period were there to celebrate with him. When Avraham expressed his intent to purchase a field from a commoner, his people immediately promoted him to a position of honor.

Spontaneity: Virtually everything Avraham did was spontaneous. He destroyed his father’s idols, and as a result was thrown into a fiery furnace. Mind you, this was even before G-d had revealed Himself to Avram, promising to protect him. Avram up and left his house on a moment’s notice, even though he had no idea of the destination. He circumcised himself at ninety nine years of age. The Torah is specific in describing Avraham’s eagerness and hastiness in fulfilling G-d’s command — waking up early in the morning, and saddling his donkey — even if that meant slaughtering his own son.
Yes, many of these were at the behest of G-d. However, first of all, G-d didn’t specify that Avram act with haste and seeming spontaneity. And besides, the fact that G-d asked Avraham to do these things, and not someone else, emphasizes how temperamentally suited to these tasks Avraham was.

Audacity and boldness: Many of the points we mentioned already describe Avraham’s audacity. The fact that he was alone in his beliefs, completely against the prevalent tide. As a mere youth, he faced off against the most powerful person of his time, Nimrod, daring him to punish Avram for his “errant” beliefs. Avraham went to battle against four mighty armies with but a handful of servants, a tactical plan, and some sand.

In the end, Avraham is the most obvious representation of what we know as the Artisan, the expansive type, and it is therefore fitting that we inherit from him the wonderful attribute of generosity.

November 3, 2013

Temperaments: Rational

by Zalman

According to Chassidus, each of the four temperaments can be described entirely with a single overarching term, which for the Rational is abstraction. As such, when we dig deeper into the Rational’s personality, we discover that this specific term describes its every aspect. While each of the other three temperaments are described in Chassidus in three categories, the Rational is described with only one: Malchus.

The sefira of Malchus is in the center path, making its theme one of unification and truth. However, its unification method isn’t through harmony (as is the rest of the center path), rather through sovereignty: Malchus unifies opposites by looking beyond their differences. Malchus accomplishes this by existing in the beyond, or abstraction. We also see this in the fact that Malchus receives from all sefirot, considered to have nothing of its own to express. In other words, its entire existence is to examine, absorb, and re-express any information it encounters. On the other hand, we see, Malchus transforms from being a mere recipient, to being an all-powerful and unknowable creator. It is said to possess the power of the Creator Himself, and has a direct line to Kesser. This also emphasizes the tendency of Malchus to be abstract, beyond the world it is related to.

Being that Malchus comprises what it receives from the sefirot, it is considered to possess an entire path within itself. Thus, within Malchus are the three categories of intellect, personal disposition (i.e., with regard to oneself), and relational disposition (i.e., in the context of others). So, in short, if we were to categorize the Rational, we would find that his intellect, personal disposition, and relational disposition are all abstract.

The Rational’s intellect is abstract. Abstract intellect is the ability to examine a problem objectively, from all possible angles. Rationals will hardly ever approach a new idea from a preconceived perspective, nor will they involve their emotions or personal preference into the discussion. Because of this objectivity, Rationals would be the first to admit they were wrong, without any regret or animosity, if they were proven to be so. With their abstract intellect, Rationals embody the phrase of the Mishna: “Who is wise? He who sees what will become.” This is what Keirsey calls strategic intellect: constantly predicting, anticipating, and consequently engineering the results of their (and others’) actions. In this, Rationals strive toward efficiency: the most effective and immediate path toward the goal. Rationals are also not likely to believe something just because others believe so, or because they are instructed to; rather they are consistently skeptical and questioning. Rationals will likely only believe in those things that they can objectively prove to be true.

The Rational’s personal emotion is abstract. Generally, an abstract personal disposition doesn’t lend itself too well to strong emotions, which is why Rationals generally don’t display their emotions. The best way to describe the personality of the Rational is calm. Despite — and sometimes because of — what may be happening around them, Rationals will remain calm and resolute. If anything, Rationals will immediately go into problem-solving mode when faced with immediate tension or danger. And when they are questioned about past trauma or negative events, Rationals have a relativistic outlook: everything that happens to them is neither good nor bad, it just depends on what they make of it.

The Rational’s relational disposition is abstract. Rationals remain detached and aloof from other people and situations. Rationals are often seen as arrogant for this reason, and that is not an entirely inaccurate assessment. Rationals consistently believe their perspective is more correct than others, and will sometimes display open disdain for ideas — or even people — they perceive to be unintelligent. Similarly, Rationals desire to be autonomous: they eschew societal rules that seem arbitrary to them, and only live by those that have passed their scrutiny. Owing to this, Rationals do not automatically respect or bow to others just because of their seniority or rank. Rather, they will inspect others’ ideas and work before coming to respect them.

Malchus, Chassidus teaches, is closely related to, and even interchangeable with, Kesser. Kesser is known as being the power of will. This strongly applies to Rationals as well, who receive their self-confidence from their resolve: Rationals believe they can overcome any obstacle at all — even themselves — with the power of their resolve. Their worst fear is that their will power may weaken, and they will fail to carry out what they have resolved to do. Rationals will even develop phobias and irrational fears about things that are beyond their control, for example germs and filth; and of situations that they cannot control into which they put themselves, such as fear of heights or flying.

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The Rational in Judaism

Hero: Yosef Hatzadik

Symbol on the Merkavah: Eagle

Davening Meditation: The Rational is similar to the Idealist, in that they both effect fusion. The difference between their approaches, however, is great: the Idealist fuses two opposites together harmoniously, by emphasizing their mutual unique qualities. The Rational, on the other hand, fuses two opposites together by evoking a power greater than the both of them, thereby negating their differences. Similarly, in his meditation, the Rational attempts to grasp the perspective of G-d Himself, in which there is neither higher nor lower, neither physical nor spiritual; there is but G-d alone. The first step to grasping the absoluteness of G-d is to grasp the non-existence of creation. However, both are equally unattainable, save for a single fleeting moment reached in meditation, in which we can feel the power of G-d’s ultimate existence. It was during this meditation that the Alter Rebbe exclaimed, “I want nothing but You alone!”

Divine Purpose: The Rational is the voice of absolute and unwavering truth. It is the Rational who plumbs the depth and internal meaning of G-d, G-dliness, Torah, and mitzvot. Invariably, when listening to a Rational, one is struck by the truth of his approach, and cannot help but appreciate it as such. Rationals have a unique perspective on Yiddishkeit and our purpose in this world, and it behooves them to share their essential and existential ideas with others.

Learning Torah through sod: what is the essence of this piece of information. Rationals can find intrigue in many parts of Torah, including halacha, Gemara, and philosophy, but especially in the abstract (“haskalah“) parts of Chassidus. When learning halacha, the Rational will try to find the patterns and structure to halacha, and try to derive the essence of an halacha (or even better: multiple halachos) from its sources. Similarly, when learning Gemara, the Rational’s approach to resolving a sugya is to understand the essence of the idea he is learning. This includes those schools of thought that emphasize chakira, like R’ Chayim Brisker and his students. However, beware of false distinctions and erroneous applications; many people don’t recognize when they are misapplying a fine distinction, but the alert Rational will detect it immediately. Chassidus, however, is the Rational’s wonderland, as it affords them the opportunity to think entirely abstractly. The famous stories of great Chassidim becoming completely lost in thought for hours on end, to the point of not knowing where they are or where they were headed, is primarily a Rational trait. Rationals can spend months or even years on a single deep concept, constantly delving deeper and deeper in grasping its essence.

Vocation: A Rational’s career is his life, and chances are therefore good that the observant Rational’s life will become one of Torah. Generally, Rationals need to feel like they have a challenge, and they’re contributing to the knowledge or understanding of themselves and others. For this reason, Rationals are likely to publish their research and studies. Alternatively, Rationals may go into teaching, generally of older students who are capable of resolving deep philosophical concepts. This also includes teaching and consulting for adults and professionals.
Shlichus is a great place for a Rational to exercise his teaching skills. Without fail, constituents will be awed by the knowledge and keen depth the Rational brings to the Judaism he teaches. Additionally, Rationals serve as excellent leaders, with unmatched vision and strategy, to drive any organization or institution toward guaranteed success.
Rationals going into the general workforce — if they can’t enter as an executive — often find jobs in science, technology, or engineering. In today’s age, becoming a computer engineer or software developer is trivial for a Rational to master, even without going to school. It is common to find Rationals in these roles.
One thing to beware of: once a Rational feels like he has mastered a skill, including the ability to teach, he may lose interest in that particular project and move on to others. For this reason, one might find a Rational with an impressive résumé who is working on personal projects, with no paycheck in sight.

Jewish Temperament

Month: November, 2013

November 3, 2013

Personalities: Yitzchak

by Zalman

November 3, 2013

Personalities: Avraham

by Zalman

November 3, 2013

Temperaments: Rational

by Zalman