Jewish Temperament

Understanding temperament through the prism of Chassidus and Kabbalah

Category: Weekly Parsha

June 25, 2012

Korach

by Zalman

It would seem that Korach was a Guardian.

From a Torah and Chassidic perspective, Korach is related to conflict and division, as it states in Pirkei Avos. In fact, Chassidus relates Korach directly to the second day of Creation, which was an expression of Hashem’s Gevurah. Similarly, Korach represents division.

Even on a practical level, Korach’s primary complaint was that he wasn’t given the honor, respect, and authority of the rank he felt he deserved. From a strictly Keirsey perspective, every one of those descriptive words are related to the Guardian: complaint, honor, respect, authority, rank, and deserved.

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June 14, 2012

Tzitzit

by Zalman

This week’s parsha, Shelach, ends with the mitzvah of tzitzit. The Ba’al Shem Tov taught that even the archangel Micha’el, from the greatest of all angels, would gladly trade all of his Divine service and recognition of Divinity for one of the four tzitzit worn by every Jew. It’s intriguing that the Ba’al Shem Tov specifically chose the mitzvah of tzitzit to articulate the advantage of our Divine service over that of the angels. One of the explanations for this:

In Tikunei Zohar it states that the four corners of the tzitzit garment correspond to the four beings of the Divine “chariot”, or throne. Indeed, one who wears tzitzit is regarded as if he himself has prepared a throne for G-d. The four beings on the throne, represented by the four corners of the tzitzit garment, also represent the four temperaments:
The bold Lion represents the audacious Artisan;
the hard-working Ox represents the dependable Guardian;
the emotionally-aware Man represents the empathic Idealist;
and the high-soaring Eagle represents the abstract Rational.

These four beings on the throne are represented by many different symbols, including the major angels: Micha’el on the right, Gavriel on the left, Refa’el in the center, and Uri’el representing Malchus. It turns out, then, that even though the angel Micha’el is himself one of the actual beings of the Divine throne, he would still elect to exchange all that for a single corner of a Jewish person’s tzitzit. But why?

Much as a physical throne is the vehicle for a king to avail himself to his subjects, the Divine “throne” is a metaphor for the manifestation of G-d’s presence. Consequently, the four beings of the throne represent the four general methods that G-d employs to manifest Himself to the world, to keep it in existence. If we were to speculate about where the real manifestation of G-d’s presence occurs, we might conclude it is with the angels, on the Divine throne and its spiritual beings.

The Ba’al Shem Tov teaches us that the real Divine throne, the real manifestation of G-d’s presence, is in a single corner of tzitzit. G-d’s purpose in creating the world is to manifest through this world. And one of the primary ways that is accomplished is through our own “chariot”, our temperament: when G-d’s presence shines through us, when our desires align with G-d’s desires, when our intellect emanates G-dly thought, and when our emotions are inspired by G-dly pursuits, G-d manifests in a manner that is even greater than through the angels.

Interestingly, this is also one of the explanations of how the Jewish People failed so miserably in the episode of the spies, as recorded earlier in the parsha. At the time, the Jewish People were being fed their every desire on a silver platter. They relied on G-d for everything, from their safety to their clothes. Their entire life-experience was based on obedience and dependency, both physically and spiritually: they had heard the commandments from G-d Himself, and they studied Torah from the mouth of its transcriber, Moshe. As a result, it seemed an insurmountable task for them to transform their own base selves, their coarse desires, intellect, and emotion. But that’s exactly what would be demanded of them as soon as they entered the Land of Israel, as soon as the ultimate purpose of creation was to be fulfilled.

Instead, the task was handed to their children, people who hadn’t witnessed G-d, who studied Torah second-hand, and who had to get used to a generally diminished spiritual life. These were people who began recognizing their own selves, their strengths and weaknesses, and summoned the fortitude to align their selves with G-d. And from them, this task was handed down to us, to manifest G-d in His real throne, our own selves.

— Based on the Chumash

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June 10, 2012

The Good Road

by Brachie

Pirkei Avot 2:10 states:

He said to them: Go out and see which is the good path to which man should cleave. R’ Eliezer said: A good eye. R’ Yehoshua said: A good friend. R’ Yosei said: A good neighbor. R’ Shimon said: One who foresees the consequences of his actions.

R’ Elazar said: A good heart. (Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai) said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Aruch to all of yours, for his words include your own.

There are two questions on this Mishnah. First, what does the path set forth by each sage mean? And second, for what purpose were all these opinions brought forth when it merely could have stated the correct path of “a good heart”?

R’ Eliezer says the correct path is to have a good eye. To have a good eye means to view the world optimistically and to give freely and generously. Having a good eye also refers to a person who has a knack for noticing beauty when others can’t see it. In other words, R’ Eliezer is saying the correct path is to learn from the Artisan how to view the world in an open and positive light.

R’ Yehoshua says the correct path is to be a good friend. A good friend is able to differentiate between right and wrong. A good friend encourages good behavior and points out, at times admonishing, behavior that requires modification. In other words, R’ Yehoshua is saying the correct path is to learn from the Guardian how to judge and value right versus wrong.

R’ Yosei says the correct path is to be a good neighbor. A good neighbor brings over a freshly baked pie to show caring and friendship. A good neighbor is one who advocates peace and harmony in his community and neighborhood. In other words, R’ Yosei is saying the correct path is to learn from the Idealist how to feel empathy for others and bring society to greater unity.

R’ Shimon says the correct path is to see the consequences of one’s actions. This means to have the ability to visualize sequences of events in the mind’s eye. A person with such foresight will only make proper choices in order to bring about positive results. In other words, R’ Shimon is saying the correct path is to learn from the Rational how to think strategically and how to act purposefully.

The above four sages are in truth of the same opinion regarding the proper path. In essence they are saying that the ultimate goal is to learn from each temperament and acquire the positive traits of each one. Their colleague R’ Elazar was of a different opinion.

R’ Elazar says the correct path is to have a good heart. Having a good heart is to be able to put aside one’s own needs and desires and put someone else’s needs and desires in their place. This requires learning humility, a lessening of self, and becoming “selfish” for another person. In other words, R’ Elazar is saying that there is a quality we can achieve that trumps temperament; the quality of humility. When we aim to follow this path of putting the people in our relationships before ourselves, we are on the good road.

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June 8, 2012

The Menorah

by Zalman

This week’s parsha, Beha’alotecha, opens with the command to Aharon:

בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרֹת, אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת
When you “lift” the lights of the Menorah, the seven lights should shine in the direction of the middle branch.

The Alter Rebbe explains in Likutei Torah that the Menorah represents the Jewish People, as expressed in their mission: to bring G-d’s light into this world. Consequently, the seven lights represent seven ways the Jewish People bring light into the world. Not surprisingly, the seven ways also correspond to the seven emotional Sefirot, from Chessed to Malchus. The seven methods to bring G-d into this world:

Chessed is the path of love and generosity. With Chessed, we learn to appreciate the wonders of the stimulating world around us. We come to recognize its Creator and attempt to become closer to Him. We spread His light generously to everybody and anybody who might be impacted by it. And we show people the excitement of living a higher life.

Gevurah is the path of intensity. In this path, we come to revere and respect the Creator of our awe-inspiring universe. We grow little by little, we take step after step, to become a more worthy and deserving recipient of G-d’s light. We are exacting in our performance of our duties and we influence others to become better as well.

Tiferes is the path of simplicity. Those who follow this path bring light primarily by studying Torah assiduously. We recognize the great gift G-d gave us in the form of the Torah, we realize how unified we can be with G-d through its study, and we try to ensure that others are learning Torah as well.

Netzach is the path of perseverance. In this path, we firmly resolve to spread G-dliness in the world, and we see it through to the end. We dig deep into our energy reserves, and there is not a single obstacle, even in this mundane world, that can stop us.

Hod is the path of submission. The followers of this path submit wholly to G-d, much like a servant to a master. We relinquish all of our wills and desires we may have, and trust completely in G-d, in the same manner that we fulfill His wishes to the fullest.

Yesod is the path of harmony. In this path, we bring harmony to heaven and earth, to the mundane and G-dly. We don’t view the world as an obstacle to G-d’s plan, rather the fulfillment of it, through revealing His presence within the physical. We draw from the power of the Torah, and apply it to the seeming lowliness of the world, to create a new phenomena: a world that reveals G-d.

Malchus is the path of pride. In this path, we realize that we are G-d’s children, and as such, we are royalty. We recognize that as princes, we must behave as befits people of our stature. We use our position to influence others positively, yet we employ calm and reasoned methods so that our words are received properly.

The Rebbe zy”a in Likutei Sichos emphasizes that although there are great differences between the seven paths, they all share the same purpose: to bring G-d’s light into the world. We are “workers of light”, and we must never forget our purpose.

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June 8, 2012

Priestly Blessings

by Zalman

In this week’s Parsha, Naso, we learn about the ברכת כהנים, the priestly blessings. Traditionally, the priests are instructed to bless the Jewish People daily. Nowadays this generally occurs on holidays. The priestly blessings include three specific blessings:

יְבָרֶכְךָ ה’ וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ — May G-d bless you and protect you.
יָאֵר ה’ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ — May G-d shine His countenance toward you and favor you.
יִשָּׂא ה’ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם — May G-d lift His countenance toward you and grant you peace.

The בעל הטורים, a commentary on the Torah, correlates these three blessings to the forefathers: Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. It becomes clear, then, that these three blessings are also related to temperament.

The first blessing is the blessing of Avraham, the Artisan. It says in the verse “וה’ ברך את אברהם בכל” — G-d blessed Avraham with everything. In a similar vein, the commentaries explain that the first blessing, יברכך, refers to acquiring — and retaining — physical possessions.
Artisans, concrete as they are, seek physical stimulation in all things. Artisans have a tendency to acquire tangible things they can touch, feel, smell, taste. To an Artisan, the more they have, the more they own, the more they can touch, the bigger their world is. In Sefirot as well, the Artisan sits on the right path, the path of expansion, expanding their world at an ever-increasing pace.
In the first blessing of the priestly blessings, we receive the ability to influence as many physical items as possible, connecting them to G-d and imbuing them with G-d’s presence.

The second blessing is that of Yitzchak, the Guardian. A little known story about Yitzchak is that when he was being sacrificed by his father on the altar, his soul departed from the sheer trauma of the event. G-d had to bring the “shine” back to his eyes, bring his life back to him, so he could continue his mission in the world. That is the reference in the second blessing of G-d’s countenance “shining” toward us. On a more practical level, the commentaries explain, the second blessing alludes to spiritual growth, represented by both the “shining” light as well as “favor” mentioned in the blessing.
Guardians, explains Keirsey, have naturally low self-confidence. Fitting cleanly with the left path of the Sefirot, they don’t feel like they are very deserving without actually earning it. Many Guardians, in fact, would much rather begin at the bottom rung than at the top rung, if only to be able to climb the ladder and personally attain a level of authority and respectability. To a Guardian, self-worth is a life-long Avodah (labor), becoming ever-more respectable with their hard work.
In the second blessing, we receive the blessing of the Guardian: a life-long personal and spiritual ascent toward becoming more and more deserving of G-d’s countenance and His favor.

The third blessing belongs to Yaakov, the Idealist. Just as it says in the blessing that G-d will “lift His countenance”, so is the expression used that Yaakov “lifted his feet” to travel to his uncle. In the third blessing, we ask G-d to reach higher than even His name, to draw down the greatest blessing of all: peace. In fact, Rashi states that Yaakov specifically requested this particular blessing, after a lifetime of struggles, asking G-d for tranquility.
Keirsey calls Idealists “harmonizers”. Interestingly, Idealists live a most struggling life, always trying to bridge the gap between the way they perceive themselves and their need to be authentic. Idealists often berate themselves for negative thoughts and feelings they might have toward others, and in fact, feel pain whenever and wherever cruelty is to be found. If an Idealist were to be given a single wish that they could make come true, they would almost certainly wish for peace.
With the third blessing, we receive the ability to harmonize; for ourselves, for our families and friends, and peace and harmony for the world over. And as harmony goes, we need to reach deeper than the two sides to bring them peace. In the case of the priestly blessings, in order to bring harmony between the first blessing — physical possessions, and the second blessing — the spirituality of G-d’s countenance, we must reach even deeper than spirituality, into G-d Himself, to achieve true peace and harmony. And in Avodah, this refers to studying Torah, the harbinger of peace, along with the G-dly teachings of Chassidus.

And what of the Rational‘s blessing? Well, what do you think? Offer your thoughts in the comments.

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