Parashat Pinchas 5784 — 07/27/2024
Beginning with Bereishit 5781 (17 October 2020) we embarked on a new format. We will be considering Rambam’s (Maimonides’) great philosophical work Moreh Nevukim (Guide for the Perplexed) in the light of the knowledge of Vedic Science as expounded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The individual essays will therefore not necessarily have anything to do with the weekly Torah portion, although certainly there will be plenty of references to the Torah, the rest of the Bible, and to the Rabbinic literature. For Bereishit we described the project. The next four parshiyyot, Noach through Chayei Sarah, laid out a foundational understanding of Vedic Science, to the degree I am capable of doing so. Beginning with Toledot we started examining Moreh Nevukim.
Bamidbar 25:10-30:1
Rambam now goes more deeply into the Shem haMefurash / YKVK / Tetragrammaton:
Know that the name Y.K.V.K. sometimes is intended to signify the name exclusively, as in his saying: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy Gd in vain [Ex 20:7]; And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord [Lev 24:16]. This occurs innumerable times. The term is sometimes intended to signify the essence and true reality of Him, may He be exalted, as for instance: And they shall say to me: What ls His name? [Ex 3:13] The term is sometimes intended to signify His commandment, may He be exalted, so that when we say the name of Y.K.V.K. it is as if we said the word of Y.K.V.K. or the speech of Y.K.V.K. as when Scripture says, for My name is within him [Ex 23:21], which means My word is within him or My speech is within him. The meaning is that he is an instrument of My will and volition. I shall make this statement clear when speaking of the equivocality of angel.
At first Rambam asserted that the name YKVK (one traditionally replaces the H’s with K’s so that should the writing be erased, we will not be erasing the Name of Gd – in the translation I am working from the Name is written with H’s, but I have changed them to K’s) is the name that expresses, somehow, Gd’s Essence, which is of course beyond human comprehension, let alone human description. Since it goes to Gd’s essence, it is obviously not to be taken lightly, and certainly not in vain, as in the passages Rambam quotes. In fact, there is a principle that when it comes to blessings, we are lenient and don’t require one to repeat it if, for example, one can’t remember if they said a required blessing. The reason is that the blessing includes Gd’s Name, and saying Gd’s Name (even though we don’t pronounce the actual Name) without any real purpose cheapens it in our eyes and our hearts.
Rambam continues and identifies another way that the Name is used in Scripture, namely to indicate Gd’s Word or Speech. Here Name is made equivalent to speech or word, as in the examples Rambam cites. This is not a different use of the Name, because Gd’s essence is completely unified, but rather something associated with Gd, namely Gd’s speech. We have discussed the notion in Vedic Science that Pure Consciousness, because of its Self-referral nature, has a virtual vibratory nature, and the various layers of vibration within Pure Consciousness are the laws of nature that govern all levels of creation. This sequence of vibrations is the Veda, the sequence of sounds of human speech that is an exact record of the reverberations of consciousness.
We have discussed in previous essays that the Torah itself claims to be “Gd speaking to Himself” (Num 7:89 with Rashi). This Torah would presumably be “Supernal Torah” which resides with Gd in the heavens as described by the Kabbalists. Perhaps what Rambam is saying here is that the “word of Gd” or “commandment (i.e. laws of nature) of Gd” or “speech of Gd,” refers to these very levels of subtle vibration that exist within the angel, in Rambam’s example. The Hebrew word for angel, malach, is the same word for messenger, and it is through angels that Gd’s will is effectuated in Creation. For this to happen, the laws of nature relevant to the angel’s specific mission have to inhere in the angel. It may be that Gd’s Name YKVK contains all the laws of nature in seed form, so when Scripture says “My Name is within him,” it means that all the information needed – that is all the specific vibratory patterns – is contained within the angel.
Another way to look at this would be to consider DNA. DNA is the template out of which all the structures of our cells, our organs, our whole bodies are created. It, itself, is extremely small (compared to our bodies – as molecules go it’s very large), but it contains all the information needed to create our specific bodies. All the laws of nature that go into making up our bodies are contained within the DNA in seed form. In this sense, perhaps we can say that Gd’s Name is the DNA of creation, and the longer names of Gd are more elaborated versions, containing the same information, but perhaps more specific to our particular universe.
There is another aspect to the Tetragrammaton and that is that it is traditionally held to refer to Gd’s aspect of Mercy. That is, when Scripture refers to Gd using the Tetragrammaton it is the Attribute of Mercy that is emphasized. Gd’s other major attribute, the Attribute of Strict Justice, is emphasized by using the appellation Elokim. Note that the Name Elokim is a plural form, meaning something like “the Powers.”
Now the attribute of strict justice is associated with the laws of nature. After all, the laws of nature simply work without any consideration of extenuating circumstances, intent, or anything else. If we step off a cliff we will fall, no matter how great a tsaddik we are. Of course, the laws of nature only apply to the created universe – that is where there is diversity upon which the laws of nature can act. In this sense, the laws of nature are not Gd’s essence – rather they are the expressions of Gd’s Will, which Will Rambam assert is itself identical with Gd’s essence. So in this view, Elokim is the expression of YKVK.
There is another view in which these two names are not opposed to one another. In this view all the dynamism of creation is actual virtual, internal dynamism within the transcendent. In Sanskrit this view is called advaita, or non-duality. It is the view of Unity Consciousness, where we see and understand that everything is just a pattern of vibration of Pure Consciousness vibrating within itself, similar to the way physics describes all objects as a pattern of vibration of the Unified Field. From this point of view, Elokim as if resides in YKVK. One is the silent, essential aspect of Gd, while the other is the (virtual) dynamism, but the two are really one, as we say twice daily in the liturgy: Shema Yisrael, YKVK Elokeinu, YKVK Echad / Hear/Understand Israel, Gd’s silence + dynamism, Gd’s essence is unified.
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Commentary by Steve Sufian
Parashat Pinchas
The most upbeat and relevant meaning of “Pinchas” is “oracle,” one who can see the choices we need to make in order for the future to be good and the choices to avoid in order to prevent harm. There are other meanings given to it and an extensive discussion about whether the word is Egyptian or Hebrew in origin but since Pinchas acted as an oracle in this parshah, this seems the most appropriate.
Israel, including Pinchas, was a bit slow in this parshah – it wasn’t until a plague was caused due to many Israelites being beguiled by prostitutes that Pinchas acted to slay an Israelite prince and a harlot, thus ending the plague.
Gd is All: Pinchas the oracle, Balaam, the prophet-for-hire and Moses, the servant of Gd, are all roles Gd plays. Gd plays the roles of the Children of Israel of ancient time and now – all beings, including us. Playing the roles of limited beings, God Hides and Seeks while remaining Gd. As Gd, Gd Reveals.
Gd’s Ways are Known only to Gd and hidden from us limited beings but Gd Guides our seeking, Gives us Clues. Torah, on the levels of story, symbol and sound Guides us to right action that dissolve our limits and make us fully aware that our individual selves are roles Gd plays.
In this parshah, hardly a moment after Balaam recognizes Israel’s virtue by saying, “How goodly are thy tents, Oh Jacob, thy dwelling places, Oh Israel,” Balaam (Gd in disguise) arranges for beautiful harlots to go among the Israel males; many are entranced and fall for their mesmerizing beauty.
Why did Gd, as Balaam, do this? We cannot know but one guess is that Gd wanted Israel not to become complacent and vain due to the blessing but wanted them to remain humble and alert, aware that they were still dependent on Gd and needed always to keep their hearts pure.
Although this parshah is named after Pinchas who stopped a plague by slaying a prince and a prostitute who openly violated the laws against adultery, the central event in this parshah is Gd fulfilling Moses’ request to appoint someone to lead B’nei Israel into the Promised Land. Gd tells Moses to lay his hands on Joshua so that some of Moses’ spirit will enter Joshua and Joshua will be able to lead the people into the physical Promised Land. According to the Gemara the elders of the generation called this a “great embarrassment”, that Joshua was like the moon whereas Moses was like the sun.
If the Gemara is correct then the question arises, “Why did Gd appoint a leader who was less than Moses? who had only part of Moses’ spirit?”
Perhaps Moses did not need to enter the Promised Land to experience Teshuvah (Full Awareness) – he already had it, being soaked in Gd’s Presence as he was.
The Children of Israel, however, including Joshua, did need to enter the Promised Land in order to be fully aware of Gd’s Presence. If all of Moses’ spirit were given to Joshua, then he also would have no need to enter the Promised Land and the people would have no leader.
What can this mean in our lives?
The Promised Land is within us even when we are acting in the (relative) desert that is the ordinary life of human beings. The qualities of our awareness that are less than full – our thoughts, our feelings, our sensory awareness – lead us to the Wholeness, the Promised Land that transcends them and pervades them.
These thoughts, feelings, sensory awarenesses are like Joshua – they allow us, through use, through practice, to experience more and more refined levels of them and eventually (Dear Gd, Please! Now!) to experience the Promised Land, the Wholeness, the Oneness in which Torah, Gd, we humans and all creation are experienced as One.
Now, please, Now!
Baruch HaShem