Parashat Tetzaveh 5786 – 02/28/2026
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.
Shemot 27:20-30:10
Rambam continues his discussion of the “desire” of the sphere, as evidenced by its movement:
Furthermore, it follows necessarily from this that the sphere has a desire for that which it represents to itself and which is the beloved object: namely, the deity, may His name be exalted. He [i.e. Aristotle] says that it is in this manner that the deity causes the sphere to move, I mean to say through the fact that the sphere desires to come to be like that which it apprehends, which is the notion represented – a notion that is most exceedingly simple, in which there is no change and no coming-about of a new state, and from which good always overflows. This is impossible for the sphere qua a body unless its activity be a circular motion and nothing else. For this is the final perfection of what is possible for a body to have as its perpetual activity. For it is the simplest of motions that a body may have; and no change occurs because of it in the essence of the body or in the overflow of good effects resulting necessarily from the motion of the body.
We saw last week that Rambam has added desire, or will, to the factors motivating movement. He now applies it to the sphere, and identifies the objects of the sphere’s desire to be Gd. He quotes Aristotle who says that it is this desire that causes the sphere to move. In other words, Gd, by His very Being, is the cause of all motion and progress in creation (via the eternal, circular motion of the sphere). Gd, on the other hand, does not change in any way, He is the “unmoved mover.”
This being moved by an “unmoved mover” is something we experience every time we close our eyes and meditate (TM meditation of course). The mind has a “will” to settle down and experience finer levels of thought, until it merges with Pure Consciousness, which lies at its basis. The effortlessness of the TM technique is based on this principle, that it is the “will” of the mind to merge with its infinitely silent, unmoving source, and all we need to do is to get out of its way and it will move there naturally. Although the sphere, as a body, cannot merge with Gd, it is certainly possible for the mind, which is not a body, to merge with Pure Consciousness.
On the physical side we also find evolution. As we have mentioned in the past, in any system with sufficient energy and material flowing through it, the Second Law of Thermodynamics (increase of entropy) does not apply (it only applies to closed systems that are isolated from the environment). In an open system, evolution occurs naturally as more and more complex structures emerge, structures that actualize particular possibilities inherent within the transcendent. At the peak of this development, according to Vedic Science, is the fully enlightened human nervous system, which reflects Pure Consciousness in its fullness – that is, it provides a vehicle in which Pure Consciousness can experience itself within the context of the manifest creation, as opposed to being aware of itself simply within itself. In a sense, all the movement that we see in the world exists in order for Pure Consciousness to know itself in this higher fashion. In the words of Einstein’s student, John Archibald Wheeler, “the human being is the universe’s way of knowing about itself.”
Rambam continues with a discussion of the number of spheres in creation, which he does not pin down, but notes that each sphere corresponds to a “separate intellect,” which directs its motion. He further identifies the separate intellects with the various angels; it is the apprehension of the angelic quality of each sphere that causes that sphere to move in its characteristic way. Thus, Gd moves the creation through these angelic intermediaries. This should not be surprising, as Rambam notes:
… Gd, may He be magnified and held sublime, does not do things in a direct fashion. Thus He burns by means of a fire, and this fire is moved by means of the motion of the sphere, and the sphere in its turn is moved by means of a separate intellect. For the intellects are the angels, which are near to Him, by means of whom the spheres are moved.
In terms of modern physics, there are various laws of nature that govern the properties and interactions between the elementary particles, the atoms, the molecules, etc. From these, all creation is structured. What we perceive as matter is just patterns of vibration of the Unified Field that underlies all of creation. Maharishi has identified these laws of nature as the devatas of the Vedic tradition. This word is often translated as “gods,” but, given the identification of the laws of nature with angels in Jewish tradition, it would perhaps be better to translate devata as “angel.” The Hebrew word for angel is mal’ach / messenger , and the laws of nature act as Gd’s “messengers” so to speak, by which He runs creation. Rambam will discuss angels at length further on in his treatise.
Rambam concludes:
All his [i.e. Aristotle’s] disquisition may be summed up as follows: All spheres are living bodies, endowed with a soul and an intellect, having a mental representation and an apprehension of the deity and also a mental representation of their own first principles. In that which exists, there are separate intellects that are in no way a body. All of them overflow from Gd, may He be exalted, and they are the intermediaries between Gd and all these bodies.
Rambam is now ready to compare Aristotle’s construction with what we find in Torah, and hopefully so are we.
***************************************
Commentary by Steve Sufian
Parashat Tetzaveh
In this parashah, Gd continues giving Moses many instructions to command the children of Israel to do so that He will dwell among them.
The first is that they shall bring pure olive oil to kindle the Eternal Flame continually. Oil, lamps and light all have deep symbolism that guides us to live in such a way that we will be aware of Gd’s Presence within every aspect of our mind, body, soul, heart and in the world around us, that guide us to experience the Eternal.
Oil, for example, symbolizes the aspect of Gd through which He appears, speaks to us. It is used for anointing kings and priests, making them holy (Whole) so they can serve Gd.
Lamps are containers to hold kindling, such as oil, and they symbolize we human beings who have become pure enough to know that Gd’s Presence is already within us.
Light, for example, symbolizes the actions in which we not only know Gd’s Presence but also act with Gd’s Presence enlivening, purifying, enlightening every action of ours so that they are in accord with Gd’s Will and spread awareness of Gd’s Presence so we are aware of it everywhere and so is everyone else, so is every impulse of Gd, all of what we call Creation, the Universe.
In addition to oil for the lamps, Gd commands Moses to bring Aaron and his sons “near to yourself”: this is raising them close to the level of awareness Moses has: constant awareness of the Presence of Gd.
They are to be brought near and Moses and those who Gd has “filled with the spirit of wisdom” shall make garments for them, garments that Gd describes in great detail. The High Priest was to wear tunic, cloaks, apron, breastplate, turban, gold plate above the turban, belt and pants and these were to made of gold, linen, wool, precious stones. The ordinary priests were to wear tunics, turbans, belts and pants.
The extensive detail suggests deep symbolism, symbolizing different levels of drawing near to Gd and different levels of bringing not only the priests into harmony with Gd but bringing all of Israel and all of Nature into Harmony.
The main point for us that whatever literal garments we wear and whatever garments we wear symbolize our purity, our love, our harmony so we should be guided by our sense of harmony and purity: continue to increase those things which allow us to experience and radiate harmony and joy, Harmony and Joy; and continue to let fall away anything which limits joy and harmony, clouds them.
As we do this, Gd fills us more and more with the spirit of wisdom and we are able to make, not only pure physical materials and the garments but spiritual ones as well – our innocent hearts and minds are the materials and our thoughts and actions are the garments-that enable us to serve Gd with Holiness, to serve as High Priests and priests even while walking, talking, working, playing – all the things we do in our daily life, no matter what our literal profession.
Just by reading this parashah, in Hebrew or in English, or hearing it, a bit, a lot or all of it we become Lamps in which Gd’s Presence is apparent and Lights in which Gd’s Will is done – a little, more, a lot, and then All, and we return through our openness and our good actions to the Oneness in which all separations are dissolved and all details are enjoyed as harmonious, joyful, loving expressions within the Oneness which is Gd, our Self, One.
Baruch HaShem