A Man's Man

In different contexts, the Torah utilizes four different Hebrew words for the word "man": "enosh", "gever", "ish" and "adam". The different words refer to different levels of self actualization. "Enosh" is the lowest, "adam" the highest. "Adam" is used almost always when the Torah mentions the Jewish people. "Enosh" and "gever" are generally used to describe lower levels of human expectation and performance.

This week's double portion speaks primarily about "nega-im" - blemishes on skin, clothing and buildings that often are signs of a spiritual lacking. There are two reasons given for why we do not have such blemishes today. One is that there is no Temple, where one would bring an offering after finishing the purifying process. The second reason is that these blemishes were primarily an indication of extremely subtle spiritual imperfections. Most, if not all, of our generation is unable to correct such spiritual nuances because we are so enmeshed in the gray area between good and bad and cannot completely purify ourselves. Nevertheless, we can still learn from the Torah description, as is described in the following story:

The first Rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, had a private room for Torah study and prayer. Once, he came out of that room to where his disciples were gathered, and said the following in a state of extreme excitement: "In the section of the Torah that describes the laws of making an oath, their spiritual importance and the consequences of breaking them, the Torah uses the lower level name "ish""a man [in Hebrew, 'ish']....when he swears an oath". Yet, when the Torah speaks about blemishes, the expression for "man" is that of the higher level, "adam" - "…a man "["adam"], when he has a skin blemish...".

Rebbe Shneur Zalman continued that in the Torah uses the name "ish" to describe an individual in his relationship to his emotions. The name "adam" refers to an individual's relationship to his intellect.

The fact that the Torah uses different words when describing oaths and blemishes teaches how we can grow spiritually. Spiritual service begins with oaths because these cause us to make boundaries for ourselves in the physical world. Learning how to say "no" to a permitted - but extraneous - desire is the beginning of a sincere relationship with G‑d. But this is only the beginning.

The name "adam" is used in connection with blemishes, which are caused by some subtle sin which happens through a lapse in our spiritual consciousness, a failing of our watchfulness. Only by re-asserting our intellectual powers can we correct and cure the blemishes. The Hebrew word for wisdom is "chochma". The letters of "chochma" can be re-arranged to spell the words "koach mah", meaning "the 'strength of what", which, Kabbalistically, connotes the power of "what can not be described" - the strength of the Divine. Ultimately, wisdom is G‑d's power being invested in us. This is demonstrated by the fact that the word "adam" has the same numerical value as the word "mah". Only the level of "adam", which has the divine level of intellect invested in it, can correct the subtle impurities of blemishes.

Controlling our emotions is only the first and more basic step in spiritual growth. Using our intellect to correct and refine our spiritual shortcomings is how we can really begin to approach divinity.

Shabbat Shalom, Shaul

Based on talk from the Rebbe Rayatz in 1939.

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