Wednesday, October 28, 2015

VaYerah / Psalm 133 - Brotherly Love

Among the Shir HaMa’alos that are said at between Succos and Pesach is Psalm 133. It is only three verses extolling the virtue of brotherhood.

א. שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לְדָוִד
 הִנֵּה מַה טּוֹב 
וּמַה נָּעִים
שֶׁבֶת אַחִים
גַּם יָחַד:
1. A song of ascents of David. 
Behold how good and 
how pleasant
is the gathering of brothers
 especially when united!
ב. כַּשֶּׁמֶן הַטּוֹב
עַל הָרֹאשׁ 
יֹרֵד עַל הַזָּקָן
זְקַן אַהֲרֹן
שֶׁיֹּרֵד
עַל פִּי מִדּוֹתָיו:
2. It is like the good oil 
on the head which
runs down upon the beard, 
the beard of Aaron,
which runs down 
onto the hem of his garments.
ג. כְּטַל חֶרְמוֹן 
שֶׁיֹּרֵד 
עַל הַרְרֵי צִיּוֹן
כִּי שָׁם | צִוָּה
יְהֹוָה אֶת הַבְּרָכָה
חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם:
3. Like the dew of Hermon 
which runs down 
onto the mountains of Zion, 
for there the Lord commanded
the blessing of life until forever.

It is an exploration of what true brotherly love is and the pervasive great influence it has on the nation.

Rabbi Yosef Tsvi Dushinksky zt”l explains that there are times that brothers are at peace because they are distant from each other, and if it was not for the distance there would be hatred, jealousy, and competition among them. This, though, is not desirable and it is not true peace. Rather peace in its essence is when brothers come together and help each other especially when they strengthen the natural love, brotherhood, and companionship that is between them. This is the peace that contains blessing and much good. In fact brothers living close to each other should foster peace and testify to their deep love.

The Radak comments that the psalm is talking about the anointed king and the high priest at the time it was written. They were both giants and leaders of Israel. The king was a judge with the power to command the nation as he saw fit, and the high priest taught the nation values and obligations. The two of them were brothers in greatness and were not jealous of each other. Both of them occupied their high offices, and great was the benevolence and the clemency they generated. Just like they were brothers in greatness they were brothers in their hearts because they shared the same objectives and did not envy what the other had.

The Malbim sees the partnership between Zebulon and Issacher in the idea of brothers dwelling together in harmony. The story is that Zevulon became an expert in practical matters and Issacher became an expert in spiritual matters. They achieved excellence in the area of their interest because they focused primarily on where their talents and desires were, instead of dividing their efforts with something in which they had less capabilities or inclination. However because they cooperated they received the benefits of each other’s greatness. The basic concept is that everybody is better off with specialization and trade than trying to do everything by oneself.

Rashi explains that the good oil that is on the head of the high priest is the special anointing oil described in the Chumash. There are five ingredients in the anointing oil. Three of them are plant names even though which plant they are is subject to debate. Olive oil is clearly recognizable. Another is kind of a description “aromatic cane” (kaneh bosem) and there is a discussion as to which plant this specifically is. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan z”l cites unnamed authorities who bring a linguistic proof that it is cannabis.

There are many types of cannabis plants some of them psychedelic. Others, commonly called hemp, produce strong fibers used for cloth, canvas, and rope. Its Aramaic name “kanbos” is mentioned a number of times in the Talmud. Abbreviations are common in Hebrew and the Hebrew term kaneh bosem קנה-בשם can be abbreviated as קנב"ס. This is very close to the Aramaic word “קַנבּוֹס”. The Jastrow dictionary also includes the spelling קַנבָּס.

Olive oil is a nutrient for the skin that protects and softens it. Myrrh, cinnamon, and cassia are fragrances. Cannabis is a fragrant entheogen which makes a person euphoric, sharpens the senses and the intellect, and gets them high. The brain becomes an instrument of spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical pleasure. This is essentially the symbolism of the sacred anointing oil.

In the Psalm the oil of the cohen gadol starts with the head, descends to the face, then to the garments. Above the head represents heaven and the head itself represents the intellect. The word for face in Hebrew is similar to the word inside and this would be the emotions. Garments represent action and appearance. This conjures up the idea of sanctity flowing from heaven to the giants of the society then to the regular citizen. It also is like formal education where a person learns something intellectually, next finds the idea pleasing, and finally applies it to his ordinary life.

Dew of the Hermon flowing to Mount Zion brings ideas but from the opposite direction. One of them is the financial support of the clergy from a donor’s regular trade and income. Also insights into how G-d interacts with His world and what constitutes moral conduct between people can be gained through observation of nature and human interaction. This is the idea of rising up a holy spark from a low place where it is hidden to a high place where it will be known.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch focuses on the word “behold” meaning we should contemplate the overall message of this Psalm. Specifically that it is a description of the bliss that awaits the Jewish nation when they will be reunited one day in their own land. However such a reunion can only be good and blessed if we dwell together as brethren, rally around the Sanctuary, and are united in Torah. When this day occurs, blessings and life will flow to all Israel and beyond.  



לע"נ בן דוד שמואל בן נח ז"ל נלב"ע טו באב תשס"ט.
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