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:
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1.
A song of ascents of David.
Behold how good and
how pleasant
is the gathering of brothers
especially when united!
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ב. כַּשֶּׁמֶן הַטּוֹב
עַל הָרֹאשׁ
יֹרֵד עַל הַזָּקָן
זְקַן
אַהֲרֹן
שֶׁיֹּרֵד
עַל פִּי
מִדּוֹתָיו:
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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.
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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.
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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 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.
http://dyschreiber.blogspot.co.ilניתן בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר
YouTube https://youtu.be/FrDLfFibbks
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