It says in Proverbs 3:19-20, “Hashem founded the earth with wisdom; He established the heavens with understanding. With His knowledge the depths were split, and the heavens drip dew”. The text contains a number of nuances, but the fundamental message is that in examining the world much knowledge of the Creator is to be found. It can take the form of numerous facts, all sorts of relationships, intellectual depth, and subtle influences on behavior. The Holy One, blessed be He, can be perceived through observation of the physical world and study of the sciences, as well as morality and metaphysics. Through them even the laws of the Torah can be discerned.
This idea shows up throughout the religious literature. Job 19:26 states, “From my flesh I can gaze at God”. The Aramaic translation renders it the way it sounds. Rashi adds to this that he is seeing the laws. In Psalm 19:2 King David says with admiration, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky proclaims His handiwork”. Maimonides notes the use of the word handiwork in connection with perception of God in nature. He then brings the verse, “Hashem gave me the two tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God”, (Deuteronomy 9:10). Based on the word finger, he draws the conclusion that the God of the Tanakh can be perceived through nature.
This idea is developed in the Mishna Torah; Foundations of the Torah chapter 4. In it he states that upon meditating on the four basics of the physical world (fire, air, water, earth). One sees that there is a master of all. Chaim Vital in “The Gates of Holiness” applies the Four Foundations to the four letters of the primary name of God.
Concerning the construction of the Tabernacle, the Gemara in Berakhot 55a implies that the letters of the aleph-bet have the same source as the forces that not only make up the physical world but the world of spirit as well, as it says, “Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Bezalel knew how to join the letters with which heaven and earth were created. From where do we derive this? It is written here in praise of Bezalel: “And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” (Exodus 31:3); and it is written there with regard to creation of heaven and earth: “The Lord, by wisdom, founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens” (Proverbs 3:19), and it is written: “By His knowledge the depths were broken up and the skies drop down the dew” (Proverbs 3:20)”. We see that wisdom, understanding, and knowledge; the qualities with which the heavens and earth were created; are to be found in Bezalel, the Temple, and the Torah.
Other Gemaras say we can learn morality from the animals. Eruvim 100b: Rabbi Ḥiyya said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Who teaches us by the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser by the birds of the sky” (Job 35:11)? He explains . . . this is the female mule, which crouches and urinates and from which we learn modesty . . . this is the rooster, which first cajoles the hen and then mates with it . . . [Similarly] Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Even if the Torah had not been given, we would nonetheless have learned modesty from the cat, which covers its excrement, and that stealing is objectionable from the ant, which does not take grain from another ant, and forbidden relations from the dove, which is faithful to its partner.
The Sefer Yetzira (Book of Creation) has at its foundation the aleph-bet. It basically says that just as there is an aleph-bet of letters so too is there are ones for cosmos, times of year, parts of the body, and various aspects of the human condition. For example the letter Ayin (ע) rules over anger, and from it was formed Capricorn in the universe, the month of Teveth, and the liver in the body. Another is, “He made the letter beit (ב) rule over wisdom and tied a crown on it; he combined them with each other, and created with them the moon in the world, Sunday in the year, and the right eye in a soul”, (Sefer HaYetzira 4:8).
It comes out as one studies the world from a physical, behavioral, or moral standpoint; the presence of God becomes perceived. In addition through this wisdom the truth of Torah is seen. Plus a path towards peace with man and with the environment is recognizable.
The Book of Proverbs than praises acquisition of this knowledge saying it will give life to the soul and grace to the neck. The neck is an expression of speech or beauty like a necklace. A person will walk with confidence and not stub his toe. He will sleep pleasantly without fear. Sudden horror will not startle him nor the ruin of the wicked when it comes.
לע"נ האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח
