Rabbi’s Corner – Living for a higher purpose beyond self
This week we read of the 8th day of the inauguration of the Tabernacle (Mishkan) where Hashem’s presence resided.
Numbers in Judaism have great significance. God creator of the universe is the greatest mathematician of all. The relationship between numbers that exists within nature is truly awe inspiring. Even more inspiring is the fact that the grey matter of our brains can fathom the underlying laws of creation in the language of numbers.
The number 8 in Judaism is particularly significant.
We just had Seder night that ended with a song about numbers from 1 to 13.
Just as science has discovered fundamental constants within nature, there are also 13 fundamental “spiritual” constants
“So who knows 8? I know 8. 8 are the days in which a baby is born and 7 are the days of the week (Whoo Haa! if you sing it the American way!)
7 in other words represents creation and everything within it. The number 7 encompasses all of science that we have discovered and have yet to discover.
Some today have a materialist reductionist view of the universe.
From this perspective the world is meaningless and we are just lumps of meat floating through vast space.
From the Torah’s perspective this is a despairing view of reality.
Torah progresses to the number 8 which represents transcendence. The notion that material reality is not all there is. God who is outside of time and space is constantly powering reality, willing it into existence, something from nothing. This view redeems us from the darkness of despair to the light of hope and joy in knowing and feeling that the creator of the universe deeply wants a connection with me.
We meditate daily on this in the blessings before the Shema “Who renews creation in His goodness daily”.
This is why there were 8 days of inauguration of the Tabernacle and God’s presence and Glory only descended on the 8th day. We first look at creation – the number 7 – and posit a creator. We celebrate this every Shabbat. But then we go one step further to creating a connection with Hashem’s infinite Self. We do this with the number 8. That is why a baby boy is circumcised on the 8th day. To indelibly mark him with a symbol that he can live a life that transcends his selfish needs. We are not animals or a product of the biology of our emotions. We have a higher self which we can access and will a life of holiness, love, restraint, giving and so forth.
That is there is a special Halacha that if a baby boy is circumcised on the 8th day even if it lands on Shabbat. Because the concept of 8 -transcendence- overrides Shabbat which is still within creation.
This teaches us a profound lesson that to live a truly meaningful and purposeful life we cannot live just for ourselves.
Ultimately our deepest spiritual yearning is to live for Hashem as we say in Teffilah “Do it for Your sake”.
In practical terms this translates into living within families and communities with higher goals than just the satisfaction of our own needs.
This is why the Torah places such an emphasis on community and family.
I believe that when life is lived within these Torah structures we are able to experience true Simcha.
When we connect to our families and friends, communities and also the stranger with love, embracing them with empathy we are doing something Holy.
We are living on the level of 8 – beyond our selves
Shabbat Shalom
PS this concept of living beyond self does not mean we ignore our physical and emotional needs. We must always put our “oxygen masks” on first in the sense of being a functional human being as if we cant look after ourselves we certainly cant help others. The concept I am describing is more about what the focus of our lives is about – self orientated or other orientated.
Hillel the elder summed it up in Ethics of the Fathers “If I am not for myself who will be for me, and if I am for myself WHAT AM I, and if not now then when”.
PPS In Parshat Shemini we read of the sons of Aharon – Nadav and Avihu- who tragically die on this 8th day. So the day was both joyous in that Gods presence eventually descended but marred in tragedy. The Torah just tells us that they brought a fire that had not been commanded by God. Many explanations have been given as to what their sin was. But according to this essay we can explain that whilst they sought an intimate relationship with Hashem, they did so on their terms. It was not about serving God and living beyond self. Rather their fire offering was in fact serving their own spiritual cravings. Today we would call this spiritual addiction.
Serving God is first and foremost an answer to the question “What does God want of me right this moment?”
If we don’t ask this question then we can be sure to be led astray.