אות - מ

We have often discussed the prohibition against having anything at all to do with philosophical works. This includes even philosophical works of the great rabbis. Even these are not permitted, as brought in many places in our sacred literature. 50 See “ His Wisdom ” #5. This was said during Chanukah 5570/1809 ( Tzaddik #185; Parparaot LeChokhmah II, 7:7). Such things are not the portion of Jacob (Jeremiah 10:16, 51:19) , and we have nothing at all to do with them.

We believe that God created and sustains the world, and will restore it in the future. For this we do not need philosophy.

Most books on religious philosophy ask questions that appear very difficult, while providing very weak answers. If one probes deeper, one can refute the answer and render it completely useless. Therefore we may not study these works at all.

In truth, all their questions themselves are nothing. They are mere vanity and striving after wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14) .

It appears that many people are drawn to philosophy, yet have no interest in such fascinating Kabbalistic works as the Zohar and the writings of the Ari (see notes 11, 15, p. XX) . People seek wisdom, yet ignore these sacred works filled with ideas that are sweeter than honey and enlighten the eyes (Psalms 19:9, 11) .

The truth is that these people cannot endure such holy things because of their inherent base nature ( Bereshit Rabbah 28; see “ His Wisdom ” #32) . Whilst they still have free choice to overcome this nature, the fact that it is inborn makes it bitterly difficult. Fortunate is the person born in holiness.

A favorite subject of the philosophers is the order of creation. They may ask why a star is worthy of being a star, or a constellation a constellation, while other things are consigned to a lower realm. Or why animals are not given man’s faculties. Why not the other way around? Or they may ask why the head is what it is and not a foot. 51 The vanity of such questions is also discussed in Emunot VeDei'ot 6:4.

Questions like these are discussed at length in such books. But it is all vanity and striving after wind. For God is just and righteous (Deuteronomy 32:4) , and one cannot question His reasons. Know! In fact the world is a rotating wheel. It is like a dreidel, where everything goes in cycles. Man becomes angel, and angel becomes man. Head becomes foot, and foot becomes head. Everything goes in cycles, revolving and alternating. All things interchange, one from another and one to another, elevating the low and lowering the high. 52 Shemot Rabbah 31:14. See Shabbat 151b; Sukkah 5:6; Ketuvot 10:6.

This is because all things have one root.

There are transcendental beings such as angels, which have no connection with the material. There is the celestial world, which has some connection with materiality.

Finally, there is this lower world, which is material. All three come from different realms, but all have the same root.

All creation is like a rotating wheel, revolving and oscillating. At one time, something can be on top, a head, with another on the bottom, a foot. Then the situation is reversed. Head becomes foot, and foot becomes head. A human changes to an angel, and an angel becomes a human. Our Sages teach us that angels were cast down from Heaven and entered into physical bodies, subject to all worldly lusts. 53 Targum Yonatan on Genesis 6:4; Yalkut 1:44. Other angels were sent on missions to our world and clothed themselves in physical bodies. 54 Targum Yonatan on Genesis 18:2. We also find cases where human beings literally became angels. 55 Targum Yonatan on Genesis 5:24, Numbers 25:12. Cf. Zohar Chadash 20b, 21a.

For the world is like a rotating wheel. It spins like a dreidel , with all things emanating from one root.

We find the foot of one is also higher than the head of another. In the spiritual worlds, the lowest of an upper world is higher than the highest level of a lower one. Still, everything revolves in cycles.

This is why we play with a dreidel on Chanukah. 56 Chanukah celebrates the defeat of the Greeks, the embodiment of Greek philosophy.

Chanukah is an aspect of the Holy Temple. The primary concept of the Temple is the revolving wheel. The Temple represented “the superior below and the inferior above” ( Pesachim 50a; Bava Batra 10b) . God lowered His presence into the Temple – this is “the superior below.” The form of the Temple was engraved on high – corresponding to “the inferior above.” 57 Tanchuma , Pekudey 1; Zohar I, 80b. The Temple is therefore like a dreidel, a rotating wheel, where everything revolves and is transformed.

The Temple refutes philosophical logic. It is beyond all logic that God, who is above and beyond spirituality, should constrict His presence into the vessels of the Temple. “Behold, the Heaven and the Heaven of Heaven cannot contain You; how much less this Temple?” (I Kings 8:27).

But God brought His presence into the Temple, defying philosophical logic.

Philosophy cannot explain how a mortal man can have any influence on high. It cannot show how a mere animal can be sacrificed and “rise as a sweet savor, giving pleasure to God, because He spoke and His will was done” 58 Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:18; et passim. . They explain that this pleasure is the fulfillment of His will. But how can we even apply the concept of will to God?

However, God, by placing His presence in the Temple and accepting the animal as a sweet savor, contradicts philosophical logic - as illustrated by the dreidel, the rotating wheel. It is part of “the superior below and the inferior above.”

Between potential and actuality there is the power of Hyle. 59 Ramban on Genesis 1:2; Etz Chaim , Sha'ar Drushei ABYA 1.

Before anything comes into being, it exists in potential. Coming from potential to reality, it must first pass through the intermediate stage of the Hyle. All reality thus emerges from the Hyle. The Hyle is therefore the starting point of all creation.

The three categories of creation – transcendental, celestial, material – all come from this common root. As they interchange, they all revolve around this root.

The letters on the dreidel are Hei, Nun, Gimel, Shin . Hei is Hiyuli , the Hyle; Nun is Nivda, the transcendental; Gimel is Galgal , the celestial; Shin is Shafal , the material. The letters of the dreidel thus encompass all the categories of creation, which turn in cycles, alternating and revolving, one thing becoming another. Chanukah means dedication. That is, the dedication of the Holy Temple, “the superior below and the inferior above.” This wheel which revolves is the dreidel.

This is also an aspect of the redemption – the essential feature of which is the Temple, the superior is below and the inferior above.

When the Jews crossed the Red Sea after the redemption from Egypt, they sang, “You brought them and planted them on the mount of Your inheritance … the Temple, my Lord, which Your hands established” (Exodus 15:17) . Redemption was for the sake of the Temple, the revolving wheel in which the superior is below and the inferior above. It shows that all things have one root.

This is the meaning of the letters of the dreidel, Gimel , Shin , Nun and Hei . These are the first letters of the words, “ Ga’alta Shevet Nachalatecha, Har Tzion — You redeemed the tribe of Your inheritance, Mount Zion” (Psalms 74:2) . This relates to “You brought them and planted them on the mount of Your inheritance.” It is the aspect of the Holy Temple, symbolizing the revolving wheel, which is the main concept of redemption.

This is discussed further in the lesson the Rebbe gave on the same Chanukah, on the verses, “And it came to pass at the end” (Genesis 41:1) , and, “He will lead them with compassion” (Isaiah 49:10) . 60 Likutey Moharan II, 7. This lesson was also delivered on Shabbat Chanukah 5570/1809. This lesson speaks of the superior below and the inferior above, as well as the fact that Chanukah is the dedication of the Temple. The “surrounding powers” discussed in this lesson are an aspect of the dreidel, the revolving wheel, since these surrounding powers encompass and rotate. Wisdom here is an aspect of the Hyle. Study the lesson carefully and you will understand.

After all this, we can return to our original discussion. We have no need of philosophy, which is anyway strongly forbidden. We must have faith in God that He created, sustains, and will eventually renew all worlds.