Contained Within Simplicity
(Picture by Dorothea Lange)In Degel Machaneh Ephraim, Parshas Metzora, the Degel teaches that when the letter aleph (representing "or" - the light of the Torah) enters the letters tav and mem (making up the work "tam" - simple) it combines to make the word "emes". This means that there is only truth when the light of Torah is contained within simplicity.
3 Comments:
Doesn't that spell "to'am," meaning symmetry or harmony?
I'll try to take a look at the Degel later this afternon... maybe I'm wrong...
ASJ
Scratch that!
Now I see that this is a quote from a more complicated drush, in which the quality of Yaakov (symbolizing all Klal Yisrael) as an "ish tam," or "simple man," is the spiritual vessel for hasagas Elokus, represented by the letter alef. This alludes to achdus, the perception of Hashem's Oneness, and the word "raz" or "secret," which the Tikkunei Zohar (Tikkun Heh) relates to mystical perception. When the alef of Hashem's Oneness is introduced into the simplicity of Yaakov, the result is "emes" or truth, the other characteristic of Yaakov. In other words, that's when we come to recognize "True Reality."
Thanks for pointing out this beautiful parapgraph from the heiliger "Degel!"
Thanks, Smashed Hat. Yes, as you pointed out I did distill the Degel's teaching down into these two sentences. I thank you, however, for ellaborating on it a bit further. I wish I understood Degel on the level that you do and wish we lived closer to each other so we could have a weekly shiuir in this holy sefer!
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