When Enough Is Not Enough!
We fail when we embrace and institutionalize our G-d given limits. Nothing is sweeter to G-d’s “ears” than the music created by going beyond our “enough-ness” mindset.
Gold: The Root of Evil?
The book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ last will and testament to the Jewish nation before they were to enter the Promised Land.
In the beginning of his soliloquy Moses subtly rebukes the people by reminding them of the places in which they sinned. One of the places Moses mentioned in the beginning of this week’s parsha is “di zahav.”
Rashi explains that there was actually no such place with this name. Rather the name “di zahav” is an allusion to the infamous worshipping of the Golden Calf, the most serious transgression committed by the Jewish nation in the desert.
The name “di zahav” actually means “enough gold.” This name explains how it was that they degenerated to the point of idolatry: they had too much gold that they amassed from Egypt. And it was with this excessive amount of gold that they constructed the Golden Calf.
The implication of this statement is that too much wealth can corrupt.
However, when one examines the precise translation of this name it does not say “excessive gold” but rather “enough gold.” This raises a few obvious questions:
First, if the sin was caused by the excessive amount of gold they possessed why does it say “di zahav-enough gold” and not “rov zahav-a prolific amount of gold”?
Second, why would having enough gold, as opposed to too much gold, be the cause of their sin?
Third, if merely possessing gold, in any amount, is a recipe for disaster, why the added word “di-enough”? It could have just said “zahav-gold”?
Fourth, the fact that they used gold for their idol-worship seems to be incidental to their sin. If they had made the idol out of silver or tin, for example, would that have been any less of a sin?
Why then does the Torah pick on an incidental aspect of their sin and not on a more pivotal aspect of their sin?
The Root of Idolatry
Although the simple meaning of Rashi’s comment is that wealth—symbolized by gold—in excessive amounts can go to people’s heads and ultimately lead down a slippery slope to idolatry, one can detect a deeper meaning in the Torah’s identification of the root cause of their sin as having “enough” gold.
Indeed, this insight conveyed by the phrase “di zahavenough gold” will afford us a glimpse into the psychological/spiritual root of idolatry, and, by extension, the root cause of all of our spiritual shortcomings.
G-d Said “Enough!”
The Hebrew word di (or dai), which means enough, is part of the Divine name Sha-dai that is usually translated as Almighty. The Talmud provides a novel translation: “I am the one who said to the world: dai-enough!” When G-d created the universe, our Sages explain, He allowed it to expand until He declared, “enough!”
According to the teachings of Chassidus, G-d’s declaration of “enough” was G-d’s way of limiting the spiritual power of the universe. Had G-d not said “enough,” the world would have possessed the ability to expand its spiritual horizons without the effort of any of its inhabitants. The world would, of its own accord, experience spiritual awareness that would make it unnecessary to struggle to discover and nurture a G-dly way of life.
Hence the word “di” implies a limitation of the world’s natural capacity for growth. Without our intervention, the world would not develop on its own. With G-d’s statement “enough!” He restricted the amount of Divine energy that would be channeled into our universe. The energy that is responsible for the very existence of our universe would be concealed until such time that we search for and discover the light.
We declare: “not enough!”
We must “open their eyes” to see the reality of G-d’s continuous presence in our world and in our lives. We must never be partial to G-d saying, “enough!” We must never be content with a world that screens G-d’s power. We must always reply to G-d by saying “we can never have enough G-dly light in our lives!” G-d’s playing “hide and seek” with us was intended for us to seek and find Him and not to say, “if G-d wants to hide, who am I to expose His hiding place.”
Limited Understanding
How do we apply the concept of “enough!” to the gold the Jews possessed in the desert and used for the creation of the golden calf? This term could suggest that they had a restricted understanding of the power and potential of gold. They saw gold in its most physical and limited form. They did not see its true potential. They were affected by the Divine fiat “enough!” They only saw the external value of gold and not its true intrinsic value and cared not to search for its deeper character.
Gold’s True Potential
What is the true potential of gold?
The Midrash tells us that gold was created for the Holy Temple exclusively. G-d, however, said that since it was already in existence, why not let others enjoy it.
In other words, when we use gold (and, by extension, any and all materials) we should recognize that it was intended for holy purposes. Even with the license we have to use gold for our own personal benefit, we must see beyond the mundane and utilize it for some positive and holy objective.
Moreover, since gold is so exquisite and rare; one of the earth’s most precious commodities sought by monarchs and other wealthy and influential people, it is a sign that it is a metaphor for and a reflection of a more sublime spiritual dimension of gold. Gold, as is true of all physical objects and phenomena, exists on many planes. And just as it would be ludicrous and short-sighted to use a gold plate for garbage removal, it is equally foolish to use gold for strictly materialistic benefit. In either situation, the person has a view of gold that was affected by the “enough” syndrome.
Open Our Eyes!
When G-d said “enough!” he meant that we should open our eyes and see the unlimited nature of the divine energy within the limited world.
To respect G-d’s command of “enough” and institutionalize it is the equivalent of denying helping the poor with the argument that if G-d wanted the person to have food, money etc., He would not have made him poor. While we cannot understand why G-d allowed this individual to be poor, we do know that if G-d made him poor it was with the stipulation that we reverse His work.
If we see the “enough-ness” of the world, its limits and lack of spiritual sophistication instituted by G-d, it is our mission to undo that “enough-ness.”
To see gold only in its most physical form and purpose is the beginning of the process that can lead to idolatry because in a subtle form it is idolatry. It represents the glorification of the most external and superficial aspects of existence. It ignores and denies its inner spirit, i.e., the G- dly energy that suffuses all of creation. Thus, had they appreciated the true nature of their abundant gold, it would not have posed a problem. Precisely because they had “enough” gold that their possession of gold was excessive and led them to its eventual worship.
Had it been silver the crime would not have been as great. Precisely because it was gold that possess far greater value than silver, it constituted a greater breach when they failed to realize the true value of the gold. This can be compared to one who addresses a king as if he was a commoner. It is a far greater offense than if he would have done the same to one of the king’s ministers.
Are We “Enough-niks?”
We are living in the end of exile. Exile is the most dramatic manifestation of the “enough” syndrome. Exile, is described by our Sages as a time and place and mindset that belies the true Divine nature of existence. And one of the casualties of being in exile for so long is that we have become so comfortable with “enough” G-dly energy.
Imbued with a Galus-exile mentality we tend to carve out a comfortable niche for our Jewish and spiritual life and refuse to see beyond the horizon. We feel content with the most peripheral aspects of life; we see gold in its most physical form, in its state of “enough-ness.”
Our mission now is to break out of this syndrome, and to “open our eyes” and see the true purpose of existence and of all the things we possess. When we do that we will have paved the way for Moshiach who will usher in the age about which the prophet says: “And Your Master will no longer be cloaked,” the end of the “enough” syndrome.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Devarim by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
