Life in the Fast Track
There are two modalities for G-d’s light to reach us. The first is the “slow-track” as the light gets filtered through every “world through which it passes. The second is the “fast-track.” The Priestly Blessing is an example of the “fast-track.”
Haste makes Waste
Everyone has heard the story of the man who was asked by his wife to buy her a dozen eggs. While shopping, a friend passed by and offered him a ride to the next town where he stayed for a couple of weeks. Upon returning he remembered that he was supposed to buy his wife a dozen eggs. He makes the purchase and runs home, as he runs up the stairs to his apartment he trips, breaks the eggs and makes a big commotion. As his startled wife opens the door, he exclaims, “you see what happens when you make me rush!“ Despite the slogan “haste makes waste,” Judaism places much emphasis on the virtue of zerizus, doing things conscientiously, with dispatch and alacrity. This trait has been mentioned in the Talmud as the characteristic of the Kohanim, the priestly clan, the descendants of Aaron. This association between the Kohain and zerizus without “casualties” can be traced back to this week’s Torah portion, Korach.
Speedy Almonds
When G-d wanted to show the Jewish people that he chose Aaron for his position as high priest, he did it by having Aaron’s staff bud, blossom and produce almonds overnight. There are numerous methods that G-d could have employed to demonstrate that he had chosen Aaron. Why did he do it by having a stick produce almonds? Furthermore, why did the staff first bud, then blossom and then produce the fruit? Wouldn’t it have been even more spectacular had the almonds been produced without the natural sequence of budding and blossoming?
This can be understood in light of the significance of an almond as the quickest fruit to mature. Indeed, in Hebrew the word for almond is shaked or shkeidim in plural, which means “to hasten.” By having the staff produce almonds, as opposed to any other fruit, g-d demonstrated that Aaron’s uniqueness was that he was on the “fast-track.“ We can now appreciate why the staff first budded then blossomed and then produced the almonds. Had the staff produced almonds without the intervening stages, one would have thought that Aaron’s fast-track status was at the expense of the integrity of his work. Perhaps something was missing that was not discernable to the eye.
Traveling through the many Worlds
To understand the deeper meaning of the “fast-track” characteristic of Aaron, it would serve us well to preface some concepts of kabbalah concerning the process of creation. G-d first created many spiritual “worlds” that bridge the gap between his infinite light and the material nature of our corporeal world.
This is analogous to the process of a genius who wishes to impart his knowledge to a below average student. The teacher must go through several stages where he waters down his idea, translates it, provides parables for it, employs simpler terminology, and so on. After several steps and stages, the genius can bring his abstract ideas down to the level of the student.
G-d, similarly, reduces his infinite light and allows it to go through four general stages known as “worlds” before it can relate to, create and sustain our physical universe.
This method can be labeled the “slow-track.” With each transition of G-d’s energy from level to level, the energy is reduced as it acquires the characteristics of each of these levels. The light then becomes dimmer and dimmer. By the time g-d’s energy reaches us, we can hardly perceive its divine nature.
What occurs with respect to creation is repeated every time we recite a blessing. The blessing elicits more divine energy from its source and channels it through the various “worlds” until it reaches “our” realm. This process can take time and can be obstructed at any place along its downward “route.” This can be compared to travel from one country to another where one might be detained at the border by customs.
The Priestly Blessing
G-d also occasionally channels his energy to us in an accelerated process, such as when a Kohain recites the priestly blessing. Then, the divine energy elicited by the blessing would powerfully and quickly flow downward, unobstructed, from its source to our world. The energy would thus not be “detained” in or diminished by any of the intervening levels.
One might think that the “priestly-fast-track” blessing is too powerful and cannot be absorbed by the recipients, since it did not make the same transition through all the intermediate stages. It’s almost like growing up too fast, some might suggest.
To dispel this notion, the Torah tells us that the almonds that matured overnight — symbolizing the capacity of Aaron to introduce holiness at an accelerated pace — were perfectly “normal.” They possessed all the features — buds and blossoms — of a normal almond. Integrity has not been sacrificed for the sake of haste.
An Analogy for Moshiach
What has been stated with regard to Aaron, can be used as an analogy to the way G-d will bring Moshiach. The prophet refers to the two scenarios of the messianic age. One scenario is that it will occur in its designated time; the other is that it will be hastened. While the second scenario is obviously preferred to the first, it can also overwhelm the world that has not adequately prepared for it.
Chassidic thought, however, discusses a third and more likely possibility that is a synthesis of the two scenarios. G-d can bring Moshiach before the designated deadline, but do so in a manner that does not overwhelm us. Just as Aaron’s role was to bring divine energy into this world with haste, but without the attendant negative effects, similarly, the future redemption — we hope, pray for and anticipate its imminent arrival — can be hastened in a way that does not undermine our readiness for it and our ability to absorb its radiance..
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Korach by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
