Uplifting the Intellect

Not only can the study of Torah inspire and uplift us, it can even raise up our head. Even our intellect, the most exalted part of our being, can rise to even greater heights.

Taking a Census or Uplifiting?

This week’s parsha, Naso, always occurs in the same week as the Festival of Shavuos. In most years it is the first Shabbos after Shavuos; in some years it is the Shabbos before the Holiday.

This suggests that there is an intrinsic connection between the theme of Torah, the giving of which we observe during Shavuos, and this week’s parsha, which begins with G-d’s commandment to Moses to count the members of the Gershonite family, one of the three families within the tribe of Levi. However, the word the Torah uses for taking a census is “Naso,” which also means to “uplift.” The opening phrase “Naso es rosh” can thus be rendered literally as “Lift up the heads.”

Connection to Shavuos

The connection to the giving of the Torah is now evident:

When Rabbi Yosef, the great Talmudic Sage would reflect on the importance of the Holiday of Shavuot, the anniversary of the giving of the Torah, he would say: “If not for this day, there would have been many “Joes” in the marketplace.” Rashi, the principle commentator of the Talmud explains that Rav Yosef meant, “If not for the Torah that I studied and that uplifted me, there are many people with the name Yosef.”

In other words, the study of Torah has the capacity to uplift a person to a level that makes him unique.

And that is the obvious connection to the opening word Naso, which conveys the idea of uplifting. The very name of this parsha describes the effect Torah can have on those who study it.

Even the Intellect can be Raised

This idea can be taken a step further. The Torah speaks of uplifting the “head.” In the context of Torah study this can be understood to mean that not only can the study of Torah inspire and uplift us, it can even raise up our head. Even our intellect, the most exalted part of our being, can rise to even greater heights.

At this point three points need to be clarified:

First, what does it mean to have our intellect uplifted when we study Torah?

Second, why does the uplifting of our intellect not occur when we study other worthwhile subjects?

Third, wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to have stated that Torah study “increases,” “expands” or “enhances,” our intellect? What message does the term “uplifts” convey?

The Limits of the Human Mind

A human being, as a part of Creation, is, by definition, a finite being. Hence, the human mind, as brilliant as it may be, has its limits. Contrary to the antiquated and discredited 19th century view that the human mind will someday grasp all there is to know and find the solution to every problem, we now have a more sober view of our limited capabilities. Intellect, as great as it is, has its built in limitations.

And while the more we learn and acquire knowledge the greater our intellect becomes, we can never leave the parameters and confines of finite human reasoning. We can increase, broaden and deepen our knowledge, but we cannot break out of the realm of finite human intellect.

Torah, by contrast, is not human reasoning but Divine wisdom. And since Maimonides stated that “G-d and His wisdom are one,” both G-d and His Torah are infinite.

When G-d gave us the Torah at Sinai, G-d did more than just impart to us a set of instructions as to how we should live righteously (although that would have been sufficient a reason to celebrate). In this revelation/revolution that occurred at Sinai, G-d did the impossible. He enabled His infinite wisdom to enter into our finite minds. The inherently unfathomable Torah was made accessible to the finite world. Indeed, this was clearly one of the greatest miracles of all times.

We can now appreciate what Rav Yosef meant when he said that Torah study uplifted him. Not only did the study of the Torah increase, expand and enhance his knowledge, it actually uplifted him to a level beyond. Before he studied Torah, Rav Yosef was part of the “marketplace,” part of the finite creation. After studying Torah, Rav Yosef was raised to another plane. He became a part of Divine infinity.

The Uniqueness of Rav Yosef

The question may still be asked: Why is Rav Yosef singled out among countless others who have studied Torah over the ages? Why, of all people, did Rav Yosef appreciate how he had become exalted through Torah study?

The answer is that in order for Torah to uplift us, it has to penetrate into us. The only obstacle to that penetration is our own ego and arrogance. Rav Yosef, the Talmud records, was known especially for his humility. And it was his humility that made him receptive to the boundless G-dly energy contained within the Torah that uplifted him.

Hence, the expression with which our parsha begins: “Uplift the head” is a reference to the process of making ourselves fitting vessels to absorb the infinite energy of Torah. That process, in turn, enables us to uplift our intellect to a level that transcends the human and finite.

Humility makes Us Receptive to the Infinite

When the Midrash speaks of Moshiach’s coming who will introduce new dimensions of Torah knowledge, the announcement to the Jewish people is: “Humble ones, the time for your redemption has arrived!” It is humility that will enable us to be receptive to the unprecedented infinite G-dly revelations of Torah that will be revealed to us.

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Naso by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.