The Eighth Step: Arbeh-Locust – Covering the Eye of the Land
Redundancy
Locust was the most devastating plague to date because it destroyed all of Egypt’s food supply, portending a famine of historic proportions that would kill most Egyptians in the future.
The Torah describes the extent of this plague as one in which the locusts “covered the face of the whole earth.”
What does this plague tell us about our emotional and spiritual development?
Now that we’ve progressed to the point where we have destroyed the icons, recognize our potential for growth, eliminated the Egyptian Weltanschauung and have taken all of our diversified areas of expression “inside,” there is still a need to apply the eighth plague of arbeh-locust to our quest for spiritual development.
The plague of locust destroyed the crops and guaranteed a famine. Furthermore, the Torah describes what the effects of the plague of locusts will be. G-d told Moses that there will be so many of them to the extent that they will “cover the eye [view] of the land and no one will be able to see the earth.”
What is meant by the “eye of the land?” Simply it means that their view of the land would be obscured by the covering of locusts. But if that was the only meaning, why would the Torah add that no one will be able to see the earth?” Isn’t it redundant? If their view would be blocked, then it is obvious that they would not be able to see the earth.
Two Perspectives
The “eye” represents the way we look at things. There are two general different perspectives to everything. The first is to see things “outside in.” The second is to view everything “inside out.”
The “outside in” perspective is associated with and represented by the earth. It is the perspective in life that comes from the reality we call earth. The day to day exigencies of life inform us how to view things. We judge all that happens from the vantage point of our earthly existence; what we call “reality.”
And then there is the perspective that comes from wisdom, specifically Divine wisdom that is embodied in the Torah that sees things from “above.”
One might think that it suffices to have the right direction in life (provided for by the seventh plague) that directs us to focus inwards, to the domain of one.
In truth, the seventh plague that taught us how to bring everything “inside” is not the end of the process. Its underlying premise is that we begin outside—with its fragmented and alien ways—and as we enter “inside,” we super impose a new, unified perspective on our “outside” template. But because we began with the underlying premise of the existential reality of the outside world, we can never fully appreciate a unity that appears to be a super-imposed reality, not the intrinsic and exclusive reality.
With the eighth plague we are informed that there is an even higher perspective that sees everything form the unified vantage point of the “inside.” And it is from that vantage point that it disperses this knowledge to the outside.
Our starting point then, is no longer the “outside,” worldly perspective. Our default position rather is the Torah-G-dly wisdom one—the view from the “inside.”
Thus the plague of locust covered up the earthy perspective and created a sense of hunger about which the prophet stated: “They will be hungry not for bread, but for the word of G-d.” In Biblical parlance, bread and food are metaphors for Torah knowledge that must be studied and digested. One must always strive to learn more just as if he had not eaten anything. To grow, one must have a G-dly transcendent philosophy of life that becomes one’s primary source of reality, not just a philosophy that provides for a general direction towards life. This, G-dly philosophy is the Torah, specifically the teachings of Kabbalah and Chassidut, which focus on the spiritual and G-dly dimension of existence.
According to the Midrash, this plague was a punishment for the Egyptians because they compelled the Israelites to plant wheat and spelt.
The symbolism behind planting grain, as opposed to the planting of “orchards” mentioned in relation to the seventh plague is that wheat and spelt from which bread is baked are essentially absolute necessities of life. Other crops, particularly fruit, are of secondary or tertiary importance. They are “icing on the cake,” so to speak.
The difference then between the “fruit” metaphor and the “wheat” metaphor is that the convergence inside— represented by the seventh plague of hail—was like fruit and a spiritual luxury. This means that the awareness of unity that one acquires is not one’s primary view of life; it is a secondary perspective. One’s basic outlook remains that which was generated from and consumed in the “outside.”
With the advent of the eighth plague, the concept and realization of unity becomes one’s staple, one’s basic perception of the reality of life. The “outside” view of things will be relegated to secondary status or lower—“the view of the earth was obscured.”
Parallel to the Eighth Commandment
The eighth commandment not to steal according to the Talmud is essentially a commandment against kidnapping and selling the victim. By extension, it applies to all forms of theft.
What all forms of theft have in common is that they involve taking something away from an exclusive domain, in terms of ownership. Usually it involves the literal transfer of the person or goods from inside a house to the outside. It is the negative counterpart of the process of taking the unity of the private domain into the outside.
Divine Attribute – Da’at
This plague of Locust can be linked to the attribute of da’at, commonly translated as knowledge. However, the more precise rendition of da’at is a form of knowledge that attaches the knower to the knowledge. It is a form of knowing that makes the knowledge an integral part of the person, not some super imposed acquisition of information or awareness that is secondary to one’s primary perceptions.
This clearly parallels the idea of the locusts totally obscuring the view of the earth. Only one view prevails in this approach; the view and knowledge from Above.
Part of this step to spiritual growth and freedom involves the hunger for more knowledge. This too is related to da’at. It is indicative of the Messianic promise that the “earth will be filled with the knowledge of G-d…” Da’at- Knowledge, in Chassidic philosophy, is the key to unlocking all of our emotions, and all of the preceding steps in our development are deepened by the process of knowledge.
Connection to Moshiach
Living in exile on the threshold of Moshiach has certain challenges. One the one hand, we still see things with an exile tainted eye—the “outside in” approach. On the other hand, because we are standing on the threshold of the Era of Redemption, we are capable of altering our mindset into a Moshiach oriented one by study of Torah, specifically the subject of Moshiach and Redemption.
Torah, the Talmud tells us, has the capacity to alter the nature of the world and that includes the very nature of our thought processes. Thus, Torah study—specifically the inner dimension of Torah, and more specifically the parts of Torah that deal with Moshiach—is the medium through which we alter our perceptions and acquire true knowledge of G-d We are living in unique times. Countless numbers of Jews are demonstrating a tremendous thirst for the knowledge of Torah making the foregoing Biblical prophecy a reality. It is high time that we see the fulfillment of the other prophecies that announce the coming of Moshiach and the complete Redemption that will usher in an age when the “world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the sea.”
At that time the prophet predicts we will all see “eye to eye” with G-d. Indeed, the prophet declares that “All flesh will see that the mouth of G-d has spoken”—even the earthy flesh shall be endowed with G-d’s unique perspective.
Therapy: One must devour all the food supply. Food is a metaphor for intellectual stimulation that comes from the outside. It is not enough do escape from the influences of modern culture and its, emotional attractions, one’s intellect must be nourished by only healthy knowledge. We must cultivate an “inside-out” way of seeing things.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Voeira by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
