The Creeping Creatures are saying: "Let Israel rejoice in He Who made him; let the
children of Zion be joyful in their King." (Psalms 149:2) Alternate
version: “May the glory of G-d endure forever; may G-d rejoice in His works.”
(Psalms 104:31)
Rabbi Yannai would say: We have no comprehension of the tranquility of the
wicked, nor of the suffering of the righteous.
Tiferet shebeMalchut (beauty and balance within the context of kingship)
The forty-fifth week is the week of Tu B'Av, and in Perek Shirah it is the turn of the creeping creatures to proclaim
that Israel rejoice in its Creator and King; alternatively, they sing that the
glory of G-d shall endure forever, and that He rejoice in His creations. (Psalm
149:2 and 104:31)
Tu B'Av is
known to be the most romantic day on the Jewish calendar. It was at this time
that the Tribes of Israel were once again allowed to intermarry among
themselves. To celebrate this day, young Jewish women would dress in white,
form a circle, and present themselves before the single men of the community
that were in search of a bride. The Talmud teaches that each woman would speak
of different qualities that they thought might make a good impression on a
potential groom.[1]
This is related to the tikkun of the
sense of hearing connected to this month, which requires a constant focus on
one’s good points.
The main thrust of the song of the
creeping creatures is joy, and according to the Talmud, Tu B'Av, along with Yom
Kippur, was the happiest day of the year. The song specifically mentions
the joy of Zion (Jerusalem), and Tu B’Av
comes on the heels of Tisha B'Av,
when Jerusalem was destroyed. It is important to understand that in many ways
the joy of Tu B'Av can only come
about through the sadness that we experienced on Tisha B'Av.
The creeping creatures are so
numerous that their rate of reproduction serves as an example for the Jewish
people. The Hebrew word in the Torah used to describe the extremely high rate
in which we multiplied in Egypt is yishretzu,
from the Hebrew word for creeping creature, sheretz.[2]
The number forty-five is the gematria of Adam, the first person created by G-d and the first to
receive a soul mate, Eve. Mem and heh also spell the Hebrew word mah, meaning "what,” and is closely
associated with the humility, as in Moses’ well known statement, “Nachnu Mah,” we are what/nothing.
In Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Yannai states that we are not given the capacity
to understand the serenity of the wicked or the affliction of the righteous.
(IV: 15) Rabbi Yannai speaks of serenity, such as is found during Tu B'Av, as well as suffering, such as
in Tisha B'Av. Just as in last week’s
Pirkei Avot lesson, the thrust of
this week’s message is that we will never be able to fully understand His ways.
All we can do is to have complete faith that everything He does is for the good.
This week, the sefirot combination results in tiferet
shebemalchut, beauty and balance within the context of kingship. On Tu B'Av, balance and beauty connected to
this physical world reigns supreme, just as in a Jewish wedding. In kabbalistic
texts, it is well known that Tiferet is
represented by Jacob, while malchut
is represented by his wife, Rachel. Tiferet
also means compassion, and this week is closely linked to mercy and
consolation, as reflected in the haftorah
readings for the seven weeks after Tisha
B’Av.
The lesson in self-improvement we
derive from the creeping creatures is that despite their humble condition (and
perhaps exactly because of it), they are able to be truly happy, exalt and
praise G-d’s name, and be extraordinarily reproductive.
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