A New World

The third command received by Noah was to leave the ark:

“Go forth from the ark—you and your wife, your sons and your son’s wives with you. Every living being that is with you…order them out with you and let them increase on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”[1]

This command corresponds to the “spirit of counsel and might” in the verse from Isaiah.

The insulated environment of the ark was only a means to prepare human consciousness to experience the “new world” of the post-flood period. In addition to physically leaving the ark, the command implies leaving the confined mentality of the pre-flood world, ready to fulfill the directive to spread the wellsprings of wisdom to their farthest extremes. Even though the process of spreading wisdom conceptually begins in the ark, it remains confined by its very limited context. Only a new consciousness, outside the confines of logic and reason, is able to achieve the true expansion of Divine knowledge “like waters cover the sea,” the culminating stage of inspiration.

The “spirit of counsel and might” complements the more intellectual level of the “spirit of wisdom and understanding.”[2] Though usually the “spirit of wisdom and understanding” precedes the “spirit of counsel and might,” sometimes, during extraordinary conditions when action is immediately mandated, the order is reversed. (This is similar to the alternating primacy of prayer and acts of kindness, as well as to the alternating primacy of action and understanding.) Also, the “spirit of counsel” precedes the “spirit of might” in order to regulate might and apply it in proper proportion to the situation at hand. If not, the danger exists of “breaking of the vessels,” when an abundance of energy overwhelms a situation, causing destruction instead of rectification.

When Noah left the ark he was one of the few people to ever witness, in a literal sense, a “new world.” In effect, that was the message of the command to leave the ark—to leave behind the “old world” consciousness and to build a new one.

Of all the widespread corruption of Noah’s “old world,” the sin most responsible for bringing the flood was rampant thievery, which created a climate of distrust and fear between people. This fear was magnified as the subtle threat of the flood hung over the generation like a dark cloud.

But when Noah left the ark God blessed him[3] that these fears would be a thing of the past, and further reassured him by establishing a new covenant:

“And I will establish My covenant with you. Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”[4]

The blessing and the covenant were meant to pave the way for man to begin anew, free of distrust and fear.

The flood occurred in the year 1656 of the Hebrew calendar. The generation of the Tower of Babel, years later, re-entered the “old world” mentality of fear by thinking the world was destined to collapse every 1656 years. In response, they began building a tower that would reach the heavens, somehow preventing this from occurring.

And they said, “Come let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed across the whole earth.”[5]

Due to the existential threat they erroneously thought was facing them, they were overcome by fatalism. Ironically, the very displacement they feared became a self-fulfilling prophecy:

And God dispersed them from there over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city.[6]

The teachings of the Torah are eternal and its stories are archetypal in nature, forever repeating themselves in different guises and historic circumstances. In our times, the Holocaust parallels the destructive waters of the flood. For hundreds of years before World War II, Jews as a whole lived in a constant state of conscious or subconscious fear, due to their precarious status among the host nations. The forces of nationalism and revolution unleashed in Europe during the period of the Enlightenment added to the atmosphere of constant tension and conflict. Both sets of forces reached their tragic, climactic frenzy in the Holocaust.

Immediately following the end of World War II, Jewish sovereignty was renewed in the land of Israel, after two thousand years of determination and hope of an exiled people. This event, like the Holocaust, has no precedent in world history and parallels leaving the ark and the beginning of a “post-flood” reality. With the rebirth of Israel and the ingathering of the exiles, we witnessed the potential beginning of the fulfillment of the ancient covenant between God and the Jewish people, wherein God promised this land as an everlasting inheritance to His people, Israel. This corresponds to the covenant made by God with Noah immediately following the flood.

Although the threat of attack by hostile neighbors constantly hangs over Israel’s very existence, the underlying message of the times for the Jewish people is to leave the pre-Holocaust period of constant fear and apprehension, and with great courage create a “new world,” one that will hasten the Messianic era. For this to occur we need an enlightened leadership graced by God with the “spirit of counsel and might.”

For the Jews, this time period closely resembles that of Noah, in that a tremendous leadership potential exists, as evidenced by the rebirth of Israel and the ingathering of the exiles. But, like Noah, the Jews of today appear to be falling short of grasping the ultimate opportunity.

Building a “new world” depends on not fearing the tragedies of the “old world.” This does not mean being naive or careless, but trusting that God will not allow another “flood” or another Holocaust. To fully enter a new age, the Jewish people must forge a new consciousness, forcefully building a new world, and thus bringing the Messianic era closer by drawing the future into the present. In this moment, learning activates action; in the future, action will arouse inspiration.[7]

In the beginning stage of his leadership, the Ultimate Leader will be propelled by the dictum, “Great is learning that leads to action”—the epitome of the “spirit of wisdom and understanding.” At a later stage, that dictum will be transformed into the fulfillment of “great [in itself] is the act”—the essence of the “spirit of counsel and might.” His Divine appointment will initially create within him a vision and inner reality of a new world, free from paranoia and fear. His inner reality will eventually reflect outward to encompass the whole world.

As a teacher and leader, the Ultimate Leader, the Messiah, represents the collective potential of the Jewish people to be a source of great counsel and a “light unto the nations.” One of the names by which the Messiah is called by Isaiah is a “wondrous giver of counsel.” [8] The source of his counsel, as Isaiah notes elsewhere, is God Himself:

“God, You are My God; I will exalt You; I will give thanks to Your Name for you have achieved wondrous counsels from afar in firm faith.”[9]

“From afar” alludes to God’s surrounding, transcendent light, perceptible to only the highest, unconscious point of faith in the soul, a point where one is ever ready to give oneself totally to God. This level of counsel emanates from far above the mind, appearing wondrous when grasped.[10]

The letters of the Hebrew word for “wondrous” (pele) are the same as the name of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, alef, only inverted. One of the meanings of the word alef is “teach.”[11] Alef alludes to the level of wisdom and understanding, while its letters when inverted spell pele, alluding to an even higher “wondrous” level—the source of counsel and might.

When discussing the successive stages in a man’s life, the 2^nd century sage Yehudah ben Teima states: “a fifty-year-old can offer counsel.”[12] In Kabbalah, the number fifty is always associated with the “fifty gates of understanding.”[13] The fiftieth gate corresponds to the highest point of faith in the soul, the “unknowable head,” as noted earlier. The forty-nine gates all correspond to the consciousness of “I know,” whereas the fiftieth gate corresponds to the awareness that “I really don’t know.” On a number of occasions, when confronted with questions of which he was unsure, Moses, the greatest of all teachers, admitted that he did not know. The sages of the Talmud follow this example by admonishing: “Teach your tongue to say, ‘I do not know,’ lest you be led to lie.” [14]

On a deeper level, it is taught in Hassidism that the fiftieth gate should not be seen as a separate state of consciousness, but should be experienced within all the other gates as well. This is derived from the commandment to count a measure of barley, the omer, each day during the seven weeks between the remembrance of redemption from Egypt on Passover and the giving of the Torah on Shavuot:

“And you shall count from the next day after the rest day [Passover], from the day that you brought the measure of the wave offering; there are to be seven weeks, until the day after the seventh week, you are to count fifty days…” [15]

The redemption from Egypt and the freedom accompanying it were but the means to an end—the receiving of the Torah. Therefore, each day of the counting and each gate of understanding includes in it the fiftieth day and the fiftieth gate, the ever-present culminating goal. This lesson serves as a clear directive to a leader—always have your ultimate goals accompanying you and leading your every step.

The level of counsel emanates from the fiftieth gate, the aspiration of the future. This level is even beyond prophetic insight flowing from wisdom and understanding, as Isaiah says:

No eye has seen, besides You, God, that which will be done for those who wait for Him.[16]

The Hebrew word for “wait/waiting” (mechakeh) is composed of the same letters as the word for “wisdom” (chochmah) as mentioned above. Though the eyes of wisdom cannot clearly see the World to Come, those who wait for God’s counsel can glimpse a vision of the fiftieth gate, as it is drawn momentarily into the present.

For those who can glimpse that vision, the waiting is not passive. Rather it means being actively involved in the present, in order to take advantage of every opportunity to leave the ark of the present world, and, through a “spirit of counsel and might,” create a new age.

5 - Fourth Dynamic

The Drive for Integration

Every true leader has a plan of how to return the world to good—to rectify the rampant violence and immorality—so that the society we live in will become a Godly place. This entails a total involvement in current affairs and a broad knowledge of the arts and sciences in order to uplift them to their Divine source. This drive to integrate the secular with the holy is the fourth dynamic of leadership.

Before delving into the principles underlying this dynamic, it is important to explore further the relationship between Israel and the other nations touched upon in the introduction. The culminating goal of the Ultimate Leader—to unite all humanity to recognize the one God—depends on Israel and the nations fulfilling their appointed tasks. The Torah states that all peoples of the world derive from seventy primary nations, the seventy primary descendants of Noah as enumerated in the Book of Genesis.[1] The rectification of these nations occurs through the fulfillment of the seven commandments given to the descendants of Noah, the “universal religion” stretching back even further in time to Adam and Eve.

The Noahide commandments prohibit:

• worshiping any entity other than one God
• blaspheming God’s Name
• murder
• theft
• certain types of sexual relations
• eating meat taken from a live animal

Additionally, they prescribe the establishment of a court system to ensure a just society based on these laws.

Though some of the details vary, the majority of the Noahide commandments were later included in the Ten Commandments and their moral guidance has greatly influenced all mankind. In our day, it is important for the world not only to recognize the moral authority of these seven commandments, but their source in Torah as well.

The number seven is rich in meaning and is associated with the lower seven of the ten sefirot—the Divine channels through which God makes His Presence known in the world. These lower seven are considered the sefirot of the heart and correspond to the seventy archetypal nations. In contrast, Israel is associated with the upper three, the sefirot of the mind.[2] Though the intellect must always be connected to, and at times draw inspiration and guidance from the emotions,[3] its main task and responsibility is to lead.

In The Kuzari,[4] a classic book of medieval Jewish philosophy, Israel is described as the heart and the other nations as the limbs of the body. The metaphor of the heart pumping sustenance to the body parallels that of the head directing the heart.

Hassidism explains the difference in these parallel images as that between exile and redemption. While in exile, the Jewish people, due to circumstances, function more like the heart, feeling the suffering of the world, and, in allegorical and mystical fashion, suffering for the world. (Indeed, many Jewish and non-Jewish authors have described the Jews as the “conscience of the world.”) But in a redemptive state, the Jewish people will assume their more natural role as the head, leading the world to a new age.

In the 18^th century—when the Enlightenment made it possible for Jews for the first time to operate within general society—it was amazing to see how quickly they rose to the top of so many professions, as well as in the arts, sciences, and politics of their host countries.

Since all souls, both Jewish and non-Jewish, are connected at their ultimate source, when one level elevates itself, all levels are drawn upward as well. The natural inclination of the Jewish people is to elevate themselves to the level of mind and leadership, which naturally uplifts the entire world.

The source of the Jewish soul is rooted in the essence of God. Its purpose is to inspire the world with a deep, transcendent perspective of reality. This relates to our earlier discussion (see the first dynamic of leadership: the art of compromise) that reality, when experienced from a higher dimension, reconciles apparent paradoxes and unites all plurality in essential oneness. When this consciousness is fully implanted in the world, all the nations will be able to fulfill the seven Noahide commandments in an inspired state.

Being inspired when performing a commandment is an ideal not only for the future, but a goal that should be pursued on a daily basis. One of the original goals of the leaders of the Hassidic movement was to re-instill in the Jewish people a joyous and deeply spiritual attitude towards each and every religious obligation. A person who performs a ritual by rote can be likened to a slave who, motivated by fear of the master’s punishment, takes no pleasure in his or her actions. In contrast, a person who seeks to fulfill a commandment from love can be likened to a child of the master who actually feels the pleasure inherent in every action done on behalf of the master/father.[5]

Though fulfillment of a commandment is an emotional experience, it is enriched when preceded by proper, intellectual meditation and intent. Each action is intended to connect the individual directly to God, infusing both body and soul with tremendous life force and pleasure.

The purpose of all the commandments is identical with the goal of a true leader—to uplift the physical and unite it with the spiritual. Acting by rote drains away all the viable potential, leaving only an empty shell.

For Israel to be a “light unto the nations” it has to channel Torah as the source of God’s light in the world. Serving God by rote not only does not inspire, it drives people to look for spirituality from sources other than Torah. This is especially true today within Jewish communities everywhere. First and foremost, the task of the Jews is to inspire other Jews to see the beauty and relevance of Torah today. Only then will other nations accept with love its universal message of brotherhood, equality, peace, and compassion.

Due to historical circumstances, Jews for the last two thousand years have not been in a position to teach openly the seven commandments of Noah (nor their inner meaning) to the nations. The tremendous influence the Jewish people have had on all aspects of religion, culture, and society has been more a result of osmosis than of a conscious decision. Only now, with a restored national home and acceptance as equal citizens in most countries, is there an atmosphere where Jews can begin consciously to choose to fulfill a true leadership role. A Jewish leader today must inspire the whole Jewish people to become what God intended for them from the time of the Exodus:

“And you shall be to Me a nation of priests, and a holy people.”[6]

Fulfillment of the commandments in an inspired fashion demonstrates to others that the Torah is not merely a body of rules to live by (lest in a lawless society people “swallow each other up”); it is a powerful spiritual vehicle through which we learn how to communicate directly with God on both a personal and universal level. [7]

The basic relationship between Israel and the nations can also be viewed through the teachings of the Ba’al Shem Tov outlined earlier—that all spiritual growth and Divine service unfolds in a three-stage process of “submission, separation, and sweetening.” The initial stage of “submission” entails the Jewish people’s humble acceptance of their Torah responsibilities, including becoming a “light unto the nations.”

The next stage is highly paradoxical, for in order to realize the consummate stage of the unity of mankind in the service of God, an intermediate level of “separation” is needed.

Throughout history the Jewish people have maintained a separate identity, either by choice or by default, due to other peoples’ refusal to accept them as equals on any level. Every attempt to assimilate among the nations has brought disaster in its wake, as any student of Jewish history knows.

The pagan prophet Balaam correctly prophesied that Israel would be “…a nation that dwells in solitude and will not be reckoned among the nations.”[8] The state of separateness has been a source of blessing and curse—a blessing in that only in this way has Israel been able to maintain its unique, essential nature and thereby greatly influence the world, albeit in a manner not always immediately recognizable; and a curse in that it has prevented the other nations from fulfilling their true mission of drawing close to Israel and Torah.

However, the stage of “separation,” though paradoxical, is indispensable to the overall unfolding of God’s ultimate plan for humanity. Even after all the nations recognize the source of light emanating from the Jewish people, there will still need to be a separation. At that point though, the sense of separateness actually will motivate non-Jews to either want to convert or to draw closer by adopting the seven Noahide commandments.

When this spiritual arousal will reach and encompass all of humanity, part of the non-Jewish world will convert in full to Judaism, while the remaining part will accept its Torah-obligations and thereby merit to the status of “resident foreigner” (ger toshav). Non-Jews possessing the latter status are welcomed to the land of Israel and the Jewish people are required to care for them.[9] This is the stage of “sweetening” that the Ultimate Leader will reveal to the whole world.

The task of the Ultimate Leader is to unite the world in common purpose, transcending all differences between peoples. As the nations are inspired to fulfill their own unique purpose,  they will become like an orchestra “conducted” by the Ultimate Leader to create, from a multitude of instruments, a beautiful and harmonious symphony.

Source of Wisdom

Maimonides[1] states that if we want to know more about God we should look closely at the world around us where God’s imprint is encoded in every detail of nature. The numerical value of the Hebrew Name of God that appears in the Genesis story of creation (Elokim) is the same as that of the Hebrew word for “nature” (hateva, 86). This Name of God appears in the creation account thirty-two times, alluding to the thirty-two pathways of wisdom spoken of in Kabbalah.

The human quest to understand the world around us has led to wisdom in many areas of life and in a multitude of intellectual disciplines; it is particularly evident in the scientific and technological revolutions of the last three centuries. A Jew, and especially a leader, should not be afraid to acknowledge and take advantage of these advancements but, quite the opposite, should seek to find their source in Torah, as the sages proclaim:

Turn it [the Torah] over and turn it over again, for everything is in it…[2]

According to Kabbalah, the rectification of the physical world occurs through returning sparks of holiness at present entrapped in the “wisdoms” of the world to their source in Torah.[3] When the physical source of all earthly phenomena returns to its spiritual root, it is thus redeemed. By taking Albert Einstein’s discovery—that all matter in essence is pure energy— one step further, we see that the unification of secular knowledge and Torah wisdom reveals that all energy in essence emanates from one God. Einstein intuited this while trying in the last years of his life to develop a unified field theory, which remains to this day the ultimate goal of modern physics.

The leader works ceaselessly to reveal a “unified field” of immediate experience to those around him or her, wherein secular and holy, physical and spiritual are all seen to be manifestations of one energy, God.[4]

Primordial Dust

“All go to one place; all are of the dust and all return to dust,” states King Solomon in Ecclesiastes.[1]

Hidden in King Solomon’s wisdom we may find an allusion to an important scientific theory of our day—that of the “Big Bang.”[2] Modern astronomers believe that following this cataclysmic event, there began a process of formation of stars and galaxies from “primordial dust.” They posit that in these initial stages just two elements—hydrogen and helium—existed. Only as stars solidified did they become “factories” for more elements; then, when these ancient stars exploded, they seeded the cosmos with the new elements needed for a developing universe.

“Primordial dust” represents the totality of energy in the universe. Scientists now purport that all life on earth is in essence “star dust.” These modern discoveries only confirm the statement by the sages made more than two thousand years ago: “All comes from dust, even the sun.”[3]

We are taught in Kabbalah that the four cardinal elements of fire, air, water and earth/dust relate to the ten sefirot in the following manner:

• fire to chochmah (“wisdom”)
• air to binah (“understanding”)
• water to the six emotive sefirot, namely, chesed (“loving-kindness”),
  gevurah (“fortitude”), tiferet (“beauty”), netzach (“victory”), hod (“thanksgiving” or “glory”) and yesod (“foundation”)
• earth or dust to the last of the emotive sefirot, malchut (“kingship”)

The connection of dust to malchut alludes to the very rectification of the leader that we have been discussing in this chapter. For only when malchut, the lowest of the sefirot, has mastered the material aspect of “dust”—by means of the spiritual attribute of existential lowliness innate to a true king—will kingship merit to wear the “crown” (keter) of the highest sefirah, symbolizing the epitome of the spiritual realm.[4]

We are further taught in Kabbalah that dust/earth and the other primary elements have essential and secondary qualities.

Their correspondences are as follows:

element	essential quality	secondary quality
fire	hot	dry
air	wet	hot
water	cold	wet
dust	dry	cold

Dry and cold—the qualities of dust—connote death. Yet, we know that plants, animals, and human beings all derive their sustenance from the power of life and growth innate in the dust of the earth. This apparent paradox is reconciled by the apex of God’s creation, the human being, who is capable of bridging these two opposite yet essentially unified realities of life and death—the spiritual and the physical.

This is spelled out in the account of creation:

Now all the trees of the field were not yet on the earth and all the herbs had as yet not sprouted, for God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to work the soil.[5]

Rashi[6] explains:

And for what reason had it not rained? Because there was no man to work the soil and none to recognize the goodness of rain; and when man came and knew that the rains were needed for the world, he prayed for rain and it fell, and the trees and the grasses sprouted.

The Hebrew words for “man/human being” (adam) and “earth” (adamah) are identical except for the final, feminine hei of the word for “earth.” This alludes to the concept of “mother earth” and the “male-female” attraction between humanity and the earth from which it is nourished.[7]

The numerical values of the words for the essential and secondary qualities of dust—dry (yavesh, 312) and cold (kar, 300)—equal together the numerical value of the word for “covenant” (brit, 612). The first covenant God made with Abraham, even before the covenant of circumcision, was the covenant binding the Jewish people to the land of Israel forever. History has shown that no power can permanently separate the Jewish people from its land. In the time of exile the connection was maintained by daily prayers for a return to Israel and by nurturing the great desire to at least be buried in the land, which many over the generations were, in fact, able to do.

In modern days, great numbers of Jews have returned, in their lifetime to their historical homeland to live and grow. Motivated by the deep yearning of all the generations of exile, the Jews came home to build their land and establish therein a sovereign state. Indeed, the land responded to the overture of the people—for the first time in two thousand years it began to blossom.

Ages ago, the sages spoke of the time when the land would once again be transformed from barren desert to a fruitful “paradise” as one of the portents for the coming of the Messiah. [8]

This phenomenon reflects the interdependency of the physical and the spiritual. When physical reality is disconnected from the spiritual, it is “barren” and empty of real meaning, but when it is transformed into a vessel for the Divine, it becomes fruitful and full of life.

In the words of the Zohar, until the final redemption, “the Shechinah [i.e. God’s Presence] lies in the dust,”[9] and it is the mission of the Jews to restore the Shechinah to glory.

In general, the term Shechinah is used synonymously with the term “the Congregation of Israel” (Knesset Yisrael), meaning the spiritual source of all the souls of Israel. The redemption of the Shechinah in its fullest sense will occur in the land of Israel when the dust itself and all it symbolizes is infused with its full spiritual potential and with God’s Presence, ultimately yielding continual renewal and everlasting life.

Technology, Music and Art

The Hassidic masters speak of certain great souls who had a sense for the physical world, meaning they had a special connection to the “dust” of the physical.[1] The Ultimate Leader will likewise have this special “sense,” which in contemporary terms translates into a deep connection to science and the technological advances that are changing the very nature of life on earth. It has been widely discussed in recent years that many of the prophecies regarding the Messiah make most sense in a world that has turned into a “global village.” It is beyond the scope of this book to delve extensively into this meaningful subject, but two examples might help to clarify this point.

For the Ultimate Leader to reach the entire world with his message and unite all peoples in the knowledge and service of the one God would require a system of communication that would allow him global access. Until recently this was not a feasible reality, but with the varied methods of instantaneous communication available to us now, this is no longer out of the realm of possibility.[2] Theoretically, he could speak to the entire world on “live” broadcast, thereby creating true world unity.

Overcoming hunger is another example. Until just 150 years ago there could be a major famine in one part of the world and distant countries would not hear of it until years later. Even if there had been the ability to disseminate the calls for help more quickly, in practical terms, relief could not have reached the stricken for months. Today, major natural disasters are reported worldwide in a matter of minutes and relief efforts are mounted immediately.

Technology, if properly harnessed, can be used for the most spiritual of purposes. On the simplest level, technology frees people to pursue activities leading to a higher consciousness. The development of technology in our day parallels Noah’s invention of the plow (which we discussed earlier), both serving to rectify the “curse” of Adam to earn a livelihood by the sweat of his brow.

An inspired leader is well aware of this; he shows interest and concern not only in his followers’ spiritual development but understands that the spiritual will blossom if the practical/material realm is in order as well.

While science and technology are two important aspects of the material realm, music and the visual arts are no less so.

Music has been a source of comfort to the Jewish people throughout their many exiles, inspiring a rich tradition of music for nearly every occasion. The visual arts on the other hand were for the most part limited to ritual art.

Only the Temple represents the visual arts in their full splendor, combining all creative expression in a unified vision. The Tabernacle in the desert, and later, the Temple in Jerusalem, symbolized not only the microcosm of the created universe but a holy space where God revealed, in a greater degree than anywhere else, His glory on earth. The destruction of the Temple represents the diminished spiritual vision of the arts and its rebuilding will be accompanied by a burst of creative artistic energy.

Both science and art, according to Kabbalah, have their ultimate source in the unconscious realm of keter (“crown”), the highest of the ten sefirot. But when revealed in the world, science must express itself through the intellect (i.e., the conscious) to be understood, whereas art always maintains its connection to the super-conscious sphere. In fact, the more subtle the artist’s connection to the mysterious and intangible strata of the soul, the greater the work of art becomes. Science deals in clear and precise terms; its accomplishments appear as the workings of human beings. In contrast, art and music reveal the more indefinable awareness of God’s grace in the soul and bring with them a recognition that an artistic creation is indeed a “gift” from God. [3]

Integration

There is a unique grace found in every Jewish soul, eliciting God’s continual compassion upon it. This innate aspect of soul, which should naturally reveal itself in every realm of existence, is still to a great extent in a state of exile. Detached from Torah, Jews everywhere are copying foreign cultures, blurring the innate and refined sense of science and art present within their souls.

It is the role of the contemporary leader to encourage the redemption of both science and art by revealing their source and unity in Torah. This entails demonstrating the true purpose of science and art, which is to reveal God’s Presence and His will in every aspect of life and at every level of consciousness.

A numerical gem, supporting the ideas thus far presented, is found when adding the numerical values of the Hebrew words for “art” (omanut, 497) and “science” (mada, 114); these equal the numerical value of the word Torah (611). The word for “art” is closely related to the word for “faith” (emunah), the highest level of the super-conscious found in the sefirah of keter (“crown”), and the ultimate source of inspiration for all creative aspects of the soul. The word for “science” is closely related to the sefirah of da’at (“knowledge”), the culmination of the three conscious sefirot of intellect: chochmah (“wisdom”), binah (“understanding”), and da’at (“knowledge”).

In certain respects, the above numerical equivalent is one of the future, when the secular worlds of art and science will not hide spirituality but will actually be converted into vehicles for powerful revelations of Divinity. This idea relates to our earlier discussion of how, in the future, action itself will be the source of inspiration, as opposed to the present reality where learning directs action. As the Messianic era approaches, the Torah will more and more be equated with the spontaneous sense of beauty and thirst for knowledge that is innate to the Jewish soul.

This phenomenon is clearly seen in the recent explosion of books and teachings that reveal Torah wisdom and its relevance to a gamut of scientific disciplines and contemporary professions. Recent discoveries in the area of quantum physics and cosmology now begin to approach the Torah’s account of creation. Computers are probing the incredible mathematical structure and “codes” hidden in the Torah. Modern psychology has developed a language for describing the human personality and consciousness known for ages in Jewish tradition. Torah law, custom, and insights are now being recognized as valuable instruments and guidelines for an array of present-day difficulties and situations such as those involving the environment, education, sexuality, medical ethics, community structure, the legal system, etc.

In addition, there is enormous worldwide interest in finding meaning beyond the impersonal and alienating aspects of modern life and culture. This has led to a renewal of interest by Jews and non-Jews alike in the Jewish mystic tradition as embodied in Kabbalah and Hassidism. In a time when many are groping for a sense of purpose and moral guidelines in a rapidly changing world, the Torah stands out as a beacon of light and sanity for all humanity.

As the world becomes more advanced technologically, it is experiencing a paradox inherent in the nature of creation itself. In one sense, our physical universe reveals God’s creative power and will. In another sense, though, the physical world serves as a curtain hiding His true infinite essence from a finite world not really prepared for such direct Divine experience. [1] This is seen in the fact that the Hebrew word for “world” (olam) derives from the same root as the word for “hiddenness” (he’elem). A well-known idiom employed by the sages to express this apparent paradox is: “He is the Place of the world but the world is not His place.”

In a similar manner, the high-tech knowledge of today reveals and yet hides God’s Presence in the world. After the inception of the Messianic era, the curtain preventing direct Divine experience will be slowly lifted in accordance with each soul’s ability to integrate God’s light. “Mother earth” will then give birth to spiritual pleasures we cannot at present even imagine. The true essence of the Creator will reveal itself in every point of the physical creation as the wellsprings of nature generate higher and higher levels of consciousness. Physical beauty at that time will become synonymous with spiritual beauty and wisdom; and technology properly harnessed and channeled will assist human spiritual development and refinement.

The spiritual light to be revealed in the Messianic era is called in mystical texts a “new” light. According to Kabbalah, this light comes from even above the “higher darkness,” a term used to describe God’s infinite potential to create, the “nothing” preceding the “something” of creation. Only in the Messianic era will this light, hidden within the very essence of God, break forth. An allusion to the unbounded joy of this revelation is captured in the hopeful prayer: “Shine a new light upon Zion, and may we all soon merit to enjoy its brightness.”

It is the task of the true leader to draw this new light into our contemporary world and reveal how all reality is a fitting vessel for the revelation of God’s very essence. The more a true Torah-based perspective is transmitted in a language the modern world can understand and respect, the more Torah is shown to encompass and relate to the here-and-now, and the more readily the message will be received and accepted.

In this regard, every Jew can make a significant contribution within his or her own immediate sphere of influence. Each ripple in the water has a power and momentum to create ever greater circles of spiritual movement until the “critical mass” is reached to break through the barrier or “firmament” that divides the “higher waters” (the Divine wisdom of the Torah) from the “lower waters” (the wisdom inherent in the arts and sciences).

In Kabbalah, the “higher waters” symbolize the male seed, while the “lower waters” symbolize the female seed. Their union impregnates the consciousness of all reality with the awareness that God’s absolute unity is reflected equally in spirit and body.[2]

6 - Fifth Dynamic

A Sense of Folly

The last of our five dynamics—a sense of humor or “holy folly”—is by its very nature the most paradoxical and enigmatic of all the qualities required of a true leader. The ability to display a good sense of humor, and, at the appropriate times, even a little foolishness in the right proportion to wisdom and dignity, mirrors the Creator’s capacity to integrate and unify seemingly opposite states of reality.

We will introduce here three different perspectives to the application of folly as found in the Bible and the Jewish Oral Tradition, and then proceed to explain each in detail:

1) Any leader must on occasion apply severity in order to punish wrongdoing. As a result, those responsible are awakened, while those witnessing or hearing of the punishment are impelled to heed the warning. The tendency to punish, though, actually runs against the grain of the ideal leader, and therefore represents folly in relation to his own soul in that it actually hurts him as much as, if not more than, the person he is punishing.

2) There are times when a leader makes a fool of himself or even feigns insanity—as in the case of King David—in order to redeem a situation or even save his own life. In these extreme circumstances a leader must be able to employ a temporary strategy totally foreign to his essential nature for the sake of a higher good.

3) A touch of foolishness when used to awaken laughter and joy in others can generate a spiritually conducive atmosphere, opening channels for deeper rapport and unity among people.

These three manifestations of folly correspond to the three stages of spiritual development and Divine service as taught by the Ba’al Shem Tov and as explained earlier—“submission, separation, and sweetening.”

“Submission” relates to the humility of soul engendered by punishment in both the leader and the recipient. “Separation” relates to the refinement resulting from the leader’s ability to play the fool, as will be explained. “Sweetening” occurs when “holy folly” leads to joy and happiness.

Folly and Punishment

King Solomon, the wisest of all men, alluded to the characteristic of folly in a puzzling verse:

Death-flies stink, yet they ultimately express fragrant oil; more precious than wisdom, than honor, is a little foolishness.[1]

This verse, as understood by the Midrash, relates to three specific cases of a leader using punishment.

The first case noted is that of Korach, who, when the Israelites wandered in the desert, challenged the right of Moses to lead the people.[2]

After a number of futile attempts to make peace with Korach, Moses told the people:

“If as all men die [that is, naturally] will these men [Korach and his followers] meet their deaths …then God has not sent me. [But] if God will create a new creation, and the earth will open its mouth and swallow them along with all their belongings, and they will go down alive to the grave, then you will know that these men have angered God.”[3]

As he finished his words the earth opened up and swallowed up the rebels, thus confirming Moses’ Divine appointment. The punishment also served to convince Korach of his mistaken judgment, and as he descended into the abyss, he was heard to confirm Moses’ authority, thus metamorphosing “evil smelling” words into “fragrant oil.”

Even greater than the prophecy of Moses was his sense of folly in asking God to “create a new creation,” a request that on the surface defied logic and ran counter to his usual humbleness. But he must have felt that the situation required drastic measures if he were to bring Korach to repent and confirm his right to lead the people.

The second case referred to in the Midrash involves King David.[4] Doeg and Achitofel led a campaign of malicious slander against David, challenging not only his right to be king but his very Jewishness.[5] David, feeling betrayed, prayed to God to bring them down to the pit of destruction. It was this prayer that ultimately motivated them to change their attitude and repent.

The last case takes place in the days of Elijah the prophet.[6] In order to turn the Jewish people away from idol worship, Elijah challenged the priests of the idol Ba’al to a contest to prove who is the real God. The contest would pit Elijah against the 450 priests: each side would offer a sacrificial bull to their deity and whichever deity sent a fire from heaven to consume the offering in full sight of the people would be accepted as the true God. After nearly a full day of trying, the 450 priests could not induce Ba’al to act and their sacrifice sat rotting on the altar. All the while, Elijah mocked them:

“Shout louder! After all, he is a god, but he may be in conversation, he may be detained, or he may be on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and will wake up.”[7]

As the day neared its end, Elijah prepared his own sacrifice, dousing it with water so it would be even more difficult to set aflame. He then offered one short prayer and immediately a fire came down from heaven and consumed not only the animal carcass but the wood and stones of the altar. The gathered multitude responded in awe, openly acknowledging the oneness of God.

The threat of punishment to the loser was implicit and pervaded the whole proceedings; indeed, at the close, Elijah ordered the priests of Ba’al seized and brought down into the valley of Kishon where they were executed.

The thread linking these three applications of King Solomon’s verse is that punishment, or even the threat of retribution, effected a repentance that wisdom could not achieve. In addition, we see an allusion to “holy folly” in the case of Moses setting up a situation in which God had to “create a new creation,” and in the case of Elijah concocting a “contest of the gods.” Here, folly manifests itself as wisdom emanating from above normative reason.

Another similarity found in all three cases is the theme of descent. Korach descended into the abyss; David prayed to bring his enemies down to the pit of destruction; and Elijah brought the false priests of Ba’al down to the valley to be killed. Hassidism holds that strong words of constructive rebuke, even without any punitive action, have the power to “bring down” the evil inclination and awaken repentance.[8] The same result, if not more, can be seen when action accompanies oral rebuke.

Another verse in Proverbs written by King Solomon—“Also punishment for a righteous person [tzadik] is not good…”[9]­— appears to contradict the above Midrashic interpretation that points to the positive aspects of punishment.

King Solomon’s use of the phrase “not good” reminds us of the first appearance of these words in the Book of Genesis when God declares that “It is not good for man to be alone.”[10] (This led to the creation of Eve to be Adam’s wife.) The correlation between these two verses alludes to the tzadik also being alone, in that he must “divorce” himself from the one he is punishing. In so far as he endeavors to have a deep soul connection with everyone he contacts, it is as if he is “married” to that person, but when forced to dispense punishment, he feels existentially alone and this causes him great pain. Even knowing that the punishment will in the long run be beneficial does not mitigate the negative reaction the tzadik experiences.[11]

Similarly, punishment is hurtful to the very being of the Jewish leader inasmuch as all Jewish souls are connected; nevertheless, in order to ultimately sweeten reality, the leader must be willing to punish despite the painful personal toll.

In the three cases discussed above, Moses, David, and Elijah were all willing to exact punishment for the sake of the public good and for the sake of the repentance the punishments inspired. As a result, the people’s belief in the Torah of Moses, the kingship of David, and the realization of the oneness of God at the time of Elijah, were all strengthened.

To elevate the intrinsic sense of caring for others above personal needs or desires requires taking the self out of one’s center of focus, or in the idiom of Hassidism, “setting one’s self aside.” Rabbi Nachman of Breslov described this action as “augmenting the honor of heaven, while simultaneously decreasing one’s own personal honor.”[12]

In conclusion, we can see that the first manifestation of folly also follows the three stages of spiritual growth as taught by the Ba’al Shem Tov. The stage of “submission” is the effect punishment has on the leader; the impression on his or her soul remains long after the momentary submission experienced by the recipient of the punishment. “Separation” occurs as the person being punished is now able to differentiate between good and evil. “Sweetening” is achieved through sincere repentance, the purpose the leader intended in exercising the punishment in the first place.

Although this expression of the dynamic of folly contains all three stages, it is most associated with “submission,” as manifest in the subjugation of the evil inclination, the neutralization of ego and the subjugation of the leader’s own tendencies for the benefit of others.

The sages taught that “No one commits a sin unless a [temporary] spirit of foolishness enters him.”[13] Recognizing this truth, the leader fights folly with folly. In this sense, one leads others by subjugating one’s own interests for the good of the whole—the paradigm of submission in the soul. The essence of leadership is thus revealed in one who learns self-submission in order to serve both God and man.

Folly as Insanity

The second manifestation of the dynamic of folly—feigning insanity—is based on the story of David, who, when fleeing from the wrath of King Saul, was forced to pretend that he lost his mind in order to escape from Achish, the king of Gat. The Midrash reveals the background to this fascinating story:

David said to the Holy One: “All that You have made is beautiful, and wisdom is the most beautiful of all … but insanity that You created, what beauty is there in it for You? For example, when a man walks in the market and he drools over his clothes and children run after him and people make fun of him, is this beautiful to You?” The Holy One said to David: “You complain about the injustice of insanity; by your life you will need it.”

Shortly thereafter, David had to flee for his life. The only place of refuge was Gat, a Philistine city-state whose inhabitants were the sworn enemies of Israel. Indeed, the bodyguard of the king was the brother of Goliath whom David had slain. Suspicious of the reasons for David’s arrival, the advisors to the king recommended he kill David now and ask questions later. Terrified, David pretended to be mad; he “scratched on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.”[1] Seeing this behavior, the king—who had a mad wife and daughter—exclaimed: “Do I lack madmen, that you bring this one to display madness in front of me?” Thus, David’s life was spared and he was allowed to leave Gat and escape to a nearby cave.

Realizing that even madness has a purpose, King David composed one of his most famous Psalms: “I will bless You at every moment; His praise shall be constantly in my mouth…”[2]

David’s realization that every psychological state is useful in its right time is developed further by his son Solomon, who wrote: “For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.”[3]

In the passage that follows, various elements of life are enumerated, each one useful in its appropriate time:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.[4]

In all, twenty-eight “times” are recorded, the number associated with a lunar month, which is made up of four basic seven-day quarters of the moon. The waxing and the waning of the moon thus represent the full cycle of time.[5]

King David discovered that there was even a time for madness. The more mysterious part of this story, however, is why David’s insanity saved him and how is it relevant to us today. In examining the Kabbalah’s answer, we must keep in mind that David is the forerunner and prototype of the Ultimate Leader and all of his actions, as recorded in the Bible, allude to deep spiritual truths and archetypal historical patterns.

The first of those truths relates to the Ari’s explanation of the primordial “breaking of the vessels” which scattered holy sparks throughout creation. As noted in our discussion of the fourth dynamic of leadership, it is the primary mission of the Jewish people to search out, uplift, and redeem these holy sparks. The role of a true leader is to be in the forefront of these efforts, ever aware of revealing holiness, especially in areas and situations where it would be least expected.

It will be the final mission of the Ultimate Leader to penetrate into the very depths of unrectified reality where evil predominates, in order to liberate sparks of holiness and return them to their rightful source. These attempts are fraught with spiritual and physical danger, as alluded to in Proverbs: “For a righteous man falls seven times yet rises up each time.”[6]

According to Kabbalah, evil forces actually derive their energy by “sucking” life force from holiness. The Ultimate Leader will know how to shake off the grip of the external shells of reality and see through them to their essential kernel of holiness. Even though he may fall seven times, his essential grounding in holiness will allow him to eventually rise up, identify, and rescue holy sparks everywhere.[7]

The pattern for such a rescue operation is set in an event in the life of King David. In order to save himself, David had to feign insanity and in so doing became abhorrent to the king of Gat, who then willingly expelled him from his presence. We learn from Kabbalah that this becomes a precedent for a pattern in Jewish history—of Jews being expelled from various countries during their exile, eventually to be returned to Israel. We further find this pattern linked to a dramatic passage in the Book of Job:

He [evil] has swallowed down riches and he shall vomit them up again. God shall cast them from his belly.[8]

Even though the Jews have been figuratively swallowed up in exile, they pray to be gathered—or in this context expelled or “vomited out” of exile—and returned to Israel with all the holy sparks that they have redeemed during their long and bitter separation from their homeland.

History has shown that when Jews become so “indigestible” that other nations cannot bear them any longer, they eventually are vomited out. The reasons are many and complex: at times the host country feels threatened by the strength of the Jews; at other times, the citizens of the host country become jealous of the Jews’ material success and blame all ills on them; and most frequently, the foreign nation simply cannot stomach the Jews’ stubborn attachment to their faith despite strong-arm conversion tactics that have included massacres, pogroms, and persecution of every conceivable type.[9] As the Book of Exodus relates, the Jews’ slavery in Egypt, the prototype of all future exiles, began with Pharaoh saying:

“Behold, the people of Israel are more numerous and mightier than us. Come let us deal shrewdly with them so they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and expel [us] from the land.” So they [the Egyptians] set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor….[10]

Only after the ten plagues had devastated Egypt did the Jews finally become “indigestible,” and Pharaoh expelled them.

Throughout history, the very nations that invited the Jews into their borders or forcefully brought them there, in due time came to expel them. This happened, for example, in England in 1290, in France in 1394, and in Spain in 1492—all places where Jews enjoyed significant material success. The worst case, of course, was that of Nazi Germany, and the most recent was that of the Soviet Union, which eventually found it easier to let the Jews go than to deal with the problem they posed.

After World War II, a combination of world conscience, shocked into action by the nauseating revelations of the Holocaust, and the simultaneous rise of a new proud, defiant Jew insistent on returning to his homeland, led to the rebirth of Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel.

This phenomenon is intrinsically connected to the coming of the Messiah in that both events entail the uplifting of all the good trapped in the exile and its ultimate liberation in Israel.

At the dawning of the Messianic age, the forces of darkness and evil will attempt their final act of opposition.[11] It is not surprising, then, that in the last century, as the ingathering of the exiles began in earnest,[12] the opposite forces of genocide and assimilation have been felt with a vengeance. These forces reveal a cosmic battle of good versus evil that must occur before the Messianic era begins.

Assimilation represents the most extreme manifestation of the Jews being swallowed up while in exile, allowing a spirit of “unholy folly” not only to enter, but to overwhelm completely the Jewish spark within. Ultimately, though, no soul will be lost and eventually every spark of holiness will be brought back to Israel.[13]

In many cases a Jew, long cut off from his true roots, will begin the spiritual journey back to Judaism only after becoming totally alienated and even disgusted with the very foreign, material values he adopted at the expense of his true Jewish identity. In this sense, his own false self-identity vomits him out, thus forcing him to look deep within, where his true Jewish identity begins to reveal itself.

As is clearly evident in Israel today, the complete redemption of the sparks of holiness is neither an easy nor instantaneous process. Jews from over one hundred countries are now gathered in Israel and an intense period of self-definition and creative energy has begun. A period of recuperation from the long exile is taking place as the Jewish people heal and strengthen themselves for the last battle with the forces of evil.

As in the case of the first manifestation of the sense of folly, the process described here also follows the Ba’al Shem Tov’s three stages of spiritual growth.

“Submission” in the soul is experienced in the consciousness of exile—the sensation of being swallowed up, the feeling of revulsion at false self-identity, and the spirit of “unholy folly” leading to sin.[14] Even in the land of Israel one can revert to an exile mentality. Before one is able to free oneself from the powers of darkness, a total awareness of separating good from evil and holy from profane is required. It is this stage of “separation” that most represents the second manifestation of “holy folly.”[15] Only when a true separation of good and evil is accomplished can the sparks of holiness be redeemed and a “sweetening” take place where all reality is reunited with its Divine source.

Folly that Brings Joy

“Holy folly” that awakens laughter and joy in others is in certain respects the simplest to understand and the easiest to access. Nonetheless, its application eludes most people. Yet, its rewards are so immediate and long lasting, it is a wonder that people find it so hard to reveal this characteristic in themselves and others.

The Talmud[1] tells us that Rabbi Shmuel ben Yitzchak used to take three branches and juggle them before a bride at a wedding. Rabbi Zeira took exception to his behavior, feeling it brought scorn upon the sages to act in such an undignified manner in public. When Rabbi Shmuel died, a pillar of fire, which only appeared once in a generation, accompanied him to his last resting place. This sign was considered an acknowledgment of his greatness from heaven. Only then did Rabbi Zeira realize how precious Rabbi Shmuel’s actions had been in the eyes of God.

The ability to use humor and “a little foolishness” to cause joy and laughter in others emanates from a level of wisdom that transcends the restrictions of normative logic. When properly applied, this type of folly breaks down psychological barriers preventing people from opening up to each other and makes possible new levels of experience and consciousness. The great 3^rd century sage Rabbah[2] would begin his public lectures with an amusing story or anecdote in order to relax his students and create rapport with them; in this way they would be more receptive to his teachings.

It is customary for guests at a Jewish wedding to employ a number of unusual methods to make the bride and groom laugh. The spiritual effect of such “holy folly” is to bring souls together; pure joy arouses the revelation of God’s infinite light, the spiritual source of conceiving children.

Someone who dislikes this sort of folly actually prevents birth, as may be seen in the story of David and his wife Michal.[3] As the Ark of the Covenant was being brought up to Jerusalem, an event of great public celebration, King David was so overcome with joy that he began to dance wildly in the streets. Looking out of her window, Michal “despised him in her heart.” When David returned to the palace, she ridiculed his behavior:

“How glorious was the king of Israel today, who was exposed today in the eyes of the maidservants of his servants, as one of the boors would be exposed!”

But King David responded:

“It was before God Who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over God’s people, over Israel. Before God I will make merry. And I shall behave even more humbly than this, and I shall be lowly in my own eyes; and of the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them shall I be held in honor.”

The story concludes with the words:

And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

In the eyes of David, bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem represented a wedding between God and Israel, worthy of “holy folly” of the highest order. Michal’s disdain prevented her from reaching the level of unity of souls needed to bring children into the world.

This third type of folly differs from the two preceding categories in that they are more a means to other goals, whereas the joy evoked at this level is an end in itself.[4]

Maimonides writes concerning the joy produced by “a little foolishness” in his description of the celebrations that took place in the Temple during the week-long holiday of Sukot.[5] Every night, water would be drawn from a nearby natural spring and brought up to the Temple in a festive procession. The water would then be poured on the altar, symbolizing the people’s fervent hopes for a year of abundant rain and blessing. All present would then celebrate the entire night with singing, ecstatic dancing, and acrobatics. Of these festivities the Mishnah[6] states, “He that never has seen the joy of the water-drawing celebration has never in his life seen joy.”

Maimonides also notes that a commandment fulfilled with love and joy represents the spiritually purest way of serving God. He explains that if one does not serve God with joy and gladness of heart, one is worthy of punishment. He goes on to declare that anyone who feels they are too great or honorable to partake in the “holy folly” of such a mitzvah (as the celebration of drawing water) is, in fact, a sinner and a dunce.[7]

One of the main obstacles to reaching a state of happiness is pride, arrogance, and an inflated ego. In the same discussion Maimonides—quoting the verse from Proverbs,[8] “Do not glorify yourself before the king”—explains: do not put the focus on your own glory or dignity ahead of the glory due God. Anyone who holds back from engaging in an exuberant display in praise of the King of Kings out of hyper-sensitivity or self-consciousness brings honor neither to God nor to himself.

For the Jew outside the land of Israel there cannot be the same spontaneous expression of joy felt through fulfilling God’s commandments as there is in the land of Israel, which is inherently conducive to experiencing the joy of a mitzvah as intrinsic to the mitzvah itself.[9] One of the major themes of the teachings of the Ba’al Shem Tov was that the time had come to experience the joy of a mitzvah even while in exile, as one would in the land of Israel. This change of focus—experiencing a taste of Israel while yet in exile—helped spark in the Jewish people, whether conscious or unconscious of its origin, an augmented desire to return to the land of Israel.

As with the two previous aspects of foolishness, we see once again that this type of “holy folly” follows the Ba’al Shem Tov’s three stages of spiritual growth. First, one enters into a state of “submission” in order to free the ego from its inhibitions and to make space for experiencing the joy of the moment. “Separation” is accomplished by putting the self aside, so as not to detract from the pure intent of bringing happiness to others and God. Finally, after creating joy for others, one is able to experience the “sweetening”—to taste the sweetness of joy emanating from the act itself.

Within the initial “submission” there must be a hint of “sweetening” in order to motivate action, and within the level of “sweetening” there must be a hint of “submission,” in order that one not get too carried away (the boundaries of joy will presently be explained). Thus is revealed the Kabbalistic notion that “the end is wedged in the beginning and the beginning in the end.”

A Little Foolishness

Death-flies stink, yet they ultimately express fragrant oil; more precious than wisdom, than honor, is a little foolishness.[1]

Reflecting once again on the words of King Solomon, which have served as our source for the concept of folly, we notice the adjective “little” modifying the word “foolishness.” While this seems appropriate for the first two levels of folly we described—the folly of punishment and the folly of feigned insanity—it appears limiting in relation to the overall goal of serving God constantly with joy. Theoretically, there should be no limit to exuberance and ecstasy when approaching the service of God.

There are two ways in which we can understand the Hebrew word me’at, which is translated as “little” in this context: (1) downsizing the ego to be able to take joy in fulfilling God’s commandments; and (2) allowing ourselves to experience a hint of ecstasy now in order to keep the goal of eventual total joy ever-present in our minds.

David’s statement to Michal—“and I shall be lowly in my own eyes…”—while an explanation of his inner feelings, is actually the prerequisite for enacting all levels of spiritual service. Making one’s ego small creates more space for Divine wisdom and inspiration to enter, as we have discussed. Great joy is born from the spiritual womb of “nothingness.” When the ego is rectified and dedicated to serving God and making others happy, it becomes easy to partake of the joy of fulfilling a commandment.

The sages understand the words of Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy—“It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples that God chose you, for you are the fewest [me’at] of all people…”[2]—to teach that God chose the Jewish people because of their ability to nullify their will to His will and because of the Jews’ instinctive selflessness in relation to others.[3] The “smaller” people become in their own eyes, the greater they become in the eyes of God.

A second insight relating to “a little foolishness” is a statement in the Talmud[4] that whoever recites Hallel every day is in fact cursing (rather than blessing). Hallel is an expression of ecstasy; a series of Psalms of praise and thanksgiving, it is only included in our prayers on the holidays of Passover, Shavuot, Sukot, Hanukah, and on Rosh Hodesh, the celebration of the new moon. To recite Hallel is to experience directly and express the festive energy of these special days; but, in the present state of consciousness, anyone who thinks he can feel the miraculous state of being in such an intense way as to justify reciting Hallel daily is deceiving himself.

In the Messianic age a state of consciousness will be reached in which the daily recitation of Hallel will be an appropriate expression of one’s awareness of God’s continual presence and goodness.

Although we cannot, as yet, expect to serve God unceasingly with such joyous ecstasy, it should nevertheless be a goal and the occasional recitation of Hallel reminds us of this. On a transcendent level, the commandments are themselves only a means to enter into an elevated state of awe—and even higher, into a state of selflessness—that reveals the joy of a commandment as its true intended purpose. The statement of the sages that “the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah”[5] can be understood as “the reward of a mitzvah is the joy born of its fulfillment.”

An enigmatic statement in the Talmud[6] declares that at a certain stage in the future the commandments will become null.[7] As a candle at high noon is null to the brilliant light of the sun, the commandments in the future will exist, but will become null in comparison to the dazzling light they produce within the soul. The inner revelation of light and pure joy derived from the fulfillment of commandments—especially those performed in the spirit of “holy folly”—will reveal that action is indeed the essence of joy. When “holy folly” becomes infinitely great it will have the power to transform any positive action and produce spiritual pleasure beyond our present capacity to comprehend.

The true leader knows this, because the true leader is deeply connected to every soul, seeking to lead through example and to inspire those around him to relate to the world in a truly joyous manner. In so doing he helps uplift within himself and others the spark of the Ultimate Leader waiting to be revealed. When properly developed, this spark is transformed into the true leadership power needed by the entire world. Ultimately, every person has the responsibility to rectify his or her own spark of leadership until the individual sparks combine to create a beacon of hope in a world of spiritual darkness.

There are countless practical applications and opportunities to manifest the five dynamics of leadership in our daily lives. As idealistic and transcendent as they may seem at times, they comprise the vision that drives us towards a balanced and integrated present and, even more, a glorious future. Even the realization of but a hint of each dynamic is a step well worth taking. As the sages say:

You are not obligated to complete the work, nor are you free to desist from it.[8]

7 - Conclusion

Ascending into the Future

More than any other, the theme that connects and ultimately motivates all five dynamics of leadership is vision.

When pursuing the first dynamic, the art of compromise, one must be ever aware of the point of goodness and truth in each person, seeing beyond the dualities of this world to the vision of oneness underlying all creation. The second dynamic, the drive for wholeness and the ability to draw the supernatural into normative reality, entails a vision of a perfected future. The very nature of inspiration, the third dynamic, is aroused and invigorated by a visionary outlook on life. The preoccupation of the leader with refining the physical world and integrating all knowledge with Torah, the fourth dynamic, is predicated on the leader’s perception of all existence as a unified Divine revelation. All three levels of folly, the fifth dynamic, necessitate a keen visionary awareness of the appropriate action needed at a specific moment in time.

One of the most significant contributions of the Jewish people to the world-at-large has been its ability to transmit a universal vision of redemption. Many religions, philosophies, social causes, political movements, and artistic endeavors throughout the ages have drawn their inspiration from the Torah and from the words of the Jewish prophets whose vision of a perfected world—a world of peace, love, and brotherhood—filled humanity with hope in the darkest times.

This vision is close to reality—the Messianic age is dawning. What will it bring?

According to Kabbalah, once the Messianic age begins, we can expect to experience five levels of ascending consciousness:

1) The first level will be as subtle as it will be dramatic. Subtle, because the initial revelation of the Ultimate Leader and the subsequent changes taking place at that time will all occur within the laws of nature.[1] Dramatic because the Ultimate Leader will prove his appointment as “the Anointed One,” the Messiah for whom the world is waiting, by turning the hearts of all of Israel toward God and Torah; by fighting the final wars and, in so doing, establishing for eternity Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel; by building the third Temple in Jerusalem which will be a “house of prayer for all people”[2]; by completing the ingathering of exiles; and by rectifying the entire world so that all humanity will universally recognize and worship God.

2) As the above changes occur and their effects become consciously perceived, physical reality will gradually transform and become more spiritual in its essential nature.

Maimonides explains:

In that time there will be no hunger nor war; and no jealousy or competition. Good things will abound greatly… There will be no occupation in the world other than to know God…as it is written, “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea.”[3]

When compared to our present state of reality and our far from perfect human nature, we see that what Maimonides describes as a natural development is what we now term “supernatural.” This is similar to the second dynamic of leadership—the drive for wholeness—where the drive to perfection draws the future into the present, transmuting the supernatural into the natural.

3) When reality has been refined to such an extent that physical matter becomes a perfect vessel for spiritual energy, the resurrection of the dead will occur. At that stage, body and soul become completely complementary, united in harmony. Eternal life, the birthright of humanity, will triumph over the forces of entropy and death, which will cease to exist. This eventual state when eternal life will prevail is called by the sages “the World to Come.”

4) The World to Come, initially manifest in the third stage, will reach its full revelation in the seventh millenium, “a time that is entirely Shabbat”—that is a day of eternal rest from physical labor. At this level, all reality will achieve a consummate state of rest and spiritual bliss. This will also be the time when each soul will receive its due reward for all the good it did in life. All that was hidden from our eyes in this world will then be revealed.

5) The last stage of spiritual and physical refinement is referred to by the sages as an era of “fifty thousand jubilees.” Every seventh year in the land of Israel was the Sabbatical year, when the land rested and lay fallow, debts were annulled, and people dedicated themselves to studying the Torah. At the conclusion of seven Sabbatical cycles, the fiftieth, or “jubilee year” was celebrated. This was an additional year of rest for the land, slaves were freed, and land reverted to its original owner. The jubilee year, like the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai fifty days after the exodus from Egypt, represents the culmination and completion of a Torah-cycle.

In Psalms it is stated that “a thousand years in Your eyes are as a day that has passed.”[4] From a higher perspective, a millenium is a day, and so the seventh millenium of creation is its day of Shabbat, as noted above. From this same higher perspective, a year is equivalent to 365,000 terrestrial years, a jubilee to 18,250,000 years, and fifty thousand jubilees to 912,500,000,000 years!

Thus, the expression “fifty thousand jubilees” symbolizes a state of infinite revelation and elevation when even those who have achieved seemingly consummate states of righteousness and holiness will continue to ascend “from strength to strength.”[5] This level of consciousness will unite the seemingly opposite state of eternal rest achieved at the previous level with continual spiritual ascent.