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''R. Ahava ben R. Zeira said: It refers to the Shema.
Rabbi Judah ben Pazzai said: It refers to the creation of the world.
Rabby Yudan, the son of R. Aybo says: It refers to the consolations of Jerusalem.
And the sages say: It refers to the Merkavah (the chariot)
Rabbi Jeremiah says: One who is involved with communal needs is like one who is involved in Torah study and he may begin praying after doing this mitzvah. (Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Beracoth 5:1)''
The beginning of all existence starts with the World of Azilut (Emanation). To be precise, it begins the Keter (crown) of Azilut, which is associated with the God name of Ehyeh ("I AM"). This was the name with which God revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14 (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh - I AM that I am).
Azilut is the eternal unchanging world symbolized by the "archetypal" Divine Sephirot. The root of the term Azilut means "to stand near," as Azilut is the "buffer" or "interchange" between the unknowable Eyn Sof and the three lower worlds of Beriyah, Yezirah and Asiyyah.
Azilut is also called the "World of Divine Light," and the "Glory of God," which passes through all four worlds (all of which exist within Azilut). It is also called the "World of Unity," as it is apart from the dimensions of time and space that exist in the lower worlds. Thus, Azilut is strictly a world of consciousness, and represents a stage of "pure will." As time and space do not exist in this world, there is never any type of motion, therefore Azilut is always in perfect balance. Therefore, evil does not exist at this level.
Azilut was in existence prior to Genesis 1:1, and is said to have begun with ten utterances of God. These ten utterances are associated with ten Names of God, which came out of the "Black Fire" of unmanifest existence, into the "White Fire" of Azilut. As such, Azilut is associated with the aspect of fire and the color white, symbolizing radiance.
Hence Azilut consistent with the Ma'asei Merkavah , the Chariot of Fire.
Beriyah (also known as Olam Beriyah, literally World of Creation), is the second of four worlds in the kabbalistic Tree of Life. It is known as the world of creation. This is consistent with meditating on the creation.
Yetzirah (also known as Olam Yetzirah) is the third of four worlds in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. It is known as the "World of Formation". The Shema is consistent with formation as the sections of the Torah are about God's unity, and about our love for Him and His will for us, in forming our lives.
Asiyah, also known as Olam Asiyah, literally the World of Action, is the fourth and lowest of the four worlds described by Kabbalistic theory. It represents purely material existence, and is known as the World of Action, the World of Effects or the World of Making. Thinking of the loss of the Temple fits here, as while the work done inside was to be spiritual, it took action, and ''making'' to construct it. Without it, however, Judaism was formed from the ashes of Hebraism, as Judaism is portable and not Temple- bound.
The more interesting question is who was Rabbi Jeremiah and were his suggestions followed.
A notorious troublemaker of the Talmudic academies was the fourth-century sage Rabbi Jeremiah. He had a special proclivity for questioning the rationality of the various quantitative measurements that were used to define the limits between different categories in Jewish religious law.
To take a modern analogy, Rabbi Jeremiah's objections might be comparable to a sharp-witted attorney who defends a client against a speeding charge, by arguing that the speed limits are unfairly arbitrary. The lawyer might dwell rhetorically on the absurdity of differentiating between fifty and fifty-one miles per hour: Is it logical that one should be legal and the other punishable?
The rabbis who opposed Rabbi Jeremiah took the position that without such fixed measurements there would be no practical way of formulating or enforcing laws.
Eventually, Rabbi Jeremiah's colleagues completely lost their patience with his exasperating questions.
The momentous incident occurred during a discussion of the Mishnah's rule that when a young pigeon is found on the ground, if it is within fifty cubits of a dovecote, we presume that it came from the dovecote, and hence must be returned to the dovecote's owner; but if the distance is greater than fifty cubits, the pigeon is assumed to have come from elsewhere, and hence the finder is entitled to take possession of it.
Against this law, Rabbi Jeremiah posed the following question: If the pigeon was found positioned so that one of its feet was inside the fifty-cubit range and the other beyond it, who could claim it?
The Talmud reports laconically: "It was on this occasion that they removed Rabbi Jeremiah from the academy." (Talmud Bavli Bava Batra 23b)
According to Rashi, what snapped the rabbis' patience in this case was the fact that Rabbi Jeremiah was wasting their valuable time with such a farfetched and foolish question.
However, Rashi's grandson, Rabbi Jacob Tam, pointed out that the Mishnah itself went on to deal with a similar case, where the pigeon was found exactly equidistant between two dovecotes.
Rabbenu Tam concluded, therefore, that there must be a more fundamental theological issue underlying the rabbis' extreme reaction to Rabbi Jeremiah's query: By challenging the coherence of the Mishnah's fifty-cubit criterion, Rabbi Jeremiah was in effect calling into question all the measurements that are cited in the rabbinic legal tradition. Because measurements occupy such a central place in the halakhah, Rabbi Jeremiah's brand of skepticism might potentially undermine to the entire structure of the Torah's legal system.
Eventually, Rabbi Jeremiah realized the error or his ways.
During the period of his expulsion from the academy, the scholars were stumped by a certain problem in the laws of testimony and, perhaps as a last resort, they requested his assistance to resolve their doubts. The tone of his response indicated his humble contrition: "I am not worthy of having this enquiry addressed to me, but your disciple is inclined to the following opinion..."
The outcome of this change of heart was that Rabbi Jeremiah was re-admitted to the academy.
He had now learned to appreciate the difference between serious questions that are intended to promote understanding, and those that are merely designed to irritate or provoke.
I am not sure if Rabbi Jeremiah's view stands. I state this, not because acts of ahavath chesed are less than studying Torah. In fact it is my opinion that chesed trumps Torah study, but that study is needed. I disagree with Jeremiah because without first praying and meditating at home, to get one's will aligned with God's, if one goes out first, to try to help others, there is a chance, that one's ego and yetzer ha ra, will emerge, and he will make a mess of things. Jeremiah tends to think in theory and not in practicalities.
Jewish Spiritual Renewal teaches us how to pray and meditate properly thrice a day, with kavenah, and having God negate our will, so that we can do His will. Doing daily mitzvoth of hands- on ahavath chesed and daily study are important in growing spiritually.
Shalom:
Rabbi Arthur Segal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC
Bluffton, SC
Savannah, GA
