EE & R, 2_15: Knowing Hashem: Baring the Soul before Hashem

(For the previous installment of "Exodus, Exile and Redemption," click here. For ToC, click here.)

In our exploration of the prophetic Path for attaining Knowledge, we have traced the journey’s final three stages: the ultimate goal of knowing Hashem – humanity’s highest perfection;¹ faith, the prerequisite for this profound understanding;² and good character, the catalyst nurturing faith.³ We now shift our focus to the foundational element of this four-part training, the initial step recommended by the prophets. What sparks the development of good character? What essential beginnings did the prophets prescribe for the aspirant embarking on the quest to attain knowledge of Hashem?

Based on our analysis of Yaakov’s spiritual journey and his unmet aspirations in previous chapters, we expect to uncover further insights within his story. From this perspective, we pose the question: What was necessary for Yaakov to develop good character, and how is this connected to the divine overture of “I am Hashem”?

Scriptural allusions indicate that self-revelation before Hashem constitutes the very first stage of the prophets’ course. In order to set foot on the Path of Knowledge, one must bare their soul before Hashem, fostering the awareness that their deepest, most private thoughts and emotions are entirely transparent and known to Hashem. The divine statement “I am Hashem” serves firstly as an invitation to recognize the omnipresence of divine awareness, and this realization lays the groundwork for cultivation of virtuous character. In this chapter we will explore the scriptural sources for this idea; in the next we will analyze the logic of the progression from self-revelation to good character.

Previously, we discussed why Yaakov failed to construct the temple he had vowed to build. This monumental task was postponed until the era of King David, who alluded to Yaakov in his speech at the temple’s groundbreaking ceremony. David’s remarks provide insights into why Yaakov fell short in embodying complete honesty and illuminate the crucial first step necessary for embarking on the journey toward Knowledge.

David proclaimed:

Blessed are you, Hashem, God of our ancestor Yisrael… And wealth and honor come from You… And I know, my God, that You examine the heart and are pleased with uprightness. I, in the uprightness of my heart, have willingly offered all these things, and now Your people who are here I have seen giving joyfully and willingly to You… And to Shlomo my son give a whole heart… (1 Chronicles 29:10-19)

Recognizing that God examines the heart leads to an upright and whole heart. By cultivating this awareness, you foster honesty and integrity within yourself.

This principle is echoed in a passage from the book of Jeremiah that references Yaakov, his questionable methods of acquiring wealth, and the essence of the Holy Temple:

The heart is crooked (‘akov) more than all things, and desperately sick: Who can know it? I am Hashem Who searches the heart and examines the mind, to give to each according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds. Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay, so is he who gains wealth unjustly. In the middle of his life, it will abandon him, so in the end he will be a fool. Throne of Glory, exalted from the beginning, the place of our Temple. Yisrael’s hope is Hashem; all who abandon You shall be ashamed… for they abandoned the source of living waters – Hashem. Heal me, Hashem, and I will be healed… (Jeremiah 17:9-14)

This passage, rich with metaphor and allusion, offers insight into the fundamental reasons behind Yaakov’s failure to construct the Temple and suggests the remedy for such failings.

The passage is replete with nuanced references to Yaakov and his struggles. Jeremiah laments the crooked (‘akov) heart of man and man’s inability to achieve a state of knowing. He references the revelation of “I am Hashem” and asserts that Hashem who searches the heart and examines the mind will repay each man according to his ways and the fruit of his deeds, mirroring the expression Hosea used against Yaakov: “and will punish Yaakov according to his ways, by his deeds…” (Hosea 12:3). The prophet references the transcendent holiness of the Temple that Yaakov didn’t merit to build, his wealth having been accrued “unjustly.” Thus, despite Hashem’s reassurance of “I will not abandon you” (Genesis 28:15), Yaakov’s fear of Esau led him to part with his riches in the form of a bribe, thus abandoning the divine protection and becoming, in essence, someone who abandons Hashem.

The parable of the partridge that hatches eggs it didn’t lay offers another subtle and ingeniously crafted reference to Yaakov’s narrative. A partridge may sometimes occupy the nests of other birds, incubating foreign eggs. Despite the initial success, this endeavor doesn’t secure enduring rewards: The young, upon reaching maturity, leave to join their own kind. This parallels Yaakov’s deceptive strategies, notably his method of breeding speckled and striped lambs from a predominantly plain flock by placing peeled branches before the watering troughs (as recounted in Genesis 30:28-43). This ruse, though initially beneficial in enriching Yaakov at Laban’s expense, mirrors the ephemeral victory of the partridge. The anomalously colored lambs, akin to the partridge’s fledglings, eventually drifted away from Yaakov’s possession, illustrating the impermanence of ill-gotten gains. Such tactics, while clever, left Yaakov no better than a fool when morality inevitably reasserted its eternal authority, reinforcing the lesson that integrity forms the bedrock of lasting prosperity.⁴

Like David’s proclamation, Jeremiah’s prophecy focuses on the fact that Hashem examines man’s heart and mind. Cultivating this awareness is the beginning of good character and thus of Knowledge, as in David’s words: “And I know, my God, that You examine the heart and are pleased with uprightness,” and is the means by which man’s desperately sick heart might be healed and made whole, as in Jeremiah’s cry: “Heal me, Hashem, and I will be healed!”

The act of baring one’s soul is a transformative practice that aligns one’s innermost thoughts with the divine will. This alignment is crucial for advancing on the Path charted by the prophets, leading us from introspection to the heights of spiritual knowledge and integrity. In our next discussion, we will delve deeper into how this profound self-awareness catalyzes the development of good character, setting the stage for enduring faith and ultimate understanding of Hashem.

(For the next installment of "Exodus, Exile and Redemption," click here.)

1. Discussed here.

2. Discussed here.

3. Discussed here.

4. Fool, in Hebrew (“in the end he will be a fool”), is “Nabal” – perhaps an allusion, through anagram, to Laban.