Against this dimming sky, in the season which has bared the wood of its foliage, the observer, vessel of senses and G-dliness, perceives the black ink silhouette of the tree’s sinewy form with its myriads of limbs expanding outward into the lit space as a two dimensional apparition. Within the crevices of the branches he notes an anomaly, the nest of a bird. This habitat would be concealed on a summer day in full bloom but today it appears as an alien structure outside the natural rhythm of the tree’s growth and naked so as to be a tool for understanding. He imagines from the bird’s perch a world limited to needs, the drive of the animal spirit to live, the instincts for security, sustenance, and continuity.
The humanoid observer knows more than the superficial knowledge his eyes beget. If she walks nearer the tree he experiences its three dimensionality and greater detail than the impression of black shadow and light. She observes the tree’s bark and the nuance of character the fiber demonstrates. From every available angle she sees the light is not nearly a backdrop but a blanket effusively present. The narrower, more frail branches of the tree run a course converging into sturdier, heavier limbs. These heavier limbs converge into a singular trunk. Beneath the tree’s skin (bark) exists channels cut into the fleshy pulp which draw water against gravity to the higher realms. The vitality of the tree’s perimeter rests in the dense wood fiber of previous generations. The weight of the trunk drives downward into the organic dust, the soil of generations, into further concealment where with diligence the observer notes the trunk diverges into a secondary myriad array of tentacles pushing into the depths to draw water for the tree’s revealed portion. The observer could go on and on into discovery, into the generations of seeds which came before and brought this tree into being, into the cellular matter and the divisions of solids, liquids, gases, into the sub-universe of atomic matter, towards the quantum properties, as the holy Chazon Eash, z’t’k’l states, (Faith and Trust perek 1) she can observe the depth of the earth and the expanse of the sky.
The nest is derived organically from twigs; the lighter entities of the tree itself, the heavier branches spread out, under the bird’s structure, hardly practical for the nest but necessary to support its weight, secure in branches, forming a shelter. The birds derive sustenance and maintain existence in the small envelope of their world. The nest houses the creature’s brood. The vessel, the animal entity, is propelled with the needs for food shelter, and continuity. Though each creature is endowed with uniqueness so that an in intelligent being may perceive even individual personality in the animal kingdom, they fail to achieve, to any observer with discernment, the refinement possible within the human’s statement into the world.
The expressions of personality amongst the animal kingdom have negligible meaning compared to the humanoid and our portion/reflection of G-dliness (reason and imagination). These creatures flitter about, compelled to live temporarily, though He considers and endows their every movement, every instinct with vitality and prepares in advance of their needs “You give them their food at its proper time.”
The bird’s orbit includes the tree it is nestled in, the fruits, insects, the nectar of the field, the dry branches, twigs removed, etc, but it does not perceive the wholeness of the world in which it dwells, the completeness of the fabric of the worlds of which it is a part. This is the manner of existence for the outsiders of the Torah, lacking the internal quality of the merit of the fore-parents (Rabbi Chaim Zimmerman, z’t’k’l, states a person can know everything! Granting, of course, that everything never ends so they are both eternally knowledgeable and eternally desiring knowledge and they will be sated, for the verse states “He opens His hands and He satisfies all the desires of the living,” and “Eat with joy for He has already drawn your desire near.”).
The observer notes the bird’s realm is unfathomably deep and how even the most remote tip of the furthest root concealed from the eye works in concert as a whole for the bird’s sake, for our sake. The matter of creation extends, beyond our knowing, into the realm of that without limit, the light which never ends.
And who is able to measure the whole extent of the Abishter’s wisdom to recognize the tapestry to which humanity is embroidered? Except by the merit of the fore-parents, born of earth and forged in humility, who acted with trust and faith in the dark of the night, the epoch of nothingness, darker than the host in Mitzrayim? As the remnant outside the Clouds of Glory, Dan, who heralded the redemption as does the month of Elul. The charter which existed in the midbar with serpents and scorpions and emerged from a pit in which there was no water! Just as Yosef HaTzaddik tasted the harshness of exile and he is likened to the Avos. As his father and great grandfather, Yosef is removed from his family, like Avraham from his family and the children of Israel from the family of mankind. Sent into the heart of the sea which constricts (M’ tzar’ yam) until none return except by the blessing of redemption the Abishter places on Israel. Only Israel comes out of Mitzrayim! Only Torah may see from one end of the world to the other!
This is among the merits of reciting, amen y’hay shmay raba, which saves us with nourishment for the seed and the worlds in which we lay buried. Defines and girds our separation from the material world and its temporality for we praise HaShem eternally and infinitely, beyond the scope of our knowing, with humility, that His wisdom, His blessing, His expression of life rests upon and invigorates every element revealed and concealed of the creation for our sake. That we may serve Him with the study and teaching of Torah, with the performance of Mitzvos and acts of goodness despite the impenetrable concealment of His presence and the night’s darkness despite lacking the ability to know empirically the length, breadth, depth and width of His regard. We recognize the advance of our fortune from His great love, ahava raba, and strive for existence beyond the fanciful flights of our fractional being. This is the redemption of the world, the union of soul and flesh, the peace made between light and dark where the Abishter sanctifies the Shabbos for all times and the soul elevates the body for all time, the cleft in the rock, and the place of Moshe’s burial. Wherein all things express both their image, tzelem, and their likeness, d’mus, and the eternal nature of our being, as His being, is known and revealed with unending gladness and union.
Der vasser tregger 