Worse than a carcass

 

There is a certain irony that Jews are called people of the book.  Although we spend hours immersed in them, and it is the only object that is venerated on any level outside of G-d; yet, what we strive for is not in the book.  There is a level of knowledge that no book can teach, a sensitivity that is beyond words.  And if we don’t have that sensitivity, then even if we know the entire book cover to cover the Rabbis say, ‘we are worse than a carcass’. [1]

                From where do the Rabbis know this? It says that G-d called out to Moses lovingly to invite him in to the newly minted tabernacle.   The language of calling always implies endearment and Rashi tells us that before every teaching that Moses received from G-d, there was an initial call to Moses to come in.[2]  The message is clear- the preamble to the Torah is the relationship.  All the teachings are there to strengthen the initial bond.  

                But the Rabbis notice something else. Why was Moses standing outside the Mishkan in the first place? For seven days he had the tent erected and taken down. [3] On the seventh day, however, the tabernacle was left standing. Once it was left standing, Moses no longer entered the tent until G-d called him.  Why not? There was no prohibition to enter, no mitzvah to wait for an invitation. In other words, nothing in the book told him that he had to stay out.  Rather, he had sensitivity that now that this tent housed G-d presence, it would be unrefined to show up uninvited.  And it wasn’t a logical calculation either, but an intuition of the soul.

                Many people can read books and retain knowledge. But one who  does so without letting that knowledge increases the sensitivity in his soul is worse than a carcass.  Why?  Because it looks like he is alive and full of wisdom, but inside there is no real awareness, no real internalization that is developed.  But why is it ‘worse’ than a carcass and not equal to one?  Because a carcass can at least be elevated for some other purpose, while this person has already shown that he cannot be elevated. With all the wisdom in the world he has not changed.   As we enter Seder night, we have to realize that G-d didn’t take us out of Egypt. Rather, it always says in the Torah, G-d ‘lifted us’ out of Egypt. The whole goal is be lifted up, see higher levels of sensitivity. Without that in mind, all the Torah in the world can’t help you.

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[1] Vayikra Rabbah 1:1

[2] Why does the first verse need to tell us that he called out to Moses and then spoke to him- just tell us he spoke to him?

[3] See Rav Wolbe Pirkei Kinyan Daas Chapter 2