07 Jun HARMONY, EXPULSION, FRUSTRATION DON’T GET FRUSTRATED BY YOUR FRUSTRATION
The Levite
Family Tree
Levi, one of the
12 sons of
Jacob (the third
of our
forefathers, a grandson of the first
Jew Abraham), had three sons –
Gershon, Kehas and Merari – as
well as a daughter, Yocheved.
While Yocheved mothered Moses
and Aaron, the teacher and High
Priest of Israel, her three brothers
fathered the Levi tribe who
dedicated their lives to the spiritual
service of the Holy Tabernacle and
at a later point the Holy Temple in
Jerusalem, an abode the Jewish
people erected for the manifest
presence of Hashem. In this week’s
portion, Naso, the Torah relates
how these three Levite families
were charged with the mission of
carrying the Tabernacle and its
accessories when the Jewish
people traveled in the Sinai desert
for 40 years. The Kehathites
carried the holiest items of the
Tabernacle: the ark, candelabra,
table, altars and all their utensils.
The Gershonites were given the job
of carrying the coverings and
curtains of the Tabernacle. The
third of the Levite families, Merari,
was responsible to carry the planks,
bars, pillars and sockets of the
Tabernacle structure. Three
Personalities One of the axioms
that define traditional biblical
scholarship is the idea that each
event recorded in the Torah may be
understood also from a
psychological and spiritual point of
view, granting all biblical events
timeless significance. This
obviously is valid for our subject as
well. While on the surface,
the intricate description of the
three Levite families as the
movers of the Tabernacle
bears no relevance to our lives
today, a deeper look at the
spiritual meaning behind their
respective roles allows us to
glean wisdom and inspiration
for our daily challenges and
struggles. Let’s examine for a
moment the names of the three
brothers who fathered the Levite
families — since names of people
do express something of their inner
soul. The translation of the Hebrew
name Kehas is harmony. The
meaning of the name Gershon is
expulsion. The third name Merari
is translated as frustration. Now,
the spiritual Divine soul existing
within each of us is defined in the
Kabbalah as a “microcosmic
Tabernacle,” a sacred and
vulnerable place in the depth of
our hearts where Hashem is
manifestly present. Gershon,
Kehas and Merari personify
three distinct psychological
and spiritual states of man,
each of which may become in
its own unique way a carrier
and porter of the spiritual
Tabernacle existing in the
human heart. Kehas —
Harmony Kehas — the name of
the Levite family that carried
the sacred items and utensils of
the Tabernacle — represents the
human being who succeeds in
integrating all of the facets of
his personality into a cohesive
and harmonious whole. This
remarkable individual
manages to transform all of his
traits and characteristics into
sacred items and all of his
limbs and organs into sacred
utensils, housing the presence
of the Divine reality. Gershon
— Expulsion Gershon – the
name of the Levite family
assigned to carry the coverings
and curtains of the Holy
Tabernacle – personifies the
human being who constantly
needs to expel and drive away the
immoral impulses and sensations
that intrude on his psyche.This
individual cannot define himself as
harmonious and complete. His job
in life is ensuring that the sacred
Tabernacle existing within his heart
remains protected and shielded
from the many physical and
emotional hazards that threaten to
undermine it (expressed by the fact
that Gershon carried the coverings
and curtains). Merari – Frustration
Merari – the name of the family that
carried the pillars and planks of the
Tabernacle – personifies that
individual who may not even be
expelling the negative patterns of
his daily life. Yet he is not apathetic
to his lowly condition; he is
frustrated and disturbed by it. He
longs for wholesomeness and
redemption. One may think that a
human being in this state of mind is
not one of the carriers of the Divine
tabernacle. After all, he is so distant
from the spiritual sacredness of his
soul. Yet, in truth, it is this
disaffected and frustrated human
being who carries the very
foundations of the Divine
Tabernacle. This is because the
beginning of all healing and the
foundation of all change is a feeling
of frustration and yearning. The
disappointment and lack of
contentment with one’s present
condition is what propels man to
discover new horizons in his life.
Simply put, if you are truly
frustrated by your present situation,
you are in a place far better than
you can imagine. Now get on with
the journey in stride.