Tag Archives: Havdallah

How to Earn Olam HaBa

This week’s parasha, Bo, relays the commandment to the Children of Israel to prepare the Pesach offering. We are told that no one uncircumcised is permitted to consume of it (Exodus 12:48), from which we learn that many of the Israelites circumcised themselves in the days leading up to the Exodus. In fact, the Zohar (II, 35b-36a) points out on the words “and God shall pass over the opening” (12:23) that “the opening”, petach, is alluding to the opening of the reproductive organ! And thus, the Zohar says, “The blood was of two kinds, that of circumcision and that of the Passover lamb—the former symbolizing mercy and the latter justice.”

These two mitzvot are actually deeply connected. In fact, there are 36 commandments in the Torah for which their violation incurs karet, “excision” from the nation of Israel, and presumably from the World to Come (see Keritot 1:1). Of those 36, all are prohibitions that must not be violated, except for only two which are positive commandments requiring fulfilment: pesach and milah. Our Sages taught that the fulfilment of these two critical mitzvot not only prevents karet, but actually guarantees a Jew to earn their place in the World to Come! (For women who, of course, need no milah, they are considered to be “born circumcised” automatically, so it’s even easier. See Avodah Zarah 27a.)

Today, we are unable to bring the Pesach offering literally, but we fulfil the mitzvah through the Pesach seder. Thus, the Zohar says that “a person who speaks of the Exodus from Egypt and relays that story in joy is destined to rejoice with the Shekhinah in the World to Come”. The Haggadah itself tells us that anyone who participates in the seder joyously and speaks of the Exodus at length is praiseworthy, and the Zohar (II, 40b) adds that such a person thereby earns their share in Olam haBa, the World to Come.

Similarly, the Talmud (Eruvin 19a) relays that the simple status of being circumcised saves one from punishment in Gehinnom, with only one exception:

As Reish Lakish said: With regard to the sinners of Israel, the fire of Gehinnom has no power over them, as may be learned by a fortiori from the golden altar. If the golden altar in the Temple, which was only covered by gold the thickness of a golden dinar, stood for many years and the fire did not burn it, so too the sinners of Israel, who are filled with good deeds like a pomegranate, as it is stated: “Your temples [rakatekh] are like a split pomegranate” (Song of Songs 6:7), will not be affected by the fire of Gehinnom. And Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said about this: Do not read: “Your temples [rakatekh]”, but rather: “Your empty ones [reikateikh]”, ie. even the sinners among you are full of mitzvot like a pomegranate; so how much more so [the fire of Gehinnom has no power over them].

But what about that which is written: “Those who pass through the valley of weeping”? (Psalms 84:7) There it speaks of those who are liable for punishment in Gehinnom, but our forefather Abraham comes and raises them up and receives them, except for a Jew who had relations with a gentile woman, for which his foreskin is redrawn, and our father Abraham does not recognize him [as one of his descendants].

Every single Jew, even a rebellious sinner, is saved by Abraham from Gehinnom—as long as the Jew is circumcised. However, a Jewish man who slept with a Gentile loses his “circumcised” status and Abraham does not recognize him as being part of his Covenant. This is not because there is anything wrong with a Gentile, for all human beings were made in God’s image and are precious to Hashem (Sanhedrin 37a). In fact, the Midrash attests in multiple places (including Yalkut Shimoni II, 42 and Tanna d’Vei Eliyahu Rabba 9:1) that “I bring Heaven and Earth to bear witness, whether one is a Gentile or a Jew, man or woman, slave or maid, anyone can merit to have the Divine Spirit rest upon them—all depending on their deeds.” Rather, the Torah has an explicit prohibition for Israel not to intermarry or be promiscuous with Gentiles for several good reasons, including the simple fact of it being a spiritual mismatch.

Now, why does the Talmud above specifically mention a man being intimate with a Gentile, and not a woman? One answer is as follows: If a Jewish man intermarries with a non-Jewish woman, the children are not Jewish, but if a Jewish woman intermarries with a non-Jewish man, the children are still Jewish! Thus, the intermarriage of a Jewish man with a non-Jewish woman completely cuts off his line from the Jewish people and the nation of Israel, meaning that such a Jewish man has, in effect, excised himself from his people. On the contrary, the intermarriage of a Jewish woman with a non-Jewish man—although undoubtedly still forbidden and a violation of Torah law—nonetheless does not excise her progeny from Israel.

We must also remember that Abraham was the first to prohibit intermarriage, even before the Torah was given. Abraham instructed his servant Eliezer to go find a wife for his son Isaac from among his own people, and not the local Canaanites (Genesis 24:2-4). Moreover, Abraham was chosen by God and sealed a Covenant with Him because, as God Himself affirmed, “I know that he will instruct his children and his progeny to keep the way of God by doing what is just and right…” (Genesis 18:19) A Jewish man who does not follow the ways of Abraham and intermarries thus loses his connection to Abraham’s Covenant and to his people.

That said, there is always a chance to fix one’s errors. A Jewish man who intermarried need not divorce his wife, but should rather convert her and bring her into the nation of Israel. And a Jewish man who was with a non-Jewish woman in the past without marriage can repent and clear his record. In fact, the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 17a) tells the story of the infamous Elazar ben Durdaya, who went out of his way to sleep with every harlot, but ultimately recognized his sins and repented wholeheartedly—so much so that he died in grief. A Heavenly Voice then resounded and declared that Elazar was welcome in the World to Come!

Genuine repentance allows a person to clear their record, and God promises that He will forgive a sincere repentant each year on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:30). What other things wipe away one’s sins and give a person a fresh start? Our Sages taught us many practices that can bring about complete atonement. One is keeping Shabbat: “Anyone who observes Shabbat properly according to its laws, even if he worshipped idols like the generation of Enosh, he is forgiven!” (Shabbat 118a-b) The Talmud adds here that one who eats three meals on Shabbat is spared from three punishments: the suffering in the era preceding Mashiach, the suffering of Gehinnom, and the suffering at the final apocalyptic war of Gog u’Magog.

Another mitzvah that atones for all of one’s past sins is getting married (Yevamot 63b, Talmud Yerushalmi, Bikkurim 3:3). The wedding day is seen as a “mini-Yom Kippur”, which is why some communities have a custom for the bride and groom to fast prior to their chuppah. This is true even for a second marriage or late marriage, as the Sages derive this teaching from Esau’s second (or third) marriage. The same Yerushalmi source says that a person who ascends a high position of leadership is forgiven all of their past sins as well. This includes one who is ordained as a rabbi, or one who becomes president or holds high office. The Ba’al haTurim (Rabbi Yakov ben Asher, c. 1269-1343) cites this in his commentary on the Torah (Exodus 21:19), and also notes that one who was gravely ill and recovered is forgiven for all of their sins. This is based on the Talmud which states that “a person who is gravely ill does not recover until all of his sins have been forgiven.” (Nedarim 41a)

Lastly, the Torah tells us that “His land atones for His people” (Deuteronomy 32:43). Our Sages derive from this that being buried in the land of Israel wipes away all of one’s sins (Ketubot 111a). This is a major reason for why many Jews seek to be buried in Israel, even if they lived their entire lives in the diaspora. (That said, there are those who held that this only works if a person also lived in Israel, and was not simply transported there just for burial.)

Finally, it’s important to mention that a person is only considered a full-fledged adult from age 20, and the sins one incurs before this age may certainly harm a person in this world, but are not tried by the Heavenly Court for Olam HaBa. (See Shabbat 89b; Zohar I, 118b; and Rashi on Numbers 16:27.) God knows that teenagers will make foolish mistakes—after all, He is the one that designed the human body to have all of those challenging hormonal changes. And He designed the brain in such a way that the decision-making and planning section, the pre-frontal cortex, is the last to fully develop. It is worth adding that the Midrash says Adam and Eve were created as twenty-year-olds (Beresheet Rabbah 14:7). Of course, this does not mean that someone who is currently under the age of 20 gets a free pass to sin! It is meant retroactively, for things one regrettably did in their youth.

Guaranteed Olam HaBa

We saw above that one who engages joyously and actively at the Pesach seder is guaranteed a portion in the World to Come, as is one who is circumcised and was never promiscuous with a Gentile woman. What other mitzvot guarantee a person’s Olam haBa?

We saw above that one is forgiven for all of their sins if they keep Shabbat and if they are buried in Israel. The Talmud adds in another place (Pesachim 113a) that “Three people are among those who inherit the World to Come: One who lives in the Land of Israel; one who raises his sons to engage in Torah study; and one who recites Havdalah over wine at the conclusion of Shabbat.” Living in Israel is such a great mitzvah that a person automatically earns Olam HaBa. Reciting Havdalah regularly works the same magic. And then there’s putting one’s children through Jewish schools and ensuring that they engage in regular Torah study. After all, we say multiple times a day in the Shema that one should teach Torah to his children “in order that your days and your children’s days shall be prolonged upon the land which God promised your forefathers as long as the Heavens are upon the Earth.” (Deuteronomy 11:21) So, one who teaches Torah to his children will ultimately merit to inherit his promised portion for as long as the Heavens are upon the Earth.

Similarly, one who learns Torah is guaranteed a portion in the World to Come, as we say regularly in our prayers from Tana d’Vei Eliyahu that “Anyone who learns halakhot each day is guaranteed Olam haBa”. How many halakhot does one need to learn? The Mekhilta of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says that “anyone who learns two halakhot in the morning and two halakhot in the evening, and works all day, it is as if he has fulfilled the whole Torah.” (16:4) So, even learning just a few verses each morning and evening is enough if done consistently. And it is worth repeating the famous first Mishnah in tractate Peah that “The following are the things for which a person enjoys the fruits in this world while the principal reward remains for him in the World to Come: Honoring one’s father and mother; acts of kindness; and making peace between a person and his friend—and the study of the Torah is equal to them all.”

Regular prayer also has tremendous benefits. The Talmud (Berakhot 16b) says that anyone who recites the Shema and prays the Amidah is guaranteed Olam haBa. The Zohar (III, 164a) adds that one who bows and stands upright during the Amidah will merit to stand upright at the Resurrection of the Dead. Reciting Ashrei (Psalm 145) three times a day also guarantees Olam haBa (Berakhot 4b). Even just answering “amen” to someone else’s blessing with intention earns one the World to Come! (Shabbat 119b) Meanwhile, the same passage says that answering amen, yehe sheme… in Kaddish with full intention wipes away all negative decrees upon a person, and clears even the stain of idolatry.

There are other super-powerful mitzvot, too. Giving regularly to charity is described by our Sages as being equal to all of the Torah’s other mitzvot combined, even if giving a small amount like a third of a shekel (Bava Batra 9a). The following page of Talmud says that giving charity saves one from Gehinnom, based on King Solomon’s famous adage that “charity saves from death.” (Proverbs 10:2) The Zohar (III, 273b, Ra’aya Mehemna) explains that a completely destitute person is considered “like dead” halakhically, so when one gives the destitute person charity, it’s as if he raised him from the dead. Thus, God will likewise resurrect the charitable person in Olam haBa, measure for measure.

Like charity, the Sages say that the mitzvah of tzitzit is equal to all the others combined. After all, we say in Shema multiple times a day that when one sees the tzitzit, he should be reminded of “all of God’s commands”. The Ba’al haTurim (on Numbers 15:38-39) points out that the value of this phrase (כל מצות ה’) equals 612, meaning that the one mitzvah of tzitzit is equal to the remaining 612! He further notes that the atbash transformation of tzitzit (המהמא) has a value of 91, like kis’i (כסאי), “My Throne”, and one who regularly fulfils the mitzvah of tzitzit “will merit to see the face of the Divine Presence” and be lifted up to Heaven on “the wings of eagles”.

Meanwhile, the Zohar (III, 253b, Ra’aya Mehemna) says that putting on tefillin in the morning is tied to King David’s words of lo amut ki echyeh, “I will not die, but live”, suggesting that one thereby merits eternal life. Lastly, the introductory verses of Perek Shirah, an ancient text recording the songs of all things in Creation, begin with Rabbi Eliezer the Great saying that “Anyone who involves himself with Perek Shirah in this world, merits saying it in the World to Come.” This is by no means an exhaustive list, and one could find other mitzvot, rituals, and texts that promise a guarantee of Olam haBa as well.

Finally, the Talmud (Sanhedrin 88b) says that one who has the following traits is destined for Olam HaBa: “One who is modest and humble, who bows and enters [the Synagogue or Beit Midrash] and bows and exits, who studies Torah regularly, and who does not take credit for himself.” This is reminiscent of the prophet Micah’s question: “What does God ask of you? Only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) The Sages say this was not just good advice, but a summary and condensation of all 613 commandments! (See Makkot 24a) The same page of Talmud says the prophet Amos reduced the whole Torah to the phrase “Seek Me and live!” (Amos 6:5), while the prophet Habakkuk reduced the whole Torah to the phrase “The righteous lives in his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). Hillel famously taught that the whole Torah is “what is hateful to you don’t do unto others” (Shabbat 31a) and Rabbi Akiva said that the most important Torah verse is “Love your fellow as yourself” (Sifra, Kedoshim 4:12). Finally, we learn in Pirkei Avot (3:10) that “One with whom people are pleased, God is pleased. But anyone with whom people are displeased, God is displeased.” The last word goes to the prophet Isaiah (60:21), who said: “And your people, all of them righteous, shall possess the land for all time; they are the shoot that I planted, My handiwork in which I glory.”

To summarize, one is guaranteed their portion in the World to Come if they fulfil any (and hopefully all) of the following:

  • Actively and joyously participate in a Pesach seder (Zohar II, 40b)
  • Regularly study Torah, even just a few verses a day (Tana d’Vei Eliyahu, Mekhilta d’Rashbi 16:4, Peah 1:1)
  • Teach Torah to their children, or put them in Jewish schools (Pesachim 113a)
  • Live in Israel (Pesachim 113a)
  • Recite Havdalah regularly at the conclusion of Shabbat (Pesachim 113a)
  • Recite daily the Shema and Amidah prayer (Berakhot 16b; Zohar III, 164a)
  • Recite Ashrei (Psalm 145) three times a day (Berakhot 4b)
  • Answer “amen” with intention (Shabbat 119b; Zohar III, 285a-b)
  • Give regularly to charity (Bava Batra 9a-10a; Proverbs 10:2; Zohar III, 273b, Ra’aya Mehemna)
  • Wear tzitzit, put on tefillin daily, and/or regularly review Perek Shirah
  • Are modest, humble, and treat all others with respect and dignity (Sanhedrin 88b, Avot 3:10)
  • Circumcised (for a man), as long as one did not intermarry or was promiscuous with Gentile women, and failed to repent for it (Eruvin 19a)

To summarize, one is forgiven for all of their sins if they do any of the following:

  • Keep Shabbat properly (Shabbat 118b)
  • Recover from a serious illness (Nedarim 41a)
  • Ascend to a high position of leadership (TY Bikkurim 3:3)
  • Get married (Yevamot 63b, TY Bikkurim 3:3)
  • Answer amen, yehe sheme rabbah in Kaddish with intention (Shabbat 119b)
  • Genuinely repent on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:30, Yoma 85b)
  • Are buried in Israel (Deuteronomy 32:42, Ketubot 111a)
  • Retroactively for sins before the age of 20 (Shabbat 89b; Zohar I, 118b)

For lots more information, sources, and analysis, see the recent class ‘Every Jew is a Tzadik’.

The 30 Noahide Laws, Part 2: Revolution

In the second installment of the series, we address the big questions: Can Noahides keep Shabbat? Can Noahides learn Talmud and Zohar? Have a mezuzah on their door? And why do we say there are “seven” Noahide Laws if there are actually thirty? Plus: What is a Ger Toshav and is it equivalent to a Noahide? What is the right way to learn and master Torah? And understanding Rabbi Meir, the “potential Mashiach” of his generation.

For Part 1 of the series, see here.
On the rapidly growing movement of Noahides and Jewish converts, see here.

The Kabbalah of Fingers and Toes

The essay below is an excerpt from the newly-released third volume of Garments of Light, available here (and now on Amazon here). 

In parashat Tzav, we read about the many details of the sacrificial procedures. One of the strange practices described is that Moses took some of the blood of the sacrifices and smeared it on the right ear, the right thumb, and the right toe of the kohanim (Leviticus 8:23). This procedure was later replicated by the kohanim when purifying others (Leviticus 14). What is its significance? One beautiful explanation is given by Rabbeinu Bechaye (1255-1340).

He begins by saying that the universe God created has three domains: the “world of angels”, the “world of spheres”, and the “lower world” which we inhabit. The highest world is mostly spiritual, while our lower world is mostly physical. In between is the cosmos, the “world of spheres”, referring to all the stars and planets. Moses constructed the Mishkan to mirror the three parts of Creation. The inner-most Holy of Holies corresponded to the world of angels; then the Holy space around it to the world of spheres; and the courtyard within the Mishkan to the lower world.

Outlines of the Mishkan, with the inner “Holy of Holies” (Kodesh haKodashim), the antechamber known as “the Holy” (Kodesh), and the outer courtyard (chatzer) with the sacrificial altar.

Similarly, since man is an olam katan, a microcosm of the universe, the human body also has three parts: head, upper body, and lower body. The head corresponds to the highest worlds, and hence this is where divine speech emerges from—speech containing the very powers of Creation, just as God spoke the cosmos into existence. The upper body, containing the heart that gives life to the whole body, corresponds to the world of spheres. Just as the heart is intertwined with the entire body, and circulates blood and nutrients all around, so too is the world of spheres entirely intertwined, with spheres orbiting around other spheres along precise paths in a dance held together by gravity (and other forces). Finally, the lower body from the waist down corresponds to the earthly world, as expected. With this in mind, we can better understand the procedure of the ear, thumb, and toe.

Rabbeinu Bechaye explains that the blood on the ear of the head corresponds to (and rectifies) the world of angels, the blood on the thumb of the upper body corresponds to the world of spheres, and the blood on the toe of the lower body corresponds to the lower world. He also mentions how these correspond to the soul. Recall that there are three major levels to the soul, the lowest being the animalistic nefesh, above it the more spiritual ruach, and the highest being the intellectual neshamah. The nefesh corresponds to the lower body, the ruach to the upper body, and the neshamah is seated in the brain. Thus, the sacrifice is able to atone for the entire soul, and for the entire body, as well as rectifying every aspect of the universe and of God’s Creation.

Souls and Senses

Rabbeinu Bechaye continues further on in his commentary to explain how the fingers are connected to the senses. He states that, of course, every organ and body part has a specific purpose, and nothing in God’s design is superfluous. (Classic case: for decades it was thought that the appendix is useless and an unnecessary “vestigial organ” that can be removed without a second thought. Today we know that the appendix does, in fact, play an important role in the digestive system.) The sense of taste requires the mouth and Rabbeinu Bechaye points out that people typically clean their teeth and mouth with their thumbs or thumb-nails. The sense of smell is in the nose, and people typically clean their nose with their index finger. The sense of touch is associated mostly with our hands, and people tend to feel things and sense textures by using their middle finger (or rubbing something between the thumb and middle finger). The ring finger is commonly used to clean and rub one’s eyes. Finally, the small pinky finger is the right size to clean the ear. In this way, every finger is connected to one of the five senses, and every finger can be used to clean the organ of that particular sense!

Rabbeinu Bechaye stops here, but there is more to be said. Although we typically speak of three main souls (nefesh, ruach, and neshamah), there are two more levels to the soul (sometimes described as the “neshamahs of the neshamah”) called chayah and yechidah. This complete array of five soul-levels further corresponds to the five fingers, and to the five senses. The short thumb is the lowest nefesh. As the lowliest “animal” soul, it sits separately from the other fingers. The nefesh is the one that always remains with the body, while the other parts are able to migrate. We learn, for instance, that when one is asleep the four higher souls can wander, while the nefesh always remains in the body (otherwise the body will not survive). Moreover, the Torah always says the nefesh is contained within the blood, and this is why meat must be drained of all blood before being consumed. We can now better understand why the blood of the sacrifice had to go specifically on the thumb of the person, and not any other finger.

The ruach part of the soul is the most “active”, and is the one that animates a person. Fittingly, it corresponds to the index finger, which is the most active and most-used of the digits. The biggest and longest of the fingers naturally corresponds to the biggest part of the soul, the neshamah. The ring and pinky fingers are the least-used, just as the chayah and yechidah are the loftiest and least accessible. The chayah is associated with one’s aura, the only part of the soul that might be perceived visually, so it neatly fits with the ring finger that is associated with eyes and vision. (The chayah plays an important, albeit subtle, role in the relationships and interactions between people so it is also appropriate that wedding rings are typically worn on this finger!)

The highest level of soul corresponds to the pinky finger and to the sense of hearing. That might explain why Moses’ final song to his people, the climax of his prophecy right before his passing, was Ha’azinu, literally charging the people “to listen”. And it might explain why the most powerful dictum in all of Judaism, the Shema, similarly commands the nation “to hear”. And it might further explain why the Talmud often introduces a new teaching with the words ta shma, “come and hear”. To summarize:

Left and Right

In Jewish thought, the right side is always associated with positivity and Chessed, kindness, while the left side is associated with Din and Gevurah, judgement and restraint. In mystical terms, the right side represents the realm of goodness and holiness, while the left side is commonly referred to as the Sitra Achra, the “other side”, the realm of impurity and evil. Indeed, we find that in many languages and cultures, the right side is associated with goodness and correctness (like being “right” in English) while the left is associated with evil. In Latin, for instance, the word for “left” is sinister! In Hebrew, there is a similar connection between the word “left”, smol, and the wicked angel that embodies evil, Samael. In Russian, something described as being “left” is a fake or a knock-off. Throughout history, being left-handed was perceived as somehow inappropriate, and left-handed people were often forced to use their right hands instead.

This is certainly unnecessary and, needless to say, there is nothing wrong with being left-handed! All humans were endowed with two hands, left and right, and on a mystical level they are simply meant to represent the two sides within Creation. This ties back to the gift of free will, with the hands standing as symbols of our ability to choose. The ultimate choice is whether to believe or not; whether to serve God and fulfil His commands, or not. Our Sages famously declare that “all is in the hands of Heaven [hakol b’yadei shamayim], except the fear of Heaven” (Berakhot 33b), while King Solomon taught that “death and life are in the hand of the tongue”, mavet v’chayim b’yad lashon (Proverbs 18:21). Over and over again, we see the hands used as symbols of choice between good and evil, between right and left, holiness and unholiness. Just as we have the power to use our hands, we have the power to subdue evil and act with goodness and kindness.

Thus, altogether the ten fingers of both hands embody all aspects of Creation. The ancient Sefer haBahir explains that the ten fingers correspond to the Ten Sefirot, as well as the Ten Utterances of Creation (see #124 and 138). Moreover, the Bahir says this is why kohanim have to arrange all ten fingers in that particular shape when blessing the congregation, thereby channeling all Ten Sefirot and activating all aspects of Creation. In later Kabbalistic texts, we are taught that the right thumb and index finger are Keter and Chokhmah, while the left thumb is Binah. The right middle finger is Chessed, the left index finger is Gevurah, the right ring finger is Tiferet, the left middle finger is Hod. The right pinky is Netzach, the left ring finger is Yesod, and the left pinky is Malkhut. The five Sefirot of Keter, Chokhmah, Chessed, Tiferet, and Netzach veer to the right, while the five Sefirot of Binah, Gevurah, Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut veer to the left. (We might learn from this yet another good reason for the common practice of wearing a wedding ring on the left ring finger, since it corresponds to Yesod, the domain of intimacy and reproduction.)

All of this can help us further appreciate the power of netilat yadayim and mayim achronim. The fingers link up to all aspects of our bodies, our senses, our souls, and even the cosmos at large. Thus, when we purify them correctly with life-giving waters, the unseen cosmic effects of these rituals are truly monumental.

What about the feet and toes?

Upper and Lower Worlds

The prophet Isaiah tells us that God created the upper worlds with His hands as He “measured the waters with a hand’s hollow, and established the Heavens with a little finger [zeret].” (Isaiah 40:12) The Earth, meanwhile, is described as God’s “footstool” (Isaiah 66:1). Thus, the hands and the “upper fingers” of the body represent the upper spiritual worlds, while the feet and the “lower fingers” of the body represent the lower material world. Indeed, the Zohar (I, 20b-21a) tells us that when we look at the reflection of the flame on our fingernails during Havdallah, we should meditate upon the higher spiritual worlds that the fingers of the hands represent. (More specifically, just as God told Moses that he could only see God’s “back”, but not His face, so too do we look only at the “backs” of the fingers, the fingernails!)

Interestingly, with this information we may be able to understand—from a mystical perspective—the difference in arrangement of fingers between the hands and the feet. On the hands, the biggest finger is the middle one, corresponding to the neshamah, while on the feet, the biggest finger is the toe, corresponding to nefesh. This further reinforces the notion that in this lower world (represented by the feet), the lower animalistic nefesh dominates. In the upper worlds (represented by the hands), it is the spiritual and lofty neshamah that is supreme. Unlike with the hands, the big digit on the feet is not separated from the rest of the toes—the nefesh seems to enjoy equal status with the other souls! On the hands, though, there is a clear distinction, mirroring the realities of the upper worlds.

Finally, the feet are grounded in the impurities of this lowly world. They are the coarsest parts of the body, and often the filthiest. The generation of Mashiach is compared to the feet, and the time before Mashiach is referred to as ikvot haMashiach, literally the “heels of the Messiah”. Like the feet, the people of this generation tend to be coarse and lowly, materialistic, lacking true spirituality. At the same time, however, the feet are among the strongest parts of the body, and can withstand tremendous weights and pressures. The feet can bear the greatest burdens, and only the feet can move us steadily onwards towards the final destination, the Messianic Age. Most beautifully, in the divine anatomy of the human body each foot contains exactly 26 bones, reminding us that God Himself is carrying us forward, as 26 is the exact numerical value of His Ineffable Name.