Mother Nature
While in the early stages of labor, my wife and I engaged the nurses in discussion about labor and delivery. When they kept repeating the phrase, "Mother Nature knows best," I was tempted to ask, "Who is this mother you call 'nature', do you mean G-d?" I wondered how these scientific minds would respond.
Does Mother Nature dictate to G-d or does G-d dictate to Mother Nature? Let's turn to this week's Torah portion to glean inspiration.
Coincidental Prophecy
The Torah speaks of Bilaam, a non-Jewish prophet, who filled the pages of this week's reading with a delightful prophecy of astonishing praise directed toward the Jews.
Yet, the Torah hastens to inform us that G-d only "happened" upon Bilaam. And with reluctance, at that. The only reason G-d permitted Bilaam to prophecy was to honor the Jews.(1)
Bilaam offered seven sacrifices on seven altars and was rewarded with prophetic revelation. Even then, though, the Torah informs us that Bilaam did not stimulate the revelation, it was proffered only by Divine choice.(2)
This begs a question: Were other prophets able to summon their prophecies at will? Did they have a secret tool that enabled them to summon G-d?
The Prophetic Exercise
In considering the prophet's efforts to summon a state of prophecy, one must review Maimonides' commentary on the subject:
No Man can Summon G-d
When we delve a little deeper, we realize that it is never appropriate to say that man's efforts, even those of true prophets, have the power to summon G-d. G-d is not bound by the prophet's efforts. For his efforts, the prophet was rewarded with a revelation, but his efforts did not require G-d to respond.(4)
Final arbitration on the question of prophesy always rests with G-d. He can choose to grant and he can choose to withhold, but the choice is always His.
In this softer sense, every time G-d revealed himself to a prophet - any prophet, not only Bilaam - G-d simply "happened" upon him. The distinction between the other prophets and Bilaam is that G-d happened upon other prophets willingly, but happened upon Bilaam reluctantly; only for the sake of Israel's glory.
The Divine Conductor
The notion of G-d's absolute dominion is patently accepted in many areas, but when it comes to nature, the issues are often obscured.
It seems to us that the laws of nature, though set in place by the Creator, operate under their own jurisdiction. It appears natural to us that when the wind blows, leaves turn. When the rain falls, grass grows. When the sun shines, snows melt.
We thank G-d for the blowing winds, falling rains and shining sun, but credit the resultant turning leaf, growing grass and melting snow to Mother Nature. But just who is this mother we call "nature"?
Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov taught that appearances are deceptive. The rain might fall, but this does not require G-d to grow the grass. Unless G-d instructs the grass to respond to the falling rain, the grass will not grow.
The same is true of all other facets of nature. The sun might shine, but unless G-d commands the snow to melt, it will remain frozen in place. The wind might blow, but unless G-d instructs the leaf to turn, it will remain stationary.
As the leaf floats through the air, it progresses toward its preassigned destination. The path it takes is predetermined and the number of its revolutions are preplanned. Nothing is random; everything happens for a reason, determined at the moment of creation.(5)
Indeed, nature responds to G-d. As a grand conductor, G-d stations himself in the universal conductor's box. He raises his arm, waves his baton and the orchestra of nature bursts into a symphony of motion and sound.
Footnotes
1) Numbers 22: 8. See Vayikrah Rabbah 1: 13. See also Rashi's commentary.
2) Numbers 23: 4. See Bereishit Rabbah 52: 5. See also Rashi's commentary.
3) Yad HaChazakah, Yesodei HaTorah, Ch. 7:1. Translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Meditation and the Bible, Samuel Wiser Inc. Main, p.22.
4) This is why most prophets were not always successful at achieving the prophetic state. The art of prophecy is not an exact science. One could not offer up the correct equation and expect a predetermined result. It is a heavenly reward for the prophet's devotion. Sometimes, the prophets were rewarded for their efforts and at other times, for reasons known only to G-d, they were not. There were also times when G-d chose to offer a level of personal enlightenment that far exceeded the reach of the prophet's devotion. When the prophet reached a measure of perfection here below, G-d would not only reward him with a prophecy commensurate with his effort, but bestow upon him a free gift, a transcendental level of awareness and understanding, from above.
5) See Zohar, Section III, p. 92. See also Likutei Torah, Shir HaShirim, p. 24a.
6) Likutei Diburim, Vol. I p. 164. As elucidated by Rabbi Nachman Shapiro.
While in the early stages of labor, my wife and I engaged the nurses in discussion about labor and delivery. When they kept repeating the phrase, "Mother Nature knows best," I was tempted to ask, "Who is this mother you call 'nature', do you mean G-d?" I wondered how these scientific minds would respond.
Does Mother Nature dictate to G-d or does G-d dictate to Mother Nature? Let's turn to this week's Torah portion to glean inspiration.
Coincidental Prophecy
The Torah speaks of Bilaam, a non-Jewish prophet, who filled the pages of this week's reading with a delightful prophecy of astonishing praise directed toward the Jews.
Yet, the Torah hastens to inform us that G-d only "happened" upon Bilaam. And with reluctance, at that. The only reason G-d permitted Bilaam to prophecy was to honor the Jews.(1)
Bilaam offered seven sacrifices on seven altars and was rewarded with prophetic revelation. Even then, though, the Torah informs us that Bilaam did not stimulate the revelation, it was proffered only by Divine choice.(2)
This begs a question: Were other prophets able to summon their prophecies at will? Did they have a secret tool that enabled them to summon G-d?
The Prophetic Exercise
In considering the prophet's efforts to summon a state of prophecy, one must review Maimonides' commentary on the subject:
An individual, who has the necessary qualifications, can delve into the mysteries of Torah, advance in the deep, subtle concepts and gain a firm understanding of them. He must also sanctify himself and separate himself from the ways of the masses; to not even think of nonessentials or consider current vanities and intrigues.We see now that people who desired prophecy would follow a predetermined path that led to a state of personal enlightenment. Their intense devotion would summon a celestial revelation. Yet, Bilaam did not pursue the path of personal elevation. He pursued prophecy for his own glory and was therefore unable to summon a revelation.
Such a person must work to concentrate his mind clearly and direct it On High. He must bind his intelligence to the Divine throne, striving to comprehend the purity and holiness of the transcendental. He must contemplate G-d's wisdom in each thing, understanding its significance in both the highest spiritual entity or the lowest being on earth.
The individual who does this becomes immediately worthy of the holy spirit, and when he attains it, his soul becomes bound up on the level of angels. He becomes a completely different person, far above other men. He is now able to understand in ways he never could before. This is the meaning of what the prophet Samuel said to King Saul, "You shall prophesy with them and be transformed into a different man."(3)
No Man can Summon G-d
When we delve a little deeper, we realize that it is never appropriate to say that man's efforts, even those of true prophets, have the power to summon G-d. G-d is not bound by the prophet's efforts. For his efforts, the prophet was rewarded with a revelation, but his efforts did not require G-d to respond.(4)
Final arbitration on the question of prophesy always rests with G-d. He can choose to grant and he can choose to withhold, but the choice is always His.
In this softer sense, every time G-d revealed himself to a prophet - any prophet, not only Bilaam - G-d simply "happened" upon him. The distinction between the other prophets and Bilaam is that G-d happened upon other prophets willingly, but happened upon Bilaam reluctantly; only for the sake of Israel's glory.
The Divine Conductor
The notion of G-d's absolute dominion is patently accepted in many areas, but when it comes to nature, the issues are often obscured.
It seems to us that the laws of nature, though set in place by the Creator, operate under their own jurisdiction. It appears natural to us that when the wind blows, leaves turn. When the rain falls, grass grows. When the sun shines, snows melt.
We thank G-d for the blowing winds, falling rains and shining sun, but credit the resultant turning leaf, growing grass and melting snow to Mother Nature. But just who is this mother we call "nature"?
Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov taught that appearances are deceptive. The rain might fall, but this does not require G-d to grow the grass. Unless G-d instructs the grass to respond to the falling rain, the grass will not grow.
The same is true of all other facets of nature. The sun might shine, but unless G-d commands the snow to melt, it will remain frozen in place. The wind might blow, but unless G-d instructs the leaf to turn, it will remain stationary.
As the leaf floats through the air, it progresses toward its preassigned destination. The path it takes is predetermined and the number of its revolutions are preplanned. Nothing is random; everything happens for a reason, determined at the moment of creation.(5)
Indeed, nature responds to G-d. As a grand conductor, G-d stations himself in the universal conductor's box. He raises his arm, waves his baton and the orchestra of nature bursts into a symphony of motion and sound.
Footnotes
1) Numbers 22: 8. See Vayikrah Rabbah 1: 13. See also Rashi's commentary.
2) Numbers 23: 4. See Bereishit Rabbah 52: 5. See also Rashi's commentary.
3) Yad HaChazakah, Yesodei HaTorah, Ch. 7:1. Translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Meditation and the Bible, Samuel Wiser Inc. Main, p.22.
4) This is why most prophets were not always successful at achieving the prophetic state. The art of prophecy is not an exact science. One could not offer up the correct equation and expect a predetermined result. It is a heavenly reward for the prophet's devotion. Sometimes, the prophets were rewarded for their efforts and at other times, for reasons known only to G-d, they were not. There were also times when G-d chose to offer a level of personal enlightenment that far exceeded the reach of the prophet's devotion. When the prophet reached a measure of perfection here below, G-d would not only reward him with a prophecy commensurate with his effort, but bestow upon him a free gift, a transcendental level of awareness and understanding, from above.
5) See Zohar, Section III, p. 92. See also Likutei Torah, Shir HaShirim, p. 24a.
6) Likutei Diburim, Vol. I p. 164. As elucidated by Rabbi Nachman Shapiro.