09 Jan Parshas Bo; Dogs, and the Transformation and Resurrection of the Dead
transcribed and edited from the audio lecture of
Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh
http://www.inner.org/audio/lectures/parsha/shemot.htm
Dogs and the Transformation and Resurrection of the Dead;
‘…the dog will rise up and metamorphize into a human being.’
In Parsha Bo we see the final 3 of the 10 plagues. In this article we will look at the secret of the three parts of the transformation and resurrection of the dead.
The gematria of Bo, is spelled beit + aleph = 2+1= 3. The 8th and 9th plagues are first two plagues mentioned in parsha Bo; locust (8) and darkness (9). These 2 plagues correspond to the letter beit (=2) of Bo. The single last plague of the smiting of the 1st born of the Egyptians corresponds to the letter aleph (=1).
Moshe warned Pharaoh at the very beginning that G-d is going to smite the first born of Egypt. As Kabbalah teaches us, ‘the end is wedged in the beginning’ and as we see, this did in fact happen but as the last plague reveals. After the 10 plagues the people could leave the bondage of Egypt. It was at this time, after the many times of Pharaoh’s heart being hardened that he let go of his chutzpah (audacity, ego) and let the people go. Even so, we see in the next parsha, Pharaoh’s heart once again becomes hardened and he chases the people to the sea.
There is beautiful imagery that we learn from the last plague, perhaps even more beautiful than Pharaohs chutzpah. It is here where we see an animal, dogs, mimic human behavior. The Torah makes the statement ‘when the 1st born of the Egyptian were being killed, no dog barked (lit. no dog sharpened his tongue). The Gemmorah teaches us that the dog has a supernatural sense of the angel of death… the dogs will begin to wale. Sometimes a dog laughs and is happy. This we say is a sign that the prophet Elijah has entered the city. We learn from this that a dog can distinguish that which is holy. This relates to the understanding that that which is satiated as positive trait, and that which is unholy and never satiated as a negative trait. The dogs are able to distinguish good or evil forces.
It is taught that a dog always recognizes his master more than any other animal. Cats don’t share this trait ‘because they eat mice’. Dogs are the smartest because you can train them. They have native intelligence or consciousness. Many may think the fox is smarter than the dog, however the fox is cunning but cannot be trained.
Jew are the most bold of nations as we strive in the way of good boldness. There is also an understanding that as Mashiach approaches there will be increased chutzpah. There will be the challenge of a negative force that must be countered with positive boldness (chutzpah-audacity-ego). In order to manifest living kindness, Chassidut teaches you must have an amount of boldness to manifest positive change in this reality.
There is a gematria relationship between Kelev – dog and Eliyahu, both equal 52 which is also the gematria for Name of G-d that corresponds to the power of kingdom or leadership.
There is one great Torah Tzadik whose name is dog, Kalev (Caleb). He was the good spy who was faithful to Moshe. Moshe says ‘he is the faithful one’. He was ‘faithful to the faithful’ = 6 x kelev (52). Here’s how we get this gematria; dog- KeLeV (kaf lamed vav) has 3 letters = 6 permutations (of the letters that compose its name are also referred to as the full composition of the word = ‘faithful to the faithful’.
The image of this week’s parsha is ‘the barking and waning or cry of the dogs”. Even though the angel of death was present, the dogs didn’t bark. According to certain opinion, they didn’t bark at the Jews, but they did bark at the Egyptians. They were able to distinguish who the angel of death was coming for.
Another interpretation is they did not bark at all, as it was G-d Himself that came down to smite the Egyptians, and so in a display of total nullification (bitul) to G-d, the dogs were given a ‘good report’. They did a mitzvah by their display of total bitul (nullification).
Thus, the dogs helped in partnership to G-d and the Jewish people to leave Egypt. The reward for the dog as specifically defined in the Chumash for their service. They receive the ‘non-kosher meat from the animal in the field’ (traif). Even though we could do other things with this meat (other than eating it), the Torah says to give it to the dog.
The Sages say ‘because the dogs were quiet, they merited to sing a song to G-d for ever and ever, the greatest song of all creatures on earth. There is a certain collection of songs called Perek Shira, the songs of Dovid HaMelcech. Every creature is given a verse. The last and highest of them is the song of the dog.
What is so special important about this song? Adam was the last of all creatures to be created. This song is the very first thing that came out of Adams mouth as he witnessed all of G-ds beauty. Adam says ‘come let us prostrate ourselves and bow and kneel before G-d who has made us all’. Had Adam retained this consciousness in his loftiest state, had he not have sinned and fallen, and would have become Mashiach himself.
This altruistic lofty state of consciousness is one of Adam needing nothing for himself as he shows he is in a state of consciousness of total self nullification. He turns to all of G-ds creation, and including himself, speaks to bow and kneel before G-d. He does this as his first words, spontaneously, as he recognizes he needs nothing for himself.
Bo, let us come (Bo-come, may me used singularly or plural). How then can the verse become the song of the dog, after all, this is the song of Adams great spontaneous and totally altruistic statement?
Had Adam retained the state of consciousness, ‘a natural consciousness and a feeling of mission’ he would have continued to arouse and inspire all of creation to recognize and bow down to G-d as the creator. Had he done this he would have been Mashiach.
Three stages of transformation;
When we examine the verse more closely, we see 3 verbs. The 1st is ‘to prostrate’ ourselves meaning to go down on the ground and totally prostrate ourselves with our arms and our legs fully extended.
The 2nd verb ‘nichra’ refers to the act of just beginning to rising up a little bit, and you are bowing down with your head bent down.
The 3rd ‘nivricha’; you whole body is erect and just your knees remain bent on the ground, but your head is erect (the rest of the body is then straightened).
These are the three stages of rising up. In Kaballah this is referred to as the 3 stages of the secret of the resurrection of the dead;
1st is in the coffin a corpse is totally prostrated
2nd, when he begins to rise up, his head is still bent down
3rd, finally his head becomes erect yet he continues to kneel, ‘nivricha’, which also means to draw down blessing. He is both kneeling and he is erect as we see when a dog kneels.
So we see now why the sages say the he dogs will be able to merit…the dog will rise up and metamorphize into a human being.
In our meditation we will then meditate 1st on seeing a dog in total prostration calling upon all of creation to join in his submission and selflessness (bitul) to G-d, and in that way he is becoming lifted up until the final stage of his coming erect. Yet, he remains on his knees, nivricha, continuing to bring down blessing.
Chazal say that sometimes a man can be of full human stature yet his face is just the face of a dog. This characteristic of the not righteous leaders of generation and governments it is they who will have the face of a dog. They will continually look back (over their shoulder) to ensure they have the approval of others (leadersl, the ones holding the leash). We will see this prior to the coming of Mashiach.
The greatest display of Pharaoh’s chutzpah is the killing of the first born. The other nation who has even more chutzpah than Egyptians is Amalek. the arch enemy of the Jewish people also referred to as the’ bad dog’ which we have to fight against.
In the end the dog and the merits that he has will resurrect, transform and metamorphize into a human being. This is the rectification of the dog in his three stage rectification process.
transcribed and edited by
Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling
http://lawrencelax.com
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com