In our Thursday night discussions of the writings of the Chalban, we just concluded the section on Parshas Noach. The essence of his theme has been that the sin of the דור המבול, the Generation of the Flood, as well as the דור הפלגה, the Generation of Dispersion at the time of the Tower of Babel, was rooted in the fact that they desired to live a life that was completely without boundaries. Even though the creation of the Universe was predicated upon the creation of boundaries and separation (דין), they wanted to enjoy the unbounded and unconstricted bounty of God (חסד) and they rejected the concept of any boundaries at all. This is why at the time of Noach they engaged in theft and adultery and why at the time of the Tower they were completely united, each represents a rejection of boundaries.
HaChalban explains that this unboundedness, the drive for תהו, is actually an attempt to return to a pre-creation world in which boundaries did not exist, there was just one homogeneous God. While rooted, therefore, in something of value, it still mitigated against the foundation of Creation and was not tenable. I would add that entropy, one of the most basic forces of nature, is the drive drive for תהו, and rooted in the fabric of physical existence inexorably trying to return to its pre-Creation state.
He continues to explain that before the time of Avraham there was no concept of 613 Mitzvos, rather one could connect to God through every facet of his life. When God created more boundaries with the creation of 70 nations, he also created the boundaries and delineations which are the 613 Mitzvos and from then on it was only within the framework of those 613 boundaries that man could connect to God. For this reason we don't find any discussion of the 613 before Avraham.
Finally, he says that the entire concept of boundaries and constrictions was much weaker throughout existence prior to the time of Avraham. At this time God chose to make these lines drawn much more firmly than they had previously been drawn.
With this last line it became clear to me that the reason the people in those earlier eras, in the 2,000 years of תהו, had spent so much time pushing the envelope and trying to dispense with all lines, is because the lines themselves were not so firmly drawn as they are today. It was almost as if they were being invited to challenge them, weak as they were.
I also understood now why the Mitzvah of Bris Milah did not exist until the time of Avrohom. There is no Mitzvah that illustrates the idea of constriction and limitation as much as the Mitzvah of Milah. Prior to Avrohom, with the whole idea of constriction being weak, there was no place for a Mitzvah such as Milah. Only with the advent of the new and improved constriction was there a place for this Mitzvah.
HaChalban explains that this unboundedness, the drive for תהו, is actually an attempt to return to a pre-creation world in which boundaries did not exist, there was just one homogeneous God. While rooted, therefore, in something of value, it still mitigated against the foundation of Creation and was not tenable. I would add that entropy, one of the most basic forces of nature, is the drive drive for תהו, and rooted in the fabric of physical existence inexorably trying to return to its pre-Creation state.
He continues to explain that before the time of Avraham there was no concept of 613 Mitzvos, rather one could connect to God through every facet of his life. When God created more boundaries with the creation of 70 nations, he also created the boundaries and delineations which are the 613 Mitzvos and from then on it was only within the framework of those 613 boundaries that man could connect to God. For this reason we don't find any discussion of the 613 before Avraham.
Finally, he says that the entire concept of boundaries and constrictions was much weaker throughout existence prior to the time of Avraham. At this time God chose to make these lines drawn much more firmly than they had previously been drawn.
With this last line it became clear to me that the reason the people in those earlier eras, in the 2,000 years of תהו, had spent so much time pushing the envelope and trying to dispense with all lines, is because the lines themselves were not so firmly drawn as they are today. It was almost as if they were being invited to challenge them, weak as they were.
I also understood now why the Mitzvah of Bris Milah did not exist until the time of Avrohom. There is no Mitzvah that illustrates the idea of constriction and limitation as much as the Mitzvah of Milah. Prior to Avrohom, with the whole idea of constriction being weak, there was no place for a Mitzvah such as Milah. Only with the advent of the new and improved constriction was there a place for this Mitzvah.
