In the Third Month [when the Children
of Israel left Egypt and arrived at Sinai to receive the
Torah] a supernal and recondite light shines forth…
and that light is contained in two lights, which are one.
The first light [Chesed] is white, too bright for the eye
to behold. The second light [Gevurah] is one which gleams
and sparkles in red. The two are united and become one...
Because it is contained in two lights, it is called the
“Twins” (Ti’umim). Therefore, in the month
in which the Torah was given (Sivan), the constellation
of the “Twins” (Gemini) rules, and from them
issue lights of various grades below to illumine the world.
Among all the other signs of the Zodiac
there is not one possessing mouth or tongue, but this one
has both, and the two are one. Therefore it is written in
regard to the Torah: “And thou shalt meditate therein
day and night” (Joshua 1:8), “day” corresponding
to the tongue, and “night” corresponding to
the mouth. And both these are one.
Therefore the word ti’umim (twins),
‘there were twins [Jacob and Esau] in her womb”
(Genesis 25:24), is written t’umim [without the letter
alef], in order to indicate that Jacob alone is under the
sign of this constellation. This is all one mystery. Jacob
had two months, Nissan and Iyar, and is included in the
mystery of Sivan, Twins. Esau’s months are Tammuz
and Av [when the Holy Temple was destroyed by the descendants
of Esau], but Elul is not his, and even in Av only nine
days are his not more. He separated himself and turned toward
impurity, in chaos and desolation, and he is not included
in the Twins.
And because Jacob is the Twins the Torah
was given to his children in the month of the Twins. The
Torah itself is a “twin”, the written and oral
Torah; it was given in the third month (Sivan), symbolizing
the treble Torah, Law, Prophets, Writings. And it is all
one
– Zohar II 78b
A cryptic Zohar indeed. Jacob is Esau’s twin. Jacob
cannot be considered a twin without Esau. How then can the
Zohar tell us that Esau is not included in the ‘twins’
of Sivan?
The twin brothers Esau and Jacob represent dual forces
in our lives. In microcosm and macrocosm – both in
our psyches and the larger universe – two conflicting
forces drive us at all times. In general terms: the battle
– and tension – between matter and spirit is
an inherent part of every aspect of existence. This dichotomy
manifests itself in so many ways: The conflict between career
and home, between our personal higher standards and the
pressure to conform to marketplace standards. The battle
between our yearning for transcendence and the need for
material survival, between existential loneliness and the
sense of connection to a greater whole – the war between
the outer and the inner, form and function, packaging and
substance – between the pull from above and the tug
from below. The list goes on.
Many philosophies and schools of thought have been espoused
about this battling duality and ways to remedy or at least
minimize the inherent tension between matter and spirit.
The Torah was given in the month of the ‘twins’
(Gemini) to teach us that these two forces are truly two
sides of one coin – a set of twins that can either
be at each other’s throat or unite into a synergetic
force. “The entire Torah was given in order to create
peace in the world” (Maimonides end of Laws of Chanukah).
In the Midrash ‘twins’ refers to the human
experience of light and dark (Pesikta Rabsi 20). Or to the
human duality of two forces, the good and evil inclination,
that comes with process of maturity (Tanchuma Haazinu).
The giving of the Torah is all about creating unity in
a world of duality – not by annihilating the duality,
but by transforming it into ‘twins,’ two that
are really one.
Esau is the warrior. On his own he can go either way: Either
he can be an aggressive force representing material belligerence.
Or he can channel his warrior nature to conquer the elements
of the world and transform the material universe into a
Divine home. Because in this mundane world we need intense
strength to stand up to the challenges of life and not conform;
we need a forceful attitude to “be fruitful and multiply
and fill the world and conquer it.” (see the article
Esau’s Two Faces).
Jacob (the soul) is the one that directs and channels the
aggressive Esau (the body) into a healthy partner and ‘twin’
that joins forces with the soul to transform the universe.
The Zohar, therefore, tells us that when Esau ‘separated
himself’ and indulged in material conquest, he essentially
disqualified himself from being a part of the ‘twins’
as a unit in Rebecca’s womb. Technically, he remains
Jacob’s twin, but conceptually he has allowed the
apparent duality of the universe to control his life, hence,
no true twins, only two separate forces at war with each
other.
In truth, Sivan, the month of Twins, is actually the Third
month, which corresponds to the third emotional sphere of
Tiferet. Tiferet – beauty – creates harmony
within diversity. Chesed (love) reigns in month one (Nissan),
when the Divine revelation from above freed the people from
constraints (Mitzrayim). Gevurah (diversity, discipline)
is the energy of month two (Iyar), when our human initiative
from below works on refining our 49 (7x7) emotions as we
count the days of the Omer leading up to month three (Sivan),
tiferet, which integrates chesed and gevurah, into one greater
harmony.
Mattan Torah (the giving of the Torah) – which is
called tiferet – united heaven and earth. As the Midrash
explains that up to that point in history there was a schism
that divided the ‘upper’ from the ‘lower;’
at Sinai we were given the power to marry the ‘upper’
and the ‘lower,’ spirit and matter. And the
way we achieve this is through spiritualizing the material
– fusing them both into a ‘twin-like’
relationship. It takes the special energy of the third dimension
(tiferet) that transcends both body and soul, to ultimately
integrate the two into one whole, without annihilating or
compromising either one of them.
These twin forces have been consumed in raging battle from
the beginning of time. Beginning in Rebecca’s womb
“two nations” have been struggling, and “two
governments will separate from inside you. The upper hand
will go from one to the other” (Genesis 25:23).
As history unfolded these two forces – which began
as two individuals in Esau and Jacob – magnified and
multiplied into global confrontations. Before Sinai (the
children of) Esau is offered the Torah, but he rejects it;
he has separated himself and is not yet ready to be a true
‘twin.’ (see article Esau, Ishmael and Sinai)
As the centuries rolled on, Esau’s children (the
Romans) would destroy the Temple, and years later they would
begin to embrace in their own way some of the Torah’s
message.
Two millennia later much has transpired. The world of Esau
has evolved and continues to refine itself, aligning itself
more and more with the teachings that the original Esau
learned from his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham.
The universe as well has evolved to a point where matter
and spirit have become interchangeable (e=MC2), and they
continue to evolve to the point where we can now see that
they soon may be synonymous, or better put – ‘twins.’
In physics, technology, communications, medicine, we are
witnessing the convergence of a duality that has always
been the staple of the universe.
Yes, the twins Esau and Jacob are about to finally meet
and join hands. Thousands of years ago Jacob told Esau (even
after they reconciled) “that the children are weak
and I have responsibility for the nursing sheep and cattle.
If they are driven hard for even one day, they will die…Please
go ahead of me… I will lead my group slowly, following
the pace of the work ahead of me, and the pace of the children.
I will eventually come to you, my lord, in Seir [Edom]”
(Genesis 33:12-13).
The time had not yet come for the ‘twins’ to
unite. “And when will he [Jacob] go [to Seir]? In
the days of Moshiach, as it says (Ovadiah 1:21) Redeemers
will ascend Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau, and the
kingdom will be G-d’s” (Rashi ad loc). After
over three millennia they are finally ready to unite.
The stage is set for the ‘twins’ to emerge
– in science, medicine and politics. The final frontier
is personal and psychological: to allow the ‘twins’
to emerge in our psyches.
We now have the power to finally bring some peace to our
fragmented (if not tortured) spirits, and by extension,
to our ailing world.
Two twins have been wandering for so long, isn’t
it time to finally come home?
