This week's Torah portion (Ki Seitzei) states the following law:
"If a man will have two wives, one beloved and one unloved, and both the loved and unloved wives have sons, and the firstborn son is that of the unloved one; on the day that this man wills his property to his sons, he cannot give the son of the beloved wife birthright preference above the son of the unloved wife, the firstborn.
"Rather, he must recognize the firstborn, the son of the unloved one, to give him the double portion in all his property."
On the most literal level, these verses mandate that a firstborn son shall inherit a double portion of his father's estate, while each subsequent son shall inherit an equal portion of the property. A father does not have the power to bequeath the double portion reserved for the firstborn to one of the other sons he loves, and any attempt to do so is ignored by Jewish law.
What is the spiritual meaning of the seemingly coarse description of "a man who will have two wives, one beloved and one unloved, and both the loved and unloved wives have sons, and the firstborn son is that of the hated one"? How are we to understand this in the universe of the spirit?
The Struggling Vs. the Romantic Soul
Judaism teaches that the relationship between each husband and wife reflects the cosmic relationship between Hashem (the Groom) and the Jewish people (the Bride).
There are two types of people who enter into a marriage with Hashem: the "beloved spouse" and the "unloved spouse."
The "beloved spouse" represents those individuals who enjoy a continuous romance with Hashem. Their souls are overflowing with spiritual ecstasy, selfless idealism, and fiery inspiration. They cannot stop loving Hashem, and Hashem cannot stop loving them. On the other end of the spectrum stand the "despised spouses," people possessing numerous qualities that can easily be spurned: immoral urges, depressing feelings, vulgar passions, ugly temptations, angry sensations.
These are the people whose hearts are not always ablaze with love toward the Divine oneness of reality; their marriage to their Divine soul is a struggle. Their psyches vibrate with paradox. Throughout their life, they must battle not to become a victim of challenging instincts and cravings.
The Torah teaches us that Hashem's "firstborn son" may very well come not from His union with the beloved spouse, but rather from His relationship with the despised spouse. The spiritual harvest that a struggling human being produces as a result of his or her tumultuous romance with Hashem, may often be far deeper and more powerful than that of the spiritually serene person.
Working with all the parts in my brain and heart, discovering the goodness deeply hidden in all of my emotions and dispositions, brings me to a much deeper space of oneness and love. The morality and the integrity that emerges from the midst of my confronting daily the parts of me that seem so loathsome contain a unique depth and splendor not possessed by the straightforward saintly path.
Thus, "On the day that He wills His property to His sons, He cannot give the son of the beloved wife birthright preference above the son of the hated wife, the firstborn. Rather, He must recognize the firstborn, the son of the hated one, to give him the double portion in all His property." On a spiritual level, this means, that on the day that Moshiach will come, when humanity will finally taste the full-Divinity in the world – and when I discover the Moshiach consciousness in my own intimate life – a "double portion" of Godliness will be revealed in the arduous labor and sweat of the individual who never stopped fighting for his soul.
Rabbi YY Jacobson
