Volume 12 | Tazria | Sicha 1
The dispute between the Holy one, blessed be He and the Heavenly Academy:
In has been taught in tractate Negaim (chapter 4) that (if the bright spot preceded the white hair he is impure; if the white hair preceded the bright spot he is pure); if there is a doubt then Rabbi Yehoshua rules that he is pure “since the verse opens with purity.” (At the end of our parsha the verse says “to make him pure or impure”).
Tractate Bava Metziah (86a): If the baheres (snow-white leprous sore) preceded the white hair then the afflicted person is ritually impure, but if the white hair preceded the baheres, he is pure. In a case of uncertainty as to which came first -- the spot or the hair -- the Holy One, blessed be He, says: The individual is pure, but every other member of the Heavenly Academy says: He is impure. And they said: Who can arbitrate in this dispute? They agreed that Rabbah bar Nachmani should arbitrate, as Rabbah bar Nachmani once said: I am singular [literally: preeminent] in (the halachos of) leprosy and I am singular in (the halachos of ritual impurity imparted by) tents. They sent a messenger... As he was dying, he said in response to the dispute in heaven: It is pure; it is pure.
Questions:
How is it possible that the Heavenly Academy would argue with Hashem?
Regarding a third opinion that reconciles an argument, it is known that the law follows the opinion which reconciles, because the reconciling opinion is a third opinion which includes both disputing opinions. (For example: the attribute of compassion reconciles the opinions of diverging opinions of the attributes of kindness and judgment. The attribute of compassion agrees with the attribute of judgment which claims that the recipient is undeserving, yet compassion also agrees with the perspective of the attribute of kindness that one should give to the recipient. The attribute of compassion reconciles the dispute that one should give the recipient not because he is deserving, but rather because of compassion). Based on the above the question arises: What does Rabbah Bar Nachmani add to the opinion of Hashem?
Explanation:
This will be understood by prefacing the interpretation of the Alter Rebbe in Likkutei Torah. The Alter Rebbe explains that “the Holy one, blessed be He” represents the level of sovev, (the Divine Light that encompases and transcends the worlds). Therefore, in a case of doubt whether something is pure, “the Holy one blessed be He” is of the opinion that it is pure, because the bittul (nullification) of sovev does not allow for impurity, (which stems from feeling one’s independent existence). The Heavenly Academy, which represents the Light of mimaleh, (the limited Light that fills each creation), is of the opinion that in a case of doubt the person is impure, because the bittul of mimaleh is only bittul hayesh, (the subjugation of self, but the feeling of self still exists).
Based on the above we can explain as follows: The Light of sovev (which encompases the worlds) has a connection to the worlds, therefore, the bittul produced by the Light of sovev does not entirely negate the existence of the worlds. The Heavenly Academy rules the person to be impure, despite the Holy One, blessed be He ruling him to be pure, because the Light of sovev is not internalized within the creaton. Therefore, from the perspective of their spiritual level they are impure. Rabbah Bar Nachmani said “I am singular in negaim,” for he was able to draw down the level of “singular” (which has no connection to the worlds and does not give space to the worlds) within negaim. Therefore he is the one who reconciles that even the worlds say “pure, pure” (pure from, the perspective of the Light that transcends the worlds, and pure from the perspective of the worlds).
Connection to the beginning of the parsha:
When the inspiration begins with an awakening from below, “if a woman gives seed first,” then “she gives birth to a male.” This emphasizes the advantage of the lower domain drawing the light down, over the light being drawn down from Above. The advantage is that “she gives birth to a male,” which represents strong da’as (knowledge) which does not change. This is similar to Rabbah Bar Nachmani -- the lower domain -- ruling that the law is “pure, pure”; there is no possibility to argue. Because when the ruling is from the perspective of the lower domain, it does not change.
