Brachos 48a: Where Is Hashem?

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Abaye and Raba [when boys] were once sitting in the presence of Rabbah. Said Rabbah to them: To whom do we address the benedictions?

They replied: To the All-Merciful [Hashem]. And where does the All-Merciful abide? Raba pointed to the roof; Abaye went outside and pointed to the sky. Said Rabbah to them: Both of you will become Rabbis.

What is at the root of this theological dispute that took place in elementary school between these future titans? If the gemara recorded this episode it must be pregnant with meaning.

 

This  gemara can be understood in light of another gemara. The same Abaye and Rava in their later years argue about "kiddushin she-ain mesurin li-biah" if he married one of two sisters but didn't say which one, he can't marry either of them lest she is his [true] wife's sister. According to Abaye this "kiddushin she-ain mesurin li-biah" is valid whereas according to Rava it is not [Kiddushin 51a].  

 

Explained the gaon Rav Levi Yitzchak Shneerson [the Lubavitcher Rebbe's father] as follows: Abaye and Rava  follow the same line of reasoning in all both places:

 

First – some Kabbala… Ohr Makif is light that is beyond human comprehension. [Understanding is possible only if it is Ohr Pnimi.] However there are two types of Makifim. Makif Hakarov which has some connection to Pnimi. Makif Rachok which has no connection to Pnimi and is beyond comprehension.

 

That is the difference between the letter me"m sofit and the letter samech. The me"m is completely closed which symbolizes the fact that it is sealed off and beyond revelation and comprehension . Together with that it is also square which shows that it is "grounded" and since it has four corners there is a beginning and end point. This allows us to categorize it as Makif Karov. In contrast the letter samech is sealed off but is also round [meaning that it has no beginning and end point]. This classifies it as Makif Rachok – beyond comprehension.

 

These two aspects characterize Abaye and Rava. Abaye personified Makif Rachok, the round samech. Rava personified Makif Karov, the square me"m sofit.

 

This explains the gemara in Brachos. The roof  is a Makif Karov [it surrounds the person but is also close to him] unlike the sky which is a Makif Rachok. Also, a house is square [see the mishna at the beginning of the twelfth perek of negaim that in order to be afflicted with nig'ei batim the house must be square] – just like the me"m which is square. In contrast the sky is round like the samech. Rava pointed to the roof because he personified Makif Karov while Abaye pointed to the sky because he personified Makif Rachok.

 

Furthermore in Rosh Hashana [18a] it says "Abaye and Rava were both descended from the house of Eli, Rava lived 40 years [me"m shnin] and Abaye lived 60 years [samech shnin]" – they both lived the gematria of their respective personalities. Rava - me"m and Abaye - samech [!!] Their chiyus and vitality was drawn from their letters and gave them life for exactly that number.  [I hope that my chiyus is drawn from ku"f cho"f J].

 

When there is a dispute between Abaye and Rava the halacha almost always follows Rava  because in this limited world we are more connected to Rava's Makif Karov and can't live according to Abaye's celestial Makif Rachok. The gemara says that Rava was primarily involved in Torah while Abaye was also involved in a great deal of chesed. A person like Abaye was so broad that he couldn't be at peace with just reaching his own personal fulfillment and perfection so he had to be involved with helping others. Rava's middah was an unquenchable thirst to forever expand his knowledge of Torah – ubi-ahavaso tishge tomid [see Mishlei 5/19 and Rambam Hilchos Tshuva 10/3. This paragraph was based on the Ayn Ayah Brachos Vol. 2 page 61 that I learned with Reb Yisrael Shmaya Alter Schertz at Moshe Gavriel Bernstein's aufruff Shabbos morning before davening at YILC. A memorable experience J].

 

It emerges that according to Rava, a Makif Rachok is not a reality with which we must contend while according to Abaye we do take Makif Rachok into account.

 

This explains their machlokes about "kiddushin she-ain mesurin li-biah". Through kiddushin a man's Makif surrounds his wife [as kiddushin comes from the word kedusha which means separate] and through bi-ah the man's Ohr Pnimi is drawn onto his wife [as bi-ah is of course hamshacha bi-pnimiyus]. According to Rava a Makif Rachok [such as kiddushin she-ain mesurin libi-ah] is not something we take into account and has no halachic significance [only kiddushin that allows for bi-ah counts because that is a Makif Karov]. According to Abaye even kiddushin she-ain mesurin libi-ah is valid because he validates Makifim Rechokim.

 

The Torah dancesJ.