Last week, I suggested that two of the leading thinkers of Centrist Orthodoxy, Rav Samson Rephael Hirsch and Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, identify a midrash also highlighted by Chabad as conveying the ultimate goal of our avodas Hashem: to create a dirah b’tachtonim, a dwelling place for Hashem in this world. This week, I will cite some examples of where Rav Hirsch and Rav Soloveitchik reference this midrash and expound on the significance of the mission it expresses, and then identify some key differences between the Centrist and Chabad understandings of the dirah b’tachtonim concept.
Rav Hirsch
Rav Hirsch references this midrash about “Hashem’s dwelling place below” a number of times in his commentary on the Torah, noting how fundamental it is. Commenting on “the voice of G-d in the Garden” following Adam and Chava’s sin (Bereishis 3:8), he writes:
On this verse, our Sages remark: “Ikar Shechina ba-tachtonim” [one of the parallel formulations mentioned above]. Originally, G-d wished to establish His Presence on Earth… So may we infer from the story of Gan Eden: Not in the next world, but in this world can peace reside with man… But all this depends on whether man, in all his glory, submits to G-d and learns from Him what is good and what is evil. To reopen the gates of Paradise; to restore peace and harmony on earth…; to bring the Shechina back to Earth – that is the aim of the Torah and its reward, as proclaimed on every page of the Holy Scriptures… G-d draws near and comes to us in the midst of earthly human life, in all its diversity, provided that this sphere of human life on earth is kadosh, holy!
Later, Noach describes three forms of human civilization based on his three children, Shem, Cham and Yefes, and declares that “G-d will dwell [yishkon, related to Shechina] in the tents of Shem (9:27). Rav Hirsch writes:
Other religions teach what man must do in order to attain closeness to G-d in the next world; Judaism teaches what we must do so that G-d will draw near to us in this world. Judaism teaches that “Ikar Shechina ba-tachtonim” – G-d seeks, first of all, to dwell on earth together with man; He says, “V’asu Li Mikdash v’shachanti b’socham” – Let them make of their lives on earth a sanctuary to Me, and then I will dwell in their midst. To perfect the world through the reign of the Almighty [l’taken olam b’malchut Shakai] – not only in the heavens above, but also on the earth below – is the mission of Israel and purpose of its Torah [emphasis mine].
Later in his commentary, Rav Hirsch again makes reference to this midrash, this time portraying it as: “The Sages of Israel have expressed an idea that contains within it a complete worldview: “Ikar Shechina ba-tachtonim,” the principal place of the Shechina is on Earth.”
Rav Soloveitchik
Rav Soloveitchik references this midrash in his Halakhic Man. He first describes an archetype he labels “halakhic man.” The essence of his life is oriented around his relationship with G-d and living according to G-d’s direction. “His soul… thirsts for the living G-d, and these streams of yearning surge and flow to the sea of transcendence to G-d who conceals Himself in His dazzling hiddenness.” As opposed to another archetype, that of homo religiosus, who tries to escape this world and connect to G-d on His turf (page 15), “halakhic man starts out in supernal realms [by creating an a priori, ideal world through cognizing the halakhic system] and ends up in this world…Halakhic man takes up his position in this world and does not move from it. He wishes to purify this world, not to escape from it” (pages 40-41).
Halakhic man’s goal is to bring G-d down into this world by first understanding the “blueprint” He created for this world – the Torah, and its practical expression through halacha – and then striving to align this world with that ideal system. In this way, Hashem can live among us once we’ve built a world that aligns with the specifications He gave us. “When the Holy One, blessed be He, descended on Mount Sinai, He set an eternally binding precedent that it is G-d who descends to man, not man who ascends to G-d. When He said to Moses, ‘And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them,’ He thereby revealed the awesome mystery that G-d contracts His Divine Presence in this world” (page 48).
Did you notice that Rav Soloveitchik just referenced the same two events that the midrash marked as highlighting Hashem’s return to this world? That is of course no accident; he is describing the exact same idea: Our purpose is to bring G-d down into this world by understanding Divine values, communicated by the Torah and symbolically represented by the Mishkan, and then molding this world to reflect those values in our lives, both through the practice of halacha and the internalization of halachic values.
A bit later in the book, Rav Soloveitchik finally references the midrash itself, sealing the deal. “Halakhic man declares that the true home of the Divine Presence is in this world… ‘The principal abode of the Divine Presence was in the lower realms’ [ikar Shechina ba-tachtonim]. As soon as Adam sinned, the Divine Presence betook itself to the first firmament… Abraham arose and brought it down… and Moses arose and brought it down from above [the first firmament] to below [the earth]’… the garden of G-d is this world, not a supernal one.”
Rav Soloveitchik’s use of this midrash confirms the impression given by the rest of the book: Halakhic man’s goal is to serve as G-d’s “partner in the creation of the world” (a phrase that comes from complementary midrashim, such as Bereishis Rabbah 3:9, that state “Hashem desired shutafin ba’tachtonim, partners in the lower world”) by working to bring about the ideal state of Olam ha–Zeh in which G-d may dwell with us (a phrase used frequently by Rav Soloveitchik).
Centrist Characteristics
Thus, both Rav Hirsch and Rav Soloveitchik agree with the Chabad vision of building G-d a dirah ba-tachtonim. Their non-mystical understanding, though, as opposed to the mystical Chabad perspective, leads to a number of characteristics that mark the Centrist community.
Israel: This vision of a society run entirely according to halacha and halachic values is almost unimaginable outside of Israel. Diaspora Judaism is largely limited to individualistic elements of the Torah; only in Israel can we actually strive to set up an entire society that functions according to Hashem’s value system. Thus, Centrists see the return to Israel as a crucial step in the right direction toward accomplishing this telos of a dirah ba-tachtonim.
Talmud Torah: Both Rav Hirsch and Rav Soloveitchik championed a unique approach to learning: to understand the values and worldview we are meant to glean from each mitzvah through understanding the details of those mitzvos as communicated by the written and oral Torahs. While other systems of thought see Torah as the “life force of the universe,” in which case content takes a back seat to the importance of intellectually engaging with and understanding the word of G-d, the “worldview” approach tries to understand each mitzvah in terms of the ideals and perspectives we’re meant to be internalizing through its practice. (I develop this approach more, with examples, in my book Halachic Worldviews.) Doctors are best suited for uncovering the Torah’s perspective on issues of medical halacha, while businessmen and accountants will have unique insights on sugyos relating to economics and business law. Torah study remains a prime value, but in a form that aligns with its purpose of guiding one’s conduct and values.
Secular Studies and Careers: Because the ultimate goal is a fully functioning society that runs according to halacha and halachic values, we need professionals who are able to run all aspects of that society – from doctors and lawyers to teachers and social workers, and everything in between. Whereas other communities often portray one’s career as a b’dieved curse that should be minimized as much as possible, the Centrist community sees it as an opportunity to take one’s interests, mold them through exploring the areas of Torah relevant to that profession, and then bring those values to life through one’s engagement with settling and developing the world. Other areas of secular wisdom can be embraced as well for the benefits they bring to both individual and communal life. (This is distinct from seeing “the best the secular world has to offer” as an independent goal to be pursued on its own merits, which I call intellectual treasure-hunting – interesting, but not at all essential).
Individual Talents: Because of the complexity involved in developing a fully functional society, it becomes clear that we need different people with different interests who will take on different roles. This seems to be the message of the Shevatim model – different groups with different strengths who each contribute in their way to the development of an ideal society in Israel. If so, each person should be given the latitude to uncover what their strengths are and how they are meant to use them for the benefit of the nation. Thus, while both Rav Hirsch and Rav Soloveitchik discuss distinct roles for men and women in family and society, room is still made for individuals blessed with unique talents to pursue the use of those talents, of course while operating according to the halachic system.
Conclusion
If you ask a Centrist what the purpose of Torah is, or about the goal of our existence, I don’t think the answer is “Torah U’maddah” or “following halacha while engaging with the best of secular culture.” I think our leading lights, Rav Hirsch and Rav Soloveitchik, would want us to answer that we are doing our best to develop a society of inspired and inspiring people working together, each utilizing their unique skills and interests, to actualize the blueprints for the Mikdash Hashem gave us, as encoded in His Torah.
A version of this article was originally published in 18forty.
