Man and the Elements

The Degel Machaneh Efraim writes an interesting explanation of the first pasuk in the Torah in the beginning of his sefer. Generally, we read “בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים וכו'” to mean that in the beginning, Hashem (“Elokim”) created the Heavens and the Earth. But peshat is really as follows: In the beginning, Hashem created the concept we know as “Elokim.” Elokim is the way Hashem is perceived as the Overseer of the natural world. In fact, אלקים has the same gematria as הטבע.

Now, another important point to note is that Targum Yonasan explains that Hashem created the world “בחכמתא”, with wisdom. That is to say that Hashem created the טבע with חכמה. “מה רבו מעשיך ה' כולם בחכמה עשית”. Now, we strive to emulate Hashem. This means that we can create a new טבע. How? With חכמה. What is חכמה? Torah. “עדות ה' נאמנה מחכימת פתי”. So with Torah we can change the nature of the world around us. For example, if someone is naturally an angry person, through Torah he can change his middos to be better. He can create a new טבע for himself.

(See Yismach Yisrael from the Alexander Rebbe on Mattos.)

This reminded me of the Imrei Elimelech on Balak. The Torah says, “לא איש א-ל ויכזב ובן אדם ויתנחם ההוא אמר ולא יעשה ודבר ולא יקימנה”. Reb Elimech brings down from the heilege Kozhnitzer in Avodas Yisrael on “עושה שלום במרומיו”. Even though Michael and Gavriel, who represent chesed and gevurah repectively, are seemingly polar opposites, and so too the four elements (fire, water, wind, and earth) even though they combat with each other, when they look at their source, the Ribbono Shel Olam, they all become nothing before Him. Through this, shalom is brought between these opposing forces.

There exists in man the power of the four elements. Now, when man recognizes the source of all existence is Hashem, then he brings all opposing forces together in a united state of self-annulment before the Borei Olam. So what does the pasuk quoted above mean? “איש” is the same gematria as “אמר"ע” (אש, מים, רוח, עפר). So, “לא איש”, when we get rid of the idea of “איש” and are mevatel ourselves entirely before Hashem, and reveal the Kevod Hashem by uniting the multiple components of our beings in nothing before Hashem, then we are left with “א-ל”, the Divine Revelation that is a by-product of this.