The hidden inner point within the body

במד' אחור וקדם צרתני כו'.

In the Midrash: "Back and front You have formed me" (Tehillim 139:5).

The piece begins with the verse describing man as fashioned with two dimensions — a "back" (achor) and a "front" (kedem).

כי כל מה שברא הקב"ה בעולמו הכל לכבודו ברא.

For everything that the Holy One created in His world, He created for His glory.

The ultimate purpose of all creation is to reveal kavod Shomayim (the glory of Hashem).

אכן יש נבראים שאין כבודו ית' ניכר בהם בהתגלות.

However, there are creations in which His glory is not recognizable in a revealed way.

In some created things, Hashem's glory is hidden and not openly apparent.

וזה נק' אחור כי סוף כל סוף נולד מהם התגלות כבודו ית' ורצונו ע"י סיבות קרובות ורחוקות.

And this is called "back" (achor), for in the very end the revelation of His glory and His will is born from them, through near and distant causes.

The "back" aspect refers to that which conceals Hashem's glory now, yet through a long chain of causes will ultimately bring His glory to light.

ויש ע"י פושט צורה ולובש צורה כמו דצח"מ שמתעלין דרך מדרגות.

And [in some cases this happens] by means of shedding one form and donning another, like the inanimate, vegetable, animal, and human (domem, tzomei'ach, chai, medaber), which are elevated through stages.

The four levels of creation rise step by step — mineral nourishing plant, plant the animal, and so on — each shedding its form and taking on a higher one, gradually revealing Hashem's purpose.

וזה החילוק בין עליונים שהם בחי' פנים וקדם שאין להם השתנות וששים ושמחים לעשות רצון קונם בלבד.

And this is the distinction between the upper beings, who are the aspect of "face" and "front" (panim and kedem), who have no change and who joyfully and gladly do only the will of their Maker.

The malachim and upper worlds are the "front" — unchanging, with no concealment, existing solely to fulfill ratzon Hashem in joy.

אבל התחתונים הם בחי' אחור לכן משתנים מצורה לצורה ומתים.

But the lower beings are the aspect of "back," and therefore they change from form to form and die.

The lower, physical creations belong to the "back" of concealment; hence they are subject to change and mortality.

וזה הרמז שאמרה חנה עליונים לא מתים ולא פרין ורבין תחתונים מתים ופרים ורבים.

And this is the hint of what Chanah said: the upper beings do not die and do not procreate; the lower beings die and procreate.

Chanah's words contrast the two realms: the unchanging upper world neither dies nor reproduces, while the lower world both dies and brings forth new generations.

כי ע"י שהם מתים בע"כ צריך להיות מהם תולדות.

For since they die, of necessity there must be offspring from them.

Procreation is bound up with mortality — because lower beings pass away, they must give rise to descendants to continue.

אבל האדם הוא כולל אחור וקדם כי נשמתו חלק אלקי ממעל.

But man encompasses both "back" and "front," for his neshamah is a portion of the Divine from above.

Man uniquely contains both aspects: his soul is a literal portion of Hashem (the "front"), while his body belongs to the lower realm (the "back").

והגוף הוא בחי' אחור.

And the body is the aspect of "back."

The physical guf is the concealing "achor" dimension within the human being.

ובאמת הכל תלוי בו.

And in truth, everything depends upon him.

Because man bridges both realms, the rectification of all creation hinges upon him.

ולכן יש בו ב' הכוחות שיברר כבודו ית' גם באלה הברואים התחתונים.

Therefore he has both powers, so that he may clarify His glory even within these lower creations.

Possessing both soul and body, man is empowered to draw out and reveal Hashem's glory even from the lowest, most concealing parts of creation.

כמ"ש עם זו כו' תהלתי יספרו.

As it is written: "This nation... they shall tell My praise" (Yeshayahu 43:21).

Bnei Yisrael's mission is to declare Hashem's praise — to make His glory manifest in this world.

היינו בעוה"ז שצריך עדות לברר שהכל לכבודו ברא.

That is, in this world, where testimony is needed to clarify that He created everything for His glory.

Precisely in olam hazeh, where Hashem's glory is hidden, Bnei Yisrael serve as witnesses who reveal that all was created for His honor.

לכן כ' שחורה אני ונאוה.

Therefore it is written: "I am black, but comely" (Shir HaShirim 1:5).

Knesses Yisrael is described with a paradox of two aspects — outwardly "black," inwardly "comely."

כי חלק הגוף שחורה.

For the bodily portion is "black."

The "black" refers to the concealing physical body, the "achor."

ונאוה חלק הנפש.

And "comely" is the portion of the soul.

The "comely" beauty is the inner neshamah, the "kedem."

אכן בזמן המקדש הי' מתגלה הארת הנשמה והיה ניכר שבחן של בנ"י.

Indeed, in the time of the Mikdash, the radiance of the neshamah was revealed, and the praise of Bnei Yisrael was recognizable.

When the Bais Hamikdash stood, the inner light of the soul shone outward, so that the true greatness of Bnei Yisrael was visible.

כי הגם שמתלבשים בגופים הנשמה מאיר בהם.

For although they are clothed in bodies, the neshamah shone within them.

Even within physical bodies, the soul's light was able to radiate during that era.

ועתה בגלות כ' אל תראוני שאני שחרחורת.

And now, in galus, it is written: "Do not look upon me, that I am swarthy."

In exile the verse describes a deeper darkening, as though only the blackness can be seen.

לשון כפול שנראה כאילו גם הפנימיות שחור ושהם שחורים בעצם.

It is a doubled expression (sh'charchores), implying that it appears as if even the penimiyus (inner dimension) is black, and that they are intrinsically black.

The intensified word for "black" conveys the illusion of galus: that even the inner core is darkened, that Bnei Yisrael are blackened to their very essence — though this is only an appearance.

והטעם שמוני נוטרה את הכרמים הוא מלבוש החיצון הגוף שהוא כדי לתקן כל הברואים.

And the reason — "they made me a keeper of the vineyards" — is the outer garment, the body, which exists in order to rectify all the creations.

"They made me keep the vineyards" alludes to the body, the outer garment placed upon the soul so that man can carry out his task of refining and rectifying all of creation.

כרמי שלי הוא צורה הפנימית לא נטרתי.

"My own vineyard I did not keep" — this is the inner form.

The verse laments that engagement with the outer "vineyards" of the world seems to come at the expense of one's own inner "vineyard," the penimiyus.

אבל באמת חלק הפנימיות נמצא לעולם בנפשות בנ"י.

But in truth, the inner portion is always present in the souls of Bnei Yisrael.

Despite appearances, the inner point is never actually lost; it perpetually remains within every Jewish soul.

רק כפי עבודת האדם מתגלה ומאיר בו.

Only that, according to a person's avodah, it becomes revealed and shines within him.

The inner light is always there; one's avodah determines only how much it is uncovered and allowed to shine.

ולכן יש ערלה בגוף ונתן הקב"ה לבנ"י ברית מילה שהיא התגלות הפנימיות.

Therefore there is an orlah (foreskin) on the body, and Hashem gave Bnei Yisrael the bris milah, which is the revelation of the penimiyus.

The orlah represents the concealing outer covering; bris milah, by removing it, becomes the act that reveals the inner holiness within the body.

ובמדרש תן חלק לשבעה וגם לשמונה ימי מילה.

And in the Midrash: "Give a portion to seven, and also to eight" (Koheles 11:2) — the eight days of milah.

The Midrash links "seven and eight" to bris milah, performed on the eighth day.

שלכן יש באדם אחור וקדם שיהי' חלק בז' ימי הבנין וגם לשמונה הוא חלק הפנימיות עלמא דחירות.

For this reason there is in man "back" and "front" — that there be a portion in the seven days of construction (the natural order), and also "to eight," which is the portion of the penimiyus, the World of Freedom (alma d'cheirus).

"Seven" corresponds to the natural created order (the "back"), while "eight" transcends nature — the inner dimension, the realm of freedom beyond physical limitation, which is why milah is on the eighth day.

והוא עדות כי נפשות ב"י הם בני חורין ואין משתעבדין אל החומר בעצם.

And it is testimony that the souls of Bnei Yisrael are free, and are not essentially enslaved to the physical matter.

The eighth-day milah bears witness that the Jewish soul is intrinsically free, never truly bound to the body and its materiality.

וגם לשון ריבוי.

And it is also an expression of increase.

"Also to eight" further connotes adding and increasing.

כי צריך האדם לעסוק יותר בקביעות בחלק הפנימיות:

For a person must engage more, with steadiness, in the portion of the penimiyus.

The "increase" teaches that one must devote ever more constant effort to cultivating his inner dimension, drawing out the soul's light through ongoing avodah.

Summary: All creation was made for Hashem's glory, but it has two aspects — "front" (kedem), the unchanging upper worlds where His glory is revealed, and "back" (achor), the lower beings that conceal it, changing form and dying. Man uniquely contains both: a neshamah that is a portion of the Divine and a body that conceals. His task is to reveal Hashem's glory even from the lowest creation. Though galus makes Bnei Yisrael appear "black" to the core, the inner point is never lost and shines according to one's avodah. Bris milah on the eighth day — beyond the natural "seven" — reveals this penimiyus and testifies that the Jewish soul is essentially free, never enslaved to the physical, calling man to ever-greater devotion to his inner dimension.