Why was Timna Rejected?
Thursday, October 15, 2015
QUESTION:
Why did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob reject Timna? As I understand it, the sages find fault with the Patriarchs for doing so. Yet there’s also a discussion that Timna was not sincere. If so, why would the sages find fault with the Patriarchs for rejecting her? Is it like Shammai, rejecting the potential but insincere convert that Hillel converts without incident?
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MY RESPONSE:
This is an interesting question. I will have to preface my response with an explanation of my method of exegesis. It is my perspective that the Torah is mythologized-history and is not written as a literal dogma but as Reb Nachman of Breslov stated- the Torah is the anatomy of the Soul. The truest lessons of the Torah are the p’nimi (inner) context of its outer content. Therefore the practical usefulness of the Torah is not in a literal fundamentalism which derides the mind into err rather the essence of the Torah is to be sought in its varying depths of revelation. Let me state it this way: students of the Torah derive non-essential and irrelevant ideas from an externalization of the Torah narrative rather than drawing from the inspiration and direction obtained by internalizing the Torah. This is like having a beautiful kallah and enjoying her external beauty without ever taking her into the bridal chamber for yichud. Not only is there not true enjoyment beyond the superficial but there is also no true union.
In the context of the narrative of Timna and her rejection we need to understand what Timna is or means as an archetype within existence. The Torah states:
“"Timna was a concubine to Elifaz, son of Esau, and she bore Amalek to Elifaz." (Gen. 36:12).
She was a concubine to Elifaz, descendant of Esau, and she is the mother of Amalek (enemy of Israel). The Talmud tells us in Sanhedrin 99b that she was rejected from conversion by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Outside of this narrative what do we know?
The Hebrew word Timna means “restraint, forbidden;” the Hebrew term Elifaz means “God is strength/purification;” and Amalek means “war like and valley dweller.” So if you translate these names rather than transliterating them in the Torah narrative what type of message comes through? We see that the strength of God is coupled with a restraining force which forbids the recognition of God’s strength. This polarity of opposite extremes (one force moving towards spirituality and the other forbidding spiritual development) leads to a constitution of a man without a compass who fulfills his animalistic disposition on destruction, lust, rebellion, etc. Amalek is the offspring of this union and Amalek is carnality. Amalek is in opposition to Israel forever in that Israel (yashar el) signifies an elevated spiritual consciousness and Amalek is the opposite being based in the carnal animal soul it opposes and attempts to destroy Israel in the consciousness of man.
Why do the patriarchs refuse Timna? The patriarchs themselves represent the process of mochin d’gadlut (expansion of consciousness) and the acceptance of Timna would hinder the evolution of the spiritual consciousness that the patriarchs represent and which led to the establishment of Israel. For example, Abram becoming Abraham represents the initial step in spiritual development which is emunah; Isaac was born of Abraham when Sarah was too old to give birth and this represents that spiritual level of development which surpasses natural-consciousness; Jacob represents the level of development when the spiritual life supplants Esau (the animalistic principle), Jacob in the Torah narrative overcomes his own limitations and becomes the actualization of man’s potential in higher consciousness which is signified by the change of his name to Israel.
Timna being a forbidding and restraining force would have destroyed the potential of spiritual unfoldment represented by these patriarchs. The Sages criticize the rejection of Timna on the basis that this restraining force could have been harnessed in a positive manner if she were included by the patriarchs. Instead she was rejected and became a force which propelled the descendants of Esau (animal soul) which led to a perpetual strife between the lower and higher principles of life (Amalek vs. Israel).
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