The Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpretations and elaborations on the Torah, offers a profound perspective. It highlights the expression, "And he took unto him," suggesting that a soul filled with love for God attributes all good things – noble theories, elevated feelings – not to itself, but entirely to God, the ultimate source of all blessings. It's a beautiful reminder of humility and gratitude.
And then there's the intriguing question posed by the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary): "What is the meaning of, 'He divided them in the middle and laid the pieces opposite to one another?'" (Genesis 15:10). What could this possibly signify?
Philo delves deep into this, exploring the very structure of our bodies as a reflection of this principle. He uses the body as a metaphor for understanding the world and our relationship to it. : our bodies are composed of parts that seem opposed, yet work together in harmony. The Midrash argues that the body is like flesh, "the parts are brothers; not as they are divided and placed opposite to one another; but, being naturally inclined to one another, and having a mutual regard to one another, on account of their natural co-operation."
Consider our eyes. The Midrash points out how the Creator placed the nose between them, turning each eye toward the other. "For the pupils, if I may so say, lean both in one direction so as mutually to behold the same thing, scarcely ever straying beyond the position in which they are placed, but only looking towards one another, especially when anything comes across their sight." They are separate, yet united in their purpose. Our ears, too, are reciprocally turned to one another, both tending to the same operation – hearing. Even our nostrils, facing inward, await smells with a "common action." Our hands, like brothers, work together to give, receive, and create.
The feet, according to Philo, are no different, each behaving in such a way that they both yield to the other, and progress is effected by the motion of both together, so that nothing can be accomplished by one alone. The legs, kneepans, hips, breasts – every part on the right and left, being similarly divided – showcases a general harmony and correspondence; a union of connatural parts.
The Midrash emphasizes that "whoever considers together and in an equal manner all the above mentioned parts thus subdivided, in reference to their joint operation, will find one nature combined of the two parts." It's not just about separate pieces; it's about how they come together to form a unified whole.
But it doesn't stop with the body. Philo extends this concept to the soul itself. Just as the body is divided, so too is the soul, with its rational and irrational parts. The rational part is further divided into intention and uttered word, while the part related to outward senses is divided into the five senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Philo makes an interesting distinction here: sight and hearing are considered philosophical senses, helping us acquire the power of living well, while smell and taste are more servile, merely supporting our mortal bodies.
And just like the body and soul, the world itself is arranged in divisions, according to the Midrash, placed opposite one another. The earth is divided into mountains and plains, water into fresh and salt, the atmosphere into summer and winter, spring and autumn. The Midrash goes on to suggest that Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher, borrowed his theory of contraries from the Torah, adding his own arguments.
What does all this tell us? It suggests a profound interconnectedness. The divisions we perceive – in our bodies, our souls, and the world around us – are not signs of separation, but rather opportunities for harmony and cooperation. Just as the parts of our body work together, so too can we strive for unity within ourselves and with others. It's a powerful reminder that even in division, there is the potential for wholeness.
He has added also that expression, "And he took unto him," with especial propriety; for it is the sign of a soul thoroughly imbued with the love of God to ascribe whatever good and noble theories and feelings it receives, not unto itself, but wholly to God who is the giver of all benefits.
What is the meaning of, "He divided them in the middle and laid the pieces opposite to one another?" (Genesis 15:10).
Also the whole structure of the body, as of flesh, is to be looked at in such a light as this according to its whole creation; for the parts are brothers; not as they are divided and placed opposite to one another; but, being naturally inclined to one another, and having a mutual regard to one another, on account of their natural co-operation; the original Creator who gave them life making this division for the sake of usefulness, so that one part should be opposed to the other part, and again that both should reciprocally seek one another in all necessary ministrations. In this way he has directly separated the sense of sight, distributing it equally to two eyes by placing the nose between them and thus turning each eye to the other; for the pupils, if I may so say, lean both in one direction so as mutually to behold the same thing, scarcely ever straying beyond the position in which they are placed, but only looking towards one another, especially when anything comes across their sight. And in similar manner the faculty of hearing is distributed between the two ears, which are both reciprocally turned to one another, both tending to one and the same operation. And the sense of smell is divided between the two nostrils, being turned towards the two tubes of the nostrils, which are not revolving around or inclined towards the cheeks, so as being drawn in two different directions to look the one towards the right and the other towards the left, but being both collected together and turned inwards they await all smells with a common action. So also the hands are not made of an appearance contrary to that of one another, but being like brothers and like divisible parts, looking to one another mutually, and being prepared by nature for an operation and employment suitable to them, they thus act in the operations of receiving, giving, and working. And the feet are not constituted differently from the hands; as each of them behaves in such a manner that they both yield the one to the other, and progress is effected by the motion of both together, so that nothing can be accomplished by one alone. Nor is it only the feet and shins, but also the legs and kneepans, and hips, and the breasts, and in fact every part on the right or left of the body, being divided in a similar manner, indicate one general harmony and correspondence and union as it were of connatural parts; that is to say, of all of those different members enumerated according to their separate species. And generally, whoever considers together and in an equal manner all the above mentioned parts thus subdivided, in reference to their joint operation, will find one nature combined of the two parts. As the hands, united and connected together with the fingers, are seen when in union with them to exhibit a harmony; and the feet, when re-united in operation, are seen to tend to union; and the ears, when similarly combined in the figure of an amphitheatre, are seen to unite themselves, in effect extending across the space which separates them. Therefore our nature, continually making in this manner a division of those parts which exist in us according to each separate species, has first of all separated and arranged the different sections, placing them as it were opposite to one another in the same way in which it has arranged the world; and it has also arranged them with reference to the easy discharge of their several duties. And again it has combined each of these members according to each species into one action, and into the same operation, collecting together all of them when considered generally. Nor is it only the parts of the body which any one may see thus united and in pairs, separated in their union, and again united in their division, but the parts of the soul are so too. But since the two superior sections of this are so many separate classes, namely the rational and the irrational, so also the separate parts of each section have their own appropriate division; as for instance, the rational part is divided into the intention and into the uttered word; and that part which exists in accordance with the outward senses is divided into the four senses; for the fifth sense, touch, is common to the other four, two of which, those with which we see and hear, are philosophical senses, so that it is by means of them that the power of living well is acquired for us; the others are non-philosophical, namely smell and taste, but are servile, being created only for living; for the sense of smell, by means of its exercise, contains many things which awaken it, and receives a continual breathing which is as it were the continual food of living creatures; therefore smell and taste support this mortal body, but sight and hearing afford service to the immortal soul. Therefore these divisions of our members, according to our body and soul, were made and separated by the Creator; however, we must know that the parts of the world also are arranged in two divisions and are placed opposite to one another; the earth being divided into mountainous and champaign districts; the water into sweet and salt, sweet being that which is supplied by springs and rivers, and salt being that which comes from the sea; as also the atmosphere is divided into summer and winter, and also into spring and autumn. And it is on this account that Heraclitus wrote his books about nature, having borrowed his theory of contraries from our sacred historian, with the addition of an infinite number of laborious arguments.
