We’re so used to having eyes that see and ears that hear, that we rarely pause to appreciate the sheer, intricate genius of it all. But according to Da'at (Knowledge) Tevunot, this design isn't just a biological accident. It's a reflection of something far deeper.
The text draws a sharp contrast between the body and the soul. The body is all about division of labor. The eye sees, but can't hear; the ear hears, but can't see. Each organ has its specific task. But the soul? Ah, the soul is different. All of its powers are present in every part, without that same kind of compartmentalization. It’s a unified whole. And this difference, we're told, stems from their origins: the body is created through a "hiding of haShem's countenance" (a concealment of God's direct presence), while the soul comes from the "illumination of His countenance" (a direct emanation of God's light). Perfection, in its purest form, is singular, unified. There’s no room for “too much” or “not enough.” But when God chooses not to act through that pure, undifferentiated perfection, then there are countless ways for "The Place" (a common substitute for God's name) to reward or punish, to interact with us based on our actions. The text suggests that the very structure of the physical world, with its myriad parts and functions, arises from this "hiding" – from God choosing to interact with creation in a less direct, more mediated way.
And here’s where it gets really fascinating. The text suggests that the human body, in all its differentiated glory, is a parallel to God's attributes. Remember the verse, “Let us make man in our form, like our image”? (Genesis 1:26) It’s not just about physical resemblance, but about mirroring the ways in which God interacts with the world. As we read in (Genesis 18:21), “I shall descend and will see." This teaches, according to the Talmud (Sanhedrin 6b), that a judge must see with their own eyes. Thus, our eyes correspond to God’s “eye,” which oversees all of creation, judging our actions.
Similarly, our ears correspond to God listening to the prayers and praises of humankind. As (Exodus 2:24) says, “And the Lord heard their cry…” And as our Sages taught in Avot 2:1, "Know what is above you - a watchful eye and a listening ear.” The mouth, likewise, relates to how haShem speaks through visions to prophets and the splendor of His voice is heard by His angels.
The Da'at Tevunot goes on to explain that all the other parts of the body can be similarly understood as reflections of God's attributes, prepared to activate His creations. Even the fact that we have two of everything – two eyes, two ears, two hands – mirrors the duality in God’s characteristics: benevolence and sternness, reward and punishment. God’s characteristics are also double - whether for benevolence or for His rod, to the right for merit or to the left for obligation. Isn’t that a powerful idea?
So, the next time you marvel at the complexity of the human body, remember that it’s not just a collection of organs working in isolation. It’s a reflection of something much grander, a map of the divine attributes, a testament to the intricate ways in which God interacts with the world. And maybe, just maybe, understanding this connection can help us see ourselves, and our place in the universe, in a whole new light.
And you will see further, that the body has divisions of organs and parts, each one with its utility, for the eye sees and does not hear, and the ear hears and does not see; which is not the case with the soul, that all of the powers which are within it without any of the division into organs like the organs of the body, rather all of it is in every part, and this is certain. Now you will see how this emerges thoughtfully from the introduction which we heard, that the body is created through hiding of haShem's countenance and the soul through the illumination of His countenance. And you will see a great and fundamental introduction, have you not already heard that perfection is one, for there is no relevance to deficiency or excess in actual perfection. But when the Holy One blessed is He does not want to work through his perfection, then there are many ways for The Place to reward or to punish, each person according to their actions, as was explained earlier. And when the decree of the heavenly wisdom is to demonstrate in the creation itself that He created the path and order in which He created it, as we explained, therefore with regard to hiding of His countenance - like its ways are many so did he want to make this creation with many parts and different organs, that they should be actual parallels to all the parts of his properties may He be blessed. This is the mater that I mentioned to you, that for this was it said, "Let us make man in our form, like our image", for with all the elevated characteristics which can be discerned in His glory may He be blessed, when he acts according to the value of his creations, so shall be found divisions in the image of this man; as an example, the eye- under the eye of his interaction who supervises all of the inhabitants of the earth to judge all their actions, like the matter that is said (Genesis 18:21), "I shall descend and will see" - to teach you that a judge cannot judge other than that which his eyes see (Sanhedrin 6b). The ears of man - correspond to the way that the Holy One blessed is he sits and listens to the prayers of all of mankind and all of their praises, and so is it said (Exodus 2:24), "And the Lord heard their cry..."; and our Sages may their memory be blessed said (Avot 2:1), "Know who is above you - a watchful eye and a listening ear". The mouth of man - because the mouth of haShem speaks in visions to his prophets and the splendor of his voice is heard by his angels who possess fortitude of strength and do his will. And similarly like this, all of the other parts of the body can be explained in detail, parallel in their appearance and their matters to His characteristics may He be blessed, that he prepared to activate his creations. And the making of man is right and left, with duplication of his parts to here and there, two eyes, two ears, two hands, to lets, as His characteristics hay he be blessed are also double - whether for benevolence or for His rod, to the right for merit or to the left for obligation. Is this not the path that the heavenly will grasped after concealing his perfection which equilibrates everything towards the good. And indeed, like the parts of the body are discerned and differentiated according to their purpose, so to all of the occurrences of man in the hiding of haShem's countenance revolve and change in His strategy to activate them, like all that which we see in the passage of time, in everyday events.
