5 Points to Ponder
The Tallest Animal in the World - How Does It Drink Water Without Risking Its Life? 5 Points to Consider
Is mother's milk suitable for an infant at every stage of development? Why do we stretch after a night's sleep? What is the purpose of human creation, and what is the meaning of the saying "Derech Eretz precedes Torah"?
(Photo shutterstock)Materna Stage 1
My dear daughter reached the age of six months, so we needed to switch her from Materna Level 1 to Materna Level 2, and later on to Level 3.
Parents need to match the type of formula to the developmental stage of their baby. As the baby grows, their physiological needs change accordingly, which is why milk formulas are created, containing components that help their development at each stage.
Makes perfect sense.
But wait, a breastfeeding baby continues to consume its mother's milk for a long time, right? What about the growing and developing baby? How does it receive milk composition suitable for its developmental stage?
The remarkable thing is that the composition of mother's milk changes according to the baby's needs! How does a mother's body know to adjust the milk to the different stages of development?
Friends, the baby signals to the mother through saliva during nursing what it needs. The mother's body receives the message through receptors, and the mother produces milk precisely suitable to the baby's needs, without being consciously aware of it.
Who is the engineer that created such a perfect and wondrous synchronization between two different systems that nourish each other?...
Stretch!
The alarm rings! We barely open our eyes, but instinctively we stretch our arms and back slightly. Why do we stretch in the morning, and what does it do for the body?
When we sleep, the body lies in a certain position. Upon waking, stretching provides a pleasant sensation because it releases muscles that worked during the night. Although the body seems relaxed, some muscles kept us in a certain posture. This stretch relaxes even more muscles that worked overtime during sleep.
But stretching does much more: moving muscles in stretching motions helps remove waste products that accumulated in the muscles, increases body heat, renews blood flow in the body, and helps blood return to muscles, bringing them the oxygen needed to prepare for the day.
Beyond the actions we consciously and deliberately choose, our body operates automatically in wondrous ways, and even if we sometimes don't fully understand it, we must trust the Creator of our body who operates it in the best way for us.
Why was man created? "Just because"?!
Have we ever seen a creation in the world without a purpose? Can we point to an object and say "it was created just because someone felt like making it"? Let's check: a chair - meant for sitting, a refrigerator - to cool food and prevent spoilage, a car - to transport us places, and so forth.
To make it easier for you: there is none! There isn't any creation in the world without a purpose! Nothing was created "just because"! Every creation was preceded by extensive planning. Everything we create has a purpose and an aim! If it didn't, we wouldn't do it...
My question is: could it be that the most wonderful creation in the world - human - was created without a purpose? Could it be that the Creator who formed man, did so without purpose? If so, why create man? "Just because"?!
So, what is the purpose of humans in the world? Practically, we see that throughout life, man seeks happiness, thinking material life can provide the coveted joy. For this, people set various goals, imagining that achieving them would bring happiness. Some believe happiness is in money; others think it lies in fame or material success.
Yet, even when someone attains the material success they sought, they become disillusioned with it and seek another material goal to chase. There seems to be nothing material that provides lifelong satisfaction. So, how can one attain true happiness?
Therefore, when discussing the purpose of man, it inevitably refers to a non-material purpose, a higher spiritual happiness.
So what is the purpose for which humanity was created?...
When a person clarifies "what is their duty in this world", they come to understand "that man was created only to delight in Hashem and enjoy the splendor of His Shechinah, which is the true pleasure and the greatest delight among all possible delights" (Mesilat Yesharim Chapter 1). This is the true delight. When a person achieves things through their efforts and pays for what they receive – this is true pleasure and complete satisfaction.
The tallest animal in the world!
A giraffe's height approaches 4 meters. The giraffe's heart is about 2 meters above its feet and about 2 meters below its head. This distance could make supplying blood to the head difficult. Therefore, when a giraffe lowers its head to drink water or suddenly raises it, I close my eyes in fear. Why?
When the giraffe bends forward to drink river water, its brain could receive an excessive rush of blood. When it stands back up, the blood flow decreases significantly. But when I open my eyes, I see the giraffe raises its head indifferently... I close my eyes again with worry, knowing the blood won't reach its head, 4 meters high, and that the giraffe might faint!
Moreover, the effect of gravity could complicate blood's return to the heart, creating high blood pressure in the giraffe's legs! For humans, such blood pressure would cause venous blood pooling, fluid leakage from blood vessels, and consequently - severe edema.
Given the long distance the blood must traverse from the heart to the brain and legs and back, numerous dangers could arise. How, then, does blood supply in a giraffe's body function incredibly - without issues, without edema - despite the long journey it must take?
The giraffe has a complex mechanism of sensors in its arteries, heart, and brain, along with a valve system regulating brain blood pressure according to the giraffe's head position. In the giraffe's neck veins, there's a remarkable and simple one-way valve system preventing blood from flowing against gravity towards the head when the giraffe's head is lowered, and when the head is raised, the veins function such that the blood doesn't flow like a siphon, draining the brain of blood, but rather there's resistance in the vein aiding in regulation.
In the giraffe's legs, the one-way valves function like ours – allowing one-way flow only towards the heart. If a giraffe were born without leg valves, there'd be immense hydrostatic pressure, the veins would swell like balloons, arterial blood would struggle to return via the venous system, and the heart could fail from the strain. Amazingly, the giraffe's neck and leg skin is thicker than the rest of its body, acting as a natural elastic compression stocking, preventing edema, maintaining vein diameter, and stopping veins from swelling and valve insufficiency.
Two blood regulation systems are thus "installed" in the giraffe: when it bends, blood flow is moderated by a complex valve system regulating the blood quantity reaching the brain, and when it rises, the system acts as a shock absorber, preventing fainting. Simply amazing!
So next time I see a giraffe, I won't close my eyes. At most, I'll ask for the elastic stocking supplier's address...
"Derech Eretz Precedes Torah"
Some people don't observe Torah and mitzvot, seeking excuses to calm their conscience. One excuse, given "Torah justification," is "Derech Eretz precedes Torah" - being a good person is more important than keeping Torah and mitzvot.
Sometimes people tend to think that mitzvot between man and fellow man take precedence over mitzvot between man and Hashem. In simpler terms: "First, be a good person, then keep Torah and mitzvot." This isn't to say, Heaven forbid, that relationship with others isn't important, as it's high and valuable, but to do it correctly, one must first understand there's a Creator and accept His sovereignty. Only then can one achieve new insights regarding relationships with others.
One needs to know that true morality is only achieved through awe of Heaven. A God-fearing person is always aware that Hashem is with them. Such a person wouldn't sin or do wrong because they constantly see the King of Kings before them. How would a servant dare defy the king to his face?! Therefore, the Torah commands us on values in all situations and without compromise. For example: it's forbidden to curse the deaf, even if they can't hear, because Hashem is everywhere and hears us...
If we look, we'll see the Torah doesn't command us about the virtues, like abstaining from pride and anger, behaving humbly, etc. It doesn't say: "Don't get angry" or "Be humble," and so on. Why? Because a God-fearing person, who observes Torah and mitzvot and follows the "Manufacturer's instructions" earnestly and sincerely, naturally develops morality and good traits, in other words - Derech Eretz. Torah and Derech Eretz are intertwined. Thus, miraculously, the Torah changes the person's interior, making them softer and kind to others.
To clarify: politeness and helping others – traits relied on by those who don't observe Torah and mitzvot – don't necessarily demonstrate Derech Eretz. Rather, forgoing one's traits is Derech Eretz: when you're angered, and you don't hold a grudge, when someone is arrogant towards you, and you don't respond with pride. Without Torah and acting according to the "Manufacturer's instructions," reaching such levels of character development is difficult, if not impossible.
So, what does "Derech Eretz precedes Torah" actually mean?
If someone improves their traits rationally, they can reach a certain human level, but the Torah is beyond human matters and intellect. The Torah guides us to rise and view life from above reality – and from there, we build, develop, and refine traits. Only the Torah's guidance can lead to corrected and perfect traits.
In conclusion, remember: walking in Derech Eretz and behaving humanely isn't a substitute or advance payment for following the Torah. Derech Eretz doesn't exempt one from following the Torah.
