I have long argued that the underlying purpose of the Torah is to teach us how to have holy relationships – both between G-d and man, and within society. There is a single, relatively rare, word that shows the textual evidence for this claim: the word for “side,” צלע, or tzalah.
This word appears in the Torah precisely 18 times – the number of Chai, “life.” Is it a mere coincidence?
Tzalah is first found at the creation of woman:
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep upon the man; and, while he slept, He took one of his sides (tzalah) and closed up the flesh at that spot. And the LORD God fashioned the side (tzalah) that He had taken from the man into a woman; and He brought her to the man. (G. 2:21-22)
Using the side of Adam, G-d creates his mate, his counterpart and “better half” in life. This is at the core of all human relationships: the pairing of man and woman, and in holy matrimony.
The second time this word is found, Jacob has finished wrestling with the angel. Jacob is now changed for the rest of his life as a consequence with his violent encounter with the Divine: Jacob limps.
The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping (tzalah) on his hip. (G. 32:32)
In this case the same word is understood as a verb instead of a noun – but the symbolic meaning is the same. In both cases, man invests a part of himself in order to gain something of potentially much greater value.
The man is just as permanently altered by his wrestling match with G-d as Adam had been when he was given Eve. For the rest of their lives (and the lives of all their descendants), these relationships (man-G-d and man-wife) are the beating heart of all human growth and development.
And then in the Torah, where else is this word used? Only for one thing: the Tabernacle, the Mikdash, which is named as “the essence of holiness.”
The rest are ALL for the Mishkan: Exodus 25:12, 14; 26:20, 26, 27, 35; 27:7, 30:4, 36:25, 31, 32, 37:3, 5, 27, and 38:27. Specifically: the North and West sides of the Mikdash (that protect a relationship) and the Ark (intimacy), and the two altars – connection between man and heaven (copper altar) and his own soul (incense altar). Even the table, the Shulchan, is connected to tzalah.
Notably, the word is not found to describe either the South or East side of the Mikdash. Neither is the word connected to the Laver (kiyor) or the Menorah. Why not?
P.S. I have previously analyzed the symbolism the Torah associates with other numbers: Three (life and death), Four (transformation), Five (property transfer, and failure to plan), Six (physical maximum), Seven and seven-sevens (holiness / nature+G-d), Eight (The relationship of Man&G-d, embodied in oil), Ten (Willful deafness versus willful acknowledgement through tithing), and 12 and 13.