Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the concept of Zabl”a, where two litigants choose a judge, and those two judges then select a third.

Chaim V’Chessed (124) compares this to the encounter of Chessed (total giving) with Gevurah (strength, boundaries), which manifests Tiferes (compassion and mercy).

The idea that stability is achieved through the encounter of two, producing a balanced third, is a recurring pattern throughout the physical and material world. The need for balance—neither too much of one thing nor too little—is a fundamental truth across biological, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual realms. Buildings, personalities, and even planets thrive when varying forces are balanced.

It is fascinating to observe how patterns consistently manifest in every aspect of the physical and spiritual world, often unnoticed and taken for granted. Besides the need for balance, other patterns that are evident across biological, relational, physical, and spiritual realities include:

The risk-reward ratio: The more one plays it safe to avoid downside risks, the less potential there is for upside gains. This applies to religion, relationships, and finances. Balance integrates with this principle, ensuring that risks are taken without recklessness. Growth and change are impossible without letting go. Whenever one lets go—whether to entertain a new idea or adopt new behavior—there is always a risk of losing the old and not achieving the desired outcome. The greater and more desirable the achievement, the more one must risk letting go to receive it.

Another constant pattern is that difficulties tend to strengthen individuals, provided they endure. This is true for metal forged in a furnace, acquired immunity after recovering from a disease, grit developed through years of hard work, and even the notion that a penitent is considered greater than the righteous Berachos (34b).

Additionally, creation often arises from the encounter of two opposites. God created the world, biological entities reproduce through sexual intercourse, and even new ideas emerge from two people brainstorming and debating, or from one person grappling with a dialectical problem.

There are also mathematical patterns that repeat themselves, such as Fibonacci numbers, which appear in various natural objects, including the arrangement of flower petals, the spiral of galaxies, and the scales of pinecones. Another significant pattern is the near-universal presence of almost identical DNA across all living organisms. While some may see this as evidence of evolution, from a religious perspective, it highlights God’s efficiency and the work of a master planner. The subtle but consistent repetition of these patterns across physical and spiritual spheres indicates a strong, unifying, and organizing force. While this force can be called by many names, we recognize it as God, whose presence is revealed through these constant indicators of a grand and purposeful design.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

Do you like what you see? Please subscribe and also forward any articles you enjoy to your friends, (enemies too, why not?)