THE CABALA OF THE FACE

After 15 years of wearing a mask and living as a recluse, a 37-year-old Virginia man disfigured in a gun accident got a new face, nose, teeth and jaw in what University of Maryland physicians say is the most extensive face transplant ever performed.

The Rambam, 1000-year-old legalist and doctor explains, Every face is different; the Cabala explains: The individuality of a human being is expressed through the face, called Panim from the word Penimiot/Inner Being – the face is a reflection of the inner being of the person.

My teacher, Rav Aba Pliskin, once taught me, The face is a thief stealing emotions from the heart then delivering them to world through the face. The face is the outer expression of our inner emotions – the reason why we look at one another’s face while speaking to them.

The Cabala also explains, All creation has a face; meaning, all creation has an outer expression of an inner essence. The essence can not be seen but the reflection of the essence is revealed in the face. The face of man and woman is particularly different as seen in the beard.

The reason why men have beards while women do not is because women are naturally hidden, whereas men are more exposed. The hair of the beard is different from the hair of the head; the beard hair is similar to pubic hair that hides the genitals known as Yesod/Secret.