“ראובן בכרי אתה כחי וראשית אוני יתר שאת ויתר עז: פחז כמים אל תותר כי עלית משכבי אביך אז חללת יצועי עלה.”
רש”י: “פחז כמים – הפחז והבהלה אשר מהרת להראות כעסך, כמים הללו הממהרים למרוצתם, לכך אל תותר – אל תתרבה ליטול כל היתרות הללו שהיו ראויות לך. ומהו הפחז אשר פחזת כי עלית משכבי אביך אז חללת – אותו שעלה על יצועי, שם שכינה שדרכו להיות עולה על יצועי.”
Rashi: “Unstable like water—The impulsivity and instability when you were quick to express your anger like the waters which rush in their flow. Therefore, you will not be superior—you will not acquire all the preeminence which was fitting for you. And what was that impulsivity? When you rose upon your father’s bed, then you desecrated Him who rises upon my bed: the Name of the Shechinah, as It is accustomed to rise upon my couch.”
Reuven was fit to be a priest and a king, but lost the rights to both roles when he rose upon his father’s bed. This loss was not merely a punishment. Rather, Yaakov Avinu emphasized the middah behind the sin, because it was this middah which disqualified Reuven as both priest and king. The middah was פחז כמים—unstable like water. How does this middah run counter to the maalos of kehunah and malchus?
Notice that Reuven is not criticized for his anger per-se, but rather the quickness and impulsivity with which it was expressed. And he is compared to water specifically. Yaakov Avinu could have drawn upon many illustrations of quickness, such as a cheetah or a gazelle. But a gazelle will at times graze in the meadow; a cheetah sprints and rests, sprints and rests. Water moves constantly; it rests only when held in a utensil, a כלי קיבול. When aroused, powerful forces within us flow forth; if there is no כלי which can hold them, they will invariably flow outwards into the realm of action. Such is the nature of anger—it runs like water. Reuven was characterized as unstable like water because he lacked the כלי קיבול strong enough to hold the powerful forces stirring within.
The ability to simply hold inspiration, without taking any immediate steps, is relevant to the maalos of kehunah and malchus, just as it is to anger. The role of the kohen is to convey elements of a higher dimension in our world. This avodah requires a כלי קיבול, in order for the higher dimension to be expressed correctly. Without such a כלי, there is a danger of distortion: in our world, the דבר עליון—higher element, can become unbalanced or slip into superficiality. First the דבר עליון must settle within the person, acquiring the appropriate “shape and form”, and only then can it be expressed through action. Malchus, referred to in the pasuk as “עז”—power, denotes the attribute of imposing order and rightness upon one’s surroundings. Without a כלי קיבול, malchus is dangerous. It can potentially become corrupted, intruding upon areas of life where it has no place.
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There is no “one-size-fits-all” כלי קיבול for the innumerable desires, emotions and aspirations which drive us towards action. At times, the intellect can be a כלי קיבול; if you are touched by an idea, think about it, explore it, appreciate it. (Just don’t forget to do it.) Allow the idea to affect your inner world before expressing it through action. When you are annoyed with family or friends, you may discover a כלי קיבול called “dedication to others”. Emunah can also be useful in this regard, and there are countless more. The most basic requisite is a developed inner world: in order to for these powerful forces to rest within us, they need a “place”.
Another key is the understanding that by simply holding onto the inspiration and waiting, we are ensuring that when we do take action, it will be a more genuine expression of our whole selves, not only that initial thought.
This is an Avodah which calls for introspection. Each situation is different, as is each individual. Where do you hold your resentments, your passions and aspirations—what are your כלי קיבול?