Daf Ditty Shabbes 134:

FROM THE MERMAID TO ANAL IMPERFORATION

Axis mundi to Anus Mundi

When you're way up high

And you look below
At the world you left
And the things you know,
Little more than a glance Is enough
to show You just how small you are.

When you're way up high

And you're own your own
In a world like none
That you've ever known,
Where the sky is lead
And the earth is stone

Into the Woods: “Giants in the Sky” Stephen Soundheim

1
“What a chimera then is man! What a novelty! What a monster,
what a chaos, what a contradiction, what a prodigy!
Judge of all things, imbecile worm of the earth; depositary of
truth, a sink of uncertainty and error;
the pride and refuse of the universe!”

Blaise Pascal, Pensées

During a discussion about the permissibility of healing on Shabbat, we read the following:

‫א‬,‫שבת קלד‬

— ‫ ְוֵהיָכא ְדִּזיג‬,‫שׁ ְייֵפיהּ ִמיְשָׁחא ְולוְֹקֵמיהּ ַלֲהֵדי יוָֹמא‬

ַ ‫ ְל‬,‫ ַהאי ָינוָֹקא ְדָּלא ְיִדיַﬠ ַמַפְּקֵתּיהּ‬:‫ ֲאַמ ָרה ִלי ֵאם‬,‫ָאַמר ַאָבֵּיי‬
‫ ִמשּׁוּם ְדָּז ֵריף‬,‫ ֲאָבל ִבְּכִלי ַמָתּכוֹת — ָלא‬.‫ִליְק ְרֵﬠיהּ ִבְּשָׂﬠ ְרָתּא ְשִׁתי ָוֵﬠ ֶרב‬

Abaye said: my nurse told me: In the case of a baby whose anus cannot be seen, [as it is
obscured by skin,] let one rub it with oil and stand it before the light of the day. And where it
appears transparent, let one tear it with a barley grain widthwise and lengthwise. However, one
may not tear it with a metal implement because it causes infection and swelling.

RASHI

2
The Gemara refers to a congenital defect known as atresia ani, the obstruction of the anal
cavity. This defect can be surgically corrected. 1

This is a fascinating piece of Talmud for a number of reasons.2

First, the medical knowledge Abaye shared comes from the nurse who raised him (for he was an
orphan). Since women were the ones who helped in childbirth, it was they who were most
experienced in identifying neonatal disorder.

‫רב יוסף כי הוה שמע קל כרעא דאמיה אמר איקום מקמי שכינה דאתיא אמר רבי יוחנן אשרי מי שלא חמאן רבי יוחנן‬
‫כי עברתו אמו מת אביו ילדתו מתה אמו וכן אביי איני והאמר אביי אמרה לי אם ההיא מרבינתיה הואי‬

When Rav Yosef heard his mother’s footsteps, he would say: I will stand before the arriving
Divine Presence. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Fortunate is one who never saw his father and mother,
as it is so difficult to honor them appropriately. The Gemara relates that Rabbi Yoḥanan himself
never saw his parents. When his mother was pregnant with him, his father died; and when she
gave birth to him, his mother died. And the same is true of Abaye. The Gemara asks: Is that so,
that Abaye never saw his mother? But didn’t Abaye say on many occasions: My mother told me?
The Gemara answers: That mother was actually his foster mother, not his birth mother.

Second, the problem that is described is a congenital defect, one that is the result of a
malformation during the development of the growing fetus.

We have encountered these before3; it would seem that the Cohanim had a high rate of
polydactyly, or extra digits on their hands.

Third, the intervention is one of the earliest descriptions of neonatal surgery of any sort (perhaps
with the exception of circumcision). See below for other cultures.

Fourth, it describes in detail the surgical steps to be taken to fix the problem.

Fifth, it demonstrates that the operation had evolved over time, and that earlier techniques using
metal probes were associated with poor outcomes. The women (including Abaye’s nurse/mother)
had used their observation and experience to perfect the procedure.

Finally, the fact that there was a procedure for this congenital problem at all, and that it had been
perfected through trial and error, means that what is today called an imperforate anus must have
been fairly prevalent, and not something seen only once in a lifetime.

1
Steinzaltz
2
Daf 134 Shabbes http://www.talmudology.com/
3
Polydactyly: http://www.talmudology.com/jeremybrownmdgmailcom/tag/Polydactyly

3
Anal congenital malformations in the Ancient World
Congenital anomalies of the limbs have been observed since ancient human civilizations, capturing
the imagination of ancient physicians and people. The knowledge of the era could not possibly
theorize on the biologic aspects of these anomalies; however, from the very beginning of
civilization the spiritual status of people attempted to find a logical explanation for the existence
of such cases.

The next logical step of the spiritual and religious system of the ancients was to correlate these
anomalies with the Gods and to attribute them to a different level of existence in order to rationalize
their existence.

In these settings, the mythology and religious beliefs of ancient civilizations comprised several
creatures that were related to the observed congenital anomalies in humans.

As derived from his writings, Hippocrates (ca. 460-370 BC),4 was aware of anorectal fistulas and
tried to interpret their mechanism of origin. He attempted to treat them, either conservatively, using
laxatives and purgative medications, or surgically, via an anoscope (εδροσκόπιο).5

He had very well understood the importance of the surgical option which is now a routine choice.
In fact, a variety of operations exist mainly aiming to decrease recurrence and incontinence rates.

In Aristotle’s (384-322 BC) works, we run into references on imperforate anus (he states it
as σύμφυση του πρωκτού), and rectourethral or anorectal fistulas, mainly in animals. He also
recorded a failed attempt to restore an anorectal ring atresia. In particular, he stated:

“Some animals have already been diagnosed with anal symphysis. Someone even pointed out, in
the village of Perinthos, the excretion of fine food with the urine in a cow, due to its infiltration

4
Yesildag E, Muñiz RM, Buyukunal SN. How did the surgeons treat neonates with imperforate anus in the eighteenth
century? Pediatr Surg Int. 2010;26:1149–1158. Meakins JL. Surgical infection in art. Arch Surg. 1996;131:1289–1295.
Littré E. Paris: Baillière; 1853. Œuvres complètes d’Hippocrate. Athens: Kaktos; 1992. Hippocrates. Collected works [in Greek]
5
Jacob TJ, Perakath B, Keighley MR. Surgical intervention for anorectal fistula. Cochrane Database Syst
Rev. 2010;12:CD006319.

4
from the intestine to the bladder, and when a membrane incision was performed, soon adhesions
emerged once again and food was excreted via the bladder”6

It is clear that he has referred to anal atresia, rectovesical fistula and an attempt for ring restoration.
The principles for the operative technique resemble modern surgical methods.

However, nowadays, an incision is performed on the anal membrane and the operation concludes
with anorectal plastic surgery, including mobilization of the central imperforate rectal stump which
is sutured on the anus through the sphincters. Further operative management and introduction of
laparoscopy techniques contribute to the repair of anorectal malformations.7

Oribasius (ca. 320-400) devoted a special chapter “On Imperforate Anus” (ΠερίΑτρτου Έδρας),
suggesting a manipulation of opening up by hand prior to surgery.8 This opening up seems valid
up until now, though, instead of hands, scalpel and special surgical retractors are used in order to
achieve better control of the area for the detection of the imperforate part which may be behind the
anal membrane or even higher.9

Moreover, Aëtius of Amida (ca. 6th century AD), recognized perianal fistulas and treated them
via “the stone plaster of the Persians, the one called tyrinis (τυρινίς) and pampathis (παμπαθής)”.

He also tried another technique, “the fresh urginea (δια σκίλλης χλωράς), like Asclepiades”.
He underlined:

“In cases of fistulas with a narrow opening, having a placenta prepared in the shape of a worm,
and after performing dilation and enema with mead or oenomel, we inject the drug, cover with a
plaster and swathe”10

In cases of anal fissures, he introduced a special cannula in the rectum in order to grease with
goose fat, the so called “ihion” (ύειον).11 Modern conservative techniques resemble Aëtius’
suggestions, even though substances, including fibrin glue injections, paraffin oils, nitroglycerin
and laxatives, have replaced his concoctions.

Paul of Aegina (ca. 625-690), devoted a special chapter “On imperforate ring” (Περί Δακτυλίου
Ατρήτου)12 in which he suggested opening up by hand prior to the surgical intervention. In cases
of recurrence in infants, he recommended the use of a small lead tube until recovery:

6
Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 1979. Aristotle. On the Generation of Animals. Athens: Kaktos; 1994. Aristotle. Collected
works Vol. 1 [in Greek]
7
Peña A, DeVries PA. Posterior sagittal anorectoplasty: important technical considerations and new applications. J Pediatr
Surg. 1982;17:796–781. Bischoff A, Levitt MA, Peña A. Laparoscopy and its use in the repair of anorectal malformations. J Pediatr
Surg. 2011;46:1609–1617.
8
Raeder J. Teubner, Leipzig & Berlin; 1928-1929. Oribasii Collectionum Medicarum Reliquiae.
9
Grosfeld J, O’Neill JA, Forkalsrud E, Coran A. 6th edition. Saint Louis: Mosby; 2006. Paediatric surgery.
10
Aetius. Iatricorum Liber. In: Zervos S, editor. Athens: 1909.
11
Grimaud JC, Munoz-Bongrand N, Siproudhis L, et al. Groupe d’Etude Thérapeutique des Affections Inflammatoires du Tube
Digestif. Fibrin glue is effective healing perianal fistulas in patients with Crohn's disease. Gastroenterology. 2010;138:2275–2281
12
Pormann P. Oxford: Brill Academic Pub; 2004. Paul of Aegina's Pragmateia.

5
 “In the infants whose ring does not have a natural opening, there is a probable blockage by a
membrane. So, if possible, we open up the membrane with our finger, or cut through with the
edge of small chisel, and treat the area with wine.

Frequently, in inadequately healed wounds in normally developed newborns, adhesions are

formed at the ring; we should have it broken with a suitable tool and place a lead tube or a small
spike to the ring, until perfect recovery”13

Contemporary practice loosely reminds one of Paul of Aegina’s technique; after the surgical
procedure reformation of the ring takes place and dilations are performed using suppositories to
prevent stenosis.14

In addition, Leo the Philosopher (ca. 790-869) wrote a distinct chapter “On Ring
Perforation” (Περί Διατρήσεως εν τω Δακτυλίω), in which he suggested surgical repair by
a “special instrument resembling a sickle”15 which reminds us of modern retractors.

The methods described in older textbooks have served as a guide in planning the evolution of the
modern attempts. Just as the ancient Greek writers suggested, the best outcomes are achieved when
medical and surgical therapies – if needed – are used in conjunction.16

THE SPECTRUM OF ANORECTAL MALFORMATIONS

13
Briau RM. Paris: Masson; 1855. Chirurgie de Paul d’ Egine
14
Leon Phil. Ermerins, Anecdota Medica Graeca. Luchtmans: Lugduni Batavorum; 1840. De natura hominum synopsis. F.Z
15
Leon Phil. Ermerins, Anecdota Medica Graeca. Luchtmans: Lugduni Batavorum; 1840. De natura hominum synopsis. F.Z
16
Katsanos KH, Papathanasopoulos AA, Christodoulou DK, Tsianos EV. Perianal Fistulizing Crohn's disease: imaging modalities
and therapeutic challenges. Ann Gastroenterol. 2009;22:255–262.

6
The abnormality described in tomorrow’s Daf is one of several anorectal malformations which
occur in about one in 4,000 births.17 Some, like the mild case described by Abaye, are mild.

A small skin flap covers the opening of the anus and can be fixed with a simple incision, in this
instance with a barley seed. Others are far more serious and are associated with other
malformations in the urogenital system and lower spine.

Because of their different genital anatomy, boys and girls have different associated complications.
For example, boys may have a connection to the prostate gland, while girls may have malformation
in which rectum, vagina, and urethra are fused together into a single common channel that opens
into a single orifice.

These may be corrected with surgery, some of it simple, much of it complicated. Other congenital
defects associated with this condition are gastrointestinal, and about 30% of these neonates have
additional cardiac defects. In short, there is a wide spectrum of problems that may be associated
with a neonate born with an imperforate anus.

The technique described by Abaye’s nurse would only be of benefit in the very mildest cases, in
which a simple skin plug covers the opening.

For the majority of babies born in Talmudic times with an anorectal disorder, the procedure sadly,
would not have helped. They would have required complex surgery that has only been around in
the last fifty years or so.

Even today, about a third of the children who undergo surgical repair have associated fecal
incontinence.

Abaye’s nurse was not only knowledgeable about the imperforate anus. In the same page of
Talmud, she offers other medical advice, all of it to do with the period immediately following
childbirth.

She gave advice as to the badge to be used after circumcision, how to encourage a neonate to
suckle, how to resuscitate a baby that has stopped breathing, and under what medical conditions a
circumcision must be postponed.

17
The Treatment of Imperforate Anus: Experience With 108 Patients By Chau-Jing Chen Tainan, Taiwan

7
The Imperforate Anus18
Imperforate anus and associated anorectal malformations are well-known entities in pediatric
surgery and pose a significant challenge to the clinician. These defects are frequently associated
with lifelong debilitating sequelae such as fecal and urinary incontinence and sexual inadequacy.
The pathogenesis of imperforate anus evolves as early as the sixth week of gestation when the
urorectal septum migrates caudally to divide the cloaca into the urogenital sinus anteriorly and the
anorectal canal posteriorly. Failure of the urorectal septum to form results in an abnormal
connection between the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts, gender differences
notwithstanding. The development of the perineum can also influence the positioning of the anal
opening.

Imperforate anus has long been recognized as a surgically correctable defect. In 1835, Amussat
sutured the rectal wall to the skin edges, which likely constituted the first known “anoplasty.” For
the first half of the 20th century, perineal anoplasty without colostomy for “low” malformations
and newborn colostomy plus abdominoperineal resection for “high” malformations were preferred
treatments. In 1953, Stephens performed the first objective study of human specimens. He
proposed an initial sacral approach followed by abdominoperineal resection when necessary. The
purpose of this approach was to preserve the puborectalis sling, which was thought to be a key
determinant in a successful outcome. Many of the surgical developments of the following period
held to these same ideals.

Pena and colleagues performed the first posterior sagittal approach for anorectal malformations in
1980 (posterior sagittal anorectoplasty, or PSARP). Its description, published in 1982, has been
time-tested and has vastly changed the treatment for this group of anatomic defects. This technique
allowed direct exposure of the anatomy and enabled correlation of perineal appearance with

18
Robert W. Chang, ... Moritz M. Ziegler, in Encyclopedia of Gastroenterology, 2004

8
operative findings. This has led to a terminology and classification scheme with prognostic
importance.

Imperforate anus is seen in 1 in every 4000– 5000 newborns. The frequency of this defect is
slightly higher in males, with the most common defect being an imperforate anus with a
rectourethral fistula. In females, the most common defect is a rectovestibular fistula. Congenital
absence of a fistula is rare, seen in only 5% of all cases. In families with a newborn with an
imperforate anus, the risk of having a second child with this affliction is approximately 1%.

Epidemiology & Demographics

•
One newborn per 5000 live births
•
Increased incidence in families with associated syndromes
○
Fifty percent to 60% of patients with imperforate anus have VACTERL (Vertebral, Anal,
Cardiac, Tracheoesophageal fistula, Renal, and Limb abnormalities). Diagnosis is based on
anomalies and normal karyotype.
○
Newborns with high lesions are at increased risk for associated abnormalities.
•
No racial differences noted
•
Overall male‐to‐female ratio is 1.5:1.
○
High lesions are more common in males 1.8:1.
○
Low lesions have equal male‐to‐female ratio.
•
Usually noted during the newborn exam, but may present later if a cutaneous fistula is present

9
 Clinical Presentation

History
•
Newborn:
○
Failure of newborn to pass stool during the first 24 hours of life
○
Meconium in the urine (due to an enteric‐ureteral or enteric‐vesicular fistula)
•

Physical Examination
•
Inspect perineum for:
○
Location and size of the anal opening
○
Presence or absence of an anal wink
○
May need to wait 24 hours for intraluminal pressure to build up in order to
force meconium through a fistula
•
If no anal opening is present, careful inspection of the genitourinary (GU) area should be
performed to evaluate for a fistula.
○
In males, a fistula may be found in recto prostatic or rectourethral.
○
In females, the fistula may open at the posterior vestibule or vaginally.
•
Focus on search for associated abnormalities (VACTERL).
○

10
Vertebral abnormalities occur in 33% of patients with anal atresia.
▪
Spinal dysraphism
▪
Tethered cord
▪
Hemivertebrae
▪

Etiology
•
Unknown

Treatment
Imperforate anus usually requires immediate surgery to open a passage for feces unless
a fistula can be relied on until corrective surgery takes place. Depending on the severity of the
imperforate, it is treated either with a perineal anoplasty or with a colostomy.

While many surgical techniques to definitively repair anorectal malformations have been
described, the posterior sagittal approach (PSARP) has become the most popular. It involves
dissection of the perineum without entry into the abdomen and 90% of defects in boys can be
repaired this way.

Anorectal malformations are birth defects in which the anus and rectum (the lower end of the
digestive tract) don’t develop properly. They occur in an estimated 1 in 4,000 newborns and can
range from mild to complex.

Anorectal malformations include several different abnormalities, including:

• The anal passage may be narrow.

• A membrane may be present over the anal opening.
• The rectum may not connect to the anus (imperforate anus).
• The rectum may connect to a part of the urinary tract or the reproductive system through
an abnormal passage called a fistula.

Types of Anorectal Malformations

Anorectal malformations, including imperforate anus, can affect male and female babies in
different ways.

In boys, the main anorectal malformations are perineal fistula, rectobulbarurethral fistula,
rectoprostatic fistula and rectobladderneck fistula.

Anorectal malformations can be complex issues. The Colorectal and Pelvic Malformation
Center at Boston Children’s Hospital includes a comprehensive team of colorectal surgeons,

11
urologists, gynecologists and gastroenterologists who evaluate the problem using advanced
diagnostic tests and then provide a coordinated plan of care for children with anorectal
malformations such as imperforate anus. Because the surgery is only the first step for many of
these children, the center not only offers reconstructive surgical care, but lifelong management of
bowel, bladder and reproductive issues as well.

A human mermaid or siren19

Professor Duhamel writes: If the mermaid legend evokes more of mythology than of pathology,
its origin very probably lies in ancient observations of certain types of human monstrosities.

19
FROM THE MERMAID TO ANAL IMPERFORATION: THE SYNDROME OF CAUDAL REGRESSION* BY BERNARD
DUHAMEL From the Department of Paediatric Surgery, H6pital de Saint-Denis, France:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2012743/pdf/archdisch01599-0038.pdf

12
Human sirens are not as rare as is sometimes thought; I have been able to examine two cases
within the past year,20 and during that time I have been told of several others. I shall talk today
of the usual findings and attempt to draw certain wider conclusions. The fusion of the inferior
limbs, the symelia (Fig. 1), which constitutes the characteristic element of the malformation to
the observer, is not the only abnormality in these cases (Potter. 1952). The more constant
findings in monsters of this general type may be summarized as follows (see Table 1):

1. Flexion and inversion in external rotation of the lower limbs.

2. Anomalies of the lumbar and sacral spine.
3. Imperforate anus.
4. Agenesis of the kidneys and urinary tract.
5. Agenesis of the internal genital organs, with the exception of the gonads.

The most common anomalies in association with anal atresia are those of the vertebral column. I
have found them to be present in 50 of the 125 cases. Williams and Nixon (1957) have also
commented on their frequency. Included in these abnormalities are sacral agenesis (Fig. 2),
vertebral dysmorphia (Figs. 3 and 4), hemivertebra and epistasis (Figs. 5 and 6). These may be
found singly, or more often in association with one another (Duhamel, 1959; 1960).

20
A paper read at a meeting of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons held in London in July 1960.

13
While the axis mundi is only a geometric notion with no physical substance, a smattering of
mythological and early cosmological traditions describe it as a conspicuous luminous
column endowed with a large number of specific morphological features.21

From anatomy to mythology

Thinking about the ano-rectal anatomy the etymology of the word “anus”:

"inferior opening of the alimentary canal," 1650s, from Old French anus, from Latin anus "ring,
anus," from PIE root *āno- "ring."

So called for its shape; compare Greek daktylios "anus," literally "ring (for the finger),"
from daktylos "finger."

21
https://www.thunderbolts.info/tpod/2010/arch10/100818eye.htm

14
From anus to axis mundi to anus mundi, an imaginative musing, from anatomy
to physiology to pathology to mythology to religion to spirituality to the darkness
of Auschwitz.

In astronomical terms, the axis mundi or ‘world axis’ is the imaginary line that extends outward
into space from the rotational poles of the earth. From a viewpoint on earth, it marks the
celestial pole, around which the stars and planets appear to rotate in a daily cycle. From the
Roman period onwards, natural philosophers were well aware of the theoretical nature of the
axis’ existence.
The Roman astrologer, Marcus Manilius (1st century CE) spoke of the tenuis axis, the
“insubstantial axis” that “controls the universe, keeping it pivoted at opposite poles”. He
elaborated on the “insubstantial” nature of the axis:

“Yet the axis is not solid with the hardness of matter, nor does it possess massive weight such as
to bear the burden of the lofty firmament; but since the entire atmosphere ever revolves in a
circle, and every part of the whole rotates to the place from which it once began, that which is in
the middle, about which all moves, so insubstantial that it cannot turn round itself or even submit
to motion or spin in circular fashion, this men have called the axis, since, motionless itself, it yet
sees everything spinning about it.”

Much later, the African writer Martianus Capella (5th century CE) also commented on the
‘theoretical’ nature of the axis mundi – as well as the poles:

“I myself do not consider an axis and poles, which mortals have fastened in a bronze armillary
sphere to assist them in comprehending the heavens, as an authoritative guide to the workings of
the universe.

For there is nothing more substantial than the earth itself, which is able to sustain the heavens.
Another reason is that the poles that protrude from the hollow cavity of the perforated outer
sphere, and the apertures, the pivots, and the sockets have to be imagined – something that you
may be assured could not happen in a rarefied and supramundane atmosphere.

Accordingly, whenever I shall use the terms axis, poles, or celestial circles, for the purpose of
gaining comprehension, my terminology is to be understood in a theoretical sense …”

Centuries later, again, the anonymous author of a tract attributed to the Venerable Bede (12th
century CE) observed with respect to the earth that “an intelligible line passes through the
middle of it from the arctic pole to the antarctic”.

The intellectual challenge arises upon the discovery that, while the axis is only a geometric
notion with no physical substance, a smattering of mythological and early cosmological
traditions describe it as a conspicuous luminous column endowed with a large number of specific
morphological features.

15
Scholars in the humanities typically employ the term axis mundi in the loose sense of a roughly
vertical and stationary connection between ‘sky’ and ‘earth’ that is mythically expressed as a
radiant tree, mountain, pillar, ladder, rope, giant, and so on. In this sense, which was popularised
by Mircea Eliade in particular, the polar location of the sky pillar is rarely specified.

The mythological and cosmological literature worldwide is replete with references to the axis
mundi in the loose, generic sense of the word – in the form of stories and statements concerning
the former existence of a stupendous visible linkage between the realms of the ‘sky’ and the ‘earth’.
Yet even much rarer reports concerning the world axis in the strict astronomical sense occasionally
portray the column as a visible entity.

An example of the latter is the famous ‘pillar of Er’ described in Plato’s dialogue The Republic.
In this, Socrates recounts the phenomena a certain Er of Pamphylia had observed during what
would nowadays be diagnosed as a Near-Death Experience:

16
“… they came in four days to a spot whence they discerned, extended from above throughout the
heaven and the earth, a straight light like a pillar, most nearly resembling the rainbow, but
brighter and purer. To this they came after going forward a day’s journey, and they saw there at
the middle of the light the extremities of its fastenings stretched from heaven; for this light was
the girdle of the heavens like the undergirders of triremes, holding together in like manner the
entire revolving vault. And from the extremities was stretched the spindle of Necessity, through
which all the orbits turned.”

17
‫‪In his “Patterns of Comparative Religion” Mercea Eliade22 describes the axis mundi as the Tree‬‬
‫‪of Life:‬‬

‫‪ as Axis Mundi, from mythology to religion‬אבן שתיה‬

‫‪Jewish tradition views the Holy of Holies as the spiritual junction of Heaven and Earth, the axis‬‬
‫‪mundi, and is therefore the direction that Jews face when praying the Amidah.‬‬

‫ִכְּדַת ִנּיַנן‪ָ ,‬לָמּה ִנְק ֵראת ְשָׁמהּ ֶאֶבן ְשִׁתָיּה‪ֶ ,‬שִׁמֶּמָּנּה ֻהְשַׁתּת ָהעוָֹלם‪ְ .‬וָהָיה ְשׁ‪ֹ€‬מה יוֵֹדַﬠ ֵאיֶזה הוּא ַהִגּיד ֶשׁהוּא הוֵֹל‪ƒ‬‬
‫ְלכוּשׁ‪ְ ,‬וָנַטע ָﬠָליו ִפְּלְפִּלין וִּמָיּד ָהיוּ עוִֹשׂין ֵפּרוֹת‪ֶ .‬שֵׁכּן הוּא אוֵֹמר‪ָ ,‬נַטְﬠִתּי ָבֶּהם ֵﬠץ ָכּל ֶפּ ִרי‪ָ .‬דָּבר ַאֵחר‪ָ ,‬נַטְﬠִתּי ָבֶּהם‬
‫ֵﬠץ ָכּל ֶפּ ִרי‪ְ .‬כֵּשׁם ֶשַׁהַטּבּוּר ַהֶזּה ָנתוּן ְבֶּאְמַצע ָהִאישׁ‪ָ ,‬כּ‪ֶ ƒ‬א ֶרץ ִיְשׂ ָרֵאל ְנתוָּנה ְבֶּאְמַצע ָהעוָֹלם‪ֶ ,‬שֶׁנֱּאַמר‪ :‬יוְֹשֵׁבי ַﬠל‬
‫וִּמֶמָּנּה ַמְשִׁתּיתוֹ ֶשׁל עוָֹלם יוֵֹצא‪ֶ ,‬שֶׁנֱּאַמר‪ִ :‬מְזמוֹר ְלָאָסף‪ֵ ,‬אל ֱא‪ִ€‬הים ה'‪ִ ,‬דֶּבּר ַו ִיְּק ָרא ‪).‬יחזקאל לח‪ ,‬יב(ַטבּוּר ָהָא ֶרץ‬
‫שֶׁמשׁ ַﬠד ְמֹבאוֹ‬ ‫ֶא ֶרץ ִיְשׂ ָרֵאל ‪).‬שם פסוק ב(ִמַנּ ִין‪ִ ,‬מִצּיּוֹן ִמְכַלל ֹיִפי ֱא‪ִ€‬הים הוִֹפיַﬠ ‪).‬תהלים נ‪ ,‬א(ָא ֶרץ‪ִ ,‬מִמְּז ַרח ֶ‬
‫שׁל ֶא ֶרץ ִיְשׂ ָרֵאל‪ ,‬וֵּבית ַהִמְּקָדּשׁ ְבֶּאְמַצע ְירוָּשַׁל ִים‪ְ ,‬וַהֵהיָכל‬
‫שַׁל ִים ְבֶּאְמָצִﬠיָתהּ ֶ‬
‫שׁל עוָֹלם‪ִ ,‬וירוּ ָ‬
‫שֶׁבת ְבֶּאְמָצִﬠיתוֹ ֶ‬‫יוֹ ֶ‬
‫ְבֶּאְמַצע ֵבּית ַהִמְּקָדּשׁ‪ְ ,‬וָהֲארוֹן ְבֶּאְמַצע ַהֵהיָכל‪ְ ,‬וֶאֶבן ְשִׁתָיּה ִלְפֵני ָהֲארוֹן‪ֶ ,‬שִׁמֶּמָּנּה ִנְשַׁתּת ָהעוָֹלם‪ .‬וְּשׁ‪ֹ€‬מה ֶשָׁהָיה ָחָכם‪,‬‬
‫ָﬠַמד ַﬠל ַהָשּׁ ָרִשׁין ַהיּוְֹצִאין ִמֶמָּנּה ְלָכל ָהעוָֹלם‪ְ ,‬וָנַטע ָבֶּהם ָכּל ִמיֵני ִאיָלנוֹת ְוָﬠָשׂה ֵפּרוֹת‪ְ .‬לִפיָכ‪ ƒ‬הוּא אוֵֹמר‪ָ ,‬ﬠִשׂיִתי ִלי‬
‫‪ַ.‬גּנּוֹת וַּפ ְרֵדִּסים‬

‫‪Tanchuma Kedoshim 10‬‬

‫‪As the navel is set in the centre of the human body,‬‬

‫‪so is the land of Israel the navel of the world...‬‬
‫‪situated in the centre of the world,‬‬
‫‪and Jerusalem in the centre of the land of Israel,‬‬
‫‪and the sanctuary in the centre of Jerusalem,‬‬

‫‪22‬‬
‫‪Patterns in Comparative Religion Mircea Eliade, Translated by Rosemary Sheed, Bison Books 1996‬‬

‫‪18‬‬
and the holy place in the centre of the sanctuary,
and the ark in the centre of the holy place,
and the Foundation Stone before the holy place,
because from it the world was founded.

When you come into the land and plant…” (Leviticus 19:23) This is what is written “And I made
for myself gardens and orchards, and planted in them fruit trees of every kind.” (Kohelet 2:5)
Doesn’t all humanity plant anything which they desire?!

Whatever a man plants in the earth it produces, whether pepper or anything else – if a man plants
it, it grows! Rather, people do not know the proper place for each particular plant.

But Shlomo, who was wise, planted all manner of trees [as it says “And I made for myself gardens
and orchards, and planted in them fruit trees of every kind”].

R’ Yannai said that Shlomo even planted pepper plants, and how did he plant them?!

Shlomo was wise and knew the essential foundation of the world. From where? “From Tzion the
sum of all (miclal) beauty God appears...” (Tehillim 50:2), from Tzion which completed
(nishtaclal) the whole world.

Why is it called the Foundation Stone? Because the whole world was founded from it.

Shlomo knew which ligament extended to Kush and planted pepper on it, and it produced
immediately, just as he said “and I planted in them trees of every kind.”

Another explanation: “and I planted in them fruit trees of every kind…”

Just as the navel is placed in the middle of a man, so is the Land of Israel the navel of the world,
as it says “those who sit on the center of the land (Ezekiel 38:12).
The land of Israel sits in the middle of the world, and Jerusalem in the middle of the land of Israel,
and the Temple in the middle of Jerusalem, and the palace in the middle of the Temple, and the
ark in the middle of the palace and the Foundation stone before the palace from which the world
was founded.

Shlomo, who was wise, understood the roots that went out from it to the whole world and planted
on them all types of trees, and therefore he said – I made for myself gardens and orchards.

This rock was the capstone of creation and under this stone the floodwaters of the abyss were
trapped:

‫ ִה ְנ ִני‬,‫ ֹכּה ָאַמר ֲאֹדָני ְיה ִוה‬,‫טז ָלֵכן‬ 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I lay in Zion
,‫ ָאֶבן; ֶאֶבן ֹבַּחן ִפַּנּת ִיְקַרת‬,‫ִיַסּד ְבִּציּוֹן‬ for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a costly corner-stone of
.‫ ל ֹא ָיִחישׁ‬,‫ַהַמֲּאִמין‬--‫מוָּסד מוָּסּד‬ sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste.

19
This capstone was the same stone Jacob found and sanctified:

‫ָהֶאֶבן‬-‫ ַו ִיַּקּח ֶאת‬,‫יח ַוַיְּשֵׁכּם ַיֲﬠֹקב ַבֹּבֶּקר‬ 18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the
;‫ ַמֵצָּבה‬,‫ ַוָיֶּשׂם ֹאָתהּ‬,‫ָשׂם ְמַרֲאֹשָׁתיו‬-‫ֲאֶשׁר‬ stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a
.‫ר ֹאָשׁהּ‬-‫ ַﬠל‬,‫ַו ִיֹּצק ֶשֶׁמן‬ pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

GEN28:18

‫ָהֶאֶבן‬-‫“ ֶאת‬the stone” is the semantic trigger for the Midrash to qualify “the” unique property of
this stone, connecting it to the stone in v.22

--‫ַשְׂמִתּי ַמֵצָּבה‬-‫ ֲאֶשׁר‬,‫כב ְוָהֶאֶבן ַהזּ ֹאת‬ 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be
,‫ִלי‬-‫ִהים; ְוֹכל ֲאֶשׁר ִתֶּתּן‬ž‫ ֵבּית ֱא‬,‫ִיְהֶיה‬ God's house; and of all that Thou shalt give me I will
. ‫ַﬠֵשּׂר ֲאַﬠְשֶּׂרנּוּ ָל‬ surely give the tenth unto Thee.'

‫חזר יעקב ללקט את האבנים ומצאן אחת לקח יעקב את האבן ושם אותה מצבה בתוך המקום וירד לו שמן מן‬
‫ מה עשה הקב"ה נטל רגל ימינו וטבע אותה עד עומק תהומות‬.‫השמים ויצק עליה שנאמר ויצק שמן על ראשה‬
‫ לפיכך נקראת אבן שתיה ששם טבור הארץ ומשם נפתחה‬.‫ועשה אותה סניף לארץ כאדם שהוא נותן סניף לכיפה‬
‫כל הארץ ועליה היכל ה' שנאמר )שם כב( והאבן הזאת אשר שמתי מצבה יהיה בית אלקים‬.

Midrash Tehillim 91

“Jacob returned to gather stones and found one. He took the stone and made it into a sacred
pillar in “the place” and poured oil from heaven and anointed it as stated “he poured oil on its
top”.

What did the Almighty do? He took His right leg and extended it until the depths and extended a
branch to the earth like a person that makes a thatched roof. Therefore it is called ‫ אבן שתיה‬the
foundation stone, which is the navel of the world, and from which the earth is spun out from and
upon which stands the palace (hall, temple) of God as stated “and this stone, which I have set up
for a pillar, shall be God's house”

This stone which formed a pillow for Jacob, kept the “tehom” sealed up. When opened, it
connected the primordial waters below (tehom) with the heavens, causing the Flood.

(‫ יא‬,‫את פיתום ואת רעמסס רב ושמואל חד אמר פיתום שמה ולמה נקרא שמה רעמסס שראשון ראשון )שמות א‬
‫מתרוסס וחד אמר רעמסס שמה ולמה נקרא שמה פיתום שראשון ראשון פי תהום בולעו‬

The verse states that the names of the cities they built were “Pithom and Raamses” (Exodus 1:11).
Rav and Shmuel disagree as to the precise interpretation of this verse, both assuming that only
one city was built, which had primary and secondary names. One says that Pithom was its real

20
name, and why was it called Raamses? It is an appellation indicating that as the buildings were
constructed, they collapsed [mitroses] one by one and needed to be rebuilt.

And one says that Raamses was its real name, and why was it called Pithom? Because the opening
of the abyss [pi tehom] swallowed each building they constructed one by one, and it sunk into
the ground.

Sotah 11a

The upper and lower waters were gendered into masculine (upper) and feminine (lower) to
deluge the world, using a sexual metaphor23 common to later texts like the Zohar, where the
masculine stimulates the feminine to allow for divine efflux of shefa. Here, however the product
is a lethal divine flood.

‫רבי צדוק אומ' בעשרה במרחשון נכנסו כל הבריות אל התיבה בי"ז בו ירדו מי המבול על הארץ שהן מים זכרים‬
‫ועלו מן התהומות שהן מים נקבות ונתחברו אלו עם אלו וגברו להחריב את העולם שנאמר והמים גברו מאד מאד‬
‫על הארץ‬.

Rabbi Zadok said: On the 10th of Marcheshvan all the creatures entered the ark; on the 17th of
the same (month) the waters of the Flood descended from heaven upon the earth, for they were the
waters (endowed with the) male (principle).

And there came up the waters of the depths, for they are the waters (endowed) with the female
(principle), and they were joined with one another, and they prevailed so as to destroy || the world,
as it is said,

;‫ָהָא ֶרץ‬-‫ַﬠל‬--‫ ָגְּברוּ ְמֹאד ְמֹאד‬,‫יט ְוַהַמּ ִים‬ 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth;
,‫ַתַּחת‬-‫ ֲאֶשׁר‬,‫ֶהָה ִרים ַה ְגֹּבִהים‬-‫ ָכּל‬,‫ַו ְיֻכסּוּ‬ and all the high mountains that were under the whole
.‫ַהָשָּׁמ ִים‬-‫ָכּל‬ heaven were covered.

Gen. 7:19

The axis mundi had therefore, a dual purpose, both connecting but also disconnecting the upper
from lower worlds. Jacob’s pillow was the gateway to the connector both becoming the even
shesiya of the Temple foundation as well as the stopper to prevent the connection between the
supernal world and the tehom below, the netherworld.

23
The experience of being assimilated into the light as a consequence of fulfilling the ritual is predicated, moreover, on the
assumption that the action below stimulates the light above; since the commandments are part of Torah, and Torah is identical
with God, ritualized gestures facilitate the separation of the soul from the corruptible body and the consequent ascent to the light.
This ascent, however, is predicated on the soul don ning the ethereal or angelic body; the "garments of light" originally in vested
to Adam and Eve were changed into "garments of skin” The Body in the Text: A Kabbalistic Theory of Embodiment Author(s):
Elliot R. Wolfson Source: The Jewish Quarterly Review , Summer, 2005, Vol. 95, No. 3.

21
The Temple ritual of water libations were performed to draw the waters of the tehom to fructify
and moisten the earth.

The Navel/tibor ‫ַטבּוּר ָהָא ֶרץ‬

Using once again an anatomical metaphor the axis mundi connects the world through its
umbilical cord with the supernal worlds where blessings come down through.

;‫ֶיְחַסר ַהָמֶּזג‬-‫ ַאל‬,‫ָשׁ ְרֵר ַאַגּן ַהַסַּהר‬ 3 Thy navel is like a round goblet, wherein no mingled wine
.‫ סוָּגה ַבּשּׁוַֹשׁ ִנּים‬,‫ִבְּטֵנ ֲﬠֵרַמת ִחִטּים‬ is wanting; thy belly is like a heap of wheat set about with
lilies.

Cant.7:3

‫שררך זו סנהדרין למה נקרא שמה שררך שהיא יושבת בטיבורו של עולם אגן שהיא מגינה על כל העולם כולו‬
‫הסהר שהיא דומה לסהר‬

This verse is interpreted as referring to the members of the Sanhedrin, who sit in a semicircle.
“Your navel”; this is an allusion to the Sanhedrin.
And why is it called by way of allusion “your navel”?
It is because it sits in the navel of the world, in the Temple.

Kabbalah and the duality of Creation

The foundation stone was cast int the tehom/ abyss and the world cogulated around it:

Zohar I:231a

22
Using the same verse regarding Jacob’s stone, the Zohar weaves a narrative that portrays the
stone as a stopper, preventing the comingling of the divine pleroma with the world below.

The abyss/Tehom also refers to the realm of the dead the place where evil spirits and wicked
souls dwell. It is one of the seven compartments of gehinnom.

The gematria of tehom equals death. Although God moved the stone only once to unleash the
flood, King David attempted to move it into the Holy of Holies causing chaos to be unleashed
once more. Only by using the theurgic power of the Psalms was he able to drive the waters of the
abyss/tehom back to their proper place:

23
Succah 53a

‫אמר ליה הואיל ואדכרתן )מלתא( הכי אתמר בשעה שכרה דוד שיתין קפא תהומא ובעא למשטפא עלמא אמר‬
‫דוד מי איכא דידע אי שרי למכתב שם‬

Rav Ḥisda continued and said to him: Since you reminded me of this matter, this is what was
originally stated: At the time that David dug the drainpipes, the waters of the depths rose and
sought to inundate the world. David said: Is there anyone who knows whether it is permitted to
write the sacred name

‫אחספא ונשדיה בתהומא ומנח ליכא דקאמר ליה מידי אמר דוד כל דידע למימר ואינו אומר יחנק בגרונו נשא‬
‫אחיתופל ק"ו בעצמו ומה לעשות שלום בין איש לאשתו אמרה תורה שמי שנכתב בקדושה ימחה על המים‬
‫לעשות שלום לכל העולם כולו על אחת כמה וכמה אמר ליה שרי‬

on an earthenware shard?

If it is permitted, we will write it and throw it into the depths, and they will subside. There was
no one who said anything to him.

David said: Anyone who knows what to say and does not say anything may he be strangled in
his throat. Then Ahithophel raised an a fortiori argument on his own and said: And just as in
order to make peace between a man and his wife in the case of sota, when the husband suspects
his wife of having committed adultery, the Torah said: My Name that was written in sanctity
will be erased on the water to establish peace for the whole world in its entirety, all the more so
it is permitted. He said to David: It is permitted.

‫תב שם אחספא ושדי לתהומא ונחית תהומא שיתסר אלפי גרמידי כי חזי דנחית טובא אמר כמה דמידלי טפי‬
‫מירטב עלמא אמר חמש עשרה מעלות ואסקיה חמיסר אלפי גרמידי ואוקמיה באלפי גרמידי אמר עולא ש"מ‬
‫סומכא דארעא אלפי גרמידי והא חזינן דכרינן פורתא ונפקי מיא אמר רב משרשיא ההוא מסולמא דפרת‬:

He wrote the sacred name on an earthenware shard and cast it into the depths, and the waters
in the depths subsided sixteen thousand cubits. When he saw that they subsided excessively, he
said: The higher the waters in the aquifers, the moister and more fertile the soil of the world.

He recited the fifteen Songs of the Ascents and elevated them fifteen thousand cubits, and
established them at a depth of one thousand cubits.

24
The Foundation Stone in the floor of the Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem. The round
hole at upper left penetrates to a small cave, known as the Well of Souls, below.

The Foundation Stone (Hebrew: ‫ אבן השתייה‬Even haShtiyya or Hebrew: ‫ ֶסַּלע‬Selā‛, Arabic: ‫اﻟﺼﺨﺮة‬
‫ اﻟﻤﺸﺮﻓﺔ‬al-Sakhrah al-Musharrafah "The Noble Rock") is the rock at the centre of the Dome of the
Rock in Jerusalem.

It is also known as the Pierced Stone because it has a small hole on the southeastern corner that
enters a cavern beneath the rock, known as the Well of Souls.

There is a difference of opinion in classical Jewish sources as to whether this was the location of
the Holy of Holies or of the Outer Altar. According to those that hold it, if it was the site of the
Holy of Holies, that would make this the holiest site in Judaism.

25
From Religion to Spirituality

Religious man might understand his world as being at the centre of the world on three scales:
country, city, sanctuary.

That way, Palestine, Jerusalem, the Temple were all seen as the centre of the world.

Imago Mundi What is more, for religious man, cosmos in its birth spread out from the centre.

Consequently, when he undertook new construction work, religious man, by analogy, organized it
outwards from a central point.

Thus, a new village might be developed from a crossroads outward, giving it four zones. Such a
plan made a new construction an imago mundi, a representation of the cosmos on the ground.

Understanding his world this way, religious man experienced attacks from enemies as the work of
demons, enemies of the divine creation who threatened to return that creation to chaos.

Typically, such demons were represented as dragons; in fact, chaos itself might be represented as
a dragon.

Eliade notes that something of this way of thinking persists in his contemporary world, in talk of
dark forces threatening to plunge civilization into chaos. Going back to the imago mundi, the
cosmic order represented in construction, Eliade points out that religious man saw it in his
dwelling.

Thus, peoples whose tents or huts had a central post or pillar could understand it as an axis mundi,
supporting 'our world' and linking it to heaven.

With the advent of the temple, Eliade discerns an altogether new stage in religious man's
understanding of sacred space. A temple was an imago mundi, symbolizing the cosmos, the sacred
order divinely imposed on primordial chaos.
But it was more than that: it was the house of the gods and as such positively sustaining the
sacredness of 'our world'. This new understanding carried through into the Judeo‐Christian
tradition.

26
The Zaddiq as Axis Mundi24

The Symbol of axis mundi, as delineated in the writings of Mircea Eliade, is said to be religious
man's central principle for the organization of sacred space.

My beloved thesis advisor Prof. Arthur Green pointed to a link between the imagery of axis mundi
and the tradition of the zaddiq or holy man in the mystical sources of Judaism.

In the writings of the Kabbalistic and Hasidic masters, the holy man25 is often described in various
terms highly reminiscent of the notion of sacred space. The zaddiq may be Zion, Temple, Jacob's
ladder, or Holy of Holies.

While the transference of sacred space imagery to another realm might seem especially apt for the
Jews, given their long history of exile, it is pointed out that such transference never meant the
replacement of the geographical Jerusalem or Holy Land by the zaddiq, but rather an additional
locus of divine presence: the cosmos of homo religiosus may know more than one center (e.g.,
Jerusalem and Rome for the Catholic).

24
The Zaddiq as Axis Mundi in Later Judaism (précis) , Arthur Green, Journal of the American Academy of Religion 45:3, pp.
327‐347 Oxford Univ Press
25
The term zaddik finds a new evolution through the early rabbinic materials and the speculative universe of thirteenth-century
Kabbalah, particularly manifest in the Zohar. Here zaddik became a conventional term for the ninth of the ten divine emanations
(sefirot). This ninth level of divinity is otherwise commonly referred to as yesod (“foundation”).

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From Axis Mundi to Anus Mundi

The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of
a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the
position of the entire structure.

Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or replica, set in a prominent
location on the outside of a building, with an inscription on the stone indicating the construction
dates of the building and the names of architect, builder, and other significant individuals. The rite
of laying a cornerstone is an important cultural component of eastern architecture and
metaphorically in sacred architecture generally.

Some cornerstones include time capsules from, or engravings commemorating, the time a
particular building was built.

Often, the ceremony involved the placing of offerings of grain, wine and oil on or under the stone.
These were symbolic of the produce and the people of the land and the means of their subsistence.
This in turn derived from the practice in still more ancient times of making an animal or human
sacrifice that was laid in the foundations.

Frazer26charts the various propitiary sacrifices and effigy substitution such as the shadow, states
that:

Nowhere, perhaps, does the equivalence of the shadow to the life or soul come out more clearly
than in some customs practised to this day in South-eastern Europe.

In modern Greece, when the foundation of a new building is being laid, it is the custom to kill a
cock, a ram, or a lamb, and to let its blood flow on the foundation-stone, under which the animal
is afterwards buried. The object of the sacrifice is to give strength and stability to the building.
But sometimes, instead of killing an animal, the builder entices a man to the foundation-stone,
secretly measures his body, or a part of it, or his shadow, and buries the measure under the
foundation-stone; or he lays the foundation-stone upon the man's shadow. It is believed that the
man will die within the year.

The Romanians of Transylvania think that he whose shadow is thus immured will die within forty
days; so persons passing by a building which is in course of erection may hear a warning cry,
Beware lest they take thy shadow! Not long ago there were still shadow-traders whose business it
was to provide architects with the shadows necessary for securing their walls. In these cases the
measure of the shadow is looked on as equivalent to the shadow itself, and to bury it is to bury the
life or soul of the man, who, deprived of it, must die.

Thus the custom is a substitute for the old practice of immuring a living person in the walls, or
crushing him under the foundation-stone of a new building, in order to give strength and durability

26
The Golden Bough Frazer, James George (2004).

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to the structure, or more definitely in order that the angry ghost may haunt the place and guard it
against the intrusion of enemies.

Ancient Japanese legends talk about Hitobashira (人柱, "human pillar"), in which maidens were
buried alive at the base or near some constructions as a prayer to ensure the buildings against
disasters or enemy attacks.

Which brings my muse to a dark conclusion, the journey from the anatomical genetic flaw
through the axis upon which the world spins to the mythic connection all the way up from
the foundation stone connecting the world to the divine pleroma, and down though the navel
of the world to its underbelly of the abyss, we arrive at the anus mundi.

Our Concentration Camp Apocalypse (according to St. John). Marian

Kołodziej

In a conversation with the SS physician J. P. Kremer, his colleague Dr Heinz Thilo, a member of
the SS staff of Auschwitz, called Auschwitz the anus mundi (the world’s anus—quotation after
Sehn).27

27
Kępiński, A. “Anus mundi”. Przegląd Lekarski – Oświęcim, 1965. https://www.mp.pl/auschwitz/journal/english/192366,anus-
mundi

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We may infer that this trenchant epithet was an expression on the one hand of the revulsion and
horror this concentration camp evoked in anyone who saw it, and on the other hand justified its
existence by the need to purge the world.

Catharsis, the motif of cleansing, so important in the life of every human individual, appears to
play a salient role in the life of whole societies.

The death camps had a special purpose and deeper sense in the Nazi German plan—apart from
their immediate political and economic aim to eliminate the enemy as efficiently and as cheaply
as possible—they were to purge the German race of all that was at odds with the ideal of the
German Übermensch.

They were inspired by a distant vision of a world of people who were fine, strong, and healthy,
a world in which there would be no room for the infirm, the disabled, the mentally abnormal, for
those corrupted by an admixture of Jewish or Roma blood, etc.

The anus mundi has shown the world humanity in the full scope of its nature—from monstrous
bestiality to heroism, self-sacrifice, and love. With such a picture before our eyes we may say
with Pascal:

“Humble yourself, weak reason; be silent, foolish nature;

learn that man infinitely transcends man.”

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