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Dear group,

I hope you enjoy this great article from Chabad.org, a site I’m a big fan of

http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cd...nctity.htm

Sin and Sanctity


Following the Torah's account of the revelation at Mount Sinai and Moses' ascent to the top of the mountain to receive the Torah from G-d, come 16 chapters -- comprising the Torah sections of Terumah, Tetzaveh, Ki-Tisa, Vayak'hel and Pekudei - -in which are related:

a) G-d's instructions regarding the building of the Sanctuary (Exodus 25-31, covering the sections of Terumah, Tetzaveh, and the first part of Ki-Tisa);

b) The sin of the Golden Calf and the granting of the Second Tablets (Exodus 32-34, all in Ki-Tisa);

c) The people's donation of the materials for the Sanctuary (Exodus 35) and the Sanctuary's construction, erection and sanctification (Exodus 36-40; these comprise the sections of Vayak'hel and Pekudei).

In keeping with the rule that "There is no earlier and later in Torah" (i.e., the Torah does not necessarily relate events in the order in which they occurred), the biblical commentaries differ as to the chronology of these events. All told, there are no fewer than three different versions of the time-frame of the Mishkan's making vis-a-vis the making of the Golden Calf.


The following timeline, spanning a period of almost ten months, is agreed to by all:

1) On Sivan 6 (or 7, according to Rabbi Yossi), G-d revealed Himself to all of Israel and proclaimed the Ten Commandments; on the following day, Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Torah from G-d.

2) Forty days later, on Tammuz 16, the people made the Golden Calf, and rose early the next morning to worship it. On Tammuz 17 Moses descended from the mountain carrying the Tablets of the Testimony; upon seeing the people dancing around their idol, he smashes the Tablets at the foot of the mountain.

3) On Tammuz 19, Moses ascended Mount Sinai for a second 40 days to plead for forgiveness on Israel's behalf. At the end of this period, G-d tells him to carve two new tablets, upon which He will inscribe the Ten Commandments, to replace the broken tablets.

4) On the 1st of Elul, Moses ascended the mountain with the tablets he carved for a third forty days, which concluded on the 10th of Tishei (Yom Kippur). On that day, Moses received the Second Tablet from G-d and G-d expressed His full forgiveness of Israel's sin.

5) The construction of the Mishkan's components and vessels was completed 2 1/2 months later, on the 25th of Kislev (the first day of Chanukah). But the Mishkan was not set up until more than three months after that, on the 1st of Nissan (preceded by a week of "initiation," Adar 23-29).


The above is derived by the Talmud from the Torah's account. The point of contention between the commentaries concerns G-d's instructions regarding the Mishkan and the people's donation of its materials.

Nachmanides is of the opinion that these occurred in the order in which they appear in the Torah. Thus, G-d's instructions to Moses regarding the Sanctuary (recounted in Terumah and Tetzaveh) came immediately after the revelation at Sinai, during Moses' first 40 days on the mountain. Their implementation, however, was delayed by Israel's sin and the need for Moses to obtain G-d's forgiveness and a second pair of Tablets, so that the donation of the materials described in the beginning of Vayak'hel (Exodus 35) occurred on Tishrei 11, the day after Yom Kippur, followed by the Mishkan's construction and erection as per above.

Rashi (who follows the Midrash Tanchuma), notes the many Scriptural and Talmudic indications that the Sanctuary was in response to, and an atonement for, the sin of the Golden Calf. Accordingly, Rashi is of the opinion that the divine instructions contained in the sections of Terumah and Tetzaveh were communicated to Moses on Yom Kippur, following Israel's repentance, G-d's (full) forgiveness, and Moses' receiving of the Second Tablets.


A third opinion is that of the Zohar, which states that both G-d's instructions and Israel's donation of the materials occurred before the sin of the Golden Calf. (Thus, explains the Zohar, the people had to "unload the golden earrings which were in their ears" to provide gold for their idol, since their gold had already been donated for the making of the Mishkan.) According to this, the making of the Sanctuary was not a result of Israel's sin and their repentance thereof, but a mitzvah that was commanded, and begun to be implemented, before the incident of the Golden calf.


The Tzaddik, the Baal Teshuvah and the Sinner


The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that these three versions describe three different states of the people commanded and empowered to make an abode for G-d.


According to the Zohar, the commandment to make a Mishkan was directed to a nation of tzaddikim, perfectly righteous individuals untainted by sin or wrongdoing (in accordance with the Talmudic statement that, at Sinai, the people of Israel were born anew, and thus as pure of guilt or an iniquitous past as a newborn infant.) The dedication of the materials of the Mishkan was likewise by tzaddikim. This implies that the making of a physical home for G-d was possible only because the materials for its construction were dedicated (and thus sanctified) by a people still not tainted by that corruptive use of their gold, and that only such materials could have been fashioned into a home for G-d.


According to Rashi, the commandment to make a Mishkan was directed to baalei teshuvah ("returnees" or "penitents") -- individuals who had fallen prey to the corruptions of the material, but had rebounded from their downfall to forge a new, invigorated bond with G-d. Indeed, the implication is that had the people of Israel not sinned by making and worshipping a calf of gold, there would not have existed the necessity -- nor the opportunity -- for a physical structure to house the Divine presence in the Israelite camp.


The common denominator between these two approaches is that the sin of the Golden Calf did not actually interject (as it does in the text) between the commandment to build the Mishkan and the donation of its materials by the people: according to the Zohar both occurred before Israel's worship of the Golden Calf, and according to Rashi both came afterwards. In other words, both approaches share the notion that the commandment to build the Mishkan would not have "survived" Israel's sin. Indeed, such was the case with the very covenant forged between G-d and Israel: the Tablets were broken, and a new set had to be hewn and inscribed following the reconciliation of G-d and Israel. Indeed, there were several marked differences -- for the better and for the worse -- between the two sets of Tablets.


In this lies the uniqueness of Nachmanides' approach, which insists on a "straight" reading of the text and an interpretation of the events that places G-d's instructions for the making of the Mishkan before the sin of the Golden Calf, and the beginning of their implementation began after the sin and Israel's repentance. According to Nachmanides, the command and empowerment to build a home for G-d remained in force even as the people worshipped an idol of gold. Unlike the Torah itself (!), the command to build the Mishkan was not revoked, and no "second edition" was necessary. This means that the ability to make a Sanctuary for G-d rests also with a nation of resha'im, sinners and transgressors of the divine will!


In other words, says the Rebbe, the different interpretations of the Torah's account put forth by the Zohar, Rashi and Nachmanides revolve around the following question: Who can make a "dwelling for G-d in the physical world"? The perfect tzaddik? The unique personality of the baal teshuvah? Or even the iniquitous rashah?


There is an approach that says that only a tzaddik can take lowly objects such as gold, wood or animal hides and transform them into an abode for the divine presence. True, the spiritual tzaddik has no real connection with these materials: the glitter of gold means nothing to him, nor is he moved by the comforts of fine linen or the beauty of artistically woven tapestries. But precisely this is what qualifies him as a builder of a Mishkan. Because he is aloof from the enticements of the material, he can uncover the spiritual potential within the "lowly realm" without being ensnared by its lowliness. This is the approach of the Zohar, which sees the building of the Mishkan as having been possible only with materials donated by the perfectly righteous.


A second approach argues that only the baal teshuvah, who has fallen prey to the corruptions of materiality, can truly exploit its divine potential. Only the baal teshuvah knows the material world "from within," having himself been very much a part of it; only the baal teshuvah is a living example of the transformation of lowly into lofty, as one who has exploited the momentum of his fall to attain even greater heights of connection to G-d. Thus, goes this line of thinking, if Israel had not fallen to the nadir of material corruption by worshipping an idol of gold, the making of a home of gold for G-d would not have been possible. This is the concept behind Rashi's interpretation, which dates the divine commandment to build the Mishkan on the 10th of Tishrei, following Israel's return to G-d and the renewed covenant it produced.


A third approach rejects the entire concept that making a "dwelling for G-d in the physical world" requires any particular state or spiritual condition. Is this not the very purpose of G-d's creation of the world? Is this not the essence of man's mission in life? Man never loses this capacity, for it is integral to his very being. This aspect of the Torah is never revoked or "broken": in whatever situation a person finds himself, even that of a still-unrepentant sinner, he can make his material existence a home for "He who dwells amongst them in the midst of their impurities" (Leviticus 16:16). This is the conception behind Nachmanides' reading of the chapters of the latter half of Exodus, by which the commandment to build the Mishkan remains in force throughout the ups and downs of Israel's relationship with G-d, even as the rest of the Torah is shattered to pieces.


All True


"These and these are the words of the living G-d" says the Talmud of differing interpretation of Torah by its sages. G-d's dwelling on earth can, and must be, all three: a home for G-d built by the pristinely righteous, an abode build by the transformative power of teshuvah, and a divine inhabitation of every human effort to serve Him, no matter how lowly its origin.

Indeed, the Rebbe points out, the Ark in the original Mishkan contained the first, broken Tablets as well as the second set. Thus it housed: a) the First Tablets, granted to a nation of tzaddikim; b) these, however, were broken, representing the depths of iniquity to which Israel had descended in the interim; c) the Second Tablets, embodying the power of teshuvah.


Thus the divine command to make for G-d a dwelling out of the materials of physical life is addressed to the tzaddik, to the baal teshuvahrashah.


To the tzaddik it says: You are never too holy, too spiritual, too pure, to engage in the task of making Me at home in the lowliest elements of My creation. Indeed, because of your holiness, spirituality and purity, there is a dimension of My home on earth that only you can create for Me.


To the baal teshuvah it says: When you agonize your your iniquitous or merely negative past (as you should), remember this: it is that very past that makes you the builder of a most central component of My home on earth. You, and only you, can achieve a true transformation of materiality into G-dliness.


And to the rashah it says: No matter how distant your daily behavior is from My program for life, no matter how it conflicts with My will, when you do a single Mitzvah -- a single deed that I have commanded -- that part of your physical life shall become an home for My presence.]]>
Dear group,

I hope you enjoy this great article from Chabad.org, a site I’m a big fan of

http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cd...nctity.htm

Sin and Sanctity


Following the Torah's account of the revelation at Mount Sinai and Moses' ascent to the top of the mountain to receive the Torah from G-d, come 16 chapters -- comprising the Torah sections of Terumah, Tetzaveh, Ki-Tisa, Vayak'hel and Pekudei - -in which are related:

a) G-d's instructions regarding the building of the Sanctuary (Exodus 25-31, covering the sections of Terumah, Tetzaveh, and the first part of Ki-Tisa);

b) The sin of the Golden Calf and the granting of the Second Tablets (Exodus 32-34, all in Ki-Tisa);

c) The people's donation of the materials for the Sanctuary (Exodus 35) and the Sanctuary's construction, erection and sanctification (Exodus 36-40; these comprise the sections of Vayak'hel and Pekudei).

In keeping with the rule that "There is no earlier and later in Torah" (i.e., the Torah does not necessarily relate events in the order in which they occurred), the biblical commentaries differ as to the chronology of these events. All told, there are no fewer than three different versions of the time-frame of the Mishkan's making vis-a-vis the making of the Golden Calf.


The following timeline, spanning a period of almost ten months, is agreed to by all:

1) On Sivan 6 (or 7, according to Rabbi Yossi), G-d revealed Himself to all of Israel and proclaimed the Ten Commandments; on the following day, Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Torah from G-d.

2) Forty days later, on Tammuz 16, the people made the Golden Calf, and rose early the next morning to worship it. On Tammuz 17 Moses descended from the mountain carrying the Tablets of the Testimony; upon seeing the people dancing around their idol, he smashes the Tablets at the foot of the mountain.

3) On Tammuz 19, Moses ascended Mount Sinai for a second 40 days to plead for forgiveness on Israel's behalf. At the end of this period, G-d tells him to carve two new tablets, upon which He will inscribe the Ten Commandments, to replace the broken tablets.

4) On the 1st of Elul, Moses ascended the mountain with the tablets he carved for a third forty days, which concluded on the 10th of Tishei (Yom Kippur). On that day, Moses received the Second Tablet from G-d and G-d expressed His full forgiveness of Israel's sin.

5) The construction of the Mishkan's components and vessels was completed 2 1/2 months later, on the 25th of Kislev (the first day of Chanukah). But the Mishkan was not set up until more than three months after that, on the 1st of Nissan (preceded by a week of "initiation," Adar 23-29).


The above is derived by the Talmud from the Torah's account. The point of contention between the commentaries concerns G-d's instructions regarding the Mishkan and the people's donation of its materials.

Nachmanides is of the opinion that these occurred in the order in which they appear in the Torah. Thus, G-d's instructions to Moses regarding the Sanctuary (recounted in Terumah and Tetzaveh) came immediately after the revelation at Sinai, during Moses' first 40 days on the mountain. Their implementation, however, was delayed by Israel's sin and the need for Moses to obtain G-d's forgiveness and a second pair of Tablets, so that the donation of the materials described in the beginning of Vayak'hel (Exodus 35) occurred on Tishrei 11, the day after Yom Kippur, followed by the Mishkan's construction and erection as per above.

Rashi (who follows the Midrash Tanchuma), notes the many Scriptural and Talmudic indications that the Sanctuary was in response to, and an atonement for, the sin of the Golden Calf. Accordingly, Rashi is of the opinion that the divine instructions contained in the sections of Terumah and Tetzaveh were communicated to Moses on Yom Kippur, following Israel's repentance, G-d's (full) forgiveness, and Moses' receiving of the Second Tablets.


A third opinion is that of the Zohar, which states that both G-d's instructions and Israel's donation of the materials occurred before the sin of the Golden Calf. (Thus, explains the Zohar, the people had to "unload the golden earrings which were in their ears" to provide gold for their idol, since their gold had already been donated for the making of the Mishkan.) According to this, the making of the Sanctuary was not a result of Israel's sin and their repentance thereof, but a mitzvah that was commanded, and begun to be implemented, before the incident of the Golden calf.


The Tzaddik, the Baal Teshuvah and the Sinner


The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that these three versions describe three different states of the people commanded and empowered to make an abode for G-d.


According to the Zohar, the commandment to make a Mishkan was directed to a nation of tzaddikim, perfectly righteous individuals untainted by sin or wrongdoing (in accordance with the Talmudic statement that, at Sinai, the people of Israel were born anew, and thus as pure of guilt or an iniquitous past as a newborn infant.) The dedication of the materials of the Mishkan was likewise by tzaddikim. This implies that the making of a physical home for G-d was possible only because the materials for its construction were dedicated (and thus sanctified) by a people still not tainted by that corruptive use of their gold, and that only such materials could have been fashioned into a home for G-d.


According to Rashi, the commandment to make a Mishkan was directed to baalei teshuvah ("returnees" or "penitents") -- individuals who had fallen prey to the corruptions of the material, but had rebounded from their downfall to forge a new, invigorated bond with G-d. Indeed, the implication is that had the people of Israel not sinned by making and worshipping a calf of gold, there would not have existed the necessity -- nor the opportunity -- for a physical structure to house the Divine presence in the Israelite camp.


The common denominator between these two approaches is that the sin of the Golden Calf did not actually interject (as it does in the text) between the commandment to build the Mishkan and the donation of its materials by the people: according to the Zohar both occurred before Israel's worship of the Golden Calf, and according to Rashi both came afterwards. In other words, both approaches share the notion that the commandment to build the Mishkan would not have "survived" Israel's sin. Indeed, such was the case with the very covenant forged between G-d and Israel: the Tablets were broken, and a new set had to be hewn and inscribed following the reconciliation of G-d and Israel. Indeed, there were several marked differences -- for the better and for the worse -- between the two sets of Tablets.


In this lies the uniqueness of Nachmanides' approach, which insists on a "straight" reading of the text and an interpretation of the events that places G-d's instructions for the making of the Mishkan before the sin of the Golden Calf, and the beginning of their implementation began after the sin and Israel's repentance. According to Nachmanides, the command and empowerment to build a home for G-d remained in force even as the people worshipped an idol of gold. Unlike the Torah itself (!), the command to build the Mishkan was not revoked, and no "second edition" was necessary. This means that the ability to make a Sanctuary for G-d rests also with a nation of resha'im, sinners and transgressors of the divine will!


In other words, says the Rebbe, the different interpretations of the Torah's account put forth by the Zohar, Rashi and Nachmanides revolve around the following question: Who can make a "dwelling for G-d in the physical world"? The perfect tzaddik? The unique personality of the baal teshuvah? Or even the iniquitous rashah?


There is an approach that says that only a tzaddik can take lowly objects such as gold, wood or animal hides and transform them into an abode for the divine presence. True, the spiritual tzaddik has no real connection with these materials: the glitter of gold means nothing to him, nor is he moved by the comforts of fine linen or the beauty of artistically woven tapestries. But precisely this is what qualifies him as a builder of a Mishkan. Because he is aloof from the enticements of the material, he can uncover the spiritual potential within the "lowly realm" without being ensnared by its lowliness. This is the approach of the Zohar, which sees the building of the Mishkan as having been possible only with materials donated by the perfectly righteous.


A second approach argues that only the baal teshuvah, who has fallen prey to the corruptions of materiality, can truly exploit its divine potential. Only the baal teshuvah knows the material world "from within," having himself been very much a part of it; only the baal teshuvah is a living example of the transformation of lowly into lofty, as one who has exploited the momentum of his fall to attain even greater heights of connection to G-d. Thus, goes this line of thinking, if Israel had not fallen to the nadir of material corruption by worshipping an idol of gold, the making of a home of gold for G-d would not have been possible. This is the concept behind Rashi's interpretation, which dates the divine commandment to build the Mishkan on the 10th of Tishrei, following Israel's return to G-d and the renewed covenant it produced.


A third approach rejects the entire concept that making a "dwelling for G-d in the physical world" requires any particular state or spiritual condition. Is this not the very purpose of G-d's creation of the world? Is this not the essence of man's mission in life? Man never loses this capacity, for it is integral to his very being. This aspect of the Torah is never revoked or "broken": in whatever situation a person finds himself, even that of a still-unrepentant sinner, he can make his material existence a home for "He who dwells amongst them in the midst of their impurities" (Leviticus 16:16). This is the conception behind Nachmanides' reading of the chapters of the latter half of Exodus, by which the commandment to build the Mishkan remains in force throughout the ups and downs of Israel's relationship with G-d, even as the rest of the Torah is shattered to pieces.


All True


"These and these are the words of the living G-d" says the Talmud of differing interpretation of Torah by its sages. G-d's dwelling on earth can, and must be, all three: a home for G-d built by the pristinely righteous, an abode build by the transformative power of teshuvah, and a divine inhabitation of every human effort to serve Him, no matter how lowly its origin.

Indeed, the Rebbe points out, the Ark in the original Mishkan contained the first, broken Tablets as well as the second set. Thus it housed: a) the First Tablets, granted to a nation of tzaddikim; b) these, however, were broken, representing the depths of iniquity to which Israel had descended in the interim; c) the Second Tablets, embodying the power of teshuvah.


Thus the divine command to make for G-d a dwelling out of the materials of physical life is addressed to the tzaddik, to the baal teshuvahrashah.


To the tzaddik it says: You are never too holy, too spiritual, too pure, to engage in the task of making Me at home in the lowliest elements of My creation. Indeed, because of your holiness, spirituality and purity, there is a dimension of My home on earth that only you can create for Me.


To the baal teshuvah it says: When you agonize your your iniquitous or merely negative past (as you should), remember this: it is that very past that makes you the builder of a most central component of My home on earth. You, and only you, can achieve a true transformation of materiality into G-dliness.


And to the rashah it says: No matter how distant your daily behavior is from My program for life, no matter how it conflicts with My will, when you do a single Mitzvah -- a single deed that I have commanded -- that part of your physical life shall become an home for My presence.]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=488 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:19:08 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=488
Dear group,

A while back, my friend Rabbi Walters (yes, from this very site :) ) was teaching me a lesson from The Rebbe on Purim. There was point there that really stood out to me, and I'd like to share it with you.

The Rebbe asks:

Mordechai, besides being king Achasveroshe's right hand man, had saved the king from an assasination attempt by his two servants Bitan and Teresh (who wanted to poison him because of how hard they had to work since Achashverosh came to power, as the Gemarah in Megillah teaches). Esther was the queen! How come when the decree to kill the Jews came out, did these two righteous people not FIRST use their political connections to try and save their people?

Why did Mordechai first gather childre Nto the synogogue for Torah study and prayer, and queen Esther and her maidservants (who were Jewish, as our Sages of blessed memory teach us) fast for three days?

The Rebbe explains using an analogy. Just as a check can only be cashed against money in the bank, so material efforts to achieve success can only work when they are backed by Torah and Mitzvoth. Perhaps this is because material reality exists FOR Torah and Mitzvoth.

I saw an interested teaching in Pirkeh Avos that says "the world endures on three things..." and one of them is"for service," which the Bartnurah exlains to refer to the service of sacrifices. The Bartenura explains further that: G-d created the world for Israel; Israel for Jerusalem; Jerusalem for the temple; and, the temple for offerings (which symbolize studying Torah and Mitzvoth in to make our natural self transparent to G-d's Essence, as explained in Chassidus).

We see that first, G-d had in mind the personal relationship He wants to cultivate with us, and then He, so to speak, built everything else around it. We see then, that materiaity is not something separate from spirituality. Rather, it is the last, final most stage required to bring G-d's will to fruition, to physical expression.

In fact, this is the first Rashi we find in the entire Torah. Rashi explains that G-d chose to begin the Torahwith "Bereishis," which can be read "Beis Reishis" - two beginnings, in order to teach us that G-d made the world for two things: The Jews, and the Torah.

We thus see that there are the Jews, and Noachides, who are a subset of Judaism - the players; the Torah, from the expression ho'ra'ah - the instructions; and the world - the medium. Given that the world exists sole as the means to fulfill Torah and Mitzvoth, when we use it in that way, we are, ultimately, guaranteed success.

Mordechai and Esther first took actions to invoke G-d's blessings through Torah study, prayer, and fasting. Then, they set about creating the material medium for G-d's blessings to manifest. It is the same thing in our lives, as the Torah promises,

G-d's blessing will rest upon "all that yo DO." We have to do; we have to engage n material work. Only, it must be with the perspective that this work is merely the medium through which we can bring to fruition G-d's will - to pay for a Jewish education; to buy food for Shabbos & Yom Tov; etc. In that merit, He will surely bless our work with success.

May G-d bless all of you; your families; and your friends, tremendous material & spiritual success, and as One. May your holistic perspective and lifestyle of Torah and Mitzvoth bring you all tangible health and joy in every area; and, may we celebrate the rest of Purim together at the table in our Temple in Jerusalem!

Happy Purim everyone!
Rabbi Dovid.W]]>
Dear group,

A while back, my friend Rabbi Walters (yes, from this very site :) ) was teaching me a lesson from The Rebbe on Purim. There was point there that really stood out to me, and I'd like to share it with you.

The Rebbe asks:

Mordechai, besides being king Achasveroshe's right hand man, had saved the king from an assasination attempt by his two servants Bitan and Teresh (who wanted to poison him because of how hard they had to work since Achashverosh came to power, as the Gemarah in Megillah teaches). Esther was the queen! How come when the decree to kill the Jews came out, did these two righteous people not FIRST use their political connections to try and save their people?

Why did Mordechai first gather childre Nto the synogogue for Torah study and prayer, and queen Esther and her maidservants (who were Jewish, as our Sages of blessed memory teach us) fast for three days?

The Rebbe explains using an analogy. Just as a check can only be cashed against money in the bank, so material efforts to achieve success can only work when they are backed by Torah and Mitzvoth. Perhaps this is because material reality exists FOR Torah and Mitzvoth.

I saw an interested teaching in Pirkeh Avos that says "the world endures on three things..." and one of them is"for service," which the Bartnurah exlains to refer to the service of sacrifices. The Bartenura explains further that: G-d created the world for Israel; Israel for Jerusalem; Jerusalem for the temple; and, the temple for offerings (which symbolize studying Torah and Mitzvoth in to make our natural self transparent to G-d's Essence, as explained in Chassidus).

We see that first, G-d had in mind the personal relationship He wants to cultivate with us, and then He, so to speak, built everything else around it. We see then, that materiaity is not something separate from spirituality. Rather, it is the last, final most stage required to bring G-d's will to fruition, to physical expression.

In fact, this is the first Rashi we find in the entire Torah. Rashi explains that G-d chose to begin the Torahwith "Bereishis," which can be read "Beis Reishis" - two beginnings, in order to teach us that G-d made the world for two things: The Jews, and the Torah.

We thus see that there are the Jews, and Noachides, who are a subset of Judaism - the players; the Torah, from the expression ho'ra'ah - the instructions; and the world - the medium. Given that the world exists sole as the means to fulfill Torah and Mitzvoth, when we use it in that way, we are, ultimately, guaranteed success.

Mordechai and Esther first took actions to invoke G-d's blessings through Torah study, prayer, and fasting. Then, they set about creating the material medium for G-d's blessings to manifest. It is the same thing in our lives, as the Torah promises,

G-d's blessing will rest upon "all that yo DO." We have to do; we have to engage n material work. Only, it must be with the perspective that this work is merely the medium through which we can bring to fruition G-d's will - to pay for a Jewish education; to buy food for Shabbos & Yom Tov; etc. In that merit, He will surely bless our work with success.

May G-d bless all of you; your families; and your friends, tremendous material & spiritual success, and as One. May your holistic perspective and lifestyle of Torah and Mitzvoth bring you all tangible health and joy in every area; and, may we celebrate the rest of Purim together at the table in our Temple in Jerusalem!

Happy Purim everyone!
Rabbi Dovid.W]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=487 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:04:31 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=487
Parshas Tetzaveh

Keeping Our Eyes on the Prize

In a certain verse in this week’s Parsha, we find three different contemplations. These are thoughts designed to help us appreciate how three major aspects of materiality – money, respect, and pleasure – are merely tools for cultivating our soul and revealing G-d’s presence in the world, and not ends in themselves. The following is a translation from “Od Yosef Chai,” Parshas Tetzaveh:

“They shall make the Ephod of gold; turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, and twisted silk, with a woven design.” “It appears to me, with the help of G-d [that we can explain this verse as follows:]”

“The Ephod hints at [making a] a cloak of light for the soul, which is for the purpose of the next world, and the coarse materiality which blinds the eyes of man [such that] he does not contemplate and reflect upon his perfection. For, it [i.e. this materiality] constantly causes man to set his eyes and heart upon the pursuit and acquisition of worldly wealth.

For this reason, for the excellence and perfection of this holy cloak, one [steeped] in the pursuit of wealth should reflect upon the “turquoise”-Techelet. That is, on the final [Tachlit], concluding letters [i.e. the letters in the Hebrew Alphabet coming after the word] “gold”- Zahav, which are the letters [Ches, Vav, Gimel, spelling] “Chog” - a circle.

This [represents] the circular cycle which revolves in the world. As our Rabbi’s of blessed memory write on the verse “for on account of this thing G-d shall bless you,” “Rabbi Chiya says: it [financial success] is like a wheel revolving in the world in that it circulates from person to person.” Given this, it is possible that all the effort and labor [invested] in one’s enthusiastic pursuit of money will come to naught. For, He prepared a time for him, in which he shall set his eyes upon it and it won’t be there.

[Assume] one seeks to pursue their desire for pleasures. [They] argue that nature is unchanging, and by virtue of man’s materiality he must fulfill his desire for pleasures. [Such a person] should reflect upon the “scarlet wool” whose natural redness is similar to that of blood, and [how] it [i.e. blood] is transformed in women, turning into very white milk.

[Assume] one’s days are [about to be] consumed by pursing honor. One should [then] contemplate the “[twisted] silk.” For, honor is completely removed from all men, such that the worm [from which we get silk] is more honorable than him, and he is considered of secondary status to it. For, there, the worm rules over him. That is why it says “twisted silk,” i.e. that his end is to be of secondary status to the worm. No vestige will remain of his honor.

If one will contemplate and reflect upon all that was discussed then there is hope in perfecting and constructing the garment of the soul with is weaved from the six hundred and six commandments that the Jew has in addition to the Noachide laws. This is what [is hinted at] by the word “woven” “VaShesh,” which has the numerical value of six hundred and six,” the threads of which the garment of the soul, which is made from the Mitzvoth, is weaved.

Even though it is impossible to fulfill them [i.e. the Mitzvoth] all in actuality, yet the action can be completed through thought [i.e. study]. For this reason it says “design”-Maaseh [action] Choshev [like Machshavah - thought]. In other words, these six hundred and six commandments which have the numerical value of [the word] “woven”-Shesh, should be woven [by] threading from the aspect of the action [i.e. Mitzvoth] and from the aspect of thought [i.e. Torah study].”

Just as a garment is not the essence but expresses it (e.g. our shirt moves as does the body moving inside it), so this “garment of light” is just a medium through which to perceive the revelation of G-d. Yet here in this world, now – in the present, we have an opportunity to experience G-dliness by doing Mitzvoth. In fact, Mitzvah is related to Tzavtah – connection, in that it connects us with The Commander – G-d. For this reason, “The reward for a Mitzvah is the Mitzvah,” and “One moment of reunion with G-d and Mitzvoth in this world is greater than the whole life of the World to Come.”

May G-d Almighty bless each and every one of us – in the here and now - with material and spiritual success, and with successfully using that to reveal His Essence in the world to all of humanity, bringing about true, everlasting, global redemption.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Dovid Wolkenfeld

Sources & footnotes:

The Ben Ish Chai seems to me to address more how these pursuits are not the end all as they are so often thought to be. Yet, simple logic dictates that if they are not ends, they must be the means. Money is necessary to sustain life to serve G-d, to acquire the tools with which to perform the Mitzvoth (e.g. Tefillin, etc.), to give Tzedakah, etc.
Respect is a good thing, when we are respecting holy places, as the Code of Jewish Law explains in connection with beautifying the Synagogue (connecting this with the Torah’s verse “This is my G-d and I shall glorify Him”); objects (The Code instructs burying, not trashing, disqualified Tefillin, for example); and, especially, people (The Code speaks of especially respecting our parents, teachers, Torah scholars [in addition to the normal respect owed our fellow]). Etc.
Ex. 28:6.
As the Tanya explains (Ch. 4, et. al), Mitzvoth afford us, so-to-speak, experiential G-dliness. That “primes” us for experiencing the revelation of G-d in the “World to Come.”
The letter coming after Zayin is Ches; after Heh is Vav; and, after Beis is Gimel.
So that although we must do our best to excel in work to earn the money with which to serve G-d (as the Zohar teaches, G-d’s “blessing does not rest on an empty vessel”), at the same time, we ought not make it our end all.
Blood, physical life-force, represents the passion that is so often the motivator for sin. White represents moral purity. Passion for materiality can be transformed into passion for Mitzvoth (more than “for spirituality,” – for G-d). This transformation is achieved through the study of Torah – change the perspective, change the values (/actions).
The Torah, esp. the inner dimension (Chassidus; and, more specifically: Chassidus explained intellectually, i.e. in a way of “CHaBaD”), helps us understand that what we seek within materiality is actually the Divinity embedded in it, which just didn’t know it (or, G-d forbid, as is so often the case, were raised to view materiality outside of G-dliness. When, as explained in last week’s post, neither materiality nor spirituality capture G-d’s Essence – yet both are expressions of G-dliness.
Even from a purely biological standpoint, it’s pretty obvious that we don’t care for food, per se, so much as for the energy we derive from it that enables us to pursue what we se as our more primary goal. Many of us would skip eating altogether to save time (to add to our investment in what we value most) if we could derive the energy through a process less time consuming, more “efficiently” (e.g. in pill form, or whatever). Hence, we see that the food itself is not what we really want. Etc.
Obviously, the “honor” spoken of here is that according to one by virtue of their material status. The worm’s being “greater” too, applies to its being alive, while the materiality of the person (i.e. their body) is dead. It thereby looses the opportunity to act as a vehicle for the revelation of G-d, till such time as it is resurrected in the “World to Come” (unlike the worm which is still alive) – so it appears to me at this time.
By contrast, the honor attributed to a person as a result of their commitment to G-d is eternal, as proved by how praised our Patriarchs and Matriarchs, as well as many of our notable scholars, are to this very day, the world over.
Hayom Yom. 8 Cheshvan. Though until we learn Torah we cannot truly appreciate what we are experiencing through Mitzvoth (Tanya, Ch. 5, et. al.).
Avos 4:2. Among the Alter Rebbe's maamarim of 5555 (1795) in Lyozna: "The reward of a mitzva is the mitzva." The mitzva in its ultimate essence - state is the reward. The revelation of this essence will take place in the Time to Come. This is the "enduring principal of the mitzva."2 However, man also "eats of its fruits in This World," (Peah 1:1) each mitzva according to its particular nature; i.e. when man has that particular need, he is answered.
Avos 4:17.]]>
Parshas Tetzaveh

Keeping Our Eyes on the Prize

In a certain verse in this week’s Parsha, we find three different contemplations. These are thoughts designed to help us appreciate how three major aspects of materiality – money, respect, and pleasure – are merely tools for cultivating our soul and revealing G-d’s presence in the world, and not ends in themselves. The following is a translation from “Od Yosef Chai,” Parshas Tetzaveh:

“They shall make the Ephod of gold; turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, and twisted silk, with a woven design.” “It appears to me, with the help of G-d [that we can explain this verse as follows:]”

“The Ephod hints at [making a] a cloak of light for the soul, which is for the purpose of the next world, and the coarse materiality which blinds the eyes of man [such that] he does not contemplate and reflect upon his perfection. For, it [i.e. this materiality] constantly causes man to set his eyes and heart upon the pursuit and acquisition of worldly wealth.

For this reason, for the excellence and perfection of this holy cloak, one [steeped] in the pursuit of wealth should reflect upon the “turquoise”-Techelet. That is, on the final [Tachlit], concluding letters [i.e. the letters in the Hebrew Alphabet coming after the word] “gold”- Zahav, which are the letters [Ches, Vav, Gimel, spelling] “Chog” - a circle.

This [represents] the circular cycle which revolves in the world. As our Rabbi’s of blessed memory write on the verse “for on account of this thing G-d shall bless you,” “Rabbi Chiya says: it [financial success] is like a wheel revolving in the world in that it circulates from person to person.” Given this, it is possible that all the effort and labor [invested] in one’s enthusiastic pursuit of money will come to naught. For, He prepared a time for him, in which he shall set his eyes upon it and it won’t be there.

[Assume] one seeks to pursue their desire for pleasures. [They] argue that nature is unchanging, and by virtue of man’s materiality he must fulfill his desire for pleasures. [Such a person] should reflect upon the “scarlet wool” whose natural redness is similar to that of blood, and [how] it [i.e. blood] is transformed in women, turning into very white milk.

[Assume] one’s days are [about to be] consumed by pursing honor. One should [then] contemplate the “[twisted] silk.” For, honor is completely removed from all men, such that the worm [from which we get silk] is more honorable than him, and he is considered of secondary status to it. For, there, the worm rules over him. That is why it says “twisted silk,” i.e. that his end is to be of secondary status to the worm. No vestige will remain of his honor.

If one will contemplate and reflect upon all that was discussed then there is hope in perfecting and constructing the garment of the soul with is weaved from the six hundred and six commandments that the Jew has in addition to the Noachide laws. This is what [is hinted at] by the word “woven” “VaShesh,” which has the numerical value of six hundred and six,” the threads of which the garment of the soul, which is made from the Mitzvoth, is weaved.

Even though it is impossible to fulfill them [i.e. the Mitzvoth] all in actuality, yet the action can be completed through thought [i.e. study]. For this reason it says “design”-Maaseh [action] Choshev [like Machshavah - thought]. In other words, these six hundred and six commandments which have the numerical value of [the word] “woven”-Shesh, should be woven [by] threading from the aspect of the action [i.e. Mitzvoth] and from the aspect of thought [i.e. Torah study].”

Just as a garment is not the essence but expresses it (e.g. our shirt moves as does the body moving inside it), so this “garment of light” is just a medium through which to perceive the revelation of G-d. Yet here in this world, now – in the present, we have an opportunity to experience G-dliness by doing Mitzvoth. In fact, Mitzvah is related to Tzavtah – connection, in that it connects us with The Commander – G-d. For this reason, “The reward for a Mitzvah is the Mitzvah,” and “One moment of reunion with G-d and Mitzvoth in this world is greater than the whole life of the World to Come.”

May G-d Almighty bless each and every one of us – in the here and now - with material and spiritual success, and with successfully using that to reveal His Essence in the world to all of humanity, bringing about true, everlasting, global redemption.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Dovid Wolkenfeld

Sources & footnotes:

The Ben Ish Chai seems to me to address more how these pursuits are not the end all as they are so often thought to be. Yet, simple logic dictates that if they are not ends, they must be the means. Money is necessary to sustain life to serve G-d, to acquire the tools with which to perform the Mitzvoth (e.g. Tefillin, etc.), to give Tzedakah, etc.
Respect is a good thing, when we are respecting holy places, as the Code of Jewish Law explains in connection with beautifying the Synagogue (connecting this with the Torah’s verse “This is my G-d and I shall glorify Him”); objects (The Code instructs burying, not trashing, disqualified Tefillin, for example); and, especially, people (The Code speaks of especially respecting our parents, teachers, Torah scholars [in addition to the normal respect owed our fellow]). Etc.
Ex. 28:6.
As the Tanya explains (Ch. 4, et. al), Mitzvoth afford us, so-to-speak, experiential G-dliness. That “primes” us for experiencing the revelation of G-d in the “World to Come.”
The letter coming after Zayin is Ches; after Heh is Vav; and, after Beis is Gimel.
So that although we must do our best to excel in work to earn the money with which to serve G-d (as the Zohar teaches, G-d’s “blessing does not rest on an empty vessel”), at the same time, we ought not make it our end all.
Blood, physical life-force, represents the passion that is so often the motivator for sin. White represents moral purity. Passion for materiality can be transformed into passion for Mitzvoth (more than “for spirituality,” – for G-d). This transformation is achieved through the study of Torah – change the perspective, change the values (/actions).
The Torah, esp. the inner dimension (Chassidus; and, more specifically: Chassidus explained intellectually, i.e. in a way of “CHaBaD”), helps us understand that what we seek within materiality is actually the Divinity embedded in it, which just didn’t know it (or, G-d forbid, as is so often the case, were raised to view materiality outside of G-dliness. When, as explained in last week’s post, neither materiality nor spirituality capture G-d’s Essence – yet both are expressions of G-dliness.
Even from a purely biological standpoint, it’s pretty obvious that we don’t care for food, per se, so much as for the energy we derive from it that enables us to pursue what we se as our more primary goal. Many of us would skip eating altogether to save time (to add to our investment in what we value most) if we could derive the energy through a process less time consuming, more “efficiently” (e.g. in pill form, or whatever). Hence, we see that the food itself is not what we really want. Etc.
Obviously, the “honor” spoken of here is that according to one by virtue of their material status. The worm’s being “greater” too, applies to its being alive, while the materiality of the person (i.e. their body) is dead. It thereby looses the opportunity to act as a vehicle for the revelation of G-d, till such time as it is resurrected in the “World to Come” (unlike the worm which is still alive) – so it appears to me at this time.
By contrast, the honor attributed to a person as a result of their commitment to G-d is eternal, as proved by how praised our Patriarchs and Matriarchs, as well as many of our notable scholars, are to this very day, the world over.
Hayom Yom. 8 Cheshvan. Though until we learn Torah we cannot truly appreciate what we are experiencing through Mitzvoth (Tanya, Ch. 5, et. al.).
Avos 4:2. Among the Alter Rebbe's maamarim of 5555 (1795) in Lyozna: "The reward of a mitzva is the mitzva." The mitzva in its ultimate essence - state is the reward. The revelation of this essence will take place in the Time to Come. This is the "enduring principal of the mitzva."2 However, man also "eats of its fruits in This World," (Peah 1:1) each mitzva according to its particular nature; i.e. when man has that particular need, he is answered.
Avos 4:17.]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=486 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 05:44:11 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=486 Just find the Eva Fit & Flare Jean, it currently has a 70% plus 40% off, looks great! ..

Thanks.]]> Just find the Eva Fit & Flare Jean, it currently has a 70% plus 40% off, looks great! ..

Thanks.]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=485 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 05:36:40 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=485
Thanks.]]>
Thanks.]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=484 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:27:04 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=484 Hello everyone, I only recently read about B'nai Noah and I am glad this movement exists.I have some Jewish ancestors, but I was not brought up in any religion as my parents were socialists.About four years ago I had cancer for the first time.Like most people dealing with cancer, operations, chemotherapy; I examined my beliefs regards death, the after-life, what life is about etc. I read Rabbi Blech's 'Idiots guide to Judaism" when recovering.'This is what I believe' I thought after reading the first few chapters.But, I have the impression that Judiasm does not really welcome converts except in the case of inter-marriage.I asked myself: "Would G_d care?Would he mind if I learned more about Jewish beliefs and traditions?I'm not asking to be accepted into the local Jewish community.My beliefs can be a private matter between me and G_d."I think many people believe in G_d, and fundamental rules about moral behavior.B'nai Noah can help such people with their moral,intellectual, spiritual development.Also, as I work my way through two books: 'Teach Yourself Modern Hebrew' and 'Beginners' Ladino' I feel there's a reason for it now.I feel like I reaching out to my Spanish Jewish ancestors.]]> Hello everyone, I only recently read about B'nai Noah and I am glad this movement exists.I have some Jewish ancestors, but I was not brought up in any religion as my parents were socialists.About four years ago I had cancer for the first time.Like most people dealing with cancer, operations, chemotherapy; I examined my beliefs regards death, the after-life, what life is about etc. I read Rabbi Blech's 'Idiots guide to Judaism" when recovering.'This is what I believe' I thought after reading the first few chapters.But, I have the impression that Judiasm does not really welcome converts except in the case of inter-marriage.I asked myself: "Would G_d care?Would he mind if I learned more about Jewish beliefs and traditions?I'm not asking to be accepted into the local Jewish community.My beliefs can be a private matter between me and G_d."I think many people believe in G_d, and fundamental rules about moral behavior.B'nai Noah can help such people with their moral,intellectual, spiritual development.Also, as I work my way through two books: 'Teach Yourself Modern Hebrew' and 'Beginners' Ladino' I feel there's a reason for it now.I feel like I reaching out to my Spanish Jewish ancestors.]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=483 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:49:03 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=483 Anyone heard about 'Coulda Woulda Shoulda'?
What is that?
Is that a Song?
A Game?
A Movie?
or a TV Serial?

Look forward to learn more about it soon from you guys.
Reply Back me with more details about this wired word.]]> Anyone heard about 'Coulda Woulda Shoulda'?
What is that?
Is that a Song?
A Game?
A Movie?
or a TV Serial?

Look forward to learn more about it soon from you guys.
Reply Back me with more details about this wired word.]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=482 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:46:47 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=482 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=481 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:45:02 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=481 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=480 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:44:00 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=480 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=479 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:40:58 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=479
REMEMBER:

* ONLY English and Hindi Movie titles allowed.

* We prefer movie titles with more than 2 words, only coz tat will make it fun and the chain will continue...

* try and add the year of release

* NO REPETITIONS


Most of you wud know tis, but thought we can start one thread in this forum....

for example:
If I post: Mera Naam Joker (1970)
The next person could post: Tere Naam (2003)
The next person could post: Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1984)

and so on and on and on...
lets continue with this example only....

so the first movie to begin with will be: Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1984)..]]>
REMEMBER:

* ONLY English and Hindi Movie titles allowed.

* We prefer movie titles with more than 2 words, only coz tat will make it fun and the chain will continue...

* try and add the year of release

* NO REPETITIONS


Most of you wud know tis, but thought we can start one thread in this forum....

for example:
If I post: Mera Naam Joker (1970)
The next person could post: Tere Naam (2003)
The next person could post: Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1984)

and so on and on and on...
lets continue with this example only....

so the first movie to begin with will be: Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1984)..]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=478 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:30:41 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=478
I just want to know the answer of you all.. My question is that whenever you lose your strength then which inspires you a lot ? Who is your inspiration ? What thoughts does inspire you ?]]>
I just want to know the answer of you all.. My question is that whenever you lose your strength then which inspires you a lot ? Who is your inspiration ? What thoughts does inspire you ?]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=477 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:29:11 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=477
What do you do in your free time?

In my free time, I play video games, play sports, watch movies and listen music. Some times I go for shopping.]]>
What do you do in your free time?

In my free time, I play video games, play sports, watch movies and listen music. Some times I go for shopping.]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=476 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:27:02 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=476 Myself Jckson and I just joined this community. It's my pleasure to join with this community and I hope I'll learn something new here. I am here to exchange some good post and information. Traveling, shopping, drawing picture, listening music, playing games and watching movies are my hobbies.]]> Myself Jckson and I just joined this community. It's my pleasure to join with this community and I hope I'll learn something new here. I am here to exchange some good post and information. Traveling, shopping, drawing picture, listening music, playing games and watching movies are my hobbies.]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=475 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:03:56 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=475
I have people staying at my house and I noticed toilet paper is running out abnormally frequently. Obviously I can't personally ask my visitors about how many squares they use. It will be nice if I could get an average of the amount most people normally used.

Thank yo very much.]]>
I have people staying at my house and I noticed toilet paper is running out abnormally frequently. Obviously I can't personally ask my visitors about how many squares they use. It will be nice if I could get an average of the amount most people normally used.

Thank yo very much.]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=474 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:24:11 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=474
This week's Parsha is called, "Mishpatim," a term referring to the rationally comprehensible Torah laws. An example of this is the prohibition against stealing. Universally, people feel a sense of injustice when someone takes what belongs to them. Given that we ought not to "do unto our fellow what we would not have done to us," it makes intuitive sense not to steal.

The Parsha also contains rationally incomprehensible laws, called "Chukim." An example of this is the prohibition against cooking meat and milk together. Why this should be forbidden defies logic, and we are left concluding that this act is sinful sole "because G-d said so."

The RAMBAN explains the inclusion of the Chukim under the general heading of "Mishpaitm" to be a lesson that our motivation in keeping Mishpatim should also be sole "because G-d said so," i.e because it is His Will. Ulterior motives would reduce our Judaism to moral relativism, to a belief in doing what we personally feel to be right.

Another advantage of the aforementioned perspective is that we will perform Chukim with the same enthusiasm as we do Mishpatim. Although we may not know the rationale, we know that - as G-d's Will - performing the former connects us to Him as much as does the latter. (Adapted from a talk of The Rebbe, see "Maayan Chai," P.71)

Herein lays the primacy of Halacha, Jewish Law: it is a book(s) on the rules and regulations of connecting to G-d. It clearly defines the means by which we can transform our seemingly mundane acts (eating, drinking, dressing) into a means of fulfilling G-d's Will, thereby increasing our awareness of Him; living with Him.

May G-d help us fulfill the verse in Shabbos prayers "we are servants of the Holy One blessed be He," and bring about the time when "all will accept the Yoke of Your Kingship, and You shall rule over them, speedily, forever" (Alenu) AMEN

Have a wonderful Shabbos everyone!
Dovid]]>
This week's Parsha is called, "Mishpatim," a term referring to the rationally comprehensible Torah laws. An example of this is the prohibition against stealing. Universally, people feel a sense of injustice when someone takes what belongs to them. Given that we ought not to "do unto our fellow what we would not have done to us," it makes intuitive sense not to steal.

The Parsha also contains rationally incomprehensible laws, called "Chukim." An example of this is the prohibition against cooking meat and milk together. Why this should be forbidden defies logic, and we are left concluding that this act is sinful sole "because G-d said so."

The RAMBAN explains the inclusion of the Chukim under the general heading of "Mishpaitm" to be a lesson that our motivation in keeping Mishpatim should also be sole "because G-d said so," i.e because it is His Will. Ulterior motives would reduce our Judaism to moral relativism, to a belief in doing what we personally feel to be right.

Another advantage of the aforementioned perspective is that we will perform Chukim with the same enthusiasm as we do Mishpatim. Although we may not know the rationale, we know that - as G-d's Will - performing the former connects us to Him as much as does the latter. (Adapted from a talk of The Rebbe, see "Maayan Chai," P.71)

Herein lays the primacy of Halacha, Jewish Law: it is a book(s) on the rules and regulations of connecting to G-d. It clearly defines the means by which we can transform our seemingly mundane acts (eating, drinking, dressing) into a means of fulfilling G-d's Will, thereby increasing our awareness of Him; living with Him.

May G-d help us fulfill the verse in Shabbos prayers "we are servants of the Holy One blessed be He," and bring about the time when "all will accept the Yoke of Your Kingship, and You shall rule over them, speedily, forever" (Alenu) AMEN

Have a wonderful Shabbos everyone!
Dovid]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=473 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:14:17 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=473
Fire authorities in California found a corpse in a burned-out section of forest while assessing the damage done by a forest fire. The deceased male was dressed in a full wet suit, complete with scuba
tanks on his back, flippers, and face mask.

A postmortem test revealed that the man died not from burns, but from massive internal injuries. Dental records provided a positive identification. Investigators then set about to determine how a fully clothed diver ended up in the middle of a forest fire.

It was revealed that on the day of the fire, the man went diving off the coast, some 20 miles from the forest. The fire fighters, seeking to control the fire as quickly as possible, had called in a fleet of helicopters with very large dip buckets. Water was dipped from the ocean and emptied at the site of the forest fire.

You guessed it. One minute our diver was making like Flipper in the Pacific, the next, he was doing the breast stroke in a fire dip bucket 300 feet in the air. Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed.
___________________________________________

Still think you're having a bad day?

A man was working on his motorcycle on the patio, his wife nearby in the kitchen. While racing the engine, the motorcycle accidentally slipped into gear. The man, still holding onto the handlebars, was dragged along as it burst through the glass patio doors.

His wife, hearing the crash, ran in the room to find her husband cut and bleeding, the motorcycle, and the shattered patio door. She called for an ambulance and, because the house sat on a fairly large hill, went down the several flights of stairs to meet the paramedics and escort them to her husband.

While the attendants were loading her husband, the wife managed to right the motorcycle and push it outside. She also quickly blotted up the spilled gasoline with some paper towels and tossed them into the toilet.

After being treated and released, the man returned home, looked at the shattered patio door and the damage done to his motorcycle. He went into the bathroom and consoled himself with a cigarette while attending to his business. About to stand, he flipped the butt between his legs.

The wife, who was in the kitchen, heard a loud explosion and her husband screaming. Finding him lying on the bathroom floor with his trousers blown away and burns on his buttocks, legs and groin, she
once again phoned for an ambulance. The same paramedic crew was dispatched.

As the paramedics carried the man down the stairs to the ambulance they asked the wife how he had come to burn himself. She told them.
They started laughing so hard, one slipped, the stretcher and dumping the husband out. He fell down the remaining stairs, breaking his arm.
______________________________________________
Still having a bad day? Just remember, it could be worse...

The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were being released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both.
_____________________________________________
Still think you are having a bad day?

A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen shaking frantically, almost in a dancing frenzy, with some kind of wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a handy
plank of wood, breaking his arm in two places. Up to that moment, he had been happily listening to his Walkman.
_______________________________________________
STILL think you're having a bad day?

Two animal rights protesters were protesting at the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn, Germany. Suddenly, all two thousand pigs broke loose and escaped through a broken fence, stampeding madly The two hopeless protesters were trampled to death.
____________________________________________

What?! STILL having a bad day??

Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet didn't pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with "return to sender" stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits. There now, feeling better?
__________________
gotta love those feathered friends]]>
Fire authorities in California found a corpse in a burned-out section of forest while assessing the damage done by a forest fire. The deceased male was dressed in a full wet suit, complete with scuba
tanks on his back, flippers, and face mask.

A postmortem test revealed that the man died not from burns, but from massive internal injuries. Dental records provided a positive identification. Investigators then set about to determine how a fully clothed diver ended up in the middle of a forest fire.

It was revealed that on the day of the fire, the man went diving off the coast, some 20 miles from the forest. The fire fighters, seeking to control the fire as quickly as possible, had called in a fleet of helicopters with very large dip buckets. Water was dipped from the ocean and emptied at the site of the forest fire.

You guessed it. One minute our diver was making like Flipper in the Pacific, the next, he was doing the breast stroke in a fire dip bucket 300 feet in the air. Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed.
___________________________________________

Still think you're having a bad day?

A man was working on his motorcycle on the patio, his wife nearby in the kitchen. While racing the engine, the motorcycle accidentally slipped into gear. The man, still holding onto the handlebars, was dragged along as it burst through the glass patio doors.

His wife, hearing the crash, ran in the room to find her husband cut and bleeding, the motorcycle, and the shattered patio door. She called for an ambulance and, because the house sat on a fairly large hill, went down the several flights of stairs to meet the paramedics and escort them to her husband.

While the attendants were loading her husband, the wife managed to right the motorcycle and push it outside. She also quickly blotted up the spilled gasoline with some paper towels and tossed them into the toilet.

After being treated and released, the man returned home, looked at the shattered patio door and the damage done to his motorcycle. He went into the bathroom and consoled himself with a cigarette while attending to his business. About to stand, he flipped the butt between his legs.

The wife, who was in the kitchen, heard a loud explosion and her husband screaming. Finding him lying on the bathroom floor with his trousers blown away and burns on his buttocks, legs and groin, she
once again phoned for an ambulance. The same paramedic crew was dispatched.

As the paramedics carried the man down the stairs to the ambulance they asked the wife how he had come to burn himself. She told them.
They started laughing so hard, one slipped, the stretcher and dumping the husband out. He fell down the remaining stairs, breaking his arm.
______________________________________________
Still having a bad day? Just remember, it could be worse...

The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were being released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both.
_____________________________________________
Still think you are having a bad day?

A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen shaking frantically, almost in a dancing frenzy, with some kind of wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a handy
plank of wood, breaking his arm in two places. Up to that moment, he had been happily listening to his Walkman.
_______________________________________________
STILL think you're having a bad day?

Two animal rights protesters were protesting at the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn, Germany. Suddenly, all two thousand pigs broke loose and escaped through a broken fence, stampeding madly The two hopeless protesters were trampled to death.
____________________________________________

What?! STILL having a bad day??

Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet didn't pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with "return to sender" stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits. There now, feeling better?
__________________
gotta love those feathered friends]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=472 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:12:12 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=472
Although her heart was filled with sadness,
she also had a strong feeling of determination.
Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up &
fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible..
the leukemia would see to that. But she still
wanted her son's dream to come true.

She took her son's hand and asked,
'Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted
to be once you grew up?
Did you ever dream and wish what you would
do with your life?'

Mommy, 'I always wanted to be a fireman
when I grew up.'

Mom smiled back and said, 'Let's see if we can
make your wish come true.'

Later that day she went to her local fire
Department in Calgary , where she met
Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Alberta

She explained her son's final wish and
Asked if it might be possible
to give her 6 year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.
Fireman Bob said, 'Look, we can do
better than that. If you'll have your son ready at
seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make
him an honorary Fireman for the whole day.
He can come down to the fire station, eat with us,
go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards!

And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform
for him, with a real fire hat - not a toy - one-with the emblem of the Calgary Fire Department on it, and a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots.'

'They're all manufactured right here in Calgary ,
so we can get them fast.'


Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy,
dressed him in his uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck.

Billy got to sit on the back of the truck
and help steer it back to the fire station.
He was in heaven.
There were three fire calls in Calgary that day
and Billy got to go out on all three calls.

He rode in the different fire engines,
the Paramedic's' van,
and even the fire chief's car.

He was also videotaped for the
local news program.

Having his dream come true,
with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy, that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to
drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed
in the hospice concept - that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital.

Then she remembered the day Billy had spent
as a Fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and
asked if it would be possible to send a fireman
in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition.

The chief replied, 'We can do better than that.
We'll be there in five minutes.. Will you please do me a favor?

When you hear the sirens screaming and see the
lights flashing, will you announce over the
PA system that there is not a fire?'

'It's the department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will
you open the window to his room?'

About five minutes later a
hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window--------
16 fire-fighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room

With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they LOVED him.
With
His dying breath,
Billy looked up at the fire chief and said,

'Chief, am I really a fireman now?'

'Billy, you are, and
The Head Chief,
Jesus, is holding your hand,' the chief said


With those words, Billy smiled and said,
'I know, He's
been holding my hand all day, and
The angels have been
Singing..'

He closed his eyes one last time.]]>
Although her heart was filled with sadness,
she also had a strong feeling of determination.
Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up &
fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible..
the leukemia would see to that. But she still
wanted her son's dream to come true.

She took her son's hand and asked,
'Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted
to be once you grew up?
Did you ever dream and wish what you would
do with your life?'

Mommy, 'I always wanted to be a fireman
when I grew up.'

Mom smiled back and said, 'Let's see if we can
make your wish come true.'

Later that day she went to her local fire
Department in Calgary , where she met
Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Alberta

She explained her son's final wish and
Asked if it might be possible
to give her 6 year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.
Fireman Bob said, 'Look, we can do
better than that. If you'll have your son ready at
seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make
him an honorary Fireman for the whole day.
He can come down to the fire station, eat with us,
go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards!

And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform
for him, with a real fire hat - not a toy - one-with the emblem of the Calgary Fire Department on it, and a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots.'

'They're all manufactured right here in Calgary ,
so we can get them fast.'


Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy,
dressed him in his uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck.

Billy got to sit on the back of the truck
and help steer it back to the fire station.
He was in heaven.
There were three fire calls in Calgary that day
and Billy got to go out on all three calls.

He rode in the different fire engines,
the Paramedic's' van,
and even the fire chief's car.

He was also videotaped for the
local news program.

Having his dream come true,
with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy, that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to
drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed
in the hospice concept - that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital.

Then she remembered the day Billy had spent
as a Fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and
asked if it would be possible to send a fireman
in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition.

The chief replied, 'We can do better than that.
We'll be there in five minutes.. Will you please do me a favor?

When you hear the sirens screaming and see the
lights flashing, will you announce over the
PA system that there is not a fire?'

'It's the department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will
you open the window to his room?'

About five minutes later a
hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window--------
16 fire-fighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room

With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they LOVED him.
With
His dying breath,
Billy looked up at the fire chief and said,

'Chief, am I really a fireman now?'

'Billy, you are, and
The Head Chief,
Jesus, is holding your hand,' the chief said


With those words, Billy smiled and said,
'I know, He's
been holding my hand all day, and
The angels have been
Singing..'

He closed his eyes one last time.]]> http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=471 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:10:15 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=471 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=470 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:42:40 -0700 http://www.revealtheessence.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=470
Dear group,

This week’s Parsha begins: “And Yisro heard everything that G-d did for Moses and for the Jewish people His nation. What did he hear? He heard about the splitting of the sea and the war with Amalek,” events everyone knew about. Yet Yisro, the former mediate priest who “served every form of idolatry” , specifically, was the only one inspired to convert to Judaism. How is this?

Every Friday night in the “Lecha Dodi” prayer we read: “the end [result in] action arose first in thought.” In other words: what came out last in creation (this world, and us) was the first thing in G-d’s “mind.” All intermediate “stages” in the creative process serve merely as means of creating ideal conditions for serving G-d here. The same applies in the microcosm: us. Our actions are the strongest indicators of our inner desire.

That Yisro converted to Judaism, the true religion, is proof positive he desired the truth to begin with. That is why he tried every form of idolatry, and not merely one or a few. After not finding the truth of reality in one, he continued his search in another. Until, he found exactly what he was looking for his whole life in Judaism, G-d.

By contrast, the other people were interested not in the truth of reality, but in chasing their heart’s whims. Consequently, they chose religions that would support, or at least not interfere with, their lifestyle. When G-d revealed Himself as the True singular Being, through open miracles, they simply ignored Him as they always had.

Yisro teaches us that the point of our existence is to connect to G-d, and that we can only accomplish this is on His terms. Practically, this means living a lifestyle He sees as desirable, as defined by Halacha, with the intention of connecting to Him thereby. Without this intention, we would be missing the point, G-d!

Our Judaism would then become a matter of personal convenience, as were the idolatries of the people in Yisro’s time. We would begin to pick and choose which laws we feel like fulfilling, and even if we kept them all it would be for self-serving motives (e.g. for Heaven, wisdom, respect, etc.). Further, our service would be lifeless, and sullied with the attitude that we are doing G-d a favor.

It is for this reason that we have an obligation to study Chassidus, the knowledge of G-d, in addition to learning Halacha. By both, a small daily commitment will, G-d willing, enable us to truly unify ourselves with Him, and to bring about the ultimate “unification of G-d and His presence in our final redemption NOW! Good Shabbos!

Sources:

Shemos 18:1.
Rashi & Sisfeh Chachamim, ibid.
loc. Cit
Rashi, v. 11.]]>
Dear group,

This week’s Parsha begins: “And Yisro heard everything that G-d did for Moses and for the Jewish people His nation. What did he hear? He heard about the splitting of the sea and the war with Amalek,” events everyone knew about. Yet Yisro, the former mediate priest who “served every form of idolatry” , specifically, was the only one inspired to convert to Judaism. How is this?

Every Friday night in the “Lecha Dodi” prayer we read: “the end [result in] action arose first in thought.” In other words: what came out last in creation (this world, and us) was the first thing in G-d’s “mind.” All intermediate “stages” in the creative process serve merely as means of creating ideal conditions for serving G-d here. The same applies in the microcosm: us. Our actions are the strongest indicators of our inner desire.

That Yisro converted to Judaism, the true religion, is proof positive he desired the truth to begin with. That is why he tried every form of idolatry, and not merely one or a few. After not finding the truth of reality in one, he continued his search in another. Until, he found exactly what he was looking for his whole life in Judaism, G-d.

By contrast, the other people were interested not in the truth of reality, but in chasing their heart’s whims. Consequently, they chose religions that would support, or at least not interfere with, their lifestyle. When G-d revealed Himself as the True singular Being, through open miracles, they simply ignored Him as they always had.

Yisro teaches us that the point of our existence is to connect to G-d, and that we can only accomplish this is on His terms. Practically, this means living a lifestyle He sees as desirable, as defined by Halacha, with the intention of connecting to Him thereby. Without this intention, we would be missing the point, G-d!

Our Judaism would then become a matter of personal convenience, as were the idolatries of the people in Yisro’s time. We would begin to pick and choose which laws we feel like fulfilling, and even if we kept them all it would be for self-serving motives (e.g. for Heaven, wisdom, respect, etc.). Further, our service would be lifeless, and sullied with the attitude that we are doing G-d a favor.

It is for this reason that we have an obligation to study Chassidus, the knowledge of G-d, in addition to learning Halacha. By both, a small daily commitment will, G-d willing, enable us to truly unify ourselves with Him, and to bring about the ultimate “unification of G-d and His presence in our final redemption NOW! Good Shabbos!

Sources:

Shemos 18:1.
Rashi & Sisfeh Chachamim, ibid.
loc. Cit
Rashi, v. 11.]]>