The concept of רוח מלפני יעטוף - the "wind" in this verse as referring to the נפש אלוקית - the divine soul. In the first chapter of Tanya the verse in Yishayahu 57:16 ונשמות אני עשיתי - "and I have made souls", is quoted as a proof that the soul is actually composed of two. The beginning of this verse states, not quoted directly is, רוח מלפני יעטוף - "a spirit that comes from before me enshrouds you". While this part of the verse might refer to the soul in general, which is divids into two, as the end of the verse continues, " and I have made souls", in the plural, this first part of the verse might also refer to the נפש אלוקית in particular. That is, the concept of רוח. The word "Ruach" refers to a radiance of divine light of the soul, according to one interpretation in the following Medrash Hagadol (ויגש דף תשנב): Skip the brackets below to get to the relevant quote. ["...It is written "לעשות לרוח משקל - to...
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The entire concept (of the spiritual state above) is termed, "one year" where the Sefiros are the Shabbosos of the year. They all culminate on שבת הגדול the "great Shabbos", before Pesach, which is the source for all the Shabbosos of the Year. Therefore, theses two things, Rosh Chodesh (that begins in Nissan החודש הזה לכם ראש חדשים - the month as the head of all months) and Shabbos, the seventh day and end of the week, are higher than (the four) Rosh Hashana, since they represent the very beginning and very end (while the Rosh Hashana are the middle, in comparison). These two ideas are the עטרת תפארת - (like we say in קידוש לבנה when we sanctify the new moon) the crown - Malchus and Tiferes and correspond to the sun and the moon. The 6 summer months, when the day is longer, correspond with the sun. While the 6 winter months, when the night is longer, correspond to the moon לממשלת הלילה - that "rules" in the nighttime. The blessing on the...
It is a mistake to think that gifts are not an integral concept on Chanuka. The concept of חנוכת המזבח "Chanukas hamizbeach" - dedicating (or re-dedicating) the alter is done by giving gifts. Just as the nesi'im, the princes of the tribes gave gifts and sacrifices when dedicating the Mizbeach of the Mishkan. What is the purpose of gifts when dedicating the mizbeach? It is compared to the חינוך or initiation of a child when they begin Torah study and start going to the beis hasefer. The child is given many gifts at the start and the father brings him there himself (like by gbe upshern), or similarly a father giving a bride over to a groom (and the wedding gifts, as is known that the dedication of the mishkan is compared in Zohar hakadosh to כלת משה - the "bride" of Moshe). Afterwards the child is able to go on his own and study without this external support or gift giving. This is a meaning of the verse חנוך לנער על פי דרכו גם כי יזקין לא יסוד ממנה ...
There both is and isn't a mazel for Israel and how the name Moshe is not reflexive. The two opinions in Gemara about whether or not -יש מזל לישראל Israel is under the influence of "mazal" are actually both in agreement with each other מר אמר חדא ומר אמר חדא ולא פליגי. The mazal that Israel does not have is to be under the influence of the astrological signs and heavenly מזלות. Where Israel does have mazal is the higher concept of mazal, beyond nature. About this it states, "everything is dependent on mazal, even the sefer Torah in the heichal." Hence, Avraham was told to leave his land, since, as Rashi explains, "here you won't have children." If Avraham was beyond the mazal already, this would not have mattered.(Even with his name change where he was told - "leave behind your astrology", it was that the mazal of "Avraham" would have children even if the name "Avram" wouldn't.) Under the mazal,...
Yakov said to Eisav כה אמר עבדך יעקב. - the word כ״ה hints to the acceptance of מלכות שמים in the 25 letters of the pasuk שמע ישראל, the concept of עבדך. We say "listen ישראל," like it says in this pasuk, "thus says Yakov.״ He then says עם לבן גרתי I lived with Lavan, גרתי גימט׳ תרי״ג, this refers to the second paragraph of Shma, והיה the acceptance of the מצוות. This is like our sages said about Shma, why do we preface the first paragraph of Shma to the second? To first accept upon yourself the rule of heaven and afterwards the rule of the מצוות. Ohr Hatorah Vayishlach, Mamer Im Lavan Garti
The concept of the two חיטין - "stalks of wheat" in the back of the throat. Just as there are (13 parts to the "beard" of Arich - יג׳ תיקוני דיקנא דאריך) and 7 spiritual components of the "head" of Chochma - ז׳ תיקונין דרישא דחכמה, so too there are 7 parts of the "throat" of Binah - ז׳ אברים בגרון דבינה. From the throat comes out 7 "breaths" - ז׳ הבלים mentioned in Koheles - קהלת. From these 7 "breaths" come out 7 "voices" - ז׳ קולות. This is the concept of קנה חכמה קנה בינה - "kaneh" being the windpipe and drawing down the Chochma and Binah to that level. At this juncture of concepts lies the 22 letters of the alphabet - א׳ב׳ "wheat" is gimatria 22 - חטה. The five parts of the mouth - ה׳ מוצאות הפה - correspond to the five types of grain - ה׳ מיני דגן and the two "stalks" in the throat correspond to the big letters and small letters in the Torah- אתוון רברבן ואתוון זעירן. ...
The upper firmament and the waters below will unite in the time to come. The verse כמים לים מכסים - "like waters cover the sea" refers to the waters above that will be able to truly cover the waters of the sea below. Not like now when it states, כל הנחלים הולכים אל הים והים איננו מלא -"all the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never filled." The land, however, is on even higher level than this sea, since it states ארץ לא שבעה מים - "the earth is not sated by water." (לרוקע הארץ על המים - the earth was placed atop the waters...) This is the meaning of לא בשמים היא ... ולא מעבר חים - the Torah "is not in the heavens... and not across the sea." Rather, to do in the land (לעשות בארץ). Mittler Rebbe, Mamarim Kuntresim, להבין ענין שעתיד משיח לאתבא צדיקיא בתיובתא
An interesting thought from the Mittler Rebbe, whose Hillula was today and whose holiday of redemption is tonight. Here is the first time I recall seening an explanation in Chabad Chassidus of the two "loves" that are in between the two "fears" (דחילו ורחימו ורחימו ודחילו), as they correspond to the letters of Hashem's name. According to the rule that נעוץ תחילתן בסופן -the beginning is tied to the end, it's known that the lower fear of the last letter ה׳ is the same as/attached to the higher fear of the first letter יוד׳. If so we must also say that the lower love of the third letter ו׳ is attached to the higher love of the second letter ה׳ and the higher love is, visa-versa, attached to the lower love. Essentially, these two loves are a concept of רצוא ושוב - going upwards and returning. The lower love reaches upwards with a tangible desire, like Teshuva from the heart and nullification of ones will. This causes a higher love to descend from a...
Rock creatures of the wild There is a parallel between the verse in Shir Hashirim, "I've made you swear by the deer and rams of the field" with the verse in Iyov, "for you have made a covenant with the 'stones' of the field and and made peace with the beasts of the field." As is known that the אבני השדה - the 'stones' of the field are the animal known as the ידעוני - Yidoni. The concept is that there is the feminine aspect in holiness מלכות is compared to a precious precious gemstone אבן טובה while the feminine of klipa is a 'tripping' stone (or stone plague or punishment) אבן נגף or a stone of darkness אבן אפל. Now just as underneath the feminine concept מלכות in holiness, the one 'precious gemstone', there are twelve 'stones' underneath it, the 12 gemstones of the breastplate (corresponding with the 12 cattle under the ים של שלמה - sea of Shlomo), so too there are the "stones of the field...
Sitting like the Japanese while studying Torah. Why is the foot of the letter "tov" - ת broken? Because anyone who wants to learn Torah should bend their knees when they study. Note נז. on the bottom says that it used to be the custom to study sitting this way, as they is still the custom to sit this way in the far east. -Medrash Otiot d'Rabi Akiva second nusach
The fingers on the legs are spread out from and are expressions of yesod bris and yesod denukva while thr fingers are expressions of yesod halashon. The legs are part of the congigal union while the fingers express what the tongue speaks. See שג״ע 157 ע״ב בינה נקראת מי וחסד נקרא מים ות״ת נק׳ שמים ונוקבא נקרא עפר הארץ. -אולי אפשר להבין מפה ״והמים אשר מעל השמים״
The positive side of the letter 'ק By Rabbi Mendy Greenstein The letter 'ק is usually expressed as a letter that connotes negativity, like the Zohar Hakadosh states that it's מאתוון דאתחזיאו על סיטרא בישא (as mentioned in the mamer באתי לגני), and that the leg if the 'ק is compared to a promiscuous woman רגליה יורדות מות - whose "legs point downwards towards death". However, in מדרש אותיות דרבי עקיבה - Medrash of Rabi Akiva on the letters we find a positive view of the ק׳, that it is from the language of הקפה, to surround. Moshe and Aharon surrounded Paroh and his scribes with wisdom, understanding, cleverness and knowledge. This subjugated their evil when they saw their impressive, holy countenances. (Here is also some wonderful imagery. Their "beards that were like palm branches," and that Parohs scribes "threw down their quills from their hands and the parchments that were draped over their shoulders.) In terms of Chas...
Some Torah thoughts by Rabbi Mendy Greenstein There seems to be a strong parallel between the allegories in perek 51 of Tehilim and the תפילה of נשמת כל חי that we say on שבת. Putting aside the different expressions of prayer and praise, the body parts mentioned begin their parallel like this: In Tehillim: תרנן לשוני צדקתך. ה׳ שפתי תפתח ופי יגיד In נשמת כל חי: וְאִלּוּ פִינוּ מָלֵא שִׁירָה כַיָּם וּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ רִנָּה כַּהֲמוֹן גַּלָּיו וְשִׂפְתוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁבַח כְּמֶרְחֲבֵי רָקִיעַ As well as: לשון אשר שמת בפינו and כל פה לך יודה וכל לשון לך תצפה And finally בְּפִי יְשָׁרִים תִּתְרוֹמָם, וּבְשִׂפְתֵי צַדִּיקִים תִּתְבָּרַךְ, וּבִלְשׁוֹן חֲסִידִים תִּתְקַדָּשׁ, וּבְקֶרֶב קְדוֹשִׁים תִּתְהַלָּל. Now there are also parallels with קרב mentioned here. In Tehilim: ורוח נחון חדש...
ויעתר יצחק - בעטרת הכתר, להרבות בתפילה - כי העתרתם עלי דברכים, וכי העתירו בעדי - להפוך מרצון לרצון, כי ביקש דבר גדול שיבוא עוד המלאך - ויעתר מנוח, והמלאך לא יכול לשלוט בחתירה תחת כסא הכבוד - כי ויתפלל אליו ויעתר לו דמנשה, אל תקרי ויעתר אלא ויחתור - כי כל אדם לא יהיה באהל מעוד, אפילו דמות פניהם פני אדם, והמלך יאוש נטמן בחדר המיטות, בקדש הקדשים - מקום כסא הכבוד, ובאו נחשוב חשבון צדק - כי אין חשבון בשאול אשר אתה הולך, ואתא מרבבות קודש, כי אין חשבון לנגד עיניך - על עונות שאין נמשך עליהם תשובה, כי אם מאנת הוא חד ולא בחושבן - וחתור לך בקיר יחזקל הנביא, כי צדקיהו נמלט במחתרת - תשבור הת הכותל של קירות לבך, כי שברת את לוחות ראשונות - ותמסור את השניות בחשאי, כי הוא מציץ מן החרכים ועושה סדק בכותל - לבעלי תשובה, כי ויחתרו היבשה - כי מבטן שאול שועתי, ואם כמתמונים תחפשנה - את הנתיב לא ידעו עיט, כי וישב אותם אברם - מפתחו של גהינום, וישב יצחק ויחפר את בארת המים אשר חפרו בימי אברהם - באר חפרוה שרים, פתח קטן דה׳ לעולת דרך שם - כ...
Different concepts of the Sefiros from the Tzemach Tzedek on Chayei Sarah Sefiros from the language of mispar - number, to describe the finite within creation Sefiros from the language of "sapphire" stone - meaning "brilliance" - a concept of a light that shines beyond numbers Sefiros within the feminine concept - like rubies, built from gevuros Sefiros within the masculine concept of Zeir Anpin - like diamond or crystal https://youtu.be/tB-fQJIm7ek
The ashes of Yitzchak and the mizbeach of the second temple. Our sages learnt. When the exiles came up (from Bavel) they added four amos onto the south side of the mizbeach and four amos to the west, in the shape of "gam" (a corner). For what reason did they do this? Rav Yossef says, it's because there wasn't enough room for the sacrifices. Abaye asked, by the first temple it says "Yehuda and Israel where as numerous as the sands by the sea, yet there was enough room. Now, by the second temple when it says, "all the congregation together was fourty thousand" you want to say there was not enough room?! He answered, there (by the first temple) there was a flame from heaven that helped out. Rav Yossef said, Isn't this what the verse states (by Ezra), "they prepared the mizbeach to what it was prepared for (the end of its true measurements)? But doesn't it say (when David prepared the blueprints), "it was all understood from ...
The daled amos of a person represents the "expression" of the highest level of makif of the neshama, the yechida. Higher than garments or the persons house, corresponding to the makif of neshama, chaya, respectively. That is why the a person is able to elavate the eretz ha'amim simply by walking around. A focused revelation of divine essence of the present time and space the neshama traverses. Mittler Rebbe Ata Echad Kuntresim -If the Yechida is present with the person wherever they go, perhaps the chaya, as represented by the persons house, is always present with the person as well. Similar to the mezuza protecting you when you are away from home Just as when inside.
The concept of כל השונה הלכות - any who study the Halachos uses the language of שונה, to "double," as in the story of Eliyahu Hanavi on mount Carmel when he says to pour water on the sacrifice before the flame comes down from the heavens to consume it, it uses the language וישנו, that they poured a second time. This is equated with שתים מקרא ואחד תרגום - however we must "double" our Torah study and read each Torah portion twice (and a third time with the Targum translation, perhaps hinted to by the third time they poured the water by Eliyahu, וישלשו. The water in the story is certainly compared to Torah, as in the verse about Elisha, Eliyahu's student אשר יצק מים על ידי אליהו - who "poured water" on the hands of Eliyahu). The concept of "doubling" our Torah study is as in the statement of our sages on the verse, הליכות עולם לו - the "paths" of the world our his, אל תקרי הליכות אלא הלכות - do not read it paths "halichos...
Brought down by the Chidah z"l in Nitzutzei oros. Its not just the Chumash you shouldn't put other books on top of, but all 24 books of תנ״ך. The point is that Torah Shebechtav/z"a - the written Torah, is the one who gives to Torah Shebeal Peh/nukvah - the oral Torah. So the written Torah should always be on top.
The early Kabbalists, before the Ramak and the Arizal, called the attribute of kindness גדולה - Greatness, however the later Kabbalists called it chesed. In the verse, לך ה׳ הגדולה - "to you Hashem is the greatness", they would say, if חסד - kindness was meant it would have said לך ה׳ החסד - "to you Hashem is kindness". The reason behind their argument in this is that the later Kabbalists hold "Greatness" to refer to kindness as it is beyond the supernal attribute, as it is in divine will of כתר. Since אית חסד ואית חסד - "there is a lower kindness and a higher type of kindness". Thus Avraham called his attribute of kindness "dust and ashes" in comparison to the concept of גדולה - Greatness that was beyond him in Keser. However, Avraham was greater than everyone else in relative terms. Similar to concept of loving Hashem with all of ones might is מאדך - מאוד שלך - "your" might meaning, relative to you, that which is be...
A source in Rishonim for the backwards head of the letter Tzadik. The Minchas Solet (R' Menachem Mendel Meshi-Zahav), perush on the Baruch Sheamar, brings that, while the custom of having the right head of the letter Tzadik face towards the right seems to originate from the Arizal, the truth is that you can find an earlier source for in the Rishonim. Namely, the Meiri and in his understanding of Rashi. In explaining that starting in the Gemara that you should be careful in writing that your letters Tzadik and Gimel should not look alike (לא יעשה צדין גמין), one explanation is that if you flip the gimel around it will look like the long Tzadik. Now, the sefer Hatruma qualifies this that the head of the backwards gimel will not match the right head of the Tzadik, since it will face towards the right. However, the Meiri understands Rashi to hold that it will match the Gimel, implying that the right head of the Tzadik also faces towards the right, according to Rashi.
The gates of tears There are four gates to the four directions, corresponding with the four letters of Hashem's name. The first, western, gates are called שערי תפילה - the Gates of Prayer and correspond to the last letter ה׳ of Hashem's name. These gates are only opened through our songs, praises, prayers and supplications. The second, eastern, gates are called שערי רחמים - the Gates of Mercy and correspond to the the letter ו׳ of Hashem's name. These gates are also called the gates of Torah (תורת אמת) and the gates of Tzedaka (מעשה הצדקה שלום). The third, northern, gates, corresponding to the first ה׳ of Hashem's name, are called שערי תשובה - the Gates of Teshuva (שערי תשועה, שערי ענוה) when they are open it is an עת רצון - a time of divine good will and at the times they are closed it is an עת צרה - a time of pain and difficulty. Even though it states, "there is nothing that stands in the way of Teshuva", nonetheless, we find at times t...
The snake and his pirate-ship of treasure! The Zohar hakadosh in Parshas Chayei Sarah 124:A explains the verse concerning the snake and Chava ואיבה אשית בינך ובין האשה - literally, "I will place an enmity between you and the woman..." in reference to the verse in Iyov 9:26 חלפו עם אוניות אבה - "traversed with boats of desire..." So what does the snake have to do with "boats" and how does that tie into the enmity between the snake and man? To understand this, first we'll examine the meaning of the word אבה - "eyveh". According to Targum Yonasan, it refers to ships of dignitaries laden with treasures - אלפיא דטעינין מגדיא. The word אבה - "desire" means "objects of desire", or treasures, in this context. (According to Rashi its simply the name of the swift river, but that does not help us for this). According to the Ramban, in his perush on Iyov (his other great perush, aside from the Chumash) quotes a Targ...
Some thoughts on the Parsha Avraham's going doen to Mitzrayim parralels yetzias Mitzrayim. "They will kill me and keep you alive" parallels "throw all the boys into the Nile and keep all the girls alive." Sarah was placed in a box to hide her and protect her and Moshe was hidden and placed in a basket. Sarah was taken to the house of Paroh, Moshe was taken to the house of Paroh. Sarah decreed plagued and makos on Paroh and his household and Moshe brought makos on Paroh and his household. Paroh, personally sent Sarah and Paroh personally got up to send away Moshe. Sarah went away with riches and animals and Paroh sent us away with riches וגם אתה תתן בידנו זבחים ועולות Lot left Mitzrayim with them and the Erev Rav left with them. There goals was to go to the south of Israel and bnei Yisrael also should have gone the path of the land of Plishtim. However, just like by Avraham it says he "went on his journeys וילך למסעיו ...
In the Ohr Hatorah Mamer ויראו אותה שרי פרעה the Tzemach Tzedek brings that the 4 rivers that come out of gan Eden correspond to the 4 ministering angels of the nations we were exiled to stating מצרים ויון כו׳ with the four rivers the starting with Egypt etc. So, if we are trying to correspond the rivers to the exiles perhaps we could start like this: The first river פישון, the mefarshim say is נילוס the Nile. So, that's easy enough. Although, according to the Ramban, פישון is the east-most river. Although, one might say, according to the other mefarshim it's talking about the same חוילה. You can see on the map how שור is right next to מצרים. Now, the other exiles, בבל, פרס ומדי, יון ואדום its not really clear which are meant here, unless he is quoting from somewhere in particular. So, here is more conjecture. The river גיחון surrounds כוש. Now, כוש was the son of חם, like מצרים. So מצרים is described in Tehillim as אדמת בני חם. However, נמרוד, ...