Date: November 11/12, 2025 (21st of Cheshvan, 5786) – Tuesday Night / Wednesday Day Focus: Yesod shebeChesed shebeGevurah (Foundation/Righteousness in Kindness within Discipline). Day 55 of the 364-Day Yearly Cycle.
15 Steps to the Sanctuary
1. Hayom Yom (Daily Lesson) The avoda (divine service) of davening (prayer) brings the comprehension of the brain into the emotional sensitivity of the heart. It then integrates both into the practical avoda of performing mitzvot with fear-of-Heaven and acquiring fine character-traits.
2. Alef-Bet Combination (Hidden Good)
Combination: Tonight is Day 11 (Kaf) of Cycle 3 (Heh and Vav). The combination is Kaf with Vav.
Kaf (Keter): Connected to the soul's aspects above intellect: Emunah (faith), Ta'anug (pleasure), and Ratzon (desire). It also means the palm or spoon, serving as a kli (receptacle).
Vav (Yesod): Male, symbolizing the six emotional attributes, and acts as a grammatical hook that connects and transforms.
Acrostic Verse (Psalm 34:11): "Young lions suffer want and are hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good."
3. Sefirah (Inner Refinement)
Cycle Day: Day 55 of the Yearly Cycle.
Sefirah: Day 6 of Week 8: Yesod shebeChesed (shebeGevurah) — Foundation in Kindness within Discipline.
Guest: The guest is Joseph, connected to Yesod (foundation, firmness, uprightness), known as Yosef Hatzadik ("Joseph the Righteous").
The Patriarchs:
Abraham embodies Chesed (kindness, generosity).
Isaac embodies Gevurah (strength, discipline, and self-control), seen in his submission to the binding (Akeidah).
Focus: Tonight's refinement is the foundational element (Yesod) of the Kindness (Chesed) that exists within the context of Discipline (Gevurah).
4. Kabbalah of Time Weekly Focus & Psalms
Weekly Focus: Reviewing the Fourth Week of Cheshvan (Book 6).
PSALMS (22, 23, 24, 89): Focus on prayer in agony (22), magnitude of trust in G-d (23), praying for the sanctification of G-d's Name (24), and G-d's surrounding faithfulness (89).
TIKKUN HAKLALI: The verses ask G-d for healing: "Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You!".
5. Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov & Jewish Spiritual Practices
The Besht's Teaching: A new approach in Love of Israel, concentrating on the good points and virtues of simple Jews to arouse Heavenly compassion (e.g., recognizing the light above a humble porter's head).
Spiritual Practices:
The Gartel (belt) is special clothing for prayer; upon winding it, say the blessing "Blessed are You, who girds Israel with strength."
Praying shoeless provides a feeling of humility.
The ascent of one's prayer is like the ascending smoke of incense, due to the fervor (fire) of the person.
6. Tanach: Melachim I, Chapters 9 and 10 (Solomon's Accomplishments)
Chapter 9: G-d appears to Solomon a second time, consecrating the Temple and warning of future exile. Solomon gave Hiram of Tyre twenty disliked cities (called Cabul). He used remaining Canaanites for forced labor, but not the Children of Israel.
Chapter 10: Details the visit of the Queen of Sheba to test Solomon, marveling at his wisdom, wealth, and court organization.
7. Mishna: Tractate Shabbat (Carrying Rules) Mishnah 6, 7, and 8 detail items one may not carry out on Shabbat, including spiked sandals, single sandals (unless injured), phylacteries (tefillin), or unapproved amulets. Young boys may carry knots (as a folk remedy) and princes may wear bells.
8. Talmud: Tractate Shekalim, Daf 21-22 (Temple Offerings and Purity)
Temple Funds: The Sages initially decided that larceny should not be presumed with the Temple funds, but later reversed the decision regarding the Ashes of the Red Heifer before reverting back.
Purity in Jerusalem (Mishnah 8:1): All spittle in Jerusalem is presumed pure, except in the Upper Market. Implements found on the road descending to the immersion pool are impure; on the way ascending, they are pure.
The Temple Curtain (Mishnah 8:2): The curtain's thickness was a hand-width, woven on 72 strings of 24 threads each, and measured 40 cubits long by 20 cubits wide.
9. 13 Attribute Combination (Divine Patience) Tonight is Day 3 of 13-Day Cycle 5.
3rd: וְעֹבֵר עַל פֶּשַׁע / ve’over al pesha — and overlooks sin;
5th: לֹא הֶחֱזִיק לָעַד אַפּוֹ / lo hechzik le’ad apoh — He does not retain his anger forever;
10. 41-Day Combination (Practical Purity)
Focus: Day 14 of 41-Day Cycle 2.
Theme: Understanding the Fourth Commandment (Shabbat) on the second, intellectual level (Neshama), connected to the World of Beryah. This cycle is connected to the Mivtzah of Kashrut.
11. Living Likutei Moharan: Torah 56 Summary (Kingship and Da'at) Torah 56 teaches that every person has an aspect of kingship (Malchut) over oneself and others. This kingship must be free and used only to fulfill G-d's will. This requires Da'at (knowledge/awareness) and "Length of Days" (Torah), as increased Da'at brings peace and nullifies anger and cruelty.
12. Mishna Berurah (Kavvanah in Prayer)
Joining the Amidah (Siman 109): One should start the Amidah only if they can finish before the leader reaches Kedushah or Kaddish. If delayed, one can start if they can finish before the leader reaches Modim.
Bowing: One may bow with the prayer leader during Modim, even if in the middle of another blessing (but not at the very start or end of that blessing).
Traveler's Prayer (Siman 110): In extenuating circumstances (on the road, distracted), one may pray Havineinu (the abridged middle section). One walking in a place of danger prays the even shorter prayer, "The needs of your people are numerous...", and must repeat the full Amidah upon reaching a safe settlement. The Traveler's Prayer ("May it be your will...") must be said in the plural.
13. Zohar: Chayei Sara — The Deeper Meaning of Sarah's Years (Folios 123-124)
The Zohar analyzes the verse "And the life of Sarah was a hundred years and twenty years and seven years" (Genesis 23:1) and the use of the singular (שָׁנָה / shanah) versus the plural (שָׁנִים / shanim) for the word "year."
Part I: The Secret of Unity vs. Separation
The Singular "Year" (Shanah):
The Hundred and Twenty (100 shanah and 20 shanah): These periods are in the singular because they symbolize the supernal realms, which are characterized by unity (yichuda), where the attributes of Justice and Mercy are perfectly combined.
The number 100 connects to the hundred daily benedictions.
The number 20 symbolizes the unity of the Thought (Machshavah) with the Jubilee (Yovel).
The Plural "Years" (Shanim):
The Seven (7 shanim): These years are in the plural because they correspond to the seven lower realms (seven emotional sefirot). These realms, while forming a unity, diverge into diverse sides and paths in respect of Justice (Din) and Mercy (Rachamim). This separation is why the plural form is used.
Conclusion: All her years are called "life" (Chayim), meaning they were "really was," having been created and established in the supernal regions.
Part II: The Gematria of Sarah's True Life
R. Hiya's Teaching: The true measure of Sarah's life is linked to the Akeidah (Binding of Isaac).
The Event: Isaac was thirty-seven years old when he was bound on the altar. Sarah died immediately afterward. Abraham's arrival "to mourn for Sarah" was directly from Mount Moriah.
Gematria: The thirty-seven years from Isaac's birth to the Akeidah are considered the real life of Sarah. This is alluded to by the word וַיִּהְיוּ (Vayihyu / "and the life... was"), which has the numerical value (Gematria) of thirty-seven.
14. Parasha Chayei Sara (Parasha 5 in the cycle)
Cycle Day: Day 4 (Bet (2)) of Parasha 5 (Yud) of Cycle 1 (Shin).
Day's Focus (Bet (2)): Focus on Fasting (of food and speech) and the commandment B'chol Drachecha De'eoh - "In all your ways, know Him." (Mishlei 3:6.) (Connected to Esther).
Parasha Focus: Involves Tikkun Klali and Tikkun Leah, alongside the sincerity of Tamim (Deut. 18:13), "Be sincere with the Eternal your G-d." (Connected to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and Moshiach).
The Acronym Teshuva (תשובה): Five paths of repentance:
Tav: Tamim (Sincerity)
Shin: Shiviti (Constant G-dly Presence)
Vav: V'ahavta (Love of Fellow Jew)
Bet: B'chol (Know Him in all ways)
Heh: Hatznei'a (Walk discreetly)
15. Parasha: Today we will learn from the Alter Rebbe, Tanya, Chapter 4
Chayei Sarah describes Sarah's passing but is ultimately about the effect of her life on all subsequent events.
Tanya Chapter 4 discusses the levushim (garments) of the soul. The garments are the soul's expression in this world through thought, speech, and deed. (The Parasha shows many examples of these actions, particularly through Eliezer carrying out Avraham and Sarah's will.)
No comments:
Post a Comment