The gateway to the second week of Shovavim (Parashat Vaera)
💡 Hayom Yom (Keter)
Correction: In Torah Ohr (essay Mi Sam Peh), the phrase "there is a quality of superiority" should be amended to "and so there is a superiority."
Groaning vs. Action: A groan alone is useless; it is merely the key to open the heart and eyes. One must not sit with folded arms but plan orderly work—using writing, oratory, or wealth—to bolster Torah and the observance of Mitzvot.
🪜 The 15 Steps to the Sanctuary
🧠 Chochma & Bina (Wisdom & Integration)
1. Alef-Bet Combination: Tonight is Day 6 (Vav) of 22-Day Cycle 6 (Kaf and Lamed). The combination is Vav with Lamed.
Acrostic Verse (Psalm 112): וְ֜צִדְקָת֗וֹ עֹמֶ֥דֶת לָעַֽד ("and his righteousness endures forever").
2. Sefirah (Inner Refinement): Day 4 of Week 17 (Netzach shebeTiferet [shebeTiferet]).
Song of the Day: From the Story of Channah: "Go in peace, and the God of Israel will grant your request."
❤️ Chesed (Expansive Love)
3. Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov:
Self-Sacrifice for Others: Helping another Jew brings more light than solitary meditation.
The Mikvah vs. Fasting: Purify yourself in the mikvah every morning to preserve energy for service.
Seeing God Through the Flesh: Do not hide from your body; purify it through the "perspiration of Torah" until the body itself becomes a window to Godliness.
Primary Vision: Strive for such $D'vekut$ that you see God primarily, and the world only "by the way."
4. Jewish Spiritual Practices: The Sanctity of Eating
The Altar Table: Transform your dining table into a holy Altar by giving Tzedakah before you eat. Ideally, one should share a meal with a poor person; if this is not possible, estimate the cost of a guest's meal and set that amount aside for charity as a substitute (Reshit Hochmah).
Repentance from Love: Before eating, meditate on loving God with "all your heart and all your soul" and cultivate a heart of repentance.
The Hunger is from God: Realize that just as God creates the food, He creates the hunger itself. Rabbi Zusya of Hanipol taught that we should meditate on how God willed for man to live by eating; therefore, eating in holiness is a direct fulfillment of His will (Mazkeret Shem ha-Gedolim).
Elevating Sparks: If you feel a desire for food, understand that it is actually your soul desiring to lift the holy sparks hidden within that food. By recognizing that God sent this desire and provided the taste and nourishment, you lift the meal out of the realm of bodily ego and into the spiritual world (Chatam Sofer; Rav Tzadok HaKohen).
The Holy Fence: Follow the example of Rabbi Abraham of Slonim: decide exactly how much you will eat before you begin. This prevents the "expansion of the stomach" from dragging you into overeating and ensures you eat for sustenance rather than mere gratification.
⚔️ Gevurah (Strength & Discipline)
5. Talmud (33 Tractates): Megillah (17a – 19b) & Zevachim (120a-b)
Daf Yomi (Zevachim 120a-b): The Altar and the Night
The "Absorption" of Sanctity: The Gemara debates whether Temple partitions permanently "absorb" a sacrifice. If an offering intended for a private altar enters the Temple and is then removed, does its status stay upgraded, or does it revert? The dilemma remains unresolved (Teiku).
Night Slaughter: Rav and Shmuel disagree on whether slaughtering a sacrifice at night on a private altar is valid, analyzing King Saul's actions in I Samuel 14.
Preparation Requirements: Debate over whether a private altar requires "flaying and cutting" (removing skin and dismembering). Rabbi Yochanan holds it is required for all altars; Rav argues it is only for the Great Altar.
Public vs. Private Altars: The Great Altar requires specific structural features (the Ramp, the Base, square shape) and utensils (the Basin) that a Private Altar does not. However, both share the disqualifications of Blemishes, Notar (leftover meat), and Piggul (improper intent regarding time).
Megillah (17a – 19b): The Sacred Scroll
Jacob's Timeline: Jacob spent 14 years studying in the house of Eber while hiding from Esau. He was not punished for the 14 years of study, only for the 22 years he spent with Laban.
The Amida: The 19 blessings follow a spiritual logic: Knowledge leads to Repentance, which leads to Healing, ending in the Restoration of Jerusalem and the Messiah.
Megillah Laws: It must be read in order, from a parchment scroll with ink. While Hebrew works for all, Greek is the only translation valid even for those who don't understand it.
Silence is Praise: Because God is infinite, silence is often the ultimate form of praise—"If a word is worth one sela, silence is worth two."
6. Tanach Study: Jeremiah 18 & 19
The Potter’s Clay: Israel is like clay in God’s hands. Decrees are conditional; if a nation repents, God "repents" of the planned evil.
The Broken Jug: Jeremiah smashes an earthen jug to show that once the people "stiffen their necks" past a certain point, the judgment becomes final—a broken vessel that cannot be repaired.
⚖️ Tiferet (Harmony & Beauty)
7. Mishna: Yevamot (Chapters 4–5)
Levirate Logistics: If a widow is pregnant with a viable child, the levirate bond (Yibbum) never existed.
Mamzerut: Halakha follows the Sages: only offspring from unions punishable by Karet (excision) or death are considered Mamzerim.
Finality of Ritual: Once Halitza (removal of the shoe) is performed, it is final; no subsequent betrothal can re-establish the levirate bond.
8. 13 Attribute Combination (Divine Mercy): Day 12 of 13-Day Cycle 9.
אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ / asher nishba’ata le’avotaynu — which You previously swore to our forefathers;
וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצֻלוֹת יָם כָּל חַטֹּאותָם / vetashlich bimtzolet yam kol chatotam — Casts our sins into the depths of the sea.
🏹 Netzach (Victory & Ambition)
9. 41-Day Combination: Day 34 of 41-Day Cycle 3.
9th Commandment: Against False Witness on the Intellectual level (Neshama).
10. Living Likutei Moharan (Torah 116):
Tzedakah and Knowledge: Giving Tzedakah expels the "spirit of folly" (Ruach Shtut) that leads to sin, replacing it with De’ah (Knowledge).
Alter Rebbe’s Yahrzeit: The 23rd of Teveth is the eve of the Yahrzeit of the Alter Rebbe. His teachings emphasize that every Jew has an innate desire to cling to God, blocked only by a momentary folly (Ruach Shtut).
🕯️ Hod (Submission & Sincerity)
11. M’Ein Ganim: The Power of the Individual
Universal Access: No matter how "low" a person feels, God "leaves everything" to listen to their sincere prayer.
Deflecting Decrees: One person's Hitbodedut has the power to protect the entire world and cancel harsh decrees.
12. Shulchan Arukh: Orach HaChayim 231–232
L'Shem Shamayim (231): All actions, including eating and sleeping, must be for the sake of Heaven. Evaluate every act: "Does this enable my service to God?"
Mincha Restrictions (232): To ensure prayer is not forgotten, refrain from starting a haircut, bath, or major meal near Mincha time.
🤝 Yesod (Foundation & Connection)
13. Zohar Study: Shemot, Folios 4 and 5
Holy Mirrors: The women in Egypt used mirrors to remain attractive to their husbands in slavery; these became the copper Laver because they preserved the Jewish lineage.
Exile and Presence: The Shekhinah accompanied Israel into Egypt with 600,000 angels. Even in exile, God is with His people.
The Ox and the Ass: A mystical warning against mixing harsh spiritual powers. Jacob neutralized Esau's harm by signaling his mastery over these forces.
14. Shovavim (Parasha Shemot): Day 2
Cycle Tracking: Day 2 (Aharon / Avodah / Vav: V'ahavta — Love of Fellow) of Parasha 1 (Moshe / Torah / Shiviti — Constant G-dly Presence) of Cycle 3 (Mordechai / Tzedakah / B'chol — Knowing Him in all ways).
The Acronym of TESHUVA (תשובה):
Tav (ת) - Tamim (Sincerity): Eliyahu/Moshiach.
Shin (ש) - Shiviti (Presence): Moshe Rabbeinu.
Vav (ו) - V’ahavta (Love): Aharon HaKohen.
Bet (ב) - B’chol (Knowing Him): Mordechai/Esther.
Heh (ה) - Hatznei’a (Discretion): Rashbi/Arizal.
🌍 Malchut (Actualization)
15. The Parasha Study (Vaera): Noam Elimelech
The Journey from Awe to Love: The "suffering" of the righteous is the internal labor of subduing the Evil Impulse. Moses moved God to respond with the "soft language" of Love (the name Hashem) by demonstrating immense love for Israel.
Divine Simplicity: Though the Patriarchs represented different attributes (Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet), God’s light reached them as a "Unified Unique Simplicity."
The Mystery of El Shaddai: This Name represents God as the "Master of Nature" who commanded the infinite expansion of matter to stop (Dai - "Enough"), preventing evil from becoming too powerful. By promising the Land through this Name, God pre-adjusted the natural order to ensure the Land remains connected to Israel even if they fall.
No comments:
Post a Comment