Working Draft of Kabbalah of Time: Daily Spiritual Guide for the 22nd of Cheshvan

(Date: November 12/13, 2025, 22nd of Cheshvan, 5786) – Wednesday Night / Thursday Day

Focus: Malchut shebeChesed shebeGevurah (Kingship/Royalty in Kindness within Discipline). Day 56 of the 364-Day Yearly Cycle.

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15 Steps to the Sanctuary

1. Hayom Yom (Daily Lesson)

   • The Maggid of Mezritch's teaching: "I (Anochi) have made the earth, and upon it created (barati) man." Man is the end-purpose of Creation, and barati (613 commandments) is the end-purpose of man.

   • Abraham is on a higher plane than the attribute of Chesed (kindness) of Atzilut, as he disseminated the idea of G-d while clothed in a body.

2. Alef-Bet Combination (Hidden Good)

   • Combination: Day 12 (Lamed) of Cycle 3 (Heh and Vav). The combination is Lamed with Heh.

   • Lamed: Connected to Lilmod (to study) and Lelamed (to teach), referring to the Oral Torah.

   • Heh: Represents Binah (understanding) and Malchut (kingship).

   • Acrostic Verse (Psalm 34:12): "Come, children, hearken to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.".

3. Sefirah (Inner Refinement)

   • Sefirah: Day 7 of Week 8: Malchut shebeChesed (shebeGevurah) — Kingship in Kindness within Discipline.

   • Guests/Patriarchs: Abraham (Chesed), Isaac (Gevurah), and King David (Malchut), representing the manifestation of G-d's Kingdom on Earth.

4. Kabbalah of Time Weekly Focus & Psalms

   • Book/Song for Today (Perek Shirah): The Swift sings: "When the Most High gave nations their lot... He set up the boundaries of peoples...".

   • Also: "I said, 'O Lord, be gracious to me; heal my soul because I have sinned against You.'".

5. Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov & Jewish Spiritual Practices

   • The Besht's Teaching: Continues the story of Reb Hershel the porter, who refused payment for milk, stating he was "obligated to give my food and everything I have to a needy fellow Jew".

   • Spiritual Practices (Breathing Meditation): Meditate on the soul going out to G-d in exhalation, and the Shechinah (Divine Presence) entering in inhalation.

6. Tanach: Melachim I, Chapters 11 and 12 (Division of the Kingdom)

   • Chapter 11 (Solomon's Decline): King Solomon loved many foreign women who turned his heart to other deities. God decreed the kingdom would be torn from his son.

   • Chapter 12 (Rehoboam and Jeroboam): Solomon's son Rehoboam rejected the elders' advice. The ten northern tribes revolted and crowned Jeroboam as king of Israel. Jeroboam established new worship centers at Bethel and Dan with golden calves.

7. Mishnah: Tractate Shabbat, Chapters 8 and 9 (Measure for Liability)

   • Chapter 8 details the minimum measure for carrying various items to incur liability, always equivalent to an amount that is significant for a specific common use (e.g., Parchment for the shortest phylactery portion, Ink to write two letters).

   • Chapter 9 includes halakhot derived from biblical allusions: Idolatry transmits impurity imparted by carrying like a menstruating woman (dava); a ship is ritually pure; and liability is incurred for carrying any amount of items like Pepper, Tar, or articles of sanctity (e.g., Altar Stones).

8. Talmud: Tractate Yoma 2 - 8:

   • A. The Seven-Day Preparation (Perishah):

     • Purpose: The Kohen Gadol is segregated for seven days before Yom Kippur to ensure his ritual purity and training for the complex service, especially entering the Holy of Holies (Kodesh Kodashim).

     • Source Derivation: The Sages derive this necessity from the week of confinement of Aaron and his sons during the Mishkan's Inauguration (Miluim). Resh Lakish offers an alternative source, deriving it from Moshe's seven-day preparation before receiving the commandments at Mount Sinai.

     • Historical Context: This isolation was critical during the Second Temple, where High Priests were often not righteous, necessitating stringent rules. The Kohen Gadol was also isolated from his home to avoid ritual defilement (Tumah), such as from his wife becoming a Nidah.

     B. Uniqueness of Yom Kippur Sacrifices:

     • Yom Kippur's separation is justified because the Kohen Gadol offers a personal sacrifice, similar to the offerings at the Mishkan's consecration, unlike other holidays (like Rosh ha-Shanah) where sacrifices are communal.

     • The Gemara discusses the source of funding for Temple items commanded with the phrases kakh lekha ("take for you") or a’se lekha ("make for you"), debating whether they must come from personal or communal funds, concluding that the expression primarily serves to honor the commanded individual (like Moshe).

     C. The Status of Ritual Impurity (Tumah) in the Temple:

     • The text explores the rule of Tumah Hutrah be-Tzibur (Impurity is permitted/nullified for the community's sake) which allows the Temple service to proceed if the majority is Tamei.

     • The Sages debate the precise definition:

       • Rav Nachman holds that Tumah is totally permitted/nullified (Hutrah).

       • Rav Sheshet holds that the prohibition is merely pushed aside/suspended (Dehuyah) by the command to perform the communal service.

     D. The Office Name Change (A Symbol of Decline):

     • The office where the High Priest stayed, originally the Lishkat Balvatei ("leader's office"), was renamed the Lishkat Parhedrin ("administrator's office"). This change was a reflection of the period during the Second Temple when the Kohen Gadol position was often purchased and held for only a single year, drawing a comparison to a temporary Roman official (Parhedrin).

9. 13 Attribute Combination (Divine Patience)

   • Tonight is Day 4 of 13-Day Cycle 5.

   • 4th: לִשְׁאֵרִית נַחֲלָתוֹ / lishi’eirit nachalato — For the remnant of his heritage;

   • 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 15 of 41-Day Cycle 2.

    • Theme: Understanding the Fourth Commandment (Guarding/Remembering Shabbat) on the third, emotional level (Ruach), connected to the campaign of Kashrut.

11. Living Likutei Moharan: Torah 57 Summary (Faith in Sages)

    • Torah 57 teaches that blemishing faith in the sages is an affliction with no cure. This is connected to the forces of the angels (an aspect of "hands") and the actions of the Chashmonaim.

12. Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 111-112 (Redemption and Prayer) (Revised)

    • Siman 111 (Juxtaposing Redemption to Prayer): One must juxtapose "Redemption" (the end of the Shema's blessings, Ga-al Yisrael) to the Amidah ("Prayer"), and generally not interrupt with anything, even "Amen" after Ga-al Yisrael, except for the introductory verse, Hashem Sefatai. The custom, however, is to allow responding "Amen." Some say this strict juxtaposition is not required on Shabbat (as it is not a "day of distress"), but it is good to be stringent. If one finds the congregation praying, he should first recite the Shema to maintain the juxtaposition before praying the Amidah with them.

    • Siman 112 (Interrupting the Amidah): One should not ask for individual needs in the first three or final three blessings of the Amidah, but asking for the needs of the community is permitted. Furthermore, while some authorities prohibit saying liturgical poems (krovot) during the Amidah, the practice is to permit them, as they are considered communal needs.

13. Zohar: Chayei Sara — The Deeper Meaning of Life

    • The Zohar discusses that when the days of a man are firmly established in the supernal grades, he has a permanent abiding in the world. Otherwise, his days descend, giving the angel of death authority.

14. Parasha Chayei Sara (Parasha 5 in the cycle)

    • Day's Focus (Yud): Focuses on Tikkun Klali and the sincerity required by Tamim (Deut. 18:13), "Be sincere with the Eternal your G-d." This focus is connected to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

    • Cycle Focus (Shin): The overall cycle involves Torah study and the constant consciousness of Shiviti (Ps. 16:8), "I have set G-d before me always," which is connected to Moshe Rabbeinu.

    • 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 Rebbe Nachman

    • Today's focus is the second half of Likutei Moharan, Torah 54.

    • The lesson explains that G-d's will is expressed through the thought, speech, and deed arranged for every person each day, and one must grasp the subtle hints (remezim) of the Holy One enclothed in the day's events.

Week 8 (Book 7): The Swift is Saying

B"H

The Swift is saying, 

When the Most High gave nations their lot, 

And to all her sons and her daughters, portions;

Because they came not to the aid of the Lord, 

Then the earth shook and quaked, 

By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, 

When He separated the sons of man, 

The [very] foundations of heaven did tremble; 

His left hand was under my head, 

And he will be praised in the land, 

My help is from G-d, Maker of Heaven and Earth.

He set up the boundaries of peoples 

And they were shaken when he was angered. 

When Elkanah sacrificed,  that he gave to Peninnah his wife, 

I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel.

I said, "O Lord, be gracious to me; heal my soul because I have sinned against You."

Speak to them, saying, In the afternoon you shall eat meat, 

The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive,

according to the number of the children of Israel. 

And it came to pass upon a day,

And his right hand would embrace me.

The Lord will support him on his sickbed; 

Sustain me with flagons of wine, spread my bed with apples, for I am lovesick.

And in the morning you shall be sated with bread,

And Your faithfulness surrounds You. 

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, 

And you shall know that I am the Lord, your G-d.

O Lord, G-d of Hosts, who is like You,  O Y-h, Who are mighty?

When You have transformed his entire restfulness in his illness.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  

To the aid of the Lord against the mighty.

That you neither awaken nor arouse the love while it is desirous.

And You will not deliver him into the desire of his enemies.

Working Draft of Kabbalah of Time: Daily Spiritual Guide for the 21st of Cheshvan

 

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.

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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.

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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

1. 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).

2. 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.

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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.)