Week 27 (Book 7): The Cow Is Saying

The Cow is Saying My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the spice beds To graze in the gardens and to gather roses And the entire community of the children of Israel Came to the desert of Scin, which is between Elim and Sinai You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron On the fifteenth day of the second month After their departure from the land of Egypt The entire community of the children of Israel Complained against Moses and against Aaron in the desert The sound of Your thunder was in the rolling wind Lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked With a pure one, You show Yourself pure But with a perverse one, You deal crookedly Were it not that the enemy's wrath was heaped up Lest their adversaries distort Your way was through the sea Your path through the mighty waters And Your footsteps were not known In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo They journeyed from Elim They took no gain of money Lest they claim, "Our hand was triumphant! The Lord did none of this!" Rejoice to the Lord of our strength Trumpet to the Lord of Jacob! I will also make him [My] firstborn Supreme over the kings of the earth For this child did I pray I am my beloved's And my beloved is mine Who grazes among the roses You are fair, my beloved, as Tirzah Comely as Jerusalem, awesome as the bannered legions And the Lord granted me my request Which I asked of Him.

Week 28 (Book 7): The Pig Is Saying

The Pig is Saying

Turn away your eyes from me, for they have made me haughty;
For they are a nation devoid of counsel and they have no understanding.
G-d is good to those that are good, as well as to the straight-hearted.
And the humble people You do deliver; but Your eyes are upon the haughty to humble them.

The children of Israel said to them,
If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt,
When we sat by pots of meat, when we ate bread to our fill!
For you have brought us out into this desert, to starve this entire congregation to death.

You bring man to the crushing point and You say, "Return, O sons of men."
Your hair is like a flock of goats that streamed down from Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that came up from the washing,
All of which are perfect and there is no bereavement among them.

A prayer of Moses, the man of G-d. O Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
And I also have lent him to the Lord; all the days which he will be alive, he is borrowed by the Lord.
Before the mountains were born, and You brought forth the earth and the inhabited world,
And from everlasting to everlasting, You are G-d.

So the Lord said to Moses, Behold! I am going to rain down for you bread from heaven,
From heaven they fought; the stars; From their courses fought against Sisera.
I will forever keep My kindness for him, and My covenant will remain true to him.
Your temple is like a split pomegranate from beneath your kerchief.

For a thousand years are in Your eyes like yesterday, which passed, and a watch in the night.
And the people shall go out and gather what is needed for the day,
So that I can test them, whether or not they will follow My teaching.
And he prostrated himself there to the Lord.

Week 29 (Book 7): The Beast of Burden is Saying

The Beast of Burden is Saying,

My mouth is opened wide against my enemies
For I have rejoiced in Your salvation.
[In the] evening, you shall know that
The Lord brought you out of the land of Egypt.

That when they prepare what they will bring
It will be double of what they gather every day.
When you eat the fruit of your labors,
Happy are you and good is your lot.

Daughters saw her and praised her,
Queens and concubines, and they lauded her
And I shall make his seed endure forever,
And his throne as the days of the heavens.

And Hannah prayed and said:
Who is this who looks forth like the dawn
Fair as the moon, clear as the sun,
Awesome as the bannered legions?

For You are my lamp, Oh Lord
And the Lord does light my darkness.
In the morning, like grass it passes away.
In the morning, it blossoms and passes away

Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel,
There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and innumerable maidens.
If [only] they were wise and would understand this
They would reflect upon their fate.

For we perish from Your wrath,
And from Your anger we are dismayed.
And it shall be on the sixth day
In the evening, it is cut off and withers.

You carry them away as a flood
They are like a sleep
The brook Kishon swept them away,
That ancient brook, the brook Kishon

My dove, my perfect one, is but one, she is one to her mother
She is the pure one of she who bore her
My heart has rejoiced through the Lord
My horn has been raised by the Lord.

New Milestone

Baruch Hashem, yesterday, Gimmel Tammuz, "The Kabbalah of Time," reached a new milestone. We were ranked #1 in Amazon's "Best Sellers in Kabbalah," both for kindle books and for the all books category.  

Week 30 (Book 7): The Camel is Saying

The Camel is saying,

Tread down, O my soul strength.
Then were pounded the heels of the horses
I went down to the nut garden
To see the green plants of the valley

To see whether the vine had blossomed,
The pomegranates were in bloom.                    
If his children forsake My Torah
And do not walk in My ordinances

You have set our wrongdoings before You,
Our hidden sins before the light of Your countenance.
For all our days have vanished in Your wrath;
We cause our years to pass like a fleeting sound.

But [of] what [significance] are we,
That you make complain against us?
When the Lord hears your complaints,
Which you are making complain against Him,

How can one pursue a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock has sold them out,
And the Lord has given them over?

There is none as holy as the Lord,
For there is none besides You
And there is no rock like our God.  
But [of] what [significance] are we?

And Moses said,
Not against us are your complaints,
But against the Lord.
When the Lord gives you

In the evening meat to eat
And bread in the morning to become sated
The days of our lives number seventy years,
And if in great vigor, eighty years

Most of them are but travail and futility
Passing quickly and flying away.
And [in the] morning, You shall see the glory of the Lord
When He hears your complaints against the Lord

G-d shall roar from upon high
And cause His voice to sound
From His holy place, His shout
Echoes profoundly over His dwelling place.

Return, return, O Shulammite
Return, return, and let us gaze upon you.
What will you see for the Shulammite,
As in the dance of the two camps?

I did not know; my soul made me
Chariots for a princely people.
For by You I run upon a troop
By my G-d I scale a wall.

Our Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Book: The Kabbalah of Time 

Kahane and Wainer explain that the calendar is the master key to unlock the hidden rationale behind the formal structure of ancient sacred texts, as well as to understand basic mystical concepts. When comprehended within the context of the Jewish calendar, these works reveal the spiritual energy of each week, serving as a practical guide for self-analysis and development.
Miami, FL – June 5, 2013 – Brazilian authors Rabbi Daniel Kahane and Ann Helen Wainer have recently launched a new book, which promises to change the way scholars and laymen understand the Jewish calendar as well as the structure of central Jewish texts.

The book shows how the 52-day period spanning from Passover to Shavuot (Pentecost) is in fact a microcosm of the 52 weeks of the year. Additionally, it demonstrates how 52 rabbis and 52 animals listed in the sacred works Pirkei Avot (“Ethics of the Fathers”) and Perek Shirah (“Chapter of Song”) parallel the year’s weeks as well. Finally, the book explores the kabbalistic meaning behind the numbers and divine attributes (sefirot) related to each day from Passover to Shavuot known as the Counting of the Omer.

The Counting of the Omer has always been one of the key tools used by the Jewish People as a basis for spiritual development. The book expands its use to the entire year and shows amazing and eerie connections between how the weeks of the year and the days of the Omer parallel each other. “The basis for the entire book is one simple idea,” Rabbi Kahane says, “Just as the culmination of the Counting of the Omer, Lag Ba’Omer, falls on the 33rd day of the Omer, so too the week of Lag Ba’Omer falls on the 33rd week of the year.

“The book’s use as a weapon against sadness should also not be underestimated,” exclaims Ann Helen Wainer, “its uplifting ideas and its connectedness to the song and harmony of nature, as well as the wisdom and foresight of our ancestors, is a true gift.”

The book was originally launched in Portuguese, after the authors received a grant from the Safra Philanthropic Institute in Brazil. An expanded eBook English version is available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, as well as ModernJewishHome.com. More information and ongoing classes are also available on Blogger, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

The “Kabbalah of Time” eBook consistently listed as Amazon’s #1 “Hot New Release in Kabbalah,” and now, after a month of its release, was back among the Top #10 Best Sellers in its category.

About Ann Helen Wainer and Rabbi Daniel Kahane

Mrs. Wainer is a prolific author, having published several works regarding Judaism and Jewish History, as well as Brazilian Law and History. Her titles include: Jewish and Brazilian Connections to New York, India, and Ecology; Family Portrait; A Jewish Perspective on Ecology; Civil Liability of the Developer; and Brazilian Environmental Legislation. Ann Helen earned a master’s degree in corporate law in Brazil, and an MA in religious studies at Florida International University.

Rabbi Daniel Kahane is a graduate from Georgetown Law School and Princeton University, where he received the religion departmental award in Jewish studies, as well as a Certificate in the subject. He also attended Yeshiva University and Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Besides from working full-time as an attorney, Rabbi Kahane teaches weekly classes at Chabad of Aventura, FL.

For more information about “The Kabbalah of Time,” please visit www.kabbalahoftime.com,  https://www.facebook.com/TheKabbalahOfTime, or contact Ann Helen Wainer at (305) 332-8660. You may also send an e-mail to cabaladotempo@gmail.com.

#  #  #

Disclaimer: JRelease is a press release service of AJPA. AJPA does not endorse and cannot vouch for material distributed by this service.

Week 31 (Book 7): The Horse is Saying

The Horse is saying,

If they profane My statutes and
Do not observe My commandments
By reason of the prancings
The prancings of their mighty ones.

Do not increasingly speak haughtily
Let not arrogance come out of your mouth
[He is] the G-d Whose way is perfect
The word of the Lord is tried.

Your wrath is commensurate with one's fear of You
He is a shield unto all them that trust in Him
Relent, O Lord; how long? Have compassion upon Your servants.
Who can know the intensity of Your anger?

Behold, as the eyes of the servants
To the hand of their master
So are our eyes to G-d our Lord
Until He will favor us.

And Moses said to Aaron
Say to the entire community of the children of Israel
Teach us, then, to reckon our days
That we may acquire a wise heart.

And it came to pass when Aaron spoke
To the entire community of the children of Israel
That they turned toward the desert, and behold!
The glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

How fair are your feet in sandals,
O daughter of nobles!
As the eyes of the maidservant
To the hand of her mistress

The curves of your thighs are like jewels,
The handiwork of a craftsman.
Your navel is a round basin,
Where no mixed wine is lacking;

Your belly is [like] a stack of wheat,
Fenced in with roses.
Your two breasts are like two fawns,
The twins of a gazelle.

'Curse you Meroz,' said the messenger of the Lord,
'Curse you bitterly inhabitants thereof,'
For the Lord is a G-d of thoughts,
And to Him are deeds counted.

For their rock is not like our Rock
Nevertheless, our enemies sit in judgment
Draw near before the Lord,
For He has heard your complaints.

Week 32 (Book 7): The Mule Is Saying

The Mule is saying,

The bows of the mighty are broken;
And those who stumbled, are girded with strength.
All the kings of earth shall acknowledge You, G-d,
For they have heard the sayings of Your mouth.

Your neck is like an ivory tower;
Your eyes are [like] pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-Rabbim
Your face is as the tower of Lebanon, facing towards Damascus
Your head upon you is like Carmel

Give us joy corresponding to the days You afflicted us,
The years we have seen adversity.
For their vine is of the vine of Sodom,
And of the field of Gemorrah;

Because they came not to the aid of the Lord,
To the aid of the Lord against the mighty.
For who is G-d, save the Lord?
And who is a rock, save our G-d?

And the braided locks of your head are like purple;
The king is bound in the tresses.
Let Your work be revealed to Your servants,
And Your splendor be upon their children.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel.
Their grapes are grapes of rosh,
And they have bitter clusters.

Speak to them, saying, "In the afternoon you shall eat meat
And in the morning you shall be sated with bread,"
Satiate us in the morning with Your kindness,
Then we shall sing and rejoice throughout our days.

And you shall know that
I am the Lord, your G-d.
How fair and how pleasant you are,
A love of delights!

Week 33 (Book 7): The Donkey is Saying

The Donkey is Saying,

Yours, G-d, is the greatness, and the might
And the splendor, and the victory, and the glory
This, your stature, is like a palm tree
And your breasts are like clusters [of dates]

Sing to Him, play music to Him, speak of all His wonders
For everything in the Heavens and earth [is Yours]
Yours, G-d, is the kingship, and the exaltation over all

Blessed above women shall Jael
The wife of Heber the Kenite, be

Their wine is the bitterness of serpents
And the bitterness of the ruthless cobras

While the barren hath borne seven
She that had many children hath languished
And let your breasts be now like clusters of the vine
And the fragrance of your countenance like apples

Above women in the tent shall she be blessed
G-d is He who has fortified me with strength
And He loosened perfectly my path

And may the pleasantness of the Lord our G-d be upon us

It came to pass in the evening that
The quails went up and covered the camp
But I shall not cancel My kindness from him
And I shall not betray My faith

And in the morning there was a layer
Of dew around the camp. The layer of dew went up 
I said: Let me climb up the palm tree
Let me seize its boughs

And behold, on the surface of the desert, a fine
Bare [substance] as fine as frost on the ground
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread
And they that were hungry have ceased

Give thanks to the Lord, call out in His name
Make His deeds known among the peoples
And the work of our hands establish for us

And the work of our hands establish it

Week 34 (Book 7): The Ox is Saying

The Ox is saying,

Remember the wonders that He has wrought
His miracles, and the judgments of His mouth
When the children of Israel saw, they said to one another, "It is manna"
Because they did not know what it was

And your palate is like the best wine, 

That glides down smoothly to my beloved,

May the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice
Search for the Lord and His might 

Seek His countenance always

Making the lips of the sleeping speak

Glory in His holy Name; And Moses said to them

It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat

This is the thing that the Lord has commanded
I will not abrogate My covenant
Nor change that which has issued from My lips
Is it not stored up with Me, sealed up in My treasuries?

Then Moses and the Children of Israel sang this song to G-d
And they said, "I shall sing to G-d, for He has triumphed
He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea"
He makes my feet like hinds; And sets me upon my high places

Gather of it each one according to his eating capacity
An omer for each person, according to the number of persons
Each one for those in his tent you shall take

Water he requested, (but) milk she gave him
In a lordly bowl she brought him cream
The Lord kills and makes alive
He brings down to the grave and raises up

Week 35 (Book 7): The Wild Animals Say

The Wild Animals say,

One thing have I sworn by My holiness,
That I will not fail David.
He trains my hand for war,
So that mine arms do bend a brass bow.

She put forth her hand to the pin,
And her right hand to strike the weary;
For the appointed day of their reckoning is near,
And what is destined for them hastens.

The Lord impoverishes and makes rich.
He humbles; He also exalts.
Vengeance is poised with Me,
And it will pay at the time their foot stumbles.

And the children of Israel did so
They gathered, both the one who gathered much
And the one who gathered little.
And they measured [it] with an omer.

And whoever gathered much
Did not have more, and whoever gathered little did not have less;
I am my beloved's, and his desire is upon me.
Each one according to his eating capacity, they gathered.

Blessed is the One Who is good and bestows good.
The seed of Abraham His servant, the children of Jacob, His chosen ones.
He is the Lord our G-d; throughout all the earth are His judgments.
He remembered His covenant forever, the word He had commanded to the thousandth generation,

Week 36 (Book 7): The Gazelle Is Saying

The Gazelle Is Saying

Come, my beloved, 

Let us go out to the field, let us lodge in the villages

And I shall sing of Your strength 

I shall rejoice of Your kindness in the morning

For You were a refuge to me, 

and a hiding place on the day of my oppression.

And You have given me the shield of Your salvation; 

And You have increased Your humility for me. 

He lifts the poor from the dust; 

From the dunghill, He raises the pauper, 

When the Lord will judge His people, 

And will reconsider His servants, 

To seat them with princes, 

And a seat of honor He causes them to inherit, 

When He sees that the power is increasing, 

And none is controlled or strengthened. 

And Moses said to them, 

Let no one leave over [any] of it until morning. 

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, 

And He placed the world upon them.

But [some] men did not obey Moses

And left over [some] of it until morning, 

And it bred worms and became putrid, 

And Moses became angry with them.     

She struck Sisera, pierced his head, 

And wounded and penetrated his temple.

The covenant which He made with Abraham, 

And His oath to Isaac.  He established it 

For Jacob as a statute, for Israel as an everlasting Covenant, 

Stating, "To you I shall give the land of Canaan” His seed will endure forever and his throne will be  As the sun before Me; the portion of your inheritance.

Week 37 (Book 7): The Elephant Is Saying

The Elephant Is Saying

You have enlarged my step[s] beneath me 

And my ankles have not slipped

How great are your works, G-d 

Your thoughts are tremendously deep

Let us arise early to the vineyards; 

Let us see whether the vine has blossomed

They gathered it morning by morning 

For not by strength will man prevail.

And they walked from nation to nation, 

From one kingdom to another people.

A double portion of bread, two omers for one, 

And all the princes of the community came and reported to Moses.

Each one according to his eating capacity 

And [when] the sun grew hot, it melted

Then He will say, "Where is their deity 

The rock in which they trusted?”

At her feet he sank, fell, lay; 

At her feet he sank (and) fell;

The feet of His pious ones He will guard, 

And the wicked shall be cut off in darkness 

The tiny grapes have developed, 

The pomegranates have lost their flowers

Like the moon, which is established forever, 

And it is a witness in the sky, eternally true. 

When they were few in number, hardly dwelling in it.

It came to pass on the sixth day that they gathered 

He let no man oppress them, and He reproved kings on their account.

There I will give you my love.

Week 38 (Book 7): The Lion is saying

The Lion is saying

He shall arouse zeal, He shall cry, 

Even roar, He shall prevail over His enemies.

I have pursued my enemies 

And have destroyed them; 

Those who strive with the Lord will be broken; 

Upon him will He thunder in Heaven; 

So they left it over until morning

As Moses had commanded 

He called a famine upon the land; 

He broke every staff of bread.

Who ate the fat of their sacrifices 

And drank the wine of their libations? 

Through the window looked forth, 

The mother of Sisera [peered] through the window;

Let them arise and help you! Let them be your shelter! 

And all the rest leave over to keep until morning  

Where he sank, there he fell down dead.

The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. 

And He will grant strength to His King, 

And raise the horn of His anointed one. 
    

"Do not touch My anointed ones, 

And do not harm My prophets.”

But You abandoned and You rejected; 

You became wroth with Your anointed.   

He sent a man before them; 

Joseph was sold as a slave.

So he said to them

That is what the Lord spoke 

Tomorrow is a rest day 

A holy Sabbath to the Lord 

The pots [of figs] have given forth [their] fragrance

And on our doorways are all manner of sweet fruits,

Bake whatever you wish to bake 

And cook whatever you wish to cook

G-d shall go out as a mighty man, 

Never turning back until they were consumed. 

And it did not become putrid

And not a worm was in it

Both new and old, Which I have hidden away for you, my beloved.

Week 39 (Book 7): The Bear Is Saying

Week 39: The Bear is saying,

Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, 

The village that Kedar inhabits 

O, that you were like my brother, 

Who sucked my mother's breasts!

 

And Moses said, "Eat it today, 

For today is a Sabbath to the Lord; 

Today you will not find it in the field." 

Let the inhabitants of the rock sing, 

Let them shout from the peaks of the mountains. 

Let them give glory to G-d and tell of His praise in the islands. And Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house I would find you outside, I would kiss you, and they would not despise me.

See now that it is I! I am the One, 

And there is no G-d like Me! 

Six days you shall gather it, 

But on the seventh day, the Sabbath, on it there will be none. 

And the child was serving the Lord before Eli the priest.   They afflicted his foot with fetters;  His soul was placed in irons. You abrogated the covenant of Your servant;  Why is his chariot late in coming?  Why tarry the strides of his chariots? I cause death and grant life.  I strike, but I heal,  And no one can rescue from My Hand!  And I have consumed them,  And I have crushed them that they cannot rise;  Yes, they are fallen under my feet.  You profaned his crown to the ground. Until His word came, the saying of the Lord purified him. A king sent and released him,  A ruler of peoples [sent] and loosed his bonds.

Week 40 (Book 7): The Wolf Is Saying

The Wolf Is Saying

You breached all his fences 

You made his fortifications a ruin  

For every matter of iniquity

For the ox, the donkey, the lamb, the garment 

For every lost item which he says, "This is it," 

Some spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate. 

The matter of both of them shall come before the judge

To bind up his princes with his soul 

It came about that on the seventh day 

The people went out to gather, but they did not find 

And he made his elders wise

He who the judge finds guilty shall pay double to the other

Now the sons of Eli were base men 

They knew not the Lord  

He made him the master of his household

And the ruler over all his possessions

The Lord said to Moses, How long will you refuse 

To observe My commandments and My teachings? 

The wisest of her princesses answer her 

She too returns answers to herself

For I raise up My hand to heaven 

And say, 'As I live forever.’ 

Israel came to Egypt and Jacob 

Sojourned in the land of Ham

For You have girded me with strength for the battle 

You have subdued under me those that rose up against me 

I would lead you, I would bring you to the house of my mother

Who instructed me; I would give you to drink

Week 41 (Book 7): The Fox Is Saying

The Fox Is Saying

When I sharpen the blade of My sword
And My hand grasps judgment
Woe to him that builds his house without justice
And his chambers without lawfulness

When (one) cooked the flesh,
With a three-pronged fork in his hand
Are they not finding (and) dividing the spoils
A damsel, two damsels to every man

He gives you bread for two days
Let each man remain in his place
The servant of the priest would come
[And] Aaron whom He chose

And this was the due of the priests from the people

(Whenever) any man would slaughter a sacrifice
That uses his friend’s service without wages
And does not give him for his hire

I will bring vengeance upon My adversaries
And repay those who hate Me
Them that hate me, that I may cut them off
And of my enemies You have given me the back of their necks

All wayfarers have plundered him
He was a disgrace to his neighbors

He turned their heart to hate His people 

To plot against His servants

See that the Lord has given you the Sabbath
Therefore, on the sixth day He sent Moses His servant
His left hand would be under my head, 

And his right hand would embrace me. 

Let no man leave his place on the seventh day

So the people rested on the seventh day

And He made His people very fruitful

And He made it stronger than its adversaries

Week 42 (Book 7): The Hound Is Saying

The Hound Is Saying

Let the righteous rejoice in G-d
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem; 

Why should you awaken, and why should you 

Arouse the love until it is desirous?

And he would thrust into the fire-pot
Or into the pot, or into the cauldron, or into the pan
They looked about, but there was no one to save them
[Even] to the Lord, but He answered them not

Everything which the fork would pick up
The priest would take therewith
I will intoxicate My arrows with blood
And My sword will consume flesh

He turned their water into blood
And it killed their fish
A spoil of dyed garments to Sisera
A spoil of dyed garments of embroidery

So would they do to all Israel
Who came there in Shiloh.
From the blood of the slain and the captives
From the first breach of the enemy

You raised the right hand of his adversaries
You caused all his enemies to rejoice

He sent darkness and it darkened,
And they did not disobey His word.
In order that they see the bread that I fed you
In the desert when I took you out of the land of Egypt 

They placed upon them the words of His signs
And His miracles in the land of Ham.
Moses said, "This is the thing that the Lord commanded
Let one omerful of it be preserved for your generations"

The house of Israel named it manna
And it was like coriander seed
[It was] white, and it tasted like a wafer with honey
Praise is befitting to the straight.

Week 43 (Book 7): The Cat Is Saying

The Cat Is Saying

I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them
And I did not return until they were destroyed.
Sing out praise, O you nations, for His people!
For He will avenge the blood of His servants

Inflict revenge upon His adversaries,
And appease His land [and] His people.
Their land swarmed with frogs
In the rooms of their monarchs.

And [they] would say to the man who slaughtered,
'Give meat to roast for the priest,
And he will not take from you cooked meat, but raw.  
Dyed garments of embroidery for the neck of the spoiler.'      

If you rise up like a vulture, and place your nest among the stars,
From there I shall bring you down, says G-d.
Then I ground them as the dust of the earth,
As the mud of the streets I did tread upon them, I did stamp them down.

You even turned back the sharp edge of his sword,

And You did not raise him up in battle.
So may perish all Your enemies, O Lord;
But they that love Him [are] as the sun when it goes forth in its might.

He commanded and a mixture of noxious beasts came,
Lice throughout all their boundary.
Also, before they would make the fat smoke,
And the servant of the priest would come,

And Moses said to Aaron, take one jug and put there an omerful of manna,
And deposit it before the Lord to be preserved for your generations.
He made their rains into hail, flaming fire in their land.

Who is this coming up from the desert, embracing her beloved?

As the Lord had commanded Moses,
Aaron deposited it before the testimony to be preserved.

Under the apple tree I aroused you; there your mother was in travail with you; 

There she that bore you was in travail.

Week 44 (Book 7): The Mouse Is Saying

The Mouse Is Saying

And the children of Israel did that which displeased the Lord
And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years
You are just for all that comes upon me
For You have acted truthfully, and I have been wicked

And (if) the man said to him, 'Let them make the fat smoke now
and (then) take for yourself, as your soul desires'
He spoke and locusts came, and nibbling locusts without number
The omer is one tenth of an ephah

And he would say, 'No, but now you shall give
And if not, I shall take by force'
And they consumed all grass in their land
And they consumed the produce of their soil

Its coals are coals of fire of a great flame!
And You have allowed me to escape
From the contenders among my people
And the land rested forty years

And the children of Israel ate the manna for forty years
Until they came to an inhabited land
They ate the manna until they came 

To the border of the land of Canaan

You have brought an end to his shining
And his throne You have cast down to earth
And it struck their vines and their fig trees
And it broke the trees of their boundary

And Moses came and spoke all the words of this song

Into the ears of the people he and Hoshea the son of Nun
You shall keep me as head of nations
A people whom I have not known serve me

Place me like a seal on your heart, liked a seal on your arm,
For love is as strong as death, zeal is as strong as the grave;

I shall exalt you, G-d, for You have uplifted me
and You have not let my enemies rejoice over me.

Talmud Studies

B"H

(Work in Progress)

BRACHOT

Brachot 2

Creation, Mitzvot, as well as the history of the Jewish people and our forefathers, starts at night, when we are a state of darkness and confusion (Mochin d’Katnut, relying on our Emunah and Mesiras Nefesh (Sh’mah).


Once we experience the night and then the day (and an explanation for both are given to us), we bless the day and also bless the night.

The Talmud also teaches us various ways in which to serve Hashem.

The main halacha is like the Kohanim at the time they purified and ready to eat holy food, with Zrizut.

Another way is to serve Him as a poor person, yet another is like someone experiencing Shabat.

Yet another is like a Kohen who is still impure and is about to become purified.

The last one mentioned is simply, “like the majority,” in a state of being part of the Klal.


Brachot 3

Donkeys and dogs play a key role in Perek Shirah (See Week 33 and 52, and Appendix II in the book)

There seems to be a parallel here with Bava Kamma 60B:

ת"ר דבר בעיר אל יהלך אדם באמצע הדרך מפני שמלאך המות מהלך באמצע הדרכים דכיון דיהיבא ליה רשותא מסגילהדיא שלום בעיר אל יהלך בצדי דרכים דכיון דלית ליה רשותא מחבי חבויי ומסגי

ת"ר דבר בעיר אל יכנס אדם יחיד לבית הכנסת שמלאך המות מפקיד שם כליו וה"מ היכא דלא קרו ביה דרדקי ולא מצלו ביהעשרה.

ת"ר כלבים בוכים מלאך המות בא לעיר כלבים משחקים אליהו הנביא בא לעיר וה"מ דלית בהו נקבה:

The Sages taught: If there is a plague in the city, a person should not walk in the middle of the road, due to the fact that the Angel of Death walks in the middle of the road, as, since in Heaven they have given him permission to kill within the city, he goes openly in the middle of the road. By contrast, if there is peace and quiet in the city, do not walk on the sides of the road, as, since the Angel of Death does not have permission to kill within the city, he hides himself and walks on the side of the road.

The Sages taught: If there is a plague in the city, a person should not enter the synagogue alone, as the Angel of Death leaves his utensils there, and for this reason it is a dangerous place. And this matter, the danger in the synagogue, applies only when there are no children learning in the synagogue, and there are not ten men praying in it. But if there are children learning or ten men praying there, it is not a dangerous place.

The Sages taught: If the dogs in a certain place are crying for no reason, it is a sign that they feel the Angel of Death has come to the city. If the dogs are playing, it is a sign that they feel that Elijah the prophet has come to the city. These matters apply only if there is no female dog among them. If there is a female dog nearby, their crying or playing is likely due to her presentation.

---

The story of Eliyahu slaughtering someone seems a lot deeper.

It appears related to how the Rebbe explains the Purim story of Rabbah and Rav Zeira.

“Hahu gavra” seems to be an important term, like “Hahu Saba.”

It appears unlikely thet Eliyahu HaNavi would appear stam for a lowly person.

I don’t know of any occasion in which Eliyahu is known to have a sword. It is mentioned that Pinchas has a sword - that’s actually how he kills Bilaam, mentioned a bit later in the Daf. Bilaam also turns his face away from the Jewish people, towards the desert, when he gives his final blessing.

Rabbi Akiva says that when you go very high up in Ma’aseh HaMerkava, there’s a point that you’re not allowed to say “Mayim, Mayim.”

That’s the point that “Hahu Gavra” reached. He was behind the congregation because his prayers were much longer. He turned away from to separate completely from their mundane davening. That led to Kalus HaNefesh, like Nadav and Avihu, parts of the soul of Eliyahu.

Ultimately, it’s a mistake to separate yourself, even if your intentions are pure.

In the Bilaam story, initially, it is the angel that has a sword. Angels disguised themselves as Arabs when appearing before Avraham, who is the spiritual antidote to Bilaam (as noted in Pirkei Avot and by Rashi when Bilaam gets up early in the morning to saddle his mule).

The part in Pardes where Rabbi Akiva says not to say “Mayim, Mayim,” is when you see the angel Metat (Akrasi’l), like in the story of Rabbi Yishmael that comes next.

Acher saw the angel Metat sitting down and thought this made it look like were two powers and became a heretic.

—

In Perek Shira, the dog and the wolf are at different times. So is the donkey and other “beasts of burden.” Maybe that’s the reason there.

Also by David, maybe they interpret the 5 worlds from the letter “Hey” in “Piah Patcha b’Chochmah.” Instead of interpreting as feminine conjugation (Eshet Chayil), it’s really King David with the extra Hey for the 5 worlds.

—

It occurred to me that Yishayahu may have been trying to elicit in King Chizkiyahu the concept that nothing is ever set in stone and there is always the possibility of Teshuva, and apply it to his own offspring. We see in fact that King Menachem himself does Teshuva even though it was “pre-determined” that he was going to be a Rasha.

In education, there’s a big emphasis on not labeling children, perhaps for this very reason, to give them an opening to change.

--

The fact that whether you are allowed to interrupt Krias Shemah to save your life has to do with the fact that Shemah is primarily about that exact idea: being willing to sacrifice your life for Hashem (Mesiras Nefesh)


---

Each animal we are saved from represents one of the exiles. I know that Edom is connected to the primordial snake (Mashiach gematria 358, Nachash); Lion is associated with Nebuchadnezzar; what about the wolf?

---

Can “Mashmya Kolo” also mean someone who likes to make his voice heard in shul, even when not necessary, as a sign of arrogance and self-importance? Kind of the opposite of the Talmid Chacham, who can’t stop having thoughts of Torah, even when standing in a dirty place.

One of them cannot be a proper kli but speaks anyway, while the other cannot stop being a kli even against his will. This theme seems to repeat itself throughout Brachot, where certain acts are not done except by Talmidei Chachamim/“delicate” people, and those that put willingly put themselves in that category are called arrogant.

It also seems related to the certain paradox in the concept of those that run away from kavod, kavod runs after them, while those that run after kavod, kavod runs away from them.

--

It’s interesting that Eliyahu HaNavi, a Kana’i, is the one that says not to get angry in order not to sin.

There also seems to be a connection between not being angry and being on the road, like Yosef said to his brothers, “Al Tirgezu Ba’Derech.”

--

I thought it was fascinating how the reason why Rabbi Yehoshua forgives Rabbi Gamliel was because of Rabbi Gamliel’s forefathers. That’s the essence of the 12th of the 13 middot according to the Ramak’s Tomer Devorah.

--

The pshat still seems to be that what made them sad was that the expensive glass breaking reminded them of the destruction of the Temple.

--

On 39B it’s interesting that the teacher’s name is Shalman (Shalom) but also that the teaching itself is also about Shalom, placing the piece of bread inside the whole (Shleimah) piece.

It appears to be an insight into teaching itself, taking bits and pieces of knowledge from different students and showing how it is in fact part of a whole concept.

--

The part about what was the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge is really amazing. It’s interesting that Noach, “Ish Adamah” used the grapes to basically repeat the sin of Adam. It reminds me of the Rambam’s words about how do you know if you did proper Teshuvah? If you are put in the same position as before and do the right thing.

The opinions seem to be referring to different aspects of the sin: Intelectual, Emotional, and Physical.

The wheat is the intellectual (learning how to speak), the wine emotional (getting drunk) and the figs physical (needing clothes to now cover up their bodies).

--

It sounds from the end of the story that Eliyahu HaNavi only came precisely because of the additional act of mourning over Rav and his Torah knowledge.

-- 

There’s a discussion about when salted fish can kill, and the days there seem to parallel the different opinions of which day of Tammuz is Yosef HaTzadik’s yahrzeit. I believe Yosef was also called a fish.

--

Our custom for saying “L’chayim,” where does it come from? Is it possible that it’s related to Rav Ashi’s girsa, גודר פרצות בישראל... ?

Pesachim

62 - discussion of whether a Passover sacrifice with an arel in mind is invalid. Arelut represents impurity related to sexual sins. Humility is incongruent with sexual desires. 

NIDDAH

Niddah 9

I think there’s also an interesting drush in Daf Tes regarding Eliyahu HaNavi’s (HaHu Saba) question there.

The Gemara is talking about a woman that is in labor pains and gives birth to air, and a pasuk from Isaiah is brought there which in fact is talking about the labor pains of the Jewish people, which is as if it has given birth to air because Mashiach has not come.

Eliyahu HaNavi then asks, a pregnant woman (the Jewish people) who is not careful regarding her appointed times, is she (the Jewish people) impure? 

Rabbi Yochanan answers: the woman (the Jewish people) is hiding and in fear (due to exile), and therefore, this suspends her possible impurity, and she, the Jewish people, is deemed Tahor.

ות במסכת חולין ו, א. שכל מקום שאתה מוצא בתלמוד ההוא סבא הוא אליהו הנביא זכור לטוב. וכן כתב ספר העתים בפסחים קו, א. במעשה דרב אשי בסורא בקידושא רבה שהיה שם אליהו הנביא זכור לטוב.

http://www.doresh-tzion.co.il/QAShowAnswer.aspx?qaid=70515

---

vest·ed

/ˈvestid/

adjective

1. secured in the possession of or assigned to a person.

-protected or established by law or contract.

- (of a person) legally entitled to a future benefit, as from a pension.

—-

“The extensive knowledge of natural [science] prevalent among scholars in Babylonia caused me not to examine niddah blood”

The effect that colors have upon each other had been noted since antiquity. In his essay On Colors, Aristotle observed that "when light falls upon another color, then, as a result of this new combination, it takes on another nuance of color."

In 1793, the American-born British scientist Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford (1753–1814), coined the term complementary colors. While staying at an inn in Florence, he made an experiment with candles and shadows, and discovered that colored light and the shadow cast by the light had perfectly contrasting colors. He wrote, "To every color, without exception, whatever may be its hue or shade, or however it may be compounded, there is another in perfect harmony to it, which is its complement, and may be said to be its companion." He also noted some of the practical benefits of this discovery. "By experiments of this kind, which might easily be made, ladies may choose ribbons for their gowns, or those who furnish rooms may arrange their colors upon principles of the most perfect harmony and of the purest taste. The advantages that painters might derive from a knowledge of these principles of the harmony of colors are too obvious to require illustration."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementary_colors#Color_printing

—-

What does it mean that a woman doesn’t give birth to mountains, and why was this not a question regarding giving birth to a bird?

Sounds like something the Maharal would  explain. I think there is likely a much deeper meaning here. The fact that Rabbah Bar Bar Chana is involved suggests maybe there is a aggadic component as well. 

What happens when a child doesn’t live up to the expectations of the mother? What happens when the child is a Vilde Chaya or a Nachash? Chachamim say this is not a product of the mother’s behavior and she is not temeah. Rabbi Meir says it is her fault.

What if the child is scattered and distracted like a bird, whose eyes that look only to the sides, not to what it is ahead and in front of them? That, everyone agrees it has nothing to do with the mother.

Birds here may also be a reference to angels, and angel-like children.

The Rebbe Maharash brings a Midrash Rabba (1:3), in which Rabbi Chanina states that “birds that fly” are a reference to Michael an Gavriel.

Mountains are usually a reference to the Avot. Mothers don’t give birth to people on the level of the Avot. They are clods of earth that aspire to be like them.

—-

I think the stories from Abba Shaul may be related to Rabbi Yehoshua’s words in Pirkei Avot:

“The evil eye, the evil inclination and hatred towards [G-d’s] creations take a person out of this world" (II:11)

Rabbi Yehoshua is the Pirkei Avot rabbi for this week, according to our book, “The Kabbalah of Time”

Abba Shaul is there burying the dead and he sees all that can lead to leaving this world.

—

Estimates indicate that vanishing twin syndrome occurs in 21-30% of multifetal pregnancies.

At delivery, the deceased fetus may be identified as fetus compressus (compressed enough to be noticed) or as fetus papyraceous (flattened remarkably through the loss of fluid and most of the soft tissue).

https://americanpregnancy.org/multiples/vanishing-twin-syndrome/

—

I think Rebbi specifically mentioned a raven because it is a cruel animal whose mother does not feed its offspring (which is the role of the placenta)

Again, I think that there’s a deeper lesson here. A cruel child is often a product of the cruelty of his mother towards him.

Maybe you could answer Rabbi Yossi Ben Shaul that Rebbi’s comment is limited to the raven not other birds, etc... The gemara doesn’t say that for some reason.

—-

The last time we saw “Hahu Sabah” (Eliyahu HaNavi) was also in an interaction with Rabbi Yochanan. I’m not sure what Eliyahu HaNavi is trying to teach us here, but it seems related to appreciating the “Ita’ahuta D’letata” even when the end result does not appear to be substantially different than the initial effort.

—-

The birth of the Jewish year goes by the head, “Rosh Hashanah.” As soon as Rosh Hashanah enters its the new year. Ah, but what about times when things are not going k’tikuno, we are in a “breached” position and need turning around? Well, then it goes by Rubbo k’Kulo. When is the Rov reached? After six months, on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the “Head of the Months,” Chodesh HaGeulah.

—-

I wonder if there is a discussion somewhere of the significance of the numbers 7 and 11 in a more general sense. Seven represents creation, and 11 is usually associated with klippah. 7+11=18 (חי), and 11/7 is Pi/2. 40, which appears a lot in our daf, also has many symbolisms (Har Sinai, the Mabul, Binah, etc.) It’s interesting that we say that women are given a “Binah Yeteira בינה יתירה” - an additional 40 (days).

40 is also Mikvah, which is a pretty obvious connection. The 22 letters of the alef beis can also be seen as 11 pairs.

If you count the eleven days both from before the days she saw blood as a niddah and from after the seven days of niddah, then you get 22/7 = Pi. I guess that could be seen as a “full cycle/circle” so to speak.

It occurred to me over Shabat that 22+7, 29, is the days in the lunar/menstrual cycle.

—-

By the way, “clair” in French (Rashi) means clear, but also light and bright. Seems to fit the language that the man gives the white aspects of the baby.

—-

It appears that the Cutheans were also called “the Samaritans.”

The most anti-Jewish sections of the new testament were apparently all written by Samaritans (including the part about the “good Samaritan”). Apparently they weren’t so good. 

It’s weird that they did all this while keeping so much of the Torah.

—-

Rav Pappa’s opinion is hard to understand on a practical level. It’s like the Muslim calendar that never gets adjusted.

It sounds a bit similar to the Rambam’s opinion on Niddah cycles, I think.

---

Interesting that at no point in our discussion about children close to 12 or 13 have we brought the passuk used in Ben Sorer uMoreh (in Sanhedrin) when King David says that King Solomon was “[Samuch] L’Ish”

—

I think this concept of measuring years (and valuations, such as Erchin) by one’s own personal calendar as opposed to society’s calendar, is a very deep one.

—

Whether it be one’s sacrifices, one’s home in a city, one’s field in Israel, one’s redemption from slavery, or one’s own self-worth, one has to measure for one’s self, and not let them be dictated by society.

—

I like the idea that a person’s thoughts matter the most at the beginning and at the end of the process. People have a lot of (unhelpful) thoughts when they are in the middle of a project (maybe I’ll use it for this instead, or for that... Rabbos Machshavos b’Lev Ish). Once you actually have results and harvested what you planted, then you have the capacity to make changes to the product’s status or use.

—

For some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Gemara we learned today and it seems like there could be an application to Teshuva, Ratzoh and Shov.

The Shotot/To’ot are the women that don’t know the difference between day and night, Tameh and Tahor, right and wrong.

The Pikchot, on the other hand, have ups and downs, but at least they know the difference between these concepts. They just need a “fixing,” and their “fixing” should be given priority over the Shotot/To’ot.

Of the Pikchot, the most “unstable,” is the one that is constantly going up and down from day to day. As long as the blood comes during the day, she will have days of service/closeness to Hashem. However, if her downs are at “night,” then her only hope is the Shmini, something beyond nature.

One that is slightly more stable, yet at the same time has longer periods of impurity, has less days of service. Her actions are also called intemperate.

Those with three or more days of impurity establish a chazakah of “sin” and cannot but serve Hashem only once.

Only those with seven or more days of purity complete a cycle of Teshuva can serve G-d again. Interestingly, the one with most days of service of them all is someone with 9 days of purity following 9 of impurity (44% of all of her days)

However, once a person has had 10 full days of impurity, paralleling all 10 powers of their neshama, that establishes a different kind of Chazakah it takes a real long time to return.

—

It seems pretty extreme to think that a person would make a sheet/saddle for a donkey out of his parent’s skin... Perhaps there’s a deeper meaning here, too.

Perhaps Ulla is saying that in truth, from the Torah itself, matters/desires related to the skin of man (the skin [clothes given to] Adam [in Gan Eden]) are Tahor. Why do we treat such matters as Tameh? It’s a gezeira against those that are steeped in materiality (Chamor) and only see baseness of the act of procreation (even of their own parents).

—


ERUVIN

Daf 29 - onions connected to snake/death - perhaps related to seminal impurity; 

_____

GITTIN

Gittin 2: The Yetzer Harah as the Ex-Master of the Household

A person bringing a Get [Document of severance] on someone else's behalf overseas (outside of Eretz Yisrael] has to bring it to the Beis Din. He has to say, "I was present by the writing and I was present by the signing."

Rabbah: we're worried that people are not familiar with [the Halacha of] "Lishmah." For the purpose of divorcing this specific woman.

Rava: we're worried about the problem of bringing back the original witnesses to fulfill it.

--
“Rabbi Yitzhak said: At first, the Yetzer Harah [the evil inclination] is a guest, and then it becomes the Baal HaBayit [the master of the house]." (Bereshit Rabbah 22:6; Sukkah 52b, in the name of Rava)

On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, each person receives a Ktivah veChatimah Tovah, a "document of severance" from the Yetzer Harah, declaring that the person has a new, clean slate for the year. According to Rabbah, later the Yetzer Harah might come and say, "Wait, I never let him/her go. I'm still the Baal HaBayit! They sinned." We say, "No, the person is free from you. The fact that they sinned before is considered now to be "Lishmah," for the sake of Heaven.  According to Rava, later the Yetzer Harah might say, "Wait, I never let him/her go. I'm still the Baal HaBayit! They are sinning!" We say, "No, the person is still deemed free; the fact that they are not fulfilling the Torah properly now is because they are not in the state of witnessing the holiness of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur."



Gittin 3: What's More Essential, the Ktivah (Writing) or the Chatimah (Signing)?

When it comes to kiyum haget (establishing the validity of a divorce document) even a "Baal Davar," an interested party can testify. "Baal Davar," which literally means "Master of the word," is one of the names for the Yetzer HaRah.

What's the main service that requires "Lishma," the Ktivah (writing) or the Chatimah (signing)? According to Rabbi Meir it's the Chatimah, while according to Rabbi Elazar it's the Ketivah. Rabbi Yehudah requires both.

What's the service of the Yamim Nora'im (High Holy Days) that raises all our deeds to the level of "Lishma," Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur? Rabbi Meir, who was a descendant of converts from Edom (Rome), believes the main elevation is the Teshuvah (repentance) associated with Yom Kippur. Rabbi Elazar, who came from a prominent family and became the head of the Jewish people from a very young age, believes the main elevation is Rosh Hashanah, which the level of Tzadikim Gemurim (completely righteous). Rabbi Yehudah, who was not a descendant of converts yet nevertheless had a very good relationship with the Romans, thought that both services were important for attaining the level of "Lishma."



Gittin 4: Behaviors Outside of the Realm of Holiness

There's a debate regarding whether a Get written on the border of the Land of Israel requires the statement of the emissary regarding Ketivah and Chatimah. Rabban Gamliel says this includes the border towns of Rekem and Cheger. Rabbi Eliezer says even from Kfar Ludim to Lud, and Abayeh says even a town that's enveloped by Israel's borders.
--
The Land of Israel is the "Holy Land." When a person is trying to improve their behavior and rid itself of the "Baal Davar," the Yetzer Harah, to what extent is repentance needed for things that may be just slightly off the mark, really a gray area in terms of whether it's considered at all a sin?

Rabban Gamliel says it includes Rekem and Cheger. Rekem comes from the verb "Lirkom," to embroider. Cheger comes from "Lachgor," to gird. Whether a person is simply planning or preparing to take an improper action, even that action never came about, it still requires fixing.

Rabbi Eliezer says even from Kfar Ludim to Lud. Even if superficially, you can hardly tell the difference between the holy and unholy action, that still requires Teshuvah.
Abayeh says even if the unholy behavior is enveloped by holiness, still it requires repentance.




Gittin 5: The Emissary as a Witness and a Judge

The Talmud speaks of whether the Sheliach (emissary) needs to make the declaration of Ketivah veChatimah in front of two or three people. Rabbi Yochanan says one needs only two, while Rabbi Chaninah says you need three.

The Gemara explains that this discussion is based on a different question: whether the one who brings the Get can be considered a witness regarding the Get (that it was written in front of two people), and if then, as witness, whether he can be considered as one of the three judges necessary in order to uphold the Get in court.

The conclusion, surprisingly, is yes, following the opinion of Rabbi Yochanan. At least when it comes to Rabbinical issues, the agent himself can serve as a witness as well as a judge, so only two (additional) people are needed to uphold the Get in court.

--

In the service of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Sheliach Tzibur (lit. emissary of the congregation, ie. the prayer leader) plays a very important role. As he is praying on behalf of the congregation (and in reality everyone of us should think of him or herself as a mini-Sheliach Tzibur), he should think of himself not only as an emissary, but also a witness testifying in its favor. Not only that, the emissary should even see himself as one of the judges (!!!), judging every single person favorably.




Gittin 6: Making Diaspora into Eretz Yisrael

The Talmud discusses whether Babylonia, with its numerous houses of study, has the legal status of Israel when it comes to the laws of Gittin. Rav says yes and Shmuel says no, that it has the status of every other land outside of Israel.

Rav says that Yeshivot (houses of study) create a lot of movement, and therefore it'll be possible to find the necessary witnesses to uphold the Get. Shmuel says that because the people were involved mainly in study Torah, people won't be familiar with the signatures of others and won't be able to uphold the validity of the documents.

The final ruling is that, yes, Babylonia does have the same legal status of Israel when it comes to these laws.

--

We have obligation to make the Diaspora like the Land of Israel. How do we do this? Through Torah learning. The Yeshivot are the main thing. Shmuel raises an important point regarding the need to do business as well, but in the end of the day, the main thing is Torah learning.

(The Talmud will later discuss Surya, on the border of the Land of Israel, which King David managed to infuse with many aspects of the holiness of the Land of Israel)



Gittin 7: the "Adam Gadol" and the "Davar Gadol"

As an example about the importance of not creating too much fear in one's household, the Talmud discusses how once an "Adam Gadol," a great person, was (almost) fed a "Davar Gadol" (a big [non-kosher] thing) because the people in the house were too afraid to admit their mistake in the preparation of the food.

This also an example of the Divine characteristic of reward and punishment known as Middah K'neged Middah, where the retribution comes in the same form as the original behavior, to teach a lesson. Anger ultimately comes from a feeling of self-importance. It is utterly unkosher. Similarly, fearing anything other than G-d is also a form of impurity. By making oneself great, showing anger and instilling fear, the "Adam Gadol" was feeding unkosher energy to the world, so it was proper that he be punished with (almost) being fed unkosher food.




Gittin 8: Acquiring Yourself (Atzmech)  and the Possessions of the Evil Inclination

The Talmud has a discussion regarding a slave who brings a document of freedom and it says there, "Yourself (Atzmech) and my possessions are acquired by you." We believe him regarding himself but not his master's possessions.

There's significant debate regarding what happens if a single statement is made, where the owner says, "All my possessions are acquired by you." According to Abaye, we free him only if he can establish the validity of the entire document, while according to Rava we can split the words of the document and believe him regarding himself (freeing him immediately).

The Talmud further discusses whether or not we can split words of such a statement. An example is brought regarding a master's statement where he gives everything to a slave except for a small part. Rabbi Shimon says yes, unless the master's intentions of not freeing the slave were obvious (and it was just a trick), we split the statement (free the slave but not giving him the master's possession), while Rabbi Meir at first appears to says no, we cannot split the statement, neither the slave or the possessions are transferred. Rabbi Yossi says that "Rabbi Shimon's lips should be kissed" but that the Halacha is according to Rabbi Meir.

Another example is given regarding someone on his deathbed that gives everything to a slave. There, even Rabbi Meir says that if the master recovers, the slave is free (the statement cannot be retracted) while the possessions are returned. We conclude that Rabbi Meir always believed that one can split words, it's just that when it comes to a document of freedom, the separation must be total.

As discussed previously regarding a divorce document, a document of freedom also is connected to the idea of Teshuvah. There is a lower level of Teshuvah and a higher level. In a lower level, one frees oneself from bad behavior, but one's previous bad behavior is not acquired as a merit. In a higher level of Teshuvah, the sins themselves are transformed into merits, essentially transferring what was once the possession of his temporary master, the evil inclination.

Regarding lower level Teshuvah, there is less scrutiny. However, regarding higher level Teshuvah, we must ensure that he can establish (fulfill) the contract. If two separate steps were taken, the lower level Teshuvah is immediately accepted, and the higher one is investigated.

What happens when the Teshuvah is so dramatic and fast that he achieves lower and higher level Teshuvah in one fell swoop? Can we separate the person's freedom from bad behavior from the transformation of sins into mitzvot? Abaye says no while Rava says yes.

In the case where the transformation is not total (the yetzer harah holds on to aspects of the bad behavior), Rabbi Meir says not even the person is free. Rabbi Shimon says the person is free, unless the yetzer harah is basically tricking the person. Rabbi Yossi says that Rabbi Shimon's ability to free the person from judgement should be praised, but that the Halacha is like Rabbi Meir.

When it comes to the yetzer harah being about to be destroyed completely within a person, the lower level Teshuvah is immediately accepted, even if the yetzer harah is able to recover and the person is not yet on the level of a complete Tzadik.





Gittin 9: What Happens When the Sheliach Becomes a Deaf-Mute?

The Talmud discusses a case where a Sheliach cannot say the words, "it was written and signed before me." Then the signatures of the witnesses have to be investigated and proven to be accurate.

It explains that this is the case of a Sheliach who was healthy and became a deaf mute before he made the declaration. We know from a separate law that a Sheliach for a Get cannot be a deaf-mute, a crazy person, or a minor. (These are considered to be people without proper knowledge/common sense)

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To be a proper Sheliach Tzibur (leader of the congregation), particularly on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the person cannot be deaf to the needs of each individual, and he also cannot fail to speak up on their behalf. He also cannot be crazy, in the sense that he must know the proper balance between reaching up to the Heavens in prayer, and remaining in this world in his thought, speech and deed. Furthermore, he cannot be a child, who in general tend to be self-centered and irresponsible.

What happens in the case where a Sheliach was healthy at the time of his appointment, but then at the time of judgement he somehow disqualifies himself? Then the "signature of the witnesses" must be investigated. Every deed in this world creates an imprint on the world, along with an angel testifying to that act, who could potentially serve to indict or defend a person at the time of judgement. A good Sheliach Tzibbur, like a good lawyer, can find ways of tempering the effect of the negative witnesses and emphasizing that of the positive ones. If a Sheliach is not around, then the deeds must speak for themselves.




Gittin 10: What if the Witnesses are Kutim?

The Talmud discusses a case where the the witnesses are Kusim (they had questionable conversions, out of fear of being eaten by lions, and generally only keep the Written Torah, not the Oral Torah). The Talmud states that if one witness is a Kusi, the get is still valid... The Gemara then tries to figure out who's opinion this is.

Really, it's Rabbi Elazar, who forbids it, it's just that in this case there was a kosher witness there that could vouch for the Kusi

The Rabbi enforced the principle of Kulchem. Everyone had to sign together at the same time.

Rabbi Gamliel even holds if both are Kusim (as a judge, he found a way to be lenient)
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When it comes to our deeds, even if some are questionable, other ones can make up for it. Even the deeds of others can make up for it - That's the idea of Kulchem. We try to bind our actions to that of other Jews at the time of doing; we also bind to each other at the time of judgement.

Nitzavim is always on Rosh Hashanah, and it starts, "Ve'Atem Nitzavim... Chayim Kulchem Hayom."








Bava Metzia 113

"All of Israel are children of kings."

Can the agent of the court enter the home to pick up a security? Shmuel says no.



Bava Basra 2

Partners that wanted to build a "mechitza" (divider/wall), they build it in the middle and share the expenses.

If they are partners, isn't it strange that they want to be separate?

In marriage, in study, and in many other areas, partnerships still often need to have boundaries. If these barriers fall, HaMakom and HaAvanim (perhaps it can be read as Banim) belong to both of them.

Ideally, they will come to the realization that when boundaries fall, more room is created for Hashem, and the the "bricks" (mitzvot), or the "children," ie. the positive results of tearing down this barrier belongs to both of them.



Yoma 65-66

Importance of starting a new year, and not having a sacrifice (a reminder of their sin) lingering

We see this also regarding the rush to get the Seir out to be sent on the cliff, to the extent that they had to protect it from people ("Babylonians") that would pull the animal's hair to get it out of sight as soon as possible.