Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Vayeira.
Avraham and his household had just been circumcised and so , raised in Spiritual Level and been brought into the Covenant - Bris of HaShem and now , HaShem Appeared to Avraham . This was the third day after Avraham's bris and thus the most painful day . Because of this, HaShem Tells us here that Avraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent ' K'chom Hayom,' - ' In the heat of the day . ' HaShem had specifically caused some of the heat of Gehinnom , to filter around , so as to make it so hot that no visitors would be out and about on the road , so Avraham could be given an opportunity and the time to heal , where Avraham, who was a man of Chessed and who brought people to HaShem , would run out to welcome guests, and thus no matter how much pain Avraham was in , he still sat 'Petach Ha' Ohel, - ' At the entrance to his tent ,' so he could welcome in guests to have them eat a meal and so get them ,in different ways ,to Bless and Thank HaShem . Now, seeing that it was so hot , no guests arrived and this upset Avraham more than the physical pain of his Bris , and thus he sat at the entrance waiting . Avraham had made his tent with four poles ,open on all four sides and directions so that people could come and get Chessed and be introduced to HaShem , from whatever direction and belief they came from . Also, HaShem Brought the extreme heat to heal the pain of the Bris .
Because Avraham could not show Chessed and welcome people because of the heat , HaShem Himself decided to do ' Bikkur Chollim ,' and visit Avraham Himself .From here we learn to visit the sick . The heat of the day referred to midday , just before the Sun starts to wane , in position from the Earth . So HaShem ' Vayeirah ' - ' Appeared ' to Avraham . Within the word " Vayeirah ". - " Appeared , " is the word 'Yarei,'- ' Fear ' for HaShem Shows Himself in different ways and levels , to those that ' Fear Him ' and listen with total obedience and faith to the Words and Commands of HaShem , just as Avraham did .
Avraham had HaShem " Vayeirah " - "Appear " to him because Avraham was constantly looking ' Ro'eh ' ( this word is also within the word ' Vayeirah ') up to and for HaShem , in everything he did , and so Avraham deserved to have HaShem " Vayeirah ," - " Appear . " When we look up to and for HaShem , we find Him as did Avraham Avinu .
Avraham , says the Parsha , lifted up his eyes ( there again the idea of spiritual upliftment ), allowing Avraham to see divine beings allied to HaShem .
At first Avraham saw the three men as men , but in reality, they were three Angels , Michael , who came to bring the news of the birth of Yitzchak , Gavriel , who came to be the instrument through which HaShem Destroys the 4 cities of Sodom , Amorah , Admah and Zeboiim; and Rafael ,whose task it would be to take Lot's family out of Sodom and also to help heal Avraham .
At first Avraham perceived them as men , and also at first Torah mentions they were " Standing over him , " yet later , it says Avraham perceived and then went out to meet them .The reason for these words as they are, is that at first, the 3 men who were Angels came toward Avraham , but as soon as they saw his pain from the circumcision, they knew he would want to serve them in seeing to their needs , so, Avraham perceived that they wanted to leave so as to spare Avraham the trouble , but Avraham ran to meet them and persuaded them to return with him . Also, Avraham perceived Spiritually that they were more than just men , and so bowed to HaShem's Shechinah . We must remember that before this, HaShem was already there, talking to Avraham when the three Angles appeared , so our Rabbis say , that when Avraham refers to " My L-RD , if I find favor in Your Eyes , please pass not away from Your servant," is also spoken to HaShem , who patiently waits on the side ,while Avraham serves his guests , and thus HaShem Humbles Himself and waits , till after the Angels leave , and then Continues Talking to Avraham about the fate of the 5 cities. Kindness to HaShem's Creations , is a Kindness to HaShem , and thus not an interruption .
Avraham first asks the 3 men to wash their feet , for at first he thought they were arabs , who worshiped the dust of the ground , and so , Avraham did not want any drop of idol worship near him or in his tent . It is then that we learn another beautiful tenet of Avraham's holy ways , ' Promise little do a lot. ,' for Avraham only offers them a morsel of bread , but prepares for them a hearty feast .This day was the future time of the year of Pesach, for Avraham kept the Torah even before it was given .
Avraham engages his wife and son Yishmael to help prepare this meal so that they might gain in the kavod too . Avraham wanted to Shecht for them , and one of the beheimas , ran away . Avraham tried to catch it and it led him all the way to a most beautifull sweet and holy smelling cave , where Avraham smelt the fragrance of Gan Eiden . Avraham realized where he was, the Cave of Machpeilah in Mamre Chevron , the place where Adam and Chava were resting , upright , an entrance door to Gan Eiden .
Avraham returned to his guests and no matter how much pain he was in , did not stop waiting on and serving his guests . It was then that the Angel Michael spoke up and told Avraham and Sarah that the following year they would have a child . Though Sarah laughed and talked of her husband's age , HaShem did not embarrass her to Avraham and reveal that fact , so as to protect family peace and harmony between husband and wife Sholom Bait . A lesson we all can learn .
The Angel Michael, having fulfilled his mission ( for an Angel , as a thought of HaShem , fulfills only one mission at a time ) , got up to leave with the other two Angels and Avraham walked them out as hospitality should be . It is then , that HaShem , after the Angels all go on their way where Michael returns and Gavriel and Rafael head toward Sodom , it is then that HaShem Returns To Continues Speaking to Avraham .
Sodom and the other cities around it , had become like the people were before the Mabul . HaShem Had given these cities in abundance , where people would be planting , and instead of pulling up vegetables, they would pull up gold. Sodom had become a pace of idol worship and total sexual depravity . They instituted laws that were totally criminal and immoral , like it was imperitive to rob a visitor. People were not allowed to feed the poor or give them money , at the pain of death . Eliezer ( Avraham's Servant ) , once went through there and they tried to attack and rob him . So he hit the robbers and was brought before a Sodomite Judge, for daring to hit someone , even though he was defending himself against more than one robber who wanted to hurt him . The Judge ordered him to pay for the opportunity to shed the robbers blood , and so , Eliezer , who was a very wise man , hit the Judge and told the Judge that now that he shed blood , the Judge can pay the amount ordered for him . They also tried to put Eliezer up for the night and as it was the custom for a guest , to be the exact height of the bed or else they would cut off their legs and rob them , but Eliezer was the wiser and left , saying he would never go back there again .
It was the final straw for HaShem , when Plottis , Lot's daughter , against the Sodomite Law, took pity on a poor beggar and secretly tried repeatedly to feed him . The Sodomites noticed he was being fed and , when they set a trap and found out it was her, they beat her and stripped her , daubing her with honey, and strung her high up in the city square so the bees would sting her to death . Her cries went up to Heaven as she begged HaShem to Punish these people . It was this , that was HaShem's Last Straw with these cities .
It is here again that Avraham shows his caring holiness by pleading for even those who are not deserving , how merciful a man was Avraham . This can teach us to plead for the Spiritual growth of others who do wrong .
At first Avraham pleads for 50 righteous people , hoping that out of the 5 cities, perhaps there are at least 10 ( considered a congregation religiously ) in each city to save it , but there were not . Avraham then prays for 45 , hoping that with the 9 left in each city, HaShem would make up the 10th one , but again, HaShem could not find 45 who were righteous . Avraham tried again to at least save 4 of the cities, hoping to at least find 10 in each of the 4 , making 40 , but again , not even that amount existed as righteous. Avraham tried again for 3 cities and 30 , but there was not even that .Avraham tried for two cities and 20 but again, there were not even 20 righteous . Avraham tried once more , to ask if 10 could at least be found in one of the cities, for he counted on Lot and his family to at least make up the 10 , but sadly, there was not even that , and it was here that Avraham had to stop.
The two angels ( as we see for sure they were here,) , arrived in Sodom. Michael had returned to HaShem for his mission was now complete.
Lot ( Avraham's nephew , who had become a Judge there ( we know this by the statement later on,when the towns-people refer to him sarcasticly as one 'appointed over them '( Bereishis 19:9) )) was waiting at the city gate , for he had learnt in Avraham's home the Middah of Hospitality . When he saw the 2 men / Angels arrive , he quickly invited them in . This was Pesach Night . It was not the way in Sodom to invite guests , and Eeris , Lot's wife who was born in Sodom , warned Lot not to . She even went as far as going to the neighbors one after the other and deceitfully asking for salt for their guests , so she could alert the townspeople to the guests presence ( thus was she turned into a pillar of salt when they were fleeing ) . This caused the townspeople to converge on their door . Lot offered first his 2 daughters to them ( this being a part to what the daughters did with their Father , after they left the city ).
The 2 angels struck those at the door with blindness from young to old, for the young were the first who started to try and want these two angels, and thus were struck first . Those that don't want to see HaShem's Wonders and appreciate all HaShem Does for them , does not deserve to see with the very eyes HaShem Gives to see .
The Angel Rafael tried for hours to get Lot to leave, but they kept hesitating, wanting to take as much as they could carry .Till dawn , the angels tried to persuade Lot to leave , and finally the Angels took them and left them outside the city and warned them not to look back . Lot pleaded that at least the fifth city Tzoar should be left and saved for them to flee to . Eeris peered back while HaShem , through Gavriel Destroyed the city , and HaShem's Shechinah descended. An evil woman as she, can not look upon the Shechinah of HaShem , and so , she was turned into a pillar of salt , still there today to view.
Lot's 2 daughters, thinking nothing was left , conceived on consecutive nights with their Father, the two nations of Moav and Ammon , were descended from them and their own Father .
Avraham , left the region and settled in Gerar, where again his wife was taken from him by Avimelech, king of Gerar. Again, HaShem threatens his nation, and Sarah is returned .
The year had passed since the Malachim visited Avraham and Sarah and Yitzchak was born. A party was held when the child was weaned, and Sarah noticed , how Yishmael had brought in idols and also was shooting arrows at Yitzchak, so Avraham's next test came , when HaShem Agreed with Sarah's instruction, to send out Hagar and Yishmael with a single skin of water that would last as long as they kept away from idol worship . The Giant Og was also at this party and said to himself how he could so easily crush little Yitzchak between his two fingers . HaShem Said to Himself that the time will come when a descendant of this very little Yitzchak , who was Moshe Rabbeinu , would defeat Og .
As soon as they , Hagar and Yishmael left Avraham's camp, their faith waned and so did their water, and a well was hidden from them , until HaShem sent His Angel Gavriel to show them the well and make it visible , for Yishmael should not be judged right now on his future bad deeds but on his present being.
Avimelech and Avraham make an agreement , after they disputed a well and whose it was . Avraham , to prove it was his, took 7 ewes of the flock and let them see where they would drink from, for Avraham's flock was known not to drink from anyone else's well or pasture. These 7 , proved that the well was Avraham's and so, the place was called ' Be'er Sheva,' the " Place of the Seven Ewes." An agreement with Avimelech should not have been made, and so the test of the Akeidah came next. The same as Yishmael and Yitzchak also got into a discussion, and Yitzchak said he would if asked to , give up his life for HaShem .
HaShem called Avraham early in the morning to sacrifice his son. Not knowing at first which one , for he had two sons, HaShem said , ' The one you love . ' Avaham replied, ' Does a Father not love all his sons equally.' HaShem then Told him " Yitzchak."
Avraham , with tears in his eyes, would never disobey HaShem and so , early in the morning, he saddled his donkey and took the fire and the knife and his two men, Eliezer his servant and Yishmael , his other son, and trusting HaShem , went to a place , HaShem would show them. We are told on the way , how Satan tried to put fear in 37 year old Yitzchak , and how Satan tried to put obstacles and water in their path , but undeterred , they both were willing to fulfill HaShem's Will .
When they came close, only Avraham and Yitzchak saw the place from afar , so they left the two men and donkey ,and went without them ,Avraham saying subconsciously prophetically , " We will return to you ."
Avraham , set to sacrifice his son , as HaShem Commanded, lifting the knife to obey . A Malach stopped him . Avraham refused to stop till HaShem Himself spoke , and so , the repetition of Avraham's name mentioned in this verse .
HaShem Blessed Avraham and his descendants , through Yitzchak and in his son's place, was a ram given instead ( this ram created at the beginning of Creation ) . From here , we remember our beautiful precious Shofar . Avraham called the place ' HaShem Yireh ,' ' On this Mountain HaShem will be seen .' This is the site of the Temple Mount in Yerushalaim . Melchitzeddek called this place ' Shaleim , ' - 'Completeness .' Avraham , referred to the place as ; ' Yireh ,' - ' Will be seen..' HaShem , not wanting to disappoint either of these two holy men , put the ' Yirah ,' together with the ' Shaleim ,' and so , HaShem Gave us ' Yerushalaim ,'- ' The place where Completeness will be .'
Yitzchak, after this , went to the Yeshivah of Shem and Aiver , teaching us that Jewish Parents must send their children off to learn in Yeshivah . After this final tenth test of Avraham , Avraham returned with his other son Yishmael to Yishmael's place of stay in Be'er Sheva . We are told once how one day Avraham went to visit his son Yishmael, who was away, and only Yishmael's Moabite wife was at home . Avraham asked to come in for a bit of bread, but she said there is none in the house. Avraham told her to tell Yishmael that , ' The foundation of his house is not good ,' and then left . On returning home , Yishmael hearing what his beloved Father had said, straight away divorced his wife. Avraham , another time came to visit him but he was again not home , but only his son Yishmael's second wife , an Egyptian, was there. Avraham again asked for the same thing, and she asked him in and fed him generously . Avraham told her to tell Yishmael , "The foundation of your house is good. " So was Yishmael's love for his Father . Yitzchak went away to learn in Yeshiva, for not only the Parents are responsible to Teach their Child Yiddishkeit, but others too for every Religious Jew has a special Holy Spark of HaShem and His Teaching .
HaShem at this moment , was preparing the future of Avraham's family , by setting up , Rivka, the future wife of Yitzchak . And so ends the Parsha .
In this Parsha, HaShem Appears to Avraham in the beginning of the Parsha, with the term " Vayeira ," and again throughout and at the end of the Parsha, with the term ' "Yireh ." As Avraham grows spiritually, so does HaShem Appear to Avraham . Even when Avraham is being tested, the word used is " Nisah," which , though means " Tested," also means " Miracle." This makes us think, for when HaShem Tests us, it is actually a Miracle of HaShem ,that HaShem Takes His Own Time, To Come down close to us and Test us, showing that HaShem Trusts us and Wants to be close to us and Hopes we pass the test , so that we can come close to Him . This is a great Miracle, to be Surrounded by HaShem . This is the Greatest Miracle of all .
Thus HaShem " Vayeira " - " Appearing " to us ," starts with " Yarei," - " Fear " and obedience " to HaShem . This is something Avraham constantly displayed . And so , HaShem Tested Avraham even more, not to hurt him , but to refine him into the Holy man he was within and so to bring Avraham, up close to HaShem . That is what the " Nisah "- " Test " is all about . That is what is a Great Miracle - " Neis, "
At the End of Days , HaShem Will be perceived, but we all need to make ourselves ready for such a Holy Occasion . Thus we struggle. Thus we refine our Neshomas to ready ourselves for HaShem .
HaShem Is there all the time . He never Leaves us nor Forsakes us . How much we perceive of Him , depends on us and how much work on ourselves we do .
HaShem " Vayeira " - " Appearing ," to us starts with ' Yarei ,' - ' Fear ,' of HaShem . A total acknowledgement of HaShem , The True and Only Creator of All Things . The Fear of Awesomeness , that is HaShem. The Absolute Knowledge that HaShem Created all and is All-Knowing and thus can be fully trusted and so , we are not to ever question what HaShem Tells us to do or Commands us to do . We are to follow HaShem as Avraham did , without question . The Fear of Awesomeness, that is HaShem . The Fear of Love of Awesomeness and Faith in Him .
This Fear will lead us to the End of Days , where we will be one in the Presence of HaShem's Shechinah and return to how it is was Created to be in Gan Eiden , forever in the Loving Arms of HaShem .
This Fear mustn't just be one of being scared . It must be , as the Hebrew word 'Yarei,' shows ,' where the same root exists , for the word ' Yireh,' - ' See,' for we need truly see HaShem within ourselves, in His True Perspective of Absolute Awesomeness and Trust , as the Creator of All . A Love of Respect Beyond all . To truly " Yireh " - " See " HaShem as the All , That He Is . This Awesomeness , That Is All and That Knows All and That Created All . When we " Yireh " - " See " HaShem in this right perspective, then we truly ' Yarei ' - ' Fear ' HaShem in Love and we will be totally obedient to Him and make ourselves worthy for HaShem to " Vayeira " - " Appear " to us in His Love . Then , HaShem will " Vayeira " - " Appear " to us in and at the End of Days - May it come soon in our Days .
I wish HaShem With Love, a Beautiful Sweet Shabbos Kodesh with Love and to all my fellow Yidden , a beautiful sweet Shabbos Kodesh with love .
Friday, 26 October 2018
Friday, 19 October 2018
Parashas Lech Lecha
Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Lech Lecha . In this Parsha we are introduced to Avram and his wife Sarai ( Yiscah ) . Two Holy souls who worked to bring HaShem's Shechinah , back to Earth . The Haftorah of Isaiah 40 : 27 - 41:16 continues on this theme , about the progeny of Avraham and Sarah , who is Yitzchak and Yaakov and their descendants, where HaShem will always love Yaakov, the offspring of Avraham , to keep HaShem's Covenant true.The People who were living at that time had now dispersed and the World was now filled with idolatry .
At that time , Nimrod ruled Bavel and his astrologers had told him of the birth of a male child who would overcome him, so he ordered than many thousands of baby boys be killed .The ministers returned after this and told Nimrod, that the danger was still there and that a star was seen above Terach's house. Terach was a well respected nobleman to Nimrod .Avram's Father Terach refused to hand his child over and he knew it was no longer safe for Avram to stay at home. So he commanded his wife ( Avram's Ima ) Amtalai to wrap up the little boy and that he is to be hidden in a cave. At the age of three, amazing Avram , recognized his Creator . He noticed while looking up at the Sun one day ( whom many did worship at that time ) ,that at night time the Sun was no longer apparent and it was replaced by the Moon, which also was overshadowed in the daytime again, by the Sun .Thus he concluded that neither could possibly be the Creator. By daily observing the natural ordered rhythm of the seasons and nature, Avram concluded at this young age that there must be an Intelligent Creator behind it. And so Avram found HaShem , The Almighty . After a while that Nimrod's adviser's predictions never came to pass, Nimrod lifted the decree and Avram was able to return home . Avram brought home with him, the truth of HaShem The One and Only G-D and Creator .
Avram's Father Terach ran a business selling idols. One day , his Father had to go on a trip and left Avram his son in charge , telling him to sell more prestigious idols to more prestigious people and less so, to lesser ones of prestige. As the day went on, a large well to do man came in asking for an idol to fit his prestige. Avram gave him the largest one and as the man took out payment, Avram asked how old the man was. The man answered him and said 50 years old. Avram then proceeded to ask the man of 50 years old how he can hope to pray to a piece of clay, made just one day ago, when the man was 50 years older. The man left the store buying nothing. Then an elderly woman entered , complaining how she had been robbed and her idols stolen too. Avram asked her how she can have faith in something that didn't even have the power to do anything against them being stolen. The woman agreed and left . Then later on another woman came with a flour offering for the idols. Sweet young Avram took an axe and smashed all his Father's idols, but the biggest one, and left the axe next to that biggest idol.
When Avram's Father came back, he was horrified and asked what had happened . Avram proceeded to tell him of how a woman had come in to give flour to the big idol , and all the other idols started to fight over who gets the flour , so the biggest one, took an axe and smashed all the others . Terach scolded his son saying that his son knows they don't speak or move , so Avram retorted back saying, ' then why do you serve them if they have no life at all .' One day , Terach was to serve Nimrod and his son came with him. The service included food given to the false stone idols. Usually when people came into Nimrod's Palace, they had to be sure they would keep their head lower than Nimrod. Avram , did not respect bowing to a man , saying he would only bow to the Almighty and he started to interfere with the idols and break them in Nimrod's Palace. Terach saw he could ignore this no longer , Nimrod sent his soldiers to fetch Avram . Avram did not bow down . Avram asked Nimrod , if he thinks he is a deity, to command the Sun to set in the opposite side the following morning . Nimrod , who had others believe he was a deity, knew he was caught , so he instructed that Avram be imprisoned for ten years . After this Avram again was brought before Nimrod and again , Avram refused to waver, so Nimrod sentenced Avram to be burnt in the Cauldron of Ur Kasdim ( Avram's birthplace ) . Avram was saved by HaShem . Avram's brother Haran was there at the time and decided if he is asked , he will only follow Avram if Avram gets saved , which he was . Seeing as Haran's faith and belief was not there, he was killed in the Cauldron , as Torah tells it ' On the presence of Terach his father . ' So did Avram's strength come down in our Jewish History when our Jewish people faced torture. And killing and burning,' throughout History against the Jews.
Terach knew it was time to leave for Charan . Avram did so with his wife Sarai daughter of his brother Haran , who had been killed in the Furnace . Avram also left with his brother Haran's son Lot .
It was here too that Avram taught of HaShem .
Avram was at 75 years old , that HaShem Came to Avram , as this week's portion says and Told him to 'Lech Lecha," and travel to Canaan.
We note that when HaShem Comes and Gives Avram, this order, as one of the ten tests , that HaShem Does not even mention Canaan, but just says ( as He Does when Commanding Avraham to the Akeidah ) , that he , Avram is to ' Lech Lecha to the land that HaShem Would Show him . Thus , Avram had to go on pure faith , as Avram didn't even know when he left Charan , where he would be directed , but listened any way , Thus Avram followed HaShem totally and whole-heartedly .
After this move, Avram headed for Canaan. There was a famine in the land, so Avram diverted to Egypt, where his wife Sarai was taken captive . Pharaoh wanted to marry Sarai and even gave her the land of Goshen ( where the Jews stayed later on in history , when we were slaves there ) Sarai prayed to HaShem , HaShem Afflicted Pharaoh and his house hold . Pharaoh found out about the relationship between Avram and Sarai and has them escorted out of the country. Pharaoh also commanded his own daughter Hagar to go with and serve Sarai.
Lot , while travelling with Avram and Sarai, was with them in Egypt, he saw the idol-worship of that place and was attracted to it . And so a disagreement broke out between Avram's herdsman and Lot's herdsman, for Lot's herdsman would let their cattle graze in other people's fields and Avram and his herdsman would not . When Avram gave him the choice of where to go, Lot , attracted to the idol ways of the direction he was looking toward the South , and so Lot moved toward S'dom , it being more lush at the time .
Subsequently, one day , while Avram was baking Matzah Cakes , for he knew by inspiration , that this day would become Pesach , the Giant Og came calling him to let him know his nephew Lot had been taken captive by King Amrafel ( who was actually Nimrod ) , who had with three other kings overcome the rebellion of five other kings . It was because Og came to call Avram at that moment ( for Amrafel had decimated other giants ) that Avram was baking Matzah cakes , that Og got his name, for ' Cake ' in Hebrew , is ' Uga ." And so came the name of Og the Ogre . Og of course had other motives for he wanted to get Avram killed in battle so he could take his wife Sarai.
Avram got together 318 men and saved his nephew Lot. There is even a Rabbinical opinion, that Avraham only came with his Servant Eliezer , for the Gematrical value of the name ' Eliezer ' is 318 . This was the night of Passover night . Avram killed the Kings including Nimrod as ordained and freed Lot his Nephew . Avram refused reward for his help , even saying he won't even take a 'Shoe - String ' and so , we were Blessed with the Mitzvah of Tzitzis . Avram was Blessed by MelchiTzeddek, who was none other than the very holy Shem , Noach's son who was Avram's ancestor . So Avram gave Shem , a tenth , and so , Avram was the first to separate Maaser ( Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer ) .
It is then that HaShem Again Blesses Avram and assures him of a son , taking Avram above the Stars and astrology of the time , for the Jew's Destiny , is above the physical, for we are fully under the care of and pathway of HaShem and are not to be guided by the physical signs.
Still after ten years Avram and Sarai were childless and so, as was the custom after ten years, Sarai gave her handmaid to Avram and so , Yishmael was born . Hagar repeatedly mocked Sarai and so Sarai was harsher on Hagar , who decided to flee . An angel came to Hagar and commanded her to return and submit to Sarai .
At 99 years old, HaShem Commanded Avram about circumcision and so , HaShem entered into a covenant with Avram , had Avram be like Adam , who was Created Circumcized. HaShem Was Giving us another opportunity to fix the World. It was here, that HaShem changed Avram's name to Avraham ( a Gematriah of 248, the same as the limbs of the body , over which Avraham had overcome ) ,'Father of many nations ,' and his wife Sarai was changed to ' Sarah .' On that day, Avraham circumcized himself and so was Avraham's household circumcized . Avraham and Sarah , now with the letter 'Hei' added to their name from. HaShem's Name , would now have a new spiritual opening destiny to procreate and bring in the Jewish Nation . And so ends this Parsha . We thank our Holy Torah for the Beautiful learning and The Midrash Says by Rabbi Weissman for some of the information provided above here .
This Parsha is Parashas Lech Lecha . The words ' Lech Lecha," means '" Go for yourself ." Thus , HaShem Commanding this act of faith of Avram leaving everything he knew and that was familiar, was actually an action to improve Avram and his spiritual holiness.
Avram was like a bottle of sweet perfume, that would stagnate if kept in one place bottled up, but if allowed to travel and spread its fragrance, could bring in the sweetness of HaShem to permeate the World and spread The Beauty .
HaShem Commands Avram to " Lech Lecha ," to " Go for yourself ." Thus the Command was to benefit Avram, to go for his own spiritual holiness and growth . This is the same with every test HaShem Gives us. It is for our benefit . It may not always appear so at the time , but it is for us and our betterment. If we add the Gematriah of the words " Lech Lecha,' we get 30+20+30+20=100 . 100 can also be 10 and broken down further, it comes to 1 . This is the minimum number of Brochas a Jew should say every day , instituted by Dovid HaMelech . Thus when we travel away from ourselves, our Physicality, we travel toward HaShem , the Ultimate Brocha . When we do " Lech Lecha, " travel away from the Physical , toward HaShem , we return to be with HaShem where the Ten Commandments ( the Number 10) were given to us . This was a most Holy Time . A time when HaShem Showed us His Closeness .This closeness leads us to embrace the One and Only HaShem our Creator , thus the ' 1 'in the above Gematriah.
The Words '" Lech Lecha ,' cam also be rendered " Go To Yourself ." In other words , HaShem Was Commanding Avram to go to himself , his true holy self and become who he truly is and was meant to be . A man who wants to bring the World to HaShem . Thus " Lech Lecha,' means to Avram , that he should go also for his own sake so he can grow spiritually , which he cannot do fully if he doesn't share himself with the World .And in " Lech Lecha ," referring to " Go to yourself ," that would be in reference to improving ourselves in Holiness , to become the shining example of our true selves , the holy part that HaShem Created . also, Hashem wanted Avram to go from this place for his potential was stagnating in this one place. Hashem Wanted Avram to reach his full potential by spreading his sweet holiness to the World at large.
So this is for us too . HaShem Puts Tests our way ,and these tests are there to aid and assist us Spiritually . To make us grow Spiritually toward G-D . That is the true self , within each and every one of us .Our True Essence , with which to reach high and come closer to HaShem .
So when HaShem Tests us , we should not let ourselves become disheartened , for HaShem Knows our worth and if He Feels we can be tested for greater things, then it means that HaShem has faith in us to be better . Deep down inside of every one of us , is a holier spiritual part . This is the true us . This is that part of us that reaches up to and longs to touch HaShem . As we go through life , we keep being given opportunities to shine and grow . We should thus get into the habit of saying ' Gam Zu Le Tovah ,' - ' Everything is for the Good ,'just as Nachum Ish Gamzu and Rabbi Akiva used to say.
We need to develop trust in HaShem and Believe with our full heart and soul , that HaShem Knows all and that we need to learn to trust Him and know with full certainly that whatever HaShem Does, is Truly for the ultimate best . For HaShem wants us to " Lech Lecha," - Go from what is familiar and just a Physical comfort ," to our true Spiritual Holy Selves within , for that will be for our benefit too , for every step HaShem Has is done , is for ourselves and for Creation . Thus to find our true selves, is to go deeper within us to the Connection we have with HaShem , and to continue travelling on that infinite Holy road and " Lech Lecha ," toward HaShem .
I wish HaShem With Love , a Truly Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with Love , and to all my fellow Jews , a truly Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with love .
At that time , Nimrod ruled Bavel and his astrologers had told him of the birth of a male child who would overcome him, so he ordered than many thousands of baby boys be killed .The ministers returned after this and told Nimrod, that the danger was still there and that a star was seen above Terach's house. Terach was a well respected nobleman to Nimrod .Avram's Father Terach refused to hand his child over and he knew it was no longer safe for Avram to stay at home. So he commanded his wife ( Avram's Ima ) Amtalai to wrap up the little boy and that he is to be hidden in a cave. At the age of three, amazing Avram , recognized his Creator . He noticed while looking up at the Sun one day ( whom many did worship at that time ) ,that at night time the Sun was no longer apparent and it was replaced by the Moon, which also was overshadowed in the daytime again, by the Sun .Thus he concluded that neither could possibly be the Creator. By daily observing the natural ordered rhythm of the seasons and nature, Avram concluded at this young age that there must be an Intelligent Creator behind it. And so Avram found HaShem , The Almighty . After a while that Nimrod's adviser's predictions never came to pass, Nimrod lifted the decree and Avram was able to return home . Avram brought home with him, the truth of HaShem The One and Only G-D and Creator .
Avram's Father Terach ran a business selling idols. One day , his Father had to go on a trip and left Avram his son in charge , telling him to sell more prestigious idols to more prestigious people and less so, to lesser ones of prestige. As the day went on, a large well to do man came in asking for an idol to fit his prestige. Avram gave him the largest one and as the man took out payment, Avram asked how old the man was. The man answered him and said 50 years old. Avram then proceeded to ask the man of 50 years old how he can hope to pray to a piece of clay, made just one day ago, when the man was 50 years older. The man left the store buying nothing. Then an elderly woman entered , complaining how she had been robbed and her idols stolen too. Avram asked her how she can have faith in something that didn't even have the power to do anything against them being stolen. The woman agreed and left . Then later on another woman came with a flour offering for the idols. Sweet young Avram took an axe and smashed all his Father's idols, but the biggest one, and left the axe next to that biggest idol.
When Avram's Father came back, he was horrified and asked what had happened . Avram proceeded to tell him of how a woman had come in to give flour to the big idol , and all the other idols started to fight over who gets the flour , so the biggest one, took an axe and smashed all the others . Terach scolded his son saying that his son knows they don't speak or move , so Avram retorted back saying, ' then why do you serve them if they have no life at all .' One day , Terach was to serve Nimrod and his son came with him. The service included food given to the false stone idols. Usually when people came into Nimrod's Palace, they had to be sure they would keep their head lower than Nimrod. Avram , did not respect bowing to a man , saying he would only bow to the Almighty and he started to interfere with the idols and break them in Nimrod's Palace. Terach saw he could ignore this no longer , Nimrod sent his soldiers to fetch Avram . Avram did not bow down . Avram asked Nimrod , if he thinks he is a deity, to command the Sun to set in the opposite side the following morning . Nimrod , who had others believe he was a deity, knew he was caught , so he instructed that Avram be imprisoned for ten years . After this Avram again was brought before Nimrod and again , Avram refused to waver, so Nimrod sentenced Avram to be burnt in the Cauldron of Ur Kasdim ( Avram's birthplace ) . Avram was saved by HaShem . Avram's brother Haran was there at the time and decided if he is asked , he will only follow Avram if Avram gets saved , which he was . Seeing as Haran's faith and belief was not there, he was killed in the Cauldron , as Torah tells it ' On the presence of Terach his father . ' So did Avram's strength come down in our Jewish History when our Jewish people faced torture. And killing and burning,' throughout History against the Jews.
Terach knew it was time to leave for Charan . Avram did so with his wife Sarai daughter of his brother Haran , who had been killed in the Furnace . Avram also left with his brother Haran's son Lot .
It was here too that Avram taught of HaShem .
Avram was at 75 years old , that HaShem Came to Avram , as this week's portion says and Told him to 'Lech Lecha," and travel to Canaan.
We note that when HaShem Comes and Gives Avram, this order, as one of the ten tests , that HaShem Does not even mention Canaan, but just says ( as He Does when Commanding Avraham to the Akeidah ) , that he , Avram is to ' Lech Lecha to the land that HaShem Would Show him . Thus , Avram had to go on pure faith , as Avram didn't even know when he left Charan , where he would be directed , but listened any way , Thus Avram followed HaShem totally and whole-heartedly .
After this move, Avram headed for Canaan. There was a famine in the land, so Avram diverted to Egypt, where his wife Sarai was taken captive . Pharaoh wanted to marry Sarai and even gave her the land of Goshen ( where the Jews stayed later on in history , when we were slaves there ) Sarai prayed to HaShem , HaShem Afflicted Pharaoh and his house hold . Pharaoh found out about the relationship between Avram and Sarai and has them escorted out of the country. Pharaoh also commanded his own daughter Hagar to go with and serve Sarai.
Lot , while travelling with Avram and Sarai, was with them in Egypt, he saw the idol-worship of that place and was attracted to it . And so a disagreement broke out between Avram's herdsman and Lot's herdsman, for Lot's herdsman would let their cattle graze in other people's fields and Avram and his herdsman would not . When Avram gave him the choice of where to go, Lot , attracted to the idol ways of the direction he was looking toward the South , and so Lot moved toward S'dom , it being more lush at the time .
Subsequently, one day , while Avram was baking Matzah Cakes , for he knew by inspiration , that this day would become Pesach , the Giant Og came calling him to let him know his nephew Lot had been taken captive by King Amrafel ( who was actually Nimrod ) , who had with three other kings overcome the rebellion of five other kings . It was because Og came to call Avram at that moment ( for Amrafel had decimated other giants ) that Avram was baking Matzah cakes , that Og got his name, for ' Cake ' in Hebrew , is ' Uga ." And so came the name of Og the Ogre . Og of course had other motives for he wanted to get Avram killed in battle so he could take his wife Sarai.
Avram got together 318 men and saved his nephew Lot. There is even a Rabbinical opinion, that Avraham only came with his Servant Eliezer , for the Gematrical value of the name ' Eliezer ' is 318 . This was the night of Passover night . Avram killed the Kings including Nimrod as ordained and freed Lot his Nephew . Avram refused reward for his help , even saying he won't even take a 'Shoe - String ' and so , we were Blessed with the Mitzvah of Tzitzis . Avram was Blessed by MelchiTzeddek, who was none other than the very holy Shem , Noach's son who was Avram's ancestor . So Avram gave Shem , a tenth , and so , Avram was the first to separate Maaser ( Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer ) .
It is then that HaShem Again Blesses Avram and assures him of a son , taking Avram above the Stars and astrology of the time , for the Jew's Destiny , is above the physical, for we are fully under the care of and pathway of HaShem and are not to be guided by the physical signs.
Still after ten years Avram and Sarai were childless and so, as was the custom after ten years, Sarai gave her handmaid to Avram and so , Yishmael was born . Hagar repeatedly mocked Sarai and so Sarai was harsher on Hagar , who decided to flee . An angel came to Hagar and commanded her to return and submit to Sarai .
At 99 years old, HaShem Commanded Avram about circumcision and so , HaShem entered into a covenant with Avram , had Avram be like Adam , who was Created Circumcized. HaShem Was Giving us another opportunity to fix the World. It was here, that HaShem changed Avram's name to Avraham ( a Gematriah of 248, the same as the limbs of the body , over which Avraham had overcome ) ,'Father of many nations ,' and his wife Sarai was changed to ' Sarah .' On that day, Avraham circumcized himself and so was Avraham's household circumcized . Avraham and Sarah , now with the letter 'Hei' added to their name from. HaShem's Name , would now have a new spiritual opening destiny to procreate and bring in the Jewish Nation . And so ends this Parsha . We thank our Holy Torah for the Beautiful learning and The Midrash Says by Rabbi Weissman for some of the information provided above here .
This Parsha is Parashas Lech Lecha . The words ' Lech Lecha," means '" Go for yourself ." Thus , HaShem Commanding this act of faith of Avram leaving everything he knew and that was familiar, was actually an action to improve Avram and his spiritual holiness.
Avram was like a bottle of sweet perfume, that would stagnate if kept in one place bottled up, but if allowed to travel and spread its fragrance, could bring in the sweetness of HaShem to permeate the World and spread The Beauty .
HaShem Commands Avram to " Lech Lecha ," to " Go for yourself ." Thus the Command was to benefit Avram, to go for his own spiritual holiness and growth . This is the same with every test HaShem Gives us. It is for our benefit . It may not always appear so at the time , but it is for us and our betterment. If we add the Gematriah of the words " Lech Lecha,' we get 30+20+30+20=100 . 100 can also be 10 and broken down further, it comes to 1 . This is the minimum number of Brochas a Jew should say every day , instituted by Dovid HaMelech . Thus when we travel away from ourselves, our Physicality, we travel toward HaShem , the Ultimate Brocha . When we do " Lech Lecha, " travel away from the Physical , toward HaShem , we return to be with HaShem where the Ten Commandments ( the Number 10) were given to us . This was a most Holy Time . A time when HaShem Showed us His Closeness .This closeness leads us to embrace the One and Only HaShem our Creator , thus the ' 1 'in the above Gematriah.
The Words '" Lech Lecha ,' cam also be rendered " Go To Yourself ." In other words , HaShem Was Commanding Avram to go to himself , his true holy self and become who he truly is and was meant to be . A man who wants to bring the World to HaShem . Thus " Lech Lecha,' means to Avram , that he should go also for his own sake so he can grow spiritually , which he cannot do fully if he doesn't share himself with the World .And in " Lech Lecha ," referring to " Go to yourself ," that would be in reference to improving ourselves in Holiness , to become the shining example of our true selves , the holy part that HaShem Created . also, Hashem wanted Avram to go from this place for his potential was stagnating in this one place. Hashem Wanted Avram to reach his full potential by spreading his sweet holiness to the World at large.
So this is for us too . HaShem Puts Tests our way ,and these tests are there to aid and assist us Spiritually . To make us grow Spiritually toward G-D . That is the true self , within each and every one of us .Our True Essence , with which to reach high and come closer to HaShem .
So when HaShem Tests us , we should not let ourselves become disheartened , for HaShem Knows our worth and if He Feels we can be tested for greater things, then it means that HaShem has faith in us to be better . Deep down inside of every one of us , is a holier spiritual part . This is the true us . This is that part of us that reaches up to and longs to touch HaShem . As we go through life , we keep being given opportunities to shine and grow . We should thus get into the habit of saying ' Gam Zu Le Tovah ,' - ' Everything is for the Good ,'just as Nachum Ish Gamzu and Rabbi Akiva used to say.
We need to develop trust in HaShem and Believe with our full heart and soul , that HaShem Knows all and that we need to learn to trust Him and know with full certainly that whatever HaShem Does, is Truly for the ultimate best . For HaShem wants us to " Lech Lecha," - Go from what is familiar and just a Physical comfort ," to our true Spiritual Holy Selves within , for that will be for our benefit too , for every step HaShem Has is done , is for ourselves and for Creation . Thus to find our true selves, is to go deeper within us to the Connection we have with HaShem , and to continue travelling on that infinite Holy road and " Lech Lecha ," toward HaShem .
I wish HaShem With Love , a Truly Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with Love , and to all my fellow Jews , a truly Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with love .
Friday, 12 October 2018
Parashas Noach
Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Noach .
At the time of Noach , the World had reached a state of no return . What does that mean and when does a World reach a state of no return . The answer to both of these is one simple response and that is when the World reaches a state where even the Laws put in place by the people , are put into place so as to be able to cheat and steal and be corrupt , then the World of those Laws ( where Law is the final frontier that stands up to immorality ) is finished there is hardly any hope . This was the World in Noach's time . At that time there was a Law , that stated that each person was not allowed to move their neighbor's landmark boundary past a certain point into their neighbor's boundary fence . So people would use this Law to steal , moving it an amount just under that legal limit of moving - thus using the law to cheat. A person would just have picked his crops, when he would be surrounded by criminals who would steal it away . When the victim would bring the perpetrators to court, each of the many perpetrators would deceitfully only steal , just under the amount that was classed at the time as stealing . ( Bereishis Rabbah ) .
These corrupt people would steal other people's cattle. Many walked around naked, for they were afraid their clothes would be ripped off and taken away or stolen from them while they were being worn (Midrash) . Murder at the time was rife , bloodshed being the order of the day . Also , the people of the time got involved in the most vile immoral practices. Men would take two wives, one for child-bearing and another for hiss own personal pleasure. Wives were interchanged as were husbands and Judges themselves who were just as deceitful , joined in with and allowed such vile practices like bestiality and even going as far as marrying humans to animals . ( Bereishis Rabbah ) . Such a practice was put into humanity via the evil angel samael , who tempted Chava in the Garden using a Snake , when he spiritually raped her . The World had reached its final depravity , for the robbery that took place , is a sin that undermines the very basis of a civilized World . HaShem Sadly decided that enough was enough and this was as far bad as it could go . At the end of the last Parsha of Bereishis , when being told of how HaShem Had Heartfelt Sadness over man , just before that , we read of the Nephilim . Who were they that helped lead the World to its depths of depravity?
HaShem Already Saw how man had corrupted his way . While HaShem Was Hurting over what He Saw, two Malachim Angels who were Azael and Shamchazai came before HaShem and argued that they had said man should not be Created due to how he will behave . HaShem Told the Angels how Creation is for the purpose of Man , but these two Angels jumped in and claimed that only they were needed and man could be dispensed with . HaShem Told them that they have no idea how hard it is to fight the Yetzer Horah and deny one's desires and passions and wants and needs and told Azael and Shemchazai that if they would go down , they would be even worse than man is . But the Angels argued that they would cope if they were sent down and asked permission to be sent down to prove themselves , so HaShem Gave them that permission, and so they fell as it were from their lofty position , to live among humans . The Hebrew word 'Fall/ Fell ' is the word ' Nafal / Naphal ,' hence the race they spawned, were called the Nephilim , The Fallen ones ( Bereishis 6:4). And so Azael and Shemchazai lived among the people and when they felt from. A physical point the sight and view of the beauty of human women,they were not able to control themselves ( Yalkut Shimoni ),and so , out of them , came a race of Giants , like Og in Avraham's time who lived till thee time of Moishe , and as then killed . It was these Giants , who committed the three terrible sins of Robbery , Murder and Immorality ( Three of the Noachide laws ) .
HaShem had cursed the ground on account of Adam's sin , butt had yet still in mercy , before the Mabul - Flood , given the people in abundance. The had gotten spoiled and expected all the goodness they were receiving , to continue , no matter how they corrupted themselves .
HaShem , as a Warning to them , Sent warning minor floods ,and earthquakes, just to warn the people to stop their immoral behavior but they continued, and ignored the warnings. HaShem Had Brought Goodness to the Earth and Gave the people longevity . Seasonal weather was almost non existent and it was always pleasant . As so many do today , they just took advantage of HaShem's Giving Goodness . HaShem Understandably Had Heartfelt Sadness and He Decided To Send a Deluge Mabul To Wipe out the World's Evil depravity .
But one man found favor in HaShem . One man , since his birth , had removed the curse put on the World at the time of Adam , giving the Earth comfort from what was Put on it before , and Noach ( whose name means ' Comfort ' and 'Rest ' ) had brought blessings of comfort to the World , by his righteousness , in the face of the bad generation around him , bringing Blessings and comfort and rest to the World . .It was this man , Noach , who , as the Torah says , "Noach Ish Tzaddik Tamim Hayah Bedorotaiv ," - " Noach was a Righteous man in his generation . " Our Rabbonim translate this two different ways. One being that in his generation of utter corruption , Noach was a Tzaddik who stood against the tidal wave of evil , and remained the Righteous one in his generation , compared to the pressure on him to do otherwise . The other opinion the Rabbonim have , is that he was only Righteous compared to the generation he lived in , and had he lived among Avraham, he would not have appeared as Righteous, although I am inclined to have the opinion , that the greater the test , the greater the man shows he overcomes and how great he shows to be . Thus Noach and only Noach may have been the only one to be him and stand up to the whole generation around him of corruption . Judaism teaches us to always look to the good , and this certainly appears to be the more fair and truer reason .
HaShem chose Noach as the one who stood against a World of terror , and took Noach as the one faithful to HaShem and His Ways .
Noach ( tenth generation after Adam ) had married Naamah , from the line of Kayin . Naamah was a Righteous woman and they had three sons. , from eldest to youngest , Yafes , Cham and Shem . HaShem Appeared to Noach and Asked him to build an Ark of three levels, the top to. Be the human living quarters, the middle for the animals and the bottom for the waste. HaShem Told Noach of His plan to bring thee Mabul , and Noach might have pleaded with HaShem to save the others but did not and just obeyed, a thought that possibly caused our Rabbonim to doubt his total Righteousness.But it iss not for us to Judge. HaShem helped bring all the Animals , Kosher one Seven by Seven and Non- Kosher ones Two by Two , to Noach and the Ark .Noach as to get precious stones from the River Pishon, to illuminate the Ark ( Targum Yonasan ) .It took Noach and his sons 120 years to build the Ark , so that the people around could come and ask what he is doing and. ,and when hearing , get the opportunity to repent and change their ways . Sadly they did not and so , just before the Flood started, their plan was to rush the Ark and break it , but this was foiled , as HaShem planted Lions and Wild Cats around the Ark to protect Noach and his family , him , his wife and his sons and his son's wives. Just before the Mabul came , sadly , Metushelach passed away . When the seven days of mourning were up, the rain began to fall ,where according to Rashi, HaShem had delayed the Flood in Metushelach's honor , for on the 17th of Cheshvan , the Hebrew month we are in right now , the first drops were felt .
Noach still delayed in entering, thinking HaShem Might never actually do it . Only when Noach saw the Malach Ha Movetz ( The Angel of Death ) coming toward him , did he go into the Ark. Hashem Personally Closed the door of the Ark . The R'aim and Og , who also survived the Mabul , we're put on the side of the outside of the Ark , where Noach made a little platform for Og to be on and another to shelter him and would feed him every day .
The next twelve months passed with much work to do feeding and caring for the animals , while the corrupt people outside perished . No matter how they tried to avoid the deluge and get to higher ground, the water went higher topping the mountains . Not only from above did the water s come down , but also from the heat of the deep , did the hot water spew forth . Tiberius' hot springs is a remainder of one of these hot springs.
Noach and his family were kept constantly busy round the clock , for different creatures needed to be fed at different times. One day Noach was late in feeding the Lion , and it gave him a swipe.
Another animal , a bird , called the Chul , Noach noticed , one day , looked quite scrawny and Noach realized , he had mistakenly missed out on this one . Noach asked the Chul , why it had said nothing to alert him , and the Chul answered that it had seen how busy Noach was, so it didn't want to be an extra burden . Naoch gave it a Brocha that due to its kindness it shoulddlive forever . ( Shas ) This bird became the Phoenix . The fish outside survived as they had not sinned with man .
The Rain fell 40 days and on the 27th of Kislev , the rain stopped , while the Mabul continued for 150 days . On the 1st of Sivan , HaShem stopped the fountains of the Earth and dispersed the water . On the first of Av , the mountains could be seen and after another 40 days , Noach prepared to send the Raven , who dud not want to go, thinking Noach wanted to kill it and take its mate Chas Ve Shalom . The Raven was one of three who disobeyed the Command to separate from its mate during the time on the Ark . The other two , were the dog and Noach's son Cham .Even though Cham's wife actually gave birth to Sichon ( who ended up to be the one killed by Moshe ), with the help of Shemchazael, one of two fallen angels . Noach sent out the Raven, but it didn't go anywhere far . After another 7 days , Noach sent out the dove , that could find no resting place for its foot and thus returned to the Ark . After another 7 days, Noach again sent out the Dove and this time it returned with an olive branch in its beak . Bereishis Rabba tells us that this Olive Branch was picked from Gan Eiden . After another 7 days , Noach sent out the Dove again , and this time it did not return . The Ark had come to rest on the Mountains of Ararat .
Noach and his family let the Ark and he got into a depression when he saw the empty Earth . HaShem made a Covenant with man and a sign of the Rainbow that He Would never again destroy the World with a full World Flood , and the Rainbow would point up toward HaShem , as if to say , at times , HaShem is Upset at how we behave , and so points His Bow - in Mercy , away from us .
Again the Command to be fruitful and multiply was Given by Hashem to Noach , who felt at a loss to again procreate the World , fearing that they may become bad Chas Ve Shalom and might get destroyed again , so HaShem Reassured Noach with this Covenant of the Rainbow , that HaShem Would Never Sent another World Deluge again to wipe out humanity .The Rainbow appears at times when there is unrighteousness and doesnt appear in a generation of Righteousness , like it didn't , in the generation of Chizkiyahu and the Men of The Great Assembly .
After exiting the Ark , Noach decided to plant a vineyard and this caused him to have a visit from Satan , who offered him to be a partner with Noach in his vineyard and brought four animals and slaughtered them in front of Noach and told him that such strong drink is like four animals , a lamb, when one first drinks and is docile . With a little more drink, he becomes like a lion, boastful and over confident , then a monkey ,for more drinking leads to dancing around like a monkey and finally a pig , who, like a person who is drunk , rolls around in the dirt .One day , Noach got drunk and fell asleep , only to wake up and see that his youngest son's son, whom he referred to as his younger son , Canaan , had castrated him and sodomized him , so that he would have no more progeny to contest with. He cursed Canaan , that he would serve his brothers .The other sons , Shem and Yefes walked backward covering their father with a blanket out of respect , our Rabbonim say we were sweetly Blessed with Tallis for the actions of our ancestor Shem .
After the Mabul , Noach's sons branched out to the 70 nations .
Cham had a son called Kush , who had a son called Nimrod ( also known as Kush ( due to his darker skin ) and Amrafel ( that meant and referred to the one that cast Avram in the cauldron ) . Nimrod persuaded people to worship idols . His power over animals and him being a strong hunter, came form the coat Cham stole from Noach, gave it to Kush , who gave it to Nimrod , that was from the covering given to Adam in Gan Eiden . Nimrod was a murderer , an idol worshiper and the first one to take advantage of the decree to eat meat . Nimrod and his army battled the line of Yefes and he was victorious, making slaves. Nimrod was crowned king and they traveled to settle in the valley in Bavel in the land of Shinar and suggested building a city and tower to reach heaven.The tower became such a high undertaking to avoid flood waters, that a man dropping and being killed , meant less than a stone block dropping . Avram ben Terach , now 48 , would walk past this building scheme every day and refuse to help .Avram asked HaShem to destroy this tower . Standing with Avram aagainst this tower project also was Shem ( known later as Melchitzeddek ) , Noachs son and grandson Aiver . HaShem Descended on this attack on Him to Judge the people's doing , and though this time , the people had come together for this project , HaShem Judged its removal as a personal attack on Him and all that is good .
Some were dispersed over the globe , the ones who wanted to go on top of the tower to avoid another flood . The ones who wanted to make this tower to wage war against HaShem , were transformed into monkeys, spirits and Mazikim - Demons and the ones who wanted the Tower for idol-worship , had their language confused . The lowest part of the tower , sunk into the Earth, the upper third was burnt and the middle part remained standing on the ground . The World was now ready for Avraham to come and shine and bring people to HaShem .
We each of us , descend from holy Noach, a man who stood against his generation of corruption . We each of us van be a like Noach and fight against the immorality of the World in our own surroundings . This is exactly what HaShem Expects of each one of us . We all have it in us . It only takes one voice , one person standing up and saying " No , and Enough ." Noach left us with a legacy and another opportunity to make this World a right and beautifully holy place . We can do it . We can make this World like the Garden of Eden , holy and sweet and pure , and a place that shines , and thus a place that we can invite HaShem To Come and Stay among us.
Thanks to our holy Rabbis and beautiful Seforim like Our Holy Torah from HaShem and also Midrash Says Bereishis by Rabbi M Weissman and Taryag Mitzvos by Kahan , that I used for some of these teachings here among other things , we have a beautiful tradition and a beautiful history to stay close to and help grow into the next and following generations to teach our children .
Noach left the World with Seven Noachide Laws , Six ( Forbidden Idolatry. Blessing HaShem's Name and not cursing It or Taking It in vain ,Not to Murder , Not to be Sexually Immoral, Not to steal ,and to set up Courts of Law ) from Adam's time and the Seventh one , not to eat the limb from a living animal , something Nebuchadnezzar used to do . We as Jews have 613 Mitzvos which we are to keep . We each , have our own duties to fulfill for HaShem . Noach , stood out as one Righteous in his generation and this allowed him to save the World . Imagine what each of us could do , if we acted likewise . Imagine what each of us could do if we all kept HaShem's Laws and this became a World of Torah .
May we all work together , this time , unlike in the time of the Tower and the Dispersal where most worked against HaShem , Chas Ve Shalom , but work together this time to bring Creation to what HaShem Wants it to be and to make this World a Light for HaShem .
I wish HaShem with Love , a Sweet Beautiful and Peaceful Shabbos Kodesh with Love and to all my fellow Yidden , a Sweet Beautiful Peaceful Shabbos Kodesh with Love and to all , A World of Peace and Blessings in the Loving Arms of HaShem .
At the time of Noach , the World had reached a state of no return . What does that mean and when does a World reach a state of no return . The answer to both of these is one simple response and that is when the World reaches a state where even the Laws put in place by the people , are put into place so as to be able to cheat and steal and be corrupt , then the World of those Laws ( where Law is the final frontier that stands up to immorality ) is finished there is hardly any hope . This was the World in Noach's time . At that time there was a Law , that stated that each person was not allowed to move their neighbor's landmark boundary past a certain point into their neighbor's boundary fence . So people would use this Law to steal , moving it an amount just under that legal limit of moving - thus using the law to cheat. A person would just have picked his crops, when he would be surrounded by criminals who would steal it away . When the victim would bring the perpetrators to court, each of the many perpetrators would deceitfully only steal , just under the amount that was classed at the time as stealing . ( Bereishis Rabbah ) .
These corrupt people would steal other people's cattle. Many walked around naked, for they were afraid their clothes would be ripped off and taken away or stolen from them while they were being worn (Midrash) . Murder at the time was rife , bloodshed being the order of the day . Also , the people of the time got involved in the most vile immoral practices. Men would take two wives, one for child-bearing and another for hiss own personal pleasure. Wives were interchanged as were husbands and Judges themselves who were just as deceitful , joined in with and allowed such vile practices like bestiality and even going as far as marrying humans to animals . ( Bereishis Rabbah ) . Such a practice was put into humanity via the evil angel samael , who tempted Chava in the Garden using a Snake , when he spiritually raped her . The World had reached its final depravity , for the robbery that took place , is a sin that undermines the very basis of a civilized World . HaShem Sadly decided that enough was enough and this was as far bad as it could go . At the end of the last Parsha of Bereishis , when being told of how HaShem Had Heartfelt Sadness over man , just before that , we read of the Nephilim . Who were they that helped lead the World to its depths of depravity?
HaShem Already Saw how man had corrupted his way . While HaShem Was Hurting over what He Saw, two Malachim Angels who were Azael and Shamchazai came before HaShem and argued that they had said man should not be Created due to how he will behave . HaShem Told the Angels how Creation is for the purpose of Man , but these two Angels jumped in and claimed that only they were needed and man could be dispensed with . HaShem Told them that they have no idea how hard it is to fight the Yetzer Horah and deny one's desires and passions and wants and needs and told Azael and Shemchazai that if they would go down , they would be even worse than man is . But the Angels argued that they would cope if they were sent down and asked permission to be sent down to prove themselves , so HaShem Gave them that permission, and so they fell as it were from their lofty position , to live among humans . The Hebrew word 'Fall/ Fell ' is the word ' Nafal / Naphal ,' hence the race they spawned, were called the Nephilim , The Fallen ones ( Bereishis 6:4). And so Azael and Shemchazai lived among the people and when they felt from. A physical point the sight and view of the beauty of human women,they were not able to control themselves ( Yalkut Shimoni ),and so , out of them , came a race of Giants , like Og in Avraham's time who lived till thee time of Moishe , and as then killed . It was these Giants , who committed the three terrible sins of Robbery , Murder and Immorality ( Three of the Noachide laws ) .
HaShem had cursed the ground on account of Adam's sin , butt had yet still in mercy , before the Mabul - Flood , given the people in abundance. The had gotten spoiled and expected all the goodness they were receiving , to continue , no matter how they corrupted themselves .
HaShem , as a Warning to them , Sent warning minor floods ,and earthquakes, just to warn the people to stop their immoral behavior but they continued, and ignored the warnings. HaShem Had Brought Goodness to the Earth and Gave the people longevity . Seasonal weather was almost non existent and it was always pleasant . As so many do today , they just took advantage of HaShem's Giving Goodness . HaShem Understandably Had Heartfelt Sadness and He Decided To Send a Deluge Mabul To Wipe out the World's Evil depravity .
But one man found favor in HaShem . One man , since his birth , had removed the curse put on the World at the time of Adam , giving the Earth comfort from what was Put on it before , and Noach ( whose name means ' Comfort ' and 'Rest ' ) had brought blessings of comfort to the World , by his righteousness , in the face of the bad generation around him , bringing Blessings and comfort and rest to the World . .It was this man , Noach , who , as the Torah says , "Noach Ish Tzaddik Tamim Hayah Bedorotaiv ," - " Noach was a Righteous man in his generation . " Our Rabbonim translate this two different ways. One being that in his generation of utter corruption , Noach was a Tzaddik who stood against the tidal wave of evil , and remained the Righteous one in his generation , compared to the pressure on him to do otherwise . The other opinion the Rabbonim have , is that he was only Righteous compared to the generation he lived in , and had he lived among Avraham, he would not have appeared as Righteous, although I am inclined to have the opinion , that the greater the test , the greater the man shows he overcomes and how great he shows to be . Thus Noach and only Noach may have been the only one to be him and stand up to the whole generation around him of corruption . Judaism teaches us to always look to the good , and this certainly appears to be the more fair and truer reason .
HaShem chose Noach as the one who stood against a World of terror , and took Noach as the one faithful to HaShem and His Ways .
Noach ( tenth generation after Adam ) had married Naamah , from the line of Kayin . Naamah was a Righteous woman and they had three sons. , from eldest to youngest , Yafes , Cham and Shem . HaShem Appeared to Noach and Asked him to build an Ark of three levels, the top to. Be the human living quarters, the middle for the animals and the bottom for the waste. HaShem Told Noach of His plan to bring thee Mabul , and Noach might have pleaded with HaShem to save the others but did not and just obeyed, a thought that possibly caused our Rabbonim to doubt his total Righteousness.But it iss not for us to Judge. HaShem helped bring all the Animals , Kosher one Seven by Seven and Non- Kosher ones Two by Two , to Noach and the Ark .Noach as to get precious stones from the River Pishon, to illuminate the Ark ( Targum Yonasan ) .It took Noach and his sons 120 years to build the Ark , so that the people around could come and ask what he is doing and. ,and when hearing , get the opportunity to repent and change their ways . Sadly they did not and so , just before the Flood started, their plan was to rush the Ark and break it , but this was foiled , as HaShem planted Lions and Wild Cats around the Ark to protect Noach and his family , him , his wife and his sons and his son's wives. Just before the Mabul came , sadly , Metushelach passed away . When the seven days of mourning were up, the rain began to fall ,where according to Rashi, HaShem had delayed the Flood in Metushelach's honor , for on the 17th of Cheshvan , the Hebrew month we are in right now , the first drops were felt .
Noach still delayed in entering, thinking HaShem Might never actually do it . Only when Noach saw the Malach Ha Movetz ( The Angel of Death ) coming toward him , did he go into the Ark. Hashem Personally Closed the door of the Ark . The R'aim and Og , who also survived the Mabul , we're put on the side of the outside of the Ark , where Noach made a little platform for Og to be on and another to shelter him and would feed him every day .
The next twelve months passed with much work to do feeding and caring for the animals , while the corrupt people outside perished . No matter how they tried to avoid the deluge and get to higher ground, the water went higher topping the mountains . Not only from above did the water s come down , but also from the heat of the deep , did the hot water spew forth . Tiberius' hot springs is a remainder of one of these hot springs.
Noach and his family were kept constantly busy round the clock , for different creatures needed to be fed at different times. One day Noach was late in feeding the Lion , and it gave him a swipe.
Another animal , a bird , called the Chul , Noach noticed , one day , looked quite scrawny and Noach realized , he had mistakenly missed out on this one . Noach asked the Chul , why it had said nothing to alert him , and the Chul answered that it had seen how busy Noach was, so it didn't want to be an extra burden . Naoch gave it a Brocha that due to its kindness it shoulddlive forever . ( Shas ) This bird became the Phoenix . The fish outside survived as they had not sinned with man .
The Rain fell 40 days and on the 27th of Kislev , the rain stopped , while the Mabul continued for 150 days . On the 1st of Sivan , HaShem stopped the fountains of the Earth and dispersed the water . On the first of Av , the mountains could be seen and after another 40 days , Noach prepared to send the Raven , who dud not want to go, thinking Noach wanted to kill it and take its mate Chas Ve Shalom . The Raven was one of three who disobeyed the Command to separate from its mate during the time on the Ark . The other two , were the dog and Noach's son Cham .Even though Cham's wife actually gave birth to Sichon ( who ended up to be the one killed by Moshe ), with the help of Shemchazael, one of two fallen angels . Noach sent out the Raven, but it didn't go anywhere far . After another 7 days , Noach sent out the dove , that could find no resting place for its foot and thus returned to the Ark . After another 7 days, Noach again sent out the Dove and this time it returned with an olive branch in its beak . Bereishis Rabba tells us that this Olive Branch was picked from Gan Eiden . After another 7 days , Noach sent out the Dove again , and this time it did not return . The Ark had come to rest on the Mountains of Ararat .
Noach and his family let the Ark and he got into a depression when he saw the empty Earth . HaShem made a Covenant with man and a sign of the Rainbow that He Would never again destroy the World with a full World Flood , and the Rainbow would point up toward HaShem , as if to say , at times , HaShem is Upset at how we behave , and so points His Bow - in Mercy , away from us .
Again the Command to be fruitful and multiply was Given by Hashem to Noach , who felt at a loss to again procreate the World , fearing that they may become bad Chas Ve Shalom and might get destroyed again , so HaShem Reassured Noach with this Covenant of the Rainbow , that HaShem Would Never Sent another World Deluge again to wipe out humanity .The Rainbow appears at times when there is unrighteousness and doesnt appear in a generation of Righteousness , like it didn't , in the generation of Chizkiyahu and the Men of The Great Assembly .
After exiting the Ark , Noach decided to plant a vineyard and this caused him to have a visit from Satan , who offered him to be a partner with Noach in his vineyard and brought four animals and slaughtered them in front of Noach and told him that such strong drink is like four animals , a lamb, when one first drinks and is docile . With a little more drink, he becomes like a lion, boastful and over confident , then a monkey ,for more drinking leads to dancing around like a monkey and finally a pig , who, like a person who is drunk , rolls around in the dirt .One day , Noach got drunk and fell asleep , only to wake up and see that his youngest son's son, whom he referred to as his younger son , Canaan , had castrated him and sodomized him , so that he would have no more progeny to contest with. He cursed Canaan , that he would serve his brothers .The other sons , Shem and Yefes walked backward covering their father with a blanket out of respect , our Rabbonim say we were sweetly Blessed with Tallis for the actions of our ancestor Shem .
After the Mabul , Noach's sons branched out to the 70 nations .
Cham had a son called Kush , who had a son called Nimrod ( also known as Kush ( due to his darker skin ) and Amrafel ( that meant and referred to the one that cast Avram in the cauldron ) . Nimrod persuaded people to worship idols . His power over animals and him being a strong hunter, came form the coat Cham stole from Noach, gave it to Kush , who gave it to Nimrod , that was from the covering given to Adam in Gan Eiden . Nimrod was a murderer , an idol worshiper and the first one to take advantage of the decree to eat meat . Nimrod and his army battled the line of Yefes and he was victorious, making slaves. Nimrod was crowned king and they traveled to settle in the valley in Bavel in the land of Shinar and suggested building a city and tower to reach heaven.The tower became such a high undertaking to avoid flood waters, that a man dropping and being killed , meant less than a stone block dropping . Avram ben Terach , now 48 , would walk past this building scheme every day and refuse to help .Avram asked HaShem to destroy this tower . Standing with Avram aagainst this tower project also was Shem ( known later as Melchitzeddek ) , Noachs son and grandson Aiver . HaShem Descended on this attack on Him to Judge the people's doing , and though this time , the people had come together for this project , HaShem Judged its removal as a personal attack on Him and all that is good .
Some were dispersed over the globe , the ones who wanted to go on top of the tower to avoid another flood . The ones who wanted to make this tower to wage war against HaShem , were transformed into monkeys, spirits and Mazikim - Demons and the ones who wanted the Tower for idol-worship , had their language confused . The lowest part of the tower , sunk into the Earth, the upper third was burnt and the middle part remained standing on the ground . The World was now ready for Avraham to come and shine and bring people to HaShem .
We each of us , descend from holy Noach, a man who stood against his generation of corruption . We each of us van be a like Noach and fight against the immorality of the World in our own surroundings . This is exactly what HaShem Expects of each one of us . We all have it in us . It only takes one voice , one person standing up and saying " No , and Enough ." Noach left us with a legacy and another opportunity to make this World a right and beautifully holy place . We can do it . We can make this World like the Garden of Eden , holy and sweet and pure , and a place that shines , and thus a place that we can invite HaShem To Come and Stay among us.
Thanks to our holy Rabbis and beautiful Seforim like Our Holy Torah from HaShem and also Midrash Says Bereishis by Rabbi M Weissman and Taryag Mitzvos by Kahan , that I used for some of these teachings here among other things , we have a beautiful tradition and a beautiful history to stay close to and help grow into the next and following generations to teach our children .
Noach left the World with Seven Noachide Laws , Six ( Forbidden Idolatry. Blessing HaShem's Name and not cursing It or Taking It in vain ,Not to Murder , Not to be Sexually Immoral, Not to steal ,and to set up Courts of Law ) from Adam's time and the Seventh one , not to eat the limb from a living animal , something Nebuchadnezzar used to do . We as Jews have 613 Mitzvos which we are to keep . We each , have our own duties to fulfill for HaShem . Noach , stood out as one Righteous in his generation and this allowed him to save the World . Imagine what each of us could do , if we acted likewise . Imagine what each of us could do if we all kept HaShem's Laws and this became a World of Torah .
May we all work together , this time , unlike in the time of the Tower and the Dispersal where most worked against HaShem , Chas Ve Shalom , but work together this time to bring Creation to what HaShem Wants it to be and to make this World a Light for HaShem .
I wish HaShem with Love , a Sweet Beautiful and Peaceful Shabbos Kodesh with Love and to all my fellow Yidden , a Sweet Beautiful Peaceful Shabbos Kodesh with Love and to all , A World of Peace and Blessings in the Loving Arms of HaShem .
Friday, 5 October 2018
Parashas Bereishis
This Shabbos , we return again to the Beginning in Parashas Bereishis.
How often do we return to the Beginning of things to start over and make things right. Is that not a common thought of the New Year, which we just celebrated a little while ago. HaShem Mercifully and Lovingly Gives us opportunities to fix things. Every morning HaShem Returns our Neshoma to us to give us a new opportunity each and every day, Having Faith in us to put things right .
HaShem Starts out the Torah with the word " Bereishis, " - " In the Beginning ," for this is the Beginning of this Creation or Creation as we know it.
I say that, because our Rabbis tell that this may not have been the first things that HaShem has Made, and there are Rabbonim who believe this is the last one. This certainly makes us wonder what those others were and why HaShem , If He did Remove them , were they Cut off , which is hinted at by the very word ' Barei,' - which means 'To Cut Down , ' mentioned within the first word of the Torah , and thus talks of cutting them down . Our Rabbis tell us that we are not permitted to contemplate what came before this Creation , perhaps because of the negativity of some of them Chas Ve Shalom ..
All Creation and all things are within this first word of the Torah - " Bereishis . " Even this concept of having been cut off before , for it's hint is there within the the word " Bereishis ," as the word 'Barei ,' which means ' to cut down ( Shilo Dictionary ) ,' is within the word "Bereishis . " It certainly appears from this word ' Barei ' as though HaShem Hinted at this that there was something else before , that was ' cut down .' The whole idea of Creation and all that HaShem Does , is so beyond our understanding and thus we need to have faith and trust and Emunah in all HaShem Does .
Torah starts with a big letter ' Bet ,' instead of the letter Aleph ( the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet ) . The reason for this is that the Letter ' Bet ' , being not the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet , shows that HaShem ( often His Name is spelled with a Letter 'Aleph,' ) , came before all things when nothing else existed . HaShem The One And Only, Comes before Creation . The letter ' Bet ' is the first letter of the words ' Ben ' and 'Bat ' - " Son ' and ' Daughter ,' in other words ' Children, for HaShem Was there before Creation and we all , as part of His Creation , are all HaShem's Children . Our Rabbis tell us that At the Beginning , HaShem Spoke and all came into being in a state of disarray , or not in order and HaShem Brought all into being in order , in it's place on each day . The Darkness that existed at the Beginning , was a Creation as well , and contained within it , the Hidden Light that HaShem Made .Thus the Darkness had within it , the potential for Light , just as we , who are still growing spiritually , have the potential for great holiness , as Creations of HaShem . HaShem KNows to trust us every Morning as we say Modeh Ani , for HaShem Knows that we all deep down can be Holy and Good and Moral . The Choice of what we do , is left by HaShem to us . This Free Choice , is what allows us to become holy and who we are deep within , for it is more holy to choose to be holy , then to be given it like a robot who can never be good of itself . In this way , we can grow higher than Malachin Angels , who are not given the Free Choice to grow ,as we are . Adam , Man , was the eight of Creation , made on the last day and Given by HaShem , a World already prepared ,with all his needs . How Loving and Caring is HaShem . HaShem Was Alone Making Creation , and whenever we Bless something , we use part of this First word in the Torah , to Bless whatever we partake of , in the Brocha we say . Thus when we Jews Bless something , we are in fact , Blesssing that particular article , that was Created at the Beginning , and only came into being at that moment we needed it and then we say the Brocha for it, for in the Brochas , we are actually Blessing Creation , and HaShem's Wisdom , for He Knew at the Beginning , that right now so long after , we would partake of that thing and so HaShem Created it back then , and that thing , partaken of now , actually waited since Creation , to be utilized now , and it is also so it's Spiritual essence can return to HaShem as we all should . Midrash Rabbah gives a lot of insight into the first word " Bereishis . " For there are many secret holy variations of words , in this one Holy word ' Bereishis .
The Midrash Bereishis Rabbah says that, taking the last letter of the first three words of this Parsha , spell the word Emet - truth , for you can have no greater truth than HaShem and His Creation and follow no truer path than HaShem's Holy Torah and the only true Truth is that HaShem Created Creation .
Also within the word " Bereishis ," according to Midrash Bereishis Rabbah , is the word Alef ( letter Alef ) B'Tishrei , the First " of Tishrei ', for on this 1st of Tishrei , was the Creation of Man ( humans ) , thus showing that HaShem Gives Creation to us as a Gift and It should be treated as such , with holiness , love, care and HaShem's Mitzvos , the way HaShem Wants it to be treated as well as we , should behave the way HaShem Wants us to behave as well us us doing all HaShem's Commandments as HaShem Wants us to , as we as well as all Creation , are His . Also , says Midrash Bereishis Rabbah , within the word " Bereishis , " are the words ( with the same letters ) ' Barah Shtei ,' - ' ' He Created two ,' which is an allusion to Adam Ve Chava ,' or an allusion to more than just this Creation that was ever Created , or even according to Midrash Bereishis Rabbah , a reference to the Two Torah Divisions of Torah She Bichtav and Torah She ' Be'al Peh ( the written and oral ) . This could also be a reference to the two choices we are given , to do what HaShem Commands , or do wrong and disobey Chas Ve Shalom , each with its resulting destination and Rewards or Punishments . The choice is ours .
Midrash Bereishis Rabbah also suggests that within the word " Bereishis " are the words ' Yerei Shabbat ,' - ' Revere the Shabbos ,' using the same letters , showing how important Shabbos and Torah Laws are to HaShem and us Jews and we need to follow them . The whole of Creation , every day , rises up to revere HaShem . So must we revere the Shabbos , the reason and result of Creation , to reach that Eternal Shabbos . These words within the word " Bereishis " also show that all things now were Created by HaShem in merit of the Shabbos.
Midrash Bereishis Rabbah also suggests that within the word " Bereishis " are the words " Brit Eish , " which means ' Covenant of Fire ,' for in the merit and covenant of circumcision, and through the merit of ' Fire ,' referring to Torah ,' we can be saved from the judgement of Gehinnom , where Torah was originally written Black Fire on White Fire , and also that is a reference to the Fire of Torah burning in our soul through the ages. HaShem Wrote the Torah 2000 years before Creation , and as our Rabbonim teach , HaShem " Looked into the Torah and Created the World ," for Torah is the Blueprint of Creation . Nothing that HaShem Does , is haphazard . There is a Plan , even though we don't always see it .
Deep in the Midrash Bereishis Rabbah , it also suggests that the word " Bereishis," also has the words "Bara'ta ( ' Created 'and the letters Yud Shin ( which add up to 310 , which means that HaShem May have Created 310 Worlds as a Reward for the Tzaddikim .
The Midrash Rabba Bereishis also teaches that the Gematriah of the words ' Bereishis Barah ,' equal the words " B'Rosh Hashanah Nivrah Ha'Olam ," which means , " On Rosh HaShanah the World ( Man ) was Created . "
Bereishis Midrash Rabbah also says that the Gematriah of the word " Bereishis " is 913 , which is the same Gematrical value as " BeTorah Yatzar ," which means , " He ( HaShem ) Formed ( It ) with the Torah . "
So within the word " Bereishis ," are many secrets and deep spiritual meanings .
HaShem at first Created Creation with his Attribute of " Elokim " - " Judgement " but tempered it with ' Mercy ,' seeing that the World would not survive our imperfections without His Mercy .
HaShem Created the Creation with Ten Pronouncements . Even though He is the Creator , HaShem Still Created with Pronouncements , in a soft kind way . So must we be soft and kind and emulate HaShem's Holy Ways .
Very different from the Snake into which Samael the Angel came into , in order to tempt Chava . The Snake or Samael , played on Chava's need and lack of confidence , when he tricked her , by offering her that which was forbidden , thus Loshoning and Slandering HaShem . When she said she may neither " eat of it nor touch it "( where HaShem Had only Said they may not eat of it and Had Said nothing of not touching it , all Samael had to do , was push Chava against the Tree , of Knowledge of Good and Evil ,which was joined at the root with the Tree of Life , at the centre of Gan Eiden , and prove it could be touched . Once Chava had been eased to the first step , the second one to break ( a lesson for us all in all things ) , was easier and she reached up her hand and took of it . Although by this time , Samael had already forced himself upon her , and spiritually raped her , thus putting a part of his spirituality into one of the children she was carrying , Kayin and this is why she talked of sadly having made a child with a divine being . We saw the results of this when Kayin in jealousy killed his brother Hevel . Sadly , this strain continued through humanity , into Naamah , who was descended from Kayin's line , where Naamah married Noach , and thus continued down the line , even though Naamah was a very holy Woman and the mother of us all .
Thus , within humanity , we have a lot to work on and try and improve and rid ourselves of .
HaShem's Torah in keeping It , fights all negativity and rids the World of this Strain and slander that Samael perpetrated against HaShem and even though HaShem Said , in punishing the Snake , who once walked upright , that HaShem will put enmity between Samael's offspring , which was Ashmedai the Mazzik among others , and Chava's Offspring through Shais - Seth , but in Mashiach's time , Samael will cease to exist. Samael is the Malach Angel of our greatest enemy Amalek , who has repeatedly tried to judge Jews and entice enemies to kill us as a nation . At the End of Days , he will cease to exist , may it come soon in our days .
Bereishis , is the Beginning , yet within it , are the seeds to the end and the final days till Mashiach Comes .
Such a time we await, where there will no longer be persecution of our people . Where we will not be disturbed by heartaches and strife and ill health . Where we will return to Gan Eiden , a place , where every tree would bear fruit , and where even the bark of the trees would smell and taste sweet . Where the abundance of taste was never ending and the smell and fragrance of peace was the sweetest melody that surrounded us always.
We are here in this World , to work our way back to Gan Eiden . The Torah , Given by HaShem is our pathway and steering hand leading us in return to Gan Eiden , where we can experience the Brilliance of HaShem's Shechinah always .
Where even the air is filled with Torah Light and the Sweetness of HaShem .
In returning to the beginning , where it all started , we return in Teshuvah , to fix our errors and mistakes , so that we may make up for them and repair the errors made near the Beginning . So that the Beginning , can carry straight on to the Eternal Shabbos , it was going to be , and so that we can step into the Eternal Shabbos and be surrounded totally with HaShem's Love . May our Torah Learning and Observance take us from " Bereishis , " and continue straight into The Eternal Shabbos of Olam HaBah and sit in the Sweetness of HaShem's Love .
I wish HaShem with Love a Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with Love and wishing all my fellow Yidden a Blessed Shabbos , a Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with love .
How often do we return to the Beginning of things to start over and make things right. Is that not a common thought of the New Year, which we just celebrated a little while ago. HaShem Mercifully and Lovingly Gives us opportunities to fix things. Every morning HaShem Returns our Neshoma to us to give us a new opportunity each and every day, Having Faith in us to put things right .
HaShem Starts out the Torah with the word " Bereishis, " - " In the Beginning ," for this is the Beginning of this Creation or Creation as we know it.
I say that, because our Rabbis tell that this may not have been the first things that HaShem has Made, and there are Rabbonim who believe this is the last one. This certainly makes us wonder what those others were and why HaShem , If He did Remove them , were they Cut off , which is hinted at by the very word ' Barei,' - which means 'To Cut Down , ' mentioned within the first word of the Torah , and thus talks of cutting them down . Our Rabbis tell us that we are not permitted to contemplate what came before this Creation , perhaps because of the negativity of some of them Chas Ve Shalom ..
All Creation and all things are within this first word of the Torah - " Bereishis . " Even this concept of having been cut off before , for it's hint is there within the the word " Bereishis ," as the word 'Barei ,' which means ' to cut down ( Shilo Dictionary ) ,' is within the word "Bereishis . " It certainly appears from this word ' Barei ' as though HaShem Hinted at this that there was something else before , that was ' cut down .' The whole idea of Creation and all that HaShem Does , is so beyond our understanding and thus we need to have faith and trust and Emunah in all HaShem Does .
Torah starts with a big letter ' Bet ,' instead of the letter Aleph ( the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet ) . The reason for this is that the Letter ' Bet ' , being not the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet , shows that HaShem ( often His Name is spelled with a Letter 'Aleph,' ) , came before all things when nothing else existed . HaShem The One And Only, Comes before Creation . The letter ' Bet ' is the first letter of the words ' Ben ' and 'Bat ' - " Son ' and ' Daughter ,' in other words ' Children, for HaShem Was there before Creation and we all , as part of His Creation , are all HaShem's Children . Our Rabbis tell us that At the Beginning , HaShem Spoke and all came into being in a state of disarray , or not in order and HaShem Brought all into being in order , in it's place on each day . The Darkness that existed at the Beginning , was a Creation as well , and contained within it , the Hidden Light that HaShem Made .Thus the Darkness had within it , the potential for Light , just as we , who are still growing spiritually , have the potential for great holiness , as Creations of HaShem . HaShem KNows to trust us every Morning as we say Modeh Ani , for HaShem Knows that we all deep down can be Holy and Good and Moral . The Choice of what we do , is left by HaShem to us . This Free Choice , is what allows us to become holy and who we are deep within , for it is more holy to choose to be holy , then to be given it like a robot who can never be good of itself . In this way , we can grow higher than Malachin Angels , who are not given the Free Choice to grow ,as we are . Adam , Man , was the eight of Creation , made on the last day and Given by HaShem , a World already prepared ,with all his needs . How Loving and Caring is HaShem . HaShem Was Alone Making Creation , and whenever we Bless something , we use part of this First word in the Torah , to Bless whatever we partake of , in the Brocha we say . Thus when we Jews Bless something , we are in fact , Blesssing that particular article , that was Created at the Beginning , and only came into being at that moment we needed it and then we say the Brocha for it, for in the Brochas , we are actually Blessing Creation , and HaShem's Wisdom , for He Knew at the Beginning , that right now so long after , we would partake of that thing and so HaShem Created it back then , and that thing , partaken of now , actually waited since Creation , to be utilized now , and it is also so it's Spiritual essence can return to HaShem as we all should . Midrash Rabbah gives a lot of insight into the first word " Bereishis . " For there are many secret holy variations of words , in this one Holy word ' Bereishis .
The Midrash Bereishis Rabbah says that, taking the last letter of the first three words of this Parsha , spell the word Emet - truth , for you can have no greater truth than HaShem and His Creation and follow no truer path than HaShem's Holy Torah and the only true Truth is that HaShem Created Creation .
Also within the word " Bereishis ," according to Midrash Bereishis Rabbah , is the word Alef ( letter Alef ) B'Tishrei , the First " of Tishrei ', for on this 1st of Tishrei , was the Creation of Man ( humans ) , thus showing that HaShem Gives Creation to us as a Gift and It should be treated as such , with holiness , love, care and HaShem's Mitzvos , the way HaShem Wants it to be treated as well as we , should behave the way HaShem Wants us to behave as well us us doing all HaShem's Commandments as HaShem Wants us to , as we as well as all Creation , are His . Also , says Midrash Bereishis Rabbah , within the word " Bereishis , " are the words ( with the same letters ) ' Barah Shtei ,' - ' ' He Created two ,' which is an allusion to Adam Ve Chava ,' or an allusion to more than just this Creation that was ever Created , or even according to Midrash Bereishis Rabbah , a reference to the Two Torah Divisions of Torah She Bichtav and Torah She ' Be'al Peh ( the written and oral ) . This could also be a reference to the two choices we are given , to do what HaShem Commands , or do wrong and disobey Chas Ve Shalom , each with its resulting destination and Rewards or Punishments . The choice is ours .
Midrash Bereishis Rabbah also suggests that within the word " Bereishis " are the words ' Yerei Shabbat ,' - ' Revere the Shabbos ,' using the same letters , showing how important Shabbos and Torah Laws are to HaShem and us Jews and we need to follow them . The whole of Creation , every day , rises up to revere HaShem . So must we revere the Shabbos , the reason and result of Creation , to reach that Eternal Shabbos . These words within the word " Bereishis " also show that all things now were Created by HaShem in merit of the Shabbos.
Midrash Bereishis Rabbah also suggests that within the word " Bereishis " are the words " Brit Eish , " which means ' Covenant of Fire ,' for in the merit and covenant of circumcision, and through the merit of ' Fire ,' referring to Torah ,' we can be saved from the judgement of Gehinnom , where Torah was originally written Black Fire on White Fire , and also that is a reference to the Fire of Torah burning in our soul through the ages. HaShem Wrote the Torah 2000 years before Creation , and as our Rabbonim teach , HaShem " Looked into the Torah and Created the World ," for Torah is the Blueprint of Creation . Nothing that HaShem Does , is haphazard . There is a Plan , even though we don't always see it .
Deep in the Midrash Bereishis Rabbah , it also suggests that the word " Bereishis," also has the words "Bara'ta ( ' Created 'and the letters Yud Shin ( which add up to 310 , which means that HaShem May have Created 310 Worlds as a Reward for the Tzaddikim .
The Midrash Rabba Bereishis also teaches that the Gematriah of the words ' Bereishis Barah ,' equal the words " B'Rosh Hashanah Nivrah Ha'Olam ," which means , " On Rosh HaShanah the World ( Man ) was Created . "
Bereishis Midrash Rabbah also says that the Gematriah of the word " Bereishis " is 913 , which is the same Gematrical value as " BeTorah Yatzar ," which means , " He ( HaShem ) Formed ( It ) with the Torah . "
So within the word " Bereishis ," are many secrets and deep spiritual meanings .
HaShem at first Created Creation with his Attribute of " Elokim " - " Judgement " but tempered it with ' Mercy ,' seeing that the World would not survive our imperfections without His Mercy .
HaShem Created the Creation with Ten Pronouncements . Even though He is the Creator , HaShem Still Created with Pronouncements , in a soft kind way . So must we be soft and kind and emulate HaShem's Holy Ways .
Very different from the Snake into which Samael the Angel came into , in order to tempt Chava . The Snake or Samael , played on Chava's need and lack of confidence , when he tricked her , by offering her that which was forbidden , thus Loshoning and Slandering HaShem . When she said she may neither " eat of it nor touch it "( where HaShem Had only Said they may not eat of it and Had Said nothing of not touching it , all Samael had to do , was push Chava against the Tree , of Knowledge of Good and Evil ,which was joined at the root with the Tree of Life , at the centre of Gan Eiden , and prove it could be touched . Once Chava had been eased to the first step , the second one to break ( a lesson for us all in all things ) , was easier and she reached up her hand and took of it . Although by this time , Samael had already forced himself upon her , and spiritually raped her , thus putting a part of his spirituality into one of the children she was carrying , Kayin and this is why she talked of sadly having made a child with a divine being . We saw the results of this when Kayin in jealousy killed his brother Hevel . Sadly , this strain continued through humanity , into Naamah , who was descended from Kayin's line , where Naamah married Noach , and thus continued down the line , even though Naamah was a very holy Woman and the mother of us all .
Thus , within humanity , we have a lot to work on and try and improve and rid ourselves of .
HaShem's Torah in keeping It , fights all negativity and rids the World of this Strain and slander that Samael perpetrated against HaShem and even though HaShem Said , in punishing the Snake , who once walked upright , that HaShem will put enmity between Samael's offspring , which was Ashmedai the Mazzik among others , and Chava's Offspring through Shais - Seth , but in Mashiach's time , Samael will cease to exist. Samael is the Malach Angel of our greatest enemy Amalek , who has repeatedly tried to judge Jews and entice enemies to kill us as a nation . At the End of Days , he will cease to exist , may it come soon in our days .
Bereishis , is the Beginning , yet within it , are the seeds to the end and the final days till Mashiach Comes .
Such a time we await, where there will no longer be persecution of our people . Where we will not be disturbed by heartaches and strife and ill health . Where we will return to Gan Eiden , a place , where every tree would bear fruit , and where even the bark of the trees would smell and taste sweet . Where the abundance of taste was never ending and the smell and fragrance of peace was the sweetest melody that surrounded us always.
We are here in this World , to work our way back to Gan Eiden . The Torah , Given by HaShem is our pathway and steering hand leading us in return to Gan Eiden , where we can experience the Brilliance of HaShem's Shechinah always .
Where even the air is filled with Torah Light and the Sweetness of HaShem .
In returning to the beginning , where it all started , we return in Teshuvah , to fix our errors and mistakes , so that we may make up for them and repair the errors made near the Beginning . So that the Beginning , can carry straight on to the Eternal Shabbos , it was going to be , and so that we can step into the Eternal Shabbos and be surrounded totally with HaShem's Love . May our Torah Learning and Observance take us from " Bereishis , " and continue straight into The Eternal Shabbos of Olam HaBah and sit in the Sweetness of HaShem's Love .
I wish HaShem with Love a Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with Love and wishing all my fellow Yidden a Blessed Shabbos , a Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with love .
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