TORAH STUDY MATERIAL
TORAH
- תּוֹרָה
Torah (/ˈtɔːrə, ˈtoʊrə/; Hebrew: תּוֹרָה, "Instruction",
"Teaching" or "Law") has a range of meanings. It can most
specifically mean the first five books (Pentateuch or Five
Books of Moses) of the Hebrew Bible,
namely (in their commonly used names) Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and
Deuteronomy. This is known in the Jewish tradition as the Written Torah.
It can also mean the continued narrative from all
the 24 books, from the Book of Genesis to the end of the Tanakh (Chronicles).
If in bound book form, it is called Chumash, and is usually printed with the rabbinic commentaries (perushim).
If meant for liturgic purposes, it takes the form of a Torah scroll (Sefer Torah),
which contains strictly the five books of Moses.
It can even mean the totality of Jewish teaching,
culture, and practice, whether derived from biblical texts or later rabbinic writings.
This is often known as the Oral Torah.[1] Common to all these meanings, Torah consists
of the origin of Jewish peoplehood: their call into being by YHWH, their trials and tribulations, and their
covenant with their YHWH, which involves
following a way of life embodied in a set of moral and religious obligations
and civil laws (halakha).
The “Tawrat”
(also Tawrah or Taurat; Arabic: توراة)
is the Arabic name for the Torah within its context as an Islamic holy book
believed by Muslims to be given by YHWH to Prophets among the Children of
Israel, and often refers to the entire Hebrew Bible.[2]
In rabbinic literature the
word Torah denotes both the five books (Hebrew: תורה שבכתב, romanized: torah shebichtav "Torah
that is written") and the Oral Torah (Hebrew: תורה שבעל פה, romanized: torah shebe'al peh,
"Torah that is spoken"). The Oral Torah consists of interpretations
and amplifications which according to rabbinic tradition have
been handed down from generation to generation and are now embodied in
the Talmud and Midrash.[3] Rabbinic tradition's understanding is that
all of the teachings found in the Torah (both written and oral) were given by YHWH
through the prophet Moses, some at Mount Sinai and
others at the Tabernacle, and all the teachings were written
down by Moses, which resulted in the Torah that
exists today. According to the Midrash, the Torah was created prior to
the creation of the world, and was used as the blueprint for Creation.[4] The majority of Biblical
scholars believe that the written books
were a product of the Babylonian captivity (c.
6th century BCE), based on earlier written sources and oral traditions, and
that it was completed with final revisions during the post-Exilic period (c. 5th century BCE).[5][6][7]
Traditionally, the words of the Torah are written
on a scroll by a scribe (sofer) in Hebrew. A Torah portion is
read publicly at least once every three days in the presence of a congregation.[8] Reading the Torah publicly is one of the
bases of Jewish communal life.
Contents
- 5The
Oral Torah
- 6Divine
significance of letters, Jewish mysticism
- 7Production
and use of a Torah scroll
- 8Torah
translations
o 8.2Greek
o 8.3Latin
o 9.3Islam
Meaning and Names
Reading of the Torah
The word "Torah" in Hebrew is derived from the root ירה, which in the hif'il conjugation means
'to guide' or 'to teach' (cf. Lev 10:11). The meaning of the word is therefore
"teaching", "doctrine", or "instruction"; the
commonly accepted "law" gives a wrong impression.[9] The Alexandrian
Jews who translated the Septuagint used the Greek word nomos,
meaning norm, standard, doctrine, and later "law". Greek and Latin
Bibles then began the custom of calling the Pentateuch (five books of Moses)
The Law. Other translational contexts in the English language include custom, theory, guidance,[10] or system.[11]
The term "Torah" is used in the general
sense to include both Rabbinic
Judaism's written law and Oral Law, serving
to encompass the entire spectrum of authoritative Jewish religious teachings throughout history,
including the Mishnah, the Talmud, the Midrash and more, and the
inaccurate rendering of "Torah" as "Law"[12] may be an obstacle to understanding the ideal
that is summed up in the term talmud torah (תלמוד תורה,
"study of Torah").[3]
The earliest name for the first part of the Bible
seems to have been "The Torah of Moses". This title, however, is
found neither in the Torah itself, nor in the works of the pre-Exilic literary prophets. It appears in Joshua (8:31–32; 23:6) and Kings (I Kings 2:3; II Kings 14:6; 23:25), but it
cannot be said to refer there to the entire corpus (according to academic Bible
criticism). In contrast, there is every likelihood that its use in the
post-Exilic works (Mal. 3:22; Dan. 9:11, 13; Ezra 3:2; 7:6; Neh. 8:1; II Chron.
23:18; 30:16) was intended to be comprehensive. Other early titles were
"The Book of Moses" (Ezra 6:18; Neh. 13:1; II Chron. 35:12; 25:4; cf.
II Kings 14:6) and "The Book of the Torah" (Neh. 8:3), which seems to
be a contraction of a fuller name, "The Book of the Torah of YHWH"
(Neh. 8:8, 18; 10:29–30; cf. 9:3).[13]
Alternative names
"Pentateuch" redirects
here. For other uses, see Pentateuch (disambiguation).
Christian
scholars usually refer to the first five books of the Hebrew
Bible as the 'Pentateuch' (/ˈpɛn.təˌtjuːk/, PEN-tə-tewk; Greek: πεντάτευχος, pentáteukhos,
'five scrolls'), a term first used in the Hellenistic Judaism of Alexandria.[14]
Contents
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Tanakh (Judaism) |
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Old
Testament (Christianity) |
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Torah |
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Information |
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Religion |
Judaism |
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Author |
Multiple |
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Language |
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Chapters |
187 |
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Verses |
5,852 |
The Torah starts from the beginning of YHWH's creating the world, through the beginnings of the people of
Israel, their descent into Egypt, and the
giving of the Torah at biblical Mount Sinai.
It ends with the death of Moses, just before the people of Israel cross to
the promised
land of Canaan. Interspersed in the narrative are the specific
teachings (religious obligations and civil laws) given explicitly (i.e. Ten
Commandments) or implicitly embedded in the
narrative (as in Exodus 12 and 13 laws of the celebration of Passover).
In Hebrew, the five books of the Torah are
identified by the incipits in each book;[15] and the common English names for the books
are derived from the Greek Septuagint[citation needed] and
reflect the essential theme of each book:
·
Bəreshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית, literally "In the beginning")—Genesis, from Γένεσις (Génesis,
"Creation")
·
Shəmot (שְׁמוֹת, literally "Names")—Exodus, from Ἔξοδος (Éxodos, "Exit")
·
Vayikra (וַיִּקְרָא, literally "And He called")—Leviticus, from Λευιτικόν (Leuitikón, "Relating to the
Levites")
·
Bəmidbar (בְּמִדְבַּר, literally "In the desert [of]")—Numbers, from Ἀριθμοί (Arithmoí,
"Numbers")
·
Dəvarim (דְּבָרִים, literally "Things" or
"Words")—Deuteronomy, from Δευτερονόμιον (Deuteronómion,
"Second-Law")
The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Torah.[16] It is divisible into two parts, the Primeval
history (chapters 1–11) and the Ancestral
history (chapters 12–50).[17] The primeval history sets out the author's
(or authors') concepts of the nature of the deity and of humankind's
relationship with its maker: YHWH creates a world which is good and fit for
mankind, but when man corrupts it with sin YHWH decides to destroy his
creation, saving only the righteous Noah to reestablish the relationship
between man and YHWH.[18] The Ancestral history (chapters 12–50) tells
of the prehistory of Israel, YHWH's chosen people.[19] At YHWH's command Noah's descendant Abraham journeys from his home into the YHWH-given
land of Canaan, where he dwells as a sojourner, as does his
son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. Jacob's name is changed to Israel, and through
the agency of his son Joseph, the children of Israel descend
into Egypt, 70 people in all with their households, and YHWH promises them a
future of greatness. Genesis ends with Israel in Egypt, ready for the coming
of Moses and the Exodus.
The narrative is punctuated by a series of covenants with YHWH,
successively narrowing in scope from all mankind (the covenant
with Noah) to a special relationship with one
people alone (Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob).[20]
The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Torah,
immediately following Genesis. The book tells how the ancient Israelites leave slavery in Egypt through the strength
of Yahweh, the YHWH who has chosen Israel as his people.
Yahweh inflicts horrific harm on their captors via the legendary Plagues of
Egypt. With the prophet Moses as their leader, they journey through the
wilderness to biblical Mount Sinai,
where Yahweh promises them the land of Canaan (the "Promised
Land") in return for their
faithfulness. Israel enters into a covenant with Yahweh who gives them their laws and
instructions to build the Tabernacle,
the means by which he will come from heaven and dwell with them and lead them
in a holy war to possess the land, and then give them peace.
Traditionally ascribed
to Moses himself, modern scholarship
sees the book as initially a product of the Babylonian exile (6th
century BCE), from earlier written and oral traditions, with final revisions in
the Persian
post-exilic period (5th
century BCE).[21][22] Carol Meyers,
in her commentary on Exodus suggests that it is arguably the most important
book in the Bible, as it presents the defining features of Israel's identity:
memories of a past marked by hardship and escape, a binding covenant with YHWH,
who chooses Israel, and the establishment of the life of the community and the
guidelines for sustaining it.[23]
The
Book of Leviticus begins with instructions to the Israelites on how to use
the Tabernacle, which they had just built (Leviticus 1–10). This
is followed by rules of clean and unclean (Leviticus
11–15), which includes the laws of slaughter and animals permissible to eat
(see also: Kashrut), the Day of Atonement (Leviticus
16), and various moral and ritual laws sometimes called the Holiness
Code (Leviticus 17–26). Leviticus 26
provides a detailed list of rewards for following YHWH's commandments and a
detailed list of punishments for not following them. Leviticus 17 establishes
sacrifices at the Tabernacle as an everlasting ordinance, but this ordinance is
altered in later books with the Temple being the only place in which sacrifices
are allowed.
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the
Torah.[24] The book has a long and complex history, but
its final form is probably due to a Priestly redaction (i.e., ing) of a Yahwistic source made some time in the early Persian
period (5th century BCE).[25] The name of the book comes from the two
censuses taken of the Israelites.
Numbers begins at Mount
Sinai, where the Israelites have received
their laws and covenant from YHWH and
YHWH has taken up residence among them in the sanctuary.[26] The task before them is to take possession of
the Promised Land. The people are counted and preparations are made for
resuming their march. The Israelites begin the journey, but they
"murmur" at the hardships along the way, and about the authority
of Moses and Aaron. For these acts, YHWH destroys
approximately 15,000 of them through various means. They arrive at the borders
of Canaan and send spies into the land. Upon hearing the spies' fearful report
concerning the conditions in Canaan, the Israelites refuse to take possession
of it. YHWH condemns them to death in the wilderness until a new generation can
grow up and carry out the task. The book ends with the new generation of
Israelites in the Plain of
Moab ready for the crossing of
the Jordan
River.[27]
Numbers is the culmination of the story of Israel's
exodus from oppression in Egypt and
their journey to take possession of the land YHWH promised their fathers. As such it draws to a conclusion the themes
introduced in Genesis and played out in Exodus and Leviticus: YHWH has promised
the Israelites that they shall become a great (i.e. numerous) nation, that they
will have a special relationship with Yahweh their YHWH, and that they shall
take possession of the land of Canaan. Numbers also demonstrates the importance
of holiness, faithfulness and trust: despite YHWH's presence and his priests, Israel lacks faith and the possession of the land
is left to a new generation.[25]
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the
Torah. Chapters 1–30 of the book consist of three sermons or speeches delivered
to the Israelites by Moses on the plains of Moab, shortly before they enter the Promised
Land. The first sermon recounts the forty years of wilderness wanderings which had led to that moment, and ends with
an exhortation to observe the law (or teachings), later referred to as
the Law of
Moses; the second reminds the Israelites
of the need to follow Yahweh and the laws (or teachings) he has given them, on
which their possession of the land depends; and the third offers the comfort
that even should Israel prove unfaithful and so lose the land, with repentance all can be restored.[28] The final four chapters (31–34) contain
the Song of
Moses, the Blessing
of Moses, and narratives recounting the
passing of the mantle of leadership from Moses to Joshua and, finally, the death of Moses on Mount Nebo.
Presented as the words of Moses delivered before
the conquest of Canaan, a broad consensus of modern scholars see its origin in
traditions from Israel (the northern kingdom) brought south to the Kingdom of
Judah in the wake of the Assyrian conquest of Aram (8th century BCE) and then adapted to a
program of nationalist reform in the time of Josiah (late 7th century BCE), with the final form
of the modern book emerging in the milieu of the return from the Babylonian captivity during
the late 6th century BCE.[29] Many scholars see the book as reflecting the
economic needs and social status of the Levite caste, who are believed to have
provided its authors;[30] those likely authors are collectively
referred to as the Deuteronomist.
One of its most significant verses is Deuteronomy 6:4, the Shema Yisrael,
which has become the definitive statement of Jewish
identity: "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our YHWH, the LORD is one." Verses
6:4–5 were also quoted by Yeshua in Mark
12:28–34 as part of the Great
Commandment.
Composition
The Talmud holds that the Torah was
written by Moses, with the exception of the last eight verses of Deuteronomy,
describing his death and burial, being written by Joshua.[31] Alternatively, Rashi quotes from the
Talmud that, "YHWH spoke them, and Moses wrote them with tears".[32][33] The Mishnah includes the divine origin of
the Torah as an essential tenet of Judaism.[34] According to Jewish
tradition, the Torah was recompiled by Ezra during Second Temple period.[35][36]
One common formulation of the
documentary hypothesis.
By contrast, the modern scholarly consensus rejects
Mosaic authorship, and affirms that the Torah has multiple authors and that its
composition took place over centuries.[7] The precise process by which the Torah was
composed, the number of authors involved, and the date of each author remain
hotly contested, however. Throughout most of the 20th century, there was a
scholarly consensus surrounding the documentary hypothesis,
which posits four independent sources, which were later compiled together by a
redactor: J, the Jahwist source, E, the Elohist source,
P, the Priestly
source, and D, the Deuteronomist source.
The earliest of these sources, J, would have been composed in the late 7th or
the 6th century BCE, with the latest source, P, being composed around the 5th
century BCE.
The supplementary hypothesis, one potential successor to the documentary
hypothesis.
The consensus around the documentary hypothesis
collapsed in the last decades of the 20th century.[37] The groundwork was laid with the
investigation of the origins of the written sources in oral compositions,
implying that the creators of J and E were collectors and ors and not authors
and historians.[38] Rolf Rendtorff,
building on this insight, argued that the basis of the Pentateuch lay in short,
independent narratives, gradually formed into larger units and brought together
in two orial phases, the first Deuteronomic, the second Priestly.[39] By contrast, John Van
Seters advocates a supplementary hypothesis, which posits that the Torah was derived from a
series of direct additions to an existing corpus of work.[40] A "neo-documentarian" hypothesis,
which responds to the criticism of the original hypothesis and updates the
methodology used to determine which text comes from which sources, has been
advocated by biblical historian Joel S. Baden, among others.[41][42] Such a hypothesis continues to have adherents
in Israel and North America.[42]
The majority of scholars today continue to
recognize Deuteronomy as a source, with its origin in the law-code produced at
the court of Josiah as described by De Wette, subsequently given
a frame during the exile (the speeches and descriptions at the front and back
of the code) to identify it as the words of Moses.[43] Most scholars also agree that some form of
Priestly source existed, although its extent, especially its end-point, is
uncertain.[44] The remainder is called collectively
non-Priestly, a grouping which includes both pre-Priestly and post-Priestly
material.[45]
Date of compilation
The final Torah is widely seen as a product of
the Persian
period (539–333 BCE, probably 450–350
BCE).[46] This consensus echoes a traditional Jewish
view which gives Ezra, the leader of the Jewish community on its return
from Babylon, a pivotal role in its promulgation.[47] Many theories have been advanced to explain
the composition of the Torah, but two have been especially influential.[48] The first of these, Persian Imperial
authorisation, advanced by Peter Frei in 1985, holds that the Persian
authorities required the Jews of Jerusalem to present a single body of law as
the price of local autonomy.[49] Frei's theory was, according to Eskenazi,
"systematically dismantled" at an interdisciplinary symposium held in
2000, but the relationship between the Persian authorities and Jerusalem
remains a crucial question.[50][discuss] The second theory, associated with Joel P.
Weinberg and called the "Citizen-Temple Community", proposes that the
Exodus story was composed to serve the needs of a post-exilic Jewish community
organised around the Temple, which acted in effect as a bank for those who
belonged to it.[51]
A minority of scholars would place the final
formation of the Pentateuch somewhat later, in the Hellenistic (333–164
BCE) or even Hasmonean (140–37 BCE) periods.[52] Russell Gmirkin, for instance, argues for a
Hellenistic dating on the basis that the Elephantine papyri,
the records of a Jewish colony in Egypt dating from the last quarter of the 5th
century BCE, make no reference to a written Torah, the Exodus, or to any other biblical event.[53]
Presentation of The Torah, by Édouard Moyse, 1860, Museum of Jewish Art and History
Rabbinic writings state that the Oral Torah was
given to Moses at Mount Sinai,
which, according to the tradition of Orthodox
Judaism, occurred in 1312 BCE. The Orthodox
rabbinic tradition holds that the Written Torah was recorded during the
following forty years,[54] though many non-Orthodox Jewish scholars
affirm the modern scholarly consensus that the Written Torah has multiple
authors and was written over centuries.[55]
The Talmud (Gittin 60a)
presents two opinions as to how exactly the Torah was written down by Moses.
One opinion holds that it was written by Moses gradually as it was dictated to
him, and finished it close to his death, and the other opinion holds that Moses
wrote the complete Torah in one writing close to his death, based on what was
dictated to him over the years.
The Talmud (Menachot 30a)
says that the last eight verses of the Torah that discuss the death and burial
of Moses could not have been written by Moses, as writing it would have been a
lie, and that they were written after his death by Joshua. Abraham
ibn Ezra[56] and Joseph Bonfils observed[citation needed] that
phrases in those verses present information that people should only have known
after the time of Moses. Ibn Ezra hinted,[57] and Bonfils explicitly stated, that Joshua
wrote these verses many years after the death of Moses. Other commentators[58] do not accept this position and maintain that
although Moses did not write those eight verses it was nonetheless dictated to
him and that Joshua wrote it based on instructions left by Moses, and that the
Torah often describes future events, some of which have yet to occur.
All classical rabbinic views hold that the Torah
was entirely Mosaic and of divine origin.[59] Present-day Reform and
Liberal Jewish movements all reject
Mosaic authorship, as do most shades of Conservative Judaism.[60]
According to Legends of the Jews,
YHWH gave Torah to the children of Israel after
he approached every tribe and nation in the world, and offered them the Torah,
but the latter refused it so they might have no excuse to be ignorant about it.[61] In this book, Torah is defined as one of the
first things created, as remedy against the evil inclination,[62] and as the counsellor who advised YHWH to
create human in the creation of world in order to make him the honoured One.[63]
Brit Hadshah Book:
The
Jewish idea of keeping the Tzaddik central in our lives finds solace with the
teachings of our own Tzaddik, Yeshua.
We
believe that Yeshua lived as the consummate holy tzaddik (righteous man),
fulfilling without blemish the mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah and bringing
to perfection the human expression of the Divine inspiration. We believe that
He died in atonement for the sins of Israel and of the entire world, was raised
bodily from the dead, and ascended to heaven; and that He will return in glory
at the end of the age to judge the world, to save those who belong to Him, and
to accomplish the final Tikkun Olam (Correction of the World).
⦁ The mission of mashiach in his role of
suffering is to initiate the regathering of the exiles or gather the lost sheep
of Yisrael
⦁ Yeshua our Heavenly Tzaddik who embodied the
soul of Torah and BECAME a covenant to the people.
⦁ LIGHT and Hashem’s Y’shuah (salvation) to
the Goyim or Gentile nations.
⦁ As a Tzadik (righteous man who had overcome
his evil inclination), he was empowered to rectify the judgments of Yizra’el,
Lo-ruhamah and Lo-ami and even re-covenant with the “lost sheep of the House of
Israel.” (Isaiah 49:8).
⦁ The
Holy One and Righteous One [haTzaddik]”
⦁ Stephen calls him “the Tzaddik”
⦁ Peter refers to Yeshua as “the Holy One and Righteous
One [haTzaddik]”
⦁ The Most High of our fathers has appointed you to know
his will, and to see the Tzaddik”
⦁ Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the
name of the Master Yeshua, giving thanks to Ancient Holy One the Father through
Him.”
⦁ Acts 3:14, Acts 7:52. Acts 22:12-14, Colossians 3:17
Of
course, the true Tzadik is Messiah Himself. Chassidic followers would agree
that Messiah will play this important role. For those of us that know Messiah
Yeshua, it is clear that He is more than simply a Tzadik, but that He fulfills
the role of both Mediator and Judge.
For there is one Creator and one Mediator between
HaShem and men, the Man Mashiach Yeshua, …… -1Timothy 2:5-6
What about the Brit
Chadasha?
Since Jews have this heritage of
extensive and diverse writings it makes their unfamiliarity with, and distance
from, the Brit Chadasha writings all the more noticeable. Further, it is
ironic that the Brit Chadasha is arguably the most read collection of writings
outside the Jewish world. What to make of this? Before delving into
this here are some facts about the Brit Chadasha – also known as the New
Testament of the Bible.
Where does ‘Brit Chadasha’ come from?
The title ‘Brit Chadasha’ is a Jewish
term direct from the Tanakh. The prophet Jeremiah foresaw a day in the
future of the people of Israel when G-d would establish a new covenant (Brit)
which would be different than the covenant of Mt. Sinai under which was given
the Law (Torah):
|
Jeremiah 31:31-34 Orthodox Jewish Bible |
Jeremiah 31:31-34 New International Version |
|
Hinei, the days come, saith Hashem, that I will
cut a Brit Chadasha with Bais Yisroel,
and with Bais Yehudah; 32 (31) Not according to the Brit that I
cut with their Avot in the day that I took hold of their yad to take them out
of Eretz Mitzrayim; which My Brit they broke, although I was
Ba’al (Husband) to them, saith Hashem; 33 (32) But this shall be the Brit that I will
cut with Bais Yisroel; After those days, saith Hashem, I will set My
Torah in them inwardly, and I will write ketuvim on their hearts;
and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My People. 34 (33) And they shall teach no more every ish his re’a
(neighbor), and every ish his brother, saying, Know Hashem; for they shall
all have da’as of Me, from the katon of them unto the gadol of them, saith
Hashem; for I will forgive their avon, and I will remember
their chattat no more. |
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, |
According to this scripture (and
confirmed in history compiled by Jewish writers mentioned above) the problem
with the Sinai covenant (Brit) was not with the covenant itself, but the fact
the law had great difficulty being internalized. So G-d promised that in the
future a new covenant (Brit) would come that would be ‘in their minds’ and ‘on
their hearts’ and would entail that G-d ‘forgive their iniquity and
transgression’. Since this was specifically promised by G-d for the
‘people of Israel’ it is entirely appropriate for Jews to be on the lookout for
this new covenant. The only set of writings that have
appeared since Jeremiah’s prophecy was uttered (ca 590 BCE) that even claim
this role is what today we know as the New Testament or Brit
Chadasha. This is:
Brit Chadasha fast facts:
- The Brit Chadasha, like the Tanakh, is a
collection of writings (27 in total) all authored by devout Jews (with the
possible exception of Luke/Acts).
- The Brit Chadasha is organized into 3 groups.
As the Tanakh is grouped into the Torah, Neviim and K’tuvim, the 5 books
of the Gospels and Acts correspond to Torah, the 21 letters correspond to
K’tuvim, and the book of Revelation corresponds to Neviim. They were
written in the period 50-90 CE, roughly the same time as Josephus’s works.
- The main character of the Brit Chadasha is
Jesus (or Yeshua) of Nazareth, also a devout Jew. Though he himself
did not write any of the books in the Brit Chadasha, his followers
did. They presented Yeshua as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah.
- It considers as Sod level of Torah teachings.
New Covenant
The New Covenant (Hebrew ברית חדשה 
berit hadashah (help·info); Greek διαθήκη
καινή diatheke kaine) is a biblical interpretation originally derived from a phrase in the
Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34), in the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament in Christian Bible).
Generally, Christians believe that the promised New Covenant was instituted at the Last Supper as part of
the Eucharist,[1][2] which in
the Gospel of John includes
the New Commandment. Based on
the Bible teaching
that, "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death
of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it
is of no strength at all while the testator liveth",[3] Protestants
tend to believe that the New Covenant only came into force with the death
of Yeshua Christ.[4][5] The
commentary to the Roman Catholic New American Bible also affirms thatMashiach is the "testator whose death puts
his will into effect".[6]Mashiach
followers thus believe that Yeshua is the mediator of the New Covenant, and
that the Blood of Mashiach shed at his crucifixion is the required blood
of the covenant.
There are several Christian eschatologies that further define the New Covenant. For example, an inaugurated eschatology defines and describes the New Covenant as an ongoing relationship
between Mashiach believers and YHVH that will
be in full fruition after the Second Coming of Mashiach; that is, it will not only be in full fruition in believing hearts, but
in the future external
world as well.
The connection between the Blood of Mashiach and the
New Covenant is seen in most modern English translations of the New Testament such as in the statement: "this cup
that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood".[7][8]
Christianity
The key New Testament chapter
for the Mashiach followers concept of the New Covenant is Hebrews chapter 8, a portion of which is quoted below:
But now Yeshua
has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also
better and is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been
faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds
fault with them when he says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the
Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with
the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the
day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they
did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares
the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and
write them on their hearts, and I will be their YHVH, and they shall be my
people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his
brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of
them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I
will remember their sins no more." In speaking of a new covenant, he makes
the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready
to vanish away.
That full quotation, with partial quotations of
the same text in other New Testament passages, reflects that the authors of the
New Testament and Mashiach leaders generally, consider Jeremiah 31:31–34 to be a central Old Testament prophecy
of the New Covenant.[9] Here is
the key text:
"Behold,
the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with
the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made
with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of
the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband,
declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and
I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their YHVH, and they shall be my
people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother,
saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to
the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will
remember their sin no more."
Some Mashiach followers claim[who?] that there are many other passages that speak about the same New
Covenant without using this exact wording. Some passages speak of a
"covenant of peace",[10] others use
other constructions; some simply say "covenant", but the context may
imply that the New Covenant is at issue; and some claim metaphorical descriptions,
for example that "Mount Zion" is really
a metaphor for the New Covenant.[citation needed]
New Testament texts
The occurrence of the phrase "new
covenant" varies in English translations of the Greek New Testament. The King James Version sometimes uses testament for covenant, with the words new covenant together only occurring
in Hebrews 8:8, 8:13 and 12:24 while in
the New International Version "new covenant" occurs at Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians
11:25, 2 Corinthians
3:6, Hebrews 8:8, Hebrews 9:15 and Hebrews 12:24 as a
translation of some form of διαθήκη[11] and καινός[12] or νέας.[13]
Luke 22:17–20 (part of the Last Supper) is disputed.
Six forms of the text have been identified; for example, the Western
text-type such
as Codex Bezae omit
verses 19b–20.[14]
The Daniel 9:27 commentary found in the 1599 Geneva Bible connects
the verse with the New King James Version translation of Matthew 26:28. In this interpretation, the
angel Gabriel reveals
the coming New Blood Covenant of the Messiah,[clarification needed] which is the fulfillment of the promise that through Abraham's seed all the nations would be blessed.
(Galatians 3:16, 26-29)[15]
Christian view
Christians view the New Covenant as a new
relationship between YHVH and humans mediated by Yeshua upon
sincere declaration that one believes in Yeshua Mashiach as Lord and YHVH. Some
protestant theologians teach that the New Covenant also breaks the
generational curse of original sin on all
children of Adam if they believe in Yeshua Mashiach, after people are judged for their
own sins, which is expected to happen with the Second Coming of Yeshua Mashiach.
A dispensationalist Mashiach
followers view of the nature of Israel is that YHVH's promises to Israel are
distinct from the Church. The Church, in
this present age, is in no way a "spiritual Israel".[16] Some Mashiach
followers, however, believe that the Church has inherited and absorbed YHVH's
promises to Israel, and that Israel is primarily a spiritual nation composed
of Jews who claim Yeshua as their Messiah, as well as Gentile believers who through the
New Covenant have been grafted into the promises made to Israelites. This spiritual Israel is based on the faith of the patriarch Abraham (before he was circumcised)[17] who was
ministered by the Melchizedek priesthood, which is understood to be a type for the Mashiach
followers faith of believing Yeshua to be Mashiach and Lord in the order
of Melchizedek. The Apostle
Paul says that it is not "the children of the flesh" who are
the children of YHVH, but "the
children of the promise".[18] While Mashiach
came as a priest in the order of Melchizedeck, which is to say without
precedence, and fulfilled YHVH's promise of a Messiah to the entire world
whosoever believes, Dispensationalists believe that the body of YHVH's promises
concerning the future of Israel were to Israel alone, and should not be
interpreted as being superimposed on the Church in the present age. YHVH's
remaining promises to Israel will come to fruition in the Millennium, the 1,000
years reign of Mashiach on Earth.
"Not as
though the word of YHVH hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel,
which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they
all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are
the children of the flesh, these are not the children of YHVH: but the children
of the promise are counted for the seed."
Membership
Among Mashiach followers, there are significant
differences on the question of membership in the New Covenant. These
differences can be so serious that they form a principal reason for division
i.e., denominationalism. Christian denominations exist because of their answer to this question. The first major
split is between those who believe that only believers are members of the New
Covenant, and (reflecting the idea of the Jewish covenants as national or
community covenants) those who believe that believers and their children[19] are
members of the New Covenant.
These differences give rise to different views on whether children may
be baptised: the credobaptist view and the paedo baptist
view. Secondarily,
there are differences among paedo baptists as to the nature of the membership
of children in the covenant.
Knowledge of YHVH
Another difference is between those who believe
the New Covenant has already substantially arrived (Preterists), and that this knowledge of YHVH that the
member of the New Covenant has is primarily salvific knowledge; and those that believe that the New Covenant has not
yet substantially arrived, but will in the Second Coming, and that this
knowledge is more complete knowledge, meaning a member of the New Covenant no
longer has to be taught anything at all regarding the Mashiach followers life
(not just that they lack need for exhortation regarding salvific reconciliation
with YHVH).
This division does not just break down along
Jewish v. Mashiach followers lines (as the previous difference did). In
general, those that are more likely to lean toward the "already
view", or salvific knowledge view, are those Mashiach
followers that do not believe in the indivisible Church (the indivisible Church is a belief of Catholics and Orthodox) and
Mashiach followers that practice believer's baptism, because both believe the New Covenant is more present reality than
future reality. Also in general, those that lean toward the "not yet
view", or complete knowledge view, practice infant baptism for covenantal reasons,
and dispensationalistic
Mashiach followers(even though they tend to practice believer's baptism), because they believe the New Covenant is more future reality than
present reality.
Christian supersessionism
Main
article: Supersessionism
Supersessionism is the
view that the New Covenant replaces, fulfills or completes YHVH's prior covenants with the Israelites.[citation needed] The most
common alternatives to Supersessionism are abrogation of old covenant laws and dual covenant theology.
Writers who reject the notion of supersessionism include Michael J.
Vlach,[20] Walter
Brueggemann,[21] Roland
Edmund Murphy,[22] Jacques B.
Doukhan.[23]
Judaism
Moses Speaks to the Children of Israel
(illustration from Hartwell James's The Boys of the Bible)
The only reference in the Hebrew Bible that uses
the wording "new covenant" is found in Jeremiah 31:31–34:
"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of
Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; forasmuch
as they broke My covenant, although I was a lord over them, saith the LORD. But
this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, saith the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and in their
heart will I write it; and I will be their YHVH, and they shall be My people;
and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother,
saying: 'Know the LORD'; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them
unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity,
and their sin will I remember no more."
This prophet's word refers to the Messianic Age
to come (or World to come), in which the
eternal Mosaic covenant with
Israel will be confirmed. Of this Mosaic covenant between YHVH and Israel
the Shabbat is
declared to be the sign forever (Exodus 31:13–17).[24] The Tanakh describes Shabbat as having the purpose as a "taste"
of Olam Haba (the world
to come, the Hereafter) following the
Messianic Age (the End of Days).[citation needed]
The Jewish view of the mere wording "new
covenant" is no more than a renewed national commitment to abide by YHVH's
laws. In this view, the word new does not refer to a new
commitment that replaces a previous one, but rather to an additional and
greater level of commitment.[25]
Because Jews view the Mosaic covenant as
applying only to Jews and any New Covenant merely a strengthening of the
already existing one, Jews do not see this phrase as relevant in any way to
non-Jews. For non-Jews, Judaism advocates the pre-Sinaitic Seven Laws of Noah. "Unlike Christianity, Judaism does not deny salvation to those
outside of its fold, for, according to Jewish law, all non-Jews who observe the
Noahide laws will participate in salvation and in the rewards of the world to come".[26]
In his 1962 work The Prophets Abraham Joshua Heschel points out that prophecy is not the only instrument of YHVH to
change the hearts of Israel, to know that he is YHVH. He tells how the prophet
Jeremiah complains that Israel is circumcised in body but "uncircumcised
in heart" (9:26), that Jeremiah says "wash your heart from
wickedness" (4:14). Heschel analyses that, while the prophet can only give
Israel a new word, it is YHVH himself who will give man a new heart: The
"new covenant" will accomplish the complete transformation of every
individual.[27]
Compare with:
"And I will
give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will remove
the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; that
they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and they
shall be My people, and I will be their YHVH."
"A new
heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will
take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of
flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My
statutes, and ye shall keep Mine ordinances, and do them. And ye shall dwell in
the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be
your YHVH. And I will save you from all your uncleannesses; and I will call for
the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply
the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye may receive no
more the reproach of famine among the nations. Then shall ye remember your evil
ways, and your doings that were not good; and ye shall loathe yourselves in
your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sake
do I this, saith the Lord YHVH, be it known unto you; be ashamed and confounded
for your ways, O house of Israel."
The Jewish Encyclopedia's "New Testament" article states:[28]
"The idea of the new covenant is based
chiefly upon Jeremiah
31:31–34 (comp. Hebrews 8:6–13, 10:16). That the
prophet's words do not imply an abrogation of
the Law is
evidenced by his emphatic declaration of the immutability of the covenant with
Israel (Jeremiah
31:35–36; comp. 33:25); he obviously
looked for a renewal of the Law through a regeneration of the hearts of the
people."
It is mentioned several times in the Mishna and Talmud, and had been
used extensively in kabbalistic literature
due to the gematria value of
135 being equal to the word HaSinai (הסיני) in Genesis 10:17. Brit also
has the numeric value of 612, which is suggested by some to mean that it is the
"first" mitzvah which is
true for the Jewish life
cycle. The other use
is in relationship to the merit of Ruth being an
ancestor to King David, with the name
again having same gematria as Brit,
linking Davidic covenant with that of all previous, since Ruth was a Moabite by birth, and related to Noah also.
Ritual use
Torahs in Ashkenazi Synagogue (Istanbul, Turkey)
Torah reading (Hebrew: קריאת התורה, K'riat HaTorah,
"Reading [of] the Torah") is a Jewish religious ritual that involves the public reading of a set of
passages from a Torah
scroll. The term often refers to the entire
ceremony of removing the Torah scroll (or scrolls) from the ark, chanting the appropriate excerpt with
traditional cantillation, and returning the scroll(s) to the ark. It is
distinct from academic Torah
study.
Regular public reading of the Torah was introduced
by Ezra the Scribe after the return of the Jewish
people from the Babylonian captivity (c.
537 BCE), as described in the Book of
Nehemiah.[64] In the modern era, adherents of Orthodox
Judaism practice Torah-reading according to a set procedure they believe has
remained unchanged in the two thousand years since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (70 CE).
In the 19th and 20th centuries CE, new movements such as Reform
Judaism and Conservative Judaism have
made adaptations to the practice of Torah reading, but the basic pattern of
Torah reading has usually remained the same:
As a part of the morning prayer services on certain
days of the week, fast days, and holidays, as well as part of the afternoon
prayer services of Shabbat, Yom Kippur, and fast days, a section of the
Pentateuch is read from a Torah scroll. On Shabbat (Saturday) mornings, a weekly
section ("parashah") is read, selected so that the entire
Pentateuch is read consecutively each year. The division of parashot found
in the modern-day Torah scrolls of all Jewish communities (Ashkenazic,
Sephardic, and Yemenite) is based upon the systematic list provided by
Maimonides in Mishneh Torah, Laws of Tefillin,
Mezuzah and Torah Scrolls, chapter 8. Maimonides based his division of
the parashot for the Torah on the Aleppo
Codex. Conservative and Reform synagogues may read parashot on
a triennial rather than annual schedule,[65][66][67] On Saturday afternoons, Mondays, and
Thursdays, the beginning of the following Saturday's portion is read. On Jewish
holidays, the beginnings of each month,
and fast days, special sections connected to the day are read.
Jews observe an annual holiday, Simchat
Torah, to celebrate the completion and new
start of the year's cycle of readings.
Torah scrolls are often dressed with a sash, a
special Torah cover, various ornaments and a Keter (crown), although such
customs vary among synagogues. Congregants traditionally stand in respect when
the Torah is brought out of the ark to be read, while it is being carried, and
lifted, and likewise while it is returned to the ark, although they may sit
during the reading itself.
Biblical law
The Torah contains narratives, statements of law,
and statements of ethics. Collectively these laws, usually called biblical
law or commandments, are sometimes
referred to as the Law of
Moses (Torat Moshe תּוֹרַת־מֹשֶׁה), Mosaic Law, or Sinaitic
Law.
The Oral Torah
Rabbinic tradition holds that Moses learned the whole
Torah while he lived on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights and both the Oral
and the written Torah were transmitted in parallel with each other. Where the
Torah leaves words and concepts undefined, and mentions procedures without
explanation or instructions, the reader is required to seek out the missing
details from supplemental sources known as the Oral Law or Oral Torah.[68] Some of the Torah's most prominent
commandments needing further explanation are:
·
Tefillin: As indicated in Deuteronomy 6:8 among other
places, tefillin are to be placed on the arm and on the head between the eyes.
However, there are no details provided regarding what tefillin are or how they
are to be constructed.
·
Kashrut: As indicated in Exodus 23:19 among other places,
a young goat may not be boiled in its mother's milk. In addition to numerous
other problems with understanding the ambiguous nature of this law, there are
no vowelization characters in the Torah; they are provided by the oral
tradition. This is particularly relevant to this law, as the Hebrew word
for milk (חלב)
is identical to the word for animal fat when vowels are absent. Without the oral
tradition, it is not known whether the violation is in mixing meat with milk or
with fat.
·
Shabbat laws: With the severity of Sabbath violation,
namely the death penalty, one would assume that direction would be provided as
to how exactly such a serious and core commandment should be upheld. However,
most information regarding the rules and traditions of Shabbat are dictated in
the Talmud and other books deriving from Jewish oral law.
According to classical rabbinic texts this parallel
set of material was originally transmitted to Moses at Sinai, and then from
Moses to Israel. At that time it was forbidden to write and publish the oral
law, as any writing would be incomplete and subject to misinterpretation and
abuse.[69]
However, after exile, dispersion, and persecution,
this tradition was lifted when it became apparent that in writing was the only
way to ensure that the Oral Law could be preserved. After many years of effort
by a great number of tannaim, the oral tradition was written down around
200 CE by Rabbi Judah
haNasi, who took up the compilation of a
nominally written version of the Oral Law, the Mishnah (Hebrew: משנה).
Other oral traditions from the same time period not entered into the Mishnah
were recorded as Baraitot (external teaching), and the Tosefta.
Other traditions were written down as Midrashim.
After continued persecution more of the Oral Law
was committed to writing. A great many more lessons, lectures and traditions
only alluded to in the few hundred pages of Mishnah, became the thousands of
pages now called the Gemara. Gemara is written in Aramaic, having been compiled
in Babylon. The Mishnah and Gemara together are called the Talmud. The rabbis
in the Land of
Israel also collected their traditions
and compiled them into the Jerusalem Talmud.
Since the greater number of rabbis lived in Babylon, the Babylonian Talmud has
precedence should the two be in conflict.
Orthodox and Conservative branches of Judaism
accept these texts as the basis for all subsequent halakha and
codes of Jewish law, which are held to be normative. Reform and
Reconstructionist Judaism deny that these texts, or the Torah itself for that
matter, may be used for determining normative law (laws accepted as binding)
but accept them as the authentic and only Jewish version for understanding the
Torah and its development throughout history.[citation needed] Humanistic
Judaism holds that the Torah is a historical, political, and sociological text,
but does not believe that every word of the Torah is true, or even morally
correct. Humanistic Judaism is willing to question the Torah and to disagree
with it, believing that the entire Jewish experience, not just the Torah,
should be the source for Jewish behavior and ethics.[70]
Divine significance of letters, Jewish
mysticism
Kabbalists hold that not only do the words of Torah
give a divine message, but they also indicate a far greater message that
extends beyond them. Thus they hold that even as small a mark as a kotso
shel yod (קוצו של
יוד), the serif of the Hebrew letter yod (י),
the smallest letter, or decorative markings, or repeated words, were put there
by YHWH to teach scores of lessons. This is regardless of whether that yod
appears in the phrase "I am the LORD thy YHWH" (אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, Exodus 20:2) or whether it appears
in "And YHWH spoke unto Moses saying" (וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אֲנִי יְהוָה. Exodus 6:2). In a similar vein, Rabbi Akiva (c.
50 – c. 135 CE), is said to have learned a new law from every et (את) in the Torah (Talmud, tractate Pesachim 22b); the particle et is meaningless
by itself, and serves only to mark the direct
object. In other words, the Orthodox belief is that even apparently contextual
text such as "And YHWH spoke unto Moses saying ..." is no less
holy and sacred than the actual statement.
Production and use of a Torah scroll
Page pointers, or yad, for reading of the Torah
Manuscript Torah scrolls are still scribed and used for
ritual purposes (i.e., religious
services); this is called a Sefer Torah ("Book
[of] Torah"). They are written using a painstakingly careful method by
highly qualified scribes. It is believed that every word, or marking, has
divine meaning and that not one part may be inadvertently changed lest it lead
to error. The fidelity of the Hebrew text of the Tanakh, and the Torah in
particular, is considered paramount, down to the last letter: translations or
transcriptions are frowned upon for formal service use, and transcribing is
done with painstaking care. An error of a single letter, ornamentation, or
symbol of the 304,805 stylized letters that make up the Hebrew Torah text
renders a Torah scroll unfit for use, hence a special skill is required and a
scroll takes considerable time to write and check.
According to Jewish law, a sefer Torah (plural: Sifrei
Torah) is a copy of the formal Hebrew text handwritten on gevil or klaf (forms
of parchment) by using a quill (or other permitted writing
utensil) dipped in ink. Written entirely in Hebrew, a sefer Torah contains 304,805
letters, all of which must be duplicated precisely by a trained sofer ("scribe"),
an effort that may take as long as approximately one and a half years. Most
modern Sifrei Torah are written with forty-two lines of text per column
(Yemenite Jews use fifty), and very strict rules about the position and
appearance of the Hebrew
letters are observed. See for example
the Mishnah
Berurah on the subject.[71] Any of several Hebrew scripts may be used,
most of which are fairly ornate and exacting.
The completion of the sefer Torah is a cause for
great celebration, and it is a mitzvah for every Jew to either write or have written
for him a Sefer Torah. Torah scrolls are stored in the holiest part of the synagogue in the Ark known as the "Holy
Ark" (אֲרוֹן הקֹדשׁ aron
hakodesh in Hebrew.) Aron in
Hebrew means "cupboard" or "closet", and kodesh is
derived from "kadosh", or "holy".
Torah translations
Aramaic
The Book of Ezra refers
to translations and commentaries of the Hebrew text into Aramaic, the more commonly understood language of the
time. These translations would seem to date to the 6th century BCE. The Aramaic
term for translation is Targum.[72] The Encyclopedia Judaica has:
At an early period, it was customary to translate
the Hebrew text into the vernacular at the time of the reading (e.g., in
Palestine and Babylon the translation was into Aramaic). The targum
("translation") was done by a special synagogue official, called the
meturgeman ... Eventually, the practice of translating into the vernacular was
discontinued.[73]
However, there is no suggestion that these
translations had been written down as early as this. There are suggestions that
the Targum was written down at an early date, although for private use only.
The official recognition of a written Targum and
the final redaction of its text, however, belong to the post-Talmudic period,
thus not earlier than the fifth century C.E.
Greek
One of the earliest known translations of the first
five books of Moses from the Hebrew into Greek was the Septuagint. This is
a Koine Greek version
of the Hebrew Bible that was used by Greek speakers. This Greek version of the
Hebrew Scriptures dates from the 3rd century BCE, originally associated
with Hellenistic Judaism.
It contains both a translation of the Hebrew and additional and variant
material.[75]
Later translations into Greek include seven or more
other versions. These do not survive, except as fragments, and include those
by Aquila, Symmachus,
and Theodotion.[76]
Latin
Early translations into Latin—the Vetus Latina—were
ad hoc conversions of parts of the Septuagint. With Saint Jerome in the 4th century CE came the Vulgate Latin translation of the Hebrew Bible.
Arabic
From the eighth century CE, the cultural language
of Jews living under Islamic rule became Arabic rather than Aramaic.
"Around that time, both scholars and lay people started producing
translations of the Bible into Judeo-Arabic using the Hebrew alphabet." Later, by
the 10th century, it became essential for a standard version of the Bible in
Judeo-Arabic. The best known was produced by Saadiah (the
Saadia Gaon, aka the Rasag), and continues to be in use today, "in
particular among Yemenite Jewry".[77]
Rav Sa'adia produced an Arabic translation of the
Torah known as Targum Tafsir and offered comments on Rasag's
work.[78] There is a debate in scholarship whether
Rasag wrote the first Arabic translation of the Torah.[79]
Modern languages
Jewish translations
The Torah has been translated by Jewish scholars
into most of the major European languages, including English, German, Russian,
French, Spanish and others. The most well-known German-language translation was
produced by Samson Raphael Hirsch.
A number of Jewish English Bible translations have been published, for example by Artscroll
publications
Christian translations
As a part of the Christian biblical canons, the Torah has been translated into hundreds of languages.
In other religions
Samaritanism
The five books of Moses constitute the entire
scriptural canon of Samaritanism.
Christianity
Although different Christian denominations have
slightly different versions of the Old Testament in
their Bibles, the Torah as the "Five Books of Moses" (or
"the Mosaic Law") is common among them all.
Islam
Islam states that the
original Torah was sent by YHWH. According to the Quran, YHWH says, "It is He
Who has sent down the Book (the Quran) to you with truth, confirming what came
before it. And He sent down the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)." (Q3:3) Muslims call the Torah
the Tawrat and consider it the word of YHWH given to
Moses. However, most self-professed Muslims also believe that this original
revelation was corrupted (tahrif) (or simply altered by the
passage of time and human fallibility) over time by Jewish scribes.[80] The Torah in the
Quran is always mentioned with respect in Islam. The Muslims' belief in the
Torah, as well as the prophethood of Moses, is one of the fundamental
tenets of Islam.
What Is Torah?
Contents
§ When
Did Moses Write the Torah?
§ Who
Wrote the Rest of the Books of the Torah?
§ Can
People Create More Torah?
(tô'rä) תורה root: יורה
Related words: instruction הוראה, guide מורה
Torah in Five Books
The word Torah literally
means “instruction”—meaning some sort of guidance in life.
But when Jews say “Torah,” they’re most
likely speaking of the Five
Books of Moses, the foundation of all Jewish
instruction and guidance. We also call it the Chumash, from the
Hebrew chamesh, which means five—just like the not-so-Jewish and
somewhat archaic title Pentateuch comes from the Greek
prefix penta, also meaning five.
Often, when people talk about “a
Torah,” they are referring to a parchment scroll version
of the Five Books of Moses that
is kept in the ark of the synagogue and taken out to be read during services.
(Photo: Beis Yisroel
Torah Gemach)
Torah in 24 Books
The Five Books of Moses are
actually one section of a collection of works which is also called Torah, but
otherwise known as Tanach (תנ״ך).
Tanach is an acronym of the words:
· Torah: Chumash (Five
Books of Moses) —as above
· Nevi’im (Prophets)
· Ketuvim (Writings, such as Psalms, Lamentations and Proverbs)
There is a distinction, however.1 Although all the books of TanachAll the
books of Torah are divine works, yet the Chumash holds a unique place. are revered as divine works, the Chumash holds a unique place.
That’s because the Chumash is the work of Moses, and the veracity of the Moses’
prophecy is based on a national experience—an event at Mount Sinai in which the
entire nation witnessed G‑d communicating with him.
Until that point, the people could not
be entirely certain that what Moses was telling them was truly from G‑d. They had
no empirical evidence other than his miracle-working—but what do miracles
demonstrate? Only an ability to perform the supernatural; they are not evidence
that G‑d has spoken to you or anyone else. That is why only when the people saw
and heard for themselves did they no longer bear doubts.
All other prophecies in Tanach,
whether Samuel or Isaiah or Daniel, were the testimony
of a single individual. They are believed only because Moses instructed us—in G‑d’s
name—to believe and to obey prophets who fulfill the conditions set out clearly
for them. Someone who speaks in the name of G‑d but does not fulfill these
conditions is to be harshly punished—regardless of the miracles he may perform.2
Obviously then, no prophet can add or
detract from anything Moses taught—since their credibility rests entirely on
his authority.3 The prophets come only to explain, elaborate and admonish the
people to keep “the Torah of Moses,” as the last of them, Malachi, said,
“Be mindful of the Teaching of My servant Moses, whom I charged at Horeb with
laws and rules for all Israel.”4
Tanach is sometimes referred to by the
rest of the world as “The Hebrew Bible.” Jews wrote many other books of
history, wisdom and prophecy, but none of these were considered to be divine
and eternal so as to be included in Tanach.
So I could also say, “The Song of
Songs is a book of the Torah”—even though it’s not one of the Five Books
of Moses.
Oral Torah—an Endless Torah
Every work requires knowledge and
understanding of its context to make sense of its contents, how much more so
one that is meant to convey all instructions necessary for an entire nation and
every individual in every situation for perpetuity.
That’s why we have “The Oral Torah” (in
Hebrew: Torah Sheba’al Peh תורה שבעל פה). And that’s literally
endless.
In the Five Books of Moses, we read
repeatedly how Moses would transmit instructions from G‑d to the people. But it
is readily apparent that Moses taught much more than could be set in writing in
those five books.
For example, in writing we are told to
“rest on the seventh day”—but there is no written explanation of what sort of
rest is meant. We are told to slaughter animals before eating them “as I
commanded you”5—with no description of what sort of slaughter was commanded.
The examples are almost endless. There
is so much missing and so much ambiguity that hardly any law can be drawn from
the plain text in practical terms.
Add to this the fact that the written
Torah does not contain the vowel points necessary for reading Biblical Hebrew.
The word for milk, for example, has the same letters as the word for fat. In
many cases, the only way to know the difference is due to the tradition.
Neither is there any punctuation in the written text.
No wonder that when the early Protestants
began to translate the Hebrew Bible into the vernacular they were forced to
rely on the Jewish tradition of punctuation and vowels as well as on classic
Jewish commentators for the simple meaning of the text.
The Torah also commands the elders to
"keep the Children of Israel away from impurity!"6 It says, "Guard My guardings!"7 Which means that if the spiritual leadership sees that their
generation has greater temptation than earlier generations—or simply cannot be
as careful as before—it's time to add some warnings to hold them further at
bay.8 Many such precautions were added in early Jewish history without
being recorded in a public document.
Additionally, from time to time, the
sages and leaders of the people used the principles of interpretation
transmitted by Moses to derive new rulings, or recover those that were
forgotten. They also established new edicts to protect the law or to apply it
to new situations as they arose, such as Purim and Chanukah. The
Torah itself provides ample authority to the seventy elders and to the “priests
and the wise men who will be in your times” to answer “all that is difficult
for you” to the point that “you should not turn from their words to the left
nor to the right.”9
So the bulk of the Torah had to be
transmitted orally, from father to son, teacher to student.10 It could only be transmitted that way, due to its very nature.
While The Oral Torah is a living, growing
organism that cannot be capture by the net of dry ink on a page. the written Torah is a sacred text bound within a precise number
of words, the Oral Torah is a living, growing organism of wisdom, insight and
knowledge that thrives in the waters of a teacher-student relationship and
cannot be captured in a net of dry ink on a page. Yet eventually, the
essential core of this oral tradition had to be committed to writing, so that it would not be lost.11
Being that this oral tradition is also
a vital part of the divine instruction, it’s also called Torah—the Oral
Torah. It includes:
· the proper reading of the text, it’s punctuation, vowels and
cantillation, along with the meaning of the words.
· the compilation of laws and rulings known as Mishnah, along with other accepted compilations, such as
Sifre, Sifra, Mechilta, Braita and Tosefta.
· the discussion and debate of that material, known as Talmud or Gemara,
· the esoteric works (often known as Kabbalah) and ethical guides
based on Torah and composed by Torah scholars,
· the stories and their lessons that are collected in
the Talmud and Midrashic works,
· any other teaching that has been accepted by a long-term consensus of
the practicing Jewish community, because it is based firmly on some precedent,
or because it has been demonstrated to emerge by accepted means from previous
texts and opinions.
As the Talmud states,
“Scriptures, Mishnah, Talmud and Aggadah (anecdotes and
parables)—even that which a diligent student is destined to instruct before his
teacher—all was already told to Moses at Sinai.”12
So, yes, a friend might tell you, “You
should have heard the amazing Torah the rabbi said in the name of his teacher
this morning!”
If you ask him, “Which book of Torah?”
he might answer that it hasn’t been written yet. That’s because the Oral Torah
is forever alive and growing in the minds and mouths of those who study it,
believe in it and embrace it. How exactly that works we’ll explain later.
Teaching Torah in Manchester, U.K.
(Photo by Bentzi Sasson)
Integrity of the Oral Torah
A question commonly asked: How do we
know the elders and the rabbis got it right? And how do we know that this oral
tradition hasn’t been corrupted over the years?
But when you consider that the author
of this system is the same as the author of the entire Torah—namely G‑d
Himself—the question falls away. As cited above, G‑d instructed us to bring all difficult issues to the established
courts of elders and sages in each era and to follow their rulings. If He
relies on them, we can too.G‑d
instructed us to bring all difficult issues to the established courts of elders
and sages in each era and to follow their rulings. If He relies on them, we can
too.
The Midrash of Rabbi Tanchuma
puts it this way:13
A person should not say, “I won't fulfil
the mitzvot of the elders, since they are not from the Torah.”
The Holy One, blessed be He, tells such
people, “My children, you are not permitted to speak this way! Rather, all that
they decree upon you, you should fulfill, as it says in My Torah, ‘You shall do
according to the Torah that they teach you.’14 Why? Because I also agree with their words, as is said, ‘You shall
decree a statement and it shall be established for you.’15”
The first book of Torah, the Book
of Genesis, in particular, repeatedly teaches us that G‑d is found in
history. He never left us and continues to guide us through His prophets, His
sages and the righteous men and women He sends to shepherd His people.
As well, the process by which new
rulings and teachings are established and transmitted is a robust one. We are
not speaking of a small cloister of individuals, but an entire nation involved
in study, debate and transmission of the Torah’s oral tradition. For a new law
to become effective, it had to be accepted by the entire community. For it to
last, it had to be transmitted by a critical mass of teachers.
Questions were always encouraged as a
vital part of learning. A common question that appears repeatedly in the Talmud
is “From where does this come?”—meaning, “How did this get to us—through
exegesis from a text, through an oral tradition from Moses, or by some later decree?”
No tradition was taken for granted, no new ruling went without strong
precedent.
The Talmud provides a very striking
example as an illustration:16
Rav Judah said in the name
of Rav: When Moses ascended on high he found the Holy One, blessed
be He, engaged in affixing crowns to the letters.
Said Moses, “Lord of the Universe, Who
is forcing you do to this?”
He answered, “There will arise a man,
at the end of many generations, Akiva ben Joseph by name, who will
expound upon each stroke heaps and heaps of laws.”
“Lord of the Universe,” said Moses,
“permit me to see him.”
He replied, ‘Step back.”
Moses stepped back and sat down behind
eight rows of Rabbi Akiva’s students. He had no clue what they were
talking about and he felt faint.
Then they came to a certain subject and
the disciples said to the master “How do you know that?”
Rabbi Akiva replied “This is a law we know by oral tradition to have been
given to Moses at Sinai.”
And Moses was comforted.
Nevertheless, we almost always find
disparate views on a subject. Our tradition addresses this by explaining that
Moses, as well, received multiple views:
Rabbi Yanai said: The Torah
was not given cut and dry. Rather, for everything that G‑d would tell Moses, He
would provide 49 facets of purity and 49 facets of impurity.
Moses said, “Master of the Universe!
When will we ever get this clarified?”
G‑d replied, “Turn after the majority17. If those who declare it pure are in the majority, it is pure. If those
who declare it impure are in the majority, it is impure.
Rabbi Avahu said in the name of
Rabbi Yonatan, “Rabbi Akiva had one diligent student and his name
was Rabbi Meir. He was able to find 49 facets of Torah to declare a rodent
pure, along with 49 facets to declare it impure.”
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said,
“In the days of Saul and David, and in the days of Samuel, even
little children knew how to learn the Torah with 49 facets of purity and 49
facets of impurity.18
This notion of multiple truths through
which every student must sift is a fundamental principle in Torah study—as well
as one of the secrets to the robustness of tradition. In Jewish tradition, G‑d
is also called “the Infinite Light”—or just “the Infinite.” As He is
infinite, so the wisdom that comes from Him is limitless in its application, as
well as in the points of view it may include.19
Obviously, not all opinions are Torah.
There are requirements, vital to ensuring the integrity of Torah. See the
section below, “Can People Create More Torah?”
As the Talmud expounds the words
of Ecclesiastes:
“The words of the wise are like goads;
like well-fastened nails are the sayings of the masters of collection, given
from one shepherd.”20
…Who are the “masters of collection”?
These are the students of the sages who sit in groups occupied in Torah. These
declare something impure and these declare it pure. These forbid and these
permit. These declare something kosher and these declare it unfit.
Perhaps a person will say, “If so, how
can I study Torah?”
This is what we were taught: All were
given by a single shepherd. One G‑d gave them, one leader spoke them from the
mouth of the Master of All Things, blessed be He, as it is written, “And G‑d
spoke all these things, saying...”
You, too, should make your ear like a
grinder and acquire an understanding heart to hear the words of all these
opinions.21
Authorship of the Torah
The Jewish tradition is that Moses
wrote the Five Books of Moses. You will find allusions to this at several
points in the text, and yet more explicitly in Joshua 1:7–8. Sixteen instances in Tanach make reference to “the Torah of Moses.”
Yet we can’t really call Moses the
author. Truly, no prophet is his own author. Some, like David, were able
to say, “The spirit of G‑d spoke within me and His word is on my tongue.”22 He felt himself nothing more than a conduit for the divine to
enter this world. Others saw visions or dreams which were given to them from
Above so they could transmit a message to the people.23
But Moses’ prophecy was on an entirely
different level. His words were not cloaked in allegory and metaphor, but were
direct instructions, asThere was
no sense of self within Moses’ words—as we see, that he refers to himself in
the third person. precise articulations of the
divine voice that preceded the universe. There was no sense of self within
Moses’ words—as we see, that he refers to himself in the third person,
describing his birth and the events of his life objectively, as though speaking
of someone else.24
This is what G‑d means when He
tells Miriam and Aaron, “Mouth to mouth I speak with him.”25 This is also what the Talmud means when it says that “G‑d dictated
and Moses wrote.”26
What about the last eight verses of the
Torah, which describe Moses’ death? The Talmud records two opinions.27 Rabbi Yehuda says that these last verses were written
by Joshua, Moses’ student and heir. Rabbi Shimon differs,
saying, “Until this point, the Holy One, Blessed be He, dictated and Moses
repeated after Him and wrote the text. From this point forward, the Holy One,
Blessed be He, dictated and Moses wrote with tears.”
When Did Moses Write the Torah?
When did Moses write all this? The
Talmud provides two opinions on this topic as well. One is that he wrote
separate scrolls as matters unfolded over the forty year period in the
wilderness, and only sewed them together at the end of his life. The other is
that he wrote all five books at the end of his life.28
Up until the late 17th century, the
divine origin of the Torah went unquestioned. European scholars and statesmen
alike cited it far more than any other source, as it was considered a text of
the highest authority. That is why most of what we consider “enlightenment
values” find their source in Torah.29
In the 18th and 19th century, some
secular scholars attempted to date the writing of the Torah to a much later
era. Most prominent was Julius Wellhausen, who claimed it was a forgery, the
work of priestly canonizers in the early years of the
second Temple cobbling together writings of several traditions. This
is generally referred to as “The Documentary Hypothesis”—an attempt to
reconstruct the evolution of the text, somewhat akin to attempting to
unscramble an entity that you have deemed to be a scrambled egg.
No external evidence has been produced
to support this hypothesis, and quite the contrary, the syntax and format of
hundreds of thousands of ancient near eastern documents discovered in more
recent times undermine many of its assumptions.30 We are now able to trace texts as they are modified over the ages,
and no such cobbling has been found.
As far as internal evidence—that is,
from the text itself—the explanatory power of the hypothesis raises more
questions than it answers, and traditional commentary addresses most of its
issues in a more satisfactory way. Also, we now know that what was previously
assumed to be anomalies of the text pointing to multiple authors, such as
grammatical shifts and repetition, are actually quite common in documents of
the ancient Near East.
Furthermore, it has never been
clarified who exactly benefits from this conspiracy, as the Torah places
restriction and blame on just about everyone, nor why anyone would fall for it.
The hypothesis has never been without
scholarly detractors, and has come under serious attack in recent years by
several experts, including the foremost Egyptologist of the Ramses era, Kenneth
A. Kitchen, who claims that the absence of anachronism and the descriptive
detail and accuracy demonstrate that the work could only have been composed
contemporaneously.31 James K. Hoffmeier is another highly respected Egyptologist who
has published in support of a contemporaneous reading.32 Several academics have even claimed that scholars only cling to
this paradigm due to its enabling power.33
The Jewish tradition of Mosaic
authorship, on the other hand, was the universal consensus of both Jews and
Christians until the late 17th century. The Jewish tradition is an unbroken
chain, and it was always public knowledge of a large mass of people—which is
extremely difficult to forge. As all alternative hypotheses are only
speculative, it makes sense to default to the tradition.
Who Wrote the Rest of the Books of the Torah?
What about the remaining books of the
Tanach that are also called Torah? Here is a list of their authors according to
the Talmud:34
· Joshua: Joshua,
completed by Pinchas.
· Judges and Ruth: Samuel
· Samuel: Samuel, completed by Gad the Seer and Nathan the
Prophet.
· Psalms: David,
collecting his own songs as well as those of ten
elders: Adam, Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses, Heiman,
Yedutun, Asaf and three sons of Korach.
· Job: Moses
· Kings: Jeremiah
· Jeremiah, Book of
Kings, Lamentations (Eicha): Jeremiah.
· Isaiah:
Transcribed and preserved by Hezekiah and his colleagues.
· Proverbs, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes (Kohelet): Composed by Solomon, transcribed and preserved
by Hezekiah and
his colleagues.
· Ezekiel, the Twelve Prophets, Daniel and
the Scroll of Esther: The Members of the Great Assembly (during the
Babylonian exile).
· Book of Ezra and Chronicles: Ezra, completed
by Nehemiah.
(Photo: Bentzi Sasson)
Can People Create More Torah?
We said above that Torah is constantly
being created by its students. But how could this be, if the Torah is a divine
instruction?
A simple answer is that the Torah
provides general principles, and it is up to us to figure out how those
principles apply in new situations as they arise.
For example, as technology advances,
questions arise. The Torah says, “You shall not ignite a fire in any of your
dwelling places on the day of Shabbat.”35 Does that include turning the ignition key on a fossil-fuel car?
(Consensus: Yes)
How about flicking an electric switch? (Consensus: Probably not, but still prohibited for other reasons.)
Or heating up the carbon filament in an
incandescent bulb, so that it glows? (Consensus: Prohibited by two opinions—one
that is a fire, the other that heating metal until it glows is considered
cooking.36)
Can we let electric devices continue
working for us on Shabbat without our intervention? (Consensus: Under the right
conditions, yes.)
In medical
ethics, as well, as new situations arise
almost daily, Torah precedents are mined to provide guidance and clarity.
Similarly, when the Torah tells us a
story in order to teach a lesson. In each generation, we must determine what is
the relevant lesson for those times.
But how do we call those applications
themselves Torah? It would seem that they are our own wisdom and not divine
wisdom.
An answer is found in Torah itself.
Moses describes the event of G‑d speaking at Mount Sinai with these words:
“There was a great voice and it never stopped.”37
The last words of that verse—v’lo
yasaf—are not only ambiguous but contain two opposite meanings. They could
mean, “and it never stopped.” But they could also mean, “and it never
recurred.”38
Both are true. The Midrash39 explains:
Said Rabbi Yitzchak: Whatever the
prophets were destined to prophesy in each generation they received from Mount
Sinai. For that is what Moses said to Israel, “For those who are here standing
with us today … and those who are not here with us today.”
He didn’t say, “Those who are not standing with
us here today,” but just “those who are not with us today.”
That is because he was speaking of the souls that were destined to be created
but were as yet without substance. Of these, it could not be said that they
were standing, yet they too, each one, received that which belonged to them.
So it also is said, “The burden of the
word of G‑d in the hand of Malachi.” Not “in
the days of Malachi,” but “in the hand of Malachi.” For the prophecy was
already in his hand from the event of Mount Sinai. It was only that he was not
permitted to prophesy until the time for it arrived.
The same is said about Isaiah: “From
the day and from the time that it was, there was I.”
Isaiah was saying that from the day the
Torah was given at Sinai, there I was, and there I received this prophecy. It
is only that “and now, Hashem, G‑d, has sent me and His spirit.” Meaning,
until now I was not granted permission to prophesy.
It was not only the prophets who
received their prophecy from Sinai but also all the sages that arose in every
generation. Each one received that which is his from Sinai.
So is it said, “All these things G‑d
spoke to all your congregation, a great voice that never ends.”
In every generation, in every place
where Torah is studied, Sinai occurs again, and again, and again, with each new
discovery, each flash of wisdom and insight that was never known before. Each
is an unfolding of that same voice, each as needed for that time and place.
One could say that the seed The seed of Torah was planted with the experience at Sinai, and the DNA
of that seed continues to unfold. of Torah was
planted with the experience at Sinai, recorded in the Five Books of Moses, but
that the voice of Sinai continues to be heard in each generation as students of
the Torah unfold the DNA of that seed, discovering new meanings that were
always meant, and new applications that had always lay dormant.
Yet there is an ominous caveat to this
venture. The Zohar warns that one who says something is Torah when it
is not has created an idol.40 That makes sense when you consider that Torah is divine wisdom.
Just as making an idol and claiming that it is the image of G‑d is a dangerous
lie, so too speaking your own ideas and calling them Torah.
That is why Rabbi Moshe
Cordovero taught, “When you originate and analyze with your intellect so
that you may understand, you must take care to conceive the idea and explain it
within the framework of the tradition of the rabbis and their terse words. The
original ideas must be included in that which you have gained, whether much or
little.”41
So, yes, it is hazardous—but it’s a
necessity. You haven’t really learned Torah until you are able to discern new
explanations, meanings, and applications of your own. As the Talmud tells:
It happened that Rabbi Yochanan ben
Beroka and Rabbi Elazar ben Chisma went to greet their teacher
Rabbi Yehoshua in
Peki’in.
He said to them, “What innovations have
come up in your study hall?
His students replied, “We are your
students, and from your waters we drink!”
He said back to them, “Nevertheless,
there cannot be a hall of Torah study without innovation.”42
Indeed, the great kabbalist, Rabbi
Yitzchak Luria taught that every Jewish soul that comes to this world is
capable of innovating in Torah, and must do so for the sake of
its own fulfillment.43
Originality and innovation are crucial
elements to Torah study—as long as the task is approached with trepidation and
awe, for this is, after all, a divine task.
Photo: mayanot.edu
Torah Versus Wisdom
If they tell you there is wisdom among
other peoples, believe them.
If they tell you there is Torah among
other peoples, do not believe them.44
Torah, it seems, is distinct from what
we generally call wisdom. Even the term “divine wisdom” is insufficient.
Our universe, after all, is composed of
divine wisdom—yet Torah is more than the universe. Our environment, our bodies,
and even the psyche with which we observe all of these, all are of unfathomable
design. “How wondrous are Your works, O G‑d,” the Psalmist declares. “You made
all of them with wisdom!”45 The opening words of the Torah, “In the beginning G‑d created …”46 are rendered in the Jerusalem Targum as “With wisdom did
G‑d create.”
The rabbis of the Talmud even taught us
that the Torah is the blueprint of the universe:
The way the world works, when a mortal
king builds for himself a palace, he doesn’t build it on his own accord.
Rather, he builds according to the advice of an architect. As for the
architect, he also does not rely on his mind alone, but he has sketches and
worksheets to know how to construct the rooms and how to construct the
doorways. So too, the Holy One, blessed be He, looked in the Torah and created
the world.47
Yet the laws of Torah are something
beyond the laws of nature.
So what is the difference between
wisdom and Torah? The distinction is a simple one—between what is and what
should be: Wisdom “ Wisdom
tells you all that the Creator created and all that could come from it. Torah
tells you what the Creator desires. tells
you all that the Creator created and all that could come from it. Torah tells
you what the Creator desires from His creation, and how it
will be achieved.
For example, wisdom tells you that how
you treat others is bound to come back to you. It’s up to you to decide whether
you want that coming back or not.
Wisdom tells you that holding on to
property that doesn’t belong to you might not be a good idea—not for you nor
for the people around you. But it’s up to you to decide whether or not to
suffer the consequences for the sake of the immediate benefits.
Torah, on the other hand, doesn’t
simply inform; it instructs. The Torah is G‑d, who creates the
universe and sustains its existence at every moment, saying, “Whether you
understand or not, whether you can justify yourself or not, don’t steal.”
That’s taking a step beyond wisdom.48
Indeed, in many instances, the Torah
will instruct you to do something that is beyond your understanding. Here
again, you listen—not just because you are wise enough to know that the
instructions of the One who created heaven and earth are not always going to
fit into your understanding, but also because these are instructions, after
all, of the Creator of heaven and earth.
This is also what Rabbi Shimon ben
Lakish meant when he taught that “the Torah preceded the creation of the world
by two thousand years.”49 Obviously, he could not have meant chronological time, since time is also a creation. Rather the meaning is ontological. The Torah provides a higher context
that cannot be known from the world itself, a context of meaning and purpose.50
Is Torah Only For Jews?
Although Torah is a covenant between G‑d
and the Jewish people, it also contains wisdom and guidance for every person,
Jewish or otherwise.
Torah does not come to erase
distinctions, but rather to create harmony between individuals and between
nations in a time foretold by the prophets. Torah is meant to affect the entire
world, to elevate the dignity of all humankind and bring us all into a
partnership under a single Creator.
An ancient tradition of the Oral Torah,
alluded to in the text of Genesis, tells that
G‑d gave seven commandments to all of humanity—six to Adam and one more to Noah. These are sometimes referred to as
the Noahide Laws, or the Noahide Covenant.
The Jewish people were instructed at
Sinai to influence other peoples to keep these basic tenets of human decency. The
Talmud states that any human being who lives by these laws is considered
righteous and has a share in the world to come.
Photo: mayanot.edu
Why Learn Torah?
When you immerse yourself in Torah,
your goal is not to amass information but to plug your mind into the Creator’s
mind. To think in a G‑dly way. To gain a sense of how the Creator of the
Universe relates to His creations. It is a sharing of spirit, until the same
preferences and desires breathe within the two of you. His thoughts are your
thoughts and your thoughts are His. There is no comparable union to be found in
any other wisdom.51 As explained earlier, the way you understand Torah is itself the
divine wisdom.
But the most important reason for
studying Torah is in order to follow its instructions, as Rabbi Yochanan
taught, “One who learns and does not fulfill would be better off never having
come to this world.”52 On the other hand, Rabbi Acha responds, “One who learns in order
to bring his learning into action merits to receive divine revelation.” He
learns this from Joshua, who told the people, “Let not this Book of the Torah
cease from your lips, but recite it day and night, so that you may observe
faithfully all that is written in it. Only then will you prosper in your
undertakings and only then will you be successful.”53
And so we ask in our daily prayers,
that we should be given a heart “to learn and to teach, to do and to keep.”
Photo: mayanot.edu
How To Learn Torah
Reading a few Bible stories and staring
at the rabbi for the duration of a class don’t cut it. Every discipline has not
only its content, but its approach. Alongside the tradition of Torah come the
methods by which it is learned. Here are some key points:
Read out
loud and retain whatever you learn.
Bruria was a female Torah scholar
in Roman times. She was said to have memorized more of the Oral Torah than
anyone in her generation. An anecdote of the Talmud provides us a hint of her
secret:54
Bruria came
across a certain student who was whispering his studies rather than raising his
voice. She kicked him and said to him, “Isn’t it written: ‘Ordered in all
things and secure?!55’ That means that if the Torah is set out in all your 248 limbs—meaning,
you exert your entire body in studying it—it will be secure. And if not, it
will not be secure.
The Talmud continues that Rabbi
Eliezer had a student who would study quietly, and after three years he
forgot his studies.
Review,
review, and sing while you do.
The sages had strong words for those
who learn everything only once. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha taught: “Anyone who
studies Torah and does not review it is comparable to a person who sows and
does not reap.”56
Torah, taught Rabbi Akiva, is meant to
be learned as though it were a song.57 You sing a song over and over.
In fact, all of Tanach has cantillation
marks. As for Talmud and other studies, the traditional way of learning all of
them is with a singsong voice that expresses the back and forth, rise and fall
of statements and arguments, questioning and resolution. The song aids in all
facets of learning—retention, cognition and especially enjoyment.
Ask good
questions.
“The timid do not learn,”
taught Hillel the Elder.58 Why? Because learning begins when you ask a question.
Indeed, the paradigm of Jewish
education, the Passover Haggadah, begins by attempting to coax a
question out of the children. Without a question, what’s the point in providing
an answer? Why attempt to stuff information into a mind that is not seeking?
A standard put-down in the
Torah-learning world is to call out your interlocutor as an am ha’aretz.
If he’s an am ha’aretz, there’s no point in listening to his
words, considering his rulings or even arguing with him. What is an am
ha’aretz? A person who has memorized the entire Tanach and Mishnah and
understands all he has learned. A person full of knowledge—but no reasoning of
his own. A person who can provide all the answers, but asks no questions.59
That’s really all that Talmud study is
about—learning to reason for yourself, to derive one thing from another, to see
the pros and cons of a new idea, and—most of all—to know how to ask a good
question.
Once you find that you are asking the
same questions as the great commentators on Tanach and rabbis of the Talmud,
then you know you are learning Torah.
Learn with
a friend.
This may be the hottest secret of
Jewish education: Two heads are better than one—especially when they argue with
one another. And so the optimum method of study in the Torah world is with a
partner—and preferably one that disagrees with you.
That pair of heads poring over a text
together is called a chavruta.
It all began with Moses and Aaron, the
original Torah scholars. The Mishnah lists scores of chavrutas, among them the
greatest experts and authorities in Jewish law. Their clashes and debates are
the meat of most of the Talmud, and it is through the study of those arguments
that one becomes a Torah scholar.
That’s the principal advantage of a
chavruta: When you study by yourself, you tend to see only one side of the
picture. When you study with another, each of you takes a side. Each of you
explores, expands and defends his ground on that side. And if you are able to
argue while listening and listen while arguing—as any seeker of the truth must
be capable of doing—you come out of the debate with a vastly deepened and
broadened view of the terrain.
Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Shimon ben
Lakish were one such great chavruta. When Rabbi Shimon died, Rabbi Yochanan
refused to be consoled. The sages sent Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat to take the place of Rabbi Shimon. The Talmud continues:60
Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat went
and sat before Rabbi Yoḥanan. With
regard to every matter that Rabbi Yoḥanan would say, Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat would say to him: There is a ruling which is taught in a
baraita that supports your opinion.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Are you comparable to ben Lakish? In my discussions
with the ben Lakish, when I would state a matter, he would raise twenty-four
difficulties against me in an attempt to disprove my claim, and I would answer
him with twenty-four answers, and the law by itself would become broadened and
clarified. And yet you say to me: “There is a ruling which is taught in a
baraita that supports your opinion.” Do I not know that what I say is good?
Learn
Torah in a Yeshiva.
If you’re able to take even a few weeks
off from work or school, spend them in a yeshiva. If you’re
not able to take the time, take it anyway. As Hillel the
Elder said, “Don’t say ‘When I have the leisure-time, I will learn.’ Because
perhaps you will never have the time.”
A few weeks, a few months, or even a
year or so in yeshiva will likely be the best investment you will ever make.
You will be immersed in an environment of vibrant debate, rapid-fire
questioning of teachers, and a living spirit of timeless Torah.
The 613
Commandments (Mitzvot)
The Talmud tells us (Tractate Makkot 23b) that there are 613 commandments (mitzvot) in the Torah; 248 Positive Commandments (do's) and 365
Negative Commandments (do not's). However, the Talmud does not
provide us with a list of these commandments.
Several great Jewish scholars have
compiled a complete listing of these mitzvahs. Although they all agree on
the vast majority of the commandments, they do disagree concerning a number of
them. The arguments are for scholastic purposes only, for they do not disagree
over any actual commandment whether it is mandatory or forbidden—they only
disagree whether certain commandments are independent commandments, or perhaps
they are part of another commandment and are not counted on their own.
The following list follows the opinion
of Maimonides, as he lists them in his magnum opus, the Mishneh Torah. It must be noted that many of these commandments (such as all the
commandments associated with sacrifices) are not practicable as long as there
is no Temple in Jerusalem.
The Full List of the Mitzvot
1. To know there is a G‑d—Exodus 20:2
2. Not to entertain thoughts of other YHVHs
besides Him—Exodus 20:3
3. To know that He is one—Deuteronomy 6:4
4. To love Him—Deuteronomy 6:5
5. To fear Him—Deuteronomy 10:20
6. To sanctify His Name—Leviticus 22:32
7. Not to profane His Name—Leviticus 22:32
8. Not to destroy objects associated
with His Name—Deuteronomy 12:4
9. To listen to the prophet speaking in
His Name—Deuteronomy 18:15
10. Not to test the prophet unduly—Deuteronomy 6:16
11. To emulate His ways—Deuteronomy 28:9
12. To cleave to those who know Him—Deuteronomy 10:20
13. To love other Jews—Leviticus 19:18
14. To love converts—Deuteronomy 10:19
15. Not to hate fellow Jews—Leviticus 19:17
16. To reprove wrongdoers—Leviticus 19:17
17. Not to embarrass others—Leviticus 19:17
18. Not to oppress the weak—Exodus 22:21
19. Not to gossip about others—Leviticus 19:16
20. Not to take revenge—Leviticus 19:18
21. Not to bear a grudge—Leviticus 19:18
22. To learn Torah and
teach it—Deuteronomy 6:7
23. To honor those who teach and know
Torah—Leviticus 19:32
24. Not to inquire into idolatry—Leviticus 19:4
25. Not to follow the whims of your
heart or what your eyes see—Numbers 15:39
26. Not to blaspheme—Exodus 22:27
27. Not to worship idols in the manner
they are worshiped—Exodus 20:5
28. Not to bow down to idols—Exodus 20:5
29. Not to make an idol for yourself—Exodus 20:4
30. Not to make an idol for others—Leviticus 19:4
31. Not to make human forms even for
decorative purposes—Exodus 20:20
32. Not to turn a city to idolatry—Exodus 23:13
33. To burn a city that has turned to
idol worship—Deuteronomy 13:17
34. Not to rebuild it as a city—Deuteronomy 13:17
35. Not to derive benefit from it—Deuteronomy 13:18
36. Not to missionize an individual to
idol worship—Deuteronomy 13:12
37. Not to love the missionary—Deuteronomy 13:9
38. Not to cease hating the missionary—Deuteronomy 13:9
39. Not to save the missionary—Deuteronomy 13:9
40. Not to say anything in his defense—Deuteronomy 13:9
41. Not to refrain from incriminating
him—Deuteronomy 13:9
42. Not to prophesize in the name of
idolatry—Deuteronomy 18:20
43. Not to listen to a false prophet—Deuteronomy 13:4
44. Not to prophesize falsely in the
name of G‑d—Deuteronomy 18:20
45. Not to be afraid of killing the
false prophet—Deuteronomy 18:22
46. Not to swear in the name of an
idol—Exodus 23:13
47. Not to perform Ov (medium)--Leviticus 19:31
48. Not to perform Yidoni (magical
seer)--Leviticus 19:31
49. Not to pass your children through
the fire to Molech—Leviticus 18:21
50. Not to erect a column in a public
place of worship—Deuteronomy 16:22
51. Not to bow down on smooth stone—Leviticus 26:1
52. Not to plant a tree in the Temple
courtyard—Deuteronomy 16:21
53. To destroy idols and their
accessories—Deuteronomy 12:2
54. Not to derive benefit from idols
and their accessories—Deuteronomy 7:26
55. Not to derive benefit from
ornaments of idols—Deuteronomy 7:25
56. Not to make a covenant with
idolaters—Deuteronomy 7:2
57. Not to show favor to them—Deuteronomy 7:2
58. Not to let them dwell in our land—Exodus 23:33
59. Not to imitate them in customs and
clothing—Leviticus 20:23
60. Not to be superstitious—Leviticus 19:26
61. Not to go into a trance to foresee
events, etc.--Deuteronomy 18:10
62. Not to engage in astrology—Leviticus 19:26
63. Not to mutter incantations—Deuteronomy 18:11
64. Not to attempt to engage the dead
in conversation—Deuteronomy 18:11
65. Not to consult the Ov—Deuteronomy 18:11
66. Not to consult the Yidoni—Deuteronomy 18:11
67. Not to perform acts of magic—Deuteronomy 18:10
68. Men must not shave the hair off the
sides of their head—Leviticus 19:27
69. Men must not shave their beards
with a razor—Leviticus 19:27
70. Men must not wear women's clothing—Deuteronomy 22:5
71. Women must not wear men's clothing—Deuteronomy 22:5
72. Not to tattoo the skin—Leviticus 19:28
73. Not to tear the skin in mourning—Deuteronomy 14:1
74. Not to make a bald spot in
mourning—Deuteronomy 14:1
75. To repent and confess wrongdoings—Numbers 5:7
76. To say the Shema twice
daily—Deuteronomy 6:7
77. To serve the Almighty with prayer
daily—Exodus 23:25
78. The Kohanim must bless
the Jewish nation daily—Numbers 6:23
79. To wear Tefillin on the
head—Deuteronomy 6:8
80. To bind tefillin on the
arm—Deuteronomy 6:8
81. To put a Mezuzah on each
door post—Deuteronomy 6:9
82. To write a Sefer Torah—Deuteronomy 31:19
83. The king must have a separate Sefer Torah for himself—Deuteronomy 17:18
84. To have Tzitzit on
four-cornered garments—Numbers 15:38
85. To bless the Almighty after eating—Deuteronomy 8:10
86. To circumcise all males on the
eighth day after their birth—Leviticus 12:3
87. To rest on the seventh day—Exodus 23:12
88. Not to do prohibited labor on the
seventh day—Exodus 20:10
89. The court must not inflict
punishment on Shabbat—Exodus 35:3
90. Not to walk more than 2000 cubits
outside the city boundary on Shabbat—Exodus
16:29
91. To sanctify the day
with Kiddush and Havdalah—Exodus
20:8
92. To rest from prohibited labor
on Yom Kippur—Leviticus 23:32
93. Not to do prohibited labor on Yom Kippur—Leviticus 23:31
94. To afflict yourself on Yom Kippur—Leviticus 16:29
95. Not to eat or drink on Yom Kippur—Leviticus 23:29
96. To rest on the first day
of Passover—Leviticus 23:8
97. Not to do prohibited labor on the
first day of Passover—Leviticus 23:8
98. To rest on the seventh day of
Passover—Leviticus 23:8
99. Not to do prohibited labor on the
seventh day of Passover—Leviticus 23:8
100. To rest on Shavuot—Leviticus 23:21
101. Not to do prohibited labor
on Shavuot—Leviticus 23:21
102. To rest on Rosh Hashanah—Leviticus 23:24
103. Not to do prohibited labor
on Rosh Hashanah—Leviticus 23:25
104. To rest on Sukkot—Leviticus 23:35
105. Not to do prohibited labor
on Sukkot—Leviticus 23:35
106. To rest on Shemini Atzeret—Leviticus 23:36
107. Not to do prohibited labor
on Shemini Atzeret—Leviticus 23:36
108. Not to eat Chametz on
the afternoon of the 14th day of Nissan—Deuteronomy
16:3
109. To destroy all Chametz on 14th day of Nissan—Exodus 12:15
110. Not to eat Chametz all seven days
of Passover—Exodus 13:3
111. Not to eat mixtures containing Chametz
all seven days of Passover—Exodus 12:20
112. Chametz should not be seen in your
domain seven days—Exodus 13:7
113. Chametz should not be found in
your domain seven days—Exodus 12:19
114. To eat Matzah on the
first night of Passover—Exodus 12:18
115. To relate
the Exodus from Egypt on that night—Exodus
13:8
116. To hear the Shofar on
the first day of Tishrei (Rosh Hashanah)--Numbers 29:1
117. To dwell in a Sukkah for
the seven days of Sukkot—Leviticus 23:42
118. To take up
a Lulav and Etrog all seven days of Sukkot—Leviticus 23:40
119. Each man must give a
half shekel annually—Exodus 30:13
120. Courts must calculate to determine
when a new month begins—Exodus 12:2
121. To afflict and cry out before G‑d
in times of catastrophe—Numbers 10:9
122. To marry a wife by the means
prescribed in the Torah (kiddushin)--Deuteronomy
24:1
123. Not to have relations with women
not thus married—Deuteronomy 23:18
124. Not to withhold food, clothing,
and sexual relations from your wife—Exodus 21:10
125. To have children with one's wife—Genesis 1:28
126. To issue a divorce by means of a
Get document—Deuteronomy 24:1
127. A man must not remarry his wife
after she has married someone else—Deuteronomy 24:4
128. To do Yibum (marry childless
brother's widow)--Deuteronomy 25:5
129. To do Chalitzah (freeing
a widow from yibum)--Deuteronomy 25:9
130. The widow must not remarry until
the ties with her brother-in-law are removed—Deuteronomy
25:5
131. The court must fine one who
seduces a maiden—Exodus 22:15-16
132. The rapist must marry the maiden
(if she chooses)--Deuteronomy 22:29
133. He is not allowed to divorce her—Deuteronomy 22:29
134. The slanderer must remain married
to the wife he slandered—Deuteronomy 22:19
135. He must not divorce her—Deuteronomy 22:19
136. To fulfill the laws of the woman
suspected of adultery (Sotah)--Numbers 5:30
137. Not to put oil on her meal
offering—Numbers 5:15
138. Not to put frankincense on her
Meal Offering—Numbers 5:15
139. Not to have sexual relations with
your mother—Leviticus 18:7
140. Not to have sexual relations with
your father's wife—Leviticus 18:8
141. Not to have sexual relations with
your sister—Leviticus 18:9
142. Not to have sexual relations with
your father's wife's daughter (from your father)--Leviticus 18:11
143. Not to have sexual relations with
your son's daughter—Leviticus 18:10
144. Not to have sexual relations with
your daughter—Leviticus 18:10
145. Not to have sexual relations with
your daughter's daughter—Leviticus 18:10
146. Not to marry a woman and her
daughter—Leviticus 18:17
147. Not to marry a woman and her son's
daughter—Leviticus 18:17
148. Not to marry a woman and her
daughter's daughter—Leviticus 18:17
149. Not to have sexual relations with
your father's sister—Leviticus 18:12
150. Not to have sexual relations with
your mother's sister—Leviticus 18:13
151. Not to have sexual relations with
your father's brother's wife—Leviticus 18:14
152. Not to have sexual relations with
your son's wife—Leviticus 18:15
153. Not to have sexual relations with
your brother's wife—Leviticus 18:16
154. Not to have sexual relations with
your wife's sister—Leviticus 18:18
155. A man must not have sexual
relations with a beast—Leviticus 18:23
156. A woman must not have sexual
relations with a beast—Leviticus 18:23
157. Not to have homosexual sexual
relations—Leviticus 18:22
158. Not to have homosexual sexual
relations with your father—Leviticus 18:7
159. Not to have homosexual sexual
relations with your father's brother—Leviticus
18:14
160. Not to have sexual relations with
a married woman—Leviticus 18:20
161. Not to have sexual relations with
a menstrually impure woman—Leviticus 18:19
162. Not to marry non-Jews—Deuteronomy 7:3
163. Not to let Moabite and Ammonite
males marry into the Jewish people—Deuteronomy 23:4
164. Don't keep a third generation
Egyptian convert from marrying into the Jewish
people—Deuteronomy 23:8-9
165. Not to refrain from marrying a
third generation Edomite convert—Deuteronomy 23:8-9
166. Not to let
a Mamzer ("bastard") marry into the Jewish people—Deuteronomy 23:3
167. Not to let a eunuch marry into the
Jewish people—Deuteronomy 23:2
168. Not to castrate any male
(including animals)--Leviticus 22:24
169. The High Priest must not
marry a widow—Leviticus 21:14
170. The High Priest must not have sexual relations with a widow even outside of
marriage—Leviticus 21:14
171. The High Priest must marry a
virgin maiden—Leviticus 21:13
172. A Kohen must not marry a
divorcee—Leviticus 21:7
173. A Kohen must not marry a zonah (a woman who had forbidden relations)--Leviticus 21:7
174. A Kohen must not marry a chalalah
(party to or product of 169-172)--Leviticus
21:7
175. Not to make pleasurable (sexual)
contact with any forbidden woman—Leviticus 18:6
176. To examine the signs of animals to
distinguish between Kosher and non-kosher—Leviticus 11:2
177. To examine the signs of fowl to
distinguish between kosher and
non-kosher—Deuteronomy 14:11
178. To examine the signs of fish to
distinguish between kosher and non-kosher—Leviticus
11:9
179. To examine the signs of locusts to
distinguish between kosher and non-kosher—Leviticus
11:21
180. Not to eat non-kosher animals—Leviticus 11:4
181. Not to eat non-kosher fowl—Leviticus 11:13
182. Not to eat non-kosher fish—Leviticus 11:11
183. Not to eat non-kosher flying
insects—Deuteronomy 14:19
184. Not to eat non-kosher creatures
that crawl on land—Leviticus 11:41
185. Not to eat non-kosher maggots—Leviticus 11:44
186. Not to eat worms found in fruit
once they have left the fruit—Leviticus 11:42
187. Not to eat creatures that live in
water other than fish—Leviticus 11:43
188. Not to eat the meat of an animal
that died without ritual slaughter—Deuteronomy 14:21
189. Not to benefit from a beast
condemned to be stoned—Exodus 21:28
190. Not to eat meat of an animal that
was mortally wounded—Exodus 22:30
191. Not to eat a limb torn off a
living creature—Deuteronomy 12:23
192. Not to eat blood—Leviticus 3:17
193. Not to eat certain fats of kosher
animals—Leviticus 3:17
194. Not to eat the sinew of the thigh—Genesis. 32:33
195. Not to eat meat and milk cooked
together—Exodus 23:19
196. Not to cook meat and milk
together—Exodus 34:26
197. Not to eat bread from new grain
before the Omer—Leviticus 23:14
198. Not to eat parched grains from new
grain before the Omer—Leviticus 23:14
199. Not to eat ripened grains from new
grain before the Omer—Leviticus 23:14
200. Not to eat fruit of a tree during
its first three years—Leviticus 19:23
201. Not to eat diverse seeds planted
in a vineyard—Deuteronomy 22:9
202. Not to eat untithed fruits—Leviticus 22:15
203. Not to drink wine poured in
service to idols—Deuteronomy 32:38
204. To ritually slaughter an animal
before eating it—Deuteronomy 12:21
205. Not to slaughter an animal and its
offspring on the same day—Leviticus 22:28
206. To cover the blood (of a
slaughtered beast or fowl) with earth—Leviticus
17:13
207. Not to take the mother bird from
her children—Deuteronomy 22:6
208. To release the mother bird before
taking the children—Deuteronomy 22:7
209. Not to swear falsely in G‑d's
Name—Leviticus 19:12
210. Not to take G‑d's Name in vain—Exodus 20:7
211. Not to deny possession of
something entrusted to you—Leviticus 19:11
212. Not to swear falsely in denial of
a monetary claim—Leviticus 19:11
213. To swear in G‑d's Name to confirm
the truth when deemed necessary by court—Deuteronomy
10:20
214. To fulfill what was uttered and to
do what was avowed—Deuteronomy 23:24
215. Not to break oaths or vows—Numbers 30:3
216. For oaths and vows annulled,
there are the laws of annulling vows explicit in the Torah—Numbers 30:3
217. The Nazir must let his
hair grow—Numbers 6:5
218. He must not cut his hair—Numbers 6:5
219. He must not drink wine, wine
mixtures, or wine vinegar—Numbers 6:3
220. He must not eat fresh grapes—Numbers 6:3
221. He must not eat raisins—Numbers 6:3
222. He must not eat grape seeds—Numbers 6:4
223. He must not eat grape skins—Numbers 6:4
224. He must not be under the same roof
as a corpse—Numbers 6:6
225. He must not come into contact with
the dead—Numbers 6:7
226. He must shave after bringing
sacrifices upon completion of his Nazirite period—Numbers 6:18
227. To estimate the value of people
(when someone pledges a person's worth) as determined by the Torah—Leviticus 27:2
228. To estimate the value of
consecrated animals—Leviticus 27:12-13
229. To estimate the value of
consecrated houses—Leviticus 27:14
230. To estimate the value of
consecrated fields—Leviticus 27:16
231. Carry out the laws of interdicting
possessions (cherem)--Leviticus 27:28
232. Not to sell the cherem—Leviticus 27:28
233. Not to redeem the cherem—Leviticus 27:28
234. Not to plant diverse seeds
together—Leviticus 19:19
235. Not to plant grains or greens in a
vineyard—Deuteronomy 22:9
236. Not to crossbreed animals—Leviticus 19:19
237. Not to work different animals
together—Deuteronomy 22:10
238. Not to wear Shatnez, a cloth
woven of wool and linen—Deuteronomy 22:11
239. To leave a corner of the field
uncut for the poor—Leviticus 19:10
240. Not to reap that corner—Leviticus 19:9
241. To leave gleanings for The poor—Leviticus 19:9
242. Not to gather the gleanings—Leviticus 19:9
243. To leave the gleanings of a
vineyard—Leviticus 19:10
244. Not to gather the gleanings of a
vineyard—Leviticus 19:10
245. To leave the unformed clusters of
grapes for the poor—Leviticus 19:10
246. Not to pick the unformed clusters
of grapes—Leviticus 19:10
247. To leave the forgotten sheaves in
the field for the poor—Deuteronomy 24:19
248. Not to retrieve them—Deuteronomy 24:19
249. To separate the tithe for the
poor—Deuteronomy 14:28
250. To give charity—Deuteronomy 15:11
251. Not to withhold charity from the poor—Deuteronomy 15:7
252. To set
aside Terumah Gedolah (tithe for the Kohen)--Deuteronomy 18:4
253. The Levite must set
aside a tenth of his tithe for the Kohen—Numbers
18:26
254. Not to improperly preface one
tithe to the next, but separate them in their proper order—Exodus 22:28
255. A non-Kohen must not eat Terumah—Leviticus 22:10
256. A hired worker or a Jewish
bondsman of a Kohen must not eat Terumah—Leviticus
22:10
257. An uncircumcised Kohen must not
eat Terumah—Exodus 12:48
258. An impure Kohen must not eat
Terumah—Leviticus 22:4
259. A chalalah
[see Mitzvah 174] must not eat Terumah—Leviticus
22:12
260. To set aside Ma'aser (tithe) each
planting year and give it to a Levite—Numbers 18:24
261. To set aside the Second Tithe
(which is to be eaten in Jerusalem)--Deuteronomy 14:22
262. Not to spend its redemption money
on anything but food, drink, or ointment—Deuteronomy
26:14
263. Not to eat the Second Tithe while
impure—Deuteronomy 26:14
264. A mourner on the first day after
death must not eat the Second Tithe —Deuteronomy
26:14
265. Not to eat Second Tithe grains
outside Jerusalem—Deuteronomy 12:17
266. Not to eat Second Tithe wine
products outside Jerusalem—Deuteronomy 12:17
267. Not to eat Second Tithe oil
outside Jerusalem—Deuteronomy 12:17
268. The fourth year crops must be
totally for holy purposes like the Second Tithe—Leviticus
19:24
269. To read the confession of tithes
every fourth and seventh year—Deuteronomy 26:13
270. To set aside the first fruits and
bring them to the Temple—Exodus 23:19
271. The Kohanim must not eat the first fruits outside Jerusalem—Deuteronomy 12:17
272. To read the Torah Portion
pertaining to their presentation—Deuteronomy 26:5
273. To set aside a portion of dough
for a Kohen—Numbers 15:20
274. To give the shoulder, two cheeks,
and stomach of slaughtered animals to a Kohen—Deuteronomy
18:3
275. To give the first sheering of
sheep to a Kohen—Deuteronomy 18:4
276. To redeem the firstborn sons and
give the money to a Kohen—Numbers 18:15
277. To redeem the firstborn donkey by
giving a lamb to a Kohen—Exodus 13:13
278. To break the neck of the donkey if
the owner does not intend to redeem it—Exodus
13:13
279. To rest the land during the
seventh year by not doing any work which enhances growth—Exodus 34:21
280. Not to work the land during the
seventh year—Leviticus 25:4
281. Not to work with trees to produce
fruit during that year—Leviticus 25:4
282. Not to reap crops that grow wild
that year in the normal manner—Leviticus 25:5
283. Not to gather grapes which grow
wild that year in the normal way—Leviticus 25:5
284. To leave free all produce which
grew in that year—Exodus 23:11
285. To release all loans during the
seventh year—Deuteronomy 15:3
286. Not to pressure or claim from the
borrower—Deuteronomy 15:2
287. Not to refrain from lending
immediately before the release of the loans for fear of monetary loss—Deuteronomy 15:9
288. The Sanhedrin must count
seven groups of seven years—Leviticus 25:8
289. The Sanhedrin must sanctify the fiftieth (Jubilee) year—Leviticus 25:10
290. To blow the Shofar on the
tenth of Tishrei (Yom Kippur of the Jubilee year) to free the slaves—Leviticus
25:9
291. Not to work the soil during the
fiftieth year—Leviticus 25:11
292. Not to reap in the normal manner
that which grows wild in the fiftieth year—Leviticus
25:11
293. Not to pick grapes which grew wild
in the normal manner in the fiftieth year—Leviticus
25:11
294. Carry out the laws of sold family properties—Leviticus 25:24
295. Not to sell the land
in Israel indefinitely—Leviticus 25:23
296. Carry out the laws of houses in
walled cities—Leviticus 25:29
297. The Tribe of Levi must
not be given a portion of the land in Israel, rather they are given cities to
dwell in—Deuteronomy 18:2
298. The Levites must not
take a share in the spoils of war—Deuteronomy 18:1
299. To give the Levites cities
to inhabit and their surrounding fields—Numbers
35:2
300. Not to sell the fields but they
shall remain the Levites' before and after the Jubilee year—Leviticus 25:34
301. To build a Sanctuary (Holy
Temple)--Exodus 25:8
302. Not to build the altar with stones
hewn by metal—Exodus 20:22
303. Not to climb steps to the altar—Exodus 20:23
304. To show reverence for the Temple—Leviticus 19:30
305. To guard the Temple area—Numbers 18:3
306. Not to leave the Temple unguarded—Numbers 18:5
307. To prepare the anointing oil—Exodus 30:31
308. Not to reproduce the anointing oil
(for personal use)--Exodus 30:32
309. Not to anoint with anointing oil
(a non-Kohen or non-king)--Exodus
30:32
310. Not to reproduce the incense
formula (for personal use)--Exodus
30:37
311. Not to burn anything on the Golden
Altar besides incense—Exodus 30:9
312. The Levites must transport the ark
on their shoulders—Numbers 7:9
313. Not to remove the staves from the
ark—Exodus 25:15
314. The Levites must work in the
Temple—Numbers 18:23
315. No Levite must do another's work
of either a Kohen or a Levite—Numbers 18:3
316. To dedicate the Kohen for service—Leviticus 21:8
317. The Kohen work shifts must be
equal during holidays—Deuteronomy 18:6-8
318. The Kohanim must wear their
priestly garments during service—Exodus 28:2
319. Not to tear the priestly garments—Exodus 28:32
320. The High Priest's breastplate must
not be loosened from the Efod (priestly apron)--Exodus
28:28
321. A Kohen must not enter the Temple
intoxicated—Leviticus 10:9
322. A Kohen must not enter the Temple
with long hair—Leviticus 10:6
323. A Kohen must not enter the Temple
with torn clothes—Leviticus 10:6
324. A Kohen must not enter the
sanctuary of the Temple indiscriminately—Leviticus
16:2
325. A Kohen must not leave the Temple
during service—Leviticus 10:7
326. To send the impure from the
Temple—Numbers 5:2
327. Impure people must not enter the
Temple—Numbers 5:3
328. [Certain] impure people must not
enter [even] the Temple Mount area—Deuteronomy 23:11
329. Impure Kohanim must not do service
in the temple—Leviticus 22:2
330. An impure Kohen, following
immersion, must wait until after sundown before returning to service—Leviticus 21:6
331. A Kohen must wash his hands and
feet before service—Exodus 30:19
332. A Kohen with a physical blemish
must not enter the sanctuary or approach the altar—Leviticus 21:23
333. A Kohen with a physical blemish
must not serve—Leviticus 21:17
334. A Kohen with a temporary blemish
must not serve—Leviticus 21:18
335. One who is not a Kohen must not
serve—Numbers 18:4
336. To offer only unblemished animals—Leviticus 22:21
337. Not to dedicate a blemished animal
for the altar—Leviticus 22:20
338. Not to slaughter it—Leviticus 22:22
339. Not to sprinkle its blood—Leviticus 22:24
340. Not to burn its fat—Leviticus 22:22
341. Not to offer a temporarily
blemished animal—Deuteronomy 17:1
342. Not to sacrifice blemished animals
even if offered by non-Jews—Leviticus 22:25
343. Not to inflict wounds upon
dedicated animals—Leviticus 22:21
344. To redeem dedicated animals which
have become disqualified—Deuteronomy 12:15
345. To offer only animals which are at
least eight days old—Leviticus 22:27
346. Not to offer animals bought with
the wages of a harlot or the animal exchanged for a dog—Deuteronomy 23:19
347. Not to burn honey or yeast on the
altar—Leviticus 2:11
348. To salt all sacrifices—Leviticus 2:13
349. Not to omit the salt from
sacrifices—Leviticus 2:13
350. Carry out the procedure of the
burnt offering as prescribed in the Torah—Leviticus
1:3
351. Not to eat its meat—Deuteronomy 12:17
352. Carry out the procedure of the sin
offering—Leviticus 6:18
353. Not to eat the meat of the inner
sin offering—Leviticus 6:23
354. Not to decapitate a fowl brought
as a sin offering—Leviticus 5:8
355. Carry out the procedure of the
guilt offering—Leviticus 7:1
356. The Kohanim must eat the
sacrificial meat in the Temple—Exodus 29:33
357. The Kohanim must not eat the meat
outside the Temple courtyard—Deuteronomy 12:17
358. A non-Kohen must not eat [certain]
sacrificial meats—Exodus 29:33
359. To follow the procedure of the
peace offering—Leviticus 7:11
360. Not to eat the meat of minor
sacrifices before sprinkling the blood—Deuteronomy
12:17
361. To bring meal offerings as
prescribed in the Torah—Leviticus 2:1
362. Not to put oil on the meal
offerings of wrongdoers—Leviticus 5:11
363. Not to put frankincense on the
meal offerings of wrongdoers—Leviticus 5:11
364. The meal offering of a Priest
should not be eaten—Leviticus 6:16
365. Not to bake a meal offering as
leavened bread—Leviticus 6:10
366. The Kohanim must eat the remains
of the meal offerings—Leviticus 6:9
367. To bring all avowed and freewill
offerings to the Temple on the first subsequent festival—Deuteronomy 12:5-6
368. Not to withhold payment incurred
by any vow—Deuteronomy 23:22
369. To offer all sacrifices in the
Temple—Deuteronomy 12:11
370. To bring all sacrifices from
outside Israel to the Temple—Deuteronomy 12:26
371. Not to slaughter sacrifices
outside the courtyard—Leviticus 17:4
372. Not to offer any sacrifices
outside the courtyard—Deuteronomy 12:13
373. To offer two lambs every day—Numbers 28:3
374. To light a fire on the altar every
day—Leviticus 6:5
375. Not to extinguish this fire—Leviticus 6:5
376. To remove the ashes from the altar
every day—Leviticus 6:3
377. To burn incense every day—Exodus 30:7
378. To light
the Menorah every day—Exodus 27:21
379. The High Priest must bring a meal
offering every day—Leviticus 6:13
380. To bring two additional lambs as
burnt offerings on Shabbat—Numbers 28:9
381. To make the show bread—Exodus 25:30
382. To bring additional offerings on
the New Month (Rosh Chodesh)--Numbers
28:11
383. To bring additional offerings on
Passover—Numbers 28:19
384. To offer the wave offering from
the meal of the new wheat (on the 2nd day of Passover)--Leviticus 23:10
385. Each man must count the Omer —
seven weeks from the day the new wheat offering was brought—Leviticus 23:15
386. To bring additional offerings on
Shavuot—Numbers 28:26
387. To bring two loaves to accompany
the above sacrifice—Leviticus 23:18
388. To bring additional offerings on
Rosh Hashanah—Numbers 29:2
389. To bring additional offerings on
Yom Kippur—Numbers 29:8
390. To bring additional offerings on
Sukkot—Numbers 29:13
391. To bring additional offerings on
Shmini Atzeret—Numbers 29:35
392. Not to eat sacrifices which have
become unfit or blemished—Deuteronomy 14:3
393. Not to eat from sacrifices offered
with improper intentions—Leviticus 7:18
394. Not to leave sacrifices past the time
allowed for eating them—Leviticus 22:30
395. Not to eat from that which was
left over—Leviticus 19:8
396. Not to eat from sacrifices which
became impure—Leviticus 7:19
397. An impure person must not eat from
sacrifices—Leviticus 7:20
398. To burn the leftover sacrifices—Leviticus 7:17
399. To burn all impure sacrifices—Leviticus 7:19
400. To follow the procedure of Yom
Kippur in the sequence prescribed in the Torah—Leviticus
16:3
401. One who profaned holy property
must repay what he profaned plus a fifth and bring a sacrifice—Leviticus 5:16
402. Not to work consecrated animals—Deuteronomy 15:19
403. Not to shear the fleece of
consecrated animals—Deuteronomy 15:19
404. To slaughter the Paschal sacrifice
at the specified time—Exodus 12:6
405. Not to slaughter it while in
possession of leaven—Exodus 23:18
406. Not to leave the fat overnight—Exodus 23:18
407. To slaughter the second Paschal
Lamb—Numbers 9:11
408. To eat the Paschal Lamb with Matzah and Maror on
the night of the 15th of Nissan—Exodus 12:8
409. To eat the second Paschal Lamb on
the night of the 15th of Iyar—Numbers 9:11
410. Not to eat the Paschal meat raw or
boiled—Exodus 12:9
411. Not to take the Paschal meat from
the confines of its group—Exodus 12:46
412. An apostate must not eat from it—Exodus 12:43
413. A permanent or temporary
[non-Jewish] hired worker must not eat from it—Exodus
12:45
414. An uncircumcised male must not eat
from it—Exodus 12:48
415. Not to break any bones from the
Paschal offering—Exodus 12:46
416. Not to break any bones from the
second Paschal offering—Numbers 9:12
417. Not to leave any meat from the
Paschal offering over until morning—Exodus 12:10
418. Not to leave the second Paschal
meat over until morning—Numbers 9:12
419. Not to leave the meat of the
holiday offering of the 14th until the 16th—Deuteronomy
16:4
420. To be seen at the Temple on
Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot—Deuteronomy 16:16
421. To celebrate on these three
Festivals (by bringing a offering)--Exodus
23:14
422. To rejoice on these three
Festivals—Deuteronomy 16:14
423. Not to appear at the Temple
without offerings—Deuteronomy 16:16
424. Not to refrain from rejoicing
with, and giving gifts to, the Levites—Deuteronomy
12:19
425. To assemble all the people on the
Sukkot following the seventh year [the king publicly reads portions of the
Torah]--Deuteronomy 31:12
426. To set aside the firstborn animals
[to be eaten by the Kohanim, and sacrificed unless they are blemished]--Exodus 13:12
427. The Kohanim must not eat
unblemished firstborn animals outside Jerusalem—Deuteronomy
12:17
428. Not to redeem the firstborn—Numbers 18:17
429. Separate the tithe from animals
[to be eaten by the Kohanim, and sacrificed unless they are blemished]--Leviticus 27:32
430. Not to redeem the tithe—Leviticus 27:33
431. Every person must bring a sin offering
for his transgression—Leviticus 4:27
432. Bring an asham talui offering when
uncertain of guilt—Leviticus 5:17-18
433. Bring an asham vadai offering [for
certain sins] when guilt is ascertained—Leviticus
5:25
434. Bring an oleh v'yored offering (if
the person is wealthy, an animal; if poor, a bird or meal offering) [for
certain sins]--Leviticus 5:7-11
435. The Sanhedrin must bring an
offering when it rules in error—Leviticus 4:13
436. A woman who had a running issue
must bring an offering after she goes to the Mikvah—Leviticus 15:28-29
437. A woman who gave birth must bring
an offering after she goes to the Mikvah—Leviticus 12:6
438. A man who had a running issue must
bring an offering after he goes to the Mikvah—Leviticus
15:13-14
439.
A metzora ("leprous" person — see According to the Torah is
Leprosy a hygienic problem or is it something spiritual and miraculous?) must
bring an offering after going to the Mikvah—Leviticus
14:10
440. Not to substitute another beast
for one set apart for sacrifice—Leviticus 27:10
441. The new animal, in addition to the
substituted one, retains consecration—Leviticus
27:10
442. Not to change consecrated animals
from one type of offering to another—Leviticus
27:26
443. Carry out the laws of impurity of
the dead—Numbers 19:14
444. Carry out the procedure of the Red
Heifer—Numbers 19:9
445. Carry out the laws of the
sprinkling water [of the Red Heifer]--Numbers
19:21
446. Rule the laws of
human tzara'at (Leprosy, see Mitzvah 439)
as prescribed in the Torah—Leviticus 13:12
447. The metzora (leper) must not remove his signs of impurity—Deuteronomy 24:8
448. The metzora must not shave signs
of impurity in his hair—Leviticus 13:33
449. The metzora must publicize his
condition by tearing his garments, allowing his hair to grow and covering his
mustache—Leviticus 13:45
450. Carry out the prescribed rules for
purifying the metzora—Leviticus 14:2
451. The metzora must shave off all his
hair prior to purification—Leviticus 14:9
452. Carry out the laws of
"leprous" clothing—Leviticus 13:47
453. Carry out the laws of leprous
houses—Leviticus 14:35
454. Observe the laws of menstrual
impurity—Leviticus 15:19
455. Observe the laws of impurity
caused by childbirth—Leviticus 12:2
456. Observe the laws of impurity
caused by a woman's running issue—Leviticus 15:25
457. Observe the laws of impurity
caused by a man's running issue (irregular ejaculation of infected semen)--Leviticus 15:3
458. Observe the laws of impurity
caused by a dead beast—Leviticus 11:39
459. Observe the laws of impurity
caused by the eight shratzim (rodents, amphibious creatures, and lizards)
[specified in the Torah]--Leviticus
11:29
460. Observe the laws of impurity of a
seminal emission (regular ejaculation, with normal semen)--Leviticus 15:16
461. Observe the laws of impurity
concerning liquid and solid foods—Leviticus 11:34
462. Every impure person must immerse
himself in a Mikvah to become pure—Leviticus 15:16
463. The court must judge the damages
incurred by a goring beast—Exodus 21:28
464. The court must judge the damages
incurred by an animal eating—Exodus 22:4
465. The court must judge the damages
incurred by a pit—Exodus 21:33
466. The court must judge the damages
incurred by fire—Exodus 22:5
467. Not to steal money stealthily—Leviticus 19:11
468. The court must implement punitive
measures against the thief—Exodus 21:37
469. Each individual must ensure that
his scales and weights are accurate—Leviticus 19:36
470. Not to commit injustice with
scales and weights—Leviticus 19:35
471. Not to possess inaccurate scales
and weights even if they are not for use—Deuteronomy
25:13
472. Not to move a boundary marker to
steal someone's property—Deuteronomy 19:14
473. Not to kidnap—Exodus 20:13
474. Not to rob—Leviticus 19:13
475. Not to withhold wages or fail to
repay a debt—Leviticus 19:13
476. Not to covet and scheme to acquire
another's possession—Exodus 20:14
477. Not to desire another's
possession—Deuteronomy 5:18
478. Return the robbed object or its
value—Leviticus 5:23
479. Not to ignore a lost object—Deuteronomy 22:3
480. Return the lost object—Deuteronomy 22:1
481. The court must implement laws
against the one who assaults another or damages another's property—Exodus 21:18
482. Not to murder—Exodus 20:13
483. Not to accept monetary restitution
to atone for the murderer—Numbers 35:31
484. The court must send the accidental
murderer to a city of refuge—Numbers 35:25
485. Not to accept monetary restitution
instead of being sent to a city of refuge—Numbers 35:32
486. Not to kill the murderer before he
stands trial—Numbers 35:12
487. Save someone being pursued even by
taking the life of the pursuer—Deuteronomy 25:12
488. Not to pity the pursuer—Numbers 35:12
489. Not to stand idly by if someone's
life is in danger—Leviticus 19:16
490. Designate cities of
refuge and prepare routes of access—Deuteronomy
19:3
491. Break the neck of a calf by a
stream following an unsolved murder—Deuteronomy 21:4
492. To neither work nor plant that
river valley—Deuteronomy 21:4
493. Not to allow pitfalls and
obstacles to remain on your property—Deuteronomy
22:8
494. Make a guard rail around flat
roofs—Deuteronomy 22:8
495. Not to put a stumbling block
before a blind man (nor give harmful advice)--Leviticus
19:14
496. Help another remove the load from
a beast which can no longer carry it—Exodus
23:5
497. Help others load their beast—Deuteronomy 22:4
498. Not to leave others distraught
with their burdens (but to help either load or unload)--Deuteronomy 22:4
499. Buy and sell according to Torah
law—Leviticus 25:14
500. Not to overcharge or underpay for
an article—Leviticus 25:14
501. Not to insult or harm anybody with
words—Leviticus 25:17
502. Not to cheat a sincere convert
monetarily—Exodus 22:20
503. Not to insult or harm a sincere
convert with words—Exodus 22:20
504. Purchase a Hebrew slave in
accordance with the prescribed laws—Exodus 21:2
505. Not to sell him as a slave is
sold—Leviticus 25:42
506. Not to work him oppressively—Leviticus 25:43
507. Not to allow a non-Jew to work him
oppressively—Leviticus 25:53
508. Not to have him do menial slave
labor—Leviticus 25:39
509. Give him gifts when he goes free—Deuteronomy 15:14
510. Not to send him away empty-handed—Deuteronomy 15:13
511. Redeem Jewish maidservants—Exodus 21:8
512. Betroth the Jewish maidservant—Exodus 21:8
513. The master must not sell his maidservant—Exodus 21:8
514. Canaanite slaves must work forever
unless the owner amputates one of their limbs—Leviticus
25:46
515. Not to extradite a slave who fled
to (Biblical) Israel—Deuteronomy 23:16
516. Not to wrong a slave who has come
to Israel for refuge—Deuteronomy 23:17
517. The courts must carry out the laws
of a hired worker and hired guard—Exodus 22:9
518. Pay wages on the day they were
earned—Deuteronomy 24:15
519. Not to delay payment of wages past
the agreed time—Leviticus 19:13
520. The hired worker may eat from the
unharvested crops where he works—Deuteronomy 23:25
521. The worker must not eat while on
hired time—Deuteronomy 23:26
522. The worker must not take more than
he can eat—Deuteronomy 23:25
523. Not to muzzle an ox while plowing—Deuteronomy 25:4
524. The courts must carry out the laws
of a borrower—Exodus 22:13
525. The courts must carry out the laws
of an unpaid guard—Exodus 22:6
526. Lend to the poor and destitute—Exodus 22:24
527. Not to press them for payment if
you know they don't have it—Exodus 22:24
528. Press the idolater for payment—Deuteronomy 15:3
529. The creditor must not forcibly
take collateral—Deuteronomy 24:10
530. Return the collateral to the
debtor when needed—Deuteronomy 24:13
531. Not to delay its return when
needed—Deuteronomy 24:12
532. Not to demand collateral from a
widow—Deuteronomy 24:17
533. Not to demand as collateral
utensils needed for preparing food—Deuteronomy 24:6
534. Not to lend with interest—Leviticus 25:37
535. Not to borrow with interest—Deuteronomy 23:20
536. Not to intermediate in an interest
loan, guarantee, witness, or write the promissory note—Exodus 22:24
537. Lend to and borrow from idolaters
with interest—Deuteronomy 23:21
538. The courts must carry out the laws
of the plaintiff, admitter, or denier—Exodus
22:8
539. Carry out the laws of the order of
inheritance—Numbers 27:8
540. Appoint judges—Deuteronomy 16:18
541. Not to appoint judges who are not
familiar with judicial procedure—Deuteronomy 1:17
542. Decide by majority in case of
disagreement—Exodus 23:2
543. [In capital cases] the court must
not execute through a majority of one; at least a majority of two is required—Exodus 23:2
544. A judge who presented an acquittal
plea must not present an argument for conviction in capital cases—Exodus 23:2
545. The courts must carry out the
death penalty of stoning—Deuteronomy 22:24
546. The courts must carry out the
death penalty of burning—Leviticus 20:14
547. The courts must carry out the
death penalty of the sword—Exodus 21:20
548. The courts must carry out the
death penalty of strangulation—Leviticus 20:10
549. The courts must hang those stoned
for blasphemy or idolatry—Deuteronomy 21:22
550. Bury the executed [as well as all
deceased] on the day they are killed—Deuteronomy
21:23
551. Not to delay burial overnight—Deuteronomy 21:23
552. The court must not let the
sorcerer live—Exodus 22:17
553. The court must give lashes to the
wrongdoer—Deuteronomy 25:2
554. The court must not exceed the
prescribed number of lashes—Deuteronomy 25:3
555. The court must not kill anybody on
circumstantial evidence—Exodus 23:7
556. The court must not punish anybody
who was forced to do a crime—Deuteronomy 22:26
557. A judge must not pity the murderer
or assaulter at the trial—Deuteronomy 19:13
558. A judge must not have mercy on the
poor man at the trial—Leviticus 19:15
559. A judge must not respect the great
man at the trial—Leviticus 19:15
560. A judge must not decide unjustly
the case of the habitual transgressor—Exodus
23:6
561. A judge must not pervert justice—Leviticus 19:15
562. A judge must not pervert a case involving
a convert or orphan—Deuteronomy 24:17
563. Judge righteously—Leviticus 19:15
564. The judge must not fear a violent
man in judgment—Deuteronomy 1:17
565. Judges must not accept bribes—Exodus 23:8
566. Judges must not accept testimony
unless both parties are present—Exodus 23:1
567. Not to curse judges—Exodus 22:27
568. Not to curse the head of state or
leader of the Sanhedrin—Exodus 22:27
569. Not to curse any upstanding Jew—Leviticus 19:14
570. Anybody who knows evidence must
testify in court—Leviticus 5:1
571. Carefully interrogate the witness—Deuteronomy 13:15
572. A witness must not serve as a
judge in capital crimes—Numbers 35:30
573. Not to accept testimony from a
lone witness—Deuteronomy 19:15
574. Transgressors must not testify—Exodus 23:1
575. Relatives of the litigants must
not testify—Deuteronomy 24:16
576. Not to testify falsely—Exodus 20:13
577. Punish the false witnesses with
the same punishment they were seeking for the defendant—Deuteronomy 19:19
578. Act according to the ruling of the
Sanhedrin—Deuteronomy 17:11
579. Not to deviate from the word of
the Sanhedrin—Deuteronomy 17:11
580. Not to add to the Torah
commandments or their oral explanations—Deuteronomy
13:1
581. Not to diminish from the Torah any
commandments, in whole or in part—Deuteronomy 13:1
582. Not to curse your father or
mother—Exodus 21:17
583. Not to strike your father or
mother—Exodus 21:15
584. Respect your father and mother—Exodus 20:12
585. Fear your father and mother—Leviticus 19:3
586. Not to be a rebellious son—Deuteronomy 21:20
587. Mourn for relatives—Leviticus 10:19
588. The High Priest must not defile
himself through contact with a relative—Leviticus
21:11
589. The High Priest must not enter
under the same roof as a corpse—Leviticus 21:11
590. A Kohen must not defile himself
for anyone except relatives—Leviticus 21:1
591. Appoint a king from Israel—Deuteronomy 17:15
592. Not to appoint a convert—Deuteronomy 17:15
593. The king must not have too many
wives—Deuteronomy 17:17
594. The king must not have too many
horses—Deuteronomy 17:16
595. The king must not have too much
silver and gold—Deuteronomy 17:17
596. Destroy the seven Canaanite nations—Deuteronomy 20:17
597. Not to let any of them remain
alive—Deuteronomy 20:16
598. Wipe out the descendants
of Amalek—Deuteronomy 25:19
599. Remember what Amalek did to
the Jewish people—Deuteronomy 25:17
600. Not to forget Amalek's atrocities
and ambush on our journey from Egypt in the desert—Deuteronomy 25:19
601. Not to dwell permanently in Egypt—Deuteronomy 17:16
602. Offer peace terms to the
inhabitants of a city while holding siege, and treat them according to the
Torah if they accept the terms—Deuteronomy 20:10
603. Not to offer peace to Ammon
and Moab while besieging them—Deuteronomy
23:7
604. Not to destroy fruit trees even
during the siege—Deuteronomy 20:19
605. Prepare latrines outside the army
camps—Deuteronomy 23:13
606. Prepare a shovel for each soldier
to dig with—Deuteronomy 23:14
607. Appoint a priest to speak with the
soldiers during the war—Deuteronomy 20:2
608. He who has taken a wife, built a
new home, or planted a vineyard is given a year to rejoice with his
possessions—Deuteronomy 24:5
609. Not to demand from the above any
involvement, communal or military—Deuteronomy 24:5
610. Not to panic and retreat during
battle—Deuteronomy 20:3
611. Keep the laws of the captive
woman—Deuteronomy 21:11
612. Not to sell her into slavery—Deuteronomy 21:14
613. Not to
retain her for servitude after having relations with her—Deuteronomy
21:14
LEVELS OF
TORAH
Introduction
The materials in this series of
articles generally come from Mikra'ot Gedolot HaBahir, which
has a voweled Hebrew translation of the pertinent Zohar on many
verses, called Zohar HaNigleh - The Revealed
Zohar - "revealed" because it is written in simpler Hebrew than the
traditional Aramaic. What we intend to do is to provide
a PaRDeS explanation of one verse from each
weekly Torah portion by translating (and supplementing) the
commentaries in Bahir Chumash.
PaRDeS, an acronym formed from the first letters of the four levels of Torah interpretation, means 'orchard' in Hebrew. (The English word
Paradise (PaRaDiSe) is derived from the same Persian root).
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Peshat: often
inaccurately translated as literal, it comes from the root which means
simple, although peshat is sometimes anything but simple! Peshat correctly
means the intended, explicit meaning. |
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|
Remez: alluded
meaning (reading between the lines). Remez in modern Hebrew means hint.
Traditionally, remez referred to methods such as gezera shava (equivalent
language implying equivalent meaning) and gematria (word-number
values) |
|
|
Derash: Homiletical
or interpretative meaning. The word 'midrash' is from the same root.
The drash is an interpretation that is not explicit in the text. |
|
|
Sod: (lit.
secret). The mystical or esoteric meaning(Yeshua Ha Melech Ha Mashiach
teachings-New Testament-Brit Chadassah). |
To pick our daily verse, we find a
verse that has the Zohar
HaNigleh provided by the Bahir Chumash, and then work our way "down" from Sod. If there
is Ramban explicitly according to sod ("the Way of
Truth" as he calls it), we will try to provide it. Otherwise,
it is our hope to give over a summary Ohr HaChayim as the metaphoric level, plus the corresponding Targum Yonatan. Also, the
excellent translation of R. Yosef
Karo's Maggid Mesharim by R.
Yechiel Bar Lev and K Skaist will be offered as a special addition. The Ba'al HaTurim's allusions
based on numerology will be offered, as well as Rashi, the universally
acknowledged master of Peshat, for a basic, straight-forward
explanation. Finally, we hope to give over personal reflections on points
raised in the Zohar in our section called BeRahamim LeHayyim , a phrase that appears in
the Sefardi Nusach addition to the Gevurot prayer
during the 10 Days of Teshuvah, Zochreynu LeHayyim. We
call our interpretation as such based on this author's name, Rahmiel Hayyim.
WORLDS AND LEVELS OF SOUL AND LEVELS OF
THE TORAH:
It
is our hope that the mitzvah of Talmud Torah/learning
Torah is fulfilled by speaking at least the verse out loud at least in English.
The Worlds are formed by the
Ohr Mimalei Kol Olmin, the Divine creative light that "Fills all Worlds"
immanently, according to their particular spiritual capacity to receive. The
10 sephirot attributes
and 12 basic partzufim personas
shine in each world (though not yet manifestly in Adam Kadmon), as well as more
specific Divine manifestations. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the partzufim dynamically interact with each other, and
sublime levels are enclothed within lower existences, as their concealed soul.
Nonetheless, in each World, particular sephirot and partzufim predominate. The
Five Worlds in descending order:
1.Adam Kadmon (אָדָם קַדְמוֹן) meaning Primordial
Man. The anthropomorphic
metaphor "Adam" denotes
the Yosher (Upright) configuration of the sephirot in
the form of Man, though not yet manifest. "Kadmon" signifies
"primary of all primaries", the first pristine emanation, still
united with the Ein Sof. Adam Kadmon is the realm of Keter Elyon
(Supernal Crown of Will), "the lucid and luminous light" (Tzachtzachot),
"the pure lucid sephirot which are concealed and hidden" in
potential. Containing the future emergence of Creation, it is Divine light with
no vessels, the manifestation of the specific Divine plan for Existence, within
Creation (after the Tzimtzum in Lurianic Kabbalah). In
Lurianism, the lights from A"K precipitate Tohu and Tikun. As Keter is elevated above the
sephirot, so Adam Kadmon is supreme above the Worlds, and generally only Four
Worlds are referred to.
2.Atziluth (אֲצִילוּת), meaning World of Emanation, also "Close." On this level the light of the Ein Sof (Infinite Divine "without
end") radiates and is still united with its source. This supernal
revelation therefore precludes the souls and Divine emanations in Atzilus from
sensing their own existence. In Atzilus the 10 sephirot emerge
in revelation, with Chochma (Wisdom)
dominating, all is nullification of essence (Bittul HaEtzem) to Divinity, not
considered created and separate. The last sephirah Malchut (Kingdom) is the "Divine
speech" of Genesis 1, through which lower Worlds
are sustained.
3.Beri'ah (בְּרִיאָה or alternatively[3] בְּרִיָּה), meaning World of Creation. On this level is the first concept of creatio ex nihilo (Yesh miAyin), however
without yet shape or form, as the creations of Beriah sense their own existence,
though in nullification of being (Bittul HaMetzius) to Divinity. Beriah is the
realm of the "Divine Throne", denoting the sephirot configuration of
Atzilus descending into Beriah like a King on a Throne. The sephirah Binah (Understanding) predominates,
Divine intellect. Also called the "Higher Garden of Eden". The
Highest Ranking Angels are in Beriah.[citation needed]
4.Yetzirah (יְצִירָה), meaning World of Formation. On this level the created being assumes shape and form. The emotional sephirot Chesed to Yesod predominate,
the souls and angels of Yetzirah worship through Divine emotion and striving,
as they sense their distance from the Understanding of Beriah. This ascent and
descent channels the Divine vitality down through the Worlds, furthering the
Divine purpose. Therefore, in Yetzirah are the main angels, such as Seraphim, denoting
their burning consummation in Divine emotion. Also called the "Lower
Garden of Eden".
5.Asiyah (עֲשִׂיָּה), meaning World of Action. On this level the creation is
complete, differentiated and particular, due to the concealment and diminution
of the Divine vitality. However, it is still on a spiritual level. The angels
of Asiyah function on the active level, as the sephirah Malchut (fulfilment in Kingship)
predominates. Below spiritual Asiyah is Asiyah Gashmi (עֲשִׂיָה גַשׁמִי, "Physical Asiyah"), the final, lowest realm of
existence, our material Universe with all its creations. The last two sephirot
of Asiyah channel the lifeforce into Physical Asiya.
Correspondences
|
World: |
Descriptions: |
Dominant Sephirah: |
Letter of Tetragrammaton: |
Level of soul: |
Level of Torah-PaRDeS: |
Other associations: |
|
Adam Kadmon |
Primary
form of Kav |
Keter-Crown |
Apex
atop י Yud |
Yechidah-Singular |
Sod
Sh'b'Sod |
Beyond
all names |
|
Atziluth |
From Tohu to Tikun |
י Yud |
Chayah-Living |
Sod-Secret |
Concealed
World with Beriah |
|
|
Beri'ah |
Formless
existence |
Binah-Understanding |
Higher ה Hei |
Neshamah-Breath |
Drush-Homiletic |
Divine
name ס״ג |
|
Yetzirah |
General
existence |
Midot-6 Emotions |
ו Vav |
Ruach-Spirit |
Remez-Hint |
Revealed
World with Asiyah |
|
Assiah |
Particular
existence |
Malchut-Kingship |
Lower ה Hei |
Nefesh-Lifeforce |
Pshat-Simple |
Divine
name ב״ן |
Tetragrammaton, World, Sefirah, Builder
Shavuot – Torah and Ruach
HaKodesh
JUN 11,
2016, 7:48 AM
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A Time to Speak
Both Torah and Ruach HaKodesh (Holy
Spirit) were given on Shavuot, the former in the wilderness, and the latter in
Jerusalem.
Pesach is the silence of the lamb, wilderness מִדְבַּר has its root in speech, the time to keep silence
ended with the giving of Torah in the wilderness:
|
עֵת לַחֲשֹׁות וְעֵת לְדַבֵּֽר |
A
time to keep silence and a time to speak (Ecc 3:7) |
The gematria of above verse is 1926,
which is 9 x 214, which is 9 times the gematria of Ruach רוּחַ.
The time to speak is augmented with
the giving of Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. “Holy Spirit and Jerusalem” in Hebrew
is רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וִירוּשָׁלַיִם,
the gematria is 1225, exactly the triangle number of 49, alluding to the 49
days counting the Omer to reach the 50 gates of understanding on Shavuot, on
which day the Holy Spirit was given to reveal the secret of Torah, as the
midpoint number of 1225 is 613, alluding to the 613 commandments of Torah.
There are three key features in the
Holy Spirit experience in Acts 2:1-4:
1. Voice;
2. Wind;
3. Tongues like fire;
Which are reminiscent of Ezekiel’s
vision:
The voice:
|
וַתִּשָּׂאֵנִי רוּחַ–וָאֶשְׁמַע אַחֲרַי,קוֹל רַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל: בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד-יְהוָה,מִמְּקוֹמוֹ. |
Then
a spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing:
‘Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place’ (Ezekiel 3:12) |
The wind:
|
וָאֵרֶא וְהִנֵּה רוּחַ סְעָרָה בָּאָה מִן-הַצָּפוֹן |
And
I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north…(Ezekiel 1:4) |
It stands to reason that the mysterious experience
known as Chashmal must correspond to the divided tongues like fire, for
Chashmal is from the midst fire:
|
וּמִתּוֹכָהּ—כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל, מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ |
…and
out of the midst thereof as the colour of Chashmal, out of the midst of the fire…(Ezekiel 1:4) |
Chashmal חַשְׁמַל is the secret of speaking silence, this is well
established by the rabbis, hence the Works of the Holy Spirit is the secret of
the speaking silence.
The gematria of Works of the Holy Spirit מַעֲשֵׂה רוּחַ
הַקֹּדֶשׁ is 1038, adding 1 for unification,
1039 is exactly the gematria of the three features:
|
Voice |
קוֹל |
136 |
|
Wind |
רוּחַ |
214 |
|
Tongue
in fire |
לָשׁוֹן בָּאֵשׁ |
689 |
|
|
1039 |
Astonishingly, 1039 is also the gematria of
Neshamah, Ruach, and Nefesh, the three levels of soul in man:
|
Neshamah |
נְשָׁמָה |
395 |
|
Ruach |
רוּחַ |
214 |
|
Nefesh |
נֶפֶשׁ |
430 |
|
|
1039 |
It can be derived that Neshamah is
manifested in the voice, Ruach in the wind, and Nefesh in the tongue of fire.
Nefesh is fire, Neshamah is water, and the voice of
God is like the voice of many waters:
|
וְקוֹלוֹ, כְּקוֹל מַיִם רַבִּים |
…and
His voice was like the voice of many waters… (Ezekiel 43:2) |
The same parallel can be drawn from Mashiach
holding (connecting) heaven and earth together (Col 1:17), the secret of the
three mother letters, being the initials of Heaven (ש), Mashiach (מ),
and Earth (א), the gematria is also 1039.
|
Heaven |
שָּׁמַיִם |
390 |
|
Mashiach |
מָּשִׁיחַ |
358 |
|
Earth |
אָרֶץ |
291 |
|
|
1039 |
It can be thus derived that Heaven
parallels the water (there is water), and earth parallels the fire (I will run
to fulfill the will of God), and Mashiach parallels the wind (Holy Spirit).
It may be surmised that Mashiach is
Holy Spirit clothed in human form, as the gematria of Mashiach מָּשִׁיחַ is 358, which is exactly the gematria of “Spirit of God conceived” יַחֵם
רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים.
Chashmal
The word Chashmal appears exactly
three times in the entire Bible, all in Ezekiel’s vision.
1st time, with
a prefix Hey:
|
וּמִתּוֹכָהּ–כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל, מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ |
…and
out of the midst thereof as the colour of Chashmal, out of the midst of the fire…(Ezekiel 1:4) |
2nd time,
without any prefix or suffix:
|
וָאֵרֶא כְּעֵין חַשְׁמַל, כְּמַרְאֵה-אֵשׁ |
And
I saw as the colour of Chashmal, as the appearance of fire…(Ezekiel 1:27) |
3rd time, with
a prefix Hey and suffix Hey:
|
כְּמַרְאֵה-זֹהַר כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַלָה |
…as
the appearance of brightness, as the colour of Chashmal.(Ezekiel 8:2) |
The gematria of the three appearances are:
|
1st appearance |
הַחַשְׁמַל |
383 |
|
2nd appearance |
חַשְׁמַל |
378 |
|
3rd appearance |
הַחַשְׁמַלָה |
388 |
|
|
1149 |
1149 is exactly the gematria of the
“seven weeks” שִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעֹת, i.e. Shavuot, the day when the Torah and Ruach
HaKodesh were given, and the Chashmal experience was hinted to in both events.
Ruach HaKodesh
The Hebrew word for Ruach HaKodesh is
רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, commonly translated as the Holy Spirit.
The word for “holy” can have two
variations: Kadosh קָדוֹשׁ and Kodesh קוֹדֶשׁ. Kadosh is an adjective, meaning “holy”, and Kodesh is a noun, meaning “holiness”, hence the correct understanding of
Ruach HaKodesh is “Spirit of Holiness”, instead of “Holy Spirit”.
Kodesh קוֹדֶשׁ
is typically written in the Bible missing a “Vav” as קֹּדֶשׁ,
as in the case for Ruach HaKodesh.
Vav has a gematria of 6, the number
of man, denoting the “descent” of holiness to the mundane world. Kodesh קֹּדֶשׁ without “Vav” therefore represents the “holiness” that is entirely removed from the
world.
The function of Ruach רוּחַ is always that of an intermediary. In the human
body, Ruach is the connection between Neshamah נְשָׁמָה and Nefesh נֶפֶשׁ.
Neshamah means breath, and Nefesh means rest, hence Ruach is the means through
which the breath of God comes to rest in the body of man.
According to Arizal, the concept of Ruach can be
understood by the glassblower analogy. The process begins with the breath (Neshamah)
of the glassblower, blowing into a tube to form a vessel. This breath then
travels through the tube as a wind (Ruach) until it reaches the vessel to shape
the form of the vessel to the desire of the glassblower, and there it comes to
rest (Nefesh), as it is written:
|
וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם,עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו,נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים; וַיְהִי הָאָדָם, לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה. |
Then
the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Gen 2:7) |
The “breath of life” נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים
is part of God, once it settles down in the body of man, it becomes a living
soul, נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה.
In the Sefirot, Chesed corresponds to
El, and Gevurah corresponds to Elohim, the intermediary between the two is
Tiferet which corresponds to YHVH, this is well established.
Man is a part of God from above, so is Ruach
HaKodesh. The gematria of “part of El Elohim” when the two divine names are
spelled out has the gematria 623, exactly that of Ruach HaKodesh רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ:
|
Part
of El Elohim |
חֵלֶק אֵל, אֱלֹהִים |
|
|
Spelled
out |
חֵלֶק אלף למד אלף למד הי יוד מם |
623 |
Tiferet corresponds to YHVH, when the gematria of
YHVH is squared, the triad is exactly the gematria of Tiferet תִּפְאֶרֶת which is 1081, as follows:
|
Right
hand |
Chesed |
חֶסֶד |
72 |
|
El |
אֵל |
31 |
|
|
Left
hand |
Gevurah |
גְּבוּרָה |
216 |
|
Elohim |
אֱלֹהִים |
86 |
|
|
Center |
YHVH Squared |
26 x 26 |
676 |
|
|
1081 |
This comes to teach us that Ruach
HaKodesh is the intermediary as well as the union that corresponds to Tiferet,
beauty.
Abraham corresponds to the father, Isaac
corresponds to the son, the servant Eliezer corresponds to the Ruach Hakodesh
that was sent to find the bride (Rebekah) for the son, the gematria is exactly
1081, as follows:
|
Father |
Abraham |
אַבְרָהָם |
248 |
|
Son |
Isaac |
יִצְחָק |
208 |
|
Holy
Spirit |
Eliezer |
אֱלִיעֶזֶר |
318 |
|
Bride |
Rebekah |
רִבְקָה |
307 |
|
|
1081 |
The midpoint number of 1081 is the
gematria of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵל, which is the congregations, or
churches קְּהִלּוֹת in plural form, meaning the center
is Israel.
Similarly, if we use Edah for congregation
(singular), and the name of God Ehyeh as the father, Mashiach as the son, the
union is still 1081, beauty:
|
God |
Ehyeh |
אֶהְיֶה |
21 |
|
Mashiach |
Mashiach |
מָּשִׁיחַ |
358 |
|
Holy
Spirit |
Ruach HaKodesh |
רוּחַ הַקּׂדֶשׁ |
623 |
|
Congregation |
Edah |
עֵדָה |
79 |
|
|
1081 |
Torah and Ruach HaKodesh
Torah is the word of God which is
otherwise incomprehensible unless it is clarified.
The traditional path of Torah Study
is through the wisdom of men (Talmid Chachamim).
Inasmuch as the sages were wise men, there is a
limit to human knowledge and men by nature are biased to their own traditions
and therefore will make mistakes, as it is written:
|
אֵיכָה תֹאמְרוּ חֲכָמִים אֲנַחְנוּ,וְתוֹרַת יְהוָה אִתָּנוּ; אָכֵן הִנֵּה לַשֶּׁקֶר עָשָׂה, עֵט שֶׁקֶר סֹפְרִים |
How
do ye say: ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us’? Lo, certainly
in vain hath wrought the vain pen of the scribes. (Jeremiah 8:8) |
The ultimate purpose of Holy Spirit to teach Torah
to write the Torah on the heart of man, as it is written:
|
וּמָל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת-לְבָבְךָ |
And
the LORD thy God will circumcise thy heart…(Deu 30:6) |
The gematria of these five words is
623, exactly the gematria of Ruach HaKodesh רוּחַ
הַקֹּדֶשׁ, so the means by which God
circumcise the heart is through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The perfect union of Talmid Chachmim and Ruach
HaKodesh is the perfect path of Torah Study:
|
Talmid
Chachmim |
תַּלְמִיד חֲכָמִים |
602 |
|
Ruach
HaKodesh |
רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ |
623 |
|
|
1225 |
1225 is the triangle number of 49,
the fruit of the 49 days counting the Omer and to receive the 50 gates of
understanding on the 50th day, i.e.
Shavuot, the midpoint number of 1225 is 613, which alludes to Torah.
The Fruit of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has nine fruits, according to Gal
5:22, which can be rendered into Hebrew with the gematria as follows:
|
1 |
Love |
אַהֲבָה |
13 |
|
2 |
Joy |
שִׂמְחָה |
353 |
|
3 |
Peace |
שָׁלוֹם |
376 |
|
4 |
Long-suffering |
אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם |
352 |
|
5 |
Kindness |
חֶסֶד |
72 |
|
6 |
Goodness |
טּוֹבָה |
22 |
|
7 |
Faith |
אֱמוּנָה |
102 |
|
8 |
Meekness |
עַנְוָה |
131 |
|
9 |
Self-control |
גְּבוּרָה |
216 |
|
|
1637 |
1637 is the 260th prime number, and 260 = 10 x 26, the gematria
of YHVH.
Now it is apparent that the 1st fruit is juxtaposed to the 9th fruit, and the 2nd to
the 8th, and so on and so forth, with kindness which is
Chesed as the midpoint.
|
Left
column |
|
Right
column |
||||
|
Goodness |
טּוֹבָה |
22 |
Love |
אַהֲבָה |
13 |
|
|
Faith |
אֱמוּנָה |
102 |
Joy |
שִׂמְחָה |
353 |
|
|
Meekness |
עַנְוָה |
131 |
Peace |
שָׁלוֹם |
376 |
|
|
Self-control |
גְּבוּרָה |
216 |
Long-suffering |
אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם |
352 |
|
|
|
471 |
1094 |
||||
The difference between the right
column and the left column in gematria is 1094 – 471 = 623, exactly that of the
Ruach HaKodesh רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ.
The midpoint is Chesed, חֶסֶד, the gematria is 72 which has a mirror image of
27. The triangle number of 27 is 378, exactly the gematria of Chashmal חַשְׁמַל.
The verse continues:
|
…against
such there is no law. (Gal 5:22) |
It is obvious that with Ruach
HaKodesh as the teacher one is able to understand the Spirit of the Torah and
fulfill the Will of God instead of the Works of the Law.
The Works of the Law מַעֲשֵׂה תּוֹרָה
has a gematria of 1026. When the Works of the Law is rectified by the Nine
Fruits of the Spirit, the primordial Torah is revealed:
1637 – 1026 = 611
611 is exactly the gematria of Torah תּוֹרָה, meaning the primordial Torah as the Will of God
without any addition or subtraction by man.
The Sefirot
The names of the ten Sefirot are:
· Chochmah - wisdom,
· Binah - understanding,
· Daat - knowledge,
· Chessed - kindness,
· Gevurah - strength,
· Tiferet - beauty,
· Netzach - victory,
· Hod - splendor,
· Yesod - foundation,
· and Malchut - kingship.
Everything that happens in the
spiritual worlds takes place through the medium of the Sefirot. However, as previously mentioned, they are not G‑d, and the
Kabbalists warn that one should not pray to them. In the words of Tikkunei
Zohar: Elijah opened his discourse and said: ‘Master of the worlds,
You are One but not in the numerical sense. You are exalted above all the
exalted ones, hidden from all the hidden ones; no thought can grasp You at all.
You are He who has brought forth ten “garments,” and we call them ten Sefirot,
and revealed worlds; and through them You conceal yourself from man.
You are He who binds them together and
unites them; and inasmuch as You are within them, whoever separates one from
another of these ten Sefirot, it is considered as if he had
effected a separation in You.
As previously discussed, Tzimtzum is
the concealment of the Or Ein Sof which allows a Seder
Hishtalshelut, a “series of intermediary stages” or worlds that makes the
creation of the finite world possible. Each of these worlds has a spiritual
infrastructure, the most basic component being the Sefirot.
The Sefirot are ten
modes or attributes through which G‑d manifests
Himself. The Sefirot are not G‑d, but they are the medium
through which specific qualities and attributes can be ascribed to Him. The
word Sefirah is related to the verb lesaper, which
means to “express” or “communicate.” This implies that the function of a Sefirah is to express a certain
attribute. It is also related to the word “sapphire” (sapir). A sapphire
is a gemstone that is brilliant and illuminating, implying that the function of
a Sefirah is to give Light. Combining these two concepts, one
may say that the Sefirot have two basic functions, one as
lights or luminaries that serve to reveal and express, and another as Vessels
that limit and define the Light so that specific qualities are manifest.
The Sefirot may be compared to the two hands of a king.
Sometimes the king operates with his right hand and sometimes with his left.
Ultimately, it is the king himself who is acting through the medium of his
hands.
In fact, every Sefirah is
divisible into the two aspects of Lights and Vessels. The Lights of the Sefirot are
simple and formless. They reflect G‑d’s infinite power as revealed within
the Sefirot. The Vessels have specific characteristics, and thereby
reveal G‑d’s power of limitation and finitude. It is through the Sefirot that
the Ein Sof—which by definition is infinite—creates and conducts
the finite worlds.
In order to understand the dynamics of
the Sefirot we can take a look at man, for man was created in
the image of G‑d.
In many places in the Torah,
scripture speaks of G‑d as if He had human features, “the eyes of G‑d”, the
“hand of G‑d,” etc.
Yet we know that G‑d has neither body
nor form of body.
Why then does the Torah use a
human description of G‑d? The answer is that the Torah speaks in the language
of man.
G‑d borrows terms from His creatures to
express His relationship with the world. G‑d has no eyes, yet He creates the
eye and is aware of everything that happens in the world. G‑d has no hand, yet
He creates the hand and His providence guides the world’s destiny. When the
Torah tells us that G‑d made Man in His image, it means that Man is a microcosm
of the Sefirot, with the entire spiritual infrastructure reflected
in him.
It is the Sefirot that
make it possible to speak about G‑d’s immanence in creation—what He does,
without referring directly to what He is. Those Divine attributes are reflected
within Man, both in his spiritual makeup and more literally in his physical
build. Hence, the Kabbalists chose to depict the Sefirot as
corresponding to various limbs and functions of the human body. Still, when
trying to grasp the dynamic of the Sefirot in the higher
realms; one may make reference to the human conceptual model, and then reflect
these concepts above. In this manner, we can speak in the language of man to
appreciate the higher spiritual realms. One must be cautious in doing so, and
realize that this human model is only a reflection of the Sefirot.
All analogies have their human dimension which may not be applicable in the
higher realms.
The Sefirot are also
reflected in Man’s spiritual make-up, with each faculty in Man derived from the
supernal Sefirot.
When one utilizes the ten soul powers
within him in his Divine service here in this world, he is able to affect their
source, the Sefirot, in the higher worlds.
The ten Sefirot are
generally divided into two categories: Intellect (sechel) and Emotions (middot).
The category of Intellect includes the three intellectual powers of Chochmah, Binah, and Daat—which are an acronym for the
word ChaBaD. The emotive powers are represented by the seven
channels of Chessed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut. They are also referred to as the Three Mothers
and the Seven Doubles.
The first three are viewed as “mothers”
because they are the source and root of the other seven, just as a mother is
the source of her offspring. The seven Emotions are called doubles because they
manifest themselves in a two-fold manner as shall be explained.
The first of the Sefirot is
called Chochmah. Chochmah is the soul faculty that
conceives any matter, and hence is made of the words koach mah,
meaning the potential of what is. It produces the original idea, and is often
referred to as the first flash of intellect. It already contains within it all
the details of the idea but as yet they are concentrated and obscured. It is
everything in potential. This potential has been likened to a dot, in which
everything is contained, but nothing is actualized or given definition. In the
Tetragrammaton, this is represented in the first letter, yud, which
resembles a dot.
The second Sefirah is Binah. Binah means,
“to understand or derive one matter out of another matter.” Binah takes
the original idea and expands and develops it both in breadth and depth. It
crystallizes and clarifies the details of the idea that were obscured in Chochmah.
That which was in concentrate form is now revealed and understood. In the name
of G‑d, Binah is the letter hey. Its shape, which is more
elongated and comprised of strokes, implies the expansion of the dot in breadth
and length. Chochmah and Binah are equitable
to two good friends who can never be separated. The Zohar describes
them as “a dot in the palace,” with the dot Chochmah being
realized in the palace of Binah. The koach mah of Chochmah (potential
of “what is”) is realized in Binah.
An idea once conceived may remain
abstract. The meaning of Daat denotes attachment and union as
in the verse, “and Adam knew (yada—from the word Daat)
Eve.” The faculty of Daat brings the abstract concept into
actuality. An idea must be felt and implemented, and Daat has
the power to unite the intellect and the emotions. It is only by great
attachment to an idea, by binding and unifying oneself to the idea to the
extent that one not only understands the idea, but also feels for it, that it
can be brought into practice. It is clear how Daat is the
connector between Chochmah and Binah and the
rest of the body (Sefirot). In the human body, the three cognitive
faculties of ChaBaD correspond to the right
cerebral hemisphere, left cerebral hemisphere, and cerebellum; from which stems
the spinal cord connecting the brain to the rest of the body.
The next three Sefirot are
the Emotions. In the body, Chessed corresponds to the right
arm, Gevurah to the left arm, and Tiferet the
heart. The Kabbalists draw parallels between the
Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the three
supernal Sefirot of Chessed, Gevurah,
and Tiferet.
Chessed (loving-kindness) is the attribute which diffuses benevolence to
all without limit. Creation itself is an act of Chessed, as it is
stated, “The world was built with Chessed.” The attribute of Chessed is
also called “greatness” (Gedulah), for life issues from Him to an
unlimited number of worlds and creatures. As we learn from Abraham, it is the
nature of the benevolent to do goodness. In Abraham, who embodies Chessed,
we see the paradigm of endless loving-kindness. His tent was open on all sides
and he extended the warmest hospitality to all.
Where Chessed is
boundless, Gevurah is the attribute of restraint. It has the
power and ability to limit and contract. In the act of creation, Gevurah conceals
from the created beings the activating force within them. This enables them to exist
as tangible entities, instead of being utterly nullified within their source.
The patriarch Isaac is
paralleled with Gevurah due to the dominance of this Sefirah within
him. He restrained his emotions magnificently at the Akeida (the
binding of Isaac).
Gevurah is also called “law” and “judgment” (Din). Judgment demands
that Chessed be distributed justly in proportion to the
recipient’s merit and not in a boundless, gratuitous fashion.
Without Gevurah, Chessed would
not have the boundaries needed in order for Creation to exist. In terms of
humanity, if Chessed was dominant, the earth would be full of
sinners since love would cover all iniquity. Conversely, if Gevurah was
dominant, no man could withstand the scrutiny of judgment.
Both Chessed and Gevurah operate
successfully through a mediating faculty, the Sefirah of Tiferet. Tiferet blends Chessed and Gevurah with
harmonious and beautiful results. It can be compared to a garment dyed with
many colors and blended in such a way that gives rise to beauty and decoration.
Within man, it is equated with the attribute of “compassion” (Rachamim).
Whereas Chessed would
give even to a person to whom compassion is not at all appropriate; Tiferet seeks
to pity a person to whom compassion is appropriate, and then to extend
benevolence to him as well regardless of worthiness. Tiferet is
also equated with “truth” (Emet) in the sense that both Chessed and Gevurah agree
to its flow. In the body, Tiferet is the heart, whose central
position in the torso mediates between right and left and creates harmony. In
the Patriarchs, Tiferet is seen in Jacob, the son of
Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. The children of Jacob, who is the perfect
balance of Chessed and Gevurah, were all
righteous.
The next three Sefirot are Netzach, Hod,
and Yesod. These three are extensions of Chessed, Gevurah,
and Tiferet. Netzach is an extension of Chessed, Hod of Gevurah,
and Yesod of Tiferet.
In their parallels within the human
body; Netzach and Hod correspond to the two
thighs and Yesod the reproductive organ, the Brit Kodesh. Just
as the thighs support the body and transport the body to its destination, so
too Netzach and Hod channel the upper Sefirot.
The Kabbalists parallel Netzach with the personality
of Moses, Hod with Aaron, and Yesod with Joseph.
The word Netzach comes
from the word menatzeach, meaning to “conquer” or “overcome.” Netzach therefore
denotes the idea of dominance. By giving in an unlimited way, one is
overwhelming the other, and in this respect it is an extension of Chessed. Hod is
just the opposite. Being an extension of Gevurah, it denotes with
strain to the point of submission. Hod stems from the
word Hodaah meaning to “thank,” “admit,” or “submit.” Total
dominance over another is a Netzach relationship, while total
submission is a Hod relationship. Yesod balances
the two, facilitates communication, and is therefore the foundation of the
world.
The action of Netzach, Hod,
and Yesod (known in its abbreviated form as NeHiY)
on Chessed, Gevurah, and Tiferet (known
in its abbreviated form as ChaGaT), may be analogous to a father
teaching a son. Once ChaGaT is aroused, the function of NeHiY is
to deliberate as to how the recipient will receive.
In the analogy, NeHiY has
a triple function. If the father will impart the knowledge in its totality as it
appears in his own mind, the son will be unable to absorb it. Rather, the
father has to rearrange the subject matter in such a way that little by little
the child will be able to understand. In this respect, Netzach and Hod are
referred to in Kabbalistic terminology as “the kidneys that advise” and are
“the two testicles” that prepare the sperm. This means that they adapt a subtle
concept in the father’s mind, and modify it to match the capacity of the child.
Netzach and Hod are also referred to as “grinders” and
“millstones.” Just as a millstone grinds the wheat germ into flour, so too a
father has to break up concepts and determine which should be presented and
which withheld. Netzach and Hod serve to
contract a concept in all its dimensions. Finally, Netzach also
allows for the father to prevail over himself and not withhold any beneficial
influence or learning from his son.
Carrying this analogy further will also
explain the Sefirah of Yesod. Even if the father
will privately rehearse what he is going to teach his son, it cannot be
compared to the actual moment of teaching. At that moment, the father binds his
intellect to the child and communicates with love. He truly desires that his
son understand the subject matter. The greater the desire and delight of the
father is, the greater the influence and learning of the son. The son is able
to absorb more and the father communicates proportionally. This bond uniting
the father and son is the attribute of Yesod. Yesod acts
as a funnel through which all the previous Sefirot are
channeled.
We may now understand why the triads
of ChaGaT and NeHiY are called doubles. ChaGaT are
the emotions as they exist within one, without taking into consideration the
recipient.
NeHiY are
the powers that focus the emotions of ChaGaT so that they may
be received by others. Hence, ChaGaT and NeHiY ride
in tandem and are called doubles, as each is dependent upon the other.
In summary, Chessed denotes
unlimited giving. Gevurah parallels unlimited restraint,
while Tiferet is a harmonious blend of the two. Netzach and Hod adapt
the influence for transmission, and Yesod transmits with deep
attachment. The six Sefirot of ChaGaT and NeHiY are
often grouped together.
Sefirotic Triangles
Kabbalistically, they are called
“little faces,” Zeir Anpin. In the Tetragrammaton, yud represents Chochmah, Hey is Binah,
and vov is Zeir Anpin.
The tenth Sefirah is
called Malchut. It is the ultimate realization of the first Sefirah of Chochmah. Chochmah is koach mah—the
potential of what is, and Malchut is called Mah—
that which is. In the Tetragrammaton, Malchut is the final
hey, and in the human
body Malchut is the
mouth. Kabbalah parallels Malchut to the personage
of King David. Essentially, Malchut is the receiver or
recipient of influence from the higher Sefirot. In this
respect Malchut has a feminine quality. Just as a woman
receives from a man and gives birth to a
child, so too Malchut receives
from Zeir Anpin and creates a new entity. In a kingdom, a king
“receives” the people’s acceptance of his sovereignty and in return he provides
all the people’s needs.
As the last Sefirah, Malchut does
not exert any influence of its own except that which the other Sefirot pour
into it. It is often compared to the moon which, though it has no light of its
own, reflects the sun’s light as a new entity. The fusion of Zeir Anpin and Malchut is
called in Kabbalah Yichud Zun—Zeir
Anpin and Nukvah (Malchut) combined. As in a
physical union that can procreate, all supernal diffusions are effected by
the Yichud Zun.
The purpose of creation is to reveal G‑d’s
sovereignty through the creation of “subjects” who are separate entities.
These subjects are distant and distinct
from the level of the king, and subsequently accept upon themselves the yoke of
his kingship. This was the whole purpose of the Tzimtzum, to obscure and hide the life force of the
world and thereby make it appear as an independent entity. It is through
the Sefirah of Malchut that time and space
came into being. In the dimension of space, we can call G‑d a king “above
without end and below without limit,” and likewise in all four directions. In
the dimension of time, G‑d reigns, has reigned, and will reign. Because Malchut is
the Sefirah in which the Or Ein Sof becomes manifest within the creation, it is called the Shechinah.
Malchut is also identified with the “mouth of G‑d” or “G‑d’s speech,” for
it reveals G‑dliness to the worlds.
Although we have enumerated the
ten Sefirot above as including the Sefirah of Daat,
some Kabbalistic texts count the Sefirah of Keter instead
of Daat. The word Keter means “crown” and stands above all the
other Sefirot, like the crown stands above the head. A king’s crown
distinguishes him from his people so that they can subjugate themselves to him.
The subjects of a sovereign are called “subjects of the crown” due to their
loyalty, and nullification to the crown and its authority. Keter is
the Sefirah that stands above all the Sefirot, and
is equated with “Divine will” (Ratzon) and “Pleasure” (Taanug).
Divine will is the external level of Keter and Pleasure the
internal level of Keter. The highest, most transcendent level is
“Faith” (Emunah).
In the human model, Intellect and
Emotions, intellect and emotions are soul powers that dwell within the body.
Intellect is in the mind and the
Emotions in the heart. A person’s willpower and pleasure, however, transcend
any particular organ. In a sense it is peripheral and is described as Keter. Keter has
an internal dimension known in Kabbalah as Atik Yomin (lit.
“the ancient of days”) and an external dimension called Arich Anpin (lit.
“the long countenance”).
In any stage of the Seder Hishtalshlut, Keter acts
as the intermediary between one level and the next. Malchut of
the higher level becomes Keter of the next. For example, in
the four worlds, Malchut of Atzilut becomes
a Keter to Beriah.
The Atik Yomin of Keter is
bound with the higher level and Arich Anpin is bound with the lower level.
We may now draw a diagram of the Sefirot as
they group themselves within man, reflecting the supernal Sefirot.
THREE LEVELS OF Keter
Emunah (Faith). Taanug (Pleasure). Ratzon (Will)
Sefirot of Man
As mentioned above, the Sefirot are
the infrastructure of all the worlds and are reflected with the microcosm of
man.
They are the infrastructure of man’s
soul; both his animal and G‑dly soul (see Ch.22). Both souls are a combination
of Intellect and Emotions. In the Nefesh HaBehamit (animalistic
soul), the
predominant powers are the Emotions and
are often classically referred to as the Evil Inclination (Yetzer HaRah).
Intellect is dominant in the Nefesh Elokit (G‑dly Soul) and is
referred to as the Good Inclination (Yetzer HaTov). The intellectual faculty of
the Nefesh HaBehamit is used
primarily to serve the Emotions,
whereas with the Nefesh Elokit, Emotions are an expression of the
meditative Intellect. The arousal of emotions in the Nefesh Elokit is
primarily through the power of meditation, which affects the emotions.
The Sefirot all have
their internal and external dimensions.
This is how they affect the person, and
how they affect others.
Chessed is internally translated into love, and externally into kindness.
Within the Nefesh HaBehamit, one may love the forbidden and be kind
to the undeserving. The main thrust of Hassidism is Tikkun HaMiddot –“correcting
the negative character traits” of the Nefesh HaBehamit. This shall
be discussed at length in Ch. 27.
We will now study in more detail
the Sefirot as they appear in the Nefesh Elokit.
When a Jew utilizes the ten soul powers within him in his Divine service here
below, he is able to affect their source, the Sefirot of the
higher worlds. With regard to the Sefirot in the Divine soul,
which are described as a “part of G‑d above,” all the internal and external
attributes of the Sefirot are directed to G‑d alone. When a
Jew utilizes the ten soul powers within him in his Divine service here below,
he is able to affect their source, the Sefirot of the higher
worlds.
Chessed: The internal aspect of Chessed is love of G‑d and the
great desire to cleave to Him. This affects the external attribute of Chessed in
a way that the person desires to practice Chessed in order to
emulate G‑d and cleave to His attributes.
Gevurah: The internal aspect of Gevurah is the fear of G‑d.
This expresses externally by reproving
and chastising the wicked with the punishments of the Torah, prevailing over
the Evil Inclination, and sanctifying himself in that which is permitted. By
building a fence and hedge around the Torah, safeguards are put in place
preventing transgressions.
Tiferet: The power to seek to glorify G‑d and follow His Torah mercifully in
all ways possible. This is expressed in Hiddur Mitzvah (the
“beautification” and “punctiliousness” in the performance of Mitzvot),
such as having beautiful tefillin and mezuzot, even when it
costs more money. It is also expressed by praising G‑d in all ways possible—in
thought, speech, and action.
Netzach: The power to prevail over anything that would restrain Man from the
service of G‑d and from cleaving to Him. This includes external battles over
the forces of evil in order to fill the earth with the glory of G‑d, as in the
wars fought by King David.
Hod: Through
self-abnegation and acknowledging the transcendence of that which defies his
mortal understanding, man seeks to prostrate himself and self-effacingly praise
G‑d.
Even though man sees a material world,
he acknowledges that in truth it is G‑d who animates and creates everything.
His limited vision is due to his
earthbound perspective. He expresses gratitude to G‑d for all the favors that
He has bestowed upon us and offers thanks to G‑d for all His praiseworthy
deeds, attributes, and workings in the creation of the upper and lower worlds.
In this context, Hod has the meaning of being sincere in one’s
acts of gratitude.
Yesod: Cleaving
to truth with intense desire and pleasure to the extent that one’s soul is
bound up with G‑d, the very source of life and truth.
Malchut: to accept the yoke of G‑d’s sovereignty and to serve G‑d like a true
servant to his master, i.e. out of awe and fear.
All the above Emotions of the Nefesh
Elokit are activated by the Intellect of the Nefesh Elokit. Chochmah is
the source of the “selflessness” (Bittul) that comprehends G‑d and His
greatness.
Binah is the
great “joy” (Simchah) that comes as a result of this comprehension in
the length, breadth, and depth of understanding.
The deep comprehension of Binah along
with the “unification” (Yichud) of Daat gives birth to the
emotions of love and fear of G‑d. Daat represents the bond and
with which the soul is bound up in this understanding.
In summary, we may now see clearly how
the Sefirot are represented in microcosm within man’s soul and
how they reflect and affect the supernal Sefirot. We may also see
that Tikkun HaMiddot is primarily affected through ChaBaD—a
thorough intellectual attachment to G‑d and His purpose in creation.
Sefirah Chart
The Menorah
and the Sefirot
By the 10 sayings the world was created, by the 10 Sefirot the world is sustained, by the 10 plagues the world was destructed and recreated,
through which the 10 names of God are revealed,
in order to receive the 10 commandments.
The Parallels
|
Blood |
Malchut |
Adonai |
The 1st plague of
“blood” corresponds to the 10th saying of
creation, “And God said: Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed…for
food” (Gen 1:29).
The food is digested and transported
through blood to sustain life. The plague of blood represents the antithesis of
life. This corresponds to the 6th commandment:
you shall not kill.
Red is the color of Malchut, which
corresponds to the name Adonai אֲדֹנָי.
|
Frog |
Yesod |
Shadai |
Frog in Hebrew צְפַרְדֵּעַ can be split to mean: bird of knowledge צִפֹּר-דַּע.
In the same way that knowledge is
connection, so is Yesod that connects Tiferet with Malchut.
In the same way that bird (created
from mire) is the intermediary between beast (created from dust) and fish
(created from water), so is the frog the amphibian that connects the domain of
water with the domain of land.
Shadai שַׁדַּי
is connected with “be
fruitful and multiply”, as represented by frogs, or Yesod, which is the site of
circumcision.
The 2nd plague
“frog” correspond to the 7th saying:
“And God said: Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures…” (Gen 1:20), and the 7th commandment:
you shall not commit adultery.
|
Lice |
Hod |
Elohim Tzevaot |
Lice in Hebrew כִנִּים is cognate with “ken” כֵּן
meaning “yes”,
corresponding to the Sefirah of Hod, meaning thanks-giving, acknowledgement,
and sincerity.
The 3rd plague
“lice” corresponds to the 4th saying:
“And God said: …let the dry land appear… “(Gen 1:9), for the plague of lice was made from the dust
and the whole land was covered by lice. In other word, the land “disappeared”
because of the lice.
Elohim of Hosts אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת
denotes multitude, as represented by lice. This is the 9th commandment: “you shall not bear false
witness against your neighbor”, in other word, “let your communication be: yea,
yea, nay, nay” in sincerity (Mat 5:37).
|
Horde of Beast |
Netzach |
YHVH Tzevaot |
“Horde of Beasts” in Hebrew is עָרֹוֹב, which also means mixture in multitude,
corresponding to YHVH of Hosts יְהוָה
צְבָאוֹת.
The 4th plague
“horde of beasts” parallels the 8th saying:
“And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its
kind…”(Gen 1:24), corresponding to the mixture of beasts.
In the same way that Hod pairs with
Netzach, so does the plague of lice with the plague of horde of beasts, in that
they come in multitude.
Similarly, the name Elohim Tzevaot
pairs with YHVH Tzevaot.
This corresponds to the 8th commandment: you shall not steal.
|
Pestilence |
Tiferet |
YHVH |
The 5th plague
“pestilence” corresponds to the 6th saying:
“And God said: Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven…” (Gen 1:14), for the pestilence on earth is influenced by the
planetary movement in heaven.
This is the only plague that was
inflicted by the “hand of YHVH” יַד-יְהוָה (Ex 9:3) which is upon five types of beasts, alluding to
the 5 fingers of hand.
Pestilence is the antithesis of
beauty, and Tiferet (beauty) is the middle Sefirah corresponding to the name
YHVH and unifies 5 other Sefirot, i.e. Chesed, Gevurah, Netzach, Hod, and
Yesod.
This corresponds to the 3rd commandment: you shall not take the name of
YHVH in vain.
|
Boil |
Gevurah |
Elohim |
The plague of boil was inflicted by
the ashes from the furnace corresponding to fire, which is Gevurah, which in
turn corresponds to the name Elohim.
The 6th plague
“boil” corresponds to the 9th saying: “And
God said: Let us make man in our image…” (Gen 1:26), for the boil represents the attack on the image
of man.
This corresponds to the 10th commandment: you shall not covet…which is to
take (Gevurah), rather than to give (Chesed).
|
Hail |
Chesed |
El |
The 7th plague
“hail” corresponds to the 3rd saying:
“And God said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it
divide the waters from the waters.” (Gen 1:6)
The hail is a form of water which
represents the Sefirah of Chesed, the loving kindness, the name of God is El.
This corresponds to the 5th commandment: you shall honor your father and
mother, the act of giving (Chesed).
|
Locusts |
Binah |
Eloha |
Locusts in Hebrew is אַרְבֶּה, which is the same word for “I
will multiply” (Gen 3:16), corresponding to the Sefirah of Binah, in that
Binah multiples the seed of Chochmah.
The 8th plague
“locusts” correspond to the 5th saying:
“And God said: Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed…” (Gen 1:11), for the locusts do nothing except to destroy the
greens on earth.
The name of God Eloha is the
intermediary between Yah and El, for the name of Eloha is the same name YHVH
with the first two letters Yah substituted by El, as follows:
|
יָהּ |
Yah – Chochmah |
|
אֱלוֹהַּ |
Eloha – Binah |
|
אֵל |
El – Chesed |
This corresponds to the 2nd commandment: you shall not make any graven
image.
|
Darkness |
Chochmah |
Yah |
Darkness is the antithesis of light,
which is of the Sefirah of Chochmah, the flashing of light from darkness.
The 9th plague
“darkness” corresponds to the 2nd saying:
“And God said: Let there be light…” (Gen 1:3) corresponding to the 7th commandment: remember Shabbat, for the
gematria of Shabbat שָׁבַת is 702, which is the mirror image of
207, the gematria of light אוֹר,
and the customs is to light the candle before and after Shabbat to dispel
darkness.
|
First-born |
Keter |
Ehyeh |
Keter is the crown, the unknowable
head, the ultimate faith in God, corresponding to the 1st commandment: I am the LORD your God.
The Sefirah of Keter corresponds to
the name of God Ehyeh אֶהְיֶה, which can be progressively iterated
as follows:
|
Ehyeh |
אֶהְיֶה |
|
|
|
א אה אהי אהיה |
44 |
44 is the gematria of blood דָם, connecting back to the Sefirot of Malchut with
the blood of the first-born sons.
The 10th plague
“killing of the first-born” corresponds to the 1st saying:
“In the beginning…” (Gen 1:1), for the first word Bereshit בְּרֵאשִׁית can also mean “for the firstborn”.
The gematria of Bereshit is 913,
which is the same gematria of “And God said ten”, this comes to reveal that all
ten sayings are concealed within the first saying:
|
In the beginning |
בְּרֵאשִׁית |
913 |
|
And God said ten |
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים עֶשֶׂר |
913 |
The Ten Plagues
The gematria of the ten plagues is
2480, which is 10 x 248, where 248 is the gematria of “And YHVH said” וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה,
alluding to the 10 sayings of YHVH:
|
Blood |
דַּם |
44 |
|
Frogs |
צְפַרְדְּעִים |
494 |
|
Lice |
כִנִּים |
120 |
|
Beasts |
עָרֹוֹב |
278 |
|
Pestilence |
דֶּבֶר |
206 |
|
Boils |
שְׁחִין |
368 |
|
Hails |
בָּרָד |
206 |
|
Locusts |
אַרְבֶּה |
208 |
|
Darkness |
חֹשֶׁךְ |
328 |
|
First-born |
בְּכוֹר |
228 |
|
|
|
2480 |
248 is also the gematria of Abraham אַבְרָהָם, for the world was created due to the merit of
Abraham, as is known:
|
אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, בְּהִבָּרְאָם |
These are the generations of the heaven and of
the earth when they were created (Gen 2:4) |
“When they were created” בְּהִבָּרְאָם can be rearranged to spell “for
Abraham”
בְּאַבְרָהָם, which is rabbinically understood as
the reason for creation, for the children of Abraham will ultimately receive
the Torah, or five books of Moses.
2480 is exactly the gematria of the
five books of Moses:
|
Bereshit – Genesis |
בְּרֵאשִׁית |
913 |
|
Shemot – Exodus |
שְׁמוֹת |
746 |
|
Vayikra – Leviticus |
וַיִּקְרָא |
317 |
|
Bamidbar – Numbers |
בַּמִּדְבָּר |
248 |
|
Devarim – Deuteronomy |
דְּבָרִים |
256 |
|
|
|
2480 |
The Ten Commandments
The 10 Names juxtaposing the 10
Sefirot with their gematria are as follows:
|
620 |
כֶּתֶר |
Keter |
Ehyeh |
אֶהְיֶה |
21 |
|
73 |
חָכְמָה |
Chochmah |
Yah |
יָהּ |
15 |
|
67 |
בִּינָה |
Binah |
Eloha |
אֱלוֹהַּ |
42 |
|
72 |
חֶסֶד |
Chesed |
El |
אֵל |
31 |
|
216 |
גְּבוּרָה |
Gevurah |
Elohim |
אֱלֹהִים |
86 |
|
1081 |
תִּפְאֶרֶת |
Tiferet |
YHVH |
יְהֹוָה |
26 |
|
148 |
נֵצַח |
Netzach |
YHVH Tzevaot |
יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת |
525 |
|
15 |
הוֹד |
Hod |
Elohim Tzevaot |
אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת |
585 |
|
80 |
יְסוֹד |
Yesod |
Shadai |
שַׁדַּי |
314 |
|
496 |
מַלְכוּת |
Malchut |
Adonai |
אֲדֹנָי |
65 |
|
2868 |
|
|
|
|
1710 |
1710 (Sefirot) + 2868 (10 Names) =
4578.
The gematria of the ten plagues, when
the killing of the firstborn is used, is 3346:
|
Malchut |
Blood |
דַּם |
44 |
|
Yesod |
Frogs |
צְפַרְדְּעִים |
494 |
|
Hod |
Lice |
כִנִּים |
120 |
|
Netzach |
Beasts |
עָרֹוֹב |
278 |
|
Tiferet |
Pestilence |
דֶּבֶר |
206 |
|
Gevurah |
Boils |
שְׁחִין |
368 |
|
Chesed |
Hail |
בָּרָד |
206 |
|
Binah |
Locust |
אַרְבֶּה |
208 |
|
Chochmah |
Darkness |
חֹשֶׁךְ |
328 |
|
Keter |
Killing of firstborn |
מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת |
1094 |
|
|
|
|
3346 |
Since the 10 plagues represent
destruction, therefore the gematria must be subtracted from the union of the 10
Names and the 10 Sefirot:
4578 – 3346 = 1232
1232 is exactly the gematria of “ten
commandments” עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים plus a kollel (1).
Mind over body
What is the eternal lesson of the
Exodus story?
At the personal level, it is the
story of the redemption of the soul.
Israel symbolizes the soul that is in
exile, Egypt symbolizes the physicality, Pharaoh symbolizes the evil
inclination, and Moses symbolizes the mind.
The essence of evil inclination is
self, i.e. ego, as personified in “I am Pharaoh”, which must be countered by
the mind, as personified by Moses.
The gematria of “the mind” is exactly
the same as Pharaoh:
|
The mind |
הַשֵׂכֶל |
355 |
|
Pharaoh |
פַּרְעֹה |
355 |
The mirror image of “I am Pharaoh” is
the gematria of “wisdom, understanding, knowledge”, which are the three
attributes of the mind:
|
Wisdom, understanding, knowledge |
חָכְמָה בִּינָה דָעַת |
614 |
|
I am Pharaoh |
אֲנִי פַרְעֹה |
416 |
This comes to teach us that the
secret to overcome the temptation of the evil inclination as manifested in
one’s ego is through one’s intellectual faculties, known in Kabbalah as wisdom,
understanding, and knowledge.
Israel represents the heart (Ruach)
which can be either influenced by the mind (Neshamah) or by the physicality
(Nefesh). Physicality is bondage, and mind over body is redemption. The
gematria of “Mind of Israel” is exactly the same of “Exodus of Egypt” and “End
of the Nefesh (physicality)”
|
Mind of Israel |
שֵׂכֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל |
891 |
|
Exodus of Egypt |
יְצִיאַת מִצְרָים |
891 |
|
End of the Nefesh |
כְּלוֹת הַנֶפֶש |
891 |
The
Zohar teaches mystical secrets about the Menorah in the Holy Temple.
In this passage, Raya Mahemna [lit.
the soul of Moses] explains the secrets of the lamp that Aaron the High
Priest lit in the Tabernacle in the midst of
the Israelite camp in their 40 years in the desert. This lamp was the
prototype of the Menorah in both the First and Second Temples and the
secrets relating to them applies to our own Chanukah lamps to this
day.
All of you Mishnaic Sages and Talmudic
Sages gather together, for the time has come to fix the vessels of the King, to
set them in order and rectify them. [In the physical world] they are
the [ten] vessels of the Tabernacle. They are the Menorah, the Table [of the Showbread], the Altar, the Washbasin and
Jug, the Ark and the Curtain [in front of it] and
the [two] cherubs and all in its Weight.
Picture in your mind's eye the Tree of
Life and see that these ten vessels symbolize the sefirot as
follows:
The Menorah - chesed
The Table - gevura
The Altar - tiferet with its connection to malchut
The Basin and Jug or Laver - netzach and hod
The Ark - bina
The Curtain - chochma
The cherubs on
the Ark - keter
All in its Weight/shekel - malchut
Because of this [that all is
included in its weight/shekel] Israel were commanded, "This [in
Hebrew 'zeh'] they shall give…half a shekel according to the shekel
of the Sanctuary." (Ex. 30:13)We enter the realm of the spiritual through a properly rectified
reality…
The word 'zeh' hints at
the sefira of malchut as in the verse "This [zeh]
is the gate to G‑d" (Psalms
18:20). We enter the realm of the spiritual
through a properly rectified reality (malchut).
One of the Mishnaic Sages stood up and
said: "Rayah Mehemnah, this is certainly true [that the
ten sefirot of the Sanctuary represent the rectified sefira of malchut] and you [as Moses] were ordered [by G‑d] to make them all, as is written: "And you shall make a
Menorah of pure gold" (Ex. 25:32). "And you shall make a table of shittim wood" (Ex. 25:23). And so with all of these [vessels], as is written, "And see
them and make them after their pattern that was shown to you on the
mountain." (Ex. 25:40)
"And it was not difficult for you
to make all of them except for three things that are listed by the letters of
your name: Menorah, Shekel and 'The Month' [in
Hebrew, 'HaChodesh']."
The first letters of these three spell
the name 'Moses' - in Hebrew, 'Moshe' spelled mem-shin-reish.
Moses had difficulty with the Menorah because G‑d implied that it had to be
made 'of itself'. He did not know how the shekel coin should look and did not
know how the moon should look like at the time of its renewal. (Ex.12:2 and Talmud Menachot p29a)Certainly the vessel of the Holy One blessed be He is the Shechina…
[Raya Mahemna answered saying:] Certainly
the vessel of the Holy One blessed be He is the Shechina [because
she is associated with the sefira of malchut in
which the ruling hand of G‑d is revealed in the world of action]. She is the
vessel that serves her Master. She is His Menorah, as it is said: "Seven
times a day I praise You because of Your righteous judgments". (Psalms
119:164)
G‑d is represented by the seven sefirot of Zeir
Anpin that reveal themselves in the sefira of malchut. Zeir Anpin is
likened to the lights on top of the Menorah lamp. Malchut is
likened to the day that contains seven different ways of praise, and to the
Menorah that is the base for seven lights. The Hebrew word for praise, 'hallel',
is understood here to refer to light as in the verse: "When the light [in
Hebrew, 'hilo'] of his candle shone on my head." (Job 29:3) Note also the similarity to the English word 'halo'.
These seven are [the sefirot of] chesed, gevura and tiferet [of Zeir Anpin] and netzach, hod, yesod and malchut. [Malchut is
called] 'seven' because it contains these seven levels.
The three branches of the Menorah on
one side are the body [tiferet] and the two arms [chesed and gevura] of
the King [malchut]. He [Zeir Anpin] is
the light of the mitzvah [in Hebrew, 'ner mitzva'] that
shines on them. The three branches of the Menorah from second side are the two
legs [netzach and hod] and the brit [yesod] and
He is the Western lamp [in Hebrew, 'ner maaravi'] that
shines on them.Vav is also the middle column of the Menorah…
The Western lamp was the one that was
kept constantly burning and from which the other lamps were lit. The western
lamp symbolizes the sefirot of netzach, hod and yesod of Zeir
Anpin shining down into malchut. Note that the sefira of netzach represents
endurance and eternity as does the Western lamp that is symbolized by the Ner
Tamid, the 'Everlasting Lamp', in our modern Synagogues. The word 'Maarav'
has in it the idea of a 'mixture', in Hebrew, 'meurav', and symbolizes
that malchut has a mixture of all of the higher powers. Malchut is
called the light of mitzvah from the side of chesed gevura and tiferet,
and the western lamp from the aspect of netzach hod and yesod.
Then [when fully lit up] it
is called the 'Menorah of the King', and it is also the lamp to light up the
light of the mitzvah, as it is written concerning it: "The commandment of
G‑d is pure, enlightening the eyes." (Psalms 19:9)
The next section looks at the Menorah
from a different perspective and compares it to the actual name of G‑d.
And what of the top [the actual
lights] of the Menorah? This represents the sefira of bina [the root of
the seven sefirot of Zeir Anpin]. This is the
higher hei that has three branches in the way that it is
written. These are three letters vav that represent the three Fathers [chesed, gevura and tiferet].
The four letter name Havayah is
spelt yud, hei, vav, hei.
The first letter, yud, represents
the sefira of chochma, the next
letter, hei, represents the sefira of bina and
it is made up of three lines in the shape of hei. Since a line is
also the way the letter vav is written, the text assigns
a sefira to each 'sub letter' that the hei is
made up of so that the letter hei is shown to represent three
entities.
The second letter hei has
three lines in the shape of a hei, three letters vav that
represent the sefirot netzach, hod and yesod.
Vav is
also the middle column of the Menorah.The six
branches of the Menorah reflect the six sefirot of Zeir
Anpin…
The middle letter of the holy
name Havayah is a
letter vav. This is also reflected in the Menorah that has a
straight central column in the shape of a letter vav. This column
represents the sefira of daat that flows out
of consciousness - represented by the first two letters yud and hei -
into the emotions.
[Daat is
called] the son of yud hei and this is the
reason why bina is called such.
Bina is spelt bet, yud, nun, hei and
these letters also form the words 'ben yud-hei'.
Since yud and hei represent chochma and bina their
'son', in Hebrew, 'ben', is daat, and the name 'bina'
reflects this fact.
[Daat] includes the six
lower branches and is in the number six [which is the gematria of
the letter vav] in the six branches of the Menorah.
The six branches of the Menorah reflect
the six sefirot of Zeir Anpin, and daat consciousness
flows down as the soul of each of them from its source above in chochma and bina.
This explains why the middle column of the Menorah is straight, like the
letter vav that equals six in gematria. These six are the sefirot of chesed gevura tiferet netzach hod and yesod.
Here we have learned a meditation for looking at the Menorah as though it
represents the name of G‑d and the flow of consciousness from the first yud in
the name down the central vav into the 3 lines on either side
of the Menorah represented by the three lines in each of the letters hei.
The yud appears as the light on top of the middle column
changing its shape to the letter zayin.
Yud: "A
virtuous woman is the crown to her husband." (Prov.
12:4). The crown on
the Torah scroll is like the letter zayin.
Neshamah: Levels of Soul Consciousness
The
divine soul involves five ascending levels of consciousness
The divine soul is an indivisible
essence inseparably bound to G‑d, as the verse states, "For part
of G‑d is His People" (Deut. 32:9) and
as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai states about himself: "My soul is one
with Him, as one flame, cleaving to Him". Nevertheless, as it emanates
from the Infinite One — the Ein Sof — eventually to be clothed
in the physical body, the soul descends via the five worlds mentioned above,
leaving a root in each of the worlds, until it is clothed in a physical body.
Thus there are five levels of the soul, or levels of G‑d-consciousness,
corresponding to the various planes of reality, or levels of divine
revelation/concealment manifested in each of the worlds.
The soul enclothed within the body is a
reflection of the Divine Form, called the tzelem, or tzelem Elokim.
This tzelem Elokim may
be described as the spiritual mold of man's physical form, linking his body and
soul. This mold is derived from the configuration of the sefirot,
which structure the worlds through which the soul descends on its journey down
into the body.…man includes all of Creation within
him…
At the same time that the soul's outer
dimension reflects the configuration of the sefirot, the inner dimension of the soul reflects the Infinite Light,
which illuminates the sefirot. This reflection is called
the demut Elokim (the image of G‑d). Thus man includes
all of Creation within him, from the loftiest spirituality to the most mundane
physicality.
Viewed from the point of view of man's
service to G‑d, these levels of soul may be described as five ascending levels
of awareness of, and communion with, G‑d. They are called (in ascending
order) Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya and yechida.
Regarding these levels of soul, the Zohar states that when a person
is born, he is given a Nefesh from the world of Asiya,
the lowest world, representing the greatest concealment of G‑d. If, through his
divine service and proper action, he makes himself worthy, he is then
given Ruach on the plane of Yetzira. With greater
effort, he can earn the revelation of Neshama,
paralleling the world of Beriya. If he purifies himself greatly, he
may be able to attain the level of Chaya paralleling Atzilut,
and even yechida — the G‑d consciousness of the level of Adam
Kadmon and beyond. ("Beyond," because the level of soul
called yechida in essence transcends all the worlds, since it
is never separated from G‑d. It is described as being "truly part of G‑d
above," and as "a spark of the Creator enclothed within a spark of
the created").
Nefesh
Nefesh… is awareness of the physical body and the physical world
Nefesh, the lowest level of consciousness, is awareness of the physical body
and the physical world, the world of Asiya — the world of
Action. However, this awareness of the physical body is not awareness in a
passive sense; it is merely an observation of the facts. On the contrary,
the Nefesh is in fact the life-force of the body, and it is
precisely because it is the life-force of the body that the Nefesh has
an awareness of the body. This physical awareness is a result of the enmeshing
of the Nefesh with the body. Now, although the Nefesh is
the life-force of the body, this does not mean that the Nefesh creates
the body. The body was and is created by G‑d, just like everything else. After
G‑d created Adam's body "from the dust of the earth", He blew
into Adam the breath of life (see Bereishit
2:7). This is the Nefesh — the life-force— that was
blown into the body.
It is this part of the person which
dies and goes to the grave with the body. Just as in the world of Asiyah, malchut is
the dominant sefira-- so too in the Nefesh, which
corresponds to the world of Asiya, the attribute of malchut — action
— is the dominant characteristic of the soul.
The divine service associated with the
level of Nefesh is acknowledgment of, and submission to, the
supreme authority of G‑d, particularly in reference to the fulfillment of the
commandments. It is therefore called "accepting the yoke of Heaven"
— kabbalat ol malchut shamayim.
Ruach
The primary manifestation of Ruach is
in the emotions...
Ruach is the
next level of soul — a higher plane of consciousness than the rank of Nefesh.
The world (i.e. level of revelation of G‑dliness) corresponding to Ruach is
the world of Yetzira.
The primary manifestation of Ruach is in the emotions, just as
the primary activity of the six sefirot of Zeir Anpin (from chesed to yesod)
is in the world of Yetzira. In terms of Divine service this entails
arousing the complementary emotions of love and awe of G‑d.
Love and awe of G‑d are aroused by
contemplating the divine energy which forms and maintains the world of Yetzira,
and by observing the tremendous self-nullification of the angelic beings which
inhabit it. Although the intellect may be used extensively on this level of
soul, nevertheless, the primary focus of the intellect here is
contemplation in order to arouse the emotions. The Talmudic
sages therefore refer to it as "the toil of the heart", through which
one comes to love G‑d with all one's heart. Nevertheless, this is a lower level
of love, since it is generated by contemplating lower levels of G‑d's creative
energy.
Neshama
Neshama … seeks to pierce through to the essential rather than the
ephemeral
The primary activity of the Neshama is
in the conceptual grasp of the intellect, as the verse states, "and the
soul (nishmat) from the Almighty gives them understanding" (Job 32:8). The level of Neshama contemplates the manifestation
of Divine energy in the world of Beriya.
Just as in the world of Beriya, the primary sefira is bina, so too in the soul — the primary activity is
understanding. Unlike the world of Yetzira, the world of form and
relationship, the world of Beriya is nascent divine energy. It
is the notion of coming into being from nothingness, rather than structured,
quantified existence. Thus one of the primary meditations of the Neshama is
the concept of continuous creation (the coming-into-being) and sustenance of
life and existence.
Neshama analyzes underlying principles abstracted from the categories of
thought imposed upon them by the human mind and human experience. It seeks to
pierce through to the essential rather than the ephemeral. One of the signs
that a person is on this level of consciousness is that when the mind is
clearly focused on an appropriate Divine concept, all of the senses become
temporarily nullified. Subsequently, due to the abundance of spiritual light
one experiences at this level, the emotions of love and awe are automatically
aroused—and to a much greater extent than in the previous level, where effort
was expended in arousing the emotions. This is referred to
in Kabbala as "the rapture of the heart" (re'uta d'liba,
see Zohar 2, 93b). Here the heart truly desires G‑dliness, and love is
revealed in its fullness in the heart. This is referred to in the verse as
loving G‑d "with all of your soul". This may therefore be described
as communion with G‑d as the Creator of the worlds.
Chaya
The soul merges into a state of
complete nullification of the ego… knowledge of the absolute truth of things
The aspect of the soul called Chaya gazes
upon the Divine energy of the world of Atzilut.
Whereas the primary activity of the level of Neshama is to use
intellectual comprehension in order to come to communion with G‑d as the
Creator of the worlds, the level of Chaya communes with G‑d as
He transcends the worlds. Here the soul's knowledge is not in the immanence of
Divine attributes which identify the nature of the Divine energy manifested in
Creation, but rather with knowing what G‑d is not — i.e. how He is not limited
or defined by the finite universe. Thus the soul merges into a state of
complete nullification of the ego. There is no self-seeking and no
self-identity outside of G‑d. Chaya is called loving G‑d
"with all one's being" (Deut. 6:5). This is
knowledge of the absolute truth of things.
Yechida
Yechida corresponds to the level of soul
called Adam Kadmon. Just as the sublime, pure and transcendent
world of Adam Kadmon, cleaves to and reflects the original Infinite Light (Ohr Ein Sof), so too does the level of yechida.
This is the essence of the soul which is naturally and immutable bound to the
Holy One. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai declared, "Throughout the days of my connection to this
world, I was bound to the Holy One Blessed Be He with a single knot…at one with
Him"; this is the level of soul revealed at the moment of self-sacrifice
or martyrdom for the sake of G‑d, His Torah, or His people.
Shavuot – Torah and Ruach
HaKodesh
A Time to Speak
Both Torah and Ruach HaKodesh (Holy
Spirit) were given on Shavuot, the former in the wilderness, and the latter in
Jerusalem.
Pesach is the silence of the lamb, wilderness מִדְבַּר has its root in speech, the time to keep silence
ended with the giving of Torah in the wilderness:
|
עֵת לַחֲשֹׁות וְעֵת לְדַבֵּֽר |
A
time to keep silence and a time to speak (Ecc 3:7) |
The gematria of above verse is 1926,
which is 9 x 214, which is 9 times the gematria of Ruach רוּחַ.
The time to speak is augmented with
the giving of Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. “Holy Spirit and Jerusalem” in Hebrew
is רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וִירוּשָׁלַיִם,
the gematria is 1225, exactly the triangle number of 49, alluding to the 49
days counting the Omer to reach the 50 gates of understanding on Shavuot, on
which day the Holy Spirit was given to reveal the secret of Torah, as the
midpoint number of 1225 is 613, alluding to the 613 commandments of Torah.
There are three key features in the
Holy Spirit experience in Acts 2:1-4:
1. Voice;
2. Wind;
3. Tongues like fire;
Which are reminiscent of Ezekiel’s
vision:
The voice:
|
וַתִּשָּׂאֵנִי רוּחַ–וָאֶשְׁמַע אַחֲרַי,קוֹל רַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל: בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד-יְהוָה,מִמְּקוֹמוֹ. |
Then
a spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing:
‘Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place’ (Ezekiel 3:12) |
The wind:
|
וָאֵרֶא וְהִנֵּה רוּחַ סְעָרָה בָּאָה מִן-הַצָּפוֹן |
And
I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north…(Ezekiel 1:4) |
It stands to reason that the mysterious experience
known as Chashmal must correspond to the divided tongues like fire, for
Chashmal is from the midst fire:
|
וּמִתּוֹכָהּ—כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל, מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ |
…and
out of the midst thereof as the colour of Chashmal, out of the midst of the fire…(Ezekiel 1:4) |
Chashmal חַשְׁמַל is the secret of speaking silence, this is well
established by the rabbis, hence the Works of the Holy Spirit is the secret of
the speaking silence.
The gematria of Works of the Holy Spirit מַעֲשֵׂה רוּחַ
הַקֹּדֶשׁ is 1038, adding 1 for unification,
1039 is exactly the gematria of the three features:
|
Voice |
קוֹל |
136 |
|
Wind |
רוּחַ |
214 |
|
Tongue
in fire |
לָשׁוֹן בָּאֵשׁ |
689 |
|
|
1039 |
Astonishingly, 1039 is also the gematria of
Neshamah, Ruach, and Nefesh, the three levels of soul in man:
|
Neshamah |
נְשָׁמָה |
395 |
|
Ruach |
רוּחַ |
214 |
|
Nefesh |
נֶפֶשׁ |
430 |
|
|
1039 |
It can be derived that Neshamah is
manifested in the voice, Ruach in the wind, and Nefesh in the tongue of fire.
Nefesh is fire, Neshamah is water, and the voice of
God is like the voice of many waters:
|
וְקוֹלוֹ, כְּקוֹל מַיִם רַבִּים |
…and
His voice was like the voice of many waters… (Ezekiel 43:2) |
The same parallel can be drawn from Mashiach
holding (connecting) heaven and earth together (Col 1:17), the secret of the
three mother letters, being the initials of Heaven (ש), Mashiach (מ),
and Earth (א), the gematria is also 1039.
|
Heaven |
שָּׁמַיִם |
390 |
|
Mashiach |
מָּשִׁיחַ |
358 |
|
Earth |
אָרֶץ |
291 |
|
|
1039 |
It can be thus derived that Heaven
parallels the water (there is water), and earth parallels the fire (I will run
to fulfill the will of God), and Mashiach parallels the wind (Holy Spirit).
It may be surmised that Mashiach is
Holy Spirit clothed in human form, as the gematria of Mashiach מָּשִׁיחַ is 358, which is exactly the gematria of “Spirit of God conceived” יַחֵם
רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים.
Chashmal
The word Chashmal appears exactly
three times in the entire Bible, all in Ezekiel’s vision.
1st time, with
a prefix Hey:
|
וּמִתּוֹכָהּ–כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל, מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ |
…and
out of the midst thereof as the colour of Chashmal, out of the midst of the fire…(Ezekiel 1:4) |
2nd time,
without any prefix or suffix:
|
וָאֵרֶא כְּעֵין חַשְׁמַל, כְּמַרְאֵה-אֵשׁ |
And
I saw as the colour of Chashmal, as the appearance of fire…(Ezekiel 1:27) |
3rd time, with
a prefix Hey and suffix Hey:
|
כְּמַרְאֵה-זֹהַר כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַלָה |
…as
the appearance of brightness, as the colour of Chashmal.(Ezekiel 8:2) |
The gematria of the three appearances are:
|
1st appearance |
הַחַשְׁמַל |
383 |
|
2nd appearance |
חַשְׁמַל |
378 |
|
3rd appearance |
הַחַשְׁמַלָה |
388 |
|
|
1149 |
1149 is exactly the gematria of the
“seven weeks” שִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעֹת, i.e. Shavuot, the day when the Torah and Ruach
HaKodesh were given, and the Chashmal experience was hinted to in both events.
Ruach HaKodesh
The Hebrew word for Ruach HaKodesh is
רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, commonly translated as the Holy Spirit.
The word for “holy” can have two
variations: Kadosh קָדוֹשׁ and Kodesh קוֹדֶשׁ. Kadosh is an adjective, meaning “holy”, and Kodesh is a noun, meaning “holiness”, hence the correct understanding of
Ruach HaKodesh is “Spirit of Holiness”, instead of “Holy Spirit”.
Kodesh קוֹדֶשׁ
is typically written in the Bible missing a “Vav” as קֹּדֶשׁ,
as in the case for Ruach HaKodesh.
Vav has a gematria of 6, the number
of man, denoting the “descent” of holiness to the mundane world. Kodesh קֹּדֶשׁ without “Vav” therefore represents the “holiness” that is entirely removed from the
world.
The function of Ruach רוּחַ is always that of an intermediary. In the human
body, Ruach is the connection between Neshamah נְשָׁמָה and Nefesh נֶפֶשׁ.
Neshamah means breath, and Nefesh means rest, hence Ruach is the means through
which the breath of God comes to rest in the body of man.
According to Arizal, the concept of Ruach can be
understood by the glassblower analogy. The process begins with the breath
(Neshamah) of the glassblower, blowing into a tube to form a vessel. This
breath then travels through the tube as a wind (Ruach) until it reaches the
vessel to shape the form of the vessel to the desire of the glassblower, and
there it comes to rest (Nefesh), as it is written:
|
וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם,עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו,נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים; וַיְהִי הָאָדָם, לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה. |
Then
the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Gen 2:7) |
The “breath of life” נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים
is part of God, once it settles down in the body of man, it becomes a living
soul, נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה.
In the Sefirot, Chesed corresponds to
El, and Gevurah corresponds to Elohim, the intermediary between the two is
Tiferet which corresponds to YHVH, this is well established.
Man is a part of God from above, so is Ruach
HaKodesh. The gematria of “part of El Elohim” when the two divine names are
spelled out has the gematria 623, exactly that of Ruach HaKodesh רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ:
|
Part
of El Elohim |
חֵלֶק אֵל, אֱלֹהִים |
|
|
Spelled
out |
חֵלֶק אלף למד אלף למד הי יוד מם |
623 |
Tiferet corresponds to YHVH, when the gematria of
YHVH is squared, the triad is exactly the gematria of Tiferet תִּפְאֶרֶת which is 1081, as follows:
|
Right
hand |
Chesed |
חֶסֶד |
72 |
|
El |
אֵל |
31 |
|
|
Left
hand |
Gevurah |
גְּבוּרָה |
216 |
|
Elohim |
אֱלֹהִים |
86 |
|
|
Center |
YHVH Squared |
26 x 26 |
676 |
|
|
1081 |
This comes to teach us that Ruach
HaKodesh is the intermediary as well as the union that corresponds to Tiferet,
beauty.
Abraham corresponds to the father, Isaac
corresponds to the son, the servant Eliezer corresponds to the Ruach Hakodesh
that was sent to find the bride (Rebekah) for the son, the gematria is exactly
1081, as follows:
|
Father |
Abraham |
אַבְרָהָם |
248 |
|
Son |
Isaac |
יִצְחָק |
208 |
|
Holy
Spirit |
Eliezer |
אֱלִיעֶזֶר |
318 |
|
Bride |
Rebekah |
רִבְקָה |
307 |
|
|
1081 |
The midpoint number of 1081 is the
gematria of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵל, which is the congregations, or
churches קְּהִלּוֹת in plural form, meaning the center
is Israel.
Similarly, if we use Edah for congregation
(singular), and the name of God Ehyeh as the father, Mashiach as the son, the
union is still 1081, beauty:
|
God |
Ehyeh |
אֶהְיֶה |
21 |
|
Mashiach |
Mashiach |
מָּשִׁיחַ |
358 |
|
Holy
Spirit |
Ruach HaKodesh |
רוּחַ הַקּׂדֶשׁ |
623 |
|
Congregation |
Edah |
עֵדָה |
79 |
|
|
1081 |
Torah and Ruach HaKodesh
Torah is the word of God which is
otherwise incomprehensible unless it is clarified.
The traditional path of Torah Study
is through the wisdom of men (Talmid Chachamim).
Inasmuch as the sages were wise men, there is a
limit to human knowledge and men by nature are biased to their own traditions
and therefore will make mistakes, as it is written:
|
אֵיכָה תֹאמְרוּ חֲכָמִים אֲנַחְנוּ,וְתוֹרַת יְהוָה אִתָּנוּ; אָכֵן הִנֵּה לַשֶּׁקֶר עָשָׂה, עֵט שֶׁקֶר סֹפְרִים |
How
do ye say: ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us’? Lo, certainly
in vain hath wrought the vain pen of the scribes. (Jeremiah 8:8) |
The ultimate purpose of Holy Spirit to teach Torah
to write the Torah on the heart of man, as it is written:
|
וּמָל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת-לְבָבְךָ |
And
the LORD thy God will circumcise thy heart…(Deu 30:6) |
The gematria of these five words is
623, exactly the gematria of Ruach HaKodesh רוּחַ
הַקֹּדֶשׁ, so the means by which God
circumcise the heart is through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The perfect union of Talmid Chachmim and Ruach
HaKodesh is the perfect path of Torah Study:
|
Talmid
Chachmim |
תַּלְמִיד חֲכָמִים |
602 |
|
Ruach
HaKodesh |
רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ |
623 |
|
|
1225 |
1225 is the triangle number of 49,
the fruit of the 49 days counting the Omer and to receive the 50 gates of
understanding on the 50th day, i.e.
Shavuot, the midpoint number of 1225 is 613, which alludes to Torah.
The Fruit of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has nine fruits, according to Gal
5:22, which can be rendered into Hebrew with the gematria as follows:
|
1 |
Love |
אַהֲבָה |
13 |
|
2 |
Joy |
שִׂמְחָה |
353 |
|
3 |
Peace |
שָׁלוֹם |
376 |
|
4 |
Long-suffering |
אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם |
352 |
|
5 |
Kindness |
חֶסֶד |
72 |
|
6 |
Goodness |
טּוֹבָה |
22 |
|
7 |
Faith |
אֱמוּנָה |
102 |
|
8 |
Meekness |
עַנְוָה |
131 |
|
9 |
Self-control |
גְּבוּרָה |
216 |
|
|
1637 |
1637 is the 260th prime number, and 260 = 10 x 26, the gematria
of YHVH.
Now it is apparent that the 1st fruit is juxtaposed to the 9th fruit, and the 2nd to
the 8th, and so on and so forth, with kindness which is
Chesed as the midpoint.
|
Left
column |
|
Right
column |
||||
|
Goodness |
טּוֹבָה |
22 |
Love |
אַהֲבָה |
13 |
|
|
Faith |
אֱמוּנָה |
102 |
Joy |
שִׂמְחָה |
353 |
|
|
Meekness |
עַנְוָה |
131 |
Peace |
שָׁלוֹם |
376 |
|
|
Self-control |
גְּבוּרָה |
216 |
Long-suffering |
אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם |
352 |
|
|
|
471 |
1094 |
||||
The difference between the right
column and the left column in gematria is 1094 – 471 = 623, exactly that of the
Ruach HaKodesh רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ.
The midpoint is Chesed, חֶסֶד, the gematria is 72 which has a mirror image of
27. The triangle number of 27 is 378, exactly the gematria of Chashmal חַשְׁמַל.
The verse continues:
|
…against
such there is no law. (Gal 5:22) |
It is obvious that with Ruach
HaKodesh as the teacher one is able to understand the Spirit of the Torah and
fulfill the Will of God instead of the Works of the Law.
The Works of the Law מַעֲשֵׂה תּוֹרָה
has a gematria of 1026. When the Works of the Law is rectified by the Nine
Fruits of the Spirit, the primordial Torah is revealed:
1637 – 1026 = 611
611 is exactly the gematria of Torah תּוֹרָה, meaning the primordial Torah as the Will of God
without any addition or subtraction by man.
Kabbalah & Creation ~
four worlds and the Merkabah
FEB 18,
2020, 12:27 AM
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There are two types of
Kabbalist. Both types study in order to become closer to HaShem, but
their approach to the four worlds is split two ways depending on whether they
learned the Merkabah or not.
One type (like Isaac Luria) used the
Tree of Life as a map that spans the four worlds, and to each world there is
also a Tree of 10 sephiroth. But those Kabbalists, like Joseph Gikatilla
and Moses ben Leon, who knew the diagram of the Seven Palaces conceived of a
different and most secret arrangement of the four worlds.
The highest world of Atziluth was
formless and the realm of Hashem. Nothing could be said of it. The
world of Beriah was the world of the spirits of the holy alephbet, or the
malakhim. Descending from Atziluth, Hashem used these letters to create
the world of Yetzirah (formation), and it is the creation of this world which
is described in the first two chapters of Genesis. The map of this
creation was the Seven Palaces, and every verse of Genesis corresponds to a
letter from the world of Beriah and a path or Palace in the world of Yetzirah.
Lastly there is the world of Assiah
(action) and the Tree of Life. The Tree became the representation of the
world above from the point of view of an individual that is subject to
time. In the world above and on the Seven Palaces, light and darkness,
day and night are seen in balance, represented by the Palaces of the Aleph, but
in the world below (in Assiah) an individual may only know day or night as
reported from his senses. He cannot appreciate Noon at the same time as
Midnight as he could from the world above. Similarly, on the Seven
Palaces there is a door that allows souls to be born upon the earth (the First
Palace of the Heh) and another door that allow souls entry to heaven upon the
death of the body, but in the world of Assiah we may only appreciate the
creation from one who is already living. Therefore the sephiroth reflect
the creation above but in a way that is relevant to the individual man or
woman.
For instance, the Sphere of Hod
resonates beneath the Palace of the Daleth (the door into the world), and
represents the idea of thoughts entering into the mind of a person.
The Sphere of Netzach resonates beneath the Palace of the Daleth
(the door into the heavens), and represents the idea of emotions flowing out
towards others we are attached to and the communal reality of shared
experience. Therefore we see our lives as a small mirror of the great
creation.
Pythagoras coined the terms
‘Microcosm and Macocosm’ from this conceptual framework, but it was preceded by
Genesis when Hashem created man in his image. The genius of the
Kabbalists was to map a route to Hashem by aligning the microcosm of man with
the macrocosm of God so that they might better serve his will on earth.
Once the Merkabah is known, that path
becomes clearer. If one only uses the Tree as a map there are matters
that remain puzzling about certain kabbalistic subjects; for instance, the talk
about the 50 gates (49 for Man and 1 for God). There are only 32 gates to
the Tree of life (including the sephiroth). The extra 18 gates which are
needed to make the 50 count are to be found between the Seven Palaces.
Also some areas of the Zohar, the Bahir and the Shaarei Orah are not
comprehendible without first studying the Seven Palaces. Even parts of
the Talmud remain cryptic if you do not use the gematria of the Torah which
belongs to the Merkabah.
On the other hand, because the
Merkabah was hidden from sight, its obscurity left a hole in the fabric of
Kabbalah that has been filled with some marvelous thoughts and concepts that
really focus and motivate the individual towards a closeness with god, for
instance the “shattering of the vessels” and the idea of Tikkun Olam – the
repair of the world through prayer and ethical as well as ritual mitzvot.
These are concepts that bring life and purpose into modern day Judaism.
Since I am a Noachide, my
appreciation of the Merkabah is akin to that of an architect who stumbles
across some marvelous plans for a house, but as much as I admire it all, I do
not live in the house. I do not know it as a Jew knows it; by intimate
daily familiarity across a lifetime of observance and immersion in the culture,
and I realize my limitations in this respect. I can only say that I
appreciate both types of Kabbalists and Kabbalah side by side, hand in hand,
cut from the same cloth and making the world a better place for it.
——————
And now for some recent gematria,
that may be checked using the Shematria calculator.
777.
“Not shall depart the scepter from Judah and the staff between his feet until
that comes Shiloh and to him the obedience of the people.” ~ Genesis 49:10
שבט מיהודה
ומחקק רגליו
שלה יקהת
עמים = 777.
scepter + from Judah + and the staff + his feet + Shiloh + the obedience + of
the people.
You first need to divide וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק by 2 as the verse says it is ‘between’ the feet. Note also that שילה has been corrected to שלה as there should be no letter yod in this word.
613.
שכרך הצאן
עקדים = 613
Wages + The Flock + Streaked. (Genesis 31:8)
יצחק בגרר
= 613
Isaac + in Gerar. (Genesis 26:6)
593.
שכרך הצאן
נקדים = 593
Wages + The Flock + Speckled. (Genesis 31:8)
יצחק מצרימה
= 593
Isaac + Egypt. (Genesis 26:2)
“For YHVH Elohika is bring you into a
land good, a land of brooks of water of fountains and springs flowing out of
valleys and hills.” ~ Deuteronomy 8:7.
ארץ טובה
ארץ נחלי
מים עינת
ותהמת – בבקעה
ובהר = 593
land + good + land + of brooks + of water + of fountains + and springs – of valleys and hills.’
I have read the verb ‘יֹצְאִ֥ים’ (flowing out) as subtraction.
452.
This is the gate of the Palace of
Resh!
“And your Father has deceived me and
changed my wages ten times and not did allow him Elohim to hurt me” ~ Genesis 31:7
ואביכן משכרתי
אלהים = 452
And your father + my wages + Elohim.
מרים הנביאה
התף = 452
Miriam + The Prophetess + Timbrel. (Exodus 15:12)
231.
This is the gate of the path of Lamed!
נפש נשמה
= 231
Nephesh + Neshamah. (Genesis 2:7)
“With all diligence, keep your heart
for from his number the issues of life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23
לבך תוצאות
חיים = 231
Your Heart + the issues of + life.
Terumah — Mystery of the
Angels
MAR 2, 2017,
5:57 AM
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content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of
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Adam Kadmon
In rabbinical tradition, Adam Kadmon
(the primordial man) is known as the pure Divine Light, possessing no vessels.
Adam Kadmon is the manifestation of God after tzimtzum (contraction) to emanate
the World of Atzilut and create the three lower worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and
Asiyah.
This rabbinical depiction of Adam Kadmon is the
concept of Mashiach revealed in the Book of John (1:9) as the True Light. The
first book of Corinthian 15:45-49 reveals another two concepts of Adam, i.e.
the first Adam and the final Adam, the sum of the three is 1167:
|
Adam
Kadmon |
אָדָם קַדְמוֹן |
245 |
|
Adam
Harishon |
אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן |
607 |
|
Adam
Haacharon |
אָדָם הָאַחֲרוֹן |
315 |
|
|
1167 |
1167 is the gematria of וַיִּתְחַפֵּשׂ הַמָּשִׁיחַ,
meaning “And
Mashiach disguised”.
Since the two final letters of Adam Kadmon have
final forms (sofit), the secret is revealed if we apply the gematria of the
final forms (600 for Mem and 700 for Nun) to Adam Kadmon (אָדָם קַדְמוֹן)
thus revealing the gematria as 1455, which is exactly the gematria of the four
worlds, as follows:
|
Emanation |
Atzilut |
אֲצִילוּת |
537 |
|
Creation |
Beriah |
בְּרִיאָה |
218 |
|
Formation |
Yetzirah |
יְצִירָה |
315 |
|
Action |
Asiyah |
עֲשִׂיָה |
385 |
|
|
1455 |
Mashiach is called “the beginning of God’s
creation” in Revelation 3:14, which in Hebrew would be Reshit Beriat Elohim רֵאשִׁית בְּרִיאַת
אֱלֹהִים, the gematria is 1610:
|
The
beginning of God’s creation |
רֵאשִׁית בְּרִיאַת אֱלֹהִים |
1610 |
|
Mashiach
is King, Mashiach was King, Mashiach will be King forever and ever |
מָּשִׁיחַ מֶלֶךְ מָּשִׁיחַ מָלָךְ מָּשִׁיחַ יִמְלֹךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד |
1610 |
The Ark
|
וְצִפִּיתָ אֹתוֹ זָהָב טָהוֹר, מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ תְּצַפֶּנּוּ; וְעָשִׂיתָ עָלָיו זֵר זָהָב סָבִיב |
And
thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay
it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. (Ex 25:11) |
According to Rashi, there are three
layers to the ark:
Bezalel made three arks, two of gold
and one of wood. Each one had four walls and a bottom, and they were open on
the top. He placed the wooden one inside the golden one and the [other] golden
one inside the wooden one. He covered the upper rim with gold, thus it is found
that [the wooden one] was overlaid from inside and from outside [with gold]. —
[from Yoma 72b, Shek.
16b]
According to Arizal, these three
layers of the ark correspond to the three archangels in the three worlds.
Achteriel of Beriah (Creation)
The name Achteriel (אַכְתְּרִיאֵל) is mentioned in rabbinical tradition as the angel
that resides in the World of Creation (Beriah) corresponding to the Crown
(Keter) in Sefirah as the word literally means: I will be the crown of God,
corresponding to the name of God Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה).
The World of Creation is known as the
domain of the souls, which is the first level of descent from the World of
Emanation.
The gematria of Achetriel and Ehyeh is 683, which
is the mirror image of 386, the gematria of Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ):
|
Ehyeh |
אֶהְיֶה |
21 |
|
Achetriel |
אַכְתְּרִיאֵל |
662 |
|
|
683 |
Metatron of Yetzirah (Formation)
Metatron (מֵטַטְרוֹן) is mystically connected to the name YHVH, of the
Sefirah of Tiferet (Beauty).
The first letter Yud of YHVH is split
into 3 and 7, with 3 being the intellectual attributes and 7 being the
emotional attributes of the Sefirot, which numbers are squared to arrive at the
gematria of the first three letters of Metatron.
The final three letters are squared to arrive at
the gematria of the final three letters of Metatron:
|
ה |
ו |
ה |
י |
|
|
16 |
3 |
7 |
||
|
256 |
9 |
49 |
||
|
רון |
ט |
מט |
||
The World of Formation is the domain
of angels.
Sandalphon of Asiyah (Action)
Sandalphon (סָנְדַלְפוֹן) is known in rabbinical tradition as the angel of
prayer. The name is unique in that it is not suffixed with an El (אֵל), like most angels do, but with an “on” (וֹן), like Metatron (מֵטַטְרוֹן), hence they’re called brothers.
The World of Action would correspond
to the Sefirah of Malchut, which in turn would correspond to the name of God
known as Adonai.
Since these two angels are called twin brothers,
the sum of their gematria plus their two corresponding names of God is 685,
exactly that of Sar HaPanim (שַׂר
הַפָּנִים), the Prince of the Faces:
|
YHVH |
יהוה |
26 |
|
Metatron |
מֵטַטְרוֹן |
314 |
|
Adonai |
אֲדֹנָי |
65 |
|
Sandalphon |
סָנְדַלְפוֹן |
280 |
|
|
685 |
Sar HaPanim is the title for
Metatron, this comes to teach that Metatron is primary, and Sandalphon is
secondary.
In summary:
|
Intellectual
– mind |
Beriah
– creation |
Achteriel |
אַכְתְּרִיאֵל |
662 |
|
Emotional
– heart |
Yetzirah – formation |
Metatron |
מֵטַטְרוֹן |
314 |
|
Physical
– action |
Asiyah – action |
Sandalphon |
סָנְדַלְפוֹן |
280 |
|
|
1256 |
The gematria of the three angles add up to 1256,
which is exactly the gematria of Ark (אֲרוֹן),
if 1000 is counted as the gematria of Alef instead of the normative 1:
|
1000 |
א |
|
200 |
ר |
|
6 |
ו |
|
50 |
ן |
|
1256 |
But the central expression of the three angels is
the Angel Metatron who is in the name of God known as Shadai, as they have the
same gematria of 314. Based on Rashi, this is the angel of Ex 23:20:
|
הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ, לְפָנֶיךָ לִשְׁמָרְךָ, בַּדָּרֶךְ; וְלַהֲבִיאֲךָ, אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הֲכִנֹתִי |
Behold,
I send an angel before thee, to keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into
the place which I have prepared. |
This is based on the Hebrew phrase
“my name is in him” (שְׁמִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ), which name is understood by Rashi as Shadai (שַׁדַי).
When the name of Shadai is spelled out
progressively and regressively, the sum of the gematria is exactly 1256, the
sum of the three angels:
|
1256 |
ש שד שדי שדי די י |
Three Groups of Angels
According to the rabbis, the three worlds are the
domains of three groups of angels known as:
|
Beriah
– creation |
Seraphim
– fiery angels |
הַשְּׂרָפִים |
635 |
|
Yetzirah
– formation |
Chayot – living creatures |
הַחַיּוֹת |
429 |
|
Asiyah
– action |
Ophanim – wheels |
הָאוֹפַנִּים |
192 |
|
|
1256 |
Astonishingly, the sum of the three
groups of angels in gematria is 1256, which is exactly the sum of the three
archangels, and the ark!
Seraphim are the burning angels in Isaiah’s vision
(6:1), there are two Seraphim. Two denotes duality, which is only possible in
the World of Beriah (creation). On the other hand, burning annihilates
self-centeredness, thus forming unity with God.
Chayot are living creatures and Ophanim are the wheels in Ezekiel’s vision
(1:15-16), “for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels” (Ezk
1:20), from this it is derived that Chayot give life force from the World of
Formation to the Ophanim in the World of Action.
At the collective level, the living creatures are
also called the Cherubim:
|
וְאַרְבָּעָה פָנִים, לְאֶחָד: פְּנֵי הָאֶחָד פְּנֵי הַכְּרוּב, וּפְנֵי הַשֵּׁנִי פְּנֵי אָדָם, וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי פְּנֵי אַרְיֵה, וְהָרְבִיעִי פְּנֵי-נָשֶׁר |
And
every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the
second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the
fourth the face of an eagle. (Eze 10:14) |
According to Master Kabbalist Abulafia, Metatron is
the “prince of the faces” juxtaposing Sandalphon the “prince of the back”, the
relationship is revealed as follows:
|
Sandalphon
Prince of the Back |
סָנְדַלְפוֹן שַׂר הָאָחוֹר |
1000 |
|
That
are being bound |
שֶׁנִקְשַׁרִים |
1000 |
|
Metatron
the Face and Sandalphon the Back |
מְטָּטְרוֹן הַפָּנִים וְסָנְדַלְפוֹן אָחוֹר |
1000 |
|
Bind
the faces and back |
קֶשֶׁר הַפָּנִים אָחוֹר |
1000 |
|
Bind
the soul |
קֶשֶׁר הַנְּשָׁמָה |
1000 |
The four faces of the four living creatures in
Ezekiel’s vision are:
|
Face
of the cherub |
פְּנֵי הַכְּרוּב |
373 |
|
Face
of a man |
פְּנֵי אָדָם |
185 |
|
Face
of a lion |
פְּנֵי אַרְיֵה |
356 |
|
Face
of an eagle |
פְּנֵי נָשֶׁר |
690 |
|
|
1604 |
The average number of the four faces is 1604 / 4 =
401, which is exactly the sum of the four faces of Mashiach as discussed at
length before:
|
lion |
king |
מֶלֶךְ |
90 |
|
ox |
slave |
עֶבֶד |
76 |
|
man |
man of God |
בֶּן אָדָם |
97 |
|
eagle |
son of God |
בֵּן אֱלֹהִים |
138 |
|
|
401 |
According to Arzial, the three layers of ark denote
3 levels of judgment corresponding to the name Elohim:
|
Elohim |
אֱלֹהִים |
86 |
|
Elohim |
אֱלֹהִים |
86 |
|
Elohim |
אֱלֹהִים |
86 |
|
|
258 |
At the time of favor, however, the name of judgment
Elohim is transformed to the name of mercy, which is YHVH, as follows:
|
26 |
יְהוָה |
|
45 |
יוד הא ואו הא |
|
52 |
יוד הה וו הה |
|
63 |
יוד הי ואו הי |
|
72 |
יוד הי ויו הי |
|
258 |
The Cherubim
The Cherubim is understood
rabbinically as having the innocent faces of babies, denoting the pre-Edenic
sinless state of being.
Cherubim also represent the
borderline between faith in God and idolatry. At one hand, making any form of
gold is idolatry, and on the other hand, Cherubim are forms of angel made in
gold and placed in the most holy place of worship.
Cherubim are called the throne of God, as it is
written:
|
יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרֻבִים, אַתָּה-הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים לְבַדְּךָ, לְכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ; אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ, אֶת-הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת-הָאָרֶץ |
O
LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, that sittest upon the cherubim, Thou art
the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; Thou hast made
heaven and earth. (Isaiah 37:16) |
“Throne” in Hebrew is Kise (כִּסֵּא), the gematria of Cherubim and Throne is exactly
358, the gematria of Mashiach:
|
Cherubim |
הַכְּרֻבִים |
277 |
|
Throne |
כִּסֵּא |
81 |
|
|
358 |
This comes to teach us that the
Cherubim also symbolizes Mashiach, and since the word Cherubim is plural, and
there are indeed two cherubim beaten out of the same lump of gold, this comes
to teach us that the two Cherubim represent Mashiach and his Bride.
Astonishingly, when the gematria of Bride (כַּלָּה) is taken out from Cherubim, the revealed gematria
is 222, exactly that of the first-born son (בְּכֹר),
i.e. Mashiach the Bridegroom:
|
Cherubim |
הַכְּרֻבִים |
277 |
|
Bride |
כַּלָּה |
(55) |
|
|
222 |
This accords with the rabbinical
tradition that when Israel was in obedience, the Cherubim in the Temple would
lovingly turned their faces toward each other and embraced like a loving
couple, alluding to the Prince of the Faces; and when Israel was in disobedience,
the same Cherubim would turn away from each other with back to back, alluding
to the Prince of the Back.
This sheds light on the concept of Mashiach, with
his myriad revelations in the Bible, is in fact a concept that borderlines on
idolatry and faith.
Proposal of a Basic Law
OCT 28,
2013, 12:46 PM
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The Vision of Talmud Torah
When attempting to present a vision
for the State of Israel, it is imperative to first address the Biblical commandment
of Talmud Torah (Torah study), seeing as the unique vision of the Jewish people
is revealed in the Torah. The further we expand and deepen our study of Torah,
the more we will understand our special role as a nation, as individuals, and
as members of family and community.
This commandment is so great that our
Sages said it is equivalent to all the commandments combined.
“Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were once
reclining in the upper storey of Nithza’s house, in Lydda, when this question
was raised before them: Is study greater, or practice? Rabbi Tarfon answered,
saying: Practice is greater. Rabbi Akiva answered, saying: Study is greater,
for it leads to practice. Then they all answered and said: Study is greater,
for it leads to action” (Talmud Kiddushin 40b).
We learn two things from the
conclusion of our Sages: First, that Talmud Torah is great. Second, that it
leads to action. Accordingly, if Talmud Torah does not lead to action, it is
not great. From this we also learn the importance of action stemming from the
Torah.
The Three Levels
The Jewish nation’s study of Torah
must take place on three levels:
1) Study aimed at promoting great
Torah scholars who elucidate issues for the benefit of the clal (general
populace), including morei hora’ah (law
deciders), community rabbis, dayanim (judges),
and ra’mim (rabbis) for advanced yeshiva studies.
2) Study aimed at training rabbis
working in the fields of education and counseling: teachers, instructors,
counselors, psychologists, and social workers.
3) Torah study for all Jews to know
the basics of Torah – general rules and details – in order to manage one’s life
according to its path. To achieve this, a lot of study time must be dedicated
in the formative years of life, and later, throughout the years, to set times
for Torah study.
Facilitating the Study of Torah
Scholars
The first level is the study of Torah scholars who delve into the Torah to
understand its foundations and reasoning, and to reveal its illuminating light
for the clal, the family, and the individual – to clarify its
laws and instructions, i.e., what is permitted, and what is forbidden; what is
commanded, and what is optional; the Sabbath and the holidays; the
administration of justice, personal and public conflict resolution, fixing
decent work arrangements, and long-term planning for a sound spiritual, social,
and economic life. These Torah scholars will also lead the communities, teach
in yeshivas, and serve as judges in the rabbinical courts.
Then, we will then be able to
influence the entire world with goodness and blessing. At present, the advanced
technology and power placed in the hands of man are in desperate need of moral
guidance. Today, mankind possesses enough bombs to destroy the world a number
of times over. There are countries living in unprecedented wealth, but the
people’s lives have become dreary and futile, to the extent that the future of
the nation is at risk. Neighboring these countries are others with countless
desperately poor and frustrated people suffering from hunger and disease, while
at the same time, a handful of their fellow brothers get rich and possess control
over sophisticated weaponry and all of technology’s wonders.
Israel’s role is to spread the light
of Torah and ethical behavior in the world. “For from Zion will go forth
the Torah, and the word of God from Jerusalem”.
For this purpose, we must advance
Torah scholars who devote themselves to their studies, and also realize the
responsibility placed upon them – to enlighten and guide the daily life of the
individual and society.
Talmud Torah to Train Educators
The second level concerns the training of Torah scholars who will engage in
education, teaching, counseling and therapy. There is no need to expand upon
the importance of the field of education; nevertheless, it is important to
mention that to the extent both men and women teachers know Torah – both in
scope and in depth – the higher quality their teaching will be.
Talmud Torah for the Various Counselors
An additional challenge is that all the various types of counselors and
advisers be Torah scholars as well. It would be fitting that within the
religious educational system, i.e. yeshiva’s and michlalot (colleges), in addition to serious Torah
study suitable students should also study the knowledge that mankind has
accumulated over recent generations. All the subject material that social
workers and psychologists normally learn in university should be taught, but in
the light of the Torah and leading to tikkun and
spiritual elevation. It appears that genuine b’nei Torah who
are willing to faithfully serve the public as psychologists and social workers
can bring great tidings to these important professions.
Currently, these fields are detached.
The rift is deep and stems from the academic mindset which tends to divide up
the fields into separate departments. And thus, we often find a situation where
a child suffers from learning disabilities and mental health problems; in
addition, his parents have marital problems, and to top it off, their household
finances are poorly managed. Even if they receive the best possible care, it is
carried out by four different people who usually are uncoordinated, and at
times, maintain differing value systems. This is why so many problems reach the
desks of rabbis, who are forced to engage in countless areas which often are
far from their field and expertise, and only on account of their dedication to
their communities do they offer their time to deal with such problems. And
thanks to their wisdom, experience and intuition – together with the assistance
of various experts, and with the help of God, they usually are more successful
in assisting people than the professionals.
If b’nei Torah were
to engage in these fields in a professional manner, they would do so with a
comprehensive approach, with the objective of achieving a complete tikkun. Even if they have to divide up the care between
different personnel, a singular objective will remain – to improve the
patient’s situation, with Torah values serving the professionals and their
patient’s as a powerful motivator for tikkun, and as a
foundation for shared, moral values.
The Immense Tikkun Involved
According to this vision, people delegated by society to treat personal and
social problems (psychologists and social workers) will be Torah scholars
constantly engaged in Torah study, giving classes to adults and youth in their
communities, accompanied by an eagerness to respond to the different needs in
their surroundings. If they are not busy, they will continue delving into the
Torah and secular studies, placing an emphasis on their specific fields. Thus,
each problem will be answered in the best possible way, the counselor’s level
will constantly rise, and our society’s condition will be infinitely better.
Talmud Torah for All
The third level involves the commandment of Torah study required of every Jew
to encompass all the foundations of the Torah – in halakha, mussar (ethics), and machshava (Jewish thought). In this respect, the
study of Torah is different from the study of science and the humanities, which
are generally termed as ‘external wisdom’, as compared to the inner, essential
wisdom of the Torah.
In regards to the fields of external
wisdom, not everyone is required to study them. It is sufficient for a group of
talented people to devote themselves to their studies and develop all of
society’s needs, while the rest of the populace benefits from their work. Torah,
however, must be learned by every Jew seeing as the study of Torah reveals the
soul, perfects character traits, and leads a person to perform good deeds.
Without this, it is impossible to live a proper life.
In this regards, Rambam (Maimonides) wrote:
“Every Jewish man is obligated in
Talmud Torah ; whether poor or rich, whether healthy or afflicted; whether a
young man or an old man whose strength is gone; even if he was a poor man
taking his sustenance from charity and going door-to-door; even a family man is
obligated to establish a time for Talmud Torah during the day and at night; as
it says ‘vehagita bo yomam valayla’ [and you shall meditate upon it [Torah] day
and night] (Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:8).
An Individual’s Torah Study Benefits
All
Moreover, the benefit of each individual’s Torah study is not only to guide his
personal life, but it is directly related to the grand vision of tikkun olam. First, because it is impossible to create
a good society without all its members being full partners in its vision. By
way of the Torah study of each individual, all of a person’s social circles –
family, community, and work – are increasingly imbued with substance, and
constantly enhanced.
Furthermore, since no two people are
alike, every Jew who learns Torah reveals a unique spark in it, and discovers a
positive point all his own. Since some of the learning is done in groups,
people’s individual insights emerge as questions or answers, are integrated
into the general learning, deepen the understanding, and have a share in the
complete revelation of the Torah.
Unfortunately, in the religious
educational system – including high school yeshivas, and perhaps even beyond
this stage – students are not adequately taught what they need to know to guide
their lives according to the Torah. We must strive to improve the educational
curriculum, and develop frameworks that enable adults to set times for Torah
study.
Men and Women
Here, we must touch on the difference between men and women’s obligation to
study Torah. Women are obligated to study the fundamentals of emunah and mussar (faith
and ethics), and all the halakhot (laws)
needed to guide their lives. Beyond this, however, they are not obligated to
learn Torah. As for men, even if they have learned everything needed to guide
their lives according to Torah, they are still obligated, consistent with their
capability, to continue reviewing and delving deeper into the words of the
Torah without limit. Women wishing to do so fulfill a mitzvah, and the more society progresses and grows, the
more women will want to study and deepen their Torah learning (see, Rambam, Yisodei HaTorah 4:14).
In any event, today, when life has
become more complex and complicated, and every field requires serious study –
over and above what was acceptable in the past – the required Torah study for
women has grown so much that regrettably, even most religious men fail to
adequately encompass it. This is because all the practical halakhot must be learned, and in order to fulfill
them properly, their explanations and foundations must be clearly understood.
Furthermore, the fundamentals of emunah and mussar must be studied seriously and in depth,
including the special role of each and every individual, and the Jewish nation
as a whole (see, Pininei Halakha, Hilchot Nashim 7:2,
footnote 1).
Even if a woman managed to learn
everything, she is still required to continue setting times for Torah study in
order to refresh her knowledge, so Torah can continue enlightening and guiding
her life. And all this, before undertaking to study beyond what women are
required to learn.
In effect, the required Torah study
for women today also includes the subject matter teachers and therapists in
training learn, nevertheless it is desirable for women who choose to work in
these fields to continue deepening their knowledge in matters connected to
their occupations.
The Basic Law
In order to firmly fix this supreme national value in our public life, a Basic Law of Torah study should be enacted,
affirming that “The State of Israel is committed to encourage
and fund the study of Torah in Israel”, while detailing the three
levels of study mentioned above.
The 5th level, or the
messiah is already here
MAY 22,
2021, 12:36 AM
Traditionally, the Torah has been
interpreted in four ways, called Péshat, Rémez, Drash and Sod, or PARDÉS, an
acronym that refers us to a garden.
A Garden of Pomegranates, will say
the majestic volumes of Moisés Cordovero, the predecessor of the ARI in the
Safed school.
It is said that, when reading the
Torah, the soul is able to remember what life was like in the Garden of Eden,
so you can enter through one of the 50 gates to the heavenly palaces, or you
can go crazy.
As soon as you begin to walk its lines,
the Torah can produce enlightened, epiphanic, prophetic states, depending on
the way you choose to read it.
Péshat (פְּשָׁט) is the most literal sense of study, so that when
reading you simply visualize a naked man and woman in a garden eating an apple and
talking to a snake next to a tree. This is what Jews and Christians are taught
when we are children.
Rémez (רֶמֶז)
hints, every word and story you read becomes a direct allusion to your life,
your actions, your decisions.
It is a psychological approach that
has been used as self-help for centuries. It is a fertile field for intimate
philosophers, mystics and writers.
Through the Drash (דְּרַשׁ) you interpret, draw lessons, morals, laws and
ethical precepts of public application. It is the field of the men of the law,
of the rabbis.
If you come to Sod (סוֹד) you will look for the secret, the hidden meanings
in the words, the combinations of names and letters, the numerical values and the allegories of sacred geometry.
You will use the Tree of Life and the
study of the 10 sefirot as interfaces to connect with the energy of Creation.
This vast field of study has
traditionally been called Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה) and is supposed to be the true knowledge that
Moses received in dialoguing with the Creator on Mount Sinai, which is
encrypted under the words of the Torah, as pointed out the mathematicians and
computer scientists who have finally cracked The Bible Code.
For centuries that secret knowledge
of the 4th level of the Torah was transmitted from mouth to ear, from teacher
to student, in small schools or yeshivot, through sacred texts such as the
Sefer Yetzira and the Zohar, and was available only to Jewish men, over forty,
married and with children.
This was how it should be until the
arrival of the Messiah, at which time, as the prophecy says, (Isaiah: 11: 9), even children will have access to Divinity
because “… For the land shall be filled with devotion to the LORD As water
covers the sea.”
Here we run into a serious historical
and prophetic problem, which is, in my opinion, what is giving rise to the
emergence of a 5th level of interpretation of the Torah, to a 5th level
Kabbalah, upgraded.
If the Torah is read literally
(Péshat mode), the State of Israel will be born after the arrival of the
Messiah. That is the interpretation of many orthodox Haredi, by which they are
anti-Zionists and oppose the existence of the current state (Drash conclusion).
Another condition would be peace
between Arabs and Jews, which, as is evident in these days of bombs, rockets,
drones and iron domes, is far from happening.
Either the order of the Messianic
prophecy is being reversed and the State has been born and survives in the
middle of the war and before the arrival of the Messiah, or perhaps the Messiah
has already walked through the streets of Safed and we do not know it, but the
old woman who has waited for him every afternoon sitting in front of her house,
has finally offered him a cup of tea, as the wise men of that city predicted.
An aspiring Jew can call himself
messiah, as did Abraham Abulafia, which is why his writings on meditation and
prophetic Kabbalah were buried for centuries.
Or as the most abhorrent of the false
messiahs, Sabbatai Zevi, who ended up converted to Islam, and justified the
prohibition of studying Kabbalah for Jews under 40, single or childless.
The 4th level of study is dangerous,
and the Torah can be turned into a potion of death, the ancient sages warn us.
In Internet times, you can even put
together a fake new, a hoax, crown a “new Messiah”, and call him Jizkiahu Ben
David.
Or repeat the utopia of Moro and
Campanella, and proclaim yourself the Christian messiah as Sergei Torop, the
former transit agent from Siberia who claims to be the reincarnation of Jesus
Christ.
Torop founded the Church of the Last
Testament in the village of Obitel Rassveta (Abode of dawn, in Russian),
southeast of Krasnoyarsk, three thousand kilometers from Moscow.
Ecovillages have been built around
this church, with houses, schools and other institutions that promote
self-reliance.
They are Siberian kibbutzim lost in
the middle of the forests and steppes. For them, first their messiah has
arrived, and then they have taken on the task of building their New Jerusalem.
Is the order of events so important?
From the ancient prophetic point of view, yes, because true prophets are not
supposed to be wrong, since it is God who speaks through their mouths, who
dictates the prophecy to them.
The prophet, the author of a sacred
book, is hardly, as Borges said, a stenographer of the Creator.
But it also depends on whether we
read his prophecies literally, or how we interpret those apocalyptic images,
metaphors, and prosopopoeia.
Note that from the point of view of
Sod, of the 4th level of interpretation, of Kabbalah, the matter is even more
difficult because very sophisticated and abstruse names, nomenclatures and
formulas are used, about which there is no instance of ” scientific agreement
“as in physics or chemistry.
But it is here where new
interpretations have emerged, from historical observation, the development of
science and the dialogue of Kabbalah with neuroscience, quantum physics,
astrophysics and the computer revolution, something that had not been foreseen
by the prophets, at least in the order of their calendar and the order of
events … Or maybe yes?
The Messiah may not have arrived and
a great messianic event like the creation of the State of Israel will happen
despite that, and despite the war.
He may have arrived unannounced
publicly, and perhaps he is secretly contributing to the advancement of Humanity
towards that state of peace and fulfillment that all utopias dream about,
announce and sell.
There is a third position, that of the Messiah as a
historical age, as a generation, as a quasi Hegelian development of the human
spirit.
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