tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26626420258515208512024-03-05T09:32:44.816-08:00Rambam SystemThis site is intended as a virtual meeting place where individual thoughts about Chumash and Rambam can be presented and developed into a systematic understanding
of taryagRabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-40498258809821993872019-02-23T22:13:00.003-08:002019-02-23T22:13:52.963-08:00Two types of service – The Dvir and the Mizbeach, the internal and external<br />
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Return the service to the <i>Dvir</i> of your house, also the
burnt offerings of Israel (<i>Shemoneh</i> <i>Esrei</i>. Blessing of <i>Retzei</i>)</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The <i>Dvir </i>is the term used in Melachim 1 (6:19) for
the <i>Kodesh</i> <i>hakodashim </i>(Holy of Holies<i>)</i> which houses the <i>Aron</i>
(Ark of the Covenant).<o:p></o:p></div>
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This raises a few questions. Why is the <i>kodesh</i> <i>hakodashim</i>
called <i>Dvir</i>? Why are we requesting that the service return to the <i>Dvir</i>,
when most of the service is performed outside on the <i>Mizbeach</i> (altar)?
Which service are we asking to restore? <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Rambam describes two types of service in the Moreh
Hanevuchim 3:32. The truest sense of service is internal, when a person is
actively thinking about the knowledge of God. But the majority of our service
is in action. The purpose of this second service is to accustom us to His
service by removing false ideas. In this chapter the Rambam explains at length
the purpose of animal sacrifice as an antidote to Idolatry. The system of
sacrifice transforms the kind of service which was socially self-evident; limits
it to the degree possible and redirects it towards God [1]. Even though the
first service is higher by nature; as long as our energy and interest is in the
physical world our primary involvement must be with the second.[2] Through this
second type we learn to recognize and apply wisdom in our lives and slowly
escape from a life governed by fantasy. (Prayer is also a member of the second
class, but serves an intermediate role. It is external speech, but since speech
is a direct expression of thought, it guides us towards a life of thought. This
is why “any prayer without directed intent is not a prayer (Laws of Prayer 4:15).)
As our apprehension of the reality of mind becomes greater more of our focus
can shift towards knowledge but we never fully escape the need for a connection
to the physical world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Dvir </i>comes from the root <i>Davar</i>, speech. The <i>Kodesh</i>
<i>hakodashim</i> was the source of God’s speech to Moses from between the <i>Keruvim</i>.
The theme of the room is God communicating to man. Inside the Aron are the <i>Luchot</i>
which record God’s speech to us at Mount Sinai when he gave us the Torah. On
top of the Aron are the <i>Keruvim</i>, which reflect the idea of angels; to
teach us the reality of mind separate from matter which is the source of
prophecy. <u>This is why it is called <i>Dvir</i>, it is the room of God’s
speech<i>.</i></u><i> </i>It is the place where the highest service takes
place, the service of knowledge of God. Even on Yom Kippur, the one time a year
when regular service occurs inside, the service emphasizes the idea that God is
known only through an obscuring cloud, and that our materiality is the source
of that veil. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Temple therefore has two foci. One is the Kodesh
Hadodashim, which points to the ultimate service which is our aspiration. The
second is the Mizbeach, the place of animal sacrifice, which addresses our current
level and psychological needs. <o:p></o:p></div>
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David emphasized this duality: “”This is the house of God,
and this is the altar of sacrifice for Israel” (Divrei hayamim 1 22:1). In its
essence it is the house dedicated for God, but for <u>Israel</u> it is the
altar of sacrifice. Since Israel is a nation service must be defined in a way
which is accessible to all people and not only to rare individuals. This is the
uniqueness of Torah; it is a law accessible to all, which guides all people,
not just philosophers, towards living a life of knowing God and serving Him in
a life of action which both applies and leads to that knowledge. Thus in an
educational framework the actions, such as the sacrificial order, take
priority; while, in its nature, service in knowledge is primary and is the
objective and cause of the order of the service in action [3].<o:p></o:p></div>
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This duality is expressed in Halacha as well. In chapter 1
of the laws of<i> Beit Habechira</i> the Rambam discusses the <i>Beit</i> <i>hamikdash</i>
as a whole, in this framework the <i>Kodesh</i> <i>hakodashim</i> is, as its
name implies, the essence. But in chapter 2 the Rambam shifts focus to the <i>mizbeach</i>,
and its unique history and identity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Prayer also includes both of these ideas. On the one hand we
face the <i>mikdash</i> during prayer, a direction ultimately pointing to the <i>kodesh</i>
<i>hakedoshim</i>, which is the physical stand-in for the direction of the <i>shechina</i>
(Laws of Prayer 5:3). On the other hand the times of <i>Tefilla</i> are based
on the daily sacrificial order (Laws of Prayer 1:5-6). <o:p></o:p></div>
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In <i>Retzei</i>, the blessing requesting that God find
favor with the Jewish people and their prayers, we request the return of
service to the <i>mikdash</i>, the place of <i>shechina</i>, in these two
frameworks. First the service of knowledge in the <i>Dvir</i>; and second the service
in the burnt offerings of Israel, necessary for achieving the first<i>. </i>[4]
<o:p></o:p></div>
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[1]In the same chapter the Rambam explains that the idea the
objective of many Mitzvoth is removing falsehood, not necessarily producing
something positive, is an important example of God’s merciful action in the
world; the study of which serves as the basis of the Mitzvah to imitate his
ways. <o:p></o:p></div>
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[2] This is related to the halacha from Yesodei Hatorah 4:13,
quoted in the previous post, which prioritizes the study of the Davar Katan of
halacha over the study of the Davar Gadol of science and philosophy in one’s
sequence of study.<o:p></o:p></div>
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[3] In reality even the higher form of service is expressed
in action of following God’s ways, since our knowledge of God is of His actions
not His essence. But this sense of action, embodied, for example, in the life
of Avraham is action of a different kind directly based on his abstract
knowledge of God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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[4] This request for God desiring our prayers is very
different than that of <i>Shomeah Tefillah</i> which discusses prayer as
request<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Yaakovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790728277413993602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-72527087797490718232019-02-12T08:42:00.000-08:002019-02-12T12:50:43.664-08:00Women learning Torah<i>"Women and slaves are exempt from Torah study" </i><a href="http://mechon-mamre.org/i/1301.htm">Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:1</a><br />
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<i>"A woman who learns Torah has reward" </i><a href="http://mechon-mamre.org/i/1301.htm">Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:13</a> (1:16 at link)<br />
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<i>"Even though she has reward the Rabbis commanded that he shouldn't teach his daughter Torah; since most women's minds are not directed towards being educated, and they will redirect the Torah towards nonsense due to the poverty of their minds."</i> <a href="http://mechon-mamre.org/i/1301.htm">Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:13</a> (1:16 at link)<br />
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This is very difficult, if she has reward why shouldn't a father teach her, and if she will use the Torah for nonsense why does she have reward?<br />
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<i>"Someone who was not taught by his father must teach himself when he becomes aware; as it says: "And you should learn them and you should protect to do them". And similarly you find universally that study is placed before action, since study causes action but action does not lead to study"</i><a href="http://mechon-mamre.org/i/1301.htm"> Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:3</a> (1:4 at link)<br />
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Since women have an obligation in action, it would seem that Torah study has central relevance to them. Would this obligate them to study (although not under the formal heading of Talmud Torah)?<br />
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<i>"It is a Mitzva upon all of the wise in Israel to teach all students, as it says: "you should teach them (v'shinantam) to your children" (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Deuteronomy.6.7?lang=he&aliyot=0" target="">Devarim 6:7</a>), the tradition teaches " 'Your children', these are your students" "</i> <a href="http://mechon-mamre.org/i/1301.htm">Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:2</a><br />
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It seems like this obligation, incumbent upon 'the wise', applies to both male and female students. Note that the exclusion of women from Torah study comes from the verse which applies to biological sons "<i>and you shall teach them (v'limadtem) to your sons to speak them</i>" (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Deuteronomy.11.19?lang=he&with=all&lang2=he">Devarim 11:19</a>) on which the <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Sifrei_Devarim.46.1?lang=he">sifrei</a> comments "Your sons, and not your daughters". This distinction fits well with the Halacha seen earlier that only the father is commanded not to teach their daughter. Apparently every one capable is required to teach a girl or woman who has become a 'student'.<br />
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<i>"And I say that one shouldn't stroll in the orchard until he has filled his belly with bread and meat. This 'bread' and 'meat' is to know the explanation of the forbidden and permitted, and similarly from other Mitzvot. And even though the Rabbis called these topics 'a small matter' - since they said: " 'a great matter' is the 'act of the chariot' (i.e. metaphysics) 'a small matter' these are the constructs of Abaye and Rava." - It is appropriate to study them first, since they initially settle a persons mind and they are the great good which Hakadosh Baruch bestowed for settling this world in order to inherit the world to come; and all people are able to know them, great or small, man or woman, one whose understanding is wide or whose understanding is narrow." </i><a href="http://mechon-mamre.org/i/1104.htm">Hilchot Yesodei Hatorah 4:13</a> (4:21 at link)<br />
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Women are obligated in the love of God and knowledge is a necessary ingredient of that love, of which all women are fully capable (at least in the Davar Katan form which is the limit for most men and women). Yet again it seems that women have a need to study Torah.<br />
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Going back to the beginning, women are exempt from the Mitzvah of Talmud Torah (which is the combination of teaching and learning, i.e. being part of the formal transmission of Torah study through the generations). But she is not exempt from many important features of Torah study which were mentioned above. And even with regard to Mesora, women have a special role, see the <a href="http://traditionarchive.org/news/originals/volume%2017/no.%202/a%20tribute%20to%20the.pdf">Rav's eulogy for the Rebbetzin of Talne</a>, where he describes the special Mesora of <i>Torat Imecha. </i>Furthermore it is obvious from real-world experience that women are capable of the most advanced forms of thought, an observation supported by the Halacha in Yesodei Hatorah.<br />
<br />
If so, why is a father instructed to not teach his daughter? It seems that this is because a father is likely to pressure her in a way which is not best for her development, since a parent is often moved by their own psychological need for gaining honor vicariously through their children (I believe that I heard this point from Rabbi Chait). Therefore this is guidance only for a father, any one else may, and perhaps must, teach women (at least those who are interested).<br />
<br />
This command to the father is based on the fact that 'most women's minds are not directed to learning', from modern experience this seems clearly to not be an intrinsic biological or psychological lack (there are clearly both biological and neurological/psychological differences between men and women but they don't seem relevant here). Therefore it seems to be expressing a social fact that women are not trained in thought and therefore if an individual father tries to break with that norm it is likely that to stem from his own needs. Today when girls start learning in school at a young age (and in many areas are more successful than boys) their minds are 'directed towards learning' from that very beginning and this concern doesn't apply. Therefore, perhaps, even a father may (and, since he wants the best for his daughter, should) teach his daughters.<br />
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General Notes:<br />
1. When thinking about this topic we<span style="font-family: inherit;"> should take special caution since as human beings we often have an implicit bias against women. Chazal teach: "<i style="color: #252525; letter-spacing: 0.016px;"><b>And the daughters of Tzlefchad approached</b></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; letter-spacing: 0.016px;"><i> - When the daughters of Tzefchad heard that the land would be divided to the tribes and not the women, they gathered to plan. They said: "God's mercy is not like man's mercy. Man has greater mercy on men than on women; but He who spoke and the world was, is not that way, rather his mercy is on everyone equally, men and women, as it says "God is good to all, and his mercy is on all of his creations</i>."" (Sifri Pinchas) It seems that e</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; letter-spacing: 0.016px;">ven the greatest human being, Moshe, was potentially subject to this bias, if not for the fact that his life was guided by imitating the merciful ways of God.</span></span><br />
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2. When quoting sources in the Mishneh Torah I am using the standard numbering of the halachot. In parentheses are the numbers used at the linked page. Unfortunately I don't know of an online edition which follows Rabbi Yochai Makbili's practice of keeping the original numbering while using paragraph breaks with subscripts to identify the authentic division. I would appreciate any practical suggestions people have.Yaakovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790728277413993602noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-74904019400836879102019-02-12T08:40:00.000-08:002019-02-12T12:08:17.960-08:00Reopening the Rambam system online Beit MidrashAfter God decreed that our Pittsburgh Chaburah be separated. Our memory of that learning reawakened Rabbi Sacks' dormant desire to have an online Beit Midrash to develop further our understanding of the Rambam's system of Torah and Mitzvah. We invite other students, who have turned in their respective directions, to rejoin this quest with their discoveries and thoughts and to learn from the master.<br />
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The purpose of a Beit Midrash is for active participation. Please comment! If anyone has something to post please send it to either Rabbi Sacks or myself. As Rabbi Sacks often reminds us, don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. We can also post open threads if people want to post thoughts or questions from their own studies that they don't feel comfortable calling a post. </div>
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I will try to post both things I have merited to learn with Rabbi Sacks as well as applications of his methods to new topics. Hopefully he will have time to post as well.</div>
Yaakovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790728277413993602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-80380101697486809262018-08-15T10:35:00.000-07:002018-08-15T10:35:09.390-07:00
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2"> </a>
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<b>ב</b> ספר תורה הכשר--נוהגין בו קדושה יתרה, וכבוד גדול. אסור לאדם
למכור ספר תורה, אפילו אין לו מה יאכל, ואפילו היו לו ספרים רבים, ואפילו
ישן ליקח בו חדש. לעולם אין מוכרין ספר תורה, אלא לשני דברים--שילמוד תורה
בדמיו, או שיישא אישה בדמיו: והוא, שלא יהיה לו דבר אחר למכור.<br />
Torah Market? Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-42264068025834499982018-08-15T10:34:00.001-07:002018-08-15T10:34:46.785-07:00<h2>
הלכות ספר תורה פרק י</h2>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="1"> </a>
<b>א</b> נמצאת למד שעשרים דברים הן, שכל אחד מהן פוסל את ספר תורה.
ואם נעשה בו אחד מהן--הרי הוא כחומש מן החומשין שמלמדין בהן התינוקות, ואין
בו קדושת ספר תורה, ואין קורין בו ברבים; ואלו הן: (א) אם נכתב על עור
בהמה טמאה; (ב) שנכתב על עור בהמה טהורה שאינו מעובד; (ג) שהיה מעובד שלא
לשם ספר תורה; (ד) שנכתב שלא במקום כתיבה, על הגוויל במקום בשר ועל הקלף
במקום שיער; (ה) שנכתב מקצתו על הגוויל, ומקצתו על הקלף; (ו) שנכתב על
דוכסוסטוס; (ז) שנכתב בלא שרטוט; (ח) שנכתב שלא בשחור העומד; (ט) שנכתב
בשאר לשונות; (י) שכתבו גוי וכיוצא בו משאר פסולים; (יא) שכתב האזכרות בלא
כוונה; (יב) שחיסר אפילו אות אחת; (יג) שהוסיף אפילו אות אחת; (יד) שנגעה
אות באות; (טו) שנפסדה צורת אות אחת עד שלא תיקרא כל עיקר, או תדמה לאות
אחרת, בין בעיקר הכתיבה, בין בנקב, בין בקרע, בין בטשטוש; (טז) שהרחיק או
הקריב בין אות לאות, עד שתיראה התיבה כשתי תיבות, או שתי תיבות כמו תיבה
אחת; (יז) ששינה צורת הפרשייות; (יח) ששינה צורת השירות; (יט) שכתב בשאר
הכתב כשירה; (כ) שתפר היריעות שלא בגידי טהורה. ושאר כל הדברים--למצוה, לא
לעכב.<br />
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EXPLAIN LOGICAL ORDER OF SEQUENCE Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-85239730924251791302018-07-09T10:31:00.002-07:002018-07-09T10:31:24.613-07:00Rambam's Different order of Sifrei Tanach<div style="text-align: right;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-e8890fa9-8018-3042-b6bf-297b188f1d10" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">טו</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> מותר לדבק תורה נביאים וכתובים בכרך אחד, ומניח בין כל חומש וחומש ארבע שיטין, ובין כל נביא ונביא שלוש שיטין, ובין כל נביא ונביא משנים עשר שלוש שיטין--שאם בא לחתוך, חותך. וסידורן של נביאים, כך הוא--יהושוע, ושופטים, שמואל, ומלכים, ירמיה, ויחזקאל, ישעיה, ותרי עשר; וסדר הכתובים--רות, ותילים, ואיוב, ומשלי, וקוהלת, ושיר השירים, וקינות, ודנייאל, ומגילת אסתר, ועזרא, ודברי הימים.</span></div>
Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-20667360259188026092018-06-29T10:23:00.001-07:002018-06-29T10:32:09.906-07:00<b>יב</b> ספר תורה שאינו מוגה, אסור לשהותו יתר על שלושים יום, אלא
ייתקן, או ייגנז. ספר שיש בו שלוש טעייות בכל דף ודף, ייתקן; ארבע, ייגנז;
ואם היה רוב הספר מוגה, והשאר יש בו ארבע טעייות בכל דף, ונשאר <span style="color: red;">אפילו דף
אחד מאותו השאר המשובש בלא ארבע טעייות--הרי זה ייתקן</span><br />
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<b>יג</b> במה דברים אמורים, שכתב המלא חסר, <span style="color: red;">שנמצא תולה האותייות ששכח
ביני השיטות</span>; אבל אם כתב החסר מלא, אפילו יש בכל דף ודף כמה טעייות, הרי זה
מתקנו, מפני שהוא גורד ואינו תולה.<br />
<br />Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-37348076924344374682018-06-24T08:11:00.001-07:002018-06-24T08:11:44.726-07:00TestingRabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-35717783418683174352014-05-01T15:41:00.002-07:002014-05-05T10:41:39.619-07:00Zechira: fostering a transformational process<div class="vt" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In the previous post we noted the surprising distinction between Kiddush and Sippur. Though we would expect that a command to remember a day, would obviously determine the time of remembrance, i</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">n fact, only </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">the command "Remember the Shabbos day" meets our expectation. In the case of Sippur, the command "Remember this day" is understood to leave the timing of sippur yetziat mitzraim indeterminate. It is only by means of an additional command -"You shall tell your son on that day saying: 'for </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">the sake of <i>this</i></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">'..." -that we can determine that the 15th of Nissan is the time of sippur.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Question: Why does the one command to "remember" determine the timing of remembrance in Shabbos while in Sippur we need to supplement by taking into account the additional message of "for </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">the sake of <i>this</i></span><i style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">"</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> ??</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Answer: we need to explore the sort of "remembrance" the Torah is dealing with first. Once this sense of "remembrance" is understood in principle, we will be able to understand the application to remembering a specific "day".</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There are two targets of remembrance: 1. Retaining data 2. Self Transformation.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Retaining data. Obviously, we have limited ability to retain factual details. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This limited ability to retain facts is illustrated in our use of memory aides such as shopping lists. It is difficult to keep the 20-30 items we need to buy in mind. We therefore make to-do lists for shopping as well as the many other fact based tasks we have in a busy day.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I believe that our expectation that a command to remember a day determines the timing of the remembrance is rooted in this limiting data retention sense of memory. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Understood as data retention, "remember the Shabbos day"</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> translates neatly into an obligation to put reciting kiddush into the post sunset slot of our to-do list on Shabbos. Similarly, "remember this day" obligates us </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">to put reciting the hagada into the post sunset slot of our to-do list on the 15th of Nissan.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yet, as we know, there is a deeper aspect underlying our tendency to forget shopping items beyond our limited ability to retain data. We want to be free to pursue our wishes, unencumbered by the responsibility of tasks like shopping, or working.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This conflict over dedicating one's time to responsibility remains constant, the Franklin Planner, shopping lists and other memory devices we use merely maximize the chances of a given task being done despite the conflict.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The solution to our problem, therefore, lies in rethinking the assumption that the Torah commands of remembrance refer to retaining data. In fact, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Zechira</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> transcends mere data retention to address the root issue in forgetfulness- the conflicted nature of our psyche.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But what is the deeper nature of this internal conflict that the remembrance of Torah addresses? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Remembrance of</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Self Transformation</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In explication of the word "zachar" in Sefer ha-Shorashim, Radak points to the cause of internal conflict and the underlying need for remembrance. Radak illustrates the uderlying issues of "</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">remembrance</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" and "forgetfulness" in the case of Joseph and the Cup bearer of Pharaoh. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: pre-wrap;">In this astute selection </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">of the Cup bearer to</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"> illustrate the Torah's sense of "zachar" Radak points us to the 2nd kind of remembering-that of self transformation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The high ranking Cup bearer respected Joseph's great wisdom only so long as he was powerless, a fellow prisoner needing an interpretation for his dream. The Cup bearer forgot Joseph's Wisdom as soon as his normal state of empowerment was restored.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Cup bearer's self image was not flexible enough to acknowledge </span><span style="font-size: large;">the framework of wisdom in</span><span style="font-size: large;"> which he was lesser than a lowly Hebrew slave. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Far from maintaining remembrance of Wisdom, the Cup bearer sought to remove his focus from Joseph altogether. Vi'</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lo zachar sar hamashkim et Yosef-vayishkachehu. "The Cup bearer did not remember Joseph, (instead) he forgot him".</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Cup bearer's inflexibility created a counter force of forgetfulness which held him from educational growth. Instead of translating his fortuitous experience with Joseph into a life changing opportunity, the Cup bearer hid from the tension of self transformation. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: pre-wrap;">All the Cup bearer had to do was to remember Joseph's problem solving power. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joseph's wisdom was not limited to providing a solution to the Cup Bearer's dream. In its more general sense, Joseph's wisdom could have been the basis of an ongoing educational relationship, in which the cup bearer would have gained illuminating insights, solutions to problems in each and every domain of life activity. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instead of embracing the opportunity, the cup bearer broke his ties with Joseph to limit the conflict it produced for his existing self concept. The cup bearer could not endure the flexibility that the process of true education</span> entails.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The same tendency to hide from the challenge intrinsic to encountering human wisdom can be seen in our relationship with Hashem's wisdom as well. Here too, our inflexibility of self concept obstructs translating our Encounters with Divine Wisdom into an ongoing educational relationship.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This tendency to avoid remembrance is best illustrated in our Encounter with Hashem's Divine Wisdom at Sinai. As the Cup bearer sensed the universal wisdom implicit in Joseph's dream interpretation, the Jews sensed the Universal Wisdom of Hashem implicit in the 10 d'varim of Sinai. This Wisdom was potentially applicable in 613 mitzvot to all aspects of life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">As the Cup bearer protected his sense of self in the security of his political framework, we sought to protect our sense self in the familiar "tent", a home ordered to our self concept.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">23 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 24 Go thou near, and hear all that the Lord our God may say; and thou shalt speak unto us all that the Lord our God may speak unto thee; and we will hear it and do it.’ </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Yet, Hashem does not rebuke us for our need to escape His Wisdom. Instead, He posits a long term strategy of educational growth. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">25 And the Lord heard the voice of your words, when ye spoke unto me; and the Lord said unto me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee; they have well said all that they have spoken. 26 Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! 27 Go say to them: Return ye to your tents.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; font-size: large; line-height: 25.6px;">This long term strategy of self transformation, in which we gradually attain maturity in our relationship with His Wisdom, is the underpinning of the Torah's notion of "Remembrance". Even as we escape to our "tents" the flexible mind maintains remembrance-- a commitment to undergo a process of growth over long periods of time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;">At strategic intervals we bring key encounters with His Wisdom to mind, in order to slowly incorporate the lessons into our lives. In this way we can gradually extend our sense of His Wisdom as it is illustrated in certain key cases (Yetziat Mitzraim, Sinai etc) to an ever greater domain of our world. In this we way we resolve our conflict with Wisdom, through slowly developing an ever deeper appreciation of the way in which the general d'varim of Wisdom we heard at Sinai, specify 613 concrete mitzvot which illuminate each and every aspect of our lives.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;"> </span><span class="verse-number" style="color: #bbbbbb; font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; margin-right: 0.25em; vertical-align: 10%;">9</span><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;">Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children’s children; </span><span class="verse-number" style="color: #bbbbbb; font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; margin-right: 0.25em; vertical-align: 10%;">10</span><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;">the day that thou stoodest before the </span><span class="small-caps" style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 25.6px;">Lord</span><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;"> thy God in Horeb, when the </span><span class="small-caps" style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 25.6px;">Lord</span><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;"> said unto me: ‘Assemble Me the people, and I will make them hear My <i>d'varim</i> that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;">Now that we see remembrance as a process, a cornerstone of educational transformation of a flexible self concept, we are in the position to answer our original question. We see why the educational process takes on remembrance of specific days. We need to regularly return to events such as Sinai and Yetziat Mitzraim to gradually internalize their message. But why would the timing of remembering days be so inconsistent? Why is the educational process of internalizing "remember the Shabbos day" limited to Shabbos, while </span><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;">the educational process of internalizing</span><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;"> "remember this day" is potentially much longer than the 15th of Nissan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic'; line-height: 25.6px;">We will complete this answer in the next post.</span></span></div>
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Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-18668039879301303462014-04-25T12:57:00.000-07:002014-04-25T16:51:24.643-07:00בשעה שמצות ומרורים מונחים לפניך #1As we mentioned in the previous post, the basic principle of Kiddush<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> -זכרהו זכירת שבח וקידוש </span>- <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">applies in accordance with the particular Action of Hashem a given day testifies to.</span><br />
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In the case of sippur on Pesach, Zechirat Kedusha recognizes zecher liytizat mitraim. This recognition takes the form of personal gratitude to Hashem for his Action in the micro system of civilization, empowering us with the opportunity of education passed on from Av to Ben.<br />
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Interestingly, Rambam does not view "Zachor Et Hayom Hazeh" as the only principle operative in sippur yetziat mitraim. In fact, "Zachor" is not even the basis of doing sippur on the 15th of Nissan.<br />
Clearly, if we did not have an additional principle of<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא לאמר בעבור זה we would have not known <i>when</i> to do Sippur:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><u>Hilchot Chametz Umatza 7:1</u></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">מצות עשה של תורה לספר בנסים ונפלאות שנעשו לאבותינו במצרים בליל חמשה עשר בניסן שנאמר זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים כמו שנאמר זכור את יום השבת. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">ומנין שבליל חמשה עשר תלמוד לומר והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא לאמר בעבור זה בשעה שיש מצה ומרור מונחים לפניך.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">What is the basis of Rambam's recourse to </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא לאמר בעבור זה בשעה שיש מצה ומרור מונחים לפניך?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> Surely the words "Zachor Et Hayom Hazeh" indicate the timing of Zechira-- "hayom hazeh", namely the 15th of Nissan?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">We do not see any parallel question regarding "Zachor Et Yom hashabbos likadesho". Clearly, the words "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Zachor Et Yom Hashabbos"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> identify the time that the zechira should be done -- Shabbos. There is no need for any additional principle. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Why does "zachor et hayom hazeh" of sippur require the additional principle of </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא לאמר בעבור זה</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">, while </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Zachor Et Yom Hashabbos" of</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.01600000075995922px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> Shabbos does not?</span>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-37281863623683050412014-04-18T09:18:00.001-07:002014-04-23T14:43:44.340-07:00Redone essay following seder discussion<br />
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In Hilchot Chametz U’matza, Rambam explains that the “zechira” of sippur of Pesach</div>
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"זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם"” is to be understood in the same sense as "זכור את יום השבת" of the Kiddush of Shabbat.</div>
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הלכות חמץ ומצה פרק ז א מצות עשה של תורה לספר בניסים ונפלאות שנעשו לאבותינו במצריים, בליל חמישה עשר בניסן--שנאמר "זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם" (שמות יג,ג), כמה שנאמר "זכור את יום השבת" (שמות כ,ז</div>
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Question: In our experience, Kiddush and sippur seem to be fundamentally dissimilar activities. Sippur is storytelling, giving an all night personal account of yetziat mitzraim events. Kiddush is a terse conceptual statement containing no personal account of the events of Creation at all. What common nature unites these seemingly distinct, activities of Sippur and Kiddush ?</div>
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Answer: In Hilchot Shabbat, Rambam identifies the underlying nature, common to Kiddush and Sippur—the idea of the Holy. In this context, “Zechira” means to properly recognize the Kedusha character of something, in carefully formulated speech.</div>
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הלכות שבת הלכה א מצות עשה מן התורה לקדש את יום השבת בדברים שנאמר זכור את יום השבת לקדשו. כלומר זכרהו זכירת שבח וקידוש.</div>
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The institution of “zechira”, pausing to properly recognize Kedusha, presupposes a resistance to Kedusha that must be overcome. It is in our nature to do Craft-- constantly reorder the material world to be in in line with our ideal concepts. Letting go of our creative enterprise of constant change to reflect on the underlying System, the unchanging Kedusha of His Concept, is difficult for us. Yet, if we are to grow as minds, we must be able to let the Wisdom of His Action into our carefully guarded creative world. We must set aside Holy times to deeply reflect on the true nature of His Action, unfiltered by the psychological categories of our creative enterprise. Zechira reminds us that we must be open to being merely a creature overcome by wonder and appreciation for the grandeur of the Divine Creation System. The carefully ordered speech of zechira empowers us to navigate the transition from our psychological world with its loves and hates, successes and failures, happiness and sadness to reflection on the grand systems and processes of His Creation on Shabbat and Yom Tov.</div>
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ז זכור את-יום השבת, לקדשו. ח ששת ימים תעבוד, ועשית כל-מלאכתך. ט ויום, השביעי--שבת, ליהוה אלוהיך: לא-תעשה כל-מלאכה אתה ובנך ובתך, עבדך ואמתך ובהמתך, וגרך, אשר בשעריך. י כי ששת-ימים עשה יהוה את-השמיים ואת-הארץ, את-הים ואת-כל-אשר-בם, וינח, ביום השביעי; על-כן, בירך יהוה את-יום השבת--ויקדשהו.</div>
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Shabbat and Yom Tov each emphasize one of the two perspectives on Kedusha in His System: Zecher Limaase Bresheet and Zecher Liyitziat Mitzraim. Each perspective of zechira, requires its own unique form of transition from the psychological categories of our world to appreciation of His Order. In Zecher Limaase Bresheet we must appreciate Kedusha as manifest in the ongoing existence of of the Cosmic system testified to by Shabbos. זכרון למעשה בראשית</div>
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י כי ששת-ימים עשה יהוה את-השמיים ואת-הארץ, את-הים ואת-כל-אשר-בם, וינח, ביום השביעי; על-כן, בירך יהוה את-יום השבת--ויקדשהו. </div>
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In stark contrast, in Zecher Yetziat Mitzraim we appreciate Kedusha as manifest in the particular Order of man carried out by the unique Jewish civilization on Earth ברוך אתה ה', מקדש ישראל והזמנים Each transition to Kedusha requires its own adjustment to our psychic identity. The Kiddush of Shabbat seeks to recognize the Universal Order of the system of the Cosmos. Attaining the objective state of mind needed to recognize the Universal Order of the Cosmos, requires a theoretical perspective upon man’s place in the grand Order. This perspective necessarily de-emphasizes the distraction of individual experience of being a creative conqueror. We mention the political order of the species --zecher li’ytiziat mitzraim-- but do not expand upon individual experience in Kiddush. זכרהו זכירת שבח וקידוש. </div>
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The Sippur of Pesach seeks to recognize the particular Political Order of Man. Acting as a Sovereign, asserting Divine Justice upon an Egyptian State dominated by the personality of Paroh, Hashem opens up an eternal opportunity for freedom to all individuals. Proper recognition of yetziat mitzraim requires that we de-emphasize the distraction of the Cosmic Order and expand mightily upon the metamorphosis of His Sovereignty over civilization which affords each and every one of us freedom of mind. A malchus Shamayim civilization composed of Free men affords the opportunity to be a completely different kind of conqueror. </div>
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Rather than living a life of tyranny, enslaved by a P’aroh like personality need to dominate the Earthly system and fellow men, we become educated just minds. A free educated mind engages in the lifelong moed framework in which we apply our knowledge in beneficial harmony with the Earthly system and mankind. It is this framework of growth in human kedusha which underlies beis din’s setting up of the Moed and calendar by Divine command: ברוך אתה ה', מקדש ישראל והזמנים</div>
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The sippur account of yetziat mitzraim therefore limits its mention of the Cosmic order and expands greatly on the metamorphosis to ongoing freedom granted each of us individually by His Redemptive Justice. Shifting from the conventions of ideology to gratitude for the ongoing individual freedom of Redemptive Justice is best facilitated by a personal formulation of yetziat mitzraim,<br />
כפי צחות לשון המספר, in expansive sippur of the limitations of the ideological State VS the opportunity of His Order of Redemptive Justice.</div>
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המצווה הקנ"ז הציווי שנצטווינו לספר ביציאת מצרים בליל ט"ו בניסן בתחילת הלילה כפי צחות לשון המספר, וכל מה שיוסיף לספר ולהאריך בדברים בהגדלת מה שעשו בנו ומה שענו אותנו המצרים ואיך נפרע לנו ה' מהם, ולהודות לו יתעלה, על כל החסד אשר גמלנו הרי זה משבח, כמו שאמרו: כל המאריך לספר יציאת מצרים, הרי זה משבח</div>
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The zechira of kiddush and sippur, is in fact, the exact same activity-- metamorphosis from the eminently practical state of mind of the order of everyday life to the fundamentally different state of mind of theoretical recognition of the magnificence of His Order. Each zechira identifies one of the two possible paths we travel to reflecting on His Order: a. Universal Order--Hashem Creator of the Cosmos de-emphasizing the human Order b. Particular Human Order-- Hashem the redeemer of His People Israel, deemphasizing the Cosmic Order. The specific human experience we undergo in recognizing Him through these two core acts, determines the form of rigorous speech we use, the conceptual statement of kiddush which evokes wonder at the Cosmic Order or the descriptive form of sippur which evokes gratitude and thanksgiving at the opportunity for enduring freedom within a Civilization built upon the foundations of His Order of Redemptive Justice.</div>
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<br />Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-68293070602254869332014-04-11T06:32:00.000-07:002014-04-11T15:59:45.665-07:00Recognizing the Eternal Relevance of Yetziat Mitzraim <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">In Hilchot Chametz U’matza, Rambam
classifies “Sippur Yetziat Mitzraim” as a “z’chira” activity,
fundamentally similar to the Kiddush of Shabbat.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span></b><b style="line-height: 16.75pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;"> הלכות חמץ ומצה פרק ז</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">א מצות עשה של תורה לספר בניסים ונפלאות שנעשו לאבותינו במצריים, בליל חמישה עשר בניסן--שנאמר "זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם" (</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.mechon-mamre.org/i/t/t0213.htm#3"><b><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial;">שמות יג,ג</span></b></a></span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">), כמה שנאמר "זכור את יום השבת" (</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.mechon-mamre.org/i/t/t0220.htm#7"><b><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial;">שמות כ,ז</span></b></a></span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Question: Rather than sharing features, Kiddush and sippur seem to be fundamentally <i>dissimilar</i> activities. Sippur is a form of storytelling, giving a highly descriptive account of yetziat mitzraim events, kiddush is a rigorous conceptual statement containing no storytelling of the events of Creation at all. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Why does Rambam classify Sippur as a “z’chira” activity fundamentally akin to the Kiddush of Shabbat?</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Answer: In Hilchot Shabbat, Rambam defines the nature of “zechira” common to Kiddush and Sippur. “Zechira” means to properly recognize the nature of something in carefully formulated speech.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">מצות עשה מן התורה לקדש את יום השבת בדברים שנאמר זכור את יום השבת לקדשו. כלומר זכרהו זכירת שבח וקידוש.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">To properly recognize something in speech, we must identify its functionality within His system of Creation. Our question confuses the underlying substance of zechira (that is, the recognition of functionality within His system) with the form of rigorous speech used to accomplish this recognition (formula or description). The underlying substance of Zechira remains the same in Kiddush and Sippur-- it is only the rigorous form of speech used to express this recognition which changes.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">The reason for this shift in speech, from the conceptual formula of Kiddush to the descriptive sippur of yetziat mitzraim, lies in the differing human experience of Hashem's action each recognition demands. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">The Kiddush of Shabbat recognizes and celebrates the universal Chasdei Hashem, expressed in the Creators Sovereignty over the Cosmic Order of the system of the Universe. We recognize the Cosmic order in the somewhat detached abstract manner of theoretical man. To overemphasize the human Order is to become distracted, to fail in properly acknowledging the Universal order of the Cosmos. Kiddush therefore employs conceptual statements, including no description illustrating the impact on man at all. Kiddush refers to the good of man--zecher liytiziat mitzraim-- but does not overemphasize our individual good. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">The Sippur of Pesach on the other hand, recognizes the particularistic aspect of Chasdei </span><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Hashem,</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;"> His Sovereignty over the Political Order. His Sovereignty became manifest through <i>yetziat mitzraim, </i>in which Divine Justice was imposed upon our oppressors. We recognize the imposition of Justice in the Political order as citizens of Israel, the current generation of children of the first generation to be made free through His Justice.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">Recognizing His Sovereignty over the Political Order</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;"> is done in the manner of storytelling, as every parent transmits identity forging personal reflections to their children and family. A parent who remains purely clinical, who is not personally transformed by his storytelling of yetziat mitzraim, has not understood the nature of yetziat mitzraim at all. "זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם" therefore, includes a careful sippur / account capable of transmitting the personal relevance of the events of the night of 15th of Nissan from father to son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 16.75pt;">We must therefore view ourselves personally as victims of Egyptian oppression and we must view ourselves personally as beneficiaries of Hashem’s justice upon our oppressors.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">בכל דור ודור חייב אדם להראות את עצמו כאילו הוא בעצמו יצא עתה משעבוד מצרים</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">וכל מה שיוסיף לספר ולהאריך בדברים בהגדלת מה שעשו בנו ומה שענו אותנו המצרים ואיך נפרע לנו ה' מהם, ולהודות לו יתעלה, על כל החסד אשר גמלנו הרי זה משבח</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">The proper sippur account of yetziat mitzraim produces overwhelming gratitude for the Divine Chessed granted each of us individually. Arousing gratitude for our individual freedom is best facilitated by a personal formulation of yetziat mitzraim,</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">כפי צחות לשון המספר, in expansive sippur. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">כל המאריך לספר יציאת מצרים, הרי זה משבח</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;"> מצווה קנז</span></b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 16.75pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">הציווי שנצטווינו לספר ביציאת מצרים בליל ט"ו בניסן בתחילת הלילה</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;"> כפי צחות לשון המספר, וכל מה שיוסיף לספר ולהאריך בדברים בהגדלת מה שעשו בנו ומה שענו אותנו המצרים ואיך נפרע לנו ה' מהם, ולהודות לו יתעלה, על כל החסד אשר גמלנו הרי זה משבח, כמו שאמרו: כל המאריך לספר יציאת מצרים, הרי זה משבח</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;">The zechira of kiddush and sippur, is in fact, the exact same activity-- recognition of His beneficent acts. Each zechira identifies one of the two possible ways we recognize Hashem as a Benefactor: a. Universal Benefactor--Hashem Creator of the Cosmos b. Particular Benefactor-- Hashem the redeemer of His People Israel. The specific human experience we undergo in recognizing Him through these two core acts, determines the form of rigorous speech we use, the conceptual form of kiddush or the descriptive form of storytelling appropriate to communicating His Sovereignty over the Political Order composed of the father's and sons of Israel.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-64300476779002434272012-11-23T11:58:00.002-08:002012-12-31T04:22:36.541-08:00Clashing civilizations<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Last
week saw a battle between Israel and Hamas. At the surface level, the
conflict was about deterrence, Hamas had to be convinced it lacked the
power to shower rockets on Israel. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At a deeper level, the roots of
conflict are civilizational- Judaism and Islamist Hamas have
incompatible claims to one and the same territory. These opposing claims
emanate from two competing narratives of God’s Creation, both of which constitute their civilization's sense of legitimacy and its law. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In both cases,
to be legitimate, National sovereignty must be an extension of Nature created by God. The Created world has a law for every one of its
parts, for the most remote galaxies, the Solar system and for Earth. Man
is no exception to this general rule, as another part of Creation occupying space on Earth we too must act in accord with
His law that controls all aspects of Creation.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For
Islamists, the proper method for extending law to man is Islamism. Each and every man must live as a citizen in a world wide
Caliphate- under Muslim sovereignty. This world wide Caliphate may begin in
areas of Muslim power, ie where the "prophet" Muhammed first dwelled. But this merely a practical issue,
from the initial staging ground the Caliphate is meant to extend outward to mankind generally.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> As a Non Muslim
State within the immediate bounds of sacred territory dwelled in by
Mohammed, the existence of Israel is a desecration of scripture, the
height of affront to nature. The Islamists interpretation of religion
demands that the territory currently under Israeli illegitimate
occupation be made part of the emerging Muslim Caliphate. The rocket attacks staged by Hamas are a stage in the larger campaign to liberate the land and
establish the full Caliphate through Holy war of Jihad.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For
Jews, sovereignty is also a matter of extending law into the domain of man, this extension is also to be done by scripture. It is in precisely this light that the restoration of Jewish Sovereignty in the territory of Israel
is a fulfillment of scripture. Abraham received a
covenant from Hashem that the Jewish people would inherit this land. The return of
Jewish sovereignty is a redemption of the land, the end of a forced expulsion from our natural home. In the words of Israel’s declaration of independence:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
Land of Israel, was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their
spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped. Here they first
attained to statehood, created cultural values of national and universal
significance and gave to the world the eternal Book of Books.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After
being forcibly exiled from their land, the people kept faith with it
throughout their Dispersion and never ceased to pray and hope for their
return to it and for the restoration in it of their political freedom.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Impelled
by this historic and traditional attachment, Jews strove in every
successive generation to re-establish themselves in their ancient
homeland. In recent decades they returned in their masses. Pioneers,
ma'pilim (Hebrew) - immigrants coming to Eretz-Israel in defiance of
restrictive legislation] and defenders, they made deserts bloom, revived
the Hebrew language, built villages and towns, and created a thriving
community controlling its own economy and culture, loving peace but
knowing how to defend itself, bringing the blessings of progress to all
the country's inhabitants, and aspiring towards independent nationhood.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While
this particular clash with Hamas is getting headlines and dominates
conversation, in principle there is nothing new about it- Hamas is
but the current opponent in a historic process. The Jewish nation was
founded upon a core underlying dialectic about the nature of man’s place
in the world, the legitimate way to extend natural law into the political
arena and its laws for citizens. This dialectic Judaism brings into mankind is the basis of
redemption and is the central thread of the Torah story. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We will deal with this central thread of the Storyline of redemption in the next post. It is in the context of exploring the dialectic about extending the concept of natural law into terms applicable to legitimacy in sovereignty and law that we will move toward an answer to the original question. How does one preoccupied with material security afforded by Goel Yisrael ever come to recognize the Creator of Shamayim V'aretz.</span>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-73874290612307437822012-11-15T07:23:00.002-08:002012-11-15T18:31:52.513-08:00The centrality of Redemption<span id="internal-source-marker_0.16760061630547662" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
discussion with my friend David Guttman an extremely important topic
came up, one I would like to clarify my thoughts about and receive
feedback from others. See <a href="http://yediah.blogspot.com/2012/11/why-does-world-exist-towards-jewish.html">here</a> . </span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.16760061630547662" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The discussion emerged from reading Jim Holt’s new book </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px;">“why does the world exist”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px;">. As the ambitious title implies, the book deals with the question known today as: “why
is there something, rather than nothing”?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The central tenant of Judaism is that nothing
but God is a “first existent”, necessarily existing without need of any
cause. Attaining deep knowledge of the
contigency of Creation upon God the ‘first existent” is therefore the very foundation
of the Mitzva system- it is the ultimate goal the Torah guides us to
attain. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But
how do we reach this lofty goal? Rather than meditating on the Cosmos' need for His causal force, as Avraham Avinu did, our interest in “needs” is self-centered.The focus of our prayers is our material security, as individuals
and as citizens of the Jewish nation and the world. We seek his Kingship, his powerful Hand acting to decimate our
enemies and secure Israel’s well-being. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This preoccupation with material well being starts from the earliest times,
from the sojourn of our forefathers in Egypt. We did not cry out to
Hashem the Lord of our father’s to aid us in solving Father Abraham’s question “why there is something rather than nothing”.
Our interest was much more material than that, we called out only when our
personal existence was in crisis.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">23</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
And it came to pass in the course of those many days that the king of
Egypt died; and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage,
and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">24</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">25</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> And God saw the children of Israel, and God took cognizance of them. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">{S}</span></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our forefathers in Egypt came to believe in God through illustrations of Yad Hashem, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">His
beneficent power to sustain us in material security and to </span>deliver Israel from crisis.This interest in Hashem's mighty "hand" reaches its height at yam Suf, instigating the song of Az Yashir.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">28</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen,
even all the host of Pharaoh that went in after them into the sea; there
remained not so much as one of them.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">29</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the
sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on
their left. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">30</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">31</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
And Israel saw the great hand which the LORD displayed upon the
Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD; and they believed in the
LORD, and in His servant Moses. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">{P}</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="verse" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 1px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Then sang</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"> Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="deitySmallCaps" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-variant: small-caps; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">, and spoke, saying, I will sing</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"> unto the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="deitySmallCaps" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-variant: small-caps; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea.</span> </span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This
central fact, that our service is centered on Hashem’s "hand", is canonized in the
culmination of Keriat Shema. We conclude Shema and enter tefilla focused upon recalling the event of Yam Suf, the quintessential illustration of His power. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Shira chadasha
shibechu geulim... the redeemed ones sang a new song (az yashir). All
together they gave thanksgiving and recognized His Kingship saying :
Hashem will rule for all eternity!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px;"></span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px;">How
is one whose service to Hashem centers on attaining security ever to be led to seek the "First Existent"? How are we to move from focusing on the
mighty hand of the Goel Yisrael, to seeking the cause of the Cosmos / Boreh Shamayim V'Aretz?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I will attempt to answer this in the next post exploring the centrality of the notion of "Redemption" as a preliminary stage in service to Hashem.</span>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-15539876086137584612012-06-22T10:30:00.002-07:002012-07-23T06:02:34.806-07:00Theme of Sefer D'varim<span data-mce-style="display: block; text-align: right;" style="display: block; text-align: right;"><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff; font-size: 140%;" style="color: blue; font-size: 140%;">ויהי
בארבעים שנה, בעשתי עשר חדש, בראש חודש שבט, הקהיל את העם ואמר להם: הגיע
זמן מותי, ואם יש בכם מי ששמע הלכה ושכחה, יבוא וישאלני ואבאר אותה, וכל מי
שנסתפקה עליו שאלה יבא ואפרשנה לו, כמו שנאמר " הואיל משה </span><span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000; font-size: 140%;" style="color: red; font-size: 140%;">באר</span><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff; font-size: 140%;" style="color: blue; font-size: 140%;"> את התורה הזאת לאמור</span></span><u><span data-mce-style="font-size: 130%;" style="font-size: 130%;">Repitition or Review</span></u><br />
<span data-mce-style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rambam,
based upon Chazal, says that before his death Moshe offered one last opportunity to
remember Halachot that had been forgotten, and to ask questions that
remained unresolved. Upon reflection, this offer of a </span><span data-mce-style="font-size: 120%;" style="font-size: 120%;">"final review" is highly problematic.</span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">First of all, the Torah's term used to characterize this final teaching </span>" <span data-mce-style="color: #3f00ff; font-size: 110%;" style="color: #3f00ff; font-size: 110%;">הואיל משה </span><span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000; font-size: 110%;" style="color: red; font-size: 110%;">באר</span><span data-mce-style="color: #3f00ff; font-size: 110%;" style="color: #3f00ff; font-size: 110%;"> את התורה הזאת לאמור</span>"<span data-mce-style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> is "<i>biur</i>" which refers to "explanation" rather than "review". </span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
addition, for Moshe to push the people to learn halachos they had
neglected, would be a sharp departure from his lifelong educational
method. Clearly it was known that the Jews were forgetting Halachot, yet
Moshe, wisely, followed a developmental approach, giving the Jews room
to grow in Talmud Torah at their own rate. Why would he change this
educational strategy at the end of his life?</span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
efficacy of offering one last review is also highly questionable. Moshe
must have covered all the halachot many, many times during the 40 years
in the desert. As Chazal point out, Moshe offered to review forgotten
Halachot, not to teach new ones. Why would one more cycle of study solve
the problem of forgetting Halachot, when 40 years had failed to do so?</span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
questions rest upon the assumption that Sefer Dvarim offers another
instance in the same curricular cycle that had been going on for so many
years. From this point of view, doing one more cycle of a curriculum
which for 40 years has faiLed to remove forgetfulness from the people is
irrational, inconsistent and futile. Rather, Rambam's reading of</span> "<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">הואיל משה </span><span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;">באר</span><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"> את התורה הזאת לאמור</span><span data-mce-style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> presupposes viewing Sefer D'varim as a fundamentally <i>new</i> framework of study.</span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Up
until Sefer Dvarim, study had been in the context of Talmud Torah,
which by nature is ordered around personal development. From its very
beginning the courts were set up to deal, first and foremost, with
Mishpat, resolving disputes over property, the quintessentially <i>personal</i> domain.</span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
contrast as the name of the Sefer- "Dvarim" - suggests, Moshe's final teaching articulated a complete formulation, a precise order of D'varim which would serve as a new framework of Mesorah for all
generations.
Moshe saw the time of his death as a unique opportunity to frame Torah
in its Mesorah context. It is in the moments prior to death, when the
leader's objectivity is most evident, that such a perspective is
possible. The follower is naturally focused on the reality of
continuity, in light of the leaders approaching demise. Mussar that a
youthful follower would previously have angrily rejected as an intrusion
into his personal affairs, will at the proper historic moment, be
perceived in its civilizational, rather than personal context. </span><br />
<br />
It is in this context, that the last teaching is properly understood. This review is meant as an integral part of the emergence of a systematically presented Mesorah in clear, precise "Dvarim". In this sense, the review is in fact a true "biur" of the Torah not as another instance of the Talmud Torah that had been done up till then.<br />
<br />Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-58274143861903098972012-06-08T14:46:00.001-07:002012-06-11T17:11:41.996-07:00Avraham Avinu's approach to "rule of law"<span style="font-size: 120%;"> <u>A redemptive message</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 120%;">Avraham taught
that Hashem is the unique essential existent and is therefore
necessarily El Olam: the source of the unified causality presupposed by
all research into the systems of the universe. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 120%;">Implicit in this general
principle of Avraham, lies a core application. This application has many
implications which require a long process of reflection, indeed a full scale redemptive process, to become completely
acknowledged and worked through. First let us deal with the application of
Avraham's principle, then its redemptive implications.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 120%;"><u>Redemption 2.0</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 120%;">If all processes in the Universe are
expressions of a unified causal order, it certainly follows that human
life is itself, subject to causality. In fact, human life is a component
process that occurs within the dictates of causality of
the ecosystem of Earth. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 120%;">This insight, that human life must be understood
as a special case of causality, has fundamental implications for the
concept of "rule of law" in the State. If
man is a part of the causal order,we are not free to live in accordance
with any law which happens to produce consensus in the State as
determined by popular vote, or any other means. Rather, each and every
law must stand the test of harmoniously arising from the natural system
in which we function. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 120%;">This imperative to test each law by its
consistency with natural Justice demands our best objective Judgement,
not the simplistic political pronouncements we are so familiar with,
which are no more than first opinions founded in ignorance and
prejudice. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 120%;">To fully implement the principle of
natural justice is a transformational process because it contradicts a
core convention of man. Law is classically intertwined with custom and
ancient consensus about myths and folklore that people are deeply
attached to. To educate the population in a dramatically new sense of
natural justice is extremely difficult. Yet such is the redemptive
mission of Talmud Torah, a study in which each and every law is released
from first opinions, in favor of increasingly abstract conceptions.
The abstract conceptions form a unified thought system, meeting the
most rigorous logical standards. </span><span style="font-size: 120%;">The centrality of this of redemption from first opinions is clearly indicated by
the theme of Chumash, which is clearly a narrative which depicts the "sippur yetziat mitzraim"
in a series of stories from the Creation of man until Sinai.</span> <br />
<br />
<u>Taryag Mitzvot: the final articulation of redemption</u><br />
<span style="font-size: 120%;">Redemption
of man reaches it height through the agency of Moshe Rabbenu. It was only the
constitutional document of Torat Moshe Rabbenu that could give complete
articulation to Avraham Avinu's call for a "rule of law" harmonious with
nature. The taryag Mitzvot contain the system of principles, terms as well as the
full set of cases and Biblical narratives needed for the ongoing education of the
nation. It is the Talmud Torah process that redeems generation after
generation of men away from a law of their own preconception and into a
divine law organically emerging from discovery of natural processes
which allows for a harmonious social system of citizens.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 120%;">This redemptive sense of taryag was first
presented by Moshe Rabbenu in Sefer D'varim and subsequently passed
down through the generations until its current formulation by Rambam.</span>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-10087787058601227052012-06-06T06:57:00.000-07:002012-06-06T07:40:42.042-07:00B'Shem Hashem version 2.0Based upon helpful comments by Yacov Trachtman and others I have modified this piece on B'Shem Hashem.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
Rambam begins each and every one of the books of the Mishne Torah with a part of the verse<br />
ויטע אשל בבאר שבע ויקרא שם בשם ה אל עולם. If one does not pause to
think about it, the verse is easily overlooked, or perhaps brushed off
as a unimportant literary flourish. Upon reflection however, this
dismissive treatment of Rambam's use of verse hardly does justice to his
genius and careful writing style.<br />
<br />
In fact, the conceptual centrality of בשם ה אל עולם to all of
Talmud Torah becomes apparent if we carefully consider the message of
this verse. The reference is to Avraham Avinu's battle to restore the
concept of Hashem's unity to its proper place in the world human
thought,namely- the foundation stone of all service to God. Avraham was
alone against all mankind in this struggle, living in a time when the
foundational concepts of "world" and "service to God" had been
subverted. He became the vehicle by which the "pillar of of all sciences" became reestablished- the Amudo Shel Olam.<br />
<br />
As the Yesod ha-Yesodot points out, all human success is built upon
developing an ever more complete scientific "map" of the external world.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
יסוד היסודות ועמוד החכמות לידע שיש שם מצוי ראשון והוא ממציא כל הנמצא</div>
The first of all "first principles" and the pillar of all sciences is to know that there is a first existent and that He is the cause of all that comes into existence<br />
<br />
To attain
this scientific "map" society must focus research on moving away from first
perceptions in favor of the abstract sense of "systems" which are
ultimately traced back to a first existent- Hashem El Olam. Abraham
discovered that his brethren had moved in the opposite direction,
abandoning the pursuit of abstract "systems" in favor of a world of
simplistic magical notions easily translated into popular religious
movements. Rambam describes the process by which Avraham became Amudo
Shel Olam, whose discovery of the dependence of the abstract systems upon a first cause
became the very pillar upon which the world of human thought and its
derivative service to Hashem was restored.<br />
<br />
The transformation began with Avraham himself rediscovering the notion
of His Wisdom, a unified sense of the material world in which all things
are but parts of the great system which is the universe. It was from
this vantage point that Avraham understood Hashem El Olam, God as first
existent was the exclusive source of causality underlying all subsystems
of the unified system of the universe.<br />
<br />
This unified sense of causality, inevitably points to "kav ha-tzedek"
the recognition that man himself is a subsystem in the universe.
Accordingly, human success depends upon seeking "kav haTzedek" an
abstract formulation of natural Justice. This formulation must result in
a rule of law for the social system whose harmony and wisdom is a
microcosm of the causal harmony seen in the systems of the universe
generally. It was in the course seeking to bring such natural justice to
his own real world political community, that Avraham had a chance to
observe first hand the extent of the resistance of myth based religion to abstract
thinking.<br />
<br />
As an animal species, man seeks a simple vision of his environment, one
easily applied to immediate survival needs. Such simple visions provide a
false sense of security, seemingly removing the need for the ongoing
research needed to attain true abstract notions of the world of
"universal causality". The simple vision supplants the world seen
through the prism of thought and research with a myth based world,
religious systems arising out of folklore in which the peoples need for
security is easily satisfied by a psychological misrepresentation of Hashem. In this misrepresentation Hashem is pictured in simplistic terms based upon our unreflective relationships with authority figures. Sadly, the distorted myth based world
ultimately gives rise to tyranny, a regime of corrupt individuals who
subvert the simple minded peoples need for security to their own
material interest. In exchange for performing religious rituals that
"secure Gods blessing" these priests and religious elites attain
fabulous wealth and power for themselves at the expense of the people. This form of "religion" promotes a mythical reality, in which man succeeds through "rituals" tailor made to promote the divine right of political leaders to make laws in their own material interest. Such a social order prevents true research into the systems of
the universe needed for recognition of the first existent, it is
therefore Avoda Zara, a distorted alien service, hateful to God.<br />
<br />
It was precisely this kind of tyrannical political regime that Avraham
saw in his own community of Ur Kasdim. He confronted the leadership of
his own community, demanding that the irrational myths be removed and
that rational pursuit of His Wisdom be restored as the exclusive basis
of service to Hashem. The regime fought back, fearing loss of their
privilege and power. Avraham only escaped with his life through
providential events, clearly beyond his own, considerable, political
abilities to anticipate.<br />
<br />
<a class="range" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2662642025851520851" name="comment-9154-open"></a>Avraham subsequently
abandoned his homeland in favor of a grass roots movement, offering an
alternative to those few who were open to releasing themselves from
mythology and the resulting tyranny. He used a variety of ways to make his alternative way of life
known, as pointed to by the verse,ויטע אשל בבאר שבע. The sight of the
eshel in the desert attracted attention to Avraham's community, offering
an incentive for friendship and intimate discussion.<a class="range" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2662642025851520851" name="comment-9154-close"></a><br />
<br />
It is in this context that Rambam's use of the verse בשם ה אל עולם can
be appreciated as the proper introduction to Talmud Torah. At the
very least the simplistic appeal of myth and folklore discourages
abstract thought, at worst it is manipulated as propaganda to
maintain the self serving claims of tyrannical leadership to divine right.<br />
<br />
Each and every piece of
Torah therefore, should function as an instrument of "calling in the
name of El Olam", restoring man's focus on the the world of causality and liberating man from the false security offered by the world of Avoda Zara mythology and the ruthless propaganda of tyrants. This
foundational concept is the basis of true service, seeking success on
the basis of discovering His wisdom established by Avraham Avinu, the
amudo shel Olam.Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-26771295126020823102012-05-31T13:20:00.001-07:002012-05-31T13:21:50.570-07:00Bshem Hashem El OlamRambam begins each and every one of his S'farim with a part of a verse
ויטע אשל בבאר שבע ויקרא שם בשם ה אל עולם. If one does not pause to think
about it, the verse is easily overlooked, or perhaps brushed off as a
unimportant literary flourish. Upon reflection however, this dismissive
treatment of Rambam's use of verse hardly does justice to his genius and
careful writing style.<br />
<br />
In fact, the conceptual centrality of בשם ה אל עולם to all works of
Talmud Torah becomes apparent if we carefully consider the message of
this verse. The reference is to Avraham Avinu's battle to restore the
concept of Hashem's unity to its proper place in the world human
thought, the foundation stone of all service to God. Avraham was alone
against all mankind in this struggle, living in a time when the
foundational concepts of "world" and "service to God" had been
subverted. This process is described by Rambam in Hilchot Avoda Zara Chapter 1.<br />
<br />
Human success is built upon the reality of a natural world, one in which
research and discovery of the Craft of the El Olam is the basis of
service to God. Abrahams' brethren degenerated into a world of magical
thinking, the prison of myth based religion. Rambam describes the
process by which Avraham became Amudo Shel Olam, the very pillar upon
whose discovery the world of human thought and its derivative service to
Hashem was restored.<br />
<br />
This process began with Avraham rediscovering the notion of His Wisdom, a
unified sense of causality underlying all events in the universe. This
unified sense of causality, inevitably points to "kav ha-tzedek" a
unified sense of natural law in which mankind is but a special case of
the world of causal phenomenon. In the course of understanding the
unique challenge of applying his understanding of "kav hatzedek" to his
own real world political community, Avraham encountered the source of
myth based religion first hand.<br />
<br />
As an animal species, man seeks a simple vision of his environment, one
easily applied to immediate survival needs. Such simple visions remove
the need for theoretical thought, the careful research needed to attain
true abstract notions of the world of "universal causality". The simple
vision supplants the world seen through the prism of thought and
research with a myth based world, religious systems arising out of
folklore in which the peoples need for security is easily satisfied.
Sadly, the distorted myth based world ultimately gives rise to tyranny, a
regime of corrupt individuals who subvert the simple minded peoples
need for security to their own material interest. In exchange for
performing religious rituals that "secure Gods blessing" these priests
and religious elites attain fabulous wealth and power for themselves at
the expense of the people. This form of "religion" is hateful to God, it
is Avoda Zara, a distorted alien service.<br />
<br />
It was precisely this kind of tyrannical political regime that Avraham
saw in his own community of Ur Kasdim. He confronted the leadership of
his own community, demanding that the irrational myths be removed and
that rational pursuit of His Wisdom be restored as the exclusive basis
of service to Hashem. The regime fought back, fearing loss of their
priviledge and power. Avraham only escaped with his life through
extraordinary fortuitous events, clearly beyond his own, considerable,
political abilities to anticipate.<br />
<br />
Avraham subsequently abandoned his homeland in favor of a grass roots
movement, offering an alternative to those few who were open to
releasing themselves from mythology. He used a variety of ways to make
his alternative way of life known, as pointed to by the verse,ויטע אשל
בבאר שבע. An Eshel does not naturally grow in the dry desert environment
of Beer Sheva, it requires considerable research to make this happen,
especially in Avraham's time. The unusual sight of the eshel in the
desert attracted attention to a human lifestyle of a very different
kind, capable of supporting life in new ways. (Rabbi Rosenthal based
upon Ibn Ezra).<br />
<br />
It is in this context that Rambam's use of the verse בשם ה אל עולם can
be appreciated as the proper introduction to every work of Torah. Each
and every piece of Torah must be seen as an instrument of "calling in
the name of El Olam", extending the world of causality and thereby
liberating a domain that had, at best, been imprisoned in the world of
myth and folklore and ,at worst, served the agenda of self serving
tyrannical leadership. This foundational concept is the basis of true
service, seeking success on the basis of discovering His wisdom revealed
in the natural world.Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-2029410320651939512011-11-24T17:23:00.000-08:002011-11-24T17:23:43.543-08:00Natural law of Man<span id="internal-source-marker_0.015609616594608244" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the previous post, I noted that the expulsion of Dr Schectman from the scientific community, for the crime of offering novel ideas, reveals a tension in man. On the one hand, our minds demand constant revision of our models. On the other hand, our need for dignity and security demands a stability in these very same models. The history of science is characterized by the steady victory of innovation over stability, as in the case of Dr Schectman. Problems in the sciences exist, to be sure, but mankind is committed to seeking formulations of natural law to solve these. Because of this commitment to research, progress in the math and the natural sciences seems to be steadily increasing since the renaissance, with old models giving way to new ones, almost as a matter of course. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In stark contrast to math and natural sciences, the science of living life, lags far behind. We do not find a corresponding commitment to seeking natural law in the domain of living life, in this sphere, the dark ages persist.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the T’fila of the zmanim, we focus attention upon this issue. We yearn, to bring to the study of everyday living, the same framework of dynamic research into natural law found in the sciences. This yearning to bring dynamism into research of the laws of life itself, is the mission we were chosen for and what characterizes us a Jewish nation. His “Name” the sense of the Wisdom and natural law which underlies His Creation generally, is associated with the Jewish nation.</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">מו</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ברכה אמצעית של ראש השנה, בערבית ושחרית ומנחה:</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">אתה בחרתנו מכל העמים ורצית בנו מכל הלשונות, וקידשתנו במצוותיך וקירבתנו מלכנו לעבודתך; ושמך הגדול והקדוש, עלינו קראת. </span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But why is this commitment to research in natural law in the domain of life, so unique? This is the topic of the next post.</span>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-78281246135648260842011-10-27T07:39:00.000-07:002011-10-27T07:39:26.422-07:00The Nature of Teshuva<span id="internal-source-marker_0.6856188841011097" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading about Dr Schectman’s expulsion from the scientific community, one finds oneself confused. What was it about the future Nobel prize winner’s questioning, that warranted this drastic action? Surely in a scientific community dedicated to furthering knowledge, there would be an honored place for an innovator such as Dr Scechtman? What better way is there to succeed in research, than asking fundamental questions? Yet, Dr Schectman was not saught after as a valuable asset to his team, far from it. The mere presence of an individual who actually questioned a fundamental of established science was intolerable to his community and resulted in his being shunned? How do we explain this? What mechanism underlies this human disposition to discredit a thinker who dares to question the established order?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The answer lies, in appreciating the complexity of human nature. On the one hand we are like Dr Schectman, a Tzelem Elokim,a mind blessed with an insatiable desire to draw ever nearer to His Absolute Knowledge. As Ralbag points out nicely, this absolute knowledge, is unattainable to us. Yet, via exploration of His Creations, in Chemistry Physics and other disciplines, we can draw ever nearer, in our models of science. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Blessed and most revered be the tzur ("rock"), foundation of all existence, whose “insight” (T'vunaso) , “wisdom” (chochmaso) and “knowledge” (Daato) bring into being, a system of existing things, whose existence exhibits a wisdom and grace which none but He can completely apprehend. </span><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It is vital that we keep in mind that it is impossible for us to completely apprehend the wisdom and grace expressed in the nature of the Torah’s existence. In reality we know but a pittance and are ignorant of much, as is the case with our knowledge of the nature of all existing things with regard to their wisdom and grace. In reality we apprehend but very little, as is well known to all those who do real research in the natural sciences- and come to appreciate the gap between our models of the of the laws of the Universe and their reality.</span></blockquote><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The very limitation of our apprehension, is naturally painful to us. Our psychic makeup causes us to desire to be Elohim, great beings secure in power over their environments. We yearn for science to cure cancer and disease extending our power over the environment, not to point out our frailty. We need to have confidence in our pillars of science, in the absence of such pillars education would be impossible, as would much applied research. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Much as we can identify with the pioneering spirit of Dr Schectman, we must be be able to appreciate the limitation of his community as well. It is understandable that the research community would at first reject fundamental questioning. Much research depends upon applying established knowledge to new particular cases. If a biologist is not confident in the core notion of DNA, how is he to spend the long years needed to become educated in his field? How is he to dedicate himself to applying this notion to the myriad of cases available in the real world?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It is recognizing the tension between our psychic needs for security and dignity in the application of old models of knowledge, alongside our need to move ever closer to Him through attaining breakthroughs in models that we come to understand the natural relationship of Teshuva and time. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We should be working through the complexity of our relationships with “Dr Schectman’s” on a yearly basis. The conflict between security in our current representation of the world, and its absolute reality should be playing out, on a regular basis, it is the lifeblood of the human community. The nature of Teshuva, the motion of ever increasing recognition of the limitations of the psychic world and motion toward the Absolute, is therefore the central theme of Moadot. How this is so will be explored in the next post.</span>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-51688094054100318612011-10-23T13:37:00.000-07:002011-10-23T13:40:02.812-07:00Insight and ReflectionIn the previous posts, I identified the Moadot, as being a very special case of generational development in time. All species on Earth develop in time- in a bodily sense. The tree gathers rings, the vegetable and animal fullness of body or physical function. It is man alone, as a mind or Tzelem Elokim, that develops through attaining abstract knowledge.<br />
<br />
The process of developing as a mind, requires insight into observations. It is through scrutinizing the nature of insight, that we can understand the specific function of moadot, in catalyzing human development. To illustrate the nature of "insight" let us consider the interesting case of the recent Israeli Nobel prize winner in Chemistry, Dan Shechtman.<br />
<br />
Dr Schectman was blessed with a unique insight into Chemical structure, an insight so fundamental, that it contradicted accepted notions of science. As might be expected, Schectman's insight was not initially met with encouragement and support, quite the contrary. As reported in the press:<br />
<blockquote><div style="color: blue;">"I told everyone who was ready to listen that I had material with pentagonal symmetry. People just laughed at me," Shechtman said in a description of his work released by his university.</div><span style="color: blue;"> </span><br />
<div style="color: blue;">For months he tried to persuade his colleagues of his find, but they refused to accept it. Finally he was asked to leave his research group, and moved to another one within the National Bureau of Standards, Shechtman said.</div><span style="color: blue;"> </span><br />
<div style="color: blue;">He returned to Israel, where he found one colleague prepared to work with him on an article describing the phenomenon. The article was at first rejected, but finally published in November 1984 - to uproar in the scientific world. Double Nobel winner Linus Pauling was among those who never accepted the findings.</div><span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">"He really was a great scientist, but he was wrong. It's not the first time he was wrong," Shechtman told reporters Wednesday. </span></blockquote><br />
What is particularly interesting about Dr Schectman, is that his battle to share his insight in physical science, brought about another, perhaps even more fundamental reflection upon the challenge the human social system imposes upon the process of attaining knowledge. The reality is that every new insight forces humility upon the scientific community. Much as man pays lip service to the notion that his "knowledge" is but a model of the laws of nature, people stake their reputations and grant money, on current thinking. It is extremely difficult to give up the security of the tried and "true" model, for the new. Schectman seems to have taken this lesson to heart, his great insight in Chemistry and subsequent battle, have resulted in a distinct maturity of outlook. Over time, his reflections on his personal journey, have left lasting impressions. A deep regard for humility in thought and the need of every individual for his fellow man<br />
<div style="color: blue;"></div><blockquote><div style="color: blue;">"The main lesson that I have learned over time is that a good scientist is a humble and listening scientist and not one that is sure 100 percent in what he read in the textbooks," Shechtman, 70, told a news conference Wednesday at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel.</div></blockquote><br />
<blockquote><span id="lblBody" style="color: blue;">Fresh off Wednesday's announcement that he will receive the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Technion's Dan Shechtman was forthcoming in sharing the honor. "I think this is a great day for me, of course, but also a great day for the country," he said at a press conference.<br />
<br />
The prize does not belong to him alone, he continued. "There are thousands of scientists that research the subject I developed, and I'm sure they all see the prize as an achievement for themselves as well, and indeed they deserve it."</span><span style="color: blue;"> </span></blockquote>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-77850275246278999122011-10-17T17:07:00.000-07:002011-10-18T06:02:33.688-07:00GenerationsThe previous post stated that the Torah has a specific perspective on the relationship of time, to life.The general principle of time as Halacha views it, is a cyclical process in which generations of individuals come to maturity ultimately replacing the previous generation. In the story of Creation the Torah shows that this framework of time is composed of units of "days" and "nights" , resulting from the relationship of Sun to Earth.<br />
<br />
The ongoing accumulation of nights and days become periods or "seasons" of life and death of individual lifetimes which merge into each other in changing generations. This process of ongoing maintenance of the various species through seasons and changing generations of individuals is called "good".<br />
<br />
(Gen 1: 14-18)<br />
<b style="color: blue;">14</b><span style="color: blue;"> And God said: 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and <span style="color: red;"> for seasons, and for days and years</span>; </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="15" style="color: blue;"> </a> <b style="color: blue;">15</b><span style="color: blue;"> and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.' And it was so. </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="16" style="color: blue;"> </a> <b style="color: blue;">16</b><span style="color: blue;"> And God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; and the stars. </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="17" style="color: blue;"> </a> <b style="color: blue;">17</b><span style="color: blue;"> And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="18" style="color: blue;"> </a> <b style="color: blue;">18</b><span style="color: blue;"> and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and <span style="color: red;">God saw that it was good</span>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">The framework of time, in which seasons result in generations of individuals attaining maturity and then old age is</span></span> seen in all species on Earth- vegetable, animal and in man himself.<br />
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<div style="color: black;"><u>Vegetable</u></div><span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="11" style="color: blue;"></a><b style="color: blue;">11</b><span style="color: blue;"> And God said: 'Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.' And it was so. </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="12" style="color: blue;"> </a> <b style="color: blue;">12</b><span style="color: blue;"> And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind; and <span style="color: red;">God saw that it was good</span>. </span><br />
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<div style="color: black;"><u>Animal</u></div><b style="color: blue;">24</b><span style="color: blue;"> And God said: 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind.' And it was so. </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="25" style="color: blue;"> </a> <b style="color: blue;">25</b><span style="color: blue;"> And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that </span><span style="color: blue;">creeps</span><span style="color: blue;"> upon the ground after its kind; and <span style="color: red;">God saw that it was good</span>. </span><br />
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<u><span style="color: blue;">Man</span></u><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="26"> </a> <b style="color: blue;">26</b><span style="color: blue;"> And God said: 'Let us make man in our Tzelem, and our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.' </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="27" style="color: blue;"> </a> <b style="color: blue;">27</b><span style="color: blue;"> And God created man in His </span><span style="color: blue;">Tzelem</span><span style="color: blue;">, in the Tzelem of God created He him; male and female created He them. </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="28" style="color: blue;"> </a> <b style="color: blue;">28</b><span style="color: blue;"> And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creeps upon the earth.' </span><b style="color: blue;">31</b><span style="color: blue;"> And God saw every thing that He had made, and, <span style="color: red;">behold, it was very good</span>. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">It is in this sense of time, seasons composed of the days, years and seasons of maturational process of generations, that we must understand the statement of T'filla. Man is a mind- a Tzelem Elokim. As a mind, man attains maturity through a growing knowledge and its application in a successful life. The seasons, years and days measure a process of knowledge, in which generations of individual men and women, express their learning and education in an ongoing life of Halacha. This maturational process involves a number of stages, that are intimately connected- Kedusha of mitzvot, immersion in Torah, happiness, satiation, purity of heart and finally true service. </span></span> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2662642025851520851&postID=7785027524627899912" name="19"></a><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Elements of Human Development #1 </span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> קדשנו במצוותיך </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">#2 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ותן חלקנו בתורתך,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> #3 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ושמח נפשנו בישועתך </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">#4 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ושבענו מטובך, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">#5</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">וטהר ליבנו </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">#6 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">לעובדך באמת</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">What these 6 elements of human maturation are, will be discussed in the next post.</div></div>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-62792615464543464852011-10-16T17:10:00.000-07:002011-10-17T15:17:40.145-07:00Its about time<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Though the 10 days of Teshuva have concluded and we are in the midst of Sukkot, my mind still lingers on the themes of RH as well as Yom Kippur.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But is this lingering I experience, there by design? Is there a shared conceptual framework that justifies extending the themes of RH/ Yom Kippur into Sukkot? Or is my lingering upon RH/ YK merely happenstance, born of the very magnitude of the Yomim Noraim and their proximity in time to the next Holiday which happens to be Sukkot? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If we reflect upon the T’fillot of these respective holidays, RH/ YK and Sukkot we will see that they are both expressions of a shared framework. In fact, all the moadim are component elements of one unified framwork. The essential theme of Tfillat RH, which is shared with all Moadot, is the request that Hashem realize an ongoing process that the lifestyle of Mitzvot is intended to bring about. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">מו</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ברכה אמצעית של ראש השנה, בערבית ושחרית ומנחה:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">אתה בחרתנו מכל העמים ורצית בנו מכל הלשונות, וקידשתנו במצוותיך וקירבתנו מלכנו לעבודתך; ושמך הגדול והקדוש, עלינו קראת. ותיתן לנו ה' אלוהינו, את יום טוב מקרא קודש הזה, את יום הזיכרון הזה, זכרון תרועה באהבה--זכר ליציאת מצריים. אלוהינו ואלוהי אבותינו, יעלה ויבוא . . . כי אל מלך רחום וחנון אתה. אלוהינו ואלוהי אבותינו, מלוך על כל העולם כולו בכבודך, והינשא על כל הארץ ביקרך, והופע בהדר גאון עוזך על כל יושבי תבל ארצך; ויידע כל פעול כי אתה פעלתו, ויבין כל יצור כי אתה יצרתו, ויאמרו כל אשר נשמה באפו, ה' אלוהי ישראל מלך ומלכותו בכול משלה. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">קדשנו במצוותיך ותן חלקנו בתורתך, ושמח נפשנו בישועתך ושבענו מטובך, וטהר ליבנו לעובדך באמת</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ודברך אמת וקיים לעד. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ברוך אתה ה', מלך על כל הארץ, מקדש ישראל ויום הזיכרון</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is this process intended by all mitzvot? What is the particular role of RH / YK and Sukkot in the process?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The answer to these questions comes from re-examining the notion of time. Halacha views time as the underlying framework underlying all the mitzvot and moadot specifically. How do we understand this unique perspective on time? We will deal with this issue in the next post.</span>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-3230536981587153082011-10-02T16:47:00.000-07:002011-10-03T17:24:23.255-07:00Tefilat Rosh Hashana- Parable of the Vineyard #1In the Tefilla of Rosh Hashana, there is an extension of the 3rd beracha, HaKel Hakadosh. The extension emphasizes the Kingship of Hashem, that will be revealed in its complete form at the time of Mashiach. The true nature of this manifestation of Hashem's Kingship at the time of redemption, is captured by pasuk 16 in Yeshaya Chapter 5. <b><span class="psk" id="s16">טז</span></b> וַיִּגְבַּהּ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, בַּמִּשְׁפָּט; וְהָאֵל, הַקָּדוֹשׁ, נִקְדָּשׁ, בִּצְדָקָה.<br />
This pasuk is part of one of the most famous passages in Yeshaya, the "parable of the vineyard". This section, along with its message for Rosh Hashana, is worth our attention at this time of 10 Yimei Teshuva.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><u>ישעיהו פרק ה</u></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="1"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s1">א</span></b> אָשִׁירָה נָּא לִידִידִי, שִׁירַת דּוֹדִי לְכַרְמוֹ: כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִידִידִי, בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן-שָׁמֶן. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="2"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s2">ב</span></b> וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ וַיְסַקְּלֵהוּ, וַיִּטָּעֵהוּ שֹׂרֵק, וַיִּבֶן מִגְדָּל בְּתוֹכוֹ, וְגַם-יֶקֶב חָצֵב בּוֹ; וַיְקַו לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים, וַיַּעַשׂ בְּאֻשִׁים. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="3"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s3">ג</span></b> וְעַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם, וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה--שִׁפְטוּ-נָא, בֵּינִי וּבֵין כַּרְמִי. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="4"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s4">ד</span></b> מַה-לַּעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד לְכַרְמִי, וְלֹא עָשִׂיתִי בּוֹ: מַדּוּעַ קִוֵּיתִי לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים, וַיַּעַשׂ בְּאֻשִׁים. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="5"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s5">ה</span></b> וְעַתָּה אוֹדִיעָה-נָּא אֶתְכֶם, אֵת אֲשֶׁר-אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה לְכַרְמִי: הָסֵר מְשׂוּכָּתוֹ וְהָיָה לְבָעֵר, פָּרֹץ גְּדֵרוֹ וְהָיָה לְמִרְמָס. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="6"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s6">ו</span></b> וַאֲשִׁיתֵהוּ בָתָה, לֹא יִזָּמֵר וְלֹא יֵעָדֵר, וְעָלָה שָׁמִיר, וָשָׁיִת; וְעַל הֶעָבִים אֲצַוֶּה, מֵהַמְטִיר עָלָיו מָטָר. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="7"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s7">ז</span></b> כִּי כֶרֶם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה, נְטַע שַׁעֲשׁוּעָיו; וַיְקַו לְמִשְׁפָּט וְהִנֵּה מִשְׂפָּח, לִצְדָקָה וְהִנֵּה צְעָקָה. {פ} <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="8"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s8">ח</span></b> הוֹי, מַגִּיעֵי בַיִת בְּבַיִת--שָׂדֶה בְשָׂדֶה, יַקְרִיבוּ: עַד אֶפֶס מָקוֹם, וְהוּשַׁבְתֶּם לְבַדְּכֶם בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="9"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s9">ט</span></b> בְּאָזְנָי, יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת: אִם-לֹא בָּתִּים רַבִּים, לְשַׁמָּה יִהְיוּ--גְּדֹלִים וְטוֹבִים, מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="10"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s10">י</span></b> כִּי, עֲשֶׂרֶת צִמְדֵּי-כֶרֶם, יַעֲשׂוּ, בַּת אֶחָת; וְזֶרַע חֹמֶר, יַעֲשֶׂה אֵיפָה. {ס} <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="11"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s11">יא</span></b> הוֹי מַשְׁכִּימֵי בַבֹּקֶר, שֵׁכָר יִרְדֹּפוּ; מְאַחֲרֵי בַנֶּשֶׁף, יַיִן יַדְלִיקֵם. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="12"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s12">יב</span></b> וְהָיָה כִנּוֹר וָנֶבֶל, תֹּף וְחָלִיל וָיַיִן--מִשְׁתֵּיהֶם; וְאֵת פֹּעַל יְהוָה לֹא יַבִּיטוּ, וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו לֹא רָאוּ. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="13"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s13">יג</span></b> לָכֵן גָּלָה עַמִּי, מִבְּלִי-דָעַת; וּכְבוֹדוֹ מְתֵי רָעָב, וַהֲמוֹנוֹ צִחֵה צָמָא. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="14"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s14">יד</span></b> לָכֵן, הִרְחִיבָה שְּׁאוֹל נַפְשָׁהּ, וּפָעֲרָה פִיהָ, לִבְלִי-חֹק; וְיָרַד הֲדָרָהּ וַהֲמוֹנָהּ וּשְׁאוֹנָהּ, וְעָלֵז בָּהּ. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="15"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s15">טו</span></b> וַיִּשַּׁח אָדָם, וַיִּשְׁפַּל-אִישׁ; וְעֵינֵי גְבֹהִים, תִּשְׁפַּלְנָה. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="16"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s16">טז</span></b> וַיִּגְבַּהּ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, בַּמִּשְׁפָּט; וְהָאֵל, הַקָּדוֹשׁ, נִקְדָּשׁ, בִּצְדָקָה. <a href="http://kodesh.snunit.k12.il/undefined" name="17"> </a> <b><span class="psk" id="s17">יז</span></b> וְרָעוּ כְבָשִׂים, כְּדָבְרָם; וְחָרְבוֹת מֵחִים, גָּרִים יֹאכֵלוּ</div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I will sing to my beloved, a song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard. My beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful field. He fenced it and cleared out its stones, planted it with choice vines . He built a tower in its midst, and carved out a winepress for it; He expected it<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>to bring forth fine<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>grapes, but it brought forth worthless ones. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done ? Why then, when I expected it<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>to bring forth fine<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>grapes, did it sprout worthless ones?”</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">“And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.” For the vineyard of Hashem Tzevakot is<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His garden of joy. He hoped justice, but behold, oppression; for tzedakah, but behold, a cry<i> </i>for help<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Woe to those who join house to house; they add field to field, as if<i> </i>they alone dwell in the midst of the land! In my hearing Hashem Tzevakot said<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, </i>“Truly, many houses shall be desolate, great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant... </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Woe to those who rise early in the morning, only to begin their quest for liquor; who continue until late at night,<i> </i>till<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>wine inflames them! The harp and the strings, the tambourine and flute, and wine are in their feasts but they do not observe the operations of the <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">Lord</span>, nor consider His handiwork. This is why my people have gone into captivity, for lack of knowledge; their honorable men are<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst... People shall be brought down, each man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled. Hashem Tzevakot shall be uplifted in judgment, the Holy God shall be sanctified by righteousness. Then the lambs shall graze in normal fashion, from the devastated places of the fat the true natives shall eat. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">(The translation is my own, a correction of www.enduringword.com, based upon the mefarshim). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Next post, summary and questions.</div>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2662642025851520851.post-66999115498915834392011-08-21T12:10:00.000-07:002011-08-21T12:11:57.750-07:00Post Tisha B'av discussion #3: Modern Day Movements<span id="internal-source-marker_0.6709383560877045" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><u style="color: red;">Mrs Adler</u><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is not a new thought but seems even clearer in the light of our discussions. Both Chasidus as an 'organized' movement revolving around messianism and mysticism, and the more liberal movements which reject the divinity of Torah are the result of imperfect attempts to bring Judaism into the modern world. In both cases there is a rejection of the perceived status quo as being insufficiently persuasive in light of 'modern' rational thought, archeology, science, 'Biblical Criticism', or whatever system is thought to be most ascendant at that moment. Both extremes want to salvage what they consider to be the essence of Judaism. But Chasidus reverts to mysticism, more of a Christian approach that since none of this is really rational anyway, it can only be believed using a system that is essentially emotional and non-rational. The more liberal movements similarly reject the possibility that Torah is rational and can stand up to modern scrutiny. But their answer is to only keep those things that seem to make sense to them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><u><span style="color: blue;">My Answer</span></u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">What you are saying is exactly the opinion of the Rav, in his 5 lectures. In the lecture, the Rav points out that it is an absolute fundamental that the Torah, as a Wisdom from the Creator, be applicable in all times and places.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">The Rav goes so far as to state that this notion is the 14th Ikkar, adding one to the 13 of the Rambam. Another approach is to say that the idea is intrinsic to the 9th Ikar that the Torah is immutable and will never be changed or replaced.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">In either event, the denial of this Ikar, on the left by Reform and the right by the "new ghetto" is a Kefirah in the Ikkar and is the source of untold misery.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: blue;">With a proper refocusing of Modern Orthodoxy on Yesodei Hatorah and a rational view of Mitzvot as taught by Rambam, we can move past this difficult phase of our Emancipation.</span> </span>Rabbi Jonathan Sackshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724954433302279666noreply@blogger.com0