Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Tree of Knowledge or Tree of Life?

Torah of Chutz Le'Aretz; Morrocco, The mundane non-Israeli Argan tree
Etz Shemen: Pine Tree - Gra [to be used in Holy Temple]

[***The Gra explicitly states the Argan Tree is NOT the Etz Shemen, and Kol Hator perforce would not endorse Torat Chutz Le'Aretz, rather only that of Torat Eretz Yisrael.]

There is another Etz Shemen synonymous with the Olive Tree; and there were two...nor is it a contradiction...It is as Kol HaTor



 Thoughts of Tikkun: How to Know Torat Emet Or Torah of Sheker?
 Understanding Adam's Decision From [a path of] Investigating Accurate Sources in Torah


In the Garden of Eden, as we all know, there were two trees to choose from for Adam, each representing Life or Death, symbolizing the Path of Redemption through choosing between powers of evil [i.e. talmid chacham sheker] or powers of God [i.e. talmid chacham emes; Zohar Pinchas 253].

A distinction among evil forces are the powers of exploitation and manipulation. For example, if the path to redemption is "X" then expect evil to make the sales pitch of marketable "X" targeting vulnerability; while emes on the other hand is about function rather than static anticipation.

We see an example of this, in our desire to re-create Biblical realities in our lives, through the vehicle of "gilgul" - spiritually experiencing the Torah's fractal reality that we all experience as our lives. The Holier we become, the more we can recognize the nature of the Gilgul that Hashem is taking us through. This is not a reincarnation of sorts, but rather a spark integration to internalize and actualize one's innate Torah potential within his Prophetic name.

When one contemplates the Tree of Life, there are opinions that this was none other than the Olive Tree, which is also known as "Etz Shemen" - the Tree of Oil. Notice the vowelization of "oil" as opposed to "fatty" [also spelled the same yet different vowels in Hebrew, which would be "Shamen"]. The emphasis of this expression is on the oil despite the tree. One can easily see how perhaps Adam was to bring Light to the World by processing the Torah of the Olive Tree, a Tree of Life, i.e. True Light...as Israel is compared to the Olive Tree and the Torah is Light. One can simply consolidate this into a Temple Vision, one that essentially is the fractal nature of the Menorah [yesod - malchut; Zohar Beha'aloscha], as seen in Zecharia's Prophetic Vision, and as prophesied to the tune of the Third Temple's descent into this world with the Menorah.

On the other hand, there was a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; one could easily see this as the anti-olive tree, the tree that gives oil, only through the aid of animal waste. This is none other than the Argan Tree, which produces its oil through the intestines of animals for best results. Keep in mind, that in ancient times, there were not machines to synthetically produce this oil, making the animal aide all the more so imperative. Perhaps Adam's sin, was to use animal waste to produce the sacred light, and that turned the Tree of Life into a Tree of Death and Knowledge, for he superimposed on the Olive Tree, into an Argan Tree. We see in Hebrew that they carry the same connotation.

Or do they?

Some assume that the Argan Tree is also an "Etz Shemen" which would make it synonymous with the Olive Tree. Yet it is not, and this is explicitly written by our Sages, and it is a fact in Halacha for the Laws of Sukkot; as the Etz Shemen is a "Afarsomon" Tree [a type of pine - Gra] and thus is no longer "Shemen" but "Shamen." It carries this title as to focus NOT on the word "oil" but on "tree" which implies the oily aspect is actually "tar" and the tree is heavily "sappy" thus making it conducive for many Holy endeavors in Temple Judaism which carry a severe halachic weight.

[***The Gra explicitly states the Argan Tree is NOT the Etz Shemen, and Kol Hator perforce would not endorse Torat Chutz Le'Aretz, rather only that of Torat Eretz Yisrael.]

In fact, it is inconceivable for the Argan Tree to be the Etz Shemen [non-olive tree] for it was only able to produce oil from animal consumption; such vulgar means are strictly forbidden to be found in the Temple [which Etz Shemen is DAVKA a Temple item]. Another example of this forbidden nature, is the same mechanism found in birds [and their placement on the Holy Altar] and their absolute requirement to not make the altar disgusting before God. Birds place rocks in the mouths for digestion, and thus be removed before being offered before The Lord.

We can now see how similar the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge in fact are, and how they can come intertwined together; yet at the same time, from a Temple perspective, thus an [ancient and] authentic point of view, they are actually worlds apart. Adam's task was to keep the Olive Tree Holy, not perverted, pure, and not to intermingle with Klippah.

Thus is our task today, in every way, shape, and form, to rectify the Adam in us, and allow for Life to properly flow. Imagine if one does this, how much the more so, the words of David Ben-Gurion can resonate with us today, in the idea of "even making the Negev bloom." A place barren and without life, once the Klippot [Kol Hator] are removed with the impurity of the Land, the time of the revealed end will break through within Torat Eretz Yisrael i.e. the real Torat Moshe.

The nature of Adam's test was to ascertain to the true talmid chacham within himself, i.e. his Ratzon in relation to his connection with God's voice.  Metaphorically, we can deduce that an aspect of Adam's role in the Garden would be to know the nature of Olive oil as opposed to non-indigenous [to Eretz Yisrael] Argan oil, and that through proper Torah study he was to see the fallacy in assuming the Argan would be acceptable before God. The Argan is not inherently evil, as we know that God is the Creator of evil, and evil is to return back to Good [thus the Yetzer was created to know this Torah reality, and its function is the very choice of the two types of Torah scholars.], the point of the Argan was to test Adam to see how well he perceived the truth. As a Holy item, in this context, the Argan was not to be confused with the Olive Oil.

Today we must make the same types of conclusions in our avodah; when confronted with an emotional connection that speaks to us about the Geulah [from our souls, like the Red Heifer issues for example] we must know when it is fact vs. propaganda. The truth to the matter in specific for Adam, the Temple, etc. when dealing with the ancient Argan, is that it was never in Israel, and our sages/Halachic authorities have stated this with crystal clear emphasis [Gra Melachim 6:23 Aderet Eliyahu; and many others] When one delves into the final Torah-based rationale, he will see that there was never a reason to suspect the Argan would in fact be in the Olive Tree. Shoddy Talmudics come from an imagination that is vested in emotional response to the animal soul's desire to cling to falsehood.
One could then conclude this is the source to the talmid chacham sheker and the talmid chacham emes; and the point of contention in the soul that decides if one's Torah is true, is the intentions of the scholar.

The word to guess in Hebrew is "Nachash" the same as snake, and is symbolic of the letter ש which stands on a non-solid base showing that it stands for falsehood שקר.

אמת is strong and is grounded on Torah fact.

Adam was to reject his desire to guess and draw out sheker [for physical gain] and find solid Emet - for spiritual enlightenment. He was to find Olive LIGHT from the right TREE and to avoid OIL that at that time would be seen as despicable before God.

Today our society is much like the Argan Oil; what was once repulsive, we can manufacture it so that even the disgusting can assume to be pleasing before God.

...In the End of days however, there will be those who ARE pleasing before God, this being true Jews and true Chasidim HaUmot HaOlam, whose only motivation are to be pleasing before God, bringing Olam HaZeh to a close.

Oy to those who are not for the sake of heaven when trespassing on Holy Ground. Adam learned this the hard way, and it is our job to find the Path back to the Tree of Life and Eden.
May this year's 9th of Av been the final fast before the Path of Light is to shine onto the Nations by God's Holy Yisrael - Emet, those who embody traits of Mercy, Truth, and Tzeddaka [and Mishpat], and turn away from the Snake and its violent Sheker. Amen Amen [to God's Will Prevailing over His Creation]

[***The irony is, is that the Argan is not inherently evil and on the Shabbos Day, the "Tree of Knowledge" would cease to be a test for Adam; this highlights that not by ignorance or excessive might does one achieve God's Will, but by Divine Mercy does one find favor in the eyes of God]

Viter N' Shas to the New Year! And may it be the final stand before Moshiach [as predicted by the Mekubalim of Torah History]


Torat Eretz Yisrael; Menorah Etz Shemen, Etz Zayit



[***The Gra explicitly states the Argan Tree is NOT the Etz Shemen, and Kol Hator perforce would not endorse Torat Chutz Le'Aretz, rather only that of Torat Eretz Yisrael.] 


Thus Adam was to find the true Torat Eretz Yisrael for there to be a Geulah of Gan Eden. Instead he intermingled Kedusha with Mundane, based on non-Torah guesswork. 



The Torat Moshe only exists within Eretz Yisrael - the path to Gan Eden, a Path of True Light.



4 comments :

Anonymous said...

Argan does not have to pass through the gut of an animal to be produced. It was done this way in Morocco but is not necessary.

David said...

from wiki: Before modern times, the Berbers of ancient Morocco would collect undigested argan pits from the waste of goats which climb the trees to eat their fruit. The pits were then ground and pressed to make the nutty oil used in cooking and cosmetics. However, the oil used in cosmetic and culinary products available for sale today has most likely been harvested directly from the tree and processed with machines.
point being, in Temple times, it was not from Israel, and the custom of the day was that it was a natural non synthetic process. In today's times and the Third Temple, perhaps it would be different, but it still would not be Etz Shemen.

GoldieZP said...

Rabbi Katz what is a spouse to do regarding: "The Torat Moshe only exists within Eretz Yisrael - the path to Gan Eden", when the other spouse does not wish to move to Eretz Yisrael?

Today we must make the same types of conclusions in our avodah; when confronted with an emotional connection that speaks to us about the Geulah [from our souls, like the Red Heifer issues for example] we must know when it is fact vs. propaganda. and

One could then conclude this is the source to the talmid chacham sheker and the talmid chacham emes; and the point of contention in the soul that decides if one's Torah is true, is the intentions of the scholar.

What to do when a person's soul is crying now to jump to Torat Moshe in the LAND but is being held back against his/her will??? Pray tell.

David said...

the irony is that the gra and moshe never got here! what they did instead was push the torat moshe here through their respective joshua's. the gra couldnt come becasue he saw that Hashem denied him to come here. the consolation is that no one knew eretz yisrael better than those two men. thus when we are denied, the goal is to learn about it, make it an expertise, send the proverbial joshua, whose mission is to bring moshe in. so in the end we all get here; some are the pioneer and some are the engine, but for the end we are all here. in the meantime in exile we all have jobs to do, either on scene or by remote control, all are under the control of Gods building the Temple.

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