They're Everywhere!

• Light of The Ger
• History Revealed
• Marah and Mitzvot
• Love Thy Neighbor
• Shulchan Aruch for Noahides
• Ancient Ways
• etc.

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The Secret Ger

                                                               Parashas Mishpatim

                         Torat Shem – From The Mouth of God We Heard T(w)o[o]

                                         Rabbi David Pesach ben Leib HaKohen [Katz]

Parashas Mishpatim is for all intents and purposes an extension of the Torah from Sinai. The order of recent events in an over generalized way would read –  to Marah [the place of bitter waters], where "Noahide Laws" were commanded [away from the earlier precedent of Bnei Noah, now transferred through Sinai Covenant] along with four other matters of law given, in Shabbat, Honoring Parents, Red Heifer, and Statutes, and onwards towards Sinai and beyond. Thus the domain of Mishpatim is to teach the "Dinim" [statutes] that accompany the Laws of Noah, which are now taught through a Sinai lens. Moses was told on these Laws/Statutes to make them as a "set table" [a Shulchan Aruch in Torah Lit.] and prepared before man, as the words in the Parasha in many ways epitomize the classic Jewish "Yeshivish/Talmudic" diet that has been chanted from study halls around the globe, during a long and nearly 2,000 year exile from The Land. The Torah thus must be a clear demonstration of King Solomon's words in Song of Songs, "To Push with the left, while embracing with the right" – for all that we have been told that the Torah is Jewish by nature, in Mishpatim we hear a different tune, one that resonates an eternal Sinai echo…"From the Mouth of God We Heard Two." Sinai stands eternally to capture the moment that lasts forever – the Jew and the Ger, side by side [in Torah], a reality that not only never fades away, but rather defines every aspect of life, and even stands to usher in the Righteous Messiah Soon in Our Days.

If we did in fact hear two, then question needs to be asked concerning who is this "we" and why did "we" hear two? There is an old school way of Torah thinking and association filled with cliché and stereotypes [yet not original], especially when delving into Parashas Mishpatim, that without compromise, one must believe the Torah is Jewish, only Jews are in the Torah, if you want in – then convert [which Jews supposedly don't proselytize], and the rest of the world is filled with idolaters who have no chance to exist in this World or the World to Come. The sad part of this thinking is not only that it is bigotry and small mindedness, but its greatest sin is that is reflects absolutely poor scholarship and highlights lazy habits in study and an utter dearth in Torah and Worldly Knowledge and Wisdom. Are these words harsh? – You Bet! The point being, that aside from the falseness of these strange mantras,  the Torah is overtly obvious – in that if we would just look at what is right in front of us, "from the mouth of God we did hear two" would be obvious! – The Ger and the Jew both stood at Sinai, under the umbrella of one will of God, and thus the plot thickens…oh does the plot thicken.

In previous Parshiot we have pointed out that there is a framework for Torah code that spans the entire Sinai tradition, to which extent the Ger is the tip of the spear on this front. Two such examples of this are in the grammar of the Hebrew usage of the Ger, which Chazal interpret anomalies to express the appropriate observance level of the Ger [i.e. 7 laws ceiling vs. a Ger who desires to keep more of the Torah's commandments], and in the same flavor, the Torah uses at least two distinctly different words for "the people" that effects the context and connotation of the text; "Bnei Yisrael" are seen to be "Jews" while "the People" is a reference to "Gerim" [as is with all codes, it is not a perfect science, commentators argue these points of code, and often times it is not though to formulate an exclusion principle, but rather an inclusive property, as to particularly not exclude]. Based on this revelation in Chazal, one need not think too far and fast into Mishpatim to realize that there are obviously per force Noahide references going on here in the most literal sense; but one armed with foresight of the Ger even on a novice level, will be shocked what a little bit of investigation will bring to the set table – that we live in a World filled with Gerim. This is a reality easily attained by simply learning the Torah's ramifications based on the topics at hand; with that said, a thorough investigation into what may be perhaps the Gerim's surprisingly biggest Parasha that exists, will yield what King David says in Tehillim [72] – is the Light of Messiah and a repair of the World…yes indeed, from the mouth of God, we did in fact hear two.

The formula is quite easy to equate, for once we have Emunah [faith to the point of revelation; isolating a fresh outlook of spiritual reality even into the physical] that we did in fact hear two together [based on the amount of data on the subject matter showing conclusive evidence that code theory with the Ger is in fact correct; from hypothesis to fact], and we have begun to see the pattern with precision [to the exclusion of guessing; rather now one can target with foresight, knowledge – wisdom, and discipline], every law in the Parasha comes under the microscope of "just who is it here that we are talking about" consciousness. All of a sudden the characters of Moses, Hashem, the people, children of Israel, etc. take on different form and filled with exponentially more content! The laws develop into a 3D model [where applicable obviously; point being that the rate of appearance now is radically greater than the one of two references at best – that the average scholar may notice on the fly from parsha to parsha] and paint a dynamic picture of the fabric of society that not only "was" in "Torah times" – but as an accurate model of the Universe as it is even today!

Here is a list of laws in the Parasha that most would identify as 100% Jewish, while upon further investigation, it spans both the Jewish and Ger Worlds with common impact upon its people: 1) the concept of a Shulchan Aruch 2) Sanhedrin 3) Maidens 4) Laws of Marah – 7 Laws, along with the previously mentioned commandments that were given  -TO THE GERIM 5) my Friend/Brother – who I have an equal command to help and love 6) Unkosher meat (generally thought to give to a "goy" – now we see that this can most likely be the meat given to the Ger Toshav and sold to the Nochri as in parashas Re'eh) 7) Brit [Ger Tzedek] 8) Shabbat 9) Making Gerim 10) not to lend with interest – a major revelation within the 7 Laws! 11) Don't taunt the Ger 12) leftovers of the crops [Peah] 13) Judging [Noahide] laws to perfection [and as King David said, Noahide Laws perfected brings Messiah and defeats Gog Magog] 14) Three festivals in Jerusalem 15) dietary awareness 16) The Land of Israel [and against its idolaters] 17) The Sinai Brit [not naasah v' nishmah] 18) Torah  AND 19) – BASED ON THE MEAT REFERENCES,  [the Ger who eats non-kosher meat as a means of tzedaka] we are  sent to the Talmud Bava Kama:

Bava Kama 38a is the source of the famous Noahide dictum, "A Nochri who is involved with Torah is compared to the High Priest"; this is in accordance with the precept of being on a path of "being commanded and doing as opposed to not being commanded, for Hashem has placed the command at Sinai, with the giving of the Torah. The simple underlying premise here is that Sinai stripped the World of everything, and re-routed Torah and all monetary systems through the Sinai Revelation; the World was now in potential for the Ger Toshav, and Torah eschatology, as King David describes, is predicated on the World realizing that potential, even as daunting and illogical as it may seem. In essence, the entire Torah once thought to be a one man team – comprised of Jews to the exclusion of idolaters, is in reality a Sinai Revelation that consists of Jews and Gerim, and a promise that the World will become perfected and filled with "The Knowledge of God."

To put the Parasha into ultra-focus, once we have the Torah of Emunah [as Rebbe Nachman prescribes predominantly in his works of faith and consequently relationships; materializing the spiritual into the physical] and can categorically relate to the Ger [and the Ger of the Jew, both in perfectly accurate terms; hence an ability to form and act upon a relationship that epitomizes a fractal of Messiah revelation], we become mandated upon every word or breath of Torah uttered, to ascertain whether or not this refers to a Ger or not. This is only an opening to an infinite arena, for through the Ger, Mankind is duty bound to find Mankind [Adam] in every inch of the infinite Torah!

The Torah was indeed given to Israel, yet is this same Torah, that is the makeup of every Ger in his soul root, and thus is attached to the revelation of the Torah given at Sinai. The beauty is, the entire World merited the Ger Toshav at Sinai, whether in Israel or Worldwide – and for all and any time period; bound through common law and common currency of involvement. The discovery of the truth takes place in Talmud Bava Kama 38a, over a discussion of treif [un-kosher; gored] meat. The Torah says that the damager is your Friend when carrying out the mandated law. Coincidentally enough, the context is that he is a potential Ger, and by definition of the Friend attribute IN TEXT, all are commanded to Love him as thyself, and all that comes within the great Mitzvah of Love the Ger. In case you missed it, Parashas Mishpatim told us to please refrain from taunting the Ger, for you were Gerim in Egypt…and as the Zohar points out, should you know what that means, well, then you have tasted of the Tree of Life, that emanates from the mouth of God, and yes, of course, we heard too. 


Audio Class On Parasha Tues 11 P.M. Tzfat 

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Ger Tzedek Jethro

• Ger Tzedek
• Jethro In-Depth
• Jethro and Pharaoh
• Pinchas and Jethro
• Jethro's Daughters
• etc.

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Cutting a Covenant With God

                                                                    Parashas Jethro

                                                                                Brit

                                                                    Rabbi David Katz

Parashas Jethro is for all intents and purposes the hallmark of the Ger Tzedek journey, picking up where Abraham left off, as the Parasha where Israel receives the Torah [under this pretext] is most appropriately named after Jethro himself. It is alluded to and stated within the works of the classic commentaries that Abraham is the father of all Gerim [Ger Tzedek in particular] while Jethro [in context of his "daughters"; depicted in both the literal and figurative fashion] is the acknowledged patriarch of the Ger Tzedek women; see Moses and his love for Tzippora as the benchmark of the Ger Tzedek woman and her role with the redeemer. [The Judah line in particular represents this – dating back to Judah and Tamar, the archetype Ger Tzedek woman]  With Abraham in control of the reigns over the tradition amongst men, Jethro is left with the influence over the righteous women – even those that came before him. The unique dual function found within the righteousness of Jethro that caters to both the masculine and the feminine, allows us to focus on the absolute core issue of that which defines the Ger Tzedek [man and woman]; Jethro's life becomes the divine archetype of this pursuit. In essence, Sinai, and thus Torah, can be seen at least from one perspective, as the pursuit of supernatural law: to realize the Ger among us, and the nature of his role, and how it transforms the World into a dwelling for God; in ironic essence, no Mishkan or Golden Calf required.

To put things into a quick and concise perspective, Abraham was commanded in Brit [circumcision by God's command and entered into covenant; this is Brit proper ברית] to the extent that this action literally made Abraham into Abraham [with the additional letter heh given to his name] and he quickly became acknowledged as the father of all Gerim, and in particular, he became the first of the enigmatic "Ger Tzedek(im)." This term Ger Tzedek, is the focus of much debate and speculation to its essential nature, even as it has evolved over time in every way possible; yet to eliminate superfluous chatter on the subject, Jethro's life and actions are best served to isolate the divine truth to the legacy that began with Abraham. The practical application of such a revelation will ultimately [and must!] reach the females, to an extent that as was stated, Jethro is depicted as the father of the Ger Tzedek women, for his daughter is Tzippora, and the Midrash allegorically demands that her sister is Batyah – the daughter of Pharaoh. Batyah became the mother like figure to Moses, and was instrumental in Moses' upbringing that would one day be defined by the Ger Tzedek women. History would have it, that not only Moses – the redeemer would know the Ger, but Moshiach itself, becomes intertwined with the Ger Tzedek, to the life and tune of King David [who comes from Judah] whose lineage and self-identification hovers around the dictum, "I am a Ger." [It should be noted, in the Blessings from Jacob to Judah, the commentators hint at Moses' within the Blessing "When Shiloh comes"; Moses is numerically Shiloh (345), while the Simple meaning is a reference to Shelah son of Judah, whose descendants did not stand at Sinai, but became synonymous with the Ger Tzedek role as well, in many capacities and family members such as Rachav and Ruth.]

We can put Jethro's life into perspective by following his path to righteousness. Kabbalah teaches that Jethro is a reincarnation of Kayin [one of the more widely accepted reincarnation cases in Torah; Moses is seen as the appropriate Abel] and Kayin's story picks up suddenly with the onset of the life of Jethro, priest of idolatry, and minister to Pharaoh. Jethro had literal daughters and he was desisted for greatness when Moses came walking into his life, pursuing Jethro's righteous daughter. Jethro was primed for his walk with God, as kabbalah teaches that Jethro endured a repair of soul, by receiving a Nefesh haGer at the time that Moses killed the Egyptian taskmaster who possessed the missing link to Jethro's path to greatness, a repair in Kayin's root that allowed Jethro to now be a Ger. As redemption would commence, Sinai was calling for Jethro, and soon he would have his appointment with destiny fulfilled, upon his arrival and reunion with Moses.

This is where the tales calmly fade out and the law journal sets in, for despite the fact that Parashat Jethro's opening accounts by Jethro himself contain many secrets as to his essential nature, the Talmud wants to know one thing: did he convert or did he remain a Ger? [In Hebrew Ger can mean convert or Noahide, and it is in the world's interest, even with Messianic proportion to know the difference in Torah and Chazal; reality is literally shaped on this point with eternal and worldwide ramifications in philosophy, theology, etc.] The Talmud has two relevant opinions on this over one matter – to circumcise or not to circumcise, that is the question. Jethro was indeed a Ger Tzedek, what the people want to know, is does this imply he converted, or remained Ger; either way, how can we see this in the original language, what are the ramifications, and ultimately – how does this define a Ger Tzedek on any and every level?!

The simple party line is that Jethro did convert, had his Brit, and story conveniently does not make sense, and we are told [that’s not what I was told syndrome] to overlook "Ger" issues, and enter convert indoctrination-itis. The good news is, the story actually makes the most sense when we realize that Jethro is and was a Ger [non-convert] and it requires a "think – big- mentality to grasp the implications of Jethro, something that many prominent Torah authorities imply in their discourses of explaining Jethro. The only shortcoming is that this is considered secrets of Torah, and it has been transmitted with certain concealment. The good news is that Gerim understand this by nature, and with Jewish – Ger cooperation, the Torah [as in Parashas Jethro] is delivered, and a World view revelation comes out – Jethro inspired. Now if Jethro did not get the Brit, the obvious question is, "Why."

One can explain Jethro's plight simply a case of not understanding the prophecy expected of him. As the father in law to Moses and his main early influence, along with being on the receiving end of Abraham's legacy, Jethro though he was deserving of a visitation from God in prophecy, much like Moses and Abraham, even reminiscent of Job in his whirlwind saga. Suffice it to say, the word of God never came to Jethro, he did not undergo the knife, and the Ger Tzedek program is being rectified until the coming of the Messiah, under the pretense of repairing Jethro is repairing Kain is repairing the Messiah himself, according to Kabbalah. The essence of this side of Abraham and Sinai, when undertaking the mantle of Ger Tzedek, one will the word of God does come only it comes through the miraculous manifestation of wisdom that speaks, otherwise known as Mazal. Jethro was looking for a dinosaur, when in fact the spirit of God was hovering right under his nose, but couldn't see it. The Ger Tzedek is about acting for God and doing his will; this serves as the prophetic underscore that awaits Jews as Priests who shall use this tool as the vehicle in issuing Light to the Nations in the End of Days.

Thus Jethro did not get the Brit, and today non-Jews are seeking in their hearts to facilitate this repair [of Kain]; should they succeed what is this that they achieve and what then is the proverbial "Ger Tzedek" if not [only] a convert?

The Ger Tzedek "pilpul" is vast and complex; many books and volumes can and have been written on this subject. The complication in this is the always troubling "From the Mouth of God [who spoke one] I heard two" – as is the essence of the Sinai Revelation in our Parasha.

In the end, the answer is simple: a male who gets the Brit is a Ger Tzedek [and is still technically a Ger Toshav, only now with specific distinction and sometimes given a unique authority over other Ger Toshav men] and he is uniquely different yet similar to the male convert, even the male servant, which the Torah uses all three interchangeably to shed light on this complex and controversial issue, ultimately making it ultra-confusing to the uninitiated. Such is the nature of all Rabbinic studies not coincidentally enough, and this does nothing short of proving how dear Noahide Torah is to God, for it requires the help and Love of/from God, as the Zohar states that making Gerim is that which God craves the most and gives Kavod to His Holy Name(s).

Yet there is an even shorter explanation to this study, as the Maharal of Prague quotes in Netzach Yisrael concerning the Redemption: We shall not accept converts in the Days of Messiah, for the Nations will love Israel – Like Ketia Bar Shalom, he who performed his own Brit [and became a Ger Tzedek]; Chazal praises Ketia's name, for he acted out of Love, not as a traditional convert. I adjure you to read the story of Ketia, in English if need be, in Avoda Zara 10b; it is said that Ketia'a name is hinted at in the broken letter vav contained in the word Shalom [i.e. Brit Shalom given to Pinchas] when Pinchas merited the rights of Messiah in his heroism, an act inspired by his Grandfather, soul partner, friend, and inspiration – Jethro. Jethro was a Ger Tzedek, and he is the patriarch of the Ger Tzedek women…to make a long story short, sometimes there just isn't a short path to the truth, and that is what the Brit is all about, something every Ger, male and female, know deep inside. It is called a love for God, and God loves Gerim – and thus commands as such, to all Bnei HaBrit. 

Audio Shiur On Parasha A Special Motzie Shabbos Edition 11 P.M. - Celebrating 1 Complete Cycle of Torah in Yeshivat Shem V' Ever!

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Shabbat Shalom : Yitro.

Poem by Joe Indomenico.

Rivers of tears flow from the heart.
The land of my love is being torn apart.
So much to do…….So much to say
Time as victim  to pay.

Enduring suffering is not in vain
Well worth the price of pain.
For darkness transforms to light
Truth, the battle we fight.

The Herald is drumming……
The King is coming.
Glory on high
Redemption is nigh.

Light of Lights…..
Sight of Sights……
HaShem is in the Heights…..
Redemption the mantle of His Might.
Torah the crown of His Right.
And Hepzibah the beauty of His delight.

Enjoy the reciting of the 10 Commandments as sung in Hebrew.

From the cool crisp mountain air of Tzfat and the balmy sub-tropical breezes of the South Pacific, Rav Katz and I wish you a Shabbat Shalom.

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Tu b'Shvat.

by Joe Indomenico.

Today is Tu b’Shvat, the 15th of the month of Shevat. It is the New Year of the trees for the purpose of calculating the age of trees for tithing. The Torah states that fruit from trees which were grown in the land of Israel may not be eaten during the first three years; the fourth year’s fruit is for G-d, and after that, the fruit can be eaten. Each tree is considered to have aged one year as of Tu B’Shvat, no matter when in the year it was planted.

Here is an insightful article by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh :

trees-tzadikim-divine-blessing-us  

Of the many thoughts that cascade are the image of the “Branch” – צֶמַח   of Zechariah 6 v 12 and Isaiah 4 v 2.

א  וְיָצָא חֹטֶר, מִגֵּזַע יִשָׁי; וְנֵצֶר, מִשָּׁרָשָׁיו יִפְרֶה.	1 And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots.
ב  וְנָחָה עָלָיו, רוּחַ יְהוָה–רוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבִינָה, רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה, רוּחַ דַּעַת, וְיִרְאַת יְהוָה.	2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 11 v 1-2.

כא  וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים, לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ; נֵצֶר מטעו (מַטָּעַי) מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי, לְהִתְפָּאֵר.	21 Thy people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever; the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, wherein I glory.
כב  הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף, וְהַצָּעִיר לְגוֹי עָצוּם; אֲנִי יְהוָה, בְּעִתָּהּ אֲחִישֶׁנָּה.  {ס}	22 The smallest shall become a thousand, and the least a mighty nation; I the LORD will hasten it in its time. Isaiah 60 v 21-22

ה  הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם-יְהוָה, וַהֲקִמֹתִי לְדָוִד צֶמַח צַדִּיק; וּמָלַךְ מֶלֶךְ וְהִשְׂכִּיל, וְעָשָׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בָּאָרֶץ.	5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous shoot, and he shall reign as king and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
ו  בְּיָמָיו תִּוָּשַׁע יְהוּדָה, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח; וְזֶה-שְּׁמוֹ אֲשֶׁר-יִקְרְאוֹ, יְהוָה צִדְקֵנוּ.  {פ}	6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The LORD is our righteousness. Jeremiah 23 v 5-6

ח  שְׁמַע-נָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל, אַתָּה וְרֵעֶיךָ הַיֹּשְׁבִים לְפָנֶיךָ–כִּי-אַנְשֵׁי מוֹפֵת, הֵמָּה:  כִּי-הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֶת-עַבְדִּי, צֶמַח.

8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee; for they are men that are a sign; for, behold, I will bring forth My servant the Shoot. Zechariah 3 v 8

All these and many more allude to Mashiach Tzadikeinu, our Righteous Messiah, The Righteous Branch…. for He is the link between Heaven and Earth.

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Real Torah Codes

• Yosef Still Lives!
• Prayer of Joshua
• Torat Moshe
• Hands Held High
• Who is This Hur
• Prophets of Levi
• Tree of Life
• Shirat Devorah
• etc.

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Hey You!

                                                            Parashas Beshalach

                                                        Who Are These People?

                                                               Rabbi David Katz

Parashas Beshalach is the Exodus; an Exodus as we will soon discover extends well beyond normative "Israel / [Jews]", for a liberation for every demographic of the Torah, including women, children, prophets, gerim, jews, erev rav, and every other member of Torah society, big and/or small. What on the surface level looks benign and almost boring, is a containment field of a powerful world that we are largely blind to; it is a story of Torah, and today, just as then, we are its characters. In a World that is thirsty for plot and depth, the content lies in the ink that was never told, as year after year we fall short of breath in the hopes of capturing the sacred wisdom of the dormant Torah. Perhaps now we can wake up to their World, and drink of new light under the same old sun, and realize, the war against Amalek continues every generation; that would mean – our Torah and theirs, are equally relevant. Turn the myth into reality, and behold the Lord Your God; some things never change.

The Parasha contains a surreal series of code and prophetic blindfolding in its subtleties; a couple of the off beats that you may recognize when you read it, are the citations of "The People" and/or/vs. "The Children of Israel" or even a few other coined terms that have a staggering effect on the reader. Another off topic is when we meet Miriam after the Sea Miracle, she is referred to as Aaron's sister; why? The answer [surprise] is the allusive Ger, and his association with the infamous Erev Rav; all in relation to Moses as [their] redeemer. The implications will prove quite shocking not just on a practical level, but historically, and even spiritually as well. Quite frankly, this will change the way we view the art of serving God, and once again without the Ger, we remain  in darkness groping mythology, in face of actually being able to perceive true light.

In the Parasha, there is code as I mentioned with the Ger and Erev Rav. In overly simplified terms, when it says "Children of Israel" this is Jewish proper, "The People" [quote by Rosh Amana] this is Erev Rav – which contain the spark of good, i.e. the future Gerim, and "Israel" [or "all of the assembly of Israel"] which refers to literally "everyone." The ramifications are straightforward, in that the Torah does indeed have code, and [from help of the Ger] with insight we are able to map the code effectively to gain control of the flow within the Torah's verses on a verse to verse basis [which is a pre-requisite in understanding the Ger]. Under these conditions, and a little bit of background knowledge, [i.e. Moses took out the Gerim/Erev Rav against God's desire] we can finally clearly see and identify exactly who Moses is talking to and WHY. Thus when Moses calls "[proverbially] YOU" an insult [in the second episode of hitting the rock; this parsha was the source of the action], we can see with absolute certainty that he was talking to the Erev Rav, or in other words, "The People" to the exclusion of the other implications to be found in alternative coding. Thus we have established the pretense of dialogue in Parsha and a viable lexicon for guidance. You will find that this methodology produces perfect accuracy in navigation throughout the parsha, and sets precedence for the entire Torah. [See the Ger in each source for likewise patterns.]

Throughout the Parsha, and its foundational principles, we witness Moses as a Messiah [ben Joseph] figure [through his "taking the 'bones' (as a shield) of Joseph"] , while setting up the Noahide Laws, preparing for Sinai, and laying the foundation of the final redemption through his prophetic "Song of the  Sea." Yet intermingled in this tapestry of redemption and Messianic Torah [as King David prophesies that these very items mentioned are the catalyst of the Final Redemption; Moses is considered to be a part of it, through a union of soul with King David himself] are the numerous battles and quarrels that take place among "all peoples" in unique settings [according to the flow of the code in context/connotation]. It all came to a head in Rephidim, as "The People" challenged Moses and God for water [opposite of "The Children of Israel" who appropriately wanted meat; each is consistent with the old country view as per societal needs]; this ultimately brought out the revelation of Amalek, and through "it" – a new world of Torah opens up, one that happened to always exist – right before our dreamy mythological indoctrinated eyes. The prophecy is about to become reality…in a whole new light.

The Vilna Gaon makes a few things clear over his assorted works: 1) The Erev Rav [that doesn't pursue "Ger" in any way is considered Amalek 2) the Evil Inclination is also considered Amalek 3) we all have both (1) and (2) in us in some way, shape, or form…the goal is to defeat it [which is where this article will drive towards next]. Thus when "The People" [notice that is the code used] quarrel over water, this is a revelation of Amalek as a foreign entity latched onto the people, in an already compromised position of being considered Erev Rav [for having self-interest in Moses' holy efforts as opposed to what will become of the Gerim who act for the sake of God]. Thus the Torah has every reason to write in a literal fashion the prophetic, for with an open eye, this is what reality is sharing in actual form; the antithesis is not falsehood, rather an act of denial.

An anomaly that we mentioned with Miriam being called Aaron's sister [as opposed to Moses] now can take center stage, for we have reason to attach Miriam to Aaron as opposed to Moses in a certain sense, as we look to Hur, son of Miriam.

When "Amalek" [not to exclude the nation of Amalek, for he equally exists too, as the Vilna Gaon states there are many manifestations of Amalek, just as we see in the opposite, there are states of Israel as well; namely Jews and Gerim, as we see in the language/code] takes stage, Moses quickly dispatches Joshua to dismantle them through going out to action, while Moses retreats with Hur and Aaron. Hur is a most interesting persona here, and through research we learn that he was a great prophet as well [Aaron is mentioned with Miriam in one regard as being a great prophet, thus deserving of Honor, something often taken away from Aaron in poor taste]; it is taught in the Midrash, that Hur was killed at the Golden Calf, for he alone was able to potentially hold off the pursuit of the idolatry [of "The People"] by his might through prophecy. And as we know, Moses was the greatest prophet ever; the new revelation presented here is that all three men were not only great prophets, but of one House of Levi! Moses and Aaron are obvious in this regard, but Hur [although a member of Judah] is considered particularly Miriam's son, and for this she even is credited with founding the House of David through Hur! Now Moses can fight with Torah supported through Aaron and Hur [Priest and King with Moses equaling the feat] as Joshua and his men [minyan] can battle through….prayer?

A close reading of the text concerning the war against Amalek will show that Moses' hands raised represent the power of Torah, while Joshua's "sword" in midrashic/kabbalistic literature can represent the tongue, as in prayer. Joshua is often seen in relation to Pinchas and Caleb [through spying the Land]; both men were scripturally proven to be masters of prayer, as Joshua was seen to have a kosher mouth upon his travels in the Land. Based on this, when the Torah speaks of Moses' efforts, immediately it says, "he" remained with his hands held in prayer, followed by …Joshua weakened them with the blade of the sword, ending with Moses whispering the secret of Amalek's defeat into Joshua's ear [gematria "sod" – secret] for eternal remembrance. Under the lens of light and context, it appears now in Technicolor, that Moses was cementing the Torah [as per before Sinai – in the new methodologies given at Marah [Noahide law etc. – which led to Jethro's warning to Moses against becoming worn out, hence "hands raised" = tiring] and Joshua was waging war through prayer, much like the Priest Anointed for War" [Pinchas; know that Pinchas married Joshua's daughter for context] as explained in Yoma 73a. [Notice there the language in code, and its relevance to Gerim and the Sanhedrin, along with the Four craftsmen; audio will cover this point.]

Under these guidelines in context, the Parsha now can be seen with laser like detail and precision. We have an access point to see the demographics of all of the people, the services of the Prophets in Moses – Aaron – Hur – Joshua – Miriam, the nature of their disputes are now on record and distinct, the usage of prayer and Torah finally have workable definition – even for today's practical outcomes, context makes sense, the myth became reality – one that we all live  within and without, code has been developed into modern every eternal vernacular that all can understand and already engage in on a natural level, and most important of all, we have kept shape in the Torah of Bereishit, in using the prophetic inclination to understand the Torah's "simple meaning" as opposed to myths and baseless wisdom.

The path to defeating Amalek was paved here and an ancient people were found along the way. The Ger, like all prophetic inspiration was there the whole time; we just wished to call it by another name; one that ironically and paradoxically had no name to begin with. As the title suggests, "who are these people"; now we know; they're Gerim, and along with them, we shall take privilege in meeting everyone else in the Torah; its simple – to understand the Torah is to understand prophecy, and to make that happen, God never unloved those people, the Ger.

Class Tonite - Tuesday 1/14/14 11 P.M. [on Parasha]

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Parashas Bo - The Beloved Pesach

• The Passover Revealed
• Mila and Torah
• The Chock!
• The Ger and Holidays
• Ketia Bar Shalom
• Pinchas and the "Vav"
• etc.

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Classes and Articles to resume back to normal post 1/20/14

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Shir ha Mashiach.

by Joe Indomenico.

In this week's parashat B'shalach,  B'nei Yisrael sing to Hashem upon seeing the open miracles.

There are ten songs beginning with this Song at the Sea led by Moshe Rabbeinu , and concluding with the tenth and final song which will be sung with Mashiach.

All the (nine) songs mentioned in scripture are written in the feminine (shirah) since their rejoicing was followed by ("gave birth to") further servitude. The tenth song of Moshiach is written in the masculine (shir) to indicate that it is permanent.

Chassidut explains that the first nine songs emphasized primarily a desire to come closer to G-d from a distance, like a woman who longs to come closer to and receive from her husband. However, the tenth song of Mashiach will be sung from a feeling that G-d is already close and found openly in our midst, like a husband who is gracefully endearing himself to his wife.

May we merit to sing " Shir ha Mashiach"

From the cool crisp mountain air of Tzfat and the balmy sub-tropical breezes of the South Pacific, Rav Katz and I wish you a Shabbat Shalom.

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Torah Ketchup - Betay-ah-Vogn!

 

















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Don't Forget To Catch The Shir HaShirim Series! - Over 100 Shiurim Covering The Book of Love!

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Hello Old Friend

                                                                       Parashas Bo                                     

                                              The Chock and The Mitzvah: Join The Ger

                                                              Rabbi David Pesach Katz 

Oh Parashas Bo, oh how I love you…In 2000, I met my first Noahide friend online, and was told of four things by this Ruby Wings as she called herself: 1) You will make Aliyah 2) Shem is Malki Tzedek 3) Shir Hashirim is amazing by king Solomon 4) Parashas Bo is her favorite Parasha. Suffice it to say, that young kid did make Aliyah [despite not having a clue about its ramifications and implications back in 2000], my life work began with the Torah of Shem [to Noahides], before that [and still to this to some extent] my life work was/is Shir Hashirim, which as I ended my commentary it concluded as an example as the Love between the Jew and The Ger, and then Parashas Bo…which hit me like a ton of bricks – only this week. After nearly fifteen years of waiting for the missing piece to emerge in Bo, it has, and yes, it was through Gerim. I found nothing new to what this on-going project has become, only what I did find, was that all of "this" was sitting nicely at 12:43 – topics of the Ger and his Bris. 

I came to this verse – the missing piece, appropriately by today's Gerim, and as shocked as I was to realize that that I made it home so to speak [the entire Ger saga can literally be identified from this verse through its proper extensions, in association with the Midrash Rabba and the life story of Ketia Bar Shalom Avodah Zara 10b], even more shocking was the revelation that seemed tailor made for me in this verse – a [my] true "Soul Mazal" experience finally [ironically] boomeranged back. With the fourth piece now eternally secure, all I can say is, "Oh Parashas Bo, oh how I love you…In 2000, I met my first Noahide friend online, and was…"

***This article is based on the most impactful revelations that come from 12:43 in Bo; the possibilities are endless, as in my opinion, this verse is the Gan Eden of Ger Torah. There is no wrong, only not enough pen and ink to cover all ground. Therefore the gist of the article will cover only a taste of the World to Come on this and should be seen as an extensive work. For that, [the extensive work] – well, we are doing that too, it is called Soul Mazal – the Universal Torah through the Ger, and reaching your name/soul potential in the process. For me, it began and ends at 12:43, concerning the "Chukas of the Pesach" – the Bris, The Ger, and The Passover together in Jerusalem. Enjoy.

"Chock" – A law [i.e. The Torah of a topic, relative to Law] that is beyond the simple rational mind. The Passover [Offering] is called a Chock, and now we can begin to discover why.

Simply put, the Passover [Offering; notice the difference between the Passover vs. "The Holiday of Passover" for further connotation. The holiday of Passover is termed as such after the Offering. The biblical Holiday of Passover is called the Festival of Matzah's.] is an obligation incumbent upon every member of the House of Israel. In what seems like forever, that was a blanket perception of Kosher Jews, to the exclusion of any type of gentile, and the core issue of its linkage to the Brit [circumcision] [which is the main crux of the "Chock"] has been considered irrelevant in the grand scope of things, while seen as trivial fact. Only now, when we examine 12:43, with intent and focus of isolation of this "Chock" along with our Ger radar turned on in these matters in the Torah that call out our friends by name [strong hint], we can see with crystal clear clarity that the big picture has been largely ignored, and for no good reason. Simply put, those who are without circumcision, the Passover is not for you, and the circumcised Ger [among other inclusions as per the topic; likewise for the inverse case], well, Baruch Habah [welcome].

The Passover is a Chock [phonetically: Hhoakhe] and being as such it requires investigation to fathom the depths that a proper Chock is invested in, for by nature, it is not obvious or even rational. The basic premise of the Chock is to relate it to the Bris, and to unite the blood that comes from the Passover and the Bris [circumcision, lit. the covenant].

In the Exodus from Egypt Hashem wiped out the first born in Egypt in the 10^th and most powerful plague. Israel was spared this demise through the adherence of placing the Blood of the Passover Offering on their doorpost. Passover literally means to "pass over" [from the angel of death], thus Israel was saved, and the 10^th plague is represented with blood, and stands as perhaps [at least one of] Hashem's greatest miracle(s) – for even in the realm of rational thinking, this miracle stands with all of its appropriate Glory [to God]. Thus in the end of things, Passover is represented by blood, and this remains an integral part of the Chock for all times, even in the progressive sense.

This act of God stands without peer for many reasons; yet the biggest point of revelation is to be found in the fact that Israel just killed and ate the Egyptian Gods. Generally this would be the kiss of death to express a chutzpah such as this, yet Israel would go through this danger – AND LIVE. Thus we see the profound nature within this Chock [by definition this isn't rational and easy to understand]; such is the progressive precedent in all areas of this "Passover Mitzvah" which comes under the microscope eternally with the Gerim of each new generation who wish to permanently leave Egypt and her idolatry.

The Bris Mila [circumcision act/ritual – look to Tzippora, the wife of Moses and her brave actions in the sanctity of a COMPLETE Bris Mila ceremony; she performed the "Mila" and the "metzitzah", as per her name Tzippora which means "rock" and "mouth" thus implies the severing and the sterilization – completing of the mitzvah such that the baby will live through its danger.] is another act of God [and a relative to type of Chutzpah; again, see Tzippora and her declaration upon completing the act in reference to the "blood that reached to 'his' feet"] that involves blood in the realm of the Chock, and all the while going against the rational point of view. The baby is seen to live through the danger and exposure of an infant's own blood shedding. The circumcision, as we saw with the danger surrounding Moses and his lack of haste in the performance of the Bris, has the same function as the Passover, in that they both push off the Angel of Death in the moment of Chutzpah; an open act of God even amidst the moment of danger.

Combine the Bris with Passover, and practically everything else that is represented in these concepts, along with the Ger's desire to be involved with everything Passover-ish [The uncircumcised Ger as well shall find his role here along with his soul root] the famous Chock begins to shed light – for this is the foundation of the Torah of The Ger, and more importantly the root of the Mitzvah of vitality between Jew and Ger. This mitzvah of vitality is set around the Tzeddaka of non-kosher meat that is delivered to the Ger; once in the context of Passover, this enigmatic ritual suddenly takes great shape in the context of the annual Jerusalem bash that ironically is centered on meat! When the peripheral of the Jerusalem experience is considered, one immediately realizes that the Ger is 100% part of this Mitzvah, and the experience thrives on his presence; with a bit of context and thinking that makes sense, the archaic command of delivering meat is transformed to a magical experience – annually within the walls of Jerusalem. It does not take much to consider from this point to realize the great importance and soft secrets of the need for Temple Offerings; in fact, it is quite logical and to imagine the bonding between Gerim and Jews vis a vis the Temple in this capacity.

Consider the millions of Jews who ascend to Jerusalem annually to eat the Passover Offering. To think of a "strangers keep out mentality" is absolutely antithetical to the depth of the holiday on every possible angle, even the practical and rational! For every kosher slaughter, one must imagine the amount of forbidden animals that must arise, purely from a statistical level. It should be obvious that at least 10% of all Passover Offerings are not permissible to consume due to the strict laws of Kashrut [Kosher laws]; these laws are strict and not without reason and compassion from God. If one were to calculate among the millions of Jews, their Offerings in numbers, and thus the amount of blemished animals – the Gerim who are not circumcised now are able to take part of the gifts [of meat] to perform one of the Torah's most sacred mitzvoth between the Jews and Gerim of "Love the Ger." This hasn't even touched upon all of those Gerim who wish to be circumcised and by law are included in the Mitzvah by the other view of the Chock! Most would never imagine a "gentile" eating the Passover Offering, but the Torah comes to reveal that not only do the circumcised Gerim eat of it, but that they are not in fact considered gentiles upon going under the knife! With these ingredients under Divine Command, Passover just erupted into the time of our lives when we ponder the Joy [Hedva] through the undertaking of the diversity with a circumcised heart as Hashem has willed within the Torah.

Every Jew loves Passover, even if for reasons unbeknownst to himself; the even bigger revelation is that among rituals like Shabbos and Torah study, the Gerim are historically [and presently] equally invigorated to partake in the [current] Passover assemblies. As "why" may not be the issue at hand, for the Torah proves that this is spiritual DNA of every Jew and Ger, and to be in the same capacity [in the Temple and Jerusalem] really should no longer be anything of a surprise; quite the opposite, it should be obvious from the verses and Torah documented history themselves! For further insight to the Ger [non convert] and his Bris along with the implications as a precedent in history, visit the story of Ketia Bar Shalom! [Avodah Zara 10b; the audio shiur will cover this story for context]

Baruch Hashem for Gerim; in the most blatant sense, if it weren't for Gerim, would we even understand the Chock and its relationship to something as "trivial" and essential as the observance of Passover? It is unfathomable how much of the Torah [1^st Temple awareness] we simply don't have due in part to the lack of Ger awareness in the World! The good news is, the Torah is lost or destroyed, and rather it is right in front of your eyes, as bold as the verses around 12:43 clearly explain the circumcised Ger eats while the uncircumcised Ger does not [yet still partakes of the Mitzvah to Love the Ger through the giving of meat]. This is but one example of the Torah coming back to life; imagine what will take place with the full redemption of the Ger – something prophesied to take place with the coming of the Messiah. 

The Messiah is a role taken by Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron the brother of Moses [given by his association with such matters as the secret of the Bris, Gerim, etc.], for he won the Bris Shalom [The Covenant of Peace], famously written with the "Broken vav" in the script…otherwise known as the "Vav Ketia" [broken vav], or a Ger would surmise, perhaps this is a hint at Ketia Bar Shalom, the circumcised Ger, who by the definition of law/Chock – would find great joy and Reshut [permission with favor]  to partake of the Holy Passover Offering, to celebrate a formal withdraw from his personal Egypt and her idolatrous ways….for now, he can bask in the Presence of God in His Holy Temple that rests on Zion.

Audio Shiur Tuesday 11 P.M. 

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Shirat ha Yam – The Song of the Sea.

by Joe Indomenico.

this coming Shabbat, Parashat b’Shalach will be read in the Synagogues. For those who cannot attend or have never seen the Sefer Torah of this portion, I would like to share with you the very unusual pattern of how these verses are written on the scroll. This has always intrigued me.

The Torah states that when Am Yisrael entered the sea, it became dry land with waters as a wall חֹמָה to their right and to their left.(Exodus 14 v29). To commemorate this miracle, the Hebrew text of the ” Shirat haYam -Song of the Sea” is stylized to resemble a ‘wavy wall.” with the words written in alternating blocks to suggest a wave of water.

According to Yalchut Me’am Lo’ez , the alternating “bricks” are intended to resemble waves of water, while the blank spaces separating these (ie: text blocks) suggest ‘blank spaces in our knowledge and praise of HaShem” which we are encouraged to add to the “building.”

The Sages count exactly 198 words in this song, which is the numerical value for the word tzchok צְחֹק  a word that means “laughter” and is the word used to describe Sarah’s response when she finally gave birth to Yitzchak. According to Rabbi Bachya, the laughter in Yitzchak’s name comes from Avraham’s joy. The joy of Yitzchak’s birth, then, is linked with the “birth” of the nation of Israel at the time of the Exodus as Yitzchak’s symbolic death during the Akedah – The Binding represents Israel’s rebirth.

                                                        Of Lyrics and Music.

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