A Covenant of the Ancients

                                                          Parashas Bechukosai

                                                   A Covenant of The Ancients

                                                             Rabbi David Katz

In our Parasha we are confronted with many warnings of travesty should The Children of Israel slack in its Mission; a Mission that tradition and scripture makes very clear to us, as "being the Light to the Nations." There are many who have "a vision" as to what exactly this light is supposed to be, or at least a vague opinion of the do's and don'ts to this task, but the intrinsic nature of the task at hand is always still subject to debate and/or even speculation. The difficulties of articulation on this level aren't because of a lack of desire or even God forbid intelligence level, rather the answers only shine their brightest under rocks that we never even considered to turn over – no matter how much of an oxymoron this may sound. Thus we are truly Blessed to have in front of us this week, one of the most sublime insights to the Jewish-Ger [Noahide] relationship and its success, encapsulated in one of the Torah's most obscure passages, and definitely notoriously over-looked. Quite simply, the Torah says, "… [in regards to punishments, followed by desolation in the Land and a promise to remember the Avot, while the Jews are in exiled lands – and God promises to not obliterate them or annul the vow/covenant with Israel] I will remember for them the covenant of the Ancients, those whom I have taken out of the Land of Egypt before the eyes of the nations, to be God unto them – I am Hashem."

At first glance of our quoted verse [Vayikra 26:45] one could easily glance over it and not walk away with much gained wisdom, or even a blip on the radar. Let's assume that one is to first read this in English [even if alongside the Hebrew] – objectively, the very words as they connect should raise eyebrows. We find "Ancients" and "Covenant" in close proximity to a very famous messianic concept in the name of Jacob being spelled with an extra letter "vav" symbolizing the letter vav of Elijah's name; the mutual letter vav is a promissory note to bring the full redemption, of which Elijah is said to announce [and Jacob took the letter vav to guarantee that the job gets done]. When put into context altogether it proves to be quite interesting even on an observation level, and certainly is worthy of further investigation.

Investigation does in fact yield a treasure-trove of insights, particularly in the area of Midrash and classic commentary of the verse. The Midrash states that the ancients that are spoken of are the pre-Israelite righteous souls of whom founded the way of God from the time of the Garden and onward. These would include Adam, Seth, Hanoch, Noah, and Shem. In a World that pre-dated Judaism, there was an unbroken chain of righteous souls whose mission was to ensure that the path to God would never become lost from spiritual hardship. Hashem made Himself known to them and established a covenant "with the ancients." The verse splits from there and addresses the Jews, namely by pointing out the redemption led by Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

The ingredients of the verse thus make a four-pronged idea: 1) "I will make known to Israel the covenant of the ancients" 2) – "that is why I [Hashem] has placed Israel in Egypt and brought them out" 3) "as this would be put in the eyes of the nations" 4) "all so that I should be God to them" [and Israel would function as Light to the Nations]

Here we have a completely novel way of interpreting the verse, and taken from a unique angle of how the non-Jew views the Israelite experience from Egypt through the redemption and into current states of affairs. The process would see a pre-Israel World, followed by giving birth to Judaism, who would be delivered to serve as a means of revelation of the covenant of the ancients, so as to make illuminated true spiritual reality and history to the eyes of the nations, with the goal that Hashem would naturally be realized as the true God of Creation. Reading the verse this way makes sense on an exegesis level as well as aligning with the hidden context of Torah characters through time with specific non-identical functions, and overall taking its depth radically greater than if we were to read the verse and fully work with the given variables that were found through investigation.

The result radically shifts our perspective of the Jewish Mission. To be a Light to Nations now comes in a new light of its own, in that we have context to the Jewish story, and the Ger point of view looking at Jews has a new focus as well. The Jew is seen to be a remembrance for the nations as to who they are, where they are from, and their relationship to Israel and ultimately God – furthering the promise to the ancients that they would never be forgotten; and to Israel this is their security as well. Thus to Jews and Gerim, the ancients would factor into both traditions, and serve as a substantial substance to the awakening and survival of both. We now have context of a history of exile and the keys to redemption, as it will happen in the future based on what happen(s) in the past.

The reader is informed that as a sign of redemption after the warnings have all manifested and the land remains barren and devoid of true Israel, a recollection of the covenant of the ancients will commence. Israel would become the catalyst to revisit the Torah of the Ancients through luminaries such as Shem son of Noah. The irony is, that the Ancients not only remind the nations who they are and what is their relationship with the Almighty, but simultaneously the arousal from within the Jewish camp becomes activated. A completely Jewish Torah that exists as a product of exile cries for its lost roots, in that it too needs reminded of the Ancients and their righteous teachings; all enclothed within the Torah of Moses, a Torah from Sinai destined for all of Mankind. This is the Mission of Israel, and this is their Light that Hashem has promised to return in the right visible time.

History has revisionists all over it, yet Hashem has laid out how the revealed end will go, and the commentators suggest that this is a hint in the Torah of how to recognize the famous war of the End Times "Gog Magog." It will be made visible by signs of the Ancients [thus a return of Gerim] and Israel ascending to their posts of this revival of the Torah's innermost chambers. The path to redemption is painfully clear: recognize and yearn for the spiritual technology of the Ancients – for the Mission of Israel is to recall this Light and reintroduce it to our consciousness, paving a path that extends beyond the darkness of the walls of exiles.

May the Gerim and Jews continue their holy Mission to bring forth the Light of the Ancients.

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Entering The World to Come - Now

Parashas Kedoshim

Of Mighty Men and Merit

Rabbi David Katz

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Lernen' Toirah Is a Guttah Zach!

                                                           Parashas Acharei Mot

                                                    Ger Code: Millennium Edition

                                                              Rabbi David Katz

Caution! This article is not for Gerim, Jews, Noahides, ill-hearted, queasy, easily sickened, soft, fickle, or any other temporary movement/condition(s) placed upon man [by man]. This is a scholarly article for the Lover of God, one attempted to be written clearly for one purpose, and one purpose only: to settle the score among legions of Gerim of every label across the globe, and to satisfy those whose souls love the Ger and truly want resolution on matters – bringing rectification to chaos. Our good friend Parashas Acharei Mot happens to be the hub of explaining these delicate matters, particularly in its commentaries of the "Sifra" and "Torah and Mitzvah" [Rav and the Malbim]. The "code" is in these classic works, and I will attempt to illustrate, highlight, articulate, translate, and every other –ate in the book [pun intended], in order to make order in a chaotic World that is the Ger in the Chumash. It is not that hard, it just needs diligence and patience to see this through to the end. May God be with me in thought, pen, and action[, and speech come class time] to finally bring this sacred wisdom out to the non-Hebrew speaking World once and for all. Baruch Hashem.

You will need to set uninterrupted time aside and apply ultra focus for this article.

Audio shiur will GREATLY elucidate these matters and eliminate complex issues.

***Article Agenda: To know and become familiar with the authentic absolute tools necessary for instilling a common vernacular and uniform same page understanding of all topics relating to the Ger, enabling all to navigate the [ancient] textual world of the Ger contained in the Five Books of Moses, and Her purest and most authoritative classic commentaries that exist in traditional Jewish Yeshivish literature.***

***I will begin with a translation, and I will endeavor each extended tangent with a road map and compass that will lead us back onto the super-highway, upon investigation of each rest area. Never forget our goal – TO UNDERSTAND THE GER TZEDEK and thus all references of Gerim.

The Sifre [Talmudic Time Period Midrashic/Halachic Commentary on Vayikra] explained through the Malbim:

[Vayikra 16:29 –"This shall remain for you an eternal decree: In the Seventh Month, on the 10^th of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and you shall not do any work, neither the native nor the Ger who dwells among you."]

Sifre: "Ger" – this is the Ger; "who dwells" – to include the Ger women; "among you" – to include women and slaves

The Sifre wants to use this Ger reference as the source of all Ger exegesis in the Torah, and take issue with its perplexing context; just who are these Gerim? This rings true not only here, but everywhere in Torah! Consider the following the source material to understanding Ger code, and for the record, the tradition thus would have it that the Ger of Yom Kippur is an eternal light, to all who seek to know the Ger.

"And the Ger who dwells among you"

[Malbim explaining Sifre's explanation of our Ger]

…there is a difference between the letter "heh" that precedes the Hebrew term for "THE Native" -  in reference to all Natives, and between the letter "heh" that precedes the term "THE Ger." The "heh" before the Native is a definite article referring to all, whereas that which precedes the Ger is a definite article used for distinction, for there is Ger Tzedek and Ger Toshav, and both of them are called Ger, just as used "for the Ger that is in your gate, you will give it to him, and he shall eat [Re'eh 14:21 – one of the main roots of Ger that is NOT a convert perforce] – this is a Ger Toshav and notice that there is no "heh" before the word Ger, rather a term, "in your gate" – a Ger Toshav expression.

However the Mechilta [a likewise work as Sifre, only on Shemot] states this same "code" as used in the 10 Commandments [Jethro 20:10] states strikingly that this is a "Ger Tzedek!" [Rashi agrees with this] – But then the exegesis continues [likewise in Yevamot 48b] really?! – is this not a Ger Toshav? The commentator then suggests that it is indeed a Ger Tzedek and the Ger Toshav [who keeps Shabbos, as explained in the 10 Commandments] reference to Shabbos is specifically referenced in Mishpatim 23:12; Mishpatim is seen as the perfect inverse to the Ger Tzedek of 10 Commandments. [Notice, that the 10 Comm. Learning of Ger Tzedek breaks protocol and labels the Ger of the Gate as Tzedek and Mishpatim with the "heh" as the Toshav!?! – Rashi takes this ironic position, and the Ramban follows classic code and switches the order to be as predicted. The question is, why does the Rashi view (that contains Mechilta and Yevamot) break protocol?  - while Ramban poses no threat to our code condition of the gate Ger is Toshav and the "heh" preceding Ger is Tzedek]

To answer this, the Malbim answers by leading into our next example! Parashas Kedoshim 19:10 mentions the Ger, and states that he must be a "ben Brit" [circumcised]; the Malbim teaches this is a Ger Tzedek by circumcised. Now to gain context into this circumcised Ger, back track to our previous discussion about the Ger and Shabbat [as explained by the Talmud Yevamot and Mechilta] and investigate the comparison made there in context of the Ger. He is compared to a slave who is either circumcised or not circumcised in order to gain clarity on the type of Ger [not to assoc. with slavery in terms of the Ger, but rather what he has in common with a slave, for the slave is mentioned in the verse in direct proximity of the Ger. Thus the rabbis see the common bond is the relevant circumcision or lack thereof]. Thus the conclusion is that the Ger is circumcised for the slave in context is circumcised, and hence he must be a Ger Tzedek. The Parashas Mishpatim Ger who keeps Shabbos [for other reasons] is Toshav, and compared to a non - circumcised slave, thus he is not circumcised. Learn from this a circumcised Ger non-Jew is called Ger Tzedek, for he has advantages of his circumcision [Eating of the Passover Offering].

Fast forward to our Malbim now in Kedoshim, and he is compared to a Levite in regards to circumcision. The context is in "don't taunt the Ger"  [which applies to all Gerim] followed by love the Ger who is like the Native among you; for ya'll is one common law. This is a Ger Tzedek, he is circumcised, and as obviously this does not turn away from the convert, but also one must realize it INCLUDES our non-Jewish circumcised Ger Toshav friend who now has a non – law term attached to him for the sake of accentuation and merit – Ger Tzedek.

Further in our own Parsha 17:13-15 – "any man of the Children of Israel and of the Ger who dwells among them who will trap a beast or a bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with the earth. For the life of any creature – its blood represents its life, so I say to the Children of Israel 'you shall not consume the blood of any creature; for the life of any creature is its blood – whoever consumes it will be cutoff.' Any person who will eat a bird that died or was torn the native or the Ger he shall immerse his garments and immerse himself in the water…"

Malbim on 17:15 - …this comes to exclude Akum [non- Jews and non -Gerim], and we already explained in Achrei Mot [our verse] that every mention of the word Ger [alone] can either be a Ger Tzedek or Toshav…and in order to clarify this confusion, we must learn the individual unique matter clearly always! Here since it mentions the Native, and the verse has a one direction theme in content and context, it must be speaking about the Ger Tzedek, for the simple meaning of the verse and its logical progression and assembly is uniformly expressed as such; this is its simple meaning, and the Ger follows simple meaning, Pshat. Thus through the exegesis of all of a verse's contents the Ger must follow the simple uniform consistent flow of thought. Again, this is not to exclude the convert, for it is illogical to say a Native isn't a convert! The rule is though, to include the Ger Tzedek non-Jew who is like a Native, for reasons we will delve into now. And to remain consistent with the style of the Malbim, he has now addressed the Native and the Ger issue from our previous verse through elucidating that topic here. For he continues in Acharei Mot after quoting the verse about the blood, "you may make a mistake and think that verse is speaking about a Ger Toshav; should it have been Toshav, it would have tipped us off somewhere in the verse with a revealed hint [perhaps the word Toshav would appear] letting us know which Gerim are in context; this would prevent error between Toshav and Tzedek confusion."

The Malbim brings another case of distinction of Gerim, showing that this is not a matter of religiosity, but rather place of residence. A Ger can [and by definition] be one who takes residence in a place not of his own, whether by coming from afar, or by already being nearby. The Canaanites were nearby, and thus when they took on Seven Laws for Torah reasons, they were considered Ger Toshav. However one who comes from afar to take residence in the Land [see Vilna Gaon to Haazinu] and wishes to live on the land according to the proper way the Land should be lived, he is termed a Ger Tzedek and is obligated in all commandments, yet as the Vilna Gaon points out, he is still termed a non-Jew [until he converts should he wish to]. Ironically and confusingly, both are called simply "Ger" – and thus as the Malbim points out each Ger must be understood in context and within Pshat of every verse to ascertain who he is. We must look for signs, like "the gate" – letter "heh" – words like Native, Toshav, or in assoc. with slaves, women, etc. in order to gain polarity of what the Torah is trying to convey.

 He ends this segment that simply put, the "heh" is generally a reference to Ger Tzedek and w/o the "heh" leads us to search the other parameters of the verse. [It should be noted that the side commentaries of note on this subject that are most interesting and found in the Hebrew Chumash editions are Rashi and the Sifsei Chachamim – for Rashi in a subtle way points out these distinctions and the Sifsei in an also subtle way shows how the Ger references are usually an inclusion of both the Jew and non-Jew perforce, for he shows with logic that to exclude one simply doesn't work].

The Malbim from here goes on to show how the "heh" is for Ger Tzedek, and primarily men, as the grammar is masculine, and thus the usage "dwelled" [in Hebrew it is roughly Gerr-ed] by the grammar change, comes to include Ger women, thus alleviating the circumcision issue, and thus posing no problem in exegesis.  The Malbim ends his commentary here, by showing that the last distinction of Ger Tzedek as a non-Jew [also in terms of convert, i.e. not an exclusion] can be depicted through tenure. 

One who is new might be a Ger Toshav, whereas a Ger Toshav who has been at this for a long time, has "many days by him" and thus is a Ger Tzedek as a type of merit, and to not confuse him with a Ger Toshav, who lets say is planning on fully renouncing idols in the next hour [he has spent his time learning Torah in preparation for this moment of joining the likes of Israel].

The Malbim to Kedoshim 19:33 in context to our verse of 'don't taunt the Ger' and Love the Ger like the Native lists the 46 mentions in Torah of "take precaution of the Ger." Most if not all, as much as they apply to the convert, they apply to some form of non-Jew whether he is a normal Toshav or more Native like and thus considered Tzedek as a term of affection and merit for his sacrifice to join with the Shechinah.

The last main hub-extension  of the Malbim on this issue takes place in Parashas Behar 25:35 [The Malbim references our Acharei Mot verse, as do all of our extensions] – and he leads in as we would suspect [the verse states: if your brother becomes impoverished and his means falter in your proximity – you shall strengthen him; Ger and/or? [This point needs the commentary and makes all the difference as we will see] Toshav so that he can live with you.]

"…every 'Ger' mention must be known through inspection if it is Toshav or Tzedek.." and he brings our Acharei Mot code learning to prove that here [notice the code! No gate, no "heh" and the inclusion of the word "Toshav!"] Is a case of obvious Toshav. Rashi uses the "and/or" to include the Ger Tzedek as does our Sifra, unlike the Talmud's view on this being only Toshav, for he reads it: Ger [Tzedek], and [Ger] Toshav…thus one can clearly see, there is creativity in how one see the Ger code in exegesis, for one could just as easily read it Ger and Toshav as one thing like the Talmud, or as  Rashi hears it in a terse manner, and thus brings in Ger Tzedek and Toshav; this is of huge consequence!  For the Talmud will learn you shall not take interest in loans from a non-Jew whereas Rashi and Sifre learn that the Ger Tzedek [convert and well immersed non-Jewish Ger Toshav functioning meritoriously as Tzedek – this avoids an obvious desecration of God, for should one dwell with Israel after an accumulation of years, God forbid one takes from him interest, especially when he is keeping more than the prescribed seven laws, notably circumcision and Shabbat!] is the one we shall not take interest from, whereas through exegesis we shall not include the Ger Toshav under this precaution. 

We see from this where Halacha is involved, the outcome is more severe in what we call an individual, yet we have been shown through the Malbim and Sifre many examples that we are obligated to weigh out for this reason!

It is said that we do not have a Ger Toshav today, and where this is correct is in all circumstances that would relate to this verse of interest should that be the Halacha. Today, this would not be in effect, for we do not have the means to carry out the law. But Ger Toshav and Tzedek in terms of other mitzvoth, circumcision and Shabbat in particular, as well as living on the Land while keeping the Torah command of the Land [farming laws] should be seen as one of the greatest mitzvoth we can do and gaining  huge merit in the art of making Gerim to praise God's Holy Name!

In essence, the term Ger Tzedek unlike Ger and Toshav [which is Biblical] is a term much like Chasidei Umot HaOlam, for they are rabbinic terms to explain not just one train of thought, but an entire idea, culture, and philosophical view…it is a point of distinction with context and love and grace. The Chasid [credit the Rambam for coining the phrase based on King David and later the Talmud] depicts a non-Jew who sacrifices for Israel, is in a dynamic relationship with the Jew, etc…thus the Rambam [Issurei Biah 14:7 – also the source of Ger Toshav existing today! As opposed to 14:8, which explains the Ger Toshav of FULL BIBLICAL STATUS] by using this term in this way shows the dynamic and heavily laden context with the Chasidei Umot HaOlam – they are in this with the Jews thick and thin. The Ger Tzedek is a similar term – for it tells a story; it is the journey of the Ger, and it can take many shapes and forms. If the Torah warns 46 times to Love the Ger, then one should not be surprised to find 46 usages of Ger Tzedek and each one being unique and precious!

In closing, in our Parsha is the verse 18:5 - "you shall observe my decrees and my laws, which 'Adam' [Man] shall carry out and by which he shall live – I am Hashem. The Talmud says the term 'Adam' means – a non-Jew who learns Torah is compared to a High priest. Thank God. Thank God for Gerim, for God loves the Ger, and so should you – to the tune of 46 times in the Holy Torah. The Ger Tzedek and the Chasid of the Nations depict all that is right in learning Torah. Indeed; and no code here, just Pshat [Torah's Simple Understanding] ladies and gentlemen, however God asks that we learn every part of His Torah this way, and for that, there is only one solution – Love the Ger.


In conclusion, we have seen many variations and degrees of the Ger in numerous arenas of Jewish Law, thought, and distinction. As the Malbim pointed out, and this being the most essential - the point of this article, is that to know the Ger, one must explore to the depths and roots of every Ger mentioned in the Torah on location in order to ascertain the nature of any particular Ger. This is only complex when we take the matter as a whole, such as was done in this article. However, should one research Ger references from an aroused interest, it is my deepest desire that this article will empower each student driven in these matters, to plumb the depths of the Ger and bring light to the World through his research - made possible through the "code-revealed" style and commentary of the Malbim as presented here. Amen, may it be His will.

Class God Willing Motzie Shabbos 11 P.M. Tzfat Time

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The God of Naaman Lives!

                                                               Parashas Metzora

                         Intellect, Gerim, and Moshiach – Finding Light Outside the Camp

                                                                 Rabbi David Katz

Parashas Metzora comes across to us plainly as a Parasha that deals with skin conditions, and as such, one must see the Priest for his remedy. Yet hidden inside this maze of Priestly jargon, is a path that ultimately contains the light of redemption. So perfectly contained in a vernacular of the scholar, yet Hashem has highlighted His brilliance within Creation, all within the framework of a dictum, "From the mouth of God we heard two." Resolving the paradox of Creation, simply put, for every word that God has spoken [or written], there is a complete parallel universe waiting to be beheld. This is what gives us life and experience, taking the tzedaka of existence that Hashem has blessed us with, as a dual consciousness that materializes into an identity unique to each one of us; all the while it remains in Hashem's hands as His Creation and a story that only He can tell and ultimately did tell in a unique way through Moses at Sinai. Expressed in simple and easy terms, in Metzora we learn about skin stuff, but this is not another case of another Naaman and his Tzaaras, for underneath the Metzora is the God of Naaman, and He is telling us the rest of Naaman's story. The story takes us outside the camp, the place that Naaman [and Jethro] ventured off into away from a Jewish comfort zone, a place of Gerim, [Torah] Intellect, and most ironically, the Messiah himself. Oblivious, we shall forever continue reading about the leper in Metzora, evading one of the Torah's clearest paths to the doors of redemption.

In Tazria 13:2 we are introduced to the Sapachas, and by reading the Rashi Commentary there, you will easily read that this is a skin malady synonymous with becoming afflicted with Tzaaras and now being classified as a Metzora. It is precisely here that the river forges into the divisions of Pardes [four levels of exegesis] and we can accept the story of God, for the Metzora is a major cog in the engine that runs the World, otherwise known as the Temple; without Priests working, the Temple stands for naught. 

However when we kick in the famous Torah of Emunah [faith] concept, we find a new wing to the entire Torah [yet again]; this time it truly rings loud and clear with Messiah and redemption. Even more importantly, we can shed serious light on the abstract concept that authorities reference as the beginning of the redemption, such that it is termed the redemption of the Ger. How wonderful of an analogy to have this in Parashas Metzora – for every healing is a mini redemption for that soul to come back into the camp. One need not look far to see the micro/ macro elements working here, and on a mystical level the mind can fathom the obvious connections [and all the more so from Torah source implications of the like] through Torah of Emunah how we move in and out of holy camps in what is called life, based on the same principles as this article, in Torah intellect, Gerim, and Messiah. We all contain these facets when we succeed in creating them into our psyche, and behold, it appears before us – a revelation from God.

The Maharal of Prague quickly jumps on to this beautiful assist from Rashi, for the chain of events is as follows: the Torah lists Sapachas as a malady, Rashi explains it is a pre-cursor condition that can turn white, and we leap laterally to a famous Talmudic passage that says Gerim are harsh to Israel like sapachas. In this context Sapachas is referred to as a condition when Gerim and Jews interact not for the sake of heaven, and become [poorly translated] as "as thorns." The example often cited is as one who comes close to Israel, becomes jaded and leaves, and thus ultimately takes on an antagonist role against Israel. Yet metaphorically when Gerim are called sapachas [and sticking close to Rashi's definition] the exegesis usually revolves around the difficulties in relations between Jews and [MAKING] Gerim. Due to the reality that Gerim are close to those far from God, many challenges can rise for the Jew-Ger connection, for an unlimited amount of accusers can enter into the confines of this holy arena; the arena is simply a platform to make Gerim, and fill the World with God's Light. By definition, this job will go through thorns and maladies by direct association on both sides. The Maharal however, in being consistent with Rashi and ways of exegesis offers a fantastic view, that in his way, the Ger and sapachas on Israel is a merit, and one linked with Torah intellect and Messiah. The brilliance of the Maharal will show symmetry between Gerim, Intellect, Messiah, and Tzaaras as a path to redemption.

He begins by stating that our world is physical and anti-Messiah, for he is spiritual – in that he is of Torah intelligence, a spiritual way of life rather than overtly physical. At the same time, he says intelligence is a Ger in this World, i.e. not indigenous amidst physicality. The Talmud then enters the equation and says two foundational principles: Messiah is with the lepers, and even is considered a leper himself. When this all weighed together, you have a Messiah son of David [to which David calls himself a Ger numerous times] who is outside the [popular] camp of Israel, is depicted as a leper, has intellect as the catalyst of his exiled nature, and associates with people like himself.

Once we parallel Messiah and his status as Metzora, enter the Ger who is like sapachas, and is thus a Metzora allegorically as well. Join in the Maharal who says intellect is a Ger in this World, and it becomes literal – for a Ger IS this Torah intellect! We learn that the Messiah makes his company with – Gerim, for they are both perfectly parallel in every way among the Torah, Maharal, Talmud, and all other works on this subject and associate on this positive level of context. The picture becomes quite clear, in that we have a Jewish continuum that plays a vital role in sustaining the physical World [in tandem with Gerim] and by the End of Days, they will have lost sight of the Messianic Light completely; this leaves two entities outside the camp of Israel – Gerim and Messiah, and thus they are destined to unite, not surprisingly causing a beginning to redemption.

The Gerim are seen as outsiders for their sublime intellect for Torah is virtually unacknowledged, and are thus seen as outside and sapachas by nature – on many levels of interpretation. The Messiah is spiritual, and thus the physical World that Jewish proper represents perforce reject his light, leaving him on the outside as well. The Messiah by definition then is a conceptual [Jewish] Ger [as David said of himself] and identifies as a Metzora, a sapachas, and it could be said he too is as thorns to Israel; King David was the biggest perceived threat in Israel's history, and ironically, he was perhaps the greatest man to ever walk the Earth! Ironically, it is outside the camp where the Gerim and Messiah are destined to meet and unite under the pretext as societal rejections, a rendezvous of spiritual reality and intimate Torah intellect, preparing the Lights of redemption; of the Ger, of the World, and for all of Israel.

The Metzora remains a skin malady to Hashem's book and the story moves on; yet underneath the plot, Hashem sows redemption, similar to the saga of Judah and Joseph, for we bother with Judah, while Joseph's journey is Hashem redeeming within perfect story engineering. Once the Parasha closes its final chapter, the Metzora lives on in Torah tradition, pulling together all of its loose ends. We will learn how the Messiah is a Metzora, Intellect is a Ger, and the Ger is forever in the background, all leading to an immaculate story of redemption emerging from affliction, reminiscent of the Red Heifer context! The emphasis that Hashem is making clear is that there are two directions of the World – to God and away from God, and they don't always get along or cooperate. The Messiah is the program that gives leadership to the "to God" agenda, one that the Gerim personify, for God loves the Ger.

The Jewish people are also loved by God, and play a special function in the plan as does every member of God's society. But as the show must go on mentality within the play called "life" there is a subplot, and it is laced in every sector that society wishes not to frequent – for they wish to remain in their created camp. It is the Ger who personifies out of the camp consciousness, and surprisingly through the eyes of the Ger, we can behold the Messiah, and his lonely playground. Harsh on Israel like thorns are Gerim, for they encourage Messiah and his World to take center stage, much like the Priest who comes to remedy the Tzaaras. How sweet it is, to find out against all odds, you were actually on the winning team, albeit the massive underdog! A glorious redemption is promised and will come, one led by Messiah and followed by Gerim [as states the Midrash]; and in the end we learn about the God of Naaman. The God of Jethro. The God of Abraham. The God of Israel, God is one, and he shall purify His World, his World is of Torah, and once the dust settles, we will all inhabit a World filled with Knowledge of God, a World of the Ger, illuminated with His dwelling on Mt. Zion, spinning with Priests and Gerim – in eternal Peace, Happiness, and Unity.

Class is Motzie Shabbos 11 P.M. Tzfat Time

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I'm With Naaman

• Going Deep With Elijah!
• What is a Great Man?
• Who is This Naaman?!
• Innocence Defined
• The Great Ger
• In It With God
• etc.

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[Moshiach and the Ger]

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The Men of Men

                             Parashas Naaman [Tazria; Haftorah]

                                     The Great Man of Peace

                                          Rabbi David Katz

Elijah the Prophet led an amazingly powerful life, and concordantly, he was associated with many powerful people, many of whom achieved tremendously powerful deeds. Many are familiar with Elisha the Prophet and his miracles – for he was the primary student/servant of Elijah, and there were others as well. Yet perhaps the most powerful moments in Elijah's life were those spent running away from power, for he fled from his famous adversary Jezebel, and her husband Ahab. Many are perplexed why the Man of God didn't just bring down hell and fury on this witch of a woman, something similar to his supernatural victory over the prophets of the Baal, to which Elijah executed them all. The Zohar teaches that this was not an option for Elijah, for it would sacrilegious to profane an open hand of God, such that was not destined in the sacred name of Elijah. Thus he fled, he remained with his fiery soul and passion for God – all the way to heaven; and it is precisely only after Elijah disappears do we find his greatest invisible contemporary – The Great Man Naaman. For all that Elijah could do, and for all that was given over to his hand, it would be Ahab, the King of Israel, husband to Jezebel [she who solely lived as it seems to desire Elijah's death] who was the most elusive; only to Naaman – he was divinely delivered, and destiny was born. Elijah may not have witnessed the deeds of his greatest [distant] student knowingly, but Elisha was privy, and Elisha served as the Prophet of God, to deliver into Israel, one of the Greatest Gerim who ever lived – Naaman, he who completed the mission of Elijah, through the execution of the King of Israel. Naaman then by definition, is – was – will be the paradigm of a servant of God.

To bring greater light into this story, first lets introduce the Naaman that we all know, then send him on his marry way; only in the end can we understand his beginning – the mysterious man who killed Ahab – an open act from God, through the agency called Naaman.

Naaman is the subject of chapter 5 of Kings 1 and we meet him as a great man according to scripture; he is a general in the army, he has people very close to him, and exactly like the content of our Parasha Tazria – he suffers mysteriously from Tzaaras. The story quickly transfers from introducing Naaman and his relationship to wars and Kings, and soon in we find out that he desires to engage a Prophet of God, in order to properly treat his ailment of Tzaaras. It is then that we are introduced to Elisha the Prophet – the great servant of Elijah, and one of history's greatest moments begins to occur through the budding brotherhood of Elisha and Naaman.

Once Elisha finally finds his way to Naaman and his Tzaaras [which was the cause of Naaman's pursuit of Elisha – to heal his malady], Elisha receives miraculous counsel from Hashem, and the order is to dunk Naaman into to the Jordan River seven [***think Ger code here] times, such that this act will become miraculous, and fully restore Naaman. They did so, and upon completion of the immersion, we are quickly thrust into bearing witness to Naaman becoming a proper Ger [Toshav]. In these moments, we all become like Naaman, a sort of Red Heifer; the more we desire to become pure, the impurities surface, until ultimately, we are cleansed and delivered with a new status as a returnee to God. The analogy could not be any more perfect, for immediately after he is cleansed it would "appear" that he is about to embrace idolatry, with requests to bring back elements of the Land to his place, and align with his king who will bow to a foreign God in close approximation to Naaman!

The Torah however knows Naaman very well and his intentions, i.e. what his heart is saying, and that is the innocence not only of a Ger proper, but the Ger in all of us. Naaman is returning, and he is being real and speaking of reality; there will be challenges in his life, as plunges forward to learn to live a life with God; it doesn’t happen overnight. Thank God for Elisha, for he hears the heart of Naaman talking [as opposed to Gechazi, the servant of Elisha, who heard Naaman and thus thought to exploit Naaman] and guided him as a true brother, realizing the impurity was just the necessary means of the return to God!

Naaman went on his way, alit with the fire of the Ger, and this is the last we see or hear of Naaman and his journey. We don't know what became of him; did he stay the way? Did he make Gerim, i.e. his family, the King, etc.? Interestingly enough, there is a thread of light from this story, in that not only did Naaman stay the way, but he even elevated into a Ger Tzedek – he and his offspring. The connotation of being a Ger Tzedek on this level, as one who progresses into the Mitzvot, and has either connections to the Land or undertakes Brit Mila.

The End.

And now we can understand how this story started, and gain a bit of insight as to where Hashem is in Naaman's life. If we look at Kings I 22:34 it states, "A man of Aram drew his bow aimlessly, yet hit the King of Israel between the joints of his armor." Shortly afterwards we learn that the King of Israel died, and the archer thus had killed him. But before we become familiar with the archer, the first endeavor is to find out why Hashem allowed the hit in the first place.

Enter Elijah.

Elijah as we know had to deal with the prophets of the Baal, Jezebel, and Ahab her husband, the King, to cite a few of Elijah's biggest antagonists during his days on Earth. He succeeded with the Baal incident, God took care of Jezebel – intentionally not through the agency of Elijah, for Elijah was to take care of the Baal issue, not Jezebel. And with Ahab, Hashem told Elijah what would be post – Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah would not be given Ahab or Jezebel, for he would be summoned on high, but not until he gained a few friends, namely Elisha the Prophet. It is around this time that an archer shot a bow aimlessly into enemy territory, and miraculously struck down the King of Israel. The archer was Naaman, and he had no idea how this had just happened; but Hashem knew, and He knew the caliber of what was within Naaman.

Elijah is about to depart, and the plan of God is taking shape; Elisha is doing his part, Jezebel's number is going to be called [as she is taken out by the principles of what was laid down by God in Kings I 19:15] and Ahab is laid to rest by a renegade arrow fired by Naaman. The Torah uses the word "innocently" [Naaman shot his bow] to describe Naaman's action, and there is a principle that when using this word [Tumo in Hebrew] comes to imply that no wrong could possibly be done. One can clearly see that Hashem had big plans for Naaman and that he is a man of destiny. To conclude the prophetic series of events, Elijah's desires were brought to culmination with Ahab's death, and his efforts to restore some order in the Northern Kingdom could now commence with Ahab and Jezebel gone; fate would have it that Elijah and Naaman were forever bound by a miracle from God.

And now we know the full character of Naaman; he came and went, interacted with the Prophet of Israel, and became a Ger Toshav/Tzedek. The most interesting element however is we always assume just that – he came and went. Once we plug in Elijah and the story with Ahab – the mysterious archer comes to light, and as we know, this was a divine appointment for Naaman. We know now just a bit, as to who he was before we meet him as a man with tzaaras; an archer he may have been – but most importantly, he is a man on God's radar.

God selected Naaman before the Haftorah ever did. If we look at him not from the lens of the archer, but through the actions of God, we see that Naaman led a life of mazal and divine providence. Some would say that this was bitter sweet, for now he needs to work out the equation of how he could kill a Jew, and moreover the King of Israel. Yet on the flip side he has a deep relationship with God, and he rises to its challenge. In truth, we don't know all that much about Naaman, nor do we really have to. If we just read his character in the Torah as a mandatory and source of inspiration about Gerim [in the very least], we will probably lose interest on some level, for quickly the mind realizes "I" am Naaman, and my story entertains me more than him by default!

We are Naaman. We are returnees to God, and with Naaman we all can relate to him, his story, his journey, his life, etc. We feel the impurity as we seek purity; but most important, we all have drawn that arrow, fired it, and perceived where it has struck. Our task is to live with our providence, accept it, and realize that our path to God comes to us only from God. It is called Divine appointment, and sooner or later we fall to the hand of God; what we learn from Naaman, is that this a mission of Peace, and that is why he is associated with the mission of Elijah, for Pinchas is Elijah, and nobody knows what it is to act for God better than Pinchas [the man with the spear]. Actually, correct that, maybe Naaman did, and that is why he is a Ger Tzedek – a message that could only come from someone like Naaman, he who is defined by the Torah as a Great Man.

Shiur on Article In-Depth 11 P.M. Saturday Night Tzfat Time [we changed our clocks! - 4/5/14]

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The Pig Who Knew Not of its Cud

• King David's Relationship With God
• The Four Exiles
• The Miraculous Pig
• Making Gerim
• Famous Gerim Among The Exiles
• etc.

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Its a Bird, Its a Plane, Its a Pig That Chews Its Cud!

                                                                  Parashas Shmini

                                                               The Torah of Faith

                                                                 Rabbi David Katz

There is an aspect to Torah that can simply be considered a Torah [style of learning] of Emunah [faith]. Rebbe Nachman is one of the foremost influences in this field, a Chassidic master, such that this embodies the entire agenda of Chassidut, the inner dimension of the Torah that personifies the essence of the Zohar. If there was ever a map synonymous with Torah, then Chassidut is the key that teaches one to read the map; enter Rebbe Nachman, and you have a basis of learning a Torah with/from Emunah. The premise is straightforward and clear as to how this enigmatic system works: it's like downloading software [mochin/ingested intellect] and the body "runs the software" through the soul's interface. An example would be that if one wished to be a "Yehuda-ite/ish" – then he would/should/could learn the actual scriptures of Judah, meditate on them, ingest them, and with Emunah, he will begin to resemble the traits of Judah through the influence of servicing with Emunah. From this level, anything is possible, and the Torah is the mainframe that opens the soul to any Torah reality. So you know what – let's go and not eat a pig! –but why?! – To what intellect would there be in refraining from a pig? Interestingly enough, when we combine a bit of Emunah with a pig, the results are unbelievable, and through this practice, we may never view the mitzvoth the same way ever again.

The Parsha opens with the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, which by the way, one could surmise that they were very much connected to the concept of the Ger women in their demise based on various midrashim on the subject; however the meat [pun intended] of the parsha is the aftermath of the falling of Nadav and Avihu, as we immediately jump into Kashrut. As it is with Kashrut, some parts we are familiar with, while others not so much, or some make sense and some don't, or it could even be we agree with some elements yet struggle with some of the other concepts as to rationale or even the folklore involved with some of these prohibitions. Do we eat pigs, and if not why [really]? Do people really eat bugs – should we? Is the pig going to one day really going be magically Kosher [again]? There are a lot of these questions year after year, and as Noahides get involved with refinement through food, one would expect to receive an authoritative tradition that simplifies these concepts and even makes them palatable [sorry]. Yet maybe these questions and quandaries are somewhat ill-advised, in face of the real opportunity that we are faced with, and that is a Torah of Emunah. Did one ever think that by not eating pig we are literally doing something of an influence over ourselves, those around us, and even throughout the World? Just as Matzah on Passover is a food that is meant to spiritually work into our being as a refinement, so too the mitzvah of not eating pig can work the same benefits, and it happens with Emunah.

There are various animals and crawling things mentioned in our Parasha that one is to refrain from eating of; from scales and fins to hooves and cud chewing – the signs are clear and eternally proven if anything. The Midrash Rabbah however paints a beautiful picture that centers around four typical animals that convey a powerful message of eternal Emunah that sheds light to the nature of the proverbial, "why are we doing this again?" These fav four are none other than the camel, the hair, the rabbit [presumably two different species, or a subject of a lost tradition that clearly specifies the true nature of these two animals. Scripture's tradition of animals has come under much debate and scrutiny in contemporary times] and the pig. As one can easily envision, the key elements that are either missing or presented before us are the nature of the split hooves or lack thereof and cud chewing –likewise. The Midrash takes from these four and compares them to various topics in Torah, and the four exiles in specific. What sticks out the most however is the idea that the secrets of making Gerim are embedded in these animals! If nothing else, welcome to the Emunah of not eating to make Gerim!

The commentary of the animals and their relationships with the famous four exiles begins with our friend the camel while taking place in Bavel [Babylon]. The Midrash makes its comparisons of how the camel suits Bavel, and then offers a strange revelation, that since it raises its cud [chews], we can learn that Bavel was conducive to making Gerim, for the word for cud is the same word for Ger! Thus to "lift its 'Ger' is to make Gerim" – and as the Midrash paints this picture, this is depicted by the camel and in relation to Bavel. A striking revelation that not many are aware of, is that there are major views and opinions of the heritage of Daniel, and his roots as a Ger; for this the Talmud identifies Daniel as a Yehudah-ite as one who has rejected idolatry, for one of such character is labeled as a Judah-ite, regardless of birth affiliation. Thus by not eating camels, and through Emunah, we lift Gerim and rectify on many levels, ultimately causing Gerim to be lifted; both in the first exile, and onwards spiraling in time, making Gerim through Torah and Emunah.

Onwards in the Midrash we arrive to the two types of "rabbits" that have a similar fate, of not having split hooves yet chew their cud; they are compared to Persia and Greece [exiles]. The style of exegesis continues in uniform fashion, and again we learn about famous Gerim in Mordechai of Purim and Alexander the Great of Hanukah. Jewish people have a tradition of naming their children Alexander from what appears to be a remnant of Alexander having become a Ger under the guidance of Shimon the Righteous. The Purim story is filled with Gerim in between the lines, and it mentions the Nilviim who are called the associate Gerim who were there for the whole story. Much like we know about Purim on a revealed level, the deeper level, that of the complete redemption will yield sacred knowledge of who was really who not only then, but in all of history! The Midrash chose to point out Mordechai for this task, which although it is hard to understand, the Torah conveys a message similar to King David who famously said, "I am a Ger"; notice that Mordechai and Ester are in redeemer positions, which by nature involves Gerim, similar to Moses and Aaron before them and Messiah and Elijah who have yet to come [notice the synchronized "mem alef" combinations, for Gerim and Moshiach go hand in glove] And then there was Edom….he who is represented by the pig, one that does not chew his cud.

Before we get into the kishkas of the pig and Edom, one should be aware of an obscure teaching in kabbalah, and documented by the Ohr HaChaim in our Parasha concerning the pig and his lack of chewing his cud. It is said of the pig, that he loves to show off his hooves, as they are split and as if to say that he is kosher; while as for the lack of the cud, this is explained that this is only a temporary condition imposed on the pig, and that in the future he will return to chew his cud. It should be noted that the word for pig – chazir, means literally to return, or go back on self. Thus as its taught, one day the pig will resume chewing his cud, going nicely with his fancy split hooves. As much as this seems like a slight feel good story for the pig and those wishing to eat the pig, deep down, there is an amazing saga here that defines the Ger and making Gerim as only Moshiach would have it.

Our friend the pig as it is well documented does not chew his cud, or literally lift his Ger; and for this, signals that Edom is existentially different than the previous three exiles. Where the former lifted their Ger, making the righteous shine bright, Edom and the pig do not lift their Ger, and as the Midrash points out, we see no better proof than the slaying of Rebbe Akiva and his cronies. [Rebbe Akiva was a convert, but having come from Gerim] Thus the exile that we all know so well, the one that began in Rome and ends in Zion, is infamous for not making Gerim, in fact it is known for butchering them. However when we think of the Ohr HaChaim and the pig's promise, we can do a repair that forces the "pig" to take issue with "itself" once we apply the mitzvah and incorporate live Emunah. As a practice of not eating pig we are ingesting this intellect, of this entire system, one that is replete with a service of faith that is sure to bring redemption, elevate the righteous, and make Gerim.

The culmination of the concept and Torah of Emunah takes place through a second rendition of the four exiles in each relationship with the four animals, as each animal/kingdom is said to drag on its heels another kingdom, until, Edom, which has no successor of evil to note. Instead, the pig sings a different tune, and shifts course to the Prophet Ovadiah the Ger [not accidentally], who envisions saviors ascending Mount Zion, and thus finish all exile and detriment to Gerim. The conclusion, that concludes with the pig ironically, in the end, is the ultimate efforts of Gerim and making Gerim.

Simply put, many have answered the dietary laws as logical equations or bubba mysas to stay sane and healthy. But maybe now more than ever, the echoes of Chassidut, Rebbe Nachman, and the Zohar etc. are resonating loud and clear – that eating "clean" is a Torah of Emunah exercise! On Rosh Hashana we eat foods that are symbolic to spiritual bounty based on many areas of Pardes; this is called segulot – as they are half true and have tradition/superstition. Kashrut however is different, what we are learning, is that through Torah diet – we actually make Gerim and bring Moshiach through a Torah of Emunah. As we eat, we perfect the cud, i.e. the lifting of the Ger, and in difficult situations, even inspire a breach in nature for the sake of making Gerim! And all of this from the lowly pig who just wanted to show us his treifa hooves in spite of his not chewing his food with his mouth closed.

In truth, the Torah of Emunah is real and it is effective. There are laws of nature, and there are ways above nature. The pig and food etc. exist in nature, but through my free will I can choose to not eat a pig, and connect to the Mochin of what that does to my body and soul. If the not eating of a pig mitzvah can make Gerim by making the cud/ger real, and a real integral part of my physical/spiritual diet – imagine what the other mitzvoth can do for both Jews and Gerim! Every mitzvah we do has mochin, and with Emunah, we achieve ways to repair the world and in such a fashion that we shall behold Moshiach from it. With a Torah Universe that is filled with so much light, why remain in darkness; for this is the essence of the Midrash, where one sees exile and lowly animals – utter darkness, with a change of perspective in Emunah, we can connect to the lights of Redemption in the heights of angelic men – such that we will witness the coming of the righteous Messiah, the one who comes to redeem the Gerim. Impossible you say, well, just look with the light, we all have cud to finally chew – with Emunah anything is possible.

Class Tonite on Parasha In-Depth 11 P.M. Israel - we have not changed our clocks!

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Secrets of The Book of Ezekiel's Priests

• Secrets of Script
• Nations and The Temple
• Working Together
• Ezekiel Uncoded
• The Priests of  Tzadok
• The Kohen's Sash
• Revealing Torat Moshe

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The Ancient Priestly Project

                                                                Parashas Tzav

                                                              Follow the Priest

                                                              Rabbi David Katz

A strange occurrence takes place in our Parsha involving seemingly out of place episodes based on the linear properties of time. Simply put, sometimes the Torah does not obviously follow a steady flow of linear time, and has its own agenda as to when, why, where, who, etc. Of course the Torah does have many points of view, and the position that claims an out of order Torah is the view of the Bible Commentator Rashi; while it should be known [that in this instance at least] that the Ramban argues, and explains logically why a linear theme makes sense even within the scope of time. An example of such behavior and a topic that I nearly based the article on is Jethro; for the same linear-time-issues belong to Jethro and his relationship to Sinai. Did he become a Ger before or after Sinai? The difference being that if it was before Sinai, then his Ger-ness is that of Toshav, and an amazing discovery commences that a Noahide could bring the exceptional sacrifice known as a Shlamim! Of course if he converted to Judaism/or became a Ger after Sinai, the Noahide would be limited to bringing an Olah. However for the duration of the article, we will investigate the same time warp issue concerning the anointing of the Priests. Logic says they were anointed in the end of Pekudei, while it is only in our Parsha where the actual ceremony takes place. Rashi says it belonged in Pekudei yet is listed here, while the Ramban says it is in our Parsha, for the Priests needed to learn about the offerings as a part of their inauguration.

The Priests are thus anointed in the Parsha, picking up from where we left off with the three elements of the Mishkan, which as was stated is very much [more than] symbolic of the Four Craftsmen of Redemption, Ben David, Ben Yosef, Elijah, and the Righteous Priest, for Targum Yonaton quotes that the three aspects of the Mishkan represent a) the anointer b) King Messiah c) High Priest d) and the son of Efraim – who comes with Sanhedrin; thus you have the promised return of a full Torah government. And here we are with the Priests – Aaron and FOUR sons receiving their oil and eternal covenant with God as Priests to work the Mishkan along with the first and second Temples. This is to the obvious exclusion of the Third Temple, which any student of Ezekiel's Prophecy will quickly realize that the Third Temple is existentially different than anything that has ever existed before. There has always been controversy serving Ezekiel's Book, and it was even considered being removed from Tanach proper at one time…remember that Ezekiel was killed over mysterious matters. Perhaps the underlying theme that connects all dots in Torah, is the secrets of the End, the secrets of the Priests, which Ezekiel is not only lacking in this department, he is its author!

If anyone has ever visited the Winchester Museum in California, you would be aware of its odd eccentricities. For example, in the museum there is a cabinet, and upon opening it, you will soon realize that you have just founded a completely separate wing of the mansion, such that without finding the innocuous cabinet, this wing would remain utterly dormant. Torah can become the same way, and it is for this reason most that the Ger is so precious to Hashem. He holds the keys to the doors hidden vaults. The Jew is trained to look for golden arches in Torah; let's hear about Abraham the first Jew! And Moses' Torah revelations! And how Elijah saved Israel! Etc. etc. What many don't realize is that these stories are a minute part of the Torah, and it is the Ger that brings to life the entire Torah.  A Ger could ask what was the peripheral of Abraham like [which by the way he was NOT the first Jew, he was the first Ger Tzedek, and only Ger Torah would illuminate this fact], or was there Torah before Moses went up to Sinai? The answers are always shocking, but the good news is that these aren't new answers, God forbid; these are answers that have sat collecting dust for centuries because there was nobody around to ask the hard questions. As much as the Jews have sought their golden arches, it is in our days now, that the keys have come back to the Torah.

One of the biggest keys is the nature of the Priesthood. What is a Priest? Where does it come from?  Was Malki Tzedek a real Priest [as every religion has taken from Malki Tzedek, his priesthood, and the priesthood in general to make it into an idolatry and an enigma in the Torah, to which the Jews simply keep it ignorantly basic as an inappropriate response. We are to know the truth about such imperative topics in our Holy existence, especially if we are to exist together in a Third Temple, of which there will most obviously be Priests. We will be expected to know what a Priest is!]

Our Parsha possesses one of these keys, or hidden arenas of Torah, such that its contents reveal quite possibly an entire perspective of the Final Redemption and the nature of the Third Temple. As was mentioned above, Aaron and sons were anointed along with the Mishkan, and included in their ceremony was the outfitting them in their holy vestments. They were now fully clad as Priests, anointed, and ready to serve in a formal setting of holiness.

The Priests are appointed much grandeur in their vestments. Whether we marvel at the High Priest's Breastplate, or the Golden Head band branded with a Name of God, there is no shortage of interest in this department. The irony however, is that the Priests are outfitted with what most would consider the least relevant of all, that being the Sash. It is hard to imagine that such a benign element of the Priestly costume could have any importance at all, let alone the fact that it may hold the keys to Redemption?! Preposterous! Yet when Ezekiel speaks in context to the Sash, amazing things begin to happen.

To make things simple, the Sash of the High Priest is made of linen and wool, and the lesser Priests it is a Talmudic question of the reality of the lesser Sash – if it is like Aaron's or completely linen. 

Ezekiel makes it clear in 44:17 that no wool may be found on the Priest, and from there, World War Three in Spirituality erupts. Are we talking about the High Priest [on Yom Kippur] or lesser Priests and thus we now know the nature of their Sash? The commentators offer their expertise, and what we walk away with is that the entire subject matter is of the Priests, and seemingly a subject matter that relates to all of the Priests! The famous Radak commentary enigmatically calls this a dispute of Torat Moshe, which is strange since per force it is not written in the Torah.

Continue down the street, we run into even more Priestly issues; one of which suggests that a Priest may not marry a widow, but only a virgin. If this is a High Priest, well, we know that…only it seems to suggest all Priests! Thus is Ezekiel stating that Priests will be elevated like High Priests? The Prophet also refers to the Priests-Levites, descendants of Zadok – to which the Arizal says Priests will become Levites and Levites Priests?! Thus the Sash has created much disarray to what we k now about many things from the Torah; so where is Ezekiel going?

Think back to Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron the Priest. Pinchas was not considered one of the first five anointed Priests, and therefore his Priesthood is something else, only we have never really had a time in history where we could get full glimpse of Pinchas' promised seed. It is said that Pinchas is not a traditional "High Priest" and for that reason the High Priesthood was returned to a particular distant seed of Pinchas, for Pinchas is Elijah, and he became an eternal Prophet, one who serves as the High Priest in the Temple above, serving as our "Kruv" representative. Simply put, Pinchas became a Kruv, an angelic man, he serves above, and his seed has inherited this status, beginning with his son AvYeshua. From his son onwards, the tradition went underground, and is only destined to reappear in the End of Days with the emergence of the famed Four Craftsmen. Simply put, the anomalies of the Priesthood in Ezekiel are directly attributed to Pinchas, his seed, and his role to play in the Third Temple, which we now can understand is existentially different than the Mishkan, and the first two temples.

There are many versions of the Four Craftsmen in Chazal, all close in language, only with subtle differences. Sometimes the Messiah is called ben David vs. the King Messiah, etc. One example gives not a Righteous Priest, but a High Priest. The Righteous Priest is acknowledged as Shem [yet in prayer Elijah is also referred to as the Righteous Priest] while the High Priest is a direct association with PInchas, and this being him taking his promised Messianic role that he earned [as explained by the Arizal in Parashas Pinchas] through killing Zimri and Cozbi. It would seem from the Torah surrounding these events in his Parsha, that Pinchas saved not just souls in the desert, but the integrity of the Torah itself, along with the Priesthood, Temple existence, etc. Pinchas truly was/is/will be the Messianic here, to which the Briskers explain it is fitting that Pinchas restores the Torah in the End of Days, as the Prophet Malachi states, "you should seek Torah from him, for he is an angel of Hashem/ the lips of the Priest shall safeguard Knowledge."

Pinchas' job is to bring a light to the World that has never been seen before, the sacred Hidden Light of Creation, and this is his job as the redeemer-Priest. [The Arizal explains how Pinchas contains elements of Moses and ben Joseph and David as hinted at in his name's mazal] Yet if we bring to light all that we know about the Priesthood, and follow its progression, this is something that came from a long time ago, and extends eternally into our future.

Pinchas is a reincarnation of Noah according to the Arizal's Shaar Gilgulim, and he is intimate with the common soul of Joseph and David [among others; this is what Pinchas' soul so unique, all souls are relative to his soul, the secret of the Ish Yehudi]; this level of Noah is the element that baffled Moses the most, often leading Moses to ask, "if I have found Grace in your eyes" – grace being the same letters as Noah. Pinchas knows of this grace, i.e. level of Noah, for Pinchas' name even spells "Noah –Joseph" in letters; and Pinchas brings the light of the Priest to the World, such that it began with Noah himself!

Pirkei d' Rebbi Eliezer states that Noah entered his soul into that of Shem's soul [the Arizal states often the relationship between Noah and |Shem being one soul, and Moses receiving them into his own], and when this process completed, Shem called this level of "ibur" [soul impregnation] "priest", and we see he became afterwards Malki Tzedek a Priest to God Above. This level of "ibur" spiritual in-dwelling continued from Shem into the Avot, and in particular the tribe of Judah, until the Messiah was produced and Shem met Solomon at Sinai. Simply put, the Jewish people began at Sinai, were developed through the Avot, and have been governed internally by a soul tandem of Noah and Shem, one that manifested a revelation of such at Sinai in the soul of Moses who functioned as the second of three redeemers. [Noah – Moses – Messiah; the perfection of Kruv, i.e. Pinchas/Elijah]

We all know that Shem brought the Priesthood into Abraham, and that Shem received from Noah, and therefore Shem and Noah entered a new time period called Torah [the second 2000 years of Creation] only possible through Abraham, and his Priesthood. [They were maximized in their era of "primordial (Torah) chaos" – which now needed to enter a new era of Torah. Messiah is the one that unites 6000 years of holy history.] This Priesthood developed into a Firstborn status that was to be two heads: a king and a priest. Thus there would ultimately become an Aaron and sons and a seed of David, and legacies were born. Pinchas is the unifier of the firstborn [stated by the Arizal] and is therefore called the one known as "High Priest."

We can now appreciate a little bit better the Four Craftsmen of redemption once we plug the awareness of Pinchas into our equation, for ben David and Joseph are the messianic roles that he is to play out, he is Elijah quite literally, and the Priesthood that exists in Israel from its primordial level, is expressed through Pinchas, as it went through much processes from Abraham towards Aaron, and ultimately to Pinchas. It is brought down that the Hidden Light is synonymous with the Kingdom of David, and that this light entered Israel from Shem as well, in particular with his association with the Tribe of Judah, and his daughter Tamar especially.

In conclusion, we have a strange blip on the radar of our Parsha involving Priests, and when we investigate, we find a sash that opens a big can of worms. The can of worms begins to make sense only when we explain the beginning and end of the Priesthood – in Shem and Pinchas together, both Men who operate under the title of Righteous Priest. Throw Jethro into the mix for he was the Priest of the other side, and things get very interesting indeed! [Remember we began this by commenting on Jethro] Pinchas is a reincarnation of Jethro [yes at the same time like Noah and Shem were] and he is a descendent through his seed as well.

The Priest is truly an enigmatic figure, from Shem, to Jethro, to Aaron and Pinchas. Perhaps it is for this reason that the Priest takes up the cause of the illogical and supernatural Red Heifer, for the Priest seems to defy all odds, just look to Ezekiel. Yet with the proper keys in place, a perspective of the Ger [hello Shem!] and a willingness to analyze Torah that is vague and apparently dormant, we just might make it through! The Torah certainly is a hard Book to piece together, it seems like chaos really, but with the Ger and the Jew working together in Torah, the revelation of Messiah just gets clearer and clearer – as it should be, for we are nearly there, and now more than ever a Kingdom of Priests is working with a nation of High Priests!

If the Ger represents the Urim and Tumim, then who is represented by this Sash? If a Jew can ask this question, than the Gerim have certainly brought the keys; now, if we can just open the doors to the Kruvim who guard the way… 

God Willing the In-Depth Class on BOTH PARSHIOT VAYIKRA & TZAV will take place tonight Thursday March 20 11 P.M. Tzfat time - we did not change our clocks yet; limited seating!

Click Here For Class Link!

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