Showing posts with label Kol Hator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kol Hator. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Golan Heights - Neo Bavel!






Tumah: Act 1 - build tower to wage war with God
Tumah: Act 2 - build tower to wage war with God, this time in the Golan

News Today: WWIII soon to erupt in the Golan; the node to all Avodah Zara;
God's antivirus? - Moshiach 101: True Theology to Replacement Theology.
That would be called Torah, the book we are told to not forsake.


Global Research:



Israel is concerned over the Syrian War’s reach into the Golan Heights which they have been occupying since Six-Day War of 1967. The Golan Heights is a strategic territory for Israel’s security and it is an important source of its water supplies. An attack on Syria could occur if they crossed into Israel’s occupied land.

It was reported in an NBC news report that correspondent John Ray interviewed top Israeli air force officials about Israel’s monitoring of the Golan Heights of the Syrian border:

The spillover of violence from the Syrian conflict into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights is threatening to jeopardize the decades old cease-fire between the two countries and spark a regional conflict.

A series of mighty Israeli airstrikes, apparently on weapons convoys heading from Syria towards President Bashar Assad’s allies in the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, has shattered the fragile truce that has existed along the border since 1973

The Golan Heights, rightfully known as the Syrian Golan is a center of dispute between Syria and Israel since the 1940’s. On June 19th, 1967 Israel offered to return the Golan Heights to Syria if the Arab world would recognize Israel as a state. The Arab world refused such agreements with the Khartoum Resolution that same year. The 1967 occupation of the Golan Heights and the Upper Mount Hermon allowed Israel to seize the entire Upper Jordan River giving Israel access to the Upper Jordanian waters.

Then another conflict developed in 1973 called the Yum Kipper War or the Arab-Israeli War between Egyptian and Syrian forces who invaded the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights, both territories occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War. The United States supplied Israel and the former Soviet Union supplied Egypt and Syria with weapons during the conflict as both superpowers were fighting the cold war against each other during that time. After the Yum Kipper War, Israel returned 5% of the Golan Heights to Syrian control with a demilitarized zone along the area that is declared a ceasefire zone that extends east under the United Nations Peace Keeping forces.

When an Israeli Air Force official was asked about the situation in the Golan Heights, he said “It’s the kind of thing happening more and more,” one of the uniformed escorts explained.” As he continued “We have for 40 years been training for this exact moment. And we are ready for anything,” said a pilot that can be identified under Israeli military rules only as “Major L.”

The Israeli Air Force official had no comment on whether Israel has been flying missions over Syria, “We are searching for peace, but preparing for war,’’ is all Pilot L would say.

When asked if he had already flown missions across the border, he shook his head slowly: no comment.” If Israel decided to attack Syria based on the Golan Heights, then the US and NATO would support Israel’s incursion into Syria’s borders. It would be a perfect excuse to attack Syria. The Golan Heights is a strategic military location and one of the most important water resources for the state of Israel. Israel would protect its interests with the United States as its principal supporter. The United States Secretary of State John Kerry and the United Nations under Ban-Ki Moon want the remaining UN Peacekeepers who are from the Philippines to stay. According to an Associated Press report:

The United Nations and the U.S. have separately asked the Philippines not to withdraw its more than 300 peacekeepers from the Golan Heights, warning of “maximum volatility” in the region after several other countries decided to pull out their peacekeeping forces amid escalating violence, the Philippines’ top diplomat said Wednesday.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry appealed to him in recent talks. He said he told them security for the forces should be bolstered for the Philippines to consider keeping them in the volatile buffer zone between Syria and Israel.

If the UN Peacekeeping Forces pull out of the zone then Israel will send in their troops antagonizing the Syrian government.

Last month, del Rosario recommended to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III that the peacekeepers be withdrawn from the Golan Heights following two separate abductions of Filipino peacekeepers and the wounding of another in fighting between Syrian government and rebel forces.

The Philippines Foreign Secretary knows that an Israeli strike into Syria is near; therefore his recommendation to remove forces is being challenged by both the US and the UN. According to del Rosario:

“This, of course, will create a vacuum in the Golan, that separation stretch which keeps Israel away from Syria,” del Rosario said in a news conference in Manila. He said Kerry and Ban told him that if the Philippines also withdraws, that would “create maximum volatility for the area.” Albert del Rosario did stress that “Aquino said last week the changes he was looking for included additional equipment and enhanced security for the peacekeepers, and different rules of engagement. He continued “If there is no change in the conditions, it might be an undoable mission and our poor troops will be in the middle of two potentially clashing forces and they cannot defend themselves.”

Israel’s concern with the Golan Heights would allow it to launch a definitive strike that would try to cripple Syria’s military capabilities. With the Obama administration willing to supply the Anti-Assad rebels with weapons it would allow Israel to enter a full-fledged war into the Golan Heights. Any artillery shells that lands on the occupied territory would allow Israel to launch a full scale war into Syria with America’s blessing. The Obama administration would support Israel and the rebels with supplies and possibly even US troops already on Jordan’s northern border. The Golan Heights has been an area of tension that resulted in numerous conflicts between Israel and Syria for decades. The Golan Heights has numerous interests for the state of Israel that involves a military advantage over its enemies including Hezbollah and an important commodity for its citizens, water.

If Israel feels that its occupied territory is threatened, it will respond with its military power to remove the Assad government. But Syria will respond to any attack by Israel with full-force along with the Hezbollah forces based in southern Lebanon. The Golan Heights dispute can ignite World War III if the Obama administration aids the rebels on one-side allowing Israel to attack Syria on the other. It was also reported in The Jerusalem Post that the Israel Defense Forces just completed a drill combining the Air Force, Army and Naval forces against possible conflicts against Syria, Hezbollah and even Hamas in the Palestinian territory:

On Wednesday, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon addressed an end-of –training event for IDF officers at a base in Mitzpe Ramon, “At this time, the IDF is dealing both at home and abroad, near and far, with a considerable number of fronts of uncertainty,” he said.

Ya’alon cited the Lebanese front where Hezbollah continues to arm itself and plans on harming Israeli civilians in a future conflict, and the front with Syria, “where a civil war continues to exact a heavy price of human lives, and a (civil) war is nearing our borders, placing us before a complex test that is full of significance.”

He added that there was “a front of uncertainty with the Gaza Strip, where the Hamas terrorist group continues to rule, and which has placed as its goal the destruction of the state of Israel.”

Israel is preparing to launch a war starting with Syria, Palestine and Hezbollah which will last for a very long time. Israel is the occupying force that is waging war across the Middle East. It would result in mass civilian deaths on both sides of the conflict.


X - Men babysit Jerusalem
Muslims babysit the Temple Mount
Jews babysit the Golan
While Moshiach babysits the Kan Tzippor

You can either go up or down



Also Don't Forget - We Just Turned Two!


Turning The Mundane Into Spirituality! - Through Your Name!

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Happy Birthday Soul Mazal




Noahide Naming exists as well!
- Working together to understand one's Hebrew name that is part of the soul
- Everyone has a Hebrew Name
- A short process of interview, research, and conference to reveal the Name
- Methodology of the Vilna Gaon, Chazal, and Kabbalistic Tradition
- Torah reality from Adam until today
- Contact me for more details! [soulmazal@gmail.com]


"After Rabbi Katz gave my reading I was overwhelmed by it. He covered every aspect of the name. Some aspects describe things that have always spoken to me, or have facinated me. Other aspects of the name have come to inspire me to understand my mission and how I should accomplish it. As the sages say "the name causes." I have listened to the audio several times and each time a different aspect stands out. It's like it keeps on giving. I could go on and on about what his reading has done for me, but I think the best thing that can be said is, why take my word for it, experience it for yourself. You will be just as satisfied too. Don't wait!"


"Hashem placed Names in the Land" - Tehillim #46

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Monday, June 3, 2013

The Blue Collar Messiah






The industrial revolution was predicted and fulfilled by the Zohar to be of the years 1739-1839, upon which when this process would conclude, the Prophecy of Daniel's Messiah would be prime to be revealed.

1739 did in fact happen with revelation from above and below, to the extent that our entire world today is a product of those years that began with luminaries such as the Gra and ended with Rockefeller.

3-D Printing is being hailed as the industry messiah, a sort of bookend to what happened in 1739; now we await the spiritual component of the real order, the real Messiah.

The Tikkun to the shviras hakelim that the world underwent from the sins of the sons of Judah and Tamar that was done by tzaddikim of the First Temple time period, is about to finish its 2200 year bounty that began the light of Moshiach ben Yosef and Ezra's building of the Second Temple. The Gra says Beit Shlishi will happen like the Second Temple, then will take a radical eternal shift for the better.

It would seem the cycles are converging now around this Messianic point in time, to which the Zohar says, Iran will serve for 12 months, attempting to flush out Moshiach ben Yosef, and then will promptly fall once Moshiach ben Yosef is worn out and fallen.





Invisalign, a San Jose company, uses 3-D printing to make each mouthful of customized, transparent braces. Mackenzies Chocolates, a confectioner in Santa Cruz, uses a 3-D printer to pump out chocolate molds. And earlier this year, Cornell University researchers used a 3-D printer, along with injections of a special collagen gel, to create a human-shaped ear.

Once a science-fiction fantasy, three-dimensional printers are popping up everywhere from the desks of home hobbyists to Air Force drone research centers. The machines, generally the size of a microwave oven and costing $400 to more than $500,000, extrude layer upon layer of plastics or other materials, including metal, to create 3-D objects with moving parts.

Users are able to make just about anything they like: iPad stands, guitars, jewelry, even guns. But experts warn this cool innovation could soon turn controversial — because of safety concerns but also the potential for the technology to alter economies that rely on manufacturing.

"We believe that 3-D printing is fundamentally changing the manufacturing ecosystem in its entirety — how and where products are made and by whom," said Peter Weijmarshausen, CEO of New York-based Shapeways, an online company that makes and sells 3-D printed products designed by individuals. Products include a delicate, twig-like egg cup (cost: $8.10) and a lamp that looks like a nuclear mushroom cloud (cost: $1,388.66). "We're on the verge of the next industrial revolution, no doubt about it," added Dartmouth College business professor Richard D'Aveni. "In 25 years, entire industries are going to disappear. Countries relying on mass manufacturing are going to find themselves with no revenues and no jobs."

On ground, sea or air, when parts break, new ones can be made on the spot, and even the tools to install them can be made, eliminating the need for staging parts in warehouses around the world, said Jeff DeGrange, vice president of Direct Digital Manufacturing at Stratasys Inc., currently the industry leader in a field of about 50 3-D printer companies.

"We're going to see innovation happening at a much higher rate, introduction of products at a much higher rate," said DeGrange. "We live in an on-demand world now, and we'll see production schedules are going to be greatly compressed."

Airplane mechanics could print a replacement part on the runway. A dishwasher repairman could make a new gasket in his service truck. A surgeon could print a knee implant custom-designed to fit a patient's body. But the military, D'Aveni said, is likely to be among the first major users of 3-D printers, because of the urgency of warfare.

"Imagine a soldier on a firebase in the mountains of Afghanistan. A squad is attacked by insurgents. The ammunition starts to run out. Is it worth waiting hours and risking the lives of helicopter pilots to drop it near you, or is it worth a more expensive system that can manufacture weapons and ammunition on the spot?" he said. In the past two years, the U.S. Defense Department has spent more than $2 million on 3-D printers, supplies and upkeep, according to federal contract records. Their uses range from medical research to weapons development. In addition, the Obama administration has launched a $30 million pilot program that includes researching how to use 3-D printing to build weapons parts.

NASA is also wading into this arena, spending $500,000 in the past two years on 3-D printing. Its Lunar Science Institute has published descriptions of how it is exploring the possibility of using the printers to build everything from spacecraft parts while in orbit to a lunar base. While the U.S. is pursuing the military advantages of 3-D printing, it's also dealing with the potential dangers of the technology. On May 9, the State Department ordered a group to take down online blueprints for a 3-D printable handgun, and federal lawmakers and some state legislatures are contemplating proposals to restrict posting weapons plans in the future.

Since 2007, when these printers first entered the mainstream marketplace, sales have grown by 7.2 percent each year, according to IBIS World, a company that tracks the industry. Sales are projected to jump from about $1.7 billion in 2011 to $3.7 billion in 2015.

Cliff Waldman, a senior economist at the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, a group that promotes the role of manufacturing in global economies, said it's still too soon to know exactly what impact this 3-D technology could have on more traditional manufacturing. However, he doesn't envision it changing the "fundamental shape" of manufacturing, as others suggest.

"I think 3-D has the capacity to impact both products and processes," he said. "I am not ready to say that it is completely disruptive, however. It might be in a few narrow industries."

Starting in June, office supply chain Staples plans to be the first major retailer to supply 3-D printers with "the Cube," a plug-in device that uses 16 colors and costs $1,299. And in September the smallest and cheapest 3-D printer on the market — a printing pen priced from $50 — is due to start shipping. Similar to a glue gun, the 3Doodler plugs into the wall and is filled with cylinders of plastic that come out of a 518-degree Fahrenheit tip. Once the plastic leaves the pen it cools and hardens.

Makers Peter Dilworth, an inventor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Maxwell Bogue, a toy maker, first pitched their pens earlier this year on a website for startup projects. They sought $30,000 and wound up collecting $2.3 million from more than 26,000 investors, who each got one of the 3-D pens. Four artists who teamed up with the men have used the pens to make a mini Eiffel Tower, earrings and butterfly pendants.



Friday, May 31, 2013

Growing With The Ger




Parashas Shelach


The Ger In High Definition


Rabbi David Katz

In this week’s Parsha, we cover the three most distinct angles of the Ger [in relation to Israel] that serve as the main function of the Ger [Toshav] in the Land, setting precedent from within and throughout. The Parsha begins with the spies, and the two spies who don’t speak evil speech, [loshon harah] will go down as two of the biggest pioneers in Jewish – Ger history; none other than Caleb and Joshua. What they stand for, [spreading Seven Laws as a method of subduing idolatry as opposed to military might] shall lend itself to the next phase – a Ger in land [and his obligation/ability to sacrifice [Olah Offering], leading to the last position of the Parsha – tzitzit; religious identification/uniform in the Land – in the merit of Shem, he who founded Jerusalem, and by these means the Land itself [Canaan would then be to Shem as the Caananite Nations standing before Israel]. The three topics could easily be pinned down to three perspectives: The Jewish confronting [potential] Gerim, the Jews and Gerim facing each other, and the Ger gazing at the Jew; spies, sacrifices, and garments respectively. [The Gra identifies this as three distinct stages of daughter – sister- mother in relation to Torah]

When the decision is made to spy out the Land, twelve spies are elected from amidst the Children of Israel, highlighted in historical context by Joshua and Caleb. These two were existentially different than the rest, even for the mere fact that where the others stood to deride the Land of its harshness, Joshua and Caleb offered tunes of praise. However the key in understanding where it went right for these two [and a point of digression for the others], is to consider the path of Caleb – a destination with the Avot!

It should be very clear by now, that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the Patriarchs of Israel, yet a Jewish People would not stand until crossing over through Sinai. That makes everyone before Sinai a Ger [Tzedek], and the standard as such, carrying on a legacy that began with Adam, was entrusted to Noah, and was perfected and influenced by Shem, who made it an eternal path of righteousness. [This follows the Zohar that explains the words of Torah were actually spoken as vessels that belonged and originated with Gerim.] Caleb, as he had “a different spirit within him” would then seek to connect not with his Jewish Brethren [and thus speak an evil report], but would cling to his forefathers who saw Judaism from the eyes of the Ger [hence the perspective point of view of this Parsha], and would, ultimately draw influence from them specifically [and perhaps it is for this reason it is said that the forefathers along with Adam sleep (w/o decay) in the Cave of Machpela; a well of inspiration for he who wishes to connect to their reservoir].

Caleb [and Joshua – who also led a life of devotion to Gerim for the sake of the truth; both Caleb and Joshua deliver their seed into the vessels of Gerim, under the lens of “The Righteous spiritual level of Elijah”] takes a different route of operation in the Land in conjunction with God’s commandments from within the Torah, concerning Derech Eretz in the Land; he chooses to fight as the Avot fought – with Torah. The other spies were limited in their view of success, as they thought in terms of bows and arrows; for that Hashem showed them [in their enemy’s hands] AK 47’s and Merkava Tanks so to speak. For Caleb and Joshua, the view was different, for they chose to fight as Samson – with the Seven Laws of Noah; Hashem then promptly and quite clearly showed them signs of victory. Where the ten evil reports of the spies cried over destruction, Joshua and Caleb were busy preparing the Land as ancestral heritage, laying the seeds of what would be conquered land in the name of God and His Torah.

The loshon hara would go down as the quintessential Tisha b’ Av the day commemorating a Temple’s destruction and a near eternity of agony for Israel. Joshua and Caleb are then essentially in stark opposition, laying foundations for even the Third and eternal Temple of God.  Joshua lays a foundation in the House of Rachav, and Caleb becomes the most recent Patriarch of Hebron [in merit of his influence there from the Avot] – to your seed, an inheritance, says Hashem.

Essentially, “the spies” chose poorly and this resulted in destruction by military might, whereas the other two saw that Hashem’s command of conquering Israel can be done through Torah and Noahide Laws, allowing for the Jewish – Shem pipeline to become once again live and well. This is seen by the Parsha closing with the command of Tzitzit – a mitzvah of the white strings in merit of Shem, while the blue string is the merit of Abraham; a true depiction of heaven and earth – the Jew- Ger pipeline.

[*The Mechilta points out, that the most effective way of securing Israel’s borders, ending idolatry, and even erasing Amalek’s memory, is best accomplished through the Noahide Laws. Jewish history would end up going down this road as its correction against the spies, an acknowledgement of Caleb and Joshua. Only as the Edomite exile intensified has this tradition become lost, amidst Israel’s Second Temple crisis [that Edom destroyed]. We can be sure that as Gerim are returning, Edom’s run is nearing its end, and this time the Jewish People are poised to return to their [Caleb /Joshua – Joseph Judah; ancestors to Messiah’s ben David and ben Joseph who complete the task] roots and bring the World to the Ger Toshav [Shem/Abraham inspired vision] position is was created to exist as.]

This concludes an introduction to a Jewish View of the World coming out of the Land of Israel, from the focal point of first contact, i.e. the spies.

Once Gerim would become common place in the Land [or even as Ger Toshav throughout the World], the Parsha states that they have rights in performing Offerings to God. It is at this junction where the Ger and the Jew truly stand side by side. [If the previous perspective was as a mother - daughter relationship (in nurturing and education), this no doubt would be the sister-sister progression; for wisdom is called “my sister”] The Ger [who wishes to be a Ger and/or operate within Torah precincts] is encouraged to make an Olah Offering, should it be for Thanksgiving or in order to be a proper Ger for example [which today can be achieved through a Ger – Shabbat]. The Jewish – Ger shared experience would be in the learning/physical process of delivering God’s aroma.

The Ger is considered like a High Priest when he learns Torah, and it is the Olah that opens the door to his World of revelation and light. Under the catalyst of his Olah, he may now learn [with sky as the limit when done with the Wisdom of Torah; who again, is called Wisdom] to perform, invest in an expansive nature should he desire to, and he even now has cause to exist in tandem with Israel through his inheritance, the Torah. For a Ger Toshav [within or throughout Israel and the World], this would constitute his independence in the Land, and now would be able to operate with quite ease under the Seventh Noahide Law – to establish the necessary statute of  Beis Din. The Ger would be fully operative in the Land, and the Torah goes on to state, in the areas of interest, there shall be one Torah for the Jew and the Ger alike. 

Today Jewish cooperation and assistance is frail, coupling with Ger hesitation of delivering an Olah, as per the knowledge to identify the appropriate Offering [as one must know with intent the nature of the Olah, i.e. for Thanksgiving or for finalizing one’s soul as a Ger]; the Torah seeks to mend the distance and to improve both sides’ education levels for the sake of the other, through the partnership in the Olah. Should the Ger Toshav of today realize the gift of God that he possesses, the Olah, and were to take full privilege, the Offering [which literally means to draw close] would in fact have the power to draw each other close, into full eternal embrace. The Holy Temple built [and such that it was built by the inertia of Caleb and Joshua as opposed to the spies] which functions as the Divine locale of such Service to God, will forever express this union before God.

This now shows two of three perspectives: Jewish view of the Land and Ger – Jewish view together. The third and final view is the Ger who gazes upon Israel – in the name of Tzitzit.
Tzitzit come under the merit of Shem and Abraham [white and blue strings respectively] and are the article of clothing that a Jew can be seen in the Land. This obviously points to the Ger in the Land [who now is as a “Mother” in Torah, as Torah can be said in his name; having gone through the three stages of Torah – daughter, sister, and mother. The Ger is now the fourth branch of the mystical letter Shin, having expanded like the Land of Israel – into a fourth branch. The Land of Israel is said to expand like the skin of a deer, with the addition of Gerei Toshavim.] who with his gaze upon the Tzitzit, reminds the inhabitants of the Land [and throughout the World if need be] of God’s Holy Domain above and below, and in the name of the Fear of Heaven in performance of His Commandments. The Jew would then find the proper drive to reach this pre-requisite Awe through the gaze of the Ger, and Ger would benefit from a World filled with Torah [that in the relative sense always did begin with the Ger].

This constitutes a rectified society in the Land of Israel, from the starting point of the bravery of Caleb and Joshua, developing into a people of worship [not in the mold of religion or idolatry], and culminates with a proper people who are a part of the fabric within the Land’s borders as a society of God. If the Land was ever to bear fruit [and multiply] both the Jewish People and the Gerim would be delivered to full Mother [Torah expertise] status in result of the Unity that can, should, and will exist between the sons of Shem, encapsulated within the Torah command through Tzitzit, in the merit of Shem and Abraham.

As the final war of Gog V’ Magog is quite literally [after an extremely Jacob’s ladder-esque long process] an attack against Torah, through the agency of Japheth in opposition of Shem. Thus the World is, was, and will be a saga of sons of Noah. For all that Parashas Shelach stands for as an eternal reminder of Tisha’ b’ Av, B’’H, it also stands as the eternal rectification as such. The Parsha preserves and delivers the Messianic message that is contained in the sons of Shem, a path of unity, one of which is treaded upon by none other than those who inherit Shem.

The Gerim and Yehudim – who serve as the white fire agent in the Parsha, or the Tzitzit of Shem [white fire with blue flame?], contain the intensity and purification to bring Japheth back to his Noahide prophecy – of dwelling in the Tents of Shem, roots and tradition that the other spies were all too quick to forget.

In a Land that is inhabited by God’s Gerim, the Path to Moshiach is best walked in the shoes of Caleb and Joshua, the two spies who in face of military might, chose to pay visage to the Gerim who walked the same Land before them, and who are destined to walk again…for the key to unlocking David and Joseph’s door, lies within the Fourth Craftsmen [the others being sons of David and Joseph along with Elijah], he who is dressed in white – the Righteous Priest, Shem son of Noah –who in conjoined merit with Abraham, will forever remind us, as they did Caleb: You are Gerim in the Land of God.

Parashas Shelach will always then stand to remind the soul destined for Tisha B’ Av – of the soft bubbling river that pours out of the Temple in the End of Days, one that stands to reverse the destruction of the spies, and can begin to build as sons of Shem, a project that laid its foundations with Shem and Abraham. As witnessed by Caleb, the Kol Hator [the voice of the spy] will be heard in the Land, signaling a return to the voice of Caleb, echoing the Torah in its original and authentic voice as God always intended it to be, a true insight to God’s reality.


Don't Forget Class Time: 11 P.M. Motzie Shabbos [Tzfat]


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Amen Yehe Shmei Rabbah!






Click Here For Download Link - Ger # 8: Gerim and The Many Mitzvot!

Don't Forget Parasha Shavua Class On Sat Night Israel 11 P.M.


  • Shem, Abraham, Amen - Yehi Shemei Rabbah
  • How many mitzvot?
  • Pshat and Pshuto...and Pardes
  • Deeper Look at 10 Commandments
  • Abraham and Noah
  • One Mazal





Sunday, May 12, 2013

Parashas Bamidbar: Soul Mazal, Gerim, and Those Rechabites







Click Here For Audio Link To Parashas Bamidbar!


See you all next Motzie Shabbos at 11 P.M.

[no classes week of Shavuot]

Click Here For Article!


Friday, March 22, 2013

The Ger: Rising Higher and Higher!

SoulMazal.com




                               Parashas Tzav
                               Elevating The Ger [Noahide]
                               Rabbi David Katz

In Parashas Tzav we are introduced in more familiar terms with various Offerings of the Temple, and when in relation to the Ger [Noahide], the Olah may resonate more than the others. If we could take this moment to skip laterally into a completely Ger – dominated headspace in the context of the Olah [Bird] Offering, we may humbly find ourselves on the threshold of the official Ger, who seeks to be a part of Yisrael. His universe is brought to highlight in the Talmud Krisos 8-9, where we learn the laws of the Ger, in context to either convert, or simply be a Ger [as the Zohar would call this: Ger Tzedek – convert and Ger Tzedek Vadai – Ger literal (and for sure)] who seeks the closeness of Israel to compliment his relationship with Hashem.

The Talmud Krisos mentions the Ger along with those needing an atonement for various reasons, yet his needs are separate from the others, as he is like a Nazarite [who both he and the Ger have in common a need for the Temple to be in existence in order to fully achieve each of his endeavors] who’s Offering is not from sin, but from completion of procedure. The Ger who wishes to become a “Ger Gamur” [a convert] is required to undergo circumcision, mikvah, and a special two-bird Offering [Olah] upon which he will be considered Jewish from then on and a member of Israel. Let us not however forget the Ger [Toshav] who by his own volition sees no reason for a combined ritual of mikvah, circumcision, and Offering, for he desires to simply dwell amongst Israel appreciating the closeness of Hashem and the Jewish People. The Talmud informs that his lone need in times of the Temple is to offer the Olah [two birds – Turtledoves; hence Kol HaTor? – (Redemption and the Ger Tzedek)…the analogies are many, since Vayikra 1:15 states “one bird” in line with the one bird assumption of Kol Hator (Voice of the Turtledove), yet with halacha being two birds (2=1 theory) representing Ger Toshav and Tzedek] and being consistent with Jewish Thought, his Nefesh will be prepared [a full Ger Toshav, having eliminated the pull of a Non-Jewish World on his soul] to join Israel.

In these terms the effective difference halachically between the Ger and the Ger Gamor [convert] is based on whether they brought an Olah, or along with the Olah an accompanied circumcision and mikvah [ritual dunk with explicit intent of annulling the Ger upon the Offering of the Olah, which is the last mechanism in the order].

When we turn to Halachas of the Rambam on these matters we arrive to two essential places: Machsori Kaparah [based on our Talmud here] and Issurei Biah [the classic Rambam on Ger Toshav]. The M’’K laws show that while the Rambam quotes our Talmud quite clearly, he interestingly adds a few words for commentary, as his wish is to render the law fittingly for the Ger Gamor [convert; Gamor in Hebrew can mean either complete, or even more fitting – finished] illustrated by his inclusion of the mikvah and the circumcision [1:2]; the halacha works through just as the nature of the Talmud in Krisos. The lasting feeling from the Rambam was however, that his need to clarify two out of the three pre-requisites of the Ger is something of note and that we actually encounter this same dynamic elsewhere in his laws of Ger – the Ger Toshav.

In the Laws of Issurei Biah of the Rambam [14: (1),7-8 we learn exactly what is a Ger Toshav based on Talmud Avodah Zara; however after becoming verse in the previously mentioned Rambam laws of the Ger, apparently there is another apparatus involved, that of the Ger Gamor [in the negative!].

To quote the Rambam [14:7 –on the Ger Toshav; based on Avodah Zara 64b]: Which is a Ger Toshav – this “Goy” [idolater – halachically] that brought onto himself not to serve in a foreign way, and has accepted the Seven Laws of Noah [2 out of the four scenarios in Avodah Zara 64b], AND HE IS NOT CIRCUMCIZED OR RITUALLY DUNKED [MIKVAH] [as added in Rambam above], we bring him in /”accept him” – he is a Righteous/Pious of the Nations. And why do we call him Toshav? – Because we are permitted to dwell him amongst us in the Land of Israel, as explained in A.Z. 64b. Notice that the Rambam [aside from rendering that the Ger Toshav DOES exist today as opposed to the Ger Toshav [proper and not of the Chasidei umot haolam, i.e. did not nec. Accept seven laws of Noah in 14:8] has issued the additional terms “dunk” and “circumcise” while leaving out an obvious omission of the Olah / Offering! For this the Rambam was forced to express Toshav! [dwelling amongst Israel] and these laws are in the category of those [if they are] wishing to convert to Israel.
Now back to Krisos – and to tie in these two Rambam’s. This answers the biggest question on the Rambam: why was he forced to link Ger Toshav with the Righteous of the Nations; wouldn’t Ger be enough if forced to expand Biblically? One must conclude the [ger] TOSHAV is the Rambam bringing us back to Krisos, and the education one must have to go through not only with how to convert, but to be a GER [toshav] as well! Otherwise the person who rejects idolatry might as well be called a Righteous of the Nations and leave it at that – to which the Rambam clearly saw the need to take it that extra step and in accordance with a revelation from the Talmud in Krisos.

The Talmud Krisos [once it has established for us the various necessary rituals to be either a Ger Gamor or a Ger Toshav, the question comes up of the nature concerning what to do in case of a time when the Temple is not standing to receive the Ger and his Offering; would we then not accept Gerim?! [asks the Talmud]

The Talmud answers with a verse from Bamidbar 15:14 “When a Ger dwells with you or is among you throughout your generations and he shall perform a Fire Offering to Hashem [Olah] – as You do, he shall do.” [15:15- For the congregation the same decree shall be for you and for the Ger who dwells an eternal decree for your generations like you like the Ger shall it be before Hashem [16] One Torah and one Mishpat will be for ya’ll and to the Ger who dwells with you.” The Talmud understands [this verse as an answer to converts – Gerim Gamorim and to Ger Toshavim as well] this verse as a clear definition of “Toshav”, and thus would there ever be a time that we DON’T accept Gerim? – Israel thus always accepts the Ger, both Gamor and Toshav.

However the Talmud does agree that indeed the Temple does not stand today, and thus there must be a plan B for the Olah / Bird Offering portion of the Ger [both Gamor and Toshav respectively], and that substitution is the observation of Shabbat [thus for the Ger Gamor this is in align with a proper conversion from the methodology proposed on Yevamot 48b that a convert must traverse the path of the Ger Toshav and onwards towards the Ger Tzedek until Ger Tzedek [not Vadai] and Gamor. For the Ger Toshav this would be the equivalent of the third [of four opinions] opinion in A.Z.  of accepting the whole Torah in nature [which is the most accurate definition of the Ger Toshav, even if he doesn’t proactively keep more than his requirement, as by nature within his accepting the law as if on Sinai, he is logically bound to these three positions stated in A.Z. of rejecting idolatry, accepting Noahide Law, and eating non-kosher meat, as if to say he accepts the Torah save for this law.] with a Toshav status.

As made clear in the Rambam, Toshav means we are allowed to dwell with the Ger in Israel, and the commentaries go onto explain [logically even] that abroad, in a time that even Jews are forbidden in the Land, the Ger may dwell alongside Israel [Jews]. The practical depth to this equation is to say the World’s ultimate truthful expression is that it exists under control of “Dat Yisrael” – Torah rule, and that Shabbat is Fri-Sat concurring with Torah Law. This would dictate that the Ger who wishes such a lifestyle [functioning as a precursor to a Land experience should the Jubillee Come along with the Temple] would take up learning Derech Eretz [proper Torah conduct] of how to dwell amongst Israel; namely the foundation that unites all of these principles is the observance of the Jewish Shabbat in close proximity of the Jew as explained in the Ten Commandments.

To put it simply: Toshav to the Rambam is to see Avodah Zara 64b [and the 3-4 opinions] in conjunction with Krisos [with the end result of a keeping of Shabbat]; this would formulate [in the Rambam’s vision] a Ger Toshav, and the Talmud explains this as such:
In Krisos Once the precedent is set of the Shabbat observance [to which the opinions vary of how a Ger is to keep the Shabbat, ranging in variables based on a Jewish Yom Tov (holiday such as Passover, which is NOT Shabbat); he is to cater to the needs/feeding (literal/non-literal) of his body – “Ochel Nefesh”; whether the Ger Toshav, or even an idolater. The Talmud “Shabbos” makes this claim along with the Navi Is.: 6-6-7, and this is most applicable for any stringent view that holds a time without a Temple all Non-Jews are a status of idolater until a formal council of Law is formed with the onset of jubilee], it goes on to list what is a Ger Toshav today?

Today’s Ger Toshav would have gone through these steps:
·        
      Be like Naaman Kings2 ch5
·        Keep a Chazal Shabbat as listed
·        Applies to any Non-Jew
·        3 Opinions of Avodah Zara 64b [no idolatry, 7 Laws, Torah, i.e. Shabbat]
·        Applies to Ger of every kind
·         
Within context of Rambam as per these Talmudic resources; there are other opinions, but the Rambam seems to address the appropriate Talmudic resources with the most accuracy
The Rayvid commentary to the Rambam suggests even though today we have such chemistry between the Jew and the Ger, we must not lose sight that we are still in exile, both the Jew and the Ger, as seen by the very fact that he can’t bring his Offering that his Nefesh craves.  Our relationship will be a bit uncomfortable by nature, as to allow Hashem to hear our plight, and to encourage the Temple to come to us speedily in our days.
The “Fourth Opinion” in Avodah Zara 64b states that the wine of the Ger is kosher and not kosher. It is kosher if he attends to it in the house of a Jew, and non – kosher if it was attended to solely in the location of the Ger. The Talmud explains we trust him as our brother in our house and in his, only he may remain plugged into a society [that may even affect him and his ability of performance of the Law; to this extent he is still our brother] that has the power to overburden him, and could potentially harm the wine, making it forbidden for consumption.

The point is that this entire discussion [even the location of the laws of the Rambam] is the urging and craving on both sides to lose the schism that was divinely placed at Sinai. The Ger and Jew both know that schism exists, and will always exist, and for this [especially in exile] we must operate in schism now in these days. Should we forget [and hold in our hearts unlike the Rayvid] and seek to transcend schism, our un-kosher worlds are there to serve as reminder for us. The Ger knows that he can’t invite the Jew over because of these scenarios that are imposed from his Non-Jewish [non-Dat Yisrael] World, and the Jew should be ashamed by his world’s lack of Light to the Nations mindset, and acts accordingly not in the best interests of the Jew’s guest the Ger. Both are painfully reminded of the cruel nature of reality that is enforced by exile in terms that shall be simply called: schism.
There is however a light at the end of the tunnel [no pun intended] where the schism is torn away and the Ger and the Jew may dwell to some extent without schism, either as the Ger Toshav or the Ger Gamor with the advent of an Israel that stands most erect with the Beis Hamikdash. Before the giving of the Torah, Israel/Gerim received four prominent commandments that shall wipe away schism forever in the eyes of God: Red Heifer, Shabbat, Honoring Parents, and Statutes.

For the schism to go away, the Ger may take heart of his cooperation of the preparation of the Red Heifer, and to stand in purity in the Temple, as illustrated by the Para Adumah verses and commentary. The statutes govern a proper repentance like the story of Naaman, and thus the Ger Toshav by nature is an experience of non-schism. Honoring one’s parents exists between rav and student, thus when the Ger and Jew share in Torah, the schism is forgotten. And finally the Shabbat serves as the ultimate seal of two people, as the prophet Isaiah explains that the Non-Jew [if an idolater then even the more so the Ger!] and Jew who both take witness to the Shabbat as the belief of reality - Hashem Created Creation culminating on Shabbat, a Day for Hashem, the Ger and the Jew stand shoulder to shoulder in the Temple, without schism, praising Unity before Hashem [anything else would be idolatry!] Thus through these four commandments schism is suspended from Hashem’s Creation.

The Ger knows that he is not born of the Jewish People, and should he realize that he seeks the closeness of either Hashem or Israel [to go along with his born closeness of either], the Torah has given good counsel and teaching for the Ger to achieve his dreams. In the Parsha we learn of the Olah, a bird Offering. For the Jew this may be just another law, and the book is closed until a later time, and it is believed that no change [ever] comes to the World. But through knowledge of the Ger and his World, and all that he represents, this Olah / bird Offering – may be his dream come true if there would be just one in the World willing to reveal the dream of the Ger.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: the Olah. Where you wish [or not wish] to go with this Offering, is in your hands, but it should be known, for the Olah – the sky is the limit [no pun intended], and as always – the choice is yours. If we are to choose Life, then we are to choose Light. If you are to see Light, then Mankind got to see Life…”In those Days, the Land will be filled with the Knowledge of Hashem.” May this Olah always be expressed in these sublime terms, being the true satisfaction that Hashem intended – one that knows not of schism, but is a beacon of Light and Life, a unique Offering [korban], one truly close to Hashem, no matter what you call it.


Class Motzie Shabbat 10 P.M. Israel [no clock change yet] - Parsha In-Depth


And as always Wed 11P.M. The Ger Series - All issues of the Ger [from Verses in Torah]

 
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