Parashas Pinchas - Standing Tall for The Nations

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Parashas Bahaloscha - The Miraculous Rock of Jethro

• Angelic Men
• How To Understand The Miraculous
• King David's Miracles
• Are People Special
• Jethro's Rock
• Where To Find God
• etc.

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Bamidbar: Know Thyself

                                                          Parashas Bamidbar

                                                                The Name

                                                          Rabbi David Katz

Parashas Bamidbar is the home of perhaps the greatest entity that dwells within the confines of the Torah; this is none other than the great secret of "Shem Israel" – The Name of Israel. King David describes this concept in Psalm 83 as "The Name of Israel" – signifying one's close personal intimate relationship with the Creator and the Divine Providence and above nature elements that it entails. To put this simply, the Nation of Israel was created at Sinai through many generations of preparation stemming from the Ancients in order to receive and make Gerim who would be able to partake of and live by this Divine goodness; conversely the definition of evil is to attempt to character assassinate such endeavors and to ambush the Name of God in motion to the point of extinction. On a note of grace, this entire concept, one that encompasses the entire Holy Mission of Israel, can be predicated and superimposed onto one single entity – the name. The embodiment of the name [of anything or anyone] is the Divine gift that emanates first from The Creator, became enshrined with the archetype patriarch Shem son of Noah [for his name means "name"] and lives on through greater Israel [which includes all four houses, perforce then the Gerim, which has world-wide potential]. It is here in our Parasha with Moses and Aaron, where we become acquainted close-up with the intellect of exactly what goes into a name and its outcome of having one; this naturally applies to Jews and Gerim, keeping consistent with the concept of "The Name of Israel" and all that it represents.

In Chapter 1 verse 2 of Parashas Bamidbar Moses is told to take a census by means of patriarchal lineage, "number", and "name." To cut to the chase, the commentators have offered the following observations to this unique new quality that the Torah introduces: 1) a patriarchal link has been established by means of a proper [Jewish-style] name 2) the term of a greater Israel is used as opposed to a general command to Jews, thus implying Gerim 3) furthering the Ger inclusion is by inference, in that the meritless Erev Rav were not included 4) names were given with number, much like the stars above, as God calls out to them [Prophet Is. Ch. 41] – as the Vilna Gaon notes, this is gematria of a name 5) many Kabbalistic ramifications speaking of an innate spiritual truth to one's name 6) and the concept of names and Gerim [Noahides] relating to their meritorious rights of blessing through "Fruitful and Multiply."

Noahides and Names [Gerim]

The Torah is the source of tradition that names mater, and they matter a lot; this applies to Jews and Gerim, and this dates back to the Ancients, and the Torah's overt display of these spiritual gifts bestowed by the Creator.  One need not look to far to see this in action, as Adam famously named the animals of the Garden, along with himself and Eve, Enoch was invested in names of spiritual character and was deeply invested with the study and usage of Names of God, while Shem became encapsulated in the concept by means of his own name which in straightforward fashion means "name." Fast forward to our Parasha, and we see everybody in the desert was given a name and thus a spiritual tradition of which to delve into, one that ignites the passion of one's own personal mission and purpose that the name divinely possesses as a  direct pipeline to God's hand of providence. The Talmud investigates the practical demand of a Ger and his name.

The Tractate Yevamos 62a gives over the rationale of a Ger and his name, and this comes in relation to his opportunity to procreate as a mitzvah. It should be utterly clear that the normative Seven Laws of Noah do not take into account the commandment of procreation, thus there is death penalty for not procreating and such. However the Talmud does discuss the non-Jewish product of procreation as an effort to populate God's Creation. The Talmud and commentary conclude that Bnei Noah [of every type] have the gift of blessing with procreation, with its only limitation is that it is not a positive commandment to partake in its affairs, i.e. there is no death penalty for partaking in its fruit; and that should be seen not only as a good thing, but as a direct involvement in the highest intimate form with the Creator.

The explanation of sorts comes through a unique cooperation of procreation and names working in perfect spiritual harmony. As we all know, everyone has a name and history shows the prevalence of mankind's product qualities. Thus even without effort or intentions inclined towards the spiritual design of reality, life continues and legacies are born every day. The Talmud takes liberty to shed light on how to make this a spiritual and holy act such that one can actually lift up his soul, and the souls of those that come after him and to those who came before him. By simply stressing the virtues of names he institutes the spirituality of all souls involved into his existence, as his spiritual possessions are inherited and transferred through his name [in any language]. This is much like a circumcision ceremony for a Jewish child who receives his name at that time and a glorious celebration commences in honor of the child's covenant; namely and most specifically his name has become sanctified in the prescribed fashion. One can take from this that any exertion or emphasis placed in direct association with names, achieves the maximum merit and honor to God, the souls involved, and the world that receives his eternal impression; this would be a "glatt kosher" [absolute personification of the mitzvah] performance of being fruitful and multiply through mitzvah – to accompany the action with name indoctrination. This is the truest flavor of identifying with the Universal "Name of Israel" in identity and purpose, and as we have seen resonates on every level with Jews and Gerim alike.

Spirituality and Names [Jews and Gerim]

In our Parasha's commentaries, one can find a wealth of the vast knowledge of how powerful names are, as an individual burst in spiritual quality, and as having a profound effect upon a life and soul mission. Among the words or reflections of on topic wisdom include the following: 1) divine providential relationship with God as opposed to a lukewarm general effect 2) the name provides a tabernacle for the on-site dwelling of the Shechinah 3) divine knowledge and awareness of one's spiritual purpose and mission 4) gematria and patriarchal lineage to provide the spiritual DNA in observable fashion 5) and access to the rich tradition that is dedicated to the Torah of names. The sons of Noah were given the prophetic key to names, as we are told in the Onkelos commentary by way of his unique style of passing tradition, and particularly through topics of Gerim and/or the sons of Noah [literally]. Onkelos and kabbalah speak of the great potential of God-consciousness and Blessing to work with Hashem in Creation, in such efforts such as providing rest for the Name of God among us [i.e. the Temple and its concept and construction] through mastery of Names and the Torah that is involved with them. The tradition has it that any name investigation achieves the good intentions that are invested within any name, and allows the subject to naturally respond in alignment with the will of God. This is obviously true for any personal growth, Divine service, and of course for that was mentioned above in regards to spiritual legacy.

The beauty of names are that everybody has one, they are the prophetic gift that we inherit, and through the study and involvement of them brings upon oneself every type of spiritual gift that he can imagine and the highest expression of relationship with the Creator. A name is the impression upon our soul, such that God refers to us by name and number; our life-long investigation of our names [and by default soul by nature] yields the spiritual wisdom to master the Torah of our reality as we uniquely see it, as ordained by God. The term mazal is scripted to achieve this concept, for our name has within the mazal of our soul – the echoes of God calling out to us perpetually as we discover our name and purpose by means of living our God given lives. We have free will, yet names and mazal do not pose as cognitive dissonance, rather the two enhance each other and culminate in a life of liberty; one can have the knowledge and wisdom of choice that liberates his soul, releasing the very Torah reality that was taught to him in the womb of his creation.

In the end, we all have names, and as the Parasha makes very clear, this applies to Jews and Gerim alike. Similarly to the Noahide fruitful and multiply scenario, where one is not obligated to partake of its delights, yet the one who does finds infinite blessing in his life, so too with those who discover their divinely apportioned names. This is effectively latent within the light as "Name of Israel" and should that resonate in general terms, The Lord has already promised, "On that day He shall be One and His Name shall be One." It is then, that all Nations will know God and proclaim the unity of His Name; in fact then all names will be made known to Man…For that, the Name Israel has been established for us to enjoy its merit for today, in that we shall merit to witness its prophetic future, where the entire World will all call out with the Name of God, and realize their divine purpose, for that Place will know the Temple of The Lord, a place where His Name shall find rest.


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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!

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The Enlightenment of Man

                                                           Parashas Vayikra

                                                Receiving the Call From God

                                                           Rabbi David Katz

In our Parasha, we are immediately made aware of an odd little "alef" that finalizes the word [and the Parasha's namesake] "Vayikra" [meaning "and He called (to Moses)"] and we are told of endless interpretations upon even a little bit of solid investigation. Examples range anywhere from an expression of Moses' humility and onwards into the esoteric; yet what may be the most interesting is the simple meaning itself! God is heard here calling out to Moses, and as tradition states, only Moses was to hear this special calling, one that would summon him to the Tent of Meeting. Thus the "alef" hints to a special calling to Moses; the biggest revelation however might not be this little alef that captures our imaginations, rather, we should begin to pay attention to all of the other "callings" that exist not only in our Parasha, but are scattered throughout the entire Torah! Once one becomes sensitive to hear the call, the Torah [and its simple meaning] is transformed into the Book of the Man-Angel [Kruv; examples are the Avot, Moses, Noah, Shem, etc.], expressing an ability to hear the voice of God in Torah, laced within an ultra-dynamic context, even in places that may have been practically sealed from consciousness.

If one were to be devoid of "the calling" – a keen awareness and sensitivity to True Torah Vernacular, the Torah becomes a meandering and redundant – even meaningless text. For this reason the Torah was given with the means to extrapolate its innate depth, with such works and traditions such as Midrash, Zohar, Kabbalah, etc.; essentially "Pardes" [the four levels of Torah exegesis] goes hand and glove with the Written and Oral Torah. However proper context is needed when delving into the mystical realm, and this discussion is not exempt from any such attempt; if not to only lay out one clear purpose – to master the Torah's text as a form of enlightenment. In a sense, this angle is the approach to take a mute text, and learn to how to watch it come to life, and shine an eternal light, such that this would define enlightenment. It goes without saying, that this is at least one clear purpose of the esoteric realm, in that it identifies proper [con]text, and in that sense, this is the essence of a Tree of Life. The Torah text that is open, allows us to relate life with Torah; in simple terms the Torah becomes Universal – Jews and Gerim, in simplified terms.

Verse 1:2 of Vayikra is perhaps one of the Torah's most profound examples of where "hearing" the Torah speaking changes one's understanding completely, and for that reason this verse is used as a case example of where in-depth vernacular can reveal the Torah's dynamic core. The verse says, "speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: when a man among you brings an offering to Hashem: from animals - from the cattle or from the flock shall you bring your offspring." The first and relatively most obvious revelation in the verse is one that draws admiration from most if not all of the major commentators, as we are told "when a man…" If the Torah were speaking to only Jews, the verse would not use the universal term "man" but rather a distinctive term applicable only to Jews. Thus with the term "adam" [man] the commentators all point out the subtleties in the law as it applies to both Jews and non-Jews. To support the learning, notice how the verse says, "speak to the Children of Israel" and is followed up with "and say to them" – keeping in the perspective of the article, one can easily hear a calling out to two people as opposed to a somewhat draconian feeling from withholding depth in the text.

[

* note, when making conclusions in text, a dynamic view is to be held; this is to always allow for the inclusive when applicable, rather than an exclusive view; the Torah is meant to have 70 faces and 50 gates of understanding]

Throughout our Parasha [and the whole Torah for the most part] we find Universal terms laced within a usually thought of text as exclusively Jewish. [later on the mention of "nefesh" – soul, refers to humanity, another example of inclusive with the normative Jewish angle] It should not then come to a surprise that as these callings from Hashem are more frequent than we would have thought, the Torah truly is a Book for humanity; this going back to the original ink! Once we bring into light these concepts, the often viewed enigmatic nature to such works like Midrash and Zohar all of a sudden begin to resonate to a much more profound tune, as they are the hubs for this enlightenment.

And it doesn't stop here or there, for the Midrash points out that the Book of Chronicles [a book mostly composed of names and lineage] is only meant to be understood from this angle! Meaning that if one were to take it on a literal simple meaning level, knowledge would be gained, however it would be of very little authentic content or wisdom. The Midrash stamps yet another round of approval in this subject, as it says, "cherished [to God] are names of Gerim." To this light the Zohar points out [something obvious, yet not often thought of] that the Torah is essentially a book about Gerim! – for its entire content is written outside the Land of Israel, and is seen in Kabbalistic terms as names, which on a deeper level exists as names of God. This leaves one to wonder if there is or ever was a simple meaning to Torah – once it becomes universal.

The Midrash ties all of these points together over its content to our parasha, as we learn about Moses the Man-Angel who hears the calling from God, and is seen to be angelic on many levels, through his prophecy and many names in particular [he has 10 names]. In fact if one pieces all of the dots together from the Midrash, especially with its opening associations to King David's Psalm 103 that also allude to "hearing Hashem's calling" – and has revealed allusions to angelic men [as well as hints of Kruv; same letters as "Baruch"], we end of up sensing just what attributes are to this Kruv – man. However, more important than his makeup is his ability to hear Hashem. The Kruv hears and learns a dynamic Torah from the Mouth of God [that we hear two]. Words like adam, nefesh, names, etc. all express their higher calling, a Torah for humanity.

The Jewish Torah is quite simple; we know the names [even when we really don't], we know what adam means [even though we really don't], we don't mind the meandering reiterations [even though we do], and we know the Torah is only Jewish [even though it bothers us, yet words fail to express aloud what is missing]. The goal is simple: Kruv – to be a man-angel who hears God in His Torah, calls this enlightenment – one that can be identified and achieved, and walks in light revealing universal light and truth, while learning that God speaks to [all of] humanity.

The Torah is given to man and not angels, yet it is incumbent upon man to overcome his angelic self as represented through his evil inclination and progress until he literally overcomes a divine encounter. This is the substance of a Kruv, and as the Zohar points out, there are angelic men as prophets and there are angelic men as priests, i.e. men of Torah. The Torah is the eternal substance that flavors the prophetic word…and this word was given to the Kingdom of Priests, and to those that learn her sacred script to be likened to the High Priest. Of course this is a direct reference to Jews and Gerim, who both are blessed without measure, to be able to rise to hear the call of Hashem through Torah, and experience the true gift of authentic enlightenment.

Should one find it odd that reality emanates from a book – Adam received a book too; coincidence in word usage this is not, for any man may bring an offering to the House of God, as the book mandates, and has been kept since the beginning of time, and will continue to be kept, through the promise of an enlightened Messiah. 

God Willing class covering the Parasha [video/audio] will take place tomorrow Tuesday  at 11 P.M. Tzfat time [we did not change our clocks yet]

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The March Towards Zion! [Video HD]

• Secrets of Noah's Ark
• Shem the Craftsman
• Book of Raziel
• Zohar and Sefer Yetzira
• One Big Picture
• Primordial Torah
• From Adam Until Moshiach
• etc.

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The Master Craftsman

                                                                  Parashas Pekudei

                                                               In The Tents of Shem

                                                                  Rabbi David Katz

In Parashas Pekudei, the Mishkan is finalized, and is now ready for the mantle of being the official "Tent of Meeting" - a title and status that until now was in full possession of Moses. The Mishkan of course is the first fruits of the known command in the Torah, "Make for me a temple [to dwell in]," and now with Sinai over, and the entire people ready to move on with the Golden Calf behind them, the [mobile] Mishkan satisfies the wishes of God. They are now able to be fully mobile, holy, and potentially ready to enter the Land when the Lord beckons as such. What may come as a surprise however is that the blueprint concept/prototype is in fact not new or first introduced now; the original idea dates back at least as far as Shem, and his work on the Ark. All through history man has been making a vessel of the Divine or supernatural; from Adam in the Garden, we find the Tower of Bavel [Tower of Babylon], the Ark, the Mishkan, the Temples, etc. The aspect that we take away from this knowledge is that Craftsmanship is perhaps the most Messianic aspect of the entire Torah, such that Shem is listed as the Righteous Priest – straight from his work on the Ark. The further we delve into the Mishkan, and add the element of Shem on every level we are Blessed to find a tradition that literally is the bond [pun intended] between Gerim and Jews; this being the model [pun intended] for all of time.

There are a certain number of raw materials [OK – I am going to use constructive words intentionally, thus no longer being a pun, but reinforcing the project] that we must identify and set aside in order to erect the structure that allows us to further understand the spirituality in Torah craftsmanship, as epitomized by the Mishkan. The tools we need with the intention of connecting the dots are as follows: Moses, Shem, Mishkan, Gerim bringing Melacha [Creative product], Ger women and the Laver, House of Study, the concept of being a vessel [personal Mishkan – as it was originally intended to be] of the Divine, Moses' tent – and calling it in the "Ohel Moed" [Tent of Meeting], Tents of Shem, Noah's Blessing, The Golden Calf, The lost "jewelry" of their fall in sin, Messiah and the Mishkan, Torah and Prayer, Noah and his ark, the Ark and Shem, The Four Craftsmen of Redemption, The Book of Raziel [given to Adam], Solomon and his Temple, The Prophet Ezekiel – and his Temple, "learning about the Temple is building it, the Zohar as a "Noah's Ark", The Ger Code, Torah of Faith [Rebbe Nachman philosophy that through living we become "it"], Angelic attainment as Man, and the Primordial Temple/Dwelling. These are the tools and components that we need to draw a picture that will fully explain the peripheral world of our newly completed Mishkan in Parashas Pekudei.

The subject matter right out of the gate becomes a bit complex [yet we must realize that it is still ultimately simple] when we simultaneously draw upon several key matters, namely Shem and Moses, the Mishkan and the Ark, the builders then and now, the tents of Shem and Moses, and construction that comes from learning – for all of times as a principle. In essence once we consolidate our parts, we have created tangible devices to depict the story of just what this Mishkan represents.

In a simple over-view of things, the rambling story would sound like this: 1) Adam sinned and received the Book of Raziel; a Book of Torah inspiration 2) The Book inspired many, all the way to Noah 3) Noah gave it to Shem, and they learned how to detail the Ark from this inspiration 4) Shem becomes the master craftsman, and the embodiment of the Man/Chariot 'Kruv" [angelic man]; the Ark is actually vested in his wisdom more than Noah 5) Shem and his "Tents of Torah" [prophesied by Noah] are the antithesis of the Tower of Bavel 6) Shem's wisdom is contained in the Ark design by perfect engineering of action and learning 7) Shem is aimed only at Sinai 8) Sinai grafts Shem into Moses' Torah – through common inspiration and absolute unity in their souls and every other matter 9) Parashas Noah contains the wisdom of Shem in the Ark, thus the graft is accomplished 10) Moses grabs the "jewelry" [angelic levels] and the work from the Gerim, thus making a study hall for learning Torah, praying, Mishkan – study, etc. 11) Moses' tent is synonymous with Shem's Tent [an inheritance] and is the precursor to the Mishkan 12) dwelling in Moses' tent is the mastery of the original inspiration contained in the Book of Raziel, the Ark, Ezekiel's Temple, the Ger Code that spiritually reveals/builds the Temple, etc. 13) Moses' tent becomes the Mishkan, which becomes the inspiration of the Anointed [Messiah] symbolized by the Mishkan's anointed status  14) the anointed status is symbolic of Messiah, Elijah, the Gerim, and Malki Tzedek – the essence of the Four Craftsmen of Redemption [Targum Yonaton on the Mishkan, Mizbeach, and the Laver].

In real time the story would sound like this: Adam sinned and got the Book, then Shem and Noah made the boat, and passed its secrets onwards into Moses' lap, and then Moses wrote the Torah and included all previous inspiration; this serves as Parashas Noah, then Moses made a tent that became the source of Messianic wisdom known as the Soul of Moses, then the Mishkan was erected [through the special help of the Gerim], and it contains the code, wisdom, and knowledge – tradition to build the actual Temple, and finally we will be redeemed by means of this wisdom, through Jews and Gerim working together, specifically through these agencies of Wisdom and Torah. In one breath, that is the flow of events, with all of the elements provided above available to be inserted for context, such as the Tower of Bavel, and the other characters and vessels, etc. In essence, life can be looked at as one big art project that we are trying to figure out just what it is that we are supposed to build. The Mishkan is where we got a clear description of what it is, and combined with past and future events, we can begin to conceive this design and how it is to function. For all intents and purposes, this is the secret of the Third Temple.

Thus here we are and the Mishkan is completed, it is called the Tent of Meeting – a title previously held by Moses' Tent. Yet Moses retains his study tent, and it is synonymous with the prophesied Tents of Shem. Targum Yonaton Commentary states that Moses' tent contains the spiritual power that can return Man to the state of angelic being before any type of sin through the calf or Tree of Knowledge; this being by "sitting" in this tent, an d mastering the "Soul of Moses" – which uniquely termed the Tree of Life, the same Tree that Shem ate of and became his Torah. Thus this Torah of Shem [that was inspired by the Book of Raziel] became the basis of the Ark and Parashas Noah [as included by Moses by God's command]. Furthermore, with all of the momentum of wisdom from ancient texts, and craftsmanship in the Ark, and onwards into the Mishkan, Soloman's Temple, and the Third Temple, Jews and Gerim became destined to study and draw down priestly revelation that is promised to bring floor plans of the Third Temple, and even be the very anointing oil that will crown the Messiah and redemption team.  

Making matters simple to understand, over topics like Ger code, ancient wisdom, Temples, Gerim and Jews, Shem, etc. is to look to the Zohar; for what it accomplishes is the consolidation of this entire mission in one comprehensive study work. For that, the Zohar rightfully terms itself as a Noah's Ark.  For all intents and purposes, it is a reflection of Moses' tent, a Tent of Meeting, and the hidden scenes from the Mishkan. The Zohar within this context becomes the level of the Torah as described in the Midrash Rabbah's opening words, that the Torah is a Craftsman's tool.

The Torah began well before the World ever knew of Shem, and history will finish in a time that we will all have forgotten about Shem. The Torah was given, and through it we will always know Shem and his wisdom, and the Zohar is able to be written once the Torah of Moses is delivered at Sinai; encapsulating the builder's manual in supernatural fashion. Yet here we are in Pekudei, the Mishkan is finished, and it is now the official Tent of Meeting, one that is fully equipped with a study hall. Yet when we get to the soul of its functionality, we can really only turn to Noah and words of wisdom that he spoke, such that the Gerim carry this message all the way into the Third Temple. For Noah said, "Baruch Hashem, the God Shem…for they will dwell in the Tents of Shem." And as much as this is true, and indoctrinated into THE [One] Torah, we look forward to the building of the Third Temple, one that can only be built by the sons of Shem, and to be built only by a King. There are Four Craftsman of Redemption, of which Shem is the Righteous Priest - the master craftsman; one that anoints all three in their Craft… And among them [Shem is also dubbed] is Malki Tzedek…for from him is the wisdom that anoints the Messiah, from the place of Supernal Wisdom [Otzros Ramchal, Ramchal]. Amen Amen. 

Don't miss the Video Class covering the Parasha In-Depth - Tonight at 11 P.M. Tzfat Time!

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Keeping Up With The Noahides - Live On Shabbat!

Click Here For Article On Parasha!

• Noahides and Shabbat
• It's Like Ger 21 - Only Clearer!
• Solomon's Wisdom
• The Ger "Code" - Gaining Clarity
• Names and Torah
• Gefilte Fish - and More!

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Le' Chaim Holy Brother!

                                                           Parashas Vayakahel

                                                Covenant [Brit] of [Shalom] Peace

                                                              Rabbi David Katz

The Ger/Noahide Shabbat is a reality that will one day dominate the Seventh Day Worldwide in the Days of the Messiah. Gerim all over the planet will be able to rest, gain spiritual gifts throughout the week, and simultaneously keep the World going better than ever. They are destined to take their gift from the bitter waters of Marah, and turn it into the eternal delight of God's holiest day. This is a big difference from the antiquated party line that echoes death sentences and calls for the blood of the perpetrator of God's Covenant; this is the Covenant of Peace, one that the Bahir sates as, "a great source of Joy for the King." Shabbat is the fractal code that completes creation, and very much a proper covenant; it also just happens to be the first and most essential step in leaving behind what was, and entering the World [of the Ger] that came out of Sinai. In that World, the knowledge of God fills the air, and the World would be deemed as complete; Shabbat then is the motor that drives this mission into fruition.

The pre-present-post Sinai experience and revelation to some extent is an historical banner of the Shabbat. From being commanded and given Shabbat at Marah [pre-Sinai; bitter waters – over the Shabbat, and thus being proven to "the People" how sweet it is, as Moses placed "it" there for "him" as law. "Him" refers to every human there, and the words "placed for him" conveniently spells "Shalom," as the Shabbat is the main focus.], educated in Shabbat through the 10 Commandments, and the entire Mishkan [post golden calf] ensemble is one long strand of the evolution of time into a Shabbat mentality and inclination. One could say in a sense, this is where everyone involved realized and connected to their own innate holiness, something that the Book of Genesis "already knew" from Adam to Seth, Hanoch, Noah, Shem, Avot, and the Tribes. Greater Israel is now ready to take its mantle as the World's flagship in promoting God [Jews and Gerim] through the perpetual holy day in our lives that changes the World – Shabbat.

Our up to date status is our Parasha, for the aforementioned details have led us directly into the Mishkan, which ultimately is the Talmudic [scholastic] definition of Shabbat; a practical and technical approach to responsibly understand the minute details of the Shabbat. The Mishkan was made from thirty-nine creative, thought provoking labors or crafts. These crafts are the same practices by which God created the World; ergo the Mishkan is a microcosm of the World. Now that we are leaving the first half of the Torah in our wake, and soon to progress to actually function in the Mishkan in the Book of Vayikra, now is the most opportune time to explain the inner dimension of the Mishkan, the face of the mission of Israel. The master bolt that holds everything together is the Shabbat, and concordantly we are addressing it now in Vayakahel.

The Parsha takes of these matters into account, without wasting any time, as we are immediately initiated into the concepts of the labors and parameters of the basic and essential Shabbat for the Jews and Gerim. On a profound note, the Torah takes liberty in just three concise verses, to outline the extremely complex issues of the "how to's" of Shabbat, through taking the discussion to a place of sublime simplicity. The text reads as follows, "…these are the things [39 labors] that Hashem commended to do them: 'On six days, you are to do labor [39 –ish], and on the Seventh Day should be for ya'll Holy, a total Shabbat for Hashem; all who engage in Labor [39-ish] shall surely be put to death.' Do not kindle a flame in any of your locations on the Shabbat Day.'" This text may seem straightforward at first glance – either speaking to Jews or Gerim; yet what we find is a classic case of "From the Mouth of God – We heard two/too." We are standing before a perfectly woven tapestry of a simultaneous dialogue, such that we are receiving the tradition of Shabbat for the Ger and Jew in one ear shot! Rightfully so, the Oral Law clarifies these matters, and explains these three verses in laid out terms that anyone alive can find their place in the Shabbat World, and yet remarkably, it all still is sourced right here, in our Parasha's opening words.

The Jew and the Ger, as many know, have two distinctively different streams of the Shabbat; this stems from the Command vs. the Gift. As a Jewish Command, the Jewish People are prohibited in the performance of thirty-nine labors on the Seventh Day. From this level of observance, quite literally an entire culture has been spawned, and accordingly has been the face of the Jewish People practically since the inception of the Mishkan itself. Jewish Orthodoxy goes as far as to say any religious person is defined through "Shomer Shabbos" – a keeper of Shabbat, an objective display of one's place with God. For the Shomer Shabbos Jew, our three verses seem pretty straight forward, and seem to serve as a nice rudimentary introduction or basis of all Shabbat ritualistic behavior. Although this has served many through the perpetuation of time, Israel has a Brother, who also is rooted here – The Ger [Noahide]. As we will see, the other side of the coin equally contains his path, alongside The Jew, yet his is fantastically unique to him and his soul as well.

The Talmud Krisos 9a gives the Torah's most accurate outline of a proper Ger [Toshav] Shabbat. The nature of the Ger Shabbat is one that traverses many planes, namely his turn away from idolatry from adhering to Ger ideals in the Torah and from the Divine Inscription within the Ten Commandments to name a few. In the Talmud it is listed there three categorical decrees of observance [from that of a holiday, intermediary days, and a mundane day – although aware of the Seventh Day], and the Ten Commandments consistently shows the bestowal of the Shabbat gift to the Ger [Toshav, Tzedek – both non-Jews with subtle distinctive differences], an expression of his relationship with the Commanded Jew. Granted there is a level of relative simplicity in the Talmud, however the Ten Commandments offers an endless array of scenarios and logistics, that with creative thought [such as to our "Melacha" of the Parsha – craft/work from creative thought] one can see the true Divine nature of the Shabbat of the Ger.

The Ger Shabbat as brought down astutely in the Parasha has one massive sign post that this is definitely a discussion for the Gerim – the transfer/kindling of fire. The Jewish holidays [not Shabbat] offer a leniency that allows for cooking under the pretext of "soul food" – "allowing the body to benefit," even through normally prohibited measures, such as cooking. In fact, the entire nature of these three verses openly compares and contrasts the Shabbat in face of the holidays, yet the discussion is without question a Shabbat discourse; ergo this is to highlight the participation of the Gerim in Shabbat as brought down in the Talmud.  Throughout the rest of the Parasha the inclusion of the Ger [and on a very serious spiritual inclination] is utterly profound, and there are impressions [such that are appropriately in reference materials] of the magnitude of the Ger in Vayakahel.

Some of the more penetrating ideas and concepts are as follows:  the ability to study the Melachot [creative labors] in order to know how to keep Shabbat [with Jews or as a convert or to develop one's knowledge within the realm of Ger Tzedek], ability to identify the material in both the Oral and Written Torah with Divine predictability, the prominence of the "Ger Code" – concerning the Mishkan/Mikdash dimensions, the concept of Soul Mazal of one's name – such that on Shabbat our Soul/Mazal is more pronounced [the Prophet Is. Ch. 40 details mazal and names, and lists Abraham as the prime example], the concept of perceiving the Shechinah on Shabbat [as the Prophet Is. States 58:13-14], the Kabbalah of the spiritual Worlds in association of the Mishkan and Shabbat, Derech Eretz and hard [allowed] labor on Shabbat [along with Creative thought], and the ability to defeat the evil inclination – while taking one's position in the highest spiritual realm as a rectified being. The vernacular of the Ger and "code" if you will, are the lent vessels in transmitting these precious secrets; perforce the Ger has inherited them.  

We have just gone through many Parshiot that all look the same, when in fact they are all very different. In order, they are as follows: 1) Trumah – post Sinai and commanded in the Mishkan and concept 2) Tetzaveh – the priests who operate such an apparatus 3) Ki Sisa – the episode that called for the Mishkan 4) Vayakahel – the construction itself 5) Pekudei – the receipt. This is the perfect example of cause effect, prophecy and wisdom, and brokering/executing spirituality from a place of power to implementation. Combine this with the Messianic secrets within, such that define Moshiach and the Third Temple, and this is yet another unique hotspot [of Mochin/Intellect] in the Torah.

The Torah has many flavors, whether it is in halacha, midrash, scripture, redemption, characters, plotlines, etc. In Kabbalah the intellect shines through the tools of Pardes [the mystical orchard], and shows exactly what is underneath the Torah on a Divine Level.  However that is all on the sublime microcosmic revelation. If we step back for a change, we can see a vast macro image, and this collage is none other than the Shabbat. To summarize the Parasha, and for that matter life, it all boils down to one thing: repair our souls and have a relationship with God, The Creator. How nice, and even glorious it will be, when Jews and Gerim will sit together, and take in one Universal Shabbat, in a Covenant of Peace….I'll even bring THE gefilte fish if you bring the chrain….הנה מה טוב ומה נעים שבת אחים גם יחד - "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" 

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