Soul Mazal

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Vill Zeh Real Rabbi Please Stand!?!

The beginnings of Torat Eretz Yisrael - Rav Kook. It began with the concepts of Tzion-ite Gra-ite [foundings of Zionism through the Gra]

IsraelNationalNews:

Occasionally, people from the hareidi community question or attack my articles. Even though they are well aware that I strive to follow in the path of Maran Harav Kook zt”l, nevertheless they argue: “Why don’t you accept the authority of the Gedolei haTorah (eminent Torah scholars)?” The simple answer is: I don’t consider them Gedolei haTorah.

They definitely are important talmidei chachamim (Torah scholars) whose fear of sin precedes their wisdom, educate many disciples, and it is a mitzvah to respect them. But they are not Gedolei haTorah.

Gadlute beTorah (Torah greatness, eminence) necessitates an all-embracing, fully accountable handling of serious issues facing the generation, including: the attitude towards Am Yisrael in all its diversity and various levels – both religious, and non-religious; the attitude towards mitzvoth of yishuv haaretz (settling the Land) and the on-going war which has surrounded it for over a century; the attitude towards science and work, and the contemporary social and economic questions.

Technical Questions as Opposed to Fundamental Questions

It is important to note that merely addressing these questions is not sufficient, because it would be easy to settle for trivial answers offering technical ways in which an individual Jew could survive the changes and revolutions facing the nation and world in modern times. To accomplish this necessitates expertise, and the more complicated the situation, the greater the amount of competence required. But this does not demand gadlute beTorah.

The type of expertise leaders and public figures already possess is quite adequate; if they are loyal to the path of Torah as taught by their rabbis, and understand the social realities before them, they can find creative solutions to problems faced by different sectarian groups (hareidi or dati, Ashkenazic or Sephardic). This is presently the type of expertise required of Knesset members, ministers, and mid-level theorists. Clearly, they can take advice of rabbis who are familiar in this field, but this does not necessitate significant Torah input.

However, true Gedolei haTorah are required to deal with fundamental questions, in order to provide significant and important answers to the perplexities of the generation. They need not offer detailed plans for immediate implementation, but they must set a vision, thoroughly analyze the events and phenomena confronting them, distinguishing between the positive and negative points, and offer direction wherein the positive can triumph over the negative, and even rectify it.

What is Gadlute beTorah?

How this is determined is a weighty and important question indeed. Obviously, the mere fact that a person decides to tackle the important questions does not entitle him to the designation of gadol baTorah as long as he lacks the competence to do so. Likewise, it is clear that it is not determined by the degree of proficiency. Throughout all the generations there were talmidei chachamim famous for their great erudition, but nevertheless, their knowledge did not place them in the top row of gedolei haTorah, because that is determined by the degree of comprehension and penetration into the roots of the matter.

In very general terms, there are three levels of Gadlute beTorah:

The first level includes those who merit understanding the root of the svara (rational inference) of every individual halakha or agadah they learn – these are the regular talmidei chachamim.

The second level includes those who merit delving deeper, understanding the inner svara which clarifies several halakhot collectively, and thus know how to resolve various questions. For example, rabbis who present the important lectures in yeshivot, who are able to explain numerous sugiyot (issues in the Talmud) along the lines of one concept, and are great in lamdanut (erudition).

They can also be important poskim (Jewish law arbiters) who, out of their profound comprehension, understand numerous halakhot, and know how to contend with new questions, and usually are gedolim in a some fields of halakha. Some of those on this level merit comprehending the inner svara which clarifies various matters of aggadah, and they are gedolim in machshava (Jewish philosophic thought) and emunah (faith).

The third level includes those who delve deeper into the inner roots of the svarot, both in halakha, aggadah, and pnimiyut ha’Torah (the deepest aspects of Torah). Consequently, they understand the general rules of the Torah more profoundly, and as a result, the details of halakhot and midrashim are clearer to them; they know how to give comprehensive instruction and guidance in matters concerning the affairs of the clal (general public) and the prat (individual), the spiritual, and the practical. These are the true Gedolei haTorah. Naturally, there are also numerous intermediate levels, according to the extent of profound thought and inner orientation in the various areas of Torah.

Maran Harav Kook zt”l – The Gadol of Recent Generations

Maran Harav Kook zt”l was one of Israel’s unique Gedolei haTorah. He was gifted with tremendous natural talent and by means of his extreme diligence, righteousness, and virtue, merited delving into all areas of Torah to an inconceivable extent, particularly in general issues comprising both halakha and aggadah collectively, clal and prat, sacred and secular.

God performed an enormous act of kindness to His nation Israel, and the entire world, by sending us such a great and holy soul to illuminate our path in these extraordinary times – generations filled with highs and lows, tremendous scientific achievements and terrible moral confusion, the revealing of individual talents and the decay of national, societal, and family values.

In generations where all orders of life are shifting, it is essential to delve deeply into the Torah so as to instruct, correct, and redeem all that is continually revealed. In order to contend with such types of challenges, regular gadlute baTorah is not sufficient – not even of the third level. What is called for is the type of greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu and Ezra the Scribe.

Torah Scholars Who Do Not Understand the Teachings of Rav Kook

Needless to say, someone who does not understand the teachings of Maran Harav Kook zt”l cannot be considered one of the Gedolei haTorah of the generation. He can be an expert and well versed in numerous details from the technical side of halakha and aggadah. But he cannot truly be Gadol baTorah.

Even among those who understood Rav Kook’s teachings, there are two main distinctions. There are those who accepted his general instructions regarding the importance of Eretz Yisrael in our times – the generation of kibbutz galyiot (Ingathering of the Exiles) and atchalta degeulah (beginning of the Redemption). Also, they agree with his teachings in relation to science and work, and the fundamental attitude towards Jews who abandoned Torah but identify with the values of the nation and the Land, or universal values. Owing to their identification with his teachings and luminous character, such talmidei chachamim merit being spiritually connected to the third level.

And then there are a select few who delve deeper in understanding the ideas, which genuinely illuminate life, and pave a path to redemption via the light of Torah guidance.

It should be noted that among the elder rabbis of the previous generation, whom the hareidi community consider as Gedolei haTorah as well, there were many who were significantly influenced by Maran Harav Kook zt”l. And although they did not follow his path of public leadership, they accepted some of his ideas, remained admirers, and honored his image all their lives. Among them: Rabbi Frank zt”l, Rabbi Aeurbach zt”l, Rabbi Eliyashiv zt”l, Rabbi Wallenberg zt”l, and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, shlita, may he live a long life.

The Words of Rabbi Charlop

Similarly, Rabbi Kook’s great disciple, Rabbi Yaacov Moshe Charlop zt”l, wrote in his book “Mayanei Hayishua” (Chap. 9), that at the present time, Gedolei haTorah must engage in the general rules of the Torah.

In that chapter he explains that the prophets dealt with general rules for life, because when the general rules are set right, all the details fall into place. However, as a result of Israel’s transgressions, the general rules deteriorated and the Holy Temple was destroyed; consequently, our main task in galut (Diaspora) was rectifying the details themselves. But when the beginning of salvation occurs, and as the world gradually recovers, the longing for the general rules increases (and when the general rules from the source of the Torah are not provided, consequently, they are sought after in alien places, and chutzpah (audacity) and lawlessness intensify).

“Israel’s gedolim must be deeply aware of this yearning, and pay heed to speak inspiringly, at length and in brief, about rectifying the general rules. In a way that not only will speaking about the general rules not obscure the details, but rather, will add force and strength, yearning and enthusiasm for the details and their rectification…”

“At that time, if narrow-minded people come forward, assuming to hasten the final redemption by speaking only about rectifying the details alone, failing to speak favorably about correcting the general rules, they fall into the category of ‘a student who has not reached the level of teaching, but nevertheless teaches’, disarranging all the spiritual conduits, because the hidden light is best revealed through illuminating the general rules, and uplifting the worlds.

"It is appropriate to make vigorous efforts against such thoughts. The true gedolim wrap themselves with might and strength to stand at the head of the nation, guide them in the correct path, and know that truth and God are with them.”

The Chief Rabbinate

As a continuation to the vision of revealing Torah in its greatness, Rav Kook viewed the establishment of the Chief Rabbinate as a nucleus from which a significant and united Torah leadership could develop. However, after Rav Kook zt”l passed away, the independent status of the Chief Rabbinate steadily deteriorated. From a rabbinate which presented a vision emanating from a totally autonomous position, devoid of subordination to public institutions or to public circles, the rabbinate grew to be a subordinate public institutions, subject to the present legal establishment.

No longer was the focus on offering a comprehensive vision, but rather finding halakhic solutions for presented situations, shaped by public and political leadership. Even the attempt of Rabbi Herzog zt”l to suggest an alternative constitution for the State of Israel, was not an effort to propose an all-inclusive constitution, rather, to find ways to ‘kasher’ the norms of the country’s leaders, within the framework of halakha.

Still the Chief Rabbis and the members of the Rabbinical Council were for a long time, the greatest talmidei chachamim of the time in Israel. Gradually, this status eroded, with the rabbinate recently becoming a supervisory department for a handful of religious matters, such as marriage, conversions, and kashrut.

In such a situation, although the rabbinate plays a very important role in managing these affairs, we are no longer talking about a supreme, moral, and spiritual Torah authority of mara d’atra (lit. “master of the house,” i.e. Israel's authority in Jewish law). Rather, the role of the Chief Rabbi became at best similar to that of a director of religious affairs, and at worst – the spokesperson for religious affairs.

This underscores just how much we must continue studying, delving, and identifying with the great vision of Maran Harav Kook zt”l, in order to increase and glorify the Torah and elevate the status of its bearers, so the light of the redeeming Torah can illuminate the entire world.

Look! A Mall! Ick!!!

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My Favorite Two Guys [sarcasm, anyone?]

Today's [Israeli] Judaism loves to acknowledge itself in the scholarly realm based on political stripes [see commentary to Mordechai Ish Yehudi on Purim and how politics prevent geulah]. Not only is this against every deah of emes, and shows lack of true scholarship, but this has been a thorn in Jews' sides since the Temple days. Our leaders are supposed to be Talmidei Chachamim - not Naftali Bennet.

But since Rabbi Yosef wants to say that this is Jews today, and he goes on further to say that Bennet is Amalek [and a knit kippa - wearer] - what does that say for his followers? Why would anyone follow an Amalekite? I'll even go further to strengthen the claim [which i noted when this baalagan began] in that בנט in אתבש is שטן.

Even though the Name Causes and Bennett is not a nice guy, what does this accomplish by making this war, consisting of battles of thinking small? Why can't our leadership begin to think big and come back to Torah instead of ego strokes over outdated Zionism? Why can't the institutions that be deal with real Jewish issues? - [on my ultra-biased view] where are the Gerim in halacha, Ger Toshav, educating rabbis in these areas, etc.? This may be my biased view, but it is my biased view because this is Jewish Reality today! Converts, Gerim, "goyim", falling religions, etc. is the larger terrain of what is going on, and this is what the Torah is going on about to the tune of every Parasha!

[for those still curious over the "ger" issue; they are halachically not bnei noah nor goyim, nor Jews - they are a quasi - keter [kabalah] status, a joined member of Israel [the 4-headed shin], are the gentile version of the baal teshuva [hence ger tzedek - not to be compared to convert ger tzedek, just like you wouldn't compare a frum BT and a new BT yet both are called BT] and is a member of Olam HaBah. Would it not be a better cause to Love the Ger [to the tune of 46 times in the Torah] which brings Love of God, fellow man,etc. and stop calling everyone Amalek and Erev Rav while disregarding the sources as to what these entities are?

[For the record Erev Rav (also known as Amalekites) is any entity that goes up a level of holiness lo lishmah; we learn it from Moses who brought out Gerim in hopes that they would remain emesdic Gerim and not fall to temptation of false aliyah into poor conversion not for the sake of heaven. Thus when Moses went up, Ahron signed the death certificate by aiding their endeavor, and they died from rachamim, being allowed to live beyond their infamous moment.]

Klal Yisrael has issues, and Bennet is the smallest of those issues, name connotation or not. There is a much more positive energy side to the Torah that is virtually untapped, taking place in Israel, and is our way out of galus. Our job as it always was, was to choose, and by choosing, be prepared to do what God makes clear to the person what he is to do.

TheJewishPress.com:

Shas party’s spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said Saturday night he really loves knitted-kippa Jews,” but it’s just their political leaders who are “Amalek” – the eternal enemy of Jews. The national religious community in Israel now can breathe easier and know that Rav Ovadia really loves them. Sure, the distinguished rabbi said last month that national religious Chief Rabbinate candidate Rabbi David Stav is “evil” and an “enemy to Judaism,” but, heck, that was just meant to cheer up Shas’ favorite clientele, the dwindling Sephardi community that still feels oppressed by the elite Ashkenazi community.

Indeed they are, but they are equally oppressed by their own leaders. So what better way to keep the common people in line by telling them that the Rabbi really loves Jews, even those who wear a knitted kippa. But what about Shas Rabbi Shalom Cohen, who said in a sermon a week ago that “as long as there are knit kippot, the [divine] throne is not whole? That’s Amalek. When will the throne be whole? When there is no knit kippa.” If a listener thought Rabbi Cohen, who is a member of Shas’ Council of Torah Sages, meant that knitted-kippa Jews are Amalek, he did not understand correctly God forbid he should say such a thing. Rav Ovadia, who sat silently on the podium as Rabbi Cohen spoke, knows exactly what he really meant. Sure, Rabbi Cohen said some things against” those rebellious national religious Jews with knitted kippot, but he was only referring to their political leaders, opined Rav Ovadia.

Love, love, love, he said. Love for everyone – with one small exception. It is the political leaders of the knitted-kippa crowd who are problematic. They not only are problematic. They are the true Amalek, Israel’s eternal enemy dating back to the days of the Exodus from Egypt. And who is the real knitted-kippa modern Amalek of the Jews? None other than Naftali Bennett, chairman of the Jewish Home party, which, unlike Shas, took the daring move in the last elections to welcome secular Jews as Knesset Members and put the emphasis on nationalist instead of religious. Rav Ovadia has his grounds for considering Bennett Amalek.

The Jewish Home party is against exempting Haredi youth from IDF service forever. That means that Shas yeshivas would have less youth learning , or at least registered as learning, in their institutions, If there are less students, there is less money from donors, especially from the Israeli taxpayer whose hard-earned money has been going into black-hat yeshivas for years with the payback that the future Torah scholars and eternal voters for Shas are defending the nation by learning Torah, even if they are just listed as learning and actually working or stashing home.

Now that Rav Ovadia has explained Rabbi Cohen and has mended ties with the national religious community, except for those enemies of Jews like Bennett, Israel is ready for Tu B’Av, which begins Sunday night. The Talmud lists it along with Yom Kippur as the most joyous days of the year when, according to the Talmud, that the daughters of Jerusalem go out dressed in white and dance in the vineyards and said, “Young man, consider who you choose (to be your wife).” Tu B’Av is the same day of the 40th yearin the desert when the ban was lifted on female orphans marrying into another tribe. It is the perfect day for a daughter of a Shas rabbi to become engaged to the son of a national religious politician. And God willing, Rabbi Cohen and Rav Ovadia will perform the marriage ceremony.

The Ger [Torah] teaches to Love, not to "not hate (too much)" - there is a difference between justifying that you didn't taunt the Ger/BT vs. going out of your way to Love them. The difference is a heart filed with God as opposed to Politics as a religion, and then putting that religion on to others who just left one and are trying [and are commanded as such] not to re-enter the matrix. The World wants God, and God wants the World - maybe the time is now to work on the relationship(s)?

The Message of Jethro's Messiah

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Parashas Shoftim

Jethro’s Echo

Rabbi David Katz

Parashas Shoftim for all intents and purposes is the introduction to the Torah of Moshiach, in that it introduces with pristine detail the nature of the famed Four Craftsmen of Redemption [Messiahs sons of Joseph and David along with Elijah and Shem the Righteous Priest] through the King, Judge, Priest, and Prophet. Yet another angle, even deeper than the surface understanding, is to see that Moses is retelling the entire Torah in the negative and as a reassessment of Sinai through the repair of Adam, in the guise of guarding against stealing, all in the name of giving the proper counsel to the Gerim. Essentially, this is where we see that Moses is implementing the plan of Jethro’s court system, which is to be erected upon entrance into the Land; this would dually serve as the prophecy in the End of Days when the Seven Laws will come under microscope, and the World returns to its Sinai state of Israel and Ger Toshavim.

Moses upon his own volition brought out the Erev Rav, which tradition holds they were potential Gerim who converted to Judaism not for God’s sake, thus making them corrupt, and setting precedent of all who aspire to ascend on high not for the sake of true Holiness. Such unnatural growth deems one as Erev Rav, and this is precisely what happened at Sinai. Moses had hoped to make more Gerim, yet this was not a lost cause, for even though failure gave way to the Erev Rav, this sealed their fate of death by the same token. Their destiny is to be eradicated each time this pattern is reiterated, therefore Moses’ will was achieved, and Aaron was the agency to seal the trap. Along these lines, the Messiah will duplicate this victory from Mercy, as in the End of Days Pinchas, who descended from Aaron, will restore the Torah in the Messianic times which will terminate Torah corruption as it happened at Sinai. [Brisker Rav]

The basic sin of the Erev Rav [non-Ger] was to make the Golden Calf, a creation of Man by the work of his hands. They made “other gods” [gematria 345 = Moses] which is 101 – "to not have other gods"; they sought to decide matters in their own hands, recalling the same sin of Adam in context of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The commentary “Mahram Shif” to Bava Kama states that both of these sins were truly in light of making a forgery of God, or stealing; thus in a Parasha that deals with it repairing this, it is equally understood that the Redemption for the World comes when stealing has been rectified [after nearly 6,000 years!] , just as those that stood at Sinai were charged with the task of truly understanding the nature of stealing.

With all things equal, one can point the finger and say that stealing is the essential negative that we all deal with, Jew and Ger. Based on this approach, we can now begin to see Jethro in better Light, and bigger yet, start to clearly see the inner workings of the Seven Laws of Noah, from the eyes of the only Man in history who we say can see – Jethro!

The Parasha opens with the court system of Jethro; keep in mind Jethro is [arguably] practically the hero of every Ger and Moses is the initial Scribe of the Torah, which the Zohar says is composed by the words of Gerim - Moses being the quintessence of this fact. Right away we see the clarity of their system [and its obvious Messianic relevance] and are bombarded with an eternal dictum: “Righteousness! Righteousness! You Shall Pursue!” – which as easily as this pertains to the Jew, it just as easily is a command to the Ger to find צדק / Tzedek to realize that he can be a Ger Tzedek!

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov [along with Sifrei Re’eh] explain that the most direct understanding of the Ger Tzedek is to be contrasted with a Baal Teshuva - a returnee to God, and perhaps onwards to Judaism. Just as a Returnee returns to God, and perhaps will or have chosen a religious lifestyle [it is impossible to know until you get there by subjective definition based on the confines of reality!] so too the Ger may have converted, or simply may be on a Righteous Path with God; this qualifies him to be called a Ger Tzedek – by definition that he is a Ger, on a path of God from a great distance [thus expectations fall under category of “Don’t taunt the Ger”] and he is a Ger Tzedek [and it should be understood we are not to compare between two Gerei Tzaddikim just like to not compare two Baalei Teshuva – one who is religious vs. one on the way, walking with God]. We can conclude that Jethro’s message through the Torah of Moses is one to say [to the Gerim] ‘Be Tzedek!” [Realize the Ger TZEDEK, Baal Teshuva, etc.]

The nature of Tzedek is to explore righteousness, and this becomes the predominant theme in the Parasha; one can see how this was missing at Sinai, yet repairs Adam, and is the domain for the End of Days. In the absence of Moses at Sinai, the task was to resolve this issue of stealing in context of Tzedek; so too in any “leaderless” generation or moment [such as today] we are burdened with the task of the ultimate repair. This is where the Gerim and Righteous Women play huge roles in redemption, as these souls are acutely sensitive to [not] stealing by nature, for women tend to lean towards Tzedek and the Gerim are drawn to an ultimate culmination as the essence of the Seven Laws of Noah from a Talmudic ordering of 1-7. [The first 4 would be those that are capital for Jews as well, followed by Courts of Law, Limb Eating, and ultimately settling the score with stealing.]

Under these terms, we can now consider how the Parsha, Sinai, and the entire Torah, is a guide against stealing, and even more so this puts emphasis on Jethro. Jethro was well aware of the End of Days scenario when theoretically the entire World would realize its Ger Toshav reality, and would seek the prophet of Israel [see Naaman!] to clarify the Seven Law Matters; namely that of what constitutes stealing, as it is the most practical and controversial of Torah Law. The controversy is in understanding the differences and subtleties of stealing for Jews and Gerim; this paves the way to properly understand the Torah for Jews and Gerim, as well as History, and as the genre goes with the Book of Devarim – it reveals an aspect of the Torah of Everything, as per the Torah’s natural fractal repetition in Devarim.

The issue of stealing is simple, and it explains why Jethro was adamant about the court system and burdens upon Moses [and brings the rest of the Parasha into proper context, in alignment with all of the Messianic (Four Craftsmen – representing Priest, Judge, King, Prophet) /Ger Tzedek (Sinai/Adam/Erev Rav Repair) properties as well – which are essentially hand in glove] – for one day you will realize the whole Torah came down to understanding stealing, and its opposite in Holiness – Tzedaka [charity, righteous acts].

Tzedaka is told to save you from death, and it is the teaching we have from Shem that he personally learned on the Ark. [the first letter of the last 4 words of the Parasha even spells “Ark” / “תיבה”] If we are to pursue Righteousness, then we are obligated to know the absolute Torah of [how to not] steal; this is where the Seven Laws of Noah become Universal, incumbent upon Jew and non-Jew, equally, and in some cases – “equally – non- equal.”

The Torah defines categorically stealing as the result of character traits. The realm of open theft goes without saying, nor does it intrinsically need a Court of Law. Jethro’s concerns are those grey areas, where the amount stolen is called “less than a Pruta’s worth.” [A Pruta is the Biblical penny, or better yet when gas prices were 89.9 cents a gallon, the .9 would be the less than the Pruta.] In the times before the Flood micro theft brought guilt on the Generation [much like today’s corporate world] by finding the leniencies to steal that proverbial .9; for this the Noahide laws and capital punishment serves to stand against degeneration in society, and to inspire the Fear of God in situations that the person would go free by technicality. Aside from the purely wicked [those who have not only rejected the Seven Laws, but the Three laws brought in Chullin 92 as well.], the rest of society needs to know what is the bottom line of stealing in Torah.

This is where for some the map [of social context] begins, and for others this is where the map [of imprisonment] falls into the wind; as traditionally, there is one distinction for the Gerim that is to ascertain the fate of one who perpetrates the 7^th Noahide Law of stealing – the knowledge of self and ability to let go of things. In Hebrew this term is Mechila “מחילה” – and it is the defining line as to where one stands in the face of judgment, should the situation arise. The proverbial message is to the accused, “if someone took from you .9, do you have the power to realize it is best to let it go, and to judge mercifully, realizing that God exacts judgment on these matters, therefore only God is the true Judge. [By which this is the reason exile takes so long, as to rectify rampant stealing on minimal amounts, for none can bribe God.] If one can let it go, his judgment will be the same, while the inverse will bring severity upon himself.

The Seventh Noahide Law of stealing is the result of real life, real people, and real situations. Jethro saw this, and knew that one day there will be a time that the World will realize that they are Ger Toshav, even despite enactments built to govern the process. When that time comes, you [the Jews] should not forget that you are Gerim as well, and it is equally incumbent upon you to establish Courts of Law for Jews and Gerim, as the Seven Laws of Noah exist for both Gerim and Jews. This is the source for all outreach, and conquering the Land of Israel – along with every endeavor not only in the Parasha, but in Moses’ recollection of Sinai, Repair of Adam, and the basis of the entire Torah. In essence as much as last week we learned about the 6^th Noahide Law – meat and its Tzeddaka to the Ger aspect [which realized the divine schism of Jew and Ger] this week is the negative, as we take issue with stealing, while repairing the schism through joint venture in Beis Din, the 5^th Noahide Law.

Along these lines we have a rudimentary view of the Seven Laws, [re]defining Jew and Ger, the return to God for Jews and Gerim, under the pretense of pursuing Righteousness, and a clear view of history; that by the lens of Jethro, we can even see the Messianic Era in an above nature state where the Gerim will realize that they are Bnei Mechila – as prophesied by King David himself. Parashas Shoftim is the best view yet of the Torah of Moshiach, as it should be, for Pinchas, who returns the Torah in those days is invested with soul sparks of Joseph [of whom Moses took his essence “the Bones of Joseph, Moses took”] and Jethro, and we see for the first time what their shared vision yields according to Torah. In a tradition of Jews and Gerim that goes back to King David, He who’s era defined this Parasha, in Kings, Prophets, Priests, Temples, etc. – it’s all here, no one had a better handle matters as much as him. King David possessed the knowledge that went into establishing an infrastructure through the ages for these two people’s by the inspiration of God [which was the repair of Adam, for David obeyed where Adam deviated] from simply achieving in truth what this Parasha demands; yet on a totally separate issue one might take interest in trying to not taunt the Ger, but if one truly wishes to emulate what King David was after, which was the heart of God – then it is wise to Love the Ger.

From Loving the Ger, one can see the Messianic Light in context, and will make you a Bar- Mechila inherently. In short, a Bar-Mechila is praiseworthy, for the Jew, for the Ger, and is certain to be the prime agent in Loving the Ger, leading one to know Him and His One Torah. Jethro had one message that summarized all of this, in his Mechila moment with Moses at Sinai – Righteousness! Righteousness! You Shall Pursue! Whether finding the Ger Tzedek or the Baal Teshuva, they both will have found their way by Loving the Ger and being a Bar-Mechila, and Jethro knew this all too well, after all, the Parasha predicts what will befall you in the End of Days – and it will be Very Good says God.

Audio Shiur on Parashas Shoftim 11 P.M. Motzie Shabbos [Motzie Shabbos]

Theft and The Ger
Four Craftsmen
Jethro's Vision
History and The Ger
Real Noahide
etc.

The Two Who Finally Came Together

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Parashas Re'eh

Give Meat To Who?
Yiddishkeit and The Ger
The Torah In The Negative
Bread, Wine, ....and Meat Shem and Abraham
Noah's Permission, a Gift to Israel
Future Sustenance
The Real World
The Ger, The Birth, The Moshiach
etc.

Click Here For Link To Article!

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The Bread of the Ger
ALL the Mitzvot
Torat Eretz Yisrael
Ramban - Explaining Gerim
Chassidus of the Ger
Learning - Essence of All
etc.

Click Here For Article Link!

David The Ger
Tehillim 119:19
David in Atzilus
The Ger, King David
The Mitzvot, The Ger, The King
Nefesh HaSechel, David, The Ger
Chomer Against The Divine
etc.

Torah of My Father - An Ode To K&K Gourmet Meats: The Meat of the Ger

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Parashas Re’eh

Along With The Bread and Wine – The Meat Is On The Table

Rabbi David Katz

In Memory of my Father ליב בן נחמן הכהן – he probably knew this Parasha better than anyone; as a true Kohen, he owned a Meat Factory still in existence today. May he merit to learn the Emes of Meat from the Mouth of the Rosh Yeshiva Shel Maaleh and may this be in merit for that endeavor as an elevation of his Soul in Gan Eden.

**Note: Read the sentences first without brackets [ ] and upon completion of sentence re-read with brackets, for easiest flow and comprehension. I think you will find the bracketed information quite helpful in gaining a 3-D model of what is being taught. Enjoy!

Parashas Re’eh is particularly fascinating when seen in the residual light that [hopefully] still emanates from last week’s Parasha “Eikev.” As last week the Zohar honed in on the essence of the Parsha with its precision focus upon “small matters” such as the Ger, and his association with bread [and due to the highly Kabbalistic teachings from the Zohar, the Parasha can be properly compared to wine, which is synonymous with “sod” /”secret” of Torah, as seen by their common gematria/numerical value – 70] and garment, this week brings apparent completion to the conceptual “set table” [the concept of Torah/Halacha being complete and ready for practice, is to make it as a |Shulchan Aruch – “a set table”] and effortlessly it seems intertwines “meat” [and the concept of] with every step forward, from the Parasha’s beginning, and onwards until the Parasha finishes where it began – with a Blessing [and a curse]. It is surprisingly vivid for the mind to witness the simple yet deep conclusion of the Parasha, being summarized that the Blessing you seek must not be held against you; and this is none other than the finishing touch to God’s table, the Meat – a proverbial [and actual] altar to the Lord.

The scope of this potential breakthrough in revelation on a halachic level is immense, and when one applies “Chassidus” [inner most realm of Torah; conclusions drawn from combining Torah angles; the inner dimension of Torah that identifies as the natural mind (sechel) of the Ger] into the fabric, the Parasha [and the Torah all the more so] absolutely enter(s) the realm of Absolute Knowledge, and awareness of nothing but Pure Truth. On a very oversimplified level, the Parasha seems to equate [as One “Face of Torah” from the famed “70 Faces of Torah”] that the entire Torah can be seen from a perspective of “meat” and our relationship with it. In fact, from this view of meat in the “positive”, one can conclude [i.e. the impression of meat on the whole Torah “Lefi Pshuto” – “to understand the intent of the written from a basis of the non-written”] that its negative [non-emotional; in terms of positive –negative relationships in science] would explain the entire Torah, as the premise of the Book of Devarim - keeping pace with its goal of Torah – reiteration. In essence, the Torah was opened last week with Bread, as the appetizer [Kiddush and HaMotzie], and now we are ready for the Festive Meal [the whole Seudah].

In one sense we can compare the Torah through its first rendition the Torah of Shem, he who brought out Bread and Wine, to a “People” like Abraham – the Ger Toshav. By Mishna Torah, we are served the Meat, a second time through, as this becomes elevated into the essential Torah of Moses; interestingly enough, when Shem brings out Bread and Wine to Abraham [Bereishit Ch. 14], the end letters to the words “King of Salem Brought Out” – has each end letter with a “Mem”, “Shin”, and “Heh”, together forming “Moshe.” Thus last week in Eikev we found the Ger [as in Moses’ Name “בשגם” (as hinted at by same gematria), it hints to Bereishit – Shem – Ger – and Moshiach], and as he was compared to Bread, the Torah’s Essential Light was exposed through its mitzvah equivalent of the Ger, as King David says, [The. 119:19] “I am a Ger”; King David illustrates how this contains the entire Torah]. This week we are urged to go a little bit deeper and experience the essence as meat, and once again for proper context, the Torah [of Moshe] paints its picture with the Ger, and as per its Universal message, it is in proximity of a Mitzvah that absorbs the Jewish People and the Gerim. From this point forward, it would be fitting to say, “Welcome to the world of the Ger,” and better yet, “welcome to the Torah of Life.”

To make matters short and concise [and within definite scope of the Parasha context], the Parasha illustrates what is perhaps the greatest distinction of a Ger [Toshav] as a non-inclusion of a Ger Gamor [convert], and yet how many people make the mistake of locating the “Ger” of our Parasha, then out of haste and ignorance continue to mislabel him as a convert. I am referring to Devarim 14:21, “You shall not eat any carcass; to the Ger who is in your cities shall you give it that he may eat it, or sell it to a gentile, for you are a Holy People to Hashem, Your God; do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.” This one verse in the Torah is the entire basis of everything known about the Ger, and has a macro potential to encompass the entire Torah; weigh in all of the other meat references, and should be clear that Moses has [re]encapsulated the entire Torah [again] right before our eyes. The mission statement from this verse should be the need to look up the material with a deeper perspective in mind, in this case to weigh in the meat factor. Imagine the tragedy that befalls the people who carelessly call this Ger a convert; that is to say that a Jew eats non-Kosher Meat, the Ger [Toshav…] then does not exist. Woe be the one who does not show Love for the Ger, for Hashem Loves the Ger, and you should Love the Ger.

The basic premise of the verse, [and that is a gross understatement] is that the Ger [non-convert without exception] has removed himself from the status of being of the Nations [goyim in the slang sense] and is a [4^th type of] Israelite [joining Priests, Levites, and Israelites – he is the Righteous Ger, hence why Gerim are called Ger Tzedek – philosophically (taken in the literal sense, devoid of halachic weight; the 4-headed Hebrew Letter Shin – limud of Chassidus in Torah]; he is categorically NOT the Nachri, of whom the verse speaks about next, and the Jewish people are commanded to sell [carcass] the meat to him, while giving it to the Ger. It is forbidden to receive a gift from the Nachri [who is deemed steeped in idolatry] and Torah does not condone the relationship between Jews and the Nachri. On the flip side of things, the Jew and the Ger have the exact opposite type of relationship; this is called “Mitzvah Le’Chiyuso” [a command to give to the Ger vitality in physicality and spirituality].

It is at this point, the Torah expands in every direction for the Ger Toshav, and every option he has to walk the path of righteousness. He may choose to focus on “no other Gods” [incorporating the maximum of the “negative”], or choose to remain a classic Noahide, while some may even take on the whole Torah, mimicking the ancient Gerim who came before him, whose legacy is told to “stand at Sinai”; just as those in the past stood there, he loads his potential offspring to “return there” as well. The common thread amongst all three types of Gerim [Avodah Zara 64b] is the need to eat non-kosher meat, as spoken of in Parashas Re’eh.

The Parasha is all about meat, and the major mitzvah of the Parasha [with the Ger] is also about meat being handled properly. The generalization to these matters are two-fold: there is meat, and then there is the Torah of meat. It is thought that all of Man’s service of God and perceptions of this World can be reduced to how we incorporate meat into our lives. One avenue is top take no caution with meat, yet the Torah warns [the sons of Noah] that was the Path to the Flood; hence “don’t eat the Limb of a Live Animal” was instituted to curb the sensation. Yet this comes with caution as well, as evidenced by the very next warning in the Torah – to not spill the blood of Man [which is another (more serious obviously) form of meat and blood]. By the “Taryag” commandments [613] Hashem illustrates the “Torah of Meat” in our Parasha, and Moses has successfully shown that the whole Torah can be different angles of perception of meat in proper context. The goal as always, is the repair of Adam, and Noah’s commands, were to help rectify that equation; with the advent of Shem, Abraham, Sinai, etc. this would become a guarantee - a guarantee at least from one perspective, in the proper sensitivity for meat and all associated with it.

The Ger is cautioned that while he may incorporate even all the Commandments of the Torah, he must save the consumption of non-carcass meat as his last Torah fulfillment. In basic terms, when the meat stops, the Torah begins, and per force this is the proper order of progression. Meat serves as the basis of all Spiritual matters governing the Ger and the Jew [together] – for it is at the very least, the conceptual bridge that expresses itself as a universal language between not just these two peoples, but all peoples.

Meat is the language that we have to speak with God, as there is no greater line of communication in the World, than the function of the Altar within the Holy Temple. [Even as Man communicates this way, so too does the rest of the Universe operate on these terms, concepts, and principles.] The Ger thus is the elected one by God to represent the point of where the Halacha not only starts [with meat], but he also ushers in the beginning of the realm towards the infinite, in opening the door to Chassidut based on pure Torah Commandments. From here we delve into what is meat, what is the nature of the Temple, what is the Ger, what is a Jew, even what is Life and God – all based on perceptions of Meat.

In a World where the Ger’s Torah is the most objective view from the point of the lowest common denominator, and now through Eikev and Re’eh, we have reached the DNA of existence in the investigation of the seemingly simple and overlooked elements of Life in Bread and Meat. Perhaps the only way we will ever know what Bread and Meat really are, and have answers to such matters as “will Meat be in the Third Temple,” etc. is when the Jews will finally realize that they have a tremendous gift of God, in a Torah that allows them to properly eat Meat, and thus giving them the merit to give it to a Ger. This may sound like a Beis Hamikdash reality with Offerings and Olah’s up in fire to the pleasing of God by the hands of Jews and Gerim; so what will it take to simply give Meat to a Ger – and finally allow the Hidden Light of Creation to pour out of eons of closed-door-syndrome! It is not that hard, to just stop calling the Ger in Re’eh a convert, look up the ramifications as such, acknowledge the Truth that is now readily available, and the sky is the limit.

Who would have thought that the secrets of Creation could be found in Meat? And then one should surely remember, Sechel is a Ger in this World, and that the Torah was written of words of the Gerim [Zohar BeHalaloscha]. As the Simple Son of Passover said, “what is this?” – in context and understood as a True Jacob, an Ish Tam [Simple meaning of having known the Truth] – it is my presumption that the Ger knows all too well what meat is, and is willing to serve with Chassidic undertone; the question that remains, will there ever be someone simple enough to ask? Maybe not, because the Gerim already are, and as the parable goes, if a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one there to hear it, does it still make a sound? God Loves the Gerim, and so should you.

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"He who saves one life... it as if he saves an entire universe..." Talmud Sanhedrin 4:5

Since 1953 Yad VaShem in Jerusalem has been charged with the task of perpetuating the memory of the Holocaust and its victims. As part of that mission Yad VaShem researches accounts of individuals -- the Righteous Among the Nations -- who, at great risk to their own lives, helped Jews escape the Nazi dragnet during WWII. To date Yad Vashem has honored over 20,000 individuals who saved their Jewish neighbors and friends and, oftentimes, perfect strangers.

In 1965 Yad Vashem honored a Polish woman, Irena Sendler, who had saved, according to historians, over 3000 Jews between the years 1939 and 1943. Following her award ceremony Sendler returned to Warsaw where the story of her activities was almost forgotten until it was revived by a group of Uniontown Kansas schoolgirls in 1999. The girls were researching the Holocaust for their social studies class and stumbled across the bare backbones of Sendler's life. They adopted the project and spent a massive amount of time researching it until, in 2003, they traveled to Poland to meet and interview the then-93-year-old Sendler.

The girls' work got them funding from Jewish philanthropist Lowell Milken allowing them to create a wide-ranging project that includes a book, a website and a performance of Sendler's life and her actions during WWII on behalf of thousands of Jewish lives.

Sendler was a young Polish social worker in 1939 when the war broke out. She watched the Nazis begin their persecutions of the Jews and joined with her friends in the Polish underground to help Jews procure false documents that would allow them to blend into the Polish society. When the Nazis closed off the Warsaw ghetto in November 1940, interning over 400,000 Jews within the 3.4 square mile perimeter, she herself obtained forged documents that would allow her to enter the ghetto freely.

Sendler crossed into the ghetto daily -- sometimes several times a day -- in the guise of a nurse who specialized in infectious diseases. She began to smuggle street orphans out of the ghetto and, as the conditions in the ghetto worsened, she approached parents and tried to convince them to let her take their children out of the ghetto.

Sendler was traumatized by those interactions. "I talked the mothers out of their children" she said during an interview that was conducted over half a century after the events. "Those scenes over whether to give a child away were heart-rending. Sometimes, they wouldn't give me the child. Their first question was, 'What guarantee is there that the child will live?' I said, 'None. I don't even know if I will get out of the ghetto alive today."

Sendler smuggled many of the children out of the ghetto under her tram seat. Others were sedated and hidden in luggage or toolboxes or even in carts that had piles of garbage or baking dogs on top of them to distract the German guards. Zagota members led some of the older children out through the sewer pipes that ran underneath the city. All in all historians believe that Irena Sendler and her comrades successfully smuggled over 2500 children out of the ghetto.

Once the children reached the safety of the other side of the ghetto walls they needed forged documents and hiding places. Sendler saw to these details and made sure that the children knew Catholic prayers and liturgy so that they could blend in with their new non-Jewish environment. Many of the children were sent to orphanages and convents while others were hidden with sympathetic families. Sendler recorded all of the children's names, along with their hiding places, on pieces of tissue paper which she hid in glass jars that were buried in her yard.

In October of 1943 Sendler was arrested and taken to the notorious Pawiak prison. The Nazis questioned her, breaking both of her legs during the interrogations, but Sendler did not divulge any information about her children or about her fellow Zagota members. The Germans scheduled her for execution but her Zagota friends managed to bribe a German and Sendler was able to flee the prison moments before her scheduled execution. She lived out the rest of the war in hiding.

Laurie Rappeport made aliyah to Safed, Israel 30 years ago from Detroit. She works in the field of education, utilizing different forms of formal and informal educational models for young Jewish learners of all ages. Laurie is also involved in a wide range of projects which are aimed at bringing visitors to Safed to enjoy the religious, historical, cultural and artistic sites and experiences that the city has to offer.

Tzfat

Bringing The House of Sheker Down

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They found King Richard III in a parking lot; he was found in a tomb that contained another tomb, sealed in lead. They must take caution to preserve the inner contents. It should also be noted that the locale was of the Grey Friars - which in my language means some kind of Templar stuff. When you do the research on that genre, it usually ends up with yushka pushers, Grail babble, etc.

I sincerely hope that what they find [assuming its a loaded kever] brings down the sheker house of cards, ending traifa religion, and allow Judah to take his stand once and for all.

YahooNews:

King Richard III's rediscovered resting place is turning out more mysteries this summer. Excavators finally lifted the heavy lid of a medieval stone coffin found at the site in Leicester, England, only to reveal another lead coffin inside.

The "coffin-within-a-coffin" is thought to have been sealed in the 13th or 14th century — more than 100 years before Richard, an infamous English king slain in battle, received his hasty burial in 1485.

The team of archaeologists from the University of Leicester thinks this grave in the Grey Friars monastery might contain one of the friary's founders or a medieval knight. [Gallery: In Search of the Grave of Richard III]

"The inner coffin is likely to contain a high-status burial — though we don't currently know who it contains," reads a statement from the university.

The outer stone coffin measures about 7 feet (2.1 meters) long and 2 feet (0.6 meters) wide at the head and 1 foot (0.3 meters) at the feet. Eight people were needed to remove its lid.

Richard III's facial rebuildPlay video."Richard III's facial rebuild The lead funerary box inside has been carried off to the university, where researchers will conduct tests to determine the safest way to open it without damaging the remains. But so far, they've been able to get a look at the feet through a hole in the bottom of the inner coffin.

The archaeologists suspect the grave may belong to one of Grey Friar's founders: Peter Swynsfeld, who died in 1272, or William of Nottingham, who died in 1330. Records also suggest "a knight called Mutton, sometime mayor of Leicester," was buried at the site. This name may refer to the 14th-century knight Sir William de Moton of Peckleton, who died between 1356 and 1362, the researchers say.

"None of us in the team have ever seen a lead coffin within a stone coffin before," archaeologist Mathew Morris, the Grey Friars site director, said in a statement. "We will now need to work out how to open it safely, as we don't want to damage the contents when we are opening the lid."

Richard III, the last king of the House of York, reigned from 1483 until 1485, when he was killed in battle during the War of Roses. He received a quick burial at the Grey Friars monastery in Leicester as his defeater, Henry Tudor, ascended to the throne.

Richard's rise to power was controversial. His two young nephews, who had a claim to the throne, vanished from the Tower of London shortly before Richard became king, leading to rumors that he had them killed. After his death, Richard was demonized by the Tudor dynasty and his reputation as a power-hungry, muderous hunchback was cemented in William Shakespeare's play "Richard III." Meanwhile, Grey Friars was destroyed in the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation, and its ruins became somewhat lost to history.

What lies beneathPlay video."What lies beneath Setting out to find the lost king, archaeologists started digging beneath a parking lot in Leicester last summer where they believed they would find Grey Friars. They soon uncovered the remains of the monastery and a battle-ravaged skeleton that was later confirmed through a DNA analysis to be that of Richard III.

In an effort to learn more about the church where Richard was buried — as well as the other people buried alongside him — a fresh dig at the site began in early July.

A King Richard III visitor center is being built at the site and arrangements are being made to reinter the king's bones. The Cathedral of Leicester recently unveiled its $1.5 million (£1 million) plan to rebury the monarch in a new raised tomb inside the church, with a week of celebrations leading up to the reinterment.

...so what's in there??

Which Ger Are You?

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Parashas Eikev

Torat Moshe In Motion – Understanding [The Mitzvah] Chok

Rabbi David Katz

Introduction

*Sefer Devarim has reached the Chazakah [est. pattern] of truly being “Mishna Torah" [repetition of entire Torah]; with that in mind, we will now resume and accentuate Torat Moshe within context of Chok – Shem – and Ger, following the mystical name of Moses, “בשג''ם” – Bereishit, Shem, Ger, Moshe-Moshiach. The Oral shiur will emphasize Torat Moshe in motion with the impetus of the Ger. In plain terms we will explore and introduce [in class] the negative and positive concepts that weigh into Torat Moshe – with direct implications of the Ger, and his naturally objective view of the Universe. Ultimately in this Parsha, the roles of the Jew and Ger in the negative and positive are defined; the results are Tachlis Geulah and Hedvah of achieving the Victory of God in completing the “Mitzvah” – the command given that takes place on the Land and liberates Mankind.

**Special Note, the article employs the terms negative [in relation to positive]; think in magnetic terms, as opposed to emotional state. The negative is that which is there, but not seen or heard, it can only be felt, and is therefore truly the most positive and most poured out from the heart of God. This should be realized as the highest term of endearment, to speak that which can’t be spoken, it is just understood, and praiseworthy is he who need no longer be told in these matters, for his heart is inclined to listen even before being called upon. Welcome to the Torah of Shem finding its way into Torat Moshe derech HaGer.

In Parashas Eikev we encounter an old theme of the Love the Ger / Don’t Taunt the Ger; only this time we are ready to take it to the next level, and fully understand how it relates to the Ger– non convert as well, this time in the negative. As we render its meaning with absolute certainty that the Torat Moshe speaks here not only of the convert, a truly deeper and appreciative Simple Understanding jumps off of the page, and leaves us with the Chassidut of the Mitzvah [The sweet understanding, i.e. the mysterious 5^th level that emerges from “Pardes,” (4 levels of exegesis) as begun with its latest incarnation from the Baal Shem Tov, yet extends as far back as the Ancient Days as well.] that is astoundingly simple, in that it was there staring at us the entire time. The amazing revelation is that Torat Moshe is littered amongst the writings of the last 2000 years [of Moshiach]; the final generations’ task is to gather and unify once ready for “public reading.”

To paraphrase 10:18-19: “Love the Ger – to give him garment and bread….love him and do not taunt him [a blemish in you, to him, do not raise issue] – for you were Gerim in Egypt” - once thought to be specific to the convert, the Ramban [combined with Rashi] comes to illuminate that this was true to the Ger non-convert [expressed/included in the “negative” (non-revealed)] as well, a tradition that dates back to the beginning. The amazing aspect to the Torat HaGer, is that when God speaks, there are those that listen [which the parsha stresses, when we hearken to his Voice, the initiative of the Torah is met (9:23)], and our Parsha is no exception with the Commentary of the Ramban, who takes up the plight of the Ger, explaining in revealed terms that match the will of God, proving that God’s Word is indeed victorious despite attempts of perceived sabotage. The Torah of Moses knows not of something truly foreign to God, thus making it truly reminiscent of the Torah of Shem before him.

Ramban makes special emphasis of the phrase “for you were strangers in the Land of Egypt” as the impetus in understanding the core issue latent within Loving the Ger. One should keep in mind, that the words of the Ramban, as they are illuminated, have been protected from seizure, for the negative nature of the Ger has safeguarded the Light upon the Ger, as none realize the dual nature of the context within. However once the negative turns into a revelation [revealed positive; the Ger non-convert DOES EXIST], the verse must be explained in a way that meets his standards to qualify as an eternally true teaching, one worthy of Torat Moshe. Perhaps the ingredients that make Ramban and Rashi two of the greatest Commentators of all time, is their combined efforts in expressing Torat Moshe in terms of this opportunity to Love the Ger, even in a non-convert arena.

To begin matters in the simplest way possible, it should be noted that the Ramban directs the reader to his commentary in Shemos 22:20 which he renders as identical in terms of explanation; this happens to be Parashas Mishpatim, where the Ramban is also on record as issuing that the 7^th Noahide Mitzvah of establishing Courts. He states that this is also 100% a command incumbent upon Israel, and that the Gerim are to work in partnership in these matters, while making learning appropriate Torah the highest priority for both parties, each for his own way. [Our Parsha says that learning is the essence of the path of Israel to secure victory in the Command, and the Ger only develops his commitments from developed scholarship beyond the traditional scope of his return process.] Once the Ramban gives the background [revealed negative to magnify the positive], his law-based explanation yields to tremendous Chassidut; sweet Torah from the heart of God that develops one into a devout adherent to God’s Will.

To make matters simple, I will outline the thought process to understand the Mitzvah in clear terms [of Loving the Ger]:

Rashi: To Love the Ger is to not make known your blemish that is within him for the sake making ill of him [the Ger].

Ramban: 1^st acknowledges Rashi [which is the basis for the Chassidut – Torah of piety that comes from the heart and is developed from the deepest channels of Torah’s Hedva where one is One with God.]

Ramban explains the nature of “you were strangers in Egypt”; this was a temporary condition as Gerim.

· The loaded issue with Ramban is always in mind, ”don’t taunt the Ger.”

God saw Israel [as Gerim] had no salvation in sight.

Every Ger only has Hashem to turn to, and every Ger is a part of the Job program, i.e. it isn’t easy to be a Ger.

The Ger will and does cry out to God whenever God desires to hear from the Ger, David said, “I am a Ger.”

God always will then have Mercy on the Ger and redeem him.

Redemption and Gerim come in several ways: some are permanent Gerim, some aren’t, and some are redeemed only from Mercy, while some are redeemed with an additional merit; in Israel’s case that was the case [merit] as having merit of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the literal sense.

The Mitzvah of Loving the Ger is thus, “Love the Ger” – “do not raise issue with his ‘blemish’ i.e. his Ger-ness”; that is to say, “I was redeemed by my merit and God’s Mercy” whereas you were redeemed by Mercy. This is taunting the Ger, and for that God states 46 times, “Love the Ger, for I love the Ger, and thus you should too.” [the 46 references are in similar warnings throughout Torah]

The Ramban has now explained in the clearest terms that the Ger non-convert in here in the negative, and finally explained in the positive. With understanding the proper reading of the text [i.e. Egypt in context], we see that God has many types of Gerim, Loves them all, redeems them all, etc. All Gerim are unique and are Loved by God and we are commanded to join in this Mitzvah, as it is a major part of the Mitzvah that contains the essential message of the Torat Moshe that brings redemption to the World.

The Ramban shows how learning the appropriate Torah is a major step in that direction and brings one’s heart to commitment and Hedvah in doing His will. Now like never before, do we see Torat Moshe in action, witness the Light of Chok [hard to grasp law], and are finally able to participate in Moshe’s message of how to come into the Land, possess it, and build His Temple for Universal Hedvah. Suddenly the Book of Law has found itself as a source of Philosophy and Chassidut by the basic task of Torah, in the nudge from above to tighten up learning skills, and encourage Learning the proper mechanics, tools, and intentions. In short, one could summarize that Torat Shem brings one to Torat Moshe, and allows us to know Torah Hashem Temimah [perfect].

From this angle, the Chassidut is off the charts, from the negative of Hashem’s “taunt” of the Jew in reminding him of his Ger status [We said not to taunt! – God warns in the negative, as he does with all Gerim, i.e. don’t become apostate and go back to Egypt! This is the focus of the entire Parsha in hindsight, thus turning the negative into a positive. One could say that is yet another fractal of the entire Torah.], ranging to the warning of not to compare one’s Ger status as a competition. The Ger in all of us is our definition of our relationship with God, whether in times of exile or redemption. For every negative there is a positive – yet another fractal of Torah, on every level of spiritual DNA [male female, etc.]

From Torat Moshe Law – in Light, the heart can be eternally warmed by the Light of Chassidut, especially the Chassidut that comes from the Ger out of the heart of God. The Ger here truly serves as the path of piety, warmth, and to the definition of Good, for it is simply Good to Love the Ger [and in the negative we audibly hear God’s caution of what it is to taunt] and bad to hate him; being ambivalent however may be the biggest crime of all, as that is the Parsha’s most staunch warning in a Parsha that loathes [going back to] Egypt.

The Ramban delivers perhaps the most positive illumination of the Ger in his negative state [i.e. non-revealed] that we have encountered in the entire Torah, and it is fitting that only in Sefer Devarim, one would be encouraged to re-learn that which came earlier, when false expectations still ruled over the heart; our Parsha fittingly states how to circumcise the heart of flesh. The path to Hashem is actually quite easy, based on the devout inner message sent from God by way of the Ramban; To Love the Ger is to not taunt the Ger, and yet still realize that all is One. In a Parsha that seals the Shema, it is about time that we all pay attention, and head to the beckoning call that pours from the heart of every Ger, “Shem[a] Yisrael..” The only befitting response would be to proclaim “Baruch Shem Kavod Malchuto LeOlam Vaed.“ In a Book of Law, we should take pride in declaring Her Statutes, and allowing the heart to fill in Hedvah of the Chassidut that emanates as far back as the Chassidim Rishonim, as in the Days of David, may they reign again, in our days as well. Amen Amen.