I do beg you to follow me here, my brothers.
I AM a man like yourselves,
and I have
nothing against you personally.
You know how handicapped I was by illness when I
first preached the Gospel to you.
You didn’t shrink from me or let yourselves be revolted at
the disease which was such a trial to me.
No, you welcomed me as though I were
an
angel of God,
or even as though I were
Jesus Christ himself!
What has happened to
that
fine spirit of yours?
I guarantee that in those days you would,
if you could,
have plucked out your eyes
and given them to me.
Have I now become your enemy because
I continue to tell you the same
truth?
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out,
and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for.
thee that one of
thy members should perish, and.
not that
thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Noah and the TRUE VINE
JESUS CHRIST
FRUIT TREE of LIFE
Shem is a son of Noah that God
uses to bring the
promised Messiah to us
At the
Last Supper, Jesus took
a cup and said,
"This cup is the
new covenant
in my blood,
which is poured out for you”
(Luke 22:20).
Moments before, the Lord had
broken the bread and given
it to
His disciples with the words,
This is my body given for you;
do this in remembrance of me”
(verse 19). With these symbolic actions
Jesus instituted the ordinance of communion,
or the
Lord’s Table
What is the 12 loaves of Showbread?
shewbread,
also spelled Showbread, also called
Bread Of The Presence,
any of the 12 loaves of bread that
stood for the 12 tribes of Israel, presented and
shown in the
Temple of Jerusalem in the
Presence of God.
The “new covenant”
that Jesus spoke of is in contrast
to the
Old Covenant,
the conditional agreement that
God had made with the Israelites
through Moses.
The Old Covenant
established laws and ceremonies
that separated
the Jews from the other nations,
defined sin, and showcased
God’s provision of forgiveness
through sacrifice.
The New Covenant
was predicted in
Jeremiah 31:31–33.
The Old Covenant required blood sacrifices, but it could not provide a final sacrifice for sin. The Old Covenant required repeated, daily sacrifices of animals as a reminder of the people’s sin. But, as Scripture says, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).
Under the Old Covenant,
the same inadequate sacrifices
were constantly repeated. For every sin, the
process was replicated,
day after day, month after month,
year after year.
The Old Covenant never provided a full
, complete sacrifice for sin. “
For if that first covenant
had been faultless,
there would have been
no occasion
to look for a second”
Hebrews 8:7, ESV).
Jesus came to establish a “better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22)
, a “new covenant” that Jesus said was in His blood. Jesus
shed His blood on the cross to take away the
sins of the world (John 1:29) and
ratify the new covenant between God and man.
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took the cup and
said to His disciples, “Drink from it, all of you.
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured
out for many for the
forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27–28).
By “this cup,” Jesus referred,
by metonymy,
to the contents of the cup,
which was the
“FRUIT of the VINE”
(Mark 14:25).
This was representative of Christ’s blood. Jesus
gave His disciples the cup,
infusing it with new meaning,
and told them drinking it was to be
a memorial of His death: it was
to be drunk “in remembrance of me”
(1 Corinthians 11:25).
Now, “whenever you eat this
bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s
death until he comes”
verse 26).
The New Covenant is based on faith in the
shed-blood of Christ to take away sin, not on
repeated sacrifices
or any other kind of work (see Ephesians 2:8–9)
. Because Jesus is the holy Lamb of God,
His one-time sacrifice is sufficient to atone for the sins of all
who believe in Him.
We “partake” of Jesus by coming to Him in faith
(John 1:12),
trusting that His shed blood (and broken body)
is sufficient to pay for our sins.
The elements of bread and wine commemorate
His death and the shedding of His blood.
When we eat those elements
in communion with other believers,
we affirm our faith and
fellowship in Christ.
Shechem
was an ancient
biblical city in Israel.
Today, the area of Shechem is known as Tell Balata, an archaeological site near Nablus in the West Bank.
The town
was located between
Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim
in central Israel,
just
southeast of Samaria.
The name Shechem means
“shoulder”
in Hebrew,
which is appropriate considering
its location as a
pass between
two mountains.
Song of Solomon 4:4“
Your neck is like the
tower of David,
Built with rows of stones
On which are
hung a thousand shields,
All the round shields of the mighty men.
Genesis 41:42
Then Pharaoh took off
his
signet ring
from his hand
and put it on Joseph’s hand,
and clothed him
in garments of fine linen
and put the gold necklace around his neck.
Genesis 45:14
Then he fell on his brother
BENJAMINS neck and WEPT,
and
All about the
Benjamin wept on his neck.
Joshua 10:24
When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for
all the men of Israel, and said to the
chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “
Come near,
put your feet on the necks of these kings.”
So they came near and put their feet on their necks.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government
will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and
peace there will be
no end.
Shechem was a place of promise
First mentioned in Genesis 12:6–7, Shechem was the location where Abram stopped at the tree of Moreh and received
God’s promise of the land.
Shechem
became part of the
Promised Land of Israel,
was given to the Kohathites, and served as a
Levitical city of refuge
(Joshua 21:20–21).
Shechem was the place where
Joseph’s remains were buried
(Joshua 24:32)
. During the time of
the divided kingdom of Israel,
Shechem was the
capital of the
northern kingdom for a while
(1 Kings 12:1).
Shechem
was a place of commitment.
In the area of Shechem,
the
Israelites were reminded of
God’s covenantal relationship
to them,
which He had
first made to Abraham
Before they entered Canaan,
the Israelites had been instructed to
pronounce the blessings and the curses of the
law on
Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal,
respectively
(Deuteronomy 11:26–30).
They did this
under Joshua’s leadership
after the
battle of Ai (Joshua 8:33). Later, a
renewal of the covenant
also
occurred at Shechem,
when Joshua gathered the Israelites
to challenge
them to follow the Lord
(Joshua 24:1, 14–15).
Shechem was a place of worship.
When the Lord appeared to him at Shechem,
Abram built an altar to God at the site
(Genesis 12:7). Abram’s grandson, Jacob, also
built an altar at Shechem, calling
it “El Elohe Israel,” or “mighty God of Israel”
(Genesis 33:18–20).
Even in the time of Joshua,
the altar at Shechem was a
holy site of the Lord
(Joshua 24:26).
Shechem was a place of man’s sin. A Hivite chieftain named
Hamor was the father of a man named Shechem,
who lived in the city that bore his name.
Shechem raped Jacob’s daughter,
Dinah, and
two of Jacob’s sons avenged their sister by
slaughtering all the men in the city,
including Shechem and Hamor
(Genesis 34:1–29).
In the time of the
judges,
the Shechemites
sided with Abimelek, a
son of one of
Gideon’s concubines
(Judges 9:1–6).
Abimelek positioned himself as king among the Shechemites,
killing all but one of Gideon’s other sons. Jotham, the surviving son,
pronounced a curse on Abimelek and the Shechemites,
and after three years the city of Shechem turned against
the would-be king (Judges 9:16–20).
In response to Shechem’s rejection, Abimelek attacked
the city and killed a thousand men and women
(Judges 9:48–49; 57).
Shechem is only mentioned in the
New Testament in Stephen’s sermon (Acts 7:16).
Some scholars identify Sychar in Samaria
as the ancient city of Shechem (John 4:5–6), but
most believe that Sychar was a distinct place.
Shechem is important in the Bible because the city displayed
man’s sinfulness and failure to properly honor God,
while at the same time
revealing God’s faithfulness
God uses Shem
to lead
the
Jewish peoples
into existence
Shem allied with his brother to begin the
intermingling
of the
Jewish and Gentile worlds.
Because of Shem
faithfully
following in the
footsteps of God,
we can receive the
gift
of salvation
through
the blood of Christ.
HOW UNSEARCHABLE
ARE
YOUR WAYS, OH GOD!
Funny Story!
My dad (Welsh/German Catholic)
did the Anscestory.com
DNA test,
and as it turns out, he does in fact,
very surprisingly,
have a minuscule percentage of
Genetic Jewish Ethnicity,
THE PATRIARCHS
the
FOUNDING fathers
of the
people of Israel,
*Abraham, *Isaac, and *Jacob.
History and Use of the Termiv Maccabees 7:19
refers to
"our patriarchs,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,"
Faith, Sacrifice, Grace
The Cath-OLIC
TRINITY is FOUND
through
FAITH in Gods SAVING GRACE
The Eucharistic Prayer
is the heart
of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
In this prayer, the celebrant
acts in the
person of Christ as
head of his body,
The Church
but the same work (16:25) also speaks of,
"Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and
all the patriarchs."
(The New Testament-applies the term to Abraham (Heb. 7:4),
to the 12 sons of Jacob, and to David (Acts 7:8–9 and 2:29).)
However, the rabbinic restriction of the designation to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ber. 16b) follows the
biblical Hebrew pattern which frequently features
this triad and never extends it to include others.
The development of the concept may be traced
through the *Genesis narratives (28:13; 32:9) to its
first usage in Exodus 2:24.
The Hebrew term ha-avot in its
ABSOLUTE FORM,
meaning
"the [three] fathers,"
HOLY TRINITY
Whole, Complete, Perfect,
SUM
which MOVE
in
complete harmony
when
PROPERLY ORDERED
par excellence, is never used in the Hebrew Bible,
only the possessive suffixed form, either in conjunction
with the THREE
NAMES
(Deut. 1:8; 6:10; 9:5; 29:12; 30:20; i Chron. 29:18. Not quite analogous is the usage in Ex. 3:6, 15, 16; 4:5),
or alone in unambiguous reference to the
Divine promises
(Deut. 1:21, 35 and passim 26 times; Ex. 13:5, 11; Num. 14:23; Josh. 1:6; 5:6; 21:41; Judg. 2:1; Jer. 11:5; 32:22; Ezek. 20:42; 47:14).
In fact, mention of the
3 patriarchs
in the Bible is
predominantly in this connection.
The Chronological Background
The joint lifetimes of the three patriarchs cover a period of just over 300 years (Gen. 21:5; 25:26; 47:28). However, in the absence of external synchronistic controls, their place within the framework of history was formerly sought relative to the date of the
Exodus and the duration of the Egyptian slavery.
But given that both of these are now thought by most scholars not to be historical events, it is more productive to examine the
individual tales of the patriarchs to determine when
each might have been
written and for what purpose.
(For current thinking on the historicity of the Patriarchal Period see *Genesis, *History, Beginning.) In general, the patriarchs and their activities are reflections of life in later Israel projected backward into ancient times.
The Mesopotamian Background
One of the peculiarities of the patriarchal narratives is the consistent association with *Mesopotamia. The family originated in Ur (Gen. 11:28; 15:7; Neh. 9:7; cf. Josh. 24:2–3), then moved to Haran in the north (Gen. 11:31). Abraham found a wife for Isaac there (24:4ff.) and Jacob fled there from Esau's wrath (28:2, 10). He spent a good part of his adult life there and all the tribes except Benjamin originated in that area. This association ends abruptly with Jacob.
The Onomasticon
The patriarchs are descended
from
Shem son of Noah
through the line of Eber (Gen. 10:21–32; 11:10–32). Of 38 names connected with the family, 27 never recur in the Bible. A large number conform to the onomastic patterns common to the Western Semites during the first half of the second millennium b.c.e. and later. Of special interest is the identity of the personal names, Peleg (10:25; 11:16–19), Serug (11:20–23), Nahor (11:22–27; 24:10), and Terah (11:24–32), with place names in the vicinity of *Haran, mentioned as early as the *Mari and Kultepe texts. Haran shows a high degree of aramaization in the
eighth to seventh centuries
(Dion., cane ii, 1284), reflected in the importance of this area and its Aramean
connections in Genesis.
Patriarchal Society
Given that the patriarchal narratives were composed over centuries, they vary in their depictions of the patriarchs in society. Sometimes the patriarchs are shown as ass-nomads (Gen. 12:16; 22:3, 5), constantly on the move, primarily raisers of sheep and cattle (12:16; et al.), and, as such, restricted in the scope of their wanderings (33:13). Other traditions refer to large numbers of camels (Gen. 12:16; 24:10). They are tent-dwellers (12:8, et al.), but their travels take place between great urban centers into which they rarely venture. These peregrinations are confined to sites in the sparsely populated central hill country and the Negev, viz., Shechem, Beth-El, Hebron, Beer-Sheba, Gerar, and, in the case of Jacob, also central Gilead. Some traditions picture the patriarchs in the first stages of agriculture (26:12; cf. 37:7). Grave traditions associate them with the cave of Machpelah in Hebron (49:29–30; 50:13).
There are also traditions of the patriarchs as warriors.
Abram the noble warrior in Genesis 14 (Muffs) commands a
professional fighting force, which successfully defeats
an international invading army. Jacob
boasts of having taken land from the Amorites with
his sword and bow
(Gen. 48:22).
Sometimes the contacts of the
patriarchs
with their neighbors are
peaceful.
They make pacts with them (14:13; 21:22–32; 26:28–31) and purchase land from them (23:2–30; 33:19). In another account, though (Genesis 34), Jacob's family wipes out a city of *Hivites. The closeness of the patriarchs with the Arameans mirrors periods of Aramean-Hebrew cooperation during the monarchy (cf. Gen. 32:44–54 with ii Kings 16:5).
Social institutions unattested in the Torah outside of
the patriarchal narratives are paralleled elsewhere in
ancient Near Eastern sources. Concubinage in cases of
childlessness (16:2; 30:2) is well attested (15:2–4)
and transference of the
birthright
(25:29–34; 27:1–29, contrast Deut. 21:15ff.) is also found.
The Religion of the Patriarchs
The Bible represents the patriarchs etiologically as religious figures. Circumcision is traced back to Abraham (Gen. 17:9–27), who also founds religious sites at Shechem (Gen. 12:6), Hebron (Gen. 13:18), and Moriah (Gen. 22:14). He also recognizes the sanctity of (Jeru)salem (Gen. 14:18–20). The vision of Jacob and his vow (Genesis 28) serve as the foundation legend for Jeroboam's temple at Bethel (i Kings 13:26ff.). The tradition of Joshua 24:2 mentions the idolatry of Abraham's forebears (cf. Gen. 31:19, 30, 32; 35:2–4), which inspired the later accounts of
Abraham the idol smasher wholly absent from Genesis.
The appellation, "the God of my [your/his] father" has earlier and later parallels. The possessive suffix is used in reference to each and all of the patriarchs (Gen. 26:24; 28:13; 31:42; 32:10; 46:1, 3; 50:17; Ex. 3:6), but is
never employed by or to Abraham in respect of Terah.
Patriarchs and Matriarchs in the AggadahOnly
Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob may be
designated
as the patriarchs,
and *Sarah, *Rebekah, *Rachel, and *Leah, the matriarchs
(Ber. 16b; Sem. 1:14). Sarah conceived on Rosh Ha-Shanah (Ber. 29a).
The patriarchs were born and died in Tishri (R. Eliezer) or Nisan (R. Joshua, rh 11a) except for Isaac, who was born on Passover.
They were indeed the "Fathers of the world" (Shek. 8a).
Although they eventually begot children they were originally sterile (Yev. 64b). The matriarchs were also at first barren because the Almighty longed for their prayers (Song R. 2:14, no. 8). The merit and faith of the patriarchs were great.
The Almighty rebuked Moses
by contrasting his
lack of faith with their
unwavering faith (Sanh. 111a).
They were the
first
to make the Almighty
known to
man (Men. 53a), and they instituted
the daily services (Ber. 26b).
All three patriarchs were
on an equal spiritual level
(Gen. R. 1:15).
Yet in a sense Jacob was the
choicest of the patriarchs:
Abraham and Isaac both begot
wicked sons –
Ishmael and Esau, respectively – whereas
all Jacob's sons were
loyal to God
("his bed was complete"; Lev. R. 36:5; Zohar, Gen. 119b)
. The three patriarchs
were tested in
many ways,
including by famine,
so that their descendants
would be worthy
of
receiving the Torah
(Midrash Sam. 28:2). Neither the yeẓer ha-ra (the "evil inclination" – hypostasized) nor the
Angel of Death
had mastery over them,
and in
death they were not touched
by worms;
they were given a foretaste of the
bliss
of the
hereafter here on earth
(bb 17a).
They constituted the
divine chariot of
Ezekiel's vision
(Gen. R. 47:6)
. God turned their meditations
into the key that opened the road
to freedom for their descendants
(Gen. R. 70:6),
and it was for the sake of the
patriarchs and matriarchs
that He liberated
the Israelites from Egypt
(rh 11a).
The virtue of the patriarchs stood their descendants in
good stead; and it was for their sake that
God hastened their redemption
(rh 11a; see also *Zekhut Avot). When the Israelites sinned
with the
golden CALF,
Moses prayed for
forgiveness on their behalf,
but only when he
recalled the patriarchs were they forgiven
(Shab. 30a; Deut. R. 3:11).
There are differences of opinion whether
"Merit of the Fathers" (zekhut avot) would always operate
in favor of their descendants.
One view is that it would continue forever
(Lev. R. 36:6),
while another held that it would come to an end,
and that it had even ceased already (ibid.)
; another view boldly declared that
labor was more precious than
the "Merit of the Fathers"
(Gen. R. 74:12).
Mamre-Hebron was called Kiriath-Arba ("the City of Four"; Gen. 35:27)
because four couples
were buried there:
Adam and Eve;
Abraham and Sarah;
Isaac and Rebecca; and
Jacob and Leah (Eruv. 53a)
When you sit down to read the account of
Noah and the flood,
who are the people who think of? For me, I naturally think about
Noah and the awesome ark he
built with God’s instructions.
We know his family all
entered the ark
and left the ark once the ground
dried up.
That is not the end of story for
Noah and his family.
Noah has three sons who do extraordinary things.
One of those sons, named Shem,
will play a vital role
in the
fulfillment of scripture.
Let’s learn
what we need to know about Shem
and
how extraordinary he was by
discussing his
lineage and the impact he had
on his “family”
and the world today
Who Was Shem?Shem was one of the three sons of Noah.
Some scholars believe him to be the oldest son because
his name is usually
mentioned first in the lineage of Noah.
The name Shem in Hebrew means name or renown. Shem is first mentioned in Genesis 5:32. “After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” His name is also repeated in Genesis 6:10.
During Shem’s life he marries and is a witness to the great flood that wipes all life on earth. He spends time in the ark with his mother and father, brothers, and his brother’s wives. We can imagine that life on the ark with his family and the animals was interesting. Scripture says the waters flooded the earth for 150 days in Genesis 7:24.
Once Shem and his family leave the ark, scriptures speak of the covenant God made with Noah and his sons. The most notable story of Shem is when Noah drinks to much and becomes drunk. He falls asleep naked, and his sons find him. Shem and Japheth
COVER HIM UP
walking backward so they
do not look upon him.
The other brother, Ham,
LOOKS and his son Canaan is
CURSED
Shem dies at the ripe old age of 600.
He had FIVE sons
and
witnesses
the
repopulation of the Earth.
What Does Shem Do
in the Bible?
There is not a lot of information about Shem’s life in scripture. We have the important story of Noah, his father, building the ark and the time Shem’s family spent on the ark. His movements on the ark are not recorded, therefore one would have to use their imagination.
The recorded scripture in Genesis 9:18-27, tells the reader how Noah was a man of the soil. He plants a vineyard and when the grapes come in, he makes wine. After Noah had drunk too much wine and became drunk, his son Ham discovers him lying uncovered in his tent. It was not proper for a son to look upon his father in that condition, so Shem and his brother Japheth take a garment and cover their father. This story may seem unimportant, but because Shem did what was proper by covering his father’s naked, Ham is forever cursed and becomes a slave to his brothers.
Shem goes on to have five sons with his
wife and multiple grandchildren.
His lineage PRODUCES
a man
named Abram, who later
will be
KNOWN as Abraham
MUSTARD SEED OF FAITH
Romans 10:17 -
So faith
comes from hearing, and hearing
through the word of Christ.
Hebrews 11:6 -
And without faith it is impossible to please him,
for whoever would draw near to God
must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those
who seek him
There is some speculation that Shem was a high priest, specifically Melchizedek. Jewish and Catholic scholars have discussed this and believe to have evidence from the Targumin. The Targumin is the Aramaic translation of the Old Testament. The probability of Shem being Melchizedek is questionable, so we can leave this to the scholars.
The Descendants of ShemShem was the father to five sons. Their names were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. Of those five sons, Arphaxad is one that we will zero in on. Arphaxad had a son named Shelah when he had lived 35 years. (Gen. 11:12) Shelah became the father of Eber when he had lived 30 years. (Gen. 11:14) Eber had two sons, Peleg and Joktan. Peleg becomes the father of Reu and Reu becomes the father of Serug.
Serug will become the father of Nahor who the father of Terah is. Terah is the father of Abraham. Each son in the lineage of Shem had many children, which the Bible does not give us names for. What we know for certain is that Abraham will become the one that God establishes a covenant with. He will be a patriarch and father Isaac.
If we continued listing the
descendants of Shem,
we would
discover that Christ is
one of them.
What Impact Did Shem Leave?Shem’s descendants are called Semites. It is believed that when Noah died, his three sons got a portion of land. Shem’s portion was what we know as the continent of Asia. Ham received Africa and Japheth had Europe and parts of northern Asia. A total of 26 Biblical nations obtained geographical significance from the line of Shem. This may not seem important, but we must note that Shem and his descendants lived in the portion of land that included Israel.
Shem’s impact is based on the pivotal moment when Ham’s son, Canaan, is cursed. Canaan is the father of the Canaanites. The Canaanites were an idolatrous people. Noah cursed Canaan with the words from Genesis 9:25. “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”
This was only the second curse upon humanity recorded in the Bible. The first was the curse given to Cain. It is a representation of God’s sentence on the Canaanites for their sinful nature. The Canaanites will be defeated in battle because of this curse.
If we read on after the curse, we see Noah blessing Shem and his brother, Japheth. Noah is praising God and refers to Him as the God of Shem. This blessing implied that Shem was going to do something good. Noah even says may the descendants of Japheth live in the tents of Shem. The true God was Shem’s God and Abraham would come from his line. The blessing Noah gives Shem will come to fruition with Abraham. Ultimately the Messiah will be born of the line of Abraham, which is the line of Shem.
As time goes on, the descendants of Shem and Japheth become allies. Shem’s line becomes the Semitic peoples, and many biblical nations are credited to his descendants. Those nations include the Elamites (Persia), Assyrians, Chaldeans who later become the Babylonians, Israelites, Edomites, Lydians, and Syrians.
Shem leaves behind a beautiful picture of the
humble beginnings of Jew and Gentile peoples.
Shem’s descendants received
the blessings of God throughout history.
Shem’s brother is also blessed and becomes the
father of the Gentile people.
His descendants were to live among Shem’s descendants.
Peter and Paul will witness to the Gentile
people and the early church will be born.
We are all now
living in the tents of Shem.
Shem is a son of Noah
that God uses to
bring the promised Messiah to us.
God uses Shem to lead
the Jewish peoples into existence.
Shem allied with his brother to begin the
intermingling
of the Jewish and Gentile worlds.
Because of Shem faithfully following in the
footsteps of God, we can receive
the gift of
salvation
through the blood of Christ.
The Torah Perspective
Parshat Naso
This week's Parshah discusses the laws of a sotah and then immediately afterwards teaches the laws of a nazir. The sotah is a woman who is suspected of adultery; the naziris a person who voluntarily vows to abstain, for a specified period of time, from wine and haircuts and to avoid becoming ritually impure through contact with a dead body.
Based on the juxtaposition of these topics, our sages teach us that whoever sees a sotahexperiencing her degradation1 will realize that such illicit behavior is often a result of drinking too much alcohol, and
will vow to become a nazir and abstain from wine.
In some circumstances, the drinking of wine is
considered praiseworthy, or even mandatory
relation to this, the following
are some the
Torah's views on alcohol consumption.
In some circumstances, the drinking of wine is considered praiseworthy, or even mandatory. This is true for kiddush, havdalah, the four cups of the Passover seder and many other "cups of blessing," such as the cup of wine over which the sheva berachot for a bride and groom are recited,
and the wine of the Brit Milah.
In addition, it is considered an obligation for men to drink wine every day of Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed (the "intermediate days" of Passover and Sukkot).
Despite this, or perhaps because of this, our sages warned
us many times of the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.
King Solomon writes in the book of Proverbs
"Who has wounds without cause?
Who has bloodshot eyes?
Those who sit late over wine, those who come to
search for mixed wine.
Do not look at wine when it is red;
when he puts his eye on the cup, it goes smoothly.
Ultimately, it will bite like a serpent,
and sting like a viper.
Your eyes will see
strange women, and your heart will speak confusedly."
Our sages tell us in the Midrash
that drinking wine in excess
can lead to transgressing the
laws of
Family Purity,
issuing
improper rulings
on Torah matters,
and impoverishment.
Here are some negative events that are
attributed to the drinking of wine:
1) Our sages say that the original sin of
Adam and Eve
involved wine,
as the
Tree of Knowledge was actually
(according to one opinion)
a grape vine
2) After Noah successfully survived the flood, he made grapes his first crop and is faulted for doing so. The inebriation which followed resulted in immodest behavior and ultimately led to his inability to have more children, as well as the curse which came to the descendants of Canaan.
3) The excessive drinking of Lot led him to commit incest.
4) At the time of the consecration of the Tabernacle in the desert,
the two elder sons of Aaron the High Priest drank wine.
As a result, their
judgment was impaired, and they
sinned by
entering the Holy of Holies
without permission.
Their punishment was death.
One of the reasons why the Ten Tribes
were exiled
was their excessive alcohol consumption
5) One of the reasons given for why the ten tribes of Israel
were exiled from the Land of Israel
(by the Assyrian King Sennaherib, during the First Temple Era)
was their excessive alcohol consumption.
As the prophet Amossays
"Woe to those who are at ease
in Zion
and to those who are
secure in the mountain of
Samaria…
Who drink from basins of wine,
and with the first oils they anoint themselves,
and they feel
no pain
concerning the destruction of Joseph.
Therefore, now they shall go into exile at the
head of the exiles,
and the
banquet of the haughty shall
PASS away."
The following rules apply to a person
who has drunk a revi'it (approximately 3 oz.)
or more of wine – or other alcoholic beverages
that have a
similar effect – and is still feeling the effect:
1) He may not pray.
2) He may not render a halachic ruling.
3) If he is a kohen, he may not
administer the priestly blessing.
Although a chassidic farbrengen (gathering) is
traditionally accompanied by the
saying of "l'chaims," the Rebbe instructed that the
number of alcoholic drinks should
not exceed four per person
(for people under the age of forty)
Moshiach
also
known as messiah or mashiach
is the
long awaited Jewish leader
who will
usher in
an era of world peace
and
GODLY AWARENESS
May we soon
merit the COMING of Moshiach,
at which TIME we will be
BLESSED
with wine, as the verse
says:
"And it shall come to pass on that day that the
mountains shall drip with wine,
and the hills
shall flow with milk, and all the
springs of Judah
shall flow with water, and a
spring shall
emanate from the
House of the Lord
and
water the valley of Shittim
Shittim is a large area in the plains of Moab directly across from Jericho, immediately east of the Jordan and north of the Dead Sea. Shittim is significant in Israel’s history because it is the site of the last encampment of the nation at the end of the wilderness wanderings just before crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land.
Israel remained at Shittim for a long time before traversing into Canaan. While at Shittim, the episode involving Balaam and his donkey occurred. King Balak of Moab hired Balaam, a pagan seer, to curse the people of God and prevent them from entering Canaan. Instead, Balaam ended up blessing the nation of Israel (Numbers 22 — 24).
In Shittim, the Israelites were enticed into idolatrous Baal worship and immoral sexual relations with Moabite and Midianite women. Angered by their unfaithfulness, the Lord sent a plague on the men of Israel, killing twenty-four thousand of them (Numbers 25).
At Shittim, in preparation for entering Canaan, a tribe-by-tribe census was taken of all the men ready for battle (Numbers 26). It was here that the Israelites defeated the Midianites from their headquarters at Shittim (Numbers 31). In Shittim, Moses delivered his farewell speech and final blessing to the people (Deuteronomy 31 — 33). At Shittim, Joshua was declared Moses’ successor (Deuteronomy 31:14–29; 34:9). Joshua sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies to scout out Jericho (Joshua 2:1).
The miraculous journey crossing through the Jordan River with the ark of the covenant began in Shittim (Joshua 3:1) and ended in Gilgal (4:19). The event was remembered in the book of Micah: “My people, remember . . . your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD” (Micah 6:5).
Shittim is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for “acacia trees.” The location was likely named for its great number of acacias. An alternate name for this area is Abel-Shittim, which means “meadow [or stream] of the acacias.” The shortened version is used more frequently in the Bible.
The “Valley of Shittim” or “Valley of Acacias”
mentioned in a prophetic vision
in the
book of Joel is a region that receives water
from a spring in the temple:
“And in that day the mountains
shall drip sweet wine,
and the hills shall flow with milk,
and all the
streambeds of Judah shall flow with water;
and a fountain shall come forth
from the house of the LORD
and water the
Valley of Shittim” (Joel 3:18, ESV)
The exact location of the Valley of Shittim is unknown.
Most scholars place it in a different location than the encampment site east of the Jordan. Since the water in Joel’s prophecy flows from the temple in Jerusalem, this valley would seem to be west of the Jordan. The Wadi en-Nar
at the lower end of the Kidron Valley is a possibility. That portion of the valley runs through a dry wilderness to the Dead Sea, where acacias trees grow in abundance.
Many scholars consider the reference to the
Valley of Shittim in Joel to be symbolic
and not an actual geographical location.
Joel was figuratively announcing that
the water of life, the gospel of grace,
would bring newness of life to a
desolate and dying world.
In this Messianic picture, Christ Himself is the fountain
who “shall come forth from the house of the LORD
and water the Valley of Shittim.”
The flowing streams of living water
will reach far and wide, flowing to the Gentiles
and to the most remote regions of the world.
God’s grace is an overflowing fountain
that will never run dry.
The Spies and the Wine Libation
What is the inner connection between the
incident of the spies
and the commandment concerning the
libation of wine on the altar,
issued by G-d directly thereafter?
In answering this question, this class explores the
mystical power of Tefillin and its effect on the world.
(Based on the maamar L’havin Inyan Parshas Hanesachim 5747)
Podcast:
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Audio:Listen to Audio | Download this MP3
Topics:Tefillin, Wine Libation, Shlach
Kiddush
(lit. “sanctification”);
(a) blessing recited over a cup of wine
expressing the sanctity
of the Sabbath or of a festival;
(b) refreshments served in the synagogue after the
recital of Kiddush
Wine and intoxicating beverages are a
fascinating subject
when viewed from the Torah's perspective.
On one hand, we use wine for kiddush and havdallah on
Shabbat and Jewish holidays, and many,
many mitzvot are accompanied by a cup of wine.
Blessings are recited on a cup of wine
beneath the chupah
(wedding canopy), at a circumcision,
at a Pidyon
(the "Redemption of a Firstborn Son"), and
let's not forget the
four cups of wine we drink at the
Passover seder.
In the Scriptures,
wine is described as "bringing joy to G‑d and man"
(Judges 9:13).
And, indeed, every sacrifice offered
in the Holy Temple
was accompanied by a wine libation.
Because wine is considered to be
the "king of beverages"
the rabbis coined a special blessing to be
recited exclusively on wine:
the Hagafen blessing.
And let us not forget the venerated
age-old Jewish custom to say l'chaim and
wish each other
well
over a shot glass
of schnapps.
Conversely, we are told of the destructive nature of
wine and intoxication.
Several examples:
According to an opinion expressed in the
Talmud,
'Tree" of Knowledge
was actually a
GRAPEVINE
Thus it was
the fruit of the vine
that tripped up
Adam and Eve,
causing them and their descendents
untold hardship and misery
The righteous
Noah,
whose righteousness caused
G‑d to spare the human race,
was disgraced by excessive wine consumption.
Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's two holy sons,
entered the
Tabernacle while drunk and were
consumed by a fire
that
emanated from the heavens.
The Torah extols the virtue, courage,
and
holiness of the Nazirite who vows to
abstain from wine.
So what is wine?
Is it a holy beverage with immense powers,
reserved for
holy and special occasions?
Or is it a destructive agent with the power to bring down
mighty people; a substance to be avoided at all costs?
Well, a little bit of both, it seems. As we mentioned earlier, according to one opinion, the Tree of Knowledge was a grape vine—and the Tree of Knowledge is dubbed by the Torah as being "good and bad." It has tremendous potential, when utilized properly, and a drawback of equal proportion, if misused and abused. What we use it for is entirely up to us.
Wine's ability to bring joy is because it relaxes our inhibitions and weakens the body's natural defenses. This "weakening of the body" allows the soul to shine through. After taking a l'chaim one is more easily inspired, because the body offers less resistance. This obviously applies only when one drinks in moderation, and on special, holy occasions in an attempt to make them a bit more festive and to introduce an inspirational ambiance.
On the other hand, getting drunk in order to escape responsibilities we have to ourselves, to our families, and to those around us, is highly destructive. A person who is in an "escapist" mode is a dangerous person, because very often he is also escaping many of the rules that he would be wise to follow.
On the practical side, we are forbidden to pray while drunk and priests were not allowed to serve in the Holy Temple whilst drunk.
Even today, priests may not bless the congregation
after having even a single glass of wine.
I also recommend that you read
Can Wine Be Holy?
Yours truly,
Rabbi Menachem Posner
Show Me Your Glory!:
In the aftermath of the
golden calf
in response to Moses's request,
"Reveal to me Your Glory",
G-d shows him His 'back', which Rashi explains
to mean the
"knot of G-d's tefillin".
This class will address the inner meaning
of this and
the message of hope it conveys
for all of us. (Likutei Sichos, vol. 21)
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Topics:Tallit, Golden Calf, Ki Tisa
G-d's Tefillin
To order kosher tefillin see our
Gassot Tefillin
Tefillin P'shutim Mehudarim
Please feel free to print this article and distribute it in
your educational projects about STa"M,
including the citation at the bottom of this page in your reprints.
The Talmud in tractate Berachot 6:a records a most unusual series of scriptural references and proofs discussed by the members of the Rabbinical Academy:
Rav Avin bar Rav Ada taught in the name of Rav Yitzchak: What is the Scriptural source from which we know that G-d wears tefillin? From the verse: 'G-d affirms His Vow with His Right Hand and with His Strong Arm' (Isaiah 62:8).
What is 'G-d's
Right Hand?'
The Torah,
as referred to in the verse:
'From His Right Hand
He gave the Torah in
fire
to His People'
(Deuteronomy 33:2).
What is 'G-d's Strong Arm?'
His Tefillin,
as referred to in the verse:
'G-d gives His People strength' (Psalms 29:11).
How are we to understand these passages that seem to anthropomorphize G-d in the extreme? First we need to see the continuation of the discussion:
How do we know that their tefillin is the source of the People of Israel's strength? This is understood from the verse: 'All the nations of the world will see that the People of Israel are called by G-d's Name and they will be in awe of you' (Deuteronomy 28:10). Rav Eliezer the Great taught: this verse refers specifically to the tefillin worn on the head.
What is Rav Eliezer's reasoning that this proof speaks specifically of the tefillin worn on the head? Because it is the tefillin that are worn on the crown of the head that bears the raised letter 'shin' of G-d's Holy Name on both the right and left sides of the leather bayit housing the parchments and the letter 'daled' of His Name is formed by the knot of the straps. These combine with the letter 'yud' formed by the knot of the straps of the tefillin worn on the arm to complete His Name Shad-ai. According to the halacha, as well as to practicality, the tefillin worn on the head are always exposed and visible to all. In contrast, the tefillin worn on the arm are covered with the tallit or shirtsleeve after being positioned and bear no letters on the leather bayit housing the parchments.
Our excerpt from the Talmud then concludes with the following exchange:
Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak asked Rav Hiyya bar Avin: 'What is written on the parchments contained within G-d's tefillin?'
Hiyya answered: 'Who is like Your People of Israel, a most unique nation in the world' (Chronicles I:17:21).
Actually the Torah makes much use of anthropomorphism. There are many references to G-d's Eye, G-d's Hand, G-d's Arm, etc. Our sages teach us that such passages are not meant to be taken literally: rather, these anthropomorphisms are used in order to teach us ethical lessons. Every verse in the Torah can be explained simultaneously on many different levels. Passages such as these that are beyond comprehension at face value have much to teach us on a deeper, mystical, Kabalistic level.
Originally, we were meant to wear our tefillin throughout all the daylight hours of every weekday. Wrapping the leather boxes of the tefillin with their enclosed parchments on our arm and on our head creates a constant reminder for the Jew wearing them of his special closeness with G-d. The physical presence of the tefillin attached to our body causes a spiritual G-d-liness to encompass us. In response to our wearing our tefillin, G-d, so to speak, feels an intimacy with His People Israel as expressed in the verse 'I alone am my beloved's, and my beloved is uniquely mine' (Song of Songs 6:3). The Talmudic sages graphically describe this complimentary reaction of G-d's by their metaphor that He also wears tefillin. The natural continuation of their discussion is then what verses are written on the parchments contained with His Tefillin.
On a deeper, Kabalistic level, when we wear our tefillin and by doing so come to an appreciation of the special closeness to G-d they bring us, we achieve a heightened awareness of the Jewish People's ultimate purpose in this world: to exemplify to all the nations what a human being is capable of achieving. This touches on basic principles of Judaism and the Jewish worldview.
Why was the world created and what is our purpose in life? The Torah's answer is that G-d desired that there be a creation, called Mankind, that would arrive at an independent recognition of Him and give thanks to Him for His gifts to this world in which Man lives.
How does G-d bring this about? By creating Man with free will: just as G-d is independent and has free will, so is Man. This is how we understand the verse 'G-d created Man in His Image' (Genesis 1:27). Man alone of all G-d's creations has the ability to distinguish between Good and Evil. He can choose the path of Good instead of that of Evil in all aspects of his life. The path of Good is outlined for us by G-d in the Torah, His guidebook for us and His original blueprint for the creation of the world. Using his free will, Man is capable of seeking out and finding G-d in this world and giving thanks to Him for all that He has created.
The Jewish People is unique among the nations of the world. We accepted G-d's Torah at Mount Sinai and took it upon ourselves as a nation to follow its teachings, to find the path of Good in the world and thus draw ourselves closer to G-d. In this way the Jewish People as a nation is fulfilling G-d's purpose in creating the world.
To complete this deeper insight into the mitzvah of tefillin, the Kabala teaches us that the world was created and its existence is maintained on a constant basis by a continual G-d-ly infusion of awareness into all that He created. This is the symbolism behind many references to G-d's Head and is alluded to by the verse 'everything was created with awareness' (Psalms 104:24). But preceding the act of creation, there first had to be Divine desire to create. In the symbolism of the Kabala the desire to do anything originates specifically from the crown of the head.
The symbolism of the Talmudic sages according to the Kabalistic understanding is now complete: G-d is portrayed wearing tefillin on His Arm and on the crown of His Head, the source of His original initiative to create the world. His Tefillin contain a verse from His Torah, the guidebook He gave Mankind teaching us how to use our free will to choose correctly between Good and Evil in this world. That verse describes the People of Israel, His unique nation: we follow His Torah and fulfill His ultimate purpose in creating the world by adhering to the path of Good and seeking out G-d in order to give Him praise and thanks for the world that He created.
Permission is granted to use and/or reprint any text portions of this material on condition that this is done for your personal, non-commercial use and the following quotation is included at the top or bottom of every page: "This material thanks to and property of HaSofer Moshe Flumenbaum. For reuse contact http://www.HaSOFER.com or info@HaSOFER.com".
The Taste of WaterBased on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Courtesy of MeaningfulLife.comDraw water with joy from the
wellsprings of salvation
Isaiah 12:3
The Pouring of the Water was performed on all seven days [of Sukkot] . . .
The one who was doing the pouring was told, “Raise your hands” (so that all could see him pouring the water on the altar). This was because there was once a Sadducee who spilled the water on his feet, and the entire people pelted him with their etrogim . . .
Talmud, Sukkah 42b and 48b
When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, the “Pouring of the Water” (nisuch hamayim)was an important feature of the festival of Sukkot.
Throughout the year, the daily offerings in the Temple were accompanied by the pouring of wine on the altar. On Sukkot, water was poured in addition to the wine. The drawing of water for this purpose was preceded by all-night celebrations in the Temple courtyard, with music-playing Levites, torch-juggling sages and huge oil-burning lamps that illuminated the entire city. The singing and dancing went on until daybreak, when a procession would make its way to the Shiloach spring which flowed in a valley below the Temple.
A golden pitcher, holding three lugim, was filled from the Shiloach spring. When they arrived at the Water Gate, the shofar was sounded . . . [The priest] ascended the ramp [of the altar] and turned to his left . . . where there were two bowls of silver . . . with small holes [in their bottom], one wider and the other narrower so that both should empty at the same time—the western one was for the water and the eastern one for wine . . .
“For all the days of the water-drawing,” recalled Rabbi Joshua ben Chananiah, “our eyes saw no sleep,” for the nights of Sukkot were devoted to the singing, dancing and merrymaking in preparation to “draw water with joy.” And the Talmud declares: “One who did not see the joy of the water-drawing celebrations, has not seen joy in his life.”
The SadduceesThere was, however, a segment of the Jewish community that was not party to the joy of the water-drawing celebrations.
The Sadducees were a breakaway Jewish sect who denied the oral tradition received by Moses at Sinai and handed down through the generations, arguing that they had the right to interpret the Torah according to their own understanding. Unlike the pouring of the wine, which is explicitly commanded by the Torah, the pouring of the water on Sukkot is derived by interpretation. In the verses (Numbers 29:19, 29 and 33) where the Torah speaks of the libations to accompany the Sukkot offerings, there are three extra letters; according to the Sinaitic tradition, these letters are combined to form the word mayim (water). The Sadducees, who rejected the “Oral Torah,” maintained that only wine was to be poured on the altar on Sukkot, as on every day of the year.
During the Second Temple era, there were times when the Sadducees amassed political power, and even gained the high priesthood—the highest spiritual office in Israel. Thus it came to pass that one Sukkot, the honor of pouring the water on the altar was given to a Sadducee priest; but instead of pouring the water into its prescribed bowl on the southwest corner of the altar, this priest spilled it on his feet to demonstrate his opposition to the practice. The assembled crowd expressed its outrage by pelting him with the etrogimwhich, this being Sukkot, they held in their hands.
Water and Wine
There are two basic components to
man’s endeavor to serve his Creator.
First, there is what the Talmud calls kabbalat ol malchut shamayim, “the acceptance of the yoke of the sovereignty of Heaven.” Kabbalat ol is the basis and foundation of Torah: without a recognition of G‑d as our master and a commitment to obey His will, the very concept of a mitzvah (divine commandment) has no meaning.
But G‑d gave us more than a body and a nervous system, which is all we would have required if our purpose in life were only the carrying out of commands with robotic obedience. He created us with a searching mind and a feeling heart because He desired that these, too, should form an integral part of our relationship with Him.
Thus the Torah states: “See, I have taught you statutes and laws . . . for this is your wisdom and understanding before the nations”; “You shall know today, and take into your heart, that the L‑rd is G‑d”; “Know the G‑d of your fathers and serve Him with a whole heart and desirous soul”; “You shall love G‑d . . . with all your heart”; “Serve G‑d with joy.” G‑d wants us to know, understand, appreciate, love, desire and enjoy our mission in life.
In the language of Kabbalah and Chassidism, these two elements in our service of G‑d are referred to as “water” and “wine.” Water—tasteless, scentless and colorless, yet a most basic requisite of life—is the intellectually and emotionally vacuous, yet fundamentally crucial, “acceptance of the yoke of Heaven.” Wine—pleasing to the eye, nose and palate, intoxicating to the brain and exhilarating to the heart—is the sensually gratifying aspect of our divine service: our understanding of the inner significance of the mitzvot, and the fulfillment and joy we experience in our relationship with G‑d.
In light of this, “the joy of the water-drawing” seems a contradiction in terms. If water represents the “flavorless,” emotionally devoid aspect of our service of G‑d, why did the pouring of water upon the altar on Sukkot yield a joy not only greater than that produced by the pouring of wine, but a joy such as was not equaled by any other joy in the world?
The Full Moon of TishreiA clue to unraveling the paradox of the “tasty water” of Sukkot might be found in what halachah (Torah law) has to say about the taste or non-taste of water.
The law is that “it is forbidden to derive pleasure from this world without a berachah”—a blessing of praise and thanks to G‑d. Thus, even the smallest amount of food or drink requires a berachah, since, even if the amount consumed is of little nutritional value, the person derives pleasure from its taste. Water, however, has no taste, so it does not require a berachah unless “one drinks water out of thirst,” in which case, explains the Talmud, a person derives pleasure from this otherwise tasteless liquid.
To a thirsty man, a cup of water is tastier than the
most delectable wine.
In the spiritual sense, this means that when a
soul experiences a “thirst” for G‑d—when it recognizes
how vital its connection to G‑d
is for its very existence—the prosaic “water” of
commitment is a feast for its senses.
To the soul who thirsts for G‑d, a self-negating
act of kabbalat ol is more exhilarating than
the most profound page of Talmud,
the most sublime Kabbalistic secret,
the most ecstatic flight
of prayer or the most intense spiritual experience.
To such a soul, the “water” it draws
from its deepest
self to pour onto its altar of service to G‑d
is a greater source of joy than the flesh
and wine offered upon its altar or the
incense wafting through its Temple.
And Sukkot
is the time when we are most open to
experiencing pleasure and joy in the ordinarily
prosaic act of
"accepting the YOKE of the
sovereignty of Heaven.”
Rosh Hashanah,
which occurs fifteen days before Sukkot,
on the first of Tishrei, is our fountainhead
of kabbalat ol for the entire year:
this is the day on which
we crown G‑d as our king,
and reiterate our
acceptance of His sovereignty
But on Rosh Hashanah, the joy of the thirsting soul in its elemental “water” is subdued by the awe that pervades the occasion, as the entirety of creation trembles in anticipation of the annual renewal of the divine kingship. Sukkot is the celebration of this joy, the revelation of what was implicit fifteen days earlier on Rosh Hashanah.
The connection between Rosh Hashanah and
Sukkot derives from their
respective positions in the month of Tishrei.
The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, in which each
month begins on the night of the new moon,
progresses as the moon grows in the night sky,
and reaches its apex on the fifteenth of the month,
the night of the
full moon
This is why so many of the festivals and special days of the Jewish year fall on the fifteenth of the month, this being the day on which the particular month’s special quality is most expressed and manifest. In the month of Tishrei, Rosh Hashanah coincides with the
birth of the new moon on the first of the month,
while Sukkot coincides with the
full moon
on the fifteenth.
Thus, Sukkot
is the revelation and
manifestation of what
was hidden
and concealed on
Rosh Hashanah.
(Thus does chassidic teaching interpret the verse,
“Blow the shofar
on the
new moon,
in concealment to the
day of our festival.”
“Blow the shofar,”
proclaiming our acceptance
of the
sovereignty of Heaven,
“on the new moon,”
Rosh Hashanah; this, however, remains
“in concealment to [i.e., until] the day of our festival,”
Sukkot, when it erupts in a seven-day feast of joy.)
Throughout the year, only wine was poured on the altar, for ordinarily, only the “savory” and “aromatic” elements of our service of G‑d are a source of joy to us. But on Sukkot, when the full import of our kabbalat ol is revealed to us, the joy we experience in the “water” of life is the greatest joy in the world, surpassing even the joy of its “wine.”
Anatomical Statement
The Sadducees, however,
opposed the
Pouring of the Water on Sukkot.
The Sadducees refused to accept
the divinely ordained interpretation of Torah
transmitted to Moses at Sinai
and handed down through the generations.
While recognizing the divine origin of Torah,
they regarded it as a series of laws
open to personal interpretation—an interpretation
dictated solely by the
interpreter’s understanding and feelings.
In other words, for the Sadducee,
there is no true
submission to the
divine authority.
To the Jew who accepts both the
Written and Oral Torahs,
the basis and end of everything
he does is to serve the divine will.
The “wine” of his divine service—the intellectual and
emotional fulfillment that he experiences in the process--
is also part and parcel of this end:
this, too, is something that G‑d desires from him.
The Sadducee, on the other hand,
sees the “wine” as the end and
objective of his observance of the mitzvot:
everything he does is subject to his personal understanding
and appreciation.
The Sadducee might accept the need for “water” in one’s life,
but only as an accessory to the wine.
He might acknowledge the need for unquestioning obedience to Torah on the part of the masses, for not every man is capable of interpreting these laws himself. He might acknowledge the need for such obedience on the part of even the wisest of men, for no man can expect to understand everything.
But the Sadducee will always see such “mindless” and “unfeeling” obedience as a necessity rather than the ideal—the ideal being a fulfillment of Torah based on the observer’s understanding and appreciation.
So for the Sadducee, there is no joy in submission to the divine will, no taste to the water of commitment. The Sadducee does not thirst for this water; if he obeys G‑d’s laws, it is only as a means to an end—to enable him to savor their intellectual flavor and emotional aroma.
This is why the Sadducee priest poured the water on his feet. He was not condemning the phenomenon of “water” in serving G‑d; he was relegating it to the feet—to the “foot soldiers” of the nation, or to the lower extremities of the human form. Water might be necessary in certain individuals and in certain circumstances, but it is hardly the fluid to grace the altar in the year’s most joyous celebration of man’s relationship with G‑d.
A Hail of FruitThe people responded by pelting him with their etrogim.
The Midrash tells us that the “Four Kinds” taken on Sukkot—the etrog (citron), lulav (palm frond), hadas (myrtle branch) and aravah (willow branch)—represent four types of individuals. The etrog, which has both a taste and a fragrant smell, represents the perfect individual who is both knowledgeable in Torah and proficient in the observance of mitzvot. The lulav is the branch of the date palm, whose fruit has a taste but no smell, representing those accomplished in Torah though less so in regard to the mitzvot. The hadas—tasteless but aromatic—represents the type who, though lacking in Torah knowledge, has many mitzvot to his credit. Finally, the tasteless, scentless aravah represents the individual who lacks both Torah and mitzvot.
On a deeper level, the “Four Kinds” represent four
personas within every individual, each with its own
domain in his psyche and its appropriate place in his life.
In this sense, “Torah” is the intellectual appreciation of the divine wisdom, and “mitzvot” are the love and awe of G‑d experienced in the observance of the commandments. Thus, the lulav is the “intellectual” in man who does not allow feeling to cloud the purity of knowledge and comprehension; the hadas is the emotional self, who sets experience as the highest ideal,
even at the expense of the intellect; the etrog is the force that strives for a synthesis of mind and heart; and the aravah is the capacity for
acceptance and commitment, for setting aside intellect
and feeling to commit oneself
absolutely to a higher ideal.
When the Sadducee priest spilled the water on his feet, the “entire people pelted him with their etrogim.” We reject what you represent, the people were saying, not only with the self-negating aravah in us, not only with our intellectual or emotional personas, but also with the synthesis of wisdom and feeling that defines what is highest and most perfect in man. For also—and especially—the etrog within us recognizes the water of life as our ultimate source of joy.
Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Question:
I am a Muslim, but I have many Jewish friends. I was recently invited to a Jewish home for a Friday night meal, and was surprised by the "Kiddush" ceremony, which involved saying prayers over a glass of wine. In my religion, wine is forbidden.
Does Judaism honestly believe that such a sensual indulgence
can be considered holy?
Answer:
Each of us has a body and a soul. Our body is usually only interested in the material pleasures that this world has to offer - a good meal, an entertaining T.V. show, comfort and gratification. The soul has higher aspirations -
it seeks true love,
meaning, inspiration
and
a connection to what's
holy.
All religions attempt to give us access to our souls. But as long as the body continues to chase the mundane, the soul is trapped. There are two methods to free the soul offered by different religions:
1) Suppression. By suppressing our bodily desires we can allow the soul to shine through. This means a life of asceticism and abstinence, avoiding the pleasures of this world.
2) Refinement. Alternatively, we can find spirituality within the mundane itself, by being involved with the physical world in a holy and refined way. Then the body no longer opposes the soul; on the contrary, it serves as a vehicle to express the soul's needs.
Judaism insists on the second approach. Rather than suppress the body, refine it. Don't be celibate - but save sexuality for marriage. Don't fast all day - but only eat foods that are spiritually pure. Work with the body, not against it.
The path of
refinement
is a challenging one,
but it is possible.
Just
look at wine.
Wine has a unique property that demonstrates the fact that we need not afflict our bodies in order to tap in to our souls.
Wine improves with age.
Most foods decompose as time goes on. In fact, all physical things do - buildings crumble, clothes wear out, our bodies age. This is because anything physical is ephemeral - it doesn't last; while the world of the spirit is eternal, and gets stronger with time. The one exception is wine. Wine, although it is also physical, has the spiritual property of improving with age.
It is wine that TESTIFIES
that even the
physical can be REFINED
Wine represents what Judaism is ALL ABOUT!
the FUSING of
the HOLY and the mundane,
the SPIRITUAL and PHYSICAL,
the body and soul.
What could be more
HOLY
than that?
By Aron Moss
By Aryeh Citron
The Parshah discusses the laws of a sotah
and then immediately afterwards teaches the laws of a nazir.
The sotah is a woman who is suspected of adultery;
the naziris a person who voluntarily vows to abstain,
for a specified period of time, from wine and haircuts
and to avoid becoming
ritually impure through contact with a
dead body.
Based on the juxtaposition of these topics, our sages teach us that whoever sees a sotahexperiencing her degradation1 will realize that such illicit behavior is often a result of drinking too much alcohol, and will vow to become a nazir and abstain from wine.
In some circumstances, the drinking of wine is considered
praiseworthy, or even mandatory
relation to this, the following are some the Torah's
views on alcohol consumption.
In some circumstances, the drinking of wine is considered
praiseworthy, or even mandatory.
This is true for kiddush, havdalah,
the four cups
of the Passover seder and many other
"cups of blessing,"
such as the cup
of wine over which
the sheva berachot
for a bride and groom are recited,
and the
wine of the Brit Milah
In addition, it is considered an obligation
for men to drink wine every
day of Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed
(the "intermediate days" of Passover and Sukkot).
Despite this, or perhaps because of this, our sages warned us many times of the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. King Solomon writes in the book of Proverbs4: "Who has wounds without cause? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who sit late over wine, those who come to search for mixed wine. Do not look at wine when it is red; when he puts his eye on the cup, it goes smoothly. Ultimately, it will bite like a serpent, and sting like a viper.Your eyes will see strange women, and your heart will speak confusedly."
Our sages tell us in the Midrash that drinking wine in excess can lead to transgressing the laws of Family Purity, issuing improper rulings on Torah matters, and impoverishment.
Here are some negative events that are attributed to the drinking of wine:
1) Our sages say that the original sin of Adam and Eve involved wine, as the Tree of Knowledge was actually (according to one opinion) a grape vine.6
2) After Noah successfully survived the flood, he made grapes his first crop and is faulted for doing so. The inebriation which followed resulted in immodest behavior and ultimately led to his inability to have more children, as well as the curse which came to the descendants of Canaan.
3) The excessive drinking of Lot led him to commit incest.
4) At the time of the consecration of the Tabernacle in the desert, the two elder sons of Aaron the High Priest drank wine. As a result, their judgment was impaired, and they sinned by entering the Holy of Holies without permission. Their punishment was death.
One of the reasons why the
Ten Tribes were exiled
was their excessive alcohol consumption
5) One of the reasons given for why the ten tribes of Israel were exiled from the Land of Israel (by the Assyrian King Sennaherib, during the First Temple Era) was their excessive alcohol consumption. As the prophet Amossays10:
"Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who are secure in the mountain of Samaria… Who drink from basins of wine, and with the first oils they anoint themselves, and they feel no pain concerning the destruction of Joseph. Therefore, now they shall go into exile at the head of the exiles, and the banquet of the haughty shall pass away."
What Is Kiddush Levana?
Kiddush Levana (קִדּוּשׁ לְבָנָה),
the
Sanctification of the Moon,
is performed once a month,
during the first part of the
lunar cycle.
Said outdoors at night, Kiddush Levana is a
meaningful ritual highlighted by a
Hebrew blessing,
selections of Psalms
and other prayers. It is often followed
by
joyous dancing
The Significance of the
Moon
To bless G‑d for the
new moon
at the
proper time
is like
greeting the Divine Presence.
--Talmud, Sanhedrin 42a
There is something mystical about the moon. Despite its secondary status as a luminary, people have always been fascinated by its silvery, luminous light and its precise cycle of waxing and waning. Indeed, the months of the Jewish calendar follow the phases of the moon.
The sages of the Talmud write that the renewal of the moon each month reminds us of the magnificent wonders of G‑d’s creation, as if the Divine Presence in our world, so often hidden, is coming out to greet us.1Because the moon has the most visible cycle of all the stars and planets, we take the occasion of its renewal to make a blessing in appreciation of the entire masterpiece of celestial orchestration.
So, once a month, Jews open their prayerbooks to speak of the moon. Upon seeing the soft, mellow light of the moon born again in the night sky, we recite a special blessing and verses of
praise called the
Sanctification of the Moon,
or
kiddush levana (Heb. קידוש לבנה).
Here is the behind-the-scenes story.
When to Do Kiddush Levana?The Sanctification of the Moon is done at night,3 when the moon is waxing and is bright enough that we can benefit from its light. Therefore, the ceremony may be performed only between the third and the fifteenth days of the Jewish month.4 (Note that the precise dates depend upon when
the moon is “reborn,”
which fluctuates from
month to month.
See Molad Times).
One should not recite the Sanctification of the Moon on a night when clouds are completely covering the moon.6 But if there is only a thin cloud cover, and the light of the moon is still clearly visible,7 it is okay to do the ceremony. If one begins the blessing and it suddenly becomes cloudy, one should still complete the service.
According to the Kabbalists, it is best to wait until the seventh day of the month to sanctify the moon.9 But if you suspect that it will be cloudy for most of the month (as it sometimes is in winter), you should perform the service at the first opportunity.
The Sanctification of the Moon
is truly a joyous occasion,
and we make a point of performing
it in the best of moods.
In the month of Tishrei (the period of the High Holidays), when we spend the first ten days repenting for our wrongdoings during the past year, we postpone the service to the night after Yom Kippur.11
The same applies to the
month of Av,
whose first nine days are
spent mourning the
destruction of the Holy Temple.
We wait until the
night after the Ninth of Av to
sanctify the moon
Where to Say Kiddush Levana?We go outside to sanctify the moon, as though running eagerly to greet a king. Nothing should come between us and the heavens, even if the moon can be clearly seen from the shelter of a porch or the like.13 As befits a royal reception, the place where the ceremony is done should be free from any strong stench.
We want to look our best on such an occasion,
and it is preferable to sanctify the moon in a large group.16Therefore, the very best time is immediately after Shabbat (providing it is prior to the tenth day of the Hebrew month), outside of the synagogue, when we are all together and dressed in our festive clothing.
What and How?
The formulation of the prayer is as follows:
We stand under the open sky, facing east and looking into our prayerbooks.18
Gratitude and the RedemptionOne of the underlying themes of the Sanctification of the Moon is our gratitude to G‑d for all that He has given us.
Like the moon,
the fate
of the Jewish nation has
waxed and waned
throughout history.
Yet we are still here to
tell the tale
Sanctifying the moon
on its
reappearance is a
way of
renewing our trust in G‑d’s
constant presence in our lives,
and
restoring our awareness
that all
He does is ultimately for our good.
During the course of Kiddush Levana, we
pray for the time when the Jewish people
will be rejuvenated like the moon.
Said outdoors,
wearing Shabbat finery,
the event is an expression of
our wish for the Redemption
and even an act that hastens the
actual Redemption.
“When wine comes in, the secrets come out,” our Sages teach us.
This should come as no surprise to us.
We all know that alcohol reduces our inhibitions.
It allows us to be more free with how we act.
To share what we feel. To say what we think.
What we really think.
But speech is a funny thing. On the one hand, it allows
us to share our innermost essence with another.
On the other hand, words can cause more pain
and hurt than just about anything else.
A human being is called a medaber, a “speaker”
It is precisely our ability to speak that differentiates
us from an animal and is
our
crowning characteristic
as a human.
We are taught in the Book of Genesis that man was
created as a “living soul”
(2:7). In Hebrew, the term used is
a nefesh chayah.
The commentator Onkelos translates this
concept of “living soul”
as synonymous with a
“speaking spirit.”
There is something fascinating about this description, both in terms of what a “soul” is of a human, and how that soul is
intrinsically related to
ONE's ability to SPEAK
The very same phrase--nefesh chayah--which refers to the level of the human soul which is a "speaking spirit" also carries another meaning. Chayah is also an “animal.” The foremost commentator Rashi points out that what is unique about the human that makes this nefesh chayah a human soul and not an animal is the fact that he was given deah “knowledge” and dibur “speech.” And of the two, a human being is called a medaber, a “speaker” for it is speech that allows us to bond and connect with another human being, which is the point of creation.
So if the fact that we speak is what defines us as a human being, than how we speak defines the kind of human being that we are.
There are two kinds of speech: verbal speech and physical speech. Both create realities. In the case of physical speech it is clear, through the ability to reproduce and bring forth children. Likewise, in a spiritual, emotional realm, when we speak, when we say something, we bring a reality into this world that can never be erased.
The world was created through the Ten Utterances that were spoken by G‑d. He spoke and reality came into being. “Let there be light” and there was light. When we speak, we not only create a reality, but we give permanence to that reality. And we all know how true this is, not so much from the times we said something that we should have said, but often from the times we said something that we should not have said.
Ideally, when one speaks, there should be no question as to whether or not the person meant what he or she said. Yet one of the signs of being in exile is that our speech does not always reflect what it is we think and feel. But this is usually the case when someone says something very flattering or kind or positive. “I just love what you are wearing” leaves two possibilities…either she means it or she doesn’t. Usually the statement, “I hate that outfit” does not leave one with the impression that maybe she really does like it and just didn’t say so.
The goal of speech is that what one says should and must reflect what he or she is thinking and feeling. If not, it is antithetical to the purpose of speech. When one misuses the power of speech, then one also misuses the “humanness” that speech gives us.
The first letter in the Hebrew alphabet, which is the beginning of all speech, is an aleph.The aleph is an acronym for two different statements revealing how speech is to be used. The first is “emet lemed picha” “teach your mouth to speak the truth” and the other is “achad lev peh” “to be one and the same in mouth and heart” (Otiot d’Rabbi Akiva ).
When we speak, we not only create a reality,
but we give permanence to that reality
It's even considered better to say something that isn’t kind or nice than to say something that does not represent what you really think.
To not speak is one step better, but still problematic.
Because if you are not speaking because what you think
and feel shouldn’t be shared, then that in itself is a problem.
In Chassidic philosophy, there is a heavy emphasis placed on ahavas yisrael, love one’s fellow Jew. And much less emphasis is placed on the laws that apply to guarding one’s tongue and what can and cannot be said. The logic behind this is that if my focus is on loving another, I don’t need to be concerned with what I cannot say about this person, for all I will have to say will be words that are loving and kind. I can work on myself so that I don’t speak negative or painful words about another, but if I still think them, then I haven’t gained much.
Which brings us back to our original point.
“When the wine
goes in,
the secrets come out.”
Why have Chassidim always enjoyed sharing a drink, a l’chaim, with one another? Specifically because it takes away some of their inhibition. It allows them to feel more relaxed and comfortable and open about sharing their thoughts and feelings. And when one ideally spends his or her time working on oneself and trying to improve constantly, then sharing those thoughts and feelings should be a step in growth and development, not in destruction.
This is why I have heard it said that Chassidim have always favored Vodka as the drink of choice. Vodka is clear, you can see right through it. When two Chassidim hold up their cups to say “L’Chaim” (to life) and toast one another, they are truly saying that it is through this liquid that I see you and connect to you, and this liquid should serve as a catalyst for further bonding.
Only what is in the
mind and heart
can come
out through the mouth
One acts in a way that one
would not have acted if sober.
But nonetheless,
a non violent person doesn’t suddenly hit,
and a gentle and loving person
doesn’t suddenly spew hateful remarks.
For only what is in the mind and heart can come out through the mouth.
The mouth is only a
vessel,
it is only a bridge,
it is not a source.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/911557/jewish/The-Torah-Perspective-on-Alcohol-Consumption.htm
I do beg you to follow me here, my brothers.
I AM a man like yourselves,
and I have
nothing against you personally.
You know how handicapped I was by illness when I
first preached the Gospel to you.
You didn’t shrink from me or let yourselves be revolted at
the disease which was such a trial to me.
No, you welcomed me as though I were
an
angel of God,
or even as though I were
Jesus Christ himself!
What has happened to
that
fine spirit of yours?
I guarantee that in those days you would,
if you could,
have plucked out your eyes
and given them to me.
Have I now become your enemy because
I continue to tell you the same
truth?
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out,
and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for.
thee that one of
thy members should perish, and.
not that
thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Noah and the TRUE VINE
JESUS CHRIST
FRUIT TREE of LIFE
Shem is a son of Noah that God
uses to bring the
promised Messiah to us
At the
Last Supper, Jesus took
a cup and said,
"This cup is the
new covenant
in my blood,
which is poured out for you”
(Luke 22:20).
Moments before, the Lord had
broken the bread and given
it to
His disciples with the words,
This is my body given for you;
do this in remembrance of me”
(verse 19). With these symbolic actions
Jesus instituted the ordinance of communion,
or the
Lord’s Table
What is the 12 loaves of Showbread?
shewbread,
also spelled Showbread, also called
Bread Of The Presence,
any of the 12 loaves of bread that
stood for the 12 tribes of Israel, presented and
shown in the
Temple of Jerusalem in the
Presence of God.
The “new covenant”
that Jesus spoke of is in contrast
to the
Old Covenant,
the conditional agreement that
God had made with the Israelites
through Moses.
The Old Covenant
established laws and ceremonies
that separated
the Jews from the other nations,
defined sin, and showcased
God’s provision of forgiveness
through sacrifice.
The New Covenant
was predicted in
Jeremiah 31:31–33.
The Old Covenant required blood sacrifices, but it could not provide a final sacrifice for sin. The Old Covenant required repeated, daily sacrifices of animals as a reminder of the people’s sin. But, as Scripture says, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).
Under the Old Covenant,
the same inadequate sacrifices
were constantly repeated. For every sin, the
process was replicated,
day after day, month after month,
year after year.
The Old Covenant never provided a full
, complete sacrifice for sin. “
For if that first covenant
had been faultless,
there would have been
no occasion
to look for a second”
Hebrews 8:7, ESV).
Jesus came to establish a “better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22)
, a “new covenant” that Jesus said was in His blood. Jesus
shed His blood on the cross to take away the
sins of the world (John 1:29) and
ratify the new covenant between God and man.
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took the cup and
said to His disciples, “Drink from it, all of you.
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured
out for many for the
forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27–28).
By “this cup,” Jesus referred,
by metonymy,
to the contents of the cup,
which was the
“FRUIT of the VINE”
(Mark 14:25).
This was representative of Christ’s blood. Jesus
gave His disciples the cup,
infusing it with new meaning,
and told them drinking it was to be
a memorial of His death: it was
to be drunk “in remembrance of me”
(1 Corinthians 11:25).
Now, “whenever you eat this
bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s
death until he comes”
verse 26).
The New Covenant is based on faith in the
shed-blood of Christ to take away sin, not on
repeated sacrifices
or any other kind of work (see Ephesians 2:8–9)
. Because Jesus is the holy Lamb of God,
His one-time sacrifice is sufficient to atone for the sins of all
who believe in Him.
We “partake” of Jesus by coming to Him in faith
(John 1:12),
trusting that His shed blood (and broken body)
is sufficient to pay for our sins.
The elements of bread and wine commemorate
His death and the shedding of His blood.
When we eat those elements
in communion with other believers,
we affirm our faith and
fellowship in Christ.
Shechem
was an ancient
biblical city in Israel.
Today, the area of Shechem is known as Tell Balata, an archaeological site near Nablus in the West Bank.
The town
was located between
Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim
in central Israel,
just
southeast of Samaria.
The name Shechem means
“shoulder”
in Hebrew,
which is appropriate considering
its location as a
pass between
two mountains.
Song of Solomon 4:4“
Your neck is like the
tower of David,
Built with rows of stones
On which are
hung a thousand shields,
All the round shields of the mighty men.
Genesis 41:42
Then Pharaoh took off
his
signet ring
from his hand
and put it on Joseph’s hand,
and clothed him
in garments of fine linen
and put the gold necklace around his neck.
Genesis 45:14
Then he fell on his brother
BENJAMINS neck and WEPT,
and
All about the
Benjamin wept on his neck.
Joshua 10:24
When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for
all the men of Israel, and said to the
chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “
Come near,
put your feet on the necks of these kings.”
So they came near and put their feet on their necks.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government
will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and
peace there will be
no end.
Shechem was a place of promise
First mentioned in Genesis 12:6–7, Shechem was the location where Abram stopped at the tree of Moreh and received
God’s promise of the land.
Shechem
became part of the
Promised Land of Israel,
was given to the Kohathites, and served as a
Levitical city of refuge
(Joshua 21:20–21).
Shechem was the place where
Joseph’s remains were buried
(Joshua 24:32)
. During the time of
the divided kingdom of Israel,
Shechem was the
capital of the
northern kingdom for a while
(1 Kings 12:1).
Shechem
was a place of commitment.
In the area of Shechem,
the
Israelites were reminded of
God’s covenantal relationship
to them,
which He had
first made to Abraham
Before they entered Canaan,
the Israelites had been instructed to
pronounce the blessings and the curses of the
law on
Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal,
respectively
(Deuteronomy 11:26–30).
They did this
under Joshua’s leadership
after the
battle of Ai (Joshua 8:33). Later, a
renewal of the covenant
also
occurred at Shechem,
when Joshua gathered the Israelites
to challenge
them to follow the Lord
(Joshua 24:1, 14–15).
Shechem was a place of worship.
When the Lord appeared to him at Shechem,
Abram built an altar to God at the site
(Genesis 12:7). Abram’s grandson, Jacob, also
built an altar at Shechem, calling
it “El Elohe Israel,” or “mighty God of Israel”
(Genesis 33:18–20).
Even in the time of Joshua,
the altar at Shechem was a
holy site of the Lord
(Joshua 24:26).
Shechem was a place of man’s sin. A Hivite chieftain named
Hamor was the father of a man named Shechem,
who lived in the city that bore his name.
Shechem raped Jacob’s daughter,
Dinah, and
two of Jacob’s sons avenged their sister by
slaughtering all the men in the city,
including Shechem and Hamor
(Genesis 34:1–29).
In the time of the
judges,
the Shechemites
sided with Abimelek, a
son of one of
Gideon’s concubines
(Judges 9:1–6).
Abimelek positioned himself as king among the Shechemites,
killing all but one of Gideon’s other sons. Jotham, the surviving son,
pronounced a curse on Abimelek and the Shechemites,
and after three years the city of Shechem turned against
the would-be king (Judges 9:16–20).
In response to Shechem’s rejection, Abimelek attacked
the city and killed a thousand men and women
(Judges 9:48–49; 57).
Shechem is only mentioned in the
New Testament in Stephen’s sermon (Acts 7:16).
Some scholars identify Sychar in Samaria
as the ancient city of Shechem (John 4:5–6), but
most believe that Sychar was a distinct place.
Shechem is important in the Bible because the city displayed
man’s sinfulness and failure to properly honor God,
while at the same time
revealing God’s faithfulness
God uses Shem
to lead
the
Jewish peoples
into existence
Shem allied with his brother to begin the
intermingling
of the
Jewish and Gentile worlds.
Because of Shem
faithfully
following in the
footsteps of God,
we can receive the
gift
of salvation
through
the blood of Christ.
HOW UNSEARCHABLE
ARE
YOUR WAYS, OH GOD!
Funny Story!
My dad (Welsh/German Catholic)
did the Anscestory.com
DNA test,
and as it turns out, he does in fact,
very surprisingly,
have a minuscule percentage of
Genetic Jewish Ethnicity,
THE PATRIARCHS
the
FOUNDING fathers
of the
people of Israel,
*Abraham, *Isaac, and *Jacob.
History and Use of the Termiv Maccabees 7:19
refers to
"our patriarchs,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,"
Faith, Sacrifice, Grace
The Cath-OLIC
TRINITY is FOUND
through
FAITH in Gods SAVING GRACE
The Eucharistic Prayer
is the heart
of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
In this prayer, the celebrant
acts in the
person of Christ as
head of his body,
The Church
but the same work (16:25) also speaks of,
"Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and
all the patriarchs."
(The New Testament-applies the term to Abraham (Heb. 7:4),
to the 12 sons of Jacob, and to David (Acts 7:8–9 and 2:29).)
However, the rabbinic restriction of the designation to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ber. 16b) follows the
biblical Hebrew pattern which frequently features
this triad and never extends it to include others.
The development of the concept may be traced
through the *Genesis narratives (28:13; 32:9) to its
first usage in Exodus 2:24.
The Hebrew term ha-avot in its
ABSOLUTE FORM,
meaning
"the [three] fathers,"
HOLY TRINITY
Whole, Complete, Perfect,
SUM
which MOVE
in
complete harmony
when
PROPERLY ORDERED
par excellence, is never used in the Hebrew Bible,
only the possessive suffixed form, either in conjunction
with the THREE
NAMES
(Deut. 1:8; 6:10; 9:5; 29:12; 30:20; i Chron. 29:18. Not quite analogous is the usage in Ex. 3:6, 15, 16; 4:5),
or alone in unambiguous reference to the
Divine promises
(Deut. 1:21, 35 and passim 26 times; Ex. 13:5, 11; Num. 14:23; Josh. 1:6; 5:6; 21:41; Judg. 2:1; Jer. 11:5; 32:22; Ezek. 20:42; 47:14).
In fact, mention of the
3 patriarchs
in the Bible is
predominantly in this connection.
The Chronological Background
The joint lifetimes of the three patriarchs cover a period of just over 300 years (Gen. 21:5; 25:26; 47:28). However, in the absence of external synchronistic controls, their place within the framework of history was formerly sought relative to the date of the
Exodus and the duration of the Egyptian slavery.
But given that both of these are now thought by most scholars not to be historical events, it is more productive to examine the
individual tales of the patriarchs to determine when
each might have been
written and for what purpose.
(For current thinking on the historicity of the Patriarchal Period see *Genesis, *History, Beginning.) In general, the patriarchs and their activities are reflections of life in later Israel projected backward into ancient times.
The Mesopotamian Background
One of the peculiarities of the patriarchal narratives is the consistent association with *Mesopotamia. The family originated in Ur (Gen. 11:28; 15:7; Neh. 9:7; cf. Josh. 24:2–3), then moved to Haran in the north (Gen. 11:31). Abraham found a wife for Isaac there (24:4ff.) and Jacob fled there from Esau's wrath (28:2, 10). He spent a good part of his adult life there and all the tribes except Benjamin originated in that area. This association ends abruptly with Jacob.
The Onomasticon
The patriarchs are descended
from
Shem son of Noah
through the line of Eber (Gen. 10:21–32; 11:10–32). Of 38 names connected with the family, 27 never recur in the Bible. A large number conform to the onomastic patterns common to the Western Semites during the first half of the second millennium b.c.e. and later. Of special interest is the identity of the personal names, Peleg (10:25; 11:16–19), Serug (11:20–23), Nahor (11:22–27; 24:10), and Terah (11:24–32), with place names in the vicinity of *Haran, mentioned as early as the *Mari and Kultepe texts. Haran shows a high degree of aramaization in the
eighth to seventh centuries
(Dion., cane ii, 1284), reflected in the importance of this area and its Aramean
connections in Genesis.
Patriarchal Society
Given that the patriarchal narratives were composed over centuries, they vary in their depictions of the patriarchs in society. Sometimes the patriarchs are shown as ass-nomads (Gen. 12:16; 22:3, 5), constantly on the move, primarily raisers of sheep and cattle (12:16; et al.), and, as such, restricted in the scope of their wanderings (33:13). Other traditions refer to large numbers of camels (Gen. 12:16; 24:10). They are tent-dwellers (12:8, et al.), but their travels take place between great urban centers into which they rarely venture. These peregrinations are confined to sites in the sparsely populated central hill country and the Negev, viz., Shechem, Beth-El, Hebron, Beer-Sheba, Gerar, and, in the case of Jacob, also central Gilead. Some traditions picture the patriarchs in the first stages of agriculture (26:12; cf. 37:7). Grave traditions associate them with the cave of Machpelah in Hebron (49:29–30; 50:13).
There are also traditions of the patriarchs as warriors.
Abram the noble warrior in Genesis 14 (Muffs) commands a
professional fighting force, which successfully defeats
an international invading army. Jacob
boasts of having taken land from the Amorites with
his sword and bow
(Gen. 48:22).
Sometimes the contacts of the
patriarchs
with their neighbors are
peaceful.
They make pacts with them (14:13; 21:22–32; 26:28–31) and purchase land from them (23:2–30; 33:19). In another account, though (Genesis 34), Jacob's family wipes out a city of *Hivites. The closeness of the patriarchs with the Arameans mirrors periods of Aramean-Hebrew cooperation during the monarchy (cf. Gen. 32:44–54 with ii Kings 16:5).
Social institutions unattested in the Torah outside of
the patriarchal narratives are paralleled elsewhere in
ancient Near Eastern sources. Concubinage in cases of
childlessness (16:2; 30:2) is well attested (15:2–4)
and transference of the
birthright
(25:29–34; 27:1–29, contrast Deut. 21:15ff.) is also found.
The Religion of the Patriarchs
The Bible represents the patriarchs etiologically as religious figures. Circumcision is traced back to Abraham (Gen. 17:9–27), who also founds religious sites at Shechem (Gen. 12:6), Hebron (Gen. 13:18), and Moriah (Gen. 22:14). He also recognizes the sanctity of (Jeru)salem (Gen. 14:18–20). The vision of Jacob and his vow (Genesis 28) serve as the foundation legend for Jeroboam's temple at Bethel (i Kings 13:26ff.). The tradition of Joshua 24:2 mentions the idolatry of Abraham's forebears (cf. Gen. 31:19, 30, 32; 35:2–4), which inspired the later accounts of
Abraham the idol smasher wholly absent from Genesis.
The appellation, "the God of my [your/his] father" has earlier and later parallels. The possessive suffix is used in reference to each and all of the patriarchs (Gen. 26:24; 28:13; 31:42; 32:10; 46:1, 3; 50:17; Ex. 3:6), but is
never employed by or to Abraham in respect of Terah.
Patriarchs and Matriarchs in the AggadahOnly
Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob may be
designated
as the patriarchs,
and *Sarah, *Rebekah, *Rachel, and *Leah, the matriarchs
(Ber. 16b; Sem. 1:14). Sarah conceived on Rosh Ha-Shanah (Ber. 29a).
The patriarchs were born and died in Tishri (R. Eliezer) or Nisan (R. Joshua, rh 11a) except for Isaac, who was born on Passover.
They were indeed the "Fathers of the world" (Shek. 8a).
Although they eventually begot children they were originally sterile (Yev. 64b). The matriarchs were also at first barren because the Almighty longed for their prayers (Song R. 2:14, no. 8). The merit and faith of the patriarchs were great.
The Almighty rebuked Moses
by contrasting his
lack of faith with their
unwavering faith (Sanh. 111a).
They were the
first
to make the Almighty
known to
man (Men. 53a), and they instituted
the daily services (Ber. 26b).
All three patriarchs were
on an equal spiritual level
(Gen. R. 1:15).
Yet in a sense Jacob was the
choicest of the patriarchs:
Abraham and Isaac both begot
wicked sons –
Ishmael and Esau, respectively – whereas
all Jacob's sons were
loyal to God
("his bed was complete"; Lev. R. 36:5; Zohar, Gen. 119b)
. The three patriarchs
were tested in
many ways,
including by famine,
so that their descendants
would be worthy
of
receiving the Torah
(Midrash Sam. 28:2). Neither the yeẓer ha-ra (the "evil inclination" – hypostasized) nor the
Angel of Death
had mastery over them,
and in
death they were not touched
by worms;
they were given a foretaste of the
bliss
of the
hereafter here on earth
(bb 17a).
They constituted the
divine chariot of
Ezekiel's vision
(Gen. R. 47:6)
. God turned their meditations
into the key that opened the road
to freedom for their descendants
(Gen. R. 70:6),
and it was for the sake of the
patriarchs and matriarchs
that He liberated
the Israelites from Egypt
(rh 11a).
The virtue of the patriarchs stood their descendants in
good stead; and it was for their sake that
God hastened their redemption
(rh 11a; see also *Zekhut Avot). When the Israelites sinned
with the
golden CALF,
Moses prayed for
forgiveness on their behalf,
but only when he
recalled the patriarchs were they forgiven
(Shab. 30a; Deut. R. 3:11).
There are differences of opinion whether
"Merit of the Fathers" (zekhut avot) would always operate
in favor of their descendants.
One view is that it would continue forever
(Lev. R. 36:6),
while another held that it would come to an end,
and that it had even ceased already (ibid.)
; another view boldly declared that
labor was more precious than
the "Merit of the Fathers"
(Gen. R. 74:12).
Mamre-Hebron was called Kiriath-Arba ("the City of Four"; Gen. 35:27)
because four couples
were buried there:
Adam and Eve;
Abraham and Sarah;
Isaac and Rebecca; and
Jacob and Leah (Eruv. 53a)
When you sit down to read the account of
Noah and the flood,
who are the people who think of? For me, I naturally think about
Noah and the awesome ark he
built with God’s instructions.
We know his family all
entered the ark
and left the ark once the ground
dried up.
That is not the end of story for
Noah and his family.
Noah has three sons who do extraordinary things.
One of those sons, named Shem,
will play a vital role
in the
fulfillment of scripture.
Let’s learn
what we need to know about Shem
and
how extraordinary he was by
discussing his
lineage and the impact he had
on his “family”
and the world today
Who Was Shem?Shem was one of the three sons of Noah.
Some scholars believe him to be the oldest son because
his name is usually
mentioned first in the lineage of Noah.
The name Shem in Hebrew means name or renown. Shem is first mentioned in Genesis 5:32. “After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” His name is also repeated in Genesis 6:10.
During Shem’s life he marries and is a witness to the great flood that wipes all life on earth. He spends time in the ark with his mother and father, brothers, and his brother’s wives. We can imagine that life on the ark with his family and the animals was interesting. Scripture says the waters flooded the earth for 150 days in Genesis 7:24.
Once Shem and his family leave the ark, scriptures speak of the covenant God made with Noah and his sons. The most notable story of Shem is when Noah drinks to much and becomes drunk. He falls asleep naked, and his sons find him. Shem and Japheth
COVER HIM UP
walking backward so they
do not look upon him.
The other brother, Ham,
LOOKS and his son Canaan is
CURSED
Shem dies at the ripe old age of 600.
He had FIVE sons
and
witnesses
the
repopulation of the Earth.
What Does Shem Do
in the Bible?
There is not a lot of information about Shem’s life in scripture. We have the important story of Noah, his father, building the ark and the time Shem’s family spent on the ark. His movements on the ark are not recorded, therefore one would have to use their imagination.
The recorded scripture in Genesis 9:18-27, tells the reader how Noah was a man of the soil. He plants a vineyard and when the grapes come in, he makes wine. After Noah had drunk too much wine and became drunk, his son Ham discovers him lying uncovered in his tent. It was not proper for a son to look upon his father in that condition, so Shem and his brother Japheth take a garment and cover their father. This story may seem unimportant, but because Shem did what was proper by covering his father’s naked, Ham is forever cursed and becomes a slave to his brothers.
Shem goes on to have five sons with his
wife and multiple grandchildren.
His lineage PRODUCES
a man
named Abram, who later
will be
KNOWN as Abraham
MUSTARD SEED OF FAITH
Romans 10:17 -
So faith
comes from hearing, and hearing
through the word of Christ.
Hebrews 11:6 -
And without faith it is impossible to please him,
for whoever would draw near to God
must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those
who seek him
There is some speculation that Shem was a high priest, specifically Melchizedek. Jewish and Catholic scholars have discussed this and believe to have evidence from the Targumin. The Targumin is the Aramaic translation of the Old Testament. The probability of Shem being Melchizedek is questionable, so we can leave this to the scholars.
The Descendants of ShemShem was the father to five sons. Their names were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. Of those five sons, Arphaxad is one that we will zero in on. Arphaxad had a son named Shelah when he had lived 35 years. (Gen. 11:12) Shelah became the father of Eber when he had lived 30 years. (Gen. 11:14) Eber had two sons, Peleg and Joktan. Peleg becomes the father of Reu and Reu becomes the father of Serug.
Serug will become the father of Nahor who the father of Terah is. Terah is the father of Abraham. Each son in the lineage of Shem had many children, which the Bible does not give us names for. What we know for certain is that Abraham will become the one that God establishes a covenant with. He will be a patriarch and father Isaac.
If we continued listing the
descendants of Shem,
we would
discover that Christ is
one of them.
What Impact Did Shem Leave?Shem’s descendants are called Semites. It is believed that when Noah died, his three sons got a portion of land. Shem’s portion was what we know as the continent of Asia. Ham received Africa and Japheth had Europe and parts of northern Asia. A total of 26 Biblical nations obtained geographical significance from the line of Shem. This may not seem important, but we must note that Shem and his descendants lived in the portion of land that included Israel.
Shem’s impact is based on the pivotal moment when Ham’s son, Canaan, is cursed. Canaan is the father of the Canaanites. The Canaanites were an idolatrous people. Noah cursed Canaan with the words from Genesis 9:25. “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”
This was only the second curse upon humanity recorded in the Bible. The first was the curse given to Cain. It is a representation of God’s sentence on the Canaanites for their sinful nature. The Canaanites will be defeated in battle because of this curse.
If we read on after the curse, we see Noah blessing Shem and his brother, Japheth. Noah is praising God and refers to Him as the God of Shem. This blessing implied that Shem was going to do something good. Noah even says may the descendants of Japheth live in the tents of Shem. The true God was Shem’s God and Abraham would come from his line. The blessing Noah gives Shem will come to fruition with Abraham. Ultimately the Messiah will be born of the line of Abraham, which is the line of Shem.
As time goes on, the descendants of Shem and Japheth become allies. Shem’s line becomes the Semitic peoples, and many biblical nations are credited to his descendants. Those nations include the Elamites (Persia), Assyrians, Chaldeans who later become the Babylonians, Israelites, Edomites, Lydians, and Syrians.
Shem leaves behind a beautiful picture of the
humble beginnings of Jew and Gentile peoples.
Shem’s descendants received
the blessings of God throughout history.
Shem’s brother is also blessed and becomes the
father of the Gentile people.
His descendants were to live among Shem’s descendants.
Peter and Paul will witness to the Gentile
people and the early church will be born.
We are all now
living in the tents of Shem.
Shem is a son of Noah
that God uses to
bring the promised Messiah to us.
God uses Shem to lead
the Jewish peoples into existence.
Shem allied with his brother to begin the
intermingling
of the Jewish and Gentile worlds.
Because of Shem faithfully following in the
footsteps of God, we can receive
the gift of
salvation
through the blood of Christ.
The Torah Perspective
Parshat Naso
This week's Parshah discusses the laws of a sotah and then immediately afterwards teaches the laws of a nazir. The sotah is a woman who is suspected of adultery; the naziris a person who voluntarily vows to abstain, for a specified period of time, from wine and haircuts and to avoid becoming ritually impure through contact with a dead body.
Based on the juxtaposition of these topics, our sages teach us that whoever sees a sotahexperiencing her degradation1 will realize that such illicit behavior is often a result of drinking too much alcohol, and
will vow to become a nazir and abstain from wine.
In some circumstances, the drinking of wine is
considered praiseworthy, or even mandatory
relation to this, the following
are some the
Torah's views on alcohol consumption.
In some circumstances, the drinking of wine is considered praiseworthy, or even mandatory. This is true for kiddush, havdalah, the four cups of the Passover seder and many other "cups of blessing," such as the cup of wine over which the sheva berachot for a bride and groom are recited,
and the wine of the Brit Milah.
In addition, it is considered an obligation for men to drink wine every day of Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed (the "intermediate days" of Passover and Sukkot).
Despite this, or perhaps because of this, our sages warned
us many times of the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.
King Solomon writes in the book of Proverbs
"Who has wounds without cause?
Who has bloodshot eyes?
Those who sit late over wine, those who come to
search for mixed wine.
Do not look at wine when it is red;
when he puts his eye on the cup, it goes smoothly.
Ultimately, it will bite like a serpent,
and sting like a viper.
Your eyes will see
strange women, and your heart will speak confusedly."
Our sages tell us in the Midrash
that drinking wine in excess
can lead to transgressing the
laws of
Family Purity,
issuing
improper rulings
on Torah matters,
and impoverishment.
Here are some negative events that are
attributed to the drinking of wine:
1) Our sages say that the original sin of
Adam and Eve
involved wine,
as the
Tree of Knowledge was actually
(according to one opinion)
a grape vine
2) After Noah successfully survived the flood, he made grapes his first crop and is faulted for doing so. The inebriation which followed resulted in immodest behavior and ultimately led to his inability to have more children, as well as the curse which came to the descendants of Canaan.
3) The excessive drinking of Lot led him to commit incest.
4) At the time of the consecration of the Tabernacle in the desert,
the two elder sons of Aaron the High Priest drank wine.
As a result, their
judgment was impaired, and they
sinned by
entering the Holy of Holies
without permission.
Their punishment was death.
One of the reasons why the Ten Tribes
were exiled
was their excessive alcohol consumption
5) One of the reasons given for why the ten tribes of Israel
were exiled from the Land of Israel
(by the Assyrian King Sennaherib, during the First Temple Era)
was their excessive alcohol consumption.
As the prophet Amossays
"Woe to those who are at ease
in Zion
and to those who are
secure in the mountain of
Samaria…
Who drink from basins of wine,
and with the first oils they anoint themselves,
and they feel
no pain
concerning the destruction of Joseph.
Therefore, now they shall go into exile at the
head of the exiles,
and the
banquet of the haughty shall
PASS away."
The following rules apply to a person
who has drunk a revi'it (approximately 3 oz.)
or more of wine – or other alcoholic beverages
that have a
similar effect – and is still feeling the effect:
1) He may not pray.
2) He may not render a halachic ruling.
3) If he is a kohen, he may not
administer the priestly blessing.
Although a chassidic farbrengen (gathering) is
traditionally accompanied by the
saying of "l'chaims," the Rebbe instructed that the
number of alcoholic drinks should
not exceed four per person
(for people under the age of forty)
Moshiach
also
known as messiah or mashiach
is the
long awaited Jewish leader
who will
usher in
an era of world peace
and
GODLY AWARENESS
May we soon
merit the COMING of Moshiach,
at which TIME we will be
BLESSED
with wine, as the verse
says:
"And it shall come to pass on that day that the
mountains shall drip with wine,
and the hills
shall flow with milk, and all the
springs of Judah
shall flow with water, and a
spring shall
emanate from the
House of the Lord
and
water the valley of Shittim
Shittim is a large area in the plains of Moab directly across from Jericho, immediately east of the Jordan and north of the Dead Sea. Shittim is significant in Israel’s history because it is the site of the last encampment of the nation at the end of the wilderness wanderings just before crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land.
Israel remained at Shittim for a long time before traversing into Canaan. While at Shittim, the episode involving Balaam and his donkey occurred. King Balak of Moab hired Balaam, a pagan seer, to curse the people of God and prevent them from entering Canaan. Instead, Balaam ended up blessing the nation of Israel (Numbers 22 — 24).
In Shittim, the Israelites were enticed into idolatrous Baal worship and immoral sexual relations with Moabite and Midianite women. Angered by their unfaithfulness, the Lord sent a plague on the men of Israel, killing twenty-four thousand of them (Numbers 25).
At Shittim, in preparation for entering Canaan, a tribe-by-tribe census was taken of all the men ready for battle (Numbers 26). It was here that the Israelites defeated the Midianites from their headquarters at Shittim (Numbers 31). In Shittim, Moses delivered his farewell speech and final blessing to the people (Deuteronomy 31 — 33). At Shittim, Joshua was declared Moses’ successor (Deuteronomy 31:14–29; 34:9). Joshua sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies to scout out Jericho (Joshua 2:1).
The miraculous journey crossing through the Jordan River with the ark of the covenant began in Shittim (Joshua 3:1) and ended in Gilgal (4:19). The event was remembered in the book of Micah: “My people, remember . . . your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD” (Micah 6:5).
Shittim is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for “acacia trees.” The location was likely named for its great number of acacias. An alternate name for this area is Abel-Shittim, which means “meadow [or stream] of the acacias.” The shortened version is used more frequently in the Bible.
The “Valley of Shittim” or “Valley of Acacias”
mentioned in a prophetic vision
in the
book of Joel is a region that receives water
from a spring in the temple:
“And in that day the mountains
shall drip sweet wine,
and the hills shall flow with milk,
and all the
streambeds of Judah shall flow with water;
and a fountain shall come forth
from the house of the LORD
and water the
Valley of Shittim” (Joel 3:18, ESV)
The exact location of the Valley of Shittim is unknown.
Most scholars place it in a different location than the encampment site east of the Jordan. Since the water in Joel’s prophecy flows from the temple in Jerusalem, this valley would seem to be west of the Jordan. The Wadi en-Nar
at the lower end of the Kidron Valley is a possibility. That portion of the valley runs through a dry wilderness to the Dead Sea, where acacias trees grow in abundance.
Many scholars consider the reference to the
Valley of Shittim in Joel to be symbolic
and not an actual geographical location.
Joel was figuratively announcing that
the water of life, the gospel of grace,
would bring newness of life to a
desolate and dying world.
In this Messianic picture, Christ Himself is the fountain
who “shall come forth from the house of the LORD
and water the Valley of Shittim.”
The flowing streams of living water
will reach far and wide, flowing to the Gentiles
and to the most remote regions of the world.
God’s grace is an overflowing fountain
that will never run dry.
The Spies and the Wine Libation
What is the inner connection between the
incident of the spies
and the commandment concerning the
libation of wine on the altar,
issued by G-d directly thereafter?
In answering this question, this class explores the
mystical power of Tefillin and its effect on the world.
(Based on the maamar L’havin Inyan Parshas Hanesachim 5747)
Podcast:
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Topics:Tefillin, Wine Libation, Shlach
Kiddush
(lit. “sanctification”);
(a) blessing recited over a cup of wine
expressing the sanctity
of the Sabbath or of a festival;
(b) refreshments served in the synagogue after the
recital of Kiddush
Wine and intoxicating beverages are a
fascinating subject
when viewed from the Torah's perspective.
On one hand, we use wine for kiddush and havdallah on
Shabbat and Jewish holidays, and many,
many mitzvot are accompanied by a cup of wine.
Blessings are recited on a cup of wine
beneath the chupah
(wedding canopy), at a circumcision,
at a Pidyon
(the "Redemption of a Firstborn Son"), and
let's not forget the
four cups of wine we drink at the
Passover seder.
In the Scriptures,
wine is described as "bringing joy to G‑d and man"
(Judges 9:13).
And, indeed, every sacrifice offered
in the Holy Temple
was accompanied by a wine libation.
Because wine is considered to be
the "king of beverages"
the rabbis coined a special blessing to be
recited exclusively on wine:
the Hagafen blessing.
And let us not forget the venerated
age-old Jewish custom to say l'chaim and
wish each other
well
over a shot glass
of schnapps.
Conversely, we are told of the destructive nature of
wine and intoxication.
Several examples:
According to an opinion expressed in the
Talmud,
'Tree" of Knowledge
was actually a
GRAPEVINE
Thus it was
the fruit of the vine
that tripped up
Adam and Eve,
causing them and their descendents
untold hardship and misery
The righteous
Noah,
whose righteousness caused
G‑d to spare the human race,
was disgraced by excessive wine consumption.
Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's two holy sons,
entered the
Tabernacle while drunk and were
consumed by a fire
that
emanated from the heavens.
The Torah extols the virtue, courage,
and
holiness of the Nazirite who vows to
abstain from wine.
So what is wine?
Is it a holy beverage with immense powers,
reserved for
holy and special occasions?
Or is it a destructive agent with the power to bring down
mighty people; a substance to be avoided at all costs?
Well, a little bit of both, it seems. As we mentioned earlier, according to one opinion, the Tree of Knowledge was a grape vine—and the Tree of Knowledge is dubbed by the Torah as being "good and bad." It has tremendous potential, when utilized properly, and a drawback of equal proportion, if misused and abused. What we use it for is entirely up to us.
Wine's ability to bring joy is because it relaxes our inhibitions and weakens the body's natural defenses. This "weakening of the body" allows the soul to shine through. After taking a l'chaim one is more easily inspired, because the body offers less resistance. This obviously applies only when one drinks in moderation, and on special, holy occasions in an attempt to make them a bit more festive and to introduce an inspirational ambiance.
On the other hand, getting drunk in order to escape responsibilities we have to ourselves, to our families, and to those around us, is highly destructive. A person who is in an "escapist" mode is a dangerous person, because very often he is also escaping many of the rules that he would be wise to follow.
On the practical side, we are forbidden to pray while drunk and priests were not allowed to serve in the Holy Temple whilst drunk.
Even today, priests may not bless the congregation
after having even a single glass of wine.
I also recommend that you read
Can Wine Be Holy?
Yours truly,
Rabbi Menachem Posner
Show Me Your Glory!:
In the aftermath of the
golden calf
in response to Moses's request,
"Reveal to me Your Glory",
G-d shows him His 'back', which Rashi explains
to mean the
"knot of G-d's tefillin".
This class will address the inner meaning
of this and
the message of hope it conveys
for all of us. (Likutei Sichos, vol. 21)
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Topics:Tallit, Golden Calf, Ki Tisa
G-d's Tefillin
To order kosher tefillin see our
Gassot Tefillin
Tefillin P'shutim Mehudarim
Please feel free to print this article and distribute it in
your educational projects about STa"M,
including the citation at the bottom of this page in your reprints.
The Talmud in tractate Berachot 6:a records a most unusual series of scriptural references and proofs discussed by the members of the Rabbinical Academy:
Rav Avin bar Rav Ada taught in the name of Rav Yitzchak: What is the Scriptural source from which we know that G-d wears tefillin? From the verse: 'G-d affirms His Vow with His Right Hand and with His Strong Arm' (Isaiah 62:8).
What is 'G-d's
Right Hand?'
The Torah,
as referred to in the verse:
'From His Right Hand
He gave the Torah in
fire
to His People'
(Deuteronomy 33:2).
What is 'G-d's Strong Arm?'
His Tefillin,
as referred to in the verse:
'G-d gives His People strength' (Psalms 29:11).
How are we to understand these passages that seem to anthropomorphize G-d in the extreme? First we need to see the continuation of the discussion:
How do we know that their tefillin is the source of the People of Israel's strength? This is understood from the verse: 'All the nations of the world will see that the People of Israel are called by G-d's Name and they will be in awe of you' (Deuteronomy 28:10). Rav Eliezer the Great taught: this verse refers specifically to the tefillin worn on the head.
What is Rav Eliezer's reasoning that this proof speaks specifically of the tefillin worn on the head? Because it is the tefillin that are worn on the crown of the head that bears the raised letter 'shin' of G-d's Holy Name on both the right and left sides of the leather bayit housing the parchments and the letter 'daled' of His Name is formed by the knot of the straps. These combine with the letter 'yud' formed by the knot of the straps of the tefillin worn on the arm to complete His Name Shad-ai. According to the halacha, as well as to practicality, the tefillin worn on the head are always exposed and visible to all. In contrast, the tefillin worn on the arm are covered with the tallit or shirtsleeve after being positioned and bear no letters on the leather bayit housing the parchments.
Our excerpt from the Talmud then concludes with the following exchange:
Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak asked Rav Hiyya bar Avin: 'What is written on the parchments contained within G-d's tefillin?'
Hiyya answered: 'Who is like Your People of Israel, a most unique nation in the world' (Chronicles I:17:21).
Actually the Torah makes much use of anthropomorphism. There are many references to G-d's Eye, G-d's Hand, G-d's Arm, etc. Our sages teach us that such passages are not meant to be taken literally: rather, these anthropomorphisms are used in order to teach us ethical lessons. Every verse in the Torah can be explained simultaneously on many different levels. Passages such as these that are beyond comprehension at face value have much to teach us on a deeper, mystical, Kabalistic level.
Originally, we were meant to wear our tefillin throughout all the daylight hours of every weekday. Wrapping the leather boxes of the tefillin with their enclosed parchments on our arm and on our head creates a constant reminder for the Jew wearing them of his special closeness with G-d. The physical presence of the tefillin attached to our body causes a spiritual G-d-liness to encompass us. In response to our wearing our tefillin, G-d, so to speak, feels an intimacy with His People Israel as expressed in the verse 'I alone am my beloved's, and my beloved is uniquely mine' (Song of Songs 6:3). The Talmudic sages graphically describe this complimentary reaction of G-d's by their metaphor that He also wears tefillin. The natural continuation of their discussion is then what verses are written on the parchments contained with His Tefillin.
On a deeper, Kabalistic level, when we wear our tefillin and by doing so come to an appreciation of the special closeness to G-d they bring us, we achieve a heightened awareness of the Jewish People's ultimate purpose in this world: to exemplify to all the nations what a human being is capable of achieving. This touches on basic principles of Judaism and the Jewish worldview.
Why was the world created and what is our purpose in life? The Torah's answer is that G-d desired that there be a creation, called Mankind, that would arrive at an independent recognition of Him and give thanks to Him for His gifts to this world in which Man lives.
How does G-d bring this about? By creating Man with free will: just as G-d is independent and has free will, so is Man. This is how we understand the verse 'G-d created Man in His Image' (Genesis 1:27). Man alone of all G-d's creations has the ability to distinguish between Good and Evil. He can choose the path of Good instead of that of Evil in all aspects of his life. The path of Good is outlined for us by G-d in the Torah, His guidebook for us and His original blueprint for the creation of the world. Using his free will, Man is capable of seeking out and finding G-d in this world and giving thanks to Him for all that He has created.
The Jewish People is unique among the nations of the world. We accepted G-d's Torah at Mount Sinai and took it upon ourselves as a nation to follow its teachings, to find the path of Good in the world and thus draw ourselves closer to G-d. In this way the Jewish People as a nation is fulfilling G-d's purpose in creating the world.
To complete this deeper insight into the mitzvah of tefillin, the Kabala teaches us that the world was created and its existence is maintained on a constant basis by a continual G-d-ly infusion of awareness into all that He created. This is the symbolism behind many references to G-d's Head and is alluded to by the verse 'everything was created with awareness' (Psalms 104:24). But preceding the act of creation, there first had to be Divine desire to create. In the symbolism of the Kabala the desire to do anything originates specifically from the crown of the head.
The symbolism of the Talmudic sages according to the Kabalistic understanding is now complete: G-d is portrayed wearing tefillin on His Arm and on the crown of His Head, the source of His original initiative to create the world. His Tefillin contain a verse from His Torah, the guidebook He gave Mankind teaching us how to use our free will to choose correctly between Good and Evil in this world. That verse describes the People of Israel, His unique nation: we follow His Torah and fulfill His ultimate purpose in creating the world by adhering to the path of Good and seeking out G-d in order to give Him praise and thanks for the world that He created.
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The Taste of WaterBased on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Courtesy of MeaningfulLife.comDraw water with joy from the
wellsprings of salvation
Isaiah 12:3
The Pouring of the Water was performed on all seven days [of Sukkot] . . .
The one who was doing the pouring was told, “Raise your hands” (so that all could see him pouring the water on the altar). This was because there was once a Sadducee who spilled the water on his feet, and the entire people pelted him with their etrogim . . .
Talmud, Sukkah 42b and 48b
When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, the “Pouring of the Water” (nisuch hamayim)was an important feature of the festival of Sukkot.
Throughout the year, the daily offerings in the Temple were accompanied by the pouring of wine on the altar. On Sukkot, water was poured in addition to the wine. The drawing of water for this purpose was preceded by all-night celebrations in the Temple courtyard, with music-playing Levites, torch-juggling sages and huge oil-burning lamps that illuminated the entire city. The singing and dancing went on until daybreak, when a procession would make its way to the Shiloach spring which flowed in a valley below the Temple.
A golden pitcher, holding three lugim, was filled from the Shiloach spring. When they arrived at the Water Gate, the shofar was sounded . . . [The priest] ascended the ramp [of the altar] and turned to his left . . . where there were two bowls of silver . . . with small holes [in their bottom], one wider and the other narrower so that both should empty at the same time—the western one was for the water and the eastern one for wine . . .
“For all the days of the water-drawing,” recalled Rabbi Joshua ben Chananiah, “our eyes saw no sleep,” for the nights of Sukkot were devoted to the singing, dancing and merrymaking in preparation to “draw water with joy.” And the Talmud declares: “One who did not see the joy of the water-drawing celebrations, has not seen joy in his life.”
The SadduceesThere was, however, a segment of the Jewish community that was not party to the joy of the water-drawing celebrations.
The Sadducees were a breakaway Jewish sect who denied the oral tradition received by Moses at Sinai and handed down through the generations, arguing that they had the right to interpret the Torah according to their own understanding. Unlike the pouring of the wine, which is explicitly commanded by the Torah, the pouring of the water on Sukkot is derived by interpretation. In the verses (Numbers 29:19, 29 and 33) where the Torah speaks of the libations to accompany the Sukkot offerings, there are three extra letters; according to the Sinaitic tradition, these letters are combined to form the word mayim (water). The Sadducees, who rejected the “Oral Torah,” maintained that only wine was to be poured on the altar on Sukkot, as on every day of the year.
During the Second Temple era, there were times when the Sadducees amassed political power, and even gained the high priesthood—the highest spiritual office in Israel. Thus it came to pass that one Sukkot, the honor of pouring the water on the altar was given to a Sadducee priest; but instead of pouring the water into its prescribed bowl on the southwest corner of the altar, this priest spilled it on his feet to demonstrate his opposition to the practice. The assembled crowd expressed its outrage by pelting him with the etrogimwhich, this being Sukkot, they held in their hands.
Water and Wine
There are two basic components to
man’s endeavor to serve his Creator.
First, there is what the Talmud calls kabbalat ol malchut shamayim, “the acceptance of the yoke of the sovereignty of Heaven.” Kabbalat ol is the basis and foundation of Torah: without a recognition of G‑d as our master and a commitment to obey His will, the very concept of a mitzvah (divine commandment) has no meaning.
But G‑d gave us more than a body and a nervous system, which is all we would have required if our purpose in life were only the carrying out of commands with robotic obedience. He created us with a searching mind and a feeling heart because He desired that these, too, should form an integral part of our relationship with Him.
Thus the Torah states: “See, I have taught you statutes and laws . . . for this is your wisdom and understanding before the nations”; “You shall know today, and take into your heart, that the L‑rd is G‑d”; “Know the G‑d of your fathers and serve Him with a whole heart and desirous soul”; “You shall love G‑d . . . with all your heart”; “Serve G‑d with joy.” G‑d wants us to know, understand, appreciate, love, desire and enjoy our mission in life.
In the language of Kabbalah and Chassidism, these two elements in our service of G‑d are referred to as “water” and “wine.” Water—tasteless, scentless and colorless, yet a most basic requisite of life—is the intellectually and emotionally vacuous, yet fundamentally crucial, “acceptance of the yoke of Heaven.” Wine—pleasing to the eye, nose and palate, intoxicating to the brain and exhilarating to the heart—is the sensually gratifying aspect of our divine service: our understanding of the inner significance of the mitzvot, and the fulfillment and joy we experience in our relationship with G‑d.
In light of this, “the joy of the water-drawing” seems a contradiction in terms. If water represents the “flavorless,” emotionally devoid aspect of our service of G‑d, why did the pouring of water upon the altar on Sukkot yield a joy not only greater than that produced by the pouring of wine, but a joy such as was not equaled by any other joy in the world?
The Full Moon of TishreiA clue to unraveling the paradox of the “tasty water” of Sukkot might be found in what halachah (Torah law) has to say about the taste or non-taste of water.
The law is that “it is forbidden to derive pleasure from this world without a berachah”—a blessing of praise and thanks to G‑d. Thus, even the smallest amount of food or drink requires a berachah, since, even if the amount consumed is of little nutritional value, the person derives pleasure from its taste. Water, however, has no taste, so it does not require a berachah unless “one drinks water out of thirst,” in which case, explains the Talmud, a person derives pleasure from this otherwise tasteless liquid.
To a thirsty man, a cup of water is tastier than the
most delectable wine.
In the spiritual sense, this means that when a
soul experiences a “thirst” for G‑d—when it recognizes
how vital its connection to G‑d
is for its very existence—the prosaic “water” of
commitment is a feast for its senses.
To the soul who thirsts for G‑d, a self-negating
act of kabbalat ol is more exhilarating than
the most profound page of Talmud,
the most sublime Kabbalistic secret,
the most ecstatic flight
of prayer or the most intense spiritual experience.
To such a soul, the “water” it draws
from its deepest
self to pour onto its altar of service to G‑d
is a greater source of joy than the flesh
and wine offered upon its altar or the
incense wafting through its Temple.
And Sukkot
is the time when we are most open to
experiencing pleasure and joy in the ordinarily
prosaic act of
"accepting the YOKE of the
sovereignty of Heaven.”
Rosh Hashanah,
which occurs fifteen days before Sukkot,
on the first of Tishrei, is our fountainhead
of kabbalat ol for the entire year:
this is the day on which
we crown G‑d as our king,
and reiterate our
acceptance of His sovereignty
But on Rosh Hashanah, the joy of the thirsting soul in its elemental “water” is subdued by the awe that pervades the occasion, as the entirety of creation trembles in anticipation of the annual renewal of the divine kingship. Sukkot is the celebration of this joy, the revelation of what was implicit fifteen days earlier on Rosh Hashanah.
The connection between Rosh Hashanah and
Sukkot derives from their
respective positions in the month of Tishrei.
The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, in which each
month begins on the night of the new moon,
progresses as the moon grows in the night sky,
and reaches its apex on the fifteenth of the month,
the night of the
full moon
This is why so many of the festivals and special days of the Jewish year fall on the fifteenth of the month, this being the day on which the particular month’s special quality is most expressed and manifest. In the month of Tishrei, Rosh Hashanah coincides with the
birth of the new moon on the first of the month,
while Sukkot coincides with the
full moon
on the fifteenth.
Thus, Sukkot
is the revelation and
manifestation of what
was hidden
and concealed on
Rosh Hashanah.
(Thus does chassidic teaching interpret the verse,
“Blow the shofar
on the
new moon,
in concealment to the
day of our festival.”
“Blow the shofar,”
proclaiming our acceptance
of the
sovereignty of Heaven,
“on the new moon,”
Rosh Hashanah; this, however, remains
“in concealment to [i.e., until] the day of our festival,”
Sukkot, when it erupts in a seven-day feast of joy.)
Throughout the year, only wine was poured on the altar, for ordinarily, only the “savory” and “aromatic” elements of our service of G‑d are a source of joy to us. But on Sukkot, when the full import of our kabbalat ol is revealed to us, the joy we experience in the “water” of life is the greatest joy in the world, surpassing even the joy of its “wine.”
Anatomical Statement
The Sadducees, however,
opposed the
Pouring of the Water on Sukkot.
The Sadducees refused to accept
the divinely ordained interpretation of Torah
transmitted to Moses at Sinai
and handed down through the generations.
While recognizing the divine origin of Torah,
they regarded it as a series of laws
open to personal interpretation—an interpretation
dictated solely by the
interpreter’s understanding and feelings.
In other words, for the Sadducee,
there is no true
submission to the
divine authority.
To the Jew who accepts both the
Written and Oral Torahs,
the basis and end of everything
he does is to serve the divine will.
The “wine” of his divine service—the intellectual and
emotional fulfillment that he experiences in the process--
is also part and parcel of this end:
this, too, is something that G‑d desires from him.
The Sadducee, on the other hand,
sees the “wine” as the end and
objective of his observance of the mitzvot:
everything he does is subject to his personal understanding
and appreciation.
The Sadducee might accept the need for “water” in one’s life,
but only as an accessory to the wine.
He might acknowledge the need for unquestioning obedience to Torah on the part of the masses, for not every man is capable of interpreting these laws himself. He might acknowledge the need for such obedience on the part of even the wisest of men, for no man can expect to understand everything.
But the Sadducee will always see such “mindless” and “unfeeling” obedience as a necessity rather than the ideal—the ideal being a fulfillment of Torah based on the observer’s understanding and appreciation.
So for the Sadducee, there is no joy in submission to the divine will, no taste to the water of commitment. The Sadducee does not thirst for this water; if he obeys G‑d’s laws, it is only as a means to an end—to enable him to savor their intellectual flavor and emotional aroma.
This is why the Sadducee priest poured the water on his feet. He was not condemning the phenomenon of “water” in serving G‑d; he was relegating it to the feet—to the “foot soldiers” of the nation, or to the lower extremities of the human form. Water might be necessary in certain individuals and in certain circumstances, but it is hardly the fluid to grace the altar in the year’s most joyous celebration of man’s relationship with G‑d.
A Hail of FruitThe people responded by pelting him with their etrogim.
The Midrash tells us that the “Four Kinds” taken on Sukkot—the etrog (citron), lulav (palm frond), hadas (myrtle branch) and aravah (willow branch)—represent four types of individuals. The etrog, which has both a taste and a fragrant smell, represents the perfect individual who is both knowledgeable in Torah and proficient in the observance of mitzvot. The lulav is the branch of the date palm, whose fruit has a taste but no smell, representing those accomplished in Torah though less so in regard to the mitzvot. The hadas—tasteless but aromatic—represents the type who, though lacking in Torah knowledge, has many mitzvot to his credit. Finally, the tasteless, scentless aravah represents the individual who lacks both Torah and mitzvot.
On a deeper level, the “Four Kinds” represent four
personas within every individual, each with its own
domain in his psyche and its appropriate place in his life.
In this sense, “Torah” is the intellectual appreciation of the divine wisdom, and “mitzvot” are the love and awe of G‑d experienced in the observance of the commandments. Thus, the lulav is the “intellectual” in man who does not allow feeling to cloud the purity of knowledge and comprehension; the hadas is the emotional self, who sets experience as the highest ideal,
even at the expense of the intellect; the etrog is the force that strives for a synthesis of mind and heart; and the aravah is the capacity for
acceptance and commitment, for setting aside intellect
and feeling to commit oneself
absolutely to a higher ideal.
When the Sadducee priest spilled the water on his feet, the “entire people pelted him with their etrogim.” We reject what you represent, the people were saying, not only with the self-negating aravah in us, not only with our intellectual or emotional personas, but also with the synthesis of wisdom and feeling that defines what is highest and most perfect in man. For also—and especially—the etrog within us recognizes the water of life as our ultimate source of joy.
Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Question:
I am a Muslim, but I have many Jewish friends. I was recently invited to a Jewish home for a Friday night meal, and was surprised by the "Kiddush" ceremony, which involved saying prayers over a glass of wine. In my religion, wine is forbidden.
Does Judaism honestly believe that such a sensual indulgence
can be considered holy?
Answer:
Each of us has a body and a soul. Our body is usually only interested in the material pleasures that this world has to offer - a good meal, an entertaining T.V. show, comfort and gratification. The soul has higher aspirations -
it seeks true love,
meaning, inspiration
and
a connection to what's
holy.
All religions attempt to give us access to our souls. But as long as the body continues to chase the mundane, the soul is trapped. There are two methods to free the soul offered by different religions:
1) Suppression. By suppressing our bodily desires we can allow the soul to shine through. This means a life of asceticism and abstinence, avoiding the pleasures of this world.
2) Refinement. Alternatively, we can find spirituality within the mundane itself, by being involved with the physical world in a holy and refined way. Then the body no longer opposes the soul; on the contrary, it serves as a vehicle to express the soul's needs.
Judaism insists on the second approach. Rather than suppress the body, refine it. Don't be celibate - but save sexuality for marriage. Don't fast all day - but only eat foods that are spiritually pure. Work with the body, not against it.
The path of
refinement
is a challenging one,
but it is possible.
Just
look at wine.
Wine has a unique property that demonstrates the fact that we need not afflict our bodies in order to tap in to our souls.
Wine improves with age.
Most foods decompose as time goes on. In fact, all physical things do - buildings crumble, clothes wear out, our bodies age. This is because anything physical is ephemeral - it doesn't last; while the world of the spirit is eternal, and gets stronger with time. The one exception is wine. Wine, although it is also physical, has the spiritual property of improving with age.
It is wine that TESTIFIES
that even the
physical can be REFINED
Wine represents what Judaism is ALL ABOUT!
the FUSING of
the HOLY and the mundane,
the SPIRITUAL and PHYSICAL,
the body and soul.
What could be more
HOLY
than that?
By Aron Moss
By Aryeh Citron
The Parshah discusses the laws of a sotah
and then immediately afterwards teaches the laws of a nazir.
The sotah is a woman who is suspected of adultery;
the naziris a person who voluntarily vows to abstain,
for a specified period of time, from wine and haircuts
and to avoid becoming
ritually impure through contact with a
dead body.
Based on the juxtaposition of these topics, our sages teach us that whoever sees a sotahexperiencing her degradation1 will realize that such illicit behavior is often a result of drinking too much alcohol, and will vow to become a nazir and abstain from wine.
In some circumstances, the drinking of wine is considered
praiseworthy, or even mandatory
relation to this, the following are some the Torah's
views on alcohol consumption.
In some circumstances, the drinking of wine is considered
praiseworthy, or even mandatory.
This is true for kiddush, havdalah,
the four cups
of the Passover seder and many other
"cups of blessing,"
such as the cup
of wine over which
the sheva berachot
for a bride and groom are recited,
and the
wine of the Brit Milah
In addition, it is considered an obligation
for men to drink wine every
day of Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed
(the "intermediate days" of Passover and Sukkot).
Despite this, or perhaps because of this, our sages warned us many times of the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. King Solomon writes in the book of Proverbs4: "Who has wounds without cause? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who sit late over wine, those who come to search for mixed wine. Do not look at wine when it is red; when he puts his eye on the cup, it goes smoothly. Ultimately, it will bite like a serpent, and sting like a viper.Your eyes will see strange women, and your heart will speak confusedly."
Our sages tell us in the Midrash that drinking wine in excess can lead to transgressing the laws of Family Purity, issuing improper rulings on Torah matters, and impoverishment.
Here are some negative events that are attributed to the drinking of wine:
1) Our sages say that the original sin of Adam and Eve involved wine, as the Tree of Knowledge was actually (according to one opinion) a grape vine.6
2) After Noah successfully survived the flood, he made grapes his first crop and is faulted for doing so. The inebriation which followed resulted in immodest behavior and ultimately led to his inability to have more children, as well as the curse which came to the descendants of Canaan.
3) The excessive drinking of Lot led him to commit incest.
4) At the time of the consecration of the Tabernacle in the desert, the two elder sons of Aaron the High Priest drank wine. As a result, their judgment was impaired, and they sinned by entering the Holy of Holies without permission. Their punishment was death.
One of the reasons why the
Ten Tribes were exiled
was their excessive alcohol consumption
5) One of the reasons given for why the ten tribes of Israel were exiled from the Land of Israel (by the Assyrian King Sennaherib, during the First Temple Era) was their excessive alcohol consumption. As the prophet Amossays10:
"Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who are secure in the mountain of Samaria… Who drink from basins of wine, and with the first oils they anoint themselves, and they feel no pain concerning the destruction of Joseph. Therefore, now they shall go into exile at the head of the exiles, and the banquet of the haughty shall pass away."
What Is Kiddush Levana?
Kiddush Levana (קִדּוּשׁ לְבָנָה),
the
Sanctification of the Moon,
is performed once a month,
during the first part of the
lunar cycle.
Said outdoors at night, Kiddush Levana is a
meaningful ritual highlighted by a
Hebrew blessing,
selections of Psalms
and other prayers. It is often followed
by
joyous dancing
The Significance of the
Moon
To bless G‑d for the
new moon
at the
proper time
is like
greeting the Divine Presence.
--Talmud, Sanhedrin 42a
There is something mystical about the moon. Despite its secondary status as a luminary, people have always been fascinated by its silvery, luminous light and its precise cycle of waxing and waning. Indeed, the months of the Jewish calendar follow the phases of the moon.
The sages of the Talmud write that the renewal of the moon each month reminds us of the magnificent wonders of G‑d’s creation, as if the Divine Presence in our world, so often hidden, is coming out to greet us.1Because the moon has the most visible cycle of all the stars and planets, we take the occasion of its renewal to make a blessing in appreciation of the entire masterpiece of celestial orchestration.
So, once a month, Jews open their prayerbooks to speak of the moon. Upon seeing the soft, mellow light of the moon born again in the night sky, we recite a special blessing and verses of
praise called the
Sanctification of the Moon,
or
kiddush levana (Heb. קידוש לבנה).
Here is the behind-the-scenes story.
When to Do Kiddush Levana?The Sanctification of the Moon is done at night,3 when the moon is waxing and is bright enough that we can benefit from its light. Therefore, the ceremony may be performed only between the third and the fifteenth days of the Jewish month.4 (Note that the precise dates depend upon when
the moon is “reborn,”
which fluctuates from
month to month.
See Molad Times).
One should not recite the Sanctification of the Moon on a night when clouds are completely covering the moon.6 But if there is only a thin cloud cover, and the light of the moon is still clearly visible,7 it is okay to do the ceremony. If one begins the blessing and it suddenly becomes cloudy, one should still complete the service.
According to the Kabbalists, it is best to wait until the seventh day of the month to sanctify the moon.9 But if you suspect that it will be cloudy for most of the month (as it sometimes is in winter), you should perform the service at the first opportunity.
The Sanctification of the Moon
is truly a joyous occasion,
and we make a point of performing
it in the best of moods.
In the month of Tishrei (the period of the High Holidays), when we spend the first ten days repenting for our wrongdoings during the past year, we postpone the service to the night after Yom Kippur.11
The same applies to the
month of Av,
whose first nine days are
spent mourning the
destruction of the Holy Temple.
We wait until the
night after the Ninth of Av to
sanctify the moon
Where to Say Kiddush Levana?We go outside to sanctify the moon, as though running eagerly to greet a king. Nothing should come between us and the heavens, even if the moon can be clearly seen from the shelter of a porch or the like.13 As befits a royal reception, the place where the ceremony is done should be free from any strong stench.
We want to look our best on such an occasion,
and it is preferable to sanctify the moon in a large group.16Therefore, the very best time is immediately after Shabbat (providing it is prior to the tenth day of the Hebrew month), outside of the synagogue, when we are all together and dressed in our festive clothing.
What and How?
The formulation of the prayer is as follows:
We stand under the open sky, facing east and looking into our prayerbooks.18
- We begin by reciting the first six verses of Psalm 148, giving praise to G‑d for the moon, sun, stars and heavens, “for He commanded and they were created.”
- Next, we place our feet together, look at the moon and recite the blessing, “. . . He gave them a set law and time, so that they should not alter their task . . . Blessed are You, L‑rd, who renews the months.”19
- After lifting our heels three times,20 we then address the moon, so to speak: “Blessed is your Maker; blessed is He who formed you . . . Just as I leap toward you but cannot touch you, so may all my enemies be unable to touch me harmfully . . .” We emphasize these ideas by repeating this paragraph (and some of the subsequent stanzas) three times. Each time we begin, we lift ourselves to stand on our toes three times.
- Next we address the deeper significance of the lunar cycle: “David, King of Israel, is living and enduring.” The kingdom of David is compared to the moon. Though it may have lost much of its former radiance, it will be restored to its glory in messianic times.21
- Since we just finished speaking of our enemies, we make a point of wishing peace to those who are peaceful. We turn to three of our fellow congregants and wish them peace, “shalom aleichem,” and they wish us peace in return, “aleichem shalom.”22
- Inspired by the joy of greeting the Divine Presence, we exclaim three times, “May this be a good sign and good fortune for us and the entire Jewish nation.” This is also why we greet those around us, since joy is always greater when shared with others.23
- We then recite two verses from the Song of Songs (2:8–9) that describe G‑d “looking through the windows, peering through the crevices,” just as the light of the moon does on a clear night.
- G‑d’s omnipresent protection is described again in the next Psalm we say (121): “The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night… The L‑rd will guard your going and coming from now and for all time.”
- We then repeat King David’s words (Psalm 150): “Praise G‑d in His holiness, praise him in the firmament of His strength . . . Let every being that has a soul praise the L‑rd.”
- This is followed by a passage from the Talmud that describes the Sanctification of the Moon: “It was taught in the academy of Rabbi Yishmael: Even if Israel merited no other privilege than to greet their Father in Heaven once a month, it would be sufficient for them . . .”
- Next is a psalm (67) that was recited in the Holy Temple, describing how G‑d’s miracles will cause the nations to recognize and praise Him: “The nations will extol You . . . The nations will rejoice and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples justly and guide the nations on the earth forever.”
- We conclude with the “Aleinu” prayer, in which we say that the nations of the world “bow to vanity and nothingness. But we bend our knee, bow down, and offer praise before the supreme King of Kings . . .” This prayer emphasizes that our blessing on the moon is in no way a form of idol worship.24
- If there is a quorum of ten men, the mourner’s kaddish is recited.
Gratitude and the RedemptionOne of the underlying themes of the Sanctification of the Moon is our gratitude to G‑d for all that He has given us.
Like the moon,
the fate
of the Jewish nation has
waxed and waned
throughout history.
Yet we are still here to
tell the tale
Sanctifying the moon
on its
reappearance is a
way of
renewing our trust in G‑d’s
constant presence in our lives,
and
restoring our awareness
that all
He does is ultimately for our good.
During the course of Kiddush Levana, we
pray for the time when the Jewish people
will be rejuvenated like the moon.
Said outdoors,
wearing Shabbat finery,
the event is an expression of
our wish for the Redemption
and even an act that hastens the
actual Redemption.
“When wine comes in, the secrets come out,” our Sages teach us.
This should come as no surprise to us.
We all know that alcohol reduces our inhibitions.
It allows us to be more free with how we act.
To share what we feel. To say what we think.
What we really think.
But speech is a funny thing. On the one hand, it allows
us to share our innermost essence with another.
On the other hand, words can cause more pain
and hurt than just about anything else.
A human being is called a medaber, a “speaker”
It is precisely our ability to speak that differentiates
us from an animal and is
our
crowning characteristic
as a human.
We are taught in the Book of Genesis that man was
created as a “living soul”
(2:7). In Hebrew, the term used is
a nefesh chayah.
The commentator Onkelos translates this
concept of “living soul”
as synonymous with a
“speaking spirit.”
There is something fascinating about this description, both in terms of what a “soul” is of a human, and how that soul is
intrinsically related to
ONE's ability to SPEAK
The very same phrase--nefesh chayah--which refers to the level of the human soul which is a "speaking spirit" also carries another meaning. Chayah is also an “animal.” The foremost commentator Rashi points out that what is unique about the human that makes this nefesh chayah a human soul and not an animal is the fact that he was given deah “knowledge” and dibur “speech.” And of the two, a human being is called a medaber, a “speaker” for it is speech that allows us to bond and connect with another human being, which is the point of creation.
So if the fact that we speak is what defines us as a human being, than how we speak defines the kind of human being that we are.
There are two kinds of speech: verbal speech and physical speech. Both create realities. In the case of physical speech it is clear, through the ability to reproduce and bring forth children. Likewise, in a spiritual, emotional realm, when we speak, when we say something, we bring a reality into this world that can never be erased.
The world was created through the Ten Utterances that were spoken by G‑d. He spoke and reality came into being. “Let there be light” and there was light. When we speak, we not only create a reality, but we give permanence to that reality. And we all know how true this is, not so much from the times we said something that we should have said, but often from the times we said something that we should not have said.
Ideally, when one speaks, there should be no question as to whether or not the person meant what he or she said. Yet one of the signs of being in exile is that our speech does not always reflect what it is we think and feel. But this is usually the case when someone says something very flattering or kind or positive. “I just love what you are wearing” leaves two possibilities…either she means it or she doesn’t. Usually the statement, “I hate that outfit” does not leave one with the impression that maybe she really does like it and just didn’t say so.
The goal of speech is that what one says should and must reflect what he or she is thinking and feeling. If not, it is antithetical to the purpose of speech. When one misuses the power of speech, then one also misuses the “humanness” that speech gives us.
The first letter in the Hebrew alphabet, which is the beginning of all speech, is an aleph.The aleph is an acronym for two different statements revealing how speech is to be used. The first is “emet lemed picha” “teach your mouth to speak the truth” and the other is “achad lev peh” “to be one and the same in mouth and heart” (Otiot d’Rabbi Akiva ).
When we speak, we not only create a reality,
but we give permanence to that reality
It's even considered better to say something that isn’t kind or nice than to say something that does not represent what you really think.
To not speak is one step better, but still problematic.
Because if you are not speaking because what you think
and feel shouldn’t be shared, then that in itself is a problem.
In Chassidic philosophy, there is a heavy emphasis placed on ahavas yisrael, love one’s fellow Jew. And much less emphasis is placed on the laws that apply to guarding one’s tongue and what can and cannot be said. The logic behind this is that if my focus is on loving another, I don’t need to be concerned with what I cannot say about this person, for all I will have to say will be words that are loving and kind. I can work on myself so that I don’t speak negative or painful words about another, but if I still think them, then I haven’t gained much.
Which brings us back to our original point.
“When the wine
goes in,
the secrets come out.”
Why have Chassidim always enjoyed sharing a drink, a l’chaim, with one another? Specifically because it takes away some of their inhibition. It allows them to feel more relaxed and comfortable and open about sharing their thoughts and feelings. And when one ideally spends his or her time working on oneself and trying to improve constantly, then sharing those thoughts and feelings should be a step in growth and development, not in destruction.
This is why I have heard it said that Chassidim have always favored Vodka as the drink of choice. Vodka is clear, you can see right through it. When two Chassidim hold up their cups to say “L’Chaim” (to life) and toast one another, they are truly saying that it is through this liquid that I see you and connect to you, and this liquid should serve as a catalyst for further bonding.
Only what is in the
mind and heart
can come
out through the mouth
One acts in a way that one
would not have acted if sober.
But nonetheless,
a non violent person doesn’t suddenly hit,
and a gentle and loving person
doesn’t suddenly spew hateful remarks.
For only what is in the mind and heart can come out through the mouth.
The mouth is only a
vessel,
it is only a bridge,
it is not a source.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/911557/jewish/The-Torah-Perspective-on-Alcohol-Consumption.htm