Facts About Judaism

[Mindful]

Then there’s the language:


In languages like English, nouns are the masters and verbs are their slaves, with adjectives and associated forms dancing about to serve them. In Hebrew, verbs rule. Big, little, wise, foolish, king, priest, eye, ear--all of these sound like things, but in Hebrew they are forms of verbs. The great 16th century kabbalist, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, wrote that everything in Hebrew is really a verb. Everything is an event, a happening, a process —flowing, moving, never static. Just like when you were a small child.

In Hebrew, there is not even a present-tense. There are participles, but the idea of a present tense only arose later. In real Hebrew, nothing ever is--all is movement.

That fits, because Hebrew was not written in glyphs. Hebrew was the first language we know of to be written with symbols that represent sounds, not things. With the Hebrew alphabet—the mother of all alphabets—you don't see things, you see sounds. Even the process of reading is different: when you read glyphs, the order doesn't matter so much. You just sort of look and everything is there. Even modern Chinese glyphs can be written in any direction. With an alphabet, sequence is everything. Nothing has meaning standing on its own. Everything is in the flow.

As for faith and belief, those are reserved for greater things. Like believing that this great Isness that isifies all that ises cares, knows, has compassion, can be related to. In other words, saying that reality is a caring experience. Which reduces to saying that compassion is real, purpose is real, life is real. That's something you have to believe. But G‑d's existence—like most ideas that men argue about—that's just a matter of semantics.

Think simple: You wake up in the morning and, even before coffee, there is. Reality. Existence. Not "the things that exist" but existence itself. The flow. The infinite flow of light and energy. Of being, of existence. Of is. Think of all that flow of isingness all in a single, perfectly simple point. Get into it, commune with it, speak to it, become one with it —that is G‑d.

What Is G‑d? - The Not-thing

 

[ding]

Then there’s the language:


In languages like English, nouns are the masters and verbs are their slaves, with adjectives and associated forms dancing about to serve them. In Hebrew, verbs rule. Big, little, wise, foolish, king, priest, eye, ear--all of these sound like things, but in Hebrew they are forms of verbs. The great 16th century kabbalist, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, wrote that everything in Hebrew is really a verb. Everything is an event, a happening, a process —flowing, moving, never static. Just like when you were a small child.

In Hebrew, there is not even a present-tense. There are participles, but the idea of a present tense only arose later. In real Hebrew, nothing ever is--all is movement.

That fits, because Hebrew was not written in glyphs. Hebrew was the first language we know of to be written with symbols that represent sounds, not things. With the Hebrew alphabet—the mother of all alphabets—you don't see things, you see sounds. Even the process of reading is different: when you read glyphs, the order doesn't matter so much. You just sort of look and everything is there. Even modern Chinese glyphs can be written in any direction. With an alphabet, sequence is everything. Nothing has meaning standing on its own. Everything is in the flow.

As for faith and belief, those are reserved for greater things. Like believing that this great Isness that isifies all that ises cares, knows, has compassion, can be related to. In other words, saying that reality is a caring experience. Which reduces to saying that compassion is real, purpose is real, life is real. That's something you have to believe. But G‑d's existence—like most ideas that men argue about—that's just a matter of semantics.

Think simple: You wake up in the morning and, even before coffee, there is. Reality. Existence. Not "the things that exist" but existence itself. The flow. The infinite flow of light and energy. Of being, of existence. Of is. Think of all that flow of isingness all in a single, perfectly simple point. Get into it, commune with it, speak to it, become one with it —that is G‑d.

What Is G‑d? - The Not-thing

This is exactly how I see it. God is more like a verb. I've said that dozens of times here as well as God is existence such as God is. I've said that dozens of times too.

Now here's the crazy part. I came to these conclusions on my own using reason and experience.

 

[ding]

...there no thing that can describe God because God is no thing. God is not matter and energy like us and God exists outside of our four dimension space time. In fact the premise is that God is no thing. That God is a spirit. A spirit is no thing. Being things we can't possibly relate to being no things. A two dimensional being would have an easier time trying to understand our third dimension than we - a four dimensional being - would in trying to understand a multi-dimensional being outside of our space time. The closest I can come to and later confirm with the physical laws is that God is consciousness. That Mind, rather than emerging as a late outgrowth in the evolution of life, has existed always as the matrix, the source and condition of physical reality - that the stuff of which physical reality is composed is mind-stuff. It is Mind that has composed a physical universe that breeds life, and so eventually evolves creatures that know and create.

So now that a realistic perception of God has been established we need to examine the only evidence at our disposal. It should be obvious that if the material world were not created by spirit that everything that has unfolded in the evolution of space and time would have no intentional purpose. That it is just matter and energy doing what matter and energy do. Conversely, if the material world were created by spirit it should be obvious that the creation of the material world was intentional. After all in my perception of God, God is no thing and the closest thing I can relate to is a mind with no body. Using our own experiences as creators as a proxy, we know that when we create things we create them for a reason and that reason is to serve some purpose. So it would be no great leap of logic to believe that something like a mind with no body would do the same. We also know from our experiences that intelligence tends to create intelligence. We are obsessed with making smart things. So what better thing for a mind with no body to do than create a universe where beings with bodies can create smart things too...

 

[Newtonian]

Then there’s the language:


In languages like English, nouns are the masters and verbs are their slaves, with adjectives and associated forms dancing about to serve them. In Hebrew, verbs rule. Big, little, wise, foolish, king, priest, eye, ear--all of these sound like things, but in Hebrew they are forms of verbs. The great 16th century kabbalist, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, wrote that everything in Hebrew is really a verb. Everything is an event, a happening, a process —flowing, moving, never static. Just like when you were a small child.

In Hebrew, there is not even a present-tense. There are participles, but the idea of a present tense only arose later. In real Hebrew, nothing ever is--all is movement.

That fits, because Hebrew was not written in glyphs. Hebrew was the first language we know of to be written with symbols that represent sounds, not things. With the Hebrew alphabet—the mother of all alphabets—you don't see things, you see sounds. Even the process of reading is different: when you read glyphs, the order doesn't matter so much. You just sort of look and everything is there. Even modern Chinese glyphs can be written in any direction. With an alphabet, sequence is everything. Nothing has meaning standing on its own. Everything is in the flow.

As for faith and belief, those are reserved for greater things. Like believing that this great Isness that isifies all that ises cares, knows, has compassion, can be related to. In other words, saying that reality is a caring experience. Which reduces to saying that compassion is real, purpose is real, life is real. That's something you have to believe. But G‑d's existence—like most ideas that men argue about—that's just a matter of semantics.

Think simple: You wake up in the morning and, even before coffee, there is. Reality. Existence. Not "the things that exist" but existence itself. The flow. The infinite flow of light and energy. Of being, of existence. Of is. Think of all that flow of isingness all in a single, perfectly simple point. Get into it, commune with it, speak to it, become one with it —that is G‑d.

What Is G‑d? - The Not-thing

This is exactly how I see it. God is more like a verb. I've said that dozens of times here as well as God is existence such as God is. I've said that dozens of times too.

Now here's the crazy part. I came to these conclusions on my own using reason and experience.

Well, not all Hebrew words are verbs - God/el/elohim is not a verb. However, the Divine Name YHWH contains a verb (HWH) in the Hebrew imperfect state = action in progress not yet complete.

The first occurrence of the Divine Name in the Bible is at Genesis 2:4 -

Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

This is an authorized Web site of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is a research tool for publications in various languages produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

wol.jw.org

Genesis 2:4 (NW ref.)
This is a history* of the heavens and the earth in the time of their being created, in the day that Jehovah* God* made earth and heaven.+

NW ref footnotes (click on the asterisks):

For "God" -

“Jehovah God.” Heb., Yehwahʹ ʼElo·himʹ. This expression, without the definite Heb. article ha before ʼElo·himʹ, is used 20 times in Ge 1–3. The first occurrence of the expression Yehwahʹ ha·ʼElo·himʹ is in 1Ch 22:1, where it is rendered “Jehovah the [true] God.” See App 1A.

For "Jehovah" -

“Jehovah.” Heb., יְהוָה (YHWH, here vowel-pointed as Yehwahʹ), meaning “He Causes to Become” (from Heb., הָוָה [ha·wahʹ, “to become”]); LXXA(Gr.), Kyʹri·os; Syr., Mar·yaʼ; Lat., Doʹmi·nus. The first occurrence of God’s distinctive personal name, יהוה (YHWH); these four Heb. letters are referred to as the Tetragrammaton. The divine name identifies Jehovah as the Purposer. Only the true God could rightly and authentically bear this name. See App 1A.

From appendix 1A

1A The Divine Name in the Hebrew Scriptures — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

This is an authorized Web site of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is a research tool for publications in various languages produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

wol.jw.org

Excerpt:

"“Jehovah” (Heb., יהוה, YHWH), God’s personal name, first occurs in Ge 2:4. The divine name is a verb, the causative form, the imperfect state, of the Hebrew verb הוה (ha·wahʹ, “to become”). Therefore, the divine name means “He Causes to Become.” This reveals Jehovah as the One who, with progressive action, causes himself to become the Fulfiller of promises, the One who always brings his purposes to realization. See Ge 2:4 ftn, “Jehovah”; App 3C. Compare Ex 3:14 ftn.

The greatest indignity that modern translators render to the Divine Author of the Holy Scriptures is the removal or the concealing of his peculiar personal name. Actually his name occurs in the Hebrew text 6,828 times as יהוה (YHWH or JHVH), generally referred to as the Tetragrammaton (literally meaning “having four letters”). By using the name “Jehovah,” we have held closely to the original-language texts and have not followed the practice of substituting titles such as “Lord,” “the Lord,” “Adonai” or “God” for the divine name, the Tetragrammaton."

 

[BreezeWood]

Think simple: You wake up in the morning and, even before coffee, there is. Reality. Existence. Not "the things that exist" but existence itself. The flow. The infinite flow of light and energy. Of being, of existence. Of is. Think of all that flow of isingness all in a single, perfectly simple point. Get into it, commune with it, speak to it, become one with it —that is G‑d.

Think of all that flow of isingness - isn't that an oxymoron.
.
- to do as the paragraph suggest would be to know existence is without thought.


that other religion, shakespeare -

To be, or not to be, that is the question ...

- no asking for the religious.

 

[rylah]

 

[rylah]

 

[rylah]

 

[rylah]

 

[BreezeWood]

.
is there something wrong with you ... sorry for asking -


"they murder our children"

that's a new one, can you explain - maybe not being a christian has something to do with it - or "being" a jew.

did they steal your candelabra ... too.

 

[irosie91]

.
is there something wrong with you ... sorry for asking -


"they murder our children"

that's a new one, can you explain - maybe not being a christian has something to do with it - or "being" a jew.

did they steal your candelabra ... too.

rylah seems to have alluded to the blood libels that
were used by christians to justify killing jews. Are
you stupid?

 

[rylah]

.
is there something wrong with you ... sorry for asking -


"they murder our children"

that's a new one, can you explain - maybe not being a christian has something to do with it - or "being" a jew.

did they steal your candelabra ... too.

One of the most famous antisemitic blood libels.
Christians used to blame disappearance and death of their of children on the Jewish community, inverting it into a story of a supposed Jewish ritual that specifically required blood of a Christian.

And though many don't realize, the Zionist movement initially started as a collective diaspora response to the Damascus Affair - exactly this blood libel.

As for our candelabra...

 

[Mindful]

The Meaning of Candles in Judaism
From the many examples above, candles represent a variety of meanings within Judaism.

Candlelight is often thought of as a reminder of God's divine presence, and candles lit during Jewish holidays and on Shabbat serve as reminders that the occasion is holy and distinct from our day-to-day life. The two candles lit on Shabbat also serve as a reminder of the biblical requirements to shamor v'zachor — "keep" (Deuteronomy 5:12) and "remember" (Exodus 20:8) — the Sabbath. They also represent kavod (honor) for the Sabbath and Oneg Shabbat (enjoyment of Shabbat), because, as Rashi explains:

“... without light there can be no peace, because [people] will constantly stumble and be compelled to eat in the dark (Commentary to Talmud, Shabbat 25b).”

Candles are also equated with joy in Judaism, drawing upon a passage in the biblical book of Esther, which finds its way into the weekly Havdalah ceremony.

The Jews had light and joy, and gladness and honor (Esther 8:16).
לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂן וִיקָר

In Jewish tradition, the candle's flame is also thought to symbolically represent the human soul and serves as a reminder of the frailty and beauty of life. The connection between the candle's flame and souls derives originally from Mishlei (Proverbs) 20:27:

"Man's soul is the Lord's lamp, which searches out all the innermost parts."
נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ כָּל חַדְרֵי בָטֶן

Like a human soul, flames must breathe, change, grow, strive against the darkness, and, ultimately, fade away. Thus, the flickering of candlelight helps to remind us of the precious fragility of our life and the lives of our loved ones, a life that must be embraced and cherished at all times. Because of this symbolism, Jews light memorial candles oncertain holidays and their loved ones' yahrzeits (death anniversary).

Chabad.

 

[BreezeWood]

The Meaning of Candles in Judaism
From the many examples above, candles represent a variety of meanings within Judaism.

Candlelight is often thought of as a reminder of God's divine presence, and candles lit during Jewish holidays and on Shabbat serve as reminders that the occasion is holy and distinct from our day-to-day life. The two candles lit on Shabbat also serve as a reminder of the biblical requirements to shamor v'zachor — "keep" (Deuteronomy 5:12) and "remember" (Exodus 20:8) — the Sabbath. They also represent kavod (honor) for the Sabbath and Oneg Shabbat (enjoyment of Shabbat), because, as Rashi explains:

“... without light there can be no peace, because [people] will constantly stumble and be compelled to eat in the dark (Commentary to Talmud, Shabbat 25b).”

Candles are also equated with joy in Judaism, drawing upon a passage in the biblical book of Esther, which finds its way into the weekly Havdalah ceremony.

The Jews had light and joy, and gladness and honor (Esther 8:16).
לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂן וִיקָר

In Jewish tradition, the candle's flame is also thought to symbolically represent the human soul and serves as a reminder of the frailty and beauty of life. The connection between the candle's flame and souls derives originally from Mishlei (Proverbs) 20:27:

"Man's soul is the Lord's lamp, which searches out all the innermost parts."
נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ כָּל חַדְרֵי בָטֶן

Like a human soul, flames must breathe, change, grow, strive against the darkness, and, ultimately, fade away. Thus, the flickering of candlelight helps to remind us of the precious fragility of our life and the lives of our loved ones, a life that must be embraced and cherished at all times. Because of this symbolism, Jews light memorial candles oncertain holidays and their loved ones' yahrzeits (death anniversary).

Chabad.

Like a human soul, flames must breathe, change, grow, strive against the darkness, and, ultimately, fade away. Thus, the flickering of candlelight helps to remind us of the precious fragility of our life and the lives of our loved ones, a life that must be embraced and cherished at all times. Because of this symbolism, Jews light memorial candles oncertain holidays and their loved ones' yahrzeits (death anniversary).

.
the video and your paragraph could only bring tears to ones eye's ...

are those jewish flames - surely not the same as everyone else's ... could it be.

- sabbath is purity of completion, Garden Earth your day story is as phony as your (etched tablet) 10 commandments.


next, i'm sure the thread is for jews only, waiting for their messiah. now, happily on their way. backwards through the gate.

 

[irosie91]

The Meaning of Candles in Judaism
From the many examples above, candles represent a variety of meanings within Judaism.

Candlelight is often thought of as a reminder of God's divine presence, and candles lit during Jewish holidays and on Shabbat serve as reminders that the occasion is holy and distinct from our day-to-day life. The two candles lit on Shabbat also serve as a reminder of the biblical requirements to shamor v'zachor — "keep" (Deuteronomy 5:12) and "remember" (Exodus 20:8) — the Sabbath. They also represent kavod (honor) for the Sabbath and Oneg Shabbat (enjoyment of Shabbat), because, as Rashi explains:

“... without light there can be no peace, because [people] will constantly stumble and be compelled to eat in the dark (Commentary to Talmud, Shabbat 25b).”

Candles are also equated with joy in Judaism, drawing upon a passage in the biblical book of Esther, which finds its way into the weekly Havdalah ceremony.

The Jews had light and joy, and gladness and honor (Esther 8:16).
לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂן וִיקָר

In Jewish tradition, the candle's flame is also thought to symbolically represent the human soul and serves as a reminder of the frailty and beauty of life. The connection between the candle's flame and souls derives originally from Mishlei (Proverbs) 20:27:

"Man's soul is the Lord's lamp, which searches out all the innermost parts."
נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ כָּל חַדְרֵי בָטֶן

Like a human soul, flames must breathe, change, grow, strive against the darkness, and, ultimately, fade away. Thus, the flickering of candlelight helps to remind us of the precious fragility of our life and the lives of our loved ones, a life that must be embraced and cherished at all times. Because of this symbolism, Jews light memorial candles oncertain holidays and their loved ones' yahrzeits (death anniversary).

Chabad.

Like a human soul, flames must breathe, change, grow, strive against the darkness, and, ultimately, fade away. Thus, the flickering of candlelight helps to remind us of the precious fragility of our life and the lives of our loved ones, a life that must be embraced and cherished at all times. Because of this symbolism, Jews light memorial candles oncertain holidays and their loved ones' yahrzeits (death anniversary).

.
the video and your paragraph could only bring tears to ones eye's ...

are those jewish flames - surely not the same as everyone else's ... could it be.

- sabbath is purity of completion, Garden Earth your day story is as phony as your (etched tablet) 10 commandments.


next, i'm sure the thread is for jews only, waiting for their messiah. now, happily on their way. backwards through the gate.

what does that ^^^^^ mean?

 

[BreezeWood]

The Meaning of Candles in Judaism
From the many examples above, candles represent a variety of meanings within Judaism.

Candlelight is often thought of as a reminder of God's divine presence, and candles lit during Jewish holidays and on Shabbat serve as reminders that the occasion is holy and distinct from our day-to-day life. The two candles lit on Shabbat also serve as a reminder of the biblical requirements to shamor v'zachor — "keep" (Deuteronomy 5:12) and "remember" (Exodus 20:8) — the Sabbath. They also represent kavod (honor) for the Sabbath and Oneg Shabbat (enjoyment of Shabbat), because, as Rashi explains:

“... without light there can be no peace, because [people] will constantly stumble and be compelled to eat in the dark (Commentary to Talmud, Shabbat 25b).”

Candles are also equated with joy in Judaism, drawing upon a passage in the biblical book of Esther, which finds its way into the weekly Havdalah ceremony.

The Jews had light and joy, and gladness and honor (Esther 8:16).
לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂן וִיקָר

In Jewish tradition, the candle's flame is also thought to symbolically represent the human soul and serves as a reminder of the frailty and beauty of life. The connection between the candle's flame and souls derives originally from Mishlei (Proverbs) 20:27:

"Man's soul is the Lord's lamp, which searches out all the innermost parts."
נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ כָּל חַדְרֵי בָטֶן

Like a human soul, flames must breathe, change, grow, strive against the darkness, and, ultimately, fade away. Thus, the flickering of candlelight helps to remind us of the precious fragility of our life and the lives of our loved ones, a life that must be embraced and cherished at all times. Because of this symbolism, Jews light memorial candles oncertain holidays and their loved ones' yahrzeits (death anniversary).

Chabad.

Like a human soul, flames must breathe, change, grow, strive against the darkness, and, ultimately, fade away. Thus, the flickering of candlelight helps to remind us of the precious fragility of our life and the lives of our loved ones, a life that must be embraced and cherished at all times. Because of this symbolism, Jews light memorial candles oncertain holidays and their loved ones' yahrzeits (death anniversary).

.
the video and your paragraph could only bring tears to ones eye's ...

are those jewish flames - surely not the same as everyone else's ... could it be.

- sabbath is purity of completion, Garden Earth your day story is as phony as your (etched tablet) 10 commandments.


next, i'm sure the thread is for jews only, waiting for their messiah. now, happily on their way. backwards through the gate.

what does that ^^^^^ mean?

what does that ^^^^^ mean?

.
public forums are not your cup of tea ...

 

[irosie91]

The Meaning of Candles in Judaism
From the many examples above, candles represent a variety of meanings within Judaism.

Candlelight is often thought of as a reminder of God's divine presence, and candles lit during Jewish holidays and on Shabbat serve as reminders that the occasion is holy and distinct from our day-to-day life. The two candles lit on Shabbat also serve as a reminder of the biblical requirements to shamor v'zachor — "keep" (Deuteronomy 5:12) and "remember" (Exodus 20:8) — the Sabbath. They also represent kavod (honor) for the Sabbath and Oneg Shabbat (enjoyment of Shabbat), because, as Rashi explains:

“... without light there can be no peace, because [people] will constantly stumble and be compelled to eat in the dark (Commentary to Talmud, Shabbat 25b).”

Candles are also equated with joy in Judaism, drawing upon a passage in the biblical book of Esther, which finds its way into the weekly Havdalah ceremony.

The Jews had light and joy, and gladness and honor (Esther 8:16).
לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂן וִיקָר

In Jewish tradition, the candle's flame is also thought to symbolically represent the human soul and serves as a reminder of the frailty and beauty of life. The connection between the candle's flame and souls derives originally from Mishlei (Proverbs) 20:27:

"Man's soul is the Lord's lamp, which searches out all the innermost parts."
נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ כָּל חַדְרֵי בָטֶן

Like a human soul, flames must breathe, change, grow, strive against the darkness, and, ultimately, fade away. Thus, the flickering of candlelight helps to remind us of the precious fragility of our life and the lives of our loved ones, a life that must be embraced and cherished at all times. Because of this symbolism, Jews light memorial candles oncertain holidays and their loved ones' yahrzeits (death anniversary).

Chabad.

Like a human soul, flames must breathe, change, grow, strive against the darkness, and, ultimately, fade away. Thus, the flickering of candlelight helps to remind us of the precious fragility of our life and the lives of our loved ones, a life that must be embraced and cherished at all times. Because of this symbolism, Jews light memorial candles oncertain holidays and their loved ones' yahrzeits (death anniversary).

.
the video and your paragraph could only bring tears to ones eye's ...

are those jewish flames - surely not the same as everyone else's ... could it be.

- sabbath is purity of completion, Garden Earth your day story is as phony as your (etched tablet) 10 commandments.


next, i'm sure the thread is for jews only, waiting for their messiah. now, happily on their way. backwards through the gate.

what does that ^^^^^ mean?

what does that ^^^^^ mean?

.
public forums are not your cup of tea ...

{{next, i'm sure the thread is for jews only, waiting for their messiah. now, happily on their way. backwards through the gate.}}

I referred to the statement above the arrows which is
noted in brackets (above) I, only rarely, drink tea.

 

[irosie91]

.
is there something wrong with you ... sorry for asking -


"they murder our children"

that's a new one, can you explain - maybe not being a christian has something to do with it - or "being" a jew.

did they steal your candelabra ... too.

One of the most famous antisemitic blood libels.
Christians used to blame disappearance and death of their of children on the Jewish community, inverting it into a story of a supposed Jewish ritual that specifically required blood of a Christian.

And though many don't realize, the Zionist movement initially started as a collective diaspora response to the Damascus Affair - exactly this blood libel.

As for our candelabra...

for the record----blood libels against jews orchestrated by christians also PRECEDE the Damascus Affair. Historically both christians and muslims justified murder of jews with the use of libels.. -----Of course,
christians in the USA also justify (ed) murder of black
americans using libels-----romans justified both the
murder of jews and then christians (early on) using libels. Today muslims also use libels to justify their
murders of christians, jews, hindus, zoroastrians etc etc
etc etc ----using libels. ----An interesting phenomenon (IMO) is a rigorous attempt on the part of many muslims to assert (and BELIEVE) that muslims and islam is being LIBELED incessantly.....

 

[Ria_Longhorn]

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

The Talmud in Nedarim 35b describes the kohanim as sheluchei didan, our agents. When they perform the Temple service, the kohanim act as our emissaries.

Yet this idea - that the kohanim act as agents for the Jewish people - appears to violate the legal definition of a shaliach. An agent acts on behalf of the one sending him (the principal), executing his wishes. The agent, however, can only do that which the principal himself is authorized to do.

So how can the kohanim perform the Temple service on our behalf, when we as non-kohanim are not permitted to serve there?

Potential vs. Actual
The parashah opens with a set of special directives for kohanim: “God spoke to Moses: Tell the kohanim, the sons of Aaron...” (Lev. 21:1). The text appears repetitive - “the kohanim, the sons of Aaron.” Why does the text need to emphasize that the kohanim are descendants of Aaron?

These two terms - “kohanim” and “sons of Aaron” indicate two different aspects of the special sanctity of kohanim. The first is an intrinsic holiness, passed down from father to son. The phrase “sons of Aaron” refers to this inherent holiness.

The second aspect is an additional layer of holiness as expressed by a kohen’s actual service in the Temple. This aspect is designated by the term “kohanim.” The verb le-khahein means “to serve,” so the word “kohanim” refers to their actual service in the Temple. Thus the term “sons of Aaron” refers to the kohanim’s inherited potential, while “kohanim” refers to their actualized state of priestly service.

The Chalal
Usually a kohen will have both potential and actual kohanic-holiness. Yet there are certain situations that allow us to distinguish between the two.

A kohen is forbidden to marry a divorced woman. Should he nonetheless marry a divorcee, his son falls into a special category. He is called a chalal, from the word chilul, “to defile holiness.” Despite his lineage as the son of a kohen, a chalal may not serve in the Temple.

Yet if a chalal went ahead and offered a korban, his offerings are accepted after the fact (Maimonides, Bi'at Mikdash 6:10). This is quite surprising. In general, a chalal has the legal status of a non-kohen. If a non-kohen brought an offering, his service would be disqualified. Why are a chalal’s offerings accepted?

The distinction between potential and actual kohanic status, between “sons of Aaron” and “kohanim,” allows us to understand the unusual status of a chalal. Due to the fact that he is the son of a divorcee, he has lost the actualized sanctity of a functioning kohen. But he still retains the inherited sanctity as a “son of Aaron.” 1 This intrinsic sanctity cannot be revoked. Therefore, while a chalal should not serve in the Temple, his offerings are accepted after the fact.

The Sages derived this ruling from Moses’ blessing of the tribe of Levi:

“May God bless his strength (cheilo), and favor the acts of his hands” (Deut. 33:11).

Even the acts of those who are chulin, who have lost part of their kohanic sanctity, are still acceptable to God (Kiddushin 66b).


Our Agents
We may now understand the description of kohanim as sheluchei didan, “our agents.” How can they be our emissaries in their Temple service when we ourselves are forbidden to perform this service?

In fact, the Torah speaks of the entire Jewish people as “a kingdom of kohanim” (Ex. 19:6). And Isaiah foresaw a future time in which “You will be called God’s kohanim. They will speak of you as the ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:6).

Non-kohanim may not serve in the Temple, for they lack the holiness of actual priesthood. Yet every Jew has the quality of potential kohanic holiness. Because this inner holiness will be revealed in the future, the entire people of Israel are called “God’s kohanim.” And it is due to this potential holiness that the kohanim are able to serve as our agents and perform the Temple service on our behalf.

Israel’s Future Holiness
This understanding of the role of kohanim sheds a new light on the ceremony of Birkat kohanim, the special priestly benediction (as described in Num. 6:23-27). The purpose of their blessing is to awaken the latent kohanic holiness that resides within each member of the Jewish people. As the kohanim extend their arms to bless the people, they reach out toward Israel’s future state of holiness. Their outstretched arms - their zero'a netuyah - point to a future era, whose seeds (zera) are planted in the present.

“Via the established sanctity of kohanim in the nation, the entire nation will come to be a complete “kingdom of kohanim and a holy people” (Olat Re’iyah vol. I, p. 61)

Emor: Agents of holiness

Dvar Torah for Shabbat by Israel's first Asheknazi Chief Rabbi, Torah Luminary and iconic leader of Religious Zionism.

www.israelnationalnews.com

I recall reading several years ago a story in the Jewish Press
about a young woman who sincerely converted to Judaism for the sake of heaven. She falls in love with a Jewish man -- naturally, who else would she fall in love with, a Buddhist? -- and they decide to get married. Before the wedding they go visit the cemetery where the man's grandparents are buried. Upon reading the lettering on the gravestone, she realizes that her prospective husband is a kohen. She remembered reading in her Judaic studies something about a kohen being forbidden to marry a proselyte; they go to a rabbi to make sure, and with a heavy heart the rabbi assures them: "Yes, as a kohen, he is prohibited from marrying you." With tears streaming down her face, the young woman turns to the man who was to be her husband and tells him to please never to call her again, and she rushes out the door.

The story tears at the heart. What ever became of this virtuous, young woman, who for the sake of heaven (Halakhah) abandoned love? Did she ever marry ... or, like many of the walking wounded, hide her countenance from ever finding love again? One can only hope for the former, and may her children be Torah scholars!

 

[Ria_Longhorn]

Can You Get G-d?
In order to get some intimation of the Infinite One Who is beyond all conception, the mind naturally fills in what is inconceivable with ideas that are logical and comprehensible. A still deeper appreciation of Infinity thus requires a certain hollowing out of the mind.

Can You Get G-d?

Four Who Entered Paradise - They ascended to Heaven by using the Holy Name.

www.chabad.org