Did you read Tomer Devorah's post about the number 50? The letter Nun is the number 50.
I remembered I did have a post about the letter Nun, although I hadn't published it, it was there waiting as a draft. Here it is.
"It is written in the Gemara [Berachot 57a] that one who sees Huna in a dream will have a miracle happen to him. If he sees Chanina, Chananya, Yochanan, or Nisi, many miracles will occur. However, this applies only if he sees these names in writing. Rashi explains that all these names contain the letter nun, the first letter of the word -- miracle." [Source]
By focusing on the letter Nun, it can bring you from a state of darkness to a state of joy, and to see miracles.
Perhaps we can explain this based on the Gemara in Berachot [57a] which says that one who sees the names "Chanina, Chananiah, or Yochanan" in a dream - "nisei nisim" (wondrous miracles) were done for him.
Rashi explains that all of them have a double nun, alluding to "nisei nisim," many miracles. The Maharsha explains differently, however, that a name defines a person, and all of these names have either a yud-hey or yud-vav and the letters "chen." The base of these names, therefore, is that the person finds "chen" (grace) in the eyes of Hashem.
All of these people recognize even in natural, mundane events the goodness of Hashem. The Ramban at the end of parshat Bo [Shemot 13:16] says that a person does not have a share in the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu unless he believes that everything is a miracle. We say three times a day, "for your miracles that are with us every day." [Rabbi Y. M. Schachter]
BS"D
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A Tzaddik's Request and his Promise:
Rabbi Shimshon Chaim ben Nachman Michael Nachmani, a Kabbalist and very knowledgeable rabbi, lived in Italy during the 1700s. Toward the conclusion of his life on earth he did not have any living children who would help him accrue merits on his journey into the Next World. As such, he made an appeal, and an extraordinary promise, to anyone who would endeavor to learn his teachings and thus help extend his life in the hereafter. Many people have attested to phenomenal miracles and salvations by taking advantage of his promise - and the advantage goes both ways because you have an opportunity to help this soul and G-d willing, he will seek to help you too...
The Gemara (Bava Metzia 85b) tells of a Tanna who lost his eyesight, and he went to daven at the kever (grave) of Rabbi Chiya. "I learn your baraisos," the Tanna said. "Please intercede for me with the Creator." The Maharsha explains the Tanna's request. "When I learn your Torah," he was telling Rabbi Chiya, "I allow you to live in two worlds at once: you remain there, but your spirit hovers here as well." His request was fulfilled and his eyesight was restored. There was extraordinary wisdom in the petition of this Tanna, says the Ben Ish Chai. When Torah is repeated in the name of a deceased person, Chazal (Bechoros 31b) teach that sifsosav dove-vos b'kever, the lips of the one who taught that Torah move in the grave, as if he is speaking. Rashi says that "hanaah hu lo, shedomeh l'chai, this brings pleasure to the deceased person, for it is as if he is alive." He is alive, present in two worlds! (excerpt from the book "Around the Year with Reb Meilech")
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The following is a portion of the Tzaddik's request and promise, followed by a section of his insights and teachings. Even though these were written hundreds of years ago they are as relevant now as they were then, and perhaps even more so! If you find this fascinating and would like to help spread the merit of the Zera Shimshon, feel free to forward this message along!.........
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These will also gladden the hearts of my friends, comrades and disciples, before whom I plead with ten languages of prayer to select the beautiful portions of these original concepts that finds favor in their eyes, especially after my death. For their study will provide me with a "restoration of the soul", a pleasure of the spirit, and a merit for my soul. And it will be considered as righteousness for them, and their righteousness will last forever, to eat in this world and to be satiated in the World to Come. In this merit, may the Master of reward grant them the goodly reward of those who perform altruistic kindness, with the bestowal of three: children, life, and abundant sustenance, which are dependent on merit. As for me, suffering and with a bitter heart, I go crying, as I do not have children or descendants who will serve me after my passing. Thus, I am compelled to follow in the footsteps of the "men of names," to leave behind myself a blessing, so that my name will be remembered through something of significance...I shall bow and prostrate myself to Hashem, and I shall thank Him very much for whatever measure, for in His abundant lovingkindness, even in His moment of anger, when He took my only son from me, my firstborn, the beloved of my soul, He remembered me with mercy. For He has provided me with another "seed," and He included me with those who "sow upon all waters," these "waters" are nothing other than "Torah," a seed of peace, a seed of truth. I have therefore called this sefer by the name "Zera Shimshon." And now, my brothers and friends, my beloved ones and acquaintances, the blessed seed of Hashem! Here is seed for you, light sown for the righteous such as yourselves. Please, I ask of you, sow for yourselves righteousness, and you will reap as appropriate for your altruistic kindness, for great is the measure of reward for grace and kindness! Abundant peace from Heaven. Your eyes shall behold children and grandchildren, like olive shoots surrounding your tables, wise and discerning, and homes will be filled with all good. Also wealth, also honor shall never cease from your seed, until it will be fulfilled regarding you: "They will see the glory of Hashem, the majesty of our God," "and He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the castaways of the seed of Israel," speedily in our days, Amen
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"My delights are with the sons of man." [This means that Hashem] as it were, delights in the Torah together with people, the way a groom delights in his bride. For the Jewish People (Israel) are the bride of the Holy One, Blessed Is He, as it is written: "I will betroth you to me forever" (Hoshea 2:21). So, too, Rashi (1040-1105) comments on the verse: "Moshe brought the people forth from the camp toward God" (Exodus 19:17). This teaches that the Shechinah (Divine Presence) went out to greet them like a groom who goes out to greet the bride. The quote ends here.
ReplyDeleteNow, when there is a groom and a bride, there must, perforce, also be kiddushin (betrothal) and that was the Torah and the Mitzvot, that [Hashem] gave [the Jewish People] for the purpose of kiddushin. However, the kiddushin needs to be evaluated, meaning that its value must be known and the value of the Torah and the Mitzvot is unknown, since they are without end, as it is written "Its measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea" (Job 11:9), "To every goal I have seen an end, but Your commandment is exceedingly broad" (Psalm 119:96). Rather, that according to the measure of benefit that people derive from them, in this respect, their value can be considered known. And [the measure of benefit] is that the sustainment of the world, which was created with the Ten Utterances, is dependent upon the Torah and Mitzvot in order to bestow goodly reward to the righteous and to punish the wicked.
Based on the above, we can approach the explaining of the words of Rashi, of blessed memory. He means to raise two difficulties. First, he asks: "[Hashem] need not have begun the Torah except from This month shall be for you, because it is the first mitzvah that the Jewish people were commanded," because [the mitzvos] are the essence of the kiddushin between the Jewish people and Hashem. Now, in resolution of this difficulty, we may explain that [Hashem] began with the creation of the world in order to inform us of the force, the value of the kiddushin, that it has the "force" to sustain the world that was created with the Ten Utterances, and in the course we know about the forefathers and similar matters.
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However, another difficulty remains: Why did [Hashem] begin with the word "Bereishit", in order to inform us that the world was created by means of the Torah, as was explained earlier? For why does this concern us? Why, it would be enough for us to be informed of the Torah's value, that it is for the sustainment of the world, [Rashi] answers: "Because "The force of His deeds He told His people, in order to give them the estate of nations'''; He desired to inform the Jewish people that the force of His deeds was through the Torah, in order "to give them the estate of nations." As [the Sages] set forth in Bava Kamma "He saw and dispersed nations." [Hashem] saw that [the idolatrous nations] were not fulfilling the seven [Noahide] Mitzvot that they had been commanded, He arose and surrendered their possessions to the Jewish people.
ReplyDeleteNow, if the world had not been created for the sake of the Torah, but rather, the Torah would only have had the force to sustain the world, now that [the idolatrous nations] have not fulfilled the seven Mitzvot, it may be true that they do not deserve to sustain ownership of their possessions, but even so, as long as [their possessions] remain theirs, we would not be able to take them away. However, now that the world was created through the force of the Torah, accordingly, all possessions in the world belong to [the Torah], and whoever does not observe it and its Mitzvot has no right to acquire [any possessions]. They thus remain ownerless, and [the Torah] is retrieving what is hers from their hands.
Now, why did [the Jewish people] require this? Because the [nations] may say: You are bandits, for you have conquered, etc., that is, the nations came against the Jewish people with two contentions, that [the Jewish people] are bandits. For they did not perform their wars in the way of the world, but, rather, in a miraculous and supernatural manner, and thus, they are considered thieves. And, if [the Jewish people] will argue that they took what belonged to them, since [Eretz Yisrael] had fallen to the portion of Shem, as mentioned earlier, and also because the Holy One, Blessed Is He, already gave the [the Land] to the forefathers of [the Jewish people], if so, the Jewish people should not have waged war, bur rather, they should have seized the Canaanites' land without any war at all, for nothing is beyond Hashem's ability. Rather, since we see that [the Jewish people] did wage a war, we must infer that Eretz Yisrael was not theirs, only they acquired it through the war, and since this war was not in accordance with the way of the world, it emerges that they are bandits. Accordingly, [Rashi] was precise with wording, for he states: You are bandits! And why You are bandits? He explains: Because you conquered the lands of the Canaanite nations! For you should not have conquered by means of a war, if it was yours. And if it was not yours, the war that [you] waged was not a war!
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[Rashi] responds that the entire earth belongs to the Holy One, Blessed Is He, for He created it. Thus, the term bandit cannot be applied here, neither with regard to the Jewish people taking [Eretz Yisrael] from the Canaanites, who were from the offspring of Cham [who had taken it from Shem], into whose portion it had fallen as an inheritance from Noach, as mentioned earlier. For we pay no heed to the fact that Noach apportioned the Land to his children, because [Hashem] created it, and it remains His forever, since land always remains in the possession of its owner. And since [Hashem] is the owner, He gave it to whomever he deemed appropriate. Accordingly, at the time when the Jewish people were not yet existent in the world, He gave the Land to the Canaanites, and later on, when He saw that the Canaanites had not upheld the Seven Mitzvot, He desired to take it away from them.
ReplyDeleteThus, in order to show the entire world that He was taking the Land away from [the Canaanites] on account of their wickedness, He wanted that it should come to the hands of the Jewish people by means of war, in order to punish [the Canaanites] for their wickedness. Nevertheless, He assisted the Jewish people in the war in a miraculous manner in order to show the entire world that He was giving [the Land] to the Jewish people in accordance with His Will. This is what [Rashi means when] he concludes, When it was His will, He gave it to [the nations]. At the beginning, when they were still fulfilling His will, and in the end, when they did not fulfill His will, He took it from them and gave it to us, so that we may fulfill His will. As [the Sages] say in [Bava] Metzia (73b): Land is subject to taxes, and the king has decreed that whoever pays the tax eats [the produce of] the land.
Furthermore, in the beginning, the earth was the domain of mankind alone, and not of the Holy One Blessed Is He. He therefore gave [the Land] to [the nations] despite the fact that they were sinning, for He was distant from them, as The heavens are the heavens of Hashem, alone, and the earth to mankind, alone. However, after the Giving of the Torah, when the Shechinah descended when [Hashem] nullified the decree He did not want His dwelling place to be among sinners. He therefore gave [Eretz Yisrael] to the Jewish people, for although they were lacking in merit, at least they were not evildoers. 🌌
May Hashem allow the learning of these teachings to bring vitality and satisfaction to Rabbi Shimshon Chaim ben Nachman Michael Nachmani and may Hashem allow wonderful blessings to flow forth like pure water to help quench the thirst of his Children, materially and spiritually!
You can find many more fascinating Torah insights of the Zera Shimshon by doing a quick web search, or by visiting your local Jewish bookstore.
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