The 50th Gate

The Kabbalah speaks of "50 gates of spiritual understanding", 49 of which can be achieved by a person as a result of his own initiative.  The final 50th gate is then granted by G-d from Above.

When Avraham had circumcised himself, he had reached the greatest degree of spiritual perfection that he could possibly achieve as a human being - the 49th gate - and he became "sick" yearning for the 50th gate.  This is alluded to by the fact that choleh חולה [the Hebrew term for "sick person"] has the numerical value [gematria] of 49.  Then "God appeared to him", revealing to him the 50th gate of spiritual understanding, which cured his spiritual sickness.

And, being that his physical sickness was a reflection of his spiritual dissatisfaction, the Divine revelation healed him physically too.

Based on Sichat Shabbos Parshas Vayeira 5750 - Lubavitcher Rebbe

Why Learning Torah Is So Great - The Pnimiyus of Torah

Rabbi Mendel Kessin - Ramchal's Yahrtzeit 5777/2017

Don't know where to start with all the wonders of this shiur..... you really need to just listen to it. Some incredibly fascinating insights into angels and white magic [!] aka practical kabbalah.  Rabbi Kessin has a unique way of explaining everything and you need to hear this one.

Rabbi Kessin: The Secret of Lag B'Omer

The most recent shiur

Soul Connections: Roots of Our Souls

Rabbi Dov Ber Pinson explains how our souls relate to one another, why we may feel a ''connection'' to someone we have just met -

''Ever wonder where first impressions come from? Why are we more prone to like one type of people more than others?''

The Clothes Have No Emperor

Art: Vladimir Kush

by: Rabbi Yosef Y. Jacobson

Death of a queen

The opening chapter of the Purim Meggilah is strikingly enigmatic.

Here is the story in brief: The Emperor of Persia, Achashverosh, throws a party in his capital city, Shushan, to celebrate the firm establishment of his kingship. On the seventh day of the feast, "when the heart of the king was merry with wine," he orders seven of his chamberlains to bring Queen Vashti before him, "to show off her beauty."

Vashti refuses to appear. The king becomes furious and he has her executed.

Why did Vashti refuse to appear before the guests? The Talmud explains [1], that when Achashverosh offered to show them his wife's beauty, the guests insisted that she appear without any clothes. Vashti, a wicked queen who found special glee in torturing and violating Jewish girls and women on the Sabbath day, was punished with leprosy on her skin. Under such conditions she naturally refused to expose her body.

But if so, why did Vashti not send a private message to her husband explaining that it would be humiliating for her and him if she were to expose herself before the guests. Though the king was intoxicated, it is hard to imagine that he would bestow a death sentence on a wife who has just spared him tremendous shame [2]!

Also, why does this story occupy the entire first chapter of the Megillah? Though it is a prelude to understanding how Esther, the hero of the Purim story, became the queen of Achashverosh, nonetheless, the detailed description of the event that brought about Vashti's execution seems superfluous in the story of Purim.

The power of evil

In the Kabbalah, where all biblical figures and episodes are depicted as parables for metaphysical realities, Achashverosh, the mighty monarch of a world power, serves as a parable for the King of Kings, the Creator of the universe [3]. Vashti, the wicked queen of Persia, symbolizes the reign of evil in the world [4].

Naked evil has no appeal or power to attract. In order for evil to gain popularity among the masses, it must be "packaged" well; it must be "dressed" in nice garments that will cover up its true identity.

The two evil monsters of the last generation, Hitler and Stalin, presented their colossal murderous strategies as moral and noble programs dedicated to healing the world of its diseases. This was true throughout history. The inventors and implementers of bloodshed and violence usually presented their schemes as ethical and humane endeavors.

This is valid concerning the evil we perpetrate in our personal lives as well. We embrace many of the destructive and immoral temptations we feel in our heart only because they package themselves outstandingly well. The glittering veneer of comfort and happiness that these temptations display lure us into their trap. If every unhealthy craving we experience presented itself without any masks, we would immediately cast it away.

Thus, the Kabbalah teaches [5] that man's daily challenge in life consists of choosing substance over packaging, inherent value over good PR. When one feels an urge to eat something, to engage in a certain intimate act or to say something, he or she ought to reflect whether this is an inherently healthy and moral thing to do, or is indeed hollow and empty, merely exhibiting itself as promising and enjoyable.

The hallmark of a spiritual life is one that always seeks to be in tune with the true essence of things, and not merely with their external appearance.

Removing the masks

This is how Jewish mysticism understands the symbolism behind the opening story of the Meggilah: Vashti, symbolizing the power of evil, can only retain her power and glory if she is garbed in garments that conceal her real identity. If Vashti removes all her masks, she instantaneously loses all of her appeal and charm.

Therefore, when the King of Kings insists that Vashti appear at His feast in her bareness, she must refuse Him. Because the "clothes" of evil have no "emperor" within them.

This brought about the end of the Vashtinian rule. When evil is called on its nakedness, its nothingness is exposed and its power lost [6].

Footnotes

1. Megillah 12b.

2. The Talmud (ibid. Quoted in Rashi to Esther 1:12) explains, that Vashti sent her husband humiliating messages, thus kindling his wrath to an extreme. What follows is the mystical interpretation of the story, as it is presented in the writings of Chassidism.

3. Midrash quoted in Meoray Or 1:182. Cf. Rikanti to Genesis 29:10, quoted in Mechir Yayin to Esther 1, 12:13. Erkay Hakenuyim under the entry of Achashverosh.

4. See Or Hameir Megiilas Esther. Likkutei Levi Yitzchak Megillas Esther p. 79. Toras Levi Yitzchak p. 17.

5. See Tanya chapter 16.

6. See Tanya chapter 29.

The nucleus of this explanation was presented by the Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760, founder of the Chassidic movement). It is quoted in his name by Rabbi Zee'v Wolf of Zhitamir (a disciple of the Maggid of Mezrich, heir to the Baal Shem Tov) in his Chassidic work Or Hameir on the Meggilah. Reference to it is made in Or Hatorah (by Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch, the Tzemach Tzedek, 1789-1876) Megilas Esther p. 72.

The Kabbalistic Reason Why Women Cover Their Hair

Rav Dov Ber Pinson - you might need to turn up the volume for this two minute lesson

Yechi !

I was going to do a post about the name Jared, but Neshama already did a great one - check it out here.

When a couple marries, there is a kabbalistic tradition of combining the first initials of both of their Hebrew names and making a word out of these initials.  In the case of Jared and Ivanka Kushner, their Hebrew names are Yoel Chaim and Yael.   Without even mixing up the first letters of each of these names, it spells יחי Yechi - as in Yechi Adonainu Moreinu V''Rabeinu..... Melech HaMoshiach .....

which is the song sung by Lubavitchers to welcome Moshiach.

Another hint to Geula in this new Presidential family.

And here is the Torah Code of  ''Yoel Chaim'' [Jared] Kushner

Zohar on Parshat Miketz

Rabbi DovBer Pinson

Chanuka: Rabbi Anava

Chanuka - Fighting Klipat Noga - Powerful Tikun at the end of the video

Klipat: Literally, shells or husks. Singular: Klipa. Used to describe forces that obstruct the divine light. Klipat Noga is a translucent shell—a form of klipa that can be inducted to the service of good.

The war with Yavan (Greece) - Then and today

Dreams and Their Interpretation

A very interesting lecture by Rabbi Kin on the interpretation of dreams as expounded on in the Talmud and Kabbalah. 

The War of Thoughts

Everything starts in the spiritual world and then it manifests down to the physical world.

The Zohar says that at the time of Gog u Magog, we are going to be controlled by our thoughts.  It is ''Milchement Giggim'' - the war of thoughts. [click here to see video of Rabbi Anava on this topic: from 29 mins onwards]

In every generation there is a ''Haman'' who comes to destroy us.    Haman is a descendent of Amalek - Amalek is a nation, but it is also a kelipa, a spiritual impurity caused by a negative act, which comes like a virus to attack you. When the Jews left Mitzrayim, Amalek came to attack them straight away. It came from the rear, to cool them down.  The gematria of the word Amalek is the same as the gematria of the word ''safek'' - doubt.  Amalek comes to cool you down and make you doubt the truth.

Rabbi Anava says that these days it is the war of the screens, and we are controlled by our screens: our computers and our phones.

So here we all are, on the internet, where everything is available in an instant, and while we can choose what to look at, in the process we may get side-tracked and end up reading something that causes us to doubt the truth.  This is the spiritual side of the war of Gog u Magog, the spiritual Amalek causing us to doubt.  Ten minutes ago we were excited about some new Torah we had learnt, and then we read a comment from an Amaleki which causes us to doubt that same thing.

This is Amalek, and it comes in many different guises, Rebbe Nachman commented that at the end of days, the whole world would be flooded by such a huge amount of heretical ideas and theories, even rabbis would have ‘heresy dripping out of their pockets'. 

We need to be extremely careful who we listen to, and what we read.   Amalek is always there, waiting to pounce on us from behind.

Special Safeguard For Newborns and their Mothers

Hanging a Shir LaMaalot at the Home of a New Mother and in the Hospital

It is customary to hang a Shir LaMaalot [Psalm 121] [1] in the room of the new mother and the newborn, immediately upon the expectant mother’s arrival at the hospital - in many cases a small laminated copy of the prayer is clipped to the baby's bassinet and/or pram. [2] This serves as a safeguard for the mother etc., both during the birth itself so that it will proceed normally and easily, [3] and also during the following days, so that they will survive for a long life. [4]

Another reason given is that this is a part of [the child’s] education so that the first thing that the child sees will be something holy (from this we may also infer how important it is to ensure that the child does not look at pictures of unclean things). [5]

Click here for a printable Shir Lamaalot card.

Footnotes:

1. End of Sefer Raziel HaMalach, and elsewhere -  [The Sefer Raziel HaMalach talks about an angel called Raziel and some attribute that book to Adam]. See Tishbi on the letter lamed, entry for “Lilith.” Plaques featuring the verses of Shir LaMaalot along with the Names [of G‑d and angels] etc. contained therein are well known throughout the Jewish world, each community having its own specific customs.

2. From the Sichah of 19 Kislev 5747 regarding things one should be careful about for the safety of the woman giving birth, including at the hospital [edited version printed in Hisvaadiyot 5747, Vol. 2, p. 37. Teshuvot U’Biurim BeShulchan Aruch, p. 446]: “It is fitting and proper to publicize everywhere that Jewish people live, the custom of hanging Shir LaMaalot.” See also the Sichah of Yom Simchat Torah 5737 ([printed in MiGevaot Ashurenu, p. 96]. See also Likkutei Sichot, Vol. 25, p. 309, where the Rebbe points out that “One should try to obtain permission from the hospital administration by explaining this properly, with words that proceed from the heart, which enter the heart and will certainly accomplish their task (and we point out that thank G‑d this custom is constantly spreading throughout the Jewish world).”

3. And obviously this will forestall any complications such as “…she had difficulty giving birth” [Vayishlach 35:16].

4. For even after the birth (during the first three days) she is considered to be a patient whose life is in danger, and we may violate the Shabbos laws for her [Shabbos 129a; Rambam, Hilchot Shabbos 2:13; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, and also the Alter Rebbe’s edition 330:4] 

5. Sichot Kodesh 5737, Sichah 7 of Yom Simchat Torah; also printed in MiGevaot Ashurenu, p. 6, with the addition: “It is true that the child was just born, and cannot yet distinguish between light and dark or between sweet and bitter. Nevertheless, since he has already come into the world and he possesses eyes with which to see the world, we should see to it that before his eyes should be the letters of the aleph-beit, from whose combinations all of creation has come into being.” See details in Likkutei Sichot, Vol. 25, p. 309.

Source: Chabad

  

Dreams and Mazal - What do they really mean?

Rabbi Alon Anava

In this lecture Rabbi Anava explains what Dreams and Mazal really mean and what is actually happening in the spiritual realms and how it relates to us on a physical level!

Remez!

One of the most interesting blog posts I read this week was the Geula Update from Rav Fish Ki Teitze which contained some fascinating insights into computers and the coming of Moshiach.  

Amongst other things, Rav Fish writes [translated by Yaak]: Going deeper to explain the connection between the kelipa of computers and the kelipa of Armilus who enclothes Mashiah: As it's known that according to the size of the kelipa, one knows the size of the holy spark inside. And the holy spark of computers is Mashiah - that is that computers came to the world at the End of Days since they are needed to be a support for Torah during the coming of Mashiah, and especially the Torah of "Remez".

So what is ''Remez''?  Remez is the different hints and allusions which are contained within the Torah. One of the methodologies the Torah employs to make these hints is gematria, the numerical value of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  See Chabad for more on this.

It is written, “For it is not an empty thing for you” [Devarim 32:47]. The numerical value of these words is equal to that of the term ''gematriot'' (numerical values). From here the book Tosefet Beracha deduces that the gematriot of the Torah’s words are not insignificant, “For it is not an empty thing for you.” Furthermore, even without this, we see that our Sages often took gematriot into account. Finally, gematriot are among the 32 methods of interpreting the Torah listed by Rabbi Eliezer, the son of Rabbi Yossi Hagalili. [by Rabbi David Pinto Shlita]

There are several different ways of calculating the gematriot of a word or phrase, I'm not going to go into them all here but above you can see a diagram of the basic values of the Hebrew letters.

I have a lot of information here in older blog posts which you can access by clicking the labels on GEMATRIA, TORAH CODES and VILNA GAON below this post.

5 Av - Yahrzeit Arizal

Arizal Synagogue, Safed - Photo Steven Pinker

The Arizal [1534-1572] - Rabbi Isaac Luria was the most famous Kabbalist in the city of Safed, Israel who became known as the "Arizal" or ARI, an acronym for “The G-dly Rabbi Isaac of Blessed Memory.”

The Arizal passed away at the age of 38, and it was only during the last two years of his life that he met his foremost disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital. The Arizal himself never wrote any books, however all his words were faithfully recorded by Rabbi Chaim Vital in what is known as Kitvei Ari, the “writings of the Arizal.” The Kitvei Ari is the key to the secrets of the Zohar, and it was the Arizal who formulated the Kabbalah into a comprehensive system. Rabbi Chaim Vital writes in the name of the Arizal that, “It is a Mitzvah to reveal this wisdom.” Until the time of the Arizal, knowledge of Kabbalah was not known outside of the tightly knit circle of the tzaddikim.

More about the Arizal at Ascent of Safed or click on the label "ARIZAL" below to read more of his teachings.

Can a Disease Become a Cure?

We all have made our share of mistakes, intentional or unintentional. We all have our flaws and defects, our psychological scars and lacerations. Conventional wisdom tells us that we can heal from our wounds and grow through our pain. We may be able to erase our unwanted pasts or overshadow them with positive strength. But can our actual mistakes and deficiencies become healing agents? Can a disease become a cure?

Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this Kabbalistic healing workshop and travel into the inner core of all ailments and discover surprising secrets of your soul, not the least of which is the startling truth: All disease stems from a response to correct an aberration. At the root of all afflictions -- of all negative energy -- lies tremendous potency. Learn how to tap these powerful forces which feed your pains and convert them into formidable allies.

The Highest Souls

A kabbalistic lesson of Gan Eden and how our souls can fall into klipa. ''In our generation many special souls are stuck in the deepest Klipa, trapped in impurity and separated from G-od and his Torah. it is up to us to pull them out.''

Lag B' Omer Round-Up

In honour of Lag b'' Omer, here are some videos and links, and all about coloured eggs.... 

Rabbi Alon Anava - Celebrating the Hilula of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai

A Lag B''Omer tish  - with Rav Dov Pinson in Flatbush last year.  [Tish means ''table'', fahbrengen means ''get together'']

What is the Chabad custom regarding eating browned eggs on Lag BaOmer? 

by Rabbi Levi Garelik -  an halachic authority in Brooklyn and Brussels who is also Dean of TheOnlineRabbi

1. In Sefer Haminhogim [page 43] it says that the Mitteler Rebbe would eat hard-boiled eggs on Lag Ba'omer. 

2. In "Lubavitch Vechayoleho" it says that the Rebbe Rashab would eat hard-boiled eggs on Lag Ba''omer, as well. 

3. In "Otzar Minhogei Chabad" it is written that "it is told" that the Rebbe would eat hard-boiled eggs on Lag BaOmer and that their shells were colored brown during the cooking process. However, he does not write any source. 

When I was a student in the Yeshiva, I had "heard" something about this but was never able to get to the bottom of this. [In those days no one spoke about customs in the Rebbe's home…]  However, when I merited to get married to the daughter of one of the Rebbe's secretaries, Rabbi Binyomin Klein, I was told that a year earlier, on Lag Ba''Omer, my father-in-law called home and told my wife and her sister to quickly prepare "the colored eggs for Lag Ba''Omer."   They had no clue what he was talking about and how do you "color" an egg?  

So they called "Bubby Shusterman" [the wife of the Rebbe's "Baal Koreh" whose yahrzeit is in these days] who was a source of information. She explained that on Lag Ba''Omer it is customary to eat eggs that are colored, and that is done by boiling the eggs, and during the boiling process you insert in the water the shells of onions and this turns the eggs to the color brown.   

Basically, the eggs are colored because that symbolizes transforming [or "coloring"] darkness  - as eggs are a sign of mourning - to light. May we merit to celebrate this Lag Ba''omer, together with Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai!   

What's the reason or meaning of this minhag?   It's for the students/ talmidim of Rabbi Akiva and the eggs end up a kind of bloody color.   We do this davka on Lag BaOmer because it's the Hilulah [Yahrzeit] of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai [the Rashbi], who emphasized that the day of his death should be a day of simcha. 

Another reason for colored eggs is that eggs are for aveilus [mourning], and we ought to mourn the passing of the Rashbi, but because the Rashbi wanted the day to be joyous, we color the eggs. we were told as kids coloured eggs are to remember that no [coloured] rainbow occurred during the life of Rashbi. 

Mrs. Yehudis Groner told us last night that a good way to do this is with red onions!!! That is what the Rebbitzen ob''m used to do  for the Rebbe.....

Also see Moshiach's Rainbow and Lag B''Omer and An Inward Focus

Introduction to Tikun haMidot Part 2

Part 2 of Rabbi Alon Anava's Tikun HaMidot

[Refinement of Character] From a Kabbalistic point of view, this “refinement of character” called Tikkun HaMiddot is very much part and parcel of the Divine purpose in creation. Even small improvements are vastly appreciated by G‑d. Every individual “refinement” or “correction” contributes to the general “World Refinement” [Tikkun Olam] which will be precipitated when Mashiach will come.

At 21:00 on the video he explains why it is bad to hold your hands in a certain way, with the fingers interlocking the hands together.  I blogged this many years ago, but never had the full explanation of why.  Now I do!



Part 1 can be found here

Blue Skies and The Sun

We are having amazing weather right now.  It's the hottest autumn ever in Sydney, and we are loving the blue skies and sunshine.

Sod1820 has an article about the sun before Moshiach - I used Google translate and could establish that it was talking about the study of kabbalah being the ''screen'' necessary to shield yourself from the sun.  This blog is full of kabbalah and chassidus [which is kabbalah brought down to the level of the people].  Click on the labels at the end of this post to access a wealth of knowledge.

 “The day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the wicked people and the evildoers will be like straw and Hashem will burn them up and totally consume them. But a sun of righteousness and healing will shine for those who fear my name, with healing in its rays…” [Malachi 3:19-20]

The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day the LORD binds up the fracture of His people and heals the bruise He has inflicted. [Isaiah 30:26]

See Daf Yomi Review for more on this.

''Pleasure Gardens'' Vaucluse House Sydney