With The Commentary of the RABAM
Shayla = A problem posed, a question asked.
Shamayim = Heaven, and, in this context, the Divine.
Dear Rabbi Pinky,
I have read that the former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Ovadiah Yosef, Shlita, has blamed the Katrina hurricane and the ensuing deaths of thousands of what he referred to as "kushim" on the Bush administration's pressuring of Israel to disengage from Gaza, and to the fact that shvartzes don't spend enough time learning Toyreh because they're too busy listening to jazz and rap music. A leading scholar of Bratslaver Hasidism expressed this opinion even before Rav Yosef.
Shlita = A Hebrew abbreviation of soll sein shtark (strong, robust, vibrant) und gesunt (healthy). No mention is made of sane.
Kushim = Cushites. As Moishe’s wife was supposed to be. In hue more tan than the heroine of the Song of Solomon.
Jazz and Rap music = Why you shouldn’t have a television.
Bratislaver Hasidism = Breslover Hasidism. The Hasidism of Nachman Ben Simcha Ben Nachman mi Horodenka of Bratislava, (1772 – 1811). Great-grandson of the Besht (Baal Shem Tov, Rav Yisroel Ben Eliezer, 1700 – 1760), and formulator of the concept of the Tzaddik as the leader of a community who takes upon himself the suffering and striving of that community, and who enlarges the blessings of that community by his obedience to the Aimishteh and his shomerus ha mitzvois (zealous adherence to the commandments).
He was the author of the Likutei Moharan (gleanings from our teacher rabbi Nachman), via his disciple and amanuensis, Reb Nosson. Note: Moharan: Moreinu Harav Nachman.
One of the principal teachings of Bratislaver Hasidism is the idea that sincerity and joy count as divine service. Best known to outsiders however is a form of meditation called Hisbodidus (to become solitary) – a free flowing personal prayer during which one can pour out one’s heart to the almighty as if to a boon companion.
The master of Bratislava (Breslov) rejected the idea of the hereditary Tzaddikate, hence no successor was named when his soul returned to the Master of the Universe.
Bratislava (Breslov) is in the Ukraine (“new frontiers”), on the Bug river.
Like Jazz and Rap, the Ukraine is sitra achra.
Personally, I think these great gedoylim make some very good points.
But, not being a Talmid Chochem I don't know what the mekoyrois for all this are.
What is your halachic opinion regarding the basis in Talmudic literature for Harav Yosef, Shlita's opinion? Could you please elaborate more fully on this question and provide Daas Toyreh guidance for all of us who are be-geder Nevuchim mi-Katrina.
Gedoylim = Greats. As Talmud-chachemim are often called by those who steadfastly refuse to think for themselves. Misnagdim spit at the word.
Mekoros = Mekoros (singular 'mokoro') are dugout canoes propelled by using a long pole to push the boat through the Okavango's shallow, winding channels. They are made from the wood of the Sausage Tree (Kigelia pinnata).
The crimson blooms of the sausage tree open at night and are pollinated by bats, insects and certain birds. Both the flowers and the ripened fruit dangle from the long ropelike stalks. The fruits, which at times resemble giant sausages, can be up to two feet long and weigh as much as 15 pounds.
Bafflingly, the Israeli State Water Company is named Mekoros. This must be the hight of insane optimism, as the only extensive marshes in the Middle East are outside of the land – the Nile Delta in Egypt and the reed marshes in Iraq. Which of course represent the furthest extremes of conquest during the reigns of Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) and his successors (Rehoboam, Aviya, Asa Yehosefas et al).
The Sausage Tree is but one of many trees pollinated by bats (chiropterophily: pollination of flowers by bats) – noteworthy are also the Broken Bones Tree, the Durian, the Stinkbean, the Mangrove tree, and the Baobab. Pollinating bats have a well-developed sense of smell, and very long tongues for extracting the nectar from the blooms. There are numerous species, throughout Africa, Asia, Oceania, and none are particular to a specific plant. All are megachiropterae of the order Pteropodidae – the old-world fruit bats.
Also, may refer to “sources”, as in Biblical and/or Talmudic sources (plural of Mekor)
Yours in Toirah,
A.M. O'Harits
---
Dear A.M., my beloved talmid.
Thank you for your insightful question that is so relevant to the great topics of the day. Indeed, you have touched upon a most critical issue for Klal Yisroel, right up there in importance with whether we can use chocolate chip cookie crumbs for Tashlich, whether we can use yak's hair from Pakistan in our sheitlach, and whether or not the Chairman will raise interest rates this month.
Tashlich = The casting of crumbs as a ritual for divesting oneself of the bad luck of the past, and avoiding bad luck going forward.
The word ‘taslich’ comes from Micha 7:19 "yashuv yerachameinu yichvosh avonoteinu ve tashlich bimtsulot yam kol-chatotam" (You will again have compassion on us; you will subdue our sins and cast all our iniquities into the depths of the sea).
This passage is evoked by the casting bread crumbs or pebbles into the water at Rosh Hashanah, rejoicing in Gods promise of forgiveness.
One can tell what kind of person it is by the kind of crumbs - normal people use white bread, frumme yidden use matzoh or wonderbread, and ba'al teshuves and gerim should use seven grain bread (eight outside the land).
Why seven grain bread?
Because there are seven Noachide commandments for the entire olam, and you cannot progress on to ten commandments (the Yiddishe welt) or acceptance in a minyan without going through seven first. Seven shall be the number of thy casting; cast not six, lest thou proceedeth on to seven.
There are seven days to a week, and seven days to sukkois (although eight outside the land), as it says in Seifer Vayikra (Leviticus), parshas Emor (Speak!), psukim 23:42 - 43 "You shall dwell in booths seven days, all that are born to Israel shall dwell in booths, that the future generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt."
And it says in Seifer Dvarim (Deuteronomion), Parshas Re'eh (looky!), psook 16:13 "The Feast of Booths celebrate for seven days after the harvest from your threshing floor and from your vineyards".
And further, there are seven hoftoras (portion of the prophets customarily read after each week’s parsha) of consolation after the seventeenth of Tammuz: Nachamu for parshas Va'etchanan, Va-tomer Tzion for parshas Ekev, Oniya Soara for Re'eh, Anochi for Shoftim, Roni Akara for Ki Teitzei, Kumi Ori for Ki Savo, and Sos Asis for Nitzavim.
Yak’s hair = Sehr stylish, and in no way connected to Avoidah Zarah, unlike the expensive human hair from the same place. It is well known that Pakistanis are idolators who go into fitful trances at the sight of representations of their prophet, worshipping him with fire and gifts of eggs and fruit.
I must share with you an admission. Throughout most of my brilliant rabbinic career, I had been under the misconception that humans cannot fathom the calculations of the Divine… Indeed, it is written in Yeshayahu, Perek Nun-Hey, Passuk Khess—Passuk Tess, "Kee loi machshevoisai machshevoisaychem, velo darkaichem drachei, na-oom Hashem. Kee gavahu hashamayim meihaaretz, kain gavahu drachei midarkaichem oomachshevoisai mimachshevoisaichem." "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are My ways your ways – sayeth the Reboinoisheloilum. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so are My ways high above your ways, and My thoughts above your thoughts."
Hence, I always believed that these psukkim suggested that anyone who boasted that he could discern the will of Hakadoshboruchhu is a minuval with a capital "M" and should have a baseball bat taken to his schvantzlach. Indeed, the RAMBAM recalls in Moireh Nevuchim how he once treated someone who had a head cold who, during the consultation, expressed the opinion that the great earthquake of 1180 was caused by people who didn't wrap their turbans tightly enough. Instead of arguing, the RAMBAM prescribed an enema with a concoction of mead, goat milk, and leeches.
Moireh Nevuchim = The Guide For the Perplexed. This is Rabbi Moises Ben Maimon’s most famous book. Try looking in both the self-help and travel sections of the bookstore.
Enema = A method of administering medicines once much favoured, now sadly in decline. Except among fans of alternative healing, who will get sick just so they can try a zesty new cure-all. And Englishmen.
My confusion, and I assume that of the RAMBAM as well, was reinforced every year while listening to the conclusion of Megillas Yoinah on Yoim Kippur. You, however, probably don't recognize it, since I am sure that every year by Mincha time you are off sneaking a bagel and a cigarette in the closet, you shaygitz.
Megillas Yoinah = The Scroll of Jonah, which is the shortest book in Nach.
In short: Yonah gets told to go to Nineveh and tell them they’re gonna snuff it. He says he will, and then promptly heads in the other direction, trying to get out of town before the Aimishteh notices. What a shoiteh!
The ship he takes passage on gets slapped around till everyone has tossed their cookies and thinks they’re gonna die! At which point Yonah admits that this is because of him, and waddya know, as soon as Yonah is in the water the sea is calm again, and a big fish swallows Yonah. Nebbech.
Yonah spends three days and nights surrounded by fish guts, and finally the Aibishter hears his prayer and causes the fish to barf him up like bad cholent. He washes ashore, and having been properly chastised if he knows what’s good for him heads to Nineveh, and tells them the end of their world is at hand and they’re nasty people in the eyes of the Allemaechtige. Damn’ hippies.
And miracle of miracles, they believe him (which is perhaps the point of the tale). They go around on orders of their king in sackcloth and ashes wailing like banshees, bunche mishegayim, and Yonah goes and sits outside the city waiting for the fire from the sky, and the weeping and the wailing and the gnashing of teeth. Which doesn’t happen, eicha.
But a gourd vine grows up and shields him from the hot sun, so he’s khoosh enough to keep from kvetching, until the third day, when the gourd has withered. And now he pretty fair loses it, screaming all kinds of nasty at the hot-as-blazes sky and shaking his fist. A brocheh.
And a voice, all thunderous and majestic, tells him "ata chasta al-hakikayon asher lo-amalta bo, velo gidalto, shebin-laila haya uvin-laila avad, va Ani lo achus al-Nineve, ha ir ha gedola, asher yesh-ba harebe mishteim-esre ribo adam, asher lo-yada bein-yemino lismolo, uvehema raba?"
‘You had pity for the gourd, for which you had not done anything nor made it grow, which came up in one night, and perished in one night; should I not then have pity on Nineveh, that great city, which is so populous that sixscore thousand people can scarce tell the difference between right and left, and which besides has vast numbers of cattle? Gevalt.’
As if to say ‘ cheeses, you’re a putz!’
In any case, the very last two Psukkim of Yoinah has Hakadoshboruchhu admonishing Yoinah for mourning the loss of his gourd (Yoinah was very serious about his gardening hobby, and even had his own show on the Home and Garden Network for two seasons), "… Atta khasta al ha-kikayoin asher lo amalta bo ve-lo geedalto, she- bin layla haya ubin layla uvvud. Va-ani lo akhoos al Nineveh, ha-ir hagedoilah asher yesh buh harbay mi-shtaym esray reeboh adam, asher lo yuddah bayn yemeeno li-smollow, oo-behayma rabbah?" "…You cared about that plant that you did not work for and which you did not grow, which appeared overnight and perished overnight. And should I not care about Nineveh, that great city, where there are more that one hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left, and many beasts as well?"
We read this metaphorically as if the Aimishteh were reminding Yonah that it is a shvere zach, ain hochee namee, to whack his own creations - gradda it’s a chazaka, as we remember from Noach and Soddom and Gomorro. Bad habit. To do so, we aver, would be in gantzen krum. “Naturally you’re choishesh I’ll do it again, it’s shayech a hava-mina, but no, not this time. I’m a changed deity. Emmes”. Something along those lines, in any case.
Yes, I always believed that the ways of the Aimishteh are beyond human understanding. But in recent years, I have seen that perhaps this is not the case. Apparently there are a gifted few who understand the Soidois of the Ain Soif, the secret calculations and mysteries of the universe. There are those who may indeed be able to discern the hand of Eternity in our temporal world – who can see spirits and the Beyond in our pale existence -- much like Chazal could often perceive a Bas Koil in a Bais Medrish, the Acharoinim could detect Shaydim in a house, or a hippie could see streaks of light in an LSD trip.
Sodos = Secrets.
Ain Sof = The Endless light surrounding the void, as Hashem is imagined in Kabalah. The idea is that Hashem withdrew himself to allow existence, in a process of ten emanations called into being by ten divine utterances, as it says “in the beginning was the word”.
Bas Kol = The daughter of a sound, an echo, the voice of the Aimishteh in prophecy and speaking to his messengers. There are few to whom He spoke ponem to ponem - Avraham and Moishe, we know. For the rest it was either by bas kol, malechim (angels) or Instant Messenging. Carry a Blackberry, just in case.
Acharonim = The laters; Torah scholars from the end of the middle ages onwards.
Sheydim = Daemons, from a Chaldean word for evil deity (shedu), represented in pagan art as a winged bull, and hence the deities of the idolaters, and by extension the devil and lesser evil spirits. They are the malevolent corollaries to angels, often similarly being divided by caste and task.
Take for example 9/11. Our small minded political and security professionals assure us that the tragic occurrences resulted from a legacy of fundamentalism and rampant moral and political corruption in the Arab world, resulting in a demonization of the West.
Rampant moral and… the Arab world = Nu?
However, these foolish mishugayim apparently missed the point. For we were taught by a Gadol Hador two days after the event, "We have allowed rampant secularism and occult, et cetera, to be broadcast on television. We have permitted somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 to 40 million unborn babies to be slaughtered in our society. We have a Court that has essentially stuck its finger in God's eye and said, 'We're going to legislate you out of the schools, we're going to take your Commandments from off the courthouse steps in various states, we're not going to let little children read the Commandments of God, we're not going to let the Bible be read -- no prayer in our schools.' We have insulted God at the highest levels of our government. And, then we say 'why does this happen?' Well, why its happening is that God Almighty is lifting His protection from us."
Mishugayim = Whackos.
Gadol Hador = The great of the generation, a genius of the age; a profound Talmid Chochem whose light and lomdus are a beacon.
Unborn babies = Which are just mayim be’alma (mere water), before forty days of gestation. Forty being the number of formation, and of the possibility of awareness.
Forty days = As Moishe spent forty days up on the mountain.
[You should’ve seen the surprise party we had for him when he came back down – wine, dancing, girls, even a golden piñata!]
Ah, true words of wisdom from of one the Lamud Vav Tzadikkay Oilum, Harav Hagoyn Pat Robertson. Clearly, the Aimishteh chose to share His Word with Reb Pat, just as He chose to share a view of His backside with Moishe Rabbeinu on Har Sinai.
Lamud Vav Tzadikkei Olam = The thirty six good people of the world whose presence, like the ten men in Soddom, keeps the Aimishteh from whacking us all, like we have reason to believe is a bad habit.
Lamed is the 12th Hebrew letter, equal to 30, vav is the sixth Hebrew letter, equal to 6; so lamed-vav is 36.
According to the Talmud the continued existence of the world is due to the merits of 36 individuals in every generation who are gamur tzaddik (completely righteous). Tzaddikim have special privileges, but also labour under special obligations. They are at least partially responsible for the sins of their generation, and in Chassidism they have often been viewed as mediators between man and Hashem.
Abaye said: “The world must contain no less than thirty-six righteous individuals in each generation who are zoiche to perceive the appearance of the divine presence (Shechinah), for it is written, ‘blessed are all they that wait for him’” [Talmud, Maseches Sanhedrin 97 beis]
The gematria of 'for him' (‘lo’ in Hebrew) is thirty-six, and this refers to those who see Hashem as if through a glass brightly.
So much then for thirty six completely righteous people, but are there not others who are also righteous?
There are many tzaddikim and good people, who, though they have not attained complete tzadkus are still considered righteous individuals.
There is also the one tzaddik in every generation who is the foundation of the world in his time and is said to be the Moishe of that generation. Such a tzaddik is zoiche to perceive the divine presence (Shechinah) every day.
The good actions of all of these tzaddikim, and of every person, brings naches ruach (great spiritual joy) to Hashem.
But according to Rabbi Yisroel Salanter (1810-1883), thirty six tzadikim may not mean thirty six actual individuals, but rather the spiritual reality that in total is equal to that number; as our spiritual capacity lessens in each generation, such tzadkus is spread over ever greater numbers of individuals.
This, Rabbi Salanter argued, meant that in each generation, achdus (unity) among the Jewish people became ever more important, in order to provide the fundament of righteousness upon which the world stands
Of the deceased gamur tzaddik it is said that one is not supposed to speak of him as one of the dead, as his soul was set before the throne of glory where it stands with the Aimishteh.
In passing reference to thirty six as a significant number, it is said that the Besht revealed his mission at age thirty six. Chassidim read much significance into this.
Pat Robertson = Ich veis? There are Robertsoner chasidim?
Har Sinai = Horeb. In Arabic: Djebel Musa: Moishe’s mountain.
So during Hurricane Katrina, Hakadoshboruchhu once again decided to deliver keen insights to the greatest of our generation. As cited above, Reb Ovadiah Yoiseph, apparently achieved deep awareness of the intentions of the Reboinoisheloilum. Perhaps the Aimishteh came to Reb Ovadiah when he was eating his daily chumus with prunes, or when he was sitting behind his shtender, dribbling on his shiny black robe.
Chumus with prunes = Because Metamucil is in gontzen nisht kosher, not according to our vaad ha kashrus. A zach azoy.
But Reb Ovadiah was not alone. For in this time of deep human trial, there were other intellectual greats who had clear vision into the ways of the Aimishteh. According to Reb Michael Marcavage of Yeshivas RepentAmerica, "Louisiana had a total of 10 abortion clinics, with half of them operating in New Orleans…Although the loss of life is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city."
Reb Michael Marcavage = A chochemerd from Philadelphia who is much wise, as goyim go, in Toireh. Not having been privy to Torah She-Balpeh, his insights are amazing. He is an expert on family planning and sporting events, and is deeply concerned with the spiritual well-being of people. Indeed, none are more concerned with the young, or about alternative life-styles – in these matters he has much experience.
But it would have been better had he studied Torah She-Balpeh with a rebbe. Much better.
Torah She-Balpeh = The Oral Torah, consisting of Torah explained and Torah interpreted.
The meaning of the Torah She-Biksav (the written Torah) is not given by the text itself, but by interpretation and explanation - and this depends on who is interpreting or explaining, in what context, and with what beliefs. Hence in our tradition there is a stress on methodology and a pluralistic approach, rather than literalism and absolutes. As Chazal say, “shivim panim le Torah” – there are seventy faces to the Torah.
Seventy faces to the Torah - What does this actually mean?
In a reading of a Torah text there is a complex interplay between the individual subjectivity, external environment, and textual nuance, which means that the text can have a broad range of different meanings. Our law is multi-dimensional, not monochromatic.
In each of the dimensions of the interplay there is constant evolution – person, environment, and understanding are all three subject to change. But it is important that the approach to the text be honest –what the text cannot mean must necessarily be rejected.
So why would it have been better if Reb Michael had studied with a rebbe?
Because when two yeeden study together, as each-other’s chavrusa, they represent links in a chain of transmission all the way from Sinai, and they are obeying the command given in the Shma Yisroel (Bamidbar, Parshas Naso, Psook 6:7) “Ve dibarta bam be shivteicha, be beiseicha, u ve lechteicha ba derech, u ve shachbeicha u ve kumeicha” (And you shall speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk along the road, and when you lie down and get up).
Reb Michael, as a gentile, cannot be a part of that line of transmission, so his studying requires not a relationship of equals, as chavrusim are to each other, but guidance from one who can teach – a rabbi. Only once he has been taught and has internalized the material, will he be capable of correct methodology in interpretation and explanation. Until then, he’s unformed, as it were.
Hence his meshune perspectives, like Harav Hagoyn Pat Robertson. I know, I know.
Abortion = This is seen in light of the result of an accident, as it says in Seifer Shmois, Psook 21:22 "Vechiyinatsu anashim, ve nagfu isha hara veyatsu yeladeiha, velo yihye ason, ano'osh yeanesh ka'asher yashit alav ba'al ha'isha venatan biflilim" - And if (two) men fight together, and (accidentally) hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit (foetus) depart, and there is no other harm, he shall be surely fined, as the woman's husband shall demand, and as judges shall determine;
Psook 21:23 "ve im ason yihye venatata nefesh tachat nefesh" - but if fatality (ason: var. nason) results, take a life for a life. From these psukim Chazal derive halacha regarding abortion.
Key to this text is the word ‘nason’ – which means harm or damage. No other harm here implies that the foetus was not to be considered as realized human life, Hence, in Judaism, the foetus before birth does not have the legal status of a person, though it is acknowledged as potential life, and thus merits reasonable preservation (but only if there is NO danger to the mother).
The Church, which broke with the Judaic tradition and rejected the Jewish interpretive methodology, has traditionally misread ‘nason’ as meaning form (as per the writings of Philo of Alexandria), and thus shpers a difference between an unformed foetus and a formed foetus. And you will note that the sense of both verses changes entirely with this reading.
If the foetus was as yet unformed, its demise was not an issue. But if it was formed (meaning that a certain point in the development of the foetus had been reached), then causing its death was murder. This was Canon Law until the nineteenth century.
In 1869, however, Pope Pius IX decided that formation took place at conception. Since then many fundamentalists have insisted that formation takes place even earlier - no later than the prom the parents of the foetus attended.
Canon Law = The legal codes of the Roman and Anglican Churches. From Greek ‘kanon’ – rule or standard.
Abortion clinic = High school.
Act of God destroyed a wicked city = Thus preventing a horrific loss of potential life.
As has now been clearly proven by the words of these gedoilim, the psukkim cited above – which suggest that humans cannot begin to fathom the intent of the Divine -- are clearly wrong. We can draw deeper understanding of human events. Well, some of us can. Not you, of course, you Minuval, since you can barely achieve a maaseh biyuh without using a reference manual. But a wise scholar like me can certainly perceive the ways of the Reboinoisheloilum.
Ma’aseh Biyuh = An event of, ideally, a progenerative and procreative, not to say provocative nature, involving a closed room, two adults of opposing gender, and parts of the human anatomy that we would rather not think about. A shandeh fir di goyim.
Indeed, I have some recent realizations that I would like to share with you, if you can only stop thinking about your kleinikal bris milah for about five minutes:
-- Why is Klal Yisroel in exile? Because we rejected Yushke Pandra.
-- Why is Klal Yisroel persecuted? Because we rejected Yushka Pandra.
-- Why did Klal Yisroel suffer the inhuman indignities and atrocities of the 20th century? Because we rejected Yushke Pandra.
-- Why don't our wives ever do that one thing we want them to do right after reciting Kriyas Shmah al HaMitah, no matter how much we beg? Because we rejected Yushka Pandra.
Yushka Pandra = The paradigm of Messiah complexes, and the epitome thereof. Cheeses.
A man, a plan; how banal – emunah.
Why did we reject cheeses? Because our faith has meat.
Ehrliche yeeden keep koisher, avoid avoidah, and abjure that cheeses fetish.
There. That was refreshing. I enjoy connecting the nekudois of history and the fantasy of understanding the Reboinoisheloilum's will. It is much easier than to function in the real world of ambiguity. And it builds upon all the Toirah I have been teaching minuvals like you for the past 40 years.
Nekudos = Points. The system of pointing used to designate the vowels in writing Hebrew, and hence the structure whereby the meaning of a text becomes clear. Singular: Nikud.
According to Rebbe Yechezkel of Kazmier, every yid is a letter of Toireh, and a part of the divine. As each yid loves another yid, he acquires another letter, and another part of the divine. When he achieves complete ahavas yisroel, he will finally grasp the totality of Hashem.
Rebbe Yechezkel of Kazmier = Rebbe Yechezkel Ben Zvi Hirsh Taub (1775 -1856) of Kazmier (Kuzmir, Kazimierz) ancestor of the Modzitz Dynasty, father of the Zvoliner Rebbe (Reb Shmuel Eliyahu), and grandfather of the Divrei Yisrael – the first Modzitzer Rebbe.
The Modzitz dynasty is known for its Nigunnim (a neurying style music).
Indeed, according to the ARI ZAHL, in Shamayim, a man is measured in three ways: by the generosity of his neshama, by the size of his shvantzel, and by the sum of all his words. But, the ARI warns, if a man is too generous, the Aimishteh makes certain that the man is left with nothing. If a man plays too much with his schvantzel, the Reboinoisheloilum ensures that it loses its groisskeit. And if a man speaks too damn much, Hakadoshboruchhu makes it obvious to everyone that the man is a freaking idiot.
Arizal = Addoneinu Rabbi Yitzhak, Zichrono Livrocho (our master rabbi Yitzhak, whose memory is a blessing); Rabbi Yitzhak Ben Shlomo Luria (1534 – 1572), a Talmudist and Kabbalist whose teachings were collected and published by his pupil Rabbi Chayim Vital Calabrese and Rabbi Chayim’s son Shmuel, in eight volumes: the Shemoneh Shearim (Eight Sections), known collectively as the Etz Chayim (Tree of Life). They are also called the ‘Kituvei Arizal’ (Writings Of The Arizal).
Shvantzel = Pitzpunik.
Shoyn.
I am reminded of a famous medrish in Beraishis Rabbah about Hillel Hazakayn. It was the weekend and Hillel was in his art studio, working on a new statue of the Roman general Anti-tuchus. An ignorant beggar came to his door and said, "Rebbe, please tell me, how would you describe the Toirah on one foot?"
Bereishis Rabba = The Greater Bereishis; a sixth century compilation of commentary on Genesis. One of the Medrashei Agadah (derivative explications), which are anecdotal and clarificatory background material for the study of Talmud-Torah. It was in part based on material from earlier sources, such as the Mishna and the Yerushalmi. Some of it goes off the deep-end of absurd into complete science fiction.
Hillel Hazaken = Hillel the elder, after whom one strain in Mishnaic thought is named (Beis Hillel), the other being named after his contemporary Shammai (Beis Shammai).
Hillel and Shammai were the final pair of zugois leaders) in the period following the death (273 BCE) of Shimon HaTzaddik (Simon the righteous), last member of the Knesses HaGadoil (Great Assembly).
Hillel thought for a brief moment, and then answered, "Well, I guess I would call it a Hop-Toirah."
The beggar then smacked Hillel in the head and stole all his art supplies.
Just as Hillel said the first thing that came to mind, so too do some individuals and prominent leaders of our generation, Pat Robertson among them. We should aspire to be more like Pat Robertson so we too can have a cadre of followers – men who will believe in all that we say no matter how stupid, and woman who will do special things for us without us having to beg, even if we did reject Yushka Pandra.
Ah Gutten Shabbos, You Minuval.
