Hey guys! TONIGHT BEGINS HANUKAH! It is one of my favorite holidays!!! Why? Read on!
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the victory of the Maccabees (led by Judah Maccabee) over the Greeks (and the nasty Antiochus) in 161 BC. It also celebrates the miracle of oil that happened! When the people went to light the menorah in the rededicated temple (which had been defiled by the Greeks), they only had one day’s supply of oil. But they lit the menorah anyway and that oil lasted all eight days until the new oil was prepared! (Thus, we celebrate for eight great nights!)
(Also, I’m sorry if this post is a little scattered….I was up SO late last night because of my sugar gliders and their new babies and then I got up a lot earlier than normal this morning, so I may be just a tad exhausted. XD And brain fogged. I seriously just spelled that wrong….help….XD XD)
*returns to subject*
The holiday itself celebrates lasts for eight nights. This year it starts tonight and ends on the 18th. So what do we do during this holiday?
I’m glad you asked!
Things That We Do During Hanukah
The hanukkiah: The hanukkiah is a candle holder that has nine branches. One for each night of Hanukah, plus one for the Servant Candle (or the shamash).
After sundown, on each night, we light candles. The first night we just do the shamash and the first candle. The second we do two plus the shamash, and so on and so forth for all of the nights of Hanukah. We sit around the candles and watch them until they’re completely gone. It’s a really peaceful time, just watching the firelight flicker off of faces and being cloaked in the gentle darkness. Ahhh.
Reading: We read about the Maccabees and Antiochus. We remember the brave deeds that were done. We read jokes. We read Hanukah stories (there is a surprising lack of good ones).
Dreidel: Ha yes! The dreidel. This is *coughs* actually a gambling game. The one time of year that it is allowed. XD We play for chocolate coins (or pencils, when the chocolate runs out). XD It’s really fun and we always end up laughing our heads off (especially when we’re the ones winning….)
Gifts: A lot of people give small gifts to each other on each of the nights of Hanukah. SUPER FUN!
Movies: Eh. Yeah. There are a few decent Hanukah cartoons out there and those are fun to watch. But beyond that, there isn’t a lot in the way of GOOD Hanukah movies.
And, of course, lots of festive foods. That leads me to my next section…
Food That We Eat During Hanukah
Ah yes. My favorite part. XD There are so many awesome foods that we eat during Hanukah. Lots of fried foods (because we remember the miracle of the oil). These include….
Latkes (will you choose sour cream or apple sauce?)
Sufganiyot (jelly filled donuts)
Challah (OF COURSE – no holiday complete without CHALLAH)
Rugelach (which I’m making today!)
Babka (the best dessert ever)
Seriously, guys, you have to try some of this food. It’s so amazing!! You won’t be sorry! Even if you don’t celebrate Hanukah, just make one of those recipes. *nods*
Songs That We Sing During Hanukah
Like any celebration, music is a huge part of (our) Hanukah. There are a lot of awesome artists out there that sing great Jewish music. My favorites are The Maccabeats, Six13 and Y-Studs.
So what are you waiting for? Go out, read the story of the Maccabees and celebrate this wonderful time of year! Hanukah starts tonight…are you ready? *long stare*
~Hattush
Do you celebrate Hanukah? Have you heard the story of Hanukah? What are some of your favorite festive foods? Do you like candles?
Daughter of the Light 
We did Hanukah one year… It was really cool!!!
I love candles!! XD
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really? That’s awesome! It’s such a fun holiday!
LikeLiked by 1 person
On the second to last photo are those paczkis??
LikeLiked by 1 person
They’re sufganiyot, which is basically the same thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love paczkis!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😋
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never celebrated Hanukuh! It looks interesting, though!
Are you Jewish? Or do you just celebrate Hanukah?
-Haley
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s an awesome holiday! We’re actually not Jewish (even though we all have Hebrew names, lol). We just love the Jewish holidays and the whole culture.
LikeLiked by 3 people
ah! I understand! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLike
Happy Hanukkah! Thank you for sharing your beautiful traditions. I was adopted into a Polish family and grew up in a largely Jewish neighborhood in New York. So many of the foods you and your family enjoy are also my favorites. Especially babka, paczki, brisket, rugelach and latkes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s so cool, Mary! *licks lips* Those foods are so great!
LikeLike
Thank you, Hattush! They definitely are very cool! I get hungry just thinking about them – especially Babka!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! Babka is one of my favorites!😋
LikeLike
For me, it’s the cheese!🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cheese is great!
LikeLike
Definitely!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Happy Hannukkah!!! We’re also celebrating Hannukkah! I LOVE the Maccabeat’s music! I’ll have to check out the other artists you mentioned. (By the way, your and your siblings names are awesome!! Sometimes my Dad likes to joke around and calls me ‘Michal’ (with the hard “haeth” twist in the middle! 🤣)
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s awesome that you’re celebrating Hanukah as well!! Isn’t it a wonderful holiday?
YEEES THE MACCABEAT’S MUSIC IS AWESOME! What are your favorite songs?
Thanks! Aw cool! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yaaah, Hanukkah is pretty great! My fave Maccabeat’s songs are ‘Burn’, ‘Candles on the Sill’, ‘Cups(D’ror Yikra), ‘Despacito’, ‘Brave’… they’re all so good!
(By the way, the links you provided to the Maccabeat’s YT channel actually takes you to another channel called the Maccabees.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those songs are awesome!
Ah, thanks for letting me know! I’ll fix that! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, yay, I can’t wait for tonight!!! Hannukah is so much fun!!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
YEEEAHHHH!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neither Xtianity nor Islam possess any wisdom upon the defining concept of faith – tohor. The Cohen Israel dietary laws, for example, do not prohibit the consumption of delicious foods because those animals qualify as “unclean”. Tuma does not mean “unclean”. Both opposing Torah concepts – tohor & tuma – refer to spirits breathing within our hearts. The Torah dietary laws apply strictly and only to the Cohen Israel brit people alone. Irregardless that the Catholic church dresses up as priests, similar to Islam’s slaughter of halal meat attempts to duplicate rabbinic kashrut laws, neither this nor that qualify as part of the brit Cohen nation. Both alien religions worship foreign Gods.
A Torah oath brit alliance – Life and Death – hangs upon the scales of Judgement. The servant of Avraham, his name Eliezar, he met the family of Avraham who lived in Iraq. Avram stood related to Sarah through their mutual father. But Sarah’s mother – share no physical family inheritance with Avraham’s mother. From here the sages interpreted the intent/k’vanna of the Torah that the mother determines the Jewishness of the all new born children for all generations. This judgement ruling has received challenge, primarily the Tzeddukim sons of Aaron. They base the logic of their opposition upon the Torah which commands, that only the sons of Aaron can do avodat HaShem in the service of korbanot dedications. The Torah refers to Klall Yisroel as the nation of Cohonim. Therefore unto this day, the Reform Judaism opposition argues that the father determines the Jewishness of all new born children.
The sages answer the challenge made by the Tzeddukim cohonim by teaching the Torah commandment-mussar which instructs Avram to heed the command of Sarah to expel both Ishmael together with his mother. That only Yitzak, Sarah’s son, would inherit the oath brit Cohen “tohor” alliance. The logic of the Tzeddukim collapsed on this refutation. The sages who compiled the Gemara relied upon halacha taken from all 6 Orders of the Mishna, to established their common law legal style of difficulty/answer. The Gemara commentary to the Mishna defines the discipline of common law, the sages of the Gemara bring, close precedents of halacha from any and all of the other 6 Orders of the Mishna; which includes the Order that the current Mishna currently under perview and discussion. פשיטה – obvious.
The style of the servant Eliezar, who sat before Avraham’s family in Iraq: the father, mother, and eldest brother of Rebekka, this “style”, comes to teach the mussar of how to cut a Torah oath brit. A brit alliance, by definition excludes the enemy. פשיטה – obvious. A person who cuts an oath brit alliance, thereafter the allies sit together at a formal meal. Like the three meal, which the halachot of Shabbot, establishes. The oath brit which Avraham compelled his servant Eliezar to swear: that he would never make a קידושין oath brit alliance with any of the “children” of Canaan.
This judicial ruling, which Avraham made, learns from Lot. The Book of Ruth, the Nasi of the Court – Boaz – interpreted the Torah prohibition not to cut a Torah alliance with the children of Lot: Moav and Ammon; consequent to Balak – who hired Bil’am – the betrayal by Bil’am – to curse Israel. Bil’am, a descendent of La’van, profaned the sworn oath brit alliance which Yaacov and La’van swore, to cement the alliance which the servant Eliezar likewise swore a Torah oath unto Avraham – to travel to the family of Avraham, who live in Iraq, and to cut an oath brit alliance with members of Avraham’s immediate family in Iraq.
The קידושין [Jewish chuppah wedding] of this union did not violate the כרת din of ערוה that the daughters of Lot profaned. The oath brit alliance of the children of Adam and Noach rests upon the four legs which prohibit acts of theft, oppression, ערוה, and courtroom injustice. The Nasi Boaz ruled, as told through the Book of Ruth, that the daughters of Lot, that the Torah prohibition did not apply to them. The “enemy” curse definition restrictively applied only to the sons of Lot. The Tzeddukim sons of Aaron the Cohen could not logically respond to this difficulty from the Torah; their logic format had assimilated to embrace and accept the Greek logic philosophy. The Talmudic Sages of the Mishna, also more popularly known by Greek New Testament translation – as pharisees.
The tohor middah חנון affixes to the 5th middle blessing of the Shemone Esri רפאנו ה’ ונרפא. A Torah oath brit – cut upon Life or Death/Blessing or Curse. The case/din of the story of how the servant of Avraham – Eliezar cut an oath brit alliance with the family of Avraham living in Iraq logicly compares to the famine in the days of Ahav. The prophet Eliyyahu judged king Ahav as a wicked king, who like Yerov’am, abandoned the oath brit alliance that establishes the Torah as the Written Constitution of the Tribal oath brit Republic alliance of 12 Tribes. A similar logic analysis views a precedent comparison as both close and valid – Bil’am – the descendant of L’van – who profaned the oath brit alliance which Yaacov and La’van originally cut.
King Sh’lomo in equal measure violated and profaned the oath brit Republic alliance when he failed to set, and establish the authority of the Great Sanhedrin lateral common law court system. Justice functions as the נמשל to the משל of rain fall in its proper season. Ahav assimilated and embraced foreign cultures and customs; he decreed the abandonment of the Torah Constitution. The משל of famine – caused by no rain – the נמשל – foreign enemy troops who scale the walls of Jerusalem and brutally conquer the nation’s Capital.
Hitler as a point of comparison, he lacked the clarity of leadership to focus the Nazi invasion of the USSR — with the capture of Moscow. Napoleon captured Moscow and likewise suffered total defeat in war. A basic strategy of total war, to conquer the Capital City of the enemy; meaning capture its Government leaders. Napoleon’s army failed to defeat the Czar of Russia, even though it physicky – militarily temporarily occupied Russia’s Capital city – Moscow.
A second example of the tohor middah of חנון – – the Haf-Torah of Parshat משפטים, located as ירמיה לד: ח – כב, לג: כה, כו. There the Torah/government leaders/princes swore an oath brit alliance that HaShem would fight the Gods of Bavel, like as happened in the days of Moshe and also during the leadership of Yehoshua the servant of Moshe. But these leaders profaned the 7th year oath brit which establishes Liberty for all slaves and the cancillation of debts. Therefore the prophet ירמיה, as a consequence saw a vision whereby HaShem swore to bring g’lut, total military defeat upon the kingdom of David by the king of Bavil because the princes of the government embraced the tuma behavior practiced by Bil’am and his betrayal of the alliance cut by his fore father La’von.
The order of Rashi tefillen remembers this double bladed oath brit alliance obligation – – placed upon all generations of Israel, to all eternity. The pursuit of tohor Justice defines the judicial rulings as codified through the arranged and edited Order of the Chumash Parshaot; which places the revelation of the Torah at Sinai adjacent to the judicial courtroom rulings which most essentially defines the entire Parsha of משפטים – which immediately follows the story of the Sinai Torah revelation. The tohor middah of חנון weighs upon the scales of Justice: life vs. death. Tefilla contrast prayer, in that the people of the Cohen nation dedicate Torah defined emotional middot unto HaShem as holy in how we walk before G-d.
Do we keep faith to our oath sworn brit obligations which sanctify a Torah defined tohor middah unto HaShem as having the נמשל interpretation of how we do t’shuva and modify how our emotions affect both our thoughts and behavior in all future social interactions. A holy dedication wherein we dedicate our lives to [a משל metaphor] “cook” and improve the quality of our emotional maturity. חנון measures our commitment dedication to guard the backs of our oath brit allies, and not betray their oath alliance trust.
The curse of חנון destroys the Cohen nation when we profane and abandon our oath brit alliance dedication unto HaShem – whose Spirit lives within our hearts, when we accept the curses sworn by Bil’am, to cause the total military defeat of Israel at the hands of our enemies during the crisis military disaster. Each and every tohor midda has its own unique blessing and its own unique curse. Its this basic יסוד of middot, דאורייתא ודרבנן, which separates tohor middot as pronouns of the Name rather than adjectives of the Name. An adjective carries no baggage of responsibility if a person fails to live up to the dedication of a midda unto HaShem.
The acceptance of the brit faith carries with it responsibility. Each and every Oral Torah midda has its own blessing and curse. Grace, just for example, has the curse of total defeat in war. The total destruction of Nazi Germany serves as an example of the midda of Grace. The dedication of middot, learn from pronouncing a blessing. As the latter require שם ומלכות so too the dedication of middot require swearing a Torah oath. The Xtian Bible never once brings the Name of HaShem – the 1st commandment of Sinai. The church absolutely denies the Oral Torah logic system based upon the dedication of middot unto HaShem. The curse of all tohor middot, דאורייתא ודרבנן, a person swears an invalid oath and therein profanes the Name of their God. When Israel sanctifies tohor middot – victory and success. But the enemy always destroys Israel when the Cohen nation profanes the dedication of tohor middot.
In the name of clarity, this “sh’itta” of learning views the Written Torah as only a Constitutional political document. Religion has no place within the Torah faith. The dedication of middot in how a person emotionally matures his/her life has no portion with dogma or halachic ritualism stripped clean of mussar; a person who dedicates a tohor midda unto HaShem does not thereafter “believe” he swear a Torah midda oath. In equal measure Torah middot can never qualify as practices of organized religion because how a person matures his own personal emotional issues – emotional issues never qualify as religious practices but rather as strong personal habits. Correcting a midda character trait compares to changing the course of a river.
Torah as a political Constitutional document establishes the Order of the Cohen society. Just as the United States Constitution shapes American society but not British society. Just as Parliamentary law determines the Constitution of British society but not American society. So too the Torah brit faith shapes only the Cohen nation. The idea propagated and foisted by both Xtianity and Islam of a Universal faith, complete and total narishkeit rubbish.
The key issue of writing a Sefer Torah, the sofer has to write the Name of HaShem לשמה. Doing a mitzva לשמה requires a subject and a predicate. The latter informs what the subject does. For example, P’sach, Jews remove all leaven products from their possessions. Korbanot have a halachic prohibition to switch from one korban type to another korban type. Tanning the hide of an animal intended by the sofer to write a Sefer Torah: that hide requires a dedication for the purpose of writing a Sefer Torah.
Therefore what pronoun/predicate sets the Name of HaShem apart, when the sofer writes this Name לשמה? Its the absolute necessity of this “pronoun/predicate” which separates the profane from the holy. Its this pronoun/predicate which makes this most essential הבדלה, that separates the first Commandment of Sinai from the second Commandment of Sinai – holy from profane, as the defining Torah wisdom of understanding.
At the Akadah, for example, Avraham dedicated his son Yitzak unto the oath brit which HaShem swore to him that his chosen “Cohen” seed would compare to the stars in the sky and the sands upon the sea shore, in the memory of obeying the Divine commandment to listen to Sarah, who demanded that Avraham expel Hagar and her son Ishmael from the oath brit inheritance, from inheriting any part of the brit sanctified chosen Cohen nation. The revelation of the Torah, as taught by Moshe our Teacher, centers upon keeping the Commandments.
All the 611 commandments, taught by Moshe, his understanding (defined as: separating like from like) of the הבדלה k’vannaof the opening two Sinai commandments, his 611 stand upon the יסוד of the commandment Sarah imposed – as a yoke of faith, upon Avraham – to expel Hagar and Ishmael from the oath sworn bnai brit house. Kre’a shma as a mitzva, tefillen serve as witness, of the yoke burden to remember the unique oaths, each sworn separately, by Avraham Yitzak and Yaacov לשמה. Saying Divine Names require more than a religious ritualized repetition of words contained in a siddur. Observance of all the halachot, derived from within the Sha’s Talmud require an attached Aggadic mussar learned from the prophets. The mussar דרוש\פשט of פרדס, most essentially raises ritualized halachot unto the holiness mitzvot sanctified לשמה.
גיטין: המביא גט ממדינת הים, צריך שיאמר בפני נכתב ובפני נחתם
This opening Mishna describes the services of a notary, an individual officially licensed by a governmental body to perform certain actions in legal matters. The Rosh did not require a sofer to נחתם, using an impressed seal, whenever that sofer wrote the Name of HaShem. But the masoret of writing a Sefer Torah does permit the sofer to inscribe straight lines upon the leather. Consequently it appears to me that the language נחתם implies some type of impressed seal, which all notaries employ today. The notary seal impressed upon the margin of the Torah on the identical line that contains the written Name of HaShem, this seal – impressed upon the margin – serves as evidence that the sofer wrote the Name לשמה — לשם מידות.
Middot, the Oral Torah logic system format, seeks to promote effectiveness as the main criterion in the set of considerations of social emotional/communial “investors”, and in the management of associations, through the development of advanced emotional development and maturity for societal stability, development of social standards, social mapping, applied research, consulting, conferences etc.
However, what precisely defines the k’vanna of a sofer, when he writes the Name of HaShem לשמה? Forty days after the sin of the Golden Calf, on Yom Kippor, Moshe heard the voice of HaShem declare the 13 tohor middot. Why the second repetition of the Name of HaShem in that revelation, which addresses the tohor middot of logic – otherwise referred to as the Torah Sh’Baal Peh? The second Name of HaShem comes to teach that the middot thereafter, beginning with אל, that these middot serve as pronoun predicate extensions of the Name of HaShem. Therefore the sofer should set aside 13 specific “Crowns” to precisely indicate which middah of HaShem, that that sofer held as his k’vanna, at the precise moment in time, when that sofer wrote the Name of HaShem לשמה.
A safer Torah which does not “נחתם” with a defined tohor midda crown, the question stands: what proof exists which testifies that the sofer wrote the Name of HaShem לשמה? The opening Gemara of גיטין teaches that g’lut Jewry lost this precise knowledge, how to do mitzvot לשמה. Consequently, it appears to me that a sofer has a Torah obligation to prove his k’vanna when he writes the Name of HaShem לשמה, something comparable to the services of a notary. This requirement which establishes the halacha of the correct way to write a Sefer Torah, this commentator strongly advises, it compares to the time of Ezra, when he changed the shape of the letters of the א – ב.
Recently celebrated Purim. The Gra teaches that the word המלך serves as a רמז to HaShem. Honestly this idea appears most difficult to me. The Purim story highlights rage and extreme anger. The sages within the Talmud compare strong anger unto avoda zara. Therefore the rabbinic pronoun/predicate המלך, whose gematria numerical value equals to המן, this tuma word המלך, refers to God, but not unto HaShem; the exact distinction between the first and second Sinai revelation commandments. The tuma Yatzir within the heart of man strives to seize power and make “the leader”/המן of a given nation, into some type of God. Herein defines my current understanding of Megillat Esther. Have made a pithy summation of this idea: refer to myself as an atheist – bless HaShem, based upon the opening mussar instruction from the Torah: בראשית ברא אלהים/In the Beginning Created God. The tuma Yatzir within the hearts of mankind, continually seeks to transform their “anointed” moshiach into some type of God.
The Purim story tells a story which depicts a power struggle. The Nazi war criminals themselves referred to their up coming hanging as “Purimfest”. Both the Church, with its Jesus son of God theology Gospel Universal religion stories, together with the evil Nazis, both lost their bid for world power. Present day Iraq serves as an excellent example of the post WW2 total defeat and exile of the church who waits for the 2nd Coming, and its present exiled spiritual status, following the Israeli victory in the 1948 Independence War. According to a 2019 interim study ordered by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and led by Rev. Philip Mounstephen, the Bishop of Truro, “xtian persecution” approaches “near genocide levels” in the Middle East. The curse of refugee degradation has switched from Jews to the Xtian church. That report focuses upon Iraq’s xtian de-population, decimated from 1.5 million before 2003, to under 120,000 by 2019.
The Purim story instructs a powerful mussar. This mussar learns from the דאורייתא mitzva to ושמח וסלסלות חתן וכלה. On Purim we dress up in constumes similar to a wedding. The הבדלה of Purim separates extreme anger, defined as the inability to feel or appreciate Joy, based upon המן who saw Mordecai sitting at the gate immediately after the honor of having a private party with המלך and Esther. This great mitzva to dance and give pleasure to the young couple bride and groom; it serves the purpose as a life long reminder, when that married couple’s relationship snags bitter and hard times. Chag Purim, the preamble to Chag P’sach, teaches a fundamental k’vanna of the brit tohor faith, as expressed through all the 6 major Chaggim – through teaching an opposite הבדלה – extreme anger – expressed through acts of oppression and evil cruelty.
No theology can cover the permanent stain upon the soul of modern day Cain, revealed through the horrors of the Shoah. Churches can dance, their choirs can sing hallelujah – utter vanity – a shallow reactionary expression of tuma faith. The religions whose theology worships their God, as the Angel of death, who crushes the weak, enslaved and impoverished … when the dawn of reason breaks, following their defeat in war, no reactionary ‘I’m Saved and Born Again’ or ‘I’m washed in the blood of the lamb’, false joy can expunge the eternal stain that these המן like religions bear, their yoke of guilt, their acts of wickedness has scared the souls of their chldren. Their cursed children bear the mark of Cain to all eternity, similar to the 10 sons of המן who hung on the gallows together with their father. Neither time nor revisionist history has the power to erase the tuma disgrace of religious theology.
The tohor midda ארך אפים aligns with the 6th middle blessing of the Shemone Esri,
ברך עלינו ה’ אלהינו את השנה הזאת ואת כל מיני תבואתה לטובה … מברך השנים
To accomplish the mitzva of tefilla requires the “understanding” to da’aven with k’vanna. Rattling off words written in the Siddur according to the פשוטו של מקרא, while acceptable in dire straits qualifies at best a בדיעבד manner in mitzvot observance. A Yeshiva educated Yid who behaves in this manner to what does it compare? פרשת תולדות teaches a fine distinction [understanding: the separation of like from like], by which Yitzak agreed to cut a brit alliance with with Avi-Melach who came with the general of his army. Adjacent to this brit, Esua cuts a brit alliance through marriage with Beeri the Hittite, and Elon the Hittite.
The revelation of the Mishkan, adjacent to the Torah disclosure which prioritizes the rule of law: meaning – Court imposed righteous justice which fairly compensates for damages suffered or afflicted among and between bnai brit. The Torah introduces this concept by means of ‘white and black fire’; it delves into the specifics of the middot of the vessels of the Mishkan – black fire; which invites the students of the Torah to make the ‘white fire’ logical inferences, the ratio relationship between avodat HaShem through korbanot as opposed by the avodat HaShem through Sanhedrin Courtroom justice. What most sanctifies the Name of HaShem: korbanot or Courtroom imposed justice?
The Book of שמות dedicates 4 ד’ פרשות בתורה dedicated to the measurement middot of the vessels of the Mishkan and garment of Aaron HaCohen, it omits all mention of the Great Sanhedrin! The prophet Amos instructs a powerful mussar to the rich and powerful of the nation, who abuse and torment the poor folk of our nation by asking the question, the Avot they did not father the poor and weak of our people as well as the rich and powerful? Contrast the mussar given by the prophet Malachi, wherein he communicated contempt of the tuma custom acceptable to some Cohonim wherein they offered blemished korbanot.
The latter mussar compares with the actions taken by Esau who cut a marriage alliance with enemy families within Canaan. The oppression of the poor and weak among the people of our society too compares to the despicable behavior of Esau’s decision which despised the birthright of his inheritance similar to his selling his birthright unto Yaacov for a bowl of soup.
The k’vanna of calling to HaShem to bring the rains in their due season, and cause the land to know prosperity and wealth, centers not upon the desire for power and gold but rather HaShem rains down blessings upon our Cohen Republic because we prioritize the necessity to rule all the people of our bnai brit civilization with righteous justice. The k’vanna of this the 6th middle blessing of the Shemone Esri defines the wisdom of our Torah and separates it tohor from tuma. What distinguishes the wisdom practiced by Goyim? They prioritize – as the most important and essential – their prayers; specifically they seek the power to theologize God – which in its turn – blesses them with rulership and gold.
The tohor middah ורב-חסד aligns with the ברכה/the blessing: תקע בשופר גדול לחרותנו, … מקבץ נדחי as the previous blessing restricts Torah faith to make a separation of distinction between the first and second commandments of the Sinai revelation. So too ורב-חסד follows this lead the previous tohor middah makes. Logic, built upon Order: a basic and most simple rule of the way by which the Oral Torah revelation at Horev – on Yom Kippor – functions; as Shabbot separates holy from six days of the week, Yom Kippor in like and similar vein distinguishes the Torah logic format from all other logic systems. Specifically, as expressed in the 7th Middle Blessing of the Shemone Esri.
The Book of שמות closes with the middot of the garments of the Cohen HaGadol. Two Parshaot of the Torah, one before the sin of the Golden Calf and one after the sin of the Golden Calf. The duality of the exact description of the measurements of these holy garments essentially begs the question: what purpose does the dedication of korbanot, as the defining avodat HaShem of the House of Aaron, serve?
This basic question closes the Book of שמות and serves as the יסוד of the Book of ויקרא. The latter 4 Books of the Torah stand in stark contrast with the 1st Book of the Torah. K’vanna – all time oriented positive commandments require it. The concept of understanding most essentially means the skill required to separate like from like. As the Talmud as its own unique warp and woof so too does the Written Torah. The ratio of halacha to aggadita 4:1 compares to the 4:1 between the legal aspect of the Torah, contrasted by the mussar aspect of the Written Torah. The Framers and editors of the Talmud based their scholarship upon the warp/woof relationship between בראשית and the remaining 4 other Books of the Torah. As פרדס weaves halacha and aggadita into a unique fabric, so too and how much more so does the פרדס kabbala of learning make a study of the Written Torah itself.
The Torah defines the term prophet as a person who commands mussar. The stark contrast with the religions of avoda zarah, whereby the latter tells people what they need to believe in this or that God. Mussar rejects any and all beliefs systems in general, and theology in particular. Mussar fundamentally addresses the conflict within the heart which pits two opposing Yatzirot/inclinations. Consequently Torah faith stands upon the יסוד of making the required and necessary הבדלה. Yom Kippor separates the Oral Torah logic system from all other formats of logic. This bare unadorned הבדלה stands upon the Yom Kippor revelation which separates Oral Torah logic from all other logic systems, specifically the logic developed by ancient Greek philosophy.
Therefore what mussar attaches itself to the middot of the garments of the Cohen HaGadol? [This question applies straight across the board to learning the whole of both the Written Torah and the Talmud literature, which obviously includes Midrashim]. As tohor separates the avodat HaShem of the House of Aaron from the avoda zara worship of the Catholic priests and all other counterfeit replacement theologies, this הבדלה stands upon the יסוד of the ספר תולדת אדם and how the ”begets” define the Creation of Man in the images of God.
As previously mentioned on multiple occasions, the Torah links the soul of man unto his future born generations. The din of כרת cuts off brit man from the inheritance that his seed shall compare to the stars in the heavens for its multitudes ie O’lam HaBa – life in the World to Come. Upon this יסוד stands the Torah concept known as t’shuva.
The Torah lists two basic hereditary lines: the soul of Cain and the soul of Shem. The two sons of Yitzak, serve as a microcosm of this macrocosm. Herein defines the service of faith of the House of Aaron, the purpose of korbanot together with all the duties imposed upon the sons of Aaron by the Torah. The service of avodat HaShem calls upon the midda of ורב חסד for HaShem to remember the הבדלה made whereby HaShem accepted the korban of one brother and rejected the korban made by the other brother – even though that brother physically enjoyed the advantage status of first born son.
For HaShem to redeem Israel from any and all g’lut stands upon the יסוד of the deliverance from Egyptian slavery. There HaShem judged the Gods whom Par’o and the Egyptians worshipped. In like and similar fashion HaShem judged the Gods whom the kings of Canaan worshipped in the days of Yehoshua the prophet – the leader of the ancient Israel invasion of Canaan. The order of Rashi tefillen learns from the oath sworn brit which the nation of Israel cut at brit Gilgal: that HaShem, as God of War, fights and defeats the Gods whom the Goyim worship.
The avoda zara theology known as monotheism negates the oath sworn brit faith established at Gilgal by the prophet Yehoshua. HaShem cannot fight and defeat the Gods whom the Goyim worship, if only one God lives. Redemption from g’lut can only happen when HaShem judges the Gods whom the Goyim barbarians worship. In an equal and like manner HaShem judges between the two Yatzirot within our hearts: the struggle between the two sons of Adam – Cain and Shem. The generations of mankind define the Torah metaphor of “image of God”.
The midda of אמת, as expressed through the dedication of the 8th middle blessing of the Shemone Esri:
השיבה שופטינו כבראשונה ויועצינו כבתחלה, והסר ממנו יגון ואנחה, ומלוך עלינו אתה ה’ לבדך בחסד וברחמים, וצדקנו במשפט. ברוך אתה ה’, מלך אוהב צדקה ומשפט.
The distinction between mussar and theology compares to the separation of shabbot from the 6 days of chol, holy from profane. As previously stated a dedication unto holiness requires a “pronoun/predicate”, a necessary פרט which defines the general כלל.
On the matter of the revelation of the Torah at Sinai, which the Book of שמות details through the Parshaot of משפטים, and the further detailed and amplified in the middot measurements of both the Mishkan and the holy garments worn by the Cohen HaGadol, the necessary פרט pronoun/predicate which defines the holy revelation of the Torah at Sinai – the sin of the Golden Calf. As Shabbot stands separated from the Chol days of the work week, so too the revelation of the Name which Aaron translated upon the Golden Calf as אלהים.
HaShem makes an eternal judgment upon the avoda zara which translates the Name revealed in the first commandment at Sinai, translated by Aaron unto אלהים, which both the Xtian Bible and Muslim Koran, these “holy” books of religious rhetoric, they never once bring the Name of HaShem, revealed in the first commandment of Sinai. Not even once do either of these “holy” books of religious rhetoric obey the first commandment of the Sinai revelation.
The הבדלה these “holy” books of religious rhetoric serve as stark contrast to the mussar which defines the T’NaCH – they compare to the sons in law of Lot. The latter mocked Lot as a crazy man, when he came and warned them of the approaching destruction of “the world”. Xtianity in its closing book of mysticism – Revelation – fixates upon the end of times, as the culmination of New Testament theology, it’s “holy” religious rhetoric.
The arrogance of the sons in law of Lot compares to the hubris betrayal made by the kingdom of Esau, when that kingdom sided with the Babylonian invaders and joyfully assisted in the total destruction of the Davidic kingdom. An alien culture, Esau had no allegiance whatsoever to the kingdom of the first Republic of the nation of Israel. In like and similar fashion Xtian and Muslim countries too have no allegiance whatsoever to the T’NaCH mussar faith; neither religion has any understanding or appreciation of the culture and customs of the Cohen nation which produced the T’NaCH literature.
As Day separates itself from Night, right stands apart from left, up the opposite of down, so too and how much more so mussar does not compare in any way shape fashion or form to theology. Theology attempts to define what a person believes; it compares to propaganda – which shapes human anger. Aaron employed an engraving tool to shape the Golden Calf, he also requested of Israel to bring the golden ornaments worn by the wives, sons, and daughters. Theology of the “holy” bible and koran compares to that engraving tool.
The aroused mob murdered the judges of the Great Sanhedrin, Aaron alone remained yet alive. Theology likewise compares to the brother of Avshalom who declared himself king, while David yet lived! The mussar ethics instructed by king Shlomo, Adonijah despised, which cost him his life.
The אמת faith of mussar, defines the works of all the prophets beginning with Moshe. The theologies of Xtianity and Islam, both only have the most superficial knowledge of the culture and customs practiced by the chosen Cohen nation. Assimilation defines the first face of avoda zara; assimilated Jews embrace with enthusiasm and passion the cultures and customs practiced by Goyim societies. As such, the tuma of assimilation, it compares to Aaron translating the Name of HaShem unto אלהים, the Bible to Lord, and the Koran to Allah. אמת.
The inverse of אמת, theology continually preaches a path that believers should therein walk. The יסוד of theology stands upon the egotism of I, imposed by cruel despots and dictators. Truth preached by theologians defines the path by which a person must walk in order to live. King Shlomo imposed a similar “truth” upon the enemies of the Davidic kingdom. King Shlomo himself would eventually express the curse decreed by Natan upon the House of David – Civil War.
King Shlomo’s avoda zara resulted in the outbreak of Civil War, which split the kingdom in the opening days of the hereditary rule of his heir. Both sons of David, Shlomo and Adonijah despised the counsel of Natan the prophet. King Shlomo erred, he confused the last Will of David: as the commandment to build a house of wood and stone, rather than to rule the land with righteous justice as expressed through the institutional establishment of lateral common law Sanhedrin Federal Courts.
King Shlomo pursued wealth, power and prestige, as the definition of wisdom. In like manner the sons in law of Lot duplicated this exact error. In the opening days of his Rehovoam’s reign, the people would request a remission of taxation; a request which the hubris king denied. Like Shlomo, who despised the council, given by Natan, in the matter of the mussar commandment, as to how to “construct” Justice. Rehovoam rejected the opinion – the elders advised – who in their turn, gave council to Shlomo.
The last two Parshaot of the Book of שמות learn a דיוק upon the middot of the Mishkan and garments of the Cohen HaGadol. Where in the opening middot of the Mishkan taught the mussar of ארך אפים the דיוק of נצר חסד לאלפים, a middah attached to the blessing:
ולמלשינים אל תהי תקוה וכל הרשעה כרגע תאבד וכו’ … שובר אויבים ומכניע זדים.
The דיוק which the Torah makes to understand the depths of the revelation of the Torah at both Sinai & Horev (the revelation of the 13 tohor middot, exposes a hitherto unknown sh’itta of logic), examines the brit bnai Adam and Noach of ערוה; how ערוה brings plagues, a lack of rainfall upon the land. The stories of the g’lut of Avram and Sarai in Egypt, the tales of Sarah and Avi-Melach – they compare to the stories of the sons of Yechuda whose first son wanted to preserve the beauty of his wife, so he limited sexual activity restricted to times when Tamar endured her period. The second son of Yechuda too lacked fear of heaven and like his deceased brother treated Tamar as a whore rather than a wife. Yechuda too did not seek to continue the mitzva of Yabum with his third son, and Tamar shamed him when he too treated her as a whore.
The g’lut of Yosef in Egypt and the story of Potiphar’s wife repeats the tale that touches the brit bnai Adam and Noach – the subject of עורה. Amos the prophet too directly teaches the consequences of ערוה – the g’lut destruction of the Cohen nation from living and ruling the oath sworn lands. Human sexuality can easily seduce a Man to do shameful and perverted actions against others. Justice stands as the logical דיוק of sexual perversion. The latter tuma behavior seals the din of g’lut upon the Cohen people. Hence the k’vanna of the 9th middle blessing of the Shemone Esri involves more than cursing the false messiah theology which later developed into the religion known as Xtianity.
LikeLiked by 1 person