Parsha Post: Nesivos Shalom

I. Shavuot, like the eighth day at the end of Sukkot (“And on the eighth day it will be Atzeret for you.”) is called Atzeret. The Rabbis say that we are judged for fruits on Shavuot, which they call Atzeret (Rosh HaShanah 16a). Also, the translation of Unklus for “BeShavuoteichem,” in Bamidmar 28,” is “BeAtzroteichem.” (See Ramban’s awesome explanation of Vayikra 23:36.) Reb Shmuel of Nikolsberg - may his merit protect us - said of the verse.  ”And you will seek me day after day,” that (because the Hebrew word used here also means to give a homiletical speech) that two specific days of speeches are alluded to here.   The two days are Shabbos HaGadol (the Shabbos before Pesach) and Shabbos Shuvah (the Shabbos before Yom Kippur, leading up to Sukkos and Shmini Atzeret).   One could suggest that the two days of seeking alluded to are these two Atzeret holidays, which are two days of seeking a unique direct connection with G-d.   Atzeret connotes what G-d sa...

To consistently lead a religious life most of us need to rely on simple faith, and commitment to keeping G-d's commandments and our traditions. Once we are committed to the routines of Judaism we are sometimes blessed to then reach high levels of holiness and to be inspired from inside. So says the Nesivos Shalom. He also says that there are people who are exceptional and work more from their inside spiritual achievements, which then take them to adhering to their external faith in G-d. He says that Moshe Rabeinu was the latter kind of person and the order that he thought made sense for the Mishkan's construction represents this: First work on the inner vessels, and then the outer shell. Betzalel spoke for most people and said that the outer facade had to come first and then the inner furnishings could follow. And, Betzalel was agreeing with the order that G-d had said to use in making these things: First the outside, the the inner pieces. Moshe got that Betzalel was returning ...

 We're commanded to make a sink/basin and all it should be of bronze.  And its purpose was to purify Aharon and his decendants and keep them alive in their service. Trumah speaks of the large vessels/furniture of the Mishkan, Tetzaveh was (with one exception) about clothing of the Kohanim.  But this portion goes back to a piece of furniture, which seems like it should have been in Trumah.  And why is it juxtaposed after the command to give a half a shekel to be counted. The Mishkan/Beit haMikdash corresonds to the standing form of a person with high - brain - Kodesh Kodashim, middle - heart - Heichal, lowest - Chatzeir - place of outer alter - lower organs. The Beit haMikdash flowed influenc to the part of a person it represented.  Thus, a fire always burned on the outer Mizbeach, fighting with holy fire the desirous fire of a person.  The Kiyor provided preparation before approaching the altar of the Beit HaMikdash.  It seems impossible that a human c...

"I came to my garden, my sister, my bride." It says MY garden, not garden, because it is referring to The Garden that was G--d's dwelling place, as it were, when The Shechinah was primarily in The Tachtonim, as alluded to the description of Adam and Chavah hearing G-d's voice  traverse through the garden. - Shir HaShirim 5:1 The cheit - sin/mistake of Adam sent The Shechinah to the first level of heaven, then one by one, six more people down the generations - Kayin, Enosh, The Generation of the Flood, The Generation of the Tower of Babel, The People of Sedom, The Egyptians In Avraham's Time -  exiled The Shechinah from level to level until it got to the seventh heaven. Ten The Shechinah was lowered through the seven heavens back down to earth by seven people: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Levi, Kehat, Amram, Moshe.  The Shechinah came back to earth on the day Moshe established the The Mishkan - Vayehi beyom kalot Moshe lehakim et HaMishkan. That's when G-d return...

The Nesivos Shalom cites the Medrash on the pasuk that reports Avraham saying to the young men that accompanied him to the Akeidah that he was going to bow and then come back: "All is in the merit of bowing." We are never told that Avraham actually bowed on the mountain of the Akeidah, rather the idea is that the entire act of what he did was one big bow before G-d. Our purpose in life is to humble ourselves before G-d. And that's what Avraham did at the Akeidah. There are three times in the history of the Jewish People when bowing was key, in a metaphorical way, humbling ourselves before G-d. 1 - When we left Egypt. 2- When we got the Torah. 3 - For all future redemptions.

 There are three times that G-d told Avraham Avinu to walk.  1- Walk away, for your own good, to yourself, from your land, town, home 2- Walk before me and be tamim - whole/good/pure  3 - Walk to Moriah to do Akeidat Yitzchak. These three commands to walk happened at three times in Avraham's life, the early years, midlife, and his older years.  And they each fit with the time when they happened. When he was young he was told to go from his surroundings and become himself. When a bit older he was told to build on that, not just to focus on what he needed to go away from, but to keep refining and purifying himself.  And in his later years he faced a major transformative test and reached his highest level yet. These three commands go out to each one of us: to leave childhood behind and grown up into opurselves, to build on that as we age, and to pass the hard tests that come our way and continue to grow in our old age. Rabbi Levi in the medrash questions which was ...

 The Torah is an instruction book for life.  So why does it start with stories of major mistakes? The Cheit Eitz HaDaat makes sense to be included because it is something that all mankind yearns to see rectified. But what about the other stories? The way G-d created the world is that there was darkness for 2000 years before there was the era of light.  This is how it is, erev-night and then from it boker-morning light, the peel and then the fruit, sur mirah - keep from the bad and then asei tov - do good. Avraham with his chesed - kindness, Yitzchak with his gevurah - strength, and Yaakov with his tiferet - balance, began the tikun-correction of the world.  Before that tikun came about there was darkness.  The three things the world cannot tolerate were being done, as we're told by Chazal: Kin'ah - jealousy, ta'avah - desire, and kavod - honor, remove a person from this world.  Kin'ah - Mishlei says that jealousy rots a person's bones.  Kayin fell down...