We continue our study of the passuk in Tehillim chapter 34 passuk 9, which speaks about the tangible 'taste' of Hashem's goodness that we can experience when we place our full trust in Him. Doing so involves contemplation of the good, looking for the good, and in developing the state of Bitachon - confidence that Hashem will do good for us - we experience that goodness more directly.
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Running time: 21:19
Why is Egypt compared to a fox, while the four great Kingdoms of Israel's exiles were all compared to great animals? What was Egypt's crafty plan for survival from the growing menace of the Israelite population in their midst? Why did it involve throwing the babies in water, as opposed to using fire or the sword as a means of destruction? Why did Hashem 'bring the Egyptians to the deluge' as opposed to bringing the deluge to the Egyptians? How were the people of Israel able to survive if they, like the Egyptians, were surrounded on four sides by the waters of the sea?
Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.
We look at the passuk in Tehillim chapter 34 passuk 9, which speaks about the tangible 'taste' of Hashem's goodness that we can experience when we place our full trust in Him. Ultimately, this has to do with our ability to focus on the broader picture, and see beyond the challenge of the moment, so that we can indeed get a real feel for His all encompassing kindness.
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Running time: 21:15
What is special about the month of Nissan, in which Pesach (Passover) falls? Why has the 'New Year' changed from its original time - in Tishrei (when we celebrate Rosh Hashana) to being in Nissan? What is the depth of the idea that the people of Israel became a miraculous nation with their exodus from Egypt? In what way were they like a prince released from prison? What is meant by the midrash which states that Hashem redeemed Himself, as it were, when He redeemed us from Egypt?
Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.
Running time: 23:53
We finish our discussion of the passuk in Tehillim (Psalms) 33, verse 22, which speaks of our recognition that the degree of Hashem's open intervention in our lives corresponds to the degree that we hope to Him for our success. If we trust on the level of the righteous, then we merit to be treated with supernatural care. If we choose to live in a natural space, we are treated naturally. But we learn that the natural state of the people of Israel is to have Hashem's flow coming to us, unless we doubt Hashem.
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Running time: 21:55
Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.
In my Moshiach Podcast 17, I spoke about the concept of 9 months of 'pregnancy' of the ibur year (leap year) and how they correspond to the 10 sefiros - 9 months of pregnancy from Av >> Adar Sheni and then the tenth month is Nissan.
Thus:
Av-Elul-Tishrei are the 'mochin' or hidden sefiros of Keser-Chochma-Binah - here the process was hidden and taking place behind the scenes, only coming out in the open at the end of Tishrei.
Cheshvan-Kislev-Teves are the sefiros of Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferes - Chesed was Cheshvan where the war began and - significantly - in the middle of the month - our troops went into Gaza. The middle of the month is always when the month is at its strongest in spiritual terms. Hence we have Pesach on the 15th and Succos on the 15th (and Purim on the 14th-15th). Gevurah is a holding back and we had the ceasefire in the very middle of the month of Kislev. Tiferes is the month we just finished, Teves, where these two came into a certain balance and the full expression of the the first three months.
As we enter the last trimester, we encounter Shvat-Adar I-Adar II which correspond to Netsach-Hod-Yesod. I don't want to get into all the current events but you can see what's happening and where we are headed if you open your eyes. Netsach-Shvat is the fourth sefirah and corresponds to the fourth day of creation, which is when the Nesirah took place. I won't speak about this here at length, but you can see a lengthy discussion of this in a different context at this blog post. Basically Nesirah is the painful separation of the female aspect from the male aspect, which start off back to back, in order to bring them into a face to face relationship. This process begins today, Rosh Chodesh, and peaks at Tu B'shvat - the middle of the month. The ramifications of it echo through the months of Adar I and Adar II (Hod and Yesod) until we reach the birth at the very end of Adar, around 25th of Adar and leading into Rosh Chodesh Nissan.
There is a lot to be said and understood based on the Sefiros and the way they play out in the months of the ibur year, but an important detail to take into account is that the first three sefiros of the revealed sefiros - chesed-gevurah-tiferes - these are each represented in the upper part of the body - the right hand, left hand and torso. These three are simpler expressions which parallel the individual's ability to do kindness or withhold kindness, etc. The final three - netsach-hod-yesod - are represented by the lower part of the body - netsach and hod are the 'two legs' and they interact with earth that they walk upon. This is indicative of a deeper manifestation of the previous three, and is also indicative of the expansion of what has gone on now from being a localized incident that seems to only affect the Land of Israel, to being an expanded manifestation, which expresses the deeper truth that Israel is a microcosm of the whole world, and whatever happens here in Israel affects the entire globe.
We explore the passuk in Tehillim (Psalms) 33, verse 22, which speaks of our recognition that the degree of Hashem's open intervention in our lives corresponds to the degree that we hope to Him for our success. The people of Israel's unique ability to succeed is ultimately determined solely by their dependence on Hashem's Divine assistance.
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Running time: 21:30
What is behind Moshe's (Moses') question to G-d as to what His name is? What is the understanding of Hashem's response in saying 'I will be that I will be?' Why is the language at first doubled, and then singular? What is behind the different names of Hashem in different contexts? What three special times are hinted to in the three mentions of the fact that 'Hashem will be?' What is the difference between the individual and the people of Israel as a whole in regards to how Hashem interacts when they have gone astray?
Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.
Running time: 28:24
We explore the passuk in Tehillim (Psalms) 33, verse 21, which speaks of the great happiness we experience when we sense that Hashem is guiding us in our lives, which is a perspective we gain as we strengthen our Bitachon-trust in Him.
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Running time: 21:29
