Filed under: PARSHA Achrey Mot | Tags: halachah, KABALLAH, Music, NASHAMAH, nefesh, OMER, PARSHA Achrey Mot, PARSHA KIDOSHIM, REDEMPTION, Sefirot Shavuot, soul mates, spirit Ruach
DANGER OF HIGHER LEVELS OF HOLINESS- PARSHA ACHREY MOT (AFTER DEATH) AND KIDOSHIM
Filed under: PARSHA Achrey Mot, PARSHA KIDOSHIM, soul mates | Tags: Achrey Mot (After Death) and Kidoshim
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Achrey Mot (After Death) Bs”d
Concerning Achrey Mot (After Death) After one dies if they merit to reside in “Gan Eden” (Garden of Eden) instead of needing to return to this world in incarnation again , this is the zenith of life for the soul, indeed, to go upstairs and live it up with the angels, basking in the Divine Presence. But in truth this is only an intermediary stage between life in the material world, and life in the time of the Redemption, when souls will be resurrected into bodies, which will be a even higher spiritual experience ! The Ruach is purified in Gehennom, whence it goes forth roaming about the world and visiting its grave….After twelve months the whole is at rest; the body reposes in the dust and the soul is clad in its luminous vestment. In the next phases, the Ruach enters Lower Gan Eden, the . The neshamah, which is not liable to sin, returns to its source in the celestial Gan Edenin the world of Bria , from which she never again descends to earth. The hayyah and yehidah remain in contact with the infinite Godhead after death
It is written in Emek HaMelech that there were found Mishnyot of King Hezekia and Sidkiyah of Yuhudah and the prophets Chagi and Zacharia in Cairo it states in these Mishnyot that they hid the Temple vessels, the wealth of its treasury and these things will not be revealed till Mashiach ben David arrives. The first mishna states that the “mishcon” (Tabernacle) parochet, Menorah, the Ark, the head plate of Aharon, the breast plate and the silver horns, alter and show Bread tables were all hidden.
In this parsha we are told of the lots for the 2 goats one which will be brought to the Temple to be offered to God and the other will have a brick tied between its horns and IS sent off into the desert to be thrown backwards off a cliff. This is one of the most shocking ceremonies in the Torah. We must lift our sins from ourselves and let them fall with the goat or God forbid someone else could become the “scapegoat” of this evil energy. The midrash tells us the “scapegoat” represents Asev. Asev is Edom and their job is to try to push Yisrael off the Torah path to sin as taught in Pesicta. The goat pushed off the cliff is called the “Goat to Azazel”.
Ibn Ezra refers to the Secret of Azazel with a cryptic hint as to Azazel’s identity:
ואם יכולת להבין הסוד שהוא אחר מלת עזאזל, תדע סודו וסוד שמו, כי יש לו חברים במקרא. ואני אגלה לך קצת הסוד ברמז בהיותך בן שלשים ושלש שנים תדענו.
He writes “If you are able to understand the secret that comes after the word Azazel, you will understand its secret and the secret of its name, for there are others like it in the Bible. And I will let you in on some of the secret with a hint: When you are 33, you will know it. “
Ibn Ezra’s comment has puzzled generations of commentators to explain his meaning.
- Elazar ben Matatiah (13thcentury), in his commentary on ibn Ezra, was aware of a text that read שינים “teeth” instead of שנים “years,” leading to this peculiar reading of the secret:
While the reading that R. Elazar ben Matatiah is pointing out that ibn Ezra is not hinting at the meaning of the name but is teasing the reader by saying that they will never figure it out.
Rabbi Ibn Ezra is hinting that you will understand the secret of Azazel when you get to the verse (Lev 17:7) “and that they may offer their sacrifices no more to the goat-demons after whom they stray.” And the word is a compound, and there are many like it.
According to the Ramban , 33 years means 33 verses, the distance between the first mention of Azazel in Leviticus 16:8 and the mention of the goat-demons in Leviticus 17:7. This is also how R. Joseph Bonfils (14th cent.), in his Tzafenat Paʿaneakh commentary, explains the secret:
The meaning of his words is that if one counts 33 verses from the [first appearance of the] word Azazel, one arrives at the end of the counting at (Lev 17:7) “and that they may offer their sacrifices no more to the goat-demons after whom they stray.” And if you understand this verse, then you will understand that these goat-demons (seʿirim) are Azazel, for an ʿez (nanny goat) and a seʿir (billy goat) are the same. You will also understand why the scapegoat isn’t slaughtered, so that it would not look as if they were worshiping the goat demons. R. Elijah HaCohen of Serres (late 13th cent. Thrace) understood the number in the same way, “When you are 33 years old you will know it” it means that there are 33 verses in the Torah that Moses didn’t write, rather someone else wrote them. R. Shemarya HaIkriti (14th cent. Byzantium), as reported by his student R. Moskoni, is that even though ibn Ezra explicitly denies the scapegoat is a sacrifice, his secret is a hint that really it is one. When Ezra said “You will understand when you are 33 years old” he meant to say that this is referring to the 33 acts that are found in the sacrificial service mentioned in the Torah. This is the edge of the secret that he was willing to present to us, for through these words he alludes to us that the scapegoat is also a sacrifice. Also know, there are 33 sin-offerings of male goats offered per year… with the male goat to Azazel upon which the high priest confesses all the transgressions of the Israelites, all their sins, the number of sin-offering sacrificial acts performed with male goats in a year is 33.
Among the many commandments in Parashat Kedoshim, that direct man toward Holiness there are commandments called “gifts of the poor.” These commandments instruct the Jewish farmer to give of his crops to the poor. These are the commandments called : “pe’ah”, “leket”, “olelot”, and “peret”. In the book of Deuteronomy, we also find the commandment “shichecha.”
Let us elaborate a little on these commandments. The mitzvah of “pe’ah” has a farmer leave a area at the end of his field – about 2% of the field – that is not harvested. The grain grown in this area belongs to the poor who come and harvest it for their needs. The mitzvah of “leket” deals with crops that fall from the harvester’s hands while harvesting the field. If one or two stalks fall – the harvester is not allowed to lift them from the ground, and they are left to the poor who come after the harvest and collect the individual crops. The commandment of ‘olalot’ refers to the owner of a vineyard who harvests the grapes grown in his vineyard. The vineyard owner is commanded to leave on the branches of the vine the small clusters that have not developed, and after the harvest the poor come and pick these clusters for themselves. The commandment of “peret” also deals with a vineyard, and like the mitzvah of “leket”, it deals with individual grapes that fell during harvest from the clusters – these grapes remain in the field for the poor.
To complete the picture, we will also list the “gifts of the poor” written in Deuteronomy: In the “Mieser” (poor tithe) the farmer sets aside a tenth of his crop in the third and sixth years of the seven-year cycle to give to the poor. and gives it to the poor; The commandment of “shichecha”, deals with sheaves forgotten in the field that the farmer may not return to take for himself, but leaves to the poor.
In fact, apart from “mieser” (the poor tithe) that can add up to a substantial amount, the other gifts to the poor are rather meager leftovers of the crop: a small, unharvested area at the edge of the field, individual sheaves and grapes that have fallen, forgotten sheaves, or small clusters of grapes. This does not seem to be enough to support a poor person, certainly not if a number of poor people came to the field to take the crops or grapes left for them by the owner of the field and the vineyard.
What, then, is the purpose of these commandments? If the poor cannot make a living from these few crops, why is the farmer required to leave them in the field? What is the benefit of leaving small clusters of grapes or individual grapes that have fallen to the ground?
It seems that these “gifts of the poor” were not only intended for the poor, but rather for the farmer the property owner may fall into the trap of feeling powerful in his control of his property and that can lead to pride and arrogance. So, the Torah addresses man as he harvests the grain or the grapes of his vineyard and seeks to educate him to humility and to embrace the insight that the land and property were given to him by God, and that he must humbly express gratitude for his good fate.
When a person harvests his field, the Torah stops him before finishing the harvest and instructs him to leave a small area at the edge of the field for others. The field may be yours – but you don’t have control over it as here we see ultimately all belongs to God.
Our parsha begins speaking concerning Aharon’s sons who went to far spiritually, and this resulted in their death. If someone is buried on the day his soul departs in the Holy land the spirit of impurity has no dominion over over him at all. All who die do so by the angel of death, except those who die in in Aretz Yisrael, who die by a angel of mercy. They ascend into “Kodesh Elyon”1 All buried in artz yisreal are as buried under the alter and are thus atoned for.2 When a gentile dies in “Aretz Yisrael” his Nashama is pushed out and forced to roam in many wanderings until they leave “Aretz Yisrael”, and reach the impure region where they belong. As they have not prepared themselves by Torah and mitzvot. One who lives outside “Aretz Yisrael” draws upon themselves a strange “ruach”,one of impurity.When they die if their body is brought to “Aretz Yisrael” this is a abomination. They defile the land.3 The day of one’s death is called “יוםיהו”ה” (day of Hashem).4 When the Nashama goes out of its body it sees the face of the Shechinah. This “segulah” is specifically according to their actions while living, thus they merit to ”devacut” (cleaving to Hashem).5 “Gehannam” (Hell) is created on the second day of creation, but we are also taught that in some way “Gehannam” is one of the seven things created before the world. It is very purposeful. We are taught there are some things which will to bring upon oneself punishment in”Gehannam” even if one is otherwise righteous and a Torah scholar. These sins including incest, adultery, idolatry, pride, losing one‘s temper, teaching a student who is not worthy, The sages also listed things which could help spare you from experiencing torment in “Gehannam”, including tzedaka, humility, visiting the sick, teaching Torah to the son of an ignoramus, and observing the commandment to eat three meals on the Sabbath. In tractate Berakhot it says that if you say the letter “d” of the “Shema” distinctly, the fires of “Gehannam” are cooled for you. There is also a teaching that even up to the time that one is at the gates of “Gehannam”, if they repent they can be granted Divine mercy and be exempted for the punishments of “Gehannam”.
Desire is in partnership with the flow of Divine abundance that comes to his vessels. Desire comes from Atzilut. It is flow of אלה”י (your god). By this he cleaves in the voices. There comes to him desire of love to be covered in the wings of the Shechinah, he recieves anything from Chuchmah Elyonah (supernal wisdom) So go in and ask for Chuchmah in great desire, desire of your nefesh. Ask so that you grow in comprehension unto all abilities. Preparations are necessary for Chuchmah (Divine wisdom) of Navua (prophesy). You must work for this day and night. From the tiva (desire) for Divine names. This is the cavana (intention). Choice love and desire. These are the general principles. The name of Keter is to them all. It is the first cause close to thought that arrouses the movement to ask, arrouse will and thought. These are one thing and are not separated. רצון(will) rises up in all levels till reaching the level called חשק(desire) in all its completeness. חשק(desire) has no limit or end. It raises up thought from its beginning to completion. חשקis the end of all tiva (burning desire). It is a מופת(wonder). Devacut (cleaving) and חשק(desire) are one thing. One cleves in חשק(desire). All this goes out from thought to actuality, then there is כח(power). The giving of חשק (desire) is a אות (spiritual sign) it is צבאו”תאלהי”ם יהו”ה. Through this there will be a אותin our צבא(hosts). From the stones of the Cohain Gadol’s breast plate is חשקfrom the source of Binna. It is breath and חותם (a seal). חשק is אור עצום (essential light).6
Rise to the level of Navua (prophesy) by making a markava (chariot) to Teferet (divine harmony-balance). There are 3 levels of navua. First level is from chitzonim (the otherside). This is when one’s thoughts are not their own but those of the otherside. This level is tuma (impurity) as Billam and Lavan. They go into pardes (upper world) peek and tread on the shoots and blemish there. They peek and die. There are those who go in peek tread on the shoots blemishing them and go out. One must be careful not to do this. 2nd is returning to the land. Then one can begin eating the herbs of the field. All the prayers of man his actions and tikun are accepted through this herb and there is accepted all that they do below. As it is invited from above. So it rises above. Behold the secret of the 72 names. They are the secret of the hachalot. All of them open to man according to judgment on his actions. There are many kinds of herbs and fruits. They are one level upon another. Till the upper navua. With the herb of the field they can enter in peace and go out in peace. This is secret of the Nefesh. There is a level above this. It is the supernal bread of Binna. This is secret of the Ruach (spirit). This is Hidden in the sefirot. In the shadow of Yisrael is nourished Sucat shalom for us. This is as it is said “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread”. A level above this is Trumah (holy portion) it is of Nashama. This is the secret of navua braking forth, until the navua of Moshe.
1Sulam on Zohar Trumah p.121a
2Shoshon Sodot
3Sulam on Zohar Achray Mot p.72b,Trumah p.141b
4Zohar Vayikra p.217a
5Avodat Yisrael p.26
6Safer haCheshek-Abulafia
Parsha Kidoshim בס“ד
What is “kidoshim” (being Holy) , Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, Former Chief Sefardi Rabbi, peace unto him, said: “On Friday night I had a dream and saw the Messiah arriving at the Western Wall. In the plaza there were many people. The Messiah said to them: Gentlemen, I came now–there are a million schoolchildren who do not learn Torah, who learn in secular schools. I want all the yeshiva students to enlist. Those who are for God, come to me. Let them be teachers, to teach them Torah. There should not be a single school in which there is no Torah. All will learn Torah’.”
It would be “Holy” if all Torah observant Jews “enlisted” in Israel’s army and brought all Israel secular Jews to “teshuva” , that would be HOLY !, Nice Idea but a dangerous one , as the arm usually secularizes people. But if it could be done the results would be amazing !
Our pasha begins by saying “Holy you shall be because I am Holy, I am Yhv”h Elohchem “. It’s interesting to note that this is not a question or a request, but a demand !. How can this be when Holiness is such a High level that the Ramcha”l says in Path of the Just that Holiness is a gift from GOD, it being the highest level. Yet we see here Holiness is the inheritance of all Yisrael. Holiness results in true selflessness creating harmony internally and externally. With true Holiness comes happiness to the one who is Holy and those who know him well.
What is Holiness, or in Hebrew “Kidushah” ? “Kidushin” is the name for the betrothal and marriage ceremony and it derives from the word “Kidushah” Evidently a Wedding ,”Kidushin”. is intrinsic and essential to the concept of “Kidushah”. Standing diametrically opposite this we see in our parsha is the elaborate list of prohibited relations, listed at the end of Parsha Achray Mot, and repeated again at the end of Parsha Kidoshim in a different order;the first parsha lists the forbidden relationships, the second lists the punishments for it’s transgressors. It seems “Kidushah” through God’s commandment bind us to God in a way similar to marriage , it is said the Torah is the Jewish people’s “Katuba” (marriage contract) with God. Holiness is known by one not desiring that which is prohibited. Both Rashi and The Ramba”n teaches that Holiness is known both through abstention and not desiring what is prohibited. Holiness is not a static ‘thing’ but one that can be cultivated and magnified by our right actions.
The Mahara”l of Prague explains that Holiness needs to be maintained by careful guarding of the commandments, and it can also be enhanced by doing more things that are Holy and doing them in a more Holy way and also by. abstaining from prohibited things also enhances “Holiness”, and such is a necessary condition for maintaining ones Sanctity.
Parsha Kedoshim is telling us to always act Holy. Rashi explains acting Holy means to separate ourselves from the other nations; to be role models for them. We are supposed to be a light unto the nations by following God’s instruction doing his “mitzvot” (commandments),. Becoming the one nation that other nations could look up to. The Torah outlines for us the life we should be living and how we should act. That life is meant to be a example for the other nations. We achieve this by doing everything in moderation for the sake of Heaven, and not doing things which society looks down upon but exercising self control. In the parsha we are again warned not to eat blood. The parsha also again lists people we are forbidden to have sexual relationships with. The Torah warns us that if we break these restrictions, “the land will vomit you out for defiling it, as it vomited out the nation that came before you.” Why ?
In Gemore Batzah Rabbi Yishmoyal states that ” The Torah was given to Yisrael because they are worthy of it, and it were not given to them no nation could withstand them.” Just as the body must have a heart, and a brain to function properly. For the world to be in its proper order all Yisrael, as the verse says “Must be Holy”. This is reflected in the teaching of Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah)in Tanna DebEliyahu that “If it were not for the Torah the world long ago would have been destroyed”. So when people of this generation say “Holiness is unattainable”. Know that this is ever so far from the truth. This reflects what Rabbi Nachman of Breslov said “a plague of atheism is coming to the world”. The Torah’s teachings are eternal, and we can be Holy. Next we must ask how can this be attained ?
In order to become “kadosh” (Holy) one must first remove all that which is forbidden As long as you eat forbidden foods and engage in forbidden activities, kedushah (Holiness) will not be with you.
Acting according to Human dignity is what the Torah calls “derech eretz” which literally means “way of the land,” but it is explained as meaning acting with consideration for others. Without derech eretz, Torah will not will not work.
One cannot attain Holiness
Concerning this it is written :
“Yhv”h spoke to Moshe (Moses), saying: Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for holy am I, Yhv”h, your God.”(VaYikra-Leviticus 19:1-2)
But then the examples start flowing in:
“You shall not steal, you shall not deny falsely, and you shall not lie one man to his fellow… You shall not cheat your fellow…a worker’s wage shall not remain with you overnight until morning… You shall not curse the deaf, and you shall not place a stumbling block before the blind… With righteousness shall you judge your fellow… You shall not be gossip monger among your people, you shall not stand aside while your fellow’s blood is shed… You shall not hate your brother in your heart… You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the members of your people…”(ibid 11-18) We are forbidden to wear garments that contain both wool and linen, we are forbidden to cut the corners of our beards, cut our flesh as a sign of mourning, or to tatoo our flesh. We are commanded to respect the elderly. We are commanded not to harvest the edges of our fields nor to pick up any fallen fruit thus allowing the poor and the stranger to gather food for themselves. We are commanded not to steal or cheat; nor to defraud or oppress. We are commanded not to insult the deaf or to trip up the blind. We are commanded to be be fair in judgment and not to take vengeance or bear a grudge.
All these laws culminate in the famous verse beseeching us to “love your fellow as yourself” (ibid). ”Kedoshim” is the plural form of the Hebrew word “kadosh”, which means Holy. It is plural as it involves all aspects of a Holy persons life. Holiness of the Bible is meant to be a life style.
If one engages in Holy actions his thought will always follow those Holy actions he engages in. He will be Holy. A man is formed according to his actions. Let them Be Holy.
Without derech eretz, Torah will not will not work. One cannot attain Holiness
This is the beginning of the way upon which all depends
The Torah world itself has absorbed unholy life patterns into their lifestyle. Some things from the material world can be used in a holy manner, and made holy to God through usage. But many are fooling themselves and are only “drowning” in materialism. They are comprising on holiness, and this is spiritually entrapping them. Getting trapped in dark places is not difficult in this generation as Biblical prohibitions which in early generations were seen as disgusting , grotesque and repulsive as eating mice are now seen as “politically correct” and their Biblical prohibition is seen by “modern” society as disgusting , grotesque and repulsive. Homosexuality being a prime example. Sexual desire is one of the most powerful drives to the human body it was used to induce of course forbidden relations and by it lead people to worship idols like in the story of Bilam and Balak with the Midianite women, the other side uses it to seduce people into many other transgressions.
Many of the commandments in our parsha involve sexual prohibitions. The Tikunny Zohar teaches that If a man gives his first drop of seed to a mentruant, maidservant, non-Jewess, or a prostitute, this causes that another person will take his soul mate, it is ‘a deed to compensate a deed.If one merits to their soul mate she will help him in the Torah in the commandments in fear and love,helping him in this world and in the world to come. (Page 30B)
The sages say in Gemora Yavamot “You shall be Holy because I am Holy” is a admonition for people to sanctify themselves in that which is permitted to them (eating, talking, playing). This means one must make all aspects of one’s life part of their Divine service. You should know, not everything permitted by the words written in the Torah itself are what the God desires, as the Torah was not written for idiots and some things one should know are wrong just by common sense.. The God expects a person who wants to achieve closeness to him, Holiness not to be looking at the Torah for halachik “loopholes” where by no particular law seems to be transgressed thus allowing a person to lead a very immoral or corrupt lifestyle. For example marrying and divorcing different a women every night so one can sleep with a different partners every night. Or as the Rambam says in His Misna Torah one is permitted to drink the milk from their wifes breast but its disgusting and one should not do this.
Physicality should not be a snare preventing spiritual growth and awareness. But all thoughts speech and actions of our lives can be a place for God to dwell with us. For example : eating can be a self serving meal, or truly one’s table their alter, and their meal is an offering to GOD. The sages teach its for this reason we wash our hands as the Cohenim washed their hands for a offering. Yet this is only one example and a obvious one. In other areas of one’s life which appear more secular their relationship to the spiritual is less apparent. One needs to humble themselves to see the next improvement. In the Beginning of our parsha we are commanded concerning the Shabat. Shabat itself is called Holy. The Rambam raises a interesting issue concerning the reason for the multiplication of warnings concerning Shabbot in many places in the Torah. He ask does each warning come to teach us that, by a single act, one can come to multiple punishments. One for each mention of the transgression in the Torah. Rambam, in Sefer Hamitzvot, writes that “The multiplication of warnings is for emphasis so it’s repeated with warning after warning, for emphasis.” Thus hinting the the importance of the Holy Shabbot .The Rambam concludes , that only if the multiplication of warnings are concerning a distinction or special reason is one punished according to their number, but where there is not a reason or excuse for the multiplication of warnings one is not punished based on their number. The multiplication of warnings comes for emphasis. Ramban writes: “ There are many warnings about the Sabbath, as there are about idolatry.” Right next to the commandment of shabat we are commanded against being involved in Idolatry. As the sages say that observing shabat is equivalent to fulfilling the whole Torah. Forsaking Shabot is as engaging in idolatry. The nature of Shabot is illuded to in Tikuney Zohar as there we learn that the 3 pillers of the ש of שבת channel all sustenance to the world. Its right pillar are all the commandments and its left piller all prohibitions. All lights gather together in its central piller which is the SHECHINAH herself. ש looks like a manorah. In the Torah it says ” The Manorah (lamp in temple) must be made from one solid piece of Gold”. Moshe Alshich teaches from this that our life which is directed by Torah must be just this. Showing no interference from outside influences, Heaven forbid. Its written “don’t worship strange Gods”, A Chassidic rebbe once said this really means God should not be strange to you. But we must know GOD in all aspects of our life. Its also written “Don’t make yourselves molten gods”. The simple meaning here is against making Idols. “Don’t make yourselves molten gods” can be understood also as meaning to not make ourselves as ”molten gods” when we don’t concern ourselves with what GOD wants of us. By our actions not being becouse of Divine will. We make ourselves as our own idol. This is also as its written in the Torah ” You will serve other gods who you do not know”. As they don’t realize this. One must always give more to GOD. As Rabbi Nachman says filling each moment with greater Holiness. Reflecting the revelation ”the whole world is filled with his glory”. Also “YHV”H is one and his Name is one” . When it will be seen fulfilled the purpose of life as explained by Rabbi Shimon all knowing that ” YHV”H is Elohe”m “. Then we will recognize the transcendent quality of GOD in all the natural ”mundane” things around us. As Teva (nature) has the same numerical value as Elohe”m
In the Ten Commandments we read, “Honor your father and your mother.” In this week’s Torah portion, the word “mother” is written first followed by “father.” The Torah contains both these versions of this commandment to show that we need to treat our parents equally, that neither mother or father should come first in our honor or reverence for them.
We also see in our parsha Kedoshim that we will inherit the Land. Only if we do what it says in the Torah
“ You shall keep all of My statutes and all of My laws and do them so that you will not be expelled by the land to which I am bringing you there to reside therein. (Verse 24) And I have said to you [that] you shall inherit their land, and I shall give it to you that you may inherit it, a land flowing with milk and honey, I am YHV”H, your God who separated you from the other peoples.” (Verse 22)
The Torah states that in account of transgressing forbidden sexual relations the Land will vomit out the Israelites:
“You shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them; that the land, where I bring you to dwell in it, vomit you not out.” (20:22)
The inheritance of the Land of Israel, is acquired only
through fulfilling what God asks of us in His Torah .May we see this soon With the coming of our righteous Mashiach quickly in our days.