Archive for December, 2007

Kabbalah blogging back in action! Why Moses hit the Rock. Insights into the Ramban, Chassidus and Kabbalah

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

In memory of Uncle Joe Shavrick, 8 Tammuz 5767
Over this past Shabbos Parshas Chukas, I had the opportunity to contemplate the various interpretations of Moshe’s striking the rock and the ensuing consequences.  In particular, the Ramban discounts most of the commentaries and concludes his explanation with a great “secret” from Kabbalah. The Ramban only uses the term Sod when he is referring to a Kabbalistic secret he had received from his teachers, and he religiously protected the secrets by only divulging the minimum to get his point across.
            Reb Chaim Vital writes that his Rebbi, the Arizal, said that the commentary of the Ramban on the Torah is very deep and there is no one who is able to understand it, since his words are extremely obscured and it is a very precious and beloved book to those who delve into it.
            The students of the Ramban and the kabbalists of the following generations, such as Reb Yitzchak of Acco, Kesser Shem Tov, Ibn Sahula, Rabbeinu Bechayay, Rekanati (and Levush) and Tzioni, revealed only minor points, leaving the rest hidden, as stated by the Arizal.
            The Ramban on Chukas 20:8 is readily available in Hebrew and English, so I will not quote it here, but I will offer some possible insights. (more…)

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Rosh Chodesh - New Moon in Kabbalah, Part 1

Tuesday, December 25th, 2007

Sanctifying the New Month (and Moon)
From the Siddur of the Arizal, Kol Yaakov, Rabbi Yaakov Koppel Lifshitz (early 1700’s)
Translated by Rabbi Noah Shavrick


       The Kabbalistic secret of sanctifying the new month contains many great secrets.  It requires a very expansive explanation.  However, we will not elaborate here, except for what is necessary to our topic.  I will explain only the primary points, and from them will be explained many secrets and wonders from our Holy Torah.  The following will be explained:
1)    the secret of sanctifying the new month (and moon), which can only be done after six days (from the beginning of the month), but in a difficult time, it can be sanctified after three days (from the beginning of the month), like during the rainy season, when there are many clouds, and there is a concern not to pass the time limit for sanctifying, which is after fourteen days (from the beginning of the month). 
2)     the reason why there is a time limit, which cannot be passed, and why we cannot sanctify the new month immediately (at the beginning of the month), when it becomes new.
3)    also, many other things.
It will all be explained from within the explanation, in a brief manner. (more…)

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