Why do we call the Shabbos before Pesach, Shabbos HaGadol – The Great Shabbos? Various reasons are brought. The Chidushei HaRim gives two answers. The first one follows.
The Chidushei HaRim associates this question with a similar question we find in a Gemara regarding the name of the assembly of Torah greats that functioned during the Babylonian exile and at the beginning of the second Beis HaMikdash.
R’ Yehoshua ben Levi asks, “Why are they called Anshei K’nesses HaGedola – Men of the Great Assembly? Because they returned the crown to its former glory. Moshe said, ‘God, the great, the strong, the awesome.’ Yirmiyahu said, ‘Gentiles are cackling in His sanctuary. Where is the awe? He did not say, ‘the awesome.’ Daniel said, Gentiles are enslaving His children. Where is His strength? He did not say, ‘the strong.’ They came and said, ‘Just the opposite. His strength is because He overcomes His anger and displays patience to the wicked. His awesomeness is because if it weren’t for the fear of God, one nation (Israel) would not be able to exist amidst all the others.”
It’s true that the Anshei K’nesses HaGedola returned, “the strong” and, “the awesome” but why is this a reason to call their assembly, “great?” Yirmiyahu and Daniel never removed the appellation, “great” and it therefore never had to be returned. The Chidushei HaRim explains that the Anshei K’nesses HaGedola did more than give a novel definition to God’s awesomeness and strength during the exile. They realized that God’s patience towards our enemies and the trying circumstances in which we survived the exile were the very key to making the subsequent redemption complete. After the redemption from our enemies in Persia and the miracle of Purim, it became clear that everything that we endured, that His “awesomeness” and “strength,” were indications of God’s great love for us. This realization was understandably missing during the tribulations of the exile. For this reason they were called the “great” assembly. They really returned the understanding of God’s greatness.
The Chidushei HaRim applies this same concept to the Creation. The Creation is an expression of God’s glory. However, this only became apparent when the Creation was completed, on Shabbos. Then it became clear that the entire Creation is really one tool, each part of which works towards the common goal of revealing God’s glory. When we say that it became clear, the meaning is that it became clear to man. God created the world for man to recognize Him through it. Before the nation of Israel accepted the Torah, only individuals recognized God in the Creation. The first time that an entire nation did a collective act recognizing God as the Creator was on the Shabbos before the Exodus when we performed the mitzvah of taking the lamb in preparation for the Korban Pesach. In terms of recognizing God in the Creation, this Shabbos was the culmination of Shabbos Breishis. On this Shabbos, it finally became clear to an entire people that everything that happened until this point in history including the Creation itself was the hand of the Creator. God’s greatness was finally revealed in the Creation. We commemorate it by calling this Shabbos, Shabbos HaGadol.
The Sfas Emes adds to this: The Rambam says that Avraham Avinu yearned for an entire nation to affirm God’s rule. God then promised him, “I will make you into a great nation.” How, though, is Israel considered a great nation? The pasuk tells us explicitly that the nation of Israel is the smallest of the nations. The Zohar answers that the nation is considered great because of the mitzvos, “ומי גוי גדול אשר לו חוקים ומשפטים .../And who is a great nation who has statutes and laws …” This Shabbos which commemorates the first time the nation performed a mitzvah is appropriately called Shabbos HaGadol – the Great Shabbos.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Tzav 5631 First Ma'amar
“אש תמיד תוקד על המזבח לא תכבה/A perpetual fire shall burn on the altar, it may not be extinguished.” Chazal address the difficult language of this pasuk. If the intent is to teach us that a fire shall burn continuously, then the wording should be “אש תוקד תמיד/A fire shall burn continuously” The wording “אש תמיד תוקד/A perpetual fire shall burn,” seems to be teaching us something about the fire itself.
The Zohar explains that the perpetual fire in this pasuk alludes to the Torah since the Torah is compared to fire and we are required to learn it perpetually. The pasuk is telling us that sins cannot extinguish the fire of Torah – the spiritual gains that a person attained from learning Torah. This implies that sins can extinguish the spiritual gains attained from doing mitzvos. Here’s why. Mitzvos connect us to God. When a person sins he severs that connection. (Note: The Zohar expounds on the concept of connection through mitzvos and severance because of sins. A person’s soul comprises three primary components which vary in their level of spirituality. The Nefesh HaChaim uses the metaphor of a string which stretches from the physical body, the lowest spiritual level, to the soul’s source, the highest level of spirituality. When a person performs a mitzvah, he strengthens the connection between the components and between the soul and it’s source which ultimately is God Himself. When a person sins, the connection is weakened and in some cases actually broken. - MDT) In the words of the Zohar, the sin extinguishes the mitzvah. However, when one learns Torah, he accepts the Torah; it enters him and becomes a part of him. Even if such a person sins, his Torah cannot be extinguished since it is a part of him.
The Sfas Emes explains that we can raise our performance of mitzvos to a level on which sins cannot extinguish them either. The Zohar teaches that not only Torah but also a Talmid Chacham’s mitzvos cannot be extinguished. How is the Talmid Chacham’s mitzvos on the level of his Torah learning?
Rashi explains that “אש תמיד/A perpetual fire” alludes to the menorah whose light is described as “נר תמיד/a perpetual lamp.” The Torah is teaching us that the lamps of the menorah must be lit from the altar’s fire. The lamps of the menorah suggest mitzvos as in the pasuk in Mishlei, “... נר מצוה ותורה אור/… mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is light…” The Sfas Emes explains that this pasuk teaches us the relationship between the Torah and mitzvos. The Torah is light. Light needs a vessel to contain it, otherwise it dissipates. Mitzvos are the vessels that hold the light of the Torah in the physical world. Just like the fire of the altar lights the lamps of the menorah, the Torah lights up the mitzvah, as it were.
When a Talmid Chacham performs a mitzvah, he understands that the light in his mitzvah is the light of the Torah. When he does the mitzvah, he accepts this light into him. The effect of the mitzvah is more than connecting him to God. It becomes part of him just like the Torah that he learns. This is exemplified not in the way the Talmid Chacham performs the mitzvah. The act of the mitzvah is the same regardless of who does it. It is exemplified rather by how he makes the brachah preceding the mitzvah. The brachah is where we relate the mitzvah to its source, the Torah. When the Talmid Chacham says, “וצונו/and He commanded us,” he is acknowledging that the Torah is the source of the mitzvah. He is acknowledging that the light of the Torah fills the mitzvah. He is accepting that spiritual light into him and is becoming one with it. A mitzvah performed with these thoughts in mind cannot be extinguished by sin.
The Sfas Emes teaches us that we can all raise our mitzvah performance to the level of the Talmid Chacham’s. How? How do we overcome the temptation to perform mitzvos in a ritualistic manner? Many times a person does a mitzvah for ulterior motives. Sometimes a person may perform a mitzvah without really wanting to. These mitzvos connect us to God to be sure, however, sins will sever that connection. How, then, can we overcome these thoughts so that our mitzvos afford us eternal spiritual achievements that sins cannot extinguish?
The answer comes from a Zohar at the beginning of this week’s parsha. The Zohar explains the pasuk from the beginning of the parsha, “... הִוא העֹלה על מוקדה על המזבח .../… it is the burnt offering on the flame of the altar …” The literal translation of “עֹלה/burnt offering” is, “rise up.” The Zohar explains that this refers to evil thoughts that arise in one’s mind confusing him and steering him off the true path. The way to rid oneself of these thoughts is made clear by the words which follow, “על מוקדה/… on the flame.” They must be burnt out.
How do we burn away those thoughts which prevent us from performing mitzvos with the proper intent and focus? The Sfas Emes explains that when we contemplate the kindness that God does for each and every Jew every moment, a burning desire to serve Him arises in our hearts. This burning desire pushes the confusion out of our minds. This is what the Zohar means when it says that we must burn out the evil thoughts.
This idea is hinted at a few p’sukim later, “ובִער עליה הכֹהן ... בבֹקר בבֹקר/the priest shall kindle on (the altar) … every morning.” The Zohar explains that priests, whose work in the Beis HaMikdash brings us closer to God, represent kindness. We also find that the morning is associated with kindness (e.g. “להגיד בבֹקר חסדך/to tell your kindnesses in the morning.”) So, the priest, representing God’s kindness, burns away evil on the altar each morning, a time especially associated with kindness. By emulating the priests, concentrating on God’s kindness, we burn away the evil.
Our job, then, entails cultivating a healthy recognition of God’s kindness. Being constantly aware of God’s kindnesses in our lives creates in us a burning desire to serve Him. The awareness itself will affect the way in which we perform mitzvos and lead our lives.
The Zohar explains that the perpetual fire in this pasuk alludes to the Torah since the Torah is compared to fire and we are required to learn it perpetually. The pasuk is telling us that sins cannot extinguish the fire of Torah – the spiritual gains that a person attained from learning Torah. This implies that sins can extinguish the spiritual gains attained from doing mitzvos. Here’s why. Mitzvos connect us to God. When a person sins he severs that connection. (Note: The Zohar expounds on the concept of connection through mitzvos and severance because of sins. A person’s soul comprises three primary components which vary in their level of spirituality. The Nefesh HaChaim uses the metaphor of a string which stretches from the physical body, the lowest spiritual level, to the soul’s source, the highest level of spirituality. When a person performs a mitzvah, he strengthens the connection between the components and between the soul and it’s source which ultimately is God Himself. When a person sins, the connection is weakened and in some cases actually broken. - MDT) In the words of the Zohar, the sin extinguishes the mitzvah. However, when one learns Torah, he accepts the Torah; it enters him and becomes a part of him. Even if such a person sins, his Torah cannot be extinguished since it is a part of him.
The Sfas Emes explains that we can raise our performance of mitzvos to a level on which sins cannot extinguish them either. The Zohar teaches that not only Torah but also a Talmid Chacham’s mitzvos cannot be extinguished. How is the Talmid Chacham’s mitzvos on the level of his Torah learning?
Rashi explains that “אש תמיד/A perpetual fire” alludes to the menorah whose light is described as “נר תמיד/a perpetual lamp.” The Torah is teaching us that the lamps of the menorah must be lit from the altar’s fire. The lamps of the menorah suggest mitzvos as in the pasuk in Mishlei, “... נר מצוה ותורה אור/… mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is light…” The Sfas Emes explains that this pasuk teaches us the relationship between the Torah and mitzvos. The Torah is light. Light needs a vessel to contain it, otherwise it dissipates. Mitzvos are the vessels that hold the light of the Torah in the physical world. Just like the fire of the altar lights the lamps of the menorah, the Torah lights up the mitzvah, as it were.
When a Talmid Chacham performs a mitzvah, he understands that the light in his mitzvah is the light of the Torah. When he does the mitzvah, he accepts this light into him. The effect of the mitzvah is more than connecting him to God. It becomes part of him just like the Torah that he learns. This is exemplified not in the way the Talmid Chacham performs the mitzvah. The act of the mitzvah is the same regardless of who does it. It is exemplified rather by how he makes the brachah preceding the mitzvah. The brachah is where we relate the mitzvah to its source, the Torah. When the Talmid Chacham says, “וצונו/and He commanded us,” he is acknowledging that the Torah is the source of the mitzvah. He is acknowledging that the light of the Torah fills the mitzvah. He is accepting that spiritual light into him and is becoming one with it. A mitzvah performed with these thoughts in mind cannot be extinguished by sin.
The Sfas Emes teaches us that we can all raise our mitzvah performance to the level of the Talmid Chacham’s. How? How do we overcome the temptation to perform mitzvos in a ritualistic manner? Many times a person does a mitzvah for ulterior motives. Sometimes a person may perform a mitzvah without really wanting to. These mitzvos connect us to God to be sure, however, sins will sever that connection. How, then, can we overcome these thoughts so that our mitzvos afford us eternal spiritual achievements that sins cannot extinguish?
The answer comes from a Zohar at the beginning of this week’s parsha. The Zohar explains the pasuk from the beginning of the parsha, “... הִוא העֹלה על מוקדה על המזבח .../… it is the burnt offering on the flame of the altar …” The literal translation of “עֹלה/burnt offering” is, “rise up.” The Zohar explains that this refers to evil thoughts that arise in one’s mind confusing him and steering him off the true path. The way to rid oneself of these thoughts is made clear by the words which follow, “על מוקדה/… on the flame.” They must be burnt out.
How do we burn away those thoughts which prevent us from performing mitzvos with the proper intent and focus? The Sfas Emes explains that when we contemplate the kindness that God does for each and every Jew every moment, a burning desire to serve Him arises in our hearts. This burning desire pushes the confusion out of our minds. This is what the Zohar means when it says that we must burn out the evil thoughts.
This idea is hinted at a few p’sukim later, “ובִער עליה הכֹהן ... בבֹקר בבֹקר/the priest shall kindle on (the altar) … every morning.” The Zohar explains that priests, whose work in the Beis HaMikdash brings us closer to God, represent kindness. We also find that the morning is associated with kindness (e.g. “להגיד בבֹקר חסדך/to tell your kindnesses in the morning.”) So, the priest, representing God’s kindness, burns away evil on the altar each morning, a time especially associated with kindness. By emulating the priests, concentrating on God’s kindness, we burn away the evil.
Our job, then, entails cultivating a healthy recognition of God’s kindness. Being constantly aware of God’s kindnesses in our lives creates in us a burning desire to serve Him. The awareness itself will affect the way in which we perform mitzvos and lead our lives.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
VaYikra 5631 Second Ma'amar
“ויקרא אל משה .../He called to Moshe …” A Midrash in this week’s parsha says that an animal is better than a Talmid Chacham/Torah scholar, who does not have da’as/knowledge, for even Moshe Rabeinu did not enter the tent of testimony until he was called. What is the meaning of this Midrash?
Entering the tent of testimony is a metaphor for accomplishing God’s will. Being called to enter it symbolizes being helped. The Midrash is telling us that even Moshe Rabeinu was unable to fulfill God’s will without God’s help. He could not enter on his own. He needed to be called. In order to hear the call, in order to be helped, he had to first realize that he needed help. Without this knowledge, he would not have heard and he would not have accomplished his mission.
If this is true for Moshe Rabeinu, it is certainly true for us. We need God’s help to achieve His will. Why is this? Contemplating accomplishing the will of God – the Infinite Being – can be overwhelming. How can we finite beings possibly approach the task on our own? Fortunately, God wants us to achieve his will. It’s the reason we were sent into this world. God helps us to achieve his will by “calling us” through the mitzvos. The Chidushei HaRim explains that a mitzvah is not simply an action. Rather, it has a spiritual power. This power helps us to perform the act of the mitzvah properly. We see a hint to this in the brachah we say before performing a mitzvah, “... אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו .../… that He has sanctified us with his mitzvos and commanded us …” The mitzvos themselves sanctify us thereby helping us to perform them.
In order to receive God’s help, we need to be ready to receive it. When we perform obvious mitzvos, it is easier to accept God’s help because it is obvious to us that we are doing the mitzvah to accomplish His will. He commanded us to do it. However, The Sfas Emes says that we are God’s agents in everything we do. We were sent into this world to accomplish His will in everything we do. How do we prepare ourselves to hear God’s call, to accept His help regarding all our actions that are not mitzvos? The Sfas Emes explains that every one of our activities is a potential mitzvah. By intending to accomplish God’s will with each of our actions, we transform them into mitzvos as well.. Even our mundane daily activities which we usually do not associate with mitzvos can be thus transformed. By focusing on accomplishing God’s will through our actions, the actions themselves acquire a spiritual power that helps us to achieve this goal. Our intent prepares us to accept God’s help in everything we do. It also transforms everything we do into mitzvos. These, in turn, are the vehicle that God uses to help us accomplish His will.
The Sfas Emes notes that the realization that we can only achieve God’s will with His help is called chochma/wisdom. He refers to the application of this wisdom to our everyday lives as da’as/knowledge. The reason is that da’as/knowledge in Hebrew connotes connection. (We find, for example, “And Adam knew his wife Chava …” He connected with her). We connect to the wisdom that our physical actions have spiritual components which we need to draw out by intending to do so.
The Midrash, then, can be translated as, “An animal is better than a Torah scholar who does not realize that he needs God’s help in order to accomplish His will. He can only receive God’s help by being ready to accept it. Even Moshe Rabeinu could not enter the tent of testimony, could not achieve God’s will without being called. Significantly the Zohar says that Moshe Rabeinu is the repository of da’as/knowledge for the nation of Israel. According to what we’ve said, this also means that he was constantly ready to receive God’s help – to be “called.”
God is constantly calling each of us. We open ourselves to hear His call by being ready for it. We ready ourselves by intending to accomplish His will through our actions. Practically, this means taking a few moments before each activity during the day (e.g. going to work, eating a meal, shopping) and contemplating doing it in order to accomplish God’s will.
Entering the tent of testimony is a metaphor for accomplishing God’s will. Being called to enter it symbolizes being helped. The Midrash is telling us that even Moshe Rabeinu was unable to fulfill God’s will without God’s help. He could not enter on his own. He needed to be called. In order to hear the call, in order to be helped, he had to first realize that he needed help. Without this knowledge, he would not have heard and he would not have accomplished his mission.
If this is true for Moshe Rabeinu, it is certainly true for us. We need God’s help to achieve His will. Why is this? Contemplating accomplishing the will of God – the Infinite Being – can be overwhelming. How can we finite beings possibly approach the task on our own? Fortunately, God wants us to achieve his will. It’s the reason we were sent into this world. God helps us to achieve his will by “calling us” through the mitzvos. The Chidushei HaRim explains that a mitzvah is not simply an action. Rather, it has a spiritual power. This power helps us to perform the act of the mitzvah properly. We see a hint to this in the brachah we say before performing a mitzvah, “... אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו .../… that He has sanctified us with his mitzvos and commanded us …” The mitzvos themselves sanctify us thereby helping us to perform them.
In order to receive God’s help, we need to be ready to receive it. When we perform obvious mitzvos, it is easier to accept God’s help because it is obvious to us that we are doing the mitzvah to accomplish His will. He commanded us to do it. However, The Sfas Emes says that we are God’s agents in everything we do. We were sent into this world to accomplish His will in everything we do. How do we prepare ourselves to hear God’s call, to accept His help regarding all our actions that are not mitzvos? The Sfas Emes explains that every one of our activities is a potential mitzvah. By intending to accomplish God’s will with each of our actions, we transform them into mitzvos as well.. Even our mundane daily activities which we usually do not associate with mitzvos can be thus transformed. By focusing on accomplishing God’s will through our actions, the actions themselves acquire a spiritual power that helps us to achieve this goal. Our intent prepares us to accept God’s help in everything we do. It also transforms everything we do into mitzvos. These, in turn, are the vehicle that God uses to help us accomplish His will.
The Sfas Emes notes that the realization that we can only achieve God’s will with His help is called chochma/wisdom. He refers to the application of this wisdom to our everyday lives as da’as/knowledge. The reason is that da’as/knowledge in Hebrew connotes connection. (We find, for example, “And Adam knew his wife Chava …” He connected with her). We connect to the wisdom that our physical actions have spiritual components which we need to draw out by intending to do so.
The Midrash, then, can be translated as, “An animal is better than a Torah scholar who does not realize that he needs God’s help in order to accomplish His will. He can only receive God’s help by being ready to accept it. Even Moshe Rabeinu could not enter the tent of testimony, could not achieve God’s will without being called. Significantly the Zohar says that Moshe Rabeinu is the repository of da’as/knowledge for the nation of Israel. According to what we’ve said, this also means that he was constantly ready to receive God’s help – to be “called.”
God is constantly calling each of us. We open ourselves to hear His call by being ready for it. We ready ourselves by intending to accomplish His will through our actions. Practically, this means taking a few moments before each activity during the day (e.g. going to work, eating a meal, shopping) and contemplating doing it in order to accomplish God’s will.
Monday, March 19, 2007
VaYikra 5631 First Ma'amar
“ויקרא אל משה .../God called Moshe …” This first pasuk of parshas VaYikra relates the first time that God spoke to Moshe from the Mishkan. It teaches us, according to Chazal, that each time God spoke to Moshe, he first called him. What is the significance of this?
The first Midrash on this week’s parsha brings a pasuk from Tehillim, “ברכו ה' מלאכיו גבֹרי כֹח עֹשי דברו לשמֹע בקול דברו/Bless God, His angels, strong warriors doing His bidding to hear His word.” The word “מלאך/angel” also means messenger. In fact, the word mal’ach refers to a human messenger in various places in Tanach. The Midrash explains that “מלאכיו/His angels” in this pasuk does not refer to angels but rather to human messengers. How are we God’s messengers? The Sfas Emes explains that every Jew is sent into this world to do the will of God. Essentially, we are God’s agents in this world. Angels are messengers because they, too, are sent to this world to do the will of God. The difference between angels and us is that we are able to choose whereas an angel has no choice but to do God’s will.
An angel is always a messenger. We, on the other hand, are agents of God only when we make sure that our actions fulfill His will. Then we become, “עֹשי דברו לשמֹע בקול דברו/doing His bidding to hear His word.” This is a strange construct. Shouldn’t the pasuk state that we will listen to His word to do His bidding? The Sfas Emes explains that the pasuk is teaching us a deep concept. We don’t always know what God’s will is. In any given situation, what is it that God wants me to do? It is not always clear. David HaMelech advises us how we can know God’s will. We do God’s bidding by first resolving to satisfy His will with our action. Before acting we can think that we want our action to achieve God’s will. If we do this, we will merit understanding God’s will in those very activities.
This concept explains “גב¬ֹרי כֹח/strong warriors” as well. In addition to strength, the word koach means potential. God’s will is the potential of every action. We learn from this pasuk that a person who is determined to fulfill God’s will with his every action, who wants to be God’s emissary in this world, accomplishing that for which he was sent here, is someone who transforms the potential of God’s will into reality.
Moshe Rabeinu was the archetypal emissary. Like an angel, he was so tuned in, as it were, that he was always ready to hear God and do His will. One who is looking to carry out God’s will with his every action, always hears God. The Torah emphasizes this the very first time God spoke to Moshe Rabeinu after the construction of the Mishkan with the words, “ויקרא אל משה .../God called Moshe.” This, then, is the significance of the first pasuk of this week’s parsha.
God is constantly calling us. The difference between us and Moshe Rabeinu is that he always heard it because he was tuned into it. But God sent all of us to this world to be His agents. He gave each of us the tools we need to do it. Moshe Rabeinu was the quintessential agent of God but the Midrash is speaking to each and every Jew. May we each merit transforming God’s will into reality in all of our daily activities.
The first Midrash on this week’s parsha brings a pasuk from Tehillim, “ברכו ה' מלאכיו גבֹרי כֹח עֹשי דברו לשמֹע בקול דברו/Bless God, His angels, strong warriors doing His bidding to hear His word.” The word “מלאך/angel” also means messenger. In fact, the word mal’ach refers to a human messenger in various places in Tanach. The Midrash explains that “מלאכיו/His angels” in this pasuk does not refer to angels but rather to human messengers. How are we God’s messengers? The Sfas Emes explains that every Jew is sent into this world to do the will of God. Essentially, we are God’s agents in this world. Angels are messengers because they, too, are sent to this world to do the will of God. The difference between angels and us is that we are able to choose whereas an angel has no choice but to do God’s will.
An angel is always a messenger. We, on the other hand, are agents of God only when we make sure that our actions fulfill His will. Then we become, “עֹשי דברו לשמֹע בקול דברו/doing His bidding to hear His word.” This is a strange construct. Shouldn’t the pasuk state that we will listen to His word to do His bidding? The Sfas Emes explains that the pasuk is teaching us a deep concept. We don’t always know what God’s will is. In any given situation, what is it that God wants me to do? It is not always clear. David HaMelech advises us how we can know God’s will. We do God’s bidding by first resolving to satisfy His will with our action. Before acting we can think that we want our action to achieve God’s will. If we do this, we will merit understanding God’s will in those very activities.
This concept explains “גב¬ֹרי כֹח/strong warriors” as well. In addition to strength, the word koach means potential. God’s will is the potential of every action. We learn from this pasuk that a person who is determined to fulfill God’s will with his every action, who wants to be God’s emissary in this world, accomplishing that for which he was sent here, is someone who transforms the potential of God’s will into reality.
Moshe Rabeinu was the archetypal emissary. Like an angel, he was so tuned in, as it were, that he was always ready to hear God and do His will. One who is looking to carry out God’s will with his every action, always hears God. The Torah emphasizes this the very first time God spoke to Moshe Rabeinu after the construction of the Mishkan with the words, “ויקרא אל משה .../God called Moshe.” This, then, is the significance of the first pasuk of this week’s parsha.
God is constantly calling us. The difference between us and Moshe Rabeinu is that he always heard it because he was tuned into it. But God sent all of us to this world to be His agents. He gave each of us the tools we need to do it. Moshe Rabeinu was the quintessential agent of God but the Midrash is speaking to each and every Jew. May we each merit transforming God’s will into reality in all of our daily activities.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Introducing Kulabay
I have decided to add a feature called Kulabay to the end of each post. Kulabay enables Web 2.0 technology for any digital document. Currect features include comments which closely resembles a forum, file uploads, related links, rating and page views.
Kulabay solves a format problem for me. On the one hand, in order to understand the Sfas Emes, I need to fill in the gaps. On the other hand, I do want to remain true to the intent of the Sfas Emes. This leaves me somewhat restricted. Many times, for example, I'd like to provide practical applications of the Sfas Emes's ideas. The Kulabay feature solves this problem because I can be as free as I want with the understanding that it is me talking, not necessarily the Sfas Emes.
I want this blog to be a tool that can be used to explore applying the teachings of the Sfas Emes (and possibly Chassidus in general) to every day life. Primarily because of the comments/forum feature, Kulabay enables the development of a community.
Needless to say, comments and feedback are welcome.
For more info re: Kulabay see: http://www.kulabay.com
Kulabay solves a format problem for me. On the one hand, in order to understand the Sfas Emes, I need to fill in the gaps. On the other hand, I do want to remain true to the intent of the Sfas Emes. This leaves me somewhat restricted. Many times, for example, I'd like to provide practical applications of the Sfas Emes's ideas. The Kulabay feature solves this problem because I can be as free as I want with the understanding that it is me talking, not necessarily the Sfas Emes.
I want this blog to be a tool that can be used to explore applying the teachings of the Sfas Emes (and possibly Chassidus in general) to every day life. Primarily because of the comments/forum feature, Kulabay enables the development of a community.
Needless to say, comments and feedback are welcome.
For more info re: Kulabay see: http://www.kulabay.com
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