{Part 1 – 20/03/2017}
Shema Yisrael
It is the year 5777. There have been 3329 years since Exodus, 525 years since the Spanish expulsion, 79 years since Kristallnacht. 69 years since Independence, 50 years since the unification of Jerusalem. To know oneself as Jew means knowing oneself as a witness to history.
The words of Shema Yisrael were the words spoken at every morning and evening prayer, and when pressed against the door of death and destruction. They are an anthem of identity, but also a call of resilience no matter how far hope-forsaken.
Jewish history has walked a long road. The story is told in chapters: Biblical, prophetic, Talmudic, “the first”, and us, “the last”.
Amongst “the first” was the leader Ramban, who explained a secret of the Shema:
In the Torah, two letters are written differently within the Shema. They spell the word Ed “witness”.
SHEMA
Shin, Mem, Ayin
YISRAEL
Wrestling angels because we are stiff-necked
HASHEM ELOKEINU HASHEM ECHAD
Witnessing the passage through the Red Sea.
It is the year 5777, it has been many years. The words of the Hatikva are only 140 years old, but their meaning transcends their iteration: So long as the heart of a Jew beats, it murmurs “the hope is not lost”.
Shema Yisrael: I shall witness history become great and good. I shall not lose hope. I am a stiff-necked people.
http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8245/jewish/Chapter-50.htm#v=24
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading_cdo/aid/2492702/jewish/Pekudei-Torah-Reading.htm
Pesach is a time of remembering the meaning of freedom: nothing mortal has the right to constrain me.
This year is the 3329th year of remembering freedom, which is a surreal experience in a world which has transformed the Jewish experience utterly within less than a century. The right of birthright is the right of self-defence and self-determination. It is the right of freedom. And yet our hope remains unfulfilled.
Perhaps this is the first century when we no longer wait on the world, but now the world waits on us. Perhaps thousands of years of fear has dulled our arrogance and determination against all odds. Nevertheless. Perhaps this year can be a beacon among the years: hope without flinching.
The Torah sings a song that narrates the common heritage of all life. “In the beginning” we remember that this world was given to us; “These are the names of Israel who went into Egypt”, we remember that this world imprisons us. “This is the blessing”, we remember what we could dream, and how far we could yearn.
In the song called “Pekudei”, we remember that there is nothing greater than the achievements which become foundations for a shared future. That is to say, there is nothing greater than peace.
When the Israelites heard that slavery was not eternal, they were amazed, “Pakod Yifkod”, we were remembered, we were not forgotten.
In “Pekudei” we build the peace that we had never thought we would receive. On Pesach, we remember receiving it.
The future is built together, but each one builds with those around him. Before Israel left Egypt they were told, “In order that restrictions (angel of death) pass-over you, unite in your own house [yourself with a sheep? Is this misleading to truncate?].” The letters of sheep are ceves.
[??How to segue from the idea of otiyot (even if not explained) of ceves, into a mundane explanation of what needs to be done, and how will it be understood that a non-literal sheep can operate because the letters will be evoked]
It is the year 5777 and 3329 since we were first told that history had not forgotten us. It is the year 5777 and we can do something we were not asked to do: let us set light to a peace without our home, such that our collective flames will light a darkening world.
If each family arranges for whoever can come to their for a Passover meal, to attend then we will form networks of freedom. And on the second night, let as many different groups intertwine, so that this year we will remember that we were not afraid. Let us be whole, shalem, let us us collect ourselves into ourself.
Shalom aleichem. You complete me. Aleichem shalom. [Work this out]* [[Can I leave that???]
Let us build peace without hammers or nails, and without knowing how bright a future we may beckon. [Work out]
We were not forgotten, pakod yifkod, we will not forget, ele pekudei.
Half a shekel collected by groups of the seder donated as “household/seder*” group to charity. Explain metaphysics of why it works, but need more emotional narrative too.
Maybe talk about “optional donations”, and how we can go beyond half-shekel towards actively involving ourself in building utopia/freedom.
* thus even those who are too afraid to attend can join.
{Part 2 – 23/03/2017}
The third letter should be about “Determination of Shimshon”.
Nb. power of http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/635443/jewish/Raising-Funds-and-Children.htm
Pakod
8II-10II-4I
8II into space of 10II evokes 10II
In space of 10II is 4I
In summary: “An understanding which is done for a purpose” which describes “An opportunity”
Can look at bridge:
The understanding (8II) acts like a bow/arrow, an inspiration to reach further (for the 10II).
The space (4I) acts as a path in the forest, describing a way in which to achieve (the 10II)
Vayifkod
An aesthetic which can be read as:
A willingness to understand (phei)
A purpose for something higher (kuf)
An opportunity (daled)
And the aesthetic feeling (vav) reaches for (yud) those three.
Choshen is like an “analysis based on deconstruction”.
It’s about “looking at the different stones” to see if they “light up”.
One learns to identify the judgments (which are normally allowed a hollow deputy-ship hollow because we do not know how to judge).
Aleph-daled-mem.
Can read “bridges” in different ways. Can read “daled” as bridge in this way:
Gimmel, daled, hei.
Try and imagine:
- How does a camel turn into a window?
- Answer: By walking through a door.
- In the same way that “puberty is like an opportunity” and “and a window only allows light which has the opportunity to do so” is like an opportunity. Thus puberty is like a window.
- But how is that (i.e. that relationship) like a door?
- Because as one sees new opportunities arrive (e.g. girls) so too one has an opportunity to predict what are some of the things that matter in life. But it is only when one walks through the door, e.g. grow up, that one sees what before was only seen through the window.
Here the puberty is an act.
And the window is an ocean.
This can be thought of, as “growing up”, i.e. “growing up is sometimes the right choice or part of a right choice”.
8II-9I-4I-5I
Can ask, in what way is the pei a pei?
Can think, it is the 8II, which looks upwards (into its own night sky*) to see that the “house of tzaddik” is occupied by the stars of tet, and into the “house of kuf” and see daled, etc, but nb. When say “house of kuf” here, I mean the “perspective of stars which looks like kuf, from all of: Aleph, and pei, and tzaddik – at the same time”.
* along axis of “time” of “utterance of aleph-bet through a sequential dimension”
This is like the snake’s teacher, teacher river.
The snake asked the river, “How shall I find what I want?”, and the river said, “You must jump like a waterfall from the top of a mountain into the ocean.”
And the snake went away, but it could not fly from mountains to oceans. So it returned to the river.
The snake asked, “How do I fly?” so that it could fly from the mountains and oceans.
The river said, “Keep going forward. And if the land goes up, then go down, and if the land goes down, then keep going”.
[This is why the “archer” of the snake is the wheel, because its mouth moves forward like a wheel, which is like a sine wave]
But why does the snake go left and right, and not up and down?
[This is like how the kuf-space is seen from both tzaddik and pei and is filled by daled]
The “archer” of the snake is the “spirit” which is the snake’s hunger.
The archer wants to never be hungry again, and so points his arrow at every mouse, hoping that they will lead him to a city of mice where the snake can sleep.
The head of the archer is made of fire.
[This is like how the reish-space is seen from all of kuf, tzaddik, and pei, and is filled by hei]
The snakes head is burned by the sun when it looked in the sky for a city of mice.
Now every mouse that the snake finds, is cooked.
Now the snake dreams of a city of cooked mice.
(And this is why the fire snake was also the gold snake, and the sun snake, and this is like vav, zayin, and hei uniting inside aleph)
וּבָרֶ֔קֶת is like hope.
It is like Sara’s tent, making it a home for all people, and being Avram, and being made a partner to that.
It is like Moses standing outside Sara’s tent, looking for any travellers to invite.
nd the reason Moses is inviting people to dine is because he’s looking for God.
And this is like Moses inviting someone inside, and seeing that they are David.
And David is holding a mirror, which finally allows Moses to see his true beauty.
“Carat hanefesh”, regarding “excommunication on Sabbath”
One aspect of this law.
This technology requires first some “installed” level of “working Sabbath”, i.e. practising engaging Sabbath on multiple fronts of existence.
Once that is in place, parts of the psycho-sphere which don’t align will be “cut off”.
Another way to train “chessed”, can take advantage of a homology to “cheat”. This works because ayin looks like Aleph, and ayin is like zayin, therefore by seeing aleph as ayin, evoke zayin. This is a way seeing Torah in life increases chessed.
Gam zu is like bravery compared to determination.
Maarit ayin can be thought of by way of milk/meat, to understand the passing of kedusha (like poor from rich) regarding the hierarchies and networks of salience (e.g. whether/how to judge the significance of one ayin when others are possible).
{Part 3 – 24/03/2017}
כד: וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ֙ עַל־שׁוּלֵ֣י הַמְּעִ֔יל רִמּוֹנֵ֕י תְּכֵ֥לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֖ן וְתוֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֑י מָשְׁזָֽר
Va’ya’asu “and they did”
This is the action part of the sentence, this is the “window” to see the parts of the sentence relating to the action according to its internal logic*.
Va’ya’asu can in one way** be installed by looking for opportunities (e.g. whilst daydreaming aka thinking about current paradigm of existence – this can be called daydreaming, because they are not real perspectives, only delusional limitations on our perspectives, e.g. when one does not implement a good idea at work because they need permission).
The opportunities to be looked for, are those that look peaceful and which make us feel more whole.
Ha’me’il – “the coat”
This is like a reference on a map. It is a part of the “map of maps” and thus it can be seen, for example, in the sphere of human existence. It is the “part of our life” which:
Brings out a potential energy in order to navigate the accessibility of connecting things/places. ***
“Rimonei” – “the pomegranates” (with yud suffix)
This is like the things in life we do to “find a way to do something” where we were finding a way to bring out more potential – aka to do more, get more, bet more
BUT also where this is a force of determinism.
This can also be seen as pollen, insofar as it expands itself, but it is not like pollen insofar as pollen is less concerned with fidelity to the original message of the organism.
Pollen is also different because the shape of a pollen is not itself a “power to bring out potential”. Whereas the pomegranate is a fruit that has found a way to be true to itself AND do so in a way that is bringing out new potential. This is like the seeds, but it is something that goes beyond a current plant and species. It is like a particular “becoming” which at the same time stumbles upon the form of “faithful becoming”.
What part of the dressmaking procedure is the “shoolei” made, I am wondering how it relates to the letters. There is no thought, nor idea, no possibility, which cannot be seen in letters, for if it could, then it would be darkness, for it would not be light, which are the aleph-bet, which is like a gift inside a gift.
כה: וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֥וּ פַֽעֲמֹנֵ֖י זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ אֶת־הַפַּֽעֲמֹנִ֜ים בְּת֣וֹךְ הָֽרִמֹּנִ֗ים עַל־שׁוּלֵ֤י הַמְּעִיל֙ סָבִ֔יב בְּת֖וֹךְ הָֽרִמֹּנִֽים
“Bells”, this is like
- A design
- which lets you navigate
- possibilities ~
- where the design looks like its own faithfulness
This is like a clock ticking. This is like quota reports. This is like report cards. This allows a perspective which unifies a period of time and allows it to be compared to other periods of time.
Zahav is like the “connective nature of the thing” (amongst other things)
וִיתֵֽדֹתֶ֑יהָ
This is like the potential (viz. potential to be a matrix) matrix (viz. a matrix which could be potentiated from the raw hyle of unconceptualized existence), which is like a space in space, where we find a way to construct our highest purpose, and we do this by self-defining (viz. by defining according to our highest purpose)
אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֥י הַשְּׂרָ֖ד לְשָׁרֵ֣ת בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ
is like the channel ways between samech and samech sofit. which can be though by analogy as the way Kadosh hides in this world (and this choice of careful, almost hesitant phrasing, “can be thought” is itself an aspect of Kadosh)
—
Shema Yisrael Infinite is God, Infinite is One
What does it mean Infinite is God?
It means that we are only restricted by that which is beyond limits.
This can teach us how to defeat fear and doubts.
The snake that was cut in four directions
The snake woke up and followed the land, but when it arrived at the river it wanted shade, and when it found shade it wanted water. The snake wanted to shed its skin over the whole land, but it could never be everywhere.
This is how the snake became greater than the land.
This is like the Chochavim. Caf, chaf, bveit, yud, mem sofit. This is like the atoms that were moulded into clay that was moulded into a jug that could carry water to the thirsty camels.
When we look at the stars, we see those letters of the Infinite.
Thus we see a story that can be made to inspire us.
This is like the wise woman who knows all the stories of the stars and tells it to her grandson.
When she tells the stories, she is following the trail of the story.
When the children see the black emu in the sky, they learn to follow the trail of the black emu.
When Avraham was shown the stars, he was told that his descendants would be more than the stars.
Every story could become any other story. Every story could be used as a stepping stone to a higher story. Nothing that could be imagined was impossible.
When the old spirits lived on islands, they would light fires every night.
Standing on the beach, they saw stars that lay along the horizon.
The wise man said those are other campfires, you must go there.
So the spirits built canoes and sailed every night, and this is how they came to Country.
The snake became a tree became a land became a milky way became a great and terrible fire.
Sara’s tent, Avraham outside, meets David carrying a mirror.
Sara is like Malchut in Atzilut, and Avraham’s tent is her tent, thus he stands outside her Beit (of Malchut in Atzilut), thus when the desire to give is allowed to give, then beit and gimmel and daled merge into Aleph in Atzilut, and this occurs through lamed in Atzilut which is why from the three fathers comes Yosef, and Moses carries the bones of Yosef, which is why Yosef and Yehuda’s trees merge which occurs through samech and samech sofit, which like the ladder, and this is a hint of the meaning of Kadosh, which is the thing whose reasons are hidden in a world of further abstraction.*
The difficulty is why the land of Gerar was not conquered early, and this is why gimmel merging with daled is hard, and this requires the strength of Shimshon. This is the greatness of Shimshon, that his own house was broken, but this is also the challenge of Hei, since the house must strengthen itself (and this is seen in Rivka’s candle, which is the echo of the house) in order to allow Avraham/Shimshon to achieve his own individual centre-of-the/his-universe acts.
But Adam was not taught how to make fire until after Shabat, which is like Malchut, and this is why fire was not discovered until after Achronim, and this is why so many years were required between the forefathers and their toldot, & since there are laws of movement of objects between public/private on Shabat, this affects gimmel daled (and this is seen through hei and vav, passing a basket through the window only occurs with specific laws). Once the fire is lit, then the generations can burn their letters together.
This is why our achievements are nothing, but this is also the mystery of the Mishkan since we must build it ourselves, and this is another meaning of Naase veNishma since it was because Israel vouched to ensure their descendants would fulfil a promise, that they retroactively created their own Biblical existence.
This is why Israel is like Yissaschar since we bring shells to the mountains, which is like evolution bringing fossils to the mountain to make creation hidden. But in reverse.
* Cf http://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/1256171/jewish/Land-and-Sea.htm
This may refer to the secret of tzaddik sofit, which is like Kadosh, which is “inspiration to create a world based on things being hidden” (this is alluded to in the word tzimtzum). Thus by the mechanism of the forefathers, the tree is grown (Torah) which reveals tzaddik sofit (that which is by nature hidden). This relates to the creation of curtains by inspiration of tzaddik, which is what enables Keter/Malchut, which enables daled from shin, which is why the sea is also crossed in this way.
*** By looking at letters can see these “parts of the sky” within life.
It is by thinking about these things that one tries to imagine what it could possibly mean.
“I navigated down the road/footpath very well, and I’m getting better, so it’s like there’s potential energy being revealed. And I know that this sort of better navigation is a means for having more potential to act, and more potential to transition between environments.”
By looking for life through letters, by thinking about own life, even if having to “fudge details” when unsure, just say “I don’t know if this is right, but I think maybe it’s like the time when I….”
This is not just a skill, this can be something done infrequently, like Shabat, when one sits to read.
Then goes for a walk and thinks about just one detail from what one had read, or more, or anything, and loves to enjoy a day of rest.
But Torah is voodoo, and all study transmits secrets one had not noticed, like dew. And rain too.
** because one could continue to find understandings of the letters, etc
* e.g. it relates to “on shoolai” as a positional relationship, because this informs the consequence of “va’ya’asu“, whereas the otiyot of rimonei refer to an “installation” of a volitional matrix (aka how willpower is allocated and decisions made).
{Part 4 – 23/04/2017}
One can sacrifice an:
- Something done for the higher sake of having more options
- Which derived out of
- A new idea for how could have more options
If it were just #3, then this would mean sacrificing entire edifice of “options mined”.
But it is just those #1, which derived from #3, and this results in a granulation of what is a sacrifice.
Thus one sacrifices endeavours which are still nascent (i.e. potential still unrestricted).
This makes sense in a mundane sense: When “purifying oneself” in order to change oneself, then need to “prune branches”, and this results in honing and judgment of existing branches.
Then the holiday of matzah, which is an inverse logic like sacrifices, wherein it is a holiday of “the untapping of potential to shoot arrows” where this is the shape of “the pure true self”, and yet in the bread (which is like the forbidden fruit which was eaten) the potential is restricted. And this relates to the four sides of a door, which are a way in which Infinite is given an appearance of not Ein Sof.
