Wouldn’t Onkelus Have Been Even Greater If He Had Been Born Jewish?

Ask Rabbi Miller: Wouldn’t Onkelus Have Been Even Greater If He Had Been Born Jewish?

From It Is Forever (#R12) 

Q: Why were such great personalities, like Onkelus, born gentiles, wouldn't they have been greater if they had been born Jews?

A: You could ask why wasn't Avraham Avinu born a Jew? Avraham was born a ben Noach, not a Jew. The answer is it was his test and he passed the test and that's what made Avraham great. 

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It was the ten tests that Avraham passed that made him great. The great people who came to us from the outside, who came under the wings of the Shechina (Divine Presence), are especially beloved because of that. 

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It was his test and he passed the test

In the Torah there's a special mitzvah to love a ger (convert), as the Rambam says “ahavas hager, sh’ba v’nichnas tachas kanfei hashechinah — he came and entered under the wings of the Shechinah.”What's the Rambam telling us? What a ger is? We know what a ger is! The Rambam is telling us why it's a special mitzvah to love a ger: He came of his own, and that's what made Onkelus so great.

Onkelus had so many obstacles, he was born in a royal house. He was a nephew of the Domitian, Domitian the wicked man who was even a rasha in the eyes of his fellow Romans; surely he was an enemy of the Jews. And nevertheless Onkelus persisted in his ways. For him it was a benefit that he was given the opportunity of breaking through barriers and coming under the kanfei hashchinah.

By: Living With Hashem/Rabbi Avigdor Miller.

Copyright © 2016, All rights reserved.

Website: http://www.simchashachaim.com

Torah, Kabbalah and Theoretical Physics

By Rabbi Aryel Nachman Ben Chaim.

Basically, in physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. It describes how these strings propagate through space and interact with each other. On distance scales larger than the string scale, a string looks just like an ordinary particle, with its mass, charge, and other properties determined by the vibrational state of the string. In string theory, one of the many vibrational states of the string corresponds to the graviton, a quantum mechanical particle that carries gravitational force. Thus string theory is a theory of quantum gravity.

The key statement is "vibrational state". Vibrations are associated with sound; the vibration of the string that is plucked or as the bow is drawn across the string, or as the breath passes over the reed. If you can change the vibration of the strings that make up an object, you can change the object. Sort of like alchemy's turning lead into gold.

So, in Bereishit 1 it is stated 1. "In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth." The Rabbis tell us that (paraphrased) By ten statements did G-d create the Universe. Notice, ten STATEMENTS. G-d SAID "Let there be....."; by "saying" he creates through the use of sound, or, vibrations. G-d creates by creating strings (from Ein Sof - more on that later) and then gives them their form and attributes by changing their "vibrational state" - saying "Let there be light....."; "Let there be a firmament....."; "Let the waters......"; and so on.

Notice also, that it is ten statements; one statement for each Sefirah of the Sefirot. So, the universe is comprised of the Ten Sefirot.

So, G-d created and man is just part of the statements and he is no different than the water, the light, the beasts, etc? No! G-d had a special plan in mind for man, a co-creator using the same "vibrational state" to further creation. Bereishit 2:19 "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them; and whatsoever the man would call every living creature, that was to be the name thereof. "...what he would call them;...." Until man says the name of the living creature, it has not form or attributes. By naming the living creatures, man changes their "vibrational state" and by doing so gives them their form and attributes. Hence, an ari (lion) is an ari because Adam called it an ari.

We can now see how much power words have! Those of you who are Dune fans have heard this before. Because of this power, words uttered by a person can create or destroy (G-d Forbid). The Chofetz Chaim understood this to a depth we can only begin to scratch the surface of. This is why he spent such effort on the matter of speech and lashon hara.

So, let us return to the subject of the above article. Dr. Michio Kaku made the statement a while back "When we finally understand string theory what we will find is the voice of G-d singing in eleven dimensional space." When I heard this statement, I almost fell on the floor! I don't think even Dr. Kaku knows the significance of the statement. Furthermore, Dr. Kaku said that the formula for string theory would be very succinct and elegant; much like Einstein's E=mc2. Of course, he is correct in the theoretical physics world, but it goes so much further than the physical universe.

10+1=11

10 (Sefirot) + 1 (Ein Sof) = 11 (dimensional space).

OR, put in it's correct order:

1 Ein Sof + 10 Sefirot = 11 dimensional space or The Universe!

Ein Sof resides beyond the 10 Sefirot. Ein Sof is where all lies in potential. When it is actualized by pronouncement, it obtains it form and attributes though ...... virbational state. Whether spoken by HaShem or by man, we form what we speak. Therefore, the Chofetz Chaim was truly a great tzaddik by bringing to our conscious minds the realization of the words of Torah and the power of the spoken word. And with it, the admonition to guard our tongues.

In summation: G-d brought strings from Ein Sof, Using vibrational state through speech He gave the universe its form and attributes (including its laws). Man continues the act of creation by further creation through speech, by either rectifying sparks or (G-d Forbid) casting the sparks to the klipot.

So, there you are, now we see the Torah, Kabbalah and Theoretical Physics all come together in agreement of how the universe came into being.

http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/42042/20160613/world-renowned-scientist-michio-kaku-proves-existence-god.htm

Based on the above article.

Gevalt!!! Never give up hope! There is no despair.’ Likutey Moharan II, 78 (Rabbi Nachman)

‘Gevalt!!! Never give up hope! There is no despair.’ Likutey Moharan II, 78 (Rabbi Nachman).

To believe in the Holy One, blessed be He before, during and after doing something in our life when we are serving Him, or when we need to do something in our work, at school, at university, between any activity ... Hashem is there to give us the tools and skills to accomplish something, if something does not work, Hashem has a good reason things are going as if against our will, it is sad news, I know, so with faith, patience, tears we pray Hashem, asking with a loving heart to the Father in Heaven for His help.

We know there are difficult moments, but everything can turn to the good, when we believe in G-d, just when things are so bad there in our heart the Divine Light is illuminated at all times, we read the Torah, there is (miracles, salvation, holiness), Gevalt, say "Yes" I believe in You, my L-rd.

Shalom,

Gilson Sasson.

Rebbe Nachman's Agenda

Prayer protects a person so that his Torah learning won't lead to arrogance or sophistication. Therefore, before learning Torah, one must pray profusely...

By: Rabbi Shalom Arush.

Rebbe Nachman says that our daily agenda should be prayer, Torah, and prayer. Let's see what he means.

There is a basic difference between the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, indicated in their names. The Tree of Life is life itself, inherently good. Yet, in the Tree of Knowledge, there is a mixture of good and bad. Our sages tell us that the Tree of Life corresponds to prayer, for prayer not only vitalizes a person, but gives life to all the upper worlds (see Likutei Moharan I:9).

Prayer is the product of humility. One who prays is making a statement that he cannot succeed on his own. We all need Hashem's help in every aspect of life - health, income, marital bliss, Torah, raising children and more. We can't even cross the street safely or hammer a nail into the wall without bashing a finger unless we have Hashem's help. Therefore, we must believe that Hashem is the source of all power, we are nil without Him, and we consequently must turn to Him for all of our needs, big and small, material and spiritual. Prayer is the Tree of Life, for it binds us to the Source of all life - Hashem.

On the other hand, the holy Torah corresponds to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, and not because the Torah contains good and evil, Heaven forbid, but because the Torah presents the concept of free choice to a person. As such, if a person's intentions in learning Torah are other than seeking the truth, then the Torah will be harmful to him; for example, a thief who learns Torah will simply become a more cunning and sophisticated thief. Our sages therefore said of the Torah that, "If one so merits, the Torah is for him the elixir of life; if he doesn't merit, the Torah becomes for him the potion of death" (tractate Taanit, 7a). The same Torah can bring one person to a higher level of righteousness while bringing another person to greater conceit. As such, the holy Torah corresponds to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, all depending on the inner aspirations of each individual and according to his or her choice.

The Torah describes that the Tree of Life is in center of the garden, for the garden is a metaphor of Jewish souls. Rebbe Nachman explains (Likutei Moharan II:8) that the souls of the Jewish People are like herbs growing in a garden and that the Tree of Life is in our midst. This means that the Torah is inherent in the inner dimension of the Jewish soul. Prayer is also part of our inner makeup, since it holds such a vital and central part in our lives and in our body-mind-and-soul health.

Prayer rescues a person from the potential negative influence of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. Prayer protects a person so that his Torah learning won't lead to arrogance or sophistication. Therefore, before learning Torah, one must pray profusely that he derives the right things from Torah - enhanced awe and love of Hashem, fear of sin, love of fellow human, modesty and emuna. After learning Torah, he must pray that he'll be able to apply all that he has learned in the service of Hashem, and thank Hashem for the privilege of learning the holy Torah.

Prayer is inherent in our spiritual midst, but we must bring it out to the open. Therefore, it's best to vocalize our prayers, saying word for word slowly and with intent, whether we're saying prescribed prayers or personal prayers. This enables us to attain the positive influences of the Tree of Knowledge, to the extent where the Torah becomes an elixir of life, for the Torah is truly a Tree of Life for those who cling to it in truth. Therefore, our Torah learning must be double-wrapped in prayer, before learning and after learning. The Gemara tells about the holy Tannaic sage Rebbe Nechunia ben Hakanna (author of the prayer, "Ana B'koach"); he would pray briefly when he entered the house of study before learning, and when he left the house of study, after learning (see tractate Berachot, 28b). Before learning, he'd pray to learn for the right reasons. After learning, he'd thank Hashem for his good fortune in the privilege of having learned Torah. We should do the same so that we all may merit blessings in our Torah learning.

Taken from Breslev Israel website.

The Hidden Torah of Shavuot - The Gates of Gratis Kindness

BH

Prior to the receiving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai on the 6th of Sivan - which includes the emphasis of fulfilling the Mitzvot of the Torah - the world existed without the Torah for a total of 26 generations (from Adam to Moshe).

The question is: if the Torah is our life and sustenance (as we say every day in the morning Sh'ma blessing), how is it that the world could have even existed without the Torah? And yet, the Torah was already in existence before the Creation, and Hashem even used it as His blueprint for Creation. So where was the Torah during this time period before the receiving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai?

The Torah was there but in a very hidden format. The culmination of the entire Torah are the 10 Commandments which were hidden within the 10 Utterances (listed in the depiction of the Creation in Bereishit), which are the makeup of the entire Creation. Since the Torah is life itself, and without it there is no life at all, the Torah then was sustaining in a hidden way all of mankind - gratis. Without earning it, the entire world was sustained through Hashem's endless kindness found within the Hidden Torah.

The same is true today. After having already received the Torah, those who have no affiliation whatsoever with the Torah and it's observance - i.e. the gentiles, the wicked, the simpletons - receive gratis their life source and sustenance from this Hidden Torah. Even the Torah scholar himself, when detached from the Torah and involved in his mundane, physical necessities, must also receive from this Hidden Torah too.

But the question is: if everyone anyways receives life and vitality from the Hidden Torah, then why spend time learning the "Revealed" Torah - with all of it's mitzvah components - given at Mt. Sinai?

Or better yet, if even the "wicked" also receive vitally from the Hidden Torah, why even work hard at becoming a Tzaddik and a good person?

The truth is, that access today to this unearned kindness of life-force and sustenance of the Hidden Torah is only accessible to the Tzaddikim of the greatest caliber. And these tzaddikim, out of their own good will, give over the bounties of the Hidden Torah to the entire world, even if undeserving. Thus, in truth, a wicked person has no merit to receive life from the Hidden Torah (i.e. he may be undeserving, but he is also damaging). It is just that the Tzaddik has the power and ability to give all levels of undeserving people from this life force.

Because the nature of the Hidden Torah is for the undeserving - i.e. gratis - these Tzaddikim must purposely lower themselves into being a "simple person" for the Hidden Torah to kick-in.

However, there are levels of "how much" an unaffiliated and simple person can receive this vitality and life of the Hidden Torah through  the Tzaddik. This is determined by how much a person is close to the Torah and the Tzaddikim. By learning the Revealed Torah along with coming close to the Tzaddikim, this enables a person to receive much more vitality from the Hidden Torah when necessary.

More than this, the concept of hope no matter how dark and severe the situation comes from this Hidden Torah too.

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For more explanation and development of these ideas and concepts, please listen to: 

LIKUTEY MOHARAN II LESSON 78

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With this, we can understand the rabbinical teaching that Hashem left room for Moshe to decide that the giving of the Torah should take place on the 6th of Sivan and not on the 5th.

The difference between the 5th and 6th day is in perspective of what day of the Omer-counting it is. The 5th of Sivan is the 49th day of the Omer counting. The number 49 is a multiple of 7. 7 corresponds to the culmination of all Torah study. 6 corresponds to the 6 sections of the Mishnah, which, when developed, includes the entire corpus of the Written and Oral Torahs. 7 - like Shabbat - corresponds to the esoteric and mystical part of the Torah - Zohar and Kabbalah. 50, however, corresponds to a level of Torah from a totally different ballgame - the Hidden Torah.

Hashem left it up to Moshe to decide to give the Torah on the 50th day - the 6th of Sivan. 

This is because Hashem intentionally made it that only Moshe could tap into the Hidden Torah and activate it to sustain all of the undeserving factions of humanity. Only the Tzaddik, when being a totally simple person, can receive this life sustenance from the Hidden Torah.

Thus, Shavuot, is both the receiving of the Revealed Torah from Hashem and the Hidden Torah through Moshe (and all subsequent Tzaddikim who are at the caliber of Moshe).

May we come ever closer to the Torah and to the Tzaddikim, and thus receive more and more undeserved vitality and gratis life from the Hidden Torah.

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To help a needy family in Jerusalem for the Yom Tov expenses, please follow this paypal link: SUPPORT FOR SHAVUOT

Sincerely and with blessings for a powerful and uplifting Shavuot experience

By: Meir Elkabas