Have a wonderful Shabbat! – 1st Cheshvan, 5771
The Holy One, blessed be He,
said to Moses,
“I have a precious gift
in My treasure house,
called the Sabbath,
and desire to give it to Israel;
go and inform them.”
(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbath, 10b)
Courtesy of: Judaica Art & Judaica Artist/Victor Brindatch
“Have a wonderful Shabbat!”
Baal Shem Tov Times – Noach
This week’s edition of the Baal Shem Tov Times relates to parsha Noach. There is a Baal Shem Tov story and other teachings relating to Bereshit and other topics.
PLEASE help spread the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov by forwarding this edition of the Baal Shem Tov Times to a friend or relative, and making a copy for your home and synagogue.
Blessings that you should have a restful and holy Shabbos.
Tzvi Meir Cohn (Howard M. Cohn, Patent & Trademark Attorney)
Founder and Executive Director
Baal Shem Tov Foundation
Please click here for this week’s edition of the Baal Shem Tov Times.
SOURCE:
What’s Bothering Rashi? – Noah (71)
Rashi’s commentary sparkles with brevity, clarity and fine tuned precision. Not only what he says, but how he says it, conveys a maximum of meaning in a minimum of words. I would point to the following three characteristics of Rashi’s commentary style which we must constantly bear in mind if we are to attempt to understand what he says. His commentary is:
1. Based almost exclusively on the Torah-text. Although this is not always obvious, it is nearly always true. This requires the student to closely search the words of the Torah to uncover what Rashi is relating to. Rashi never “just” comments. Something about the words of the Torah impels him to comment.
2. A simple, straightforward approach without convoluted reasoning. The comment is rarely complex, though the student may have to engage in complex thinking in order to arrive at Rashi’s straightforward meaning. It is profoundly simple and simply profound. We must divest our thinking of gratuitous complexity and train our minds to think simply and clearly in order to plumb his meaning. Once we do, seemingly mind-stumping questions evaporate effortlessly.
3. Brief and precise in its choice of words. The student’s respect for Rashi begins only when he internalizes this point. We can only arrive at the full meaning of his comments if we take his every word and its particular grammatical construction with the utmost seriousness. Confusion and misunderstanding arise when we casually gloss over his choice of words and the particular way he puts them together.
While much can be said about how Rashi approaches the task of commentary, I will limit myself to one basic point here. (More can be found in “What’s Bothering Rashi?” Feldheim Pub.)
First and foremost, Rashi’s commentary is built on a “question and answer” principle. His commentary is meant to answer questions that arise from the text. While this may be true for all commentary, Rashi‘s presents us with a particular problem. He never – or hardly ever – tells us what his question is! To paraphrase a literary critic from another context we would say: “Every Rashi comment is an answer to a question. What is his question? That is the question!”
Discovering the implicit question behind Rashi’s comment is what the study of Rashi is all about. Finding out “What is bothering Rashi” is the stuff of Rashi-interpretation.
In the Rashi analyses that follow each week on this site, the student should first learn to question Rashi. By that I mean that, after you read the comment, ask yourself questions about it. Why does Rashi use drash when p’shat could explain matters simply enough? Why does he need to comment at all? Why does he offer two comments when one would do, etc? After you have questioned him, so to speak, you are to see if his comment deals with your question. A common question is: What’s Bothering Rashi? Then you should try to see how the Rashi comment deals with “What was bothering him.”
Occasionally we will add a Deeper Look to delve deeper into the meaning of this comment; occasionally we will add a Closer Look to look more closely at Rashi’s precise wording.
Good luck in the exciting and challenging study of Rashi on Chumash.
Dr. Dr. Avigdor Bonchek can be contacted at msbonch@mscc.huji.ac.il.
Please click here to read Parshas Noah (71).
SOURCE:
Weekly Chasidic Story #671 (s5771-05 / 28 Tishrei 5771)
As told by Yerachmiel Tilles
Co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells them live in Tsfat (Safed) at Ascent and other places nearly every Saturday night.
CURRENT Story Three Precious Gifts
When Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov took leave of his Rebbe, Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg. the latter gave him three gifts: a loaf of bread, a coin, and his own white silk robe.
Connection: Weekly Reading – various animals
Please click to read Three Precious Gifts
To receive the Story by e-mail every Wednesday–sign up here!
By Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles of Ascent-of-Safed
SOURCE:
Peninim on the Torah – PARSHAS NOACH
On the Weekly Torah Portion by Rabbi A. Leib Scheinbaum.
Please click here to read PARSHAS NOACH.
SOURCE:
Weekly Kabbalah Newsletter #234
“Only the spiritual body, or the soul, is the human being in me because the animate body cares only for itself, the animal, and exists only as long as this animal is alive. More…”
Awakening the Spiritual Human
That Exists in Us All
A collection of weekly quotes, highlights from events, book deals and new articles and videos.
Please click here to read Weekly Kabbalah Newsletter #234.
Weekly Torah Portion – Advanced – M’oray Ha’Aish – Noach
Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32)
Parshat Noach(Genesis 6:9-11:32) This week’s Torah portion — The saga of Noah and the flood is well known, yet Noah remains an elusive …
Please click the button to read 
of “Was Noah a Good and Just Man?“
By Rabbi Ari Kahn
SOURCE:
Weekly Torah – Noah – Genesis 6:9-11:32
Anthology of the Weekly Torah Reading – Noah – Genesis 6:9-11:32
Staff Favorites
5771
One from each genre
 |
The Zohar Teachings from the primary text of Kabbala, “The Book of Shining Light“. From the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; translation & commentary by Moshe Miller |
 |
The Holy Ari
Outstanding Kabbalist of the last 1800 years; Leader of the Safed circle of mystics. From the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria; translated and edited by Moshe Yakov Wisnefsky |
 |
Mystical Classics
From the teachings of Rabbi Bachya ben Asher |
 |
Chassidic Masters
From the teachings of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov |
 |
Contemporary Kabbalists
Compiled by Yosef Marcus |
 |
Ascent Lights
Contemporary illuminations from the director of Ascent-of-Safed. By Shaul Yosef Leiter. |
 |
Mystic Stories
From the writings and talks of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch; edited by Yerachmiel Tilles |
| SOURCE: |
 |
Kabbalah Online’s Magazine – Noah 5771
Kabbalah Online’s Weekly Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 5 – the week of 25 Tishrei – 1 Cheshvan 5771 / October 3 – 10, 2010
A note from the staff of Kabbalah Online in Tzefat
“Noah” is the section of the Torah where the concept of the 70 nations of the world and their relationship to the Commandments is developed.
The first three articles offer Kabbalistic insights on this subject. The last three present deep meanings derived from other topics in this special Torah reading.
Finally, the middle article features the long-awaited resumption of our series of translation and original commentary of “Sha’ar HaGilgulim,” the teachings of the holy Ari of Tzefat on reincarnation.
To receive the weekly magazine in your email, go to Subscribe.
To sponsor a future issue, go to Dedicate.
Please click Noah 5771, to read this Holiday and Shabbos Magazine.
|
SOURCE: |
|
Shabbat Shalom Weekly – Noach 5771
Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32)
Parshat Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32) … Please click the button to read 
of Noach 5771
| By Rabbi Kalman Packouz |  |
| SOURCE: |  |
Aryeh ben Avraham
I believe in Divine Providence applying to me personally and that everything that happens to me comes from G_d and that I have been given the opportunity to fulfill G_d’s commands makes me as happy as if I had won a fortune.
My only ambition is to give pleasure to the Creator and want to relate to my fellow-man or woman only with loving kindness.
Eim HaBanim Semeichah
complete book online!
Eim HaBanim Semeichah
Eretz Yisrael, Redemption and Unity
HaRav Yisachar Shlomo Teichtal zt"l
Eim Habanim Semeichah, written in 1943, is Rabbi Teichtal’s comprehensive treatise on Settlement in Eretz Yisrael, Messianic Redemption, and Jewish Unity. Rabbi Teichtal’s personal history lends significance to this work.
around the world'
most interesting group
photos on Flickriver
Behold, that before the emanations were emanated and the creatures were created,
The upper simple light had filled the whole existence.
And there was no vacancy, such as an empty atmosphere, a hollow, or a pit,
But all was filled with simple, boundless light.
And there was no such part as head, or tail,
But everything was simple, smooth light, balanced evenly and equally,
And it was called the Endless Light.
And when upon His simple will, came the desire to create the world and emanate the emanations,
To bring to light the perfection of His deeds, His names, His appellations,
Which was the cause of the creation of the worlds,
He then restricted Himself, in the middle,
Precisely in the center,
He restricted the light.
And the light drew far off to the sides around that middle point.
And there remained an empty space, a vacuum
Circling the middle point.
And the restriction had been uniform
Around the empty point,
So that the space
Was evenly circled around it.
There, after the restriction,
Having formed a vacuum and a space
Precisely in the middle of the endless light,
A place was formed,
Where the emanated and the created might reside.
Then from Endless Light a single line hung down,
Lowered down into that space.
And through that line, He emanated, formed,
Created all the worlds.
Before these four worlds came to be
There was one infinite, one name, in wondrous, hidden unity,
That even for the closest of the angles
There is no attainment in the endless,
As there is no mind that can perceive it,
For He has no place, no boundary, no name...
From the book of ARI "The Tree Of Life", part I
