6/26/16

The Rebbe on the Resurrection



There is an additional theory proposed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe relating to the concept of resurrection. 

There are two views concerning the rebuilding of the Temple. 

Rashi says it will descend from Heaven fulfilling the verse, "Your hand will establish the Temple of G-d." The Rebbe emphasizes that this is necessary in order for the 3rd Temple to have the quality of being eternal in a complete and physical way. Only the works of HaShem are truly eternal. 

Rambam however says it will be built by Moshiach as required by halacha. 

The Rebbe resolves this conflict by explaining the 3rd Temple will descend from Heaven literally and then Moshiach will complete the structure by attaching the doors. The Talmud explains that hanging the doors on a new structure is considered to be completing the action. In general, the one who "strikes the final hammer blow" is regarded in halacha as the one who performed an action. 

It would seem that by fulfilling the halachic requirement of building the 3rd Temple, Moshiach would remove the eternal quality from the 3rd Temple that it has by being built directly by HaShem. 

The Rebbe explains in his Chassidic discourse "L'havin Inyan Techiyat HaMeitim" that when a person is resurrected by HaShem, they attain the state of "Sprout of My planting, Work of My Hand in which to take pride", meaning they become the work of HaShem and thus have an eternal physical body. It is only in this way that both views in the Torah can be resolved and satisfied. 

This means that the resurrection of Moshiach is a prerequisite to fulfilling the mitzvah of Moshiach's rebuilding the 3rd Temple. This also happens to be the view expressed in Sukkah 52b (see Rabbeinu Chananel there discussing the 7 shepherds and 8 anointed men). It is also understood to be the view of Rashi as seen in Yoma 5b and Tosaphot in Pesachim.

2/17/16

Fasten your Avnet



TETZAVEH
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17
8 ADAR 1, 5776
ב"ה
וְאַבְנֵט תַּעֲשֶׂה מַעֲשֵׂה רֹקֵם (שמות כח, לט)
AND YOU SHALL MAKE A SASH OF EMBROIDERY WORK (SHEMOS 28:39)

Fasten Your Avnet

The vestments of the Kohanim each garb a specific part of the body in a splendid manner. Even the Kohen Gadol's additional garments each serve a defined purpose: wearing the Tzitz brought atonement for Bnei Yisrael, the breastplate is made of twelve stones corresponding to the Twelve Tribes, and so on. The Avnet, the sash worn by all the Kohanim, is the exception, as it seemed to not serve any specific purpose. The other garments did not require a belt to hold them in place, and even those for which a belt might be useful certainly did not need a belt that was thirty-two cubits long, requiring the Kohen to wrap it around himself numerous times in order for it to be wearable (see Rambam, Klei Hamikdash 8:19)!

1/31/16

The mitzvah of Eved Ivri



The mitzvah of Eved Ivri (the Hebrew servant) was given, on the one hand,  to be like G-d and on the other,  to "enable" G-d to act in that manner to Jews. The Jews also work for  G-d for 6 years - 6 millennia of Creation. Individually, each one works with their 6 middos (emotional qualities) confronting spiritual ups and downs. When the 7th millennium comes, the Redemption, Hashem will  free us from our struggles and we will enter a time of tranquility and the revealed light of the Ein Sof.

Derech Mitzvosecha via Chayenu.

1/6/16

Fwd: Blood before Frogs




Blood before Frogs

Va'eira
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6
25 TEVET, 5776
ב"ה
וְשָׁרַץ הַיְאֹר צְפַרְדְּעִים וְעָלוּ וּבָאוּ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבַחֲדַר מִשְׁכָּבְךָ וְעַל מִטָּתֶךָ וּבְבֵית עֲבָדֶיךָ וּבְעַמֶּךָ וּבְתַנּוּרֶיךָ וּבְמִשְׁאֲרוֹתֶיךָ (שמות ז, כח)
And the river will swarm with frogs, and they will emerge and come inside your home and your bedroom and upon your bed, and inside the homes of your servants and among your people, and into your ovens and your kneading troughs. (Shemos 7:28)

Blood before Frogs

G-d's battering of the Egyptians began with the waters of the Nile River turning into blood. Next, G-d smote Egypt with a plague of frogs, which swarmed from the waters of the Nile into the Egyptians' homes, bedrooms and kitchens.

The Torah's name for Egypt, Mitzrayim, shares a common root with the Hebrew word meitzar, constraint. Accordingly, the Ten Plagues that brought down the mighty Egypt represent the steps we must take to break out of our personal Egypts as well—the internal limitations that hinder and restrain our service of G-d.

The first two plagues both involved water. In the spiritual Ten Plagues, water, which is cold by nature, symbolizes an attitude of coolness—detachment and indifference. The first plague, in which the waters of the Nile were transformed to warm and life-giving blood, thus symbolizes that we must imbue our service of G-d with warmth and excitement. In contrast, the second plague, in which creatures of the water, frogs, swarmed everything related to Pharaoh and Egypt—and particularly, their hot ovens—symbolizes that bringing down our internal Egypts requires developing a coolness and disinterest in material passions and pleasures.

Now, under normal circumstances, ridding ourselves of competing loyalties—symbolized by the Plague of Frogs—would be the first step we need to take before attempting to live a life devoted to G-d and G-dliness. We see, however, that the Plague of Frogs was not the first plague but the second; the Plague of Blood preceded it. The order of these two plagues teaches that even before we have succeeded at cooling down our material passions, we must already infuse our Torah and mitzvos with fervor and enthusiasm. The light and warmth of our passion-filled mitzvos will assist in dispellingany dark and undesirable passions that remain.

—Likkutei Sichos, vol. 1, pp. 123-125



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