Sacrifices in Homer's Odyssey and in the Jerusalem Temple

At the end of book 3 of the Odyssey, Nestor brings sacrifices to Athena - or Minerva in Butler's translation. I chanced to be reading it when the Daf Yomi is finishing Zevachim - Sacrifices, and I found the parallels very exciting.

On seeing the goddess transform herself into a eagle and fly away, Nestor utters a vow: "Holy queen," he continued, 'vouchsafe to send down thy grace upon myself, my good wife, and my children. In return, I will offer you in sacrifice a broad-browed heifer of a year old, unbroken, and never yet brought by man under the yoke. I will gild her horns, and will offer her up to you in sacrifice."

Here he promises an animal, but not a specific one, so that if one is lost, he will be responsible to bring another. He also adorns the cow like they did in Israel for the first-fruit procession.

As he mixed the wine, he prayed much and made drink-offerings to Minerva, daughter of Aegis-bearing Jove.
As we have recently learned in Avodah Zarah, the usual intention of an idolater is to pour the first drop to his god, and the upright heroes of Homer do this without fail.

Then Nestor began with washing his hands and sprinkling the barley meal, and he offered many a prayer to Minerva as he threw a lock from the heifer's head upon the fire.

The kohanim washed their hands. The barley meal agrees with the opinion of the opponents of Rabbi Yehudah that flour offerings are brought on private altars. Prayer is required in the Temple before a thanksgiving offering - which Nestor's one is.

Thrasymedes dealt his blow, and brought the heifer down with a stroke... then they lifted the heifer's head from off the ground, and Pisistratus cut her throat.

The kohanim would stun the animal, and the slaughter was done at the neck.

They cut out the thigh bones all in due course, wrapped them round in two layers of fat, and set some pieces of raw meat on the top of them; then Nestor laid them upon the wood fire.
That is burning the limbs and fats on the Altar.

Meanwhile lovely Polycaste, Nestor's youngest daughter, washed Telemachus.

That's special - I do not think kohanim were getting such treatment at the Temple.

When the outer meats were done they drew them off the spits and sat down to dinner...
This goes according with the opinion in the Talmud that peace offering are allowed on private altars and that they can be eaten.

Why are there such strong parallels and connections? One explanation is exchange of experiences. The other - that the sacrifices were given to mankind, only people started using them in the service of the idols, and then later the Torah restored the correct laws (as in Bieberfeld, "The Universal History of the Jews.")

Art: Nestor and his sons sacrifice to Poseidon on the beach at Pylos

Happy Hanukkah!

Rabbi Asher Anshil Braun

This is my personal friend, publisher of hand-written prayer book with intentions by Rabbi Shlomo Sharabi, and I am lucky that Rabbi Braun wrote my teffilin!

Meditation on Infinite 5-dimensional Space

When we view the Sefirot as being ten directions in a five-dimensional continuum, we can also interpret this in the following manner. Each pair of Sefirot defines an infinite line, extended infinitely in both directions. The end points of such an infinite line, however, come together and meet once again at the "point in infinity." This is a fact recognized by mathematicians, and considerable use of the "point at infinity" is found in complex analysis, the calculus of complex numbers.

One can use this as a meditation. Try to imagine the sphere at infinity and the point at infinity, and attempt to perceive how they are actually one. You will then see that your usual conceptions of space and extension are not as simple as you believe.

(Sefer Yetzirah, R. A. Kaplan Commentary)

Mystics of all countries – unite! Мистики всех стран - соединяйтесь!

Sefer Yetzira (The Book of Creation) is a concise mystical book (between 1,300 to 2,500 words) whose teaching were developed by the Patriarch Abraham and which was recorded at least 2000 years ago.

Sentence 7:

Ten Sefirot of Nothingness

Their end is embedded in their beginning

and their beginning in their end

like a flame in a burning coal

For the Master is singular

He has no second

And before one, what do you count?

Commentary

According to most commentaries, the “beginning” is Keter (Crown), while the “end” is Malchut (Kingship). These are the two endpoints of the spiritual dimension.

On the most basic level, Crown is seen as the concept of Cause, while Kingship is the archetype of Effect. Since a cause cannot exist without an effect, and an effect cannot exist without a cause, the two are interdependent on each other.

The Sefer Yetzirah likens this to a “flame bound to a burning coal.” A flame cannot exist without the coal, and the burning coal cannot exits without a flame. Although the coal is the cuase of the flame, the flame is also the cause of the burning coal. Without the flame, the would not be a burning coal.

Since Cause cannot exist without Effect, Effect is also the cause of the Cause. In this sense, Effect is the cause, and the cause is the Effect. Since beginning and end are inseparable, “their end is embedded in their beginning, and their beginning in their end.”

The commentary goes on to explain the 5-dimensional space (three physical dimension, time, and soul, meaning good/bad dimension), and describes an infinitely remote sphere where all these converge.

All of the above can be used as meditation devices for visualizing the complex spiritual worlds.

And now…

Mystics of all countries – unite!

One can easily see that many mystical schools engage in the same meditative techniques, thus they are dealing with the same spiritual worlds, which should really come as no surprise.

“Ten Sefirot of Nothingness” is parallel to Hindu meditation on Nothing, behind one’s head, which is one of the most powerful and dangerous forms of meditation.

“And before one, what do you count?” is the sound of one hand clapping. The reader is invited to find further parallels.

Rebecca Kerzner Bat Mitzvah Speech

January 5, 2008

Torah Portion Vaeira

Shabbat Shalom!

I recently learned the Mishna Bava Metziah with my dad. My favorite Mishna was the last one, "Shtei ginot zo al gab zo".

In this Mishna, there are two gardens, one above the other, and vegetables are growing out of the vertical surface between them. To whom do the vegetables belong?

Rabbi Meir says, "They belong to the owner of the higher garden." Rabbi Yehudah says, "They belong to the owner of the lower garden." Now Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehudah argue.

Rabbi Meir says, "If the owner of the upper garden, whom we will call A, wants to take his earth away, there would be no vegetables here!" Rabbi Yehudah says in response, "If the owner of the lower garden, whom we will call B, wants to fill his garden with earth, so that it is level with the upper garden, there would be no vegetables here!" Rabbi Meir then says, "Since each of them can destroy the vegetables, we will look from where the vegetables get their nourishment. Since they draw their nourishment from the earth of A, they should belong to A.

The Mishna continues. Rabbi Shimon says, "Any vegetables that A can reach with his hand and take, belong to him. And the other vegetables, which he cannot reach and take, belong to B.

Rabbi Shimon agrees with Rabbi Meir's view, that the vegetables belong to A because they are growing out of his earth. Rabbi Shimon, however, says that A abandons any vegetable that he cannot reach. Since he would have to go through his neighbor's garden in order to pick the vegetables and it would be embarrassing for him to ask his neighbor's permission do so, it is assumed the he gives them to his neighbor.

This is a fascinating Mishna. What vegetables grow in the vertical wall? These are wild vegetables such as garlic or onions. Why would A destroy the vegetables by taking away his earth, if in doing so he ruins his garden? And why would B want to fill his garden with earth if in doing so he ruins his garden too? In their fight they have gone so far as to destroy their own gardens!

Rabbi Shimon reasons with them. He suggests to A, "Instead of ruining something for others, get what is legally yours." Rabbi Shimon continues, "Now that you can take that which is yours, won't you be ashamed of your neighbor? You would have to go and ask his permission to harm him. Will you actually do it?" And A agrees that he will become a friend of B and will leave those vegetables that he cannot reach to B. A and B are friends again.

There is an surprising connection between this Mishna and the story about the cow that kept Shabbos.

There was once a pious man who owned a cow. Every day, he took his cow out to the field and plowed his land. But on Shabbos he stopped his work and let the cow out to pasture, just as it is written in the Torah: "Six days shall you do your work, and on the seventh day, you shall rest so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your maidservant and the stranger be refreshed".

So every Shabbos the cow stayed in the barn or walked about in the farmyard. She ate, drank, and rested the whole day.

But the pious man came upon hard times. He was forced to sell his cow to a gentile neighbor. The owner took the cow away to his farm, and the next morning, he harnessed her to a plow and took her out to work. The cow did not disappoint him. Day after day, she worked hard and faithfully. But on Shabbos, when the new master tried to take her out to the fields, the cow would not move. She lay on the ground motionless. The owner tried to pull her up - but the cow refused to stand. He hit her with a whip, but in vain. The cow would not get up.

Angry and excited, the man ran to the Jew who had sold him the cow and exclaimed, "What kind of animal did you sell me? Take your lazy cow back and return my money!"

The pious man was puzzled. "What happened?" he asked. "I sold you a good, hardworking cow. She never gave me any trouble."

"Come and see for yourself," replied the gentile. "Your cow worked all week. But today, she refused to move. I have pulled her, coaxed her, and beat her; but nothing helps! She refuses to budge!"

The pious man immediately understood what happened. Today was Shabbos. His cow had always rested on Shabbos and she didn't want to work today either!

"Take me to the cow," said the Jewish man. "I will make her work for you."

They went out to the fields and found the cow lying in the grass. The pious man went and whispered in her ear, "Dear cow! When you belonged to me, you were able to rest on the Shabbos day just as I did. But I sold you and your new owner is not Jewish. He works on the Shabbos, and from now on, you will have to work too. Please get up and do whatever your new master tells you do to. Pull his plow on the Shabbos just as you pulled it during the week."

Slowly the cow rose to her feet. She was ready to work. The new owner could hardly believe his eyes.

"Wait a minute," he said. "I won't let you go until you tell me the secret of your power. What did you do to the cow? What did you say to her? Are you a wizard? And what shall I do if the cow refuses to work again next Shabbos?"

The pious Jew answered, "I am neither a magician nor a wizard! I simply told the cow that she no longer belongs to me. Now she must do as her new master bids her. When she was my cow she could rest on the Shabbos, for among the Jews, even animals do not work on the seventh day. But now she belongs to you and she will follow your orders. If you want her to work on the Shabbos, she will work."

But the gentile was troubled. "What about me? he cried. "Am I worse than this animal? The cow cannot think or reason, yet she knew enough to keep the Shabbos, while I, a human being, know nothing about God's commandments!"

He hurried back to the cow and took her back into the barn. From that day on, he accepted the laws of the Torah. He converted, studied and became known by the name of Rabbi Yochanan ben Tortha. Tortha means cow. To this day, we still quote his opinions in the Talmud.

The connection comes from what I learned about reincarnation in the book "Gilgulei Neshamot." It says there that the cow in this story was a reincarnation of Queen Vashti from Meggilat Esther and the gentile was King Ahashverosh. Vashti used to make Jewish girls work on Shabbos. Now as a cow, she did not work on Shabbos herself, and even brought her owner to become a Jew and a Rabbi.

What do the Mishna and the story about the cow have in common? It is a man, Rabbi Shimon, the major Kabbalist. In the Mishna Rabbi Shimon appears directly. In the story about the righteous man and the cow Rabbi Shimon is hidden. However, we know that Rabbi Shimon authored the major book about the Kabbalah, the Zohar. This book was later explained by the Arizal, and the students of Arizal explained the reincarnations of Vashti and Ahashverosh. It shows us that on the deeper level the arguments are resolved and peace is restored.

THANK YOU everybody for coming to celebrate my bat-mitzvah, and to all the wonderful people who made this Simcha possible.

Shabbat Shalom!

Joseph and Zuleika

Jami (1414-1492) described the story in his poem Yusuf and Zuleika. The Medrash story about all Zuleika's friends cutting their fingers is retold as follows:

The poem now pursues the Scriptural account of the life of Joseph, or Yussuf, whose supernatural beauty is, however, described as being the special gift of God and recorded to have been so great that no woman could look on him without love. Zuleika, therefore, only shared the fate of all her sex. 

Some writers say the ladies who clamored so much against her for her passion were, when he first entered the chamber where they were all assembled, in the act of cutting pomegranates, some say oranges, and in their admiration and amazement cut their fingers instead of the fruit! 

Yussuf is considered the emblem of divine perfection, and Zuleika's love is the image of the love of the creature toward the Creator: some go so far as to say that we ought to follow her example and should permit the beauty of God to transport us out of ourselves. The rapid change from prison to the high estate of Yussuf they consider a type of impatience of the soul to burst its fetters and join its Creator. Yussuf was always surrounded with celestial light, typical as well of the moral beauty and wisdom which adorned his mind. He is sold as a slave, and Zuleika becomes his purchaser, to the great rage and envy of all her rivals, amongst whom was included the Princess Nasigha, of the race of Aad. 

The beautiful Yussuf now enters her service, and, at his own desire, a flock of sheep is given to his special keeping, his admiring mistress wishing, by every indulgence, to attach him to her. The nurse of Zuleika is the confidante of the passion which she cannot control and which, at length, in an imprudent moment, she discloses to its object himself. 

His father, Jacob, or the angel Gabriel in his likeness, appears to warn him of his danger, and he flies, leaving his mistress in an agony of despair, rage, and grief. She thus exclaims: 

Is this a dream?—another dream,


Now continue with the poem,


Is this a dream?—another dream,
Like that which stole my senses first,
Which sparkled o'er my life's dull stream,
By idle, erring fancy nursed?
Was it for this my life I spent
In murmurs deep, and discontent—
Slighted, for this, all homage due,
From gen'rous, faithful love withdrew?
For this, no joy, no pomp have prized;
For this, all honors have despised—
Left all my soul, to passion free,
To be thus hated—spurned-by thee?


The poem is called "The Women of Memphis" and can be found here (search for entry 224). It is lovely.

In the finale of the story Zuleika, old and imprisoned, sees Yusuf in his kingly attire. She runs to him, and Yusuf, recognizing that she is the true love, marries her. Zuleika becomes young again through a miracle.


The Sefer Gilgulei Neshamot tells that the reincarnation of Joseph was Yehoshuah, and the reincarnation of Zuleika was Rahav, one of the four most beautiful women in history. Yehoshuah married Rahav, making the poet finally correct.

The silent scream

You can shout and scream with a “still, small voice” without anybody hearing you. Everybody can do this. Imagine the sound of such a scream in your mind. Imagine the shout exactly as it would sound. Concentrate on hearing the scream in your mind until you are literally screaming with this soundless “still, small voice” – and nobody else will hear anything.

This is actually a scream and not mere imagination. Just as there are channels that bring the sound from your lungs to your lips, so there are nerves that bring the sound to the brain. You can draw the sound through these nerves, literally bringing it into your head. When you do this, you are actually shouting inside your brain.

When you imagine this scream in your mind, the sound actually rings inside your brain. You can stand in a crowd of people screaming this way and no- one hears you.

It could be that when you do this, a faint sound may escape your mouth. This is because the sound traveling through the nerves to the brain can also activate the vocal organs, and they may then produce some sound. But it will be very faint.

It is much easier to shout in this way without words. When you wish to express yourself in words, it is harder to hold the voice in the mind without letting a sound escape your lips. Without words, it is much easier.

Sichot Haran #16


Art: Munch - Scream

Amatlai Bat Karnabo

The name of the mother of Abraham was Amatlai Bat Karnabo. She was reincarnated as Channa with Seven Sons in the story of Chanukkah.

When her seven sons were killed, she said "Go my sons and tell Abraham your father. You were only tested, and I really sacrificed my children. You were tested with just one, and I sacrificed seven". She then threw herself down from the roof and died. This we her tikkun for worshipping idols and her continued conversation with her son.

Her husband Terach was reincarnated as Iyov, and received his tikkun through suffering.

"Gilgulei Neshamot" by Rabbi Meir of Fano.