Wisdom and Understanding

Yesterday a friend of mine mentioned that he had God in his heart, and that his goal was to be constantly aware of God's presence. Today I found an explanation of this in the Sefer Yetsirah. My friend was talking about Wisdom.

Wisdom is an undifferentiated power of the mind. At this level there is no plurality and everything is one. That is what the Talmud means by saying "Who is wise? He who learns from every man." At the level of Wisdom all people are one. Baal Shem Tov says that one can even learn from evil, because on the level of Wisdom there is no distinction between good and evil.

However, one should not stop here. The Sefer Yetsirah talks about the 32 paths of Wisdom. To reach Wisdom one needs to travel through the paths, which are mysterious and hidden and wonderful, but one has to discover them on his own.

Today marks close to one year since I started this blog. The initial impetus came from the days of Sefirah and the wonderful things I was reading about each of the 49 day. Only then I started with day 33, Lag B'Omer. I will see if I can say something about each day this time around.

Question of the day, what does this picture represent? Answer in comments!

Discovery: how I was the cause of my own poverty

I used to make a point, when giving tsedaka, to also give the meshulach a pen with my phone number and web site.

The pen was cheap. Last time, when I was giving this pen, and running out of pen supply, it suddenly dawned on me that the following Mishna in Bikkurim applies to me.

Poor would bring their bikkurim in straw baskets, and the kohanim would take the baskets away. They wanted the poor to come back next year with a new, hopefully, golden basket.
Rich would bring their bikkurim in golden baskets, and these baskets were returned to them! The kohanim wanted them to come again next year with golden baskets, while still being rich.

I am not giving out pens anymore! I am using a golden pen now, to fulfill "Ein aniyut b'makom ashirut".

SuperPita

I have updated the Super Pita site for my friends, here is the new gallery.

When one may lie

One may declare a vow to murderers to support his claim that the produce they seek to seize from him is terumah and hence forbidden to a non-Kohen, even though in truth it is not terumah.

This Mishna (Nedarim 27b) refers to Jewish robbers, who will kill people to steal their property but how nonetheless observe other laws of the Torah!

Rabbi Shalom Sharabi!!!

The 10th of Shvat (this Thursday), is the hillulah of the Rashash. His exciting life is recounted here. This calls for a celebration and for a prayer that one should be successful in the study of Kabbalah.

Celebrating my birthday and the yartzeit of Baba Sali

Early morning I brought goodies from Super Pita. My friends at work reciprocated with balloons. I was joining my birthday to the yartzeit of Baba Sali, today, the 4th of Shvat. You can find a complete calendar at Nehora.

My new havruta

I was sitting across Borders in the Galleria when this guys appears with long tzitzit and Artscroll Bava Metsia in his hands!

I waive my Nedarim, he waves his Talmud, and he asks what am I learning. I am learning about a person who vows not to sleep today if he sleeps tomorrow. We discuss the case for a while, then I ask about his learning.

He is learning a case of a woman who damages somebody, and the statement that the husband does not have to pay for her because she has no money. The Talmud suggests that she should sell the value of her ketubah as a risk investment, and then goes into false witnesses.

We learn for half an hour and become good friends. I send his picture to my wife, her reaction "You have changed a lot!"