Life

Is life good or what?

Cheers, all

Elul

אלול
Means also "(א)Ish (ל)l'reehu (ו)umatanot (ל)laevyonim", "man exchanges good wishes with his friend, and give presents to poor".

Rabbi Mendel Glickman, Jerusalem

About etrog

When we wave the four species on Succot, three are bound together, while the etrog is held separately. The etrog represents this world, which is separate from the Heavenly realms. Yet, the etrog also has a small crown at its end which, although fragile, is all-important because the commandment of waving the four species can be performed only when it is intact. This crown represents the world's attachment to the Source of all blessings, while the etrog's independence from the other species shows Israel's disassociation from God in our daily state of awareness.

From the "Living Kabbalah" by Simcha Benyosef.

This year I would like to find an etrog with the pitom.

About demons

Demons resemble angels in three ways: They have wings, they can fly throughout the universe, and they hear what transpires in heaven. They also resemble mortals in that they procreate, eat, and die. They are always invisible, except under special conditions.

more

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.

17th of Tammuz

The numerical value of "17" is tet+vav+bet=9+6+2=tov=good.

Why the letter tet (tov=good) did not appear in the first set of tablets, but only in the second? So that nobody would say, when the first set of tablets was broken, "end of good for Israel". Instead, this good begins only with breaking of the tablets. That is why Aaron said, "Feast to Hashem tomorrow'. Because in the future, this day will indeed be a big celebration for Israel.

To be continued!

(from Bnei Issasschar)