Seven Years Old - Free Download

I see that today is the seventh birthday of my blog. My first post was 10th April 2006 (I know, English birthday, not the "real" birthday, but unfortunately Blogger doesn't record the Hebrew date, and I can't be bothered checking it).

In honour of my blog's birthday I would like to leave a present for anyone who wants something to read about Pesach, Shavu'ot and Sefirat HaOmer. This is a book that I self-published three years ago for my daughter's bat mitzvah. It is selections from an amazing book by Rav Tzadok HaCohen entitled "Machshavot Charutz" ("Deep Thoughts")

My original plan was to finish translating the entire book, but I got busy with other things and never did. Maybe one day I'll get back to it.

Anyway, here it is. If you want to order a print copy you can go to Lulu and order it.

I would appreciate any feedback (and/or corrections etc.) in case I ever get back to finishing the translation of the entire book and publishing it properly.

Machshavos_Charutz

Steam-Engine Time

I was reading a book the other day - "The Science of Discworld III - Darwin's Watch" and they mentioned a concept called "Steam-Engine Time". According to Urban Dictionary this means:

A period of time when many inventors all over the world, despite isolation from each other, and with no contact with each other in any way, begin inventing a similar technology with a coincidental commonality of ideas.
The invention of the steam engine didn't occur in only one place but was invented independently and in isolation by many inventors all over the world.

Another example of steam engine time includes the independent invention of the aeroplane by people in isolation from each other in many different regions of the world, leading to arguments about "who" invented the aeroplane first.

Although the book in general was not as good as the first one (in my opinion), I found this concept very interesting. It also reminded me of a similar concept in Rav Tzadok HaCohen who writes:

התורה הוא מפת העולם כמו שאמרו (בראשית רבה ריש פרשה א' א') במשל דדיפתראות ופינקסאות וכן ישראל [שהם ואורייתא חד כנודע כי אור הנפשות דישראל הוא עצמו אור התורה וכמו שמובא (זוהר חדש שיר השירים כ"ד ב) דיש ששים רבוא אותיות לתורה] שבכל דור הם מפת העולם באותו דור כפי ההתחדשות שבנפשות מישראל בכל דור כן התחדשות העולם באותו זמן, וכמו שאמרו (יבמות ס"ג א) אפילו ספינות וכו' בשביל ישראל. וכמו שהנפשות משתנות מדור לדור כן התורה והיינו התורה שבעל פה שמתחדש בכל דור חדשות על ידי חכמי ישראל, ועל ידי כל חדשות התורה שבעל פה יוצא לאור נפשות חדשות מישראל ועל פיהם נתחדש גם כן ענינים בעולם וממצב העולם בכל דור נוכל להתבונן על מצב נפשות ישראל שבדור וכן על מצב התורה שבפיות תלמידי חכמים האמיתים שבאותו דור [ולכן אמרו (חגיגה ה' ב) אבדה עצה מבנים נסרחה חכמתם (ירמיה מ"ט ז') עיין שם ומובן]:

(Tzidkat HaTzadik 90)

The Torah is the blueprint of the world, as it says (Bereishit Rabba 1:1) with the metaphor of the parchment and books. Similarly, Yisrael (who are one with the Torah, as is known, for the light of the souls of Yisrael is itself the light of the Torah as is brought (Zohar Chadash Shir HaShirim 24:2) that htere are 600,000 letters in the Torah) in every generation is the blueprint of the world in that generation. According to the innovations in the souls of Yisrael in each generation are the innovations in the world at that time. As is said (Yevamot 63a) "even the ships that go from Gaul to Spain are blessed only for Israel's sake." Just as the souls change from one generation to another, so the Torah - meaning the Oral Torah, which is renewed in every generation with innovations through the sages of Yisrael. With every innovation in the Oral Torah the potential of hte souls of Yisrael is revealed, and through them come all the innovations in the world. From the state of the world in every generation we can understand the state of the souls of Yisrael in that generation, and also the state of the Torah in the mouths of the True Torah scholars in that generation. (That is why the Talmud (Chagiga 5b) interprets the verse "Counsel is lost from those of understanding and their wisdom is vanished" (Yirmiya 49:7) - Look there further.

Rav Tzadok on the Hagaddah

Here are some of Rav Tzadok's ideas on the hagaddah. He discusses why we have 4 cups of wine, but only 3 matzot. What does it mean to remember the exodus from Egypt and how does 'bread of poverty' taste like manna.

I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Rav Tzadok on Hagaddah 01

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Rav Tzadok on Hagaddah 01

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Rav Tzadok on Purim

Last week I said I was going to speak this week about the historical context of Purim. I think it is important to understand the context to get the real meaning of Purim. But I failed to keep my promise. It was too difficult for me (and Micha Berger suggested that a shiur should be meaningful, not history - which is a fair point).

So instead I take an idea of Rav Tzadok and develop it. He points out that unlike Shabbat (which is sanctified by G-d) and festivals/Rosh Chodesh (which is sanctified by Yisrael) Purim was chosen (and thus sanctified) by Haman and his lottery.

He discusses the meaning of lottery, and explains that someone who perceives G-d as acting randomly with the world will in return have G-d act with him in that way. (This is similar to someone who does not believe in the resurection of the dead who will therefore miss out on the resurrection of the dead.)

I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Rav Tzadok on Purim

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Rav Tzadok on Purim

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Mishpatim - Naaseh veNishma

This shiur is also based on the writings of Rav Tzadok HaCohen.

May this shiur be a Refuah Shleima for Shiri bat Gila.

Mishpatim contains not only many of the civil laws which guide us as a nation, but also the continuation of Maamad Har Sinai and the Giving of the Torah. At the end of the parsha the Jewish people utter the famous words "Naaseh veNishma" ("We Will Do and We Will Listen"). The Talmud praises them for giving precedence to action over understanding, comparing it to an apple tree that produces fruit before leaves.

(Tosefot notes that 'apple' in this context means 'etrog' - this allows me a digression to speak about the etrog as the fruit of the Garden of Eden and whether there was any cross-fertilisation of ideas between the 'Golden Apple' which is the etrog, and the 'Golden Apple of Discord' which brought strife to the world and ultimately led to the Trojan War.)

Rav Tzadok discusses whether action is more important than understanding (which he calls 'chochma' or 'freec choice') or the other way round. It turns out that both are true - one is in the realm of 'action' and the other in the realm of 'chochma/bechira'

This is very similar to an idea of Rav Dessler in Strive for Truth, though Rav Dessler frames it in terms of psychology and predeterminism.

I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Mishpatim - Naaseh veNishma

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Parshat Mishpatim - Naaseh veNishma

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Parshat Beshalach - Amalek and Theology

This shiur is also based on the writings of Rav Tzadok HaCohen.

May this shiur be a Refuah Shleima for Shiri bat Gila.

Rav Tzadok says that remembering what Amalek did to us is really about remembering the sin that we committed which led to Amalek coming. But the Torah does not specify what the sin was.

By way of contrast, the Torah tells us

Remember, do not forget, how you angered G-d, your G-d, in the desert. From the day that you left Egypt until you reached this place, you have been rebellious against G-d.

. This is explicit and according to Rav Tzadok is a warning never to trust ourselves against the yetzer hara. No matter how close we are to G-d or how great His revelation to us, we must always continue to wage war against the evil inclination.

According to Rav Tzadok the sin which brought Amalek was a mistake in theology. The Zohar says that the people weren't questioning whether G-d was with them (they were surrounded by the Clouds of Glory) but whether it was YHVH or Ayin - which aspect of G-d was leading them. They asked questions that were beyond them, and this gave Amalek the chance to attack.

The reason the Torah does not explicitly state their sin is because it is not a sin of action, but of trying to understand things that they were not allowed to ask. The sin is one that cannot be stated explicitly.


I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Beshalach - Amalek and Theology

(Right click and then 'download as')

Parshat Beshalach - Amalek and Theology

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Rosh Chodesh - the Power of Renewal

This shiur is also based on the writings of Rav Tzadok HaCohen.

The shiur is sponsored in memory of Irena bat Ilia Brezner. May her soul be bound in the bonds of Eternal Life.

This week is a new beginning for my Tuesday night women's shiur - we have moved to a new home in Armon HaNetziv. Contact me for details if you would like to come.

This parsha is also a new beginning - it contains the first mitzvah that was given to the Jewish people - kiddush hachodesh (sanctifying the new month).
This shiur was also given on Rosh Chodesh (new month) of Shevat, which (according to Beit Shammai) is the New Year for trees.

So lots of beginnings, and a shiur on the power of renewal and the importance of stumbling and falling in order to begin again and to grow.


I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Bo - Renewal

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Parshat Bo - Renewal

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

VaEra - Derech Eretz

This week (and hopefully in coming weeks) I'm using Rav Tzadok HaCohen as the basis for the shiur.

The parsha begins with G-d telling Moshe that He only appeared to the Avot as E-l Shaddai, but He will appear to Moshe as YHVH.

The problem is that G-d appeared many times to the Avot with the name YHVH. Furthermore, He only appeared twice with the name E-l Shaddai (and never to Yitzchak).

Rav Tzadok explains that it refers to the fundamentally different relationship with G-d that the Avot had - based on Derech Eretz, compared to Moshe Rabbeinu's - based on Torah.

He discusses the meanings of the names, and the way in which the Avot kept the Torah. He explains the meaning of the concept "derech eretz kadma la-Torah" (derech eretz preceded the Torah). Derech eretz is a concept that non-Jews accept as much as Jews, and in some cases Jews can/should learn from non-Jews.

I end with a quote from Rav Kook (who was influenced by the writings of Rav Tzadok) about derech eretz (of the Zionists who built the land and State of Israel) and recognition of its importance for those who learn Torah.

If only more people in Ramat Beit Shemesh and other places would realise the importance of derech eretz and making a positive contribution to the world!

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I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat VaEra- Derech Eretz preceded the Torah

(Right click and then 'download as')

Parshat VaEra- Derech Eretz preceded the Torah

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.