Torah Portion on Vows Mattot/Masei

Mattot and Masei are the last two portions of the book of Numbers (30:2–36:18)

Vows

Mattot opens with a chapter on the subject of vows. “A vow is a word of action.”*

Judaism takes the making or uttering of vows very seriously. Often, when talking about a future event, we say “b’ezrat Hashem (“with the help of G‑d”) so we are not uttering a vow.  

Fourteen of the seventeen verses in this porition address the topic of women and vows.

"Torah makes the point that a father or a husband may cancel the vows of a daughter or wife. It follows that men have to keep the promises they make, while women are often prevented from doing so."

Kippah for High Holy Days

Matot picks up that there are differences in words of men and women. Another interpretation “might be that men and women should both accept the responsibility for vows that they utter. Another possibility is that men learn from women, and vice versa, and that together we accept the responsibility entailed in uttering vows, while also sharing those responsibilities with the people close to us.”

Source: "Women speak louder than words" by Rabbi Stacy K. Offner,
from the book, The Women’s Torah Commentary 

5 Reasons Why People Like the History of The Tabernacle

Since the beginning of COVID, to lessen my anxiety, I'm immersing myself into online learning by studying Torah with rabbis from the U.S. and Israel by listening to podcasts.  Also, two courses, I'm taking are an investment to grow my jewelry business: building a Jewelry Business, and a workshop about Pinterest.  

I hope you'll join me on my journey. My mission is to ignite the divine spark within you. 

This post is inspired by colors and their meaning with a pinch of Torah. My sources are various talks by rabbis and a few articles I found online. It's interesting that most of the images I found are from Christian sources. 

1. The Tabernacle, a beautiful creation, designed by G-d, no longer exists and we're curious 

The Tabernacle was to be essential in the relationship (connection) between God and Israel. 

Exodus 25:1 - 40:38 depicts God's command to Moses to build a tabernacle for Him to dwell amongst His people in the wilderness. This word, "tabernacle" (mishkan), literally translates as "a dwelling place". In its original form in Exodus, it is a tent. It was to be God's dwelling place among Israel in the wilderness. 

hoshanarabba

2. "G-d created heaven & earth for man to live, and the Tabernacle is created by man for G-d to dwell on earth 

God instructs (Exodus 25:8): “let them make me a mishkan and I will dwell (shakhanti) within them (betokham).” The Sefat Emet, a Polish Hasidic master, reads this as “within them truly” (betokham mamash). That is, G-d will dwell within the very essence of each Israelite. 

"However, according to RambaN, the purpose of the Tabernacle and later the Bet Hamikdash was to recreate the revelation that occurred at Sinai."

3. The Israelites gave freely their valuables and creative talents to help build the mishkan

The Torah states regarding the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), “Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and let them take for Me a portion (terumah), from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take My portion."

Moses summons the Israelites to give of their material wealth and human skill towards building the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. And the Israelites respond with a collective passion. The only materials that were qualified to be given for the building of the Mishkan were those that were given selflessly and out of the generosity of one’s heart.  

Clker.com

 

4. What are the colors in the soul? 

Colors represent good qualities ... “Though I am black with sin, I am beautiful [i.e., not black, but multi-colored] with virtue.” Each Jew has a unique color, i.e., virtue. Moshe’s task was to find the virtue within each Jew and to combine those virtues into an abode for the Shechinah. (R’ Nosson Sternhartz z”l [1780-1845, foremost student of R’ Nachman of Breslov]) 

Blue: expresses our awe at the infinite greatness of the Divine. G‑d, is boundlessly Infinite, beyond the world.  

Scarlet: encourages a passionate thirst to connect with G‑d (per the kabbalists).

The combination of these two feelings, awe and fiery love, leads to a sense of how tiny we are compared to G‑d's infinite grandeur. 

Purple: combines blue and scarlet associated with royalty and meditation.

White:  symbolizes love flowing like pure water, aware of the intimate, caring closeness of G‑d and of G‑d's love for us. 

These are the colors in the soul, the emotions with which we relate to G‑d, in our own inner Sanctuary: blue, scarlet, purple, white... (Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak Schneersohn, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe) 

5. What is the significance of the tabernacle? 

Various commentaries interpreted the significance of the tabernacle in different ways:

• Maimonides saw the tabernacle as an image of a royal palace.
• The Zohar, a mystical text believed to have been written in the 13th century, saw the tabernacle as a reflection of the process of the creation of the universe. Indeed, the Zohar points out, the language used to describe how God created the universe in the Book of Genesis is identical to the language used to describe the artist Bezalel’s building of the tabernacle in the Book of Exodus.

Sources: chabad, israel-a-history, kdmanestreet, myjewishlearning, Rabbi Tom Samuels, torah.org

You can wear the colors of the Tabernacle and connect to Judaism with my designs. 

Shop now to connect to Judaism! 

Jewish Jewelry by Linda B

Torah Learning: Is Purim The Holiest Day?

Watching a video on Aish.com by Oliver Anisfeld, JTV Founder, gave me insight to how a 16th century Rabbi named "the Arisal", found something hidden in the Torah about Yom Kippur (which most Jews believe to be the holiest day). If you look at the name Yom Ha Ki Purim, it means, the day that is like Purim. The holiness and spiritual elevatation of Yom Kippur is "like Purim."

Why is Purim so special? 

It's a day of fun and festivity, and we celebrate Queen Esther saving the Jews in Persia from an evil decree of death or ethnic cleansing. We laugh, we dress in costumes, and we drink wine. It's very light hearted. 

Purim falls in the Hebrew month of Adar, the month of laughter or joy. What's holy about laughter? In Jewish philosophy, laughter is fundamental. The first Hebrew child, Isaac, is named "he will laugh." We laugh when the totally unexpected happens; when things are going in one direction and suddenly change.

Purim Grager Earrings

In Judaism, we believe that everything in the physical world is represented in the spiritual world representing a deeper spiritual reality.  So laughter represents the transition from this world to the next, going from tragedy and despair to redemption, from our current world to the messianic world. Jews pray for redemption every day, when there will be peace throughout the world and an eternal place of rest where we reap our rewards in (haolam rabah, the world to come).

King David wrote that on the Day of Redemption, our mouths will fill with laughter. 

"שׁוּבָה ה' אֶת שְׁבִיתֵנוּ כַּאֲפִיקִים בַּנֶּגֶב sang King David (Psalms 126:4), prophetically looking forward to the end of the exile and the Return to Zion This Psalm is so well-known because it is the introduction to Grace after Meals on every Shabbat and Festival.

This is the imagery which King David uses to allegorise our Redemption:

שׁוּבָה ה' אֶת שְׁבִיתֵנוּ כַּאֲפִיקִים בַּנֶּגֶב: when the Redemption comes, when the Jews who are exiled the world over come home, they will come as swiftly, as inexorably as the אֲפִיקִים בַּנֶּגֶב, those dry river-beds in the Negev Desert which suddenly turn into gushing, overwhelming, life-giving rivers with the onset of the rainy season.

The Return to Zion will be a transformation as complete, as astonishing, as those arid sands which suddenly transform into rivers.

The word רִנָּה, joyous song, appears three times in Psalm 126: 

אָז יִמָּלֵא שְׂחוֹק פִּינוּ וּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ רִנָּה, “Then our mouths will be filled with laughter, and our tongues with joyous song” (verse 2);

הַזֹּרְעִים בְּדִמְעָה בְּרִנָּה יִקְצֹרוּ, “Those who sow in tears, with joyful song will reap” (verse 5);

הָלוֹךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבָכֹה נֹשֵׂא מֶשֶׁךְ הַזָּרַע בֹּא יָבוֹא בְרִנָּה נֹשֵׂא אֲלֻמֹּתָיו, “he who wanders constantly and weeps, bearing his measuring-basket of seed – will assuredly come with joyful song, bearing his sheaves”.

The three-fold use of the word רִנָּה alludes to the three Redemptions – the first Redemption from Egypt, the second Redemption from Persia/Babylon, and the third Redemption through which we are living today."**

Purim Hamentashen Earrings

On Purim, everything reversed itself, Haman who issued the death decree for the Jews was hung on the gallows he built for Mordechai, the Jewish leader. 

"Jews believe that one day, the world will get turned around. The future laugh is what we're waiting for ... it's the secret of Jewish hope. Deep within the laughter is the Jewish hope that joy and redemption are our the final destination." Oliver Anisfeld, JTV Founder

**Israel National News

Torah and Talmud Learning

Torah and Talmud

Did you know that I'm an only child? Naturally, I played catch and softball with my dad (z'l) in the alley. As a child, I loved to follow my dad's finger in the Hebrew prayerbook for the High Holy Days. From him, I learned the joys of attending Shabbat services and praying. 

When COVID-19 began, I was fairly worried, having an upper respiratory issue and being a high risk person. Luckily, my Rabbi expanded his Lunch and Learn Adult Ed series to a Daily Zoom session, and I am able to listen while I work. 

It helps me to keep connected to my Jewish community, and to study Torah and Talmud. I am a beginner and he guides us through the Torah portions pointing out Jewish sages' commentaries from Maimonides, Rashi, and the Kli Yakar. He brings it to life telling us "he talks and argues with these sages to learn more about the Torah and Life." 

He teases me, saying that I would make a great yeshiva boker, and I laugh and tell him, that I'm the wrong gender. 

Through the blessings of technology, I'm able to visit shuls in Hyde Park, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and Israel. I listen to rabbis from different denominations, and I'm a top fan of aish.com, with rabbis who also bring the parshah to life. 

I'm still a beginner, but I'm going to share meaningful lessons with you on a monthly basis. 

Lekh Lekha

Lekh Lekha is my birthday parsha. However, when I had my Adult Bat Mitzvah, I chose the Haftorah Behalotkha, about restoring the Temple. It's said twice a year, in June and for Shabbat Hanukkah. 

It's the story of Abraham & Sarah, the first Jews by Choice believing in monotheism, and rejecting pagan idol worship. G-d tells Abraham to Lekh Lekha, "go forth from your land to a place I'll tell you and there I'll make you a great nation." 

Lekh - to walk, meaning start in one place and end in another place. Rashi brings the point that it's to go for your own good, to leave behind preconceived notions and your upbringing. 

• Daily lekh lecha is a challenge to try to be better and make a difference in our world.
• We’re all different, each of us has own mission to do in this world. 
• Why am I here? What am I good at? What am I not good at?  
• Our missions are tailor made using negative character traits and positive gifts we have. 
• Any time you face a challenge; it’s part of your mission, especially in spiritual areas.
• Challenges are part of life in Judaism and designed for each individual. 

The Hasidic commentator the Mei Hashilo’ah translated the verse as “Go to you,” elaborating, “[go] to your essential self. Nothing out there in the world is properly alive. The only place you’ll find real life is inside you.” Avram had become restless and begun searching for deeper meaning, and God commanded him to look inward for clarity. (JTS: Naomi Kalish)

I too, am search for deeper meaning and connection. I'm grateful to be finding it in Torah. 

Source: Lessons for Ladies from the weekly Torah portion in St. Louis, MO