Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh's blog
Posted in Uncategorized on Jun 9th, 2011
Bat Sheva prayed that her son, Solomon, be wise and fitting for prophecy. David’s other wives prayed that their sons be fitting to rule. King Solomon begins the last chapter of Proverbs with his mother’s exhortation to him as a young man. She begins by saying to him, “What, my son? And what, the son [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Jun 7th, 2011
“Give not your strength [i.e., your seed] to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings” (“אַל תִּתֵּן לַנָּשִׁים חֵילֶךָ וּדְרָכֶיךָ לַמְחוֹת מְלָכִין”). This is the Biblical source for the relation between sex and politics. Maimonides quotes this verse (from the last chapter of Proverbs, the ethics of King Solomon, the wisest of men; in [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Apr 26th, 2011
Progress in science (and society) is made by taking note of details that a previous theory is unable to account for. The history of modern science testifies to the truth of the above statement. But it also applies to social/political development and progress. Every system or theory, whether scientific or political, has rules. The Torah, [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
A corner is a point of nothing between two well defined directions, two somethings. You don’t know what’s awaiting you around the corner. In Hebrew, “corner” is the same as “horn” and “ray,” the rays of light that radiated from the face of Moses, who was always turning corners. A square has corners, but not [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
18 = chai (chet-yud, 8-10), life. The triangle of 8 = 36 (all numbers from 1 to 8) and of 10 = 55, together = 91, the triangle of 13, love. Life is love, as King Solomon says, “See life with the woman you love” = 1599 = 13 times 123, love times pleasure. The [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
The sages teach that the evil inclination has seven names. The first name was given by God: “evil,” implying a force that takes you “down.” The second name of the evil inclination was given by Moses: “uncircumcised,” implying a concealing shield over the inner point of the heart. King David gave the evil inclination its [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
Before his passing King David said to his son Solomon, “Know the God of your father with a perfect heart and a longing soul.” “A longing soul” = 613, the number of commandments in the Torah. To perform God’s will in action requires “a longing soul.” 613 is the 18th inspirational number (182 plus 172). [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
It takes might to fight. Deciding what the Torah tells us to do in a given situation is a battle of minds. In the end it’s a win-win fight. “And so does it say in the book of the wars of God ‘love in the end.’” The Torah is “the book of the wars of [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
Young King Solomon (at the age of 12) won the heart of the Jewish People by his Divinely inspired judgment of the two prostitutes. In the Biblical account of the judgment of Solomon there is no mention that prostitution is illegal in the Torah. Why? The mark of a righteous and wise king is his [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
In this world-order the female voice is not heard, in the messianic era, soon to be, it will be heard, loud and strong. Women are in general sopranos, men are tenors or basses. The soprano voice carries the melody and the lower voices accompany. Women are violins and violas, men are cellos and counter-basses. Often, [...]