Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh's blog
Posted in Questions in the Bible on Jun 1st, 2011
In Hebrew, the question “where [am I/are you] from?” (מאין) contains the answer. “Where from?” literally reads “from nothing.” The first appearance in the Torah of the question “where from?” is in the story of Jacob on his way to Haran, about to meet and fall in love (at first sight) with Rachel. (He was [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
Consummate service of God unites meditation (919), prayer (515), and action (415). They complement one another. Together, 1849 = 43^2. Meditation connects mind to heart. Prayer connects heart to mouth. Action connects mouth (in the Torah speaking is action) to hands. There is something special about hands. When lifted, they ascend above the head and [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
The Temple Mount’s Western Wall is called the Wailing Wall because people come to pray there and cry. In the future every tear will rejoice. In time of exile all gates to Heaven are locked except for the Gates of Tears. Our mother Rachel cries for her children in exile. Rachel = 2 times “tear.” [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
“Love truth and peace” = 853. Mashiach = 358 – two complementary numbers. Light = 207, Shabbat = 702. Shabbat is the day of light. Rachel = 238, the Land of Israel = 832. Rachel symbolizes the Land of Israel. Leah = 36. Chanah = 63. Both personify understanding in Kabbalah. Samuel, Chanah’s son, is [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
God saved Jacob from his father-in-law Lavan, his brother Esau, and his “son-in-law” Shechem (his daughter’s rapist), three generations. Jacob is the all-inclusive Jewish soul. From him we learn that each of us has an enemy in the previous, this, and the next generations. The common denominator of the three enemies is that they all [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
Photosynthesis harvests the sun’s energy. It is the biological process that transforms light into life. Much can be learnt from it. Both blue and red light activate photosynthesis, but red light works better than blue light. Why is this so and what can we learn from it? Because of its higher frequency a blue photon [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
The 4 elements of the ancients, fire-air-water-earth, correspond to the 4 modern elements, carbon-oxygen-hydrogen-nitrogen, respectively. The element of earth is the power of growth in the earth, primarily nitrogen. Our atmosphere is a mixture, 3 parts earth to 1 part air. Coals are carbon – fire. Diamonds are concentrated carbon – fire. Most important: All [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
Noah was a “complete tzadik.” A tzadik clings to truth, is consistent. Thus Noah was both complete and consistent, but in a confined system. Shneur Zalman (the first Rebbe of Chabad) = “complete tzadik” (said of Noah). He was complete and consistent, in a larger system than Noah’s. After the deluge Noah planted a vineyard, [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
In this world we can reach deeper into the soul by hearing than by seeing. But good sight is also important. We see beauty and hear truth. In Hebrew, beauty, yofi = 100 = 10 squared. Truth, emet = 441 = 21 squared. Together they equal 541, a prime number, the gematria of Israel. Jacob [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 23rd, 2011
Wishing you all a good and sweet year. This coming year, 5771, is a year of “conscious determination,” a year of mind over matter, a year of “living Torah” for all of humanity. The Zohar says, To rectify a nation rectify its head. Rectify means to identify with. Abraham is the head of our nation. [...]