Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh's blog
Posted in Rectifying the Sense of Sight on Jul 25th, 2011
Both the mind and the heart possess an “inner eye.” On Shabbat the inner eye of the mind opens to see Godliness in contemplative meditation. In the Temple the inner eye of the heart opens to see Godliness in heartfelt prayer. The verse says, “And they shall make for Me a sanctuary and I shall [...]
Posted in Rectifying the Sense of Sight on Jul 23rd, 2011
“Keep My days of Shabbat and stand in awe of My Temple.” What do Shabbat and the Temple have in common? Both relate to the sense of sight. The verse “Keep My days of Shabbat and stand in awe of My Temple, I am God” (‘את שבתתי תשמרו ומקדשי תיראו אני הוי) appears identically twice [...]
Posted in Rectifying the Sense of Sight on Jul 22nd, 2011
Shabbat in relation to the weekdays is as sight to hearing. Throughout the week Divine vibrations fill my heart. On Shabbat I see Godliness. In the Zohar we learn that the word Shabbat (שבת) depicts the secret of the eye. The three branches of its first letter, shin (ש), allude to the three Patriarchs and to [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
There are many worlds. In the highest spiritual World of Emanation there is no consciousness other than that of God. * The Bible speaks of two “rods,” a “pleasant rod” and a “harmful rod.” The rod – a symbol of discipline – can be either pleasant or harmful. * In our “forgiveness” prayers we say [...]
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
The Mishnah says that Jews are connoted “garlic eaters,” for on Shabbat eve they eat garlic to increase their seed. Samaritans don’t eat garlic on Shabbat eve for they misinterpret the verse, “Do not burn fire on Shabbat” to refer to marital relationships. The initials of the phrase “garlic eaters” spell “fire.” Garlic arouses in [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
“The tzadik falls seven times and rises.” Each fall is for the sake of an additional rise. After each fall you get a raise. After each fall in life one must give rise to a new personality, create a new “face.” He must rise to the occasion of having fallen. If we fall, although we [...]
Posted in Tweets from the year 5771 on Feb 24th, 2011
Maimonides says that even if you eat healthy foods, don’t overeat. “The tzadik eats to satiate his soul.” He knows how much to eat for the soul to remain connected to the body and give it strength. “Eat to satiation and bless God.” “Satiation” in Hebrew is the same as “seven.” Eat in sevens (seven [...]