YGB - יג"ב

Thursday, March 06, 2014

The third shiur will be tonight,

Thursday night, March 6th

11:00 pm- 11:20 pm EST

10:00-10:20 pm CST, 8:00-8:20 pm PST

My Friend Barry's 5tjt.com Essay on the Current Events

My friend Barry's essay in this week's

I would like to start a "third" (or fourth, or fifth, or sixth, depending on your sociological perspective) camp in Orthodox Judaism, independent of the existing streams. I would like to call it Mevakshim, invoking the pasuk (Shemos 33:7):

והיה כל מבקש ה' יצא אל אהל מועד אשר מחוץ למחנה

Let me know if you want to join...

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Toras Purim 5774 part 2: 29 Continued

R' Avraham Schorr in HaLekach V'Ha'Libuv notes that the word chen (חן) appears six times in the Megillah - as well as in Parashas Ki Sisa. Chen is, of course, 2x29, and 6xChen=348 - שמח.

The depth in this is obvious. If all twelve Shivtei Yisroel are fulfilling their mission in this world, of combating Amalek on the 13th and the 14th, then they merit the simchah of the 14th and the 15th.

Why is the fight on the 13th and 14th? Because 13+14=27, זך, and Amalek fight the zachus of Am Yisroel. Which is mostly symbolized by the term Yehudi which is why the 27th pasuk of the Megillah is Ish Yehudi. Which is also the pasuk that alludes to the battle between Shaul and Amalek - ben Kish Ish Yemini.

Next we shall tackle the 29th pasuk in the Haftara for Shabbos Zachor....

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Toras Purim 5774 part 1: 14+15=29

Never realized this, and only realized it this year on account of seeing something about it in HG"R Shlomo Fisher shlita's Derashos Bais Yishai, but it has been staring me in the face for years. Einayim lahem v'lo yiru!

כי יד על כס י-ה מלחמה לה' בעמלק

Yad is the 14th day of Adar and Yah is the 15th day of Adar. The two days of Purim!

Now, to add on to that, we need to consider 14+15=29.

The 29th pasuk in the Megillah is the pasuk that introduces Esther.

29 in gimatriya is both הבטחה and כזב.

The הבטחה is in Teshuvos HaRashba 1:93:

שאלת מה שאמרו במדרש... ומי הוא זה שיאמר שיבטל מן התורה אפילו אות אחת ואפילו קוצו של יו"ד, ורבו המפרשים הגדה זו באזני, ולא נכנס בה אחד מהם, הודיעני פירושה. תשובה – נראה לי פירושו שכל המועדים לא הבטיח עליהם יתברך שלא יגרום החטא ביטולם באחד מן הזמנים וכמו שכתב שכח ה' בציון מועד ושבת אבל בימי הפורים הבטיח הכתוב לא יעברו מתוך היהודים וזכרם לא יסוף מזרעם לא יעברו ולא יסוף, עשאום הבטחה, לא אזהרה

The כזב, in the next post, IY"H.

Friday, February 28, 2014

Evolution and My Friend Barry

Rationalist Judaism: Have Your Futile Arguments About Evolution Right Here!

For the last 36 years my friend Barry and I have derived great pleasure from disagreeing on almost any issue we could possibly find, preferably arguing vehemently about it. Sometimes - rarely!- we unfortunately agree about something, robbing us of the pleasure of disputation.

The linked discussion on evolution is one of these instances. Barry is eloquent, cogent and impressive.

יישר כוחו לאורייתא!