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muman613:
This article mentions the concept that Torah and song and music can share some things. They both are capable of inspiring the soul...
--- Quote ---http://www.torah.org/learning/pirkei-avos/chapter6-1a.html
"Rabbi Meir (Mai-eer) said: Anyone who engages in Torah study for its own sake ('lishma') merits many things. Not only that, but the entire world is worthwhile for him alone. He is called 'friend' and 'beloved,' he loves G-d, he loves man, he brings joy to G-d, he brings joy to man. It [the Torah] clothes him in humility and fear. It enables him to be righteous, pious, upright, and faithful. It distances him from sin and brings him to merit. [Others] benefit from him advice and wisdom, understanding and strength, as it says, 'To me is advice and wisdom, I am understanding, and strength is mine' (Proverbs 8:14). It gives him kingship, dominion and analytical judgment. It reveals to him the secrets of the Torah. He becomes as an increasing stream and an unceasing river. He becomes modest, slow to anger, and forgiving of the wrongs done to him. It makes him great and exalted above all of creation."
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Further, what of Israel's great love affair with the Torah? Isn't Torah study exhilarating? Hasn't its depth and wisdom brought cheer and inspiration to generations of suffering and exiled Jews who had little else? King David exclaimed, "If not for Your Torah, my delight, I would have perished in my suffering" (Psalms 119:92). (Put to stirring music by Shlomo Carlebach; was reputedly the favorite song of R. Aharon Kotler.) David likewise referred to Torah study as "music" to him (ibid., v. 54) (although G-d faulted him for viewing the Torah as merely a source of a "high" -- see Talmud Sotah 35a). Do we not -- how could we not -- study the Torah without becoming overwhelmed with the thrilling sense of the infinite wisdom of G-d? And is that appreciation somehow less than "true" Torah study lishma?
Let us back up a moment. Torah study lishma means studying because it is G-d's will. But what *is* G-d's will -- and why does He want us to study Torah? The answer is that G-d's ultimate will is to do good to mankind. He gave us a world in which we can serve Him and become worthy of reward -- closeness to G-d in the World to Come. (We've discussed in the past why G-d cannot reward us directly but requires us to earn it first. See for example Chapter 4, Mishna 22(b)).
--- End quote ---
Also this article on some Kabbalistic ideas comparing Torah to Water...
--- Quote ---http://www.inner.org/torah_and_science/waters.php
Science, Music, Torah -- Worlds, Souls, Divinity
The Ba'al Shem Tov teaches that there are three dimensions of reality: Worlds, Souls and Divinity. Each has its inherent wisdom. The pure wisdom of Worlds, created reality, is mathematics; the pure wisdom of Souls is music and the wisdom of Divinity is the wisdom of Torah. The Vilna Gaon and other sources explain that the epitome of science is pure mathematics. This is verified by scientists as well. The common expression in science is that mathematics is the queen of the sciences. The expression goes on to say that pure number theory is the queen of mathematics. Thus, the epitome of knowledge vis a vis Worlds is pure mathematics or pure number theory. This is explicitly explained by great Torah scholars who also state that above mathematics is music. Music relates to the soul itself, which is above the concept of Worlds. Above all, the wisdom of God Himself is the Torah. This can be likened to a pyramid of three levels, in which the highest level is infinitely above the others. Nonetheless, there is a relationship of Torah becoming experienced in music, and then being reflected in pure mathematics, the ultimate wisdom of Worlds.
Following the disciplines closest to Torah, music and mathematics, the sciences must be clarified. This is called berur. Nowadays, as most of the sciences become more "spiritual" it is possible to clarify the sciences with the proper intention and study by those people capable of undertaking such a task. A negative aspect of science is that it gives reality a feeling of yeshus, physical existence. This yeshus is being progressively stripped, as in the theory of today's scientists that an electron is not a physical entity. This means that reality is being appreciated from a spiritual perspective. One of the most negative aspects of science was always the Greek theory of the primordial existence of the physical universe. Now science is very near the theory of continual creation of all matter and energy. Science is approaching the Unified Field Theory. Time and space have already been clarified. In Kabbalah this is called yichuda ila'ah. Matter and energy have also been unified, as represented by the equation: E equals MC squared. This is yichuda ta?ta?ah. Now it remains to unify all four forces of nature, wherein each force corresponds to one of the four letters of God's Name and to the four Worlds, etc.
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--- End quote ---
It is this concept which I believe Rabbi Mizrachi was discussing in the video I posted in the Eikev thread this week...
Israel Chai:
This always freaks me out
Please, your comments.
muman613:
--- Quote from: LKZ on August 08, 2013, 07:29:11 PM ---This always freaks me out
Please, your comments.
--- End quote ---
Shalom LKZ,
Once again you are resorting to superstitions of Christianity as the # 666 has absolutely no connotation of anything evil or satanic in Judaism. I really have no idea why they consider that number to be a bad sign as I have never heard any mention of it in Judaism or Kabbalah. The closest thing I can think of, which I heard once, was that the # 6 in Kabbalah represents this world as ruled by nature (6 working days), the 7th day (#7) represents the entire spiritual and physical existance, while the # 8 represents supernatural beyond our world. So too anything repeated 3 times in Torah represents that the concept is established so repeating 6 three times represents the total limitation of nature in this world. But this has nothing to do with HaSatan (Samech Mem) any more than any other number. We do not consider this world evil...
So I don't know if there is anything Jewish-wise to learn from this coincidence.
muman613:
Here is basically the same answer I gave from the Rabbi at Ohr Sameyach...
http://ohr.jle.org.uk/ask_db/ask_main.php/277/Q1/
Prof. Zev bar-Lev, Dept. of Linguistics & Oriental Languages in San Diego State University wrote:
Dear Rabbi,
You recently wrote: "The numerical value of "Meah Shearim" is 666, a number which has esoteric and kabbalistic meaning in Judaism, as indicated by the Vilna Gaon in his commentary to the Zohar." Now you've got me curious: In American media, I only hear of 666 for its mystic significance in Christianity -- a negative meaning, associated with "Satan." So what is the mystic significance of 666 in Judaism?
M. Brinn in Greenville, SC wrote:
Dear Rabbi,
Could you tell us more about the kabalistic meaning of 666? I live in a community with a large conservative Christian presence. Recently there was a big uproar over a supermarket's ad campaign because they believed the numbers 666 were hidden within. Thank you.
Dear Professor Bar-Lev and M. Brinn,
Oh, I can't tell you the answer to your question....It's a mystical secret!
Just kidding. Sort of. The truth is that the key to mystical secrets are not in any book, they're in your heart. Even if someone "reveals" a "kabbalistic secret," it remains a secret as long as you are not able to understand it. (So have no fear: The secrets of Kabbala are perfectly safe with Madonna.) But I will explain as much as I know on the subject:
The number 666 has significance as the numerical value of the Hebrew verse: "Ata yigdal na koach Ado-nai -- Now, I pray, let the Power of my Lord be great." (Numbers 14:17). This was Moshe's prayer invoking Divine Mercy on behalf of the Jewish People.
"Mosad Hayesod" cites the Vilna Gaon's commentary on the Zohar that "the number 666 contains hidden within it exalted and lofty messianic potential." No other explanation is offered there.
We do know that the number six represents the physical world. The Torah describes the creation of the universe as a six part, six day, process. Our ancient sources describe the universe as emanating in six directions -- north, south, east, west, up, down -- from a central point. All physical space and all physical objects have these six dimensions.
666 is six repeated three times. Repeating a concept three times represents the affirmation and strength of that concept. The number 666 could thus represent the strength and perfection of the physical world, which Judaism teaches will occur in the messianic era, when the physical world will reach its ultimate purpose, to be a vehicle through which the created experience the Creator.
Sources:
Mosad Hayesod pp. 204-205
Rabbi Dovid Rossoff, author o "Where Heaven Touches Earth," Guardian Press
Israel Chai:
--- Quote from: muman613 on August 08, 2013, 07:41:40 PM ---Here is basically the same answer I gave from the Rabbi at Ohr Sameyach...
http://ohr.jle.org.uk/ask_db/ask_main.php/277/Q1/
Prof. Zev bar-Lev, Dept. of Linguistics & Oriental Languages in San Diego State University wrote:
Dear Rabbi,
You recently wrote: "The numerical value of "Meah Shearim" is 666, a number which has esoteric and kabbalistic meaning in Judaism, as indicated by the Vilna Gaon in his commentary to the Zohar." Now you've got me curious: In American media, I only hear of 666 for its mystic significance in Christianity -- a negative meaning, associated with "Satan." So what is the mystic significance of 666 in Judaism?
M. Brinn in Greenville, SC wrote:
Dear Rabbi,
Could you tell us more about the kabalistic meaning of 666? I live in a community with a large conservative Christian presence. Recently there was a big uproar over a supermarket's ad campaign because they believed the numbers 666 were hidden within. Thank you.
Dear Professor Bar-Lev and M. Brinn,
Oh, I can't tell you the answer to your question....It's a mystical secret!
Just kidding. Sort of. The truth is that the key to mystical secrets are not in any book, they're in your heart. Even if someone "reveals" a "kabbalistic secret," it remains a secret as long as you are not able to understand it. (So have no fear: The secrets of Kabbala are perfectly safe with Madonna.) But I will explain as much as I know on the subject:
The number 666 has significance as the numerical value of the Hebrew verse: "Ata yigdal na koach Ado-nai -- Now, I pray, let the Power of my Lord be great." (Numbers 14:17). This was Moshe's prayer invoking Divine Mercy on behalf of the Jewish People.
"Mosad Hayesod" cites the Vilna Gaon's commentary on the Zohar that "the number 666 contains hidden within it exalted and lofty messianic potential." No other explanation is offered there.
We do know that the number six represents the physical world. The Torah describes the creation of the universe as a six part, six day, process. Our ancient sources describe the universe as emanating in six directions -- north, south, east, west, up, down -- from a central point. All physical space and all physical objects have these six dimensions.
666 is six repeated three times. Repeating a concept three times represents the affirmation and strength of that concept. The number 666 could thus represent the strength and perfection of the physical world, which Judaism teaches will occur in the messianic era, when the physical world will reach its ultimate purpose, to be a vehicle through which the created experience the Creator.
Sources:
Mosad Hayesod pp. 204-205
Rabbi Dovid Rossoff, author o "Where Heaven Touches Earth," Guardian Press
--- End quote ---
So... is this supposed to represent a failing on the part of the physical world?
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