Kippahs: To Wear or Not to Wear?

The kippah is a Jewish head covering generally worn by a religious Jewish man. You may also see it referred to as a yarmulke. In Yiddish, a kippah is referred to as a koppel, and in English, as a skull cap. Wearing kippahs came into practice during medieval times as a way to show respect to God and it is interesting that while for most of the world it is respectful to take your hat or head covering off, in Judaism it is considered respectful to have your head covered! According to the Talmud (Kiddushin 31a), wearing the kippah is a reminder to the wearer that God is their higher authority, and helps create an awareness of God in their life at all times; hence, religious Jewish men and boys traditionally wear kippahs at all times, except during sleep. Even when wearing a hat, an orthodox Jewish man will wear a kippah underneath. For those who are not orthodox, the kippah may just be worn when going to synagogue, and some only wear a kippah when they visit Israel.

If you are a man, it is considered respectful to put on a kippah when attending a synagogue service, whether you are Jewish or not, but while it is not forbidden for a woman to wear a kippah, it is also not required.

Interestingly, since the Torah does not command Jews to wear kippahs, it is unnecessary to say a blessing, or b'racha, before putting one on. Kippahs can be made out of any fabric, including velvet, cotton, satin, suede, leather, organza, silk, and felt. They can be made in any number of ways: crocheted, knitted, stitched, etc. They can have designs or symbols on them, and can be as elaborate or basic as you want. Some are hand-painted with sports symbols or Hebrew letters, others are trimmed with gold and silver, and there are many that are custom-designed. Ones for women are often made with lace or out of beads.

There are kippahs for joyous occasions called simcha kippahs (simcha means "joy"); for instance, it is customary to have customized kippahs made for a child's bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah, a wedding, or other Jewish occasion. Even when a baby boy has his bris (circumcision), he wears a special kippah that ties under his chin.

Notarikon. Un nouveau Code de la Bible ?

« Les divrei torah, ce sont des notarikon. » (Rashi - Exode 20:12)

Désormais ceux avides de hiddoushim en auront plein les bras. Un tout nouveau logiciel à vu le jour récemment en Israël : Notarikon. En effet, ce dernier permet de faire des trouvailles dans le Tanakh jusqu’à ce jour inconnues et ce, avec une précision insolite. Serions-nous en face d’un nouveau Code de la Bible ? Une entrevue avec Yossef-David Amselem, l’ingénieur qui a développé le logiciel nous en dira plus longuement.

Pouvez-vous nous décrire qu’est-ce que Notarikon?

Notarikon est un programme informatique qui permet de faire la recherche de rashei tevot, sofei tevot, gematriot et combinaisons de lettres dans le Tanakh. A notre connaissance, il est unique au monde.

Quel est l’utilité d’un tel outil ?

La découverte de nouveaux hiddoushim dans la Torah. Des midrashim aux aggadot, en passant par la quasi-totalité de la littérature kabbalistique, tous se servent de rashei tevot ou bien de gematriot, entre autres, pour enrichir ou prouver un point, un commentaire, voire même une halakha.

Comment s’effectue une recherche ?

Le programme est très simple et il est présentement disponible en hébreu et en anglais. On effectue une recherche en tapant un mot en hébreu ou en araméen dans la boite de texte à l’aide de notre clavier ou bien du clavier hébreu virtuelle sur l’écran. En cliquant sur le bouton « Recherche » on obtient les résultats, tout simplement.

Pouvez-vous nous décrire plus en profondeur les types de recherches que l’on peut effectuer ?

Certainement. Il y a tout d’abord la recherche de rashei tevot et de sofei tevot. Par exemple, en tapant le mot « TORaH » on obtient א"ת ברית"ו אש"ר צו"ה (eT beritO asheR tzivaH), « son alliance, qu'il vous enjoignait d'observer » (Deutéronome 4:13). Ce dernier est un sofei tevot, dans l’ordre, comme on peut le constater. Il est important de noter que le programme sait remanier les lettres finales ou םןץף"ך (MaNTzePaKh) dépendamment du type de recherche sélectionné.

Si on prend un autre exemple de résultat, toujours pour le même mot, on obtient וא"ת מעשי"ו אש"ר עש"ה (ve’eT ma’assav(O) asheR assaH), « les œuvres qu'il a opérés » (Deutéronome 11:3). Je laisserai chacun tirer ses propres hiddoushim… On peut chercher un mot dans l’ordre ou bien dans le désordre. Il suffit de sélectionner « Toutes Combinaisons » avant de lancer la recherche et le programme va automatiquement générer tous les mots pour nous. En général, c’est le factoriel du nombre de lettres. Un mot de 5 lettres uniques possède 5 ! ou 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 donc 120 combinaisons.

Deuxièmement, il y a la recherche de gematriot. Lorsqu’on veut chercher un lien entre deux mots, il est utile de connaitre tous les autres mots dans le Tanakh qui ont la même valeur numérique. Il existe d’autres outils qui permettent de faire de telles recherches mais ces derniers forcent l’utilisateur à entrer un chiffre et ne fournissent pas des résultats dans un format pratique. Nous avons opté pour la recherche de mots, directement, ce qui évite à l’utilisateur de constamment calculer la valeur numérique qu’il recherche et réduit ainsi les erreurs. Evidement, celui qui le désire, peut toujours faire une recherche en entrant un chiffre dans la boite de recherche.

Finalement, il y a la recherche de constructions de lettres que nous avons nommé tout simplement « Combinaisons ». Ce type de recherche permet de trouver tous les usages d’un mot, ou d’une de ses combinaisons, dans le texte du Tanakh. Bien qu’il existe beaucoup d’outils qui permettent de faire la recherche de mots dans la Bible, aucun ne nous permet de faire la recherche de combinaisons d’un mot. C’est très utile lorsque nous voulons approfondir le sens des lettres et nous avons cru bon de l’inclure dans le programme. Bien entendu, tous les résultats peuvent être sauvegardés et exportés dans un logiciel comme Excel, par exemple.

Quelles sont les probabilités de trouver un sofei tevot comme « TORaH » ci-dessus ?

Lorsqu’on prend le cas d’un mot qui apparait dans l’ordre comme « TORaH » les chances sont petites. La probabilité qu’une lettre « x » apparaisse au début ou à la fin d’un mot est tout simplement 1/22 ou un peu moins de 5% en tenant compte du fait qu’il y a 22 lettres dans l’alphabet hébraïque (et non 27 car une lettre finale ne peut que se retrouver à la fin d’un mot). Si on doit répéter l’expérience pour quatre lettres consécutives les probabilités se multiplient donc 1/224 ou une chance sur 234256. Si les lettres étaient dans le désordre, la probabilité chute à une chance sur 9760 ou (4 x 3 x 2 x 1)/224. C’est le même principe que pour le lancer d’un dé.

Qui pourrait être intéressé par un outil comme Notarikon ?

Plusieurs types de personnes pourraient êtres intéressés par Notarikon. Il y a, d’abord et avant tout, les étudiants. Les sages de la guemara nous enseignent que la Torah peut sembler pauvre dans un endroit mais riche ailleurs. Notarikon permet de trouver de nouveaux liens exégétiques, des liens jusqu’à présent inconnus. Il reste l’interprétation mais cela est le sujet d’un autre article.

Viennent ensuite, plus particulièrement, les rabbins qui s’intéressent, ou non, à la Kabbale. Ces derniers sont ceux qui peuvent le plus sagement exploiter la puissance d’un programme comme Notarikon et c’est pour eux qu’il a été conçu. L’interface est sobre et la période d’apprentissage est quasiment nulle pour faciliter une utilisation immédiate.

Je dirais que toute personne fascinée comme nous de la langue hébraïque ou du caractère en-sofi (infini) de la Torah serait intéressé par un programme comme Notarikon. Mon fils de sept ans aime aussi « jouer » avec les chiffres et les lettres. L’interface est vraiment simple et ressemble beaucoup à celle de Google dans la disposition de ses éléments.

Finalement, je pense que tout celui qui prend le temps d’analyser les résultats de Notarikon pourrait constater que ce dernier peut apporter une contribution significative à l’avancement de l’étude de la Torah. Plus on l’utilise, plus on veut l’utiliser car il surprend énormément par la pertinence de ses résultats.

Avez-vous fait des « découvertes » intéressantes ?

Plusieurs. Ce sont des recherches que j’ai entamé comme des noms de personnages bibliques ou historiques, des années hébraïques et même des noms d’endroits. Tous les résultats sont disponibles sur notre blogue qui est constamment mis-à-jour.

Comment peut-on se procurer Notarikon ?

Tout celui équipé d’une connexion Internet peut accéder au programme en tapant notarikon.com sur son fureteur préféré. Le programme n’a ni besoin d’être téléchargé, ni besoin d’être installé sur un ordinateur. Il est disponible en tout temps à l’adresse ci-dessus. Ceux qui le désirent peuvent s’abonner en ligne à la même adresse et ainsi accéder à toutes les fonctionnalités du programme. Bien-sur, le programme fonctionne aussi sur iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile et Android via leurs fureteurs respectifs.

Jerusalem is situated in latitude 31° 46' 45" N. and longitude 35° 13' 25" E. of Greenwich, about 32 English miles in a straight line from the Mediterranean on the west, and 13 from the Dead Sea on the east.

It stands on the crest of a chain of mountains which traverses the Land of Israel from north to south, and the highest point of which, at the northwest corner of the city, is 2577 feet above the level of the Mediterranean, and 3865 above that of the Dead Sea.

Owing to this difference of level the western slope of these mountains, towards the Plain of Sephela, which extends to the Mediterranean, is gentle, while that to the east is very steep.

A girdle of high hills surrounds the city, forming a sort of natural rampart.

On the north is Mt. Scopus (2705 feet), next to it, on the east, the Mount of Olives (2665 feet), beyond which again is the Mount of Offence (2410 feet) (1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:13).

To the south is the Mount of Evil Counsel (2549 feet), which forms the eastern boundary of the Plain of Raphaim, and next, on the southwest, comes a hill (2557 feet) to which no name has been given.

Towards the northwest the city is more exposed; at some distance in that direction it is dominated by the Nebi Samwil, the ancient Maspha, which has an altitude of 2935 feet.

Notwithstanding the difficulty of access in its natural situation, Jerusalem is the centre of a network of ancient roads which connect it, on the east, with Jericho and the Jordan; on the south, with Hebron and Gaza; on the west, with Jaffa and Caesarea; on the north, with Samaria and Galilee. It was, however, situated beyond the great military and commercial highways between Egypt and Assyria. 

From http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08344a.htm

We learned that on the day Rabbi Shimon wanted to depart from the world and was putting his affairs in order, the friends gathered in the house of Rabbi Shimon. Before him were Rabbi Elazar his son and Rabbi Aba and other friends, and the house was full. Rabbi Shimon lifted up his eyes and saw that the house became full. Rabbi Shimon wept and said, Another time when I was ill Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair was before me, and they waited for me until I inquired about my place IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. When I returned, a fire circled me, which never stopped. No one entered MY HOUSE except by permission. Now I see THE FIRE stopped, and behold the house is full.

While they were sitting, Rabbi Shimon opened his eyes and saw what he saw, and fire encircled the house. Everybody left, and only Rabbi Elazar his son and Rabbi Aba remained, while the rest of the friends stayed outside. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar his son, Go out and see if Rabbi Yitzchak is here, because I was a guarantor for him. Tell him to settle his affairsand sit by me. Happy is his portion.

Rabbi Shimon rose and sat down, laughed and rejoiced. He said, Where are the friends? Rabbi Elazar rose and let them in, and they sat before him. Rabbi Shimon raised his hands, recited a prayer and was glad. He said, Let the friends that were present at the assembly, NAMELY THE IDRA RABA, come here. They all left, and Rabbi Elazar his son, Rabbi Aba, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Chiya stayed. In the meanwhile Rabbi Yitzchak entered. Rabbi Shimon said to him, How deserved is your portion. How much joy should be added to you on this day. Rabbi Aba sat behind him and Rabbi Elazarbefore him.

Rabbi Shimon said, Now it is time of goodwill, and I want to come without shame into the World to Come. Here are holy matters that I have not revealed until now. I wish to reveal them before the Shechinah so it shall not be said that I have gone from this world in want - until now they have been hidden in my heart, so I can enter through them into the World to Come.

This is how I am going to arrange you: Rabbi Aba shall write, Rabbi Elazar my son shall recite orally, and the other friends shall mutter speak in their heart. Rabbi Aba rose from behind his back. Rabbi Elazar was sitting in front of him. RABBI SHIMON said to him, Rise my son, for another shall sit in this place. Rabbi Elazar rose.

Rabbi Shimon wrapped himself IN HIS GARMENT, and sat down. He started by saying, "The dead cannot praise Yah, nor can any who go down into silence (Heb. dumah)" (Tehilim 115:17). Surely "The dead cannot praise Yah," those who are considered dead, because the Holy One, blessed be He, is called living and dwells among those who are called living, NAMELY THE RIGHTEOUS, and not with those that are considered dead, NAMELY THE WICKED. The end of the verse PROVES IT, as written, "nor can any who go down into Dumah," namely all those who go down to THE ANGEL Dumah, and remain in Gehenom. But it is not so with those who are called living, THE RIGHTEOUS, that the Holy One, blessed be He, delights to honor.

Rabbi Shimon said, How different is this time from the Idra RABA IN THE PORTION OF NASO, since in the Idra the Holy One, blessed be He, came with His Chariots. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, is here, coming with the righteous that are in the Garden of Eden, which has not happened at the Idra. And the Holy One, blessed be He, delights in the honor of the righteous more than His own honor, as written about Jeroboam that he used to make offerings and worship idols, yet the Holy One, blessed be He, waited for him AND DID NOT PUNISH HIM. But once he stretched his hands against Ido the prophet, his hand dried up, as written, "And his hand...dried up" (I Melachim 13:4). It is not mentioned because he worshipped idols, but because he put out his hand against Ido the prophet. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, delights in our honor as all THE RIGHTEOUS IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN came with Him.

RABBI SHIMON said, Here is Rav Hamnuna Saba, and around him seventy righteous people engraved with crowns, and shining each from the splendor of the radiance of the most concealed Atika Kadisha. He comes gladly to listen to the things I am saying. As he was sitting he said, since Rabbi Pinchasben Yair here, prepare his seat. The friends that were there trembled, rose and sat at the corners of the house, and Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba remained before Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi Shimon said, In the Idra RABA the state was that all the friends were talking and I among them. Now I shall alone speak and everyone will listen to my words, higher and lower beings. Happy is my portion on this day.

He opened with, "I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me" (Shir Hashirim 7:11). All the days I was connected to this world, I was attached with one connection with the Holy One, blessed be He, and hence now, "His desire is towards me." For He and all His holy camp have come with joy to listen to hidden words and the praise of the most hidden Atika Kadisha, which is separated and divided, yet is not divided, since everything cleaves to Him and He cleaves to everything; He is everything.

The most ancient among the ancient, Atika, WHICH IS CALLED THE UNKNOWN HEAD, which is most concealed, was established yet not established. It was established in order to maintain everything, BUT FROM ITS OWN ASPECT it was not established, BECAUSE ITS OWN ESTABLISHMENTS REVEAL NOTHING OF ITS OWN NATURE, and it cannot be found, THAT IS, IT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE.

When it was established it produced nine lights, WHICH ARE THE NINE SFIROT KETER, CHOCHMAH, BINAH, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ARICH ANPIN, THE GARMENTS OF WHICH ARE ABA AND IMA, MALE AND FEMALE, that glow from it, FROM THE UNKNOWN HEAD from its establishments. These NINE lights shine from it WITH CHASSADIM, glow from it WITH GVUROT, and spread in every direction BOTH TO CHOCHMAH AND TO CHASSADIM like a candle from which lights stream in every direction. When one approaches to observe the spreading lights, only the candle alone can be observed. THAT IS, THE CANDLE AND THE LIGHTS STREAMING FROM THE CANDLE ARE NOT TWO THINGS, SINCE THE LIGHT SPREADING FROM IT HAS NO SELF-EXISTENCE OR POWER, BECAUSE ALL ITS EXISTENCE LIES WITHIN THAT CANDLE. IF YOU TAKE THE CANDLE TO A DIFFERENT PLACE, THE LIGHTS SHALL SPREAD IN A DIFFERENT PLACE AND NOTHING WILL REMAIN OF THEM IN THE FORMER PLACE. Such is Atika Kadisha. It is a lofty, most hidden candle, incomprehensible save for the lights spreading FROM IT, SOME OF WHICH ARE revealed and SOME OF WHICH ARE hidden. They are called the Holy Name. BUT THE LIGHTS SPREADING FROM ATIKA KADISHA HAVE NO SELF-EXISTENCE, HEAVEN FORBID, ALL THEIR EXISTENCE IS WITHIN ATIKA KADISHA, THOUGH THEY ARE COMPREHENSIBLE AND ATIKA KADISHA IS NOT, LIKE LIGHTS STREAMING FROM THE CANDLE. For that reason it is all one.

The friends have said in ancient books THAT THE CHANGES SPREADING FROM IT are created grades, THAT IS, THEY COME INTO BEING THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENTS CREATED, and that Atika Kadisha is revealed through each of them, since they are the constructions of Atika Kadisha. THAT IS, THEY ARE TYPES OF COVERS OVER THE ILLUMINATION OF BLESSED THE ENDLESS LIGHT AND THROUGH THESE COVERS THE LOWER BEINGS ARE ABLE TO COMPREHEND IT. ITS CREATION IS IN RELATION TO PEOPLE, BUT IN THE LIGHT ITSELF THERE IS NO CHANGE, HEAVEN FORBID. THIS IS LIKE A MAN WHO PUTS ON CLOTHES TO APPEAR BEFORE HIS NEIGHBORS. THAT MAN IS NOT AFFECTED AT ALL BY THESE COVERS, THOUGH OTHERS ARE. This is not the time for these matters, because I have already spoken of them in the holy Idra. BUT NOW I realize what I have not known that well, which until now was hidden in my heart. Now I alone testify before the Holy King and BEFORE all the truly righteous who came to hear these matters.

The skull, NAMELY KETER, of the white head, NAMELY THE HEAD OF ARICH ANPIN, WHICH IS WHOLLY WHITE, THE SECRET OF THE REIGN OF CHESED, has neither beginning nor ending FOR REVEALING CHOCHMAH, THE SECRET OF SUPERNAL CHOCHMAH AND LOWER CHOCHMAH. FOR THE FLOW OF CHOCHMAH AND THE FLOW OF CHASSADIM ARE JOINED IN IT INTO ONE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM. Its joint flow spreads and shines FROM IT, and from it the righteous receive 400 desirable worlds for the World to Come. From the joint flow, which is the white head, dew drips, NAMELY PLENTY, daily to Zeir Anpin, which is a place called heaven. With it, THAT DEW, the dead shall be resurrected in the future to come, as written, "therefore Elohim give you of the dew of heaven" (Beresheet 27:28), NAMELY THE DEW OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED HEAVEN, and His head is filled. From Zeir Anpin it flows to the field of apple trees, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and the whole field of apple trees radiates with this dew.

This Atika Kadisha, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, is hidden and obscured, and concealed supernal Chochmah OF ARICH ANPIN is in that skull, WHICH IS KETER OF ARICH ANPIN. Surely only the head alone was exposed in that Atika, because it is the beginning (or: 'head') of every beginning. Supernal Chochmah, which is a head, is hidden within it, THE HEAD OF ARICH ANPIN, and is called the supernal brain, the covered brain, the subdued and quiet brain. None can comprehend it save it itself.

Three heads were imprinted, one inside another, THAT IS, CONCEALED CHOCHMAH INSIDE THE SKULL and one over another, NAMELY THE UNKNOWN HEAD ABOVE THE SKULL. HE EXPLAINS, One head is concealed Chochmah, which is undisclosed and unopened. This concealed Chochmah is a beginning to every other beginning of other Chochmot. THIS IS THE FIRST HEAD FROM BELOW UPWARDS. THE SECOND HEAD is a supernal head, the most obscured Atika Kadisha, WHICH IS THE SKULL OF ARICH ANPIN. THE THIRD HEAD THAT IS LOFTY ABOVE EVERYTHING IS the head for every head, a head that is not a head, THAT IS, ITS BEING A HEAD INDICATES IT IS A BEGINNING OF EXPANSION AND COMPREHENSION, YET THIS HEAD IS ENTIRELY INCOMPREHENSIBLE because no one knows nor is it known what is in this head, because it is attached neitherto Chochmah nor to Tevunah. It is therefore considered, "Therefore now flee to your place" (Bemidbar 24:11), "and the living creatures ran and returned" (Yechezkel 1:14), BECAUSE NO COMPREHENSION CAN APPLY THERE.

For this reason Atika Kadisha, WHICH IS THE SKULL OF ARICH ANPIN is called naught, since naught derives from it, FROM THE UNKNOWN HEAD. THAT IS, SINCE THIS HEAD, THE SKULL, IS CLOSE TO THE UNKNOWN HEAD, WHICH IS UTTERLY INCOMPREHENSIBLE, IT TOO IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE, AND IS THEREFORE CALLED NAUGHT, WHICH INDICATES ITS COMPLETE INCOMPREHENSIBILITY. FOR THAT REASON all hairs and tiny hairs OVER THE SKULL DO NOT COME OUT OF THE SKULL BECAUSE NO JUDGMENTS ARE ATTACHED TO IT, BUT they come out of the concealed brain, WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF THE EXPANSION OF CHOCHMAH. FOR SUPERNAL CHOCHMAH SPREADS FROM IT; THIS CHOCHMAH IS EVENTUALLY REVEALED IN MALCHUT WHERE THERE IS PLACE FOR JUDGMENTS. AND THE HAIRS ARE THE ROOT OF JUDGMENTS, AS IN, "FOR HE CRUSHES ME WITH A TEMPEST (OR: 'A HAIR')" (IYOV 9:17). HENCE THE HAIR OF THE HEAD AND BEARD COME OUT OF THE CONCEALED BRAIN, THOUGH IN THIS CASE THERE ARE NO JUDGMENTS IN THE HAIRS, BUT ROOTS ONLY. THEREFORE they are all smooth, THAT IS, SOFT WITHOUT JUDGMENT. AND THEY ARE ALL EQUAL in weight, BECAUSE EVERYTHING HERE IS OF THE SAME LIGHT OF MERCY and the back of the neck is invisible, WHICH INDICATES JUDGMENTS AND HIND PARTS, ACCORDING TO THE VERSE, "AND THEY HAVE TURNED THEIR BACK TO ME, AND NOT THEIR FACE"(YIRMEYAH 32:33).

All this stems from the fact that this Atika is of the same LIGHT, NAMELY THE REIGN OF CHASSADIM, WHICH IS WHY THERE IS NO ROOM FOR JUDGMENT TO APPEAR. It is all in joy and never changes FROM THE ILLUMINATION of Mercy. THAT IS, THOUGH WE DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THREE COLUMNS, RIGHT, LEFT AND CENTRAL IN IT, IT NEVER STRAYS FROM THE ASPECT OF THE RIGHT COLUMN, AND IS EVER OF MERCY AND CHASSADIM IN NATURE. It abides in the thirteen attributes of Mercy, because the hidden Chochmah in it divides three times into fours, WHICH IS TWELVE, and it, Atika ITSELF includes them and rules over everything. TOGETHER WITH IT, THERE ARE THIRTEEN ATTRIBUTES.<span> </span>Idra Zouta: Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai Departs from the World.We learned that on the day Rabbi Shimon wanted to depart from the world and was putting his affairs in order, the friends gathered in the house of Rabbi Shimon. Before him were Rabbi Elazar his son and Rabbi Aba and other friends, and the house was full. Rabbi Shimon lifted up his eyes and saw that the house became full. Rabbi Shimon wept and said, Another time when I was ill Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair was before me, and they waited for me until I inquired about my place IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. When I returned, a fire circled me, which never stopped. No one entered MY HOUSE except by permission. Now I see THE FIRE stopped, and behold the house is full.While they were sitting, Rabbi Shimon opened his eyes and saw what he saw, and fire encircled the house. Everybody left, and only Rabbi Elazar his son and Rabbi Aba remained, while the rest of the friends stayed outside. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar his son, Go out and see if Rabbi Yitzchak is here, because I was a guarantor for him. Tell him to settle his affairsand sit by me. Happy is his portion.Rabbi Shimon rose and sat down, laughed and rejoiced. He said, Where are the friends? Rabbi Elazar rose and let them in, and they sat before him. Rabbi Shimon raised his hands, recited a prayer and was glad. He said, Let the friends that were present at the assembly, NAMELY THE IDRA RABA, come here. They all left, and Rabbi Elazar his son, Rabbi Aba, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Chiya stayed. In the meanwhile Rabbi Yitzchak entered. Rabbi Shimon said to him, How deserved is your portion. How much joy should be added to you on this day. Rabbi Aba sat behind him and Rabbi Elazarbefore him.Rabbi Shimon said, Now it is time of goodwill, and I want to come without shame into the World to Come. Here are holy matters that I have not revealed until now. I wish to reveal them before the Shechinah so it shall not be said that I have gone from this world in want - until now they have been hidden in my heart, so I can enter through them into the World to Come.This is how I am going to arrange you: Rabbi Aba shall write, Rabbi Elazar my son shall recite orally, and the other friends shall mutter speak in their heart. Rabbi Aba rose from behind his back. Rabbi Elazar was sitting in front of him. RABBI SHIMON said to him, Rise my son, for another shall sit in this place. Rabbi Elazar rose.Rabbi Shimon wrapped himself IN HIS GARMENT, and sat down. He started by saying, "The dead cannot praise Yah, nor can any who go down into silence (Heb. dumah)" (Tehilim 115:17). Surely "The dead cannot praise Yah," those who are considered dead, because the Holy One, blessed be He, is called living and dwells among those who are called living, NAMELY THE RIGHTEOUS, and not with those that are considered dead, NAMELY THE WICKED. The end of the verse PROVES IT, as written, "nor can any who go down into Dumah," namely all those who go down to THE ANGEL Dumah, and remain in Gehenom. But it is not so with those who are called living, THE RIGHTEOUS, that the Holy One, blessed be He, delights to honor.Rabbi Shimon said, How different is this time from the Idra RABA IN THE PORTION OF NASO, since in the Idra the Holy One, blessed be He, came with His Chariots. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, is here, coming with the righteous that are in the Garden of Eden, which has not happened at the Idra. And the Holy One, blessed be He, delights in the honor of the righteous more than His own honor, as written about Jeroboam that he used to make offerings and worship idols, yet the Holy One, blessed be He, waited for him AND DID NOT PUNISH HIM. But once he stretched his hands against Ido the prophet, his hand dried up, as written, "And his hand...dried up" (I Melachim 13:4). It is not mentioned because he worshipped idols, but because he put out his hand against Ido the prophet. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, delights in our honor as all THE RIGHTEOUS IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN came with Him.RABBI SHIMON said, Here is Rav Hamnuna Saba, and around him seventy righteous people engraved with crowns, and shining each from the splendor of the radiance of the most concealed Atika Kadisha. He comes gladly to listen to the things I am saying. As he was sitting he said, since Rabbi Pinchasben Yair here, prepare his seat. The friends that were there trembled, rose and sat at the corners of the house, and Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba remained before Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi Shimon said, In the Idra RABA the state was that all the friends were talking and I among them. Now I shall alone speak and everyone will listen to my words, higher and lower beings. Happy is my portion on this day.He opened with, "I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me" (Shir Hashirim 7:11). All the days I was connected to this world, I was attached with one connection with the Holy One, blessed be He, and hence now, "His desire is towards me." For He and all His holy camp have come with joy to listen to hidden words and the praise of the most hidden Atika Kadisha, which is separated and divided, yet is not divided, since everything cleaves to Him and He cleaves to everything; He is everything.The most ancient among the ancient, Atika, WHICH IS CALLED THE UNKNOWN HEAD, which is most concealed, was established yet not established. It was established in order to maintain everything, BUT FROM ITS OWN ASPECT it was not established, BECAUSE ITS OWN ESTABLISHMENTS REVEAL NOTHING OF ITS OWN NATURE, and it cannot be found, THAT IS, IT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE.When it was established it produced nine lights, WHICH ARE THE NINE SFIROT KETER, CHOCHMAH, BINAH, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ARICH ANPIN, THE GARMENTS OF WHICH ARE ABA AND IMA, MALE AND FEMALE, that glow from it, FROM THE UNKNOWN HEAD from its establishments. These NINE lights shine from it WITH CHASSADIM, glow from it WITH GVUROT, and spread in every direction BOTH TO CHOCHMAH AND TO CHASSADIM like a candle from which lights stream in every direction. When one approaches to observe the spreading lights, only the candle alone can be observed. THAT IS, THE CANDLE AND THE LIGHTS STREAMING FROM THE CANDLE ARE NOT TWO THINGS, SINCE THE LIGHT SPREADING FROM IT HAS NO SELF-EXISTENCE OR POWER, BECAUSE ALL ITS EXISTENCE LIES WITHIN THAT CANDLE. IF YOU TAKE THE CANDLE TO A DIFFERENT PLACE, THE LIGHTS SHALL SPREAD IN A DIFFERENT PLACE AND NOTHING WILL REMAIN OF THEM IN THE FORMER PLACE. Such is Atika Kadisha. It is a lofty, most hidden candle, incomprehensible save for the lights spreading FROM IT, SOME OF WHICH ARE revealed and SOME OF WHICH ARE hidden. They are called the Holy Name. BUT THE LIGHTS SPREADING FROM ATIKA KADISHA HAVE NO SELF-EXISTENCE, HEAVEN FORBID, ALL THEIR EXISTENCE IS WITHIN ATIKA KADISHA, THOUGH THEY ARE COMPREHENSIBLE AND ATIKA KADISHA IS NOT, LIKE LIGHTS STREAMING FROM THE CANDLE. For that reason it is all one.The friends have said in ancient books THAT THE CHANGES SPREADING FROM IT are created grades, THAT IS, THEY COME INTO BEING THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENTS CREATED, and that Atika Kadisha is revealed through each of them, since they are the constructions of Atika Kadisha. THAT IS, THEY ARE TYPES OF COVERS OVER THE ILLUMINATION OF BLESSED THE ENDLESS LIGHT AND THROUGH THESE COVERS THE LOWER BEINGS ARE ABLE TO COMPREHEND IT. ITS CREATION IS IN RELATION TO PEOPLE, BUT IN THE LIGHT ITSELF THERE IS NO CHANGE, HEAVEN FORBID. THIS IS LIKE A MAN WHO PUTS ON CLOTHES TO APPEAR BEFORE HIS NEIGHBORS. THAT MAN IS NOT AFFECTED AT ALL BY THESE COVERS, THOUGH OTHERS ARE. This is not the time for these matters, because I have already spoken of them in the holy Idra. BUT NOW I realize what I have not known that well, which until now was hidden in my heart. Now I alone testify before the Holy King and BEFORE all the truly righteous who came to hear these matters.The skull, NAMELY KETER, of the white head, NAMELY THE HEAD OF ARICH ANPIN, WHICH IS WHOLLY WHITE, THE SECRET OF THE REIGN OF CHESED, has neither beginning nor ending FOR REVEALING CHOCHMAH, THE SECRET OF SUPERNAL CHOCHMAH AND LOWER CHOCHMAH. FOR THE FLOW OF CHOCHMAH AND THE FLOW OF CHASSADIM ARE JOINED IN IT INTO ONE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM. Its joint flow spreads and shines FROM IT, and from it the righteous receive 400 desirable worlds for the World to Come. From the joint flow, which is the white head, dew drips, NAMELY PLENTY, daily to Zeir Anpin, which is a place called heaven. With it, THAT DEW, the dead shall be resurrected in the future to come, as written, "therefore Elohim give you of the dew of heaven" (Beresheet 27:28), NAMELY THE DEW OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED HEAVEN, and His head is filled. From Zeir Anpin it flows to the field of apple trees, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and the whole field of apple trees radiates with this dew.This Atika Kadisha, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, is hidden and obscured, and concealed supernal Chochmah OF ARICH ANPIN is in that skull, WHICH IS KETER OF ARICH ANPIN. Surely only the head alone was exposed in that Atika, because it is the beginning (or: 'head') of every beginning. Supernal Chochmah, which is a head, is hidden within it, THE HEAD OF ARICH ANPIN, and is called the supernal brain, the covered brain, the subdued and quiet brain. None can comprehend it save it itself.Three heads were imprinted, one inside another, THAT IS, CONCEALED CHOCHMAH INSIDE THE SKULL and one over another, NAMELY THE UNKNOWN HEAD ABOVE THE SKULL. HE EXPLAINS, One head is concealed Chochmah, which is undisclosed and unopened. This concealed Chochmah is a beginning to every other beginning of other Chochmot. THIS IS THE FIRST HEAD FROM BELOW UPWARDS. THE SECOND HEAD is a supernal head, the most obscured Atika Kadisha, WHICH IS THE SKULL OF ARICH ANPIN. THE THIRD HEAD THAT IS LOFTY ABOVE EVERYTHING IS the head for every head, a head that is not a head, THAT IS, ITS BEING A HEAD INDICATES IT IS A BEGINNING OF EXPANSION AND COMPREHENSION, YET THIS HEAD IS ENTIRELY INCOMPREHENSIBLE because no one knows nor is it known what is in this head, because it is attached neitherto Chochmah nor to Tevunah. It is therefore considered, "Therefore now flee to your place" (Bemidbar 24:11), "and the living creatures ran and returned" (Yechezkel 1:14), BECAUSE NO COMPREHENSION CAN APPLY THERE.For this reason Atika Kadisha, WHICH IS THE SKULL OF ARICH ANPIN is called naught, since naught derives from it, FROM THE UNKNOWN HEAD. THAT IS, SINCE THIS HEAD, THE SKULL, IS CLOSE TO THE UNKNOWN HEAD, WHICH IS UTTERLY INCOMPREHENSIBLE, IT TOO IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE, AND IS THEREFORE CALLED NAUGHT, WHICH INDICATES ITS COMPLETE INCOMPREHENSIBILITY. FOR THAT REASON all hairs and tiny hairs OVER THE SKULL DO NOT COME OUT OF THE SKULL BECAUSE NO JUDGMENTS ARE ATTACHED TO IT, BUT they come out of the concealed brain, WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF THE EXPANSION OF CHOCHMAH. FOR SUPERNAL CHOCHMAH SPREADS FROM IT; THIS CHOCHMAH IS EVENTUALLY REVEALED IN MALCHUT WHERE THERE IS PLACE FOR JUDGMENTS. AND THE HAIRS ARE THE ROOT OF JUDGMENTS, AS IN, "FOR HE CRUSHES ME WITH A TEMPEST (OR: 'A HAIR')" (IYOV 9:17). HENCE THE HAIR OF THE HEAD AND BEARD COME OUT OF THE CONCEALED BRAIN, THOUGH IN THIS CASE THERE ARE NO JUDGMENTS IN THE HAIRS, BUT ROOTS ONLY. THEREFORE they are all smooth, THAT IS, SOFT WITHOUT JUDGMENT. AND THEY ARE ALL EQUAL in weight, BECAUSE EVERYTHING HERE IS OF THE SAME LIGHT OF MERCY and the back of the neck is invisible, WHICH INDICATES JUDGMENTS AND HIND PARTS, ACCORDING TO THE VERSE, "AND THEY HAVE TURNED THEIR BACK TO ME, AND NOT THEIR FACE"(YIRMEYAH 32:33).All this stems from the fact that this Atika is of the same LIGHT, NAMELY THE REIGN OF CHASSADIM, WHICH IS WHY THERE IS NO ROOM FOR JUDGMENT TO APPEAR. It is all in joy and never changes FROM THE ILLUMINATION of Mercy. THAT IS, THOUGH WE DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THREE COLUMNS, RIGHT, LEFT AND CENTRAL IN IT, IT NEVER STRAYS FROM THE ASPECT OF THE RIGHT COLUMN, AND IS EVER OF MERCY AND CHASSADIM IN NATURE. It abides in the thirteen attributes of Mercy, because the hidden Chochmah in it divides three times into fours, WHICH IS TWELVE, and it, Atika ITSELF includes them and rules over everything. TOGETHER WITH IT, THERE ARE THIRTEEN ATTRIBUTES.

COMMENTS

Igor: That's a lot of words.
October 22, 2010 at 2:58pm

Igor: Words that do not mean a thing in the real world.
October 22, 2010 at 3:09pm

Maspeak: Real World = Matrix = Illusion = Deception = Good Luck. Write me when you're married for ten years with four kids... Talk to me about your real world then and how cool it turned out to be.
October 22, 2010 at 3:18pm

Igor: You would make a great Buddhist.
October 22, 2010 at 3:18pm

Maspeak: And every Buddhist could make a great Jew. Solve this on your spare time: if God created the world and knows all... how can there be freedom of choice? Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... urp.
October 22, 2010 at 3:21pm

Igor: You start with a false assumption.
There is no god.
October 22, 2010 at 3:25pm

Igor: Also, what does being married with kids have to do with anything? Is that some kind of a criteria?
Look around you. Look at those hassidim. What have they contributed to society?
Look at all the suffering in the world.
I don't want to bring another child into this world.
October 22, 2010 at 3:30pm

Adrien: ‎"There is no God" is an assumption in of itself. "Tout ce que je sais c'est que je ne sais rien." Ce que je crois, c'est autre chose..
October 22, 2010 at 5:43pm

Igor: The fact that there is no god is based on scientific observations and not "a religion in itself" like you theists love to say
October 22, 2010 at 5:45pm

Igor: Adrien, here: atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/ath/blathm_rel_religion.htm
October 22, 2010 at 5:48pm

Igor: Atheism is a disbelief, not an assumption. My disbelief in the Tooth Fairy is not an assumption
October 22, 2010 at 5:52pm

Mike: hey guys ....why don't you just believe or don't believe and stop trying to all be right about your believes.....actually you are all right
October 22, 2010 at 6:21pm

Igor: Mike, we aren't all right, you cannot have it both ways here. There is just one truth and the truth is that there is no god.
October 22, 2010 at 6:34pm

Mike: so let it be bro!if that is what you believe in so good...why argue?
October 22, 2010 at 6:36pm

Igor: Again, I disbelieve in an Easter Bunny and I disbelieve in god.
I do not *believe* that there is no god.
October 22, 2010 at 6:41pm

Mike: you know what man .....you are became to smart so continue alone..have a good life
October 22, 2010 at 6:42pm

Igor: No problemo
October 22, 2010 at 6:43pm

Igor: Just so you know, there is a thing called "intellectual integrity".
Debating isn't fighting. That's how progress comes about.
October 22, 2010 at 6:44pm

Adrien: Igor, semantics. Disbelief and belief are inexorably linked. Don't fight it. Human understanding is limited to its own limits at any given point. Do you believe in "infinity"? Abstract or objective? Keep in mind time is of the essence. If ...you do not disbelieve infinity, then you can arguably believe in faith, no? Dis Belief, dat belief, oto davar.. Reason does not always prevail in a universe of irrational paradigms. Go tell a Homo Erectus about gamma rays. He may disbelieve you. :)
October 22, 2010 at 7:41pm

Igor: Infinity is an abstract concept.
It only really exists as a logical phallacy or most commonly as a result of a mathematical error.
Furthermore, your argument is basically a load of esoteric mumbo-jumbo.
October 22, 2010 at 7:50pm

Igor: Adrien, read "The Future of an Illusion" by Sigmund Freud. You will find why the humannity used to need the concept of God in the begining of civilizations, also find why God is now an obsolete and useless concept.
October 22, 2010 at 8:20pm

Maspeak: Atheism is sooooo boooooring... it's a reaaaaal hasssssa!!!!! You know what a haaaaassa is Igor?
October 24, 2010 at 2:30pm

Igor: A line from a movie?
October 24, 2010 at 9:22pm

Dov: ‎''.... it's a pig dat don't fly straight,tony.he's a reallllll chaaazer.'' ,''nothing exceeds like excess''-circa 1984 (scar facebook)
October 24, 2010 at 10:51pm

Dov: freud(was it mdma or coca or both),said as well that moshe rabbeinu was 'simply' a charismatic speaker(albeit with a lisp from burning his tongue with paraohs' dumb test of coals & gold, as a baby..),that moses convinced the people to leave... & the egyptians to let us go.let's see,could you convince the cops to let you go from jail without having to go through lawyers,judges,court dates,$$$,time..no.there's a procedure...in pharoah country,there were guards at the borders that annilliated anyone trying to escape,a bit like in the concentration camps,only these guards were from the side of black magic that idolaters were pretty strong & involved with.
October 24, 2010 at 11:02pm

Dov: how could freud even write a book thinking that his theory could stand on one leg for more than 1 page?show me a leader that tells you to start a new society with rules like circumscision,giving 10-20% of your earnings to the poor(contrary ...to the rules in defunct sodom & gom.),then give some more to tzedaka(that was a suggestion,not an obligation),rest every 6 days for 25 hours,to study ,pray ,rest and especialy eat to fix the mistake of a man you never met in this life called adam.and at the end of the list,moshe our moses,tells us what's kosher.
October 24, 2010 at 11:09pm

Dov: this is the bomb,igor,moshe rabbeinu tells us that fish with scales & fins are kosher,but that any underwater creature with just fins isn't kosher,and adds ,in the torah hakedosha,that it does not exist,and never has & never will(ask j. cou...steaux the anti semetic...)exist a fish with only scales! right there,if freud hadn't been so busy trying to score more with his patients and ego,he would have read that part in all it's intricate details and angles,he would have dropped the idea of this book as fast as he dropped his dose,in a smug slug. igor,try reading more on both sides of the belief system..i did say more,you won't believe your eyes.
October 24, 2010 at 11:18pm

Dov: y.d. -will i see you at the show?
October 24, 2010 at 11:19pm

Igor: Dov, your arguments in defence of your god amount to repeating infantile fairy tales. And don't even get me started on the whole tired and ridiculous "fish & scales" bs. This is how you prove the existence of god?
Someone wise once said that... extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Where is your actual evidence? Not stories, not supposed witness accounts from thousands of years ago (even today witness testimony doesn't mean crap in courts) - I want evidence.
Religion = superstition + dogma
God doesn't exist.
October 25, 2010 at 12:59am

Dov: you bet it's going to be tired,after more than 2000 years of facing liers and philosophers and other loosers,you bet it's gonna be tired but never ridiculious if investigated honestly. get you stared!ha ,i wish,you quit a long time ago.you...'ve made your decision a long time ago.there's no way out when you are maintained so firmly in a belief system that forbids taking leaps of faith,or contemplation of a possible supernatural something that created and creates..or at least break your own rules and search for the truth that gives solid answers,not theories made of semantic jailbird jargon or fancy never ending,never solving formulas.the evidence is that your G-d loves you too.go on google and search the evidence,and look around you,the computer screen and your fingers,your eyes,and your arguments...are all proof that there is a G-d..you just have to lift a thin layer of skin,and unveil the soul of every matter.igor,your living in the past,moshe can't always wait for you...well that's another story...yala,full respect,and full love buddy.
October 25, 2010 at 6:42am

Igor: Dov, I can't understand you, sorry.
October 25, 2010 at 6:48am

Dov: i tend to do that,mix up my subjects like quicksand,as if poetic licensing was a perpetual excuse for not simplifiing and structuring my communication or expression.i'm also sorry.just remember what cheers me up a bit ,or rather,lifts me up a bit,is that worse things happen to better people.and try to reread things.peace
October 25, 2010 at 6:57am

Adrien: Igor hvatit, ty ix uje doctal lol.. et j'en ai marre, yo ya. :P

I'll avoid trigger words Gosha, but there is no possible proof now, that there is not a higher order of "____", or otherwise willful sentience amidst the chaos of "cosms", that... defies the laws of what we can be aware of, directly or indirectly, or that defies greater human understanding or imagination, unless you convince yourself to be resigned to the finite conclusions of empirical evidence availed by the methods accessible to man's mind today. You know I am a man of science too, but at its core science is constrained to its last discovery. I'm not arguing. I'm an artist at heart. I know some atheists are among the open minded, but they're always clamoring for PROOF of some kind. Proof or disbelief! Well, you have to accept that there isn't any today. That's the heart of the matter. Truth doesn't need proof, inherently. OJ anyone? However, what can not be said is that it is a FACT that there is no god, because there is no "evidence" to the contrary, either way. What IS a fact is that there is no "proof", but that doesn't preclude the possibility of the existence of any higher order. At some level between the subatomic and the Sloan Great Wall, we'll mostly be stuck here debating, because most everyone 'knows' i.e. feels they're right. I don't know, but I can't deny. We can blame faith either way, but I can't deny anything else. Don't worry, the almighty will punish you by Yebumba. You'll see. :D

Peace outski.
October 25, 2010 at 8:15am

Igor: Dude... Those arguments you stated are the level of a teenager, not very serious. Do you really think that all the greatest minds haven't considered these things before becoming atheist?
You must fight your superstitions bro. After a while you will be looking back and laugh at how silly you once were.
October 25, 2010 at 9:12am

Igor: Also, pochemu ya ih dostal? Ty dumaesh emu ne nravitsa, chto u nego 30+ kammentariev na stene? Ya dumaju emu eto nravitsa.
October 25, 2010 at 9:15am

Maspeak: ‎"An Atheist is a person who desperately wants to believe in God."
-YoDa

If you read (pronounced "red") the Idra above you would have come to the conclusion that it's not God which doesn't exist, it's you. Any atheist would read your comments... and sense that you're just a poser of the Atheism cause at large. You're Atheism is just another religion and you're just a Missionary 2.0 or 2010 or XP or 7. Atheists should be the people that talk the "less" about religion since they've completely discarded it but yet whenever I post something that is too mystical, you're the first one to start talking (see above). Just like Mike said "so let it be bro!if that is what you believe in so good...why argue?".
October 25, 2010 at 1:01pm

Dov: shiiit adrien,i couldn't have said it better myself,weeeouh
October 25, 2010 at 4:59pm

Dov: as long as the spark is still lit,there's still hope.....learn ,find out what you can while you still can igor
October 25, 2010 at 5:01pm

Tzahak veut dire « il a rit » en hébreu et son champ lexical est assez vaste. Il peut être employé avec différentes connotations comme le sarcasme, la plaisanterie, le vice.

Le récit dont je parle débute avec la visite que rend Hashem à Avraham et se poursuit avec celle des anges. Ensuite nous assistons à une négociation du sort de Sedom. Les anges rendent visite à Lot pour le sauver. Avraham s'en va séjourner chez Avimelekh. A son retour, la naissance de Yitzhak. Le récit se conclut avec le sacrifice de Yitzhak.

La première occurrence du concept de rire apparaît dans le texte à la conclusion de l'épisode de Lekh Lekha, lorsqu'Hashem promet à Avraham une descendance issue de Sarah. Avraham rit. Ensuite c'est au tour des gendres de Lot de rire lorsque ce dernier leur fait part de la destruction imminente de Sedom et le besoin urgent de fuir la ville. Sarah rit lorsqu'elle entend un des trois anges annoncer la naissance de Yitzhak. Finalement, lors du banquet organisé par Avraham en l'honneur du sevrage de Yitzhak, c'est au tour de Yishmael de rire de Yitzhak. Sarah est celle qui fut la plus touchée par ce geste. Mesure pour mesure?

Pourquoi Avraham a-t-il rit? «VA-yitzhak Avraham» ou «VE-Yitzhak Avraham», «Et Yitzhak EST Avraham». Pourquoi les gendres de Lot ont-ils rit? Ici Lot se fait prendre pour un MeTZaHeK par ses (ex-futurs) gendres. Pourquoi Sarah a-t-elle rit? Cette question est posée par Hashem à Avraham suite au rire de Sarah. Pourquoi Yishmael a-t-il rit? C'est l'action la plus expressive de Yishmael. En effet, Yishmael ne parle pas dans le bible et ne fait presque rien, mis à part ce rire, ce jeu.

Qu'est ce qui unit ces quatre rires?

Il y a un point important dans le récit qu'il faut souligner: la naissance du Messie. Les branches israélite et moabite se forment par la naissance de Yitzhak et Moav, les ancêtres du Roi David. On peut donc admettre que deux événements puissent êtres reliés, la naissance de Moav et ensuite celle de Yitzhak.

Il est important de noter le fait que la naissance de Yitzhak amène avec elle l'exil égyptien. Les descendants d'une princesse égyptienne (i.e. Hagar) peuvent-ils être rendus esclaves en Egypte? Il faut aussi noter le fait que par le biais de la naissance de Yishmael, Sarah est désignée comme stérile et non Avraham.

Aussi, le rire de celui qui rit dans la HaGaDaH: "Mah haedout? Mah hamishpatim? C’est quoi tout ce folklore? Pour vous…" Le rire de celui qui rit lorsqu'il dit: "quel est le but de votre service?"

Enfin, le rire de Psaumes 126:2, «AZ YiMaLE SeHOK PINOU...». A ce moment là, lorsque nous pousserons le rire de la Geoulah, nous comprendrons comment tous ces rires forment une symphonie orchestrée et composée il y a très longtemps.

I like the “Alt” key better than the “Ctrl” key so these words will be more appreciated by people who prefer anarchy over the totalitarian democracies we live in (to each his own).

Annul Anxiety: 1% anxiety is 100% anxiety.
Banish Brutality: Fight with your ideas, not with your mouth and hands.
Conquer City: Never let the urban life take over your body and soul.
Develop Divinity: Each one is unique. Each one brings renewal.
Eradicate Eccentricity: The superfluous is a waste.
Foster Finality: Realize our body expires but our soul lives on.
Generate Gravity: Laziness comes from gravity. Control it.
Hex Heredity: Never blame parents.
Immortalize Infinity: Infinity is always present. Waiting.
Justify Joviality: Routine partying turns boring and sour after a while.
Know Knowledgeability: Understand what knowledge can bring you.
Legalize Liberty: Self-control will bloom.
Motivate Modesty: Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent.
Neutralize Negativity: Don’t just think positive. Act positive.
Observe Opportunity: Never jump to conclusions.
Prioritize Personality: Looks can kill? Personality can kill looks.
Quantify Quiddity: Never approximate the essence of a thing.
Realize Rectifiability: If you can break it, you can fix it.
Stimulate Spirituality: Take the bus once in a while. Or better, walk.
Tamper Triviality: Everything influences the soul.
Universalize Unity: Clans are for bullies. One world. One heart.
Verify Veracity: The media is junk. Check your sources.

What you do. Who you are.
You can change. Yes you can.

The World Conference against Racism is organized by the UNESCO "in order to struggle against racism ideologies and behaviors."

Only two conferences have been held so far since the first one in 1978. One in 1983 and another one recently in 2001. The next one is planned for 2009.

Now that we know how randomly they occur, we can analyze what people actually did in 2001, in Durban, during one of these so-called conferences "against" racism:

"In parallel to the Conference, a separately held NGO Forum also produced a Declaration and Programme of its own, that was not an official Conference document, which contained language relating to Israel that the WCAR had voted to exclude from its Declaration, and which was criticized by then United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and many others."

"The NGO Forum ended in discord. Mary Robinson lost the support of the United States in her office of High Commissioner, and many of the potential political aftereffects of the Conference were annulled by the September 11, 2001 attacks. The attacks took place just three days after the Conference ended, entirely eclipsing the Conference in the news, and significantly affecting international relations and politics."

What's even more shocking is the initial Programme of Action, it included Compensation for Colonialism and Slavery, and Zionism. How pathetic and utterly shameful for our 3rd millennium civilization. We still haven't finished compensating descendants of colonial slaves who lived centuries ago and we dare criticize Zionism, the engine behind the absorption of more than a million post-WWII Jewish x-camp refugees.

Le discours que tu as prononcé jeudi dernier était très profond et touchant. Je me pose la même question concernant mon éventuel départ. C’est dur à expliquer pourquoi on veut partir en raison du caractère surréaliste de la chose. Mais cette chose est enracinée au plus profond de l’être et non de l’avoir.

Car l’avoir nous dit de demeurer au statut quo. Avraham nous a très bien préparé pour ça lors de sa leçon sur le concept de QoReT BeRIT. "Déchirer" une alliance. Quitter son pays natal c’est une déchirure au plus profond de l’avoir mais aussi de l’être car il faut quitter la cellule familiale.

Lorsqu’on essaye de projeter notre futur on ne voit que du flou. Comme si la non prophétie existait aussi. Ou ce ne sont pas les possibilités futur que l’on voit mais bien ses impossibilités. Par exemple, une prophétie dit « D. n’abandonnera pas son peuple » et une autre « Dieu ramènera ses captifs ». La sémantique est la même mais il y a une différence syntactique. Deux commandements en découle : Obligation de croire que D. ramènera ses captifs (positif) et Interdiction de croire que D. abandonnera son peuple (negatif).

Je pense que la vraie déchirure sera entre le concept d'Hebreu, Ivri (juif nomadique, exilé) et Yehudi (juif sédentaire, sur son territoire). Ce n’est pas facile de briser le concept de l’exil en nous et c’est pour ça qu’il y a des problèmes. Nous sommes sortis avec l’or de l’Égypte (les « brillants » concepts philosophico-culturels des nations).

Tout ça est relié avec la louange faite à Moshé à la fin du Deuteronome pour avoir briser les tables de la Loi en vue de détruire le veau d’or. Se confronter aux textes, certes, mais avec quel objectif? Développer notre esprit d’analyse? Cela ne relève-t-il pas de l’imaginaire de chacun?

C’est avec l’objectif de détruire le mal qu’il faut se confronter au texte. Et c’est exactement ce que Moshé fait, il "casse" la Loi. Il cause une confrontation entre la Loi et son ennemi, l’Idole. Car Moshé connaissait la Loi et toutes ses lois. Il n’avait aucune raison de philosopher, il a « vu » D. Il était parfait et chéri de D.

Le juif repart boitant de son exil mais il est debout, quand tous les empires ont déjà baissé la tête ...

Dovid Weiss. Mon film (Haine/Sine'ah) ce termine sur un close-up de lui. Bien que cet événement soit une travestie, c'est bien plus un appel à tous les juifs de se mobiliser et se solidifier. C'est la guerre fratricide qui eu lieu entre différentes factions du peuple juif qui causa la destruction du Temple et notre exil au milieu des nations. Pharaon, Haman, Hitler et Mahmoud A. ne sont qu'une seule et même personne.

Qui sont les Neturei Karta? Ces gens là attendant un miracle mais ne comprennent pas que l'État d'Israël est un miracle en soi. Megillat Esther ne dit pas de faire la guerre à Haman, elle ordonne aux juifs de revenir vers leur attachement divin d'antan.

Dovid Weiss. Je pense que c'est cet homme là qui m'a convaincu qu'un juif, aux yeux du monde, c'est la figure du hassid. Un juif, c'est celui qui peut être reconnu dans la rue comme tel. Peu importe si 13 millions de juifs ne sont pas d'accord avec 13 Neturei Karta, aux yeux du monde, ces derniers projettent une image de juif.

Mahmoud A. Qu'a-t-il fait? A-t-il gagné des guerres? D'ou vient-il? A-t-il raison de nous faire peur? Bien sur que non car Ce Dieu qui contrôle tout là-haut... c'est Lui qui contrôle Mahmoud A. et sa garde de SS. Le juif est un sage imbécile, et je m'inclus là-dedans.

Certes, il ne faut pas oublier que nous sommes des juifs. Mais bien plus encore, il ne faut pas oublier pourquoi il ne faut pas oublier que nous sommes des juifs.

As we start to reflect about what went on in Kimveer Gill's head, our mind wonders about what goes on in the mind of any disturbed human being. I am not a partisan of the people who believe these things can be miraculously prevented with paranoia and a culture of fear, but Kimveer Gill, a.k.a. "The Angel of Death" struck a heavy blow to the city that went through the infamous Polytechnique massacre of Marc Lepine in 1989. As a graduate of that school, I will never forget the cold and dreadful annual ceremonies.

Remember, remember, the 6th of December. The motive was different then because M. Lepine was angry at women, not the "Mainstream Society". But Kimveer Gill could have just stayed a Gothic enthusiast without losing it. I'm sure there is a motive we don't yet know of. Maybe a vendetta?

Which brings me to my main subject: The Identity Shuffle. When a person grows up in an environment that is not his native land, he lets go of his emergency exit. The world he lives in is not familiar so he seeks trends to blend in. It could be Gangsta, Gothic, Grunge or anything else that is just plain Goyish, pardon the term. But in order to achieve Geoulah, a.k.a. Redemption, we must carefully re-evaluate our point of view of Roots in general. Our roots are the foundations upon which our body and soul can capture the Goodness of the land. Assimilation is never complete. Integration is never absolute.

We carry the genetic baggage of people who didn't grow up in this land. I myself, for example, was born and raised in Montreal and yet, Montreal is not my land. As a Jew, my land is some 10000 km from here. Born and raised, yes. Attached, why? I doubt I can endure the winters much longer. Even though it is difficult, I adapt to my environment. Do I follow the mainstream, not really. I, like many others, like genuineness. I tried playing the Game of Goy but like Gog from Magog, there is no escape. I'm sure Kimveer Gill has roots in the Sikh culture that could have helped him get out, but nowadays any religion is too much religion. This void will once again be filled with God's Global Glory.

Until then, Dum Diddly Doo.

It is known that society, at some point, will realize that evil is rooted in uncontrolled consumption of resources. Parts of the world subjugating other parts of the world to satisfy their appetites for food, money and lust. If society doesn't obey to para laws that help individuals govern their appetites, and not be governed by them, then society is bound to chaos. And so it was in the early days and so it is today.

The orthodox Jew is not merely a person that eats kosher food. It's a person that eats kosher food with restraint and self-governance. There is no such thing as an overweight orthodox Jew. There is no such thing as a money-hungry orthodox Jew. There is no such thing as a womanizing orthodox Jew. These are by-products of a complex society.

There comes a point when an individual gains consciousness and insight into who he really is. An event triggers a reaction that helps the individual regain control over his body. One thing leads to another and suddenly that individual is transformed and repaired. This individual is then capable of helping other individuals who are like he used to be, regain control over their body.

This is the mission of the Jew. At least before becoming a doctor or a lawyer or a successful businessman. This is the essence of Judaism. To rectify ourselves and help others. These "redemptions" are merely a peek at what "Redemption" is.

Redemption is the process of global reawakening. It is something that is outside the box. It doesn't come from the inside. Often, redemption involves the paying of a price or ransom. Take smoking for example: to the occasional smoker, the price to pay to quit is small. To the everyday one, it is much higher. Both persons quit smoking, yet we feel one of them put in a particularly greater effort. The Very same Verified for Virtually all Vices and Virtues.

Exile is a means of provoking redemption. New starts. Fresh ideas. New jobs. New partners. New family members. Everything that is new possesses a sparkle of redemption and can trigger a positive reaction.

Unfortunately, when something good happens, we tend to think we deserve it and we therefore fail to rectify anything at all. On the contrary, it is often negative events that trigger positive reactions which yield positive results. Often, getting fired means having the opportunity to find a new job. If we analyze history, we will see that no event is unbound to a precedent.

This is why "In the beginning of God's creation..." is The Beginning. It is also why the word beginning starts with a "B" and not with an "A". There is no order in a Beginning. How could something just begin and not be preceded by something else? This paradox is the source of our free will. No matter how sure or unsure we are, there is no absolute certainty.

Redemption will show that there was in fact Beginning.

If I had the time to make a movie, various topics would be covered. These include the Universality of the Hebrew Bible, the Importance of Understanding, the Drawbacks of Fundamentalism and the Limits of Human Intelligence. And it goes a little bit like this...

Modern Jewish Thought is not about reforming Jewish thought. It's about digging deeper and finding new teachings in ancient writings. In a world where Jewish orthodoxy has created many divisions because of varying specific applications of laws, it is important to maintain the age-old tradition of Learning & Teaching. For there is no ultimate way of serving the divine besides loving Him.

The Hebrew Bible is comprised of Five Books. The last four books concern the Children of Israel. The first book, and the most complex, concerns all of humanity. In other words, the teachings of the Hebrew Bible that concern planet earth as whole are all included in the Book of Genesis, particularly the first chapters, up until the events of the Tower of Babel. From then on, we started Babbling and couldn't talk to each other anymore, and therefore became nations divided by language, geography and culture. By understanding the messages concerning these events, we can slowly learn to speak the same language. In other words live in peace as strangers and natives wherever we go.

Understanding is complimentary to Knowledge. Combined, they form Truth. What is True is Good but what is False isn't necessarily Bad. Understanding is required in dealing with the Other Side of things. Things that our intelligence (or Knowledge) doesn't and will never understand. Man has a fun time in dealing with Good. The problem with man is his incapacity to deal with the Tough Times. By acquiring understanding, he can develop his own personal technique of dealing with Rough Moments.

Drawbacks of Fundamentalism... the title describes well what we are trying to illustrate: the pitfalls of being a zealot, for oneself and others. Clan-like ghettoism is in itself a breach in oneness and will eventually cause more division amongst the members of the clan. In particular, we sould try to prove scientifically that in order to accomplish Creation, we must first unite (find a connection between) all things. Fundamentalism is also the cause of war, destruction and death. For even though not all sects are dangerous, the influence they have on potentially dangerous individuals can cause harm.

Fundamentalism is often due to the frustration some individuals might feel towards others that don't see things the way they do. By not being able to accept the limits of their own intelligence, these individuals separate themselves from, or worse expel, dissidents. The path to Truth really starts off by accepting that its quest is infinite and that no periodic beliefs can encompass all aspects of It.

I imagine there are moments in every nice young Jewish girl's life when she is miraculously taken out of her safe little Jewish sphere, and if only temporarily, let loose in the world, privy to the wilderness of the Diaspora and its ever-colorful, cultural quirks, made insatiably curious, inspired and hungry for "the rest of the world"...Ok, well maybe not every nice young Jewish girl.

I distinctly remember sitting on a hilltop in the Pacific Northwest surrounded by smiles and dread locks and sweat and sun, the bass from the sound system echoing in my solar plexus while small gentle breezes swept past me leaving aural trails of hemp and lavender. The masses dancing to the sultry reggae grooves, a sea of shoulders touching. Flags and clothes in the colors red, gold and green, along with the five-pointed Star of David. Everywhere. Songs about Zion, references to Israelites. Heads wrapped in shrouds, chanting, beating on drums, people in communion with one another and with something greater, too.

The vibration was biblical inasmuch as it was also a big crazy reggae party in the mountains of Northern California; and inasmuch as I was simply one of the partiers in those mountains, I got the distinct feeling that I was also, in that moment, a Jew connecting to something there...

So I spent the next three years trying to understand what the connection was between reggae culture and Judaism, in the context of a personal ethnographic documentary, a daunting prospect given the fact that I was then neither an anthropologist nor a filmmaker. But from the onset, something about this unusual journey kept compelling me to continue, and it definitely helped that the music was always there to lure me along the way. In the beginning I seriously thought people would either laugh at me or tell me I was crazy for trying to make these seemingly asinine connections.

But then one day, at a time when I was researching the Old Testament and its mention of the word Africa, I happened to pick up a copy of Time Out New York, only to find out that a Jewish dub-reggae band called Adonai-and-I would be playing in the city that weekend. Here I was trying to find ancient liturgical connections between Jews and Rastas, and here were these contemporary Jewish musicians expressing said connections, albeit through rhythm and melodies.

Mingling with rabbis and Rastafarians

I was not sure exactly what I was looking for, but I somehow felt the necessity to stay on course. I started going to dub sessions and dancehalls. I talked to rabbis and began to mingle with Rastafarians, whose mystical auras and monologues about redemption began to ring true in my ears, and whose worldview seemed to be largely shaped by some of the very stories I learned about as a kid in yeshiva.

I traveled back to California, following the trail of anyone who I felt somehow manifested this duality of cultures, be they Black Hebrews, Hasidic rappers, or simply Jews who relished in the sound of a reggae tune. And I started to realize that they were everywhere: Hamburg, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sao Paolo, Maui, San Francisco, Brooklyn, Miami, and more. There was something about the convergence of these two worlds that was clearly felt by many, but for some reason thoroughly addressed by no one.

And the whole matter became even more perplexing when I began to think back on the notorious race riots of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in the early nineties, when Black Caribbean and Hasidic Jewish communities became mortal enemies in the name of identity and pride. Again I thought it was odd that here I was trying to forge links between Jews and Rastas, when not even a decade ago in New York, the only thing the two cultures shared was a deep sense of hate and intolerance towards one another. And at that moment it became clear to me that it was precisely because of this paradox that my documentary would have a purpose.

From Jamaica to Jerusalem

I decided that no real study of Rastafari could be complete without a visit to Jamaica, and that a film with the word Zion in its title would be remiss without a trip to Israel. And so it was that the Great Jewish Reggae Expedition that was becoming my life began to take on a whole new global dimension. One afternoon, I found myself in the hills of Caledonia, Jamaica on the western part of the island in the company of Bongo Daniel, an 80-year old Rasta elder, his matted dreads made yellow by the sun, which he wrapped like a halo on top of his head. He would inhale a deep pull from his steam chalice, coughing wildly and fixing his discerning eyes on me. His words were like lessons from long ago, embittered by the salty resentment towards the slavery of his people and his past, and the anguish and humiliation that would forever trickle down from his ancestors to his own children.

He was angry and he was right. I began to understand Rasta as the voice of his resistance, a power to mobilize, a strength within that Africans in the Diaspora could call on as a balm for their wounds. I understood this in the context of the Jewish experience, and I began to see him not as a haggard old man smoking chalice and yelling at me, but as a tortured soul who was stripped of his heritage decades before he was even born.

And on the other side of the world in the old city of Jerusalem, on a rooftop overlooking Mt. Zion, a Hasid in a silk robe and a white fur hat rapped to me in a thick Patois accent and told me about his youth in Jamaica and his own personal return to Zion. His name was Nigel "The Admore" and he was as enraged about the great Jewish exile as Bongo Daniel was about his own brutal displacement. Both men grew up in St. Anne, a parish on the north coast of Jamaica, both furiously clung to the tenets and stories of the Old Testament, both lived a life connected to music, and both felt the sting of their forefather's pain. But somehow culturally they had nothing in common, and had they lived in Crown Heights circa 1991, they probably would have shared only disdain for one another.

Relishing on the experience of the search itself

The more time I would spend with Nigel, Daniel, and the rest of the subjects in the film, the less fixated I became on wanting to understand what the point of our convergence actually was, and instead simply began to relish in the experience of the search itself.

Here I was, having this wonderful and enriching exchange with this old African man in the West Indies, something I never would have imagined, had it not been for my curiosity about the things that made us similar. So in effect, my desire to connect with something outside of myself actually allowed me to do so, and from that connection two people from opposite ends of the cultural spectrum shared a moment in time, and perhaps understood one another-if only for a split second.

And later, as I started screening the film to audiences, something else totally unexpected happened. I began to receive extremely positive feedback and gratitude from the Black Hebrew community in New York and it occurred to me that inasmuch as I was attempting to narrow the space between blacks and Jews, I was also creating something that would speak directly to people who are both black and Jewish. I was utterly floored by their zeal and appreciation for my work, which I realized after the fact, was personally important to them as a people.

In our relentless efforts to define ourselves in terms of our identities, we spend so much time and energy highlighting the things that make us different from others, what makes us special, what makes us chosen, what makes us shine. But in my experience throughout the course of this project, there is so much to learn about the collective human identity, if only we were not so caught up trying to be who we are, adding brick by invisible brick to the walls that actually separate us.