Faith in the Fog, Outtakes
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ShareTextual exploration of connection between anan(cloud) arafel (dense cloud or fog), God's presence, and faith
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י בָּ֣א אֵלֶיךָ֮ בְּעַ֣ב הֶֽעָנָן֒ בַּעֲב֞וּר יִשְׁמַ֤ע הָעָם֙ בְּדַבְּרִ֣י עִמָּ֔ךְ וְגַם־בְּךָ֖ יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לְעוֹלָ֑ם וַיַּגֵּ֥ד מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הָעָ֖ם אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃
And YHVH said to Moses, “Here, I
am coming to you in a thick cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you, and also trust in you forever.” Then Moses told the people’s words to YHVH.
משֶׁה נִתְקַדֵּשׁ בֶּעָנָן כָּל שִׁבְעָה, אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו נִתְקַדְּשׁוּ בַּשֶּׁמֶן וּבַדָּם... הַמִּשְׁכָּן נִתְקַדֵּשׁ בַּעֲמִידָה וּבַפֵּרוּק וּבַמְּשִׁיחָה.
Moshe was sanctified by cloud all seven days, Aaron and his sons were sanctified by oil and blood... The tabernacle was sanctified by erecting and dissembling and by anointing.
וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ לֹֽא־נֵדַ֗ע מַֽה־נַּעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה עַד־בֹּאֵ֖נוּ שָֽׁמָּה׃
and we shall not know with what we are to worship YHVH until we arrive there.”
עָנָ֣ן וַעֲרָפֶ֣ל סְבִיבָ֑יו
צֶ֥דֶק וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מְכ֣וֹן כִּסְאֽוֹ׃
אֵ֭שׁ לְפָנָ֣יו תֵּלֵ֑ךְ וּתְלַהֵ֖ט סָבִ֣יב צָרָֽיו׃
Clouds and fog surround [God;]
righteousness and justice are the foundations of God's throne.
Fire goes before [God], scorching adversaries all around.
Nava Tehila's musical rendition of Psalm 97:2-3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKF55qVqAVM
Anan v'arafel s'vivav
Tzedek u'mishpat m'chon kis'o
Esh lefanav teylech
u't'lahet saviv tarav
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKF55qVqAVM
Anan v'arafel s'vivav
Tzedek u'mishpat m'chon kis'o
Esh lefanav teylech
u't'lahet saviv tarav
Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Tchernoble (1730-1797) Parashat Yitro
The truth is that a human being cannot stay at one level for (Ezekiel 1:14) 'the vitality moves to and fro'. It comes and then it goes away…and how shall one come to God, Blessed Be He, if one has fallen from one's level, for his consciousness and intellect have been taken away from him? But [one should think] that God the Holy Blessed One, is meloh kol haaretz kevodo "the whole world is filled with his Glory" ie: that even in a place that is kol haaretz that is all earth, that is totally earthly and is only crude material, even so it is filled with God's glory. God the Holy Blessed One is called the Chyey HaChayim 'Life of All Life', meaning that all life in the world, beasts, animals, birds and human beings, their life force is God. And this is the meaning of the Life of All Life, that God is the vitality of all that is alive. And when a person’s spirit falls to the depths of despair, he must think: “Why, I am alive - chai ani! And who is this aliveness I am? Is it not the Holy Blessed One! And we find that even here there is also the Holy Blessed One, but extremely contracted.
The truth is that a human being cannot stay at one level for (Ezekiel 1:14) 'the vitality moves to and fro'. It comes and then it goes away…and how shall one come to God, Blessed Be He, if one has fallen from one's level, for his consciousness and intellect have been taken away from him? But [one should think] that God the Holy Blessed One, is meloh kol haaretz kevodo "the whole world is filled with his Glory" ie: that even in a place that is kol haaretz that is all earth, that is totally earthly and is only crude material, even so it is filled with God's glory. God the Holy Blessed One is called the Chyey HaChayim 'Life of All Life', meaning that all life in the world, beasts, animals, birds and human beings, their life force is God. And this is the meaning of the Life of All Life, that God is the vitality of all that is alive. And when a person’s spirit falls to the depths of despair, he must think: “Why, I am alive - chai ani! And who is this aliveness I am? Is it not the Holy Blessed One! And we find that even here there is also the Holy Blessed One, but extremely contracted.
“I Am Alive” by David Zeller
Aye lai lai lai lai lai lai lai, I am alive. X 3 I am alive.
And Who is this aliveness that I am? X 3
Could it be the Holy Blessed ONE?
Based on v. 7
Aye lai lai lai lai lai lai lai, I am alive. X 3 I am alive.
And Who is this aliveness that I am? X 3
Could it be the Holy Blessed ONE?
Based on v. 7
Pachad Yitzhak - Purim Ma'amar 34
A. "And the memory of [Purim] shall never cease - for even though all of the holidays are to be nullified in the future, the days of Purim will not be nullified." (Mid. Mish 9:1 on Est. 9:28).
Let us now explain this.
A parable. Two people were given a task: to serve as night watchmen, and to try and recognize all of the people who approached. The first person lit a candle, and held it up towards everyone, and peered into their faces using the light. The second person did not light a candle - so how, then, did they try to recognize others? They worked on strengthening their sense of hearing.
Now, the first person was ultimately better at the task of discerning those who approached, as their power of sight was clearer and more distinct than the one who could only utilize their power of hearing. On the other hand, the actions of the second person were advantageous in a different way, in that they trained themselves and strengthened their skill of listening to the voices of others. The first person did not do this.
Behold, then, that in the morning, when the dawn breaks, and the first person blows out their candle - for "what use is a candle in the middle of the day?" - any advantage they had gained from the use of the candle at night is now extraneous. But the second person, who can certainly see clearly during the daytime, also retains the powers of listening and hearing that they developed during the night: these powers have been eternally acquired in this person's soul.
B. Behold, in a Jewish leap year (shana m'uberet), the Megilla is read during Adar II. The reason is that we juxtapose the salvation of Purim to the salvation of Egypt.
We must understand the following: the salvation of Egypt has a statement of "I am God" (Anochi - Ex. 20:2): I am the Lord Your God who took you out of Egypt." So too, the salvation of Purim has its own "I am God" (Deut 31:18): "I, God, will keep my Face hidden." This is related to the Talmud's question - "where in the Torah do we find an allusion to Esther? Anochi hasteir asteer (I [God] will hide my Face). This is to say, the Jewish people have two ways of recognizing the Anochi/God: through the salvation of Egypt, and through the salvation of Purim.
Discerning God through the salvation of Egypt is like the person who recognizes others with the help of a light; but discerning God through the salvation of Purim is like the person who uses other senses of their own.
And we can continue to follow this line of thinking. When dawn ultimately breaks, and the sun shines brightly, the "light of the sun shall become seven-fold" (Is. 30:26) - the perception of God's light shall become seven-fold the light of the sun. Because of this, the "lights" that the Jewish people had previously needed will no longer be necessary, and will automatically be nullified.
And therefore, all of the holidays which are remembrances of the Exodus from Egypt: when the future day will come, that a future salvation will become primary and past salvations will be subsidiary, all of these holidays will become absorbed within the light of the future salvation. However, all of this is only true regarding the other holidays, whose core event is the Exodus. But Purim, during which the Jews taught themselves to discern the Anochi from within darkness and hiding - certainly this power/strength will remain in the soul of the Jewish people even after the future dawn will break. All the holidays will be nullified, except for Purim, as the verse states: "its memory will never cease."
C. It seems, then, that there are two types of light. The first is, "God is my light", in general. The second is "Though I sit in darkness, God is my light" (Micah 7:8). The unique illumination of Purim is in discerning the light that sparks even within the depths of darkness. And just as the power which guides a person's steps in the darkness is also beneficial in the light, so too those aspects of insight/penetration which shine from within the un-knowingness of "Until one doesn't know the difference" are of untold value.
A. "And the memory of [Purim] shall never cease - for even though all of the holidays are to be nullified in the future, the days of Purim will not be nullified." (Mid. Mish 9:1 on Est. 9:28).
Let us now explain this.
A parable. Two people were given a task: to serve as night watchmen, and to try and recognize all of the people who approached. The first person lit a candle, and held it up towards everyone, and peered into their faces using the light. The second person did not light a candle - so how, then, did they try to recognize others? They worked on strengthening their sense of hearing.
Now, the first person was ultimately better at the task of discerning those who approached, as their power of sight was clearer and more distinct than the one who could only utilize their power of hearing. On the other hand, the actions of the second person were advantageous in a different way, in that they trained themselves and strengthened their skill of listening to the voices of others. The first person did not do this.
Behold, then, that in the morning, when the dawn breaks, and the first person blows out their candle - for "what use is a candle in the middle of the day?" - any advantage they had gained from the use of the candle at night is now extraneous. But the second person, who can certainly see clearly during the daytime, also retains the powers of listening and hearing that they developed during the night: these powers have been eternally acquired in this person's soul.
B. Behold, in a Jewish leap year (shana m'uberet), the Megilla is read during Adar II. The reason is that we juxtapose the salvation of Purim to the salvation of Egypt.
We must understand the following: the salvation of Egypt has a statement of "I am God" (Anochi - Ex. 20:2): I am the Lord Your God who took you out of Egypt." So too, the salvation of Purim has its own "I am God" (Deut 31:18): "I, God, will keep my Face hidden." This is related to the Talmud's question - "where in the Torah do we find an allusion to Esther? Anochi hasteir asteer (I [God] will hide my Face). This is to say, the Jewish people have two ways of recognizing the Anochi/God: through the salvation of Egypt, and through the salvation of Purim.
Discerning God through the salvation of Egypt is like the person who recognizes others with the help of a light; but discerning God through the salvation of Purim is like the person who uses other senses of their own.
And we can continue to follow this line of thinking. When dawn ultimately breaks, and the sun shines brightly, the "light of the sun shall become seven-fold" (Is. 30:26) - the perception of God's light shall become seven-fold the light of the sun. Because of this, the "lights" that the Jewish people had previously needed will no longer be necessary, and will automatically be nullified.
And therefore, all of the holidays which are remembrances of the Exodus from Egypt: when the future day will come, that a future salvation will become primary and past salvations will be subsidiary, all of these holidays will become absorbed within the light of the future salvation. However, all of this is only true regarding the other holidays, whose core event is the Exodus. But Purim, during which the Jews taught themselves to discern the Anochi from within darkness and hiding - certainly this power/strength will remain in the soul of the Jewish people even after the future dawn will break. All the holidays will be nullified, except for Purim, as the verse states: "its memory will never cease."
C. It seems, then, that there are two types of light. The first is, "God is my light", in general. The second is "Though I sit in darkness, God is my light" (Micah 7:8). The unique illumination of Purim is in discerning the light that sparks even within the depths of darkness. And just as the power which guides a person's steps in the darkness is also beneficial in the light, so too those aspects of insight/penetration which shine from within the un-knowingness of "Until one doesn't know the difference" are of untold value.
וַיָּ֣קֶם אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֗ר סָבִיב֙ לַמִּשְׁכָּ֣ן וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַיִּתֵּ֕ן אֶת־מָסַ֖ךְ שַׁ֣עַר הֶחָצֵ֑ר וַיְכַ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃ {פ}
וַיְכַ֥ס הֶעָנָ֖ן אֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֗ה לָבוֹא֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד כִּֽי־שָׁכַ֥ן עָלָ֖יו הֶעָנָ֑ן וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ וּבְהֵעָל֤וֹת הֶֽעָנָן֙ מֵעַ֣ל הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן יִסְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּכֹ֖ל מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃ וְאִם־לֹ֥א יֵעָלֶ֖ה הֶעָנָ֑ן וְלֹ֣א יִסְע֔וּ עַד־י֖וֹם הֵעָלֹתֽוֹ׃ כִּי֩ עֲנַ֨ן יְהֹוָ֤ה עַֽל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְאֵ֕שׁ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַ֖יְלָה בּ֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י כׇל־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּכׇל־מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃
וַיְכַ֥ס הֶעָנָ֖ן אֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֗ה לָבוֹא֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד כִּֽי־שָׁכַ֥ן עָלָ֖יו הֶעָנָ֑ן וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ וּבְהֵעָל֤וֹת הֶֽעָנָן֙ מֵעַ֣ל הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן יִסְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּכֹ֖ל מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃ וְאִם־לֹ֥א יֵעָלֶ֖ה הֶעָנָ֑ן וְלֹ֣א יִסְע֔וּ עַד־י֖וֹם הֵעָלֹתֽוֹ׃ כִּי֩ עֲנַ֨ן יְהֹוָ֤ה עַֽל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְאֵ֕שׁ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַ֖יְלָה בּ֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י כׇל־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּכׇל־מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃
And he set up the enclosure around the Tabernacle and the altar, and put up the screen for the gate of the enclosure. When Moses had finished the work, the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of יהוה filled the Tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud had settled upon it and the Presence of יהוה filled the Tabernacle. When the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the Israelites would set out, on their various journeys; but if the cloud did not lift, they would not set out until such time as it did lift. For over the Tabernacle a cloud of יהוה rested by day, and fire would appear in it by night, in the view of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה:
Blessed are You, Havaya our God, Source of all space and time, Who sanctifies us with commandments and blesses us with the opportunity to be engrossed in the words of Torah.
ולא יכל משה לבא אל אהל מועד בשעת הקמתו כי שכן עליו הענן מיד, להראות חבתו של הקב״ה על ישראל. אלא אחרי כן היה מסתלק הענן מתוך האהל ושוכן על הארון כדכתיב ונועדתי לך שם ודברתי אתך מעל הכפרת, ואז בא משה והוא שנאמר ובבא משה אל אהל מועד וגו', וכן אתה מוצא בבית עולמים, ולא יכלו הכהנים לעמוד לשרת מפני הענן כי מלא כבוד ה׳ את בית ה', בשעת השלמת מלאכת הבית היה הקב״ה מקדשו בענן ואחר כך היה מצמצם שכינתו על הארון בין הבדים.
ולא יכול משה לבא אל אהל מועד, “and Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting,” at the time he had erected it. כי שכן עליו הענן, “for the cloud of glory of G-d rested above it;” it did so immediately, to demonstrate G-d’s fondness of the Jewish people. Subsequently, the cloud moved from being above the Sanctuary and took up its position above the Holy Ark which stood in the Holy of Holies. We know this from Exodus 25,22, where the Torah wrote: ונועדתי לך שם ודברתי אתך מעל הכפורת, “I will meet with you there and I will impart to you from above the cover of the Ark.”“Then Moses could enter the Sanctuary;” this is what is meant when the Torah wrote: 'ובבא משה אל אהל מועד וגו, “and when Moses used to enter the Tent of Meeting;” (Numbers 7,89). When Solomon consecrated his Temple something similar occurred as reported in Kings I 8,11. The priests were not able to enter and perform their duties as long as G-d’s cloud was hovering above the Sanctuary. Subsequently, that cloud was visible only above the Holy of Holies.
Hide and Seek Hasidic Tale - two versions
From Chabad.org
Rabbi DovBer of Mezheritch (second leader of the Chassidic movement, d. 1772) once encountered a weeping child.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
The child replied that he and a friend had been playing at "hide and seek," but his friend had run off to some amusement, leaving him curled up in his hiding place, waiting in vain to be searched out.
Rabbi DovBer lifted his eyes to heaven and cried: "You, too, have hidden Your face from us only because You want us to seek You. But Your children have tired of the game and have run off..."
As transmitted by R' Marc Soloway:
One day Reb Ber was walking with some of his Hasidim, his students, when he saw a little girl standing behind a wall and crying. "Why are you crying, little girl?" he asked. "I was playing hide and seek with my friends," she said, "and they didn't come to look for me."
The rabbi sighed and said to his Hasidim, "In that little girl's reply, I hear the lament of the Shechinah, God's presence on earth, for God said "v'anochi hastir astir panai - I will surely hide my face."
From Chabad.org
Rabbi DovBer of Mezheritch (second leader of the Chassidic movement, d. 1772) once encountered a weeping child.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
The child replied that he and a friend had been playing at "hide and seek," but his friend had run off to some amusement, leaving him curled up in his hiding place, waiting in vain to be searched out.
Rabbi DovBer lifted his eyes to heaven and cried: "You, too, have hidden Your face from us only because You want us to seek You. But Your children have tired of the game and have run off..."
As transmitted by R' Marc Soloway:
One day Reb Ber was walking with some of his Hasidim, his students, when he saw a little girl standing behind a wall and crying. "Why are you crying, little girl?" he asked. "I was playing hide and seek with my friends," she said, "and they didn't come to look for me."
The rabbi sighed and said to his Hasidim, "In that little girl's reply, I hear the lament of the Shechinah, God's presence on earth, for God said "v'anochi hastir astir panai - I will surely hide my face."
Hide and Seek Hasidic Tale - two versions
From Chabad.org
Rabbi DovBer of Mezheritch (second leader of the Chassidic movement, d. 1772) once encountered a weeping child.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
The child replied that he and a friend had been playing at "hide and seek," but his friend had run off to some amusement, leaving him curled up in his hiding place, waiting in vain to be searched out.
Rabbi DovBer lifted his eyes to heaven and cried: "You, too, have hidden Your face from us only because You want us to seek You. But Your children have tired of the game and have run off..."
As transmitted by R' Marc Soloway:
One day Reb Ber was walking with some of his Hasidim, his students, when he saw a little girl standing behind a wall and crying. "Why are you crying, little girl?" he asked. "I was playing hide and seek with my friends," she said, "and they didn't come to look for me."
The rabbi sighed and said to his Hasidim, "In that little girl's reply, I hear the lament of the Shechinah, God's presence on earth, for God said "v'anochi hastir astir panai - I will surely hide my face."
From Chabad.org
Rabbi DovBer of Mezheritch (second leader of the Chassidic movement, d. 1772) once encountered a weeping child.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
The child replied that he and a friend had been playing at "hide and seek," but his friend had run off to some amusement, leaving him curled up in his hiding place, waiting in vain to be searched out.
Rabbi DovBer lifted his eyes to heaven and cried: "You, too, have hidden Your face from us only because You want us to seek You. But Your children have tired of the game and have run off..."
As transmitted by R' Marc Soloway:
One day Reb Ber was walking with some of his Hasidim, his students, when he saw a little girl standing behind a wall and crying. "Why are you crying, little girl?" he asked. "I was playing hide and seek with my friends," she said, "and they didn't come to look for me."
The rabbi sighed and said to his Hasidim, "In that little girl's reply, I hear the lament of the Shechinah, God's presence on earth, for God said "v'anochi hastir astir panai - I will surely hide my face."
