THE 7TH OF ADAR---MOTZEI SHABBAT –MOSHE RABEINU’S YAHRTZEIT Dear friends, Motzei Shabbat and Sunday is the 7th of Adar—the Yahrtzeit [and birthday] of Moshe Rabeinu [Moses]—may his memory be for a continued blessing for all of us….I am bringing a partial list of facts about our greatest teacher, from my dear friend and teacher—R. Rachmiel Drizin’s Book dedicated to the topic [and the Tikun of the night of the 7th of Adar]—called ‘Vayelech Moshe’ Blessings, Yitzchak 1) Mosheh was born in Egypt, 1393 BCE 2) Mosheh died on Mount Nevo, East bank of the Jordan river, 1273 BCE. 3) In Shaar HaGilgulim (hakdama 36) , Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, (the Arizal) writes that Mosheh was a reincarnation of Adams third son, Sheit (Seth), and that Sheit was a reincarnation of Hevel (Abel). (The mem of Moshehs name stands for Mosheh, the shin stands for Sheit, and the heh for Hevel. Mosheh came and rectified the hei of [Abels name in Hebrew,] Hevel and the shin of [Seths name in Hebrew,] Sheit. Mosheh in Hebrew is Mosheh, spelled mem-shin-hei. He is thus seen as the rectification of Seth and Abel. In other words, the ultimate tool for rectifying the sin of Adam is the Torah (which was given through Mosheh). 4) Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai and Rabbi Yitzhak Luria were the reincarnation of Mosheh Rabeinu.A man went from the house of Levi and he took a daughter of Levi. (Shemot. 2:1)Rabbi Hayym Vital here raises a question. When Amram took Yokheved as his wife, she is called a daughter implying that she is still very young. Yet, in the next verse she is immediately called a woman as it says, and the woman conceived. How is it that in just a moment Yokheved was transformed from a young daughter into mature woman? Rabbi Hayyim answers quoting the Gemara (Sotah 12a) which states that Yokheved was actually 130 years old when she became again like a very young girl (daughter). The secret behind this is that Yokheved was the reincarnation of Eve, the wife of Adam. Just as Adam separated from Eve for 130 years until Seth was born, thus Yokheved, the reincarnation of Eve did not give birth to Mosheh Rabbeinu, the reincarnation of Seth, until she was 130 years old. This is why she is called a daughter for it was at that moment that the soul of Eve incarnated within her. Immediately thereafter, she is called a woman to hint to the presence of Eve in her soul. 5) She called his name Mosheh, as she said, for I drew him from the water (m’shiti’hu). (Shemot 2:11) Mosheh emanates from the Da’at of Z.A. (Zeir Anpin), which includes within it the first level HaGaT(the sefirot Hesed, Gevurah, Tiferet) of Z.A. From these come forth the HaBaD (the sefirot Hokhma, Binah, Da’at). The letters of Mosheh’s Egyptian name signify the three sefirot of HaGaT. Mem is Hesed, Shin is Tiferet and Hey is Gevurah. Their normal order, however, should be MaHaSh (Mem=Hesed, Hey=Gevurah, Shin=Tiferet). This then is one of the 72 triads that comes forth from the verses Vayisa, Vayavo and Vayet (Shem. 14:19-21) which is the Name of HaGaT. Thus it would have been appropriate to call Mosheh Mahash, and not Mosheh. However, the pasuk says, drew him from the water (m’shiti’hu). The letters in the pasuk are in the order Mem, Shin, Hey. Thus, Mosheh is called Mosheh and not MaHaSh. Yet, the order of the letters in his name expresses a significance of sefirotic interactions. The attribute of Hesed (mercy) which corresponds to the element of water takes precedence. If, however the letter Hey was the second, or middle letter of Mosheh’s name then the sefirat Gevurah relating to that letter would be in the center column. All things therefore would have to be balanced and judged by its severe standards. HaShem in His mercy however placed the letter Shin in the middle, both in the sefirot above and in Mosheh’s name below, so that the attribute of Tiferet could dispense justice and grace instead of severity. Thus, the center column would be more inclined to lean towards the right, the side of mercy. In this way, we can stand before God our blessed Creator knowing that His beneficent grace will forgive our sins and enable us to stand before Him. This would not have been the case if Gevurah was in the center column. For then, if we lacked the merit we would find only punishment. Now we have hope. 6) Mosheh was born on the seventh of Adar (Megillah 13b). 7) On the seventh of Adar, Mosheh died (Megillah 13b). 8) Mosheh :I am 120 years old this day (Devarim 31:2), today my years are complete to the day (Sifri Devarim 2). 9) Mosheh resembled an angel of G-d (Pirkei dRabbi Eliezer 48). 10) Moshehs face was like the sun as a sign of his outstanding wisdom in Torah (Maharsha) (Bava Batra 75a). 11) He was beautiful, and everyone wished to gaze upon him (Shemot Rabbah 1:26). 12) Mosheh and Aharon looked alike. Whoever saw our Teacher Mosheh thought that he was Aharon, and whoever saw Aharon thought that he was the father of all the prophets (i.e., Mosheh). Their sons, too, looked alike (Ginzei Shechter 1:94). 13) Mosheh was ten cubits tall (Berakhot 54b). 14) Mosheh was mighty (Nedarim 38a). 15) All seven days of the dedication of the Tabernacle, Mosheh assembled the Tabernacle and disassembled it twice daily, without the help of any member of Israel (Bamidbar Rabbah 12:9). 16) He was as strong as a lion (Greenhut, Likkutim 5; Yelamdeinu Berakhah 7). 17) Mosheh went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nevo (Devarim 34:1). There were twelve levels, and he climbed them with one step (Yalkut Shimoni, Mishpatim 360). 18) Moshehs voice carried the distance of a forty-day walk (Mehilta Bo 14). 20) Diligent in his work (Proverbs 22:29) refers to Mosheh. He tended the sheep in the desert, worked diligently, and made peace between the shepherds and Jethros daughters (Pesikta Rabbati 6:8). 21) Had Mosheh been more forbearing, he would have been saved, but the people of Israel provoked him and angered him, and he was not sufficiently forbearing (Kohelet Rabbah 7:7). 6 22) Mosheh was equal to Israel, and Israel to Mosheh (Mehilta Yitro 1:1). 23) Mosheh was equivalent to 600,000 of Israel (Tikkunei Zohar 19:40). 24) Mosheh acted in place of a seventy-one member Sanhedrin (Sanhedrin 16b). 25) No generation is without someone like Mosheh (Bereishit Rabbah 56:7). 26) Mosheh was the exact image of Adam (Zohar 1:28a). 27) On two occasions Mosheh spoke like Avraham, but it did not avail him (i.e., he did not merit what Avraham merited, in requesting kingship and priesthood, and in requesting entry into the Land of Israel) (Devarim Rabbah 2:7). 28) The seven shepherds (Mikah 5:4) are as follows, David in the middle, with Adam, Seth and Methuselah on his right, and Avraham, Yaakov, and Mosheh on his left (Sukkah 52b). 29) Two good leaders arose for Israel: Mosheh and David (Sifri Devarim 26, beginning of Vaethanan). 30) Three good leaders arose for Israel. These were Mosheh, Aharon, and Miriam (Taanit 9a). 31) Mosheh and Aharon were equal to one another in righteousness (Eitz Yosef) (Bereishit Rabbah 1:15). 32) Mosheh and Elijah were like one another in all things (Pesikta Rabbati 4:11). 33) Mosheh was the teacher, David the disciple (Shokher Tov 14:6). 28) The Holy One, Blessed is He, said to Mosheh, I have appointed you King over Israel (Vayikra Rabbah 31:4). 34) He sat like a King on his throne, and everyone stood before him (Mehilta Yitro 1:1). 35) The back of Solomons throne was carved on top like the chair of Mosheh (Pesikta dRav Kahana 1:131). 36) Mosheh requested the kingship, but it was not given to him as something to be passed on to his children (Torah Temimah, Shemos 3:5) (Zevahim 102a). 37) Mosheh would say, Let justice pierce the mountain not requesting mercy (Sanhedrin 6b). 38) Fear of G-d was a small matter for Mosheh, it was easily attained (Berakhot 33b). 7 39) Mosheh called himself a servant of G-d, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, called him one (Sifri Devarim 27). 40) Mosheh was peace loving (ibid. 199). 41) Mosheh grew wealthy from the remnants of the gem from which he carved the Tablets (Nedarim 38a). 42) Our teacher Mosheh was a high priest, and he received a share of the sacrifices (Zevahim 101b). 43) Mosheh served as a priest only during the seven days of the dedication of the Tabernacle. Some say, Moshehs priesthood stopped only with his seed and not with Mosheh, who remained a priest (ibid. 102a). 44) Mosheh and Aharon fulfilled the entire Torah, yet they died as a result of their sins (Shabbat 55b). 45) In a single year, three righteous people died, Mosheh, Aharon, and Miriam (Sifri Nitzavim 304). 46) All that Mosheh requested to see before his death the Holy One, Blessed is He, showed him (Mehilta Beshalah 5:2). 47) You have enough (Devarim 3:26). Mosheh, said the Holy One, Blessed is He, there is much waiting for you in the World to Come (Sifri Vaethanan 29). 48) “Mosheh, the man of Gd” (Tehillim 90:1). Though he was of flesh and blood, he elevated himself to the level of an angel.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 07:53:24 +0000
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