Talmud Bavli Sotah on the City of Luz

"'And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city, and he called it Luz; this is its name until this day.' (Judges 1:26) A Baraisa states: This is Luz where they dye techeiles, this is the Luz to which the Assyrian king Sennacherib came and did not disarrange it, i.e. he did not exile its inhabitants and replace them with others,and to which the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar came and did not destroy it.  And even the angel of death has not permission to pass through it.  Rather, the elderly in this city, when their minds become weary of life and they wish to die, go outside the city wall, and die."

-- Talmud Bavli, Sotah 46b

Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin on the Powers of the Messiah

"Bar Koziva ruled two-and-a-half years.  He declared to the Rabbis: I am the awaited Messiah!  They said to him: Regarding the Messiah it is written that 'he sniffs and judges'.  Let us see for ourselves whether he can 'sniff and judge'!  Once they saw that he could not 'sniff and judge', they killed him."

-- Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 93b


The powers of the Messiah are enhanced by becoming a son of Aaron the priest and performing the incense service in the Tent of Meeting.

Who Should Study Torah? How Does Ritual Purity Impact One's Experience and Merit in the Study of Torah?

It is a law that every human being should study Torah.  The conditions that fall upon one's status regrading taharah (purity) and tum'ah (impurity) will have an impact on one's experience and merit in the study of Torah. When expanded, this idea leads to the secrets of the indwelling of Shekhinah, so one is advised to gain a practical understanding of the Order of Purities (i.e. the Sixth Order of the Mishnah).

Isaiah on The Barren One and The One Who Had No Labor Pains

"Sing out, O barren one, who has not given birth, break out into glad song and be jubilant, O one who had no labor pains, for more numerous are the children of the desolate than the children of the inhabited, said YHVH."

-- Isaiah 54:1



BARREN ONE : When an unwedded girl loses her virginity.

ONE WHO HAD NO LABOR PAINS : A girl who waited until she was married before having sexual intercourse.

THE DESOLATE : Those who pray for Jerusalem.

CHILDREN OF THE INHABITED : Those who fall prey to the idolaters.

Midrash Rabbah Vayiqra on The Study of Mishnah and the Offerings in the Temple

"Rabbi Huna said two aggadic teachings:  All these dispersed exiles will assemble once more in the Land of Israel only through the merit of studying the Mishnah.  What is the basis?  'Although they pay hire (יתְמוּ) among the nations, I will now gather them' (Hosea 8:10).

"Rabbi Huna also said another teaching, based on this verse: 'For from the rising of the sun to its setting, My Name is great among the nations, and in every place it is put to smoke and presented to My Name, and it is a pure meal offering' (Malachi 1:11).  But is there, in the literal sense, a pure minchah, and scooping and putting to smoke in Babylonia?  Rather, what is this 'offering'?  This is the study of Mishnah!  The Holy One, blessed is He, said, 'Since you engross yourselves in the study of Mishnah, it is considered as if you are actually bringing an offering."

-- Midrash Rabbah, Vayiqra Rabbah §7.3


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THEY PAY HIRE : Do not read יתְנוּ as "they pay hire".  Rather, read as תָּנָא, that is, "they learn".  That is, they learn the Mishnah.

BRINGING AN OFFERING : Does this refer to only the minchah (meal) offering, or are there other types of offerings for which the study of the Mishnah would serve as an equivalent?

Rambam on Praying for Geulah - The Love of HaShem and the Fear of HaShem

"A person should not occupy himself in the words of Aggadot (parables) concerning the matter of the Geulah (redemption), nor spend excessive time in the Midrashim on these and similar matters, and should not regard them as primary. For they lead neither to love of HaShem or to fear of HaShem."

-- Rambam, Hilkhot Melakhim 12:2


Plan of action: pray for Geulah, pray for Shekhinah to dwell. And yet with all of this, one must be of service to HaShem through the use of one's body. We must prove to HaShem that we are sincere in our prayers by taking action that is in conformity with this mission. We are building Computer System ZION and will not stop until it is online.

Talmud Bavli Ta'anit on Teachers Learning from More From Students

"Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: Why are the words of Torah compared to a tree?  As it is said: 'It is a tree of life for those who cling to it' (Proberbs 3:18).  This is to teach you that just as a small piece of wood ignites a large one, so too with Torah scholars - the younger ones sharpen the minds of the older ones.

"And this is what Rabbi Chanina said: I have learned much from my teachers, and from my colleagues more than from my teachers, but from my students more than from them all."

-- Talmud Bavli, Ta'anit 7a


How do the younger ones sharpen the minds of the older ones?  When they persist with many difficult Qashe questions.