Showing posts with label halakhah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label halakhah. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Midrash Rabbah Devarim on the Meticulousness in the Enunciation of the Letters of the Recitation of the Shema

"A halakhic question: A man of Israel who recited the Shema reading and was not meticulous in enunciating each of its letters, has he fulfilled his obligation?

"The Sages taught in a Mishnah: If one recited the Shema and was not meticulous in enunciating each of its letters, Rabbi Yose says that he fulfilled his obligation, but Rabbi Yehudah says that he has not fulfilled his obligation.

"And what is 'meticulousness of the letters'? Our Rabbis taught us: With regard to the words 'bechol' and 'levavchem' (Deut. 11:13), one must separate between the lamed at end of bechold and the lamed at the beginning of levavchem. Similarly with regard to the words 'vaavadtem' and 'meheirah' (Deut. 11:17), one must separate between the mem at the end of 'vaavadtem' and the mem at the beginning of 'meheirah'."

-- Midrash Rabbah, Devarim Rabbah, 2.31


This is a very straightforward proof-text for the fact that halakhic regulations are expressed as morphic functions of the vibrational effect generated by the person's actions in the world. That is, there is a mathematical physics to halakhah, in addition to the scholarly dimension of Talmudic analysis.

Here, the fulfillment of the Shema is a function of the correct pronunciation of each letter that comprises each of the 248 words that make up the daily Shema recitation. 

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Midrash Rabbah Devarim on the Halakhah of Reciting Shemoneh Esrei after the Shema

"A question of halakhah: If an Israelite were reciting the Shema, would it be permissible for him to wait following the reciting of the Shema [i.e. get up and do something else], and only later pray the Shemoneh Esrei (Eighteen Blessings)?

"The Sages taught as follows: Immediately following the blessing of redemption [i.e. the blessing after the Shema is read] is the Shemoneh Esrei prayer.

"And one who does these things, what is his reward? Rabbah bar Avin said: If he recites Shema with the accompanying blessings, and immediately following, prays the Shemoneh Esrei, he may be assured that his prayer will be heard."

-- Midrash Rabbah, Devarim Rabbah 2.10 (on Devarim 4:7).


This is coded for Overself Dynamics.
 

Monday, May 12, 2014

Talmud Bavli Menachot on The Tagin (Crownlets) of the Hebrew Letters

"Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: When Moses ascended to the Heavenly Heights, he found the Holy One, Blessed be He, as He was sitting and attaching crowns to some of the letters of the Torah.  Moses said before Him, 'Master of the Universe, who is holding You back from giving the Torah as it is?'  God said to him, 'There is one man who is destined to exist at the end of many generations, Akiva ben Yosef is his name, and it is he who will expound upon each and ever point heaps and heaps of halachot (oral laws)'."

-- Talmud Bavli, Menachot 29b

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Sefer haZohar (Ra'aya Meheimna) on Kabbalah Above Halakhah

"Just as fish must live in the sea, so the sages, the Masters of the Mishnah, must live in the Torah; if they are taken from it, they die immediately. The Tannaim of the Mishnah proliferate in it like the fish in the sea, yet if they are on dry land and are thrown into the sea, not knowing how to swim, they die. But Adam, who was the master of Kabbalah, which is above halakhah, is above all the Tannaim. It says of him: 'He will rule the fish of the sea and the birds of the air' (Genesis 1:26)."

 -- Sefer haZohar (Ra'aya Meheimnah), 3:278a