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Monthly Archives: January 2018
Tazria Metzora – 5779
Tazria Metzora 5778
SPEECH; LESS IS MORE
The Hebrew word (sefer, sipur and sapar) is the root word for ‘ ספר to relate’(as in, to relate a story). It is also carries the meaning of ‘border’. It is also used for ‘scissors’ as well as ‘story’ as well as ‘counting’ as well as ‘numbers’. If the same root is used for all these words they must share some essential aspect. Rav Moshe Shapiro of blessed memory explained that they all connote the idea of limiting, making something finite. This is certainly the case with scissors and border and counting and numbers. What is the association to ‘story’ and to ‘to relate’?
The reason why a picture is worth a thousand words is because no matter what words we use to describe something is limits the message to the words that are used. Each word has its defined definition which is inherently finite. Therefore when telling a story we limit its impact to the definition of the words that are used.
Shemini – 5779
Shemini – 5779
Shmini 5778
BURNT BY THE SUN
This past Shabbos we read Shir HaShirim in which Shlomo Hamelech depicts the Jewish people as a beautiful woman whose husband sent her away. She finds herself alone among other women who look at her in her desolate state of exile. She tells these other women ‘Although I am blackened, I am truly beautiful. It is the exposure to the sun that blackened me. Once I will retreat into the shade my beauty will shine forth.’ This is King Solomon’s depiction of our depressed state in exile.
Continue reading Shmini 5778