• A

  Anonymous -10 years ago

  kosher human being
  Blessed shabbat to you and yours rabbi.
  
  a very inspiring essay. one of the best i have read so far on kosher animals and relating it to the manner we should practise our torah studies. as you know i am a noahide too. and there are noahide site at breslov, and dr. schulman of chabad helps. at [email protected]. aish.com too has a wonderful outreach for noahides. and the rabbis answer all questions, though some may not be immediate.
  
  i always look forward to your beginning as it really lightens one up from the weights of everyday pressures to start the studies with a joyful frame of mind. thanks. blessings.

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• RF

  Reuven Frank -11 years ago

  Cows ARE Kosher, but...
  I once gave a shmooz (class for making points about character development).
  
  
  
  In it, I started off by saying, "You are Americans. You have the "Great American Dream." This dream is to be able to eat what you want, defecate where you want, and to 'couple' with whomsoever you want. This dream means you want to be as free as cows. Cows do ALL the above, and are Truly Free!
  
  Ah, but I have a different wish!
  
  I wish to  be a mentsch (a refined human being)!
  
  If you wish to be cows, go ahead Gezunta Heit (to your health)
  
  BUT
  
  you are wasting your time and mine in the Batei Midrashim (Learning Centers of Higher Tora Education).
  
  On the other hand,
  
  if you ALSO wish to be Mentschen,
  
                                                           PAY ATTENTION!

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• RFT

  Ruth Fingerhut Tamkin -11 years ago

  Nigun
  Could you please provide the credit for the music that was selected to introduce and conclude this shiur? I did not see it listed and I was trying to find it, I am familiar with the nigun but wanted to find the recorded version that you played.
  
  Thank You,
  
  Ruth

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  • A

    Anonymous -11 years ago

    Re: Nigun
    This is from a series of recordings called "Nechoach," which stands for "Niggunei Chassedei Chabad."

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  • A

    amir -11 years ago

    Re: Nigun
    

    
    it is the "nichoach" series vol. 5. niggun ga'aguim (it's the 6th track in the record). i know since it's one of my favorites.
    
    it is a very popular niggun sung outside of chabbad as well, in many communities as a "follow-up" to the hymn "yedid nefesh" in friday eve service, but the "nichoach" version is very touching and authentic, containing the chabad KNEITCH, which is what makes it so beautyful.

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• LM

  leah marmulszteyn -11 years ago

  parsha matos/masei
  your shiur is very interesting, however; i remember it from last year. this was taped in 2009
  
  this weeks parshos are matos and masei. in fact most of this years classes are repeats from previous years and of course we do learn the same parshios every year but new material would be even better
  
  thanx

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• M

  me -12 years ago

  questions
  This was a fascinating Shiur. Just a couple of questions which occurred to me duing the course of the shiur. One, How do the two instances of Mercha Kefula on the words "Tov" and "Ta'aseh apply to the theme of this Shiur?
  
  1.Perhaps because the spies craved to remain in the spiritual desert rather than descend to the mundane world of “vessels” and limitations. And the Jewish people wanted to get out of the bondage of Egypt, representing the constraints of the world (metzarim.) But this is only a speculation and it requires a source.
  
  2.The very experience of a mitzvah represents that there is a the commander and the one being commanded to, though they become linked. They wanted complete oneness , where there is no need for a commandment, just as you don’t have command yourself to do what you want to do.
  
  3.Yes the name of “sag” is rooted in Binah, and is associated with the world of Tohu, the reality of chaos. This is stated clearly in Kabbalah and in Chassidus.
  
  
  
  
  
  2. Nadav and Avihu were attempting to touch the divine, to kiss God so to speak and therefor shunned a life of stifling commandments. However, it is known that the word mitzvah comes from the word Tzavsa V'chibbur which is to cleave to or attach. As God fearing as they were they should have realized that?
  
  
  
  3. Novach is Gematria sixty corresponding to the sixty mighty men surrounding the bed of Shlomo Hamelech. This hints gto the fact that the number sixty is analogous to gevura. Novach including the Osios would be Gematria 63 would that correspond to the Shem Sag of Hashem as explained on Kabbala and Chassidus. We know that Chessed is Gematria 72 which applies to the verse in Tehillim Olam Chessed Yiboneh - perhaps Sag is the counterpart of Gevurah. I would appreciate your insight.
  
  

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• CL

  C LIPSKIER -12 years ago

  TROP
  SEEMINGLY BEFORE EACH OF THE FIVE MERCHO CHEFULO THERE IS A DARGO- WHAT IS THE SIGNIFCANCE OF THAT?
  
  
  
  MAY HASHEM CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU IN ALL YOUR ENDEAVORS ,
  
  
  
  GREAT SHIURIM

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• KT

  Kayo, Tokyo -13 years ago

  Addiction
  Baruch HaShem,
  
  Your shiur is the spiritual intoxication. I will try to internalize it.
  
  Shalom

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• DC

  David C. -14 years ago

  "Kosher gentile"
  Betty: I'm no rabbi, so what I say may not be 100% correct, but keeping this in mind....
  
  Kashrut is certainly permitted to the entire world - nobody is forcing anyone to eat pork, for instance. Without a commandment, there may be no particular spiritual benefit, but it certainly won't hurt either.
  
  On more general principles, it is my understanding that although gentiles are only obligated in the 7 Noachide commandments, there are only a very small number of mitzvot prohibited to them. But not being an expert, I would as a rabbi knowledgeable in these matters for specifics.
  
  The only prohibited Jewish practice that comes to mind right now is keeping Shabbos. But even then, you need to ask your rabbi, because Shabbos is a complex set of commandments, only some of which would be prohibited to gentiles.
  
  I applaud your decision to try and live life above and beyond your divine obligation. You might want to visit http://www.noahide.org/. It is a site run by Chabad/Lubavitch rabbis dedicated to teaching the 7 Noachide commandments. It's not going to teach you everything, but it's a good starting point on your journey.

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• D

  daniel -14 years ago

  thanks
  This is a great article and very relevant. I sent it to 6 people and used it for my shiur this week!
  Thanks
  

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• A

  Anonymous -14 years ago

  Fantastic Article
  Thank you very much for this fantastic article that explains the meaning of Kosher in such a deep way.

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• A

  Anonymous -14 years ago

  Great Joke...

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• R

  RS -14 years ago

  Noahides
  Google it
  it is still embryonic
  there is some help out there

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• D

  david -14 years ago

  question
  I have read your article How to Become a Kosher Human Being and here is a question. If the Jew eats a pork (split hooves) (G-d forbid) is he still able to distinguish
  between right and wrong and so on or not?
  
  Thank you
  David
  

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• BW

  Betty Weir -14 years ago

  We gentiles also want kosher
  Hi,
  We want to become Kosher Gentiles. I grew up not eating pork, shellfish, etc.
  and "church" is on Sabbath, not Sunday. Recently people said we need only to keep the Noahide laws or 7 laws of Noah.
  They said we could eat pork! (No Thank you!) and keep Sunday (No Thank you! I have 1 God only)
  Here is where I take them to task. If Noah could eat pork, then why did G-d tell him to only take two of the unclean animals and seven of the clean
  animals? Why do Noah's Ark pictures show all 2 by 2 when there should clearly be 7 cows, deer, etc.?
  So are there different rules for Gentiles? I know we do not have the real kosher stuff unless it says so on the package. But meats are bled out, etc. and certain fats are avoided.
  We eat chickens, turkeys, deer, cows, etc. and fish w/both fins and scales. Can you make a guideline for us gentiles? We want the ten commandments and do not want the pagan types of religion's
  rules.
  Because we are considered christians that do not want Sunday worship, christmas, easter, and all those pagan stuff in our lives, it is crazy to ask them how to keep them. They break the 1st
  commandment by worshipping more than the one God. YHWH. They do just what "Jesus"
  or Yeshua said not to do and say he is a god, too.
  They break the 4th commandment by forgetting
  to keep the Sabbath Holy.
  
  Please lend us crazy gentiles some help on this.
  
  Thank you!
  Betty Weir

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• DK

  Daniel Kaye -14 years ago

  Excellent Shiur!
  I am so happy that I overcame my Yetzer to hear the second half of your shiur even though it's from "Last week"... it was fantastic, profound, inspiring, I loved all the "Kabbala", poor frogs.. Yishar Koach! Keep it up! I wish I could afford to also sponsor a shiur and show real tangible appreciation! Kol Tuv, Daniel Kaye

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• M

  michal -14 years ago

  video keeps breaking up
  I enjoy R. Jacobson's shiurim, but I am frustrated with the video when it continually breaks up. At times, it stops about every 10 seconds. What can I do to stop this?

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• M

  Meira -14 years ago

  Answers to your Questions in Curriculum
  3. Questions and Exercises
  
  1. Do you like to drink? Why?
  
  א IN VINA VERITAS!
  
  2. Would you describe yourself as a tense person or as a relaxed person?
  
  No idea, but if I’m doing this homework, I may be not so badly relaxed.
  
  3. Is your tension coming from a healthy and productive place?
  
  As my honoured Rabbi from our Shule used to say, “There is no such thing as good without something bad, and there is nothing bad that don’t have something good”.
  
  4. What is the meaning of the note “marcha kefulah?” Why do five words get this note?
  
  I think marcha kefulah or “double note” is a type of prosodic form of nonverbal speech. It helps to express intense emotions and can be related to a speech of heart…
  
  Even monkeys have prosodic form of communication and from that point marcha kefulah is beyond structure of a language. That’s just an example to prove, that Torah, with all its structural order, is limitless as G-d himself. A short flight of thoughts after Rabbi Yosef Jacobson’s fascinating class, sorry if it sounds heretical:
  
  Usually we say that a child looks like his father, but sometimes a father looks like his kid. He can do it on purpose in order to show his kid’s mistakes (In case, when G-d said Moses: “It’s too much for you.” he wanted to elicit Moses’ speech to Korah.) But sometimes it doesn’t have any background; similarity is evident and hardly can be refer to projection or other sign of self-perception. Can G-d have emotions? Can we see his heart desire? If so, marcha kefulah might be a subtle evidence of his heart desire or preference that he craving to. In those double notes we might hear lamentations of G-d Himself?! He made opposite worlds and placed Chesed and Gevurah in foundation of each and strict laws and regulations how they can interconnect. And only few times through whole Torah He finds it difficult to restrain Himself of yearning and regrets that Heavens and Earth cannot touch each other straight, without “isolation precautions”, without being centered with Tifera.
  
  1. In parsha Toldos he gives us one of the best scenarios, when Gevurah of Isaak’s wine has to be mixed with Chesed of Abraham’s water to make this unity working. And we can hear in “brought HIM wine”, in this double note, how Almighty may regret that it was not Esau with his inherited trace of Gevurah (shortest way from Gevurah of Earth to Gevurah of Heavents) could achieve the goal.
  
  2. In parsha Shemos we might hear His lamination about Nadab and Abihu, when he says not to bring offerings that he did not commend. Can a caring father, watching his children playing dangerous games, restrain his emotions and say calmly… “Don’t touch electric cord when it is plugged in”?
  
  3. In parsha Mattos pain in double note make us to think about time and space limits that do not allow us touch Infinity everywhere and any time, but only when we have children, when we immerge ourselves in everyday life and be grounded with everyday struggle. “Nobah went and captured Kenath and her suburbs, and called it Nobah, after his name.” The double note here shows that victory cannot be endured with a single and straight wish to be close to G-d, though it may be very very strong. And here again G-d’s subtle cry overwhelms us…
  
  5. Is intoxication every good?
  
  Have to ask those numerous of gifted people who ended their lives in fire of addiction.
  
  What could help them, but G-d Himself? He made this double note of lamination only few times in whole Torah to express his own heart desire and yearning for unity Heavens and Earth.
  
  He might understand them better than any of us…
  
  

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• M

  mfh -14 years ago

  Yasher koach!
  Thang you so much for such an inspiring shiur week after week. It's my birthday today, so I give you a brachah for gezundt and nachos from all your children - bgashmius ubruchniyus,for haztlochah rabba in all you set your mind and heart to, and to go from strength to strength in all inyonim, and we should have the zchus to farbreng together with the Rebbe in the beis hamikdash haamiti, miyad mamash. mfh

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• יי

  יוסף יצחק -14 years ago

  הערה בכללות הענין
  

  
  
  מה שצ"ע בכ"ז:
  
  
  בלקוטי לוי"צ משמע שמרכא כפולה עצמו הוא החיבור דשני הסטרים וכדאיתא בזוהר, ואילו בהשיעור נתבאר שה"טעם" הזה עצמו ואופן נגינתו מורה על תשוקה ורצוא לצאת מהכלים?
  
  
  ומאידך לפי הביאור בזוהר ולקולוי"צ צ"ע מדוע ב"לא" ו"לה" יש מרכא כפולא שענינה התכללות?
  
  
  וצריך לומר שה"לא" וה"לה" הרפה שוללות המרכא כפולא, ההתכללות. אבל המשמעות כאן היא כפי שיחת מטו"מ תשל"ז ושיחת ש"פ מטו"מ תשמ"ו, שהכפל ענינו עבודת התשובה, כפליים לתושי', עבודה של רצוא, בלי שוב, יציאה מהכלים.
  
  
  ויל"ע בכל זה.

  
  
  

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• RYJ

  Rabbi YY Jacobson -14 years ago

  Answers to Yochanan Gordon
  1. Perhaps because the spies craved to remain in the spiritual desert rather than descend to the mundane world of “vessels” and limitations. And the Jewish people wanted to get out of the bondage of Egypt, representing the constraints of the world (metzarim.) But this is only a speculation and it requires a source.
  
  
  2. The very experience of a mitzvah represents that there is a the commander and the one being commanded to, though they become linked. They wanted complete oneness , where there is no need for a commandment, just as you don’t have command yourself to do what you want to do.
  
  
  3. Yes the name of “sag” is rooted in Binah, and is associated with the world of Tohu, the reality of chaos. This is stated clearly in Kabbalah and in Chassidus.

  Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

• YG

  Yochanan Gordon -14 years ago

  Questions
  This was a fascinating Shiur. Just a couple of questions which occurred to me duing the course of the shiur. One, How do the two instances of Mercha Kefula on the words "Tov" and "Ta'aseh apply to the theme of this Shiur? 2. Nadav and Avihu were attempting to touch the divine, to kiss God so to speak and therefor shunned a life of stifling commandments. However, it is known that the word mitzvah comes from the word Tzavsa V'chibbur which is to cleave to or attach. As God fearing as they were they should have realized that? 3. Novach is Gematria sixty corresponding to the sixty mighty men surrounding the bed of Shlomo Hamelech. This hints gto the fact that the number sixty is analogous to gevura. Novach including the Osios would be Gematria 63 would that correspond to the Shem Sag of Hashem as explained on Kabbala and Chassidus. We know that Chessed is Gematria 72 which applies to the verse in Tehillim Olam Chessed Yiboneh - perhaps Sag is the counterpart of Gevurah. I would appreciate your insight.

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• N

  Neshama -14 years ago

  Between Light and Vessel
  This is what Rabbi Jacobson does, he brings us synthesis. Thank you and G-d Bless you.

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• CD

  Cyrel D -14 years ago

  This was a truly facinating class. Thank you so much.

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• A

  Admin -14 years ago

  to Betty
  Class begins at 8:30pm EST

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• E

  Elki -14 years ago

  G-d's on my side
  I fought with my computer all day yesterday - it was totally frozen. Then I got a really scary message onscreen, "Boot Disk Error..."
  Not good news, but my first thought was, RABBI JACOBSON TOMORROW NIGHT. Lo and behold, I just got home from work to a user-friendly operating computer. Looking forward as always.

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• B

  Betty -14 years ago

  video
  Hello, I'm trying to watch the video. Now I signed in with my name and email. Maybe it will work now?

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• N

  Nechamah -14 years ago

  Amazing!
  Thank You!
  Rabbi Jacobson, (you should live and be well),
  
  Thank you so much for being such a lamplighter and such an amazing shaliach of our beloved Rebbe!
  
  Your words are pearls and diamonds and every week I look forward to hearing (and reading) your teachings!
  
  May Hashem continue to bless you with strength, health and an abundance of parnassa to be able to continue to inspire your fellow Yidden and help hasten the coming of our Righteous Moshiach!

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Class Parshas Matos

Rabbi YY Jacobson

• July 18, 2009
• |
• 26 Tamuz 5769
• |
• 4011 views

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