Soccer

I do not typically follow sports and neither the Torah nor science concentrate on sports to a great extent. Therefore, this next entry stands out as an outlier to my previous entries in that it deals with the sport of soccer, a sport in which one must employ great strategy and team work in order to achieve a few goals.

Soccer deconstructed

Why learn?
In the beginning, all there is, is energy potential. It is a world and a path. To learn is to investigate the world. Insight is to leave the physical behind. Upon leaving the physical what is left is the energy potential and energy achieved. All the physical is not yours.

Why Interact?
Energy in all its forms ends at the same place and that is a circle of energy. To interact is to leave the physical and develop the energy potential. One who concentrates on the energy potential of one develops none. By helping others, insight is gained and self energy potential is transformed to energy achieved.

At the end we have lots of unused energy potential and little energy achieved….few goals.

What is the big deal about the word Truth?

While I do not tend to be a big fan of nit picking arguments about prayers (the area typically left to the professionals) because Kavana (כוונה; intent with full body, soul and heart) is what matters at the end, I have had a nagging issue with the placement of a word meaning Truth (אמת). It all started two years ago on Pesach (Passover) when I discovered a Pesach siddur (prayer book) that dates back to 1907 Vilna, Poland (Nosach Sephrad), part of a three book holidays set. I thought it was providence or at least appropriate that I use the book at its 100 Anniversary. Just imagine the history the book witnessed since its publication a century ago. Of course being a curious person, I tried to observe differences between the old siddur versus the new siddur being used by the Sephardic Congregation at ABJ&D in West Orange, New Jersey. At this point of the request I need to add a disclaimer that I have not done a thorough and complete search on all the current siddurim (plural of siddur) being used by different Orthodox Jewish congregations and thus my request may not apply to you. I also, as you can see by my biography at the bottom of the blog, am not a professional rabbi and do not claim to know more than the great rabbis who established and edited the prayers we use, but in the spirit of “Why is this night different …?” I request a change in, a redo or just more Kavana.

As part of Sacharit (morning prayers), Arivit (evening prayers), etc. we say Shma Israel (שמע ישראל). This is followed by a third paragraph, in both Sacharit and Arvit. Please note the word Truth (אמת) at the end of the paragraph, ending with a period (.) and with a comma (,), at the end of the repeat by the Chazan (Cantor). This word is not in the original text of the Torah (bible):

Tanach - Numbers Chapter 15
37. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
38. Speak to the people of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a thread of blue;
39. And it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that you seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, which incline you to go astray;
40. That you may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.
41. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am the Lord your God.

Why was Truth (אמת) added at the end and where did it come from? The old siddur I used for comparison did not have this. It turns out that this word used to belong to the start of the paragraph that followed but was moved up to join this paragraph to, in part, be able to say:

ה' אלהיכם אמת

This translates to the Lord is the true G-d. This is in reference to, in part, a statement in the Torah (bible) by the prophet Jeremiah:

Tanach - Jeremiah Chapter 10
10. But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king; at his anger the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

This of course is not the only reason why the word was added to the end of a perfectly quoted text from the Torah (bible) and I am not here to debate the reasons and secrets behind the change. I think it makes good sense to make this change, if for no other reason, in order to reaffirm this statement. But, I am requesting that we not forget the original intent of the paragraphs that followed this paragraph in Sacharit and Arvit.

The word Truth (אמת) is an important part of these paragraphs and is significant. Let’s not make one “better” at the “detriment” of the other. I request/suggest that the next time you pray and come across this section that you add the word Truth (אמת) also to the paragraph that follows the modified Jeremiah paragraph. It never hurts to reaffirm and reemphasize the word Truth (אמת) in our prayers, body, soul and heart (Kavana : כוונה).

What to ask?

For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether there has been any such thing as this great thing is, or has been heard of? Deuteronomy Chapter 4:32

ספר דברים פרק ד לב

 כִּי שְׁאַל-נָא לְיָמִים רִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר-הָיוּ לְפָנֶיךָ לְמִן-הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם עַל-הָאָרֶץ וּלְמִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעַד-קְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם הֲנִהְיָה כַּדָּבָר הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה אוֹ הֲנִשְׁמַע כָּמֹהוּ



On Heaven and Earth: Garden of Eden; Pardes; Paradise

So the Jew, the Christian, the Muslim, the Buddhist …… and the non-believer die and go up in front of God and say now that we are here and know that there is something after death we are ready to go to Heaven. Why would God let us into Heaven when we could not take care of the Garden and Paradise he gave us here on Earth? Should he let us in to mar another Pardes? By not being able to live in harmony with and in control of God’s Creation on Earth we do not show the maturity to live and reach a higher level of existence.

On Seudah Shlishit and other meals

The other day I sat in at a Seudah Shlishit and since it is close to Rosh Hashanah (a Jewish New Year) the Rabbi discussed the question of whose responsibility it is to blow and hear the Shofar (horn). At the end of this insightful discussion on responsibilities, I noticed that lots of people who participated in the Seuda left food on the table to be discarded; some even left bread. It is important to recognize that it is God’s gift to give and maintain life through food. We should not instinctively or by habit throw away left over food. Every person has the responsibility to eat only the food that he/she needs to maintain life. If you have left over food you must first make your best effort to make sure the leftover food goes to the needy or other life (animals) and only if you cannot find a way to donate it in a way that maintains life, dispose of it by recycling. But on the matter of food you Bless, like the bread roll, you have the responsibility to make sure any left over food goes towards another of God’s Creation. So please take only what you need.

More on evolution and God's Creation

Evolution is just another insight into the workings of God's Creation.

" The theory of evolution (theory/science/law of development), that is currently being put forth and is conquering the world, accords with the secrets of Kabbalah, better than any other philosophical theories.
Evolution, which follows a path of ascent, provides the foundation for optimism in the world, because how can we despair when we see everything evolving and ascending. And when we penetrate the inner workings of the ascending evolution foundation, we find in it divinity illuminated in perfect clarity, because on purpose there is no end (Ein Sof) in the action, from the beginning [with creation] he brought forth into action that which has no end (Ein Sof) in power [potential]." Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, Orot haKodesh, 2:537.

Sciences and the Torah: The question of evolution?

Creationism vs. Evolution

In this entry I demonstrate how there is no conflict between the Bible's description of creation, as described in Genesis, and our understanding of evolution.