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Shabbos Chazon
Menachem Av 4, 5773 · July 11, 2013
Devarim - Shabbos Chazon
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Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
"Double Vision"
The Torah portion of Devarim is invariably read on the Shabbos that precedes the Ninth of Av, the day that commemorates the destruction of the first and second Beis HaMikdash. This Shabbos is known as Shabbos Chazon , because the first word of its Haftorah is chazon, "vision" - the calamitous vision beheld by the prophet Yeshayahu.
Conversely, the illustrious Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev explains1 that this Shabbos is known as Shabbos Chazon because on this day "every Jew is granted a vision from afar of the future Beis HaMikdash."
How are we to reconcile these seemingly opposite interpretations of the "vision" of Shabbos Chazon ?
Let us first mention a more general question regarding the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash:
The law states2 that it is forbidden to demolish even a small section of the Beis HaMikdash if it is done in a destructive manner. And surely it is forbidden to destroy the entire Beis HaMikdash.3
Since G-d is bound, as it were, by the same commandments that He gave the Jewish people,4 how could He have permitted the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, especially as this was done at His behest?5
If the Jewish people were not worthy of the Beis HaMikdash, He could simply have concealed it, as He did the Mishkan.6
The only time that destruction of a part of the Beis HaMikdash, or even a synagogue, is permitted is when the purpose is to rectify the structure and rebuild it in the same place.7
We must perforce say that the reason for the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash was in order to replace it with an even more splendid edifice. Thus we find in the Midrash8 that the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash was conditional on G-d rebuilding it, so that the very act of destruction was in fact a part of the rebuilding process.9
This leads to a wondrous conclusion regarding the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash, and surely with regard to the second:
The construction of the third Beis HaMikdash is not something that will begin in the Time to Come. Rather, it began immediately upon the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdash.
Herein lies the entire purpose of the Beis HaMikdash's destruction: G-d desired to "rectify" it. Rather than it being an edifice built by man, and as such unable to endure, He desired for it to be built by Himself, and thus able to endure forever.
The same is true with regard to exile in general and particularly this final exile. According to our senses, the Redemption begins a long time after the start of exile. In a deeper sense, however, it started with the beginning of exile.
For the entire purpose of exile is so that our service during that time10 may bring about the elevation that comes in the era of redemption. Therefore, the first moment of exile is an integral part of the subsequent redemption.11
In light of the above, the seeming contradiction in the two interpretations of Shabbos Chazon is resolved.
Within exile itself, even in the darkest moments (just prior to the Ninth of Av), one is able to perceive the future Beis HaMikdash. This enables a Jew to overcome the difficulties and darkness of exile, so that his divine service will be of the highest order. This in turn brings down the revelation of the Third Beis HaMikdash, so that the "vision" becomes incontrovertible - the actual speedy revelation of the Third Beis HaMikdash.
Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXIX, pp. 11-17.
The "Vision Thing"
The opening passage of Devarim is invariably read on the Shabbos that precedes the Ninth of Av, the fast that commemorates the destruction of the first and second Holy Temples. This Shabbos is known as Shabbos Chazon , because the first word of its Haftorah is chazon, ("vision").
The illustrious Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev explains that on this Shabbos, "every Jew is granted a vision from afar of the future Holy Temple."12
The connection between the Torah portion of Devarim and Shabbos Chazon will be understood accordingly.
Devarim , the first portion of the fifth Book of the Torah, is known as Mishnah Torah - the "repetition of the Torah." Although all five Books make up the one Torah, there is a difference between Mishnah Torah and the first four Books.13
The difference lies in the fact that Mishnah Torah was said to the generation that entered the Holy Land. It was therefore necessary to caution about certain things.
The generation that was in the desert was known as a "generation of knowledge";14 its members were of similar stature to their leader Moshe, and thus capable of "seeing" G-dliness.
This was not the case with the generation that entered the Holy Land. It was a generation involved with the physical. Its members thus lacked the ability to "see" G-dliness, and were only able to perceive it in a manner of "hearing." Thus Moshe said to them: "And now Israel hear.."15
The difference between seeing and hearing is16 that when one sees something, there is no doubt; nothing can convince a person that things are different from what he saw.
When one only hears about something, however, although one may understand and fully agree, one may change one's mind if confronted by a question or argument. This indicates that the thing that was heard entered the person in only a limited fashion.
Thus, Mishnah Torah , which was given to people who could only "hear" about G-dliness, speaks of self-sacrifice and the like - matters that didn't have to be addressed to the previous generation.
Although this second generation was of a lower spiritual stature than the first, it nevertheless possessed a merit that the first generation lacked. Thus we find concerning the first generation: "For you have not arrived until now to the place of tranquillity, the place of inheritance,"17 which refers to Shiloh and Jerusalem.18
The reason why the inferior generation was able to attain something denied the more superior generation lies in the fact that the very descent into occupation with material matters enabled its members to fulfill the divine intent represented by the Tabernacle in Shiloh and the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
The Shabbos of Devarim thus indicates a unification of two opposites: It is a state of great descent, but this descent leads to the ultimate ascent; this inferior generation was able to accomplish something that could not be achieved by the superior generation.
Shabbos Chazon also combines two opposite elements. On one hand, it is one of the "Nine Days," (and may even be - as it is this year - the Ninth of Av itself,) the day that commemorates the destruction of the Holy Temple.
Yet at the same time, it is specifically through this descent that we merit the coming of Moshiach and the third Holy Temple. And that is why on this day all Jews receive a vision, albeit from afar, of the third and most magnificent Holy Temple of all, the one that will speedily be built through our Righteous Moshiach.
Based on Likkutei Sichos , Vol. II, pp. 357-358.
FOOTNOTES
1. Quoted in Or HaTorah LeNach, Vol. II, p. 234.
2. Rambam Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 1:17. See also Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 6:7.
3. See Minyan HaMitzvos at the beginning of Yad HaChazakah , Mitzvas Lo Sa'aseh 65.
4. Shmos Rabbah 30:9. See also Yerushalmi, Rosh HaShanah 1:3; Berachos 6a.
5. See Yirmeyahu 25:9ff. See also ibid., 7:14, 32:3.
6. Sotah 9a.
7. See Kesef Mishneh on Rambam Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 1:17. See also Ramah, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim , conclusion of Section 152; Responsa of the Tzemach Tzedek, Orach Chayim 20:3.
8. Yalkut Shimoni Yirmeyahu, Remez 259.
9. See Mordechai, Megillah 4:862.
10. See Tanya, beginning of ch. 37.
11. See also Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XIX, p. 72ff.
12. Quoted in Reshimos HaTzemach Tzedek LeEichah , fn. to p. 45.
13. See Megillah 31b; Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar, p. 17c, and places cited there.
14. .Pessikta, Parshas Parah 14:9; Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar, p. 37b.
15. .Devarim 4:1, cf. Likkutei Torah beginning of Vaes'chanan.
16. See VeKachah 5637, ch. 33, et al.
17. .Devarim 12:9.
18. .Megillah 10a; Zevachim 119a; Yerushalmi, Megillah conclusion of ch. 1. See also Zohar , Vol. II, p. 241a, 242a.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Masking Holiness, Part II
Chapter 3, Mishna 15(b)
"Rabbi Elazar of Moda said: One who desecrates sacred objects, one who disgraces the festivals, one who shames his fellow in public, one who annuls the covenant of our forefather Abraham, or one who interprets the Torah not according to Jewish law -- even if he has Torah [study] and good deeds, he has no share in the World to Come."
Last week we discussed the five shortcomings listed in our mishna and the severity of each one. This week I would like to penetrate beneath the surface -- to examine the common thread running through these five concepts and the true significance of each. We will then hopefully begin to appreciate the justness of R. Elazar's condemnation.
In truth, there is a deep philosophical difficulty with our mishna. R. Elazar states that even if such a person has studied Torah and performed good deeds, he has no share in the World to Come. But where is the justice in this? What about all the good deeds this person *has* performed? No matter how terrible desecrating sacred Temple objects is, isn't it possible that this fellow's good deeds outweigh his evil? Isn't the 11th of Maimonides' 13 Principles of Faith that G-d rewards and punishes for each and every one of man's actions? If so, how can our mishna so unequivocally state that such a person receives no share of Eternity? Will his good deeds simply be cast aside, not even considered on the heavenly scales?
"Rabbi Elazar of Moda said: One who desecrates sacred objects, one who disgraces the festivals, one who shames his fellow in public, one who annuls the covenant of our forefather Abraham, or one who interprets the Torah not according to Jewish law -- even if he has Torah [study] and good deeds, he has no share in the World to Come."
Last week we discussed the five shortcomings listed in our mishna and the severity of each one. This week I would like to penetrate beneath the surface -- to examine the common thread running through these five concepts and the true significance of each. We will then hopefully begin to appreciate the justness of R. Elazar's condemnation.
In truth, there is a deep philosophical difficulty with our mishna. R. Elazar states that even if such a person has studied Torah and performed good deeds, he has no share in the World to Come. But where is the justice in this? What about all the good deeds this person *has* performed? No matter how terrible desecrating sacred Temple objects is, isn't it possible that this fellow's good deeds outweigh his evil? Isn't the 11th of Maimonides' 13 Principles of Faith that G-d rewards and punishes for each and every one of man's actions? If so, how can our mishna so unequivocally state that such a person receives no share of Eternity? Will his good deeds simply be cast aside, not even considered on the heavenly scales?
Friday, July 5, 2013
Thomas Paine the seminal mouthpiece of the founding fathers and the American Revolution
The founding fathers recognized as their seminal mouthpiece of ideology the corpus of the writings of Thomas Paine who epoused deism which can be described by the comments made below which I find accurate and an indicator of the beliefs of the founding fathers though not necesarily the common people of the period.
http://archive.org/details/age_reason_0910_librivox
He challenged the inerrancy of the bible, at a far distance of the true accounts of scripture as the life of Christ and his divinity7 as described in the NT are denied as "fabulous" and the fathers accepted for the most part this rendition. They are in no wise the "christians" they are claimed to be by the acsribed "fundamentalists of this present age and the evangelicals.
Note this is a thorough compilation of the soundbooks of The Age of Reason
The Age of Reason
The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology, a deistic treatise written by eighteenth-century British radical and American revolutionary Thomas Paine, critiques institutionalized religion and challenges the inerrancy of the Bible. Published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807, it was a bestseller in America, where it caused a short-lived deistic revival. British audiences, however, fearing increased political radicalism as a result of the French revolution, received it with more hostility. The Age of Reason presents common deistic arguments; for example, it highlights the corruption of the Christian Church and criticizes its efforts to acquire political power. Paine advocates reason in the place of revelation, leading him to reject miracles and to view the Bible as an ordinary piece of literature rather than as a divinely-inspired text. Yet, The Age of Reason is not atheistic: it promotes natural religion and argues for a creator-God. (Summary by Wikipedia)
http://archive.org/details/age_reason_0910_librivox
He challenged the inerrancy of the bible, at a far distance of the true accounts of scripture as the life of Christ and his divinity7 as described in the NT are denied as "fabulous" and the fathers accepted for the most part this rendition. They are in no wise the "christians" they are claimed to be by the acsribed "fundamentalists of this present age and the evangelicals.
Note this is a thorough compilation of the soundbooks of The Age of Reason
The Age of Reason
The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology, a deistic treatise written by eighteenth-century British radical and American revolutionary Thomas Paine, critiques institutionalized religion and challenges the inerrancy of the Bible. Published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807, it was a bestseller in America, where it caused a short-lived deistic revival. British audiences, however, fearing increased political radicalism as a result of the French revolution, received it with more hostility. The Age of Reason presents common deistic arguments; for example, it highlights the corruption of the Christian Church and criticizes its efforts to acquire political power. Paine advocates reason in the place of revelation, leading him to reject miracles and to view the Bible as an ordinary piece of literature rather than as a divinely-inspired text. Yet, The Age of Reason is not atheistic: it promotes natural religion and argues for a creator-God. (Summary by Wikipedia)
Chapter-V-On-the-Staircase From the writings of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2974/jewish/Chapter-V-On-the-Staircase.htm
From the writings of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch
Tractate Geihinom, Third Section
We proceeded along the right side of the gate to a dim corridor lit by small candles. I began, not merely to ask but to entreat, in the profoundest sense of the word, my guard to permit me to put on my tefillin. I also told him that it was difficult for me to walk quickly. His answer was a curt "no," and he warned me that if I persisted, he would place me in solitary confinement.
I persisted in my request, asking for five minutes, or at least three minutes. I explained to him that I was a religious Jew and that donning the tefillin would entail only a very brief interval. The guard was smoking a cigarette; he answered that he knew full well what tefillin were. He had lived in a small city not far from a synagogue, and he was familiar with Jewish worship, but he would not grant my wish.
We proceeded, he in front and I behind him. Realizing that he would not relent, I decided to put on my tefillin as I walked. I placed the tefillin on my hand, and barely managed to place them on my head, when the guard saw what I had done. He struck me and pushed me toward the left to the ladder leading downward, and I fell down all the ladder steps. It is only with G-d's aid that I did not break a hand or leg. With great effort I managed to climb a few rungs; my pain was great.
I realized that the metal buckle of my belt had broken and that it had apparently cut a gash against my stomach. My heart contracted with pain; I felt that in another instant I would faint.
My guard screamed at me, "You will soon see the fine treatment which will be granted to you by the head of the sixth division: then you will forget all about your requests and your prayer. When you lie three or four days in the darkness with the mice in slime and mud, you will understand that you cannot transform Spalerno into a Jewish prayer house."
We came now to a broad corridor, with three ladders remaining before the third platform, where the office of the head of the sixth division was located. There he would judge me for my infraction of prison regulations.
I felt compelled to sit on one of the rungs to rest, for I felt an intense pain and I sensed blood flowing from my wound. I found movement very difficult, and I tried to repress my pain.
I gripped the iron rail of the ladder and climbed with great difficulty from rung to rung. My guard had already reached the third ladder, and I crawled forward like a broken old man.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The head of the sixth division stood on the landing to welcome his "distinguished guest." It appeared that he had already received word from the central administration. It was impossible for me to tell if he had been told to be lenient or strict, for his face was expressionless, like stone.
"Prisoner 26818," called out the soldier, extending his documents to the head of the sixth division.
"Good, good," barked the official, "hand over the merchandise. It is tedious sitting here with folded hands." He looked down and saw that I had still to climb up the third flight. "Hurry up, old man, why the slowness?-time is precious!" I reached the landing with the tefillin in my hand.
"Proceed for the search," shouted the officer, taking his leave joyously, whistling a melody. As he walked a few steps, he called out a command: "Petia, take the merchandise yarlik 26818 and get to work," meaning that he should receive me from the accompanying guard and bring me to his room, the administrative room of the sixth division.
The man, or beast, called Petia emerged from one of the cubicles or holes at the top of the landing, and approached me. When he finally reached me, he scrutinized me closely and murmured to himself, "Astounding, the rags that they have begun to bring here. Words are useless. A real parasite, a Jew with a long beard. Proceed, old man, to the search! Don't worry; we will clean you out as you deserve. We'll pull you apart bone by bone."
This specimen, Petia, was in charge of storing the belongings of the yarliks brought to Spalerno.
Petia was not armed, nor did he carry any kind of weapon, but nevertheless he resembled a destructive demon. He was of average height, but his face was livid and his voice like a lion's. He was cross-eyed, and he was unable to look directly forward like a normal person.
Petia proceeded before me to show me the way, leading me to the office of the head of the sixth division
"Why do you limp?" Petia called out to me. "Has the Spalerno air affected you? Isn't the air good here? Like a scent, like fragrant scents. For parasites such as you we have such pleasant odors that prisoners on their very first day here collapse to the ground as though gripped by illness. They lie for two or three days in such a state, until the doctor comes. Sometimes he arrives late and all he needs to do is write the death certificate."
The wound made it difficult for me to walk. I needed to rest after every step. I felt the blood oozing, I was in intense pain, and my heart contracted within me.
"Why is your face so white," Petia asked, "Are you ill? After the search you can die. Things here are quiet. No one will disturb you, and no one in your family will know. The doctor will write a certificate for the office, the official will sign, an entry will be made in the office ledger. They will erase your file and throw your body into one of the dungeons below the building."
I cannot claim that his words did not affect me, yet I also considered what spiritual lesson could be derived from them.
All are fully aware of the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov that every utterance and breath, everything one hears and sees, contains guidance in the service of G-d.
Even one not endowed with superior intellect can easily understand how such words as Petia's can awaken a feeling of repentance, a feeling of fear of Heaven, a feeling of Divine Providence, a feeling of faith and trust. But even in such a situation the Evil Inclination can be found. There, too, Satan dances and tries to mislead with his guile and deception. Even in such circumstances, evil intervenes and tries to prevent an individual from being what he should be.
The pain overwhelmed me, and it was impossible for me to take another step. I rested for a moment.
"Why are you so slow?" he cried out, "Shall we bear you on a stretcher to the official for the search? Jew-face, cease your arrogance!"
"Petia!" the head of the sixth division called out, "where have you gotten lost? Where is prisoner 26818? Bring him immediately. I am waiting!"
"I am coming right away," Petia replied, and turning to me he said, "See, his patience has worn thin. The demon! A dog's carcass."
With G-d's help we reached the official's office, a small room approximately nine feet square, without a window, lit by candles, and with an iron door.
"Here he is," Petia said to the official, "This rag belongs to you; this is also merchandise? In a short while he will expire."
The official, hearing Petia's eloquence, smiled and with obvious delight responded, "What can be done, brother? If nothing else is available, this, too, will suffice. We cannot be without work."
"Very well, then," he said turning to me, "let us proceed with the search. What is it you have in your pocket?" He searched me briefly, finding nothing. He then looked through my bag and found the Rabbeinu Tam tefillin, the tefillin of Shimusha Rabbah, my gartel, and the books; he took them all. I was still holding my Rashi tefillin in my hand. He turned to Petia: "Return to your place. When I am through with the search, I will call for you."
Only one broken chair stood in that room, and I sat on it. The official continued with his search of my bag. I turned to him with a plea that he permit me to pray. "No," he answered, with intense rage. Since I was sitting behind him and held my Rashi tefillin in my hand, I did not wait a moment and placed them on my head and hand, recited the Shema, and commenced the silent prayer of Shemonah Esrei. At that very moment he concluded the task of searching and examining my belongings and turned to find me wrapped in tefillin. For a moment he stood astounded, gazing at me wide-eyed with eyes of bewilderment and panic; and at that moment he was transformed into a wild beast. The blood rushed to his face-with his two hands he grasped at my head tefillin, screaming, "Jew-face, I will place you in solitary confinement. I will pulverize your face, you demon!" As I concluded the blessing "And reign over us, You, G-d alone, with kindness and mercy," I was compelled to remove my tefillin for fear that he would tear the straps. "Petia!" called the official, roaring like a lion, and then he said, "I pity you, old man. Even if I do nothing, you will die quickly. Your white face and black lips tell us clearly that we will not be busy with you for long here. What is your disease? Tell me." I did not answer. I understood clearly that the single purpose of the officers and orderlies was to frighten and confuse the prisoners. They attempted to manipulate the prisoners the way a small child would play with cards. "So, what do you wish?" asked Petia angrily, his eyes to the floor. "Why do you ask? Don't you know what you need to do!" answered the official. "What? To remove the refuse? Has he been registered already?" "Not yet, I will shortly enter him into the large registry of the newly-arrived prisoners. Give him a number, then attach his file. Everything will be done according to rules and regulations". Petia said, "Why are you so preoccupied with this refuse? Hand him over to be taken out. It doesn't really matter. He won't last for long anyway. A day or two and then he will die." "No, things are not done in that way. Everything must be done strictly according to regulation. The file must be prepared properly and numbered in proper sequence. If he is ill, we will enter it in the necessary registry and send a certificate for the doctor. What is today, Wednesday? If I can manage to send it off today, then approximately by Saturday or at the latest, Monday, there will be a medical examination. Who knows? Perhaps before then he will be completely released from all his illnesses." "One puff of smoke from a gun barrel and it is done," commented Petia radiantly. The officer replied, "That is a decision reserved for the upper levels. If I receive an order to dispose of the merchandise, I will do just that. Petia, you are thoroughly aware of the procedure. You have a good deal of experience." Petia responded: "I know, I know full well. I love watching the prisoners quivering in their agony for two or three hours. There are, however, some who are so frail that when you lead them in, they walk like the dead. You just begin to remove their clothing and they die from fright; that's not satisfying. But when blood flows, its a pleasure to watch. We sometimes need to wait five or six hours till it's all over. Then, only then is it gladdening. It's delightful for me to see them then-it's sheer pleasure!" The officer commented: "I have already finished. Everything is prepared, file 26818. He should be taken to room 160, number four." Turning to me the official said, "Now, old man, your name is number 160/4. Go! Petia, receive number 160/4. Sign that you received 160/4, and that's it." Petia wrote and signed. The officer stood nearby, looking on with a proud air and beaming face, and concluded, "Good, everything is in order." Petia said to me, "Now you're all mine. Come, now you can rest. Take your belongings." I extended my hand to take the tefillin resting on the table because they were all tangled. Thank G-d, that the officer had not opened the boxes. I picked them up and arranged them properly. I hoped that perhaps I could have them with me in my cell. I pleaded with the officer that the tefillin be given to me because I had been promised them. The officer laughed and said, "Old man, forget everything. You must realize that you are a prisoner. Forget your nonsense. You will get nothing except what has already been given to you: your underwear, handkerchiefs, and nothing more." "If it really means so much to you," continued the officer, "then you can write to the higher officials: if the order will be forthcoming, I will give you everything you want." "Here," I said to the officer, "you are my officer. I have no need for superior officers in the higher echelons. I plead only with you to do this one act of mercy for me. Give me the tefillin and the religious books. My underwear, handkerchiefs and food are unnecessary." How remarkable is the effect of a humbled self and soft words, so great to soften even a heart of stone. For a brief instant it seemed that the officer had been transformed from a tyrant into a human being. He stood reflectively scratching his head. "Forbidden," Petia said, "it's forbidden. Stand and proceed! "Forbidden," repeated the official, "I cannot grant your request without authorization. If you wish, make a written request. Here is some paper; you may write." Sitting in the office, I had noticed a bulletin board with a page of printed prison regulations. It stated that every prisoner who had money entrusted to the prison administration could submit his request or communication by telegram. It was only necessary for him to state in writing that the expense for dispatching the telegram should be deducted from his money, which was in the custody of the prison authority. Invoking this privilege, I requested that I be allowed to communicate my plea by telegram. Petia petulantly protested that I could write it in my cell, for in a very short while he had to wake the prisoners. Nevertheless, the official granted my wish I wrote three telegrams, all with the identical text: I herewith request to immediately order the head of the sixth section to give me my tefillin. Religious Rabbi, Y. Schneersohn, Sixth Section, cell 160 I sent the telegrams to: 1) the chief prosecutor; 2) the chief administrator of Spalerno; 3) the investigator, Nachmanson. The prison official nodded his head after reading the telegrams and commented: "He has great aspirations-look how he writes to the chief prosecutor, the chief administrator and the investigator!" Then he burst out in loud, echoing laughter. I understood that I needed to ask for a receipt verifying his acceptance of the three telegrams, with the assurance that they would be immediately transmitted. Petia asked, "Are you finished? Have you calmed down already? Let us proceed." I, however, turned to the official and asked, "And where is the receipt for the telegrams?" "What receipt?" he replied. "The law states that an official must give written confirmation permitting, and then verifying, the transmission of a telegram," I answered calmly. My citing legal obligations compelled him to yield, and he immediately took a sheet of paper and wrote a receipt. He placed his seal upon it, then affixed his seal to each individual telegram and placed them in a large envelope, apparently used for collecting all documents and papers that were to be transmitted to the administrative office. Prior to my leaving the small room of the chief official of the sixth section, I asked him the time, and in his kind graciousness he permitted me to look at the watch on his left hand, which showed five minutes to six. Thus I had concluded Tractate Geihinom, Third Section. I walked beside Petia, who was cursing me and all humanity, trying to terrify me with mortal fear. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I did not take Petia's harsh words to heart but looked around at the huge structure of the Spalerno Prison. I marveled at the unusual skill of the architect of this remarkable edifice; it was built to provide for all prison matters. Moreover, there were special areas in which to oppress, persecute, torment, and torture human beings. Spalerno was a building within a building. An outer wall enclosed the entire area on all four sides, with dimensions of approximately 300 feet by 300 feet. The inner wall was like a square box, and within the wall there were cells with iron doors. Between the inner and outer walls extended a corridor some 18 feet wide, and there were large windows in the outer wall approximately 24 feet high. There were three levels within these 24 feet; a lower platform, above it a second, and above it a third platform. From the sides of the inner wall there extended a walkway somewhat more than four feet wide. Iron ladders led up to it, providing access to the rooms and cells. The space between the outer and inner walls on ground level was like an alley from which one could go up to the first walkway which provided access to the second floor and also to a ladder leading to the second walkway, which is the third floor of the prison. I proceeded on the walkway from the office of the head official to room 160. I did not know its exact location but followed Petia, who spoke continually, trying to frighten me with his many recollections, describing his great pleasure at witnessing the execution of rich people and clergymen. Once he waited for one of the executed to expire because it was his task to cast the cadavers of seven slain victims into one of the pits under the second dungeon in the subterranean section of the building. He had already disposed of them all, except for one who continued to shudder and "refused to die." He continued: "He was like you, pale and large in build. Though he was the fifth victim executed, he outlived them all. He kept twitching his hands and feet the whole time. "My comrade went to receive his payment. He was well rewarded for his labor, receiving 420 rubles (the payment for each execution was 60 rubles) and three bottles of vodka. My job was to bring them from the cell, prepare and separate them, and when it was all over, it was my responsibility to remove the corpses and clean the blood from the floor and walls of the room. "That prisoner had still not died and I decided to drink some tea. When I returned he was still quivering. It was so pleasurable for me to gaze upon this scene that I drank the tea without sugar! My patience finally ran out. I kicked him twice with my foot and he lay there lifeless. Blood began to flow from his throat and his color immediately changed to the black of a beetle." Although his words didn't frighten me, they nevertheless made a strong impression. I shuddered at his long, detailed story. "Actually, you should have been placed in a cell all by yourself," said Petia," for you are among those scheduled for execution. For those prisoners there is a special room for solitary confinement. But apparently all the rooms are full, so you were assigned cell 160. "Here is your room." He took a large key and unlocked the latch of one of the iron doors. Then he took another key which opened the lock within the door itself. When the door was ajar he told me to go in and lie down on the floor. Before I could enter, he grabbed me sadistically with both hands, threw me into the room, and flung my bag after me. This greatly intensified the suffering and pain from my earlier wound. He hastened to close the door, saying, "Sleep on the floor till the order comes to give you a bed, a container, a bowl, and spoon." I was disoriented and did not understand his references to the eating utensils. Petia closed the door and left. The room was 2½ archin wide, five archin long and 2½ archin high. The walls were of stone and one archin in thickness. The door was of iron. High on the wall close to the ceiling and facing the courtyard was an opening for a window. This opening was one archin in length by half an archin in width, covered by vertical iron bars and one horizontal iron bar, forming an intersecting barrier. The window was imbedded in an iron frame; the glass itself was only a handbreadth by a handbreadth. Three thick iron chains, one on each side and the third in the middle extending from above, made it possible to open the window by suspending it on these iron chains. On the outside, an extended iron railing blocked the prisoners' view of the outside and prevented them from communicating with prisoners in the cells across the courtyard. The room contained an iron bed fastened to the wall and an iron table, approximately three feet square, also fastened to the wall, and a water faucet. In a corner of the room there was a hollow vessel for the hygiene needs of the prisoner, an electric light, and a hot water pipe passing through the cell to provide warmth. This cell was normally for one prisoner, but with the increased number of prisoners, two, three, and even four prisoners were placed in such rooms. The thickness of the cell door was approximately the size of a handbreadth, but I could not discern if the door was totally made of iron or merely iron-plated on both sides. The door was approximately six feet high and and three feet wide. There was a small opening the size of an egg in the middle of the door with an iron cover, to enable the guard to scrutinize and supervise the actions of the prisoners in the cell at any time. Approximately ten inches below this opening, there was a small square window through which the prisoners received food and drink. This window in the iron door was shut, locked with a latch. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Korczak
This film examines the life of renowned pediatrician, writer and teacher Henryk Goldzmit, who wrote under the name Janusz Korczak. As the Nazis invade Poland, Korczak does everything in his power to protect children from a dire fate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korczak_(film)
Reception[edit]
The epic was bitterly attacked during its Festival screening by some political commentators in France, notably, by virulently anti-Polish Claude Lanzmann, who would prefer to see the Poles being portrayed as the villains. Yet, among its strongest defendants was Marek Edelman, the Polish Jew who survived the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Wajda himself, saw the idea of showing the children being led into the Treblinka gas chambers as repulsing.[2][3]
Monument in Warsaw Directed by Andrzej Wajda
Early life[edit]Wajda was born in Suwałki, Poland, the son of Aniela (née Biaxowas), a school teacher, and Jakub Wajda, an army officer.[3] Wajda' father was murdered by the Soviets in 1940 in what came to be known as the Katyn massacre. In 1942 he joined the Polish resistance and served in the Armia Krajowa. After the war, he studied to be a painter at Kraków's Academy of Fine Arts before entering the Łódź Film School.
Andrzej Wajda (Polish: [ˈandʐɛj ˈvajda]; born 6 March 1926) is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School" (active c. 1955 to 1963). He is known especially for a trilogy of war films: A Generation (1954), Kanał (1956) and Ashes and Diamonds (1958).
Four of his films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film: The Promised Land (1975),[1] The Maids of Wilko (1979),[2] Man of Iron (1981), and Katyń (2007).
Career[edit]After Wajda's apprenticeship to director Aleksander Ford, Wajda was given the opportunity to direct his own film. With A Generation (1955), the first-time director poured out his disillusionment over jingoism, using as his alter ego a young, James Dean-style antihero played by Zbigniew Cybulski, 22-year-old Roman Polanski also featured. At the same time Andrzej Wajda began his work as a director in theatre, including such as Michael V. Gazzo's A Hatful of Rain (1959), Hamlet (1960), and Two for the Seesaw (1963) by William Gibson. Wajda made two more increasingly accomplished films, which developed further the anti-war theme of A Generation: Kanał (1956) [Silver Palm at Cannes Festival in 1957, ex equo with Bergman's The Seventh Seal and Ashes and Diamonds (1958), again with Cybulski.
While capable of turning out mainstream commercial fare (often dismissed as "trivial" by his critics), Wajda was more interested in works of allegory and symbolism, and certain symbols (such as setting fire to a glass of liquor, representing the flame of youthful idealism that was extinguished by the war) recur often in his films, the very characteristic of Wajda's symbolism is film Lotna (1959), full of surrealistic and symbolic scenes and shots but he managed to explore some other field of existence making new wave style Innocent Sorcerers (1960) with music by Krzysztof Komeda, starring Roman Polanski and Jerzy Skolimowski (who was also a co-script writer) in the episodes. Then Wajda directed Samson (1961), a moving story about Jacob, a Jewish boy, who wants to survive during the Nazi occupation of Poland. In the mid-1960s Wajda showed the world an epic film The Ashes (1965) based on the novel by Polish writer Stefan Żeromski and directed some films abroad: Love at Twenty (1962), Siberian Lady Macbeth (1962) or Gates To Paradise (1968).
In 1967, Cybulski was killed in a train accident, whereupon the director articulated his grief with what is considered one of his most personal films, which turned out to be a touching story (using technique "film in film") about film maker's life and work on movie Everything for Sale (1968) which is now established and regarded as one of the few films on that subject along with Federico Fellini's "8½". The following year he directed an ironic satire Hunting Flies with the script written by Janusz Głowacki and a television film based upon Stanisław Lem's short story "Roly Poly".
The 1970s were the most lucrative artistic period for Wajda, who made over ten films, some of which were among his finest works: Landscape After the Battle (1970), Pilate And Others (1971), The Wedding (1972) - the film version of Polish most famous poetic drama by Stanisław Wyspiański, The Promised Land (1974), Man of Marble (1976) - the film takes place in two time periods, the first film showing the episodes of Stalinism in Poland, The Shadow Line (1976), Rough Treatment (the other title: Without Anesthesia) (1978), The Orchestra Conductor (1980), starring John Gielgud; or two, very touching, psychological and existential films based upon novels by Polish famous writer Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz - The Birch Wood (1970) and The Maids of Wilko (1979). The Birch Wood was entered into the 7th Moscow International Film Festival where Wajda won the Golden Prize for Direction.[4]
Wajda continued to work in theatre where he has made his best spectacles, including Play Strindberg, Dostoyevsky's The Possessed and Nastasja Filippovna - the Wajda's version of The Idiot, November Night by Wyspiański, The Immigrants by Sławomir Mrożek, The Danton Affair or The Dreams of Reason.
Wajda's later commitment to Poland's burgeoning Solidarity movement was manifested in Man of Iron (1981), a thematic sequel to The Man of Marble, with Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa appearing as himself in the latter film. The film sequence is loosely based on the life of Anna Walentynowicz, a hero of socialist labor [Stahanovite] turned dissident and alludes to events from real life, such as the recreation in Man of Iron of the firing of Anna Walentynowicz from the shipyard and the underground wedding of Bogdan Borusewicz to Alina Pienkowska.[5] The director's involvement in this movement would prompt the Polish government to force Wajda's production company out of business. For the film, Wajda won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1983 he directed Danton, starring Gérard Depardieu in the title role, a film set in 1794 (Year Two) dealing with the Post-Revolutionary Terror. Wajda showed how easy revolution can change into terror and starts to "eat its own children". But the film should also be seen in its historical context against the backdrop of the martial law in Poland, which can be referred to as its "Polish ambience."[6] For this film Wajda was honoured by receiving the very prestigious Louis Delluc Award, he also gained a couple of Cesar Awards. In the 1980s he also made some important films like A Love in Germany (1983) featuring Hanna Schygulla, The Chronicle of Amorous Incidents (1986) an adaptation of Tadeusz Konwicki's novel and The Possessed (1988) based on Dostoyevsky's novel, in which it is shown how terrorism begins. In theatre he prepared a very famous interpretation of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment (1984) and other unique spectacles such as Antygone, his sequential Hamlet versions or an old Jewish play The Dybbuk.
Since 1989
[edit]In 1990 Andrzej Wajda was honoured as the third director, after Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman by Felix[disambiguation needed] - European Film Award for his lifetime achievement. In the early 1990s, he was elected a senator and also appointed artistic director of Warsaw's Teatr Powszechny. He continued to make films set during World War II, including Korczak (1990), a story about a Jewish-Polish doctor who takes care of orphan children, in The Crowned-Eagle Ring (1993) and Holy Week (1995) specifically on Jewish-Polish relations. In 1994 Wajda presented his own film version of Dostoyevsky's novel The Idiot in the movie Nastasja,starring Japanese actor Tamasoburo Bando in double role of Prince Mishkin and Nasstasya, the film was beautifully photographed by Pawel Edelman, who became one of Wajda's great co-workers since that time. In 1996 the director went in a different direction with Miss Nobody, a coming-of-age drama that explored the darker and more spiritual aspects of a relationship between three high-school girls. In 1999 Wajda presented a great epic film Pan Tadeusz, based on the art of the Polish 19th-century romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz.
A year later, at the 2000 Academy Awards, Wajda was presented with an honorary Oscar for his contribution to world cinema; he subsequently donated the award to Kraków's Jagiellonian University.
In 2002 Wajda directed the comedy Revenge, a film version of his 1980s theatre production, with Roman Polanski in one of the main roles. In February 2006, Wajda received an honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlin International Film Festival. In 2007 Katyń was released, a well received film about the Katyn massacre, in which Wajda's father was murdered but the director also shows the dramatic situation of those who await for their relatives (mothers, wives and children). The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2008. Wajda followed it with Tatarak (Sweet Rush - 2009) with Krystyna Janda as a main character. It is partly based upon Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz short novel, there is also very important fragment taken from Janda's private life. Sweet Rush turns to be a sort of deep, calm and melancholic meditation about death and love. The film is dedicated to Edward Kłosiński, Janda's husband, a cinematographer and a long-time Andrzej Wajda's friend and co-worker who died of cancer the same year. For this film Andrzej Wajda was awarded by Alfred Bauer Prize at The Berlin Film Festival in 2009, recently he also got critics prize - Prix FIPRESCI during European Film Awards Ceremony. Currently Wajda is working on his latest film which would be the biography of Lech Wałęsa and the script has been written by Janusz Głowacki.
Andrzej Wajda has founded The Japanese Centre of Art and Technology "Manggha" in Krakow/Cracow (1994) and has also founded (2002) (along with great Polish film maker Wojciech Marczewski) and leads his own film school [1] in which students take part in different film courses led by famous European film makers.
Analysis[edit]A major figure of world and European cinema after World War II, Wajda made his reputation as a sensitive and uncompromising chronicler of his country's political and social evolution. Once dubbed a symbol for a besieged country, Wajda is known for drawing from Poland's history to suit his tragic sensibility—crafting an oeuvre of work that devastates even as it informs.
Andrzej Wajda's films have a strong visual side, he sometimes made his own versions of Polish and European paintings and he also thinks by the images. He tries to give the right mood and atmosphere of times in which he sets the action and he refers to the paintings of that time as well. He has worked with Polish cinematographers such as Jerzy Lipman, Jerzy Wójcik, Witold Sobociński, Edward Kłosiński, Zygmunt Samosiuk, Sławomir Idziak or Paweł Edelman, he also cooperated with Igor Luther or Robby Muller.
Filmography[edit]
The Bad Boy (Zły chłopiec, 1951)- short film
The Pottery at Ilza (Ceramika ilzecka, 1951) -short film
While you are sleeping (Kiedy ty śpisz, 1953) -short film
A Generation (Pokolenie, 1954)
Towards the Sun (Idę do słońca, documentary on Xawery Dunikowski, 1955)
Kanal (1956)
Ashes and Diamonds (Popiół i diament 1958)
Lotna (1959)
Innocent Sorcerers (Niewinni czarodzieje, 1960)
Siberian Lady Macbeth (Powiatowa lady Makbet, 1961)
Samson (1961)
Love at Twenty (L'amour à vingt ans, 1962)
The Ashes (Popioly, 1965)
Everything for Sale (Wszystko na sprzedaż, 1968)
Roly Poly (Przekładaniec, 1968)
Gates to Paradise (Bramy Raju, 1968)
Hunting Flies (Polowanie na muchy, 1969)
The Birch Wood (Brzezina, 1970)
Landscape After the Battle (Krajobraz po bitwie, 1970)
Pilate and Others (Pilatus und andere, 1972)
The Wedding (Wesele, 1973)
The Promised Land (Ziemia obiecana, 1974)
The Shadow Line (Smuga cienia, 1976)
Man of Marble (Człowiek z marmuru, 1977)
Without Anesthesia aka Rough Treatment (Bez znieczulenia, 1978)
The Maids of Wilko (Panny z Wilka, 1979)
As years go by, as days go by ("Z biegiem lat, z biegiem dni", 1980 television serial.)
The Orchestra Conductor (Dyrygent, 1980)
Man of Iron (Człowiek z żelaza, 1981)
Danton (1983)
A Love in Germany (Eine Liebe in Deutschland, 1983)
A Chronicle of Amorous Accidents (Kronika wypadków miłosnych, 1985)
The French as seen by... (Proust contre la déchéance, 1988)
The Possessed (Les possédes, 1988)
Korczak (1990)
The Crowned-Eagle Ring (Pierścionek z orłem w koronie, 1992)
Nastasja (1994)
Holy Week (Wielki Tydzień, 1995)
Miss Nobody (Panna Nikt, 1996)
Pan Tadeusz (1999)
Bigda idzie (TV theatre "Bigda idzie!"; 1999)
The Condemnation of Franciszek Klos (Wyrok na Franciszka Kłosa, 2000)
June night ("Noc czerwcowa" -TV theatre, 2001)
Broken Silence (Przerwane milczenie, 2002)
The Revenge (Zemsta, 2002)
Man of Hope (Czlowiek z nadziei) (2005)
Katyń (2007)
Sweet Rush (Tatarak) (2009)
Wałęsa (2012)
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/14/movies/film-wajda-s-korczak-sets-loose-the-furies.html
FILM; Wajda's 'Korczak' Sets Loose the Furies
By STEPHEN ENGELBERG
Published: April 14, 1991
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In the closing shot of Andrzej Wajda's new film, "Korczak," a cattle car crammed with Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto rumbles toward the Treblinka concentration camp. Suddenly the action shifts to slow motion, and the car uncouples from the train as if touched by an unseen hand. Its doors slide open, and the children spill happy and laughing into a verdant field.
The film, which opened Friday in New York, recounts the life and death of Janusz Korczak (pronounced YAN-oosh KOR-chak), a Jewish teacher, doctor and writer who struggled in vain to save 200 children living in his orphanage in the Warsaw ghetto.
Its concluding 30 seconds of fantasy have become the focal point of a bitter assault on the movie by French critics, some of whom viewed it as an attempt by Poles to throw a rosy wash over their own complicity, or indifference, to the genocide of Jews. By contrast, Israeli critics praised the ending as a symbol of hope, and Mr. Wajda (pronounced VIE-da) said the country's Ministry of Education had added the film to the required school curriculum.
Numbered among its vigorous detractors are Claude Lanzmann, director of "Shoah," the epic 1985 documentary on the Holocaust; its defenders include Marek Edelman, the Polish Jew who is the only surviving leader of the 1944 Warsaw ghetto uprising.
Mr. Wajda, who earned his reputation as the best known of Poland's film makers with a series of movies that challenged the Communist regime, is a grandfatherly man with a shock of white hair. The 65-year-old Mr. Wajda said he had no intention of obscuring the historical fact, noted in the film's postscript, that Dr. Korczak and the children died in the gas chambers of Treblinka in 1942.
Mr. Wajda argued that movie makers have a duty to leave their audience with something more. He said he never considered ending the film with its penultimate shot, which shows the train speeding away from Warsaw toward the concentration camp.
"Such an ending would have said to me that all these endeavors of Dr. Korczak were sunk in a black hole; that pedagogy in the face of force has no sense; that no efforts of man can reverse the fact that he is dying so accidentally. This would be an awful, existentialist point of view.
"There would have been nothing easier than showing the death of the children in the gas chamber," Mr. Wajda. "It would have been a very moving scene. Everyone would have been crying. But do we have the right, does art have the right to show this? Is art for this?
"Isn't art for telling it in some different way? Art has to stop short of certain facts, has to look for other possibilities. It seems to me that it is beautiful that when we do not agree to the fact that the children were gassed, we create a legend that these children go somewhere, into some better world."
Mr. Wajda, who has previously benefited from largely sympathetic coverage by the world press, seems startled to be so much on the defensive. The movie was not a commercial success in Poland.
One of the most prominent intellectuals to support the Solidarity movement, he is widely regarded as the leading director working today in Polish cinema. For decades, he stretched the Communist-run film system to its limits, defying explicit censorship and implicit constraints of Government financing to produce movies that defined the nation's political consciousness.
Produced by Janusz Morgenstern
Daniel Toscan du Plantier
Regina Ziegler
Written by Agnieszka Holland
Starring Wojciech Pszoniak
Ewa Dalkowska
Music by Wojciech Kilar
Cinematography Robby Müller
Editing by Ewa Smal
Release date(s) 6 Mai 1990
Running time 113 minutes
Country Poland
Germany
Language Polish
This DVD was released in the US by Kino Lorber on 14 August 2012. Hailed by the likes of Steven Spielberg as one of the most important European films about the Holocaust it should have been available by this company on Day One. Unfortunately for us, this company is no longer interested in cinema. ...read more They care about streaming TV shows (they're easy and cheap) and no longer are the company they once were.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korczak_(film)
The epic was bitterly attacked during its Festival screening by some political commentators in France, notably, by virulently anti-Polish Claude Lanzmann, who would prefer to see the Poles being portrayed as the villains. Yet, among its strongest defendants was Marek Edelman, the Polish Jew who survived the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Wajda himself, saw the idea of showing the children being led into the Treblinka gas chambers as repulsing.[2][3]
Monument in Warsaw Directed by Andrzej Wajda
Early life[edit]Wajda was born in Suwałki, Poland, the son of Aniela (née Biaxowas), a school teacher, and Jakub Wajda, an army officer.[3] Wajda' father was murdered by the Soviets in 1940 in what came to be known as the Katyn massacre. In 1942 he joined the Polish resistance and served in the Armia Krajowa. After the war, he studied to be a painter at Kraków's Academy of Fine Arts before entering the Łódź Film School.
Andrzej Wajda (Polish: [ˈandʐɛj ˈvajda]; born 6 March 1926) is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School" (active c. 1955 to 1963). He is known especially for a trilogy of war films: A Generation (1954), Kanał (1956) and Ashes and Diamonds (1958).
Four of his films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film: The Promised Land (1975),[1] The Maids of Wilko (1979),[2] Man of Iron (1981), and Katyń (2007).
Career[edit]After Wajda's apprenticeship to director Aleksander Ford, Wajda was given the opportunity to direct his own film. With A Generation (1955), the first-time director poured out his disillusionment over jingoism, using as his alter ego a young, James Dean-style antihero played by Zbigniew Cybulski, 22-year-old Roman Polanski also featured. At the same time Andrzej Wajda began his work as a director in theatre, including such as Michael V. Gazzo's A Hatful of Rain (1959), Hamlet (1960), and Two for the Seesaw (1963) by William Gibson. Wajda made two more increasingly accomplished films, which developed further the anti-war theme of A Generation: Kanał (1956) [Silver Palm at Cannes Festival in 1957, ex equo with Bergman's The Seventh Seal and Ashes and Diamonds (1958), again with Cybulski.
While capable of turning out mainstream commercial fare (often dismissed as "trivial" by his critics), Wajda was more interested in works of allegory and symbolism, and certain symbols (such as setting fire to a glass of liquor, representing the flame of youthful idealism that was extinguished by the war) recur often in his films, the very characteristic of Wajda's symbolism is film Lotna (1959), full of surrealistic and symbolic scenes and shots but he managed to explore some other field of existence making new wave style Innocent Sorcerers (1960) with music by Krzysztof Komeda, starring Roman Polanski and Jerzy Skolimowski (who was also a co-script writer) in the episodes. Then Wajda directed Samson (1961), a moving story about Jacob, a Jewish boy, who wants to survive during the Nazi occupation of Poland. In the mid-1960s Wajda showed the world an epic film The Ashes (1965) based on the novel by Polish writer Stefan Żeromski and directed some films abroad: Love at Twenty (1962), Siberian Lady Macbeth (1962) or Gates To Paradise (1968).
In 1967, Cybulski was killed in a train accident, whereupon the director articulated his grief with what is considered one of his most personal films, which turned out to be a touching story (using technique "film in film") about film maker's life and work on movie Everything for Sale (1968) which is now established and regarded as one of the few films on that subject along with Federico Fellini's "8½". The following year he directed an ironic satire Hunting Flies with the script written by Janusz Głowacki and a television film based upon Stanisław Lem's short story "Roly Poly".
The 1970s were the most lucrative artistic period for Wajda, who made over ten films, some of which were among his finest works: Landscape After the Battle (1970), Pilate And Others (1971), The Wedding (1972) - the film version of Polish most famous poetic drama by Stanisław Wyspiański, The Promised Land (1974), Man of Marble (1976) - the film takes place in two time periods, the first film showing the episodes of Stalinism in Poland, The Shadow Line (1976), Rough Treatment (the other title: Without Anesthesia) (1978), The Orchestra Conductor (1980), starring John Gielgud; or two, very touching, psychological and existential films based upon novels by Polish famous writer Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz - The Birch Wood (1970) and The Maids of Wilko (1979). The Birch Wood was entered into the 7th Moscow International Film Festival where Wajda won the Golden Prize for Direction.[4]
Wajda continued to work in theatre where he has made his best spectacles, including Play Strindberg, Dostoyevsky's The Possessed and Nastasja Filippovna - the Wajda's version of The Idiot, November Night by Wyspiański, The Immigrants by Sławomir Mrożek, The Danton Affair or The Dreams of Reason.
Wajda's later commitment to Poland's burgeoning Solidarity movement was manifested in Man of Iron (1981), a thematic sequel to The Man of Marble, with Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa appearing as himself in the latter film. The film sequence is loosely based on the life of Anna Walentynowicz, a hero of socialist labor [Stahanovite] turned dissident and alludes to events from real life, such as the recreation in Man of Iron of the firing of Anna Walentynowicz from the shipyard and the underground wedding of Bogdan Borusewicz to Alina Pienkowska.[5] The director's involvement in this movement would prompt the Polish government to force Wajda's production company out of business. For the film, Wajda won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1983 he directed Danton, starring Gérard Depardieu in the title role, a film set in 1794 (Year Two) dealing with the Post-Revolutionary Terror. Wajda showed how easy revolution can change into terror and starts to "eat its own children". But the film should also be seen in its historical context against the backdrop of the martial law in Poland, which can be referred to as its "Polish ambience."[6] For this film Wajda was honoured by receiving the very prestigious Louis Delluc Award, he also gained a couple of Cesar Awards. In the 1980s he also made some important films like A Love in Germany (1983) featuring Hanna Schygulla, The Chronicle of Amorous Incidents (1986) an adaptation of Tadeusz Konwicki's novel and The Possessed (1988) based on Dostoyevsky's novel, in which it is shown how terrorism begins. In theatre he prepared a very famous interpretation of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment (1984) and other unique spectacles such as Antygone, his sequential Hamlet versions or an old Jewish play The Dybbuk.
Since 1989
[edit]In 1990 Andrzej Wajda was honoured as the third director, after Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman by Felix[disambiguation needed] - European Film Award for his lifetime achievement. In the early 1990s, he was elected a senator and also appointed artistic director of Warsaw's Teatr Powszechny. He continued to make films set during World War II, including Korczak (1990), a story about a Jewish-Polish doctor who takes care of orphan children, in The Crowned-Eagle Ring (1993) and Holy Week (1995) specifically on Jewish-Polish relations. In 1994 Wajda presented his own film version of Dostoyevsky's novel The Idiot in the movie Nastasja,starring Japanese actor Tamasoburo Bando in double role of Prince Mishkin and Nasstasya, the film was beautifully photographed by Pawel Edelman, who became one of Wajda's great co-workers since that time. In 1996 the director went in a different direction with Miss Nobody, a coming-of-age drama that explored the darker and more spiritual aspects of a relationship between three high-school girls. In 1999 Wajda presented a great epic film Pan Tadeusz, based on the art of the Polish 19th-century romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz.
A year later, at the 2000 Academy Awards, Wajda was presented with an honorary Oscar for his contribution to world cinema; he subsequently donated the award to Kraków's Jagiellonian University.
In 2002 Wajda directed the comedy Revenge, a film version of his 1980s theatre production, with Roman Polanski in one of the main roles. In February 2006, Wajda received an honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlin International Film Festival. In 2007 Katyń was released, a well received film about the Katyn massacre, in which Wajda's father was murdered but the director also shows the dramatic situation of those who await for their relatives (mothers, wives and children). The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2008. Wajda followed it with Tatarak (Sweet Rush - 2009) with Krystyna Janda as a main character. It is partly based upon Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz short novel, there is also very important fragment taken from Janda's private life. Sweet Rush turns to be a sort of deep, calm and melancholic meditation about death and love. The film is dedicated to Edward Kłosiński, Janda's husband, a cinematographer and a long-time Andrzej Wajda's friend and co-worker who died of cancer the same year. For this film Andrzej Wajda was awarded by Alfred Bauer Prize at The Berlin Film Festival in 2009, recently he also got critics prize - Prix FIPRESCI during European Film Awards Ceremony. Currently Wajda is working on his latest film which would be the biography of Lech Wałęsa and the script has been written by Janusz Głowacki.
Andrzej Wajda has founded The Japanese Centre of Art and Technology "Manggha" in Krakow/Cracow (1994) and has also founded (2002) (along with great Polish film maker Wojciech Marczewski) and leads his own film school [1] in which students take part in different film courses led by famous European film makers.
Analysis[edit]A major figure of world and European cinema after World War II, Wajda made his reputation as a sensitive and uncompromising chronicler of his country's political and social evolution. Once dubbed a symbol for a besieged country, Wajda is known for drawing from Poland's history to suit his tragic sensibility—crafting an oeuvre of work that devastates even as it informs.
Andrzej Wajda's films have a strong visual side, he sometimes made his own versions of Polish and European paintings and he also thinks by the images. He tries to give the right mood and atmosphere of times in which he sets the action and he refers to the paintings of that time as well. He has worked with Polish cinematographers such as Jerzy Lipman, Jerzy Wójcik, Witold Sobociński, Edward Kłosiński, Zygmunt Samosiuk, Sławomir Idziak or Paweł Edelman, he also cooperated with Igor Luther or Robby Muller.
Filmography[edit]
The Bad Boy (Zły chłopiec, 1951)- short film
The Pottery at Ilza (Ceramika ilzecka, 1951) -short film
While you are sleeping (Kiedy ty śpisz, 1953) -short film
A Generation (Pokolenie, 1954)
Towards the Sun (Idę do słońca, documentary on Xawery Dunikowski, 1955)
Kanal (1956)
Ashes and Diamonds (Popiół i diament 1958)
Lotna (1959)
Innocent Sorcerers (Niewinni czarodzieje, 1960)
Siberian Lady Macbeth (Powiatowa lady Makbet, 1961)
Samson (1961)
Love at Twenty (L'amour à vingt ans, 1962)
The Ashes (Popioly, 1965)
Everything for Sale (Wszystko na sprzedaż, 1968)
Roly Poly (Przekładaniec, 1968)
Gates to Paradise (Bramy Raju, 1968)
Hunting Flies (Polowanie na muchy, 1969)
The Birch Wood (Brzezina, 1970)
Landscape After the Battle (Krajobraz po bitwie, 1970)
Pilate and Others (Pilatus und andere, 1972)
The Wedding (Wesele, 1973)
The Promised Land (Ziemia obiecana, 1974)
The Shadow Line (Smuga cienia, 1976)
Man of Marble (Człowiek z marmuru, 1977)
Without Anesthesia aka Rough Treatment (Bez znieczulenia, 1978)
The Maids of Wilko (Panny z Wilka, 1979)
As years go by, as days go by ("Z biegiem lat, z biegiem dni", 1980 television serial.)
The Orchestra Conductor (Dyrygent, 1980)
Man of Iron (Człowiek z żelaza, 1981)
Danton (1983)
A Love in Germany (Eine Liebe in Deutschland, 1983)
A Chronicle of Amorous Accidents (Kronika wypadków miłosnych, 1985)
The French as seen by... (Proust contre la déchéance, 1988)
The Possessed (Les possédes, 1988)
Korczak (1990)
The Crowned-Eagle Ring (Pierścionek z orłem w koronie, 1992)
Nastasja (1994)
Holy Week (Wielki Tydzień, 1995)
Miss Nobody (Panna Nikt, 1996)
Pan Tadeusz (1999)
Bigda idzie (TV theatre "Bigda idzie!"; 1999)
The Condemnation of Franciszek Klos (Wyrok na Franciszka Kłosa, 2000)
June night ("Noc czerwcowa" -TV theatre, 2001)
Broken Silence (Przerwane milczenie, 2002)
The Revenge (Zemsta, 2002)
Man of Hope (Czlowiek z nadziei) (2005)
Katyń (2007)
Sweet Rush (Tatarak) (2009)
Wałęsa (2012)
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/14/movies/film-wajda-s-korczak-sets-loose-the-furies.html
FILM; Wajda's 'Korczak' Sets Loose the Furies
By STEPHEN ENGELBERG
Published: April 14, 1991
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In the closing shot of Andrzej Wajda's new film, "Korczak," a cattle car crammed with Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto rumbles toward the Treblinka concentration camp. Suddenly the action shifts to slow motion, and the car uncouples from the train as if touched by an unseen hand. Its doors slide open, and the children spill happy and laughing into a verdant field.
The film, which opened Friday in New York, recounts the life and death of Janusz Korczak (pronounced YAN-oosh KOR-chak), a Jewish teacher, doctor and writer who struggled in vain to save 200 children living in his orphanage in the Warsaw ghetto.
Its concluding 30 seconds of fantasy have become the focal point of a bitter assault on the movie by French critics, some of whom viewed it as an attempt by Poles to throw a rosy wash over their own complicity, or indifference, to the genocide of Jews. By contrast, Israeli critics praised the ending as a symbol of hope, and Mr. Wajda (pronounced VIE-da) said the country's Ministry of Education had added the film to the required school curriculum.
Numbered among its vigorous detractors are Claude Lanzmann, director of "Shoah," the epic 1985 documentary on the Holocaust; its defenders include Marek Edelman, the Polish Jew who is the only surviving leader of the 1944 Warsaw ghetto uprising.
Mr. Wajda, who earned his reputation as the best known of Poland's film makers with a series of movies that challenged the Communist regime, is a grandfatherly man with a shock of white hair. The 65-year-old Mr. Wajda said he had no intention of obscuring the historical fact, noted in the film's postscript, that Dr. Korczak and the children died in the gas chambers of Treblinka in 1942.
Mr. Wajda argued that movie makers have a duty to leave their audience with something more. He said he never considered ending the film with its penultimate shot, which shows the train speeding away from Warsaw toward the concentration camp.
"Such an ending would have said to me that all these endeavors of Dr. Korczak were sunk in a black hole; that pedagogy in the face of force has no sense; that no efforts of man can reverse the fact that he is dying so accidentally. This would be an awful, existentialist point of view.
"There would have been nothing easier than showing the death of the children in the gas chamber," Mr. Wajda. "It would have been a very moving scene. Everyone would have been crying. But do we have the right, does art have the right to show this? Is art for this?
"Isn't art for telling it in some different way? Art has to stop short of certain facts, has to look for other possibilities. It seems to me that it is beautiful that when we do not agree to the fact that the children were gassed, we create a legend that these children go somewhere, into some better world."
Mr. Wajda, who has previously benefited from largely sympathetic coverage by the world press, seems startled to be so much on the defensive. The movie was not a commercial success in Poland.
One of the most prominent intellectuals to support the Solidarity movement, he is widely regarded as the leading director working today in Polish cinema. For decades, he stretched the Communist-run film system to its limits, defying explicit censorship and implicit constraints of Government financing to produce movies that defined the nation's political consciousness.
Produced by Janusz Morgenstern
Daniel Toscan du Plantier
Regina Ziegler
Written by Agnieszka Holland
Starring Wojciech Pszoniak
Ewa Dalkowska
Music by Wojciech Kilar
Cinematography Robby Müller
Editing by Ewa Smal
Release date(s) 6 Mai 1990
Running time 113 minutes
Country Poland
Germany
Language Polish
This DVD was released in the US by Kino Lorber on 14 August 2012. Hailed by the likes of Steven Spielberg as one of the most important European films about the Holocaust it should have been available by this company on Day One. Unfortunately for us, this company is no longer interested in cinema. ...read more They care about streaming TV shows (they're easy and cheap) and no longer are the company they once were.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sin-In-Four-Dimensions.htm
http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/61695/jewish/Sin-In-Four-Dimensions.htm
The Midrash recounts the following dialogue on the significance of sin:
Midrash
(a) the classical collection of the Sages’ homiletic teachings on the Torah, on the non-literal level of derush; (b) any one such teaching
Wisdom was asked: What is the fate of the transgressor? Wisdom replied: "Evil pursues iniquity" (Proverbs 13:21).
Prophecy was asked: What is the fate of the transgressor? Prophecy replied: "The soul that sins, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20).
The Torah was asked: What is the fate of the transgressor? Torah replied: He shall bring a guilt-offering, and it shall atone for him (Leviticus, ch. 5).
G-d was asked: What is the fate of the transgressor? G-d replied: He shall do teshuvah, and it shall atone for him.
1) The Philosophical Perspective
The concept of "reward and punishment" is one of the fundamental principles of Jewish faith. But punishment for wrongdoing, say our sages, is no more G-d's "revenge" than falling to the ground is Divine retribution for jumping out the window or frostbite is G-d's punishment for a barefoot trek in the snow. Just as the Creator established certain laws of cause and effect that define the natural behavior of the physical universe, so, too, did He establish a spiritual-moral "nature," by which doing good results in a good and fulfilling life and doing evil results in negative and strifeful experiences.
This is the philosophical perspective on sin and punishment, expressed by King Solomon in the above-quoted verse from Proverbs. "Evil pursues iniquity" -- the adverse effects of sin are the natural consequences of acts that run contrary to the Creator's design for life.
2) The Prophet's View
Prophecy, which is G-d's empowerment of man to cleave to and commune with Him, has a deeper insight into the significance of sin.
The essence of life is connection with G-d. "And you who cleave to G-d," says Moses to the people of Israel, at the end of their physically and spiritually perilous 40-year journey through the desert, "are all alive today." "Love the L-rd your G-d," he also enjoins them, "for He is your life."
So a transgression is more than a spiritually "unhealthy" deed -- it is an act of spiritual suicide. In the words of the prophet Ezekiel, "The soul that sins, it shall die," for to transgress the Divine will is to sabotage the lifeline of vitality that connects the soul to its source. Our sages echo the prophetic perspective on sin when they state: "The wicked, even in their lifetimes, are considered dead... The righteous, even in death, are considered alive."
3) The Guilt-Offering
The Torah has yet a more penetrating view on the dynamics of transgression. It, too, recognizes that the essence of a person's life is his relationship with G-d. But the Torah also perceives the superficiality of evil -- the fact that "a person does not sin unless a spirit of insanity enters into him."
The soul of man, which is "literally a part of G-d above," "neither desires, nor is able, to separate itself from G-d." It is only a person's animal self -- the material and selfish drives which overlay his G-dly soul -- who might, at times, take control of his life and compel him to act in a manner that is completely at odds with his true self and will.
Because the Torah perceives the superficiality of sin, it can guide the transgressor through a process by which he can undo the negative effects of his transgression--a process by which the transgressor recognizes the folly and self-destructiveness of his deed and reinstates his true, G-dly self as the sovereign of his life. This process culminates with the transgressor's bringing of a korban (animal sacrifice) as an offering to G-d, signifying his subjugation of his own animal self to the spark of G-dliness within him.
In this way, the "guilt-offering" achieves atonement for sin. Only the most external self was involved in the transgression in the first place; by renouncing the deed as "animal behavior" and subjugating the beast within to serve the soul's G-dly aims, the transgressor restores the integrity of his relationship with the Almighty.
4) What G-d Sees
There is one thing, however, that the philosophical, prophetic and Torahic perspectives on sin have in common: the transgression was, and remains, a negative phenomenon.
"Wisdom" sees it as the harbinger of evil in a person's life. "Prophecy" sees it as antithetical to life itself. Torah delves deeper yet, revealing the root cause of sin and providing the key to the transgressor's rehabilitation; but even after the atonement prescribed by the Torah, the transgression itself remains a negative event. Torah itself defines certain deeds as contrary to the Divine will; so nothing in Torah can change the fact that a transgression constitutes a betrayal of the relationship between G-d and man.
G-d, as the author of wisdom, the bestower of prophecy and the commander of Torah, is the source of all three perspectives. But He also harbors a fourth vision of sin, a vision that is His alone: sin as the potential for teshuvah.
The Forbidden Realm
The commandments of the Torah categorize the universe into two domains: the permissible and the forbidden. Beef is permissible, pork is forbidden; doing work on the first six days of the week is permissible, to do so on Shabbat is not; the trait of compassion is to be cultivated, and that of haughtiness is to be eliminated.
Chassidic teaching explains that this is more than a list of do's and don'ts: it is also a catalog of realizable and unrealizable potentials. Every created entity possesses a "spark" of Divine energy that constitutes its essence and soul--a spark that embodies its function within the Divine purpose for creation. When a person utilizes something--be it a physical object or force, a trait or feeling, or a cultural phenomenon--toward a G-dly end, he brings to light the Divine spark at its core, manifesting and realizing the purpose for which it was created.
While no existence is devoid of such a spark -- indeed, nothing can exist without the pinpoint of divinity that imbues it with being and purpose -- not every spark can be actualized through man's constructive use of the thing in which it is invested. There are certain "impregnable" elements -- elements with which the Torah has forbidden our involvement, so that the sparks they contain are inaccessible to us.
Thus, for example, one who eats a piece of kosher meat and then uses the energy gained from it to perform a mitzvah, thereby "elevates" the spark of divinity that is the essence of the meat, freeing it of its mundane incarnation and raising it to a state of fulfilled spirituality. However, if one would do the same with a piece of non-kosher meat--meat that G-d has forbidden us to consume--no such elevation would take place. Even if he applied the energy to positive and G-dly ends, this would not constitute a realization of the Divine purpose in the meat's creation, since the consumption of the meat was an express violation of the Divine will.
This is the deeper significance of the Hebrew terms assur and mutar employed by Halachah (Torah law) for the forbidden and the permissible. Assur, commonly translated as "forbidden," literally means "bound"; this is the halachic term for those elements whose sparks the Torah has deemed bound and imprisoned in a shell of negativity and proscription. Mutar ("permitted"), which literally means "unbound," is the halachic term for those sparks which the Torah has empowered us to extricate from their mundane embodiment and actively involve in our positive endeavors.
Obviously, the "bound" elements of creation also have a role in the realization of the Divine purpose outlined by the Torah. But theirs is a "negative" role -- they exist so that we should achieve a conquest of self by resisting them. There is no Torah-authorized way in which they can actively be involved in our development of creation, no way in which they may themselves become part of the "dwelling for G-d" that we are charged to make of our world. Of these elements it is said, "Their breaking is their rectification." They exist to be rejected and defeated, and it is in their defeat and exclusion from our lives that their raison detre is realized.
The Man in the Desert
These are the rules that govern our existence and our service of G-d. One who lives by these rules, establishing them as the supreme authority over his behavior, attains the status of tzaddik ("perfectly righteous"). Yet our sages tell us that there is an even higher level of closeness to G-d--that "in the place where baalei teshuvah ("returnees"; penitents) stand, utter tzaddikim cannot stand."
The tzaddik is one who has made the Divine will the very substance of his existence. Everything that becomes part of his life--the food he eats, the clothes he wears, the ideas and experiences he garners from his surroundings--are elevated, their "sparks" divested of their mundanity and raised to their Divine function. And he confines himself to the permissible elements of creation, never digressing from the boundaries that Torah sets for our involvement with and development of G-d's world.
The baal teshuvah, on the other hand, is one who has digressed; one who has ventured beyond the realm of the permissible and has absorbed the irredeemable elements of creation into his life. His digression was a wholly negative thing; but having occurred, it holds a unique potential: the potential for teshuvah, "return."
Teshuvah is fueled by the utter dejection experienced by one who wakes to the realization that he has destroyed all that is beautiful and sacred in his life; by the pain of one who has cut himself off from his source of life and well-being; by the alienation felt by one who finds himself without cause or reason to live. Teshuvah is man's amazing ability to translate these feeling of worthlessness, alienation and pain into the drive for rediscovery and renewal.
The baal teshuvah is a person lost in the desert whose thirst, amplified a thousandfold by the barrenness and aridity of his surroundings, drives him to seek water with an intensity that could never have been called forth by the most proficient welldigger; a person whose very abandonment of G-d drives him to seek Him with a passion the most saintly tzaddik cannot know. A soul who, having stretched the cord that binds it to its source to excruciating tautness, rebounds with a force that exceeds anything experienced by those who never leave the Divine orbit.
In this way, the baal teshuvah accomplishes what the most perfect tzaddik cannot: he liberates those sparks of divinity imprisoned in the realm of the forbidden. In his soul, the very negativity of these elements, their very contrariness to the Divine will, becomes a positive force, an intensifier of his bond with G-d and his drive to do good.
teshuvah,the magnified force of a rebounding soul.
This is teshuvah, "return," in its ultimate sense: the reclaiming of the "lost" moments (or days, or years) and energies of a negative past; the restoration of sparks imprisoned in the lowliest realms of creation; the magnified force of a rebounding soul.
Good and Evil
But what of the "bindings" that imprison these sparks? If the tzaddik were to employ a forbidden thing toward a positive end, he would fail to elevate it; indeed, the deed would drag him down, distancing him, rather than bringing him closer, to the G-d he is presuming to serve. From where derives the baal teshuvah's power to redeem what the Torah has decreed "bound" and irredeemable?
In its commentary on the opening verses of Genesis, the Midrash states:
At the onset of the world's creation, G-d beheld the deeds of the righteous and the deeds of the wicked... "And the earth was void and chaotic..." -- these are the deeds of the wicked. "And G-d said: ‘Let there be light'" -- these are the deeds of the righteous. But I still do not know which of them He desires... Then, when it says, "And G-d saw the light, that it is good," I know that He desires the deeds of the righteous, and does not desire the deeds of the wicked.
In other words, the only true definition of "good" or "evil" is that "good" is what G-d desires and "evil" is what is contrary to His will. The fact that we instinctively sense certain deeds to be good and others to be evil -- the fact that certain deeds are good and certain deeds are evil -- is the result of G-d having chosen to desire certain deeds from man and to not desire other deeds from man. We cannot, however, speak of good and evil "before" G-d expressly chose the "deeds of the righteous." On this level, where there is nothing to distinguish right from wrong, we cannot presume to know what G-d will desire.
Therein lies the difference between the tzaddik and the baal teshuvah.
The tzaddik relates to G-d through his fulfillment of the Divine will expressed in the Torah. Thus, his achievements are defined and regulated by the Divine will. When he does what G-d has commanded to be done, he elevates those elements of creation touched by his deeds. But those elements with which the Divine will forbids his involvement are closed to him.
The baal teshuvah, however, relates to G-d Himself, the formulator and professor of this will. Thus, he accesses a Divine potential that, by Torah's standards, is inaccessible. Because his relationship with G-d is on a level that precedes and supersedes the Divine will--a level on which one "still does not know which of them He desires"--there are no "bound" elements, nothing to inhibit the actualization of the Divine potential in any of G-d's creations. So when the baal teshuvah sublimates his negative deeds and experiences to fuel his yearning and passion for good, he brings to light the sparks of G-dliness they hold.
To Be and To Be Not
What enables the baal teshuvah to connect to G-d in such a way? The tzaddik's ability to relate to G-d through the fulfillment of His will was granted to each and every one of us when G-d gave us the Torah at Mount Sinai. But what empowers the baal teshuvah to reach the "place where utter tzaddikim cannot stand" and tap the "pre-will" essence of G-d?
The thrust of the baal teshuvah's life is the very opposite of the tzaddik's. The tzaddik is good, and the gist of everything he does is to amplify that goodness. The baal teshuvah had departed from the path of good, and the gist of everything he does is to deconstruct and transform what he was. In other words, the tzaddik is occupied with the development of self, and the baal teshuvah, with the negation of self.
Thus the tzaddik's virtue is also what limits him. True, his development of self is a wholly positive and G-dly endeavor--he is developing the self that G-d wants him to develop, and by developing this self he becomes one with the will of G-d. But a sense of self is also the greatest handicap to relating to the essence of G-d, which tolerates no camouflaging or equivocation of the truth that "there is none else besides Him."
The baal teshuvah, on the other hand, is one whose every thought and endeavor is driven by the recognition that he must depart from what he is in order to come close to G-d. This perpetual abnegation of self allows him to relate to G-d as G-d is, on a level that transcends G-d's specific projection of Himself formulated in His Torah.
NOTE THIS FOURTH DIMENSION WHY G-D HAS A PERSPECTIVE AND PURPOSE FOR SIN TO EXIST IN THE WORLD
The Fourth Dimension
This is G-d's perspective on sin: sin as the facilitator of teshuvah. "Wisdom," "prophecy" and "Torah" are all part of a reality polarized by good and evil; they can perceive only the damage inflicted by sin, or, at most (as in the case of Torah), the manner by which it might be undone. G-d's reality, however, is wholly and exclusively good. "No evil resides with You," sings the Psalmist. In the words of Jeremiah, "From the Supernal do not stem both evil and good."
From G-d's perspective, there is only the positive essence of transgression--the positive purpose for which He created man's susceptibility to evil and his capacity for sin in the first place. As viewed by its Creator, transgression is the potential for a deeper bond between Himself and man--a bond borne out of the transformation of evil into good and failure into achievement.
The Midrash recounts the following dialogue on the significance of sin:
Midrash
(a) the classical collection of the Sages’ homiletic teachings on the Torah, on the non-literal level of derush; (b) any one such teaching
Wisdom was asked: What is the fate of the transgressor? Wisdom replied: "Evil pursues iniquity" (Proverbs 13:21).
Prophecy was asked: What is the fate of the transgressor? Prophecy replied: "The soul that sins, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20).
The Torah was asked: What is the fate of the transgressor? Torah replied: He shall bring a guilt-offering, and it shall atone for him (Leviticus, ch. 5).
G-d was asked: What is the fate of the transgressor? G-d replied: He shall do teshuvah, and it shall atone for him.
1) The Philosophical Perspective
The concept of "reward and punishment" is one of the fundamental principles of Jewish faith. But punishment for wrongdoing, say our sages, is no more G-d's "revenge" than falling to the ground is Divine retribution for jumping out the window or frostbite is G-d's punishment for a barefoot trek in the snow. Just as the Creator established certain laws of cause and effect that define the natural behavior of the physical universe, so, too, did He establish a spiritual-moral "nature," by which doing good results in a good and fulfilling life and doing evil results in negative and strifeful experiences.
This is the philosophical perspective on sin and punishment, expressed by King Solomon in the above-quoted verse from Proverbs. "Evil pursues iniquity" -- the adverse effects of sin are the natural consequences of acts that run contrary to the Creator's design for life.
2) The Prophet's View
Prophecy, which is G-d's empowerment of man to cleave to and commune with Him, has a deeper insight into the significance of sin.
The essence of life is connection with G-d. "And you who cleave to G-d," says Moses to the people of Israel, at the end of their physically and spiritually perilous 40-year journey through the desert, "are all alive today." "Love the L-rd your G-d," he also enjoins them, "for He is your life."
So a transgression is more than a spiritually "unhealthy" deed -- it is an act of spiritual suicide. In the words of the prophet Ezekiel, "The soul that sins, it shall die," for to transgress the Divine will is to sabotage the lifeline of vitality that connects the soul to its source. Our sages echo the prophetic perspective on sin when they state: "The wicked, even in their lifetimes, are considered dead... The righteous, even in death, are considered alive."
3) The Guilt-Offering
The Torah has yet a more penetrating view on the dynamics of transgression. It, too, recognizes that the essence of a person's life is his relationship with G-d. But the Torah also perceives the superficiality of evil -- the fact that "a person does not sin unless a spirit of insanity enters into him."
The soul of man, which is "literally a part of G-d above," "neither desires, nor is able, to separate itself from G-d." It is only a person's animal self -- the material and selfish drives which overlay his G-dly soul -- who might, at times, take control of his life and compel him to act in a manner that is completely at odds with his true self and will.
Because the Torah perceives the superficiality of sin, it can guide the transgressor through a process by which he can undo the negative effects of his transgression--a process by which the transgressor recognizes the folly and self-destructiveness of his deed and reinstates his true, G-dly self as the sovereign of his life. This process culminates with the transgressor's bringing of a korban (animal sacrifice) as an offering to G-d, signifying his subjugation of his own animal self to the spark of G-dliness within him.
In this way, the "guilt-offering" achieves atonement for sin. Only the most external self was involved in the transgression in the first place; by renouncing the deed as "animal behavior" and subjugating the beast within to serve the soul's G-dly aims, the transgressor restores the integrity of his relationship with the Almighty.
4) What G-d Sees
There is one thing, however, that the philosophical, prophetic and Torahic perspectives on sin have in common: the transgression was, and remains, a negative phenomenon.
"Wisdom" sees it as the harbinger of evil in a person's life. "Prophecy" sees it as antithetical to life itself. Torah delves deeper yet, revealing the root cause of sin and providing the key to the transgressor's rehabilitation; but even after the atonement prescribed by the Torah, the transgression itself remains a negative event. Torah itself defines certain deeds as contrary to the Divine will; so nothing in Torah can change the fact that a transgression constitutes a betrayal of the relationship between G-d and man.
G-d, as the author of wisdom, the bestower of prophecy and the commander of Torah, is the source of all three perspectives. But He also harbors a fourth vision of sin, a vision that is His alone: sin as the potential for teshuvah.
The Forbidden Realm
The commandments of the Torah categorize the universe into two domains: the permissible and the forbidden. Beef is permissible, pork is forbidden; doing work on the first six days of the week is permissible, to do so on Shabbat is not; the trait of compassion is to be cultivated, and that of haughtiness is to be eliminated.
Chassidic teaching explains that this is more than a list of do's and don'ts: it is also a catalog of realizable and unrealizable potentials. Every created entity possesses a "spark" of Divine energy that constitutes its essence and soul--a spark that embodies its function within the Divine purpose for creation. When a person utilizes something--be it a physical object or force, a trait or feeling, or a cultural phenomenon--toward a G-dly end, he brings to light the Divine spark at its core, manifesting and realizing the purpose for which it was created.
While no existence is devoid of such a spark -- indeed, nothing can exist without the pinpoint of divinity that imbues it with being and purpose -- not every spark can be actualized through man's constructive use of the thing in which it is invested. There are certain "impregnable" elements -- elements with which the Torah has forbidden our involvement, so that the sparks they contain are inaccessible to us.
Thus, for example, one who eats a piece of kosher meat and then uses the energy gained from it to perform a mitzvah, thereby "elevates" the spark of divinity that is the essence of the meat, freeing it of its mundane incarnation and raising it to a state of fulfilled spirituality. However, if one would do the same with a piece of non-kosher meat--meat that G-d has forbidden us to consume--no such elevation would take place. Even if he applied the energy to positive and G-dly ends, this would not constitute a realization of the Divine purpose in the meat's creation, since the consumption of the meat was an express violation of the Divine will.
This is the deeper significance of the Hebrew terms assur and mutar employed by Halachah (Torah law) for the forbidden and the permissible. Assur, commonly translated as "forbidden," literally means "bound"; this is the halachic term for those elements whose sparks the Torah has deemed bound and imprisoned in a shell of negativity and proscription. Mutar ("permitted"), which literally means "unbound," is the halachic term for those sparks which the Torah has empowered us to extricate from their mundane embodiment and actively involve in our positive endeavors.
Obviously, the "bound" elements of creation also have a role in the realization of the Divine purpose outlined by the Torah. But theirs is a "negative" role -- they exist so that we should achieve a conquest of self by resisting them. There is no Torah-authorized way in which they can actively be involved in our development of creation, no way in which they may themselves become part of the "dwelling for G-d" that we are charged to make of our world. Of these elements it is said, "Their breaking is their rectification." They exist to be rejected and defeated, and it is in their defeat and exclusion from our lives that their raison detre is realized.
The Man in the Desert
These are the rules that govern our existence and our service of G-d. One who lives by these rules, establishing them as the supreme authority over his behavior, attains the status of tzaddik ("perfectly righteous"). Yet our sages tell us that there is an even higher level of closeness to G-d--that "in the place where baalei teshuvah ("returnees"; penitents) stand, utter tzaddikim cannot stand."
The tzaddik is one who has made the Divine will the very substance of his existence. Everything that becomes part of his life--the food he eats, the clothes he wears, the ideas and experiences he garners from his surroundings--are elevated, their "sparks" divested of their mundanity and raised to their Divine function. And he confines himself to the permissible elements of creation, never digressing from the boundaries that Torah sets for our involvement with and development of G-d's world.
The baal teshuvah, on the other hand, is one who has digressed; one who has ventured beyond the realm of the permissible and has absorbed the irredeemable elements of creation into his life. His digression was a wholly negative thing; but having occurred, it holds a unique potential: the potential for teshuvah, "return."
Teshuvah is fueled by the utter dejection experienced by one who wakes to the realization that he has destroyed all that is beautiful and sacred in his life; by the pain of one who has cut himself off from his source of life and well-being; by the alienation felt by one who finds himself without cause or reason to live. Teshuvah is man's amazing ability to translate these feeling of worthlessness, alienation and pain into the drive for rediscovery and renewal.
The baal teshuvah is a person lost in the desert whose thirst, amplified a thousandfold by the barrenness and aridity of his surroundings, drives him to seek water with an intensity that could never have been called forth by the most proficient welldigger; a person whose very abandonment of G-d drives him to seek Him with a passion the most saintly tzaddik cannot know. A soul who, having stretched the cord that binds it to its source to excruciating tautness, rebounds with a force that exceeds anything experienced by those who never leave the Divine orbit.
In this way, the baal teshuvah accomplishes what the most perfect tzaddik cannot: he liberates those sparks of divinity imprisoned in the realm of the forbidden. In his soul, the very negativity of these elements, their very contrariness to the Divine will, becomes a positive force, an intensifier of his bond with G-d and his drive to do good.
teshuvah,the magnified force of a rebounding soul.
This is teshuvah, "return," in its ultimate sense: the reclaiming of the "lost" moments (or days, or years) and energies of a negative past; the restoration of sparks imprisoned in the lowliest realms of creation; the magnified force of a rebounding soul.
Good and Evil
But what of the "bindings" that imprison these sparks? If the tzaddik were to employ a forbidden thing toward a positive end, he would fail to elevate it; indeed, the deed would drag him down, distancing him, rather than bringing him closer, to the G-d he is presuming to serve. From where derives the baal teshuvah's power to redeem what the Torah has decreed "bound" and irredeemable?
In its commentary on the opening verses of Genesis, the Midrash states:
At the onset of the world's creation, G-d beheld the deeds of the righteous and the deeds of the wicked... "And the earth was void and chaotic..." -- these are the deeds of the wicked. "And G-d said: ‘Let there be light'" -- these are the deeds of the righteous. But I still do not know which of them He desires... Then, when it says, "And G-d saw the light, that it is good," I know that He desires the deeds of the righteous, and does not desire the deeds of the wicked.
In other words, the only true definition of "good" or "evil" is that "good" is what G-d desires and "evil" is what is contrary to His will. The fact that we instinctively sense certain deeds to be good and others to be evil -- the fact that certain deeds are good and certain deeds are evil -- is the result of G-d having chosen to desire certain deeds from man and to not desire other deeds from man. We cannot, however, speak of good and evil "before" G-d expressly chose the "deeds of the righteous." On this level, where there is nothing to distinguish right from wrong, we cannot presume to know what G-d will desire.
Therein lies the difference between the tzaddik and the baal teshuvah.
The tzaddik relates to G-d through his fulfillment of the Divine will expressed in the Torah. Thus, his achievements are defined and regulated by the Divine will. When he does what G-d has commanded to be done, he elevates those elements of creation touched by his deeds. But those elements with which the Divine will forbids his involvement are closed to him.
The baal teshuvah, however, relates to G-d Himself, the formulator and professor of this will. Thus, he accesses a Divine potential that, by Torah's standards, is inaccessible. Because his relationship with G-d is on a level that precedes and supersedes the Divine will--a level on which one "still does not know which of them He desires"--there are no "bound" elements, nothing to inhibit the actualization of the Divine potential in any of G-d's creations. So when the baal teshuvah sublimates his negative deeds and experiences to fuel his yearning and passion for good, he brings to light the sparks of G-dliness they hold.
To Be and To Be Not
What enables the baal teshuvah to connect to G-d in such a way? The tzaddik's ability to relate to G-d through the fulfillment of His will was granted to each and every one of us when G-d gave us the Torah at Mount Sinai. But what empowers the baal teshuvah to reach the "place where utter tzaddikim cannot stand" and tap the "pre-will" essence of G-d?
The thrust of the baal teshuvah's life is the very opposite of the tzaddik's. The tzaddik is good, and the gist of everything he does is to amplify that goodness. The baal teshuvah had departed from the path of good, and the gist of everything he does is to deconstruct and transform what he was. In other words, the tzaddik is occupied with the development of self, and the baal teshuvah, with the negation of self.
Thus the tzaddik's virtue is also what limits him. True, his development of self is a wholly positive and G-dly endeavor--he is developing the self that G-d wants him to develop, and by developing this self he becomes one with the will of G-d. But a sense of self is also the greatest handicap to relating to the essence of G-d, which tolerates no camouflaging or equivocation of the truth that "there is none else besides Him."
The baal teshuvah, on the other hand, is one whose every thought and endeavor is driven by the recognition that he must depart from what he is in order to come close to G-d. This perpetual abnegation of self allows him to relate to G-d as G-d is, on a level that transcends G-d's specific projection of Himself formulated in His Torah.
NOTE THIS FOURTH DIMENSION WHY G-D HAS A PERSPECTIVE AND PURPOSE FOR SIN TO EXIST IN THE WORLD
The Fourth Dimension
This is G-d's perspective on sin: sin as the facilitator of teshuvah. "Wisdom," "prophecy" and "Torah" are all part of a reality polarized by good and evil; they can perceive only the damage inflicted by sin, or, at most (as in the case of Torah), the manner by which it might be undone. G-d's reality, however, is wholly and exclusively good. "No evil resides with You," sings the Psalmist. In the words of Jeremiah, "From the Supernal do not stem both evil and good."
From G-d's perspective, there is only the positive essence of transgression--the positive purpose for which He created man's susceptibility to evil and his capacity for sin in the first place. As viewed by its Creator, transgression is the potential for a deeper bond between Himself and man--a bond borne out of the transformation of evil into good and failure into achievement.
hitbon'nut Parshat Pinchas, 6th Portion (Numbers 28:16-29:11)
There are three forms of hitbon'nut (contemplation, meditation):
(a.) Study-meditation: After mastering the concept thoroughly, one meditates on its profundity, until the intellectual element shines forth for him.
(b.) Meditation before davening: This is directed toward sensing the vitality of the concept learned, in contrast to sensing the intellectual element emphasized in study-meditation.
(c.) Meditation in davening: To sense the "G-dly element" in the concept learned.
These three are rungs on the ladder of sensitivity. It is only by G-d's kindness towards us that we may occasionally sense G-dhood spontaneously, without any avoda at all. This comes about by virtue of the quality of Ultimate Essential G-dhood1 within the soul. For avoda by one's own efforts, however, these three forms of meditation are essential.
Compiled and arranged by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, in 5703 (1943) from the talks and letters of the sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory.
FOOTNOTES
1. Atzmut.
Daily Quote
Ten powerful things were created in the world: mountains are hard, but iron cuts through them; iron is hard, but fire melts it; fire is strong, but water extinguishes it; water is strong, but clouds bear it; clouds are strong, but wind scatters them; wind is strong, but the body contains it; the body is strong, bur fear breaks it; fear is potent, but wine dispels it; wine is powerful, but sleep assuages it; and stronger than all these is death. But charity delivers from death.
- Talmud, Bava Batra 10a
Parshat Pinchas, 6th Portion (Numbers 28:16-29:11)
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16. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, [you shall offer up] a Passover offering to the Lord. טז. וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ פֶּסַח לַיהֹוָה:
17. On the fifteenth day of this month, a festival [begins]; you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days. יז. וּבַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה חָג שִׁבְעַת יָמִים מַצּוֹת יֵאָכֵל:
18. On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall not perform any mundane work. יח. בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ:
You shall refrain from all manner of mundane work: Even essential work, such as the prevention of loss, which is permitted on the intermediate days of the festival, is forbidden on the festival itself. — [Torath Kohanim Emor 187, see Rashi on Lev. 23:8] כל מלאכת עבודה: אפילו מלאכה הצריכה לכם, כגון דבר האבד המותרת בחולו של מועד אסורה ביום טוב:
19. You shall offer up a fire offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year they shall be unblemished for you. יט. וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם אִשֶּׁה עֹלָה לַיהֹוָה פָּרִים בְּנֵי בָקָר שְׁנַיִם וְאַיִל אֶחָד וְשִׁבְעָה כְבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה תְּמִימִם יִהְיוּ לָכֶם:
bulls: Corresponding to Abraham, about whom it says, “And to the cattle did Abraham run,” [to feed the three angels who visited him] (Gen. 18:7). פרים: כנגד אברהם, שנאמר (בראשית יח, ז) ואל הבקר רץ אברהם:
ram: Symbolizing the ram [sacrificed instead] of Isaac (see Gen. 22:13). אילים: כנגד אילו של יצחק:
lambs: Corresponding to Jacob, of whom it says, “Jacob separated the lambs” (Gen. 30:40). I saw this in the commentary of R. Moshe Hadarshan [the preacher]. - [Mid. Aggadah, Midrash Tadshey ch. 10] כבשים: כנגד יעקב שנאמר (בראשית ל, מ) והכשבים הפריד יעקב. ביסודו של רבי משה הדרשן ראיתי זאת:
20. Their meal offerings [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths for each bull and two tenths for the ram you shall offer up. כ. וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר וּשְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל תַּעֲשׂוּ:
21. And you shall offer up one tenth for each lamb, for all seven lambs. כא. עִשָּׂרוֹן עִשָּׂרוֹן תַּעֲשֶׂה לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים:
22. And one young male goat for a sin offering to atone for you. כב. וּשְׂעִיר חַטָּאת אֶחָד לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם:
23. You shall offer these up besides the morning burnt offering which is offered as a continual burnt offering. כג. מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַבֹּקֶר אֲשֶׁר לְעֹלַת הַתָּמִיד תַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת אֵלֶּה:
24. Like these, you shall offer up daily for seven days, food of the fire offering, a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord; you shall offer up this in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation. כד. כָּאֵלֶּה תַּעֲשׂוּ לַיּוֹם שִׁבְעַת יָמִים לֶחֶם אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהֹוָה עַל עוֹלַת הַתָּמִיד יֵעָשֶׂה וְנִסְכּוֹ:
Like these, you shall offer up daily: They should not be decreased progressively, as is the case of the bulls of the [Sukkoth] festival. — [Sifrei Pinchas 48] כאלה תעשו ליום: שלא יהיו פוחתין והולכין כפרי החג:
25. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work. כה. וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ:
26. On the day of the first fruits, when you offer up a new meal offering to the Lord, on your festival of Weeks; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall not perform any mundane work. כו. וּבְיוֹם הַבִּכּוּרִים בְּהַקְרִיבְכֶם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַיהֹוָה בְּשָׁבֻעֹתֵיכֶם מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ:
On the day of the first fruits: The festival of Weeks [Shavuoth] is called the first fruits of the wheat harvest, because of the two loaves, which were the first of the wheat offerings to be brought from the new [crop]. — [Men. 84b] וביום הבכורים: חג השבועות קרוי בכורי קציר חטים על שם שתי הלחם, שהם ראשונים למנחת חטים הבאים מן החדש:
27. You shall offer up a burnt offering with a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year. כז. וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עוֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהֹוָה פָּרִים בְּנֵי בָקָר שְׁנַיִם אַיִל אֶחָד שִׁבְעָה כְבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה:
28. Their meal offerings [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths for each bull and two tenths for the ram. כח. וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר הָאֶחָד שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל הָאֶחָד:
29. One tenth for each lamb, for all seven lambs. כט. עִשָּׂרוֹן עִשָּׂרוֹן לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים:
30. One young male goat to atone for you. ל. שְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם:
31. You shall offer this up besides the continual burnt offering and its meal offering they shall be unblemished for you, as well as their libations. לא. מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתוֹ תַּעֲשׂוּ תְּמִימִם יִהְיוּ לָכֶם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם:
they shall be unblemished for you, as well as their libations: Even the libations shall be unblemished. Our Rabbis learned from here that wine that has turned moldy is unfit for libations. - [Men. 87a]
Chapter 29
1. And in the seventh month, on the first day, there shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work. It shall be a day of shofar sounding for you. א. וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם:
2. You shall offer up a burnt offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished. ב. וַעֲשִׂיתֶם עֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהֹוָה פַּר בֶּן בָּקָר אֶחָד אַיִל אֶחָד כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִם:
3. And their meal offering [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for the bull and two tenths for the ram. ג. וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאָיִל:
4. And one tenth for each lamb, for the seven lambs. ד. וְעִשָּׂרוֹן אֶחָד לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים:
5. And one young male goat as a sin offering, to atone for you. ה. וּשְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם:
6. [This is] besides the burnt offering of the new month and its meal offering, and the continual burnt offering and its meal offering, and their libations as prescribed for them, as a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord. ו. מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַחֹדֶשׁ וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְעֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ אִשֶּׁה לַיהֹוָה:
[This is] besides the burnt offering of the new month: The additional offerings of the beginning of the month, which is on the first day of the new year. מלבד עלת החדש: מוספי ראש חדש שהוא ביום ראש השנה:
7. And on the tenth day of this seventh month, there shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall afflict your souls. You shall not perform any work. ז. וּבֶעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי הַזֶּה מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְעִנִּיתֶם אֶת נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם כָּל מְלָאכָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ:
8. You shall offer up a burnt offering to the Lord, [for] a spirit of satisfaction: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year; they shall [all] be unblemished. ח. וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עֹלָה לַיהֹוָה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ פַּר בֶּן בָּקָר אֶחָד אַיִל אֶחָד כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִם יִהְיוּ לָכֶם:
9. And their meal offering [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for the bull and two tenths for the ram. ט. וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל הָאֶחָד:
10. One tenth for each lamb, for the seven lambs. י. עִשָּׂרוֹן עִשָּׂרוֹן לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים:
11. A young male goat for a sin offering, besides the atonement sin offering and the continual burnt offering, its meal offering and their libations. יא. שְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת מִלְּבַד חַטַּאת הַכִּפֻּרִים וְעֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם:
besides the atonement sin-offering: The goat offered up [i.e., whose blood is sprinkled] in the inner chamber mentioned in [the portion of] Acharei Moth (Lev. 16:9, 15), as that too is a sin-offering. מלבד חטאת הכפרים: שעיר הנעשה בפנים האמור באחרי מות, שגם הוא חטאת:
and the continual burnt offering: Besides the regular burnt offering, you shall offer these burnt offerings. ועלת התמיד: ומלבד עולת התמיד תעשו עולות הללו:
and their libations: This refers to the additional offerings which are stated, and to the [phrase] “you shall offer up” [which is not written, but implied]; this denotes a command: Besides the continual burnt offering and its meal-offering, you shall offer up these and their libations. The same applies every time “their libations” is mentioned in connection with all the festivals, except for [when mentioned in connection] with the festival [of 'Succoth’] offerings, for all [the expressions] “and its libation,” “and their libations,” “and its libations” in [connection with] them refer to the continual sacrifice. Nor are they expressions denoting commands, since the libations of the additional offerings are written separately for each day.
Chapter 97
1. When the Lord will reveal His kingship, the earth will exult; the multitudes of islands will rejoice. 2. Clouds and dense darkness will surround Him; justice and mercy will be the foundation of His throne. 3. Fire will go before Him and consume His foes all around. 4. His lightnings will illuminate the world; the earth will see and tremble. 5. The mountains will melt like wax before the Lord, before the Master of all the earth. 6. The heavens will declare His justice, and all the nations will behold His glory. 7. All who worship graven images, who take pride in idols, will be ashamed; all idol worshippers will prostrate themselves before Him. 8. Zion will hear and rejoice, the towns of Judah will exult, because of Your judgments, O Lord. 9. For You, Lord, transcend all the earth; You are exceedingly exalted above all the supernal beings. 10. You who love the Lord, hate evil; He watches over the souls of His pious ones, He saves them from the hand of the wicked. 11. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and extol His holy Name.
Chapter 98
This psalm describes how Israel will praise God for the Redemption.
1. A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and holy arm have wrought deliverance for Him. 2. The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His justice before the eyes of the nations. 3. He has remembered His kindness and faithfulness to the House of Israel; all, from the farthest corners of the earth, witnessed the deliverance by our God. 4. Raise your voices in jubilation to the Lord, all the earth; burst into joyous song and chanting. 5. Sing to the Lord with a harp, with a harp and the sound of song. 6. With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, jubilate before the King, the Lord. 7. The sea and its fullness will roar in joy, the earth and its inhabitants. 8. The rivers will clap their hands, the mountains will sing together. 9. [They will rejoice] before the Lord, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with righteousness.
Chapter 99
This psalm refers to the wars of Gog and Magog, which will precede the Redemption.
1. When the Lord will reveal His kingship, the nations will tremble; the earth will quake before Him Who is enthroned upon the cherubim, 2. [before] the Lord Who is in Zion, Who is great and exalted above all the peoples. 3. They will extol Your Name which is great, awesome and holy. 4. And [they will praise] the might of the King Who loves justice. You have established uprightness; You have made [the laws of] justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5. Exalt the Lord our God, and bow down at His footstool; He is holy. 6. Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who invoke His Name, would call upon the Lord and He would answer them. 7. He would speak to them from a pillar of cloud; they observed His testimonies and the decrees which He gave them. 8. Lord our God, You have answered them; You were a forgiving God for their sake, yet bringing retribution for their own misdeeds. 9. Exalt the Lord our God, and bow down at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.
Chapter 100
This psalm inspires the hearts of those who suffer in this world. Let them, nevertheless, serve God with joy, for all is for their good, as in the verse: "He whom God loves does He chastise." The psalm also refers to the thanksgiving sacrifice-the only sacrifice to be offered in the Messianic era.
1. A psalm of thanksgiving. Let all the earth sing in jubilation to the Lord. 2. Serve the Lord with joy; come before Him with exultation. 3. Know that the Lord is God; He has made us and we are His, His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4. Enter His gates with gratitude, His courtyards with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name. 5. For the Lord is good; His kindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness is for all generations.
Chapter 101
This psalm speaks of David's secluding himself from others, and of his virtuous conduct even in his own home.
1. By David, a psalm. I will sing of [Your] kindness and justice; to You, O Lord, will I chant praise! 2. I will pay heed to the path of integrity-O when will it come to me? I shall walk with the innocence of my heart [even] within my house. 3. I shall not place an evil thing before my eyes; I despise the doing of wayward deeds, it does not cling to me. 4. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I shall not know evil. 5. He who slanders his fellow in secret, him will I cut down; one with haughty eyes and a lustful heart, him I cannot suffer. 6. My eyes are upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the path of integrity, he shall minister to me. 7. He that practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; the speaker of lies shall have no place before my eyes. 8. Every morning I will cut down all the wicked of the land, to excise all evildoers from the city of the Lord Chapter 102
An awe-inspiring prayer for the exiled, and an appropriate prayer for anyone in distress.
1. A prayer of the poor man when he is faint [with affliction], and pours out his tale of woe before the Lord. 2. O Lord, hear my prayer, let my cry reach You! 3. Hide not Your face from me on the day of my distress; turn Your ear to me; on the day that I call, answer me quickly. 4. For my days have vanished with the smoke; my bones are dried up as a hearth. 5. Smitten like grass and withered is my heart, for I have forgotten to eat my bread. 6. From the voice of my sigh, my bone cleaves to my flesh. 7. I am like the bird of the wilderness; like the owl of the wasteland have I become. 8. In haste I fled; I was like a bird, alone on a roof. 9. All day my enemies disgrace me; those who ridicule me curse using my name.1 10. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears, 11. because of Your anger and Your wrath-for You have raised me up, then cast me down. 12. My days are like the fleeting shadow; I wither away like the grass. 13. But You, Lord, will be enthroned forever, and Your remembrance is for all generations. 14. You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to be gracious to her; the appointed time has come. 15. For Your servants cherish her stones, and love her dust. 16. Then the nations will fear the Name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory, 17. when [they see that] the Lord has built Zion, He has appeared in His glory. 18. He turned to the entreaty of the prayerful, and did not despise their prayer. 19. Let this be written for the last generation, so that the newborn nation will praise the Lord. 20. For He looked down from His holy heights; from heaven, the Lord gazed upon the earth, 21. to hear the cry of the bound, to untie those who are doomed to die, 22. so that the Name of the Lord be declared in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem, 23. when nations and kingdoms will gather together to serve the Lord. 24. He weakened my strength on the way; He shortened my days. 25. I would say: "My God, do not remove me in the midst of my days! You Whose years endure through all generations.” 26. In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. 27. They will perish, but You will endure; all of them will wear out like a garment; You will exchange them like a robe, and they will vanish. 28. But You remain the same; Your years will not end. 29. The children of Your servants will abide; their seed shall be established before You.
Chapter 103
David's prayer when he was ill, this psalm is an appropriate prayer on behalf of the sick, especially when offered by the sick person himself while his soul is yet in his body. He can then bless God from his depths, body and soul. Read, and find repose for your soul.
1. By David. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, His holy Name. 2. My soul, bless the Lord; forget not all His favors: 3. Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your illnesses; 4. Who redeems your life from the grave, Who crowns you with kindness and mercy; 5. Who satisfies your mouth with goodness; like the eagle, your youth is renewed. 6. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7. He made His ways known to Moses, His deeds to the Children of Israel. 8. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness. 9. He will not contend for eternity, nor harbor ill will forever. 10. He has not dealt with us according to our transgressions, nor requited us according to our sins. 11. For as high as heaven is above the earth, so has His kindness been mighty over those who fear Him. 12. As far as the east is from the west, so has He distanced our transgressions from us. 13. As a father has compassion on his children, so has the Lord had compassion on those who fear Him. 14. For He knows our nature; He is mindful that we are but dust. 15. As for man, his days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so he sprouts. 16. When a wind passes over him, he is gone; his place recognizes him no more. 17. But the kindness of the Lord is forever and ever upon those who fear Him, and His righteousness is [secured] for children's children, 18. to those who keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commands to do them. 19. The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingship has dominion over all. 20. Bless the Lord, you His angels who are mighty in strength, who do His bidding to obey the voice of His speech. 21. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His servants who do His will. 22. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all the places of His dominion. My soul, bless the Lord!
(a.) Study-meditation: After mastering the concept thoroughly, one meditates on its profundity, until the intellectual element shines forth for him.
(b.) Meditation before davening: This is directed toward sensing the vitality of the concept learned, in contrast to sensing the intellectual element emphasized in study-meditation.
(c.) Meditation in davening: To sense the "G-dly element" in the concept learned.
These three are rungs on the ladder of sensitivity. It is only by G-d's kindness towards us that we may occasionally sense G-dhood spontaneously, without any avoda at all. This comes about by virtue of the quality of Ultimate Essential G-dhood1 within the soul. For avoda by one's own efforts, however, these three forms of meditation are essential.
Compiled and arranged by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, in 5703 (1943) from the talks and letters of the sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory.
FOOTNOTES
1. Atzmut.
Daily Quote
Ten powerful things were created in the world: mountains are hard, but iron cuts through them; iron is hard, but fire melts it; fire is strong, but water extinguishes it; water is strong, but clouds bear it; clouds are strong, but wind scatters them; wind is strong, but the body contains it; the body is strong, bur fear breaks it; fear is potent, but wine dispels it; wine is powerful, but sleep assuages it; and stronger than all these is death. But charity delivers from death.
- Talmud, Bava Batra 10a
Parshat Pinchas, 6th Portion (Numbers 28:16-29:11)
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16. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, [you shall offer up] a Passover offering to the Lord. טז. וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ פֶּסַח לַיהֹוָה:
17. On the fifteenth day of this month, a festival [begins]; you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days. יז. וּבַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה חָג שִׁבְעַת יָמִים מַצּוֹת יֵאָכֵל:
18. On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall not perform any mundane work. יח. בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ:
You shall refrain from all manner of mundane work: Even essential work, such as the prevention of loss, which is permitted on the intermediate days of the festival, is forbidden on the festival itself. — [Torath Kohanim Emor 187, see Rashi on Lev. 23:8] כל מלאכת עבודה: אפילו מלאכה הצריכה לכם, כגון דבר האבד המותרת בחולו של מועד אסורה ביום טוב:
19. You shall offer up a fire offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year they shall be unblemished for you. יט. וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם אִשֶּׁה עֹלָה לַיהֹוָה פָּרִים בְּנֵי בָקָר שְׁנַיִם וְאַיִל אֶחָד וְשִׁבְעָה כְבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה תְּמִימִם יִהְיוּ לָכֶם:
bulls: Corresponding to Abraham, about whom it says, “And to the cattle did Abraham run,” [to feed the three angels who visited him] (Gen. 18:7). פרים: כנגד אברהם, שנאמר (בראשית יח, ז) ואל הבקר רץ אברהם:
ram: Symbolizing the ram [sacrificed instead] of Isaac (see Gen. 22:13). אילים: כנגד אילו של יצחק:
lambs: Corresponding to Jacob, of whom it says, “Jacob separated the lambs” (Gen. 30:40). I saw this in the commentary of R. Moshe Hadarshan [the preacher]. - [Mid. Aggadah, Midrash Tadshey ch. 10] כבשים: כנגד יעקב שנאמר (בראשית ל, מ) והכשבים הפריד יעקב. ביסודו של רבי משה הדרשן ראיתי זאת:
20. Their meal offerings [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths for each bull and two tenths for the ram you shall offer up. כ. וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר וּשְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל תַּעֲשׂוּ:
21. And you shall offer up one tenth for each lamb, for all seven lambs. כא. עִשָּׂרוֹן עִשָּׂרוֹן תַּעֲשֶׂה לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים:
22. And one young male goat for a sin offering to atone for you. כב. וּשְׂעִיר חַטָּאת אֶחָד לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם:
23. You shall offer these up besides the morning burnt offering which is offered as a continual burnt offering. כג. מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַבֹּקֶר אֲשֶׁר לְעֹלַת הַתָּמִיד תַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת אֵלֶּה:
24. Like these, you shall offer up daily for seven days, food of the fire offering, a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord; you shall offer up this in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation. כד. כָּאֵלֶּה תַּעֲשׂוּ לַיּוֹם שִׁבְעַת יָמִים לֶחֶם אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהֹוָה עַל עוֹלַת הַתָּמִיד יֵעָשֶׂה וְנִסְכּוֹ:
Like these, you shall offer up daily: They should not be decreased progressively, as is the case of the bulls of the [Sukkoth] festival. — [Sifrei Pinchas 48] כאלה תעשו ליום: שלא יהיו פוחתין והולכין כפרי החג:
25. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work. כה. וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ:
26. On the day of the first fruits, when you offer up a new meal offering to the Lord, on your festival of Weeks; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall not perform any mundane work. כו. וּבְיוֹם הַבִּכּוּרִים בְּהַקְרִיבְכֶם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַיהֹוָה בְּשָׁבֻעֹתֵיכֶם מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ:
On the day of the first fruits: The festival of Weeks [Shavuoth] is called the first fruits of the wheat harvest, because of the two loaves, which were the first of the wheat offerings to be brought from the new [crop]. — [Men. 84b] וביום הבכורים: חג השבועות קרוי בכורי קציר חטים על שם שתי הלחם, שהם ראשונים למנחת חטים הבאים מן החדש:
27. You shall offer up a burnt offering with a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year. כז. וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עוֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהֹוָה פָּרִים בְּנֵי בָקָר שְׁנַיִם אַיִל אֶחָד שִׁבְעָה כְבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה:
28. Their meal offerings [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths for each bull and two tenths for the ram. כח. וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר הָאֶחָד שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל הָאֶחָד:
29. One tenth for each lamb, for all seven lambs. כט. עִשָּׂרוֹן עִשָּׂרוֹן לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים:
30. One young male goat to atone for you. ל. שְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם:
31. You shall offer this up besides the continual burnt offering and its meal offering they shall be unblemished for you, as well as their libations. לא. מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתוֹ תַּעֲשׂוּ תְּמִימִם יִהְיוּ לָכֶם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם:
they shall be unblemished for you, as well as their libations: Even the libations shall be unblemished. Our Rabbis learned from here that wine that has turned moldy is unfit for libations. - [Men. 87a]
Chapter 29
1. And in the seventh month, on the first day, there shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work. It shall be a day of shofar sounding for you. א. וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם:
2. You shall offer up a burnt offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished. ב. וַעֲשִׂיתֶם עֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהֹוָה פַּר בֶּן בָּקָר אֶחָד אַיִל אֶחָד כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִם:
3. And their meal offering [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for the bull and two tenths for the ram. ג. וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאָיִל:
4. And one tenth for each lamb, for the seven lambs. ד. וְעִשָּׂרוֹן אֶחָד לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים:
5. And one young male goat as a sin offering, to atone for you. ה. וּשְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם:
6. [This is] besides the burnt offering of the new month and its meal offering, and the continual burnt offering and its meal offering, and their libations as prescribed for them, as a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord. ו. מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַחֹדֶשׁ וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְעֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ אִשֶּׁה לַיהֹוָה:
[This is] besides the burnt offering of the new month: The additional offerings of the beginning of the month, which is on the first day of the new year. מלבד עלת החדש: מוספי ראש חדש שהוא ביום ראש השנה:
7. And on the tenth day of this seventh month, there shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall afflict your souls. You shall not perform any work. ז. וּבֶעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי הַזֶּה מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְעִנִּיתֶם אֶת נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם כָּל מְלָאכָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ:
8. You shall offer up a burnt offering to the Lord, [for] a spirit of satisfaction: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year; they shall [all] be unblemished. ח. וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עֹלָה לַיהֹוָה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ פַּר בֶּן בָּקָר אֶחָד אַיִל אֶחָד כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִם יִהְיוּ לָכֶם:
9. And their meal offering [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for the bull and two tenths for the ram. ט. וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל הָאֶחָד:
10. One tenth for each lamb, for the seven lambs. י. עִשָּׂרוֹן עִשָּׂרוֹן לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִׂים:
11. A young male goat for a sin offering, besides the atonement sin offering and the continual burnt offering, its meal offering and their libations. יא. שְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת מִלְּבַד חַטַּאת הַכִּפֻּרִים וְעֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם:
besides the atonement sin-offering: The goat offered up [i.e., whose blood is sprinkled] in the inner chamber mentioned in [the portion of] Acharei Moth (Lev. 16:9, 15), as that too is a sin-offering. מלבד חטאת הכפרים: שעיר הנעשה בפנים האמור באחרי מות, שגם הוא חטאת:
and the continual burnt offering: Besides the regular burnt offering, you shall offer these burnt offerings. ועלת התמיד: ומלבד עולת התמיד תעשו עולות הללו:
and their libations: This refers to the additional offerings which are stated, and to the [phrase] “you shall offer up” [which is not written, but implied]; this denotes a command: Besides the continual burnt offering and its meal-offering, you shall offer up these and their libations. The same applies every time “their libations” is mentioned in connection with all the festivals, except for [when mentioned in connection] with the festival [of 'Succoth’] offerings, for all [the expressions] “and its libation,” “and their libations,” “and its libations” in [connection with] them refer to the continual sacrifice. Nor are they expressions denoting commands, since the libations of the additional offerings are written separately for each day.
Chapter 97
1. When the Lord will reveal His kingship, the earth will exult; the multitudes of islands will rejoice. 2. Clouds and dense darkness will surround Him; justice and mercy will be the foundation of His throne. 3. Fire will go before Him and consume His foes all around. 4. His lightnings will illuminate the world; the earth will see and tremble. 5. The mountains will melt like wax before the Lord, before the Master of all the earth. 6. The heavens will declare His justice, and all the nations will behold His glory. 7. All who worship graven images, who take pride in idols, will be ashamed; all idol worshippers will prostrate themselves before Him. 8. Zion will hear and rejoice, the towns of Judah will exult, because of Your judgments, O Lord. 9. For You, Lord, transcend all the earth; You are exceedingly exalted above all the supernal beings. 10. You who love the Lord, hate evil; He watches over the souls of His pious ones, He saves them from the hand of the wicked. 11. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and extol His holy Name.
Chapter 98
This psalm describes how Israel will praise God for the Redemption.
1. A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and holy arm have wrought deliverance for Him. 2. The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His justice before the eyes of the nations. 3. He has remembered His kindness and faithfulness to the House of Israel; all, from the farthest corners of the earth, witnessed the deliverance by our God. 4. Raise your voices in jubilation to the Lord, all the earth; burst into joyous song and chanting. 5. Sing to the Lord with a harp, with a harp and the sound of song. 6. With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, jubilate before the King, the Lord. 7. The sea and its fullness will roar in joy, the earth and its inhabitants. 8. The rivers will clap their hands, the mountains will sing together. 9. [They will rejoice] before the Lord, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with righteousness.
Chapter 99
This psalm refers to the wars of Gog and Magog, which will precede the Redemption.
1. When the Lord will reveal His kingship, the nations will tremble; the earth will quake before Him Who is enthroned upon the cherubim, 2. [before] the Lord Who is in Zion, Who is great and exalted above all the peoples. 3. They will extol Your Name which is great, awesome and holy. 4. And [they will praise] the might of the King Who loves justice. You have established uprightness; You have made [the laws of] justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5. Exalt the Lord our God, and bow down at His footstool; He is holy. 6. Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who invoke His Name, would call upon the Lord and He would answer them. 7. He would speak to them from a pillar of cloud; they observed His testimonies and the decrees which He gave them. 8. Lord our God, You have answered them; You were a forgiving God for their sake, yet bringing retribution for their own misdeeds. 9. Exalt the Lord our God, and bow down at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.
Chapter 100
This psalm inspires the hearts of those who suffer in this world. Let them, nevertheless, serve God with joy, for all is for their good, as in the verse: "He whom God loves does He chastise." The psalm also refers to the thanksgiving sacrifice-the only sacrifice to be offered in the Messianic era.
1. A psalm of thanksgiving. Let all the earth sing in jubilation to the Lord. 2. Serve the Lord with joy; come before Him with exultation. 3. Know that the Lord is God; He has made us and we are His, His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4. Enter His gates with gratitude, His courtyards with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name. 5. For the Lord is good; His kindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness is for all generations.
Chapter 101
This psalm speaks of David's secluding himself from others, and of his virtuous conduct even in his own home.
1. By David, a psalm. I will sing of [Your] kindness and justice; to You, O Lord, will I chant praise! 2. I will pay heed to the path of integrity-O when will it come to me? I shall walk with the innocence of my heart [even] within my house. 3. I shall not place an evil thing before my eyes; I despise the doing of wayward deeds, it does not cling to me. 4. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I shall not know evil. 5. He who slanders his fellow in secret, him will I cut down; one with haughty eyes and a lustful heart, him I cannot suffer. 6. My eyes are upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the path of integrity, he shall minister to me. 7. He that practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; the speaker of lies shall have no place before my eyes. 8. Every morning I will cut down all the wicked of the land, to excise all evildoers from the city of the Lord Chapter 102
An awe-inspiring prayer for the exiled, and an appropriate prayer for anyone in distress.
1. A prayer of the poor man when he is faint [with affliction], and pours out his tale of woe before the Lord. 2. O Lord, hear my prayer, let my cry reach You! 3. Hide not Your face from me on the day of my distress; turn Your ear to me; on the day that I call, answer me quickly. 4. For my days have vanished with the smoke; my bones are dried up as a hearth. 5. Smitten like grass and withered is my heart, for I have forgotten to eat my bread. 6. From the voice of my sigh, my bone cleaves to my flesh. 7. I am like the bird of the wilderness; like the owl of the wasteland have I become. 8. In haste I fled; I was like a bird, alone on a roof. 9. All day my enemies disgrace me; those who ridicule me curse using my name.1 10. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears, 11. because of Your anger and Your wrath-for You have raised me up, then cast me down. 12. My days are like the fleeting shadow; I wither away like the grass. 13. But You, Lord, will be enthroned forever, and Your remembrance is for all generations. 14. You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to be gracious to her; the appointed time has come. 15. For Your servants cherish her stones, and love her dust. 16. Then the nations will fear the Name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory, 17. when [they see that] the Lord has built Zion, He has appeared in His glory. 18. He turned to the entreaty of the prayerful, and did not despise their prayer. 19. Let this be written for the last generation, so that the newborn nation will praise the Lord. 20. For He looked down from His holy heights; from heaven, the Lord gazed upon the earth, 21. to hear the cry of the bound, to untie those who are doomed to die, 22. so that the Name of the Lord be declared in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem, 23. when nations and kingdoms will gather together to serve the Lord. 24. He weakened my strength on the way; He shortened my days. 25. I would say: "My God, do not remove me in the midst of my days! You Whose years endure through all generations.” 26. In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. 27. They will perish, but You will endure; all of them will wear out like a garment; You will exchange them like a robe, and they will vanish. 28. But You remain the same; Your years will not end. 29. The children of Your servants will abide; their seed shall be established before You.
Chapter 103
David's prayer when he was ill, this psalm is an appropriate prayer on behalf of the sick, especially when offered by the sick person himself while his soul is yet in his body. He can then bless God from his depths, body and soul. Read, and find repose for your soul.
1. By David. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, His holy Name. 2. My soul, bless the Lord; forget not all His favors: 3. Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your illnesses; 4. Who redeems your life from the grave, Who crowns you with kindness and mercy; 5. Who satisfies your mouth with goodness; like the eagle, your youth is renewed. 6. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7. He made His ways known to Moses, His deeds to the Children of Israel. 8. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness. 9. He will not contend for eternity, nor harbor ill will forever. 10. He has not dealt with us according to our transgressions, nor requited us according to our sins. 11. For as high as heaven is above the earth, so has His kindness been mighty over those who fear Him. 12. As far as the east is from the west, so has He distanced our transgressions from us. 13. As a father has compassion on his children, so has the Lord had compassion on those who fear Him. 14. For He knows our nature; He is mindful that we are but dust. 15. As for man, his days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so he sprouts. 16. When a wind passes over him, he is gone; his place recognizes him no more. 17. But the kindness of the Lord is forever and ever upon those who fear Him, and His righteousness is [secured] for children's children, 18. to those who keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commands to do them. 19. The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingship has dominion over all. 20. Bless the Lord, you His angels who are mighty in strength, who do His bidding to obey the voice of His speech. 21. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His servants who do His will. 22. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all the places of His dominion. My soul, bless the Lord!
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