Shabbat Bamidbar Sinai - סיני במדבר
Bamidbar = Wilderness = Lack of water or Torah
Sinai = "my China" - also "concealed Hate"
Why does HaShem send Israel by way of wilderness -
lacking Torah - experiencing hate?
Consciousness Builder
This Moment is the Ultimate Moment of Your Life
Until Now 
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's 's book: "Conversations With Yourself"

chanoch Questions:
Can you make this statement about your life?
How can you say this?

Because this is the moment that you've been practicing for your entire life. Everything you've ever studied and everything you've ever learned is now stored in your brain. The wisdom of your life experiences has reached its highest point (so far) at this very moment.

This moment is made up of all that you've ever learned and done. All the moments of your life have added up to this very moment. So since this moment is so special, make it really special.
How do you do that?

With your self-talk. With your thoughts. With the way you draw upon all of your skills and talents and wisdom. With the words and the actions your mind tells you are the best for this moment.

Just consider this moment special, and it is. And this is not only true for this moment. Rather, it is true for every single moment , for as long as you live .

The present moment is the culmination of your life until that moment.

At this moment and each moment, you get to choose your thoughts, and your words, and your actions. Make wise choices. Make choices that you will look back on later and say, "I am glad that I made those choices."
Chanoch's Questions:

  • Do you know from where your thoughts come?

  • Do you control your thoughts?
OR

  • Do your thoughts control you?

  • What did you learn this past moment?

  • What will you strive to learn this next moment?

Are you counting the Omer?      
Do You want to?
It leads you to spiritual heights!
Join Count the Omer 7PM PDT 
712 832 8300 Pincode 911904#

This week is the week of Malchut = Kingdom - Manifestation - unfulfilled desire - Process as a goal.

Story Section:

Laughing Below, Dancing Above

Once, while the Baal Shem Tov was sitting at the Shabbos night dinner table, he suddenly started to laugh heartily. After a few minutes, the Rebbe started laughing again. A short while later, the Rebbe laughed a third time!

The disciples who were present that night couldn't imagine what could cause their Rebbe to burst into such laughter - and three times, no less! - but they didn't dare to ask. However, Saturday night, after the Havdalah ('end of Shabbos") ceremony¸ they asked one of their veteran members, Rabbi Ze'ev-Wolff Kitzis (who was also the Baal Shem Tov's brother-in-law), to query the Rebbe about this seemingly strange behavior. They knew it was his custom to visit the Baal Shem Tov at his home on Saturday nights while the Rebbe was smoking his pipe.
The Baal Shem Tov's response was to tell him, "Why don't you and the rest of the chevreh (the group of his close followers) accompany me on a journey now, and I will reveal to you what made me laugh."

The Baal Shem Tov then asked his gentile coach-driver, Alexi, to prepare the wagon and horses for a trip. The excursion lasted the entire night.

As the sky began to lighten, they arrived at a large town, which they soon found out was Apta. After praying in a local synagogue, the Baal Shem Tov went over to the leader of the congregation and asked him to send for Reb Shabsi the bookbinder. "And tell him to please bring his wife too," he added.
When they arrived, the Baal Shem Tov addressed Shabsi, "Please tell us what went on in your home on Shabbos night. Don't leave out anything."

Shabsi's jaw dropped in shock. After opening and closing his mouth several times, he began. "Rebbe, I'm sorry. If I've sinned, please instruct me how to rectify it." Then, after a glance at his wife, he related what happened.
"All my life I worked binding books, and thank G-d, it supported all my needs. My custom was that every Thursday I buy everything needed for Shabbos, and had everything ready for Shabbos long before midday on Friday. At midday, already dressed for Shabbos, I go to shul. There I review the weekly reading and read Song of Songs until it is time for the Mincha (afternoon prayer) and Welcoming the Shabbos prayers. Then I go home, pour a cup of wine and recite Kiddush.
"This was my practice for more than forty years. Lately however, since I became old, I don't have the strength to work as much. As a result, I slowly became impoverished. I rarely have the means to buy everything we need for Shabbos. Still, I maintain my custom to go to shul at midday on Friday, already prepared for the holy day.

"This past Friday was especially difficult. I had no money at all to buy anything for Shabbos. When midday came, I told my wife that I nevertheless was going to go to shul as always, and I asked her to promise not to go to the neighbors to borrow anything for Shabbos-no oil for lighting candles, nor food nor wine nor flour to bake challah. Even if they offered to give she should not take. I felt in total agreement with the statement of our sages, 'It is better to make Shabbos like a weekday, than to be dependent on others.'
chanoch adds: How does that reconcile with your credit card spending?
"I went to shul as usual and learned and prayed, yet feeling uneasy knowing that my house was dark and empty of anything for Shabbos. After completion of the Shabbos night prayers, I waited till everyone else left before I set out for home. I didn't want to answer their questions if they should notice through our window that no candles were burning.

"I was still a short distance from home when I noticed that there was bright light coming from my front window! I could barely trust my eyes. I knew there was no oil or candles in the house.

"I felt bad, realizing that my wife certainly wasn't able to stand up to the test and had gone to the neighbors to borrow candles. And perhaps food too!
"When I went inside, I saw the table was set beautifully, and the whole house smelled of delicious food! For a moment I became angry; I had told my wife to promise me that she wouldn't borrow anything, and clearly she didn't keep her word.

"Nevertheless, I decided I was not going to say anything so as not to cause any arguments and thereby spoil the peace and harmony of Shabbos. I understood it must have been difficult for her.

"Instead, I sang Shalom Aleichem and Eishes Chayil (the two traditional pre-Kiddush hymns) as usual. However, when my wife brought over the wine for Kiddush and covered the beautiful challahs, I was unable to hold back, and I asked her as gently as I could why she broke her promise.

"Did she surprise me!
"She stated that she didn't break her word. She quickly explained that after I left for shul she didn't know what to do: there was no food to prepare and she had already cleaned the house. So, she decided that instead of sitting idle, she would busy herself cleaning out the storage chest and refolding the old clothes in it.

"Inside the chest was an old coat, and in its pockets she discovered a pair of matching gloves that had been missing for many years, on which the buttons and decorative flowers --the fashion decades ago--were made of pure silver! She snipped them off and rushed to a silversmith in the marketplace, who willingly purchased them for a tidy sum. With the money, she went to the nearby stalls of the food and beverage sellers, and purchased everything we could possibly need for Shabbos, in her excitement sparing no expense.
" Hearing this, I also became excited, and very happy and grateful. I recited Kiddush with great joy. We washed our hands and said the blessing for bread over the two fresh challahs, and as soon as I finished chewing my first bite, I thanked my wife for what she had done, and when she served the gefilte fish I told her how lucky we were to have such a blessing from the Creator, that He saved us from poverty and taking charity and enabled us to honor the Shabbos properly.

"In our joy, we both got up and danced energetically like a young chatan and kallah (bride and groom) on the day of their wedding! After a while we sat back down and ate chicken soup and roasted meat and other delicious foods.
"I couldn't contain my great happiness, though, so I took her by the hand and we danced again! Finally, we got tired. We returned to the table and ate a rich selection of fruits and desserts, which led to our getting up and dancing a third time! We were so happy and so thankful to G-d for how he helped us, that dancing seemed to be the only way we could show Him our joy and gratitude!"

The elderly bookbinder completed his words by repeating, "Rebbe, I'm sorry. If I've sinned, please instruct me how to rectify it.
The Baal Shem Tov beamed at Shabsi, and turned to the eagerly listening chasidim. "Each of the three times Reb Shabsi and his wife danced around the Shabbos table last night, the angels in heaven too rejoiced and danced! This was what delighted me and made me laugh three times."

Turning back to Shabsi and his wife, Perle, the Baal Shem Tov addressed the woman directly. "In the merit of your great Shabbos efforts and the extraordinary rejoicing of you both, you are to be granted a special blessing. Would you like that you live the rest of your days in great wealth, or do you want a blessing to have a child in your old age?"
Perle answered instantly. "Would good will riches do us? We are old, in our sixties, and childless. Rebbe. Please bless me and my husband to have a good son." Shabsi nodded his head vigorously at hearing her choice.

The Baal Shem Tov said "Amen," and declared that by this time next year, Reb Shabsi and his wife would have a son. He also said that he would attend the brit milah circumcision ceremony and be the sandek (the man who holds the baby on his lap during the physical circumcision), and that their son would be a bright light for them in the World of Truth.
And that's what happened. Before twelve months, the elderly couple had a baby boy! Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov was the sandek at the brit, and they named the infant 'Yisrael' after him.

This child grew up to be a great Torah scholar and a leading chasidic rebbe in his own right. He was none other than Rabbi Yisrael, the famed 'Maggid ("Preacher") of Kozhnitz'
chanoch's Questions

  • Can you understand how dancing relates to laughter?

  • Our Sages teach that this world is an upside down world - Therefore laughter comes from the mouth which is in the head - while dancing comes from the feet. Do you see how our world is upside down?

  • If the world is upside down what is the opposite of the wilderness?

Go to this link as it is about the

Shabbat Bamidbar
To understand Parasha Bamidbar it is important to understand the word Bamidbar. Here is the Hebrew word Bamidbar - במדבר .

The translation of Bamidbar is usually "in or with" a desert or wilderness. Of course no one would normally translates "with a desert". Here is another translation "from word with". Here is even another translation " word of 42". Another translation is "with talk". Another possible translation "appeal with". All of these are possible translations and also only revealed translations. There are many more possible revealed translations. Also even more concealed translations..
One of the more interesting teachings from the regular gematria of 248 is the relationship to Abraham and his being a channel to the Sefirah of Chesed - Loving Kindness. Also the connection to the 248 positive Mitzvoth is expressed in this word Bamidbar. This is one reason the Torah is given in the desert, albeit on the mountain and not the floor of the desert.

The normal gematria gives additional insight. The normal gematria is 41 which is a connectionn to "mother" which is the Sefirah of Binah.

Let us explore the differences between a desert and a wilderness.

The dictionary definition of "wilderness" is "an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region".

The dictionary definition of "desert" is - "A large, dry, barren region, usually having sandy or rocky soil and little or no vegetation". Water lost to evaporation and transpiration in a  desert  exceeds the amount of precipitation. Most  deserts  average less than 25 cm (9.75 inches) of precipitation each year, concentrated in short local bursts.

In that sense the Torah is given in the desert as an antidote to the Satan. This also applies to the gematria discussed above. When a word has a gematria that relates to other words or items it can be a tool of unification or a tool that can be used as a protection shield.
Thus the 248 postive Mitzvot - the Ana Bekoach - Avraham and actions of loving kindness can be used as a protective shieled against the negative system.

Another important wisdom revealed in this parasha is the relationships between the tribes of Israel and the order that they marched in the desert.

The order that the Tribes are revealed in this first census is not the birth order. This is a hint to the relationship between the Tribes and the wisdom of Hebrew Astrology.
It is recommended that one count the Names of the Tribes mentioned. Here they are:

  1. Reuven connects to the sign of Cancer.
  2. Shimon connects to the sign of Leo.
  3. Gad connect to the sign of Virgo.
  4. Yehuda connects to the sign of Aries
  5. Issachar connects to the sign of Taurus
  6. Zevulan connects to the sign of Gemini
  7. Efraim connects to the sign of Libra
  8. Menashe connects to the sign of Scorpio
  9. Benyamin connects to the sign of Sagitarius
  10. Dan connects to the sign of Capricorn
  11. Asher connects to the sign of Aqarius
  12. Naftali connects to the sign of Adar
  13. Levi connects to the 13th sign being used in modern sidereal astrology.
The Torah teaches about the historical astrology system and also hints to the modern astrology system with its 13 sign. In sidereal astrology the "additional" sign occurs between Scorpio and Sagitarius.

As a student of Kabbalah can you answer the question " Why does the 13th sign occur beteeen the 8th and 9th signs?".

For Parasha Bamidbar - Numbers Chapter 1 Verse 1 3:
   וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד: בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית, לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם--לֵאמֹר.
Translation:
 And HaShem spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying:
Transliteration:
Vaydaber HaShem El Moshe BeMidbar Sinai Moade: BeEhchad LaChodesh HaSheini BaShana HaShaynit, Letzaytam MayEretz Mitzrayim Laymor
Numbers from the Verse:
17 words connects to the Hebrew word Tov which translates as goodness.

70 Letters connects to the 70 nations. Also the Hebrew word for wine and also secret.
Shiluv - First Letters:
This is my intuitive connection. You need to do this for yourself as well.
ויאמבסמבבלהבהלממל
Regular Gematria:
345 is the regular gematria. 345 is the gematria of the name Moshe. Moshe is described in the Talmud and Zohar as being a conduit to HaShem for all of the Children of Israel.
Small Gematria:
57 is the small gematria. 57 is the gematria of the Hebrew word Zan, which is translated as parnasa and / or sustenance.
Normal gematria
Normal gematria is when the position of a letter within the order of the Alef Bet is recognized: 6+10+1+13+2+16+13+2+2+12+5+2+5+12+13+13+12 = 130.
130 is the gematria of Hebrew words for ladder and also Sinai.

Thus all aspects of the gematria is referring to the Holiday Shavuot as Bamidbar is always read on the Shabbat prior to Shavuot.
Shiluv - Final Letters
This is my intuitive connection. You need to do this for yourself as well.
רהלהרילדדשיהתםץםר
Regular Gematria:
1573 is the regular gematria. When one adds a colel to 1573 it becomes 1574. A phrase in Psalm 46:2 has this gematria. The translation for this phrse Hahem is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.

ִFinal Letter Gematria
2693 is the final letter gematria. This is 2600 + 93. 2600 is the Gematria for the Name of HaShem in the frame of Binah. 93 is the same gematria of the Hebrew word Mogan which translates as "shield" meaning protection. This gematria is then teaching that "HaShem is our shield".
Small Gematria:
63 is the small gematria. 63 is the gematria of HaShem when spelled out as follows:
יוד הי ואו הי
This gematria of 63 is connected to the level of Binah.

Normal gematria:
Normal gematria is when the position of a letter within the order of the Alef Bet is recognized.
20+5+12+5+20+10+12+4+4+21+10+5+13+18+13+20 = 192 is the gematria of the phrase "chetzi vah" which translates as "My delight is in Her". This phrase is used in Isaiah 62:4. 192 is also the gematria for the phrase "you who shall cleave to HaShem" from Deuteronomy 4:4,
Please email yeshshem@hotmail.com with your own meanings to these letters as acronyms. Your meanings will be added to the parasha page along with the attribution unless you request that there not be an attribution posted.
It is important that the above is not misinterpreted. There is only one God and He/She/It is the God of the Children of Israel. Always feel and show respect -  fear, awe for God whose Name is
י הוה
Included in this name are all of the attributes that a human being perceives as belonging to HaShem, including Elohim - Shadai - myriads of other Names. 

In this section we offer a few Kabbalistic tools and links to more on their Explanations:
Shiluv:  
Yeshshem teaches about a spiritual tool named Shiluv - intertwining Hebrew Letters.This tool represents HaShem's mercy, yet only if you know how to utilize it.

Here is a link to learn more about the Shiluv too l and how to achieve it, in time. 
The DNA Tool: 
There is still an opportunity to change the DNA of the year until Tevet according to the Kabbalists. From Tevet until Tishrai it is more difficult yet still possible. 
 

Yes it is more difficult than doing this on Yom Kippur yet it still can be done. To do this requires us to continue our Teshuvah  

Link to Teshuvah






Sunday May 13 at 7 PM  - Omer Counting 





Wednesday May 16 at 4:30 PM  - D eep Zohar on Noach

Wednesday May 16 at 7 PM  - Questions and Answers + Omer Counting

Thursday May 17 at 4:30 PM  - Deep Zohar of Parasha Noach

Thursday May 17 at 7 PM  - Zohar Study for Parasha Bamidbar + Counting the Omer

Friday May 18 at 7AM  - Psalm Study
 
Motzie Shabbat May 19 at 6 PM  - Shavuot Holiday

Motzei Shabbat May 19 at 7 PM - Shavuot Holiday

All classes can be heard live on our conference call system at
712 832 8300 using pincode 911904#










The 72 Names come from 3 verses - Exodus Chapter 14 Verses 19 - 21. The Zohar tells how to form these 3 verses into 2 sets of 3 letter sequences. These Names are utilized as meditative tools and Kavenah when saying the Shema Israel Prayer.

If you can not find your Name send an email to yeshshem@hotmail.com requesting your Personal Name and Chart.
 
As we enter the new year and Month of Nissan we recognize that there are many ways to allocate these Names.
 

Astrology
Rosh Chodesh Sivan will be
evening May 14 to Sunset May 15.
Our Rosh Chodesh Sivan event will be Monday evening during our 7 PM Counting of the Omer.
Our link to the recording will be in this location next week.
Sidereal Astrology:
The moon begins the week in Pisces. The moon will spend all week in Pisces. This is because Pisces is a larger part of the skies than usual in sidereal astrologyy.
The new moon will take place this week. The new moon in Pisces is a clearing of older core values to make room for the changes and growrh.

While in Pisces the moon which impacts the Children of Israel will tend to be generating restful energy. Also meditation and creative moments will be see as part of the moon in Pisces this week.

As always the tool to no longer be influenced by the astrological energies is to utilize the tool of binding by striking at every reaction moment. The first step is to stop your reactions not suppress your reactions. Learn to know the difference when you react.
Share this email
Sign up for emails