My singing and using drum's on keyboard, neat-ha! Its so sad when our day of rest comes to a close. Well not so fast do we run away from the queen of Shabbat. We send her away with love and joy. After Havdalah we begin the Melava Malka Party in honor of the departure of our dear friend and day of rest, Shabbat!! David Hamelech requested of G-d to inform him when the day of his departure from this world would be. G-d refused to tell him. David pleaded with him. Perhaps, he negotiated, G-d could at least let him know what day of the week it would be? So G-d eventually gave in. He told David that his decease would occur on a Shabbos. From then on, David Hamelech would consistently spend every Shabbos engrossed in Torah study, for he knew that the angel of death cannot descend upon an individual whilst studying Torah. Then, every Motzei Shabbos (Saturday night, after the sun has gone down and it is no longer considered Shabbos anymore), he would celebrate the fact that he was still alive after yet another Shabbos. Since then, Jews celebrate along with David Hamelech with candles, food and music every Motzei Shabbos. This mitzvah is referred to as Melave Malka. The term Melave Malka literally means “Escorting the Queen”, i.e. Shabbos, the universal bride -queen whom we invoke every Friday evening with the song Lecha Dodi. The inherently feminine nature of Shabbos results from the aspect of G-d revelation that is dominent that day, namely the Shechina, or the indwelling presence of the Infinate in the Finite. Basically, the Shechina is the manifest G-dliness in the world, which Shabbos allows us to recognize more clearly. This is in fact the meaning of the idea that G-d “rested” on the seventh day. If G-d ceased even for a second (G-d forbid) to create anything in our world, that thing would banish from all existence. Not only that, the entire history of that thing would vanish completly as well. It would truly be as if the thing in question were to have never existed to begin with. Thus what is the meaning behind this idea of G-d resting? This is the idea of the Shechina, which does not create anything in and of itself, but sustains all that has been created thus far, and ties together and makes practical all of the stages of the creation process. It is the final resultant level of the Tzimzum (constriction of G-dliness) to those familier with such idea. Math and Kabbalah are facinatingly intertwined. Historical reacherch has demonstrated that in roughly what we know to be Babylonian times, the mathimatical base of measurement was 6, as opposed to the 10 that characterizes our present day decimal system. Kabbalistically speaking this fact is very significant. In Torah, the number 6 signifies a recurring cycle, which 10 represents direction, and change. One of the central aspects that seperates the time before the Jews received the Torah from Mount Sinai (i.e. what History understands to be Babylonian times) and the time which followed the given of the Torah, is that with the actual physical descent of G-d onto a tangible mountain, the physical world itself became instilled with a linear purpose. The ability for physical objects,such as parchment to become not merely symbols of holiness but acutally holy objects in and of themselves became manifest. The miricle of the giving of the Torah was in its achievement of the impossible - trancendent infinity decended into the bounded finite. Before the giving of the Torah the entire spiritual purpose of the world was circular in nature. All the philosophies and religions of that time were cyclical in thought. The idea was to get in tune with nature and the the natural flow of things. In terms of Infinity however, this level remained as of yet entirely completley attainable. It is true that it is recorded that our forefathers kept all of the Mitzvos before we phsyically got the Torah, however they kept it in a very different way. When Itzchak put on Tefillin, the tefillin themselves were only important in so far that they served as a means of attaining certain spiritual heights, it was only after the giving of the Torah, that the actual physical tefillin themselves took on a manifest and actual holy existence. This correspondence of 6 with a cycle or the natural world is consistent in every aspect whether directly Torah related or not. However, nevertheless, when speaking of a cycle, the number 7 is at times more appropriate. The number 7 is what completely the cycle of 6. Thus we have 7 days of the week and not 6, the 7th being Shabbos. There are 7 midos, or emotionional attributes by which we relate to G-d’s revalation, each of which we ourselves posses (being created in the image of G-d), and each of which respectively correspond to the days of the week. The first 6 midos (Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yeod ) are male in nature, and more actively creative than the final female attribute Malchus who in and of herself has no set definition but upon whom all of the preceding attributes are dependent, and without which each one would remain at best isolated and theoretical. Malchus draws them all together and brings them to life. All of this can be best demonstrated through the circle. The circumference of a circle is calculated by the formula 2piR - meaning the radius, the distance from any point on the circle to the centre of the circle, times twice pi (3.14...). This gives us 6.28......R as the circumferamce of any given circle. Thus the 6 attributes are manifest on every circle, dividing it into its 6 component parts, illustrating the universal concept of cycle. There is still the 0.28....ad infinium that needs to be dealt with however. Keep this in mind. What is the one single point on any given circle that holds the entire circle together, upon which all the otehr points are dependent, without whcih the whole circle would collapse? The centre of course. However what is the center really? It has no tangible existence. We can never pinpoint it exactly, we canonly give an approximation. Also, without a circle, there is no centre. Each one is dependent on the other. However to say that they are equal in importance would be false. In addition to providing support to the other 6 portions of the circle, the centre adds another aspect to the circle, one which none of the others could ever provide. The centre adds infinity. Hence the circumference of a circle is not 6R but rather 6.28....ad infinityR. This immaculate centre is - Shabbos. Female queen Shabbos who sustains and adds infinity to male finite “rest of the week”. The added 0.28... is the overspilling of Shabbos into the rest of the week. This is why we attempt to connect and intertwine it as much as possible into the rest of the week. This is the significance of bringing in and out Shabbos with candles. The candle we light on Friday before Shabbos begins must burn until it is fully dark and we can benifit from the light when it is truly Shabbos - a light that was lit on a weekday! During Havdalah we recognize this concept even more, by lighting a woven candle that has been twisted with at least two wicks, or those of us without the luxury of such an investment hold two candles together to demonstrate the idea of molding the Shabbos into the weekday. The only means by which the Luz bone - which is the bone from which during the Ressurection of the Dead in the Post-Messianic Era, all of the rest of the body will regenerate - receives nourishment, is from the food eaten at Malve Malka. Thus the Luz bone, in addition to the sense of smell, is the only thing that was not affected by the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They ate from the tree before the first Shabbos, and thus their Luz bones were never affected by the tainted food. The ideal time for Melave Malka is during the first 4 hours (shaot zmaniot - i.e not necissarily 60 min hours, it varies with the seasons) after Shabbos has departed. It is also a Chassidic custom to tell stories about the Ba’al Shem Tov - the founder of the Chassidic movement - in particular during this time. The Ba’al Shem Tov has the same Yortzeit (anniversiry of death) as did David Hamelech. So light a candle, turn on some music and EAT! G-d did not mean for the infinate and the finite to remain forever separate. Affect a unification with this weekly mitzvah! Written by 18year old and future writter, Friend, MISS SAREDE SWITZER glazzies@hotmail.com (if you would like to ask questions about anything in judaism, feel free to email her:) Email: moshes@letterbox.com
My singing and using drum's on keyboard, neat-ha!
Its so sad when our day of rest comes to a close. Well not so fast do we run away from the queen of Shabbat. We send her away with love and joy. After Havdalah we begin the Melava Malka Party in honor of the departure of our dear friend and day of rest, Shabbat!!
After Havdalah we begin the Melava Malka Party in honor of the departure of our dear friend and day of rest, Shabbat!!
David Hamelech requested of G-d to inform him when the day of his departure from this world would be. G-d refused to tell him. David pleaded with him. Perhaps, he negotiated, G-d could at least let him know what day of the week it would be? So G-d eventually gave in. He told David that his decease would occur on a Shabbos. From then on, David Hamelech would consistently spend every Shabbos engrossed in Torah study, for he knew that the angel of death cannot descend upon an individual whilst studying Torah. Then, every Motzei Shabbos (Saturday night, after the sun has gone down and it is no longer considered Shabbos anymore), he would celebrate
the fact that he was still alive after yet another Shabbos. Since then, Jews celebrate along with David Hamelech with candles,
food and music
every Motzei Shabbos. This mitzvah is referred to as Melave Malka.
The term Melave Malka literally means “Escorting the Queen”, i.e. Shabbos, the universal bride -queen whom we invoke every Friday evening with the song Lecha Dodi. The inherently feminine nature of Shabbos results from the aspect of G-d revelation that is dominent that day, namely the Shechina, or the indwelling presence of the Infinate in the Finite. Basically, the Shechina is the manifest G-dliness in the world, which Shabbos allows us to recognize more clearly. This is in fact the meaning of the idea that G-d “rested” on the seventh day. If G-d ceased even for a second (G-d forbid) to create anything in our world, that thing would banish from all existence. Not only that, the entire history of that thing would vanish completly as well. It would truly be as if the thing in question were to have never existed to begin with. Thus what is the meaning behind this idea of G-d resting? This is the idea of the Shechina, which does not create anything in and of itself, but sustains all that has been created thus far, and ties together and makes practical all of the stages of the creation process. It is the final resultant level of the Tzimzum (constriction of G-dliness) to those familier with such idea. Math and Kabbalah are facinatingly intertwined. Historical reacherch has demonstrated that in roughly what we know to be Babylonian times, the mathimatical base of measurement was 6, as opposed to the 10 that characterizes our present day decimal system. Kabbalistically speaking this fact is very significant. In Torah, the number 6 signifies a recurring cycle, which 10 represents direction, and change. One of the central aspects that seperates the time before the Jews received the Torah from Mount Sinai (i.e. what History understands to be Babylonian times) and the time which followed the given of the Torah, is that with the actual physical descent of G-d onto a tangible mountain, the physical world itself became instilled with a linear purpose. The ability for physical objects,such as parchment to become not merely symbols of holiness but acutally holy objects in and of themselves became manifest. The miricle of the giving of the Torah was in its achievement of the impossible - trancendent infinity decended into the bounded finite.
Before the giving of the Torah the entire spiritual purpose of the world was circular in nature. All the philosophies and religions of that time were cyclical in thought. The idea was to get in tune with nature and the the natural flow of things.
In terms of Infinity however, this level remained as of yet entirely completley attainable. It is true that it is recorded that our forefathers kept all of the Mitzvos before we phsyically got the Torah, however they kept it in a very different way. When Itzchak put on Tefillin, the tefillin themselves were only important in so far that they served as a means of attaining certain spiritual heights, it was only after the giving of the Torah, that the actual physical tefillin themselves took on a manifest and actual holy existence.
This correspondence of 6 with a cycle or the natural world is consistent in every aspect whether directly Torah related or not. However, nevertheless, when speaking of a cycle, the number 7 is at times more appropriate. The number 7 is what completely the cycle of 6. Thus we have 7 days of the week and not 6, the 7th being Shabbos. There are 7 midos, or emotionional attributes by which we relate to G-d’s revalation, each of which we ourselves posses (being created in the image of G-d), and each of which respectively correspond to the days of the week. The first 6 midos (Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yeod ) are male in nature, and more actively creative than the final female attribute Malchus who in and of herself has no set definition but upon whom all of the preceding attributes are dependent, and without which each one would remain at best isolated and theoretical. Malchus draws them all together and brings them to life. All of this can be best demonstrated through the circle. The circumference of a circle is calculated by the formula 2piR - meaning the radius, the distance from any point on the circle to the centre of the circle, times twice pi (3.14...). This gives us 6.28......R as the circumferamce of any given circle. Thus the 6 attributes are manifest on every circle, dividing it into its 6 component parts, illustrating the universal concept of cycle. There is still the 0.28....ad infinium that needs to be dealt with however. Keep this in mind. What is the one single point on any given circle that holds the entire circle together, upon which all the otehr points are dependent, without whcih the whole circle would collapse? The centre of course. However what is the center really? It has no tangible existence. We can never pinpoint it exactly, we canonly give an approximation. Also, without a circle, there is no centre. Each one is dependent on the other. However to say that they are equal in importance would be false. In addition to providing support to the other 6 portions of the circle, the centre adds another aspect to the circle, one which none of the others could ever provide. The centre adds infinity. Hence the circumference of a circle is not 6R but rather 6.28....ad infinityR. This immaculate centre is - Shabbos. Female queen Shabbos who sustains and adds infinity to male finite “rest of the week”. The added 0.28... is the overspilling of Shabbos into the rest of the week. This is why we attempt to connect and intertwine it as much as possible into the rest of the week. This is the significance of bringing in and out Shabbos with candles.
The candle we light on Friday before Shabbos begins must burn until it is fully dark and we can benifit from the light when it is truly Shabbos - a light that was lit on a weekday! During Havdalah we recognize this concept even more, by lighting a woven candle that has been twisted with at least two wicks, or those of us without the luxury of such an investment hold two candles together to demonstrate the idea of molding the Shabbos into the weekday. The only means by which the Luz bone - which is the bone from which during the Ressurection of the Dead in the Post-Messianic Era, all of the rest of the body will regenerate - receives nourishment, is from the food eaten at Malve Malka. Thus the Luz bone, in addition to the sense of smell, is the only thing that was not affected by the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They ate from the tree before the first Shabbos, and thus their Luz bones were never affected by the tainted food.
The ideal time for Melave Malka is during the first 4 hours (shaot zmaniot - i.e not necissarily 60 min hours, it varies with the seasons) after Shabbos has departed. It is also a Chassidic custom to tell stories about the Ba’al Shem Tov - the founder of the Chassidic movement - in particular during this time. The Ba’al Shem Tov has the same Yortzeit (anniversiry of death) as did David Hamelech. So light a candle, turn on some music and EAT! G-d did not mean for the infinate and the finite to remain forever separate. Affect a unification with this weekly mitzvah! Written by 18year old and future writter, Friend, MISS SAREDE SWITZER glazzies@hotmail.com (if you would like to ask questions about anything in judaism, feel free to email her:)
and EAT! G-d did not mean for the infinate and the finite to remain forever separate. Affect a unification with this weekly mitzvah!
