Beit Yisrael International Rambam, In His Own Words

 Beit Yisrael International Rambam, In His Own Words

Torah + Jewish Halakhot for all Jews and all the ‘Lost Sheep from the House of Israel’: Together we are Am Yisrael! We need to find our way back, in Love to each other and to Eretz Yisrael, for to be a Light unto the Nations.

תורה + הלכות יהודיות לכל היהודים ולכל "הצאן האובדת מבית ישראל": יחד אנחנו עם ישראל! עלינו למצוא את דרכנו חזרה, באהבה זה לזה ולארץ ישראל, כדי להיות אור לגויים.

Beit Yisrael International Daily Torah compelled by: Ariel your Representee, Representee of Ephraim, Chavruta (Brother in Torah) with Ephraim and adviser (not a rabbi but friendly adviser) for Bet Yisrael international on the Har HaBayit.

תורה יומית של בית ישראל בינלאומי בהשראת: אריאל נציגך, נציג אפרים, חברותא לאפרים ויועץ (לא רב אלא יועץ ידידותי) לבית ישראל בינלאומי בנושא הר הבית.

Please note: Out of respect for the sanctity of Shabbat and Yom Tov, we kindly request that you refrain from browsing, searching, or posting on this website during these sacred times — from candle lighting at the onset of Shabbat or Yom Tov until their conclusion. We deeply appreciate you're understanding and honor for these holy days.

שימו לב: מתוך כבוד לקדושת השבת ויום טוב, אנו מבקשים שתמנעו מגלישה, חיפוש או פרסום באתר זה בזמנים קדושים אלה - החל מהדלקת נרות בכניסת השבת או יום טוב ועד לסיומם. אנו מעריכים מאוד את הבנתכם וכבודכם לימים קדושים אלה.

See: 

Our father in Shamayim (Heaven),

Rock-fortress and redeemer of Yisra’el —

bless the State of Israel,

the initial sprouting of our redemption.

Beit Yisrael International Torah Yomi for everyone who loves Yisrael.

HarHaBayit:

'We failed! We didn't throw of the Mountain: Amalek's descendants and their Israeli friends! The Erev Rav! We must be at war until all terrorists are dead! In and around Eretz Yisrael. The day after, we need to vote for an Elohim fearing Government. Then let us start to Pray and to talk about a new government. Every Jew and non-Jew must accept and respect Jewish Law. Voting's yes, but a new high Court system Jewish Law in all Eretz Yisrael: Including Aza, Yudea and Samaria. So that we may become a real blessing for the whole world as it was in the time of the Kingdom of HaMeleg David. Yes, real Teshuva and Study our Source: The Torah. The Sifri (a treatise on the derivation of Torah law from the exegesis of the verses of Numbers and Deuteronomy, written during the time of the Mishnah by Rav) says, "The Jewish people were commanded three mitzvos upon entering Israel: appointing for them-selves a king, building themselves a Sanctuary and wiping out the descendants of Amalek."

Look Click: https://fb.watch/r0HhSftzj1/

Shemot (Exodus) - Chapter 25

8And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst		חוְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָֽׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם:
And they shall make Me a sanctuary: And they shall make in My name a house of sanctity.		וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ: וְעָשׂוּ לִשְׁמִי בֵּית קְדֻשָּׁה:
9according to all that I show you, the pattern of the Mishkan and the pattern of all its vessels; and so shall you do.		טכְּכֹ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אֽוֹתְךָ֔ אֵ֚ת תַּבְנִ֣ית הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת תַּבְנִ֣ית כָּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וְכֵ֖ן תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּ:
according to all that I show you: here, the pattern of the Mishkan. This verse is connected to the verse above it: “And they shall make Me a sanctuary…” according to all that I show you.		כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אֽוֹתְךָ: כָּאן את תבנית המשכן, הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה מְחֻבָּר לַמִּקְרָא שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה הֵימֶנּוּ וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ

Eretz Yisrael in Jewish Scriptures Click:

Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel, by Rabbi Yitsḥak haLevi Hertzog

(1948)

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ, בָּרֵךְ אֶת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, רֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ.	Our father in Shamayim (Heaven), Rock-fortress and redeemer of Yisra’el — bless the State of Israel, the initial sprouting of our redemption.
הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ, וּפְרֹשׁ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ, וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ לְרָאשֶׁיהָ, שָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ, וְתַקְּנֵם בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ.	Shield her beneath the wings of your lovingkindness; spread over her your Sukkah of peace;[1] send your light and your truth to its leaders, officers, and counselors, and correct them with your good counsel.
חַזֵּק אֶת יְדֵי מְגִנֵּי אֶרֶץ קָדְשֵׁנוּ, וְהַנְחִילֵם אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְשׁוּעָה וַעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן תְּעַטְּרֵם, וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְיוֹשְׁבֶיהָ.	Strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land; grant them, our elo’ah, salvation, and crown them with victory. Establish peace in the land, and everlasting joy for her inhabitants.
וְאֶת אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל פְּקָד־נָא בְּכָל אַרְצוֹת פְּזוּרֵיהֶם, וְתוֹלִיכֵם מְהֵרָה קוֹמְמִיּוּת לְצִיּוֹן עִירֶךָ וְלִירוּשָׁלַיִם מִשְׁכַּן שְׁמֶךָ, כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת משֶׁה עַבְדֶּךָ: ”אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם, מִשָּׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּמִשָּׁם יִקָּחֶךָ. וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יָרְשׁוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ, וְהֵיטִבְךָ וְהִרְבְּךָ מֵאֲבֹתֶיךָ.“ (דברים ל:ד-ה)	Remember our brethren, the whole house of Yisra’el, in all the lands of their dispersion. Speedily bring them to Tsiyon, your city, to Yerushalayim, dwelling of your [spoken] name, as it is written in the Torah of your servant Mosheh: “Even if you are dispersed in the uttermost parts of the world, from there YHVH your elo’ah will gather and fetch you. YHVH your elo’ah will bring you into the land which your ancestors possessed, and you shall possess her; and Hashem will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your ancestors.” (Deuteronomy 30:4-5)
וְיַחֵד לְבָבֵנוּ לְאַהֲבָה וּלְיִרְאָה אֶת שְׁמֶךָ, וְלִשְׁמֹר אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָתֶךָ. וּשְׁלַח לָנוּ מְהֵרָה בֶּן דָּוִד מְשִׁיחַ צִדְקֶךָ, לִפְדּות מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתֶךָ. הוֹפַע בַּהֲדַר גְּאוֹן עֻזֶּךָ עַל כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵּבֵל אַרְצֶךָ, וְיֹאמַר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ: יהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֶלֶךְ, ”וּ֝מַלְכוּת֗וֹ בַּכֹּ֥ל מָשָֽׁלָה.“ (תהלים קג:יט) אָמֵן סֶלָה.	Unite our hearts to love and revere your name, and to observe all the precepts of your Torah. Speedily send us your righteous moshiaḥ of the House of David, to redeem those waiting for your salvation. Shine forth in your glorious majesty over all the inhabitants of your world. Let everything that breathes proclaim: YHVH, elo’ah of Yisra’el is King; “their majesty reigns over all.”[2][3] Amen. Selah.

he Tefilah l’Shalom Medinat Yisra’el (“Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel”) was composed by Rabbi Yitsḥak haLevi Hertzog (1888-1959), edited by Shmuel Yosef (S.Y.) Agnon (1888-1970), and first published in the newspaper Ha-Tsofeh on 20 September 1948.

This prayer was instituted at the time by the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi Hertzog and Rabbi Ben Tsiyon Meir Ḥai Uziel. According to the custom of the Ashkenazic communities, the time for reciting the prayer was set between the end of the Torah reading and the haftara for the return of the Torah scroll to its place in the Holy Ark. In Sephardic communities, it is customary to recite the prayer at the time of the removal of the Torah scroll from the Holy Ark. (At this point in prayer, it was customary the prayer “Hanoten Tshuah”, blessing the ruler of the state and their immediate family.)

Because the State of Israel is referred to as “the beginning of the sprouting/growth of our redemption,” the prayer was not universally accepted. This expression, and the reservations about the state in general, are some of the reasons why non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews do not recite it in their synagogues. In fact, the recitation of this prayer and, to a lesser extent, the prayer for the safety of IDF soldiers, became one of the main differences between prayer in Ḥaredi synagogues and prayers in National Religious Zionist synagogues in Israel and in the Diaspora.

מי שברך לחיילי צה״ל | Mi sheBerakh for the Welfare of Israel Defense Forces Soldiers, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (1956); 

amended by Dr. Alex Sinclair (2012)

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלהֵינוּ מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַיִם וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם.	May the One who blessed our forefathers Avraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yaaqov, bless the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our elo’ah, from the border of Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea to the Aravah, on land, in the air, and on the sea.
יִתֵּן ה׳ אֶת אוֹיְבֵינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם.	May Hashem cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them.
הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָלֵינוּ מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחְלָה וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם.‏	May the blessed Holy One preserve and rescue our soldiers from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may God send blessing and success in their every endeavor.
יִתֵּן ה׳ לְחַיָלֵינוּ חָכְמָה, בִּינָה וְדַעַת, שְׁלֹא יִסְפּוּ צָדִיק עִם רָשָׁע, כְּמוֹ שְׁכָתוּב בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ, ”חָלִלָה לְּךָ מֵעֲשֹׂת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה, לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם־רָשָׁע, וְהָיָה כַצַּדִּיק כָּרָשָׁע; חָלִלָה לָּךְ — הֲשֹׁפֵט כָּל־הָאָרֶץ לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט.“‏ (בראשית יח:כה)	May Hashem give our soldiers wisdom, understanding, and insight, so that they do not destroy the righteous with the wicked, as it is written in Your Torah: “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating them the same. Far be it from you – should the Judge of all the Earth not do justice?” (Genesis 18:25)
יַדְבֵּר שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם וִיעַטְרֵם בְּכֶתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבְעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן. וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב: כִּי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אֹיבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם: (דברים כ:ד) וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:‏	May [Hashem] cause our enemies to submit before our soldiers, and grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: “For it is Hashem your elo’ah, who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you,” (Deuteronomy 20:4)

In recent months, thanks to the combination of cell phone cameras and YouTube, we’ve witnessed Israel Defense Force soldiers acting in deeply troubling ways. We’ve seen soldiers standing by while a civilian shoots live ammunition at Palestinian protesters, we saw Lt. Col. Shaul Eisner assault an unarmed Danish civilian with the butt of a rifle, and, before that, the killing at close range of Mustafa Tamimi, a protester in the Palestinian village Nebi Saleh. Many of these occurrences are regularly reported in Haaretz, but they don’t find their way as often, or as prominently, into other media outlets.

The most generous explanation for this phenomenon is that individuals, in a series of isolated incidents, fail to uphold the IDF code of conduct. More sobering explanations point to a widespread culture in the IDF whereby such conduct is tolerated and routine. Indeed, when the Eisner case was reported, the most shocking aspect of the YouTube video was the utter indifference to Eisner’s act by the six or seven other soldiers milling around. What we saw as a horrific, unforgiveable, outrage, they saw as boring and un-noteworthy.

I was on the receiving end of such an incident last year, while I was observing a non-violent demonstration against the occupation in the West Bank, and got caught up in tear gas that was fired indiscriminately at women, children, and observers. Since then, I’ve found it hard to say the prayer for the IDF that appears in all Israeli prayer books, and which my community, like most synagogues in Israel, reads aloud every Shabbat.

The prayer, written by Rabbi Shlomo Goren in the early years of the state, does not, to my mind, adequately respond to the ethical challenges that IDF soldiers face in exercising power over civilian communities, where things are much more complicated than state-against-state war.

But our response to troubling issues cannot simply to be cease from engagement with the issue. That’s true if the troubling issue is, say, Eishet Ḥayil (the poem traditionally sung by a husband to a wife on Friday night; while parts of it are beautiful, parts of it are also rather sexist); and it is also true if the troubling issue is inappropriate use of force by the IDF.

As engaged Jews who love the Jewish tradition but are troubled by particular aspects of it, my wife and I sing an amended version of Eishet Ḥayil on Friday nights. In doing this, we join countless other Jews who try to develop an active relationship with liturgy that more closely reflects their values.

As engaged Jewish Zionists, the time has come to do the same with the prayer for the IDF. Above is my suggested amendation. The text is the regular version of the prayer as found in the popular Rinat Israel siddur. The middle section is my suggested addition.

The Biblical verse quoted is from the story of Sodom and Gemorrah, where Abraham berates God for seeking to harm innocent people along with the wicked. To my mind, it’s an extremely appropriate analogy to much of what goes on today: there are wicked people out there who seek to harm us, and it’s good that the army protects us from them. But all too often, some soldiers (and some Israelis in general) don’t do enough to distinguish between those who are genuinely evil, and innocent people (including Palestinians, left-wing Israelis, and internationals) who are legitimately protesting the occupation. Amending the prayer for the IDF is one way to raise awareness about that uncomfortable fact, and begin a public, Jewish, Zionist conversation about it.

תְּפִלָּה לְפִדְיוֹן שְׁבוּיִם | Prayer for the Redemption of Israelis Taken Captive [during the war begun on Shemini Atseret 5784], by Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit Halachmi (2023)

 

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אֱלֹהֵינוּ מַתִּיר הָאֲסוּרִים, מִשְׂגָּב לַדָּךְ, מִשְׂגָּב לְעִתּוֹת בַּצָּרָה (תהלים ט:י) שְׁלַח, הַצָּלָה שְׁלֵמָה וּפִדְיוֹן גָּמוּר לַנְּתוּנִים בִּשְׁבִי אוֹיֵב: […].	Our God, the One who raised Joseph up from the pit, be “a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalms 9:10)  Send complete rescue and full redemption to those held captive by the enemy: [when possible, add names here].
חַזְּקִי רוּחָם, הָבִיאִי לָהֶם אֶת תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ לְשָׁמְרָם מֵרַע.	Strengthen their spirit and bring them our prayers that they be protected from all harm.
תְּנִי בִּינָה בְּלֵב אוֹיֵב לַהֲשִׁיבָם בִּשְׁלֵמוּת גּוּף וְנֶפֶשׁ.	Implant understanding in the heart of the enemy that they may return the captives in wholeness of body and spirit.
תְּנִי תְּבוּנָה בְּלוֹחֲמֵי צַהַ״ל לְחַלְּצָם בְּלֹא אִבּוּד נְפָשׁוֹת.	Grant wisdom to the Israel Defense Forces that they may secure freedom for the captives without loss of life.
תֵּן לְכָל בְּנֵי וּבְנוֹת אַבְרָהָם, שָׂרָה וְהַגֵּר אֶת עֹז הָרוּחַ וְאֹמֶץ הַלֵּב לְהַתִּיר כִּבְלִי שֶׁבִי וְלִחְיוֹת חַיֵּי חֵרוּת.	Grant strength of spirit and courage of heart to all the sons and daughters of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar to release bonds of captivity and allow us all to live in freedom.
יִקְרָאֵנִי וְאֶעֱנֵהוּ עִמּוֹ אָנֹכִי בְצָרָה אֲחַלְּצֵהוּ וַאֲכַבְּדֵהוּ (תהלים צא:טו) וְנֹאמַר, אָמֵן.	“They shall call upon Me, and I will answer them; I will be with them in distress; I will rescue them and honor them.” (after Psalms 91:15) And we say Amen.

---

This prayer for the liberation of abducted Israeli citizens and military personnel was offered by Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit Halachmi in response to the war initiated by Hamas from Gaza on Shemini Atseret 5784. The English translation was prepared by Rabbi Dr. Rachel Sabath Beit Halachmi.

Rambam, In His Own Words, From Mayim Achronim

How can we better understand both the physical and spiritual worlds through the Periodic Table of the Elements? What can we learn about our own lives from the structure and anatomy of the atom? What is so special about the elements mentioned in Tanakh, including iron, copper, silver, and gold? And what is “God’s Element”? Find out in this fascinating class where we explore the profound connections between Torah and chemistry. Dear Friends,    B'ezrat Hashem, I will be in Dallas, Texas for a Shabbaton next week, January 16-17, followed by a class Saturday night at 9 PM. If you are in the Dallas area and would like to attend, reply to this email for details.  And for those planning Pesach vacations, I will once again be at the Trump Doral this year, alongside Ben Shapiro, Chief Rabbi of the UK Ephraim Mirvis, and others. See here for program details.

Rambam, In His Own Words

This Friday, the 20th of Tevet, is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1138-1204), better known as the “Rambam”, or “Maimonides”. Rambam is one of the most fascinating figures in Jewish history, and also one of the most mysterious, multi-faceted, and complex. His impact on the course of Judaism cannot be overstated. Eight hundred years later, scholars, historians, and rabbis continue to debate his true views, positions, and beliefs. Rabbi Dr. Leon Stitskin (1911-1978), philosophy professor at Yeshiva University, described the Rambam as one who “reveals the truth by stating it, and hides it by contradicting it.” (Letters of Maimonides, pg. 18) More recently, Rabbi Dr. Aaron Adler (in his Al Kanfei Nesharim) noted a whopping 749 places where the Rambam’s early work, his Commentary on the Mishnah, appears to contradict his later works! And when it comes to the Rambam’s Moreh Nevukhim, the “Guide for the Perplexed”, some rabbis were so uncomfortable with it they denied that the Rambam ever wrote it! Who exactly was the Rambam, and what did he truly believe and teach?

Physician & Philosopher

Rambam was born in Cordoba, Spain to Rabbi Maimon, a student of Rabbi Yosef ibn Migash, who was a student of the famous Rif, Rabbi Isaac Alfasi (1013-1103). When he was around 10 years old, the extremist Almohads conquered Cordoba and forced all non-Muslims to convert, die, or flee. The Rambam’s family fled to North Africa. Settling in Morocco, the Rambam became a rabbi, but also studied at the University of Fez to become a physician. Meanwhile, he was deeply immersed in Greek philosophy, and came to embrace the school of Aristotle above the others. He is well-known for his work in integrating Aristotelian philosophy with Torah and Judaism. This set the stage for others around the world to do the same, most notably Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), a Catholic theologian and saint who integrated Aristotle with Catholicism, and cited Maimonides in his works. The Rambam believed that Aristotle was the greatest Gentile of all time, and wrote in his letter to Shmuel ibn Tibbon: While the works of Plato, the teacher of Aristotle, are profound and substantive, one may apprehend their essential notions in other works, especially in those of Aristotle, whose writings embrace all philosophical concepts developed previously. For Aristotle reached the highest level of knowledge to which man can ascend, with the exception of one who experiences the emanation of the Divine Spirit, who can attain the degree of prophecy, above which there is no higher stage. It wasn’t just Aristotle’s philosophy; the Rambam believed that the study of all natural science and philosophy was of utmost importance, writing to Yosef ibn Aknin that “as long as you are engaged in studying the mathematical sciences and logic, you belong to those who go around the palace in search of the gate. When you understand physics you have entered the hall, and when you master metaphysics you have entered the innermost palace.” So important was this that the Rambam even started his halakhic magnum opus, the Mishneh Torah, with the same advice. The Rambam arranged the Mishneh Torah around the 613 mitzvot, showing how all the halakhot fit directly under the framework of the Torah’s laws. Under the first mitzvahs of loving and fearing God, the Rambam wrote: “How does one come to love and fear God? When one studies His great and wondrous creations, one will see from these the wisdom of God—that it is immeasurable and unbounded—immediately he loves and praises and glorifies and has a great desire to know God.” (Hilkhot Yesodei HaTorah 2:2) It is the study of science and nature, of Creation itself, that will bring one to the true love and fear of Hashem. In his late twenties, the Rambam began to write his first major work, the Commentary on the Mishnah. Before he finished it, he had to leave Morocco, and initially journeyed to Israel. He spent a little bit of time in Acre, and got to visit Jerusalem and go up the Temple Mount. (For more on the permissibility of ascending the Temple Mount, see here.) The date was the 6th of Cheshvan, which the Rambam henceforth established as a personal holiday for himself and his family. Living in Israel at the time, during the era of Crusades, was extremely difficult. And so, the Rambam ended up in Egypt, where he lived the rest of his life. At first, the Rambam and his brother David ran a successful merchant business. Then, tragically, his brother drowned during a trade mission to India, taking most of the family’s wealth down with him. The Rambam would write of this time: The greatest misfortune that has befallen me during my entire life—worse than anything else—was the demise of the saint [my brother], may his memory be blessed, who drowned in the Indian sea, carrying much money belonging to me, to him, and to others, and left with me a little daughter and a widow. On the day I received that terrible news I fell ill and remained in bed for about a year, suffering from a sore boil, fever, and depression, and was almost given up. About eight years have passed, but I am still mourning and unable to accept consolation. And how should I console myself? He grew up on my knees, he was my brother, he was my student. With his wealth wiped out, the Rambam had to get a job to support himself, so he went back to medicine. His expertise, success, and fame as a physician spread, and he was eventually hired by Sultan Saladin’s chief secretary and advisor, Qadi al-Fadil. From there, Saladin himself took Rambam as his personal physician. The work was gruelling, and the Rambam wrote (in a letter to Shmuel ibn Tibbon): My duties to the sultan are very heavy. I am obliged to visit him every day, early in the morning, and when he or any of his children or any of the inmates of his harem are indisposed, I dare not quit Cairo, but must stay during the greater part of the day in the palace. It also frequently happens that one of the two royal officers fall sick, and I must attend to their healing. Hence, as a rule, I leave for Cairo very early in the day, and even if nothing unusual happens, I do not return to Fustat until the afternoon. Then I am almost dying with hunger. . .   I find the antechamber filled with people, both Jews and Gentiles, nobles and common people, judges and bailiffs, friends and foes; a mixed multitude who await the time of my return. I dismount from my animal, wash my hands, go forth to my patients and entreat them to bear with me while I partake of some slight refreshment, the only meal I take in twenty­four hours. Then I go forth to attend to my patients, and write prescriptions and directions for their various ailments. Patients go in and out until nightfall, and sometimes even, I solemnly assure you, until two hours or more in the night. I converse with and prescribe for them while lying down from sheer fatigue; and when night falls I am so exhausted that I can scarcely speak.   In consequence of this, no Jew can have any private interview with me, except on the Sabbath. On that day the whole congregation, or at least the majority of the members, come to me after the morning service, when I instruct them as to their proceedings during the whole week; we study together a little until noon, when they depart. Some of them return, and read with me after the afternoon service until evening prayers. In this manner I spend that day. It begs the question: why did the Rambam have to work so hard? Why did he not take a nice salary for being the chief rabbi? The Rambam ruled that it was totally forbidden to take money for rabbinic work or for Torah scholarship. Of this, he wrote (in Hilkhot Talmud Torah 3:10-11): כָּל הַמֵּשִׂים עַל לִבּוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מְלָאכָה וְיִתְפַּרְנֵס מִן הַצְּדָקָה הֲרֵי זֶה חִלֵּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם וּבִזָּה אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וְכִבָּה מֵאוֹר הַדָּת וְגָרַם רָעָה לְעַצְמוֹ וְנָטַל חַיָּיו מִן הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. לְפִי שֶׁאָסוּר לֵהָנוֹת מִדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים (משנה אבות ד ה) "כָּל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה נָטַל חַיָּיו מִן הָעוֹלָם". וְעוֹד צִוּוּ וְאָמְרוּ (משנה אבות ד ה) "אַל תַּעֲשֵׂם עֲטָרָה לְהִתְגַּדֵּל בָּהֶן וְלֹא קַרְדֹּם לַחְפֹּר בָּהֶן". וְעוֹד צִוּוּ וְאָמְרוּ (משנה אבות א י) "אֱהֹב אֶת הַמְּלָאכָה וּשְׂנָא אֶת הָרַבָּנוּת", (משנה אבות ב ב) "וְכָל תּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵין עִמָּהּ מְלָאכָה סוֹפָהּ בְּטֵלָה וְגוֹרֶרֶת עָוֹן". וְסוֹף אָדָם זֶה שֶׁיְּהֵא מְלַסְטֵם אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת: Anyone who comes to the conclusion that he should involve himself in Torah study without doing work and derive his livelihood from charity, desecrates [God’s] name, dishonours the Torah, extinguishes the light of faith, brings evil upon himself, and forfeits the life of the World to Come, for it is forbidden to derive benefit from the words of Torah in this world. Our Sages declared (Avot 4:5): “Whoever benefits from the words of Torah forfeits his life in the world.” Also, they commanded and declared (ibid.): “Do not make them a crown to magnify oneself, nor an axe to chop with.” Also, they commanded and declared (Avot 1:10): “Love work and despise Rabbinic positions.” And (Avot 2:2): “All Torah that is not accompanied by work will eventually be negated and lead to sin.” Ultimately, such a person will steal from others.

True Beliefs & Necessary Beliefs

Before his schedule got so hectic with work, in the 1170s and early 1180s, the Rambam had time to produce his two major masterpieces: first the Mishneh Torah, and then Moreh Nevukhim. Interestingly, he does not speak in these texts of the 13 Principles of Faith that he had enumerated earlier in his Commentary on the Mishnah. Thus, some scholars have argued that he abandoned his insistence on these 13 Principles. (Later, Rabbi Yosef Albo [c. 1380-1444] would write his Sefer HaIkkarim to prove that Judaism really only has three fundamental principles of faith, the others being secondary.) There are hundreds of more cases where the early Commentary seems to contradict the later works. Even the Mishneh Torah and Moreh Nevukhim (“the Guide”) have apparent contradictions between them. One famous example is regarding sacrifices. In the former halakhic code, the Rambam writes in detail about how the sacrificial procedures that were once carried out in the Jerusalem Temples will all return with the forthcoming Third Temple. But in his philosophical Guide (III, 32), he suggests something entirely different, writing: It is impossible to go suddenly from one extreme to the other: it is therefore according to the nature of man impossible for him suddenly to discontinue everything to which he has been accustomed. Now God sent Moses to make [the Israelites] a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6) by means of the knowledge of God… But the custom which was in those days general among all men, and the general mode of worship in which the Israelites were brought up, consisted in sacrificing animals in those temples which contained certain images, to bow down to those images, and to burn incense before them; religious and ascetic persons were in those days the persons that were devoted to the service in the temples erected to the stars, as has been explained by us.   It was in accordance with the wisdom and plan of God, as displayed in the whole Creation, that He did not command us to give up and to discontinue all these manners of service; for to obey such a commandment it would have been contrary to the nature of man, who generally cleaves to that to which he is used; it would in those days have made the same impression as a prophet would make at present if he called us to the service of God and told us in His name, that we should not pray to Him, not fast, not seek His help in time of trouble; that we should serve Him in thought, and not by any action.   For this reason God allowed these kinds of service to continue; He transferred to His service that which had formerly served as a worship of created beings, and of things imaginary and unreal, and commanded us to serve Him in the same manner; namely, to build unto Him a temple; “And they shall make unto me a sanctuary” (Exodus 25:8); to have the altar erected to His name; “An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me” (ibid. 20:21); to offer the sacrifices to Him; “If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord” (Leviticus 1:2), to bow down to Him and to burn incense before Him.   He has forbidden to do any of these things to any other being; “He who sacrifices unto any God, save the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed” (Exodus 22:19); “For thou shalt bow down to no other God” (ibid. 34:14). He selected priests for the service in the Temple; “And they shall minister unto me in the priest’s office” (ibid. 28:41). He made it obligatory that certain gifts, called the “gifts of the Levites and the priests”, should be assigned to them for their maintenance while they are engaged in the service of the Temple and its sacrifices. By this Divine plan, it was effected that the traces of idolatry were blotted out, and the truly great principle of our faith, the Existence and Unity of God, was firmly established; this result was thus obtained without deterring or confusing the minds of the people by the abolition of the service to which they were accustomed and which alone was familiar to them. Incredibly, the Rambam believed that the sacrificial offerings were temporary, meant only to wean the people off of these pagan practices that they were familiar with. (For more on this, see the recent class on 'Sacrifices & Veganism'.) God never intended for Jews to offer sacrifices, as we see in countless statements later in Tanakh that quote Hashem saying so, for example, I Samuel 15:22, “Does God delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to God’s command? Surely, obedience is better than sacrifice, to listen is better than the fat of rams!” Or Hosea 6:6, “For I desire goodness, not sacrifice; devotion to God, rather than burnt offerings.” Or Psalms 51:17-19, “My Lord, open my lips, and let my mouth declare Your praise. You do not want me to bring sacrifices; You do not desire burnt offerings; True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit…” And perhaps most surprisingly, Jeremiah 7:21-23: Thus said YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat! For when I freed your ancestors from the land of Egypt, I did not speak with them or command them concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them: Do My bidding, that I may be your God and you may be My people; walk only in the way that I enjoin upon you, that it may go well with you. So, how is it that in the Mishneh Torah the Rambam writes about the restoration of the sacrifices, but in the Guide he writes that sacrifices are no longer necessary and were never God’s intention to begin with? To properly understand the Rambam, we have to know that he held that there are “true beliefs”, and then there are “necessary beliefs”. Some things might be necessary to believe even if they are factually not quite true. The vast majority of the population can’t handle the ultimate truth, and must be taught the “necessary beliefs” (at least at the beginning). Only the educated and initiated can grasp the truth. And so, in his private letters, we see a lot more clearly who the real Rambam was, and what he truly believed. For instance, in his letter to Yosef ibn Aknin, he wrote:  Should you find any disagreements between the texts, it behooves you to go directly to the Talmud for relevant passages and you will discover the truth. Do not waste your time with the commentaries and casuistical explanations of obscure passages of the Gemara. I have abandoned those practices long ago as a waste of time and of little profit. May the Lord lead you in the right path. The Rambam saw the Talmud as essentially a reference manual. He did not wish to spend his precious time on Talmudic dialectics and debates that have become so primary in yeshivas today. He saw all of those discussions, commentaries, arguments, the shakla v’tarya and the hair-splitting, as ultimately a “waste of time”. He wanted to get to the practical conclusions, and then spend his time learning the practical stuff: the maths and sciences, philosophy and metaphysics, medicine and the like. In his letter to the Jews of Marseilles, he further elaborated on this, and described his own scientific and rational worldview, writing: Know, my masters, that no man should believe anything unless attested by one of three principles. First, rational proof as in mathematical sciences; secondly, the perception by one of the five senses… and thirdly, tradition derived from the prophets and the righteous… you should know that some misguided people wrote thousands of books on the subject and many ignorant people wasted their precious years pouring over them, mistaking vanity for knowledge and ascribing consummate wisdom to their authors. There seems to be a chronic disease which has become abysmally obsessive among most people, with the exception of a select divinely inspired remnant, to the effect that whatever is found in books is instantly acceptable as truth, especially if the books are ancient… Again, the Rambam saw pouring over countless commentaries as a waste of time, and called people who do this ignorant of true wisdom. He recognized the “disease” of foolishly taking anything written in a sefer at face value, or believing that anything in a sefer must be automatically true or authentic. He even noted that the Talmud itself should not be assumed to be scientifically correct on every detail, writing in his Moreh Nevukhim (III, 14): You must, however, not expect that everything our Sages say respecting astronomical matters should agree with observation, for mathematics were not fully developed in those days: and their statements were not based on the authority of the Prophets, but on the knowledge which they either themselves possessed or derived from contemporary men of science. But I will not on that account denounce what they say correctly in accordance with real fact, as untrue or accidentally true. On the contrary, whenever the words of a person can be interpreted in such a manner that they agree with fully established facts, it is the duty of every educated and honest man to do so.

Laying Down the Law

The Rambam lived at a time when halakhah started to become very unclear. Rabbis in different regions ruled based on their own reasoning and understanding of the Talmud and the Geonic sources, meaning there was no universal standard. Meanwhile, every community was taking on their own local customs, or adopting practices from their neighbours. The result was total confusion as to the correct Jewish practice. This is what motivated the Rambam to write his code of law, the Mishneh Torah. The Mishneh Torah remains the only complete and comprehensive code of Jewish law, alone covering all aspects of Jewish law, even those that do not apply in a state of exile and without a Temple. In the Introduction, he explains: וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה נִעַרְתִּי חָצְנִי אֲנִי משֶׁה בֶּן מַיְּמוֹן הַסְּפָרַדִּי וְנִשְׁעַנְתִּי עַל הַצּוּר בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּבִינוֹתִי בְּכָל אֵלּוּ הַסְּפָרִים, וְרָאִיתִי לְחַבֵּר דְּבָרִים הַמִּתְבָּרְרִים מִכָּל אֵלּוּ הַחִבּוּרִים בְּעִנְיַן הָאָסוּר וְהַמֻּתָּר, הַטָּמֵא וְהַטָּהוֹר, עִם שְׁאָר דִּינֵי הַתּוֹרָה, כֻּלָּם בְּלָשׁוֹן בְּרוּרָה וְדֶרֶךְ קְצָרָה, עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה כֻּלָּהּ סְדוּרָה בְּפִי הַכֹּל בְּלֹא קֻשְׁיָא וְלֹא פֵּרוּק. לֹא זֶה אוֹמֵר בְּכֹה וְזֶה בְּכֹה - אֶלָּא דְּבָרִים בְּרוּרִים קְרוֹבִים נְכוֹנִים עַל פִי הַמִּשְׁפָּט אֲשֶׁר יִתְבָּאֵר מִכָּל אֵלּוּ הַחִבּוּרִים וְהַפֵּרוּשִׁים הַנִּמְצָאִים מִיְּמוֹת רַבֵּנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְעַד עַכְשָׁו… Therefore, I girded my loins—I, Moses, the son of Maimon, the Sephardi. I relied upon the Rock, blessed be He. I contemplated all these texts and sought to compose a work which would include the conclusions derived from all these texts regarding the forbidden and the permitted, the impure and the pure, and the remainder of the Torah’s laws, all in clear and concise terms, so that the entire Oral Law could be organized in each person’s mouth without questions or objections. Instead of arguments, this one claiming such and another such, this text will allow for clear and correct statements based on the judgments that result from all the texts and explanations mentioned above, from the days of Rabbenu HaKadosh [Rabbi Yehuda haNasi, compiler of the Mishnah in the 2nd Century CE] until the present…    כְּלָלוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָר: כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא אָדָם צָרִיךְ לְחִבּוּר אַחֵר בָּעוֹלָם בְּדִין מִדִּינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלָּא יְהֵא חִבּוּר זֶה מִקְבָּץ לַתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה כֻלָּהּ עִם הַתַּקָּנוֹת וְהַמִּנְהָגוֹת וְהַגְּזֵרוֹת שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ מִיְּמוֹת משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ וְעַד חִבּוּר הַגְּמָרָא, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרְשׁוּ לָנוּ הַגְּאוֹנִים בְּכָל חִבּוּרֵיהֶם שֶׁחִבְּרוּ אַחַר הַגְּמָרָא. לְפִיכָךְ קָרָאתִי שֵׁם חִבּוּר זֶה: מִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה - לְפִי שֶׁאָדָם קוֹרֵא בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתַב תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ קוֹרֵא בָזֶה וְיוֹדֵעַ מִמֶּנּוּ תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה כֻלָּהּ, וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לִקְרוֹת סֵפֶר אַחֵר בֵּינֵיהֶם. The sum of the matter: a person will not need another text at all with regard to any Jewish law. Rather, this text will be a compilation of the entire Oral Law, including also the ordinances, customs, and decrees that were enacted from the time of Moses, our teacher, until the completion of the Talmud, as were explained by the Geonim in the texts they composed after the Talmud. Therefore, I have called this text Mishneh Torah with the intent that a person should first study the Written Law, and then study this text and comprehend the entire Oral Law from it, without having to study any other text between the two. Incredibly, the Rambam states that all that a person really needs to learn to understand the entirety of Judaism and Jewish practice is the Torah of Moses, and his own Mishneh Torah! The Rambam knew he would be criticized for this, and even branded a “heretic”. In his letter to Yosef ibn Aknin, he wrote: I was aware when I wrote the book that it would undoubtedly fall into the hands of evil obscurantists who would deliberately vilify its beauty and deprecate its value, thus reflecting their own shortcomings and ignorance. I likewise knew that the book would serve no purpose in the hands of the ignorant, incapable of evaluating its merit; or the confused upstart, unable to comprehend many passages because of a lack of fundamental assumptions, preventing him from grasping basic insights; or the self-styled intellectual—these groups will probably constitute the majority—accusing me of heretical tendencies in my basic beliefs. Indeed, a few decades after his passing, his books were banned by the rabbis of France, who also went to the Christian authorities to stem the “heresy”, and the result was the public burning of Rambam’s books in Paris in 1233. This totally backfired on the rabbinic authorities, led by Rabbeinu Yonah (d. 1264), for it only opened the door for the Christians to start evaluating and censoring other Jewish texts. This climaxed in 1242 when the Christian authorities rounded up all copies of the Talmud and publicly burned them. Rabbeinu Yonah felt that this was a punishment for his campaign against the Rambam. To atone, he wrote Sha’arei Teshuva, “Gates of Repentance”, and vowed to journey to Israel and prostrate himself on the grave of the Rambam. Although he was unable to complete the journey, he did henceforth revere the Rambam and quote his works regularly.  The Rambam was also fiercely opposed by the chief rabbis of Iraq (Babylon). He described them as ignorant Talmudists who only profit from the donations of the masses, and who slander him without bothering to properly understanding his work. In his letter to Yosef ben Yehudah, he wrote about the attacks he was receiving from one of the Iraqi chief rabbis, responding: “He is a very foolish man. He works hard at his Talmudic discussion and its commentaries and thinks he is the greatest of his generation… why should I pay attention to an old man who is really miserable and an ignoramus in every respect?” (For more on this controversy, see here.)

Reincarnation & Afterlife

The Rambam described five different beliefs among Jews regarding the nature of the afterlife (see his commentary on the tenth chapter of Sanhedrin). After all, the Torah itself never explicitly speaks of any afterlife, and provides no description of a Heaven or Hell, leaving plenty of room for speculation. One of the fundamental beliefs of Judaism is that there certainly is an afterlife, and one earns their reward or punishment for their deeds in this world, but exactly what that afterlife looks like is open to a great deal of debate and interpretation. What did the Rambam himself believe? In his Commentary on the Mishnah, he lists the belief in a physical Resurrection of the Dead as one of the fundamentals of Jewish faith. Yet, he never seems to mention this again in his later works! No such belief is discussed in either the Mishneh Torah or Moreh Nevukhim. Instead, the Rambam speaks only of an entirely spiritual afterlife, with no corporeality or return to bodily form at all. In his letter to Yosef ibn Gabir, the Rambam explains: Accordingly, you should not attempt to apprehend anything other than what your mind can grasp. It will not harm you religiously to think that there are corporeal beings in the World to Come until you can establish rationally the authentic nature of their existence. Even if you think that they eat, drink, propagate in the upper sphere or in Gan Eden, it will not hurt your faith. There are other more widespread doctrinal follies to which some cling and yet their basic religious beliefs were not damaged. But in refutation of this notion, it is important to project the authentic interpretation of the rabbinic statement “there is no eating or drinking in the World to Come” from which we may deduce that there are no corporeal beings… Again, we see here a discrepancy between a “true belief” and a “necessary belief”. According to the Rambam, a simple-minded person might believe in a physical resurrection into bodily form—and this is okay to believe religiously and will not “hurt one’s faith”—but the true initiate understands that the afterlife is entirely spiritual, with no corporeality at all. So what about reincarnation? The above statement might suggest that the Rambam would reject reincarnation. But we’re not quite sure, because he never spoke about it at all. The Rambam was surely aware of the concept, yet never seems to mention it or speak of it. This is in stark contrast to his predecessor, Rav Saadia Gaon (c. 882-942), who famously rejected reincarnation and believed it to be a foolish idea adopted from the Gentiles. The Rambam was a big admirer of Saadia Gaon, who had actually laid the groundwork for the Rambam. Saadia Gaon wrote the first texts synthesizing Torah and philosophy (most notably his Emunot v’De’ot), and some of the first works in Judeo-Arabic, as the Rambam would later do. In his Letter to Yemen, the Rambam wrote that “Were it not for Rav Saadia Gaon, the Torah would have all but disappeared from the Jewish people. For it was he who shed light on that which was obscure, strengthened that which had been weakened, and spread the Torah far and wide, by word of mouth and in writing.” Surely, the Rambam knew Rav Saadia Gaon’s position on reincarnation, but was silent about it himself. Reincarnation was also discussed by the Greek philosophers, especially Pythagoras, who was a big champion of reincarnation. The Rambam was an expert in Greek philosophy, so there is no doubt he knew about reincarnation. Thus, the Rambam’s conspicuous silence on reincarnation might suggest that he actually accepted it, or at the very least, accepted it as a legitimate possibility. Otherwise, he would have surely said something about it (as Saadia Gaon did), since he was not one to shy away from criticizing beliefs he deemed foolish or false. Intriguingly, one might go so far as to suggest that the Rambam was a reincarnation of Moshe Rabbeinu! Think about it: both were named Moshe, both were great leaders of the Jewish people with numerous critics, both lived in Egypt, both interacted with Egyptian royalty, both described their difficult burden leading the people, and both wished to live in Israel but couldn’t. In the case of the Rambam, he did merit to visit Israel and ascend the Temple Mount, and it was such a great highlight of his life that he established it as a holiday for his family. One might see this as a sort of tikkun for Moshe Rabbeinu, who deeply wished to visit Israel but was forbidden from doing so (although Hashem did give him an aerial overview). Moshe ben Amram gave us the Written Law, Moshe ben Maimon codified the Oral Law. Moshe ben Amram gave us the Torah, Moshe ben Maimon gave us the Mishneh Torah. And he had the audacity to say in his Introduction that one need only read the Torah of Moses and his Mishneh Torah to know everything there is to know about Judaism! It might even explain why we always read Parashat Shemot, recounting the birth and rise of Moses, right around the Rambam’s yahrzeit, as we do this week. And it would certainly explain the famous adage that miMoshe ad Moshe lo kam od k’Moshe: “From Moshe [Rabbeinu] to Moshe [Rambam] there arose no other like Moshe!” For a fascinating talk on this week's parasha, Shemot, see a new interview here, where we discuss big mysteries like why Israel had to be enslaved specifically in Egypt, secrets behind Moses’ “three signs”, and why the Torah strangely says that “God wanted to kill Moses”.    www.MayimAchronim.com Copyright © 2026 Mayim Achronim, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Mayim Achronim 159 Almore Ave. Toronto, Ontario M3H2H9 Canada

The people of Israel did not believe in Moses because of the miracles he performed. So why did they believe in him? Because when we stood at Sinai, our own eyes saw and our own ears heard the fire, the sounds and the flames, and how Moses approached the cloud and G-d's voice called to him...

  –Maimonides

The Holy Temple

A Repository of Articles, Classes, Stories and More Regarding the Beit Hamikdash

Why support the construction?

Together, we can build the Temple for the benefit of mankind

Expressing the desire to build the 3rd Temple in Jerusalem and registering The thirdTemple.org, we are part of a collaborative movement. As our number grows so will our ability to influence the media and on world politics, and thus the project will be realized today.

Chat with our assistant about the Third Temple

Find answers to your questions thanks to the construction of the Third Temple: The project, the history, the legal and political situation but also the plans and the pontifical service which will be carried out at the Temple. Our assistants are here to listen to you. Click:

I want to build the Temple

Every Sunday AM 09.50 (IST) B”H we have our live streaming from the Har HaBayit, every Sunday, from here in Jerusalem….. Via our YouTube channel.

    A call up for every Jewish observant to Pray for new good Jewish Leaders in Yisrael.

The Repetition of a Commandment 

As is his practice in many Halachos in the Mishneh Torah, the Rambam begins Hilchos Beis HaBechirah, “The Laws of [G‑d’s] Chosen House,” by stating the fundamental mitzvah upon which the entire collection of laws which follow is based:

It is a positive commandment to construct a house for G‑d, prepared to have sacrifices offered within.... as it is written,1 “And you shall make Me a Sanctuary.”

Significantly, the Rambam also mentions the mitzvah of con­structing the Beis HaMikdash elsewhere in the Mishneh Torah, in Hilchos Melachim, “The Laws of Kings.” There, however, he focuses on the mitzvah in a different context, stating:2

The Jews were commanded regarding the observance of three mitzvos when they entered Eretz Yisrael: to appoint a king over them.... to wipe out the descendants of Amalek.... and to build [G‑d’s] Chosen House; as it is written,3 “You shall seek out His presence and come to that place.”

The commentaries question: What is the Rambam’s purpose in repeating the commandment to build a Sanctuary in Hilchos Melachim and why in that source does he link together the three mitzvos he mentions?4

The Bond Between These Three Mitzvos

In regard to the latter question, it can be explained that there is an intrinsic con­nection between these three mitzvos.5 Although they are three separate commandments, the fulfill­ment of one contributes a measure of perfection to the others. To cite a parallel: The arm tefillin and the head tefillin are two separate mitzvos.6 Neverthe­less, when both of these mitzvos are performed together, each one is elevated to a higher level.

Similarly, in regard to the three mitzvos mentioned by the Rambam: The intent is not merely that the mitzvos are to be fulfilled in the chronological order mentioned by the Rambam.7 Instead, the linkage of three mitzvos teaches that the mitzvah of building the Sanctuary can be fulfilled in the most perfect man­ner, only when first, a king is appointed and then Amalek is destroyed. Similarly, the fulfillment of the mitzvos of destroying Amalek and building a Sanctuary enhance the mitzvah of ap­pointing a king, and the fulfillment of the mitzvah of wiping out Amalek is enhanced by the mitzvos of appointing a king and building the Beis HaMikdash.

This concept is supported by the verses8 cited by the Ram­bam in the halachah which follows in Hilchos Melachim:9 “And it came to pass, when the king dwelt in his house, and G‑d brought him peace from all the enemies which surrounded him, the king said to the prophet, Natan, ‘Behold, I am sitting in a palace of cedar, [while the Ark of G‑d dwells in curtains].’ ”

These verses indicate how the secure establishment of the monarchy, [“the king dwelt in his house”,] the destruction of Amalek, [“And G‑d brought him peace from all the enemies which surrounded him,”10] and the building of the Beis HaMik­dash [David’s request from the prophet Natan] are interrelated.11

Based on the above, we can appreciate a further point: The Rambam’s statements in Hilchos Melachim are based on the Mid­rash Tanchuma. Nevertheless, he alters the text of that Mid­rashic passage, choosing a different prooftext. In the Midrash Tanchuma, the prooftext cited for the commandment to build the Beis HaMikdash is the verse: “And you shall make Me a Sanctuary.”12 The Rambam, by contrast, substitutes the verse: “You shall seek out His presence...,” because the context of this verse in the Book of Devarim describes the Jews’ entry into Eretz Yisrael and their progress to a state when “G‑d will grant you peace from all your enemies around you and you will dwell in security.”13

Fulfilling a Mitzvah in Stages

The above concepts also shed light on another related point which has aroused the attention of the commentaries: As men­tioned above, the Ram­bam uses the verse, “And you shall make Me a Sanctuary,” as the prooftext for the mitzvah to build the Beis HaMikdash. This is problematic, for seemingly, this com­mand refers to the con­struction of the Sanctuary in the desert and not to the construc­tion of the Beis HaMikdash. The passage cited by the Rambam in Hilchos Melachim, by contrast, refers specifically to the con­struction of the Beis HaMikdash, and indeed, is cited as the source for the commandment to build the Beis HaMikdash by our Sages14 and by our Rabbis.15

It is possible to explain16 that the commandment, “And you shall make Me a Sanctuary,” is general in scope, applying to all the structures which were “a house for G‑d” [i.e., a place where G‑d’s presence was revealed] and “prepared to have sacrifices offered within” [a place for the service of the Jewish people].17 Throughout their history, the Jews fulfilled this commandment in several different ways, beginning with the construction of the Sanctuary in the desert.

In this context, we can resolve a problematic point in Hilchos Beis HaBechirah. Directly after stating the mitzvah to build a Sanctuary, the Rambam continues:

The Sanctuary which Moshe our teacher built is already described in the Torah. It was, however, only temporary in nature....

When [the Jewish people] entered Eretz [Yisrael], they erected the Sanctuary in Gilgal for the fourteen years in which they conquered and divided [the land]. After­wards, they came to Shiloh and built a structure of stone....

When Eli died, it was destroyed and they came to Nov and built a Sanctuary.18 When Shmuel died, it was de­stroyed and they came to Givon and built a Sanctuary. From Givon, they came to the [Divine Presence’s] eternal home.

The place of such statements in the Mishneh Torah is prob­lematic. Unlike the Talmud or the Midrashim which are general in content, the Mishneh Torah is exclusively a text of Halachah, Torah law. Points of ethics, philosophy, and history are men­tioned only when they are themselves halachos, specific direc­tives governing our conduct. Thus the question can be raised: What halachic points can be derived from the historical back­ground to the construction of the Beis HaMikdash?19

On the basis of the explanation given above, we can, how­ever, appreciate the sequence of these halachos: After the Ram­bam uses a prooftext which implies that the mitzvah of building a Sanctuary is not confined to one specific structure, he illus­trates this point by citing the various different intermediate stages through which our people’s observance of this mitzvah underwent.

Intermediate Way-Stations On the Path to Jerusalem

To return to the concept explained at the outset: The link­age of the mitzvah of con­structing a Sanctuary with the mitzvos of appointing a king and wiping out Amalek is also rele­vant with regard to the other structures mentioned by the Ram­bam.20 Our Rabbis state that “Moshe Rabbeinu served as a king,”21 and the construction of the Sanctuary followed the war in which Yehoshua defeated Amalek.22

The title “king” was also applied to Yehoshua23 who con­structed the Sanctuary at Shiloh, and to Shmuel,24 who con­structed the Sanctuary at Nov. We are unsure of the exact time of the construction of the Sanctuary at Givon. We may, how­ever, assume that one of the following — Shaul, David, or Shmuel, all of whom either served, or were described, as kings — was involved in its construction. Similarly, at the time these structures were built, the people had reached progressively more developed stages of being “at peace from the enemies around them.” Nevertheless, just as the monarchy and Israel’s peace had not been established in a complete manner at the time of these structures, these structures did not represent a complete manifestation of the indwelling of the Divine Presence, nor did they fulfill the ideal conception of a center for the sacrificial worship of the Jewish people.

It was not until “the king dwelt in his house, and G‑d brought him peace from all the enemies which surrounded him,” i.e., David had securely established the monarchy and brought peace to the land, that it was possible to build the Beis HaMikdash.

The Ultimate Beis HaMikdash

Based on the above, we can appreciate one of the positive dimensions that will be pos­sessed by the Third Beis HaMikdash. That structure will be built by Mashiach,25 the ultimate Jewish monarch, and will be con­structed after he “wages the wars of G‑d, defeating all the nations around him.”26 Among these wars will be the total an­nihilation of Amalek.27 Thus, since in the Era of the Redemp­tion, the other two mitzvos, the appointment of a king and the destruction of Amalek, will have been fulfilled in a perfect mat­ter, this will contribute an added dimension of per­fection to the mitzvah of constructing the Beis HaMikdash.

We can hasten the coming of this era through our divine service. To explain: In chassidic thought,28 the appointment of a king is associated with developing inner bittul, nullifying oneself to G‑d. This in turn allows a person to “drive out” Amalek from his being, to free himself from pride, egotism, and other unde­sirable character traits. Such personal refinement allows him to proceed further and transform his person, his home, and his surroundings into a “sanctuary in microcosm,” in which the Divine Presence can rest.29

This will serve as a catalyst for change in the world at large. For each particular manifestation of the Divine Presence within the world hastens the coming of the time when the Divine Pres­ence will again be revealed, and not merely in microcosm. At that time, “the world will be filled with the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the ocean bed.”30 May this take place in the immediate future.

Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VI, Terumah

חזרה על מצווה

כפי שנהוג בהלכות רבות במשנה תורה, הרמב"ם פותח את הלכות בית הבחירה, "הלכות בית הבחירה", בקביעת המצווה הבסיסית שעליה מבוסס כל אוסף ההלכות הבא:

מצות עשה היא לבנות בית לה', מוכן להקריב בו זבחים... ככתוב, 1 "ועשית לי מקדש".

ראוי לציין שהרמב"ם מזכיר גם את מצוות בניית בית המקדש במקום אחר במשנה תורה, בהלכות מלכים. שם, לעומת זאת, הוא מתמקד במצווה בהקשר שונה, באומרו:2

היהודים נצטוו לקיים שלוש מצוות בכניסתם לארץ ישראל: למנות עליהם מלך... למחות את צאצאי עמלק... ולבנות את בית הבחירה [של ה'] ככתוב, "ובקשת את פניו ובאת אל המקום ההוא".

הפירושים שואלים: מהי מטרת הרמב"ם לחזור על מצוות בניית משכן בהלכות מלכים ומדוע במקור זה הוא מקשר יחד את שלוש המצוות שהוא מזכיר?4

הקשר בין שלוש המצוות הללו

בנוגע לשאלה האחרונה, ניתן להסביר כי קיים קשר מהותי בין שלוש המצוות הללו.5 למרות שמדובר בשלוש מצוות נפרדות, קיום אחת מהן תורם מידה מסוימת של שלמות לאחרות. כדי לציין מקבילה: תפילין יד ותפילין ראש הן שתי מצוות נפרדות.6 אף על פי כן, כאשר שתי המצוות הללו מתבצעות יחד, כל אחת מהן מתעלה לרמה גבוהה יותר.

באופן דומה, בנוגע לשלוש המצוות המוזכרות על ידי הרמב"ם: הכוונה אינה רק שהמצוות יתקיימו בסדר הכרונולוגי המוזכר על ידי הרמב"ם.7 במקום זאת, הקישור בין שלוש המצוות מלמד שניתן לקיים את מצוות בניית המקדש בצורה המושלמת ביותר, רק כאשר תחילה ממונים מלך ולאחר מכן מושמד עמלק. באופן דומה, קיום מצוות השמדת עמלק ובניית המקדש מחזקים את מצוות מינוי מלך, וקיום מצוות מחיית עמלק מתחזק על ידי מצוות מינוי מלך ובניית בית המקדש.

תפיסה זו נתמכת על ידי הפסוקים8 המצוטטים על ידי הרמב"ם בהלכה הבאה לאחר מכן בהלכות מלכים9: "וַיְהִי כִּי הַמֶּלֶךְ יָשַׁב בְּבֵיתוֹ וַיַּשְׁבֵּא לוֹ אֱלֹהִים מִכָּל הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר סַבְּבָתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל הַנָּבִיא נָתָן הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּהֵימוֹן אֶרֶן אֱלֹהִים יוֹשֵׁב בְּיָרוֹת"".

פסוקים אלה מצביעים על קשרים אלו בין הקמתה הבטוחה של המלוכה ["וישב המלך בביתו",] השמדת עמלק ["והביא לו ה' שלום מכל אויביו אשר סביבו", 10] ובניית בית המקדש [בקשתו של דוד מהנביא נתן] 11.

בהתבסס על האמור לעיל, נוכל להבין נקודה נוספת: דבריו של הרמב"ם בהלכות מלכים מבוססים על מדרש תנחומא. אף על פי כן, הוא משנה את נוסח הקטע המדרשי הזה, ובוחר בנוסח הוכחה אחר. במדרש תנחומא, נוסח ההוכחה המצוטט לציווי לבנות את בית המקדש הוא הפסוק: "ועשית לי מקדש".12 הרמב"ם, לעומת זאת, מחליף את הפסוק: "ובקשת את פניו...", משום שההקשר של פסוק זה בספר דברים מתאר את כניסתם של היהודים לארץ ישראל ואת התקדמותם למצב שבו "יתן לך ה' שלום מכל אויביך סביבך ושכנת בבטחה".13

קיום מצווה בשלבים

המושגים הנ"ל שופכים אור גם על נקודה קשורה נוספת שעוררה את תשומת ליבם של המפרשים: כפי שצוין לעיל, הרמב"ם משתמש בפסוק "ועשית לי מקדש" כהוכחה למצוות בניית בית המקדש. זה בעייתי, שכן לכאורה, ציווי זה מתייחס לבניית המקדש במדבר ולא לבניית בית המקדש. הקטע המצוטט על ידי הרמב"ם בהלכות מלכים, לעומת זאת, מתייחס ספציפית לבניית בית המקדש, ואכן, מצוטט כמקור לציווי בניית בית המקדש על ידי חכמינו14 ועל ידי רבותינו15.

ניתן להסביר16 שהמצווה "ועשית לי מקדש" היא כללית בהיקפה, וחלה על כל המבנים שהיו "בית לה'" [כלומר, מקום בו התגלתה נוכחותו של ה'] ו"מוכנים להקריב בתוכם זבחים" [מקום לעבודת העם היהודי].17 לאורך ההיסטוריה שלהם, היהודים מילאו מצווה זו בכמה דרכים שונות, החל בבניית המקדש במדבר.

בהקשר זה, נוכל לפתור נקודה בעייתית בהלכות בית הבחירה. מיד לאחר קביעת המצווה לבנות בית קדש, ממשיך הרמב"ם:

המקדש שבנה משה רבנו כבר מתואר בתורה. אולם, הוא היה זמני בלבד...

כאשר נכנסו [העם היהודי] לארץ [ישראל], הם הקימו את המקדש בגלגל למשך ארבע עשרה השנים שבהן כבשו וחילקו [את הארץ]. לאחר מכן באו לשילה ובנו מבנה מאבן...

כאשר מת עלי, היא נהרסה והם באו לנוב ובנו מקדש. 18 כאשר מת שמואל, היא נהרסה והם באו גבעון ובנו מקדש. מגבעון, הם באו לבית הנצחי [של הנוכחות האלוהית].

מקומן של אמירות כאלה במשנה תורה הוא בעייתי. בניגוד לתלמוד או למדרשים, שהם כלליים בתוכנם, משנה תורה היא אך ורק טקסט של הלכה. נקודות מוסר, פילוסופיה והיסטוריה מוזכרות רק כאשר הן עצמן הלכות, הנחיות ספציפיות המסדירות את התנהגותנו. לפיכך ניתן להעלות את השאלה: אילו נקודות הלכתיות ניתן להסיק מהרקע ההיסטורי לבניית בית המקדש?19

על סמך ההסבר שניתן לעיל, אנו יכולים, עם זאת, להעריך את רצף ההלכות הללו: לאחר שהרמב"ם משתמש בפסוק הוכחה שמרמז שמצוות בניית משכן אינה מוגבלת למבנה אחד ספציפי, הוא מדגים נקודה זו על ידי ציטוט שלבי הביניים השונים שעבר עמנו על קיום מצווה זו.

תחנות ביניים בדרך לירושלים

נחזור למושג שהוסבר בתחילת הספר: הקשר בין מצוות בניית בית מקדש למצוות מינוי מלך ומחיית עמלק רלוונטי גם לגבי המבנים האחרים שהוזכרו על ידי הרמב"ם.20 רבותינו קובעים ש"משה רבינו שימש כמלך",21 ובניית בית המקדש באה לאחר המלחמה שבה ניצח יהושע את עמלק.22

התואר "מלך" יושם גם על יהושע23 שבנה את המקדש בשילה, ועל שמואל24 שבנה את המקדש בנובמבר. איננו בטוחים את הזמן המדויק של בניית המקדש בגבעון. עם זאת, אנו רשאים להניח שאחד מהבאים - שאול, דוד או שמואל, שכולם שירתו או תוארו כמלכים - היה מעורב בבנייתו. באופן דומה, בזמן בניית מבנים אלה, העם הגיע לשלבים מתקדמים יותר ויותר של "שלום מפני האויבים סביבו". אף על פי כן, כשם שהמונרכיה ושלום ישראל לא הוקמו באופן שלם בזמן בניית מבנים אלה, מבנים אלה לא ייצגו ביטוי שלם של שכינת הנוכחות האלוהית, וגם לא מילאו את התפיסה האידיאלית של מרכז לעבודת הקורבנות של העם היהודי.

רק כאשר "ישב המלך בביתו, וה' השליכו אותו מכל אויביו אשר סביבו", כלומר, דוד ביסס את המלוכה בבטחה והביא שלום לארץ, ניתן היה לבנות את בית המקדש.

בית המקדש האולטימטיבי

בהתבסס על האמור לעיל, אנו יכולים להעריך את אחד הממדים החיוביים שיהיו בבית המקדש השלישי. מבנה זה ייבנה על ידי משיח,25 המלך היהודי האולטימטיבי, וייבנה לאחר שהוא "יעשה את מלחמות ה' וינצח את כל הגויים סביבו".26 בין המלחמות הללו תהיה השמדתו המוחלטת של עמלק.27 לפיכך, מכיוון שבתקופת הגאולה, שתי המצוות האחרות, מינוי מלך והשמדת עמלק, יתקיימו בצורה מושלמת, הדבר יתרום ממד נוסף של שלמות למצוות בניית בית המקדש.

אנו יכולים לזרז את בוא העידן הזה באמצעות עבודת האל שלנו. להסבר: במחשבה החסידית,28 מינוי מלך קשור לפיתוח ביטול פנימי, ביטול עצמי בפני ה'. זה בתורו מאפשר לאדם "לגרש" את עמלק מהווייתו, להשתחרר מגאווה, אנוכיות ותכונות אופי לא רצויות אחרות. עידון אישי כזה מאפשר לו להתקדם הלאה ולהפוך את גופו, ביתו וסביבתו ל"מקדש במיקרוקוסמוס", שבו השכינה יכולה לנוח.29

זה ישמש כזרז לשינוי בעולם כולו. כי כל ביטוי מסוים של הנוכחות האלוהית בעולם מאיץ את בואו של הזמן שבו הנוכחות האלוהית תתגלה שוב, ולא רק במיקרוקוסמוס. באותו זמן, "ימלא העולם דעה את אלוהים כמים מכסים את קרקעית האוקיינוס".30 מי ייתן וזה יקרה בעתיד הקרוב.

עיבוד מתוך ליקוטי שיחות, כרך. VI, Terumah

Beit Yisrael International: Israel, a Light unto the nations

Shalom Am Yisrael,

I would like to call you up, please come and help me? As an Orthodox Jew for many years now I am reaching out to The Lost Sheep from the House of Yisrael. With my friend Gaddi, from India, we started to gather The Lost Sheep from the House of Yisrael in India. As the non-profit organization Beit Yisrael International. Groups of people with diverse backgrounds becoming associated with Beit Yisrael International as: Ultra-Orthodox Chassidic/Lost Tribes of Efrayim/'Ger Toshav', Israelite by accepting the Shulchan Aruch and Chasidut, the teachings of CHaBaD by hearing and doing. The goal of Beit Yisrael International is that they find a way back home, to Eretz Yisrael, under rabbinical supervision.

Today, because of the war that we have with Amalek things are changing…….. At the end of the war, when we come to total victory over Amalek, we shall start to build a House for HaShem and near His House a house for The Great Sanhedrin. Their house is near the Restored Kodesh Chodeshim from where we/they shall ‘hear’ His Voice again, teaches by the restored Priest hood with the Kohen Gadol/Messiah……

We started with Beit Yisrael International on the Har HaBayit. ‘The birthplace’ of Beit Yisrael International. Like it was for me: Ariel, born as a ‘lost Jew.’ But…… It became clear to me on the Har HaBayit:

‘Tehelim Chapter 87,

6[When] the Lord counts in the script of the peoples forever, [He will say,] "This one was born there."

Rashi: The Lord counts in the script of the peoples, “This one, etc.”. This is a transposed verse, and סלה, forever, which is said at the end, refers to the beginning: When the Lord counts in the script of the peoples forever. That means that in the future, when the Holy One, blessed be He, inscribes the nations for an abhorrence, He will count the Israelites who are assimilated among them and those who were coerced [to abandon Judaism] among them and extract them from their midst, and [He shall] say, “This one was born of those of Zion,” and He will choose them for Himself. This is what Isaiah says (66:21): “And from them, too, will I take for priests and for Levites.” From the nations bringing them for tribute, I shall take those assimilated among them. And there will be among them priests and Levites who are unrecognizable, but they are revealed to Me, says the Lord. Now where did He say it? (Deut. 29:28) “The secret things belong to the Lord, our God.”’

Please think about the words of Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, the founder of the Yeshiva Har Bracha,

‘Ger Toshav’: Obstacles and Aspirations

The Torah’s vision is that in the Land of Israel, besides the Jewish nation, only those who share in Israel’s mission of being a ‘light unto the nations’ may live here * The controversy surrounding the issue of non-Jews residing in the Land of Israel today, when the status of ‘ger toshav’ (resident alien) does not apply * The Druze meet the conditions of ‘ger toshav’, as opposed to those Arabs who support terrorists, and do not recognize Israeli sovereignty * Presently, fulfilling the mitzvah to expel the hostile minority is impractical * In spite of this, the concept of ​​’ger toshav’ should be studied in depth, and aspire to implement when possible * Once we delve deeper into the moral logic of the mitzvah, it will serve as a model for all countries coping with immigrants

Non-Jews Residing in the Land of Israel

The grand vision of the Jewish nation in its land is for the land to be inhabited by the Jewish people, on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem the Holy Temple will stand, all forms of national life will be conducted according to the teachings of the Torah morally and with holiness and the people of Israel will be a light unto the nations who will come to visit Israel and receive inspiration for their nations’ betterment and that of the world, as expressed in the words of the prophet: “In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. People from many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2: 2-4).

To achieve this vision, the entire land must be inhabited by Jews, and only non-Jews wishing to be part of Israel’s grand vision will be able to join the Jewish people in the status of a ‘ger toshav‘, or technically, a ‘resident alien’. While the road to realizing the vision is still long, we should nevertheless strive to the best of our ability to achieve it.

Source: 'Ger Toshav': Obstacles and Aspirations - Yeshivat Har Bracha

According to traditional interpretations, for a ger toshav to be formally recognized and permitted to reside in the Land of Israel, their commitment had to be accepted by a rabbinic court (Beit Din) during a time when the Jubilee year (Yovel) was observed.

What shall happen by the end, total victory over Amalek, of the current war:

The Building of a House for HaShem, on the Har HaBayit, and near it the Building for HaShem a House for The Great Sanhedrin The Jewish (ordained rabbis) Court System (a complete replacement of the current High Court System of Israel).

After helping Gaddi to build Beit Yisrael International, I like to ask ALL Yisrael Lovers, Jews and Coming Ger Toshavim: Do you like to help me starting to build a special social network, like Facebook? I need minimal 300 dollars for the creation/the start of this special Social Network. Help me with donating until I have 300 dollars?

This Social Network shall be owned by the non-profit Beit Yisrael International.

The administration of this Social Network is by me: Ariel van Kessel WhatsApp: +972 54-568-3031 for making an appointment for further information.

This Social Network comes under the Domain of Har HaBayit Jewish Sovereign for all Israel

For every Israel Lover it should be free to join. But not for commercials they can contact me. You don’t have to become a member of Beit Yisrael International.

Ultimate goal of this Social Network: in Love to each other creating the community ‘a light unto the nations’ coming from The Har HaBayit by our Prayers on the Har HaBayit.

Please send you donations, with the description ‘a light unto the nations’, to:

Click:

For further study:  In the Torah, Is the Ger Ever a Convert? Conversion to Judaism as we know it is a rabbinic development, but what, then is the biblical ger, and why does he need to be circumcised to eat from the paschal offering? Prof. Ishay Rosen-Zvi

Key Aspects of a Ger Toshav

• Non-Jew: A ger toshav remains a Gentile and does not convert to Judaism. 
  
  Residence in Israel: The concept of ger toshav is linked to residence within the land of Israel under Jewish sovereignty. 
• Seven Noahide Laws: They are obligated to observe these universal laws, which include prohibitions against idolatry, murder, theft, sexual immorality, blasphemy, eating flesh from a living animal, and establishing courts of justice. 
  
  Pious of the Nations (Chassid Umot HaOlam): By observing these laws, they are considered one of the "pious people of the world" or "pious of the nations," receiving a place in the World to Come. 
• Difference from a Ger Tzedek : Unlike a ger toshav, a ger tzedek is a full convert to Judaism. 
• Significance of the Concept

• Universal Morality: 

The concept highlights that certain fundamental moral and ethical principles are binding on all of humanity, not just Jews. 

• A Place in the World to Come: 

It offers non-Jews who commit to living righteously the opportunity to attain spiritual reward. 

• A Model for Inter-Group Relations: 

The idea of ger toshav has been studied as a model for how societies might welcome and integrate non-Jewish residents, particularly in the Land of Israel.



For the members of the Social Network: 'Israel, a Light into the nations' we have no problems with people of 'other' religions as long they hold on: 

'Universal Morality: 

The concept highlights that certain fundamental moral and ethical principles are binding on all of humanity, not just Jews. 
The people, the members, share in Israel’s mission of being a ‘light unto the nations'. In practice more than the 7 Laws of Noah but not all of the Jewish Laws but all the Laws according to the rabbinical teachings for the Ger Toshave. In the future to be decided, to be a Ger Toshave when there is the Great Sanhedrin. But now already studying the Laws for the Ger Toshave. Hopefully, there are coming rabbis on the Social Network who shall also teach specific about the Laws for the Ger Toshave who like to settle in a 100% Jewish Eretz Yisrael. But I like that there are rabbis who are teaching 100% Jewish Law because it is a network were Jewish and future Ger Toshavim coming together in the Love of HaShem.


So, we Jews and future Ger Toshavim have to build this network tegether.

At the end of this war, with Amalek, we shall come to the fulfilment of,


Yeshayahu (Isaiah) - Chapter 2

1The word that Isaiah, son of Amoz, prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem.		אהַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אָמ֑וֹץ עַל־יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירֽוּשָׁלִָֽם:
2And it shall be at the end of the days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be firmly established at the top of the mountains, and it shall be raised above the hills, and all the nations shall stream to it.		בוְהָיָ֣ה | בְּאַֽחֲרִ֣ית הַיָּמִ֗ים נָכ֨וֹן יִֽהְיֶ֜ה הַ֚ר בֵּֽית־יְהֹוָה֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ הֶהָרִ֔ים וְנִשָּׂ֖א מִגְּבָע֑וֹת וְנָֽהֲר֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו כָּל־הַגּוֹיִֽם:
At the end of the days. after the rebels perish.		באחרית הימים.  לאחר שיכלו הפושעים:
firmly established. fixed.		נכון.  מתוקן:
at the top of the mountains. On a mountain that is the head of all the mountains is the importance of the mountains.		בראש ההרים.  בהר שהוא ראש לכל ההרים בחשיבות ההרים:
and it shall be raised above the hills. The miracle performed on it will be greater than the miracles of Sinai, Carmel, and Tabor.		ונשא מגבעות.  יגדל נס שנעשה בו מניסי סיני וכרמל ותבור:
will stream. will gather and stream to it like rivers.		ונהרו.  יתקבצו ימשכו אליו כנהרות:
3And many peoples shall go, and they shall say, "Come, let us go up to the Lord's mount, to the house of the God of Jacob, and let Him teach us of His ways, and we will go in His paths," for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.		גוְהָֽלְכ֞וּ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים וְאָֽמְרוּ֙ לְכ֣וּ | וְנַֽעֲלֶ֣ה אֶל־הַר־יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶל־בֵּית֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְיֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ מִדְּרָכָ֔יו וְנֵֽלְכָ֖ה בְּאֹֽרְחֹתָ֑יו כִּ֚י מִצִּיּוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֣א תוֹרָ֔ה וּדְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה מִירֽוּשָׁלִָֽם:
to the house of the God of Jacob. Since he [Jacob] called it [the Temple site] Beth El [the house of God], therefore, it will be called on his name, but Abraham called it a mount, “On God’s mount shall He appear” (Gen. 22:14); Isaac called it a field, “to meditate in the field” (ibid. 24:63).		אל בית אלהי יעקב.  לפי שהוא קראו בית אל לפיכך יקרא על שמו אבל אברהם קראו בהר ה' יראה יצחק קראו שדה לשוח בשדה:

With the above in mind, I Love to bless you with the following:

Beit Yisrael founding principles: 1. Worshiping the Creator of the Universe. 2. Adhering to the Torah. 3. Avoiding Avodah Zarah (idolatry) 4. Following Jewish Halacha. 5. Walking the path of the Tzaddikim. 6. Prepare for the coming of Mashiach Ben David and the Geulah

SEFER HAMAAMARIM JEWISH REBBE YESHUA HANOTSRY, CHASSIDUT YESHUA HATZADIKS TORAH - TIKKUN BRIT HADASHAH In Jewish tradition, the concept of Avodah Zarah (idol worship or foreign worship) is a serious transgression, not just for the Jewish people, but for all of humanity. The Torah and the sages emphasize the importance of monotheism, which is central to the covenant between God and Israel, as well as the ethical responsibilities of the nations. According to Jewish law and the teachings found in the Talmud, particularly in Masechet Sanhedrin, the prohibition of Avodah Zarah applies universally, highlighting the necessity for all people to recognize the One God and avoid false forms of worship. This mission of Besora HaTova (Good News) resonates deeply with the concept of Jewish Yeshua HaTzaddik as the Light of the Tzaddik, which aligns closely with the teachings of Jewish Chassidut and Kabbalah. The tzaddik, as a spiritual leader and conduit of divine light, plays a central role in illuminating the path to God, and Jewish Yeshua HaTzaddik’s teachings reflect this profound role. His message of Torah, Geula (redemption), Teshuvah, mitzvot, and the Malchut (Kingdom) embodies the essence of the tzaddik’s light, guiding souls toward spiritual transformation and closeness to God. The Divine Path, From Edom's Darkness to Israel's Light. Salvation is not ‘of the Edom/Esav,’ (Darkness of the World) but, “of the Jews (Light of the Torah, Israel)”. The light of the Torah shines for all mankind, guiding the world from darkness to redemption - RED writings, Tikkun Brit Hadshah Jewish Yeshua HaTzaddik's words in the Besorah al Pi haSod, Yochanan 4:22: "For salvation is from the Jews." Jewish Yeshua’s affirmation of the Pharisees’ role reflects the deep respect for the Oral Torah as the dynamic force behind Jewish law. Jewish Chassidut Tzaddik Yeshua Teachings:"Then (Jewish Tzaddik) Yeshua spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do…“ Conclusion: Jewish Yeshua HaTzaddik and the Jewish Sages Authority:Jewish Yeshua’s statement about the Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses’ seat reflects a deep understanding of the Jewish system of halachic authority as established in the Oral Torah and Rabbinic tradition. By referring to Deuteronomy 17:11, Yeshua affirms the legitimacy of the Pharisees’ role in interpreting and applying the Torah for the Jewish people. This aligns with the teachings of the Jewish sages, who see the Oral Torah as an essential part of the Sinaitic revelation and emphasize the need to follow the rulings of the sages in every generation. In this light, Jewish Yeshua’s haTzaadik teaching aligns with the broader Jewish mystical tradition, affirming the legitimacy of Rabbinic authority and the dynamic nature of the Torah, which continues to be revealed and interpreted by the tzaddikim of every generation. Beit Yisrael International is dedicated to fulfilling a heavenly mission—bringing the light of Torah and revealing the true light of Mashiach through the Weekly Parsha in 70 languages. This mission aligns with the teachings of the Soul of the Tzaddik, as the light of the tzaddik reflects the principles of Jewish Chassidut and Kabbalah. These teachings on Torah, Geula (redemption), Teshuvah (repentance), Mitzvot (commandments), and Malchut (Kingship) guide souls toward spiritual transformation. ✨ Presented by Beit Yisrael International 📜 Guided by Gaddi Efrayim Notes 5786 – Universal Festival of Sukkot- Israel's Joy and Humanity Blessings. ✨ Presented by Beit Yisrael International 📜 Guided by Gaddi Efrayim Notes 5785 – A Year of Divine Revelation and Spiritual Growth ◆ Our Website - https://www.beityisraelinternational.... ❖ Beit Yisrael International Social Handles ❖ ◇ Youtube -    / @beityisraelinternational   ◇ Instagram -   / beit_yisrael   ◇ Gmail - support@beityisraelinternational.com ◇ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... ◇ Twitter -   / beityisrael7   ◇ WhatsApp: https://wa.me/message/NVCYSWYZ3XJ7K1 ◇ Discord:   / discord

Your place for Hebrew!

Learn Hebrew online