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Is Deception OK? Is Lying OK? © 

By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk 

Limood 

Bereisheit [Genesis] 27.1 - 46

If the Hebrew Test does not appear please click here. 

Our Devri Torah is in the loving Memory of Mr. Dale Kettles, Mr. Tim Cox, Mr. John Rockwell, Mr. Von Rockwell,  Mr. Winton Ingram and Mrs Mary Ingram and may they rest in peace.   May they be elevated in the HaShamayim.

Dear ones, our discussion in Bereisheit 27 is about was it acceptable for Rivkah, the wife of Yitzchok to instruct her son to deceive and to lie to his father, Yitzchok?  Was it  acceptable for Yaakov to take Eisov blessing of the first born?

The answer to both is YES!!

Gen. 27:35

.Út≤âk;r"Bi jQ"¡YIw" hm...-r"miB] Úyji`a; aB...à rm,aOYØw"  

And [Eisov] said My brother has come with deception and taken my Blessing.

Exod. 28:3

ble+Aymek]j'AlK;Ala, r~Bed"T] hT;%a'w"  

hm...-k]j; j"Wr§ wyti`aLemi rv≤àa} 

.yliâA/nh}k'l] /v¡D"q"l] ˆroÿh}a' ydEég"BiAta, Wc|[;w"

[Hashem Said]... And you will speak to all the wise of heart that I Have Invested with the spirit of wisdom and they will make everything from Aleph to Tav of garments for Aharon, to sanctify him to be a Kohen to Me.

The Word hm;r"miB] Bih Mee Rih Mah, means; deceived, mislead, tricked, duped.  hm;r"miB] Bih Mee Rih Mah does not mean to steal or to lie... IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THIS!  The Gematria of  hm;r"miB] Bih Mee Rih Mah is 287.  hm...-k]j; j"Wr§ Ruach Chaw Chih Maw, meaning the spirit of wisdom is also the Gematria of 287.  What do we Observe?  We Observe through the spirit of wisdom that it is acceptable to be deceptive at certain times of life.  If Eisov would have received his father's Bracha it would have change the course for the entire world.  The deception of Rivkah and Yaakov saved the world.  This is why later the Creator Changes Yaakov's name to Yisrael in Bereisheit 32.27; 35.10. The Creator Wanted Yisroel's name to have His Name at the conclusion. The Creator Wanted to Testify of Yaakov's honesty and straightness.

287 = h5 m40 r200 m40 b2

287 = h5 m40 k20 j8  j8 w6 r200

rv,y≤ Yeh Shehr meaning to be straight forward, righteous, [in ] alignment with lae Ayl [El] meaning G-d.

We also notice in the Atbash of the Word hm;r"miB] Bih Mee Rih Mah the Heavenly meaning.  When we reverse the Letters of hm;r"miB] Bih Mee Rih Mah they spell gyci Seeg, meaning to need, occupation, [a]x;y: Yaw Tzaw, meaning to to come out, to emerge, to expire, to fall to leave...  So the At bash of  hm;r"miB] Bih Mee Rih Mah is [a]x;y:  gyci Seeg - Yaw Tzaw, meaning to need to expire or to fall.  In other words it was necessary for the Bracha of Yitzchok to fall Eisov so Yaakov would receive it.

b  =  c

m  =  y

r  =  g

m  =  y

h  =  x

When we review the Words,

Gen. 27:36

bqo%[}y" /m⁄v] ar:Ÿq: y°kih} rm,aOYflw"  

 µyIm'+[}p' hz<∞ yŸnIbe~q"[]Y"w"ô

i jq:+l; yti¢r:koB]Ata,

yti-k;r"B jq"∞l; hT...`[' hNEèhiw"

 .hk...âr:B] yLi` T;l]xæàa;AaOlh} rm'ÈaOYw"

And he[Eisov] said, for he is called by the name Yaakov

and he [Yaakov] has deceived me these times

and behold he took my birthright 

and behold he has taken my blessing.

And he [Eisov] said have you saved a blessing for me?

The Gematria for  µyIm'+[}p' hz<∞ yŸnIbe~q"[]Y"w"ô Vah Yah Kih Bay Nee - Zeh - Fah Ah Mah Yeem, meaning: 'and he [Yaakov] has deceived me these times.'  The Gematria for µyIm'+[}p' hz<∞ yŸnIbe~q"[]Y"w"ô Vah Yah Kih Bay Nee - Zeh - Fah Ah Mah Yeem is 500.  This is the same Gematria for ˆton... Naw Tohn, meaning to give to or ˆtæn... Naw Tahn meaning, to bestow, to allow or permit...

500 = µ40 y10 m40 [70 p80 -  h5 z7 -  y10 n50 b2 q100 [70 y10 w6

500 = ˆ50 t400 n50

So dear ones behind the words are different Mystical meanings which tell an entirely different story.  From the Mysticism we learn that there are times it is necessary to deceive for the better good of the people around us or the city or the county or the state or the country or the world...  Rivkah and Yaakov's deception was permitted by the Creator for the better good of the world.  This was a righteous deception. This deception was for the better of all of us.

Blessings Health, Prosperity, Kindness and Peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel

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By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

Our Devri Torah is in the loving Memory of Mr. Donald Wayne Belk and Mr. Gary Lee Belk, may they rest in peace.

Limood 9

Bereisheit [Genesis] 9

In the beginning of Perek Tet {Chapter 9} of Bereisheit we read, And He G-d [the Judge] Blessed everything from Aleph to Tav of Noach and everything from Aleph to Tav of his sons.  G-d Gave this blessing knowing that a future time Noach would get drunk and Cham would emasculate Cham his father.  Even though our Creator Knows what our actions will be... Even though our Creator knows what our life's outcome will be our Creator does not treat us differently than everyone else.  Our Creator offers us the same blessing!

After Cham emasculates his father our sages Teach that Noach did not curse him because one cannot curse what the Creator Has Blessed!  As a result Noach rWra' {Awh Roor} curses Canaan the grandson of Cham.   rWra' {Awh Roor} meaning cursed or dammed.  We read in Ha Torah that Hashem G-d rWra' Cursed the serpent, Bereisheit 3.14.  In Passuk 17 Hashem G-d hr...Wraæ Cursed the ground because of Adam Reshon's sin.  Then in Bereisheit 9.25 Noach As a result Noach rWra' {Awh Roor} curses Canaan the grandson of Cham.   In Bereisheit 27.29 we read that  ...those who  rWra' {Awh Roor} curse you [Yaakov] are ˚'yr≤r"ao {Oh Rih Reh Chaw} cursed and those that bless you are blessed.  In Bereisheit 49.7  Yaakov says, [to Shimon and Levi]  rWra' Cursed is your anger for it is powerful...

We see the Word cursed used six times in Bereisheit.  Hashem G-d Curses the serpent and the ground.  Noach curses Canaan.  Yaakov curses the anger of Shimon and Levi. Yitzchok says to Yaakov 'those who curse you are cursed.'  These are some very strong Words.  They are not to be used carelessly!

When the word awroor is used as a very serious sign to everyone.  We just don't go around cursing people places or things!  Awroor is used sparingly in Ha Tenach.  Another word, lleqi {Kee Layl} meaning to curse or to revile is also used sparingly in Ha Tenach.

On the other hand words representing Bless, Blessed, Blessing etc are often found in Ha Tenach.

Last week we discussed the Tavah.  We called the Tavah the Holy Tavah yet the Gematria of curse, sign and Tavah are each 207.

The hb;Te {Tavah} was Holy to those dwelling inside. The Tavah was their protection from the destruction of the world outside. Everything outside of the Tavah was cursed with death and eternal destruction.  When G-d shut the door to the Holy Tavah there were two seals.  There were those sealed  inside for safety, protection, life and blessing and there were those sealed outside for doom, destruction and eternal death.

As we began G-d Blessed everything from Aleph to Tav of Noach and everything from Aleph to Tav of his sons. Then G-d established the rainbow as an eternal twoa [Oht] sign in the Heavens that He would not destroy the world again by flood. This was a sign for all humankind. This was a reminder of sin, destruction and salvation for the righteous.  The rainbow is not just pretty.  The rainbow is an Oht, a sign.  

407 = r200 w6 r200 a1

407 = h5 b2 t400

407 = t400 w6 a1

I pray that each of us will merit the blessings of our Creator and not the curse, that we in turn are careful NOT TO DAM or curse anyone or anything especially G-d our Creator!  And that we remember the lesson of the Tavah.  Those in the Holy Tavah were sealed for life, protection and blessing. Those outside the Tavah were sealed for doom, destruction and death.  We observe all this in the Gematria 207.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel

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By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

Our Devri Torah Limood is in the loving Memory of Mr. Jim Beaudry and Author Davis, Sr., may they rest in peace.

Bereisheit 7.11

In Year six Hundred of Noach's years of life in the second month in the seventeenth day of the month in this day all the fountains of the deep burst forth [volcanic lava] and the windows of heaven were opened [torrential down pour]. 

Using the Gregorian Calendar as a point of reference the flood date for 2008 would have begun on 11-15-08 or last Shabbat, Parshat Vayeira.

Bereisheit 7.12

And the water was upon the earth for forty days and forth nights... [17] ...and the waters increased and lifted up the Tava and it rose above the earth. [18] The waters were powerful and increased greatly on the earth. [19] ...[the waters] covered all the highest mountains [peaks].  [20] ...by up to 30 feet. [21] All flesh that moves on earth  perished; in birds and in animals  and in beasts and in all creeping creatures upon the earth and all humans.  [22] Everything that had with nostrils with a souls breath of life, from all on dry land died.  [23] Every living substance was on the face of the ground was obliterated...and only the remnant [of the earth] Noach and those with him in the Tava survived.

Bereisheit 7.24 And the waters prevailed on the earth for one hundred fifty days.

Bereisheit 8.1

Hashem Remembered everything from Aleph to Tav of  Noach and all the life and all the animals that were with him in the [Holy] Tavah. And G-d, He Caused Spirit on the earth and the waters subsided. [2] The fountains of the deep [volcanic lava] were closed and the windows of the Heaven [torrential down pour].  [3] The waters receded continually from earth.  The waters were diminished at the end of one hundred fifty days.

Bereisheit 8.4

The [Holy] Tavah rested in the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month on the mountains of Ararat.

The flood began in the second month the seventh day.  

2nd Month 13 Days remaining days

3rd Month  30 Days 

4th Month  30 Days - There were 30 days on this month.  5769 has only 29

5th Month  30 Days

6th Month  30 Days - There were 30 days on this month.  5769 has only 29

7th Month  17 Days beginning days

_______________

Total Days   150 Days = 

The [Holy] Tavah Rested in the Mountains of Ararat in the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month.  This was 04-11-2009 of the Gregorian Calendar.

Bereisheit 8.5 The waters continuously diminished until the tenth month. In the tenth month the mountain peaks became visible. 

The 30 feet of water depth that covered the highest peaks on earth and all land had diminished.  These means Mount Everest in Asia at 8848 meters / 29,028 feet and Mount Aconcagua Mendoza in South America at 6962 meters / 22, 841 feet and Mount McKinley in North America at 6194 meters / 20,320 feet and Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa at 5895 meters/feet and Mt Elbrus in Europe at 5642 meters / 18,506 feet and Mount Vinson in Antartica at 4892 meters / 16, 050 feet and possible even Mount Evans at 434 7 Meters / 14,264 feet in Colorado in the United States became visible. How do we know this?

Mount Ararat is 5165 meters / 16,946 feet. The waters had diminished from nine meters / thirty feet ABOVE Mount Everest 8843 meters / 29.028 feet to the point where the mountain peaks in the area of Mount Ararat could be seen.   Do the math.

Highest point of the waters was 8843 meters {Mt Everest} PLUS an additional 9 meters = 8852 meters.

Highest point of the waters was 29,028 feet {Mt Everest} PLUS an additional 30 feet = 29,058 feet.

The mountain peaks around Mount Ararat became visible in the tenth month. Again Mount Ararat is 5165 meters / 16,946 feet.  The waters diminished from 8852 meters to below 5165 meters.  The waters diminished more than 3690 meters by the tenth month and by more than 12,112 feet. WOW!

From the time of the seventh month the seventeenth day until the tenth month the twenty-seventh day the [Holy] Tavah rested 99 days. This began a period of 40 days plus 7 days plus 7 days and plus 7 days which led up to the day of judgment, Rosh HaShanah.  The 40 days began on the eve of  07-19-09 of the Gregorian Calendar, which is the [27th day 11th month of 5769 FC.

The 40th day ended on 08-28-09 of Gregorian Calendar, which is the 9th day of the 12th month of 5769 FC.  There are several key words found in Bereisheit 8.6.  Ha Torah Says, 'at the end of forty days'.  When does the day end?  The day ends with night fall.  It was at the end of forty days that the raven was sent out.  This was Erev Shabbat.

Seven days later on the 16th day of the 12th month the dove was sent out.  The dove returned. This was Erev Shabbat. 

Seven days later on the 23rd day of the 12th month the dove was sent out a second time.  The dove returned in the evening. This was Erev Shabbat. 

Seven days later on the 1st day of the new year 1657 FC which begins at evening which is the first day of the seventh month the dove was sent out and did not return. This was Erev Shabbat.  This was Erev Rosh HaShanah of 1657 F.C.

Another key series of words are found in Bereisheit 8.11.   The dove came back at evening. 

Bereisheit 8.6

And it was after 40 days Noach opened the window of the Tavah which he made.  [7] He sent out a raven...

This was on the eve of  08-29-09

[5769 FC]

Bereisheit 8.7

[Seven days later] He sent the dove to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.  [9] The dove found no rest for her foot so she returned to the Tavah...

This was on the eve of  09-04-09 [5769]

Bereisheit 8.10

[Noach ] waited another seven days and again sent the dove out of the [Holy] Tavah. [9] The dove came to him toward evening and behold, there was a tore olive leaf in her mount.  Noach knew then that the waters had diminished from the earth.

The olive leaf was a sign to Noach that peace had returned to the world just seven day before Rosh Hashanah which was the first judgment after the flood. 

Bereisheit 8.12

[Noach] waited another seven days and sent out the dove. [The dove] did not return to him again.

Bereisheit 8.13

And it happened in the six-hundredth first year in the first month on [day] one that the waters from upon the earth had dried.  Noach removed the covering of the [Holy] Tavah.  He looked out and behold the face of the earth had dried.

This is Rosh HaShanah - The day of Judgment for the entire world.

Bereisheit 8.14

In the second month on the twenty-seventh day of the month the earth was dry.

Bereisheit 8.15

G-d Spoke to Noach, Saying, [16] Depart from the Tavah...

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel

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The Final Seal! ©

By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

Limood 7

 Bereisheit [Genesis] 7.1 24

Our Devri Torah Limood is in the loving Memory of Leann Daniel, Kathleen Travis, Mary Ila Warren, Cloyd Burke, may they rest in peace.

Dear ones we are going to look at Bereisheit 7.16 and Bereisheit 36.6.  Please notice the last three words of Bereisheit 7.16:

Wd"[æBæ    h    y  h   w   rGOos]yiwæ

Vah Yees  Gohr - Hashem - Bah Ahd Voo

He, Hashem Enclosed [them] and sealed [them in the tavah]...  They were especially protected.  Notice why? Those that came were male and female from among all flesh they came LIKE Elokim Commanded [Noach], then He, Hashem enclosed [them] and sealed [them in the tavah]...

The first word, Vah Yees  Gohr  means He Enclosed them!

The third word Bah Ahd Voo  means Hashem Stood in front of the Tavah door.  He Sealed them in!   Then Hashem placed wild animals like bears surrounding the Tavah to prevent them the evil beings from boarding the Tavah or destroying it. Sefer HaYashar (Hoboken, NJ: KTAV Publishing House, Inc., 1993) p.19

They came like G-d Commanded Noach.  They came in pairs one male and one female.  Sometimes we want to do things our own way.  That will not work if G-d Has Not Commanded it!

They benefited from observing the Command of G-d.  

They were shut in the Tavah.

They were sealed in the Tavah.

In Bereisheit 36.6 we read, 

Eisov took his wives, his sons, his daughters, all the people of his household, his livestock, all his animals and all his possessions that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and he went to a land away from his brother, Yaakov.

Again notice the last three words in Ha Torah:

wyjia; bqoøO[æyæ ynEP]mi

Mee Pih Nay - Yaakov - Aw Cheev

...away from the face of Yaakov his brother.  Eisov represented a threat to Yaakov so our Creator Sent him away to protect Yaakov and his relatives.

We have two interesting phrases here that have similarities.

387 = w6 d4 [70 b2    h5    y10  h5   w6    r200 g3 s60 y10 w6

387 =  w6y10 j8 a1  b2 q100 [70 y10   y10 n50 p80 m40

In one instant Noach is Commanded By G-d to bring all the animals into the Tavah.  Noach did this.

In the other instant Eisov is sent away with all his animals and relatives etc. 

Both of these phrases are a Gematria of 387.   Both have a Letter which is representative of the circle of life, the Mem [m] and the Samech [s] .  Both have a visual Letter in Ayin [[].  Vah Yees  Gohr - Hashem - Bah Ahd Voo Has the Letter [w] Vav 3 times which equals 18 [yj] life.  Hashem Enclosed them and Sealed them for life!  Each word has a Vav.

18 = w6 d[b    h    y  h   w6    rgsyw6

Mee Pih Nay - Yaakov - Aw Cheev Has the Letter [y] Yud 3 times.  Eisov was very powerful.  He and his family were feared.  Why would he have left Eretz Canaan after living their for over a hundred years.  It was because Hashem Sent him away from the face of his brother, Yaakov!  Each Word has a Yud!

30 =  wy10 ja  bq[y10   y10 npm

So in our discussion we observe several was that our Creator protects us from those that would hurt us.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel

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Tavah! ©

hbt / tbt 

rpegOAyxe[æ tbæTe ˚;l] hce[æ

By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

This Divrei Torah is offered in the loving memory of Rabbi Yehosuah Gutman and Yehosuah Goodman, may they rest in peace.

Bereisheit [Genesis] 6.14 Make, Construct, Build, Design, Assemble for yourself an Ark of Ceder Wood.

Build this Tavah [Box, Chest, Case] for yourself but invite others to join you.  What is the message?

Consider the cost of the Ark.  How would Noach pay for such an expensive project?  Where would he get the resources? Consider the design, the architectural skills required.  Had anyone built an ark before? What technical skills would be required for designing and constructing buildings the ark?  Think of the knowledge and skill required to build the ark.  How would Noach test the competency of the Ark?  After the ark was constructed what about navigating the ark

The Midrash Says that Noach began 120 years before the flood by planting trees.  He had to grow the trees to specific heights.  Noach would have to plant the trees and harvest them at the appropriate times.  How would he know how to do this? 

I cannot imagine.  Building a Sukkah does me in for several weeks.

At the top are two words Tay Vaht  in blue type and Tay Vawh in red type.  It is interesting that the introduction to the Tavah has a Tav in the beginning and at the End of the word.  The Letter Tav symbolizes Truth and Perfection.  The Letter Tav is often used to represent SIGN when attached to the beginning of a letter.  The center Letter Bet represents blessings, creation and duality or plurality.  So, it is interesting that the Letter Bet has the Letters Tav before and after.  It is also interesting to note that the animals etc. that were not clean came in two's, a male with a female.

During the period of time that the evil in the world were perishing, being drowned by water and being sweep away within the Tavah were the blessed!  The blessed were surrounded by perfection with a Tav on each side. The Letter Bet means house.  So lodged between each Tav was the house that housed the living, purified beings of the world.   They were the blessed!  What did they do to be selected to be among thoughts chosen to repopulate the earth? 

This was a dark time for most of the world.  The world had to be cleansed by water.  The world had to be immersed in a mikvah so to speak.   Yet there was light in the Tavah.  Noach was Instructed to place a Precious Stone in the top of the Tavah.  Light would emanate from this stone throughout the Tavah.  So when there was darkness all around there was light coming from this precious stone. 

rhæxo Tzoh Har means window, skylight and brightness, To be bright... To be clear...

I take this to mean that within the Tavah there was brightness and clarity.  There was no confusion.  Everyone had to look to the top of the Tavah for brightness and Clarity, i.e. to the precious stone, to Hashem!

This is a reminder that we should be careful to surround ourselves with purity.  We are the House... we are the Temple... We always need brightness and clarity. We should look up to Hashem, our Precious Stone.  There is a key word here.  It is the second word.

hc,[æTæ Tah Ah Seh means for us to MAKE a place in our Bet, our house for brightness for clarity.  It is our responsibility to make a place for the precious stone.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel

       Dr. Akiva Gamliel

The best Seforim {Books} discussing sacrifices are The Artscroll Tanach Series - Vayikra 3a and 3b by Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz and Rabbi Nosson Scherman The Artscroll Tanach Series - (Brooklyn New York: Mesorah Publications, Ltd. 1st Impression 1989).  However the best Sefer discussing what B'nei Yisroel refers to as the Akeidah in Bereisheit 22.1-19 {Genesis} is The Artscroll Tanach Series - Bereishis Vol. I(a) by Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz and Rabbi Nosson Scherman(Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Publications, Ltd. 3rd Impression, 1989).

We request that anyone one who purchase books from Artscroll do so through our link at:

http://www.bnti.us/learning_store/the_learning_store.html

Presently Artscroll is have their annual summer sale with 20% off from now through 06-25-08.  It's a great time to purchase seforim and save money.  When you use our link we receive a commission.

G-d Willing we will add additional information to this posting soon.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel

Parshat Metzora: Thinking Before We Speak ©

By Lee

This parsha study is dedicated to the loving memory of Mrs. Ethel Channah Sakash Belk, may she rest in peace and her memory be for good.

Perek 14, passuk 4 states: 

The Kohen shall command; and for the person being purified there shall be taken two live, clean birds, cedarwood, crimson thread, and hyssop. The Stone Edition The Chumash, ArtScroll Series; Rabbi Nosson Scherman/Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz, General Editors (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, Ltd., Third Edition) p 621.

Per the Stone Chumash commentary, Rashi explains that [b]ecause his affliction came in punishment for the chatter of gossip and slander, his purification is effected by means of chirping, twittering birds. Ibid. p 621. 

In his book, Growth Through Torah {(Brooklyn, NY: Benei Yakov Publications 1988) p 260}, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin paraphrases and quotes commentary from Rabbi Yeruchem Levovitz in Rabbi Levovitz's book, Daas Torah: Vayikra, pp. 109-10: Before speaking you need to ask yourself, 'What is the purpose of what I am about to say? What will it accomplish? What effects will it have?' Once you get in to the habit of asking yourself these questions, you will always think before you speak. This will enable you to overcome the tendency of speaking against others.

What a wonderful gift! A recipe for overcoming the tendency of speaking loshon hara. This I see as a pursuit for a lifetime. If we have small victories, we can build on them. One victory would be to memorize the 3 questions. Another would be to have one instance in a day where we asked ourselves the three questions and succeeded in thinking before speaking.

One practice we have in [our families] is to forbid the use of certain words. These are words that are demeaning and demoralizing, words that tear the fabric of harmony in the home. In this way, we make inroads into protecting our home from loshon hara. 

May we overcome the tendency of speaking ill of others!

Blessings & peace,

Lee

            By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

This study is dedicated in the loving memory of Joyce Duff may she rest in peace.

yŸTim]c'~Arv,a} taOZfih' ˆb,a≤¢h;w"

l~kow" µyhi-løa' tyB´¢ hy<¡h]yI hb;+Xem'

.Ël...â WNr<èC]['a} rC´`[' yli+AˆT,Ti rv≤¢a}

And the foundation stone [the precious stone] which I have set as a monument will become the House of G-d and all that you give me, of my riches I will give a tenth to You. 

Please notice the first two words. There is something very special within the wording here. It is very obvious.  Why?  The two Hey's and Zoht {this}.  This is clearly designed to share a Gematria with us.

64 = ˆ 50 b2 a1 h5 w6  And the foundation stone 

64 = h5 w6 j8  µ 40d4 a1 Adam / Chava 

64 = µ40 y10 w6 g3 h5 The Nations or the People

64 = j8 w6 n 50 Noach You shall bring 

aybit;

413 = t400 a1 z7 h5 this, the

413 = a1 y10 b2 t400 You shall bring

Our sages teach this meant money, assets, children and time.

rC´`[ richness, wealth, riches, abundance, tenth

WNr<èC]['a} A tenth

Why is the Letter Aleph in front of Ah-Ah-Si-Reh-Nu?  The Letter Aleph represents G-d As One. This tithe is to be given to G-d!  

Chech out the commentary in the Stone Chumash.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

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     By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

Bereisheit 27 Yitzchok Could Not See... Can any of us see?

Our study is in the loving memory of the Horvat Mishpacha that died in the Holocaust.  May they rest in peace.

Ha Torah begins Bereisheit {Genesis} Chapter 27 with a statement.  And it happened Yitzchok became an elder.  His eyesight faded and he could not see...  Yitzchok was the holy child who at the age of 37 willingly lay on the Mizbayach {altar} offering himself as a sacrifice.  Now 86 years later, at the age of 123 Ha Torah States, Yitzchok is an elder.  His physical eyesight faded.  It also impacted his Spiritual insight. 

Ha Torah Informs us in Bereisheit 24 that Avraham, Yitzchok's father, became an elder at the age of 137. Ha Torah Tells us the Creator Had Blessed Avraham in all things.  His eyes were not faded.  Avraham would live another 38 years.  He would father at least nine more children through Keturah, {Bereisheit 25.2}.

Neither we nor our father nor our grandfather will live to the age of Avraham {175} or Yitzchok {180}.  We are not on their level of righteousness.  We do not experience their visions.  We do not have the closeness to the Creator that they had.  We are not elders in the sense they were elders.  We are generations away from Har Sinai.  Our lives are cluttered with interferences that impede our Spirituality.  How many hours did Avraham and Yitzchok spend on the internet?  What about notebooks, ipods, satellite radio, DVDs, TV, cell phones, phones, faxes, etc.?  How do these things impact our Spirituality?  There are so many distractions that take us away from focusing on Spirituality.

In light of these points we should consider what the length and depth of our Spiritual vision is.  What are our limitations?  What can we do about all these devices that are part of world communication?

Our father Yitzchok did not have these distractions yet his eyes faded.  Why did his eyes fade?  Our Sages say it was from the incense offered to idols by his daughters-in-law, Yehudit and Bawsmat, Eisov's wives.[1] This teaches us an important lesson. Yitzchok and Rivkah lived so close to Eisov and his idolatrous wives that the incense caused him to lose his vision. It also clouded his Spiritual vision.   How do we know this?  Why else would he call for his evil son Eisov to bless him?  Why would he bless a son who murdered, committed rape and adultery and married idolatrous women?  We learn a similar lesson from another great Tzaddik, Lot.  He lived among the Sedomites. Why?  He was a cattle baron.  He felt that his cattle would flourish in the plush land of Sedom.  That may have been true but he was too close to evil!  It impacted him. His vision was impacted!  This is the point.  Day in and day out being too close to anything that interferes with our Spirituality can harm our vision and the lives of those we love.

Evil impacted Noach!  Evil impacted Lot.  Evil impacted Yitzchok.  Do we feel we can withstand such great evil?  I do not think so!  So for us to have clarity of vision and keen focus, the real issue is identifying evil and keeping it at the greatest distance away from us that we can.

[1] Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz and Rabbi Nosson Scherman, The Artscroll Tanach Series - Bereishis Vol. I(a) (Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Publications, Ltd. 3rd Impression, 1989), p 1114