There is a very, VERY intrigueing pasuk in the Nazarean Codicil that I have been considering as I looked through the Tanach and discovered numerous wounderous things:

Yochanan (John) 14:12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

According to the above pasuk, because Yeshua walked on water, so we will walk on water. Yeshua cured many illnesses, so we will cure many illnesses. Yeshua raised the dead, so we will raise the dead. Yeshua changed water into wine, so we will change water into wine. Yeshua could make fish give coins, so we will make fish give coins. This is very intrigueing. The question is: ‘How’ are we going to accomplish these miracles?

Will magic play a role in our new found abilities, or maybe technology? The reason that these questions are so pertinent is because magic has always played an important role in Judaism, and clearly technology is playing an important role now.

Has technology played a more important role in the past? Consider that we stll do not have the technology to align and build the great pyramid in Egypt.

In this study I would like to look at various events in the Tanach and Nazarean Codicil and try to understand the role of magic, miracles, and technology.

I am reminded of Clarke's third law:[1]

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.[2]

What is a miracle?

The common Hebrew word for miracle is nes (נס), which translates as something that is “raised up or elevated”. For example, a flagpole upon which a banner is raised is also called a nes. So a miracle is an elevated and elevating event. It is something extraordinary that happens, where we see HaShem’s hand clearly.

Ordinarily, when we look around us, we are not privileged to see HaShem working openly. However, it is tough to argue with a miracle—a supernatural event that indicates strongly that HaShem is at work. When we witness a miracle, we are elevated. We have been given new insight into the meaning of the ordinary events in our life, and we realize that they too are really HaShem's work.

Rabbi Tzvi Ashkenazi[3] explains that what we refer to as nature is actually miraculous and unnatural. It is only because natural events happen all the time that we take them for granted. Nature is a puppet attached to the strings of the Master. It is a mask hiding the Face of HaShem.

Consider, for example, when the Jews were in the desert for forty years after the exodus from Egypt, and the manna rained down from the sky each morning. Imagine a child who was born in the desert and saw his food rain down from the sky daily. He would not be surprised at all and would think it perfectly normal![4]

In common English parlance and as a matter of general intuition, we think of a miracle as an event that violates the laws of nature. However, this idea would not have made sense for Jews in antiquity who did not conceive of HaShem, The Creator, as outside nature. The Tanach’s word for miracle, nes, means something like banner or sign, a miracle was something HaShem wrought in order to make a statement, to change the course of human affairs.

Debarim (Deuteronomy) 4:35 Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that HaShem, He is God; there is nothing besides Him - אֵין עוֹד, מִלְּבַדּוֹ.

According to the Slonimer Rebbe, the word "echad" (one), of the shema,[5] carries the same implication as the verse "Ein od mil'vado" אֵין עוֹד, מִלְּבַדּוֹ.- There is nothing besides Him. This three-word phrase, "ein od milvado," ("There is nothing other than Him") is actually a profound philosophical and existential statement: There is nothing outside of God. Nothing else truly exists. Reality is God; God is the only reality. While we may "see" many false gods, sense and experience many illusionary realities, there is in fact only one reality - the infinite God who cleared away a small corner of His infinite existence in order to allow our finite universe to coexist. Everything that exists within the finite universe does so at the will of the Infinite God. Should He cease to allow this to be so, our finite universe would be subsumed into God's infinite reality.

What is Magic?

In general, Talmudic Rabbis are not concerned with magical actions per se, but rather with the character and intentions of the person performing the act. As in the Torah, whether an unusual event is a miracle, and therefore praiseworthy, or magic, and thus deplorable, depends on who does it and for what purpose.

In the rabbinic view, an unusual event is magic, and culpable, or a miracle, and laudable, depending upon who does it, in what context, and for what purpose. Exactly what is accomplished is rarely at issue at all. The distinction between miracles and magic is purely one of perspective: what distinguishes the two is the ultimate source of the power that makes the deed possible.

For the Rabbis, the Torah, HaShem’s revelation, is incarnate in the Sage who as a result can use the power of HaShem to perform wonders. Like Moshe, whose wonders were achieved through special capacities granted him by HaShem, so the Sage can carry out astounding acts that are deemed legitimate and appropriate.

Soncino Zohar, Bereshith, Section 1, Page 167a Balaam his grandson said: “For there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel”.[6]

Soncino Zohar, Bereshith, Section 1, Page 56a R. Eleazar said: ‘In the time of Enosh, men were skilled in magic and divination, and in the art of controlling the heavenly forces. Adam had brought with him from the Garden of Eden the knowledge of “the leaves of the tree”, but he and his wife and their children did not practise it. When Enosh came, however, he saw the advantage of these arts and how the heavenly courses could be altered by them, and he and his contemporaries studied them and practised magic and divination. From them these arts descended to the generation of the Flood and were practised for evil purposes by all the men of that time. Relying upon these arts, they defied Noah, saying that divine justice could never be executed upon them, since they knew a way to avert it. The practice of these arts commenced with Enosh, and hence it is said of his time, THEN WAS THE NAME OF THE LORD CALLED UPON PROFANELY. R. Isaac said: All the righteous men that were among them sought to restrain them, such as Jered, Methuselah, and Enoch, but without success, and the world became full of sinners who rebelled against their Master saying, “What is the Almighty that we should serve him?”.[7] This is not so foolish as it sounds, for they knew all the arts we have mentioned and all the ruling chieftains in charge of the world, and on this knowledge they relied, until at length God disabused them by restoring the earth to its primitive state

The modern technical world began with the Industrial Revolution,[8] about two hundred plus years ago. Since this period, we have progressed to the point that we are able to unravel the mysteries of huge celestial bodies, as well as sub-atomic particles. We have conquered the force of gravity to travel in space, and can produce number-crunching machines that do billions of mathematical computations in a fraction of a second; all this in two hundred years.

By Rabbi Nachman Kahana

Noach and his generation lived one thousand years after the first man and woman were created. Now, if we, in two hundred years, were able to leap from a semi-primitive existence to the wonders that compose our lives today, it would be the height of arrogance to think that mankind in the space of a thousand years was unable to unfold the secrets of science.

I suggest. Noach and his generation had developed a society far beyond our imagination. Forces of nature not yet discovered by us were harnessed to serve mankind: cities enclosed in weather control bubbles; space travel which melted light years into days; a time where no one heard of the multiplication table and peace existed among all people. All this, and much more, were common place to the people of the time, but to the degree that society developed to a point of almost total bliss, the need to recognize and worship a higher being became redundant, and from there it was a small leap to form life patterns which negated the values of morality. At some point, God, the Creator, decided that the wisdom gained from the Tree of Knowledge was serving the interests of evil, and society could no longer continue, as such.

Prophecy

Prophecy is one of the basic pillars of Judaism. In fact, prophecy is not miraculous at all! It is a human faculty that is built into all Jews and functions automatically with proper experience and training. In other words, Judaism views prophecy as a human faculty. A Jew who takes a prophecy course delivered by a qualified teacher, himself an experienced prophet, and implements the information he learned in his life will automatically experience prophecy, just as someone who studies physics in university will automatically be a qualified physicist.

Anyone can be a prophet; the reason why there aren't a lot of them around is due to the difficulties of qualifying. To understand the requirements, let us consult Maimonedes once again::

Yesodei Hatorah 7:1 It is one of the foundations of our religion that God communicates by prophecy with man. Prophecy 'falls' only upon a very wise sage, a person of strong character who never allows himself to be overcome by his natural inclinations in any regard.

A person who is full of all these qualities and is physically sound [is fit for prophecy]. When he enters the Pardes [the study of the Torah's hidden meanings and secrets] and is drawn into these great and sublime concepts, if he possesses the correct perspective to comprehend them he will become holy. He will advance and separate himself from ordinary people who are occupied with the darkness of the world under time. He must continue and diligently train himself not to have any thoughts whatever about fruitless things or the vanities and intrigues of the times.

Instead, his mind should constantly be directed upward, bound beneath God's throne, striving to comprehend the holy and pure forms and gazing at the wisdom of God in its entirety from the most spiritual form until the navel of the earth, appreciating His greatness from them. After these preparations the spirit of prophecy will immediately [i.e. automatically] rest on him.

Communication Devices

Assuming that man has a soul: What does a soul do? Is it a type of muscle? A sort of spiritual organ that helps drive the human machine? Obviously not! The soul is immaterial and incorporeal. In fact the soul is a communication device. It allows man to obtain information about the world that is not accessible through the application of his senses to physical reality.[9]

A young rabbi was once imprisoned and tortured by the Russians. When, after a while, he was unexpectedly released, it was discovered that one of the reasons given for his release was that he was insane. The authorities had seen him putting on tefillin, and when they asked him what this was, he answered that it was a communication device through which he spoke with HaShem. After examining the tefillin inside and out and not finding any batteries or antennas, and particularly after seeing him put this device on his head and begin to talk, they came to the conclusion that he was definitely insane.[10]

The Holy Ark is a communication device whereby HaShem speaks to His servants.[11]

The Torah is our communication device, our cellphone, if you will, by which we speak to HaShem and He speaks to us.[12]

Parchment panic button? Cleverly concealed spycam? Star Trek communicators?

What’s the real meaning of that funny looking capsule stuck on the doorposts of Jewish homes?

Answer: A mezuzah — which is all of the above. Well, almost. Read on!

The Torah states: “You shall write them on the doorposts (mezuzot) of your house and upon your gates.” The word mezuzah means literally “a doorpost”. But in common speech when we speak of a mezuzah we are referring to that which we put on the doorpost: the parchment scroll containing the first two paragraphs of the “Shema”. We are told to affix these verses on our doorways, which declare our belief in G-d and our commitment to performing His commandments.

The mezuzah can be imagined as a parchment panic button (security feature), a concealed spycam (watching every move we make and every breath we take), and a Star Trek communication device (syncing with the “Cloud”).[13]

Technology in the Tanach

The Hebrew word for "electricity" is chashmal חשמל.[14] Chashmal is a fiery radiance identified in the vision of Ezekiel as surrounding the Divine countenance seated upon the heavenly chariot. That is originally a biblical word, only appearing three times[15] (all in the book of Yechezkel).[16]

In Modern Hebrew, the word chashmal means “electricity”. Today, it is common to hear in Jewish circles that the Modern Hebrew chashmal has nothing to do with Ezekiel’s chashmal, which must have been something spiritual, and not electricity. In reality, the Modern Hebrew term is perfectly precise. It was first resurrected in 1878 by Yehuda Leib Gordon.[17]

Aside from Ezekiel’s juxtaposition of “lightning” with chashmal, how did Gordon decide the word must be electricity? Linguists had pointed out that the word chashmal was highly connected to the word leshem (לשם) meaning “amber”. The thing about amber is that it can build up a large amount of static electricity. The ancient Greek philosophers were fascinated by it, and knew they could rub amber to generate sparks. The Greek word for “amber”? Elektros. This is where the term “electricity” comes from! And when Gordon looked in the Septuagint, the original Greek translation of the Tanakh, our own ancient Sages had translated chashmal as “elektron”. They knew the secret power hidden in that word. Chashmal is electricity, and that explains everything.

Here are the three verses in the Tanach which use this strange word - chashmal:

Yehezchel (Ezekiel) 1:4 looked, and lo, a stormy wind came sweeping out of the north—a huge cloud and flashing fire, surrounded by a radiance; and in the center of it, in the center of the fire, a gleam as of chashmal. 5 And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings. 7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

Out of the sky comes something like a cloud with flames coming out of it. A bright light all around. Whatever Ezekiel sees has four wings. It has one “leg” coming out the bottom. The leg appears to be made of some kind of metal. It has a foot that resembles a calf’s cloven hoof. Ezekiel continues to say that these “creatures” had what looked like “burning torches” coming out their bottoms. Also at their bottoms were “wheels within wheels” (v.16) which allowed them to move without having to actually turn.

Every person should really go through this chapter carefully, word-by-word, and try to envision what Ezekiel saw as accurately as possible. It suffices to point out only that he sees metal “hooves” that shoot forth fire, along with “straight, conjoined wings” (meaning, these are not at all the “angelic”, bird-like, curved and feathered wings that we tend to think of). It has “wheels within wheels”—gyroscopes—at the bottom, reminiscent of the gyroscopes on our own International Space Station. (The gyroscopes on the ISS keep it in place in orbit, allowing it to move effortlessly, “without turning”.) Ezekiel also says that the “creatures” have a covering over their heads made of what looks like clear “ice” (v. 22). Keep in mind he probably would not have been familiar with glass.

Most importantly, on several occasions Ezekiel describes them as moving like, or being powered by, “lightning” or “flashes of lightning”. Such statements would not have made sense to anyone until 1752, when scientists in France first confirmed that lightning was electricity.

Yehezchel (Ezekiel) 1:27 From what appeared as his loins up, I saw a gleam as of chashmal —what looked like a fire encased in a frame; and from what appeared as his loins down, I saw what looked like fire. There was a radiance all about him.

Yehezchel (Ezekiel) 8:2 As I looked, there was a figure that had the appearance of fire: from what appeared as his loins down, [he was] fire; and from his loins up, his appearance was resplendent and had the color of chashmal.

Rashi on Ezekiel 1:4 it was like the color of the chashmal “Chashmal” is an angel bearing that name, and he [Ezekiel] saw [something] like the appearance of its color in the midst of the fire. And so did our Sages say: There was an incident involving a child who was expounding on the account of the Chariot. He perceived the meaning of “chashmal,” [whereupon] fire emanated from the chashmal and consumed him. They said further that the word itself is a combination: When they asked, “What is chashmal?” replied Rav Judah, “Living beings (חֶיוֹת) of fire (אֵש) that speak (מִמַלְלוֹת) …

Maimonides[18] writes that there are ten classes of angels. The highest class of angels — above which only G-d stands — are the chayot, or chayot hakodesh. Then come the ophanim, erelim, chashmalim, seraphim, malachim, elohim, bnei elohim, cherubim, and finally, the ishim.

The fourth class of angels, chashmalim, reveal themselves to prophets through fiery flashes of light. The Talmud [19] explains that the name of this class of angels is comprised of the two words chash (“quiet”) and mal (“speak”), because they sometimes speak of G-d’s glory and they sometimes remain quiet. The School of the Rokeach interprets the word chashmal as a portmanteau of chashuv (“important” on account of their proximity to G‑d’s glory) and mal (“speak” because they speak of G-d’s holiness). In Modern Hebrew, the word chashmal refers to “electricity.”

The Arizal may have been the first (perhaps since the boy in Chagigah) to truly grasp chashmal. While he speaks of chashmal countless times throughout his teachings, this is only on the more basic level as the relationship between chashmal and the eight garments that protect the eight Sefirot from Binah to Malkhut. The real secret of chashmal is not expounded upon. Rabbi Chaim Vital only dared to speak of it once, briefly, in a single sentence in Sha’arei Kedushah,[20] stating [emphasis mine] “This is the most sublime secret of chashmal… that it is the vessel and the physical substance of the lights of the angels. May God forgive me for revealing this most sublime secret.” Rabbi Vital could speak no more of this, only to reveal to us that chashmal is the very substance (חומר) that gives the angels power. Before him, the Ramak had similarly stated that chashmal is a physical force that “carries” and “gives life” to the angelic Chariot.[21]

Now we get to a VERY interesting perspective of the nature of chashmal.

The Ba’al HaTurim[22] offered a little more, relating chashmal to some kind of concrete force. Incredibly, he says that the Ark of the Covenant was powered by chashmal. This is alluded to when the Torah says vayehi binsoa ha’aron, “And it was, when the Ark set forth…”[23] where the word binsoa (בנסע) in Atbash rearranges to form chashmal (חשמל)! In other words, the Ark sets forth and moves by chashmal. The Ramak[24] would later explain that chashmal is one of the thirteen supernal kochot, “powers” or “forces” of the highest Heavens.[25] Meanwhile, the Zohar [26] adds that chashmal is the source of prophecy, and what allowed the prophets to see their visions.

It would be very easy for modern man to see the ark as a kind of technology which is powered by inter-dimensional energy.

Putting it all together, this is what we know so far of chashmal: It played a key role in the early days of Creation. Adam used it to see across the universe. It is a “force field” of sorts that guards the Sefirot. It powered the Ark of the Covenant. It can be used to generate visions. It gives power to the angels, particularly those associated with God’s “Chariot”. And it isn’t entirely spiritual, but has a clear physical aspect.

I. Miracles, Magic, or Science

Yesoodei HaTorah 8:1 The Jews did not believe in Moses, our teacher, because of the wonders that he performed. Whenever anyone's belief is based on wonders, [the commitment of] his heart has shortcomings, because it is possible to perform a wonder through magic or sorcery.[27]

Yesoodei HaTorah 8:2 Just as we are commanded to render a [legal] judgment based on the testimony of two witnesses, even though we do not know if they are testifying truthfully or falsely, similarly, it is a mitzvah to listen to this prophet even though we do not know whether the wonder is true or performed by magic or sorcery.

Yesoodei HaTorah 8:3 Therefore, if a prophet arises and attempts to dispute Moses' prophecy by performing great signs and wonders, we should not listen to him. We know with certainty that he performed those signs through magic or sorcery. [This conclusion is reached] because the prophecy of Moses, our teacher, is not dependent on wonders, so that we could compare these wonders, one against the other. Rather we saw and heard with our own eyes and ears as he did.

What is a nes nistar - נס נסתר, a hidden miracle? According to Nahmanides,[28] these are miracles which are frequent in human life, but we discount them, placing them under the category of coincidence or happenstance. In the Amida we speak of “miracles which are daily with us”, these are the hidden miracles.

In one of the first real mystery stories, “The Purloined Letter,” Edgar Allen Poe has the crucial letter cleverly hidden in plain sight. For not only that which is invisible is hidden. In some circumstances, “hidden” miracles may be precisely those which we can see. Think of a lizard on a leaf: camouflage is a means of hiding by being seen. Camouflage makes the lizard look unremarkable, but its ordinariness is an illusion.

There are two ways of looking at the world, declared Einstein: as if nothing is a miracle, and as if everything is a miracle. Are miracles the common currency of existence? Some will hold out for miracles being only the exceptional, the radical break from normality. Others will say, along with Nachmanides, that, “the foundation of Torah is hidden miracles.” We should not rely on miracles, counsels the Talmud -- but we should not ignore them, either.

Jewish Thought

An excerpt from Rabbi Kaplan's Handbook of Jewish Thought.

Many of our traditions predict that there will be an extremely advanced technology in the Messianic Era. All disease will be eliminated, as the prophet foretold, "Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame man will leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb will sing".[29]

In order that man devote himself totally to achieving spiritual perfection, many forms of labor will become obsolete. A number of miracles are predicted, such as grapes as large as hen's eggs and grains of wheat as big as a fist. As we now know, all this can become possible with a technology not too far removed from that of today. Indeed, when Rabbi Gamliel spoke of these predicted miracles, he stated that they would not involve any change in the laws of nature, but are allusions to a highly advanced technology. Thus, so little labor will be needed to process agricultural products that clothing and loaves of bread will seem to grow on trees. Similarly, as we learn the secrets of all life processes, it will become possible to make trees bear fruit continually.

When we think of the miracles of the Messianic Age as being technological rather than manifest, then we have no trouble understanding traditions that predict such things as space flight and interstellar colonization in the Messianic Age, even according to those who believe that it will not be a time of manifest miracles.

All of this would be mere conjecture and even forced interpretation if it were not for the fact that our present technological revolution has also been predicted, with an approximate date as to its inception. Almost 2000 years ago, the Zohar predicted, "In the 600th year of the 6th millennium, the gates of wisdom on high and the wellsprings of lower wisdom will be opened”. This will prepare the world to enter the 7th millennium, just as a person prepares himself toward sunset on Friday for the Sabbath. It is the same here. And the mnemonic for this is,[30] 'In the 600th year… all the foundations of the great deep were split'."

Here we see a clear prediction that in the Jewish year 5600 (1840 CE), the wellsprings of lower wisdom would be opened and there would be a sudden expansion of secular knowledge. Although the year 1840 did not yield any major scientific breakthrough, the date corresponds with almost uncanny accuracy to the onset of the present scientific revolution.

The tradition may have even anticipated the tremendous destructive powers of our modern technology. Thus, we are taught that the Messianic Era will begin in a generation with the power to destroy itself.

The rapid changes on both a technological and sociological level will result in great social upheaval. The cataclysmic changes will result in considerable suffering, often referred to as the Chevley Mashiach or birth pangs of the Messiah. If the Messiah comes with miracles, these may be avoided, but the great changes involved in his coming in a natural manner may make these birth pangs inevitable.

II. I can See Forever

When God created the world and said, "Let there be light",[31] the illumination that resulted was not what we see today. This was a light, say our Sages, which enabled one "to see from one end of the world to another".[32]

Chagigah 12a For R. Eleazar said: The light which the Holy One, blessed be He, created on the first day, one could see thereby from one end of the world to the other; but as soon as the Holy One, blessed be He, beheld the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Dispersion,[33] and saw that their actions were corrupt, He arose and hid it from them, for it is said: But from the wicked their light is withholden.[34] And for whom did he reserve it? For the righteous in the time to come,[35] for it is said: And God saw the light, that it was good;[36] and ‘good’ means only the righteous, for it is said: Say ye of the righteous that he is good.[37] As soon as He saw the light that He had reserved for the righteous, He rejoiced, for it is said: He rejoiceth at the light of the righteous. Now Tannaim [differ on the point]: The light which the Holy One, blessed be He, created on the first day one could see and look thereby from one end of the world to the other; this is the view of R. Jacob.

Bereshit Rabbah 11:2 When the sun set following the sixth day of Creation, Hashem wanted to hide away the Divine Light [i.e. the Divine Light should have been limited to the Garden of Eden, and when Adam and Chava were chased out of the Garden of Eden at sunset of the sixth day (Sanhedrin 38b) they should have lost the privilege of seeing the Divine Light -Maharzu]. However, in honor of the Shabbat Hashem let the light remain. [That is to say, He let the light remain in the entire world, even outside the Garden of Eden, and He didn't limit it to the Garden of Eden until after Shabbat -Maharzu]. This is what the verse means, "Hashem blessed the seventh day and sanctified it" (Bereishit 2:3). How did He bless it? With the Divine Light...

Rav Levi said, quoting Rav Ze'ira: For thirty-six hours Man enjoyed the Divine Light -- twelve hours before Shabbat, twelve hours on the eve of the first Shabbat, and twelve hours on the day of Shabbat. When the sun set following the first Shabbat, darkness came.

Bereshit (Genesis) 1:3 And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light.

The pasuk says that on the first day of Creation: God said, “Let there be light” — and there was light”. Rashi,[38] quoting the Midrash, comments on the pasuk: God saw that it is not fitting for the light to be used by the wicked, so He set it aside for the righteous to use in the future. The Gemara explains that with this light Adam HaRishon[39] was able to see from one end of the world to the other.[40] What is the deeper meaning behind this? The commentaries explain that the Hebrew word for world, olam, shares its root with the word he’elim (hid).[41] This is because the natural world is meant to hide HaShem’s presence, enabling free will to choose between good and evil. As a result, when we look at the physical properties that comprise our world, it is very hard to see HaShem’s Hand at work. Light is the medium that enables us to see. Ordinary light only reveals an object’s physical makeup. The ohr haganuz (the light that was later put away for the righteous), however, did not only reveal the physical properties of an item, but also its spiritual essence. The ohr haganuz had the unique characteristic of being able to reveal HaShem in the world. This is the deeper meaning behind the Gemara that says Adam HaRishon was able to see from one end of the world to the other. The ohr haganuz shone through the mask of the world of nature that hides HaShem, by revealing the guiding Hand of HaShem everywhere.[42]

III. Flying People

Jewish tradition does relate incidents of people, both righteous and wicked, who were able to fly.

Bilaam had the power of flight? Why yes, according to several midrashic sources, and Rashi who indirectly cites them in his comment on Num 31:6.

Targum Yonatan ben Uziel describes the scene of Bilam's death in the war.

Targum Yonatan Num. 31:8 "When Bilam the wicked saw Pinchas the kohen chasing after him he uttered a magic word and flew up in the air heavenward. Immediately, Pinchas uttered the Great and Holy Name and flew after him. [Pinchas] seized him by the head and pulled him down. [Pinchas] unsheathed his sword and was about to kill him. [Bilam] opened his mouth with words of supplication and he said to Pinchas, 'If you let me live I will subjugate myself to you; for all the days that I live I will not curse your nation.'

[Pinchas] answered, 'But you are Lavan the Aramean who tried to finish Yaacov our father. You went down to Egypt to destroy his offspring. After they left Egypt, you incited the wicked Amalekites against them. When you were jealous, you were incited to curse them. When you saw that your words would not succeed and God would not accept it from you, you advised the evil king Balak to places his [nation?s] daughters at the crossroads to lead [the People of Israel] astray. As a result, twenty-four thousand of us fell. As such, I cannot let you live.' Immediately, Pinchas unsheathed his sword and killed him."

the sacred utensils: The holy Ark[43] and the golden showplate,[44] since Balaam was with them and through sorcery was able to make the Midianite kings fly, and he flew along with them, he [Phinehas] showed them the showplate on which HaShem’s Name was engraved, and they fell down [to earth]. For this reason it says, concerning the Midianite kings, “upon their slain”,[45] for they fell from the air on top of those slain. Likewise, it says in the book of Joshua[46] in connection with Balaam,“upon (sic) their slain.”[47]

Targum Yonaton Ben Uziel relates fascinating details as to how Bilaam was apprehended: When threatened, Bilaam used powers and began flying in the air, thus eluding the Jewish army.

Pinchas, who was in charge of the war, recited a special holy name of HaShem which suspended him in the air and he was able to catch up with Bilaam and kill him by sword.

The fate of Bilaam, however, was different. The Zohar continues: Seeing Bilaam flying, Pinchas sought someone to fly after him and bring him down alive. Tzaliah, of the tribe of Dan volunteered. Equipped with a Holy Name with which to cancel the power of Bilaam, he took off after him. When Bilaam saw Tzalia he managed to deceive him and disappeared in the air. Tzalia feared being harmed by the impure forces. Pinchas, with the power of the High Priest Head Plate, helped him from the ground, and Tzaliah saw Bilaam again. He then caught Bilaam and brought him down before Pinchas.

Pinchas instructed Tzaliah to kill Bilaam, not by using Holy Names, but with Bilaam’s own sword. Pinchas did not want Bilaam to die through the mentioning of a Holy Name, so as not to have his soul be included on any level of holiness that dwells with the Holy Names of HaShem. Targum Yonatan states that Bilaam begged Pinchas not to kill him and swore never to curse the Jewish people, but it was too late. Tzaliah slew Bilaam with Bilaam’s own sword, as the verse states¹ “And Bilaam son of Beor they killed with the sword.”[48]

Rashi said that Pinchas, Bilaam, and the five kings, had the power of flight. How did they do this?[49]

Now this incident in Egypt, when HaShem lead His people through the wilderness, has the good guys and the bad guys both flying!

* * *

It is further written [of Pinchas] that HaShem's covenant of life and well-being was with him, "the true Torah was in his mouth. He walked with Me in peace and equity, nothing perverse was on his lips. With complete loyalty, he served Me, deterring many from committing iniquity. For the lips of a priest guard knowledge and people seek Torah from his mouth, seeing that he is an angel of HaShem G‑d of Hosts".[50] This verse clearly alludes to Pinchas, since Pinchas became an angel, as our Sages comment on Joshua.[51]

Telling stories about the Tzaddikim help s cleanse and purify the mind. But for every story about a Tzaddik we find a parallel story about a wicked person , because the realm of evil is a reflection of that of holiness. Thus we are told that Pinchas flew in the air, and the same is said of the wicked Bilaam, except that in his case it was through witchcraft. The ability to distinguish between light and darkness enables us to distinguish between stories about true Tzaddikim and those that are not.

To separate the light from the darkness requires the ultimate level of faith. This can be attained only in the land of Israel.[52]

IV. Space Elevator

The Tower of Babel episode was not simply a tower but meant to “lift off” and “conquer” the Heavens. Rabbi Yehonatan taught that the Torah's Genesis story about the building of the Tower of Babel was not about building a tower at all. Rabbi Eibeschitz claimed they were building a Rocket Ship! Or a Launching Pad! Or a Space Elevator! Truth!

Our Sages long ago taught that the people who built the Tower knew the wisdom of the angels and were using angelic powers to accomplish their plans.[53] God “came down” to confound them. He wiped their memories and jumbled their languages so that they wouldn’t be able to collaborate in such a megalomaniacal way. Today, we live in a world that is once more getting really close to being “of singular language and singular words”,[54] and once again we see science stepping into the dangerous territory of “playing God”. Hopefully this time humanity will get it right and use the astounding abilities that God made possible in His universe only for the good.

Rav Eibishitz

Rav Yonasan Eibeshitz's idea of the generation attempting to build a tower so high it would reach beyond the gravitational pull of the Earth. Then, they planned to have a boat-like vessel atop the tower to be carried up from the Earth's winds to the moon, where they would no longer need to fear torrential rain. (Rav

Sanhedrin 106b Rav said, 'Doeg and Achitophel asked four hundred questions about a tower that floats in the air'.

Rashi gives a number of explanations, among them:

במגדל הפורח באויר - לעשות כישוף להעמיד מגדל באויר

About a tower that floats in the air - to perform kishuf, magic, to make a tower float in the air.

Rabbi Zucht The Tower Of Babel Was A Rocket Ship!

The Zohar,[55] points out that these people of Babylon discovered special magical (technological) powers. It seems they found highly advanced information and possibly artifacts from the Bible's pre-Noah era which survived The Flood. They say that in earlier times the Earth was inhabited by a group of fallen angles called The Nefilim, giants. The Torah says,[56] "The Sons of G-d (fallen angels) had come to the daughters of man and had fathered them. The Nefilim were the mightiest ones who ever existed, men of renown." They were all destroyed in the Flood. But could these mighty "men of renown" left vital magical and technological information that was not destroyed during the Deluge?

Rabbi Yehonosan Aibshitz claims the Babylonians found this treasure trove of information. The Rabbi Zucht (says) that in The Torah;[57] "Come, let us build a city, and a tower, with its head in the heavens, and we shall make a name for ourselves", exposes Nimrod's plan to travel to the heavens. He received the technology from the Nefilim.

The following table lists some of the differences between the antidiluvian world and the world we live in:

Before the flood	After the flood
There were a great many people.	All but Noach and his family were destroyed.
People were forbidden to eat meat.	Men could now eat meat.^{^[58]}
Animals did not eat meat, just as they will not eat meat in the future redemption.^{^[59]}	Animals could eat meat.
The world could be flooded. Before the Flood, the world’s very existence was contingent upon its moral state.	God promised never to flood the world again.
The Earth did not have a tilt to its axis. Climate was uniform.^{^[60]}	The earth was now tilted on its axis by 23 degrees. We have seasons. The worlds climate is established as we know it today.
Pangea had not yet been broken up.	Shortly after the flood, in Peleg’s day, Pangea was split apart.
No tall mountains, though there were higher and lower places.	The world was filled with tall mountains and deep valleys.
People lived much longer, some more than 900 years.^{^[61]}	People were reduced to lifespans of around 70 to 80 years.
There were no cold or warm fronts and no storms. No snow, rain, or storms.	Now we have cold and warm fronts with the resulting storms, as well as rain and snow.
All the animals were in one place for Adam to name and all were there at the time Noah summoned them into the Ark.	Animals are now dispersed to locations unique to their needs.
There was no sunlight^{^[62]} peaking through the vapor canopy, this explains why the rainbow could not have been seen until Noah's day.	Now we have bright sunlight and rainbows because the clouds are thinner.^{^[63]}
During the year of the flood the sun did not set.^{^[64]}	The sun sets normally.
The canopy formed what we would recognize as a terrarium. The earth watered itself just as a terrarium does. This can be seen in Genesis 2:5-6. The canopy also did a couple of other things. It protected the earth from cosmic radiation. It also kept the earth pressure at about 3 atmospheres. This allowed all living creatures the ability to heal much faster than we do today. Just like the medical use of a hyperbaric chamber. R’ Yitzchak Abarbanel z”l writes: The physical laws which cause a rainbow to appear existed from creation, but there had never been a rainbow before the flood. This was due to a difference in atmospheric conditions before and after the flood.^{^[65]}	We have lost the canopy, resulting in rain to water the earth. We have also lost atmospheric pressure and we are now down to one atmosphere.
Sun, moon, and stars were not functional nor visible trough the vapor canopy.	The celestial bodies began to function again and we could now see the sun, moon, and stars.
Men had six mitzvot.	Men had seven mitzvot.
Animals in Gan Eden could talk, walk, and fornicate with people.	Animals cannot talk, walk, or fornicate with people in the normal wway.
Men were smarter, e.g. Genesis 4:22 which seems to be describing some of Tubalcain’s metallurgical hobby projects, including something about bronze and iron. Have a look at the masoretic Hebrew, which calls Tubalcain a lotesh kal-horesh (לֹטֵ֕שׁ כָּל־חֹרֵ֥שׁ) that is to say “an instructor of every craftsman”.	Men are not as smart but able to make progress through sheer numbers of people. People like Einstein, smart as he was, stood on the shoulders of Newton, who stood on the shoulders of wise men before him.
A child never died during its parent’s lifetime.^{^[66]}	Children occasionally die during their parent’s lifetime.
A single crop would yield enough food for 40 years.^{^[67]}	A single crop yields enough food for one year.
Wild animals did not hurt people.^{^[68]}	Wild animals hurt and kill people.
No special effort was needed to harvest a crop. Strolling a field and collecting was sufficient.^{^[69]}	Lots of effort must be extended to harvest a field.
Everyone practiced the magic handed down from Adam.^{^[70]}	Only the wicked practice this same kind of magic.
Pdre before the flood the clean animals were much, much more numerous than the unclean animals. The Midrash tells us that not all of the unclean animals got on the ark, but all of the clean animals did.
for all flesh had corrupted:^{^[71]} Even cattle, beasts, and fowl would mate with those who were not of their own species.^{^[72]} Only uncorrupted animals were allowed on the ark.^{^[73]}	Each animal breeds with its own kind.
Noach and his family did not sleep on the ark because they had to feed the animals.^{^[74]}

Rabbi Yehonosan points out in the Midrash it teaches that the desire of the Babylonians to "make a name for ourselves" shows their arrogance and refusal to accept Hashem. In fact, the Rabbi claims Nimrod thought this Rocket will put him on equal or higher standing than HaShem. Nimrod wanted HaShem to be the opening act and that he would get top billing.

HaShem let the Rocket construction continue for some time and then finally put the old kibbash on the entire project. The Torah says at the time all people spoke one single language. HaShem confounded their speech and made them all unintelligible to each other. Think of it like far left Democrats talking to far right Republicans at a cocktail party. They all babbled on and on but no one will understand what anyone else is saying. I report, you decide.

Instead of destroying the whole place like HaShem did in The Flood he decided to pursue another way. HaShem unleashed the first Stuxnet virus in recorded history. No fire and brimstone here. Just confound the communication and scatter the Babelers.

Rabbi Yehonosan teaches us that the Babylonian's were actually building a ship which could fly up into heaven. That was his words, not mine. Some claim that it was more like an elevator to the moon. Rocket Ship. Launch Pad. Elevator smelevator, one thing's for sure, Rabbi Yehonosan sure saw things in unconventional ways.

Rabbi Aibshitz was not just extremely versed in Torah and Kabbalah; he was also acquainted with the current science of the 18th Century. He incorporates the science of his time into his interpretations of The Torah and Talmud. He said that the higher one goes from Earth the air becomes less murky. He goes on to say Nimrod's engineer's use gunpowder at the bottom of the Rocket to give it enough thrust to get past the murky air of Earth and getting the Rocket Ship above the clouds and into the less murky air higher up where the Rocket can then sail to the moon. Sounds like the vacuum of space to me. On the moon they planned to set up colonies to coordinate an attack on HaShem. He came up with this centuries before Star Trek. Beam me up Scotty.

Rav Yonasan Eibeshutz writes as follows (here and here):

"And HaShem smelled the sweet smell, and HaShem said to His heart, 'I will no longer curse the land because of man.'" This that is written 'to his heart' is because it was not the Will of HaShem to reveal that he would no longer destroy the world again, in order that the fear would be on mankind so that they would not do as the abominations of the generation of the Deluge, lest, forfend, a deluge come to the world."

[Josh: I am skipping a lengthy insertion from the maatik (scribe) resolving how this would work with HaShem revealing this to Noach.]

"And this was the matter of the generation of the Dispersion, that they wished to construct a tower unto the heavens. For there is to understand -- were they such fools?! For if so, they would have needed a foundation, based on the science of architecture, to be wider than the globe of the earth! Rather, they judged, based on the science of nature, that all the rains descended from the steams and the mists which arose from the earth and the element of water. And from this came to be the clouds, and from there they poured forth their water. And the water did not come from the Heavens at all. And they already estimated, based on observation, that the measure of the clouds, which was from the thick mists which arise from the earth, was not higher than five mil at most. And if so, perforce the fine mists which distribute the water do not rise higher than that. For if they did rise higher than that, then even the clouds would be higher than that from the earth. And therefore, they thought to build a tower higher than the altitude of these clouds, and if so, it would be impossible for rain to fall upon them. And the language (in pasuk 4) of וְרֹאשׁוֹ בַשָּׁמַיִם is an exaggerated expression.

However, it is known that in the sphere of the Moon there is also a place for settlement just as on the sphere of the Earth. And they already discovered the craft of flying, which is to make something like a mast (and sail) resting parallel to the width of the earth. And therefore, by virtue of the fact the the wind arises from the earth, and so too all the winds arising from the earth below. And therefore I have written that Noach did not travel..."

"in a ship to the sea in the middle of the ocean. For certainly the Deluge did not descend there. For what purpose would there be for a Deluge in the sea? And if so, he should have gotten into a ship and not in an ark. {Josh: I would guess he treats it as a box, rather than as a boat.} And if they did not know how to construct a ship, HaShem should have instructed him the construction of a ship in place of the command of the ark. And even if we believe that the Ocean surrounds the world from edge to edge, like a pipe {tzinor}, such that on one side are the three parts of the world -- Asia, Africa, and Europe -- and on the other side is the New World which is called America. And if so, how could humans have come there before the Deluge to the New World without a ship? And if you say that there were no men there, then even the Deluge didn't descend there, for it would be to no purpose. And if so, what advantage does Eretz Yisrael have that it is called Pure because the water of the Deluge did not descend there? Behold even the New World is Pure, for the waters of the Deluge did not descend there! Rather, it is in accordance with what I wrote, that in the Deluge, all the power of the Earth was reduced such that the Wind did not go out at all from the earth. And if so, it was not possible for Noach to traverse the water in a ship in the sea of the Ocean, since in the place he was at the time of the Deluge, the Wind did not move, and it is not possible to move in the water without wind. And if so, that which I have written that the wind traveled from the earth below to above, it is fitting, that the vessel made in the craft of aviation, that the wind blows on the mast {sail} and the wind lifts up the vessel up and up, and it does not return further to the ground, but rather, it return to the ground is caused by the strong and thick wind close to the earth, which weighs down on the thing and compels {drives} it..."

"to descend. And therefore, the engineer assays that via the explosive powder they call polvir {gunpowder} with great force of the explosive powder placed in a tube and shoots the ball which is placed within it such that it goes up and up until it reaches that place, and the ball {bullet?} does not descend all all down, for there is not found a ball at all on the ground, even though according to the natural way it would descend in a short amount of time. And from this they judge that the ball ascended first above the thick and murky air, via the force of the polvir. And when it is above it, it {=the thick air}prevents it afterwards from descending. And if so, if it is possible to bring all the flying vessels above this thick air, it is possible to travel in the wind up and up, until the sphere of the Moon, for the wind would continually lift it up to travel, and above, the wind moves mightily. And they have already written articles on how to make such a ship as this to travel to the Moon. But the main point is that this ship must first rise above this murky air.

And this was the intent of the Generation of the Dispersion, as well. That the wished to establish their residence in the sphere of the Moon, for there they would be saved from a Deluge. And they figured out how to construct the aforementioned ship. However, how would they lift this ship above the murky air? And therefore they figured to build a tower, so tall that it was higher than that air. And from there, they would be able to utilize the aforementioned ship to travel in the air until the sphere of the Moon.

And there was another group in the generation of the Dispersion who thought of another reason to build the tower. And this is that it is known that from the heavens to the earth, all of the airspace is filled with winds. For it is not possible that from the earth to the heavens is emptiness and a vacuum, and it is not within the realm of the understanding of a scholar to understand that they are so empty to such an extent that there is no matter there. And if so, perforce there must be winds, and the winds which are close to the earth are thicker and coarser, while the winds which are closer to the heavens are lighter and purer and better. And the entire matter of the generation of the Deluge was before the Deluge, that they offered incense to these winds {spirits}..."

"and they attached themselves to them, and via them they performed many {wondrous} things. And the winds {spirits} lied to them, falsely assuring them that they would not drown in the waters of the Deluge. But in the generation of the Dispersion, they already saw that they had misled them, and also judged that these winds which were close to the ground did not have power and understanding. But they thought to build a higher than high tower, and there the winds are pure and clear, and if they offered incense to them, they would perform their will, for their force was strong. And in truth, there was in the generation of the Dispersal difference groups, one group thinking this and another group thinking that, as stated in the midrash. {Josh: probably the midrash discussing three different groups and purposes to building the tower, e.g. to wage war, etc.}And therefore it states וַיְהִי כָל הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אֶחָת, that is that all of them agreed with one accord to build the tower. Yet, וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים, {separate purposes}, that this one had this reason and that one had that reason. And at any rate, we know that they were afraid of the Deluge, and therefore they said that Bilaam went as a talebearer, revealing the secret of the hidden things of HaShem to the gentiles, and also this is reckoned as a curse for them. For the gentiles fenced themselves off in many ways for they were afraid of the Deluge, but Bilaam told them that HaShem already swore that he would not bring a Deluge to the world. And because of him, they returned to their evil ways. And therefore HaShem said it at first in His heart, so as not to cause a disgrace, such that they would have fear from a Deluge."

Rabbi Menachem Tziyuni's Hover-Tower[75]

The best evidence of a position that the tower of Bavel itself flew. But the reference is to the sod of what seems to be a different, Israelite, tower, and since this is after all kabbalah, which could very well be allegorical, I am not entirely convinced that he understood the migdal Bavel as literally a flying ship.

The most promising for the thesis that the tower itself flew is a statement from Rabbi Menachem Tziyuni, a possible grand-student of the Ramban.

Bereshit (Genesis) 11:4-7 And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered upon the face of the entire earth". 5. And the Lord descended to see the city and the tower that the sons of man had built. 6 And the LORD said: 'Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do; and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do. 7 Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech'.

For the matter of "descending" is to be merciful in His judgment. And because of this, that He does not put aside any thing of the creation of the Director, they were left alive. City and tower, their sod is known in the verse {Kohelet 9:14} {though I'm going to add a bit of context}:

Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 9:13-16 This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14 there was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it; 15 now there was found in it a man poor and wise, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I: 'Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.'

And the city is one of the cities of the Kingdom. And the tower is the one which flies in the air, which they saw in the Heavens, which is in the verse:

Eicha (Lamenatations) 2:1 How hath the Lord covered with a cloud the daughter of Zion in His anger! He hath cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and hath not remembered His footstool in the day of His anger.

The tower which flies in the air is the beauty of Israel in the verse. Would we really say that the Israelites took over the tower of Bavel and used it to their own ends, until HaShem brought it down in His anger? He says that the sod of the tower was that. Can we really take something which is labeled sod, and is clearly intended kabbalistically, to be literal and historical. It strikes me that it likely is intended allegorically, to explain some spiritual aspect of the Tower of Bavel, or else the spiritual, allegorical meaning of the narrative of the Tower of Bavel itself.

V. Flying Chariots

The story of Elijah, the great prophet of Israel, being taken to heaven is found in Melachim (2 Kings) 2:1–18. The chapter begins, “When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind . . .” (verse 1). The Bible doesn’t actually say that Elijah rode to heaven in a chariot of fire, but that is the assumption, since there was a flaming chariot and horses of fire at the scene, along with the whirlwind. It would make sense that Elijah boarded the vehicle that pulled up in front of him.

Melachim (2 Kings) 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

He was one of very few to have perfected himself to such a degree that he was permitted to enter a level of Heaven during his lifetime.[76] The other known example is Enoch, great-grandfather of Noah.[77] As a result, Elijah became part human and part angel.[78] [79]

One of the commentators explains that the chariot of fire represented that Elijah’s body (in its original physical state) was consumed, and he thus assumed angelic form when he ascended to Heaven.[80] Alternatively, the fire separated the spiritual and physical sides of Elijah into two separate parts. He could thus ascend to Heaven as a spiritual being, while his body remaining separate, as a “garment” he could put back on whenever he would need to assume physical form.[81]

As a result, Elijah is alive today, living as an angel in Heaven yet regularly visiting Earth in human form to meet with people and to carry out missions. The Talmud, as well as later Jewish tradition, contains literally hundreds of stories of Elijah visiting great rabbis (many on a regular basis) or disguising himself as an ordinary human (such as a palace guard) and using his assumed identity to intercede with non-Jewish authorities and the like.[82] Occasionally Elijah would bring other righteous people with him on visits to Heaven.[83]

There is further a tradition that Elijah will come one day to resolve all doubts we have in Jewish law. The Sages have a common expression that an item whose status cannot be resolved (such as a lost item whose owner cannot be located) “shall rest until Elijah comes”.[84]

The most famous appearance Elijah will make, God willing, will be the one you mentioned. The prophet Malachi, in the final prophecy of all the books of the Prophets, states, in:

Malachi 3:23-24 Behold I will send to you Elijah the Prophet, before the coming the great and awesome day of the Lord. And he will bring back the hearts of the fathers to the sons, and the hearts of the sons to their fathers…

Shortly before the Messiah’s arrival and the great battles of the End of Days, Elijah will come. He will warn us of the upcoming Armageddon, and help bring us to unity and to repentance, in order that we are spared the suffering and live to merit the Redemption.

* * *

Throughout the Tanakh, we read how our ancient prophets encountered “extraterrestrial” beings, and even witnessed “unidentified flying objects”. Eliyahu was walking with his student Elisha when suddenly, out of the sky, “there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Eliyahu went up by a whirlwind into heaven”.[85] A “chariot” from the sky literally abducted Eliyahu! Far more detail is provided by Ezekiel in the famous opening prophecy of his book. One who carefully reads his description of the “divine chariot” will undoubtedly see the striking parallels to “flying saucers”.

Ezekiel describes a flying vehicle with wings, flashing lights, electricity; a shiny, “brass-like” (or metallic) exterior, torches of fire shooting out the bottom, all controlled by a creature sitting behind a cockpit of clear “ice”,[86] as the prophet was unfamiliar with glass. Best of all, the mechanism of propulsion is ofanim, “spinning wheels”, or “discs”.[87] We must remember that this was not just a vision or hallucination; Ezekiel interacted with this flying craft and, like Eliyahu, it took him up and transported him: “Then a wind lifted me up and I heard a great noise behind me…”[88]

Some inaccurately believe that there is just one such holy Merkavah, or “chariot”. In reality, the Sages speak of multitudes of such chariots in God’s legions, as it says in Psalm 68:18, “The chariots of God are myriads, even thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in holiness.” Based on this verse,[89] the Sages state that 22,000 such chariots descended upon Mt. Sinai during the giving of the Torah.[90] This is one reason why HaShem is sometimes referred to in the Tanakh as HaShem Tzva’ot (יהוה צבאות), the “God of Legions”.

So, if we know that HaShem has thousands of legions upon flying “chariots” decked out with spinning wheels at His disposal, why should we be surprised at the countless sightings of flying saucers—breaking the laws of nature and generally acting benevolently—visiting Earth? All that one has to realize is that the supposed “aliens” we hear about in the media and in science fiction are none other than HaShem’s angels.

Fighting stars

Shoftim (Judges) 5:20 They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

In the Book of Judges (5:23), Deborah the prophetess sings about the victory of Barak over Sisera. In her song, she says, “Cursed be Meroz! Cursed, cursed be its inhabitants, says the angel of G‑d!”

Where is Meroz, and who are its inhabitants? The Talmud gives two explanations, one of them being that Meroz is a star or planet. The heavenly bodies had also come to help the Israelites, as Deborah stated just one verse earlier, “From the heavens they fought, the stars from their orbits . . .” This star, however, which was the dominant star of Sisera, apparently did not come to their aid. And so, General Barak penalized Meroz—and its inhabitants.

Possibly the most blatant evidence of extraterrestrial life from the Talmud is in Moed Katan 16a. There, the Sages discuss what Deborah meant in her song when she said:

They fought from heaven, the stars from their paths fought against Sisera… “Cursed be Meroz,” said the angel of God, “Cursed be its inhabitants, because they did not come to help God, to help God against the mighty”.[91]

The Tanakh is apparently telling us that beings from the Heavens descended to Earth to help her in the great battle against the evil Sisera. Deborah then quotes an “angel of God” who curses a place called Meroz because its inhabitants failed to help in the battle. Where is Meroz? Who are its inhabitants? Why is it an angel that is criticizing them for not coming to help? The Talmud first cites an opinion that Meroz was the name of a great man. But how could this be if the Tanakh says that the “inhabitants” of Meroz are cursed? It cannot be referring to a man; the language is clearly referring to a place. The Talmud then says that Meroz is a star! One might deduce that angels inhabit various other worlds, and they came to help Deborah and Barak in their battle. The angels from Meroz didn’t show up, so a fellow “angel of God” curses them.

Indeed, Kabbalistic texts speak of angels inhabiting other planets and worlds. The Zohar states that God created many hidden worlds in the cosmos, and they are inhabited by 60 million of God’s supernal servants and soldiers.[92] Perhaps this is the meaning of the Talmud’s statement that “God roams over 18,000 worlds”.[93] The source for this teaching is also Psalm 68, where we read of His 22,000 chariots. Here, the Talmud interprets the verse slightly differently, concluding that God “rides his Cherub” over 18,000 worlds.

As much as mainstream media and science would like to ignore it, the conclusion from our own ancient texts and from the countless sightings of “extraterrestrial” beings is that there is certainly other life forms out there. God created far more than the little we see here on this lowly world. While it may be hard to wrap our heads around the idea of aliens and angels being one and the same, the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of this conclusion. It is also important to move past the notion that angels are entirely “spiritual” entities that have no physical form, or that they inhabit some other realm outside of this universe.

Throughout the Tanakh, and beyond, we see that angels are just as much a part of this universe as humans are, and are created within the same space, as are the “Heavens”.[94] They are God’s special servants and messengers, and as such are generally concealed from us. The truth is that most of this vast universe is concealed from us anyway. Scientists have determined that what we can presently see is no more than 4% of the universe. The rest is hiding behind mysterious things like “dark matter” and “dark energy”. We shouldn’t be surprised if we one day find God’s angels there.

We’ll conclude with another beautiful passage from the Talmud [95] which, upon closer examination, ties everything together. The Sages ask: what does it mean when the Tanakh says that the gates of Jerusalem will be made of precious stones?[96] Rav Yochanan taught that in the Messianic future, God will bring massive gems that are thirty by thirty cubits in size and fashion them into Jerusalem’s gates. One of Rav Yochanan’s students scoffed at this unbelievable idea, for the Earth’s precious stones are no larger than an egg! Some time later, the student was out at sea and saw a vision of angels mining massive gems precisely of that size. He asked them: “For whom are these?” The angels replied: “For the Holy One, Blessed be He, Who will in the future place them at the gates of Jerusalem.”

VI. Wings of an Eagle

The Pshat, the plain meaning of the Torah text is always true.

Shemot (Exodus) 19:4 You saw what I had done to Egypt, and I have carried you on the wings of eagles and I have brought you to me.

The great commentator of the Torah, Rashi, explains the phrase “and I have carried you on the wings of eagles.” Except for eagles, birds carry their fledglings under them for fear that atop the wings would make the fledglings vulnerable to attack from higher flying predators. But eagles have no such fear, since they fly the highest. The danger to eagles is from Man who could shoot an arrow at them from the ground, so the eagle carries the fledglings on its wings with the thought that better the arrow should pierce its body but not the fledglings.[97]

In the future those that wait on the LORD will fly like an eagle:

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait for HaShem shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.

VII. Talking Animals

In the beginning God gave man dominion over all the animals. Much of than dominion has not been realized due to our sins. Nevertheless, there have been righteous individual who have excercized dominion over the animals to the extent that they could even communicate with them. It is also known that men interacted peacefully with animals before the flood.

Bereshit (Genesis) 1:26 And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'

The serpent in the garden.

As evidenced by the episode in which the serpent tempts Eve to eat a forbidden fruit, humans and animals originally could speak one another’s language:

Bereshit (Genesis) 3:1-6 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which HaShem God had made. And he said unto the woman: 'Yea, hath God said: Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?' 2 And the woman said unto the serpent: 'Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said: Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.' 4 And the serpent said unto the woman: 'Ye shall not surely die; 5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.' 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.

The Serpent was a physical animal which was part of the natural world. In fact, according to the Talmud, it was much more humanlike before its sin (Sanhedrin 59b). However, it was given a mission from God – to tempt man to sin, to cause Adam and Eve to transgress the one commandment they had been given.

Bilaam’s ass

As Bilaam sets out on his journey to curse the Israelites, his donkey seems disobedient. First, she turns off course, then she presses Bilaam’s leg against a fence; finally, she crouches down under Bilaam and refuses to budge. Each step of the way, the beast is responding to her vision of HaShem’s angel obstructing the path. In response to each act of disobedience, Bilaam strikes the animal. At this point, HaShem “opens the donkey’s mouth” – and it delivers a full-fledged “Mussar lesson” to Bilaam:

“What have I done to you, that justifies you having hit me three times?”

“Am not I your donkey, upon which you have ridden your whole life until today? Did I ever let you down?”

Bilaam’s donkey is described in Talmudic sources[98] as a special formulation from the inception of Creation. Numbers 22

Shlomo Communicates with Animals

Song of Songs Rabbah, a Land of Israel midrash compiled after the time of the Talmuds, describes a nocturnal vision experienced by Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) at Gibeon, in which he asks HaShem for wisdom instead of money, property or the lives of his enemies:

Melachim alef (I Kings) 3:5-10 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said: 'Ask what I shall give thee.' 6 And Solomon said: 'Thou hast shown unto Thy servant David my father great kindness, according as he walked before Thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee; and Thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that Thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, HaShem my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give Thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?' 10 And the speech pleased HaShem, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him: 'Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice; 12 behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour--so that there hath not been any among the kings like unto thee--all thy days. 14 And if thou wilt walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.' 15 And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream; and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of HaShem, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

Midrash Rabbah - The Song of Songs I:9 R. Simon said in the name of R. Simeon b. Halafta: [Solomon resembled] a councillor who was a great favourite at the king's court, and to whom the king once said, ‘Ask me for anything you want.’ Said the councillor to himself: If I ask for silver and gold, he will give me. Said he: I had better ask for the king's daughter, and that includes everything. Even so, In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said: Ask what I shall give thee.[99] Said Solomon to himself: If I ask for silver and gold and precious stones and pearls, He will give me. But what I will do is to ask for wisdom, and that will include everything. So it says, Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart.[100] Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him: ‘Solomon, thou hast asked for wisdom and thou hast not asked for wealth and possessions and the life of thine enemies. As thou livest, wisdom and knowledge are granted to thee, and thereby I will give thee riches and possessions.’ Forthwith, Solomon awoke and, behold, it was a dream.[101] R. Isaac said: [This means that] the dream stood upon its foundation.[102] If an ass brayed, he knew what it meant; if a bird chirped, he knew what it meant. Straightway, he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord and offered up burntofferings and offered peace-offerings and made a feast to all his servants. Said R. Eleazar: From this we learn that a feast is made to celebrate the conclusion of the reading of the Torah.[103] R. Judan said: This is to show that whoever teaches the Torah publicly merits that the holy spirit should rest on him. For so did Solomon; he taught, and the holy spirit rested on him, and he composed three books, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Songs.

Melachim alef (I Kings) 5:9-14 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore. 10 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt.[104] 11 For he was wiser than all men: than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the nations round about. 12 And he spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five. 13 And he spoke to the trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spoke also to the beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.[105] 14 And there came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

Although most commentators insisted that King Solomon’s communications were about nature, the Aggadah, Jewish tradition, took it more literally: that King Solomon, in his great wisdom, could actually speak to the animals and plants in their own languages.

Solomon was able to draw moral instruction from the vegetable and animal kingdoms,[106] or, according to Rashi, he knew their characteristics and medicinal properties. Jewish tradition credits him with the ability to converse in the language of every beast, fowl, fish, plant, and demons.[107]

What is the difference between speaking to trees and speaking about them? Speaking to trees involves some kind of dialogue, relationship, interaction in which both parties might be affected and from which both might grow.

Speaking of trees, on the other hand, is a purely analytical pastime, less active, less equal, less subject to risk that anything might be lost or won. The monologue sustained by this view of the philosopher-king does not necessitate that he so much as move from his Throne.

HaShem was very pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom, as opposed to wealth or the like. HaShem granted his request. He became famous for his wisdom and knowledge. With his legendary wisdom, Solomon had control over demons [108] and could speak the language of animals.[109] The following Midrash has Solomon summoning eagles as a demonstration of his control:

Midrash Rabbah - Ruth III:2 And David died on a Pentecost which coincided with the Sabbath and the Sanhedrin went up to present themselves to Solomon. He said to them, ‘Move him from place to place.’ They said to him, ‘But does not a Mishnah state that a corpse may be anointed and washed as long as the limbs are not moved? ‘’ He said to them, 'The dogs of my father's house are hungry’.[110] They answered him, ‘Does not a Mishnah[111] state that pumpkins may be cut [on the Sabbath] for an animal, and a carcase for dogs?’ What did he do? He took a curtain and spread it over [the body] that the sun should not beat down upon it, while others explain that he summoned eagles[112] who spread their wings over him that the sun should not beat down upon him.

In addition to control of animals, King Solomon also had control of demons:

Midrash Rabbah - The Song of Songs III:18 Before Solomon sinned he ruled over sharim and sharoth;[113] as it says, I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men,[114] i.e. baths, shidah and shidoth, that is male and female demons, who used to heat them. But after he sinned, he appointed sixty mighty men of the mighty men of Israel to keep his couch, as it is written, BEHOLD THE LITTER... ALL MEN THAT HANDLE THE SWORD,[115] because he was afraid of the spirits.

VIII. An Amazing Window

Bereshit (Gensis) 6:16 A light (Tzohar - צֹהַר) shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

Literally : “A "brightness you will make.”

The word צהר (tzohar) is a hapax legomenon - it appears once, and only once, in the Tanach.

It appears that Noah had a practical problem the tzohar was meant to address - where was he to get light? Was it a window or a precious jewel? These are the two main opinions. In Jewish thought, these two opposite ideas will be resolved when a third idea reconciles them.[116]

This term, (transliterated as either tzohar or tsohar), which literally means "Bright/glittering/noon light" (The Hebrew word for noon, tzohoriyim, is derived from the same root), is not further defined in the Hebrew Bible. Some translate this simply as "window." Jewish esoteric tradition, however, regards the tzohar to be a kind of luminous gemstone holding the primordial light of creation.

A precious stone is to let the light in. A window is to look out. But what were they supposed to look out at? An empty waterscape of gray in every direction?

The fact that the word for “noon/zenith,” tzohoriyim, shares the same root, but especially because of its linguistic similarity to the word zohar (“shine/radiant”), triggered an assumption that it is a form of light source rather then an aperture to let light in.

Targum Pseudo Jonathan to 6:16 - Go you unto Phison, and take from thence a precious stone, and fix it in the ark to illuminate you: with the measure of a cubit (or span) will you complete it above. And a door will you set in the side of the ark; and with dwelling-places, inferior, second, and third, will you make it.

Rashi to Genesis 6:16 - a skylight: Heb. צֹהַר, lit. light. Some say [that it was] a window, and some say [that it was] a precious stone, which gave them light.[117]

Genesis Rabbah 31:11 During the entire twelve months that Noah was in the Ark he did not require the light of the sun by day or the light of the moon by night, but he had a polished stone which he hung up – when it was dim, he knew it was day, when it was bright, he knew it was night.

Sanhedrin 108b “Make a tzohar for the ark.” R. Johanan said, The Blessed Holy One instructed Noah: 'Set there precious stones and jewels, so that they may give you light, bright as the noon [in Hebrew, this is a play on words between tzohar and tzohoriyim].

The matter might rest there, but elsewhere in the Talmud, there is another tradition that Abraham also had a miraculous stone:

Baba Batra 16b R. Shimon b. Yochai said, Abraham had a precious stone hung round his neck which brought immediate healing to any sick person who looked on it, and when Abraham our father left this world, the Blessed Holy One hung it from the wheel of the sun.

This naturally led to speculation that that the stones of Noah and Abraham were one and the same. And given Genesis Rabbah’s allusion to the river Pishon that flowed through the Garden of Eden, the logical origin for this tzohar would be with there, where God hid the supernal light of the first day for the sole use of the righteous:

Genesis Rabbah 3:6 It was taught, the light which created in the six days…cannot illumine by day, because it would eclipse the light of the sun. Where is it? It is stored for the righteous in the messianic future...He set it apart for the righteous in the future

Even that is not the end of the matter. The Zohar claims that Simon Ben Yochai possessed it in the Rabbinic era.[118]

How was it possible that one small opening, either a single window or a precious stone was able to light up the entire ark, especially since each type of animal had its own compartment[119] and each floor was separate from the next? Also, we know that the light of the sun and the moon did not penetrate during the Flood [120] so how could a window have helped anyway?

IX. Engineering Feats of Excellence

The Great pyramid.

An essential element in Solomon's construction of the Temple was the miraculous shamir stonecutter. In instructing us how to make the permanent altar to HaShem, the Torah says, "do not build it out of cut stone".[121] Rashi comments on this verse that iron, the material of deadly weapons, should not be used to shape the stones of the Temple, the essence of which is peace.[122]

The "glance" of the supernatural shamir could carve great stones. The Talmud and later great rabbis described how the passage of the shamir along the surface of a stone would cause it to split perfectly into two pieces.

Small as a barleycorn (less than one centimeter), the shamir did not have an inspiring physical appearance. Its supernatural essence came from having been created at the twilight of the first Sabbath Eve during the Six Days of Creation. According to R' Bachiya in the Talmud, the shamir was first used at the time of the construction of the Tabernacle to engrave the names of the tribes on the precious jewels of the High Priest's breastplate.

For safekeeping, the shamir could not be put directly into any kind of metal vessel, including iron, which would be split apart. It was kept wrapped in wool, placed in a lead basket filled with barley bran[123] The choice of these materials was specific, since no other materials were able to resist its penetrative powers.

The shamir was used by man only in the construction of the Tabernacle and the Temple.

The Mishna [124] states that the shamir existed until the destruction of the Second Temple. Tosafot[125] says that the shamir existed into the Common Era. According to the Tosefta, the shamir disappeared after the destruction of the Temple, since it was no longer needed. Correspondingly, the tachash, which had been created so its skin could be used for the Tabernacle, disappeared after the Tabernacle was completed. Considered a kosher animal, the tachash was similar to a unicorn with a single horn on its head.[126]

The Talmud says that the precision required to engrave the names of the tribes onto the precious jewels of the high priest's breastplate without losing any material was not humanly possible.

The shamir had no physical limitations. It could effortlessly penetrate the hardest materials, and yet it was preserved in a basket of lead (a soft metal), attesting to its other than natural origin.

We learn more about the shamir from a Braita taught by the Gemara [127] which teaches us that the reason the shamir was used for inscribing the names of the Shevatim on the avnei hachoshen was that the Torah[128] says of these stones, “b’miluosam”, that they were to be used “in their entirety”.

So it would seem from these teachings of Chazal that the shamir has the following characteristics:

It is a sea creature, but can survive outside the water as well.

It splits rocks and glass, as well as any hard surface, including mountains.

It does not enter the rock, but remains on the outside.

It does so without taking anything away from the mass.

It is extremely powerful and can be misused by humans.

It is the size of a barleycorn.

* * *

The menorah used in the Mishkan and the the Temple was miraculously made of a single piece of gold that was beaten and not molded. Even to day we do not have such technology.

Shemot (Exodus) 25:31-40 And you shall make a menorah of pure gold. The menorah shall be made of hammered work; its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers shall all be one piece with it. And six branches coming out of its sides: three menorah branches from its one side and three menorah branches from its second side. Three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower, and three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah. And on the stem of the menorah shall be four decorated goblets, its knobs and its flowers. And a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah. Their knobs and their branches shall all be one piece with it; all of it shall be one hammered mass of pure gold. And you shall make its lamps seven, and he shall kindle its lamps so that they shed light toward its face. And its tongs and its scoops shall be of pure gold. He shall make it of a talent of pure gold, with all these implements. Now see and make according to their pattern, which you are shown on the mountain.

Shemot (Exodus) 31:1-6 G‑d spoke to Moses, saying: “See, I have called by name Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with a divine spirit, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, and with [talent for] all types of craftsmanship: to devise plans; to work with gold, silver and copper, and in cutting stones to be set, and in carving wood; and to do all types of creative work. Furthermore, I have assigned along with him Aholiav, son of Achisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of every wise person I have placed wisdom. They shall execute everything that I have commanded you . . .”

Pure gold menorah would not be able to support its own weight.

However, there was a second sacred object in the Sanctuary, also linked to the Torah: the Menorah. The root of this word is ner (candle), as in the verse, “the candle is commandment and Torah is light”.[129] The Menorah featured six branches with a cup on top of each. There was also a seventh, central candle stand known as the Ner Elohim, the Lamp of God,[130] that remained lit.[131]

Ramban,[132] one of the major commentators on the Torah, notes that Betzalel’s abilities were in themselves a miracle, since during the centuries of the Jews’ stay in Egypt they had no access to precious metals such as gold, silver and copper. Thus, the fact that Betzalel knew how to work these metals and craft utensils from them was wholly unexpected.

In the words of the Torah: “You should make a Menorah of pure gold. The Menorah should be made hammered (from a single piece of metal). Its base and its stem, its cups, spheres and flowers should all come from it, (Rashi: i.e., all of its parts must be hammered out of one piece of gold).

This task proved so difficult and elusive, even for Moses, that, as Our Sages explain, HaShem told him to throw the gold into the fire and the finished Menorah would emerge.[133] (Was this a miracle, ro magic, or just technology?)

Rashi brings the Midrash Tanchuma to explain the Torah's language that the Menorah "shall be made", as opposed to; "you shall make" the Menorah. The Midrash tells us further that Moshe could not visualize how the Menorah should appear, so God showed him a Menorah of fire. Even then, after exerting great effort to make it, Moshe was still unable to do so. Therefore, God instructed him to throw the gold into the fire and the complete Menorah emerged.

X. Seeing Sound

Sound is a modality that is not normally amenable to seeing. Seeing, on the other hand, is not amenable to hearing. Never the less we have at least one time where both these modalities were amenable. Was it a miracle? Was it normal?

Shemot (Exodus) 20:14 All the people saw the sounds and the lightning, the voice of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they fell back and stood at a distance.

Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 20:14 "And all the people saw the sounds and the lightnings": They saw what was visible and heard what was audible. These are the words of R. Yishmael. R. Akiva says: They saw (what was audible) and heard what was visible.

Rashi on Exodus 20:15 (2) [THEY] SAW THE SOUNDS—they saw that which should be heard, something which is impossible to see on any other occasion.

(3) THE SOUNDS which issued from the mouth of the Almighty.

Rashi is telling us to take the word see (in Hebrew 'ro'im') literally. They literally could see the sound waves of the voice of God as He spoke. In modern psychology, this is called synesthesia, when the sense experience crosses over to another tract. See the Ibn Ezra who describes this occurrence as a given fact. While the Ibn Ezra, being somewhat of a scientist in his time, considers seeing sounds as a conceivable possibility, Rashi saw it as a miracle. Actually the Hebrew word ro'im can also mean to perceive, which is to receive information through any one of the five senses. And this is what Rashi is stressing: 'Ro'im' does not mean to perceive as in to hear the sounds, which would be quite a normal experience; instead says Rashi, it means to see the sounds, which is a miraculous event.

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 20:15: And all the nation saw the sounds: I have previously explained the intent of seeing the sounds. All sensations join together and are processed at one point. And this is the meaning when they saw the sounds and the lighting. This drove a person to be afraid, and the voice of the shofar was something never heard before. And the mountain itself was smoke. When they saw these wonders, they trembled.

Shemot Rabbah 5:9 All the people saw the thunders. It's not written "thunder (hakol)," but rather "thunders (hakolot)." Rabbi Yochanan teachs that When God’s voice came forth at Mount Sinai, it divided itself into seventy human languages, so that the whole world might understand it, and every nation heard it in their own language.

Kli Yakar on Exodus 20:15 We have to understand how they could see the sounds ... It sounds reasonable that each word the G-d spoke became palpable and tangible to the extent that it took on physical form and could be seen in the air as floating letters as is they were written in front of them.

Rav Kook (1865-1935) explained: "The prophetic vision at Mount Sinai...granted the people a unique perspective, as if they were standing near the source of Creation. From that vantage point, they were able to witness the underlying unity of the universe. They were able to see sounds and hear sights. God’s revelation at Sinai was registered by all their senses simultaneously, as a single, undivided perception."[134]

The Sfat Emet (1847-1905) taught: "...the Seer looks at a thing in its completeness, exactly as it is. But for the Hearer, the sound changes as it enters his ears, and it isn’t exactly the same sound that was originally made. That’s the advantage of Seeing. But with Hearing, there is an advantage that the sound truly enters inside of him through the ear, whereas the sight remains outside. With this in mind, the verse teaches us that the Children of Israel had both advantages. They received the words in the manner of 'seeing sounds,' such that even though they truly entered inside of them, nevertheless they 'saw' the sounds, without any distortion."[135]

The Zohar 2:81b says, Rabbi Abba said, “It is written: All the people were seeing הקלות (ha-qolot), the thundering. Were seeing—the verse should read were hearing. However, we have learned as follows: Those קלין (qalin), voices, were engraved in that darkness, cloud, and dense fog, and were visible in them as a body is visible, and they saw what they saw and heard what they heard from within that darkness, dense fog, and cloud. From within the vision that they saw, they were illumined by supernal radiance and knew what later generations coming after them would not know. They all saw face-to-face, as is written: Face-to-face YHVH spoke [with you] (Deut. 5:4) And what did they see? Rabbi Yose taught, “Radiance of those voices—for there was not a single voice that did not shine radiantly, enabling them to gaze upon all hidden, concealed treasures and all generations that will appear until King Messiah. Therefore, “All the people were seeing הקולת (ha-qolot) the voices—actually seeing!” ... Rabbi Shim’on said, “Upon this voice of the shofar depends all. It is written: a mighty voice;[136] a voice of sheer silence[137] - with radiance more subtle and lucid than all.”[138]

Eleazar ben Judah of Worms (Hebrew, c. 1176-1238) The Image of Speech at Sinai

..the Creator lowered fire on the mountain great glorious magnificent they say Mount Sinai was completely smoke for HaShem dropped on it in fire surrounded it with cloud & mist & darkness a black cloud they say made darkness His hiding place the voice mixed with fire & the voice came out in fire - image of the voice seen in a cloud - a word emerging chiseled in its bounds a letter wavered in the air the people saw^r the speech the image of the letters then they knew that he was carving light from darkness because the tire blazed it flamed like light that breaks out of the surrounding dark they say HaShem speaking to you from middle of the fire thus as if a man was speaking to you on a cold day letters coming from his mouth & cutting up the air to leave their image when he spoke at Sinai you could hear his voice then in middle of the fire thus an inner fire that burned beside his speech the flowering of your word illumines wrapped in darkness so they could not see the voice the speech would enter in the hearer’s heart & then he thought he heard the voice speak mouth to mouth.

I wonder if this will all be an experience of the Olam HaBa?

XI. Hearing Lightning

וְכָל-הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת-הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת-הַלַּפִּידִם

Shemot (Exodus) 20:14 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the shofar, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

They were able to go beyond the more physically bounded ‘hearing’ of the frequencies, and ‘see’ the frequencies in the form of light. The inverse paradoxical effect takes place with ‘hearing the lightning’.

Neurons devoted to visual processing occupy about 30 percent of the brain cortex, as compared with 8 percent for touch and just 3 percent for hearing. No wonder why if it’s visible in front of us, we take it as an objective reality. No wonder why, for us humans, seeing is believing.

We use “hearing” in a different but similar sense: When we know about something because we heard it from someone else, or even read it in a blog or news story, we say, “Yes, I heard about that.” So hearing, to human beings, is a kind of secondhand experience.

XII. Water from a Rock – Miriam’s Well

While it is well known that rocks contain a minute amount of water, there was one rock that produced overwhelming streams of water that quenched the thirst of the millions of the Bne Israel for forty years in the wilderness. This mysterious rock contained millions of times its volume in water. Was this a miracle, or just magic? Was technology involved to transport the water to the rock? Notice that real hardware was involved; a rock and a staff. What was special about this hardware?

Bamidbar (Numbers) 20:1-2 The entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people settled in Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there. The congregation had no water; so they assembled against Moses and Aaron.

From the juxtaposition of Miriam’s death and the water shortage, the sages of Talmud understand that for all the previous 40 years, they did have a ready water source and that it was in Miriam’s merit.[139]

Although the well produced the water in Miriam’s merit, the Mishnah lists it among the ten unique things created at twilight on the eve of the first Shabbat after creation.[140]

Do you really think that Moshe can bring water from a rock? If water indeed comes from the rock, perhaps the people, will finally realize that it is HaShem who has brought you to this point and it is at His direction that everything has been provided for you.

Rabbi Chaim Vital, the main disciple of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the Arizal, gives the exact location for Miriam’s Well: “As you walk along the shore of the Sea of Tiberias towards the hot springs of Tiberias, at the exact midway point, in a place where there are many palm trees on the sea shore, parallel to the tower that is atop the mountain, that is where the Well of Miriam is”.[141]

Was the water from this mysterious rock a miracle, or did the mighty men of old have a connection to The Source that allowed them to bring forth water from this rock.

Remember that miracles come in two forms: nes nigleh[142] (revealed miracles) and nes nistar[143] (concealed miracles). Every breath you take is a miracle, yet because it constantly happens we have become inured to its miraculous nature. The basic foundation of all nature is that its is really a nes nistar, a hidden miracle, from HaShem

XIII. Raising Hands, Winning the War

During the exodus, Joshua led the bne Israel in a battle against Amalek. During this battle, the outcome depended on the state of Moshe’s hands:

Shemot (Exodus) 17:10-12 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were faithful until the going down of the sun.

Emunah = Faithfulness = Faithful obedience.

When Moshe raises his hands, the bne Israel prevailed; when he lowers them, the Amalekim overcome them. So Aharon and Hur sit Moshe on a rock, and support his hands on each side; in this way, the Torah tells us, Yadav lo emunah – his hands were faithful.

Imagine winning a battle because someone, who is NOT fighting, raises his hands! There is a lot of ‘remote control’ power. How did it work? Was it pschological? Was there technology involved?

If it was a miracle, then it was still a remotely controlled miracle.

The Mishna in Tractate Rosh Hashana asks hypothetically, "Do the hands of Moshe win or lose a war?" The Mishna answers its own question and says, "As long as Israel cast their eyes skyward and subjugated their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they overcame their enemy – if not, they fell."

Moshe as the head of the Bne Israel represented all of the Bne Israel. In this way we understand that Moshe was fighting… He was connected to his people and his efforts were reflected in the accomplishments of the Bne Israel.

Moshe's job is, to inspire, and to demonstrate emunah – faithfulness!

XIV. Durable Clothing

During the exodus many strange and wonderful things occurred that have facinated many generations. For example: Our clothes did not wear out and they grew with our children. This kind of clothing is something we expect to find on Star Trek, but we do not expect it in one of the most uninhabitable deserts is the world.

Debarim (Deuteronomy) 8:2-4 And thou shalt remember all the way which HaShem thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that He might afflict thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no. 3 And He afflicted thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every thing that proceedeth out of the mouth of HaShem doth man live. 4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

Debarim (Deuteronomy) 29:4 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.

Another example of clothing that never seemed to wear out is found in the garment that God made for Adam and Chava (Eve).

The Midrash explains that that Esav’s garments were the garments of the first man, Adam.[144] The first man was a firstborn and his garments were the garments of a high priest. In order to become Esav, Yaaqob needed to wear Esav’s special clothes. Like the clothes of the High Priest, Esav’s clothes were very special.

Midrash Rabbah - Numbers IV:8 …Adam was the world’s firstborn. When he offered his sacrifice, as it says: And it pleased the Lord better than a bullock that hath horns and hoofs[145] - he donned high priestly garments; as it says: And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments[146] of skins, and clothed them.[147] They were robes of honour[148] which subsequent firstborn used. When Adam died he transmitted them to Seth. Seth transmitted them to Methuselah.[149] When Methuselah died he transmitted them to Noah. Noah arose and offered a sacrifice; as it says: And he took of every clean beast... and offered burnt-offerings on the altar.[150] Noah died and transmitted them to Shem. But was Shem a firstborn? Japheth, surely, was the firstborn; as it says: Shem... the brother of Japheth the elder![151] Why then did he hand them on to Shem? Because Noah foresaw[152] that the line of the patriarchs would issue from him. There is proof that Shem offered sacrifices; since it says: And Melchizedek,[153] king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was priest of God the Most High.[154] Now was it to him that the priesthood was given? The priesthood, surely, was not given to any man until Aaron arose. What then is the meaning of the statement here, ‘and he was priest’? Because he offered sacrifices like priests. Shem died and handed it on to Abraham. But was Abraham a firstborn?[155] The fact is that because he was a righteous man the birthright was transferred to him, and he offered sacrifices; as it says: And offered him[156] up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son.[157] Abraham died and handed it on to Yitzchak. Yitzchak arose and handed it on to Yaaqob. But was Yaaqob a firstborn? No; but you find that Yaaqob prudently took it [the birthright] from Esav. He said to him: Sell me first thy birthright.[158] Do you suppose perhaps that it was for no good reason that Yaaqob asked Esav to sell him the birthright? No! Yaaqob wished to offer sacrifices and could not, because he was not the firstborn. Said Esav: ‘What can I expect of this birthright? ‘ As it says: Behold I am at the point to die[159]; and what profit shall the birthright do to me?

Midrash Tanchuma also teaches that Adam’s garments were the garments of the High Priest:

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Toldot 12 THEN [THE LORD] GOD MADE TUNICS OF SKIN FOR ADAM AND HIS WIFE AND CLOTHED THEM. What were TUNICS OF SKIN? [Garments] of high priesthood, which the Holy One put on them, since he (Adam) was the glory of the world.

The special clothes that the Priests wore while performing the service in the Temple were meant to somehow “change the man”, to take the imperfect Priest with all his deficiencies, and “cover up” with priestly garments that elevated the Priest to the level that he could directly serve HaShem.

The Zohar indicates that at the sod level, these special garments actually belonged to Yaaqob.

Soncino Zohar, Bereshit, Section 1, Page 224b R. Judah said: ‘When Yaaqob went in to his father to obtain a blessing, he was wearing the garments of Esav; nevertheless the text says that Yitzchak smelt his garments,^{^[160]} to indicate that he caught the odor of his raiment in the future world, and it was therefore that he blessed him.

Yitzchak blessed Yaaqob because the garments emitted this holy aroma, not because he was deceived. Yitzchak realized that this fragrance could only accompany someone worthy of the blessing. For if he did not deserve to be blessed, no holy aroma would be put forth. This is the meaning of the verse “and he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him”.

Thus, we learn that Yaaqob embodied the power and soul of Esav as derived from Adam HaRishon.[161]

What kind of a magical garment is this that it should last for multiple millenium?

XV. Rapid Travel – Leaping Land

Do we have wormholes on earth? Do we have Star Trek transporters? Torah records multiple instances of people who traveled great distances in a very short amount of time just as we would expect if they traveled through a wormhole or if Scotty had beamed them up.

A quantum leap is defined as a movement of a particle from one state to the other without occupying any space in between. First it is in one place, and suddenly it is in another place, without any evidence of having traveled between the two places. In the Torah we likewise find stories of "quantum leaps," unexplained journeys that took a fraction of the expected time.

Was this technology, magic, or miracles?

Rashi’s Commentary for: ‎ D’barim (Deuteronomy) 1:2 It is eleven days journey from Horeb Moses said to them: “See what you caused! There is no shorter route from Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea than the way through Mount Seir, and even that is a journey of eleven days. But you traversed it in three days!” For they traveled from Horeb on the twentieth of lyar, as it is said, “And it came to pass in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month [... the children of Israel traveled...]” (Num. 10:11-12). And on the twenty-ninth of Sivan, they sent out the spies from Kadesh Barnea, (an interval of 40 days; cf. Ta’anith 29a). Subtract from them the thirty days they spent at Kivroth Hataavah (Num. 11:34), where they ate the meat a “month of days,” and the seven days they spent at Hazeroth for Miriam to be confined [as a mezora’ath] (Num. 12:15); we find therefore, that this entire journey [from Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea] took [only] three days. And to such an extent did the Shechinah exert itself to hasten your arrival to the land of Canaan, but because you sinned, He made you travel around Mount Seir for forty years. [from Sifrei]

The Gemara speaks of three journeys that were miraculously shortened (kefitzat [Kefitzas] HaDerech קְפִיצַת הַדֶּרֶךְ) or (kaftza lo ha'aretz) in order to accomplish a critical task in a transcendent way.

Whether we say that the “land leapt”, the “land folded”, “jumping of the way”, the “earth contracted”, the “earth shrink”, the “earth jumped”, the “Leap of the Earth”, “Kefisat ha-derekh”, “the jumping of the road”, “jumping of the path”, “leap of distance”, “folding the way”, “jumping of the path/road/way”, “leapfrogging”, “shrinking of the road”, teleportation, quantum leap, they all add up to a miraculous journey.

ְ קְפִיצַת הַדֶּרֶך קְפִיצַת הַארץ

kefitzat haderech Kefitzat Ha’Aretz

Kabbalah teaches that those episodes in which there was miraculous shortening of the distance, or "kefitzat HaDerech" in Hebrew, it was not the traveling time that was shortened but rather the distance itself. The tzaddik was suspended, so to speak, above the boundaries of time and space, so that he could move instantaneously from one place to another. The rules of nature remained in place; the tzaddik simply transcended them.

Whether the land folded to permit an earlier arrival, or time slowed down, either way, kefitzat haderekh shortens the time it takes to reach a destination. In some way, kefitzat haderekh changes the normal rules of physics and merges time and space in a way that is not normally seen.

As we examine these three journeys that were shortened, notice that ‘speed’ was not a critical issue. In each of these three events, there was no need to get there quickly. This is an important point that we will examine as we look at these journeys.

The first journey that was miraculously shortened was the journey of the servant of Avraham, Eliezer, who was sent by Avraham to get a wife for Yitzchak after the Akeida, the binding of Yitzchak. This wasn’t just a simple match. The future of the Jewish nation was on the line. Yitzchak’s wife, Rivka, would not only replace Sarah imeinu, but she would become the next of the imahot. She would be the wife of the first Jew circumcised on the eighth day. This wife would make Yitzchak whole. This first journey took place on Tishri 15, the first day of Succoth. This journey is recorded in: Bereshit (Genesis) 24:34.

Rashi comments: "Today I started on my journey and today I arrived here." Hence, we may infer that the earth leapt for him (i.e., his journey was miraculously shortened).

The second journey that was miraculously shortened was Yaaqob’s journey [162] when he realized that he had passed the Temple mount without praying. He had gotten all of the way to Charan before he realized his mistake.[163] This second journey took place on Tishri 15, the first day of Succoth.

Chullin 91b R. Akiba said: I once asked R. Gamaliel and R. Joshua in the meatmarket of Emmaus where they had gone to buy a beast for the wedding feast of R. Gamaliel's son: It is written: And the sun rose upon him. Did the sun rise upon him only? Did it not rise upon the whole world? R. Yitzchak said: It means that the sun which had set for his sake now rose for him. For it is written: And Jacob went out from Beer-Sheba, and went toward Haran.[164] And it is further written: And he lighted upon the place.[165] When he reached Haran he said [to himself], ‘Shall I have passed through the place where my fathers prayed and not have prayed too?’ He immediately resolved to return, but no sooner had he thought of this than the earth contracted and he immediately lighted upon the place. After he prayed he wished to return [to where he was], but the Holy One, blessed be He said: ‘This righteous man has come to my habitation; shall he depart without a night's rest?’ Thereupon the sun set.

The third journey, that was miraculously shortened, involved a lesser known personality, Abishai ben Zeruiah. Abishai was coming to save David in this incident:

Sanhedrin 95a And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.^{^[166]} What is meant by ‘And Ishbi-be-nob’?^{^[167]} — Rab Judah said in Rab’s name: A man who came on account of Nob.^{^[168]} [For] the Holy One, blessed be He had said to David, ‘How long will this crime be hidden in thy hand. [i.e. unpunished]. Through thee Nob, the city of Priests, was massacred; through thee Doeg the Edomite was banished; and through thee Saul and his three sons were slain:^{^[169]} wouldst thou rather thy line to end, or be delivered unto the enemy’s hand? He replied: ‘Sovereign of the Universe! I would rather be delivered into the enemy’s hand than that my line should end.’^{^[170]} One day, when he [David] ventured forth to Sekhor Bizzae,^{^[171]} Satan appeared before him in the guise of a deer. He shot arrows at him, but did not reach him, and was thus led on until inveigled into the land of the Philistines. When Ishbi-benob espied him, he exclaimed, ‘It is he who slew my brother Goliath.’ So, he bound him, doubled him up and cast him under an olive press; but a miracle was wrought, and the ground softened under him. Hence it is written, Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.^{^[172]} Now that day was Sabbath Eve, and Abishai the son of Zeruiah,^{^[173]} washing his head in four gribahs^{^[174]} of water, remarked some blood-stains [therein]. Others say a dove came and beat [its wings] before him. Thereupon he reasoned: Israel^{^[175]} is likened to a dove, as it is written, ye are as the wings of a dove covered with silver;^{^[176]} this must be an intimation that David is in trouble. So he went to his house, but did not find him. Now, said he, we learnt, One may not ride upon his [sc. a king’s] horse, nor sit upon his seat, nor use his sceptre:^{^[177]} but how is it in a time of danger? So he went and propounded the question in the schoolhouse, and was answered, ‘In time of danger, it is permitted.’ He then mounted his [sc. David’s] mule and rode off,^{^[178]} and the earth contracted under him.^{^[179]} Whilst riding, he saw Orpah^{^[180]} his [sc. Ishbi-benob’s] mother spinning. On descrying him, she broke off [the thread of] the spindle and threw it [the spindle] at him, intending to kill him. Then she said, ‘Young man, bring me the spindle.’^{^[181]} but he threw it on the top of her head instead, and killed her. When Ishbi-benob beheld him, he said [to himself], Now that there are two they will slay me. So he threw David up [in the air] and stuck his spear [into the earth], Saying. ‘Let him fall upon it, and perish;’ but Abishai pronounced the Divine Name,^{^[182]} by means of which David was held suspended between heaven and earth. (Why did not David pronounce it himself? — Because ‘a prisoner cannot free himself from prison.’) [Abishai] then enquired of him, ‘What dost thou here?’ — ‘Thus did G-d speak unto me,^{^[183]} and thus did I answer Him,’ replied he. ‘Reverse thy prayer.’^{^[184]} said he: ‘let thy grandson sell wax rather than that thou shouldst suffer.’^{^[185]} ‘If so,’ said he, ‘do thou aid me [to reverse it].’ Hence it is written, But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him,^{^[186]} upon which Rab Judah commented in Rab’s name: He succoured him in prayer. Abishai then [again] pronounced the Divine Name and brought him down^{^[187]} [from midair, where he was still suspended]. Now Ishbi-benob was pursuing them. When they reached Kubi^{^[188]} they said to [each other], ‘Let us stand [and fight] against him.’ [But they were still afraid, and proceeded further.] When they reached Bethre^{^[189]} they said, ‘Can two whelps kill a lion?’^{^[190]} So they taunted him, ‘Go and find thy mother Orpah in the grave.’ On their mentioning his mother’s name to him^{^[191]} his strength failed, and they slew him. Hence it is written, Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt no more go out with us unto battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.^{^[192]}

Yochanan (John) 6:19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Yeshua walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. 21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

II Luqas (Acts) 8:38-39 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

Numbers Rabbah 16:15 AND THEY RETURNED FROM SPYING OUT THE LAND AT THE END OF FORTY DAYS (XIII,25). But do you not find that they walked [only] from the south to the north in forty days? Would they then have walked through the whole of it in forty days? [Certainly not;] but it was clear to the Holy One, blessed be He, that they would come and utter slander concerning the land, and that years of suffering would be decreed against that generation, a year for each day of spying, and so the Holy One, blessed be He, caused the road to shrink for them.

Each of these three journeys mentioned in the Gemara have something in common. They each relate, indirectly, to the Temple.

1. Yitzchak became complete when he took Rivka into his tent and married her. The Torah declares that, “It is not good for Man to be alone. I will create for him a helpmate”.[193] The whole porpose of the shortening of the way for Avraham’s servant was to bring back Yitzchak’s soul mate for marriage. Consider that Yitzchak became the quintessential korban,[194] which was offered in the Temple. The event that immediately preceeded the kefitzat HaDerech of Avraham’s servant, was the akieda of Yitzchak whereby he became a korban. Yitzchak would become the first indirect korban. (Bear in mind that HaShem never wanted a human sacrifice, which is why Avraham was not allowed to actually kill Yitzchak.)

2. Yaaqob journey was shortened only so that he could pray at the place of the Temple, spend the evening at the place of the Temple, and anoint the rock that represented the future Temple. This location was called by Yaaqob, “The Place – HaMakom”. Yaaqob would indirectly build the Temple by anointing the rock.

3. Abishai ben Zeruiah’s journey was shortened so that he could preserve the life of King David, who would desire to build the Temple. He would be the one to prepare all that was needed to build the Temple. David would be the indirect builder of the Temple.

Abraham and his small army set out in the darkness of night. Although they were ten days’ travel from the four kings, they miraculously reached Damascus, where the kings were, in a single day.

Ramban 14:15 AND HE PURSUED THEM UNTO HOBAH, WHICH IS ON THE LEFT HAND OF DAMASCUS. It is known that there is a great distance from the oaks of Mamre in Hebron in the land of Judah, to Damascus, which is outside the Land. If so, he pursued them for many days until he forced them to leave the land for they were returning to Babylon, their country. Or possibly there occurred here a great miracle, just as our Rabbis expounded from the verse, The way with his foot he treadeth not.[195]

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis 43:3 R. Levi and Eleazar in R. Jose's name said: Abraham's steps were three miles long.[196] R. Judah b. R. Sieon said: They were one mile long, for it says, ‘The way with his feet he treadeth not.’[197]

____________________

See also the document titled: “Leapt”.

Einstein later showed, together with another Jewish scientist named Nathan Rosen, that it would be theoretically possible to “bend” spacetime and connect two points that are vastly far apart. It would be like folding over the fabric and then poking a hole through both layers. Such an “Einstein-Rosen bridge”, better known as a wormhole, would allow travel across extremely vast distances in a very short period of time. In other words, it would be very much like kefitzat haderekh!

* * *

The Zohar (I, 4b-5a) states that the malevolent angel Samael can traverse as much as 6000 parsas in a single moment. This number is not arbitrary, for the Talmud calculates that the Earth’s circumference is 6000 parsas (Pesachim 94a). This is an incredible piece of Talmudic science, considering how little of the globe was known then. Today, we know that Earth’s exact circumference is 40,075 km at the equator, a value close to that of our Sages. In fact, if making the correct assumption that the Sages must have been exact in their knowledge, we might be able to properly identify the length of a Talmudic parsa.

* * *

The Talmud [198] calculates that the distance of the Heavenly Ladder that Jacob saw in his vision was a whopping 8000 parsas, which would be over 50,000 km. The word used by our Sages is rochav, meaning “width”. A superficial reading of the Talmud suggests that each angel is 2000 parsas wide (based on Daniel 10:6), and since Jacob saw four angels, the width of the Ladder must have been 8000 parsas. However, this does not make sense if taken literally, for why would an angel’s form be 2000 parsas wide? And if it was, how could Jacob even capture the sight of an angel in his limited field of view? The Talmud must be teaching something else. The big question here is why use the language of width as opposed to length or height, as might be expected?

The precise Talmudic language of rochav, “width”, in a place where we might have expected height. Of course, we do have a dimension of height. However, when zooming out to a “flat” universe, we really only visualize it in terms of width, as if on a two-dimensional plane. Going further, Einstein later showed, together with another Jewish scientist named Nathan Rosen, that it would be theoretically possible to “bend” spacetime and connect two points that are vastly far apart. It would be like folding over the fabric and then poking a hole through both layers. Such an “Einstein-Rosen bridge”, better known as a wormhole, would allow travel across extremely vast distances in a very short period of time. In other words, it would be very much like kefitzat haderekh!

So, what our Sages may have been secretly implying in describing the width of Jacob’s Ladder is that this wormhole (of sorts) spanned 8000 parsas, or over 50,000 km. This is a distance even wider than the Earth and, scientifically, we would expect wormholes to be very large like this.

It is worth noting that when our Sages described the teleportation of Jacob, they said that kaftzah ha’aretz, again using that term aretz, and implying that it “jumped” or “contracted” for him. So, another term for this phenomenon, truer to the language of the Talmud, would be kefitzat ha’aretz, the warping of the spacetime fabric of this universe. Kefitzat haderekh is accurate, too, implying that one “jumped the path”, finding an alternate shortcut from one point in the universe to another. This appears to have happened at Sinai, as well. Our Sages likened Jacob’s Ladder to the Sinai Revelation, and the Zohar (I, 149a, Sitrei Torah) even notes that the numerical value of “ladder” (סלם) and “Sinai” (סיני) is the same—130. At Sinai, too, a “wormhole” opened up allowing 22,000 angelic “chariots” to descend upon the mountain (Bamidbar Rabbah 2:3).

Theoretical physics aside, can we actually create such wormholes? In 2017, scientists succeeded in producing tiny, microscopic wormholes for the first time. It is certainly possible that in the near future we will have the technology to open up larger wormholes, making rapid travel across God’s vast universe feasible. It appears that God’s angels already employ such a wormhole-style system of travel, traversing thousands of parsas instantaneously. It might help explain the Tower of Babel episode which, as we’ve mentioned in the past, was not simply a tower but meant to “lift off” and “conquer” the Heavens.[199]

* * *

II Luqas (Acts) 8:26-40 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

* * *

The holy Baal Shem, as is well known, used to frequently travel with kefitzat haderech. The Baal Shem Tov would instruct the wagon driver to let go of the reins, and they would miraculously pass over great distances in very little time.

Now, travel back then was not much different than travel today. Just as we have to make periodic stops, in rest areas or gas stations, to replenish the gas of our car or van (or tesla), so, too, then, there were “rest areas” at regular intervals, at which the horses could be watered and fed a new batch of hay (and pizza).

And just as today, even the driver needs occasional recharging, and therefore there are hotels and motels in which the driver can spend the night, to rest up before continuing the journey, so, too, then there were the inns and kretchme’s to enable the wagon driver to rest up and gather strength to resume his journey.

It happened that the horse of the Baal Shem Tov was pulling the wagon of the Baal Shem and company on one of these expedited journeys. The horse gazed in wonder as the miles and miles of road flew by from under them in no time. Presently they passed rest area after rest area, and there was no sign of stopping to feed the horse.

The horse tried to understand this. ‘It must be’, he thought to himself, ‘that serving as the horse of the holy Baal Shem Tov has had such a profound effect on me, I have become so refined, that I am no longer on the level of a horse, but I have, instead, graduated to the level of a human being, and these rest areas, which are for beasts, are no longer for me.

They continued along, and, behold, even inns and kretchme’s passed by, with no sign of slowing down. The horse was even more amazed. Even his driver, a human being, had to stop periodically and rest up in one of the inns. ‘It can only be’, he concluded, ‘that my close association with the tzaddik has had such a profound impact on me that I have been elevated beyond even human status, and I have reached the level of an angel, who has no need even of inns’.

But eventually they reached their destination. The Baal Shem Tov went to accomplish whatever holy mission he had come for. The horse was untied, and put into the stable and given a generous serving of hay, - which it proceeded to gobble up like a regular horse!

* * *

Elijah is documented to have outrun the king's chariots.

Melachim alef (1Kings) 18:46 And the hand of HaShem was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Thus we see that there are men who had the ability to take quantum leaps, or pass through wormholes. Did they use technology to accomplish this task, or was it magic? In the end, it is all miraculous and is marvelous in our eyes.

{I wonder how many of these miraculous things will be ‘normal’ in the messianic age and how many will be ‘normal’ in the Olam HaBa}

XVI. Staff > Serpent > Staff Eating Staff

In Egypt, when HaShem began redeeming His people, He has the good guys (Moshe Aharon) and the bad guys (Paro’s magicians) both changing dead staffs into live serpents. Both sides CREATED LIFE!

OK, let’s get into the details…

Aharon’s staff became a serpent and the magicians threw down their staffs and they became serpents.

Shemot (Exodus) 7:10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as HaShem had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

Shemot (Exodus) 7:11-12 11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their secret arts. 12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

The ability to turn dried up old sticks into live serpents is so easy that even women and children could perform this on a moment’s notice. It is so common place that Paro mocks Moshe and Aharon for trying to impress them with such a simple matter.

Shemot Rabbah 9:6 He began to tease them, and to cluck at them like a chicken, and he said, “These are the kinds of wonders that your God does?! People generally bring merchandise to a place where they don’t already have it! Do they bring fish to Akko [a fishing town]?! Don’t you know that all the magic arts are in my domain? He immediately called for children to be brought from their schools, so they could perform the same trick. And then he called in his wife, and she did it, too!

So the Torah itself makes it clear that there was nothing special about this so-called wonder. Pharaoh seems to have seen this kind of thing before. And his own magicians have no trouble replicating it. The Midrash just takes it a step further and says that even little children could do this! And then Paro’s wife walks in, and she does it, too, just like that! Looks like everyone knows the old stick-to-serpent trick! This is no great proof of the one, true God; this is just common talent.

So, how many folks today can turn sticks into serpents? I have never even heard of anyone who had such power.

There is one final detail, however, that does give Aaron’s performance a slight edge. Just after Paro’s magicians have come in and reproduced the serpents from a stick with ease, we get one last bit of talent:

Shemot (Exodus) 7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

Rashi to Shemot 7:12 Aaron’s rod swallowed their rods - After it returned and became a rod again, then it swallowed them all.

Shabbat 97a The Gemara proceeds to discuss another miracle that transpired at that time. With regard to the verse, “And each man threw down his staff and they became serpents, and Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs” (Exodus 7:12), Rabbi Elazar said: This was a miracle within a miracle. It was Aaron’s staff, not his serpent, that swallowed the other staffs.

Now so far we’ve just been dealing with “presto-change” transformations - “watch as I turn this lifeless staff… into a serpent!” – just a normal ability. But this is different. If Rashi is right, it isn’t just that Aaron then charmed his serpent into eating the other serpent. No, suddenly, something happens that makes no sense. Aaron’s serpent turns back into a staff, and then it swallows the others.

The Torah emphasizes that it was Aharon’s staff that consumed the serpent-staffs of the Egyptian sorcerers. Our sages explain that since it is natural that a snake swallow another snake, HaShem made it so that Aaron’s staff should swallow the others after it had reverted to its original, inanimate form,

Now a staff doesn’t swallow anything. It doesn’t have a mouth. So what’s going on here?

The Talmudic passage that Rashi is borrowing from[200] says that when Aaron’s staff did the swallowing, this was “a miracle inside of a miracle.” That is, the magic was never to turn a stick into a serpent. The real magic was to get inside of the transformation, reconfigure it, and somehow use its variables to produce an outcome that was actually impossible, but somehow happening. This was something that only the good guys did.

What has become of this magic (or is it a miracle or technology)? Why can’t the common person demonstrate this ability?

As an aside: The first three miracles performed by Moshe and Aharon to intimidate Paro, turning a staff into a snake and the plagues of blood and frogs, were duplicated by the magicians. This transmutation talent seemingly has been lost to most in the modern world.

XVII. An Invincible Army

When the Bne Israel went to battle for the Promised land, none of the Bne Israel were killed as long as they obeyed the commands of HaShem. When they disobeyed HaShem’s command, then He cursed them and some were killed.[201]

Ohr HaChaim to Bamidbar (Numbers) 32:22 - and the land will be conquered, etc. Why did these words have to be written after we heard at the end of the last verse that God will drive out His enemies before Him? Furthermore, why did Moses have to mention once more: "and after that you will return?" We already understood from the context that after the other tribes had been settled the tribes of Reuven and Gad would return to their families on the East Bank. Actually, Moses wanted to tell the two tribes that as a result of their keeping their bargain a number of promises would be fulfilled. 1) The land would be subdued; 2) every one of them would return home whole in body and in spirit.

The Sages state that actually just one person was killed in the Battle of Ai, and he was equal to 36 of the 70 wise and righteous elders of the Sanhedrin. They extract this from the words of the Tanakh itself, which states k’shloshim v’shisha ish, literally translated as “like 36 men”. In other words, the casualty of the Battle of Ai was one man likened to 36. The Sages use the same expression elsewhere, in describing Abishai, the nephew of King David.[202]

After Yehoshua purged the evil from the midst of the Bne Israel, then HaShem fought the battles for them. It was important that they not be killed in the battles for the Promised Land because they had already been counted for the division of the land. The division would not work if the Bne Israel were not all preserved until the land had been divided and allocated. Thus HaShem promised that they would not be killed in battle.

Was this a miracle, or did HaShem use technology to accomplish this? What kind of force field or armor did they have?

Avraham and Eleazer defeated the four kings.

When the four kings defeated the five kings, they took Lot captive.[203] When Abraham heard about it he went to rescue his nephew. Abraham and his servant, Eleazer, rescued his nephew, Lot, and defeated the four greatest nations on earth in the process.

Bereshit (Genesis) 14:1 In the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar’- Rashi: Nimrod, who cast Avraham into the fiery furnace-‘Chedorlaomer the king of Elam’, and two other allied kings, ‘made war on Bera, king of Sodom, and four other kings, who rebelled against Chedorlaomer, whom they had previously served, and ‘Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him’ defeated the five kings, and seized all their wealth, ‘and they captured Lot, Avraham’s nephew, for he was residing in Sodom. And when Avraham heard that his kinsman was taken captive, he armed his disciples, he struck’ their captors, ‘and brought back his kinsman’.

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit 42:4 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar: this alludes to Babylon; Arioch king of Ellasar: that alludes to Greece; Kedarlaomer king of Elam: that is Media; and Tidal the king of Goyim [lit. 'nations']: this alludes to the wicked Power [i.e. Rome] which levies troops from all the nations of the world. R. Eleazar b. R. Abina said: When you see the Powers fighting each other, look for the coming [lit. 'feet'] of the King Messiah. The proof is that in the days of Avraham, because these Powers fought against each other, greatness came to Avraham.

Midrash Rabbah – Bereshit 42:2 R. Abin said: Just as he commenced with four kings, so will he conclude with four kings. [He commences with four kings, viz.]: With Kedarlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goyim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar;[204] so he ends with four kingdoms: the kingdom of Babylon, the kingdom of Media, the kingdom of Greece, and the empire of Edom [i.e. Rome].

The Zohar HaKadosh expands: The four kings united, to rid themselves of Avraham. Why? Because he taught the people that the ‘gods’ they served were false, and brought the people to believe in, and serve, HaShem.

Now, how did Abraham defeat the greates nations on earth? What kind of weapon did he have?

With Dust and Straw Missiles

Bereshit (Genesis) 14:8-16 And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela--the same is Zoar; and they set the battle in array against them in the vale of Siddim; 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five. 10 Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain. 11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. 13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew--now he dwelt by the terebinths of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram. 14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. 15 And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

When Abraham learned that his nephew Lot had been captured by the five kings, he gathered the 318 loyal members of his household to join him on a daring rescue mission. Abraham sensed their fear, rebuked them for their lack of faith, and gave them money and precious stones. He even offered them a way out, “Is there anyone among you who is faint-hearted? Is there anyone who is afraid to go into battle? Let him return home now.” Most took up the offer, leaving just a few men at Abraham’s side, including Eliezer, his longtime faithful servant.[205] As for Abraham, he was not afraid; his indomitable faith in HaShem made him certain he’d succeed.

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis 43:2 AND ABRAM HEARD, etc. Thus it is written, He stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, etc.[206] [207] HE LED FORTH (WAYYAREK) HIS TRAINED MEN, etc. R. Judah said: It was they who turned a wrathful countenance (horiku panim) upon Abraham, saying, ' Five kings could not defeat them, yet we are to defeat them?’[208] R. Nehemiah interpreted it: He turned a defiant countenance (horik panim) to them and exclaimed, ‘I will go forth and fall in sanctifying the name of the Holy One, blessed be He.’[209] R. Abba b. Zabda said: He made them glitter (horikan) with weapons, as you read, Burnish (harek-E.V. ‘draw out’) also the spear, and the battle axe, against them that pursue me; say unto my soul: I am thy salvation.[210] R. Simeon b. Lakish said: He made them glitter with precious stones and pearls, as you read, With the shimmer of (yerakrak) gold.[211] R. Levi said: He thinned their numbers[212] by reading the section of the heralds, as you read, What man is there that is fearful (yare) and faint-hearted-rak?[213] [214] BORN IN HIS HOUSE. This means, those bearing his name, their name being Abram, like his own.[215] THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN. R. Simeon b. Lakish said: It was Eliezer alone, the numerical value of Eliezer being three hundred and eighteen.[216] AND PURSUED AS FAR AS DAN. Idolatry smites both before it comes and after it has departed. It smites in anticipation, as it is written, AND PURSUED AS FAR AS DAN. It smites retrospectively, as it is written, The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan.[217] [218]

Wishing to utilize the element of surprise,[219] Abraham and his small army set out in the darkness of night. Although they were ten days’ travel from the four kings, they miraculously reached Damascus—where the kings were—in a single day.[220] [221]

When Abraham and his small army faced their opponents, Abraham threw dust and straw in their direction. Miraculously, when the dust and straw were airborne, G‑d transformed the dust into spears and the straw into arrows. Conversely, the arrows and spears that were directed at Abraham were transformed into dust.[222]

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis 43:3 It is written, He giveth nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; his sword maketh them as the dust, his bow as the driven stubble. R. Judah and R. Nehemiah differed. One maintained: This means that Abraham threw dust at them [the four kings] which turned to swords; stubble, and it turned to arrows. But the other argued: It is not written, ‘He maketh dust,’ but ‘He maketh them as the dust’: they threw swords at Abraham which turned to dust; and arrows, which became stubble.

A concluding thought from the Shem miShmuel: ‘The four kings that Avraham vanquished, are the ‘fore-runners’ of the four kingdoms that were to subjugate Bne Israel’; and, just as the four kings, in our Parasha, fell at the hands of Avraham, so too will our four subjugators’- The deeds of the forefathers are a sign to their descendants.

Abraham defeated the five kings by hurling dust and straw at them. This dust and straw became missiles which decimated their vast armies. What kind of technology, magic, or miracle is this?

The following story illustrates the power of Abraham’s dust and straw:

Many years ago, when our Jewish people lived in our Holy Land under the rule of the Romans, there lived among them a great and saintly sage, named Nachum. Rabbi Nachum used to say that everything HaShem does is for the good. Therefore, even if something that happened to him did not appear so good, or even seemed so bad that others would call it a misfortune, he - Nachum - would say "this, too, is for the good." He used to say it so often, that people soon began to call him Nachum Ish Gam Zu, "Nachum the Gam-zu Man."

One day, the Jews were dismayed to learn that the Roman emperor was about to make a law that would make life very difficult for the Jews, for he was no friend of the Jewish people. The Jewish sages and leaders got together to decide what to do. They decided to send a beautiful gift to the king in Rome in order to make him friendlier to the Jews and not give them trouble. But who was to take the gift to the King?

"No one is more suitable than Nachum Ish Gam Zu," all the Sages agreed, for he was a man for whom G‑d made many miracles. They knew the journey to Rome was a long and dangerous one, and the king was a cruel man. You really needed a miracle to succeed in such a dangerous mission. So they all asked Nachum to be their shaliach (messenger). Nachum humbly agreed, saying only, "Gam zu l'tovah."

With the blessings of all the sages, Nachum set out for Rome, carrying with him a beautiful box filled with precious gems and pearls for the king and queen.

Just before reaching Rome, Nachum stopped at an inn overnight. During the night, while Nachum was asleep, two thieves sneaked into his room, looked through his things, and found the box. They opened it and saw it was filled with costly gems and pearls. They emptied it of its precious contents, which they put in their pockets, and filled the box with sand. Then they left quietly.

The following day, Nachum appeared at the royal palace and told the guards that he came all the way from the Land of Israel, carrying a gift for the king from the Jewish people.

The Jewish sage was ushered into the presence of the king. Nachum told his majesty that he brought humble greetings and good wishes from the Jewish people, as well as a gift for the king and queen. The king sent over one of his servants to fetch the box. After admiring the beautiful box for a moment, the king opened it, and his face turned red with anger.

"Look what the Jews sent me for my birthday!" he said to his servants, as he lifted a handful of sand from the box and let it fall back through his fingers. "I'll teach them a lesson they will not forget, for making fun of the king!"

Then he ordered his guard to seize the Jew who had brought him this "gift," and throw him into prison, where he would await his execution that would be arranged publicly, with much pomp and fanfare.

Poor Nachum, what could he do? He was surprised as anyone else when he saw what the box contained. Of course, he realized that this was the work of thieves, but the king was in no mood to listen to an explanation. So Nachum Ish Gam-zu lifted his eyes heavenward and said, "Gam-zu l'tovah!"

Later that evening, as the king prepared to retire for the night, Elijah the Prophet appeared before him in the guise of one of the king's servants.

"Your Majesty,"' Elijah said, "you surely did not think the Jews would make fun of you and send you ordinary sand? Maybe it is the kind that their Father Abraham used to defeat his enemies in war? It has been told that Abraham threw handfuls of sand against his enemies that turned into swords; and straw that turned into deadly arrows. Would it not be advisable to test this sand the Jews sent you? Maybe it's that secret weapon..."

"There's no harm in doing just that." the king agreed.

It so happened that the king was fighting a long and costly war against the Barbarians, and he was not able to defeat them. So he ordered his generals to try out the sand the Jewish sage had brought him. And wonder of wonders! The Barbarians fled in terror, and the war was over.

Now the king ordered that Nachum be freed and brought before him.

"I had no idea what a wonderful gift you had brought me," the king said to him. "You may ask any royal favor in return."

Nachum told the king what the purpose of his mission was: to plead with the king to withdraw the decree that would hurt the Jews very much, and would be of no benefit to the king.

The king readily granted the request. In addition he ordered his royal treasurer to fill the box with gold and diamonds and rubies from the king's treasure chamber and give it to the Jewish sage to take back with him. Nachum was sent off on his way with much honor, fit for the greatest ambassador.

III

On his way home, Nachum Ish Gam-zu stopped at the same inn where thieves had stolen the contents of the box and filled it with sand.

The innkeeper had heard of the honor and wealth the king had bestowed upon the Jewish sage.

"What did you bring the king in the box that made him so happy?" the innkeeper asked.

"Only what I carried from here," Nachum replied, truthfully.

The innkeeper talked to his son, and the two of them - they were none other than the thieves that stole the contents of the box decided that they would do even better than the Jewish sage. They broke down the best wall of the inn and collected a good deal of broken pieces of rock, which they pounded into a fine sand. This they packed into large boxes which they loaded on donkeys. Tired after all this work, but happy at the thought of how much wealth they will bring back, they made their way to the king's palace.

When they appeared before the king, they told him: "This is the same kind of sand that the Jewish sage had brought to the king that made the king happy. We've brought a lot more to make the king even happier!"

"Indeed?" the king remarked wondering. "Well, we'll soon find out."

He ordered samples of the sand to be tested for the miraculous power it was supposed to have. But no miracles happened this time. So the king ordered that the two thieves be hanged and buried and covered with their own sand.

When Nachum Ish Gam-zu heard what happened to the thieves, he shrugged his shoulders and said - you guessed it: "Gam zu l'tovah!"

Yehoshua commanded the sun and the moon to stand still while HaShem threw stones at them from heaven.

Yehoshua (Joshua) 6:6-14 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying: 'Slack not thy hands from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill-country are gathered together against us.' 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. 8 And HaShem said unto Joshua: 'Fear them not; for I have delivered them into thy hand; there shall not a man of them stand against thee.' 9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly; for he went up from Gilgal all the night. 10 And HaShem discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon; and they chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. 11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that HaShem cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died; they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. 12 Then spoke Joshua to HaShem in the day when HaShem delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel: 'Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.' 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that HaShem hearkened unto the voice of a man; for HaShem fought for Israel.

Sefer HaYashar Chapter LXXXVIII 64.

And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Joshua, and the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens, and it stood still six and thirty moments,* and the moon also stood still and hastened not to go down a whole day.

(55. And there was no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened to the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.

As the day waned and the sun began to drop towards the horizon, Yehoshua realized that the enemy forces would soon escape under cover of darkness. Seeking to secure more daylight hours for the Israelites to rout their foes, Yehoshua called upon the sun and the moon to cease their inevitable course and to stand motionless, thus extending the radiance of the afternoon indefinitely. In a show of Divine intervention never before witnessed in the history of the world, God acceded to his request and as a result, Israel inflicted a punishing blow on the Canaanite kings of the south.

Of course, the short passage raises many provocative questions. Did the celestial bodies, whose immutable motion is the universal paradigm for permanence and predictability, the basis for our Newtonian conception of conventional time as consistent and unchanging, truly stop their motion and stand still?

The Gemara goes on to provide significant details regarding this very unusual day:

Avodah Zarah 25a The Gemara cites a series of expositions with regard to what is called the book of Yashar. The verse states: “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is this not written in the book of Yashar”?.[223] The Gemara asks: What is the book of Yashar? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: This is Genesis, which is the book of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were called righteous [yesharim], as it is stated: “Let me die the death of the righteous [yesharim]”.[224]

The Gemara asks: And where is it alluded to in Genesis that the sun would stand still for Joshua? The verse states in reference to Ephraim, who was Joshua’s ancestor: “And his seed shall become a multitude of nations”.[225] The Gemara asks: When will he become a multitude of nations? He became a multitude of nations at the time when the sun stood in place for Joshua, as it is written: “And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hastened not to go down for an entire day”.[226]

The Gemara inquires: And how much time elapsed before the sun finally set? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said that it took twenty-four hours: It traveled across the sky for six hours and stood still for six hours, and again traveled six hours and stood still for six hours, so that the entire matter lasted the duration of an entire day.

Rabbi Elazar said that it lasted thirty-six hours: The sun traveled for six hours and stood for twelve hours, and again traveled six hours and stood for twelve hours, so that the accumulated time of its suspension was that of an entire day. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Forty-eight hours elapsed before it set. It traveled six hours and stood for twelve hours, and then traveled six hours and stood for twenty-four hours, as it is stated: “And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven,” and then: “And hastened not to go down for an entire day.” By inference, it can be understood that initially it was not suspended for an entire day. Rather, at first it stood still for twelve hours, and was later suspended for an entire day.

There are those who say that these Sages do not disagree over how much time had elapsed before the sun set. Rather, they disagree with regard to the additional time by which the day was extended. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Twenty-four hours were added to that day, because the sun traveled six hours and stood twelve hours, and again traveled six hours and stood for another twelve hours, which meant that its standing time lasted for an entire day. Rabbi Elazar said that thirty-six hours were added: It traveled six hours and stood for twelve hours, and then traveled six hours and stood for twenty-four more hours. It is with regard to the second suspension that the verse states: “And hastened not to go down for an entire day.”

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: The time the sun stood in place was forty-eight hours in total. The sun traveled six hours and stood twenty-four hours, and then traveled another six hours and stood for another twenty-four hours. His reasoning is that the verse juxtaposes the sun’s suspension to its motion: Just as the sun is in motion for an entire day, so too, its suspension was for an entire day.

It is taught: Just as the sun stood still for Joshua, so too the sun stood still for Moses and for Nakdimon ben Guryon. It is known that it stood still for Joshua from a verse, and it is known that it stood still for Nakdimon ben Guryon by tradition. From where do we derive that it stood still for Moses as well? The Gemara answers: It is derived by means of a verbal analogy between the terms “I will begin” and “I will begin.” The Gemara elaborates: It is written here, with regard to Moses: “I will begin to deliver the dread of you and the fear of you upon the peoples” (Deuteronomy 2:25), and it is written there, with regard to Joshua: “I will begin to magnify you”.[227]

And Rabbi Yoḥanan says: It is derived from a verbal analogy between the words “delivered” and “delivered.” It is written here, with regard to Moses: “I will begin to deliver the dread of you,” and it is written there, with regard to Joshua: “In the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel”.[228]

So, what kind of wonder is this? Is it a straight up miracle because we see no technology, or is there some type a magic that Yehoshua is deploying? Notice that Yehoshua is making the command as opposed to beseeching HaShem to do this task.

XVIII. Magic Wand

Many times throughout the story of the Exodus HaShem tells Moses to take along his staff and to use it to perform one of the miracles, such as to wave it at the water to make it part[229] or to direct the locusts to invade.[230] Why the emphasis on the staff? Can’t HaShem do miracles just as easily without it? In fact, using his staff might have given Pharaoh the false impression that the plagues were done via magic. Why didn’t HaShem reveal His strength directly?

A staff / wand is called mateh - מַטֶּה in Hebrew.[231] [232]

We should think of Moshe’s staff as a conductor’s baton or a magician’s magic wand. Owning and operating them produce music or magic, but only in the hand of the right user. Is this just technology, or is it a ‘magig wand’?

Shemot (Exodus) 3:16-4:5 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, HaShem God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and [seen] that which is done to you in Egypt: And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, HaShem God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to HaShem our God. And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put [them] upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. And Moshe answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, HaShem hath not appeared unto thee. And HaShem said unto him, What [is] that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moshe fled from before it. And HaShem said unto Moshe, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that HaShem God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

Pirke D’Rebbe Eliezer[233] 40 gives the history of this amazing staff:

Created at twilight, before the Sabbath, it was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam gave it to Chanoch, who gave it to Metushelach; he in turn passed it on to Noach. Noach bequeathed it to his son Shem, who transmitted it to Avraham. From Avraham to Yitzchak, and then to Yaaqov, who took it with him to Egypt. Ya’aqov gave it to Yosef; upon Yosef‘s death all his possessions were removed to Pharaoh’s place. Yitro one of Pharaoh’s advisors desired it, whereupon he took it and stuck it in the ground in his garden in Midian. From then on no one could pull out the staff until Moshe came. He read the Hebrew letters on the staff,^{^[234]} and pulled it out readily. Knowing then that Moshe was the redeemer of Israel, Yitro gave him his daughter Tziporra in marriage.

The staff which Moshe pulled from the ground in Yitro’s garden had been fashioned by HaShem Himself who had then given it to Adam. It was passed down, after Moshe’s death, to King David and to the succeeding Kings of Judah.^{^[235]} This was no ordinary wooden staff.

The Mishna [236] lists Moshe's staff as one of the unique items created on the twilight before the first Shabbat.

It’s possible that HaShem specifically wanted to trick Pharaoh into thinking the plagues were nothing other than ordinary magic, the type the Egyptians were quite familiar with already.

Shemot (Exodus) 4:20 So Moses took his wife and his sons, mounted them upon the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt, and Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

The Targum goes on to emphasize that it was Moshe’s hand that would perform the miracle.

Targum pseudo Yonatan to Shemot 4:20 And Moshe took his wife and his sons, and made them ride on the ass, and returned to the land of Mitzrayim. And Moshe took the rod which he had brought away from the chamber of his father-in-law; and it was from the sapphire Throne of glory, in weight forty sein; and upon it was engraved and set forth the Great and Glorious Name by which the signs should be wrought before HaShem by his hand.

Engraving always means that what is engraved is of the essence of the object - not applied onto the object as is writing but expressed in the very medium of the object itself.

Midrash Rabbah - Exodus VIII:3 ‘Go and exact a penalty of him.’ He said to him: ‘How shall I bring upon him the ten plagues? ‘ The reply was: ‘And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod’ (IV, 17). R. Judah said: The rod weighed forty seah^{^[237]} and was of sapphire^{^[238]} and the ten plagues were engraved thereon in an abbreviated form -De Za K, aDaSH, Be’aHa B.1 God said: ‘In this order shalt thou bring upon him the plagues.’ And Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet (VII, 1). ‘Just as the preacher sits and preaches whilst the interpreter^{^[239]} sits before him, so shalt thou speak all that I shall command thee, [to Aaron] and Aaron thy brother will speak unto Pharaoh.’ By means of both of them were all these things performed, as it is said: And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh (XI, 10).

So, now we discover that this fantastic staff is made out of sapphire,not wood.

The Zohar elaborates on this fantastic staff (rod):

Soncino Zohar, Bereshit, Section 1, Page 9a “And in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam” (I Chr. XI, 23). This alludes to the divine rod which was in Moses’ hand, and on which there was engraved the divine ineffable Name radiating in various combinations of letters. These same letters were in possession of Bezalel, who was called “weaver”, and his school, as it is written: “Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart... of the craftsman and the skilled workman, and the weaver, etc.” (Exod. XXXV, 35). So that rod had engraved on it the ineffable Name on every side, in forty-two various combinations, which were illumined in different colors.

Thus we learn that this solid sapphire staff was engraved with forty-two letter combinations of HaShem’s name, each in a different color!

This sapphire staff / wand will be used to initiate six of the ten plagues. If the miracles were miraculous, then why was the staff needed? Is the staff a piece of technology that it can come alive as a serpent and also fill the Nile with blood, create hordes of frogs, irritate the people with clouds of lice, build hail that has a raging fire inside, create a plague of locusts, and create darkness so thick that no one can move?

XIX. Solid Water

Normally, when water is hard enough to walk on or to be used as a wall, it must be frozen. Yet, there are examples of water walls and walking on water that clearly was not frozen. How was this done?

The Reed Sea

In the case where the water became a sea wall, Moshe’s staff was used.

Shemot (Exodus) 14:15 And HaShem said unto Moses: 'Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. 16 And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground.

And the sea solidified for them. The Yam Suf split into 12 thoroughfares for the 12 tribes.[240] Targum Pseudo-Jonathan in its rendering of 14:22, it notes that there were solid walls to the right and to the left three hundred miles high.

Shemot (Exodus) 14:22 Then the children of Israel came into the midst of the sea on dry land, and the waters were to them as a wall from their right and from their left.

Because Moshe’s staff was used, one could imagine that the staff was some sort of technology which caused the water to become rigid. Later Moshe used the same staff to remove the walls and the sea collapsed in of the Egyptian army.[241]

The Jordan River Split for Joshua

The Jordan River was split for Joshua. HaShem assures him in Joshua 3:7 that HaShem will cause the Israelites to see Joshua as a great person “so they will know that just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” This promise could mean that HaShem will perform the same miracle for Joshua at the Jordan that HaShem did for Moshe at the Red Sea. Yet, 3:13 states that the Jordan waters split and “stood as a single heap,” using the description contained in Exodus 15.

Yehoshua (Joshua) 3:13 And it shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of HaShem, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, even the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in one heap.'

Jordan river divided by Elijah

In II Kings 2, Elijah divides the Jordan River so that he and his disciple Elisha can cross it, and later in the same chapter, after Elijah’s death, Elisha split it so that he could cross it himself. Were Elijah and Elisha’s actions miraculous?

Melachim bet (II Kings) 2:8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

Note that the division of the Jordan river is accomplished with ‘technology’, i.e. Elijah’s cloak. Is this technology, or magic. (Why do miracles usually involve something physical?)

Yeshua walks on water

In the Gospels, Yeshua walks on water in

Matitiyahu (Matthew) 14:23-32 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Yeshua went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Yeshua spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Yeshua. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Yeshua stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Mordechai (Mark) 6:47-48 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. 48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

Yochanan (John) 6:16-21 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Yeshua was not come to them. 18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. 19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Yeshua walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. 21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

Notice that there was no technology involved, nor does there seem to be any kind of magic involved. Was this a miracle?

XX. Burning and not consumed

One of the most other-worldly things that has ever been observed was the bush that Moshe encountered. It was cover with flames, yet it was not burning. Was this fake fire like we see on video screen? (I don’t think so.)

Shemot (Exodus) 3:1-5 Moses was pasturing the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law, the chief of Midian, and he led the flocks after the free pastureland, and he came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. An angel of HaShem appeared to him in a flame of fire from within the thorn bush, and behold, the thorn bush was burning with fire, but the thorn bush was not being consumed. So Moses said, "Let me turn now and see this great spectacle: why does the thorn bush not burn up?" HaShem saw that he had turned to see, and God called to him from within the thorn bush, and He said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am!" And He said, "Do not draw near here. Take your shoes off your feet, because the place upon which you stand is holy soil."

There's a bush that's burning, burning for hours and it's not being consumed. Centuries later, there's Chanukah oil burning, burning for hours, days, but it's not being consumed either. You know, if you consider Chanukah the last great miracle in our national history that we commemorate by means of a holiday, what would be our frst great national miracle? It'll probably be the burning bush. That's the beginning of the redemption from Egypt that gives rise to our birth as a people. So, it's almost like we have these bookends in our history. Burning bush, Chanukah.

Speaking of never ending oil…

Melachim bet (II Kings) 4:1-7 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying: 'Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear HaShem; and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bondmen.' 2 And Elisha said unto her: 'What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house?' And she said: 'Thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.' 3 Then he said: 'Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 4 And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.' 5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons; they brought the vessels to her, and she poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son: 'Bring me yet a vessel.' And he said unto her: 'There is not a vessel more.' And the oil stayed. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said: 'Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons of the rest.'

The miracle involved a widow who was heavily in debt, and her creditors were threatening to take her two sons as slaves to satisfy the debt. When Elisha asked her what she had in her home, the widow responded that she had nothing but a vial of oil. Elisha told her to gather as many empty containers as possible. She should then pour oil from her vial into the empty containers. She did as commanded, and miraculously the oil continued to flow until the last empty jug was filled. The woman would sell the oil for a handsome profit, and have enough money to repay her debts and live comfortably.

“Elisha said to her, ‘What shall I do for you? Tell me what you have in the house.’ And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing at all in the house except a vial of oil.’”

In this interesting exchange, Elisha was looking for something that the woman already had, upon which a miracle could take effect. This idea can be linked to a concept that constantly recurs in the Torah and Jewish life: If something spiritual is to affect the physical, it needs to be “anchored” in something physical.

A foundation of Kabbalistic teaching is that our world is a physical expression of G‑dly realities (or “worlds,” as they are referred to). Anything that exists or occurs in this world is because there is something within G‑dly reality that creates this existence or occurrence. A miracle in the physical realm indicates that a G‑dly presence has come forth in an unlimited way, breaking through all limitations and the usual order in the supernal realm—thus breaking the order in the natural world as well.

Yet the converse is not true: not necessarily does everything in the spiritual realms percolate down into the material one. There can be a possibility that a divine revelation, such as a blessing, may remain in that realm and not take on a physical manifestation.

This is the concept behind many biblical stories and events where the prophet was told, or sought on his own, to do something physical to “carry” the spiritual vision, blessing or miracle into the physical world, thus setting in motion the physical play-out of this G‑dly reality.[242]

It is well known that magic can produce life. To produce oil would be child’s play by comparison. This does not rule out technology, but that is harder to see. In the end, it is quite miraculous.

XXI. Weather Control

As told in the Tanach, Elijah's challenge is bold and direct. Baal was the Canaanite god responsible for rain, thunder, lightning, and dew. Elijah thus, when he initially announces the drought, not only challenges Baal on behalf of God himself, but he also challenges Jezebel, her priests, Ahab and the people of Israel.

Melachim alef (1 Kings) 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As HaShem God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

Melachim alef (1 Kings) 18:1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of HaShem came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

Is HaShem commanding Eliyahu his loyal servant, to decree a drought, or is Eliyahu, more zealous than HaShem himself, issuing a decree that HaaShem agrees to? And if Eliyahu is performing this feat; how is he performing it. In our world, there are goverments that control whether or not it rain using technology. Is Eliyahu using technology, or magic, or is this just a straight-up miracle?

There was another incident where Yeshua calmed a raging storm:

Matitiyahu (Matthew) 14:23-32 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Yeshua went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Yeshua spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Yeshua. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Yeshua stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

XXII. Aligning the firmament

The Mishkan was used to align the firmaments, the planets and the stars in a very unique way. The Mishkan was a portal which allowed Moshe Rabbenu to communicate with HaShem, and dwell in His people.

Shemot (Exodus) 40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of HaShem filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of HaShem filled the tabernacle.

Shemot (Exodus) 40:38 For the cloud of HaShem was upon the tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

By Rabbi Eliezer Shore

According to Midrash,[243] there was an interesting aspect to the Mishkan. The Sages describe it as a microcosm of the universe, with each of its vessels corresponding to another part of the creation: the tent of the Mishkan paralleled the firmament, the menorah paralleled the sun and moon, the laver paralleled the oceans, and so on, through the days of creation.

By describing the Mishkan as such, the Midrash is suggesting that the structure was a model of a redeemed creation. It fulfilled God’s original intention of the world as a setting for revelation. This was the nature of the Garden of Eden, and it will be the nature of the future world, when “the knowledge of God will fill the earth as waters cover the sea”[244] (Isaiah). In the interim, the Mishkan and Temple served as loci of God’s revelation in the world.[245]

According to the Ramban, the Mishkan was the continuation of the Sinaitic revelation into history. Just as God spoke to Moshe from the top of the mountain, so He continued to address him from out of the Mishkan. The Mishkan, and the Temple after it, was a “portable” Mount Sinai. It was a place of continual revelation, where the presence of God could be vividly felt and experienced.

Rav Yitzchak Levi

The entranceways in the Mikdash are aligned from east to west: the screen of the gate of the courtyard is the easternmost, and from there one enters into the courtyard, and from there through the door of the Ohel Moed to the parochet that divides between the Holy and the Holy of Holies.

The ideal exemplification of this order was the encampment of the twelve tribes round the Sanctuary in the desert. This in turn has its ultimate prototype in the Divine Throne itself, supported by the four Keruvim. This order has, therefore, timeless significance, and the scale of values revealed and reflected in it was adopted by our Sages when they set out to arrange the petition man makes in his prayer, for the good and benefits he needs. As we now proceed to describe the arrangement in detail, we shall follow the course from east to west (as did the priest on the altar) and encircle the Sanctuary. It is the same direction the firmament follows, traversing its daily course from east to west, paying homage in the immutability of its measured rhythm to its Creator.[246]

The Mishkan resembles technology.

XXIII. Quantum Tunnelling

Quantum tunnelling is the quantum mechanical phenomenon where a wave function can propagate through a potential barrier. I am using it here to describe where one physical object can propagate through a potential barrier.

Jericho's Wall sinks into the earth (1273 BCE)

On the seventh day of the encirclement of Jericho (see Jewish History for the 22nd of Nissan), the Jews, accompanied by the Holy Ark, circled the city seven times. After the blowing of the shofar, the walls miraculously sank into the ground, leaving the city open and unprotected. Jericho was easily conquered, becoming the first fortified Canaanite city to fall to the Children of Israel in their conquest of the Promised Land.

The walls did not actually "come tumbling down" as the old spiritual has it. Since they were as thick as they were high, such a tumble would have been meaningless. They sank into the ground, with only a small portion remaining above the ground to mark the miracle.

According to Jewish sources, the reason the walls sank deep into the ground (as opposed to tumbling down) was because they were so large that had they fallen above ground and the ruins would have remained a barrier to the Jewish army. Therefore, God caused them to sink deep into the ground.

Berachoth 54a Our Rabbis taught: If one sees the place of the crossing of the Red Sea, or the fords of the Jordan, or the fords of the streams of Arnon, or hail stones [abne elgabish] in the descent of Beth Horon, or the stone which Og king of Bashan wanted to throw at Israel, or the stone on which Moses sat when Joshua fought with Amalek, or [the pillar of salt of] Lot's wife,[247] or the wall of Jericho which sank into the ground,[248] for all of these he should give thanksgiving and praise to the Almighty.

Berachoth 54b ‘And the wall of Jericho which sank [into the ground]’. But did the wall of Jericho sink [into the ground]? Surely it fell, as it says, And it came to pass when the people heard the sound of the horn, that the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat?[249] — Since its breadth and its height were equal, it must have sunk [into the ground].[250]

Peter is released from prison

II Luqas (Acts) 12:6-17 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14 And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

Yeshua passes through a wall.

Yochanan (John) 20:19-23 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Yeshua came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

The resurrection of the dead

At the resurrection of the dead we will see countless people rising from their graves and standing on the earth breathing the air. They will, for the most part, have to pass through six feet of dirt. Some will also have to pass through their coffins and concrete burial liner.

II Luqas (Acts) 24:15 "... there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust."

Tehillim (Psalms) 16:10 For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to the nether-world; neither wilt Thou suffer Thy godly one to see the pit.

Yehezchel (Ezekiel) 37:1-14 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and the Lord carried me out in a spirit, and set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones; and He caused me to pass by them round about, and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And He said unto me: "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered: "0 Lord, God, Thou knowest. “Then He said unto me: "Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them: '0 ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.” ‘So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a commotion, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I beheld, and, lo, there were sinews upon them and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. Then said He unto me: "Prophesy unto the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath: 'Thus saith the Lord God: Come from the four winds, 0 breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great host. Then He said unto me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say: 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we can clean cut off. ‘Therefore, prophesy, and say unto them: 'Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, 0 my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, 0 My people. And I will put My spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken, and performed it, saith the Lord."'

How does quantum tunnelling work? Is technology involved? Is magic involved?

XXIV. The Sun and Moon Stand Still

The ability to control astronomical forces is particularly amazing because these bodies are so far away. We have modified the orbit of an asteroid by using technology (a rocket), but the ability to halt a celestial body in its orbit is beyond our current technology. It is possible, however, that the antidiluvian scientists did have such technology.

Lets start by looking at Moshe’s control of celestial bodies.

Taanit 20a The Sages taught: With regard to three people, the sun broke through and shone at an irregular time for their sake: Moses, Joshua, and Nakdimon ben Guryon. The Gemara asks: Granted, the case of Nakdimon ben Guryon is known by the aforementioned tradition. The case of Joshua too is derived from a verse, as it is written: “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies” (Joshua 10:13). However, from where do we derive that the sun shined in a supernatural way for Moses?…

Avodah Zarah 25a A Tanna taught:[251] Just as the sun stood still for Joshua, so did the sun stand still for Moses and for Nakdimon b. Gorion. [As to the case of] Joshua, there are the scriptural verses; [that of] Nakdimon b. Gorion is a tradition;[252] whence do we know about Moses? — It may be derived from the identical [expression] I will begin [used in the two cases]. Here is written, I will begin to put the dread of thee,[253] and there, referring to Joshua, it is written, I will begin to magnify thee.[254] R. Johanan[255] said: It may be derived from the use of the identical word teth[256] [‘put’] [in both cases]. Here is written, I will begin to put the dread of thee,[257] and there, concerning Joshua, it is written, In the day when the Lord put the Amorites.[258] R. Samuel b. Nahmani said: You can detect it in the very wording of the verse itself, [The peoples that are under the whole heaven] who shall hear the report of thee, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee:[259] When did they tremble and were in anguish because of Moses? When the sun stood still for him.

Targum Pseudo Jonathan to Debarim (Deuteronomy) 2:25 Today I will begin to put your terror and fear upon the faces of all the peoples which are under the whole heavens who will hear the report of your virtue, that the sun and moon have stood still, and have ceased from speaking (their) song for the space of a day and a half, standing still in their habitation until you have done battle with Sihon; and they will shiver and tremble before you.

Rashi on Debarim (Deuteronomy) 2:25 under the entire heaven This [statement that nations under the whole heaven will fear the Israelites] teaches that the sun stood still for Moses on the day of the battle with Og, [Other editions: Sihon,] and the matter became [consequently] known under the entire heaven [that is, to the whole world] (Avodah Zarah 25a).

Now lets examine Yehoshua’s control of celestial bodies.

Yehoshua (Joshua) 10:12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel: ‘Sun, stand still [dom] upon Gibeon; and you, Moon, in the valley of Ayalon.’. 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is this not written in the book of Yashar? (which is the Torah)? So the sun stood still in the midst of the heaven, and it did not hasten to go down exactly a whole day.

Avodah Zarah 25a [The same Rabbis also discuss the following:] And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Yashar. What is the book of Yashar? — Said R. Hiyya b. Abba in the name of R. Johanan: It is the book of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,[260] who are designated as righteous,[261] as it is said, Let me die the death of the righteous:[262] And where is this incident hinted at [in Genesis]? — And his seed shall fill the nations:[263] When shall [Ephraim's fame] reach the nations? When the sun shall stand still for Joshua. And the sun stayed in the midst of the heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole day.[264] How long [is day-time said to have lasted]? — Said R. Joshua b. Levi: Twenty four hours: [The sun] moved for six hours and stood still for six, then it moved for six and stood still for six, then it moved for six and stood still for six; the whole incident equaled a whole day.

R. Eleazar said: Thirty-six hours; it moved for six hours and stood still for twelve, it then moved for six and stood still for twelve so that the halt alone equaled a whole day. R. Samuel b. Nahmani said: Forty-eight; it moved for six and stood for twelve, it then moved for six and stood still for twenty-four, for Scripture says, and hasted not to go down about a whole day, which implies that the previous halt did not equal a whole day. Some report that it is the additional hours of daytime which are disputed. R. Joshua b. Levi said: They were twenty-four; it moved for six and stood for twelve, then moved for six and stood for twelve — its halt thus equaled a whole day; while R. Eleazar said: Thirty-six; it moved for six and stood for twelve, then moved for six and stood for twenty-four [which is meant by] and hasted not to go down about a whole day. R. Samuel b. Nahmani said: Forty-eight; it moved for six and stood for twenty-four, then moved for six and again stood for twenty-four; the standing still [at noon] equaled that of setting time; as the one at setting time equaled a whole day, so the standing still [in the midst of the heaven] equaled a whole day.

Cambridge researchers announced Monday that they have pinpointed the date of the biblical account of Joshua stopping the sun — which they claim is the day of the oldest eclipse ever recorded — to October 30, 1207 BCE, exactly 3,224 years ago.

In a paper published in the “Royal Astronomical Society journal Astronomy & Geophysics,” researchers explained that they were consequently also able to refine the dates of the reigns of two Egyptian pharaohs of that era, Ramesses the Great and his son Merneptah.

The paper reinforces research published earlier this year by Israeli scientists, which also interpreted the biblical story as referring to an eclipse on the same date.

The researchers rejected earlier Chinese and Ugaritic records of eclipses as unreliable, concluding that the Bible contains the only record of a solar eclipse prior to 1000 BCE.

Chapter 10 of the Book of Joshua relates that soon after Joshua and the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they waged battle against five armies which laid siege to the Gibeonites. Joshua had promised to protect the Gibeonites, so he led an army and defeated the five kings. Joshua prayed that God help the Israelites in their battle by stopping the sun:

“If these words are describing a real observation, then a major astronomical event was taking place — the question for us to figure out is what the text actually means,” said paper co-author Colin Humphreys from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy.

“Modern English translations, which follow the King James translation of 1611, usually interpret this text to mean that the sun and moon stopped moving,” Humphreys explained. “But going back to the original Hebrew text, we determined that an alternative meaning could be that the sun and moon just stopped doing what they normally do: they stopped shining.”

Humphreys said that if the biblical account means that the light from the sun appeared to stop shining, it may refer to an eclipse.

“This interpretation is supported by the fact that the Hebrew word translated ‘stand still’ has the same root as a Babylonian word used in ancient astronomical texts to describe eclipses,” he said

XXV. Fire Proof

The burning bush.

The fires of hell do not burn Torah scholars, and this is learned a fortiori. Consider the salamander which is created from fire and its blood protects from fire. How much more so is a Torah scholar protected, for his entire body is fire, as it is written "for my words are not as fire, says God".[265]

Take a look at the logo of the International Association of Heat and Frost Workers below.

Logo of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers. It's a salamander over a fire, and insulating some pipes.

It's a salamander over a fire, and insulating some pipes. This is pretty amazing. How does the salamander do it?

The most famous story of fireproff men involved Chanaya, Mishael and Azarya – AKA Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo.

Chanaya: Exiled to Babylon together with Daniel, Mishael, and Azariah, where they were trained to be chamberlains in the royal court. Despite the personal risk involved, they refused to eat the royal non-kosher cuisine. They were later appointed to government positions. They were thrown into a furnace after refusing to bow to an idol erected by Nebuchadnezzar. Miraculously, they emerged unscathed, as described in the Book of Daniel.

Nimrod, most famously, threw Avraham into a pyre or a furnace (depending on which version of the midrash).[266] Fragments of Midrash Avraham and Nimrod.[267] There are some of the more secular scholars who see this act, together with Nimrod's title "gibor", as a sign of Nimrod being the forebear of Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion in which fire is a central motif and whose worshippers were called "gabrs" or "gabers".

The Malbim notes: “This punishment is for the embitterment of the King's command (i.e. for failing to bow down to this graven image), and also to burn and destroy anyone who rebels from the world and make it as if it had never been, and to not do any form of rebellion that makes an impression in spiritual matters since (he viewed it as threatening what he thought of as) the eternal kingdom.”

Therefore, this Malbim would seem to suggest that he wanted to employ burning as a means to completely eradicate and leave no trace of any would-be rebel that threatened his kingship and that is why he specifically chose the punishment of burning.

Indeed such was his anger that the Midrash Shochar Tov 28:2 relates that he raged, "If the furnace is usually heated with one bundle, let it now be filled with seven, and if usually lit with seven, let it now be lit with forty-nine!" - So it is clear that he was incredibly annoyed by these three men who stood in his way and he wanted to completely decimate them!

It is worth noting parenthetically the flip-side that it is clear from a number of sources that they reasoned that they had to specifically go through this furnace for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it is worth noting the Gemara, in Pesachim 53b, where they learnt out a kal vachomer[268] from the Frogs in the second plague who jumped into the ovens:

They drew an a fortiori inference on their own from the plague of frogs in Egypt. With regard to frogs, which are not commanded concerning the sanctification of the name of HaShem, it is written: “And the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into your house, and into your bedchamber, and onto your bed, and into the houses of your servants, and upon your people, and into their ovens and kneading bowls”.[269] When are kneading bowls found near the oven? You must say that it is when the oven is hot. If in fulfilling the command to harass the Egyptians, the frogs entered burning ovens, all the more so, we, who are commanded concerning the sanctification of the name of HaShem, should deliver ourselves to be killed in the fiery furnace for that purpose.

Chagigah 27a R. Abbahu said that R. Eleazar said: The fire of Gehinnom has no power over the Scholars. It is an ad majus conclusion [to be drawn] from the salamander.[270] If now [in the case of] the salamander, which is [only] an offspring of fire, he who anoints himself with its blood is not affected by fire, how much more so the Scholars, whose whole body is fire, for it is written: Is not My word like as fire? saith the Lord.[271] Resh Lakish said. The fire of Gehinnom has no power over the transgressors of Israel. It is an ad majus conclusion [to be drawn] from the altar of gold. If the altar of gold, on which there is only a denar thickness of gold, is not affected through so many years by the fire, how much less so the transgressors of Israel, who are full of good deeds as a pomegranate [is of seeds]; for it is written, Thy temples are like a pomegranate split open.[272] Read not ‘thy temples’ [rakkathek] but ‘thy worthless ones’ [rekanim shebak].[273]

Among the Temple vessels mentioned in the Mishna were the altars, which were made of wood encased in metal. The outer mizbeach was covered in copper, while the inner one was covered in gold. Masechet Hagigah concludes on our daf with Reish Lakish using the golden altar as a metaphor that teaches how Jewish people, even if they are sinners, are protected from the fire of Gehinom. He argues that just as the altar, whose gold plate is no thicker than the thickness of a dinar (a type of coin), was not affected by the continuous fire that was on it, similarly Jewish people are protected, since even the sinners among them are full of mitzvot. To support this idea, he points to a passage in Shir HaShirim[274] for which he offers an alternative, Midrashic reading. Instead of rakatekh (which would mean “your temples are like a pomegranate split open”), he suggests we read reikanim shebakh (meaning that even those Jews who appear to be empty of mitzvot are filled with them like a pomegranate is full of seeds).

The Sefat Emet explains Reish Lakish’s statement by reminding us that the Torah is referred to as gold,[275] which protects the individual as it does the altar. He also ties this in with statements made earlier in the Masechet that emphasize how all Jews are seen as righteous and reliable during the period of the pilgrimage holidays.

In a similar vein, the Gemara quotes Rabbi Abbahu in the name of Rabbi Elazar who teaches that Torah scholars will not be affected by the fires of Gehinom. Just as the salamander, as a creature of fire whose blood can be used to protect an individual from fire, is safe from being burned, similarly Torah scholars, who are seen as creatures of fire, are protected. The idea that Torah scholars are made up of fire comes from Sefer Yirmiyahu,[276] where the word of God is compared to fire.

Firemen have technology which enables them to move through an extremely hot fire and remain unscathed. It is possible that there has been technology in the past which performed a similar function. Science fiction is replete with srories of force fields which would protect us from hot fire. From where we are, protection from fire seems quite miraculous.

XXVI. Men becoming Animals (Amalek)

We know that King Saul killed all of the Amalekites except Agag, and the Prophet Shmuel killed Agag the following day.[277] Thus, it appears that all of the Amalekites have been killed. This presents a small problem:

Shmuel Alef (1 Samuel) 27:8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

If all of the Amalekites were killed by King Saul and Shmuel the Prophet, where did the Amalekites come from, who battled against King David later in history?

Rashi,^{^[278]} in Shmuel Alef, comments on the command to kill every living being, including all of the animals. He asks why the oxen and sheep must be killed, and answers that the Amalekites knew magical arts and could transform themselves into animals, and thus, might disguise themselves and escape.

Rashi to Shmuel alef (I Samuel) 15:3 - ox and sheep: for they were sorcerers, and they would change themselves to resemble animals.

"And why did he connect this to a witch, to teach that the sorcerers sometimes cast spells on themselves and change into animals, like Agag, King of Amalek, who turned himself into a bull and his wife a cow, and in that night she became pregnant and escaped..."[279]

"And in an ancient midrash [280] that Agag turned himself into a bull and his wife into a cow through sorcery, and he went and cohabited with his wife before he was killed and from him was born Haman, and for this he [Haman] was named after him."[281]

"...and there are some that say that he connected lying with an animal to a sorcerer because they sometimes cast spells on themselves and become animals, like Agag who turned himself into a bull and his wife into a cow and she became pregnant that night and gave birth to Medata, and he begot Haman."[282]

"...The Midrash also claims that the Amalekites made for themselves animals by means of sorcery, changing their genes to different species. This is why Samuel did not content himself with a general description fitting all animals. He used divinely inspired wisdom in order to outsmart them."[283]

Thus, a possible answer to our question is that some Amalekites escaped, disguised as animals.^{^[284]} It could also be, however, that the story of David took place before the story of Saul. Never the less, one of the things we learn from the fact that the Amalekites could disguise themselves, is that this use of a disguise is a trait of the Amalekites that will help us identify them. Rashi shows us that they have used disguises many times and points to the following pasuk:

Bamidbar 21:1 “And the Canaanite heard... And he fought against Israel.”

The Canaanite was Amalek. Upon hearing that Aharon had died and that the Clouds of Glory had departed, he thought that permission was granted to battle with Israel.^{^[285]}

The text of the Rashi says plainly that the Amalekites used magic to transform themselves into animals AKA therianthropy. Can people still do this today? This ability to shapeshift seems miraculous.

XXVII. Creating Life

The greatest wealth a person can have, are his children. The Shulchan and the Lechem Hapanim represent the סוד הנוקבא, which, in the Sifrei haKabbalah, refers to the process of creating life, not like the animals, but life with a Divine neshama.

In the 18th century, in the city of Lithuania, lived a smart rabbi of Jewish people, who created Golem. Out of clay, he created a figure. As he was a scholar of great knowledge, who knew the five Books of Moses by heart and the secrets of the Cabala, he also knew the words to put on a piece of paper and attach it to Golem’s ear. This way giving life to Golem in order to help his people with providing fish for the Sabbath.

“Golem, I need you to go to the river and trap the fish into a net. Once out of the water, distribute the fish to the Jews,” commanded the Rabbi. And that’s what golem did.

There were times, when Jews were not allowed to observe their holidays in peace and for such occasions, the Rabbi would use golem for different reasons.

“Defend the Jews,” the Rabbi would command.

Golem was of great strength, but as he was not a creature of God, he could not think. With his strong arms he would defend his people by breaking the bones and skulls of the opponents. Nobody in its way would escape him and nobody would escape him alive. Such news reached the governor, who demanded the Rabbi to appear in front of him at once.

“Once the Golem is gone, will we be allowed to celebrate our holidays in peace? asked the Rabbi.

“You have my word,” promised the governor.

Since all the buckets were filled with fish and the Rabbi had the governor’s word, he removed the piece of paper from Golem’s ear. Golem turned into a pile of clay at which the Rabbi looked and said, “I hope there is not another day, when another Golem has to be created to protect its people.”

In Masechet Sanhedrin (daf 65:), it is mentioned that Rava created a 'person' by using Hashem's names according to the kabbalistic book 'Sefer Yetzirah'. The 'person' in the Gemara did not speak. In the Gemara this creature was not called a golem. The word 'golem' is only a few hundred years old , and means dummy, or clay automaton.

The Vilna Gaon wanted to make a golem, even before he was a bar mitzvah. He did not finish the job because he saw some sight which he interpreted to mean to stop creating the golem because he was too young. This is mentioned by his student Rav Chaim of Volozhin who heard the story from the Gra (the Vilna Gaon). He wrote it in the introduction to the Gra's commentary on the kabalistic book 'Safra D'tzniuta'.

There were other golem stories in the Jewish history, such as the golem created by Rabbi Eliyahu of Chelm and was told by his grandson the Chacham Tzvi, and his great-grandson Rav Yaakov Emden (see Sheilat Yaavetz 93).

Sanhedrin 65b “Rava said, ‘If one is righteous, he could create worlds [like God].’ As it says, ‘For your sins separate you from your God.' Rava thereby created a man, and sent him to Rav Zeira. He spoke to him but he did not answer. Rav Zeira said, ‘You are from the chavrei [sorcerers], return to your dust’. On each Friday evening Rav Chanina and Rav Oshiah would indulge in Sefer Yetzirah [book of Creation] and would create a third-grown calf and eat it.”

In Jewish folklore, a golem (/ˈɡoʊləm/ goh-ləm; Hebrew: גולם‎) is an animated anthropomorphic being, magically created entirely from inanimate matter...

The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th century rabbi of Prague, also known as the Maharal, who reportedly created a golem to defend the Prague ghetto from antisemitic attacks and pogroms. Depending on the version of the legend, the Jews in Prague were to be either expelled or killed under the rule of Rudolf II, the Holy Roman Emperor. To protect the Jewish community, the rabbi constructed the Golem out of clay from the banks of the Vltava river, and brought it to life through rituals and Hebrew incantations. The Golem was called Josef and was known as Yosele. It was said that he could make himself invisible and summon spirits from the dead. The only care required of the Golem was that he couldn't be active on the day of Sabbath (Saturday). Rabbi Loew deactivated the Golem on Friday evenings by removing the shem before the Sabbath began, so as to let it rest on Sabbath. One Friday evening Rabbi Loew forgot to remove the shem, and feared that the Golem would desecrate the Sabbath. A different story tells of a golem that fell in love, and when rejected, became the violent monster seen in most accounts. Some versions have the golem eventually going on a murderous rampage. The rabbi then managed to pull the shem from his mouth and immobilize him in front of the synagogue, whereupon the golem fell in pieces. The Golem's body was stored in the attic genizah of the Old New Synagogue, where it would be restored to life again if needed. According to legend, the body of Rabbi Loew's Golem still lies in the synagogue's attic.

The Golden Calf

Shemot (Exodus) 32:22-24 And Aaron said: 'Let not the anger of my lord wax hot; thou knowest the people, that they are set on evil. 23 So they said unto me: Make us a god, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. 24 And I said unto them: Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off; so they gave it me; and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.'

So, the calf[286] formed itself and was alive enough to come out of the pot by itself!

Rashi to Shemot (Exodus) 32:4 - a molten calf -: As soon as they had cast it into the fire of the crucible, the sorcerers of the mixed multitude who had gone up with them from Egypt came and made it with sorcery. [See commentary on Exod. 12:38.] Others say that Micah was there, who had emerged from the layer of the building where he had been crushed in Egypt. (Sanh. 101b). In his hand was a plate upon which Moses had inscribed “Ascend, O ox; ascend, O ox,” to [miraculously] bring up Joseph’s coffin from the Nile. They cast it [the plate] into the crucible, and the calf emerged. -[from Midrash Tanchuma 19]

Rashi to Shemot (Exodus) 32:4 -these are your gods: But it does not say, “These are our gods.” -[from here [we learn] that the mixed multitude who had come up from Egypt were the ones who gathered against Aaron, and they were the ones who made it [the calf]. Afterwards, they caused the Israelites to stray after it. -[from Midrash Tanchuma 19]

As to who actually formed the calf, there are three opinions:

1. Aaron formed it by molding the form of a calf from the molten gold.[287]

2. Sorcerers from the erev rav formed it using magic.[288]

3. Micah, a member of the erev rav whose life had been saved by Moses, created the calf. When the Jewish people were leaving Egypt, Moses went to collect Joseph’s coffin to fulfill his request that his remains be redeemed together with the Jews. However, in an attempt to stop the Jews from leaving, the Egyptians had sunk Joseph’s coffin in the Nile. Moses took a plaque, wrote on it the words “alei shor” (“rise ox”), and threw it in the river, causing the coffin of Joseph (who is compared to an ox) to rise to the surface. Micah had stolen this plaque and now used it to create the calf by throwing it into the blaze.[289]

Pirke DeRebbi Eliezer 45:4-5 Aaron argued with himself, saying: If I say to Israel, Give ye to me gold and silver, they will bring it immediately; but behold I will say to them, Give ye to me the earrings of your wives, and of your sons, and forthwith the matter will fail, as it is said, "And Aaron said to them, Break off the golden rings" (Ex. 32:2). The women heard (this), but they were unwilling to give their earrings to their husbands; but they said to them: Ye desire to make a graven image and a molten image without any power in it to deliver. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the women their reward in this world and in the world to come. What reward did He give them in this world? That they should observe the New Moons more stringently than the men, and what reward will He give them in the world to come? They are destined to be renewed like the New Moons, as it is said, "Who satisfieth thy years with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle" (Ps. 103:5).

(5) The men saw that the women would not consent to give their earrings to their husbands. What did they do? Until that hour the earrings were (also) in their own ears, after the fashion of the Egyptians, and after the fashion of the Arabs. They broke off their earrings which were in their own ears, and they gave (them) to Aaron, as it is said, "And all the people brake off || the golden rings which were in their ears" (Ex. 32:3). "Which were in the ears of their wives" is not written here, but "which were in their ears." Aaron found among the earrings one plate of gold upon which the Holy Name was written, and engraven thereon was the figure of a calf, and that (plate) alone did he cast into the fiery furnace, as it is said, "So they gave it me: and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf" (Ex. 32:24). It is not written here, "And I cast them in," but "And I cast it in the fire, and there came out this calf." The calf came out lowing, and the Israelites saw it, and they went astray after it.

The Gemara speaks of great Rabbis who could create life:

Sanhedrin 65b R. Hanina and R. Oshaia spent every Sabbath eve in studying the ‘Book of Creation’,[290] by means of which they created a third-grown calf[291] and ate it.

Magic is when you evoke a spirit and ask it do the work for you, it is completely permissible. Sometimes even encouraged, as in the example of the Rabbis using angels and holy names from the Sefer Yetzira to conjure a cow for the shabbat meal, rather than going hungry on shabbat.

Sanhedrin 65b Raba said: If the righteous desired it, they could [by living a life of absolute purity] be creators, for it is written, But your iniquities have distinguished between etc.[292] Rabbah created a man,[293] and sent him to R. Zera. R. Zera spoke to him, but received no answer. Thereupon he said unto him: ‘Thou art a creature of the magicians. Return to thy dust.’

Sanhedrin 67b Abaye said: The laws of sorcerers are like those of the Sabbath: certain actions are punished by stoning, some are exempt from punishment, yet forbidden, whilst others are entirely permitted. Thus: if one actually performs magic, he is stoned; if he merely creates an illusion, he is exempt, yet it is forbidden; whilst what is entirely permitted? — Such as was performed by R. Hanina and R. Oshaia, who spent every Sabbath eve in studying the Laws of Creation, by means of which they created a third-grown calf and ate it.[294]

Sorcey, per se, is forbidden, but what about the permitted practiceof using Sefer Yetzirah? The Beit Yosef cites Rabbeinu Yerucham, who claims that this is a form of ma'asei sheidim.[295] The Beit Yosef immediately notes that this is a mistake, and the Darchei Moshe says that it may be forbidden to say such a thing, although he does mention that the wording of the gemara implies that some magic is involved. The general view is that Sefer Yetzirah is a book that uses the various names of HaShem and their mystical connotations, and through them allows one to create things and perform other "magical" acts.

Modern-day magicians, and prestidigitators:[296] Most people recognize that while they may be unable to catch the sleight of hand of the magician or to understand exactly how he does his tricks, the tricks performed are all merely illusion and no demons or dark forces are being summoned. The Pitchei Teshuva claims that this makes no difference. He mentions the view of the Chochmat Adam, who states that such magicians as perform at weddings act in violation of a Torah law, those who hire them act in violation of the injunction not to put a stumbling block before a blind man, and that it is forbidden for one to watch such performances. Rav Ovadia Yosef [297] attempts to find a source that allows such practices. He first claims that people who encourage such forms of entertainment likely rely on the view of the Yavin Da'at, who states that since the magician does not actually do anything substantive, but merely tricks his audience, there is no real prohibition involved. Second, Rav Yosef notes the opinion of the Mahari Mintz, who says that on Purim a man is allowed to wear women's clothes and students may steal food off of each others' plates, assuming that everything is done in a jesting manner and is done merely due to the happiness of the day. Rav Yosef claims that there are those who extend this leniency to magic, and further extend it to allow magic to be performed at any happy occasion (weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc.), provided that it is done in the spirit of happiness that pervades the event. However, Rav Yosef states that one should certainly try to be strict in these matters, especially since there are several opinions who claim that the prohibition involved here is one that comes directly from the Torah.

In this section we have seen great, righteous men create life. Was this magic or technology? How do men learn such things?

XXVIII. Raising the Dead

Today most folks do not believe that the dead can be resurrected except in the end of days. Never the less, we know from the Tanach and Nazarean Codicil that some men have had the ability to raise the dead. The following examples reveal that this ability has been seen for several thousand years. How it was accomplished is unknown. That it could be displayed when needed suggests either magic or technology.

Avodah Zara 10b Antoninus tells the Tanna Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi: “I know that even the smallest of you can make the dead live”.

So it is clear that this gentile nobleman, Antoninus, understood as a simple matter of fact that even the smallest Tanna can perform Techiyat HaMeitim, resurrection of the dead.

The prophet Elisha, as recorded in Melachim bet (II Kings) 4, was able to raise the dead.

Elisha had told a Shunammite woman who had treated him very kindly that she would have a son. She did, and then the boy died. She cried to Elisha, who ran to her house, closed himself in the room with the dead boy, prayed to God, and brought the boy back to life. It is clear that it is God who did the reviving, through Elisha. The prophet did not "have the ability" to bring the dead back to life; it wasn't his decision or his action. It was his prayer/plea.

Melachim bet (2 Kings) 4:32-37 And when Elisha came into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and closed the door upon the two of them, and prayed to the God. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child became warm.[298] Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him; and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunemmite. And he called her. And when she came to him, he said, Take up your son. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

Similarly, in Yehezchel 37 the prophet Yehezchel (Ezekiel) prophesies, at God's command, to the dry bones, and they are reanimated and brought to life[299] -- but it is God doing the reanimating. Yehezchel doesn't have the power to do this independently; God used him as His vehicle for producing the miracle.

Megilla 7b The Gemara relates that Rabba and Rabbi Zeira prepared a Purim feast with each other, and they became intoxicated to the point that Rabba arose and slaughtered Rabbi Zeira. The next day, when he became sober and realized what he had done, Rabba asked God for mercy, and revived him. The next year, Rabba said to Rabbi Zeira: Let the Master come and let us prepare the Purim feast with each other. He said to him: Miracles do not happen each and every hour, and I do not want to undergo that experience again.

Lazarus

Yochanan (John) 11:33-44 When Yeshua therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38 Yeshua therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Yeshua said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Yeshua saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Yeshua lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Yeshua saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Here we see that Yeshua is doing the resurrecting and seemingly doing it with just His voice. Is this magic? Is this like the resurrection performed by the Tannaim?

The apostles were commanded to raise the dead as though it were qite common and of no great consequence. This suggests that, like magic or technology, it could be reliably deployed along with healing, cleansing, and casting out devils. Can you say WOW!?

Matitiyahu (Matthew) 10:5-8 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Yitzchak at the Akeida.

In Rabbinic literature there are two basic approaches to Yitzchak's whereabouts during the textual "blackout." The first approach is that Yitzchak is busy learning[300] in Yeshiva.[301] A second approach, found in other midrashim, describes Yitzchak as having died or almost died, or died in a metaphorical sense, depending on nuance. Yitzchak has temporarily retired to the Garden of Eden.

Even though Yitzchak did not die it is deemed as if he died, and his ashes are on the altar... Where was Yitzchak? God took him to the Garden of Eden where he remained for 3 years.[302]

Many midrashim see Yitzchak as having died, and Jewish liturgy abounds with references to the Akeida as if it had actually been performed to completion.

Pirke D'Rebbi Eliezer, Chapter 30 Rav Yehuda said, 'When the sword reached his throat, his soul ascended and Yitzchak died. When He made his voice heard from between the keruvim saying "Do not raise a hand to the boy," (Yitzchak's) soul returned to his body, Yitzchak arose and stood on his feet. Yitzchak knew that this is how the dead would be resurrected in the future, and he said, "Blessed are You who resurrects the dead".[303]

The scenario described in this midrash is radically different than what we have come to visualize: Although Avraham does not actively kill him, Yitzchak dies on the altar. His soul ascends to heaven, but is returned to his body when the Voice of God rings out from between the keruvim, and Yitzchak experiences and comprehends resurrection.

The midrashic insistence that Yitzchak died at the akeida is no mere quirk: Mount Moriah is the place of sacrifice, and Yitzchak was sacrificed.

We say during Rosh Hashana that HaShem should remember the ashes of Yitzchak which are gathered under the Keesay Hakavod.[304] Secondly, he didn’t come to his mother’s funeral, because angels brought him to the Gan Eden to be healed there. That is why, when Yaaqov came in dressed in Esav’s clothing, Yitzchak declared that he recognized the smell of the clothes as that of Gan Eden. He knew that smell because he was there.

Yeshua’s death was like the death of Yitzchak where He died but no one killed Him.

We are left wondering who resurrected Yitzchak. Was it Avraham, the angel, or HaShem?

XXIX. Talking to the Dead - Necromancy

Necromancy, talking to the dead, is strictly forbidden in the Torah.

Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:31 Do not turn to ghosts and do not inquire of familiar spirits, to be defiled by them: I, HaShem, am your God.

Yet, the practice was used by King Saul. The witch of En-dor facilitated this conversation. How did she do this?

Shmuel alef (I Samuel) 18:4-20 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. 5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of HaShem, HaShem answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 7 Then said Saul unto his servants: 'Seek me a woman that divineth by a ghost, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.' And his servants said to him: 'Behold, there is a woman that divineth by a ghost at En-dor.' 8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said: 'Divine unto me, I pray thee, by a ghost, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto thee.' 9 And the woman said unto him: 'Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that divine by a ghost or a familiar spirit out of the land; wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?' 10 And Saul swore to her by HaShem, saying: 'As HaShem liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.' 11 Then said the woman: 'Whom shall I bring up unto thee?' And he said: 'Bring me up Samuel.' 12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying: 'Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.' 13 And the king said unto her: 'Be not afraid; for what seest thou?' And the woman said unto Saul: 'I see a godlike being coming up out of the earth.' 4 And he said unto her: 'What form is he of?' And she said: 'An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe.' And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and prostrated himself. {S} 15 And Samuel said to Saul: 'Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?' And Saul answered: 'I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.' {S} 16 And Samuel said: 'Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing HaShem is departed from thee, and is become thine adversary? 17 And HaShem hath wrought for Himself; as He spoke by me; and HaShem hath rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David. 18 Because thou didst not hearken to the voice of HaShem, and didst not execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath HaShem done this thing unto thee this day. 19 Moreover HaShem will deliver Israel also with thee into the hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; HaShem will deliver the host of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.' 20 Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

THE WOMAN SAW: There are many commentaries on this….Ralbag says that usually the witch excites the imagination of the person to believe they saw something, meaning it is fake magic. This explains why she shrieks, because it was usually fake, except for this time.[305]

The pasuk seems to be saying that the magic of Ov is real, how is this possible?

This section by Tamar Kadari.

When the woman performs her rites and chants her incantations, Samuel’s ghost appears. Upon seeing this apparition of the prophet, the woman is terrified: “Then the woman recognized Samuel, and she shrieked loudly, and said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!’”.[306] The Rabbis ask: How did this woman suddenly realize that the man sitting before her was Saul? They answer that when a commoner seeks to raise a ghost, the spirit rises upside down, with his head below and his feet above; but when a king requests the same thing, the spirit emerges with his head up and his feet down below. Since Samuel appeared right side up, the woman realized that the man sitting before her was none other than King Saul.

The monarch asks the woman what she sees, and she tells him: “I see a divine being [elohim] coming up from the earth”.[307] The Rabbis deduced from the plural “elohim” that Samuel did not emerge alone, but together with many elders.[308] According to another midrashic tradition, the least plural is two, and Moses rose together with Samuel.[309]

The Rabbis ask why Saul questioned the necromancer as to Samuel’s appearance: did he not recognize the prophet when he arose? They answer that three things were said about the raising of a spirit: the one who raises him, sees the ghost but does not hear his voice; the one who needs him, hears his voice, but does not see him; and the one who does not need him, neither hears nor sees the spirit. Accordingly, the necromancer saw Samuel, but did not hear his voice, while Saul, who requested him, heard Samuel’s voice, but could not see him; and the king’s two courtiers, Abner and Amasa, did not need Samuel, and therefore neither heard his voice nor saw him.

Yochanan (John) 11:14-44 Then said Yeshua unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. 16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. 17 ¶ Then when Yeshua came, he found that he had [lain] in the grave four days already. 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Yeshua was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat [still] in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Yeshua, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give [it] thee. 23 Yeshua saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Yeshua said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. 29 As soon as she heard [that], she arose quickly, and came unto him. 30 Now Yeshua was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. 31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Yeshua was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 ¶ When Yeshua therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Yeshua wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38 Yeshua therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Yeshua said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been [dead] four days. 40 Yeshua saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone [from the place] where the dead was laid. And Yeshua lifted up [his] eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said [it], that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Yeshua saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

XXX. Walking on Water

A rabbi, priest, and a minister are out fishing in a boat on a big lake when the priest realizes that he has to go to the bathroom. Not wanting to disturb the fishing of the others in the boat by having them take him to shore, he gets out of the boat and walks across the water to do his business and then returns to the boat. A little while later the minister has to go also and he does the same. He walks across the water, does his business and returns across the water to the boat. Finally the rabbi feels the urge to go to the bathroom too, so he climbs out of the boat. But instead of walking across the water, he falls into the water and starts to wildly splash around. The priest and the minister finally drag the rabbi back into the boat and the priest turns to the minister and says, "Maybe we should have told him where the rocks were."

Most folks know that Yeshua was able to walk on water.

Matityahu (Matthew) 14: 22-33 And straightway Yeshua constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Yeshua went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Yeshua spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Yeshua. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Yeshua stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

We can see from the above pasuk that not only did Yeshua walk on water, but Peter also walked on water. How did they do this? Miracle, magic, or technology?

Shemot (Exodus) 14:22

"And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground”

Shemot (Exodus) 14:29

" But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea."

The order of "sea" and "dry ground" is reversed. Many explanations are given for this. The Holy K'dushas Levi explains that once the Bne Israel experienced the miracle of walking on terra firma in the middle of a body of water, a miraculous happening, they came to the realization that all depends upon HaShem, and if not for His constant involvement one would be unable to walk on the dry earth as well. Thus once the Bne Israel walked "midst of the sea on dry ground," - they came to the realization that walking in a body of water as if it were terra firma is a miracle, so too from that point when they walked on the ground they recognized that walking on the earth is no less a miracle than, walking on water.

XXXI. Foretelling the Future

By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz

Prophecy is the ability to receive and decode Divine emanations. It is the highest spiritual level to which a person can aspire as it requires a highly-developed imaginative prowess (by which we mean the ability to conceive of things not perceived through the usual five senses.[310] No matter how much one hones himself morally and intellectually, he cannot take for granted that he will necessarily be able to develop his "prophecy receptors". If he doesn't have the capacity for imaging, the gift of prophecy is simply never going to take.[311]

Some of the functions of one's imaginative ability are to retain the impressions of things one has seen or heard, to combine these impressions, and to form new images. The highest function of this faculty occurs when one's other senses are asleep and it can potentially tap into the Divine. This is when one could potentially receive dreams that come true, or even prophecy, provided that he has the aptitude for such things.

Dreams that come true and prophecy are essentially the same phenomenon, as they both entail receiving impressions using our "spirituality receptors". The difference is really one of intensity, as the Talmud [312] tells us, "Dreams are one-sixtieth of prophecy". Similarly, the Midrash [313] says that dreams are the "unripened" form of prophecy. The Rambam finds this metaphor to be particularly apt: unripened fruits are indeed fruits, they've just been plucked from the tree prematurely. Similarly, true dreams are indeed a form of prophecy, it's just that the individual's receptors are not finely-tuned enough to receive it in its full form.

It is evident that dreams can be a form of prophecy from Numbers 12:6: "If there is a prophet among you, I (God) make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream." These two forms of perception constitute the entirety of prophecy in its various degrees.

A prophet is an individual who receives a message from HaShem to transmit to the people. Maimonides counts it as one of the 13 foundations of the Jewish faith that HaShem communicates to mankind through prophecy".[314]

The purpose of prophecy is to make course corrections in the direction of Jewish society, or in the direction of society at large. Sometimes a prophet comes to foretell the future, when HaShem deems it necessary that we should know what's to come in order to encourage us in our mission in life. Other times it's to remind us that we're slacking off on what He expects from us, and warn us of the dire consequences this will bring if we don't get our act together. Sometimes, HaShem used a prophet to deliver private messages to an individual (particularly to an important individual whose actions would have a widespread effect, such as a king). A prophet may also convey a specific instruction that is not contained in the Torah as a "one-time-only" command from on high; in such cases, one must follow that instruction even if it runs contrary to a universal Torah command. A prophecy, however, will never contain a new mitzvah, nor the annulment of a mitzvah; a prophet claiming such a communication from HaShem proves himself a false prophet.[315]

How does one become a prophet?

First, one has to make oneself worthy. Maimonides lists the following criteria: one must be wise, and of a clear and lucid mind; of impeccable character, and utterly in control of one's passions and desires; of a calm and joyous constitution; one must shun materiality and the frivolities of life, devoting oneself entirely to knowing and serving HaShem.

All this, however, does not bring on prophecy, it only makes one worthy to receive it. The actual reception of prophecy comes from Above, by Divine election. While "prophecy schools" in ancient Israel would train aspiring prophets to become conducive to receiving a prophecy, via extensive meditation and a rigorous spiritual lifestyle, the student-prophet could not cause a prophecy to come to him through specific actions. Much like uncontrolled ESP or psychic powers, prophecy would manifest itself suddenly, without any warning signals or preparation on the part of the prophet. What happened was that HaShem chose a person to speak to and through, not the other way around.

Who were the prophets?

There were thousands of prophets in Jewish history (we also know of at least one non-Jewish prophet, Balaam). The overwhelming majority of them, however, conveyed messages that were specific to the time and circumstances they were sent to address. Their prophecies, therefore, were not recorded for posterity, and even their names are unknown to us. Many of these prophets were ordinary citizens, students, craftsmen, farmers, who, by virtue of their righteousness and heightened sensitivity to spirituality, were selected by HaShem to receive a prophecy. Often they didn't know what hit them, only to realize later they'd been hit by prophecy. Some, like Jonah, knew what it was, but tried to run from it (a Torah prohibition, as per above).

The Talmud counts 55 "historical" prophets whose prophecies were recorded in the Tanach because they contain a message relevant to all generations. Most of these were public figures who prophesied frequently and became lifetime leaders of their people. These include the 15 prophets whose words were recorded in individual books that bear their names: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and twelve lesser ones including Amos, Hosea, Nahum and others. The other 40, who may or may not have been in prophecy full-time, are mentioned in various places throughout Tanach, such as Nathan (the Books of Samuel) and Ido (Chronicles). Outside of these there were the uncharted number of unrecorded prophetic experiences. King Saul dabbled in prophecy for a time, but what he was told is unknown.

The 18th-century Italian master kabbalist Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (based on a Talmudic teaching) penned a nine-step system for training oneself in prophecy, called Path of the Just. Absent from its pages are meditations, dietary practices, desert seclusion and other real or imagined efforts of enlightenment. Its only advice involves unceasing striving for moral and ethical perfection.

How does prophecy work?

XXXII. Secrets - סוֹדוֹת‎

What is a secret? A secret is something for which there are no words. When a teacher wishes to convey a secret he may wrap many words around the idea, but he can never convey the matter. This is analogous to a coach teaching baseball. He says many words and demonstrates the best he can, but he can never teach a man how to hit a home run, or bowl a perfect game.

These things we fall into. After we have fallen into the understanding of a secret, then we cannot convey this secret to another.

A few secret teachings, such as the meaning of the priest-king Malchizedek or the symbolism of Boaz and Yachin, the two pillars in front of Solomon's temple, remain concealed from us. Today, we have only hints of what these things signify.

XXXIII. Polyglots

In Acts the apostles spoke to the seventy nations in their own language.

Yehoseph spoke 70 languages to Paro.

Sotah 36b Rabbi Hiyya ben Abba said in the name of Rabbi Johanan: "At the moment when Pharaoh said to Joseph, And without thee shall no man lift up his hand, Pharaoh's astrologers exclaimed: 'Wilt thou set in power over us a slave whom his master bought for twenty pieces of silver!' He replied to them, 'discern in him royal characteristics.' They said to him, 'in that case he must be acquainted with the seventy languages.' Angel Gabriel came and taught [Joseph] the seventy languages, but he could not learn them. Thereupon [Gabriel] added to his name a letter from the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and he learnt [the languages]..."

According to the Talmudic passage, Joseph received two things from the angel Gabriel: Mastery over seventy languages, and an additional letter to his name. Both of these ideas are based on exegesis of a verse in Psalms:

Tehillim (Psalms) 81 1 For the Leader; upon the Gittith. [A Psalm] of Asaph. 2 Sing aloud unto God our strength; shout unto the God of Jacob. 3 Take up the melody, and sound the timbrel, the sweet harp with the psaltery. 4 Blow the horn at the new moon, at the full moon for our feast-day. 5 For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. 6 He appointed it in Yehoseph בִּיהוֹסֵף for a testimony, when He went forth against the land of Egypt. The speech of one that I knew not did I hear: 7 'I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from the basket. 8 Thou didst call in trouble, and I rescued thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder; I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah 9 Hear, O My people, and I will admonish thee: O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken unto Me! 10 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any foreign god. 11 I am HaShem thy God, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt; open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. 12 But My people hearkened not to My voice; and Israel would none of Me. 13 So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, that they might walk in their own counsels. 14 Oh that My people would hearken unto Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! 15 I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries. 16 The haters of HaShem should dwindle away before Him; and their punishment should endure for ever. 17 They should also be fed with the fat of wheat; and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee.'

The verse refers to Yehosef, that is, Yosef with an extra heh. Furthermore, the verse refers to his having heard a language I had not known. These two ideas are combined in the Talmud, producing the concept of Joseph being taught this information by the angel Gabriel.

Everyone spoke Hebrew

before the Tower of Babel

The Bible says that once upon a time, everyone spoke the same language. And the Bible is written in Hebrew. So, one might presume, that was the language that everyone spoke. And since no other language had been mentioned before this, Hebrew must have been the only language on earth from the time of Adam and Eve on, until God came down, after the Tower of Babel had been built, and “scrambled their language” and scattered them throughout the world.

Shabbath 88b R. Johanan said: What is meant by the verse, The Lord giveth the word: They that publish the tidings are a great host?[316] Every single word that went forth from the Omnipotent was split up into seventy languages.[317] The School of R. Ishmael taught: And like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces,[318] just as a hammer is divided into many sparks,[319] so every single word that went forth from the Holy One, blessed be He, split up into seventy languages.[320]

At Mt. Sinai language was out of this world:

Midrash Rabbah - Exodus V:9 It says: And all the people perceived the thunderings.[321] Note that it does not say ‘the thunder’,[322] but ‘the thunderings’; wherefore R. Johanan said that God’s voice, as it was uttered, split up into seventy voices, in seventy languages, so that all the nations should understand.[323] When each nation heard the Voice in their own vernacular their souls departed,[324] save Israel who heard but who were not hurt.[325]

XXXIV. Endless food

The manna (in Hebrew, מן, which is more accurately transliterated as mon[326]) was the miraculous edible substance that fell each day from heaven during the 40-year period between the Exodus and the conquest of Israel, providing our ancestors with sustenance throughout their travels in the desert.

In order that the manna remain clean, a north wind would blow, sweeping the ground, and then rain would wash it. The ground would then be covered with a layer of dew, and the manna would fall upon it, after which the manna was covered with another layer of dew, as if it were packaged in a box.[327]

Being a heavenly food, the manna contained nutritious matter only and was fully absorbed by the body, so after consuming it the Israelites didn’t need to expel any waste products.[328]

Feeding the 4000

I have never heard of any technology, save Star Trek, which was able to create food, Yet Yeshua was able to do it easily on a couple of occasions:

Mark 8:1-9 1 In those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He called the disciples and said to them, 2 "I have compassion on the crowd, because they've already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a long distance." … 5 "How many loaves do you have?" he asked them. "Seven," they said. 6 He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. So they served them to the crowd. 7 They also had a few small fish, and after he had blessed them, he said these were to be served as well. 8 They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces. 9 About four thousand were there. --

Elijah was able to create food at will:

Melachim alef (1 Kings) 17:13-14 And Elijah said unto her: 'Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith HaShem, the God of Israel: The jar of meal shall not be spent, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that HaShem sendeth rain upon the land.'

Melachim bet (II Kings) 4:1-7 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying: 'Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD; and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bondmen.' 2 And Elisha said unto her: 'What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house?' And she said: 'Thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.' 3 Then he said: 'Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 4 And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.' 5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons; they brought the vessels to her, and she poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son: 'Bring me yet a vessel.' And he said unto her: 'There is not a vessel more.' And the oil stayed. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said: 'Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons of the rest.'

How did he do it?

Here is another instance where HaShem produced food from an unusual source for many years:

Sotah 11b And they would then take what they prepared to their husbands, to the field, and would bathe their husbands and anoint them with oil and feed them the fish and give them to drink and bond with them in sexual intercourse between the sheepfolds, i.e., between the borders and fences of the fields, as it is stated: “When you lie among the sheepfolds, the wings of the dove are covered with silver, and her pinions with the shimmer of gold” (Psalms 68:14), which is interpreted to mean that as a reward for “when you lie among the sheepfolds,” the Jewish people merited to receive the plunder of Egypt, as it is stated in the continuation of the verse, as a reference to the Jewish people: “The wings of the dove are covered with silver, and her pinions with the shimmer of gold” (Psalms 68:14).

And when these women would become pregnant, they would come back to their homes, and when the time for them to give birth would arrive they would go and give birth in the field under the apple tree, as it is stated: “Under the apple tree I awakened you; there your mother was in travail with you; there was she in travail and brought you forth”.[329]

And the Holy One, Blessed be He, would send from the heavens above an angel who would clean and prepare the newborns, just as a midwife prepares the newborn, as it is stated: “And as for your birth, on the day you were born, your navel was not cut nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not salted at all, nor swaddled at all” (Ezekiel 16:4). This indicates that there were no midwives to take care of the Jews born in Egypt. And then, the angel would gather for them two round stones from the field and the babies would nurse from that which would flow out of them. One of the stones flowed with oil and one of the stones flowed with honey, as it is stated: “And He would suckle them with honey from a crag and oil from a flinty rock”.[330]

XXXV. Limitless space and Time

In the Beit HaMikdash, space was not subject to ordinary limitations, as reflected in the miracle, “the space of the Ark was not subject to measurement”.[331]

Within the Beit HaMikdash, by contrast, space was significant. Thus, the Holy of Holies was of a clearly delineated size, twenty cubits by twenty cubits, and the Ark as well had a specific size of two and a half cubits in length and one and a half cubits in breadth, nevertheless the “space of the Ark was not subject to measurement” in that it did not take up any space in the room.

The Talmud relates that the Ark in the Beit HaMikdash [332] in Jerusalem, which held the Two Tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, possessed the most unusual physical qualities. The Torah specifies the Ark’s dimensions: “Two cubits and a half should be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height”.[333] Nevertheless, says the Talmud, the Ark did not occupy any of the space of the chamber that housed it. Miraculously, “the area of the Ark was not part of the measurement”.[334]

The Cherubim which Solomon made stood on the floor next to the ark, on the right and left, The spread of their wings was twenty cubits, Since the whole room had no more than twenty cubits, the body of the Cherubs, as separate from the wings, was in the room by miraculous provision.[335]

One of the miracles that took place in the Beit HaMikdash was the expansion of space. When Jews came there on the festivals they were so crowded in the Temple courtyard that many of them did not even have room to put their feet on the floor, so that they gave the appearance of floating in the air. But when the time came to prostrate themselves the floor space miraculously expanded, so that there was a separation of four cubits between each of them.[336] Thus no one would hear the confessions of sin made by his neighbor and cause him embarrassment.

Avot 5:7 “No man has ever said to me that I have no place in Jerusalem”.

Most Jews in Israel came to Yerushalayim for Pesach. How many people were there? Several million!

By Harav Avraham Rosenthal

“It was not just people from all over Eretz Israel, but large groups came from Babylon as well. As to how many people there were, the Gemara ^{^[337]} relates that King Agrippas^{^[338]} took a census by asking the priest Gadol to take a kidney from each Korban Pesach. They counted 1,200,000 kidneys! The Gemara continues to relate that there was a maximum of ten people eating each korban. Although there are other opinions^{^[339]} that up to a hundred people ate from each korban, let us suffice with the smallest number. According to this, there were 12,000,000 people in Yerushalayim who were eating the korban! This does not include all the people who could not eat the korban, such as those who were unclean, sick, or old.

“But, the walled city of Yerushalayim is so small! How was it possible for all those people to find place?”

“Wait, there is more! Not only did every person have to find a place to eat the korban, he had to find a place on the ground floor! The Gemara says that although the korban had to be eaten within the walled city, it could only be eaten on the ground floor, since upper levels and rooftops were not awarded the unique sanctity of the walled city. Also, one must take into consideration that when eating the korban, they were reclining on couches which necessitated even more room!”^{^[340]}

“How was it possible?”

“I want to point out that the present walls of the Old City of Jerusalem are for the most part not the walls that define the halachic boundaries of the city. Rather, they were built at a later date. During the time of the Beit HaMikdash, the walled city was slightly larger than it is now. Even so, it does not make much of a difference, because physically there still was not enough room.

The real answer is that one must keep in mind the Mishna ^{^[341]} that lists ten miracles that occurred in the Beit HaMikdash. The last of which is, ‘A person never said to his fellow, the space is insufficient for me to stay overnight in Yerushalayim.’ Although the Mishna refers specifically to the fact that there was always room for people to spend the night, and they could sleep on the upper floors, it is obvious that the miracle extended to other areas as well. For example, a person never had a problem finding an oven to roast his Korban Pesach.^{^[342]}

“According to Agrippas’ census, there were 1,200,000 korbanot. Each group sent at least one person with their korban. The Gemara tells us that the third group was the smallest of the three. Therefore, let us assume that in the first two groups 500,000 people and an equal number of lambs and goats, entered the Ezrat Israel ^{^[343]} and Ezrat Priests,^{^[344]} and the remaining 200,000 entered as the third group.”

“That’s impossible! You said that the area of Ezrat Israel and Ezrat Priests was only 39,600 square feet. That means that more than twelve people, not counting animals, stood in each square foot!”

“Technically, you are correct. But, we are dealing with the Beit HaMikdash. The same Mishna which I quoted earlier that there was always room to sleep in Yerushalayim, also says that in the Beit HaMikdash they would stand packed together and bow down on the floor with ample room.”

“In order to facilitate the process, the Gemara tells us that there were rows of priests leading from where the korban was slaughtered up to the altar. A priest would catch the blood in a vessel and pass it to his friend, who would pass it along until it reached the altar. The priest closest to the altar would pour it on the wall of the altar above the foundation.”

“What was the foundation?”

“At the base of the altar there was a ‘step’ one amah high and one amah wide, specifically on the northern and western sides. The blood had to be poured above the yesod; otherwise the korban was invalid.

“Each row of priests had either silver or gold vessels. These vessels were traveling in two directions: the full vessels towards the altar and the empty ones back towards the slaughtering area. Each priest in the row would pass a full vessel and then receive an empty one. According to the testimony of the Roman non-Jew from that time, the priests were passing the vessels with such speed that they appeared like flying arrows.”

“The thought just occurred to me, that the slaughtering also bordered on the miraculous. You told me that they started the Shechita three and a half hours before sunset. That means that they only had three and a half hours to slaughter 1,200,000 lambs and goats. Even assuming that there were one hundred people slaughtering at the same time, that still worked out to be approximately one animal per second!” (And some say 95 were slaughtered per second!)

Let me point out an interesting tidbit based on our earlier calculations of the number of korbanot. It is very possible that every group had its own oven for roasting. This is especially true when Erev Pesach was on Shabbat, and everyone was roasting the korban at the same time when Shabbat was over. If each oven was three feet square, the ovens alone would cover an area of almost four-square miles!”

Rabbi Greenman, however suggests in his article a novel concept and the consideration of another factor or dimension, that of holiness. He demonstrates in his article, based on a discrepancy in the measurements of articles in the Temple, that there was a relativity effect occurring. The closer one got to the epicenter of the Holy of Holies (in this case the spiritual equivalent of the speed of light) the shorter dimensions in the Temple become. His proof is that the same utensils that are closer to the Holy of Holies are indeed recorded as being shorter. The jackpot of his proof is that in the Holy of Holies itself, there is a tradition that the Ark took up no space whatsoever, in exact agreement with his interpretation of Einstein’s equations.

In the Beit HaMikdash, on Yom Kippurim, they stood shoulder to shoulder, yet when the ineffable Name was pronounced they all laid on the ground spread-eagle and there was plenty of space.

Israel is call “the land of the deer”[345] because the borders will always contain the residents, no matter how many they are.

Gittin 57a A certain heretic said to Rabbi Ḥanina: You lie with your exorbitant exaggerations. Rabbi Ḥanina said to him: With regard to Eretz Yisrael it is written: Land of the deer (see Jeremiah 3:19). Just as the skin of a deer cannot hold its flesh, for after the animal is skinned, its hide shrinks, so too, with regard to Eretz Yisrael, when it is settled, it expands, but when it is not settled, it contracts. This explains how a place that is so small today could have been so highly populated prior to the Temple’s destruction.

The description given by the Prophet Yirmiyahu of Eretz Yisrael as "the land of the deer." Why is it compared to a deer? When the skin of a deer is removed from its carcass it is impossible to once again have it envelop the deer's flesh, because it has contracted. In similar fashion, when Jews live in Eretz Yisrael the Land expands to absorb them but when they do not live in the Land it contracts.

The Ark of covenant did not take up any space in the Holy of Holies.

* * *

One of the 365 prohibitions of the Torah is to leave the meat of a korban (sacrifice) beyond the time which was specified for eating it or its being consumed in flames on the holy altar (notar) i.e., the meat of a korban oleh (burnt offering) must be burnt on the altar before sunrise of the day following the animal’s shechita. However, this prohibition is not in affect when the meat is brought up to the head of the altar even if it is not burnt for an extended period of time; the reason being that time stops at the head of the altar; there is no today and no tomorrow.

XXXVI. Perfect Physician

XXXVII. Demon Control

XXXVIII. Eyes that can See

XXXIX. Incredible Longevity

Chazal teach that Bilaam’s donkey, the one that spoke to Bilaam, was no ordinary donkey. It had an incredible pedigree. In fact, according to the Tanna in Pirke Avot 5:6, it was one of the ten things that were created on Erev Shabbat, at twilight, on the sixth day of Creation.

The Mishna (Avot 5:8) reads: Ten things were created at twilight:

the mouth of the earth [that swallowed Korach]
the mouth of the well [that provided water for the Israelites in the wilderness]
the mouth of the donkey [that spoke to Balaam]
and the rainbow
and the manna
and the staff
and the shamir
and the writing
and the inscription
and the tablets.

This suggests that there is something special about one particular donkey. It was created at a special time which was the sixth day of creation, yet is was not the sixth day. It was created on the seventh day, yet it was not the seventh day. Twilight is a special transition period between days which has some of the characteristics of both days. To put it another way: The mouth of Bilaam’s donkey was created during the messianic age!

The meaning of this is debated by the commentators. The Rav, R' Ovadiah m'Bartenura, writes that on Erev Shabbat, the decree was issued that the donkey would speak to Bilaam.

Pirke D’Rav Eliezer, chapter 31, notes that the Chamor used by Avraham is the same Chamor mentioned by Moses, and will be the same Chamor ridden by Mashiach!

Pirke D’Rabbi Eliezer: This donkey was born to the famous donkey formed on the first Friday of creation, after sunset.^{^[346]} It is the donkey on which Moshe rode when coming to Egypt. And it is the donkey which the son of David ^{^[347]} will ride upon.

Pirke D’Rabbi Eliezer teaches us that the donkey which accompanied Avraham Abinu to the Aleida was none other than the son of the original donkey that was created on the Erev Shabbat of creation. This donkey later served Moshe Rabbenu, his wife and sons, when they returned to Egypt to take part in Hashem's plan for liberating the Jews from Egypt. This is the donkey that Mashiach ben David will ride as he heralds the future Redemption. We see from here that the she-donkey that spoke with Bilaam was created on the Erev Shabbat of creation.

Hmmm, our chamor is the offspring of the MOST famous donkey ever created:

Ethics of the Fathers 5:6 Ten things were created on the eve of Shabbat at twilight. These are: the mouth of the earth (where it swallowed Korach) the mouth of the well (of Miriam, that provided water for the Israelites in the desert); the mouth of the (Bilaam’s) ass; the rainbow; the manna; (Moses’) staff; the shamir (that cut the stones of the Altar in the Holy Temple); and the writing, the inscription, and the tablets [of the Ten Commandments].

Mashiach’s donkey makes its first appears in the year 2084 from creation (1677 BCE):

Bereshit (Genesis) 22:3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

The Chamor is used for many things involving the carrying of burdens. What did Avraham use his Chamor for? Avraham used the Chamor to carry the bundles of wood and the knife. In other words, the Chamor didn’t carry Avraham or Yitzchak. It carried only the items which Avraham was planning to use for the Aleida.

Avraham’s journey was only the first time in history that this type of service was performed. That’s why so very little was put on top of the Chamor, only the items he needed for the Aleida.

What was Avraham’s Chamor trip for? Avraham was going to redeem his son, and by redeeming his son he would be redeeming all of the Children of Israel, because, at that time, all of the Children of Israel were in the loins of Yitzchak. This was a redemption journey using the Chamor for transportation.

In Shemot, we see a pasuk that describes how Moshe used THE Chamor to carry his wife and children to their destination:

Shemot (Exodus) 4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon the ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

Rashi says the following about this ass (donkey):

mounted them upon the donkey - The designated donkey. That is the donkey that Abraham saddled for the binding of Isaac, and that is the one upon whom the King Messiah is destined to appear, as it is said: “humble, and riding a donkey”.^{^[348]}

Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov in Be’er Mayim Chayim said:

Rashi is troubled why the verse says that he “mounted them upon the donkey” rather than merely “a donkey”. Therefore, he concluded that the Torah must be hinting that it is a famous donkey.

Moshe placed his wife and children atop the Chamor. People who are close to you are much more important than tools. This shows that in the many years that had passed since Avraham, a lot had been accomplished in the task of using physicality to serve HaShem. By then, it was people who were on the Chamor, not items. Still, we were talking about Moshe’s family, not Moshe himself.

What was Moshe’s Chamor trip for? Moshe was going to redeem all of the Children of Israel. This was a redemption journey using the Chamor for transportation.

In describing the advent of Mashiach, the Prophet states,

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

This is the Chamor who carries not the belongings or the wife and children, but the person himself, this is the Chamor of Mashiach!^{^[349]}

When describing the exile, our sages tell us that Mashiach himself will ride atop the Chamor. Then the physicality of our world will be fully used for spirituality.

Mashiach will ride the same Chamor that was used by Avraham and by Moshe. The Mashiach will be one who has conquered the material aspects of Himself, and he will ride them, and it will be a Chamor, because it will provide him with the material as a means to His ends.

What was Mashiach’s Chamor trip for? Mashiach was going to redeem the Gentiles. This was a redemption journey using the Chamor for transportation. Matityahu tells us the Midrashic perspective of this Chamor and the carrying of Mashiach:

Matityahu (Matthew) 21:1-9 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Yeshua two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose [them], and bring [them] unto me. And if any [man] say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Yeshua commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set [him] thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed [them] in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of HaShem; Hosanna in the highest.

Yochanan tells us the Sod level perspective of this Chamor and the carrying of Mashiach:

Yochanan (John) 12:12-16 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Yeshua was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed [is] the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Yeshua, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Yeshua was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and [that] they had done these things unto him.

Apparently, this donkey alludes to a higher spiritual dimension than the simple animal itself. The purpose of using and riding a donkey is to enable the person and his belongings to reach such a place which, due to its height or distance, would be unreachable without the donkey.

The same is true in the spiritual act of “riding on a donkey.” Chamor is linked with chomer, materialism. The purpose of a Jew, and every human being, is to refine the coarseness of this materialistic world, one’s body, household, etc. through the study of Torah and observance of mitzvot. In so doing one is elevated to such a level that the soul, in and by itself, is unable to attain. Only when the soul enters the corporeal, physical body (at birth) does it have the challenge - and HaShem given ability to refine the body and all materialistic aspects through a life devoted to HaShem and His Torah.

Why do our Sages go to such great lengths to teach us that Avraham, Moshe, and Mashiach all rode the same Chamor? What difference does it make?

Sanhedrin 98a Rebi Alexandri said: Rebi Yehoshua ben Levi raised the following contradiction: It says, “Behold like the clouds of Heaven came one like the son of man” (Daniel 7:13). It is also written, “Lowly and riding upon a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). If they merit it, he will come with the clouds of Heaven, but if they do not merit it, he will come upon a donkey.

The great and holy scholar, Rabbi Chiam Midini, in his work Sdei Chemed,^{^[350]} connects this Talmudic statement referring to the prophecy of Daniel: “If the generation is fortunate the Mashiach will come from the dead, i.e. on “clouds of heaven,” and then everyone will accept him with no reservations. But if not, he will come from the living, i.e. riding on a Chamor.

And so agrees the Holy Hakham Yosef Chaim^{^[351]} in his commentary on Sanhedrin 98, in his book “Ben Yehoyada”, that the Mashiach can come from the dead. (He also explains the topic there of Mashiach ben Yosef and how he can also be Mashiach.)

Sirach bat Asher

According to the Rabbis, not only was Serah among those who came to Egypt and one of those who left it, she also entered The Land of Israel; they use as a proof text for the latter claim Numbers 26:46, that includes Serah among the names of those entering the land (Seder Olam Rabbah 9).

The traditions of Serah’s extreme longevity apparently have their basis in the fact that she is mentioned both in the count of those who went to Egypt and in the list of those who entered The Land of Israel. This evolved into the tradition that Serah lived for hundreds of years, was in the presence of both Joseph and Moses and was even one of those who entered the land of Canaan.

In the development of this tradition her lifetime extended to the period of King David and the later traditions claimed that she never died at all, but entered the Garden of Eden while still alive. In the late midrash, Jacob is the one who blessed Serah that she would live forever, telling her: “My daughter, because you revived my spirit, death shall never rule you” (Sefer ha-Yashar , Vayigash, chapter 14).

The character of Serah, who accompanies the Israelites to Egypt and enters the land of Canaan with them, embodies the history of the people of Israel. Her character is linked with those of the people’s leaders, and she expedites the realization of the Divine plan. This is her role when she convinces Jacob that Joseph still lives, thus resulting in his going down to Egypt; she continues in this task when she identifies Moses as the true redeemer of Israel, thus leading the people to heed him; and thus, when she helps Moses to find Joseph’s bones, so as not to delay the Exodus from Egypt. Serah’s appearance seemingly confirms that God’s promises will be fulfilled and that the people of Israel will leave Egypt and come to and take possession of the Promised Land.[352]

Genesis 46:17

(17) Asher’s sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and their sister Serah. Beriah’s sons: Heber and Malchiel.

Numbers 26:44-47

(44) Descendants of Asher by their clans: Of Imnah, the clan of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the clan of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the clan of the Beriites. (45) Of the descendants of Beriah: Of Heber, the clan of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the clan of the Malchielites.— (46) The name of Asher’s daughter was Serah.— (47) These are the clans of Asher’s descendants; persons enrolled: 53,400.

Rashi on Numbers 26:46:1

AND THE NAME OF THE DAUGHTER OF ASHER WAS SERAH — Because she still remained alive after all these long years (Sotah 13a) it exceptionally mentions her here (Seder Olam 89).

Sotah 13a:14

The Gemara asks: And from where did Moses our teacher know where Joseph was buried? The Sages said: Serah, the daughter of Asher, remained from that generation that initially descended to Egypt with Jacob. Moses went to her and said to her: Do you know anything about where Joseph is buried? She said to him: The Egyptians fashioned a metal casket for him and set it in the Nile [Nilus] River as an augury so that its water would be blessed. Moses went and stood on the bank of the Nile. He said to Joseph: Joseph, Joseph, the time has arrived about which the Holy One, Blessed be He, took an oath saying that I, i.e., God, will redeem you. And the time for fulfillment of the oath that you administered to the Jewish people that they will bury you in Eretz Yisrael has arrived. If you show yourself, it is good, but if not, we are clear from your oath. Immediately, the casket of Joseph floated to the top of the water.

Sefer HaYashar (midrash), Book of Genesis, Vayigash 9

(9) And when Joseph had finished giving them his orders, he turned: and went back into Egypt, ‎and the sons of Jacob went to the land of Canaan, in joy and happiness to their father. And ‎when they came to the boundaries of the land, they said to one another: What shall we do in ‎bringing this matter before our father? For if we impart it to him suddenly, and tell him all ‎about it, he will be greatly astounded at our words and he will refuse to listen to us. And when ‎they went on until they approached their houses they met Serach coming towards them, and ‎the damsel was exceedingly beautiful and wise, and a skilled player on the harp; and they ‎called her and she came unto them and she kissed them. And they took her and gave her a ‎harp saying unto her: Go, we pray thee, before our father and sit down before him and strike ‎this harp and speak unto him according to these words. And they instructed her concerning ‎what she had to say, and she hastened unto Jacob and she sat down before him. And she sang ‎and she played beautifully upon the harp, and she sang in the sweetness of her voice: Joseph ‎my uncle is alive and he reigneth over all the land of Egypt; he is not dead. And she often ‎repeated these words. And Jacob heard her words and it pleased him greatly, and when he ‎heard her sing it twice and three times, the heart of Jacob was possessed by joy, through the ‎sweetness of her voice, and the spirit of God came over him, and he knew that all her words ‎were true. And Jacob blessed Serach for singing these words before him, and he said: My ‎daughter, may death never prevail against thee forever, for thou hast revived my spirit, only ‎repeat thou this song once more before me, for thou hast caused me gladness with thy words. ‎And she sang once more the same words and Jacob listened, and he was pleased and he ‎rejoiced, and the spirit of God came over him. And while he was yet speaking with her, his ‎sons came before him with horses and chariots and royal garments and servants running ‎before them. And Jacob arose and went to meet them, and he saw his sons dressed in royal ‎garments and all the good things that Joseph sent unto them. And they said unto him: Be thou ‎informed that our brother Joseph liveth, and that he ruleth over the whole land of Egypt, and ‎it is he who hath spoken unto us all we have told unto thee. And Jacob heard all the words of ‎his sons and his heart fainted, for he believed them not, until he saw all that Joseph had given ‎unto them and all that Joseph had sent along with them, and all the signs he had spoken of ‎unto them. And they unpacked all the things before him, and they displayed all that Joseph ‎had sent, and they gave to every one of them what Joseph had sent him. And Jacob knew ‎that they had spoken the truth, and rejoiced greatly on account of his son.

Midrash HaGadol, Genesis 45:26

[The brothers said:]If we tell him right away, "Joseph is alive!" perhaps he will have a stroke [lit., his soul will fly away]. What did they do? They said to Serah, daughter of Asher, "Tell our father Jacob that Joseph is alive, and he is in Egypt." What did she do? She waited till he was standing in prayer, and then said in a tone of wonder, "Joseph is in Egypt/ There have been born on his knees/ Menasseh and Ephraim" [three rhyming lines]. His heart failed, while he was standing in prayer. When he finished his prayer, he saw the wagons: immediately the spirit of Jacob came back to life.

Pirke DeRebbi Eliezer 48:17

(17) Rabbi Eliezer said: The five letters of the Torah, which alone of all the letters in the Torah are of double (shape), all appertain to the mystery of the Redemption. ... With "Pê" "Pê" Israel was redeemed from Egypt, as it is said, "I have surely visited you, (Paḳôd Paḳadti) and (seen) that which is done to you in Egypt, and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt" (Ex. iii. 16, 17). ... These letters were delivered only to our father Abraham. Our father Abraham delivered them to Isaac, and Isaac (delivered them) to Jacob, and Jacob delivered the mystery of the Redemption to Joseph, as it is said, "But God will surely visit (Paḳôd yiphḳôd) you" (Gen. 1. 24). Joseph his son delivered the secret of the Redemption to his brethren. Asher, the son of Jacob, delivered the mystery of the Redemption to Serach his daughter. When Moses and Aaron came to the elders of Israel and performed the signs in their sight, the elders of Israel went to Serach, the daughter of Asher, and they said to her: A certain man has come, and he has performed signs in our sight, thus and thus. She said to them: There is no reality in the signs. They said to her: He said "Paḳôd yiphḳôd"—"God will surely visit you" (ibid.). She said to them: He is the man who will redeem Israel in the future from Egypt, for thus did I hear, ("Paḳôd Paḳadti") "I have surely visited you" (Ex. iii. 16). Forthwith the people believed in their God and in His messenger, as it is said, "And the people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel" (ibid. iv. 31).

Tractate Derekh Eretz Zuta 1:18

Nine people entered Gan Eden alive, namely: Enoch son of Jared, Elijah, the Messiah, Eliezer the servant of Abraham, Hiram king of Tyre and Eved-Melech the Ethiopian, Jabez the [grand]son of <Rabbi> Judah <HaNasi> (see I Chronicles 4:9-10), Batya the daughter of Pharaoh, and Serach bat Asher, and some say also Rabbi Joshua ben Levi.

Rashi on II Samuel 20:19:1

(1) I am [of the] loyal and trustworthy in Israel. I am from the people of the city that are loyal and faithful to Israel and to the king. An Aggadic Midrash [states:] this was Serach, the daughter of Asher. I delivered the faithful to the faithful: Through me, the location of Joseph's coffin was revealed to Moses. I told Jacob that Joseph was alive.

The Persian Jews of the city of Isfahan believed that Serah bat Asher actually lived among them until she died in a great fire in their synagogue in the twelfth century CE. This synagogue and its successors were subsequently known as the Synagogue of Serah Bat Asher. In the Jewish cemetery of Isfahan, there was to be found, at least until the end of the nineteenth century, a tombstone marking the final resting place of "Serah the daughter of Asher the son of our Patriarch Jacob" who died in the year equivalent to 1133 CE. This alleged gravesite was marked by a small mausoleum known as heder Serah ("Serah's Room"), which remained for centuries one of the best known pilgrimage sites for the Jews of Persia. In the Iranian exile, Jews were accustomed to prostrate themselves at the gravestone of Serah, as they now customarily pray here in Israel at the Tomb of our Matriarch Rachel near Bethlehem. Like the tomb of Rachel, that of Serah is also located in a "room" (i.e., a mausoleum). This room is believed to have wondrous doorposts and only people of good character and deeds may enter; but the way in shrinks before anyone else and prevents them from entering.[353]

How did Sirach bat Asher achieve such longevity postdiluvian? Did she have some magical potion, or perhaps some medical technology, or was this a miracle of HaShem? Our sources are silent on this issue, but her extreme longevity is facinating, especially given her role in redemption.

Methusela

Elijah

XL. Astral Projection [354]

2 Corinthians 12:2–4 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.

Chagiga 14b Our Rabbis taught: Four men entered the ‘Garden’,[355] namely, Ben ‘Azzai and Ben Zoma, Aher,[356] and R. Akiba. R. Akiba said to them: When ye arrive at the stones of pure marble,[357] say not, water, water![358] For it is said: He that speaketh falsehood shall not be established before mine eyes.[359] Ben ‘Azzai cast a look and died. Of him Scripture says: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.[360] Ben Zoma looked and became demented.[361] Of him Scripture says: Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.[362] Aher mutilated the shoots.[363] R. Akiba departed unhurt.

The Talmud (Chagiga 14b, Zohar I, 26b and Tikunei Zohar, Tikun 40) reports the following incident regarding four Mishnaic Sages:

The Rabbis taught: Four [Sages] entered the Pardes [literally "the orchard."]. Rashi explains that they ascended to heaven by utilizing the [Divine] Name [i.e., they achieved a spiritual elevation through intense meditation on G‑d's Name] (Tosafot, ad loc). They were Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher [Elisha ben Avuya, called Acher— the other one — because of what happened to him after he entered the Pardes] and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva said to them [prior to their ascension]: "When you come to the place of pure marble stones, do not say, 'Water! Water!' for it is said, 'He who speaks untruths shall not stand before My eyes' (Psalms 101:7)." Ben Azzai gazed [at the Divine Presence - Rashi] and died. Regarding him the verse states, "Precious in the eyes of G‑d is the death of His pious ones" (Psalms 116:15). Ben Zoma gazed and was harmed [he lost his sanity — Rashi]. Regarding him the verse states, "Did you find honey? Eat only as much as you need, lest you be overfilled and vomit it up" (Proverbs 25:16). Acher cut down the plantings [he became a heretic]. Rabbi Akiva entered in peace and left in peace.

XLI. Prayers vs. Incantations (spells)

What is the difference between prayers, or saying Psalms, that are said to accomplish some purpose, and the spells or incantations that are used by the wicked?

Consider the following examples:

A. Psalm 9, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, etc. are recited for the well-being of an ill person.[364]

B. I Chronicles 12:18 Seder Hatavat Chalom (Order of making good a bad dream).[365]

C. On Rosh HaShana, the machzor has phrases that are said multiple times in order to bring us a good year.[366] [367] We also eat auspicious foods with their appropriate blessings. Here are a couple of examples:

[1] In 1962, in his book “Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry into the Limits of the Possible”, science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke formulated his famous Three Laws, of which the third law is the best-known and most widely cited: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”.

[2] “Magic” is notoriously impossible to define, not least because the meaning of this term changes from one culture to another and from one period to the next. Moreover, the distinction between “magic” and “religion” is equally problematic, and in some cultural contexts utterly nonexistent. In the ancient Jewish world, one repeatedly sees a condemnation of magic and divination side by side with their actual practice in every level of Jewish society. In some cases, we find magical practices that are deeply embedded in the Jewish religious system—including the sotah ordeal of Numbers 5:11–31, or the many magical spells and recipes found in the Babylonian Talmud. In others, we find numerous magical practices that did not become part of “normative Judaism” (as canonized in the Hebrew Bible or in the Babylonian Talmud) yet were widely practiced by many Jews. Such practices—including the exorcizing of demons, the production of a wide array of amulets, the recurrent use of medical magic, and even the recourse to aggressive and erotic magic—usually were either only mildly condemned or not condemned at all by the Jewish religious leadership, and in some cases were actively adopted by it. In the past, the study of such practices and practitioners was hampered by scholars’ preference for more rational forms of Judaism, which made those scholars ignore the extensive evidence for ancient Jewish magic. However, as more such evidence came to light, and as scholars began to focus on Judaism as it was and not as we might have wished it to have been, the study of ancient Jewish magic started growing, and it now keeps on growing at full pace. Today, more ancient Jewish magical texts are identified, published, and analyzed, and more attempts are made to offer broad syntheses of the entire field. – Gideon Bohak

[4] Rabbi Shmary Brownstein, Ask the Rabbi @ The Judaism Website – Chabad.org

[9] by Rabbi Noson Weiszprint article, The Point of Soul

[10] The First Crowdfunding Campaign, An Essay on Parshat Terumah, By Adin Even-Israel (Steinsaltz)

[12] What would you do if you knew you could not fail?, by David Sheyman

[14] Chagiga 13a-b translate chashmal as some kind of angel

[16] A significant portion of this section I learned from: https://www.mayimachronim.com/the-torahs-greatest-secret-revealed/

[27] Yesodei HaTorah, By Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon ("Maimonides"); translated by Eliyahu Touger

[28] Moses ben Nachman, "Moses son of Nachman"; (1194–1270), commonly known as Nachmanides and also referred to by the acronym Ramban (רמב״ן‎), was a leading medieval Jewish scholar, Sephardic rabbi, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator.

[33] I.e., the generation which built the Tower of Babel, and in consequence God confounded their language and scattered them over the earth. V. Bereshit (Genesis) 11:9.

[37] Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 3:10. E.V. ‘that it shall be well with him.

[38] Shlomo Yitzchaki, February 22, 1040 – July 13, 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi, was a medieval French rabbi and author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and commentary on the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh).

[42] See S’fat Emet, Chanuka 5661 and Vayera 5663

[60] See Bereshit Rabbah 34:11. Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit 12. Seforno to Bereshit (Genesis) 8:22.

[61] Ramban says that all antediluvian (pre-Mabul) people lived much longer. After the Mabul there was a very negative change in the atmosphere which shortened people's lives. Noach's sons who were born before the Mabul, lived longer than most, as they were strengthened by living during the very healthy antediluvian era, but a bit shorter than those who lived their whole lives pre-Mabul, because they were also subject to the negative atmospheric post-Mabul effects. Along came the Dor Haflogoh and the dispersion to new climates had a further negative affect, cutting down the average lifespan by fifty per cent to below two hundred years.

[70] Soncino Zohar, Bereshith, Section 1, Page 56a

[73] Those that mated with their kind, and did not corrupt their way, and came by themselves, and all that the ark accepted, [i.e., the ark repulsed the unfit animals and did not let them enter], he brought into it. — [Sanh. 108b, Tan. ad loc., Zev. 116a, Gen. Rabbah 32:8 from 7:16; Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer ch. 23 from ibid. 15; only Mid. Hagadol from this verse]

[76] Yochanan (John) 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

[78] See for example Talmud Brachot 4b that he flies more slowly than other angels – presumably because he is part physical. Maharsha there.

[79] see Talmud Baba Batra 121b, Mo’ed Katan 26a

[82] See e.g. Talmud Brachot 3a, 29b, Shabbat 33b, Yoma 19b, Ta’anit 22a, etc.

[92] See, for example, Zohar II, 126b, which states: ואתעביד עלמא חדא, דנהיר לכל עלמין, עלמא סתימא דלא ידיע כלל, ובגויה דיירין שית רבוא אלף, דאינון דיורין וחילין ומשיריין עלאין

[94] This idea was explained and supported fully in Mayim Achronim Chova – Secrets of the Last Waters.

[97] The above is adapted from Garments of Light, Volume Two.

[98] Avot 5:6. Ten things were created on the eve of Shabbat at twilight. These are: the mouth of the earth, the mouth of the well, the mouth of the donkey, the rainbow, the mannah, the staff [of Moses], the shamir, the writing, the inscription and the tablets [of the Ten Commandments].

[102] This means apparently that as soon as he awoke he realized the truth of the dream, as explained in the next sentence.

[103] As, for instance, on Simhath Torah (Rejoicing of the Law). R. Eleazar assumes that Solomon made a feast because through the gift of wisdom he completed the study of the Torah.

[104] Rashi: Was greater than the wisdom of all the children of the east: What was the wisdom of the children of the east? They were learned in astronomy, as it is stated in the Pesikta of Para Adumah, and all of this chapter is expounded there according to its ordinary sense.

[105] Rashi: And he spoke of trees: which cure is derived from each tree, and that particular wood would be best for that type of building and to plant [a certain tree] in that type of earth. And also of the beasts, what is its cure and the vital elements [necessary] for its upbringing and development and its food. The Midrash Aggada [has another explanation]: Why did God see fit that a ‘metzora’ become clean with the tallest of the tall trees, as the cedar, and the shortest of the short trees? And also of the beasts and the fowl. Why did God see fit that this one, should become permissible by severing one, either the esophagus or the trachea, and this one, the beast, by severing both the esophagus and the trachea, and fish and grasshoppers with neither.

[110] And how are they to be fed? The underlying idea seems to be that even the wisest of men must learn the law.

[112] On the basis of I Kings v, 13, Solomon is said to have had complete control over nature.

[113] Lit. ‘male and female singers’. Perhaps shedim we-shedoth ‘male and female demons’.

[116] The Thirteen rules of Rabbi Ishmael – rule 13.

[118] Sanh. 108b; B. B. 16b; Lev. R. 11; Gen. R 31:11; Zohar I:11; Otzer ha-Midrash

[134] source: Gold from the Land of Israel, p. 135, adapted from Mo'adei HaRe’iyah, p. 49, found here: http://ravkooktorah.org/SHAV58.htm

[135] source: R. David Kasher's "Synesthesia at Sinai," which includes many of these sources as well as this Hasidic interpretation from R. Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter: https://boulderjewishnews.org/2018/synesthesia-at-sinai-parshat-yitro/

[138] source: Zohar 2:81b, Pritzker Edition Vol. 4, translated by Daniel C. Matt p. 443-446

[142] A nes nigleh, a revealed miracle, is an event that openly contradicts the “laws of nature”.

[143] A nes nistar, a concealed miracle, is an event that contradicts the laws of nature within the contex of nature and is evident only to those who contemplate the details of the event. Such a nes (miracle) will not be evident those viewing the event superficially. The return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel after 2000 years of exile and the continued existence of State of Israel in the face of the surrounding hostilities are modern examples of a nes nistar.

[144] What is the connection between Adam’s clothes and the ability to subdue animals? When G-d created the animals, He brought them before Adam and asked him to give each one of them a name. Adam was able to look into the essence of each animal and give it a name. In the Holy Language of Hebrew, the name defines the essence. A name is not conventional, it is essential. The name is the clothing of the essence. The name is the connection to the spiritual root in the upper worlds. When Nimrod wore the garments of Adam, he was able to subdue the animals because he had access to the garments of their essence, to their names. • Source: Based on the Midrash, Bereshit Rabba 37:3

[145] Tehillim (Psalms) 69:32 In Shabbat 28b this is referred to Adam.

[146] The same word is used of the vesture of the priests - cf. Vayikra (Leviticus) 8:13.

[148] V. Pirke Rabbi Eliezer 20: ‘From the skin which the serpent cast off the Holy One, blessed be He, made garments of glory for Adam and for his helpmate.’

[149] Through Enoch. Seth though not actually the firstborn was privileged to be so considered on account of his piety (Mah.).

[151] Bereshit (Genesis) 10:21 - E.V. ‘The elder brother of Japheth’.

[155] From Gen. XI, 27 (q.v.) and Genesis Rabbah 38:14, it appears that he was indeed the firstborn. Mah. explains that the Midrash points out that in Abraham’s case the privilege of birthright and sacrifice was conferred upon him because of his piety, and would have been so conferred even if he were not the firstborn. Rash. and ‘E.J., however, maintain that in the view of the author of this passage, Abraham is mentioned first in Bereshit (Genesis) 11:27 merely because he was the most important.

[159] Rashi in the Pentateuch explains: I risk death through the sacrificial service, since its laws are so strict, many involving death (by the hand of heaven). The Midrash here probably understands it in the same sense.

[161] Adam originally wore the garments mentioned above in the Garden of Eden -- hence, the garments' Divine scent when Yaaqob wore them. Yaaqob, we are told, is the embodiment of Adam, and his original clothes are returned to him by Rivkah. – Zohar Toldot

[162] ⁵ In the Targum Yerushalmi on Gen. 28: 10, five miracles are said to have happened to Yaaqob on this journey. “The second miracle consisted of Yaaqob, our Father, setting out from Beer Sheva and the path contracted before him and he immediately found himself residing in Charan”. Other biblical incidents that are similarly interpreted to include the Israelites’ departure from Egypt, cf. Rashi on Ex. 12:37 and 19:4, and the journey of the twelve spies, cf. Rashi on Num. 13:25. See also B. Sotah 13b, which presents Deut. 34:1, namely Moses’ final climb, in a miraculous fashion.

[163] In the Targum Yerushalmi on Gen. 28: 10, five miracles arc said lo have happened to Jacob on this journey. “The second miracle consisted of Jacob, our Father, setting out from Beer Sheva and the path contracted before him and he immediately found himself residing in Haran”. Other biblical incidents that are similarly interpreted include the Israelites’ departure from Egypt, cf. Rashi on Ex. 12: 37 and 19: 4, and the journey of the twelve spies, cf. Rashi on Num. 13: 25. See also B. Soiah 13 b, which presents Dcut.34: 1, namely Moses’ final climb, in a miraculous fashion.

[167] Sotah 42b These four were born to Harafah in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. Who were they? — R. Hisda said: Saph, Madon, Goliath and Ishbi-benob. ‘And they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants’, as it is written: And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her. R. Yitzchak said: The Holy One, blessed be He, spake, May the sons of the one who kissed come and fall by the hand of the sons of the one who clave. The name Ishbi beNob is split into two and interpreted homiletically.

[169] When David, on his flight from Saul, received succor in Nob, (I Sam. XXI.) he was seen there by Doeg the Edomite. On the latter’s reporting this to Saul, he slew all the priests of Nob for treason (Ibid. XXII, 17-19), Doeg being his instrument. For this Doeg was banished from his portion in the future world (the phrase may also mean lost his life העולם מן נטרד; v. II Sam. I, 2; Pesik. ed. Buber III, 28b) and the defeat and death of Saul and his three sons at Mount Gilboa (I Samuel 30:1-6) was a punishment for the same. Thus, all this was indirectly caused by David.

[171] The name of a place (Rashi). Other interpretations: ‘to fill up breaches’; [‘to limit’, the word being a composite: ‘net and falcon’ (Levy)].

[173] David’s sister’s son, and brother of Joab, and one of the captains of David’s army.

[178] Hoping that the animal’s instinct would lead it to its master.

[179] That he might cover the distance quickly.

[180] Orpah: The Moabite sister-in-law of Ruth (Ruth 1). In the Midrash, she is the mother of the giants Goliath and Ishbi-benob. It is unclear whether she herself was a giantess (Midrash Ruth). When a potential convert, with genuine intentions, is distanced from the Jewish people by being made to feel unfit, the consequences for the Jewish people can be disastrous. The same occurred to Orpah. When she was discouraged from joining the ranks of the Jews, her children were given vast powers over the Jewish people. One of these children was Goliath, another was Yishbi; both of them were massive warriors who focused their efforts on fighting against the Jewish people.

[181] Pretending that it had merely fallen out of her hand.

[182] When David’s life was endangered in his confrontation with Ishbi-benob, according to Tractate Sanhedrin (95a), he asked Abishai son of Zeruiah, “Help us”. The nature of the help he received is recounted there: “That is as it is written: ‘Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid’ (II Samuel 21:17). Rav Yahuda said, quoting Rav, that he aided him by prayer,” and by virtue of this aid, David was saved.

[184] It is written: One son of Achimelech ben Achituv escaped, and his name was Evyasar. [Just as his negligence had resulted in the death of all but one of the Kohanim of Nob, similarly, all but one of his descendants were put to death by Asaliah.]

[185] [Juvenal, Saturnalia, 6,542. alludes to the Jews selling wax-candles in Rome. V. Ginzberg, Legends. VI, 264, n. 87.]

[187] At some distance from where Ishbi stood (Rashi).

[188] A town near the border. [Horowitz, Palestine, p. 158 identifies it with El-Kabbu S.W. of Bethar.]

[189] Bethar, where the last stand in the Bar Kochba revolt was made (Neubauer, op. cit. 103).

[190] Surely not; i.e., ‘we are too weak, even combined, to slay him.’ The remark was suggested by the place name Bethre, which means ‘by two’, as previously ‘let us arise’ — בי קום— was suggested by קובי.

[195] Isaiah 41:3. This is interpreted in Bereshith Rabbah (43:7) as referring to Abraham and asserting that he took such long steps that he traveled a mile without setting foot on the ground.

[196] Shalom (E.V. ’safely’) being read as an abbreviation of shalosh milin, three miles (‘E.J.).

[199] https://www.mayimachronim.com/tag/midrash-rabbah/

[205] Daat Zkeinim on Bereshit (Genesis) 14:14.

[207] I.e. Ahraham would not hear of violence without seeking to remedy it.

[208] Lit. ‘stand against them’. Both R. Judah and R. Nehemiah interpret wayyarek, he made pale (in anger). R. Judah holds that he made his servants’ faces pale, i.e. they opposed him; while in R. Nehemiah's opinion he made himself pale by defying them.

[209] This is one of the cardinal teachings of Judaism: it is man's duty to act nobly and uprightly even at the cost of his life, for in so doing he sanctifies the Divine Name.

[214] He derives wayyarek from rek, empty: he ' emptied them ‘, and was left with Eliezer only. Cur edd.: he made them bright (encouraged them); i.e. he inspired them with courage by pointing out that the fainthearted need not go.

[215] This connects.hanikaw (E.V. ‘ his trained men ’) with hanikah, a surname (v. Jast. s.v. חניכה), hence rendered: the men bearing his name. ‘E.J.: he understands BORN IN HIS HOUSE figuratively, i.e. converted by him; and as they were converted by Abraham they took his name.

[216] א [1] + ל [30] + י [10] + ע [70] + ז [7] + ר [200] = 318. Cf. n. 1.

[218] The meaning is that the evil effects of idolatry are felt both before and after it is actually practised. Because Jeroboam was destined to set up a golden calf at Dan (I Kings XII, 19), Abraham was weakened now when he came to that place and so could pursue them no further. Similarly, even after it was destroyed Jeremiah speaks of terror raging in Dan. Cf. Sanh. 96a.

[232] Strong’s defines staff as: 4294 matteh, mat-teh’; or (fem.) mattah, mat-taw’; from 5186; a branch (as extending); fig. a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (fig. correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; fig. a support of life e.g. bread):-rod, staff, tribe.

[233] A Midrashic work composed by the school of Rebbe Eliezer ben Hyrcanus [c.100])

[234] The Shem HaMeforash of Hashem (the 42 letter name of HaShem) and the abbreviations for the 10 plagues carved on it - בְּאַחַ”ב עַדַ”שׁ דְּצַ”ךְ . Also engraved on the staff were the names of the Patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, as well as the names of the six Matriarchs, Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah. Also included were the names of Yaakov’s twelve sons, Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissachar, Zevulun, Dan, Naftali, Gad, Asher, Yosef and Binyamin.

[235] “The Midrash Says – The Book of Shemot”, by Rabbi Moshe Weissman.

[237] A measure of volume for dry objects and for liquids; cf. Sot. 34a. It probably means: the weight of 40 se’ah of water (v. Glos.). This miraculous staff weighed 40 se’ah, that is 240 okkas (672 pounds). The Turkish oka is a measure of weight, equivalent to 2.8 pounds. According to this, a se’ah is 16.8 pounds. Since one gallon of water weighs 8.35 pounds, a se’ah in liquid measure is then approximately 2 gallons.The specific gravity of sapphire is 4, and therefore, if the staff weighed 672 pounds (305kg), it had a volume of 76,000 cubic centimeters, 4638 cubic inches, or 2.68 cubic feet. If it is assumed that the staff was 8 feet long, it would have had an average thickness of seven inches. – The Torah Anthology, Yalkut Meam Loez , Exodus I, volume 4.

[238] Rashi Commentary for: ‎ Shemot (Exod.) 17:6 and you shall strike the rock Heb. וְהִכִּיתָ בַצּוּר. It does not say עַל-הַצּוּר, upon the rock, but בַצּוּר, [lit., into the rock]. From here [we deduce] that the staff was of a hard substance called sapphire, and the rock was split by it.-[from Mechilta]

[239] Heb. Amora. The teacher or lecturer whispered his points to the amora, who then amplified them to the congregation.

[240] Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer ch. 42 and Midrash Shocher Tov chapter 114,see also the Rav on Avos 5:3; Targum Yonatan to Shemot 14:21 and Davarim 1:1 and Psalms 136:13.

[242]

For further elaboration on this, see commentary of Ramban (Nachmanides), Genesis 12:6; R. Shalom Dovber of Lubavitch, Kuntres Umaayan, secs. 18ff.

[245] Even in the future, the Third Temple will still serve as a focus of revelation; however, its light will spread throughout the world.

[246] see Nechemya 9:6; Bava Batra 25a). (The World of Prayer, vol. 1, pp. 123-125

[250] To enable the people to enter the city. According to Rashi this is also signified by the word translated ‘flat’, which means literally ‘under it’ or ‘in its place’.

[253] Debarim (Deuteronomy) 2:25, referring to Moses.

[255] In Ta'an. R. Samuel b. Nahmani is given.

[261] Yehoshua (Joshua) 10:13. ישר, righteous.

[262] Bamidbar (Numbers) 23:10, which is taken to refer to the peaceful ending of the Patriarchs.

[263] Bereshit (Genesis) 48:19, spoken of Ephraim to whose tribe Joshua belonged.

[264] Josh. ibid. The wording implies a double halt by the sun: (a) in the midst of the heaven, i.e., at noon; (b) hasted not to go down, i.e., towards evening.

[267] Can be seen on the site of the Genizah or here: Eruvin 53a, Bereshit Rabbah 44:7, etc.

[268] A kal vachomer (Hebrew: קל וחומר, literally "lenient and strict") derives one law from another through the following logic: If a case that is generally strict has a particular leniency, a case that is generally lenient will certainly have that leniency.

[270] A fabulous animal generated in fire which, according to the Midrash, must burn incessantly for seven days and nights; but Rashi here postulates seven years, and the Aruch (s.v.) seventy years. For a fun account of the legend, v. J. E. vol. X, pp. 646-7.

[273] Lit., ‘thy empty ones’. The thought is the reverse of Eccl. VII, 20; there is none in Israel that sinneth, and yet doeth not good, for even the transgressors, devoid of merit as they may seem, still have innumerable good deeds to their credit.

[278] Rashi’s source can be found in Sifrei (Parshat Ki-Teitzei), Mechilta (Parshat Beshalach), Pesiqta Zutr’si (Parshat Ki-Teitzei)

[279] Rabbi Netanel ben Yeshayah's commentary on the Torah "Me'or Ha'afelah", pg. 247

[281] Me'am Lo'ez on Shmuel 1:15:33 in the name of "Chachmei Ashkenaz":

[282] The Razah in Midrash Hachefetz on Shemot 22:17

[283] Rabbeinu Bechayei states this is a midrash in his commentary on Devarim 25:19:

[284] The Amalekites were great sorcerers and used to transform themselves into animals to escape the attacks of their enemies in war.; See Ketab Tamin 61 and R. Bachya in Ki-Teitzei in regards to the text of Pirke D’Rabbi Eleazar 39.

[286] When HaShem came down on Mount Sinai to give the Law, he appeared in the chariot with the four beasts of Ezekiel. These the people saw; and it was one of them, the ox (Ezekiel 1:10), that they made an image of and worshiped. This was one of the pleas Moses made to palliate the offense of the people (Exodus Rabbah 43:8).

[289] Tan., Beshallaḥ, ii.; Tosef., Soṭah, iv. 7; Soṭah 13a

[290] The Book of Creation, Heb. Sefer Yeziroh, is the title of two esoteric books. The older, referred to here, was a thaumaturgical work popular in the Talmudic period. It was also known as Hilkoth Yezirah (Laws of Creation), and is so called in the same story quoted on 67b. Rashi there states that the creation was performed by means of mystic combinations of the Divine Name, which does not come under the ban of witchcraft. Its basic idea is that the Creation was accomplished by means of the power inherent in those letters (Cf. Rab's saying: ‘Bezalel knew how to combine the letters by which heaven and earth were created’. Ber. 55a. Cf. also Enoch LXI, 3 et seq.; Prayer of Manasseh: Ecc. R. III, 11 on the magic power of the letters of the Divine Name), and that this same power could be utilised in further creation. The work was ascribed to Abraham, which fact indicates an old tradition, and the possible antiquity of the book itself. It has affinities with Babylonian, Egyptian, and Hellenic mysticism and its origin has been placed in the second century B.C.E., when such a combination of influences might be expected. It is noteworthy that Raba's statement above, though not mentioning the Sefer Yezirah, insists on freedom from sin as a prerequisite of creation by man, v. J.E., XII, 602.

[291] (I.e., a calf that has reached one third of its full growth; others interpret: (i) in its third year; (ii) third born, fat].

[292] Ibid. Raba understands mabadilim in the sense of ‘draw a distinction’. But for their iniquities, their power would equal God's, and they could create a world.

[293] By means of the Sefer Yeziroh, Book of Creation. V. next note.

[294] It thus all depends as to whose help is invoked in performing the miraculous.

[295] working with sheidim/demons/ djinn—never addressed by the Torah, permitted, and regularly done by educated Jews from Babylonia to Eretz Israel to Germany to NYC

[296] One who performs feats of prestidigitation; a sleight-of-hand artist.

[298] The Radak describes what we would call today "mouth to mouth" resuscitation: Even when a miracle is performed, it is preferable that it appears like a natural process.

[300] See Bereishit Rabbah 56:11, Targum pseudo Yonatan Bereishit 22:19.

[301] The Netziv (Ha'amek Davar 22:19) postulates that specifically now after hearing how Avraham is being rewarded for obeying God's command, Yitzchak decides it is time for him to learn what it is that God wants of him.

[303] Rav Mordechai Cohen reports a tradition that Avraham actually severed most of Yitzchak's trachea and windpipe - rendering him a "kosher" offering; see Siftei Cohen Bereishit 23:2,where he cites this tradition in the name of the Zohar. The source in the Zohar has eluded me (and others). In fact, Rav Mordechai did not actually find this passage either; he states that he heard that such a teaching is recorded in the Zohar.

[305] Malbim on Shmuel alef (I Samuel) - Vayikra Rabbah 26:7

[310] Refer to Aristotle's concept of "imagination" or "phantasia"). [II, 36]

[311] According to Maimonides, there are 11 types of prophecy – ranging from a simple Divine inspiration called Ruach haKodesh (“holy spirit”) to the singular instance of the "face-to-face" communication that Moses experienced. This experience (not the Moses kind) is available to anyone regardless of age, gender or religion, as Maimonides wrote, "A prophet is believed because of what he says, not for reasons of lineage".

[317] The traditional number of the languages of man, i.e., the Torah was given to all humanity. Cf. M. Joseph, Judaism as Creed and Life, pp. 157 seq.

[319] Perhaps referring to the sparks that fly off when it beats the anvil.

[320] Commentators differ as to the exact point of the comparison; v. Sanh., Sonc. ed., p. 214, n. 9.

[322] The Heb. is ha-koloth (plural), not ha-kol (singular).

[323] A poetic way of saying that the Divine truths promulgated at the Revelation were intended for all mankind, and were not to be the prerogative of Israel.

[324] A vivid metaphor describing their fear (Y.T.).

[325] For on the contrary this Revelation was their charter of life.

[326] There are differences of opinion as to the source for the name “manna”. Some say that mon means a “portion of food”; others say it got its name because the first time the Jews saw it, they said mon, Egyptian for “what.”

[327] See Mechilta d’Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai 16:14 and Talmud, Yoma 75b.

[328] Sifri 11:6; Yalkut Shimoni, Ba’ahalotecha, remez 734.

[331] Yoma 21a. Additional sources cited there.

{I.e., there were ten cubits from the northern wall of Holy of Holies to the Ark, ten cubits from the southern wall to the Ark, and the Ark itself was two and one half cubits wide. Nevertheless, he entire span of the chamber from north to south was twenty cubits. The space taken up by the Ark did not change the measure of the chamber.}

[333] Shemot (Exodus) 25:10. A cubit is approximately 20 inches

[338] Herod Agrippas, also known as Herod or Agrippas I (Hebrew: אגריפס; 11 BC – 44 AD), was a King of Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He was the last ruler with the royal title reigning over Judea and the father of Herod Agrippas II, the last King from the Herodian dynasty. The grandson of Herod the Great and son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice, he was born Marcus Julius Agrippa, so named in honor of Roman statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. He is the king named Herod in the Acts of the Apostles 12:1 (Acts 12:1).

[343] The Ezrat Israel - The Courtyard of Israel, in the Temple.

[344] The Ezrat Kohanim - The Courtyard of the priests, in the Temple.

[348] Zech. 9:9).-[from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 31]

[349] This time, Mashiach applies to both Mashiach ben David and Mashiach ben Joseph.

[350] Peyas HaSadeh, Maareches “Alef”, os Eyin

[353] Marc Bregman, Serah bat Asher: Biblical Origins, Ancient Aggadah and Contemporary Folklore, The Bilgray Lectureship, booklet published and distributed by the University of Arizona, 1997 [reprinted in New Harvest (St. Louis: The Brodsky Library Press, 2005)].

[354] Astral projection is the ability to enter into a state in which one leaves the physical body and operates in the astral plane, an out-of-body experience.

[355] Paradise, Heb. פרדס (cf. Cant. IV, 13, Eccl. II, 5, Neh. II, 8), ‘enclosure, preserve, garden, park’ (v. B. D. B. s.v.). L. Blau (Alitjudisches Zauberwesen, pp, 115f) seeks to prove that this account of the entry of the four Rabbis into Paradise is to be understood literally (v. also J.E. vol. V, p. 683). This view is shared, among others, by J. Levy and L. Ginzberg (v. J.E. vol. V, pp. 138f). On the other hand, M. Jast. (Dictionary) and Goldschmidt consider ‘Pardes’ a figurative expression for the mystical realm of theosophy. Rashi explains that the four scholars ascended to heaven, and Tosaf. adds that it only appeared to them that they did so. Similarly, R. Hai Gaon, who discusses the whole Baraitha in a responsum (quoted by Ha-Kotheb in ‘Ein Jacob), and R. Hananel explain that the entry of the Rabbis into the ‘Garden’ was only a vision. Both these authorities refer to the comment on the passage contained in the mystical works ‘Hekaloth Rabbathi’ and ‘Hekaloth Zutarthi’ (v. J.E. vol. VI, pp. 332-3). V. further J.E. vol. IX, pp. 515f.

[356] Lit. ‘another’, by which tern, Elisha b. Abuyah is referred to after his apostasy. V. J.E. vol. V, pp. 138f, and Ab. IV, 20 (Sonc. ed., p. 55 n. 1, where instead of ‘disciple of R. Meir’, read ‘teacher of R. Meir’). Cf. also the term ‘Others’ supra p. 14.

[363] I.e., apostatized. Scholars differ greatly regarding the nature of Aher's defection: he has been variously described as a Persian, Gnostic or Philonian dualist; as a Christian; as a Sadducee; and as a ‘victim of the inquisitor Akiba’, in J.E., V. 183 and bibliography.

[366] Orot Sephardic Machzor For Rosh Hashana With Linear English Translation

[367] Repetition,usually done three or seven times, or by another number symbolically relevant to the issue at hand, is the premier aspect of constructive words of power (Shabbat 66b, in the Talmud). Thus we find a teaching in the Talmud, for example, that reciting a verse containing the phrase “Voice of the Lord” seven times thwarts evil spirits at night.

[368] Encyclopedia of Jewish Magic, Myth, and Mysticism

[369] “In the Talmud, there’s magic and sorcery in every tractate”.

[370] Magical properties were ascribed to the number seven, which was regarded as the most sacred number. Various factors were responsible for this: it is a combination of three and four, themselves held to be sacred; there are seven days in the week; the seventh day is holy. — The Rabbis, though opposed to superstitions practices in general (v. p. 243, n. 3), were nevertheless children of their age, and recognized their efficacy.

[374] Sar also means to depart, and it is applied magically to the fever. The belief in the efficacy of sacred books or verses to effect cures, etc., was widespread in ancient times both among pagans and believers in God. V. J.E. art. Bibliomancy.

[375] this may appropriately be referred to the illness.

[377] Rashi: this is the incantation formula, but they were not actually sent thence.

[378] Unintelligible words forming part of the incantation.

[381] An animal with uncloven hoofs (the sign of uncleanness) born of a clean animal. Rashi: one whose semen is locked up, so that he cannot reproduce.

[384] Lit., 'the son of clay, son of defilement, son of filth' — names for the demon.

[386] Praxis: practice, as distinguished from theory.

[387] A pseudepigraphical grimoire (also known as a book of spells) attributed to King Solomon.