From Baruch Kahane: As I told you a while ago, I'm skeptic about printing books, since I see thousands of books in libraries that no one reads. If בכל זאת you want to print, a book on פרשת השבוע would sell better and be read more than one of general essays. I would suggest a combination: a book with short chidushim on פרשת השבוע with general thematic essays at the end, each referring to chidushim using those themes. In this regard, my work has been a kind of מקלקלין since a lot of the original material was essays and I broke them down into small chidushim under the assumption that it would be more attractive that way. Of course, the original files in English still exist and can be used.
From Baruch Kahane: As I told you a while ago, I'm skeptic about printing books, since I see thousands of books in libraries that no one reads. If בכל זאת you want to print, a book on פרשת השבוע would sell better and be read more than one of general essays. I would suggest a combination: a book with short chidushim on פרשת השבוע with general thematic essays at the end, each referring to chidushim using those themes.
In this regard, my work has been a kind of מקלקלין since a lot of the original material was essays and I broke them down into small chidushim under the assumption that it would be more attractive that way. Of course, the original files in English still exist and can be used.
To find names of leading rabanim interested perhaps in my chumash vorts, via baruch kahane "look at advertisements of shiurim on Hoshana Raba - in B'sheva and Makor Rishon."
…….…………….
Important chumash editing comments in correspondence with baruch kahane etc
Part II: Themes re a previous email, regarding tzli/tzela: I assumed it was a typo but you didn't refer to it in your response, so maybe I am wrong in this? Or did my attempted humor mask my intent?
..
I wrote to Gilad requesting that he speak to you regarding a second opinion on the chidush material.
Thanks so much,
Avi
----- Original Message -----
From: Baruch Kahane <barunitza@gmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 6:04 pm
Subject: Re: Leibidik: Let's try it with this?
To: Avi I Rabinowitz <air1@nyu.edu>
> הביקורת לא היתה על שרה - Corrected.
>
>
> 2010/11/10 Avi I Rabinowitz <air1@nyu.edu>
>
> > רמזים לעיקרי מצוות היהדות במעשה בראשית
> > Are women roasted ribs? Hmmm, no wonder we're attracted :)
> > .......
> > It's amazing: I had copied this
> > הביקורת לא היתה על עצם זה שצחקה, אלא על אברהם, שלא סיפר לה ששמע את
> ההבטחה
> > מה', כפי שנסביר להלן
> > as part of a note to you, and then needed the title, and googled the
> phrase
> > and indeed it immediately found the ma'amar. My note was that I
> think I'd
> > prefer wording like:
> > הביקורת לא היתה על שרה
> > , אלא על אברהם
> > and then a reference to the ma'amar discussing it
> > ....
> > Does it make sense to combine:
> > הבריאה בארבעת העולמות: האצילות, הבריאה, היצירה, והעשייה
> > הקבלה בין לשונות הבריאה בבריאת אדם לבין מאפייניו השונים
> > or to refer to one in the other?
> > And maybe לשון רבים אצל ה' בבריאת האדם
> > and some of בריאת האדם כזכר ונקבה
> > or would this be directly counter to your efforts of breaking the ma'amarim
> > into smaller pieces.
> > Maybe just an introduction saying that just as some aspects of chazal's
> > understandings as recorded in torah sheb'al peh can be found by implication
> > in torah she'bichtav (some of my ma'amarim are devoted to this of course),
> > so too some elements of nistar or kabalah are closely tied to the
> wording of
> > torah she'bichtav (ma'aseh breishis) (of course at some level this
> could be
> > considered rather an obviously-true statement). Specifically, the olamot,
> > the unity and nature of God/schechinah (and corresponding aspects of
> the
> > nature of humanity). And then links to the separate pieces.
> > .....
> > Thanks!
> >
11/11/10
to me
Most additions:
בחירת יעקב את האבן כמצבה
הסרת האבן מעל הבאר ע"י יעקב
בקשת יעקב לשאת את רחל
הצטדקות לבן על החלפת רחל
מעשה המקלות של יעקב
הטעמים למיתת רחל
מאבק יעקב עם שרו של עשיו
Note that certain points I add in footnotes because they aren't related directly to the idea of the maamar.
Also, if the correction is small (like צלי/צלע) I make them only in the backup file and don't bother to correct the site.
…
to Baruch
re Gil'ad: Great! thanks!
I'm also glad that you are attempting to stimulate interest in my work by writing responses to others' writings - you had mentioned it, but I hadn’t until now taken a look…..
I was intrigued to see the comments by Avraham Levi on העבודה והשמירה של האדם בגן עדן, I'm certainly glad someone who seems knowledgeable in these areas is taking the time to comment on my stuff. Perhaps I should seek his reaction to the various kabbalah-oriented divrei torah, written by me and by Avi Rabinowitz - and Avi can himself seek feedback from Yitschak G (who commented on Avi's "ויאהב גם את רחל מלאה").
...
העבודה והשמירה של האדם בגן עדן: there are two places that are off limits, gan eden and the kodesh hakodashim, and one could say that they - or what they contain - are both protected by kruvim [Perhaps it is uneccesary to make the comparison so obvious, perhaps everyone understands it implicitly?] On YK we return to the pre-chet etz ha'ada'at as per my other vort and one of us (the cohen gadol) can enter, as shaliach for all of us; and re eden the equivalent is olam ha'ba (comparisons between these also exist, yom shekoolo etc).
...
In Avraham Levi's comment, does he mean אכמ"ל to be en kan makom leha'areech, meaning there's no room here in a side-note, or does he mean it with a 'heh', '(ha)makom', ie it is not an appropriate venue, because it is nistar?
…
קולו של יעקב
Is it indeed in Ramban? Did Ramban specify how he knows the voices were similar? If there's no value added in my vort, maybe the words "mefaresh haramban" can be added in the beginning so that I am not claiming anything for my own.
There may eventually be something of my own to add, but I have to think about it:
It's interesting that the later interchange with Yakov is the reverse of the earlier interchange with Esav:
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו בְּנִי, וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, הִנֵּנִי : Yitschak speak first, then Esav says hineni
וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִי; וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֶּנִּי, מִי אַתָּה בְּנִי: Yakov speaks first, and Yitschaok says hineni.
In the first instance, when Yitschok called for/to Esav to come, how did he know Esav had actually arrived, how did he know to say 'בְּנִי'? Maybe he smelled Esav? But later he needed for Esav to be very close in order to smell his clothing, and at first Esav would not necessarily have come so close (but maybe the food-smell masked the smell of his clothing, which was not the case beforehand).
Maybe Yitschok was surprised that his son said 'אָבִי ' as he approached, perhaps this was Yakov's way of coming to him, and that's why he asked 'who are you' and what he meant by 'hakol kol ya'akov'?
Maybe there's part of the exchange which is not recorded?
…….
התנצלות אברהם בפני אבימלך
Glad to see that dvir is cross-checking my writings for consistency!
----- Original Message -----
From: Baruch Kahane <barunitza@gmail.com>
Date: Saturday, November 13, 2010 10:06 pm
Subject: Re: thanks, suggestions, musing about themes
To: Avi I Rabinowitz <air1@nyu.edu>
> I put in corrections as you suggested.
>
> I sent the material to Gilad to choose one vort in each parsha, with a
> list
> of those I recommend to make his work easier.
>
> On Fri, Nov 12, 2010 at 2:59 PM, Avi I Rabinowitz <air1@nyu.edu> wrote:
>
> > Erev shabbat shalom.
> >
> > Thanks for the list of revised vorts.
> >
> > I looked through them; no additional twists today, just some possible
> > suggestions.
> >
> > .....
> > Can בחירת יעקב את האבן כמצבה be placed so that it appears for
> chanuka as
> > well?
> > …
> > Usually quotation marks are for psukim, so when they are used as
> parts of
> > an imagined conversation in הצטדקות לבן על החלפת רחל is it perhaps jarring,
> > especially as the reader reaches the first 'quote' unsuspecting? Of
> course
> > they will quiclkly realize what it is, but nevertheless maybe it's
> better to
> > either mention that this is an imagined conversation or to reword it
> (so
> > that it is a description of the content of the presumed conversation
> rather
> > than a transcript).
> > Not all readers will be able to immediately make the mental
> adjustments you
> > easily do when reading :)
> > …………..
> > בקשת יעקב לשאת את רחל: re the last paragraph אילו פעלו יעקב ורחל למצוא
> > שידוך ללאה
> > Usually the reader expects that the very end of a piece is the
> major point
> > towards which all was building, so when it is just a side note, or a
> > separate idea building on the first one, perhaps it is useful to indicate
> > this. [again, same as note above re other readers and their abilities.]
> > ……………..
> > In: בקשת יעקב לשאת את רחל
> > Perhaps a few words could be inserted, for example:
> > ולכן היה מוכן לדחות את נישואיו עם רחל
> > until Leah got married
> > עד שבע שנים,
> > but even if she didn't find someone to marry
> > ו אחרי שבע השנים הוא יתחתן עם רחל
> > ………
> > הסרת האבן מעל הבאר ע"י יעקב the second part is related but
> separate, and
> > is an allegory
> > ………..
> > From here to the end of this email is just some musings about themes
> etc:
> >
> > Maybe I'll try to categorize relevant ma'amarim as I look them over:
> for
> > example:
> >
> > הסרת האבן מעל הבאר ע"י יעקב connection between stories involving the
> same
> > person (shedding light one on the other)
> >
> > הצטדקות לבן על החלפת רחל the inner dynamics of a story revealed via
> an
> > analysis of its internal logic.
> >
> > מעשה המקלות של יעקב : The power of intentions to affect events
> >
> > הטעמים למיתת רחל: The power of words (especially spoken in anger) to
> affect
> > events
> >
> > מאבק יעקב עם שרו של עשיו : Relation of written and oral torah: medrash
> > aggadah [as opposed to others which involve halacha, like the inuyim]
> > ………..
> > Introduction: just as some aspects of chazal's understandings as recorded
> > in torah sheb'al peh can be found by implication in torah
> she'bichtav, so
> > too some elements of nistar or kabalah are closely tied to the
> wording of
> > torah she'bichtav (ma'aseh breishis)
> >
> > 1) The olamot:
> > הבריאה בארבעת העולמות: האצילות, הבריאה, היצירה, והעשייה
> > הקבלה בין לשונות הבריאה בבריאת אדם לבין מאפייניו השונים
> >
> > 2) the unity and nature of God/schechinah (and corresponding aspects
> of the
> > nature of humanity).
> > לשון רבים אצל ה' בבריאת האדם
> > בריאת האדם כזכר ונקבה
> >
………………
Vayetze & Vayishlach: 'ekev', yaakov etc; Veyeshev.
New vort: parallel bwetween Yaakov's deception of his father Yitschak, and the shvatim's deception of their father Yaakov.
Yaakov is deceived by his children as he deceived his own father.
The deception involves a brother being cheated by sibling(s), deception using clothing made from a Se'ir, making it seem it is from a certain son (and also involves food).
PHOTO:
TEXT: ז לכו ונמכרנו לישמעאלים .. לא ויקחו, את-כתונת יוסף; וישחטו שעיר עיזים, ויטבלו את-הכותונת בדם. לב וישלחו את-כתונת הפסים, ויביאו אל-אביהם, ויאמרו, זאת מצאנו: הכר-נא, הכתונת בנך היא--אם-לא. לג ויכירה ויאמר כתונת בני, חיה רעה אכלתהו; שר הטבחים
Yosef ends in Sar haTabachim, Yaakov get st he brocho via a meal delicacy
אמר יעקוב, אל-רבקה אימו: הן עשיו אחי איש שעיר, ואנוכי איש חלק
ויבוא אל-אביו, ויאמר אבי; ויאמר הנני, מי אתה בני. יט האתה זה בני עשיו, אם-לא. כג ולא הכירו--כי-היו ידיו
כידי עשיו אחיו, שעירות
ויקחו, את-כתונת יוסף; וישחטו שעיר עיזים, ויטבלו את-הכותונת בדם. לב וישלחו את-כתונת הפסים, ויביאו אל-אביהם, ויאמרו, זאת מצאנו: -הכר-נא, הכתונת בנך היא אם-לא-ויכירה ויאמר כתונת בני .
...
I have an add-on to what I wrote long ago: Name yaakov is from akev, but it is not pejorative, it is from "'ekev' asher..."
יז כִּי-בָרֵךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ, וְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה אֶת-זַרְעֲךָ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְכַחוֹל, אֲשֶׁר עַל-שְׂפַת הַיָּם; וְיִרַשׁ זַרְעֲךָ, אֵת שַׁעַראֹיְבָיו.
17 that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
יח וְהִתְבָּרְכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ, כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ, עֵקֶב, אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלִי.
The psukim there hint of two other aspects related to the yaakov/esav story: the ascendancy of Avraha'm descendants (from 'be yitschak yikarie lecha zara' we get both y and esav, so it is potential for conflict), over their enemies, which is reminiscent of 'rav yaavod tsa'ir'.
And saying Sha'ar oivov, its (other?/gate) enemies is hint at se'ier.
So we have ekev = yaakov, shaar = seir = esav, and
וְיִרַשׁ זַרְעֲךָ, אֵת שַׁעַר אֹיְבָיו.
וְהִתְבָּרְכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ, כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ
= 'rav yaavod tsa'ir'
..................................................................
Commentators remark on thassymetry: yaakov's name is clearly implied in the pasuk form his aciton, but esav's name doesn;t seem to follow directly. we would ahve expected Edom or Se'ir,both of which are indeed mentioned later.
וַיֵּצֵא הָרִאשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹנִי, כֻּלּוֹ כְּאַדֶּרֶת שֵׂעָר; וַיִּקְרְאוּ שְׁמוֹ,עֵשָׂו.
כו וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן יָצָא אָחִיו, וְיָדוֹ אֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו, וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ,יַעֲקֹב
..
וישלח יעקב מלאכים לפניו, אל-עשו אחיו, ארצה שעיר, שדה אדום.
ויאמר יעקוב, אל-רבקה אימו: הן עשיו אחי איש שעיר, ואנוכי איש חלק
וישב עשו בהר שעיר, עשו הוא אדום. ט ואלה תלדות עשו, אבי אדום, בהר, שעיר.
....
Joke: i used to like music by Esav Base
…………