In Tikkunei Zohar 9b it states that for each Hebrew month, there is a different permutation (“tziruf“) of the holy name YHVH.
There are a total of 12 unique ways that the four letters with two repeated can be arranged (i.e. YHVH, YHHV, YVHH, HVHY, HVYH, HHVY, VHYH, VHHY, VYHH, HYHV, HYVH, HHYV) and each month has its unique combination.
Here’s some more from Reb Zalman on tziruf:
The following text by Reb Zalman is from this week’s Torah portion, Shabbos Vayak’hel. (Click here for Hebrew/English version).
(Exodus 35:30) “See, Hashem has called” (Bezalel).
In Targum Onkelos, this phrase was translated into Aramaic as chazo d’rabei Hashem / “See, Hashem has raised up” (Bezalel), i.e., the calling of this man by Hashem was on the level of personal growth, similar to the way one helps a child grow, i.e. to learn to develop one’s strengths and feel confident about a particular task.
And whoever has sensed that Hashem yisborach appointed hir to a particular assignment has certainly been given the strength, the ability, the sense and the tools to complete it. And thus, all hir thoughts are on the level of Machshavah Tovah / a good thought because Hashem yisborach refines it into a good deed, to do all milechet machashevet / intentional work.
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
from Yishmiru Daat (2009 revision),
“Parashat Vayak’hel,” pp. 33
The following text by Reb Zalman is from this week’s Torah portion, Shabbos Ki Tisa. (Click here for Hebrew/English version). [Notes by Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor]:
“When you lift up the heads (i.e. take the sum) of the children of Israel according to their count, let each one give to Hashem an atonement for hir soul when they are counted, etc.” (Exodus 30:12)
[NOTE: Reb Zalman begins by noting a similarity between the counting of the census, (cf Rashi on Exodus 30:15), and the counting of worshippers in a minyan.]
Through the minyan of davenners in which they count those of Klal Yisrael who make a minyan / quorum of worshippers, they do it through lifting the heads
[NOTE: Think of “lifting the heads” in this regard as “raising the consciousness” or awareness.]
of all the children of Israel who came. For in a minyan, it is, as the quote says, (Chronicles II 17:6), “And hir heart was lifted up” through knowing Hir, for in the ways of Havaye, worshippers see themselves together with every Jew and one enters, because of this, into a sense of (Psalms: 47:5) “the pride of Yaakov.”
[NOTE: This piece is based upon many double entendres, in this case, being lifted up and being counted. Both derive from the root, נשא nun-sin-aleph, with a primary meaning of lifting up, (cf., Genesis 40:13, “Yisa Pharaoh Et Roshecha” / Pharaoh will lift up your head.) In the context of our text, Tisa Et Rosh is understood as “Taking the sum,” or counting.]
The following text by Reb Zalman is from this week’s Torah portion, Shabbos Terumah. (Click here for Hebrew/English version). [Notes by Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor]:
“And have them take for me an offering” (Exodus 25:2)
[NOTE: The word “offering” is a translation of Terumah, the name of this week’s portion. The word comes from the root רום (reish-vav-mem) which means height. In ancient time, the sacrifice was raised by the priest in an up-down direction. Tenufah, another ritual, had the sacrifice moved side to side.]
They should take the “Me,”
[NOTE: The word לי can be read as “for me” as in the text, or it can be read as the direct object, as in “Have them take Me.]
which is continually with them,
[NOTE: In the innermost I-am-that-I-am-ness, the nominative of the nominative has havaye manifesting in each one of us.]
which will effect a raising to Hashem –
“You shall take Terumati / My heave offering / the raising of Me” (ibid.)
[NOTE: Being in God’s presence creates a kind of inner-elevator which in turn sends blessings toward heaven which are accepted by God as Terumah / heave offerings.]
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
from Yishmiru Daat (2009 revision),
“Parashat Terumah,” p. 32
The following text by Reb Zalman is from this week’s Torah portion, Shabbos Mishpatim. (Click here for Hebrew/English version). [Notes by Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor]:
Positive commandments are time-bound, for with all positive commandments that are dependent on time, the responsibility isn’t fulfilled unless one does it at the particular time specified. However, with the negative commandments, the observance has greater frequency for they are fulfilled constantly all 365 days of the year on the level of “return to God” and “Don’t do them.”
[NOTE: When we “just say no” to something that is disallowed in our Torah, we show the Creator our willingness to be good Jews, an opportunity for all, regardless of on-going traditional discussion on time-bound Mitzvot which they say are required only of males.]
If his master gives him a wife, etc., (Exodus 21:4)… the woman and her children – and he left alone.
[NOTE: (cf. Rashi). The text is understood as referring to a Hebrew slave and a non-Hebrew, (i.e., Canaanite), wife also a slave. When the period of servitude is over, the Hebrew slave goes out by himself, without his wife and children.]
The following text by Reb Zalman is from this week’s Torah portion, Shabbos Beshalach. (Click here for Hebrew/English version). [Notes by Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor]:
“And Miriam answered them.” (Exodus 15:21).
[NOTE: The traditional interpretation of this text is that Miriam and the women respond with another song. Here, Reb Zalman reads the Hebrew literally as a mamash answer to a question.]
What question did she answer? It was the question: “How are they reaching for that inspired song and giving of thanks, for thanking Hashem regarding the miracle of the splitting of the waters?”
Ah! The answer is spoken through the feet, in dance. (And working it through the dances, they can sort out much (Jeremiah 15:19) to bring forth “worthy, not worthless” words, for regarding the laws of Shabbos, ham’raked / one sifts through them.)
[NOTE: A secondary meaning of reish–kuf–daled, רקד, to dance, is “to sift”. So we can sometimes dance out our prayers. And we can also dance with the laws of Shabbos as we sort things out.
This emphasizes praying on all the levels, not just the intellectual one. The prayer will be raised to a higher place if the body is engaged. (Oy, there was some great praying at the last Aleph Kallah with Rabbis and dancers Diane Elliot, Shefa Gold, Julie Leavitt and Nadya Gross!)]
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
from Yishmiru Daat (2009 revision),
“Parashat Beshalach,” p. 32
Hanukkah video talk for Santa Barbara, November 2009
by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
Contents
Sacred Time Consciousness
Hanukkah: Not Just for Kids
Lost Sanctity: A Crisis
Sanctuary: Alive and Conscious
Waning Daylight
Elu V’Elu
Miracles and Habits
One’s Own Perspective
The Aesthetic Dimension
Gaian Awareness
Enlightenment
Dreydl
Latkes
Reb Zalman talks about his journey of faith and exploration of other religious traditions in this interview with Patheos CEO and Founder, Leo Brunnick.
Don’t miss this sweet and wonderful talk.
Dear Friends:
Thanksgiving is just about here.
Many of us will have a festive meal.
But the important part is that at this dinner we should invite some needy people so that we might feed them.
It is also important before Birkhat Hamazon, the grace after meals, to count our blessings and to give thanks to God.
Based on the model that we have for Hanukkah and Purim I have written an insert prayer to include both in the Amidah as well as in the Birkhat Hamazon and I offer this as a suggestion for your Thanksgiving celebration. (CLICK HERE FOR A COPY)
Blessings,
Reb Zalman Hiyyah Schachter-Shalomi
The following is a translation of Reb Zalman’s text “On Sukkot” from his Sefer, Yishmiru Daat. The Hebrew/English version is at the bottom. Chag Sameach, Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor
And on Sukkot, the Sefirah of Tiferet lights up. Tiferet is associated with Yaakov, olav hashalom.
[The following is the scriptural basis for this association. Gabbai Seth]
(Genesis 33:17) “And for his cattle, he made Sukkot / booths.”
And the Supernal Guests visit us each of the seven days the Sukkah structure stands,
[Every night, a different guest as follows. Male: 1- Avraham (Chesed), 2- Yitzchak (Gevurah), 3- Yaakov (Tiferet), 4- Moshe (Netzach), 5- Aharon (Hod), 6- Yosef (Yesod), 7- David (Malchut). Female: 1- Miriam (Chesed), 2- Leah (Gevurah), 3- Hannah (Tiferet), 4- Rivka (Netzach), 5- Sarah (Hod), 6- Tamar (Yesod) and 7- Rachel (Malchut).]
as Yaakov grows up into Yisrael Saba, (Zohar I, 236).
[Yaakov was renamed to Yisrael. The term, Yisrael Saba / grandfather Israel, refers to that aspect of Chochmah which we can access. Chochmah is way at the top of the tree and has another aspect that is beyond our access. From the Baumann text: “Each and every partzuf / interface to God is divided into two levels… Partzuf Abba / father is divided into Chochmah and Yisrael Saba.” Think of Yisrael Saba as the exterior of the Sefirah of Chochmah.]