Episode Details

 It is
nearly impossible to understand what the Torah is trying to teach us by simply
reading an English translation. There’s so much nuance and detail within the
selection of each Hebrew word which include the intrinsic properties of the word chosen.
While in English, a word has a meaning, which we can look up in the dictionary,
in Hebrew, using Lashon HaKodesh, each word is a combination of the building
blocks of creation made up of the Hebrew alphabet where even the letters chosen
for the words convey a message. 

Although
Hashem is one, and never changing, our perception of G-d varies on our end, and
although in English, we might see the translation of God as the Lord or the Creator,
in Hebrew, the specific name conveys much more than a synonym for Hashem. 

We
see this in the opening verse of this week’s portion where we translate to” and
God said, and he says to Moses I am God”. But without looking at the word the
Torah uses denoting speech, and without looking at the word or the name used
for G-d, we really miss so much. 

Until
this point the Torah has told us that G-d spoke to Moses, I believe, 18 times
And each of those times it uses the verb, AMAR. 

The
opening verb use this portion is in the form DABER,. What’s the difference
between these two forms? The former (AMAR) denotes, a soft language, while the
latter (DABER) denotes a harsh language. if one pays attention to this
throughout the Torah, examining which form of the verb is used to denote
speech, one can then understand so much more of the context, And of the deep
message being conveyed to us by the Torah. 

Even
more than the differences in the verb, ‘to speak’, is what we learn based on
the name of God, which is used in the verse. The opening words denote a harsh
speech and G-d is called ELOKIM. This is the name of God which denotes an
aspect of judgment. Contrast this with the latter part of the first verse which
denotes soft speech and uses the name HAVAYA, which denotes mercy. 

There
are many more names that are used and things change when letters are added to
one of the names, for example HAELOKIM modified ELOKIM in many ways.  

This
class explores the names, the numerical values of the names and the message
from the Torah to us in a single verse, which can help us at least on an
intellectual level deal with many of the difficulties we face in life. We say
on an intellectual level because it is very difficult often on an emotional
level to override emotions with intellect even though it’s probably something
we should try to do. 

Many
lessons come to us through the fulfillment of the commandments, as ordered by
the Torah. We can always say that we are doing this, or we are fulfilling that
commandment, because we were simply told to do so, but on a practical level
there is tremendous value in trying to understand what lies below the command
to perform a specific action. Every action has a purpose that extends beyond
the commandment itself, often to inspire us, to teach us, and then to allow an
action below to cause a reaction above. We have to realize that God infused
within each of us a tremendous power; where our actions below impact the Cosmos
above. 

We
see this also, in the stories that the Torah brings to us. Heaven forbid, we
should ever look at the Torah as a storybook, or a history book. These stories
also have tremendous and deep underlying concepts and messages, and all of the
actions that our forefathers did, which are described in these stories cause
reaction which we would feel many years later. This is part of the secret of
when the rabbis tell us that Ma’aseh Avot, Siman Labanim - the actions of the
forefathers are a sign for their children. The mo