7.11.2011

Reappearing Light

"The perpetual light in the Mishkan was typical of the light of King Messiah." ~ Leviticus Rabba 31

"As you brought Me the perpetual light in the Temple, says G-d unto Israel, so will I bring unto you Him, Messiah, who is the personification of light, 'the sun of righteousness' promised through Malachi."
~ Midrash Tanhuma Tetzava

"The great gifts of G-d, of which Adam was deprived by reason of his sin and fall, light being one of them, will all be restored through Messiah, who will appear from the North and rebuild the Temple in the South." ~ Numbers Rabba 13

6 comments:

  1. Luke,

    Baruch HaShem!!! John 8:12 Moshiach said "I Am the Light of the world"

    Gen.1:3 "Let there be Light", this Light is the Infinite Light of Moshiach!

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  2. Indeed! I knew you'd like that.

    "In Him was the life, and the life was the light of men." Jhn 1:4

    "And the city had no need of the sun, nor of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of G-d gives it its light and its light is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it." Rev 21:23,24

    It's going to be so incredibly awesome!

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  3. This tends to support the mystic interpretation of a connection between the Divine Presence and the Messiah being a manifestation of the Divine in our universe.

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  4. Yes, James, you' re right - it certainly does. I was surprised to find these, actually, with much of what I see to the contrary in modern Jewish thought, but you're absolutely right.

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  5. Great, you guys are correct!

    Listen to these:

    Rabin b. R. Adda says in the name of R. Isaac: How do you know that the Holy One, blessed be He, is to be found in the Synagogue? For it is said: God standeth in the congregation of God. (Psalm 82:1) And how do you know that if ten people pray together the Divine presence is with them? For it is said: ‘G-d standeth in the congregation of G-d’. And how do you know that if three are sitting as a court of judges the Divine Presence is with them? For it is said: In the midst of the judges He judgeth. (Psalm 82:1) And how do you know that if two are sitting and studying the Torah together the Divine Presence is with them? For it is said: Then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name. (Malachi 3:16) (What does it mean: ‘And that thought upon His name’? — R. Ashi says: If a man thought to fulfill a commandment and he did not do it, because he was prevented by force or accident, then the Scripture credits it to him as if he had performed it.) And how do you know that even if one man sits and studies the Torah the Divine Presence is with him? For it is said: In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come unto thee and bless thee. (Exodus 22:21) Now, since the Divine presence is even with one man, why is it necessary to mention two? — The words of two are written down in the book of remembrance, the words of one are not written down in the book of remembrance. Since this is the case with two, why mention three? — I might think the dispensing of justice is only for making peace, and the Divine Presence does not come to participate. Therefore he teaches us that justice also is Torah. Since it is the case with three, why mention ten? — To a gathering of ten the Divine Presence comes first, to three, it comes only after they sit down. (Berachoth 6a)


    When two scholars are amiable to each other in their discussions in halachah, the Holy One, blessed be He, gives heed to them, for it is said, Then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard. (Malachi 3:16) Shabbath 63a

    When two scholars pay heed to each other in halachah, the Holy One, blessed be He, listens to their voice, as it is said, Thou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken to thy voice: Cause me to hear it. (Song of Solomon 8:13) But if they do not do thus, they cause the Shechinah to depart from Israel, as it is said, Flee, my beloved, and be thou like, etc. (Song of Solomon 8:14). Shabbath 63a.

    When two disciples form an assembly in halachah, the Holy One, blessed be He, loves them, as it is said, and his banner over me was love. (Song of Solomon 2:4). Shabbath 63a.



    [T]wo that sit together and are occupied in words of Torah have the Shechinah among them ... [T]hree that have eaten at one table, and have said over it words of Torah, are as if they had eaten of the table of the place, blessed is He, for it is said, And he said unto me, This is the table that is before the Lord. (Pirke Aboth 3)

    Now connect this with the understanding:

    "For where two or three come together in My name, there Am I with them." - (Matthew 18:20).

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  6. Awesome thoughts, to be sure. Thanks so much for sharing all this, Rey.

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