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     By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

Our study is in the loving memory of the Horvat Mishpacha that died in the Holocaust.  May they rest in peace.

The Letter x {ydIx; Tzaddi} is a symbol of righteousness.  qyDIxæ {Tzaddik} means righteous, just, pious, honest and upright individual.  The Letter w {ww... Vav} is the symbol of completion.  The Vav is a connecting letter that attaches to many words of Ha Tenach.  Together the Tzaddi and the Vav spell wxæ meaning Command.  The Gematria of Tzav is 96.  However when we extend the Gematria to include the spelling for each Letter the Gematria of Tzav increases to 116.  This is significant because the full spelling of Tzav {116} demonstrates how the Command was extended over a number of generations.  Our Sages teach when Ha Torah Uses the word Tzav instead of T;r"mæa; Aw-Mah-Ri-Taw {Say} or rBæDæ De-Bayr {Speak}, it is in reference to the present generation and future generations.  It is to be guarded scrupulously.

wxæ

x = 104 = y 10  d 4 x 90

w = 12 = w 6 w 6

116 = 104 + 12

Why is 116 significant?

Midrash Vayikra Rabbah teaches in the name of R. Nehemiah that the fire in the Altar of  Moshe burned for 116 years yet the thin copper layer did not melt nor was the wooden structure charred. Rashash says:

  39 years in the BaMidbar

  14 years in Gigal

  13 years in Nob

  50 years in Gibeon

------------------------------------

116 years total

Rabbi Dr. H. Freedman, Midrash Rabba Leviticus  (New York, NY: The Soncino Press 1983) p 97

Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz and Rabbi Nosson Scherman The Artscroll Tanach Series - Vayikra Volume 3a (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, Ltd. 1989), p 100

The Gematria of wxæ {Tzav} is 96.  Ha Torah Says, And Hashem Spoke to Moshe, Saying Command Aharon and his sons...  Moshe Rabbeinu would have been the Kohen Godal of B'nei Yisroel but he argued with the Creator about who would lead B'nei Yisroel.  So the Creator selected his brother Aharon.  So when Moshe is Commanded we observe the door closing on him being the Kohen Godal.  This is represented by ha;xe which means to go out or to get out.  This is

what happened to Moshe after the original seven days in the Mishkon.  He was out as Kohen Godal and Aharon was in as Kohen Godal. 

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel

         By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

hw:hylæ hj;n"mi Bær"q; byrIq]tæAyKi vp,n<w"

Parshat Vayikra Vayikra

Our study is in the loving memory of the Horvat Mishpacha that died in the Holocaust.  May they rest in peace.

I am again drawn to the words {And when a soul draws near with a meal offering to Hashem}, Vayikra 2.1

(Leviticus). when studying Parshat Vayikra Vayikra.

byrIq]tæ  Tah-Kih-Reet to draw near [with an offering...]

712 = b2 y10 r200 q100 t400

tv,by"  Yihv-Sheht [the earth /sin] dried up / Yih-Ba-Sheht his shame [left]

712 = t400 v300 b2 y10

Notice the third word of the Original Text. The Tav is in black.  The Kuf, Reish, Yod and Bet are in blue. Even though the Letter Tav is part of the word Tah-Kih-Reet in HaTorah the Letter Tav is added.  The Tav is normally not part of the word. Why?  The Letter Tav is the last letter in the word twOa Oht means sign. Frequently throughout Ha Torah the Letter Tav is added to the beginning of a word to draw our attention to the fact that we should stop.  Pay attention!  Mine here!  Examine here!  This is one of many purposes for the Tav being added to a word.  Another reason is to change the Gematria of a word. Normally Kih-Reet would be the Gematria 312 but because the Tav is added the Gematria changes to 712.  

In Bereisheit 8.7 (Genesis) we notice the first word in Ha Torah with the Gematria of 712. Yihv-Sheht which means to dry up. Ha Torah Tells us Noach sent the raven out of the Tava {Ark} in search of dry land.  The raven returned to the Tava because he could not find any dry land.  There is a similarity between Tah-Kih-Reet (to draw near) and Yihv-Sheht (to dry up). The similarity depends upon the intent of the first Letter of Yihv-Sheht. If we were to isolate the Letter Yud the root word would be Ba-Sheht meaning shame. The meaning would then represent his shame in reference to the raven's shame.  Then the meaning of HaTorah in Bereisheit 8.7 would be, He sent out the raven and it went out, going to and fro until the water [removed] his shame.  Now we know the raven experienced shame because the raven was one of three who copulated on the Tava.  The three were Chawm, the dog and the raven.[1]  In addition we know that water represents Ha Torah.  This being the situation the meaning of HaTorah in Bereisheit 8.7 would be, He sent out the raven and it went out, going to and fro until [Ha Torah removed] his shame.  Remember Ha Torah Has the power to restore the soul.  So the connection I see is that the Letter Tav is at the front of Tah-Kih-Reet standing like a door open to teshuva {repentance}.  The Tav is at the end of Yihv-Sheht which we are now translating as Yih-Ba-Sheht meaning his shame. When Ha Torah Works in the life of a sinner it's like his shame leaves through the back door.  Now if one were to choose not to agree with this mystical interpretation that is fine.  One could still say that the water / Ha Torah which washed away the sinners of the first world was absorbed into the earth.  In other words, the end result is the same.  Sin was dried up. The point is that the one who draws near to the altar with a meal offering for their sins has the comfort of knowing his shame is absorbed in the fire offering. His sin is dried up.  The raven was looking for a place of shelter from the judgment brought upon the world due to sin (dry land). Drawing near the Meez-Bayach {altar} with a meal offering for sin brings about that shelter.

byrIq]tæ  Tah-Kih-Reet to draw near [with an offering...]

712 = b2 y10 r200 q100 t400

tv,by"  Yihv-Sheht [the earth /sin] dried up / Yih-Ba-Sheht his shame [left]

712 = t400 v300 b2 y10

When Ha Torah uses the word  vp,n≤ Neh-Fehsh one should remember the At Bash is bwOf Tov which means good, agreeable.  From earth the soul of the poor, the destitute draws near the altar. Our Sages teach that the significance of bringing a meal offering is like offering one's own soul.  

There is a ladder that stretches from earth to Ha Shemayim (the Heavens). We call this At Bash. It's a transformation of letters from earth to Heaven and from Heaven to earth. On earth it is the soul of the poor, the destitute. However, as one climbs each rung of the ladder toward HaShemayim (the Heavens), the word changes from Nefesh to Tov. It's like saying this is good, this is agreeable. What is good? What is agreeable? The meal offering.  The word Tov is a blessing from the Creator like dew descending upon the soul of the one who brings the meal offering.  the offering from the Heavenly ladder that extends to earth the Neh-Fesh (the soul) that draws near the altar with a meal offering it is good!

vpn Neh-Fehsh {Soul} - AT BASH - v = b  p = w  n = f  bwf Tov {Good Agreeable}

Authors note: To any Christians who might be reading this discussion I was surprised to notice the KJV translators used the word meat instead of meal for hj;n"mi .  I believe this was a deliberate misrepresentation of the Truth.  It would be worthwhile to investigate why they did this?  NIV and other Christian translations got it right.  I also noticed that Strong's Concordance does not give a reference number for this word.   Hum!  I wonder why?

[1] Rabbi Moshe Weissman, The Midrash Says (Brooklyn, New York:  Benei Yakov Publications 1980), p. 97

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