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October 3, 2024

Glossary – Shemot (Exodus) Parsha – Weekly Torah Portion

Moses

Moses is the force within us that pulls us out of this world and into the spiritual one.

Burning Bush

The burning bush is Malchut that rises to Bina and receives the light of Hochma.

Pharaoh

Pharaoh is the entirety of our ego. The word Pharaoh comes from the word Oref (back of the neck), which is the posterior of our will to receive. The will to receive is a substance; it is all the substance of Creation. That substance can aim toward its own benefit, but it can also aim toward the benefit of others, depending on how we use it.

For now we are receiving it, as it is written, “I have created the evil inclination” (Kidushin, 30b), as Pharaoh. We must turn it into the good inclination through the spice of Torah, which is the upper light we draw through the study. This is how we shift from hatred of others to love of others.

Nile

The Nile is all of Egypt’s wisdom. It is written, “There is wisdom in the nations, believe” (Midrash Rabah, Eicha, Portion 2). Israel are small, the least of all the nations. They do not have the power of wisdom (Hochma), the great desire. They only have the force of bestowal, love. The Nile symbolizes all of Egypt’s wisdom; from there they derive wisdom.

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3 Comments »

  Debra Ward wrote @ December 20th, 2013 at 11:44 am

Are we supposed to hate ego/pharaoh? There is a lot of confusion or contradicting videos/discussions about this.

I understand that we are not to ‘hate’ anything since ultimately, there is none else besides Him.

Please advise, Thank you, Debra

  Ev.Nicholas Bakal wrote @ June 20th, 2016 at 3:54 pm

I want to understand it

  Ogu Ome wrote @ March 24th, 2017 at 11:03 pm

The Creator created the will to receive from non existence. Clear. You posit that this will at end of creation has mind. Does it then infer that first will to receive has no mind or that it was acquired in the journey through creation? And particularly from the experience of bestowals.

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