Well....it’s happened again...I'm at the emergency room 😩
Yesterday was not a good day. I decided to try horse back riding yesterday evening to relax. It turned out to be a mistake! I got on the horse and started out slowly, but then we went a little faster; before I knew it, we were going as fast as the horse could go. The horse made a sudden jerk and rared up, and I couldn't hold on. I fell off, but my foot got caught in the stirrup. The horse kept bucking and running, and was dragging me and wouldn't stop. Thank goodness the manager of the grocery store came out and unplugged the machine. But then he had the nerve to take the rest of my quarters so I wouldn't attempt to drive the Batmobile, and told me to stay away from the motorized handicap carts.
If you actually read what I wrote, copy and paste for someone else to smile about.

Rebbe Nachman taught: Man draws his life force from God’s attribute of Malkhut [Kingship], which is the very root of existence. For Malkhut is the aspect of Ruach HaKodesh, the level of (Esther 5:1) “And Esther dressed in Malkhut,” concerning which our Sages noted (Megillah 14b), it is not written “’dressed in clothes of Malkhut’ but ‘dressed in Malkhut,’ alluding to the fact that Ruach HaKodesh had descended upon Esther.”

This is so cool for this week's Parashah


Parashat Pinchas 25: 11 "Phineas the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the Kohen, turned back My anger from the Israelites when he zealously avenged Me in their midst, so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My vengeance."

Phineas

We read Parashat Pinchas and Parashat Matot during the Three Weeks, as these Torah portions reflect the themes of this time period. The destruction of the Temple began on the Seventeenth of Tammuz, when the Jews made the golden calf that concealed Divine Will. Phineas, through his zealotry for God, revealed Divine Will. Furthermore, Parashat Pinchas speaks of the sacrifices brought on the Festivals, which also reveal Divine Will by way of the miracles that occurred on those days.

Parashat Matot speaks of vows, which allow a person to single-handedly transform what is permitted into what is prohibited. This shows the power of free choice, which one can use to reveal God’s Will (Likutey Halakhot I, p. 290-146a).

Phineas…turned back My anger…so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My vengeance

The justice of man is harsher than that of Heaven. Therefore, when Phineas pursued Zimri, the Divine judgments ceased—not only against Zimri, who had instigated the evil, but against all of the Jews who had sinned. But Phineas actually did a great favor for the Jews, for he tricked the Divine judgments into thinking that he would exact even greater vengeance than they, and possibly even destroy the Jews altogether, God forbid. In fact, Phineas was a most compassionate person. His goal was not to destroy the entire nation, but only the instigator of the evil, which would be sufficient to turn away God's anger and bring an end to the Divine judgments. By assuming the mantle of vengeance, Phineas actually eased the judgments from the Jews, so that God could say, "I did not destroy the Jews in My vengeance." Phineas transformed ChaMaTI (חמתי, My anger) into MaChiTI (מחתי, I have wiped away), as in "I have wiped away your sins like a cloud" (Isaiah 44: 22) (Likutey Moharan I, 241).

Phineas…turned back My anger…Take a census of the entire Israelite community…The Land should be divided among these Phineas stood up and prayed (Psalms 106: 30).

Phineas effected compassion for the Jews with his prayers. One who arouses the power of prayer invokes the merit of the tzaddikim; their merit leads us to the Holy Land and allows for the revelation of the Act of Creation. Therefore the Torah’s description of Phineas’deed is immediately followed by the census of the Israelite families, whom God testifies are all tzaddikim (Rashi on Numbers 26: 5), which is immediately followed by the laws of inheriting the Land (Likutey Halakhot II, p. 24-13a). 25: 12

"Therefore say: 'Behold! I am giving him My covenant of peace.'" I am giving him My covenant of peace…a covenant of eternal priesthood


Originally, God intended to have the priesthood come from Shem. But because Shem blessed Abraham before blessing God (see Genesis 14: 19-20), the priesthood was taken from Shem and given to Abraham (Nedarim 32b). As a result of avenging Zimri’s immorality, Phineas attained the quality of “love" associated with Abraham. Love and peace are synonymous. Thus, Phineas attained the "covenant of peace…a covenant of eternal priesthood" (Likutey Moharan I, 34: 7; ibid., I, 34: 9).

I am giving him My covenant of peace... a covenant of eternal priesthood

Phineas was granted the priesthood because he avenged for God’s sake and revealed God’s Will. Avenging God's Will is considered charity, as it defeats the manifestation of other wills. Therefore Phineas was granted the priesthood, for the Kohen wears the priestly garments that reveal God’s Will (as in Exodus 28: 2) (Likutey Halakhot I, p. 290).

I am giving him My covenant of peace... a covenant of eternal priesthood

The priesthood represents peace, as the Kohanim offer the sacrifices that make peace between God and the Jewish people. This is especially true of the Kohen Gadol, whose devotions on Yom Kippur bring peace between God and the Jews, for He forgives their sins (Likutey Halakhot II, p. 169a). 26: 5


Reuben was Israel's firstborn. The descendants of Reuben were the Chanokhite family from Chanokh, the Paluite family from Palu. The Chanokhite family The other nations derided the Jews, saying: "How can these trace their lineage by their tribes? If the Egyptians ruled over their bodies, surely they controlled their wives, too!" To silence their claim, God added His Holy Name to their names—a hei (ה) on one side and a yod (י) on the other—to say: "I testify that they are the sons of their fathers!" (Rashi). This indicates that because the Jews guarded the covenant, God placed His Name upon them (Likutey Moharan I, 36: 6). Y-H( י-ה),

Rabbi Nachman's Torah

Mashiach corresponds both to prayer and to the nose (Likutey Moharan II, 1:12; see also above, Chapters 25 and 29). Scripture tells us that Mashiach’s exceptional power will stem from his nose, as in (Isaiah 11:3), “He will breathe the fear of God.” This means that his vitality will be obtained through his nose, with every breath he takes. In addition, our Sages teach (Sanhedrin 93b), “Mashiach will be able to ‘smell’ deceit and to adjudicate by his sense of smell.” As we have seen, prayer is compared to the nose; the main weapon which Mashiach will use to conquer the world and to administer true justice will be not the sword, artillery or any other physical weapon but prayer (Likutey Moharan I, 2:1). Rebbe Nachman tells us that everyone has a “nose and a sense of smell” which reflect, on a personal level, the “nose and sense of smell” of Mashiach. Thus, each person has within himself a tiny portion of Mashiach, and by engaging in sincere prayer, he can arouse and cultivate this portion, thereby hastening Mashiach’s arrival. This is yet another compelling reason for us to guard ourselves against immorality, for immoral thoughts and behavior lead to difficulty in prayer and thereby blemish one’s aspect of Mashiach (see also Mashiach: Who? What? Why? How? Where? and When?, Chapter 7, for a more detailed explanation).- Anatomy of the soul

Cup of Joe with Jo is tomorrow at 12:45pm CDT. Women of A-T...join us for a time of relaxation, visiting, sharing, etc. Just us ladies enjoying each other's company and getting to know each other better. Hope to see many of you there!

wow this is a tough read....Thoughts comments? Mishnah Torah repentance chapter 3

When the vices and virtues of man are weighed neither the first nor the second time is taken into consideration, but from the third time onward; if his vices from the third time onward exceed his virtues, then those two transgressions, too are added, and he is tried on all; but if his virtues balance his vices from the third transgression onward, all of his transgressions are wiped off one by one, as the third transgression is counted as the first for the two long since had been forgiven, so is the fourth considered thereafter first, as the third long since had been forgiven, and this way till end of the transgressions. That is saying concerning an individual, of whom it is said: "Lo, all these things does God work, twice, yea thrice, with a man" (Job. 33. 29): but concerning a congregation, the first, second and third transgression is held suspended over them, even as it is said: "Thus saith the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel, yea, for four, I will not reverse it" (Amos. 2. 6) and when the reckoning comes up, the reckoning is made even in this manner, i. e. from the fourth transgression and onward. The intermediary category, if there be among the half of their transgressions such sins as never having put on phylacteries, each one is judged according to his transgressions, but has a share in the World to Come. Even so are the wicked whose vices are more than their virtues judged according to their transgressions but have a share in the World to Come; for all Israel have a share in the World to Come, even as it is said: "Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever" (Is. 60. 21). So, too, do the righteous of among the nations of the world have a share in the World to Come.7

6

And, the following are they that have no share in the World to Come but suffer excision and loss of identity, and are damned for ever and ever for their exceeding wickedness and sinfulness: atheists, infidels, traducers of the Torah, dissenters of resurrection and the coming of a Redeamer, apostates, enticers of many to sin, seceders from the congregation, a public perpetrator of sins emulating Jehoiakim,8 informers, leaders who cast fear upon the congregation not for the sake of God, shedders of blood by defaming people in public, evil-tongued people, he who abolishes circumcision.9

7

There are five categories of atheists;10 (1) he who says that there is no God and no Omnipotence; (2) he who says that there is an Omnipotence but that there are two or more such; (3) he who says that there is One Lord; but that He is corporeal and has a form; (4) Likewise one who says that He alone is not the First Cause and Creator of all; (5) likewise he who worships a star, or planet, or any other as a mediator between him and the Lord of the universe; every one of these five is an atheist.13

8

There are three categories of infidels: (1) he who says that prophecy is altogether an invention, and that no knowledge reaches the heart of the sons of man from the Creator; (2) he who denies the prophecy of Moses our Master; (3) and he who says that the Creator knoweth not the affairs of the sons of man; every one of these three is an infidel. There are three categories of Torah traducers: (1) he who says that the Torah is not God given, even if he says that a single Verse or one word thereof was spoken by Moses on his own authority is, indeed, a traducer of the Torah; (2) he who denies its Oral explanation, that is the Oral Torah, or its exponents, even as Zaduk and Bythos did;14 (3) he who says that the Creator commuted this Duty for another duty and that the Torah had been nullified long ago though it really was God given; every one of these three is a traducer of the Torah.15

Whereas the Angel of Eisav fights against the Jewish people for its own survival and way of life, the Angel of Yishmael fights for Eretz Yisroel out of extreme jealousy. Eisav is about material desire, but Yishmael is about pride and religious status, and the Jewish people interfere with both. This shifts the battle from Moshiach Ben Yosef to Moshiach Ben Dovid:Once the materialistic aspect and desires are removed from them, then the yetzer hara of pride and status gets stronger. It is against this that Moshiach Ben Dovid, which is Dovid HaMelech—the leader of those who humbled themselves—comes, to humble them for the service of God, may His Name be blessed. (Shem M’Shmuel, Parashas Vayishlach 5671)

It's Wednesday! That means "Cup of Joe with Jo" is today at 12:45pm CDT. Join the women of A-T for a relaxing time of visiting. Bring your knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, etc., and relax for a while with us. See you there!

@rick-barnes did you receive the email with instructions for accessing your Office 365 account?