Glossary of Terms Used in the Re’eh Weekly Torah Portion

Blessing

If we want to reach the quality of bestowal, the light affects us and builds that quality in us.

Curse

The opposite of a blessing. If a person wishes to have the intention to receive, to exploit others, to receive from them, that person suffers blows that teach him that he should be the opposite. It always works that way.

A Must, as Opposed to a Prohibition

Correction as opposed to corruption. It is forbidden to be in the egotistical will to receive. Rather, it is “a must” to correct it into a desire with the aim to bestow.

Place

A “place” is a desire. There are no actual places; the world we are in is called an “imaginary place.” It seems to us that we are in a place in space, in a universe, but the truth is that it is a desire of the Creator, where we perceive certain phenomena.

Temple

A Mikdash (Temple) comes from the word Kadosh (holy). This means blessing, bestowal, love of others, anything that is outside a person is called Temple. Within us is only a point. When we connect to others, our attitude toward them builds in them a Temple. A person should come to the Temple and enter it.

A “Temple” is all the desires of others toward which we are in bestowal. We bring them contributions or tithing; we come there with all our gifts, with the “holy ones.” We can bestow upon others anything we want. We bring offerings and do this work. The offerings are very important because by giving to others, we bring ourselves closer to bestowal.

Prophecy

This is a special degree that the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lozzatto) wrote about in his beautiful style in the book, The Way of the Lord. He elaborates there all the ways to achieve the degrees of bestowal, one of which is prophecy.

Is this something that exists in every person along the way?

It exists in everyone and anyone can achieve it.

Kashrut

With each of our desires that were corrupted, we make various scrutinies. We cut and arrange them in such a way that we can use them with the aim to bestow. This is considered making them Kosher.

Shmita (Remission)

Shmita is like the Sabbath. After a certain number of degrees, a person takes a break at a stop, performs a correction, and moves on after seven years.

Three Regalim (Pilgrimages)

The three Regalim are NHY, HGT, HBD that we go through Ibur-Yenika-Mochin (conception-nursing-adulthood) in our connections. We go through these three stops, corrections, and then reach the end of correction.