Thursday, January 22, 2026

Yad Yoseph; Genesis 2:25 - 3:7 - Original Sin

בס"ד


The picture conjured up by the sin of Eve is that of a world in its childhood and where its creatures are like innocent children. They are basically good but have weaknesses in character and things to learn, but are not actually evil. 

To a certain extent it is like an anthropomorphic cartoon where human beings interact with animals that talk. It reminds me of one I watched as a child called Top Cat. The plot revolves around a group of cats who talk, walk on two legs, and wear some clothes. The joke is that they are a gang of conniving thieves. Their nemesis is a policeman named Officer Dibble. He’s a fully clothed human being who is on to their tricks and in the end puts a stop to their shenanigans. He mainly causes them embarrassment but does not harm them.

Concerning the sin itself it is as if Eve is like the older child playing teacher and the snake is like the younger child playing the student. Eve is slightly vain but not actually evil. The snake at first glance seems to be merely mischievous but upon examination can be very malevolent. 

The snake is also described as potentially man’s most valuable assistant. It could be that the verse, “He who troubles his own house will inherit wind, And the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted”, (Proverbs 11:29), was written about this situation. The vignette suggests that the snake is learning Torah from man who in turn learned it from Hashem, Himself. Man has a small amount of evil in him while part of the snake is the abode of the evil inclination. One of the tasks of the snake is to test man by suggesting bad ideas that nevertheless are tempting. In this way man grows and the snake becomes a valued servant through the Torah seasoning the evil inclination.

The snake essentially appeals to Eve’s vanity by flattering her into eating the forbidden fruit, saying it will make her into a goddess. This is helped along with shallow thinking and foolish meditation. The fruit looked good but if she thought about it seriously she would quickly and clearly realize that it was not good. On the contrary, it was very bad. 
 
The fruit itself sharpened a person to good and evil. This does not seem to be problematic forbidden knowledge. A lesser sin would be a desire to be judgmental and self-righteous. A heinous sin would be a desire to know evil by actually being evil.

One of the errors of Eve was claiming that God forbade her to touch the tree of knowledge of Good and evil when in fact His only prohibition was against eating of it. There is an aspect of making a fence to the Torah, however it is important to recognize the stringency as being distinct from the mitzvah itself. The Gemara reckons this as a chumra meaning a stringency (Hebrew חוּמְרָא). It also says that anyone who adds to the Torah will come to subtract from it (Sanhedrin 29a). In addition chumras can be a vehicle for vanity יוּהֲרָה (see Gemara Brachos 16b).

In the end we learn that chumras can lead to distortion of God’s word. Distortion of God’s word is facilitated by vanity. Vanity also encourages shallow observation and distorted thinking. A distorted mentality leads to rebelliousness. These things annul fear of heaven which causes evil, misery, and death. 



לע"נ
האבא פייוול בן אהרן זצ"ל ב אדר תשפ"ג
  האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טו ניסן תשנ"ח
העלון ניתן לקבל גם באתר http://dyschreiber.blogspot.com





יד יוסף # 429: בראשית ב':25 - ג':7 - החטא קדמו

 בס"ד

בראשית ב':25 - ג':7

החטא קדמו

התמונה שמעלה חטא חוה היא של עולם בתחלתו, כמו עולם בילדותו יצוריו נראים כמו ילדים תמימים. הם טובים בבסיסם אבל יש להם חולשות אופי ודברים ללמוד, אבל הם לא באמת רעים.


במידה מסוימת זה כמו סרט מצויר אנתרופומורפי שבו בני אדם מקיימים אינטראקציה עם חיות מדברות. זה מזכיר לי סרט שראיתי כילד בשם "חתול עליון". העלילה סובבת סביב קבוצת חתולים שמדברים, הולכים על שתי רגליים ולובשים בגדים מסוימים. הבדיחה היא שהם חבורת גנבים ערמומיים. אויבם הוא שוטר בשם השוטר דיבל. הוא בן אנוש לבוש במלואו שמבין בתחבולות שלהם ובסופו של דבר שם קץ לשטויות שלהם. הוא בעיקר גורם להם מבוכה אבל לא פוגע בהם.


בנוגע לחטא עצמו, זה כאילו חוה היא כמו ילדה גדולה שמשחקת את המורה, והנחש הוא כמו ילד צעיר שמשחק את התלמיד. חוה קצת יהירה אך לא ממש רעה. במבט ראשון הנחש נראה כשובב בלבד, אך בבחינה יכול להיות מרושע מאוד.


הנחש מתואר גם כעוזר הפוטנציאלי היקר ביותר של האדם. ייתכן שהפסוק, "עֹכֵר בֵּיתוֹ, יִנְחַל-רוּחַ; וְעֶבֶד אֱוִיל, לַחֲכַם-לֵב", (משלי יא כי), נכתב על המצב הזה. התמונה מרמזת שהנחש לומד תורה מהאדם, אשר בתורו למד אותה מהשם עצמו. באדם יש כמות קטנה של רע בתוכו, בעוד שחלק מהנחש הוא משכנו של היצר הרע. אחת מתפקידיו של הנחש היא לבחון את האדם על ידי הצעת רעיונות רעים, שבכל זאת מפתים. בדרך זו האדם גדל והנחש הופך למשרת יקר ערך באמצעות התורה המתבלת את היצר הרע.


הנחש פונה למעשה לגאווה של חוה בכך שהוא מחמיא לה לאכול את הפרי האסור, באומרו שזה יהפוך אותה לאלה. חשיבה שטחית ומדיטציה טיפשית עוזרת לכך. הפרי נראה טוב, אבל אם היא תחשוב על זה ברצינות, היא תבין במהירות ובבהירות שהוא לא טוב. להיפך, הוא היה רע מאוד.


הפרי עצמו חידד את האדם לטוב ולרע. זה לא נראה כבעייתי בידע האסור. חטא קל יותר יהיה רצון להיות שיפוטי וצדקני. חטא נורא יהיה רצון לדעת רע על ידי היותו רע בפועל.


אחת הטעויות של חוה הייתה הטענה שאלוקים אסר עליה לגעת בעץ הדעת טוב ורע, בעוד שלמעשה האיסור היחיד שלו היה לאכול ממנו. יש היבט של יצירת גדר לתורה, אולם חשוב להכיר בריחוק הזה כנבדלת מהמצווה עצמה. הגמרא מחשיבה זאת כחומרא. היא גם אומרת שכל מי שמוסיף לתורה יבוא לגרוע ממנה (סנהדרין כט.). בנוסף, חומרות יכולות להיות כלי ליוּהֲרָה (ראה גמרא ברכות טז:).


בסופו של דבר אנו למדים שחומרות יכולות להוביל לעיוות דבר אלוקים. עיוות דבר אלוקים מתאפשר על ידי יהירות. יהירות גם מקלה על התבוננות שטחית וחשיבה מעוותת. מנטליות מעוותת מובילה למרדנות. דברים אלה מבטלים פחד שמים הגורם לרוע, סבל ומוות.




לע"נ
האבא פייוול בן אהרן זצ"ל ב אדר תשפ"ג
  האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טו ניסן תשנ"ח
העלון ניתן לקבל גם באתר http://dyschreiber.blogspot.com



Thursday, September 25, 2025

Fast of Gedalia 5786

The Fast of Gedalia is one of the four fasts instituted by the prophets because of the destruction of the First Temple. After Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the First Temple just about all of the Jews were exiled. However a small remnant of them remained in the Holy Land. The Babylonians appointed Gedalia as their governor. He was not greatly notable but was reckoned as a generally righteous man. He was murdered by a pin headed malevolent Jew. He could have prevented it but basically was a chump. Both the murderer and Gedalia had religious albeit erroneous rationales for their actions.


The surviving Jews were alarmed by the prospect of punitive actions by the Babylonians so they asked the prophet Jeremiah to inquire of God as to the proper actions to take. God responded that if they remained in the land He would take care of them but if they were disobedient and fled He would do horrible things to them. The people upon hearing this immediately accused Jeremiah of lying and fled to Egypt. Egypt was then conquered by the Babylonians who proceeded to torture and kill the Jews there. The final result was that the land of Israel was absolutely devoid of Jews for seventy years.


Eli Tsiyon אלי ציון as sung by Yoseph 

https://youtube.com/shorts/7MSQR0FIeHs?si=ud_vmC47b7AeIiTI







Sunday, September 7, 2025

GONZO PSYCHEDELIC ORTHODOXY

   With Trepidation And Love בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ


GONZO PSYCHEDELIC ORTHODOXY 

Stream of Consciousness, Letters of Thought 


Are we the chosen few? 

  

Igrot Moshe, Yoreh De’ah Vol. 3, Siman 35

Behold, with regard to certain yeshiva students who have begun smoking hash (marijuana), It is obviously forbidden to smoke marijuana, as this violates many basic laws of our Torah.

First of all, it physically injures the person. Even if there are people who are not physically affected by this, it mentally affects the person as it destroys his mind, and prevents him from understanding things properly. This is a terrible thing, since not only can the individual not properly study Torah, he also can not pray and properly perform Mitzvot (commandments), since doing them mindlessly is considered as if they were not done at all.

Furthermore, he is creating within himself a very strong desire (addiction), which is much stronger than the desire to eat, etc. which are necessary for a person to live. There are many that can not control and withstand this desire. This is a very grave prohibition, as we find that a Wayward and Rebellious Son [is killed] (See Deuteronomy 21:18) for creating within himself a very strong desire, even though it is to eat kosher food! How much more so it is forbidden for a person to bring upon himself an even greater desire, especially for something that a person does not need at all...

Additionally, the parents of the person smoking certainly pained by his actions, in which case he is violating the Mitzvah of Kibbud Av V’Em (honoring one's father and mother). He is also violating the Mitzvah of “Kedoshim Ti’Hiyu”(You shall be holy), as explained by the Ramban in his commentary on the Chumash (5 Books of Moses). This also leads him to transgress other prohibitions, besides the actual prohibition of taking drugs. The bottom line is that it is clear and obvious that this is one of the grave prohibitions, and everyone must try with all of their strength to remove this impurity (Tuma’ah) from all Children of Israel.”


סימן לה

איסור עישון סמים

בע״ה. ב׳ דר״ה אייר תשל״ג

מע״כ מוה״ר ירוהם פראם שליט״א.

הנה בדבר אשר התחילו איזה בחורים מהישיבה לעשן חשיש (מעראוואנא), פשוט שהוא דבר אסור מכמה עיקרי דינים שבתורה, חדא שהוא מקלקל ומכלה את הגוף, ואף אם נמצאו אנשים בריאים שלא מזיק להם כל כך אבל מקלקל הוא את הדעת ואינם יכולים להבין דבר לאשורו, שזה עוד יותר חמור שלבד שמונע עצמו מלמוד התורה כראוי, הוא מניעה גם מתפלה וממצות התורה, שעשיה בלא דעת הראוי הוא כלא קיימם.

ועוד שהוא גורם תאוה גדולה אשר הוא יותר מתאות אכילה וכדומה הצריכים להאדם לחיותו, ויש שלא יוכלו לצמצם ולהעביר תאותם, והוא איסור החמור שנאמר בבן סורר ומורה על תאוה היותר גדולה שיש לו לאכילה אף שהוא לאכילת כשרות, וכ"ש שאסור להביא עצמו לתאוה גדולה

עוד יותר ולדבר שליכא שום צורך להאדם בזה שהוא אסור, ואף שלמלקות נימא שאין עונשין מן הדין מ"מ לאיסורא ודאי עובר על לאו זה ואיכא גם הטעם דאיכא בבן סורר ומורה שסופו שילסטם את הבריות כדאיתא בסנהדרין בפ' בן סורר (ס"ח ע"ב).

ועוד שהאב והאם של אלו שמעשנין זה מצטערים מאד אשר עוברין על מצות כבוד אב ואם. ועוד איכא איסור העשה דקדושים תהיו כפירוש הרמב"ן בחומש. וגם הם גורמים לאיסורים הרבה אחרים לבד זה, סוף דבר הוא פשוט וברור שהוא מאיסורים חמורים וצריך להשתדל בכל היכולת להעביר טומאה זו מכל בני ישראל ובפרט מאלו שלומדין בישיבות. והנני ידידו מוקירו, משה פיינשטיין.

והנני דידו מוקירו,

משה פיינשטיין


How did we come to this? This is unacceptable but have we all committed diacide in some form? 


Is this a declaration of war against the prophets and the Torah of Moshe?


Contemplate the number of dead in Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, the narco prison state of El Salvador, Dutarte’s police hysteria.

The number of people who have been killed in the drug wars must be well over a million. All of this just so people don't smoke pot. 


Do the frum have a hand in this madness, are they shills or trumpeters for this madness? They are often the most vitriolic of the opponents of a psychedelics. Why?


Both Shlomo Carlebach and Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi were shlichim for the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who took LSD, and were connected to Timothy Leary. Shlomo became promiscuous. Rabbi Shachter married four times. Both at all times were notable in their devotion to religion. 


The Lubavitcher Rebbe was hostile but more circumspect

By the Grace of G‑d,

20th of Marcheshvan, 5725

[Oct. 26, 1964]

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessings:

I am in receipt of your letter of October 18th, which you write in the name of your friends and in your own behalf, and ask my opinion regarding the new drug called L.S.D., which is said to have the property of mental stimulation, etc.

Biochemistry is not my field, and I cannot express an opinion on the drug you mention, especially as it is still new. However what I can say is that the claim that the said drug can stimulate mystical insight, etc., is not the proper way to attain mystical inspiration, even if it had such a property. The Jewish way is to go from strength to strength, not by means of drugs and other artificial stimulants, which have a place only if they are necessary for the physical health, in accordance with the Mitzva to take care of one’s health. I hope that everyone will agree that before any drugs are taken one should first utilize all one’s natural capacities, and when this is done truly and fully, I do not think there will be a need to look for artificial stimulants.

I trust that you and your group, in view of your Yeshiva background, have regular appointed times for the study of Torah, and the inner aspects of the Torah, namely the teachings of Chassidus, and that such study is in accordance with the principle of our Sages, namely “The essential thing is the deed,” i.e., the actual conduct of the daily life in accordance with the Torah and Mitzvoth, prayer, Teflllin, Kashruth, etc., etc. This is only a matter of will and determination, for nothing stands in the way of the will. I trust that you are also using your good influence throughout your environment.


With blessing,


Somehow I get the impression that he has missed the point.


Promiscuity Nova festival, violent pop festivals 

rebellion especially youth rebellion

It's still an embarrassment.


And if you listen very hard

The tune will come to you at last

When all are one, and one is all

To be a rock and not to roll

And she's buying a stairway to Heaven.

Stairway to Heaven by the Lead Zeppelin 


“LSD is a psychedelic drug which occasionally causes psychotic behavior in people who have NOT taken it.”

― Timothy Leary


“Psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third-story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behavior and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong”. Terence McKenna


Four entered the Pardes. Ben Azzai gazed and died. Ben Zoma went mad. Acher became an apostate. Rabbi Akiva entered in peace and left in peace. See Gemara Hagigah 14b.


And the LORD said to Samuel, “ . . . for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them”. 

1 Samuel 8:7


“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly never enter the kingdom of heaven”. Matthew 5:20


מ״ח א Bava Basra 


״יַקְרִיב אֹתוֹ״ – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכּוֹפִין אוֹתוֹ. יָכוֹל בְּעַל כׇּרְחוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״לִרְצוֹנוֹ״. הָא כֵּיצַד? כּוֹפִין אוֹתוֹ עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר: ״רוֹצֶה אֲנִי״. 

With regard to one who pledges to bring a burnt-offering, the verse states: “If his offering be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish; he shall bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, according to his will, before the Lord” (Leviticus 1:3). The seemingly superfluous phrase “he shall offer it” teaches that they can coerce him to bring the offering. One might have thought that it can be offered entirely against his will, by taking it from his possession and sacrificing it. Therefore, the verse states: “According to his will” (Leviticus 1:3). How can these texts be reconciled? They coerce him with various punishments until he says: I want to bring the offering. This seems to prove that consent resulting from coercion is considered to be valid consent. 


Is this serious? To apply this rationale to the laws concerning divorce is obscene.


Laws of Shabbos, meat and milk, davening, halacha, Talmudic analysis of Scripture

Ridiculous mockery, misunderstood misguided dilution.


If I want to hear the sins of the Jewish people, I can simply read the books of the prophets and listen to Moishe Rabenu screaming his head off.


Albert Hofmann, LSD My Problem Child:

1. "I see the true importance of LSD in the possibility of providing material aid to meditation aimed at the mystical experience of a deeper, comprehensive reality". Final statement of Albert Hofmann in his book "LSD — My Problem Child"

2. The questions raised by hallucinogenic drugs do actually belong in the church — in a prominent place in the church, for they are sacred drugs (peyotl, teonanacatl, ololiuhqui), with which LSD is mostly closely related by chemical structure and activity, (ibid p90).


To say that Rabbi Moishe Feinstein and the Lubavitcher Rebbe were wicked people is not true, on the contrary they were very good people. They were simply very wrong about psychedelics. One can say a similar thing about the Jewish people as a whole. Their rejection of the prophets caused them to reject prophecy as well. To reject the books of the prophets including the five books of Moses, that far they did not go. Their attachment to these works however became blurry, frivolous, and distorted. The Talmud etc. is replete with examples of this.


It could also be that the insanity of the Jewish people towards the prophets caused a revulsion to them and everything prophetic even among the wise and righteous. See Jeremiah 42:1 to 43:8. I’d say this is why we fast on בה”ב and why we don’t observe the winter solstice. See Avodah Zarah Mishna 3:3 concerning Saturnalia. The note in the English edition by Philip Blackman concisely explains it.

Rejection and vilification of Jesus of Nazarath. Calling Jesus the Messiah and the king of the Jews indicates that at some point not only will the Jews accept him but prophecy and psychedelics as well. 


Henry Luce, Aldous Huxley, Steve Jobs, Francis Crick 


Why weren't they intrigued about it in the 1950s?

Why weren't the Jews intrigued about peyote and psilocybin mushrooms after the discovery of America? 

Cannabis sativa is in the Rambam’s pharmacopia.

Why did we lose prophecy altogether? 

Enough of this madness?


Still I’d think that these two would have had the depth of perception to see the truth.


More Madness:

Why am I constantly fighting with my rabbis (kind of) and their congregants about this? I’d think that they would simply just throw me out. Actually I am changing their minds.

After I was busted for pot, why did the cops give me more pot to smoke? Analysis not suitable for publication.



בּוֹרֵא עוֹלָם, בְּקִנְיָן; הַשְׁלֵם זֶה, הַבִּנְיָן.


Creator of the universe, in acquiring; Complete this, the building.


Google artificial intelligence search 


הביטוי "השלם זה הבניין" הוא קריאה לסיום בנייה או פרויקט, במיוחד בהקשר דתי או רוחני, ומדגיש את החשיבות של השלמת המשימה וחיזוק הקהילה. הוא מרמז על כך שהשלמת הבניין מסמלת את השלמות של הקהילה ואת ההתחייבות ההדדית של חבריה. 


במילים אחרות, הביטוי "השלם זה הבניין" מבטא את הרצון לראות את הפרויקט מגיע לסיומו, וכי השלמתו תביא תועלת לכל המעורבים. זהו קריאה לאחדות ולשיתוף פעולה על מנת להגיע למטרה משותפת.



The phrase "Complete this, the building" is a call to completion of a construction or project, especially in a religious or spiritual context, and emphasizes the importance of completing the task and strengthening the community. It suggests that the completion of the building symbolizes the perfection of the community and the mutual commitment of its members.


In other words, the phrase "The whole is the building" expresses the desire to see the project come to an end, and that its completion will benefit all involved. It is a call for unity and cooperation in order to achieve a common goal.


It could be that our day is arriving.




Thursday, December 19, 2024

Talmudic Musings: Taking Possession of Found Objects

I recently started the second chapter of mesechta Bava Metzia. It is called אלו מציאות which means these are the found objects. The subject matter is found objects which the finder may keep. The general doctrine is that if the loser of an object looses hope of finding it then the object is considered as abandoned property and the finder will acquire legal title to it. This doctrine is called ייאוש meaning dispair because the owned has dispaired of ever recovering this object. Its source in scripture is unclear and oblique. Nevertheless it is an important accepted principle. The example given is an item that falls into the sea or a river. It is assumed that the owned would dispair of ever getting it back. Therefore if it washes ashore the finder will legally own it. 

In many cases the lost object has a sign that will allow the owner of it to identify it. In this case the finder typically must make an effort to return it. The idiom used is להכריז, to announce, meaning the finder must make an announcement in the hopes that the owner will come forward. This is based on the verse, "וְכֵ֣ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֗ה לְכׇל־אֲבֵדַ֥ת אָחִ֛יךָ אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאבַ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נּוּ וּמְצָאתָ֑הּ". "And so shall you do with any lost article of your brother which he has lost and you have found", (Deuteronomy 22:3). From the word מִמֶּ֖נּוּ (which he has lost) the Gemara imputes the idea that the lost object has a means of identification. After meditating on the phrase "[the item] that was lost from him (אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאבַ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נּוּ), I didn't understand it that way. Rather it seems to be implying that the item has some value. It seems to me that there is not an obligation to return something of negligible value, say a paper clip, unless it's return is demanded. However one who goes through the trouble of returning it would be credited with performing a mitzvah.

My basic reading of the Chumash is that lost articles should be returned. Whether its owner has dispaired of getting it back seems to me to be irrelevant. However items of little value can be kept by the finder. The amount of trouble involved with holding onto an unclaimed object, including ones of value, seems to be important. If after a reasonable wait the item remains unclaimed the finder can treat it as if it is his own. In the case of money, this means that he can spend it. Perishables likewise may be consumed. If the owner should later show up, the finder has no obligation to make restitution. However if it's a durable item that can be returned without an expenditure by the finder, for example a piece of jewlery, it should be returned.


Monday, December 16, 2024

Talmudic Musings: Oaths (Bava Metzia 4)

 

בס"ד

MUSING ABOUT AN OATH:

The Gemara in Buba Metzia page 4 involves itself in a discussion about oaths. The general topic is if two people are holding a cloak and both claim it is entirely theirs then they swear that they own at least half of the tallit and divide it. To a certain extent this is based on Exodus 22:7 which states that if a person gives an article to his neighbor for safekeeping and the article is subsequently stolen then, the neighbor must swear that he himself did not take the item. 


Based on this the Gemara explores the idea of when an oath is appropriate. A major concern is not to create a situation where a false oath will be made. The tone of the Chumash is that the item in question really was stolen. However to put everybody's mind at ease about this the neighbor swears an oath. This presupposes that the neighbor is not a liar who has respect for religion including fear of the Almighty. 


Part of the discussion revolves around a מודה במקצת. This literally means he acknowledges part and applies to one who acknowledges a debt but claims the amount owed is less. Because there is no evidence of a debt, the defendant is in a position to deny there is any debt whatsoever. As a result he must swear that he owes the lower amount and no action is taken on the disputed amount. Part of the analysis is that the borrower is fundamentally honest. Therefore if he really did owe the higher amount, he would admit to it rather than swear a false oath. In the case of one who owes money and denies it entirely, the belief is that he would also lie under oath. As such, administering an oath is pointless. 


The hint in all of this is that we should prefer to do business with reputable people. A problem may create a hassle, but in the end they will make good. 


Monday, November 18, 2024

Zohar: Bereshit A Chapter 20 - The Five Groups in the Mixed Multitude

 בס"ד 



The Zohar describes five different types of negative people to referring to them as the “Mixed Multitude” (עֵרַב רַב). It’s a Biblical term and today considered a pejorative. Here it describes five classes of people who fundamentally wish to prevent the dissemination of spiritual wisdom to others. Even so they build synagogues and schools of religious study that house the scroll of the Torah, complete with a crown upon its top. But they do it for their own vanity and not for the sake and love of the Creator. The Zohar categorizes them as Amalekites עֲמָלֵקִים, Nefilim נְפִילִים, Giborim גִּבּוֹרִים, Refaim רְפָאִים, and Anakim עֲנָקִים.

Amalekites עֲמָלֵקִים does not refer to people who have lineage to the nation of Amalek. Rather it is people who attach themselves to  the klipah of Amalek. The example given in the Zohar is Bilam and Balak, who sought to destroy the nation of Israel in the desert. The second syllable of their names spells Am[a]lak, which is viewed as a hint. Klipah קליפה means the peel of fruits and the shell of nuts and as such is not eaten.  This klipah is considered the head and crown of the peels and the ones that cling to it are violent, war like, inherently evil, and the mirror image of what a Jew should be. 

The next category is Nefilim נְפִילִים literally the fallen ones. The story in the book of Genesis is that they were angels, who chose to become promiscuous with women when humanity was in its infancy. Because of this they became fallen angels. Instead of occupying a high position in heaven, they became demons and descended into hell. More generally it refers to people who at one time occupied a high position but as a result of a sin had a spiritual fall. Consequently they chose to become evil in thought, speech, and deed.

The next category, Giborim גִּבּוֹרִים or mighty ones is similar. From the standpoint of the Zohar they are like a knight in pursuit of vain glory. They are strong and they use their strength to pursue glory for the sake of personal vanity. The Chumash (Genesis 6:4) describes them as “mighty men of old, men of renown (lit. 'men with a name אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַשֵּֽׁם')". These descend from the side of those, about whom it is said, "let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves;”, (Genesis 11:4). In other words they build religious institutions but not for the sake of heaven rather it is for the sake of personal fame. 

Another group is anakim עֲנָקִים who are typically called giants, meaning that they are physically large. Og the King of Bashan is described as a giant. A famous story recounts that Moshe was ten feet tall, his sword was ten feet, and that he jumped ten feet but was only able to strike Og in the ankle. Another explanation is that giant refers to social stature. In this case עֲנָקִ means beads of a necklace and is an accoutrement the wealthy and powerful. In the case of the mixed multitude they are the giants of society who belittle the pride of the faithful. 

The fourth group is the Refaim רְפָאִים often understood as shades or shadows. The idea is that they are has-beens. In other words they had a time of greatness, but it has passed. Sometimes it was genuine. Other times it was due to overexertion as such their achievements could be flawed. The failure of character is that they can not accept others now legitimately occupy the position that was once theirs. More generally they are weaklings, cowards. If they notice a time of distress coming upon Yisrael, they abandon them. Even if they have the power to save them, they do not want to do so. They abandon the Torah and avoid those who study it. Instead, they do favors to those who worship nonsense and the vanities of this world. 



לע"נ

האבא פייוול בן אהרן זצ"ל ב אדר תשפ"ג

  האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טו ניסן תשנ"ח

העלון ניתן לקבל גם באתר  http://dyschreiber.blogspot.com