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Orchard of Delights Bo
In essence, this process is symbolized by the slavery and eventual
redemption from Egypt. £An Historical ArchetypeAn Historical ArchetypeAn Historical Archetype£An Historical ArchetypeAn Historical ArchetypeAn Historical Archetype£ ££
The last two letters of the word mitzvah, are identical to the last two
letters of God’s four-letter name. In one of the Kabbalistic alphabets After warning Pharaoh that a plague of locusts will engulf Egypt if
(called atbash) where letters are exchanged for each other according he does not let the children of Israel go, Moses turns and leaves. As
to a set pattern, the first two letters of God’s name are exchanged soon as Moses departs, Pharaoh’s servants address him: “How long
for the first two letters of the word mitzvah. This demonstrates that will this be a trap for us? Send out the men that they may serve
ultimately a mitzvah is a vessel for God’s will and bounty in this God, their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is lost?” (Exodus
finite world. Every mitzvah is at the end of the day an opportunity 10:7). Pharaoh’s servants, for the first time, speak out, expressing
to connect and unite with God. their incredulity that Pharaoh remains oblivious to the widespread
The paradoxical phenomona discussed in this section are all parallel destruction that has crippled Egypt because he will not let the Jews
manifestations of a pattern of revelation and concealment found go.
within creation. The book of Shemot is filled with these paradoxes as This verse represents an archetypal energy repeated countless
the nation of Israel is given its name; God’s four-letter name is revealed times throughout history when emperors, kings, dictators, and
to the world; and the Torah is given along with its accompanying despots failed to read the writing on the wall due to their own
mitzvot. Shemot’s context is one of exile and slavery that culminate egocentric view of reality. (Incidentally, the very notion of failing to
in redemption and freedom. The names, stories, and mitzvot in the read the writing on the wall comes from the story of King Belshazzar
book of Shemot and in the Torah as a whole are conveyed within a who could not read the miraculous writing on the wall about his
finite context, but when their exterior trappings are transcended, the upcoming destruction. Daniel, the Jewish wise man, interpreted it
gateway to the Orchard of Delights is flung open and each individual for him! [Daniel 5]) Famously, Nero fiddled while Rome burned, and
reader can achieve eternal and infinite meaning. there are countless cases of rulers holed up in their bunkers or royal
palaces while their kingdoms came crashing down around them. This
verse once again teaches us that the Torah provides the archetypal
script and template for reality.
£A Lesson in Jewish HistoryA Lesson in Jewish HistoryA Lesson in Jewish HistoryA Lesson in Jewish HistoryA Lesson in Jewish HistoryA Lesson in Jewish History
££££
“And there arose a new king in Egypt who did not know Joseph”
(Exodus 1:8). The Torah recounts that after the deaths of Jacob and
his sons, a new king came to power “who did not know Joseph.”
This characterization is somewhat surprising, for how could anyone
who knew Egypt’s recent history not be aware of Joseph? Rashi
explains that the king pretended not to know Joseph. He does not
clarify whether this “new king” was newly ascended to the throne
or was just instituting new policies (the two options offered by Rav
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