Tearing Open Reality - Studying Rashi: Parshat Va'etchanan

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Tearing Open Reality: Studying Rashi: Parshat Va'etchanan

The Torah describes the revelation at Sinai by saying: "You have been shown, in order to know that the Lord He is G-d; there is none else besides Him." (Deuteronomy 4:35) Rashi explains that the way G-d showed the people is that "He tore open the heaven and earth." How are we to understand this unusual imagery?

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Topics:	Giving of the Torah, Va'etchanan

By Mendel Kaplan

Rabbi Mendel Kaplan is the Spiritual Leader and Executive Director of Chabad Flamingo in Thornhill, Ontario, serving one of Canada’s most dynamic Jewish communities. He also serves as Chaplain of the York Regional Police Service. He is an active member of Toronto’s Vaad HaRabbanim (Council of Orthodox Rabbis), and a voting member of the COR Kashruth Council of Canada’s executive rabbinical board. Rabbi Kaplan is featured regularly on many local television and radio shows. He is a sought after speaker, with hundreds of lectures on Chabad.org. He and his wife, Faygie, are blessed with eight children. Artistically endowed, the rabbi enjoys drawing, sketching and creating charcoal portraits.

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3 Comments

Daniele Rodrigues Silva Brazil July 30, 2020

Rabbi Kaplan, wonderful teaching. Very deep and very tangible and practical. This verse (Deuteronomy 4:35) fortifies our faith in a profound way and I never really figure out the greatness of it, not in such a tangible way. Thank you so much to bring us so close to the experience of Mount Sinai, in an intellectual way, but in a way that I know that I will reflect in it for many days. Thank you very much. Reply

Mike Ettinger Nova Scotia July 28, 2018

The ox & the rope. When you half the distance from the source, the power is squared. If half a hair away, 1/4 hair closer the power is squared onto infinity, until the threshold of time and space is crossed and you are one with the source, where the increase is complete and the end and beginning are one and the same. G-d sustains Himself actively with almighty power before time ever was. When he tore open the heavens time and space were altered by his presence, without past or future, whose depth of being is greater than the infinite linear projection of time and existence as we know it. The people, a safe distance away whose initial reaction was fear of the unnatural, although it was supernatural,(time booms, lightning and thunder, time and space warping), quickly realized they could be consumed by their dread. Think fear increasing exponentially before one had time to reason, and they realized they could perish, not knowing the epicenter (holiness) of that power is eternal love Reply

Chaim Yehuda Tucson, Az, USA August 2, 2012

tearing open reality Yasher Koach---a beautiful class.
You left me with at least one question; you touched on the devil, as G-ds opponent among the other belief systems.How should we understand the Satan??
Thanks in advance for a reply Reply