brakha

2011-05-31

Stones of Heavens - Bamidbar Raba 2'6

Source of derivation: Midrash Raba, Part 2: Bamidbar. Dvarim. Bamidbar Raba 2'6.

Also Known As
• Tora תורה : “Instruction”, Torah, books of Moshe, Mosheh, Moses, Law: the set of five books that form the first part of the Tanakh: also the ongoing application of the Tora, Judaism.
• Tanakh תנ״ך : Tanach, Hebrew Bible, Jewish Bible: organizing into three parts Tora, Nviim, Ktuvim.
• Bamidbar: Ba'Midbar, B'Midbar, Numbers: the fourth book of the Tora.
• Midrash מדרש : “Demand” for answers, Interpretation, Commentary, Homiletic, Exegeses, Hermeneutic: Rabani methods and results of interpreting the Tora.
• Agada אגדה : Aggada, “Tale”, story, narrative: a specific kind of Midrash that explores the ongoing story of the Tora.
• Midrash Raba מדרש רבה : Raba: Rabah, Rabba, Rabbah: a set of medieval books of Agada, one book for each of the books in the Tora.
• Bamidbar Raba במדבר רבה : the fourth book of the Midrash Raba, on Bamidbar.

Midrash Raba - Bamidbar Raba 2'6 or 2'7	מדרש רבה - במדבר רבה ב׳ו
(Translated by Stein Atle Vere. ©2011. brakha.blogspot.com.)
“In ‹regard to› the signs”. ‹There› were ‹official› symbols for each president and ‹every› president.	"באותות". (במ׳ ב׳ב.) סימנין היו לכל נשיא ונשיא .
A banner. And a color on each banner and ‹every› banner. As the color that belongs to ‹the› good stones that were ‹in the Khoshen› on his heart - that belongs to Aharon ‹Ha'Kohen›.	מפה וצבע על כל מפה ומפה כצבע של אבנים טובות שהיו על לבו של אהרן .
From them, the kingships study to be doing a banner ‹for heraldry›.	מהם למדין המלכיות להיות עושין מפה . צבע לכל מפה ומפה .
A color for each banner and ‹every› banner. ‹For› each tribe and ‹every› tribe, ‹theres› a president that belongs to it. The color of banner that belongs to it likens to the color that belongs to its stone.	כל שבט ושבט נשיא שלו צבע מפה שלו דומה לצבע של אבנו .
‹Tribe of› Reuben, its stone: Odem ‹stone›. And banner that belongs to it, colored: Red. And depicted on it: Mandrakes.	ראובן אבנו אודם ומפה שלו צבוע אדום ומצוייר עליו דודאים .
‹Tribe of› Shimon: Pitda ‹stone›. And banner that belongs to it, colored: Green. And depicted on it: Shouldering.	שמעון פטדה ומפה שלו צבוע ירוק ומצוייר עליו שכם .
‹Tribe of› Levi: Bareket ‹stone›. And banner that belongs to it colored: A third white and a third black and a third red. And depicted on it: Urim and Tumim ‹the objects for divination that the Khoshen carries›.	לוי ברקת ומפה שלו צבוע שליש לבן ושליש שחור ושליש אדום ומצוייר עליו אורים ותומים .
‹Tribe of› Yhuda: Nofekh stone. And the color of banner that belongs to it: Its likeness ‹is› as a kind of heavens. And depicted on it: Lion.	יהודה נפך וצבע מפה שלו דמותו כמין שמים ומצוייר עליו אריה .
‹Tribe of› Yshakhar: Sapir ‹stone›. And banner that belongs to it colored: Black likening to blue. And depicted on it: Sun and moon. On name of ‹its motto›: “And from the children of Yshshakhar ‹are› the knowers of understanding for the times ‹of the calendar›”.	יששכר ספיר ומפה שלו צבוע שחור דומה לכחול ומצוייר עליו שמש וירח על שם ומבני יששכר יודעי בינה לעתים .
‹Tribe of› Zvulun: Yahalom ‹stone›. And color of banner that belongs to it: White. And depicted on it: Ship. On name of ‹its motto›: “Zvulun will reside to the shore of seas”.	זבולן יהלום וצבע מפה שלו לבנה ומצוייר עליו ספינה על שם זבולן לחוף ימים ישכון .
‹Tribe of› Dan: Leshem ‹stone›. And the color of banner that belongs to it: It likens to the Sapphire ‹stone›. And depicted on it: Snake. On name of ‹its motto›: “Dan will be a snake”.	דן לשם וצבע מפה שלו דומה לספיר ומצוייר עליו נחש על שם יהי דן נחש .
‹Tribe of› Gad: Shvo ‹stone›. And the color of banner that belongs to it: Not black and not white but mixing black and white. And depicted on it: Camp. On name of ‹its motto›: “Gad will ‹defend› ‹as› a troop”.	גד שבו וצבע מפה שלו לא לבן ולא שחור אלא מעורב שחור ולבן ומוייר עליו מחנה על שם גד גדוד יגודנו .
‹Tribe of› Naftali: Akhlama ‹stone›. And the color of banner that belongs to it: It likens to transparent wine, ‹so› that theres no its redness ‹being so› fierce. And depicted on it: Deer. On name of ‹its motto›: “Naftali ‹is› a deer ‹being› sent”.	נפתלי אחלמה וצבע מפה שלו דומה ליין צלול שאין אדמותו עזה ומצוייר עליו אילה על שם נפתלי אילה שלוחה .
‹Tribe of› Asher: Tarshish ‹stone›. And the color of banner that belongs to it: It likens to a valuable stone that by it the women adorn themselves. And depicted on it: Tree of olive. On name of ‹its motto›: “From Asher, a fattening of ‹luxury of› his bread”.	אשר תרשיש וצבע מפה שלו דומה לאבן יקרה שמתקשטות בו הנשים ומצוייר עליו אילן זית על שם מאשר שמנה לחמו .
‹Two tribes of› Yosef: Shoham ‹stone›. And the color of banner that belongs to it: Black upto very. And depicted for the two of presidents, Efrayim and Mnashe: Egypt. On name of ‹their shared motto›: “That their birthplaces were in Egypt”. And on the banner that belongs to ‹tribe of› Efrayim, was depicted: Ox. On name of ‹its motto›: “Firstborn, its ox”. This ‹is› Yhoshua ‹Ben Nun› that was from tribe of Efrayim. And on banner of tribe of Mnashe, was depicted: Buffalo. On name of ‹its motto›: “Its horns, the horns of a buffalo”. On name of Nadon Ben Yoash that was from the tribe of Mnashe.	יוסף שוהם וצבע מפה שלו שחור עד מאד ומצוייר לשני נשיאים אפרים ומנשה מצרים על שם שהיו תולדותם במצרים . ועל מפה של אפרים היה מצוייר שור על שם בכור שורו זה יהושע שהיה משבט אפרים . ועל מפה שבט מנשה היה מצוייר ראם על שם וקרני ראם קרניו על שם נדעון בן יואש שהיה משבט מנשה .
‹Tribe of› Binyamin: Yashfe ‹stone›. And the color of banner that belongs to it: It likens to each of the colors. The colors belonging to the Twelve. And depicted on it: Wolf. On name of: “Binyamin, a wolf will prey”.	בנימין ישפה וצבע מפה שלו דומה לכל הצבעים לי״ב הצבעים ומצוייר עליו זאב על שם בנימין זאב יטרף .
Per such, it is said: In the signs that were the symbols for them, for each president and ‹every› president.	לכך נאמר באותות שסימנין היו להם לכל נשיא ונשיא :

2011-05-23

Stones of Heavens - Shimon Ben Yokhai

(Vere, Stein-Atle. ©2011. “Stones of Heavens: Shimon Ben Yokhai”. brakha.blogspot.com.)

Also Known As
• Rav Shimon Ben Yokhai רַב שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי , Rashbi רשב״י ; Rav: Rabi, Rabbi, Raban, Rabban; Shimon: Simeon, Simon; Bar Yochai בר יוחאי , Son of Yohai, Yoḥai.
• Pesakh פסח , Pesach, Pesah, Pesaḥ, Feast of Passover.
• Shavuot שבועות , Shavuos, Feast of Weeks.
• Lag Ba'Omer לַ״ג בָּעוֹמֶר , thirty-third day in the counting of the Omer, 33 in the Omer.
• Khoshen חֹשֶׁן , Choshen, Hoshen, Ḥoshen, chestpouch amulet, breastplate.

Here is the traditional song to celebrate the spiritual teacher, Rav Shimon Ben Yokhai.

The song describes the ancient spiritual teacher ascending the levels of reality, while becoming one with God. At the highest level, at the absolute unity with the infinity of God, the No-End אין סוף , Ben Yokhai wears the Khoshen amulet of the Kohen Ha'Mashiakh that features the twelve gem stones of the heavens and that carries the Urim and Tumim objects to divine the desire of God.

The twelve stones physicalize the infinite.

The kin of Yisrael sing the song especially during his Hilula, his memorial anniversary. It coincides with Lag Ba'Omer, the thirty-third day between the festivals of Pesakh and Shavuot.

Ben Yokhai arises a Tora teacher of the Land of Yisrael, during the Classical Age circa 100 to 160. He is a student of Rabi Akiva, knowing the catastrophe of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, when the Empire of Rome genocides the Yhudim in the region of Yhuda (Judea), especially its capital city, Yrushalayim. Yet Ben Yokhai transmits an undying spiritual heritage that transcends all. The books of Mishna, Talmud, and Midrash mention his sayings frequently.

Altho his own father Yokhai enjoys the favor of the court in Rome, Ben Yokhai criticizes the Roman tyranny. His own student informs the Roman governor, who then orders his execution. Shimon Ben Yokhai and his son Elazar Ben Shimon flee the Roman authorities. The two go into hiding, adapting a hermetic life in a cave in the region of Ha'Galil (Galilee), for thirteen years. They emerge after the Roman Emperor dies.

They spend their time in seclusion studying the Tora together.

They emerge with extraordinary insight. The merit of this doing Tora saves the future of the world.

A thousand years later during the Medieval Age, the book of the Zohar emerges into history. It reports the insights that Rav Shimon Ben Yokhai and his son Rav Elazar Ben Yokhai discover during their study.

In the Modern Age circa 1500s, Shimon Ibn Lavi, a refugee from the Expulsion from Spain, settles in Tunis. He composes the song.

The holy sage, Ben Yokhai, transcends each of the ten levels of reality, becoming one with God.

The level of escape reorients toward life in tune with spirituality.

Moshe sees the acacia tree revealing a blaze of divine light.

Up at the level of war, he battles his own selfish predatory impulse. The victory is reusing ones own selfish needs to remind oneself of the great needs that others also have, thus motivating oneself to passionately fulfill the desires of others. Loving them as one loves ones self.

At the highest level of this world, the lions visualize the majestic and supreme power of compassion חסד . These embody the compassionate reuse of the predatory impulse, conquering and transforming the limitations of selfishness into wise altruism. The male lion being the spiritual light of compassion, and the female lion being the physical compassionate actions, they become one, the leonine. Spirituality and physicality becoming the light of compassionate actions.

Beyond this world, exists the level of the world that is coming, where ones eternal consciousness נשמה transcends space and time.

Wisdom is the infinite light of God − that creates and fulfills infinite desire.

Infinite power conceals within the Tora scroll.

Notice. As Ben Yokhai peers over the edge of reality into infinite light beyond any, he wears the priestly crown of the Kohen Ha'Mashiakh.

And Ben Yokhai wears the Khoshen: this priestly Chestpouch amulet, features the twelve stones of the heavens.

These twelve gems that imprint the names of the twelve tribes of Yisrael, physicalize oneness with infinity.

Ben Yokhai Translated by Stein Atle Vere. ©2011. brakha.blogspot.com.	בר יוחאי Shimon Ibn Lavi. Modern Age circa 1500s, today Tunisia.
Ben Yokhai, you were anointed. Fortunate ‹are› you! The oil of joy ‹is› from your companions.	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, ‹by› the oil of the anointing of holiness, You were anointed, from the measure of the holiness. You carried ‹up› the bud ‹of the inscription› of the ‹priestly› diadem of the holiness. Your adornment ‹is› donned on your head.	בַּר יוֹחַאי שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קֹדֶשׁ נִמְשַׁחְתָּ מִמִּדַּת הַקֹּדֶשׁ נָשָׂאתָ צִיץ נֵזֶר הַקֹּדֶשׁ חָבוּשׁ עַל רֹאשְׁךָ פְּאֵרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, you inhabited a good inhabitance. A day you fled ‹is› a day that you escaped. In the cave of cliffrocks, that there you stood, You acquired your glory and your opulence.	בַּר יוֹחַאי מוֹשַׁב טוֹב יָשַׁבְתָּ יוֹם נַסְתָּ יוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּרַחְתָּ בִּמְעָרַת צוּרִים שֶׁעָמַדְתָּ שָׁם קָנִיתָ הוֹדְךָ וַהֲדָרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, the woods of acacias stand. They are studying the teachings of God. The light made wondrous ‹is› the light of the blaze. They are blazing. Is it not, your instructors will instruct you?	בַּר יוֹחַאי עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים עוֹמְדִים לִמּוּדֵי יְיָ הֵם לוֹמְדִים אוֹר מֻפְלֶא אוֹר הַיְקוֹד הֵם יוֹקְדִים הֲלֹא הֵמָּה יוֹרוּךָ מוֹרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, and you went up the field of apples To glean from the balms in it. The mystery of Tora ‹is› as buds and flowers. “We will do Humanity”, was said in your behalf.	בַּר יוֹחַאי וְלִשְׂדֵה תַפּוּחִים עָלִיתָ לִלְקוֹט בּוֹ מֶרְקָחִים סוֹד תּוֹרָה כְּצִיצִים וּפְרָחִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם נֶאֱמַר בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, you were strapped in ‹the belt of› overpowering. And in the war of fire of rite, toward the gate. And you brought out a sword from its scabbard. You brandished ‹it› counter to your distressors.	בַּר יוֹחַאי נֶאֱזַרְתָּ בִּגְבוּרָה וּבְמִלְחֶמֶת אֵשׁ דַּת הַשַּׁעְרָה וְחֶרֶב הוֹצֵאתָ מִתַּעְרָהּ שָׁלַפְתָּ נֶגֶד צוֹרְרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, to the place of the stones of calcite ‹of pure white marble›, You arrived before a lion of leonine, Also, the knob of the crowning on a she-lion. You will watch me. And who will watch you?	בַּר יוֹחַאי לִמְקוֹם אַבְנֵי שַׁיִשׁ הִגַּעְתָּ לִפְנֵי אַרְיֵה לַיִשׁ גַּם גֻּלַּת כּוֹתֶרֶת עַל עַיִשׁ תָּשׁוּרִי וּמִי יְשׁוּרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, in the Holiness of the Holinesses, The line of green makes months new. Seven Shabatot ‹are› the mystery of the Fifty. You connected the connections of ‹the letter› Shin ‹as› your connections.	בַּר יוֹחַאי בְּקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים קַו יָרוֹק מְחַדֵּשׁ חֳדָשִׁים שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת סוֹד חֲמִשִּׁים קָשַׁרְתָּ קִשְׁרֵי שִׁי"ן קְשָׁרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, ‹the letter› Yod ‹is› primal Wisdom. You peered into its interior honor. ‹The heart is› 32 paths of the Firstpart of donation. You ‹Wisdom› are the ‹angelic› Kruv of the anointing place. Refulgence ‹is› your light.	בַּר יוֹחַאי יוּ"ד חָכְמָה קְדוּמָה הִשְׁקַפְתָּ לִכְבוֹדוֹ פְּנִימָה לֵב (שְׁלשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם) נְתִיבוֹת רֵאשִׁית תְּרוּמָה אַתְּ כְּרוּב מִמְשַׁח זִיו אוֹרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, the light made wonderous ‹is in› loftiness above. You dreaded from ‹going› to look, as ‹reason that› massive Concealed ‹mystery› ‹belongs› to it. And ‹Wisdom is› calling ‹the name› for it, No-Thing. You made oracle: “Eye will not watch you”.	בַּר יוֹחַאי אוֹר מֻפְלֶא רוּם מַעְלָה יָרֵאתָ מִלְהַבִּיט כִּי רַב לָהּ תַּעֲלוּמָה וְאַיִן קוֹרָא לָהּ נַמְתָּ עַיִן לֹא תְשׁוּרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, fortunate ‹is› the one birthing you! Fortunate ‹are› the kin! They are your studying ones. And fortunate ‹are› the ones standing on your mystery, Clothed ‹in› the Khoshen of your Tumim and your Urim.	בַּר יוֹחַאי אַשְׁרֵי יוֹלַדְתֶּךָ אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם הֵם לוֹמְדֶךָ וְאַשְׁרֵי הָעוֹמְדִים עַל סוֹדֶךָ לְבוּשֵׁי חשֶׁן תֻּמֶּיךָ וְאוּרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ

Image
• (Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Woods of Acacias Are Studying”. brakha.blogspot.com. Source of derivation: freeisraelphoto.com. Creative commons 2011. Site: http://www.freeisraelphotos.com/index.html, 2011. Image: http://www.freeisraelphotos.com/photo/83. - check out this amazing site!)

2011-05-20

Truer Color Chart

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Stones of Heavens: Truer Color Chart”. brakha.blogspot.com.)

To describe the colors of ancient gems, I create this easy to understand color chart.

These colors optimize the true colors as close as possible, given the limitations of digital screens.

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Color Chart”. brakha.blogspot.com.)
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple.

The Color Chart above illustrates the primary colors according to pigments for paints, dyes, and other materials - Red, Yellow, Blue.

I determine these colors carefully.

Most online charts determine their colors mechanically. Example: RGB digital “Orange” equals “75% Red, 25% Green”. But such digital Orange is quite reddish, and not true orange. By contrast, the Color Chart Orange strives to display the pure orange.

The Color Chart determines each color according to the way a person experiences the color. As pure as possible.

Of course, each digital screen displays the Color Chart slightly differently (unless calibrating), but its colors should be close to the truer color that the screen can display.

Current technology limits the range of colors that digital screens can display. Therefore, the Color Chart tries to work with the typical limitations to optimize for truer colors.

• The digital Yellow of the screen is true enough. It is the mix of the light from red and green pixels. The yellow may display especially true if the screen is “RGBy” with extra yellow pixels to enhance yellow.

• The digital Red is orangish. It can be virtually identical to the orange-red color of the pigment, vermilion. So the Color Chart Red displays the truest red possible (reducing the orange by adding digital Blue to neutralize the hint of digital yellow). Within the brilliant hues of red, relatively speaking, the Color Chart Red finds the threshhold between the orangish salmon-pink and the purplish magenta. It never quite hits the true red, but it does find the “gray” compromise, whose dusky red is neither so orange nor so purple.

• Similarly, the digital Green is very yellowish. Therefore, the Color Chart Green finds the “gray” compromise at the threshhold between the yellowish green and bluish green. The resulting color is very pale, but it is the truest green that the digital screen can do.

• The digital Blue is actually on the threshhold of purple-blue. It is a brilliant deep color, but it has a slight hint of red. By contrast, the Color Chart Blue is a solid blue between green-blue and purple-blue.

• These colors − Yellow, Red, Green, and Blue − then anchor the other colors, that space equadistant between them − not mechanically, but subjectively as a mind perceives them. Example, the Color Chart Purple approximates the visual experience in between Red and Blue, being at the threshhold in purple that is least Reddish and least Bluish, and so on for the other colors.

Enjoy the colors.

2011-05-15

The Color Green

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Comment: The Color Green”. brakha.blogspot.com.)

See Also
• True Color Chart

When was the last time I saw green?

The deep brilliant glow of true green?

The emerald from the realm of ideas?

Search among the dusky yellow-green of plants, the muddy “grayed-out” cyan of magazines or food packages, the garish yellowish green becoming cyan pallor on the computer screen ...

Few ever see green.

Computers would have one believe brilliant true green is either grass green or else baby blue.

See the picture of a spectrum above, yellowy limes and smoggy skies. But true green is the color that you cant see.

(Hank Wang. Public domain 2006. Gamut. wikipedia.com, 2011.)

A chart of the visible spectrum that can track the primary colors of light: Red, Green, and Blue. These mix to form White (or gray if the illumination is dim). The shaded area is all the colors that are missing from a typical computer screen. Notice how almost all the greens are missing, and how yellowish the green is that a screen can show. Even the red is closer to orange than true red, and appears as the same color as the orange-red 'vermilion' pigment.

Because the screen green is quite yellow, its yellowness neutralizes (“grays out” or whitens) the blue. Thus instead of producing brilliant greens it creates pale blue (“cyan”) and gray instead of true green.

See Also
• True Color Chart

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