Seeing Things

Haviva sent me her summary just in time for class to start after Sukkot. Thanks, Haviva!

The Talmud says that Adam could see from one end of the earth to the other. Hashem took this "vision" away from the Dor HaMabul (and other wicked generations).

Talmud describes how a fetus in his mothers stomach learns Torah and there is a light over the baby's head and he can see from one end of the world to the other. When the baby is born he doesn't know the Torah he learned anymore. The fact that this concept is mentioned in 2 places shows us that the light is a spiritual kind of light, an understanding of the Torah. Midrash says that this light was hidden in the Torah ShBaal Peh.

Malbim asks "where did 'Kein' from 'VaYehi Kein' go since its not in the pasuk?" It went to the pasuk about the menora when it says "Kein asa et ha menora" the Gemara tells us that the windows of the Beit HaMikdash were build the opposite way that windows are normally built. Normally windows are built narrow on the outside and wide on the inside to spread the light from the outside into the inside of the building. The windows of the Beit Hamikdash were built wide on outside and narrow on inside to spread the light from inside the room to the outside world. From this we see that the good part of the light that was created on the second day went into the menora to be spread throughout the world through the menora.

When Bnei Yisrael traveled in the clouds of glory, they were able to see via this special light, one could see the true nature of anything ex: you could see the contents of a box etc.

BASICALLY- G-d took the part of the light that enabled people to see the true nature of things out of the world because if it was there for everyone, than if rishaim still sinned even though they knew what was right and wrong they would get an even greater punishment.

Ramban says that Lashon Amira means bringing things from a potential state to a state of actuality, and the word expresses a desire, a will for something to happen. Lashon Re'ia means willing the continued existence of an item. This must be constant or the item will cease to exist. Hashem must desire for everything to exist and to continue to exist.

In the 13 attributes of mercy it says 'Hashem' twice. What attribute of mercy is contained in the second 'Hashem'? The first 'Hashem' is Amira, that G-d created the world. the second 'Hashem' is Re'ia that G-d wills things to continue to exist. Why is the second 'Hashem' considered to be an attribute of mercy? Everytime that G-d renews a person they can recreate themselves and become better and do Teshuva, etc.

Vilna Gaon says that G-d saw that the light was good as opposed to the darkness. We'll discuss this point more thoroughly at our next class!