1-Page Torah
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1-Page Torah A Collection of Unique Torah Commentaries that are One Page in Length by Christopher P. Benton, PhD “Do not follow the multitude to do evil.” – Exodus 23:2 “All multitudes do evil.” – The Book of Benton © 2020 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................1 2. BERESHIT (Genesis 1:1-6:8)......................................................................2 THE TORAH IS THE BLUEPRINT FOR THE UNIVERSE!.............3 THE PRIMORDIAL LIGHT.................................................................4 TOHU AND BOHU ..............................................................................5 THE BASIC PATTERN FOR CREATION..........................................6 PLAY MISTY FOR ME!.......................................................................7 MORE IMPULSIVENESS....................................................................8 THE TEN UTTERANCES....................................................................9 TWENTY-TWO LETTERS AND THE CUBE OF SPACE ..............10 SEFER YETZIRAH 1:1 ......................................................................11 THE THREE MOTHER LETTERS....................................................12 THE SIX DIRECTIONS......................................................................13 THE TWELVE PLAIN LETTERS .....................................................14 HOW TO MAKE A TREE..................................................................15 THE TREE OF LIFE ...........................................................................16 PATTERNS OF THREE .....................................................................17 THE TEN SEFIROT............................................................................18 THE SEFIROT AND THE ALPHABET ............................................19 INTERPRETING THE TREE OF LIFE..............................................20 THE MIDDLE PATH..........................................................................21 THE LEFT PATH................................................................................22 THE RIGHT PATH .............................................................................23 THE WORK OF THE CHARIOT.......................................................24 THE BIG BANG..................................................................................25 INSIGHTS ...........................................................................................26 SEVENTY INTERPRETATIONS ......................................................27 SOMETHING-FROM-SOMETHING CREATION ...........................28 SOMETHING-FROM-NOTHING CREATION.................................29 THE FIVE SOULS ..............................................................................30 PROTECT THE GARDEN!................................................................31 ADAM GETS A DIVORCE................................................................32 WHO CREATED THESE!..................................................................33 WHAT’S GOD DOING?.....................................................................34 THE DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS ............................................35 THE MATHEMATICAL INEFFABLENESS OF GOD ....................36 THE PARTICLE AND THE WAVE ..................................................37 THE STONE OF FOUNDATION.......................................................38 HARD NONDUALISM VERSUS SOFT NONDUALISM ...............39 ONENESS IN THE ZOHAR...............................................................40 i 3. NOACH (Genesis 6:9-11:32) ....................................................................41 THE GOLDEN RATIO .......................................................................42 THE TSOHAR.....................................................................................43 4. LECH LACHA (Genesis 12:1-17:27) .......................................................44 GO TO YOURSELF! ..........................................................................45 5. VAYEIRA (Genesis 18:1-22:24)...............................................................46 THE AFTERLIFE................................................................................47 THE HUSBAND IN THE GATES......................................................48 ABRAHM LOVES ISMAEL!.............................................................49 6. CHAYEI SARAH (Genesis 23:1-25:18)...................................................50 CHILDREN OF THE EAST ...............................................................51 INTENTION MATTERS ....................................................................52 A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE.......................................................53 7. TOLDOT (Genesis 25:19-28:10)...............................................................54 THE WELL OF NONDUALITY ........................................................55 WHEN YOU BECOME ENLIGHTENED, BUILD!..........................56 8. VAYEITZEI (Genesis 28:10-32:3)` ..........................................................57 THE SHEKINAH ................................................................................58 SEX AND THE ZOHAR.....................................................................59 9. VAYISHLACH (Genesis 32:4-36:43).......................................................60 IT TAKES A VILLAGE......................................................................61 10. VAYYESHEV (Genesis 37:1-40:23) ........................................................62 A TORAH MYSTERY........................................................................63 11. MIQEITZ (Genesis 41:1-44:17) ................................................................64 INEFFABLENESS AND IDENTITY REVISITED ...........................65 I-I..........................................................................................................66 THE CLEANSING POWER OF TORAH ..........................................67 12. VAYIGASH (Genesis 44:18-47:27)..........................................................68 SILENCE IS GOLDEN .......................................................................69 13. VAYECHI (Genesis 47:28-50:26).............................................................70 BESHERT............................................................................................71 14. SHEMOT (Exodus 1:1-6:1) .......................................................................72 THE EYE BEHIND THE I..................................................................73 WAS THERE AN EXODUS?.............................................................74 SILENT MOSES .................................................................................75 ii 15. VAEIRA (Exodus 6:2-9:35) ......................................................................76 THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE .............................................................77 16. BO (Exodus 10:1-13:16)............................................................................78 GEMS OF THE ZOHAR.....................................................................79 17. BESHALACH (Exodus 13:17-17:16)........................................................80 A LIGHT MEAL .................................................................................81 NO-THING REALLY MATTERS......................................................82 18. YITRO (Exodus 18:1-20:23) .....................................................................83 COMMAND PERFORMANCE..........................................................84 19. MISHPATIM (Exodus 21:1-24:18) ...........................................................85 THE RIGHTEOUS GET TO GO NAKED!........................................86 REINCARNATION.............................................................................87 KILLER MOSES.................................................................................88 ABORTION.........................................................................................89 20. TERUMAH (Exodus 25:1-27:19)..............................................................90 THE COMPLETE MAN .....................................................................91 THE STAVES......................................................................................92 A THREAD OF LIGHT ......................................................................93 THE SUN.............................................................................................94 UNIFYING THE NAME.....................................................................95 21. TETZAVEH (Exodus 27:20-30:10)...........................................................96 OVERCOMING THE OTHER SIDE .................................................97 22. KI TISA (Exodus 30:11-34:35) .................................................................98 STONER MOSES................................................................................99 23. VAYAQHEL (Exodus 35:1-38:20) .........................................................100 A BEAUTIFUL MIND......................................................................101 CREATING SACRED SPACE .........................................................102 24. PEQUDEI (Exodus 38:21-40:38) ............................................................103 UNIFYING THE NAME REVISITED.............................................104 25. VAYIQRA (Leviticus 1:1-5:26) ..............................................................105 STREAMING HOLINESS................................................................106