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This Week's Torah Reading | BALAK p. 961 | HAFTORAH p. 1386 |

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BALAK

FIFTH ALIYAH

FIRST ALIYAH BALAK TAKES BALAAM TO ANOTHER LOCATION, HOPING THAT THIS NEW VENUE WOULD BE MORE THE ISRAELITES HAVE JUST CONQUERED THE EMORITES INAUSPICIOUS FOR THE . THEY AGAIN BUILD AND THE BASHANITES, THE TWO MIGHTY NEIGHBORS OF ALTARS AND OFFER SACRIFICES, AND AGAIN G‑D MOAB. BALAK, KING OF MOAB, WORRIES THAT HIS DICTATES BLESSING FOR THE JEWS WHICH BALAAM NATION WOULD BE THE ISRAELITES' NEXT VICTIM. HE REPEATS. "G‑D DOES NOT LOOK AT EVIL IN JACOB, SENDS MESSENGERS TO THE LAND OF MIDIAN, TO AND HAS SEEN NO PERVERSITY IN ISRAEL; THE L- BALAAM, A FAMED NON-JEWISH PROPHET AND RD, HIS G‑D, IS WITH [ISRAEL], AND HE HAS THE SORCERER, ASKING HIM TO COME AND CURSE THE KING'S FRIENDSHIP..." JEWS. G‑D APPEARED TO BALAAM THAT NIGHT AND INSTRUCTED HIM NOT TO GO TO MOAB. "YOU SHALL NOT CURSE THE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE BLESSED!" SIXTH ALIYAH SECOND ALIYAH THE ENTIRE PROCESS REPEATS ITSELF ONCE AGAIN, BALAAM SENT WORD WITH BALAK' S MESSENGERS THAT BALAK TAKES BALAAM TO ANOTHER PLACE, HOPING G‑D DOESN' T PERMIT HIM TO GO WITH THEM. SO BALAK THAT BALAAM CAN CURSE THE JEWS FROM THERE. SENT MORE PRESTIGIOUS MESSENGERS TO BALAAM, FOR A THIRD TIME THEY BUILD ALTARS AND BRING PROMISING HIM GREAT RICHES IN RETURN FOR HIS OFFERINGS, AND FOR A THIRD TIME, ONLY SERVICES. ONCE AGAIN G‑D APPEARED TO BALAAM. THIS BLESSINGS ISSUE FROM BALAAM'S MOUTH: "HOW TIME G‑D ALLOWED BALAAM TO GO — PROVIDED THAT HE GOODLY ARE YOUR TENTS, O JACOB, YOUR ONLY SPEAK THE WORDS WHICH G D DICTATES TO HIM ‑ DWELLING PLACES, O ISRAEL! ... G‑D, WHO HAS BROUGHT THEM OUT OF EGYPT WITH THE STRENGTH OF HIS LOFTINESS HE SHALL CONSUME THIRD ALIYAH THE NATIONS WHICH ARE HIS ADVERSARIES ... THOSE WHO BLESS [THEM] SHALL BE BLESSED, AND BALAAM LEAVES TOGETHER WITH THE MOABITE THOSE WHO CURSE [THEM] SHALL BE CURSED." AT THIS POINT, BALAK DESPAIRS OF ACCOMPLISHING DIGNITARIES. G‑D SENDS AN ANGEL WITH A DRAWN SWORD TO BLOCK BALAAM'S PATH. WHILE BALAAM HIS GOAL, AND SENDS BALAAM ON HIS WAY. COULDN'T SEE THE ANGEL, THE SHE-DONKEY HE WAS RIDING DID, AND REFUSED TO MOVE ONWARDS, CAUSING BALAAM TO STRIKE HER. THE DONKEY MIRACULOUSLY SPEAKS, ADMONISHING BALAAM FOR STRIKING HER. EVENTUALLY, G‑D "OPENS BALAAM'S EYES," AND HE SEES THE ANGEL. A CONVERSATION BETWEEN BALAAM AND SEVENTH ALIYAH THE ANGEL ENSUES, WHEREIN BALAAM IS CHASTISED FOR HIS BEHAVIOR TOWARDS HIS DONKEY, AND AGAIN BEFORE LEAVING, BALAAM PROPHESIES ABOUT THE HE IS REMINDED ONLY TO SAY WHAT G‑D DICTATES TO END OF DAYS: "I SEE IT, BUT NOT NOW; I BEHOLD HIM. AFTER THIS HUMBLING EPISODE, BALAAM ARRIVES IT, BUT NOT SOON. A STAR HAS GONE FORTH FROM IN MOAB WHERE HE IS GREETED BY BALAK. JACOB, AND A STAFF WILL ARISE FROM ISRAEL WHICH WILL CRUSH THE PRINCES OF MOAB AND UPROOT ALL THE SONS OF SETH..." HE ALSO SPEAKS FOURTH ALIYAH ABOUT THE EVENTUAL DESTRUCTION OF ESAU, AMALEK AND ASSYRIA. FOLLOWING UPON BALAAM'S INSTRUCTIONS, BALAK BUILDS SEVEN BALAAM'S UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO CURSE THE ALTARS AND OFFERS SACRIFICES TO G‑D. G‑D "CHANCES" JEWISH NATION, MOABITE AND MIDIANITE WOMEN UPON BALAAM, AND DICTATES TO HIM THE WORDS HE SEDUCE MANY JEWISH MEN. IN THE COURSE OF SHOULD REPEAT TO BALAK AND HIS MINISTERS: "FROM THEIR SEDUCTION, THEY ALSO ENTICE THE JEWISH ARAM, BALAK THE KING OF MOAB HAS BROUGHT ME, MAN TO WORSHIP THE BAAL PEOR DEITY. G‑D FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF THE EAST: 'COME, COMMANDS MOSES TO EXECUTE THE GUILTY CURSE JACOB FOR ME AND COME INVOKE WRATH PEOPLE, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY A LETHAL PLAGUE AGAINST ISRAEL.' HOW CAN I CURSE WHOM G‑D HAS NOT ERUPTS AMONGST THE JEWS. A JEWISH CURSED, AND HOW CAN I INVOKE WRATH IF THE L-RD LEADER, ZIMRI, PUBLICLY DISPLAYS THE MIDIANITE HAS NOT BEEN ANGERED?..." BALAAM THEN PROCEEDED PRINCESS WITH WHOM HE WAS CONSORTING. TO SHOWER THE ISRAELITES WITH BEAUTIFUL BLESSINGS PHINEHAS, AARON'S GRANDSON, KILLS THEM BOTH, AND PRAISES. WHEN BALAK RESPONDS ANGRILY TO THE AND THE PLAGUE IS HALTED. BLESSINGS, BALAAM REMINDS HIM THAT HE CAN ONLY SAY THAT WHICH G‑D TELLS HIM TO SAY. HAFTORAH IN A NUTSHELL

MICAH 5:6-6:8

This week's haftorah makes mention of the incident of Balak the king of Moab hiring the sorcerer Balaam to curse the Jewish people — the main topic of this week's Torah reading.

The prophet Micah prophesies about what will occur after the war of Gog and Magog, the war which precedes the coming of the Messiah and the Final Redemption.

"And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples — like dew sent by G‑d, like torrents of rain upon vegetation that does not hope for any man and does not wait for the sons of men." The prophet describes how G‑d will remove the idols and sorcerers and how He will destroy the Jews' enemies.

The prophet Micah then goes on to rebuke the Jewish people for not observing G‑d's commandments, calling as witness the "mountains and hills" — a reference to the Patriarchs and Matriarchs — and reminding them of the great things G‑d had done for them. He took them out of Egypt and replaced the curses that Balaam son of Beor wanted to utter against them with blessings.

The Jewish people respond by saying that they do not know how to serve G‑d and ask for guidance. The prophet reminds them of the Torah, and that all they need to do is contained within it: "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what G‑d demands of you: but to do justice, love kindness, and walk discreetly with your G‑d." chabad.fr L’ENSEIGNEMENT DE LA DÉTENTION ET DE LA LIBÉRATION DU RABBI PRÉCÉDENT L’EXIL N’A AUCUNE EMPRISE SUR LE JUIF S’AGISSANT DE LA TORAH ET DES MITSVOT

Voici quelle fut la teneur de la détention puis de la libération de mon beau-père, le Rabbi [précédent] :

La détention de mon beau père, le Rabbi, fut d’une immense sévérité : il fut fait prisonnier par un régime terrible qui constituait à l’époque la première puissance mondiale (du fait que la plus grande partie du peuple juif – tant du point de vue du nombre que de ses structures – s’y trouvait alors).

Mais malgré cela, le Rabbi montra qu’il n’était nullement impressionné par les agents de ce régime, et que dans tous les sujets liés à D.ieu, à Sa Torah et à Ses commandements, il était un ben Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak Schneersohn z''l ‘horine, un homme totalement libre. Il l’exprima d’ailleurs lui-même de manière Ces propos, le Rabbi les a tenus à sa sortie de publique aux yeux de tous le jour du 3 Tamouz, prison, une sortie qui n’avait pas pour objet de avant de partir pour la ville où il avait été relégué le libérer, mais au contraire, de lui infliger le en exil : châtiment de l’exil qui est l’un des châtiments les plus sévères, tel que l’exprime le Sefer Ha’hinoukh : « La souffrance de l’exil est « Ceci, proclama-t-il, toutes les nations du presque comparable à celle de la mort » ! Et monde doivent le savoir : seuls nos corps ont été pourtant, au moment de monter dans le wagon envoyés en exil et soumis à une domination qui devait l’emporter dans son lieu d’exil – non étrangère. Nos âmes n’ont pas été livrées à la pas selon sa volonté, mais sous la contrainte du captivité ni à un pouvoir étranger. ... Pour toute gouvernement qui avait décrété qu’il subirait un affaire concernant notre religion, la Torah châtiment d’exil –, le Rabbi proclame que dans d’Israël, ses mitsvot et ses coutumes il n’est pas tout ce qui touche au judaïsme, à la Torah et à personne qui puisse nous imposer son opinion et ses commandements, personne n’exerce un aucune autorité ne peut nous obliger à nous quelconque pouvoir sur le Juif, car il est intrinsèquement libre ! comporter contrairement à nos croyances ! »

Et de fait, au lieu de rester trois ans en exil, il ne demeura dans sa ville d’assignation que très Et il introduisit ainsi son propos : « Avinou peu de temps, et le 12-13 Tamouz, sa libération Malkénou, notre Père, notre Roi, béni soit-Il, nous lui fut signifiée, et plus encore : cela se passa de a exilés de notre terre et nous a envoyés en exil, sorte que « la bouche qui a interdit est la bouche qui a permis »,4 c’est-à-dire que ceux-là etc. » C’est-à-dire que même s’agissant de nos mêmes qui l’avaient arrêté sont ceux qui durent corps qui ont été livrés à l’exil et au pouvoir des le libérer, de manière révélée aux yeux de nations, cela n’est pas dû au pouvoir de ces toutes les nations, au point où ce fut largement nations, à D.ieu ne plaise, mais du fait que « notre diffusé dans ce pays même. Père, notre Roi, béni soit-Il, nous a exilés », et les nations parmi lesquelles nous nous trouvons entre- Il en est de même pour l’enchaînement des temps ne sont qu’une hache dans la main du événements qui suivirent : sa libération de bûcheron, et elles n’ont absolument aucune voix au toutes les limitations de ce pays-là, ce qui fut un chapitre s’agissant de notre destin (comme le miracle manifeste, comme on voit jusqu’à développe longuement Maïmonide3dans sa aujourd’hui [1985. NdT] à quel point il est réfutation du culte idolâtre voué aux astres, selon difficile de sortir de ce pays, et pourtant, le laquelle les forces de la nature n’ont aucun libre Rabbi a pu en franchir les frontières, et ce, avec toute sa famille, et il put emporter avec lui tous arbitre, et sont seulement comme une hache dans les manuscrits et les livres, et tous ses objets, à la main du bûcheron). tel point que le gouvernement mandata un émissaire spécial pour accélérer toutes les Dès lors, il est évident que même lorsque l’on se procédures, s’assurer qu’aucune inspection ne trouve en galout, en exil, la « galout » n’a aucune soit effectuée, et que toutes les autorisations emprise sur le Juif dans tout ce qui touche au soient dûment délivrées et estampillées etc, afin judaïsme, à la Torah et à ses commandements, qu’ils puissent sortir sans aucune entrave : des car ce n’est pas dans un tel but que D.ieu a envoyé miracles manifestes aux yeux de tous. les Enfants d’Israël en exil, et dans tous ces sujets, le Juif est donc intrinsèquement libre.

RABBI'S JOKE.. FROM THE Moe Bloom had just picked up his first passenger of the evening. After about 5 minutes of driving, the passenger suddenly tapped Maurice on his shoulder to ask him a question. RABBI'S DESK Maurice screamed, lost control of his taxi, nearly hit a bus, went up onto the pavement and stopped only inches from a shop window. For a second, everything went very quiet in the taxi, then Maurice said, "Look man, don't ever do that again. You scared the living daylights out of me." His passenger apologized and said, "I didn't realize that a little tap could scare you so much." Maurice replied, "Sorry, it's not really your fault. Today is only my second day as a cab driver - I've been driving hearses for the past 25 years."

Hero is a word that’s thrown around a lot nowadays. Sports heroes, celebrity heroes. We talk about courage in so many different ways. But imagine the courage to actually stand up to the superpower of your time. A superpower with an army, with secret police, with jails, with guards. A superpower that is literally and directly trying to kill you for your beliefs. We celebrated one such hero this past week, on the 12th of Tammuz. It’s the birthday of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. And it also happens to be the day he was freed, after the Communists very nearly succeeded in having him killed for his efforts in keeping the flame of Judaism alive throughout the USSR.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak became Rebbe when his father passed away, in 1920. Those were dark times in that part of the world. The Communist Revolution, begun in 1917, was still ongoing, and upheaval and suffering were the rule throughout the vast Russian empire. As the Communists emerged victorious they turned their attention to anything they considered a danger -- any counter-revolutionary behaviour. Chief among these was religious expression. While the Soviets attempted to maintain some sort of pretense of freedom of religion, the Yevsektzia: the Jewish section, peopled chiefly by young Jews who had turned away from their parent’s religion -- fought bitterly and mercilessly against any remaining shred of Jewish practice and pride. It was in this hellish environment that the Rebbe began his work. He gathered his students; with some, even making a pact to fight for Judaism even if it took their lives. (Most of those students died at the enemy’s hands…) They created networks of underground and schools, they fought to keep shuls and mikvahs open; and created new ones where they had been shut down.

In 1927, the battle reached its peak. The Yevsektzia set a plan in motion, and had the Rebbe himself arrested by the GPU (forerunners of the NKVD and then the KGB). Their plan was to have him swiftly killed, before word got out and pressure was brought to bear. It’s a long story but miraculously their plan was thwarted. A hue and cry was raised around the world at the Rebbe’s arrest, and his sentence was commuted, from a death sentence, to ten years of hard labor in Solvaky, to three years of exile in Kostroma, and finally to freedom, leading eventually to his departure from Russia and eventual escape to the United States. The story is a long and incredible one. It was told by none other than the Rebbe himself, who recorded the events in his diary, in beautiful descriptive prose that brings the places and emotions to life. It’s been translated in a couple of versions: “The Heroic Struggle” and “A Prince in Prison,” and I highly recommend borrowing it from the Chabad House or finding it on-line. Just one brief anecdote from among hundreds…

Seeing the extensive attempts to psychologically crush and demoralize prisoners throughout the process, the Rebbe decided to exhibit complete calm in all interactions with his captors, and even to relate to them dismissively. He would respond only in Yiddish, and refuse to allow himself to be intimidated, even when this resulted in beatings.

In one instance, the interrogators were so infuriated they shouted: “Don’t you understand where you are?!” The Rebbe calmly responded: “Yes, I understand. I’m in a place that by Jewish law is exempt from a ”. (A jail is exempt from a Mezuzah because people don’t dwell there by their own free will. But the more common examples of places exempt from a Mezuzah are bathrooms, barns, and the like.)

One of the interrogators pulled out his handgun. “You’ll see,” he said. “Eventually you’ll talk. Eventually everybody talks. This little toy convinces everyone.” “That toy”, the Rebbe answered, “only affects those who have many gods and only one world. I have one G-d, and two worlds, and that toy doesn’t impress me…” The Rebbe spent 18 days in prison, during which he was repeatedly beaten and tortured -- from which he suffered for the rest of his life. But he remained unbowed and unbroken. When, towards the end of his time in prison he was informed that he would be sent off by train to his city of exile, he informed his persecutors in no uncertain terms that there was no way he would travel on Shabbat; and they ultimately kept him in prison until that Sunday. Even before heading off, he sent one of his Chassidim ahead to open a Jewish school and Mikvah in Kostrama, continuing the very activities he was imprisoned for! And when just nine days later he was informed of the miraculous news that he was to be completely free, he redoubled his efforts in encouraging the Jews of the Soviet Union to be strong. In the train station, when thousands of fellow Jews came to greet him, he gave a speech declaring: Only the bodies of the Jewish people were sent into exile, never our spirits. Nobody has the power to dictate in any way the spiritual behaviour of a Jew. One man stood up to the mighty Soviet empire, the superpower of that time. He mobilized an army of Chassidim. And, while it seemed impossible at the time, those Chassidim planted the seeds of a Jewish underground that never died out. The mighty Soviet Union, meanwhile, eventually faded and fell. And when it did, the Jewish underground planted by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak and nurtured by his son-in-law and successor the Lubavitcher Rebbe blossomed and flowered into the vibrant Jewish life throughout the former Soviet Union that exists today.

But it wasn’t about that one man. As the Previous Rebbe wrote on the day he was freed: Not only me did G-d redeem, but every single Jew. The Rebbe empowered us each to be a hero. He taught each of us about the importance of standing up for what we believe in, of exhibiting Jewish pride even under the longest of odds. And when we do so, victory is ensured.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Yisroel & Sara Bernath and the whole Chabad of NDG Family

M A Y I M A C H R O N I M . C O M In Kabbalah, the third eye is associated with the head tefillin, which the Torah commands be placed “between your eyes”. Despite this, we do not put the tefillin between our eyes, but atop the head, above The Kabbalah the hairline. This alludes to the fact that the head tefillin is about opening up our third eye, buried deeper in our brains. Science has shed some of Kippah incredible light on this subject. S I D R A B A L A K

This week’s parasha, Balak, recounts the attempt of two great sorcerers, Balak and Bilaam, to curse the people of Israel. Balak was a Moabite king who worried that Israel would conquer his land. He hired the famous gentile prophet and wizard Bilaam to curse the nation. Bilaam knew he would be unable to do this, for he can only pronounce what God desires. And so, each time Bilaam sought to pronounce a curse, a blessing emerged from his mouth instead. Balak tried several magical tricks and sacrificial rituals to change that, to no avail. Israel remained blessed.

The persistent motif in this parasha is the eye, or vision more broadly. Right from the beginning, we When worn properly, the head tefillin points directly read: to the pineal gland inside the brain.

Balak the son of Tzippor saw all that Israel had Deep in our brains is a small organ called the pineal done to the Amorites… He sent messengers to gland. It releases the sleep hormone melatonin, and Bilaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the has also been found to contain DMT river of the land of his people, to call for him, (dimethyltryptamine), a chemical that causes saying, “A people has come out of Egypt, and hallucinations and visions. Some say this chemical behold, they have covered the eye of the land, generates our dreams, or at least plays some role in and they are stationed opposite me.” (Numbers dreaming. In South American shamanic rituals, a 22:2-5) special tea (calledAyahuasca) with a high concentration of DMT is brewed and drunk in a religious ceremony to open one’s eyes to spiritual This kind of language permeates the entire parasha, visions (and apparently works extremely well). and is perhaps most concentrated in the following pass age: Bilaam raised his eyes and saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes, and the spirit of God rested upon him. He took up his parable and said, “The word of Bilaam the son of Beor and the word of the man with an open eye. The word of the one who hears God’s sayings, who sees the vision of the Almighty, fallen yet with open eyes. (Numbers 24:1-4)

Bilaam had a special “open eye” for seeing divine visions. Interestingly, although translated as “open The Pineal Gland in the Human Brain eye”, the Hebrew is actually shtum or stum ‘ayin, which can be read as “closed eye”. Rashi comments on If we can point to any part of the brain as being a this dichotomy, bringing sources that favour both “receiver” for prophecy, it would certainly be the translations, with the possibility that Bilaam was mysterious pineal gland. Most intriguingly, scientists blind in one eye or was missing an eye. The deeper have found that the pineal gland contains mystical meaning is referring to an inner, spiritual photoreceptor cells similar to those in our eyes! (In eye. Aderet Eliyahu (the commentary of the Vilna animals, it rests higher in the brain and appears to Gaon, Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer, 1720-1797) states that respond to light, and may even be involved in this refers to seeing with divine inspiration. The processes like bird migration.) For these reasons, Torah is alluding to an eye that is covered up, not many have identified the pineal gland with the visible on the face of a person. This eye is often mystical third eye described in ancient mystical texts. referred to as the “third eye” M A Y I M A C H R O N I M . C O M

The Child alludes to a Talmudic teaching of Rav Huna, who The Kabbalah of Kippah said he never walked four cubits with an uncovered head because the Shekhinah hovered over it (Kiddushin 31a). Elsewhere in the , we learn that an astrologer told the mother of Rav Nahman bar Yitzchak that he would become a thief, so his mother made him wear a head- covering his whole life to ensure “the fear of Heaven should always be upon him” (Shabbat 156b). It worked, and Rav Nahman became a great rabbi instead. Some cite this as the source for calling a kippah a yarmulke, meaning “fear of the King”. A kippah should remind a person at all times Who is above them.

Despite such teachings, wearing a kippah at all times was Pineal gland atop a bird's brain. not a halachic requirement in those days. This was especially the case for an unmarried man, as we learn from One of these ancient texts is the Zohar, on this week’s another passage in the Talmud (Kiddushin 29b): parasha. The section onBalak is possibly the longest in the entire Zohar. It includes what some identify as a separate mystical text that was only later incorporated Rav Ḥisda would praise Rav to Rav Huna by into the Zohar, called the Yenuka, or “Child”. It saying that he is a great man. Rav Huna said to him: describes a dialogue that and Rabbi “When he comes to you, send him to me.” When Rav Yehuda had with a particularly precocious child. The Hamnuna came before him, Rav Huna saw that he did child reveals some incredible mystical secrets, and one not wear a head-covering. Rav Huna said to him: of these is regarding the inner eye. (For more on these “What is the reason that you do not wear a head- secrets, and to the identity of this mysterious child, see covering?” Rav Hamnuna said to him: “The reason the second edition of Mayim Achronim Chova – Secrets is that I am not married.” Rav Huna turned his face of the Last Waters.) The Zohar (III, 187a) reads: away from him, and he said to him: “See to it that you do not see my face until you marry. [The Child] opened the discussion with the verse: “The wise man, his eyes are in his head, while the fool walks in darkness…” [Ecclesiastes 2:14] Why does it say the eyes are in his head? Are the eyes The story comes full circle with Rav Hamnuna. The Zohar states that the mysterious Child—who taught the secret of of a man in any other place? …Rather, the meaning the inner eye and the kippah—is none other than the son of of the verse is this: it has been taught that a man Rav Hamnuna Saba (“the Elder”). Although it isn’t entirely should not walk four cubits with an uncovered certain if these are the same Rav Hamnunas, it appears that head. What is the reason? Since theShekhinah rests this is indeed the case. Rav Huna (who was so careful with a upon the head, and a wise man’s thoughts and head-covering) was the one who taught and made sure that visions are in his head… Rav Hamnuna would get married and cover his head. The child that resulted from that marriage was the angelic child, King Solomon alluded to the third eye when he said a who went on to reveal the secret of the head-covering. wise man’s eyes are inhis head and show him the light. The meaning of his words are quite clear, for he didn’t It was Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1575), a great mystic in his mean that a fool is literally blind, rather that he is own right, who incorporated this practice as law in lacking spiritual vision, which a wise man has. The the Shulkhan Aruch, stating that one should not walk four Zohar comments by first stating that it is obvious the cubits with his head uncovered (Orach Chaim 2:6). In eyes are in (or on) the head. What one should previous centuries, wearing a kippah or head-covering was understand is that contained within our heads are all of only mandatory during prayer (Mishneh Torah, Sefer our holy thoughts and spiritual visions, imbued by God, Ahava, Hilkhot Tefilah 5:5). Even in the centuries following and thus God’s divine presence, the Shekhinah, hovers Rabbi Karo, there were those that maintained wearing a over the head. kippah all the times was not a strict requirement but a middat hassidut, an extra measure of piety. (Such was the The Child goes on to state that a spiritual light emanates view of the Chida, Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azzulai, 1724- from the head of a righteous person, and he sees that light 1806; as well as the Vilna Gaon, and Rabbi Samson Raphael glowing upon the heads of Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Hirsch, 1808-1888). Yehuda. The Kabbalists associate that light with the two highest souls of a person, the Chayah and Yechidah. While Today, it has become accepted for a Jewish man to wear a the three lower souls (Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah) reside in kippah all the time, and for good reason. It is a mark of the body, the higher souls exude outwards and hover over modesty, and a symbol of one’s Jewishness. It reminds a the body. (For more on this, see A Mystical Map of Your person of the Heavens above, and saves them from sin. It Soul.) This is why it is common to wear two head- (hopefully) motivates a person to do Kiddush Hashem. It coverings, for example a kippah and a hat, which is meant reminds a person of their higher souls, and the holy to “cover” the two higher souls. These souls are Shekhinah resting upon them. And it serves to stimulate particularly roused during prayer, which is the deeper and guard one’s “third eye”, one’s inner vision, and those reason for having a kippah and a tallit over one’s head. holy Torah thoughts residing in the mind.