Wednesday, 23rd of Teveth, 5775

Sefirot Combination:

Wednesday is the fourth day of Week 17 and the eighteenth day of the cycle of Tiferet (Balance/Beauty), Netzach shebeTiferet shebeTiferet, Victory/Endurance within Balance/Beauty within Balance/Beauty.

Alef-Bet/Psalms:

Wednesday is also the seventh day of the sixth 22-day cycle of the year, related to the letters Kaf and Lamed. The following excerpts from Chapters 112 and 119 of the Book of Psalms are connected to the seventh letter, the Zayin:

Psalm 112:

4. He shone a light in the darkness for the upright,

ד. זָרַח בַּחֹשֶׁךְ אוֹר לַיְשָׁרִים:


Psalm 119:

54. Your statutes were to me as songs in the house of my sojournings.

נד. זְמִרוֹת הָיוּ לִי חֻקֶּיךָ בְּבֵית מְגוּרָי:



Daily Lessons:

Psalms for day 23: 108 - 112. These Psalms speak of steadfastness and determination in singing praises to G-d. They also call out for Hashem to punish the wicked, to show victory over them. In addition, the Psalms speak of Hashem's enduring commitment to those He loves.

Hayom Yom for the 23rd of Teveth: Groaning is not enough. It may serve as a starting point in our orderly work of spreading Torah and the observance of Mitzvot.

Chumash for Wednesday, 4th Aliyah of Vaera: The Torah describes the beginning of the confrontation between Moshe and Pharaoh. It contains the miracle of the staff turning into a snake, as well as the plagues of blood and frogs. It is interesting to note that the Egyptian necromancers are able to imitate these miracles using sorcery, but by the plagues all that they accomplishing is to make the plagues worse! Even regarding the first sign, Aharon's staff swallows all the necromancer's staffs. (The aliyah exemplifies the concept of Netzach, victory).

I also wonder if the name, Nile (Nilus in Hebrew, Nilo in Portuguese/Spanish), is connected to the plague:

יח. וְהַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאֹר תָּמוּת וּבָאַשׁ הַיְאֹר וְנִלְאוּ מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִן הַיְאֹר:
18. And the fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become putrid, and the Egyptians will weary [in their efforts] to drink water from the Nile.' "

Rambam, Hilchot Talmud Torah - Chapter Two: This chapter enumerates other laws relating to education of children.

Tanya, Chapter 15 (Beginning): Difference between two gradations of beinonim, one who is serving G-d, and one who "serves Him not," - because he's not waging a war against his evil inclination.


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