The newly released book “Remarkable Insights about Death and the Afterlife” is now available (as a paperback, hardcover and digitized version) for purchase and delivery on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/
Some of the questions discussed in this book are the following.
What is the ultimate way to elevate the soul of one’s parents?
How does the death process rectify a person’s soul?
What profound life lessons can we learn from gravestones?
In what ways can the concept of reincarnation help us better understand life?
What is the idea behind davening at gravesites?
What will happen at the Resurrection of the Dead?
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לעילוי נשמת שמואל אביגדור בן יצחק מאיר
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Rabbi Alt merited to learn under the tutelage of R’ Mordechai Friedlander ztz”l for close to five years. He received Semicha from R’ Zalman Nechemia Goldberg ztz”l. Rabbi Alt has written on numerous topics for various websites and publications and is the author of the books, Fascinating Insights and Incredible Insights. His writings inspire people across the spectrum of Jewish observance to live with the vibrancy and beauty of Torah. He lives with his wife and family in a suburb of Yerushalayim where he studies, writes, and teaches. The author is passionate about teaching Jews of all levels of observance.
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Special Days
The days of Shovivim have begun. The word שובבים is an abbreviation for the six weeks of שמות וארא בא בשלח יתרו משפטים.
During this period, we can rectify the trait of Yosef, kedushas ha’bris. In fact, this period is six weeks long (on a non-leap year) and Yosef corresponds to the sixth sefira, yesod. It comes as no surprise that in Parshas Shemos, which begins Shovivim, we are told that they had six children at a time, as children are produced from the bris.
The Zohar[1] teaches that these weeks are a time of teshuva, as it says שובו בנים שובבים, return wayward children.[2] The term שובבים is rooted in שובה, to return.[3] This is hinted to in the first pasuk in Parshas Shemos, בני ישראל הבאים מצרימה, as the end letters spell מילה. Furthermore, the last letters of the next words, מצרימה את יעקב איש וביתו spellתשובה .
The parshiyos of these weeks speak about our stay in Mitzrayim, the notorious place of impurity which is called ערות הארץ, as well as our eventual departure from there, culminating with Matan Torah. It is in these weeks that we work on kedushas ha’bris, on leaving ערות הארץ.
The Mishna tells us that שש מעלות למקואות, there are six levels to Mikva.[4] Another meaning is that these refer to the six weeks of שובבים, which can purify us, which is what a Mikva does.[5]
May we all merit to take advantage of this special time and thereby herald in blessing and success. In fact, this is alluded to in the word שובבים which forms an acronym for שפע ברכה והצלחה בכל מעשה ידיהם, flow of blessing and success in all areas.
[1] R’ Yehuda Leib of Ashlag (1886-1955) who authored the 21-volume Sulam on the Zohar writes in a letter, “On Friday the 12th of Marcheshvan 1919, a certain person visited me… I immediately sensed that he was a holy man. He promised to reveal to me the wisdom of kabbala in all its facets. I studied under him for about three months… As I became more proficient my saintly master gradually withdrew until at the end of three months he disappeared altogether. I went looking for him but couldn’t find him. One morning on the 9th of Nissan I found him, at which time he revealed to me a deep mystery, which made me ecstatic… Because he appeared to be very faint, I stayed with him and didn’t leave his house. The following day, the 10th of Nissan, 1919, my saintly master passed away. He was a prominent Warsaw businessman, admired for his integrity but no one knew that he was a great kabbalist. He made me promise not to reveal his identity to anyone.” R’ Yehuda Leib titled his work, the Hebrew translation of the Zohar, “the Sulam” because “a person may have an attic filled with precious jewels. All he needs is a ladder to gain access to these great treasures.”
[2] Yirmiyah 3:14.
[3] The days of שובבים are days of teshuva in general and specifically for the bris.
[4] Mikvaos 1:1.
[5] We also see in other places that the number six is symbolic of getting closer to kedusha. One example is the Gemara (Shabbos 35b) which says שש תקיעות תוקעין ערב שבת, on Friday afternoon we sound six Shofar blasts to announce the impending arrival of Shabbos. Another instance is the Mishna Brura (150:12. See Zohar in Vayakhel 206:1.) who writes that we shouldn’t make more than six steps for the Bima. One last illustration of this is that the throne which Shlomo constructed had six steps (Melachim 1, 10:19, Divrei Hayamim, 2, 9:18, see Devarim Rabba 5:6).
