“Moses heard and fell on his face.” (16:4)

I wonder how I would have reacted upon seeing Moshe bow and fall on his face.

I suspect that I would have immediately fallen on my face and waited for Moshe to signal that it was all right to rise. But the people did not fall on their faces; they watched, unmoved by the reaction of their great leader. Perhaps they shrugged off this terrifying scene because this was not the first time: “Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the entire congregation of the assembly of the Children of Israel.” (Numbers 14:5)

Is it possible that Moshe and Aaron were not bowing in weakness, or sadness, or fear, but as a lesson? How was it received, if it was a lesson?

“Then Israel prostrated himself towards the head of the bed.” (Genesis 47:31) “As the proverb says; “When the fox has his hour, bow down to him.” (Rashi) Jacob bowed to his son, Joseph, who was at his hour as the viceroy of Egypt.

I was extremely uncomfortable when my father zt”l would visit a synagogue where I was rabbi and insist that the congregation wait for me and not for him. I cannot even imagine watching my father bow to me! How could Joseph even bear to watch his father, Israel, bow to him? How could the Children of Israel stand and nonchalantly watch their teacher Moshe bow before or to them?

The Message:

The Brothers Karamazov begins with a confrontation among members of a scattered family. Three sons, all strangers to one another, and a dissolute, cynical father gather for the first time to discuss a quarrel about money, meeting, of all places, at a monastery: specifically, in the hermitage of Father Zosima, a man with a reputation, depending on your view, of either holiness or foolishness. The argument centers upon the eldest son, Dmitri, and his negligent father, Fyodor, and quickly takes on the appearance of a trial, with each man appealing to the elder Zosima for “justice”. But then, the narrator informs us, “the whole scene was stopped in a most unexpected manner”: “The elder suddenly rose from his place and stepped toward Dmitri Fyodrovich and, having come close to him, knelt before him. Kneeling in front of Dmitri, the elder bowed down at his feet with a full, distinct, conscious bow, and even touched the floor with his forehead. “Forgive me! Forgive me, all of you!’ he said, bowing on all sides to his guests.”

The elder Zosima bows to the ground before Dmitri who is suffering. He does not judge, for he knows from within himself this pettiness and arrogance. He sees himself darkly in Dmitri, and knows that this seeing is a gift. His bow and words simply return the gift purified.

Is it possible that Moshe’s bow was a message that he understood the nation’s response to the spies’ report? Was Moshe sending a message to Korach that he understood Korach’s issues: both the ones on Korach’s consciousness and those issues underlying his rebellion?

Did Moshe observe Korach and gain insight into himself? The Ba’al Shem Tov often taught that we observe in others what we do not want to see in ourselves. (Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer used this idea to explain Proverbs 4:25)

Perhaps Moshe’s fall to the ground was an acknowledgement of what he perceived as his own shortcomings; a message to all of Israel that he was aware of his limitations.

I wonder whether anyone watching had enough insight to reflect on the powerful image of Moshe falling on his face. I imagine chills running up and down my spine at the tangible expression of Moshe’s humility. I picture myself forever changed by the scene. The participants were unmoved. Their hearts were sealed by their anger and resentment.

Imagine anger so intense that it is impenetrable even by such an awesome expression of Moshe’s humility.

Author Info:

Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation stone is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

Pythagorus had a lot of influence for a man who probably never existed. The Pythagoreans invented their founder, including the manner of his death. Pyhthagoras had a strong revulsion to beans. He would definitely never have eaten Shabbat afternoon Cholent, and not because of its natural effects on the stomach, but because beans are not Tznius – not appropriate for a modest person: (Please do not read on if you are sensitive.) Bean may have been an Egyptian slang word for testicle. The Christian Bishop Hippolytus, in his Refutation of All Heresies (especially thefoundationstone.org) wrote that if beans are chewed and then left in the sun, they emit the smell of semen. Very not Tznius! There’s more! If one takes the bean in flower and buries it in the earth and, in a few days, digs it up: “It will have the appearance of something immodest.”

It seems that Pythagoras was very strict about Tznius: When running from the Syracusans during the war with Arigentum, he escaped because his followers formed a bridge over a fire with their bodies, only to be caught because he would not escape through a field of beans: not tznius! That’s commitment.

Even the great philosophers, if they truly existed, had their foibles.

Lately, I have been wondering if the manner in which we teach Tznius has become one of the foibles of certain religious communities.

I repeat: “The manner in which we teach the laws of Tznius.” I do not mean the laws of personal dignity.

If a teacher publicly humiliates a young girl for wearing a school uniform that is too tight; is she not stuck at Pythagoras’ field of beans? Is it Tznius – modesty to most – dignity to me – to humiliate someone? Did the “laws” of Tznius not just override the biblical commandments to love others, to rebuke in an effective manner, to not embarrass someone, to copy the ways of God in personal attributes, to avoid arrogance and numerous others? Is that public rebuke not a tergiversation (I wanted to use a word I learned today – not too modest, but hopefully dignified,) of all the lessons of Jewish law and thought?

I open this “blog” to you: How do you suggest we teach the concept of Tznius and its laws?

Please allow me one more reflection on this topic: I met a non-observant man this week who commented that he never understood the concept of Kedusha – Holiness – until he met a group of Satmar women. He used to laugh at their hats and dress. After one conversation he understood the concept of Holiness at least he sensed it. These were women who were untouchable simply by virtue of who they are as human beings. I can picture Reb Yoelish zt”l smiling with great pride.

Author Info:

Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

1. There is a difference between ‘sacrificing” what I want in order to please someone else and loving someone so much that I desire whatever he or she wants. The former is the usual ingredient of compromise in a relationship: Compromise implying that each party that compromises gives up part of what he or she wants. Neither is happy. This approach describes parents who sacrifice what they want for the sake of their children. I have never sacrificed for my children: I chose them and their needs over me and mine.

2. The Mitzvah/Concept of love demands that we love God so much that we desire whatever He wants. It is not a relationship of giving up my desires or sacrificing my needs: Attachment to God is what I want more than anything else. I want whatever He wants.

3. The Ohaiv Yisrael (Re’ei) based on Tanchuma Re’ei #3, Devarim Rabbah 4:3, Lamentations 3:38: “It is not from the mouth of the Most High that evil and good emanate.” Only good emanates from God. God is “Kulo Tov” – completely and perfectly good. God desires to send only blessing.

4. We love God so much; especially during this month of intense love – Elul – that we only desire what He wants. We approach Rosh Hashana with only the desire for what God wants to give us.

5. We do not come as supplicants trying to convince God to grant our wishes. We enter Rosh Hashana with the pure desire simply to receive all the perfect good that God desires to give.

6. Most of us hesitate at this point. Will we be able to live up to such infinite blessings? We feel undeserving. We feel inadequate.

7. Elul is the time when we are able to overcome our hesitance in order to receive all that God desires to give us.

8. We compared this to Naval and Abigail in Samuel I Chapter 25: Abigail senses the infinite potential of the moment. She even alludes to the infinite connection between the future king and her. Naval, has his own agenda and refuses to acknowledge how he has benefited from David. He focuses on all the negative things he can find in David even after Saul has publicly acknowledged that David will be king! (See end of chapter 24)

9. The first hours of Rosh Hashana day correspond to the first hours of the sixth day of creation, when all was perfect and Adam had not sinned. This is how God sees us, and our unsullied souls during these hours. There is nothing blocking infinite shefa – abundance of blessings – but our ability to receive them and to believe that God wants only that.

Author Info: 



Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.

We began with the Intellect’s statement on the bottom of pages 18 -19 in The Knowing Heart:

1) A person achieves Dveikut – Attachment as he or she achieves greater self-mastery.

2) Dveikut – Attachment is to God’s Kedusha – Sanctity.

3) Dveikut allows one to enjoy his or her perceptions of God’s Glory.

4) That enjoyment will not be limited by any of the three major barriers: 1. Hindrance – Someone or something holding you back from moving forward, 2. Barrier, and 3. Impediment.

5) The Ramchal quotes three verses to explain and define each of the three limitations to enjoyment.

6) Whenever the Ramchal quotes more than one proof-text, he intends to prove more than one point.

7) The three limitations are discussed in prayer: Amidah: Avot: “Melech ozer, u’Moshia, U’magain – The King Who Helps, saves and shields.

Hindrance refers to ego interfering with attachment: Jacob holding on to Esau’s heel (where the Serpent of Eden attacks) is holding Esau back from asserting power – a positive hindrance. Serving God without integrity – with self-serving motivation – is ego. The attacks of others in word and deed create barriers. Our inability to accept that God uses His abundant blessings to guide us toward the fulfillment of our purpose in life is the impediment.

9) This too is in the Amidah: Gevurot: Mechakail Chaim – God sustains us in order to help us achieve Techiat Hameitim – World to Come – which is our ultimate purpose.

Author Info:

Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah.