The light of Torah

Hi,

[The following is a commentary on Shemot 28:10, and the third stone of the twelve located on the breastplate of the Kohen Gadol. The stone is called bareket in the Torah.]

"This is the carbuncle [a.k.a. garnet]; it is called bareket because it shines like lightning (barak) and illuminates like a lamp. And so the Aramaic commentary says barkan. This is the stone that Noach hung in the boat, in Bereishit 6:16, 'You shall make a tzohar for the boat.'

"He assigned it to Levi because the tribe of Levi illuminates with Torah, as in Devarim 33:10, 'They will teach Your statutes to Yaakov, and Your Torah to Israel.' And when Moshe – who was of the tribe of Levi – was born, the house was filled with light, and regarding him Shemot 34:29 says, 'The skin of his face shone.' And Kohelet 8:1 says, 'A person's wisdom illuminates his face.'"...

והוא הקרבונקל"א, נקראת "ברקת" על שם שנוצצת כברק ומאירה כנר, וכן תרגום: ברקן, והוא אבן שתלה נח בתיבה, ממה שכתוב: (בראשית ו, טז) "צהר תעשה לתיבה". ונתנה ללוי מפני ששבט לוי היו מאירין בתורה, כענין שנאמר: (דברים לג, י) "יורו משפטיך ליעקב ותורתך לישראל", וכן משה שהיה משבט לוי כשנולד נתמלא כל הבית אורה, ונאמר בו: (להלן לד, כט) "כי קרן עור פניו", וכתיב: (קהלת ח, א) "חכמת אדם תאיר פניו"...

(Rabbeinu Bechayye to Shemot 28:10)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A uniform for prayer

Hi,

"It is appropriate for a person to have fine clothes which are set aside for prayer, like the clothing of the Kohanim. Not everyone can spend money on this, but it is good, at least, to have a pair of pants which are designated for prayer in that they are kept clean."

(Tur, Orach Chaim 98)

Have a great day,
Mordechai