Hebrew Synagogue

Shevat 20 – Menachot 26a–b

Measure and Intention | מדה וכונה

פירוש נסתר | Hidden Meaning

The discussion centres on precise measures and valid vessels, teaching that holiness is not created by excess but by exactness aligned with purpose. What is brought must be complete in its

Hashem Preserves the Thresholds of Life

This portion from the Holy Zohar, Vaetchanan 20, speaks to the simple verse, “Hashem shall preserve your going out and your coming in,” revealing that nothing in a person’s movement through the world is random or unguarded. The Zohar

Those Who Were Lost Yet Remembered

These verses of the Holy Zohar speak of those described as lost in the land of Assyria, a phrase that appears to describe exile but in truth reveals a far deeper spiritual condition. The words are not merely about geography or history, but

Shevat 18 — Menachot 24a–b

Continuity and Intention in the Service of Flour | רציפות וכוונה בעבודת המנחה

Context and Core Teaching | עיקר הסוגיה

Menachot 24a–b examines when the flour-offering becomes fixed as a valid מנחה (minchah offering) and how interruption, change of

“They Have Forsaken Me” — Forsaking Presence, Not Distance

They words “they have forsaken Me” appear in the Holy Zohar as a piercing diagnosis, not of physical absence, but of relational rupture. The Holy Zohar explains that G-D is never absent from creation; rather, people step

Shevat 17 – Menachot 23a–b

Quantity and Intention in Sacred Service | כמות וכוונה בעבודת הקדש

Context and Core Teaching | עיקר הסוגיה

The discussion on Menachot 23a–b examines offerings whose measures vary and cases where the Torah fixes a quantity yet places decisive weight

Shevat 16 – Menachot 22a–b

Context | הקשר

The discussion in Menachot 22a–b centres on the precise boundaries of validity in the מנחה (Mincha – meal offering), especially where intention, action, and sequence intersect. The Gemara probes cases where elements are technically

Waste Water Before the Door — Guarding the Threshold

A teaching from the Holy Zohar, Vaetchanan 16, verses 106–110, speaks of discarding waste water outside the door and not within the house. A teaching that appears practical on the surface is, in truth, a profound lesson about

A person asks why we do not spell out the word G-D, and the answer is that it is not merely a word, but a reference to the Divine Name. Jewish practice teaches that names which refer to HaShem carry sanctity, and sanctity demands care.

We therefore choose restraint over

Menachot 21a–b — Shevat 15

Core Teaching | עיקר הלימוד

The daf teaches that precise measures govern the Minchah: certain deficiencies invalidate while others do not, and the presence or absence of קומץ (kometz — the handful offering) defines whether the act stands. The sugya

Our Elohim, Your Elohim

Standing at the edge of revelation, Moshe speaks words that distinguish covenant from imitation. The phrase “Our Elohim, your Elohim” does not describe two powers, but two relationships to power. One is bound by brit; the other borrows language without

Shevat 14 — Menachot 20a–b

Core Teaching | עיקר הלימוד

The discussion examines cases where the offering’s intent or handling deviates from its proper order, and whether the korban is invalidated or merely diminished. The sugya teaches that not every flaw carries the same

The Four Passages: Unity of Mind, Heart, and Deed

Each mitzvah binds Heaven and earth, yet Tefillin stand apart as a daily covenant worn upon the body itself. Each passage placed within the head and hand Tefillin carries a distinct light, yet together they form a single

Stand With Me

Moses is told, “But as for you, stand here by Me,” at the moment when revelation moves from thunder to instruction. The Holy Zohar reads this not as a physical position, but as a spiritual placement. To stand by G-D is to remain present after the voice fades, to

The Voice That Has No Form

At Har Sinai, Israel heard what no nation has ever heard: a voice without shape, words without image, truth without distortion. The Holy Zohar calls it “the voice of the words” — a revelation where sound itself carried holiness, and the soul recognised

Day and Night — The Torah That Never Stops

The Holy Zohar, Vaetchanan, teaches that the command “you shall meditate therein day and night” is not only about study-time, but about soul-time. Torah is not meant to be visited like a place; it is meant to become the place where the

Menachot 5a–b — Tevet 28

Core Teaching | עיקר הלימוד

This sugya addresses offerings that were brought with an initial flaw of designation or sequence and examines whether later corrective acts can restore validity. The Gemara distinguishes between actions that define the korban

The Water Libation — Drawing Joy Downward

At the Temple during Sukkot, Israel poured water upon the Mizbeach. This was not only a ritual act; it was a secret of drawing blessing down into the world. The Holy Zohar reveals that water represents the hidden flow of mercy that

Menachot 4a–b — Tevet 27

Intention Shapes the Offering

Words open this teaching by Menachot 4a–b, where the Gemara examines how the validity of a korban or minchah is bound not only to correct action but to correct intent. The act may be precise, yet without the proper כונה

Sukkot: Dwelling Inside the Shadow of Emunah

Sukkot is not merely a festival of remembrance. It is the command to step out of permanence and enter a fragile structure, to show that true security is not walls, wealth, or certainty, but the Presence of G-D. The Holy Zohar in