Degel Machaneh Ephraim דגל מחנה אפרים Sefaria Community Translation https://www.sefaria.org Degel Machaneh Ephraim Title Approbations Bereshit ...Additionally, one may learn [from the text] “In the beginning, God created…” One may interpret from this word “Elohim” (gematrically) is equal to “hatevah” (nature), and “reshit” is “chochmah” (wisdom), just as the Targum Yerushalmi renders “b’reshit” as “b’chochmata.” And from this one can learn that from the hint of the pasuk, that “b’reshit” is “b’chochmah” (with wisdom), God created Elohim—the Holy One, blessed be He created the natural order of the world, and this is a wondrous insight, because the natural order is comprised of the four elements: fire, wind, water, and earth. Every aspect of the health of the body depends on the even balance of the elements. If one element overtakes another, God forbid, from this we can extrapolate for a person which pain and weakness of the body they have, God forbid. As is known by natural scientists, all healings are merely the strengthening and amplification of [a person’s] nature, so that there won’t be any weakness of one element compared to another, only that they should all be equally in balance. The Torah is eternality, and what there is in the universe in macrocosm, there is also within humans in microcosm by way of “space, time and spirit,” and therefore a man who possesses knowledge and wisdom can make unto himself a new nature, to change the nature he had originally. By way of example from a parable, if he was born with an angry or a lustful nature, when he is aware of this, he can overturn his nature and master his anger, and his words will be calm, and surely he will not lust after or pursue luxuries, rather he will be satisfied with whatever he has. Everything depends on wisdom, as it is written, “It is the wisdom of man to be slow to anger,” and also “anger rests in the gut of fools,” because the created needs to mirror the Creator, just as the creator of all created the natural order on a foundation of wisdom—so too can humans create for themselves, on a foundation of wisdom, a new nature. From this we understand how from the natural world we can return life force on a foundation of Torah, for we can negate weakness of the soul with it, on account of a weakness of one of the elements… ... In every generation, the scholars (of that generation) are making up [alternative translation: are finishing, or filling up] the Torah, because the Torah is being interpreted in every generations according to the needs of that generation And according to the source of their souls - so is God enlightening the eyes of the wise people of that generation, in Its holy Torah. And whoever denies that, it is as if they deny/do not believe in in the Torah, heaven forbid. (Translation by Abby Stein) Noach Lech Lecha And the Lord said to Avram, "Go for yourself, etc., to the land that I will show you": I heard about this from my master, my father, may his memory be blessed, who said in the name of his master, his father, the elder - his soul is in Eden - Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, that the unification of the reading of Shema is hinted here. The numerical equivalent of, "Go (Lech) is the [same as] the 50 letters of the unification with the sacrifice of one's life (the first two sentences of Shema contain 49 letters and the person's life counts as an additional letter). And [the sacrifice] is indicated by, "from your land, etc." But the matter needs to clarified and explained more, how the unification of the reading of Shema is hinted here: So behold the holy Zohar (Zohar Chadash, Sifra Tanina 85) wrote that the five flat stones with which King David, peace be upon him, fought with Goliath the Philistine are the five words of unification, "Hear Israel, [the] Lord [is our] God, [the] Lord"; and he placed them in one sling, meaning, "[is] One," see there. So behold, there are 248 words in the reading of Shema, and that is what is hinted here: "And the Lord said to Avram, 'Go,'" meaning the unification of the reading of Shema, which is the number of, "go," as mentioned above; "for yourself," meaning for the need of building your soul, you will see fit to sacrifice your life for the sanctification of God, may He be blessed and elevated, and you will merit the secret of the unification of the reading of Shema. And this is [the meaning of], "and I will make your name great" (Genesis 12:2); meaning that a hey will be added to his name and he will be called Avraham, which is the numerical equivalent of 248. Hence the 248 letters of the reading of Shema will be included in him and in his name, which is his soul. By way of sacrificing his life to God, may He be blessed, you will merit this - to be called by the name, Avraham, the aspect of the reading of Shema. And afterwards, you will merit "the land that I will show you," meaning the unification of prayer, which is [something that] 'no eye has seen besides You, God.' And so is it with anyone at anytime, if one enters into the shrine of love with great cleaving and sacrifices his life for the sanctification of His name, may He be blessed, he merits the unification of the reading of Shema, which encompasses all of the unification, since the numerical equivalent of love (ahavah) and one (echad) are the same. And afterwards he climbs to a cleaving higher than this and merits the unification of prayer, as his thought is purified in greater cleaving to God, may He be blessed, as it is was with Avraham. As the Torah is eternal, and it is for every person and for all times. And understand [this]. Vayera Chayei Sara Toldot Vayetzei She said "Elokim has gathered my shame" and she called his name Joseph saying "YHVH will add for me another son." First, we need to understand that she said G-d gathered etc... Then afterwards, she called him by a different name: that he is Joseph (will add). She should have called him Asaf (gathered). It is known that here it is different from the rest of the names where it was first written next to each one "she said he has judged me etc... and she called his name Dan (judged). Thus it is for all of the rest. In the specific case of this name, that she called him Joseph, it completely contradicts and is entirely the opposite of what was originally intended. That he would be Asaf, this is a language of gathering and bringing in, so that there would not be more, but Joseph, this name is a language of addition, that there may be more added. There is something to explain, according to the poverty of my mind, thus: Behold, she had a need to give thanks for what had happened, that HaShem Yisborach did not abandon her in His mercy and gave her a son. Also, she wanted to pray for the future, that YHVH would add for her another son. It is known that the letter Aleph is Yud Vav, that an Aleph is written with Yud, Vav, Yud like this, that it is the figure of Yud Vav. This is the value of this verse: "she said 'G-d has gathered my shame.'" She gave thanks for the past. "She called his name Joseph," the reason to say "YHVH will add for me another son" is that she needed also to speak and to pray for the future. Thus, she called his name Joseph that this name includes both of them. "YHVH will add" is a prayer, according to its simple understanding, and it is also an expression of gratitude for what has already occurred, because Yud Vav is Aleph, as has been explained above, and the letters of Joseph are also the letters of Asaf. Now, we teach about both of them. You should understand this.   Vayishlach Vayeshev Miketz Vayigash Vayechi Shemot Vaera Bo Beshalach Yitro Mishpatim Terumah Tetzaveh Ki Tisa And you said 'I know you by name, and also, you found favor in My eyes' - And the Or HaChayim asked the question: why did Moshe our teacher, peace be upon him, change the saying of the Holy One of Blessing regarding himself, in which he said first 'you found favor n My eyes' and then 'I know you by Name'? And there is something to be said on this, but beforehand one needs to bring first what is written in the Holy Zohar, that hints of higher lights and higher worlds without limit exist in the name of Moshe, see there. [...] Purim Vayakhel And the ability to instruct he instilled in his heart: And its Targum (Targum Yonatan on Exodus 35:34) is, "and to teach art." And on "And to design designs" (Exodus 35:32), the Targum is also, "And to teach art." And to explain this, we need to preface [the Sages] statement, may their memory be blessed, (Berakhot 55a:13), "Bezalel knew how to join the letters with which heaven and earth were created." And there is a need to understand what it the requirement for him to know this for the sake of building the tabernacle. However the matter is like this: It is known that the Holy One, blessed be He, looked into the Torah and created the world, and the verse assisted Him, "I was with Him as a confidant" (Proverbs 8:30)... Pekudei Vayikra Tzav Shmini Tazria Metzora Achrei Mot Kedoshim Emor Behar For you are resident strangers with Me It is possible to speak about this in the manner of allusion. I will explain it according to what I have heard from a certain wise person regarding the verse "I am only a stranger in the land; do not hide Your commandments from me." (Psalms 119:19). This is known from the quality of the nature of the world; a stranger is without a people to cleave to, they are without one to be close to and to tell all their happenings and all their heart to, since they have no friend neither Jew nor Gentile. But when the stranger sees a friend, then they tell all of these to their friend, all their happenings. And know that the Holy Blessed One is Themself like a stranger in this world(!) for They have no-one with whom to imbue Their presence and Their glory, may They be blessed, and we are infinitesimally small, etc. And this is what King David, peace be upon him, prayed: "I am a stranger in this land" (ibid.) -- this is to say, I too do not want to be resident in this world(!) And I am only like a stranger in this world. And therefore, do not hide from me Your mitzvot -- like a stranger who tells all their heart to their friend. And this is that which can be said about the allusion in the verse "For [you are] resident strangers", that you are in the aspect of a stranger in this world, and in that of a resident in the world to come. Then you are with Me, for I also am a stranger in this world (as explained above) and obviously, I will not hide from them My mitzvot (as explained above, and understand). Bechukotai Bamidbar Nasso Beha'alotcha Sh'lach Korach Chukat Balak Pinchas Matot Masei Devarim Vaetchanan Eikev Re'eh Shoftim Ki Teitzei Haftarah for Ki Teitzei Ki Tavo Haftarah for Ki Tavo Nitzavim Vayeilech Ha'Azinu Shabbat Shuvah V'Zot HaBerachah Addenda on Torah Lech Lecha Vayera Chayei Sara Toldot Vayetzei Vayishlach Miketz Vayigash Vayechi Shemot Bo Mishpatim Terumah Tetzaveh Tzav Emor Devarim Eikev Re'eh Ki Tavo Nitzavim Haftarah for Nitzavim V'Zot HaBerachah Addenda