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THEMES of Featured Mystical Classics Articles
![]() The Temple structure was a source of light for the world
People might have thought that the Temple had no need for interior illumination from windows. However, the Book of Kings teaches that the windows in the Temple were very narrow on the inside and wide on the outside, suggesting that their purpose was not to let light enter, but, on the contrary, in order to illuminate the outside world with the spiritual light contained therein.
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![]() Judah & Tamar - A Chanukah Drama
When Judah (the metaphor for G-d) is "informed" that His bride Tamar (the Jewish people) has betrayed Him, substituting him with another partner, Tamar is convicted.
But the Jew says to G-d, 'Gaze into my identity and you will see that my intimacy is shared only with You, G-d', to which G-d answers, "The Jew going astray is my fault…because I did not give Tamar to my son Shelah," referring to the Mashiach. |
![]() Intermediate
Both the Menorah and the showbread table of the Temple are symbolized by the Chanukah menorah.
There were seven candles in the Menorah in the Holy Temple, corresponding to the seven "moving stars" – the sun, the moon, and the five planets closest to the earth. The twelve loaves of showbread upon the Table correspond to the astrological signs of the Zodiac. This symbolism emphasized that neither the hosts of the heavens nor the astrological signs control the fate of the world.
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