Who was Asenath?

Dinah the wife of Lavan was the mother of Leah and Rachel, both of whom married Jacob. Lavan motivated a deception of Jacob to first marry Leah although Jacob always considered Rachel his first wife, his first choice. Leah's daughter was said to have been swapped from Rachel who instead bore Joseph, her first son, Leah named her daughter Dinah, presumably after her mother. 

At 8 years old, Jacob's daughter Dinah was raped by Shechem and she conceived. The teenage sons of Jacob wanted to kill the baby to cover their shame, but Jacob objected, instead he placed the baby in a 'sneh', written as סנה - a 'bush' in Midian. The region of Midian was named after the son of Abraham, it roughly stretched from modern Medina (Saudi Arabia) along the Gulf of Arabia to Eilat (Israel).  

The baby was raised by priests in Midian and at age 9 it was transferred, most likely by Midianites on a caravan traveling along the trade route north, then west at Gilead, toward Shechem, the Mediterranean coast and south to Egypt. On their journey the Midianites encountered an Ishmaelite caravan also travelling west through Gilead to the coast and Egypt, they began trading while they travelled to their ultimate destination. 

Joseph was disliked by his brothers. At age 17, near Shechem they threw him into a pit (Genesis 37:25). They concocted an idea to sell him to the approaching Ishmaelite caravan coming from Gilead (Genesis 37:28). Unusually the Ishmaelites were carrying sweet smelling balms when they would normally carry tanning hides and tar. The Midianite caravan arrived at the pit before the Ishmaelite caravan to whom the brothers intended the sale, they removed Joseph from the pit and abducted him.

In the middle of the Joseph story Torah interrupts with a seemingly unrelated story about Joseph's brother Yehuda's (Judah) one-time relationship with the daughter-in-law of his deceased son. Tamar, who was the daughter of a high-priest, disguised as a prostitute expressed her right over Yehuda to procreate from the blood line of her deceased husband. This led to the birth of Peretz from whom the Messianic House of David lineage arose (Genesis 38:1).

Then, just as suddenly Torah returns to the continuation of Joseph's story. The Midianites traded with the Ishmaelites several times on the way to Egypt, ultimately they delivered Joseph to the house of Egypt's designated high priest and chief slaughterer Potiphar.  

Joseph was 30 when Pharaoh made him Viceroy over Egypt and blessed him to marry Asenath, the adopted daughter of Potiphar. Joseph had recognized Aesnath as being Hebrew by the amulet around her neck. Asenath - אסנת, is written using the same two letter source as 'sneh' and 'Sinai'. Jacob named her when he placed an amulet around her neck and left her in the 'sneh' on Mount 'Sinai' for the priestly caste of Midian to care for her. 

Many commentators declare Asenath the daughter of Dinah from the rape by Shechem. One Yemenite source adds that the unusual balm's carried by the Ishmaelites was a hint to Asenath being on the same transport with Joseph to the House of Potiphar, the high priest in Egypt. Considering Torah's juxtaposition of Judah-Tamar and the prospect that Joseph-Asenath were on the same caravan motivates deeper enquiry for such blatant interjection and suggestion. 

Although Judah was Jacob's fourth son to Leah, he rose above the rights of his older brothers to obtain the status of Leah's firstborn. Joseph was firstborn to Jacobs chosen wife Rachel. Jacob's progeny would eventually give rise to the Messianic lineage through penultimate Joseph and ultimate Judah. This is a central tenant of Judaism, the lens through which many of the interpersonal relationships recorded in the Torah can be better understood. 

Providence ensured Asenath would be on the caravan with Joseph to Egypt, to the same home and their marriage some thirteen years later. This was the first intermarriage between Leah and Rachel's bloodlines and Torah's interjection of Judah-Tamar confirms the subtle messianic allusion to Aesenath daughter of Dinah, granddaughter of Jacob. 

The tumultuous journey of Dinah's soul, its intermingling with Shechem, elevation through Asenath and eventual ascension with Joseph in Egypt preceded the messianic moment of Judah and Tamar that gave rise to Peretz, Boaz (Ruth), Yishai and David who was crowned King and from whom future kings descend. 

The word 'toledot' refers to generations, it is used dozens of times in the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible. However, it is spelled perfectly in only two places; once in the first verses of Genesis (2:4) in reference to the creation of the souls of heaven and earth and once in the book of Ruth, naming the descendants of Peretz.

Torahs' finely woven words preserves the record of its deep seated interest in the messianic root for all who care to learn of its complete wisdom.

 

   

Jacob Knows!

The story of Yehuda and Tamar is a very strange juxtaposition to the kidnap and sale of Joseph. Many reasons are given, but I'd like to add more.

Joseph was 17 when he was sold, by his brothers to the Ishmaelites who traded with Midianites on their caravan journey to the house of Potiphar in Egypt. 

Genesis 37:25

(25) Then they (the brothers) sat down to a meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels bearing gum, balm, and ladanum to be taken to Egypt.

כה) וַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮ לֶֽאֱכָל־לֶחֶם֒ וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּרְא֔וּ וְהִנֵּה֙ אֹרְחַ֣ת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים בָּאָ֖ה מִגִּלְעָ֑ד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣ם נֹֽשְׂאִ֗ים נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט הוֹלְכִ֖ים לְהוֹרִ֥יד מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

Commentators raise the oddity of the Ishmaelite load, which would normally have been tars, not the fine balm's mentioned. A Yemenite midrashic source backs up my view that Torah is hinting at something very special.

The Ishmaelite caravan was trading with a Midianite caravan, traveling through Gilead as they separately journeyed to Egypt. The gum, balm and ladanum (נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט - sweet smelling balm's) were a hint that Joseph's niece Aesnath (אסנת) who, 9 years earlier Jacob had placed in a 'sneh' (סנה), a bush in Midyan (perhaps Mount Sinai - סיניה) was traveling on the same caravan. Sneh is in fact the source of her name. Ultimately Joseph and Aesnath were traded into the House of Potiphar in Egypt.

However, the story of their journey is interjected and juxtaposed to the story about the death of Yehuda's two sons that led him to a relationship with is daughter in law, Tamar who birthed Peretz. Then oddly, immediately after the interjection, Torah returns to Joseph (of Rachel) who at 30 years was blessed by Pharaoh to marry Aesnath (from Dinah-Leah). This was the first time the bloodline of Jacob's two wives intermarried. 

Mystical Judaism introduces the idea that the Messianic son of Joseph will precede the Messianic son of Yehuda (David). That seems to be borne out of and supported by Joseph and Aesnath, on the same Caravan being interjected by and adjacent to Yehuda and Tamar (read the link for more about the Messianic soul).  

Later in the story, Joseph encountered his brothers and demanded they fetch the youngest brother  Binyamin from their father Jacob and bring him to Egypt. Reluctantly Jacob conceded, but he commanded his sons to return baring gifts of the land.

Genesis 43:11

(11) Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, do this: take some of the choice products of the land in your baggage, and carry them down as a gift for the man—some balm and some honey, gum, ladanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

יא) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אֲבִיהֶ֗ם אִם־כֵּ֣ן ׀ אֵפוֹא֮ זֹ֣את עֲשׂוּ֒ קְח֞וּ מִזִּמְרַ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ בִּכְלֵיכֶ֔ם וְהוֹרִ֥ידוּ לָאִ֖ישׁ מִנְחָ֑ה מְעַ֤ט צֳרִי֙ וּמְעַ֣ט דְּבַ֔שׁ נְכֹ֣את וָלֹ֔ט בָּטְנִ֖ים וּשְׁקֵדִֽים׃

Three of the six gifts connect to the land, Honey (from dates), Pistachio and Almonds, but the remaining three are identical to and directly relate to the fine balm load carried by the Ishmaelites. Was Jacob hinting at something by sending these three specific gifts to Joseph? By Jacob connecting his gift to Aesnath he was hinting that he knew of her dispatch on the Midianite caravan to Egypt. 

The lofty, mystical pieces of this deeply spiritual world begin to be seen by us mortals. Jacob dispatched Aesnath and sent Joseph to find his brothers, the angel of Dothan delivered him into their hands. Torah juxtaposed the important event of Yehuda and Tamar. Jacob ultimately sent all his sons to Egypt and later the family of Israel immigrated. On Jacob's death bed, he anxiously wanted to tell them of the messianic roots he had set, but in unison his sons settled him saying "Hear O' Israel (as in Jacob) the Lord is God, the Lord is One" to which he responded "Blessed be the name of the glory of His Kingdom for ever and ever" then he left this world.

 

The Abraham Accords - The Patient Soul!

Translators struggled to interpret the end of the Bible's six-day Genesis creation story because it contains too many allusions to secrets that are lost in any translation attempt.

2:4 Such is the story (generations) of heaven and earth when they were created. When the LORD God made (prepared) earth and heaven

2:4 אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּ_הִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם׃

In Hebrew, the verse suggests earth and heaven were a preparation (עֲשׂ֛וֹת), but for what? Generations of heaven and earth?

The verse includes the first use of "The Name" יְהוָ֥ה "Ha Shem". It suggests the creation of earth and heaven were a preparation for a special soul, alluded in the small 'הִ' heh of the word בְּ_הִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם (B'hibaram). The sub-script 'heh' reflects it's smaller written form in a kosher Torah scroll. 

The preceding six creation days exclusively use the name אֱלֹהִ֖ים Elo-h-im (Elokim) - 32 times. אֱלֹהִ֖ים  Elokim is understood as a mystical concealment of the ultimate spiritual Name - יְהוָ֥ה - Ha'Shem through which it relates to the physical world. Perhaps that's why the letters of אֱלֹהִ֖ים Elokim equate to the numerical value 86, also shared with הטבע ha'teva - 'the nature' inherent in physical creation. Kabbalah relates the 32 times to the archetypal soul that comprise 10 nuanced concealments, referred to as vessels or attributes and 22 paths that connect them.

The word תוֹלְד֧וֹת toldot is rarely spelled in its complete form, with two vav's (וֹ ). In the story of Noah it is incomplete. The story of Isaac also uses the incomplete form (תוֹלְד֧ת) because only one of his two sons, Jacob would carry the ascendant Jewish soul. The complete form appears only one other time in the entire 24 books of the Bible. During the story Peretz, (Ruth 4:18) its meaning is conveyed definitively as - 'generations' justifying that creation was indeed a preparation of earth and heaven for generations that would ascend from the soul root.

2048 years after creation three angels (Genesis 19:1) were dispatched to announce that Abram, at the age of 100 would finally have a son to his wife Sarah. One angel informed Abram, one destroyed the city of Sodom and the other rescued Abram's nephew Lot with his wife and daughters from the impending destruction in Sodom.

The letter 'heh' was added to Abram when it became Abraham - אַבְרָהָ֔ם - (Genesis 17:5) and the בְּ_הִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם B'hibaram soul root descended. The letters of בְּ_הִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם B'hibaram can be rearranged to spell בְּ'אַבְרָהָ֔ם b'Abraham. The former can mean 'He created the heh' alluding to special soul, the latter means 'in Abraham'. 

Lot's wife died on escape from Sodom. Lot and his daughters were fearful, stranded in a remote cave. The daughters feared cessation of their blood line, so they engaged a semi-conscious Lot incestuously. The תוֹלְד֧וֹת toldot soul complement was reserved for one daughters descendant Ruth, a convert to Judaism through whom the soul complement descended. 

Ruth would deliver the counterpart to Boaz and fully complete the בְּ_הִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם B'hibaram soul journey. That event occurred through the lineage of Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Boaz and Ruth to Peretz, Jesse and David. In 2884 the messianic soul root in David was recognized by the Jewish people when he was crowned king and in the middle of history arrived in Jerusalem in 2891. This year 5782 is exactly double that midpoint, signaling the end of history. 

Thus, the mystical creation secrets of Torah are indelibly inked, but lost in translation.

Scapegoat And Distraction

We sometimes scoff at the ancient practices of Judaism as if there is no place for them in modern society, but do we take the time to understand them? After all, they have endured the Jewish people for thousands of years, surely there must be something to them?

One such example are two identical goats, that when Israel had a national temple would be sacrificed on the holiest day of the year - Yom Kippur. The high priest led a sequence of sin offerings and calls for repentance. In his heightened spiritual state he would draw a lottery to determine which goat would be designated Az-Azel (scapegoat) and which would be offered in the temple. Repentance simply means agreeing not to do the same thing again and achieving it.

As mentioned in last weeks entry, elements in three of four evil realms cannot be redeemed, but the fourth translucent realm depends on our actions. Given the power of these realms, redeeming elements to a state of holiness empowers the redeemer, but only when purity of process is realized. The two goats represent undercover agents of the translucent realm and only the wise, or sweetened agent can be redeemed by the redeemer who will be empowered if the pure process is maintained. In this case one goat will be sacrificed in the temple, the other will be taken to a high desert cliff and thrown to its death. Either way both die! For repentance the sacrifice in the temple is momentarily redeeming, while the other distracts negative forces that would otherwise have the redeemer, in this case Israel fail in its restraint.

In a modern context compare this to a goal to restrain yourself from breaking your resolution by improving your behavior through dieting, speaking, behaving etc. When you pass your first test, you may be internally pleased, but if you express your pleasure before you have completely and permanently separated from your past behavior you may be setting yourself up for failure. Here distraction often ensures no relapse, a positive separation from your old ways. In context, the word holy always means to separate from something less holy!

In the depths of initial restraint, when the battle to hold back is at its toughest with each small victory character is strengthened and power to restrain improves - will power! Without restraint from repeating the very thing you resolved to achieve, there can be no self-test of honesty to yourself and your connection to reality.

Esoteric wisdom of not mixing wool and linen (flax) in the clothes you wear dates back to the sons of Adam and Eve. Prodigal Cain brought an offering of dark flax-seed to use the power of earth to reunite the four realms his father and mother had released when their self interested ego's distracted  the selflessness they had been instructed to preserve. But his grandiose desire was too self-serving. His brother Abel brought white wool from a sheep to symbolize that the animal or emotive realm must first be offered and sacrificed, by the intellectual realm in order to defeat the self-actualization of ego.

Noah was the tenth generation after Adam. He was instructed by God to build an ark and prepare his family for the great flood. On the ark they were not permitted to have sexual relations, but his son Ham, the dog and raven did not obey. After exiting the ark, Noah planted a grapevine, got drunk and uncovered his nakedness in his tent. Ham saw his father, but his brothers Shem and Japheth turned their backs until they covered their father. Noah cursed Ham's son Canaan seemingly for the actions Ham had perpetrated. However, from laws against practices of sexual misconduct we can learn that Canaan was the product Ham's incestuous relation with his mother. Canaan the product deserved the direct curse of his grandfather as punishment to Ham and his Noah's wife. On numerous occasion the Torah warns; If a man lies with his fathers wife, he is considered to have uncovered his fathers nakedness, perhaps offering insight to Noah's grief.

Torah records the living practices and precedents of the Israeli nation for almost 4000 years, its text is alive and continues to inform those who dedicate time to discover it.

Disease, Psychology, Relationship and Religion

Many have grown impatient with orthodox religion and practices. The laws and their implementation in modern life often present difficult contradictions, inconvenient to the pressurized tendencies we have adopted to our personalities. In the age of Coronavirus, we have been forced to take a fresh look at our habitual practices, religious or otherwise.

Five hundred years ago, a student diligently recorded the teachings of his master, Rabbi Isaac Luria. The teachings were so extraordinary that they revived enthusiasm, consolidated communal views, re-instituted prayer, established the foundation for modern Jewish revival and birthed the study of human psychology. At 38 his holy soul departed our world. I have extensively read those writings and their modern commentaries in a brilliant book entitled "Apples from the Orchard" and decided to share just a glimpse of their genius.

Awareness of ritual impurity is a cornerstone of holy life, especially when a national temple existed for the Jewish people. For example, if a woman conceives and gives birth to a son, she shall be impure for seven days, as in the days of her menstrual period. On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. The word for this impurity is 'tazria' relating to a condition once known as tzara'at. A flesh swelling, a scab or a bright spot, not quite the equivalent of modern leprosy, rather a skin disease that only existed in the spiritually elevated temple times.

As a backgrounder: About the questions Jewish people would ask, Moses was instructed to tell them it is because Eve transgressed what she was told, she was made to suffer the impurity of menstruation, but by circumcision of the foreskin the power of impurity along with evil lust will be weakened. The original Eve physiology was such that menstrual cycle and giving birth was once painless and bloodless. In the process of human spiritual maturation the phenomena will return. But how?

Marginally the foreskin effects the experience of marital relationships, it increases gross sensual pleasure, which can decrease a mans sensitivity to his wife. By removing it, sexual experience becomes less narcissistic, more spiritual. During a menstrual period a woman is more self conscious, unable to orient toward the proper selfless, yet self-serving intent, the interaction of both parties enjoying martial relations. Circumcision improves this relationship behavior, a man is less likely to succumb to gross sensual pleasure and more inclined to the sensitivity of his wife's spiritual state of mind.

Circumcision is the "sign" of the Jewish covenant between man and God, a reminder of servitude toward higher authority. Here, it was placed between menstruation and disease to remind about haughtiness that could blot out its spiritual designation and purpose. With the disease a swelling is caused by public facing humility, but private egocentricity; a scab, deep in the skin is a feeling of superiority over peers, but not others; and worst of all a bright spot results from feeling and acting superior to everyone. These are personality traits that God despises, that's why a verse in psalm 93 states "God reigns, He is robed in haughtiness", a reference to the clothing that masks His humility.

The oral and written traditions know about the time the snake stood upright that the defilement of Eve was caused by the injection of its poison. The antithesis of Godly attributes, the snake personified 'evil', selfishness and egocentricity that actually had intercourse with Eve, then it was banished to the dust under its belly. Inflated consciousness, when not being used for Divine purpose feeds the alternative and is termed 'evil'. A soul comprises the animal and intellect that each person must appropriately blend toward selfless expression or the snakes perspective will dominate and suffering persists. The more one centers on  a spiritual life toward selfless expression, as guided by God's commandments the more one is liberated from the alternative entrapment.

It's for this reason Adam was created outside the Garden of Eden, from dust of the earth representing selfless, Divinely inspired existence and only brought into it after. But, Eve intermingled the seventy gentile nations with Israel represented in the purity of Adam as the soul of the future Jewish people. This is why Eve menstruated at the moment of her son's birth who shed the blood of his brother. The Talmud relates the father supplies the white bones, sinews, nails, brain and white of the eye. The mother, red skin, flesh, hair, blood and black of the eye. God gives spirit, soul, facial features, eyesight, hearing, speech, ability to walk, understand and discern. As if to illustrate Eve's dominance we are told, when the wife gives seed first the baby is male.

The Torah uses the expression uncircumcised for only four organs; procreative, ears, heart and mouth. So why is the procreative organ the only one circumcised? Because the term 'orlah' is shared and relates foreskin to the fourth of four years fruit is commanded to be left on a newly planted tree, before it can be consumed. It's as if we are blocked off by some type of 'orlah' or foreskin. Analogous to circumcision the fruit of the fourth year is to be taken to Jerusalem and eaten only in the confines of the holy city.

Kabbalah explains fruit of the first three years belong to three realms of absolute evil that human consumption cannot possibly rectify, but the fourth comes from the "bright" or translucent realm that has potential to be transformed by our actions. Therefore, the heart, ear and mouth must be blocked off, scrupulously guarded to ensure that egocentricity, selfishness and uncorrected animal behavior does not dominate our persona. Through this true and especially marital relationships endure.

These three 'demonic' realms, replete with angels of good an evil are the battleground for the forces enabled by our actions on the fourth, ultimately to prevail and elevate our world to a more pure, spiritual, pristine existence. In the final healing and purification from these diseases, the sufferer brings two birds to the temple altar, one is slaughtered, the others wing is dipped in the slaughtered birds blood and freed in an open field.

As if to show that liberation from our disease is dependent on the slaughtered bird we can begin to appreciate the symbolic importance. These commandments remain a practitioners guide to a better way of life, even to the extent that childbirth will ultimately be painless and free from blood once again.