“…the Holy One and the Torah are one.”�Zohar, Shemot, Section 2, Page 60a, �Soncino Press Edition

The Torah could not be given to Israel until Jethro, the great and supreme priest of the all pagan world, and confessed his faith in the Holy One, saying, “Now I know that G‑d is greater than all the gods.”

Zohar cited at Chabad.org

Now I know that G‑d is greater than all gods (18:11)

This tells us that he had full knowledge of every idol in the world, for he had worshipped them all.

Mechilta; Rashi cited at Chabad.org

Noach, Sarah, Yitro, Korach, Balak and Pinchas

“Jethro was an idolater; there was no idolatry in the world that he had not served. Moses was a tzaddik who would receive the Torah directly from G-d. The distance between the two was very great. Nevertheless, Moses was extremely friendly to Jethro, treating him like an old friend. This is the way of the tzaddik: to be friendly and warm to all who wish to draw close to G-d (Likutey Halakhot V, p. 464).”

REBBE NACHMAN'S TORAH: EXODUS-LEVITICUS - Breslov Insights into the Weekly Torah Reading (Kindle Locations 3654-3658). Breslov Research Institute. Kindle Edition.

The Torah was given in the desert of Sinai The desert is an inhospitable place, devoid of physical comforts and full of dangers to life. In such a place, seemingly bereft of Godliness, the only advice is to call out to God and ask Him to reveal Himself (Likutey Halakhot VII, p. 51a-102).

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. REBBE NACHMAN'S TORAH: EXODUS-LEVITICUS - Breslov Insights into the Weekly Torah Reading . Breslov Research Institute. Kindle Edition.

Every person has a level of authority. At the very least, an individual has authority over himself. He must strive to control his evil inclination. As for the person who wields power over others, he must use that authority not for his own benefit but solely for the sake of God (Likutey Moharan I, 56:1).

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Officers of thousands…hundreds…fifties…tens

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The Torah is a very great light which cannot be attained in its entirety; it must be divided into smaller units to be received. By subdividing the nation, Moses taught the people that the only way to receive the entire Torah is to acquire a measure at a time until it builds into a whole (Likutey Halakhot VII, p. 32).

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. REBBE NACHMAN'S TORAH: EXODUS-LEVITICUS - Breslov Insights into the Weekly Torah Reading . Breslov Research Institute. Kindle Edition.

Israel encamped there

�[The phrase vayichan-sham (ויחן-שם, literally, "he encamped there") is written in the singular form.] The Jews were totally united, as one man with one heart (Rashi). It is impossible to draw a revelation of Godliness without unity (Likutey Halakhot II, p. 432). The main path to receiving the Torah is through unity (ibid., I, p. 468).

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וַיִּ֣חַדְּ יִתְר֔וֹ עַ֚ל כׇּל־הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִצִּיל֖וֹ מִיַּ֥ד מִצְרָֽיִם׃

And Jethro rejoiced over all the kindness thatיהוה had shown Israel when delivering them from the Egyptians.

Exodus 18:9

The word SINaI (סיני) has the same numerical value as SuLaM (סלם, ladder). G-d gave the Torah on Mount Sinai because it was the smallest mountain, the symbol of humility (cf. Sotah 5a) . Humility is the "ladder" with which we can ascend to spiritual heights (Likutey Halakhot VIII, p. 259a) .

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Thunder and lightening

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When God gave the Torah at Sinai, the effects were felt all over the world. Non-Jews came to Balaam to ask him what was happening, and Balaam responded by offering a Torah teaching of his own (Zevachim 116a). A similar process occurs today. Parallel to the Giving of the Torah, great tzaddikim reveal awesome Torah teachings. But when they do, unworthy people—corresponding to Balaam—provide their own interpretations and ideas. The ability of the latter people to reveal Torah is not inherent within them, but stems from the tzaddik’s teachings (Likutey Moharan II, 57).�

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North Point Attendance: 38,589 People

¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For amein, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one yud or kotz will by no means pass from the Torah until all is fulfilled. ¹⁹ Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:17-19

³¹ Do we then nullify the Torah through faith? Far from it! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.

Romans 3:31

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good…For I delight in the law of G-d, in my inner being.

Romans 7:12, 22

Do not murder (20:13)

How were the Ten Commandments given? Five on one tablet and five on the second tablet. This means that “Do not murder” corresponds to “I am the L‑rd your G‑d.” The Torah is telling us that if one sheds blood, it is as if he has reduced the image of the King. What is this analogous to? To a king of flesh and blood who entered a country and put up portraits of himself, made statues of himself, and minted coins with his image. After a while, the people of the country overturned his portraits, broke his statues and invalidated his coins, thereby reducing the image of the king. So, too, one who sheds blood reduces the image of the King, as it is written (Genesis 9:6): “One who spills a man’s blood . . . for in the image of G‑d He made man.”

Mechilta cited at Chabad.org

“Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk. They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Rabbi, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of G-d in truth, no matter whom you teach, for you aren’t partial to anyone. Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Yeshua perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites?  Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius. He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to G-d the things that are G-d’s.” When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.”�Matthew 22:15-22

“For a person mints many coins with a single seal, and they are all alike one another. But the King of king of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, minted all human beings with that seal of his with which he made the first person, yet not one of them is like anyone else. Therefore everyone is obligated to maintain, “On my account the world was created.”�Mishnah, Sanhedrin 4:5

“. . . the great Moshe has not named the species of the rational soul by a title resembling that of any created being, but has pronounced it an image of the divine and invisible being, making it a coin as it were of sterling metal, stamped and impressed with the seal of G-d,� the impression of which is the eternal word.”�Philo, Concerning Noah’s Work As a Planter, Section V, translated by C.D. Yonge

“Perhaps these theological concepts serve as a background for the saying of Jesus, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to G-d the things that are G-d’s.” After all, not only is Caesar’s image stamped upon each coin that he has minted; the divine image of the King of kings is stamped upon each person. Jesus was calling upon the people to give everything to G-d, the Creator of every human being.”� �Brad H. Young, The Parables, Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation, Hendrickson Publishers, pg. 10

“Anokhi—I am God your Lord” �ANoKhiY (אנכי, I) is an acronym for the words� אנא נפשי כתבית יהבית - Ana Nafshi Ketavit Yehavit�(I placed Myself into the writing, Shabbat 105a). This phrase can also be translated as �“I put My soul into the writing”. . .

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. REBBE NACHMAN'S TORAH: EXODUS-LEVITICUS - Breslov Insights into the Weekly Torah Reading . Breslov Research Institute. Kindle Edition.

אנכי

“For the Torah is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He. As the Name of the Holy One is engraved in the Ten Words (creative utterances) of Creation, so is the whole Torah engraved in the Ten Words (Decalogue), and these Ten Words are the Name of the Holy One, and the whole Torah is thus one Name, the Holy Name of God Himself. Blessed is he who is worthy of her, the Torah, for he will be worthy of the Holy Name. Said R. Jose: “This means that he will be worthy of the Holy One Himself, as He and His Name are one. Blessed be His Name for ever and ever. Amen.”�Zohar, Shemot, Section 2, Page 90b, Soncino Press Edition

“I and the Father are one.”�John 10:30