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3 Mitzvot מצוות that are called Signs אותות are:
- OT Brit, אות ברית מילה
- OT Shabbat אות שבת
- Ot Tefillin אות תפילין
...In Lech Lecha circumcision is not only called a brit but also called an ot brit (a sign of a covenant) (Bereishit 17:11). Shabbat is also called an ot, as the pasuk says: "But my Shabbat you shall guard, for it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, so that you should know that I am Hashem who sanctifies you" (Shemot 31:13). There is yet another mitzva that is called an ot: tefillin. "It should be for you an ot on your arms and a remembrance between your eyes" (Shemot 13:9). (In another place we pointed out that all the mitzvot that are called ot were told to Bnei Yisrael before the Torah was given at Sinai.)
http://www.eretzhemdah.org/newsletterArticle.asp?lang=en&pageid=4&cat=7&newsletter=964&article=3689
These three signs reminds us that G-d is the Master of the Universe and they remind us of the Covenant G-d made with our Forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, an everlasting Covenant for their seed, their descendants, the Nation of Israel for all generations.
- Ot Brit אות ברית מילה - Bereishit - Genesis - Chapter 17:11 http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8212/jewish/Chapter-17.htm
יאוּנְמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת בְּשַׂ֣ר עָרְלַתְכֶ֑ם וְהָיָה֙ לְא֣וֹת בְּרִ֔ית בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶֽם11 And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be as the sign of a covenant between Me and between you.
- OT Shabbat אות שבת- Shemot - Exodus - Chapter 31:13 http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9892/jewish/Chapter-31.htm
יג ְאַתָּ֞ה דַּבֵּ֨ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֥ךְ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כִּי֩ א֨וֹת הִ֜וא בֵּינִ֤י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם לָדַ֕עַת כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה דִּשְׁכֶֽם:
13 And you, speak to the children of Israel and say: 'Only keep My Sabbaths! For it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I, the Lord, make you holy.
Shemot - Exodus - Chapter 16 before Matan Torah
כט רְא֗וּ כִּֽי־יְהֹוָה֘ נָתַ֣ן לָכֶ֣ם הַשַּׁבָּת֒ עַל־כֵּ֠ן ה֣וּא נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶ֛ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁ֖י לֶ֣חֶם יוֹמָ֑יִם שְׁב֣וּ | אִ֣ישׁ תַּחְתָּ֗יו אַל־יֵ֥צֵא אִ֛ישׁ מִמְּקֹמ֖וֹ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי29 See that the Lord has given you the Sabbath. Therefore, on the sixth day, He gives you bread for two days. Let each man remain in his place; let no man leave his place on the seventh day
http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9877/jewish/Chapter-16.htm
- OT Tefillin אות תפילין- Shemot - Exodus - Chapter 13-9 http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9874/jewish/Chapter-13.htm
ט וְהָיָה֩ לְךָ֨ לְא֜וֹת עַל־יָֽדְךָ֗ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֔יךָ לְמַ֗עַן תִּֽהְיֶ֛ה תּוֹרַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּפִ֑יךָ כִּ֚י בְּיָ֣ד חֲזָקָ֔ה הוֹצִֽאֲךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ה מִמִּצְרָֽיִם:9 And it shall be to you as a sign upon your hand and as a remembrance between your eyes, in order that the law of the Lord shall be in your mouth, for with a mighty hand the Lord took you out of Egypt.
Divine Protection:
Ot אות Brit Milah - נדמיך חיי In Blood Shall You Live. Brit Mila was a precondition for being able to bring the Korban Pesach before the Jews were allowed to leave Egypt. The blood of the Korban Pesach was then put on the doorposts which then protected the Jews. Shemiras HaBris - Guarding one's eyes is key for Divine Protection for failure in this area drives the Shechina away. All the holy books are full of sayings and hints about how important Shmiras Habris is, the Talmud, the Halacha, Kabbalah and all the Chassidic masters...Just Google "Guard Your Eyes", See Breslev websites on this particular topic. https://guardyoureyes.com/
Brit Milah is a Sign of the Covenant. אות ברית between G-d and the Nation of Israel. An Everlasting Covenant. .
Bereishit - Genesis - Chapter 17
| And I will establish My covenant between Me and between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be to you for a God and to your seed after you. | זוַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִ֨י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֜י בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֗ךָ וּבֵ֨ין זַרְעֲךָ֧ אַֽחֲרֶ֛יךָ לְדֹֽרֹתָ֖ם לִבְרִ֣ית עוֹלָ֑ם לִֽהְי֤וֹת לְךָ֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אַֽחֲרֶֽיךָ: | |
| 8And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them for a God." | חוְנָֽתַתִּ֣י לְ֠ךָ֠ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֨ אַֽחֲרֶ֜יךָ אֵ֣ת | אֶ֣רֶץ מְגֻרֶ֗יךָ אֵ֚ת כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן לַֽאֲחֻזַּ֖ת עוֹלָ֑ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָהֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִֽים: | |
| 9And God said to Abraham, "And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. | טוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם וְאַתָּ֖ה אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֑ר אַתָּ֛ה וְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַֽחֲרֶ֖יךָ לְדֹֽרֹתָֽם: |
| 10This is My covenant, which you shall observe between Me and between you and between your seed after you, that every male among you be circumcised. | יזֹ֣את בְּרִיתִ֞י אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְר֗וּ בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֥ין זַרְעֲךָ֖ אַֽחֲרֶ֑יךָ הִמּ֥וֹל לָכֶ֖ם כָּל־זָכָֽר: | |
| 11And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be as the sign of a covenant between Me and between you. | יאוּנְמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת בְּשַׂ֣ר עָרְלַתְכֶ֑ם וְהָיָה֙ לְא֣וֹת בְּרִ֔ית בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶֽם: | |
| 12And at the age of eight days, every male shall be circumcised to you throughout your generations, one that is born in the house, or one that is purchased with money, from any foreigner, who is not of your seed. | יבוּבֶן־שְׁמֹנַ֣ת יָמִ֗ים יִמּ֥וֹל לָכֶ֛ם כָּל־זָכָ֖ר לְדֹרֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם יְלִ֣יד בָּ֔יִת וּמִקְנַת־כֶּ֨סֶף֙ מִכֹּ֣ל בֶּן־נֵכָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹ֥א מִזַּרְעֲךָ֖ הֽוּא: | |
| 13Those born in the house and those purchased for money shall be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. | יגהִמּ֧וֹל | יִמּ֛וֹל יְלִ֥יד בֵּֽיתְךָ֖ וּמִקְנַ֣ת כַּסְפֶּ֑ךָ וְהָֽיְתָ֧ה בְרִיתִ֛י בִּבְשַׂרְכֶ֖ם לִבְרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם: | |
| 14And an uncircumcised male, who will not circumcise the flesh of his foreskin-that soul will be cut off from its people; he has broken My covenant." | ידוְעָרֵ֣ל | זָכָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִמּוֹל֙ אֶת־בְּשַׂ֣ר עָרְלָת֔וֹ וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מֵֽעַמֶּ֑יהָ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י הֵפַֽר: |
Ot אות Shabbos is itself a protection http://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/shabbos-protection/2017/11/30/
As during the week, the Shabbos Maariv contains the two pre-Shema brachos, the Shema, and the two post-Shema brachos. The only alteration in these blessings is found at the very end of the fourth bracha. During the week we end off asking Hashem to please "safeguard our going and coming – for life and for peace from now to eternity. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who protects His People (Israel) forever." On Shabbos, however, we end off "Safeguard our going and coming – for life and for peace from now to eternity. And spread over us your sukkah of peace. Blessed are You, Hashem, who spreads the sukkah of peace upon us, upon all of His people (Israel), and upon Yerushalayim." Why is the text changed on Shabbos?
The Tur (Orach Chaim 267, 3) explains that on Shabbos we do not need to say "Blessed are You, Hashem, Who protects His People (Israel) forever" because Shabbos itself is a protection, so it is superfluous to pray for Hashem to protect us.
Please note that the Pasuk says אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כִּי֩ א֨וֹת הִ֜וא. Why does the Pasuk use the work שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י in the plural (My Shabboses). Why not just say שבת? The Pasuk also refers to another Shabbat, Shabbat Haaretz, the Shemittah year, as well. In the Shemittah year we return the Land to its owner the Creator of the World. By keeping this Mitzva we demonstrate that the Land does not belong to us but rather to the Master of the Universe. This reflects also on the first Rashi in Breishit.
First Rashi of Breishit. Yes: It's OUR Land
Ot אות Tefillin has the power to induce fear in the enemy http://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/kahn/archives/vaeschanan66.htm
Overcoming enemies
There is a special connection between the commandment of putting on tefillin and overcoming the enemies of the Jewish people. In Parashas Ki Savo (Devarim 28:1-10) it says: "And it shall be that if you listen to the voice of HASHEM your G'd to observe, to perform, all of His commandments … HASHEM your G'd will make you supreme over all the nations of the land … G'd shall give that your enemies that rise against you shall be smitten before you. They will come out against you on one road and they will flee from you on seven roads … G'd will raise you to be for Him a holy people … as you observe the commandments of HASHEM your G'd … and all the nations of the land will see that the name of G'd is proclaimed over you and they will fear you."
G'd's name proclaimed
The Talmud (Berachot 6a) explains the meaning of "the nations of the land will see the name of G'd proclaimed over you". This is a reference to the tefillin worn on the head.
Operation Protective Edge - Tefillin. Key to G-d's miracles when fighting our enemies. Tefillin Campaign for Security in Eretz Yisroel. Amazing youtube of Lubavitcher Rebbe 1967. Recalling Miracles of the Exodus in Operation Protective Edge with a Tefillin Campaign
https://shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com/2014/07/tefillin-key-to-g-ds-miracles-when_15.html
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Sincerely,
Robin Ticker
Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch. May their memories serve as a blessing.
Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com
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