Sod HaParasha is a compilation of 54 weekly essays - one on each of the respective Parashiot. The impetus to write a weekly article began with a request from Shmuel Ahron (Alan) Lipman A’H to contribute a monthly essay on the Parasha based on the Sodot HaTorah. He was to solicit a few others in writing and forming a rotation for a weekly Parasha distribution. After agreeing to compose the opening article on Beresheet - I was expecting a reprieve until at the earliest Parashat Vayera or Ĥaye Sarah. Alan approached me once again prior to Parashiot Noaĥ and Lekh Lekha informing me that he was unable to procure commitments from other formidable writers. After some relentless prodding I found myself writing a weekly Torah article throughout that year and what you have before you is the result of those efforts. The endnotes which cite much ofthe source material were subsequently added for the benefit of the investigative reader.
The underlying basis for many of the articles are the writings of R. Ĥayyim Vital recording the words of his teacher Rabbenu Yisĥaq Luria or R. HaAri. His teachings for the most part represent our mystical Torah tradition - the Sod orthe final of the four methods of study reflected in the acrostic PaRDeS in which the Torah is to be viewed and interpreted. This tradition has given rise to several approaches in its study. These include Ĥasidut which sees the mystical content ofTorah in terms of Divine worship. The track of the Ramĥal that views its teachings through the prism of Divine Supervision juxtaposing the associated domains of the ethical and meta-ethical. The approach of the Gaon of Vilna as seen in his mystical writings. Finally the pathway from the school of the Rashash and the Sepharadim who systematically organized the corpus of R. HaAri’s meditations.