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06/05/2026

Today in Jewish History

Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day):

On this (Hebrew) date in 5728 (1967), Israeli paratroopers liberated the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War, restoring Jewish control of the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site. Soldiers danced, sang, and cried at the Western Wall, the site of Jewish prayers for centuries. Iyar 28 is celebrated every year as Yom Yerushalayim, with a special prayer service composed by the Chief Rabbinate to commemorate the reunification of the Holy City, which has been the capital of the Jewish nation for over 3,000 years.

Noam Chen (Creative Commons)
1832:

Jews of Canada were accorded equal political rights with Christians.

1900:

Birthday of Dennis Gabor, physicist who pioneered holography and received the 1971 Nobel Prize for Physics for his discovery that light of a single wavelength produced visual images in three dimensions from "interference patterns" on photographic plates.

1936:

Leon Blum became the first Jew elected Premier of France. Blum instituted the 40-hour work week and many other important social reforms.

5699 (1939):

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer, author of the 8-volume work of Jewish law, Kaf HaChaim. He was born in Baghdad and studied under great sages such as the Ben Ish Chai. In 1904, Rabbi Sofer embarked on a long and arduous journey to Israel, where he became one of the great kabbalists of the 20th century.

Public Domain
1944:

The Allies marched into Rome, and the Jews emerged from their hiding places to open the gate of the Great Synagogue.

Halina Frederiksen (Creaative Commons)

1967:

First day of the Six-Day War. In the weeks before the war, Israel had been subjected to constant shelling from the Golan Heights and Egypt’s blockade of the Straits of Tiran (Israel's only southern sea outlet). After Egyptian forces bombed Israeli villages, Israel responded defensively, capturing the Egyptian base at El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula. In a pre-emptive strike, the Israeli army destroyed virtually the entire Egyptian air force on the ground. On the Syrian front, Israel succeeded in pushing the Syrians back to Kunetra and taking part of the Hermon range. In fewer than six days, Israel had routed all three of its neighbors, at the cost of nearly 800 lives

with more than 2,500 wounded. More than 400 Arab planes and 500 tanks were destroyed. The UN Security Council unanimously ordered a cease-fire, which was not heeded.

IDF Spokesperson's Unit (Creative Commons)
1967:

Prime Minister Eshkol transmitted a message to King Hussein asking Jordan to refrain from hostilities. He did not heed the message, but instead attacked Israel. In the course of defending herself, Israel captured the Old City of Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Studio Piaz (Public Domain)
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1944:

The Allies marched into Rome, and the Jews emerged from their hiding places to open the gate of the Great Synagogue.

Halina Frederiksen (Creaative Commons)
1967:

First day of the Six-Day War. In the weeks before the war, Israel had been subjected to constant shelling from the Golan Heights and Egypt’s blockade of the Straits of Tiran (Israel's only southern sea outlet). After Egyptian forces bombed Israeli villages, Israel responded defensively, capturing the Egyptian base at El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula. In a pre-emptive strike, the Israeli army destroyed virtually the entire Egyptian airforce on the ground. On the Syrian front, Israel succeeded in pushing the Syrians back to Kunetra and taking part of the Hermon range. In fewer than six days, Israel had routed all three of its neighbors, losing nearly 800 men with more than 2,500 wounded. More than 400 Arab planes and 500 tanks were destroyed. The UN Security Council unanimously ordered a cease-fire, which was not heeded.

IDF Spokesperson's Unit (Creative Commons)
1967:

Prime Minister Eshkol transmitted a message to King Hussein asking Jordan to refrain from hostilities. He did not heed the message, but instead attacked Israel. In the course of defending herself, Israel captured the Old City of Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Today's Laws & Customs

• Count "Forty-Four Days to the Omer" Tonight
Tomorrow is the forty-fourth day of the Omer Count. Since, on the Jewish calendar, the day begins at nightfall of the previous evening, we count the omer for tomorrow's date tonight, after nightfall: "Today is forty-four days, which are six weeks and two days, to the Omer." (If you miss the count tonight, you can count the omer all day tomorrow, but without the preceding blessing).

The 49-day "Counting of the Omer" retraces our ancestors' seven-week spiritual journey from the Exodus to Sinai. Each evening, we recite a special blessing and count the days and weeks that have passed since the Omer; the 50th day is Shavuot, the festival celebrating the Giving of the Torah at Sinai.

Tonight's Sefirah: Gevurah sheb'Malchut -- "Restraint in Receptiveness."

The teachings of Kabbalah explain that there are seven "Divine Attributes" -- Sefirot -- that G-d assumes through which to relate to our existence: Chessed, Gevurah, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut ("Love", "Strength", "Beauty", "Victory", "Splendor", "Foundation" and "Sovereignty"). In the human being, created in the "image of G-d," the seven sefirot are mirrored in the seven "emotional attributes" of the human soul: Kindness, Restraint, Harmony, Ambition, Humility, Connection, and Receptiveness. Each of the seven attributes contains elements of all seven--i.e., "Kindness in Kindness", "Restraint in Kindness", "Harmony in Kindness", etc.--making for a total of forty-nine traits. The 49-day Omer Count is thus a 49-step process of self-refinement, with each day devoted to the "rectification" and perfection of one of the forty-nine "sefirot."

Links:
How to count the Omer
The deeper significance of the Omer Count

Today in Jewish History

• Passing of Samuel (877 BCE)
The prophet Samuel (931-877 BCE) was one of the most important figures in Jewish history; our sages describe him as the equivalent of "Moses and Aaron combined." Samuel was the last of the Shoftim ("Judges") who led the people of Israel in the four centuries between the passing of Joshua and the establishment of the monarchy, and the author of the biblical books of "Judges", "Samuel," and "Ruth."

Samuel was born in the year 2830 from creation (931 BCE) after his barren mother, Chanah (Hannah), prayed for a child at the Sanctuary at Shiloh and pledged, "O L-rd of hosts... If You will give Your maidservant a man child, I shall dedicate him to G-d all the days of his life..." (I Samuel 1:11). At age two, his mother brought him to Shiloh in fulfillment of her vow, where he was raised by Eli the High Priest; shortly thereafter, Samuel had his first prophetic communication (described in I Samuel 3). In 890 BCE, Samuel succeeded Eli as leader of the Jewish people.

After ten years under Samuel's guidance, the people approached him with the request, "Appoint for us a king... like all the nations around us." Samuel disapproved of their request, believing that the people of Israel should be subject only to G-d and not to any mortal king; but G-d instructed him to do as the people asked. Samuel then anointed (879 BCE) Saul as the first king of Israel. When Saul disobeyed G-d during the war on Amalek, Samuel proclaimed David the legitimate king in Saul's stead.

Shortly thereafter, Samuel passed away in his birthplace, Ramah, in the hills of Judah, on the 28th of Iyar of the year 2884 from creation (877 BCE).

• Eichmann Executed (1962)
Adolf Eichmann was hanged at Ramleh Prison in Israel following his trial and conviction for his crimes against the Jewish people, crimes against humanity, and war crimes during World War II.

Eichmann was a key player in the implementation of Hitler's infamous "final solution." The height of his "career" was reached in Hungary in 1944, when he managed to transport 400,000 Jews to the gas chambers in less than five weeks.

• Jerusalem Liberated (1967)
The Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount were liberated during the 1967 Six-Day War (see “Today in Jewish History” for Iyar 26). The day is marked in Israel as “Jerusalem Day.”

06/04/2026

Today's Mitzvah

Negative Commandment 42 (Digest)
Wearing a Mixture of Wool and Linen

"You shall not wear a garment of sha'atnez"—Deuteronomy 22:11.

It is forbidden to wear a garment woven [or sewn] of wool and linen, as was the practice of ancient pagan priests, and still practiced today [Ed.'s note: in Maimonides' times] amongst Egyptian monks.

The 42nd prohibition is that we are forbidden from wearing a garment woven from wool and linen, as the idolatrous priests of that time used to wear.2

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,3 "Do not wear shatnez."

This practice is well known even today among Coptic monks in Egypt.

Lashes punish one who transgresses this prohibition.

The details of this mitzvah are explained in tractate Kilayim, 4, as well as in tractate Shabbos5 and the end of tractate Makkos.6

Footnotes
1.

In Hilchos Kilayim, 10:2-4, the Rambam rules that when the wool and linen are connected in other ways, this Torah prohibition also applies.
2.

See "Guide to the Perplexed," Part 3, Ch. 37.
3.

Deut. 22:11.
4.

Ch. 9.
5.

54a.
6.

20a.

Positive Commandment 120 (Digest)
Leaving the Edges of the Fields for the Poor

"...you shall leave them over"—Leviticus 19:10.

We are commanded to leave over the edge of our grain and fruit crops for people with low incomes and the stranger.

This commandment applies to an individual tree as it does to a field, and only in the Land of Israel.

The 120th mitzvah is that we are commanded to leave over [for people with low incomes] the corner (pe'ah) of [a field of] grain, [a tree of] fruit, etc.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement — after mentioning [several prohibitions, including taking for oneself] the corner of the field — "Leave them over [for the poor and the stranger]."

In Tractate Makkos, 2, it is explained that this mitzvah of pe'ah is a prohibition with a remedial positive commandment (lav shenitak l'aseh). The prohibition is contained in the verse,4 "Do not completely harvest the corners of your field." The positive commandment is contained in the verse, "Leave them over for the poor and the stranger."

The details of this mitzvah are explained in tractate Pe'ah.

The Biblical prohibition applies only in Eretz Yisroel.5

Footnotes
1.

Lev. 19:10.
2.

16b.
3.

See below, N210, N214.
4.

Lev. 19:9.
5.

There is a Rabbinic requirement to give Pe'ah, as well as the following agricultural gifts, even outside Eretz Yisroel. See Hilchos Mat'nos Aniyim, 1:14.

Negative Commandment 210 (Digest)
Reaping an Entire Harvest

"Do not remove the corners of your field when you reap the harvest"—Leviticus 23:22.

It is forbidden to harvest an entire field without leaving some over the edge for people in need.

The 210th prohibition is that we are forbidden from completely harvesting a field. Rather, we must leave over a portion of the end of the field for people with low incomes.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,1 "Do not completely harvest the ends of your fields."

This prohibition is a lav shenitak l'aseh (a prohibition with a remedial positive commandment). Therefore, if one violated this law and harvested the entire field, he must give people experiencing poverty enough of the harvested food to match what he should have left over to begin with. This positive commandment is contained in the verse, "Leave them for the poor and the stranger," as we previously explained.2

One must leave over the corner of a tree just like the corner of a field.

The Biblical prohibition applies only in Eretz Yisroel.3

The details of this mitzvah are found in the tractate devoted to this subject [i.e., Pe'ah].

Footnotes
1.

Lev. 23:22.
2.

P120.
3.

See note to P120 above.

06/04/2026

Today in Jewish History

3617 (143 B.C.E.):

According to Megillat Ta’anit, in recognition of Judea's independence under Shimon the Hasmonean, Demetrius II rescinded the annual tax he had levied.

1916:

Birthday of Robert Furchgott, American biochemist who received the 1998 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the “discovery of nitric oxide as a transient cellular signal in the mammalian cardiovascular system.” His discovery that NO gas causes blood vessels to dilate provided a long-sought-after explanation for the therapeutic effects of Nitroglycerin used to treat Angina and was later instrumental in the development of the erectile dysfunction treatment drug Vi**ra.

Jzubrovich (Creative Commons)
1928:

Birthday of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, German-American s*x therapist, author of 45 books, and radio and television talk-show host. She escaped the Holocaust by Kindertransport and emigrated to pre-State Israel, where she fought with the Hagana in the War of Independence as a sniper, before arriving in America. Her radio show, Sexually Speaking, launched her career as a media personality while revolutionizing public talk about s*xuality.

1937:

Sylvan Goldman introduced his folding shopping cart at the Humpty Dumpty supermarket chain he owned in Oklahoma City. His shopping carts became extremely popular, and Goldman became a multimillionaire by collecting a royalty on every folding shopping cart sold in America.

• Idolatrous Practices Abolished (c. 135 BCE)
During Greek rule in the Land of Israel, the Greeks would hang idolatrous wreaths of roses on the doorways of the courtyards and stores, effectively rendering them forbidden for use by the Jews. They would also write heretical statements on the foreheads of the Jews’ oxen and donkeys, so they would be forced to sell them and would not own any animals for plowing. When the Hasmoneans overthrew Greek rule, they abolished these insidious practices, and that day was commemorated as a holiday in Talmudic times (Megilat Taanit, ch. 2).

Rabbi Escapes Crusaders (1147)
Rabbi Yaakov ben Meir Tam, known as the "Rabbenu Tam," was one of Rashi's illustrious grandsons. During the Second Crusade, on the second day of the holiday of Shavuot, the Crusaders entered his hometown of Ramerupt and pillaged and massacred many Jews.

They broke into Rabbenu Tam's house, plundered all his wealth, and seriously wounded Rabbenu Tam. On the next day, the 8th of Sivan, Rabbenu Tam escaped Rameru and the clutches of the Crusaders.

Two years later, he completed his famous treatise on Jewish ritual and ethics, Sefer Hayashar.

06/03/2026

Today's Mitzvah

Negative Commandment 217 (Digest)
Interbreeding Animals

"You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind"—Leviticus 19:19.

It is forbidden to breed two different animal species together.

The 217th prohibition is that we are forbidden from crossbreeding different species of animals.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,1 "Do not crossbreed your livestock with other species."

The punishment for crossbreeding an animal is lashes, provided that the person actually placed the organ of the male animal in that of the female by hand, [as the Talmud puts it,] "like an applicator2 in its tube." Our Sages3 said this clearly: "For adultery, [the witnesses] only need to see them in the position of s*xual relations. For crossbreeding, they must see 'like an applicator in its tube.' " Only then does the person receive lashes.

The details of this mitzvah are explained in the eighth chapter of the tractate Kilayim.

Footnotes
1.

Lev. 19:19.
2.

Mak'chol, literally a stick, etc., used to apply k'chol (a medication or cosmetic) to the eye. The k'chol was stored in a tube, and the mak'chol was dipped in the tube to apply the k'chol to the eye.
3.

Baba Metzia 91a.

Negative Commandment 218 (Digest)
Working with Two Animal Species

"You shall not plow with an ox and donkey together"—Deuteronomy 22:10.

It is forbidden to cause animals of two species to work together, e.g., to have them jointly plow, thresh, or pull a wagon.

Biblically, this prohibition only applies if one of the animals is kosher (e.g., an ox) and the other is of a non-kosher species (e.g., a donkey). The Sages, however, extended this prohibition to apply to any two species.

The 218th prohibition is that we are forbidden to use two species of animals together.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,1 "Do not plow with an ox and a donkey together."

One receives lashes for using them for any kind of work, such as plowing, threshing, or driving.2 This is because the verse says, "together," meaning that one cannot bring them together for any work.

One only receives lashes by Torah law when one species is kosher and the other one non-kosher, such as "an ox and a donkey." Then, one is lashed for plowing, pulling, or driving with them. One receives lashes by Rabbinic decree for using any two species [even if they are both kosher or both non-kosher].

The details of this mitzvah are explained in the eighth chapter of tractate Kilayim.

Footnotes
1.

Deut. 22:10.
2.

I.e., pulling a wagon.

06/03/2026

Today in Jewish History

4702 (942):

Yahrzeit of Rav Saadiah Gaon, head of the Talmudic academy of Sura in Babylonia, philosopher and author. His Emunot ve-Deot (Beliefs and Opinions) was the first systematic scientific and philosophical presentation of Judaism.

5507 (1747):

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzatto (Ramchal), kabbalist, philosopher, Hebrew poet and author of Mesillat Yesharim (Path of the Just), a classical work of Jewish ethics that is still studied widely today, among many others. He is buried in Tiberias, next to the tomb of Rabbi Akiva.

1873:

Birthday of Otto Loewi, a pharmacologist who learned how nerve impulses are transmitted by chemical messengers—findings which earned him a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1936.

Albert Hilscher (Public Domain)
1925:

Birthday of Tony Curtis (Bernie Schwartz), star of Some Like It Hot, Sweet Smell of Success, and many other movies, and father of Jamie Lee Curtis. He once said, "I was the best-looking Jewish kid ever."

United Pictures Corporation (Public Domain)
Share DUST AND STARS: Today in Jewish History

1926:

Birthday of Allen Ginsberg, American poet and a founder of the "Beat" movement, which provided one of the main influences of the cultural revolution of the Sixties.

Strange now to think of you, gone without corsets & eyes, while I walk on the sunny pavement of Greenwich Village.

downtown Manhattan, clear winter noon, and I’ve been up all night, talking, talking, reading the Kaddish aloud, listening to Ray Charles blues shout blind on the phonograph

the rhythm the rhythm—and your memory in my head three years after—And read Adonais’ last triumphant stanzas aloud—wept, realizing how we suffer—

And how Death is that remedy all singers dream of, sing, remember, prophesy.

Kaddish

1940:

The Madagascar Plan was proposed by the N**i government to forcibly relocate the Jewish population of Europe to the island of Madagascar, with the island being governed as a police state under the SS. The plan was postponed after the N**is lost the Battle of Britain in September 1940, and it was permanently shelved in 1942 with the commencement of the Final Solution, the policy of systematic genocide of Jews, towards which it had functioned as an important psychological step.

Lazdona (Creative Commons)
1974:

Yitzchak Rabin, the first native-born Israeli to become Prime Minister, assumed office.

Mickey Astel (Creative Commons)
1982:

Shlomo Argov, the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, was shot in the head in London in an attempted assassination organized by the Iraqi Intelligence Service and carried out by the Palestinian terrorist organization Abu Nidal.

Count "Forty-Two Days to the Omer" Tonight
Tomorrow is the forty-second day of the Omer Count. Since, on the Jewish calendar, the day begins at nightfall of the previous evening, we count the omer for tomorrow's date tonight, after nightfall: "Today is forty-two days, which are six weeks, to the Omer." (If you miss the count tonight, you can count the omer all day tomorrow, but without the preceding blessing).

The 49-day "Counting of the Omer" retraces our ancestors' seven-week spiritual journey from the Exodus to Sinai. Each evening, we recite a special blessing and count the days and weeks that have passed since the Omer; the 50th day is Shavuot, the festival celebrating the Giving of the Torah at Sinai.

Tonight's Sefirah: Malchut sheb'Yesod -- "Receptiveness in Connection."

The teachings of Kabbalah explain that there are seven "Divine Attributes" -- Sefirot -- that G-d assumes through which to relate to our existence: Chessed, Gevurah, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut ("Love", "Strength", "Beauty", "Victory", "Splendor", "Foundation" and "Sovereignty"). In the human being, created in the "image of G-d," the seven sefirot are mirrored in the seven "emotional attributes" of the human soul: Kindness, Restraint, Harmony, Ambition, Humility, Connection, and Receptiveness. Each of the seven attributes contains elements of all seven--i.e., "Kindness in Kindness", "Restraint in Kindness", "Harmony in Kindness", etc.--making for a total of forty-nine traits. The 49-day Omer Count is thus a 49-step process of self-refinement, with each day devoted to the "rectification" and perfection of one of the forty-nine "sefirot."

Links:
How to count the Omer
The deeper significance of the Omer Count

Today in Jewish History

• Passing of R. Saadia Gaon (942)
Iyar 26 is the yahrtzeit (anniversary of the passing) of Rabbi Saadia Gaon (892?-942), author of Emunot V'deot, one of the earliest works of Jewish philosophy. ("Gaon" was the title given to the leading Sages of Babylonia in the post-Talmudic period).

Links:
More on R. Saadia
A story

• Passing of Ramchal (1747)
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (known by the acronym "Ramchal"), philosopher, kabbalist, and ethicist, was born in Padua, Italy, in 1707. At a very early age, he began to study Kabbalah under the tutelage of Rabbi Moshe Zacuto, one of the foremost Kabbalists of his generation. While still in his twenties, he authored numerous works of Torah scholarship, including Derech Hashem ("The way of G-d"), a systematic exposition of the fundamentals of Judaism.

In 1735, Luzzatto left his native Italy and, avoiding public life, set up shop as a gem cutter in Amsterdam. His fame nevertheless caught up with him, and in 1740, (at the turn of the Jewish century 5500), he published his most famous work, Mesilat Yesharim ("Path of the Just"). Like many other great men of his age, Luzzatto longed for the Holy Land, and in 1743 he settled in Acco. He was not to enjoy a long stay there, however, and on Iyar 26, 5507 (1747), at the age of 39, he and his entire family died in a plague. According to most traditions, he was buried in Tiberias, next to the tomb of Rabbi Akiva.

• Passing of R. Eizik of Homel (1857)
Rabbi Yitzchak Eizik Epstein (1770-1857), who served as the rabbi of the town of Homel in White Russia for 58 years, was a leading figure in the first three generations of Chabad Chassidism. As a young man, he became attracted to the teachings of the first Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. He remained a devoted follower of the 2nd and 3rd Rebbes, Rabbi DovBer and Rabbi Menachem Mendel. He authored several Chassidic works, including Sh'tei HaMeorot and Chanah Ariel.

Link: One on One

• Six-Day War (1967)
In the spring of 1967, the Arab capitals paraded their arms and openly spoke of overrunning the Land of Israel and casting its inhabitants into the sea. The international media was almost unanimous in its belief that the small Jewish state, outflanked and outgunned by its enemies, stood little chance of survival. It seemed that, for the second time in a generation, the world was going to stand by and allow the enemies of the Jewish people to slaughter them in the millions.

On Iyar 26 (June 5, 1967), Israel launched preemptive strikes on its southern and northern frontiers. In just six days, the Jewish army defeated five Arab armies on three fronts and liberated territories of its promised homeland, an area greater than its own, including the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount (see “Today in Jewish History” for Iyar 28).

The openly miraculous nature of Israel’s victory spawned a global awakening of the Jewish soul, fueling the already present and growing teshuvah movement of return to G‑d and Jewish traditions. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, called it a moment of biblical proportions, an “opportunity the likes of which has not been granted for thousands of years.” Many thousands of Jews flocked to put on tefillin and pray at the newly liberated Western Wall of the Temple Mount.

06/03/2026

Unveiling the Mystical Architecture of Creation — Kamil Levi Pyka Announces the Upcoming Release of his book Woven Light - Commentary on Zohar Volume 6.

- Woven Light, a work by scholar, genealogist, and Rabbi Emeritus Kamil Levi Pyka, is a profound exploration of Kabbalistic cosmology, divine language, and the spiritual mechanics of creation as revealed through the Zohar. Drawing deeply from classical Jewish mystical sources, the book offers an expansive, contemplative journey into the hidden structures that shape existence, consciousness, and human purpose.

Written with scholarly rigor and spiritual depth, Woven Light is neither introductory nor speculative. It is a sustained engagement with the inner dimensions of Torah, addressing readers who seek to understand creation not only as a historical moment, but as a living, unfolding reality in which the human soul participates.

A Contemplative Study Rooted in the Zoharic Tradition

At the heart of Woven Light lies an extended meditation on Arich Anpin, the supernal dimensions of divine will, and the concealed processes through which light, form, and consciousness emerge. Pyka examines the mysteries of Beresheet, the sacred Names, Hebrew letters, and the interplay of concealment and revelation that underpins creation itself.

Rather than simplifying these teachings, the book preserves their depth and complexity. Each section unfolds slowly and deliberately, allowing classical Zoharic concepts to reveal their internal coherence and spiritual implications. The result is a work that mirrors the very structure it describes — layered, interwoven, and illuminated from within.

Creation as Process, Not Event

Woven Light approaches creation as a continuous spiritual process rather than a single moment. Through sustained commentary, Pyka explores themes of duality and unity — light and darkness, masculine and feminine, judgment and mercy — showing how these forces are not oppositional but integrative.

The text emphasizes that divine speech, sacred language, and the structure of the Sefirot are not abstract ideas, but living forces that shape both cosmic order and human responsibility. In this vision, the Torah is not static scripture, but an active conduit through which divine light continues to flow into the world.

A Work of Scholarship and Spiritual Responsibility

Grounded in Torah, Talmud, Midrash, and Zohar, Woven Light reflects the author’s lifelong commitment to Jewish learning and spiritual leadership. Pyka writes not as an observer, but as a guide — one who understands scholarship as a form of service and teaching as an ethical responsibility.

The book speaks to readers engaged in serious study, spiritual leadership, and inner development. It offers no shortcuts or consolations, but invites disciplined reflection, humility before mystery, and participation in the ongoing work of spiritual refinement.

About the Author

Kamil Levi Pyka is a scholar, genealogist, and Rabbi Emeritus whose work bridges classical Jewish mysticism with lived spiritual experience. Born in Ostrava and raised in Prague, he maintains a deep connection to European Jewish heritage. He guides individuals and families in reclaiming ancestral and spiritual identity through genealogy and study.

A Kohen and lifelong teacher, his writing draws from decades of engagement with sacred texts and communal leadership. Beyond scholarship, he is an advocate for health, social care, and disability inclusion, grounded in the belief that dignity and compassion are central expressions of faith.

Publication & Availability

Woven Light is available in print and digital formats via Amazon only.

For copies, scholarly inquiries, media requests, and staying updated on publication and the author’s upcoming work. Visit the following channels:

Amazon: Hardcover, Paperback, and Ebook.

https://a.co/d/0ceMozCj

Barnes and Noble: Paperback and Ebook.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/woven-light-commentary-on-zohar-volume-6-kamil-levi-pyka-penner/1150265407?ean=9798235710221

Website
www.pykafamily.org

06/02/2026

Today's Mitzvah

Negative Commandment 216 (Digest)
Planting Vegetables or Grain in a Vineyard

"You shall not sow your vineyard with different seeds"—Deuteronomy 22:9.

It is forbidden to plant vegetables or grain in a vineyard.

This biblical prohibition pertains only to the Land of Israel. The Sages, however, extended it to include fields in the Diaspora as well.

The 216th prohibition is that we are forbidden from planting grain or vegetables in a vineyard. This type of mixture is called kilai ha'kerem (kilayim in a vineyard).

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,1 "Do not plant your vineyard with kilayim."

In the words of the Sifri: "Why do we need the verse, 'Do not plant your vineyard with kilayim'? It already is written, 'Do not plant your field with kilayim,' which certainly includes both [kilayim in] a vineyard and a field!"

They answer, "This verse comes to teach that anyone who allows kilayim in a vineyard transgresses two prohibitions."2

You should be aware that kilai ha'kerem is prohibited by Torah law only in Eretz Yisroel. One who plants wheat, barley, and grapes in the same handful, and in Eretz Yisroel, is punished by lashes.

Outside Eretz Yisroel, this planting is forbidden by Rabbinic law, and one who plants wheat, barley, and grapes in the same handful receives lashes by Rabbinic decree.

Grafting together trees [of different species], however, is [prohibited by Torah law and] punishable by lashes everywhere [‑both in Eretz Yisroel and outside Eretz Yisroel]. This prohibition is included in the general statement, "Do not plant your field with kilayim."3

The details of this mitzvah are also explained in tractate Kilayim.

Footnotes
1.

Dev. 22:9.
2.

Therefore, we see that this counts as a separate prohibition in the count of 613.
3.

This verse includes grafting different species of trees, but does not include planting different species of seeds (see N215, above). In Hilchos Kilayim, 1:3, the Rambam explains that we know this from the Oral Tradition. See Kapach, 5731, note 47.

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06/05/2026

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