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Thomas(Twin)re)Bringing your twin-self under subjection to G-d



The nature of mankind has a twin duality expressed in light and dark characteristics.


http://nameberry.com...ies-300x300.jpg


http://www.jta.org/n...-just-get-along
The battles between Jacob and Esau, and Perez and Zerah, begin in the womb.

Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, who has taught a class on twins in the Bible, says both pairs share one central idea: “They’re all about who gets to come out first.”

Indeed, Jacob holds on to Esau’s heel as Esau exits Rebecca’s womb -- presumably to hold his brother back from being the first-born. (The Hebrew root of Jacob’s name, Yaakov, means “heel.”)

Similarly, during Tamar’s labor, her son, Zerah, thrusts his hand out of the womb, and just as the midwife ties a red string around his wrist to signal that he will be born first, Zerah’s hand suddenly retreats and Perez actually comes out first -- the implication being that Perez has pulled his brother back and charged ahead.

As if to underscore the gesture, his mother remarks, “You broke through” and “Wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself?” -- thus the origin of his name, Perez, which means “breaking” or “breach.”

“The stories are both about the younger usurping the older,” Wolpe says, pointing out that in each parable, the twins struggle, as if to suggest that they are born already in conflict. “In both cases, the natural order is overturned by deception or by force.”





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http://www.bluelette...win&t=NKJV&sf=5


(twin)
occurs 4 times in 4 verses in the NKJV
Page 1 / 1 (Jhn 11:16 - Act 28:11)







Jhn 11:16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."
Jhn 20:24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
Jhn 21:2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.
Act 28:11 After three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island.

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http://www.aish.com/...p/48958861.html

THEIR PRAYERS ANSWERED

After 20 years of marriage, Isaac and Rebecca realized that Rebecca was barren and had to pray for a child. The Sages ask, "Why were all the matriarchs barren?" (Even Leah was originally barren, although she had her prayers answered right away.) They reply: Because God, so to speak, desires the prayers of the righteous, and therefore sometimes puts them into rough situations so they will pray. Prayer is like a spaceship, capable of elevating one to endless spiritual growth.

"And Isaac prayed for Rebecca his wife, and God answered his prayers" (Genesis 25:21). The Sages comment that Isaac's prayers were answered over Rebecca's because he was "a righteous person the child of a righteous person," while Rebecca was righteous but had evil parents.

Question: Isn't a Baal Teshuva (repentant) on a higher level than someone who never sinned? Therefore shouldn't Rebecca, having come from a specious background, deserve more credit?

Answer: On one hand, a Baal Teshuva is on a higher level as he has more temptation than one who never transgressed. On the other hand, the merit of righteous ancestors is a big plus for getting prayers answered. Another point is that the patriarchs didn't only follow in their father's footsteps, but each one blazed his own path to God: Abraham excelled in "kindness," Isaac in "strength," and Jacob in "truth."



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CONFRONTATION IN THE WOMB

When Rebecca became pregnant, she noticed conflicting feelings inside her womb. The Sages explain that whenever Rebecca passed a Yeshiva, Jacob would push toward the opening as if to say "Let me out!" Whenever she passed by the house of idolatry, Esau would push forward "Let me out!"

Rebecca was not aware that she was carrying twins, and she was concerned: Even more than the fact that her child, a grandson of Abraham, would want to go the house of idolatry, she feared that this same child would be a hypocrite - going back and forth between the study hall and the pool hall.

"She went to inquire of God" (Genesis 25:22). The Sages explain that Rebecca visited the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever. The reason she didn't ask Isaac or Abraham, who were greater prophets, was to spare them the knowledge that their son/grandson would become an idolater.

When Shem and Ever revealed that Rebecca would have twins, and that the older would become subordinate to the younger, she did not tell anyone. This, however, explains her later behavior in helping Jacob (the younger) get the blessings from Isaac.

Classical Question: According to Jewish tradition, a baby in its mother's womb is taught the entire Torah (everything there is to know about living) by an angel, which the baby subsequently forgets right before its birth. (The purpose of this is so we can find truth within ourselves and determine if this was the message the angel taught us or not.) If so, we can understand Esau's wanting to leave the womb, but why would Jacob want to leave that ideal environment?

Answer: One may have the most ideal setting and teacher, but if Esau is your learning partner, you want to get out!

[cizz]

Sister,

This is off topic, but the day you posted this when I read it, I was reminded of a question I had long ago that I've never really looked into and I didn't post my question then, so I will now..."The laws of being clean and unclean for a woman after birthing, how do they apply for having twins and what if the twins were a male and a female twin?"

[crownsevenalphabet]

cizz, on 18 April 2010 - 12:11 PM, said:

Sister,

This is off topic, but the day you posted this when I read it, I was reminded of a question I had long ago that I've never really looked into and I didn't post my question then, so I will now..."The laws of being clean and unclean for a woman after birthing, how do they apply for having twins and what if the twins were a male and a female twin?"

I found this . . . let me know if you find THE ANSWER, OK ?

http://truwayoflife.....com/chap02.htm

Puerperal Bleeding (Childbirth bleeding, Nafaas)

Nafaas is the blood that gets emitted from uterus while giving birth to a child or soon after the delivery. `Hambaliyy scholars include as Nafaas that blood too that comes out with labour pains while the Shafi`s call only that blood as puerperal blood that is emitted after the childbirth. Hanafiyy define Nafaas as the blood that comes out when the newborn has at least partly come out. But the blood that oozes out before a child has even partly been ejected out is not included. If a woman bleeds before childbirth is counted as a blood of ailment and not puerperal blood.

An aborted (or terminated) pregnancy when the foetus has acquired a humanoid shape is to be counted as a child and the bleeding at or after the childbirth is regarded as Nafaas. in case of delivery of twins, the period of Nafaas would be counted woth reference to the first childbirth. Thus even if there was a long time gap between the two births, the cumulative period of Nafaas would be counted as Nafaas. Shafi` jurists feel that in this case the period of bleeding exceeding 40 days, it may be taken as a discreet period of Nafaas. There is no minimum period fixed for Nafaas. If bleeding did not occur or stopped immediately after the childbirth. Nafaas is regarded as over.

Period of Quiescence

If there is a gap during puerperal bleeding, this is known as a period of quiescence, i.e. there is bleeding on a day, and no bleeding on another. Such days, according to Hanafiyys, would be counted as Nafaas, the period of puerperal blood. According to Shafi`s, if the period of gap is a fortnight or more than that, it is a regarded as period of `Tuhr, legal purity, and the bleeding after that may be taken as menses. But if such a period is less than a fortnight, it should be counted as Nafaas. Similar is the opinion of Malikiyys but they require the period to be calculated by a formula. This is sum of the days of bleeding may be subtracted from the sum of the days of no bleeding till the total period of Nafaas does not exceed the maximum of 60 days. In these circumstances, the days of no-bleeding may be counted as days off purity, `Tuhr, and during that, it would be deemed necessary to comply to all religious obligations of `Salah and `Saum.