דרך קשת

The phrase דרך קשת.

Hebrew Wikipedia explains on the pshat level that in olden times archers needed to hold down their bows with their feet while they fastened the bow's upper string. See there.

Struck me today though that both words are used in contexts of sexuality and יסוד.

דרך גבר בעלמה -- משלי

ותשב באיתן קשתו ויפזו זרועי ידיו -- בראשית מט

Interesting Quote - Blaise Pascal

Got an email containing quotes from a number of world renowned gentiles and their flattering words regarding jews.... too long for me to post it all but I like Math and Pascal is just someone I gravitate towards so here's his quote for those interested:

"It is certain that in certain parts of the world we can see a peculiar people, separated from the other peoples of the world and this is called the Jewish people....

This people is not only of remarkable antiquity but has also lasted for a singular long time... For whereas the people of Greece and Italy, of Sparta, Athens and Rome and others who came so much later have perished so long ago, these still exist, despite the efforts of so many powerful kings who have tried a hundred times to wipe them out, as their historians testify, and as can easily be judged by the natural order of things over such a long spell of years. They have always been preserved,however, and their preservation was foretold... My encounter with this people amazes me..."

בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם

The Zohar on the Pasuk of וזרעו מבקש לחם understanding לחם as reference to כי אם הלחם אשר הוא אוכל

With that in mind then I was wondering how would it be understood the pasuk of בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם... could it be a reference to the fact that post-Gan Eden sexual reproduction is by definition mortality...

I.e, in contrast to an Edenic existence ignoring process (שנים עלו במטה וד' ירדו) , we now have the introduction of Life as process and hence:

תני, כל מי שיש לו תולדות, מת ובלה ונברא ואינו בורא,

וכל מי שאין לו תולדות אינו לא מת ולא בלה ובורא ואינו נברא (Br"R 12:7)

... it's then a little problematic though how this would jive with Chazal's point of כל זיעה סם המוות, חוץ מזיעת הפנים, וסימן לדבר בזיעת אפיך תאכל לחם

... seemingly indicating that if anything, זיעת אפים is a function of life, not death . Also note Berachot 57:  ששה דברים סימן יפה לחולה וכו' זיעה שנאמר בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם


וצע"ע.

Dreams - והנה

Was struck by it over Shabbat. The consistent usage time and again in the Torah of the word והנה in any context of dreams. Check and see. Amazing! But what's the pshat?! What's the connection??

I'm thinking along the lines of the gematria being 66 or if separating the 'Vav' it being 6 + 60 ... and the concept of חלום אחד מששים בנבואה . Also see Zohar where dreams are referred to as emanating from דרגא שתיתאה.....

וצע"ע....