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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>The willow which symbolizes the Jew without Torah learning and good
deeds and also symbolizes the "mouth" is taken in our hands and
beaten (havatat aravot) on the floor five times. There are many, many different
reasons given for this obscure ritual. I would like to offer my own: I see the
beating of the willows parallel to the azazel ritual. In other words, the
willows become the scapegoat. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Why five times? Five is a significant number: Five senses, Five Books
of Moses, Five pointed star, (this symbol of the five-pointed Star and the
corresponding number five have been consonant symbols for Man for as long as
there has been written record, dating back to the earliest centuries, Five
fingers on each hand, Five toes on each foot and the word
“quintessence” means the fifth essence. </span></font><font size=3><span
lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>In <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics"
title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics Physics"><font
color=black title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics"><span
title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics"><span style='color:windowtext;
text-decoration:none'>physics</span></span></font></a>, <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>quintessence</span></b> is a <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis"
title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis Hypothesis"><font
color=black title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis"><span
title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis"><span
style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'>hypothetical</span></span></font></a>
form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy"
title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy Dark energy"><font
color=black title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy"><span
title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy"><span
style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'>dark energy</span></span></font></a>
postulated as an explanation of observations of an <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerating_universe"
title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerating_universe Accelerating universe"><font
color=black title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerating_universe"><span
title="blocked::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerating_universe"><span
style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'>accelerating universe</span></span></font></a></span></font><font
size=3><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>. The ancients saw a link of God to man
in the number five. Geometrically it is a pentagon. In three dimensions it is a
pyramid, like the Great Pyramids in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region></st1:place>. So as you can see, beating
the willow 5 times may have greater meaning than meets the eye.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Another beautiful thought: The word for willow "aravah" also
means "sweet," so that our prayers should be sweet before the
Almighty.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>So when you beat the willows, be sure to pray for a sweet year and a <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>quintessence</span></b> of Avodas HaShem.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
13.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
11.0pt'>Richard Wolberg</span></font><font size=2 face="Lucida Sans"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Lucida Sans"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Lucida Sans"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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