History of the Synagogue

Rashi comments that the word "modekhah" (might) i.e. serve haShem with all one's might means one's wealth to finance teachers, buy sefarim, and support torah scholars. The word "Ekhad" hazal note is the gematria of 13 and ergo Rabbi Akiva's last word "ekhad" was a mystical act to unite 13+ 13 because the word "ahavah" (love is also 13)., At Rabbi Akiva's martyrdom his talmidim (students) asked how Rabbi Akiva can bare the tourcher of the Romans flaying Rabbi Akiva's flesh to sell in the market place? Rabbi Akiva responded that his whole life was directed towards affiriming Hashem's unity (Einzigkeit) with total Ahavas Hashem. Thus Rabbi Akiva mystically united 13+13 the gematria of the tetragramaton (26) so that the wings of the Shekhinah herself transported his neshamah straight to the higher heavens etc.The shema contains many mysteries such as the ayin and Daleth being written bigger. Why? Because we are all aideim, to testify to Hashem's presence, blessings, and wonders in olam hazeh and beyond (l'eyla l'eyla).

The synagogue is essential to preserving Judaism in exile. In the book of Daniel reference is made of Daniel's interpretation of the ruler's dream of a statue with (1) head of gold, (2) chest of Silver, (3) stomach of bronze, and (4) feet of clay. Ramban interprets these 4 parts as representing the oppression of the 4 kingdoms of Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. This is further linked to Daniel's own dream of a 4 beasts represented by a raging lion, raging bear with ribs in its mouth, a leapard, and a raging vicious pig like creature. For commentators these 4 beats again represent the 4 exiles of Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. These oppressive kingdoms are further related in Hazal's interpretation of Genesis1:2, Yakov's dream of the ladder with angels ascending and descending, and the folksong the Had Gad Ya in the Pesah Haggadah. This source packet cites rabbinic texts that illuminate mapping and reference to these 4 oppressive kingdoms in which Jewish synagogues hae existed across the ages, preventing the light of torah from completely being snuffed out. Mikorot from the Babylonian Talmud, Midrash Rabbah, and the Rabbinic treasury are cited