ABOUT
THE TALMUD SAYS that the world was created with fifty gates of understanding, nun sha’arei binah (Rosh Hashanah 21b). It is a very deep kabbalistic concept, but the basic idea alludes to fifty different levels of intellectual and spiritual understanding, all of which can be arrived at through Torah learning. The more levels a person accesses, the more rectified and fulfilled they become…the more they live up to the godly image in which all people were created (Bereishis 1:26).
It’s a daunting task that can take many lifetimes. Torah is infinite and can be overwhelmingly complicated and abstract. But as the rabbis teach, “It is not for you to complete the task, but neither are you free to abandon it” (Pirkei Avos 2:16). This means we have to start somewhere, and just keep doing the best we can each day to grow in our Torah learning.
Rabbi Pinchas Winston has been writing essays, articles, and books for decades towards this end. The idea has been to help others gain access to important life-altering Torah concepts and perspectives that they otherwise might miss.
Shaar nun means fiftieth gate. Reaching it may not be possible in this world, and the material on this site doesn’t pretend to be on that level. It is a reminder of the goal, and that every bit of Torah knowledge contributes to the process of making it to the top.
Be sure to check out Rabbi Winston’s many video presentations on YouTube.
© All original material on this site is copyrighted by Shaarnun Productions. Unless otherwise stated it may be freely shared if used as intended by the copyright holder. For clarification, write to pinchasw@shaarnun.org.