יום א Date: 21 Tishrei, 5776 (10/23/16) – Bava Metzia Daf 27 ~ Eliezer Guterman

FACIAL FEATURES

[27b middle] Gemarah:  Testimony (regarding the identity of a deceased individual) may be given only on proof [afforded by] a face with its nose [as opposed to marks of identification on other parts of the body].
R’ Mordechai Becher: A person’s FACE is the one part of the body that reveals his or her inner spiritual essence. The Hebrew word for face, PaNiM, has the same three-letter root as PNiM, meaning “inside” – because the face is a window into one’s inner being.

D-E-ep Thoughts: When conversing with others it is important not just to ‘hear’ what they are saying, but also to understand the hidden depths of what they really mean. We can help to connect to our friends’ souls through their faces. Expressions of the face reflect inner feelings. Just as we use external means to understand internal workings of the physical body, we should also study G-d’s revealed physical universe to come to know His inner true spiritual essence as well.