Being your own mentor

Hi,


R' Klonymus Kalmish Schapira, the Piaseczner Rebbe, was a rebbe in the Warsaw Ghetto, killed by the Nazis. He was a fervent believer in self-esteem, and the importance of growth through actualization of one's own potential. You can read more about him here.


"Your main educator is you, yourself. If you will not stand up to take the reins of control in your hand and reign over yourself, guiding yourself as the captain of a ship, who knows whether you won't be broken, whether you won't drown in the stormy sea and the material world, amid the baser human desires? At that point all of your teachers and mentors will not benefit you at all, Gd-forbid."


(R' Klonymus Kalmish Schapira, Chovat haTalmidim, Chapter 10)


Have a great day,
Mordechai

Spiritual intent in a material world

Hi,

"We are taught, 'All of your deeds should be for heaven's sake.'

"This is an important, all-encompassing statement. It means this:

"A person must involve himself in affairs of the world and in the development of civil society, for the sake of material needs. This lesson instructs us that even when we are involved in such matters, our intent should still be, specifically, for completion of the soul."

(R' Menachem Meiri on Pirkei Avot 2:16)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The great influence of hatred and love

Hi,

The following is a comment by Rabbi Menachem Meiri, a 14th century sage, on a verse, Proverbs 10:12 - "Hatred arouses litigation, but love covers up all transgressions."

"This says that hatred will awaken quarrels and fights even in lightweight matters, regarding which people do not ordinarily quarrel. The degree of one's hatred for another causes him to suspect the other even in lightweight matters, even for mistakes, and to quarrel with him continually.

"Love, on the other hand, covers up even transgressions, which includes intentional sin and rebellion."

(Meiri to Proverbs 10:12)

Honor your wife

Hi,

"Rabbi Chelbo said: A man must always be careful with his wife's honor; there is extra Divine protection upon her, to the point that his estate will not be blessed other than because of his wife. It is written (Bereishit 12), 'And he gave Avram gifts because of her, and he had sheep...'"

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 59a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Menorah, the Shabbat Candle, Kiddush and Peace

Hi,

Introductory note: One of the main purposes of Shabbat lights/candles is to illuminate the home, so that people will not trip over things or get into fights in their frustration in the dark.

"If a person must choose [financially] between Shabbat lights and Chanukah lights, or between Shabbat lights and kiddush for Shabbat, then Shabbat lights have precedence, for the sake of domestic peace...

"Peace is great, for the entire Torah was given for the sake of creating peace in the world, as it is written, 'Its paths are paths of pleasantness, and all of its ways are peace (Proverbs 3:17).'"

(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Chanukah 4:14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A humble epitaph

Hi,

This was Rabbi Aryeh Levin's instruction for his epitaph:

"I strongly insist that no more than one row of simple, undressed stones be placed over the grave; the tombstone should be of modest size, and the inscription should not vary in the least from what I have written herewith:

"'Here lies Aryeh Leib the son of Binyomin Beinish of blessed memory, known as R' Aryeh Levin.'

"I insist that not even one word of praise be added. For I possess no Torah learning, being fluent in not even one chapter; nor have I a proper reverent awe of Heaven, or good deeds to my credit. If I did something of worth, I have been accorded honor for it seven times over; and perhaps I have thus, Gd forbid, already received my full reward for it."

(R' Aryeh Levin, as cited in A Tzaddik in our time, pg. 468)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why celebrate for eight days?

Hi,

One of the longest-standing questions regarding Chanukah is this: If there was sufficient oil for one night, just not for eight, then there were really only seven nights of the miracle. So why do we light the menorah for eight nights?

R' Yechiel Michel Epstein, in his Aruch haShulchan, cites three popular answers:
1) Each night, only 1/8 of the oil burned.

2) The Syrian Greeks had prevented Jews from performing circumcision, so we celebrate for eight days to hint at circumcision, which is performed on the eighth day of a baby boy's life.

3) When the Chashmonaim recaptured the Beit haMikdash (Temple), they re-dedicated it for the service which the Syrian Greeks had halted. This is what we celebrate on the first day.

(R' Yechiel Michel Epstein, Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 670:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Judith's story

Hi,

We are taught that Judith was a heroine of Chanukah; her actions are cited by many traditional Jewish sources as a central part of the Chanukah miracles we celebrate.

The story of Judith is apocryphal, meaning that it does not appear in Tanach [it could not possibly appear in Tanach, since it would have occurred after the conclusion of Tanach]. Instead, it has its own book, the Book of Judith.

Here is a key part of the story, from the Book of Judith:

"When evening came, his slaves quickly withdrew. Bagoas closed the tent from outside and shut out the attendants from his master's presence. They went to bed, for they all were weary because the banquet had lasted so long. But Judith was left alone in the tent, with Holofernes stretched out on his bed, for he was dead drunk.

"Now Judith had told her maid to stand outside the bedchamber and to wait for her to come out, as she did on the other days; for she said she would be going out for her prayers. She had said the same thing to Bagoas. So everyone went out, and no one, either small or great, was left in the bedchamber. Then Judith, standing beside his bed, said in her heart, "O Lord Gd of all might, look in this hour on the work of my hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem. Now indeed is the time to help Your heritage and to carry out my design to destroy the enemies who have risen up against us." She went up to the bedpost near Holofernes' head, and took down his sword that hung there. She came close to his bed, took hold of the hair of his head, and said, "Give me strength today, O Lord Gd of Israel!" Then she struck his neck twice with all her might, and cut off his head. Next she rolled his body off the bed and pulled down the canopy from the posts. Soon afterward she went out and gave Holofernes' head to her maid, who placed it in her food bag.

"Then the two of them went out together, as they were accustomed to do for prayer. They passed through the camp, circled around the valley, and went up the mountain to Bethulia, and came to its gates. From a distance Judith called out to the sentries at the gates, "Open, open the gate! Gd, our Gd, is with us, still showing His power in Israel and his strength against our enemies, as He has done today!"

"When the people of her town heard her voice, they hurried down to the town gate and summoned the elders of the town. 1They all ran together, both small and great, for it seemed unbelievable that she had returned. They opened the gate and welcomed them. Then they lit a fire to give light, and gathered around them. 1Then she said to them with a loud voice, "Praise Gd, O praise Him! Praise Gd, who has not withdrawn His mercy from the house of Israel, but has destroyed our enemies by my hand this very night!"

"Then she pulled the head out of the bag and showed it to them, and said, "See here, the head of Holofernes, the commander of the Assyrian army, and here is the canopy beneath which he lay in his drunken stupor. The Lord has struck him down by the hand of a woman. As the Lord lives, who has protected me in the way I went, I swear that it was my face that seduced him to his destruction, and that he committed no sin with me, to defile and shame me."

"All the people were greatly astonished. They bowed down and worshiped Gd, and said with one accord, 'Blessed are you our Gd, who have this day humiliated the enemies of your people.'"

(Book of Judith, Revised Standard Translation, Chapter 13)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Zechariah's Chanukah message

Hi,

From the Haftorah for Shabbat of Chanukah:

"And the angel that spoke with me returned and woke me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. He said to me: What do you see?

"And I said: I have seen, behold, a Menorah made entirely of gold, with a bowl atop it and seven lamps thereon. There are seven channels leading to the lamps which are on top, and two olive trees next to it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other on its left side.

"And I asked the angel that spoke with me: What are these, my master?

"And the angel that spoke with me told me: Don't you know what these are?

"And I said: No, my master.

"Then he spoke to me, saying: This is the message of Gd to Zerubavel [the political leader of the Jews in Zechariah's day]: Not by might, and not by power, but by My spirit, says HaShem, Gd of hosts. Who are you, great mountain standing before Zerubavel? You shall become a plain; and Zerubavel will bring forth the topmost stone [for the construction of the Temple] amid great proclamations of its beauty.'

(Zechariah 4:1-7)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The spiritual light of Israel will never be dimmed

Hi,

R' Shimshon Raphael Hirsch's strong message on the Menorah's light:

"Each year, when the Chanukah season recurs, lights are kindled in every home of Israel, and by every son of Israel, and the events of those days are celebrated in word and in song, paying homage to Gd. Thus the darkened courses of Israel are lit up by this message: 'The spiritual light of Israel will never be dimmed.'

"And even if round about you everything becomes defiled by the oppression of the time, so long as the light remains pure within the confines of only one house or within the breast of only one man, live on joyfully amid all the wanton aberration, even die joyfully under the frenzy of a madman, for the spiritual life of Israel is saved. Gd watches over it; and even by the light of one man He rekindles it anew."

(Horeb, paragraph 246)

Have a great Chanukah,
Mordechai

Chanukah Elevation

Hi,

"The school of Hillel says that on the first night [of Chanukah] we kindle one light, and then we add as we go along...

"What is the reasoning of the school of Hillel? For we elevate in holiness; we do not cause decent in holiness."

(This is often translated as "we ascend in holiness; we do not descend in holiness," but I believe that is a mis-translation; the Hebrew is "maalin" and "moridin" rather than "olin" and "yordin." It is not about our own ascent/descent; rather, it is the ascent/descent of the menorah, and perhaps the celebration of the miracle.)

(Talmud, Shabbat 21b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The source for lighting the Menorah

Hi,

Indirectly, Chanukah testifies to Jewish loyalty to the words of the Sages:

"[When we light the menorah, we recite the following blessing:] 'You are blessed, Gd... who sanctified us with mitzvot and instructed us to light the lamp of Chanukah.'

"But where did Gd instruct us to do this?! [Chanukah occurred after the canonization of Tanach; there can be no biblical instruction to light the menorah!]

"Rabbi Avya explained: It is written, 'You shall not stray from what the sages tell you, right or left.'" [In other words: This does not appear in the text of the Torah, but it is an instruction of the Sages and is honored as such.]

(Talmud, Shabbat 23a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The importance of publicizing the Chanukah miracle

Hi,

"If a person has a choice between fulfilling the Mitzvah of the Menorah or of Kiddush on Shabbat, which has precedence? Kiddush is a more frequent (and therefore more significant) Mitzvah, but Chanukah lights publicize the miracle Gd performed for us!"

"Chanukah lights have precedence; such is the greatness of publicizing a Divine miracle."

(Talmud, Shabbat 23b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The value of the Menorah

Hi,

"One who is consistent in the Mitzvah of kindling Chanukah lights will have children who will be Torah scholars."

(Talmud, Shabbat 23b)

[Some explain that this is because one who is careful in this Mitzvah shows visible, public love of the Mitzvah. That is certain to affect one's children.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A menorah for whom?

Hi,

"Rav Sheshet asked: It is written (Leviticus 24), 'The lights of the Menorah will be arranged beyond the curtain [which covers the Holy of Holies in the Temple].'

"Does Gd require its light?! For forty years, the Jews in the desert traveled only by Gd's own light! Rather, the Menorah is intended as testimony to those who enter this world, that Gd manifests Himself among Israel."

(Talmud, Shabbat 22b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

"Mitzvah meals" for Chanukah

Hi,

Turning one's meal into a Mitzvah:

"We sing songs and praises at the special meals added for Chanukah, and so these meals become Mitzvah Meals."

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 670:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The goal of Torah study

Hi,

"You msut study for practical life - that is the fundamental principle of the law. With attentive mind and with receptive heart you must study in order to practice. You must aim at learning from the law a way of life, which is its true teaching; only then can you learn it properly, only then will it disclose to you its inmost meaning.

"Every other object, whether it is to sharpen the mind and the brain, or even to attain honour and respect and livelihood, has a value, because there is a hope that through occupying yourself with the law you will learn to love and study it for the sake of its one supreme object, but in itself it does not lead to the goal."

(R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb, paragraph 493)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Hillel the Confident

Hi,

"Once Hillel the Elder was travelling home when he heard a cry from the city. He said, 'I am certain that this is not from my house.'

"Regarding this it is written (Psalms 112), 'He will not fear bad news, for his heart is established, confident in Gd.'"

(Talmud, Berachot 60a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

We pray as a community, and we leave as a community

Hi,

"The Sages enacted a special additional blessing (Magen Avot) to be recited at the end of the Friday night Maariv service...

"Why did they do this? Because many people come to pray, and there might be someone who arrived late and won't be done when everyone else finishes, and he might remain alone in the synagogue and be endangered [upon leaving by himself].

"Therefore the Chazan recites this additional blessing, in order that the entire congregation should remain until the late one finishes. They will then all exit together."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Prayer 9:10-11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Are you worthy of eating meat?

Hi,

When Gd creates Adam and Chavah, He only permits them to eat that which grows from the ground. It is only after the Flood that Gd permits consumption of higher-order living things. The commentators offer various explanations for this change.

The following passage from the Talmud indicates that meat-eating is a privilege reserved for people who develop themselves spiritually:

"Rebbe said: A person who does not study Torah may not eat meat. It is written (Leviticus 11), 'This is the Torah of consuming animals and poultry,' showing that one who is involved in Torah is permitted to eat meat and poultry, but one who is not involved in Torah may not do so."

(Talmud, Pesachim 49b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Enthusiasm for Judaism

Hi,

The very Jewish ideal of enthusiasm:

"Those who are enthusiastic rush to perform Mitzvot at the earliest opportunity."

(Talmud, Pesachim 4a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Visiting the sick, and being sensitive to their needs

Hi,

A nuance in the mitzvah of visiting the sick:

"One should not visit ill people who have bowel ailments, or eye pain or headaches: Bowel ailments because the ill person will be embarrassed before the visitor, and eye pain or headaches because conversation is painful for someone in that condition."

(Talmud, Nedarim 41a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Gd preventing, or permitting, sin

Hi,

A passage with enormous ramifications regarding Free Will, as well as Repentance:

"The generation of Jews in the desert were so elevated that Gd would have protected them from having the opportunity to sin with the Golden Calf, but Gd allowed it to happen in order to teach future generations about the power of repentance."

(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 4b as explained by "Maharsha")

Have a great day,
Mordechai

My advice: Take advice

Hi,

"Any government which does not have advisors is not a true government.

"From whom do we learn? From the government of the house of David. He had advisors, as it is written (Divrei haYamim I 27), 'And Jonathan, David's uncle, was an advisor, a man of understanding and a scribe.' If the government of the house of David had advisors, how much more so would advisors be good for ohter people!

"One who listens to advice is wise. It is also written (Mishlei 11), 'And salvation comes through much advice.'"

(Midrash, Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer 3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Changing one's clothes for prayer

Hi,

A source for wearing unique clothes to pray:

Where does the Torah teach that changing into fresh clothing is a sign of respect?

"It is written (Leviticus 7), "[After the Kohen clears the ashes from the altar,] he shall remove his garments and put on different garments."

"It was taught in R' Yishmael's school: We see that the Torah taught proper conduct: One should not pour wine for his master while wearing the clothing in which he cooked the master's food."

(Talmud, Shabbat 114a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Arrogance and Torah knowledge do not mix

Hi,

"Arrogance is a sign of poverty... 'poverty' meaning a poverty of Torah knowledge."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 49b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Understanding the words of the Torah

Hi,

On the difficulty of properly understanding the Torah's text:

"Rabbi Yehudah said: One who translates a biblical sentence according to its literal form is a liar, and one who adds interpretation on his own is a blasphemer."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 49a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amen!

Hi,

One to ponder; this lesson does not have an easy explanation:

"Rabbi Yosi said: One who responds 'Amen' to a blessing is greater than the one who recited the blessing in the first place...

"This is actually subject to debate, for we have another lesson, 'Both the one reciting a blessing and the one responding 'Amen' are performing great deeds, but it is better to rush to be the one who recites the blessing.'"

(Talmud, Nazir 66b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The connection between Gd, Torah and human being

Hi,

"When a person is distant from Torah, he is distant from Gd. When a person brings himself close to Torah, Gd brings that person close to Him."

(Zohar Vayyikra 21:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

"Let there be Israel"

Hi,

Some of you may recognize this one from almost two years ago; I just really like it, so I'm re-running it. R' Samson Raphael Hirsch equates "Let there be light" with "Let there be Israel," both of them fundamental to the Divine plan:

"The whole event of the Deliverance of Israel from Egypt - a Divine manifestation which laid the foundation of Isael as a people - together with everything which stems from it and which it teaches - stands as you accept it, as indeed it was, as an action revealing Gd's work, an action brought into being, as it were, by another Divine imperative, 'Let there be,' in the history of mankind."

(R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb, paragraph 197)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The goal of a Jewish holiday

Hello,

"The Mo'adim [times of celebration] interrupt the ordinary activities of our life and give us spirit, power and consecration for the future by revivifying those ideas upon which our whole life is based, or they eradicate such evil consequences of past activity as are deadly to body and spirit, and thus restore to us lost purity and the hope of blessing."

(R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb, paragraph 162)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Torah study and Secular study

Hi,

"Ben Dama, the nephew of R’ Yishmael, asked R’ Yishmael: I have learned the entire Torah. May someone like me study Greek wisdom?

"R’ Yishmael responded by citing this verse (Joshua 1): ‘This Torah scroll will not leave your mouth, and you will speak of it day and night.’ Go find a time which is neither day nor night, and during that time you may study Greek wisdom."

(Talmud, Menachot 99b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Hope

Hi,

"One student prayed, 'May it be Gd's will that my wife conceive - if the child will live. Otherwise, may it be Gd's will that she not conceive.'

"His friend prayed, 'May it be Gd's will that my wife conceive.'

"The former asked: And would it be good if the child would die? It would be better that he not be born, as it is written (Kings II 27-28), 'Do not disappoint your maid,' 'Didn't I say not to fool me?'

"To which the latter replied: When the child is born, I will pray for it to live."

(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 501)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The true nature of Gd, and Humility

Hi,

"And the word of Gd said [to Elijah]: Go stand on the mountain before Gd, and Gd will pass by.

"There will be a great and powerful wind, crumbling mouintains and breaking boulders before Gd; Gd will not be in the wind.

"And after the wind there will be a noise; Gd will not be in the noise.

"And after the noise there will be a fire; Gd will not be in the fire.

"And after the fire there will be a thin, silent sound."

(Kings I 19:11-12)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

First things

Hello,

"Every Jew must believe and know that there is a First Thing, earliest and eternal, and that this First Thing caused and created all that is found in existence. This is Gd."

(Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, Derech HaShem (Path of Gd) 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Improve this day, and it becomes your own

Hi,

"The most minimal level among the righteous is that they improve the sanctity of each day by fulfilling that day's obligations. When the day comes for them to depart from this world, all of those days are now theirs."

(R' Dovid Shlomo Eibeschitz, Arvei Nachal, Chayyei Sarah I)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Study and Action

Hi,

"This question was asked before Rabbi Tarfon and the sages: Is study greater, or is action greater?

"Rabbi Tarfon spoke up and said: Action is greater.

"Rabbi Akiva spoke up and said: Study is greater.

"All of them spoke up and said: Study is greater, for it leads to action."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 40b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reward for mitzvot

Hi,

"Rabbi Yaakov said: The reward for mitzvot is not in this world."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 39b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Embarrassment, as punishment

Hi,

Note for the following thought: The words shame, embarrassment and humiliation are loaded words, both culturally and personally. I use "shame" in the translation here because it's the dictionary definition of the Hebrew, but I'm not sure that I would understand it in its American sense in the following lines.

"The Midrash (Yalkut on Tehillim 6) says: 'Gd only curses the wicked by shaming them for their deeds, as it is written, 'They will be greatly shamed and upset.'

"This is because there is greater benefit and educational rebuke in feeling ashamed than in other forms of punishment."

(R' Chaim Shmuelevitz, Sichot Mussar, Miketz 5732)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Two kinds of miracles

Hi,

"There are two types of miracles:

"1) A person is walking on the road and thieves fall upon him, and HaShem saves him from their hands, and he then gives praise and thanks to Gd;

"2) Gd protects a person such that thieves do not see him at all, and he does not see them. In this he benefits additionally, in that he is saved from anxiety and fear."

(R' Yechezkel Panet, Mareh Yechezkel, Parshat Chayyei Sarah)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Treatment of strangers

Hi,

"Do not let your face be angry toward passersby; receive them with a shining face. Do not forget to give them their travel needs, to escort them and to speak words of comfort to them [for their difficulties in travel]."

(Orchot Chaim, Rabbeinu Asher, #57-58)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The pursuit of righteousness

Hi,

"This is the behavior of a person who is a Jew, whose soul desires to serve Gd:

"Regarding whatever he knows to be a sin, or to be a proper path, he will wage war against his nature [lest it drive him to sin] using various strategies, and he will strengthen himself with great power and effort, with all of his ability, to guard it."

(R' Eliezer Papo, Pele Yoetz, Chozek)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Natural unity of the Jewish People

Hi,

"The scattering of the Jewish people among the nations is unnatural; since they are one nation, it would be appropriate for them to stand united and be one. We find in nature that entities which are naturally united remain un-split and instead coalesce as one."

(Maharal, Netzach Yisrael, Chapter 1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Popularity: Cause or Effect?

Hi,

"Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa was wont to say: If people are pleased with a certain person, that is a sign that Gd is pleased with that person, too."

(Pirkei Avot 3:10)

Is Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa saying that Gd is happy with a person who is pleasant to others? Or is he saying that popularity with others is a sign of Divine favor? (We can find classic sources to support each idea.)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Honor your mother

Hi,

"When Rabbi Tarfon's mother wished to ascend to her bed, he would bend down and pick her up. When she wished to descend, she descended upon him.

"When Rabbi Tarfon spoke of this in the beit midrash, the sages said to him, 'You still have not reached even half of the obligation for honor! Has she thrown a wallet into the sea, and you have refrained from embarrassing her?"

(Talmud, Kiddushin 31b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

"Today" is the measure of righteousness

Hi,

"Rabbi Yitzchak taught: A person is judged [in the Heavenly court] only based upon his current actions, as it is written [regarding Yishmael], 'Gd has heard the voice of the youth, as he is there.'"

(Talmud, Rosh haShanah 16b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The joy of Torah study

Hi,

"The Torah of Your mouth, Gd, is greater to me than thousands of silver and gold coins!"

(Psalms 119:72)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The meal of the angels

Hi,

"Why did Avraham provide the visiting angels a meal of meat, rather than fish?

"Because he wished to be energetic in performing mitzvot for them. Preparing meat involves many mitzvot, such as shechitah, salting the meat and removing prohibited parts, but no such mitzvot are involved in preparing fish."

(R' Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, Kedushat Levi to Parshat Vayyera)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Voting, per Rabbi Moshe Feinstein

Hello,

Please note that I expect not to be able to send out these daily emails between today and next Sunday, as I will be on the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley's trip to Israel. The next daily email, Gd-willing, will be Sunday November 9.

I am reproducing here Rabbi Moshe Feinstein's 1984 endorsement of voting in American elections:

On reaching the shores of the United States, Jews found a safe haven. The rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights have allowed us the freedom to practice our religion without interference and to live in this republic in safety.

A fundamental principle of Judaism is hakaras hatov -- recognizing benefits afforded us and giving expression to our appreciation. Therefore, it is incumbent upon each Jewish citizen to participate in the democratic system which safeguards the freedoms we enjoy. The most fundamental responsibility incumbent on each individual is to register and to vote.

Therefore, I urge all members of the Jewish community to fulfill their obligations by registering as soon as possible, and by voting. By this, we can express our appreciation and contribute to the continued security of our community.

Have a great day and week,
Mordechai

The intensity of our feelings for Torah

Hi,

"When Rav Safra died, the sages did not tear their clothing for the loss, because he was not their mentor.

"Abbaye rebuked them: Is the law taught, 'When one's mentor passes [one tears his clothing]?' It is taught, 'When any sage passes [one tears his clothing]!' Further, his lessons are in the mouths of people in the study hall every day!"

(Talmud, Moed Katan 25a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The price of usury

Hi,

In Europe, a moneylender passed away. He had made his fortune by collecting interest from the poor of the town. In vengeance, the Chevra Kadisha (burial society) demanded a large sum of money for the grave, angering the heirs.

The matter came to R' Akiva Eiger. "How appropriate," he responded. "The normal price of a grave assumes that the purchaser will use it for a limited time, until the resurrection of the dead. We are taught that one who takes interest, though, does not get resurrected. As such, he will remain in the grave for eternity, and he should therefore pay a higher price for use of the grave!"

(Cited in introduction to "Laws of Ribbis" by R' Yisroel Reisman)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The price of arrogance

Hi,

"If a person acts arrogantly, then if he is a prophet he loses his prophecy, if he is a sage he loses his wisdom."

(Talmud, Pesachim 66b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Power of Communal Prayer

Hi,

"Rav Shmuel bar Unya said, citing Rav... How do we know that even if Gd decrees punishment for a community, the decree may be torn up?

"For it is written, 'Who is like HaShem, our Gd, who responds whenever we [plural] call Him.'"

(Talmud, Yevamot 105a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Creativity and Diversity in Jewish Thought

Hi,

"Because in the sphere of knowledge of the law everything rests on traditional principles peculiar to this sphere, and no individual view on the significance of or reason for a law can have any binding force, a greater measure of freedom has therefore been given to every individual mind to work out and form such views according to the thinker's own will.

"As a result, we possess a collection of the most diverse views of men of the highest gifts from the earliest times down to our own day. Nevertheless, the cautious thinker will find guidance for himself in the legal tradition itself."

(R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Foreword to Horeb)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Pursuing honor

Hi,

"Honor is different from any other acquisition. For any other acquisition, one who works at acquiring it may succeed, even if for a limited time. For honor, the very act of working hard and struggling to get it causes honor to be removed from him."

(Mili d'Avot on Pirkei Avot 1:13)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The opening letter Bet ב

Hi,

[Note: The letter Bet (ב) is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.]

"R' Yehudah ben Pazi taught: Why does the Torah begin the account of Creation with the letter Bet (ב)? Because Gd created two worlds - this world, and the next."

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 1:10)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

War as Punishment, or perhaps Consequence?

Hi,

"War comes into the world when there is delayed judgment and perverted justice, and when the Torah is taught incorrectly."

(Pirkei Avot 5:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wisdom

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar taught: If a person develops wisdom, it is as though the Beit haMikdash [Jerusalem Temple] had been built in his lifetime."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 92a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Shmini Atzeret

Hi,

"On all of the days of Succot the Jews bring [70] offerings, parallel to the 70 nations. They then prepare to leave. Gd says to them, 'Please, make Me a small meal, so that I will benefit from you, too.'"

(Midrash Tanchuma Pinchas 16 - explaining the holiday of Shmini Atzeret with its single bull-offering to Gd)

Moadim l'Simchah,
Mordechai

Succah as Exile under Divine Protection

Hi,

"The mitzvah of Succah is to leave permanent dwellings and shelter in all ways beneath His wings, on HaShem’s oversight. This itself is the clarification which comes through exile, to shelter in HaShem through all of the oppression and trouble, so that we will know that everything comes from HaShem’s direction."

(Rav Tzadok haKohen of Lublin, Pri Tzaddik, Devarim, Chag Succot #8)

Moadim l'Simchah,
Mordechai

Simchat Beit haShoevah: The Succot Water-Drawing celebration

Hi,

"Our sages taught: One who never saw the Simchat Beit haShoevah (the Water celebration in the Temple, conducted on Succot,) never saw joy. One who never saw Jerusalem in its glory never saw a beautiful city. One who never saw the standing Temple never saw a beautiful building."

(Talmud, Succah 51b)

Moadim l'Simchah,
Mordechai

The joy of Simchat Torah

Hi,

"The [Vilna] Gaon, z”l, was very joyous on Succot…and on Simchat Torah he would go before the Torah, very happy, with great strength and happiness. The wisdom of man lit his face like a burning torch, and he clapped his hands and danced wildly with all his strength before the Torah…When the Torah was returned to the Ark he didn’t have the same joy, just the same as any Yom Tov."

(Maaseh Rav 233)

Moadim l'Simchah,
Mordechai

The Pleasant and Safe Hadas [myrtle]

Hi,

"The Torah says [that one of the Four Species waved on Succot is] 'A braided branch,' meaning that the leaves should cover the wood. What is that? That is the Hadas [myrtle]...

"But perhaps it is the Harduf? Abayye answered: No - It is written, 'The Torah's ways are pleasant,' and the spiny Harduf is not pleasant.

"Rava disqualified the Harduf for a different reason - It is written, 'You should love truth and peace.' The poisonous Harduf is the opposite of this verse."

(Talmud, Succah 32b as explained by Rashi)

Have a great Yom Tov,
Mordechai

Beautiful mitzvot

Hi,

Preface: The Jews say, as they cross through the Red Sea, 'This is my Gd, and I will praise Him.' The word אנוהו means I will praise Him, but the gemara ties it to the word נאה, meaning beautiful, therefore reading the passage, I will beautify Him:

"'This is my Gd, and I will beautify Him' - Make yourselves beautiful before Him with mitzvot. Make a beautiful succah, make a beautiful lulav, make a beautiful shofar, make beautiful tzitzit, make a beautiful Torah scroll and write in it with proper intent using beautiful ink and a beautiful quill and an expert scribe, and wrap it in beautiful silks."

(Talmud, Shabbat 133b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The out-of-season Succah

Hi,

The Torah says to sit in the succah in order to commemorate HaShem's protection for us, when we left Egypt. However, we left Egypt in the Spring - why do we celebrate Succot in the Fall?

"Because that would be the summertime, and people ordinarily prepare huts for shade, so that our creation of a succah would not be identifiable as fulfillment of a Divine command. Therefore, Gd instructed us to prepare the succah in the seventh month, a time of rain, when most people leave their huts for their homes, and we leave our homes to sit in the succah. In this way we demonstrate that are doing this to fulfill a Divine command."

(Tur Orach Chaim 625)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Ideal Yom Kippur

Hi,

"This is the fast I will choose - Open the chains of wickedness, untie the ropes of tyranny, set free the crushed and release all who had been under tyranny. Break your breead for the hungry, and bring the desperately poor into your home; when you see an unclothed person, clothe him, and do not ignore your flesh [family].

"Then your light will break forth like the morning, and your healing will speedily sprout, your justness will travel before you and the glory of HaShem will gather you in. Then you will call and Gd will answer, you will cry out and Gd will say 'Here I am.'..."

(Isaiah 58:5-9 - The Haftorah of Yom Kippur morning)

May we all be sealed for a great new year, and have an easy and meaningful fast,

Mordechai

Atonement requires action

Hi,

"There is no such thing as atonement without an associated action." (Or, to eliminate the Talmudic double-negative: Any atonement requires action.)

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 4a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Repentance for missed opportunities

Hi,

"A person must work harder to fulfill a Mitzvah than to avoid violating a prohibition.

"If a person violates a prohibition, he can repent or he can receive his punishment and so erase the sin. If one does not fulfill a Mitzvah, though, then the gap remains regardless of his repentance."

(From a biography of the Chafetz Chaim)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

True Repentance

Hi,

"One who admits his sins verbally, but has not decided to abandon them, is like a person who immerses in a mikvah while holding an impure entity - the immersion is ineffective until he casts away the impure entity. It is written, 'Gd will have mercy upon a person who admits and abandons his sin.'"

(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 2:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The opportunity to repent

Hi,

"Among the kindnesses which Gd has performed with His creations is that He has prepared for them a path by which to climb up from the ditch of their deeds and to flee from the trap of their sins, to save themselves from destruction and to remove His wrath from them.

"He instructed them and warned them to return to Him, in His goodness and justness, when they sin, for He knows human nature...

"Even if people err and rebel and betray Gd, He does not close the doors of repentance to them, as it is written, 'Return to the One against whom You have deepened your rebellion (Isaiah 31:6),' and 'Return, errant children; I will heal your wandering ways (Jeremiah 3:22).'"

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Gates of Repentance 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Fast of Gedalyah

Hi,

We fast on the day after Rosh haShanah; this is called "Tzom Gedalyah," "The Fast of Gedalyah."

The Meaning of the Fast: After the Babylonians destroyed the Temple, they appointed Gedalyah as governor of Israel's Jews. A group of Jews, supported by another nation, wanted the Jews to rebel against the Babylonians, and they accused Gedalyah of sympathizing with the Babylonians. They ambushed him and killed him, and in the aftermath, the remaining Jewish community in Israel went into exile.

This day is commemorated as a public fast from first light (5:48 AM this year in Allentown) to the emergence of the stars (7:24 PM this year in Allentown).

Have an easy and meaningful fast,
Mordechai

Rosh HaShanah - Conception of the World

Hi,

"Today is the conception of the world; today He will place all of the universe's creations in judgment, whether as children or as slaves.

"If as children, have mercy on us as a parent has mercy on children. If as slaves, our eyes are dependent on You until You show us favor and produce our judgment clear as light, You who are awesome and holy."

(Rosh haShanah liturgy, Hayom Harat Olam)

While many prayerbooks translate the opening as "birthday of," a more accurate translation for הרת is "conception of." This fits with the idea that the world was created in a semi-permanent state, and the acceptance of the Torah by human beings, generations later, gave the world permanence.

May we all be inscribed and sealed for a great new year!
Mordechai

The power of repentance

Hi,

"Repentance can atone for all sins. Even if a person was wicked his entire life, but he repented at the end, he will not be punished for any of his wickedness. It is written, 'A wicked person will not stumble for his wickedness, on the day he repents from it.'"

(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 1:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Insincere repentance

Hi,

"We have been instructed regarding repentance in several places in the Torah.

"It has been shown that repentance is accepted even if it is the result of a person's troubles, all the more so if one repents as a result of awe of Gd and love of Him."

(Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerondi, Shaarei Teshuvah [Gates of Repentance], Section I)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Apology

Hi,

I would like to take a moment to ask everyone receiving this email feed for Mechilah (forgiveness) for anything hurtful or offensive I said or did, or anything I should have said/done and did not say/do, in the past year.

If there was anything at all, please let me know; I will grow by learning from my errors.

May we all be inscribed and sealed for a great new year,
Mordechai

Our purpose in this world

Hi,

"My father always used to rebuke me, as he saw that I would not take part in the pain of others.

"This is what he always told me: 'This is a person's entire purpose. A person is not created for himself. A person is created only to benefit others, with whatever power is in his possession."

(Rabbi Yitzchak, son of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, in his preface to Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin's "Nefesh haChaim")

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Full repentance

Hi,

"What defines full repentance? When the same circumstances come to hand, and due to one's repentance a person opts not to repeat the earlier [wrong] actions."

(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 2:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Repentance - Admitting error

Hi,

"How does one admit sin? One says: 'Please, Gd, I have sinned accidentally/intentionally/rebelliously before You, I have done such-and-such, I regret it and I am embarassed by it, and I will never return to it.'

"This is the essence of viduy (admission); one who does more is praiseworthy."

(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Teshuvah (Repentance)

Hi,

"Regarding any Mitzvah, whether a commandment or a prohibition:

"If a person violates a Mitvah, either in error or intentionally, when he repents and abandons his sin he must admit it before Gd, as it is written, 'A man or woman who performs...they shall admit their sins, which they performed.' This refers to verbal admission, and this is a Mitzvah."

(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Our responsibility for each other

Hi,

"The Torah says, ‘That which is hidden is for HaShem, our Gd, and that which is revealed is for us and our descendants eternally.’ In this sentence, in a Torah scroll, why are there dots atop לנו ולבנינו and over the ע in עד?

"R’ Yehudah explained: To teach that HaShem did not punish for hidden sin until the Jews crossed the Yarden.

"R’ Nechemyah asked: Does Gd ever punish for that which is hidden?! The sentence says [that Gd does not punish for hidden sin] ‘eternally!’ Rather, just as Gd did not punish for hidden sin (until then), so Gd did not punish for open sin until the Jews crossed the Yarden River."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 43b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Those who are beloved to Gd

Hi,

"There are three types of people who are beloved to Gd:

"One who does not get angry,
One who does not get drunk, and
One who does not insist on receiving the reward he deserves."

(Talmud, Pesachim 113b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Compromise

Hi,

"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karchah taught: It is a Mitzvah for a judge to encourage compromise among litigants.

"It is written: 'Judge truth and the 'justice of peace' in your gates... What sort of justice contains peace as well? This refers to compromise."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 6b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Separating the holy and the mundane

Hi,

A Talmudic statement about separating the sacred and mundane in our lives:

"One may not store coins in a sack that has been dedicated for storing Tefillin."

(Talmud, Berachot 23b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A personal connection to Gd

Hi,

"Even when a person falls from his own spiritual level, he should try to remain attached to Gd with a small thought...This is like a coal. If even a small spark remains, one can fan it into a large flame."

(Likutim Yekarim 171-2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

When energy is a good thing, when energy is a bad thing

Hi,

"Some are energetic [zariz] and are rewarded for it, and some are energetic and lose as a result of it; some are lazy and are rewarded for it, and some are lazy and lose as a result of it.

"'Energetic and rewarded' refers to a person who works all week and so does not need to work on Friday afternoon, close to Shabbat.

"'Energetic and loses' refers to a person who works all week, including Friday afternoon, close to Shabbat.

"'Lazy and rewarded' refers to a person who does not work all week, and does not work on Friday afternoon, close to Shabbat, either [he accomplishes a Mitzvah, even without intending to do so].

"'Lazy and loses' refers to a person who does not work all week, and works on Friday afternoon, close to Shabbat."

(Talmud, Pesachim 50b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Body and Soul

Hi,

I see great depth in this parable:

"Antonines (a Roman leader) said to Rabbi Yehudah haNassi: The body and soul could exonerate themselves from guilt (after death)! The body could say that the soul sinned; since the day the two had split, the body simply lay, like a silent stone, in the grave! And the soul could say that the body sinned; since the day the two had split, the soul had floated in the air like a bird!

"Rabbi Yehudah haNassi replied: I will give you a parable. This may be compared to a human king who has a beautiful orchard, with beautiful figs. He placed two guards in it, one lame and one blind. The lame one said to the blind one, 'I see beautiful figs; put me on your shoulders, and we will get them and eat them.' The lame one rode on the blind one's shoulders, brought them, and they ate them.

"Days later, the orchard owner returned and asked, 'Where are the beautiful figs?' The lame one said, 'Do I have legs on which to walk?' The blind one said, 'Do I have eyes with which to see?'

"So he put the lame one on the blind one's shoulders, and judged them as a unit."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 91a-b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

To truly "love" Gd

Hi,

Here's a logical, but very weighty, thought:

"To love means to feel one's own being only through and in the being of another.

"To love Gd, therefore, means to feel that one's own existence and activity are rendered possible and obtain value and significance only through Gd and in Gd."

(R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb 49)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Aliyah

Hi,

A 19th century push for aliyah to Israel:

"Why did Jacob buy land in Shechem, if - being on his way to visit his father - he had no intention of remaining on that site?

"It is obvious that he did this to teach his descendants that the soil of the Holy Land must be purchased from its owners."

(The Third Redemption, R' Yehudah Alkalai (1843))

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The power of communal prayer

Hi,

"Rav Shmuel bar Unya said, citing Rav...How do we know that even if Gd decrees punishment for a community, the decree may be torn up?

"The Torah says, 'Who is like HaShem, our Gd, who responds whenever we call Him!'"

(Talmud, Yevamot 105a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Chanah and our prayers

Hi,

"Why do we recite nine blessings in the Musaf Amidah of Rosh haShanah?

"Rabbi Yitzchak of Carthagena explained: This is parallel to the nine times Chanah mentioned Gd's Name in her prayer (Samuel I 1), for it is noted that Chanah, as well as Sarah and Rachel, were answered on Rosh haShanah."

(Talmud, Berachot 29a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Divine mercy

Hi,

"When Rabbi Yochanan would see an ant, he would quote the verse, 'Your charity is like mighty mountains.'"

Rashi explains: Rabbi Yochanan was commenting on the fact that Gd provides food for the tiny ant just as He provides it for mighty beasts.

(Talmud, Chullin 63a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Human Compassion for all things

Hi,

"As for Man, whose function it is to show respect and love for Gd's universe and all its creatures, his heart has been created so tender that it feels with the whole organic world, bestowing sympathy even on beings devoid of feeling, mourning even for fading flowers, so that, if nothing else, the very nature of his heart must teach him that he is required above everything to feel himself the brother of all beings, and to recognize the claim of all beings to his love and beneficence."

(R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb 125)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Love of Gd

Hi,

Preface: In the 'Shma' we read that we are instructed to love Gd "b'Chol M'odecha," with all of our resources.

R' Yisrael Meir Kagan, also known as the Chafetz Chaim, wrote:

"In our poverty, we have not reached this trait - to give all of our wealth for the honor of Gd. At least, we should agree to love Gd and His Torah as we love one of our children.

"For example: If one had 6 children, how much would he spend for one of them - to feed them, to clothe them, to teach them Torah, to marry them off, etc? There are great expenditures involved. Now if he had 7 children, he certainly would make the same expenditures for the 7th.

"So a person is obligated to see the honor of Gd and His Torah at least as one of his children, and not to spend less on the honor of Torah and Gd than he would for one of his children. If he reaches this level - then he is fortunate, and it will be good for him."

(Commentary of Chafetz Chaim to Devarim)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Awe of Gd and Torah growth: A proportional relationship

Hi,

An interesting proportional relationship between spiritual and intellectual development

"A person is able to absorb and retain an amount of Torah in direct proportion to the degree of awe of Gd he has developed for himself."

(R' Chaim of Volozhin, Nefesh haChaim 5:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mitzvot with great reward

Hi,

"Four activities give a person dividends in this world, even as the main reward remains for the next world:

1. Honoring one's parents

2. Helping others

3. Bringing peace between people

4. Studying Torah, which is parallel to all of the above."

(Avot d'Rabbi Natan 40:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Gd's embrace of Teshuvah [Repentance]

Hi,

"When does Gd make Himself available for individuals to seek Him out (as opposed to communities, for whom Gd always makes Himself available)?

"During the ten days between Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur."

(Talmud, Yevamot 49b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Transcending one's legal obligations

Hi,

"A man sold land to Rav Pappa, in order to get money with which to purchase oxen. In the end he didn’t need the money, and Rav Pappa returned his land; Rav Pappa acted beyond the line of the law."

(Talmud, Ketuvot 97a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Drawing near to HaShem through Torah

Hi,

"When a person is distant from Torah, he is distant from Gd. When a person brings himself close to Torah, Gd brings that person close to Him."

(Zohar Vayyikra 21:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Marrying into scholarship

Hi,

"A man should sell everything he owns, if need be, in order to be able to marry the daughter of a Torah scholar."

(Talmud, Pesachim 49a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A sign of Gd's love

Hi,

"How did the Shulchan [a table in the Beit haMikdash, on which loaves of showbread where placed] display Gd's love for the Jewish people?

"It is as R' Yehoshua ben Levi taught: A great miracle was performed for the weekly showbread in the Temple, in that it was fresh and warm when removed from its table, just as it had been when it was placed there one week earlier."

(Talmud, Menachot 29a)

Food for thought: How does this particular miracle indicate Gd's love for the Jewish people?

Have a good day,
Mordechai

In-depth study vs. Broad expertise

Hello,

"One should develop two opposite extremes in his studies, using the bulk of his time for learning the breadth of the words of our ancestors and reviewing his own learning, as well as setting aside a fixed time for in-depth analysis of Jewish law, with all of his strength."

(Haflaah, introduction to Tractate Ketubot)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Human will and Divine Will

Hi,

"When Moses broke the Luchot (Tablets), he did so on his own - but his decision matched Gd's decision."

(Talmud, Yevamot 62a)

This opens up a fascinating possibility - that a human being's 'initiative' to do something which is entirely counterintuitive can match what Gd wants...

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Praying for a specific spouse

Hi,

"Rava heard a man praying, 'May so-and-so become my wife.'

"Rava said to him: You should not pray thus; if she is right for you, she will not go to another, but if not, then you will end up denying Gd (for she will not marry you, and you will say that prayer is ineffective)!"

(Talmud, Moed Katan 18b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reading omens

Hi,

"Our sages taught: When the Torah prohibits interpreting omens, that refers to saying:

'My bread fell from my mouth,'

'My walking staff fell from my hand,'

'My son called me from behind me,'

'A deer crossed my path,'

'A snake was on my right and a fox was on my left'

[and therefore I should not proceed]."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 65b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Peace in the home

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said: One who creates peace in his own home is considered as though he had created peace between every Jew."

(Avot d'Rabbi Natan 28:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The consequences of one's actions

Hi,

"When King Solomon [builder of the first Beit haMikdash] married the daughter of the Pharaoh, the angel Gavriel stabbed a reed into the sea, and raised silt around it; the great city of Rome [destroyer of the second Beit haMikdash] was built upon that spot."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 21b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tzedakah vs. Korbanot [Temple Offerings]

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar said: It is greater to give tzedakah than to bring every korban [Temple offering], as it is written [Proverbs 21], 'One who performs tzedakah and justice is more choice, for Gd, than an offering.'"

(Talmud, Succah 49b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Israel's botanical variety

Hi,

"The Torah says (Leviticus 19), 'When you enter the land, you will plant trees producing every kind of food.'

"What does this teach?...That Israel does not lack anything, as it is also written (Deuteronomy 8), 'The land in which you will not lack anything.'"

(Talmud, Succah 35a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Menial Labor

Hi,

Although many Jewish sources praise menial labor, some sources indicate otherwise:

"Rav Huna bar Idi said, citing Shemuel: Once a person is appointed leader of a Jewish community, he may not engage in manual labor before three people."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 70a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Controlling desires

Hi,

"A person's physicality will never cease to rule him and to incline him toward its purposes, but if a person develops his wisdom and learning and strengthens this aspect of his persona, then he will become strong enough to conquer his nature and not release the reins of his desires from his hand, and he will empower himself to walk in the paths set by his mind."

(Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, Path of Gd, I 4:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Authority?

Hi,

Preface: Rabban Gamliel decided to give Rabbi Elazar Chisma and Rabbi Yochanan ben Gudgida positions of political authority [so that they could be supported by their salaries].

"He sent for them, but they didn't come. He sent again, and they finally came.

"He said to them, 'Do you think I am offering you authority [and so you demurred in order to avoid honor]? I am offering you slavery!"

Rashi explains: Authority is actually slavery, because a person becomes responsible for others.

(Talmud, Horiyyot 10a-b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The practical definition of repentance

Hi,

"A dice-player is not valid as a witness or judge, if dice-playing is his only trade [as he fails to contribute to civilization]...

"When is he considered to have changed his ways? When he breaks his dice and completely rejects dice-playing, such that he won't even play dice for free."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 25a-b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Stress and Calm

Hi,

"Better to have a handful of calm than an armful of struggle and ill feeling."

(Kohelet [Ecclesiastes] 4:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Hope for the future

Hello,

"And I will bring them to My holy mountain, and I will make them glad in the house of My prayer. Their offerings will be desirable on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. This is the word of Gd, Elokim, who gathers in the scattered of Israel: I will yet gather them in!"

(Isaiah 56:7-8, the last verses of the Haftorah for the afternoon of Tisha b'Av)

Hope you had an easy and meaningful fast,
Mordechai

A promise of Divine protection

Hi,

"A song of steps, by David. I raise my eyes to the mountains; from whence will my aid come? My aid is from Gd, Creator of Heaven and Earth. He will not allow your foot to falter, your Guardian will not sleep. Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps."

(Tehillim 121:1-4)

Have an easy and meaningful fast,
Mordechai

Tisha b'Av and Yom Kippur

Hi,

In advance of the fast day of Tisha b'Av, coming up on Saturday night-Sunday:

"Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: One who eats and drinks on Tisha b'Av is as though he had done so on Yom Kippur.

"Rabbi Akiva said: One who goes to work on Tisha b'Av will not see any sign of blessing from it.

"The sages said: One who goes to work on Tisha b'Av and does not mourn for Jerusalem will not merit to see its celebration, as it is written, 'Rejoice with Jerusalem and celebrate in it, all who love it! Rejoice in it, all who mourn for it.'

"Based on this, our sages taught: One who mourns for Jerusalem will merit to see its joy; one who does not mourn for Jerusalem will not see its joy."

(Talmud, Taanit 30b)

Be well,
Mordechai

A goal of fast days

Hi,

For Tisha b'Av, which is observed Saturday night and Sunday:

"There are days when all Jews fast because of the troubles that have beset them on those days. The goal is to awaken the hearts, to open the paths of repentance... as we remember these things, we will return to do what is right, as it is written, 'And they shall admit their sins and the sins of their ancestors...'"

(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Fasts 5:1)

Be well,
Mordechai

Mourning and Joy

Hi,

"All who mourn for Jerusalem will also merit to see its joy."

(Talmud, Taanit 30b)

Be well,
Mordechai

A prophecy of redemption

Hi,

"I will return your judges as they had been at first, and your counselors as they had been initially. Then you will be caled the "City of Justice," the faithful city.

"Zion will be redeemed with justice, and its exiles will return home with righteousness!"

(Isaiah 1:26-27)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Churban [destruction] old and new

Hi,

On why we continue to mourn for the Beit haMikdash, even though it was destroyed so long ago:

"If the Beit haMikdash is not re-built in any given generation, it is considered as though they had destroyed it anew."

(Talmud Yerushalmi Yoma 1:1)

Be well,
Mordechai

Patience and Anger

Hi,

"A man of anger will stir up litigation; a person of patience will silence quarrels."

(Proverbs 15:18)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Theories

Hi,

The Talmud records a novel legal theory proposed by R' Yochanan, and then notes that R' Yochanan himself, when presented with a case in which his theory would have resulted in a unique ruling, declined to apply his own, novel theory, and instead went with the norm.

As R' Yochanan asked rhetorically, "Because we imagine something to be so, shall we therefore act on it?"

The lesson: We would do well to be skeptical of our own theories...

(Talmud, Gittin 37a)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

A response to pain

Hi,

We generally don't teach 'turn the other cheek' philosophy, but note this passage:

"Rav Gviha of Argiza explained a biblical passage (from Yehoshua 15): If one is pained because another has harmed him, but remains silent, then the Eternal One will perform justice for him."

(Talmud, Gittin 7a)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

The value of a mitzvah

Hi,

"Rabbi Natan taught: Every Mitzvah, regardless of how easy it is, has reward in both this world and the next."

(Talmud, Menachot 44a)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Torah Lessons, as Legacy

Hi,

"Rabbi Yochanan said, citing Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: When a scholar's lesson is taught in his name in this world, his lips move in the grave."

(Talmud, Yevamot 97a)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

The perils of hiring a trial lawyer

Hi,

On maintaining honesty in the courtroom:

"A defendant may not appoint an attorney to make independent claims; how could someone who does not know the truth make a claim and say, ‘Such and such happened,’ without knowing?"

(Responsa of Rashba 2:393)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Mashiach arrives after we return to Israel

Hi,

"I have written that Gd will infuse a spirit of purity into us after we return and are in Israel, and not when we live in the lands of the nations.

"This is explicit in the words of the prophet Ezekiel (36:24-28), 'And I will take you from the nations, and I will gather you from all of the the lands, and I will bring you to your land. And I will put in you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit into you, and I will remove the stone heart from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My spirit into you, and I will do this, for you will walk in My ways and guard My laws, and you will practice this. And you will dwell in the land which I have given to your forefathers, and you will be a nation for me, and I will be Gd for you.'"

(Rabbi Yissachar Techtel, Em haBanim Smeichah, Chapter 1)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Intent and Action

Hi,

"Gd does not consider a wicked plan equivalent to a wicked deed."

This means that a person who plans to do something wrong, but is unsuccessful, is not considered to have performed the act.

The Talmud notes one exception to the rule: Idolatrous thoughts.

(Talmud, Chullin 142a)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Exile, and hope for return

Hi,

"The Sanhedrin (the high Jewish court and legislative body of the Second Temple period) went into exile in ten steps, parallel to the ten steps of exile which Gd experienced.

"Our tradition is that they went from the Lishkat haGazit in the Temple to the market area, from there into Yerushalayim, from there into Yavneh, from there to Usha, from there back to Yavneh, from there back to Usha, from there to Shifraam, from there to Beit She'arim, from there to Tzippori, from there to Tiberias, and Tiberias was the lowest of them all...

"Rabbi Yochanan said: From there they will be redeemed, as it is written (Isaiah 52), 'Be aroused, rise from the dust and return!'"

(Talmud, Rosh haShanah 31a-b)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Sitting before the Sages

Hi,

"There are four traits among those who sit before the Sages: Sponge, Funnel, Sieve and Nafah. The Sponge absorbs everything, the Funnel brings it in one side and out the other, the Sieve extrudes the wine and retains the sediment, and the Nafah extrudes the poor flour and retains the better-quality flour."

Midrash Chachamim notes: Students are described here as those who "sit before the sages," rather than simply "students." True learning takes place only when a person establishes himself, regularly, in day and night learning before a sage.

(Pirkei Avot 5:15)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

The power of "Ashrei"

Hello,

Apparently, the power of Ashrei is a combination of the simple trust in HaShem it expresses, and the poetic beauty with which that simple trust is presented:

"Rabbi Elazar said, citing Rabbi Avina: Any person who recites the 'Ashrei' paragraph (Psalm 145) thrice daily can be certain that he has a share in the next world.

"But why should this be so? If it's because the psalm uses an alphabetical acrostic to praise Gd, Psalm 119 does that eight times over! And if it's because the psalm includes the phrase 'You open up Your hand and sate the desire of every living thing,' that sentiment is also found in Psalm 136!

"It's because this psalm contains both of those elements."

(Talmud, Berachot 4b)

Be well,
Mordechai

The 17th of Tammuz

Hello,

Today, the fast day of the 17th of Tammuz, commemorates five tragedies:

1. Moses descended from meeting Gd and receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai, saw the Jews celebrating with the Golden Calf, and broke the two tablets Gd had given him.

2. The daily Tamid offering, which had been brought regularly in the Jerusalem Beit haMikdash [Temple] from the time the Jews built the Mishkan for over one thousand years, was halted during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem before the Beit haMikdash was destroyed.

3. The Romans invaded Jerusalem, prior to destroying the second Beit haMikdash. (The Babylonians invaded Jerusalem to destroy the first Temple on the 9th of Tammuz.)

4. A Greek or Roman official named Apostimos held a public burning of the Torah.

5. Idols were set up in the Temple itself; it is not clear what year this happened.

(Mishneh Berurah 549:2)

In Allentown, the fast begins at 4:36 AM and ends at 9:10 PM.

Be well,
Mordechai

Mercy

Hi,

"And Gd said [to Jonah]: You had mercy on the Kikayon tree, for which you did not struggle and which you did not raise, which sprang up in a night and which was destroyed in a night. Shouldn't I have mercy on Nineveh, the great city, which holds more than one hundred and twenty thousand people who don't know their right from their left, as well as great numbers of animals?"

(Jonah 4:10-11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Expectations of Reward

Hi,

"Do not seek great status for yourself, and do not desire more honor than your learning deserves. Put your knowledge into practice.

"Do not desire a king's table, for your table is greater than theirs, your crown is greater than theirs, and your employer is trustworthy to pay the salary of your work."

(Pirkei Avot 6:5, as explained by Rabbi Yosef Yaavetz)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Ambivalence toward the Death Penalty

Hi,

"How do I know that even capital punishment must be carried out in a respectful manner, and not by taking a butcher's cleaver to the back of the guilty person's neck?

"Rav Nachman said, citing Rabbah bar Avuha: It is written, 'Love your neighbor as yourself' - Choose a good and speedy death for him."

(Talmud, Ketuvot 37b, as explained by Rashi)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Prayer and Battle

Hi,

"It is written (Bereishit 48), 'And I [Jacob] am giving you the portion of Shechem...which I took from the Emorites with my sword and with my bow.'

"But did Jacob take Shechem with his sword and with his bow?! It is written (Psalms 44), 'I will not trust my bow, and my sword will not save me!'

"Rather, Jacob's sword was his prayer on behalf of his children who were fighting, and his bow was his request from Gd."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 123a, as explained in Rashi's commentary)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Clean speech

Hi,

"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: A person should never produce a disgusting word from his mouth, for we see that the Torah went eight letters out of its way to avoid stating a disgusting word, saying (Genesis 7), 'From the pure animals, and from the animals that are not pure.'"

(The other choice would have been to write 'Tamei,' which refers more directly to a non-pure state.)

(Talmud, Pesachim 3a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Prioritizing mitzvot

Hi,

"A Torah scholar may not take on optional fasts, because that would decrease his work of Heaven."

(Talmud, Taanit 11b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The equality of all mitzvot

Hi,

"Be careful with a light Mitzvah, as you would with a difficult Mitzvah."

(Pirkei Avot 2:1)

The "Tashbetz" commentary explains: The Torah does not list levels of reward for the vast majority of commandments, in the way it lists levels of punishment for violation of prohibitions. This indicates the equivalence of all commandments.

Further, we have a rule that a person involved in one Mitzvah is exempt from all other Mitzvot, regardless of the importance of the individual Mitzvah. (This is suspended in certain specific cases, but the rule is generally true.) This, again, shows that all Mitzvot are equally important.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Prayer of the wise on behalf of others

Hi,

"Rabbi Pinchas ben Chama taught: One who has an ill person in his household should go to a wise person and ask that he pray for him, as it is written (Proverbs 16), 'The rage of the King is with the angels of death, but a wise man can wipe it away.'"

(Talmud, Bava Batra 116a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The extent of personal accountability

Hi,

"Know before Whom you will have to give an accounting for your deeds."

(Pirkei Avot 3:1)

The Maharil commented: The word, "before" דע "לפני" מי אתה עומד, is superfluous; it could have said "Know to whom you will...!"

Rather, "before" refers not to Gd, but to the fact that many actions impact not only upon the actor, but also upon the people who are present - "before whom he stands," as it were.

A person should realize that his actions do not take place in a vacuum, and that just as he will have to account for his personal deeds, so he will have to account for those upon whom his deeds impacted.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Torah of our Ancestors

Hi,

"We see that our ancestor, Avraham, practiced the entire Torah before it was given, as it is written (Genesis 26:5), 'Because Avraham listened to My voice, and he guarded My prohibitions, My mitzvot, My decrees and My teachings.'"

(Talmud, Kiddushin 82a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Promise of Zionism

Hi,


"The Jewish movement for nationhood is like a field which has been blessed by Gd.

"We have yet to see full results, due to the destruction wreaked in our exile, but this movement is fit to yield the world's greatest products via practical and spiritual work, to bring from it great and elevated souls which will illuminate the world with their glory."

(Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTechiyah 12, 1920)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Gd's openness to prayer

Hi,

"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Even an iron barrier cannot interrupt between the Jewish people and their father in Heaven."

(Talmud, Sotah 38b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Jewish Reincarnation?

Hi,

"One who does not fulfill all of the 613 Mitzvot will have to come back again."

(Vilna Gaon to Talmud Berachot 31)

"How does one know where he erred in a previous incarnation?

"There are two signs: (a) He stumbles many times in the same area in this incarnation, and (b) He has great desire for this transgression. He became accustomed to it in the past, and it became part of his nature. Therefore, some people desire one transgression more than another."

(Vilna Gaon to Jonah 4:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Israel and other lands

Hello,

"Regarding all lands, what one land possesses another lacks, but Israel lacks nothing."

(Midrash, Yalkut Shimoni, Mishlei 942)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

I am with you

Hi,

In Parshat Beshalach, as the Jews first begin their journey from Egypt to Israel, they run out of water. HaShem tells Moshe to go out to a stone, and strike the stone. As part of HaShem's instructions, HaShem says, "Behold, I will be standing in front of you, by the stone."

The Midrash Tanchuma comments, "Gd said to him: Wherever you find the mark of the feet of Man, I will be there in front of you."

(Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 22)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Repentance 101

Hi,

A simple thought for today:

"A wrong cannot be repaired until one recognizes the wrong."

Thus the children of Korach, who rebelled against Moshe, are described in the Talmud as repenting their rebellion by declaring, "Moshe is true, and his Torah is true."

(R' Yechezkel Levenstein, cited in Lekach Tov to Parshat Korach)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Morning Energy

Hi,

"A person should strengthen himself like a lion to rise in the morning for the service of his Creator, so that he will awaken the morning [rather than have the morning awaken him]."

(Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Learning Torah with Music

Hello,

Singing is generally taken, in the Talmud, as synonymous with happiness [although the Talmud does discuss funeral music as well]:

"R' Shefatyah said, citing R' Yochanan: Regarding a person who reads Torah without pleasantness [Rashi: such as the musical notes of the trop], and one who learns Mishnah without song, it is written [Yechezkel 20], 'I have given them laws that are not good, and statutes by which do will not live.'"

(Talmud, Megilah 32a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Torah, Love and Purity of Purpose

Hi,

"Rabbi Meir said: One who studies Torah for its own sake...loves Gd and loves all of Gd's creations."

(Pirkei Avot 6:1)

Rabbeinu Yosef Yaavetz explained: "Such a person does not desire any of this world's profits, for he adheres to his Creator. Therefore, he will love all creatures; he has no reason to hate, and people naturally love each other when they are not distracted by jealousy, desire and honor."

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Respect for others

Hi,

"It is written in the book of Ben Sira:

"I have weighed everything on a scale, and found that there is nothing lighter than coarse grain. And yet, I have found that a groom who lives in his in-laws' house is even lighter [i.e. more frivolous, more disrespectful] than that.

"And even lighter is a guest who brings an additional guest into his host's home.

"And even lighter than that is a person who responds before he has heard a person out, as it is written (Proverbs 18), 'One who responds before he has heard, this is foolishness for him, and an embarrassment.'"

(Talmud, Bava Batra 98b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Close friendships

Hi,

"When a person has a beloved friend, the relationship is even closer than that of siblings, even when the two are not together. We find this stated in the verse (Samuel I 18), 'And Jonathan's soul clung to David,' which describes a situation in which David and Jonathan were physically separate. Jonathan's soul still clung to David.

"Friendship is greater than sibling ties because sibling relationships begin with their common origin, and the siblings' love comes from their existence together. If they are separated, that is lost. Friends always cling together."

[Of course, siblings can become friends, creating a dual relationship!]

(Vilna Gaon on Proverbs 18:24)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Arrogance

Hi,



"Rav Mari said: A person who is arrogant will not even be acceptable to his own household, as it is written, 'An arrogant man, who will not enter the abode (Habakuk 2).'"

(Talmud, Bava Batra 98a)



Have a great day,

Mordechai

Israel and the Economy

Hi,

"Our sages taught: One may not leave Israel unless the economy has detiorated to the extent that two se'ah measures of flour cost one sela coin.

"Rabbi Shimon said: This is only true if one cannot find any flour to purchase; if one can find flour to purchase, then even if just one se'ah costs a whole sela coin, one may not leave Israel!"

(Talmud, Bava Batra 91a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Equality of Mankind

Hi,

"Rabbi Yochanan would eat meat and share it with his servant, drink wine and share it with his servant, citing this biblical sentence (Job 34), 'The womb that made me, made him as well.'"

(Talmud Yerushalmi Bava Kama 8:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Pleasantness = Tzedakah!

Hi,

"One should greet every person with a pleasant expression.

"This teaches that a person who gives another person all of the great gifts in the world, but with a depressed expression, is as though he had not given anything.

"However, a person who greets another person with a pleasant expression - even without giving him anything [tangible] at all - is as though he had given the other person all of the great gifts in the world."

(Avot deRabbi Natan 13:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Administration and Leadership

Hi,

"Rav Chanan bar Rava said, citing Rav: It is written (Chronicles I 29), 'He [Gd] elevates all leaders.' This teaches that even the administrators of the irrigation ditches are appointed from Heaven."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 91b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Humility in Judgment

Hi,

"Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosi, said: Do not judge cases on your own; the only one who can judge on his own is The One.

"Don't insist to your fellow judges, 'Accept my view;' the authority to do so is with them, not with you."

(Pirkei Avot 4:10)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The seriousness of Business Ethics

Hi,

"Rabbi Levi said: The sin of employing corrupt weights and measures is more harsh than the sin of immoral sexual relationships... One can adequately repent for the latter, but one cannot adequately repent for the former."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 88b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The future of righteousness

Hi,

"Rabbi Chiyya bar Lulyani taught: What is the meaning of the biblical sentence (Psalms 92), 'A righteous person will flower like a date tree, he will grow tall like a cedar of Lebanon?' If the appropriate comparison is to a date tree, why introduce a cedar? If the appropriate comparison is to a cedar, why introduce a date tree?

"Had the passage only mentioned a cedar tree, I would have said that a righteous person will not necessarily produce fruit, just as a cedar does not produce [edible] fruit. Therefore, the date tree is mentioned.

"Had the verse only mentioned a date tree, I would have said that a righteous person will not regrow after he falls, just as a date tree does not regenerate after it is chopped back. Therefore, the cedar is mentioned."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 80b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Faith, Heresy and Mistakes

Hi,

"Every Jew must believe that the contents of the Torah are entirely true; one who denies any of what is found in the Torah, knowing that this is the Torah's opinion, is called a kofer (denier)...

"However, one who holds on to the Torah of Moshe and believes its principles, and is fooled in his analysis when he comes to examine the Torah logically and through his understanding of the text, such that he misstates one of the Torah's principles, or his analysis misleads him to deny that principle altogether... or he thinks that a fundamental principle is not truly fundamental and he thinks it is like other non-essential ideas that appear in the Torah... such a person is not a kofer. He is in the category of Jewish sages and pious people, even if he is mistaken in his analysis. He sins accidentally, and must atone."

(R' Yosef Albo, Sefer haIkkarim I 2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Acknowledging one's errors

Hi,

"Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai said: Fortunate is the nation whose prince brings a korban [Temple offering] to atone for his errors!"

(Talmud, Horiyyot 10b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Divine Control, Human Control

Hi,

"If a person truly belives that he is engineers the ultimate results of his actions, it is as though he had said, 'My strength, and the power of my hands, created all of my wealth [Deuteronomy 8:17].' It is forbidden to say this regarding either material or spiritual matters."

(Sichot Mussar, R' Chaim Shmuelevitz 5732:13)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Miracles

Hi,

"Rabbi Yannai said: One should never put himself in a dangerous position and say, 'They will perform a miracle for me,' lest they not perform a miracle for him - and even were they to perform a miracle for him, they would also reduce his merits."

(Talmud, Taanit 20b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

One more pre-Shavuot email

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar said: When the Jews committed to fulfill the Torah before they had even heard what was in it, a voice emerged from Heaven and said to them, 'Who revealed to My children this secret of the angels?'

"For it is written [Psalm 103], 'Bless Gd, His mighty angels, who do His bidding, to hear His words.' First they do, and then they hear."

(Talmud, Shabbat 88a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

No Pain, No Gain

Hi,

"Ben Hei Hei taught: The reward received matches the pain invested."

(Pirkei Avot 5:23)

Rambam (Maimonides), known for his rigorous approach to study, noted: The only knowledge retained is knowledge which comes through strain and work, and respect for the teacher. Enjoyable reading, performed while resting, neither lasts nor benefits.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Applying the lessons of Torah study

Hi,

We are taught, 'Make your Torah study permanent, and practice what you learn.'

This refers to the practical application of the lessons one has studied. One should not be lenient for himself and strict for others, or the reverse. Rather, apply your learning evenly, and so your learning will be permanent, for yourself and for others.

(Binyan Yehoshua on Avot d'Rabbi Natan 13:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The respect of teacher for student

Hello,

"Just as a student is obligated to show respect to his teacher, so a teacher is obligated to show respect to his students, and bring them close. The sages instructed: The honor of your student should be, to you, as your own.

"One must be careful in dealing with his students, and he must love them, for they are the children who benefit him in this world and in the next."

(Rambam {Maimonides}, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Torah Study 5:12)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Torah study, korbanot and the Mind of Gd

Hello,

"Torah study is more beloved before Gd than burnt offerings, for a person who studies Torah knows the Mind of Gd, as it is written (Proverbs 2:5), 'Then you will understand awe of Gd, and you will find the Mind of Gd.'"

(Avot d'Rabbi Natan (I) 4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Yom Yerushalayim

Hi,

In honor of the forty-first anniversary of the reunification of Yerushalayim:

"A song of steps, of David. I rejoiced when they said to me: 'Let us go to the house of HaShem.'

"Our feet stood at your gates, Jerusalem. A built-up Jerusalem is like a city united together, where the tribes ascended, the tribes of HaShem, a testimony to Israel to give thanks in the name of HaShem.

"For there thrones sat for justice, the thrones of the house of David.

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may those who love you prosper. May there be peace within your walls, prosperity within your palaces. For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will say, 'May there be peace within you.' For the sake of the house of HaShem our Gd, I will seek good for you."

(Psalm 122)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Achitofel, Shavuot and Torah Study

Hi,



Achitofel is described in Tanach as the wisest advisor of King David. The Talmud presents a cryptic statement regarding Achitofel's instructions to his children:



"Achitofel told his children three things...The third lesson was: If the weather on the holiday of Shavuot is clear, plant wheat."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 147a)

Maharsha explains: Shavuot is the holiday of the presentation of the Torah. Optimal study requires clarity, like one achieves on a breezy day. Wheat is a symbol of wisdom, as the Talmud notes that a child first begins to show intelligent thought at the age when it starts eating wheat.



Thus Achitofel instructed his children: If the time when Torah is presented to you is opportune for Torah study, take advantage of it and study Torah.



Have a great day,

Mordechai

Immersion in Torah study

Hi,

There is a daily morning blessing which serves to thank Gd for giving us Torah, and one part describes the mitzvah of Torah study as "Laasok b'Divrei Torah," "to be involved with words of Torah." The word "Laasok," "to be involved," is also the word for business investment.

The Chafetz Chaim commented, as recorded in his notes to the prayerbook: "One who has a business and wishes to become wealthy certainly will not be satisfied with spending an hour or two in his store, closing early and going to rest or play. Rather, he will be involved with the store with every effort, both during the day and until the late hours of the night. He will not rest and he will not be silent, and he will put all of his resources into this investment."

Have a great day,
Mordechai

One can always make time for Torah

Hi,

Lest anyone say he is too busy to learn Torah -

"There have been great sages of Israel who were woodchoppers, water-drawers and blind people and who yet managed to involve themselves in Torah day and night. They were among those who passed the tradition down, from one to the next, from the mouth of Moshe Rabbeinu."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Revealing new lessons of the Torah

Hi,

"One who learns Torah and law as they were given by Gd, from Heaven, and does not seek to learn something new from them, is acting inappropriately.

"Gd wishes to enlarge the Torah and greaten it, for aside from the Torah which has been given to us, there is a hidden portion from which an experienced student will learn new things each day."

(Derashot Chatam Sofer II pg. 405)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The protective power of Torah study

Hello,

In preparation for Shavuot, when we celebrate (among other things) receiving the Torah, we'll look at the value of Torah study:

"Rav Chisda was sitting and studying in Yeshiva, and the messenger of death was unable to get close to him because his mouth never fell silent from learning.

"The messenger settled in the wood of the room, causing it to split. Rav Chisda fell silent, and so it was able to take him."

(Talmud, Makkot 10a)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

The importance of timely prayer

Hello,


"It is written, 'That which has been made crooked cannot be fixed' - This refers to someone who did not recite Shma in the evening or morning, or the Amidah in the evening or morning…

"R’ Yitzchak said, citing R’ Yochanan: This is where one omitted it intentionally."

(Talmud, Berachot 26a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Honor

Hi,

"Do not pursue honor, and do not ascend a platform which is not appropriate for you."

(Orchot Chaim, Rabbeinu Asher (Rosh), #88)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Honesty

Hello,

"A customer once entered Rav Safra's store to make a purchase. He made an offer for an item, but R' Safra was reciting the daily 'Shma' and did not respond. The customer raised his offer repeatedly, and still Rav Safra did not respond.

"When Rav Safra completed the Shma, he said he would accept the initial price. He explained: 'I was willing to accept the first offer. Since in my heart I said 'Yes' - although I could not speak - I will not change my mind."

(She'iltot d'Rav Achai, Vayyechi 36)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Parental advice

Hi,


"Listen, my son, to the rebuke of your father, and do not reject the Torah of your mother. They are an escort of favor for your head, and a [golden] necklace for your throat."

(Mishlei [Proverbs] 1:8-9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Oneg Shabbat - Enjoying Shabbat

Hi,





"R' Yochanan taught, citing R' Yosi: One who creates enjoyment for Shabbat will be given a boundless lot [in the next world], as it is written (Isaiah 58), 'You will call Shabbat 'Enjoyment'...then you will enjoy Gd and Gd will make you ride upon the heights of the earth, and I will feed you the lot of Jacob, your father.'"

(Talmud, Shabbat 118a-b)



Have a great day,

Mordechai

Gd first, me second

Hi,

"Rav Idi bar Avin taught in the name of Rav Yitzchak bar Ahseeyan: If a person prays in the morning before embarking on a trip to fulfill his own needs, Gd will take care of his needs for him, as it is written, 'Righteousness will walk before him, and he will place his feet upon the path.' [The verse indicates that one should take care of 'righteousness' before setting out on the road.]"

(Talmud, Berachot 14a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Importance of the Siddur

Hi,

"Among the fundamental texts of Judaism, the siddur holds a modest place. It is not an elemental or exalted text like Tanach, it is not a text of breadth or depth like the Talmud, it is not a text of mystery or the heavens like the Zohar. Opposite these great and various texts, the siddur appears to stand off in a corner.

"People study, review and examine the other texts. The sages of every generation learn them in depth and explain them, and their students struggle and exhaust themselves to understand them. Opposite them, the small siddur is found in everyone's hands, they pray with it - and then they put it down until the next prayer.

"But with all that, there is no book closer to the heart of a Jew than the siddur, and there is no book that has as pervasive and penetrating an impact as this. It is possible that the other books are more honored and more admired, but none is as beloved to every Jew, from small to great, man and woman alike, and none penetrates and influences the depths of the soul as does the siddur."

(R' Adin Steinsaltz, HaSiddur v'haTefillah, pg. 5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Arrogance and Mount Sinai

Hi,

"Rav Yosef taught: One should always learn from the traits of his Creator, for Gd left all of the mountains and peaks alone, and manifest Himself on Mount Sinai (a low mountain)."

(Talmud, Sotah 5a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tithing

Hi,

"Whenever a person profits:
-whether as payment for teaching, writing, or working, or
-whether one finds an item or is given an item as a gift, or
-whether one makes money in any way, whether silver or gold,
one must separate one tenth.

"This practice is invaluable, for in all matters Gd said one may not test Him [to see whether one will be rewarded], but in this matter Gd permitted it (in Malachi, 3rd chapter)."

(Sefer haYirah of Rabbeinu Yonah)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

True Love, and True Love of Gd

Hi,

Quite demanding, but quite logical based upon his definition of love:

"'To love' means to feel one's own being only through and in the being of another.

"'To love Gd,' therefore, means to feel that one's own existence and activity are rendered possible and obtain value and significance only through Gd and in Gd."

(R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb paragraph 49)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Accountability

Hi,

"Know before whom you will have to give an accounting for your deeds."

(Pirkei Avot 3:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Caring for the property of others

Hello,

"Rav Pinchas reported: Once a traveler misplaced chickens near R' Chanina ben Dosa's home. R' Chanina's wife found them.

"R' Chanina said, 'Don't eat from their eggs.' And so the eggs and chickens increased, to the point that they became a nuisance. They sold them, and purchased goats.

"Later, that man who had lost the chickens passed again, and he said to his traveling companion, 'This is where I left my chickens.' R' Chanina heard this, and asked, 'Do you have a sign [by which to verify that they were yours]?'

"The man said 'Yes' and presented the sign, and took the goats."

(Talmud, Taanit 25a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Importance of Torah Study

Hello,

"Study bring a person to action, but action does not bring a person to study."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Bringing Mashiach

Hi,

"The Torah does not specify how the redemption will evolve, because this great matter is entrusted to Israel’s leaders. It is up to them to do as they see fit, according to the place and the time.

"Therefore we are taught regarding the redemption (Zecharyah 8:19), “The fasts…will become for the House of Yehudah…cheerful festivals.” This teaches that the redemption is entrusted to the human Beit Din just like the fixing of the festivals."

(R’ Yissachar Techtel, Em haBanim Smeichah pg. 267 (Lichtman translation))

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Yom ha'Atzmaut - Israel's 60th Birthday

Hi,

In honor of Yom ha'Atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, which is celebrated today (tomorrow if you read this on the blog, today if you read it on the feed email):

"You will return to HaShem your Gd and hear his voice, according to all that I instruct you today; you and your children, with all of your heart and all of your soul.

"HaShem will return your exile and have mercy on you, and He will return and gather you from all of the nations to which HaShem, your Gd had scattered you.

"HaShem your Gd will bring you to the land which your ancestors inherited, and you will inherit it, and HaShem will prepare good things for you and make you greater in number than your ancestors.

"HaShem your Gd will circumcise your heart and the heart of your children, to love HaShem your Gd with all of your heart and with all of your soul, for your life."

(Deuteronomy 30:2-6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai