The Torah's mysticism

Hi,

"Ramban and the mystics wrote that 'heavens and earth' include the world of Divine influence. This has a place, but not in the simple explanation, for in the simple explanation the Torah is called 'an expert pedagogue.' The Torah did not inform us at all about the hidden elements of creation; it spoke only about the worlds that are known to all..."

(Malbim to Bereishit 1:1, note ב)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A ger has always been a ger

Hi,

"Why do we say, 'A ger who converts is like a child who has just been born,' rather than say, 'A non-Jew who converts is like a child who has just been born?'

"This is because the souls of future converts were presents at Sinai when we received the Torah; it's only that he waited until now to join."

(Chida, Midbar Kedemot 3:3, based on Shabbat 146a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Complaining of our wealth

Hi,

"Rabbi Akiva said: Everyone complained about the silver and gold which accompanied the Jews from Egypt, as it is written: 'Your silver was dross (Yeshayah 1),' 'And I increased silver for them, and they used gold for the baal [idol] (Hosheia 2),' 'They made idols for themselves from their silver and gold, to be cut off (Hosheia 8).'

"Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmiyah in the name of Rabbi Shemuel bar Rav Yitzchak said: It does not say, 'So that they will be cut off [plural],' but 'to be cut off [singular, about the silver and gold itself].' It is like one who says, 'May so-and-so's name be cut off, for he took my son in a bad direction.'"

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 28)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Torah's textual anomalies

Hi,

"Based on our elders, as they guided us in paths of righteousness and taught us, we contemplate and measure the holy statements and analyze in our holy Torah every instance of absent and excessive imprecision. These are the windows of the heavens, for through them we may look and gaze at the good, hidden, hinted-at light which is not meant to be recorded explicitly."

(R' Menachem Mendel of Rimanov, Menachem Tziyyon to Parshat Vayyetze)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Halachic consistency

Hi,

“The law follows Beit Hillel. One who wishes to follow Beit Shammai may do so, one who wishes to follow Beit Shammai may do so. One who follows the leniencies of Beit Shammai and the leniencies of Beit Hillel is wicked. Regarding one who follows the stringencies of Beit Shammai and the stringencies of Beit Hillel, it is written (Kohelet 2), ‘The fool walks in the dark.’"

"Rather, either like Beit Shammai’s leniencies and stringencies, or like Beit Hillel’s leniencies and stringencies.”

(Talmud, Chullin 43b-44a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The magic number 49

Hi,

"The number of days from the omer elevation until the sacred day [Shavuot] is the same as the number of years of shemitah cycles until the yovel [Jubilee] year; they share the same source."

(Ramban to Vayyikra 23:15)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The wings of a dove

Hi,

An interesting passage, on several levels:

"Rabbah bar bar Chanah was traveling in a caravan. He ate, and erred and did not recite a berachah afterward. He said, “What should I do? If I will tell them that I forgot to bless, they will tell me to bless [here], for wherever one blesses it is still for Gd. Better that I should tell them that I have forgotten a golden dove.”

"He told them, “Wait for me, for I have forgotten a golden dove.” He went and blessed, and found a golden dove.

"Why a dove? Because the Jewish people are compared to a dove, as it is written, ‘The wings of a dove, coated with silver, her limbs in finest gold.’ Just as a dove is saved only by her wings, so Israel is only saved with mitzvot."

(Talmud, Berachot 53b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The sweetness of Divine aid

Hi,

Regarding the dove which Noah sent from the Ark, which returned with an olive leaf in its mouth:

"R’ Yirmiyah ben Elazar said: It is written, 'Behold, an olive leaf was torn in her mouth' – The dove said before Gd, 'Master of the Universe! May my food be bitter like an olive and from Your hand, and not sweet like honey and dependent upon flesh and blood.'"

(Talmud, Eruvin 18b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The dangers of mockery

Hi,

"Rava said to the sages: I beg of you, do not mock, lest suffering come upon you.

"Rav Ketina said: One who mocks will have his sustenance reduced, as it is written, 'He drew His hand from [supporting] mockers.'"

(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 18b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Know Justice, Know Peace

Hi,

“We learned elsewhere, ‘Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: The world stands upon three things – Justice, Truth and Peace.’

“R’ Muna said: These three are identical. When justice is created, truth is created and peace is created.”

(Derech Eretz, Perek Shalom 2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A twist on Yitzchak's desire to bless Esav that day

Hi,

"And it was, when Yitzchak aged and his eyes weakened from seeing, for when his father bound him he gazed at the Throne of Honor and from that moment his eyes began to weaken. And he called his older son Esav on the 14th of Nisan and said, “My son, Tonight the heavenly ones praise the Master of the Universe, and the stores of dew open.” And his son said, “Here I am.”"

(Targum Yonatan to Bereishit 27:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Torah = Life

Hi,

"If a student is exiled to a City of Refuge [for accidentally committing murder], his Torah teacher is also exiled with him. The Torah says, 'He shall live there' - we must provide him with the means for life."

(Talmud, Makkot 10a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Physical vs. Financial Generosity

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar said: Acts of physical generosity are greater than acts of financial tzedakah.

"It is written, 'Plant for yourselves according to righteousness [tzedakah], harvest according to generosity.' One who plants might eat and might not eat; one who harvests will definitely eat."

(Talmud, Succah 49b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Causing others to err

Hi,

"One who causes a blind person to stumble in a matter - giving inappropriate advice or helping a person sin when that person is blind and doesn’t know the path of truth because of his heart’s desires - violates the biblical prohibition, ‘And you shall not place a stumbling block in front of one who is blind.'”

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of a Murderer and of Guarding Life 12:14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The true value of Korbanot

Hi,

"[T]he Prophets in their books are frequently found to rebuke their fellow-men for being over-zealous and exerting themselves too much in bringing sacrifices: the prophets thus distinctly declared that the object of the sacrifices is not very essential, and that Gd does not require them.

"Samuel therefore said," Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord" (I Sam. xv. 22)? Isaiah exclaimed," To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord" (Isa. i. 11): Jeremiah declared:" For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offering or sacrifices. But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my, voice, and I will be your Gd, and ye shall be my people" (Jer. vii. 22, 23). This passage has been found difficult in the opinion of all those whose words I have read or heard; they ask, How can Jeremiah say that Gd did not command us about burnt-offering and sacrifice, seeing so many precepts refer to sacrifice?

"The sense of the passage agrees with what I explained to you. Jeremiah says [in the name of Gd) the primary object of the precepts is this, Know me, and serve no other being;" I will be your Gd, and ye shall be my people" (Lev. xxvi. 12). But the commandment that sacrifices shall be brought and that the temple shall be visited has for its object the success of that principle among you; and for its sake I have transferred these modes of worship to my name; idolatry shall thereby be utterly destroyed, and Jewish faith firmly established. You, however, have ignored this object, and taken hold of that which is only the means of obtaining it..."

(Rambam, Moreh haNevuchim, 3:32 - Friedlander translation)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Personal Morality and Collective Morale

Hi,

On the issue of disobeying a military order as a matter of conscience, and the effect it may have on collective morale:

R’ Aharon Lichtenstein, 8/16/05 letter to R’ Avraham Shapira
With respect to values and principles that divide Israeli society, regarding which there is no consensus defining a particular initiative as patently illegal and immoral, selective refusal of orders is impossible. Refusal on the right invites refusal on the left, and vice versa. The result is a divided and disjointed army, part of which dissents and abstains from an initiative in one direction, and the other rejects initiatives in the opposite direction. The damage to the unity and cohesion of the army and to the readiness for mutual dedication and sacrifice is clear. And as a result, the IDF’s ability to carry out its missions and its power of deterrence
are eroded. One need not be a great general or statesman to understand the possible implications.

R’ Avraham Sylvetsky (grandson of Rav Shapira), 8/23/05 response to R’ Aharon Lichtenstein
Even if we disregard the underlying assumption upon which Kevod Torato’s question is grounded, surely in the case at hand the matter is even simpler. For Kevod Torato’s concern regarding an impairment of the strength of the IDF is shrouded in fog and not at all clear. Surely, Kevod Torato, shelita, would agree that it is almost an insult to the intelligence of the IDF soldiers that we should be concerned that they will draw an analogy from refusing orders on religious grounds to refusing orders in other contexts.
Moreover, irrespective of the religious aspect, is it not demeaning to our soldiers to assume that they are incapable of distinguishing between an order given during wartime as part of the defense efforts against the enemy and an order calling for an assault upon the property and lives of their Jewish brothers? Every soldier understands the difference between an order given in the context of the fulfillment of the role and mission of the Israeli army—defending the citizens of Israel against the enemy, regardless of the soldier’s personal political views—and an order that would not normally fall upon the IDF, and had never been included in the purpose for its establishment, and only because of technical difficulties was given over to the IDF, which is serving in this context as a manpower agency. It is exceedingly difficult for me to accept this diminution of the moral and intellectual level of our soldiers, as if they are incapable of making such simple and elementary distinctions.

(Tradition 40:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The authority of a military commander

Hi,

"There is no greater rodef [murderous pursuer] than one who causes the Jewish people to fall in battle… And this is what Reuven and Gad meant when they said to Yehoshua, “If anyone will rebel against your say and not listen to your word for all you command, he will die; only be strong and courageous.” Why would this person be liable for death? Yehoshua was not a king, but a shofet [justice]! Further, why would matters of the throne be of concern for Reuven and Gad? Those are for the entire nation!

"Rather, this was relevant for wartime, since Yehoshua was gathering the nation for war. The commander for war, at that moment, fills the role that a king fills at all times… And if anyone would rebel against Yehoshua’s say, for any mission, that would weaken the heart of Yehoshua, and there could be no greater act of undermining the Jewish nation in their war with the Canaanites. This person would be a rodef and would be liable for death."

(Netziv, Haamek She’eilah Vaetchanan 142:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Avoid danger

Hi,

"One should always take care not to deliver himself into danger or rely on a miracle, for one does not know which way the scales are leaning."

(Meiri to Shabbat 32a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Rain and Pre-destination

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: When we merit, rain falls on the plants and trees and seeds, and the world is blessed. When we sin, rain falls in seas and rivers. In any case, the quantity of rain will always be as dictated by Gd."

(Midrash Tanchuma, Miketz 1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Criteria for leadership

Hi,

"The oft-mentioned tuvei ha’ir [leadership of Jewish communities from talmudic times through the Middle Ages] are not necessarily the wisest, oldest or wealthiest, but rather the ones who work hardest in community needs, such that all of the community’s needs are handled by them and the eyes of the community turn to them for all of their needs, such as arranging charity and dedication of items for holy purposes. This is why they are called ‘community heads,’ since all of the needs of the community are executed by them."

(Responsa of Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi, 53)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Family merit

Hi,

A thought-provoking assertion:

"A father cannot acquire merit for his son, as it is written, ‘None may save from My hand’ – Avraham cannot save Yishmael, Yitzchak cannot save Esav."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 104a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Putting others first

Hi,

Putting others first is a sign of humility and respect:

"Rabbi Yochanan said: How do we know that Yishmael repented? It is written, 'And Yitzchak and Yishmael buried their father.'

"But perhaps the Torah only listed them in the order of their wisdom? If that were so, then why would the Torah later write [regarding the burial of Yitzchak], 'And Esav and Yaakov, his sons, buried him?'

"Rather, the fact that Yitzchak was listed first shows that Yishmael put him first, from which we may deduce that he repented."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 16b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why one should say a little, while doing a lot

Hi,

We are taught (Bava Metzia 87a) that righteous people promise little, and then do a lot. This emerges from Avraham's conduct with his visitors, in which he offered basic bread and then provided a feast. The Maharsha elaborated:

"A guest will, at times, refrain from entering, and a beneficiary will refrain from receiving, in order to avoid burdening the benefactor. This is why Avraham said, 'You won't be burdening me a great deal; just eat some bread with me, and then you'll travel on.'"

(Maharsha, Chiddushei Aggadot to Bava Metzia 87a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Honesty and Rainfall

Hi,

"Ulla went to Bavel, and saw light clouds below heavy clouds. He declared, 'Clear away your implements, for rain is coming now.'

"Rain did not come, in the end. Ulla proclaimed, 'Just as Babylonians speak falsely, so their rain speaks falsely.'"

(Talmud, Taanit 9b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Get out of bed!

Hi,

Upon waking in the morning:

"One should contemplate, in his heart, before Whom he lies. He should know that the King of the Kings of Kings, HaShem, is floating above him, as it is written, 'I fill the heavens and the earth; this is the word of Gd.' Were he lying before an immanent mortal king, he would be liable for his life! How much more so before the King of the Kings of Kings, HaShem!

"And therefore he should rise immediately, with energy, to the service of his Creator. He should not say, 'I will lie in my bed and learn,' but rather he should rise and dress, as it is written, 'Prepare to greet your Gd, Israel!'"

(Shulchan Aruch haRav Orach Chaim 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Making repentance easier for people

Hi,

"Once a certain man [who had been a thief] wished to repent, but his wife told him, 'Empty one! If you would repent [and return your stolen property], even your belt would not be yours!' And so he was prevented from repenting.

"At that point, the sages declared: If thieves and money-lenders return their gains, we do not accept it from them. The sages were displeased with one who would accept it from them."

(Talmud, Bava Kama 94b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai