The Evil Eye today

Hi,

"Regarding two brothers who wish to wed two sisters: The Noda b'Yehudah challenged [the prohibition] because the gemara includes such cases; he contended that R' Yehudah haChasid only meant to instruct his descendants. However, the Chida answered that there is a difference between then and now, because (1) The forces of the evil eye are stronger today, and (2) People don't normally marry thus today, and so there is concern for the evil eye…

"One could argue his first point, for it is known that many issues of the evil eye are not found today… Perhaps our generation is better in this regard; the 'other side' is nourished by forces of sanctity, so that in the days of our ancestors' sanctity this force was stronger… It appears that one should be concerned where people are customarily cautious…"

(Rav Ovadia Yosef, Yabia Omer 2: Even haEzer 7:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Asking for justice

Hi,

"One who passes judgment to Gd regarding another person will, himself, be punished [for his own sins] first."

(Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 16b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Satan's positive motivation

Hi,

[This source addresses the question of why the 'Satan' tried to incite Gd to attack Job, at the start of the book of Job.]

"The Satan saw that Gd became inclined toward Job and he said, 'Might Gd forget His love for Avraham, Gd-forbid?'"

(Talmud, Bava Batra 16a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Three Daily Sins

Hi,

"One is not saved from three sins daily: Thoughts of immorality, examination of prayer, and harmful speech.

"Do you really believe people commit harmful speech daily?! Rather: Speech which is close to being harmful."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 164a-b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Prepare before you pray

Hi,

"One must arrange his prayer for special occasions, such as musaf for Rosh Chodesh and prayers of holidays, and then stand and pray, so that he will not stumble."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Prayer 4:19)

Good chodesh!
Mordechai

Belief in multiple gods

Hi,

"A Jew who joins the Name of Heaven with anything else is uprooted from the world, as per (Exodus 22:19), 'One who sacrifices to a god will be destroyed, other than to Gd alone.'"

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 63a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Seek Zion!

Hi,

"How do we know that we are to make a memorial for the Temple? Jeremiah 30:17 says, 'For I will bring you health and heal you from your wounds, this is the word of Gd. They have called you an outcast; Zion, she has none who seek her.' This indicates that she requires seeking."

(Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 30b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The character of the future Redemption

Hi,

"Do not think that the future redemption will be like the redemption of the second Temple. It will not be so, for it will not be dependent upon the spirit of Man, like Cyrus or Darius, King of Persia. 'I will come,' I will come to you, not a man.

"Also, in the second Temple the Shechinah and prophecy did not descend (per Yoma 21b), but in the future redemption I will come and dwell among you, as in days of old."

(Abarbanel to Zecharyah 2:14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Who builds the Third Temple? Part III

Hi,

"Logically, the Temple will be built by human beings. Certainly, if the construction will precede the appearance of Davidic kings then it will be built by human beings. But even should we merit, speedily in our days, the appearance of a reigning king before construction of the Temple, it would still be logical for the Temple to be built by human hands, for the mitzvah of 'And build a house for Me' is fulfilled only if the Jews build it.

"Granted that Rashi and Tosafot wrote that in the future it will be built by Heaven… still, the initial action and construction will be via human beings, as Moshe initiated the erection of the mishkan when he stepped forward to put it up, and then it was erected as though on its own. The Tiferet Yisrael said further that Rashi and Tosafot meant that Gd would help, in a miraculous manner…"

(R' Yechiel Michel Tukaczinsky, Ir haKodesh v'haMikdash 5:1:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Who builds the Third Temple? Part II

Hi,

"R' Acha said: This teaches that the Beit haMikdash will be built before the throne of the house of David."

(Talmud Yerushalmi, Maaser Sheni 5:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Who builds the Third Temple? Part I

Hi,

"The future Temple, for which we long, will be revealed constructed and fully formed, and it will come from Heaven, as it is written, 'Gd, Your hands have formed the Temple.'"

(Rashi to Succah 41a אי נמי)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Divine commitment to rebuild Zion

Hi,

"Gd declared, "It is My responsibility to pay for the fire I kindled. I ignited Zion, as it is written, 'And He set fire to Zion, and it consumed her foundations,' and I will build her in fire, as it is written, 'And I will be a wall of fire around her, and a source of honour in her midst.'"

(Talmud, Bava Kama 60b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Angels learn as people do?

Hi,

"These disembodied intellects receive their knowledge and understanding from each other in a chain of true wisdom extending back to the First who is the cause of all."

(Abarbanel to Zecharyah 2:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Shabbos Studies

Hi,

"One may read nothing on Shabbat or Yom Tov, beyond the books of the Prophets and their explanations. This even applies to works of wisdom and knowledge."

(Rambam, Commentary to Mishnah, Shabbat 23:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The importance of studying medicine

Hi,

"Rav Huna said to his son Rabbah: Why are you not [learning] before Rav Chisda, whose lessons are sharp?

"Rabbah replied: Why should I go to him? He questions me about mundane matters! He tells me, "One who goes to the washroom should not sit immediately or press too hard…"

"Rav Huna replied: He is involved in the lives of people, and you say, "mundane matters"? You certainly should go to him!"

(Talmud, Shabbat 82a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The importance of Joy

Hi,

"Gd is manifest not in laziness or sadness or laughter or frivolity or empty words, but only through mitzvah joy, as is written [in Melachim II 3 regarding Elisha], "'Now, take a musician for me!' And when the musician played, the hand of Gd was upon him.""

(Talmud, Pesachim 117a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

When in Chevron

Hi,

"R' Tanchum bar Chanilai said: One should never alter from local practice. Moshe ascended to Heaven and did not eat bread; the ministering malachim descended below [to visit Avraham] and ate bread.

"Do you truly think they ate bread?! Rather: They appeared to eat and drink."

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 86b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Four types of angels, and their missions

Hi,


"Sometimes Gd sends His malach to impact prophets and put His word in their mouths, and to put knowledge and understanding in scholars. Parallel to this mission he [Yechezkel] saw a human face, for this is the living being who has insight and prophecy.

"And sometimes He sends His malach to perform mighty deeds and justice against His enemies… Parallel to this mission he saw a lion's face, for this is the great destroyer among the flocks of sheep, and who can instruct it?

"And sometimes He sends His malach to benefit and aid and bless His servants in His missions… Parallel to this mission he saw the face of an ox, for the ox blesses the house and aids the success of the grains, as I have mentioned.

"And sometimes He sends His malach to rescue His servants from harm and guide them on a path where they will not stumble… Parallel to this mission he saw the face of an eagle, for the malach carrying out its Master's mission is like an eagle arousing its nest, fluttering over its young…"

(Abarbanel to Yechezkel 1:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

What is a navi?

Hi,

"The expression navi [generally rendered: prophet] means one who continually amplifies and speaks to the masses, as in Shemot 7:1, 'And Aharon, your brother, will be your navi'."

(Rabbeinu Nisim, Derashot haRan 5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Sin causes distance from Gd

Hi,

"See the power of sin! Before the Jews extended their hands into sin [with the Golden Calf], Exodus 24:17 said, 'The vision of the glory of G-d was like a consuming fire atop the mountain before the eyes of Israel,' and they were not afraid and did not tremble. Once they made the calf, even Moses's radiance caused them to shudder and tremble!"

(Rashi to Shemot 34:30)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Justice is the end of war

Hi,

"If there will be war or complaints between nations, they will come before Mashiach for justice, for he will be master of all nations, and he will teach them, telling the one who is crooked, “Straighten out that which has been made perverse for your plaintiff.” Therefore there will be no war between nations, for he will make peace between them and they will not need weapons."

(Radak to Michah 4:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Blessing and Cursing

Hi,

"Rabbi Yitzchak said: One who mentions a righteous person and does not bless him transgresses a commandment, as it is written (Mishlei 10:7), 'The memory of the righteous is for a blessing.' One who mentions a wicked person and does not curse him violates a prohibition, as it is written (ibid), 'The name of the wicked will rot.'"

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 49:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Grabbing a mitzvah

Hi,

"Rava said: Rav Yosef tested us with the following question: If a kohen grabs from the gifts which are designed forkohanim, is he displaying love for the mitzvah or is he degrading the mitzvah? And we answered him that the Torah says, "And he shall give [the gift]" – indicating that the kohen should not take it on his own."

(Talmud, Chullin 133a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Don't be repellent

Hi,

"One may not consume food or beverages which disgust a person… and one may not eat with dirty hands or dirty utensils. All of these are included in the biblical imperative, 'Do not make yourselves disgusting.'"

(Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 116:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Who is Mashiach?

Hi,

"If a king arises from the house of David, and he studies Torah and is involved in mitzvot as was David his ancestor, following the written and spoken Torah, and he compels all of Israel to walk in its ways and strengthen it, and he fights the wars of G-d, then it may be assumed that he is Mashiach."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 11:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Concern for appearances

Hi,

"When the sages mention a need to avoid the appearance of impropriety, the need exists even when in one’s innermost room."

(Talmud, Shabbat 64b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai