Of wisdom and wealth

Hi,

[Mishlei 10:14 - Wise men guard store wisdom, and the fool's mouth soon leads to collapse.]

"First: A wise man should protect his ideas and guard them as a wealthy person guards his assets; otherwise, he will be lik a pauper, without assets.

"Second: Wisdom generally protects its holder, guarding him as money guards and protects its holder, and more so."

(Rav Saadia Gaon, Commentary to Mishlei 10:14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The need for sense

Hi,

[Mishlei (Proverbs) 21:16 says: 'One who wanders from the path of sense will lie down in the place of the dead.']

"In this world, as you can see, a person who lacks sense will be ruined, for ithout understanding and the ability to analyze one will fall into ruin. And in the next world he will not achieve fortune, for this cannot be achieved without listening [to Gd's word], and listening requires sense."

(Rav Saadia Gaon to Mishlei 21:16)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The pursuit of entertainment

Hi,

"Gd created the world, and nothing in the world is empty and in vain and worthless. All of Creation has a purpose, even if a person thinks something is worthless. It is not so – all is necessary. Therefore, a letz [in this context: One who pursues entertainment without redeeming value] cannot be before the Shechinah, for he pursues emptiness and worthless things."

(Maharal, Netivot Olam, Netiv ha'Emet 2)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

The Letz, Part III

Hi,

"[The category of Letz also includes:] One who verbally mocks deeds or things, not because he personally scorns them but because this is the way of people who are happy for no reason, and it is a joking practice. Sometimes wine and intoxication causes this."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah III 177*)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

The Letz, Part II

Hi,

"One who perpetually mocks things and activities… is brought to this bad trait by being wise in his own eyes… And this trait so rules over him that he mocks the views of others. This is a hopeless trait."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah III #176)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

The Letz, Part I

Hi,

"Without any personal gain in the matter, a letz causes great harm to people by denigrating them before others' eyes. This is what makes zadon worse than theft or banditry, which is done to increase one's wealth. Such a person is also arrogant, for one who is humble and recognizes his own deficiencies and blemishes and does not mock other people."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah III 174)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

Humans v Angels II

Hi,

"Gd informed us via His prophets that He gave Man an advantage over His other creations, as Bereishit 1:28 says, 'And they will reign over the fish of the seas, etc.'… He gave us the ability to serve Him, and He put [the world] before us and gave us control.

"He placed freedom of choice in our domain and instructed us to choose the good, as Devarim 30:19 says, 'See, I have placed before you today life and good, etc.'… And if one will think that some non-human entity is more significant, let him show us the advantages, or some of them, which another creature possesses, for one could not find such a thing."

(Rav Saadia Gaon, haEmunot v'haDeiot 4)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

Humans v Angels

Hi,

"Israel is more beloved before Gd than the ministering malachim, for Israel sings to Gd always, and the ministering malachim only sing daily, some say weekly, some say monthly, some say annually, some say once every seven years, some say once every Jubilee, some say once in eternity.

"Also, Israel mentions Gd's Name after only two words, as in, Shema Yisrael HaShem, and the ministering malachim after three words, Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh HaShem Tzevakot. Also, ministering malachim cannot sing in heaven until Israel sings below, as it is written, 'When the morning stars [ie the Jews] sing together… And the bnei Elokim trumpet.'"

(Talmud, Chullin 91b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why do frogs exist?

Hi,

"I consider therefore the following opinion as most correct according to the teaching of the Bible, and best in accordance with the results of philosophy; namely, that the Universe does not exist for man's sake, but that each being exists for its own sake, and not because of some other thing."

(Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed 3:13, Friedlander translation)

[The frogs are just one example...]

Chanukah sameach,
Mordechai

Mashiach and Justice

Hi,

"This king, Mashiach, will be a mishor, meaning he will straighten all of the nations and guide them in paths of righteousness, as Isaiah (2:4) said, 'He will judge between nations.'"

(Abarbanel to Zecharyah 4:7)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Chanukah's Light unto the Nations

Hi,

"Apparently, one who lives among the nations must light outside the entrance to his home, or in a window close by, so that the miracle will be publicized among the nations, for they will ask what it is and so the story and the essential miracle will become known to them. This is a biblical text: “And I will be elevated and sanctified and known before the eyes of many nations.” Many passages show that Gd cares about the desecration of His Name among the nations and the sanctification of His Name among them."

(R' Shimon Sofer, Hitorirut Teshuvah 1:153)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Multiple worlds

Hi,

"It is written (Ecclesiastes), ‘He made all in its proper time.’… R’ Avahu said: We see from here that Gd created worlds and destroyed them, created worlds and destroyed them, until he created these and said, ‘This is good for me, those were not good for me.’

"R’ Pinchas said: R’ Avahu based himself on the verse, ‘And Gd saw all that He had created, and it was very good’ - This good for me, those were not good for me."

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 9:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The breadth of Torah

Hi,

"One of the unique aspects of Judaism is its far reaching universality. Not only does Judaism provide a lesson for every human being, its teachings extended to the very boundaries of the universe."

(R' Aryeh Kaplan, The Aryeh Kaplan Reader)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Judith's Rebuke to the Jews of besieged Bethulia

Hi,

"Now therefore, brethren, let us set an example to our brethren, for their lives depend upon us, and the sanctuary and the temple and the altar rest upon us. In spite of everything let us give thanks to the Lord our G-d, who is putting us to the test as he did our forefathers. Remember what he did with Abraham, and how he tested Isaac, and what happened to Jacob in Mesopotamia in Syria, while he was keeping the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother. For he has not tried us with fire, as he did them, to search their hearts, nor has he taken revenge upon us; but the Lord scourges those who draw near to him, in order to admonish them."

(Book of Judith, Chapter 8, Revised Standard Version)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mashiach's spiritual level

Hi,

"Mashiach is called a great mountain because he is greater than the patriarchs, as it is written [Isaiah 52], 'Behold, My servant will have insight, will be highly elevated and raised aloft and great,' elevated from Avraham, raised aloft from Yitzchak, great from Yaakov… And raised aloft from Moses… And great like the ministering malachim..."

(Midrash Tanchuma (Warsaw edition), Toldot 14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Quarrels within a synagogue

Hi,

"One may not pray in a place which will distract him, or at a time when he will be distracted. Therefore, an individual or group experiencing open or concealed enmity, or anger, or a quarrel with the community will not be able to pray in an acceptable way, and they are not permitted to pray there, for their thoughts are distracted and they cannot focus in their prayers. This is certainly true if people overtly antagonize him, constantly. This is all the more true if the anger is with the leaders of the community. Were I not afraid to say it, I would say that it would be better to pray privately than to pray with a group of people with whom his mind was not at peace."

(Responsa of Radvaz 3:472)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Using the Torah as Medicine

Hi,

"One who chants over a wound, reading a passage of Torah… is not only among the sorcerers and charmers, but is among the deniers of Torah who turn it into medicine for the body when it is really medicine for the soul, as it is written (Mishlei 3:22), 'They will be life for your soul.' But one who is healthy may read the verses and chapters of Psalms for protection in the merit of reading them, to be saved from trouble and harm."

(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 11:12)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Maimonides on non-scientific therapies

Hi,

"Anything which they say is effective, which is not dictated by natural analysis but in their view is effective, like the practices of segulot and special forces… is among what the Sages termed "Emorite practices", because they are part of the deeds of sorcerers, deeds which are not dictated by natural reasoning. They draw people to magic, which must lead to the stars, elevating the stars and causing people to serve them."

(Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed 3:37)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

No one is forcing you to live in exile

Hi,

"Know, my brothers, that we do not view the Jewish nation, who are scattered throughout the Diaspora, as people of improper conduct. Rather, they are fulfilling an ancient decree recorded in the Torah's rebuke, 'Gd will scatter you among all of the nations, from one end of the land to the other.'

"However, the fact that a rebuke is stated in the Torah does not command each individual to personally fulfill the punishment!"

(R' Yisrael Meir Kagan (Chafetz Chaim), Shem Olam, Kuntrus Nefutzot Yisrael 7))

[Note: R' Kagan expressed this in the context of a rebuke for those who left Poland for America. Interesting.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reliability of the Apocrypha

Hi,

"Do not trust that which is recorded in the Book of Chronicles of Moses. I'll provide a principle: Any book not recorded by the prophets, or by the sages via received tradition, is not reliable, and may contain items which contradict accurate information. This is true for Sefer Zerubavel, Sefer Eldad haDani and the like."

(R' Avraham ibn Ezra, extended commentary to Shemot 2:22)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Shocking others

Hi,

"Street merchants, those who raise weak breeds of animals [which consume more than they produce], those who cut down good trees and those who seek to receive the greater portion will never see a sign of blessing. Why? Because people are shocked [in a negative way] by them."

(Talmud, Pesachim 50b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Greed and the Evil Eye

Hi,

"An eye that does not desire to benefit from others' property cannot be affected by an evil eye."

(Talmud, Berachot 20a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Turning a mezuzah into an amulet

Hi,

"A popular practice is to write upon the outside of the mezuzah, opposite the space between portions, the Name Sha-dai. There is no loss; this is external. However, one who writes the names of angels, or Holy Names, or a sentence or seals, inside the parchment, is included among those who have no share in the next world. Not only do these fools nullify the mitzvah, but they treat a great mitzvah, the unification of Gd's Name and love of Him and service of Him as though it was an amulet for personal benefit, as has arisen in their foolishness."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Tefillin, Mezuzah v'Sefer Torah 5:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

More on the red bendle

Hi,

"Regarding the practice of tying a red string: Rabban Gamliel says this is not an Emorite practice; R' Elazar son of R' Tzaddok says it is an Emorite practice."

(Tosefta Shabbat 7:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The red bendle

Hi,

"Question: Is there a source for tying a red string on a child, carriage and so on because of the evil eye?

"Answer: That was the universal practice; they were careful to tie a red string on a carriage and crib of a child because of the evil eye. All of these are the practices of elderly women, regarding which the Rashba wrote that we should not mock their words and practices, for they are certainly founded in the sacred mountains, even if we do not know the reasons."

(Rav Moshe Stern, Beer Moshe 8:36)

Have a great day,
Mordechai