Hi,
Pirkei Avot 1:2 - "Shimon haTzaddik, of the remnant of the Great Assembly, taught: The world stands on three things: Torah, Service and Acts of generosity."
"This also hints that there are three types of people in the world. Some pursue ideas and a life of intellectual study; some pursue a life of work and the tasks of plowing, planting and similar activities; some pursue a life of directing and governing to lead the nation and judge them, teaching them generously how to act. All of these are needed in the world."
(R' Shlomo b"R' Yitzchak haLevi, Lev Avot to Pirkei Avot 1:2)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Seeing redemption in current events
Hi,
"Jeremiah wrote, “In those days the house of Judah will go to the house of Israel,” and none could understand what this meant - but then, lo and behold, through the agency of explorers who traveled from Portugal to India for spices, I received a letter from Jews living in the lands of the west, who claimed to be descendants of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who had been exiled from the cities of Judah by Sanchereb and had not returned for the Second Temple! Behold, the house of Judah goes to the house of Israel!"
(Don Isaac Abarbanel [15th-16th century], Commentary to Jeremiah 3:18)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"Jeremiah wrote, “In those days the house of Judah will go to the house of Israel,” and none could understand what this meant - but then, lo and behold, through the agency of explorers who traveled from Portugal to India for spices, I received a letter from Jews living in the lands of the west, who claimed to be descendants of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who had been exiled from the cities of Judah by Sanchereb and had not returned for the Second Temple! Behold, the house of Judah goes to the house of Israel!"
(Don Isaac Abarbanel [15th-16th century], Commentary to Jeremiah 3:18)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Monday, February 27, 2012
Piety and Perseverance
Hi,
"What is the root of piety? When one draws his heart in traits of piety and it is difficult, for people mock him and embarrass him and say things to pain him, and they remind him of his bad, Sdom-like conduct, he should not abandon his piety due to the scorners, and he should enter into good attributes, little by little, day after day. One who gathers handfuls will acquire a lot…
"It is a great sin to say to a penitent person, "Remember your earlier deeds," now that this person has deepened his path to enter into piety and he has not concerned himself with the laughter of the scorners. Those who do this, mentioning his earlier deeds, are as though they were locking the door before the penitent. He should remind himself that he has great merit, and his shame is considered righteousness for him."
(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 7)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"What is the root of piety? When one draws his heart in traits of piety and it is difficult, for people mock him and embarrass him and say things to pain him, and they remind him of his bad, Sdom-like conduct, he should not abandon his piety due to the scorners, and he should enter into good attributes, little by little, day after day. One who gathers handfuls will acquire a lot…
"It is a great sin to say to a penitent person, "Remember your earlier deeds," now that this person has deepened his path to enter into piety and he has not concerned himself with the laughter of the scorners. Those who do this, mentioning his earlier deeds, are as though they were locking the door before the penitent. He should remind himself that he has great merit, and his shame is considered righteousness for him."
(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 7)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Start piety young
Hi,
"Because piety is difficult to initiate, it is good to begin in one's youth, as it is written, 'Remember your Creator in your youth; when he ages he will not stray therefrom.'
"Also, the repentance of an elder when he has aged, and his desire has waned, is like that of a person who speaks slanderously and then is unable to speak and says no more. If one repents when he is still strong and his desire is still powerful and he conquers it, this is praiseworthy repentance. He acts with might in controlling his powerful and stubborn desire; regarding this it is written, 'One who controls his spirit is more powerful than a conqueror of cities.' The reward for doing something difficult is very great."
(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 7)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"Because piety is difficult to initiate, it is good to begin in one's youth, as it is written, 'Remember your Creator in your youth; when he ages he will not stray therefrom.'
"Also, the repentance of an elder when he has aged, and his desire has waned, is like that of a person who speaks slanderously and then is unable to speak and says no more. If one repents when he is still strong and his desire is still powerful and he conquers it, this is praiseworthy repentance. He acts with might in controlling his powerful and stubborn desire; regarding this it is written, 'One who controls his spirit is more powerful than a conqueror of cities.' The reward for doing something difficult is very great."
(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 7)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Another approach to outreach
Hi,
"At a time of [Divine] invisibility, when faith has been cut off from the poor of the nation, punishment does not mend the gap, but only increases it; it appears like a deed of destruction and coercion, Gd-forbid. Since our entire goal is to repair, the law [of punishment] does not apply when it does not repair. We are obligated to bring them back with ropes of love, to bring them to the radiant light to the extent we can."
(R' Avraham Yeshayah Karelitz, Chazon Ish Yoreh Deah 2:16)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"At a time of [Divine] invisibility, when faith has been cut off from the poor of the nation, punishment does not mend the gap, but only increases it; it appears like a deed of destruction and coercion, Gd-forbid. Since our entire goal is to repair, the law [of punishment] does not apply when it does not repair. We are obligated to bring them back with ropes of love, to bring them to the radiant light to the extent we can."
(R' Avraham Yeshayah Karelitz, Chazon Ish Yoreh Deah 2:16)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Thursday, February 23, 2012
An obligation to reach out
Hi,
"Regarding my practice of drawing everyone near, including Jews who sin, in order to bring them to repentance: I have written a hint at my meaning to his honour, saying that anyone who is capable of involving himself in the inner secrets of Torah will be filled with the light of the Torah's generosity to a greater extent, and is obligated to involve himself in mending the collapses and bringing near those who are distant."
(R' Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Letters of the Ra"ayah II pg. 186)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"Regarding my practice of drawing everyone near, including Jews who sin, in order to bring them to repentance: I have written a hint at my meaning to his honour, saying that anyone who is capable of involving himself in the inner secrets of Torah will be filled with the light of the Torah's generosity to a greater extent, and is obligated to involve himself in mending the collapses and bringing near those who are distant."
(R' Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Letters of the Ra"ayah II pg. 186)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Justice leads to peace
Hi,
"If you will judge righteously, there will be peace between litigants. The Sages have taught, 'When a person whose coat has been taken leaves the court, he sings as he walks.'"
(Radak to Zecharyah 8:16)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"If you will judge righteously, there will be peace between litigants. The Sages have taught, 'When a person whose coat has been taken leaves the court, he sings as he walks.'"
(Radak to Zecharyah 8:16)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Of Truth, Justice and Peace
Hi,
"Sometimes a judge will judge according to that which he knows to be true, even without witnesses or warnings; this type of justice is available to a king or a major court, to judge and punish according to legal procedure or extrajudicially, based on 'emet [truth]'. Sometimes he judges according to the legal structure of the Torah, and this is uniquely termed 'mishpat [justice]'. Sometimes he arranges compromise between litigants, according to the case and the needs of the time; this is termed 'shalom [peace]'."
(Abarbanel to Zecharyah 8 (pg 223))
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"Sometimes a judge will judge according to that which he knows to be true, even without witnesses or warnings; this type of justice is available to a king or a major court, to judge and punish according to legal procedure or extrajudicially, based on 'emet [truth]'. Sometimes he judges according to the legal structure of the Torah, and this is uniquely termed 'mishpat [justice]'. Sometimes he arranges compromise between litigants, according to the case and the needs of the time; this is termed 'shalom [peace]'."
(Abarbanel to Zecharyah 8 (pg 223))
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Monday, February 20, 2012
To be pious is to forgive
Hi,
"'Chasid' only refers to one who forgives his rights. When people who have sinned against him and wronged him come before him, and they regret it and ask his forgiveness, correcting all that they can correct and asking his forgiveness for the rest, and they say they will accept whatever judgment he decrees for them, and he sees he could harm them and punish them and instead he forgives them wholeheartedly and he does not harm them, he is called a 'chasid' for this, as in Yirmiyahu 3:12, "Return Israel… I will not frown upon you, for I am a chasid." And so Yosef forgave the sons of Yaakov when they sinned against him, and he did not punish them."
(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 11)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"'Chasid' only refers to one who forgives his rights. When people who have sinned against him and wronged him come before him, and they regret it and ask his forgiveness, correcting all that they can correct and asking his forgiveness for the rest, and they say they will accept whatever judgment he decrees for them, and he sees he could harm them and punish them and instead he forgives them wholeheartedly and he does not harm them, he is called a 'chasid' for this, as in Yirmiyahu 3:12, "Return Israel… I will not frown upon you, for I am a chasid." And so Yosef forgave the sons of Yaakov when they sinned against him, and he did not punish them."
(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 11)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Loss of Divine protection
Hi,
The following is "intense", in the words of one reader...
"When a person [who has sinned] eats poisonous foods and they harm him, Gd will not provide the rescue to save him from that food. His sins caused this to happen to him, dividing between him and his Gd, and so those evils found him."
(Rabbeinu Yosef Yaavetz, Or Chaim, pg. 3)
Have a good day,
Mordechai
The following is "intense", in the words of one reader...
"When a person [who has sinned] eats poisonous foods and they harm him, Gd will not provide the rescue to save him from that food. His sins caused this to happen to him, dividing between him and his Gd, and so those evils found him."
(Rabbeinu Yosef Yaavetz, Or Chaim, pg. 3)
Have a good day,
Mordechai
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Don't expect miracles
Hi,
"G-d will not perform signs and wonders in every generation before the eyes of every wicked person and denier, and so He instructed us to make a perpetual memorial and a sign for that which we saw, and to convey it to our children, and their children to their children, and their children to the final generation."
(Ramban to Shemot 13:16)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"G-d will not perform signs and wonders in every generation before the eyes of every wicked person and denier, and so He instructed us to make a perpetual memorial and a sign for that which we saw, and to convey it to our children, and their children to their children, and their children to the final generation."
(Ramban to Shemot 13:16)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Fasting which is not accompanied by good deeds
Hi,
"The completeness I desire is that which is recorded in Yirmiyahu, 'Let the one who is praised be praised for this: Have insight and know Me, for I am Gd who performs generosity and justice and righteousness in the land, this is what I desire.'
"This means: I desired for you to perform generosity and justice and righteousness in the land, to walk in My ways. Fasting and eating are not among My actions, for I neither eat nor drink. Fasting is non-eating, and it is not relevant for Me, for one cannot refrain from anything other than that which one normally practices."
(Abarbanel to Zecharyah 7, pg. 221)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"The completeness I desire is that which is recorded in Yirmiyahu, 'Let the one who is praised be praised for this: Have insight and know Me, for I am Gd who performs generosity and justice and righteousness in the land, this is what I desire.'
"This means: I desired for you to perform generosity and justice and righteousness in the land, to walk in My ways. Fasting and eating are not among My actions, for I neither eat nor drink. Fasting is non-eating, and it is not relevant for Me, for one cannot refrain from anything other than that which one normally practices."
(Abarbanel to Zecharyah 7, pg. 221)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Life after death
Hi,
"Spiritual entities do not have physical pleasure and do not comprehend it, for they lack our senses, with which to experience what we experience. One of us who would be purified and would reach that status posthumously would also cease to experience physical pleasure and would not desire it; this would be like a great emperor wishing to lose his throne and return to playing with a ball in the street. At some point he certainly did prefer the ballgame over an empire, when he was young and foolish, just as we prefer physical pleasure over the spiritual."
(Rambam,Commentary to Mishnah, Introduction to 10th chapter in Sanhedrin)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"Spiritual entities do not have physical pleasure and do not comprehend it, for they lack our senses, with which to experience what we experience. One of us who would be purified and would reach that status posthumously would also cease to experience physical pleasure and would not desire it; this would be like a great emperor wishing to lose his throne and return to playing with a ball in the street. At some point he certainly did prefer the ballgame over an empire, when he was young and foolish, just as we prefer physical pleasure over the spiritual."
(Rambam,Commentary to Mishnah, Introduction to 10th chapter in Sanhedrin)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Respond!
Hi,
"If you hear people gossiping or speaking disgustingly or mocking Torah and mitzvot, and you know that they are stubborn and won't listen and so you just put your hand over your mouth, you will be punished for not responding to their foolishness."
(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 3:197)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"If you hear people gossiping or speaking disgustingly or mocking Torah and mitzvot, and you know that they are stubborn and won't listen and so you just put your hand over your mouth, you will be punished for not responding to their foolishness."
(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 3:197)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Monday, February 13, 2012
A rabbi and a man
Hi,
"A rabbi they don't want to chase from town isn't really a rabbi, and a rabbi they chase from town isn't really a man."
(R' Yisrael Salanter, as cited in Tenuat haMussar 1:305)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"A rabbi they don't want to chase from town isn't really a rabbi, and a rabbi they chase from town isn't really a man."
(R' Yisrael Salanter, as cited in Tenuat haMussar 1:305)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The popularity of a Torah scholar
Hi,
"Abbaye said: If a Torah scholar is beloved to his city, it isn't that he is good. Rather, it's because he does not rebuke them in heavenly matters."
(Talmud, Ketuvot 105b)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"Abbaye said: If a Torah scholar is beloved to his city, it isn't that he is good. Rather, it's because he does not rebuke them in heavenly matters."
(Talmud, Ketuvot 105b)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Saturday, February 11, 2012
The meaning of Piety
Hi,
"This is the root of piety, that one must act beyond the line of the law in all matters, as it is said (Psalms 145), 'Gd is pious in all of His deeds.'"
(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 11)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"This is the root of piety, that one must act beyond the line of the law in all matters, as it is said (Psalms 145), 'Gd is pious in all of His deeds.'"
(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 11)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Your sin is my sin
Hi,
"The practice of compelling people to follow Torah is a product of the principle that 'All Jews are responsible for each other'; one who would violate the law would harm others and the entity as a whole. Thus the court should compel and judge one who violates Gd's commands. Otherwise, it would be inappropriate to intervene in another's relationship with his Creator."
(R' Meir Simcha haKohen of Dvinsk, Meshech Chachmah to Shemot 24:3)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"The practice of compelling people to follow Torah is a product of the principle that 'All Jews are responsible for each other'; one who would violate the law would harm others and the entity as a whole. Thus the court should compel and judge one who violates Gd's commands. Otherwise, it would be inappropriate to intervene in another's relationship with his Creator."
(R' Meir Simcha haKohen of Dvinsk, Meshech Chachmah to Shemot 24:3)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Knowing how to be a Chasid
Hi,
"This is written for those who are in awe of Gd and who contemplate His Name – for a "chasid" is one whose heart desires love of his Creator, to fulfill all of His will – and who does not know how to place everything upon his heart and from what things to be cautious and how to deepen his fulfillment of his Creator's desire because the hearts have been reduced.
"There are chasidim who put many things upon their heart, and there are chasidim who do little but would do more than those who do much if only they knew and understood matters of piety. Therefore the Sefer Chasidim has been written, so that those who are in awe of Gd will see it, all those who return to their Creator completely, and they will know and understand what they are to do and from what things they must be cautious."
(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 1)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"This is written for those who are in awe of Gd and who contemplate His Name – for a "chasid" is one whose heart desires love of his Creator, to fulfill all of His will – and who does not know how to place everything upon his heart and from what things to be cautious and how to deepen his fulfillment of his Creator's desire because the hearts have been reduced.
"There are chasidim who put many things upon their heart, and there are chasidim who do little but would do more than those who do much if only they knew and understood matters of piety. Therefore the Sefer Chasidim has been written, so that those who are in awe of Gd will see it, all those who return to their Creator completely, and they will know and understand what they are to do and from what things they must be cautious."
(R' Yehudah haChasid, Sefer Chasidim 1)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Gd will watch out for us
Hi,
[Regarding Gd's declaration to Moshe at the Red Sea, "Why do you cry out to me?" (Shemot 14:15) before Gd split the sea.]
"R' Elazar haModai said: “Why are you crying out to Me? Do I need instructons regarding My children? Will you instruct me about My children and My creations? They were prepared before Me from the six days of Creation! It is written, 'Should all of the universe’s natural laws fall from before Me, this is the word of Gd, so the Jews would cease to be a nation before me, for all time!'”"
(Midrash, Mechilta d'Rabbi Yishmael Beshalach 3)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
[Regarding Gd's declaration to Moshe at the Red Sea, "Why do you cry out to me?" (Shemot 14:15) before Gd split the sea.]
"R' Elazar haModai said: “Why are you crying out to Me? Do I need instructons regarding My children? Will you instruct me about My children and My creations? They were prepared before Me from the six days of Creation! It is written, 'Should all of the universe’s natural laws fall from before Me, this is the word of Gd, so the Jews would cease to be a nation before me, for all time!'”"
(Midrash, Mechilta d'Rabbi Yishmael Beshalach 3)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Sunday, February 5, 2012
A deathbed declaration
Hi,
"When Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai was dying, he raised his voice and cried… He explained to his students, "Am I going to greet a mortal king, such that his anger would only be in this world, his incarceration would only be in this world, and his execution would only be in this world? Further, I could appease him verbally and bribe him financially. But I am going to greet only the King of kings of kings, Gd, such that His anger is in this world and the next, and I cannot appease Him verbally or bribe Him financially. Further, I have two paths, Gan Eden and Gehennom, and I don’t know whether He will incline me to Gehennom or bring me into Gan Eden.""
(Avot d'Rabbi Natan I 25)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"When Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai was dying, he raised his voice and cried… He explained to his students, "Am I going to greet a mortal king, such that his anger would only be in this world, his incarceration would only be in this world, and his execution would only be in this world? Further, I could appease him verbally and bribe him financially. But I am going to greet only the King of kings of kings, Gd, such that His anger is in this world and the next, and I cannot appease Him verbally or bribe Him financially. Further, I have two paths, Gan Eden and Gehennom, and I don’t know whether He will incline me to Gehennom or bring me into Gan Eden.""
(Avot d'Rabbi Natan I 25)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Saturday, February 4, 2012
The importance of planting
Hi,
"If a sapling is in your hand and you are told, "Mashiach is here", plant the sapling and then go greet him."
(Avot d'Rabbi Natan II 31)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"If a sapling is in your hand and you are told, "Mashiach is here", plant the sapling and then go greet him."
(Avot d'Rabbi Natan II 31)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The repentance of King Achav
Hi,
"[Eliyahu said,] "Behold, I will bring evil upon you, I will consume everything you leave, and I will destroy every child of Achav and all who are sealed away and left in Israel. I will make your house like that of Yeravam ben Nevat and Basha ben Achiah because of the anger you incited, causing Israel to sin." And regarding Jezebel Gd said, "The dogs will eat Jezebel in the moat of Yizre'el."…
"And when Achav heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and he fasted and lay in sackcloth, and he walked humbly. And Gd said to Eliyahu the Tishbi, "Do you see how Achav humbles himself before Me? Because he humbles himself before Me, I will not bring this evil in his days. I will bring this evil upon his house during his son's days.""
(Melachim I 21:21-29)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"[Eliyahu said,] "Behold, I will bring evil upon you, I will consume everything you leave, and I will destroy every child of Achav and all who are sealed away and left in Israel. I will make your house like that of Yeravam ben Nevat and Basha ben Achiah because of the anger you incited, causing Israel to sin." And regarding Jezebel Gd said, "The dogs will eat Jezebel in the moat of Yizre'el."…
"And when Achav heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and he fasted and lay in sackcloth, and he walked humbly. And Gd said to Eliyahu the Tishbi, "Do you see how Achav humbles himself before Me? Because he humbles himself before Me, I will not bring this evil in his days. I will bring this evil upon his house during his son's days.""
(Melachim I 21:21-29)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Rational and Non-Rational Commandments
Hi,
"The first of two types of commandments are… matters regarding which Gd has implanted in our minds an understanding of their benefit, or of the benefit in avoiding them... The second type are matters regarding which the mind [sechel] does not declare that they are objectively good or bad. The Creator added instructions and prohibitions in these [latter] matters in order to increase our reward and success."
(Rav Saadia Gaon, ha'Emunot v'haDeiot 3)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"The first of two types of commandments are… matters regarding which Gd has implanted in our minds an understanding of their benefit, or of the benefit in avoiding them... The second type are matters regarding which the mind [sechel] does not declare that they are objectively good or bad. The Creator added instructions and prohibitions in these [latter] matters in order to increase our reward and success."
(Rav Saadia Gaon, ha'Emunot v'haDeiot 3)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
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