Aesthetics and the Kohanim

Hi,

"The Torah says [describing the kohen gadol (high priest)] 'And the kohen who will be greater than his brethren.' This teaches that he must be greater than his brethren in strength, beauty, wisdom and wealth.

"Acheirim said: How do we know that if this kohen has no wealth, his brethren kohanim must give it to him? The verse says, 'The kohen who is greater from his brethren' - make him great, from the property of his brethren."

[One idea involved is that the service in the Beit haMikdash must be aesthetically beautiful as well as spiritually elevated. Aesthetics are neither trivial nor irrelevant when it comes to serving Gd.]

(Talmud, Yoma 18a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Be flexible

Hi,

"The Sages taught: One should always be flexible as a reed, and never stiff as a cedar."

(Talmud, Taanit 20a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Succession

Hi,

"When Rabbi Akiva died, Rebbe was born. When Rebbe died, Rav Yehudah was born. When Rav Yehudah died, Rava was born. Whn Rava died, Rav Ashi was born.

"This teaches you that a righteous person does not pass away until an equally righteous person has been created, as the verse says, 'And the Sun shone, and [only after there was a new Sun shining] the Sun set.'"

(Talmud, Kiddushin 72b)

[The idea is that Gd watches out for us, and does not leave us without resources.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Even the last day has value

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: Even if someone is a completely righteous person for his entire life, and he rebels at the last, he has lost all that came earlier, as it is written (Ezekiel 33), 'And the righteousness of a righteous person won't save him on the day of his rebellion.'

"And even if someone is a completely wicked person for his entire life, and he repents at the last, he will never again be reminded of his evil, as it is written (ibid.), 'And the wicked person's wickedness will not cause him to stumble on the day he returns from his wickedness.'

"Why is such a person not simply considered 'even,' half transgressions and half merits? Reish Lakish explained: This is talking about a person who regrets his initial actions."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 40b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Who takes the grain?

Hi,

"Rabbi Chanina bar Papi asked: It is written (Hosheia 2), 'And I [Gd] will take My grain at its time,' and yet it is also written (Deuteronomy 32), 'And you will gather your grain!'

"He answered: The former verse refers to a time when we don't do as Gd asks [and so Gd collects the grain, not leaving any for us]. The latter verse refers to a time we do as Gd asks [and so Gd gives us the grain]."

(Talmud, Berachot 35b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The importance of tears

Hi,

"Prayer requires the focus of one's heart, and the central focus is in one's tears."

(Vilna Gaon, Aderet Eliyahu to Esther)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Protective Torah

Hi,

"There was a family in Yerushalayim whose members would die at the age of 18. They informed Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai of their problem, and he said: Perhaps you are from the house of Eli, regarding whom it is written, 'And all who grow from your house will die as young men. (Shemuel I 2:33)' Go involve yourselves in Torah, and live!

"They involved themselves in Torah and survived, and they became known as 'The Family of Rabbi Yochanan' in his name.

(Talmud, Rosh haShanah 18a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The roots of slander

Hi,

"Common slander has its roots in two things:

"(1) in the inability to exercise some activity/hobby - apart from earning one's living - which is pure and disinterested and compatible with human dignity; and in the boredom which is the consequence of that inability;

"(2) in that base mentality which tries to aggrandize itself by belittling a fellow-man and rejoices in denouncing those of his weaknesses and faults which one does not possess oneself."

(R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb paragraph 391)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The reward for care in mitzvot

Hi,

"Rav Huna said: One who is careful regarding Shabbat lights and Chanukah lights will merit to have children who are Torah scholars. [Rashi explains that this is linked to the verse, 'For a mitzvah is a lamp, and the Torah is light.']

"One who is careful regarding mezuzah will merit to have a beautiful dwelling.

"One who is careful regarding the tzitzit will merit to have a nice garment.

"One who is careful regarding the mitzvah of kiddush will merit to fill barrels of wine."

(Talmud, Shabbat 23b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Torah is not enough

Hi,

"Rabbah bar Rav Huna said: Any person who has Torah but does not have awe of Heaven is like a storehouse manager who has been given keys to the inner doors but not to the outer doors; how will he get inside?"

(Talmud, Shabbat 31a-b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Omission for peace?

Hi,

"Peace is so great that even Gd changed [the truth] for the sake of peace.

"Sarah said [regarding Avraham], 'My husband is old,' and when Gd re-told the conversation to Avraham He reported that she had said, 'I [Sarah] am old.'"

(Talmud, Yevamot 65b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why did Moshe break the tablets?

Hi,

"On what basis did Moshe conclude that he should break the Tablets [when he saw the Jews worshipping with the Golden Calf]?

"He said: The Pesach offering is only one of 613 mitzvot, and yet the Torah says, 'No idolater may eat from it,' here I am holding the entire Torah and the Jews are rebelling against Gd, how much more so!"

(Talmud, Yevamot 62a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Miracles

Hi,

I find the following source fascinating in theory, if troubling in application:

"Rav Yosef taught: What does the verse [Yeshayah 12] mean when it says, 'I will praise You, Gd, for You were angry at me, Your rage will settle and You will console me?'

"The verse speaks of two men who embark on a business trip, and one of them gets a thorn in his foot and is unable to continue; he begins to blaspheme Gd. Some days later the ship on which he would have traveled sinks in the sea, and he hears this and praises Gd...

"This is similar to Rabbi Elazar's statement: What does the verse [Tehillim 72] mean when it says, 'He performs miracles alone, and His glorious Name is praised forever?' Even the recipient of a miracle is unaware of the miracle he receives."

(Talmud, Niddah 31a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Loving Gd

Hi,

"'Loving Gd' means that one should thirst, and truly desire, to be close to Gd. One should run after His holiness just as he would run after anything he strongly wanted, to such a point that even the mention of Gd's Name, or description of His glory, or involvement in His Torah will itself be pleasant and enjoyable for him. It should be like love for the spouse of one's youth, or one's only child, a powerful love. Even speaking about it should be enjoyable to him."

(Mesilat Yesharim (Path of the Just), Chapter 19)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Divine outrage

Hi,

"A philosopher asked Rabban Gamliel: It is written in your Torah, 'For HaShem your Gd is a consuming flame, an outraged Gd.' Why is Gd outraged at the worshippers, but not of the idol itself?

"Rabban Gamliel responded: I will give you a comparison. Imagine a king who had a son. The son acquired a dog and called it by his father's name. When the son swore oaths, he swore 'In the name of my father the dog.' When the king hears of this, upon whom will his anger fall, on the dog or on his son?"

(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 54b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The merit of refusing to listen to lashon hara

Hi,

"Rabbi Yochanan asked: What merit did Yeravam ben Yoash [an apparently wicked king of the 'Yisrael' portion of the Jews] possess, such that he was listed among the [righteous] kings of Yehudah [in Hosheia 1]?

"He refused to accept slander against the prophet Amos [when a plotter falsely claimed that Amos had prophesied a message against him]."

(Talmud, Pesachim 87b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why stand for Kiddush?

Hi,

We stand when reciting kiddush on Friday night, at least for the first paragraph, because that paragraph serves as testimony to Gd's creation of the world and because the initials of the opening words spell out Gd's unpronounced Name, Yud-Hei-Vav and Hei (Yom Hashishi Vayechulu Hashamayim).

Some sit even for the first paragraph. Kiddush is supposed to be established in the location of one's meal, and one establishes a location by sitting down. Either custom is appropriate.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 271:10; Mishneh Berurah 271:45-46)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Zionists

Hi,

"[A verse, Psalms 87:5, says,] And regarding Zion it will be said: A person and a person have been born in it; Gd will establish Zion above.

"Rabbi Meisha, grandson of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, explained: This refers to a person who is born in Zion, and a person who longs to see it.

"Abayye said: One of them [Israelis] is worth two of us [Babylonians]."

(Talmud, Ketuvot 75a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Motives for mitzvot

Hi,

"In one Talmudic passage it seems that performing mitzvot due to love or fear [one potential translation of the Hebrew word יראה] is good, and in another passage it sounds as though it is bad!

"Rabbeinu Yitzchak explained: Performing a mitzvah due to love for Gd or awe [a second potential translation of the Hebrew word יראה] of Gd is praiseworthy. Performing a mitzvah out of love for a person or awe of a person is not as good.

"Additionally, as Rashi pointed out, performing a mitzvah out of love for reward is not as good. This applies to someone who would regret his good behavior if he would not receive reward. 'יראה,' then, refers to fear of punishment."

(Tosafot to Talmud Yevamot 48b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The hidden significance of getting along with others

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)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The honor of Chol haMoed

Hi,

"One must honor the Intermediate Days of holidays (Chol haMoed - as in the 2nd through 7th days of Succot in Israel, and the 3rd through 7th days of Succot outside of Israel) with good food and drink, and with nice clothing, as one would honor any holiday."

(Be'er Heiteiv Orach Chaim 530:1)

Have a great rest of Yom Tov,
Mordechai

Hadas vs. Harduf

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 kind of plant is that? That is the Hadas [myrtle]...

"Perhaps it is the Harduf? Abayye answered: No - "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 rest of Yom Tov,
Mordechai

Why we shake the Arba Minim on Succot

Hi,

"When do we begin to mention rain in our prayers?

"R' Eliezer said: When we pick up the lulav [at the start of Succot].

"R' Yehoshua said: When we put down the lulav [at the end of Succot].

"R' Eliezer explained: This is because these four species come only to gain favor for [the year's] water. Just as these four species cannot exist without water, so the world cannot exist without water."

(Talmud, Taanit 2b)

Have a great Yom Tov,
Mordechai

Bring on the rain!

Hi,

"Rabbi Akiva said: The Torah says, 'Bring a measure of barley on Pesach' at the time of barley, so that the grain will be blessed. 'Bring the first wheat on Shavuot' at the time of trees, so that the fruit of trees will be blessed. 'Bring water libations on Succot' so that the rains will be blessed. 'And regarding any from the families of the land who do not ascend to Jerusalem to bow to the King, the Lord of hosts, the rain will not fall upon them. (Zecharyah 14)'

(Tosefta Succah 3:18)

Have a great Yom Tov,
Mordechai