Why does the Torah tell stories?

Hi,

"When you find stories without mitzvot in the Torah and you think that there was no need to mention the story, or that it is unnecessarily verbose, this is only because you don't see the particular reasons why it is mentioned. 

"For example: The Torah's list of travels appears, on a simple level, to be of no benefit at all. Because of this, the text says, 'And Moshe recorded their events according to their travels, at the word of Gd.' The need for it is very great; all of these miracles are known as true only by those who saw them, but in the future their memory will only be related as a story, and the listener might deny them… 

"Among the greatest miracles of the Torah is the way that Israel stayed in the wilderness for forty years and received manna daily. That wilderness was as recorded in the Torah, 'Not a place of planting, and figs and grapes and pomegranates, and there was no water to drink'… And because Gd knew that one might challenge these miracles in the future as people challenge other stories, and one might think that they stayed in the wilderness near a settled area… or in places where one could plow and plant, or be nourished by some plant there…"

(Rambam, Moreh haNevuchim 3:50)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Awe for a clear sky

Hi,

"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One who sees a clear sky recites, 'Blessed is the Creator of Bereishit'.

"When is this? Abbaye said: When it rains all night, and a north wind comes in the morning and reveals the heavens."

(Talmud, Berachot 59a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The 48th mitzvah: Striking a parent

Hi,

Mitzvah 48 (per the count of Sefer haChinuch) prohibits children from striking their parents. This prohibition may seem redundant, given the standing biblical prohibition against striking any person, but striking a parent is even worse: (1) It is an expression of ingratitude for their ultimate gift of life, and (2) It is an assault on G-d, because of the partnership our parents established with G-d in creating us.

One might ask that this prohibition is still redundant, given that we are already commanded to honour our parents. However, the Minchat Chinuch notes that adding this prohibition has three direct impacts: (1) The penalty for violation becomes more harsh, (2) The path of repentance for a prohibition is more difficult, and (3) Like for any prohibition, one is required to spend all of his funds to avoid violation.

Have a great day,

Mordechai

A prayer for healing

Hi,

Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 230:4

One who enters to let blood says, "May it be Your will, Gd, my Master, that this be a cure for me, for You heal at no cost." After he lets blood, he should say, "Blessed is the Healer of the sick."

Mishneh Berurah 230:6

And so in every healing endeavour he should say this, and not think that any particular entity will heal him, only the Creator. Via this prayer he will place his trust in Gd, and ask that this should heal him.

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Sofer Abraham, Nishmat Avraham Orach Chaim 230:1

Therefore, when one takes medication as well - even many times in a day – and for every medical action (i.e. putting in eye drops, smearing on a paste, or giving an injection), or for every surgical action, however minor, we must turn to Gd with this prayer, for Gd, and only Gd, is the true healer. Also before any exercise of any kind that one performs at the instruction of a doctor because of his illness, one must turn to Gd with this prayer. Even for something which seems to be minor, such as when a mother places a bandage on a child's small cut, she should be careful to recite with him this y'hi ratzon, for a cut can develop infection despite the bandage and [yet] some heal without anything at all – it is all in the hands of Heaven. And my mentor Rabbi Neuvirth said to me, "This is obvious." Further, with this she will take the opportunity to teach her child that it is not the bandage that heals, but it is Gd, and there is no other.

Have a great day,

Mordechai

A poem on healing, by Rabbi Yehudah haLevi

Hi, 

"My Gd, heal me and I will be healed,

Let not Your anger rage, such that I would be destroyed,

My drug and concoction are Yours, whether good

or bad, whether strong or weak,

You are the One who will choose, not me,

In Your view is the bad and the good,

Not upon my healing do I depend,

Only Your healing do I anticipate."

(Rabbi Yehudah haLevi, "My Gd, Heal me" http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/sifrut/halevi/19.htm)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Valuing nature

Hi,

"Our master [Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook] would mention how Rabbi Yochanan was startled at the sight of an ant (Eruvin 100b?), and he would say, "How small are Your deeds, Gd!" (See Kuzari 1:68-69 and Orot haTorah 3:8) 

"On one Shabbat, an ant was seen on the table. When it reached the edge of the table, our master raised the hem of the tablecloth, bringing it level with the height of the table. He held it thus for several minutes, until the ant set out back toward the table. He explained, 'So that it should be easier for her.'"

(Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, http://www.havabooks.co.il/article_ID.asp?id=177)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mezuzah as Protection, Part 5

Hi,

"When one enters and departs [a room] one should encounter the unification of Gd’s Name, and remember love of Gd, and awaken from his slumber and his errant involvement in temporary vanities, and he will know that nothing lasts forever, other than the knowledge of the Rock of the World. Immediately he will return to his proper mind and travel a just path."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Mezuzah 6:13)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mezuzah as Protection, Part 4

Hi,

"Rabbi Eliezer of Metz wrote: 'People are accustomed, for the sake of additional domestic protection, to write at the end of the mezuzah various seals and names of angels. This is not required, and it isn’t a mitzvah; it is only for added protection.'…It is clear that there is no disqualification [of the mezuzah] in this practice."

(Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Yabia Omer 8:Yoreh Deah 28)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mezuzah as Protection, Part 3

Hi,

"When one places a mezuzah one does not intend to guard the house, but rather to fulfill the mitzvah of Gd. The automatic result is protection of the home."

(Rabbi Yosef Karo, Kesef Mishneh to Laws of Mezuzah 5:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mezuzah as Protection, Part 2

Hi,

"The practice has spread, to write on the external surface of the mezuzah, opposite the blank space between paragraphs, Shin-Daled-Yud. There is no loss in this, for it is on the outside.

"Those who write the names of angels inside, though, or the Holy Names, or a verse or a seal, are in the category of those who have no share in the next world. It is not enough for these fools that they annul the mitzvah! They also take a great mitzvah, the declaration of the unified Name of Gd, love of Gd and service of Gd, and treat it as an amulet for their personal benefit, as it has entered their foolish hearts that this is something meant to provide them with pleasure in this vain world!"

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Mezuzah 5:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mezuzah as protection

Hi,

"Rabbi Abba said: How many holy forces are prepared [to provide protection] when a person places a mezuzah on his gate! They all announce, 'This is the gate of Gd, etc.'

"The share of Israel is meritorious, and thus the Jews are known as the children of the Holy King, for all of them bear His sign…they are marked in their homes with the mezuzah at the entrance."

(Zohar, Vaetchanan pg. 266a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Establishing days of mourning other than Tisha b'Av

Hi,

"The kinot of Rabbi Kalonymus state that it would have been appropriate to establish a fast for the decrees and destructions which have passed over us [since the destruction of the first Beit haMikdash], but the day of the Destruction includes all destructions. As Yeshayah 51:3 says, 'For He has comforted Zion, He has comforted all of her ruins.'"

(Rabbi Moshe Sofer, Torat Moshe II, Vayechi)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Is there a need to reconcile faith and belief?

Hi,

"Faith with which the mind does not agree arouses anger and cruelty [within one's self], because the human being's higher aspect, the mind, becomes frustrated with it. However, in higher faith – although it is quite concealed – Gd's ways are marvelous, and there is such great beauty in them that the anger caused by overpowering the mind is immediately cancelled, converted into great sweetness and pure light…"

(Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, Arpilei Tohar)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Balance the intellect and the emotion

Hi,

"Due to a person's weakness, when he is able to engage in intellectual exploration then his foundation in faith is weakened, and when he is complete in his faith then he is likely to reduce his insight and the wisdom of his heart. But the goal of the straight path is that each strength not reduce the other, and not be reduced by it, but it should be revealed in its full strength as though it reigned alone."

(Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, Orot Yisrael 8:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Value your religious feeling - even if you don't understand it

Hi,

"The terrible illness of this generation is not rooted in the heart, in emotion, desire or lawlessness, not in evil-doing hands or legs which rush to wickedness – although all of these are diseased and painful. The foundation of the illness is in the brain, the power of thought… Even without great analysis we see that the cause for all of the generation's ills is only in thought… 

"The inner cause which leads to all of these is the broad intellectual movement which has found a place in the minds of the working class, demanding an accounting of every store of emotion that ever existed in their hearts, whether via habit or education or heritage, a lot or a little, and they are unable to address all aspects with clarity. They imagine they have found [in themselves] only weak elements, unthinking emotion, cowardice or weakness without courage and the strength of life, and their hearts burn inside them. 

"Because they have not found a paved path to shine the light of intellect upon the most ancient emotions, those most beneficial for our nation, to elevate all of its specific elements to the height of the elevated mind… therefore, they disdain and negate [those emotions]…"

(Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, Maamar haDor (http://bit.ly/1mZFhbB))

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The order of acquiring knowledge

Hi,

"The Sages also mentioned that one is first charged regarding knowledge of Torah, then he is charged regarding knowledge of [general] wisdom, and then he is charged for the Torah he should learn, meaning to draw from it that which he should perform. So the order should be, that [Torah] concepts should be known first via tradition and then clarified via [logical] proof, and then the deeds which improve one's path should be deduced. 

"This is what they said (Talmud, Shabbat 31a), regarding a person being expected to achieve these three items in this order: when one enters [posthumous] judgment, they first say, 'Did you set time for Torah? Did you analyze with wisdom? Did you understand one thing from another?'"

(Rambam, Moreh haNevuchim 3:54)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Understand the mitzvah!

Hi,

"The deeds of a person who does not understand the mitzvot and teachings of Gd are not dedicated to the Name of Gd. Since he does not understand the ways of service in the roots of the teachings, he certainly will not understand how they can become complete, in dedicating his heart to Gd while performing them. His every deed of service will be intended for something other than Gd, for he will be as though he was uncertain in the truth of his obligation, not knowing what dedication of is heart in performing them for Gd will require. As our sages said, 'The boor cannot be afraid of sinning, and an unlearned person cannot be pious.'"

(Rabbeinu Bachya, Chovot haLevavot, Shaar Yichud haMaaseh 4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

One view on Philosophy

Hi,

"The essential goal and completeness is in serving Gd in total simplicity, without any wisdoms at all. For there are investigators who say that the essential goal [of existence], and Olam haBa, are in knowing a thing's nature, such as knowing a star – its essence, and why it occupies its location… And they waste their days in this world on this subject, investigating and grasping ideas which are, to them, the goal. This is Olam haBa, in their view; in this world they are clothed in a body and so they do not experience such great pleasure from their investigations, but in Olam haBa, when they are freed of the body, then they will experience great pleasure from it. 

"Within their poor understanding, the essential achievement of the goal is via their investigations and external wisdoms. But in truth, for us, the essential achievement of the goal is only via belief and practical mitzvot, serving Gd according to the Torah in simplicity… Know that it is not as they think, Gd forbid, for then very few people – intellecual elites, philosophers - could achieve the goal! What should those of lesser value, who lack this intellect, do?... This is the meaning of, 'At the end of the matter, all has been heard. Revere Gd, and guard His mitzvot, for this is the entirety of a person.'

"In truth, investigation, Gd forbid, and learning the books of wisdoms, Gd forbid, is strongly prohibited. Only an extremely great tzadik can introduce himself to this study of the seven wisdoms, for who enters these wisdoms, Gd forbid, could fall there…"

(In the name of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Moharan Tinyana, Torah 19)

Have a good day,

Mordechai

The Tenth of Av

Hi, 

Although the prohibitions of Tisha b’Av end with Tisha b’Av, the practices of the Nine Days – refraining from meat and wine, not bathing for pleasure, not laundering or wearing fresh clean clothing and not attending celebrations – continue until midday the next day. 

This is because we are taught that the Beit haMikdash (Temple) burned until midday on the Tenth of Av. 

[Note that there is an exception to this rule: As we have discussed, when Tisha b'Av occurs on a Saturday night and Sunday, Havdalah after Tisha b'Av is done with wine/grape juice.] 

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 558:1; Mishneh Berurah 558:3) 

המצפה לישועה, 
Mordechai

Tisha b'Av

For Tisha b'Av, observed this Monday night and Tuesday:

"Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: One who eats and drinks on Tisha b'Av is as though he had done so on Yom Kippur.

"Rabbi Akiva said: One who goes to work on Tisha b'Av will not see any sign of blessing from it.

"The sages said: One who goes to work on Tisha b'Av and does not mourn for Jerusalem will not merit to see its celebration, as it is written, 'Rejoice with Jerusalem and celebrate in it, all who love it! Rejoice in it, all who mourn for it.'

"Based on this, our sages taught: One who mourns for Jerusalem will merit to see its joy; one who does not mourn for Jerusalem will not see its joy."

(Talmud, Taanit 30b)

המצפה לשועה,
Mordechai

Love for the land of Israel

Hi,

"Rabbi Yosi ben Chanina would kiss the rocks of Akko, saying, 'To this point is the land of Israel.' Rabbi Zeira crossed the Jordan River in his clothing. Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba rolled in the forest [some render: market] of Tiberias.

"Rabbi Chiyya Rabbah weighed the stones [repairing any areas where people might stumble].  Rabbi Chananiah weighed the clumps of earth. They fulfiled Tehillim 112:15, 'For Your servants have desired her stones, and favour her dust.'"

(Talmud Yerushalmi Sheviit 4:7)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai