A benefit of international strife

Hi,

"Doubtless, the few righteous people of those generations benefited from the division of the nations and empires. When a nation in one empire oppressed them, they wandered to another land where they could worship Gd as they wished, as happens for us in our exile today. When forced assimilation was renewed in the Land of Ishmael, their refugees fled to another land, and from there to Yishmael. This provides some life in the time of our troubles and enslavement."

אין ספק כי אותם הצדיקים אשר היו יחידים בדורות ההם היה להם חילוק האומות והממשלות לטוב ולתועלת, כי כאשר תצר להם האומה באיזה מלכות, ישוטטו אל ארץ אחרת שיוכלו שם לעבוד השם יתברך כרצונם, כאשר קורה לנו בגלותנו היום, כי כאשר נתחדש שמד בארץ ישמעאל ינוסו פליטיהם אל ארץ אחרת, ומשם לישמעאל, וזה אצלנו מחיה מעט בעת צרותינו ועבדותנו 

(Rabbeinu Nisim, Derashot haRan 1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Betzalel's Destiny

Hi,

"Moshe said: To whom shall I instruct? Gd said, 'I will show you.' 

"What did Gd do? He brought the book of Adam [see Bereishit 5:1 and Bereishit Rabbah 24:2] and showed Moshe all of the generations which would arise from the beginning until the Resurrection of the Dead, each generation and its kings, each generation and its leaders, each generation and its prophets. He told Moshe: I established each from that initial moment, and I established Betzalel, too, from that moment. This is the meaning of, 'See, I have called the name of Betzalel.'"

אמר משה למי אומר אמר לו אני מראה לך, ומה עשה הקב"ה הביא לו ספרו של אדם הראשון והראה לו כל הדורות שהן עתידין לעמוד מבראשית עד תחיית המתים, דור ודור ומלכיו, דור ודור ומנהיגיו, דור ודור ונביאיו, אמר לו כל אחד ואחד התקנתיו מאותה שעה, וכן בצלאל מאותה שעה התקנתיו, הוי ראה קראתי בשם בצלאל. 

(Midrash, Shemot Rabbah 40:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Three grave sins

Hi,

"Rabbi Avahu said: The [Heavenly] curtains do not hide three sins [from Divine sight]: Oppression, theft, and idolatry."

אמר רבי אבהו: שלשה אין הפרגוד ננעל בפניהם: אונאה, וגזל, ועבודה זרה... 

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 59a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

You will be protected

Hi,

Regarding Daniel 3, and the Divine rescue of Chananiah, Mishael and Azariah from the fiery furnace, after they refused to bow to King Nevuchadnezzar's statue:

"This story is also a lesson for the nation in their exile, under the decrees and destruction the kings of the nations issue in their lands, among their nations, and amid the great dangers they bear in exile, like a burning, fiery furnace, to let them know that the malach of Gd will never leave them, and Gd's supervision will not abandon them."

(Don Isaac Abarbanel, Maayanei haYeshuah, Maayan 6 Tamar 3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Adar is here!

Hi,

Since Monday is the 1st of Adar:

"When the month of Adar enters, we increase our joy!"

(Talmud, Taanit 29a)

Adar represents joyous redemption, born unexpectedly out of the depths of despair - even though it has been building for a long time, with a Divine plan.

Have a great month,
Mordechai

The eternal house of King David

Hi,

"Part of Divine supervision of the [Jewish] nation is that when her king and officers are exiled among the nations and humbled, those who come from the seed of David will always have stature and honour over other Jews, and some authority and leadership over them. If, in exile, you see families with lineage who have continuous wealth and honour, know that they are of the shoot of Yishai and they come from the seed of David. Regarding this the elder [Yaakov] prophesied, 'The sceptre shall not leave Yehudah.'"

(Don Isaac Abarbanel, Maayanei haYeshuah, Maayan 5 Tamar 2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Leadership is Divine

Hi, [Divrei haYamim I 29:11 describes Gd as] 'The One who raises every leader.' "Rav Chanan bar Rava said, citing Rav: Every leader is established only by Divine order, even the person in charge of irrigation rights." (Talmud, Bava Batra 91b) Have a great day, Mordechai

The well-digger's daughter

Hi,

"It was taught: The daughter of Nechunyah, the public well-digger, once fell into a big pit. They came and told Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. At first he said, 'It's fine.' Later he said, 'It's fine.' Still later he said, 'She has ascended.'

"They asked her, 'How did you get out?!' She responded, 'An elderly man leading a ram came to me.'

"They said to Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa: You are a prophet! He replied: Iam not a prophet and I am not the son of a prophet. I simply said, 'This righteous man took great pains over the mitzvah [of digging wells], can it be that his children will be hurt by them?!'"

(Talmud, Bava Kama 50a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

If you catch cold, it's your fault

Hi,

"Rabbi Chanina said: All is in the hands of Heaven except chills and fevers, as it is written (Proverbs 22:5), 'Chills and fevers are in the path of the fool; one who guards his life will distance himself from them.'"

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 107b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

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 source of all wealth

Hi,

"R' Meir said: One should teach his child a clean, easy craft, and pray to the One who owns all wealth and assets, for poverty and wealth are not a result of a particular trade but are sent by the One who owns all wealth."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 82b)

גמר חתימה טובה,
Mordechai

Poverty may be a need, too

Hi,

"Rabbi Zusia of Anipoli lived in abject poverty. Someone asked him, 'How can you be sincere in reciting the blessing thanking Gd for giving you all your needs when you lack so much?'

"Rabbi Zusia replied, 'Gd knows what my needs are better than I do. If He knows that one of my needs is poverty, who am I to say otherwise?"

(R' Dr. Avraham Twerski, Rebbes and Chassidim, Chapter 38)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

As Gd is a witness

Hi,

Gd watches us:

"How do we know that Gd is termed a ‘witness’? As it is written, ‘And I will draw close to you for justice, and I will be a hastening witness, (Malachi 3)’ ‘And I know and testify, this is the word of Gd, (Yirmiyah 29)’ and, ‘And HaShem Elokim will be a witness upon you, from His holy sanctum. (Michah 1)’"

(Midrash, Sifri Devarim 306)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Put your fingers in your ears

Hi,

“Why are a person’s fingers like pegs… meaning, why are they smoothed, like pegs? So that one who hears inappropriate speech will be able to place his fingers in his ears.”

(Talmud, Ketuvot 5b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Who controls the heart of the king?

Hi,

"It is written [Mishlei 21:1], 'The heart of a king is like streams of water in Divine control; wherever He chooses, He will incline it.'

"Rabbi Yishmael explained: 'Streams of water in the hand of Gd' because just as when you place water in a vessel you can incline it to any side you choose, so when flesh and blood ascend to the throne, his heart is put in Divine control. If the world merits then Gd inclines the king's heart toward positive decrees, but if the world is guilty then Gd inclines it toward bad decrees. Every decree he produces first emerges from Gd. This it says, 'Wherever He chooses, He will incline it.'"

(Midrash, Midrash Mishlei 21)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Gratitude to Gd

Hi,

“Rav Yosef taught: What does Isaiah 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?'

“This passage 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 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

Gd says, "Grow!"

Hi,

"Rabbi Simon said: Every single grass has a force in the heavens which strikes it and says, ‘Grow!’"

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 10:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Intricacies of a Divine Plan

Hi,

“Rav Hemnuna said: What is the meaning of ‘Who is like the sage, and who knows the solution of a matter (Kohelet 8)?’

“It means: Who is like Gd, who knows how to produce a compromise between two righteous people: Chizkiyahu and Yeshayahu.

“Chizkiyahu said, ‘Yeshayahu should come to me, as Eliyahu went to Achav.’ Yeshayahu said, ‘Chizkiyahu should come to me, as Yehoram ben Achav went to Elisha.’ What did Gd do? He made Chizkiyahu suffer illness, and He told Yeshayahu (Melachim II 20, Yeshayah 38), ‘Go examine the sick.’”

(Talmud, Berachot 10a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The sweetness of Divine aid

Hi,

Regarding the dove which Noah sent from the Ark, which returned with an olive leaf in its mouth:

"R’ Yirmiyah ben Elazar said: It is written, 'Behold, an olive leaf was torn in her mouth' – The dove said before Gd, 'Master of the Universe! May my food be bitter like an olive and from Your hand, and not sweet like honey and dependent upon flesh and blood.'"

(Talmud, Eruvin 18b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Rain and Pre-destination

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: When we merit, rain falls on the plants and trees and seeds, and the world is blessed. When we sin, rain falls in seas and rivers. In any case, the quantity of rain will always be as dictated by Gd."

(Midrash Tanchuma, Miketz 1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai