The motive of Shimon and Levi in Shechem

Hi,

What motivated Shimon and Levi to destroy the city of Shechem, as opposed to just taking back their imprisoned sister Dinah?

"The lord would never have allowed himself to act as he did were it not a queston of a foreign, forsaken Jew-girl. That was the thought that brought home to the minds of Simeon and Levi that there are times when the Family of Jacob too must grasp the sword... They had no desire to act prudently. They wanted to make themselves feared so that nobody would attempt anything similar. The daughters of Jacob were not to be considered as being at anybody's disposal. But nevertheless they went too far, to take revenge on innocent people for that which powerful ones had done."

(Commentary of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch to Bereishit 34:25)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Mordechai learned from Yaakov, Yosef and Daniel

Hi,

"[When considering whether to warn wicked Achashverosh regarding the plot against his life, Mordechai said:] 

"Yaakov blessed Pharaoh as in Bereishit 47:7, 'And Yaakov blessed Pharaoh'.

"Yosef revealed the future to Pharaoh.

"Daniel revealed the future to Nevuchadnezzar. 

"I will do likewise.  And so Esther 2:22 says, 'And he told Queen Esther.'"

אמר: יעקב בירך את פרעה שנאמר (בראשית מז) ויברך יעקב את פרעה, יוסף גילה לו, דניאל גילה לנבוכדנצר אף אני כן (אסתר ב) ויגד לאסתר המלכה 

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 39:12)

Purim sameach,

Mordechai

Concealing our Jewish identity

Hi,

"In earlier times, when each nation wore a unique national costume, if a Jew altered his garb to the nation's garb it was because he did not want to identify with the Jewish nation, lest people recognize him as a Jew. This is prohibited. However, today we wear the same garb [as others] because the concept of "national costume" has vanished. Therefore, a Jew today wears short garb without intending to avoid identifying with Jews. 

"However, a Jew may not be ashamed of his Jewishness and conceal it; this was the case of the karvalta, a Jew who was ashamed of his Jewishness. Although in his home he acted like the finest Jew, like a loyal Jew, outside he was ashamed of it."

בתקופות קדומות בזמן שכל אומה ואומה לבשה מלבושים לאומיים ומיוחדים, אם יהודי שינה את מלבושו למלבוש של האומה היתה סיבתו שלא רצה להזדהות עם כלל ישראל, שלא יכירו אותו בתור יהודי, וזה אסור. אבל היום שכולנו לובשים אותם הבגדים הוא מפני שכבר נעלם המושג של בגדים לאומיים. לכן יהודי שלובש מלבוש קצר אין כוונתו שלא רוצה להזדהות עם היהודים.

רק, אסור ליהודי להתבייש ביהדותו ולהסתירה, כי זה היה המעשה של ״כרבלתא״, הוא יהודי שמתבייש מיהדותו אף שבביתו הוא מתנהג כיהודי הכי יפה, וכיהודי נאמן, רק שמבחוץ הוא מתבייש עם זה.

(Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, cited in HaDarom 61, pg. 46-50)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Abbaye's peace plan

Hi,

"Abbaye was wont to say: One should always be clever in [developing] reverence [for Gd]; a soft response dispels rage; one should increase peace with his brothers, relatives and all people, including a non-Jew in the market, to be beloved above and pleasant below, and he will be accepted by people."

מרגלא בפומיה דאביי: לעולם יהא אדם ערום ביראה, מענה רך משיב חמה ומרבה שלום עם אחיו ועם קרוביו ועם כל אדם, ואפילו עם נכרי בשוק, כדי שיהא אהוב למעלה ונחמד למטה, ויהא מקובל על הבריות. 

(Talmud, Berachot 17a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Be honest!

Hi,

"One who interacts with a Jew or a non-Jewish idolator, measuring or weighing dishonestly, violates a prohibition and is obligated to refund the money. Similarly, one may not trick a non-Jew in accounting; one must be precise..."

אחד הנושא ונותן עם ישראל או עם הגוי עובד עבודה זרה אם מדד או שקל בחסר עובר בלא תעשה וחייב להחזיר, וכן אסור להטעות את הגוי בחשבון אלא ידקדק עמו... 

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Theft 7:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Was Esav Sincere?

Hi,

"‘And he kissed him (Bereishit 33:4)’ has dots atop it, for Esav did not kiss Yaakov with all of his heart.

"R’ Shimon bar Yochai said: It is established halachah that Esav hates Yaakov, but his mercies were reversed at that moment, and he kissed Yaakov with all of his heart."

(Midrash, Sifri Behaalotcha 69)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Proceed with caution

Hi,

"And Esav said to him, "I will go forth with you." He wished to escort Yaakov, but Yaakov did not accept him. When our master went to the government, he would study this portion and not take an Aramean with him. Once he did not study it and he took Arameans with him, and he did not reach Akko before he sold his horse."

(Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 78:15)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why did the Torah begin with Creation? Part 3 of 3

Hi,

(continued from yesterday)

"R' Yitzchak explained that the Torah began with "In the beginning, Gd created," and the story of Creation until the creation of Man.

"Gd gave him control of His creations and put everything under his feet, and the Garden of Eden, the choicest of places created in this world, was the place Man would rest until his sin chased him out. The generation of the Flood was chased out of the world entirely due to their sins, and the righteous one among them escaped with his children. The sins of their descendants caused Gd to scatter them, and they took places for their families and nations as occurred for them.

"If so, then it is appropriate that a nation which continues to sin should lose its place, and another nation should come to take its land, for this has been the law of Gd in the land, forever…

"And their language in Bereishit Rabbah provides this explanation…"

(Ramban to Bereishit 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why did the Torah begin with Creation? Part 2

Hi,

[Continued from two posts ago]

"R' Yitzchak said: The Torah did not need to begin other than from "This month is, for you, the first…," the first mitzvah in which the Jews were instructed. Why did it begin with Bereishit? Because, "He told His nation the power of His deeds, to give them the portions of nations."

"Lest the nations say to the Jews, "You are a nation of bandits, for you conquered the lands of the seven nations," they could respond, "All of the land belongs to Gd. He created it and gave it to the one who was righteous in His eyes. At His will He gave it to them, and at His will He took it from them and gave it to us.""

(Rashi to Bereishit 1:1)

To be continued...

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why did the Torah begin with Creation? Part 1

Hi,

"R' Yehoshua of Sichnin began, citing R' Levi: "He told His nation the power of His deeds. (Tehillim 111:6)" Why did Gd reveal to Israel that which was created on Day 1 and that which was created on Day 2?

"Because of the idolaters, lest they oppress Israel, saying, "You are a nation of despoilers!" Israel could respond to them and say, "What about you? It is despoiled by you, for 'Caphtorim who departed from Caphtor destroyed them and settled in their place! (Devarim 2:22)' All of it belongs to Gd; when Gd wished, he gave it to you, and when He wished, He took it from you and gave it to us."

"Thus it is written, "To give them the portions of nations." Thus He told them of all of the generations."

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 1:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Isolation

Hi,

Bereishit 33:12-16 says:
And Esav said: Let us travel and go, and I will go alongside you.
And Jacob replied: My master knows that the children are soft and my sheep and cattle are nursing their young; if they would hasten one day, all of the sheep would die. Let my master pass before his servant; I will travel at my slow pace, according to the task before me and according to the needs of the children, until I will meet my master in Se'ir.
And Esav said: I will delegate to you some of the nation who are with me.
And Jacob replied: Why would this find favour in the eyes of my master?
And Esav returned that day to his path, to Se'ir.

To which R' Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin (Netziv) commented:

"Esav understood from this that Yaakov's loving company with him was only due to temporary need, and that the idea of companionship with him and his men in general was not pleasing to him, and that Yaakov's eye was really toward dwelling securely, alone."

(Haamek Davar to Bereishit 33:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The nature of the Jew

Hi,

"For from the tops of boulders I see him, and from hills I espy him. He is a people who dwells alone, and who will not be numbered among the nations."

(Bamidbar 23:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

What happens when we sin

Hi,

"R' Yehoshua ben Levi said: Were the nations to know that they are struck due to Israel's sins, they would appoint two officers for each Jew to make certain he kept the Torah and did not sin!"

(Midrash Tanchuma Bechukotai 2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Food for thought on July Fourth

Hi,

"Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Shimon were sitting together, with Yehudah ben Gerim. Rabbi Yehudah began to speak: 'How fine are the deeds of this [Roman] nation! They established markets, they built bridges, they built bathhouses!'

"Rabbi Yosi was silent.

"Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai replied: 'All that they built, they built only for their own needs. They established markets to make a place for women of ill repute; they built bathhouses to pamper themselves; they built bridges from which to collect taxes.'

"Yehudah ben Gerim reported their words, and the report was heard by the government. They said: [Rabbi] Yehudah who praised should be elevated; [Rabbi] Yosi who was silent should be exiled; [Rabbi] Shimon who insulted should be executed."

(Talmud, Shabbat 33b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A horror - but this was their reality

Hi,

[Note: This story also appears in sources from the 13th century; I am using the later source because it's one I have at hand.]

"Once, [during the Crusades,] a rabbi slaughtered many children because he was afraid the invading enemy would make them leave their religion. Another rabbi present was angry at him and called him a murderer, but he did not listen.

"The opposing rabbi declared, “If I am correct, may that rabbi be killed in an abnormal way!” And so it happened; the non-Jews caught him, flayed his skin and placed sand between the flesh and the skin. The decree [of shmad] was then nullified, and it is possible that the children would have been saved and not killed, had he not slaughtered them."

(Rav Yosef Caro, Beit Yosef Yoreh Deah 157)

Be well,
Mordechai

Shemini Atzeret, the Jews and the Nations

Hi,

“’On the eighth day, you shall have a celebration’ – This is the meaning of Tehillim 109:4, ‘In return for my love they hate me, but I am entirely prayer.’

“On Succot Israel brings before You seventy bulls for the seventy nations. Israel declares: Master of the Universe, we bring before You seventy bulls for the nations, and they should love us, but instead they hate us – In return for my love, they hate me!

“Therefore, Gd said to them: Now bring for yourselves. ‘On the eighth day you shall have a celebration for yourselves…’"

(Midrash, Bamidbar Rabbah 21:24)

Moadim l'simchah,
Mordechai

Our approach to the world

Hi,

This is a re-run, but I use it today for the Fourth of July:

"Our approach to and relationship with the outside world has always been of an ambivalent character, intrinsically antithetic, bordering at times on the paradoxical. We relate ourselves to and at the same time withdraw from, we come close to and simultaneously retreat from the world of Esau. When the process of coming nearer and nearer is almost consummated, we immediately begin to retreat quickly into seclusion. We cooperate with the members of other faith communities in all fields of constructive human endeavor, but, simultaneously with our integration into the general social framework, we engage in a movement of recoil and retrace our steps. In a word, we belong to the human society and, at the same time, we feel as strangers and outsiders."

(Rav Yosef Dov Soloveichik, Confrontation, 1964)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Confrontation

Hi,

"Our approach to and relationship with the outside world has always been of an ambivalent character, intrinsically antithetic, bordering at times on the paradoxical. We relate ourselves to and at the same time withdraw from, we come close to and simultaneously retreat from the world of Esau. When the process of coming nearer and nearer is almost consummated, we immediately begin to retreat quickly into seclusion. We cooperate with the members of other faith communities in all fields of constructive human endeavor, but, simultaneously with our integration into the general social framework, we engage in a movement of recoil and retrace our steps. In a word, we belong to the human society and, at the same time, we feel as strangers and outsiders."

(Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitichik, Confrontation [Tradition, 1964])

Have a great day,
Mordechai