Experiencing Gd

Hi,

"If we speak of experiencing Gd, and if by this we understand the ecstatic encounter of a man quivering with passion and tenseness, then one cannot consider the ethical or noetical act as capable of engendering such an experience. For the ethical and the cognitive, the rendezvous with the Creator is a quiet sedate one. There is, in fact, no actual meeting. A real encounter is never achieved by the scientist or the ethicist. For them, there is only, if we may use a metaphor of Yehudah Halevi, an exchange of epistles; the contact is established in an impersonal way, through correspondence. The medium through which this type of contact is attained is the natural law and moral norm.

"Only the aesthetic experience, if linked with the idea of the exalted, may bring man directly into contact with Gd, living, personal, and intimate. Only through coming in contact with the beautiful and exalted may one apprehend Gd instead of comprehending Him, feel the embrace of the Creator, and the warm breath of infinity hovering over a finite creation. The reason for immediacy and impact implicit in the aesthetic experience is its sensuous character."

(Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, Exaltation of Gd and Redeeming the Aesthetic, Worship of the Heart pg. 59)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Alone with G-d

Hi,

"Hitbodedut is a great level, surpassing everything else. This means to set aside at least an hour every day to be alone in a room or a field and to speak with one’s Creator, explaining oneself, appeasing, and supplicating Him to bring oneself close to true divine service. And this prayer and discussion should be held in the vernacular, i.e. Yiddish… for it is hard for us to speak in Hebrew, which we are not used to… But in Yiddish, which we are accustomed to, it is easier to express oneself… One should express all that is in one’s heart before G-d: regret and teshuva regarding the past and supplications to draw close to G-d… It is important to practice this every day at an appointed time and the rest of the day is to be joyous. And this practice is very great and constitutes an excellent method for drawing close to G-d… for everyone can do this and in doing so one will reach a great level. Happy is he who follows this."

(Rabbi Nachman of Breslav, Likutei Moharan II 25, translated by Zvi Leshem, Tradition 47:3 (2014))

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The human responsibility to pursue justice

Hi,

In the seventh chapter of Yehoshua, a Jew has sinned, harming the nation as a whole. Gd does not tell Yehoshua who has sinned; He leaves it for Yehoshua to figure it out. Why?

"The obligation of exposing evil is placed upon Yehoshua, not upon Gd. Although in this situation, had Gd spoken first, then bloodshed would have been avoided, Gd does not remove the responsibility of clarifying truth from Man, and Gd does not become a 'tale-bearer'. It is part of the 'Divine image' in Man, and part of the obligation placed upon him to clarify what has happened. Until he does this, the price will be very high."

(Rabbi Yuval Sherlo, http://shut.moreshet.co.il/shut2.asp?id=73507)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Starting fresh with Gd!

Hi,

“This may be compared to a nation which needs to appease its king. When the king arrives within ten mil, the leaders come out and praise him, and he forgives one third of their burden. When the king arrives within five mil, the average people come out and praise him, and he forgives another third. When he enters the land, everyone – men, women, children – comes out and praised him, and he forgives everything. He says to them: What’s gone is gone; from here we will begin a new accounting.

“So on the eve of Rosh haShanah the leaders fast and Gd forgives one-third of their sins, and from Rosh haShanah to Yom Kippur individuals fast and Gd forgives one-third of their sins, and on Yom Kippur all of them – men, women and children – fast, and Gd says to them: What’s gone is gone; from here we will begin a new accounting.

“From Yom Kippur to Succot all of Israel is involved in mitzvot – this one with his Succah, this one with his Lulav – and on the first day of Succot all of Israel stands before Gd with their lulavim and etrogim in Gd’s Name, and Gd says to them: What’s gone is gone; from here we will begin a new accounting.

“This is what Moshe meant when he told the Jews, ‘You shall take [the four species] for yourselves on the first day.’”

(Midrash, Vayyikra Rabbah 30)

Chag sameach,
Mordechai

Gd supports the sinner as he sins

Hi,

"A person never sinned against Gd without Gd simultaneously supplying his very existence and the movement of his limbs. Even though the person sins with that strength, Gd does not withhold it from him, at all."

(Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, Tomer Devorah 1:1)

גמר חתימה טובה,

Mordechai

Don't flatter Gd

Hi,

"Daniel said [when addressing Gd in prayer], "The powerful, the great, the awesome," but he did not include [the standard Mosaic text], "the mighty." His children are in chains, where is His might?... 

"But is flesh and blood empowered to make such decisions?! Rabbi Yitzchak ben Elazar said: His prophets know that their Gd is a Gd of truth, and so they do not flatter Him."

(Talmud Yerushalmi Berachot 7:3)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

At cross-purposes with G-d?

Hi,

The following midrash (which is based on the language of Bereishit 6:18) raises interesting philosophical problems:

"When the world is suffering and destroyed, one may not procreate, so as not to build while Gd is involved in destroying the world."

(Midrash Tanchuma Noach 11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

G-d weighs our speech

Hi,

"Every word of prayer that a person produces from his mouth ascends upward and pierces heavens and enters the place above. There it is evaluated as to whether it is good or not; if it is good then it ascends before the Holy King, to do its will. If not, it is moved outside…"

(Zohar, Metzora pg. 55a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Shabbat: Acknowledging Divine authority

Hi,

"How, above all, does man show his domination over the earth? In that he can fashion all things in his environment to his own purpose... He can transform everything into an instrument of human service. He is allowed to rule over the world for six days with Gd's will. On the seventh day, however, he is forbidden by Divine behest to fashion anything for his own purpose. In this way he acknowledges that he has no rights of ownership or authority over the world... On each Sabbath day, the world, so to speak, is restored to Gd."

(Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb 141)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The language of a blessing

Hi,

Introduction: Blessings recited before performing a mitzvah traditionally begin, "Blessed are You... who sanctified us and commanded us to..." We switch from the first-person "You" to the third-person description of G-d "who sanctified us and commanded us." Why?

"Each blessing has both the direct 'Blessed are You' and the indirect 'Who sanctified us' because G-d is both revealed and hidden."

(Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 46:1)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Life should not be divided

Hi,

"Our Sages regarded it as their duty not only to call us from the turmoil of life to a gathering to Gd but to approach us in life itself in order to make vivid for us the thought of Gd in life and to help us towards an active life in the service of Gd…

"The thoughts of Gd acquired in the Divine inner worship must be held on to firmly in active life, so that life be not divided for us into hours of prayer and hours of activity, standing before Gd in the former but in the latter not walking before Him. What would the Divine inward worship be worth if it did not return us to active life in a holier, stronger, more Gd-filled state, and if it did not transform our whole life into Divine service?"

(Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb 672-673)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Which is greater?

Hi,

"Rabbi Chanina said: One who is commanded and acts is greater than one who is not commanded and acts."

אמר ר' חנינא: גדול מצווה ועושה ממי שאינו מצווה ועושה. 

(Talmud, Kiddushin 31a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Who owns a human life?

Hi,

[The following passage is meant to explain why self-incriminating testimony in a beit din (Jewish court) is accepted in financial matters, but not in matters which could lead to physical punishment by the beit din.]

"One might give some explanation thus: A person's life is not his property; it is the property of Gd, as Yechezkel 18:4 says, 'The souls are Mine.' Therefore, one's admission regarding something that is not his cannot be effective. [This is even true if the admission would lead not to death but only to lashes, for] lashes are a partial death.

"However, one's property is his own, and so we say that a litigant's admission is [valid] like the testimony of 100 witnesses."

ואפשר לתת קצת טעם לפי שאין נפשו של אדם קניינו אלא קנין הקב"ה שנאמר "הנפשות לי הנה" (יחזקאל י"ח) הילכך לא תועיל הודאתו בדבר שאינו שלו, ומלקות פלגא דמיתה הוא. אבל ממונו הוא שלו ומש"ה אמרינן הודאת בעל דין כמאה עדים דמי. 

(Radbaz to Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Sanhedrin 18:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Walking with Gd

^Hi,

"Noach walked with Gd"

Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nechemiah [debated]:

• Rabbi Yehudah said:
• This may be compared to a noble who had two children, one older and one younger. He told the younger, "Walk with me," and he told the older, "Come walk before me."
• Avraham was strong, "Walk before Me and be complete." Noah was weak, "Noah walked with Gd."
• Rabbi Nechemiah said:
• This may be compared to the king's friend, who was sinking in thick clay. The king spotted him and said, "Rather than sink in clay, walk with me!" So it is written, "Noah walked with Gd."
• To what may Avraham be compared? To a king's friend, who saw the king walking in dark streets. The friend spotted this and began illuminating the path, from his window. The king looked and saw him and said, "Rather than shine for me from a window, come shine before me!" So Gd said to Avraham, "Rather than shine for Me in Mesopotamia and her surroundings, come shine before Me in Israel!"

^יאת האלקים התהלך נח

רבי יהודה ורבי נחמיה:

• רבי יהודה אמר:
• משל לשר שהיו לו שני בנים א' גדול וא' קטן, אמר לקטן "הלך עמי" ואמר לגדול "בא והלך לפני"
• כך אברהם שהיה כחו יפה "התהלך לפני והיה תמים", אבל נח שהיה כחו רע "את האלקים התהלך נח"
• רבי נחמיה אמר:
• משל לאוהבו של מלך שהיה משתקע בטיט עבה, הציץ המלך וראה אותו, אמר ליה "עד שאתה משתקע בטיט הלך עמי", הדא הוא דכתיב "את האלקים התהלך נח".
• ולמה אברהם דומה? לאוהבו של מלך, שראה את המלך מהלך במבואות האפלים, הציץ אוהבו והתחיל מאיר עליו דרך החלון, הציץ המלך וראה אותו, אמר לו "עד שאתה מאיר לי דרך חלון, בא והאיר לפני." כך אמר הקב"ה לאברהם "עד שתהא מאיר לי מאספוטמיא ומחברותיה, בא והאיר לפני בארץ ישראל!"

 (Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 30:10)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Is G-d a doctor?

Hi,

"Rabbi Yehudah bar R' Chiyya taught: See that Gd's traits are not like human traits. When a human prescribes a drug for another human, the drug will be beneficial for one part but harmful for another. Gd gave the Torah to the Jews, though, and it is beneficial for the entire body, as it is written [Proverbs 1], 'It is a healing for his entire flesh.'"

(Talmud, Eruvin 54a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Even at our nadir

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish taught: When a person has a relative, if that relative is wealthy he admits their connection, if that person is needy then he denies their connection.

"Gd, though, is not that way; even when we are at our nadir, He calls us His brothers and friends, as it is written, 'On behalf of My brothers and friends (Psalms).'"

רבי שמעון בן לקיש אמר בשר ודם יש לו קרוב אם היה עשיר הוא מודה בו ואם היה עני כופר בו אבל הקדוש ברוך הוא אינו כן אלא אפילו ישראל נתונין בירידה התחתונה הוא קורא אותם אחי וריעי

(Talmud Yerushalmi, Berachot 9:1)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Shemini Atzeret: Stay just a little bit longer!

Hi,

Regarding the meaning of the holiday of Shmini Atzeret, which is celebrated this coming Wednesday night and Thursday:

"I have kept you with Me, like a king who invites his children for a feast which lasts for a certain number of days, and then asks, 'Please stay with me an extra day, your departure pains me,' when they prepare to leave."

עצרתי אתכם אצלי כמלך שזימן את בניו לסעודה לכך וכך ימים, כיון שהגיע זמנן להפטר אמר בני בבקשה מכם, עכבו עמי עוד יום אחד, קשה עלי פרידתכם 

(Rashi to Vayikra 23:36, citing a Midrash - you might also click on the "Shemini Atzeret" label to see other posts regarding the meaning of this day)

מועדים לשמחה,
Mordechai

My Shadow and me?

Hi,

"Tehillim 121:5 says, 'Gd is your shadow.' Just as when you cry your shadow cries opposite you, and just as when you laugh your shadow laughs opposite you, so Gd is as a shadow."

ד' צלך מה הצל הזה כשאתה בוכה הוא בוכה נגדך, ואם אתה שוחק, משחק נגדך, כך הקב"ה הוא כבחינת הצל

(Midrash cited by Shelah in Toldot Adam, Shaar haGadol, as cited in Or haMeir [R' Zev Wolf haLevi] to Parshat Netzavim)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Gd doesn't teach you Torah

Hi,

[The daily berachot recited before studying Torah – ברכות התורה – include a paragraph which ends by blessing Gd, "who teaches Torah to His nation, Israel." Here, Rambam opposes that text.]

"One who concludes the blessing, 'who teaches Torah', is mistaken. Gd does not teach it to us; rather, He instructed us to learn it and teach it. This is built on a fundamental principle of our faith, that performing mitzvot is in our hands, and Gd does not compel us to perform them or abandon them."

מי שחותם בהמלמד תורה, הוא טועה, לפי שהאלוקים אינו מלמדנו אותה, אלא צוונו ללומדה וללמדה, וזה בנוי על עיקר דתנו, והוא שעשיית המצוות (היא) בידינו, לא בהכרח מן האלהים לעשותן או להניחן.

(Responsum of Rambam #182)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Gd helps people remain righteous

Hi,

"Gd will not allow sin to be caused by the animals of the righteous [much less the righteous themselves]!"

(Talmud, Chullin 6a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai