"The Book of the Righteous"

Hi,

"Shemuel II 1:18 says, 'And [King David] said to teach the Judeans the bow; this is recorded in Sefer haYashar [The Book of the Righteous].' What is Sefer haYashar?

"Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba cited Rabbi Yochanan: This is the book of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, who are called righteous [yesharim], as in Bamidbar 23:10, [when Bilam said:] "'May my death be that of the righteous [yesharim].'...

"Rabbi Eliezer said: This is Mishneh Torah [Devarim]. Why is it called Sefer haYashar? Devarim 6:18 says, 'You shall perform that which is righteous [yashar] and good.'...

"Rabbi Shemuel bar Nachmeni said: This is the Book of Shoftim [Judges]. Why is it called Sefer haYashar? Shoftim 17:6 says, 'In those days there was no king in Israel; one would do that which was righteous [yashar] in his eyes.'..."

(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 25a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Add to your amidah

Hi,

"Rav Yehudah son of Rav Shemuel bar Shelat cited Rav: Although they have said that one may make all of his requests in the blessing of 'He who hears prayer', one who wishes to add at the end of each blessing in keeping with its theme may do so.

"Rabbi Chiya bar Ashi cited Rav: Although they have said that one may make all of his requests in the blessing of 'He who hears prayer', one who has an ill person in his home may mention it in the blessing for the sick, and one who needs parnasah may mention it in the blessing of the years.

"Rabbi Chiya bar Ashi cited Rav: Although they have said that one may make all of his requests in the blessing of 'He who hears prayer', one who wishes to recite more after his prayer may even add a prayer like that of Yom Kippur."

(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 8a)

המצפה לישועה,

Mordechai

Causing others to stumble

Hi,

"Rabbi Natan said: How do we know that one may not extend a cup of wine to a nazir, or flesh taken from a live animal to a non-Jew [as these people are forbidden from eating such items]? 'Do not put a stumbling block before the blind.'"

אמר רבי נתן: מנין שלא יושיט אדם כוס של יין לנזיר, ואבר מן החי לבני נח? ת"ל: ולפני עור לא תתן מכשול 

(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 6b)

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

Divine outrage at idolatry

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 at 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 dangers of mockery

Hi,

"Rava said to the sages: I beg of you, do not mock, lest suffering come upon you.

"Rav Ketina said: One who mocks will have his sustenance reduced, as it is written, 'He drew His hand from [supporting] mockers.'"

(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 18b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

One Mentor or Many Mentors? (Part III)

Hi,

The concluding passage in this series:

"Rav Chisda told the Sages: I wish to tell you something, but I worry that you will then abandon me! One who learns Torah from a single mentor will never see a sign of blessing.

"They abandoned him and went to learn before Rava.

"Rav Chisda then told them: This is only for logic, but for gemara [absorption of core text] it is better to learn from one mentor, so that he will not have conflicting texts."

(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 19a-b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Gd preventing, or permitting, sin

Hi,

A passage with enormous ramifications regarding Free Will, as well as Repentance:

"The generation of Jews in the desert were so elevated that Gd would have protected them from having the opportunity to sin with the Golden Calf, but Gd allowed it to happen in order to teach future generations about the power of repentance."

(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 4b as explained by "Maharsha")

Have a great day,
Mordechai