Don't be cruel

Hi,

"Someone bought land beside his father's land. When it came time to divide up [his father's estate], he requested [of the other heirs], 'Give me my portion along my existing boundary.' 

"Rabbah said: In a case like this [if the heirs refused the request out of spite], we would compel the heirs not to act as Sodom."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 12b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Supporting Torah scholars

Hi,

"Rav Dimi of Neherdaa brought dried figs by boat. The Exilarch said to Rava: Go and see; if he is a young scholar, set up the market for him."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 22a; this is quoted by Rabbi Moshe Isserles, Shut Rama 10, as a legal obligation)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Legislating competition

Hi,

"Rav Huna said: If an alley resident establishes a mill, and another alley resident establishes one beside him, the former is legally able to prevent this, saying, 'You are interrupting my livelihood.'"

(Talmud, Bava Batra 21b)

Note: Mordechai Bava Batra 516 explains that this is a closed alley, and the earlier mill is near the closed end, with the new mill moving in near the open end.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Second place

Hi,

Apparently, coming in second is never good, even if Moshe Rabbeinu is the one ahead of you...

"'And you shall put of your glory on him' – Not all of your glory. The generation's elders said, 'The face of Moshe is like the Sun, and the face of Yehoshua is like the Moon.' Woe for the shame, woe for the humiliation!"

ונתתה מהודך עליו - ולא כל הודך, זקנים שבאותו הדור אמרו: פני משה כפני חמה, פני יהושע כפני לבנה, אוי לה לאותה בושה, אוי לה לאותה כלימה. 

(Talmud, Bava Batra 75a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Money: If you will give it, it will come

Hi,

"When one pursues tzedakah, Gd makes money available to him, and he uses it for tzedakah."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 9b)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Tzedakah through speech

Hi,

"One who gives a pauper a coin receives six blessings, and one who calms a pauper verbally receives eleven blessings, at it is written..."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 9b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tzedakah as bribe

Hi,

[Background: In the fourth chapter of the book of Daniel, Daniel interprets Nevuchadnezzar's dream to indicate that punishment is coming to him, and he advises Nevuchadnezzar to give tzedakah in order to forestall his punishment.]


"Why was Daniel punished? Because he advised Nevuchadnezzar… [to give tzedakah]"

(Talmud, Bava Batra 4a)


"Giving tzedakah to the needy cannot resolve the problem of haughtiness and arrogance, which plagued Nevuchadnezzar. Perhaps this was Daniel's sin; he did not entirely clarify his words to Nevuchadnezzar, and he planted within Nevuchadnezzar the feeling that the tzedakah he would distribute to the needy would pacify Divine wrath at his arrogance. Can one who sins with arrogance then bribe the One who neither shows favour nor accepts bribes?"

(Rabbi Yaakov Medan, Daniel: Galut v'Hitgalut pg. 101)

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

Cleanliness and Safety, traits of the Torah scholar

Hi,

"What are the characteristics of a Torah scholar's dining table?

"Two-thirds of the surface is covered with a cloth, and one-third is uncovered [on which one places serving dishes which might otherwise dirty the tablecloth], and it holds dishes and greens.

"The protruding ring is pointed inward. [The ring was a pointed attachment which was used to hang up the table when not in use; the same advice would apply to any protruding part, to avoid harming those who pass by the table.]

"But we have learned that one should let the ring point outward [to protect the diners from the protrusion]!

"Some explain that this is only where there are no children around. Others explain that this is only where there is no servant around. Others explain that this is only during the day [so that the ring is visible and therefore less dangerous]."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 57b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Satan's positive motivation

Hi,

[This source addresses the question of why the 'Satan' tried to incite Gd to attack Job, at the start of the book of Job.]

"The Satan saw that Gd became inclined toward Job and he said, 'Might Gd forget His love for Avraham, Gd-forbid?'"

(Talmud, Bava Batra 16a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Three Daily Sins

Hi,

"One is not saved from three sins daily: Thoughts of immorality, examination of prayer, and harmful speech.

"Do you really believe people commit harmful speech daily?! Rather: Speech which is close to being harmful."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 164a-b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Founding of the Jewish Public School System

Hi,

"Rav Yehudah said, citing Rav: Remember that man, named Yehoshua ben Gamla, for the good. If not for him, Torah would have been forgotten from Israel! Initially, one who had a father would learn Torah from him, and one who did not have a father would not learn Torah… They then enacted a system of public teachers in Jerusalem… Still, only those with fathers would be brought to learn, and those who did not have fathers would not go and learn. They then enacted that, in each region, the people would establish teachers.

"They would bring in the students at the age of 16 or 17, and then if the teacher got upset at the student the student would simply lash out and leave. Yehoshua ben Gamla enacted that they should have teachers in every land and in every city, and bring in the students at age 6 or 7."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 21a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

There is honor in giving tzedakah

Hi,

"Rabbah ordered that tzedakah be collected from the estates of the orphans of Bar Maryon.

"Abbaye asked: Didn't Rav Shemuel bar Yehudah teach that one may not levy tzedakah taxes upon orphans, even for the sake of redeeming captives?

"Rabbah replied: I am doing this in order to give them communal honor."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 8a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The limits of personal responsibility

Hi,

"One is not held responsible for actions taken during his moment of pain."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 16b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

True Friends

Hi,

Background:
Taanit 23a says, "One must have friends, or death."
But Bava Batra 16b says, "One must have friends like those of Job, or death."

Maharsha to Bava Batra 16b explained, "This text teaches us that 'one must have friends' does not mean just any friends, but friends like thoes of Job, who traveled many parasangs in order to comfort him."

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Estate Advice

Hi,

"Shemuel said to Rav Yehudah: Sharp one! Do not be among those who shift portions, even from a bad son to a good son."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 133b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Safety in the dining room

Hi,


"What are the characteristics of a scholar's dining table? Two-thirds of the surface is covered with a cloth, and one-third is uncovered [on which one places serving dishes which might otherwise dirty the tablecloth], and it holds dishes and greens. The protruding ring is pointed inward. [The ring was a pointed attachment which was used to hang up the table when not in use; the same advice would apply to any protruding part.]

"But we have learned that it is all right to have the ring point outward!

"Some explain that this is only where there are no children around. Others explain that this is only where there is no servant around. Others explain that this is only during the day [so that the ring is visible and therefore less dangerous]."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 57b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wearing the uniform

Hi,

"Rav Yehuda said, citing Rav: One who arrogantly wears the garb of a Torah scholar, when he is not a Torah scholar, will not be introduced into the enclave of Gd."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 98a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wisdom vs. Prophecy

Hi,

"Better to be a wise person than to be a prophet."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 12a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Putting others first

Hi,

Putting others first is a sign of humility and respect:

"Rabbi Yochanan said: How do we know that Yishmael repented? It is written, 'And Yitzchak and Yishmael buried their father.'

"But perhaps the Torah only listed them in the order of their wisdom? If that were so, then why would the Torah later write [regarding the burial of Yitzchak], 'And Esav and Yaakov, his sons, buried him?'

"Rather, the fact that Yitzchak was listed first shows that Yishmael put him first, from which we may deduce that he repented."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 16b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai