Parents vs. Gd

Hi,

"How do we know that if one's father says to him, 'Become impure [to retrieve a lost object]' or 'Do not return [a lost object]', one should not listen? Leviticus 19:3 says, 'You should revere your mother and father, and you shall guard my Sabbaths; I am G-d.' All of you are obligated in My honour."

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 32a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Make sure your words are true

Hi,

"One is obligated to pay his debts and fulfill his words. Leviticus 19:36 requires "an honest hin [measurement]", and the Talmud (Bava Metzia 49a) comments that this means, "That your hen ('Yes') shall be honest, and your 'No' shall be honest.""

מצוה עליו לפרוע חובו ולאמת דבריו דכתיב "הין צדק" - "שיהא הן שלך צדק ולאו שלך צדק".

(Rashi to Talmud, Ketuvot 86a)

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

Mitzvah 343: Prohibiting usury

Hi,

Mitzvah 68 (according to the count of Sefer haChinuch) prohibits a beit din (Jewish court) from involving itself in loans with interest payments. This is a direct result of mitzvah #343, which prohibits Jews from lending to each other, or borrowing from each other, with interest charges. Interest is defined as payment for rental of the lender's money.

Charging interest makes perfect economic sense - in a 0% loan, the best case scenario is that the lender is re-paid on time, but even in such a case he has lost use of his funds for the period of the loan, and he has lost the rate of inflation. This is why lenders routinely charge for the right to hold their money. For one's family, though, one is expected to go beyond the norm and extend a loan without charging interest. Within halachah, a borrower cannot forgive his right to an interest-free loan; he has no more right than the lender to dissolve the bonds of family that connect every Jew.

The Talmud was very harsh regarding those who violate this law. In one example (Bava Metzia 71a), Rabbi Yosi taught, "Come see the blindness of people who lend money for interest!  Ordinarily, if a person calls another person 'wicked,' that person will battle him to the death. These people, though, bring witneses, a scribe, and pen and ink, and write and seal a document saying, 'This person denies the Gd of Israel!'" 

Rabbi Yisroel Reisman (Laws of Ribbis, Introduction) cites a similarly sharp observation regarding the practice of charging interest: In Europe, a moneylender passed away. He had made his fortune by collecting interest from the poor of the town. In vengeance, the Chevra Kadisha (burial society) demanded a large sum of money for the grave, angering the heirs. The matter came to Rabbi Akiva Eiger. "How appropriate," he responded. "The normal price of a grave assumes that the purchaser will use it for a limited time, until the resurrection of the dead. We are taught that one who takes interest, though, does not get resurrected. As such, he will remain in the grave for eternity, and he should therefore pay a higher price for use of the grave!"

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Help your enemy first

Hi,

"One who could either unburden his friend's animal or load his foe's animal is instructed to help his foe, to control his spirit."

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 32b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The punishment for embarrassing others

Hi,

"One who whitens the face of another person [by embarrassing him] in public will not have a share in the next world."

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 58a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

A benefit of illness

Hi,

"Until Yaakov came along, people did not weaken before they died. Yaakov prayed for this, and it happened to him, as it is written, 'And he said to Yosef, your father is ill.'"

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 87a)

Rashi explains, "So that a person would become weak before dying, and he could leave instructions for his household."

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The power of tearful prayer

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar said: Since the time the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, the gates of prayer have been sealed, as it is written (Lamentations 3), 'Even when I call out and cry, my prayer is closed.'

"Although the gates of prayer have been sealed, the gates of tears have not been sealed, as it is written (Psalms 39), 'Gd, hear my prayer and incline an ear to my cry; do not be deaf to my tears.'"

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 59a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Three ways to get Gd's [negative] attention

Hi,

"Rabbi Avahu said: There are three things from which Gd's sight is never blocked [i.e. He always sees these events and acts on them]: Cheating people, theft, and idolatry."

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 59a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Abraham's angels

Hi,

"Rabbi Tanchum bar Chanilai said: One should never diverge from local practice. Moshe ascended to Heaven [on Sinai, to receive the Torah] and did not eat bread, and the angels descended to earth and did eat bread [in Abraham's house].

"Do you really think they ate?! Rather, they appeared to eat."

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 86b)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

The importance of humility

Hi,

"Rabbi Yirmiyah asked Rabbi Zeira: What is the meaning of the following verse (Job 3), 'Small and great will be there in the Next World, and slaves will be free of their masters?' Don't we know that small and great people will be there?

"It means that anyone who makes himself small for the sake of studying Torah in this world will be great in the next world. Anyone who makes himself like a slave for the sake of studying Torah in this world will be great in the next world."

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 85b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Delayed payment

Hi,

"The sages taught:

"From the fact that the verse (Leviticus 19) stated, 'Do not let the payment of an employee's work sleep with you,' I can already see that one is in violation [of the law against withholding payment] if he waits until the next morning.

"Then why did the Torah add, 'until morning?' To teach that the violation is a one-time violation, on that first morning.

"What happens after that? Rav said: One is in violation of a separate prohibition against withholding payment.

"Rav Yosef asked: What is the scriptural source for this additional prohibition? It is written [Proverbs 3]: 'Do not tell your friend, 'Go and return tomorrow, and I will give it to you,' when you have the payment there now.'"

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 110b)

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

Criticism and Self-Criticism

Hi,

"Reish Lakish said (based on a verse, Tzefaniah 2:1): First improve [lit. decorate] your own actions, then worry about improving the actions of others."

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 107b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Triumphant Kindness - The 4th day of the Omer

Hi,

The Sephirah of the Omer's first week is Chesed. Chesed is kindness which motivates a person to give of himself - physically, financially, emotionally - to another.

However, the Sephirah of the fourth day of each Omer week is Netzach. Netzach is victory, triumphing over obstacles internal and external.

The combined Sephirah for Day 4 of the Omer is Netzach sheb'Chesed, "victorious kindness". This title suggests kindness which involves a triumph over difficulty and adversity.

Many obstacles prevent us from feeling and acting kind; one challenge is a lack of appreciation for others. "Netzach" summons us to meet this challenge and reach out; as the Talmud (Bava Metzia 32b) notes, aiding an enemy is more important than aiding a friend.

The fourth day's Sephirah reminds us that our kindness should extend beyond the cases which are simple and obvious, to be expressed toward all in need.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

When in Chevron

Hi,

"R' Tanchum bar Chanilai said: One should never alter from local practice. Moshe ascended to Heaven and did not eat bread; the ministering malachim descended below [to visit Avraham] and ate bread.

"Do you truly think they ate bread?! Rather: They appeared to eat and drink."

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 86b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Self-incrimination and Usury

Hi,

“Rabbi Yosi taught: Come see the blindness of people who lend money for interest!

“Ordinarily, if a person calls another person “wicked,” that person will battle him to the death. These people, though, bring witneses, a scribe, and pen and ink, and write and seal a document saying, 'This person denies the Gd of Israel!'“

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 71a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

On-Time Wages

Hi,

"The sages taught:

"From the fact that the Torah (Vayyikra 19) stated, 'Do not let the payment of an employee's work sleep with you,' I can already see that one is in violation [of the law against withholding payment] if he waits [to pay] until the next morning.

"Why did the Torah add, 'until morning?' To teach that the violation is a one-time violation, on that first morning.

"What happens after that? Rav said: One is in violation of a separate prohibition against withholding payment. Rav Yosef asked: What is the scriptural source for this additional prohibition? It is written [Proverbs 3]: 'Do not tell your friend, 'Go and return tomorrow, and I will give it to you,' when you have the payment there now.'"

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 110b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Priorities

Hi,

"Reish Lakish said (based on Tzefaniah 2:1): First improve[lit. decorate] your own actions, then improve the actions of others."

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 107a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Usury

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon stated: Those who extend loans with interest destroy the world to a greater extent than they benefit, and declare our master Moshe to be foolish and his Torah to be false. They say, 'Had our master Moshe only known that there was a profit in this practice, he would never have forbidden it!'"

(Talmud, Bava Metzia 75b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai