Should one leave money to his children? Part 2

Hi,

"Rav said to Rav Hemnuna: My son, if you possess something then it is good for you, for in she'ol there is no pleasure and death does not delay. And should you say, 'I will leave a portion for my son,' who will tell you [what happens to it] in she'ol?"

(Talmud, Eruvin 54a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Character giveaways

Hi,

"Rabbi Ila'i said: A person's character may be seen in three ways: How he handles his drink, how he deals with others in business, and whether he is quick to anger.

"Some add: Also by what makes him laugh."

(Talmud, Eruvin 65b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Of Wine and Secrets

Hi,

Wine is Yayin in Hebrew, spelled י-י-ן, letters which have the numerical value (gematria) of 70.

Secret is Sod in Hebrew, spelled ס-ו-ד, letters which also have the numerical value (gematria) of 70.

"When wine enters, secrets emerge."

(Talmud, Eruvin 65a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Jurisdiction and Insubordination

Hi,

"One who issues a legal ruling in the geographic area where his rabbinic mentor lives is liable for death."

(Talmud, Eruvin 63a)

Note: This "death" is not a death penalty. Rather, it is a description of Divine wrath [מיתה בידי שמים]. This provides a lesson regarding the process of transmitting Jewish tradition - that it is not a free-for-all, but rather there is a specific line of educated transmission.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Eat your vegetables

Hi,

"Rav Huna said: A Torah scholar is not permitted to live in a town in which green vegetables are unavailable."

(Talmud, Eruvin 55b)

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

In whom is Torah found?

Hi,

[The following is an expansion upon Devarim 30:12-13: "It [the Divine command] is not in the heavens, to say, 'Who will ascend to the heavens for us and take it for us, and teach it to us, and we will do it.' And it is not over the sea, to say, 'Who will cross the sea to the other side for us and take it for us, and teach it to us, and we will do it.'"]

"Shemuel said: 'It is not in the heavens' - Torah is not found in the arrogant. 'And it is not over the sea' – It is not found in the travelling merchants.

"Shemuel also said: Torah is not found in astrologers and astronomers, for 'It is not in the heavens.' Torah is found only in one who involves himself in the work of heaven."

(Talmud, Eruvin 55a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

My desires vs my Creator

Hi,

"The Torah describes the creation of humanity with the verb, 'Vayyitzer.' Why is the verb 'Vayyitzer' written with a, extra, doubled Yud (Vav-Yud-Yud-Tzadi-Reish)?

"R' Shimon ben Pazi said: Woe to me from my desires (Yitzri), Woe to me from my Creator (Yotzri)!"

(Talmud, Eruvin 18a)

The commentator Rashi explained: My desires pain me when I follow my Creator, but woe to me if I follow my desires!

Have a great day,

Mordechai

When to compliment

Hi,

"Rabbi Yirmiyah ben Elazar said: We say part of a person's praises in front of him, and all of them in his absence.

"Only part is said in front of him as the verse says (recording Gd's words to Noah), 'For I have seen you to be righteous before Me, in this generation.' All is said in his absence as the verse says (recording Gd's higher praise about Noah), 'Noah was a righteous man; he was complete in his generation.'"

(Talmud, Eruvin 18b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Students need to know they have the teacher's attention

Hi,

"R’ Preida had a student who would only learn after R’ Preida taught him a lesson 400 times. One day, R’ Preida was asked to participate in a mitzvah [which would take place after the lesson], and he taught the student but the student could not learn. He asked, “Why is it different now?” The student replied, “From the moment I heard them tell my master that there was a mitzvah to pursue, I could not focus. At every moment I said, ‘Now the master will leave, now the master will leave.’” R’ Preida said to him, “Pay attention, and I will teach you.”"

(Talmud, Eruvin 54b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The entrances of Gehennom

Hi,

I'm not certain what to draw from this, but I think it's interesting to contemplate:

"R’ Yirmiyah ben Elazar said: Gehennom [Hell] has three entrances – in the wilderness, in the sea, and in Jerusalem. In the wilderness as it is written, ‘And they, and all they had, descended alive in She’ol.’ In the sea as it is written, ‘I cried out from the belly of She’ol, and You heard my voice.’ In Jerusalem as it is written, ‘The word of Gd, who has light in Zion and an oven in Jerusalem.’ It was taught in the yeshiva of R’ Yishmael – The light is Gehennom, and the oven is the entrance to Gehennom."

(Talmud, Eruvin 19a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Admitting Divine Justice

Hi,

Tehillim 84:7 says: “Those who pass through the valley of tears will turn it into a spring; the early rain will cloak it in blessings.”

"‘Those who pass through’ are the people who violate Gd’s desires.
"‘The valley’ is deepened for them in Gehennom.
"‘Of tears’ – They cry and produce tears, like a spring.
"‘The early rain will cloak it in blessings’ – they declare the judgment to be righteous, saying, ‘Master of the Universe, You have judged well, You have found merit well, You have found liability well, You have prepared Gehennom for the wicked and Gan Eden for the righteous well.’"

(Talmud, Eruvin 19a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Natural Morality

Hi,

"Rabbi Yochanan said: Had the Torah not been given, we would have learned privacy from the cat, [the impropriety of] theft from the ant and fidelity from the dove."

(Talmud, Eruvin 100b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The sweetness of Divine aid

Hi,

Regarding the dove which Noah sent from the Ark, which returned with an olive leaf in its mouth:

"R’ Yirmiyah ben Elazar said: It is written, 'Behold, an olive leaf was torn in her mouth' – The dove said before Gd, 'Master of the Universe! May my food be bitter like an olive and from Your hand, and not sweet like honey and dependent upon flesh and blood.'"

(Talmud, Eruvin 18b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai