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

The importance of good posture

Hi,

"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: A person may not walk four cubits in a fully upright position, as Isaiah 6 says, “The whole universe is His glory.” 

"Rav Huna, son of Rabbi Yehoshua, never travelled four cubits bareheaded. He said, “The Shekhinah is above my head.”"

(Talmud, Kiddushin 31a)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

The 7th of Adar

Hi,

This coming Sunday is the 7th of Adar, the birthday of Moshe Rabbeinu as well as the anniversary of his passing.


"Moses died on the 7th of Adar, and Moses was born on the 7th of Adar... this teaches us that Gd completes the years of the righteous, giving them full days and months."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 38a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The ideal age for education

Hi,

"One should always set his heart to supervise his children and be consistent in educating them, whether old or young, but the appropriate time to work at educating them to the fullest is when their minds are developing to fruition, from 16 to 24. Before 16 he does not have sufficient intellect to accept, and after 24 he won't listen that much."

(Rabbi Menachem Meiri, Commentary to Kiddushin 30a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Succession

Hi,

"When Rabbi Akiva died, Rebbe was born. When Rebbe died, Rav Yehudah was born. When Rav Yehudah died, Rava was born. Whn Rava died, Rav Ashi was born.

"This teaches you that a righteous person does not pass away until an equally righteous person has been created, as the verse says, 'And the Sun shone, and [only after there was a new Sun shining] the Sun set.'"

(Talmud, Kiddushin 72b)

[The idea is that Gd watches out for us, and does not leave us without resources.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Even the last day has value

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: Even if someone is a completely righteous person for his entire life, and he rebels at the last, he has lost all that came earlier, as it is written (Ezekiel 33), 'And the righteousness of a righteous person won't save him on the day of his rebellion.'

"And even if someone is a completely wicked person for his entire life, and he repents at the last, he will never again be reminded of his evil, as it is written (ibid.), 'And the wicked person's wickedness will not cause him to stumble on the day he returns from his wickedness.'

"Why is such a person not simply considered 'even,' half transgressions and half merits? Reish Lakish explained: This is talking about a person who regrets his initial actions."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 40b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A worthwhile embarrassment

Hi,

"There was a group of Jewish women who had been taken captive, and Rav Amram Chasida arranged their ransom. They were brought to his house, and he housed them on an upper floor and he had the ladder [to prevent any immorality from men in his household].

"As one of the women was passing by the entrance to the upper floor, light from her beauty illuminated the entrance. Rav Amram took the ladder - which ten men could not have lifted - and began to ascend.

"When he got halfway up, he planted his feet and called out, 'There is a fire in the house of Amram!' The sages came running, and when they arrived they exclaimed, 'You have embarrassed us!' He replied, 'Better for the Yeshiva of Amram to be embarrassed in this world than for you to be embarrassed from me in the next world.'"

(Talmud, Kiddushin 81a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Teach your child a trade

Hi,

"How do we know that a parent is obligated to teach his child a trade? It is written [Kohelet 9], 'See [choose] life, with the woman you have loved.'

"Either 'woman' refers to one's spouse, and just as a parent must marry off his child so a parent must teach his child a trade [so that the child will be able to live], or 'woman' refers to Torah, and just as a parent must =tach his child Torah so a parent must teach his child a trade [so that the child will be able to live]."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 30b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The source of all wealth

Hi,

"R' Meir said: One should teach his child a clean, easy craft, and pray to the One who owns all wealth and assets, for poverty and wealth are not a result of a particular trade but are sent by the One who owns all wealth."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 82b)

גמר חתימה טובה,
Mordechai

Rav Asi and his mother

Hi,

This story is complex, and admits of multiple explanations:

"Rav Asi's elder mother said, 'I want jewelry,' and he made it for her. She said, 'I want a man," and he said he would seek one. She said, 'I want one as good as you,' and he left her and went to Israel. He heard that she was coming after him, and he asked R' Yochanan, 'May one leave Israel?' R' Yochanan replied, 'No." He asked, 'What about to greet my mother?' He said, 'I don't know.' He delayed a bit, then came back to R' Yochanan, who said, 'Asi, if you want to go back, may Gd return you there in peace.'

"Rav Asi went to R' Elazar and asked, 'Gd-forbid, is he [R' Yochanan] angry?' He replied, 'What did he say to you?' He said, 'May Gd return you there in peace.' R' Elazar said, 'If he was angry at you, he would not have blessed you.'

"By then he heard that his mother's casket had arrived. He said, 'Had I known, I would not have left.'"

(Talmud, Kiddushin 31b)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Dama ben Netina and his mother

Hi,


A talmudic illustration of proper honour for one's parents:

"Rav Dimi reported that once Dama ben Netina was wearing a golden garment and sitting among the Roman aristocrats, and his mother came and tore off his garment, slapped him on the head and spat in his face. He did not embarrass her."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 31a)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Money isn't everything

Hi,

"Avimi, son of Rabbi Avahu, taught: There are those who feed their parents pheasant and yet push them from the world, and there are those who make their parents work at the mill and yet bring them into the next world."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 31a-b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Showing respect

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar said: A Torah scholar [lit. "student of a sage"] who does not stand before his mentor is identified as wicked, and will not live long, and his learning will be forgotten."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 33b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Forgive your honor; Gd does!

Hi,

"Rabbi Yitzchak bar Shila cited Rav Matnah citing Rav Chisda: If a father forgives his honor, his honor is forgiven. If a rabbi forgives his honor, it is not forgiven. [The honor of the Torah is not his to forgive.]

"Rav Yosef said: If a rabbi forgives his honor, it is forgiven, as it is written (Shemot 13), ‘And Gd traveled before them by day.’"

[In other words: Gd could travel before the Jews, like a humble servant, and so a rabbi is entitled to serve others humbly.]

(Talmud, Kiddushin 32a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Teach your child a trade

Hi,

"How do we know that a parent is obligated to teach his child a trade? It is written [Ecclesiastes 9], 'See life, with the woman you have loved.'

"Either 'woman' refers to one's spouse, and just as a parent must marry off his child so a parent must teach his child a trade [so that the child will be able to live], or 'woman' refers to Torah, and just as a parent must teach his child Torah so a parent must teach his child a trade [so that the child will be able to live]."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 30b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Choosing a livelihood

Hi,

"Rabbi Meir said: One should teaech his son a craft which is innocent (of wrongdoing) and simple, and pray to the One to whom all wealth and assets belong.

"Poverty does not come from a particular craft, and wealth does not come from a particular craft; both come from the One to whom all wealth belongs, as it is written (Chaggai 2), 'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine - this is the word of Gd.'"

(Talmud, Kiddushin 82b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Arrogance and Torah knowledge do not mix

Hi,

"Arrogance is a sign of poverty... 'poverty' meaning a poverty of Torah knowledge."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 49b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Understanding the words of the Torah

Hi,

On the difficulty of properly understanding the Torah's text:

"Rabbi Yehudah said: One who translates a biblical sentence according to its literal form is a liar, and one who adds interpretation on his own is a blasphemer."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 49a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Study and Action

Hi,

"This question was asked before Rabbi Tarfon and the sages: Is study greater, or is action greater?

"Rabbi Tarfon spoke up and said: Action is greater.

"Rabbi Akiva spoke up and said: Study is greater.

"All of them spoke up and said: Study is greater, for it leads to action."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 40b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reward for mitzvot

Hi,

"Rabbi Yaakov said: The reward for mitzvot is not in this world."

(Talmud, Kiddushin 39b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai