Power Corrupts

Hi,

"When Shimon haTzaddik died, he told them he would die that year… When he was dying, he said, "My son, Chonyo, shall serve in my place." Chonyo's brother Shimi, who was two and a half years older than Shimi, was jealous. He said to Chonyo, "I will teach you the order of service." He dressed Chonyo in a leather tunic and girded him with an ornamental belt and led him to the altar. He then told the other kohanim, "See what this one vowed and fulfilled for his beloved! 'On the day I will serve as high priest, I will wear your leather tunic and ornamental belt!'" The other kohanim wished to kill Chonyo; he fled, and they pursed him. He went to Alexandria in Egypt, where he built an altar and brought offerings for idolatry. When the sages heard of this, they said, "If this is the way one who never held power will act [upon losing it], how much more so one who did hold it!" This was R' Meir's version.

"R' Yehudah said: That was not the story. Rather, Chonyo did not accept the position, for his brother Shimi was two and a half years his senior. Nonetheless, Chonyo became jealous of his brother Shimi, and he told him, "I will teach you the order of service." He dressed Shimi in a leather tunic and girded him with an ornamental belt and led him to the altar. He then told the other kohanim, "See what this one vowed and fulfilled for his beloved! 'On the day I will serve as high priest, I will wear your leather tunic and ornamental belt!'" The other kohanim wished to kill Shimi, but he then told them all that had happened. They wished to kill Chonyo; he fled, and they pursed him. He went to the palace, and they pursued him; all who saw him, said, "This is the one!" He fled to Alexandria in Egypt, where he built an altar and brought offerings for Gd, as Isaiah 19:19 predicted, "On that day there will be an altar for Gd in Egypt, and a monument for Gd at her border." When the sages heard of this, they said, "If this is the way one who fled from power will act [upon losing it], how much more so one who seeks it!""

(Talmud, Menachot 109b)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Intent is king

Hi,

"Whether one does a little or one does a lot, the essence is that his intent should be for the sake of Heaven."

(Talmud, Menachot 110a)

Note: Taken in context, this is not a statement that a person may choose the most appealing segments of Judaism and make up his own religion so long as his intent is for Heaven. Rather, it is a statement that a person should not feel bad if he is not capable of  doing 'everything,' so long as his intent is to do as much as he can.

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The seductive nature of power

Hi,

"R' Yehoshua ben Perachyah said: Initially, if anyone had told me to take a position of authority, I would have bound him up and thrown him to the lions.

"Now [that I have been made the Nasi, the leader of the Jews in Israel], if anyone would tell me to descend from my position I would pour boiling water over his head!"

[R' Yehoshua ben Perachyah is describing the seductiveness of political power.]

(Talmud, Menachot 109b)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The pauper's gift

Hi,

"When a pauper brings a simple, inexpensive grain offering to Gd, it is considered before Gd as though he had brought his very soul to Gd."

(Talmud, Menachot 104b)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Reverence for the throne

Hi,

"Rabbi Yannai taught: Reverence for the throne should always be upon you, as it is written (Sh'mot 11), 'All of your slaves will descend to me and bow to me, saying, 'Leave, you and all of the nation that is with you.'"

(Talmud, Menachot 98a)

The reference to Sh'mot 11 is to Moses' speech to Pharoah. Moses tells Pharaoh that Pharaoh's slaves will come and bow to Moses. In fact, Pharaoh himself would end up doing this - but Moses, out of respect for Pharaoh and the throne, refers only to the slaves.

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The miracle of the showbread

Hi,

"In the Temple they used to hold up the table for those who came to Jerusalem for the festivals, and show them the lechem hapanim [showbread] on the table and say, 'See how beloved you are before Gd!' For Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi taught that a great miracle occurred for the showbread: it was as warm when removed from the table as it had been when first placed on the table [a week earlier]."

(Talmud, Menachot 96b)

Have a great day,

Mordechai