Why was Miriam named "Puah"?

Hi,

The Sages suggest that the Jewish midwife named "Puah" (Exodus 1:15-21) was actually Miriam, and they offer multiple explanations for how she came about that name:

1. "Puah is Miriam. Why is she called Puah? Because she cooed (puah in Hebrew)."
(Talmud, Sotah 11b)

2. "Alternatively, she spoke (puah) with Divine inspiration, saying, 'My mother will give birth to a son who will save the Jews.'"
(Talmud, Sotah 11b)

3. "She was named Puah for she cried (puah) for her brother, as in Exodus 2:3-9."
(Midrash, Sifri, Behaalotcha 78)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Who entered the Sea first?

Hi,

A lot to think about here - 

"Rabbi Meir said: When Israel stood at the sea, the tribes were contesting with each other, this one saying, 'I will descend to the sea first,' and this one saying, 'I will descend to the sea first.' The tribe of Binyamin jumped up and descended to the sea first, as it is written… And the leaders of Yehudah stoned them, as it is written… Therefore, righteous Binyamin merited to be made a host for the Mighty [the Beit haMikdash], as it is written…

"Rabbi Yehudah said to him: It was not so, but this one said, 'I will not descend to the sea first,' and this one said, 'I will not descend to the sea first.' Nachshon ben Aminadav jumped up and descended to the sea first, as it is written… Therefore Yehudah merited to reign over Israel, as it is written… "

(Talmud, Sotah 36b-37a)

חג כשר ושמח,

Mordechai

Take care of your property

Hi,

"...From here we see that the righteous hold their property as even more beloved than their lives. Why? Because they won't extend their hands in theft." [As I understand it: They are careful with their property, to avoid any temptation to steal.]

מיכן לצדיקים שממונם חביב עליהן יותר מגופן, וכל כך למה? לפי שאין פושטין ידיהן בגזל

(Talmud, Sotah 12a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Simple repentance

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon said: The flour-offering brought in atonement for a sin should have required oil and frankincense, so that the sinner would not be [financially] rewarded for his sin [by being able to bring a cheap offering; other offerings did have frankincense and oil].

"Why are frankincense and oil not brought? So that the offering will not be beautiful."

(Talmud, Sotah 15a)

Note: People who repent for a sin often see their new elevation and become proud of what they have accomplished, which is good. The problem is that this can create a dangerous situation – one may feel that the sin is far in the past, and no longer a threat. As such, this person brings a slightly-degraded offering so that he'll remember the gravity of the initial act, and be wary of repeating it.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The value of studying law

Hi,

"Rabbi Avahu and Raabi Chiyya bar Abba traveled to a certain place. Upon their arrival, Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba taught a class in law, while Rabbi Avahu taught a class based on non-legal lessons (aggadata). The audience left Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba and went to Rabbi Avahu. Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba was upset.

"Rabbi Avahu said to Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba: Let me give you a parable, to which our situation may be compared. If two people come to town, one selling gems and the other selling cheap ornaments, to which merchant do people flock? Don't they flock to the one selling cheap ornaments?"

[The idea is that law is of great value, and should not be discounted. We enjoy story-based ethical teachings, but we should understand that the gems lie in the law.]

(Talmud, Sotah 40a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Moshe's love for Israel

Hi,

"Why did Moshe long to enter the land of Israel? Did he need to eat her fruit, or did he need to be sated from her goodness? Rather, Moshe said: Israel was commanded to perform many mitzvot, which may be fulfilled only in the land of Israel. I will enter the land, so that all of them will be fulfilled by me."

(Talmud, Sotah 14a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Love and Awe

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar: One who acts [for Gd] out of love is greater than one who acts out of awe...

"There were two students of Rava. One said: I was told in a dream, 'How great is Your goodness, which You have stored for those who are in awe of You.' The other said: I was told in a dream, 'All who trust in You will be glad, and will sing eternally... those who love Your Name will rejoice in You.'

"Rava said: Both of you are completely righteous, one out of love and the other out of awe."


(Talmud, Sotah 31a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The goal of praying silently

Hi,

"Why did they enact silent prayer? So as not to embarrass those who have sinned [and are admitting it in their prayer], just as the Torah did not assign separate locations for those who bring sin-offerings and burnt-offerings [so as not to explicitly identify those who bring sin-offerings for atonement in the Beit haMikdash]."

(Talmud, Sotah 32b)

May we be inscribed and sealed for a great year,
Mordechai

No justice, No joy - Part I

Hi,

"When the Sanhedrin ceased, song ceased from the party houses, as it is written, ‘They will not drink wine with song.’… How do we know that this was written specifically when the Sanhedrin ceased? Rav Huna son of Rav Yehoshua explained: It is from, ‘The elders ceased from the gate, and the young men from their music.’"

(Talmud, Sotah 48a)

To be continued...

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Avraham's approach to evangelism

Hi,

"'And he called there in the name of Gd, Master of the Universe’ – Reish Lakish said: Do not read it as ‘And he called’ but as ‘And he made to call.’ This teaches that Avraham Avinu put the Name of Gd in the mouth of every traveller.

"How? After they ate and drank and stood to bless him, he said to them, ‘Did you eat my food? You ate the food of the Gd of the world! Thank, praise and bless the One who spoke and the world came into existence.’"

(Talmud, Sotah 10a-b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The danger of trivializing Torah

Hi,


"King David was punished for calling the words of Torah "songs," as he did in the verse (Psalms 119), 'Your laws were songs for me in the house of my dwelling.'

"Gd said to him: You call these words songs? Regarding those words it is written (Proverbs 23), 'Blink your eyes and they disappear (meaning that understanding them requires great concentration)!'"

(Talmud, Sotah 35a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Respect for a Torah scroll

Hi,

"Once the Torah scroll is opened [for reading], speech is prohibited - even speech regarding a matter of Jewish law."

(Talmud, Sotah 39a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Gd's openness to prayer

Hi,

"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Even an iron barrier cannot interrupt between the Jewish people and their father in Heaven."

(Talmud, Sotah 38b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Arrogance and Mount Sinai

Hi,

"Rav Yosef taught: One should always learn from the traits of his Creator, for Gd left all of the mountains and peaks alone, and manifest Himself on Mount Sinai (a low mountain)."

(Talmud, Sotah 5a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The severity of rabbinic law

Hello,


"Rabbi Zerika said, citing Rabbi Elazar: One who takes the mitzvah of hand-washing [before eating bread] lightly will be uprooted from the world."

(Talmud, Sotah 4b)

Rashi explains, citing the Talmud elsewhere: "For one who violates the words of the sages is liable for death, as it is written (Ecclesiastes 10), 'One who breaks through a fence will be bitten by a snake.'"

This ought to provide pause on both sides - by those who would violate rabbinic law, obviously, but also by those who would create it. Creating laws which others will take lightly presents a serious stumbling block to the public.

Have a great day,
Mordechai