Insincere conversion to Judaism?

Hi,

"One who converts in order to partake of a royal table, or to be among Solomon's servants, is not a valid convert, per Rabbi Nechemiah. For Rabbi Nechemiah said: Those who have converted for fear of wild animals or due to dreams, and those who converted in the days of Mordechai and Esther, are not valid converts…

"Rav said: The law follows the view that they are all valid converts [after the fact]."

(Talmud, Yevamot 24b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A help, opposite him

Hi,

"And G-d said: It is not good that Man should be alone; I will make for him a help, opposite him."

(Bereishit 2:18)

"If he merits, she will help him. If he does not merit, she will oppose him."

(Talmud, Yevamot 63a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Praying with our eyes and hearts

Hi,

"One sage said: One who prays must turn his eyes downward, as Kings I 9:3 says, 'My eyes and My heart will be there forever.' A second said: His eyes should be upward, as Lamentations 3:41 says, 'We will raise our hearts in our hands.'

"Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yosi joined them; he asked, 'What are you discussing?' They said, 'Prayer.' He said, 'My father said: One who prays must turn his eyes downward and his heart upward, to satisfy these two verses.'" 

(Talmud, Yevamot 105b)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Is a mitzvah worth a miracle?

Hi,

The comment below is in response to a Talmudic suggestion (Yevamot 71b-72a) that the Jews in the wilderness between Egypt and Israel did not circumcise their sons because of concern for the heat. The normally mitigating north wind did not blow, lest it disturb the protective Clouds of Glory that Gd had sent.

"One might say, 'Gd could have had the north wind blow without scattering the clouds of glory, and so the mitzvah of circumcision would not have been cancelled.' It is true that no tactic is beyond Gd, but Gd indeed instructed that circumcision be performed at eight days, and yet He was silent and He did not instruct them to circumcise those born during those years, for the mitzvah was not thereby cancelled, but only postponed until later.

"Gd would not alter the way of the world to avoid delaying a mitzvah; even though Gd does change the way of the world somewhat for certain miracles, in splitting the Red Sea and the Jordan and in halting the Sun, He does not do this for most miracles. Even in military victories and in helping those who love Him, he does it via a [natural] cause…"

(Radak to Yehoshua 5:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

King David and the Givonim

Hi,

Why the Givonim were forbidden from marrying into the Jewish people:

"'And the Givonim said to him: We have neither silver nor gold with Shaul and with his household, and we have no man [to kill in Israel]… Let seven men of his children be given to us, and we will hang them before Gd.' (Shemuel II 21:4-6) 

"King David tried to appease them, and they would not be appeased. He said, 'There are three signs for this nation: Merciful, bashful, and generous... One who has these three signs is suited to cleave to this nation.'"

"ויאמרו לו הגבעונים אין לנו כסף וזהב עם שאול ועם ביתו ואין לנו איש וגו' יותן לנו שבעה אנשים מבניו והוקענום לד' וגו'." מיפייס ולא פייסינהו. אמר, שלשה סימנים יש באומה זו: הרחמנים, והביישנין, וגומלי חסדים; רחמנים, דכתיב... כל שיש בו שלשה סימנים הללו ראוי להדבק באומה זו. 

(Talmud, Yevamot 79a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Omission for peace?

Hi,

"Peace is so great that even Gd changed [the truth] for the sake of peace.

"Sarah said [regarding Avraham], 'My husband is old,' and when Gd re-told the conversation to Avraham He reported that she had said, 'I [Sarah] am old.'"

(Talmud, Yevamot 65b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why did Moshe break the tablets?

Hi,

"On what basis did Moshe conclude that he should break the Tablets [when he saw the Jews worshipping with the Golden Calf]?

"He said: The Pesach offering is only one of 613 mitzvot, and yet the Torah says, 'No idolater may eat from it,' here I am holding the entire Torah and the Jews are rebelling against Gd, how much more so!"

(Talmud, Yevamot 62a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Mitzvot of Pesach - Korban Pesach and Brit Milah

Hi,

The korban pesach symbolizes our rejection of Egyptian lamb-worship and our acceptance of HaShem, which includes the message HaShem taught Avraham and Sarah, and the brit milah covenant. Therefore, an arel (an uncircumcised male) may not eat from the korban pesach, and neither may his parents. This is the 17th mitzvah recorded by the Sefer haChinuch.

Interestingly, the talmudic sage Rava (Yevamot 71b) says that an arel's mother also may not eat from the korban pesach, even though only the arel's father is obligated to circumcise him. Maharsha explained that this is because the brit milah requirement for korban pesach is not a law regarding brit milah; it's a function of the korban pesach, a requirement that we confirm our commitment to the brit of Avraham before we may participate in our national redemption. This applies to both parents.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Lying for the sake of a positive end

Hi,

Much to consider here:

"Rav had great pain from his marriage to his wife. When he asked her to make lentils, she made another type of bean; when he asked her to make the other type of bean, she made lentils.

"When Rav's son Chiyya grew up, he would reverse his father's requests... Rav told his son, 'Don't do that, for it is written, 'They taught their tongues to speak falsehood.'"

(Talmud, Yevamot 63a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Power of Communal Prayer

Hi,

"Rav Shmuel bar Unya said, citing Rav... How do we know that even if Gd decrees punishment for a community, the decree may be torn up?

"For it is written, 'Who is like HaShem, our Gd, who responds whenever we [plural] call Him.'"

(Talmud, Yevamot 105a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The power of communal prayer

Hi,

"Rav Shmuel bar Unya said, citing Rav...How do we know that even if Gd decrees punishment for a community, the decree may be torn up?

"The Torah says, 'Who is like HaShem, our Gd, who responds whenever we call Him!'"

(Talmud, Yevamot 105a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Gd's embrace of Teshuvah [Repentance]

Hi,

"When does Gd make Himself available for individuals to seek Him out (as opposed to communities, for whom Gd always makes Himself available)?

"During the ten days between Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur."

(Talmud, Yevamot 49b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Human will and Divine Will

Hi,

"When Moses broke the Luchot (Tablets), he did so on his own - but his decision matched Gd's decision."

(Talmud, Yevamot 62a)

This opens up a fascinating possibility - that a human being's 'initiative' to do something which is entirely counterintuitive can match what Gd wants...

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Torah Lessons, as Legacy

Hi,

"Rabbi Yochanan said, citing Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: When a scholar's lesson is taught in his name in this world, his lips move in the grave."

(Talmud, Yevamot 97a)

Have a good day,
Mordechai