Hi,
A nuance in the mitzvah of visiting the sick:
"One should not visit ill people who have bowel ailments, or eye pain or headaches: Bowel ailments because the ill person will be embarrassed before the visitor, and eye pain or headaches because conversation is painful for someone in that condition."
(Talmud, Nedarim 41a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Gd preventing, or permitting, sin
Hi,
A passage with enormous ramifications regarding Free Will, as well as Repentance:
"The generation of Jews in the desert were so elevated that Gd would have protected them from having the opportunity to sin with the Golden Calf, but Gd allowed it to happen in order to teach future generations about the power of repentance."
(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 4b as explained by "Maharsha")
Have a great day,
Mordechai
A passage with enormous ramifications regarding Free Will, as well as Repentance:
"The generation of Jews in the desert were so elevated that Gd would have protected them from having the opportunity to sin with the Golden Calf, but Gd allowed it to happen in order to teach future generations about the power of repentance."
(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 4b as explained by "Maharsha")
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Saturday, December 6, 2008
My advice: Take advice
Hi,
"Any government which does not have advisors is not a true government.
"From whom do we learn? From the government of the house of David. He had advisors, as it is written (Divrei haYamim I 27), 'And Jonathan, David's uncle, was an advisor, a man of understanding and a scribe.' If the government of the house of David had advisors, how much more so would advisors be good for ohter people!
"One who listens to advice is wise. It is also written (Mishlei 11), 'And salvation comes through much advice.'"
(Midrash, Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer 3)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"Any government which does not have advisors is not a true government.
"From whom do we learn? From the government of the house of David. He had advisors, as it is written (Divrei haYamim I 27), 'And Jonathan, David's uncle, was an advisor, a man of understanding and a scribe.' If the government of the house of David had advisors, how much more so would advisors be good for ohter people!
"One who listens to advice is wise. It is also written (Mishlei 11), 'And salvation comes through much advice.'"
(Midrash, Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer 3)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Changing one's clothes for prayer
Hi,
A source for wearing unique clothes to pray:
Where does the Torah teach that changing into fresh clothing is a sign of respect?
"It is written (Leviticus 7), "[After the Kohen clears the ashes from the altar,] he shall remove his garments and put on different garments."
"It was taught in R' Yishmael's school: We see that the Torah taught proper conduct: One should not pour wine for his master while wearing the clothing in which he cooked the master's food."
(Talmud, Shabbat 114a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
A source for wearing unique clothes to pray:
Where does the Torah teach that changing into fresh clothing is a sign of respect?
"It is written (Leviticus 7), "[After the Kohen clears the ashes from the altar,] he shall remove his garments and put on different garments."
"It was taught in R' Yishmael's school: We see that the Torah taught proper conduct: One should not pour wine for his master while wearing the clothing in which he cooked the master's food."
(Talmud, Shabbat 114a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
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
"Arrogance is a sign of poverty... 'poverty' meaning a poverty of Torah knowledge."
(Talmud, Kiddushin 49b)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
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
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
Monday, December 1, 2008
Amen!
Hi,
One to ponder; this lesson does not have an easy explanation:
"Rabbi Yosi said: One who responds 'Amen' to a blessing is greater than the one who recited the blessing in the first place...
"This is actually subject to debate, for we have another lesson, 'Both the one reciting a blessing and the one responding 'Amen' are performing great deeds, but it is better to rush to be the one who recites the blessing.'"
(Talmud, Nazir 66b)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
One to ponder; this lesson does not have an easy explanation:
"Rabbi Yosi said: One who responds 'Amen' to a blessing is greater than the one who recited the blessing in the first place...
"This is actually subject to debate, for we have another lesson, 'Both the one reciting a blessing and the one responding 'Amen' are performing great deeds, but it is better to rush to be the one who recites the blessing.'"
(Talmud, Nazir 66b)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
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