Hi,
"Roman governor Turnus Rufus asked R' Akiva: Why is Shabbat any different from any other day?
"R' Akiva responded: Why are you any different from any other person? (Just as people invest you with special status, so too people invest Shabbat with special status.)
"Turnus Rufus replied: I am different because my master (the Caesar) declared me different!
"R' Akiva responded: For Shabbat, too, the Master declared it different!"
(Talmud, Shabbat 65b)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Techiyat haMeitim - The ultimate resurrection of the dead
Hi,
"Rabbi Simai taught: What is the biblical source for the ultimate resurrection of the dead?
"It is written (Exodus 6), 'I have upheld My covenant with your ancestors, to give them the land of Canaan.' It doesn't say, 'to give it to you,' but rather, 'to give it to them.'"
(Talmud, Sanhedrin 90b)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"Rabbi Simai taught: What is the biblical source for the ultimate resurrection of the dead?
"It is written (Exodus 6), 'I have upheld My covenant with your ancestors, to give them the land of Canaan.' It doesn't say, 'to give it to you,' but rather, 'to give it to them.'"
(Talmud, Sanhedrin 90b)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Boredom and depression
Hi,
"Inactivity leads to depression."
(Mishnah, Ketuvot 59b)
Have a good day,
Mordechai
"Inactivity leads to depression."
(Mishnah, Ketuvot 59b)
Have a good day,
Mordechai
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Tu b'Av - The Fifteenth of Av
Hi,
We are taught (Taanit 30b-31a) that Tu b’Av (the 15th of Av, celebrated Tuesday night and Wednesday August 4-5 this year) is one of the two greatest days on the Jewish calendar, sharing the title with Yom Kippur. The gemara enumerates seven elements of Tu b’Av’s happiness:
On Tu b’Av, the die-off of the Desert Generation stopped, so that the remaining Jewish nation knew they would enter Israel.
On Tu b’Av, the Civil War between Binyamin and the rest of the Jews (see the end of the book of Shoftim) stopped.
When Moshe announced that Israel’s land would be divided among patrilineally determined tribes, and that men would inherit land, Machlah, Noah, Chaglah, Milkah and Tirtzah requested the power to inherit their deceased father’s portions. This was granted to them, but among the consequences was a decree that women who inherited land would need to marry within their tribes, guaranteeing that when their sons inherited their land, it would remain within the tribe. This decree was lifted, broadening marriage options and gladdening shadchanim everywhere, on Tu b’Av.
After the Bar Kochba revolt was smashed by the Romans, the victors refused to allow us to bury our dead. Years later - on Tu b’Av - the Romans pioneered the now-routine practice of returning murdered Jews, and permitted us to bury them.
When the Northern Kingdom of Yisrael split off from the Southern Kingdom of Yehudah, Yeravam, leader of the north, set up roadblocks to keep Jews from the north away from Yerushalayim and the Beit haMikdash. Those roadblocks were removed, generations later - on Tu b’Av.
Tu b’Av, coming midway through the summer heat, is when we finish cutting wood for the korbanot of the Beit haMikdash, and so it is a day of siyyum, celebrating completion of this great mitzvah.
Tu b’Av comes at around the time when the nights begin to lengthen and the days begin to shorten (not precisely, of course, since Tu b’Av is a lunar date!). From this point on, then, we have less time to work in the fields, but more time to study Torah at night!
Have a great Tu b'Av,
Mordechai
We are taught (Taanit 30b-31a) that Tu b’Av (the 15th of Av, celebrated Tuesday night and Wednesday August 4-5 this year) is one of the two greatest days on the Jewish calendar, sharing the title with Yom Kippur. The gemara enumerates seven elements of Tu b’Av’s happiness:
On Tu b’Av, the die-off of the Desert Generation stopped, so that the remaining Jewish nation knew they would enter Israel.
On Tu b’Av, the Civil War between Binyamin and the rest of the Jews (see the end of the book of Shoftim) stopped.
When Moshe announced that Israel’s land would be divided among patrilineally determined tribes, and that men would inherit land, Machlah, Noah, Chaglah, Milkah and Tirtzah requested the power to inherit their deceased father’s portions. This was granted to them, but among the consequences was a decree that women who inherited land would need to marry within their tribes, guaranteeing that when their sons inherited their land, it would remain within the tribe. This decree was lifted, broadening marriage options and gladdening shadchanim everywhere, on Tu b’Av.
After the Bar Kochba revolt was smashed by the Romans, the victors refused to allow us to bury our dead. Years later - on Tu b’Av - the Romans pioneered the now-routine practice of returning murdered Jews, and permitted us to bury them.
When the Northern Kingdom of Yisrael split off from the Southern Kingdom of Yehudah, Yeravam, leader of the north, set up roadblocks to keep Jews from the north away from Yerushalayim and the Beit haMikdash. Those roadblocks were removed, generations later - on Tu b’Av.
Tu b’Av, coming midway through the summer heat, is when we finish cutting wood for the korbanot of the Beit haMikdash, and so it is a day of siyyum, celebrating completion of this great mitzvah.
Tu b’Av comes at around the time when the nights begin to lengthen and the days begin to shorten (not precisely, of course, since Tu b’Av is a lunar date!). From this point on, then, we have less time to work in the fields, but more time to study Torah at night!
Have a great Tu b'Av,
Mordechai
Monday, August 3, 2009
Giving good advice
Hi,
"Prohibition #299 instructs that none of us should cause others to stumble.
"This means that if someone asks you for advice in a matter in which he might err, we are warned not to trick him or to cause him to stumble, but to straighten his path toward that which one believes to be good and just for him."
(Rambam, Sefer haMitzvot, Prohibition #299)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"Prohibition #299 instructs that none of us should cause others to stumble.
"This means that if someone asks you for advice in a matter in which he might err, we are warned not to trick him or to cause him to stumble, but to straighten his path toward that which one believes to be good and just for him."
(Rambam, Sefer haMitzvot, Prohibition #299)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Consideration for others
Hi,
"There were two pious men. One would give his butler a chance to eat from each food before serving it. The other would do likewise, but only after the butler had served the food.
"The one who gave the butler before the food was served merited that Elijah the Prophet spoke to him."
(Talmud, Ketuvot 61a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
"There were two pious men. One would give his butler a chance to eat from each food before serving it. The other would do likewise, but only after the butler had served the food.
"The one who gave the butler before the food was served merited that Elijah the Prophet spoke to him."
(Talmud, Ketuvot 61a)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
Saturday, August 1, 2009
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
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
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