Tearing up the decree

Hi,

"Four things tear up a person’s [Divine] decree: Tzedakah, Prayer, Changing one’s name and changing one’s deeds… Changing one’s deeds, as it is written, “And Gd saw their deeds.”"

(Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 16b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Asking for trouble

Hi,

"Three circumstances call to mind a person's sins: An inclined wall, examination of one's prayer [assuming Gd must answer one's prayers, because one prayed with great concentration - Rashi] and asking Gd to punish others for their sins."

(Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 16b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Longing for death

Hi,

“Decreeing death for the righteous is difficult for Gd, as it is written (Tehullim 116), ‘Death of His righteous ones is precious in the eyes of Gd.’ What does Gd do? He shows them their reward, so that they will ask for death.

“When Rabbi Avahu was dying, Gd showed him his reward. He was shocked, and he said, ‘All of this for Avahu?!’ He applied the verse (Yeshayah 49), ‘I said I had worked for nothing, and depleted my strength for emptiness and a lack of substance – but my justice is with Gd.’ And he immediately desired to die.”

(Midrash Tanchuma Vayechi 4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Using Torah as a song

Hi,

"One who recites a verse from Song of Songs and makes it a sort of song, or one who recites a verse at an inappropriate time, brings evil to the world. The Torah clothes itself in sackcloth, stands before Gd and says: Master of the Universe! Your children have made me like a lyre with which the nations play for idolatry!

"Gd replies: My daughter! If so [that you protest], what should My children do when they are glad?

"Torah responds: Master of the Universe! If they are scholars, let them involve themselves in Torah, mishnah, talmud, halachah and aggadah. If they are not learned, let them involve themselves in the laws of Pesach on Pesach, the laws of Shavuot on Shavuot, and the laws of Succot on Succot."

(Kallah Rabti 1:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Developing inspiration for prayer

Hi,


"Often one prays but the time is not ripe for awakening, and often one reaches awakening but he does not pray, for it is not the time for prayer...

"This is why we have presented ways for him to awaken himself in prayer through various strategies, but he should not abandon the second side. When he has any kind of internal awakening at any point during the day, outside of the time of prayer and worship, he should not abandon it. He must only use it as a key to the soul. As we have mentioned, all types of feelings, even of business or other matters of the body, of a broken heart or of joy, includes a revelation of the soul. It is only clothed in the needs of this world.

"One must use this ripe opportunity, and when he feels any type of broken heart, even for physical reasons, he should immediately go off to the side, stand by a wall, and recite some chapter of Tehllim. It would best to recite a chapter that relates to the event, and to his worries... And so when one feels joy inside..."

(R' Klonymus Kalman Schapiro, Bnei Machshavah Tovah, Seder Emtzaei v'Yesod haChevra 9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why are oxen, sheep and goats the only korban-eligible animals?

Hi,

"R' Yehudah, son of R' Simon, said: Gd declared: I have given you ten kosher animals, three of which live within your domain and seven of which do not live within your domain... Did I burden you to go to the moutains and hills to bring a korban from those which do not live within your domain? I only told you to bring from that which lives in your domain and grows from your trough."

(Midrash, Psikta d'Rav Kahana 6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mind your bias

Hi,

"Another way in which logical law falls short of the Divine is that logical law cannot distinguish between the appropriate and the inappropriate in all matters; sometimes a thing is pleasant or repellent to us, but it is not inherently pleasant or repellent."

(R' Yosef Albo, Sefer haIkkarim I:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai