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CONTENTContent TO PROCLAIM YOUR KINDNESS ............................................... 2 SHALOM BAYIT (PEACE IN THE HOME) ...................................... 6 FAITH ....................................................................................... 8 “I WILL RETurn” .................................................................... 10 THE POWER OF SIGHT BY THE MERIT OF TORAH .................... 14 MAKING PEACE REIGN ........................................................... 15 THE STATUS AND GREATNESS OF WOMEN ............................. 19 MEN OF FAITH ........................................................................ 21 THE DAYS OF MAN ARE FIXED ................................................. 28 THE HILLOULA OF THE TZADDIK ............................................ 37 GROWING STRONGER IN FAITH .............................................. 40 SETTING A PERSONAL EXAMPLE ............................................ 42 SHABBAT – The SOURCE OF BLESSINGS ............................... 45 SHABBAT ................................................................................ 47 STORIES OF SHABBAT ............................................................ 47 AMAZING STORIES ................................................................. 52 THE REVOLUTIONARY ............................................................ 55 UNDER AEGIS OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN EXILE ON ACCOUNT OF STRIFE ........ 58 RAbbI DAVID HANANIA PINTO SHLITA A LETTER TO RABBI DAVID PINTO SHLITA .............................. 62 PARIS • ORH HAIM VE MOSHE Yossele “THE RASCAL” ........................................................ 63 11, rue du plateau - 75019 paris • france BY THE MERIT OF GENUINE FAITH .......................................... 64 32, rue du plateau - 75019 paris • france tel: +331 4803 5389 • fax: +331 42 06 00 33 LYON • HEVRAT PINTO 20 bis, rue des Mûriers • 69100 Villeurbanne • france tel: +334 78 03 89 14 - fax: +334 78 68 68 45 ISRAEL • ASHDOD Kollel “oroT Haim u moshe” YÉCHIVAT “neFesh haim” rehoV ha-adMour Mi-belz 41/6 • ashdod • israël tel: +972 88 566 233 • fax: +972 88 521 527 ISRAEL • JERUSALEM rehoV bayit Vagan 8 • jerusaleM • ISRAEL tel: +972 26 433 605 • fax: +972 26 433 570 U.S.A • chevrAt pinto 8 Morris road - spring Valley • ny 10977 • u.s.a tel: 1 845 426 1276 • fax: 1 845 426 1149 Responsible for publication: hanania soussan Layout: hanania soussan Impression: Printing Internet : www.rabbidavidpinto.com e-mail: [email protected] “TO inPROCLAIM the Morning and YOUR Your Faithfulness KINDNESS in the Nights” by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto Shlita his birth. Saddened by this fact, Adam in nature, for originally a tree’s leaves decided to give 70 years of his own and trunk had the same taste as its fruit, life to this exceptional soul, in order to a benefit that trees lost after the sin. grant David the possibility of accom- With each occurrence of Shabbat, a plishing his great deeds in this world. foreshadowing of the World to Come, We now understand why King David is we are being offered the possibility of described as being “old,” since the end immersing ourselves to a certain degree of his life actually marked the comple- in the atmosphere of the world before tion of Adam’s 1,000-year life. the sin. Our sacred books tell us the context in A person will usually thank Hashem, which Adam composed the Psalm, “It is blessed be He, for things that clearly good to praise the L-RD.” On the first seem good to him. As for things that a Friday of Creation, the day on which person does not clearly see as good, he he was created, Adam sinned by eating will not thank Hashem for them. Man’s fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Ac- task in this world is to learn to thank G-d cording to the measure of strict justice, for everything, including those which he should have instantly died. Yet in His his human eyes do not perceive as be- compassion, the Holy One, blessed be ing good. For example, the fact that a He, prolonged his life by hundreds of person gets up every morning in good years. Hence it was out of gratitude that health constitutes an immense kind- Adam composed this Psalm. Moreover, ness from the Creator. Yet the everyday On Friday evening, with the arrival of the six days of Creation that preceded nature of this event has made it so com- Shabbat, we usually recite the Psalm: Adam’s sin had a particularly elevated monplace that a person loses all sense “It is good to praise the L-RD, and aspect to them. Mankind’s first sin tar- of gratitude, having come to regard to sing to Your Name, O Most High” nished the brilliance of the holy lights it as something completely natural. A (Psalms 92:2). Our Sages tell us that that shined in the universe. Neverthe- chassid originally from New York told this Psalm was originally composed by less, the arrival of Shabbat enabled me what happened to him. One Friday Adam, and it was later taken by King these lights to continue in the world, night he went to bed, and when he woke David and inserted into his collection until the close of that holy day, when up on Shabbat morning, he found his of Psalms. As we know, David’s soul Hashem put them aside. Adam, who wife dead. There are many other stories was a spark from Adam’s. had the merit of tasting the delight of like this regarding people who are in perfectly good health, and yet one day The Chida explains the verse, “King that Shabbat (which was infused with they just die, G-d forbid. David was old, advanced in days” (I these holy lights), hurried to compose Kings 1:1) in the following way: The this Psalm because his goal was to I recently witnessed a similar inci- final letter of each word in the phrase perpetuate the sweet sense of holiness dent. A man wanted to see me, and he “David…advanced in days” form the that reigned before the sin. In fact the tried to meet at a place where I was name “Adam,” from which we de- reading of this Psalm, composed in a receiving people. He had not arranged duce that King David emanated from spiritually elevated atmosphere, can for a meeting, and therefore he was a spark of Adam’s soul. In fact, how infuse us with a sense of holiness. Fi- given one for the following day. That can we say that King David was old, nally, Shabbat foreshadows the World same night, while he was having supper, since he died at the age of 70, which is to Come, and Adam’s Psalm constitutes he suffered a heart attack that proved relatively young? From here we derive a thank you to G-d for this holy day’s to be fatal. From Adam, we learn our another interpretation from the verse, extra dimension. duty to thank Hashem every day. Just namely that the years of David’s life Before his sin, Adam was an ex- the fact of being able to wake up every completed the years of Adam’s life. tremely elevated being. Chazal tell us morning in good health, despite our It is actually brought down that Adam that Adam’s heel shined like the globe transgressions of the prior day, make gave 70 years of his life to David, for of the sun, to the point that the angels us infinitely indebted to G-d. Adam saw by Ruach HaKodesh that mistook him for a celestial being. This We sometimes see that it is ostensi- King David would die on the day of sin also brought about a deterioration bly simple people who merit miracles, 2 a privilege that does not seem to be dollars. He was planning on giving it to doctors dumbfounded in the face of this granted to Torah scholars. I offer the me for my birthday, but he passed away miracle. Today, everyone who meets following explanation: It often happens beforehand. I’ve looked all around the this miraculous man exclaims, “How that such simple people possess the house, but can’t find it.” That was the great are Your works, O L-RD!” strongest faith, their entire lives being cause of her pain and the reason for her It sometimes happens that the Holy focused on the Holy One, blessed be coming to see me: Her husband had left One, blessed be He, reveals His om- He. On the other hand, there are great this world without telling her where her nipotence to His creatures in order to scholars who are versed in the most jewelry was. stir their hearts into having faith in Him. subtle secrets of Torah, and yet they I was completely taken aback by this This can be illustrated by the following lack the main thing – constantly hav- woman, who rather than being saddened case: A man was diagnosed with cancer ing in mind the One Who gave us this by her husband’s passing and trying to that had spread throughout his body, Torah. Now the fear of G-d constitutes find a way to elevate his soul, was in- and he had no further hope of survival. the foundation and prerequisite for stead preoccupied with her jewelry. My Despite the somber predictions of his observing the Torah. A person lacking dismay only increased when I learned doctors, he is still alive today, already this essential quality cannot witness an that her husband was a millionaire several years later. One of the doctors obvious manifestation of Divine provi- and had left her an immense fortune. himself said to him, “Know that your dence. Such is the meaning of the verse, In that case, why was she so worried survival is a miracle, because from a “Now, O Israel, what does the L-RD about this jewelry rather than mourn- medical standpoint, you should have your G-d ask of you? Only to fear the ing her husband’s passing? I therefore died a long time ago. Only your prayers, L-RD your G-d” (Deuteronomy 10:12). concluded that this is the difference your faith in G-d, and your observance From here it follows that the fear of G-d between a person who is a believer and of mitzvot are the source of this extraor- and genuine faith form the foundation respects the Torah and mitzvot, and a dinary merit.” of every Jew’s existence.