Likutey Moharan #2191
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Rivkah's Eternal Question Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner
בס“ד Parshat Toldot 5 Kislev, 5781/November 21, 2020 Vol. 12 Num. 11 (#472) This issue of Toronto Torah is dedicated by Jeffrey Silver נ“י in honour of the first birthday of his granddaughter, Sarena Baila Rivkah’s Eternal Question Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner As twins "race about" in her womb, in the Divine response, “You are Rivkah owned a special identity and Rivkah asks ambiguously, “Im ken, carrying twins who will be bitter, mission related to those two fighters. lamah zeh anochi?” (Bereishit 25:22) lifelong rivals”? You are the one who is suited to Literally translated, Rivkah inquires, handling your twin sons. “If this is so, why am I?” But what was Dr. Tzohar offers a different approach, “this”, and “why am I” what? by pointing to how Rivkah came to this Note that Hashem has not told Rivkah point. Rivkah lived with her pagan anything specific – that she will win Traditional commentators have offered family until Avraham's servant arrived. Esav’s trust, that Yitzchak will be blind, various explanations, including: That servant declared that Rivkah was that she will swap the blessings, or that • Rashi (ad loc.) suggests that special, by dint of her generous conduct she will enable Yaakov to escape from Rivkah regretted praying for at the well. (ibid. 24:14-20) The servant Esav. But Hashem gives Rivkah clarity pregnancy: “If this is the pain of announced that a Divine miracle had of purpose, and this sense of purpose is pregnancy, why did I ask for this?” identified her as special. (24:40- what comforts, and empowers, Rivkah. -
David's Punishment As a Window Into the Torah As a Song
David’s Punishment for Singing ‘Study of King David’ (Julia Margaret Cameron, 1866) Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my ְִזרמוֹת ... וּיָה - ִליקּח ֶיHֻ -- גוּימר ְֵבּיְבָת גוּימר pilgrimage." Ps 119:54 1 In an enigmatic aggada the Talmud seems to exhort King David for his extolling the divine in Psalm 119:54 by describing the Torah as a song: Thy statutes have been my songs. The gemoroh seems to critique David for reducing the Torah to a mere song. Let us examine this midrash to explore the depths of what Torah seems to mean to the rabbis and what song represents. The critique is based on their reading of the pericope in II Samuel chapter 6 that describes the moving of the Ark from Kiryat Ye’arim to Jerusalem and the tragic consequences that ensued and the delay of that movement resulting from the tragedy. Prooftexts And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of 3 ג את ִַַויֶּכּרבוּ ְ - הןוֲֹאר ִ,יםֱָא5ה ֶאל - חָהָלגֲﬠ ָ,הָשֲׁד ָ,הָשֲׁד חָהָלגֲﬠ the house of Abinadab that was in the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the ִַויּ ָשֻּׂאהוּ, ִמֵבּית ֲאִביָנָדב ֲאֶשׁר ַבִּגְּבָﬠה; ְוֻﬠָזּא ְוַאְחיוֹ, .sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart ,אבנדִבינְבּאנ יתה ,םגֲֵָ ִיֲֶָֹ - החָלֲגָהﬠ ָָ.הֲשׁדָ And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the 4 ד ִַויּ ָשֻּׂאהוּ, ִמֵבּית ֲאִביָנָדב ֲאֶשׁר ַבִּגְּבָﬠה, ִﬠם, ֲארוֹן .hill, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark י;ֱם5הָהא ְַחאִו ,הְוֹי לcֹל ריָהֵאְנִפֵ ָ.ןוֹ And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD with 5 ה ְוָכל ְָוִודד -
On the Festivals by Rabbi Yaakov Hillel Rosh Yeshivat Ahavat Shalom
On the Festivals by Rabbi Yaakov Hillel Rosh Yeshivat Ahavat Shalom Maftir Yonah: Far-reaching Repentance Yonah on Yom Kippur As Yom Kippur, the day of repentance and forgiveness, nears its conclusion and the time for Neilah approaches, we read the Book of Yonah, the Maftir following the Torah reading of the Afternoon Prayer. Why did our Sages institute the reading of Yonah at this special time (Megillah 31a)? Clearly, the story of the prophet Yonah and his mission to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh carries an essential message for this critical hour of the holiest day of the year. The obvious reason for reading Yonah before Minhah on Yom Kippur relates to the significance of this day, when Hashem forgives the sins of the Jewish people. Yom Kippur only atones for those who sincerely repent with all their heart and soul; the harsh decrees in store for them are rescinded and their sins are forgiven. This is the message of the Book of Yonah, which teaches us the great power of repentance. The Al-mighty does not want to punish us – He wants us to repent our wrongdoing and return to Him. When we do, He annuls even the most severe of looming Heavenly decrees. However, there is even more to the story of Yonah. Hashem instructed Yonah to go to the non-Jewish city of Nineveh and exhort its residents to repent their many sins. Instead of fulfilling his mission, Yonah attempted to flee by boat to Tarshish. A storm struck, threatening to sink the ship, and Yonah was recognized to be the 1 cause. -
Daf Yomi Summary Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelech 5780 ??- ?? ??????? EDITIO N: 32
?''? ? daf yomi summary parashat Nitzavim-Vayelech 5780 ??- ?? ??????? EDITIO N: 32 reflect a meaningful reduction. DO N'T WASTE A MO MENT The Talmud then moves back to a larger discussion which raises the idea of intention, a theme which dominated M asechet Shabbat. THANKS TO GREG NARUNSKY One can only carry in an enclosed area if the fence/wall was built with intention for a residential area. The idea of defining an area as private property leads to another conversation regarding land The Gemara relates on Daf 28b that when Rebbi Zeira became ownership of a convert. The issue surrounds the problem of what exhausted from his studies he would go and sit near the entrance of happens to land after a convert dies. When a Jew from birth passes, Rav Yehuda Bar Ami?s yeshiva so that when the Torah scholars came the land is automatically transferred to the next of kin. However, in and went from the yeshiva he would be able to stand for them. some instances, a convert?s land becomes ownerless. Anyone can Rebbi Zeira relates that he did this so that even if he couldn?t study come and claim it. because of exhaustion he was at least able to receive reward by To acquire a convert?s land one must make a direct improvement in rising for the Torah scholars. [We learn the obligation to rise for a the land. Plowing is an immediate benefit to the land and supersedes Torah scholar from a verse in Vayikra 19:32 which says: You shall rise the act of sowing and building a fence. -
Gilgul/Reincarnation in Sefer Habahir, Zohar and Lurianic Kabbalah
GILGUL/REINCARNATION IN SEFER HABAHIR, ZOHAR AND LURIANIC KABBALAH 1. GILGUL IN THE EVENING SHEMA PRAYER: Master of the Universe, I herby forgive anyone who angered or antagonized me or who sinned against me - whether against my body, my property, my honor or against anything anything of mine; whether he did so accidentally , willfully, carelessly, or purposely, whether through speech, deed, thought or notion, whether in this transmigration or another בגלגול זה בין גלגול אחר- transmigration GILGUL IN SEFER HA-BAHIR, Provence, c. 1170 CE: 2. BIBLICAL PROOF TEXT R. Meir said: What is the meaning of the verse “The Lord shall reign forever, your God, O Zion, from generation to generation?” [Ps. 146:10] What [does it mean] “from generation to generation”? R. Papias said: It is written, “A generation goes, and a generation comes” ([Ecc.1:4). And R. Akiba said: [The meaning of “A generation goes and a generation comes” is that] it has already come. (Sefer Ha-Bahir, 121) 3. PARABLE OF A KING To what is this similar? To a fable about a king who owned slaves, and he dressed them with embroidered silk garments according to his best ability. They disarranged them. He expelled them and drove his presence from them, and stripped them of his garments, and they went away. The king then took the garments, washed them thoroughly until there was no soiled spot left on them and placed them to be readily used. Then the king bought other slaves and dressed them with these garments. But he did not know whether or not these slaves were good. -
1 Beginning the Conversation
NOTES 1 Beginning the Conversation 1. Jacob Katz, Exclusiveness and Tolerance: Jewish-Gentile Relations in Medieval and Modern Times (New York: Schocken, 1969). 2. John Micklethwait, “In God’s Name: A Special Report on Religion and Public Life,” The Economist, London November 3–9, 2007. 3. Mark Lila, “Earthly Powers,” NYT, April 2, 2006. 4. When we mention the clash of civilizations, we think of either the Spengler battle, or a more benign interplay between cultures in individual lives. For the Spengler battle, see Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996). For a more benign interplay in individual lives, see Thomas L. Friedman, The Lexus and the Olive Tree (New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1999). 5. Micklethwait, “In God’s Name.” 6. Robert Wuthnow, America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005). “Interview with Robert Wuthnow” Religion and Ethics Newsweekly April 26, 2002. Episode no. 534 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week534/ rwuthnow.html 7. Wuthnow, America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity, 291. 8. Eric Sharpe, “Dialogue,” in Mircea Eliade and Charles J. Adams, The Encyclopedia of Religion, first edition, volume 4 (New York: Macmillan, 1987), 345–8. 9. Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald and John Borelli, Interfaith Dialogue: A Catholic View (London: SPCK, 2006). 10. Lily Edelman, Face to Face: A Primer in Dialogue (Washington, DC: B’nai B’rith, Adult Jewish Education, 1967). 11. Ben Zion Bokser, Judaism and the Christian Predicament (New York: Knopf, 1967), 5, 11. 12. Ibid., 375. -
Tanya Sources.Pdf
The Way to the Tree of Life Jewish practice entails fulfilling many laws. Our diet is limited, our days to work are defined, and every aspect of life has governing directives. Is observance of all the laws easy? Is a perfectly righteous life close to our heart and near to our limbs? A righteous life seems to be an impossible goal! However, in the Torah, our great teacher Moshe, Moses, declared that perfect fulfillment of all religious law is very near and easy for each of us. Every word of the Torah rings true in every generation. Lesson one explores how the Tanya resolved these questions. It will shine a light on the infinite strength that is latent in each Jewish soul. When that unending holy desire emerges, observance becomes easy. Lesson One: The Infinite Strength of the Jewish Soul The title page of the Tanya states: A Collection of Teachings ספר PART ONE לקוטי אמרים חלק ראשון Titled הנקרא בשם The Book of the Beinonim ספר של בינונים Compiled from sacred books and Heavenly מלוקט מפי ספרים ומפי סופרים קדושי עליון נ״ע teachers, whose souls are in paradise; based מיוסד על פסוק כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו upon the verse, “For this matter is very near to לבאר היטב איך הוא קרוב מאד בדרך ארוכה וקצרה ”;you, it is in your mouth and heart to fulfill it בעזה״י and explaining clearly how, in both a long and short way, it is exceedingly near, with the aid of the Holy One, blessed be He. "1 of "393 The Way to the Tree of Life From the outset of his work therefore Rav Shneur Zalman made plain that the Tanya is a guide for those he called “beinonim.” Beinonim, derived from the Hebrew bein, which means “between,” are individuals who are in the middle, neither paragons of virtue, tzadikim, nor sinners, rishoim. -
Overviewof the Daf Distictive INSIGHT REVIEW and Remember
י"ז שבט תשע “ ו Wednesday, January 27 2016 גיטין מ “ ה OVERVIEW of the Daf Distictive INSIGHT 1) Selling a slave to someone who lives outside of Eretz Yisroel The omen of the advice of the dove אמר כנסת ישראל כיונה מתילא, שמע מינה מתרחיש לי ניסא (.cont) The Gemara explains why R’ Anan did not know in which case Shmuel ruled that the money must be returned and in which case he T he daughters of Rav Nachman were captured, and Rav Illish was ruled that it does not have to be returned. captured together with them. One day during their ordeal, Rav Illish R’ Yosef suggests a rationale why when a slave is sold to outside was sitting next to a man who understood the language of the birds. of Eretz Yisroel, the purchaser is penalized rather than the seller. When a raven told Rav Illish to flee his captors, Rav Illish did not Abaye unsuccessfully challenges this explanation. trust the bird’s message, as he knew that ravens lie. However, when a The Gemara retells an incident of a slave who fled from his own- dove came and told him to flee his captors, Rav Illish declared, “The er to Eretz Yisroel. congregation of Israel is compared to a dove,” and he took this as a This incident leads the Gemara into a discussion of the proper sign from the heavens that a miracle would occur and he would be interpretation of a pasuk in Devarim. able to escape, and he did. Another incident involving a slave that fled from his owner in The Torah prohibits relying on superstitions or heeding omens. -
Scrolls of Love Ruth and the Song of Songs Scrolls of Love
Edited by Peter S. Hawkins and Lesleigh Cushing Stahlberg Scrolls of Love ruth and the song of songs Scrolls of Love ................. 16151$ $$FM 10-13-06 10:48:57 PS PAGE i ................. 16151$ $$FM 10-13-06 10:48:57 PS PAGE ii Scrolls of Love reading ruth and the song of songs Edited by Peter S. Hawkins and Lesleigh Cushing Stahlberg FORDHAM UNIVERSITY PRESS New York / 2006 ................. 16151$ $$FM 10-13-06 10:49:01 PS PAGE iii Copyright ᭧ 2006 Fordham University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, me- chanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Scrolls of love : reading Ruth and the Song of songs / edited by Peter S. Hawkins and Lesleigh Cushing Stahlberg.—1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8232-2571-2 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8232-2571-2 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-8232-2526-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8232-2526-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Bible. O.T. Ruth—Criticism interpretation, etc. 2. Bible. O.T. Song of Solomon—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Hawkins, Peter S. II. Stahlberg, Lesleigh Cushing. BS1315.52.S37 2006 222Ј.3506—dc22 2006029474 Printed in the United States of America 08 07 06 5 4 3 2 1 First edition ................. 16151$ $$FM 10-13-06 10:49:01 PS PAGE iv For John Clayton (1943–2003), mentor and friend ................ -
The ABC of Ecology "This Is the Thing That Hashem Has Commanded: 'Gather from It, for Every Man According to What He Eats - an Omer Per Person - According to The
SHABBAT PARSHAT BESHALACH 13 SHVAT 5780 FEBRUARY 8, 2020 VOL. 27 NO. 14 PARSHA INSIGHTS by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair The ABC of Ecology "This is the thing that Hashem has commanded: 'Gather from it, for every man according to what he eats - an omer per person - according to the number of your people, everyone according to whoever is in his tent shall you take.'" (16:16) he world gets smaller every day. One of the fears With that same aleph-beit that G-d created the world, He T of living in a global village is that the village creates a sufficiency for every living thing. G-d created store is going to run out of food. Will we wake this world with a plan. Man is the centerpiece of this up one day and find our planet can no longer support plan. Just as He created the ABC of Creation, He has its population? For years, science fiction has dwelled on made sure that His plan will be fulfilled, right down to highly imaginative schemes to "farm" the solar system. XY and Z. Every creature will receive its needs. We Here's the good news. You can relax and stop planning don't have to worry that there won't be enough for your trip to Andromeda. It isn't going to happen. everyone to eat. We don't have to worry that the world Although waste is certainly wrong, there is no need to will become overpopulated. With that same "whole worry about the nourishing bounty in our world. -
Shoftim Mind Over Matter Isn’T Just a Slogan Controlling and Directing Our Feelings with Laser Precision
6. Shoftim Mind over Matter Isn’t Just a Slogan Controlling and Directing Our Feelings with Laser Precision Dedicated in loving memory of Mr. Sami Rohr, ,ר’ שמואל ב”ר יהושע אליהו ז”ל marking his yahrtzeit, 17 Av. May the merit of the Torah study worldwide accompany his soul in the world of everlasting life and be a source of blessings to his family with much health, happiness, nachat, and success. [ 92 ] PARSHA OVERVIEW Shoftim Moses instructs the Shoftim also includes people of Israel to appoint the prohibitions against judges and law enforce- idolatry and sorcery, laws ment officers in every city. governing the appointment “Justice, justice shall you and behavior of a king, and pursue,” he commands guidelines for the creation them, and they must admin- of “cities of refuge” for the ister it without corruption inadvertent murderer. Also or favoritism. Crimes must set forth are many of the be meticulously investigat- rules of war: the exemption ed and evidence thorough- from battle for one who has ly examined—a minimum just built a home, planted of two credible witnesses a vineyard, married, or is is required for conviction “afraid and soft-hearted”; and punishment. the requirement to of- fer terms of peace before In every generation, says attacking a city; and the Moses, there will be those prohibition against wanton entrusted with the task destruction of something of interpreting and apply- of value, exemplified by ing the laws of the Torah. the law that forbids cutting “According to the law that down a fruit tree when lay- they will teach you, and the ing siege. -
THE PATH to FOLLOW Vayeishev • No 367 a Hevrat Pinto Publication Under the Direction of Rabbi David H
THE PATH TO FOLLOW Vayeishev • No 367 A Hevrat Pinto Publication Under the Direction of Rabbi David H. Pinto Shlita www.hevratpinto.org | [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Hanania Soussan Kislev 20th, 5771 • November 27th 2010 32 rue du Plateau 75019 Paris, France • Tel: +331 48 03 53 89 • Fax: +331 42 06 00 33 THE ONLY FREE MAN IS ONE WH O ST UD I ES TO RAH (by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto Shlita) is written, “Jacob dwelled in the from city to city and from province to province what he was doing. They saw him take out land of his father’s sojournings” in order to study Torah” (Yoma 35b). the Gemara in tractate Sukkah and begin to (Bereshith 37:1). Our Sages have In the Midrash our Sages cite Hashem as study it from the very first page. He did not said, “When the righteous wish saying, “Torah scholars who force themselves move before having completed the entire to live in peace in this world, the to go from city to city and from country to tractate on that night. His servants even went Satan comes and accuses them: ‘They are country in order to study Torah, I exempt home to sleep, and when they returned the not content with what is in store for them in them from the yoke of government” (Midrash next morning, they saw him with the book still the hereafter, but they wish to live in peace Otiyot). As a result, the early generations open, about to complete the entire tractate.