בס׳ד

"Where does it say that you have a contract with G-d to have an easy life?"

the Lubavitcher Rebbe



"Failure is not the enemy of success; it is its prerequisite."

Rabbi Nosson Scherman



29 Sept 2019

5 Sept 2019

Bearing Grudges

Why Every Child Needs to Hear Stories about the Holocaust

U’vahem Nehgeh: Chazarah Chaburah

"Al Pi Shinayim Aydim Oh Shlosha Aydim Yumas HaMais"; "According to the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses shall the person be killed" Why does the pasuk say "Shnayim Aydim" as opposed to the more common "Shnay Aydim" like the pasuk says further (19:15)? The Netziv answers that there is a difference between the word "Shnayim" and "Shnay". "Shnay" - refers to 2 things that are identical as opposed to "Shnayim" - which refers to 2 things that are a bit different. For example, the pasuk says by the Keruvim - "Shnayim Keruvim" - since one had the face of a girl and one a boy, they were not identical; therefore the pasuk uses the terminology "Shnayim".

By witnesses, the Halacha states, if the witnesses testimonies are too identical, we must be concerned that maybe they are lying, and additional Chakiros (questioning) must be done. That is why the pasuk says, "Al Pi Shinayim Aydim" - because their testimony can't be identical. Since the Din of Chakiras HaAydim (questioning the witnesses) is derived from a case where the death penalty is being administered - "ViDarashta ViChakarta" - Parshas Re'eh - 13:15 - by the Parsha of Ir Hanidachas - the Torah writes "Shnayim" here, where we are dealing with the death penalty also (Avodah Zara), as opposed to the pasuk further (19:15) where the topic is Dinay Mamonis (Monetary Laws) - the Torah writes "Shnay".
http://www.thejewisheye.com/rev_pshoftim.html

2 Sept 2019

The Vital Question

A friend posted on Facebook this morning, "The difference between try and triumph is a little umph."

Food for thought 

I started reading Cyril Harris's "For Heaven's Sake" and was struck by a passage in the foreword of the book.

"There is an old Rabbinic teaching, a beautiful one, that just before a person dies, an angel comes to him from heaven and asks the vital question: 'Tell me, is the world a better place because of your life which is about to end? Is the world a better place because of the efforts you exerted? Is the world a better place because you were around?'"

It's something to think about as we enter Chodesh Elul, a time for reflection and introspection, with thoughts of teshuva occupying our minds with the days leading to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.


1 Sept 2019

Honest Judges

We read Parshas Shoftim in the beginning of Elul because the first step to Tshuva is to put guards at our hotspots. "Shoftim V'Shotrim Tetein Lecha B'Chol She'arecha"; place judges and policemen at all your gates. These gates allude to the gates of your body; your eyes, ears, mouth, etc., says the Bnei Yisaschar. The gemara says the eyes see and the heart desires. This is the mechanics of Aveira. We need to watch both what goes into our mouth and what comes out of it. Once we have honest judges guarding these flashpoints from evil we are on the road to tshuvah.

If we do stumble we must have a mechanism for punishing ourselves whether it is in the form of promising to give money to tzedoka or withholding something that we enjoy for every time we slip. This effective idea was popular among the Talmidim of Rav Moshe Kordevero says the Bnei Yisaschar.
http://www.revach.net/moadim/elultishrei/ElulParshas-Shoftim-Bnei-Yisaschar-Shoftim-And-Personal-Bodyguards/822

Belgian ban on kosher slaughter goes into effect