tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85073129530493219332024-03-13T06:34:36.693+02:00Parsha StoryShort stories and parables from the famed Maggid of Dubno on the weekly Torah portion.cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-65484236716913688362018-09-12T17:53:00.000+03:002019-01-31T09:02:28.244+02:00The Phony GorillaWhen Benjamin applied for a job at the zoo, this was not what he had in mind. He was shocked when the zoo manager showed him the gorilla suit. But he needed the job.<br />
<br />
The gorilla enclosure - one of the zoo's most popular sites - had been empty for a month after its previous occupant had died suddenly of a gastrointestinal infection. The zoo was having financial difficulties, and could not afford the high expenses of acquiring and taking care of a new gorilla. Instead, the zoo management decided to hire someone to act like a gorilla during peak visiting hours.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTemaYN05dIPA_SJ0LBKUMV8AA6RYmFVyKmvnc2qahyphenhypheniRAjtTG5_XMh-k2tzs_uV_GjDFkdwZ0Q-QT8ionvjTiTQbaxFP3D9MYuVVIoT31KDT8GI96qZr3PUKXe7-FqbYURp35oOyea_3B/s1600/gorilla.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTemaYN05dIPA_SJ0LBKUMV8AA6RYmFVyKmvnc2qahyphenhypheniRAjtTG5_XMh-k2tzs_uV_GjDFkdwZ0Q-QT8ionvjTiTQbaxFP3D9MYuVVIoT31KDT8GI96qZr3PUKXe7-FqbYURp35oOyea_3B/s1600/gorilla.jpg" /></a><br />
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Benjamin started work the next day. It was hot inside the suit, and not easy to jump around and pretend to be a gorilla for hours at a time. He went home at the end of the day sweaty and exhausted. But it paid the bills.<br />
<br />
It all came to an end one hot summer day. Uncomfortable after many hours in the suit, Benjamin became irritable. When some boys started throwing popsicle sticks at him, he lost it. Benjamin tore the sticks off his furry coat and yelled at the boys. "Is that the way you treat a gorilla?" he roared.<br />
<br />
The zoo manager fired Benjamin on the spot. It was a PR disaster for the zoo.<br />
<br />
Benjamin, however, needed the money. "The whole year, I was a great gorilla. I beat my chest. I grunted and hooted. The kids loved me. Then one mistake, and you fire me? Is that fair?"<br />
<br />
The manager was not moved by Benjamin's argument. "I'm sorry, but there's no way that I could send you out there again. Once you opened your mouth, you showed everyone that you are a man, not a gorilla. You could jump up and down and eat as many bananas as you like, but people will always know what you really are."<br />
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<b>Yom Kippur: showing the world who we really are</b><br />
<br />
The same is true with us. We might spend the whole year running after money and material pleasures. But once we spend Yom Kippur dedicated to our spiritual side, devoted to prayer and repentance, we show the whole world who we really are. We show everyone - ourselves included - that underneath all that superficiality, lives a holy human soul.cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-29577172687033846602015-04-05T22:43:00.003+03:002015-04-05T22:44:54.698+03:00Tzav: Role ReversalThere was once a dockworker named Jack who had been forced to leave school at an early age in order to support his family. Jack, however, greatly valued the importance of Torah study. So he made an agreement with a promising young scholar, that he would help support the young man in return for sharing the merit of his Torah study,<br />
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The agreement worked fine until one day Jack decided that it was not enough just to support a Torah scholar. He wanted to study Torah himself! So he informed the young man that from now on, they were switching roles. Jack would take the scholar's place in the study hall, while the scholar would perform his job on the dock.<br />
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Of course, the results were disastrous. The scholar lacked the strength and stamina necessary to unload the ships at the harbor. Jack, on the other hand, barely knew the Hebrew alphabet. He found himself sitting and staring at the pages of the Talmud, until he nodded off to sleep on the bench in the yeshiva.<br />
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<b><i>Kavanah </i>in Prayer</b><br />
<br />
The Torah states that if the kohen has the incorrect intention when bringing an offering in the Temple, the offering is <i>pigul </i>and is invalidated. Prayer is a comparable form of serving God, one which also requires the appropriate intention or <i>kavanah</i>. Prayers which are recited when one is distracted by stray thoughts is like an offering ruined by <i>machshevet</i>-<i>chutz</i>, extraneous thoughts.<br />
<br />
A prayer without proper <i>kavana </i>is similar to the disastrous switch of the dockworker and the yeshiva scholar, Instead of the body doing its work while the mind concentrates on prayer, their roles are reversed. The lips mindlessly form the words of prayer, and the body sways with movements of prayer; but the mind is preoccupied with thoughts of the workplace....<br />
<br />cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-11170827098513926392014-11-27T14:40:00.000+02:002019-01-31T08:56:42.091+02:00VaYeitzei: The Son and the WalletAfter Jacob left his home in Beersheba, he vowed to serve God faithfully if God would: (a) protect him on his journey, (b) provide him with food and clothing, and (c) return him to his father's house.<br />
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God, in fact, appeared to Jacob in a vision, promising: "I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go and bring you back to this land."<br />
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This covered Jacob's first and last requests. But what about the food and clothing?<br />
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<br />
<b>Cash for the Trip</b><br />
<br />
Michael needed to send his young son on a long journey. He prepared everything the boy would require for the trip, including a wallet with cash to pay for various expenses on the way.<br />
<br />
But before his son headed out, Michael heard disturbing news. Bandits were making trouble on the roads, attacking and robbing innocent travelers. Michael decided that the situation was too dangerous for his son to travel on his own; so, last minute, he changed the plan. He would join his son on the journey.<br />
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As they started out early the next morning, the boy suddenly looked nervous. "Father, where is the money purse you prepared for me? I will need it for my expenses on the road!"<br />
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Michael smiled. "Son, what do you need money for? I will be with you on the trip. I will pay for everything we need."<br />
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<b>"I am with you"</b><br />
<br />
The father's response is exactly what God told Jacob: "I am with you, and I will protect you..." Since God would be with Jacob, it was no longer necessary for Him to promise food and clothing; God would watch over all of Jacob's needs. "I will not abandon you," God promised Jacob. I will always be there to answer your prayers.<br />
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(Adapted from<i> Mishlei Yaakov</i>, pp. 66-67)<br />
<br />cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-88820289298986511242014-09-24T09:23:00.001+03:002014-10-02T21:10:24.953+03:00Yom Kippur: The Princess and the VillagerThere was once a king whose daughter had reached marriageable age. The king invited princes and noblemen to come from many countries for her to meet. The princess, however, rejected them all.<br />
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Years passed. In despair, the king vowed that he would marry her off to the next man willing to marry her. A simple villager chanced by - he was of course thrilled to marry a princess - and the king married off his daughter to him.<br />
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After the wedding, the princess was brought to her new home in the village. Her mother-in-law treated her like any other village woman, forcing the princess to perform all sorts of heavy labor and difficult chores. The princess, however, had never learned how to cook and clean, milk cows and weed gardens; and she cried bitterly. She wrote a letter to her father, complaining about the harsh conditions in her village home.<br />
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The king responded in kind, promising to visit her in forty days.<br />
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When the king's upcoming visit became known, there was an uproar in the village. Everyone worked hard cleaning and decorating the simple home. They also procured new clothing for the princess.<br />
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Soon a small delegation of royal advisers came to the village. They were greeted with great honor and respect. Then it became known that the king himself had arrived. The entire village gathered together to meet the king.<br />
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The king saw how his daughter was nicely situated, with great respect, and was pleased for her. After the brief visit came to an end, and he made preparations to leave, his daughter suddenly fell on his shoulders and began to weep.<br />
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"My daughter, why are you crying?"<br />
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"Father! How could you abandon me? How could you leave your beloved daughter in such a situation?"<br />
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"Why, what are talking about? I see the honor and respect that you have here. What is so terrible?"<br />
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"Oh father!" the princess cried. "Everything that you see, it was only done for your visit. They heard you were coming and transformed the house for you. But as soon as you walk out that door, I know that my mother-in-law will be after me, yelling at me and forcing me to do all sorts of hard and demeaning chores, weeding her garden, feeding her chickens, and milking her cow."<br />
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The king turned to his son-in-law. "Is this how you treat my daughter? Do you not know how to properly respect and honor a princess?"<br />
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The villager also cried. "Your highness, I know that she should be treated as royalty, but when the king decided to marry her to me, I assumed that the king knows that I am a simple villager, with a meager income. I do not have the means to maintain a princess in the fashion that she was accustomed in the royal palace. I figured that the king would send his blessing, providing for us so that I could support her in the style that she deserves."<br />
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<b>The Conclusion of Yom Kippur</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
God wanted to give the Torah to Adam, and then to Noah - but the Torah refused. Finally, He gave the Torah to the Jewish people. But everyday. she writes and complains to her Father, as it says, "Everyday a Divine Voice issues from Mount Horeb, saying: Woe to mortals because of offense to the Torah" (<i>Avot </i>6:2)<br />
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But, at the beginning of the month of Elul, we realize that the King will soon visit us, and we are filled with reverence. We study more Torah, we perform more good deeds and give more charity. When, on Rosh Hashana, the King's delegation arrives, we spend the holiday in prayer and Divine service.<br />
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Finally, on Yom Kippur, the King Himself arrives, and He sees the Jewish people are like angels. They are dressed in white, standing in prayer throughout the day, in holiness and purity.<br />
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But at the final <i>Ne'ilah </i>prayer, as the Shechinah is about to depart, a crying bursts forth:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"My dear Father! How can you abandon me? Do you not know that as soon as You leave, they will once again force me to perform lowly labors? They will remove my beautiful cover - their love and awe for You, and their desire to study Torah and perform mitzvot - and revert back to their former lives!"</blockquote>
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So, too, the soul cries out: "I have washed my feet - how can I soil them?" (<i>Shir haShirim </i>5:3) After I have become cleansed and purified on this holy day, how can I go back to the lowliness of everyday life?<br />
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And lest the Holy One be angry at the body for treating the soul in such a fashion, the body explains: But You knew beforehand that we are flesh and blood, that we live in this lowly, material world. Nonetheless, You placed the soul here. Please give us Your blessing, so that we will be free from the struggles of this mundane world, so that we will be free to study Your Torah and perform Your mitzvot!<br />
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<br />
(Adapted from<i> Mishlei Yaakov</i>, pp. 275-277)<br />
<br />cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-72558989054907592452014-08-10T23:48:00.002+03:002019-08-28T16:59:02.552+03:00Re'eih: The Blessing When Giving Tzedaka<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>"</em>Make every effort to give to [the poor], and do not feel bad about giving. For because of this, the Eternal your God will bless you in all of your endeavors<em>.</em>" (Deut. 15:10)</blockquote>
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How does God bless one who helps the poor and needy?<i> </i><br />
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One might think it is like this case:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A man lost a wallet containing a $100 while walking downtown. The following morning, he went downtown and picked up a $200 bill on the pavement.</blockquote>
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But this is not what the Torah is talking about. This person, even though he found more money than what he lost, is still upset about the original $100 that was lost. He thinks to himself, "If I hadn't lost that first $100, I would have now $300!"<br />
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Rather, the blessing the Torah is speaking about is like this case:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqfhhCEqEqcbnVVEjG8xhGK-D1SCWpdV_1V3bxGnUoteDX1bqsc9JQ3aUjMoQ2T1-9iCry_eHyzM_mSjjH1vJ3c4bjhhbl43Q1H4pRlWficwhlceiTIgFzqs4JHH3vaKfdNFDAtckvVw2/s1600/sack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqfhhCEqEqcbnVVEjG8xhGK-D1SCWpdV_1V3bxGnUoteDX1bqsc9JQ3aUjMoQ2T1-9iCry_eHyzM_mSjjH1vJ3c4bjhhbl43Q1H4pRlWficwhlceiTIgFzqs4JHH3vaKfdNFDAtckvVw2/s1600/sack.jpg" /></a><br />
<blockquote>
A farmer purchased a sack of grain and carried it home by way of his fields. Not realizing there was a small hole in the sack, little by little the grain trickled out. By the time he reached his home, the sack was empty!</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Some time later, the farmer passed through his fields. He was shocked to discover that the grain he had unwittingly spilled on his fields had grown into a tremendous wheat crop. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
This man will not regret the grain seeds he lost. He realizes that if they hadn't spilled out over his fields, he would not have been blessed with a wonderful crop.</blockquote>
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<i>That</i> is what the Torah promises, "Don't feel bad about giving." It is through this very giving that you will be blessed in your endeavors.<br />
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(Adapted from <i>Mishlei Yaakov</i>, p. 431)<br />
<br />cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-45321714418744618382014-05-20T08:07:00.003+03:002020-05-18T17:42:45.453+03:00BaMidbar: Can Israel Be Counted?The Book of Numbers begins - as its name indicates - with a counting of the Jewish people. The weekly Haftarah also speaks of Jewish demographics:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sbl_hebrew, "arial hebrew", arial; font-size: 19px; text-align: right;">"וְהָיָה מִסְפַּר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּחוֹל הַיָּם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִמַּד וְלֹא יִסָּפֵר"</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"And the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor counted" (Hosea 2:1).</blockquote>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Rabbi Yonatan in <i>Yoma </i>22b asked the following question: if it says that the Jewish people cannot be counted, how is even possible to speak of "<i>the number</i> of the children of Israel"?</div>
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<br /></div>
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His answer: When they perform God's will - then they will be uncountable, like the sand of the sea. But if they fail to perform God's will, then there will be a finite "number of the children of Israel." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Maggid of Dubno explained this Midrash with the following parable:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yR4b3Sijxo3rePazwEhIf6lvj35JN1YuW-AWgvyp9iafZ4GMxC3PP_cSVZyHJXcM_08OZKaEdGgZjO_U_3TDvwbzkr8swylFhq_Wu7EovDPvZ2Zs7ywTCT9dJ1VjVttdQoDydkTvc3OG/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yR4b3Sijxo3rePazwEhIf6lvj35JN1YuW-AWgvyp9iafZ4GMxC3PP_cSVZyHJXcM_08OZKaEdGgZjO_U_3TDvwbzkr8swylFhq_Wu7EovDPvZ2Zs7ywTCT9dJ1VjVttdQoDydkTvc3OG/s320/Two_Boys.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>The Argument of the Two Boys</b></div>
<div><br />In a certain town were two boys. Each one claimed that <i>his </i>father was richer.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"There is no one in town as rich as my dad," the first boy said, his voice full of pride. "His pockets are full of coins - dimes and quarters and nickels. Whenever he walks by, you can hear all of his coins jangling away!"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"It's true, your father has a lot of coins in his pockets," the second boy responded. "But if you ever see my dad pay for something, he opens up his wallet and you can see that it is full of dollar bills. And even if there are not as many bills as your father's coins, each dollar is worth a lot more than all of those dimes and nickels!"</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Rare Jewels</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The same is true regarding the Jewish people. When they fail to perform God's will, they have a finite measure and can be counted like any other people. They are like a pocket full of coins, easily measured and counted.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But when they keep God's will, then they are beyond all regular calculations. Each one is a precious jewel. Even if they are counted, their true worth cannot be properly determined. Like valuable banknotes, each one is worth many, many coins....</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(Adapted from <i>Mishlei Ya'akov</i>, pp. 304-305)</div>
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cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-77975913616031294182014-04-05T23:49:00.002+03:002014-04-10T17:52:09.564+03:00Pesach: Both Beautiful and UglyThe Midrash explains the verse, "<i>I am black but comely</i>" (Song of Songs<i> </i>1:5) in the following fashion:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I am black in my own actions; but I am comely in the deeds of my forefathers."</blockquote>
<br />
<b>The Poor Palace Dweller</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4QtDa29tyskgI9JYnvAB8fEpLKzKse4WVSQoOSMZE0Ps6hXEjQ_NtlEEpcnitgJyVdiGgQ7faKFa6YOJ2UNUS_ion6CWT6vls7Kje-OGd0mOwP3erBGLE0QFgzwUgAsBbaxW2w-5QnMr/s1600/broken-house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4QtDa29tyskgI9JYnvAB8fEpLKzKse4WVSQoOSMZE0Ps6hXEjQ_NtlEEpcnitgJyVdiGgQ7faKFa6YOJ2UNUS_ion6CWT6vls7Kje-OGd0mOwP3erBGLE0QFgzwUgAsBbaxW2w-5QnMr/s1600/broken-house.jpg" height="285" width="320" /></a>A visitor once came to a city and beheld a peculiar sight: an elegant residence in the finest part of the city, but in terrible disrepair. The grounds were overrun with weeds, and the trees were barely alive. Many of the windows were cracked and broken, stuffed with rags to keep out the cold and the wind.<br />
<br />
Curious, he turned to a local resident, who explained to him that the beautiful house belonged to an indigent fellow who had inherited the home from wealthy ancestors. The current owner, however, lacked the funds to properly maintain the house.<br />
<br />
"Were you to meet him," he continued, "you would see a thin man wearing an expensive suit - a suit that his father had bought for him for his wedding - and with rags on his feet."<br />
<br />
<b>The Israelites in Egypt</b><br />
<br />
This was the state of the Israelites in Egypt. The Jewish people said: "I am black but comely." I have two contradictory qualities, I am both ugly and beautiful. I am blessed with some very good traits, but I also have some very bad ones. The reason for this situation: the good traits are those which I inherited from my lofty ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The bad ones, on the other hand, are my own negative traits, the result of my spiritual poverty.<br />
<br />
(Adapted from<i> Mishlei Yaakov</i>, pp. 319-320)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-32532052913270301282014-03-02T23:10:00.001+02:002014-03-07T09:26:56.848+02:00Vayikra: The Original Contract<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<i>I did not speak with your forefathers nor did I command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices</i>.” (Jeremiah 7:22)</blockquote>
<br />
How could the prophet Jeremiah say such a thing, when the book of Leviticus is filled with the laws of <i>korbanot </i>and Temple offerings?<br />
<br />
<b>The Sneaky Contractor</b><br />
<br />
Jacob decided to build a new home, and found a contractor who was willing to take on the project. Jacob and the contractor drew up a basic contract which set down the cost and schedule for building the house.<br />
<br />
Jacob then completed a detailed document of many pages, specifying the exact type of materials to be used for constructing the house – the size and quality of windows and doors, the style and color of ceramic floor tiles, measurements and type of wood for the kitchen cabinets, and so on. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagJGT07m2pOvc9yEvf5U_YVK4E-dxOBdASv1QBAHzgFhdg2I53JwZWOvZHZ3l165g4iSthMITOxncpBfaZjiLGVThMMOxkIbO0AmPuN3fT4GWofWmX-Sz4IVGQevK0w6MCQtvS3NXdHPh/s1600/materials.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagJGT07m2pOvc9yEvf5U_YVK4E-dxOBdASv1QBAHzgFhdg2I53JwZWOvZHZ3l165g4iSthMITOxncpBfaZjiLGVThMMOxkIbO0AmPuN3fT4GWofWmX-Sz4IVGQevK0w6MCQtvS3NXdHPh/s1600/materials.jpg" /></a>The contractor began collecting all of the materials needed for building the house, until everything was ready to start the actual construction.<br />
<br />
But then he had a devious thought – did he need to actually build the house? After all, the contract only detailed everything that went into the house – and that he had already provided!<br />
<br />
The contractor approached Jacob and said: “Here, I have fulfilled everything in the contract. You have here all of your drywall, doors, windows, tiles, cabinets, and so on. If you want, you can now go ahead and put together your house.”<br />
<br />
“You scoundrel!” cried Jacob. “You may have produced all the materials mentioned in the specifications document. But what about the basic contract which you signed, where you promised to build a house?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Basic Contract from Egypt</b><br />
<br />
When the Jewish people were still in Egypt, God commanded Moses in a general fashion: “<i>When you take the people from Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain</i>” (Exod. 3). Afterwards, when the Israelites stood at Mount Sinai, God provided a Torah with a detailed description of each aspect of this service.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
If a person performs all of the particulars of this service of God, but his intention is only for his own benefit – such a person has fulfilled the detailed contact from Sinai, but has ignored the overall command that God told Moses in Egypt, “You shall serve God.” He is like the contractor who only took into account the specifications document, and ignored the original contract.</div>
<br />
This is precisely the intent of the prophet - don't be content with a superficial observance of the rituals of serving God:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I did not speak with your forefathers nor did I command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, so that I am your God and you are My people.”</blockquote>
(Adapted from <i>Mishlei Yaakov</i>, pp. 189-190)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-87020734814727502042013-07-17T13:43:00.001+03:002013-08-08T08:43:04.396+03:00Psalm 92: How great are Your acts<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
The psalmist wrote:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה'; מְאֹד עָמְקוּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ</b>
</blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>"How great are Your acts, God; how deep are Your thoughts</b>." (Psalms
92:6)</blockquote>
<br />
What is the difference between the "greatness" of God's acts and the "depth" of His thoughts?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Three Types of People</b><br />
<br />
Imagine a giant sequoia, towering hundreds of feet into the sky. People passing by the magnificent redwood will fall into three categories:<br />
<br />
Some
people will pass right by the sequoia, without even noticing its extraordinary height.<br />
<br />
Others will lift
their eyes and be astonished by its enormous size.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPvYEnMhUuqLH3cjQ27oRX8RvwX2Gji1t6N-eK25ovC5YIR1LQ7dcIDXcwl8GFIcpMwSpGSghbpG9q4YNyIY70iIz5IGhcXWH1Z0diCCjOnyY2Jh5k5kJxIgtXjGMjCu0khztHUxDXPIZ/s1600/GiantSequoia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPvYEnMhUuqLH3cjQ27oRX8RvwX2Gji1t6N-eK25ovC5YIR1LQ7dcIDXcwl8GFIcpMwSpGSghbpG9q4YNyIY70iIz5IGhcXWH1Z0diCCjOnyY2Jh5k5kJxIgtXjGMjCu0khztHUxDXPIZ/s320/GiantSequoia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
But the truly wise will be realize that for such an immense tree to reach such a great height, it must be balanced by a massive root system that secures its equilibrium.<br />
<br />
The psalmist noted that he was amazed by both aspects of God's works. He was
aware of that which is revealed to the eye - "How <i>great </i>are Your
acts." And he has the insight to realize that there is just as much that is hidden
from our sight - "how <i>deep </i>are Your thoughts."<br />
<br />
But there are obtuse individuals who go through life without ever noticing the wonders of the universe. As the psalm continues, אִישׁ-בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע - "But a boorish person
does not know." The boor lives his life without even noticing the magnificent sequoia.<br />
<br />
And there are others - perhaps most people - who only discern that which is revealed to the eye. וּכְסִיל לֹא יָבִין אֶת-זֹאת - "The fool fails to understand this." The fool is duly impressed by the redwood's amazing height. But he fails to realize that there must be a whole side of the immense tree which is hidden from sight, deep under the ground. For all that we are amazed by the wonders of the world, there is just as much hidden from our sight and understanding.<br />
<br />
<br />
(Adapted from <i>Mishlei Yaakov,</i> pp. 380-381)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-42695051566029102812013-04-21T00:00:00.000+03:002016-05-16T16:01:12.615+03:00Behar: The Hen and the Pig<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"When your brother becomes impoverished and is unable to support himself in the community, you must come to his aid." (Lev. 25:35)</blockquote>
<br />
Once the Maggid of Dubno was collecting for a charitable cause when he paid a visit to a wealthy man - but one with a reputation for being miserly. The rabbi tried appealing to the man's sense of generosity by citing examples of less affluent members of the community who nonetheless donated to the cause.<br />
<br />
The wealthy man, however, refused to help. He even explained why he could not contribute. "Rabbi, I will tell you a secret: I have prepared my will, and most of my money will go to charity. So you understand why I am not at liberty to give you anything today."<br />
<br />
The Maggid responded by asking, "Do you know the difference between a hen and a pig?"<br />
<br />
The wealthy man, surprised by the rabbi's question, just stared.<br />
<br />
Unperturbed, the Maggid continued:<br />
<br />
"A hen is a small animal and does not have much to give. Her eggs are light, weighing only a few ounces, And yet the farmer takes care of her like a baby. Even if she should leave the coup and make a mess in the house, the farmer will not harm her.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCh_gdvqEB-fO8iVk9sOESaONbUzh8ruDEQhTcjFYz6ClhZaZVKk4k9TtF0xFvXJGNI_BbtCMfegv2ecwSjs8vtw8tUBeyXgHdM2dW_XSpIeVMUTwOvZYOeYCL-I2DMcUJzuN-qGAmGrwc/s1600/happy-pig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCh_gdvqEB-fO8iVk9sOESaONbUzh8ruDEQhTcjFYz6ClhZaZVKk4k9TtF0xFvXJGNI_BbtCMfegv2ecwSjs8vtw8tUBeyXgHdM2dW_XSpIeVMUTwOvZYOeYCL-I2DMcUJzuN-qGAmGrwc/s1600/happy-pig.jpg" /></a>"The pig, on the other hand, is a different story. It is a large animal, providing many pounds of meat and lard. You might think that such an animal is quite valuable. And yet no one is ever nice to the pig. If it escapes its sty, it is driven back with a broomstick. And if the pig dares to enter the farmer's house, it will get a beating it will not soon forget."<br />
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"Get to the point, Rabbi," said the man impatiently. "What is the reason for this discrimination?"<br />
<br />
"That is exactly what I want to explain," replied the Maggid. "The hen may not have much, but what she gives, she gives graciously each day, as long as she lives. The pig, on the other hand, has much more to offer - but it will only give after its death."<br />
<br />
The Maggid turned to the miser. "Now you tell me: which of the two animals is the worthier donor?"<br />
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(Adapted from "<i>The Maggid and His Parables</i>," pp. 216-217.)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-12342604686332151202013-01-07T23:58:00.000+02:002013-04-02T14:27:59.017+03:00The Work of a Maggid<br />
A fellow rabbi once stopped the Maggid. “I listened to your lecture and enjoyed it immensely. You certainly deserve the honor and respect that you receive. But I have a question. We both base our sermons on the same Torah; we both expound on verses from the Torah and statements of the Talmudic sages. We should both expect to receive the same recognition for our efforts. Yet while your talks are greeted with much enthusiasm, I receive little thanks for my efforts. Why am I so unfortunate?”<br />
<br />
The Maggid thought for a moment, and responded, "With all due respect to you, as well as to the honor of the Torah, permit me compare the two of us to two thieves, each of whom stole a pair of shoes.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBNiGMDwY0uduOkww7SgyFJe0hp666FkupjI26BCdwNdox6JHZb-nYDmDmHCL3zAks513rT9LbuEuPp4UZO3msF6tLL_UcuSmNWfQEqNSV8Cy2y2UmMnH_ouEk_tQBWA8DeMD3Q0pIWsz/s1600/shoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBNiGMDwY0uduOkww7SgyFJe0hp666FkupjI26BCdwNdox6JHZb-nYDmDmHCL3zAks513rT9LbuEuPp4UZO3msF6tLL_UcuSmNWfQEqNSV8Cy2y2UmMnH_ouEk_tQBWA8DeMD3Q0pIWsz/s200/shoe.jpg" width="200" /></a>“Each pair was worth the same amount, thirty dollars. The first thief immediately re-sold his pair, and picked up ten dollars for them. He did not make much profit.<br />
<br />
“But the second thief had a different <i>modus operandi</i>. He took the shoes home, and went to work. He opened up all the seams, re-designed the shoes and finished them according to his own concept of style and beauty. When he was done, he polished the shoes until they gleamed. When he went to sell them, he asked for fifty dollars – and that's the price he got.<br />
<br />
“The same is true of our work. We both took precious merchandise from the same source - the Torah. But our 'returns' are a function of how much effort we put into fashioning that merchandise.<br />
<br />
The Sages taught, ‘The reward is commensurate with the effort’ (<i>Avot </i>5:26). The praise and honor we receive for our efforts is in proportion to the time and effort we spent analyzing the wisdom that we took from the Torah, and in our work in skillfully preparing the lecture.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from "The Maggid and his Parables," pp. 271-272.</span><br />
<br />cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-15723756800612036172012-09-06T23:53:00.001+03:002013-08-28T15:52:00.614+03:00Nitzavim: The Greatness of Teshuvah<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"> The Sages in <i>Sanhedrin
</i>99a taught: </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">"<b>The place occupied by the penitent cannot be attained even by
the completely righteous</b>." </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">How could it be that a <i>ba'al teshuvah </i>is
greater than a <i>tzaddik</i>?</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Groom's Clothes</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jack was a peddler from
a small village. Jack's son, a bright and talented young man, caught the eye of a young lady from an extremely affluent family. Despite the vast differences in social
status and wealth, the woman's father liked the hardworking young man and approved
of the match.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">When the time came close for the wedding, the bride's father approached Jack with a
request. 'Please buy your son a proper suit, so that </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.333333015441895px;">when he comes to my city for the wedding celebration </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">he will look respectable</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">.'</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jack readily agreed, and
took his son to a local clothing shop in the village to buy him a nice suit.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">The evening before the
wedding, Jack and his family arrived in the city, and took a room
in a local hotel. The following morning, the father of the bride together with his friends went to greet his future son-law. But they were surprised to find a
great commotion in the hotel. What happened?</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jack was so upset that
he could barely speak. Agitated and shaken, he pointed to the broken lock on the door. In
the middle of the night, thieves had broken into their hotel room, stealing
their luggage, clothes, and other possessions. "Even the new suit which
I bought my son for the wedding is gone," Jack wailed. "This is a catastrophe!"</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">The wealthy father of
the bride put his arm on Jack's shoulders . "Don't let this trouble you at all. Don't
worry about the loss; I will make it up to you." He then told his butler to take Jack and his son to the finest stores in town and buy them suitable
clothes for the wedding.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">After the wedding, the
wealthy man organized a reception for his friends and neighbors, and he seated his new in-laws at the head of the table. Yet people noticed that Jack looked
unhappy. A good friend of the bride's family took Jack aside. "This should
be a time of great joy for you. You just married off your son to a wonderful family. Why are you upset?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">"Why shouldn't I be
upset?" replied Jack. "Didn't you hear what happened to us in the hotel,
how thieves stole our clothes, including the new suit that I purchased for my
son?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">"Why should that
bother you so? Did not the bride's father buy splendid clothes for all of
you?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">"True - but why should I have
to resort to gifts? I had prepared everything myself!"</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">At this point, the
friend smiled. "Fool! You have no idea what a favor that thief
did for you! You thought you bought a good suit for your son, and probably in
your village it would have been considered very appropriate. But here in the big city, people have very sophisticated tastes. They would have laughed at that suit!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">"But now that the thief
stole everything and his father-in-law bought new clothes for everyone, your son
was dressed in style, even according to the standards of our city. So
this was the best possible outcome for you!"</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>The <i>Tzaddik </i>and the <i>Ba'al Teshuvah</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">The <i>tzaddik </i>fills his
bags with valuable objects - a lifetime of good deeds, prayers, Torah learning
and mitzvot. After 120 years in this world, he takes his collection of 'valuables' to the heavenly court, where each object is taken out and examined. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">The angels scrutinize each one. "Tell me, this you call Torah <i>lishmah</i>, Torah studied for
its own sake?" "You think that this counts as a prayer recited with a pure heart?"
"And this you call a mitzvah?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>here is no end to measuring the quality and intentions of good
deeds.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">But the repentant <i>ba'al
teshuvah</i> arrives at the heavenly court in tears. "How could I have wasted my
time in the world? How could I have lost my days, spending them in worthless pursuits?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Then the Holy One
Himself makes for him new 'clothes,' as it says, "Great is <i>Teshuvah</i>, for
it transforms sins into merits." The spiritual clothes that God makes
for the </span><i style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.333333015441895px;">ba'al teshuvah </i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">are certainly of the highest, purest quality. Like the new clothes that the wealthy man bought for his son-in-law, no one will find what to criticize.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">This is what the Sages
meant when they taught that "The place occupied by the penitent cannot be
attained even by the completely righteous."</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">(Adapted from <i>Mishlei
Yaakov,</i> pp. 463-464)</span></div>
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cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-42199366733109237362012-08-31T12:57:00.000+03:002013-09-16T17:30:55.493+03:00Elul: The Disfigured Gem<b>The Disfigured Gem</b><br />
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There was once a wealthy prince whose prized possession was a beautiful and rare gem. Unfortunately, the exquisite gem once fell from its display, and became disfigured with an ugly scratch. The prince, greatly upset, sought the counsel of the kingdom's top jewelers how to restore the gem.<br />
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The jewelers reluctantly explained that the scratch was too deep and could not be repaired.<br />
<br />
The prince had already decided to store away the gem, when he was approached by a talented craftsman. The craftsman claimed that he had a way to fix the jewel so that there would be no blemish in it. Lacking a better option, the prince entrusted the gem to the artist.<br />
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A few days later, the artisan returned with the gem. Sure enough, the scratch was gone. In its place, the craftsman had engraved the design of a beautiful rose. He had made use of the original scratch to form the stem of the rose. <br />
<br />
All of the jewelers were amazed by the craftsmanship. With its beautiful and intricate engraving, the gem had become even more valuable.<br />
<br />
<b>David's Sin</b><br />
<br />
The Talmud in <i>Avodah Zarah</i> 5a teaches that King David's spiritual and moral level was certainly high enough that he should never have stumbled into taking Batsheva. The sin was predestined by God, so that David's actions would teach future generations the value and effectiveness of <i>teshuvah </i>(repentance). <br />
<br />
Like the ugly scratch which was transformed into a beautiful and valuable engraving, David's moral failing was ennobled by his subsequent penitence. David himself became greater and purer because of the incident, and he showed the way for others who stumble to repair their actions.<br />
<br />
(Adapted from <i>Mishlei Yaakov</i> pp. 98-99)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-32021529461592164222012-08-17T10:12:00.001+03:002019-08-28T17:01:47.353+03:00Re'eih: Creating New Mitzvot<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<i>Be careful to observe all that I command you. Do not add to it, nor subtract from it</i>" (Deut. 13:1).</blockquote>
<br />
It is obvious that it is wrong to stop observing one of the Torah's laws. But what is so terrible about adding a new one?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Neighbor Who Liked to Borrow</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMpzbqYmF5lvZY6UoC0DFugbw6mVhZrqd3UZG7FBqX2eJ4KslJL1yzpmjfJjA7vtvjMZ8daxuUUcEzshEWXQAhFL8Qxctd8ZTrfJa1J-LhPz0vC4sBm_QMvgzG9HskjX5Q644NDY2joAd/s1600/plates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMpzbqYmF5lvZY6UoC0DFugbw6mVhZrqd3UZG7FBqX2eJ4KslJL1yzpmjfJjA7vtvjMZ8daxuUUcEzshEWXQAhFL8Qxctd8ZTrfJa1J-LhPz0vC4sBm_QMvgzG9HskjX5Q644NDY2joAd/s1600/plates.jpg" /></a>Reuben once lent a plate to his neighbor Simon. A short while later, Simon returned the plate - but also brought along a small saucer.<br />
<br />
"What is this saucer?" asked Reuben.<br />
<br />
"Oh, the plate gave birth while it was at my house."<br />
<br />
Weird, Simon thought to himself; but the little saucer looked to be quite useful.<br />
<br />
A few weeks later, Simon came to borrow a pitcher. This time too, Simon returned the pitcher with a miniature pitcher, offering the same peculiar explanation of the big pitcher giving birth.<br />
<br />
After a few months, Simon asked to borrow a set of silver candlesticks for a family occasion. Reuben was more than happy to oblige. But this time, Simon failed to return the article. Finally Reuben approached his neighbor.<br />
<br />
"Simon, what happened to those candlesticks that you borrowed from me?"<br />
<br />
"Oh, I'm very sorry," replied Simon, "The candlesticks died."<br />
<br />
"What nonsense!" Reuben shouted. "Candlesticks don't die!"<br />
<br />
Simon was not flustered, "When I told you that your plate and pitcher gave birth, you accepted this without question. If plates and pitchers can reproduce, then candlesticks can die!"<br />
<br />
<b>Divine Law</b><br />
<br />
This parable explains the problem of inventing new mitzvot. If we allow ourselves to add our own laws, we will come to forget that the Torah and its laws are from God. And then we will soon find ourselves no longer observing those laws which seem to us too difficult or inconvenient.<br />
<br />
<br />
(Adapted from <i>Mishlei Yaakov</i>, p. 394)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-58171415942548405772012-07-25T14:23:00.002+03:002015-07-23T16:30:29.268+03:00Tisha B'Av: End of Exile<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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A government minister once suffered from an insolent and rebellious son named Jack. When Jack’s behavior hit a new low, and he failed to show any signs of remorse, his father decided it was necessary to teach the the young man a lesson. He banished Jack from his house.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And yet, Jack was still his son. The minister made sure to
quietly support the young man. He would secretly send him money so that he shouldn't
starve<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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As the weeks and months passed by, the minister became more and more
agitated. He missed his son. Still, he felt it would be wrong to
write him and invite him back home. After all, Jack had behaved abominably, without
any expression of regret or remorse. How could he rescind the punishment, when
Jack had not indicated any desire to change? And yet he missed his son terribly,
and was at a loss as to what to do<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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A good friend understood what the minister was going through. "I agree," he told the minister, "that it would be a mistake to invite Jack to come back
without any change on his part. But if you listen to my advice, your son will come back on his own volition, without inviting him home."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">"</span>How do you propose to accomplish that?"</div>
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<br /></div>
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"I know that your son is only getting by
due to your financial support. Even though you do this quietly - perhaps even Jack doesn't realize where the money is coming from - but everyone knows that you are helping him out. Otherwise,
how else could he be supporting himself<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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"As long as you keep sending him money,
Jack will stay there, with his arrogance and insolence intact. But if you stop
supporting him, he will have no choice. He will be forced to come back and
ask for your forgiveness in order to be allowed back in your home."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<b>Time to Return Home</b><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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At the time of the Temple's
destruction, God decreed that, due to our failings, we needed to be exiled far away
from our land. Nonetheless, our Father in heaven still loves us; and He continues to support us,
so that even in our dispersion among the nations, we should be able to survive<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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But if we should see that this Heavenly support stops -- that God "hides His
face" from us and no longer protects us -- then this is a sign that God dearly
wants us to come home. As the Sages commented in <i>Berachot </i>3a, "Woe to the Father
Who needed to banish His children from His table!" </div>
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<br /></div>
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After all the wrong things we did, it is not God Who needs to appease <em>us</em>. But if God no longer supports and watches over us, if life in exile becomes unbearable -- then it is
time for us to return home and ask for God's forgiveness<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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This is what the Torah predicts: "When you are in distress, and all of these
tragedies happen to you -- <i>then </i>you will return to the Eternal
your God and obey Him” (Deut. 4:30).</div>
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<br /></div>
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(Adapted from <i>Mishlei Yaakov,</i> pp. 396-397)</div>
cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-18466860543980318072012-07-12T14:15:00.000+03:002012-07-12T14:24:27.797+03:00The Maggid's Method<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
To many, it
appeared that the Maggid of Dubno invented his wonderful parables on the spot, like a magician
pulling a rabbit out of a hat. In fact, the Maggid worked very hard to find the right
parable and apply it to the appropriate message. The following story gives us
insight into the creative process involved:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify;">
A fellow rabbi once stopped the Maggid. “I listened to your lecture and
enjoyed it immensely. You certainly deserve the honor and respect that you
receive. But I have a question. We both base our sermons on the same Torah; we
both expound on verses from the Torah and statements of the Talmudic sages. We
should both expect to receive the same recognition for our efforts. Yet while your
talks are greeted with much appreciation, I receive little thanks for my efforts.
Why am I so unfortunate?”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
The Maggid thought for a moment, and responded,
"With all due respect to you, as well as the honor of the Torah, let me
compare the two of us to a pair of thieves, each of whom stole a pair of shoes. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
“Each pair was worth the same amount – thirty dollars.
The first thief immediately re-sold his pair, and got ten dollars for them. He
did not make much profit.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
“But the second thief had a different method. He took
the shoes home and went to work. He opened up all the seams, re-designed the
shoes and re-finished them according to his own concept of style and beauty.
When he was done, he polished the shoes until they gleamed. When he went to
sell them, he asked for fifty dollars – and that's what he got."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
The Maggid then explained:<br />
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
“The same is true of our work. We both took precious
merchandise from the same source. But our returns are a function of how much
work we put into fashioning that merchandise. The Sages taught, ‘The reward is
commensurate with the effort’ (<i>Avot</i> 5:26). The praise and honor we receive for our
efforts is in proportion to the time and effort we spent skillfully
interpreting the wisdom we have taken from the Torah and preparing our lectures.”<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Adapted from <i>The Maggid and his Parables</i>, pp. 271-272) </span></div>
</div>cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-8150691107145502722012-05-29T14:09:00.002+03:002015-06-16T15:43:22.648+03:00Korach: Morning and Evening<br />
One evening, a man entered a store to purchase fabric for his wife. The storekeeper turned on all the lights for the customer. "What kind of fabric are you looking for? High quality, durable material, or just simple cloth?"<br />
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<br />
The man responded, "Oh, it's all the same. There's no real difference between one fabric and the next. I'll take whatever I feel like."<br />
<br />
"And since it's all the same," the customer added, "there should one price for everything."<br />
<br />
The storekeeper was taken aback when he heard this last comment. He walked over to the switch and shut off the overhead lights.<br />
<br />
"Why did you do that?" asked the startled customer.<br />
<br />
"You claim there is no good material and poor material. It is all the same, and you'll pay the same price, no matter what. So what do you need the lights on for? I only light up the store so that my customers can distinguish between the different qualities of fabric. But since you insist that it's all the same, you don't care about quality...<br />
<br />
<b>Korach's Claim</b><br />
<br />
Korach announced, "The entire nation is holy." He claimed that there is no difference between great and small, Kohanim and Israelites. God is with all people equally.<br />
<br />
Therefore Moses warned Korach, "Morning will come, and God will inform who is close to Him." There <i>are </i>differences between people. Some are wise, and some are foolish. Some are great, and some are small-minded.<br />
<br />
As long as God separates between morning and evening in this world, there is a distinction between light and dark, holy and profane, wisdom and foolishness.<br />
<br />
<br />
(Adapted from <i>Mishlei Ya'akov</i>, pp. 347-348)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-2046762411680135662012-04-25T02:00:00.003+03:002019-05-07T15:00:09.140+03:00Kedoshim: Three Partners<b>The Three Friends</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Three good friends once agreed on a unique plan. Each one would travel to a different country and acquire a special knowledge found only there. The three did as they promised. After years of intensive study, the three friends returned home and told each other what they had learned. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first friend explained that he had studied the science of optics. He had learned how to construct a telescope that could see over great distances. The second had studied engineering and had built a very fast vehicle. And the third friend had acquired extensive medical knowledge, learning how to treat a wide assortment of diseases.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first friend pulled out his telescope to show the others how it worked, and began to describe what he saw. He could see a far-away town, and he saw people running, looking very upset. As he described the happenings in the town, the friends decided that apparently an important person in the town had fallen ill, and the local doctors were unable to cure him.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The second friend got his vehicle ready, and together they drove to the faraway town.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There they discovered that the king's daughter was on death's door. Fortunately, the third friend, with his great medical expertise, was able to heal her.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The king was beside himself with joy. "I wish to reward you," the king announced. "And the best reward I can offer is to marry my daughter."<br />
<br />
"However," continued the king, "I have a problem: she can only marry one of you. Which one is most deserving?"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6KJweksNF-0jIVGmpiflguQQ4-_A9qbI2AcDO6PpkN_pOCGUkTk9OfYTgr0krIKJljA_mQ6vO43BAQ3M9mFdA5zcGdMOCWyo_1uSZHEJNjXjTibBRXoDr4VcLxVvmvKTps7NUmVvNBGC/s1600/princess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6KJweksNF-0jIVGmpiflguQQ4-_A9qbI2AcDO6PpkN_pOCGUkTk9OfYTgr0krIKJljA_mQ6vO43BAQ3M9mFdA5zcGdMOCWyo_1uSZHEJNjXjTibBRXoDr4VcLxVvmvKTps7NUmVvNBGC/s1600/princess.jpg" /></a>Each friend argued that he deserved to marry the princess. "Without my telescope," argued the first friend, "we would never have known that she was ill!" "But without my vehicle," interjected the second, "we would have arrived too late to save her!"<br />
"And without my medical knowledge," added the third, "we would not have been able to cure the princess!"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The three friends were at an impasse.<br />
In the end, the princess herself spoke up.<br />
<br />
"It is true," she reasoned, "in terms of the past, each of you contributed a critical part in my rescue. But if we consider the <i>future</i>, then it becomes clear whom I should marry."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The princess explained. "Will I be needing the telescope and the fast vehicle in the future? Probably not. But the expertise of a doctor is something that I will always need. Therefore his part is greatest, and it is he that I will marry."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<b>Three Partners in a Child</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Torah states:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Every person must respect his mother and father, and keep My Sabbaths. I am God your Lord." (Lev. 19:9)</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What does keeping Shabbat have to do with respecting parents?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Sages explained:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Although I have admonished you to respect your father, nevertheless, if he tells you to desecrate the Sabbath, do not listen to him. And this is also the case with all the other commandments." (<i>Baba Metzia</i> 32a) </div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Why do other commandments override the commandment to respect one's parents?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Sages wrote in <i>Kiddushin </i>30b that each baby is created by three partners: the mother, the father, and God (who implants the soul).<br />
<br />
But this partnership is equal only in terms of the past. if one considers the future, the first two partners, his mother and father, became less important over time, as the child grows and becomes more independent.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A person, however, will always need God to provide for his needs. For this reason, respecting God and keeping His commandments overrides respecting one's parents.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
(Adapted from <i>Mishlei Yaakov</i>, pp. 244-245)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-51072838147727626772012-03-18T14:31:00.004+02:002017-04-12T13:22:39.512+03:00Pesach: "This is the Bread of Affliction"At the start of the Passover seder, we hold up a matzah and announce, "<i>Ha lachma anya</i><i>"</i> - "This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in Egypt."<br />
<br />
But some Haggadot have a slightly different text. They read, "<i><b>Ke</b>-ha lachma anya"</i> - "This is <b>like </b>the bread of affliction."<br />
<br />
Why are there two versions? The Dubno Maggid explained with the following parable:<br />
<br />
<b>The Businessman's Old Clothes</b><br />
<br />
For many years, Jack's business never took off. It barely met expenses, and Jack was unable to properly feed his family. They lived in a crowded, run-down apartment, and they wore old and tattered clothes.<br />
<br />
One day, Jack's luck changed. Suddenly his business started prospering, and Jack became moderately wealthy. He moved his family into a large home in an affluent neighborhood. He was able to afford custom-made business suits and stylish dress shoes.<br />
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But Jack had an unusual custom. Once a year he would take off his fine suit and clothes, and put on his old, tattered clothes that he kept stored away in a closet. He wanted to remind himself of where he had come from, so that he would never forget the past and fail to appreciate his present affluence. On that evening, Jack would wear these old rags at the dinner table, and his entire family would remember their difficult circumstances in the past and be grateful for their current state of financial stability.<br />
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Unfortunately, one day Jack's luck changed again - this time for the worse. The small fortune he had made with his business was lost. His properties and acquisitions were repossessed. Once again, all he had were his old, tattered clothes.<br />
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Jack went home, gathered his family and told them that they were no longer wealthy. "You see these old rags?" he said. "This time I am not wearing them to remind myself that once I was poor. I am wearing them now because I really <i>am </i>poor!"<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Our Bread of Affliction</b><br />
<br />
So it is with our matzah. History has dealt strange tricks with the Jewish people. There are times when we are free and successful and safe. At these prosperous times, we announce at the Seder, "<i><b>Ke</b>-ha lachma </i><i>anya</i>" - ''This is <b>like </b>the bread of affliction". The matzah is a reminder of difficult times in our distant past, when we were slaves in exile.<br />
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But there are times when the world turns against us. Then we sadly announce, "<i><b>Ha </b>lachma anya</i>." This matzah is not <i>like </i>the bread of affliction. It really <i>is </i>our bread of affliction and suffering.<br />
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cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-14272344394888760132011-11-25T14:55:00.001+02:002011-12-01T16:34:47.360+02:00Rejoicing on Shabbat and Chag<br />
The Torah commands us "ושמחת בחגך" - that we should rejoice on the holidays. The Sages taught that one should fulfill this mitzvah by wearing holiday clothes, and eating special foods. Also on Shabbat there is a mitzvah to enjoy the Sabbath - "וקראת לשבת עונג" - "you shall call the Sabbath delightful."<br />
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Yet shouldn't the emphasis on these holy days be on spiritual matters? Shouldn't we dedicate them to elevating the soul, through prayer and Torah study? Why did the Sages speak of physical pleasures?<br />
<br />
The Maggid explained with the following parable:<br />
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<b>The Cripple and the Deaf Man</b><br />
<br />
Michael had been a cripple for many years. It was very hard for Michael not being able to get around and see the world. Fortunately, he had a good friend called Simon. Simon was strong and able, but was completely deaf.<br />
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One day it occurred to Michael that, together, the two friends could do things that would make up for each other's shortcomings. They agreed on a plan that Simon would carry Michael on his shoulders, and Michael would act as his guide.<br />
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One day they went out together when they passed a house where there was wonderful music and dancing. Michael loved music. He wanted to stop and listen, but his friend, due to his deafness, quickly became bored and wanted to go on. How could he convince Simon to stay?<br />
<br />
Suddenly Michael remembered he had a thin flask of gin in his pocket. He took out a small cup and gave his deaf friend a taste of the gin. Simon happily drained the cup. Before he could start walking again, Michael poured for him a second cup, and then a third. By this time Simon became somewhat tipsy, and began to sway and dance.<br />
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As Simon frolicked and cavorted, Michael not only was able to enjoy the music, but even dance on the shoulders of his lighthearted partner. In this way, each of the friends had a wonderful time.<br />
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<b>Enjoyment for Body and Soul</b><br />
<br />
The same is true with the soul and the body. The soul is aware of the spiritual blessings of Shabbat and Yom Tov. The body, however, is deaf to this wonderful music. But if we can gladden the body with fine foods and nice clothing, then both soul and body can share in enjoying the sweetness of these holy times.<br />
<br />
(Adapted from <i>The Maggid and his Parables</i>, pp. 41-42)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-60037282306417082222011-10-30T15:05:00.000+02:002015-10-19T16:44:40.289+03:00Lech Lecha: The Great Treasure<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">God informed Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved in a foreign land, but they
would leave ברכוש גדול - "with a great treasure." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">What was this great treasure?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It is usually thought to refer to the clothes and jewelry that the
Israelites picked up from the Egyptians before leaving Egypt. The Sages, however, taught that this treasure was in fact something far greater: the Torah that God gave the Jewish
people at Sinai. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But if the "great treasure" is the Torah, why did God command the Israelites to ask the
Egyptians for clothing, gold, and silver?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Maggid
reconciled this difficulty with the following parable:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p><b>The Disappointed Worker</b></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">12-year-old Johnny found work doing odd jobs at a local store. The storekeeper promised to pay Johnny 4 silver dollars for each month that he worked at the store. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">At the end
of the month, the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">storekeeper </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">realized that this monthly salary was insufficient. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Johnny</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> was a hard worker </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">and had done an excellent job. Therefore he put the silver coins aside, and instead
wrote out a check for twice the amount originally agreed upon.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
merchant proudly handed the check to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Johnny. B</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">ut to his surprise, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">instead of thanking him for his generosity, the boy unhappily stuffed the check in his pants pocket and bolted out the door with teary eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The next
day, the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Johnny'</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">s father went to the store. "You have been most
generous to my son, and I would like to thank you. But he is still young and
doesn't understand the value of a check. All he knows is that he was supposed
to receive a purse full of shiny silver coins, and instead he got a plain piece
of paper. I would be most grateful if you could pay </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Johnny</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">at least part of
his wages in silver dollars."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>The True Treasure</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The great treasure that God promised Abraham was in fact the Torah that the Jewish
people would receive at Sinai. But this was a gift that the young and
immature nation could not yet fully appreciate. In order that the people would
not feel they had left Egypt empty-handed, God commanded them to request gold and silver and garments from the Egyptians. This way they would leave Egypt with a tangible
gift that they could appreciate, like the boy's silver dollars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Only after
the people became wiser did they understand that the true "great treasure"
that they received was not the coins and trinkets supplied by the Egyptians, but the gift of Torah -- a priceless, eternal treasure which has accompanied the Jewish people throughout
the generations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">(Adapted from <i>The Maggid and his Parables</i>, pp. 212-213)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-63435206130647385352011-10-24T18:02:00.001+02:002016-11-03T14:43:12.976+02:00Noah: Time for Straight Talk<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When describing the animals that entered Noah's ark, the Torah refers to those animals which were ritually impure (טמא) as beasts "that are<i> </i><b>not pure</b>." The Sages noted that the Torah intentionally speaks in a refined manner; therefore it avoided calling them "impure" outright.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yet, this conclusion does not seem to hold water. When the Torah discusses which animals may be eaten and which may not be eaten (in parashot <i>Shemini </i>and <i>Re'eih)</i>, the Torah does not use euphemisms. Instead, the Torah labels these animals as טמאים - impure beasts. Why does the Torah not use a more refined language when setting down the dietary laws?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Reb Yossi the Scholar, and Yossi the Boor</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In a certain town two wealthy men resided - both named Yossi. One was Reb Yossi, a wise and learned scholar, while the second Yossi was an ignoramus. This second Yossi was commonly referred to as "Yossi the <i>am ha'aretz"</i> (Yossi the boor), to distinguish him from the scholarly Reb Yossi.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One day a visitor came to the door of Reb Yossi. It turned out, however, that he was looking for the unlearned Yossi. The butler who greeted him at the door, responded, "Oh, you need to go to the house of Yossi the </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">am ha'aretz</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. He lives two streets over." </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Reb Yossi, who overheard the butler, was not pleased hearing him speak like this. "You should not refer to someone as a boor. Other people may call him 'Yossi the </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">am ha'aretz</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">' to distinguish him from me. But in my house, this kind of talk is not acceptable. I don't want people to think I look down on my neighbors."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Soon after this, a matchmaker came to the scholar and proposed a match between his daughter and the son of Yossi the boor. The scholar was appalled that the shadchan should even suggest such a match. "My daughter should marry the son of Yossi the </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">am ha'aretz</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">?!” he cried out. “Never! Not while I am alive!"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After the shadchan left, the butler approached his boss. "I don't understand. Why is it, when I called him 'Yossi the </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">am ha'aretz</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,' you reprimanded me; but now you used that very phrase?"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The scholar gave his butler a stern look. "Don't you understand the difference? If someone asks you information where someone lives, he is not asking for an account of his character and scholarship. All you need to do is provide his address. Anything more, if it is uncomplimentary, is simply <i>lashon hara</i> - uncalled-for gossip.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"But when I received a proposal for my daughter's marriage, I needed to be blunt in explaining why I object to such a match. It was my duty as the father to clarify in no uncertain terms that I will not have my daughter marry the unlearned son of an ignoramus."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>A Time for Niceties and a Time for Straight Talk</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When the Torah describes the animals entering Noah's ark, the classifications of "pure" and "not pure" are only in order to identify the animals. Therefore the Torah uses a euphemism -- "not pure."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But when discussing the dietary laws, the Torah wants to make it clear which animals we are allowed to eat and which we may not. These rules are meant to protect the purity of our souls. Here the Torah cannot afford to mince words, but clearly states, "<i>These animals are impure to you</i>" (Lev. 11:8, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Deut 14:7</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(Adapted from T<i>he Maggid and his Parables</i>, pp. 125-127.)</span></div>
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cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-20275829230378045192011-10-02T14:21:00.000+02:002016-08-18T16:56:06.665+03:00Yom Kippur/Va'ethchanan: The Villager and the Silk Shirt<br />
A simple villager once visited the big city. It was a cold, wintry day, and the villager was dressed warmly. He wore several layers of clothing - a sweater, a light coat, and an overcoat. The villager strolled along the storefronts, gawking at the sights and marvels of the big city.<br />
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Suddenly he spied a beautiful white silk shirt, displayed prominently in the glass window of one of the stores. He had never seen such a beautiful shirt before!<br />
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Excited, the villager entered the store and inquired about the shirt. The salesman brought out a silk shirt in his size. He was about to help the villager try on the shirt when another customer entered the store, asking for assistance.<br />
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The villager was impatient to see how he would look wearing the beautiful silk shirt. While the salesman was occupied with the other customer, he unbuttoned the shirt buttons, took out the pins and bits of paper, and tried to pull on the shirt.<br />
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He tugged the first sleeve on his arm. The second sleeve was harder, going over his arm only after much struggling and contortions.<br />
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But no matter how much he tried, he could not button the shirt. It was simply too small. <br />
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When the salesman returned, the villager complained, "You said you would get me a shirt my size!"<br />
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"Certainly," replied the salesman. "This shirt <i>is </i>your size. But before putting on the shirt, you must first take off your coat and sweater..."<br />
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<b>Removing the Barriers</b><br />
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We are all like that simple villager. Over time, our pure soul gets covered by layers of sludge and slime - fits of anger, feelings of jealousy and greed, and other undesirable character traits. If we want to keep mitzvot - which are called <i>levushei deMalka</i>, "clothes of the King" - we should rid ourselves of these barriers which come between us and God.<br />
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If we do not first purify ourselves, we will be like the villager, thinking that the beautiful "clothes of the King" do not really fit us ...<br />
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That is what it says in the <i>Shema</i>, "These words shall be <i>on </i>your hearts" (Deut. 6:). The words of Torah need to be directly on the heart, without any barriers...<br />
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(Adapted from <i>Meshalim Ve-gam Sipurim</i>, p. 19)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-38709178829546358792011-09-19T08:32:00.000+03:002013-09-02T13:53:13.551+03:00Rosh Hashana: Sounding the Alarm!<br />
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Jack lived in a small remote village where the people were simple and ignorant. One time Jack spent a few days vising in the closest big city. In the middle of the night, the villager was suddenly startled by a loud siren. "What is that noise?" Jack asked in fright. His host explained that a fire had broken out in the city, and what he heard was a fire alarm to warn the people and call out the firemen.<br />
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When he returned to his village, Jack excitedly told his neighbors everything he had seen in the big city. But he was most excited to report on their system of dealing with fires. "Whenever there is a fire," Jack explained, "they sound a special alarm, and the fire is quickly extinguished."<br />
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The mayor of the village thought this was a splendid idea, and immediately purchased an alarm to be used in case of fire. Sure enough, a few days later a fire broke out, and the new alarm system was sounded. The villagers were very proud to hear their new fire alarm system.<br />
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In the meantime, half the village went up in flames.<br />
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A visitor who was in the village at the time laughed at the villagers. "Fools! Don't you know that you can't extinguish a fire just by sounding an alarm? The alarm is only meant to call the fire brigade to come and put out the fire. The noise of the alarm won't frighten the fire to run away!"<br />
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<b>No Magic</b><br />
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People think that blowing the shofar and reciting the High Holiday prayers are a magic formula. By going through the motions, we can ward off the consequences of our mistakes and wrongdoings. In fact, we should consider them like a fire alarm. They are meant to awaken us to true <i>teshuvah,</i> to take resolute action to better ourselves. Only then we will succeed in extinguishing the flames of vices and evil passions that burn within our hearts.<br />
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(Adapted from "The Maggid and his Parables," pp. 201-202)cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8507312953049321933.post-34247949308319461522011-08-29T17:02:00.008+03:002015-08-20T16:40:38.491+03:00Shoftim: The Humble King<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnVot0JlHIGmAgCkF86GLoC_PLockVQi61LILP2a6IRslqhv_mYOoJMNIbMQxeDA4nsKTN4G9dsdKYFvOEXItZjh-1RibG7fn1ArSftHKP4o695DMr5Vxr0Iv3Gh_kBJ5O3s4hOFXr2aV/s1600/king-david.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnVot0JlHIGmAgCkF86GLoC_PLockVQi61LILP2a6IRslqhv_mYOoJMNIbMQxeDA4nsKTN4G9dsdKYFvOEXItZjh-1RibG7fn1ArSftHKP4o695DMr5Vxr0Iv3Gh_kBJ5O3s4hOFXr2aV/s1600/king-david.jpg" /></a>The Torah warns the Jewish king that he should not "raise his heart above his brothers, nor turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left" (Deut. 17:20).</div>
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How can someone in such a powerful position not be swayed by pride? How can he avoid becoming arrogant and haughty?</div>
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<b>Merchandise on Credit</b></div>
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A group of merchants were on their way back from the great fair at Leipzig. The merchants had purchased goods on credit, and began travelling home to sell what they had bought.</div>
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On the way, one of the wealthier merchants - sitting up high in his fancy carriage, which was loaded with expensive wares of the highest quality - smirked as he spotted a poor merchant struggling with an old and worn-out cart, carrying trinkets and cheap toys.</div>
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The poor man could not help but notice the wealthy merchant's condescending look. </div>
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"It is true," the pushcart owner remarked, "that your carriage contains fine and expensive merchandise. You would indeed have much cause to be proud - if you had paid for the merchandise. </div>
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"But, like me, you bought your merchandise on credit. Your goods may be much more valuable than mine - but your debt is far greater!"</div>
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<b>Aware of One's Debt</b></div>
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The poor man's observation also holds true for the king, as well as any person in a position of authority and influence. Such favored individuals should remember that if they received more than others, their debt to God is that much greater.<br />
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If we are the beneficiaries of gifts of power, wealth, intelligence, and talent, then we have a greater responsibility to use these gifts wisely.</div>
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Now we may better understand the verse. The Torah notes that the king's heart will not be haughty and "raised above his brothers" when he does not "turn aside from the commandment." When the king is aware of his special responsibilities and obligations - his unique "commandment" - this sobering thought should help keep his arrogance in check.</div>
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(Adapted from <i>Mishlei Yaakov</i>, p. 436) </div>
cmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05312508134598902466noreply@blogger.com