Podcasts about Midrash

Just the midrash from parsha Ki Teitzei (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19).Subscribe to be notified of new content each week.Learn more about MTOI:https://mtoi.orgThe MTOI App https://mtoi.org/download-the-mtoi-appFollow MTOI:https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@mtoi_worldwide Contact MTOI: 

Shoftim (Midrash Only) | Deuteronomy 16:18 - 21:9 | MTOI Weekly Torah Study

The Torah in Parashat Shoftim discusses the situation of a person who had built a new house but was recruited to the army before he had a chance to live in it. Such a person would be sent home before battle. The Torah refers to this individual as האיש אשר בנה בית ולא חנכו – a person who built a house but has not done חינוך (20:5). Rashi explains: חינוך לשון התחלה – the root ח.נ.ך. means "begin." In this pasuk , לא חנכו means that the person built a new house but hasn't yet begun using it. The word חינוך , of course, is used also in reference to education. And Rashi's brief comment here sheds light on what חינוך is and how parents need to approach it. חינוך means "beginning." That is all. It means we prepare our children for the future, we get them off to a good start by teaching them how to live. It does not mean we control their lives, that we decide their lives, that we don't let them make their decisions. Controlling children is not חינוך . Education requires knowing when to let go, when to let children make their own decisions, to empower them by showing them that we trust them and have confidence in them. The founder of our nation, Avraham Avinu, is called in the Torah אברהם העברי . He is not called "Avraham the Tzadik ," or "Avraham the Holy One." He is called the עברי , which means that he came from the other side of the river. He moved to the Land of Israel, but he was from the other side of the Euphrates River, so he was called העברי . Why is this Avraham's name? Why does it matter that he came from the other side of the river? The answer is that this name expresses Avraham Avinu's most important quality – and the most important quality that we need to develop within our children. As the Midrash explains: כל העולם מעבר אחד, והוא מעבר אחד – the entire world was on one side, and he was on the other side. Avraham Avinu had confidence. He had the confidence to be different, to swim against the current, to stand alone. When the whole world was worshipping idols, he taught the belief in Hashem. When the whole world was selfish and corrupt, he taught and exemplified kindness and generosity. He followed his beliefs and convictions even when the entire world followed different beliefs and convictions. This is what our children need, especially in today's world. They need confidence. They need to believe in themselves. And one of the ways we give them this confidence and this belief in themselves is by getting involved, but not getting too involved; by setting limits, but knowing when to allow them to decide. If we pull away completely, then we are not giving our children confidence. We are conveying the message that they aren't important enough, that they don't matter enough, for us to care. But if we smother them, if we exert too much control, then we make them feel feeble and incapable. This is the difficult balancing act that parenting requires us to do. Somebody told me a remarkable story about Rav Yaakov Ruderman, the revered Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisrael in Baltimore, who was recognized as one of the leading Torah sages in the United States. When his wife passed away, he moved in with one of his children, and he shared a bedroom with a grandson. He walked into the room and saw posters of famous sports stars on the walls. He asked his grandson who these people were, and his grandson – embarrassed – told him. "You like them?" the great Rosh Yeshiva asked. "Yes I do," the boy replied. "Well if you like them," Rav Ruderman said, "then I LOVE them!" This is a beautiful example of חינוך , of preparing a child for adult life through empowerment, by showing them that they are valued, that their interests are important to us. When we take interest in their lives while respecting their space and allowing them to make decisions, they feel our respect and our trust, and this gives them the confidence to stand מעבר אחד , alone on one side, to resist negative influences and live according to their beliefs and values.

If there is still light outside your window, that light is coming from a being. This episode asks a question we usually skip: not what it is like for us to evolve in third density, but what it is like to evolve as a Solar Logos. The lifetime under discussion is the sun's lifetime — and we are inside it. Part two of a conversation begun two weeks earlier, opening with a short recap and then moving into new territory: vertical concrescence, the Logos as a person with biases, and the difference between an inter-personal and an intra-personal relationship with God. The back half is open discussion, including sustained disagreement from two members that goes unresolved on purpose. Topics Opening attunement — three breaths, and the recognition that the light we receive is also light we give back. The many become one and are increased by one — Whitehead's definition of concrescence. Two hydrogens and an oxygen. Two prokaryotes becoming one eukaryotic cell. Why the pattern cannot be confined to the horizontal. Larger does not mean more advanced — the assumption that the sun must be a completed being, further along than we are, and why that may be a paradigm we import rather than something the Ra material teaches. Transcendent in the sense that Troy is transcendent in relation to his own cells. Two logjams and a horseshoe — the pre-veil stalemate (Ra's divinely happy entities; why study when you can enjoy recess), the innovation of the veil, and whether the far side of that arc brings us back around to a logjam of a different kind. What the sun cannot do — 54.17 on catalyst through the first triad only, and the question it raises: is the Solar Logos free not to love? A Person with biases — session 90 on the bias toward kindness. Kindness from kin. Family ties and bonds. The bipedal form and the opposable thumb as deliberate intensifications of the veil. Beauty, per Whitehead — the most diversity that can be packed into a moment of unity without the unity breaking. Intra-personal, not inter-personal — Terra as one person (Ra's planetary entity, Teilhard's noosphere, the Jewish Adam Kadmon), the Solar Logos as another, and why the relationship between them is a being coming face to face with itself rather than two entities meeting. Venus, Maldek, Mars — harmony at one pole, self-destruction at the other, and the guardianship in the middle where the oneing begins. Then Earth, and a Solar Logos eventually experiencing what is otherwise impossible for it: death. The discussion Two members pushed back, and the disagreement is the second half of the episode. On free will at the Logoic level — whether the sub-Logoi possess complete freedom of choice in structuring their creations, and whether 54.17 is better read as describing early third density, before an entity becomes conscious of the incarnational process and begins choosing its own catalyst. On whether a Logos can be personal at all — the case that a sub-Logos is a class of being beyond personal form, which creates and then experiences through its creation rather than entering it. On this reading, Jesus emptied himself and the Logos experienced third-density Earth in the first person through him, without acting through him. The acorn response — containing all the octaves is not the same as having them activated. Every being is under process, because process is the nature of the development of love. On the archetypes — why some Logoi apparently lack Experience or Transformation altogether, and whether Solar Logoi choose their archetypal system or inherit the most articulated version discovered so far and refine it. Ra's own phrasing at 81.33: the sub-Logoi have been refining the discoveries of earlier sub-Logoi. The AI parallel — builders who construct an architecture, watch it think on its own, and then study what it did in order to find structure they neither knew about nor put there. Teilhard at the Omega Point, and AI as the human collective brain becoming a physical thing. The surprise of creation: put the third element in, and something arrives that no one predicted. Deism, or the dance — the Creator who sets the stage and observes, versus the Creator radically participating in its own creativity. Both readings are on the table. Neither gets forced. Midrash — why multiple interpretations are the point, and not a problem to be solved. Ra citations referenced 54.17 · 81.33 · session 90 (bias toward kindness; bipedal form and opposable thumb) · 78.22 A tilde (~) before "Ra says" marks a paraphrase rather than a direct quotation. Also mentioned Alfred North Whitehead, Process and Reality — concrescence, and beauty as maximal diversity within unity Pierre Teilhard de Chardin — the noosphere and the Omega Point Richard Rohr Adam Kadmon in the Jewish mystical tradition Midrash as interpretive practice About Building 4th is a contemplative community that meets Tuesday nights. Ra Contact Night is a recurring format. Doug Scott is a psychospiritual therapist and pastoral minister, the founder of Building 4th, and the author of Raian Process Metaphysics: A Cosmic Christology for Our Times — available as a free download at cosmicchrist.net.

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: What should be our focus during these days? Why do we begin blessing each other with wishes for a good year on the 15th of Av? Why is it written that there were no holidays like the 15th of Av in the past tense? What is the relevance of this day? What is the significance of this day coming 40 days before Rosh Hashana? Why did the Rebbe's father have to endure such excessive suffering? Can it be explained by the idea that, to grow to an unprecedented higher level, one needs to nullify previous levels entirely? What was unique about Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's teaching style? How would you describe what it adds to Chabad Chassidus in general? Are his writings Chassidishe Chassidus or Rebbe'she Chassidus? Can you give us an example of some of his teachings? How can we honor the Rebbe's father? Who is in charge of publishing Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's teachings? What is the connection of Reb Levi Yitzchak to the month of Av? What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week's Torah parsha? What is the meaning of the blessings and curses in the Torah? What is the proper way to bless someone? Is there a source that on a birthday one has a special power to bless others? How do we create a vessel for blessings? What can we do to remove blockages from receiving blessings? How do we transform a curse into a blessing? If curses are really hidden blessings, why do we need revealed blessings? Why does the Midrash connect the blessings and curses to the physical topography of the mountains associated with them? What can we learn from the Torah's way of recognizing a true and false prophet to help us identify charlatans and scammers today? Chof Av Re'eh 

The Journey Parashat Re'eh concludes with the Misva known as Aliya Le'regel – appearing before G-d in the Bet Ha'mikdash three times each year, on the holidays of Pesach, Shabuot and Sukkot. The Gemara in Masechet Hagiga (3a) makes a comment that sheds light on the nature of this Misva, and on the vital lesson that it teaches us. King Shelomo exclaims in Shir Hashirim (7:2), "Ma Yafu Fe'amayich Ba'ne'alim, Bat Nadib" – literally, "How beautiful are your steps in shoes, the daughter of the generous one." The Gemara interprets this verse as a reference to the journey that Beneh Yisrael would take to the Jerusalem before the holidays for the Misva of Aliya Le'regel. And the expression "Bat Nadib" ("daughter of the generous one") means that Beneh Yisrael are the descendants of Abraham Abinu, who was called "Nadib," as he was exceptionally generous and giving. The Gemara here seems to draw a comparison between two journeys: Beneh Yisrael's journey to the Bet Ha'mikdash for the holidays, and Abraham Abinu's journey. On one level, this refers to Abraham Abinu's journey from his homeland to Eretz Yisrael, about which the Midrash teaches that Abraham received reward for each and every step. Abraham's journey was not merely a means to an end, a practical necessity to fulfill G-d's command to settle in Eretz Yisrael. Rather, the journey itself was inherently meaningful and valuable, and he thus earned reward for each step. Likewise, Beneh Yisrael's journey to the Bet Ha'mikdash was itself a Misva. Indeed, we call this Misva "Aliya Le'regel" – going to the Bet Ha'mikdash for the holiday, emphasizing the process of "Aliya," of journeying. The Misva was to undertake the journey, to make the effort, to go through the trouble of going to appear before Hashem. On a deeper level, when the Gemara mentions Abraham Abinu in the context of the people's journey to Jerusalem, it refers to his journey through life. The Rambam writes that Abraham was born into a family of idolaters, and he himself worshipped idols. At the age of 3, Abraham began questioning and inquiring, thinking about the world, how it came into being, and who governs it. This theological journey which began at the age of 3 continued for 37 years, as it was only at the age of 40 that Abraham arrived at the belief in a single Creator. The journey of Aliya Le'regel parallels Abraham Abinu's extraordinary spiritual journey, his lengthy, step-by-step process of growth – because Aliya Le'regel, too, is a process of spiritual preparation. A person cannot simply appear before Hashem in the Bet Ha'mikdash without first preparing himself. The "footsteps," the trek to Jerusalem, was an obligatory process of growth, of putting oneself in the proper mindset to appear before Hashem in the Bet Ha'mikdash. The Kabbalists teach that the domain of place parallels the domain of time. The Bet Ha'mikdash, the most sacred place on earth, parallels the Yamim Noraim – the period of the High Holidays, the most sacred days of the year. Yom Kippur, the apex of this period, corresponds to the Kodesh Ha'kodashim, the inner sanctum of the Bet Ha'mikdash, whereas Rosh Hashanah, the onset of this period, is represented by the Azara, the courtyard of the Bet Ha'mikdash where the people would assemble on the three pilgrimage festivals. It emerges, then, that the period of Elul – the month of preparation for Rosh Hashanah – parallels "Aliya Le'regel," the journey to the Bet Ha'mikdash. The month that we begin this coming week is a time of journeying, of growth, of "Aliya" – elevation, lifting ourselves higher, so we come prepared to the "Bet Ha'mikdash," to Rosh Hashanah, when we stand before the Almighty for judgment. It is no coincidence that Parashat Re'eh is always read on the Shabbat preceding Rosh Hodesh Elul. Throughout the Book of Debarim, Moshe Rabbenu is preparing the people for life in the Land of Israel. But in this Parasha, for the first time, he speaks of "the place which G-d shall choose" – referring to the Bet Ha'mikdash. In this Parasha, Moshe prepares the people for the Bet Ha'mikdash, explaining what his special site is and the special laws pertaining to it. This is precisely what the month of Elul is all about – preparing ourselves for the "Bet Ha'mikdash" of time, for Rosh Hashanah, by growing and lifting ourselves, one beautiful "footstep" at a time, bringing us ever closer to Hashem and to spiritual greatness.

Greetings Oddities! In this episode of the Those We Don't Speak Of Series Pt. 29, we continue the series within a series on Kabbalah! In this installment I continue talking about the precursor to Kabbalah called Merkaba Mysticism and focus on one specific influential rabbi Akiva in particular. Akiva known to be the mastermind behind the Oral Law was also the star of Merkaba (Chariot) Mysticism. I look at his influence and a couple other founders of modern Judaism with occult ties. So come with me as we go deep down the rabbit hole, far beyond the mainstream! Cheers and BlessingsSupport My Workhttps://www.patreon.com/theoddmanoutBuy Me A Coffee!https://buymeacoffee.com/theoddmanoutVenmo Tips - @theoddmanoutCash App Tips - https://cash.app/$theoddmanout   T-shirts, Mugs and Stickers  The Odd Man Out Merch Store At Bonfire https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-odd-man-out/TeeSpring https://theoddmanout.creator-spring.com/All Links https://linktr.ee/_theoddmanoutOddman Rumble https://rumble.com/user/TheOddManOut Social Media: _theoddmanout on Twitter, and Instagram      Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theoddcastfttheoddmanout

When Moshe Rabbeinu came down from Har Sinai and saw the Jewish people serving the Eigel, the Torah says, “ואתפוש בשני הלוחות”—he grasped the Luchos before shattering them. Why does the Torah emphasize that he grabbed them if he was already holding them? Even more, how was Moshe permitted to break the Luchos, which belonged to Klal Yisrael? The Midrash explains that Hashem had given the Luchos to Moshe as a personal gift. Although Moshe intended to give them to the Jewish people, when he saw them serving the Eigel, he first took full possession of the Luchos before breaking them, so that he would not be breaking something that belonged to someone else.In a deeper sense, Moshe was ensuring that he alone would bear the responsibility for the breaking of the Luchos. This reveals the essence of a true מנהיג ישראל. Moshe's love for the Jewish people was so great that, just as he pleaded, “מחני נא מספרך אשר כתבת” after the sin of the Eigel, so too he was prepared to accept complete responsibility himself for the breaking of the Luchos rather than allow Klal Yisrael to bear any blame. As we mark the yahrtzeit of the Rebbe's father, Rav Levi Yitzchak, whose life reflected this same mesirus nefesh for every Jew, may his merit continue to bring down blessing and salvation for all of Klal Yisrael, and may we merit the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash במהרה בימינו.לקו״ש לד-א

This class explores the parsha of Ekev, focusing on the importance of treating every mitzvah—major or minor—with equal care and enthusiasm. Drawing from Rashi, Midrash, and the Rebbe's teachings, it emphasizes serving Hashem without calculations or hierarchies. https://www.torahrecordings.com/classes/by_parsha/005_devarim/003_eikev/007

Como Moshé pôde quebrar as próprias Tábuas da Aliança, escritas pelo dedo de Hashem? O que parecia ser um ato de destruição tornou-se um dos maiores exemplos de liderança, amor e lealdade ao povo judeu.Nesta aula, vamos explorar os ensinamentos da Torá, do Talmud, do Midrash, da Cabalá e da Chassidut para entender por que Moshé preferiu sacrificar as tábuas em vez de abandonar Israel. Veremos por que Hashem aprovou sua decisão, dizendo: "Yasher Koach SheShibarta" – "Muito bem por tê-las quebrado."Curtiu a aula?Faça um pix RABINOELIPIX@GMAIL.COM e nos ajude a darmos sequência neste projeto!#Torá #ParashatVaetchanan #Moshé #Luchot #TábuasDaLei #BezerroDeOuro #Judaísmo #Cabalá #Chassidut #Midrash #Talmud #Liderança #AmorAoPróximo #Emuná #RabinoEliahuStiefelmann #AulasDeTorá #BeitChabad #Israel #Espiritualidade #TorahStudy

Unanswered Prayers and the Treasury of Jewish Tears The Message of Parashat Va'etchanan We are continuing with the theme we started yesterday—a central message from Parashat Va'etchanan. Moshe Rabbeinu prayed to enter Eretz Yisrael and was not answered. This gives us chizuk (encouragement): when we pray and feel we are not being answered, it does not mean our prayer was wasted. We are no different than Moshe Rabbeinu. Rav Aryeh Levin and the Widowed Woman Rabbi Feuer brings down a beautiful story about Rav Aryeh Levin, a man of rare compassion and sensitivity. Once, a distraught, recently widowed woman came to him, crying uncontrollably. All his efforts to console her were to no avail. Finally, the widow said she would accept consolation if he could answer one question: "Please tell me: what happened to all my tears? I prayed and prayed for my late husband. I recited chapter after chapter of Tehillim and shed thousands upon thousands of tears. My very soul flowed into those tears. Where are they? Were they all wasted?" Gently, Rav Aryeh Levin replied: "After 120 years, when you leave this world and ascend to the Heavenly Tribunal, you will see how meaningful and precious your tears were. You will discover that Hashem Himself gathered them, counted every single teardrop, and treasured it like a precious gem. There is a beautiful line that Sephardim say in Selichot: העבר חטאתי אלהי ישועתי וגם את דמעתי שימה בנאדך ('Forgive my sins, God of my salvation, and place my tears in Your flask.') This based on a pasuk in Tehillim(56:9) נֹדִי סָפַרְתָּה אָתָּה שִׂימָה דִמְעָתִי בְנֹאדֶךָ הֲלֹא בְּסִפְרָתֶךָ : "You Yourself have counted my wanderings; place my tears into Your flask—are they not recorded in Your book?" The Gemara comments on this pasuk : "Whoever sheds tears over [the passing of] a virtuous person, the Holy One, Blessed be He, counts them and stores them in His treasure house, as it is stated: 'You Yourself have counted my wanderings; place my tears in Your flask, are they not in Your book?'" (Shabbat 105b) God has a flask where He places every Jewish tear. You will discover that whenever a harsh decree loomed over the Jewish people, one of your tears came and washed the evil away, making it null and void. Even a single sincere tear is a source of salvation." Hearing this, the woman burst into a fresh flow of tears—no longer tears of sorrow and grief, but tears of courage and hope. The "Tefillah Bank" and the Power of Unanswered Prayer The Sefer Chasidim teaches that prayers that go unanswered enter a "tefillah bank." We often view an unanswered prayer as if it were thrown in the garbage, but it is actually deposited in a celestial bank to be used later. It may even work for you in ways you don't yet see. The Chazon Ish and the Returned Generation Rav Yitzchak Scheiner zt"l (Rosh Yeshiva of Kamenetz Yerushalayim) spoke in the Deal Shul on Tisha B'Av many years ago, following Rav Matisyahu Salomon zt"l . Rav Matisyahu had spoken about the remarkable spiritual renewal of the Jewish people that we are witnessing today. Rav Scheiner shared how those words struck a personal chord, recalling his own journey from public school to becoming the Kamenetz Rosh Yeshiva. He shared the following story: In 1950, the Chazon Ish asked Rav Galinsky to keep an eye on a young bochur who had left his non-religious kibbutz to learn at the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak. Rav Galinsky noticed this was not an isolated case; there was a steady stream of young men returning to Yiddishkeit. Rav Galinsky asked the Chazon Ish: "Why do you suppose so many children are coming back to Yiddishkeit today, leaving behind the lifestyle of their non-committed parents?" The Chazon Ish answered: "The generation that left Yiddishkeit came from religious parents. Those parents saw what was happening to their children and—for whatever reason—could not stop them. They cried lonely, bitter tears. They prayed and they fasted, but it was too late to stem the tide. However, Hashem does not forget a Jewish tear. If those sincere tears did not save their own children, they were preserved to help their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. That is why these children are returning today—because Hashem never forgets a tear." A Personal Reflection: The Legacy of a Teardrop I will share something on a personal note as well. Many years ago, in the early 1980s, I met a great Rabbi—Chacham Abraham Raful (the uncle of Chacham Yosef Raful shlit"a from Ateret Torah). He was in his 90s at the time. When he heard my last name was Sutton, he asked, "Are you related to Abraham Sutton?" That was my great-grandfather. When I said yes, he told me a story he had witnessed firsthand: "Your great-grandfather lived in Syria, but he would travel to Yerushalayim on occasion. One morning in shul, I noticed he was weeping bitterly during his tefillah. Thinking he had a terrible personal problem, I asked him, 'Mr. Sutton, how can I help you? What's wrong?' He answered, 'Nothing is wrong. But every morning when I recite Birkat HaTorah and reach the words וצאצאנו וצאצאי צאצאנו ( 'our children and the descendants of our children' ), I think to myself: My children I know, and I can guide them to the best of my ability. But my grandchildren and great-grandchildren—what can I do for them? All I can do is cry for them. So that is what I do every morning during Birkot HaShachar.'" Chacham Abraham Raful concluded: "If he has religious grandchildren and great-grandchildren today, it is from those tears." I am living proof—a product of tears shed decades ago that are still working today. And while there were tears that seemingly didn't work immediately for certain family members, in the end, even those who experienced a temporary lapse returned. The spiritual gene was awakened by those prayers. Understanding the Full Impact of Tefillah The Steipler ( Chayei Olam , ch. 28) explains that the question "Why wasn't my prayer answered?" comes from a flawed perspective. We have no idea what would have happened without our prayers. How can we say a prayer wasn't answered when it may have prevented a far worse outcome? The Midrash notes that prayer sometimes accomplishes half: When a decree was issued that all of Aharon HaKohen's children should pass away, his and Moshe's prayers saved two of his four sons. While losing two sons was a horrific tragedy, the prayer mitigated a harsh decree and saved the remaining two. Tears with a Delayed Reaction: The 100-Year Siyum Sometimes, tears have a delayed reaction even for the very person they were meant for. (Jewish Observer, Dec. '98, p. 47) A man once made a Siyum Mishnayos on Shas for his father's yahrzeit , marking the 100th anniversary of his father's arrival in America. He retold the trials his family faced and how the "Goldene Medina" (America) had eroded their Yiddishkeit. He was the youngest of nine children, and his eight older siblings had already severed their connection to Yiddishkeit. His father's last hope was him—Mordechai. On his 16th birthday, Mordechai built up the courage to confront his father before davening : "Papa, I'm not going to Yeshiva College. I'm not going to lay tefillin anymore. I'm not going to shul on Shabbos. I want to be just like my brothers, sisters, and friends." The author recalled: "I raised my hands expecting a slap, but my father stopped and began to plead: 'Motke, du bist die letzte—you're the last one. My last hope. Don't say that. Don't mean it.' I was shocked to hear my father beg. 'Papa, please,' I said. 'I don't want to learn to be a rabbi. I just want to be like everyone else.' 'So don't be a rabbi!' he cried. 'Just stay a good Jew—put on tefillin, keep kosher, keep Shabbos. Don't become like the others. It's enough that I raised eight—I don't need nine! Motke, it's enough already!' My father burst into tears. I hugged him and cried too: 'Papa, please don't cry. It makes no sense to me to be frum, but I'll try.'" For 16-year-old Mordechai, those tears were soon forgotten as he eventually drifted away like his siblings. Decades later, however, the tears returned to him. When his own son wrote to him from Jerusalem saying he had enrolled in Yeshiva Ohr Somayach, Mordechai booked a flight to Israel to talk him out of his "foolishness." But as he prepared to leave, the memory of his father's tears came rushing back—and his heart changed. At the Siyum , he concluded: "On this centennial of my father's arrival in America and on his yahrzeit, I want to say: 'America, you beat us Jews bad, but you didn't win.' And to my father: 'Papa, you were beaten badly, but you didn't lose.' "

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 2:6) writes that one must not walk "Be'koma Zekufa" – fully upright, with his head held high. This is based on the Gemara's teaching in Masechet Berachot (43b) that if a person walks in an overly confident, arrogant manner, he "crowds out" the Shechina. Elsewhere (Sota 4b), the Gemara states that an arrogant person is considered like a heretic, and like an idol-worshipper. G-d refuses to live together with an arrogant individual, because the world was created for His honor, not for the honor of human beings, and thus G-d's honor is meant to fill the entire earth. The Gemara later (Sota 5a) comments that a Torah scholar must have "one-eighth of one-eighth" – meaning, a smidgen – of arrogance, but only for the purpose of unyieldingly upholding the Torah's values and principles. Otherwise, arrogance has no place at all in the life and mindset of a Torah Jew. (The Vilna Gaon offered a different interpretation of the Gemara's comment, according to which even a Torah scholar is not permitted to have even a smidgen of arrogance.) The trait of humility must be reflected even in the way a person walks, and thus one should not walk with his head fully upright, appearing overly confident and self-assured. Some have noted that the Gemara's teaching seems to call into question Rashi's comment to a verse toward the end of the Book of Vayikra (26:13). There Hashem tells Beneh Yisrael, "Va'olech Etchem Komemiyut" – "I have led you upright," and Rashi explains, "Be'koma Zekufa" – that they walked tall and proud. How can Rashi's comment be reconciled with the Gemara's stern warning against walking about in such a manner? The Seda La'derech (work on Rashi's Torah commentary by Rav Yissachar Ber Eilenburg, c. 1550–1623) suggests that Rashi used this term figuratively, as a reference to Beneh Yisrael's unique stature. He draws a comparison to the difference between human beings – who walk upright – and animals, which walk on four legs. Animals walk looking toward the ground, because they are incapable of conceiving of lofty, spiritual matters or pursuing spiritual goals, whereas humans walk upright because they are to be focused on the heavens, on spiritual ambitions. We, who received the Torah, are to live with a special degree of "uprightness" in this sense, which our heads directed heavenward. According to the Seda La'derech, this is the meaning of the verse, "Va'olech Etchem Komemiyut" – that Hashem has granted us the privilege of living with a special connection to the heavens and spirituality. The Petah Ha'debir (Rav Binyamin Pontremoli, Turkey, d. 1784) answers differently, explaining that this verse foresees the time when the enemy nations will fear Beneh Yisrael. At that time, it will be permissible for Am Yisrael to walk "Be'koma Zekufa" in order to intimidate those peoples who might otherwise think to attack and persecute the Jewish Nation. The Petah Ha'debir also suggests an additional answer, explaining that we must display humility when we walk because of the sin of Adam and Hava in Gan Eden, which resulted in an inherent spiritual deficiency that we must always be cognizant of and that should bring us humility. In the future, however, when the sin of Adam and Hava will be fully rectified, this will no longer be necessary, and the verse "Va'olech Etchem Komemiyut" refers to that time, when we will, indeed, be allowed to walk with our heads held high. Hacham Ovadia Yosef asserted that this law, requiring one to avoid walking fully upright, applies only as a Midat Hasidut (measure of piety), and not on the level of a strict Halachic obligation. He draws proof to this conclusion from the story told of the time when Rav, the great Amora, passed away, and each of his leading disciples chose to adopt one of his unique religious practices. Rav Yehuda adopted the practice of ensuring not to walk four Amot (cubits) fully upright. This clearly proves that refraining from walking "Be'koma Zekufa" is a measure of piety, for if it constituted an outright Halachic requirement, then Rav Yehuda would have adopted this practice even before Rav's passing. Nevertheless, the Shulhan Aruch writes that this is a practice which everyone should follow. The definition of "Koma Zekufa" is walking with one's head turned upward such that his eyes cannot see the ground, thus requiring him to walk more slowly. The Aruch Ha'shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein, 1829-1908) emphasizes that one does not need to walk with his back hunched; he must simply ensure not to walk with his head turned upward. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Jerusalem, 1910-1995) similarly writes that one should avoid walking in a manner that expresses arrogance, but does not need to lower his head as he walks. A Torah scholar has an obligation to walk with a special degree of dignity. This means not only that he should avoid walking with his head held high, but also that he should not run in public. Some Rabbis would make a point of avoiding conversation in the street, deeming this undignified for a Torah sage. Although it is unbecoming for a Rabbi to run in public, he also should not walk about slowly and leisurely, as though he has nothing to do. He should walk quickly and with a sense of urgency, showing that he is constantly occupied with Torah learning, teaching, and Misvot. One must be especially careful with how he walks about in a synagogue or Bet Midrash, as these are, in a sense, the "houses" of the Almighty, and so one must conduct himself in these buildings with a sense of reverence and humility. One of the commentaries to Pirkeh Abot cites a passage from the Midrash relating that King David was once reprimanded by Ahitofel for walking with his head held upright in the Bet Midrash, in violation of the requirement to carry oneself reverently in the study hall, and David accepted the criticism. Several writers noted the seeming implication of the Midrash that walking upright is improper only in the Bet Midrash, but not in other places – in direct contradiction to the Halacha we have been discussing. Hacham Ovadia Yosef suggested that as a king, David was permitted to walk about with his held up high in order to earn the respect of the people, but in a Bet Midrash this is forbidden even for a king. The Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) explained that David walked about in the Bet Midrash not with his head held high, but rather in a loose, carefree manner which is not proper in a Bet Midrash, and for this was he criticized. Returning to Hacham Ovadia's explanation – that a king is allowed to walk with his head held high – this is the opinion of the Bet Obed, cited by the Petah Ha'debir. Some, however, challenged this view, noting that the Torah requires a king to exercise greater humility than all other people and to avoid all feelings of superiority (Ramban, Debarim 17:20). The answer, it would seem, is that a king must make a special effort to remain in his heart humble and subservient to the Almighty, but outwardly may – and in fact must – carry himself with an aura of authority in order to earn the reverence of his subjects.

Daily Bitachon: The Power of Unanswered Prayer Welcome to Daily Bitachon . We are continuing our series on the topic of Nechama (comfort), as we enter the Seven Weeks of Nechama . We didn't have much time to cover Parashat Va'etchanan in detail, but it contains a critical message: Moshe Rabbeinu offered 515 prayers —the numerical value ( gematria ) of the word Va'etchanan ( ואתחנן ). After these 515 prayers, Hashem tells Moshe: "Rav lach" — "That is enough, do not speak to Me anymore on this matter." Our Sages tell us that had Moshe prayed just one more time , his prayer would have been answered. At first glance, this sounds like a depressing note on which to begin the season of comfort: Moshe Rabbeinu prays incessantly, yet he isn't answered! The Mystery of 515 What is the significance of the number 515? 1. The Connection to Every Tefilla The Megalleh Amukot points out that the standard gematria of the word tefilla ( תפלה ) is 515 . This means that every single prayer we recite connects back to this concept of Moshe Rabbeinu praying and not receiving the answer he sought. Furthermore, the Megalleh Amukot explains that this is why we recite Psalm 90 ( Tefilla L'Moshe ) on Shabbat, ending with: יראה אל עבדיך פעלך "Let Your work be shown to Your servants..." Moshe is pleading to see Hashem's handiwork by being granted entry into Eretz Yisrael . 2. The Mathematical Breakdown ( Pnei Yehoshua ) The Pnei Yehoshua ( Berachot 32a) offers a fascinating calculation: If you count the days from Tu B'Av until the 7th of Adar (the day Moshe Rabbeinu passed away), using the standard calendar alternating between full and short months: Av: 16 days Elul: 29 days Tishrei: 30 days Cheshvan: 29 days Kislev: 30 days Tevet: 29 days Shevat: 30 days Adar: 7 days Total: 200 days 200 days 3 daily prayers = 600 prayers. Subtract the 28 Shabbatot during this period (where personal petitions are not made): . On his final day, after 515 prayers, Hashem told Moshe to stop before he could recite the 516th prayer. Moshe began praying on Tu B'Av—the day of turnaround and joy—and prayed continuously until his final hours, only to be stopped just one prayer short of his goal. Why Did Hashem Stop Him? The Sefer Chasidim (ch. 612), quoting Rabbeinu Saadia Gaon, notes that one reason a prayer might not be answered is due to a final decree ( gzar din ). But why would Hashem issue a decree that prevents such sincere prayer from being accepted? The Or HaChaim HaKadosh explains that entering the Land was ultimately not for Moshe's (or the Jewish people's) true benefit : Anything Moshe Rabbeinu built was eternal because his spiritual attribute was Netzach (eternity). Had Moshe entered Eretz Yisrael and built the Beit HaMikdash , it could never have been destroyed. Consequently, when Israel sinned in the future, Hashem would not have been able to vent His wrath on wood and stone; the destruction would have fallen entirely upon the Jewish people themselves. By not entering the Land, Moshe effectively took a hit for the Jewish nation. As Moshe later reflects: וגם בי התאנף ה' בגללכם "Hashem was also angry with me on your account." Moshe realized that his prayer was held back for the ultimate protection and salvation of Am Yisrael . This realization is itself a profound level of nechama (comfort). Sometimes we pray relentlessly for something, but Hashem withholds it because He knows it is not ultimately good for us. A Second Calculation: High Holidays to Shemini Atzeret The Sefer HaToda'ah offers an alternate tradition: Moshe offered these prayers from Rosh Hashanah through the morning of Shemini Atzeret —the window of cosmic judgment. 21 days 24 hours = 504 hours. Add the 12 hours of the eve of Shemini Atzeret = 516 total units/prayers. Hashem stopped Moshe in that final 516th hour—the exact moment the decree was being sealed and handed down—to prevent the decree from being annulled, because the outcome was necessary for the greater good. The Lesson of Nechama: No Prayer is Wasted Why do we read Parashat Va'etchanan every year during these seven weeks of comfort? The Pri Tzadik explains that reading this portion gives us strength during this period. We often ask ourselves week after week: "Where is the comfort? Why aren't our prayers bringing the immediate redemption we long for?" The Torah reassures us: Do not feel defeated if your personal prayers seem unanswered. No prayer is ever wasted. כל המתאבל על ירושלים זוכה ורואה בנחמתה "Whoever mourns for Jerusalem merits to see her joy." The Steipler Gaon writes in Chayei Olam (ch. 28) that even if years or decades pass and you feel your prayers haven't worked, never give up . Every single prayer accomplishes something vital. He quotes a Midrash illustrating that some prayers are answered after 3 days, some after 30 years, and some even after 100 years. We cannot see the divine timetable, but every word of tefilla builds something lasting. If Moshe Rabbeinu—the greatest leader who ever lived—had prayers that were withheld for a higher, hidden good, we shouldn't lose heart when our own prayers seem to go unanswered. Trust that Hashem hears every word, and every prayer accomplishes its purpose in its proper time. We will continue more on this topic tomorrow, B'ezrat Hashem.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon Today we have a double dose! Dose One: Shabbat in general. Dose Two: Shabbat Nachamu and the concept of Nechama (comfort). The Antics of the Antagonists This discussion is based on Midrash Eicha (Introduction, Letter 17) , where Rabbi Abbahu quotes a verse from Tehillim (69:13): יָשִׂיחוּ בִי יֹשְׁבֵי שָׁעַר "Those who sit by the gate talk about me..." Who is this referring to? It refers to the Goyim sitting in their theaters and circuses— וּנְגִינוֹת שׁוֹתֵי שֵׁכָר —making up drinking songs. As they sit around as drunks, they begin to mock, ridicule, and make fun of the Jewish people. The Midrash outlines a specific list of these taunts, every single one of them targeting our observance of Shabbat . The Four Taunts of Shabbat 1. The Carob Consumption First, they say: "We must be cautious with our spending so we don't end up eating carobs like the Jews!" They ridiculed how generously Jews spend money for Shabbat, foolishly believing it would impoverish us and force us to subsist on carobs. The Reality: Who gets the last laugh? We keep Shabbat, we remain successful, and as for those drunkards—nobody even knows what happened to them. 2. The Shabbat Garment Next comes a two-fold complaint. Someone asks his friend: "What is considered a long time to suffer?" Answer: "The time it takes to launder a Jew's Shabbat cloak." Why did they consider this a long time? Because they claimed Jews were so impoverished that they wore the same garment all week and only washed it on Erev Shabbat . Naturally, a garment worn all week takes significant time and effort to scrub clean. Alternatively, the Midrash uses the words כַּמָּה שָׁנִים אַתְּ בָּעֵי מְחֵי , which can be understood as: "How long do you want to live?" ( Meche coming from Chayut / life). Answer: "As long as a Jew's Shabbat cloak lasts!" Meaning, since Jews only wear their Shabbat clothes once a week, those clothes last a very long time. Historical Note: Both taunts target our respect for Shabbat through our special clothing. Throughout history, there were times of intense poverty. It is told that Rav Shach Zt"l used to own only one shirt. On Erev Shabbat , he would wash it, sit on the roof in his undershirt and tzitzit learning Torah while it dried, and then put it on for Shabbat. Today, baruch Hashem, we have dedicated Shabbat clothing that lasts long enough to eventually be passed down as weekday wear. Regardless of their taunts, here we are, continuing to honor Shabbat L'chvod Shabbat . 3. The Broken Beds & Baldness Next, they brought a Mumus into the theater with a shaven head. (A "Mumus" is explained by some as a mime or clown, and by others as a mummy.) They would ask the crowd: "Why is this mime's head shaven?" They would answer: "These are the Shabbat-observing Jews! They toil all week for Shabbat, but because they squander all their money on Shabbat expenses, they become so poor they have no wood left to cook with. So, they break apart their wooden beds for firewood! Because they have no beds, they sleep on the dirt ground. Sleeping in the dust makes their hair fall out—and that's why baldness is a Jewish trait!" 4. The Price of Oil Building on that absurdity, the nations added a final taunt: "Now that the Jews sleep on the ground and are covered in dust, they have to constantly smear themselves with oil to wash away the bad odor. Because of their high demand for oil, the price of the commodity has skyrocketed—and that's why oil is so expensive!" History Repeats Itself Nothing has changed in thousands of years! Blame the Jews for the price of gas. Blame the Jews for the price of oil. According to them, Jews consume all the oil to clean themselves because they burned their beds for Shabbat! It's a classic conspiracy theory—pure fake news with zero basis in reality. Meanwhile, back in the real world: We are celebrating Shabbat. We aren't burning our beds. We aren't sleeping on the floor. Gas prices may be high, but that has to do with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz—not us! They will continue to scapegoat us, mock us, and blame us. But in the end, we get the last laugh . וַתִּשְׂחַק לְיוֹם אַחֲרוֹן "She laughs at the final day." (Mishlei 31:25) They can taunt our Shabbat all they like, but they will be the ones weeping when we reach יּוֹם שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ שַׁבָּת ( Yom Shekulo Shabbat )—the eternal Shabbat of Olam Haba .

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התוכן איתא בגמ' "בשבעה (באב) נכנסו נכרים להיכל", ומובן שהכוונה אינה לצער ח"ו אלא לעורר ע"ד ההשתדלות למהר את הגאולה ובנין ביהמ"ק, וכמ"ש במדרש ש"עלה ארי' כו' והחריב.. על-מנת שיבוא ארי' כו' ויבנה אריאל" ‏–‏ זה שרואים שלא רק ש"עדיין לא בא!" אלא עוד ניתוסף יום כזה שמיוחד בענין בלתי-רצוי, ה"ז ע"מ ליתן לבנ"י תוספת-כח לתביעה הנפשית שתבוא כבר בפועל הגאולה! הקשר בין שבעה במנחם-אב לגאולה; ובפרט שמקשרים א"ז עם ענין הצדקה, ואע"פ שמצינו שלילה בכלל אינו זמן לנתינת הצדקה אבל בשעה שהעני עצמו נמצא במקום ופושט יד לצדקה פשוט שצריכים לתת לו מיד, "ובפרט אַז דער פשיטת יד און דער תביעה פון דעם "עני".. איז דאָך שוין אַ מעשה.. פון ניינצן הונדערט יאָר, איז דאָך פאַרשטאַנדיק בפשטות.. אַז תיכף ומיד ממש דאַרף זיין .. די נתינה פון גאולה האמיתית והשלימה!".משיחת אור ליום ג' פ' ואתחנן, ליל ז' מנחם-אב ה'תשמ"ט ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=21-07-2026 Synopsis The Gemara says: “On the seventh (of Av) gentiles entered the Heichal.” Obviously, the point is not to cause pain, chas v'shalom, but to awaken us in our efforts to hasten the Redemption and the building of the Beis Hamikdash. As the Midrash states, “A lion arose…and destroyed… in order that a lion should come… and build Ariel.” Thus, when one sees that not only has Moshiach still not come, but that there has been another of exile, it is in order to give the Jewish people additional strength in their heartfelt demand that the Redemption come immediately and literally. The connection between 7 Menachem-Av and the Redemption is especially emphasized when it is tied to giving tzedakah. Although we find that nighttime is not generally the time designated for giving tzedakah, nevertheless, when the poor person himself is standing before you and he stretches out his hand, it is obvious that one must give him immediately – and especially since the outstretched hand and the plea of this “poor person” has already been ongoing for nineteen hundred years. It is obvious that the true and complete Redemption must come literally right now without any delay whatsoever!Excerpt from sichah of Monday night, parashas Va'eschanan, 7 Menachem-Av 5749 For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=21-07-2026 לזכות שיינא בת מושקא שתחי' ליום ההולדת שלה ז' מנחם-אב - לשנת ברכה והצלחה, ואריכות ימים ושנים טובות

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The Midrash teaches us that not all challenges come from the same place.

Watch the Sneak Peek of this Support Team Study - Midrash for the Modern Day: Part 2. Nehemia continues his discussion with Dr. Stephen Arnoff about how midrash can be compared to modern events, used in Christianity and Islam, and … Continue reading → The post SNEAK PEEK! Midrash for the Modern Day: Part 2 appeared first on Nehemia's Wall.

The Gemara in Masechet Kiddushin (31a) tells that Rav Huna son of Rav Yehoshua made a point of always keeping his head covered, and he explained that since the Shechina hovered over his head at all times, it is appropriate to cover one's head as a sign of respect. This same Rav Huna is cited elsewhere (Shabbat 118b) as saying that he was worthy of reward for ensuring never to walk four Amot (cubits) with his hair uncovered. In a different context (Shabbat 156b), the Gemara teaches that wearing a hair-covering helps engender Yir'at Shamayim (fear of Heaven) and thus prevent us from sin. It tells that a woman was warned by astrologers that her infant son would be a thief as an adult. She understood this to mean that the boy was born with a natural inclination toward theft. In an effort to avoid this outcome, she saw to it that the child's head would always remain covered, so he would be cognizant of Hashem's presence at all times and thus stay away from sin. In addition, she fervently prayed to G-d that he would be righteous. Once, the Gemara says, when this boy was still a child, he was sitting beneath somebody's palm tree learning Torah, and his head covering blew off. He looked up and saw a cluster of luscious dates. Enticed, he ate the dates, which were somebody's private property – showing how a head covering helps protect a person from the Yeser Ha'ra (evil inclination). (Thanks to his mother's efforts, though, this boy grew to become Rav Nahman Bar Yishak, one of the great Sages of the Talmud.) Similarly, the Zohar (Balak 187a) teaches that one must avoid walking more than four Amot with his head uncovered, because the Shechina hovers over his head. The Zohar adds that this concept is alluded to in the verse in Kohelet (9:8), "Ve'shemen Al Roshecha al Yehsar" – "Oil shall not be lacking upon your head." The Shechina (divine presence) is compared to fire, and Misvot are the "oil," the fuel that sustains its presence in our lives. Covering our heads brings us Yir'at Shamayim so that we remain loyal to G-d's commands. The Zohar reiterates this point later (Pinhas 245b), citing the verse, "Melo Kol Ha'aretz Kebodo" (Yeshayahu 6:3) – G-d's glory fills the entire earth. We acknowledge and give honor to His presence by wearing a head covering. The Rambam, too, in his Guide for the Perplexed (3:52), emphasizes that the great Sages always ensured to cover their heads out of respect for the divine presence. However, as we know, there are many otherwise observant Jews (especially in our community) who do not wear a Kippa all the time. They make a point of wearing a Kippa when they enter the synagogue, but not throughout the day when they go about their ordinary affairs. Is this acceptable, or are these individuals failing to fulfill a Halachic obligation? This question depends on whether we regard head-covering as a strict Halachic requirement, or as a Middat Hasidut – a recommended measure of piety. The Maharam of Rothenberg (Germany, c. 1215-1293), cited by the Orhot Haim and Kolbo, maintained that Halacha does not forbid going about bareheaded, and the Sages who ensured to have their heads covered did so as a Middat Hasidut. This is also the clear implication of the Rambam, in the passage cited earlier, where he mentions that great Rabbis made a point of covering their heads – indicating that this is a recommended measure of piety, and not a binding Halachic obligation. The Maharshal (Rav Shlomo Luria, Poland, 1510-1573) drew proof to this view from a passage in the Midrash which emphasizes how Hashem deals with us far more kindly than mortal kings deal with their subjects. Normally, the Midrash comments, when a king's messenger reads to the masses a written royal decree, everyone is expected to stand, remove their hats, and listen with fear and trepidation. But when we read the Shema in fulfillment of G-d's decree, we are not required to stand and remove our head coverings. The Midrash here clearly implies that there would be nothing wrong with baring our heads – even for the recitation of Shema. The Shebut Yaakov (Rav Yaakov Reischer, 1661-1733) refutes this proof, noting that the Midrash later observes that Hashem does not demand that we hunt wild animals to bring them as sacrifices, but rather commands that we offer as sacrifices domesticated animals, which do not need to be hunted. Clearly, this does not mean that it would be acceptable to offer wild animals as sacrifices. By the same token, we cannot necessarily deduce from the Midrash that it is acceptable to recite Shema with our heads uncovered. Maran (Rav Yosef Caro, author of the Shulhan Aruch), in Bet Yosef (91), brings the aforementioned opinion of the Maharam of Rothenberg, that covering one's head is not strictly required, indicating that he concurred with this view. Elsewhere in Bet Yosef (46), however, Maran appears to imply otherwise. In discussing the blessing recited each morning, "Oter Yisrael Be'tif'ara" ("He who crowns Israel with splendor"), Maran explains that we are "crowned" in the sense that we, unlike other nations, are required to cover our heads. Maran adds that even those who maintain that this is not strictly required, agree that it is recommended as an act of piety. Here Maran clearly sides with the opinion that head-covering constitutes an outright Halachic obligation. Regardless, the Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) noted that in the Shulhan Aruch, Maran takes the position that covering one's head is recommended but not strictly required. In Siman 2, the Shulhan Aruch writes that "it is forbidden" to walk about "Be'koma Zekufa" – completely upright, appearing proud and overly confident. In the same sentence, the Shulhan Aruch writes that "one should not walk four Amot with his head bare." When it comes to "Koma Zekufa," the Shulhan Aruch uses the word "Assur" ("It is forbidden"), whereas regarding walking bareheaded, he writes simply that this should not be done. It would thus appear that although it is proper to wear a head-covering, this is not strictly required. However, the Taz (Rav David Ha'levi Segal, 1586-1667) writes that even assuming that head-covering was practiced in ancient times only as a Middat Hasidut, in modern times this has become a strict Halachic obligation. The Taz explains that since the Christians are accustomed to walk about bareheaded, doing so violates the prohibition of "Hukot Ha'akum" – following gentile practices. Hence, in the view of the Taz, one is required to wear a Kippa nowadays in order to avoid transgressing the Biblical prohibition of "Hukot Ha'akum." Hacham Ovadia Yosef disputes this claim. Based on the comments of the Mahari Kolon (Rav Yosef Kolon, d. 1480), Hacham Ovadia writes that one transgresses the prohibition of "Hukot Ha'akum" only if he does something with the specific intention of imitating gentile practices and resembling a non-Jew. If a person decides to leave his head uncovered in the interest of comfort, this does not violate the prohibition. Nevertheless, in a famous responsum in Yehaveh Da'at, Hacham Ovadia writes that nowadays, one is required to wear a Kippa, for a different reason – because this has become the "badge" or symbol of an observant Jewish man. By wearing a Kippa, one identifies himself as a member of the population of G-d-fearing Jews. Conversely, one who chooses not to wear a Kippa presents himself as being non-observant, thereby inviting suspicion, and for this reason, wearing a Kippa has today become an obligation. It seems, however, that this applies only in Israel, where the decision of whether or not to cover one's head is the clear marker of one's self-identification as religious or secular. Here in the United States, however, at least in some communities, this is not the case, and it is known that not all observant Jews ensure to keep their heads covered at all times. Therefore, while it is certainly preferred and advisable to wear a Kippa – and where a person fears antisemitism, he can wear a cap instead of, or over, his Kippa – one who wishes to leave his head uncovered has a basis on which to rely. (Indeed, in the school where I work, I advise the members of the basketball team to leave their Kippot off during games, because the Kippa would interfere with their playing; since the Kippa is not required as a strict obligation, it may certainly be removed for this purpose.) Nevertheless, wearing a Kippa when eating, praying, reciting Berachot and learning Torah is strictly required. Of course, one must wear a Kippa in the synagogue. In the presence of a Rabbi, it is proper to wear a Kippa in the interest of Derech Eretz (common courtesy). When a person wishes to fulfill the requirement of a Beracha by listening to its recitation by somebody else, he must wear a Kippa even though he remains silent, because he is considered as actually reciting the Beracha by listening to his fellow.

We spend a lot of time making different calculations. We think about what's going to bring us the greatest benefit, what's going to produce the best outcome, and what will help us accomplish the most. That's a good approach when it comes to our physical lives, but when it comes to avodat Hashem, there is a different rule. Our job is not to calculate what we think will accomplish the most. It is to do exactly what Hashem asks us to do and trust that His calculations are infinitely greater than ours. Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian brings out this lesson very clearly in the first of this week's two parashiyot. In Parashat Matot, Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu to go to war against Midyan, and immediately afterward he would leave this world. Rashi, quoting the Midrash, points out the greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu. Even though he knew that fulfilling this command would bring about his own death, he did not hesitate for a moment. He fulfilled Hashem's command with joy and without delay. Rabbi Lopian notes that we find what appears to be a different approach by Yehoshua bin Nun. Hashem also commanded Yehoshua to wage war and conquer Eretz Yisrael, and after that mission was complete, his life would come to an end. Chazal tell us that Yehoshua delayed the war, and as a result, he lost ten years of his life. Rabbi Lopian explains that Yehoshua had the best of intentions. He knew Moshe Rabbeinu's prophecy that after Moshe died, the Jewish people would eventually stray from the proper path. Yehoshua understood that as long as he remained alive, it was considered as if Moshe was still alive, because Chazal teach that as long as a student lives, it is as if his rebbe is still living. Indeed, the Jewish people remained loyal to Hashem throughout Yehoshua's lifetime, and only after he died did they begin serving avodah zarah. Yehoshua therefore made a calculation. If he delayed the war, he would live longer, and Klal Yisrael would remain on the proper path for a longer period of time. It seemed like a wonderful calculation. Moshe Rabbeinu could have made the very same calculation. He could have thought, "If I delay the war against Midyan and remain alive longer, I'll continue leading the Jewish people, and they too will remain on the proper path." But Moshe Rabbeinu did not make calculations. Hashem told him to do something, and he did it immediately. In the end, Yehoshua's calculation accomplished just the opposite of what he intended. Instead of gaining years, he lost ten years of his life, and consequently, the Jewish people strayed from the proper path earlier than they would have had he fulfilled Hashem's command immediately. Moshe Rabbeinu, on the other hand, only gained. Because he fulfilled Hashem's command without delay, the prophecy that the Jewish people would stray from the path was postponed until after Yehoshua's passing. Hashem fulfilled the prophetic words אחרי מותי כי השחת תשחיתון to mean not only after Moshe's death, but after the death of his faithful student as well. By trusting Hashem, Moshe accomplished far more than he ever could have by making his own calculations. Very often we also make calculations when it comes to Torah and mitzvot. We say, "I know I should give tzedakah, but first I want to become more financially secure." "I know I should spend more time learning Torah, but right now I need to build my career." "I know I should do this mitzvah, but maybe if I wait a little longer, it will work out better." Our job is not to calculate how Hashem's commands will produce the best results. Our job is to do what Hashem wants now. Hashem, Who sees the past, present, and future all at once, has already made every calculation. Living with emunah means recognizing that Hashem's calculations are infinitely greater than ours. If we do our job by fulfilling His will with joy and without delay, trusting that we only gain by listening to Him, then we will fulfill our mission in this world properly. Shabbat Shalom

In this episode of Hebrew Voices #248 - Midrash for the Modern Day: Part 1, Nehemia brings on Dr. Stephen Arnoff to talk about the art of midrashic interpretation, how the “secret sauce” works, and why it exists in the … Continue reading → The post Hebrew Voices #248 – Midrash for the Modern Day: Part 1 appeared first on Nehemia's Wall.

Can Midrash Determine Halakha? (7) - "Defending a Widespread Practice" by Rabbi Avi Harari

The Midrash at the beginning of this week's parasha Pinchas says, אמר הקב"ה בדין הוא שיקבל שכרו – Hashem said that Pinchas deserved the reward he was getting for the act he performed. The mefarshim ask the question, doesn't everybody who does a mitzvah deserve the reward that comes as a result of performing it? Why is the Midrash singling out Pinchas, saying that he deserved his reward? The sefer Vaveh HaAmudim quoted an answer given by the sefer Zichron Yitzchak - even though everyone who does a mitzvah deserves reward for it, most of the time, there is some type of praise or honor that the person gets as a result of the performance of that mitzvah which takes away some of the reward. Receiving praises from others or being acknowledged for a deed reduces the full amount of the reward of that mitzvah. Hashem may still give the person the reward but it is no longer called "fully deserved". Pinchas however did not only not receive praises for his actions, he was even ridiculed for them. Therefore, he can be called deserved of the reward that he was getting. On one occasion, somebody from Rav Shach's family saw the Rosh Yeshiva with tears in his eyes. At that time, he was very old. The family member asked the Rosh Yeshiva what was wrong and if he could offer his assistance. Rav Shach replied he was thinking about what he was going to bring with him to the Heavenly Court after he leaves this world. The family member then pointed to the sefer Avi Ezri that was open on the table, a four volume masterpiece written by Rav Shach as a commentary of the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam which is used in every yeshiva throughout the entire world. Rav Shach replied, "Yes, it is a good sefer , but I got too much recognition from it. It's value has been diminished." A relative of the Chofetz Chaim once came to the Rabbi to ask him if he should travel to America to help collect money for a yeshiva that was struggling financially. The Chofetz Chaim told him he should go and he even gave him a beracha for success. The day the relative was leaving, he came back to the Chofetz Chaim to get a departing beracha . The Chofetz Chiam gave him the beracha and then told him, "Hashem gave us a Torah with 613 mitzvot in it. Due to our sins, we lost the Beit HaMikdash and according to my calculation, there are only 271 mitzvot left that we can perform nowadays - 77 positive commandments and 184 negative commandments. I felt that it was my obligation to clarify these 271 mitzvot for Klal Yisrael and therefore, I just wrote a sefer explaining each one of them. I want this sefer to have success. I want it to be completely leshem Shamayim . I need somebody to sponsor it, but I have three conditions: #1 – his name should not appear on the sefer , #2 – he himself should ask that his name doesn't appear on the sefer , and #3 – only one person should give the entire sum. Please try to find someone during your travels abroad." The man traveled by boat to America. After a few weeks, he arrived in New York but developed a very strong cough there and a doctor advised him to spend some time in a warmer climate in Florida. When the man arrived in Florida on Thursday, he had no idea where he was going to stay. To his surprise, there was a religious Jew waiting on the platform there. He introduced himself as Yerachmiel, saying he stands there every Thursday warning Jews who arrive not to go to certain "kosher" hotels and shuls that were not really reliable and were run by the wrong people. Rav Yerachmiel invited him for Shabbat and he enjoyed it very much. After Shabbat, he asked Yerachmiel about the yeshiva he was collecting for, as well as the new sefer being put out by the Chofetz Chaim. But he forgot the conditions that the Chofetz Chaim gave him. Yerachmiel said he would love to sponsor the sefer , but on 2 conditions: #1 – he would be the only sponsor, and #2 – his name wouldn't be on the sefer . The man then realized this was min haShamayim , the same conditions the Chofetz Chaim asked for were offered by this man. Decades later, after the Chofetz Chaim had already left this world and Rav Yerachmiel had married off all his children, Rav Yerachmiel's entire family moved to Israel. One day, his son-in-law, who was at that time a big talmid chacham , was walking in Bnei Brak and that relative of the Chofetz Chaim saw him and recognized him. He called him over and said, years before this, his father-in-law sponsored the Sefer HaMitzvot of the Chofetz Chaim. The talmid chacham had no clue that his father-in-law did that. When he told his father-in-law about it, Rav Yerachmiel turned pale and started crying out loud. He said, "I can't believe this was told to you. I gave a lot of tzedaka in my lifetime, but I got so much honor from it. There was one thing that I felt consoled by – sponsoring this sefer that nobody knew about, just me and Hashem and one other person. Now, what am I going to come with to Olam Haba ?" Mitzvot are great, but when we do them without any recognition, they become infinitely greater. Shabbat Shalom.

Parshas Pinchas: Worthy of Service Season 8 Episode 34 | #365 Why did Yehoshua succeed Moshe Rabbeinu instead of Moshe's own children? What made him worthy to lead the Jewish people? In this episode, we explore the Midrash and the Lubavitcher Rebbe's profound insight into authentic leadership. Discover why greatness is not inherited or pursued, but earned through humility, faithful service, and unwavering dedication to a higher mission. ✨ The greatest leaders are not those who seek greatness, but those who prepare themselves to serve.

Chazal teach that in some ways Kalev was greater than Yehoshua. The Midrash says Yehoshua was chosen because he served Moshe more than anyone else, including setting up the benches and mats in the Bais Medrash. Why was that a zechus to become the next leader?Have a good Shabbos

We read in Parashat Pinhas of the census taken of Beneh Yisrael at the end of their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness. The Torah lists the families of the various tribes, and in listing the families of Reuben, the Torah explains that two families – those of the brothers Datan and Abiram – were not counted, because they perished after joining Korah's revolt against Moshe Rabbenu. In this context, the Torah mentions that "U'bneh Korah Lo Metu" – Korah's sons did not die together with their father and the other rebels. Rashi, citing the Gemara (Megilla 14a), explains that Korah's sons initially participated in the uprising, but they then had thoughts of Teshuba (repentance), on account of which "Nitbaser Lahem Makom Gabo'ah Be'gehinom Ve'yashebu Sham" – " An elevated place in Gehinam was set apart for them, and they remained there." Rashi's concluding remarks – "and they remained there" – suggest that Korah's sons stayed in that "elevated place in Gehinam" for all time, and this is, indeed, the view taken by several later commentators. This is also the implication of the Midrash cited by Tosafot in Masechet Kiddushin (31b). The conventional understanding, however, is that Korah's sons remained in the underworld for a period of time and were ultimately rescued, whereupon they rejoined Beneh Yisrael. (This is perhaps evidenced by the fact that Korah's sons had descendants who sang in the Bet Ha'mikdash.) Regardless, the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Rav Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, 1902-1994) draws our attention to an important – but often overlooked – word in this passage in Rashi's commentary. Rashi did not say simply that Korah's sons participated in their father's uprising against Moshe. Rather, he writes that Korah's sons were part of this undertaking "Tehila" – right at the outset. They were among the initiators. They didn't just "go along" with the idea – they were the ones who conceived it! The Rebbe further notes Rashi's comment that during the revolt, "Hirharu Teshuba Be'libam" – Korah's sons had thoughts of repentance in their hearts. It seems clear from Rashi's formulation that Korah's sons did not repent entirely – they merely entertained thoughts of Teshuba. And yet, despite the fact that they were the instigators of this evil uprising, even their thoughts of Teshuba sufficed to save them from death. The Rebbe added that this shows us the great power of even incomplete repentance, and of even "Hirhureh Teshuba" – genuine thoughts and feelings of repentance. Even when a Jew does not change his behavior fully the way he should, but he merely thinks and reflects on how he needs to improve – these thoughts are precious and beloved by G-d. The Rebbe explained on this basis why, at one of the holiest moments of the year, as we prepare to sound the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah, we read the 47 th chapter of Tehillim, which was composed by Korah's sons – "La'menase'ah Li'bneh Korah Mizmor." Unlike Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah is not a time for confessing and begging G-d for forgiveness. However, during the sounding of the Shofar, we are to think "Hirhureh Teshuba," thoughts of repentance. This is a time to think seriously and somberly about our mistakes and shortcomings during the previous year, and how we wish to improve during the coming year. We therefore recite this chapter composed by Korah's sons – who devised a wicked plot to challenge Moshe Rabbenu, and yet were spared punishment because of their "Hihureh Teshuba." We are reminded of the great power of Teshuba thoughts, of the value of our genuine feelings of regret and desire to improve. Back in Parashat Korah, we read that when the ground opened to devour the leaders of the revolt and their families, the rest of the nation "Nasu Le'kolam" (16:34) – literally, "ran to their voices." This seems to mean that the people ran toward the opening in the ground where the rebels were screaming in horror, which would be very difficult to understand. Rashi avoids this problem by interpreting these words to mean that the people ran "on account of their voices," because of the shrieks that they heard. In light of what we have seen, however, there might be another understanding. After Korah's sons were saved, Beneh Yisrael ran to hear their voices, to hear them sing praise to Hashem, in order to receive inspiration from them. Korah's sons became a powerful source of motivation for all Beneh Yisrael – and for us – by showing the value of even incomplete Teshuba, how every step forward is significant and cherished by the Almighty. Indeed, Rav Moshe Wolfson (1925-2024) noted that the letters that spell the word "Le'kolam" (Lamed, Kof, Lamed, Mem) are the first letters of the words "La'menase'ah Li'bneh Korah Mizmor." Beneh Yisrael rushed to hear the beautiful praises sung by Korah's sons to be inspired and driven to work toward improvement, one small step at a time. The Rebbe cited in this context the Rambam's famous comment that "En Beneh Yisrael Nig'alin Ela Bi'Tshuba" – the redemption depends upon the Jewish People's repentance (Hilchot Teshuba 7:5). Many people wondered how this will happen. When we look at our nation today, how the majority of Jews are so distant from observance, and how even generally observant Jews face so many religious challenges which they frequently fail to withstand, how can we ever be deserving of redemption? Korah's sons provide us with the answer. They show us that even incomplete Teshuba is valuable, as long as it is sincere. Every genuine thought, feeling and action in the direction of Teshuba, every time a Jew reflects on his inadequacies and regrets his deficiencies, he has achieved something precious. Every small step toward repentance will, hopefully, lead to another, such that we can, indeed, become worthy of our final redemption, speedily and in our time, Amen.

We naturally become frustrated when we encounter delays or when our schedules suddenly change. But someone with emunah knows that what may appear to be an inconvenience is actually the loving hand of Hashem guiding him exactly where he needs to be. The Midrash tells us that a person's legs are his guarantors. They carry him to the places he is meant to be. We may think we are going somewhere for one reason, while Hashem has an entirely different purpose in mind. Sometimes He is protecting us from harm. Sometimes He is arranging an encounter that will help us. Sometimes He is creating opportunities that could never have happened otherwise. Most of the time, we never discover the reason, but we can be certain that every delay and every detour has purpose. A man related that his son recently quit his job with the understanding that he was going to start a new business with a partner. However, after he had already left his job, the partner backed out. The son felt he could still operate the business on his own, but he needed money to get it started. The father told his son he would try to find someone who could help. The very next day, the train he normally took after work to his summer residence was canceled. Instead, he decided to take the subway to his winter residence and spend the night there. It was an inconvenience, but he accepted it happily, knowing it was min haShamayim. After getting off the subway, even though it was only 5:30 in the afternoon, he suddenly decided to pick up dinner on the way home. He passed a restaurant he had never entered before and felt an unusual craving for that type of food. While placing his order, he noticed an old friend sitting alone. He went over to say hello, and the friend invited him to join him. During their conversation, the father mentioned what his son had recently gone through. The friend smiled and said it would be his pleasure to lend the son the money he needed, to be repaid whenever he was able. The father told me it was incredible to see how Hashem had orchestrated everything. From the canceled train, to the decision to stay elsewhere for the night, to the sudden craving that brought him into that restaurant, every step led him to the exact person who could help his son. Another man, whom we'll call Rabbi Shemueli, told me that he works in a day camp together with several other rabbis. During the first few days of camp, the director asked them to remain an extra forty minutes after camp ended to make sure dismissal ran smoothly. Rabbi Shimoni, who was also a Hatzalah member, commented to Rabbi Shemueli that he didn't understand why they needed to stay. Everything seemed to be operating perfectly well without them. Still, he accepted the request and remained there patiently. About five minutes after making that comment, Rabbi Shimoni noticed one of the boys was not wearing his kippah. He walked over to remind him to put it back on. As he approached, he suddenly noticed another boy turning blue from choking. Shockingly, no one else had realized what was happening. The boy could not call for help because a seaweed snack was lodged in his throat. Rabbi Shimoni immediately sprang into action, dislodged the food, and saved the boy's life. Later, he said how clearly Hashem had shown him that we are always exactly where we are meant to be. He could not understand why he needed to remain in camp for those extra forty minutes, but within minutes Hashem revealed one reason. Most of the time we are not privileged to see the reason at all. Here, Hashem allowed him a glimpse behind the curtain. We are always exactly where Hashem wants us to be. When we internalize that truth, we can remain calm and even happy when plans change or delays occur, knowing that every step we take and every place we find ourselves has been carefully arranged by Hashem for a purpose. Sometimes Hashem allows us to see that purpose, but even when He doesn't, we can trust that there is a reason. What appears to us as an inconvenience may actually be one of the most important moments in our journey.

Who was Naamah?In Genesis, she appears only briefly as the daughter of Lamech and the sister of Tubal-Cain. Yet in later Jewish traditions, Midrashic writings, Kabbalistic texts, and the Zohar, Naamah transforms into something far more mysterious—a seductress of angels, companion of Lilith, mother of demons, and a figure connected to the Watchers of Genesis 6. In this episode of Free The Rabbits, Joel Thomas follows the trail from the biblical lineage of Cain into the strange world of extra-biblical traditions surrounding Naamah. Along the way we examine ancient Jewish sources, the Book of Enoch, the Zohar, demonological traditions, Ashmedai (Asmodeus), the Four Demon Mothers, and the recurring theme of fallen angels corrupting humanity. We'll also explore competing traditions that portray Naamah either as a righteous woman connected to Noah's family or as a supernatural entity linked to demonic offspring, dream seduction, idol worship, and the Watchers. How did a nearly forgotten figure from Genesis become known as the "Mother of Demons"?Merchandise: https://freetherabbits.myshopify.comBuy Me A Coffee: DonateFollow: Website | Instagram | X | FacebookWatch: YouTube | RumbleMusic: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music Films: https://merkelfilms.com Email: freetherabbitspodcast@gmail.comDistributed by: merkel.mediaIntro Music:Joel Thomas – Free The RabbitsYouTube | Spotify | Apple MusicOutro Music:Joel Thomas – GreyYouTube | Spotify | Apple MusicTopics Discussed:Naamah, Cain, Lamech, Tubal-Cain, Genesis 4, Descendants of Cain, Book of Enoch, Watchers, Grigori, Genesis 6, Sons of God, Daughters of Men, Fallen Angels, Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, Genesis Rabbah, Legends of the Jews, Louis Ginzberg, Zohar, Zohar Hadash, Kabbalah, Moses de León, Lilith, Samael, Ashmedai, Asmodeus, Four Demon Mothers, Demonology, Jewish Mysticism, Midrash, Idol Worship, Dream Seduction Traditions, Noah's Wife Traditions, Nammu, Divine Feminine Traditions, Ancient Near Eastern Religion, Biblical Cosmology, Free The Rabbits.

Two of the important figures in Korah's brazen uprising against Moshe were two brothers named Datan and Abiram. Interestingly, we are not told what it is that they were fighting for. Korah himself, as Rashi brings, resented the fact that his cousin was chosen over him for a prestigious leadership role (head of one of the three families of Leviyim). The 250 men who joined Korah vied for the privilege of serving as Kohanim in the Mishkan. Datan and Abiram, however, simply ridiculed Moshe. In the message they delivered to him, they accused Moshe of taking them out of Egypt – which they described as "a long flowing with milk and honey" – to die in the wilderness. But they did not say what it is that they want from him. These men had a long history with Moshe. The Sages teach us that they were the men who disobeyed Moshe's instructions regarding the manna – leaving manna over to the next morning, and going out to collect on Shabbat – and they were the ones who advocated for returning to Egypt after hearing the spies' frightening report about the nations in Eretz Yisrael. In truth, their history with Moshe goes back even earlier – to the period of bondage in Egypt. The Midrash teaches that when Moshe saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a member of Beneh Yisrael – that was Datan. And the next day, when Moshe saw two members of Beneh Yisrael fighting – those were Datan and Abiram. Moshe saved Datan's life when he was being beaten by the Egyptian, and he then saved Abiram when he was being beaten by Datan. Yet, instead of expressing gratitude to Moshe, they betrayed him, reporting him to Pharaoh. One of the commentaries explains why they harbored such ill-will toward Moshe. The Midrash relates that the Egyptian who was beating Datan had a relationship with Datan's wife. Moshe knew of this through Ru'ah Ha'kodesh (prophetic insight). Datan and Abiram did not want this information spread, and so they first tried having Moshe killed, by reporting him to Pharaoh. When Moshe returned to Egypt many years later as the nation's leader, Datan and Abiram repeatedly disobeyed Moshe and rejected his authority, so that if he ever mentioned anything about their secret, it would not be taken seriously. This is why they seized every opportunity to oppose and ridicule Moshe – and this is why they joined Korah's uprising. Remarkably, however, even after Datan and Abiram joined Korah in his uprising against Moshe's authority, Moshe still did not give up. The Torah tells (16:12) that Moshe sent them a message, inviting them for a meeting. According to some commentators, Moshe delivered this message because he still believed that they could repent. Even after all Datan and Abiram had done wrong, despite their pattern of defiance and contempt for him – Moshe still held out hope, he still believed in their capacity for goodness. The reason, as some have explained, is that Moshe never forgot the good that Datan and Abiram once did. Back in Egypt, Datan and Abiram served as Shoterim – foremen appointed by the Egyptian taskmasters to oversee the work done by the Israelite slaves. If the slaves did not complete their quota of work, then the Shoterim would be beaten. Datan and Abiram, as sinful as they were, took the beatings rather than deal harshly with their fellow Jews. They allowed themselves to suffer the consequences of the slaves' failure to complete their quota of work. Moshe did not allow Datan and Abiram's repeated misdeeds and even personal attacks to overshadow the good that they did. He recognized their capacity for goodness – even after they challenged and defied him several times. It was only here in Parashat Korah, when they rejected his "olive branch," when they refused to even speak with him, that he despaired. This is a crucial message for parents and educators. Too often, parents and teachers see the child's misbehavior and failures, but not the child's achievements and successes. This is a mistake. While certainly standards must be enforced, it is imperative that children know that all the good they do is recognized, appreciated and respected. In today's day and age, especially, children face unprecedented spiritual challenges. The lures and distractions of today's world make it so difficult for youngsters to do the right thing, to remain religiously committed, and to succeed academically. Every success, every mitzvah , everything that youngsters do right must be enthusiastically celebrated. Whatever mistakes children make do not erase the good that they do. The more encouragement they receive, the more motivated they will be to continue working and struggling to achieve despite the challenges that they face.

Living Emunah 2951 The Place Meant for You The Gemara tells us that when it came time to choose the seventy elders who would assist Moshe Rabbeinu, six men were selected from each shevet, making a total of seventy-two candidates. A lottery was then held to determine which seventy would be chosen. Seventy slips of paper had the word "Zaken" written on them, while two slips were left blank. Whoever drew a blank slip would not be selected. The Gemara says that Moshe told the two men who drew the blank slips, "HaMakom lo chafetz becha." This is usually translated to mean, "Hashem did not want you." That is difficult to understand. It was painful enough that these two individuals were publicly excluded while everyone else was chosen. Why would they also need to hear that Hashem did not want them? Furthermore, according to some opinions, those two men were Eldad and Medad. Yet immediately afterward, the Torah tells us that they received prophecy. If Hashem did not want them, how could they have merited prophecy? Rabbi Menashe Reizman brings from the Sifrei Kabbalah that the word Makom is one of Hashem's holy Names. It has the same numerical value as the Name of Hashem represented by Yud-Keh-Vav-Keh when each letter is multiplied by itself. This teaches that in every makom—in every place in the world—the Shechinah is present with all of Hashem's mercy. Every person has a unique place from which he is meant to serve Hashem and connect to Him. Hashem already determined where a person would be born, into which family he would be born, how he would look, how intelligent he would be, how strong he would be, and every other detail of his life. Everything was arranged specifically for him to fulfill his mission. Moshe was not telling these men that Hashem did not want them. Hashem wants every one of His children. Rather, he was telling them, "This makom is not where you are meant to be. This is not the place through which you will achieve your greatness and connect to Hashem." When a person desperately wants something and does not receive it, it can be very painful. When the rejection is public, it can even be humiliating. Yet a person can become extraordinarily great when he accepts with love that Hashem's plan for him is different. The sefer Meshivat Nefesh, written by Rabbi Yochanan Luria, the uncle of the Maharshal, explains that when Eldad and Medad realized they had not been chosen, they accepted it with love. Hashem was so pleased with their reaction that He immediately granted them prophecy—prophecy that surpassed that of the other seventy elders. The Midrash tells us that Eldad and Medad received more than the seventy elders in five different ways. When a person rises above disappointment and trusts that Hashem is doing what is best for him and for his purpose in this world, despite how difficult that may be, he elevates himself to remarkable heights. Hashem was similarly proud of the Jewish people when they followed Him into the desert after Yetziat Mitzrayim, not knowing how they would survive. The pasuk says: זָ כַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה "I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, when you followed Me into the wilderness, into a land that was not sown. ." The Ramban explains that this praise was not limited to the moment they entered the desert. It referred to the entire forty years that they followed the Cloud of Glory wherever Hashem directed them. Sometimes they remained in places they did not want to be for extended periods of time, yet they accepted it. At other times they were settled comfortably in places they liked, only to have the cloud suddenly rise and signal that it was time to move. Once again, they followed with trust. That unwavering acceptance is what made Hashem so proud of them. The same opportunity exists for every one of us. Sometimes Hashem places us in situations that are embarrassing. Sometimes they are painful. Sometimes they seem unfair. But the harder it is to accept, the more precious that acceptance becomes. Eldad and Medad could have become depressed. They could have felt humiliated. No one would have blamed them. But they were not interested in mediocrity. They wanted greatness. By accepting Hashem's decision with happiness, they achieved it. A prophet can only receive prophecy when he is in a state of joy. The very fact that Eldad and Medad received prophecy demonstrated that they remained happy despite their rejection. Every person has a different place that Hashem wants him to be in. That place is not an accident. It is the exact place from which he can best fulfill his mission and connect to Hashem. When we learn to be happy with the places Hashem chooses for us, we too can rise to the greatest heights.

Source sheet: https://ikar.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Midrash-Class-1.pdf In the gaps, the ambiguities, the contradictions, and the mysteries of Torah, Midrash is born. Like a flower emerging from the crack in the sidewalk, a new image captures our attention, transforming the entire landscape. In this three-part series, we'll investigate the project of Midrash– where these new stories come from and how they shape our understanding of both the Torah and its interpreters.

Source sheet: https://ikar.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Midrash-Class-1.pdf In the gaps, the ambiguities, the contradictions, and the mysteries of Torah, Midrash is born. Like a flower emerging from the crack in the sidewalk, a new image captures our attention, transforming the entire landscape. In this three-part series, we'll investigate the project of Midrash– where these new stories come from and how they shape our understanding of both the Torah and its interpreters.

We look at Genesis Raba 98 and Sota 10 to see what the sages say about Samson

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 1:5) writes that it is commendable to recite each morning the sections in the Torah – in the beginning of Sefer Vayikra – that speak of each of the Korbanot. People who follow this custom recite the sections discussing the Ola, the Minha, the Shelamim, the Hatat and the Asham. This custom is based on the notion developed by the Midrash that by reciting the verses that speak of a certain Korban, we are considered as having offered that Korban, and this is how we can attain atonement even without a Bet Ha'mikdash. Nevertheless, our custom is not to recite these sections in the Torah. It has been explained that we do not follow this practice because we instead recite the Mishnayot of Ezehu Mekoman – the fifth chapter of Masechet Zevahim – which briefly goes through the procedure for each kind of sacrifice. As discussed in previous installments, we do recite the section in the Torah discussing the Tamid – the daily sacrifice which was offered each morning and afternoon in the Bet Ha'mikdash. We do not, however, recite the sections in the Torah dealing with the other sacrifices. The Shulhan Aruch writes that after reciting the section from Torah of each of the sacrifices, one should recite a prayer asking G-d to regard his recitation as the actual offering of that sacrifice. Those who recite these sections add the prayer after the voluntary sacrifices – the Ola, Minha and Shelamim – but not after the Hatat (sin-offering), which cannot be brought voluntarily. The Hatat is offered only in very specific circumstances where atonement through the offering of this sacrifice is required, and it cannot be offered voluntarily. The Shulhan Aruch explains that those who follow this custom read the section of Hatat in case they have committed an act requiring this sacrifice, but they should not add the prayer asking that it be considered as the actual offering of the sacrifice, since they do not know for certain that they are required to bring this sacrifice. As for the Asham (guilt-offering), the Shulhan Aruch brings two opinions. Some maintain that since the Asham – like the Hatat – is brought only in very specific circumstances, the prayer should be omitted, except after the recitation of the Asham Talui – the Asham brought in situations where one is unsure whether he committed an offense requiring a Hatat. This sacrifice may be brought even if there is a remote possibility that it is required, and so it is valid to ask Hashem to accept the recitation of this section as though the sacrifice was actually offered. Others maintain that this prayer may be recited even after the section discussing other Asham sacrifices. The Shulhan Aruch writes that the first opinion seems more correct. The Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) writes that if one wishes to observe this practice, he should recite these sections of the Torah after the Amida prayer. He explains that the recitation of the Amida functions as the offering of the daily Tamid sacrifice, and no sacrifice may be offered before the offering of the morning Tamid. Therefore, one must not recite these sections – which are recited in lieu of the offering of the sacrifices – before he recites the Amida. This opinion appears to contradict the justification mentioned above for our custom to not recite the sections in the Torah – that we instead recite the Mishnayot of Ezehu Mekoman. According to the Hida, it would seem, we are not permitted to recite Ezehu Mekoman before the Amida as a substitute for the actual offering of the sacrifices. It stands to reason that since, as mentioned, we recite the section of the Tamid before Ezehu Mekoman, the reading of the Tamid is considered as our offering of the Tamid sacrifice, well before the recitation of the Amida. We are thus justified in then reciting Ezehu Mekoman, which counts as the offering of the other sacrifices. Although we do not follow this custom brought by the Shulhan Aruch, nevertheless, this discussion is important as it underscores for us the significance of the Korbanot section. As we have seen, the Poskim took this recitation very seriously, viewing it as being actually considered as though the sacrifices have been offered. By reciting the Korbanot each morning, we truly have the opportunity to access the power of the sacrifices even though we do not yet have the Bet Ha'mikdash.

Each morning, before the Korbanot section, we recite a prayer ("Ribon Ha'olamim") in which we acknowledge our lowliness, recognizing that we are unworthy of G-d's kindness, and that even the most powerful are weak in relation to G-d and even the wisest are ignorant in relation to G-d. In this prayer, we humbly confess, "Ki Chol Ma'asenu Tohu" – "for all our actions are worthless." The obvious question arises as to how we can make such a pronouncement. After all, while we must all acknowledge that we are far from perfect, is it true that "all our actions are worthless"? We spend time praying, learning Torah, and performing acts of kindness for others, we give charity, and we do numerous worthwhile things throughout the day, every day. We of course all have much room for improvement, and, unfortunately, we are all guilty of wasting time on vanity, but it certainly seems exaggerated to claim that nothing we do has any value. Due to this question, there were some Poskim who changed the text of the phrase – replacing the word "Kol" ("all") with the word "Rob" ("most"). With this emendation, the text acknowledges that most of our actions are valueless, as we pursue vanity, but not that we never involve ourselves in meaningful activities such as prayer, Misvot and Torah study. However, the word "Kol" appears in all the texts that we have from earlier generations – including the text of the Rambam, Rav Amram Gaon, the Tur, and the Abudarham. Therefore, it seems very difficult to emend the text and change "Kol" to "Rob." The explanation, as Rav Yisrael Bitan discusses, likely stems from a comment of the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 28:1) interpreting the verse in Kohelet (1:3), "Ma Yitron La'adam Be'chol Amalo" – "What does a person gain from all his toil?" The Midrash notes that certainly, there is much gained from a person's toil in Torah study, but Kohelet speaks of "Amalo" – a person's own "toil," meaning, that which he does for himself, for his own enjoyment and satisfaction. The "toil" that a person engages in for G-d, so-to-speak – his efforts in Torah and Misvot – are certainly precious and immensely valuable. It is only "Amalo" – his self-serving pursuits – that offer him no benefit. Likewise, we may explain the phrase "Ki Chol Ma'asenu Tohu" to mean that "Ma'asenu" – everything we do for ourselves, and not for the service of Hashem – has no value or significance. Therefore, we should not change the text to "Rob," and should instead maintain the text found in earlier sources – "Ki Chol Ma'asenu Tohu."

In the gaps, the ambiguities, the contradictions, and the mysteries of Torah, Midrash is born. Like a flower emerging from the crack in the sidewalk, a new image captures our attention, transforming the entire landscape. In this three-part series, we'll investigate the project of Midrash– where these new stories come from and how they shape our understanding of both the Torah and its interpreters.

The Korban Ha'tamid was the sacrifice that was offered each day in the Bet Ha'mikdash – one sheep was brought every morning, and a second sheep was brought every afternoon. This sacrifice was required each day, without exception, on weekdays, Shabbat, and all holidays, including Yom Kippur. The unique importance of this sacrifice can be seen in the story told by the Gemara in Masechet Menahot (64b) of the civil war that was waged during the Second Commonwealth, and one side besieged Jerusalem. The besieging army would send sheep over the wall into the city each day for the offering of the Tamid, until they were advised that as long the Tamid sacrifice was offered, they would not succeed in taking the city. The next day, they sent a pig instead of a sheep. The Gemara relates that as the pig was being lifted over the wall, the entire Land of Israel shook. Once the Tamid sacrifice was discontinued, disaster befell the nation. Due to the special importance of the Tamid, the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) writes in his work Rav Pe'alim that if a person arrives late in the synagogue, and does not have enough time to recite the entire Korbanot section (the section about the sacrifices), he should at least recite the verses of the Tamid (as well as the section of the Ketoret). We introduce the recitation of the Tamid with a special "Yehi Rason" prayer asking Hashem to forgive our sins and rebuild the Bet Ha'mikdash so we can again offer the daily Tamid sacrifice. This prayer appears in the Seder Ha'yom (by Rabbi Moshe Ben Machir, 16 th century). Although we generally omit on Shabbat prayers that include requests for forgiveness, we recite this prayer before the Tamid even on Shabbat. After reciting the Tamid section, we recite the section of the Ketoret followed by the paragraph of "Abayeh Hava Mesader" – Abayeh's outline of the entire daily procedure in the Bet Ha'mikdash. We then recite a concluding prayer – "Ribon Ha'olamim" – acknowledging that we are unable to offer sacrifices in the Bet Ha'mikdash because of our sins, and asking that our recitation of the Korbanot section should be accepted as though we actually offered the sacrifices. The Yafeh La'leb (Rav Rahamim Nissim Yitzchak Palachi, Turkey, 1814-1907) notes a passage in the Midrash stating that we will not require the offering of Korbanot in the future. He thus raises the question of why we ask Hashem for the opportunity to again offer sacrifices, if the sacrifices will not be brought in the times of the final redemption. In truth, this question was discussed already by his father, the Leb Haim (Rav Haim Palachi, 1787-1868), who concludes that all the Torah's Misvot – including the sacrifices – will remain binding for all time. The Midrash's comment about the sacrifices in the future needs to be understood, but it is clear that sacrifices will be brought in the times of the third Bet Ha'mikdash.

Why do we read the story of Ruth on Shavuot? Beneath the surface of this beautiful Megillah lies one of the most dramatic stories in all of Tanach, famine, exile, conversion, controversy, loss, courage, and the hidden birth of redemption.In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the deeper story behind Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz through Midrash, Talmud, Zohar, and Kabbalah. Together we'll uncover the shocking halachic debate surrounding Ruth's conversion, the spiritual meaning behind her loyalty, and the extraordinary chain of Divine Providence that ultimately gave birth to King David and Moshiach. This is a story about what happens when life appears to fall apart… only to reveal a deeper plan unfolding underneath it all.Key Points: • Why Elimelech abandoned the Jewish people during the famine and the consequences that followed • Ruth's radical choice to embrace Judaism despite uncertainty and rejection • The deeper meaning of “Where you go, I will go” according to the Talmud • Boaz, Ruth, and the hidden hand of Divine Providence • The controversial halachic debate: Could Ruth even marry into the Jewish people? • Why King David's lineage was questioned generations later • The spiritual lesson of apparent failure, loss, and hidden redemption • How the story of Ruth became the blueprint for MoshiachA Brand-New Four Part Kabbalah Series - Turning Walls into DoorwaysHow to Transform Life's Obstacles into the Path to Your Greatest GrowthWhy do we keep hitting the same emotional walls? Why do certain fears, insecurities, patterns, and painful circumstances keep showing up in our lives, despite our best efforts to change? Access HERE https://www.jewishndg.com/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=102 Available now:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhVSupport the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

Ruth in Stereo: Mikra and Midrash, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom After a brief introduction to the literature of Midrash and specifically Midrash Aggada, we analyze four passages in Megilat Ruth, first reading them in their literary context, then perusing several Midrashic comments on them. We analyze the comments with an eye towards the agenda of the Darshan - i.e. what lesson he is building from the text; that he is not trying to "rewrite the text", rather to build from the text with a vital message for his primary audience. Source sheet >>

Send us Fan MailWhy do we read the story of Ruth on Shavuot? Beneath the surface of this beautiful Megillah lies one of the most dramatic stories in all of Tanach, famine, exile, conversion, controversy, loss, courage, and the hidden birth of redemption.In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the deeper story behind Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz through Midrash, Talmud, Zohar, and Kabbalah. Together we'll uncover the shocking halachic debate surrounding Ruth's conversion, the spiritual meaning behind her loyalty, and the extraordinary chain of Divine Providence that ultimately gave birth to King David and Moshiach. This is a story about what happens when life appears to fall apart… only to reveal a deeper plan unfolding underneath it all.Key Points: • Why Elimelech abandoned the Jewish people during the famine and the consequences that followed • Ruth's radical choice to embrace Judaism despite uncertainty and rejection • The deeper meaning of “Where you go, I will go” according to the Talmud • Boaz, Ruth, and the hidden hand of Divine Providence • The controversial halachic debate: Could Ruth even marry into the Jewish people? • Why King David's lineage was questioned generations later • The spiritual lesson of apparent failure, loss, and hidden redemption • How the story of Ruth became the blueprint for MoshiachAvailable now:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhVSupport the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

The custom among Sepharadim is to recite immediately following the section of Akedat Yishak a verse from Parashat Vayikra (1:11): "Ve'shahat Oto Al Yerech Ha'mizbe'ah Safona Lifneh Hashem…" This verse describes the procedure for the offering of a sheep as an Ola sacrifice – such as the daily Tamid offering, which consisted of a sheep brought each morning and another sheep brought each afternoon. The connection between this verse and the story of Akedat Yishak is indicated by the Midrash which states that whenever this verse is read, Hashem remembers the great merit of the Akeda. A different passage in the Midrash, cited by the Bet Yosef, teaches that it was at the time of Akedat Yishak that G-d instituted the Misva of the daily Tamid that would later be observed in the Bet Ha'mikdash. The word "Safona" in this verse – which literally means "north," and requires slaughtering the sacrifice on the north side of the altar – alludes to the "ashes" of Yishak Abinu which are "hidden" and stored away as an eternal reminder of the merit of Akeidat Yishak. After this verse, we recite a special prayer – which is printed in standard editions of the Siddur – beseeching Hashem to remember the merit of Akedat Yishak and compassionately annul any harsh decrees that may have been issued against us. This custom is mentioned by the Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806), in his work Kesher Godel. Interestingly, neither the verse "Ve'shahat Oto" nor this prayer appears in the Siddur of the Rashash (Rav Shalom Sharabi, Yemen-Jerusalem, 1720-1777). Nevertheless, the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) writes in his Od Yosef Hai that it was customary in the communities of Baghdad to recite these passages, and this is, indeed, our custom today. We recite the verse "Ve'shahat Oto" also a second time – just before the section of "Ezehu Mekoman," which is comprised of the Mishnayot from the fifth chapter of Masechet Zebahim, and goes through the procedure for the offering of the various kinds of sacrifices. The Shulhan Aruch rules somewhat ambiguously that this verse should be recited along with the Korbanot – the section which speaks of the sacrifices – without specifying at which point exactly it should be recited. Some Poskim understood that it should be recited before the Korbanot section, which is the custom we follow. Indeed, it would seem reasonable to recite first a verse from the Torah before reciting the Mishnayot discussing the sacrifices. (Incidentally, it should be noted that the practice of Maran, author of the Shulhan Aruch, was not to recite the Mishnayot of "Eizehu Mekoman," and to recite instead the verses from the Torah dealing with each kind of sacrifice.) By contrast, the Peri Megadim (Rav Yosef Teomim, 1727-1792), cited by the Mishna Berura, writes that after the Akeda, one should recite the verses of the Torah discussing the Tamid sacrifice, following by the verse "Ve'shahat Oto." The rationale for reciting it only after the Tamid is that the recitation of this verse is considered like the actual offering of a sacrifice, and no sacrifice may be offered in the morning before the Tamid was brought. Hence, according to the Peri Megadim, this verse cannot be recited until after the recitation of the Tamid. This is the practice of the Ashkenazim. Sepharadim, however, as mentioned, recite this verse immediately after Akedat Yishak, before reciting the section of the Tamid. The explanation might be that this verse is recited not in lieu of the offering of a sacrifice, but rather to supplement the recitation of Akedat Yishak, asking Hashem to remember the merit of that act of sacrifice. In any event, we recite this verse twice – immediately after Akedat Yishak, and just before the Mishnayot of "Eizehu Mekoman."

In this richly layered shiur on Megillat Ruth, Rabbi Dunner explores Ruth's journey from Moabite outsider to matriarch of the Davidic dynasty. Through Chazal, Midrash, Gemara, and modern scholarship, he reveals how the the themes of chesed, gerut, legitimacy, and personal redemption quietly shape the foundations of Jewish kingship, national destiny, and the ultimate vision of Messianic geulah.

The early rabbinic period produced two major literary formations—the Mishnah and Midrash—which have since remained central pillars of Jewish textual tradition. How to Read the Mishnah and Midrash: An Introduction to Early Rabbinic Literature (U California Press, 2026) is the first comprehensive introduction to these two foundational works of Jewish thought in English. In many ways, all subsequent rabbinic literature emerged from the framework established by these two genres. The Mishnah presented a comprehensive legal system independent of the Bible, encompassing a remarkably broad spectrum of legal topics—from ritual law to civil disputes, capital legislation, marital status, and beyond—woven into a coherent and autonomous legal corpus. The Midrash is the first comprehensive running commentary of the Pentateuch, marked by its interpretive freedom and creative playfulness. This hands-on companion provides an intimate understanding of how the two texts function and essential tools for engaging with them in depth. With translations, close readings, and analyses of hundreds of primary source materials, this book offers readers a deeper appreciation of the structure, methodology, and enduring impact of the Mishnah and Midrash. New Books in Late Antiquity is presented by Ancient Jew Review Ishay Rosen-Zvi teaches rabbinic literature at the Department of Jewish philosophy and Talmud at Tal-Aviv University. His previous books include: Goy: Israel's Multiple Others and the Birth of the Gentile, written with Adi Ophir; The Mishnaic Sotah Ritual; and Demonic Desires: “Yetzer Hara and the Problem of Evil in Late Antiquity.” Michael Motia teaches Classics and Religious Studies at UMass Boston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Does Matthew twist Hosea to invent a prophecy about Jesus? You will learn why Matthew quotes only part of Hosea 11:1, how first-century Jews used Scripture by allusion, and how Israel as God's son creates a typological pattern fulfilled by the Messiah as the greater Son. Through parallels with David, Moses, the wilderness, and a striking Midrash on Isaiah 52:13, you discover how to read Matthew the way his original Jewish audience would have. ~~~FRONTL|NE Newsletter: https://thelineoffire.org/newsletterDonate: https://thelineoffire.org/donate-one-timeX: https://twitter.com/DrMichaelLBrownYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LFTVInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmichaelbrownFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASKDrBrownWebsite: https://thelineoffire.orgRadio Broadcast from The Line of Fire Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Mahari"l writes that when a person prays at the kever of a tzadik, since it is a place of holiness and spiritual purity, the tefillot there are more readily accepted. The Mateh Ephraim adds that even a Kohen, who is not permitted to approach the kever, can still connect to that holiness by standing at a distance from where he can see it and pray from there. Tefillah is always powerful, but there are times and places where it has an added strength. The day of the yahrzeit of a tzadik at his kever is especially מסוגל for tefillah. The Midrash says in Parashat Vezot HaBerachah that if we had known the burial place of Moshe Rabbeinu, we would have prevented the destruction of the first Bet HaMikdash through our tefillot there. The Ben Ish Chai explains that when a person goes to a kever of a tzadik, there are two proper ways to pray. He can ask Hashem to help him in the merit of the tzadik, or he can ask that the neshama of the tzadik should pray to Hashem on his behalf. But the tefillah is always directed only to Hashem, because He alone has the power to fulfill our requests. The tzadik is not the source of the yeshuah—he is a מליץ יושר , an advocate. Throughout the generations, people have received incredible yeshuot through their tefillot at kivrei tzadikim. But the foundation of it all is still tefillah—pouring out one's heart to Hashem. I heard a remarkable story from Rabbi Heller, told to his mother by the daughter of the man it happened to. Her father fought in the Yom Kippur War, and at one point it seemed certain that he would not survive. At that moment, he made a neder to Hashem that if his life would be spared, he would move his family to the north of Israel and build up a place of Torah and mitzvot. Miraculously, he survived. After the war, he realized how difficult that commitment would be and went to his rabbi to perform hatarat nedarim. The rabbi told him that perhaps it was in the merit of that very neder that Hashem had saved him, and it would not be proper to undo it. The man accepted this and moved his family—his wife and three daughters—to the north. They settled in an abandoned home on Moshav Meron, high above the kever of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Life there was extremely simple. They bought a cow and lived off its milk, trading it for eggs and other necessities. The man would go often to the kever of Rabbi Shimon and pour out his heart in tefillah. In those days, few people came, and he would spend long periods there alone, feeling a deep connection as he spoke to Hashem in that holy place. One day, his wife became very ill with typhus, and he brought her to a hospital in Tiveria. She remained there for months. The man faced a painful challenge—he wanted to be with his wife, but he also had daughters at home. Travel was extremely difficult, yet every day he made the journey back and forth to be there for both. The hospital staff was amazed at his devotion. One morning, after sending his daughters to school, he went to a phone booth to call the hospital. He sensed something was wrong. The doctor came on the line and told him the truth—his wife was in her final moments. There was no point in rushing, he said, because he would not make it in time. The man hung up the phone and burst into tears. He walked up the road and saw the kever of Rabbi Shimon. He stopped and cried out, "Please, Rabbi Shimon, pray to Hashem to save my wife." He begged and then said, "If there is a harsh decree on our family, please ask Hashem to take our cow instead." With that, he ran to catch transportation to the hospital, but on the way someone stopped him and told him that his cow had just died. The man was elated. When he got to the hospital, the doctor hugged him and said, "It's a miracle—your wife is alive." He then told him something astonishing. At the time of the phone call, his wife had already passed—there was no pulse. They were about to cover her with a sheet, but the nurse said they should wait until he arrived. A couple of minutes later, they heard her coughing, and then she called out for a cup of water. This is a modern-day story of techiyat hametim in the merit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Tefillah is always wondrous and at Kivrei Tzadikim, it's even better.

The Midrash at the beginning of Parashat Emor quotes the pasuk in Tehillim: יוֹם לְיוֹם יַבִּיעַ אֹמֶר וְלַיְלָה לְלַיְלָה יְחַוֶּה דָּעַת . The Midrash explains that in the months of Nisan and Tishrei, the day and night are equal. In the summer, the day borrows hours from the night, and in the winter, the night borrows from the day, until over the course of the year they balance out perfectly. The mefarshim ask: what does this have to do with Parashat Emor, and what is the message of this Midrash? The Tehillot Maharitz explains that every individual in Klal Yisrael has a different role. Although there are many mitzvot that apply only to Kohanim and Levi'im, כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה —we are all responsible for one another. They serve on behalf of us, and we serve on behalf of them. When we understand that we are all one unit, forming Hashem's army of servants, we can truly love one another and remove jealousy from our hearts. The Or HaChaim explains that when Moshe Rabbeinu was told to instruct the Kohanim about their unique mitzvot, one might have thought this would be difficult for him. Originally, Moshe was meant to be the Kohen, but because he hesitated at the burning bush to accept the role of leadership, the kehuna was given to Aharon instead. And we know there was no one who loved mitzvot more than Moshe Rabbeinu. It would seem that hearing about all the additional mitzvot given to the Kohanim could have caused him pain. For this, the Midrash gives its answer. Just as the day and night borrow from each other without resentment, knowing that together they create a perfect balance, so too Klal Yisrael. Some are Kohanim, some Levi'im, some are wealthy, some are poor—but when each person fulfills his role, together we form a perfect nation serving Hashem. Imagine a team competing in a contest, where each correct answer helps the entire team win. If one member answers many questions correctly, his teammates are not jealous—they are thrilled, because his success is their success. That is how we must feel about one another. We are all on the same team, serving the same Hashem. When one person excels, it elevates all of us. The Gemara at the end of Masechet Menachot tells of a tragic case where one brother became jealous of the other for being appointed Kohen Gadol, to the point that he wanted to kill him. Had he understood that they were on the same team, serving the same Hashem, such jealousy could never have existed. Hashem assigns each person a different role, and one who fulfills his mission receives his full reward—just like anyone else who fulfills theirs. It is not a competition. Hashem has enough to give everyone. At Yetziat Mitzrayim, while the Jewish people were busy collecting gold and silver, Moshe Rabbeinu was occupied with bringing the bones of Yosef. On this, the pasuk says: חכם לב יקח מצוות . Moshe was called wise because he chose mitzvot over wealth, and that lesson has inspired generations. All the merit of that inspiration belongs to him. In fact, if Moshe had been a Kohen, he would not have been able to become tameh to carry Yosef's bones. It was specifically this act that led to the great miracle of Keriat Yam Suf. What seemed like a limitation for Moshe became the greatest opportunity. There is never a reason to be jealous of what someone else has, does, or achieves. Hashem gives each person exactly the opportunities needed to fulfill his unique mission. The more we rejoice in another person's success, the more we align ourselves with Hashem's plan and become better servants of Him.

The Rambam, in Hilchot Talmud Torah (3:12), writes that one cannot achieve success in Torah learning if he learns in a relaxed manner, and only when learning is convenient and comfortable. Like anything else in life, a person excels only through persistence, diligence, and hard work. "Dabbling" in Torah will not result in Torah scholarship – just like "dabbling" in any other field will not lead to mastery or excellence in that field. There are no shortcuts to achievement in Torah study. Rav Mordechai Gifter (1915-2001), Rosh Yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland, would say that a lot of students want to learn the entire Shas in one night – and also manage to sleep eight hours that night…and to learn while sipping soda… Quite obviously, this is not how it works. A person can succeed in Torah learning only if he is prepared to put in the time, work and effort, and to learn even when conditions are far less than ideal. This includes learning even when one feels tired. Although a person should certainly sleep as much as he needs, he should ensure to use the rest of his time for Torah learning, and not for sleeping beyond what he needs for his physical and emotional wellbeing. Many sources emphasize the particular importance and value of learning Torah during the nighttime hours. In fact, the Gemara (Erubin 65a) states explicitly that the nighttime period was designated specifically for Torah learning. And the Rambam writes in Hilchot Talmud Torah (3:13): "Even though it is a Misva to study both during the day and at night, it is only at night that a person acquires the majority of his wisdom. Therefore, whoever wishes to merit the "Crown of Torah" should be careful with all of his nights, not wasting even one of them on sleep, eating, drinking, idle chatter, or the like—rather, [spending them] in the study of Torah and words of wisdom." The Rambam concludes: "And any house in which the words of Torah are not heard at night will be consumed by fire." If one's "fire" – his passion, his excitement and energy – is directed somewhere else other than Torah, then his home runs the risk, Heaven forbid, of being consumed by fire. The Torah tells (Bereshit 28:11) that when Yaakob was leaving Eretz Yisrael, and he reached the site where the Bet Ha'mikdash would be built, he went to sleep ("Va'yalen Sham"). The Midrash comments that Yaakob slept there – but did not sleep at all during the fourteen previous years, which he spent learning Torah in the yeshiva of Shem and Eber. The commentators explain that this cannot mean that he literally remained awake for fourteen years. Rather, it means that during that period, Yaakob never actually went to sleep in a bed. When he needed to, he put his head down, or found a place to lie so he could get the small amount of sleep that he needed. In order to achieve in Torah learning, one must be prepared to sacrifice physical comfort, and to keep his sleep to a minimum. A different passage in the Midrash tells that King David would go to sleep at nightfall, but he kept a musical instrument by his bedroom window, that served as a kind of "alarm clock." At Hasot (midnight), the wind would blow the strings, producing music, and David would wake up to learn Torah. The Yeser Ha'ra (evil inclination) would try to convince him to go back to sleep, saying that kings normally enjoy the luxury of sleeping late, as they do not have to rise early for work like the commoners. But David would ignore the Yeser Ha'ra and spend the rest of the night engrossed in Torah study. The Gemara (Sukka 26b) instructs that if a person needs to sleep during the day, he should sleep for only a brief amount. Elsewhere (Erubin 65a), the Gemara relates that Rav Hisda's daughter asked why he slept so little, and he replied that soon – after his passing – he would have plenty of time for sleep… Our limited time here in this world should be used productively, and not wasted on excessive rest and relaxation. The Midrash Tanhuma (Parashat Noah, 3) warns that in order to succeed in learning the intricate material of the Torah She'be'al Peh, one cannot aspire to wealth and luxuries; the only way to excel in Torah learning is by sacrificing physical and material comforts. Similarly, Tana De'beh Eliyahu Zuta (14) warns that excessive eating and sleeping leads to "poverty" in the area of Torah knowledge. Normally, when a person stays up late at night and sleeps only the minimum that he requires, he is likely to appear the next day pale, drained, and bleary-eyed, and might not be very pleasant to look at. However, the Gemara (Hagiga 12a) promises that if a person spends his night learning Torah, Hashem "casts a cord of Hesed" over him. This means that he will have a certain "charm" the next day, earning people's admiration and favor despite his fatigue. In a different passage (Sanhedrin 71b), the Gemara teaches that when the righteous sleep, they and the entire world suffer a loss. As the Sadikim spend their time productively, involved in meaningful pursuits that benefit them and the entire world, they and the world lose as a result of the time they spend sleeping. (Conversely, then, when the wicked sleep – and thus are not engaged in their sinful behavior – they and the entire world benefit from their inactivity.) The Gemara in Masechet Menahot (110a) teaches that scholars who spend their nights learning Torah are considered as though they offer sacrifices in the Bet Ha'mikdash. And in Masechet Tamid (32b), the Gemara states that if a person learns Torah at night, the Shechina accompanies him wherever he goes. The Talmud Yerushalmi (Ta'anit 3a) cites Rav Ada Bar Ahaba as avowing that he never slept an entire night, as he always rose early to learn Torah. The Reshit Hochma ( Rabbi Eliyahu de Vidas, 1518–1587) writes that when one learns Torah at night, he is not seen; his study is private, without publicity and fanfare, and this lends it a very special quality. Since he learns secretly, he is worthy of having the hidden secrets of the Torah revealed to him. An especially stern passage appears in Abot De'Rabbi Natan (29:3), warning that if a person is awake at night and not involved in Torah learning, "he would be better off had he been strangled at birth." Rabbenu Yona (Spain, 1200-1263) writes that if a person stays awake at night learning Torah, then he obviates the need for Yisurin (punishments). Since he subjects himself to the discomfort of remaining awake to learn Torah, this counts for whichever kinds of suffering he needs to experience. This is alluded to by the verse in Tehillim (94:12), "Ashreh Ha'geber Asher Teyaserenu Y-ah U'mi'Toratecha Telamedenu" – "Fortunate is the man whom G-d punished, and teaches him from his Torah." This can be read to mean that a person is fortunate if he receives his punishments by immersing himself in intensive Torah learning, exerting hard work and effort. Rabbenu Yona further notes that Moshe Rabbenu did not sleep at all throughout the forty days he spent atop Mount Sinai receiving the Torah – setting an example of minimizing sleep for the sake of Torah learning. If, Rabbenu Yona adds, a king invited someone to his treasury to collect as many riches as he could for a specific period of time, this man would certainly not sleep at all during that time, and would use every moment he could to collect riches. We, too, should use as much of our limited time in this world as we can for Torah learning, collecting spiritual "riches," rather than waste our time indulging in physical comforts. Rav Besalel Ashkenazi (Israel, 1520-1592) writes that in his youth, he spent his nights engaged in Torah study, often learning throughout the night without sleeping. He also occasionally skipped meals. It was through this sacrifice of physical comforts for Torah learning that he achieved Torah scholarship. The Reshit Hochma writes that his esteemed mentor, Rav Yosef Taychik (1465-1546), did not sleep in a bed for forty years, and would instead sit on an elevated piece of furniture with his legs dangling, such that he would not stay asleep for an extended period. He rose every night at midnight and spent the rest of the night learning Torah. And a disciple of Rav Yehonatan Eibshutz (1694-1764) testified that throughout the years he spent learning under him, Rav Yehonatan never slept in a bed, and instead dozed for brief periods in his chair. Rav Chaim Brim (Jerusalem, 1922-2002) related that the Hazon Ish (Rav Abraham Yeshaya Karelitz, 1878-1953) was once found sleeping on his bed in the wrong position – with his feet on the side where the head was supposed to be. The people told him to turn around, and he said, "If I had the strength to turn myself around, I would learn another Tosafot." The Hazon Ish continued learning Torah until he had no strength left, not even to turn his body around. Rav Haim Palachi (Turkey, 1788-1868) wrote that if a person could see into the future, to the time when he would be in the grave, and understand the extent of the regret he would experience for not having used his time properly, he would never waste time, and he would minimize his sleep in order to spend more time learning Torah. Rav Palachi added that a person who rises at midnight to learn Torah earns the status of a "friend" of Hashem and of the Nation of Israel, and he will be spared punishments that befall the rest of the world. The Reshit Hochma notes that when rising at midnight to learn Torah, one should be driven solely by his genuine love for Hashem, and not by any ulterior motives. Only if his intentions are pure will he reap the precious rewards for learning Torah at night. The Reshit Hochma says that as a teenager, he devoted himself entirely to Torah study, engaging in virtually no other activities. The Peleh Yoetz (Rav Eliezer Papo, 1785-1828) urges us to train ourselves to sleep fewer hours and to learn Torah even when we feel drowsy, in order to maximize the amount of time we have to devote to Torah. The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) discusses the great value of learning Torah in the predawn hours, adding that one's intentions should be for the sake of Hashem, and not to earn reward. The Tchebiner Rav (1881-1965) had the practice on Shabbat afternoons of testing schoolchildren on their Torah studies. One Shabbat afternoon, a boy knocked on his door, but there was no answer, as the Rabbi was sleeping. The youngster continued knocking until the Rabbi answered. The Rabbi gently told the boy that if nobody answers the door on Shabbat afternoon, this usually means that the people in the home are asleep. "I didn't think that the Rabbi slept on Shabbat afternoon!" The Tchebiner Rav committed to never sleep again on Shabbat afternoon, acknowledging that this was the expectation of a sage of his stature. From all these sources, we see the importance of learning Torah even when one feels tired, and that we must try to push ourselves to achieve to the best of our ability rather than spend our free time relaxing and learning only when it is easy and convenient.

The Chovot HaLevavot writes in Shaar HaBitachon, Perek Dalet, that a person must believe that his efforts in earning a parnassah do not in any way enable him to earn even one more penny than Hashem already decreed for him to have. He is only making the effort because that is what Hashem wants, and once he makes a reasonable effort, he has fulfilled that obligation. Therefore, if a person is earning a lot of money through the means that he chose to put his efforts in, it is not proper for him to think that it is the business that is bringing him success. Accordingly, it is incorrect for him to add more effort and more hours simply because he is seeing success in his business. For example, if a person is working a regular eight-hour day and earning a good livelihood, he should not say, "I will add a couple of more hours to my workday so I could earn even more money." That would be an act that shows he believes it is the means that are giving him success and not Hashem. If he already created a pipeline for Hashem to send the parnassah, he does not need to add more time to his regular workday to earn more. If Hashem decreed that he should earn more, He will send it through his existing efforts or from some other channel. And even if the person does put in more effort and sees that he is earning more money from it, that would not disprove anything the Chovot HaLevavot is teaching us. Hashem runs the world in a natural way, and if it makes sense naturally that working extra hours will produce more money, Hashem is not going to stop that. However, the person will still not earn even one more penny than Hashem already decreed for him. He may be taking the money earlier than it was supposed to come, or if it is not meant for him, he will lose it in some other way. A person can never gain by doing something that Hashem does not want him to do. I once heard a question. The Midrash says that when the Jewish people conquered and settled the land, they found all of the hidden treasures of the Emorim in the walls of the homes. How did they find them? If someone had tzaraat on his house, he would have to demolish the house, and then he would find the treasures. The question is: usually tzaraat comes from sin. Does that mean that a person profits by sinning? The answer is that Hashem decreed that those treasures were going to be given to His nation. If people had not sinned, they would have received those treasures in a much nicer way. For example, by simply banging a picture frame into the wall and discovering the jewels behind it. But if someone sinned and his house contracted tzaraat, he would only find the jewels after having to demolish his entire home. That is not a gain. Similarly, says the Chovot HaLevavot, if someone earns more money by doing something wrong, he must know that if it was meant for him, he would have received it in a much nicer way, with blessing attached to it, and his efforts would have brought him benefit in this world and the next. But now, by doing something wrong, he only lost out. He would have received that money anyway, but instead, he committed an aveirah, which will be negative for him. If a person wants to increase his parnassah, it will not come through extra effort beyond what is necessary. Rather, it can come through bitachon—by understanding that Hashem is the One providing. The bitachon that a person has is a tremendous zechut, which can bring him more blessing. We must never be fooled by the way things appear in the natural world. It may look like extra hours bring more money. It may look like doing something wrong brings more profit. But that is part of the test. Emunah means to see beyond what appears to be and to believe that Hashem is running the world. And when we follow His system, that is where all the blessing lies.

B”H Welcome to a new series on the Jewish Money Matters podcast: Living With the Times.  In this episode, Yael explores the connection between Parashat Tatzria–Metzorah and our financial lives through the lens of bitachon—true reliance on G-d.  Drawing from the Targum Onkelos, Midrash, and Talmud, she uncovers how bitachon impacts not only personal financial outcomes, but even the broader reality of redemption.  You'll also hear powerful stories that illustrate the connection between bitachon and parnassah (sustenance), along with practical tools to strengthen your trust in Hashem—including the transformative practice of reframing, as learned from Parashat Metzorah. The post 462: Living With the Times: Tatzria–Metzorah & Jewish Money Matters appeared first on Yael Trusch.