Blog Archives

Malbim Dictionary Definitions: The Differences between Hebrew Words for "Judgement" & "Law" & "Remember"

30/9/2020

Today, with the help of the commentary of Malbim*, we're going to look at common Hebrew words that seem synonymous, but contain nuanced differences.

You'll also see that the same word sometimes contains different (yet interconnected) meanings, depending on how it's used.

These words occur commonly in prayer and Tehillim (Psalms), and it helps to know what you're really saying when you use them.

Note: All the definitions come from Malbim. The definitions of torah, mitzvah, edut, & pikud come from Malbim on Tehillim 119:1.

Din, Dinim — דין , דינים

Din (often translated as "judgement") means hearing out the claims & accusations.

It's basically the judicial proceedings.

In connection to that idea, din often means "consequences," whether positive or negative.

We often speak of harsh din or sweetened din—meaning that the claims, accusations, and consequences end up harsh or sweetened.

Mishpat, Mishpatim — משפט , משפטים

Mishpat (often translated as "judgement" or "law" or "ordinance" or "statue") is the conclusion of the din.

In other words, mishpat is the verdict. (Or, in the case of its verb shafat, the act of reaching the verdict.)

Its root is shafat--שפט—often translated as "judged."

Shofet--שופט—is "a judge."

Mishpat also means the person-to-person (bein adam l'chavero) laws.

The reasoning behind a mishpat is understandable to the human mind (as opposed to chok, a law in which its reason is not comprehensible).

This is why, in Tehillim for example, different kinds of mishpatim are mentioned.

There is mishpat b'tzedek (laws & verdicts conducted with fair justice), like the mishpat of Hashem.

Then there is mishpat formed according to the social mores of a particular culture—and these mishpatim aren't always just.

Tzedek — צדק

Tzedek (often translated as "righteousness" or "judgement" or "justice") is an act, a deed.

It oversees the mishpat, the verdict, so that the mishpat concludes in justice and not corruption.

Torah, Torot — תורה , תורות

Obviously, Torah often means the Bible.

But it's also used to mean "law" or "commandment," especially in its plural form, torot.

When used colloquially, torah includes all the teachings of Hashem: beliefs, instructions, character traits, and all the behaviors applicable to a person.

Mitzvah, Mitzvot — מצוה , מצוות

Mitzvah (translated as commandment) are the general commandments of the Torah (Bible).

Chok/Chukim — חוק , חקים

Chok (often translated as "law" or "statute") is a commandment whose reason isn't known, except to Hashem.

Edut — עדות

Edut (often translated as "testimony") means the stories & events that testify on behalf of Hashem's Greatness.

In particular, edut means the events of Beresheit: the Creation of the Universe & its continuing functions (like how the Sun always rises in the East & sets in the West, the Moon always remains in more or less the same place relative to the Earth & with predictable phases, the Earth spins at a consistent speed on its tilted axis, etc.)

This infuses renewed conviction into the verse edut Hashem ne'emanah—the edut of Hashem is faithful; the functions of the Universe remain stable & reliable (Tehillim 19:8).

Pikud, Pikudim — פיקוד, פיקודים

Pikud (often translated as "statute" or "commandment," etc.) is a mitzvah (commandment) designated to commemorate individual matters.

(Please see its root below--pakad—and note how they go together to embrace the full meaning.)

Zachar — זכר

Zachar (often translated as "remember") includes all its forms: zecher, zikaron, zechirah, yizkor, etc.

It also implies a meaningful act—meaning, there's a purpose to remembering; it needs to be remembered.

Pakad — פקד

Pakad (often translated as "remember") follows on the heels of zachar.

It includes the action of actually doing what was remembered—like when Hashem pakad et Sara: He not only remembered what He promised her, but also fulfilled it.

It also means "commemorate," which is an act of remembering—again, "commemorate" follows on the heels of "remembering;" it acts on what was remembered.

(Please see above for how it relates to pikud.)

For more "dictionary definitions" of Hebrew synonyms by the Malbim, please see:

*The Malbim (1809-1879) was Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel who was born in Russia and served as rav all over Eastern Europe. He was bitterly fought by the Reform Movement for most of his adult life, even suffering a brief imprisonment under a false accusation in Rumania by wealthy German Reformers. Fortunately, he left us an amazing commentary on the entire Torah among the other valuable works he composed.

← Previous post
4 Lessons Learned from Glimpses into the Self-Transformation of Real Talmidei Chachamim

Next post →
Sukkot Inspiration from the Vilna Gaon, Plus Some Reading for the Upcoming Chagim

4 Lessons Learned from Glimpses into the Self-Transformation of Real Talmidei Chachamim

29/9/2020

While intellectually, we all know that no human being is perfect and even the greatest tzaddikim had flaws to work on, we usually don't see it.

Some flaws may be obvious to others, but other flaws tend toward more private displays (which should usually remain private).

Furthermore, the depths & lengths to which we find we need to work on ourselves often remains private because of healthy shame.

Yet anecdotes trickle out about great talmidei chachamim, which gives us insight into how we should work on ourselves—and also our attitude toward that inner work.

Rav Scheinberg Makes a Kiddush over His "Minor" Spiritual Victory

Born in Poland in 1911, Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg immigrated to America with his parents when he was 9.

Being so young, Rav Scheinberg acclimated to the American Jewish society of 1920s, attended American public school before managing to attend yeshivah, and became known as "Lefty Scheinberg" for his skill at playing shortstop in baseball.

After his marriage, Rav Scheinberg & his beloved wife went to the Mirrer Yeshivah in Poland, where he gained the reputation of a masmid (one who learns Torah with perseverance).

After surviving the Holocaust in Shanghai, he & his family moved to Yerushalayim.

Rav Scheinberg ended up establishing his own yeshivah & earned both the title of talmid chacham & the description: "one of the Gadolei Hador."

Recently, I came across a little-known story about Rav Scheinberg.

Someone saw him making a kiddush & asked him why.

Rav Scheinberg answered that upon realizing that he no longer felt disappointed when his once-favorite sports team lost a game, he decided to celebrate that deep-seated accomplishment.

Look at that!

Rav Scheinberg steeped himself in the world of Torah and polished all his middot.

Yet he struggled to uproot an ingrained attachment to his once-favorite sports team.

However, he finally succeeded.

And what did he do?

He made a kiddush!

Uprooting that non-Torah attachment is a HUGE accomplishment!

Contrast this to well-meaning people who tend to denigrate such accomplishments with phrases like:

"What's the big deal? After all, it's just baseball..."
"Why was that even such a challenge for you? I mean, it's just a stupid sports team, for crying out loud..."
"Seriously? You're making a kiddush about THAT?"
"Pathetic."

Or conversely:

"Why does that matter so much to you? After all, there's nothing wrong with baseball!"
"Lots of frum people play baseball & attend games. It's a harmless pastime! Are you sure you're not being kind of extreme?"

Needless to say, Rav Scheinberg was neither pathetic nor extreme.

This is a great example, both of how honest we need to be with ourselves regarding our inner selves and also with regard to the true significance of our spiritual accomplishments.

Rav Mordechai Gifter's Turnaround

As an American teenager, the great talmid chacham Rav Mordechai Gifter embraced the friendly & appealing American-style Zionism.

Yet after arriving in Lithuania to attend yeshivah, the 18-year-old Rav Gifter encountered the original tziyonim and their root ideology—and discovered hate-filled Commies similar to the rabid extremists of today's Leftist movements.

You can see the letter describing his transformation (including an apology to the man with whom he previously sparred on the topic) here:
personal.stevens.edu/~llevine/Two_Letters_from_Rav_Mordechai_Gifter_6.pdf

With the help of his study of Gemara, Rav Gifter executed a complete 180-degree turn on the issue.

Some of you may disagree with his conclusions on Tziyonut, but the point is to show a great Jew's self-introspection & openness to changing attitudes after receiving expanded knowledge on a topic.

A Glimpse into Rav Avigdor Miller's Personal Transformations

Throughout decades of his recorded lectures, Rav Avigdor Miller hinted at his former views & attitudes on a variety of topics, many of which he completely rejected by the time he preached to the public.

For example, a young Rav Avigdor Miller once got into fisticuffs while arguing in favor of socialism!

Given his later opposition to both any kind of physical aggression or liberalism (including socialism), this shows a sharp turn in his much younger self as opposed to his more mature & wiser self.

As Rav Miller tells it:

I remember when I was a boy, the fad of the day was Socialism. I once had a fistfight with somebody because I was fighting to defend Socialism.

I still remember that — I retired from that debate with a bleeding nose.

--Shavuos 3: Accepting the Torah

That's not the only example of the young Rav Miller's readiness to engage in physical confrontation to defend his views—or himself.

When the twentysomething Rav Miller first arrived in Lithuania to attend Slabodka yeshivah, he didn't take Jew-bullying passively.

Here's Rav Miller's first encounter with a drunk Jew-hating Lithuanian:

He had said something about me, “a dirty Jew” or something.

So I gave him a push.

I was an American so I wasn’t accustomed to bowing my head.

So my friends said to me, “What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!” and we quickly walked away. He could hardly keep his balance walking, so we just quickly walked away.

Every Lithuanian had a knife in his boots.

--Parshas Zos Habracha (page 23)

The following also shows a change in attitude & WHY he decided to change his view:

I was once walking in the street and I visited a friend of mine and he saw that I carried a stick, a heavy stick, on me.

It was many years ago, about thirty years ago and it was a dangerous neighborhood so I was holding a stick.

And this friend told me, “Don’t do that! It’s dangerous to carry a stick.”

It’s dangerous to carry a stick, because first of all they could take the stick away and hit you with it. That’s number one.

Secondly, with a stick, you become reckless. Without a stick, you’ll stay home. You’re safer off.

And it’s better always to avoid trouble.

— Rav Avigdor Miller on Carrying a Handgun

And thus, Rav Miller ended up giving solid advice to not only avoid confrontation, but to walk away when confronted (unless you can call the police, as he once tried to, or if you're forced to defend yourself):

Therefore, the best defense is to stay out of trouble.

When you’re walking down the street, and you see a few bums, or even one bum, walking towards you, even if you’re not sure if it means trouble, just cross the street.

Just cross over to the other side! You’ll be surprised how lazy bums are.

— Rav Avigdor Miller on Karate Classes

So we see that in his youth, Rav Miller felt unafraid of confrontation, including physical confrontation.

Getting a bloody nose while fighting on behalf of socialism did not deter him from getting physically aggressive with a Jew-hating Lithuanian later.

In other words, he portrays his young self as a proudly Jewish, feisty American boy.

However, though he remained proudly Jewish, his Torah-washed mind enabled him to see the truth of an aggressive response to the point that, with specific & safe exceptions, he eventually discouraged confrontation (or even self-arming) in any way whatsoever.

Another time, Rav Miller passed by a bum lounging on the sidewalk, who snarled something to Rav Miller.

Instead of either dismissing it or getting offended by it, Rav Miller decided to utilize it as a message from Shamayim with the bum as the unsuspecting messenger:

If you want to really be a success, you’re going to have to be willing to listen to people who open their mouth to you.

It might even be an off-hand comment from a stranger who passes by you on the street.

Seventy years ago a homeless bum told me something, he criticized me about a detail of my behavior – I’m not going to tell you what – and to this day I still remember his every word.

And I’m a better man because of it.

--Parshat Vayigash: That Fearful Moment

True, we don't get any details here, but the point is that there was some kind of self-perceived fault in his personality that he felt needed fixing.

And he never realized it until the vocalized observation from a bum on the street.

Here's a final view of inner change from Rav Avigdor Miller:

I remember when I was eleven years old, I was standing outside the shul and I heard a man – an old European Jew – he said, “Ahh! That was a geshmake ma’ariv.”

With his hands he made motions of excitement: “It was a pleasure!”

I was eleven years old and to this day, I can’t forget it.

I learned then that ma’ariv is fun!

— Parshas Ki Tisa 3: Getting Excited over Him

So we see that, like many boys (and men), Rav Miller initially lacked the correct attitude toward davening.

Obviously, he initially considered Maariv (Evening Prayer) as an unenjoyable religious duty.

But upon hearing the words from an older Jew with the right hashkafah, Rav Miller realized that tefillah not only can be enjoyable—it IS enjoyable.

Tefillah is fun!

Furthermore, even in his older years, Rav Miller remained spiritually young at heart.

When Rav Miller expressed regret over missing a Torah class while attending a grandchild's wedding, a former student respectfully questioned whether a grandchild's wedding is not in fact a great merit, and something to be both grateful & happy for?

Rav Miller mulled this over...and changed his perspective.

Later, Rav Miller possessed the humility to approach that same student & thank him for his words, expressing how helpful he found them and how they changed his attitude for the better, declaring that now he goes joyfully to his grandchildren's weddings (source).

4 Lessons Learned from the Above Self-Transformations of Real Torah Giants

From the above, we learn the following about facilitating inner change:

Observe your environment with the intention of gleaning life lessons.

Keep both your ears & your mind open to receiving messages from Hashem (no matter how lowly or hostile the messenger).

Investigate: What does the Torah say about it?

Consider how to apply these messages & lessons to yourself.

Take pleasure in these spiritual accomplishments, no matter how "pathetic" or minor or politically incorrect they may seem to others.

The Real Torah Perspective on Flaws & Teshuvah

We all have flaws.

We are not defined by those flaws.

ONLY HASHEM IS PERFECT.

It's HOW we face those flaws that defines us.

In the words of Rav Akiva Rabinovitz of Yerushalayim:

Hakadosh Baruch Hu [The Holy One Blessed Be He] holds absolutely no hakpadah [strict judgement, condemnation] against a Jewish person who possesses evil traits and lusts.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not come in accusations about this since He implanted these within him, and He brought us down here for this purpose.

If so, regarding what is the hakpadah?

The hakpadah occurs when the Jewish person does not strive to seek out the path and the counsel as to how to get out of [those evil traits and lusts].

Therefore, there exists the iron rule:
"As long as a person engages in battle, he is always called 'the victor' [hamenatze'ach]."

— page 170, Ahavat Kedumim (A Commentary on The Lost Princess) by Rav Ofer Erez

← Previous post
Rav Eliyahu Dessler's Visualization to Free You from the Trap of This Upside-Down World: Are You a Lowly Slave to Random Feet or...a Fabulously Successful Shoe Magnate?

Next post →
Malbim Dictionary Definitions: The Differences between Hebrew Words for "Judgement" & "Law" & "Remember"

Rav Eliyahu Dessler's Visualization to Free You from the Trap of This Upside-Down World: Are You a Lowly Slave to Random Feet or...a Fabulously Successful Shoe Magnate?

25/9/2020

0 Comments

In his masterpiece, Strive for Truth!, Rav Dessler presents an intriguing twist on how to view your trials in life.

He describes a man forced to endure the demeaning work of kneeling before people and removing their shoes to replace them with other shoes while the people just sit there above him, not even bending down to put on their own shoes.

Picture him all day in this lowly position, dealing with the unappealing feet of people too vain to put on their own shoes.

Now...

Watch as the picture changes when the view expands to show this man as the owner of a highly successful shoe store.

Rather than a lowly slave to spoiled bullies, he is a highly regarded professional who utilizes his expertise to provide his eager customers with the shoes most suitable for their needs.

Na'afochu.

It's an upside-down world, as the Gemara says in Pesachim 50a. The people who stand at the top of This World crouch at the bottom in the World of Truth. And those kneeling at the bottom of This World stand at the top of the World of Truth.

In other words:

The same person who appears to kneel at the bottom rung actually stands at the apex.

The Shoe-Magnate Visualization

To apply this mashal to real life:

We sometimes encounter situations that make us feel hurt, degraded, or dehumanized.

Maybe we even live this on a daily basis at home or at work, chas v'shalom.

People enduring such situations describe feeling squashed, quashed, battered, whipped, crushed, flattened, dead, and more.

Their oppressor may seem larger than life, impossible, and so on.

Yet who's really on top?

In the World of Truth, we'll see our experiences as they really are: in line Rav Dessler's mashal, and not as they appear here.

We hear a lot about thanking Hashem for our trials & insults.

We hear a lot about how insults atone for our sins, help us both avoid Gehinnom & earn a truly wonderful eternity in Gan Eden.

Rav Avigdor Miller often spoke of how responding with derech eretz & equanimity to aggravating people helps us perfect ourselves (despite how we otherwise feel inside).

And Rav Dessler's mashal (which he attributes to his Rebbe) fits right in with all that.

It's another tool from the toolbox of emunah.

If, in a painful situation, we can visualize ourselves not as the victim, but as the tycoon of a wildly successful & highly lucrative endeavor, this can help us achieve emotional equilibrium.

(Note: This is not meant to deny the reality of victims. Someone who is victimized has every right to acknowledge their feelings of victimization. It's the truth of their situation! Again, this mashal is a tool to utilize, and not meant to deny anyone the empathy & compassion they deserve.)

Ooh, it sounds so nice. Right?

Just perform this simple visualization and...bibbity-bobbity-boo—your suffering disappears!

Except that...

It's Not All Rainbows-&-Unicorns at the Shoe Store...What If YOUR "Customers" are All Narcissists & Sociopaths?

Those of you who tried to line up the mashal's metaphors probably ran into a stone wall: Your tormentors ain't no customers tryin' on shoes at your deluxe store.

They certainly aren't coming to you for help or service—in fact, they don't seem to need you at all...except as target practice.

The answer is that on the soul level, they really are your customers. THEY are dependent on YOU for your products & services unavailable anywhere else.

They are forking out massive amounts of capital for your "shoes"—maybe even going into your debt to acquire your product.

They don't know it, they don't feel it (and probably you don't feel it either)—but according to the mashal, that's exactly what's going on.

(The Chafetz Chaim states this outright with regard to lashon hara: When someone slanders you, Hashem channels all their merits to your storehouse of merits. [source] Now THAT'S a well-paying "customer"!)

Needless to say, this idea goes deep. It's far more complex than anything that can be written in a regular blog post.

Are these people simply bad seed here to challenge us into exquisite silver refinement?

Are they here to cleanse us of our sins?

Or are they people whom we tormented in a past life & now that the tables have turned, we face a type of spiritual payback to allow us to enter Gan Eden rather than Gehinnom?

Or is it a combination of the above—or perhaps something else entirely?

We can't know everything. (Not right now, anyway...)

But on the soul level & in the upper realms, you are the fabulously prosperous shoe magnate.

The Wearisome Disclaimer regarding Spiritual Endeavors...which Means You Should Feel Good about ANY Step You Take in the Right Direction!

IMPORTANT FACT TO REMEMBER:

Like with a lot of spiritual endeavors...

...applying the above mashal to your own situations is EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

In the thick of it, you feel however you feel because that is the reality of your situation in This World.

It's only natural to feel that way—no need to feel ashamed or like a failure because of it.

The shoe-store mashal is simply another item in your emunah armory.

And just like with the equipment in any armory, you need to learn to fence in order to use a sword.

You need to practice with a gun or rifle or crossbow or slingshot until you can use it in battle and emerge the victor.

So you just keep trying and feel really good about the fact that you even want to try.

Or feel good about the fact that you DON'T even WANT to even try...but YOU TRY ANYWAY!

B'ezrat Hashem, looking forward to seeing you all sitting on a heap of wealth earned from your brilliantly successful "shoe" enterprise!

Note: The above mashal is found in Part 3 of Volume 2 of Strive for Truth! In the section on Repentance, there's a chapter called Day of Atonement, and the quoted passage lies within section 4 (Yom Kippur: Extension of Its Light throughout the Year) of that chapter.

For more from Rav Dessler, please see:

0 Comments

Did You Miss Out or Mess Up on All These Recent Opportunities for Teshuvah? Do You Feel Like a Spiritual Blob? Don't Despair! It's Still Not Too Late!

25/9/2020

0 Comments

Do you feel you missed out on Elul, Rosh Hashanah, and even these 10 Days of Teshuvah?

Do you feel like you really messed it all up?

Have you been totally out of it?

Just not feeling it?

Don't despair!

Please check out the following...

Before we go into Shabbat Shuvah (the Shabbat before Yom Kippur), it's imperative to read what the author of Netivot Shalom says about it.

Going into Shabbat Shuvah with the appropriate mindset can change everything for you.

For a summary of the basics, please see last year's post:
The Netivot Shalom on Doing Deep-Rooted Teshuvah by Utilizing Shabbat as the Day of Love

It's vital to both realize AND internalize the idea that on Rosh Hashanah, you became a new creation.

Literally.

In other words, you are LITERALLY NOT the same person you were 6 days ago (or whenever you happen to be reading this post).

In fact, NOTHING in the Universe is what it was—EVERYTHING was renewed on Rosh Hashanah.

This opens up a whole new world for you.

In the above post, the Netivot Shalom also discusses what to do if you "missed out" on Elul, Rosh Hashanah, the 10 Days of Teshuvah, etc.

What if you just didn't get your act together?

It's not too late! Don't despair!

You can use this Shabbat (which Netivot Shalom also calls "Day of the Neshamah") for spiritual revitalization WITHOUT cheshbon hanefesh.

As part of Hashem's Great Chessed & Compassion, Shabbat is your shortcut to teshuvah.

Just read the above post before Shabbat—or if you have the book, you can read his words directly.

What he writes also applies to every Shabbat, so even if you mess up or miss out on this Shabbat, just pick yourself up again & try to apply it the next Shabbat.

As the Netivot Shalom states:

"One moment from Shabbat is more important than many, many hours of the weekday."

Also, what if you keep doing teshuvah on the same stuff again & again?

What if you feel there's no point in flying up—only to crash & burn...yet again?

And...what if (gulp!) you've even worse than you were before? (It happens.)

Is there any hope? Is there any point?

YES!

Please read this short post on the Netivot Shalom addressing this very issue:

What is the Point of Doing Teshuvah Yet Again When You've Already Failed So Many Times – And Maybe Your Sin Really is Too Much This Time?

May we all merit to do complete teshuvah from love.

0 Comments

Parshat Ha'azinu & Shabbat Shuvah: 10 Tidbits of Advice from Rav Avigdor Miller

24/9/2020

0 Comments

Toras Avigdor put together an amazing dvar Torah from Rav Avigdor Miller for Parshat Ha'azinu: Parshas Haazinu-Shuva 3 – Ten Tidbits of Advice.

Here is the table of contents to whet your appetite:

Introduction: Life Advice
#1 Get To Work
#2 Safety First!
#3 Keep Quiet
#4 Seek Peace
#5 Smile!
#6 Pray Constantly
#7 Recognize Your Good Fortune
#8 Choose Your Neighbors
#9 Do Teshuva
#10 Seek Counsel
Afterword

I thought about putting together a post on it. But the truth is, it's such a straightforward, smooth, & enjoyable read, I found I didn't have much to say except to keep repeating: "Wow, Rav Miller really hit the hammer on the nail with this one!"

Enjoy!

0 Comments

3 Inspiring Stories of Utilizing the "Instruments" Hashem Gives Us for Better...or for Worse

23/9/2020

0 Comments

Rav Dessler notes that the "instruments" Hashem allots to each person are fine-tuned according to each individual's exact spiritual level.*

In other words, whatever we have (both practically & spiritually) is exactly what we need to accomplish whatever Hashem expects us to accomplish.

It often doesn't feel that way, but this is the spiritual reality.

Therefore, explains Rav Dessler:

"A person's happiness in this world depends on the way
he uses the instruments he is given."

Interestingly, Rav Dessler's states that if a person uses his instruments for spiritual advancement, then that person will find satisfaction in a physical & material sense too.

For example, let's say Hashem allots a person large amounts of money & success in business.

What if that person becomes very tense about all the business & money? Or what if his success goes to his head, making him greedy for more & feeling superior to those less successful than him?

Such people often suffer physical ailments (headaches, stomach problems, high blood pressure, heart issues, etc.). They feel impatient & disdainful toward their employees & close family members.

All this causes them to look for ways to relieve the pressure: drugs (prescription or illegal), smoking, drinking, affairs, overeating, meaningless travel & adventure, unethical behavior, and more.

They aren't happy.

Despite how they appear on the outside, they actually aren't doing so well spiritually, emotionally, or physically.

The Me'am Lo'ez (Shoftim 6:6) presents a chilling story to illustrate this dynamic taken to an extreme...

The Weakness in the Iron Door

Once there was a wealthy man who refused to trust in Hashem.

Instead, he strove to secure his future by amassing treasuries of silver & gold & precious gems on land, combined with fleets of ships on the sea.

This gave him the feeling of a safety net: "If my treasuries are robbed, I still have my ships. If my ships sink, I still have my treasuries. I will never go hungry. I will never lack anything I need."

Yet to his mind, even that security wasn't secure enough.

He ordered an iron door custom-made for his treasury.

It bore a lock only he could open.

Every day, this wealthy man entered his treasury to ensure nothing had been stolen.

At this point, we see how his obsession reached the point of absurdity: With such security measures in place, how could anyone steal from his treasury?
And isn't it enough to inspect it for breaches from the outside—why on earth would he need to go in & inspect everything on a daily basis?
And even if someone somehow found some way to steal, how much could be stolen from the vast amount?
Gold & silver weigh a lot; you can't carry much at a time.
Even such a detailed inspection of the treasury once a week would be more than unnecessary. A daily inspection goes beyond all rationale.

One day, after he entered inside the treasury, the door unexpectedly closed & locked behind him, trapping him inside.

Despite screaming for help, plus beating on the walls & door, no one outside could hear him because of the thickness of the walls & door.

For all his efforts to secure himself against hunger, he indeed went hungry—surrounded by his treasure-trove of wealth.

At one point, his family & friends started to wonder where he'd gone.

After searching everywhere, they finally realized he might be in his treasury.

Knocking on the thick iron door brought no answering knocks or cries (as far as they could hear, anyway).

In desperation, they brought expert blacksmiths who, after much time & great difficulty, managed to break open the door.

But it was too late.

They found the fantastically wealthy man...lying dead on the floor.

His obsession with safeguarding himself against hunger and lack brought about the exact hunger & lack he strove to avoid.

"But I Know Wealthy People who Give Tons of Tzedakah, but STILL Stress Out & Don't Enjoy Much Contentment. So What's Up with That?"

On the other hand...what if a rich man donates generous amounts of his money to tzedakah, plus uses his business acumen to help others (either by hiring or advising or whatever)?

This increases his spiritual satisfaction.

By caring so much about others, he also makes himself a better person.

His generosity toward his fellows also causes Hashem to love him even more.

Yet it's true that even very generous wealthy people often don't achieve this level of contentment.

This is probably at least partly because they, like most of us, swing back & forth regarding the use of their individual "instruments."

Generous tzedakah is one aspect of using one's "instruments" for spiritual advancement.

However, many successful business magnates still put too much faith in their own efforts & business acumen to both keep & create more money, plus they may also overindulge the material desires of themselves & their family.

So while generosity with wealth garners tremendous merits for wealthy donors, applying Torah values to every aspect of life creates true benefit & happiness, as the following stories illustrate...

"We Don't Need It."

A chassidish woman told me how, upon realizing how wealthy her father was, asked him why they didn't live in a larger home.

"We don't need it," replied her father.

The woman emphasized how much they all enjoyed the home in which they lived; it was a pleasant & spacious home.

But it wasn't more than they needed.

And she related this with obvious pride in her father's integrity.

After chatting with her several times, she impressed me as an emotionally healthy young woman who received a healthy upbringing and remained close to & fond of her parents & siblings, in addition to dealing with her own husband & children with a cheerful attitude.

And probably her ability to live cheerfully in a small Israeli apartment while raising small children during the first 5 years of her marriage derived from her father's attitude toward material possessions.

He Who is Happy in His Portion—HE is the Wealthy One

In Guardian of Jerusalem: The Life & Times of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (pages 229-231), we meet R' Yitzchak Tzvi Ratzerdorfer, a fabulously wealthy & very frum Jew who invested a tremendous percentage of his wealth in building the Jewish community of Antwerp, both physically & spiritually.

But his generosity wasn't confined to Holland.

In the early 1890s, he bought 10 houses within the Old City of Yerushalayim to enable the impoverished Jews to live within them rent-free, greatly alleviating their oppressive living expenses.

In addition, he bought 12,000 square amot of land outside the Old City to assist Jewish expansion outside the Old City. This allowed for the potential construction of several hundred units, of which R' Ratzerdorfer paid for the first 10 houses (including the first 3 years rent-free), plus a shul.

To this day, this neighborhood is known as Nachalat Tzvi, after its benefactor.

R' Ratzerdorfer also created a fund to support the aliyah of talmidei chachamim to Eretz Yisrael, plus another fund which provided the Shabbat needs for 10 families headed by talmidei chachamim.

During one particularly harsh year, R' Ratzerdorfer sent Rav Sonnenfeld 1000 gold napoleons for distribution among the poor of Yerushalayim (which Rav Sonnenfeld distributed among all groups equally).

Despite his incredible wealth, R' Ratzerdorfer refused to stay in a comfortable hotel when he visited Eretz Yisrael.

Instead, he chose the hospitality of Rav Sonnenfeld's simple home among the poor of Yerushalayim. (This meant inconsistent heating, muddy walks to minyan, outhouses, water pumped from a well, self-service without a household staff, and other serious inconveniences—a far cry from that to which the wealthy Dutch man was accustomed.)

At one point, to the perplexity of those familiar with his generosity, R' Ratzerdorfer lost his wealth.

When asked how such a financial disaster could happen to such a magnanimous God-fearing Jew, Rav Sonnenfeld explained that the only sin he found in R' Ratzerdorfer was that R' Ratzerdorfer gave more than the 20% of his capital allowed by halacha.

After losing his wealth, R' Ratzerdorfer again visited Yerushalayim, where the kollel administration exerted strenuous efforts to return the amount of money he originally spent to build those first 10 houses in Nachalat Tzvi.

The kollel administration meant for this money to enable R' Ratzerdorfer to rebuild his business.

Initially, R' Ratzerdorfer accepted this money with warmth & gratitude.

Yet before he returned to Holland, R' Ratzerdorfer returned to the kollel administration & handed back the entire amount.

"I am donating the entire sum," he announced joyfully, "to be used to build ANOTHER row of homes in our neighborhood!"

Because R' Ratzerdorfer used his "instruments" for spiritual advancement, he raised himself to the level that he did not need the comforts of a hotel in his preference for the atmosphere of a tzaddik.

And he even remained a happy & content person without wealth, to the point that when the kollel administration attempted to help him rebuild his wealth, his greatest joy was re-donating the money to build more homes for Yerushalayim's expanding Jewish community.

This explains why tzaddikim are so content with their lives (regardless of their lack or abundance of health or wealth):

They use their allotted "instruments" for spiritual advancement which, as Rav Dessler notes, enables a person to find satisfaction in the physical & material world too.

I'm sure hardly any of us possess fabulous wealth as one of our Divinely allotted "instruments."

However, whatever "instruments" we do possess (including the most materialistic "instruments") can be used for our spiritual advancement.

As shown above, the potential is definitely there.

*This idea is found in Part 3 of Volume 2 of Strive for Truth! In the section on Repentance, there's a chapter called Day of Atonement, and the quoted passage lies within the section 4 (Yom Kippur: Extension of Its Light throughout the Year) of that chapter.

0 Comments

COVID-19, Wildfire Smoke, Hurricane Floods, Masks: What's the Significance of All that Suffocation?

22/9/2020

8 Comments

This has probably been discussed elsewhere, but it occurred to me that a lot of what's going on over the past year has to do with the penalty of chenek—strangulation.

We no longer merit a Sanhedrin to conduct capital cases (and even when we did, the Sanhedrin only arrived at the death penalty less than once in 70 years).

So Chazal said that those who deserve a certain type of death penalty may receive it in an unofficial way.

For example, one who commits the sin of toeva, which earns the penalty of execution by burning, may indeed die in a fire.

Therefore, because so much suffering highlighted in the world this year connects to chenek, it's helpful to look at that.

High-profile cases of death during arrest had to do with the perpetrator suffocating to death (usually from his own health issues & drug addiction, intensified by forcing the perp into awkward positions).

Symptoms of COVID-19 include coughing & difficulty breathing, with more severe cases causing serious breathing problems.

While hurricanes can kill via skilah (stoning), the most common way is by drowning--chenek.

Wildfires can certainly kill via sereifah (burning), but victims tend to die of asphyxiation rather than the actual heat of the fire.

And right now, you have millions of people affected by the smoke of America's Western wildfires.

Symbolically, 40 years of Californian environmentalism ensured that massive amounts of dead, dry trees & underbrush would "strangle" the lush forests—and provide copious fuel for wildfires. (See here for how that works.)

On the lighter side of it, we are forced to wear an oxygen-inhibiting mask. While not leading to actual chenek, it inhibits breathing, a mild form of non-lethal chenek.

So we definitely see a theme here...

Social Sins & Chenek

What sins earn the penalty of chenek?

These:

Committing adultery with another man's wife.
Striking one's own parent hard enough to wound them.
Kidnapping another Jew (and forcibly bringing him or her to one's property).
Prophesying falsely (i.e., a "prophecy" that he never heard OR that he heard from another person, rather than from Hashem).
Prophesying in the name of other deities (EVEN if it supports Jewish Law)
A Torah elder guilty of insubordination before the Sanhedrin.
Testifying falsely that someone had adulterous relations with a Kohen's daughter

(Mishnah Sanhedrin 11)

Needless to say, adultery has reached appalling standards of acceptance in society at large.

For decades, it has been both glorified & justified in popular books, movies, and songs.

I still remember in my teens as we waited to hear the results of the #1 Most Popular Song in the World that year.

To my shock, it was a song that cheerfully glorifies adultery, making adultery seem like a playful pastime rather than the disgusting betrayal it actually is.

My siblings and I looked at each other, mystified.

It wasn't even such a great song!

Yet in addition to our agreement about its aesthetic lack of merit, the lyrics always bothered me. In addition to making adultery seem like a playful, desirable pastime, it implied that everyone engaged in it.

But clearly, its lyrics comprised a big part of the song's popularity—meaning that a large part of the "civilized" world identified with the idea & the attitude expressed in the song.

(UPDATE: Originally, I named the song as I wrote down this memory. Then I kept hearing the song in my head. "Argh!" I thought. "What have I done? And in the 10 Days of Teshuvah too, for crying out loud..." Then I remorsefully realized that if it happened to me, then probably it caused this for others too. I'm sorry. So the name has been deleted.)

Another song that hit the pop charts for years was sung by a self-professed believer in the gospels who got her start in gospel music. Her popular croon was an ode to an adulterous relationship, romanticizing the betrayal in the most appealing way.

We even sung it in our high school jazz choir, but needed to change one of the lyrics to make it less inappropriate for teens.

Because of the large church-going population in my school, it caused some discomfort for both the singers & the audience.

Some people questioned its propriety for high school students.

Some wondered: What could the music teacher have been thinking?

Well, considering his past, he was probably thinking: I can really relate to this!

After all, he'd been married 4 times; each successive wife had been the woman with whom he'd cheated on the wife before.

Each time, he had an affair with one of his 12th-grade students, divorced the previous wife, then married his student-paramour after graduation. (We met his much younger 4th wife a couple of times...and, boy, was she uncomfortable around us...)

So he probably felt it was his personal theme song.

Okay, my high school music teacher was not exactly the adulterer mentioned in the laws above. Furthermore, different laws apply differently to non-Jews & Jews.

But certainly, adultery runs rampant through modern society, both the glorification & romanticization of it, along with the practice of it.

Anyway, prophesying falsely and convincing others to worship idols because of a dream you had...well, I can think of entire religions which fit that transgression.

The other angle to that sin appears when you switch the English translation "idolatry" or "idol worship" to "occult worship."

The oh-so simple-sounding idolatry of ancient times was a very powerful & dark occult worship still practiced today, albeit in modern form.

And in the USA, children definitely turn on the parents in far greater numbers than ever before.

Even in immoral & violent societies, it was unheard of for a child, especially a teenager or adult, to physically harm a parent—even if that parent physically abused that child.

But it happens now. Maybe not the majority, but it definitely happens more than ever before.

Finally, according to the 7 Laws of Noach, sxual abuse goes under the category of kidnapping, which is an aspect of stealing. As we know, Noachide transgressions elicit the death penalty.

Such crimes are also obviously forbidden among Jews, and as we see above, kidnapping is a transgression which earns the penalty of chenek.

Along these lines, human trafficking in general & child trafficking continues to be a increasing tragedy worldwide. Very little is being done to stop it.

The Rambam and the Gemara have a lot more to say about all the above, but I don't know either of them well enough to extrapolate further.

Suffocation on the Personal Level

But suffocation can also be understood metaphorically.

After all, Hashem knows that most people (including Jews) do not know the intricacies of Jewish Law & execution & how they connect to current events.

Let's ponder the following:

How many times have you, as a religious person, felt that you must put up & shut up around non-religious (or less religious) people, no matter how appalling their behavior or conversation?

How often have you, as a religious person, suffered jibes & tirades in either silence or placation because your nemesis came across some kind of exaggeration or outright falsehood about religious Jews in the media, and refuses to believe otherwise?

How long have people with the true moral high ground felt gagged & unable to express (no matter how gently) their real (and truly more virtuous) thoughts & feelings due to fear of offending someone or being shut down or rejected?

Or maybe you gag yourself because of deep-seated false beliefs?

Maybe you don't allow yourself to feel so much joy & pleasure in life?

Maybe gag yourself regarding your relationship with Hashem?

(Due to upbringing & society, many people fear Hashem in an unhelpful way. Many view Hashem as a punishing parent. Many fear cultivating a relationship with One who seems like He could be brutal & do not take comfort in the idea that "Hashem is behind everything." This understandably inhibits emunah & bitachon, and also inhibits the development of a deeply personal relationship with HaKadosh Baruch Hu.)

How many people express the feeling of being suffocated, gagged, boxed in, or shut down due to the inflexible behavior of others?

Don't many people express their distress as "I feel like I'm drowning in..."?

Interestingly, the most oppressive & abusive people often scream the loudest about feeling "gagged" or "censored" or "oppressed" when ANY boundaries are placed on their abusive behavior.

Is it any wonder that the most Leftist regions of America (the West Coast), the ones who feel most oppressed & suffocated by anything religious or conservative or moral or Trump-related, the ones who embrace the most liberal policies regarding drugs, toeva, environmentalism (which is really nature-worship—see above)...are now experiencing REAL air-oppression & confinement?

Previously, their complaints & fears were imaginary, based on media-hype.

And now they really ARE being suffocated. Gagged. Confined. Shut down & shut in.

The Suffocating Atmosphere was There All Along...

For years, Rav Avigdor Miller, Rav Itamar Schwartz, and others have been mentioning the tumah (spiritual impurity/blockage) in the very air.

But only the spiritually sensitive could perceive it.

The smoke from America's West Coast wildfires reached the East Coast.

All along the West Coast, people must stay inside their homes with all the windows closed (in summer weather!—and not everyone has air-conditioning) because the smoke is so thick.

Now the air quality isn't only spiritually bad, it's physically bad.

The suffocating spiritual pollution has now manifested itself physically.

A relative who lives in one of America's most toeva-tumah-infested cities (in the thick of the smoke, though not in the path of the fire) is forced by the wildfire smoke to use 5 air-purifiers at one time.

Now if that's not perfect symbolism for that city, then I don't know what is.

Facing the Truth with Courage & Conviction

And as always, there are very good people paying the price too.

That always happens. It doesn't negate the message emanating from the majority no-goodniks. It's part of the spiritual physics.

I definitely daven & feel for the innocent people who lost their homes, who've had their lives upended, and who are suffering now.

But Judaism considers it cruel to ascribe events—especially such tremendous events—to happenstance.

Hashem is intimately involved in our lives, whether or not we choose to see it.

Furthermore, we Jews are also expected to look at world events and take them as warnings for ourselves.

How can we better ourselves? What does Hashem want from us?

And can we take baby-steps toward cultivating a personal relationship with Hashem, including opening ourselves to feeling His Love despite all the inner obstacles?

Can we at least start to embrace the idea that Hashem is the Loving & Compassionate Source of everything?

8 Comments

The Day after Rosh Hashanah: How to Hold on to Your Momentum throughout the Year

21/9/2020

0 Comments

So it's the day after Rosh Hashanah.

But we're not out of the woods yet.

Not even close.

We've got 10 Days of Teshuvah, then Yom Kippur, then Sukkot, which is our last chance to sweeten decrees.

And then there's the entire rest of the year for keeping our Rosh Hashanah resolutions.

And we want to be able to take with us what we absorbed & invested in Rosh Hashanah.

So what do we do now?

Here's Rav Miller on page 14 of Kingdom & Glory, the 5781 Rosh Hashanah Edition:(Note: The following will make more sense if you read that dvar Torah, or at least the post discussing it.)

Even on a regular Wednesday afternoon you should remind yourself about the commitment you made on Rosh Hashanah:

“Oh yes, I remember that day in shul. The chazan was singing tra-la-la, and I was telling myself that Hashem is the King.”

So you’re walking in the street on Kings Highway and the sun is shining and you remind yourself, “There’s no sun! It’s all Hashem Melech doing everything.”

And when you pass by the fruit stand, again, “There’s no fruit in that fruit bin—it’s the dvar Hashem!”

You can shout it too: “Hashem Melech!”

Wait till the train comes by and there’s such a loud noise from the train and the cars and the trucks, no one will hear you.

Shout “Hashem Melech!”

And that's a wonderful way to continue what you started on Rosh Hashanah.

0 Comments

I'm Sorry

18/9/2020

2 Comments

Even between 2 people who understand each other well, misunderstandings & hurt feelings still occur at times.

All the more so, when writing for a much larger audience whom you don't really know and who also doesn't really know you.

And to complicate things even more, this blog sometimes addresses subjects which are controversial or simply hit too close to home or rub the wrong way.

I do try to keep in mind the different personalities, situations, and experiences people are dealing with. My intention is never to hurt all the good, decent, struggling people out there. Nonetheless, I know that I miss the ball at times.

Sometimes, I even go back and fix a post or delete a comment of mine that I later felt wasn't sensitive enough or clear enough or whatever the problem seemed to be.

So I truly ask your forgiveness.

Wishing you all a ketivah v'chatimah tovah—may you all be signed & sealed for a good year.

2 Comments

Rav Avigdor Miller: The Ultimate Shortcut to Your Most Meaningful & Effective Rosh Hashanah Ever

17/9/2020

0 Comments

In the special Rosh Hashanah 5781 edition, Rav Avigdor Miller talks about the meaning of life (page 7):

The fundamental purpose of all the things in the world is to demonstrate that Somebody made them.

That’s the foundation for understanding all of reality.

Whatever you see in this world has the purpose of making you aware of the Creator.

All day long, wherever you turn, whatever you see, it should be reminding you that Hashem Melech—that He’s the One who made that.

And this is the whole point of Rosh Hashanah: Crowning Hashem King.

Then he quotes Kohelet/Ecclesiastes 3:11, which basically says that Hashem implanted the love of the world into the hearts of Man.

In other words, distractions abound.

Hashem's Kavod is all around us; it fills the Universe...but so much distracts us from really seeing His Hand in everything.

Page 7:

Hashem didn’t want us to see that He’s everything in this world.

That would be too easy; it wouldn’t be a test for us and life wouldn’t be worth living.

And so He puts into this world bicycles for children. He puts automobiles for grownups. He puts in good times and good food. He puts marriage and children and money.

All the things, some of them mitzvos, some not — whatever it is, people are busy all the time.

Parnassah, ambition, making a living, entertainment, this and that, streets and cities and newspapers and neighbors and bungalows.

Everything in the world is working hard so that people should get their minds off Hakodosh Boruch Hu.

Unfortunately, it's working.

Especially today, when social media invests unbelievable amounts of money, time, and innovation to make itself addictive.

Or movies & TV & video games—it dopes your brain in a way that is all-consuming and very difficult to detach from.

On pages 7-10, Rav Miller explains how the light of the Sun actually darkens the world—it's fascinating.

So when we say "Timloch Hashem levadecha—You alone reign Hashem," we encourage ourselves to recognize that Hashem is King.

He's the Source.

Everything else is a deception.

The Secret to Meriting Life on Rosh Hashanah

On page 11, Rav Miller refreshes our minds regarding the 1st & most important step to living successfully (boldface mine-MR):

Now, of course we wouldn’t begrudge the goyim if they also said Hashem Melech. We’d be happy if the Mohammedans and the Notzrim and the savages in the interior jungles of Central America would also be mamlich [acknowledge as king] Hashem Elokei Yisroel.

And one day they will, no question about it.

But that’s not our business right now—you have to be worried most about the interior of yourself. What about you?!

Charity begins at home.

The most important question is: Is He in charge of you?

That’s your biggest concern, yourself. You have to know that Hashem is King.

That’s the first and most important step of living successfully.

As spoken about by Rav Miller in a previous post, we repeat certain phrases and ideas to drill it into our minds AND our HEARTS.

And here's the ultimate way to merit life on Rosh Hashanah on page 13 (boldface & underline mine-MR):

That’s a very important piece of advice you’re hearing now.

Saying Hashem Melech is the most important form of teshuva, and that’s what Hakodosh Boruch Hu will consider most when He thinks about our fate for the year to come.

*
That’s the secret of saving your life on Rosh Hashanah because now you understand what life is for!

The secret of another year of life is to get “Hashem Melech” into your blood.

Many people struggle with getting into the mood of Rosh Hashanah and really understanding what it's for & what we need to do with these 2 diamond days.

It's internalizing that Hashem is King—meaning that Hashem is the Source for EVERYTHING.

We get so distracted.

And Hashem understands us; He created the world that way in order for us to reach our greatest potential & achieve our greatest tikkun (rectification).

And we should do it with joy! Sing!

Rav Miller (page 14):

So as you stand in shul on Rosh Hashanah and the chazan is singing tra-la-la, you can think – you can sing along too, but you should think:

"Tra-la-la, Hashem Melech! Tra-la-la, we’re singing to announce the reign of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Today is the day I’m committing myself to a year of reminding myself as much as I possibly can that Hashem is my King!”

Sing it right now if you can, so it'll go into your head before the chag.

All together now!: "Tra-la-la, Hashem Melech! Tra-la-la...!"

Whether you're Jewish or not, whether you're frum or not, let's hear you sing!:

♪♪"Tra-la-la, today is the day I'm committing myself to a year of reminding myself as much as I possibly can that Hashem is my King! Tra-la-la..."♫

Wow, that was beautiful. You sound great. I'm sure Hashem thinks so too.

Wishing everyone the sweetest year ever!

Credit for all material & quotes go to Toras Avigdor.

0 Comments

<<Previous

Din, Dinim — דין , דינים

Mishpat, Mishpatim — משפט , משפטים

Tzedek — צדק

Torah, Torot — תורה , תורות

Mitzvah, Mitzvot — מצוה , מצוות

Chok/Chukim — חוק , חקים

Edut — עדות

Pikud, Pikudim — פיקוד, פיקודים

Zachar — זכר

Pakad — פקד

Rav Scheinberg Makes a Kiddush over His "Minor" Spiritual Victory

Rav Mordechai Gifter's Turnaround

A Glimpse into Rav Avigdor Miller's Personal Transformations

4 Lessons Learned from the Above Self-Transformations of Real Torah Giants

The Real Torah Perspective on Flaws & Teshuvah

The Shoe-Magnate Visualization

It's Not All Rainbows-&-Unicorns at the Shoe Store...What If YOUR "Customers" are All Narcissists & Sociopaths?

The Wearisome Disclaimer regarding Spiritual Endeavors...which Means You Should Feel Good about ANY Step You Take in the Right Direction!

The Weakness in the Iron Door

"But I Know Wealthy People who Give Tons of Tzedakah, but STILL Stress Out & Don't Enjoy Much Contentment. So What's Up with That?"

"We Don't Need It."

He Who is Happy in His Portion—HE is the Wealthy One

Social Sins & Chenek

Suffocation on the Personal Level

The Suffocating Atmosphere was There All Along...

Facing the Truth with Courage & Conviction

The Secret to Meriting Life on Rosh Hashanah

Myrtle Rising

Categories

Jewish Blogs

Jewish Current Events

Jewish Health

Archives

Copyright Notice