Category: Rav Avigdor Miller - Myrtle Rising

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

24/9/2020

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!

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

21/9/2020

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.

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

17/9/2020

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.

The Torah's 3-Step Process of Self-Improvement (and you mostly need to just focus on the first step): Rav Avigdor Miller on Parshat Netzavim-Vayelech

10/9/2020

In Rav Avigdor Miller's dvar Torah for Parshat Netzavim-Vayelech: Career of Speaking, Rav Miller discusses the famous phrase regarding Torah:
"It's not far away from you; actually it's something very close to you."

But, says Rav Miller, how can that be?

Any authentic Torah literature we read emphasizes the high ideals & expectations Hashem holds of us.

Most of us who read the classic mussar masters feel that, no matter how lovingly presented, the goals stand far beyond our reach.

How is it not only close, but VERY close?

The Torah's 3-Step Process of Self-Improvement

The verse itself tells us what to do: "...with your mouth and with your heart to do it." (Devarim 30:14)

Rav Miller divides this up into 3 stages:

b'ficha – with your mouth: You need to talk.
bilvavecha – with your heart: Your thoughts based on your most authentic feelings.
la'asot — You must do it; you need to actualize your talk & your thoughts.

At a glance, the process is:

your mouth
your thoughts
to accomplish

Rav Miller discusses with your mouth.

Your Mouth is the Key to Everything

Say it out loud!

That's the first step.

Verbalize your goals & aspirations.

Rav Miller notes that today they call such an idea "autosuggestion," but the foundation of the idea is found in Torah.

(Disclaimer: I know that since the advent of modern psychology, frum practitioners make a point of saying that whatever theory is popular at any given time, it's rooted in Torah. But when Rav Miller says it, it's actually true.)

Over time, the way you talk is the way you start to think.

Many converts & baalei teshuvah experience this when they transition from the coarser, foul-mouthed, increasingly hate-filled & condemning secular society to a frum community.

The laws of derech eretz, greeting others with a pleasant face, refraining from lashon hara while giving the benefit of the doubt, saying "baruch Hashem," blessing people & wishing them good things, expressing gratitude — all this spoken goodness influences the personality over time.

Speech is unique to human beings.

It's part of the Divinely given human soul.

Rav Miller notes a fascinating function of the body: Even without speaking, the very act of thinking activates the larynx, palate, and tongue.

This is why, he says, eating makes thinking more difficult—not impossible, but more difficult.

That's because the speech mechanisms are involved with chewing & swallowing.

Using speech for self-improvement has gone on for ages in Judaism.

In fact, David Hamelech did this via Tehillim.

If you read the Tehillim, it's clear than many verses are him speaking privately: to himself with Hashem as his Exalted Audience.

Many times, I feel discomfited reciting the verses in which David Hamelech affirms his innocence & inner goodness. Being far beneath his level, I hold no such delusions about myself.

But maybe by repeating his words, we can become the sincerely good & innocent person he became.

Likewise, David Hamelech constantly repeated "Hashem is my refuge, You are my Shelter, I am YOUR servant Hashem, etc."

Saying it reinforces one's emunah.

On page 7, Rav Miller offers advice on how to say Tehillim.

The greatest Chassidic Rebbes repeated verses & holy thoughts in melody, singing these repeatedly.

Many Sages have advised meditating over a verse or piece of mussar.

In Slabodka yeshivah, they used to repeat until shouting a line from Mesillat Yesharim for a long time.

Rebbe Nachman's advice to speak to Hashem in your own words for an hour is part of this.

We should say, "I love You, Hashem."

Even if we don't feel it, saying it is VERY good.

Saying it can open one's heart to such beautiful & powerful emotions.

Rav Miller advises doing this with a mezuzah too. Look at or touch the mezuzah and say or think, "I love You, Hashem."

As far as teaching your children this concept (a vital part of chinuch, though it's rarely addressed in chinuch classes), Rav Miller says (page 11):

Teach it to your children too.

Say, “Children, altogether let’s say, ‘We love You Hashem.”

They’re embarrassed. They don’t know if their friends’ fathers do such things at the Shabbos table.

But say it anyhow!

All the children in a chorus; boys and girls all chime in and say, “We love you, Hashem.” Oh, you’re planting a seed in their minds forever.

Someday they’ll remember, “We once said that we love Hashem.”

On pages 12-17, Rav Miller elucidates on how to genuinely feel & then express gratitude for sunny days, windy days, rainy days, our homes, our functions, and much more.

Utilizing the Gift (or Curse) of Gab for Holy Purposes

There are a lot of people who don't know how to stop talking.

A lot of people display a tendency to monologue.

Others can't refrain from emphasizing insignificant details as they speak.

For example, I knew someone who had great middot & was very likable, but I found her conversational style challenging.

For example, she recalled a childhood memory like this:
"I sat in the right-hand window seat of the car and it was 81 degrees outside—no, wait. It was eighty-THREE degrees outside. I remember the exact temperature because..."

And the entire monologue went on like that.

And while she was extremely pleasant to speak with in a give-and-take conversation or small talk, she related events in the above manner.

This is difficult to listen to...for another person.

However, Hashem is very different.

This desire to verbalize even the smallest details of events & thoughts?

These are great assets when speaking to Hashem!

If such a person can use their innate tendency to monologue, talk a lot, and over-focus on all sorts of particulars to speak to Hashem & to discuss holy verses & statements, or express feelings to Hashem, then THIS is a wonderful asset.

I imagine that's why Hashem gave so many people this tendency; they have the tremendous zechut to elevate themselves (and sweeten din over the world) in this way.

May we all use our inborn traits for good purposes, and may we all experience genuine love, joy, and gratitude with Hashem.

Credit for all quotes & material goes to Toras Avigdor.

Discover True Beauty & Life's Real Achievements, Plus Learn What's Really Necessary in Life: The Profound Importance of Jewish Children & Their Diverse Natures

2/9/2020

Toras Avigdor has put together a powerful PDF of Rav Avigdor Miller's transcripted lectures on motherhood:

https://torasavigdor.org/building-worlds/

Rav Miller speaks from the heart and it's clear he possessed profound appreciation for the role of the Jewish mother.

And he doesn't focus only on the ones society admires (i.e., the Stunning Do-It-All Superwoman).

He speaks so compellingly about ALL frum Jewish mothers; every frum Jewish mother is a heroine.

For what it's worth, I feel that reading Rav Miller's words on the topic can inspire you to appreciate not only yourself (if you are a mother), but also inspire fondness & appreciation for all our fellow frum Jewish mothers.

I think men can also benefit from Rav Miller's point of view because it helps to appreciate the roles of one's own wife or mother (and grandmothers!), plus enables a father to provide his daughter with the best hashkafah regarding her role as a frum Jewish mother, whether it's in her future or whether she's up to her ears in it now.

But to digress a bit, several paragraphs jumped out at me (pages 10-12, boldface emphasis my own addition):

Every child is an achievement for the Am Yisroel.

If you’re a Jewish mother, you made our people a better people and the Am Yisroel is grateful to you for bringing so much beauty into our people.

Because what are parents doing?

They are planting various kinds of trees and plants in the world.

The world can’t have just one kind of tree and plant. Roses are beautiful but it’s not enough. To have only violets? It’s not enough.

You need various flowers; roses and violets and lilies, everything else – all kinds of plants.

The variety adds beauty and pleasure to this world; every different plant is a different benefit for the world.

Fruit too; you need apples and oranges and bananas and dates and figs. You eat everything and each one has its own sweetness.

The sweetness of apricots is not like the sweetness of an apple. And the sweetness of an apple is not like the sweetness of an orange. And grapes are different and pears are different.

*
And therefore, when parents have children, they’re putting into the world people of different natures and that means they’re walking in the ways of Hakodosh Boruch Hu.

*
And it’s a pleasure to see all of them – we need all of them!

What a great achievement it is!

Let’s say a man comes here to the lecture and brings all of his sons. Let’s say he brings five or six sons. It’s remarkable how different they are. It’s a remarkable thing; from the same parents the children are so entirely different.

This one is fat and jolly. This one is skinny and serious. That’s a true case I’m talking about – a family I know. One of the little boys has a face like a businessman – like an adult already.

Everybody is different! From the same parents! It’s a neis [miracle]!

It’s a pleasure to have skinny serious people, skinny serious Jews – it’s very important to have them.

Fat jolly Jews – it’s a pleasure to have them.

Business-like Jews – it’s a pleasure to have them.

Each one is a pleasure, no question about it.

The freiliche [cheerful] Jews and the serious Jews and the business-like Jews, all of them are necessary.

*
Also the women. One daughter is like this, another daughter is like this.

One daughter is quiet and obedient. Another daughter is a little freilach and mischievous, a lebideger [lively one].

Another daughter is stubborn.

They’re not robots that you program – each one is a world unto herself.

But you’d be surprised; you need them all.

They’re so different one from each other but each one uses her middos in a way that serves Hakodosh Boruch Hu.

The idea running through these paragraphs is so important, particularly in light of Rav Itamar Schwartz's emphasis on how Hashem sent covid-19 into the world partly because we lost our grasp on what he calls "holy individuality." (source)

Despite its reputation to the contrary, Judaism is the anti-robot religion.

And yet...

When our children behave according to their God-given natures...

...and when that particular God-given nature doesn't fit into cultural or social ideals...

...we parents can feel very, very bad about that.

Yes, we need to mechanech (train & educate) our children. Unbridled freilichkeit turns into insensitivity & driving others crazy with irresponsible behavior. Unrefined seriousness turns also turns into insensitivity via snubs & general disregard for the needs of others.

But here, one of the biggest talmidei chachamim to ever grace the American continent (and a man who does not hesitate to tell us the truth, regardless of how palatable or unpalatable) states that our children's individuality — including the more challenging or socially unappreciated aspects of their individuality — is NECESSARY.

An ACHIEVEMENT, states Rav Miller.

We tend to think of achievements as actions that earn wild applause & golden trophies & headlines. Or impressive certificates & accolades.

Conventionally speaking, achievements garner big salaries & major recognition, plus honors, magazine interviews, appearances on popular talk shows, and lots of followers on social media.

But no, says Rav Miller.

A mischievous child, a hyper child, an introverted child — THESE are achievements.

Forget the trophies, the applause, the certificates with pretty calligraphy, the big money, and the spotlight.

Those aren't real achievements, according to the Torah.

Most tellingly, Rav Miller listed traits that many parents find challenging.

(And yes, serious children also challenge adults because these serious ones can take life annoyingly seriously, not smile when adults expect them to, and in general not respond in the way adults & other children consider polite & proper.)

So according to this exceptionally knowledgeable Torah scholar, the very children who embarrass their parents by acting up, blurting out all sorts of nonsense or tactlessness, or not smiling engagingly or not responding as expected out of shyness or insecurity — THEY are necessary! We need them!

The fact that they need chinuch does NOT imply a fault within their innate nature.

They add beauty to the world.

Not just the obviously charming, well-spoken, well-groomed & well-behaved children, but ALL children.

Your child that drives you the craziest & garners the most phone calls from exasperated teachers — THIS child is equally an achievement & a necessity & a thing of beauty.

And YOU were also once a child...a necessary, needed neshamah — an achievement who adds beauty to the world.

And you still are.

A metaphorical portrait of our children.

Quotes & material used with the generous permission of Toras Avigdor.

Manifest Your God-Given Innate Greatness (and that of others): Rav Avigdor Miller on Parshat Ki Tetzei

26/8/2020

In Rav Avigdor Miller's dvar Torah for Parshat Ki Tetzei: In His Image, we learn that for crimes in which the punishment is stoning, the body must afterwards be hung on a tree as an example to deter potential sinners of this type.

Yet the Torah immediately warns us not to leave the dead sinner hanging overnight.

Why?

Because although he was guilty beyond any doubt, he is a human being created with tzelem Elokim (Hashem's Divine Image), and it is therefore disrespectful to leave this Divine Image hanging wantonly.

This is a powerful lesson.

Even though this human being sinned to the point that his life was no longer worth living, he still possesses a Divine Image.

This is also why, in the aftermath of even the most savage terror attack, Zaka (Jewish volunteers who work to identify & preserve dead bodies and their parts — along with providing life-saving first aid to the survivors) does not mutilate or abuse the dead body of the terrorist.

Certainly, the body of the evil terrorist deserves no respect or consideration.

Yet they cover his body out of respect for Hashem's Divine Image.

It's all for the honor of Hashem. The beastly terrorist himself isn't taken into consideration at all.

Tzelem Elokim: Worth Discussing for 40 Years

Our faces do not literately resemble Hashem. It's holy alliteration, but stated in such a way that we must take it to heart, both literally & figuratively.

Rav Miller recalls that the Alter of Slabodka spoke for 40 years about the concept of tzelem Elokim.

In fact, on page 7, there's an amusing story of how the Alter's last words to his talmidim upon traveling away were about tzelem Elokim.

That was the final message he wanted to leave for his talmidim.

Uniquely Human

The idea of tzelem Elokim is a major reason why we wash our face in the morning.

It's out of respect for our Creator.

Rav Miller even recommends pleasantly telling our children in the morning, "Wash your tzelem Elokim" as a way of telling them to wash their face.

This is a natural way to pass on that idea and generate the concept of mitzvah with such a simple act.

On page 8, Rav Miller offers a beautiful & compelling description of the human face, any human face anywhere in the world.

To go deeper, Rav Miller describes how Hashem blew the nishmat chayim (the breath of life) via the nostrils — an opening in the human face.

Hashem didn't do this for animals; only human beings.

Therefore, this life-giving vitality is also part of our tzelem Elokim.

Why Toxic Shame, Self-Hatred, & Thinking of Humans as High-Concept Animals are All Against the Torah

Because Hashem's Essence is Infinite, His Qualities are also Infinite.

Therefore, we absorbed certain infinite qualities that entered us when Hashem blew His Breath into our face.

This means, says Rav Miller (page 9):

It doesn’t mean that you’re already perfect, but it means that you possess within your soul a capability for endless perfection.

Being made with tzelem Elokim means that, theoretically, we innately possess the potential for innate nobility, wisdom, glory, and perfection.

Even though it's impossible for most people to achieve such levels in one lifetime, the potential is still there.

The innate ability exists.

Today, so many people feel bad about themselves, described as suffering from "toxic shame."

On the flip side of that coin, many people perceive themselves as a higher form of animal and act accordingly — while encouraging others to act accordingly too.

The popular yet incorrect idea of genetic predeterminism (countered by the real science of epigenics, which states that we activate or deactivate our genes) also joins the human-as-a-higher-animal belief.

But tzelem Elokim shatters the blatant falsehood of these animal-oriented views.

Far from being mere evolved animals, we possess something of the Divine & Infinite.

Rather than being innately defective or bad, we possess something Godly & Good; we are imbued with infinite Godly potential.

Embrace Your Innate God-Given Greatness!

Because this idea is so TRUE, and therefore so motivating & inspiring, NASA, governments, and many scientists (particularly evolutionists) use every weapon available to battle against the idea of tzelem Elokim.

(Rav Miller details this on page 10.)

Just think of how well humanity would behave if everyone internalized the concept of tzelem Elokim.

Life would be beautiful.

People would feel compelled to treat others with respect.

The psychology of self-improvement would be based on morality and getting in touch with one's innate Godliness (rather than "how I can be richer, more socially & financially successful, physically healthier, enjoy myself more, feel more comfortable, and meet my own needs").

Certainly, we would be physically healthier, but not as the Greek ideal.

We would cultivate healthy eating habits for spiritual reasons, out of respect for our tzelem Elokim, and not to conform to the latest trends of beauty.

What Not to Say

Likewise, in the 6 years Rav Miller spent in the Slabodka Yeshivah in Lithuanian in the 1930s, he never heard a member of the Slabodka yeshivah utter the word "shaigetz."

(You can see more about that here: What is a Clean Tongue?)

Most people don't know the root of the word, but it comes from the Hebrew word for sheketz — abomination.

And even though many Lithuanian gentiles behaved abominably (both against each other & against the Jews), those of the Slabodka yeshivah refused to utter shaigetz because (page 11):

How can you say shaigetz on a human face?!

How can you say shaigetz on a tzelem Elokim?

2 Seconds over Several Times a Day Can Transform Your Mind

But it's human nature (ESPECIALLY today!) to judge others by unimportant aspects.

A person's face, body, smell, clothes, hair — that's not focusing on the tzelem Elokim.

On page 13, Rav Miller offers practical tips for re-orienting your mind toward the Truth.

Look at a person and think: "That face is an image of Hashem."

Repeat this often.

In other lectures, Rav Miller also recommends gazing at your spouse's face & thinking: "I am now looking at the tzelem Elokim."

This is a simple 2-second act that reaps profound results.

You can change your whole way of relating to other people just by doing this.

Credit for all quotes & material goes to Toras Avigdor.

Rulers, Geese, and Bitachon: Rav Avigdor Miller on Parshat Shoftim

20/8/2020

In Rav Avigdor Miller's dvar Torah for Parshat Shoftim: The Jewish King, we hear about how originally, other nations always lived under a monarchy.

Because they NEEDED to. Otherwise, their societies would devolve into a "might makes right" situation, like how you see in many Third World nations today.

But Am Yisrael didn't need that.

Am Yisrael dwelled in awareness of Hashem, which gave them a conscience & a desire to be good & do good.

A Shocking Revelation about Political Systems

Rav Miller notes that monarchy is actually better than democracy.

Especially if you're American and you grew up with pride about having thrown off the rule of the British monarchy in order to be truly free, the notion of democracy being the lesser option sounds blasphemous.

But not long ago, I read an article about the advantages of monarchy over democracy (along with historical examples), and I had to admit that it made sense.

Certainly, if the king is awful (though Rav Miller notes that you can have an awful President too) or if you end up ruled by foreigners, then that stinks. (England sometimes found itself ruled by foreigners because with foreign marriages and education, they occasionally ended up with a ruler who was more French or German than British — to the point that the ruler of England couldn't even speak English well.)

Yet the benefits of a decent monarchy outweigh those of a democracy.

This quote sums it up:

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what they are going to have for lunch."

We saw this in Kenya, when a pro-democracy candidate ran against a pro-Sharia candidate (before his Presidency, Obama went to Kenya to promote the pro-Sharia candidate), and when the pro-democracy candidate won, the pro-Sharia voters went on the rampage and burned hundreds of pro-democracy voters (men, women, and children) in churches.

There was no higher authority to stop them.

So much for democracy.

We see that today in the US, when people with loose morals comprise the majority of voters and nearly all the mainstream (and very influential) media.

A candidate with the most excellent record as a governor could not win a US election today if he (or she!) ran on a pro-life, pro-free market, pro-marriage, pro-family, pro-filtered immigration ticket.

Imagine a candidate ran on the platform of encouraging abstinence before marriage.

Waiting for marriage would improve society across the board.

Suicide & depression would go down. A great deal of juvenile delinquency would simply disappear. Abortion clinics would close. The amount of people living under the poverty line would shrink dramatically.

Drugs, drinking, crime — we would see a tremendous decrease in these activities.

Yet we all know that anyone who ran on such a platform would be laughed out of the running. Despite all the studies, stats, anecdotal evidence, and common sense to back him up, he would never make it.

Even religious conservatives today feel they cannot advocate abstinence, so they advocate contraception instead.

Society has degenerated to where even the religious conservatives feel they cannot promote this issue.

A wolfish majority with a lamby minority wishes to vote on their next meal.

We also see this by how Mitt Romney lost by upholding traditional values and behaving like a decent guy, including both treating & speaking about his competitor (Obama) with courtesy — a courtesy which was not only not returned, but trampled.

We see this with Donald Trump, who is personally very liberal on social issues, but ran on a slightly more conservative ideology than his competitor, and only won by a narrow margin while being raked across the coals by the media throughout his campaign and has continued to be scoured (whether he does right or wrong) ever since.

I'm certain as to who's going to win this next election, and it won't be Donald Trump.

Don't be a Goose

In Hebrew, the word translated as "king" (melech) means the one is the most capable of ruling the people, not just the one who managed to seize & hold power.

(On page 6, Rav Miller provides an amusing summary of the origin of Britain's royal family.)

Back in Judges, Am Yisrael wished to appoint the great Shofet Gidon as their king. They wanted this out of gratitude for all Gidon had done for them.

But Gidon noted they already had a King (Hashem), and with that, he humbly rejected the offer and Am Yisrael continued as they were: a holy Nation led by Hashem with no human king.

But as the bitachon (trust) of the people dimmed, the need for a melech arose.

And so they got one.

But as we know, that didn't end so well down the line, so now we're waiting for Melech HaMashiach to help us accept Hashem's Kingship over the world.

On pages 11-13, Rav Miller discusses the songs of the wild goose & the domesticated goose in Perek Shirah.

He makes the striking observation that from the time it hatches out of its egg, the domesticated goose sees its owner as a generous & kind-hearted man.

This man makes sure the goose's shelter stays strong & protective. He feeds the goose generously. He often talks to the geese is a cheerful manner.

Little does the goose know that all this exists ONLY for the finale: the slaughter of the goose.

Everything the owner does for the goose exists to make the goose a tasty meal & maybe a nice feather pillow.

If this isn't an excellent parable for what's going on with the Western world today, then I don't know what is.

All those nice government officials giving us free stuff...we will vote for the candidate who promises us the most free stuff!

If an official doles out free stuff so generously & smiles so nicely as he speaks, then he must be a very good-hearted person!

What other reason could he have for being so generous & smiley?

Hmmm...

Real Bitachon Means Trusting Hashem & Not People

Humble words from a great Jew (Rav Miller on page 14):

Now, I’m not saying I have bitachon but at least I talk about it.

I speak to you about it and I hear my own words, so a little bit rubs off on me.

On page 14, Rav Miller recalls when she shidduch process got stuck for one of his children.

They invested lots of effort, but nothing happened. Nothing even moved.

Then they received a suggestion from an unexpected corner, that ended up being The One.

(See? These things happen to big & important people too.)

And while we must feel & express gratitude toward people who help us, we must not forget to credit HASHEM overall.

Whether or not they succeed is decided by Hashem.

When we put our trust in people, we make a big mistake.

For example, the mostly forgotten President Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) was probably one of America's best Presidents.

He was also a highly moral person.

He actually cleaned out the swamp (by ousting corrupt officials & installing decent men & refusing to employ any Klansmen); Coolidge improved rights for black people, Native Americans, and working women & children (without BLM or any other group of banshees screaming at him & rioting — just out of his own sense of fairness); he lowered taxes.

He appreciated Jews & Judaism, and was pro-Israel long before the State existed.

Here's a leader we can trust!

Yet he was the President who signed the 1924 Immigration Restriction Act that ended up blocking Europe's Jews from escaping to American during the Holocaust.

He had no idea of that act's ultimate effect, of course. Otherwise, he wouldn't have signed it.

(You can see more about that topic here: How We Should Really be Responding to Our Politicians.)

But he did.

And that's just one example of why we can't trust people, even if they're good.

Everything comes from Hashem.

For our own best interests, we must turn to Him.

2 Seconds to a Better World & Sweetened Din

Practical tips:

Rav Miller recommends shouting out loud (but not where people will hear & feel unnerved):

"HASHEM MELECH!!!"

God is King.

He says that as you walk down the street, you can think "Hashem Melech."

That's a tremendously good thing to do.

You can say it, especially if you're wearing a mask and no one can see your mouth moving.

If you're in a very noisy place, like under a city bridge where no one can see or hear you, you can even shout it at the top of your lungs.

And that's a very good 2-second act of self-improvement that can reap a lot of blessing.

Credit for all material goes to Toras Avigdor.

Are You Cast-Off Clothing or a Storm Breaker?: Rav Avigdor Miller on Parshat Re'eh

12/8/2020

In the dvar Torah for Parshat Re'eh: A Nation of Volunteers, Rav Avigdor Miller discusses the politically incorrect scenario of the Ihr Hanidachat — the idol-worshiping city commanded to be destroyed by fellow Jews.

It's just supposed to be left there as a burned & ruined heap.

No one is allowed to salvage anything from this punished city, not even the most innocent item wholly free of idolatry.

This is because in order to be internally liberated from tumah (spiritual impurity), one must make a total separation from it.

True Love Means Going Beyond the Letter of the Law

On pages 5-7, Rav Miller illustrates the importance of going beyond the letter of the law by delving into a sugya in Masechet Sukkot on shaking the lulav.

Then he gives the example of a child who wishes to please his parent.

If the child notices something that the parent desires, and the child has the means & abilities to give or perform it for the parent, then a devoted child will certainly do so.

And that's how we should behave with Hashem.

On pages 9-13, Rav Miller sings the praises of Am Yisrael by detailing how far we go to serve Hashem beyond the letter of the law.

We could settle for the law as described in the basic text. (Rav Miller describes a bit what Judaism would be like without all the rabbinical law, and page 9 was a shocker. We are definitely richer for all the Talmud has to offer.)

Throughout history, we've been ridiculed for this.

Rav Miller mentions the ridicule of the Tzaddokim (Sadducees), the followers of the gospels, and the Reform movement.

Those were the big ones that still affect us today.

And the ancients also felt Am Yisrael took things too far. After all, many felt fine about us serving Hashem. But why couldn't we worship their gods and kings too?

This has been & will continue to be a criticism of us until Mashiach comes and the Truth is revealed.

The Cast-Offs of History

And where are these groups today?

So many of our critics disappeared over time.

The Saducees & Karaites may exist in spirit to an extent, but these groups no longer exist by those names as a threat to us.

The very powerful empires that spanned the globe no longer exist.

Like David Hamelech said in Tehillim 102:27, the other nations go lost while Hashem endures. They get all ratty & disintegrate like a garment. Sure, you can patch up a garment to a certain extent. But at some point, it is simply no longer viable. And then it is used as a rag while another garment comes to take its place. At some point, it is simply cast out.

(Rashi's interpretation is interesting in that he describes it as a garment being turned inside out as it is removed. Don't we see this happening now? Nations are being turned inside-out on their way out.)

How to REALLY Change with the Times

Rav Miller then notes that in order to endure today's storm winds of change, one must push forward into the wind.

If you try to stand straight or even lean back the tiniest bit, the wind will blow you down.

This is a major reason why in some ways to some people, certain aspects of Torah Judaism seem more extreme than they were at one time.

(It's definitely not the only reason, but it is a major one.)

While I'll always disagree with anyone who claims that the movies or radio of our grandparents' times were innocent (Rav Miller does NOT say they were innocent, BTW), there was significantly less filth & immoral brainwashing & propaganda than there is today.

Much of radio & all of the silver screen was co-opted from its inception by pervs & losers, and they snuck in a lot of their degenerate values. But society & their sponsors simply did not allow them to wreak the havoc they wreak now.

So while at one time, even seriously frum homes hosted a radio & the main newspaper of their city...but today, they can't.

And that's the real way to "change with the times."

We need to push back against the storm winds.

Perhaps this is one reason why the emphasis on simcha & gratitude has become such a focus in recent years.

In a variety of doublespeak & images & stories, our current cultural climate screams at us: DESPAIR! DESPAIR! DESPAIR!

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! DO WHAT WE WANT YOU TO DO!

And we scream back: MITZVAH GADOLAH L'HIYOT B'SIMCHA TAMID — IT'S A GREAT MITZVAH TO ALWAYS BE HAPPY!

And we shout: HALLELUHU — PRAISE HIM! And we say TODAH — THANK YOU, HASHEM!

And yes, the winds may knock us flat on our faces, leaving us to peel ourselves off all the gravel & schmutz.

But we still try.

And that's what counts.

A big THANK YOU to Toras Avigdor for providing such important material to help us push back against the stormwinds.

Getting in Touch with Your Real Greatness: Rav Avigdor Miller on Parshat Eikev

5/8/2020

Growing up secular, I often heard the backhanded praise of the Torah being "a great history book!"

As I became frum, I heard the opposite refrain from people who actually knew the truth: "The Torah isn't a history book."

They said this to explain why certain things either weren't mentioned or to explain confusing chronology, and so on.

The Torah comes to teach; that is its entire purpose & hinted at in its name: Torah, coming from the root horah — teach.

In Rav Avigdor Miller's dvar Torah for Parshas Eikev 3 – One Nation In The World, Rav Miller makes this same point: The Torah isn't about world history (although you can find a lot of interesting anthropological historical insights in it).

History's Main Blog & Its Surprising Sidebar

As Rav Miller notes, the Torah relates to even the most powerful, influential, and advanced cultures of its time as if they're history's sidebar.

(And if you really think about, they really are history's sidebar.)

Tremendous art, literature, music, architecture, innovations, and science came out of the cultures, some preserved in a way that allowed them to be discovered millennia afterwards.

Yet you don't hear much about them in the Torah.

The Torah starts with Beresheit bara Elokim et hashamayim v'et ha'aretz — and Rashi states the verse's entire purpose is to make it clear that reisheit (the main priority, so to speak) is Yisrael.

In other words, the universe was created with Am Yisrael in mind.

To foster a loyal group of humans dedicated to holiness & elevation:

That's the purpose of Creation.

God Loves the Small & Unpopular

Then Rav Miller hones in on an excellent point that often gets lost among Edomite culture: Quality holds vastly more importance than quantity.

Throughout the Torah, it's the smallness that merits greatness:

Har Sinai was the smaller mountain
David Hamelech was the youngest brother
Gidon was the youngest brother in the smallest family in the smallest Tribe (Menashe) Moshe Rabbeinu was the youngest brother

We see people despised or rejected (David Hamelech, Yiftach, Leah Imeinu, etc.) attaining greatness beyond anyone's expectation.

Only one person, Noach, was worth saving his family & continuing humanity.

Am Yisrael really started with a childless couple (Avraham & Sara) living in a tent in the desert.

Even today, Judaism focuses so much on baby-steps and building yourself by one minuscule success at a time. (This is evidenced in what our truly great people advise us regarding self-improvement.)

Our task is to bring Hashem into the physical world & elevate the mundane.

Yet we've always needed to strain against the current to accomplish this because much of the surrounding world opposes everything Yisrael stands for.

Prophetically, Rav Miller predicted that one day, people would try to remove "In God we trust" from its coins.

In 2006, someone tried to challenge the inscription of "In God we trust," desiring to strike it from US money.

In 2007, the same person tried to eliminate "under God" ("one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty & justice for all") from the Pledge of Allegiance.

Rav Miller certainly saw which way the wind was blowing.

The Distortion of the Jewish Image throughout the Ages

On pages 8-10, Rav Miller takes us on a shortcut journey through history, literature, and culture to show us how Edom portrays Jews in the worst way.

On page 9, he describes the treatment of the media regarding the chassidic Jews of Williamsburg, who do not stand idly by the blood of their fellow Jew when that Jew is gashed & mugged: Homeless Man Attacked by Chassidish Mob!

Oh yes...this oh-so pitiable homeless man cut a Jew's face with a razor & snatched the Jew's wallet.

It sounds exactly like what the media does regarding Israel: Palestinian Driver Shot by Israeli Soldier!

(Only they fail to mention that the driver was a rampaging terrorist who turned his car into a weapon against pedestrians.)

And he makes excellent points about the hypocrisy of nations ignoring truly horrific violations of human rights around the world and within modern countries in order to focus on demonizing Jews.

Start Looking Inward for Solutions because the Outside World is Rotting at Its Core

It's also very worthwhile to read what Rav Miller said about self-hating Jews on page 11.

Rav Miller acknowledges that people accuse him all the time of whitewashing the Jewish people.

Yet Rav Miller insists that the non-Jewish societies aren't any better.

Several posts on this blog have discussed this.

I grew up in non-Jewish/secular Jewish America & there is so much gunk under the surface.

And yes, I'm very well aware of the problems within frum society, but there are so many frum people going above & beyond to heal the problems.

Yes, there are bad people and useless "help" in the frum community.

But in secular society, I never saw the self-criticism and passion to help that I saw in frum society.

And there are a lot of effective frum people who help.

And the same frum people who dedicate their lives to helping fellow Jews, even with the worst & thorniest problems, never give themselves credit for being the power of good that they are.

Furthermore, these same people constantly exhort us to improve ourselves and to be kinder to each other (which is a good thing).

We have such high expectations for ourselves that we focus on our problems & flaws to the point that we feel like we're worse than our surrounding societies.

I've personally heard/read of very frum people exhorting the frum world to look to the non-Jewish world as an example of how to handle our worst issues.

Utilizing their resources is fine; we gratefully support & utilize non-Jewish police services, fire departments, hospitals, etc.

But to use the non-Jewish world as an EXAMPLE of what to do?

No.

No, no, no, no.

A lot of frum people do not know what's actually going on in the non-Jewish/secular world because they, baruch Hashem, were never immersed in it.

And even the stuff frum people read in popular non-fiction or the newspapers, they don't necessarily believe it's as bad or as common as it actually is.

Why?

Because it doesn't LOOK that way on the outside or at work with your non-Jewish/secular co-workers.

Yes, the non-Jewish society promotes itself by showing you all the organizations and hotlines and laws it has to protect/assist people, but then you notice that a lot of it doesn't actually work.

(Please note: I did NOT say it NEVER works EVER. But it does not work as well or as often as the culture would like you to believe.)

Or people still don't feel they can get the help they need.

Despite all the "freedoms" and therapies and self-help options available, and despite the social acceptance of these, we see that society is actually worsening and even writhing in pain & despair.

It's not working.

We see this in how self-destructive behavior (eating disorders, drug addiction, gaming addiction, alcoholism, cutting, suicide, etc.) rose along with the rise of secular liberalism.

And the explosion of hatred! Both hatred of others & hatred of self as exemplified through murder & suicide...

It's a hate-filled society. (Peace 'n' love, man!)

Some USA stats (source):

Suicide in the #1 cause of death for Native American girls ages 10-19.

(Yes, you unfortunately read that correctly. If you hear about the death of a 10-year-old Native American girl, she probably did it to herself. Yet do you EVER hear any exhortations to help them?)

Murder by another black male is the #1 cause of death for black males ages 15-34.

And for any BLM sympathizers: Out of every 65 black male deaths, 60 are caused by another black male.

Guess how many black deaths out of 65 are caused by a police officer?

One.

Suicide is the #1 cause of death among Far East Asian males ages 20-24.

This is from a group considered successful by society. So why are they killing themselves more than almost any other?

Suicide is the #2 cause of death among so-called privileged white males ages 15-19.

25% of all white male deaths in this age-range are caused by their own hand. Someone had better tell them they're privileged because they don't seem to know!

All this self-destructive behavior clearly shows a society in steep decline.

And where are all the organizations & fanfare?

Did you know that suicide is the leading cause of death among Native American females ages 10-19, Far East Asian males 20-24, and the second leading cause of death among white males 15-19?

Most people do not know this.

If you did know this, did you hear it from a mainstream publication or source?

Or did you hear it from an alternative source or need to do your homework to discover this?

And if so, how often did you ever hear it discussed?

Tragically, that's a sign that no one really cares about that suffering & those deaths.

Anyway, this is clearly not a society to emulate, so let's just get to work on ourselves using our own tools.

The Authentic Jewish Secret to Success

Here's an important idea from Rav Miller on page 12:

And if someone is lacking in Torah attitudes he cannot be considered successful at all.

That's good mussar.

It doesn't matter how frum someone looks.

It doesn't matter how full of "good intentions" a non-frum person may appear.

If the Torah attitude isn't there, then phfftt.

Rav Miller then details (pages 13-14) all the norms in frum society that we take for granted.

Deviants make the news, unfortunately.

So we need to look at our neighbors and inner circles to get renewed enthusiasm about ourselves.

Getting Real about Us

It's really not about whitewashing things.

Chanifah (labeling something is good when it most certainly is NOT) is strictly forbidden by the Torah.

It's about seeking the light in other people.

It's about healing problems & trauma by looking to what is RIGHT to do, and not obsessing only about what is wrong.

It's well-known that when people raised dysfunctionally ONLY say, "I'll never do what my parents did; that was bad," they don't succeed as well in overcoming their negative programming.

It's the ones who say, "I won't do the bad things my parents did; I'll do this-and-such good thing instead! I want to emulate the good parents I see!" — those are the ones who often end up overcoming a lot of dysfunction.

Focusing so intently on what's wrong & how bad it is doesn't help to unmire people.

Focusing on what CAN be done & how we SHOULD behave reaps much juicier fruits.

It's about being our best according to Hashem's standards & value system.

Rav Avigdor Miller on the True Story behind the Kamtza bar Kamtza Fiasco & What It REALLY Means

31/7/2020

It's still Tisha B'Av for some of you, while for some of us, it's the 10th of Av, which is the continuation of our mourning because while the Beit HaMikdash was ignited on the 9th of Av, it continued burning throughout the 10th of Av.

Please read what Rav Avigdor Miller said about the whole Kamtza & Bar Kamtza fiasco, which ended up being the last straw prior to the Churban (Destruction).

It's...WOW.

I would link to it, but it's not up at the time of this writing at Toras Avigdor. (I received it via their email sign-up.) I'll link to it when it's up.

It could be you've never heard the real story told like this before...

Rav Avigdor Miller on the Truth behind Kamtza bar Kamtza

Q [from an anonymous questioner in the audience]:
How can you claim the Jews at the time of the churban were so righteous? We know the story of Kamtza bar Kamtza and that the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because of sinas chinam?

A [from Rav Avigdor Miller]:

Now, there’s a big misconception that the public has about a certain Gemara in Mesichta Yuma.

In Mesichta Yuma (9b) the Gemara asks: Why was the Beis Hamikdash charuv? Why was it destroyed?

When we say Beis Hamikdash we mean not only the Beis Hamikdash – it means the whole setup of Jewish independence and commonwealth.

So the Gemara says that the first Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because of certain reasons and then the Gemara asks: What about the second Beis Hamikdash? Why was that destroyed? And the Gemara says because of sinas chinam; because of causeless hatred.

Now, on this there is a great deal of misconception.

I was once in a Orthodox school, a very Orthodox school, and I saw on the wall there were two pictures. One was a picture of a concentration camp. Jews in the concentration camp and they’re being thrown into fire, the crematorium.

And next to it was another picture of Kamtza bar Kamtza in ancient Yerushalayim just before the churban;and the host was ejecting him from a banquet – Kamtza bar Kamtza was being ejected from a banquet. Kamtza bar Kamtza was dressed in a black hat and a kapote; he had a nice beard too.

He was represented as a decent person, maybe even a talmid chochom, and he was being ejected from the banquet.

Those were the two pictures and there was a chain with links connecting them; the picture of Jews being killed in the camps linked to the picture of Kamtza bar Kamtza in ancient Yerushalayim.

And the people who made these pictures understood it as follows:

The Gemara says (Gittin 55b) why was Yerushalayim destroyed?

Because of Kamtza bar Kamtza.

Because a man once wanted to make a banquet and he invited all the talmidei chachomim to the banquet and he sent his servant to invite a certain sage named Kamtza.

But the servant made an error and he invited Kamtza bar Kamtza, a different person.

Now, when Kamtza bar Kamtza came, the host said, “I’m sorry but I didn’t invite you. This is a private gathering and you therefore must leave.”

So Kamtza bar Kamtza said, ”You’re embarrassing me. Let me stay and I’ll give you the cost of my meal.”

But the host wouldn’t allow him to stay at the private banquet and after some haggling Kamtza bar Kamtza offered to pay for the whole banquet if he would be allowed to remain.

But the host said no and he took him by his garment and he led him out; he ejected him. And for that, the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed.

So, underneath the pictures was a statement printed in big letters, that the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because of sinas chinam; in other words, these two stories were equated.

They were trying to say that because Kamtza bar Kamtza was ejected, that was sinas chinam, and that was the example of the causeless hatred prevalent in Yerushalayim. And therefore that caused a chain that led up to the crematorium, to Jews being burned in Hitlerland.

Now, that really is what most people think. That’s the picture they have.

They put together these two statements, the story of Kamtza bar Kamtza and the statement of sinas chinam that destroyed the Beis Hamikdash and they understand that this is what caused all our troubles from then on.

It’s a terrible misconception! It’s a slander on the Jewish people! A terrible error!

First of all, who was Kamtza bar Kamtza? Who was this character?

Josephus, in his Vita – that’s his own life story – he relates that Kamsus the son of Kamsus was a Herodian. Which means he was a rasha; he was a member of the clique of the house of Hurdos. And the house of Hurdos, the Herodians, were our enemies. They were our bitter enemies; we suffered tzaros from them without number.

Now the Gemara tells us that this host had sages at his banquet table. He made a private seudah for the chachomim to gather. And we know that נקיי הדעת שבירושלים לא היו יושבים אלא אם כן יודעים עם מי היו יושבים‏ – The pure minded sages of Yerushalayim never sat down at a meal or a meeting unless they knew who was present.

It was a principle of theirs. They didn’t believe in sitting down in a moshav leitzim.

And sometimes there could be one person, a leitz, who can spoil everything. One careless person who shoots his mouth off, he spoils the whole atmosphere.

So the נקיי הדעת שבירושלים, the people whose minds were pure, would only associate with other pure minded people. They wouldn’t be impolite to others. They didn’t demonstrate that they were standoffish but they made it their business not to be around when the wrong people were around.

Now, this host invited the pure-minded people, the chachomim.

It says in the Gemara that all the chachomim were there.

And who marches in?

None other than Kamsus bar Kamsus who is famous as a member of the Herodian clique, an enemy of the sages.

He was a moser, an informer, and he was delighted that he was invited there. Because now he could sit and listen to the deliberation of the sages. That’s what he wanted – to sit and listen in so he could know their plans. This would be his chance; otherwise he could never get in because the sages would never discuss things publicly.

But here some mistake was made and Kamtza bar Kamtza hastened to utilize it.

So he hurried and dressed up and he came to the banquet. Here he is! And he wants to sit down with the chachomim and listen in to what’s going on.

And naturally he’s going to bring all the information he has to the Herodian clique who are waiting in order to undo any good things that the chachomim wanted for do for the people.

So the host was now in a dilemma. What could he do? Either he could send away all of his guests, or he could send away this informant, this rasha.

Now, you have to understand that the Torah is very just.

The Gemara is extremely fair.

In fact, the Gemara leans all the way over for fairness.

And so when this low character – and he was a low character. That we know because what did he do subsequently out of revenge when he was ejected from the banquet? He went to the Romans and he told them that the Jews are in revolt against you.

That’s the worst thing you can say. It’s like throwing a spark in dynamite.

Because the Romans were afraid of revolt and they punished most cruelly any small sign of revolt. So this man Kamtza bar Kamtza was an enemy of the Jews; you could see that. Because he started all the trouble.

And still when this host got up and he remonstrated with Kamtza bar Kamtza and finally he had to take him by his lapels and lead him out, our sages said it was wrong. It was a sin.

Now how was it a sin?

That’s too much for us to understand. What would we have done?!

Otherwise Kamtza bar Kamtza would be sitting there and the sages wouldn’t say a word. The whole evening would be wasted. You couldn’t open your mouth when this informant was sitting there.

And still, such is the judgment of the Gemara. It’s fair and severe, and therefore it says there that this is what caused the destruction of Yerushalayim.

It doesn’t mean that this is really a sin; that this was the cause.

Yerushalayim would have been destroyed anyhow.

But when Hakodosh Boruch Hu sought a match that would set the fire, He chose this to be the match. It was a poetic justice.

Don’t misunderstand this! It wasn’t this that caused the Churban. This was just a spark that set off the fire.

Yerushalayim wasn’t destroyed because of this.

But when Hakodosh Boruch Hu had already decided forty years earlier to destroy Yerushalayim – that’s what the Gemara says; forty years before He had already decided to destroy Yerushalayim – so He waited for an opportunity and He utilized this opportunity to teach a lesson.

So when Kamtza bar Kamtza was heard to have gone to the Romans and he started the trouble, it was a parable; it was meant to be used as a lesson – that we shouldn’t have embarrassed him.

Now we don’t really understand that lesson – it’s too fair for us to understand.

But that’s what the Gemara does – the Gemara uses a magnifying glass and the smallest thing is magnified as if it’s a sin.

You shouldn’t have ejected him; you should’ve let the evening be ruined. And all the sages should have just sat there in silence and that’s all.

You couldn’t cancel the banquet. All the food would have gone lost. There were no refrigerators in those days. All the food would go lost! It can’t be helped. It was an expensive banquet but it can’t be helped. Don’t put a man to shame.

And that’s why this poetic lesson was utilized – to teach the people a lesson. You shouldn’t have embarrassed him.

So what is this business that sinas chinam, that causeless hatred caused the churban.

It says in the Gemara that causeless hatred caused the destruction.

So many Jews think it means that the Jews hated each other, that frum Jews hated each other. That’s what they think. They think that the whole nation at that time were all frum Jews, all talmidei chachomim, and they were all busy hating each other. And that’s why the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed!

But that’s as silly as could be. It’s not realistic at all!

They didn’t hate; the frum Jews loved each other! In those days, the whole nation, the Am Hatorah was divided into followers of Beis Shammai and followers of Beis Hillel. The entire Jewish nation was divided into those who followed Beis Shammai and those who followed Beis Hillel. These were the two great assemblies of Torah sages.

There wasn’t anybody else that was of the shelomei emunei Yisroel, of frum Jews. We’re not talking about the reshaim.

True Jews all were talmidim of Beis Shammai or of Beis Hillel.

And the Gemara (Yevamos 14b) says openly that the talmidim of Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel loved each other.

These two schools, although they had different opinions on some things, even on very important things, but they loved each other. שהיו אוהבים זה את זה – They loved one another, לקיים מה שנאמר – in order to fulfill the possuk of, האמת והשלום אהבו – Love the truth but love peace too.

They loved the truth; that’s why each one stuck to his opinions but they loved peace too.

And the Gemara talks about that. The Gemara dilates on how they loved each other.

Now if Beis Shammai loved Beis Hillel and vice versa so Beis Shammai certainly loved Beis Shammai. And Beis Hillel loved Beis Hillel. It doesn’t make sense that Beis Hillel loved Beis Shammai but they didn’t love their own people. It’s ridiculous. The Jewish people loved each other – there was no sinas chinam.

I once saw that an adam gadol wrote – I won’t mention his name – he was misled, and on the strength of this ma’amar that the Beis Hamikdash was laid waste because of sinas chinam, he wrote that unfortunately the frum Jews were too critical of each other and they sometimes suspected each other of not being frum enough.

Now, that’s just taken out of thin air! There is no authority for that at all anywhere!

So what does it mean that there was sinas chinam?

Who were the ones who hated for nothing? These were the Tzedukim. There were irreligious Jews there too who were not of Beis Shammai or Beis Hillel. The Tzedukim hated the sages! That’s the sinas chinam!

You’ll ask a question: So because the Tzedukim, the wicked people, hated the sages, therefore the Jewish nation is responsible?

The answer is yes, because they were also Jews.

When Jews are wicked the entire Jewish nation is responsible.

That’s a great principle in the Torah. We are treated as one individual. Kol Yisroel areivim zeh la’zeh – all of Yisroel are guarantors for one another means that we’re one body, we’re one person.

And therefore we were held responsible for the misdeeds of Kamtza bar Kamtza and the Tzedukim and all those who hated the chachomim.

Do you want that example of hatred?

The New Testament is an example of the hatred towards the sages.

If you want a textbook which is full of venom against the sages, that’s the New Testament.

Because the New Testament is full of great anger, endless anger against the Pharisees. Constantly it’s reiterated. The Pharisees are promised that there’s only one place where they’re going to go when they’re dead. When they die they’re going to a certain place and it’s reiterated over and over again in the New Testament.

The chachomim are called vipers and snakes. They are the worst kind of hypocrites and criminals.

Now, who are the Pharisees?

The Pharisees are Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinus, Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurkinos, Rabban Gamliel Hazaken and his son Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai.

All these famous names; they are our luminaries, our teachers. Their lives we study. It’s their words that inspire us. M’pihen anu chayim! There’re the best of our nation! They’re the cream of our nation. They are the ones who the New Testament condemn us as the worst.

Now you people may not believe it; it may seem exaggerated to you.

But the fact is that the New Testament mentions other nations too. It mentions a lot of people. It mentions the Romans but it has nothing bad to say against the Romans. It mentions the Greeks but there’s no criticism against the Greeks. It mentions the Samaritans, the Kusim, but no criticism of the Samaritans. It mentions the Sadducees too; no criticism of the Sadducees.

But when it speaks about the Pharisees, then they let loose; they turn around and let loose like a skunk that gives the best that it has to offer and the New Testament pours a torrent on the chachomim. Not only once! All the time; all the pages of the New Testament are splattered with that poison against the chachomim.

But they were all Jews however. In those days they were all Jews; they were still Jews.

And so if you want to know why the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, so the Gemara says that there was hatred, sinas chinam.

Whose hatred? Not the sages! And not the people who followed the sages!

They wouldn’t hate anybody – they were the ones who were being hated!

That’s the point that’s missed by all the writers. All the writers who speak on this subject misunderstand it. They blame our poor people for sinas chinam.

There’s no remez anywhere that there was causeless hatred among the sages and their disciples.

But there was a very great hatred against them!

The Saducees hated the sages!

And the gemara says certain types of amei ha’aretz were also sonim; they hated the sages.

It’s a gemara in Pesachim. You remember what Rabbi Akiva said? He said, “When I was an am ha’aretz, if I would get a hold of a sage I would tear him to pieces.” He testified later that that’s what he thought when he was an am ha’aretz.

It was these people – they’re the ones because of whom the Beis Hamikdash was ruined.

Because our nation has to be perfect!

And when we have in our body-politic, in the commonwealth of the Jewish nation a certain poisoned minority, so that means that the body is not healthy and therefore Hakodosh Boruch Hu had to make a change of climate.

And that’s why the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed.

TAPE # 107