Torah Tidbits
The Time of Your Life
It is a lesson I first learned in a course I took on the skills of interviewing long ago. The instructor taught us that the way to really size up a candidate for a job is to determine how he uses his time. He taught us that one question designed to assist the interviewer to make that determination is, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
Published May 12, 2011Unusual Remedies and Halachic Prohibitions
Last week we mentioned the Mishna’s stance on using remedies which are unconventional. There are several sources that discuss this very subject.
In the past it was thought that someone who was bitten by a rabid dog should be fed the dog’s liver and that this was the antidote to the bite and would protect against the subsequent illness. However, the Mishna (Yoma 8:4) states that one who was bit by a rabid dog should not be fed the liver of that dog.
Rashi explains the reason for this, “even though the doctors do heal in this way, it is not a complete remedy that would be sufficient to permit consuming a non-kosher animal.” While there were Sages in the Mishna who permitted such a practice the normative halacha is that we cannot permit breaking the halacha unless it involves a complete remedy.
HASHEM'S LAND
The Jewish nation spent years as slaves in Egypt. Then we wandered in the desert for forty years till we crossed over the Jordan river into the Promised Land. More years were spent conquering the land from the seven nations that inhabited it. We finally are able to live in ERETZ YISRAEL, “ISH TACHAT GAFNO V’TACHAT T’EINATO” - each person in their own section of the land, ready to plant and harvest and eat from its bounty. But the verses in our portion set some boundaries on the use of the land.
Published May 12, 2011Parsha Points to Ponder
1) Why does the Torah link the laws of Sh’mita observance to Mount Sinai (25:1-2)? According to the teaching quoted by Rashi that this teaches that just like all laws of Sh’mita were taught at Sinai, the same applies to all mitzvot, why was Sh’mita chosen as the mitzva to teach this message?
2) Why does the Torah say SIX YEARS YOU SHOULD SOW THE FIELD and SIX YEARS YOU SHOULD PRUNE THE VINE (25:3) instead of simply saying SIX YEARS YOU SHOULD SOW THE FIELD AND PRUNE THE VINE? Why the repetition of SIX YEARS?
3) Why does the Torah state that G-D gives us the land of Israel TO BE TO YOU A G-D (25:38)? Wasn’t He our G-D before He gave us the Land?
CHIZUK-and-IDUD-for-Olim-not-yet-Olim-respectively
“Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you come to the Land that I am giving you, the Land should rest a Sabbath to God” (Vayikra 25:2)
“You may sow your fields for six years, and for six years you may prune your vineyard and gather its produce” (25:3)
The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that the order of the text seems to be reversed .The six work years should precede the Shabbat or Sabbatical year.
Wisdom and Wit
R’ Eizel Charif came to a wealthy man to ask him to contribute to a certain noble cause. The wealthy man rejected the appeal, claiming that he was supporting a poor brother and thus had no money to spare for any other tzedaka.
Some time later, R’ Eizel found out that he man had been lying. He was not supporting his brother and, on the contrary, his brother had been reduced to begging for alms.
Vebbe Rebbe
Question: Is it permitted to heat up challa or to defrost sliced bread or challa on a hotplate on Shabbat in a manner that it can or does becoming crisp?
Published May 12, 2011FROM A MEASURE OF BARLEY TO 2 LOAVES OF WHEAT [1] by Dr. Meir Tamari
“On the 50th day of Sefirat HaOmer is Chag HaShavuot and we bring, in addition to the Musaf, the new meal offering of the Two Loaves, Sh’tei HaLechem [of new wheat]” (Hilkhot T’midim 8). The Omer was offered on Pesach as it was brought from the fields (and only ground and sifted into the finest barley flour), whereas the wheat was ground into flour, the dough was kneaded, baked and only then offered.
Given individual freedom and national independence on Pesach, Israel was comparable to animals with only instinct and self-interest to guide them; 49 days later these could be purified and refined for spiritual and religious wisdom granted on the 50th day that commemorates Matan Torah.”; “Hashem surrounded all the actions of Israel with mitzvot:
Lesson # 560 Laws of Sales (3)
At the end of the last lesson I wrote that if the seller sold the item because he was under financial pressure to sell, he cannot later protest the sale as being subject to the rules of discrepancy in price. Similarly, if the buyer had great need for the item and overpaid in buying it, he cannot later protest the sale as being subject to the laws of discrepancy in price. If neither the community, Beit Din, nor the merchants have a policy of setting prices, then each individual seller may set his own prices.
Published May 12, 2011B'har Stats
B’HAR Stats
32nd of 54 sedras;
9th of 10 in Vayikra
Written on 99 lines in a Torah, ranks: 50th
7 parshiyot; 1 open, 6 closed
57 p’sukim, rank: 50th; last in Vayikra
Shmita from Chu"L?
A number of years ago, there was an ad for a fundraising project of some organization. Doesn’t matter what organization. Their pitch went something like this: Now you can observe Sh’mita while living in Chutz LaAretz. Here’s your chance to perform this special Eretz Yisrael mitzva from the comfort of your home - without even coming to Israel.
Published May 12, 2011Recent Torah Tidbits
- Issue 996 - Parshat Tazri’a - M’tzora (m’vorchim)
- Issue 993 - Parshat Vayakehl/P’kudei - Para
- Issue 986 - Issue 986 - Shabbat Parshat Va’eira (m’vorchim)
- Issue 985 - Issue 985- Shabbat Parshat Sh’mot
- Issue 984 - Issue 984- Shabbat Parshat Vaychi - Chazak
- Issue 983 - Issue 983- Shabbat Parshat Vayigash
- Issue 982 - Issue 982- Shabbat Parshat Mikeitz - m’vorchim
- Issue 981 - Issue 981- Shabbat Parshat Vayeishev
- Issue 980 - Issue-980 - Shabbat Parshat Vayishlach
- Issue 979 - Issue-979 - Shabbat Parshat Vayeitzei
- Issue 978 - Issue 978 - Shabbat Parshat Tol’dot - Machar Chodesh (m’vorchim)
- Issue 977 - Issue 977 - Shabbat Parshat Chayei Sara
- View All Issue Archives