B"H
Friday, Iyar 5, 5779 / May 10, 2019 (20th day of the Omer)
Each Shabbat, from Pesach to Rosh Hashana, through the summer months, we study a chapter of Pirkei Avot – Chapters of our Fathers.
One of the teachings in the second chapter of Pirkei Avot, which we recite this Shabbat in the Diaspora, is the following instructions from the Talmudic sage Hillel: “Do not separate yourself from the community..; Do not judge your fellow man until you come to be in his place.”
“Do not judge your fellow man until you come to be in his place.” One way to understand this teaching is that, “Until you come to be in his place” means the place of the person whom you are judging, as we see from the following Talmudic story.
Rav Ashi (compiler of the Talmud) was teaching the Mishna in which it says that three kings, Jerovam, Achav and Menashe, have no share in the Wold-to-Come because they were so wicked and idolatrous. At the conclusion of the lesson, Rav Ashi said to his students, “Tomorrow we will expound on these three learned colleagues.”
Although the three kings were wicked, yet, they were learned men. Rav Ashi’s comment, “these three learned men,” was meant as a sarcastic and derogotary comment.
That night King Menashe came to him in a dream and said, “Why do you call me your colleague? Am I your colleague?” he then asked Rav Ashi a question in Jewish law and when the sage couldn’t reply, Menashe gave him the correct answer.
Rav Ashi was amazed to hear the depth and briliancy of Menashe’s Torah knowledge. He then asked the ancient king of Judah, “Since you were so learned, why did you worship idols?”
Menashe replied, “Had you been there and lived in my times you would have gathered up the hem of your garment and run after me to join me in idol worship!”
This story illustrates the point of Hillel’s teaching. Menashe told Rav Ashi that it was impossible for him, who lived hundreds of years later, to comprehend the powerful forces and attraction to idolatry in his time. One shouldn’t judge anyone until he was in that person’s situation.
Another interpretation is that “place“ here refers to G-d, who is, at times called, “Hamakom” – “Place.” When comforting a mourner we say, “Hamakom.. should comfort you..” we refer to G-d as Hamakom(Place). The reason we call G-d Hamakom is because G-d is the place of the universe. Everything is held up by Him and depends on Him, while G-d doesn’t depend on anything.
In this context Hillel teaches us that only G-d, Who knows every person’s history and makeup; their strenghts and weaknesses, only He can judge. But it’s not for us humans to do so.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 7:54 / Shabbat ends: 9:05
B"H
Monday, Iyar 8, 5779 / May 13, 2019 (23rd day of the Omer)
The following advice is found in the second chapter of Pirkei Avot: Rabbi Eliezer said, “Let your fellow man’s honor be as dear to you as your own; Do not be easily moved to anger.”
King Solomon says, “Anger rests in the lap of the fool.”
The Talmudic sage Reish Lakish says, “Any man who becomes angry – if he is wise, his wisdom leaves him; If he is a prophet, his prophecy departs from him.”
The Torah tells us that Moshe, the greatest leader of the Jewish people, became angry on three occasions and as a result it caused him to make a mistake.
One of the mistakes was when Moshe became angry at the people who were asking for water. As a result of his anger, he made the mistake of hitting the rock instead of speaking to it, as G-d commanded him.
This mistake resulted in G-d’s refusal to let him cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Moshe so much desired to go into the land of Israel. He pleaded with G-d to let him in, but to no avail and he died in the desert.
When Elijah the prophet became angry at King Yehoshafat, G-d’s prophecy left him for a while.
In Pirkei Avot we find the following four categories of temperaments which people have:
1) “One who is easily angered and easily pacified – his loss is outweighed by his merit; 2) One who is hard to anger and hard to pacify – his merit is outweighed by his loss; 3) Hard to anger and easy to pacify is a pious person; 4) Easily angered and hard to pacify is a wicked person.”
The Talmud tells us that Rabbi Nechunia lived to very old age. His students once asked him, “What is the secret of your longevity?”
He replied, “I have never accepted gifts and I have always forgotten the wrongs done to me.”
Aristotle said, “Anyone can be angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everyone’s power and is not easy.”
The Talmudic sage Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said, “Do not attempt to pacify your fellowman in the time of his anger.” Should one attempt it, his efforts would be in vain and may even backfire.
A wise person said, “When I feel that I am becoming angry at someone, I postpone my anger for another time. What will I lose if I leave it for later? If anything, I will probably gain by it.”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Iyar 9, 5779 / May 14, 2019 (24th day of the Omer)
In the fourth chapter of Pirkei Avot, which will be recited this Shabbat in Israel, the Talmudic sage, Rabbi Meir teaches us, “Be humble before every person.”
This past Shabbat, in the Diaspora, we read the second chapter of Pirkei Avot. One of the many lessons in the chapter is the teaching of the Talmudic sage, Rabbi Eliezer. It reads as follows: "Rabbi Eliezer says: “Let the honor of your fellow be as dear to you as your own.”
Rabbi Eliezer teaches us that one should respect and honor others just as they would want to have others honor him.
Rabbi Shmelke of Nikelsburg, one of the Chassidic masters, had a unique interpretation of the above teaching of Rabbi Eliezer, as seen in the following story.
When Rabbi Shmelke came to the city of Nikelsburg to assume the position of rabbi, all the Jews of the city came out to greet their new rabbi. Then he was shown to his residence, where the leaders of the community showered him with great honor.
In the middle of the ceremonies, Rabbi Shmelke excused himself and went into another room. Everyone was sure that he was tired and wanted to rest. However, one person went and peeked into the Rabbi's room.
To his amazement, he saw Rabbi Shmelke talking to himself and singing his own praise; "Shalom Rabbi Shmelke; What a great honor to have you as Rabbi of our city…” He went on singing his own praises. Eventually, Rabbi Shmelke rejoined everyone.
Later, this person came over to Rabbi Shmelke and said, "Rabbi, I must confess that I listened to you while you were yourself in the room and I am very puzzled by what I heard. Why would you be giving yourself compliments?"
Rabbi Shmelke explained, "When I heard everyone praising me, I feared that all the praise might go to my head and make me h
aughty. So I went into the other room and began praising myself. Realizing how ridiculous it sounded to hear my own praise, I decided that when others praise me it will affect me exactly the same way!"
"This is how I explain the advice of our sages, 'Let the honor of your fellow be as dear to you as your own'," concluded Rabbi Shmelke, "Let the praise and honor which your fellow praises you be as meaningless to you as when you honor and praise yourself!"
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Thursday, Iyar 11, 5779 / May 16, 2019 (26th day of the Omer)
This Shabbat, in the Diaspora, we will recite the third chapter of Pirkei Avot. In this chapter, the Talmudic sage Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, speaks of the importance of being friendly, honest, ethical, helpful and courteous to others, for our relationship with others affects G-d’s relationship to us.
Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa says, "If one's fellows are pleased with someone, then G-d is pleased with them. But if other people are not pleased with him, G-d is not pleased with him either."
Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa teaches us that we cannot separate our relationship to G-d from our relationship towards people. G-d's satisfaction with us mirrors how others feel toward us as a result of our behavior toward them.
Rabbi Chanina’s lesson is especially appropriate at this time of the year, during the days of Sefirah, when we remember and mourn the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who died as a result of strife amongst them. According to our sages the second Temple was destroyed for the sin of “Sinat Chinam” - “unjustified hatred” amongst Jews.
The Talmud relates many wonderful stories about Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. His care and dedication to the welfare of others is illustrated by the following Talmudic story:
Once, a passerby forgot a few chickens in front of Rabbi Chanina's home. Rabbi Chanina's wife found them. Rabbi Chanina advised her that the chickens must be cared for until their owner would come and claim them. Time went by and no one came to claim the chickens. In the meantime, the chickens laid eggs and from the eggs came more chickens. Finally, when caring for so many chickens became impossible, Rabbi Chanina sold the chickens and with the money he bought goats.
One day, two people happened to walk by Rabbi Chanina's house. One turned to his friend and said, "I just remembered that many years ago I forgot some chickens here." Rabbi Chanina overheard this and approached the man. When Rabbi Chanina was convinced that he was indeed the rightful owner, he showed him the many goats and told him, "Your chickens turned into goats… They’re yours!".
Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa was very poor. All week he and his family would eat carobs, which were so cheap that they were used as animal food. "Each day," the Talmud tells us, "a voice from heaven would call out, 'The entire world is sustained because the merit of my son Chanina; yet my son Chanina suffices with a measure of carobs from one Shabbat to the next!"
Rabbi Chanina's daughter once accidentally poured vinegar instead of oil into the lamp used for Shabbat. When she cried to her father about her mistake, Rabbi Chanina said, "Whoever decreed that oil shall burn will decree that the vinegar shall burn." That Shabbat, the lamp burned the entire Shabbat!"
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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