The Talmud tells us in three places “All is in the hands of Heaven, except the fear of Heaven” (Brachot 33b, Megilla 25a, Niddah 16b). One frequent interpretation of this is that while a person’s characteristics, aptitudes, skills, etc are predestined, one can choose to use this for good or for ill. An agile person… Continue reading Shimon and Levi
Category: Ki Tisa
Ki Sisa- Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, and Get Back in the Ring known as Life
The parsha commences with the counting of Bnei Yisrael and continues with the sin of the Golden Calf (The Jewish People worship a golden calf, which is considered idolatry.) A question I just thought of was even if the Jewish People thought that Moshe was not returning, why would that prompt them to start serving… Continue reading Ki Sisa- Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, and Get Back in the Ring known as Life
Shabbat Duality: The Value of Inaction
In this week’s Parsha, right after discussing the details of the construction of the Mishkan the Hashem instructs Moshe to tell the Jewish people about Shabbat. There it states (in full): וְאַתָּה דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֵאמֹר,אַךְ אֶת-שַׁבְּתֹתַי, תִּשְׁמֹרוּ: כִּי אוֹת הִוא בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם, לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם–לָדַעַת, כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם. וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם, אֶת-הַשַּׁבָּת, כִּי קֹדֶשׁ הִוא, לָכֶם; מְחַלְלֶיהָ,… Continue reading Shabbat Duality: The Value of Inaction
Shabbos
A fantastic piece from the Meshech Chochma, R’ Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (bigraphy here). The Pasuk says: וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת כִּי קֹדֶשׁ הִוא לָכֶם מְחַלְלֶיהָ מוֹת יוּמָת כִּי כָּל הָעֹשֶׂה בָהּ מְלָאכָה וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מִקֶּרֶב עַמֶּיהָ – Keep the Sabbath, for it is a sacred thing for you. Those who desecrate it shall be put to death, for… Continue reading Shabbos