Kayla
Ruth bas Chaya Rachel at her sweet teenage years returned her soul to HASHEM
this week.
Mussar is a hard thing to tell a person to check out their deeds
and repent. I learned from great Rabbis and Baalei Mussar but Rabbi Simcha
HaCohain Kuk Shlita and Rabbi Yerachmiel Boyer Shlita. Their Mussar was always
great because they talked to themselves. There was a question in my mind last
week when I wrote the Mussar if it was proper to mention my own faults or not
or would it be an inspiration for others to do so. After all I am not a living
legend but a human being with faults. I received this e-mail which I value very
much that shows I was not a complete fool for doing what I did: b-h
shalom rav i wanted write tell you after reading this weeks parsha you wrote i
was so humbled by it,,,the fact that your a rabbi and so humbly admitted that u
are human and make mistakes was the most awe inspiring thing i have ever
seen,,no rabbi i have ever met has been as humble and truthfull as you,,most
will attempt to show themselves as perfect,,and me and my husband stood up for
hours discussing our faults for the past year and how we could do better
also,,,and how simply put to do the mitzvahs and torah on the issues of the
blessings and curses ,,,i want to thank you rav,,,you are a true inspiration
b-h
Parshiyos Netzavim
I missed writing about last week on mentioning that the Mizbayach
could not be stone hewn with Iron 27:6 Thou
shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of unhewn stones; This week we are closing in on the end the next Parshiyos
are short. Netzavim is written on 40 lines. This
section starts the last Drasha of Moshe Rabbaynu.
29: 9 Ye
are standing this day all of you before the LORD your God: your heads, your
tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the men of Israel,
You are all standing:
[The verse says “this day,” which] teaches us that on the day of his death,
Moses assembled Israel in the presence of the Holy One, Blessed is He, to bring
them into [His] covenant. The leaders of your tribes: Heb. רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, [lit., “your leaders, your tribes,”
referring to two separate entities, which does not make sense here because
“your tribes” includes the leaders. Rather, this means here:] “The leaders of
your tribes.” Your elders and your officers: [We learn from the order in this
verse that] the more distinguished ones were mentioned first, and after this:
“every man of Israel.”
The days of 600,000 fighting men learning Torah in one place would
happen after the conquest of Eretz Yisrael only three times a year if they
could make it. This was everybody so it was important.
Rabbi Mizrachi in his Drasha on “Divine Information” talked about
“You are standing before HASHEM today on Rosh Hashanah”. I found these words
alone a very powerful message.
10 your
little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in the midst of thy camp,
from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water;
There is one thing for a property owner of head of the family to
hew wood or draw water but as a profession these were considered lowly
professions as no skills were needed. We would say perhaps doormen and porters
today.
Both your woodcutters
[and your water drawers]: [The mention of these people separate to the main
community of Israel] teaches us that in the days of Moses, Canaanites came to
convert [to Judaism], just as the Gibeonites came [to convert] in the days of Joshua.
This is the meaning of the verse regarding the Gibeonites, “And they also acted
cunningly…” (Josh. 9:4), [i. e., pretending that they had come from a far away
country. When they were discovered, Joshua made them woodcutters and water
drawers for Israel (see Josh. 9:3-27). Likewise here, the Canaanites attempted
to deceive Moses,. but they did not succeed, and Moses did not accept them to
be Jews. Rather,] Moses made them woodcutters and water drawers [i.e., slaves
for Israel]. — [Tanchuma 2; Yev. 79a; see Rashi Gittin 23b]
11 that
thou should enter into the covenant of the LORD thy God--and into His
oath--which the LORD thy God makes with thee this day;
That you may enter:
Heb. לְעָבְרְךָ. [Meaning,] “That you
may pass through [i.e., enter] the covenant.” One should not understand this
verb [to be in the causative conjugation,] to mean “to cause you to pass
through,” [but rather, the verb is in the simple conjugation, and means that
you yourselves will pass through]. This is similar to the expression, לַעֲשׂתְכֶם, “that you [yourselves] should do them”
(Deut. 4:14). That you may enter into the covenant: [lit.] “that you may pass
through the covenant.” This was the method of those who made covenants: They
would set up a demarcation on one side and a demarcation on the other, and [the
respective parties of the covenant] “passed through” between [these
partitions], as the verse says, “[when] they cut the calf in two and passed
between its parts” (Jer. 34:18).
You are finally going to get the ground to grow your crops and
raise your cattle and sheep.
12 that
He may establish thee this day unto Himself for a people, and that He may be
unto thee a God, as He spoke unto thee, and as He swore unto thy fathers, to
Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
You are about to receive the gifts that were promised to our
forefathers. This s is the changing of leadership from Moshe to Yehoshua and
therefore the Bnei Yisrael are standing in military formation as we do unto
this day when we change commanders in the army.
You are… standing this
day: You have provoked the Omnipresent to anger many times, yet He has not made
an end to you. Indeed, you still exist before Him [“standing… before the
Lord”]. — [Tanchuma 1] This day: [You exist now] Just as this day exists. For
[although] it becomes dark [for a period, nevertheless] it shines [again]. So
too, here, God has made light for you, and He will again make light for you in
the future. And the curses and sufferings preserve you and enable you to stand
before Him [the curses, by preventing you to stray from serving Him, and the
sufferings, by cleansing you of your sins]. Similarly, in the previous parashah
[of Ki Tavo, Moses spoke] words of conciliation, [e.g.,] “You have seen all
that the Lord did…” (Deut. 29:1). Another explanation of…You are… standing:
Because the Israelites were now passing from one leader to the next-i.e., from
[the leadership of] Moses to [that of] Joshua. Therefore, Moses made them stand
[in assembled ranks], in order to encourage them. Joshua did the same [when he
was about to die (Josh. 24:1)]. Also, Samuel [did likewise], when Israel passed
from his leadership to that of Saul, [as the verse says,] “Stand now, and I
will reason with you before the Lord…” (I Sam. 12:7). - [Tanchuma 1]
13
Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; 14 but with him
that stands here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him
that is not here with us this day-- 15 for ye know how we dwelt in the land of
Egypt; and how we came through the midst of the nations through which ye
passed;
For you know: [Verses
15-17 are understood as follows:] Since you saw the idolatrous nations, perhaps
one of you was enticed to follow their ways, and “perhaps there is among you…”
(verse 17), therefore, I must place you under an oath [because you are in this
position of extra susceptibility].
The oath is the Chiddush of Rashi.
16 and ye
have seen their detestable things, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and
gold, which were with them—
You saw their
abominations: Heb. שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם. [Their idols are so
termed] because they are disgusting, like creeping, crawling insects (שְׁקָצִים). Their repugnant idols: Heb. גִּלֻּלֵיהֶם. - [Their idols, thus termed] because they
are putrid and disgusting like dung (גָּלָל)
.Wood and stone: You saw those [idols] made of wood and stone out in the open,
because the heathen [who owned them, did not mind leaving them outside, since
he] did not fear that they would be stolen. [Thus, regarding these idols, the
verse says, “And you saw their… idols… (of) wood and stone.”] However,
[regarding the idols made] of “silver and gold,” they “were with them,” in the
[confines of their private] treasure chambers, because [their heathen owners]
were afraid that these [expensive idols] might be stolen. — [Tanchuma 3]
The same applies to silver statues and pendants that some of the
nations wear around their necks today.
17 lest
there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turns
away this day from the LORD our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations;
lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood; 18 and it
come to pass, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in
his heart, saying: 'I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my
heart--that the watered be swept away with the dry'; 19 the LORD will not be
willing to pardon him, but then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy shall be
kindled against that man, and all the curse that is written in this book shall
lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven; 20 and
the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel,
according to all the curses of the covenant that is written in this book of the
law.
This has occurred in the past and with the coming of the Moshiach
some more folks will be weeded out.
21 And
the generation to come, your children that shall rise up after you, and the
foreigner that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues
of that land, and the sicknesses wherewith the LORD hath made it sick; 22 and
that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and a burning, that it is
not sown, nor bears, nor any grass grows therein, like the overthrow of Sodom
and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger, and in
His wrath; 23 even all the nations shall say 'Wherefore hath the LORD done thus
unto this land? What means the heat of this great anger?'
The famous visit of Samuel Clemens to the Holyland uttered this
type of statement in different words. He did not see a land flowing with milk
and honey. If he had a time machine he would come today he would see a
different sight.
24 then
men shall say: 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their
fathers, which He made with them when He brought them forth out of the land of
Egypt; 25 and went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods that they
knew not, and that He had not allotted unto them; 26 therefore the anger of the
LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curse that is
written in this book; 27 and the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger,
and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it
is this day'.—
And the Lord uprooted
them: Heb. וַיִּתְּשֵׁם ה׳, as rendered by the
Targum: וְטַלְטְלִינוּן, “and He drove them
out.” Similarly, “Behold, I uproot them (נוֹתְשָׁם)
from upon their land” (Jer. 12:14).
28 The
secret things belong unto the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong
unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
The hidden things
belong to the Lord, our God: Now, you might object [to God, saying]: “But what
can we do? You punish the entire community because of the sinful thoughts of an
individual, as Scripture says, ‘Perhaps there is among you a man…’ (verse 17
above), and after this, Scripture continues, ‘Seeing the plagues of that land
[and the diseases with which the Lord struck it]’ (verse 21) [which seems to
indicate that for the sinful thought of even one individual, the whole land
would be struck down with plagues and diseases]. But surely no man can know the
secret thoughts of his fellow [that we could somehow prevent this collective
punishment!” In answer to this, God says:] “I will not punish you for the
hidden things!” [I.e.,] because “[The hidden things] belong to the Lord, our
God,” and He will exact punishment upon that particular individual [who sins in
secret]. However, “the revealed things apply to us and to our children” [that
is, we are responsible for detecting the sins committed openly in our
community, and] to eradicate any evil among us. And if we do not execute
judgment upon these [open transgressions, over which we do have control,], then
the whole community will be punished [because they would be remiss in their
responsibility]. There is a dot placed over [each letter of] the words לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ here, to teach us homiletically that even
for open sins [which were not brought to judgment, God] did not punish the
whole community-until Israel crossed the Jordan. For then, they accepted upon
themselves the oath at Mount Gerizim and Mount Eval, and thereby [formally]
became responsible for one another (Sanh. 43b). [When dots are placed over
letters of the Torah, this denotes an exclusion of some sort. In our context,
our Rabbis teach us that the exclusion refers to the period prior to the
crossing of the Jordan.]
30:1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon
thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt
bethink thyself among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,
2 and shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and hearken to His voice according to
all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul; 3 that then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity,
and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the
peoples, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.
The Lord, your God,
will bring back your exiles: Heb. וְשָׁב,
lit., The Lord, your God, will (Himself) return (with) your exiles. [That is,
the verb שָׁב is in the simple conjugation. Now, since
we understand the verse to mean: “The Lord your God will bring back your
exiles,”] Scripture should have written, וְהֵשִׁיב ה׳ אֶת
שְׁבוּתְךָ [with the verb וְהֵשִׁיב
being in the causative conjugation, meaning “to bring back”]. But [although the
meaning of the verse is indeed, “The Lord, your God, will bring back your
exiles,”] our Rabbis learned from [the simple conjugation of the verb] here
[which alludes to God Himself returning], that the Shechinah resides among
Israel, as it were, in all the misery of their exile, and when the Jews are
redeemed [from their exile], God writes [in Scripture an expression of] redemption
for Himself [to allude to the fact that He has also been redeemed, as it were,]
so that He Himself returns along with Israel’s exiles (Meg. 29a). A further
[lesson] may be learned [from the unusual form of the verb which expresses “to
bring back the exiles”]: The day on which Israel’s exiles will be gathered is
so monumental and [this ingathering] will be such a difficult [procedure, as it
were], that it is as though God Himself must literally take each individual Jew
with His very hands, [taking him] out of his place [in exile. We see] the same
concept [brought up in Scripture,] when the verse says, “And you will be
gathered up, one by one, O children of Israel” (Isa. 27:12). [That verse refers
to the ingathering of Israel’s exiles from Babylon. However,] we find this
[idea] also regarding the [ingathering of] exiles from the other nations, as
the verse says, “And I shall bring back the exiles of Moab (וְשַׁבְתִּי שְׁבוּת מוֹאָב)” (Jer. 48:47).
The barren land and return will happen at the end of
days so we are in exciting times before Moshiach there is still a bit more of a
way to go but we are closing in.
4 If any of you that are dispersed be in the uttermost parts of
heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will He
fetch thee.
One can meet Jews from China, Afghanistan, Albania,
Africa, Australia and places that you can name who have made Aliyah. Places
that Moshe and the Avos never heard of. So we are approaching the time of the
Moshiach.
5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy
fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and He will do thee good, and
multiply thee above thy fathers.
If three million people left Mitzrayim, we now have
about six million Jews and that does not count other tribes outside of Israel
that shall return plus the Jews in the Gallus. So this prophecy is coming true
before our eyes.
6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of
thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
that thou may live.
Meaning DO TESHUVA.
7 And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine
enemies, and on them that hate thee, that persecuted thee. 8 And thou shalt
return and hearken to the voice of the LORD, and do all His commandments which
I command thee this day. 9 And the LORD thy God will make thee over-abundant in
all the work of thy hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy
cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good; for the LORD will again rejoice
over thee for good, as He rejoiced over thy fathers; 10 if thou shalt hearken
to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes
which are written in this book of the law; if thou turn unto the LORD thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. 11 For this commandment which I
command thee this day, it is not too hard for thee, neither is it far off. 12
It is not in heaven, that thou should say: 'Who shall go up for us to heaven,
and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?'
Is not concealed from
you: לֹא-נִפְלֵאת. It is not concealed
from you, just as it is said: כִּי יִפָּלֵא
(Deut. 17:8), [which the Targum renders as:] אֲרִי
יִתְכְּסֵי [lit.,“(If the matter) is concealed”]; similarly, the verse, וַתֵּרֶד פְּלָאִים (Lam. 1:9), [which means,] “she went down
into concealment,” [i.e.,] she was covered and considered [as if] hidden.
13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou should say: 'Who shall
go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we
may do it?' 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy
heart, that thou may do it.
Rather, [this] thing
is very close to you: The Torah was given to you in writing and [accompanied by
an] oral [explanation].
It is in your mouth and heart to do it!
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death
and evil,
HASHEM is giving his advice: Life and good: Each one [life or death,] is
dependent upon the other: If you do good, you will be granted life, while if
you do evil, you will receive death. The verse now proceeds to explain how this
is so [as follows]:
16 in that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to
walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His
ordinances; then thou shalt live and multiply, and the LORD thy God shall bless
thee in the land whither thou go in to possess it.
Pay attention and observe this!
17 But if thy heart turn away, and thou wilt not hear, but shalt be
drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; 18 I declare unto you this
day, that ye shall surely perish; ye shall not prolong your days upon the land,
whither thou pass over the Jordan to go in to possess it. 19 I call heaven and
earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and
death, the blessing and the curse; therefore choose life, that thou may live,
thou and thy seed;
This day, I call upon
the heaven and the earth as witnesses: For the heaven and earth exist for ever,
and when the evil befalls you, they will be witnesses that I had warned you
regarding all of this. Another explanation of “I call upon the heaven and the
earth as witnesses, etc.” : The Holy One, Blessed is He, said to Israel, “Look
at the heavens which I created to serve you. Have they ever changed their ways?
Has the sphere of the sun ever failed to rise from the east to illuminate the
entire world, as it is stated, ‘The sun rises, and the sun sets’ (Ecc. 1:5)?
Look at the earth which I created to serve you. Has it ever changed its ways?
Have you ever sown [in] it that it did not grow? Or have you ever sown wheat
and it yielded barley? Now, they [heaven and earth] were created with neither
reward nor loss in mind-for if they are meritorious [by fulfilling their
purpose for which I created them], they nevertheless do not receive reward [for
this]; and if they sin, they are not punished. And yet [even with this lack of
incentive], they have never changed their ways! So you, who will receive reward
if you are meritorious and who will be punished if you sin-how much more so
[should you fulfill My will]!”- [Sifrei 32:1] You shall choose life: [God says:
“Even though you have free choice, nevertheless,] I instruct you to choose the
portion of life.” It is like a man who says to his son, “Choose for yourself a
fine portion of my estate,” and then directs him to the best portion, saying to
him, “This [is the portion which] you should choose for yourself!” And
regarding this, the verse says, “The Lord is my allotted portion and my cup;
You guide my destiny” (Ps. 16:5). [The last clause, אַתָּה
תּוֹמִיךְ גּוֹרָלִי, literally means “You laid upon my lot.”
That is to say:] “You laid my hand upon the good lot, saying, ‘Take this for
yourself!’”
Woe to the person that violates the covenant of HASHEM
for there will be no place to hide in heaven or earth from the rule of the
inanimate. For HASHEM has many ways to carry out his rewards or punishments.
20 to love the LORD thy God, to hearken to His voice, and to cleave
unto Him; for that is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou may dwell
in the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob, to give them.
This Parsha has given you a recipe of what HASHEM
desires from Am Yisrael. And the conclusion is here with the coming of the
Moshiach to those who follow HIM.
I found this video from Rabbi Yoel Gold Shlita on the FB page of
Johnny A, a potential Ger Tzeddek: How Barak ben Orna started putting on
Tephillin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_kW_h32PA0&feature=youtu.be
Precious Tephillin of Sept. 11, 2001
by Rabbi Y. Tilles http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=928-51
David Miller [not his real name], a pious observant Jew, was at Boston's Logan Airport waiting to board his flight to Los Angeles. It was an important business trip on which much depended, so he had been extra careful to get there on time. Finally he boarded the plane, sat down and watched the doors close.
Suddenly he
remembered that he left his tefillin*in
the terminal boarding area. He politely asked the stewardess if he could go
back and retrieve his tefillin,
which were sitting just a few feet from the gate.
She told
him that once the doors of the plane closed, no one was allowed off the plane.
Not willing to accept this, he asked if he could speak to the pilot to obtain
special permission. Surely the pilot would understand.
But the
pilot did not comply. He simply restated the policy.
David was
not about to let the holy tefillin get lost like that, so, not knowing
what else to do, he started screaming at the top of his lungs, "I am going
to lose my tefillin!- I don't want to lose my tefillin!"
The crew asked him to be quiet, but he refused to stop making a fuss - a rather
loud fuss.
Finally, he
was making such a ruckus that the flight crew told him that they would let him
off the plane, simply because he was a nuisance. But, they told him, even if it
were so that it would only take him about 90 seconds for to run out, grab his tefillin, and run back, they
were not going to wait for him.
No matter.
David was not about to lose his tefillin,
even if it caused him great inconvenience or even if it would cost his business
a severe loss. He left the plane, resigned to not re-board.
The date
was September 11, 2001. The flight was United #175--the second plane to reach
the twin towers of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. David's devotion
to a mitzvah saved his life.
But this is
not just about 'David Miller,' for the consequences of his actions do not end
there. The terrorist’s original plot was for both towers to be struck
simultaneously, in order to maximize the explosive carnage. Later it was learned
that due to his tefillin tumult the takeoff was delayed,
causing a space of 18 minutes between the striking of the two towers. This
delay made it possible for thousands more people to escape alive from both
buildings.
Literally
thousands, if not tens of thousands, of lives were spared because one Jew would
not forsake his precious tefillin.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from the weekly mailing "Shabbos Stories"< keren18>. This true story is documented in "Even in the Darkest Moments" by Zeev Breier.
* Tiny parchment scrolls in small square boxes with straps worn by Jewish men on head and bicep during Morning Prayer.)
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from the weekly mailing "Shabbos Stories"< keren18>. This true story is documented in "Even in the Darkest Moments" by Zeev Breier.
* Tiny parchment scrolls in small square boxes with straps worn by Jewish men on head and bicep during Morning Prayer.)
From The Torah Organization: Halacha Overview by Rabbi Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld
http://www.torah.org/learning/halacha-overview/chapter5.html?print=1
5. Repentance – Teshuva
a) Reward and Punishment
Every
person is free to choose between good and evil ways, as it says “Man has become
like one of us to know good and evil”.1 G-d
does not decree in advance who will be good and who wicked, as it says “Evil
and good do not come out of the mouth of the High One”.2 This
is a great principle of the Torah, as it says “Behold, I have set before you today
life and good, death and evil”, 3 and
it says “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse”4 –
the choice is in your hands. All of a person’s actions are under his control;
nothing compels him. A person is therefore judged according to his actions – if
he does good deeds he is rewarded; if he does evil deeds he is punished.aThe reward that is in store for the righteous is life in the world to come – life that is not accompanied by death, and good that is not accompanied by evil, as it says “In order that it go well with you and your days be long”5 – “in the world that is all good and endlessly long”, 6 i.e. the world to come. The punishment of the wicked is that they do not earn this life but are cut off and die; this is the punishment of “cutting off” referred to by the Torah, as it says “That soul shall surely be cut off” – “cut off in this world, cut off from the world to come”.7,b Those who have no share in the world to come include one who denies the existence or unity of G-d or denies revelation or prophecy or the Torah; one who sins willfully and defiantly or abandons the Torah for another religion or causes many others to sin; one who abandons the community of Israel and conducts himself like one of the nations; one who betrays others; or a leader who rules despotically. All other Israelites, as well as the pious men of other nations, have a share in the world to come after they are punished in accordance with their sins.c
If we observe the Torah with joy we are promised that all obstacles to its observance will be removed; we will receive all the good things of this world and be supported to observe it without having to occupy all our days with our bodily needs. But if we abandon the Torah evil will come upon us and will prevent us from observing it, as it says “Since you did not serve Ha-Shem your G-d in joy and goodness of heart from an abundance of everything, you will serve your enemies that Ha-Shem will send against you”.8 It is this that the Torah means when it promises rewards in this world if we obey and punishments in this world if we do not; but those rewards are not the final reward nor are those punishments the final punishment. It is also for this reason that all Jews yearn for the days of the Messiah, when they will no longer be subordinate to other kingdoms and will be able to occupy themselves properly with the Torah and the commandments in order to earn life in the world to come.d
One should not say “I will fulfill the commandments of the Torah in order to receive all the blessings that are written in it or in order to earn life in the world to come; and I will abstain from transgressions in order to be saved from all the curses that are written in the Torah or in order not to be cut off from life in the world to come”. This is serving Ha-Shem out of fear; but when one’s understanding has grown he can serve out of love.e
b) Repentance
If a person repents and confesses his sins and dies repentant he earns life in the world to come.f Repentance atones for all sins; even if a person is wicked all his life and repents at the end, his wickedness is all forgotten.g A person should always think of himself as about to die so that he will repent immediately.h If a person’s sins are very great or very many so that he deserves to receive punishment, he may be prevented from repenting, as when G-d hardened Pharaoh’s heart 9,I; therefore as long as a person has free choice he should strive to repent.j
The repentant sinner should not think that on account of his sins he is far beneath the righteous. Rather, he is beloved by G-d as though he had never sinned; moreover, his reward is great since he has tasted sin and overcome his inclinations and abandoned it.k Repentance brings one close to G-d, as it says “Return, O Israel, to Ha-Shem your G-d”.10,l Israel will not be redeemed except through repentance, as it says “And when all of these things come upon you... you shall return to Ha-Shem your G-d... and Ha-Shem your G-d will return you from captivity...”.11,m
When a person repents he is required to confess before G-d, as it says “If a man or woman commits any sin... they shall confess their sin that they did”.l2 One who confesses must specify his sin and state that he regrets doing it and will never repeat it, as it says “Let the wicked man abandon his way [...and return to Ha-Shem]”.13,n The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is a time for all to repent and confess, as it says “For on this day He will atone for you [to purify you from all your sins]”.14,o
If a person violates a positive commandment and repents he is immediately forgiven. If he violates a negative commandment and repents, the repentance suspends his punishment and the Day of Atonement atones for it. But if his sin is one which carries the punishment of “cutting off” or the death penalty, repentance and the Day of Atonement only suspend his punishment and he does not have complete atonement until he has borne suffering; and if he desecrated the Name when he sinned, only his death gives him complete atonement.p For sins toward one’s fellow-man one is never forgiven until he has compensated his fellow-man and appeased him.q Certain sins make repentance difficult or impossible; they include causing others to sin (or not preventing them from sinning), sinning with intent to repent later, abandoning the community, deriding the commandments, despising the wise, hating to be rebuked, sinning against an unknown fellow-man (so that it is impossible to appease him), or committing sins that one does not regard as sins or that become fixed habits.r
Sources:
|
1. Gen. 3:22
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a. 5:1-4
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2. Lamentations 3:38
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b. 8:1
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3. Deut. 30:15
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c. 3:5-13
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4. Deut. 11:26
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d. 9:1-2
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5. Deut. 22:7
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e. 10:1
|
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6. Kiddushin 39b, Chulin 142a
(on Deut. 5:16)
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f. 3:14
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7. Num. 15:31
and Sifrei on it
|
g. 2:1
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8. Deut. 28:47-48
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h. 7:2
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9. Ex. 4:21
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i. 6:3
|
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10. Hosea 14:2
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j. 7:1
|
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11. Deut. 30:1-3
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k. 7:4
|
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12. Num. 5:6-7
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l. 7:6
|
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13. Isaiah 55:7
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m. 7:5
|
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14. Lev. 16:30
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n. 1:1, 2:2
|
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o. 2:7 1:3
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p. 1:4
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|
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q. 2:9
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|
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r. 4:1-5
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Halacha Overview,
Copyright © 2015 by Rabbi Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld and Torah.org. The author
is Director of the Center for Automation Research at the University of Maryland
in College Park.
Sophia askes me for the 13 principles of faith before Rosh
Hashanah: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/332555/jewish/Maimonides-13-Principles-of-Faith.htm
No Moshiach in 5775!
Ever Erev Rosh Hashanah on the way to Schul I am saddened that
the Moshiach did not come during the year. It is not that I am violating the
one of the 13 principles above and I do want Moshiach now but I am a retired
engineer and a realist. For the idealist in me loses to the tradition that the
Moshiach will not come Erev Shabbos or Yom Tov so I know that the first
opportunity will be Motzei Rosh Hashanah 5776. My faith is not shaken as it
says in Sanhedrin 96B – 97A that the Moshiach will come Motzei Shmita Year.
However, I see some worrying signs and black anti-Moshiach clouds on the
horizon. A judge ruled that professional soccer aka football is forbidden to be
played on Shabbos according to the law. After two weeks of Shmira, the Minister
in charge of Culture and Sport comes out in favor of a violation of Shabbos.
The Prime Minister is more worried about his Olam HaZeh (place in this world)
to be reelected for the fifth time rather than Am Yisrael or Eretz Yisrael. He
is already planning out loud strategy for the next election cycle. The
anti-religious feeling and the infighting between Modern Orthodox and the
Charedim and the quotas for Ashkenazim and Sephardim Dayanim give HASHEM no
extra delight. In fact it was this factional fighting that destroyed the second
Beit HaMikdash.
But that is if the Moshiach comes if we deserve to bring him
sooner. However, when is the End Of Days? It could very well be
5776 and then is when our punishment expires and the Moshiach can come at last
even if we are down to the depths of the 49th level of Tuma. I am
not giving up hope and I hope that my people will do their personal accounting
and return to G-D on Rosh Hashanah. It is hard to believe that hundreds of
thousands of Jews are flying out of Israel Erev Rosh Hashanah or going to
hotels instead of Synagogues. I am not talking about the hotels with the
Cantors and the women who don’t want to cook. I am not talking about the
thousands of Rebbe Nachman followers who pray at his grave (which I think is
criminal to leave Eretz Yisrael) but those who purposely avoid being in Eretz
HaKodesh and vomit themselves out from the people.
Teshuva, Tephilla and Tzeduka (Repentance, Pray and Charity)
avoid the evil decree. This Rosh Hashanah, pray for your own life, the lives of
your family members, community and Am Yisrael. We are now more than ever under
a nuclear and physical threat. The number of missiles aimed at us is
phenomenal. I can sit calmly in my house and write this but I should be
trembling in front of HASHEM with supplication. We eat honey and apples on Rosh
Hashanah when we should be shaking in our boots whether we will live or die
this coming year. Yet that is what Chazal commanded us to do in our observance.
So we go against our logic and in a great leap of faith we should “We will do
and we will listen (Naaseh V’ Nishma)”. Let us hope and pray that the Moshiach
comes in 5776 not by our merits but by HIS Chessed.
Maybe it
is time for one Chief Rabbi of Israel: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4698922,00.html
Diane on
Missionaries luring Jews still today: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/let-us-dip-our-apple-into-the-honey-and-remind-ourselves-of-the-sweetness-of-judaism/
45 years
ago this week I made Aliyah to Israel and here is another thing that happened
earlier that years a heroic pilot: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4698258,00.html
Phrases
for Rosh Hashanah: http://anglo-list.com/learning-hebrew-401/phonetic-dictionary-of-hebrew-words-a-phrases/rosh-hashanah-words-phrases-terms
Not
politically correct but the truth about African Migration to Europe and Israel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMbgtFLqPWY
Well
known Charedi Couple die on route 17 injuring bride-to-be. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/200443#.Ve7xo_mqqko
Shmita
and money. Did you know that 7 years ago and 14 years ago stocks went down?
Here is the story of the Prozbul to protect your personal loans to the poor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prozbul
Sandstorms
in Israel: Everybody knows that when the ladies clean for dust for Pessach and
the men clean their cars, there is always a sandstorm from the southwest that
ruins things. But never in the fall since the weather service began recording
or traditions of the Jews of Yerushalayim. However the main scientific cause
why a sandstorm came from the northeast (Syria and Iraq) at this time. Last
week my wife cleaned her car and on Sunday drove mine to be cleaned. The later
upset the balance of heaven and earth and brought on this strange weather. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4698683,00.html Seriously this is a health danger already the
number passed 450 people treated. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/200462
I doubt
this will be end of Debbie Wasserman Schultz as my voting district is
gerrymandered beyond all recognition: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/200449#.Ve-kovmqqko
Tourist
collapses at Yad Vashem and is saved by CPR. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4699726,00.html
Inyanay Diyoma
Arab arms
smugglers for more terrorist attacks most likely weapons stolen from army
bases: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/200313#.Vem2l_mqqko
From
Martin Sherman: The Iran deal is more shameful than Munich: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Into-The-Fray-The-Iran-deal-More-shameful-than-Munich-415193
Pelosi is
behind the Democrats wearing down on the Iran Deal which they did not read: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/200359#.VexN4DYViM8
From
Aharon HaCohain senior Hamas Leader drowns during Hamas Seals training: http://www.0404.co.il/post/Article1441531094.html
Playing
nuclear chess at the bazaar: http://debka.com/article/24868/The-nuclear-chess-game-begins-Iran-plays-for-sanctions-relief-before-compliance-with-deal
Snatching
a homicide bomber’s body before the Israelis neutralize him can be risky: https://www.facebook.com/rvenkata18/videos/vb.100001243638341/785288571522590/?type=2&theater
When I
was a child in the USA freedom of religion was supreme in the land but not any
more Jews be wary! : http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/200382#.Ve0EXjYViM8
My tax
dollars at work with this Viet Congress woman: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/200379
Gives
them now 12 to 13 seconds to find shelter: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/200386#.Ve06VjYViM8
Four
guilty parties or more to the tragedy called Syria and the Refugee Crisis. http://debka.com/article/24871/Four-parties-caused-Syria’s-genocidal-calamity-Should-Israel-get-involved-
From
Steven: Lockheed afraid of IAI doing the improvements cheaper and better: http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/lockheed-worried-about-idf-unauthorized-modifications-in-f-35/2015/09/06/
The
Syrian Druze have backed Assad and are not the Sunni Muslims of ISIS so they are
in big trouble. http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-Threat/Syrian-Druse-stand-between-ISIS-and-Israeli-border-Druse-sheikh-warns-415445
Kerry
tells Russia to calm down and Putin signals bug off: http://debka.com/article/24873/Russian-submarine-with-20-ICBMs-and-200-nuclear-warheads-is-sailing-to-Syria
This was
prior to a 0-0 Football Match in Wales: https://www.facebook.com/398799110143354/videos/971383682884891/?fref=nf
From
Nofyah: Help fund ICBM’s that can Nuke the USA support the Iranian Deal: http://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-killstarter-a-deadly-satire/
Dick and
Liz Cheney on Iran Deal: http://video.foxnews.com/v/4467621201001/exclusive-dick-cheney-liz-cheney-warn-against-iran-deal/?intcmp=hpvid1#sp=show-clips
According to Statistics the population of Israel both Jews and
non-Jews is now 8,412,000 which has just about tripled since I made Aliyah 45
years ago when it was 2,849,000 and the tripling should occur next year!
Israeli
Firefighters under attack in East Yerushalayim: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4698898,00.html
The
Malbim wrote before WWI the commentary on Daniel. He writes about Europe =
Christianity and the Muslims at the end of days. It is normal to be called a
dirty Jew in Holland: http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Chief-Dutch-Rabbi-lauds-solidarity-campaign-calling-on-non-Jews-to-don-Jewish-symbols-396830 http://www.israelandstuff.com/years-after-condemning-israel-european-countries-now-seek-similar-border-fence
Sodom is
not only near the little town of Zohar by the Dead Sea but in main street USA: http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/09/while-kim-davis-was-illegally-put-in-jail-obama-did-this/#VzOd7d5wHG2ild34.01
Russia
flies troops via Iran to Syria: http://debka.com/article/24875/Russia-eludes-US-ban-on-NATO-airspace-by-roundabout-route-to-Syria-via-Iraq-and-Iran-
There is
more than just religiously that I am against the liberal forms of Judaism. http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran/19-of-28-US-Jewish-lawmakers-back-the-Iran-nuclear-deal-415804
Israeli
dies in a botched kidnapping in Nigeria: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4699453,00.html
Two
arrested in brutal anti-Semitic assault. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/200541
Russians
and Iranians side by side in Syria: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/200567#.VfHRdfmqqko
Iranian and Russian troops patrolling Syria together: http://debka.com/article/24883/First-Iranian-marines-land-in-Syria-link-up-with-newly-arrived-Russian-troops
A healthy, happy, wonderful, joyful, beautiful, successful,
fruitful, peaceful, blessed and Torah filled New Year to all,
Rachamim Pauli
