Editorial: Fear of HASHEM
When we do not
worship, follow, or have fear of Hashem, then we are subject to the alien
nations, who will rule and terrorize us. People in Israel need to
honor the Sabbath, keep kosher, and follow the commandments in the Torah.
ALL males should wear their Tallit AND TEFILLIN from the time they arise
until they go to bed. They should carry a large, heavy walking stick
which they can use to defend themselves, and carry a firearm. Then the
Arabs will fear us. When we do not respect Hashem, and ourselves as Jews,
they will no respect us. It all starts at home! - Dr. Harry However, Shlomo HaMelech writes in Tehillim
127:1: 1 A Song of Ascents; of Solomon. Except
the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the LORD
keep the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.
So sticks and clubs are useless. RP
Miracle: The terror attack saved the life of a father of five. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203273#.VkQZtfkrKM8
Parsha Toldos
The first part of this week’s Parsha takes place in Avraham’s life
time. It is for the mourning period that Yacov was cooking the lentils. This
week starts out when Avraham is 159 or 160 and Yitzchak is becoming prominent.
He is taking over from Avraham. The children of Ketura have been sent away and
Yishmael is down with his family around Egypt. We see that at the end of Parsha
when Yitzchak is over 123 that Esav looks for a Shidduch with a daughter of
Yishmael who had to be given in marriage by her brother for Yishmael was 14
years older than Yitzchak and died at the age of 137 so add 14 to 123 and the
math works out quite well.
25:19 And
these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begot Isaac. 20 And
Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the
Aramean, of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21
And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD
let Himself be entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the
children struggled together within her; and she said: 'If it be so, wherefore
do I live?' And she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said unto her:
Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy
bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the
elder shall serve the younger. 24 And when her days to be delivered were
fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
Finally at the age of 160, Avraham enjoys grandchildren from
Yitzchak. For it is with Yitzchak that his seed will be called.
25 And
the first came forth ruddy, all over like a hairy mantle; and they called his
name Esau. 26 And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on
Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old
when she bore them. 27 And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man
of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved
Esau, because he did eat of his venison; and Rebekah loved Jacob.
The mother is a better judge of character than the father. She
observes with more patience how the children interact and behave. Esav is
cunning not only as a hunter in deceiving his father. While Yacov is simpler
and what you see is what you get with the exception when he followed his
mother’s orders.
29 And
Jacob sod pottage; and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint. 30 And
Esau said to Jacob: 'Let me swallow, I pray thee, some of this red, red
pottage; for I am faint.' Therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob
said: 'Sell me first thy birthright.' 32 And Esau said: 'Behold, I am at the
point to die; and what profit shall the birthright do to me?' 33 And Jacob
said: 'Swear to me first'; and he swore unto him; and he sold his birthright
unto Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat
and drink, and rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
At this contract Esav sold Yacov also his Olam HaBa
while Yacov gave Esav rule of Olam HaZeh. It is a nice Medrash that Esav is not interested in the next world and
Yacov not interested in this but some of this world is necessary to live and
earn the next and some of the things done in this world do give a person
something in the next world. The honoring of Yitzchak merited Esav some place
in the next. As much as the Medrash says that on the day the Avraham died, Esav
murdered Nimrod, raped an engaged woman, committed adultery and two other sins
we have only hints at his personality in the Pshat especially Parsha Vayishlach
and this planned vengeance at the end of this Parsha. He was not Tzaddik and
despised his birthright and Torah but there is not 100% proof from the Chumash
that he was a complete Rasha. In fact another Medrash says that when he tried
to block the burial of Yacov the son of Dan decapitated his body in front of
the Machpelah and his head rolled into the cave meaning that the body sinned
but still there was some good in his head.
26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine
that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the
Philistines unto Gerar. 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said: 'Go not
down unto Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of. 3 Sojourn in
this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and
unto thy seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which
I swore unto Abraham thy father; 4 and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of
heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these lands; and by thy seed shall all
the nations of the earth bless themselves; 5 because that Abraham hearkened to
My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.' 6 And
Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
Yitzchak was a Korban on the Mizbayach during the
Akeda, he was too holy to go outside of Eretz Yisrael. So famine or no famine,
he had to go to a place where there was a possibility of having wells and water
to live by.
7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said: 'She
is my sister'; for he feared to say: 'My wife'; 'lest the men of the place
should kill me for Rebekah, because she is fair to look upon.' 8 And it came to
pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the
Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting
with Rebekah his wife.
Either he peeped into the house or Yitzchak was hugging
Rivka in his yard and realized that this was not a brother-sister relationship.
9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said: 'Behold, of a surety she is
thy wife; and how can you say: ‘She is my sister?' And Isaac said unto him:
'Because I said: Lest I die because of her.' 10 And Abimelech said: 'What is
this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might easily have lain with thy
wife, and thou would have brought guiltiness upon us.'
My wife told me stories that if Saddam Hussein looked
at a wife of one of his generals at a military party, that the general would
divorce his wife immediately. There was no fear of G-D with Saddam and Yitzchak
saw that in the Plishtine area. These idol worshippers would do anything or
everything they could get away with.
11 And Abimelech charged all the people, saying: 'He that touches
this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.' 12 And Isaac sowed in that
land, and found in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. 13
And the man waxed great, and grew more and more until he became very great. 14
And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great
household; and the Philistines envied him. 15 Now all the wells which his father's
servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped
them, and filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac: 'Go from
us; for thou art much mightier than we.' 17 And Isaac departed thence, and
encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells
of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father; for the
Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham; and he called their
names after the names by which his father had called them. 19 And Isaac's
servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of living water. 20 And the
herdmen of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdmen, saying: 'The water is ours.' And
he called the name of the well Esek; because they contended with him. 21 And
they dug another well, and they strove for that also. And he called the name of
it Sitnah. 22 And he removed from thence, and dug another well; and for that
they strove not. And he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said: 'For now
the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.'
No fear of G-D in the place led to these robberies and
they were many. It is like the 70 or 190 some odd nations today that persecute
us. They like to stab Jews with a knife and twist for although J. Pollard was
the Tzaddik HaDor, after 30 years he has to wait 5 more before going to Israel.
ON THAT DAY the nations of the world will be judged and it just might be too
pleasant for too many.
23 And he went up from thence to Beer-Sheba. 24 And the LORD
appeared unto him the same night, and said: 'I am the God of Abraham thy
father. Fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy
seed for My servant Abraham's sake.' 25 And he built an altar there, and called
upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's
servants dug a well. 26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his
friend, and Phicol the captain of his host. 27 And Isaac said unto them:
'Wherefore are ye come unto me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from
you?' 28 And they said: 'We saw plainly that the LORD was with thee; and we
said: Let there now be an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us
make a covenant with thee; 29 that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not
touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent
thee away in peace; thou art now the blessed of the LORD.' 30 And he made them
a feast, and they did eat and drink. 31 And they rose up betimes in the
morning, and swore one to another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed
from him in peace. 32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants
came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said unto him:
'We have found water.' 33 And he called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the
city is Beer-Sheba unto this day.
After the Jews left Spain they were raking in wealth
from the newly discovered lands but their power waned. The same thing happened
in England when Edward 1 expelled the Jews. They were brought back because the
pretext was that the Moshiach could not come if there were no Jews in England.
However, the fact of the matter is that trade and revenue declined without the
Jews and the same thing happened when the Jews were expelled from Prague.
34 And when Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judith the
daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
35 And they were a bitterness of spirit unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
Some Jews today in the States think that religion is
archaic and one can eat anything and marry a non-Jew. Yitzchak’s favorite son married
one and look how he felt at the age of 100 when he should have been looking
forward to grandchildren.
27:1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was
old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder
son, and said unto him: 'My son'; and he said unto him: 'Here am I.'
Were too dim: Because
of the smoke of these [wives of Esau] (who would burn [incense] to the idols)
(Tanchuma, Toledoth 8; Pesiktha Rabbathi 12). Another explanation: When Isaac
was bound on the altar, and his father was about to slaughter him, the heavens
opened, and the ministering angels saw and wept, and their tears fell upon
Isaac’s eyes. As a result, his eyes became dim (Gen. Rabbah 65:6). A third
explanation: to enable Jacob to take the blessings (Gen. Rabbah 65:8).
2 And he said: 'Behold now, I am old, I know
not the day of my death. 3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy
quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison; 4 and make me
savoury food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul
may bless thee before I die.'
Although the Medrash would like us
to believe that the Avos ate only Kosher Slaughtered food they were Bnei Noach
and hunting with a bow and arrow was good enough. Or if you want to say that he
was such a good shot it was like a dart gun or only a slight injury to the foot
and then he slaughtered the animal but Pshat is Pshat an although I can find a
way to make the whole act kosher, still let us be realistic and true to what is
written.
5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau
his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
To hunt game, to bring: What is the meaning of “to bring” ? If he
would not find game, he intended to bring [meat] from stolen [animals]. - [from
Gen. Rabbah 65:13]
6 And Rebekah spoke unto Jacob her son, saying:
'Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying: 7 Bring me
venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless thee before the
LORD before my death. 8 Now therefore, my son, hearken to my voice according to
that which I command thee.
The woman of the house is cleverer
in this world than the man. She saw Esav as he was and Yacov as he was so she
ordered Yacov to get what he rightfully deserved to establish the chosen
people. Rivka was known for her Chessed and Esav was cruel (Achzar) which is the opposite of mercy.
9 Go now
to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will
make them savory food for thy father, such as he loves; 10 and thou shalt bring
it to thy father, that he may eat, so that he may bless thee before his death.'
11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother: 'Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy
man, and I am a smooth man. 12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall
seem to him as a mocker; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a
blessing.' 13 And his mother said unto him: 'Upon me be thy curse, my son; only
hearken to my voice, and go fetch me them.' 14 And he went, and fetched, and
brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory food, such as his father
loved.
Yacov
did not want to deceive Yitzchak but this was a command from his mother.
This
section deals with how Rivka and Yacov turn around Yitzchak’s will into HASHEM’s
will. Man proposes but G-D disposes and when Yitzchak realized what happened he
realized if was from HASHEM and it was a wonder in his eyes who were opened up
from dimness to enlightenment of heaven.
41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing
wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart: 'Let the days of
mourning for my father be at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.' 42 And
the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called
Jacob her younger son, and said unto him: 'Behold, thy brother Esau, as
touching thee, did comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. 43 Now therefore,
my son, hearken to my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
44 and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; 45 until
thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast
done to him; then I will send, and fetch thee from thence; why should I be bereaved
of you both in one day?'
Why
should I be bereft: Heb. אֶשְׁכַּל. I will be bereft of
both of you. [This teaches that] one who buries his children is called שָׁכוּל, bereft. And so, concerning Jacob, it is
said (below 43:14):“As I am bereft (שָׁכֹלְתִּי),
I shall be bereft (שָׁכָלְתּי).” Of both of you: If
he rises up against you and you kill him, his sons will rise up and kill you.
And the Divine Spirit poured itself upon her and she prophesied that they would
die on the same day, as is delineated in the chapter entitled הַמְּקַנֵּא לְאִשְׁתּוֹ (Sotah 13a).
Being born twins can have the same
Mazel. During the Yom Kippur War, two brothers were on the front one died so
the other was ordered to go home for the funeral. While waiting to be flown
home, a shell came and killed him. Rivka was afraid of this fate.
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac: 'I am weary of my
life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of
Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do
me?'
This is Rivka’s excuse for sending
Yacov away and Esav does some Teshuva and marries the daughter of Yishmael for
some Yichus to give pleasure to his parents. (Some pleasure! But better than
the others)
28:1 And
Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him: 'Thou
shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram,
to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence
of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. 3 And God Almighty bless thee,
and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a congregation
of peoples; 4 and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed
with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave
unto Abraham.' 5 And Isaac sent away Jacob; and he went to Paddan-aram unto
Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's
mother. 6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to
Paddan-aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave
him a charge, saying: 'Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan';
7 and that Jacob hearkened to his father and his mother, and was gone to
Paddan-aram; 8 and Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his
father; 9 so Esau went unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives that he had
Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be
his wife.
Her brother gave her away in marriage as Yishmael had passed away.
Do You Sleep During the
Sermon? (Time is not money it is life) By Rabbi Y. Y. Jacobson Shlita
Churchill Sleeping
They tell this story about Winston Churchill. As Savior of the free world he felt himself entitled to grab a little shuteye (“schlof”, or nap) in the House of Commons. When a fellow Parliament member approached him and said “Must you fall asleep when I am speaking?” Churchill answered, “No, it is purely voluntary.”
The Lubavitcher Rebbe once noticed people sleeping during a public “farbrengen” address. He said that he takes some comfort in the story of the Midrash, to be discussed below, that Rabbi Akiva once noticed his students were falling asleep in his class. If one can fall asleep on Rabbi Akiva, the greatest authority on the entire Oral Tradition of Torah, who are we to complain?
Alas, it seems, Jews have been sleeping through sermons from the days of yore. Nothing has changed.
Rabbi Akiva’s Class
Says the Midrash:
מדרש רבה בראשית נח, ג: רבי עקיבא היה יושב ודורש והצבור מתנמנם. בקש לעוררן. אמר מה ראתה אסתר שתמלוך על קכ"ז מדינה? אלא תבוא אסתר שהיא בת בתה של שרה שחיתה קכ"ז שנה ותמלוך על קכ"ז מדינה
.
Once, as Rabbi Akiva taught a class, he noticed that the audience began falling asleep. He wished to awaken them. Rabbi Akiva interrupted his lecture and said:
Why did Esther, the queen of Achasverosh, the Monarch of the Persian Empire, decide to reign over 127 countries? Because Esther was a granddaughter of Sarah who lived for 127 years. Let the granddaughter of Sarah, who lived for 127 years, come and reign over 127 countries.
This is how Rabbi Akiva got the audience to wake up.
This is so strange of a story. It evokes a number of questions. We will discuss one.
Why did Rabbi Akiva choose this particular insights—from all the endless idea he could have shared—as the way of waking up his drowsy crowd? And why did he think that this statement would awake them? It does not seem to be such a humorous, dramatic or exhilarating statement as to awake a Jewish audience from their sleep during the Rabbi’s sermon? I mean, we all know that the get a Jew out of his slumber during a Rabbi’s sermon, is a unique skill, unheard of as of yet in the annals of Jewish history! [At least I can speak for myself: In my years as a Rabbi I am still trying to master this skill, but to no avail.]
Cherish the Second
The question was answered by the first Rebbe of Ger, the Chedushei Harim (Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, 1799–1866), in a rather creative way.
Through this observation, Rabbi Akiva gently reprimanded his students for sleeping through the class. If Esther reigned over 127 countries, or provinces, in the large Persian Empire, corresponding to Sarah’s 127 years of life, it follows that for each year of Sarah’s life, Esther was granted kingship over an entire province or country. It follows then, that for each month of her life, she was given the gift of kingship over an entire city (a country contains at least 12 cities.) It follows then, that for each week of her life, she was rewarded with a town (a city has at least four towns). This would mean that for each day of her life she was rewarded with a neighborhood or section of the town. If we break it down even further, we will find that for every second of her life, she was rewarded with an entire block, over which her descendant, Queen Ester, ruled!
Rabbi Akiva thus sought to impress upon his students the value, potential and significance of every moment of life. Sarah received immense reward for each and every second of her life, because she devoted all her time and energy to living an honest, meaningful and good life. This was the subtle message that Rabbi Akiva, in his pedagogical brilliance, conveyed to his sleepy students. We cannot squander such a valuable resource as a time—not even a minute! Each moment is precious and laden with great potential.
The Gift of Time
Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400.00, carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day.
What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!
Well, everyone has such a bank. It's name is time. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.
It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you.
If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no going back. There is no drawing against the tomorrow.
You must live in the present on today's deposits.
Time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the ‘present.’
As the saying goes, to realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident. To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
What Time Is It?
You know the story of the man who came to the therapist for a very serious problem.
“How can I help you?” asks the therapist.
Yes, says the patient. Please tell me what time is it?
Therapist: Three o'clock.
Patient: Oh, no! G-d help me.
Therapist: What's the matter?
Patient: I've been asking the time all day. And everybody gives me a different answer!...
The Murderous Teacher
Aristotle once asked his students: Who is the greatest teacher who kills all of his students?
The answer: Time!
Time Is Life
The Lubavitcher Rebbe once told my late father, Mr. Gershon Jacobson: “The world says, ‘Time is money;’ I say ‘Time is life!’”
This is what Rabbi Akiva was telling his students: Don’t sleep through your life. If you are sleeping in my class, you are sleeping through life. Look at Sarah and see what she accomplished with one minute.
___________________________________
[1] See Sichas Motzaei Shabbos Beshalach, 11 Shevat, 5724. Cf. Sichas Yud Shevat 5714 (then he quoted another Midrash about the anecdote Rabbi Yehuda Hanasie said when people were sleeping during his lecture.)
[2] Midrash Rabah Bereishit 58:3. Yalkut Shemoni Parshas Chayei Sarah section 102.
[3] At a private audience (yechidos), Rosh Chodesh Iyar 5744 (1984.)
Says the Midrash:
מדרש רבה בראשית נח, ג: רבי עקיבא היה יושב ודורש והצבור מתנמנם. בקש לעוררן. אמר מה ראתה אסתר שתמלוך על קכ"ז מדינה? אלא תבוא אסתר שהיא בת בתה של שרה שחיתה קכ"ז שנה ותמלוך על קכ"ז מדינה
.
Once, as Rabbi Akiva taught a class, he noticed that the audience began falling asleep. He wished to awaken them. Rabbi Akiva interrupted his lecture and said:
Why did Esther, the queen of Achasverosh, the Monarch of the Persian Empire, decide to reign over 127 countries? Because Esther was a granddaughter of Sarah who lived for 127 years. Let the granddaughter of Sarah, who lived for 127 years, come and reign over 127 countries.
This is how Rabbi Akiva got the audience to wake up.
This is so strange of a story. It evokes a number of questions. We will discuss one.
Why did Rabbi Akiva choose this particular insights—from all the endless idea he could have shared—as the way of waking up his drowsy crowd? And why did he think that this statement would awake them? It does not seem to be such a humorous, dramatic or exhilarating statement as to awake a Jewish audience from their sleep during the Rabbi’s sermon? I mean, we all know that the get a Jew out of his slumber during a Rabbi’s sermon, is a unique skill, unheard of as of yet in the annals of Jewish history! [At least I can speak for myself: In my years as a Rabbi I am still trying to master this skill, but to no avail.]
Cherish the Second
The question was answered by the first Rebbe of Ger, the Chedushei Harim (Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, 1799–1866), in a rather creative way.
Through this observation, Rabbi Akiva gently reprimanded his students for sleeping through the class. If Esther reigned over 127 countries, or provinces, in the large Persian Empire, corresponding to Sarah’s 127 years of life, it follows that for each year of Sarah’s life, Esther was granted kingship over an entire province or country. It follows then, that for each month of her life, she was given the gift of kingship over an entire city (a country contains at least 12 cities.) It follows then, that for each week of her life, she was rewarded with a town (a city has at least four towns). This would mean that for each day of her life she was rewarded with a neighborhood or section of the town. If we break it down even further, we will find that for every second of her life, she was rewarded with an entire block, over which her descendant, Queen Ester, ruled!
Rabbi Akiva thus sought to impress upon his students the value, potential and significance of every moment of life. Sarah received immense reward for each and every second of her life, because she devoted all her time and energy to living an honest, meaningful and good life. This was the subtle message that Rabbi Akiva, in his pedagogical brilliance, conveyed to his sleepy students. We cannot squander such a valuable resource as a time—not even a minute! Each moment is precious and laden with great potential.
The Gift of Time
Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400.00, carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day.
What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!
Well, everyone has such a bank. It's name is time. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.
It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you.
If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no going back. There is no drawing against the tomorrow.
You must live in the present on today's deposits.
Time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the ‘present.’
As the saying goes, to realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident. To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
What Time Is It?
You know the story of the man who came to the therapist for a very serious problem.
“How can I help you?” asks the therapist.
Yes, says the patient. Please tell me what time is it?
Therapist: Three o'clock.
Patient: Oh, no! G-d help me.
Therapist: What's the matter?
Patient: I've been asking the time all day. And everybody gives me a different answer!...
The Murderous Teacher
Aristotle once asked his students: Who is the greatest teacher who kills all of his students?
The answer: Time!
Time Is Life
The Lubavitcher Rebbe once told my late father, Mr. Gershon Jacobson: “The world says, ‘Time is money;’ I say ‘Time is life!’”
This is what Rabbi Akiva was telling his students: Don’t sleep through your life. If you are sleeping in my class, you are sleeping through life. Look at Sarah and see what she accomplished with one minute.
___________________________________
[1] See Sichas Motzaei Shabbos Beshalach, 11 Shevat, 5724. Cf. Sichas Yud Shevat 5714 (then he quoted another Midrash about the anecdote Rabbi Yehuda Hanasie said when people were sleeping during his lecture.)
[2] Midrash Rabah Bereishit 58:3. Yalkut Shemoni Parshas Chayei Sarah section 102.
[3] At a private audience (yechidos), Rosh Chodesh Iyar 5744 (1984.)
New on-line Talmud course for beginners: http://www.chabad.org/tools/feedback_cdo/aid/3123755/jewish/Talmud-101.htm
Sixty Thousand Descendants by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=937-09
Rabbi Levi
Yitzchak of Berditchev, the great Chasidic master, recounted the following
episode at his grandson's circumcision celebration:
"This morning I
arose very early to prepare myself to perform the brit mila (circumcision)
of my dear grandchild. At daybreak I opened the window and saw a penetrating
darkness in the heavens. As I wondered about the blackness before my eyes, it
was made known to me that this very day the holy tzadik (righteous
person), Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib of Sassov, had passed away.
"As I mourned
the loss of that prince of Israel, I heard a voice cry out: 'Make way for Rabbi
Moshe Yehuda Leib!'
"When the
Sassover entered the celestial realms, the tzadikim and chasidim formed
a joyous circle around him. Suddenly, Rabbi Moshe heard a voice reaching from
one end of the world to the other. Intrigued, he began following it until he
found himself at the gates of Gehinnom(Purgatory).
"Without
waiting for permission, Rabbi Moshe entered Gehinnom. The guards
saw him walking back and forth as if looking for somebody. They were certain
that he had come there by mistake and they politely asked him to ascend to his
proper place in Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden).
"Rabbi Moshe
said nothing. The guards repeated their request, but he remained silent and did
not move. They didn't know whether to drive him out or permit him to remain.
They decided to confer with the Heavenly Court, but even it was puzzled. Never
had a tzadik descended intoGehinnom of his own
desire. Rabbi Moshe was summoned before the Throne of Glory where he made his
request known.
"Rabbi Moshe
began, 'Master of the World, You know how great is the mitzvah of
redeeming captives. I have occupied myself with this commandment my entire
life, and I have never differentiated between wicked captives and righteous
captives. All were equally beloved by me, and I had no peace until I had
succeeded in freeing them. Now that I have entered the World of Truth, I find
that there are many captives here, too. I wish to fulfill this mitzvah here,
as well.
"'I will not
leave Gehinnom until I have fulfilled this mitzvah.
So dear are Your commandments to me that I have observed them no matter what the
place or time or penalty might be. If I cannot bring these wretched souls to
freedom, I would rather remain with them in the fires ofGehinnom than
to sit with the righteous and bask in the light of the Divine Presence!'
"Rabbi Moshe's
words flew before the Throne of Glory, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, uttered
the decision: 'Great are the tzadikim who are ready to
relinquish their share in Gan Eden for the sake of others. In
that merit, let it be calculated how many people Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib redeemed
during his lifetime, both they and their children, and their children's
children until the end of time. That number he may redeem here, also.'
"The Book of
Records was immediately brought, opened and read. The names of all those who
had been redeemed by Rabbi Moshe were counted and their direct descendents. The
final figure was 60,000 souls, the number that could now be released from Gehinnom to Gan
Eden.
"Rabbi Moshe
began to walk through Gehinnom, looking into countless pits and
caves where he found souls who had suffered for a long time. One by one he
gathered them and when he was finished, he found their number to be exactly
60,000. Column after column emerged fromGehinnom, marching with him at
their head, until they arrived at Gan Eden.
"When all 60,000
souls had entered, the gates were closed."
After recounting
this story, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak instructed to name his little grandson Moshe
Yehuda Leib and blessed him to grow up to emulate the holy tzadik, Rabbi Moshe
Yehuda Leib of Sassov.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the version that was first printed in The Crown of Creation by Chana Weisberg (Mosaic Press).
Source: Adapted and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the version that was first printed in The Crown of Creation by Chana Weisberg (Mosaic Press).
Biographic notes:
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak (Deberamdiger) of Berditchev (1740-25 Tishrei 1809) is one of the most popular rebbes in chasidic history. He was a close disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch. He is best known for his love for every Jew and his active efforts to intercede for them against (seemingly) adverse heavenly decrees. Many of his teachings are contained in the posthumously published, Kedushat Levi
.
Rabbi Moshe-Leib of Sassov (1745 - 4 Shvat 1807) was the leading disciple of Reb Shmelke of Nicholsburg. He also received from the Maggid of Mezritch and from Rabbi Elimelech of Lyzhinsk. Subsequently a Rebbe in his own right with many followers, he was famous primarily for his love of his fellow Jews and his creative musical talent. His teachings are contained in the books, Likutei RaMal, Toras ReMaL Hashalem, and Chidushei RaMal.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak (Deberamdiger) of Berditchev (1740-25 Tishrei 1809) is one of the most popular rebbes in chasidic history. He was a close disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch. He is best known for his love for every Jew and his active efforts to intercede for them against (seemingly) adverse heavenly decrees. Many of his teachings are contained in the posthumously published, Kedushat Levi
.
Rabbi Moshe-Leib of Sassov (1745 - 4 Shvat 1807) was the leading disciple of Reb Shmelke of Nicholsburg. He also received from the Maggid of Mezritch and from Rabbi Elimelech of Lyzhinsk. Subsequently a Rebbe in his own right with many followers, he was famous primarily for his love of his fellow Jews and his creative musical talent. His teachings are contained in the books, Likutei RaMal, Toras ReMaL Hashalem, and Chidushei RaMal.
Connection: The weekly reading,
Toldot, begins, "These are the offspring…."
This week was the Yahrzeit of my mother already 9 years without
Charlotte Jacqueline bas Yosef HaLevi. She grew up in a dirt poor working class
family during the depression she started working at $12 a week marrying my
father who got off the boat after fleeing Austria-Bavaria with just a few
dollars to get by with. They taught me sweat and tears. When I got married I
did not get much from my mother and living in Israel she gave me a little help
for the first years. What she earned and I inherited at the end was with hard
steady work. On her passing and a number of years before that, my children and
I enjoyed the fruits of her labor but not in the beginning. I saw the following
post on FB that threw me for a loop. What is this generation coming to? I
enjoyed some of the answers. Perhaps I was a bit diplomatic but that is my only
way to influence this person.
I'm
for big government and for a social welfare system. I want the same services as
the rest of the developed world. Universal education and universal health care
is a right and we have a right to demand what belongs to us as citizens. I will
tell all you racist bigoted right wing people, kiss my ass and go screw
yourselves. I'm a for social welfare and to look after the poor, the working
class people and the citizens of our country. I want a welfare state.
Reply 1 I’m a right wing I’m not racist 2 hat
all sounds so great Mr....just make sure u have enough people working so as
to cover the expenditures. 3 Bernie Sanders 4 You know what belongs to you???
Whatever YOU work for!!! It is not the tax payers or government’s
responsibility to Feed you, clothe you, educate you, or medicate you. IT IS
YOURS!!!!!!! Grow up, Mr... Time
to put your big boy pants on... Stop constantly complaining and start
contributing!!!!!
Screw
the capitalist system and the selfish racist bigoted intolerant people. I want
the rich to pay and give the workers respect and dignity
5 Why don't YOU get off your ass and get a job??
Without capitalism you can't get welfare because there would be no money....
It's the rich who employ people and give them jobs... Btw the ONLY RACIST and
BIGOT is you!!!! You need to stop
walking around like someone owes
you.. No one owes you.. We all work hard to have what we have... We made the
choice to work not sit in the corner and bitch and complain about everything.
6 My reply was: People
became rich by busting their britches. The Torah tells us that Avraham worked
hard serving the Angels. He was rich had servants but did the work himself.
Those who understand will understand.
7 You are talking
nonsense 8 Be careful what you wish for! Eventually he realized that he
angered a lot of people so removed the post.
Stiffed
necked people who believe in G-D. Ignore the last section with the NT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW2DnE38gdI
Flooding
in Ashkelon: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Heavy-rain-swamps-Ashkelon-causing-road-to-collapse-432464
This may
be the Israeli record with about 93 mm of rain or 3.66 inches in one hour.
Ashkelon being on a plain made it flood.
Daring
rescue story by the Jewish Agency in Syria earlier this year. I do not agree
fully with the second half of the article http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203045#.Vj5NSfkrKM8
Four
Minute talk in French with translation into English and Hebrew thanks to Meir K
the Holocaust Chocolate. https://www.facebook.com/sarit.shatz/videos/10153662296529169/
Vogue
Magazine Orthodox Styles can be sexy: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4723717,00.html
Inyanay Diyoma
Friday: Earlier
in the day a female terrorist was shot and Abu Mazen’s men broke up a
demonstration from Gaza there were attempts at infiltration. 40 stabbed and
attacker fled. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203027 and more http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203039#.Vj5HwvkrKM8
From Dr.
Harry: Drugged into Oblivion our current state of affairs: http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/drugged-into-oblivion-nearly-60-percent-of-all-u-s-adults-are-on-prescription-drugs
Arab
snipper apprehended by the IDF one more still out there. Also the famed Chevron
snipper is still on the loose. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4722113,00.html
Netanyahu
will not get much from Obama if anything: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4722076,00.html
BDE
border policeman succumbs to his wounds: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203101
Israeli
Intelligence proved to the west that ISIS performed the attack. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203097#.Vj-otvkrKM8
Rocket
strikes southern Israel. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203096#.Vj-pl_krKM8
More on
ISIS in Sinai. http://debka.com/article/25001/Putin-halts-flights-to-Egypt-until-“true-causes”-known-for-Metrojet-crash
The beyond
a reasonable doubt in the eyes of Putin. http://debka.com/article/25001/Putin-halts-flights-to-Egypt-until-“true-causes”-known-for-Metrojet-crash
Soldier
girl injured in an attack wants to go back to the front: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4722473,00.html
Female
terrorist neutralized after attacking check post. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203115#.VkBGGPkrKM8
The
nation has more common Saichel than many of our politicians: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4722628,00.html
IDF
retaliates for Gaza Rocket on empty spaces or buildings: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203110#.VkBrKPkrKM8
From
Richard Oops something tells ISIS that blowing up the Russian Plane was not a
good idea: http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2015/11/05/ruskies-revenge-russian-warplanes-hit-263-terror-targets-in-syria-in-2-days/
I have known Yishai and his parents for many years. His
father prays most of the time in the Synagogues I have prayed in. In fact I saw
Yishai a few weeks ago on Shabbos. Here he is before being cut and neutralizing
the terrorist. https://www.facebook.com/StandWithUs/videos/10153300065432689/?fref=nf
Not much
luck with Washington before 2017: http://debka.com/article/25004/No-good-news-in-the-Mid-East-for-Obama-or-Netanyahu-when-they-meet-Monday
Obama and
Netanyahu meet agree to expedite joint talks on Israel’s military needs: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4723148,00.html
First
Republican Candidate to speak out against the EU labeling of Israeli Goods: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203156#.VkF3ovkrKM9
This is partially welfare started in the 1960’s by LBJ and it
encouraged laziness and absentee fathers. This is the ultimate breakdown of
society and combined with all the propaganda of being Gay and Transgender this
encourages a Sodom State of affairs and wild teens on the street. Thanks to
Richard A. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39993685/ns/health-womens_health/t/blacks-struggle-percent-unwed-mothers-rate/#.VkAsybx4ZSU
Iranian
Hackers are stopped: (We hacked the hackers) http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4723190,00.html
ISIS
infiltrated the Jordanian Police to have an attack on American Trainers in
Jordan. http://debka.com/article/25006/Shortly-before-the-Obama-Netanyahu-summit-ISIS-hit-Americans-in-Jordan
IDF
breaks up a Hamas terror cell: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Israel-busts-up-Hamas-network-in-West-Bank-town-of-Kalkilya-24-arrested-432556
The 13
year old Terrorist was too young for jail time if he had pleaded guilty but
instead he is opting for a trail which will take place after is 14th
birthday and it will mean jail time. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203180#.VkH5IPkrKM8
Three
stabbing attacks and my wife told me of a firebomb on a bus near or at Maccabee
Junction. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4723519,00.html
From
Reuven: George Bush and Michelle Bachman in a campaign to convert Jews he did
not learn that his father’s place was destroyed by a storm after he bothered
Israel. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2013/nov/14/george-w-bush-speech-messianic-judaism
From
Avigail: Al Qaeda leader in Syria dresses like a woman to avoid authorities. http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2014/01/13/syrian-al-qaeda-leader-captured-in-mascara-lipstick-and-a-burqa/
From
Reuven watch what is happening in Sweden. http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/this-is-why-the-world-needs-to-stand-with-israel-against-the-growth-of-radical-islam/
Religious
Zionism (Bennett) vs. National Zionism (Netanyahu): http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203225#.VkL4U_krKM8
From
Barry Shaw: Naftali Bennett tells the BBC we must stop all hope of a
Palestinian State. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heW_JCWMUNg
Even
though Ben Dror Yemini is center left or left center the extreme left in Israel
is completely mad and he says it best: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4722997,00.html
Russians
fighting for Assad: http://debka.com/article/25008/Russian-military-surge-in-Syria-More-helicopters-first-“volunteer”-combatants
Finally
no more anti-Semites to come to Israel http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203235#.VkNGLvkrKM8
ISIS vs.
Hezballah 3 homicides kill 40 and injure 260. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4724822,00.html
Arabs
against security cameras by Yarden and Yisrael on Har HaBeis: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203327
Netanyahu’s
visit to the USA: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-returns-with-progress-on-Iran-Syria-while-Palestinian-issue-remains-dead-locked-432916
On target
Jihad John: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/11/13/us-airstrike-targets-notorious-isis-militant-jihadi-john/?intcmp=hpbt1
Chabad
Chassid was stabbed in Milano by a blond Arab another Israeli helped chase the
Arab off. Italian Police are downplaying the attack to criminal.
Have a wonderful and peaceful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
