Blog Archive

About Me

Rabbi Chaim Coffman
Rabbi Coffman has helped people from all across the spectrum to prepare themselves properly for Orthodox Conversion to Judaism. His students admire his vast knowledge and appreciate his warm, personal attention and endearing sense of humor.
View my complete profile

Followers

Welcome to Rabbi Chaim Coffman's Blog!

I would like to thank you for visiting my blog, Beyond Orthodox Conversion to Judaism.

The conversion process can be a lengthy and daunting one to say the least and I want you to know that I am here to help you through it.

I have been teaching newcomers to Judaism for over a decade and over the last few years I have seen that conversion candidates really lack the support and knowledge they need to navigate the conversion process and successfully integrate into the Orthodox Jewish community.

I created my mentorship program in order to help make this whole experience as smooth and as painless as possible! (Can't do much about the growing pains, though ;)

Feel free to get to know me a little through the posts on my blog and visit the mentorship and syllabus page if you are interested in possible joining us.

I sincerely wish you all the best in your search for truth and spiritual growth.

Looking forward to meeting you,
Chaim Coffman

My Rebbe, Rav Moshe Sternbuch

In case you were wondering why I have all of these articles written by Rav Moshe Sternbuch, he is my Rebbe, and one of the gedolei hador (greatest Rabbis of our generation).

Rav Sternbuch fully endorses me and supports my mentorship program.

He is the address for all of my halachic or hashkafic (practical and philosophical) questions that I or my students may have.

The articles are based on his weekly talks on the Torah portion that the Rav gives in Jerusalem in his kollel. As a member of the kollel I get first dibbs on the photocopies and I type them up for my blog so you can all benefit from the Rav's erudition and insight.
Thursday, July 23, 2015

Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter 5 Mishna 7: The Miracles of the Temple and the lack because we don't have it!

"Ten miracles were done for our fathers in the Temple: no woman miscarried from the scent of the sacrificial meat; the sacrificial meat never became putrid; no fly was seen in the slaughterhouse; no unclean accident ever happened to the high priest on the Yom Kippur; the rain never extinguished the fire of the wood pile (on the altar which was under the open sky); the wind did not prevail against the column of smoke (from the altar fire so that the smoke was not blown downward); no disqualifying defect was ever found in the Omer (of new barley, offered on the second day of Passover), or in the two loaves (baked of the first fruits of the wheat harvest, or in the shewbread (which was change weekly, on Shabbos); though the people stood closely pressed together they found ample space to prostrate themselves; never did a serpent or scorpion do injury n Jerusalem; and no man ever said to his fellow: 'I do not have a room to lodge overnight in Jerusalem""

 These miracles of the Temple are truly miraculous!! With everything going on with the sacrifices, the only explanation of these truly incredible things is because of the holiness of the place itself. We may only have a small remnant left today i.e. the western wall but to have such open miracles during the time the Temple existed is beyond our comprehension!!

The thing most missing from the destruction of the Temple is that we are not able to witness these miracles! The last revealed miracle on record was during the time of the Maccabees and the story of Chanukah. Although we may get glimpses of G-d's presence in the land, it is not openly revealed and harder to see.

Even though the Jewish people have returned to the land, the Messiah has not come and we are still lacking so many things!! As we are now the day before T'sha B'Av, the fast that commemorates the destruction of the two Temples and many other tragedies as well, we unfortunately continue to witness the infighting that has destroyed the Jewish people!!

The Talmud explains that the Temple was destroyed because of sinas chinam (unlawful hatred) between people!! Hatred is never permitted although we are allowed to hate the act  a person may do but not the person himself! Many will claim that they are speaking against others for the sake of heaven when in reality they are just trying to make themselves look better in the eyes of others.

Sinas chinam means that if someone is less religious than me, then I can still be friends with them, just not learn from their actions. If someone (G-d forbid) is more religious than me, how do I feel when they want to hold to a higher standard of kashrus or shabbos; does it inspire me or cause me to be insecure and jealous and just think that they are fanatics upholding stringencies that don't need to be adhered to!

The Talmud also tells us that any generation that doesn't have the Temple rebuilt, it is as if they themselves destroyed it. How can we understand this in such a weak generation as ours? After all, greater generations before us didn't have the merit to rebuild the Temple so how can we?

While in reality that may be true but they have paved the way through their righteousness and dedication to Torah that even a weak generation like the one we live can do just a little bit to bring the Temple back! That means we can step on their coattails so to speak and just become better people in all aspects of our lives!!

Even the little that we may do, will have an impact on those around us and in heaven as well. May we merit that we don't have to fast this year and it will turned from a sad day to a day of great rejoicing!

0 comments: