Thursday, February 13, 2014
Parshas Ki Tissa: Seize the Moment!
10:14 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
"And when the people saw that Moshe delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aharon and said to him, 'Up make us gods which will go before us, for as this man Moshe who brought us out of the land of Egypt we know not of what has become of him." (Exodus 32:1)
How can it be that after all the miracles in Egypt that G-d performed through Moshe that the people could want 'other gods' to go before them since Moshe was delayed in coming down from the mountain? Was coming out of Egypt such a small thing in their eyes? The same people that saw all the miracles that G-d did for them in Egypt, suddenly forget?
Even though the people witnessed many miracles in front of their eyes, nonetheless when Moshe delays in coming back, they immediately lose faith and want other gods to walk before them. How could this have transpired?
At that time, Moshe took care of all their needs. The manna fell and fed them. Their clothes never wore out and they were living their lives on a very high level spiritually. The problem was when they were left on their own, they didn't know what would happen to them. Maybe it was the merit of Moshe himself that the miracle of their survival continued. If that was true, then how could they themselves survive without their spiritual leader?
In reality, they still believed in G-d and of all the miracles that He did for the Jewish people. At the same time, their faith was weakened when Moshe was delayed. Even seeing G-d face to face by the first of the Ten Commandments didn't help them!
The reason is that although they witnessed all these miracles, they didn't internalize the message. G-d wanted them to live on a very high spiritual level. That meant that even though the manna was finished and kept coming on a daily basis, they didn't think they were worthy of it continuing.
Just because it came the day before and the day before...maybe their merit wouldn't be enough. After all, they are now living in the desert and need to exist! We see that even if one had the greatest miracles performed for them, if they don't internalize the message they lose that level of spirituality very quickly.
Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita has told me many times that when one has that spiritual epiphany whenever it occurs, it should not be wasted. That is the time to grab it and have it effect them as much as possible because once it goes, it goes.
If we don't utilize the opportunity that we are given there is no guarantee that it will come back very soon. Not only that, but we must be ever aware of the evil inclination's struggle against us. It would tell us that we can rest on our laurels, we don't have to grow so much spiritually and we can take it easy.
Yes we will keep Torah and mitzvos but we sometimes hit a spiritual plateau where we say we are happy where we are. This is akin to death because if we are not spiritually growing then we are going in the opposite direction.
May we look at every mitzvah that we do as if it were given yesterday on Mount Sinai and treat every day anew to serve G-d properly.
Shabbat Shalom
How can it be that after all the miracles in Egypt that G-d performed through Moshe that the people could want 'other gods' to go before them since Moshe was delayed in coming down from the mountain? Was coming out of Egypt such a small thing in their eyes? The same people that saw all the miracles that G-d did for them in Egypt, suddenly forget?
Even though the people witnessed many miracles in front of their eyes, nonetheless when Moshe delays in coming back, they immediately lose faith and want other gods to walk before them. How could this have transpired?
At that time, Moshe took care of all their needs. The manna fell and fed them. Their clothes never wore out and they were living their lives on a very high level spiritually. The problem was when they were left on their own, they didn't know what would happen to them. Maybe it was the merit of Moshe himself that the miracle of their survival continued. If that was true, then how could they themselves survive without their spiritual leader?
In reality, they still believed in G-d and of all the miracles that He did for the Jewish people. At the same time, their faith was weakened when Moshe was delayed. Even seeing G-d face to face by the first of the Ten Commandments didn't help them!
The reason is that although they witnessed all these miracles, they didn't internalize the message. G-d wanted them to live on a very high spiritual level. That meant that even though the manna was finished and kept coming on a daily basis, they didn't think they were worthy of it continuing.
Just because it came the day before and the day before...maybe their merit wouldn't be enough. After all, they are now living in the desert and need to exist! We see that even if one had the greatest miracles performed for them, if they don't internalize the message they lose that level of spirituality very quickly.
Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita has told me many times that when one has that spiritual epiphany whenever it occurs, it should not be wasted. That is the time to grab it and have it effect them as much as possible because once it goes, it goes.
If we don't utilize the opportunity that we are given there is no guarantee that it will come back very soon. Not only that, but we must be ever aware of the evil inclination's struggle against us. It would tell us that we can rest on our laurels, we don't have to grow so much spiritually and we can take it easy.
Yes we will keep Torah and mitzvos but we sometimes hit a spiritual plateau where we say we are happy where we are. This is akin to death because if we are not spiritually growing then we are going in the opposite direction.
May we look at every mitzvah that we do as if it were given yesterday on Mount Sinai and treat every day anew to serve G-d properly.
Shabbat Shalom
Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter Two Mishna 16: Don't let our bad feelings overcome us and cause destruction
"Rabbi Yehoshua said, 'the evil eye (greed), the evil impulse and hatred of mankind shorten a man's life'"
The first part of the Mishna tells us that the evil eye will shorten a man's life. Why is this? Rabbenu Yona explains that it means that a person is not happy with what he has. If his friend is rich then that person will be jealous and ask, 'why am I not rich like my friend?
This jealousy will cause one to inject the evil eye on his friend potentially causing them physical and spiritual damage. The reason is because that person has tremendous desire for what the other person has and will not rest until they themselves have it. An example of this is someone who adds an extension to their house.
A person watching the building could claim that he too wants to add an extension but either they don't have any resources to do it or they live in a place where they can't. They will be jealous of their friend because even though they themselves cannot do it, why should my friend do it? This can lead to many bad feelings that cause undo harm between them.
The next two things that the Mishna would seem obvious in that the evil inclination and hatred of his fellow man will shorten their lives. The simple explanation is when a person makes themselves subservient to their evil inclination, they are not able to serve G-d properly. They will justify their actions in so many different ways that it will be impossible to overcome it.
The evil inclination does not rest and tries to get the person to transgress even while they are asleep! We have to be constantly on guard against it and strive to the best of our ability to overcome it.
The hatred of mankind will shorten a person's life as well. The reason is that the more a person hates others and speaks badly against them, the more they will hate him and cause him anguish. Even if a person feels justified in hating the other person, that poison festers and allows them no rest.
If we would look at everything as coming from G-d and He is sending us messages through these messengers, then we would see the world in a very different light. These messengers are there for us to grow and utilize the situation for a better way to serve G-d.
Although that would be the proper outlook, putting it into practice is quite a different thing. G-d many times gives us 'love taps' in many different ways. We have to look at them as times to grow and overcome these trials and tribulations to become the great people we can become!
The first part of the Mishna tells us that the evil eye will shorten a man's life. Why is this? Rabbenu Yona explains that it means that a person is not happy with what he has. If his friend is rich then that person will be jealous and ask, 'why am I not rich like my friend?
This jealousy will cause one to inject the evil eye on his friend potentially causing them physical and spiritual damage. The reason is because that person has tremendous desire for what the other person has and will not rest until they themselves have it. An example of this is someone who adds an extension to their house.
A person watching the building could claim that he too wants to add an extension but either they don't have any resources to do it or they live in a place where they can't. They will be jealous of their friend because even though they themselves cannot do it, why should my friend do it? This can lead to many bad feelings that cause undo harm between them.
The next two things that the Mishna would seem obvious in that the evil inclination and hatred of his fellow man will shorten their lives. The simple explanation is when a person makes themselves subservient to their evil inclination, they are not able to serve G-d properly. They will justify their actions in so many different ways that it will be impossible to overcome it.
The evil inclination does not rest and tries to get the person to transgress even while they are asleep! We have to be constantly on guard against it and strive to the best of our ability to overcome it.
The hatred of mankind will shorten a person's life as well. The reason is that the more a person hates others and speaks badly against them, the more they will hate him and cause him anguish. Even if a person feels justified in hating the other person, that poison festers and allows them no rest.
If we would look at everything as coming from G-d and He is sending us messages through these messengers, then we would see the world in a very different light. These messengers are there for us to grow and utilize the situation for a better way to serve G-d.
Although that would be the proper outlook, putting it into practice is quite a different thing. G-d many times gives us 'love taps' in many different ways. We have to look at them as times to grow and overcome these trials and tribulations to become the great people we can become!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Parshas Tetzaveh: Giving over the right Message
"In the Tent of Meeting, outside the Partition that is near the Testimonial-tablets, Aharon and his sons shall arrange it from evening until morning, before Hashem, an eternal decree for their generations, from the Children of Israel" (Exodus 27:21)
It is interesting to note here that this command was given to Aharon and his sons before they were chosen for the priesthood. The reason Rav Moshe Feinstein brings in Derash Moshe is because the menorah itself is holy even if the kohen would not light it.
The reason Aharon gets this mitzvah is based on his own merits. This means that based on who he was and what he accomplished through his character development he merited to have this mitzvah. He was raised in keeping the Torah and showed what spiritual levels a person can reach if they work on themselves.
This, Rav Moshe explains is the importance of how a rabbi should educate his students and a father his children. The obligation in teaching a student is to teach him how to think and understand and become a great spiritual person in their own right!
Just like the oil cannot have any mixture of lees in it and must be pure, so too the rabbi has to explain Torah thoughts in a clear manner to his students so they don't come to make mistakes. Not only that but a rabbi must educate even the erudite scholar as he would someone who has lesser knowledge.
He gives both the opportunity to learn and grow at their own levels. The rabbi cannot make the mistake and say that I will teach them enough so they understand for themselves. This may prove costly because even if the idea appears obvious, nonetheless there is tremendous responsibility that the student understands the message clearly!
Even if this means that a person has to teach and reteach that particular lesson. Better it be taught many times than the meaning become skewed. This lesson also has practical repercussions for us even if we are not rabbis and don't have students.
We have an obligation to give over Torah messages to our kids to the best of our ability. Whether the child knows a lot or a little, the message and teachings we give them last a lifetime. We have to constantly reinforce ideas in different ways so they get the message. At the same time, each child is different as it is says in Proverbs, we have to educate our kids in the way they need to be educated not the way we think they need to be educated.
May G-d help us give over the right message to our families and students!
Shabbat Shalom
It is interesting to note here that this command was given to Aharon and his sons before they were chosen for the priesthood. The reason Rav Moshe Feinstein brings in Derash Moshe is because the menorah itself is holy even if the kohen would not light it.
The reason Aharon gets this mitzvah is based on his own merits. This means that based on who he was and what he accomplished through his character development he merited to have this mitzvah. He was raised in keeping the Torah and showed what spiritual levels a person can reach if they work on themselves.
This, Rav Moshe explains is the importance of how a rabbi should educate his students and a father his children. The obligation in teaching a student is to teach him how to think and understand and become a great spiritual person in their own right!
Just like the oil cannot have any mixture of lees in it and must be pure, so too the rabbi has to explain Torah thoughts in a clear manner to his students so they don't come to make mistakes. Not only that but a rabbi must educate even the erudite scholar as he would someone who has lesser knowledge.
He gives both the opportunity to learn and grow at their own levels. The rabbi cannot make the mistake and say that I will teach them enough so they understand for themselves. This may prove costly because even if the idea appears obvious, nonetheless there is tremendous responsibility that the student understands the message clearly!
Even if this means that a person has to teach and reteach that particular lesson. Better it be taught many times than the meaning become skewed. This lesson also has practical repercussions for us even if we are not rabbis and don't have students.
We have an obligation to give over Torah messages to our kids to the best of our ability. Whether the child knows a lot or a little, the message and teachings we give them last a lifetime. We have to constantly reinforce ideas in different ways so they get the message. At the same time, each child is different as it is says in Proverbs, we have to educate our kids in the way they need to be educated not the way we think they need to be educated.
May G-d help us give over the right message to our families and students!
Shabbat Shalom
Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter 2 Mishna 15: Repent every day and be careful how you treat Torah Scholars
"They each said three things. Rabbi Eliezer said: 'Let your friend's honor be as dear to you as your own; be not easily provoked to anger; repent one day before your death (every day, for you may die tomorrow). He further said: 'Warm yourself by the fire of the scholars,l but beware of their glowing coals (treat them respectfully), lest you burn yourself; for the bite of the scholars is as hurtful as that of a fox, their sting is as deadly as that of a scorpion, their hiss is like that of a serpent, and all their words are like coals of fire (and should be heeded).
The first part of the Mishna explains that we should honor our friend as much as we would honor ourselves. Why should a person do that, after all isn't this obvious? Interpersonal relationships are extremely important for how we relate to others. If we want others to treat us properly, then we have to treat them properly as well.
The problem is that sometimes we may think that others should honor us more or show us respect and we feel miffed if that is not the case. A person may say, "why should I help that person or be nice when they did....against me!" We have to be very careful not to let our egos overcome us. When we do that, we will have no rest and our interpersonal relationships will end in disaster.
The next part of the Mishna explains that we should be careful with the character trait of anger. This is something that is not easy to control but when it gets out of control it makes havoc on those around us. Even if someone does something that angers us, we have to be very careful how we handle it.
The Talmud tells us that when a person is angry even if the pits of hell were open underneath them, they wouldn't change and their anger would continue to burn. If we look at things that occur in our lives as signs from G-d and what he wants from us then in reality we shouldn't become angry. The reason is that these people are messengers causing us to be introspective of our actions.
The next part of the Mishna explains that one should repent one day before a person dies. The Talmud asks, is it possible to know the day before you die? The Talmud answers that one should repent today because a person may die tomorrow and since we don't know the day of our death, we should repent every day and live every day of our lives with repentance.
Although this is good advice, we still have difficulty admitting that we do things wrong. We justify our actions in many different ways often convincing ourselves that we have acted correctly. In reality if we take a hard look at what we do on a daily basis and evaluate ourselves honestly (without destroying our precious egos) then we can live every day of our lives in repentance.
The last part of the Mishna explains what our relationship with Torah scholars should be. We should draw ourselves close to them and learn as much as possible. At the same time, we need to have to distance from them. The reason is that when one gets too close, they may get burned. Why is that?
A person needs to be in awe of Torah scholars because of the knowledge that they possess. At the same time, a person should not act frivolously with them which could be dangerous for our well being. We could say that we disagree with them and think that we know thereby making fun and ridiculing. While we know that this is forbidden, the punishment for doing so against Torah scholars is much greater.
We should not look at them as our "friends" in the sense of how we deal with them. We need to show them proper respect and gain from their knowledge while at the same keeping our distance!
The first part of the Mishna explains that we should honor our friend as much as we would honor ourselves. Why should a person do that, after all isn't this obvious? Interpersonal relationships are extremely important for how we relate to others. If we want others to treat us properly, then we have to treat them properly as well.
The problem is that sometimes we may think that others should honor us more or show us respect and we feel miffed if that is not the case. A person may say, "why should I help that person or be nice when they did....against me!" We have to be very careful not to let our egos overcome us. When we do that, we will have no rest and our interpersonal relationships will end in disaster.
The next part of the Mishna explains that we should be careful with the character trait of anger. This is something that is not easy to control but when it gets out of control it makes havoc on those around us. Even if someone does something that angers us, we have to be very careful how we handle it.
The Talmud tells us that when a person is angry even if the pits of hell were open underneath them, they wouldn't change and their anger would continue to burn. If we look at things that occur in our lives as signs from G-d and what he wants from us then in reality we shouldn't become angry. The reason is that these people are messengers causing us to be introspective of our actions.
The next part of the Mishna explains that one should repent one day before a person dies. The Talmud asks, is it possible to know the day before you die? The Talmud answers that one should repent today because a person may die tomorrow and since we don't know the day of our death, we should repent every day and live every day of our lives with repentance.
Although this is good advice, we still have difficulty admitting that we do things wrong. We justify our actions in many different ways often convincing ourselves that we have acted correctly. In reality if we take a hard look at what we do on a daily basis and evaluate ourselves honestly (without destroying our precious egos) then we can live every day of our lives in repentance.
The last part of the Mishna explains what our relationship with Torah scholars should be. We should draw ourselves close to them and learn as much as possible. At the same time, we need to have to distance from them. The reason is that when one gets too close, they may get burned. Why is that?
A person needs to be in awe of Torah scholars because of the knowledge that they possess. At the same time, a person should not act frivolously with them which could be dangerous for our well being. We could say that we disagree with them and think that we know thereby making fun and ridiculing. While we know that this is forbidden, the punishment for doing so against Torah scholars is much greater.
We should not look at them as our "friends" in the sense of how we deal with them. We need to show them proper respect and gain from their knowledge while at the same keeping our distance!
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Continuation of the story of my student Dale Streisand and family and their odyssey of coming to Israel
EXCLUSIVE: After Being Denied Aliyah for Four Years, Barbra Streisand’s Cousin Finally Arrives in Israel, Hopes to Stay
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Dale Streisand, his wife and new born child. Photo: Dale Streisand/Facebook.
After a four year battle to be accepted for aliyah, Barbra Streisand’s first cousin, Dale Streisand, arrived in Israel with his family on Thursday, The Algemeiner has learned. Still facing bureaucratic challenges, Streisand told The Algemeiner that he is seeking employment and that he hopes that the Israeli government will let him stay.
Coming from the Philippines, Streisand said he was left without electricity and water for three weeks following last November’s Typhoon Haiyan. The Home in the Homeland blog said that he was able to sell his house to raise funds for his move to Israel just a week before the natural disaster struck.
Upon arrival in Israel along with his wife and three children, the youngest of whom is just two months old, Streisand said that he was detained for an hour before Israeli officials granted him a tourist visa, which he said was in contravention to an agreement he had arrived at with the Interior Ministry after a courtcase in May, 2013.
Initially, Streisand made headlines back in February 2011, when he was first informed by the Jewish Agency that his aliyah request would be deferred to Israel’s Interior Ministry because he was found to have a link on his Facebook profile to a Christian missionary website, bringing his commitment to his Jewish roots into question, Haaretz reported. Under Israel’s Law of Return, people who have converted away from the faith have at times been denied the Jewish right to Israeli citizenship.
“The Jewish Agency, which assists the Interior Ministry in examining the right to immigrate, referred Mr. Streisand to a meeting with representatives of the Interior Ministry, who were not persuaded that he bears the right to immigrate,” the agency said at the time. “It was never claimed that Mr. Streisand is not a Jew by birth. Obviously, an individual’s relationship with Christians does not revoke his right to immigrate.” A Jewish Agency representative did not immediately respond to The Algemeiner’s request for comment on Sunday.
Streisand, who’s Hebrew name is Da’el Yochai, challenged the agency’s decision with the help of a lawyer named Mark Zell, who read about his plight and offered to help. The case made its way to Israel’s Supreme Court and Streisand appeared in person in front of the judges on May 6th, 2013.
“They looked at me and actually checked me out, and so they made a compromise with us,” Streisand said, explaining that it was agreed he would be allowed to come to Israel on an A5 general visa for a period of one year, and then apply for aliyah from within Israel.
“After one year of living in Israel, then we can apply for the aliyah status. We were supposed to have the A5 when we entered but they didn’t do it, they just gave us the tourist visa,” Streisand said. The Interior Ministry’s spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.
“I am a Baal Teshuvah (penitent) and they really didn’t believe it,” Streisand, who spent years following Hare Krishna and dabbling in Eastern spirituality, said, stressing that he is now a fully practicing, committed Jew. I was “searching, but searching the wrong way,” he said. “My whole life I had a quest looking for the supreme truth, for God.”
Now in Israel, Streisand says he is doing his best to make things work. “Hopefully we can make it here, it is a bit of a difficult thing, but we are determined,” he said.
Denied the benefits an aliyah participant would usually receive so far, Streisand has been helped by generous individual Israelis. He is staying in Beitar Ilit, an hour south of Jerusalem, at the home of a rabbi friend. “They have been extremely kind to understand our situation and try to help get us started,” he said.
“We can live and work in Israel,” he said. “We get no benefits, I think in six months we get some type of heath insurance… but there is no ulpan (language coaching) there is no money to help you get started… there are quite a few benefits for aliyah and we don’t get one, we were not even met at the airport by them.”
“It is freezing here. In the Philippines it is very warm always, we didn’t even have warm clothes,” he added.
But Streisand remains optimistic and focused on working to create a new life for his family in the Holy Land.
“We didn’t get the red carpet treatment. We don’t care, you know. That is okay,” he said. “Because we have to kind of fend for ourselves… I definitely need two basic things, I need work, and I need a place to live, I don’t want to be a burden on anyone.”
His preference would be to work as a tour operator or for a tour company, a vocation in which he said he has years of experience. However, he stressed, he is prepared to work wherever he can find employment.
Streisand said his last name may prove to be helpful when it comes to finding work. “That name has always helped me,” he said. Everywhere he goes people ask him about his famous cousin Barbra.
Although his father and the renowned singer’s father are brothers, Dale Streisand doesn’t consider himself to be close to the star. During last year’s Typhoon however, he said he received a surprise phone call.
“Barbra’s agent called me, whom I know since I was a little boy, and somehow he found out through somebody that we were affected, and Barbra asked him to call me to make sure that we are okay,” he said. “I said we are on our way to Israel. He said, mazal tov.”
“It is ironic,” he said, to mark the contrast between the way his cousin, who visited Israel at the end of last year, and he, had been welcomed to the country.
The next steps for Streisand and his family are legal, and he is now awaiting the return of his lawyer from New York to challenge his current tourist status. But his greater interest is spiritual, and he sees his tough journey to Israel as similar to the journeys made by early Israeli pioneers.
“I believe everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I believe that it’s like the pioneers who came here 40 or 50 years ago. They had it really hard here and my wife and I are determined that whatever happens we have to take it the way it is.”
“We are not going to let some bureaucrats ruin our heartfelt desire to live in the land of our forefathers,” he declared.
Explaining what prompted his journey to Israel in the first place, he said his goal was to turn back the tide of assimilation that has strongly impacted his family. “After years of assimilation with my grandparents who came from Europe and then my parents who came to america, they gradually gave up this, they gave up that.”
“I can reverse that by coming here. No matter what happens to me, my children can remain in Israel and their children’s children, so I can reverse generations of assimilation, where they can get good strong Torah (bible) study and life.”
“I just have to go deeper and understand that Hashem (God) has a reason… ultimately I need to learn and gain from this,” he said.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Parshas Terumah: Why I love Serving G-d
"And the L-rd spoke to Moses saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel that they bring me an offering: of overy man whose heart prompts him to give you shall take my offering" (Exodus 23:1-2)
Rav Moshe Feinstein in Derash Moshe asks that the language of 'bring me an offering is strange' because it would seem to me that one is forced to do so. The verse later on (36:5) clearly states that the offering will be given from individuals with a giving heart!
Rav Moshe explains that the mitzvos of charity, chesed (acts of loving kindness) and even bringing G-d's presence down to this world in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) are not given because G-d decreed that we do them but rather they should come from our pure desire to do G-d's will. To reach such a state, a person will have to work very hard to overcome their evil inclination.
Even though there are plenty of mitzvos we are obligated to keep, nonetheless, we should do them like they are second nature. When we say the shema twice a day, we declare that we will love the mitzvos with all our heart, all our soul... The root of the word to love if we break it down is to give. We only allow ourselves to make the mitzvos part of us when we are willing to give our all to perform them.
This means we have to understand why we do them and how to perform them. When we understand the intricacies of each one, it has much more meaning and gives us more satisfaction when we do them. This will enhance our mitzvah observance and bring us ultimately closer to G-d.
This will lead us to enjoy more of what we do and not look at Torah observance as a burden. When we view the Torah in such a way and live it the way it is supposed to be, then we will influence others around us as well.
This has the ability to literally change lives. When we love something, we put our whole effort into it which will transform us. May we look at all the mitzvos that way and love serving G-d to our fullest.
Shabbat Shalom
Rav Moshe Feinstein in Derash Moshe asks that the language of 'bring me an offering is strange' because it would seem to me that one is forced to do so. The verse later on (36:5) clearly states that the offering will be given from individuals with a giving heart!
Rav Moshe explains that the mitzvos of charity, chesed (acts of loving kindness) and even bringing G-d's presence down to this world in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) are not given because G-d decreed that we do them but rather they should come from our pure desire to do G-d's will. To reach such a state, a person will have to work very hard to overcome their evil inclination.
Even though there are plenty of mitzvos we are obligated to keep, nonetheless, we should do them like they are second nature. When we say the shema twice a day, we declare that we will love the mitzvos with all our heart, all our soul... The root of the word to love if we break it down is to give. We only allow ourselves to make the mitzvos part of us when we are willing to give our all to perform them.
This means we have to understand why we do them and how to perform them. When we understand the intricacies of each one, it has much more meaning and gives us more satisfaction when we do them. This will enhance our mitzvah observance and bring us ultimately closer to G-d.
This will lead us to enjoy more of what we do and not look at Torah observance as a burden. When we view the Torah in such a way and live it the way it is supposed to be, then we will influence others around us as well.
This has the ability to literally change lives. When we love something, we put our whole effort into it which will transform us. May we look at all the mitzvos that way and love serving G-d to our fullest.
Shabbat Shalom
Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter 2 Mishna 14: Help others, don't only look out for yourself
"He further said to them: Go and see which is the worst quality a man should shun. Rabbi Eliezer said, 'An evil eye (greed); Rabbi Yehoshua said, 'A bad friend (hatred); Rabbi Yosi said, 'A bad neighbor (discord); Rabbi Shimon said, 'One who borrows and does not repay. It is the same whether one borrows from man or from G-d as it is said: "The wicked borrows and repays not, but the righteous deal graciously and gives" Rabbi Eliezer said, 'An evil heart (selfishness). Said he to them: 'I prefer what Elazar ben Arach said to what you have said, for in his words yours are included'"
In order to explain this Mishna, we have to understand that in general the opposite of something good is something that we need to stay away from. On the other hand, there are a number of good character traits that the opposite of them is not bad. For example, the character trait of chasidus (benevolence).
If someone does not want to do acts of loving kindness for another they are not called evil but rather they are not considered generous.Still that leads us to the first statement of someone that has an evil eye. A person like that does not like to help others and although they don't steal they are not doing the right thing. A greedy person does things for his own benefit many times at the expense of others.
This leads one to be a bad neighbor and a bad friend. When one thinks of himself or what potentially they can get from someone else, they inevitably ruin the relationship between them. This self-centered person is only worried about himself and others will see that and not want to be friends with them.
The next part of the Mishna explains the terrible trait of one who borrows money and does not repay. Regardless if they can't pay and have a valid excuse, nonetheless they still owe the money and must repay it. This is a terrible thing because the person who lent you money did a great service and chesed and by not paying back the loan, the person shows his indifference for what his friend has done for him.
What we learn from here is how terrible a person can be by only looking out for themselves. They think that the world was created for them alone and not for others. They use and abuse others for the sake of their own gain. Even if this is not intentional, it gives a person a bad reputation that is hard to correct.
This is why that Judaism stresses the importance of doing acts of kindness and giving charity. When we give of ourselves we go against our evil inclination which helps us to envelop other good character traits. When we only look out for ourselves others will not be gracious and want to help us.
In order to explain this Mishna, we have to understand that in general the opposite of something good is something that we need to stay away from. On the other hand, there are a number of good character traits that the opposite of them is not bad. For example, the character trait of chasidus (benevolence).
If someone does not want to do acts of loving kindness for another they are not called evil but rather they are not considered generous.Still that leads us to the first statement of someone that has an evil eye. A person like that does not like to help others and although they don't steal they are not doing the right thing. A greedy person does things for his own benefit many times at the expense of others.
This leads one to be a bad neighbor and a bad friend. When one thinks of himself or what potentially they can get from someone else, they inevitably ruin the relationship between them. This self-centered person is only worried about himself and others will see that and not want to be friends with them.
The next part of the Mishna explains the terrible trait of one who borrows money and does not repay. Regardless if they can't pay and have a valid excuse, nonetheless they still owe the money and must repay it. This is a terrible thing because the person who lent you money did a great service and chesed and by not paying back the loan, the person shows his indifference for what his friend has done for him.
What we learn from here is how terrible a person can be by only looking out for themselves. They think that the world was created for them alone and not for others. They use and abuse others for the sake of their own gain. Even if this is not intentional, it gives a person a bad reputation that is hard to correct.
This is why that Judaism stresses the importance of doing acts of kindness and giving charity. When we give of ourselves we go against our evil inclination which helps us to envelop other good character traits. When we only look out for ourselves others will not be gracious and want to help us.
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