More kneged culam

 

וכן בכל המצות, ובפרט מצות הצדקה, ששקולה כנגד כל המצות

Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 30

To return now to the opening teaching — that whoever is accustomed to come to the synagogue, and one day did not come, G‑d inquires after him. This does not apply only to the communal prayer of which the Gemara speaks; rather:

וכן בכל המצות, ובפרט מצות הצדקה, ששקולה כנגד כל המצות

The same applies to all the commandments, and especially to the precept of charity, which is3 “balanced against all the commandments.” Thus, if the above teaching applies to prayer, it surely applies to charity: If a person retreats from his customary charitability, “G‑d inquires after him.”

הגם שהיא בלי נדר, חס ושלום

Though [one’s regular giving] is not bound by a vow, heaven forfend, for one should of course see to it that an accustomed mitzvah should not become subject to the legal force of a vow,4

How to handle wild kids from the movie Hoosiers

Player - It feels like we're in the army.

Coach - You are. You're in my army. Every day between three and five. [Some local men try to sit in on the practice.] Listen, guys, practice is closed to outsiders. I don't want any distractions.

Men - Outsiders? Coach Tidd never closed practices.

Coach - That was Coach Tidd. This is something else. [Large farmer enters the gym with his teenage son.] Yeah?

Rollin Butcher - Hi. I'm Rollin Butcher. My son's got something to say to you. [The son had earlier opposed the coach and walked out on practice.]

Son - Sorry, Coach, about walking out. I'd be obliged if I got myself another chance. Won't happen again. You're the boss.

Coach - OK. There's still an hour of practice. Get dressed.

Rollin - My boys get a little mixed up. You get any trouble from Rade or Whit, let me know. [Rollin addresses the local men.] Coach here says he's closing practice to outsiders. You ever...

Coach - I'll handle this.

Rollin - No, I got this. This man's got a job to do. He wants you outta here. You'd better be on your way.

----------------------

I'm not saying any of this applies when kids have questions or their own personalities or a little spunk. But if they are bullying little children, if they are breaking laws, if they are all chutzpah, that's when it applies. There have to be consequences. 

The morning blessings

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who gives the rooster understanding to distinguish between day and night.

This signifies intellectual discernment, the ability to think, to use your own mind. That's how you start your day (after Modeh Ani, which is a testimony of your innate connection to Hashem - see Chabad literature for more on that.)

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who gives sight to the blind.

Using facts, seeing things as they are, not as twisted by ideologies. 

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who releases the imprisoned.

Using your mind will free you.  

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who straightens the bent.

Using your mind will straighten you out, make you honest and upright.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who clothes the naked.

It will give you dignity as clothes dignify a person and raise him above the animals. It will make you human.  

Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who gives strength to the weary.

You'll have energy. 

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who spreads the earth above the waters.

You'll see that there's a big world  out there.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who prepares the steps of man.

You'll be able to move about this world to accomplish.  

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who provided me with all my needs.

You'll become aware of Hashem as He helps you. 

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who girds Israel with might.

You'll find you have now the self-control that eluded you before. Chastising yourself didn't do the trick. You needed intelligence and dignity. 

Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, King of the Universe, Who crowns Israel with glory.

Now you'll be honored for what you have become.  

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who did not make me a gentile.

You'll be a real Jew.  

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who did not make me a slave.

No longer a slave.   

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who did not make me a woman.

You'll be a real man. And when there a real men, women can be women for whom all of this applies as well.

All of this is because you used your mind, applying reason to facts! Now doesn't this contradict the current popular mantra of shutting off your brain and obeying the 'experts' on everything as if anyone else can be an expert on your life? 

 

Rav Avigdor Miller on Depression and Sleep

Posted on February 9, 2022by TorasAvigdor

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Q:
What should somebody do when he is annoyed by depression and sadness and doesn’t know what the reason is?

A:

I want to tell you one thing I do know from experience. Many times boys in the yeshiva cause an upset in their nervous system because of a lack of sleep. In the dormitories you can’t go to sleep early. Even if he gets into bed, somebody comes in at 1 o’clock and doesn’t let him sleep. 

I once told a man about this problem and he went and took his boy out and put him in a separate room. He was a wealthy man and he paid money to the dormitory for a separate room, so his son should be able to sleep.

It’s very important to sleep. I myself know two cases of boys who didn’t go to sleep on time and they went insane, nit eingedacht. Yes, it happened. They ruined their lives. 

Also, married women who have babies, they must take care of their sleep. Without sleeping sufficiently your nervous system is upset. 

Now, once a person gets into a depression it’s not so easy to get out of it. And therefore an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So try with all your efforts not to upset your system and get your sleep every night. 

Now some people say, “Well, I’m a porush. I want to be a masmid.” We’ll, I’ll tell you what the Chofetz Chaim said. Once the Chofetz Chaim came into the yeshiva in Radin at night, and he saw boys learning late so he said to them “Gei shlufen. Morgen is oich a tug.” He told the boys to go to sleep. “You can learn tomorrow,” he said.

And that’s the sensible way. That’s saving the lives of people by advising them, “Learn by day and sleep at night.”

Now, sometimes there are other factors, but one of the most general factors that I know from my experience, is this one of not sleeping sufficiently. 

TAPE # E-10

“NOT ONLY FOR THE JEWS, WE PRAY FOR ALL PEOPLE…”

 https://twitter.com/i/status/1594824835989110784

"On the Jewish new year, we pray not only for Jews but for all people." Lubavitcher Rebbe

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Pirkei Avot 1:17

שִׁמְעוֹן בְּנוֹ אוֹמֵר, כָּל יָמַי גָּדַלְתִּי בֵין הַחֲכָמִים, וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף טוֹב אֶלָּא שְׁתִיקָה. וְלֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ הוּא הָעִקָּר, אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה דְבָרִים, מֵבִיא חֵטְא:

Shimon, his son, used to say: all my days I grew up among the sages, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence. Study is not the most important thing, but actions; whoever indulges in too many words brings about sin.

G-d and G-d alone

 “… it has always been G-d and G-d alone Who has given us, and still gives us to this very day, that good in which we have had cause to rejoice; and that for future good, too, we may look to none other but G-d, and none besides Him.” (R' Samson Raphael Hirsch)

Prayer

 

“Prayer is one of the greatest opportunities of exercising the Free-Will. In the realm of actual deeds we are limited by circumstances: we are not wealthy enough to feed all the needy and to heal the sick, or to erect enough Torah institutions and to maintain them. But in the real of T’fillah we are not limited. We can ask Hashem’s help and entreat Him for everyone, and we thus activate our Free-Will and demonstrate our desire to help all the poor and rescue all the afflicted.” (R’ Avigdor Miller)

 is one of the greatest opportunities of exercising the Free-Will. In the realm of actual deeds we are limited by circumstances: we are not wealthy enough to feed all the needy and to heal the sick, or to erect enough Torah institutions and to maintain them. But in the real of T’fillah we are not limited. We can ask Hashem’s help and entreat Him for everyone, and we thus activate our Free-Will and demonstrate our desire to help all the poor and rescue all the afflicted.” (R’ Avigdor Miller)

“If a man with his physical brain is to approach the innermost reaches of sanctity, this may be achieved by ‘the service of the heart, which is prayer.’ And this in turn springs from an awareness of G‑d’s sublime exaltedness, and from meditating and ‘gazing upon the glory of the King.’”  (6th Lubavitcher Rebbe)

תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם

 

What do we mean by תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם?

DH: What do we mean by תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם?

Rabbi Soloveitchik: It is not that this mitzvah is equal to all the mitzvos, but rather that it brings the person to do all the other mitzvos. The whole purpose of the limud is that it comes to asiah and asiah is the ikur.

The Rav Thinking Aloud, p. 69

And From There You Shall Seek, p. 104

Bottom line: Hashem acts, so we must act. 

Q:
Why is learning Torah so important that we say תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם, that it’s equal to all other mitzvos?

Rabbi Avigdor Miller:

Torah is considered one of the most important of mitzvos because it makes you. It changes you.

Now, a mitzvah also makes you.  למען תזכרו ועשיתם את כל מצוותי והייתם קדושים – You do mitzvos and you become holy. Every mitzvah makes you kodosh.  But the mitzvah of talmud Torah changes your mind.  And when your mind is changed, that’s the greatest kedusha of all.  And therefore, תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם.  

When you think like Hakodosh Boruch Hu thinks, that’s the greatest perfection of a person; it’s the most tremendous change you can make in yourself. And when you’re learning Torah, you’re learning the thoughts of Hashem. That’s how Hashem thinks and He wants you to think that way.  

And therefore, learning Torah means you put into your mind the machshavos of the Borei Olam and that’s the greatest of all achievements.  Even when you’re learning Bava Kamma, arba avos nezikin, Hakodosh Boruch Hu is thinking how important it is that every Jew should avoid damaging somebody else’s property and you’re thinking in those details of Hashem’s thoughts.

You’re thinking about how you have to be careful when you go into a synagogue; you want to open the window? Don’t push against the windowpane.  You might push it out and break the pane.  You’re a mazik.  You have to pay for it.  Hakodosh Boruch Hu doesn’t want you to be a mazik.  And you learn that idea not to be a mazik to your fellowman’s property!  How big an ideal that is! You’re thinking like Hakodosh Boruch Hu thinks.  And that’s why תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם; because you’re changing your mind into a mind that thinks like Hakodosh Boruch Hu.

TAPE # E-1 (February 1995)

Q:
What does it mean to learn Torah lishmah?

A:
To learn Torah lishmah first means, like everybody knows, that you’re motivated because you want to know, “What does Hashem request of me? What does he desire of me?” That’s number one.  

But it doesn’t mean that you should merely have a good intention. You have to put in the labor because to understand what Hashem wants of you , you must have a certain achievement of the intellect.  It’s never easy to know מה ה’ אלוקיך שואל מעמך.  Don’t think it’s easy to know.

That’s why when the ger came to Shamai and said, “Teach me on one foot how to become a Jew,” Shammai said, “Get out of here! On one foot you want to learn the Torah?!” 

And even when he came to Hillel and Hillel said, “Come, I’ll tell you,” Hillel didn’t really tell him.  He only said, “You have to know that if you’ll study the rule I’m giving you, that’ll be the foundation. I’m giving you a rule: ‘What you don’t want others to do to you, don’t do to others.’ Now, that’s the rule,” Hillel said, “and the rest is an explanation. ואידך פירושא – study the rule because it needs explanation; so go learn.”

So Torah lishmah requires effort.  And the more effort you put in, the more it’s lishmah.  Don’t make any mistake about it.  Lishmah doesn’t mean you learn superficially.  It has to be with the motivation to do the will of Hashem, but it must be with yegiah, with effort to learn Torah.  And every Jew who puts in effort will succeed in gaining the will of Hashem more.  Hashem’s ratzon, His favor, is upon those who seek His will; those who seek to know His will.

TAPE # 900

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Rabbi Y. Ginsburgh on Converts

 "The bottom line is that the world was created not just for righteous souls of Israel but for righteous converts. The Moshiach can only come from righteous converts."  47:00 

"The most amazing phenomenon in the world that Hashem created for His glory is a righteous convert." 48:02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC6_15UWo6k

story about a nice gentile celebrity

Read this on Quora:

But I’d like to share a story about Buddy Ebsen. My daughter worked for a law firm in LA where Buddy was a frequent client. He made it a point to know the employees personally, even the “lowly secretaries”. My daughter’s friend/co-worker had an unsightly huge birth mark on her face that she’d had since birth. After starting a conversation about it a couple of times and gleaning what info he could, Buddy paid for the medical bills to have it removed.

My daughter mentioned me to him, because I was a HUGE fan, also told him I was auditioning for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He asked her to mail me an autographed photo with a personal letter to me, wishing me good luck on the audition. Down the line, I did get to meet him, in fact sit with him during the premiere performance of his musical “Turn to the Right”, because he remembered me from my daughter’s conversations at the law office. What a truly kind man he was! I cried when he passed away.