Yeshiva
Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: Patience and a negative type of lowliness of the spirit are two extremes that touch one another, even though they contradict each other.
Patience is a good trait, which emanates from trust in Hashem. However, it is not good when as a result of patience, one develops an apathetic state of lowliness in which he is content with remaining in bad situations, without taking steps to extricate himself from them. Such an approach is a bad illness. The natural tendency with which Hashem bestowed people, to vigorously oppose bad situations – illnesses of the spirit and of the body and all sorts of lacking – is one of the means for a person to end his troubles. Who will be willing to have mercy on the foolish person who does not have mercy on himself?
For this reason, the correct approach to yisurin is the holy two-sided coin, which covers both areas. One is quiet, which is a form of patience and acceptance of the divine judgment. Along with this comes a belief, and indeed a knowledge, that the bad situation that is transpiring is for the good. On the other hand, one is supposed to request mercy, to show that he has a real interest to get beyond the bad situation and experience a more positive life. When a person fulfills both of these conditions, he will improve his emotional state and will not be depressed by the pain of his yisurin, and his spirit will search for a way to leave the upheaval behind him. Then the moral goal for which the torment was sent will make its mark in the proper way and the time will come for heavenly mercy and for the afflictions to be removed.
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Various Events FOR WHOM NOT TO VOTE
Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook stressed that Israeli politics is G-dly, so I have no problem answering this common question on a Torani blog. Also, Free-Will is a G-d-given right and obligation, to "destine one's fate" (R. Soloveichik, Kol Dodi Dofek, 67), so I obviously don't tell others how to vote. But once not a few (especially young) have already asked, a couple of personal words from experience and thoughts from chazal & Rav Kook which may be of help to others, mainly for whom NOT to vote.
P'ninat Mishpat Fallout from Failure to Install Elevator – part II
based on ruling 85007 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
