Yeshiva
Beit Midrash
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: The purpose of the entire Torah and all its details is to instill its holiness and the depth of its great value in the hearts of the nation of Hashem. Therefore, the details of the mitzvot are the aspects that are most clear, and through them the nation as a whole expresses their inner feeling of how dear and great the Torah is in their hearts.
On occasion, it happens that a certain leniency will be the medium to cause an overwhelming feeling of honor and sanctity of the Torah. It is not necessarily by means of the specific halachic ruling but from a more holistic understanding that brings the people to respect the Sages who have a fear of Heaven and to sense their great value. In such a case, it is fine for there to be a decision that leans, even surprisingly, towards leniency. For the leniency itself that is connected to the honor of the Sages will give this lofty feeling of dependence on a great rabbi in a manner that is equivalent to the practical impact of an act of stringency.
The leniency can be even more powerful than a stringency. This is because the stringency will be based only on the specific detailed case while giving honor to the Sages who ruled leniently and heeding their words is based on the larger value of a mitzva that includes the foundation of all of the Oral Torah and is the basis for the covenant between Hashem and Am Yisrael. This mitzva is the obligation to heed the words of the Sages.
Rebbi found a need to be stringent regarding insulating cold foods on Shabbat, in order to strengthen people’s appreciation for the lofty sanctity of Shabbat. However after hearing that Rabbi Yossi ruled leniently on the matter, he declared: "The elder has already ruled leniently." This came about because Rabbi Yossi saw fit that in his time this was the correct evaluation. Rebbi now ascertained that there was a judgement that was more inclusive (than the specific mitzva of Shabbat), and this leniency itself would bring an abundance of holiness for those who cling to it. For it would strengthen in the hearts of the nation their appreciation and honor of the Sages. This would result in life and bring a strengthened sense of holiness. That is why Rebbi declared, "The elder has already ruled leniently."
Various Rabbis
Various Rabbis including those of of Yeshivat Bet El, such as Rabbi Chaim Katz, Rabbi Binyamin Bamberger and Rabbi Yitzchak Greenblat and others.
Moreshet Shaul Moreshet Shaul: A Crown and its Scepter – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 294-5
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Hosha'ana Rabba FLYDUBAI & HOSHANA RABBA- ANI VAHU HOSHIA NA- I & HIM SAVE US
"Ani vaHu Hoshia Na", "I and Him, Save Us". We don't just pray to Him, but we also pray to and for ourselves that we should emulate and educate our children to have that instinctive altruism with which He created the world. President Trump seemed amused about Yaniv Hayon, our PLUMBER who confidently worked with G-d like Superman (he learned from a pilot on a TV show!) to save 174 lives on the Dubai hijacking, but we in Israel are totally accustomed already 78 years to our plumbers, teachers, garbage-men, rabbis, farmers & doctors being Hashem's shlichim! This is what Zionism is about.
Moreshet Shaul Hashem Is your Shadow – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 420 – an address from 1941
