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Beit Midrash
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: Being rich, and thus not being poor, includes three positive impacts. One is that it allows for an increased gentility, connected with cleanliness and purity, which poverty ruins. The second is the brightening and elevating of an individual’s spirit, which brings a person to sanctity, good actions, and a pure life. The third is the peace within the family and its positive influence on the interrelationship between people in general, which has a lot of impact on the general education of people.
For those people whose personalities are complete in regard to these elements, Divine Providence is likely to view him as a good candidate for wealth, as wealth will prepare him for the role in the world that he is fit to have. After all, Hashem is the One who "gives abundance to all who live in His grace" (Tehillim 145:16). In contrast, one who lowers himself to a lifestyle of disgrace, to the point that he cannot inspire himself to seek luxury so that he can act with dignity in the way he acts in his home is deserving of poverty. Why should he receive wealth if he does not know how to use it properly, as he is missing one of the foundations of the spirit which go well with riches? One who urinates before his bed when naked is one of the starkest examples of a disgusting home life, of one who has no inner yearning to expand the delicateness of his soul, which is something that poverty would inhibit.
The idea of brightening and elevating of an individual’s spirit is epitomized by washing one’s hands before eating, which Chazal derived from "You shall sanctify yourselves" (Vayikra 20:7). There is something about the desire to eat that can lower man toward the level of an animal, with coarse emotions making up the essence of his life power. On the other hand, he has the ability to elevate himself, with the spiritual advantages he has over animals, to the point that his table can be refined by his intellect and his divinely endowed pleasantness in a major way. The first step toward this improvement is washing his hands before eating in order to sanctify himself, and recognizing that the table is Hashem’s table and the eating should be an eating of sanctity and delicateness, not just an unsightly physical necessity. Someone who cannot take this washing of the hands seriously has no right to ask for wealth or the lack of poverty. After all, riches would anyway not work well for his spirit in regard to his coarse human needs but only on the internal fineness that goes with the physical needs being used for spiritual ones.
The third goal of wealth is to help facilitate peace within the family. If one’s wife curses him to his face due to his improper behavior, he has already lost the feeling and the ability to maintain a morally proper family model, so how will riches help? Therefore, he is slated for poverty. "Like the actions of a person he will be paid, and like the paths of a person he will be provided" (Iyov 34:11).
The main determinant of whether a person will be elevated or lowly are his actions and comportment, which impact his characteristics. Hashem arranges it so that these actions determine what tools the person will be given to do his tasks. "Hashem is the judge; this one He lowers, and this one He raises up" (Tehillim 75:8).
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Shoftim TESHUVA IN COURT OF LAW?
Parshat Shoftim-Chodesh Elul
Why does parshat Shoftim always come out during Elul? This innovative and central explanation is an eye-opener regarding many aspects of Judaism.
The Month of Elul TESHUVA IS THE ANSWER
The month of Elul serves as a vital time for self-reflection and personal accountability to prepare for true repentance.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
P'ninat Mishpat Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Chemdat Yamim The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
