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From the very beginning, Hashem is informing us that words have power – to create, yet also to destroy. G-d’s greatest creation – Man – is distinguished primarily by his unique ability to speak, to use words, & to thereby connect to other human beings via the power of speech. Though we are continually cautioned to guard our words & use them wisely, it is often the inability or unwillingness to speak which leads us into very dark places. Two vivid examples of this cry out to us from the story of Gan Eden.
When Chava eats from the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, she starts a chain-reaction of Shame & Blame culminating in the first family’s expulsion from Paradise. But G-d’s castigation of Adam – "Because you listened to the voice of your
wife & ate of the tree…." is quite strange: Where, exactly, do we see Chava speaking to Adam? Nowhere does the text record discussion between them!
True, but Chava did speak to the snake, when they discussed whether it was proper to eat from the Etz HaDa’at. It was then that Adam heard her voice, listened to the conversation, & yet did nothing! THAT was his sin! He should have spoken up & warned Chava, he should have protected her from sinning; for that, he deserved to be punished.
Fast-forward now a bit to the epochal story of Kayin & Hevel – the ultimate account of sibling rivalry. When Kayin’s offering is spurned by Hashem - yet Hevel’s accepted - Kayin reacts violently & murders his brother. But note the text’s account of the brother’s confrontation:
"And Kayin said to his brother Hevel; & it was when they were in the field, Kayin rose up against Hevel his brother & killed him."
You see what’s missing here? Whatever Kayin may have said to Hevel, we don’t know; but Hevel never answered him! Not once, but twice, Kayin calls Hevel "his brother." Clearly, a distraught & dejected Kayin sought some support, some words of comfort from his sibling, but he got nothing! This may well have been what pushed him "over the edge" to commit the greatest murder in human history – a full 25% of the population!
While Hevel’s silence certainly does not justify Kayin’s crime, we see from here how devastating silence can be, & how therapeutic the right words at the right time can be. There are times, to be sure, when talk is cheap, & silence is golden; but there are also times when it is just the opposite. May G-d help us distinguish between the two.
Parashat Hashavua The Strength of His Actions He Told to His Nation
Harav Shaul Yisraeli – from Siach Shaul, pp. 6-8
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Rabbis in Midrash
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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)
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)
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.
P'ninat Mishpat 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: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
