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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Terumah
When her husband was alive, they were the most beloved couple in town. He had made a fortune in real estate, & was legendary for his generosity. Not only did he support every worthy institution, but anyone in need knew that they could come to him & be assured of assistance. In fact, although he was officially retired from business, he kept his office so that one & all could see him throughout the day. His door was always open.
But then he died, & suddenly the contributions stopped cold in their tracks. His widow must surely have inherited a huge estate, everyone reasoned, but the door was closed & the faucet turned off. No matter how many pleas were made for help, it was to no avail. While she listened closely & nodded her head to hundreds of supplicants, in the end she did nothing.
And so, little by little, she was shunned. People could not hide their resentment & wanted nothing to do with her. Even in shul, they moved to seats far away from her. Only the little children flocked to her for the candies she gave out & wished her a Shabbat Shalom. Still, she did not react with rancor or anger; she kept her dignity.
And then, some years later, she died as well. The rabbi was required to officiate, but no one else came to the funeral. As she had no children, there was also no shiva. But when the Shamas, in an act of Chesed, came to her house to clean it, he was shocked at what he discovered. There, on a long table, were hundreds of envelopes filled with cash, with no return address, neatly arranged in boxes by months & addressed to dozens and dozens of individuals & organizations. The Shamas recognized many of the names & decided to call several of them.
"Did you ever receive anonymous donations?" he asked.
The answer was affirmative, "Yes; every month, like clockwork, they arrived, with no clue as to where they came from."
A few weeks later, the Shamas gathered the townsfolk & revealed the truth to them. They were stunned, & ashamed of their behavior towards this righteous soul. They had made assumptions, and assumed the worst. Now, they would have the almost insurmountable challenge of doing Teshuva.
The word "T’ruma" contains the words "true" & "mah" (what). Only Hashem knows what is true, & who is truly a tzadik. As for us, we can only judge l’kaf z’chut, with the benefit of the doubt, & with ayin tova, a view to the good.
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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.
