YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Sections
- The Life of Tzaddikim
- Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu
My brother Mordechai asked that the shoes would be a little too big, so that he could wear them for a long time. He said to our mother that he was then at the stage of rapid growth and so it made sense to buy bigger shoes, and he would stuff them with paper so they wouldn’t be loose on his feet.
After a while the shoemaker notified us that the shoes were ready. Together with Mordechai, my mother went to the shoemaker, paid him half a lira and took the shoes. Mordechai was delighted with them.
Later, Mordechai went out into the street and saw the mother of one of the Yeshiva students crying.
"Why are you crying?" he asked her.
"Because my son doesn’t want to go to Yeshiva! He doesn’t have any decent shoes and he refuses to go in torn shoes," she replied.
"I’ll give him mine," Mordechai offered.
"But he’s bigger than you and your shoes will be too small for him," the mother said.
Mordechai didn’t hesitate and replied, "These shoes are a few sizes too big for me so they should fit your son."
He ran home to get his old shoes, packed up the new shoes and brought them to the student’s mother. Indeed, the shoes fitted him perfectly, and he agreed to go to the Yeshiva to study.
In the evening, my mother noticed Mordechai polishing his old shoes.
"Why are you polishing them?" she asked, and he told her the story.
My mother was very pleased with her son’s good character traits and told him, "You’ll get new shoes anyway!" She took him to the shoemaker and asked him to make him another pair of shoes.
"What happened?" the shoemaker, the father of Rabbi Abba Shaul, asked in surprise. "Just yesterday you got new shoes – where are they?"
My mother explained what had happened, and the shoemaker, who understood what a high level of generosity had been displayed by such a small child, told her that he was prepared to forgo his profit and sell her the shoes for thirty five agurot, the cost of the materials only.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
