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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Ki Tavo
The commentator Kli Yakar takes notices of this & famously comments, "Every blessing can be a curse, while every curse can become a blessing." A person, for example, can have tremendous wealth, but may use that wealth to buy drugs, bribe people or become lazy. How often do we hear of people receiving large sums of money via inheritance or the lottery, only to have this "blessing" ruin their lives, making them spoiled, arrogant or non-productive citizens? Or take someone who gets a high-powered executive job, only to become a prisoner of his position, neglecting his family & working himself to death?
Conversely, that which on the surface seems negative can always be turned into something positive, to be used for the good of oneself & others. Poverty can teach resourcefulness & humility; the loss of a job can motivate us to learn a new skill or trade; suffering can instill in us a deep sense of empathy & compassion for others.
Let me relate a true story to you. I asked one of my best friends, Jack, "what was the worst day in your life?" He said, "the day that I had to close my restaurant."
"And what was the best day in your life?" I then asked. "The very same day!" he said immediately, with a broad smile.
Jack, you see, had a very successful & popular fish restaurant. He was on top of the world. But then one day, a couple came in & ordered Mahi Mahi fish. It had an imperceptible virus, one that could not be detected in advance. The couple became seriously ill, & was rushed to the hospital. The restaurant was ordered shut down by the health authority.
By the next morning, the story was a front-page headline, & Jack knew he could not re-open his place again. He spent the day in depression, but after a sleepless night, he decided to open a new style of restaurant. It caught on; he would then go on to open several more branches until his company was eventually bought out for many millions of dollars. The curse turned out to be a very great blessing.
The fact that there are so many klalot in this sedra, says the Kli Yakar, actually means that there is a tremendous potential for those curses to transform into good & for bracha - if only we have faith & fortitude in G-d, & in ourselves, & know how to tap into it.
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.
