YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Nitzavim
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
Included in the blessings the Torah foresees for a ba’al teshuva is: "Hashem will give you abundance in all of your hands’ work, in the produce of your stomach ... your animals and ... your land..." (Devarim 30:9). The Meshech Chochma noted that almost identical wording is used in the last parasha (ibid. 28:11) regarding one who deserves blessing, with the exception of "all of your hands’ work." Why should that phrase appear in one context and not the other?
The Meshech Chochma refers us to the famous disagreement between R. Shimon Bar Yochai and R. Yishmael. The latter says that when one is blessed, he will have a lot of produce to harvest ... and will harvest it. R. Shimon says that this is not the beracha of a real tzaddik, who should be dedicating his life to Torah rather than working the field. Rather, for the real tzaddik, others who are less devoted will do the work while he learns.
The Meshech Chochma says that the previous parasha’s pasuk refers to the blessing of a R. Shimon type of tzaddik. "All of your hands’ work" is omitted because his hands do not work. Our parasha refers to a R. Yishmael style tzaddik, who does work with his own hands. Why should there be a difference? He explains that since our parasha is talking about one who had sinned and needed repentance, it would be a mistake for him to take R. Shimon’s extreme spirituality approach, as the mishna (Avot 2:2) says that physical labor is important to make sins be forgotten. Only one who had always been righteous and may have no sins that need forgetting, can dedicate himself exclusively to Torah.
The problem with this fascinating suggestion is that one would expect specifically the ba’al teshuva to adopt the approach of extreme spirituality. After all, the Rambam (Intro. to Avot, ch. 4) says that although one should seek the golden mean, when he has strayed to the extreme in one area, it may pay to right himself by taking the opposite extreme until reaching equilibrium. Why then should the one who needed repentance, and thus lacked spirituality, not follow, at least for a significant amount of time, a course of extreme spirituality?
The answer is that the sinner may not have lacked spirituality but the healthy approach to life’s challenges. His remedy is to meticulously follow the Torah’s guidelines for man, including a balance between Torah study and a normal life of labor. The normal path (including much more Torah than most are used to) gives the best prospects for concretizing the spiritual growth and maintaining a healthy balance to keep him away from sin.
Various Rabbis
Various Rabbis including those of of Yeshivat Bet El, such as Rabbi Chaim Katz, Rabbi Binyamin Bamberger and Rabbi Yitzchak Greenblat and others.
Moreshet Shaul Moreshet Shaul: A Crown and its Scepter – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 294-5
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
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.
