Nitzavim, and Iron Man.
So, hello to all again. I suppose I will start from Erev Shabbat, while I was studying the upcoming Torah section, Nitzavim. Enjoying the evening, and Shteiging (deep concentration) in Torah as I generally like to get in some study time for the upcoming reading. It's much nicer for me to have some commentary on Shabbat services when I actually know what I am commenting on ;).
Anywho, I was looking at sections from the Talmud about it, and I'll share some of them with you here in a bit. Anyway, on through my evening, I went over to Yosef's as I usually do. Prepared for Erev Shabbat, Aharon came, and we had Shabbat dinner together, as is the usual tradition. We had Kiddush, then we ate a nice kosher chicken dinner, that was very delicious might I add, with corn as a side dish. Very lovely, and well cooking.That was enjoyable, of course, so after we had finished Bircat Hamazon, we did our prayers, and we were ready to begin the night. We went to Yiremeyahu's to practice our musical abilities on Kol Nidrei, came home, and listened to a trope trainer that Yosef has. I have a nice Sefer Torah that I use that is in all Hebrew, that has the tropes, which I use frequently. It's nice to have it in all Hebrew, and no transliteration or any English, because it keeps my mind on what I should be learning. Albeit, I am a slow reader, I can get through it well enough to at least say I can read it. After that, and some discussions on Creation science that Aharon and Yosef had, we decided to do the Bedtime Shema, and hit the sack. As 9:00 can come early for late night owls. I should probably mention that I have a personal tradition of mine, to not speak on Erev Shabbat, or Shabbat. The only things I will say are mandatory yes/no questions, being polite, and Torah. I feel that it is important for me to keep my mind on what the day is about, and it's holiness, and keeping quiet really portrays that for me. I can keep discussions that I would normally have on a week day, outside of Shabbat. Shabbat for me is my own personal reserve, and the only time I embrace it with others, is in discussion of Torah! It's a beautiful way for me, to keep my thoughts in check anyway. Anywho, we awake, and leave for Shabbat morning Shacrit service. It's refreshing sometimes to pray with other individuals, especially Aharon, since he does a wonderful job in doing the liturgy in Hebrew, within a timely matter as well. The Torah service was good, music was good, it was all very well. I noticed that I had lost a button on my jacket unfortunately, however I received it, and my mother, bless her soul, sowed it for me that night, even though she wanted to go to bed. Because I was leaving with the guys that night to go the next morning to the mens meeting. We get to Yosef's, Dustin joins us, and we watch Iron Man. Pretty decent movie, amongst the majority these days. Anyway, continuing this brief informative, we leave for the mens meeting (at 6:20, a forsaken time of day :| ) Darran has a very nice session furthering the Integrity Quotient that Boaz Michaels had done the month before. The main subject of the meeting however, was free will, the "core of Judaism". It's always tickling to see Aharon's face when a discussion regarding such appears, because he does not believe in free will. He looked at me, and I looked at him, and we both smiled. Needless to say, I'll be picking up "Code of Jewish Ethics" by Rabbi Telushkin. After the meeting, we did Shacrit, and that was my weekend!
Now it's time to go more into this last weeks portion, Nitzavim, literally, "ones standing".
I am sad to say that I hadn't compiled a lot of my notes, Rashi's comments, or much really of anything, except for these handy Talmud passages correlating to some verses. Hopefully for Rosh Hashanah coming up, or maybe this upcoming Erev Shabbat, I'll have some better information. Right now, what I have to work with, is a book called "Torah Revealed" by Avraham Yaakov Finkel. It's basically a compilation of Oral Torah commentary and sides with Written Torah.
This particular reading is The Renewed Covenant.
I'll state the chapter and verse number that I'll be talking about, but to save copy/paste, I won't give you the actual verse.
Deut. 29:9
The Yerushalmi Talmud teaches...
"...the heads of your tribes, your elders..." "Elders" refers to Torah scholars; "heads of tribes" refers to communal leaders who are not necessarily Torah scholars.
Moshe placed "heads" before "elders", whereas "[Yehoshua] summoned the elders of Israel, their heads, and their officers" (Yehoshua 24:1), placing "elders" before "heads."The reason Moshe placed heads before elders is that both the heads and the elders were his disciples, so that they were each other's colleagues. That's why the elders did not feel slighted being placed after the heads. By contrast, in the case of Yehoshua, the heads and the elders were not all his disciples; that's why Yehoshua placed the elders, who were greater scholars, before the heads of the tribes.
Another reason: Moshe did not need the elders for the conquest of the and, because he was to die before entering the Land of Yisrael. Therefore, he placed the heads before the elders. But Yehoshua needed the elders' support for the conquest; that's why he placed them before the heads of the tribes. Another view: Because Moshe was not exhausted by Torah study and did not need the advice of the elders, he placed heads before elders, but Yehoshua was exhausted and needed he advice of the elders, so he placed elders before heads. Another opinion: Because Moshe foresaw prophetically that Yisrael was destined to be subjugated by the nations, and that heads, that is, spokesmen, would be appointed over them to mediate with the kings of the nations in their behalf, he placed heads before elders. If the Jewish communal leaders do not appease hostile government officials, persuading them to cancel harsh decrees, Torah scholars have no peace of mind to learn. (Yerushalmi Talmud, Horayot 3:5).
It's interesting to note this section, having to do with the different setting that the Heads and Elders were in. It points out that there is always an order with a ruler, especially HaShem. It's also interesting to note that the individuals who were placed behind the other, are not noted to be jealous at all. Each individual respects his order, his place, and his authority, in correlation with higher and lower people over them. This should be a model to life, society, and government, that each person is within his bounds, and stay there. We can see with instances of Korach (Who wanted the authority of Moshe, and was swallowed up by the earth), and Uzzah (Who was struck down for keeping the Ark of the Covenant from falling, because he wasn't a Levite).
Deut. 29:14
The Talmud Teaches...
"...and also with those who are not [yet] here with us today..." How do we know that the coming generations and proselytes who are later to be converted were also placed under this oath? Because it says "and also with those who are not yet here with us today," meaning, future generations and converts. From here we know that they were placed under the oath for the commandments they received at Sinai. How do we know that they were placed under oath for the commandments that were going to given later, such as the reading of the Megillah, ordained by Mordechai, a thousand years after the giving of the Torah? Because it says regarding Purim, "The Jews undertook and obligated themselves" (Esther 9:27). They undertook to fulfill what they had long ago obligated themselves in principle to do. (Shevuot 39a).
It is said that every soul, to accept Torah, was at Mt. Sinai when Yod Hamitzvot were given. They each said "We will do" after the proclamation of each mitzvah. The idea that each individual willingly said "I will", then and there is very humbling. Think about this for a second;
You have a soul. A Nefesh, a pure part of you that always wants yetzer hatov (The good inclination). Your soul said at Mt. Sinai, with the rest of the people "I will do this which you have said".
You said, before you were physically born, that you will attach yourself to those mitzvot.
Now look at this:
There is a spiritual image of you in Hashamayim (The heavens). This spiritual you, constantly strives for yetzer hatov, wanting to do good, but has a daily battle, just as you do every day. Individual decisions, and wars over yetzer hatov versus yetzer harah (the evil inclination). How should you feel, that the decisions you make here on earth, make up what happens to this spiritual you in heaven? You can really bring home the philosophy that "the things you do, effect everyone, not just yourself", an idea my father has driven into my life very hard. Everything you do here, may not only affect your future, and your past, but something else's as well. Think about that the next time your thought wanders to something it shouldn't, and see if that does not humble you. I know it does me.
Anyway, I am going to graph the rest of these here into kind of a melting pot. When it says in chapter 30, verse 12, The Talmud says "R. Avdimi b. Chama said 'it is not in heaven,' for if it were in heaven, you would have to go up after it; and if it were over the sea, you would have to go across the sea to get it." (Eruvin 55a).
Another important one I read was one of Rava:
"Rava said: This means that the Torah cannot be found in a person whose haughtiness is as high as the heavens. R. Yochanan said: 'It is not in heaven' means the Torah cannot be found among the arrogant (Eruvin 55a).
Verse 17 in chapter 30 is an important verse for me. Think about the ramifications before you do something. The Talmud says "This teaches you that if you turn your heart away, meaning if you give up hope of ever grasping the Torah teachings and do not review your lessons, you will no longer listen, and you will gain no further knowledge" (Sukkah 46b).
Verse 19 outlines the free will each man has, and his obligation to choose life, a blessing, so that you may live. Verse 20 clearly states that you must make your own choice to love HaShem. The Talmud teaches "Torah study is one of the mitzvot whose fruits a person enjoys in this world but whose principle remains intact for the world to come, as it says 'For the Torah is your life -- in this world -- and the length of your days -- in the world to come". (Kiddushin 40a).
I hope that these words of wisdom can remain with us each day. As that last section is part of the morning blessings over the Torah, it should be part of our every day. Studying Torah is important for more reasons than just knowing what happened, but also to know what is going to happen, and where you should go with your life. As it says "The Torah is your life", it is our guidelines on how to live, and if we choose the blessing of Torah, we choose life.
Azariah Ben Yaakov.
Anywho, I was looking at sections from the Talmud about it, and I'll share some of them with you here in a bit. Anyway, on through my evening, I went over to Yosef's as I usually do. Prepared for Erev Shabbat, Aharon came, and we had Shabbat dinner together, as is the usual tradition. We had Kiddush, then we ate a nice kosher chicken dinner, that was very delicious might I add, with corn as a side dish. Very lovely, and well cooking.That was enjoyable, of course, so after we had finished Bircat Hamazon, we did our prayers, and we were ready to begin the night. We went to Yiremeyahu's to practice our musical abilities on Kol Nidrei, came home, and listened to a trope trainer that Yosef has. I have a nice Sefer Torah that I use that is in all Hebrew, that has the tropes, which I use frequently. It's nice to have it in all Hebrew, and no transliteration or any English, because it keeps my mind on what I should be learning. Albeit, I am a slow reader, I can get through it well enough to at least say I can read it. After that, and some discussions on Creation science that Aharon and Yosef had, we decided to do the Bedtime Shema, and hit the sack. As 9:00 can come early for late night owls. I should probably mention that I have a personal tradition of mine, to not speak on Erev Shabbat, or Shabbat. The only things I will say are mandatory yes/no questions, being polite, and Torah. I feel that it is important for me to keep my mind on what the day is about, and it's holiness, and keeping quiet really portrays that for me. I can keep discussions that I would normally have on a week day, outside of Shabbat. Shabbat for me is my own personal reserve, and the only time I embrace it with others, is in discussion of Torah! It's a beautiful way for me, to keep my thoughts in check anyway. Anywho, we awake, and leave for Shabbat morning Shacrit service. It's refreshing sometimes to pray with other individuals, especially Aharon, since he does a wonderful job in doing the liturgy in Hebrew, within a timely matter as well. The Torah service was good, music was good, it was all very well. I noticed that I had lost a button on my jacket unfortunately, however I received it, and my mother, bless her soul, sowed it for me that night, even though she wanted to go to bed. Because I was leaving with the guys that night to go the next morning to the mens meeting. We get to Yosef's, Dustin joins us, and we watch Iron Man. Pretty decent movie, amongst the majority these days. Anyway, continuing this brief informative, we leave for the mens meeting (at 6:20, a forsaken time of day :| ) Darran has a very nice session furthering the Integrity Quotient that Boaz Michaels had done the month before. The main subject of the meeting however, was free will, the "core of Judaism". It's always tickling to see Aharon's face when a discussion regarding such appears, because he does not believe in free will. He looked at me, and I looked at him, and we both smiled. Needless to say, I'll be picking up "Code of Jewish Ethics" by Rabbi Telushkin. After the meeting, we did Shacrit, and that was my weekend!
Now it's time to go more into this last weeks portion, Nitzavim, literally, "ones standing".
I am sad to say that I hadn't compiled a lot of my notes, Rashi's comments, or much really of anything, except for these handy Talmud passages correlating to some verses. Hopefully for Rosh Hashanah coming up, or maybe this upcoming Erev Shabbat, I'll have some better information. Right now, what I have to work with, is a book called "Torah Revealed" by Avraham Yaakov Finkel. It's basically a compilation of Oral Torah commentary and sides with Written Torah.
This particular reading is The Renewed Covenant.
I'll state the chapter and verse number that I'll be talking about, but to save copy/paste, I won't give you the actual verse.
Deut. 29:9
The Yerushalmi Talmud teaches...
"...the heads of your tribes, your elders..." "Elders" refers to Torah scholars; "heads of tribes" refers to communal leaders who are not necessarily Torah scholars.
Moshe placed "heads" before "elders", whereas "[Yehoshua] summoned the elders of Israel, their heads, and their officers" (Yehoshua 24:1), placing "elders" before "heads."The reason Moshe placed heads before elders is that both the heads and the elders were his disciples, so that they were each other's colleagues. That's why the elders did not feel slighted being placed after the heads. By contrast, in the case of Yehoshua, the heads and the elders were not all his disciples; that's why Yehoshua placed the elders, who were greater scholars, before the heads of the tribes.
Another reason: Moshe did not need the elders for the conquest of the and, because he was to die before entering the Land of Yisrael. Therefore, he placed the heads before the elders. But Yehoshua needed the elders' support for the conquest; that's why he placed them before the heads of the tribes. Another view: Because Moshe was not exhausted by Torah study and did not need the advice of the elders, he placed heads before elders, but Yehoshua was exhausted and needed he advice of the elders, so he placed elders before heads. Another opinion: Because Moshe foresaw prophetically that Yisrael was destined to be subjugated by the nations, and that heads, that is, spokesmen, would be appointed over them to mediate with the kings of the nations in their behalf, he placed heads before elders. If the Jewish communal leaders do not appease hostile government officials, persuading them to cancel harsh decrees, Torah scholars have no peace of mind to learn. (Yerushalmi Talmud, Horayot 3:5).
It's interesting to note this section, having to do with the different setting that the Heads and Elders were in. It points out that there is always an order with a ruler, especially HaShem. It's also interesting to note that the individuals who were placed behind the other, are not noted to be jealous at all. Each individual respects his order, his place, and his authority, in correlation with higher and lower people over them. This should be a model to life, society, and government, that each person is within his bounds, and stay there. We can see with instances of Korach (Who wanted the authority of Moshe, and was swallowed up by the earth), and Uzzah (Who was struck down for keeping the Ark of the Covenant from falling, because he wasn't a Levite).
Deut. 29:14
The Talmud Teaches...
"...and also with those who are not [yet] here with us today..." How do we know that the coming generations and proselytes who are later to be converted were also placed under this oath? Because it says "and also with those who are not yet here with us today," meaning, future generations and converts. From here we know that they were placed under the oath for the commandments they received at Sinai. How do we know that they were placed under oath for the commandments that were going to given later, such as the reading of the Megillah, ordained by Mordechai, a thousand years after the giving of the Torah? Because it says regarding Purim, "The Jews undertook and obligated themselves" (Esther 9:27). They undertook to fulfill what they had long ago obligated themselves in principle to do. (Shevuot 39a).
It is said that every soul, to accept Torah, was at Mt. Sinai when Yod Hamitzvot were given. They each said "We will do" after the proclamation of each mitzvah. The idea that each individual willingly said "I will", then and there is very humbling. Think about this for a second;
You have a soul. A Nefesh, a pure part of you that always wants yetzer hatov (The good inclination). Your soul said at Mt. Sinai, with the rest of the people "I will do this which you have said".
You said, before you were physically born, that you will attach yourself to those mitzvot.
Now look at this:
There is a spiritual image of you in Hashamayim (The heavens). This spiritual you, constantly strives for yetzer hatov, wanting to do good, but has a daily battle, just as you do every day. Individual decisions, and wars over yetzer hatov versus yetzer harah (the evil inclination). How should you feel, that the decisions you make here on earth, make up what happens to this spiritual you in heaven? You can really bring home the philosophy that "the things you do, effect everyone, not just yourself", an idea my father has driven into my life very hard. Everything you do here, may not only affect your future, and your past, but something else's as well. Think about that the next time your thought wanders to something it shouldn't, and see if that does not humble you. I know it does me.
Anyway, I am going to graph the rest of these here into kind of a melting pot. When it says in chapter 30, verse 12, The Talmud says "R. Avdimi b. Chama said 'it is not in heaven,' for if it were in heaven, you would have to go up after it; and if it were over the sea, you would have to go across the sea to get it." (Eruvin 55a).
Another important one I read was one of Rava:
"Rava said: This means that the Torah cannot be found in a person whose haughtiness is as high as the heavens. R. Yochanan said: 'It is not in heaven' means the Torah cannot be found among the arrogant (Eruvin 55a).
Verse 17 in chapter 30 is an important verse for me. Think about the ramifications before you do something. The Talmud says "This teaches you that if you turn your heart away, meaning if you give up hope of ever grasping the Torah teachings and do not review your lessons, you will no longer listen, and you will gain no further knowledge" (Sukkah 46b).
Verse 19 outlines the free will each man has, and his obligation to choose life, a blessing, so that you may live. Verse 20 clearly states that you must make your own choice to love HaShem. The Talmud teaches "Torah study is one of the mitzvot whose fruits a person enjoys in this world but whose principle remains intact for the world to come, as it says 'For the Torah is your life -- in this world -- and the length of your days -- in the world to come". (Kiddushin 40a).
I hope that these words of wisdom can remain with us each day. As that last section is part of the morning blessings over the Torah, it should be part of our every day. Studying Torah is important for more reasons than just knowing what happened, but also to know what is going to happen, and where you should go with your life. As it says "The Torah is your life", it is our guidelines on how to live, and if we choose the blessing of Torah, we choose life.
Azariah Ben Yaakov.
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