Saturday, May 31, 2008

No Status Quo

We say "Rifaáinu Hashem" - Heal us Hashem. We use the name Yud - Heh - Vav - Heh. This name means that Hashem is constantly "mehave" [recreating] the creation, as we say "hamechadesh bitoovo .. maaseh beraishis" - every second Hashem is recreating us. What we are saying is "Hashem - you recreate the world every second, so just because I was sick a second ago does not mean that I have to be sick the next second."

Such an attitude can bring a merit that may well result in healing.

Sweetest friends - Ani Hakattan bless all of you from the bottom of my heart that you should always enjoy good health!!

Love and blessings to all!

[R' Pincus]

The Stocks Go Down But The Spirit Goes Up

Not one, not two but three different friends forwarded me the following letter:


To the Bear Stearns Minyan, one last time:

After two great years at the Bear, and having been observant for about the same amount of time, I have chosen to exit galus and the world of gashmius (at least temporarily) in order to immerse myself in the ruchnius that I hope to find at Ohr Somayach in eretz Yisroel. I had been planning to go learn at some point, and despite having had a potential opportunity to go over to JPMorgan, the events that took place in mid-March made my decision that much clearer. Not only has Hashem provided me with the ability to go learn but he has blessed me with a “scholarship" care of JPM.

The Bear mincha minyan was really my first regular minyan and it provided me with much inspiration. The whole concept was foreign to me. The idea that a few dozen men at a major financial institution would take time out of their busy schedules and express their gratitude to Hashem, in a conference room within the building no less, was a big motivator for me. Moreover, nobody was talking, rarely were there any cell phone interruptions, and some were even able to achieve serious kavanah. Thank you to everyone who davened for inspiring me with your tefillah.

While I sympathize with those who lost money and jobs, we know that everything happens for a reason and it will all work out for the best. That being said, the collapse of BSC provided a great deal of mussar to all who wish to see it. There are some employees who gave their heart and soul to the company for many years, and some lost thousands or even millions of dollars (Jimmy literally lost a billion!) – they learned the hard way that money is fleeting. Still there are others who were with the company for only a few months who will receive a nice severance package and have already accepted offers elsewhere at higher salaries. There are those, who because of the extraordinary amount of time that they spent at the office, missed out on many milestones (birthdays, weddings, etc.), and lost it all. And there are those who were just in the right place at the right time. And of course there are stories of everything in between. There are no accidents. Hashem is in charge of the world. Sometimes when we are in certain situations it is difficult to have a clear perspective. In the business world it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day and to lose sight of what really matters This experience has truly served to clarify for me the idea that the only "things" that are timeless are the mitzvahs that we do and the tzedakah that we give in olam hazeh. Bear Stearns will soon be a distant memory but hopefully this lesson will remain with us.

There is a famous story of an extraordinarily wealthy man who wrote two wills. When he passed away his children were instructed to immediately open will #1 and then 30 days later to open will #2. Will #1 indicated that the man’s last wish was to be buried in his favorite pair of socks. The chevra kadisha informed the children that this would not be possible. The children pleaded, informing them that their father was a very powerful man who had given a substantial amount of tzedakah throughout his life. They asked, “Do you know who our father is?” Still, the chevra kadisha told the children that it was not halachically permissible. They informed the children that the dead could only be buried in a white kittel. The children sadly buried their father unable to fulfill his final request. After 30 days had passed will #2 was read to the children. “By now children, you have buried me without my socks. I want you to realize that no matter how many millions of dollars you accumulate in your lifetime, you cannot even take your socks with you to the next world.”

There was once a man traveling through Europe in the 1800’s. He came to the town where the Chofetz Chaim had lived. The traveler stopped in to meet the great Talmid Chuchum. When he arrived at the house, he saw that the Chofetz Chaim lived in a tiny home. He knocked on the door and when he looked inside he saw a nearly empty one-bedroom apartment. The traveler asked the Chofetz Chaim, “aren’t you the great Chofetz Chaim? How can you live like this? Where are all of your possessions?” The Chofetz Chaim turned to the traveler and posed the same question. “Where are all of your possessions? All you have with you is a suitcase.” The traveler answered, “Well, I am just passing through,” to which the Chofetz Chaim responded, “I too am just passing through.”

These are old stories but their messages are powerful. It is of course important to make a living and support a family but it is also important to learn Torah b’yom u b’layla, to treat others with respect, to be a Kiddush Hashem and to always act l’shaem shemayim. As I have been inspired by everyone at the minyan, and certainly affected by the events that have transpired at Bear, I hope that you are all inspired by the messages that Hashem sends us on a daily basis and that you continue to strive to achieve a true closeness to the Rabbeinu shel Olam.

Nachum and I had a brief conversation with our CEO, Alan Schwartz, in the elevator on the way to Mincha yesterday. We invited him to daven with us though we conveyed our feelings that maybe our prayers for the well-being of Bear Stearns had not been received in the way that a lot of people had hoped. He had a meeting to attend but he left us with some great mussar. He said something along the lines of ‘don’t worry fellas – your prayers are being answered – we just don’t know how.’ Now I don’t know if he has been meeting with a Rabbi over the past few months or if it was just the power of the pintele Yid but I thought it was a great attitude reflecting on what has no doubt been the most tragic part of his career. Hashem sends us messages all the time and from the most unexpected places.

A big hakores hatov to Andy on behalf of the entire minyan for all his hard work and for being our shaliach mitzvah. By the way, if you have noticed that Andy hasn’t been around as much lately it is because he has been spending his mornings learning in Yeshiva. Yafeh!

Rob Savitt

Friday, May 30, 2008

A Halacha A Day Keeps The Yetzer Hara Away

My good friend Rav Chaim Yehoshua Hakohen suggested that I notify you all that "halacha yomis" is starting hilchos shabbos. Become an expert in hilchos shabbos!! Show off to a date, impress your wife, wow your kids. And as a side benefit you will also keep shabbos properly!

http://www.mishnaberurayomis.org/

A Late Prayer

Recently I called a friend on the telephone and he told me that he can't talk now as he is about to daven Shacharis. It was 3:00 pm!!! A sham!

Explanation: I was in Israel and he was in America. It was 8:00 am his time.

Moral: Don't judge someone else unless you can see things from HIS perspective. From your vantage point something might look bad but he might really be correct.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Casey Prepares Us For Mattan Torah

"Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story."

Casey Stengel


Soon we will be receiving the Torah. Exciting!!! We are all working on ourselves to prepare for this great event. But that is not enough. We encamped at the mountain to receive the Torah as one person with one heart [ki'eash echad bi'lev echad]. We need achdus! Don't be jealous of your friend. Remember - Torah and mitzvos are a team sport. Your friends success is your success.

Love and blessings
to all!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

The Kaddish Of His Life

The children were the first to notice his absence. Perhaps it was the lack of candies that he customarily gave out to the children which caused them to worry about him and to inquire about his absence. The elderly candy man had been a fixture at the shul in Manhattan for years, but no one knew much about him. He used to come daily to the shul, and would sit in his place and daven or learn. He preferred to remain alone for Shabbos, and never engaged in small talk. No one knew whether he had a family or had always been alone.

The children continued to worry about his absence, and the neighbors and shul members soon became concerned as well. The Rav of the neighborhood decided to visit the elderly man and inquire about his welfare. The Rav, accompanied by several shul members, knocked on the door but no response was heard. They knocked again, but there was no sign of life from within. They decided to summon the police, who knocked down the door. They found him lying lifeless on his bed.

The Rav and others began searching the apartment for papers, hoping they would find the number of relatives who could come to the levaya. Eventually, they found some personal papers, and the telephone number of the man’s son. The Rav immediately called the number to inform him of his father’s death, and to confer with him about the time of the levaya.

The Rav successfully contacted the son, but it quickly became apparent that the son had long abandoned his
heritage and his past. He shouted in the phone, “I haven’t seen or spoken with my father for twenty years, and there is no reason I should come to his levaya!”

The Rav was shocked but he didn’t relent. “What about Kaddish for your father?” That alone is sufficient reason to come to the levaya.”

The son replied, “I don’t keep Torah and Mitzvos, and I don’t believe in Kaddish, and therefore I’m not saying Kaddish, and I’m not coming to the levaya.”

The Rav, however, was not going to be put off so easily. He explained, “Do you know what Kaddish is? Kaddish is not a tefillah on the niftar, Kaddish is a tefillah which exalts the name of Hashem Yisbarach, a tefillah which saves from punishments and harsh decrees, a tefillah which lengthens the life and years of the one who says it. Through saying Kaddish, one merits to glorify the name of Shamayim by causing others to answer, Amen Yehay Shemmah Rabbah, which is the essence of Kaddish. Come and daven for yourself. You’ve hurt your father your whole life; at least give him the final honor and the wealth of Olam Haba.” After a long conversation and much convincing, the son finally agreed to come to the levaya and say Kaddish.

Setting a time for the funeral wasn’t simple either. The son was a successful businessman who had a large office in the Twin Towers. He finally agreed that the funeral would be held before his office opened so he wouldn’t miss any work that day.

The funeral was set for September 11, 8:00 A.M. The son appeared and requested that the funeral begin immediately. The funeral began, and the son said Kaddish, repeating the words after the Rav without emotion or concentration. The Rav began saying a hesped, and then one of the neighbors began a hesped, but was not successful in finishing it. Word about the tragedies at the Twin Towers had begun filtering in and people began leaving the funeral to inquire about the welfare of their loved ones.

The son remained behind standing next to the kever, completely stunned. For the first time in many years, he felt a closeness to his father. He looked at the kever and said, “Abba, I received my life as a gift in your merit.” (Shiru Lamelech)
From Revach.net

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Let Us Elect A Marxist!!!

Recently a friend asked me about Albert Einstein. Why was such a smart fellow irreligious? Then I came across the following post. Food for thought.
http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2008/05/23/baby-einstein/

Friday, May 23, 2008

Talk The Talk

It says in the Mishna in Pirkei Avos [beginning of the second perek] that one should be careful to fulfill ALL of the mitzvos because you never know how much reward you are going to receive for a mitzva. Maybe for a mitzva that seems lighter and not so important you will nevertheless receive a tremendous amount of reward.

Wait a second. Since when do we fulfill mitzvos in order to receive reward?! We do mitzvos because they are the will of Hashem! So why does the Mishna convince to fulfill mitzvos by invoking the great reward we might well receive?

When you speak to a young child you should not use Shakespearian English. If you do he won't know what you are talking about. If you are talking to someone from Japan I would recommend using Japanese [if you know the language]. Whenever you talk to someone you must speak HIS language. The mishna is talking to our Yetzer Hara. Our Yetzer Hara understands only one language - "Pleasure-ise". You must talk to him in that language. If you start telling him about how wonderful it is to be morally upright and to fulfill your higher spiritual task in this world he won't listen. Tell him "It will be really cool - I will do the mitzva and get paid large dividends". Ahhhhh - now he will go along!

[See Maharal on the Mishna.]

Good Shabbos Sweetest Friends

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Shallowness Meets The Depths

Some people who profess to follow the Torah lack Emunas Chachomim - faith in the Sages. This means that we must believe that when we see a Gemara or a Medrash we must believe that it is true. True DOES NOT mean that we must understand everything they say in a simplistic way. We have countless sources who endeavor to explain the depth of their words. My own personal favorite is the Maharal. He shows on countless occasions how statements of Chazal which on the surface seem completely unbelievable are in fact profound insights into life and Torah that only eluded me at the outset because of my OWN shallowness.

If someone says that he believes in Judaism but not in Chazal then he is in big trouble because virtually EVERYTHING we do and believe is based on Chazal. To try to figure things out on our own would surely result in a new religion about as to close Judaism as Christianity. We have a chain of transmission and there is no reason to believe that things were invented or made up. I don't think that there is any rational reason to cast aspersions upon our holy Sages. Despite this, many people [almost always people who are not steeped in knowledge] enjoy attacking them.

So here is a statement that I would not make on my own but since Chazal say it I believe it: "All disasters that happen in this world are because of the Jewish People."

"You arrogant Jews!!" someone might argue. "Do you think that the entire world revolves around you??"

Answer: Yes!! Well, not yes we are arrogant. Arrogance gives off a most odious smell. But yes the world DOES revolve around us! That means that if we read about terrible disaster that happens in some far away country we must know that Hashem is talking to US!!!

What is He saying? Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. Sweetest, most beloved friends I must be honest. I don't know! But I do know that we must wake up and try to learn lessons and improve ourselves. I also know that we REALLLLLLLLLLLY need Moshiach. Hashem is only good and didn't create the world so that people should suffer so much.

So let us at least intensify our yearning and prayers for the ultimate redemption.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Two Interesting Questions

What does a frog have to do with taking interest on a loan?

Ribbit, Ribbit.

Some food for thought for this weeks parsha. Rashi [25/38] teaches that if one lives in Israel then it is as if he has a G-d, but if one lives in Chutz L'aretz it is as if he has NO G-d. That itself requires understanding. What does THAT mean?? "Hashem is here, Hashem is there, Hashem is truly everywhere!" Even outside of Israel.

But besides that we must understand something else. This lesson is taught in the context of the prohibition against taking interest on a loan [Ribbis]. There must then be some relationship between Ribbis and living in Israel. What would that be??

All answers are accepted.

Love and blessings to one and all!!!!!!!!!

Good Shabbos, Good Shabbos!

New Shiurim

Sweetest Friends Shalom!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to the help of my beloved friend Michael Shapiro I can once again post shiurim on Alleyways. You can tell that they are new if the title doesn't have a picture of a disk next to it. Some shiurim that I post here will not appear on YUTORAH but are "exclusives" [such as the shiurim on Kedoshim and Acharei Mos]. I thank Michael and once again my good friends R' Mordechai Lerner and R' Noam Kaplan for their help a long while back from which I still benefit.


I can also fix older shiurim that no longer work. If you find one please bring it to my attention.

Toda!!!!!!!!!!!

This weeks shiurim on Behar are on YUTORAH.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Mussar From Dov Bear

I am NOT a big fan of the New York Times. I guess it has something to do with the fact that I am not leftist-liberal-atheistic-Pro-Arab-Anti-Israel and that I am strongly opposed to alternative lifestyles. Marriage, to my mind, should only take place between members of the opposite gender. But I wanted to find out what happened in China [more about that in another post bl"n] so I checked out yesterdays paper. This is the gem that I found in an article written by Thomas Friedman who recently lost his mother.


"Whenever I’ve had the honor of giving a college graduation speech, I always try to end it with this story about the legendary University of Alabama football coach, Bear Bryant. Late in his career, after his mother had died, South Central Bell Telephone Company asked Bear Bryant to do a TV commercial. As best I can piece together, the commercial was supposed to be very simple — just a little music and Coach Bryant saying in his tough voice: “Have you called your mama today?”

On the day of the filming, though, he decided to ad-lib something. He reportedly looked into the camera and said: “Have you called your mama today? I sure wish I could call mine.” That was how the commercial ran, and it got a huge response from audiences.

So on this Mother’s Day, if you take one thing away from this column, take this: Call your mother.

I sure wish I could call mine."

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

A Sad Day

This past Sunday an acquaintance of mine took a shotgun and blew his brains out.


I don't have to tell you how tragic this is. Of course we cannot change the reality of what happened but we can learn lessons.

I was told that he was despondent for two reasons. 1] He was lonely [he had been divorced for many years]. 2] He was in a financial crunch. He had recently lost a lot of money.

From this we learn 1] How difficult it is to be lonely. So if you know single people, particularly older ones - set them up. "It is not good for man to be alone."

2] When a person loses money generally his self-esteem goes down with his finances. It is important to remember that we are worthwhile and life is worth living even if we don't have much money. Today people say "He is worth X amount dollars." This is nutso! No person is "worth" the amount of money in his bank account. People are inherently worthwhile. Unfortunately, people often accord a person respect in proportion to the size of his bank account. That is why some very important members of our society are considered nobodies.

Also, if you know someone who needs money or a job there is virtually nothing more noble that you can do in this world than to lend a helping hand.

Monday, May 12, 2008

"Here's A Story, Of A Man Named Brady"

What is the difference between our society today and society in the not so distant past. There has ALWAYS been immorality so what has changed??

Rav Hutner [in his collected letters] pointed out that in the past immorality was considered [in civilized society] an aberration. Today it is the norm. There have always been single women who became pregnant - today it is the norm. Unmarried couples have always lived together - today it is the norm. There have always been woman who dressed immodestly - today they are EVERYWHERE. The concept of tzniyus as we know has simply ceased to exist in the general society so that when a religious Jew is careful about what he sees people think that he is weird.

The "Brady Bunch" broke the barrier. Until then it was forbidden to show a man kissing a woman in bed. Then we saw Mike peck Carol on the cheek and wish her good night. That was all! Nothing more. But today - oy yoy yoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lesson: When we allow a little bit of innocuous sexual content it will snowball into the prime time pornography that we are witness to today. That is why we are advised to make fences. Try having an affair in the middle of the street. YICHUD! What a fantastic idea. Negiyah! What a great law that insures that relationships remain pure and holy. C'mon - it is just a little hug. Yes, but what will it lead to?! [Of course Yichud and Negiyah are inherently forbidden and not just fences but they also serve to protect us from more serious infractions.]

We must wage a war and not allow this immorality creep into our lives. Remeber what Chazal say on the pasuk "Hashem saw all that he created and it was VERY GOOD" - "Good" is the Yetzer Hatov, "Very [Good]" is the Yetzer Hara. We make it "very good" by getting married young, concentrating our energies on building our families bikidusha and learning lots of Torah, Mussar and Chassidus.

Love and blessings!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

A Late Night Conversation

The phone rings at my house at 12:45 am. I answer.

"Hello, Pete's Pizza Palace, may I help you?".

"R-R-R-R-av Ehrman?"

"No, this is his grandmother. Ally is outside playing with snails."

"Rebbe, I can't believe it."

"You gotta believe! Have you studied Sefer HaKuzari? It will really strengthen your emunah."

"I believe in Judaism! But, I can't believe I messed up."

[Here I get serious.] "What happened my sweet friend?"

"The internet. I saw pornography on the internet. I hate myself. I can't believe it. I was SURE that I wouldn't but my urge overcame me and I looked. How can I learn and daven. I am filthy!!! All I want to do is cry!"

"Mazel Tov!!!"

"What??"

"Mazel Tov for two reasons. Firstly, you are the member of a large club of Yeshiva students, Torah scholars and other fine Jews who have stumbled. It happens to some of the best of us. Of course many never even look at the internet and many who do still manage to avoid all of the pritzus. But not everyone is so lucky. We are all human and quite fallible - especially in this area of "shmiras habris". Frankly, according to halacha much of what is shown on television is also pornography so anyone with a TV is also watching. I am told that many upstanding Torah observant people still own one. I don't and encourage others not to but the scope of my influence is quite limited. Movies - same story. Some watch TV and movies openly while others do so privately but people watch. I was once told by a good friend who is planning to be a Rabbi that "I like pop-culture and there is nothing wrong with it." Really?? That is Kedoshim tihiyu? I haven't been to the movies in many years, have things changed?? Yes, I am told. For the worse!! It is unequivocally wrong to watch the impurities that modern entertainment has to offer.

Secondly, if you feel rotten that is an atonement for you!! Teshuva, my beloved friend!! You sin is erased. If your teshuva is out of love then your aveirah is a mitzva. Imagine!! Viewing porn as a mitzva. Of we try to avoid it initially but if we mess up the our LOVING G-d is kiviyachol anxiously awaiting for us to do teshuva and then HAPPILY forgives us. The Prophets emphasize this point. Remember, we are only human and our Creator understands this.

Move on and create a strategy so that it doesn't happen again. But don't get down on yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you. Your mother loves you. Your father loves you. Your friends love you. It's OK!!

Rav Hutner famously explains the pasuk "Sheva yipol tzaddik vi'kam" - A tzaddik falls seven times and rises. A person does not become a tzaddik DESPITE the fact that he fell but BECAUSE he fell. The road to greatness is paved with failure.

Keep in touch!!!!!!!!"

Friday, May 09, 2008

How To Achieve Supernatural Powers

The pasuk in this weeks parsha connects the mitzva to sanctify the Name of G-d [meaning to be willing to die "al kiddush Hashem"] with the fact that He took us out of Egypt [22 - 32,33]. What does this mitzva have to do with the Exodus from Egypt?

The answer is that if we show that we can transcend our nature and die for Hashem [naturally speaking we would prefer to stay alive] then He will transcend the laws of nature for us and perform miracles as He did when we left Egypt. We extend ourselves for Him and He will [kavichol] extend Himself for us. [Sfas Emes]

That is how I understand the reality certain tzaddikim have miraculous powers. They are constantly overcoming their basic nature so they are not bound by the laws of nature.

Good Shabbos Sweetest Friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Hallel On This Special Day

Do you say Hallel with a bracha or without?

Well, of course it depends! Not on your hashkafa but on your ancestry. If you are Ashkenazi you definitely SHOULD say a bracha. If you are a Sefardi you should not. The Shulchan Aruch rules that you don't! How can you say "Vitzivanu" - And you COMMANDED us , when it is only a custom to say Hallel and you were not commanded. But the Rema maintains that nevertheless we make a bracha. If a Sefardi is Chazan in an Ashkenazi shul he should let an Ashkenazi make the bracha [Rav Ovadiah Yosef].

I am referring, of course, to Rosh Chodesh.


[Hallel on Yom Ha'atzmaut? On this topic we have a shiur on YUTORAH.ORG]

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Unconditional Holiness

"Self-esteem is the greatest sickness known to man or woman because it's conditional."

Albert Ellis


When we say "Baruch atah" at the beginning of shmoneh esrei we bow down. When we say "Hashem" we stand upright. This teaches us that in order to be deemed worthy of receiving bracha we must submit and humble ourselves. But then when we say the name of Hashem we stand TALL AND PROUD because we know that the Source of all existence resides within us. No matter what!!!!!!!!!!! [See Vayikra 16/16 and many similar psukim.]

No inferiority complexes!

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

A Thought From Hallel

אני עבדך בן אמתך פיתחת למוסרי

"I am your servant the son of your handmaid, you have loosened my bonds."

Rabbi Simon in the Imrei Baruch explains in the name of Rabbi Schachter: When does one become truly free? When he becomes a servant of Hashem [and not man! Most people are servants to man in some way, shape or form].

Let's become FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, May 05, 2008

Feed The Hungry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About a year ago we started a tzedeka fund to help buy Shabbos food for poor families. We raised approximately 7,000 dollars in a very short period of time and many people were helped thanks to your generosity!

Due to various factors we had to stop.

The Rosh Yeshiva Shlita has informed me that he has started such a fund. Every penny donated will go directly to the poor. No overhead!!! People are desperately in need so please open up your hearts and wallets.

If you have any questions please don't ask me [you can reach the Rosh Yeshiva at 02-6266333]. I have nothing to do with it. I have just been asked to inform all of my sweetest friends.

Donations may be sent to: Keren Achim

c/O Mr. Yitzchak Koff

18 Orchard Hill Dr.

Monsey NY 10952-1507

USA

A Good Tongue Is Not A Numb Tongue And A Thought On "Bad Tongue"

What do you call a dentist in the army?

A drill sergeant.


Anyway, today I was at the dentist and as my tongue was numb I started to think about lashon hara.

I saw a very interesting question in the Sefer Mishnas Avraham [by Rav Avraham Price ztz"l - no relation to Bob Barker - even when he "was right"]. We know that it is forbidden to say something disparaging about someone else. "He is an idiot/ a fool/ a faker etc." Usually it is quite clearly lashon hara.

What about saying something about someone that is not negative but diminishes his importance. For example someone says "Reuvein is a genius." Is it permitted to say "Listen, Reuvein is a very smart guy but not a genius." Or, "Shimon is the nicest guy around." "Well, Shimon is really a super nice guy but not in the league of Levi who is much nicer." Is that lashon hara or "avak" lashon hara? [Obviously if there some to'eles then it is permitted.]

Rav Price doesn't resolve the question.

Friday, May 02, 2008

As Holy As Mesh Tzitzis?

This is one of my favorite Chazals EVER!

On the pasuk "Kedoshim Tihiyu" the medrash suggests "Yachol kamoni?" You might think that we must be as holy as Hashem Himself [please say with appropriate sing-song]? Therefore the pasuk concludes "ki kadosh ani Hashem Elokeichem" - Kidushasi limala mikidushaschem. No - my holiness is greater than yours!

But what a suggestion!!! We might entertain the notion that we can be as holy as G-d Himself. That is why we need the pasuk to tell us otherwise. Boy, are we holy!!!!!!!!

Not only "boy". Girl too. All Yidden are sooooooooooo holy. Not AS holy as Hashem but super-duper holy nonetheless.

Good Shabbos Beloved Friends!!


PS What happens when you "entertain a notion"?

The notion has a great time......

PPS On Yutorah there is a new shiur on Parshas Kedoshim on the topic of loving geirim.


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Segula - 40 days at the Kotel

About me

  • I'm Rabbi Ally Ehrman
  • From Old City Jerusalem, Israel
  • I am a Rebbe in Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh.
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