Articles with the tag: chapter 2
Choose Your Contract (2:15)
With the Pesach holiday under our belt as well as stretching it, we can finally sit back on our easy chairs and relax. A lot of hard work this G-d of ours seems to demand, but at least never more than we can handle. That is not just my sentiment. Indeed, no less an authority than the great Maimonedes himself echoed these very thoughts when he stated, , “G-d gave us this tree of life…and He promised us that if we observe it with joy and gladness of heart… He will remove from us all that may prevent us from keeping it.” .
The Rambam of course was not just saying this to make us feel good. In fact, he…
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The Good & Evil Eye (2:10-11)
Who has not heard of the malevolent “Evil eye”? In many cultures, the potency of such a gaze was believed to have enormous power capable of inflicting tremendous damage. The “evil eye” however, mentioned in this week’s Ethics of our Fathers is not to be confused with the ability to cast curses, and truly belongs in another category. This does not mean it lacks punch. In fact, the Mishna states, , “ “The evil eye…drives a man from this world.” , “ Nevertheless, our Sages are not talking about witches and black magic - just a sense of proportion.
The Mishna begins by listing the five most outstanding disciples of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai, the first one being Eliezer Ben…
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The Greatest Human Being
More than any other Sage, it was Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai who was instrumental in the national and spiritual recovery after the catastrophic destruction of the second Temple at the hands of the Romans. It was he who built Yavneh, the new center of Jewish life. And it was he who fanned the flames of hope by educating an elite cadre of young scholars who would carry on the teachings of Judaism for the next generation.
Even before Jerusalem lay in ruins, his lectures were so popular they had to be delievered outdoors in front of the Temple, since no study hall could contain the enormous crowds that attended. Nonetheless, this week’s, “ ETHICS OF OUR FATHERS , “enumerates five…
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A Straight Life (2:1)
Anton Chekhov was an unsuccessful Russian doctor who would eventually become one of the world’s great literary masters. Among the many aphorisms attributed to Mr. Chekhov is the advice that he once gave an aspiring dramatist, “If you hang a gun on the wall in the first act, you had better use it by the third act.”
Avid readers, or those who attend plays, watch movies, etc. can readily testify to the large number of writers that utilize this tactic. Thus in the spirit of true Chekhovian drama, chest pains are inevitably followed by heart attacks, life insurance policies by sudden deaths, and telephone rings by earth shattering news. In real life however most chest pains turn out to be…
Continue reading A Straight Life (2:1)
A Straight Life (2:1)
Anton Chekhov, was an unsuccessful Russian doctor who would eventually become one of the world’s great literary masters. Among the many aphorisms attributed to Mr. Chekhov is the advice that he once gave an aspiring dramatist, “If you hang a gun on the wall in the first act, you had better use it by the third act.”
Avid readers, or those who attend plays, watch movies, etc. can readily testify to the large number of writers that utilize this tactic. Thus in the spirit of true Chekhovian drama, chest pains are inevitably followed by heart attacks, life insurance policies by sudden deaths, and telephone rings by earth shattering news. In real life however, most chest pains turn out to be…
Continue reading A Straight Life (2:1)
The Greatest Human Being
More than any other Sage, it was Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai who was instrumental in the national and spiritual recovery after the catastrophic destruction of the second Temple at the hands of the Romans. It was he who built Yavneh, the new center of Jewish life. And it was he who fanned the flames of hope by educating an elite cadre of young scholars who would carry on the teachings of Judaism for the next generation.
Even before Jerusalem lay in ruins, his lectures were so popular they had to be delievered outdoors in front of the Temple, since no study hall could contain the enormous crowds that attended. Nonetheless, this week’s ETHICS OF OUR FATHERS enumerates five disciples whose…
Continue reading The Greatest Human Being
The Good & Evil Eye (2:10-11)
Who has not heard of the malevolent “Evil eye”? In many cultures, the potency of such a gaze was believed to have enormous power capable of inflicting tremendous damage. The “evil eye” however, mentioned in this week’s Ethics of our Fathers is not to be confused with the ability to cast curses, and truly belongs in another category. This does not mean it lacks punch. In fact, the Mishna states, “The evil eye…drives a man from this world.” Nevertheless, our Sages are not talking about witches and black magic - just a sense of proportion.
The Mishna begins by listing the five most outstanding disciples of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai, the first one being Eliezer Ben Hyrkenus. Now, this Eliezer…
Continue reading The Good & Evil Eye (2:10-11)
Choose Your Contract (2:15)
With the Pesach holiday under our belt as well as stretching it, we can finally sit back on our easy chairs and relax. A lot of hard work this G-d of ours seems to demand, but at least never more than we can handle. That is not just my sentiment. Indeed, no less an authority than the great Maimonedes himself echoed these very thoughts when he stated, “G-d gave us this tree of life..and He promised us that if we observe it with joy and gladness of heart…He will remove from us all that may prevent us from keeping it.”
The Rambam of course was not just saying this to make us feel good. In fact, he was quoting a…
Continue reading Choose Your Contract (2:15)