Saturday, November 30, 2013
Center for Action and Contemplation - Richard Rohr's Meditation “Trinity” – Sunday, 1 December 2013
Center for Action and Contemplation - Richard
Rohr's Meditation “Trinity” – Sunday, 1 December 2013
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
Seven Themes of an Alternative Orthodoxy
Seventh Theme: Reality is paradoxical and
complementary. Non-dual thinking is the highest level of consciousness. Divine
union, not private perfection, is the goal of all religion (Goal).
“Trinity”
Meditation 23 of 52
Niels Bohr, the Danish physicist who was
a major contributor to quantum physics and nuclear fission, said the universe
is “not only stranger than we think, but stranger than we can think.” Our
supposed logic has to break down before we can comprehend the nature of the
universe and the bare beginnings of the nature of God. I think the doctrine of
the Trinity is saying the same thing. The “principle of three” breaks down all
dualistic either-or thinking and sets us on a dynamic course of ongoing
experience.
There are some things that can only be
known experientially, and each generation must learn them for themselves. The
“prayer of quiet” is a most simple and universal path. Of all the religious
rituals and practices I know of, nothing will lead us to that place of
nakedness and vulnerability more than regular experiences of solitude and
silence, where our ego identity falls away, where our explanations don’t mean
anything, where our superiority doesn’t matter and we have to sit there in our
naked “who-ness.”
If God wants to get through to us, and
the Trinitarian Flow wants to come alive in us, that’s when God has the best
chance. God is not only stranger than we think, but stranger than the logical
mind can think. Perhaps much of the weakness of the first two thousand years of
reflection on the Trinity, and many of our doctrines and dogmas, is that we’ve
tried to do it with a logical mind instead of with prayer. The belief in God as
a Trinity is saying God is more an active verb than a stable noun. You know it
in the flow of life itself.(Adapted from The Shape of God: Deepening the
Mystery of the Trinity(CD, DVD, MP3)The Daily Meditations for 2013 are now
available in Fr. Richard’s new book Yes, And . . . .)
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Center for Action and Contemplation
Physical:
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Albuquerque, NM 87105 United States
Mailing:
PO Box 12464
Albuquerque, NM 87195-2464 United States
(505) 242-9588
cac.org
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Great Plains Episcopal Area Daily Devotion – Sunday, 1 December 2013
Great Plains Episcopal Area Daily
Devotion – Sunday, 1 December 2013
Pastor Susan Montgomery of Axtell-Beattie
UMCs of the Flint Hills District of the Kansas East Conference
Pastor Kendal Utt of Clearwater UMC of
the Wichita West District of the Kansas West Conference
Pastor Bryan Hankins of Bellevue
Aldersgate-Omaha Lefler UMCs of the Missouri River District of the Nebraska
Conference
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This Week's Lectionary:
1st Sunday of Advent – Purple or Blue
Isaiah 2: The
Future House of God
1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning
Judah and Jerusalem.
2 In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of
the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
3
Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of
the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth
instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into
plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against
nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
Judgment Pronounced on Arrogance
5 O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord!(NRSV)
Psalm 122: Song of Praise
and Prayer for Jerusalem
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
4 To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For there the thrones for judgment were
set up,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers.”
8 For the sake of my relatives and
friends
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord
our God,
I will seek your good.(NRSV)
Romans 13: An
Urgent Appeal
11 Besides this, you know what time it
is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is
nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the
day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor
of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and
drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and
jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for
the flesh, to gratify its desires.(NRSV)
Matthew 24: The Necessity for Watchfulness
36 “But about that day and hour no one
knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[a] but only the Father. 37
For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For
as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing
until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the
Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be
left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one
will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day[b] your
Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in
what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and
would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be
ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Footnotes:
Matthew 24:36 Other ancient authorities
lack nor the Son
Matthew 24:42 Other ancient authorities
read at what hour(NRSV)
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Today's Devotional
Isaiah 52: Let Zion
Rejoice
1 Awake, awake,
put on your strength, O Zion!
Put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for the uncircumcised and the unclean
shall enter you no more.
2 Shake yourself from the dust, rise up,
O captive[a] Jerusalem;
loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter Zion!
3 For thus says the Lord: You were sold
for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. 4 For thus says the Lord
God: Long ago, my people went down into Egypt to reside there as aliens; the
Assyrian, too, has oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore what am I
doing here, says the Lord, seeing that my people are taken away without cause?
Their rulers howl, says the Lord, and continually, all day long, my name is
despised. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore in that day they
shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.
7 How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
8 Listen! Your sentinels lift up their
voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
9 Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
Footnotes:
Isaiah 52:2 Cn: Heb rise up, sit(NRSV)
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Contact Information
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Upper Room Daily Reflections - daily words of wisdom and faith “Advent” Sunday, 1 December 2013
Upper Room Daily Reflections - daily
words of wisdom and faith “Advent” Sunday, 1 December 2013
Today’s Reflection:
ADVENT MARKS the beginning of the church
year and lays before us the pathway of faith for the year ahead. Advent
initiates once again remembering, retelling, and celebrating the whole drama of
God’s revelation. Four weeks is the limit to this season that declares the
truth about a God whose love and resourcefulness have no limits.
“Advent” has its roots in the Latin word
adventus, or coming. This season proclaims the coming of Christ in the birth of
Jesus, in the Word and Spirit, and in the final victory when God’s kingdom
shall be complete.
Our privilege as Christians is to receive
the gracious gifts of God’s presence in Christ. Our task is to prepare for his
coming so that we will not miss life’s greatest gift.(Norman Shawchuck and
Rueben P. Job-A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God)
From page 20 of A Guide to Prayer for All
Who Seek God by Norman Shawchuck and Rueben P. Job. Copyright © 2003 by Norman
Shawchuck and Rueben P. Job. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper
Room Books.
http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question:
What Advent tradition(s) do you begin
today?
Today’s Scripture:
A shoot shall come out from the stump of
Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall
rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and
might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.(Isaiah 11:1-2, NRSV)
This Week: find ways to watch eagerly for
Christ.
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Did You Know?
It’s finally here – the fourth book in
the Guide to Prayer series. Includes excerpts from classic to contemporary
spiritual writers, including Julian of Norwich, Thomas Kelly, Sue Monk Kidd,
Thomas à Kempis, Evelyn Underhill, Trevor Hudson, Francis of Assisi, Henri
Nouwen, Jan Richardson, Bernard of Clairvaux, Catherine of Siena, Wendy M.
Wright, and many more. Don’t miss the limited edition with the leather cover!---
Saints, Inc.:
This week we remember: Sister Dorothy Kazel
December 02
Sister Dorothy Kazel was born in
Cleveland in 1939. From the time she entered the Ursuline Sisters in 1960 she
reached out to disadvantaged and marginalized populations as a teacher to
hearing impaired children. Papago Indians, and troubled girls.
Dorothy began her service in El Salvador
in 1974, traveling to remote villages to develop lay leadership, teach reading
and writing and nutrition. After El Salvador's civil war broke out in 1977
Dorothy gave support and counsel to people whose loved ones had been butchered
by death squads and whose villages had been destroyed. "I am committed to
the persecuted Church here," Dorothy said.
Other church workers made similar
commitments, including Maryknoll sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, and lay
missionary Jean Donovan, who refused to return to the safety of the United
States despite the dangers they faced as they worked with refugees of the war.
On December 2, 1980, Sisters Dorothy,
Maura, and Ita, and Jean Donovan (who was only twenty-seven) were abducted,
interrogated, raped, and murdered by five National Guardsmen, then thrown into
a shallow grave. Their savage deaths resulted in international investigation
into El Salvador's death squads.
If Sister Dorothy Kazel had taken the
Spiritual Types Test, she probably would have been a Lover. Sister Dorothy
Kazel is remembered on December 2.
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Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Isaiah 11: The
Peaceful Kingdom
1 A shoot shall come out from the stump
of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on
him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the
Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4 but with righteousness he shall judge
the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of
his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around
his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling
together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the
hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the
knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Return of the Remnant of Israel and Judah
10 On that day the root of Jesse shall
stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his
dwelling shall be glorious.(NRSV)
Psalm 72: Prayer
for Guidance and Support for the King
Of Solomon.
1 Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
2 May he judge your people with
righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for
the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of
the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live[a] while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he be like rain that falls on the
mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of
Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.
Footnotes:
Psalm 72:5 Gk: Heb may they fear you(NRSV)
Romans 15: 4 For
whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by
steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 5
May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony
with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may
with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel for Jews and Gentiles Alike
7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as
Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has
become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that
he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the
Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
“Therefore I will confess[a] you among
the Gentiles,
and sing praises to your name”;
10 and again he says,
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”;
11 and again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples praise him”;
12 and again Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse shall come,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.”
13 May the God of hope fill you with all
joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the
Holy Spirit.
Footnotes:
Romans 15:9 Or thank(NRSV)
Matthew 3: The
Proclamation of John the Baptist
1 In those days John the Baptist appeared
in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
has come near.”[a] 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he
said,
“The voice of one crying out in the
wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.’”
4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair
with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the
region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan,
confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many Pharisees and
Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned
you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not
presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell
you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now
the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not
bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with[b] water for
repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not
worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and
fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing
floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn
with unquenchable fire.”
Footnotes:
Matthew 3:2 Or is at hand
Matthew 3:11 Or in
Matthew 3:11 Or in(NRSV)
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Upper Room Ministries
a
ministry of GBODPO Box 340004
Nashville, TN 37203-0004 USA
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Luther Seminary “Moved by the Promise ‘God Pause’” - Sunday, 1 December 2013 – "As the Dark Awaits the Dawn," ELW 261, stanza 1
Luther Seminary “Moved by the Promise
‘God Pause’” - Sunday, 1 December 2013 – "As the Dark Awaits the
Dawn," ELW 261, stanza 1
As the dark awaits the dawn,
so we await your light.
O Star of promise, scatter night,
loving bright, loving bright,
till shades of fear are gone.
It is an increasingly rare experience
these days to find oneself immersed in enough darkness to be able to see the
stars in the sky. More and more of us live in cities and towns where bright
lights shine 24/7 upon our streets and buildings. In our homes, the glare of
computer screens and personal electronic devices reflect on our faces as we
keep ourselves busy with both work and play. We may hope these lights would
shield us from experiencing darkness where fears and anxieties reside, but they
also often keep us from seeing the Advent Star of promise. As we enter this
season of Advent, we are invited to go "off the grid" for a time—to
enter the darkness that surrounds us and await God's coming. May this season
rekindle our deep desire for the only true light that can scatter our fears.
Laura Thelander
Seminary Pastor, Luther Seminary
Master of Divinity , 1997
“As The Dark Awaits the Dawn”
1. As the dark awaits the dawn, so we
await your light.
O Star of promise, scatter night, loving
bright,
Till shades of fear are gone.
2. As the blue expectant hour before the
silvering skies,
We long to see your day arise, whole and
wise,
O lucent Morning Star.
3. As the moon reflects the sun until the
night's decrease,
May we your healing light release, living
peace,
Unto your holy dawn.
4. Shine your future on this place,
enlighten every guest,
That through us stream your holiness,
bright and blest;
Come dawn, O Sun of grace
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Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108 United States
(651)641-3456
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Today in Judaism – Today is: Sunday, 28 Kislev 5774 · 1 December 2013 - Chanukah 4
Today in Judaism – Today is: Sunday, 28
Kislev 5774 · 1 December 2013 - Chanukah 4
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Today’s Laws and Customs:
• Kindle Five Chanukah Lights tonight
In commemoration of the miracle of
Chanukah (see "Today in Jewish History" for Kislev 25) we kindle the
Chanukah lights -- oil lamps or candles -- each evening of the eight-day
festival, increasing the number of lights each evening. Tonight we kindle five
lights. (In the Jewish calendar, the day begins at nightfall; this evening,
then, commences the 5th day of Chanukah).
The icon below displays the ideal
Chanukah lighting time for your location; the lighting can be done, however,
later in the evening as well. For more on Chanukah lighting times, click here.
(If no time is displayed, click on icon to set your location.)
For a more detailed guide to Chanukah
lighting click here. For text and audio of the blessings recited before
lighting, click here.
Additional Chanukah observances and
customs are listed below:
• Hallel & Al HaNissim
Special prayers of thanksgiving -- Hallel
(in its full version) and Al HaNissim -- are added to the daily prayers and
Grace After Meals on all eight days of Chanukah. Tachnun (confession of sins)
and similar prayers are omitted for the duration of trhe festival.
• Latkes, Sufganiot & Dairy Foods
On Chanukah we eat foods fried in oil --
such as latkes (potato cakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts) -- in commemoration of
the miracle of the oil.
It is also customary to eat dairy foods
in commemoration of Judith's heroic deed.
• Dreidel
It is customary to play dreidel -- a game
played with a spinning top inscribed with the Hebrew letters Nun, Gimmel, Hei
and Shin, which spell the phrase Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, "a great miracle
happened there." (It is said that when the Greeks forbade the study of
Torah, Jewish children continued the study with their teachers in caves and
cellars; when the agents of the king were seen approaching, the children would
hide their scrolls and start to play with spinning tops...)
Links: About the dreidel
• Chanukah Gelt
It is an age-old custom to distribute
gifts of Chanukah gelt ("Chanukah money") to children on Chanukah.
(It was the custom of the rebbes of Chabad-Lubavitch to give Chanukah gelt to
their children and other family members on the fourth or fifth night of
Chanukah; more recently, however, the Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged the giving
of Chanukah gelt every day of the festival -- except for Shabbat, when handling
money is forbidden.)
Today in Jewish History:
• 4th Day of Chanukah Miracle (139 BCE)
On the 25th of Kislev in the year 3622
from creation, the Maccabees liberated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, after
defeating the vastly more numerous and powerful armies of the Syrian-Greek king
Antiochus IV, who had tried to forcefully uproot the beliefs and practices of
Judaism from the people of Israel. The victorious Jews repaired, cleansed and
rededicated the Temple to the service of G-d. But all the Temple's oil had been
defiled by the pagan invaders; when the Jews sought to light the Temple's
menorah (candelabra), they found only one small cruse of ritually pure olive
oil. Miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new, pure
oil could be obtained. In commemoration, the Sages instituted the 8-day
festival of Chanukah, on which lights are kindled nightly to recall and
publicize the miracle.
Link: The Story of Chanukah
Daily Quote:
This toy only impresses one who has but a
single world and many gods, not one who has one G-d and two worlds(Rabbi Yosef
Yitzchak Schneersohn of Lubavitch to the Soviet agent who brandished a revolver
in his face)
Daily Study - Chitas and Rambam for
today: Chumash: Vayigash, 1st Portion Genesis 44:18-44:30 with Rashi
Chapter 44
18. Then Judah approached him and said,
"Please, my lord, let now your servant speak something into my lord's
ears, and let not your wrath be kindled against your servant, for you are like
Pharaoh. יח.
וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּר נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי
אֲדֹנִי וְאַל יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה:
Then…approached him… something into my
lord’s ears: Let my words enter your ears. [From Gen. Rabbah 83:6]
ויגש אליו וגו'. דבר באזני א-דני: יכנסו דברי
באזניך:
and let your wrath not be kindled: From
here you learn that he spoke to him harshly.
ואל יחר אפך: מכאן אתה למד שדבר אליו קשות:
for you are like Pharaoh: This is its
simple meaning. Its midrashic meaning is, however: You will ultimately be
punished with צָרַעַת because of him, just as Pharaoh was punished because of
my great-grandmother Sarah for the one night that he detained her (Gen. 12:17).
Another explanation: Just as Pharaoh issues decrees and does not carry them
out, makes promises and does not fulfill them, so do you. Now, is this the
“setting of an eye,” concerning which you said [that you wanted] “to set your
eye upon him” ? [See verse 21.] Another explanation: For like you, so is Pharaoh-if
you provoke me, I will kill you and your master. [From Gen. Rabbah 93:6]
כי כמוך כפרעה: חשוב אתה בעיני כמלך זה פשוטו.
ומדרשו, סופך ללקות עליו בצרעת כמו שלקה פרעה על ידי זקנתי שרה על לילה אחת שעכבה.
דבר אחר מה פרעה גוזר ואינו מקיים, מבטיח ואינו עושה, אף אתה כן, וכי זו היא שימת עין
שאמרת לשום עינך עליו. דבר אחר כי כמוך כפרעה אם תקניטני אהרוג אותך ואת אדוניך:
19. My lord asked his servants, saying,
'Have you a father or a brother?' יט. אֲדֹנִי שָׁאַל אֶת עֲבָדָיו לֵאמֹר הֲיֵשׁ
לָכֶם אָב אוֹ אָח:
My lord asked his servants: From the
beginning, you came upon us with a pretext. Why did you have to ask all these
[questions]? Were we looking to [marry] your daughter, or were you looking to
[marry] our sister? Nonetheless, “we said to my lord” (verse 20). We did not
conceal anything. [From Gen. Rabbah 93:8]
א-דני שאל את עבדיו: מתחלה בעלילה באת עלינו,
למה היה לך לשאול כל אלה, בתך היינו מבקשים, או אחותנו אתה מבקש, ואף על פי כן ונאמר
אל אדוני, לא כחדנו ממך דבר:
20. And we said to my lord, 'We have an
old father and a young child of his old age, and his brother is dead, and he is
left alone of his mother, and his father loves him.' כ. וַנֹּאמֶר אֶל אֲדֹנִי יֶשׁ
לָנוּ אָב זָקֵן וְיֶלֶד זְקֻנִים קָטָן וְאָחִיו מֵת וַיִּוָּתֵר הוּא לְבַדּוֹ לְאִמּוֹ
וְאָבִיו אֲהֵבוֹ:
and his brother is dead: Out of fear, he
made a false statement. He said [to himself], “If I tell him that he is alive,
he will say, ‘Bring him to me.’” [from Gen. Rabbah 93:8]
ואחיו מת: מפני היראה היה מוציא דבר שקר מפיו.
אמר אם אומר לו שהוא קיים, יאמר הביאוהו אצלי:
alone of his mother: From that mother, he
has no other brother. [From Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel]
לבדו לאמו: מאותו האם אין לו עוד אח:
21. And you said to your servants, 'Bring
him down to me, and I will set my eye[s] upon him.' כא. וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל עֲבָדֶיךָ
הוֹרִדֻהוּ אֵלָי וְאָשִׂימָה עֵינִי עָלָיו:
22. And we said to my lord, 'The boy
cannot leave his father, for if he leaves his father, he will die.' כב.
וַנֹּאמֶר אֶל אֲדֹנִי לֹא יוּכַל הַנַּעַר לַעֲזֹב אֶת אָבִיו וְעָזַב אֶת אָבִיו
וָמֵת:
for if he leaves his father, he will die:
If he leaves his father, we are worried lest he die on the way, for his mother
died on the way. [after Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel]
ועזב את אביו ומת: אם יעזוב את אביו דואגים
אנו שמא ימות בדרך, שהרי אמו מתה בדרך:
23. And you said to your servants, 'If
your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face
again.' כג.
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל עֲבָדֶיךָ אִם לֹא יֵרֵד אֲחִיכֶם הַקָּטֹן אִתְּכֶם לֹא תֹסִפוּן לִרְאוֹת
פָּנָי:
24. And it came to pass when we went up
to your servant, my father, and we told him the words of my lord, כד. וַיְהִי
כִּי עָלִינוּ אֶל עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי וַנַּגֶּד לוֹ אֵת דִּבְרֵי אֲדֹנִי:
25. that our father said, 'Go back, buy
us a little food.' כה. וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִינוּ שֻׁבוּ שִׁבְרוּ לָנוּ
מְעַט אֹכֶל:
26. But we said, 'We cannot go down;
[only] if our youngest brother is with us will we go down, for we cannot see
the man's face if our youngest brother is not with us.' כו. וַנֹּאמֶר לֹא נוּכַל לָרֶדֶת
אִם יֵשׁ אָחִינוּ הַקָּטֹן אִתָּנוּ וְיָרַדְנוּ כִּי לֹא נוּכַל לִרְאוֹת פְּנֵי
הָאִישׁ וְאָחִינוּ הַקָּטֹן אֵינֶנּוּ אִתָּנוּ:
27. And your servant, my father, said to
us, 'You know that my wife bore me two [children]. כז. וַיֹּאמֶר עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי
אֵלֵינוּ אַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם כִּי שְׁנַיִם יָלְדָה לִּי אִשְׁתִּי:
28. The one went away from me, and I
said, "He has surely been torn to pieces, and I have not seen him
since." כח. וַיֵּצֵא הָאֶחָד מֵאִתִּי וָאֹמַר אַךְ טָרֹף טֹרָף וְלֹא רְאִיתִיו
עַד הֵנָּה:
29. Now if you take this one too away
from me, and misfortune befalls him, you will bring down my hoary head in
misery to the grave.' כט. וּלְקַחְתֶּם גַּם אֶת זֶה מֵעִם פָּנַי וְקָרָהוּ
אָסוֹן וְהוֹרַדְתֶּם אֶת שֵׂיבָתִי בְּרָעָה שְׁאֹלָה:
and misfortune befalls him: For Satan
accuses at the time of danger. [From Gen. Rabbah 91:9]
וקרהו אסון: שהשטן מקטרג בשעת הסכנה:
you will bring down my hoary head in
misery, etc.: Now that he is with me, I comfort myself over [the loss of] his
mother and over [the loss of] his brother, but if this one [too] dies, it will
seem to me as if the three of them died in one day. [From Gen. Rabbah ff. 93:8]
והורדתם את שיבתי וגו': עכשיו כשהוא אצלי אני
מתנחם בו על אמו ועל אחיו, ואם ימות זה דומה עלי ששלשתן מתו ביום אחד:
30. And now, when I come to your servant,
my father, and the boy is not with us [since] his soul is attached to his (the
boy's) soul, ל. וְעַתָּה כְּבֹאִי אֶל עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי וְהַנַּעַר אֵינֶנּוּ אִתָּנוּ
וְנַפְשׁוֹ קְשׁוּרָה בְנַפְשׁוֹ:
---
Daily Tehillim – Psalms Chapters 135 -
139
Psalm 135
Praise for God’s Goodness and Might
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 you that stand in the house of the
Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for
himself,
Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great;
our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at
the end of the earth;
he makes lightnings for the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn
of Egypt,
both human beings and animals;
9 he sent signs and wonders
into your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his
people,
and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver
and gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not
speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 they have ears, but they do not hear,
and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them
and all who trust them
shall become like them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
You that fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
he who resides in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 136
God’s Work in Creation and in History
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is
good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the
night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their
firstborn,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among
them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched
arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea[a] in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst
of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in
the Red Sea,[b]
for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the
wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low
estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 137
Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem
1 By the rivers of Babylon—
there we sat down and there we wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows[c] there
we hung up our harps.
3 For there our captors
asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth,
saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How could we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!
6 Let my tongue cling to the roof of my
mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy.
7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem’s fall,
how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it
down!
Down to its foundations!”
8 O daughter Babylon, you devastator![d]
Happy shall they be who pay you back
what you have done to us!
9 Happy shall they be who take your
little ones
and dash them against the rock!
Psalm 138
Thanksgiving and Praise
Of David.
1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my
whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your
faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.[e]
3 On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.[f]
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise
you, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5 They shall sing of the ways of the
Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards
the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for
me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Psalm 139
The Inescapable God
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known
me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I
rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying
down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall
cover me,
and the light around me become night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward
parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed
substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O
God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than
the sand;
I come to the end[g]—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O
God,
and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously,
and lift themselves up against you for evil![h]
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O
Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked[i] way in
me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.[j]
Footnotes:
Psalm 136:13 Or Sea of Reeds
Psalm 136:15 Or Sea of Reeds
Psalm 137:2 Or poplars
Psalm 137:8 Or you who are devastated
Psalm 138:2 Cn: Heb you have exalted your
word above all your name
Psalm 138:3 Syr Compare Gk Tg: Heb you
made me arrogant in my soul with strength
Psalm 139:18 Or I awake
Psalm 139:20 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
Psalm 139:24 Heb hurtful
Psalm 139:24 Or the ancient way. Compare
Jer 6.16(New Revised Standard Version)
---
Tanya Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 3
Sunday, 28 Kislev 5774 / 1 December 2013
Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 3
כי השכל שבנפש המשכלת כשמתבונן ומעמיק מאד בגדולת
ה׳
For when the intellect in the rational
soul deeply contemplates and immerses itself exceedingly in the greatness of
G-d,
איך הוא ממלא כל עלמין
how He fills all worlds,
i.e., how G-d animates all of creation
with an immanent divine light and life-force (just as the soul fills and gives
life to every part of the body) — a life-force which clothes itself in and
unifies itself with each creature, and which adapts itself to the individual
needs of that creature,
וסובב כל עלמין
and when one further contemplates how He
encompasses all worlds,1
He illuminates the worlds with a G-dly
light and life-force that is far beyond the capacity of the worlds to receive
internally; rather, it affects them in an encompassing manner.
וכולא קמיה כלא חשיב
Or, when one contemplates another aspect
of G-d’s greatness, namely, how in His presence all creation is considered as
naught, —2
נולדה ונתעוררה מדת יראת הרוממות במוחו ומחשבתו
Upon contemplating and immersing oneself
in any of the above-mentioned aspects of G-d’s greatness the middah of awe for
the Divine Majesty will be born and aroused in one’s mind and thought,
לירא ולהתבושש מגדולתו יתברך, שאין לה סוף ותכלית
to fear and be humble before His blessed
greatness, which is without end or limit,
i.e., the fear will be coupled and
permeated with humility, as in the awe one feels in the presence of a very wise
or righteous person, which expresses one’s bashfulness and humility before him,
ופחד ה׳ בלבו
and there will also be born a dread of
G-d in his heart.
This explains how contemplating G-d’s
greatness arouses a fear and dread of Him — an expression of the attribute of
Gevurah.
ושוב יתלהב לבו באהבה עזה כרשפי אש, בחשיקה
וחפיצה ותשוקה ונפש שוקקה
Next his contemplation will give birth to
the attribute of Chesed, expressed as a love of G-d, so that his heart will
glow with an intense love of G-d like fiery flames, with a passion, desire and
longing, and a yearning soul
לגדולת אין סוף ברוך הוא
(each of these expressions — “fiery
flames,” “passion”, and so on, denoting a different grade of love) toward the
greatness of the blessed Ein Sof.
והיא כלות הנפש, כדכתיב: נכספה וגם כלתה נפשי
וגו׳, וכתיב: צמאה נפשי לאלקים וגו׳, וכתיב צמאה לך נפשי וגו׳
This is what is meant by the term kalot
hanefesh (“a consuming passion of the soul”), as it is written:3 “My soul longs
[for You]; indeed, it faints…,” and4 “My soul thirsts for G-d …,” and again,5
“My soul thirsts for You.”
So intense can one’s love become that the
soul risks being consumed in the fiery flames of its love of G-d, and totally
leaving the body. In fact, were one not to forestall this danger, and contain
this great love, he would indeed expire. But he restrains himself so that his
soul will remain clothed in his body — the only condition in which it is
possible for him to fulfill his G-d-given mission.
והצמאון הוא מיסוד האש שבנפש האלקית
This loving thirst is derived from the
element of Fire in the divine soul.
וכמו שכתבו הטבעיים, וכן הוא בעץ חיים, שיסוד
האש הוא בלב
As students of natural science affirm,
and so it is in Etz Chayim, the element of Fire is in the heart,
ומקור המים והליחות מהמוח
while the source of [the element of] Water
and moisture is in the brain,
וכמו שכתוב בעץ חיים שער נ׳, שהיא בחינת חכמה
שנקרא מים שבנפש האלקית
As explained in Etz Chayim, Portal 50,
[the source of the element of Water] is the level of Chochmah which is called “the
water of the divine soul.”
Inasmuch as the heart is the seat of the
emotions — of warmth — we say that it is the abode of the element of Fire. In
contrast, the brain — being the seat of “cold” intellect, calm and measured
intelligence — is the source of the element of Water. One can readily observe
this by comparing the demeanor of an emotional person to that of an
intellectual.
So, too, with the intellect and emotions
of the divine soul: the heat and passion of one’s love of G-d is expressed in
the heart, ultimately leading him to expire in kalot hanefesh. The mind,
however, remains cool. This capacity of the intellect for calm appraisal of a
situation leads it to comprehend that G-d’s intent is that the soul remain
clothed in the body so that it will be able to fulfill the Torah and its
commandments. This realization cools the fiery ardor of the heart and thus
prevents the soul from actually expiring in kalot hanefesh.
The Alter Rebbe’s discussion of the birth
of middot from the intellect has thus far been centered on two emotions: love
and fear of G-d. What of the others?
ושאר המדות כולן הן ענפי היראה והאהבה ותולדותיהן,
כמו שכתוב במקום אחר
The rest of the remaining five middot are
all offshoots and derivatives of fear and love (and obviously they, too, are
born of Chochmah and Binah), as is explained elsewhere.
All the above explains why Chochmah and
Binah are called the “father” and “mother” of the middot, for it is through the
contemplation exercised by Chochmah and Binah that the middot are born.
Chochmah is called the “father”. Just as the drop of semen which derives from
the father’s brain comprises, in concentrated and concealed form, all the
organs of the child’s body, similarly the seminal point of Chochmah contains,
in a concealed manner, all the details of an idea, as explained above. And just
as it is the mother who reveals the child’s organs from their concealed state,
and brings them to a state of completion, similarly, Binah reveals, expands and
elucidates the concept in all its details.
But what of Daat, the third of the
intellectual faculties? Daat too, as explained earlier, is a “mother” and
source of middot. What does it contribute to their birth? This issue is now
addressed.
והדעת הוא מלשון: והאדם ידע את חוה, והוא לשון
התקשרות והתחברות
Daat, whose etymology may be found in the
verse,6 “And Adam knew (ידע) Eve,” implies attachment and union.
שמקשר דעתו בקשר אמיץ וחזק מאד, ויתקע מחשבתו
בחוזק, בגדולת אין סוף ברוך הוא, ואינו מסיח דעתו
(As applied to Daat of the divine soul,
this means) binding one’s mind with a very firm, strong bond and firmly fixing
one’s thought on the greatness of the blessed Ein Sof, without diverting his
mind from it (i.e., the subject matter conceived in Chochmah and developed in
Binah is absorbed in the mind by concentration, Daat.)
כי אף מי שהוא חכם ונבון בגדולת אין סוף ברוך
הוא, הנה אם לא יקשר דעתו ויתקע מחשבתו בחוזק ובהתמדה
For even one who is wise (by utilizing
his faculty of Chochmah) and understanding (by exercising his faculty of Binah)
in the greatness of the blessed Ein Sof, yet, unless he applies his Daat and
fixes his thought firmly and diligently on his understanding of G-d’s
greatness,
לא יוליד בנפשו יראה ואהבה אמיתית, כי אם דמיונות
שוא
he will not produce in his soul true fear
and love, but only vain fancies.
He will only imagine that he fears G-d
and loves Him. True fear and love are attained only by way of Daat.
ועל כן הדעת הוא קיום המדות וחיותן
Thus, Daat provides the substance and
vitality of the middot (and is therefore termed a “mother” of the middot,
another parent side by side with Chochmah and Binah).
והוא כולל חסד וגבורה, פירוש: אהבה וענפיה ויראה
וענפיה
It comprises Chesed and Gevurah; that is
to say, love with those other middot that are its offshoots, and fear with its
offshoots.
——— ● ———
FOOTNOTES
1. Zohar
III, 225a.
2. Zohar
I, 11b.
3. Tehillim
84:3.
4. Ibid.
42:3.
5. Ibid.
63:2.
6. Bereishit
4:1.
---
Rambam - Daily Mitzvah - Sefer Hamitzvos:
N235
Negative Commandment 235 (Digest)
Lending with Interest
"You shall not give him your money
for interest, nor may you give him your food for increase"—Leviticus
25:37.
It is forbidden to issue a loan – whether
money or any other item – to a fellow Jew if it involves charge of interest.
The 235th prohibition is that we are
forbidden from lending money with interest.
The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement1
(exalted be He), "Your money do not make him pay interest (neshech) for,
and do not make him pay interest (marbis) for your food."
These two prohibitive statements come
together for added emphasis; that one who lends with interest is doubly guilty.
They are not two separate ideas, since neshech is the same as marbis and marbis
is the same as neshech.
Our Sages said in tractate Bava Metzia:2
"You will never find neshech without marbis or marbis without neshech. Why
did the verse distinguish between them? To cause the transgressor to be doubly
guilty." They also said: "By Torah law, neshech and marbis are
identical." They also said: "The verse, 'Your money do not make him
pay interest (neshech) for, and do not make him pay interest (marbis) for your
food,' should be read, 'Your money do not make him pay neshech and marbis for,'
and 'do not make him pay neshech and marbis for your food.' "3 Therefore,
anyone who lends money or food with interest is doubly guilty, in addition to
the other prohibitions which add to the seriousness of the lender's act. The
same prohibition is repeated in other words:4 "Do not take neshech or
marbis from him." It is explained in tractate Bava Metzia that this
prohibition also applies to the lender. However, all these prohibitions are
"extra,"5 as we explained in the Ninth Introductory Principle, since
they all forbid the same act — prohibiting the lender from lending with
interest.
The details of this mitzvah are explained
in the 5th chapter of tractate Bava Metzia.
Rabbi Berel Bell is a well-known
educator, author and lecturer. He and his family reside in Montreal, Canada.
From "Sefer Hamitzvot in
English," published by Sichos in English.
FOOTNOTES
1. Lev.
25:37.
2. 60b.
3. In
the first half of the verse, the word for interest (neshech) is written at the
end; in the second half of the verse, the word for interest (marbis) is written
at the beginning. The Gemara learns that the proximity of the two words enables
them to be read together.
4. Lev.
25:36.
5. I.e.
they do not count as separate mitzvos in the count of 613. The Rambam needs to
say this because the literal translation of the phrase over al shnei lavin
(translated here as "doubly guilty") is, "transgresses two
prohibitions," which could be misinterpreted as meaning two prohibitions
among the 613.
---
Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day: Metamme'ey
Mishkav uMoshav Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Halacha 1
A person who has intimate relations with
a nidah is impure like she is. He is one of the primary sources of impurity according
to Scriptural Law. He imparts impurity to keilim by touching them and imparts
impurity to people through carrying, touching, and moving, and he imparts
impurity to the surface on which he lies or rides like a nidah does.
Halacha 2
The status of the impurity imparted by a
man who was intimate with a nidah to a surface on which one lies or rides is
not the same as that imparted by a nidah to a surface on which one lies or
rides. For a surface on which one lies or rides that was stepped on by a nidah
is a primary source of ritual impurity. In contrast, a surface on which one
lies or rides that was stepped on by a man who was intimate with a nidah is a
derivative of ritual impurity like keilim that he touched which do not impart
impurity to other people or to other keilim, only to foods and liquids.
Why is the impurity that he imparts of a
lesser status than the impurity that she imparts? Because with regard to a man
who was intimate with a nidah, Leviticus 15:24 states: "Her nidah impurity
will be imparted to him and he will be impure for seven days" and
continues: "Any surface on which he lies shall be impure." Now, since
it is stated: "Her nidah impurity will be imparted to him," would it
not be obvious that he imparts impurity to a surface on which one lies? Why
then was it stated? According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught that the
Torah removed it from the severe category of impurity in which it imparts
impurity to people and keilim and placed it in a lesser category in which a
surface on which he lies is a derivative and does not impart impurity to people
and keilim, only to foods and liquids like other derivatives of impurity.
Halacha 3
A man contracts the impurity of one who
is intimate with a nidah or a zavah when he is intimate with such a woman or if
he is intimate with a woman who is watching one day because of a day of
impurity, or a woman after childbirth, whether the two engaged in vaginal or
anal intercourse, whether he inserted only the corona or inserted the entire
male organ, and whether it was an adult male who was intimate with a minor or a
male minor who was intimate with an adult woman.
When does the above apply? When the male
involved is at least nine years old and the woman involved at least three years
old. If, however, either is younger than this, the male does not contract the
impurity of one who has relations with a nidah, only that of one who touches a
woman in the nidah state. His impurity is thus considered a derivative; he is
not a primary source. Similarly, one who sodomizes a zav is considered as one
who touches a zav. Also, the same laws that apply to one who touches a zav
apply to a woman who is intimate with such a person.
Halacha 4
All of the following - nidah, a zavah, a
woman who is watching one day because of a day of impurity, or a woman after
childbirth even if she did not experience uterine bleeding - contract impurity
retroactively for a twenty-four hour period or until the last vaginal
inspection the woman made. This is referred to as the twenty-four period of a
nidah.
What is implied? A woman who did not have
a fixed time when she would menstruate was pure. She made a vaginal inspection
in the morning and found that she was pure. At noon, she made another vaginal
inspection and discovered blood. Accordingly, any ritually pure entities that
she touched between the first inspection and the second inspection are impure
retroactively. Similarly, if she made a vaginal inspection one day and found
herself pure and made another inspection two or three days afterwards and
discovered uterine bleeding, all of the articles she touched within twenty-four
hours before the inspection during which she discovered the bleeding are considered
as impure retroactively.
A checking cloth used after intimacy is
considered as a vaginal inspection, but one used before intimacy is not,
because she does not make a thorough inspection with it.
Halacha 5
A woman who has a fixed time when she
menstruates and discovers uterine bleeding at that time is impure only from
that time onward. She is not impure retroactively. If the fixed time when she
menstruates arrives and she did not inspect herself and then inspected herself
after the passage of several days and discovered uterine bleeding, she is
considered as impure retroactively and is assumed to be a nidah from the fixed
time that she usually menstruates. This is the impurity associated with the
fixed time for menstruation referred to universally.
If the woman discovered that she was pure
when she inspected herself after her fixed time for menstruation, she is pure.
Halacha 6
Whenever a woman has a fixed time during
which she menstruates, she will also experience physical symptoms at the onset
of menstruation, e.g., she will yawn, sneeze, feel heaviness and strain at the
opening to her stomach and lower body, become overcome by trembling, or feel
that her head and limbs are heavy, or the like.
There are women whose pattern is to
experience bleeding immediately after one of these physical symptoms begins.
And there are other women who will wait, and continue experiencing these
symptoms for an hour or two and experience bleeding only at the end of the
expected time. When a woman's pattern is to experience bleeding at the
beginning of the expected time, any pure articles she touches during the
expected time are impure. If her pattern is to experience bleeding at the end
of the expected time, any pure articles she touches during the expected time
are pure. She is only concerned about the articles she touched from the time
she is accustomed to experience bleeding until she actually discovers bleeding.
Halacha 7
When a woman discovers a bloodstain, she
is retroactively impure until the time she made an inspection. Similarly, a
garment on which a stain was discovered is retroactively impure.
Until when? Until such a time concerning
which the woman says: "I checked this garment and it did not have a
bloodstain." Even if she washed the garment, but did not inspect it, it is
impure retroactively from before she washed it until the time when it was
inspected. Even if a moist stain was found, she is considered impure
retroactively until the time she made an inspection. The rationale is that
there is reason to say that it was there previously and now water fell upon it
and caused it to become moist.
Halacha 8
A bloodstain discovered by any of the
women who are impure only from the time they discover uterine bleeding onward
is equivalent to the discovery of uterine bleeding and does not cause her to contract
impurity retroactively.
Any of the women who contract impurity
retroactively, whether they discovered uterine bleeding or a bloodstain, also
impart impurity retroactively to surfaces upon which one lies or rides, causing
them to impart impurity to a person or to garments. Similarly, their saliva and
urine impart impurity retroactively. They even impart impurity retroactively to
an earthenware container that is sealed closed.
They do not, however, impart the severe
impurity associated with intimacy with a nidah to a man who is intimate with
them. He is considered only as if he touched them. Whenever a woman discovers a
bloodstain, a man who is intimate with her after she discovered the stain is
considered impure as one who was intimate with a nidah.
Halacha 9
When a fetus sticks out his hand from the
womb of a pregnant woman, his mother contracts the impurity of a woman who gave
birth.
The impurity of a woman whose fetus
sticks out its hand, the impurity imposed retroactively for 24 hours or until
the previous inspection that was mentioned, the impurity associated with the
fixed time when a woman usually menstruates, and the ritual impurity associated
with bloodstains are all Rabbinic decrees and were instituted because of a
doubt. Therefore terumah and sacrificial foods are not burnt because of them.
Instead, the ruling concerning them is held in abeyance. Similarly, the ruling
concerning ordinary foods that were treated with the sanctity associated with
sacrificial foods that contracted impurity from one of these sources is held in
abeyance. Nevertheless, ordinary food that is treated with the sanctity
associated with terumah and ordinary food from which challah has not yet been
separated do not contract impurity from any of these sources, for they are
Rabbinic decrees.
Thus one can conclude that: all of these
women mentioned previously in this halachah, an object on which one lies or
rides to which they imparted impurity, their saliva, their urine, one who is
intimate with a woman who discovered a bloodstain after the bloodstain was
discovered, one who was intimate with a woman after the fetus stuck out a limb
and then returned it, are all primary sources of impurity according to Rabbinic
decree.
---
Rambam - 3 Chapters a Day: Malveh veLoveh
Chapter 16, Malveh veLoveh Chapter 17, Malveh veLoveh Chapter 18
Chapter 16
Halacha 1
The debt is the responsibility of the
borrower until he pays the lender or the lender's agent. If the lender said:
"Throw the money owed to me and become freed of responsibility," the
borrower threw it to him, and it became lost or destroyed by fire before it
reaches the lender, the borrower is not responsible.
The following rules apply if the lender
told him: "Throw the money owed to me in a manner governed by the laws of
a bill of divorce." If the money was closer to the borrower, it is still
his responsibility. If it was closer to the lender, the borrower is no longer
responsible. If it is half and half, and it is lost or stolen from there, the
borrower is required to pay half of the debt.
Halacha 2
When Reuven owes Shimon a maneh, gives
the maneh to Levi and tells him: "Give this maneh that I owe Shimon to
him," Reuven may not retract. Nevertheless, he is held responsible for the
maneh until it reaches Shimon.?
If Levi returned the maneh to Reuven,
they are both responsible for it until Shimon receives full payment for the
debt owed him.
Halacha 3
A transfer of a debt is rescinded in the
following situation. Reuven owed Shimon a maneh. Shimon told Reuven: "Take
the maneh that you owe me and give it to Levi." Since the three were
standing together and Levi agreed, the transfer would ordinarily be binding].
Nevertheless, if it is discovered that Reuven is poor and does not have the
resources to pay, Levi can ask Shimon for payment of the debt, for he deceived
him.
If Levi knew ' that Reuven was poor at
that time or Reuven was rich at that time and became impoverished afterwards,
Levi cannot demand payment from Shimon, for he accepted the transfer.
If Levi argues that Reuven was poor at
the time and Shimon deceived him, and Shimon maintains that he was wealthy and
later became impoverished, it appears to me that Shimon must bring proof of his
claim. Only then is he freed of responsibility from the debt he owes Levi. This
is no different from an instance where he has a receipt in his hand, and we
tell him: "Prove the authenticity of your receipt, and then you will be
freed of responsibility."
Halacha 4
We already explained the following
concept in the laws of business transactions. These laws apply when Reuven was
not owed anything by Shimon, but did owe a maneh to Levi. If he told Levi to
collect the debt from Shimon - even if he made that statement in the presence
of the three of them -it is not binding. If Shimon does not desire to pay Levi,
he need not. If, however, he does pay him, he may collect the money from
Reuven, since he paid him because of his instructions.
Similarly, if Levi desires to retract and
say: "I do not desire to collect the debt from Shimon," he may
collect the debt from Reuven. This applies even if he collected a portion of
the debt from Shimon; he may collect the remainder from Reuven.
Halacha 5
The following laws apply with regard to a
store-keeper who would give a house-owner anything he desires on credit,
postponing payment until the entire amount reaches a substantial sum, at which
time he would pay him.
The employer says: "Give my workers
a sela..." or "... my creditor the maneh that I owe him and I will
repay you." Afterwards, the storekeeper said: "I gave the money you
instructed me to give," and the worker or the creditor says: "I did
not receive it." The worker or the creditor must take an oath; he may then
collect the debt owed him from the employer. Similarly, the store-keeper may
take an oath and collect what he claims from the employer, for he told him to
pay that money.
The worker must take the oath in the
presence of the storekeeper, and the storekeeper must do so in the presence of
the worker or the creditor, so that they will be embarrassed by each other.
Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.
This oath is a Rabbinical ordinance,
administered while the person holds a sacred article, because both claimants
are coming to collect money. Therefore, if the storekeeper dies, the creditor
may collect the debt without taking an oath. Similarly, if the worker or the creditor
dies, the storekeeper may collect the claim he makes without taking an oath.
The rationale is that in such a situation the employer is not losing anything
and is making payment only once.
Halacha 6
When the store-keeper says: "You
told me to give this person a maneh," or "You commanded me and told
me, 'If so-and-so comes, give him,'" and the employer claims: "I did
not tell you," the employer must take a sh'vuat hesset to support his
claim. He is then freed of responsibility. The store-keeper should then lodge a
suit against the person he claims to have paid.
Similarly, if a storekeeper tells an
employer with whom he has a credit arrangement: "It is written in my
account book that you owe me a maneh" and the employer says: "I don't
know," the employer must take a sh'vuat hesset that he does not know. He
is then freed of responsibility, as is the law with regard to any situation
where one person lodges a claim against another. There is no Rabbinical
ordinance governing such a situation.
Halacha 7
When Reuven produces a promissory note
that states that Shimon owes a debt to Levi, and claims that Shimon gave it to
him by signing a deed acknowledging the transfer and giving it to him, but that
the deed of transfer was lost, or he claims that Levi transferred the
promissory note to him via the acquisition of land, he may collect the debt
from Shimon. The rationale is that Reuven is in possession of the promissory
note.
If Shimon claims that he paid Levi and
demands that an oath be taken, Levi must take an oath to Shimon. Afterwards,
Reuven may collect the debt. If Levi admits that Shimon paid him, Levi must pay
Reuven. If Levi claims that he neither sold nor gave the promissory note to
Reuven, Levi is required to take a sh'vuat hesset and is then freed of responsibility.
Halacha 8
When a promissory note is in the hands of
a third party, and he produces it in a court of law and says: "It has been
paid," his word is accepted. This applies even if the authenticity of the
note has been verified. The rationale is that if he had desired, he could have
burned it or torn it.
Similarly, if the third party died, and a
note is found in his possession stating that the promissory note entrusted to
him has been paid, we consider it paid. This applies even though the note
stating the debt was paid is not signed by witnesses.
When, by contrast, a note is found in the
creditor's possession that a particular promissory note has been paid, even if
the note stating that the debt was paid is in the creditor's handwriting, it is
considered to be merely facetious.
Halacha 9
If witnesses signed the note discovered
in the creditor's possession, when their signatures have been verified, the
note is considered paid. If their signatures have not been verified, the
witnesses who signed the receipt should be interrogated. If they do not know of
the matter or if they are not present to be asked, the receipt is ignored,
because it was found in the possession of the lender or his heirs.
Halacha 10
If the promissory note mentioned in the note
that was discovered was found among the promissory notes belonging to the
lender that have been paid, we assume that it was paid, even if the note that
was found was not signed by witnesses.
Similarly, if it is written on the
promissory note itself - whether on its front or back, or even on only a
portion of it - that this promissory note or a portion of it was paid, we
follow those statements. This applies even though witnesses did not sign the
statement, and the promissory note is in the possession of the lender. For if
the promissory note had not been paid, he would not have written on the note
itself.
Halacha 11
When a person finds a promissory note
among his other legal documents and he does not know its status, it should
remain in his possession until Eliyahu comes.
Halacha 12
When a person tells his sons: "One
of the promissory notes among my promissory notes has been paid and I don't
know which one it is," all of the promissory notes are considered paid. If
there are two promissory notes from one person, the greater one is considered
paid and the lesser one is considered unpaid.
If a person tells a colleague: "One
of your promissory notes in my possession has been paid," the greater one
is considered to be paid and the lesser one is considered to be unpaid. If he
tells him: "The debt you owe me has been paid," all of the promissory
notes he has against him are considered paid.
Chapter 17
Halacha 1
The following laws apply when a lender
dies and his heir comes and demands payment from a borrower, because of the
promissory note for which he is liable. If the borrower claims: "I paid
your father," and the heir says: "I don't know whether you did or
not," we tell the borrower: "Arise and pay him."
If the borrower demands: "Take an
oath for me," the heir should take an oath, while holding a sacred object,
that his father did not instruct him via another person that the debt was paid,
that he did not tell him this verbally, and that he did not find a note saying
that this promissory note was paid among his father's legal documents. After
taking this oath, he may collect the debt.
Halacha 2
If the borrower died after the lender
died, and the lender's heir comes and demands payment from the borrower's heir,
he may not collect payment unless he takes an oath. We tell him: "Take an
oath that 'My father did not instruct me...,' 'My father did not tell me...,'
'I did not find a note saying that this promissory note was paid among my
father's legal documents.'"
Even if the heir was a baby lying in a
cradle when his father died, he must take this oath and collect. If the lender
made a statement immediately before his death that this promissory note has not
been paid, the lender's heir need not take an oath before exacting payment.
This applies even if he is collecting payment] from the heir.
Halacha 3
If, however, the borrower died first and
then the lender died, the lender's heirs may not collect anything from the
borrower's heirs. The rationale is that when the borrower died, the lender
became obligated to take an oath before collecting, as we have explained in the
previous halachah. He has already died, and a person does not bequeath an oath
to his sons. For they are unable to take an oath that their father was not paid
anything.
Nevertheless, if a judge transgressed and
required the lender's heirs to take an oath and enabled them to collect their
debt, the money that they collected should not be expropriated from their
possession. Therefore, a promissory note that is used as the basis for a claim
by the heirs of a lender who seek to collect from the heirs of a borrower when
the borrower died first, should not be torn, nor should it be used to
expropriate money.
It should not be used to expropriate
money, because a person does not bequeath an oath to his sons, as explained. It
should not, however, be torn, lest there be a judge who will expropriate money
because of it.
Halacha 4
In the situation described above, even if
the debt was secured by a guarantor, the lender's heirs should not expropriate
the debt from the guarantor. The rationale is that if they are told to collect
the debt from the guarantor, the guarantor will go and seek payment from the
borrower's heirs.
Halacha 5
Extrapolation is not made from this law
to a similar instance. Instead, when a person who impairs the legal power of a
promissory note then dies -although he is not entitled to collect the debt
unless he takes an oath - his children may take an oath that their father did
not instruct them..., their father did not tell them..., they did not find a
note saying that this promissory note was paid in its entirety among his
father's legal documents. They may then collect the remainder of the sum stated
in the promissory note from the lender or from his heirs.
Halacha 6
When a lender's heir comes to collect
payment of a promissory note from the borrower's heirs and the latter say:
"Our father told us: 'I did not borrow the money mentioned in this
debt,'" the lender's heirs may collect the debt without taking an oath.
The rationale is that whenever a person says "I did not borrow," it
is as if he says: "I did not pay."
Similarly, when the lender himself comes
to collect payment from the heirs of a borrower, and they say: "Our father
told us: 'I did not borrow the money mentioned in this debt,'" the lender
may collect the debt without taking an oath. This applies even if in the
promissory note the lender stated that he would accept the borrower's word whenever
he claims to have paid the debt. For in this instance as well, we follow the
rationale that whenever a person says "I did not borrow," it is as if
he says: "I did not pay."
Halacha 7
The following laws apply when the
lender's heir comes and demands payment from a borrower on the basis of a
promissory note that contains a stipulation that the borrower's word will be
accepted, whenever the borrower says: "I paid the debt." He is
required to take a sh'vuat hesset that he paid this debt and is freed of liability.
This applies even if the stipulation does not state: "Your word will be
accepted against a claim issued by my heirs." The rationale is that the
very basis of the promissory note depends on this stipulation.
If the stipulation states that the
borrower's word would be accepted without an oath, he is not required to take
an oath, even to the lender's heirs.
Halacha 8
The following laws apply when the
lender's heir is below majority, he possesses a promissory noted owed to his
father, but a receipt for this note was produced after the father's death. We
do not rip up the promissory note, nor do we allow payment to be expropriated
on its basis until the heir reaches majority. The rationale is that it is
possible that the receipt is a forgery. That possibility is reinforced by the
fact that the borrower did not produce it during the lender's lifetime.
Halacha 9
When a person produces a promissory note
against a colleague, stating that it was composed in Babylonia, he collects the
debt in the coinage of Babylonia. If the promissory note was written in Eretz
Yisrael, he should collect the debt in the coinage of Eretz Yisrael. This is
not the case with regard to a ketubah
The following rules apply when the
promissory note did not state the place where it was composed. If the lender
produced it in Babylonia, he should collect the debt in the coinage of
Babylonia. If he produced it in Eretz Yisrael, he should collect the debt in
the coinage of Eretz Yisrael. If the lender sought to collect the debt in the
coinage of the place where he produced the promissory note, and the borrower
protested, claiming that he is obligated to pay in a coinage that is worth less
than the local coinage, the lender should support his claim with an oath. He
may then collect the debt. If the promissory note states that money is owed
without any more specifics, the lender may collect only what the borrower
agrees to pay.
From these laws, we can derive the
following principles: A legal document that does not mention the place where it
was composed is acceptable for all matters. Similarly, a legal document that is
not dated is acceptable, even though it is testimony that cannot be nullified
through hazamah. The rationale is that in financial laws, we are not stringent
and do not subject the witnesses to precise cross-examination and
interrogation, as will be explained. This leniency was adopted so as not to
prevent loans from being granted. For this reason, post-dated promissory notes
are acceptable, although the testimony of the witnesses who signed cannot be
nullified through hazamah as will be explained in the appropriate place.
Chapter 18
Halacha 1
When a person lends money to a colleague
without any stipulations, all of the borrower's property is on lien and bound
to the debt. Therefore, when the lender comes to collect his debt, he should
demand payment from the debtor first. If the debtor does not have money, but is
in possession of either landed or movable property, he may collect the debt
from them with the borrower's consent. If the borrower did not give the
property willingly, the lender should have the property expropriated by the
court.
If the property in the borrower's
possession was not equal in value to the amount stated in the promissory note,
the lender may expropriate the debt from all the property that was in the
borrower's possession, even though it is now sold or given as presents to
others. The rationale is that since the borrower sold or gave away the property
after it was subjugated to the lien of this debt, he may expropriate the
property from the possession of purchasers or the recipients of the presents.
This is called being toreif.
To what does the above apply? To landed
property in the borrower's possession at the time of the loan. Property that
the borrower acquired after the loan was given, by contrast, is not
automatically on lien to the creditor, and he may not expropriate it from
purchasers. If, however, the lender established the stipulation that all the
property that the borrower will acquire afterwards will be on lien for him to
collect the debt from it, property that the borrower acquired after taking the
loan and subsequently sold or gave away may be expropriated by a creditor.
Halacha 2
The above statements apply only to landed
property. Movable property that has been sold, by contrast, is not on lien to a
debt. Even property in the borrower's possession at the time of the loan may
not be expropriated by his creditor.
If the debtor transferred a lien to all
his movable property by virtue of the lien on landed property so that the
creditor can expropriate everything, he may expropriate that movable property.
This applies only when he writes in the promissory note: "I have
transferred to you a lien on my movable property by virtue of the lien on my
landed property. This is not an asmachta, nor is this a standard form of a
legal document."
Similarly, he may write: "All of the
property that I will purchase in the future, whether landed property or movable
property, is on lien to you so that you can expropriate payment from it, and
the lien on my movable property is transferred to you by virtue of the lien on
my landed property, so that you can expropriate payment from them. This is not
an asmachta, nor is this a standard form of a legal document." In such an
instance, the creditor may expropriate even the movable property that the
borrower purchased after he borrowed the money. The rationale is that any
stipulation made concerning a financial transaction is binding.
Halacha 3
The following laws apply when a person
designates a field of his as an ipotiki for a creditor for a debt, or for a
woman for her ketubah - i.e., he composed a legal document stating that they
should collect payment from that source - and a river flooded the field. The
creditor may expropriate other property as payment for the debt. If, however,
it was stipulated that he should not derive payment from any place other than
this, he should not expropriate other property.
Similarly, if a person borrowed money and
explicitly stipulated that his property is not on lien to the debt, the
creditor may never collect this debt from property that has been sold to
others.
Halacha 4
When a person designates a field of his
as an ipotiki for a creditor for a debt, or for a woman for her ketubah and
then sells it, the sale is binding. If when the creditor comes to collect his
debt, he does not find any property that has not been sold, he may expropriate
the field that had been designated from the person who purchased it.
When does the above apply? When the
debtor sold the field for a limited amount of time. If, however, he desired to
sell it forever, the sale is not binding.
Halacha 5
When a person designates a servant as an
ipotiki, a creditor can expropriate the servant in payment of the debt even if
he was sold to another person. ' The rationale is that the matter will be
publicized. If he designates his cow as an ipotiki, a creditor may not
expropriate the cow. The same ruling applies with regard to other movable
property, for the matter will not be publicized.
Halacha 6
When a master designates his servant as
an ipotiki and then frees him, he obtains his freedom. This applies even if he
wrote in the promissory note: "You will not receive payment from any
source but this."
Similar rules apply if he consecrates the
servant. The rationale is that [the prohibition against leaven, freeing a
servant and consecration remove the lien from an article.
The creditor may collect his debt from
the debtor. If he does not have the means to pay him, he must compose a
promissory note acknowledging his debt, and with that promissory note he can
expropriate property that was sold by the debtor after the date of this second
promissory note.
Why is he obligated to pay the debt?
Because he caused his colleague's money to be lost. And whenever a person
causes a colleague a loss, he must make financial restitution, as explained in
the appropriate place.
We also compel the servant's second
master to free him as well. This is a measure enacted for the correction of
society, lest the creditor encounter the servant in the marketplace at a later
time and say: "You are my slave."
Halacha 7
When a person consecrates his property,
the creditor cannot expropriate the property from the Temple treasury, for the
consecration of property lifts the lien from it.
When the property is redeemed from the
Temple treasury, we estimate how much a person would desire to give for this
field, so that the creditor will be paid his due, or the woman the money due
her by virtue of her ketubah. Therefore, when the field is redeemed and becomes
unconsecrated property in the possession of the purchaser, the creditor can
come and expropriate his debt from it, or the woman can take it as payment for
the money due her by virtue of her ketubah, as we have explained in Hilchot
Arachin.
Halacha 8
When a creditor comes to expropriate a
field from the purchaser, if the purchaser has money in his possession, he may
eliminate the creditor's claim by paying him the money for which he is
expropriating the field. The purchaser then demands repayment from the seller.
If, however, the debtor had designated the field as an ipotiki, the purchaser
may not eliminate the creditor's claim by paying him.
Halacha 9
The purchaser is also given the upper
hand in the following situation: Reuven owed Shimon 200 zuz. Reuven owned two
fields. He sold one to Levi for a maneh, and then sold him the other one for a
second maneh. Shimon expropriated one for a maneh and then sought to
expropriate the other for the second maneh that was owed him. Levi brought 200
zuz in coin and told Shimon: "If you desire to consider the field that you
already expropriated as payment for the entire 200 zuz that you are owed, that
is acceptable. If not, here are the 200 zuz of the debt; rescind your claim."
Levi is given the upper hand.
If Shimon accepted Levi's proposition and
kept the one field, Levi cannot demand payment from Reuven for more than one
maneti, despite the fact that Shimon accepted it as compensation for 200 zuz.
Halacha 10
The creditor, by contrast, is given the
upper hand in the following situation. Reuven owed Shimon 200 zuz. Reuven died
and left one field that was worth 100 zuz. Shimon came and expropriated it. The
orphans gave Shimon 100 zuz worth from the movable property that their father
left, and thus removed Shimon from it. Shimon may, however, return and
expropriate it for the remainder of his debt. The rationale is that by giving
him the 100 zuz, they performed a mitzvah, for it is a mitzvah for heirs to pay
their father's debt.
If the heirs told Shimon: "This 100
is for the field you expropriated," he cannot come back and expropriate it
again for the remainder of the money owed him.
---
Hayom Yom
Sunday, 28 Kislev 5774 / 1 December 2013
Monday Kislev
28, Fourth Day of Chanuka 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Mikeitz, Sheini with Rashi.
Tehillim: 135-139.
Tanya: For when the intellect (p.
11)...with its offshoots (p. 11).
It was customary for the Tzemach Tzedek
to have a sort of farbrengen on one of the evenings of Chanuka with his family,
including his daughters-in-law. This was called "latkes evening."
This was also the practice of the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe. Among the
stories the Rebbes told at this meal were some which were widely talked about
every Chanuka, though they had been discussed the year before.
My father would give Chanuka-gelt on the
evening of the fourth or fifth light.
---
Daily Thought:
The Power of Light
We all know the power of darkness—it is
in the news every day. A thousand times over is the power of light.
A busy person stopping to do an act of
kindness, a small child reaching up to kiss the mezuzah on the door of her
room, a flickering candle for Shabbat or Chanukah—each of these are as bursts
of light in the nighttime sky.
True, they rarely appear in the daily
news. But the darkness of yesterday’s news will pass like the shadows of clouds
on a windy day. Light endures forever, accumulating with every flash, until no
room is left for darkness to hide.
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