Berachos (64a) R. Abin the Levite said: Whoever tries to force his [good] fortune will be dogged by [ill] fortune,4 and whoever forgoes his [good] fortune will postpone his [ill] fortune.5 This we can illustrate from the case of Rabbah and R. Joseph. For R. Joseph was ‘Sinai’6 and Rabbah was ‘an uprooter of mountains’.7 The time came when they were required [to be head of the Academy].8 They [the collegiates] sent there [to Palestine] to ask, As between ‘Sinai’ and an ‘uprooter of mountains’, which should have the preference? They sent answer: Sinai, because all require the owner of wheat.9 Nevertheless, R. Joseph would not accept the post, because the astrologers had told him that he would be head for only two years. Rabbah thereupon remained head for twenty-two years, and R. Joseph after him for two years and a half.10 During all the time that Rabbah was head, R. Joseph did not so much as summon a cupper to come to his house.11
מהרש"א חידושי אגדות מסכת ברכות דף סד עמוד א
כל הדוחק את השעה כו'. היינו דמזל שעה גורם וא"א לאדם לדחוק את המזל בכחו בחזקה אי לאו בסייעתא דשמיא וכל הנדחה מפני השעה כמו שעשה רב יוסף הרי השעה נדחית מפניו וכפירש"י ויתר כל סוגיא זו מפורש בספ"ב דהוריות ע"ש:
מהרש"א חידושי אגדות מסכת ברכות דף סד עמוד א
כל הדוחק את השעה כו'. היינו דמזל שעה גורם וא"א לאדם לדחוק את המזל בכחו בחזקה אי לאו בסייעתא דשמיא וכל הנדחה מפני השעה כמו שעשה רב יוסף הרי השעה נדחית מפניו וכפירש"י ויתר כל סוגיא זו מפורש בספ"ב דהוריות ע"ש:
Shlomo hamelech disagrees. The ksil folds his hands and makes no effort.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick vort to show the Wisdom of the Creator
ReplyDeleteMost birds - especially kosher birds , have "giblets" in their digestive system.
Here, stones are collected from when they peck food. Not only is this a filtering system, the stones then work to crush the seeds they have pecked, so that they can be properly digested! This is the Design of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, not random evolution!
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/do-all-birds-have-gizzards/
And yet, Rabbi Yonathan stated, Ayn mazel L'Yisrael.
ReplyDeleteThese astrologers were like the "psychics" of today. Yes we predicted 2 years and you were there 2 and a half years, close enough eh! Someone call Miss Cleo
How does this fit with "Ein mazel l'Yisrael"?
ReplyDeletethe standard answer is that Jews can at times overcome mazel with zechusim. that seems inherent in the Maharsha
ReplyDeleteWhy do we need to overcome it if "ein mazel" in the first place?
ReplyDeletebecause all acknowledge that mazel has infkuence
ReplyDeleteAstrology is assur d'oraita (Rambam) but is also widely permitted.
ReplyDeleteFigure that one out !
Oh, amulets are also both false (rambam) and true (vilna gaon).
Monotheism is both monotheistic and dualistic (leshem yichud kudsha brich hu oo'schechinateh).
G-d has no form, but also has form , and is transcendant but also immanent, even in your cellphone.
Mostly because chazal felt they couldn't outright reject the "science" of their times. (But I understand that's a debatable point. But this was accepted mainstream "science" then).
ReplyDeletenope!
ReplyDeleteThere is "mazal" today, except it is less astral, more genetics, conditioning, subconscious etc.
ReplyDelete