Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Working after Torah Study

 Rabbeinu Yonah (Sefer HaYira 133) After Torah Study  he should go to his business, for it is good to earn a living: no one can serve the Creator if he is busy begging for his meals. And thus said King David: "Happy is everyone who fears the LORD; who walks in his ways. For you shall eat the labor of your hands." (Tehillim  128:1-2).

Rabbeinu Yonah (Avos 02:03)Torah Study is good when combined with derech eretz. In this case it means working for a living. Sometimes derech Eretz is taken literally and sometimes it refers to working for a living it depends on context.

Rabbeinu Yonah (Avos 2:02) And all study of the Torah in the absence of a worldly occupation comes to nothing in the end: Like the matter that they said in our treatise (Avot 3 17), "If there is no flour, there is no Torah." The matter is like its simple understanding - when he neglects work, it brings him to poverty and it drags along several sins and its evil is great. As on account of it, he will 'love gifts and not live,' and flatter people even if they are evildoers, in order that they give to him. Also when the money from the gifts runs out, he will become a thief or a kidnapper (or gambler) and will bring 'home loot taken from the poor' so that he not die of hunger. And when a person reaches these traits, his spirit knows no restraint and he will not rest and not be still until he transgresses all of the commandments that are stated in the Torah, since 'one sin brings along another sin.' 

Wealth can be obtained by Torah study but not the reverse

 Netziv (Shemos 26:35) Bava Basra (25b) states that  he who wants to be wise should turn towards the south. One who wants to be rich  should turn north, and the lamp's purpose is to shine by the power of the Torah analysis, and it is known that earning a living successfully requires that he must precede it with intensive Torah study because it is impossible to be acquired without great effort. In contrast wealth can happen entirely from the merit of Torah study which he did previously, He can in fact  obtain wealth and honor from Torah study. This alluded to by this verse since it indicates that the table which has no unique purpose is to be placed at the north wall and that is for the purpose of parnossa. And then the menorah is placed in front of the table, that is, those who have a livelihood will influence the Torah workers who come to obtain the power of the menorah. And then they will have the second purpose of the table  which results from being placed on the north side, from where gold and royal honor come

Parnossa is Provide in Two Ways

 Netziv (Shemos 19:04) How I bore you on eagle’s wings - A person's livelihood is called carrying, and there are two ways. As long as the baby cannot walk at all, and when someone can walk but there is a threshold or a stone in the way, the person is held and raised, but not taken on his arms. This is how Israel is provided 1)when they walk by themselves and G-d only watches over the steps their world, and 2)when God provides without any efforts by man it is called carrying., like when they were in the Wilderness. On My wings - that the livelihood transcended nature

Bitachon requires training

 Netziv (Shemos 15:25) And there they were tested.  G-d wanted every generation to be accustomed to the activity of making a living. So that his heart would not become faint when he sees a lack in his home, and this is called a trial. And while that generation obviously did not need to be taught His providence, for they saw everything with their eyes. But the lesson was only for the later generations, who needed to be taught so  that their heart should always be steadfast, because at the last moment he will sense that G-d is giving him advice so he will not die of hunger and thirst

Parnossa requires Prayer

 Netziv (Bereishis 02:05) From the beginning of creation, the Almighty decreed that acquiring parnossa would be mixed with Divine providence and thus requires work, or sacrifices, or prayer, and that is why these are mostly called just avoda because they are primarily because of parnossa... and all the blessings of benefit come to bless such activity, and as "Anyone who benefits in this world without a blessing is stealing from G-d and Israel"

Americans’ view of both Israel and Palestinians worse amid Gaza war, poll finds

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/americans-view-of-both-israel-and-palestinians-worsens-during-gaza-war-poll-finds/

“This suggests that the recent actions by both sides have done little to shift US loyalties, even if overall opinions toward both sides are less positive,” Gallup wrote in a statement, referring to Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, sparked by Hamas’s murderous October 7 rampage through southern Israel, when thousands of terrorists killed nearly 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages.

An Only-Child Boom Is Beginning. It Gets Complicated When Mom and Dad Age.

 https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/relationships/only-child-parents-caregiving-91acc294?mod=hp_trending_now_article_pos5

The pool of family members available to take on caregiving roles is getting smaller. The ratio of potential family caregivers to those 80 and older is expected to drop to 4 to 1 in 2030, down from 7 to 1 in 2010, according to AARP. 

For an only child, the responsibility can mean dropping everything when a parent becomes sick. 

The Supreme Court Must Not Be the Final Word on Disqualifying Trump

 https://www.newsweek.com/if-supreme-court-wont-congress-must-disqualify-trump-opinion-1875820

As a former member of Congress, I, along with five fellow Republican and unaffiliated plaintiffs, sued to bar Trump from Colorado's ballot, guided by the oath I took to protect and defend the Constitution. In its decision, the Supreme Court crucially did not absolve Trump of violating his oath of office and engaging in insurrection, even though the former president asked them to do so. The fact that he engaged in insurrection remainsinsurrection remains, as determined by every decision-making body that has substantively examined the facts. We now have clarity on how to enforce Section 3 disqualification, and it lies with Congress.


Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Righteousness is sometimes forced by G-d

Or HaChaim (Bereishis (15:06) Another way of looking at Abraham's act of faith is based on the tradition that the world will not lack a minimum of 30 (or 36) righteous men by whose merit it continues to exist. Since G-d wants these 30 tzadikim, it stands to reason that He does influence these men to be pious. If so, they can certainly not claim their righteousness as their own merit as would otherwise be the case. Abraham may have been rewarded then for not making an issue of this, although some or all of these men may have been unduly influenced to live the lives of tzadikim.

Torah study interrupted only for needs of Parnossa

 Shulchan Aruch HaRav (Torah Study 3) Even one who supports themselves by the work of their hands, and therefore find that their learning is sporadic, is only permitted by the Torah to occupy themselves with making a living, as it says "And you shall gather your grain..." They may not become involved in completely empty pursuits, whether to speak of them or listen. This is because that in every moment in which one is not occupied with their sustenance they are obligated to learn Torah in every moment possible, even when walking along the way...furthermore it is not only forbidden to occupy oneself with empty matters, but also with worldly knowledge as it says "...and speak of them..." (Dev. 6:7) meaning that you should not mingle them with anything else.

Working is considered Totah Study

 Ruach Chaim (2:04) He would say do His will according to your will, etc., according to what he said above, Torah study is good  with work, there is room for error in his language that working is the main thing and the Torah is secondary G-d forbid. That's why he said here do His will as your will.  He wants to say that you should at least divide the day into parts, so that you are free afterwards to study Torah. In this way manner you are making G-d’s will your will so that even the time you devote to working will be considered by G- as if you were studying Torah since you are only working to enable you to study Torah so that you won’t be a burden to the community

Nefesh HaChaim (1:8): Berachos (35b) describes a dispute between R’ Yishmael and R’ Shimon bar Yochai concerning working and Torah study. R’ Yishmael that a person needs to work while R’ Shimon says if one works than he won’t be able to learn properly … Despite the fact that R’ Yishmael says a person needs to work it is absolutely certain that R’ Yishmael does not think that a person is permitted to cease - even for a short time - from studying Torah in order to work. R’ Yishmael is stating that during the short time he spends working he needs to be thinking exclusively about Torah simultaneously. Therefore when Rava told his students not to come to Yeshiva during the months of Nisan and Tishrei so they could work their farms, it was not that they should work and neglect Torah study but that they should continue learning. The gemora concludes that many tried the approach of R’ Shimon to only learn Torah and not to work - and they weren’t success. That means that the majority of people cannot devote all their days exclusively to Torah without working at all. That is why Avos(2:2) states that all Torah which is not combined with work is doomed to failure. However there are individuals who are able to devote their entire lives exclusively to studying Torah and serving G d. For such an individual who is capable of exclusive Torah study it is obligatory for him not to cease even a short time in order to work. Thus R’ Shimon’s approach is for some individual’s while that of R’ Yishmael is for the majority.

Torah Study requires a mind free of worry about Parnossa

Netziv (Devarim 33:4): The Mechilta (BeShalach) states: The Torah was only given to those who eat the manna or secondarily to those who eat teruma. The reason for this is that successful study of Torah requires a clear peaceful state of mind and this is impossible except to those who are sustained by manna. That is because they have total security in the sustenance without concern that the distributor will give it to someone else. Those who eat teruma also have security but it is less than those who eat manna but more than those who eat ma’aser. That is because the owners of teruma are afraid to keep it in their house because if a member of their household should accidentally eat it there is punishment of death at the hands of Heaven (Devarim 26:13). However since the owner has the right to choose the recipient those who eat teruma are less secure than those who eat manna. Nevertheless since they have an assured source of sustenance they have the strength and fortitude to be immersed in Torah learning…. In contemporary times we find parallels. Some of those immersed in Torah learning live with their parents with dignity and respect - are comparable to those who eat manna. Others who are sustained by the gifts of others who want the merit of Torah study - are comparable to those who ate teruma. 

 Berchas Netziv (Mechilta BeShalach Vayisah 2): In depth study of Torah is impossible without a mind free and clear of worries of livelihood. This state of mind was found amongst those who lived on manna since they were guaranteed their food and were not dependent upon any person in any manner. Second best were those who ate teruma who were also secure that the people would give the cohanim more than the Levites got from ma’aser… But the cohanim had less security than those who ate manna since the donor had the right to give only to the cohen he wanted… In fact in each generation there are two circumstances for people to be able to study Torah properly. 1) The father who gladly supports his son and all his needs and that is similar to the eats of manna. 2) Support provided by benefactors who want the merit of Torah study and are similar to the donors of teruma…. This merit of the serious study of a talmid chachom is acquired by these masses only when they support him so that he is enabled to study properly. This occurs only when he is totally free of any worry about earning a living. 

UN sexual violence envoy: Israelis were raped, sexually tortured on October 7

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-790204

A mission team led on a trip through Israel by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, found that there was substantial evidence to conclude that victims, as well as hostages and survivors of October 7, were sexually abused and raped by Hamas terrorists. This is the first instance where an international organization has confirmed what Israel has alleged since October 7.

Patten, therefore, called on Hamas to “immediately and unconditionally release all individuals held in captivity and to ensure their protection, including from sexual violence.”

The team, traveling and researching with Israel’s full cooperation, found “clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment has been committed against hostages.”

UN finds evidence of rape on Oct. 7 and after; Israel: They tried to downplay issue

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/un-finds-evidence-of-rape-on-oct-7-and-after-israel-they-tried-to-downplay-issue/

The United Nation’s envoy on sex crimes during conflict presented a report Monday at the UN indicating that rape and gang rape likely occurred during the October 7 Hamas onslaught against southern Israel, that “clear and convincing” evidence shows that hostages were raped while being held in Gaza, and that those currently held captive are still facing such abuse.

The 24-page report, based on more than two weeks of meetings on the ground, states that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Hamas committed rape and sexual abuse during its murderous rampage on October 7, and that there is an even higher standard of evidence to indicate that hostages kidnapped by Hamas that day were subject to rape in captivity.

Israel in response accused the UN of playing down the report and dragging its feet on looking into the allegations, while trying to silence the accusations — something the UN secretary general swiftly denied.