Avodah Mailing List

Volume 07 : Number 033

Thursday, May 3 2001

• Re: Is there a role for AishDas?
• Re: Is there a role for AishDas?
• Re: Tefillot on Shabbat
• re: sinath hinam
• Re: sefira customs
• Music during Sefira--A surprising psak from RSZA
• Defining hishtadlus
• Re: the Aish Das charter
• Ibn Ezra & Shamor V'Zachor
• sinat chinam
• RE: Defining hishtadlus
• Re: Defining hishtadlus
• Re: Flood (redux from volume 3)
• the Ibn Ezra on "Zachor v'shamor"
• Re: Ibn Ezra & Shamor V'Zachor
• Ten Steps to Greatness
• Re: Dor Revi'i on v'ahavta l'rei'akha kamokha

> So, what, other than providing an opportunity for different people to
> inspire, be inspired, and talk Torah on the internet, what need does
> Aishdas serve to fill?

Dayeenuu!

KT
Joel

On Wed, May 02, 2001 at 12:16:33PM -0400, An Anonymous Chaveir wrote:
: What I see, is that we all need inspiration. Continuous inspiration,
: if possible, but at least occasional inspiration. For that, at least in
: Brooklyn, there are frequent shiurim that offer inspirational stories
: and divrei Torah. Granted, these shiurim bore me rather than inspire me.

Your last sentence answers your entire question.

Events inspire. Words primarily serve to inspire in the sense that
attending a speech or the excitement of seeing the world through a new
perspective because of something you read is itself an experience.

In the world of kiruv, speakers don't have nearly the same impact as
the exprience of Shabbos.

Referring back to a discussion from the begining of volume 2, R' Moshe
Shulman pointed out about Chassidus, it's something learnt by living it,
not from a sefer. It is intrinsically experiential.

Similar to Chassidus, Mussar also adopted hanhagos. And learning mussar
was made into an experience, not a limud.

And how different are the shifts made to minhag Ashkenaz in Frankfurt
to find hanhagos that fit Hirschian thought and TIDE?

Or the Yeshiva movement?

What a person needs for continuous or at lease continual
inspiration is therefore an inspiring sevivah that provides inspiring
experiences. Shiurim are by far not the most productive means of reaching
this goal.

Late 58th century Jewery is its own beryah. I don't think Dr Birnbaum's
solution is our solution. However, his general methodology -- the
adoptation of hanhagos and the production of a subculture -- I believe
to be necessary.

What I believe we should be taking from the start of Chassidus, from
Mussar, from ha'Olim, is the need to explore these channels. Try joining
a "Carlebach minyan" (not necessarily his tunes, but that basic format
applied to whatever your minyan does listen to), and try going back
enough times to see if it really is what "works" for you.

Organize a "shaleshudis" or a melavah malkah that smacks of a kumzitz.

Commit 13 evenings, once per week, and see if doing a formal cheshbon
hanefesh and planning your growth for the next week helps you.

Write your own a techinah or zemirah. (RYGB has a zemirah each for
dinner and shabbos lunch that his family sings.)

Don't let feeling foolish stop you -- you're going to feel that way if
you try something new that isn't "what's done". if what we're currently
doing isn't working in making one an oveid Hashem, then one needs to
try something that we aren't currently doing.

(Speaking of which, the first time I ate at RYGB's home, I didn't follow
this advice, and ended up offending my host -- I believe he thought I
was rejecting his kavanos.)

: We all have different abilities and interests. I do not think that the 
: regimen of study that Dr. Birnbaum demands will fit everyone. Even those 
: who start off strong, will probably stop from exhaustion fairly quickly. 

However, one needs a chevrah to try many of them.

Consider the suggestions in the charter to be a strawman. We need to
start somewhere and continue experimenting. (And change the charter.)
Brainstorm.

On Wed, May 02, 2001 at 02:59:38PM -0400, Feldman, Mark wrote:
:             in a shiur, the listener is passive.  An igud (discussion group)
: which forces the chaverim to actively discuss their avodas Hashem is much
: more likely to lead to activity.

Perhaps we should be starting chaburos?

: I don't see why Dr. Birnbaum's (or even R. Micha's) view of the proper
: regimen need be binding.  And I don't see why there need be a single
: regimen--different people are inspired by different things.

I think, though, that AishDas needs to be a support structure for all of
them.

: I do wish to pose the following question regarding the AishDas charter:  I
: think that many of the people who write on Avodah/Areivim are idealistic
: people who identify with the goals of the Charter.  But many more view
: Avodah/Areivim as an interesting forum to discuss Torah and current issues,
: essentially a more sophisticated mail-jewish email list.  Are there enough
: idealistic people on our list to truly get a HaOlim-type movement going?  I
: have my doubts.

It was a conscious decision when RYGB and I merged lists that Avodah be
a service provided by AishDas, not AishDas itself. RYGB voiced a change
of heart on this issue, but lima'aseh that's what we set out to build,
and that is what we built.

Could AishDas exist if we draw only from members of Avodah? I would agree
with R' Moshe Feldman's doubts that we can't. IMHO, the internet would
better serve as a means for uniting multiple geographic senifim -- chapters
that it would be up to us to start.

Even if I limit "us" to those who see themselves as members of AishDas
rather than as subscribers of an email list run by AishDas, many of us live
in the same neighborhood as another member. That's already two people,
a chavrusah for some topic you wouldn't otherwise learn. Two people who
could provide a shaleshudis every other month or some other idea from the
charter. Who could find others who are less email addicted who show up
at the programs they organize, to the point of de facto "joining".

Besides, do we need a large movement, or a group large enough to move
ourselves?

-mi

-- 
Micha Berger                 When you come to a place of darkness,
micha@aishdas.org            you do not chase out the darkness with a broom.
http://www.aishdas.org       You light a candle.
(973) 916-0287                  - R' Yekusiel Halberstam of Klausenberg zt"l

At 10:50 AM 5/2/01 -0400, Micha Berger wrote:
>    RJJB acknowledges that point in his first paragraph. The question asked
>was:
>:> So why is shacharit the way it is: the introductory passage talks about
>:> Shabbat being given in the Aseret haDibrot, so you would think the passage
>:> would be {Shamor/Zachor} et yom hashabbat lekadsho - but noooo, it's
>:> Veshamru.  If the intro is supposed to be relevant to the passage, why
>:> does this one have a different passage, not relevant to the intro?

>If it said the 4th diberah instead, it would still be Shabbos Mattan Torah.
>More so, since the introduction describes recieving the luchos, you would
>think that the reference to Shabbos given on the luchos would be more
>appropriate.

Because it mentions Os and Bris.

KT,
YGB
ygb@aishdas.org      http://www.aishdas.org/rygb

[I think this means we agree. -mi]

David Riceman:
>   If in fact it means "hatred without cause/function" can someone think of a
> parallel grammatic construction in Rabbinic Hebrew?

The smichut here is adjectival, not possessive.  Hinam means gratuitous
(hen = grace).  Compare "ahavat olam" - eternal love, not love of the world.

Shlomo Godick

From: Gershon Dubin <gershon.dubin@juno.com>
> Whence and why the minhag mentioned here not to do melacha from sunset
> to shacharis?

I believe my original posting mentioned that it comes from a teshuva of
Hai Gaon. R' Daniel Sperber gives the source as Otzar HaGeonim 328 and
also lists a group of secondary sources.

David

From: "Daniel Schiffman" <schiffd@mail.biu.ac.il>
> A senior colleague of mine told me that RSZA permitted attendance at
> a classical concert during Sefira or 12 chodesh of avelut for a parent...

FWIW Kitzur doesn't even mention music and I am curious where and when
the issur of music began.

KSA mentions davka: 
1) Cutting hair
2) Getting married. 

Shalom and Best Regards,
Richard Wolpoe
Richard_Wolpoe@ibi.com

On Thu, May 03, 2001 at 12:40:43AM +0200, Akiva Atwood wrote to Areivim:
: Learning and davvening is ALSO hishtadlut.

Is this true?

I viewed them as manifestations of bitachon. One trusts in siyata diShaya
therefore one tries to collect zechuyos.

Hishtadlus is not relying on hashgachah peratis. Not trying to line
yourself up so that that hashgachah provides what you want.

-mi

> I do wish to pose the following question regarding the AishDas charter:  I
> think that many of the people who write on Avodah/Areivim are idealistic
> people who identify with the goals of the Charter.  But many more view
> Avodah/Areivim as an interesting forum to discuss Torah and current issues,
> essentially a more sophisticated mail-jewish email list.  Are there enough
> idealistic people on our list to truly get a HaOlim-type movement going?

The fact that so many oof us from so many varied backgrounds are discussing 
inyanei halacha and hashkafah together is a valid enough reason for 
existence. I don't think that contradicts the purpose or the Charter.

                Steve Brizel
                Zeliglaw@aol.com

From: Eric Simon <erics@radix.net>
> A little while back, someone made a comment (iirc) to the effect that Ibn
> Ezra did not hold that "shamor v'zachor v'dibur echad

Where exactly is this Ibn Ezra?

SBA

From: "S. Goldstein" <goldstin@netvision.net.il>
>> "hatred of hinam [whatever hinam would mean in that context]". Yet no
>> one translates it that way. If in fact it means "hatred without
>> cause/function" can someone think of a parallel grammatic construction
>> in Rabbinic Hebrew?

> matnas hinam is not a gift of nothing rather it is a gift without
> "cause/function"

I am still confused. There is no such thing as hatred without a cause.
Whoever hates has a reason for doing so. Others may disagree whether
the cause is justified.
The Gemara does not say what the fight between kamtza and bar kamtza
and the one who made the meal was. However, I have no doubt that
the one who made the affair felt fully justified in evicting kamtza.

It is a little easier to understand matnat chinam though I assume
that psychologists would justify by fulfillment of positive feelings.

kol tuv,
Eli Turkel 

>: Learning and davvening is ALSO hishtadlut.

> Is this true?

I was thinking of Yaakov, preparing to face Eisav, preparing for battle AND
davvening. Both actions are presented as equally valid, parallel
preparations.

> I viewed them as manifestations of bitachon. One trusts in siyata diShaya
> therefore one tries to collect zechuyos.

Correct -- but to what end? Not for their own sake, but to *influence* a
situatio to the desired outcome.

> Hishtadlus is not relying on hashgachah peratis. Not trying to line
> yourself up so that that hashgachah provides what you want.

Hishtadlut, then, would be *any* action which can change the outcome.

Does hishtadlut *only* apply to physical actions?

Akiva

On Thu, May 03, 2001 at 07:26:01AM +0200, Akiva Atwood wrote:
:>: Learning and davvening is ALSO hishtadlut.

:> Is this true?

: I was thinking of Yaakov, preparing to face Eisav, preparing for battle AND
: davvening. Both actions are presented as equally valid, parallel
: preparations.

That is exactly REED's makor for needing to combine bitachon and hishtadlus!
Tephillah shows that Ya'akov avinu had bitachon, and yet he also applied
the hishtadlus of gifts and of preparing for war.

: Does hishtadlut *only* apply to physical actions?

Hishtadlus is any activity -- be it po'al, dibbur or machshavah -- aimed
at solving the problem biderech hateva.

Bitachon is trust in hashgachah peratis, that one needn't fear a blind
random teva.

I was going to refer you to my post in v1n9, but it seems that the
archiver coughed on that digest. (It took me a few issues to get things
going relatively smoothly.) We were discussing whether hashgach peratis is
universal or earned. Which impacts the nature of teva (pun intended). If
HP isn't universal, then teva is a beryah, not just a hidden HP. Here's
a reprint:

> Sorry for re-opening this one, but last Monday morning I heard a tape on
> the subject from Rabbi Frand (Parashas Vayishlach). Rabbi Frand brought
> to sources I don't remember anyone mentioning on beistefila:

> 1- The Zohar asks about what Reuven hoped to accomplish by having Yoseph
> thrown in a pit. The idea was that this way Reuven could later come back
> to the pit and save Yoseph. But, the Gemara also says that the pit was
> full of snakes and scopions. So, how was it any safer than letting the
> brothers kill him outright?

> This Zohar is probably the Ohr HaChaim's source for saying that bechirah
> chofshi can override Providence.

> 2- The Michtav Mei'Eliyahu vol IV states that when judged "mi yichyeh
> umi yamus", there are three categories of people who survive the year:

>        a- those who b'din deserve to;
>        b- those who b'middas rachamim are given another chance;
>        c- those who b'middas rachamim are allowed to live in order to
>           provide someone else the choice of acting in a way that lets
>           the person live.

> This sounds much like the Rambam's position, that there are people
> who aren't sufficiently connected to Hashem, and are therefore left to
> teva. Which doesn't surprise me, as I already commented how R Eliyahu
> Dessler's opinion of the relationship between bitachon and hishtadlus
> was the flip-side of the Rambam. (Hishtadlus could be seen as the work
> one needs to do to cover the amount of teva he is subjected to.)

This generated a long discussion, and in
<http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol01/v01n015.shtml#04> I eventually
clarified:
> I limited my comparison to noting that the Rambam's statement that
> yedi'ah earns hashgachah instead of teva is much like Rav Dessler's
> statement that bitachon reduces one's need for hishtadlus. Particularly
> if we define hishtadlus as working within teva to accomplish some end.

-mi

-- 
Micha Berger                 When you come to a place of darkness,
micha@aishdas.org            you do not chase out the darkness with a broom.
http://www.aishdas.org       You light a candle.
(973) 916-0287                  - R' Yekusiel Halberstam of Klausenberg zt"l

I think I came up with yet another approach to scientists' inability
to find evidence of certain nissim. (Assuming they truly are unable,
as opposed to being unable to see the indications objectively.)

The Maharal's second introduction to Gevuros Hashem writes that to the
extent that you can raise yourself above (or below) the physical plane
you experience a reality more determined by "laws of miracle" rather than
"laws of nature".

(BTW, there he tears into the Ralbag's position that nissim can be
explained in terms of not being exceptions to teva. That they are
fortuitous unlikely events at just the right time, but not unnatural.)

Which is how the same liquid was simultaneously blood for an Egyptian
and water for a Jew. The Egyptian experienced a sub-natural reality.

The Maharal also uses this idea to argue that the sea never split in
the Egyptian reality. "And the water was for them [for the Jews in
particular] a wall, on their right and on their left." But the
Egyptians lived in a universe where the water never turned into walls.

The sun stood still for those who fought in the valley, but for the rest
of the world astronomy and time went on as usual. Etc...

IMHO, this implies that Noah wasn't that great of a person, I guess the
Maharal was in the "bidorosav -- lig'nai" camp. A greater human being
wouldn't have needed the boat -- for regular people, global flooding
doesn't occur. It requires people so evil as to be sub-natural.

I wonder if this would explain the lack of evidence of miracles. We're
doing the measuring and the experimentation. We're clearly people who are
on the level of natural -- in the version of existance that we experience,
the most clear-cut miracle was the Six Day War.

Perhaps, and I insist on the perhaps, this is a HUGE stretch, one can
say that we don't find evidence of miracles because we are measuring
the reality of the Egyptians at the Red Sea, not the Jews.

It would also explain the flood. We aren't that far sub-natural either.

This idea is, as I said, a half-baked huge chiddush. Feel free to comment
and poke holes. (Betei'avon!)

-mi

-- 
Micha Berger                 When you come to a place of darkness,
micha@aishdas.org            you do not chase out the darkness with a broom.
http://www.aishdas.org       You light a candle.
(973) 916-0287                  - R' Yekusiel Halberstam of Klausenberg zt"l

I do not know why anyone would say that the Ibn Ezra did not "hold" that
zachor and shamor were said together, as you say was posted in Avodah. In
his commentary to Shmot 20:1 he writes a long explanation to the dibrot,
both in Yitro and in Va'etchanan. He mentions the remark of Chazal that
"zachor v'shamor b'dibbur echad ne'emru" . He then says "chalila v'chalila
she'omar shelo dibru n'chona" and procedes to explain that it is incorrect
to take this comment literally, for several reasons.He himself explains
that in Yitro we have the words of Hashem and in Va'etchanan we have
Moshe Rabbeinu's explanation.The people understood that shamor is an
explanation of zachor and so "k'ilu b'vat achat ne'emru."

RSBA:
>> A little while back, someone made a comment (iirc) to the effect that Ibn
>> Ezra did not hold that "shamor v'zachor v'dibur echad

> Where exactly is this Ibn Ezra?

Shemos 19:17 "...Some say that G-d's speech is miraculous and is beyond
our comprehension to understand its nature. Thus He was able to say
simultaneously zachor v'shamor. [Mechilta]. This assertion that G-d
can say words simultaneously would be conceivable for G-d. But it is
inconceivable that it did actually happen because of the fact those who
heard this divine speech were humans. The sense of hearing is not like
that of sight. While it is possible for the eye to distinguish many shapes
at one time, this is impossible for the ear. Hearing works by sensing
changes in air pressure i.e., it is a serial processor. The order that
the sounds are generated determines the order that they are perceived.
Thus the first sound is perceived first and the last is perceived last.

Even if we attempt to get around this difficulty by saying that G-d
improved the sense of hearing to enable the Jews to hear these sounds
simultaneous we run into another problem. There is a rule that whoever
explains a particular occurrence in the Torah by miraculous events which
are not stated in the Torah nor are known by tradition - the explanation
can not be true. Even if you find such such comments in the Talmud -
it is a minority opinion which we neither learn from nor deny..."

If you look at Rav Chaim Heller's Introduction to Sefer HaMitzvos he
brings a more problematic assertion from the Rashba concerning this issue.

                 Daniel Eidensohn

[The following was originally mailed out by the Torah Center of Deal NJ.
I thought I'd share RAM's suggestions with the chevrah, since it lends
itself to our discussion of AishDas and its reason d'etre. -mi]

T E N   S T E P S   T O   G R E A T N E S S
By Rav Avigdor Miller ZTK"L

S T E P   O N E
Spend at least 30 seconds each day thinking about the WORLD TO COME -
Olam Haba - and that we are in this world only as a preperation for the
world to come.
This is the purpose of life.

S T E P   T W O
Spend a few seconds each day in a private place and say to Hashem "I
LOVE YOU HASHEM."
You will be fulfilling a positive comandment from the Torah. This
will kindle a fire in your heart and will have a powerful effect on
your character. Your exteriority bestirs your interiority. Hashem is
listening. He loves you much more than you love him.

S T E P   T H R E E
Every day do one act of kindness that no one knows about, in secrecy.
Have intention beforehand that you are doing this in order to fulfill
your program to greatness.
The practice of doing acts of kindliness - Gemilut Hasadim - is one of
the three most important functions in the world.
Examples:  If you are the first one in the Beit Hamidrash, put the books
in the proper order and place. If your wife is not in the kitchen, clean
a few dishes or straighten up for her without her knowing.
If you should see something potentially dangerous on the sidewalk, clear
it off to the side so no one will get hurt.

S T E P   F O U R
Encourage someone every day. "HASHEM ENCOURAGES THE HUMBLE." Have in
mind you are doing it because of the program. Anonymous letters of
kindness can do a great deal of good to encourage people.

S T E P   F I V E
Spend one minute a day thinking about what happened yesterday.
"Let us search out our ways and investigate."
Everyone should have his mind on what he is doing - by reviewing
yesterday's actions daily.

S T E P   S I X
Make all your actions for the purpose of Heaven. Say it once a day.
Example: "I am doing this in order to be more aware of Hashem."

S T E P   S E V E N
Be aware of the principle - "Man was created in the image of Hashem."
Every human face is a reflection of Hashem. Your face is like a screen
and your soul like a projector which projects on your face the glory of
the human soul which has in it the greatness of Hashem.
Once a day pick a face and think "I am seeing the image of Hashem." You
will begin to understand the endless nobility of a face.

S T E P   E I G H T
Once a day give a person a full smile.
Just as Hashem shines on us, we should smile on others.
Smile because Hashem wants you to, even though you really don't want to.
When you smile have intentions that you are doing it for the purpose of
coming closer to Hashem through the Ten Steps To Greatness.

S T E P   N I N E
"Hashem clothes the naked."
Clothing is a testament to the nobility of man. Man is unique - has free
will, has a soul, made in the image of Hashem. Even Angels are beneath
man in greatness. To demonstrate the superiority of mankind, we must be
clothed.
Spend 30 seconds in the morning thinking about our garments: what a gift
they are from Hashem. Say "Malbish Arumin" (He clothes the naked) out
loud.

S T E P   T E N
Spend time each day thinking about the olden Jerusalem during the time
of the Temple. Every day sit on the floor (before going to sleep),
spend one second on the floor and mourn for the destruction of
Jerusalem. Think "If I should forget you Jerusalem let my right arm
forget."

"The wise man seizes the opportunity to do Mitzvot" (King Shlomo).
The lazy person says - someday I'll do it.

If you start this program, after 30 days you will be tired. So wait six
months until you start again. Do another 30 days then wait five months
and so on. After a while you might do it all the time. If you do it even
one day you are extraordinary.

To be posted soon on the Dor Revi'i website
www.dorrevii.org
www.math.psu.edu/glasner/Dor4

(Also see a sketch of the Dor Revi'i by Herman Struck, whose other
subjects included Theodore Herzl and Rabbeinu Haim ha-Levi 
Soloveitchik
http://www.math.psu.edu/glasner/Dor4/msketch.gif )

v'ahavta l'rei'akha kamokha:
Rashi comments: R. Akiva said this is a great principle of the Torah

In the Talmud an incident is recounted concerning a Gentile who came to
Shamai and said, "convert me on the condition that you teach me the entire
Torah while I stand on one foot." Shamai pushed him away. The Gentile
came to Hillel who converted him saying, "whatever is hateful unto you,
do not do to your friend. This is the entire Torah, and the rest is
commentary. Go and study." And our master revealed wonders in connection
with this incident and explained it with wisdom and understanding. For
this Gentile did not believe in the judgment of the wicked and the reward
of the righteous that is reserved for them in the world of eternity,
because it is not mentioned in the Torah. So he wanted to know what does
a mortal person gain by observing all the commandments of the Torah and
what does he lose by acting wickedly. He therefore asked Shamai to show
him what benefit there is in keeping the Torah while he is standing on
one foot here on the earth. He meant by this, don't tell me that the
explanation is too far away to be understood so that I must take a long
step with my second foot into the grave to be among those asleep in the
dust before I can understand the benefit of observing the Torah. Shamai
then pushed him away and replied angrily that if he would not believe
in reward and punishment in this world then he would destroy the entire
structure, because here in the valley of tears it appears that the
wicked rejoice and thrive while the righteous person is lost despite
his righteousness. The houses of the wicked are full of bread and tasty
dishes but there is death in the pot of the man of G-d. It is only in
the courtyards of our G-d that the righteous will inherit the earth and
will take pleasure in the abundance of peace while the sinners will be
destroyed altogether and the wicked will at last be cut off.

However, when the Gentile came to Hillel, Hillel explained to him that
while a private individual is neither punished nor rewarded for his deeds
in this world, there is a reward here on earth for the actions of the
entire nation. If the nation keeps all the commandments and the statutes,
she will go on her way in peace and security and no one will disturb
her. And the happiness and success of the nation are achieved when she
conducts herself righteously and uprightly according to the Torah, and
all her people stand tall and are united in their purpose. And it was the
nation as a whole that the Torah was addressing when it said (Leviticus
26:3): "If you will walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do
them." and (Leviticus 26:15) "and if you will spurn my statutes and your
soul abhors my ordinances, so that you will not do all my commandments,
but break my covenant." But if one man from the entire nation sins,
every evil will not befall him and only at the end will G-d bring him
to judgment for all his actions.

And in this way our master explained the verses at the end of poroshat
Nitzavim (Deuteronomy 29:18-20): "lest there be among you a root bearing
poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn
covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe though I
walk in the stubbornness of my heart'... the L-rd would not pardon him,
but rather the anger of the L-rd and his jealousy would smoke against
that man, and the curses written in this book would settle upon him, and
the L-rd would blot out his name from under heaven." And this is amazing,
for is it because he hears this covenant that he blesses himself in his
heart? Should the Scripture not rather have said "when he hears the words
of this sworn covenant, will not be afraid"? Moreover, what is the reason
for the great anger directed at this person over and above that directed
against other sinners? But according to what has already been said,
we can well understand the words of the Scripture. For after the Eternal
established these covenants with the whole congregation of Israel in order
that they would observe His ordinances and keep His laws for the sake of
the happiness and welfare of the nation, if one person should arise to
do any sin or transgression who will act wickedly and say in his heart,
even though it is very much desired for the sake of the entire nation
to act uprightly and the entire community is obligated to do justice
and righteousness for survival of the state, nevertheless I alone will
transgress the law to do whatever is correct in my own eyes, because
this will not cause ties of the community to break or its foundations
to collapse. In this way, the person will bless himself in his heart,
because he will be safe if he alone walks in the stubbornness of his
heart, so that no ill will befall him. That is why the anger of the
L-rd will smoke and He will pour His wrath on this person. For if he
will remove himself from the community, his friend will also do as he
does, and the nation will collapse on her foundations and her pillars
will tumble. That is why the Eternal will be enraged and will smite him
sevenfold for his transgressions and will settle upon him all the curses
measure for measure.

And now let us return to what we said previously that a person of dear
spirit and good heart who loves every man as he loves himself will find
a great incentive to fulfill the entire Torah for the sake of the nation
as a whole. He will not exclude himself from the community, because
he loves the community as much as he loves himself. He will therefore
take care to do what is good and upright even without any expectation of
reward after his death when he will ascend to the mountain of the Eternal
and will rise up to His holy place. These are the beautiful words that
Hillel told the Gentile: "What is hateful unto you, do not do to your
friend." This is the great principle of the Torah and in this you will
find an explanation for all the ordinances while standing on one foot
here on the world below. "And the rest" (v'idakh), by which he meant,
reward and punishment in the eternal world, is not explained clearly. It
is only commentary (peirusha hu) that you may infer from punishment of
"being cut off" (kareit) and from many other Scriptural derivations. "Go
and study" (zil g'mor) and you will understand.

David Glasner
dglasner@ftc.gov

********************


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