Aish.com Daily - 19-20 Tishrei

Daily Email Form   Torah Reading: Sukkot 19-20 Tishrei 5776 / October 2-3, 2015     DAILY LIFT TODAY IN JEWISH HISTORY GROWING EACH DAY ASK THE RABBI QUOTE PHOTO Print options... Print Oct 02 2015 Print Oct 03 2015 #486   Be Carefree Yet Careful Print Version » While you should work on overcoming unnecessary worrying, have a healthy fear of danger and sensibly guard yourself from harm. Overcoming worry does not mean putting yourself in danger, but in having a calm attitude in dealing with difficulties and accepting what cannot be changed. (Ralbag; Hadaios Vehamidos 5:2; Rabbi Pliskin's Gateway to Happiness, p.158) #487   Heroic Choices, Heroic Life Print Version » When you consistently make heroic choices, you create a heroic life. You are constantly writing your autobiography, even if it isn't written on paper. The choices you make are the material which shape your autobiography. When you make enough heroic choices, you create a heroic masterpiece. (From Rabbi Pliskin's book, "Courage") See Rabbi Pliskin's new book "Self-Confidence" Tishrei 19 Print Version » Tishrei 19 is the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer (1720-1797), known as the Vilna Gaon ("the genius from Vilna"). He is regarded as the greatest rabbi of the past 500 years. The Vilna Gaon possessed a photographic memory: At age three he already knew the entire Bible by heart, and by age seven he knew several tractates of Talmud by heart. Legend says that by age 12 he was able to kabbalistically create a Golem (life out of formless mass). He was known to have slept only two hours per day, in six 20-minute intervals. He wrote commentaries on all the classical Jewish works -- Bible, Talmud, Code of Jewish Law, plus various Kabbalistic works. He was also a renowned expert in mathematics and astronomy. There is a statue of him and a street named after him in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Vilna Gaon set out for Israel in 1783, but for unknown reasons did not attain his goal. He inspired his disciples to make the move, however, and in 1809 a group of 70 became pioneers of modern settlement in Israel. Tishrei 20 Print Version » In 1973, Israeli forces crossed to the western side of the Suez Canal in a decisive battle of the Yom Kippur War. A division led by Ariel Sharon had attacked a weak point in the Egyptian "seam line" between the Egyptian second Army in the north and the Egyptian third Army in the south. In some of the most brutal fighting of the war, the Israelis opened a hole in the Egyptian line and reached the Suez Canal. A small force crossed the canal and created a bridgehead on the other side. A few days later, Israeli troops trapped the Egyptian Third Army, leaving it without any means of resupply, thus effectively ending the Yom Kippur War. Tishrei 19 Print Version » And you shall take for yourself on the first day the fruit of a [citron] beauteous tree (Leviticus 23:40). The halachah requires that an esrog must be beautiful, meaning that it must be free of blemishes. Even a minor defect may disqualify an esrog. Why are the specifications for the esrog stricter than those for the other three species? Why is virtual perfection demanded only for the esrog? The Midrash states that the leaf of the myrtle branch, is shaped like the eye, and its use in the mitzvah of the Four Species symbolizes to us that we must dedicate our eyes to the service of God, and not allow them to gaze upon things that would tempt us to sin. The leaf of the willow branch, resembles the lips, teaching us to guard our lips from speaking evil. The palm branch, represents the spinal cord, which controls all our actions, symbolizing that they are all dedicated to fulfilling the Divine will. The esrog resembles the heart, for one's thoughts and feelings should be absorbed with sanctity. Ideally, while sight, speech, and deed should be completely involved with holiness, a deviation in any of these areas may be an isolated phenomenon and may not affect the whole being. Not so with thought and feeling. They affect everything one does. The heart's devotion must be complete, and there is, therefore, a greater requirement that the heart be pure. The esrog, which represents the heart, must therefore be completely beautiful without the slightest defect. Today I shall ... try to direct all my thoughts and feelings to fulfillment of the Divine will as expressed in the Torah. Tishrei 20 Print Version » All who are exempt from the succah [because of severe discomfort; e.g. heavy rain or extreme cold] and do not leave, do not receive reward for this and are merely simpletons (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, Ramah, 639:7). How wise we would be to observe the way great Torah personalities live, and see how their every move is calculated to adhere to Torah teachings. Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzenski of Vilna had a severe cold one Succos and, because it was chilly in the succah, he ate indoors. However, he had a guest for whom a meal was served in the succah. During the meal the guest was surprised to see Rabbi Chaim Ozer come into the succah all bundled up with coat and scarf. He asked the Rabbi why he had come out to the succah, especially since he had already eaten in the house. Rabbi Chaim Ozer explained, "If being in the succah is distressful, then one is exempt from that particular mitzvah. However, the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim, hospitality to a guest, requires that the host join the guest at the table, so that the latter should not eat in solitude. We do not find that distress is an exemption for the mitzvah of hospitality. Thus, although I ate in the house, I have come to sit with you as part of the mitzvah of hospitality.This is what Torah living is all about. Everything one does must be carefully considered, so that it complies with Torah principles. Today I shall ... try to give greater thought to what I do, to make sure that I am in compliance with Torah at all times.See more books by Rabbi Abraham Twerski at Artscroll.com   Tishrei 19 Print Version » Killing Insects I have noticed a large increase in the number of insects and other unwanted creatures in my house. Without thinking I automatically squash and kill them. I'm not sure if swatting a fly is the same as cruelly hunting a deer for sport, but there is a small concern that I am destroying one of God's creatures. My questions are: What is the purpose of these insects and small creatures? Even though I do this painlessly, am I permitted to kill them? The Aish Rabbi Replies: The great 16th century Kabbalist the Arizal stated that it is spiritually insensitive to kill even an ant for no reason. However, let me ask you a question: Suppose you are a doctor, lying in bed at 3 a.m. and a mosquito is dive-bombing you so you can't sleep. You have an important surgery the next day, trying to save the life of a little girl. If you don’t get a good night's sleep, the likelihood of your being successful in the surgery is reduced. Can you kill the mosquito? Of course! God made this world and everything in it for the benefit of mankind – both to use, and to protect. That's why it is permitted for us to eat cows – yet at the same time we have to protect species from extinction. The bottom line: You can kill an animal if it serves a human purpose. Of course, if it is just as easy to remove the insect from your house without killing it, that would be preferable. But if it will take time away from more important activities, then it is not worth it. Tishrei 20 Print Version » Get Document - Importance of I am in the process of divorcing my husband, and my rabbi tells me that it is sufficient to go through the civil divorce proceedings. But other of my friends have also done the Jewish ”Get” document. Which is correct? The Aish Rabbi Replies: Although divorce is common in today’s social landscape – over half of all marriages will end in divorce – it is still a heartbreaking way to end a marriage. Unlike some religions, however, which do not permit divorce, Judaism recognizes the necessity under certain circumstances. Indeed, following the proper procedure for divorce is one of the 613 mitzvahs in the Torah. What is the method of a Jewish divorce? Just as marriage is a metaphysical reality – two souls fusing together to create one complete soul – so too divorce is a metaphysical reality. For a Jewish couple to become divorced, the man must give the woman a document called a "Get," as prescribed in the Torah (Deut. 24:1-4). A Get terminates the Jewish marriage and certifies that the couple is now free to remarry according to Jewish law. Aside from the legal considerations, a Get can provide a sense of emotional closure – just as the marriage began with a Jewish ceremony, it ends with one as well. Without a proper Get, even though the man and woman have physically separated, they are still metaphysically bound together – and considered as if fully married. This is true to the extent that if a woman were to become “remarried” without having received a proper Get, the second marriage is null and void, and is considered adultery. A secular divorce does not count for a Get. When getting divorced, a Get is not only the right thing to do, it is the wise thing to do. Regardless of one's personal convictions or beliefs, it solves a lot of problems down the line – ensuring free social interaction within the Jewish community. For example, someone who is divorced for many years and then wants to remarry, cannot do so without a Get. If it wasn’t take care of the first time, they would now have to track down the "ex," wherever s/he is, and ask for their cooperation in the process of a Get. Imagine the possible heartache and complications. Any responsible rabbi will refuse to officiate at a wedding unless both the man and woman show proof that any prior marriage was properly terminated according to Jewish law. Furthermore, if the divorce is not performed properly, there is a danger to future generations: If a child is born to a mother who is still technically married to someone else, that child may be considered illegitimate (mamzer). Such a child may be barred from marrying into the broader Jewish community, possibly depriving them of the opportunity to marry the individual of their choice. A very powerful novel, Yesterday's Child (CIS Publishers), deals with this issue. As such, attaining a proper Get is an important component of preserving Jewish unity. Tishrei 19 Tishrei 20 Tishrei 19 Seth Aronstam’s incredible photo of the Jaffa gate and the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. Tishrei 20 An Israeli soldier takes time for his morning prayers near his army camp.   Featured at Aish.com       Know How to Answer Christian Missionaries   A Taste of Better Times to Come   #TheAskCharlie Show: Finding Your Purpose     Follow us on Facebook What do you think of this email? Help us make these personalized newsletters — and our site — better. Send us your questions and comments to tellus@aish.com. Forward this email to a friend. Need to change your subscription? • This email was sent to: phillipphillip787@gmail.com. • You are currently subscribed to list "The Aish Daily List." • To unsubscribe from this mailing list, click here. • To modify your email account, change your e-mail address, or unsubscribe from all lists click here. 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