Aish.com Daily - 26-27 Tishrei

Daily Email Form   Torah Reading: Bereishit 26-27 Tishrei 5776 / October 9-10, 2015     DAILY LIFT TODAY IN JEWISH HISTORY GROWING EACH DAY ASK THE RABBI QUOTE PHOTO Print options... Print Oct 09 2015 Print Oct 10 2015 #493   Solicit Advice on Major Decisions Print Version » The Ralbag wrote, "When making major decisions, even if you think your plans are definitely correct, it is wise to consult others to hear their opinions. They may raise important points you've overlooked. (Hadaios Vehamidos 40:2; Rabbi Pliskin's Gateway to Happiness, p.264) #494   Focus on the Benefit of Doing Mitzvahs Print Version » Whether you subjectively find something easy or difficult, depends to a great degree on the perceived benefit. If there is no gain, then even a minor action might seem difficult. But when you gain an immense fortune by taking some action, even a difficult one is now considered easy. When you focus on the eternal benefits gained from performing mitzvahs, you will be far less bothered by any difficulties or hardships involved. (see Dubner Magid - Sefer Hamidos, p.126) See Rabbi Pliskin's new book "Self-Confidence" Tishrei 26 Print Version » In 1973, a cease-fire resolution was passed by the U.N. Security Council to halt the Yom Kippur War. Shuttle diplomacy by Henry Kissinger compelled Israel and Egypt to accept the cease-fire. Fighting, however, would continue for another four days. In the war, Israel suffered the loss of 2,600 soldiers and 800 tanks. Four years later, Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat would visit Jerusalem and announce his readiness to forge a permanent peace deal. Tishrei 27 Print Version » In 1927, the Israeli city of Netanya was founded on a plot of empty land. Netanya has since grown to become the fourth-largest city in Israel, with a population of 165,000. Netanya has one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in Israel, with white sands and inviting waters. Netanya was named for Nathan Straus (1848-1931), an American merchant and philanthropist. Straus was a co-owner of R.H. Macy & Co., yet he never amassed personal wealth because he was always using his money to help people. For example, in New York's winter of 1893, he gave away more than two million five-cent tickets good for coal, food or lodging. His greatest devotion, however, was to Israel. He gave more than two-thirds of his fortune and devoted the last 15 years of his life to this cause. Tishrei 26 Print Version » May He Who knows what is hidden accept our call for help and listen to our cry (Siddur). The Talmud states that a person may be coerced to perform a mitzvah even if it is required that the mitzvah be done of one's own volition (Rosh Hashanah 6a). But are not coercion and volition mutually exclusive? Not necessarily, explains Rambam. Inasmuch as the soul of the Jew intrinsically wishes to do the Divine will, and it is only the physical self - which is subject to temptation - that may be resistive, the coercion inflicted upon the person overcomes that external resistance. Thus, when one performs the mitzvah, it is with the full volition of the inner self, the true self, for at his core, every Jew wishes to comply with the mandates of the Torah. There is a hidden part of us, to which we may have limited access, yet we know it is there. When we pray for our needs, said Rabbi Uri of Strelisk, we generally ask only for that which we feel ourselves to be lacking. However, we must also recognize that our soul has spiritual needs, and that we may not be aware of its cravings. We therefore pray, said Rabbi Uri, that God should listen not only to the requests that we verbalize, but also to our hidden needs that are very important to us - but which He knows much better than we. Today I shall ... try to realize that there is a part of me of which I am only vaguely aware. I must try to get to know that part of myself, because it is my very essence. Tishrei 27 Print Version » The heart of those that seek God shall rejoice. Seek God and His might, constantly seek His countenance (Psalms 105:3-4). One might ask, "Why should I try to seek God? He is infinitely great, and so totally beyond human grasp that the search to understand Him is all in vain. Is it not senseless to exhaust oneself in an effort that is doomed to failure from its very outset?" Rabbi Simcha Zissel of Kelm states that the above verses are the Psalmist's reply to this question. Spiritual quests are qualitatively different from physical ones. In worldly matters, a quest is futile if one finds nothing, and the disappointment is frustrating. Not so in one's search for God, wherein the search itself brings joy, for the very inquiry elevates the searcher. Indeed, the Psalmist urges us never to cease the search, because the promise of joy in searching is contingent upon its continuity. One cannot stop midway, abandon the effort, and retire with one's winnings. Abandoning the search for God at any point brings a person back to square one. To achieve the joy in searching, it must be constantly seek His countenance. This thought was also expressed by the Rabbi of Kotzk, on the verse, And from there you shall seek your God, and you shall find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and soul (Deuteronomy 4:29). The Kotzker interpreted the verse to mean that the seeking is the finding; "you shall find Him if you seek ..." - but only if it is a lifelong quest, with all one's heart and soul. Today I shall ... try to find God everywhere in the universe. I will study Torah literature to help me in this search.See more books by Rabbi Abraham Twerski at Artscroll.com   Tishrei 26 Print Version » Suffering: Why? I have had a very difficult life, beset by illness, unemployment, and disappoint from those who had pledged to care for me. I am having trouble seeing the benevolent God in all this. What do you say, rabbi? The Aish Rabbi Replies: I am very sorry to hear about the difficult times that you have had to endure. The trials that you have gone through no doubt have obviously made your relationship to God a difficult one. I can understand why. As a rabbi, I have witnessed the most horrendous situations imaginable. I have experienced a 20-year-old who lost both of her parents in a car crash. Can you imagine a girl so close to her parents and in one day they're gone? I've lived through a husband coming home to find that his wife has collapsed, and in two days she's dead. There was nothing wrong with her before. And on and on and on. When someone is in the midst of suffering, that's not the time to offer answers. It's a time to listen and empathize and be with the person as best you can. If there's anyone going through a painful time and is looking for a sense of relief, I am skeptical whether these intellectual answers will offer any kind of relief. Dealing with pain and suffering is never easy, particularly since we often feel so helpless and out of control. But one thing we do have control over and that is our attitude. Try to stick to this 3-part formula: 1) Look for the positive side to things. 2) Try not to judge God, Who knows more than we do. 3) Ask God for the clarity to understand how this is for the best. Our perceptions of good and evil are directly related to our understanding of the world. An African tribesman who never saw a hypodermic syringe in his life could think upon seeing a doctor inoculate a child that the doctor was actually trying to hurt the child! Our perceptions change with information. Therefore the Jewish approach to "suffering" is that everything happens for the good, but since we are finite and cannot see the whole picture, we perceive some things as bad. God has more information than we do; thus we cannot judge Him and say He is doing something bad. We trust God and say, "I haven't yet figured out why, but God knows this is for the best." The Talmud tells the story of Rebbe Akiva who was traveling on the road late one night. His only source of light, a candle, blew out; his mode of transportation, a donkey, ran away; and his only source of food, a chicken, died. The next morning Rebbe Akiva realized that armed bandits had plundered everything in the area. Had they seen his candle, or heard his chicken or donkey, they would have victimized him as well. We can accept pain and suffering in the world by trying to see what positive side it may have. For example, a woman whose child was killed by a drunk driver went out and started MADD - Mothers Against Drunk Driving. This organization was responsible for revolutionizing the laws against drunk driving in America, and as a result has surely saved thousands of lives. It could be said that the purpose of this child was to elevate his mother to the towering heights of greatness that she indeed achieved as a result of the tragedy. Of course it is not always easy to find the positive side. But even the attempt helps tremendously. It is interesting that if we look back on our own lives, the times we have grown the most are not when things have gone easy, but when they've been difficult. So many times what appears as "bad" or "negative" ends up being a blessing. A person could lose their job, for example, only to realize later that was the opportunity they needed to break into a growing, new field! In the meanwhile, we have invested so much time and energy into worrying or regretting - all for nothing and all to our detriment. It is wise to remember that worry is defined as "interest paid in advance on a debt which often times never comes due." So when we are having problems, we can ask ourselves, "What have I learned or gained?" Also, there are two excellent books I can recommend: "Why me, God?" by Lisa Aiken (published by Aaronson), and "Confronting the Loss of a Baby," by Yamin Levy (Ktav). Tishrei 27 Print Version » Pleasure I could scarcely believe my eyes when I read your claim that Judaism teaches that the purpose of life is to seek pleasure. How can you, as a rabbi, be serious? Judaism teaches no such thing. In the deepest sense, Judaism teaches that the purpose of life - the purpose of the world, the universe, and of God Himself - is ultimately beyond human understanding. In the more mundane sense, people do have a purpose, but seeking pleasure falls far behind doing what is right, just, and kind (whether or not doing so is pleasurable). Judaism does teach that there is nothing wrong with pleasure in itself, but it DOES NOT make pleasure the central point of living! On what basis do you make this outrageous, unbelievable, and stridently non-Jewish claim? The Aish Rabbi Replies: Perhaps we need to define our terms. What is "pleasure"? Every creature in the universe is programmed to pursue pleasure. The wolf seeks meat, the bear seeks warmth. That is an indisputable fact, and that's the way God wants it. Human were created for pleasure, too. But unlike other creatures, humans have the ability to tap into their spiritual soul, and to pursue pleasure which is beyond the physical. That includes love, meaning, power, sacrifice for a cause, goodness, etc. For example, the fact that a human will choose to give charity (instead of using that money to buy pizza), does NOT mean the person is giving up pleasure. Rather, they are trading a lower pleasure for a higher pleasure. The pleasure of helping others is perceived as having more value than another slice of pizza. It's interesting that humans are the only species who will trade physical pleasure for a higher spiritual pleasure. (You will never see the wolf saying, "C'mon, guys, let's not push in line. And be sure to save some meat for Charlie, he's not feeling well today.") That's because only humans have a spiritual, Godly soul, which enables us to transcend the finitude of the physical world and to strive for the ultimate pleasure: the unity of One God. * * * Yet why is "doing the right thing" so often perceived as non-pleasurable? Because it can be uncomfortable to make such choices. Pain is actually the price we pay for pleasure. All of life's lasting pleasures - good relationships, successful careers, the pursuit of meaning - require a lot of pain and effort to achieve. When an Olympic athlete pushes beyond the limits of endurance, he's in a lot of pain! But he does so because he is focused on the higher pleasure; in this case, victory. The proof that humans are made for pleasure is that the Torah says: "And God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden" (Genesis 2:8). The word "Eden," according to the famous commentator Radak (among others), is the "Garden of Pleasure." You are correct that in the final analysis, the world is beyond our understanding. But the Almighty gave us a measure of intelligence, and He wants us to figure things out the best we can. So perhaps your question is only one of semantics. For a fuller Jewish definition of "pleasure," read "The Five Levels of Pleasure" by Rabbi Noah Weinberg. Tishrei 26 Tishrei 27 Tishrei 26 Stunning summer in Tel Aviv overlooking Jaffa, by Noam Chen. Tishrei 27 This photo shows the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, which holds the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest known manuscripts of the Bible. The museum has a special mechanism allowing them to be transported underground for safekeeping in times of peril.   Featured at Aish.com       Netanyahu’s 44 Seconds of Silence at the UN   The Murder of a Hero   Irreplaceable     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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