As we know everything is anticipated in the Torah. Nothing in the world happens which is not first recorded in the Bible. So where do we find the source for preliminary remarks introducing a Chief?
TTP: 151
TTP: 152
The Waters of Strife
Religious Coercion or Gentle Persuasion
Commentators have struggled with and argued about the incident of the “Me-Meriba”, the waters of strife for a long time. After the children of Israel complained about the absence of water in the desert, Moshe was ordered by God to speak to the rock, but he hit it instead. (Bamidbar chapter 20.)
TTP: 21
Educating Towards Enjoyment
Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, author of Meshech Chochma draws our attention to one of the most powerful messages Jewish education has to offer. When discussing the failure of Adam and Chava to abstain from the tree of knowledge, this commentary points out one of the most common mistakes made in Jewish education.
TTP: 22
Religious Stringencies, Good or Bad?
Chumroth: Self-imposed severities have become part and parcel of the religious Jewish community of today. Many people feel the need to express their religious devotion to God through the acceptance of stringencies which conventional Jewish Law does not require. They observe Shabbath more strictly; they make sure that they only eat “glatt” kosher, use the largest measurements for their kiddush cup or, in the case of some married women, cover their hair not once but twice.
TTP: 23
Mitzvoth, Minhagim and Their Dangers
Last week we mentioned the danger to use chumroth (stringencies) to hide shortcomings and other discrepancies. In a different sense we are also confronted with similar problems when we consider how some people observe some well-established minhagim (customs) or even mitzvoth.