Is it an aveiro, is it a sin, to go through a red light?
ANSWER:
It is one of the very biggest sins. First of all, you're endangering your life, and a person that endangers his life should know that Hakadosh Baruch Hu, even though He saved the man's life He's going to collect his mitzvos from him. It'll cost him many years of tefillin, many years of tefilla, many years of krias shma, m'nakin lo m'zchuyosov; they'll deduct from his mitzvos when he put himself in danger.
In addition however, he put other people in danger; it's a very severe crime. It's considered as if he is a shofeich domim even though he didn't kill anybody. When he put himself in a situation where he could kill someone, it's considered as a shofeich domim potentially and that's a tremendous sin.
We have to understand that. People who are reckless in driving, are doing something that's the opposite of the will of Hashem and asidin litein es hadin, no question about that.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
After the sin of the Golden Calf, Bnei Yisrael were informed that instead of Hashem accompanying them along their journey He would be sending an angel in His place. "The people heard this bad tiding and they became grief stricken" (Shemos 33:4). Rashi explains that the bad tiding refers to the fact that Hashem would not be residing amongst them nor journeying along with them.
Rav Wolbe comments that this pasuk really defines the essence of good and bad. "Good" is anything which brings a person closer to Hashem, while "bad" is anything which distances a person from Him. Thus, the knowledge that Hashem would not be traveling along with them was most certainly a bad tiding.
As the Ramchal writes, our mission in this world is to create the strongest connection possible with our Creator. It makes sense that anything which aids a person in accomplishing their mission is "good" while anything that impedes him from achieving his goal is "bad." The formula for making correct decisions is often very simple. We must ask ourselves: Is this action going to bring me closer to Hashem or distance me from Him? It's a small question that can yield tremendous dividends.
* * *
The parsha relates how Hashem agreed to show Moshe a partial revelation of His glory. He told Moshe exactly where to stand: "Hashem said, 'Behold, there is a place with me; you may stand on the rock'" (ibid. 33:21). Whatdoes this mean? Which place is with Hashem? Rashi explains that the place mentioned refers to a place on Har Sinai which He prepared specifically for this purpose.
Rashi writes another interpretation of the pasuk citing a Medrash. The "place" refers not to a part of Har Sinai; rather, it was mentioned regarding the Shechina Itself. Hashem did not say "I am in a place." He said the place is "with Me." From here Chazal conclude that "Hashem is the place of the world and the world is not His place."
Rav Wolbe elaborates on Chazal's words. The universe is a very big place. It contains billions of people and trillions upon trillions of stars. The perception of most people is that it's so big that it even has enough room for Hashem. However, the exact opposite is true. Hashem isn't contained in this world at all. Rather, the entire world is being held in His "palm." Hashem is the place upon where the world stands and the world is not the place where He stands.
This is an idea that should accompany us throughout our lives. Our aim is not to try to fit Hashem into our world, but rather to fit our world into Hashem. It is He who pulls the strings; one's family, job, colleagues and all the other aspects that make up his "world" must be aligned to work in tandem with Hashem's will.
Why was the Ark of the covenant, the Aron Habris, made of wood covered with gold, whereas other things were solid gold?
ANSWER:
One of the symbols our sages tell us is, that the Mishkan symbolized organs of the body; the whole Mishkan was like a body. Outside on the roof you had oros techashim, (animal hide) it's like the skin of the body, and the pillars of wood, the keroshim were like ribs, and there was a separation between the Heichel and the Kodesh Hakodoshim, like there's a diaphragm in human beings between one part of the body and the other part of the body. The heart was symbolized by the Aron Habris, that's the heart.
Now, we are commanded to make a wooden ark, but we must cover it with gold inside and out. Which means, that the heart is a human heart but it's our job to put gold on the inside of the heart - that's not what I say, it's what meforshim say - and gold on the outside. Gold on the inside means, he must be genuine, he must have true ideas in his heart, he has to cover the inside of his mind with the truths of the Torah, that's gold. The outside he has to cover with perfect behavior, that's outside, it should be tocho k'baro and also baro k'tocho. And the wood is something that should be perishable but because it's protected by gold it'll last forever.
Therefore the human soul, when it's coated mibayis umeichutz with zahav, it becomes eternal and will last forever.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Why should anybody appreciate the world today, if he knows that the world to come is more enjoyable?
ANSWER:
Why not? If it'll hinder you - let's say, if eating in the lobby will ruin your appetite, you'll eat some cheap confections in the lobby and then when the time comes to eat the expensive dishes served in the wedding hall you won't have an appetite - certainly you don't ruin your appetite on nothing.
But suppose it's not going to interfere, why not? Especially if you'll take what this world offers and you'll make a very big brachah over it, and you'll be happy with gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, not only are you justified in enjoying it in this world, but that's going to bring you (to olam Habah), that's part of the hasken atzmecha, that's part of the preparation, to enjoying properly the things of this world, and thanking Hashem! That's one of the big things.
Kol haomer shira b'olam hazeh, if you say song to Hashem in this world by thanking Him for the good things you have here, zoche v'omro l'olam haboh, you'll say it in the world to come. So therefore, on the contrary, if you'll enjoy properly, it's springtime, and the sun is shining tomorrow, or even if it's raining tomorrow, it's a beautiful spring rain, not too hot not too cold, and go out and breathe the new spring air, and say Hakadosh Baruch Hu, we thank You that You gave us life!! Baruch ata Hashem hamachazir neshamos lifgorim maiseim, that You give us another day of life, to enjoy and to breathe, and to eat and to see all the wonderful things of creation, and you thank Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
Not only why not, you should do it, and that's going to be the hasken atzmecha b'prosdor.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
When Yisro saw the tremendous effort that Moshe Rabbeinu invested in judging Bnei Yisrael, he suggested that Moshe divide the responsibility between a number of people. After receiving approval from Hashem, Yisro's advice was accepted and criteria were set to determine the qualifications for a judge: "You shall discern from among the entire people, men of accomplishment, God-fearing people, men of truth, people who despise money, and you shall appoint them leaders" (Shemos 18:21).
Rashi explains that the "despising of money" mentioned in the pasuk refers to money that is truthfully theirs, but due to a lack of evidence it can be extracted from them in a court of law (see Ramban's clarification of Rashi). Only a person who despises such money would be qualified to judge Bnei Yisrael. What would compel a person to not only willingly forfeit money which is rightfully theirs, but to also despise the money in question?
Rav Wolbe cites the Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 116:7) which mentions that an especially punctilious person will not eat meat from an animal that had a questionable shechita, even if the animal was rendered kosher by a competent halachic authority. The very fact that he must rely on a human's decision detracts from the "glatt kosher" standard that he wishes to maintain. Just as there is glatt kosher meat there is also glatt kosher money. Money which can be extracted from a person via a court decision does not conform to the high standards which a Jewish judge sets for himself.
Most people are very careful about what they eat. They will make sure to check for a hechsher on every product, and something with questionable verification will not make it into their shopping cart. Yet, when it comes to monetary issues they do not demand that their revenues carry the same level of verification. It would seem that the difference is in the emphasis that parents place on the kashrus of food when children are young. It behooves us to impress upon our children that they should be as careful with what enters their pockets as with what enters their mouths. Conveying this idea to others will sharpen it in our own eyes and aid us in attaining a glatt kosher bank account.
* * *
Moshe ascended Har Sinai and Hashem instructed him to tell Bnei Yisrael the following: "You have seen what I did to Mitzrayim and that I carried you on the wings of eagles and I brought you to Me" (ibid. 19:3). Rashi explains that Hashem was telling Bnei Yisrael that they do not have to rely on testimoniesor hearsay since they witnessed Hashem's wonders with their very own eyes.
Rav Wolbe cites the Sefer Kuzari which elaborates on this idea. The sefer revolves around the king of Kuzar's search for religious fulfillment. He discussed religion with a Christian, a Muslim and a Jew. When he asked the Jew about his beliefs, he responded, "We believe in the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, Who redeemed Bnei Yisrael from Egypt in an awesome display of miracles, sustained them in the desert and conquered the Land of Canaan for them."
The king asked the Jew why he described his G-d as, "The One Who redeemed Bnei Yisrael from Egypt," and not as, "The One Who created the world," as He was described by the Christian and Muslim. The wise Jew responded that while other religions belief in G-d relies on hearsay, Jewish belief is based upon occurrences that took place in front of the eyes of the masses.
The foundation of our beliefs is rock solid. Millions of people experienced Yetzias Mitzrayim and heard Hashem speak at Har Sinai. Truth be told, if we pay close attention we can also see it now in the twenty-first century: He runs the world, He runs our lives, and we can feel His hand guiding us through the maze of life.
What's the importance of teaching a child, Torah tzivah lanu Moshe, this passuk that Moshe gave us a Torah that Hakadosh Baruch Hu handed over to him?
ANSWER:
There's a sefer written many years ago by an Italian man, he wasn't a big Torah chochom, he was a maskil. However he wrote something, I won't mention his name because he wasn't a big chochom Torah, but he says an important point. He says, we have to teach a child from the beginning the Rashi on the Chumash, from the beginning. If you can't teach it inside, teach it baal peh; because once a child gets accustomed to the p'shutei hamikrah, the plain meaning, that gets first base in his mind, then later the attitudes that Chazal want us to see in the Torah are going to be difficult to introduce into his mind.
Which means, we have to get there first with the child, before we tell him Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water, or other Mother Goose rhymes, first thing has to be, Torah tzivah lanu Moshe. That's the first thing a child has to hear. A child opens his eyes - he's asleep, he comes out of the darkness, suddenly he starts talking, the first thing is, Torah! That's the first idea, Torah, a Jew has to know there's such a thing. That's what we are, we are people of Torah, and tziva lanu Moshe, our great teacher gave us the Torah. Moroshah, it is an inheritance, k'hilas Yaakov, for the whole congregation of Yaakov. That's our inheritance, that's our wealth, that's our heritage forever, that's how to get to first base in a child's mind, and no time should be lost.
A child from the outset must be taught about the Borei. From the beginning you have to talk about Gan Eden and Gehinnom; both! You have to talk schar v'onesh, from the beginning, and in his mind these fundamentals get settled. Otherwise, Mickey Mouse gets there first, or worse. Once they get in, it's difficult to introduce Moshe Rabbeinu and Har Sinai.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
How should one react to the death of a rosho? Isn't he a tzelem Elokim, he's also in the image of Hashem? And doesn't it say, binfol ouyvecha al tismach, when your enemy falls do not rejoice? And he also asks, don't we say only half Hallel on the last days of Pesach?
ANSWER:
When an enemy is your private, personal enemy, and he falls, don't rejoice. If he's an enemy of Hashem, then rejoice and say Hallel. Like oz yoshir Moshe u'bnei Yisroel, Moshe sang when Pharaoh and his army were drowned; certainly we rejoice. And so when we see the enemies of Hashem everywhere are perishing from AIDs, they're all atheists, they ridicule us. I once went into a store, there was a young man with an earring and looked at me as if I was dirt. He was wearing an earring, he was an important person, and so...they're our enemies.
So when we read in The York Times obituary, so and so at the age of forty two died, we smile, we're happy, certainly, we're not ashamed to say so. Rejoice at the downfall of the enemies of Hashem.
So binfol ouyvecha means, you have a store and another Jew has a store, he's your competitor, maybe sometimes you spoke against him, maybe he spoke against you; al tismach, when something happens, don't rejoice. Pen yireh Hashem, Hashem might see and not like the idea, v'ra be'einav, and not good in His eyes, v'shov mei'alav apo.
But suppose it's a person like Haman, or Hitler, or Pharaoh, certainly we rejoice. And by rejoicing in the downfall of the reshoim, Hashem is elevated.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
The night just prior to Bnei Yisrael's exodus from Mitzrayim is referred to as Leil Shimurim (Shemos 12:42). Rashi translates this appellation as "A night of anticipation." Hashem was waiting and looking forward to the time that He would be able to fulfill His promise to redeem Bnei Yisrael from bondage.
If Hashem anticipated the redemption to such a great degree, why didn't He redeem Bnei Yisrael sooner? What was the Ribbono Shel Olam waiting for? Rav Wolbe explains that Hashem was ready for the redemption for many years; He was waiting for Bnei Yisrael to be ready.
When asked how things are going, it is common for people to respond, "I need siyata d'shmaya - Heavenly assistance." This response implies that the person feels that he has already invested tremendous effort and done everything in his ability to achieve the desired results and the only thing lacking is Hashem's helping hand. The truth is, Hashem waits and looks forward to offer His assistance, but before fulfilling His desire He needs us to properly be prepared to receive His gracious aid. After Bnei Yisrael poured out their hearts in prayer they were properly prepared for the redemption, the salvation was immediate in coming.
Hashem is waiting to help all of us. It's up to us whether that desire will come to fruition. Why push off till tomorrow a salvation that could come today?
* * *
Rashi mentions (Shemos 13:14) that the Torah discusses how to transmit what transpired during Yetzias Mitzrayim to four different types of sons: The simple son, the wicked son, the son who doesn't know how to ask and the wise son. Rav Wolbe notes that although one of the sons is dubbed a rasha, the Torah does not write him off. Even the questions of a wicked Jew deserve an answer, and one must make an effort to hand tailor an answer that can influence him to mend his wayward ways.
* * *
Rav Wolbe gleans another important lesson from the rasha. Regarding the korban pesach the rasha asks, "What is this service for you?" He asks a simple question and we immediately pin on him the title of a rasha - what was wrong with his question? The problem wasn't the question itself, rather how he asked the question. He didn't ask, "What is this service for us?" He asked, "What is this service for you?" thereby disconnecting himself from the rest of Bnei Yisrael. One who ignores miraculous, life-altering occurrences and doesn't relate them to himself, is termed a rasha. Likewise, we find that the Meraglim are referred to as reshaim because they witnessed what happened to Miriam when she spoke derogatorily about Moshe and they failed to internalize what they perceived. When Hashem speaks - He is speaking to you.
The pasuk in this week's parsha instructs us to tell our children, "Hashem acted on my behalf when I left Egypt" (ibid. 23:8). Every person must feel as if he was redeemed from Mitzrayim. In a similar vein, the Ramban (ibid. 20:2) points out that the Aseres HaDibros were said in the singular so that every person should feel as if Hashem was speaking specifically to them. Additionally, the Mishna in Sanhedrin states that each person should say, "It was for my sake that the world was created." It's all about me.
The Mesillas Yesharim tells us that the very first step on a person's journey to self perfection is for him "to clarify and verify his obligation in his world." Every person has to feel that the world was hand tailored to his specific situation. The realization that the world was created for you, the redemption from Egypt was orchestrated with you in mind and the Torah was given specifically to you, should help you refrain from looking over your shoulder and rather focus on accomplishing your obligation in your world.
Why is yetzias Mitzrayim, going out of Mitzrayim, mentioned in the Kiddush Friday night?
ANSWER:
You have to understand that Shabbos commemorates two great creations. We say yotzreinu, yotzer bereishis (modim d'rabonon), He created us and He created in the beginning. What does that mean, He created us, He created the beginning? He created in the beginning first, and then He created us.
The answer is, He's telling that there are two separate creations in the world, one was He created a nation, a chosen people. Am zu yotzarti Li, I created this nation for Me. The Jewish people are created by Hashem, we're made to order, Te'hilosi y'sapeiru, that they should speak My praise. Yehuda has in it Yud Kei Vov Kei, it's the name of Hashem, but Yehuda means, he shall praise. It means the Jewish people are created for the purpose to praise Hashem, that's our job in this world. Yehuda, he's going to praise for ever and ever.
Now we say there's a yetzira before that, from the beginning Hakadosh Baruch Hu, when He made the world, He had us in mind. So there are two creations, Friday night in Kiddush we commemorate both, zeicher l'maaseh Breishis, and zeicher l'yetzias Mitzrayim. There are two things, maaseh Breishis, creation of the world; yetzias Mitzrayim is the creation of Jewish People.
And it's so important that the world is justified in the fact that there is a Jewish People.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Now comes the ceremony of Kiddush Levanah. There are a number of things we say there, and they all need explanation. One is, to three people present you say shalom aleichem and they answer aleichem shalom. Now those men are not newcomers, they're not strangers, you saw them the whole Shabbos together, now it's after Shabbos and you say shalom aleichem as if they were wayfarers who just came from a distant journey?
ANSWER:
You want three Jews to bless you, a bais din, three Jews give you a blessing for the new month, that's what it is. Rosh Chodesh, you pray for a new month, don't you? Yaleh v'yovo, we say bless Hashem give us this month, we are praying for the coming month. People are worried about forgetting yaleh v'yovo, it's important. Don't forget yaleh v'yovo, and there are signs yaleh v'yovo, and the shamos gives a knock on the table to remember yaleh v'yovo, and the people remember yaleh v'yovo but they forget what yaleh v'yovo is about.
What's yaleh v'yovo for? It's a prayer, we want chaim and shalom for this ensuing month, that's what it's for. We pray to Him, He should save us, He should rescue us, He should listen to our prayers. Look how we say it, yaleh, v'yovo, v'yeiroeh, v'yirotzeh, v'yishoma, v'yipoked, v'yizocher, and we're praying so fervently, because it's important to pray for the coming month. Every month, pray for the month to come, prayer is important. You don't know what's going to happen in the month to come, mehaya b'uso, tefillah helps, it's important to pray.
Therefore, at Kiddush Levanah we say shalom aleichem to three people and they reply aleichem shalom, and that's a significant beginning for the new month, if three Jews give you a blessing. Of course if these three Jews understand the purpose of it, and they'll put a little kavana in it, it's even better. So to do that, you put some kavana into yours, and not merely to fulfill a custom by rote, then they'll reply with kavana and they'll put some heart into the blessing. Isn't that a wonderful idea?
When you say shalom aleichem, you mean peace should be upon you this month, it means this month you should make a lot of money, this month your wife should be successful in cooking good meals, this month your neighbors should all be nice to you, this month the weather should be good, think of all those things. The more you'll put into it, the more you'll get back.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
What blessing should I bless my daughters on Friday night?
ANSWER:
You bless them, that they should be like our mothers; like Sara, Rivka, Rochel, v'Leah, you can't find any better blessing than that. If you want to add, nobody is limited...you can add whatever you want. Don't be ashamed to add words when you give blessings. If they are unmarried, bless them that they should get good husbands talmidei chachomim, and you can bless them that they should have many children, and you can bless them also that they should be rich! No harm.
I remember my father-in-law zichrono livrocho, used to add to all the blessings, "and you should be rich too!" He said, "why not?"
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
When Yosef revealed himself to his brothers they were dumbstruck. The Torah describes the ensuing exchange: "Yosef said to his brother's, 'Please come close to me' and they came close. And he said, 'I am Yosef your brother whom you sold into Egypt'" (Bereishis 45:4). Rashi explains that when Yosef saw his brothers shrinking away from him, he was worried that they felt embarrassed. Therefore, he spoke to them in a gentle manner and entreated them to draw near to him.
If Yosef was truly looking to make the encounter more pleasant, why did he continue speaking so brusquely and tell them to their faces, "I am Yosef whom you sold into Egypt"? Why bring up their misdeed at the time of appeasement?
Rav Wolbe cites the answer given by the Alter of Kelm, who enlightens us with a timely message. At some point, Yosef was going to have to make mention about what had occurred. Hence, he preferred to immediately say everything that needed to be said, so that they would be able to move on and achieve true reconciliation. Had he kept his feelings bottled up inside, there would be a constant internal barrier between him and his brothers. In people's relationships with family members and friends, many times there are certain behaviors that irk a person to the degree that it jeopardizes the relationship. If in truth it is something trivial, then one should work on himself instead of trying to change his friend. However, if the friction was caused because the person was wronged, then it is crucial not to bottle up the feelings inside himself. Not only does such behavior not accomplish the desired result, it can also cause the bottled up feelings to explode at a later date making the possibility for a continued good relationship much harder. After receiving guidance on how to broach the topic, one should take the initiative and discuss the matter. It might not be easy, but it is short term pain for long term gain!
* * *
After being informed that his son Yosef was still alive, Yaakov packed his bags and set off toward Mitzrayim. While still on the way, the Torah tells us, "He sent Yehuda ahead of him to Yosef, to prepare ahead of him in Goshen" (ibid. 46:28). Rashi cites the Medrash which explains that he sent Yehuda to open a Beis HaTalmud, so that it would be ready upon their arrival.
Rav Wolbe points out that Yaakov obviously felt that they could not enter Mitzrayim unless there already was a Beis Medrash in working order. Why did Yaakov feel so strongly about this, to the point that he would not set foot into a country without a Yeshiva?
When the Shevatim were all in Eretz Canaan, they were living in familiar territory. Yaakov was the Patriarch of the Jewish tribe and it was relatively easy for them to maintain their own identity. They were now about to enter a foreign land and their Jewish identity would be put in jeopardy. A person's surroundings have the ability to affect a person and blur his identity. So what does a Jew in galus do? He makes sure that there is a Yeshiva nearby.
Throughout the generations, the Yeshiva has been more than just a school designated for learning Gemara. It is the place which protects the identity of the Jewish People. Every Yeshiva is a link in the chain which spans millennia, back to Matan Torah and our forefathers (and from them back to Shem and Ever, Noach and Adam). The Yeshivos and Kollelim are the nuclei of the Jewish Nation, and creating a connection to these places is in effect creating a connection with Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov!
How can a person free himself from the yetzer horah of sinah and kinah?
ANSWER:
I would suggest that you take a Mesilas Yeshorim and study it slowly like you're studying a Tosafos. It opens up your mind, you get an understanding what are the great issues of Olam Hazeh. You must work on what we're looking for in this world, and after a while, when the sechel comes in, then the foolishness goes out. There's no place in the mind for sechel and for sh'tus to be together, and when you fill your mind with chochmoh, then the foolish attitudes of the world, sinah and kinah will go out.
Of course there's always some kinah; kinah is kinas sofrim. No matter if you're a tzaddik, if you see another tzaddik standing a longer Shemoneh Esrei, it hurts you; you'd like to do the same thing too. It's good, it's very good.
There's kinah in the next world too. Melameid shekol echod v'echod nichveh mei'chuposo shel chaveiro. In Gan Eden each person is under a chuppah, a chuppah with diamonds. Oh, each tzaddik is enjoying his chupa with diamonds, many diamonds, each mitzvah he did is a diamond. He's sitting with his wife also and they're enjoying that diamond forever and ever. Then they take a look down there and see the next chuppah, it has one diamond that they don't have, it hurts them, it hurts them. Kol echod nichveh mei'chuposo shel chaveiro, you say in Gan Eden? Yes, that's one thing in Gan Eden, you'll be sorry that you didn't do more; you could have gotten that diamond too.
Therefore when people learn the purpose of life, then many of the foolish things go out of their heads. Like the Rambam says, when you learn Torah, a great deal of the sh'tus of Olam Hazeh goes out of your mind.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
How is it that we find so many Greek names of great men in the Talmud, and we know she'lo shi'nu es she'mom, not to change their name, is an ideal?
ANSWER:
Nobody ever gave a gentile name to his child. We have to realize, in ancient times there was a tremendous number of converts; geirei tzedek of very high quality. And in the olden days it was not a custom to change the names. Today we change the gentile name, we call them Avrohom or something else. They came in with their names and they kept their names.
Munbaz remained Munbaz, although Munbaz became a tanah, and in one place we find him arguing with Rabbi Akiva, he was so great, but he was still Munbaz; they kept their names. These great tzadikim, geirei tzedek, they are men who illuminated the Jewish world with their wisdom. Unkelos ha'geir, Unkeolos is a gentile name, they didn't change their name. Unkelos! He's in the Chumash, he's higher than Rashi, Rashi brings him as a proof. He's on top of Rashi, right next to the Chumash, Unkelos ha'geir, he didn't change his name. So in some future generation someone wanted to honor that geir, someone wanted to give his child that zechus, he called him that name, that's how you got those names.
Nobody in the ancient times named his child after a gentile or gave a gentile name. It's a good question. But the answer I think is in place.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Why is it that the common cold is the only thing that does not come from Hashem?
ANSWER:
You have to qualify that statement. The things that a person causes by his own negligence to himself are his own doing. Let's say if a man walks up to this wall, and he makes a charge with his head against the wall, and he has a headache tonight. So this man is lying in bed, his head is throbbing, and he's thinking...ma zos asah Elokim lanu, for what sin did this come to me? That's a good question.
The answer is, for the sin of butting your head against the wall, and that's a big sin. So if a man is lying in bed with a cold and he's thinking, he should think, but first of all before he thinks about any other thing, he should think...did I go out without a jacket? That's number one.
Or did I go to sleep too late last night, so I lowered my resistance? I could have gone to bed on time but I was looking in the newspaper till too late at night and in the morning I woke up and I didn't have any energy. Therefore when the germs started floating in the air on an "airplane" of a piece of dust and I breathe it in, so my mucous membrane has been breached because my resistance was lowered, and that's why it found a nest in my throat.
So why blame Hakadosh Baruch Hu for what you did?
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Why were such great personalities like Unkolus born gentiles, wouldn't they have been greater if they would have been born Jews?
ANSWER:
You could ask, why wasn't Avrohom Avinu born a Jew? Avrohom was born a Ben Noach and not a Jew? The answer is, it was his test and he passed the test and that's what made Avrohom great. It was the asoro nisyonos, the ten tests that Avrohom passed that made him great. The great people who came to us from the outside, who came under the wings of the Shechina, are especially beloved because of that.
There's a mitzva in the Torah to love a ger, there's a special mitzva of loving the ger. The Rambam says, ahavas ha'ger she'buh vi'nichnas tachas kanfei Hashechina, he came and entered under the wings of the Shechina. What's the Rambam telling us, what a ger is? We know what a ger is! The Rambam is telling us why it's a special mitzva to love a ger; he came on his own, and that's what made Unkolus so great.
Unkolus had so many obstacles. He was born in a royal house, he was a nephew of Domitian. Domitian, the wicked man who was even a rosho in the eyes of his fellow Romans, and surely he was the enemy of the Jews.
Nevertheless Unkolus persisted in his ways. Therefore it was for him a benefit that he was given the opportunity of breaking through the barriers and coming under the kanfei Ha'shechina.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Why does the gemara say, kosho isha ra'ah k'yom sagrir, a bad wife is like a rainy day. Isn't a rainy day a good thing?
ANSWER:
Let me explain to you. There was a man, Rav Chiya, whose wife would aggravate him, nevertheless when he would find something in the market fitting for his wife, he would wrap it up in his shawl and bring it to her. Rav asked Rav Chiya, "but does she not aggravate the master?" R' Chiya said to him, "it is sufficient that they raise our children and save us (from sin), therefore I show her affection".
It means this: if a person has the sense to utilize a rainy day, water is falling min hashomayim!! They're diamonds, the drops that fall from the clouds. Each drop..al kol tipah vtipah, it's a nusach we say, for every drop I thank You. It's a miracle, where did it come from?
It comes from the ocean, you can't drink ocean water. It's distilled by the sun and rises up as water vapor and it's beautiful water, clear now, perfectly clear to drink. If you understand what a blessing rain is, certainly a rainy day is a great blessing, but many people are unhappy on a rainy day. You're not able to go out, you're restrained from doing good things, so in a certain sense a rainy day can sometimes be a disadvantage. Now, a rainy wife is a big brocho if you make use of her, certainly you appreciate her, she's doing so many good things for you. The fact that she opens her mouth frequently and scolds you, what about it? Lfum tzara agra, the more you're able to control yourself the bigger the reward.
Toleh eretz al blima, al mi sh'bolem piv b'shas meriva, how big is the zechus for the man that keeps his mouth closed during the time of a quarrel, a very big zechus to keep your mouth closed. You're the winner! If you didn't have a wife like that you wouldn't have that zechus. Everytime she scolds you and you keep quiet, toleh eretz al blima, that zechus is tremendous. Of course a wife who encourages you all the time, who praises you and gives you kavod, alright… there are certain benefits there too.
And so, it's a beautiful moshol to compare a scolding wife to a rainy day.
Good Shabbos To All
Parshas Noach 5777 This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
What ness is it that when people came to Yerushalayim nobody ever complained that he didn't have any space, it was too crowded for him in Yerushalayim?
ANSWER:
When you come into a place, into a yeshiva, and you have to hear the shiur, and you're sitting on a seat or you're standing and you're crowded together, so let's say you are somewhat bored by the shiur and you're waiting for it to be over. You're looking at the clock all the time, so you feel hemmed in, you'd like some wide open spaces, the truth is you'd like to be outside too, still wider open spaces, but inside you're looking for excuses to be dissatisfied.
But l'havdil elef havdolos, when people go to a movie nobody complains that it's crowded, you pay money to be packed in. Why don't they complain? The answer is, they want to be packed in, they like it.
In Yerushalayim it was a ness, people had such an ahava for avodas Hashem, it was a ness, don't think it was not a ness, it was a big ness. Lo omar adam, nobody ever complained in Yerushalayim. Now that's something to talk about, it's not derech hateva, it was a ness. In addition to that, there was a remarkable thing. In Yerushalayim people discovered there always was space. Hakadosh Baruch Hu opened up their eyes and they saw space, there is space always. In those days when people were eager, they found space. In Yerushalayim they always found space. First of all people wanted the avodas Hashem, it never was too small for them, secondly they discovered space, there was space in Yerushalayim.
Third, another ness, Hakadosh Baruch Hu says ha'boh li'taheir mi'sayin lo, when people are jammed together, let's say a few million people were jammed in the streets of Yerushalayim, and now they see from the distance another million are marching on all the roads and singing and coming to Yerushalayim. Where will they come in, there's no place to come in!? Did anybody say, no more, you have to close the gates? No! They kept on crowding and crowding and they all came in. It's a remarkable thing, they all came in. That was already a third ness; how it happened I can't explain. So now I'll repeat the three nissim.
First ness is, nobody ever complained, because they wanted to see the avodas Hashem. We should see the kohanim serving Hashem bi'yirah, that was a great thing, li'maan tilmad li'yirah es Hashem, you should learn how to fear Hashem.
Secondly, when you're interested you'll find place, there's plenty of place in Yerushalayim.
Thirdly, even when they were jammed in and there was no more place, another throng entered and nisei nissim, nobody had to remain outside.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Important Numbers
