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Thought for the Day: We Learn the Malachos of Shabbos from the Mishkan; Its Construction or Its Functioning?

The Torah juxtaposes the commandment to build the Mishkan with the prohibition to violate Shabbos. This is the source, Chazal tell us, for us to know precisely what malachos would be a violation of Shabbos. Since the Torah was compelled to warn us about Shabbos violation when we were being encouraged to build the Mishkan, the essential activities involved with the Mishkan must be the activities by which one would violate Shabbos. As we all know, there are 39 categories of such labor. There is a nice philosophical point that the observance of Shabbos -- something relevant to each and every Jew in each and every Jewish home, week and and week out -- apparently can bring us to the same level of closeness to HaShem as the holy work done by priestly caste in HaShem's own abode, so to speak, here on earth. That is one of the beauties of Torah observance: Obviously Klal Yisrael attains lofty spiritual heights by the service done by the kohein gadol in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. But...
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Thought for the Day: Taking the Plunge into Confusion -- Really, Really Learning תורה שבעל פה

I plan to have a drink tonight to celebrate. Today was, so far, my single more successful day in kollel since joining a year ago Pesach. I could tell that you that I was able to help one of the yungaleit understand a gemara and the different ways that Rashi and the M'iri explain it. I was able to help because I have a deep knowledge of optics, trigonometry, and history of science and technology. That wasn't it, though. That was just icing on the cake. Fun to share at dinner (and here), but not worth a toast. So... a few weeks ago, I started learning the 11th perek of masechta Shabbos, הזורק/throwing, because it is the wraps up the discussion of הוצאה/transfer out of one domain to another that was started with the first mishna of the entire tractate. I was intrigued by the first question the gemara asked on the first mishna of the perek. I wrote a couple of TtfDs on it, Why and When a Scriptural Source is Needed for הוצאה , and Why הוצאה Has תולדות . If you are paying much clos...

Thought for the Day: The Ran on Nedarim -- Mistaken Oaths and Vows Come in Two Flavors

I got a degree in physics because I wanted to understand reality in a deep and fundamental way. That, of course, led me to the Torah. Along the way, though, physics was a really good stepping stone. I never looked at graduate school as "advanced trade school".  That is, as much as my mother -- she should rest in peace -- was disappointed that I didn't "use my degree", I felt that I got exactly what I wanted from my degree; namely, confirmation from experts in the field that I had properly learned and understood the subject matter. Nonetheless, my plan had been to follow the traditional course of a postdoc or two followed by a tenure track position at a university teaching and doing research in theoretical physics. HaShem had a different plan; Baruch HaShem. Even more Baruch HaShem, I listened. Still... I have always wanted to teach physics, but I had to feed my family and pay tuition, so I opted for the much more lucrative field of programming. Now that I have g...

Thought for the Day: Bilaam is the Answer to Why They Didn't Get the Torah

Bilaam was no simple person. He had a level of prophecy that in some way exceeded even that of Moshe Rabeinu. (The Torah tells us that there was never a Jewish prophet whose level rivaled Moshe, but a goy -- that is, Bilaam -- had that level of prophecy.) Chazal tell us (Rashi on Bamidbar 22:5) that HaShem infused Bilaam with such an exalted level of prophecy in order to ensure that the goyim could never, ever complain that if they had had prophets like Klal Yisrael did, they would have also been good. Umm.... really? If the goyim would even think to complain that they were not afforded the same opportunities for inspiration that Klal Yisrael had, that they didn't have a Moshe Rabeinu, then HaShem can reply, "Well, you had Bilaam."  That is going to work? Moshe, the most humble of all men. Moshe, who wouldn't even use a donkey that belonged to the community to bring his own family back. Bilaam, who was (ahem) "married" to his donkey. Bilaam, who demanded an ...

Thought for the Day: Ma'ariv Through the Centuries, Not Quite Daf Yomi

As related in this TftD , I am now really living. After making a siyum on my first masechta (Brachos, of course, you know me... boring; I just go in order), I asked my rebbi, R' Dovid Siegal, shlita, whether to go on to the next masechta or to review. He, characteristically and to no real surprise to me, answered simply, "yes". I am now dividing my time between moving forward on my first pass through Shabbos and moving forward on my second pass through Brachos. I decided on my second pass through Brachos, to follow the development of the halacha through the centuries. The first daf of Brachos is by and large concerned with when one is able to say krias Shema in the evening. I learned the daf with Rashi, the Rosh, and Piskei HaRosh -- which are the essential halachic conclusions of the gemara, authored by the son of the Rosh himself; so quite authoritative. Now... the son of the Rosh organized all those halachos into four sections: (1) Laws of Daily Living, (2) Torts, (3) ...

Thought for the Day: Oaths and Vows -- Just Don't, But If You Do, Here are Some Safe-ish Ones

My father, of blessed memory, was a very good parent. (I told him that once when I was a teenager. He was really touched. I was surprised he didn't just know that. Now that I am a parent, I know why.) One thing that made him a good parent was that he never made empty threats. He never, ever, even once threatened to kill any of us, no matter how egregious our sin. He would  however, in a very calm and measured tone (making it all the more terrifying) threaten to break our arm. I used to think to myself, "Well... he does have medical insurance, and he looks pretty serious." So I would desist. The Torah gives us two ways to create our own restrictions on ourselves. One can create an new Torah  prohibition by making either a נֶדֶר/vow or a שְׁבוּעָה/oath. They are very similar, but there are some technical differences. The one outstanding difference is that it is a Torah prohibition to make and empty/meaningless שְׁבוּעָה, whereas taking an empty/meaningless נֶדֶר i...

Thought for the Day: Are Lions Violent Or Do They Just Look Violent? Yes

A recent TftD discussed an incredible Radak on T'hillim (145:17) regarding the behavior of predators. The main point is summed up with this line: The lion isn't getting hungry and then looking to kill an animal to fulfill his desire, rather the animal's time to die has arrived, so the lion gets hungry so he can fulfill the Desire of HaShem. I was/am quite amazed by this Radak and was socializing it this morning in kollel. In particular, I was proposing that therefore, lions are not violent and the sheep they eat are not fearful; they are just doing what they are programmed to do. One the yungaleit took exception, and told me: They are doing what animals do, and that includes predators being violent and their prey feeling fear. So began a very animated and fruitful discussion. Which, in fact, is why I love learning in kollel. These are young men who have dedicated their lives to learning Torah. I am both humbled and delighted that they take the time to help me get on the ri...