Skip to main content

Thought for the Day: Mussar from the Avos

I know this seems out of the blue and out of place, but I was struck today by the Ramban's description of how Avraham Avinu took care of the malachim that came to him on the third day after his (self-administered!) mila.  I am certainly no expert on Ramban, but this Ramban had a different character than what I have learned before.  There way he described the whole scene conveyed a sense of awe and inspiration by the greatness of our ancestor.

Avraham Avinu ran to ask the three (as far as he new) men to stop and rest a bit while he got them something to refresh and rejuvenate them.  Avraham Avinu, notes the Ramban, recognized the three were busy and intent on fulfilling their mission.  Avraham Avinu, therefore, asked them only rest on the tree and wait for a small repast; something he knew would be appreciated and could be fit into their schedule.  Avraham then ran to personally select the calves for his guests.  The Ramban says that he went "l'vaker" (not "livchor") the animals.  The word "bikur" really means "to assess the situation and choose the best course of action".  My chavrusa told me that the word in modern hebrew also means "audit" (they had just had one in his office).  Avraham Avinu did all this himself: an elderly man, with many (at least 318) servants, and who was in pain from his recent surgery.  But he did it all himself because of his great desire to to chesed.

"ma'asei avoseinu siman l'banim" I have heard; "ma'asei avoseinu mussar l'banim" I had not heard.  Yet the Ramban uses that word (mussar) two or three times in his description of the entire event.  It was worth getting up this morning.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thought for the Day: Pizza, Uncrustables, and Stuff -- What Bracha?

Many years ago (in fact, more than two decades ago), I called R' Fuerst from my desk at work as I sat down to lunch.  I had a piece of (quite delicious) homemade pizza for lunch.  I nearly always eat at my desk as I am working (or writing TftD...), so my lunch at work cannot in any way be considered as sitting down to a formal meal; aka קביעת סעודה.  That being the case, I wasn't sure whether to wash, say ha'motzi, and bentch; or was the pizza downgraded to a m'zonos.  He told if it was a snack, then it's m'zonos; if a meal the ha'motzi.  Which what I have always done since then.  I recently found out how/why that works. The Shulchan Aruch, 168:17 discusses פשטיד''א, which is describes as a baked dough with meat or fish or cheese.  In other words: pizza.  Note: while the dough doesn't not need to be baked together with the meat/fish/cheese, it is  required that they dough was baked with the intention of making this concoction. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thought for the Day: What Category of Muktzeh are Our Candles?

As discussed in a recent TftD , a p'sak halacha quite surprising to many, that one may -- even לכתחילה -- decorate a birthday cake with (unlit, obviously) birthday candles on Shabbos. That p'sak is predicated on another p'sak halacha; namely, that our candles are muktzeh because they are a כלי שמלאכתו לאיסור and not  מוקצה מחמת גופו/intrinsically set aside from any use on Shabbos. They point there was that using the candle as a decoration qualifies as a need that allows one to utilize a כלי שמלאכתו לאיסור. Today we will discuss the issue of concluding that our candles are , in fact, a כלי שמלאכתו לאיסור and not מוקצה מחמת גופו. Along the way we'll also (again) how important it is to have personal relationship with your rav/posek, the importance of precision in vocabulary, and how to interpret the Mishna Brura.  Buckle up. After reviewing siman 308 and the Mishna Brura there, I concluded that it should be permissible to use birthday candles to decorate a cake on Sha...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thought for the Day: Why Halacha Has "b'di'avad"

There was this Jew who knew every "b'di'avad" (aka, "Biddy Eved", the old spinster librarian) in the book.  When ever he was called on something, his reply was invariably, "biddy eved, it's fine".  When he finally left this world and was welcomed to Olam Haba, he was shown to a little, damp closet with a bare 40W bulb hanging from the ceiling.  He couldn't believe his eyes and said in astonishment, "This is Olam Haba!?!"  "Yes, Reb Biddy Eved,  for you this is Olam Haba." b'di'avad gets used like that; f you don't feel like doing something the best way, do it the next (or less) best way.  But Chazal tell us that "kol ha'omer HaShem vatran, m'vater al chayav" -- anyone who thinks HaShem gives partial credit is fooling himself to death (free translation.  Ok, really, really free translation; but its still true).  HaShem created us and this entire reality for one and only one purpose: for use...
Post a Comment
Read more