Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 24th, 2020

The Gemara paraphrases a verse from the Book of Daniel (4:14), which the Gemara refers to as G-d’s angels meaning the council of angels, sages.   On this same verse, the Gemara is Sanhedrin (38b) says as follows: Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: At the time that the Holy One, Blessed be He, sought to create a person, He created one group of ministering angels. He said to them: If you agree, let us fashion a person in our image. ืืž …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 23rd, 2020

Our Gemara quotes the same position of Rav Nechunya Ben HaKanah that we discussed earlier on Daf 29.  His position is that the concept of ืงื™ื ืœื™ื” ื‘ื“ืจื‘ื” ืžื™ื ื™ื” applies to even chiyuv kares (excision), and not merely a chiyuv misa biydei shamayim (heavenly death decree). To review, ืงื™ื ืœื™ื” ื‘ื“ืจื‘ื” ืžื™ื ื™ื” is the following principle: If someone does a prohibited action that entails both a mortally severe punishment (s …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 22nd, 2020

The Gemara discusses the following verse as proof that the security is owned by the lienholder: Devarim 24:13 you must return the pledge to him at sundown, that he may sleep in his cloth and bless you; and it will be to your merit before the LORD your God. ื”ึธืฉืึตื‘ึฉ ืชึผึธืฉืึดึจื™ื‘ ืœึคื•ึน ืึถึฝืชึพื”ึทืขึฒื‘ื•ึนื˜ึ™ ื›ึผึฐื‘ึนึฃื ื”ึทืฉืึผึถึ”ืžึถืฉื ื•ึฐืฉืึธื›ึทึฅื‘ ื‘ึผึฐืฉื‚ึทืœึฐืžึธืชึ–ื•ึน ื•ึผื‘ึตึฝืจึฒื›ึถึ‘ืšึผึธ ื•ึผืœึฐ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 21st, 2020

The Gemara discusses the principle of ื›ื‘ื•ืœืขื• ื›ืš ืคื•ืœื˜ื• which means that in order to remove non-kosher food essences that become absorbed inside utensils, one must subject them to the same conditions under which they were absorbed. For example if a utensil absorbed food essence in boiling water then it needs to be koshered in boiling water. Or, if a utensil absorbed food essence by exposure to direct flame, it needs to be koshered in t …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 20th, 2020

The Gemara here discusses the concept of ืงื™ื ืœื™ื” ื‘ื“ืจื‘ื” ืžื™ื ื™ื” which is the following principle: If someone does a prohibited action that entails both a mortally severe punishment (such as heavenly death decree) and a financial penalty, he is exempted from the financial penalty. For example, someone commits an act of theft while simultaneously taking the object from a private domain to a public domain, since he is mortally liable fo …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 18th, 2020

The Gemara discusses a scenario where Rabbi Yehuda was proven wrong, using his own logic against him. The Gemara then quotes three aphorisms, used by people to describe this kind of situation: Rav Yosef said: This is as people say: In the spoon that the carpenter made, the mustard will burn his palate. In other words, one can be harmed by his own actions. Similarly, in this case the strongest proof against Rabbi Yehuda’s opinion is the one …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 18th, 2020

This Gemara discusses a scenario where the first generation Amora, Shmuel, amends a beraisa deliberately. Although usually the Halakha is not in accordance with Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi when a majority of sages oppose him, here the halakha was in accordance with him even against the majority. Shmuel reworded the beraisa to “falsely” indicate Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s opinion as the “Rabbis”, as if he was a majority, so those …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 17th, 2020

  ืึธืžึฐืจื•ึผ ืขึธืœึธื™ื• ืขึทืœ ืจึทื‘ึผึธืŸ ื™ื•ึนื—ึธื ึธืŸ ื‘ึผึถืŸ ื–ึทื›ึผึทืื™ ืฉืึถื”ึธื™ึธื” ื™ื•ึนืฉืึตื‘ ื‘ึผึฐืฆึดื™ืœึผื•ึน ืฉืึถืœ ื”ึตื™ื›ึธืœ, ื•ึฐื“ื•ึนืจึตืฉื ื›ึผื‡ืœ ื”ึทื™ึผื•ึนื ื›ึผื•ึผืœึผื•ึน. They said about Rabban Yoแธฅanan ben Zakkai that he would sit in the street adjacent to the Temple Mount in the shade of the Sanctuary and expound to a large number of people all day long. There seems to me to be some …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 16th, 2020

  As it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer says: If it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,” why is it stated: “And with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5)? And if it is stated: “With all your might,” why is it stated: “With all your soul”? One of these statements appears to be superfluous. ืชึทื ึฐื™ึธื, ืจึทื‘ึผึดื™ ืึฑืœึดื™ืข …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 15th, 2020

The Gemara states a well known principle that warnings for Biblical prohibitions that entail corporal or capital punishment cannot be deduced from an inference such as a kal v’chomer, but rather must be an explicit verse. For example, if the Torah says one who does melacha on Yom Tov gets lashes, surely one who violates the Sabbath should get lashes. We cannot derive a warning or punishment from that Kal V’chomer, rather Shabbos requi …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 14th, 2020

The Gemara mentions a principle used in derashos known as ืื™ืŸ ืจื™ื‘ื•ื™ ืื—ืจ ืจื™ื‘ื•ื™ ืืœื ืœืžืขื˜, one amplificatory expression after another is restrictive. Meaning, when the Torah includes an application of a law in one situation, and then in another verse includes it in another situation, it is deduced that in all other situations the law does not apply. The logic for this is that otherwise, if the law was only stated in one case, …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 13th, 2020

The Gemara Discusses a challenge of how to understand what could possibly be equated to the fear of G-d. The reason why this puzzle arises is that in Hebrew there is a conjunctive word that you cannot easily translate into English, the word “Es”, which roughly translates into a verbal signal that some thing is coming along with the item explicitly named. So for example when the verses honor thy father and thy mother, there is this add …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 11th, 2020

To Perceive Is To Suffer - Aristotle The Gemara discusses the directive to support the Ger Toshav by providing him with meat that was rendered Unkosher. A Ger Toshav is a non-Jewish person who accepts upon himself to abide by the Seven Noachide Laws.  As it was taught in a baraita: “You shall not eat of any unslaughtered animal; you may give it to the resident alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 11th, 2020

The Gemara mentions a concept called Chibas HaKodesh, literally the affection for the holy. In a halakhic sense, normally a food product needs to be willingly exposed to water or certain other liquids before it is deemed receptive to ritual impurity.  However, the principle of Chibas HaKodesh bestows a significance upon the sacrificial food and renders it on a level to accept ritual impurity.  To explain this more, let us note that vess …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 10th, 2020

  The Gemara discusses a series of rabbinic decrees, which added additional levels of impurity to a variety of objects: Rava said: But weren’t both decrees issued on the same day? As we learned in a mishna: The impurity of a Torah scroll and other sacred scrolls, and the impurity of hands that were not washed or immersed, and the impurity of one who immersed himself during that day, and the impurity of foods and vessels that became imp …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 9th, 2020

This Gemara mentions the principle of ื“ื™ื• ืœื‘ื ืžืŸ ื”ื“ื™ืŸ ืœื”ื™ื•ืช ื›ื ื“ื•ืŸ which is an essential hermeneutical principle. That being, when making a kal v’chomer inference, which is when we understand that a certain rule or restriction applies to a lesser matter, then surely it must apply to a more serious matter. The principle of “Dayo” limits the application to only something as severe as the originating rule. Thus …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 8th, 2020

Sanctity Is Stronger Than The Whole Lot Of Hell  โ€• Thomas Merton The Gemara relates a quiz that Chaggai the prophet gave to the Cohanim. In our Gemara there is a discussion about the exact nature of the questions and the answers however I would like to focus on a beautiful explanation of the Malbim on these verses (Chaggai 2:12-14) ื”ึตึฃืŸ ื€ ื™ึดืฉื‚ึผึธืึพืึดึจื™ืฉื ื‘ึผึฐืฉื‚ึทืจึพืงึนึœื“ึถืฉื ื‘ึผึดื›ึฐื ึทึฃืฃ ื‘ึผึดื’ึฐื“ึ—ื•ึน …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 7th, 2020

The Gemara quotes a verse in Deuteronomy (12:23). ืดืจึทืง ื—ึฒื–ึทืง ืœึฐื‘ึดืœึฐืชึผึดื™ ืึฒื›ึนืœ ื”ึทื“ึผึธื ื›ึผึดื™ ื”ึทื“ึผึธื ื”ื•ึผื ื”ึทื ึผึธืคึถืฉืืด. But be strong and make sure that you do not partake of the blood; for the blood is the life, and you must not consume the life with the flesh. The stress of the “be strong” indicates that there must have been a strong desire to drink blood. Let us try to understand this …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 6th, 2020

In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, clarity. Rupertus Meldenius However, how will we burn teruma in abeyance, whose impurity status is uncertain, together with ritually impure teruma? Perhaps Elijah the Prophet will come and establish prophetically that the teruma is not ritually impure, and he will render it ritually pure. The legal status of teruma in abeyance is uncertain. How can one actively render it impure when …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 4th, 2020

This Gemara quotes an argument based on the simple reading of a verse.  ืžืงืจื ืžืœื ื“ื™ื‘ืจ ื”ื›ืชื•ื‘ Sometimes the plainly evident verse becomes a source of halakha, even in later generations. For example, an interesting shaalah was asked to the Noda BeYehuda ( ืชืฉื•ื‘ืช ื ื•ื“ืข ื‘ื™ื”ื•ื“ื” ื™ื•ืดื“ ื ืกื™ืžืŸ ืกื˜).  A person was engaged and after the tenaim the grandfather of the Kallah became an apostate. Since this was co …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 4th, 2020

What loneliness is more lonely than distrust? George Eliot   Likewise, collectors of food for the charity plate, who would collect food in large vessels for the poor to eat, who do not have poor people to whom to distribute the food, sell the food to others and do not sell it to themselves, as it is stated: “And you shall be clear before God and before Israel” (Numbers 32:22). It is not sufficient that a person is without sin in …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 3rd, 2020

In light of Rav Pappa’s statement, the Gemara discusses the topic of mealtimes. The Sages taught in a baraita: Eating in the first hour of the morning is the time of eating for Ludim, who are members of a nation of cannibals, and they are ravenous and in a hurry to eat. The second hour is the time of eating for robbers [listin]. Since they spend the night stealing, they eat early in the morning. The third hour is the time of eating for heir …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 2nd, 2020

A Profession will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune. - Jim Rohn The Gemara rejects this contention: There, with regard to a firstborn, it is different, for if he leaves it and does nothing the animal will die, and therefore we say that a person is agitated over his property. In his agitated state he will overlook the details of permitted and prohibited actions and violate a prohibition. Here, however, if he leaves his …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

December 1st, 2020

Every Great Story Begins With A Snake - Nicolas Cage And if you say that sometimes one goes down into the pit for some requirement of his, and he will come to eat it, with regard to a loaf that was in the mouth of a snake, is it necessary for him to bring a snake charmer to take the loaf out of the snake’s mouth, or is this effort not necessary? ื–ึดื™ืžึฐื ึดื™ืŸ ื“ึผึฐื ึธื—ึตื™ืช ืœึฐืฆื•ึผืจึฐื›ึผึตื™ื”ึผ ื•ึฐืึธืชึตื™ ืœึฐืžึตื™ื›ึฐืœ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 30th, 2020

As Rabbi Oshaya said: A person may employ artifice to circumvent obligations incumbent upon him in dealing with his grain, and bring it into the courtyard in its chaff so that his animal may eat from it. And this grain is exempt from tithes. Although the obligation to tithe produce that has been fully processed applies even to animal fodder, it is permitted to feed one’s animal untithed produce that has not been fully processed. In light of …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 29th, 2020

As it was taught in a baraita: With regard to a hole in a wall located between the residences of a Jew and a gentile, one searches in the hole as far as his hand reaches, and the rest he renders null and void in his heart. Pelimu said: One does not search the entire hole at all, due to the danger involved. The Gemara asks: Due to what danger? If we say it is due to the danger of sorcery, i.e., the gentile will suspect the Jew of casting spells on …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 27th, 2020

The Gemara quotes a verse from Proverbs 20:27: The soul of man is the lamp of the LORD  Revealing all his inmost parts. ื ึตึฃืจ ื™ึฐึญื”ื•ึธื” ื ึดืฉืึฐืžึทึฃืช ืึธื“ึธึ‘ื ื—ึนึืคึตึ—ืฉื‚ ื›ึผึธืœึพื—ึทื“ึฐืจึตื™ึพื‘ึธึฝื˜ึถืŸืƒ Rashi on Tanach explains this verse as follows : ื ืจ ื”' ื ืฉืžืช ืื“ื. ื”ื ืฉืžื” ืฉื‘ืงืจื‘ื• ืžืขื™ื“ื” ืขืœื™ื• ื‘ื“ื™ืŸ On the future day of reckoning after a person passes away his soul records all his …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 27th, 2020

Let us examine the well-known principle of ืึตื™ืŸ ืžื•ึผืงึฐื“ึผึธื ื•ึผืžึฐืื•ึผื—ึธืจ ื‘ึผึทืชึผื•ึนืจึธื”, that the Torah is not written in chronological order.  As many deep Jewish matters that we are first introduced to at a young age, we often accept them without thinking about their broader philosophical implications.  The Gemara asks: If so, let the Torah write first that which occurred in the first month and then let it wri …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 26th, 2020

The Gemara explains that those three times the word rishon is mentioned with regard to the Festivals are necessary for that which the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught. As the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: In reward for the three times the word rishon is stated with regard to the Festivals observed by the Jewish people, they were entitled to three matters also referred to as rishon: To eradicate the descendants of Esau, to the construction of th …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 25th, 2020

The Gemara relates: A certain man would regularly say whenever involved in conflict: Adjudicate my case [dunu dini]. The Sages said: Learn from it that he descends from the tribe of Dan, as it is written: “Dan will judge [yadin] his people like one of the tribes of Israel” (Genesis 49:16). He expressed himself that way due to his lineage. The Gemara relates a similar incident: A certain man would regularly walk and say: The bushes on …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 24th, 2020

  Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: A person should never express a crude matter, as the formulation of a verse was distorted by the addition of eight letters rather than have it express a crude matter, as it is stated: “From the pure animals and from the animals that are not pure [asher einena tehora]” (Genesis 7:8). To avoid using the Hebrew term for impure [teme’a], which is four letters: Tet, mem, alef, heh, the verse repla …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 23rd, 2020

The Gemara quotes a verse in Iyov 24:14 as follows: ืœึธืึกื•ึนืจ ื™ึธึ˜ืงึคื•ึผื ืจื•ึนืฆึตึ—ื—ึท ื™ึดึฝืงึฐื˜ึธืœึพืขึธื ึดึฅื™ ื•ึฐืึถื‘ึฐื™ึ‘ื•ึนืŸ ื•ึผึื‘ึทืœึผึทึ—ื™ึฐืœึธื” ื™ึฐื”ึดึฃื™ ื›ึทื’ึผึทื ึผึธึฝื‘ืƒ The murderer arises in the evening  To kill the poor and needy,  And at night he acts the thief. This verse raises an important flag about zealotry. Whenever we find ourselves to excited about something we believe to be …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 22nd, 2020

A Broken Heart is More Whole   A dilemma was raised before the Sages: If one priest is ritually impure and another has a blemish, which of them should enter to perform repairs? Rav แธคiyya bar Ashi said that Rav said: The impure one should enter, as he is permitted to participate in communal service. If the entire community is ritually impure, even impure priests may perform the service, whereas blemished priests may not serve under any circ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 20th, 2020

One may draw up wine from a barrel with a siphon [diyofei], and one may drip water from a vessel that releases water in drops [miarak], for an ill person on Shabbat. ืžึทืขึฒืœึดื™ืŸ ื‘ึผึดื“ึฐื™ื•ึนืคึดื™ ื•ึผืžึทื˜ึผึดื™ืคึดื™ืŸ ืžึตื™ืึถืจึถืง ืœึทื—ื•ึนืœึถื” ื‘ึผึทืฉึผืึทื‘ึผึธืช. Essentially the Gemara is discussing generating white noise to allow an ill person to fall asleep or stay asleep. This is an excellent technique for insomnia, li …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 20th, 2020

This Gemara discuses a well known principle of ืื™ืŸ ืฉื‘ื•ืช ื‘ืžืงื“ืฉ there are no rabbinic restrictions within the Temple.  The basic understanding of why this is true, is because the Cohanim are zealous and thus would be unlikely to make a mistake (ืจื‘ื ื• ื™ื”ื•ื ืชืŸ ืขืจื•ื‘ื™ืŸ ืงื‘ ื).  In Other words, the priest, especially in the Holy Temple site, do not require extra strength and cease to protect them from inadvertent vi …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 19th, 2020

  A harp string may be tied up in the Temple but not in the country. At the outset, it is prohibited in both.  ืงื•ึนืฉืึฐืจึดื™ืŸ ื ึดื™ืžึธื ื‘ึทืžึผึดืงึฐื“ึผึธืฉื, ืึฒื‘ึธืœ ืœึนื ื‘ึทืžึผึฐื“ึดื™ื ึธื”. ืึดื ื‘ึผึทืชึผึฐื—ึดืœึผึธื”, ื›ึผึธืืŸ ื•ึฐื›ึธืืŸ ืึธืกื•ึผืจ.  Tosafos Yom Tov in the Mishna notes that according to Rashi, whether it is permitted or not to tie the string of the harp if it breaks on shabbos depe …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 18th, 2020

The Daf Yomi of Eruvin 101b tells us a story about an argument that occurred at the synagogue of Tiberias. There is greater detail about this argument supplied from Gemara Yevamos 96b: ืื–ืœ ืจ' ืืœืขื–ืจ ืืžืจ ืœืฉืžืขืชื ื‘ื™ ืžื“ืจืฉื ื•ืœื ืืžืจื” ืžืฉืžื™ื” ื“ืจ' ื™ื•ื—ื ืŸ ืฉืžืข ืจื‘ื™ ื™ื•ื—ื ืŸ ืื™ืงืคื“ ืขื•ืœ ืœื’ื‘ื™ื” ืจื‘ื™ ืืžื™ ื•ืจ' ืืกื™ ืืžืจื• ืœื™ื” ืœื ื›ืš ื”ื™ื” ื”ืžืขืฉื” ื‘ื‘ื™ืช ื”ื›ื ืกืช ืฉืœ ื˜ื‘ืจื™ื ื‘ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 17th, 2020

Rabbi Yoแธฅanan said: Even if the Torah had not been given, we would nonetheless have learned modesty from the cat, which covers its excrement, and that stealing is objectionable from the ant, which does not take grain from another ant, and forbidden relations from the dove, which is faithful to its partner, and proper relations from the rooster, which first appeases the hen and then mates with it. What does the rooster do to appease the hen? Rav …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 16th, 2020

Reish Lakish said: One who expelled phlegm in front of his master has acted in a disrespectful manner and is liable for the punishment of death at the hand of Heaven, as it is stated: “All they who hate Me love death” (Proverbs 8:36). Do not read it as: “They who hate [mesanai] Me”; rather, read it as: “Those who make themselves hateful [masniai] to Me,” i.e., those who make themselves hateful by such a dischar …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 15th, 2020

This Gemara describes a predicament of someone who was reading from a scroll on a roof and one end dropped out of his hand and fell over the edge. Without getting deep into the halakhic issues involved I want to take a moment to focus on the function and history of a Sefer or a scroll. In colloquial Hebrew we translate Sefer to mean book. As we recited recently during the High High Holidays: ื•ึฐืชึดืคึฐืชึผึทื— ืึถืช ืกึตืคึถืจ ื”ึทื–ึผึดื›ึฐืจ …
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