Mishlei 1:1: Shlomo Hamelech’s Credentials
Gr”a comments on 1:1, “Shlomo ben Dovid, Melech Yisroel”: Mishlei is 3 seforim, the first of which is about mussar. One has to have proper credentials to be associated with a person such as Dovid haMelech, and to speak about
Mishlei 1:1-2: Contexnt and Goal of Sefer Mishlei
Having a sense of what a sefer is about and seeking to accomplish is essential for the one learning it to get the most out of it and understand it. Knowing who the author is influences how you learn a
Hashgacha & Bechira Chofshis
Yosef seems to exonerate the brothers – he is saying it is all due to Hashgacha. Sfas Emmes: one of the wonders of Hashgacha is that HKB”H coordinates people’s bechira with what He wants to happen; someone else’s bechira will
Avos 4:14-16: Inseparability of Learning & Teaching
Learning & teaching are inseparable, in 3 dimensions: 1) ikar mitzvah of talmud Torah is teaching / transmitting the mesorah 2) Torah was given morasha kehilas Yaakov, not to individuals. Therefore one must share. 3) one can’t rely on his
Avos 4:13: Laxity in Learning. The Crown of Torah.
Shigegas talmud olah zadon: opinions in the Rishonim about what the nature of the mistake is and how culpable the person is. Relationship between iyun and bekius. Not overstepping one’s limits / role. Three crowns – Torah, Kehuna, Malchus. Rambam:
1) Avos 4:12 2) The mitzvos of Chanukah & Purim
Avos: 4:12 – Rambam Sefer Mitzvos 209, 210, 211 – Rambam counts kavod & moreh for his rebbe as one mitzvah, but then has them as two separate miztvos for parents. Why? By one’s rebbe it’s one continuum, by parents
Chanukah: Hallel and/vs. Hoda’ah
Hoda’ah – acknowledge that even the darkness of galus Yavan itself was l’tova. The avodah is to recognize that adversity is designed to elicit a certain reaction from us that is for our good.
Hischadshus. Torah as a Source Thereof.
Hischadhus, renewal, is very important. Yomim tovim bring spiritual hischadshus, and on the natural level we need some breaks / variety as well, and hence appropriate vacations are correct to take as well. Is there a daily source of hischadshus?
Doing Teshuva B’Simcha
Teshuva has to be done b’simcha as well. How do the merirus haLev that is built in to teshuva coexist with doing it b’simcha? In terms of human experience, we do know that people can have contradictory emotions simultaneously. Logically,
Chanukah & COVID: Acknowledging the Darkness and Working to Increase the Light
Mitzvas Ner Chanukah is a source of illumination in the world. Rambam – as a result of Chanukah we ended up in a better place than before Chanukah, i.e. we had malchus Yisroel, which we did not have before. Dafka