In the evening he began to reflect on his first day of life with the middas ha’emes. He was pained and full of sorrow when he realized what he had done and the untold agmas nefesh he had caused so many sincere individuals. How would he ever be able to repair what he had destroyed that day?
He then grasped the concept that living among people required a unique blend of middos. Just as we are enjoined to embrace the truth with two hands and to reject the sheker, there are often situations that must be tempered with a smidgen of sheker in order to maintain righteousness in peace and tranquility.
In fact, the shakran for once had spoken the truth. A person cannot live without a little bit of sheker. For at times emes can destroy and sheker can build!
Tzedek tzedek tirdof – the person has to be meticulous to implement both the middah of tzedakah and the middah of emes. The recounting of Hashem’s conversation with Avraham Avinu, on the other hand, teaches us that emes at times acquiesces to tzedakah, that which is right, in order to maintain peace and harmony among people.
Showing posts with label IN PURSUIT OF PEACE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IN PURSUIT OF PEACE. Show all posts
Friday, September 5, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Man of Truth By Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser
However, when the “Man of Truth” heard this, he said, “If I could only be relieved from having to see you and your despicable face.”
The woman was horrified at her master’s unusual response to her blessing. But then he began to enumerate for her all his complaints. With a heavy heart, the maidservant left the house.
Upon his return from shul, the young man remembered to visit his wealthy childless uncle who had fallen ill and was looking forward to visitors. As he walked towards his uncle’s house, he mentally began to calculate the huge sums of money he would inherit upon the death of this uncle. With this in mind, and no conscious thought of deceit, our “Man of Truth” entered his uncle’s house. When he came into the sickroom, the young man remarked, “My dear uncle, I’m so happy to see you looking so ill. I am optimistic that you will not leave the bed upon which you are lying, and I look forward to becoming wealthy from the inheritance of your possessions.” He candidly continued to speak his mind, until the afflicted uncle finally banished him from the house.
The woman was horrified at her master’s unusual response to her blessing. But then he began to enumerate for her all his complaints. With a heavy heart, the maidservant left the house.
Upon his return from shul, the young man remembered to visit his wealthy childless uncle who had fallen ill and was looking forward to visitors. As he walked towards his uncle’s house, he mentally began to calculate the huge sums of money he would inherit upon the death of this uncle. With this in mind, and no conscious thought of deceit, our “Man of Truth” entered his uncle’s house. When he came into the sickroom, the young man remarked, “My dear uncle, I’m so happy to see you looking so ill. I am optimistic that you will not leave the bed upon which you are lying, and I look forward to becoming wealthy from the inheritance of your possessions.” He candidly continued to speak his mind, until the afflicted uncle finally banished him from the house.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The Face of Deceit By Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser
The Ben Ish Chai offers an unbelievable parable of a young man who, on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, began to contemplate the shortcoming of this world which is filled with flattery and deceit. His imagination began to conjure up an ideal world where sheker was completely uprooted. As he became lost in his thought, he drifted off to sleep.
He dreamed of a little creature who appeared before him and presented as Sheker. The young man wrestled with Sheker, however he was finding it very difficult to knock him down. “I am not easily defeated,” he called out. “Don’t you realize how much I good I do for the briyos each day?” It was difficult to maintain an ongoing discussion with Sheker as his appearance kept changing, from somebody young to somebody old, from a nice-looking individual to a disgusting being, and from green to red.
They finally reached an agreement whereby the being named Sheker would not reappear for one entire day. He would allow the young man twenty-four hours of respite, free of any involvement with Sheker, or deceit.
The young man was absolutely delighted with this plan and woke up. When he opened his eyes, his faithful maidservant was standing near his bed and offered him a bottle of water. She said to him, “May you have a good new year with all of its blessings.”
He dreamed of a little creature who appeared before him and presented as Sheker. The young man wrestled with Sheker, however he was finding it very difficult to knock him down. “I am not easily defeated,” he called out. “Don’t you realize how much I good I do for the briyos each day?” It was difficult to maintain an ongoing discussion with Sheker as his appearance kept changing, from somebody young to somebody old, from a nice-looking individual to a disgusting being, and from green to red.
They finally reached an agreement whereby the being named Sheker would not reappear for one entire day. He would allow the young man twenty-four hours of respite, free of any involvement with Sheker, or deceit.
The young man was absolutely delighted with this plan and woke up. When he opened his eyes, his faithful maidservant was standing near his bed and offered him a bottle of water. She said to him, “May you have a good new year with all of its blessings.”
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Peace vs. Truth By Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser
The acts of Hashem are a paradigm for all generations. This particular modification that Hashem made when He repeated His conversation with Sarah to Avraham is to teach us that the quality of peace is even more important than the quality of truth.
The middah of emes has its boundaries. If a person uses it at all times and in all places, without considering the situation at hand, he can harm himself. This would in fact not be a middah chassidus, an extra measure of piety, but rather something that is foolish and forbidden.
The middah of emes has its boundaries. If a person uses it at all times and in all places, without considering the situation at hand, he can harm himself. This would in fact not be a middah chassidus, an extra measure of piety, but rather something that is foolish and forbidden.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Being in Pursuit By Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser
Tzedek tzedek tirdof l’maan tichye v’yorashto es ha’aretz … (Devarim 16:20) – Righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue, so that you will live and possess the Land…
The obvious translation of these words is that a person must pursue “tzedek” – to seek ways that will enable him to increase righteousness and tzedakah in the land.
However, the Ben Ish Chai undertakes to comprehend the true meaning of the word tirdof – to pursue, which usually indicates a lashon of hisnagdus – opposition and conflict, and why the word tzedek is repeated twice.
The obvious translation of these words is that a person must pursue “tzedek” – to seek ways that will enable him to increase righteousness and tzedakah in the land.
However, the Ben Ish Chai undertakes to comprehend the true meaning of the word tirdof – to pursue, which usually indicates a lashon of hisnagdus – opposition and conflict, and why the word tzedek is repeated twice.
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