HaLeiVi

Oh, you know. Therapist, special ed.

I’m sure he has a knack for something. Does he enjoy analytics, practical solutions, labor, dissecting, imagination, law (probably too late for that), organizing? He might not find the availability to find the perfect position but if all avenues are equally open, only he can know what suits his abilities best. There are tests designed to pinpoint a person’s abilities.

Actually, Reb Moshe held that wearing it, even for telling time is fine. If it is being worn, it is a Beged. But as I said, he wanted that it shouldn’t be worn.

What’s fascinating about this Halacha is that it is based on the fact that it is obvious that people don’t really refrain from Lashon Hara.

Apparently, you missed the reference to the Gemara Megilla at the end.

Reb Moshe held that wearing a wristwatch is not carrying. However, he said that B’nei Yeshiva should refrain from wearing one, since people won’t discern between a wristwatch and a pocket watch.

The Emoriim were lying in ambush in the route that the B’nei Yisroel were to come through. If they were anyhow going around them there was no need for the Ness. When the mountains come together it becomes flat straight ground. Assuming the B’nei Yisroel were already higher than the ground of the foot of those mountains, coming together was leveling out the ground for them.

Your Pshat about Bilaam hating the Jews more than Balak did, is the Rashi mentioned by Simcha. The question was about the rest of the Parsha. We see that after the initial call, Balak also uses the term Kava Li.

I mention the Aron since I remember that the Aron went ahead for that purpose. This was only during the Ananim. Perhaps one caused the other to flatten it. The Aron brought the Hashgacha out onto the open areas and the Ananim did the flattening.

What you say about the story of the Amoriim happening after Aharon sounds very good. The only question is that we learn that the Ananim returned in the Zechus of Moshe Rabbeinu. Obviously, it didn’t return instantly because the Kenaanim found the Jews, and there was probably some time for people to realize that the Ananim was in the merit of Aharon — just like the Be’er returned in the Zechus of Moshe and Aharon, but only after a void was felt.

Great idea. I can sing along too. Who’s gonna do the chords?

4d T(8d 8c 8b) 8a- 16b 4c

Playtime, really good:^)

Yes, some were real Aveiros, as in Gid Hanosheh, and some were not. The point is that the transgresser is still oprating in the Yiddish framework, and it didn’t help him become the Goy he was aspiring to become.

I think RebDoniel expressed it very clearly and eloquently. Ruchnius is not the word for divine; Eloki is.

Sam, there is a medical difference between laying on the right or the left. I don’t know what it is about, though. It might have been an observed phenomenon, although we don’t like the explanations. (Truth is, even these days, it’s the observation that counts way more than the reasoning, which changes on a dime upon newer observations.)

Charliehall, he is not confusing anything. Check out the Gemara Sam referenced. Shmita was a Derabanan during Bayis Sheini as well, according to that Gemara. Heter Mechira as a concept is not in the Gemara.

Popa, I am so glad you brought that up. Somehow, this nonsense is gaining ground among our ranks, that Emuna means to not think it is rational. In other words, not Veyadaata Hayom, only Vehe’emanta Hayom.

The survival of the Jews is actually a great falsifiable proof. Only, I hope they don’t try it again.

As I said back ☞ THEN ☜, there is no take-a-look proof, but there is a bundle of pointers. This is the balance Hashem left, that those who are serious can find Him and those who want to laugh it all off will be able to do so.

Just like we know that in general, Hakol Mishamayim Chutz Meyiras Shamayim, this is true in this regard as well. The mental abilities don’t affect the outcome of your findings as much as your sincerity in finding the true answer.

Who puts money in banks? People are turning towards investment companies, which are real, live Iskos.

Not everyone held of the Heter Iska. The Shla Hakadosh was famously against it. He said Hashem knows what you are doing, even after the fancy trick.

It seems to boil down to a Machlokes if Ribis is a moral issue, in which we care about the ‘spirit of the law’, or if it is merely a Chok that once circumvented is not being transgressed. By an Assei you can be Mehader and look to be Mekayem, as in putting on a four-cornered garment to require Tzitzis, but when there is no Lav there is nothing to be Mehader about (unless it has a Rei’ach Aveira).

Does that mean he held the same of Muslims?

Whom do you mean? The ibn Ezra uses both ways.

The Raavad is always considered to have been a Mekubal. The Ri Sagi Nahar was his son-in-law. Also, he uses the terminology of Mekubalim. The specific comment on that topic also strongly suggests a Kabbalistic intention.

Just My Hapence, it depends on your Derech Halimud. You can go through the whole thing with the four elements and other ways of categorizing the creation. I would like to believe he did know Kabbala, simply because we know that other Geonim are part of the Shalsheles Kabbala and why would he stand out? However, I doubt Reb Shmuel ibn Chafni was a Mekubal.

The Ramban defended the Rambam personally, not the Shitos. He argues on the Shitos. The Ritva, in Sefer Zichronos, defended the Shitos as well, but goes on to add that he doesn’t agree with them, but they aren’t nonsense.

In fact, very few and far between were those who took on the complete approach of the Moreh. It is a recent thing to accept it as the main view, since it appeals more to western thinking.

Being that it is a reborn Hashkafa and doesn’t come with a long chain behind it, many parts are interpreted freshly that are hardly what the Rambam had in mind. An example is the Bilaam donkey thing. I hear people lovingly quoting that passing statement while imagining what “they” would say if I would have said that, and ignoring the open statements of the Rambam describing the speaking donkey as a Ness carried out by a Malach and being prepared Erev Shabbos Bein Hashmashos.

Just My Happence,

Rav hai Gaon is known to have learned Kabbala and even wrote some Kuntreisim on that, but when did you hear about Rav Saadya Gaon? His Pirush on Sefer Yetzira doesn’t seem to have anything to do with Kabbala. Although, there is a reference to an interesting tradition from Rav Saadya, about how to make a Golem, mentioned in the Kol Yehuda on the Kuzri. Also, the Yashar Micandia writes that the fact that Rav Saadya Gaon wrote a philosophy based Sefer doesn’t show that he didn’t know Kabbala as well. But where do we find his name in reference to Kabbala?

Actually, utilizing the idea of the Yashar Micandia it is in fact possible to say it is not a Stira. I mentioned earlier that his problem with reincarnation is that the Nefesh, being the identity of this particular person can’t be redifined to be the identity of another. But the Magid Meisharim actually explains that a new Nefesh is created for each new Gilgul. So, perhaps being that Gilgul was such a secret in those days (that the Ramban refused to mention it explicitly in his Pirush on Iyuv), he neglected to mention the true concept that is reminiscent of that other idea he was discussing, which is the popular Hindu concept of reincarnation.

R’ Crescas’ relation to Kabbala seems to be more similar to that of the Sefer Ikrim and the Abrabanel among many others. They respected it, and even looked into what was available, learned through the Sefer Hazohar, but did not consider themselves Kabbalists. The Abrabanel writes of himself, “Eini Mei’anshei Hachachma Hahi”, althoug he does discuss the Sfiros and different ideas from Sifrei Kabbala. In other words, he didn’t say, Oh I have no idea what this means. But, it wasn’t his expertise. The Chinuch mentions the existance of Kabbala, Mekubalim, and that they have much better reasons for the Mitzvos than his.

Keep in mind that there were people behind you, and you are hurting them unjustly if you let people ahead of you.

Derech, doesn’t he preface that paragraph with, “If you believe the letter…”?

The Kasha from Reb Avraham Ben Harambam is a strong one, besides it sure does sound a bit too fantastic. It comes together with Aristotle meeting a Jewish sage and regretting everything, the Gra overhearing a Chassid and changing his mind, Reb Moshe de Leon admitting quietly that he made it all up (at least the parts that he had), among other conspriracy stories some people like conspiracies and some don’t.

I personally have the approach of another conspiracy, that the Rambam knew Kabbalah, like his friend, the ibn Ezra, and as the Raavad assumed he did. Reb Reuven Margalis showed parallels. That’s what the second letter suggests. The Migdal Oz also mentions having seen that second letter, or something similar.

Anyone know of a real Hedyot?

You probably mean Rav Saadya Gaon.

Rav Crescas actually says that although it doesn’t make sense to him, since they say that according to Kabbala it exists he’ll accept it.

Sam, I purposely chose free will, since that is an Ikkar according to the Rambam but not all that important according to everyone else. The Chovos Halevavos quotes those who don’t hold of it, and doesn’t toss it out the window. The Maharal says regarding the Maase Hashem’s Shita of Siluk Yedia, that it is better to hold there is no Bechira. The Rambam himself doesn’t make it into an Ikkar, only S’char Ve’onesh. Although, the Gemara Bava Basra does say that saying Barasa Tzadikim Barasa Reshaim is not correct.

I didn’t call Gilgul an Ikkar in Judaism, but tossing out the words of plenty Rishonim and most Achronim and the Zohar Hakadosh as a Goyish idea, does bump with an Ikkar.

Sam, why can’t they just rip out that passage? Reb Chaim Keniyevsky said that it must be that someone stuck that in there and the Rashash didn’t write it. To tell you the truth, I like that approach very much, because the major Kasha is a non starter.

A Neshama is not an object that we can ask if it is here how can it be there.

There are different aspects and levels to a Neshama.

Gilgul can mean different things and is a deeper topic.

If R”L the Neshama in question didn’t come to its place then we are Davenning that it get closer to its Tikkun Hashalem.

If the Niftar has enough Zechusim then they can intercede on the behalf of the living.