WIY

Torah613

I dont know which Mekubal you went to but if a legitimate Mekubal said you are a Yiras shomayim thats a big deal. Just dont let it get you your head but its very chashuv.

All dead members type the letter I

groisnaches

Well if one doesn’t keep the Torah properly then it is likely bad things will befall him, if someone is not keeping the Torah and bad things are not befalling him it is because he is so far gone (at least he has no interest of ever changing although there’s always the chance to do Teshuva) that Hashem is giving him his reward on this world or he is getting reward based on zechus avos or something.

I am not discussing the ultimate reward for mitzvos which is in Olam Haba but there is a certain good life that Hashem promises to those who keep the Torah properly. Nobody says this is easy but those who keep the Torah properly and try hard usually have a generally good life. I am not saying there arent exceptions and obviously there is Tzadik v’Ra lo but it takes a lot to be on the madreiga of being a “Tzadik” that we should apply this to him.

“How good is good enough? There are people who go mad hoping that if they continuously improve, their dreams will be realized and then they are not. This sometimes pushes them totally off, mentally and religiously. Not good.”

I dont know how good good enough is, but people today have set very low standards of good. There are many people walking around thinking they are good Jews because they do some things right. That doesnt make you a good Jew. If you do aveiros on a regular basis, things that you know you shouldnt do but dont try to change, or things that you dont know you shouldnt do because you never open a sefer you arent a good Jew. And for all the people who think they are wonderful but their wives and daughters dress like I dont want to say what you arent a good Jew and if you wife and children generally arent keeping the Torah they should and you havent tried to help the situation or allowed it to happen you arent a good Jew.

So being good means keeping the Torah, all of it, or rather whatever mitzvos are still applicable from the 613 bizman Hazeh. But the truth is its not enough to keep the mitzvos, they also need to be done with a positive attitude. Hashem doesnt need anyones “favors” and Hashem has no need for mitzvos done by rote or worse, with an “attitude” or in a bored disinterested fashion.

Being a Torah Jew requires a lot of effort and study, so no its not easy, but it is required by Hashem, that is what he wants. He didnt say “only do the ones you feel like doing” they are all binding and obligatory. However if someone is a Baal Teshuvah or went off the derech and is coming back obviously it needs to be done gradually, but for everyone else you gotta keep all of it to the best of your abilities.

Fortheloveoftorah

No offense to you and I dont want to discourage you from your project, however you cant write a book about Gedolim stories without knowing the sources you are getting them from and confirming that all details are true. You cant take a collection of stories posted here by anonymous people and use that for a book. Thats gives your book zero credibility and is an embarrassment to the memory of the Gadol that you are writing about. No regular person wouldnt want such a book about himself, let alone a Gadol Byisroel!

fortheloveoftorah

Thank you very much for these inspiring stories! Btw the one with Rav Chatzkel Levenstein was actually with Rav Yechezkel Abramsky.

When the practice of ritual slaughter was under attack in Great Britain, the famed Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky was called to court in its defense.

The judge read from the deposition which lay before him: “Rabbi Abramsky,” said the judge, “it says here that you are the foremost authority of Jewish Law in the British Empire. Is that true?”

“That is true, your honor.”

“And that you are the most eloquent spokesman for Jewish Law in the British Empire?”

“That is also true, your honor.”

“It also says here that you are the most senior rabbi in the British Empire. Is that correct?”

“That is correct, your Honor.”

Taken aback by the Rabbi’s straight-forward responses, the judge said, “Rabbi Abramsky, how do you resolve your answers with the Talmudic teachings of humility?”

“It is indeed a problem, your honor,” said the Rabbi. “But I’m under oath.”

R’ Noach Weinberg was really an introvert, but he saw a need in Klal Yisroel and therefore changed his nature. He also started 8 yeshivos before Aish HaTorah. When he went to get a brocho from his Rav, I think it was Rav Hutner, the Rav gave him three pieces of advice. He followed the first two, but only suceeded when he listened to the third which wasn’t to take on partners.

Regarding Rabbi Weinberg I heard that he was such an introvert that after speaking publicly he used to get sick he would be knocked out for hours! Truly extraordinary mesiras nefesh!

yosefc18

From my own experience you cant start liking or loving Gemara until you get decently good at it. Getting decently good at it requires a lot of time and effort trying to break your head to understand Gemara Rashi and Tosafos if you are up to that. No book or sefer will get you to love Gemara although it may help you appreciate the Gadlus of the mitzva of limud Hatora. I recommend you ask your Rabbeim this question as they are the ones who should be asked this question. I dont want to judge you or your Rabbeim but it is odd that this is where you turn with this question when you have Rabbeim, Meishivs, Mashgiach, Kollel Yungerleit, fellow Bachurim who love to learn, Rosh Yeshiva…to ask this to.

BaalHabooze

Who says they wouldn’t have eventually? Thats why Hashem kicked them out of the Gan to stop them from eating from the eitz hachaim. Also, there was no attraction to it because they werent forbidden from eating of it and they would have gotten around to it eventually.

Lets look at the sequence of events, in the first hour, his [Adam’s] dust was gathered; in the second, it was kneaded into a shapeless mass. In the third, his limbs were shaped; in the fourth, a soul was infused into him; in the fifth, he arose and stood on his feet; in the sixth, he gave [the animals] their names; in the seventh, Eve became his mate; in the eighth, they ascended to bed as two and descended as four; in the ninth, he was commanded not to eat of the tree, in the tenth, he sinned. This all happened in a few short hours so really he may have eaten from the eitz hachaim eventually given the time to do so.

YehudahTzvi

Lots of great advice here, also allow me to recommend a site that has some amazing resources for Daf learners like outlines charts graphs and more.

http://www.dafyomi.co.il/

Here is another good resource:

http://daf-yomi.org/

apushatayid

What exactly are the Halachic guidelines of when you do and dont have to listen?

you are 1000% right. This guy had no business being there. Hes like the Tzaddikim that block my driveway to go Daven in the Shul on my block. Gneiva, chutzpah, Mitzva habbah beaveirah amongst other things…

If these are the concerns then the shtreimel has no meaning no offense.

Scooter

If your son knows the mesechtos that he previously finished, then pick one he knows well and get an English of that masechta (or yiddish if thats his mother tongue and he will understand it better these can be baught at seforim stores) if he doesnt know any masechta that well then do Pirkei Avos as that is something he will find to be interesting. Whatever you choose make sure you get the grandfather a version with a translation. The Artscroll Yad Avraham are excellent.

Umayynn!!!

Getaclue

There can be a number of possible reasons why you are still out there. Some of this may be blunt but I am not accusing just throwing out possibilities.

1. Your parents may not be saying yes to the right types of boys so you are dating boys who arent your type or arent looking for the same type of life you are looking for. This can be either because your parents dont really get what you are looking for, you dont get what you need and are telling your parents you need a type of boy which isnt really for you or because your parents want a certain type of boy or family that fits whatever picture they have in their head that they want for their daughter and what fits your family and therefore are saying no to potentially good shidduchim.

2. You are too picky.

3. Your parents arent speaking to the right shadchanim.

4. You are possibly giving off the wrong impression on dates (either coming off too frum when you are regular or coming off modern when you are regular…)

5. You arent opening up enough on dates and not sharing enough.

6. Its simply not your time yet for whatever reason Hashem deems it which isfor your ultimate good (thats if all the hishtadlus and what not is being done correctly)

7. Your parents arent being openminded enough and are saying no for silly reasons or are not doing enough research to see if the guy can be for you. For example lets say your family is yeshivish so your parents wont listen to any shidduch thats from a heimish or chassidish background and maybe your bashert is somewhat chassidish or vice versa…Or y.ou are short and refuse to date tall guys or vice versa…

8. You may not like this but if you are attractive as you say, a picture speaks a 1000 words, when your parents email your resume make sure theres a good picture attached. You dont know how much this can help. Whether you like it or not people dont believe when they hear someone is attractive because unfortunately (and I know from first hand experience) that everyone has a different idea of attractive and many girls who were mentioned to me as attractive I found to be unattractive as soon as I saw the picture. But the truly attractive girls were attractive on the picture as well. Take my word for it attach a picture to every resume you email.

9. Make sure you have the right people as references for you. I know of stories where the friends were not presenting the girl or guy in a positive enough light or were making them sound like people that they arent (either much frummer or much less frum than they are based on what they think the person wants to hear…)

Im sure I can think of more. At the end of the day remember there are a lot of single girls out there and most young guys (under 25) will want to date the 19- 20 year olds.

Dont make your parents crazy but make sure they are working the phones at least a few times a week calling shadchanim. The only way to be on the mind of a shadchan is to have your parents talk to him/her regularly so that your name is on his/her tongue.

Midwesterner

It is just a minhag not a chiyuv so one has no obligation to hear every word (I asked a Rabbi not my opinion). Therefore one may got to a place that leins it fast although I agree if you cant catch most of what the baal korei is saying it may be a waste of time.

Wolf

Why dont you wear one? Did you ask the Rav if you should be wearing one or did he tell you not to wear one?

curiosity

I am no big mathematician so I googled the problem and was easily able to get the answer which I wont post.

Although there are many illegal driveways in Brooklyn and technically one can block it I dont know of anyone that treats them as normal parking spots and it becomes accepted as a driveway. what does bug me is when people block legal driveways. its a chutzpah and it is gezel.

Sam2

Well it would have to be an exact 24 hours and if Lechayim does it at some point after her husband comes home and he takes the lulav the next morning before Davening its only about 22 hours.

Why is my post being delayed? The site I recommended is manned by a choshuveh Rov by the name of Rabbi Shapiro. I think that website can save her Yiddishkiet please post thanks.

Toi

Oldie but goodie.

No one mourns

There are many reasons that bad things happen to a person. The first avenue to check is to see that your observance is in line. Also make sure you are careful with the big ones like Shabbos, Kashrus, Taharas Hamishpacha, tzedaka…

Ultimateskier

I dont want to take this thread off topic but as a general rule its a bad idea to make sweeping judgements about large segments or groups within any society. There are closed minded people in all walks of life and all sectors of Orthodoxy. I know of Yeshivish people that are open minded. Being open minded has a lot to do with what you have been exposed to so obviously there will be many closed minded yeshivish people because they havent been exposed to much else but there are plenty of open minded yeshivish people today. The world is changing and people are not in their little box as much as they used to be.

Loyal Jew

Eating a lot is not gezel unless you are eating someone elses food! If you paid for it and made a brocha its not gezel!

1. It could be just giving in to Tayva.

2. Destructive to the body which is against Venishmartem meod lnafshoseichem.

3. Possibly baal tashchis of the food if the person is no longer really enjoying it and just “fressing.”

4. A bad idea because it will make you unhealthy which will make your quality of life worse as well as make it harder to do anything including mitzvos.