12
votes
Accepted
Bish'vili nivra ha'olam/Anochi afar Papers
This practice was advocated (possibly first suggested) by R. Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, as brought in his name in the collection of Hassidic Torah and lore entitled 'Siach Sarfe Kodesh' (n. 233):
...
- 11.8k
11
votes
Discriminatory charity
I have a guess with no source (yet):
The "own town" rule is a mechanism for making sure that no one falls through the cracks. If people donated based on some other criterion, let's say urgency of ...
- 46.9k
11
votes
Accepted
Learning Alei Shur Part I or II first?
Ultimately it boils down to what subject matter you find most interesting.
The first cheilek is largely instructive in how best to achieve self growth whilst the second cheiliek goes into more detail ...
- 21.4k
10
votes
Accepted
Jewish saying: "To be lenient when you should be firm is to be cruel when you could be kind."?
This is a midrash from Kohelet Rabbah 7:16, Tanhuma, Parashat Mezora,1; Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Chapter 121 and the Rambam in Guide for the Perplexed Part 3, Chapter 39. See also Me’am Loez ...
- 42.1k
9
votes
Accepted
Exact text from Rav Eliyahu Lopian's "Lev Eliyahu" citing a story about the Chofetz Chaim
לב אליהו חכמה ומוסר עמ' רסב
בשם החפץ חיים ז"ל: "נודע בשערים בעלה בשבתו עם זקני ארץ". התורה נקראת "אשת חיל", א"כ מי הוא הבעל של "אשת חיל? - הת"ח העוסק בתורה! והנה יש לך ת"ח כשמדברים אתו בד"ת מביא ...
- 6,097
9
votes
How to maintain devotion to Hashem in a low period in one's life?
You ask this question on the Friday of parasha Tzav. In a dvar Torah on that parasha, the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Likkutei Sichot vol I, pp. 217-219, cited in R Sachs' Torah studies p. 159) comments on the ...
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9
votes
Accepted
How should the 23rd judge vote?
As noted in this question, Ohr HaChaim to Shemot 23:2 writes that the 23rd judge must vote guilty, as he believes, even though that will result in the accused going free.
He explains the reason ...
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8
votes
Examples of Rabbis who had strong disagreements and were amicable
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook and Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld were practically polar opposites in terms of hashkafa (for example, in response to Rabbi Kook setting up the Eretz Yisrael Chief Rabbinate, ...
- 21.3k
8
votes
What is an overview of Judaism's arguments against the "unconscious violinist" analogy used to support abortion in the case of rape?
Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488 - 1575)states in Shulchan Aruch, (The Code of Jewish Law) that if a physician is able to heal a patient and refrains from doing so, this is considered murder. Yoreh Deah, 336:1
...
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8
votes
What exactly is the Mussar movement and how does it differ from mainstream Judaism?
The musar movement is mostly associated with Rabbi Yisra'el Salanter and his students. There is a lot that could be said about it, but I will write mostly about the more controversial aspects and ...
- 23.8k
7
votes
Accepted
Aside from the Mitzvah "to be fruitful and multiply" why else should a Jewish person want to get married?
The Gmara in Yebamot (63a) says that an unmarried man is not a man:> א"ר אלעזר כל אדם שאין לו אשה אינו אדם שנאמר(בראשית ה, ב) זכר ונקבה בראם ויקרא את שמם אדם
And that a man without a woman is unhappy,...
- 975
7
votes
Is it good to engage in exceptional cases where it is permissible to do a typically forbidden action to which one has a taivah for
Shabbat 156a
האי מאן דבמאדים יהי גבר אשיד דמא אמר רבי אשי אי אומנא אי גנבא אי טבחא אי מוהלא אמר רבה אנא במאדים הורי אמר אביי מר נמי עניש וקטיל
‘He who is born under Mars will be a shedder of ...
- 48.2k
7
votes
Accepted
Is there a master list(s) of Middot?
The Sefer Orchos Tzaddikim speaks about the following character traits:
גאוה - Pride/Arrogance
ענוה - Humility
בושה - Shame
עזות - Brazenness
אהבה - Love
שנאה - Hate
רחמים - Mercy
אכזריות - Cruelty
...
- 21.4k
6
votes
How does Jewish Law look upon the concept of Abgefeimt?
There is a grest deal of Jewish literature on Business Ethics.
But to the point of your question see this article at Jewish Law from where I abstracted this quote under
HONESTY IN THE MARKETPLACE....
- 46.1k
6
votes
What the Bal Shem Tov Said
Source in Jewish Literature
The Talmud (kiddushin 70b) states that one who stigmatizes another is guilty of the same:
ותני: כל הפוסל - פסול, ואינו מדבר בשבחא לעולם, ואמר שמואל: במומו פוסל
He who ...
- 34.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Mussar seforim written by gentiles
In Benjamin Franklin's diary (see pg 38, 39), there is a discussion of making a weekly chart where each row is one of 13 virtues, and each column is a day of the week. That gives you a box for how you ...
- 8,985
6
votes
Accepted
Mussar work by Chacham Ovadia
The only works actually written by R. Ovadia that contain mussar are:
Anaf Etz Avot (anthology of commentaries/stories on Tractate Avot
Me’or Israel vol. 3 (collection of sermons and eulogies)
...
- 11.8k
6
votes
How should the 23rd judge vote?
Sanhedrin 17a (translation modified from Sefaria):
אמר רב כהנא סנהדרי שראו כולן לחובה פוטרין אותו מ"ט כיון דגמירי הלנת דין למעבד ליה זכותא והני תו לא חזו ליה
Rav Kahana says: In a Sanhedrin ...
- 23.8k
6
votes
Accepted
Is improving one's middot a mitzvah?
Sefer Hachinuch Mitsva 611
מצוה ללכת ולהדמות בדרכי השם יתברך - שנצטוינו לעשות כל מעשינו בדרך הישר
והטוב בכל כחנו, ולהטות כל דברינו אשר בינינו ובין זולתנו, על דרך החסד
והרחמים, כאשר ידענו מתורתנו שזהו ...
- 22.4k
5
votes
How can I curb my sexual desire?
Rav Nachum Rabinovitch in his Shu"t Siach Nachum (p.308) suggests not obsessing about it ("v'afilu lo lshem charata uteshuva" - "even not in the interest of regret and repentance") and instead ...
- 17.3k
5
votes
How can I curb my sexual desire?
(Brachos Daf 5a)
R. Levi bar Chama : A person should always arouse his Yetzer Tov to fight his Yetzer ha'Ra ,
1. If he does not overpower his Yetzer ha'Ra, he should learn Torah
2. If he still ...
- 1,457
5
votes
How can I curb my sexual desire?
picture how the girl would look like if her skin were peeled off.
You would absolutely throw up just looking at her.
now consider that the "beauty" is only skin-deep - literally.
that ought to cool ...
- 482
5
votes
Accepted
What's a musar vaad and why is it called that?
Generally a Mussar Vaad provides a more intense and personal level of engagement with an eye to self improvement, thus it usually consists of a small group of students.
A Mussar Vaad can take many ...
- 15.2k
5
votes
Kibbud Av v'Eim Seforim
ArtScroll has a book titled "The Fifth Commandment" that sounds like it might be what you're looking for.
- 6,713
5
votes
How to maintain devotion to Hashem in a low period in one's life?
By learning a little bit of Sha'ar HaBitahhon everyday.
- 7,373
5
votes
The Orchos Tzaddikim in Shaar HaSimcha: What does Purim have to do with remembering the Exodus?
In the commentary of Alei Orach on Orchos Tzadikim, he suggests:
1 - "כולם" is referring to all but Purim.
2 - On Purim we accepted the Torah voluntarily, "קימו וקיבלו היהודים" which was the ultimate ...
- 6,048
5
votes
Accepted
Need to cite sources
(In contrast with MY,) there is no clear requirement to cite sources. However, there are very important reasons to do so. We read in Pirkei Avot 6:6:
והתורה נקנית בארבעים ושמונה דברים, ואלו הן: [...] ...
- 7,100
5
votes
Accepted
What defines a person who is circumcised "of the heart"?
This is the subject of the fourth discourse of the the Alter Rebbe in the fourth section of the Tanya called Igeret HaKodesh.
He explains that process of circumcising the heart is to remove ones ...
- 12.5k
5
votes
Importance of coming on time for davening
I once heard a true story (it might have been in one of Rabbi Paysach Krohn's books).
There was this man who came late every day to shul. One day the Rabbi asked him, "I can see that you come to ...
- 701
5
votes
Accepted
What is good mussar one should learn daily?
There are several options as far as daily mussar learning
Mesilas Yesharim - To quote Rav Wolbe zt"l (Alei Shur, Vol 1, perek 12, 'Limmud Mussar'):
המסילת ישרים מגדיר את כל המדות הדרושות לנו, ...
- 21.4k
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