Management Styles-Pinchas
The Chafetz Chayim extracted an essential lesson from a certain historic event that took place at the time of World War I. Disbanding an Army Before the outbreak of the war, the city of Memel was subject to a somewhat precarious circumstance. Technically, it was a German city – that is, its inhabitants were German, its language was German, and its culture was German. But it was [...]
The Complete Cow-Parshas Chukas-Balak
One of the devices employed to make halachic determinations is the notion of “rov (majority),” whereby a matter of doubt can be resolved by considering and drawing from the majority of relevant cases. This idea can be illustrated by the classic Talmudic discussion (Chullin 11a), which seeks the source for this rule. It finds it from none other than the section of the parah adumah (red cow), featured in the beginning of this [...]
A Lasting Argument-Korach
How long does an argument “last”? This matter is addressed by Chazal in a familiar teaching that compares and contrasts the disputes of some very different figures. A Tale of Two Disputes The Mishnah states (Avos 5:17): כָּל מַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם, וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם אֵין סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. אֵיזוֹ הִיא מַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלוֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלוֹקֶת קֹרַח וְכָל [...]
The “Heart” of Emunah-Shelach
In a landmark dissertation that opens the sefer Kovetz Ma’amarim, R’ Elchonon Wasserman expounds on some fundamental aspects of emunah (faith). Believing – with the Heart He begins with Chazal’s exposition on a passuk from the end of this week’s parshah, which states: “V’lo sasuru acharei levavchem – Do not go astray after your heart” (Bamidbar 15:39). The Gemara interprets this as an injunction against harboring heretical beliefs (Berachos 12b). At first glance, it seems [...]
Mutually Exclusive-Beha’aloscha
Something changed at Har Sinai. Now, that is an understatement, of course. A lot of things changed at Har Sinai, most notably the fact that Klal Yisrael now received and became obligated in fulfilling the Torah. But Chazal tell us that there were a number of additional sweeping changes that came about in connection with the grand event of the Revelation at Sinai. Forfeiting the Gift Among [...]
