Month: December 2016 – ו׳ בכסלו תשע״ז

We have already written several times about the evil of fictitious, pro forma observance of Judaism.

I cannot find it now, but it appears Rabbi Akiva Eiger (in his published letters) criticized the evasion of obligatory fasts by making a siyum (such as Taanis Bechoros on Erev Pesach). Was it the content of the Jewish books completed, the timing, or is the very dispensation itself invalid?

Obviously, this is not meant as pesak but as an opening for further study.

To answer the question, there is no need to quote the speeches ‘innocently’ noting that Mashiach’s name is Menachem, or referring to his synagogue as a model of the Beis Hamikdash (!), and various other ‘hints’. The matter can be clarified through an oral tradition of a conversation with ‘Rabbi Moshe Breslover’…

Rabbi Moshe was once asked about the numerous times Rabbi Nachman of Breslov refers to the one, True Tzaddik. To whom does this refer? The rabbi answered wth a question, of course. When Yosef interpreted Pharoah’s dreams, he ends “and now you must find a wise and discerning second-in-command” And what is Pharoah’s response? “And Pharoah said to to his servants: is there another man so Divinely inspired as he?!” Now you tell me: how did Pharoah know whom Yosef meant…?

— What was obvious to even Pharaoh should be obvious to you too.

End of conversation. Now, the Lubavitcher Rebbe spoke quite a lot about Mashiach. That suffices.

להלן שיחת הרב יום טוב חשין שליט”א. רשמית הוא עוסק בנושא של משיחיות וכדומה, אך שזורים בו כמה דברי תורה וחכמה. למשל, רוחניות לא זהה עם יהדות, אין בתורה הכחשת מציאות כדי ליישב קושיות על התורה – והמקורות הנראים כסותרים, האם “אסור” לעולם בדוקא בלשון חז”ל, פנינים על ש”צ, האם ברסלב נגד השימוש בשכל, האם תיתכן חכמה ללא קדושה, ועוד.

הנה:

Some claim that to Chazal (and scripture) the dwelling of the intellect is the heart, and wisdom, or ‘counsel’ is from the kidneys. The brain, as per Aristotle, is (unknown or) unimportant.

I respond thus:

כמדומה אני שאין לו מח בקדקדו