Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 25th, 2020

The Gemara relates: A certain man would regularly say whenever involved in conflict: Adjudicate my case [dunu dini]. The Sages said: Learn from it that he descends from the tribe of Dan, as it is written: “Dan will judge [yadin] his people like one of the tribes of Israel” (Genesis 49:16). He expressed himself that way due to his lineage. The Gemara relates a similar incident: A certain man would regularly walk and say: The bushes on …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 24th, 2020

  Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: A person should never express a crude matter, as the formulation of a verse was distorted by the addition of eight letters rather than have it express a crude matter, as it is stated: “From the pure animals and from the animals that are not pure [asher einena tehora]” (Genesis 7:8). To avoid using the Hebrew term for impure [teme’a], which is four letters: Tet, mem, alef, heh, the verse repla …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 23rd, 2020

The Gemara quotes a verse in Iyov 24:14 as follows: לָא֡וֹר יָ֘ק֤וּם רוֹצֵ֗חַ יִֽקְטָל־עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וּ֝בַלַּ֗יְלָה יְהִ֣י כַגַּנָּֽב׃ The murderer arises in the evening  To kill the poor and needy,  And at night he acts the thief. This verse raises an important flag about zealotry. Whenever we find ourselves to excited about something we believe to be …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 22nd, 2020

A Broken Heart is More Whole   A dilemma was raised before the Sages: If one priest is ritually impure and another has a blemish, which of them should enter to perform repairs? Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi said that Rav said: The impure one should enter, as he is permitted to participate in communal service. If the entire community is ritually impure, even impure priests may perform the service, whereas blemished priests may not serve under any circ …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 20th, 2020

One may draw up wine from a barrel with a siphon [diyofei], and one may drip water from a vessel that releases water in drops [miarak], for an ill person on Shabbat. מַעֲלִין בִּדְיוֹפִי וּמַטִּיפִין מֵיאֶרֶק לַחוֹלֶה בַּשַּׁבָּת. Essentially the Gemara is discussing generating white noise to allow an ill person to fall asleep or stay asleep. This is an excellent technique for insomnia, li …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 20th, 2020

This Gemara discuses a well known principle of אין שבות במקדש there are no rabbinic restrictions within the Temple.  The basic understanding of why this is true, is because the Cohanim are zealous and thus would be unlikely to make a mistake (רבנו יהונתן ערובין קב א).  In Other words, the priest, especially in the Holy Temple site, do not require extra strength and cease to protect them from inadvertent vi …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 19th, 2020

  A harp string may be tied up in the Temple but not in the country. At the outset, it is prohibited in both.  קוֹשְׁרִין נִימָא בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, אֲבָל לֹא בַמְּדִינָה. אִם בַּתְּחִלָּה, כָּאן וְכָאן אָסוּר.  Tosafos Yom Tov in the Mishna notes that according to Rashi, whether it is permitted or not to tie the string of the harp if it breaks on shabbos depe …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 18th, 2020

The Daf Yomi of Eruvin 101b tells us a story about an argument that occurred at the synagogue of Tiberias. There is greater detail about this argument supplied from Gemara Yevamos 96b: אזל ר' אלעזר אמר לשמעתא בי מדרשא ולא אמרה משמיה דר' יוחנן שמע רבי יוחנן איקפד עול לגביה רבי אמי ור' אסי אמרו ליה לא כך היה המעשה בבית הכנסת של טבריא ב …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 17th, 2020

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Even if the Torah had not been given, we would nonetheless have learned modesty from the cat, which covers its excrement, and that stealing is objectionable from the ant, which does not take grain from another ant, and forbidden relations from the dove, which is faithful to its partner, and proper relations from the rooster, which first appeases the hen and then mates with it. What does the rooster do to appease the hen? Rav …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

November 16th, 2020

Reish Lakish said: One who expelled phlegm in front of his master has acted in a disrespectful manner and is liable for the punishment of death at the hand of Heaven, as it is stated: “All they who hate Me love death” (Proverbs 8:36). Do not read it as: “They who hate [mesanai] Me”; rather, read it as: “Those who make themselves hateful [masniai] to Me,” i.e., those who make themselves hateful by such a dischar …
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