Skip to main content

Taking It With You- Givat Shaul- Mishpatim- Eternal Life

The 24th of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shaul Halevi Mortorah (Mortira), Av Beis Din of Amsterdam, author of Givat Shaul (1660). It is the nature of all created beings to strive to continue to live, as we see when King Solomon insists that a lazy person learn about work from an ant, and when King David speaks of the bird searching for a home and security.

 

However, more than all other living things, it is man who searches for eternal life because he has an intellect. He therefore find all sorts of means to extend his life, cures, many clothes, large homes, all sorts of things that will protect him from death and bring him a longer life.


Even the righteous fear death. This can be because the righteous person worries for his children and his grandchildren and how they will continue to live after he dies. 


This can be because the righteous person wants to live as long as possible and increase his merit in the World to Come. 


This can also be because the righteous person is always concerned that he will lose his merit by sinning; he does not trust in his own righteousness.


It is therefore, the person who is searching for eternity, who should search for that which promises the most eternal life. In this is Torah. All the laws in this week’s portion, Mishpatim, are the keys to living an eternal life. (Opening paragraph of Givat Shaul on MIshpatim)


“Blessed is He, our Lord, Who created us for His glory, separated us from those who stray, gave us the Torah of truth and implanted eternal life within us.” 


We pray that we merit being able to access the Torah’s wisdom and laws so that we may merit to achieve eternal life through our actions in this life.



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Birchat Hamazon

By: Machberes Avodas Hashem The Chafetz Chaim taught: "At the conclusion of the main portion of Grace after Meals we add a series of,' May the All Merciful.' We add numerous such petitions, indicating that a request to God after the performance of a mitzvah is especially acceptable before Him (Michtevei haRav Chafetz Chaim, page 45)." One of the primary issues of the Exile is, "You wrapped Yourself in a cloud that no prayer can pierce (Lamentations 3:44)." It is more difficult to pray during the Three Weeks than other times during the year because we experience this "cloud." With COVID unfortunately around, this year proves to be even more difficult because our time in shul has changed drastically, and we have never experienced the pain of the three weeks while in a situation similar to the present state of the world. We can use this strategy of the Chafetz Chaim, that of praying immediately after the performance of a mitzvah, so that we may feel t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Creation

 All was destroyed during the month of Av. Creation began on Elul, and, so it will again. We recite this prayer for the New Month focusing on Creation. “God created the world in order to do good to an other (Derech Hashem 1:2:1).” Creation was an expression of absolute love, the “other” had done nothing to earn it. This is why Elul, the month of Creation is also the month of intense love between God and Israel. I recite this prayer imaging myself participating in the final Heavenly planning meetings before Creation. I am not praying as one who has already existed and experienced success and failure, but as one who has the opportunity to see the world before Creation, and request in this moment of intense love all that I could possibly need and want. I use this prayer to prepare for all my Elul prayers until the 25th of the month when Creation began. For what shall I ask? What will I need to succeed? How will I define success? What do I hope to achieve? Rabbi Simcha Weinberg
Post a Comment
Read more

Koneh Hakol

 In the first Blessing of the Amidah when it says Hashem is " Koneh Hakol " it does not mean Hashem bought it all, or He acquired it since He made it! The son of the Vilna Gaon quotes his father, as explaining  Koneh Hakol to mean He's Mitaken (fixing)  everything.  Therefore Hashem inserted in the creation the ability to fix everything! Which is what the Torah  refers to in the Parshas Lech Licha, in the verse about Avram Avinu being one that was a Mitaken , one who made things right, improved  ie. the of Heaven and Earth, וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר בָּר֤וּךְ אַבְרָם֙ לְאֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן קֹנֵ֖ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ  (Genesis, 14:19) He blessed him, saying, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. Concept shared by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, n''y (Parshas Lech Licha -10-25-2020)
Post a Comment
Read more