Wednesday
September 15 2010
7 Tishrei 5771; 3 Days to Yom Kippur
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1) After receiving forgiveness from the people that we hurt, there are still 24 things (Brought by Rabbeinu Yonah in Sharei Teshuva, end of Sha'ar Rishon in the name of Chazal. They can also be found more at length in the Rambam Perek 4 of Hilchos Teshuva. The original source for this seems to be a Tosefta) that are Me'Akev - that prevent- proper Teshuva from being attained. Obviously it is best to try and make sure that we don't have any of these impediments in our day to day lives, so we can assure that our Teshuva is easily attained and properly accepted by Hashem.
Most of these things are probably not relevant to most of the people reading this, but it is still Halacha, and can be used as a catalyst for Teshuva in the area in which we do indeed need rectification.
2) The 24 obstacles to Teshuva are: (Loose translation. It would be too lengthy to delve into the details of each one. If you have any questions as to the definitions, or details of each one, please feel free to contact me)
1) One who frequently spreads Rechilus (slanderer)
2) One who regularly speaks Lashon Hara (Gossiper)
3) One who gets angry quickly
4) One whose bad (impure) thoughts control him
5) Being connected to a Rasha (evildoer)
6) Taking from food that isn't sufficient for its owner
7) Gazing at Arayos (members of the opposite gender, including iproper photos, websites etc. with sinful intent)
8) Partnering with a thief
9) One who says "I will sin and repent afterwards" or " I will sin and Yom Kippur will atone for the sin"
10) One who derives honor [and pleasure] from his fellow man's humiliation.
11) One who separates him/herself from the Tzibbur (congregation).
12) One who ridicules his forefathers and/or teachers
13) One who curses the public
14) One who prevents a group of people from doing a Mitzvah
15) One who causes another Jew to leave the good path and take a bad path [of living not according to the Torah]
16) One who uses the pillow of a poor person [i.e. causes a poor person to lose the use of any of his meager possessions]
17) One who accepts bribes in order to skew and distort justice from prevailing.
18) One who finds a lost object and doesn't [try and] return it to its proper owner.
19) One who sees their child going off the [Torah] path, and doesn't admonish them. (A Rav should be consulted for the best way to deal with each specific child.)
20) One who eats [i.e. usurps] the food [i.e. livelihood] of poor people, orphans or widows.
21) One who argues [and does an action] against the will of the sages.
22) One who accuses good people of doing wrong [without proper proof or reason]
23) One who hates [and cannot accept constructive] criticism.
24) One who ridicules all or some of the Mitzvos of the Torah [or those instituted by the sages]
question
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER
Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers. Taken from the Q & A pages on the Halacha For Today website.
Although the answers I give to questions are taken directly from the Sifrei HaPoskim, and aren't my own, they are still for study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha.
Questions can be emailed to HalachaForToday@Yahoo.com
Reader's Question:
Do men have halachos of Tzniyus (modesty)?
Is having sheva brachos (or other gathering) with men and women who arent married not at separate tables halachicaly wrong or is it just a sensitivity?
Answer:
Of course men have Hilchos Tzniyus!
It just manifests itself in different ways than women. (See Halachos for August 13 2008 and on)
Tzniyus is an attitude.
Tziyus is a way of life.
Tzniyus is in how we act, how we talk, how we interact with one another, how we behave in public, how we behave in private, how we think, how we dream, who we are friends with, who our role models are, who we respect, who we look up to, how we raise our children, which music we listen to, which publications we bring into our home and read, etc. etc.
Regarding the Sheva Brachos, men and women, should not sit at the same tables, and should preferably have a Mechitza (or at least some visible separation such as a buffet table etc. dividing them).
Though this isn't necessarily strict Halacha, it can definitely lead to many Halachic problems if they arent separated properly.
Also, even if it's only a "sensitivity" issue, it should still be avoided for that reason.
Tzniyus issues apply to single people as well as to married people, perhaps even more so.
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rAV sHACH SPEAKING
CHIZUK CORNER
As a Zechus for the Refuah Shelaima of one of the Gedolei HaDor, the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Stein Shlita, R' Chaim Yaakov ben Chasya Miriam, B'soch Sha'ar Cholei Yisroel, we will B'Ezras Hashem post here each day a short Chizuk thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
קוה אל ד', חזק ויאמץ לבך, וקוה אל ד'
Chizuk For Today:
Question: What should we think when we see the fish during Tashlich?
Answer from HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
You know what I think?
When you pass a fish store and see the fish in the window, there's a good time to stop and look, don't wait for Tashlich. The fish in the window come from the ocean. That fish comes together without Shadchonim, they're Porim V'rovim Bayom, they get married in the ocean and they produce offspring, and it's for one purpose, to give us more fish to eat. It's a Nes, how fish meet each other in the depths of the ocean and they're able to copulate, and produce some more fish, it's a Niflaos Haborei, you have to marvel at it.
The fish doesn't have any air and still it breathes with its lungs. It's able to take out from the water the dissolved oxygen, fish must have oxygen. They are so built that they can use oxygen dissolved in the water and it lives without lungs, except the lungfish. And so when you look at a fish, it's a special Briah, Chesed Hashem.
Fish of course is a Taanug, that's why all Jews eat fish on Shabbos, it's part of the happiness of Shabbos in order to learn the Chesed Hashem.
And so I say, you don't have to wait for Tashlich, when you pass a fish store and see big juicy fish lying there, a big carp, a big salmon, a big trout, take a half second and take a look. AAH; what a wonder it is that it happened in the middle of the ocean, they came together and produced such tasty tidbits for the people to enjoy and to appreciate the Chesed Hashem.
Taken from the weekly "A Moment with Rav Avigdor Miller" email. To subscribe Click Here.
Our holy sages, the Chazal tell us
תנא דבי אליהו כל השונה הלכות בכל יום מובטח לו שהוא בן עולם הבא, שנאמר הליכות עולם לו, אל תקרי הליכות אלא הלכות
- one who studies [at least two] Halachos daily is assured a portion in Olam Haba - the world to come. (Talmud Niddah 73a)
Please visit my website www.HalachaForToday.com for archives, Kosher links, Questions and Answers,and other features. Halachos are for study purposes only, and should not be relied upon for final Psak. See Halacha L'Maaseh Disclaimer Here. I welcome all questions on any topic, anytime! Help spread the word of Hashem!
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