Point #1
On the day that Rabbi Yehuda Ha'Nasi was dying, his devoted students and colleagues decreed a public fast and prayed for him. Furthermore, they announced that whoever said that Rabbi Judah was dead would be stabbed with a sword. Why? Because once the news spread, it would take an open miracle to bring him back to life (says the Shitah Mekubetzes). As long as the news wasn't announced, he could be brought back to life through tefilla! Amazing!
Point #2
We've been learning about the Metzora lately. The halacha is that the person, garment or house is not tamei until the kohen declares it tamei. Even if a talmid chacham who is an expert in the laws of tzoraas knows it is tzoraas, it only becomes tamei on the kohen's say-so.
Point #3
Many people don't go to a cemetery or drink wine for 30 days, so what makes a nazir a nazir and a kadosh? R' Tzadok explains that the nazir utters the words, “hareini nazir” (I am a nazir) and this creates the kedusha.
What makes one cow different than another? If a Jew said, “harei zu ola” (this animal is designated as an Olah sacrifice), now you have to be careful with this cow for there are special laws that pertain to it.
How do fruits become teruma and fit only for a kohen? By our setting it aside and designating it as teruma.
Point #4
In the book "Aleinu L'Shabeiach" Shemos p. 375-376 there is a story of someone very ill and a family member consulted with a rav who told them all would be fine. The man recovered and when the rav was later asked how he knew all would be well, he said: I have a tradition from my teachers that as long as the information is not conclusive and the doctors have not determined the diagnosis 100%, that means that in Heaven the outcome has not been determined with finality. The words a person uses have great power to determine what will happen. After a diagnosis, prayer can help but you need an open miracle. Fascinating!
People say the same thing about the "shidduch crisis". There are those who say that we have created a crisis by the use of the term; that everyone has plenty of opportunities to find their basherte and it is up to Hashem to send it and sometimes Hashem has a reason to hold back on it. By making statements such as, "there are not enough good boys" we may be creating that exact situation.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting. Haven't heard that we are creating the situation for that reason though I wonder how much all the articles and talks about psychological problems and acting out and kids from frum homes texting on Shabbos, is contributing to those problems.
ReplyDeleteThe self styled experts of the shidduch kingdom have declared that the situation will be as the person declares it. If they enter the parsha with the attitude that there are good possibilities waiting to be met, that will be their fate. If they enter the parsha figuring that the odds are stacked against them, the greater the chance that it will be.
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