The רב of סלוצק was tormented by people in his קהילה who were constantly complaining and making him miserable. His family suggested that they move to another town, but he refused, saying: "There are seven levels of גיהינום. Isn't one enough? Why seven? The answer is that with the passage of time man naturally adapts
A רב once chided a member of his קהילה for failing to be מקיים the מצוה of הכנסת אורחים. The embarassed man responded that it wasn't really up to him. His wife didn't want guests and he didn't invite them so as to maintain שלום בית. He then said that this was in keeping with
When ר׳ שלמה דייכס, a prominent and wealthy member of the Jewish community in Krakow, was called up for מפטיר of פרשת תרומה, he placed special emphasis on the words והשם נתן חכמה לשלמה. The רב of Krakow, ר׳ שמעון סופר, observed: השם נתן והשם לקח.
A מגיד who came to speak in a small town booked a room in an inn, but had to share it with another traveler. Exhausted from a long day of travel and speaking to the ציבור, he went to bed dying to sleep. Unfortunately, his roommate had other ideas. He said תהילים until early morning,
After speaking briefly with a משולך from ארץ ישראל who said he was collecting for a כולל, the רב asked him for his name. דן he replied. "You’re a גנב," the רב said. "דן and גנב are both 54 in gematria," he said. “But רב,” the משולך protested, “דן is 54 but גנב is 55!”
A שוחט sought advice from ר׳ איזיל חריף about a שידוך that had been proposed for his daughter. “The boy comes from a fine family,” he said, but he has a חסרון that he’s very quiet. He’s שותק על המידה. If only he would be a בקי במלאכת השחיטה.״ The רבי responded: “שותק עדיף משוחט.
How is it that אדם was warned that he would die if he ate from the עץ הדעת, but he was merely exiled from גן עדן? Because שולח של אדם כמותו.
When רבי יהושע לייב דיסקין was a child, his father wanted to impress upon him the meaning of ה׳ אחד. The little boy told him that he knows that ה׳ is אחד. When his father asked how he knew, he responded: “We learnt מלא כל הארץ כבודו. Therefore, since His honor fills the entire world,
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch observed: "Ever since German rabbis became doctors, Judaism hasn't been feeling so well."
If you don’t have time to daven, go to the tefilah on your smart phone and press Send.
