This past weekend I realized that I was singing out loud for no particular reason other than that I was happy. I do not remember the last time I was singing out loud in public, which is a good thing since I cannot sing. It hit me that I was so happy to be learning Torah that I didn’t care how bad I sounded because I was too happy to hold it in.
Over the past 3 months we have been learning Gemara and there was one part that just did not make any sense. We asked the Rabbi’s here and the question was such a good question that we tabled it in order to answer other questions. Three other Yeshiva guys and me were struggling all morning with this question and right before lunch we figured out pashot (the simple understanding) in the Gemara. If anyone wants to look inside the question is in Bava Kama, daf 20, amud 1. Basically the Gemara explains that a Rabbi was asked a good question, which was, “If someone lives in an apartment without the owner knowing, should he have to pay rent.” Obviously this question needs clarification, so the Gemara offers some suggestions for what the scenario is.
1 – The owner of the apartment normally does not rent his apartment and the person squatting normally does not rent. This scenario is shot down because the answer is too obviously that since the owner of the apartment does not lose anything and the squatter does not benefit he does not have to pay.
2 - The owner of the apartment normally does rent his apartment and the person squatting normally does rent. This scenario is shot down because the answer is too obviously that since the owner of the apartment is losing potential rent and the squatter benefits from living in the apartment he has to pay.
3 - The owner of the apartment normally does not rent his apartment and the person squatting normally rents. This scenario is accepted as a good question because the owner of the apartment does not lose anything, but the squatter benefits from living in the apartment. The Gemara continues with trying to figure out what the answer is to this question.
The Gemara never gives answers that will be obviously shot down so there must be some reason that both the first and second scenario was not obvious. There is also a concept in Jewish law that when a person doesn’t lack anything from someone else’s benefit they cannot charge for the benefit because that is what the inhabitants of Sodom did, and their city was destroyed by Hashem.
The question is two-fold. What is the reason that both the first and second scenario is not obvious, and also why is the scenario of the owner lacking but the squatter not benefiting not mentioned?
I would love to tell you the answer but you get credit from Hashem for learning Torah not for knowing answers, but rather for struggling to understand the answer for yourself.
When something is in the back of your head for three months and you just do not understand what is going on and then you finally figure it out, and you did it yourself, it is an amazing feeling.
These are some pictures from two of the simchas we have had recently. I could not find any pictures with me in them and I know people, well at least my family, want to see me. I asked the camera guy to take a picture of me last night so I could post a recent picture of me but that one is not off his camera yet. As soon as I get it on my computer I will post it.
This is a picture of one of the students signing his ketuva.
This is a picture of the newly married couples escort from the bimah.
This is another picture of us dancing around the couple.
These next two pictures are of a vort. One of the former students here is getting married in June and he had a party here before he left. It is a mitzvah to make the groom and bride happy so these pictures are of Rabbis and students trying to make the groom happy. The first is our holy Rabbi Farber dancing and the second is a bunch of crazy students making a human pyramid.
3 comments:
I was glad to hear how happy you are in Israel. It is a wonderful place and I hope you will always be happy in life. I LOVE YOU! M
Mom XOXO
Singing in the street? What are you some kind of Chasid?
What does the gemarah say about a man who rents a place, promises to pay monthly rental for a year and, after one month, refuses to pay more, steals bezek equipment in the owner's name, doesn't pay for the electricity or municipality fees (which are in the owner's name), gets his mother, deaf sister and ex-wife to move in with him and his two kids. The civil courts say he can't be moved as his mother is on welfare (he has a job). So what does gemarah say?
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