This Shabbos we discussed parsha Vayeira including commentary from Rav Yeager. David Schlessinger led discussion.
We started off asking an interesting question of what we should do if required to work on Shabbos. Should we quit our jobs? Perhaps we should establish communication with our employer when being hired about our need to have religious days off. Perhaps we can take vacation time, or offer to work extra on Sunday or on a Christian holiday instead. David mentioned that if we absolutely must work on Shabbos, we should try to avoid specific prohibited work, such as writing.
What if we own our own business and it seems like it would cost us money to shut down on Shabbos? Dave W shared about some people he knows who made the decision to observe the Shabbos with their business, and ended up making even more money than they would have anyhow.
What if we own our own business and it seems like it would cost us money to shut down on Shabbos? Dave W shared about some people he knows who made the decision to observe the Shabbos with their business, and ended up making even more money than they would have anyhow.
The lesson that Dave W brings up is to have faith, and realize that everything ultimately comes from Hashem. It requires some faith in Hashem to close our business on Shabbos. However, if we don’t work on Shabbos, it brings us up spiritually. And with help from Hashem, this spiritual uplifting will carry over into increased productivity at work during the week.
When we are not working, we often engage in Torah study. Brett commented that we should study what we are most interested in. David commented that much of Torah study is about how to apply spirituality to a physical world. We talked about how fire, sex and food are examples of things that can all get out of control. Hashem wants us to live and use these things, rather than reject the physical world completely, however it is important to apply the Torah and bring spirituality to our world. Brian Rubin commented that we call this “elevating the sparks of kidusha”.
We discussed how in the previous parsha, Lech Lecha, Hashem asks Abraham to leave his home and come to a new land and start a new life. We discussed how this does not only apply to Abraham. We all may need to leave an old life and come to a new life of spirituality. Often times, this new life involves a change in higher power to Hashem from something else.
We discussed how we are all born with a yearning or desire to connect to something greater than ourselves. Hashem created us this way. However, it is up to us to choose our higher power. We discussed how some people, such as atheist, may actually suppress this desire for a higher power completely. On the other hand, someone who warships idols has just chosen a higher power that is not Hashem. We discussed that perhaps an idol worshiper would be easier to change than an atheist.
We discussed the week’s parsha, Vayeira, in which Abraham is unable to have a child for a long time. Finally, Hashem gives a son to Abraham and Sarah. We discussed that in order to assure the continuity of Judaism, it is important to have children, as well as attract converts. This is why Abraham so much wanted to have a child. What can we do if we are unable to have children? We discussed how praying for others to have what we don’t have, will often bring us what we don’t have.
We discussed how in the parsha Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Dave W pointed out, that we should not forget that Isaac himself at 37 years old, was making a great sacrifice to be willing to give up his life. We discussed how Isaac does not end up being sacrificed, but that there is a big lesson in all of this about the importance of sacrifice in our religion. We discussed how sometimes some of us have to sacrifice in order for the benefit of all of us.
We discussed how Judaism is a religion of responsibility rather than a religion of rights. We discussed how a society based on responsibility is much more likely to thrive and be successful than one based on rights. We discussed how the Cohen have special privileges but along with this comes additional responsibilities.
David shared a thought from his father, Rav Dr. George N Schlesinger, that the reason we have to have our government of checks and balances, is because leaders tend to be self-centered and act in only their self interests. There would not be that much of a problem with dictatorships if they consisted of a single benevolent king.
We discussed how with the temple no longer standing, Hashem’s intervention in the world is less obvious. Although it is built into nature to respond to our choices, it may seem that some moral choices have no consequences. However, we discussed how in the long run our actions as individuals, communities, and nations most certainly do have consequences.
Finally, we discussed 7 rabbinic laws this Shabbos. Amongst them is washing before meals. We discussed some of the reasons for this law, one of which is to purify ourselves. We discussed how the hands are involved in everything, and it is important to take a moment and slow ourselves down when we are hungry.
We discussed how in the previous parsha, Lech Lecha, Hashem asks Abraham to leave his home and come to a new land and start a new life. We discussed how this does not only apply to Abraham. We all may need to leave an old life and come to a new life of spirituality. Often times, this new life involves a change in higher power to Hashem from something else.
We discussed how we are all born with a yearning or desire to connect to something greater than ourselves. Hashem created us this way. However, it is up to us to choose our higher power. We discussed how some people, such as atheist, may actually suppress this desire for a higher power completely. On the other hand, someone who warships idols has just chosen a higher power that is not Hashem. We discussed that perhaps an idol worshiper would be easier to change than an atheist.
We discussed the week’s parsha, Vayeira, in which Abraham is unable to have a child for a long time. Finally, Hashem gives a son to Abraham and Sarah. We discussed that in order to assure the continuity of Judaism, it is important to have children, as well as attract converts. This is why Abraham so much wanted to have a child. What can we do if we are unable to have children? We discussed how praying for others to have what we don’t have, will often bring us what we don’t have.
We discussed how in the parsha Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Dave W pointed out, that we should not forget that Isaac himself at 37 years old, was making a great sacrifice to be willing to give up his life. We discussed how Isaac does not end up being sacrificed, but that there is a big lesson in all of this about the importance of sacrifice in our religion. We discussed how sometimes some of us have to sacrifice in order for the benefit of all of us.
We discussed how Judaism is a religion of responsibility rather than a religion of rights. We discussed how a society based on responsibility is much more likely to thrive and be successful than one based on rights. We discussed how the Cohen have special privileges but along with this comes additional responsibilities.
David shared a thought from his father, Rav Dr. George N Schlesinger, that the reason we have to have our government of checks and balances, is because leaders tend to be self-centered and act in only their self interests. There would not be that much of a problem with dictatorships if they consisted of a single benevolent king.
We discussed how with the temple no longer standing, Hashem’s intervention in the world is less obvious. Although it is built into nature to respond to our choices, it may seem that some moral choices have no consequences. However, we discussed how in the long run our actions as individuals, communities, and nations most certainly do have consequences.
Finally, we discussed 7 rabbinic laws this Shabbos. Amongst them is washing before meals. We discussed some of the reasons for this law, one of which is to purify ourselves. We discussed how the hands are involved in everything, and it is important to take a moment and slow ourselves down when we are hungry.
This is a summary of what we discussed. No Halachic rulings are intended or should be inferred.
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