• Anonymous -7 months ago

  Was it not the avos who instituted the three teffilas we daven daily?

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• Anonymous -5 years ago

  Why?

  I understood why the poor are better than the rich, but not why the rich get richer or the poor get poorer?

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• D

  David -10 years ago

  The Priests
  Whose basket did the Priests cheerish? 

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• LL

  lea lit -11 years ago

  mucha azloje
  muchas gracias! muy lindo

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• YF

  yy fan -11 years ago

  essay
  So simple........So profound. Thank You!

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• L

  Leandro -11 years ago

  muy bueno
  Excelente!

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• A

  arturo -11 years ago

  shiurim
  

  
  Yo había estado observando a su shiurim sólo para mi crecimiento espiritual y la excitación intelectual.

  
  

  
  A partir de ahora, voy a ver su shiurim para servir a HaShem

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• Y

  y -11 years ago

  one disagree
  if i do something for you and i really want to..then i am connected to you... more connected
  
  than if you didn't matter to me..
  
  
  
  a poor person with a simple basket could be very inspired.....
  
  
  
  but your point about giving the basket along with the fruit is very nice!  giving one's
  
  body along with one's soul....
  
  
  
  if i do something for a person and i am not connected to him, but i do it, this is also
  
  a special mitzvah but it is different.  is it higher?  it depends on who the 2  people are
  
  and what the mitzvah is,  what their relationship is, the intentions etc...
  
  
  

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• M

  Michale -11 years ago

  Curriculum
  Please, correct  Curriculum link to point to pdf file, which could be opened. Now the link points to doc-file which could be only saved. By the way, directory and icon are for pdf file.

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  • A

    Anonymous -11 years ago

    Re: Curriculum
    Fixed.

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• E

  elishebabridgebuilder -12 years ago

  farming
  thank you

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• C

  Chaya -12 years ago

  Mp3
  No Mp3 option? Who will do the dishes, prepare the food and do the laundry if I sit by the computer having a great time listening to lectures...Have pity on a busy housewife and give us the Mp3 download option. Thank you for a very important website.

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  • A

    Anonymous -12 years ago

    Re: Mp3
    MP3 fixed.

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• S

  shmuli -12 years ago

  Poverty Is Cyclical
  B"H,
  
  
  
  
  
  Thank you Rabbi for simplifying such a beautiful idea and helping us make it a practically relevant perspective.
  
  
  
  
  
  Notwithstanding the fact that the Talmud (Nedarim 41a) says that poverty is in the intellect; The Talmud (Shabbos 151b) states that monetary poverty is cyclical , and that it strikes everyone at some point.
  

  
  (a) The VILNA GA'ON finds an allusion to this in the beginning of Parshas Ki Sisa. The verse states, "v'Nasnu Ish Kofer Nafsho" -- "Every man shall give [a half-Shekel]..." (Shemos 30:12). The Hebrew word "v'Nasnu" ("and he shall give") is a palindrome (a word that can be read the same in both directions, forward and backward). This demonstrates that giving Tzedakah can go both ways. Now it is one person who gives the Tzedakah, but he should be aware that later it might he who is the recipient of the Tzedakah.

  
  

  
  Furthermore, the cantillation marks above the word "v'Nasnu" are "Kadma" and "Azla." The names of these cantillation marks literally mean "be early" ("Kadma") and "go" ("Azla"). This, too, alludes to the message of the Gemara here, which tells a person to act soon and early and give his money to Tzedakah while he still has it, before the time comes that he will have to take Tzedakah from others.

  
  

  
  (b) Others (see RAMA MI'PANO) point out another allusion to this Gemara from the word "Tzedakah" in that word's "A'T Ba'SH" equivalent. The term "A'T Ba'SH" refers to a method of linguistic extrapolation whereby each letter at one end of the alphabet is replaced with its corresponding letter at the other end of the alphabet (e.g. Alef with Tav, Beis with Shin, and so on).

  
  

  
  When the letters that comprise the word "Tzedakah" are exchanged for their "A'T Ba'SH" equivalent, the word "Tzedakah" itself is spelled out backwards! This shows that if a person gives Tzedakah when he prospers, then when circumstances later become reversed and he is in need, Tzedakah comes back to him.
  
  
  
  
  
  May we all experience affluence in every aspect of our lives, on every level, and most importantly: how Hashem wants it, through the Torah!

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• KT

  Kayo, Tokyo -13 years ago

  Things are quite different
  Baruch HaShem
  
  I was doing Mitzvot because I wanted to do. But as I listened to this shiur,I started thinking what He wants, how He wants. Then things are quite different. Even one Mitzvah became such a toil.

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• KT

  Kayo, Tokyo -13 years ago

  canceling Intellectual ego
  Baruch HaShem
  
  I had been watching your shiurim just for my spiritual growth and intellectual excitment.
  From now on, I will watch your shiurim to serve HaShem.

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• L

  Lawrence -14 years ago

  The Best
  This article was perhaps your best one, and I can say that it spoke directly to me. You reminded me that I forgot to plow again after years of pruning and am grateful.
  It was truly a genius bit of work, and it is not the first time that you have immensly helped me through one of your articles.
  You are capable of things, Baruch Hashem, that are unique and that others cannot or will not rise to the level needed to accomlish. As I expressed to your father, z'tl, I believe that it is because you genuinely care. You have also become an extremely good writer.

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• LF

  linda f. -14 years ago

  pruning / plowing
  enlightening/inspiring

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• M

  mendel -14 years ago

  like the burning bush
  Fantastic essay! Very meaningful – similar to the bush which remains burning never satiated. the essay you wrote on the bush. Well done!

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• J

  Joe -14 years ago

  Very moving
  I loved this interpretation. As always, deeply moving and inspiring.

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• SG

  Sydney Girl -14 years ago

  Thank you
  I love your shiurim. Thank you and shana tova.

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• YC

  Y Chaim -14 years ago

  Thanks
  A great Shiur
  Thanks
  Y Chaim
  S paulo Brazil

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• S

  Sara -14 years ago

  Tongue in Cheek
  You could call this shiur, the Advantage of Being A Basketcase!

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• DK

  Dovid Konfederak -14 years ago

  Video
  BSd
  
  Is it possible to find another browser of video ?
  Because the one you use doesnt work in a way that is first download and then play.
  and it is very dificult to see because its stop every 4 seconds here in Argentina.
  Thanks and Gut Shabbes

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• ML

  Meira Lerman -14 years ago

  My answers to the questions in Curriculum
  At a lesson, teacher: “Offenbach, famous Hungarian composer, was born in a very poor Jewish family. When he was six, his parents bought him a grand piano and got a music teacher for him. When he was 16 they sent him to Vienna to study music in conservatoire”. A boy lifts up his hand and asks: “Teacher, you said that he was born in a poor family” “Yes, but I also said, Jewish one!”
  Questions and Exercises:
  1. What are three reasons for why the poor gave both their fruit and its basket to the Kohen, but the rich gave only their fruit, while their basket was returned?
  Let’s see what it is all about: 1. “Vessel’s independent identity” A rich person nurtures his fruits on a high equipped technological farm with counseling of Almightier and takes all his recommendations seriously. So finally he has beautiful fruits deserved to be presented at the Temple. He puts them in his luxurious basket (“We are not so rich to buy a cheap stuff!”) and rushes to hand it to Kohen. The last one takes delicious fruits and returns the basket back so the farmer could reuse it next time and after all could transmit it to his children’s legacy. Basket stays with him; money grows up because of a growth of price for gold and silver on the Market. 2.”Vessel’s subservient to the fruit” As for a poor guy, he doesn’t do his job properly, missing crucial time for right thing to do with weed, irrigation and so on. He feels autonomous from G-d and goes “according to his heart desires”. As the result he has to pay additional fee for a disposable basket to make up his undeveloped harvest. Are we doomed with “Poverty follows the poor”? Comes Baal Shem Tov and gives us third explanation for this paradigm, in his usual “there is nothing bad that doesn’t have something good”manner: 3. “BITTUL NULLIFICATION” or “Synchronization between vessel and content”. So, when a poor man brings fruit in a pretty basket and leaves the basket he symbolically surrenders his identity to G-d. It makes realignment between his body, his soul and G-d. Am I done with this?
  2. How do you understand this law from a spiritual\emotional perspective?
  I read recently: "It is easier to do what is right than to right what is done." from Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
  Rich person doesn’t need to spend additional money for accessories, for repairing his old junk car, for expensive surgery, and other million of millions details that a poor guy has to do. At his Shul, he knows that he does not lose time when he prays with great passion and gets G-d listening to his request. Time he invests for communicate with G-d is like a basket he would submit to a High priest. As for a poor person his complains from early in the morning till late at night doesn’t work for him straight, just wasting of time. Nevertheless, “when he is exhausted, and before G-d he pours out his words…” He loses not only his time, money and health but himself as well.
  3. Why was the poor man the only one who thought of the king?
  Everybody knows this joke how G-d is ready to help lazy students. When all others are studying hard, they are parting. During exam, while others are working hard to find answers in their heads, forgetting about G-d completely; lazy students have nothing to do but prayer G-d. “It is them, we should help!”; - G-d concludes.
  4. When your spouse asks you for a favor, and you are not in the mood, how do you respond?
  Checking for its original meaning each word of this timely question, where would you find oxymora? It is neither in “your spouse” nor in “asks you”, but “for a favor”. What kind of “not in a mood” would match with “for a favor”? It is oxymora or nonsense as our old English would state.
  5. Is there an advantage in serving G-d without inspiration?
  Sure!
  What is it?
  Basket Production Industry would never collapse and eventually we stop pollution of our environment with plastic bags.
  

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• C

  chaim -14 years ago

  volume louder please?
  This is my 3rd time listening to the class. It's great! (beyond words!) Last week I used it to give over a class, and the responses were overwelmingly positive.
  
  However, there are parts (anout 10%) of the class which I can barely hear (or even not hear at all) because the volume is too low. (Of course I put the volume on my computer on the highest volume.)
  Can you (Rabbi Jacobson) please speak louder or can the volume control be adjusted to solve this problem?
  
  p.s.
  I heard the same thing from a friend who also experienced the same problem.

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• B

  Berel -14 years ago

  To Sholom Ber
  Perhaps that's the point: the poverty of the twig baskets has a beauty and majesty all its own. Its called "bittul." Legally, these baskets become one with the fruits; spiritually, these types of bodies and containers become one with G-d.

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• J

  Joe -14 years ago

  Blake Said
  Love seeketh not itself to please,
  Nor for itself hath any care,
  But for another gives its ease,
  And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair. -- William Blake

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• SB

  Sholom Ber -14 years ago

  Interesting
  It is interesting to note that your picture of the poor man's willow basket is sitting on a fine piece of marble!!!

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• S

  sk -14 years ago

  real wealth
  isn't it, who is really rich?
  

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• YG

  Yochanan Gordon -14 years ago

  Value of the Vessel
  The point regarding the distinction between the vessels of the rich and poor man is actually quite interesting. In fact most people realize that among the differences between the standard and Lubavitch Talleisim is that Lubavitch has no Attara. Polisher Chassidim not only have an Attara - but quite an ornate one at that. Given the extravagance of the Attara it may legally constitute a garment of its own independent of the rest of the Tallis and therefore require its own blessing. This I believe is the reason why Lubavitcher Talleisim do not have the attara.

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• I

  Isaac -14 years ago

  Deep
  A very deep idea, I am not sure I really got it. When one is on a higher spiritual level, then his container does not become Divine, because he is serving G-d with his spiritual ego and sense of self. Only the lowly spiritual person -- his container becomes Divine, because in his service of G-d there is no vestige of self, only surrender. Woe, this is deep. Did I get it?

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• N

  Neshama -14 years ago

  Aravah Basket and Fruit Are One
  So so good, vintage YYJ, and tremendously chassidish. Thank you.

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• A

  Anon1 -14 years ago

  Reply to #1
  Yes. Bikkurim are ALL the 7 species which Eretz Yisroel (incl. wheat & barley) is praised for.
  
  
  
  A quick google search will show you this - www.dafdigest.org/pesachim/... :
  
  
  
  Pnei Yehoshua explains that the question of Tosafos could not have been to actually consider that the association to Bikkurim would result in the exclusion of all grains. Tosafos only meant to point out that only wheat and barley are obligated in Bikkurim in the first place.

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• J

  Joe -14 years ago

  question
  Wheat and barley were brought for bikkurim?

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Rabbi YY Jacobson

• August 31, 2009
• |
• 11 Elul 5769
• |
• 2818 views

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