Ponderings of the Perkei Avot Chapter 5:19

RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot

Chapter 5:19

By Yehudah ben Shomeyr

“Any love that is dependent on something--when the thing ceases, the love also ceases. But a love that is not dependent on anything never ceases. What is [an example of] a love that is dependent on something? The love of Amnon for Tamar. And one that is not dependent on anything? The love of David and Jonathan.”

2 Samuel 13:1-19 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man. And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king's son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister. And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand. So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand. Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him meat. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him. And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone. And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her. Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her. And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her. And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

 

1 Samuel 18:1-4 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 

Shalom,

 -- Yehudah ben Shomeyr

Ponderings of the Perkei Avot Chapter 5:17-18

RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot

Chapter 5:17-18

By Yehudah ben Shomeyr

“There are four types among those who attend the study hall. One who goes but does nothing--has gained the rewards of going. One who does [study] but does not go to the study hall--has gained the rewards of doing. One who goes and does, is a chassid. One who neither goes nor does, is wicked.”

The first, like breathing air and yet doesn’t know what it is or how it works still gets the benefit of breathing it, even so, a person who attends a study may be oblivious to what is being said or studied but still benefits from the spoken words there whether he realizes it or not. One may study on his own, which is good, but does not have the benefit of learning and gleaning from others. He doesn’t have the advantage of hearing and seeing different view points. His mind is not exercised to its fullest potential capacity. The third is the ideal student to be and has the peak benefits from his study. The last who cannot rightly be called a student is wicked.

“There are four types among those who sit before the sages: the sponge, the funnel, the strainer and the sieve. The sponge absorbs all. The funnel takes in at one end and lets it out the other. The strainer rejects the wine and retains the sediment. The sieve rejects the coarse flour and retains the fine flour.”

Oh, that we all might be sponges! No sense in picking and choosing what we hear from our teachers. We don’t, or shouldn’t do that with Scripture, so why do it with those who expound the Scriptures.  I mean, just because we get convicted because a saying of our teacher is hard, yet we know he is right, doesn’t give us the right to be anything but a sponge.

Shalom,

-- Yehudah ben Shomeyr

Ponderings of the Perkei Avot Chapter 5:15-16

RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot

Chapter 5:15-16

By Yehudah ben Shomeyr

“There are four types of student. One who is quick to understand and quick to forget--his flaw cancels his virtue. One who is slow to understand and slow to forget--his virtue cancels his flaw. One who is quick to understand and slow to forget--his is a good portion. One who is slow to understand and quick to forget--his is a bad portion.”

Which one are you? Which one do you want to become? The choice is yours; it is in your hand to decide which student you will be.

“There are four types of contributors to charity. One who wants to give but does not want others to give--is begrudging of others. One who wants that others should give but does not want to give--begrudges himself. One who wants that he as well as others should give, is a chassid. One who want neither himself nor others to give, is wicked.”

If we are honest with ourselves I know we can remember times when we were one or more of the givers described above. The first one just wants the prestige of giving and being praised as the only one who opened their pocket book and heart to give. Someone else giving would take that away from him and he’d just be a regular contributor. The second thinks, he has too many problems and needs of his own. He is his own charity case and hasn’t the time to worry about others. Others will stand in the gap and take care of others; I have to focus on me he says. The third is more concerned about the cause and the people who benefits from it than to care about what he has or how “good” he looks in others eyes, this is truly the way to be. The final person describes speaks for itself.

Shalom,

-- Yehudah ben Shomeyr

 

Ponderings of the Perkei Avot Chapter 5:14

RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot

Chapter 5:14

By: Yehudah ben Shomeyr

There are four types of temperaments. One who is easily angered and easily appeased--his virtue cancels his flaw. One whom it is difficult to anger and difficult to appease--his flaw cancels his virtue. One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased, is Pious. One who is easily angered and is difficult to appease, is wicked.

“One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased, is Pious.”

In reading the story of Pinchas. Pinchas was the Levite who killed a Nassi of Israel who flaunted committing fornication with a pagan princess in front of Moshe and the other elders. Pinchas went right into his tent and pinned the two to the ground while they were in the very act. By this one would think Pinchas is:

“One who is easily angered and easily appeased.”

Numbers 25:7-8 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

In turn, one my say the same thing about Yeshua the Messiah.

John 2:13-17 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

Yet one outburst does not disqualify them from being:

“One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased…”

One must look at the context of their anger. The context of ones anger determines if one is a zealot or just a hot head.

So in these two examples it actually qualifies them to be:

“One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased…”

Therefore making these men, “Pious”.

How so?

Because they were defending the honor of  ADONAI. They were sanctifying His Name among the people. It can be likened to a man who is accused of being a mamzer (bastard), scoundrel and a liar, and yet he remains silent. But the next day the mans accusers say his father is a mamzer, scoundrel, and a liar and this time the man rises in anger and beats his accusers. So too with Pinchas and Yeshua. When Pinchas was accused he opened not his mouth.

“… The tribes of Israel were mocking him saying, “Have you seen this son of the fattener, who mother’s father fattened calves for idolatrous sacrifices, and now he goes and kills a prince in Israel.” – Talmud, Sanhedrin 82b

Numbers 25:11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

You don’t see Pinchas lashing out at the people. But God steps in to defend Pinchas because Pinchas defending God’s honor.

A zealot is one who acts self-less-ly and stands in the gap for the people out of his love for ADONAI and His Torah.

Indeed Pinchas was also a shadow and type of Messiah. He stood in the gap for people and stayed God’s wrath for the people.

Isa. 53:7-8 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Yeshua, after being accused of many things by the Chief Priest it says:

Mark 15:5 But Jesus (Yeshua) yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marveled.

Yeshua ended up standing in the gap for the people and taking on G-d’s wrath for us.

Pinchas was rewarded with and eternal Priesthood of peace after the Priesthood of Aharon (Num. 25:12-13).

Yeshua was rewarded with an eternal Priesthood of peace after the higher order of Priesthood of Melchezidek.

Hebrews 5:8-10 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchazidek.
Psalm 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

So a zealot is:

“One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased” and they are therefore “Pious.”

But when you touch that one nerve, the Name and honor of YHWH, LOOK OUT! Because a zealot wont let that happen on his watch!

Shalom,
--Yehudah ben Shomeyr

Versus; Me, Myself & I

The Battle that takes place within you between Soul, Mind and Spirit, between the Angel on the one shoulder, and the devil on the other, Against the Yetzer Tov (Good Inclination) and the Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination), between the Holy Spirit and Satan, the battle against, Me, Myself and I.

Ponderings of the Perkei Avot Chapter 5:13

RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot

Chapter 5:13

By: Yehudah ben Shomeyr

“There are four types of people: One who says, "What is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" is a boor. One who says "What is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours" -- this is a median characteristic; others say that this is the character of a Sodomite. One who says, "What is mine is yours, and what is yours is yours" is a chassid (pious person). And one who says "What is mine is mine, and what is yours is mine" is wicked.”

This is why I love the Perkei Avot, most of it is so self explanatory and you need not be a rocket scientist to figure it out. We can walk though out an average day and encounter every type of person described above, but may we all be loving and selfless as the third person who is described as a chassid.

What’s Mine is Mine and What’s Yours is Mine!

DISCLAIMER: This article is not meant to support or protest any particular franchise or product, certain franchises and products are used as an example to bring about a point.

I am dumbfounded and disgusted by the sheer idiocy and lunacy of recent televisions commercials made under the guise of “bringing families together”, but all the while promoting selfishness and family disfunctionality.

WAL-MART: Advertising liquid crystal TV’s and how that it supposed to bring families together. Sure enter the TV world and ignore everyone sitting beside you as you get wrapped up in the story unfolding on the tube and not talk to the family members setting beside you from 30 minutes to two hours, yeah that describes family oneness doesn’t it!? Yeah right!

DODGE CRAVAN: This commercial shows every family member ignoring one another and preoccupied with their own activity, phone, internet, video games etc. Then Mom pulls up and says: “Let’s take a ride in the new Dodge caravan.” The family groans, huffs and puffs as they roll their eyes in disgusted protest, only to resume similar activities in the van, Dad turns on the Sirus Satellite Radio, one kid plays a video game the other watched TV, still doing separate activities although their bodies are in the same vehicle and they call this family togetherness!?

Commercials meant to be funny, but showing an irritating and disturbing trend and exposes a grain of truth. For example:

BEST BUY: We find Mother and son groping their Best Buy gifts that are found beneath the Christmas tree, when Dad pops in the foyer and says, “Let’s go see Grandma and then we will come back and open the presents, I promise.” They all load up and drive to Grandma’s and they stop in front of her house, while Grandma is standing at the front door waiting for them to come in. They roll down the windows of the vehicle and wave and say “Merry Christmas Grandma!”. The windows are rolled up and the mother proclaims, “I think we are done here.” and they zoom home to open their Best Buy gifts.

VERIZON WIRELESS: A father appearing as if he is being thoughtful in getting everyone a phone proclaiming because they are his “number 1”. Although we quickly see he has an ulterior motive; he was saving the best for himself, “Numero Uno” as he calls himself as he walks away with the Verizon phone tech crew without his family knowing it.

Countless commercials that are made to be humorous, yet display our selfishness and shows we are happy as long as we get what ever material possession is being advertised no matter is others are left out, have to do without or get hurt in the process.

What have we as a “civilized and social” people have come to? What can we make of this subconscious commercial commentary on Western culture? It’s as if we have become a divided world of self absorbed individuals all looking out for ourselves.

The reality competition type shows are furthering the selfishness and over self importance of ones self, with the philosophy of looking out for number one. The stratagem in these games is, “by any means necessary”, lie, cheat, steal, betray, compromise ones standards, make everything morally relative, even so far as to bring about human degradation, suffering and desensitization all for the sake of winning, becoming number one.

Everyone has a price and will do anything from strip buck naked on camera before a TV audience, drink cow urine or eat pig anus if the dead presidents in the brief case is just enough. These type of shows not only dehumanizes the competition, but ones own self as well. One becomes a mindless automaton for the sake of fame and fortune. Heck, A practicing Jew would never make it past the first episode of Big Brother, Survivor or Fear Factor!

And what about these “family restaurants” which has low lights so we can barely see each others faces, music low overhead and a TV in every corner of the establishment to keep us from conversing with the party we came with as well as keep us from our own thoughts!?

i-pods, i-phones with video, music, internet and gaming capabilities and a myriad of other devices that keep us preoccupied practically every waking moment, and seeing as some people sleep with the TV or ear buds on, we can say even practically every sleeping moment too!

Are we so afraid of being intimate with one another, or even ourselves that we must be distracted at almost every moment? Are we inundating ourselves, bombarding and numbing our senses so as to avoid moral responsibilities ands the nagging universal, spiritual and philosophical questions that scare us and keep us up at night: 

“Who am I?”

“Why am I here, why do I exist?”

“What is the meaning of life?”

“What is there after death? Is there an afterlife? Where will I go when I die?”

Huh, what!? Sorry, didn’t hear you… I was listening to my i-pod…

Shalom,

--Yehudah ben Shomeyr

Ponderings of the Perkei Avot Chapter 5:9-12

RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot

Chapter 5:9-12

By Yehudah ben Shomeyr

“There are seven things that characterize a boor, and seven that characterize a wise man. A wise man does not speak before one who is greater than him in wisdom or age. He does not interrupt his fellow's words. He does not hasten to answer. His questions are on the subject and his answers to the point. He responds to first things first and to latter things later. Concerning what he did not hear, he says "I did not hear." He concedes to the truth. With the boor, the reverse of all these is the case. Seven types of retribution come to the world, for seven types of sin. When some tithe and others don't, a hunger caused by turmoil ensues: some are hungry, others have their fill of food. When all are unanimous in their failure to tithe, a hunger by drought ensues. For not separating chalah, an annihilating hunger results. Plagues come to the world for those capital crimes mentioned in the Torah that have not been given over to the court, and for desecrating the produce of the sabbatical year. The sword comes to the world for the procrastination of justice, the corruption of justice, and because of those who misinterpret the Torah. Carnage by wild beasts comes to the world for false oaths and the desecration of God's name. Exile comes to the world for idol-worship, sexual promiscuity, murder and the failure to leave the land fallow on the sabbatical year. There are four time-periods when plagues increase: on the fourth and seventh years [of the sabbatical cycle], on the year following the seventh, and following the festivals of each year. On the fourth year, because of [the neglect of] the tithe to the poor that must be given on the third year; on the seventh, because of the tithe to the poor that must be given on the sixth; on the year after the seventh, because of the produce of the sabbatical year; and following each festival, because of the robbing of the poor of the gifts due to them.”

This passage is pretty much on target and self explanatory, but here are some Scripture verses to back up what has been said.

Prov. 25:6-7 Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great [men for better [it is] that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

James 1:19 {This} you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak {and} slow to anger;

Prov. 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

And we’ve all heard the old adage that we should think before we speak or that we should engage our brain before our mouth.

No matter if you’re a lay person or a Rabbi, you will be praised for your honesty if you just admit to what you don’t know instead of trying to fake your way through and answer. The truth is what is most important here, not status.

Prov. 17:28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is {considered} prudent.

What follows is an interesting commentary regarding sin, a tit for tat, a “punishment to fit the crime” consequences.

Most of this we can confirm is true for it is found in Deuteronomy 27-28, regarding the blessings and cursing for obedience and disobedience to the Torah.

Shalom,

-- Yehudah ben Shomeyr