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Sanhedrin 100 – The Book of Ben Sira
One who reads “external books” may loose his share in the World to Come. Some say, these are all books not Torah-related, but others say, these are only heretical books, but writings such as Homer's are permitted.
There is a similar disagreement about the Book of Ben Sira. Ben Sira was a son of the prophet Jeremiah. Rav Yosef quoted him, “A beautiful wife – fortunate is her husband, the number of his days is doubled” (or at least it seems to him so).
Art: Jan Frederik Pieter Portielje - The Jewel Case
3 comments:
Michael Abramowitz said:
The kollels and haredim will like the comment "man is created for toil, and it is not physical labor but verbal toil,"....It's
much more appealing than "eem aiyn kemach, aiyn torah"..If there is no flour, there is no Torah". Some of the most frum Jews are blind when they can't see G-d's hand in the world today. The majority of the Jewish People have returned home. Is it a religious state yet? NO. But was it religious in any period of Jewish history or do we just romanticize that everyone followed has followed the torah except for today? The truth is that there is more study of Torah in Israel today than every existed in the romanticized shtels of Europe and places like Vilna.
Michael Abramowitz
Michael,
This is what the Torah is for: turn it around and derive anything you want from it.
For example, talking about "verbal toil", there is just the opposite opinion in Brachot, that one who toils with his hands is better than one who fears God.
I have heard opinions that there is more Torah study and Torah greatness in Israel now than outside.
On the other hand, not only the State of Israel is not religious, but even religious element of it seems corrupt and involved in multiple recent political and sex scandals.
Michael answered:
When you talk of sex scandals and corruption, this too is a minority but enough to be a chilul Hashem as it brings Hashem's name down in the world, but when we think of the quintessential Jew, it is always Daveed Hamelech, from whose line will come moshiah. And who was Daveed Hamelech? He was the author of tehillim (psalms) and a lover of Torah, a player of sweet music, but when it was time to fight the enemies of Israel, he closed the doors of his bet midrash, picked up his "M-16", and fought Israel's enemies. This doesn't sound like the haredim nor the far Left, but like the Hesder Yeshiva boys, who study Torah and serve in the Israel Defense Forces. I have read your column for some time and this is the first time I responded but I think sometimes another perspective needs to be aired because of heirs of Daveed Hamelech live today. Thanks for all you do. Michael
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