Weekly Halacha Yomit: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch

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Daily Kitzur Limud (Week 49)

This week's learning:

13th of Kislev

30 Nov 09

26:13 -21

14th of Kislev

1 Dec 09

26:22 - 27:end

15th of Kislev

2 Dec 09

28:1 -10

16th of Kislev

3 Dec 09

28:11 - 29:3

17th of Kislev

4 Dec 09

29:4 -10

18th of Kislev

5 Dec 09

29:11 -17

19th of Kislev

6 Dec 09

29:18 - 30:3

Dear Kitzur learners worldwide,

As we approach the end of our year-long learning cycle, we would like to invite you to a Siyum during Chanukah in Jerusalem. Please reply to daniel@worldmizrachi.org ASAP if you would be available to join the Siyum one evening (date TBC) so we can begin to plan the event.

"Baruch Hashem Yom Yomi"
Insight on this week's learning
By Daniel Cohen, Programs Director, World Mizrachi

This week, we study chapter 29 regarding character traits we should follow. We learn the following rule:

A person should always try to keep silent. He should speak only about the words of Torah or about things that are necessary for his existence. Even with regard to these basic neccessities, he should not talk too much. Already said our Sages, of blessed memory: "Whoever talks too much brings on sin." And they taught: 'I have found nothing for one's person better than silence." (Kitzur 29:5)

Soon after we learn that:

We have already quoted the statement of Yehudah ben Tema: ''Be bold as a Leopard...,'' which (teaches us) not to be embarrassed before people who mock those who serve the Creator, blessed be His name. However, in any case, one should not reply to them with scorn, so that we don't acquire a tendency towards insolence even in matters unrelated to His service, blessed be His name. (Kitzur 29:8)

This second statement implies that we should not be afraid to answer to those who may mock our heritage – so long as we don’t cause more problems by doing so. This seems to be along similar lines to the statement in Pirkei Avot (2:19) – "Know what to answer a heretic". Answering a heretic will not always be a single sentence! It may require extensive proofs or rebuttals of false claims. How can we reconcile this with the first halacha saying we should remain silent as much as possible?

Another Mishna in Pirkei Avot (1:15) teaches us that we should "say little and do much". The Kehati writes:

Say little and do much – like Abraham who at first said to the angels (Gen. 18:5): "And I will fetch a morsel of bread," and then "took butter and milk and the calf which he had dressed, and set before them" (ibid. 18:7). From this we learn that the righteous say little and do much.

Commenting on this Mishna, Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld writes:

As a heart-warming aside, our tradition tells us that G-d Himself possesses the quality of saying little and doing much. Rav Sa'adiah Gaon, 10th Century Babylonian scholar, observes the following: In Genesis 15 (13- 14), G-d informs Abraham of Israel's future exile and servitude in Egypt. The prophesy concludes: "...and also the nation that they will serve I will judge." Thus, the entire Exodus from Egypt, with all its spectacular signs and plagues and the dramatic splitting of the sea, were all foretold with the single word "judge". G-d would simply "judge" them -- and the world would never again be the same… Egypt, the then-superpower, was crushed, and the nations of the Land of Canaan trembled in fear… And all of this was alluded to in the single word "judge", a mere two-letter Hebrew word.
[Actions, Not Words, Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld]

The British Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, was recently appointed to the House of Lords and made his inaugural speech on Thursday. He began his speech talking about the value of words:

My Lords, when I entered this Chamber for the first time, I did so from the Moses Room. I thank noble Lords for the extraordinary lengths to which they went to make a rabbi feel at home. Today, I feel the other side of that occasion, for it was Moses at the burning bush who felt so overwhelmed by emotion that he told God that he could not speak; he was, "not a man of words". Mind you, that did not stop him speaking a great deal thereafter. In fact, on one occasion, when pleading with God to forgive the people for making the golden calf, he spoke for 40 days and 40 nights. However, on another occasion, when asking God to heal his sister, Miriam, he limited himself to a mere five words. I am told by your Lordships that, when making a maiden speech, it is better to err on the side of the latter than the former; and that I will try to do.
[Lord Sacks Speech, 26 November 2009]

The genius of Moshe is that he knew when it was appropriate to speak for 40 days and nights, and when to use just a few choice words. Our challenge in life is to use our (extremely powerful) asset of speech not just for good, but to also learn when to respond and when to remain silent. Sometimes, as we all know, when a comment is made there is no better response than silence. Sometimes, silence truly is golden.

If you have any comments or feedback, please email daniel@worldmizrachi.org.

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