Podcast (shiurim): Download (Duration: 39:22 — 22.5MB)
Speaker: Rabbi Tzvi Aryeh Rosenfeld ז”ל. Topics: The number four. The study of Torah by day and night. Drinking wine in moderation. A man is known by his laughter. Giving honor to the supporters of Torah. Three kinds of people whose life is not considered “living”. Tzaddikim are sometimes called kushim (blacks). Michal bat Shaul HaMelech and tefillin. The wife of Yonah HaNavi went up to Jerusalem three times a year.
00:00 – Continued from previous shiur: The reward for teaching a student four hundred times. The number four explained.
04:55 – The number 4 is rooted in the Name of Hashem: Yud – Key – Vuv – Key and the Four Worlds.
07:15 – Nighttime was created for sleep and for the study of Torah. Reduction of the light of the moon.
09:50 – The Arizal advises that a person should avoid sleeping by day, except on Shabbat. Torah study is beneficial both by day and by night.
15:15 – Drinking wine in moderation. יין – wine and סוד – secret – are both 70 begematria. A home where “wine is poured like water” will be filled with blessings. What does it mean that “wine is poured like water”? That wine is distributed generously to guests.
*19:05 – A person’s character is revealed through how he drinks wine, how he uses money, and how he controls his anger. “Some say” by his laughter (see below).
21:40 – The story of Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Natan. When they are quoted in the Gemara, Rabbi Meir is referred to as acherim – “others”, and Rabbi Natan is referred to as yesh omrim – “some say”.
*23:00 – “By his laughter”: by his simcha. One’s character is revealed through his joy.
24:27 – Rabbi Bunias. Rabbeinu HaKadosh gave honor to the wealthy who supported the Torah.
28:43 – In contrast, the wealthy of Bavel – Babylon will inherit gehinnam because they are hard-hearted. Descendants of Avraham Avinu are generous, kind, and display compassion for others while descendants of the Erev Rav – “mixed multitude” – are cruel.
30:46 – For three kinds of people life isn’t considered “living”: one who is depending on his friend for food, a man whose wife rules over him, and one who is in pain.
32:17 – Teshuvah and tefilah cure these three types of suffering.
33:13 – Jews and tzaddikim are called kushim to distinguish them from the common person. Tzipporah was called kushiet because of her unusual righteousness. King Shaul was also called kushi.
35:00 – The wife of Yonah HaNavi took it upon herself to go up to Jerusalem three times a year as Jewish men do. Michal bat Shaul HaMelech took it upon herself to put on tefillin. They were not reprimanded by the rabbis because they were not committing any sin.
37:07 – What is the reason women should not put on tefillin?
These two mitzvot are not מצוות עשה שהזמן גרמא so women are exempt. Even so, the Torah ruling today is that women should not wear tefillin.
To dedicate this shiur, click HERE.
