Ein Yaakov – Pesachim 22b – Rabbi Shimon HaAmsuni, Rabbi Akiva, and the Word את – Finding the Right Marriage Partner – Definition of Am HaAretz – Talmid Chakham – Speaker: Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld zal. (ey-lesson-016b. Recorded in 1970.)
00:00 – Every word in the Torah has infinite depth. Rabbi Shimon HaAmsuni expounds on the meaning of the word את – one of the smallest and seemingly insignificant words in the Torah, yet one of the most profound. He found the meaning of every את in the Chumash, except for one. Why was he unable to interpret the meaning of this word in אֶת־יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ תִּירָ֖א – “You shall fear HaShem, your Master…” Devarim 6:13, VaEschanan)?
08:17 – The prophet Iddo warned King Yeravam about idol worship. When the king raised his hand against the prophet, the king’s arm immediately shriveled up (1 Melachim 13:1-6). HaShem defends the honor of a tzaddik much more than He defends His own honor.
10:23 – The importance of showing respect to a talmid chakham – Torah scholar.
*15:00 – A person who shows respect to Torah scholars is rewarded with success in his own Torah study and with children who follow the path of the Torah.
15:38 – When a person innovates new technology, they are destroyed by their own inventions.
19:32 – A Torah scholar should not attend any festive meal that is not a seudat mitzvah.
21:00 – A bat kohen should only marry a kohen or a Torah scholar.
22:12 – Advice for finding the right marriage partner.
25:07 – Investigating the brothers of an intended bride. Priorities in choosing the right marriage partner: above all, choose someone who has emunat chakhamim – faith in rabbis.
31:05 – An am haaretz is a person who has no faith in rabbis. There are several definitions in the Gemara: 1) one who doesn’t recite the Shema morning and night; 2) one who doesn’t put on tefillin; 3) one who doesn’t wear tzitzit; 4) one who doesn’t have mezuzot on his doors; 5) one who has no faith in rabbis.
32:21 – Proof that the truest of these definitions is the last one: an am haaretz is one who has no faith in rabbis.
*33:22 – A wealthy person who lacks education in Torah is not considered an am haaretz if he uses his wealth to support Torah. In fact, such a person is considered a Talmid Chakham – literally, both: “a student of a rabbi” and “a wise student”.
34:07 – Definition of a Bat Talmid Chakham: a girl or woman who was raised, or who has raised herself, to have faith in rabbis.
35:20 – Why an am haaretz is compared to an animal.
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