Gold Overboard
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow Yehuda and Tzvi are traveling together on a ship. Unfortunately, they hit turbulent weather and stormy seas. Yehuda is forced to throw his gold bars into the sea to lighten the boat’s load. (See Bava Kama 116b) Yehuda: Ahoy Tzvi! I really took a huge loss by throwing some of my gold […]
Parshas Tetzaveh
Rabbi Berel Wein If clothes make the man, the garments of the ordinary priests and the High Priest of Israel certainly grant them the authority and holiness of their offices. One of the major disqualifications that affected the kohen’s ability to perform services in the Temple was that he lacked the proper clothing that characterized […]
Stolen Wedding Food
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow Boruch: Mazal tov, Shimon! I’m so thrilled that I was able share in your daughter’s wedding! The food, by the way, was fantastic. Shimon: Thank you so much for coming; it means a lot to me! Here is my portable credit card machine. That will be $250! Boruch: What?! Shimon: It’s my […]
A Superbowl Stumper
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow Boruch: Hi, Shimon. I believe this is yours. Shimon: My Superbowl ticket! Where was it? I was looking all over for it, and I missed the game! Boruch: I felt that it wasn’t appropriate for someone of your stature to attend the game, so I took it. Shimon: Wow! I really appreciate […]
Putting You First
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow The Gemara in Bava Kama (92) says that whoever davens for his friend and he needs that same relief, he will be answered first. Does this mechanism work even though one knows that he will be answered first? The Acharonim cite proof from our Gemara. Iyov prayed that his friends should be […]
A Fruity Matter
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow There is a well-known prohibition against cutting down fruit trees needlessly. Indeed, many non-Jewish gardeners are even aware of this. Some non-Jewish gardeners preemptively ask the religious owners to buy the fruit trees from them so that they may be cut down. Still, some individuals would rather suffer with the mess of […]
Shalom, Zachor!
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow On erev Shabbos Parshas Bo, a Far Rockaway resident decided to bring a gift for his friend’s shalom zachar. He spent 35 minutes on the round-trip delivery route. The newborn’s dad was grateful for his friend’s effort but said, “I’m Sefardi. We don’t make shalom zachars. We make a Brit Yitzchak.” Is […]
A Time for Torah
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow Hillel says, “He who seeks a name loses it. He who does not increase decreases” (Pirkei Avos 1:13). The first half of Hillel’s statement is easily explained by a well-known dictum in Eiruvin, “Whoever runs after glory, glory runs away from him.” But what is the meaning behind the cryptic second half […]
Do Not Despair
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow An intense debate erupted in the Beis Medrash. According to the Gemara, the debate spanned at least three decades (Bava Kama 67b). The debate was so long that there were three different Roshei Yeshiva during this time. In fact, four of the sages involved in the discussion were all destined to become […]
A Case of Pikuach Nefesh
Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow The Gemara recounts a story where the government sent two officers to a yeshiva to study To[1]rah. The government wanted to find out if there was anything objectionable in the Torah. The yeshiva had no choice but to accept these new students. Af[1]ter the officers felt they had studied enough, they declared, […]