העורך Editor

דבר אחר, והשלישית יותר בה, שאין מתיישבין בארצם אלא בגאולה שלישית. גאולה ראשונה זו גאולת מצרים, שניה זו גאולת עזרא, שלישית אין לה הפסק

– מדרש תנחומא פרשת שופטים

There’s an old joke that when the Beis Hamikdash is built, the Chassidim will be busy with the many different forms of Avodah (service), with the blood, the singing, cooking, frying, the clothes, etc. There will also be a special room for the Litvaks. They will be sitting and learning Torah instead, so as not to waste time…

Here is an important elaboration.

The Slabodka alumni, Rabbi Isaac Sher, was known for explaining that Esav and Korach and other evildoers in Scripture were not as obviously evil as is apparent from a plain reading of the text. Their sins consisted of great nuance, and had we met these men ourselves, we would not find anything untoward about them. Only the Torah can, in its high standards, find fault with them by “magnification”.

The Chazon Ish reportedly mocked this Mussar idea by commenting, upon Rabbi Sher’s passing, “Now Esav Hatzaddik and Lavan Hatzaddik will come accompany him to his reward…”

Once a newspaper touches a story, the facts are lost forever, even to the protagonists.

• Norman Mailer

Rabbi Avraham Abulafiah on attaining prophecy…

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