Archive for Jewish Values

Modesty

August 23, 2013 G-d and Us, Tzniut- Modesty No comments

The following are excerpts from the lectures of Rabbi Isaac Oelbaum.

          A man waltzes into synagogue one Sunday morning grinning from ear to ear, boasting that “I just came here with my brand new Lexus, it’s parked right in front”. During the course of the services while everybody was standing with their siddurs open, he was busy describing to them how he had bargained with the car dealer and how he got his price, and eventually startling the man by putting all the money down up front. “You should have seen his face when I wrote the check” he said with a snicker. One sure knows how to feel good when purchasing a fancy shmancy car!! Perhaps that is why G-d created friends, just so that one can show off in front of them!
          However, as they all walked out of synagogue, he was horrified to discover that someone had carved and scratched on to his front windshield the words MAZAL TOV!!
          In tractate Brachot, the Gemara relates an unusual story about Rav Nachman who approached a community eulogizer after he eulogized one individual as being modest. Rav Nachman asked “was he modest when he went to the bathroom?”
          Is covering up ones nakedness and being low key in the bathroom a barometer for being modest? That’s news to me! What about reading the New York Times in the bathroom for an extended period of time, is that considered violating the modesty laws in the lavatory? How about just the sports section?! Torah cannot be learned in the bathroom, so one has to read something, No?
          In order to properly understand the meaning of the Gemara’s statement, we have to explore modesty-TZNIYUT a little further.
          The commentaries say that modesty is extremely important and is actually a form of intelligence, because it resembles G-d’s traits. The Torah discusses an incident regarding Moshe after he saved Yitro’s daughters from the nasty shepherds by the well. Yitro’s daughters came to their father and informed him of what had happened and how they were saved by this unknown and mysterious man.
          Yitro’s response was AYO HAISH- where is the man. The fact that the man didn’t come to claim a reward, not bragging about how he protected the damsels in distress, means that he must be from the genealogy of Sarah. Sarah was the Jewish matriarch who modestly stayed in the tent while her husband Avraham hosted the guests, the three angels. In that incident, the Torah uses a similar word to the one Yitro used. The angels asked, “AHYEY SARAH ISHTECHA- where is Sarah your wife?”. They then blessed Avraham and Sarah that, G-d willing, by next year you shall have a boy.
          Yitro, knowing this, exclaimed, “don’t leave this man outside, bring him in quickly!!. Perhaps one of you may marry him. After all, the bracha comes from the modesty that Sarah, had shown.” As a side, this is one of the reasons Sarah merited having a son. The Sages emphasize that on Yitzchak’s behalf the whole world stands. And he only came into existence thanks to modesty. That’s the power of modesty.
          The Torah teaches us that the whole essence of a bracha is the fact that it’s hidden and modest. To prove this, one can simply observe that God himself remains not revealed. One cannot see G-d and no one ever did, at least not his face. Additionally, we know that there are no open miracles anymore. So too, bracha is best not revealed. The most holy and spiritual things are PNIMI-inward, hidden. Anything that is open and outwardly, one will not find a bracha there. Astonishingly, the Sages say that there is no bracha unless something is under the radar, in other words away from the eye, for perhaps it is the evil eye. A human, every human, has a bracha attached to it, and it is conceived in the confines of a private place. No eye sees the conception of the seed of bracha.
          But shouldn’t a bracha (on a fruit, for instance) be said out loud and not concealed?
          Yes, the bracha should be recited out loud, however it doesn’t go into affect until the fruit is swallowed, because that part is concealed and only then will the bracha kick in.
          In this week’s parsha  we read again about Kohanim. In Tractate Yoma the Gemara tells us about an extraordinarily modest woman named Kimchetuh. She was asked, “how did you merit to have seven sons and all served as High Priests? That’s quite an accomplishment!!”
          She answered, “I did not let the walls of my house see one speck of my hair uncovered”. WOW! As her reward, her boys will enter the holy of holies, where no one can enter and no one can see. Again, tzniut, modesty. It’s so important. The Kohen Gadol speaks to G-d privately, again in the most modest way. Tzniut, modesty, PNIMIUT, it’s crucial.
          The bathroom is the antithesis of PNIMI. It’s the most external act one can experience. Still, Rav Nachman was trying to emphasize that if one is modest  and private even in the most external act that a human can do, then and only then he can be labeled modest.

Did Avraham Know How to Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs

August 22, 2013 Hachnasat Orchim- Inviting Guests No comments

 

Our forefather, Avraham, who was famous for his signature hospitality, once asked Shem (Malki Tzedek), the son of Noach, who was in the Ark with his father and brothers, “in what merit did you go out of the ark?” Shem replied, “In the merit of the kindness that we did there.” What kindness?” Avraham asked, “Was there for you to do in the ark” Were there poor people there? Only Noach and his sons were there, so for whom did you do kindness? “For the animals and birds” answered Shem “We did not sleep. We just served one after the other all night.” Thereupon Avraham said “Had they not done kindness for the animals and birds, they would have not have left the ark. Only because they did CHESSED did they go out. If I do it for people, how much more so!!

It said, soon after his meeting with Shem, Avraham went and planted an ESHEL. ESHEL in Hebrew is spelled ALEF, SHIN, LAMED. And the acronym for those three letters ACHILA – food, SHTIYA – drink, LEVAYA – escort. So a good host has to feed the guest with food, drinks, and escort them four steps when they leave.

I, Rabbi Avi Matmon, have a signature dish which has become rather popular around here; it is ABBA’S FAMOUS MEATBALLS. What better time to disclose this recipe then Parshat Lech Lecha, which happens to be the first Parsha I’ve learned back in the first grade and also brings out one of Avraham’s, our forefathers, virtue. First, a little background; I discovered it when I was in the Jewelry business. Once I was in the booth of a good friend of mine, Yale Zoland of Zoland and Sons Jewelers, when I happened to ask “hey does anybody know a good recipe for meatballs” Just then a lady who happened to be at the counter of his booth, said “I have an amazing recipe”. So here it goes:

 

1 spoon of Heinz chili sauce

1 and half spoons of grape jelly

1 spoon of brown sugar

1 15oz can of tomato sauce

1 lemon

half spoon cornstarch for texture

 

Mix all in a pot, stir on low flame for 1 hour and 15 mins; pour on uncooked meatballs (standard meatballs recipe); cover and put in oven 20 min; uncover for another 20 mins 350 degrees. WALLA!!!

 

If you want to be a good host and help your wife. These are delicious meatballs for people who love to eat. They’ll say “NOW, THAT’S A HOST.”

 

P.S.- The giant, Og, is named because he went to Avraham’s house unexpectedly and found Sarah baking cakes. OOGA means cakes. He was so impressed with the hospitality and the cakes, that the impression stayed with him for the rest of his evil life.

The Prototype of Judaism

August 22, 2013 Emunah/ Belief in G-D No comments

 

Avraham was the pioneer of combining faith and truth. It was an unprecedented first for mankind. Rabbi Akiva Tats mentions that it’s a fundamental concept in the writings of the mystics. It can be best brought out in this parable.

A girl once traveled a long way from home and got lost in the dessert. She walked a long way and became very thirsty. To her relief, she discovered a well in the distance. When she finally reached the well, she discovered a rope inside. She descended down by holding on to the rope and drank. However when she wanted to climb up, she discovered she was unable to do so. She cried bitterly and called for help. Just then, a young man was passing by in the distance and heard cries coming from the well.

He called out “Who is this down there? Are you a demon or a human being? The girl called up from the well relating to him what had happened to her. Then she pleaded with the voice, “Please pull me out!”

“I will help you on one condition. Agree to marry me!”

The girl agreed and he pulled her out of the well. They spoke to each other and both consented to marry each other. The boy promised that he would come to her parents as soon as possible and officially marry her.

“Who are our witnesses that we are betrothed?” asked the girl. Just then a weasel passed by. So the young man said, “let the weasel and the well be our witnesses that we will be faithful to each other.”

They parted; the boy to his home and the girl to hers. She stayed at home and waited for her fiancé to come and fulfill his promise but time passed and he never appeared. Her parents suggested other matches to her but she refused. No matter which matches were proposed, she adamantly refused. Until people just gave up hope that she’ll never get married.

And what happened to the boy?

After he returned home, he was very busy and forgot about that episode in the desert. He married a girl in his hometown. His wife bore him a son. When the baby was three months old, a tragedy occurred. The infant was bitten by a weasel and died. Another little boy was born to them but one day while he was playing by the well, he accidentally fell into it and died. Grief-stricken, the wife said to the husband, “Had the children died a normal death, I would have accepted the heavenly decree without questioning. But since the events were so extraordinary, we must seek a reason for this strange punishment and search ourselves for some previous guilt.”

Now, the long forgotten scene in the dessert came back into the husband’s memory. Is it possible I’m being punished for not keeping my word? The wife insisted that he find out what happened to that girl. “It was your obligation to be faithful to her.”

The man traveled to the town where, long ago, the girl told him she lived and inquired what had become of her. Who did she marry?

“There is one old maid by the name you mentioned, but she is not in her right mind. There is no use of talking to her about getting married. If a suitor comes, she begins to act in a strange manner.”

The man immediately goes to the girl’s house and explains to the father the story that had transpired long ago. “It’s my fault; I have freed myself from my wife to be true to my word and I shall marry your daughter. When he walked into her room and began to speak, she screamed like she had done with the previous suitors. Then he said two words, “The weasel and the well”. The girl fainted and when she recovered, she had gained her former composure. They were married and had children.

The young man represents EMET/ truth, while the lost girl represents EMUNAH. When the girl was helplessly in the pit, that’s EMUNAH without EMET – no direction; would inevitably fall into a pit, just plain old blind faith.

“Who are you” EMET needs clarification, however has no staying power. He forgets about her. EMET has no loyalty unless Emunah’s there. EMUNAH’s route is NE’EMAN – loyalty, it will always be there no matter what. The girl had other suitors; however, she was loyal. Judaism needs the Gemara learning, the logic; the EMET however needs the EMUNAH – the loyalty to continue.

Together EMET and EMUNAH form a true love and a proper marriage.

Avraham was the first to possess both qualities KEL MELECH NE’EMAN and propelled him to be the prototype for generations. This is what we should strive for. These are the tools needed to be a true soldier of G-d.

The Power of Names

August 21, 2013 Jewish Values No comments

 

Name tag

 

 

Any self-improvement course, for example Dale Carnegie, will emphasize that if one is to achieve the keys to success, one has to incorporate an ability of remembering names. Calling somebody by his or her name, draws them closer and will give them the feeling of, ‘Hey, I’m important’. The reason for this is that a name is the essence of who we are.

 

The weekly Torah reading (parasha), begins with ‘”Vayikra el Moshe” – and [G-d] called to Moshe’. Our sages teach us that Moshe was given ten names, and each name represents a facet of his personality. Batya,Pharaoh’s daughter, who went against her father’s decree, which was to kill all Jewish male newborns, drew the basket containing baby Moshe, out of the water. Moshe is the name she picked. But apparently, there is a linguistic problem with the name.   The name Moshe means “will draw from the water” as opposed to Mashehu, drew from the water – past tense. If the Torah wants to reward Pharaoh’s daughter and to glorify the courageous, self-sacrificing act she did, why is he called Moshe? Mashehu is better suited. We learn from our sages that when G-d created Adam, the angels asked, “What is the nature of man?” Whereas G-d replied, “His wisdom will exceed yours”. This was demonstrated by man naming all beings of creation something no angel could master. It’s an accomplished task and takes great wisdom to accurately give someone his or her true name.

 

The sages say G-d gave divine spirit to fathers, a gifted trait passed down from Adam to incorporate names to their newborns. Of course the father has to be in unison with the mother. The word ‘name’ in Hebrew is pronounced ‘shem’. If one changes the vowels under the letters of shem, it would be pronounced ‘sham’ meaning ‘there’, indicating one has to go there, has to get to a destination for one to complete his task which is associated with his name. Shem and sham are incorporated in the word ne-sham-mah (soul). Man’s soul is brought down in this world to fulfill his mission. The Torah hints of people who have fulfilled their name potential. The Torah sometimes writes ‘ushemo David’ (his name is David), ushemo Manoah (his name is Manoah), ‘ushemo Mordechai’, etc. Before the name, there is an introduction, a chaperone, ‘Ushemo’. This indicates that he will be seated (sham) there in the ultimate destination – heaven. However, the Torah indicates there are those that are written “Naval shemo”.  Here the shemo follows the individual name indicating he did not accomplish his task in this world.

 

Moshe has ten names, each indicating a separate dimension of his multi-faceted personality. Each name portrays a side not described by the other. Yet, it was the name Moshe by which he was known. Apparently, this name, more than others, is the central feature of his personality. Batya prophesized that this baby boy will draw people out of trouble. His task will be to help the Jewish people and to lead them out of slavery. The measure of kindness that Batya showed towards this boy was tremendous.  However, the emphasis is not on her accomplishments, but on the potential she saw in this child, which prompted her to call him Moshe.

Respect of Privacy

August 20, 2013 Jewish Values No comments

 

Privacy

 

           In this week’s Parasha (Torah reading), many details are given about the Mishkan (tabernacle) and the high priest’s attire. We learn that there are many interesting items that the kohen gadol is required to wear. One in particular are bells (pa’amonim). Why is G-d requiring the high priest to wear bells? It’s hard to imagine the priest walking towards the kodesh hakodoshim, the special concealed room where he prays for life for the Jewish people on Yom Kippur, dingiling along.

 

Why are bells part of the wardrobe? “Respect” is one of the reasons the commentaries give. Respect? Respect for what? It seems quite the opposite. One would be causing a tremendous annoyance walking with noisy bells rattling. The kohen gadol is a very respected person in the Jewish nation. He’s not a goat! But the bells are deemed not less important then the rest of the items in the Mishkan. We learn a valuable lesson from these bells. The kohen gadol should not enter the kodesh hakadashim unannounced. G-d requires the high priest to ring the bell before entering His special home. It’s as if he’s ringing the doorbell and asking G-d, “May I come in”? Some commentaries say this is the original source for ringing a doorbell before entering one’s house.

 

We see the importance of privacy and kavod. One should show sensitivity to respecting one’s space, and in this case, G-d’s space. Privacy is deeply rooted in Judaism. The giving of the Torah is often compared to a husband and wife, which is equivalent to G-d and the Jewish people. One of the most important aspects of building a couple’s bond is strengthening the intimacy between them. It’s not a coincidence the Torah was given in the desert. Just like in the desert, G-d and the Jews were left alone, so too, should a couple be given their privacy.

 

Dr. Goldman, a psychologist, working at Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim says, “A person being violated of their privacy is affected in a tremendous way. It’s built into the human psyche, the non-tolerance of intrusion. Therefore, a person’s dignity is compromised and he feels defensive, affecting ones self-esteem. A person feels not worthy of being treated with dignity.”

 

It’s a big problem today with family members-relatives who think they have a 24/7 green light to enter the confines of someone’s home. People should show sensitivity in not violating their fellow’s space and to give ample warning of visitation and wait for permission for entrance. The various items found in the mishkan and on the kohen gadol’s clothing are symbolic of man’s creativity. The pa’amonim (bells) are man’s ability to achieve the highest level of creativity through privacy.

Why is it so Special to Eat Fish Friday Night?

August 20, 2013 Hakarat Hatov No comments

From the lessons of Rabbi Isaac Oelbaum:

Noach worked very hard in the ark, catering to the animals. For one year, he fed and took care of them. When Noach finally came out of the ark and was on dry land, G-d rewarded him and mankind for his devotion and hard work, by giving him the opportunity to eat meat (The George Foreman grill was now on the market!). Until that juncture in time, man was on an exclusive grain diet. How exciting that must have been. The question is asked, as gratitude for taking care of the animals, man had them for supper, however the fish weren’t part of the package. Noach didn’t take care of them. Was he allowed to eat them and if yes, why, and when?

The fish did not partake in the degradation of the world. Therefore, they were led to a certain section of the ocean called Okinus where the waters were bearable and not boiling hot. The reason they were saved is that they were not, in any way, participants of the sin and therefore, they are the symbol of protection against the evil eye. They were under the radar gun, invisible.

So what about eating fish? In many Jewish cultures, fish is a tremendous delicacy that people wait all week for. Interestingly, many commentaries say that Jews were not allowed to eat fish until MATAN TORAH – the receiving of the Torah. G-d rewarded the Jews to eat fish, a gifted species, not blemished by sin on that glorious day of MATAN TORAH. The receiving of the Torah happened to occur on Shabbat. So one should be honored to eat this gift on Friday night. Free from an evil eye, symbol of receiving the Torah – WOW!! It has tremendous spiritual benefits. Try it!!

Everybody is Affected by Everybody

August 20, 2013 Chessed/ Acts of Kindness No comments

 

 

Rabbi Baruch Dopelt who quotes the Bet Halevi.

We learned Noach was a Tzadik in his generation. What would Noach be, though, in comparison to our forefather, Avraham, a generation later? Since Noach’s Generation was so corrupt, maybe his status would have been considered an average Joe. Or, perhaps, he was a tzadik in such a degenerate society, then for sure he would have been angelic in the time of Avraham.

We learn a fundamental concept from the Bet Halevi, that when one sins, it gives KOACH – strength – to the power of evil. It follows, then if one does a good deed, then he strengthens the power of good in the world.

The question is asked, why were the animals destroyed by the flood? Why did they get punished? Did they sin? Animals don’t have freedom of choice; the poor cow. Perhaps, one can say they were no longer necessary once man is gone. They are here, as we know, to serve us, humans.

Rav Yisrael Salantar adds, if someone in Queens is learning Torah, his learning triggers a guy in Paris, France to contemplate whether to keep Shabbat for the first time. In other words, my positive action affects the world for the better, and the opposite is true as well.

The generation of the flood was so corrupt and evil, they were so immersed in sexual misconduct, that even the animals were effected, because the power of evil spreads. The animals’ natural tendencies gravitated to sexual misconduct as well. An Elephant was cross-breeding with a hippopotamus, etc.

Noach, through divine intervention, picked the good animals; the ones that were not so affected in a negative way and congregated them all in the ark. The ark’s purpose was to shut off itself from the rest. A new world was formed in the ark. The KOACH HARAH – the evil powers – were diminished greatly in the ark. This was a new environment. This was a place to fix the damage caused by the generation.

Noach catered to the animals day in and day out. One can say the ultimate form of CHESED – kindness – the exact opposite of the thievery that the world was famous for. They, the rest of the world, practiced that everything belongs to me. Here, Noach was the ultimate giver. Physical relations between the couples were forbidden for twelve months as long as they were in the teiva (ark). This was in contrast to the sexual circus, with no restraints, that was being conducted in the world.

We are a product of our environment; that’s scary stuff. If someone in Honolulu gets depressed, it might be perhaps because a fellow in Brooklyn ate pork. Perhaps, we have to be more intuitive to what’s happening in the world and try to make it a better place because ultimately it affects us.

Are We the Same Person When We Travel?

August 20, 2013 Jewish Values No comments

 

          How many readers out there like to travel? Some people consider it fun. In fact, the word “vacation” means ‘to vacate one’s premises’. The idea of a vacation is to have a change of pace. A different scenario from our everyday, sometimes, monotonous life could be very therapeutic. When one returns from a vacation he should be refreshed and ready to continue his consistent, habitual existence. But traveling could be a bit overwhelming; packing and unpacking is a chore. One of the best comedy routines (and it was clean) of the famous comedian of the 70’s, George Carlin, was about ‘stuff”, in which the entire meaning of life is to find a place for your stuff. He makes fun of how one goes traveling and is a little frantic taking stuff from one place to another. His reaction plays on our fears of traveling.
          We read in this week’s parasha the detailed description of where our ancestors traveled in the desert. Rabbi Noach Olbaum asks ‘why is it necessary to go through every juncture of their travel routes?” The Torah is not a history book nor is it a GPS. Presumably, there must be a lesson to be learned for the Torah to emphasize their travel itinerary.
          If one thinks about it for a moment, one would realize how difficult it must have been for our ancestors to schlep all their bags, tents, belongings, and let’s not forget, some had small children. Moshe’s instructions to the Israelites were to move immediately when the clouds of glory moved. There was no warning in advance; sometimes they camped at a certain destination for months; sometimes the cloud of glory would move after only two days. It was very unpredictable; this kind of tours would drive anybody nuts.
          Apparently, with all the Israelite’s inconveniences, we do not find any mention in the Torah and the sages, that they complained; there was not one utter of displeasure; that’s incredible! We should be proud of our ancestors for not moaning and groaning and rolling their eyes and screaming ‘again?!’, every time the clouds move.
          The children of Israel showed great restraint and a very strong belief in G-d, and it is no wonder why they’re called the greatest generation that ever lived. We should learn a lesson and be very proud of their tremendous sacrifice of going on the spur of the moment when they were instructed and not losing their cool.
           One of the fates in which our people inevitably fall into is ‘the wandering Jew’. We must be careful with our journeys because sometimes traveling makes us forget who we are. Our values are compromised because we get frantic of our new temporary environment, the new people that we meet and the pressure of constantly watching over our belongings. The schlep can make us develop thin skin and intolerance. It’s important to stop and take a deep breath and focus briefly on our principles. The Torah is trying to teach us to be yourself outside of your home and not to lose sight of what we build as respectable Jews. This is an important lesson that we should learn from this week’s parasha.

Do You Get Angry Often?

August 20, 2013 Jewish Values No comments

          Anger is terrible; anger is horrifying! Our Sages described countless times in our holy scriptures the shortcomings and the consequences suffered by a person who becomes angry or enraged. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt’l believes the most striking and eye-raising effect of anger is that one loses all of ones’ wisdom and spiritual stature, an example we find in this week’s parsha, where Moshe forgot the law as a result of being angry (bamidbar31,14). The Or Hachaim explains that Moshe had known the laws of mourning just minutes before he became angry, and then forgot them. This aspect of the effect of anger is puzzling. We can readily understand how anger affects a person so that after the fact he is of a lesser stature and wisdom then before. But how does anger make one’s previously acquired knowledge disappear? A minute ago he gave over a lesson teaching two plus two equals four, how can he now forget it? How does one lose wisdom which he already possesses?

 

The answer is that the mechanics of Torah wisdom works differently than other wisdoms. Other forms of wisdom do not relate to the personality or character of its possessor. A person may be wicked or obnoxious, and yet retain a storehouse of knowledge and wisdom. Not so with Torah wisdom. Torah is based on character development and it feeds the individual the sensitivity towards others and towards himself, hovering around the person until he internalizes it. Everyone hears the same message, but it doesn’t come through the pipes the same way to each. Apparently, the message received is tailor-made for that individual’s understanding and unique personality.

 

Dr. Goldman, the psychologist of Yeshiva Chafetz Chaim, says a fundamental aspect of life is intellectual growth; however not by feeding a computer. We are not some logical emotionless Vulcan circuit machine, like Mr. Spock, who will solve and rattle off any difficult equations backwards and forwards. Apparently, one should focus more on how to control his emotional nature and to be ready for every situation he’s confronted; this is a sign of strong character. By working on himself, a person’s internal vessel can hold and absorb the Torah with the proper character traits, which he developed through Torah study.

 

However, when there is a flaw in the personality, like anger, it chases away the Torah wisdom and spirituality. A person who becomes unfit to retain Torah, loses it; even the knowledge he already acquired leaves him. It’s not the knowledge itself that is affected but rather the individual that ceases to posses it.

 

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz says, we can explain this further by drawing a parallel from the acquisition of prophesy to the acquisition of Torah. When Eliyahu, the prophet, ascended to the heavens in a fiery chariot, his disciples came to Elisha (who was very close to Eliyahu) and suggested that they search for the missing Eliyahu. Rashi (one of the mainstream commentaries) asks, ‘is it possible that these same prophets, who had foretold that Eliyahu would be taken, would forget as to his whereabouts? This teaches us that from the day Eliyahu was taken, spirituality left them. Rashi asks how did they forget that which they already knew? The answer is, a person must be a prophet in order to know these things. If he falls in stature, he no longer knows these facts of which he was aware only yesterday.

 

This is true of prophecy and it is true of Torah as well. It is the knowledge that must be integrated into itself into a person. But if a character becomes blemished, his Torah will vanish as well.

Bribing the Judge

August 18, 2013 Honesty No comments
This article was constructed with the help of Rabbis Baruch Dopelt and Jay Shapiro.
 
       FAIR? IS THE GAME FAIR? ARE YOU PLAYING A FAIR GAME? HOW OBJECTIVE ARE YOU ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE? ABOUT YOURSELF? ABOUT LIFE? DID YOU EVER TAKE A BRIBE? DID YOU EVER OFFER A BRIBE?
DO YOU BELIEVE IN OUR JUDICIAL COURT SYSTEM?
DO YOU THINK IN THIS DAY AND AGE JUDGES JUDGE FAIR?
IS BRIBING THE BUYER AT WORK CONSIDERED A CRIME?
…and you shall not accept a bribe, for the bribe will blind the eyes of the wise and make just words crooked.(16:19)
We learn something fascinating in the Talmud:
Rava asked: What is the reason for the prohibition against taking bribes even if the judge is sincerely trying to render a fair judgment?
Because once a person receives a gift from somebody he establishes a bond, and the giver becomes like him, and no one ever finds fault with himself. What is the meaning of the word SHOCHAD, “BRIBE”?  SHO-HU-CHAD the recipient and the giver are like one person.” (Ketubot)  Approximately, 150 years ago lived a young Rabbi, Rav Chaim Halberstam, who auditioned for an esteem pulpit position in one particular town. In his later years, he rose to prominence by writing a master piece book called “Divrai Chaim”.
There were many notable rabbis who were vying for this position. However, one of the highly regarded and wealthy congregant who was on the board of directors took a strong liking toward the young Rabbi Halberstam and campaigned for him vigorously to win the position. The businessman was relentless in his quest to secure Rav Chaim to be” thee Rabbi” and eventually he succeeded.
However, after a few months the Rabbi was put in an awkward situation to say the least when someone approached him claiming that the same wealthy businessman who  singled handily got him the position, owed him money. He intended on taking him to Bet Din-Jewish court.
It was Rav Chaim responsibility, since he was the chief Rabbi, to customarily send a messenger to the defendant and order him to court to face charges. Although the rich businessman helped him tremendously nevertheless Rav Chaim proceeded with the necessary protocol.
The messenger, though, returned and answered the Rav with a respond of “he is too busy to come”.
The Rav sent the messenger again and that he should insist that the businessman should come right away; it’s a matter of urgency!
However, once again the response from the businessman was “I do not have time to come, my apologies.”
Rav Chaim send the messenger again with a very stern message “I am following proper protocol and asking you for the third and last time; it is in your best interest to come. If you do not honor us with your presence I would have no choice but to put you in CHEREM-banishment.
The businessman realized that Rav Chaim was dead serious in his threats, had no choice but to came to court.
Rav Chaim asked both the accuser and the businessman to rise as he read the complaint. Rabbi Halberstam then suggested a fast day for himself the accuser and the defendant and each one should pray that the outcome should be a fair one.  He then asked the businessman about the charges.
The response was “there are no charges.  Everyone looked at each other. The people in the Judge’s chambers were bewildered by the businessman’s response. “I hired this man, the accuser to voice his grievance against me to see if you will honor the Torah and hold true to the court of law or perhaps you will be weak and be too embarrassed to act with me in the proper way, because you owed me a debt of gratitude.  However, I see now that I was correct in pursuing you and insisting you to be the Rabbi. You held your grounds, were not impartial, and have proven to be the right choice. 

       To be a judge and perform your duties correctly is not a simple task. Many times judges are faced with bribes, and have to carefully dance around the temptation of accepting it.
       This lesson can be applied instantaneously in our everyday life. We too are judges and have to make decisions on a daily basis. Some of those decisions are not only daily business decisions but also deeply philosophical religious ones whose outcome are affecting our lives at present and will affect the lives of our children.
Evil holds the biggest poker chip, the biggest bribe of all and that is the notion that we are free to do whatever we want in this life. Evil would like us to believe we don’t have to answer to anyone.
        A precious psalm that was created by Adam, the first man, and is recited at the Friday night Shabbat services Mizmor shir l’yom hashabat, has a profound line pertaining to our subject matter:
“Mah gadelu ma’secha HASHEM, me’d ameku machshehvotecha”
How great are your deeds G-d, exceedingly profound are your thoughts.
What thoughts is Adam taking about that is profound?
       Let us not forget, Adam said this just hours after sinning. He was licking his wounds, resting. This praise was said, while under the protection of the Shabbat.
It’s a bittersweet statement:
Adam was impressed by the thought put in and the clever way G-d was able to use evil to create a self deception in man that he should wonder if G-d exists and if the Torah is true.
IT’S SO OBVIOUS OF G-D POWER, JUST LOOK AROUND!! and yet there’s is a mechanism in us to doubt.
G-d gave evil a weapon. The ability to bribe man that if he denies him he can be free to do whatever he pleases.
That is the ultimate bribe we have to reject.
Decisions for a judge can be difficult.
These are a few pitfalls one might face. Although it seems obvious, it’s very prevalent.
*He must not be sympathetic with a poor person just because the other party is rich
*He should not favor the rich, and say I’ll declare him victorious just not to embarrass him and in private I will tell him he should really compensate the other party
*He should not hear one testimony with the other not present. Human nature is one favors the undisputed first testimony he hears.
ONE HAS TO REALIZE A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON ABOUT MAN
       Rabbi Shmuel Shtrasson, otherwise known as the RASHASH, who has a commentary on the Talmud, once lend a large amount of money to an individual. The loan was for 6 months. The man promptly came to re-pay the loan when it was due, however, Rav Shmuel who was known to delve deeply and entrance himself in his studies, received the money for the loan while he was very involved in his learning. He forgetfully placed it in one of his books after the individual left. The man didn’t want to disturb the Rabbi studying so he did not ask him for a signature that he returned the money.
        A few days later Rav Shmuel looks at his ledger and realizes that this person did not repay the loan. However, the person said he returned the money a few days ago when the Rav approached him. “I don’t remember you doing so” the Rabbi said. For the next week, he searched all over his house but no envelope with the money was found.
       The Rabbi had no choice but to take this man to Bet Din.
In front of Bet Din the man swears that he returned the money. Yet there was no document to prove the money was returned.
       Rabbi Shtrassonn rationalized since this person, who was a trusted upstanding citizen, would swear under oath that he returned the money, then it must be that he did. So in court the Rav forgave the loan. Nevertheless when the towns people got word that the Rabbi forgave the loan even though there was no evidence that he returned the money, they rationalized that this man was dishonest in dealing with the Rav. Soon the entire town knew about this incident; people did not want to do business with him; his business plummeted where he had no choice but to close up shop. His reputation was ruined. Nobody wanted to marry his children. The rabbi’s plea to the townspeople to let the incident pass was to no avail. The person was forced to move out of town.
       One day The Rabbi was cleaning for Pesach and low and be hold he finds the envelope with the money in the book. He immediately locates the person and pleads to him to move back. “I’ll make an announcement that I found the money” the Rabbi said. The person replied “they’ll never believe you. You’ll be looked upon as a tzadik trying one last ditch effort to rectify the situation.”
       The Rabbi thought and came up with a solution. “If our children agree I would like to have my child marry yours. This is the only way the world would realize that you gave back the loan. They would say he would never give his child to marry his if there was any sort of ill feelings.
       There is a very valuable lesson we learn from this story. People, even the smartest and most prominent, make mistakes. No one is immune from forgetfulness or from reading a person incorrectly; we are human after all.
To whom does the negative commandment of bribery apply to?
        In my old industry bribery was not only random it was mandatory. The buyers of companies, banking officials, post office workers would all get compensated, some very nicely, at the end of the year.
 Is that considered a bribe?
       Although bribing some of the mentioned above is not considered the negative commandment of bribery, some may argue that it is considered though as steeling. This is because the buyer might buy a better deal from another vender, yet due to your nice gift, they’re buying from you. They are not supplying the best product for their company.
 The negative commandment of bribery is only when bribing Judges.
       It seems like G-d passes  down a big responsibility to the leaders and Judges of his Jewish people. They have to act in a dignified manor because they become a representative of HIM. They  have to earn the respect of the people. In essence when one bribes a judge he becomes an extension of the one who gave the bribe as we mentioned earlier. In other words he, the one who bribes, is judging himself. This is unfair and it makes a mockery of the judicial system. G-d is embarrassed of an unfair court because it demeans his authority; it demeans justice. without justice society inevitably will break down.
       So what starts with a  mere small payoff to the judge can lead to severe ramifications  down the road
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