Weekly Women's Class by Rabbi YY Jacobson

This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Emor, 11 Iyar, 5783, May 2, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

In the fourth chapter of the Ethics of the Fathers, we read the following Mishna: Elisha the son of Avuya said: One who studies Torah as a child, to what is he compared? To ink written on fresh paper. And one who studies Torah as an old man, to what is he compared? To ink inscribed on erased paper.

There are a few questions on this Mishnah. First, what’s the novelty? This is self-evident. Second, I can understand encouraging parents to teach Torah to their children when they are young and their minds are fertile. But what’s the point of the final clause in the Mishnah? If I am an elderly man or woman, and I never had the opportunity to study Torah, why would the Mishnah try to discourage me and make me give up before I even begin?!

Finally, there is something else amiss here. Of the more than one thousand Rabbis cited in the Talmud, only one became a heretic. His name was Elisha ben Avuya.  Due to this tragedy, his ideas and teachings are never quoted in the Mishnah. Save in this Mishnah. What happened suddenly? Why did this Mishnah decide to quote him? And why was this particular idea the one chosen to be conveyed to all generations in his name?

He was, by all accounts, one of the outstanding Jewish sages of the second century, a contemporary of Rabbi Akiva, and the teacher of Rabbi Meir, the leading scholar of his generation. Elisha moved so far from Jewish tradition that his colleagues stopped referring to him by his name but rather called him Acher, “the other”, the outcast, the renegade. Only his student Rabbi Meir remained loyal to the man who had once been his master, sought out his company, and still believed that he might one day repent.

Against this backdrop, we find a deeply moving scene in the Talmud. It is Shabbat, and Elisha ben Abuya is publicly desecrating the holy day by riding on a horse. Walking alongside him is Rabbi Meir. Heretic teacher and faithful disciple travel together along the road arguing and debating Jewish law. Rabbi Meir, the pious Jew, has become so immersed in the conversation that he has not noticed they are nearing the limits beyond which one may not walk on Shabbat. “Acher”, the apostate, realizes this and says: “Meir, turn back. I have measured the distance we have walked by the paces of my horse, and we have reached the Shabbat limit. Beyond here, you are forbidden to walk.

Meir replied: “You too turn back.”

“I cannot turn back,” says Elisha. “One day I was riding on my horse. It was Yom Kippur, which in that particular year fell on Shabbat. I was roaming behind the Holy of Holies, when I heard a heavenly voice saying: ‘Turn back to me, O lost children, except for Acher... ’”

What is the message of this story? That G-d indeed does not forgive all humans who want to repent? That some must truly be condemned forever? This would contradict a fundamental idea in Judaism that nothing stands in the way of repentance.

Furthermore, if G-d did not want Elisha to repent, why did He communicate with him at all? Why did the heavenly voice begin with words of love and encouragement “Turn back to me, O lost children,” and end with the fearful decree “except for Acher”?

This class will analyze the tragic story of Acher, the mysterious call to him on Yom Kippur, and his misinterpretation of it. We will explore the moments before his death, and why he had only one student who remained with him even after his betrayal of his faith. It will teach us about the pain and destiny of our own lives, how to view our own brokenness and wounds, and those of the people around us.

This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Acharei-Kedoshim, 4 Iyar, 5783, April 25, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

We learn in the third chapter of Pirkei Avos: Rabbi Chaninah, deputy to the kohanim, would say: Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive. Rabbi Chaninah son of Tradyon would say: If two sit together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, then this is a session of scorners  ... Two who sit and exchange words of Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them...

The basic meaning of (the first) Rabbi Chaninah's words is that for a society to be civilized its members must submit to the rule of government and law. The need for "fear of authority" may seem an insult to our sophistication and intelligence, but the fact remains that without it there would be nothing to check the worst in man, and the anarchic rule of the jungle would prevail.

The question, though, is how this passage made it into Pirkei Avos, the Ethics of the Fathers, which is a book of character-building, of going “beyond the letter of the law.” In these chapters you will not find a prohibition of murder, theft, deception, or adultery. For that we have the Torah and the other tractates of Mishnah. Yet here we have an astounding exception. Suddenly the Mishnah tells us that we must do what we can to avoid people eating each other alive!

A second enigma is this. The Mishnah rarely if ever employs poetic language. It is not a book of poetry, but of law. Why does the Mishnah use this phrase, “every man would swallow his neighbor alive,” not the ordinary and straightforward term in Torah and Tanach, “every man would kill his neighbor.”

There is a third enigma. Rabbi Chanina was not only addressing the non-Jewish world, but also the Jewish world. In the words of Maimonides in his commentary on this Mishnah: “If not for the fear of government we would swallow each other alive.” But this seems unfair and harsh. Jews, who are born and bred with the values and mitzvos of the Torah, have rarely been involved in murder. Till today, no Jewish school in the world where Torah is taught has a metal detector. Is it really true that if we had not fear of government, we would murder each other?

Finally, what is the juxtaposition between this clause of the Mishnah and the following one: “Rabbi Chaninah son of Tradyon would say: ... Two who sit and exchange words of Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them.” They seems disjointed. Why were they put together in one Mishnah?

It was at a farbrengen Shabbos Parshas Shlach 1975, when the Lubavitcher Rebbe offered a marvelous and extremely relevant explanation into this Mishnah which answers all the above questions—and teaches us how to live.

We also tell the story of a horse by the water, two groceries in Crown Heights, the arrogant scholar, the dignity of a child, and Rabbi Lau’s Bar mitzvah. 

This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Acharei-Kedoshim, 4 Iyar, 5783, April 25, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

We learn in the third chapter of Pirkei Avos: Rabbi Chaninah, deputy to the kohanim, would say: Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive. Rabbi Chaninah son of Tradyon would say: If two sit together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, then this is a session of scorners  ... Two who sit and exchange words of Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them...

The basic meaning of (the first) Rabbi Chaninah's words is that for a society to be civilized its members must submit to the rule of government and law. The need for "fear of authority" may seem an insult to our sophistication and intelligence, but the fact remains that without it there would be nothing to check the worst in man, and the anarchic rule of the jungle would prevail.

The question, though, is how this passage made it into Pirkei Avos, the Ethics of the Fathers, which is a book of character-building, of going “beyond the letter of the law.” In these chapters you will not find a prohibition of murder, theft, deception, or adultery. For that we have the Torah and the other tractates of Mishnah. Yet here we have an astounding exception. Suddenly the Mishnah tells us that we must do what we can to avoid people eating each other alive!

A second enigma is this. The Mishnah rarely if ever employs poetic language. It is not a book of poetry, but of law. Why does the Mishnah use this phrase, “every man would swallow his neighbor alive,” not the ordinary and straightforward term in Torah and Tanach, “every man would kill his neighbor.”

There is a third enigma. Rabbi Chanina was not only addressing the non-Jewish world, but also the Jewish world. In the words of Maimonides in his commentary on this Mishnah: “If not for the fear of government we would swallow each other alive.” But this seems unfair and harsh. Jews, who are born and bred with the values and mitzvos of the Torah, have rarely been involved in murder. Till today, no Jewish school in the world where Torah is taught has a metal detector. Is it really true that if we had not fear of government, we would murder each other?

Finally, what is the juxtaposition between this clause of the Mishnah and the following one: “Rabbi Chaninah son of Tradyon would say: ... Two who sit and exchange words of Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them.” They seems disjointed. Why were they put together in one Mishnah?

It was at a farbrengen Shabbos Parshas Shlach 1975, when the Lubavitcher Rebbe offered a marvelous and extremely relevant explanation into this Mishnah which answers all the above questions—and teaches us how to live.

We also tell the story of a horse by the water, two groceries in Crown Heights, the arrogant scholar, the dignity of a child, and Rabbi Lau’s Bar mitzvah. 

This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Tazria-Metzorah, 27 Nissan, 5783, April 18, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

This women’s Pesach Class, explaining a few parts of the Haggadah, was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Tzav, 6 Nissan, 5783, March 28, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

Right after we enumerate the ten plagues that befell Egypt, pouring out a little wine for each plague, we read of a debate that took place between three of the foremost sages during the second century CE, Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yoisi from the Galilee.

Rabbi Yoisi HaGlili says: “The Egyptians were struck in Egypt by ten plagues… Rabbi Eliezer says: “... Every plague that G-d brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt was comprised of four plagues...Thus they were struck by forty plagues;” Rabbi Akiva says: “... Every plague that G-d brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt was comprised of five plagues... thus they were struck by fifty plagues.”

What is this supposed to mean? The Torah states that Egypt was struck with ten plagues. Why would the Talmudic Sages debate this simple fact? Do we have to argue about everything? And what is the meaning of their views that each plague was comprised of four or five plagues? And what is the relevance to us?

The sages were addressing a big question: How deep can abuse, trauma, corruption, and evil penetrate a society collectively and each person individually? How messed up can you and I become? How sick can we become? How deep can the dysfunction run? And what is the path of healing? Is healing even always possible?

In Judaism, psychology and ethics are reflected in practical law. It is fascinating that the above dispute, finds expression in the world of Halacha: How do we treat our Chametz on Pesach?

How did Reb Yoisi Haglili treat his ex-wife who made his life miserable? How did Reb Akiva understand that trauma can affect your formless core? What did he teach us about the path toward healing from profound abuse and dissociation?

This class is based on the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Pesach of 5711 (1951), 5714( 1954), and 5718 (1958). Published in Likkutei Sichos, vol. 16 pp. 87-93.

This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Tazria-Metzorah, 27 Nissan, 5783, April 18, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

This women’s Pesach Class, explaining a few parts of the Haggadah, was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Tzav, 6 Nissan, 5783, March 28, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

Right after we enumerate the ten plagues that befell Egypt, pouring out a little wine for each plague, we read of a debate that took place between three of the foremost sages during the second century CE, Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yoisi from the Galilee.

Rabbi Yoisi HaGlili says: “The Egyptians were struck in Egypt by ten plagues… Rabbi Eliezer says: “... Every plague that G-d brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt was comprised of four plagues...Thus they were struck by forty plagues;” Rabbi Akiva says: “... Every plague that G-d brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt was comprised of five plagues... thus they were struck by fifty plagues.”

What is this supposed to mean? The Torah states that Egypt was struck with ten plagues. Why would the Talmudic Sages debate this simple fact? Do we have to argue about everything? And what is the meaning of their views that each plague was comprised of four or five plagues? And what is the relevance to us?

The sages were addressing a big question: How deep can abuse, trauma, corruption, and evil penetrate a society collectively and each person individually? How messed up can you and I become? How sick can we become? How deep can the dysfunction run? And what is the path of healing? Is healing even always possible?

In Judaism, psychology and ethics are reflected in practical law. It is fascinating that the above dispute, finds expression in the world of Halacha: How do we treat our Chametz on Pesach?

How did Reb Yoisi Haglili treat his ex-wife who made his life miserable? How did Reb Akiva understand that trauma can affect your formless core? What did he teach us about the path toward healing from profound abuse and dissociation?

This class is based on the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Pesach of 5711 (1951), 5714( 1954), and 5718 (1958). Published in Likkutei Sichos, vol. 16 pp. 87-93.

This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Terumah, 30 Shevat, 5783, Rosh Chodesh Adar, February 21, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Terumah, 30 Shevat, 5783, Rosh Chodesh Adar, February 21, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

This class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Mishpatim, 23 Shevat, 5783, February 14, 2023, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.