טיפע רעיונות פון הגאון רבי אביגדור מיללער זצ"ל

[מונאוויטש]

My question is, what's is the Jewish viewpoint on having a pet like a dog in the house?

So the question is also what's the Jewish viewpoint about eating lukshen? And the answer is that there's no Jewish viewpoint. You want the Jewish viewpoint on every petty issue?! So I'll tell you. The Jewish viewpoint about eating macaroni is it should be kosher, that's all. And you have to make a brochah.

However, I must tell you, there is one thing about pets. They shouldn't be a nuisance to other people! That's a Jewish viewpoint. If you learn gemara, you learned that if you have a dog that always remains politely behind the fence, but then, when people go by your dog rushes up to the fence and gives a loud bark and their hearts stop beating for a moment, then you have to worry about your Olam Habah. That is the Jewish viewpoint. And such a thing, if you didn't learn gemara you'd never know it.

There's a gemara about that (see Bava Kama 79b, 83a). You have to be careful that your animal should not frighten people. Here's a man who has a dog and when you pass by, the dog starts growling and you walk by apprehensively, nervously. You're worried - you're thinking, "Who knows? Maybe he'll tear my trousers." And sometimes he does! A rabbi, a neighbor of mine in East Flatbush, had his trousers torn by a dog. I was bitten by a dog too! I called the police. And I was cursed out by the owner for calling them. He said, "My dog is helpful." His dog is helpful! Helpful?! That means you can enjoy a bite from my dog; it's worth it. A meshugeneh!

An Orthodox Jew is the only one who knows about this. Of course, there are Orthodox Jews who are ignorant as well. But they're not Orthodox, they're not Orthodox enough. If you didn't learn, or even if you did, but you don't practice, then you're not an Orthodox Jew enough. Because really, it's only the Orthodox Jews, the real ones, who know what it means to prevent injury to your fellow man.

-- TAPE # 204 (January 1978)

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

How do we benefit from this cold weather?

The benefits of cold weather are tremendous. Cold weather causes the earth to stop producing. If the earth would continue to produce all year round, it would use up all of its resources - all of its nutrients and energy. And that's why deserts are found in hot climates. You won't find any deserts in cold climates. Because in temperate climates the earth always has a chance to recuperate its powers. In the hot climates however, sometimes the sun shines continuously with such heat, and the earth continues to produce and produce until it becomes arid and finally loses all its energy.

So the cold weather is mamash a yeshuah, a lifesaver. The cold weather is the reason that next year there will be crops again. The crops are a result of the cold weather that gave the earth a chance to recuperate. So next summer, when you're about to bite into a delicious peach, remember to thank Hakodosh Boruch Hu for the cold winter that prepared the earth to give you this peach. And when you walk in the cold today, remember to thank Hashem for all the delicious fruit that the cold weather is preparing for you.

You know, the earth uses up all of its energy to produce for us. But when the cold comes, all the leaves fall onto the ground. And the leaves are fertilizer. After a while they melt away into the ground. And now comes the cold weather and there's no more growing. Everything stops growing. The earth stops producing. What does the earth do? It recycles. It recycles all the energy that it had lost and the earth becomes fertile once again. And now in the springtime it is ready to produce again. So the cold is actually a lifesaver for us. Without cold there would be deserts all over America. But the dry deserts are found only in the areas with hot climates like the Sahara or the Arabian deserts because the sun is shining there all year round.

-- TAPE #E-210 (January 2000)

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[ר' זעקל]

Q:
If people are waiting for a Jewish owned bus, and I'm passing by and I could give them a ride for nothing or for less money, should I do it? Or do I have to take into account that I'll be hurting the Jew who owns the bus company?

A:
For less money, I don't know what to tell you. But if you can give them a ride for nothing, don't hesitate. Don't hesitate! Gemillas chessed, even though somebody else would make money from that, but your mitzvah of gemillas chessed gives you a right to do it for nothing. No question about that. Just don't tell this to the bus man.

[ר' זעקל]

Q:
Chazal tell us that kohanim are easily angered. Why is that so?

A:
The answer is that kohanim zerizim heim - kohanim by nature act with an emotional alacrity (Shabbos 20a). You know, kohanim have a very big responsibility. They are the designated Torah teachers - the spiritual leaders of Klal Yisroel. Now, that responsibilty requires that they should respond quickly to every situation. They must be on constant guard to defend the Torah ideals. Avodas Hashem is so important to them that they are zerizim. They are all "bnei Torah and chareidim li'dvar Hashem." That's what Rashi says "zerizim" means (Rashi, ibid.).

Now, when people are zerizim they can be zerizim for all good things - chesed, mitzvos. But once you're a zariz your emotions are always on edge. Even though you are emotionally on edge to do good things, sometimes people misuse their emotional fervor and they become emotional and excited for wrong things as well. But kohanim are not emotional for wrong things b'etzem. B'etzem they are emotional and excited for good things. That's how they are supposed to use these emotions. But sometimes because of this emotional sensitivity, a kohen will get angry. A kohen might tell his wife, "I'm going to give you a get." Now, he doesn't mean it. He got overly excited. Therefore the gemara tells us that when a kohen gives a get it must be get mekushar, not a get pashut. A get mekushar you have to write one line and then sew it up. Then you write another line and sew it up. Hopefully by the time the sofer is almost done writing, so the kohen has already cooled off and changed his mind. We want to give him a chance to cool off and change his mind.

But not because kohanim should be that way. Kohanim are zerizim - emotional zerizim. Hashem made them with a certain nervous excitement. But they can just as well use it for good things too. That's really the purpose. Some tzadikim are full of nervous excitement to do good things. Not to do something that's not good. It's only that when you have that tevah, that nature of a nervous excitement, you have to beware that it should be used only in a good way.

[ר' זעקל]

Q:
How do we create the desire to emulate Hashem's ways when actually we don't have such a desire?

A:
Now the first thing is to say to yourself, either quietly or in your mind, "I would like to be mekayem והלכת בדרכיו, walking in the ways of Hashem." Once you said that, you have to know that you have already made a decisive step in the right direction. It's remarkable what making a decision with words can mean. Just say, "I want to be mekayem loving the Am Yisroel like Hashem loves them." Once you say that, you should know that you have made a very important step in life.

Only that you're not going to do it, that's the trouble. But if you would however, then Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, "You made one step, so I'll give you a big push," and you'll be surprised how far you'll go ahead. והתקדשתם והייתם קדושים. What does that mean? והתקדשתם - "You should make yourself holy, והייתם קדושים - And you will become holy." It's a principle. אדם מקדש את עצמו מעט מקדשים אותו הרבה - "If a man makes himself kadosh a little bit then Hakadosh Baruch Hu makes him kadosh very much." It's a very important principle, and this principle you'll find everywhere in the Torah. וראיתם אותם, look at your tzitzis, וזכרתם, and you'll remember כל מצוות השם. It's a bris, it's a promise. ועשיתם את כל מצוותי, and you do the mitzvos, והייתם קדושים, and you'll become holy. By doing mitzvos you'll become kadosh. How do you become kadosh by doing mitzvos? The answer is Hakadosh Baruch Hu rewards you. So once you'll start in the right direction, then from then on Hashem helps you. Of course, if you start with a bigger amount of energy, He'll give you a bigger push, but in general that's the way to do it.

So the very first step you have to know is the step of a hypocrite. You don't mean it. But you shouldn't care about that. Do it anyhow. Be a hypocrite. Say, "Hashem I love You." Now, actually you don't love Hashem. It's true that you don't. You love ice cream, that you love. You love cake. You love watermelon. But Hashem? Say it anyhow! "I love You Hashem."

Realize that you have made a very big step in your life if you say that. A very big step! And most people never said it once in their lives. So when you walk out of here tonight don't lose the opportunity. Nobody should listen. Say," I love You Hashem." Say that. It's a tremendous achievement. Once in your life you said that, and you don't know what the consequences could be.

And therefore you always must start out in an insincere way; but at least you started out. And then Hakadosh Baruch Hu takes over.

[מונאוויטש]

Why should we be thanking Hashem for His kindness, if He brought us into this world against our will, like it says in Pirkei Avos (4:24) al korchoch atah notzar - “You were created against your will”? I didn’t ask Him to make me.

Let’s say a man who was a good friend of yours financed your efforts to buy a house. He loaned you huge sums of money and he co-signed on the bank loans for you, and just because of him you moved into this house. So now in your new house and you’re grumbling, “Look what this man did to me. Now I have to go buy furniture for the house. If he wouldn’t have helped me buy this house, I could be sitting in a furnished room right now, living a peaceful life. Look at the big trouble he inflicted upon me.” Anybody who thinks that way is an ingrate, an evil, selfish-hearted person. Would you give up that house once he gave it to you? Certainly not. Therefore, if Hashem put us into this world, that itself is a happiness. It’s fun to be alive! That’s a very great truth; unfortunately, people don’t want to talk about it. The mere fact that you’re sitting and breathing, it’s a joy, it’s a great happiness. Your heart is pumping away, your blood is circulating through all of your arteries and veins. Your lungs are expanding and contracting constantly; everything is working perfectly. It’s a joy to be alive! It’s fun to be alive! You can never stop thanking Hashem just for that.

That’s why it says Yismach Yisroel be’osov - “Yisroel has to enjoy and thank our Maker” (Tehillim 149). What are you saying, you didn’t want Him to make you?! Certainly you wanted Him to make you. And you’re most happy with it. Now, that mishnah, al korchoch atah notzar, you were created against your will, there’s a secret behind those words and we’ll talk about that one day. But once you’re here and you sense the joy of life, there’s nothing like it. There’s nothing like the great happiness of being alive in this world. Therefore, as long as we have it, we’re expected to respond properly, with the greatest gratitude. Yismach Yisroel - “Rejoice Yisroel!” Why? Be’osov - “Because He made you!” Don’t say, “Who told You to make me? And therefore I can demand of You that You should support me and that You should clothe me.”

Even if He wouldn’t have clothed you, if Hashem would have kept you naked, and you would have to live in a barrel, you are a lucky fellow. People in barrels don’t want to commit suicide either. They’re happy to live in barrels; certainly they are. Therefore, we thank Hashem, Boruch atah Hashem michayeh hameisim, every morning. Every morning we say hamachzir neshamos lifgarim meisim - We thank You Hashem for restoring us to life every morning. We go through this all over, again and again, every morning, and we should never fall into that wicked attitude of asking this question. That question is based on non-thinking. It’s all based on a failure to think. When people utilize their minds, after a while they begin to appreciate the happiness of life. But if you’re going to live with the attitude of “I didn’t ask Hashem to bring me into the world, I didn’t ask Hashem to give me life,” then Hashem might say, “So if you don’t like it, so give it back.”

-- TAPE # 774

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

It was once said here that when people are on a lower madreiga so the yetzer hara is also a lower kind, and when people are on a higher madreiga the yetzer hara is also a higher kind. So the gentleman asks, "Didn't they have a yetzer hara of immorality in the times of the dor hamidbar too, like we find by the bnos Midyan?"

And the answer is it wasn't the same. If the bnei Yisroel would've encountered temptations that are offered today they would spit, they would wretch, they'd be nauseated by what they saw. They wouldn't be attracted at all. What happened there was an entirely different story and I'll make it as brief as I can.

The daughters of Midyan came and they said: "Look, we want to be converted to your faith." Ah, here comes a beautiful young woman and she wants to be a giyores; but you have to know that's the most dangerous kind of temptation there is. Idealism! Because when people set out to do mitzvos, to teach Rambam to girls, it's going to end bad.

Here's a fellow, let's say in a club, in a Po'el Hamizrachi club, I'll give you that as an example, and he's teaching Rambam to girls Shabbos afternoon. You have to know that it's not Rambam that he's teaching. It's a different subject altogether. It's not Rambam at all.

And therefore although it looks like the same, but it was an entirely different subject there by the bnos Midyan. It was a subject of ruchnius. It was a story of geirus, of being machnis tachas kanfei haShechinah, of making people geirim.

I told you recently a story of a man who started being megai'er a young woman, a young Italian woman. He was megai'er her, and the end was he was hooked by her and he ran away from his wife. He had a fine wife and a beautiful family of children but because he was megai'er this giyores, he was hooked by her. Now this fellow would never have fallen into this trap; in a thousand years it couldn't have happened. He was a frum fellow, a Mesillas Yesharim type fellow. But because of the mitzvah of being mekarev a giyores he got lost in the mitzvah. And that caused his downfall. That caused his ruination.

-- TAPE # 214 (April 1978)

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

What should a parent tell a child that wants to get a pet like a dog or a goldfish?

If he wants a goldfish, that's just like getting him a toy. Nothing wrong with buying him a toy. But a dog; he doesn't need for that. A dog is a symbol that he identifies with the goyim of the neighborhood. I'm not saying that every child wants it for that reason, but that's what a dog means.

What is a dog for? Some people say that a dog is for the purpose of protecting them, but actually, it's not so. Some people have these little dogs - tiny fragile things - and the dogs themselves need protection. For these tiny, little dogs - anyone can give it a good kick and kill it. What a dog really means in most cases is, "I'm a goy like all the goyim." That's what it really means in most cases.

Some people, unfortunately, pick up their dog in their arms and kiss it like a child. They use it instead of a child. Instead of having any children, they have two dogs in the house. I once saw a family saying farewell to their married son and daughter. They bent over and first they said goodbye to their son and daughter. Then they bent over and kissed their daughter's dog goodbye, like a member of the family.

So when people sink so low that they accept animals on the level of human beings, then you have to know that they're sinning against the Torah, sinning against Hashem and sinning against common sense.

And therefore, I'm very much against having dogs. But goldfish are no harm. It's a hobby, a toy, for a child, so let him have a goldfish if he wants.

-- TAPE # E-37

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

The Rav said that he can't justify people not getting married. But couldn't it be that there are some people who are just not meant to get married? Like some people who are poor all their lives and wouldn't be able to support a family anyways?

Now, if some people are poor all their lives, I still can't justify them. Why didn't these people learn a parnasah?! Why are they poor?! It's an aveirah to be poor. Efes ki lo yih’ye b’cho evyon - "There shall surely be no poor among you" (Devarim 15:4). That means that a man must do whatever he can to not bring himself to poverty (Rashi, Bava Metzia 30b). You shouldn't be a poor man. It's an aveirah to be poor. A person has to do whatever he can to avoid poverty. And many poor people have themselves to blame. Why shouldn't they learn some kind of parnasah?! There are many kinds of parnasah. Take the yellow book - those yellow pages - and you'll find a thousand kinds of livelihoods to make.

Now, people who don't marry, in most cases it's their fault. First of all, how can you marry if you're not prepared to support a wife?! A man yesterday spoke to me. He still doesn't have a shidduch. And he's turning thirty years old. I asked him, "Do you have a job?" "No," he says. No?! So how can you look for a shidduch if you don't have a job when you're thirty years old. It's ridiculous! A girl would have to be crazy to marry you! I didn't tell him that, but that's the truth. He wants a shidduch?! I said to him, "You have to support a wife."

And that lesson is very important. Learn a parnasah! Go into computers. Many people can make a living in computers. And other things too. There are hundreds of parnasahs. And people who don't marry, you should know, Hakodosh Boruch Hu will hold them accountable. They are responsible not only for the cheit of not marrying but they are responsible for the cheit of not having children. And grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The Rambam says (Hilchos Sanhedrin 12:3) that when you kill a person it's as if you destroyed an olam malei. And when you bring a child into the - [at this point the tape ended, chaval al deabdin].

-- TAPE # E-173 (December 1998)

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

Is it befitting for a ben-Torah to eat in a pizza shop or a restaurant?

Let me explain something to you. If you're a yeshiva bochur, a kollel man, or a working man who wants to do what's right, make yourself a sandwich before you go out of the house in the morning. Take the sandwich along with you and eat the sandwich for lunch. Why waste money on a restaurant? I don't understand that! For years and years I ate sandwiches that I took with me into the yeshiva every day. Why not?! It costs a load of money to eat in a restaurant. You're not chas al mamon Yisroel?! You'll need that money for yourself; for more important things than pizza or restaurant food.

Secondly, if you're eating in a place where leitzim come together, there's no excuse for that. It's a moshav leitzim, and there's no excuse for you to sit in such a place! U’bemoshav leitzim lo yoshov. You can't sit down over there! Especially in some restaurants and pizza places where girls - frum girls - come. Frum girls at this table and yeshiva boys at another table. Not good at all. Not good at all!

And therefore, the best thing is, take along something from the house, a lunchbox, and eat it where you're able to sit by yourself, in the office or some other place. And you don't have to spend any money. And you don't have to associate with the wrong people either.

-- TAPE # E-172 (November 1998)

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

What should a person think when going, lo aleinu, to Tanchumei Avelim?

He's going to say to them words, he mumbles the words Hamakom Yenachem Eschem; unfortunately he doesn't think what he's saying and they don't think what he's saying, but these are very important words. He's saying we're all aveilim, we're all aveilim! We're mourning for Yerushalayim. How can we be happy if Yerushalayim is in the hands of gentiles, the Bais Hamikdash is not in existence, the Malchus Bais Dovid is not there, the Shechina departed from us, we're all mourning. It's a very important lesson! So when you console him, after all you say tzoras raabim chatzi nechama, if everybody else is suffering, so your suffering is just part of the natural universal suffering of our Nation, we're all sad.

Now it says, tov laleches el bais eivel mei'leches el beis mishteh, it's better to go to the house of an avel than to go to a wedding. You go to a wedding, some people come out of the wedding drunk, and some come out confused, wasting time, leitsonus; of course it doesn't have to be that way, but it could be. When you go to a house of an avel, v'hachai yiten el libo, you learn the lesson of life that this world is only a prosdor lifnei ha'olam habah, this world is only a vestibule, a lobby before the world to come. That's a tremendous lesson that no matter how many times you hear the lesson, it's not enough. It's a tremendous lesson, that we're in this world only to prepare for our career, our main career is only in the world to come. So as you walk out of the house of the avel, you're thinking, from now on I'm going to get busy! As long as I can still walk, I can still talk, I'm going to accomplish something for myself as long as I'm still alive.

Now pay attention to the next thought: When you walk out of the house of the avel, hachai yiten el libo, you should think how lucky I am that I'm alive, and breathe deeply. Ahhhh, it's a pleasure to breathe air, a pleasure to see the sunlight, tov l'einyaim liros es hashemesh, a pleasure to be alive, the happiness of life. When you go out of the bais avel, get a new lease of life, a new understanding of the simchas hachayim. Now most people wouldn't like that idea, you go out of a house of an avel and you gain simcha? But that is one of the great lessons.

If you don't understand how lucky you are that you're alive in this world, then you're missing the great lesson of chasdei Hashem!


A Moment with Rabbi Avigdor Miller Zt"l #286
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210

[מונאוויטש]

When contemplating the plight of unfortunates, isn't there a danger that one might become depressed?

If a person is seeking reasons to be depressed, he'll find them even without looking at unfortunates. Here's a person sitting in a million dollar palace, a billion dollar palace, and all around him are well dressed lackeys, everybody is in the best of health, he sees no sign of misfortune. And one day they find this prince dead of an overdose of pills: he took his own life. It happens again and again.

Why did he do it, because he saw unfortunates? Because life was not understood by him, he didn't begin to appreciate life! Therefore he was reckless on giving up life.

If a person seeks to utilize what life gives him, the presence of unfortunates certainly will arouse compassion, but he should understand their function also is to arouse happiness and gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu that he's not in their shoes.

And it's just the contrary, I always told you, a number of times previously, if you ever are depressed there is an instant remedy; visit a cemetery. Stand outside for a few minutes, and you'll see that it will restore you to your composure, because the biggest happiness of all is being alive.

When people are looking however to be depressed, if a man goes to a cemetery for the purpose of being sad, he can save himself the trouble.

He can sit home and he's going to be sad anyhow.


A Moment with Rabbi Avigdor Miller Zt"l #462
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210

[מונאוויטש]

What is the reason for shatnez?

You want to hear? I'll tell you, but don't laugh. If you're working in an office, sometimes there's a goy who works there in the office with you. Now let's say you have to run out to buy something but you left your coat in the other room. So the goy tells you, "Here, take my coat. Take my coat. Use my coat for two minutes just to run out into the street to get what you need." No, you can't take it. You can't take his coat. It might be shatnez. Do you know what that means?! Let me explain. If you use his coat, then you're fraternizing with him. Hakodosh Boruch Hu wants it that we shouldn't wear the begadim of a goy. We shouldn't be friendly enough with goyim to the point of being able to use his beged. Just like you can't eat together with a goy, you shouldn't be able to clothe the same clothing as a goy.

Now, of course, that's not the only reason. That's only one of the reasons. But it's certainly one of the reasons intended by Hakodosh Boruch Hu. You should not be able to put on a goy's beged. To fraternize like that is not the derech ha'Torah. And that's a very important lesson.

-- TAPE # E-210

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

The Rav said tonight that when someone gets sick or hurt, he shouldn't blame Hashem, but he should look to blame himself for not taking care of himself properly. But shouldn't we be looking back to see which sins we did to cause Hashem to punish us with the cold or the virus or whatever it is?

Absolutely. Absolutely! Yefashmesh b’maasov. He must search out his deeds. Im ro’eh odom she’yesurin bo’in olov yefashmesh b’maasov - "If a person sees that troubles are coming upon him, he should search out his ways and his deeds" (Brachos 5a). But among the pishpush that he searches should be, "What did I do to neglect my health? Am I getting enough sleep? Am I dressed warmly? Am I eating properly? Am I careful when I cross the street?" You shouldn't neglect that either. A person is responsible to take care of himself. Hashem says, "I gave you a body, and you have no right to neglect it." So while you're searching out your deeds, remember that this as well is a very important subject to look for. Because often you are the cause of your sickness because you don't take care of yourself. And that's also a sin against Hashem.

-- TAPE # E-172 (May 1999)

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

In kiddush on Friday night we say that Shabbos is zeicher l'yitzias Mitzraim, a remembrance of our going out of Egypt. In what way is Shabbos supposed to remind us of Yetzias Mitzraim?

Shabbos shows that Hashem chose us to be His people. We, the Am Yisroel, were chosen to be the people who testify to the truth of ma'aseh bereishis by keeping Shabbos. "Atem Eidai," Hashem said. We are His witnesses in this world who testify to the truth of His existence and to His creation of the world from nothing. That's our job in this world, to never back down from testifying to Hashem's creation of this world from nothing. And the most fundamental way we testify to that truth is by keeping Shabbos.

Now, when were we chosen for this job? We were chosen in Mitzraim. At Yetzias Mitzraim Hashem chose us. Shalach es b’ni - "Send out My son," Hashem said. That's the first time Hashem said that. It was at Yetzias Mitzraim that Hashem called the Am Yisroel "My son." He chose us in Mitzraim. And he chose us for what? Shalach es b’ni "v’yaavdini" - "Send out my nation so that they should serve me." So it was at Yetzias Mitzraim, that Hashem chose us to serve Him. It says that openly. "Send them out to serve Me." So it was at the time of Yetzias Mitzraim that we were chosen for this job - to celebrate Shabbos and thereby testify to the briyah yesh mei'ayin and to the chesed Hashem and chochmas Hashem that is so evident in the ma'aseh bereishis. And that's one of the reasons why we mention Yetzias Mitzrayim in kiddush Friday night.

-- TAPE # E-229 (October 2000)

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

Why is death prescribed as the Torah's punishment for a navi sheker, a false prophet? Shouldn't we just help him seek mental health guidance?

So a navi sheker we should send to a psychologist and they'll discuss his issues?! No, no. Often it's the psychologists themselves who deserve to be sentenced for the damage they cause. Unless it's a frum Jew and he's trying to make a parnasa. Then you can go and give him a chance to collect some money from the insurance companies and the government.

In Torah you have to know that there are no bluffs. Rehabilitation of a criminal, when the Torah says that he deserves to be killed, is just a bluff. Help that is offered to criminals instead of giving them what they deserve is just a ploy. It's a trick, a ruse, to avoid the punishment that they deserve to get. Like a wise man once said, "The best assurance that the criminal won't kill again, the best rehabilitation, is the electric chair." You know, that when you put him to death, then you can be sure he won't do it again.

The death penalty is a tremendous gift that Hashem has given to mankind. That we have the right to kill people who do certain terrible things is a gift from Hashem. And by not utilizing that, we are the criminals. We are sinning against mankind and against Hashem.

It says, shofeich dam ho'odom - "If you shed the blood of a man, then bo'odom domei yishofeich - by man his blood should be shed" (Bereishis 9:6). By man! People should shed his blood. It's a chiyuv, an obligation. And I'm not talking about only among Jews. For the bnei Noach too. It's a chiyuv for the bnei Noach to kill murderers. And when they don't, they are sinning against the law of the Torah that says openly that a ben Noach must fulfill the death penalty for murderers. And if they don't do that, then they are sinning, and they deserve a great punishment for ignoring the word of Hashem.

-- TAPE # E-191

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[היימישער הייקער]

די תורת אביגדור איז איין וואך ארויסגעקומען אויכעט אין יידיש . איך האב זיי יעצט געפרעגט פארוואס עס קומט נישט ווייטער ארויס, האבן זיי מיר געזאגט אז די איינציגע אפהאלט איז געלט. עס קאסט $400 צו איבערטייטשן אין יידיש.

רבותי, קען מען דא צאמנעמן אן עולם וואס קען זיך אינטערנעמען $5-$15 א וואך? די שכר פון אויפלעכטן אזוי פיל יודן איז דאך אין לשער. איז דערוילעם אין?

[ר' זעקל]

די תורת אביגדור איז איין וואך ארויסגעקומען אויכעט אין יידיש . איך האב זיי יעצט געפרעגט פארוואס עס קומט נישט ווייטער ארויס, האבן זיי מיר געזאגט אז די איינציגע אפהאלט איז געלט. עס קאסט $400 צו איבערטייטשן אין יידיש.

רבותי, קען מען דא צאמנעמן אן עולם וואס קען זיך אינטערנעמען $5-$15 א וואך? די שכר פון אויפלעכטן אזוי פיל יודן איז דאך אין לשער. איז דערוילעם אין?

גערעכט די איין וואך וואס עס איז ארויסקומען האבעך מיך באלעקט די פינגער.

[מונאוויטש]

What's the purpose of the water that was found this week on Mars?

It's in order to mislead them into thinking that there's some opportunity for life on Mars. Hakodosh Boruch Hu caused a little water to be there for that purpose. It doesn't cause food, it doesn't cause life, and they'll never find any life there. They've been trying now for years, combing Mars with special instruments, electronic instruments crawling across Mars and making recordings. Nothing doing.

So water was put there min hashamayim, even Mars was put there min hashamayim, in order to mislead them. Remember when they found a rock. "Oh, this rock came from Mars," they said, "and it shows signs of ancient life." Thousands of people stood in line to see that rock. And today nobody thinks about that rock anymore. Today it's nothing at all. The whole thing was just a big empty dream.

Constantly they are coming up with new discoveries and it's in all the newspapers, all the headlines. And after a little while, when it's discovered to be false, everything is forgotten. They never admit it. They should come out with the headline: "Rock Now Discovered to be a Fraud." But nothing, they don't do that.

Once upon a time they said, "A great discovery we made about tonsils. We don't need tonsils." And all over America they were making tonsil operations. "It's superfluous; it's a vestigial organ left over from the evolutionary process, from a previous state. We don't need tonsils anymore." But now they discovered that tonsils are very important; they're part of the lymph system. And so when the tonsils are inflamed, don't blame the tonsils and cut them out. No, they're doing their job of getting rid of some of the infections in the lymph system.

So now, do we find a headline any place, "We discovered that we made an error; tonsils are not a vestigial organ"? No, they don't do that. So when they have a discovery where they want to make the whole world think that their theory is true, so they fill all the newspapers with it. But when they discover that it's nothing at all, not one word is said about it. So you see it's a world of sheker.

And therefore, if they found some proof of water on Mars, first of all it could be there was never any water there at all, could be. And if you would tell me that they did find water, so Hakodosh Boruch Hu maybe put some water there for the purpose of deceiving them into thinking that they might still find life on Mars.

-- TAPE # E-236

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

If a woman is capable of working but she would rather stay home and take care of the children; her husband however wants her to work so he could continue learning in kollel. What is the right thing to do?

The fact that a woman is capable of working does not obligate her to work. She has to be maskim, she has to agree to such an arrangement in which her husband is learning and she is working. If she's not maskim, then forget about her capabilities.

Even though she can make a lot of money, it doesn't matter. She's not michuyav, she's not obligated to do a thing, except household things. Maybe small things in the house with which she can earn some money, small things she should do. But to go out of the house and work someplace, she's not michuyav at all.

Even teaching, she's not obligated to do. A woman has no obligation to go out and work. She didn't say Ana eflach, "I will work," in the kesuva. It was the husband who said Ana eflach. And even though she might have agreed beforehand, she has the right to back out after a while, and she can say "I don't want to anymore." And now she wants to fall back on the tenai kesuva, and in the kesuva the husband says Ana eflach, "I will labor."

-- TAPE # E-94 (February 1997)

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[מונאוויטש]

נאך איבער דעם זעלבן ענין.

The Rav has spoken to us often about common sense being an important part of how we approach certain questions. Wouldn't common sense tell us that one has to work in order to make a living? So is sitting in kollel common sense?

You have to know that you have touched on a very important subject. If a person has funds or his wife is an idealist and she prefers to work so that her husband can sit and learn, then as long as she prefers that, it will be a mitzvah to continue to learn in the kollel. But if she does not want or is not able to work, then he is michuyav, he is obligated, to support his wife. He made a kinyan when he got married. He committed himself. "Ana eflach". I am going to work. "Ana eizan." I am going to support my wife. He's michuyav to go to work.

It's impossible for a decent man who doesn't have any income to continue learning when he doesn't have any way to support his family. Certainly he's a choiteh! Certainly he's a sinner; no question about it. And those people who dodge their responsibility and they therefore live in poverty and they're suffering all kinds of troubles - just because they're not willing to go out and support their families - those people are "asidin li'tein es ha'din." No question about it. To be in kollel when it's possible to be in kollel is a beautiful ideal. But when it's not possible, it becomes a cheit, a sin.

-- TAPE # E-189 (June 1999)

Credit: Toras Avigdor

[SPUSMN]

Where do we find wisdom in the world?

The most important researchers in the big chemical companies, with all the materials and apparatus at their disposal, can never hope to create a berry. But the plant possesses not only the skill of making the fruit, but it creates it from nothing but sunlight, water, air, and a little soil. A vast Intellect is at work here.

— Sing, You Righteous

[SPUSMN]

כִּי הוּא אָמַר וַיֶּהִי הוּא צִוָּה וַיַּעֲמֹד (תהלים ל"ג, ט')
בִּדְבַר ה' שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ וּבְרוּחַ פִּיו כָּל צְבָאָם (תהלים ל"ג, ו')

Is there anything besides Hashem?

Hashem said, and it became — which means the whole universe is His word, it's His command. When you see earth, when you see the sun, whatever phenomena you see in this universe — it is nothing other than a form of the words of Hashem. It has no intrinsic existence.

- Creation (#10)

[SPUSMN]

How should we think about Hashem?

Although most people think about Hashem and are willing to say that He is all-knowing and all-wise, they do not put a lot of thought into it. But when we study Shaar Habechinah (Gate of Examination) in Chovos HaLevavos (Duties of the Heart), and we begin to realize how everything in the world is made with wisdom and with benevolence, the mind gains a picture of Hashem as a great Father and a great Benefactor.

— Ohr Avigdor Shaar Habechinah

[מונאוויטש]

התנצלות:
מיט בערך 2 מאנאטן צוריק האבן מיר, צוליב שמחות און אנדערע מניעות, אויפגעהערט ארויפצולייגן די טעגליכע און וועכנטליכע אפדעיטס פון רבי אביגדור זצ"ל. למעשה אזוי ווי האב איך נישט געקריגן קיינע אנפראגעס דא אדער אין אישי, שטעל איך זיך פאר אז דער עולם איז שוין אויפגעסיינט דירעקט מיט תורת אביגדור. אויב וועט זיין א פארלאנג, וועלן מיר פראבירן צו פארצוזעצן נאך יו"ט פסח הבעל"ט, אי"ה.

פאלגנד זענען 3 גאנצע שיעורים (PDF) לכבוד חג הפסח: https://torasavigdor.org/pesach-shiurim
(די ערשטע שיעור איז איבערגעמאכט געווארן היי יאר: http://ladaat.info/showgil.aspx?par=20190420&gil=2451)