A Soulful Journey

A great rabbi wanted to reintroduce the Sanhedrin just after the birth of the state of Israel.  Ben-Gurion asked, “Where are you going to find seventy righteous and honest men?” He replied, “Well, if you pay enough you can get them! ” - Rabbi Louis Jacobs

The Talmud classifies two kinds of war. 1. Milhemet mitzvah .   An unavoidable conflict that demands to be fought.   Three examples of this kind of war are: a.      Joshua’s war against the seven Canaanite nations. b.       The war against Amalek. c.      A war declared against an enemy that has already launched its attack. 2. Milhemet Reshu t.   This category of war comes at the discretion of the Sanhedrin, authority of seventy judges charged with protecting the nation. It will never be fashionable to speak of war when talking about spirituality  Yet, to avoid the dark side of humanity is to ignore reality. Until the Mashiach comes, we will encounter evil.  Good must always be stronger and ever vigilant. 

"When one prays he must consider himself as if the Shechina (God) is opposite him.  As it states, 'I have set the Lord always before me'. " -Sanhedrin 22a

Law : A scholar should not reside in a city where the following ten things are not found: A court of justice that imposes penalties; A charity collected by two and distributed by three; A synagogue; A mikveh; A convenience (toilet); A surgeon;* A notary; A shochet; A schoolmaster.  *Rashi adds providing that the physician is a mohel. -Sanhedrin 17b The underlying  question is: W hat are your priorities ? The underlying thought is: We resemble the place where we live.