Friday, September 11, 2009

Parshas Netzavim-Vayelech

I'd like to apologize for the general dearth of posts. I've just started a new full time job plus a new full time semester, so I'm just a little overwhelmed and overtired. I'll try to catch up and keep going, but please be patient (and yes, that includes dealing with my nomination as a kreative blogger by Staying Afloat). Enjoy this week's dvar torah!

The Gemora in Sotah (13b) derives from 31:2 that the righteous die on the day on which they were born, as Hashem completes the years of the righteous from day to day and from month to month. How can this be reconciled with the Yerushalmi (Rosh Hashana 3:8) which relates that when doing battle, the Amalekites chose soldiers whose birthdays were on the day of the battle, as on a person's birthday his mazal is stronger and protects him from dying? (Taima D'Kra)

Rav Chaim Kanievsky
explains that on a person's birthday, his mazal is indeed stronger and able to assist him. However, the form of aid that it provides depends upon the type of person that he is. For an ordinary person, death is considered a punishment and his strong mazal helps to protect against it on his birthday. However, for the righteous, death is considered beneficial as it brings them directly to Gan Eden, and their strong mazals actually work to bring this about on the day of their birth.

© 2009 by Oizer Alport. To subscribe or send comments, write to oalport@optonline.net

4 comments:

Staying Afloat said...

Didn't mean to stress you! Hatzlachah with everything.

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate these nugget divrei torah that allow me to go into Shabbos actually knowing something.

inkstainedhands said...

That's interesting.

Shabbat Shalom!

itsagift said...

Wow - that is beautiful!

Melissa said...

I learn so much from your posts.

I hope life settles down for you and that you can relax a bit.

Congrats on your award.

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