{
"title": "Ohr Yisrael",
"language": "en",
"versionTitle": "merged",
"versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org/Ohr_Yisrael",
"text": {
"Introduction": [
"The Rambam, of blessed memory, in Chapter 3 of his Eight Perakim write, and these are his words, those that came before us said that the Nefesh has health and sickness like the body has health and sickness, and the health of the Nefesh is that its character/attributes exist, etc."
],
"Shaarei Ohr": [],
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"Now let us return and see what would be the first cause to have a person be aroused to examine his actions and meditate introspectively during the month of Elul (this matter is relevant to the whole year, in that it touches upon His service, may His name be blessed) - is it not the case that he has no natural desire for this, as [he does] with earthly matters? Our early rabbis - Eden is their rest - trembled about this thing. They relied upon the Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer and instituted the blowing of the shofar in Elul; and it became the first cause for someone to be aroused from his sleep and from the vanities of his slumbers to examine his actions. It is like the statement of the verse (Amos 3:6), \"When a ram’s horn is sounded in a town, do the people not tremble?\" ",
"However it is known that an effect is only created by a cause similar to it. A weighty effect will not come out of a light cause!",
"And with this thing, the blowing of the shofar was the first cause for someone who was immersed, both inside and out, in His service, may His name be blessed. So a light cause could arouse him to examine himself in a more lofty way. But what can we say or speak? What can be done now when we are immersed, both inside and out, in the the vanities of earthly pursuits, and the heart is blocked and as hard as a solid boulder? Will the light arousal [of the shofar] in front of us make an impression upon the powerful rock? "
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"[Your] honor’s letter of this month just reached me, and I feel it is urgent that I write [to you] as [you] requested.",
"The whole purpose of man is to control his spirit, to divert it by his will to whatever his situation demands. [In this case, someone has died, so there is a choice] whether to direct the spirit toward sadness, to be embittered by [the dead man’s loss of] His service, blessed be His name, for it has passed -- because “the dead are free” [of the Torah and commandments] — or to direct one’s spirit toward calming and relaxing the soul, [by regarding this death as a case of] a good man who is on his way to his eternal rest, which is the aspiration of every human being on the face of the earth. This eternal bliss is the fruit of his purpose; “sweet is the sleep of the toiler…”",
"Were it not for the strong words of our Sages, of blessed memory, which confirm and uphold all that we have taught, it would stand to reason that we should stand firm as a rock against the natural desire for a happy life in this world, and we would not complain about the departure of a noble man. His possessions are in his hand, and who knows what would be the outcome of his struggle, were he to live on?! However, we must follow the words of the Sages, of blessed memory, to go and find a way to maintain fear and grief in our heart.",
"Yet, for everything there is an occasion, and for every experience, a time. Now that this plague has appeared in the land, and even here—may the Merciful One save us—this is the teaching that should guide a person, and this is common sense: Do not be afraid of [the disease] at all. For what is human life in any case? Who knows if his [future] path [in life] would have turned out [to be] upright. Furthermore, we must act in accordance with the wise doctors’ instructions - for our religion tells us to walk by the light of their words and thus uphold this life to be good and do good.",
"Experience also taught us in past days when the plague was rife, may the Merciful One save us, that whoever submitted to the burden of the doctors’ orders vis-à-vis diet, etc., wisely, not foolishly, was not affected by plague or disease, may the Merciful One save us. Thus, since all religious behavior is altered, according to halakhah itself, at this time, one should not be excessively bitter on the holidays. This is the time to observe and serve God in joy, and this will be our strength.",
"Similarly, do not grieve or be upset about the precious soul [of the dead], for it has been freed from the troubles of vain life to go on to the ultimate destination of its journey. May his soul be preserved in the bonds of life.",
"May God, May His Name Be Blessed, comfort [you]…",
"May you be blessed with the blessing of mazal tov, and the blessing of years of life and peace.\n"
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"And that is why when they prayed for rain: Behold Rabbi Akiva's approach was like the way of Hilllel, to forego his reckonings [with others for their sins against him]. Hence he was answered from the Heavens measure for measure. However Rabbi Eliezer's approach was like the way of Shammai, so he would not forego his reckonings. Though it is true that he would receive much reward about this - that which he did the will of God, may His name be blessed, according to his position; nevertheless, since he ultimately would not forego his reckonings, [for the Heavens to] forego the sins of the community would not have been measure for measure. And that is why he was not answered. So this is the meaning of the heavenly voice which said, \"It is not because this one is greater than that one, but rather because this one forgoes his reckonings, etc.\" That is why he was answered, measure for measure, as just mentioned. "
]
],
"Iggeret HaMusar": [],
"Netivot Ohr": [],
"Kokhavei Ohr": []
},
"versions": [
[
"Ohr Yisrael, trans. Rabbi Irving Greenberg with Rabbi Justin Pines, 2020",
"https://www.sefaria.org/"
],
[
"Sefaria Community Translation",
"https://www.sefaria.org"
]
],
"heTitle": "אור ישראל",
"categories": [
"Musar",
"Acharonim"
],
"schema": {
"heTitle": "אור ישראל",
"enTitle": "Ohr Yisrael",
"key": "Ohr Yisrael",
"nodes": [
{
"heTitle": "הקדמה",
"enTitle": "Introduction"
},
{
"heTitle": "שערי אור",
"enTitle": "Shaarei Ohr"
},
{
"heTitle": "",
"enTitle": ""
},
{
"heTitle": "אגרת המוסר",
"enTitle": "Iggeret HaMusar"
},
{
"heTitle": "נתיבות אור",
"enTitle": "Netivot Ohr"
},
{
"heTitle": "כוכבי אור",
"enTitle": "Kokhavei Ohr"
}
]
}
}