Tuesday 1 December 2020

Avot in Retrospect: a summary of last month's blogposts

 In case you missed them, here's a list of items posted on Avot Today in November 2020:

Thursday 26 November 2020: Righteous and Righteouser: two types of servant explained. 
We look at servants who serve (i) without making a stipulation that they should receive a reward or (ii) after stipulating that they will only serve if they do not received a reward. What can we learn from the Noam Elimelech?

Sunday 22 November 2020: Not Considering Oneself Wicked: a response to PaulDoes Rabbi Shimon ben Netanel have a theological point to prove when urging people not to see themselves as being wicked?

Wednesday 18 November 2020: Kavod v Mussar: contrasting cases: an observation on how, while honor runs away from people who chase it, chastisement chases after people who seek to avoid it.

Sunday 15 November 2020: Ten Tests for Abraham -- but why not for Jacob too? A mishnah in the fifth perek of Avot famously mentions the fact that Abraham passes 10 tests from God. It would seem though that Jacob faced more tests, yet he gets no mention at all. Why?

Thursday 12 November 2020: Loving Rebukes: what does this mean? Avot 6:6 lists "loving rebukes" as one of the 48 means through which Torah is acquired. But what do we understand from this?

Thursday 12 November 2020: Rabbi Sacks. A brief acknowledgement of a great loss.

Friday 6 November 2020: All Creatures Great and Small: good examples for the Torah scholar.  In Avot 5:23 Yehudah ben Teyma cites the leopard, eagle, deer and lion as "role models" for the ideal servant of God. Rabbi Eliezer Papo has a novel slant on this mishnah.

Wednesday 4 November 2020: Trial and ErrorMore thoughts on the Ten Tests of Abraham in Avot 5:4. Is it irrelevant what they are? And what are they supposed to prove?


***************************************************

Avot Today blogposts for October 2020 here
Avot Today blogposts for September 2020 here
Avot Today blogposts for August 2020 here
Avot Today blogposts for July 2020 here
Avot Today blogposts for June 2020 here
Avot Today blogposts for May 2020 here

No comments:

Post a Comment