Anyone have any amazing stories about Pesach they can share? I'm referring to stories that happened on Pesach.

In Europe my grandmother as a young girl was sent to open the door (when reciting to let in all who are hungry) and a dog walked in.

quote:

Originally posted by Magedman:
Anyone have any amazing stories about Pesach they can share? I'm referring to stories that happened on Pesach.

You want weblinks to stories?

quote:

Originally posted by rob:
In Europe my grandmother as a young girl was sent to open the door (when reciting to let in all who are hungry) and a dog walked in.

Did you ever speculate as to who the dog might be?

B"H
A Story: Blood Libel in the Days of Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri
(As told by the book, "Peri Ha-Limoodh," and translated by David Ben-Abraham)

"This wise man used to behave in strict piety, was blameless and of a pure heart, like unto the tree of life itself, pleasant to the sight, and good unto the taste, working great wonders – both, that which are hidden and revealed. And one of his more noble traits was his ability to set his eye upon someone or something, such as whenever a gentile mistreated him or anyone of Israel, and he set his eyes against that person, etc. Now this pious man was steadfast in his devotion to the blessed G-d, whether in [his study of] the Torah or in his daily prayers, and even in the hour of his labour, never would the recital [of the divine Law] cease from his mouth.
He possessed a certain field, with a cistern in its midst. He used to draw water from it by the aid of two bulls, with which he would irrigate the field.

Once there was a certain Ishmaelite king in the city of San'a, known [to all] by the name of Imam Abu-al-Qasam. During his reign, there was a decree known as 'the blood libel,' occasioned by the following: The nations had accused [the people of] Israel [for the death of the king's son], when they had taken the king's son to a secluded place and murdered him, and then dumped his body in the street belonging to the Jews. The youth was sought after, and was found, whereupon they brought his body to the king. [The king's subjects laid the blame upon the Jews], saying to the king: 'Did we not tell you that the Jews take a gentile each year, by stealth, and slaughter him! And that very blood they will take [and] distribute amongst themselves, drop by drop, to be kneaded with their unleavened bread. And when they eat it, they say: Just as we have tasted the blood of this gentile, so too may we taste the blood of all gentiles! Now we have spoken to you about this [in the past], but you did not heed [our warning]! Believe now our words, for they are an obdurate people! G-d has revealed their sin!'
The king, [at hearing this], shouted in anguish to his servants, 'Quickly! Gather together all the Jews at this place! I will be avenged by their blood! I shall not be appeased until I have utterly consumed them and their memorial from this world! I shall imbibe mine arrows by their blood, and my sword shall devour flesh, [even] by the blood of the slain and of the captive, from the beginning of revenges upon [mine] enemies, those that have spilt the blood of my son! By my life and by the duration of my kingdom, I shall not pity, neither shall I take mercy, [but shall] annihilate their fruit from above, and their root from below, those who laid their hand against the king's son!'

[At these tokens], they went and gathered together all the Jews, with due speed and swift procedure. They cast fear upon the Jews [at that time], and caused them to be alarmed, by saying unto them: Today is the day of your visitation, your days have drawn nigh to die! (May G-d forbid). They all gathered themselves together, in panic, in the midst of that place called the Maydan, both, women, men and children. He (the king) said to them: 'If you presently, at this time, tell me who killed my son, all will be well. But if not, you shall not go unpunished by me!' They answered him, 'Our lord, the king. Give us time.' He replied, 'I shall give you until tomorrow, but only [I would] that you sleep here, in close proximity to my dead son.' (For he feared that by their prayers in their synagogues they would perchance change their bad fortunes and those designs that he thought against them.)

They sent from their numbers an emissary to the town al-Hema, to summon unto them our teacher, [even] the Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri. Thus did they write unto him: 'Quick! Be Hasty! Don't wait! For it is a time of trouble for Ya'akov. Do not remain silent, neither be at ease!' On the morrow, our teacher, [even] our Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri, rose up early before the break of dawn, before a man could recognise his neighbour. And, behold, he came before the king. He said to the king: 'My lord, the king. Swear unto me by thy life, and by the duration of thy kingdom, that you shall acquit Israel of all guilt in this case, if your son shall rise up alive [once again], in the presence of all the people, and shall declare with his own mouth who it was that killed him, so that thou shalt be avenged of him.' He said to him, 'So be it.'

He stood up in prayer before the blessed G-d, and said before Him: 'Lo-rd of the Universe, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, in whose hand are the souls of all the living, and the spirit of every man's flesh, today let it be known that Thou art G-d, and that there is none like unto Thee! There is no holiness like unto G-d, for there is no one but Thee. Sanctify Thy name in Thy world, and it shall be great and be sanctified in the eyes of the nations, and they shall know that there is a G-d amongst Thy people Israel, and that Thou art the truth, and that Thy law is the truth, and that Moses Thy prophet is the truth, and that Thy signet is truth! Moreover, that Thou hast chosen Thy people Israel in truth! For thou art a G-d of truth! And Thy word is truth forever! Blessed be Thou O Lo-rd, who heareth prayer!' [At these final words], he stood up and wrote on a slip of paper the word 'TRUTH' (the Hebrew being symbolized by three letters: Aleph, Mim and Tau א'מ'ת'), and laid it to the forehead of the slain [youth]. And, lo, he (the dead youth) stood upon his feet alive, just as he was before, with spirit and breath and a speaking tongue! And when the king saw [him], he went out and took hold of his hand. The Rabbi then asked him, 'What is your name?' He said to him, 'Abdul Rahman.' He then asked him, 'Whose son are you?' He said to him, 'The son of the Imam, Abu-al-Qasam.' He then asked him, 'And where is your father?' He said to him, 'Behold! He is holding my hand.' He then asked him, 'And what is your situation right now?' He said to him, 'I am slain.' He then asked him, 'Who is it that killed you?' He said to him, 'So and so, and so and so, and they are the good friends of my father.' He then asked him, 'In which place [did this happen]?' He said to him, 'In such and such a house, in such and such a room. And the blood is still freshly imbrued upon the stones.'

The king then sent unto that house and unto that room [in order to make an inquiry there] and, behold, the matter was true and correct. The Rabbi then stood up and erased the letter 'Aleph' (א) from the word TRUTH, and there was left only the letters, 'Mim' 'Tau' ( מתwhich two letters when read consecutively have the meaning of "dead"), and he fell back to the ground, returning to his former state. The king said: 'I will give you much silver that my son might stay alive! (i.e. remain amongst the living).' He (Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri) said to him: 'It is impossible for it to be! [That is], to change the nature [of things] and to make void the decree of the King who reigns over kings of kings, [even] the Most Holy, blessed be He. Rather, these things did not happen except in order to show unto the sons of Adam His [great] powers, and that the blood of the souls of innocent men might not come unto your skirts, and that the nations might [also] know, and that you and your kingdom might be blameless.'

Forthwith, the king commanded to bury his son. Yet, before he was buried, he sent to kill those [who had killed his son], with their wives and sons, and small children, and to make a full extermination of them from the face of the earth. They [also] burnt down their houses and tents with fire, [and] they left of them no remnant. He then sent away the Rabbi and all of Israel peaceably [to their dwellings].
After many days, there stood up certain of the wicked, and those who had recourse to the kingdom, after the king's wrath had been assuaged, and said: 'Our lord, the king. Could you ever imagine your good friends [perpetrating such an atrocity and] killing your son?! Rather, be apprised that that Jew is a great sorcerer, and he has done this thing through sorcery, in order to save his people and his community, and to shed the blood of the gentiles who had been innocent from such [an act]!'

That same wicked man [who spoke these words to the king] kept a grudge in his heart, in order that it might be fulfilled in him that Scripture which says: 'But the loving-kindness of the nations is sin.' (Prov. 14: 34) And he sought to find fault with the Rabbi aforementioned, that he might perhaps be delivered into his hands on account of some calumny [brought against him], but the king would not hear them. Blessed is He who hears the prayers of His people Israel, with love." END.

B"H

Baraq Buraiq al-Hema - A liturgical poem written by a Jewish poet named "Ben Israel," found in the famous song book of Shabazi. The song speaks about the miraculous deliverance of the Jewish people of San'a at the time of Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri, during the famous blood libel of San'a, some 350 years ago. The aforesaid story has been accredited by many a great men in San'a: Rabbi Shalom Yitzhaq Ha-Levi (son of the late judge and chief Rabbi of Yemen, Rabbi Yehiya Yitzhaq Ha-Levi) mentions it in his introduction to the facsimile edition of Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri's "Tiklal Qadhmonim," an ancient Yemenite prayer book of the Baladi-rite in supralinear Babylonian punctuation. So too, Rabbi Abraham al-Nadaf mentions it in his book, "Hovereth Saridei Teiman," under the letter "chet" (×—). The rhyme, unfortunately, has been lost in the translation.)

Lightning flashed from al-Hema upon the sorely trodden people,
While irrigating his flowers with rose water and spikenard.
O my friend, his heart was very doleful when I saw him!
"Your visage," [I said], "is long, [and] darker than the vineyard in the great valley!"
Glory be to G-d who adorned him! From iniquity, He did protect him!
His countenance was very radiant!
What strength he has when he seeks [the help of] the Almighty and Virtuous One!
Glory be to the G-d of heaven! [For] it is his own inheritance of old!
"['Tis] the distress aroused by the proclamations [from the king," said he]. "Why dost Thou turn away Thine eyes [at this time of trouble]?"
"Be careful in entering," [I said], "because the gate is guarded by the [king's] soldiers!"
[Then I said to him], "Sit yourself upon the platform, since you have the acceptance [of the king];
Read and study, so long as your heart is perfect!
And repent to G-d, as soon as not, before thou art confounded! He who seeks His help shall not be frustrated!
He whose heart causes him to become a renegade,
Let him study the Book of Moses!
Let it be unto him as a bridle, bound [unto him] so that he remains unwavering [in its practice]!"
"O heart," [he said], "Why art thou aberrant and stooped over?
Be for me, [rather], as one who bereaves over the loss of wisdom!
Perhaps, then, I shall find for myself some recourse in healing!
The divine intellect is, in each generation, attained by us,
It interceding [on our behalf] whilst we derive thereby great benefit!"
[I said to him], "Would that you'd only seek after it!
For the sum of what you do will bring to naught that man of wicked design!
[Even against] that man who became a seducer [of all people], preventing them from prayer and fasting.
Headed by an Imam who takes up the helm, and who vaunts his power,
Who is vain in his wisdom, yet mute and indecisive when he considers the matter."
Glory be to God who created you, O full moon of Autumn! (i.e. most handsome)
My heart was fully supportive of thee, in anticipation of that day of triumph!
Would that an angel would cause you to hear my melody and rhyme!
I am daily writing verse, and making fine penmanship.


(The original Judeo-Arabic text)

ברק בריק אלחמא. מן פוק מנצ'ר גסים.
יסקי זהורה במא אלורד ואלנרדים.

אנצב קלבי דמא חין שפתהו יא נדּים.
חאלך טויל אסחמא מן כרם ואדי עצ'ים.

סבחאן מן זינה, מן אלשרור אמנה,
ואבלא בהי פאתנה.

מא אחסנה חין מא ינשר לגעדן תמים.
סבחאן רב אלסמא. די מלכהו מן קדים.

נאדא אלמנאדי יקול. מאלך תלף נאצ'רךּ.
אחד'ר תהם אלדכ'ול. אִן אלבואבה דרךּ.

מא דאם מאלך קבול. אקעד עלא מנברךּ.
אקרא ואתעלמא מא דאם קלבךּ סלים.

וארגע אלא אללה קריבּ, מן קבל תבקא מריבּ,
מן עמאלה מא יכ'יבּ.

מן קלבהו האימא. ידרס כתאב אלכלים.
יבקא להו לאגמא. מכפותּ מתל אללזים.

יא קלב מא לך תמיל. נחו אלזג'ל ואלג'וא.
כון לי עלא אלחס עויל. עלך תגד לי דוא.

מדרך לנא גיל בגיל. הו אלתמר ונחן אלנוא.
עסא עסא רב מא. תפעל בהד'א אלרגים.

ד'י צאר מג'וי אלאנאם, ען אלצלאה ואלציאם,
חאכם עליהם אמאם.

יראס ויתעצ'מא. יזהא בעלם אלחכים.
לאכן יציר אעגמא. חין מא ישוף אלגחים.

סבחאן מן אבדעך. יא בדר כאמס עשר.
קד צאר קלבי מעך. ראגי ליום אלצ'פר.

יא לית מן יסמעך. לחני ונגם אלותּר.
פי כל יום אנצ'מא. ואנקש בכ'טן נמים.

B"H

Those on this GY forum who wish to see a black & white photograph taken of that place in San'a (Yemen) known as "the Maidan," where the king had his Jewish citizens gathered together during the famous blood libel, let them click unto the following link:

http://img437.imageshack.us/img437/8073/themaidanplaceofgatheringdurin.jpg

Today, the place is called "Tahrir Square," near Sana's Military Museum.

Sincerely,
David

quote:

Originally posted by Sam-:

quote:

Originally posted by rob:
In Europe my grandmother as a young girl was sent to open the door (when reciting to let in all who are hungry) and a dog walked in.

Did you ever speculate as to who the dog might be?

A hungry dog does not need a passport. And if it was the reincarnation of your, let's say great grand'father, would you give it a better bone because of Kivud Av? By that I mean Judaism does not teach reincarnation. It is about time we got it out of our lexicon, and gave animals the respect due to animals, and not that due to the memory of our deceased.

B"H

Dear Sheva,

Actually, Judaisn does teach reincarnation. It was known by the ancients as "gilgul neshamos." The kabbalists say that most of us today are souls that have returned to different bodies. I know that when a man performs the act of levirate marriage on his deceased brother's widow, if a male-child should be born from that wedlock, the child (I was told) carries the same soul of his father's deceased brother. My father-in-law, a Yemenite, was born by way of levirate marriage, and his mother used to say to him by way of "flowery speech" that he was, both, her son and her husband.

David Ben-Abraham

quote:

Actually, Judaisn does teach reincarnation....

If you say that Judaism teaches reincarnation, please quote from the Torah, the Prophets, the Talmud and the Midrashim where it teaches that.
And what proof do the Kabbalists bring to their claim that "most of us today are souls that have returned to different bodies"?

Benjamin of Toledo (at the end of the 11th Century) reported on his travels in the Middle East. Talking about the pagan Druze (p. 29 in Asher's edition), he writes: "They say that at the time when the soul leaves the body it passes, in the case of a good man, into the body of a new born child and in the case of a bad man, into the body of a dog or a donkey. Such are their foolish beliefs". Being versed in Torah and its doctrines, his report shows that the concept of the transmigration originated in pagan cultures but it is so appealing to the imagination that Jews adopted it.
Rav Saadya Gaon (10th Century) in his book "Of Faiths and Beliefs" discards this idea by mocking those who hold it, with the intent to eradicate this idea brought into Jewish thinking by the karaites.
One of the 13 basic principles of our faith is our belief in the miracle of resurrection, and there is no mention of reincarnation.

The concept of reincarnation is found in many ancient cultures (such as Orphism and Buddhism)and it is always considered a punishment - an idea which is also found in the kabbalistic view of reincarnation. Now, since the purpose of the levirate marriage is to give a "name" to the deceased husband, it is a Chessed, not a punishment!!!

Judaism teaches that every person has his own soul, and is responsible for his own deeds. Those who hold reincarnation pretend that a person is given a "second chance" and that is against everything we know about divine justice. The Midrash says that on the day of judgment, the soul of each person will return to his body - at resurrection!

It is amazing how many absurdities are said in the name of "gilgul neshamot" and the fact so many people say them does not make them true... Your father-in-law's mother could not live with such an aveyra on her consience if she really thought he was both her son and her husband, so I see her "flowery speech" as a mockery to the very idea!

It was perhaps in Rabbi Yaakov Astor's book "Soul Searching" where I recall reading a sampling of Jewish sources which can be better appreciated through an understanding of reincarnation. And he certainly traces through a few pairs of matched souls who repeatedly found themselves in a close relationship to each other in each incarnation, which perhaps speaks to one of the points you ended with.

There is a midrash which explains that Adam HaRishon transfered 70 years of his life to Dovid HaMelech who was initially alotted zero years. And there are some reincarnation overtunes there too.

The miscarriage explanation I recently wrote about here in another thread I think also speaks to a very non-foolish explanation of it can work out to quite a benefit for a grown person to come back in a small child who need not even be born.

I think it is also said that Tzadikim will wake up just like waking up after a night's sleep when they are resurrected well after their death since their souls are quite content after fulfilling their purpose and living such a righteous life; hence your view that reincarnation is some sort of punishment might be somewhat close that it can be perhaps a consequence of living a life which needs considerable rectification.

quote:

Originally posted by sheva:
A hungry dog does not need a passport. And if it was the reincarnation of your, let's say great grand'father, would you give it a better bone because of Kivud Av? By that I mean Judaism does not teach reincarnation. It is about time we got it out of our lexicon, and gave animals the respect due to animals, and not that due to the memory of our deceased.

There is a story with Rabbi Avigdor Miller זצ"ל, as reported by one of the people walking with him. There was a dog that was following Rav Miller and when the Rav noticed the dog, he said to the dog, "you deserve it" the dog whimpered and walked away.

B"H

Sheva,

I remember reading in the Zohar that a man who goes through life without marrying, and without bringing forth children into the world, will come back in the form of a different body in order to bring forth children. According to the Zohar, he is given up to three chances, with each time his soul going through a transmigration. If after three transmigrations he has failed to bring forth offspring, he is no longer sent back into the world.

I will check other sources for you.

David

B"H

Dear Sheva,

I found the following response on "Aish-Com" about the subject of reincarnation:


REINCARNATION

From: Murdo Mackay - murdomackay@hotmail.com - 6/2/2000


I was quite astonished by your explanation of suffering in little children as being due to their souls being 'old' and having experienced past lives. I have always understood this notion as being a component of Buddhism and as being central to Hinduism. I have never heard of this in connection with Judaism. What is the scriptural basis for such a belief?

I am also puzzled by the reasoning. The child would presumably have no recollection of its past life. So how can it make the connection between its past misdeeds and present sufferings? If all this is supposed to happen at some other undetectable, subliminal 'soul' level, why involve a body at all?

THE AISH RABBI REPLIES:

There are many Jewish sources dealing with what is popularly called "reincarnation." In Hebrew, it is called "gilgul ha'ne'shamot," literally the recycling or transmigration of souls.

This concept can be compared to a flame of one candle lighting another candle. While the essence of the second flame comes from the first one, the second flame is an independent entity.

Still, the new flame contains imperfections inherited from the initial flame, and it is these imperfections that are to be corrected.

Most of the written material is very esoteric, often written in Aramaic. Some of the prominent works dealing with this subject are the "Zohar" (1st century) and the Arizal's "Shaar HaGilgulim" (16th century). In the Bible itself, the idea is intimated in Deut. 25:5-10.

Many sources say that a soul has a maximum of three chances in this world. One example given is that the great Talmudic sage Hillel was a reincarnation of the Biblical figure Aaron.

The soul only comes into this world in the first place in order to make a spiritual repair. If that is not fulfilled by the end of one's lifetime, then the soul will be sent down once again. The return trip may only be needed for a short time or in a limited way. This in part explains why people are born with handicaps or may live a brief life.

It is not necessary that there be a conscious awareness in order for the correction to take place. Conscious awareness is only one level of understanding.

This idea is explored in an interesting book called "Psychic Phenomena," by Dorothy Bemar Bradley, M.D., and Robert A. Bradley M.D.:

"Mentally retarded children have been known to burst out with unexpected abilities under altered awareness, manifesting the contents of the undamaged and theoretically undamageable unconscious mind."

In other words, there are levels of understanding that transcend the conscious level, even in children.

Re: your second question. Why does this have to involve the body in the first place?

Truly, some "corrections" do not have to take place through the body, but rather take place in the soul world, in the afterlife.

However, sometimes the correction must occur in the physical world. For example, it may involve a certain challenge of choosing the "right thing" over choosing the "comfortable thing." Or other people may have to be involved. And the soul cannot interact with the physical world in any other way expect through a body.

The bottom line in all this is that a person's life situation provides everything necessary to achieve ideal growth. Our task is simply to employ our free will -- i.e. to properly and effectively use the opportunities that we have.

All the best to you in this and future lives.

Everything that has been said is pure imaginative speculation. At first I thought of showing this point by point, but then I realized it is useless.
The most that has been done in your posts is to say that the theory of reincarnation solves problems we do not have any answers for. In such cases, it much more honest and profitable to say: we do not understand.
So if you beleive in reincarnation, please give me a proof that demonstrates and verifies that souls pass from one body to another (and even to animal bodies as if animals had "souls" comparable to that of humans, and some say to plants - why not!).
For instance, how do you know that a soul is reincarnated only three times, etc...

In this life, we do have a second and third chance - it is called Tshuva!

B"H

Sheva,

The prophet speaks somewhere about David coming again to rule as king over Israel. Is it hard for you to imagine that the soul of King David, the son of Yeshai, will return into the mortal body of one of his descendants?

The way that I see it is not whether or not Judaism speaks about (or intimates) reincarnation. It is plain that it does. The question is rather, "will you believe it?"

Sincerely,
David

Which prophet, and what does he say exactly?
The Messiah will be a direct descendent of King David, not the soul of David in a "foreign" body.
If it is plain that the Torah speaks of reincarnation, how come it does not say so plainly in any of our sources? and how come the concept penetrated Judaism much much later (as I have quoted references to that)?

B"H
Sheva,

The prophet is Ezekiel (ch. 37: 25-27), who writes:

וישבו על הארץ, אשר נתתי לעבדי ליעקב, אשר ישבו בה, אבותיכם; וישבו עליה המה ובניהם ובני בניהם, עד-עולם, ודוד עבדי, נשיא להם לעולם. וכרתי להם ברית שלום, ברית עולם יהיה אותם. ונתתים והרביתי אותם, ונתתי את מקדשי בתוכם לעולם. והיה משכני עליהם, והייתי להם לאלהים. והמה, יהיו לי לעם

"...and my servant David shall be a Prince unto them forever..."

How else can you interpret this statement?

Sincerely,
David

quote:

Originally posted by sheva:

If you say that Judaism teaches reincarnation, please quote from the Torah, the Prophets, the Talmud and the Midrashim where it teaches that.

The Malbim in the end of Megilas Rus derives it from the pasuk of "Behold a son is born to Na'ami" refering to the son of Rus from Boaz which was a quasi yibum.

quote:

"Behold a son is born to Na'ami"

Does the Malbim say that this son was a reincarnation of one of Naomi's sons?