From the virtual desk of the OU VEBBE REBBE Q I am a waiter in a catering hall, and I am often unable to daven Mincha or Maariv before or after work, respectively. Should I take off from my job to go to a local minyan. I am not sure if I will get docked pay for going or if I will lose my job if I am caught or demand to go? A Several important questions revolve around conflicting responsibilities to our fellow man vs. to our Maker. There is no one all-inclusive answer to the issue, but there are sources on a variety of cases. Tefilla b'tzibur (davening with a minyan) is very important (see Berachot 8a). Although there are indications that it is just a way to fulfill the mitzva of tefilla more fully (b'hidur), Rav Moshe Feinstein z.t.l. understood it as an independent obligation (Igrot Moshe, Orach Chayim II, 27). In any case, some parameters of the necessary sacrifice to make it to minyan are mentioned in the poskim. One must travel up to 18 minutes in order to attend a minyan (Shulchan Aruch, OC 90:16; Mishna Berura, ad loc.:52). If going to a minyan will cost one money (apparently, beyond small expenses like a few ounces of gas), he is not required to go. However, if it is just that he can gain money by missing minyan, he should attend minyan (Mishna Berura 90:29). If one has a set job, from which salary will be withheld for leaving for minyan, this is considered a monetary loss and is not required. However, a ben Torah who is in a good financial situation should consider whether making it to a minyan doesn't justify a small reduction in pay. Whenever one takes a job, he factors in "quality of life" considerations, besides salary. Among personal and religious factors, unique to shomrei mitzvot and b'nei Torah, should be the matter of tefilla b'tzibur. When one has responsibilities at work, he is required by halacha to take them very seriously. Berachot 16a poignantly illustrates how Chazal were prepared to lower certain religious obligations (of positive mitzvot) to avoid infringing upon the careful fulfillment of his responsibilities to his employer. Thus, sneaking out is not a halachic option. That same gemara mentions that if the employer is not bothered by the employee's normal fulfillment of tefillot and berachot, then he should daven and bentch normally. Therefore, you should bring up the matter politely with your
boss (without risking your job) and see whether something can be worked out
(e.g. you can offer to come in early). You can also investigate whether you can
find an early or late minyan, respectively, (certainly, if within an 18 minute
radius) to obviate the problem. I have no idea how I am better than a worm. I do not know if I
am even as good as one. I have high regard for the speech of the wise. But even more for
the silence of the fool. Reason: The reason for not reciting the bracha in the positive
is that our Sages concluded it would be better for a person not to have been
created, rather than to have been created (see Eruvin 13b). So his intention
should be: It would have been better that HaShem not have fashioned me, but now
that He did, I am grateful that He did not make me a gentile. (BACH) The next day, another man came to ask R’ Yehudah for advice. “Rebbe”, he said, “if I buy this store, I will BE”H, be able to fix it up and earn a decent living.” This time, R’ Yehudah urged the man to go ahead. When the first man heard R’ Yehudah’s advice to the second, he grew furious and ran to him. “Rebbe”, he said, “yesterday I asked you about buying that same store, and you told me not to. Why did you tell the other man to buy it?” “It’s very simple”, said R’ Yehudah, “You wanted to take on the task of running a run-down store all by yourself, and I felt that it was too much for one person. The other man, on the other hand, stated, ‘with the help of HaShem’. With a partner like that, I felt that he had an excellent chance of making a go of it.” Maggid of Kuznitz would say: PANGOLIN, a.k.a. scaly anteater (as opposed to the spiny
anteater mentioned last week - echidna, and as opposed to the “true” anteaters -
which might be featured in the future), a.k.a. salak and kaynana, is a curious,
burrowing, nocturnal mammal, not closely related to any other living animals.
There are seven or eight species of pan- golin native to parts of Asia and
Africa. Some live in trees and others are terrestrial. Most of the body is
covered with rows of overlapping scales; the rest of the body is sparsely
covered with hair - an unusual combination. Small pointed head, narrow mouth,
very long, slender, and sticky tongue, well-suited to catch and eat termites and
ants - the main food of pangolin. Short, powerful legs (especially the front
pair), sharp claws, long thick tail. Pangolin often walk on their hind legs to
protect their digging forelegs. They have no teeth. When threatened, pangolin
curl into a ball and their scales stand up, presenting sharp points. In
addition, they secrete a foul smelling substance. The combination of these two
defenses is quite a deterrent to would-be predators. Some species of pangolin
are threatened with extinction because their meat is considered a great
delicacy, and because their scales and other parts are used by locals for
various purposes. Pangolin are sometimes called walking artichokes because of
their appearance. The daughters' outspoken passion for the Land was inherited from Yosef who insisted that his bones be buried in Eretz Yisrael. Their fierce drive to preserve their father's name and procure their legal rights to possess land — on par "with our father's brothers" —- illustrated their profound knowledge of the law. Rashi, alluding to the big letter "NUN" at the end of the word "MishpataN" — 'their law' (27:5) — notes that these virtuous women merited the unusual privilege of writing this section of the Torah. No wonder that the Daughters of Zelafchad - and many learned women today - deserve the accolade bestowed upon them in the Talmud (Baba Batra 119b): "They are wise, astute, and righteous." Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center [The Pinchas Homepage]
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