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Young Israel of Westside Shiurim

Brachos 61

  1. It says Hashem formed Adam, and the word formed (vayitzer) is spelled with two yuds bc we all have dual demands of either suffering from temptation or from following God. Alternatively, it is bc the first person, Adam ,was actually a male and female joined back to back. The Gemara notes that this is really a dispute- one opinion says male and female were originally one big figure, and another opinion says that the tail of Adam was taken and formed into a female. Additionally, it was originally God's plan to crate Man and Female as separate entities, but Hashem "switched" to create Female from Male.

  2. When Hashem created Female, he "braided her hair" and brought her to Adam. Hashem arranged the wedding for Adam and it teaches us that one shouldn't' feel it is beneath them to organize someone else's wedding.

  3. A man should not walk behind a woman. It is wicked to count out money into a woman's hand in order to gaze at her. It is forbidden to walk behind a woman, an idol, or to pass behind a Shul when they are davening (it appears that he doesn't care to pray.) However, if one is carrying something, or if there is another door, or riding a donkey, or wearing Tefillin, then there is no concern.

  4. The evil inclination is like a fly that sits between the two gateways of the heart, meaning that it ruins a lot of good. Alternatively, the inclination is like wheat (the good of Man is attracted to evil)

  5. Two kidneys= good and bad advise .(good from the right and bad from the left). Kidneys advise, heart considers, tongue speaks, the mouth concludes the speech. Esophagus take in food, the windpipe makes voice, lung draws in liquids, the liver is the root of anger, the gallbladder calms the liver, the spleen laughs, the gizzard grinds food, the stomach makes sleep, the nose wakes one up.

  6. The righteous are ruled by their good inclination and the wicked by their evil. People in the middle are ruled by both. Different amoraim considered themselves in the middle. The World to Come is for the righteous and this world is for the wicked.

  7. "And you should love Hashem with all you soul"- (this is the source to give up one's life and not to do idolatry.) R' Akiva violated the rules of the Romans and publicly taught Torah. He was caught and died a painful death but was able to say Shema as he was being taken to death and fulfilled this Pasuk.

  8. The mishna said one "opposite the eastern opening to the Temple mount" can't act with lightheadedness. This is only from "tzofim" and in and only if one can see into the Temple and when the Temple is standing.

Broadcast on:
04 Mar 2020