בבא קמא סא: - סב. - תם וישר

בס"ד

חלק זה בגמרא עוסק בסוגיות הנוגעות להצתת ערימת תבואה. לשון המשנה, שבמסגרתה מתקיים דיון זה, היא כללית ואינה נוקטת הרבה עמדה. בפשטות נאמר שאם אדם מצית ערימת חיטים והונחו בתוכה חפצים, רבי יהודה אומר שיש לשלם עליהם וחכמים אומרים שאין צורך בתשלום. המצב העובדתי קשה במיוחד למוח הלא אגררי. למה שמישהו יעשה משהו כזה ואיך אנחנו יכולים לדמיין את זה במוחנו ולהתייחס אליו? המשנה בהמשך מרמזת שדבר כזה יהיה חריג, אבל בכל זאת הוא התרחש.

חלק גדול מזה הוא גרסה של איסור גניבה כפי שמנוי בעשרת הדברות. החומש דורש מאדם שהדליק אש היוצאת מכלל שליטה ושורף צרור תבואה בבעלותו של אחר, חייב להחזיר, (שמות כב, ה). החומש, עם זאת, אינו מרחיב על נזקים משניים או בלתי צפויים, אלא הוא משאיר לאדם להחליט כיצד לטפל במצבים אלו.

מובא דעה (רב כהנא) שמי שהצית מדורה בחצרו והאש התפשטה ואכלה ערימה בנכס של אחר, שהיו בתוכה חפצים; חכמים לא היו דורשים החזר על החפצים אבל רבי יהודה ידרוש. אבל, במקרה של אחד שמצית אש בחצרו של אחר, כולם מסכימים שהוא חייב לשלם פיצוי על כל מה שנמצא בתוך הערימה. יוצא שעל מעשה זדון, החוק חמור. עם תאונה יש מקום לסלחנות.

במקרה אחר אם קיבל אחד רשות לערום חיטה בשדה של אחר והוא ערם שעורה; או להיפך, אם קיבל רשות לערום שעורה והוא ערם חיטה; או בדומה לכך, אם ערם חיטה וכיסה את הערימה בשעורה, או ערם שעורה וכיסה את הערימה בחיטה, בכל המקרים הללו, כולם לרבות רבי יהודה מסכימים שהוא משלם פיצוי על השעורה בלבד, שהוא פחות מערכו של חיטה. יוצא שאם אדם מתחבא או ערמומי יספוג הפסד, התביעה נבחנת בשיטה שתניב את התוצאה הנמוכה ביותר.

בחומש יעקב מתואר כתָּם, שלעתים קרובות מובן כישר או לא תחבלני. הוא אומר מה שעל ליבו. הוא אינו מיומן בהונאה ואינו מתכנן. סביר שאדם כזה יהיה אדיב ולא יתאכזר. זה סוג האדם שהגמרא מנסה לפתח. מי שאין לו הרבה טריקים חכמים, מנסה לפעול בצורה אחראית, ואין לו עניין לפגוע באחרים.

לע"נ

האבא פייוול בן אהרן זצ"ל ב אדר תשפ"ג

  האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טו ניסן תשנ"ח

העלון ניתן לקבל גם באתר  http://dyschreiber.blogspot.com

Bava Kama 61b - 62a; Honest and Straight

 בס"ד

This section of the Gemara deals with issues concerning setting fire to a stack of grain. The language of the Mishna, under which this discussion occurs, is general and does not take much of a position. It simply states that if a person sets fire to a stack of wheat and articles have been placed within it, Rabbi Yehuda says that they must be paid for and the sages say that payment is not required. The fact situation is difficult particularly to the non-agrarian mind. Why would somebody do something like this and how can we visualize it in our minds and relate to it? The Mishna later on implies that such a thing would be unusual, but nevertheless it did occur.

Much of this is a variant of the prohibition against theft as enumerated in the Ten Commandments. The Chumash demands that a person who lit a fire which gets out of control and burns a bundle of grain owned by another, must make restitution, (Exodus 22:5). The Chumash, though, does not elaborate on secondary or unexpected damages, rather it leaves it man to decide how to handle those situations. 

An opinion is brought (Rav Kahana) that one who kindled a fire on his own premises and the fire spread and consumed a stack on another’s property, which had articles inside of it; the sages would not demand restitution for the articles but Rabbi Yehuda would. But, in a case of one who kindles a fire on another’s premises, all agree that he must pay compensation for everything that is contained within the stack. It comes out that for a malicious act, the law is stern. With an accident there is room for leniency.

In another case if one received permission to stack wheat in the field of another and he stacked barley; or conversely, if he received permission to stack barley and he stacked wheat; or similarly, if he stacked wheat and covered the stack with barley, or stacked barley and covered the stack with wheat, in all these cases, Everyone including Rabbi Yehuda agree that he pays compensation for the barley alone, which is less than the value of wheat. It comes out that if a person is being surreptitious or cunning and suffers a loss, the claim is evaluated using a method that will yield the lowest result.

In the Chumash Ya’akov is described as a תָּם, which is often often understood as honest or innocent. He says what’s on his mind. He’s not skillful at deception and does not scheme. Such a person is likely to be kind and not likely to be cruel. This is the type of person the Gemara is trying to develop. One who does not have a lot of clever tricks, tries to act in a responsible way, and has no interest in harming others.

לע"נ

האבא פייוול בן אהרן זצ"ל ב אדר תשפ"ג

  האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טו ניסן תשנ"ח

העלון ניתן לקבל גם באתר  http://dyschreiber.blogspot.com

Sitrep: Monday in the Sefer Yitzirah etc.

 בס"ד

🌲 Safe night, thank God, here in Beit Shemesh.

🗡️ The war, its nervousness, and uncertainties grinds on.

FROM THE SEFER YETZIRAH:

Monday 

In the world the moon.

In the body the right ear

It was made with the letter gimmel ג

It is king over wealth and the opposite of wealth is poverty.

On the tree of life it connects wisdom with kindness. 

ASTRONOMY:

Jupiter and Saturn are bright in the east at sunset.

Hanuka is in less than 3 weeks.

Chore today at 1:00, electrician coming for adjacent apartment.

IBAN transfers from USA to Israel by my brother Danny and Securian insurance, successful and surprisingly not so difficult.

Long sleeve and long pants weather in Israel has arrived.

November 20 in history: In 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.

7 Kislev, 5784 in Jewish history: Jehoaikim, King of Judah, burnt a scroll dictated by the prophet Jeremiah and written by his disciple Baruch son of Neriah. This scroll was the book of Lamentations, and was written to forewarn the king of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem. (Jeremiah ch. 36).

My weight this morning was at 72.1 kg. I prefer to be between 69 and 71 kilos, not so easy. My health is generally good.

Emotionally I'm cheerful. This war has given me the opportunity to say what's on my mind. However there are subjects I must be careful about. Also people are coming around to my way of thinking. Even so, it's horrible what's happening to the soldiers and the people in the combat zones. 

My Social Criticisms

בס"ד 

It was a safe day today here in Beit Shemesh. 

The Iron Swords special military operation continues to confound and constern. There are hostile missile attacks in Tel Aviv, close to Gaza, and the Lebanese border. In addition the Arab cities within Israel are increasingly restive. However, here in Beit Shemesh it is basically calm. The world wide rising anger against the Jews typically is deeply foreboding. The fear is that there will be a major bloodbath. To be talking about survival seems to be premature. Nevertheless that seems to be on everybody's mind. 

It seems to me the key to peace of mind and even survival itself is a person’s fundamental values. This includes their physical application plus the mentality and attitudes they inspire.

These are some of my social criticisms (the list may be added to or changed):

1. The Tanakh requires far greater emphasis.

2. The Gemara needs to be deemphasized 

3. The halacha needs to better reflect the precepts of the Torah of Moshe and the words of the prophets.

4. Topics that are popular among the nations need to be studied and publicized. Such as

1. For the Arabs - Agada and philosophy

2. For Iran - The book of Ezra and those dealing with the Babylonian exile, the return to Israel, and the building of the Second Temple.

3. For Europe and America - the gospels of Jesus.

5. Israel must stop being a western colony and should become a bridge between the west and the east.

6. Promiscuity needs to be discouraged and virginity encouraged both for women and men.

7. Military force should not be a value in and of itself and even then should be every low key.

8. Emphasis on discussion and debate needs to be emphasized.

9. People who wish to use sacred plants should be encouraged to do so, especially for pleasure and enlightenment. The proper vehicle would be along the lines of Elusian mysteries and the practice of the shamans by the indigenous people of America.

10.  The Jews in the diaspora should be encouraged to immigrate to Israel.

11.  The Arabs that do not wish to live in a Jewish state should be encouraged to emigrate.

12.  We should be prepared to execute a bloodbath in Gaza and Syria.

13. The criminal justice system needs to be overhauled. Only God fearing, truthful, social minded people should be permitted to be part of it.

14. The political system needs to be elitist with emphasis on education and good character.

15. Demonstrations should be discouraged.

כתובת - נחל מאור 23/1 ק-1

 

0544784900

Psalm 110 - for victory in war

בס"ד

A time for war time, a time for peace.
A time of love, a time of hate. 

(Kohelet \ Ecclesiastes)

Joseph was the most difficult to provoke into war, but once in war, was the most dangerous. (Sefer HaYashar \ Book of Jasher)

Psalm 110

for victory in war

1. Said Hashem to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I set Your enemies as a stool for your feet.”

א. לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר נְאֻ֚ם יְהֹוָ֨ה | לַֽאדֹנִ֗י שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹֽ֜יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ:

2. The rod of your strength Hashem has sent from Zion, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”

ב. מַטֵּ֚ה עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֖הֹוָה מִצִיּ֑וֹן רְ֜דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹֽיְבֶֽיךָ:

3. Your people shall be willing on Your day of valor, arrayed in holy splendor, from birth from daybreak, to you belongs the dew of Your youth.

ג. עַמְּךָ֥ נְדָבֹת֘ בְּי֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ךָ בְּהַדְרֵי־קֹ֖דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר לְ֜ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽךָ:

4. The LORD has sworn and will not change, “You are a priest forever my righteous king.”

ד. נִשְׁבַּ֚ע יְהֹוָ֨ה | וְלֹ֥֬א יִנָּחֵ֗ם אַתָּה־כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם עַל־דִּ֜בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי־צֶֽדֶק:

5. The Lord is at Your right hand; He will crush kings on the day of His wrath.

ה. אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑ מָחַ֖ץ בְּיוֹם־אַפּ֣וֹ מְלָכִֽים:

6. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead; He will crush heads on the ground.

ו. יָדִ֣ין בַּ֖גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת מָ֥חַץ רֹ֜֗אשׁ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה:

7. From the brook by the road he will drink and thus hold his head high.

ז. מִנַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה עַל־כֵּ֜֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ:

LSD

 

בדחילו ורחימו      

With trepidation and love

LSD

This blog is about sacred plants stimulating romantic love and elevating it to love of God. It's not an easy topic, but it seems to be what's needed now. To a certain extent it needs to be jumbled and stream of consciousness prose.

How great is the restorative power of LSD?

My mind believes it can be very helpful. My soul believes it can do the impossible.

It seems to me as we deal meaningfully with two statements made by Albert Hoffmann, the father of the psychedelic revolution, the more things will fall into place. They are

1. "I see the true importance of LSD in the possibility of providing material aid to meditation aimed at the mystical experience of a deeper, comprehensive reality". Final statement of Albert Hofmann in his book "LSD — My Problem Child"

2. The questions raised by hallucinogenic drugs do actually belong in the church — in a prominent place in the church, for they are sacred drugs (peyotl, teonanacatl, ololiuhqui), with which LSD is mostly closely related by chemical structure and activity, (ibid p90).

(Albert Hofmann, LSD My Problem Child)

https://youtu.be/xpjYZaDRkw8 

Captain of our fairy band, 

Helena is here at hand, 

And the youth, mistook by me, 

Pleading for a lover’s fee. 

Shall we their fond pageant see? 

Lord, what fools these mortals be!

(William Shakespeare, Midsummer's Night Dream)

To understand LSD, its best to view it as love dust in the hands of an angel of Hashem 

God spoke to my mother telling her to, "Climb Mount Everest". God spoke to me once. It was in a dream but it was totally real.

I said to her that if you show up with two hits of LSD I'll ask you to marry me. When she smiled and raised her eyebrow in interest, I quickly added, don't do it. She was not my soulmate.

The first LSD trip is probably the most important one and may set the trend for every trip that occurs after it. For me thank God the set and setting was very good. I was with close friends. It was a warm loving group of people who trusted each other. 

As the experience became more intense, I started to develop very strong feelings of love. It was basically exhibiting my innate love ability. I started to keep a journal. At first I would repeatedly write the word love on a page and I filled several pages with that one word. Next I combined it with erotic words such as ecstasy, orgasm, and f____. 

Next my thoughts turned to my first love, who I was emotionally involved with at the time. She was very pretty, but her character and perception outshined her beauty. She was not Jewish, not inclined to convert to Judaism, and not particularly religious. I was far from being promiscuous. I'd say that her ability to ask this question, sometime later when I was corresponding with her, was what seduced me. It was this, "Do you know who the real David Schreiber is and where can I find him?" I wrote her back replying, "the question is deep and searching, but sadly I do not know the answer". We both went our own separate ways. The question though remained with me. When I moved to Israel, I discovered the answer. It was that you could find the real David Schreiber living in Geula and studying in the Breslav Beis Midrash. Tripping at Rutgers, I wrote her name in large letters and above it I wrote "irreconcilable".

The LSD intensified. As it did I wrote love and errotic words largely using a page for each phrase. Continuing I wrote "ecstasy" than "orgasm". I scribbled on a page than as if I had found the source of happiness in life, I wrote, "Love and a f____". As I peaked on the LSD I giggled then wrote, "f____ you God". I was immediately shocked. I loved religion, religious studies, religious observance. How could I write or even think something as vulgar as that? It was extremely disturbing, it remained with me and I pondered it often. 

Years later I discussed it with a friend and confidant. He was a rabbi from a prominent distinguished rabbinic family. I had discussed sacred plants with him more than once. When I went to Amsterdam to take psychedelic mushrooms, with my father I gave him the details. My father phoned me not long after I peaked. There was some concern on his part. I was a little irritated because it was clear that the effects were beneficial. We had a short conversation, which thank God, went well. The next morning my friend called me as well. He too was concerned. I was happy to hear from him and assured him that everything was fine. 

Anyway I discussed the difficult comment I had made when I peaked on my first trip on LSD. I said I had come up with two interpretations of it. The favorable one was that I really did desire intimacy with י-ה-ו-ה along the lines of its descriptions in The Song of Songs, Psalm 45, and the romantic section in the book of Isaiah. Draw me after You and I will run, the king brought me into his Chambers, we will be revealed and ecstatic. We will be happy in you. Your love possesses me more than wine. Sincerely do I love you. 

However, there was a dark interpretation of what I wrote. I explained that I did not believe I would ever get married and that this was a decree from heaven. Even when I was successfully wooing a woman, when I would reach for the diamond, the angel of God would push my hand into the fire, like the Midrash about Moshe Rabenu. As such I harbored a smoldering resentment and this is where it came out.

I entered through the door I had unlocked years later into the room of intimacy with Havaya, May He be blessed. I felt an intense feeling of jealousy coming from God. This was real. It was not clear whether the meditation that followed was in the playground of my imagination or a harbinger of things to come. As a meditation it was a good one. As a reality it sparked very mixed feelings among them, dread.

In any case He told me that my request for the girl had been granted. However it was not as I had thought it would be. It was not a shidduch date, a classmate, neighbor, or coworker. Rather it was a friend or teacher giving me their beautiful beloved daughter to me as a love gift, as a way to draw me closer to them, and the things that they held most dear. It was like Yisro giving Tzippora to Moshe Rabenu because he loved and respected him. As such I should reciprocate with love and appreciation towards my friend for giving me such a wonderful gift. What God was telling me that as intense as the love of the girl may be, I should never lose sight that she was a love gift from heaven and should behave accordingly.

To further elucidate the Holy One, blessed be He, assumed the form of my mother at the times I was the object of her jealousy. My mother was constantly bugging me to get married. However the girls she introduced me to were always unattractive and unappealing. She did not want me to love my wife more than I loved her. 

It reminded me of a time when I was living in Geula and studying at a yeshiva. A conversation with one of the rabbis threw me into a state of being intensely love sick. My roommate took note and commented that HaKadosh Baruch Hu once said to King David concerning Bathsheva, sometimes I think you love her more than you love me. I thought to myself that is not true. However much I love this girl, I love religion more, even though it does not look like that right now.

The vision became more extreme with Hashem assuming the form of my wife and a very jealous one at that. She said her love relationship with me was far greater than the one with my soulmate. She would even be better in bed. Just the same my soulmate was mine. However I should beware lest the Shechinah cry out to me like Sarah emanu cried out to Abraham, I gave you my handmaiden in your arms and this is what happened. 

You should love religion with your whole heart. You should dedicate your life to it and use everything that is best in you in its pursuit. The five books of Moses, the words of the prophets, and the inspired words of the righteous should be in your heart. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are comfortable in your home or when you are traveling, when you are going to sleep and when you are getting up. They should be adornments like a ring on your finger, a patch on your shoulder, a feather in your hat. You should write them at the entrances to your cities and on the walls of your home. This is not a difficult commandment. It is to be found in the values you hold most dear and the texts you love the most.

############

EXCHANGE OF EMAILS WITH A PROHIBITIONIST FRIEND:

P: Yeah, LSD did wonders for Kenny Foti when he kicked out the glass window at the Blue Horizon, severely cutting his leg.  I shall not be prosecuting anymore, but if it were to happen, I would gladly prosecute LSD users.

Yoseph: Then again Suzie did show up in a hurry at the student health center to give Foti a lot of tender loving care. She may be a dubious prize, but they are still married and he does love her dearly. 

Not detailed in the essay was that on our first trip, Slim, Foti, Anagnost, and I, visited the girls of the Blue Horizon at Douglas. Barb Watson happened to be there too. I continued my journal there, using Barb's notebook. They asked what I was writing, it was basically more of the same. Throwing caution and common sense to the wind, I let everyone read it. When the night was over, I left it there. 

The next morning, when I was in a more rational state of mind, I promptly drove there to retrieve the notebook. Barb answered the door and with a smile said, I thought that you'd come back for it and handed  me the notebook. As soon as she shut the door I opened it. On the first page was a stick it note, in which she had written that I should not be embarrassed, because we all feel that way, too. I was moved to tears that she had been so thoughtful. She and Slim later got married.

Was LSD a factor in these two marriages happening. I'd say certainly with Ken & Suzie and probably with Slim and Barb.

Put that in your jail cell and smoke it!