The Chofetz Chaim enumerated 31 Torah Commandments which may be violated when a person speaks or listens to loshon hora. There are 17 prohibitions and 14 positive Commandments - a total of 31 Commandments.
Positive Commandment number 14: The posuk in Devorim 28:9 says:
"Walk in His ways"
We are required to emulate the attributes of HaShem. "Just as He is merciful and compassionate, so too, we must be merciful and compassionate" (Shabbos 133b). Among G-d's attributes is His hatred for loshon hora. Anyone speaking loshon hora has failed to emulate G-d, and violates this commandment.
(Guard Your Tongue - Rabbi Zelig Pliskin)
Friday we will start learning the laws of davening shemoneh esrei.
A One Minute a Day Torah Thought !
"The Torah tells us that Moshe and Aharon were born like any other mortals, to normal human parents. They became prophets and leaders of the Jewish People due to their own actions and choices, not because they descended from on high like celestial angels. From this we learn that every individual, through his own effort and free will, can reach even the highest spiritual levels - even as lofty as Moshe and Aharon.".
(Ma'ayana Shel Torah - Sefer Torah Tavlin)
50 Suggestions for Concentrating during Prayer!
(8) The Sefer Chasidim says, when you pray, add your own needs to the formula of each brocha according to its topic, because this increases your concentration. And if you can't add on to every brocha because the congregation finishes earlier, add on to one or two brochos, so that you shouldn't have to rush through the other brochos.
(Pathway to Prayer, Rabbi Meyer Birnbaum) |
