Why Did Haman & Hitler Despise the Jewish Children?

What Mordechai Learnt from Three Children Discussing Faith
In loving memory of Reb Tzvi Hersh ben Yechezkel, in honor of the yartzeit, 30 Shevat. Dedicated by his daughter Sharie Sofair
This women's class was presented on Parshas Terumah, 30 Shevat, 5780, February 25, 2020, at the Ohr Chaim Shul, Monsey, NY

[@SleekMinister]

I came for the history and stayed for the sermon. Powerful stuff. I will watch the kids when they leave.

[@danielbarrell7008]

BH thank you

[@iandavis9948]

Brilliant

[@Yoni-l5q]

In our days, we must be concerned with the possibility of Chilul Hashem\Desecration of God’s name. For Jews are called, “merciful ones, the sons of merciful ones” and we must be a light unto the nations and a person causes measure for measure to themselves, because the way one acts towards others, Heaven acts towards them. A person determines whether they receive bad or good because the general rule is, all who show mercy to his creations Heaven is merciful towards them, and who does not have mercy on his creations Heaven is not merciful towards them. And we are witnessing a growing phenomenon taking place in Israel and throughout the entire world, people decrying the cruel abuse taking place in the animal based food factories; In Israel the chicken hatchery all male chicks are ground in metal teeth while they are alive because they have no economic value since they do not produce eggs. In total every year 10 million chicks are ground up alive. Chopping off beaks from all chickens in egg manufacturing without anesthetic by using a machine with a cutting blade heated to 700 degrees Celsius. After chickens can no longer withstand the burden of laying eggs they are electrocuted to death. In total, more than 4 million chickens are killed in this manner per year. In milk production, all calves are separated from their mothers at birth. Confining milk calves in very small containers disabling even minimal movement, giving them minimal amounts to eat. Chickens are slaughtered infront of chickens in assembly line fashion where they see one another, as it is with larger animals. Genetic enhancements, multiple stories of densely packed battery cages, physical torture, sheep and cattle shipped from other countries in highly concentrated groups under brutal conditions and additional travesties; this is the face of an industry focused on maximizing profits while paying no attention to Kashrut. For something to be considered kosher, we know that it is not sufficient just for the item to be of a kosher substance, the means of producing it also needs to be kosher. What makes something kosher is not only the substance of what it is, but how it was produced. Maimonides states, “there is no distinction between anguish experienced by a human and anguish experienced by animals;this is because the love and yearning of a mother for its offspring is not dependent upon intelligence, rather it is the inherent nature found in most creatures as it is found in humans"(מורה נבוכים ג, מח). Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch states “as does a human, animals feel and sense being cut, pushed, smitten, overworked, fear and panic, hungry and thirsty. At times, a person may forget this because of being self absorbed or to complete a plan or by being unaware or a desire to be cruel, and a person will cause anguish to the soul of his animal, they will torture and give pain to the soul of a creature"(ספר חורב, מערכת החקים, ה, א). In the past there was almost no anguish to the animals during their life. In our days we don't have Sanhedrin to rule this, so the responsibility applies on the consumer. Although we find certain cases that our sages banned themselves pleasures privately when it wasn't a public domain. Maimonides:"one who assists in committing a sin or causes it. It is because the instigator approaches an individual whose desire has blinded them from seeing and helps to mislead them. Or, the instigator urges the “blind” with faulty rationale; this is similar to one who lends money and takes interest; we say both are liable for violating, “do not put a stumbling block before the blind” since each one helps and enables the other to complete the act"(רמב"ם ספר המצוות רצ"ט). "The intent is to one whose vision is obscured by their passion and bad ideas; do not increase their blindness or their wayward path. Therefore, it is forbidden to assist sinners in committing misdeeds, and one may not set a path for another to commit a sin, rather we must do the opposite".(רמב"ם פרוש המשניות שביעית פרק ה', ו). In regard to the topic of not subjecting animals to undo pain or anguish if not for the purchasing of animal based products, those who monetarily benefit would not transgress all of the Torah prohibitions we have mentioned in that they transgress these Torah prohibitions only two provide us with the goods. The purchasing approves the continuing of Their ways. The production methods in animal factories are well-known to us today and the violations we mentioned are not happenstance, rather they are the primary methods employed by this industry. Moreover, we are not referring to the situation when a forbidden action is performed for its own purpose, rather these prohibitions are being done in our name and just for us. One who keeps the Torah and the commandments cannot be an active partner in the transgression of Torah prohibitions and strengthening the hands of those who commit violations by giving them money. It is the purchasing of these goods that enables the continuation of these Torah infractions. Also with organically raised animals there is Tzaar Baalie Chayim. “Organic” means that the animal wasn't feed with hormones and did not contain pesticides or antibiotics, This does not reflect upon how this animal was treated and therefore it does not reflect upon Tzaar Baalie Chayim. Those animals who were fed organically also suffer from Tzaar Baalie Chayim. Animal-based products labeled as free range is a marketing technique without supervision and there is no way to check as manufacturing can use this label any way they choose. In free range eggs there is Tzaar Baalie Chayim as well and they are not what they appear from their name, The cruel practices exist in these operations too. Rabbi Yosef Karo:"Meat and wine pull you towards the evil inclination and you should not run after them because a man will live without them. You have honored the Sabbath without meat and stop with this worrying thoughts have ceased because with God's Torah all day long"(מגיד מישרים פרשת אמור, אור ליום ז' כ"ד לניסן). Furthermore, it is written in the Maggid, “this is the reason why consuming animals flesh is a base desire, because when Israel is complete they did not eat meat and this is why Moses felt sorrow when Israel requested meat and if Moses our rabbi, peace be upon him, entered into the land of Israel with them, they would not have eaten meat"(מגיד משרים, פרשת עקב, תורגם מארמית). Upon the verse, “When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall remain with its mother for seven days.” (יא, כז ויקרא) The Lubavich Rebbi expounds, “The concept of mercy is understood from childhood to mean a human may not subject an animal to undo anguish or pain. After this verse the Torah states, “Do not desecrate My holy name”, for this command stems from mercy and is understood to mean we may not subject a mother animal to pain by separating her from her child immediately after birth"(הרבי מליובאוויטש, ספר התוועדויות תשד"מ חלק ג עמוד 1665). Harav Abraham Isaac Kook:"You will realize soon or later that the animals life was not created for you devilish stomach, and the milk's purpose was meant to be food for whom the nature comes to fulfill its role, just like your mothers breast milk was kept for you during your breastfeeding days"(הראי"ה קוק, חזון הצמחונות והשלום). Rabbi Chayim Dovid Halevi states, “From here, all that was said with regard to be a mitzvah to eat meat, for instance on Shabbat and Yom Tov, it is clear this refers to those who eat meat and do not know or are not concerned that it is not healthy. However, those Vegans who recognize that eating meat is not healthy, it is clear they are exempt from enjoying Shabbat by eating meat, and they should have pleasure with foods that please them[...]The truth is that there is no conflict at all between Veganism and Judaism and it certainly does not clash with halacha. Note that meat was forbidden to the first man, and it was permitted to Noah and onward but after the giving of the Torah most was forbidden and only some was permitted, but whatever was permitted was for the purpose of doing battle with the evil inclination, as it says “When your soul craves to eat meat...”(שו"ת עשה לך רב).Rabbi Haim Vital: "I have been severely warned not to slaughter anything, not to kill any living thing not even lice and fleas. My teacher never killed lice and fleas or any living thing at all"(שער הגלגולים הקדמה ל"ח). Rabbi Yosef Albo: Aside from the intensive cruelty of killing an animal, one accustoms themselves to the negative behavior of freely spilling blood. The consumption of flesh from living creatures gives birth to spiritual corpulence, murkiness and Turbidity and opacity of the soul"(ספר העיקרים ג, טו). "And you should demand, investigate and ask well and behold it is true and it is correct"(Deuteronomy 13, 16).

[@RabbiYYJacobson]

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