MERIVA
CONFLICT AND STRIFE
A
1)Victory in battle cannot be achieved when an oath has been broken.
2)When a person oppresses his friend, God sends him troubles so that he
forgets about persecuting his friend.
3)By reciting the Hallel Prayer, the Holy One will save you from your
enemies,
4)The respect a person shows for the Torah saves him from his
enemies.
5)Praying to God is a necessary preparation for battle.
6)Any time a person falls from faith, the opposition he brings upon
himself comes from a man of importance and wealth.
7)When a person prays for help against his enemies, he should do so in
the morning hours.
8)You can nullify your enemies' hatred by habitually gazing
Heavenward.
9)A person who forgets the poor cannot succeed.
10)You should know that when a wicked man persecutes a pauper, it is
because of the poor man's pride.
11)God ignores and hides Himself from a contentious person.
12)When a person suffers misfortune, his enemies are exalted.
13)A contentious person suffers forgetfulness.
14)A person invites conflict when he has the opportunity to perform
some mitzvah, but lets it pass unfulfilled,.
15)When a person quarrels with the Tzaddikim, he has obviously
entertained evil thoughts.
16)Sometimes, it is [a person's] location which causes him to encounter
conflict and strife.
17)A person who has enemies should humble himself, and then God will
save him.
18)A person can defeat his enemies by seeking out any possible
opportunity to show them affection.
19)When a person does not seek revenge against his enemies but focuses
on rejoicing in God instead, the Holy One gives him the strength to
avenge their wickedness.
20)Immoral people tend to quarrel with the Tzaddikim.
21)A person's humility enables him to stand firm in battle, as if he
sat [well protected] in a fortress.
22)A contentious person will be afflicted by incurable diseases.
23)When litigants turn to a gentile magistrate to adjudicate their
dispute, the Holy One afflicts them with an incurable disease.
24)There are times when the Holy One hardens the heart of the wicked
against the Tzaddikim in order to bring about the downfall of the
wicked.
25)One who honors an elderly [sage] is spared [the travail] of war.
26)By talking to God about the strife which one encounters, a person
merits seeing his revenge exacted against his enemies.
27)Conflict and quarrel bring poverty.
28)A person who is wont to quarrel with his neighbors will eventually
be an object of scorn for his enemies.
29)One who hears himself shamed and remains silent is considered
righteous and the Holy One will protect his soul.
30)When a person prays with such great fervor that it can be detected
on his face, his enemies are subdued and set ablaze.
31)When a person has been righteous from his youth, he wins the hearts
of many. They will lend him their support in any quarrel or conflict
that may come against him.
32)One who leads his friend astray and prevents him from following the
path of good, will find himself unable to stand up to his enemies in
battle.
33)By confessing your sins, the evil plans of your enemies will be
nullified.
34)By being quarrelsome, a person shows that [in his heart] he favors
sin.
35)A person who is sparing with his words cannot be overcome by
anyone.
36)Those who quarrel with the righteous and try to prevent them from
serving God will suffer defeat. [Eventually, these opponents] will
come to look upon themselves with disgust.
37)Recite Psalm 6 for victory in battle.
38)God does not allow the person who visits the sick to fall into the
hands of his enemies.
39)When a person has enemies, he should spend his entire day reciting
prayers and entreatments - without stopping. By doing so, God will
save him and his enemies will be disgraced.
40)A persecuted person is repaid [for his suffering] with children and
grandchildren.
41)A person who has enemies should ask as many people as possible to
pray for him. This will bring him peace from his enemies.
42)You can be certain that if you have enemies below, you also have
adversaries Above.
43)The study of Torah turns away one's enemies.
44)Trust in God and your enemies can do you no harm.
45)By being humble, your enemies will fall into the trap which they had
prepared for you.
46)When a person prays all day, his enemies will be disgraced.
47)One who brings harm to an enemy of the Tzaddik merits everlasting
success.
48)When people talk against you, study the Agaddah each night.
49)Two Tzaddikim will only be capable of living harmoniously in the
same city if they possess truth.
50)When a person trusts in God, his enemies will never rejoice in his
suffering.
51)When one does not embarrass his friends, his enemies will never
rejoice [in victory] over him.
52)When a person has many enemies, it is a sign that the hatred is
unjustified. For it is impossible that all their hatred can be
vindicated.
53)When a person has enemies and then one of his friends and confidants
also turns against him, it is a sign that those opposing him will
fail and suffer defeat.
54)A person who has faith has no fear of enemies.
55)Crying out in prayer prevents one's enemies from rejoicing [in their
victory] over him.
56)A person who doesn't know if he will fall into the hands of his
enemies or not should look [inward]. If he has fallen from his level
of serving God, he can be certain that he is destined for defeat.
57)To guard against [the adversity of] conflict, one should study the
Tractate Sukkah.
58)When the wicked come together, quarrel ensues.
59)When you are depressed, even your friends turn against you.
60)Strife in a person's home only begins when the food runs out.
61)There are times when God's will is drawn to side with the majority
in a dispute between a group of Tzaddikim and a singular Tzaddik;
even if the truth is with the lone Tzaddik.
62)[A person who takes usury for lending money to his fellow Jew is
considered wicked]. Once his neighbor [has a right to] call him
wicked, this neighbor is free to cut into his means of income,
diminishing it by up to a third.
63)A person would much prefer to die [than to live] without friends or
loved ones.
64)All forms of creation are created male and female - even kings.
There are kings who embody the male aspect and kings who embody the
female. The Holy One places great distance between them so that they
do not [come together and] destroy the world.
65)Do not give honor to the contentious person, even if he is an
accomplished student of the Torah.
66)Satan can be found wherever there is conflict and dispute.
67)A person who recites Sh'ma Yisrael morning and evening will not be
given over into the hands of his enemies.
68)When a person studies Torah and performs acts of kindness, he will
overcome his enemies.
69)The oppression which a person suffers transforms him into a fitting
sacrifice for God.
70)Always side with and help the oppressed.
71)The world only exists on the merit of the person who remains silent
in the face of dispute.
72)When a person forgets even one detail of his studies, it gives rise
to opposition against him.
73)Quarreling with a Tzaddik brings an outbreak of war.
74)When people talk against someone, this person is in danger of having
the evil inclination overpower him. He should ask for God's
compassion to help him withstand this.
75)The person [whose stubborness makes him] difficult to appease is
from the Feminine World.
76)When confronted by conflict, you should rise early and remain late
to study Torah in the House of Learning. If this is not possible,
then by praying, you can bring judgement upon your oppressors and
God will see to their downfall. But you must never hand them over to
a government official [or the like].
77)When a person has the right to take revenge against his friend but
remains silent instead, the Holy One makes certain that justice is
carried out.
78)Don't argue with someone stronger than yourself, even if he forces
you to do something inappropriate. If', however, this person is
afraid of the government, take him to an official rather than
continuing with this inappropriate action.
79)Slander causes one to fall in battle.
80)Refraining from slander brings victory and success.
81)When a person once studied Torah but has now gone away [from his
learning], his enemies will oppress him.
82)When a woman experiences a show of blood outside her menstrual
period, [her husband] should take it as a sign that some animosity
has been aroused against him.
83)Whenever possible, the Tzaddik should use money rather than his own
righteousness as a means of overcoming his enemies.
84)Wherever there is a quarrel, those involved acquire the qualities of
Dathan and Aviram [the two men who constant y sought to foment
strife against Moses].
85)When two Tzaddikim are at odds over an issue concerning the good of
the Jewish People, there are two corresponding angels in Heaven who
also dispute the matter. It takes God Himself to arbitrate between
them.
86)One who hears himself shamed and remains silent nullifies much of
the misfortune which he had been destined to suffer.
87)God always sides with the majority opinion, unless those in the
majority are wicked men.
88)Do not seek to find merit in one who turns others astray.
89)A dispute between two people [often takes on greater proportions],
with each person being supported by others who favor his point of
view. Should there then be a decree in Heaven that one of those
involved in the dispute must die, the judgement begins with the
smallest of them and not with one of the original disputants.
90)Falling into the hands of one's enemies sometimes saves a person
from a decree that would have destroyed all his offspring.
91)A person who causes another man to distance himself from serving God
[is later made to pay for his actions]. There will come a time when
his offspring will suffer at the hands of this man's descendants.
92)When a person is in a position to protest against the actions of
wicked men but does not, it is as if he himself was guilty of these
evil deeds.
93)Anyone who takes part in a quarrel transgresses a prohibitive
commandment of the Torah and deserves to be punished with
leprosy.
94)Disputing the royal lineage of the House of David makes one liable
to be bitten by a snake.
95)Torah study gives a person [the strength needed] to remain firm in
combat.
96)A person should strengthen himself and use his cunning when battling
with his enemies, [yet realize that] God will then do as He sees
fit.
97)Reciting the verse, "And Asa cried out to the Lord, his God, and
said, 'It is nothing for You to help, whether the many or those who
have no power. Help us, 0 Lord, our God; for we rely on You and in
Your Name we go against the multitude' " (Chronicles 11 14:10), is
particularly beneficial for overcoming one's opponents.
98)A person who does not trust in his God invites struggle and
conflict.
99)Studying the Torah creates a fear in the nations so that they will
refrain from waging war against Israel.
100)When confronted by conflict, recite the words of Yehoshafat, "And
he said, 'God, Lord of my fathers ... for our eyes are turned to
You,' " (Chronicles 11 20: 6-12).
101)In time of war one must prepare arms, as is common practice, and
not rely on a miracle. The Holy One will then do as He pleases.
102)When a person chooses a fixed place for prayer he gains control
over his enemies.
103)Never pray that a person die [at God's hand]- even an apostate. It
is better that he be killed by another man than by Heavenly
intervention.
104)Never quarrel with a wicked man, especially one upon whom fortune
smiles.
105)You can deny the truth [when it comes from the mouth of a liar].
Such dispute is permitted so that others will not mistakenly follow
after him.
106)Unwarranted hatred brings great stife and conflict into a person's
home.
107)The postponement, distortion or corruption of justice will bring on
destruction and great pillage; as will the neglecting of Torah
study.
108)A woman, at the end of her menstruation period, who passes in
between two men, causes them to quarrel.
109)By pacifying his oppressor, the oppressed person arouses harsh
judgement against him.
110)By giving his enemy food to eat, a person causes his adversary to
be punished by means of fire.
B
1)When people talk against the Tzaddik, they cause heretical ideologies
to spread in the world. The opposite is also true.
2)There are certain well-known people whose fame comes essentially as a
result of their being part of some conflict and dispute.
3)A person involved in dispute succumbs to immoral desires.
4)A person who successfully defends his faith against a majority who
argue against him, will, because of this, be worthy of many children;
his progeny will fill the world.
5)A person who is always evaluating the leaders of his generation,
analyzing their behavior with an eye towards finding fault, will
suffer from hunger. "Not a hunger for food," but the kind that will
be evident in future times [viz. a hunger for the word of God]. Hence
the Hebrew word :in [hunger]; which is formed by placing an v [ayin,
which also means an eye] in between the letters n-i [a rabbi or
leader].
6)By giving charity, a person can defeat his enemies with a minimum of
effort, as God will save him from even their greatest attacks.
7)By reciting the Birkhat HaMazone, God's greatness becomes known in
the world. The Birkhat HaMazone also brings one's government a reign
free of conflict and wars.
8)When a person learns the Torah with a pure mind, because he eats with
such a degree of holiness that his sustenance is drawn from the
sustenance of the angels, his enemies are sentenced to strangulation.
This is indicated [in the verses], "And it was on the third day, in
the morning..." (Exodus 19:16); "Then in the morning there was a
layer of dew" (Exodus 16:13); "And it was at the morning watch..."
(Exodus 14:24). (I heard this explanation from his holy lips: "And it
was on the third day", was said during the giving of the Torah and
refers to the person who learns the Torah with a pure mind. "Then in
the morning, there was a layer of dew," was said about the manna,
which is the food from which the angels draw sustenance, as our
Rabbis have taught. "And it was at the morning watch," was said at
the splitting of the Red Sea when the Egyptians were drowned, which
is an aspect of strangulation. Rabbi Nachman learned from one morning
and applied it to the other, thereby deducing the above statement
from the Torah.)
9)The suffering and provocation brought upon a sage cause him to forget
his learning.
10)Quarreling causes the less accomplished students to be accepted into
positions of authority, though they are not yet qualified for such.
This can be compared to a miscarriage, where the child is born
before its time, and it brings about poverty and sometimes even
death [in the world].
11)There are times when the members of one's household are at odds with
each other and there is no peace in the home. It should be
understood that there are evil forces in t e house. These forces are
behind all the quarreling and it is they who are responsible for the
family's suffering.
12)A person's location can at times be the cause of the strife he
encounters; just as it is prohibited to greet one's friend in an
unclean place.
13)Grief and depression lead to conflict, whereas joy brings peace to
the world.
14)The Torah is revealed through peace.
15)If, while fasting, a person occupies himself with work or business
matters, he saves himself from enemies and murderers.
16)A person who has enemies finds it difficult to concentrate while
praying.
17)A person who causes a rift between a man and his wife talking to the
husband about how beautiful his wife is and telling the wife
degrading things about her husband will, because of his actions,
find it difficult to earn a living.
18)When God sees that a certain Tzaddik is unable to inspire people to
devotional service, He stirs up opposition against him. God does
this so that the Tzaddik will indeed succeed in inspiring others,
for the Tzaddik who has no enemies cannot do so. This can be
compared to the times of Mashiach, when peace will reign and
converts will no longer be accepted.
19)Thoughts of idolatry enable one's enemies to overpower him.
20)One whose enemies have gained eminence falls into a lust for
food.
21)A person whose body itches should take it as a sign that he has
enemies. Sometimes, the marks and scratches he makes on his body
[while attempting to relieve the itching] will save him from his
enemies: one being exchanged for the other.
22)There are two types of Tzaddikim: one whose words resemble the art
of ploughing and one whose words are like the art of reaping. Said
otherwise, one Tzaddik's speech is the male arousal for marital
relations while the other's is the drawing of the seed into the
womb, the fetal conception and gestation. When there is a dispute
between these two Tzaddikim, an outsider should not mix into their
conversation, so as not to destroy the intended design.
23)A person with enemies should take an oath not to drink wine. This
will give him mastery over them.
24)A segulah for a person hoping to be saved from his enemies, be they
opponents or highwaymen whom he fears, is to recite the
cantillations which accompany the words of the Torah: pashta,
munach, zarka, etc.
MAMONE
MONEY
A
1)When a person is derisive of others, his livelihood diminishes.
2)The words of the Sages bring prosperity.
3)A person will lose his wealth because he shows no compassion for
others.
4)One who withstands a test of his morality merits great wealth despite
his enemies.
5-6)An occupation is a great thing; God Himself advised man that he
must engage in some form of work. [But if a person has no choice,
he should] borrow in order to eat.
7)[A farmer] who wants to grow wealthy should use a lean animal when
ploughing.
8)A man should spend less than what his income allows for food and
drink, clothe himself in accordance with his means and honor his wife
and children by buying them things which are even beyond what he can
afford.
9)Poverty in one's home is worse than fifty plagues.
10)A man's wife won't die unless he is first approached for money and
has none to give.
11)The ability which the nations have to steal from the Jews comes from
their learning the Written Law.
12)Drinking wine leads to poverty.
13)Anyone who possesses true knowledge must eventually prosper.
14)A person who steals from his neighbor is made impure by a chance
nocturnal discharge.
15)Any new insight which a person gains carries with it great
wealth.
16)As soon as the money of a Jew falls into the hands of a gentile it
is instantly purged [of the special quality it acquires from Jewish
ownership].
17)A person whose children are starving is spared from death by fire,
one of the four judicial forms of capital punishment.
18)One who transgresses a Rabbinical enactment grows poor.
19)A person who breaks his desire for food merits living in a beautiful
house.
20)[God's providing] man with his livelihood is as great [a miracle] as
His splitting the Red Sea. It is even greater than bringing the
Final Redemption and twice as great as the miracle of childbirth.
21)Once a person has been put in charge of the public's welfare he
becomes wealthy.
22)The incense in the Holy Temple brought wealth [to the one who burnt
it].
23)You need not worry that someone will take away your livelihood.
Against his will he will call out your name for you to take what is
rightfully yours.
24)There are four things which cause a businessman's possessions to be
taken away from him: if he delays paying his workers' salaries; if
he outright refuses giving them their wages; if he shirks on an
obligation and instead places the burden on a neighbor; and
haughtiness.
25)A change of place and name improve one's livelihood.
26)Rains are withheld because of a failure to tithe the land's produce,
slander, disrespectful behavior, disrupting Torah study and the
crime of theft.
27)Rainfall can be restored through many prayers.
28)Faith in God will increase your livelihood.
29)When there is prosperity in the world, sickness is diminished.
30)Those who publicly pledge to charity but do not give, prevent the
rains from falling.
31)Disgusting behavior in one's home leads to poverty.
32)Three things cause poverty: urinating in the nude in one's bedroom,
taking lightly the enactment to wash one's hands before eating and a
man's wife cursing him to his face.
33)Tithing is a segulah for increased wealth specifically in the Land
of Israel.
34)Honoring the Torah and honoring the Shabbat are a segulah for
wealth.
35)The olive-size helping of bitter herbs eaten on Passover is segulah
for earning a living.
36)Writing a Torah scroll is a segulah for earning a living.
37)When the daughter of a kohain marries a regular Jew or when the
daughter of a Torah scholar marries an ignorant Jew, she causes her
husband to suffer poverty.
38)Associating with someone while his fortune is going good will prove
beneficial for one's own prosperity.
39)The person who loves God in his eating, drinking and other physical
pleasures merits sustaining many nations.
40)One who despises money is rewarded with long life.
41)A person who searches for treasures hastens his own death.
42)Whoever has not rectified the sins of his youth becomes poor.
43)When a person struggles day and night in search of a living but
still does not have enough, he should make amends by bringing people
closer to God.
44)When a person breaks something unintentionally, it attests to his
being a sinner.
45)A person who has a burning desire to work the land is certainly
worthless.
46)In whatever you do, ask the Tzaddik to pray on your behalf.
47)Joy is always propitious for success.
48)A man must take heart when involved in any worldly undertaking.
49)If a person turns to God while suffering, his livelihood is doubled
and will comes flying into his hands like a bird.
50)For the sin of not tithing the land's produce, wages are lost and
people run after their living without success.
51)The rains come on account of the individual, livelihood on but the
individual whose merit is account of the many, strong has the power
of many.
52)Sanctifying [the Sabbath and holidays by reciting the blessing] over
wine brings the rains and causes a person's prayers to be heard.
53)When a person has in his house a Torah scroll which once belonged to
his father, he is rewarded with wealth.
54)Rain falls in the merit of one man, one field and a singular blade
of grass; as well as in the merit of the land, deeds of
lovingkindness and because of suffering [endured].
55)Rainfall is held back because of idolatry, immorality, when a
Tzaddik has not been properly eulogized and when people interfere
with the livelihood of others.
56)One who suffers poverty is spared the punishment of hell.
57)Misusing God's Holy Names brings poverty and death, even to the one
who can object but does not.
58)The Holy One exacts judgement on behalf of a person who has a
mouthful of complaints against his neighbor and still remains
silent.
59)When a person sees that his income is limited, he should give
charity.
60)Anxiety and distress over one's livelihood saps a person
strength.
61)Immorality brings poverty.
62)A Tzaddik who has no luck when it comes to earning a living will
sometimes have opponents sent against him. He is then given the
income which was coming to them.
63)A person who works in construction puts himself in danger.
64)Modest behavior is particularly propitious for gaining wealth.
65)Once coveting and envy spread in the world, people began interfering
with the livelihood of others.
66-68)A person's livelihood diminishes when he judges others
unfavorably, when he dilutes the alcoholic beverages [which he
sells] or when he follows the advice of a person who persuades
him [to turn against God].
69)When a person sins out of spite, he becomes impoverished though no
one will believe that he is poor.
70)One who makes use of unholy names and magic becomes poor.
71)When consumption, a disease which weakens the body, affects a member
of one's family, it is a sign of impending poverty.
72)When a man suffers some embarrassment,it is a sign that he will soon
become poor.
73)When a person despises money, Heaven shows him the [right] path to
follow.
74)Occassionally, a person who deserves to die a death of Divine
extermination suffers poverty instead.
75)A poor [man] is confused like a drunkard.
76)Fraudulent practices make one poor.
77)A person who acts hastily, without presence of mind, falls into
debt.
78)Ruining a man's means of income is akin to killing him.
79)A person should always maintain possession of his inheritance, never
selling or exchanging it.
80)One who lusts for money falls from his [spiritual] level.
81)Atheism leads to poverty.
82)A person who is poor should work diligently to provide sustenance
for those who seek the service of God.
83)Faith is beneficial for one's livelihood.
84)Soreness of the eyes is a sign of poverty.
85)When a person is humble, his livestock multiplies.
86)By giving charity, a person merits earning his living.
87)When a person gives money to sorcerers, he will have to earn his
living by working in non-Jewish homes.
88)The words of the Tzaddik bring sustenance.
89)When a person is depressed, his income suffers.
90)Give charity and you will prosper.
91)Too much sleep makes one poor.
92)One who is diligent in Torah and charity merits wealth.
93)Honor your wife and you will become rich.
94)The blessing in a man's house comes only because of the honor he has
shown his wife.
95)When a person takes usury for lending money, the value of his
property plummets and never recovers.
96)Forbidding the singing of frivolous songs brings down prices.
97)A person without a livelihood should occupy himself with Torah study
and then pray for sustenance. His prayers will certainly be
accepted.
98)A person should never sell the first [property] he ever
purchased.
99)One who takes away his friends means of income is considered
wicked.
100)Were it not that he has grown haughty, a person would never have
the audacity to harm his neighbor. lol)Leaving food crumbs [to be
trampled on] brings poverty.
102)Wealth is a masculine aspect, whereas poverty is from the feminine
side.
103)Soreness of the eyes is a sign of impending harm,
104)Whatever you want, be it wisdom, wealth or children, You should
first strive to attain it through natural means and then plead for
mercy that these means prove successful.
B
1)A year which is economically prosperous is also a year of physical
health.
2)A person with a burning desire to work the land will come to one of
three things: bloodshed, leprosy or drunkenness.
3)Fearing God and acting kindly to others saves one from being harmed
by fire and brings him his livelihood.
4)Wherever there is a decline in the practice of Torah Law there is a
decline in prosperity. On the other hand, [adherence to Torah law
increases prosperity].
5)Supportive proofs from the Torah for Rabbinical enactments bring
abundant prosperity to the world. This is because there are a number
of teachings which have no explicit verse in the Torah upon which
they are based and the Rabbis labored to find some supportive
reference [for their enactment].
6)The Holy One will occassionally boast to Satan about a righteous
gentile. [By distracting Satan in this way,] God is then able to
provide the Jews with prosperity free of any opposition [from Satan's
forces].
7)When a person yearns to be buried in the Land of Israel, he is
blessed with a livelihood of plenty.
8)A person should take part [in the preparations] for a meal which is
being held in honor of some mitzvah, even if it means that he has to
chop fire wood. While chopping, he should keep in mind that he is
splitting and separating the bad from the good which exists in the
Tree of Knowledge. By doing so, he will merit earning his
livelihood.
9)By returning to God in repentance, you will be able to earn your
living easily.
10)One who fulfills, "Your neighbor's money should be as precious to
you as your own" (Avot 2:12), merits praying with an attentive
heart.
11)So great is the value of living from the fruits of one's own labor
that a person who does so can recognize God's glory in a way which
even the angels cannot.
12)The blessing which descends from Heaven alternates in form; at times
appearing as fire, at other times as water, stone or any of the
other forms. These changes are in accordance with the changes which
take place amongst the angels: sometimes they are sitting and at
other times standing, occassionally they are feminine and at other
times masculine. All these changes effect both macrocosm and
microcosm. Man's will also alternates according to these changes. At
times he wants one thing and at other times he wants some other
will.
13)A person prospers financially in accordance with [the holiness which
he exercises in] sexual matters.
14)The quality of a generation's elders determines its economic
well-being.
15)Taking usury causes one to lose his fear of God.
16)One who takes usury for lending money will not find anyone willing
to speak favorably of him.
17)A person who guards against transgressing the prohibition forbidding
coveting is saved from anger and haughtiness, and the lack of faith
which comes as a result of these two evil traits.
18)Conducting one's business affairs faithfully nullifies curses.
19)One who is obliged to borrow from others is comparable to an
animal.
20)When an agent of an important individual tries unsuccessfully to
convince an ordinary person to sell some object to his client, he
should pray for the ordinary person to accept the offer and agree to
the sale.
21)If a person rules over his evil inclination, his children will not
follow evil ways and because of this he will prosper monetarily and
not be put to a test.
22)Travel brings a person to slander, idolatry, licentiousness and
bloodshed. These sins diminish one's livelihood.
23)Because of the charity given to the poor people of Eretz Yisrael, a
person prospers monetarily.
24)Fires rage in the world in order to consume the wealth of
idolatry.
25)When a new king or minister takes over, he brings with him a revival
and improvement in the standard of living.
26)When a person's living comes from the business he does with gentiles
during their holiday season, or even at other times of the year but
involves his doing something which establishes their idolatry, his
wife's menstrual flow will begin soon after her ritual immersion.
27)A person who causes a rift between a man and his wife - talking to
the husband about how beautiful his wife is and telling the wife
degrading things about her husband will, because of his actions,
find it difficult toearnaliving.
28)A person is sometimes spared having to rend his garments in mourning
because his merchandise and property are spread around and not in
one area.
29)The biggest businessman in a town is its light.
MAPELET
MISCARRIAGE
A
1)Fear causes a woman to miscarry.
2)A segulah for a woman who miscarries is for her to carry a magnet, a
small piece of wood from the tomb of a Tzaddik, and to give
charity.
3)A woman who miscarries should carry dew.
4)A segulah against [further] miscarriages is for the woman to sell her
embryo.
5)The sin of unwarranted hatred causes a woman to miscarry.
6)A woman's craving for eating and drinking causes her to miscarry.
B
1)A woman with a history of miscarriages should refrain from wearing
gold jewelry.
2)Grinding flour and kneading dough for Passover matzah is a segulah
for preventing miscarriages.
MASSUR
AN INFORMER
A
1)When a person informs against his neighbor to the authorities, he
will eventually become a vagabond, have many opponents, and will
suffer that which he intendedto bring upon his neighbor. Anyone
dependent upon this informer will be defeated and any importance
which he may have had will be taken from him by the family of the
wronged neighbor.
2)Anyone who informs against the Tzaddik to the authorities loses his
material possessions.
3)Killing an informer is permissible.
4)It is forbidden to hand over even a wicked person to be killed.
MASHKEH
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
A
1-2)When a person steals or is haughty, his alcoholic beverages go
bad.
MASHIACH
THE MESSIAH
B
1)By telling over stories about the Tzaddikim you draw the light of
Mashiach into the world. Relating these stories also chases away much
darkness and pain, and the teller is rewarded with beautiful
clothing.
2)Returning to God in repentance Causes the spirit of Mashiach to blow
away the evil decrees of the governm ent - nullifying them
completely.
3)There will yet come a time when an entire generation will be
righteous.
4)Truth hastens the advent of the "end of days."
5)When a person keeps the Sabbath he draws upon himself the light of
Mashiach. Repentance also has this power.
MOHEL
CIRCUMCISOR
B
1)[In choosing] a mohel, one should look for a man who is both a
Tzaddik and God-fearing. For when the mohel lacks expertise land
righteousness], it can, God forbid, result in the circumcised infant
not being capable of reproducing or in his becoming an epileptic.
2)A woman who cannot conceive should look at the circumcision blade
after it has been used.
3)A mohel infuses the child he circumcises with understanding [which
later benefits the child] in his Torah study.
4)The mitzvah of circumcision has the same powers as the special
clothing worn by the high priest.
5)It is well known that when a person is born circumcised his power of
imagination is good and wholesome.
6)When a person performs an act of kindness, the name which he applies
to another gains permanence. It is therefore advisable to carry out
some kind deed before naming a newborn baby; thereby ensuring that
this name will be everlasting.
M'FURSAM
FAME
B
1)There are certain well-known people whose fame comes essentially as a
result of their being part of some conflict and dispute.
2)God tests a person in order to then grant him importance and fame.
3)Quarreling causes the less accomplished students to be accepted into
positions of authority, though they are not yet qualified for such.
This can be compared to a miscarriage, where the child is born before
its time, and it brings about poverty and sometimes even death [in
the world]
Copyright © 1986, 2000, Breslov Research Institute
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