Reflections - Torah.org

Autmatic Weapon

Rabbi Raymond Beyda

AUTOMATIC WEAPON

"Don't bite your nails," the irate mom screamed at her defiant offspring, "it will become a habit." Repetition of an action develops into a mindless act called habit. When one does something without thinking because they have done so many times before it becomes difficult to break the habit. Several thin wires when braided together become a cable that is difficult to break. Even several sheets of paper when held together become impossible to rip or cut with a scissors. When a parent sees a child doing something that he or she judges as negative behavior the warning to the offspring comes quickly, loudly and clearly.

There is, however, a positive side to the concept of habit. When one knows of positive behavior which one finds difficult to do, one should attempt to repeat it enough times so as to develop a GOOD habit.

When you do something good for the first time stop and consider whether you would like to do it again. Then set a specific number of days or times that you commit to repeat that deed. Make it consistent and keep it limited to enough times to develop a good habit but not so much that your resolution cannot be kept. It doesn't take much effort to resolve to repeat a good deed. What is difficult today -- when repeated enough times -- will become automatic tomorrow.

DID YOU KNOW THAT

If an error is found in a Sefer Torah in the middle of the public reading, the reading is stopped and another Scroll is taken out to from which the reading continues. The first Scroll is left out and not returned to the aron [ark]. The reading in the second scroll begins at the word where the error was discovered. A minimum of 3 verses must be read from the replacement scroll and then a final blessing may be said.

The blessing which precedes the reading is not repeated as the blessing said over the scroll in which the error was found is good --b'diavad--after the fact. The person who said the first blessing should be careful not to speak until after their aliya is completed and they have said the final blessing.

In order to complete the minimum of 7 men going up to read in the Torah we still count those who went up before the mistake was discovered and do not have to send up 7 to read in the replacement scroll.

[Source: Yalkut Yosef Vol 2,Siman 143:10]

CONSIDER THIS FOR A MINUTE

The true nature of three types of people cannot be discerned except in these ways; the humble person when he is enraged, the hero when he is confronted with battle, and the friend when there is need of help.

[Source: Sefer Hasidim]