I hope the ideas contained below, will provide you with some topics for discussion, at your Shabbos table.

The Yartzeit of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter always falls in the week that we read the Sedra of Mishpatim. This is particularly appropriate as he always stressed the laws of behaviour towards your fellow man; and the majority of this Sedra deals with those laws. He had numerous original ideas for strengthening Judaism, many of them based on his remarkable understanding of human nature. The following, are a few of his aphorisms.

The worst illness, is despair.

There is nobody more dependent on other people, than a conceited man.

Not everything which you think, should be said, not everything which should be said should be written, and not everything which should be written, should be published.

If you want to make yourself higher than the other person, don`t belittle him, rather improve yourself. (An approximate translation.)

For yourself, give spiritual things more importance than material things, but as far as another person is concerned, don`t overlook any material needs, because the other person`s material needs, are your spiritual requirements.

Just as a Rav must examine the Shechita knife of the Shochetim of the town, so he must examine the weights and measures of the merchants of the town.

Don`t be extra careful about the performance of Mitzvos-at the expense of others.

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QUESTION FOR THE WEEK;

In the extra prayers many congregations say on Parshas Shekalim, it says that counting the Jewish people is mentioned in five other places besides Parshas Shekalim. Where are they?

ANSWER;

Twice with King Saul, Samuel, 1, 11-8.
Samuel, 1,15-4.
Once with King David, Samuel, 2 24-9.
Once with Ezra Hasofer, Ezra, 2
Once a prediction about Messianic times, Jeremiah, 32- 13.

SOURCES; Siddur Otzar Hatefillos.