Sunday, February 23, 2020

I know where the Malach Hamaves, the Angel of death lives TB Berachot 51

Today's daf is dedicated to my father-in-law Max Diamond on his yahrzeit.

 We finish the seventh chapter and begin the eighth chapter of Berachot with today’s daf TB Berachot 51. I guess Rabbi Yehoshu ben Levi shares good advice he received from the Malach Hamaves, The Angel of Death.

“Similarly, the Gemara relates that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The Angel of Death told me three things: Do not take your cloak in the morning from the hand of your servant and wear it; do not ritually wash your hands from one who has not ritually washed his own hands; and do not stand before the women when they return from the burial of the deceased, because I dance and come before them and my sword is in hand, and I have license to destroy..” (Sefaria.org translation)

When I was a rabbinical student, my friend Avram Reisner found something interesting. I don’t know why he was reading the Manhatten phone book, but he was. He found a listing “Hamaves, Malach who lived on West End Ave.” We thought perhaps that person wanted an unlisted phone number and didn’t want to pay extra for it. But what if it was the Malach Hamaves?! We were too scared to call that number and the Malach Hamaves would answered and say, “I’ve been expecting your call.”

Well if your path accidently cross the Malach Hamaves, the Gemara tells you how to escape his clutches.

“The Gemara asks: And if one encounters women returning from a funeral, what is his remedy? The Gemara answers: Let him jump four cubits from where he stands; if there is a river, let him cross it; if there is another path, let him go down it; if there is a wall, let him stand behind it; and if not, he should turn his face around and recite the verse: “And the Lord said to the Satan: The Lord rebukes you, Satan, the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you; is not this man a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2), until they pass him.” (Sefaria.com translation)

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