יום ד Date: 28 Tishrei, 5774 (10/22/14) – Yevamos#18 {Eliezer}

FUTURE WORRY

[18a bottom] Tosephos: R’ Meir disallows a Yebum marriage based on a suspicion of a future tragic scenario. Should we always act based on suspicions of death? Then we should never allow any sending of sacrifices to the Temple (for fear of it not getting there)? For short term, we do not live in fear, but we must look more broadly for long term results.

D-E-ep Thoughts: If people live in fear, they would never accomplish anything. Even though G-d runs the entire universe (and recreates matter every moment), He does so with a majorly predictable repetitive pattern [this ultimately gives us free will]. This is our short term view, to will to accomplish Mitzvos in the here and now. However, we may not pretend to know what might be many years from now, and therefore strive to accomplish as much as we can with the time we have been given. “If not Now… When?”