יום ה Date: 20 Nisan, 5775 (4/9/15) – Kesuvos#66 {Tani}

POOPY SORTERS

[66b bottom] R’ Yochanan ben Zakkai was once traveling with his students out of Yerushalayim and they saw a lady gathering kernels of barley from the excrement of Arabs’ animals. She was Nakdimon’s daughter (a previously very wealthy individual), but, “the salt of money is its deficit,” [meaning: he lost his money because charity was not done properly]. R’ Yochanan remembered signing her Kesubah document (worth over a million gold dinars). He wept and exclaimed, “Fortunate is Israel, when they do the will of Hashem, no nation can rule over them, but when they do not do His will, He delivers them into the hands of a lowly nation, and even into its animals’ hands.” [Even though Nakdimon let poor people keep some garments that he walked on, he only did so for his own honor and/or he did not even give away as much as he should have.]

Prac-T-cal Tidbits: We should always remember to try our best to do Mitzvos accurately and with proper intent (so as to merit Hashem’s protection and safety). No amount of wealth is a true protection against calamity; only Mitzvos and Torah learning when done appropriately are genuine safeguards.