EPISODE · Feb 13, 2026 · 18 MIN
When God Takes Back What Was Never Ours | 10@9 | 2026.02.13
from Mining The Riches Of The Parsha · host Rabbi Michael Whitman
When something precious is taken from us suddenly, it is a tragedy - but Jewish law asks us to first ask a much harder question: was it ever truly ours? This morning we analyze the rather technical laws of an object given to another for safekeeping, including not misusing the object or ignoring the directions of the owner. The Rav, Rabbi Yosef Soloveitchik, brilliantly widens this to include everything we have, and our lives themselves, are given to us by God for safekeeping. This means we must follow God's instructions or else we have misused (actually stolen) what is not ours, but what is given to us temporarily for safekeeping by God. And this includes that God, at any time, may claim what is God's and take it from us, sometimes, tragically, without warning. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: / @rabbimichaelwhitman Instagram: / adathmichael Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG... Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
What this episode covers
When something precious is taken from us suddenly, it is a tragedy - but Jewish law asks us to first ask a much harder question: was it ever truly ours? This morning we analyze the rather technical laws of an object given to another for safekeeping, including not misusing the object or ignoring the directions of the owner. The Rav, Rabbi Yosef Soloveitchik, brilliantly widens this to include everything we have, and our lives themselves, are given to us by God for safekeeping. This means we must follow God's instructions or else we have misused (actually stolen) what is not ours, but what is given to us temporarily for safekeeping by God. And this includes that God, at any time, may claim what is God's and take it from us, sometimes, tragically, without warning. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: / @rabbimichaelwhitman Instagram: / adathmichael Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG... Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
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When God Takes Back What Was Never Ours | 10@9 | 2026.02.13
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