Our Sages tell us that the Jews before the Torah was given also kept the mitzvos of the Torah, even though torah had not yet been commanded to them. What is the significance of their observance? And how does our observance differ from theirs?

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Review Questions:
What did Chizkiyahu do wrong? What was his reasoning?
In what way did Yeshaya overstep the boundaries of prophecy?
What is the difference between the role of mitzvos before the Torah was given at Har Sinai, to the relationship after the Torah was given?

Points You Don’t Want to Miss:

The Talmud states: Any chapter of Tehillim that was dear to Dovid he began and ended with the statement of “Ashrei”. (Ashrei means praised or fortunate. It means the qualities described put a person in a good place, heading to a blessed future.)

Tosfos asks: “Any Chapter”?! There is only one such chapter. (Tehillim, Chapters 1 and 2, which the Talmud considers to be one unit.)

Tosfos explains that the Talmud doesn’t mean that there are many chapters using the word “Ashrei” at their starting verse and concluding verse. The Talmud means that when Dovid wanted to show a chapter was dear, he started it and ended it with the same word, as he did, for example, in the case of “Ashrei”. Thus a chapter that starts and ends with the word “Tehilla” or Halleluka” is being shown to be particularly dear to Dovid.

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Bruria, the wife of Rabbi Meir taught, “Instead of praying for the downfall of your wicked neighbors, pray that they do Teshuva, and are no longer wicked.” This is the meaning of the verse, “May sins be eradicated from the world.” It talks about the sins being eradicated, not about the sinners.

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“One who wants to benefit from others, may accept favors, like Elisha.” Unlike Shmuel who acted as a judge, and would never accept favors from anyone, Elisha the prophet did accept accommodations graciously.  But Elisha did not just accept. Elisha showed his gratitude in most profound ways. To his host family, for example, he promised a child, and revived the child after the child died. He used his unique spiritual level to express his gratitude. This the Talmud teaches, that if one wishes, he or she can accept accommodations and gifts with good nature as Elisha did, provided that he or she do so as Elisha did, with great gratitude.

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