14 Sep A LASTING SUKKOS MESSAGE
We are taught that, “Mo-adim l’simcha, chagim u’zmanim ul’sason – Festivals towards (promoting) joy, holidays and times for (promoting) exaltation.” Rav Shamshon Rafoel Hirsch asks why doesn’t it say, “Mo-adei...
We are taught that, “Mo-adim l’simcha, chagim u’zmanim ul’sason – Festivals towards (promoting) joy, holidays and times for (promoting) exaltation.” Rav Shamshon Rafoel Hirsch asks why doesn’t it say, “Mo-adei...
One of the most urgent segments of our Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur liturgy is the proclamation we say with great feeling, “Us’shuvah us’filah u’tzedakah ma-avirin es ro-ah hagizeirah –...
In last week’s article, we were discussing the proper usage of our ears. One of the wonderful things we can do with our ears is to allow a troubled person...
Last week, we spoke about how one should work on controlling the seven gateways of the head: the two eyes, two ears, the two nostrils and the mouth. In the...
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we chant slowly the venerable psalm, L’Dovid Mizmor. The saying of this psalm is considered a big segula for parnassa, for one’s livelihood. In...
The month of Elul is upon us with all of its seriousness and high stakes. First of all, it is the last month of the year and in Yiddishkeit this...
Believe it or not, Elul is upon us! How do we juggle the seriousness, gravity and trepidation of Elul with the lazy days of summer? How can we relax and...
The posuk in Mishlei states, “K’kesef l’matzreif vk’cur l’zahav, ish k’fi mehalalo – Like silver in the refinery and gold in the crucible, so is a man according to his...
In our daily Krias Shema, we say, “V’ahvata es Hashem Elokecha – And you should love Hashem Your Go-d.” Both the Rokei’ach and the Baal HaTurim reveal that the word v’ahavta is an anagram of ha’Avos, our Patriarchs, referring to Avraham,...
Here on the eastern seaboard, we’ve been having an unusual amount of torrential rain. When viewing this casually, especially during the summer months, we consider rain a big nuisance. It...