13 Jul CHILLUL HASHEM ALERT!
As summer approaches there is an annual migration to our favorite vacation spots. In the tristate area, over a half million people make the annual pilgrimage to the Catskills summer...
13 Jul DAF YOMI AND NINE LAMMEDS IN A ROW
Last week, we mentioned the unusual phenomenon that in Aleinu, the first 7 words in a row all contain the letter lammed. Upon further investigation, I discovered that in Ahavah...
29 Jun THE GRAND PRAYER OF ALEINU – PART TWO
The Be’er Heitiv in Orach Chayim [132:3] teaches us that we should say the Aleinu prayer with awe and reverence since Hashem and His Heavenly retinue listen to its recital...
21 Jun THE GRAND PRAYER OF ALEINU – PART ONE
After every one of our daily prayers, we say the prestigious prayer of Aleinu. It is such an important part of our prayers that we always say it standing since...
14 Jun THE TOXICITY OF ANGER – PART TWO
Last week, spoke about the ill effects of anger. Rav Irving Bunim, Zt”l, Zy”a, had a beautiful way of expounding on this concept. He says, when a person is angry,...
07 Jun THE TOXICITY OF ANGER – PART ONE
After Klal Yisroel victoriously defeated the Midianites, the posuk in Bamidbar goes on to say [31:21], “Vayomer Elazar HaKohein el anshei hatsava haba-im lamilchamah, ‘Zos chukas HaTorah’ – Elazar the...
31 May THE HONOR OF TORAH
How is it possible for a mortal human being to cling to Hashem? The Rambam answers that by cleaving to talmidei chochomim, you are fulfilling this posuk. Why is that?...
24 May TORAH STUDY IS NOT LIKE CALCULUS
As we make final preparations for Shavuos, including a fervent desire to come away from the yom Tov with a renewed commitment to the “learning” of Torah, we need to...
17 May THE SUPREMACY OF TORAH
The posuk describes the pursuit of Torah study as being, “Yikara hi mipninim – More precious than pearls.” Homiletically, the Gemora interprets this posuk to mean, “M’kohein G-dol hanichnas lifnei...
10 May CHANGING THE DYNAMIC IN THE WAR AGAINST THE YEITZER HARA
One of the major goals of life is to achieve many victories against the Yeitzer Hara, the Evil Inclination. The thinking Jew knows that one of his or her greatest...