02 Aug ON THE ART OF BEING A CARETAKER – PART ONE
The role of a caretaker is certainly not one that we ask for. Surely, it is a very daunting and challenging responsibility. At the same time it is a sublime...
26 Jul WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY LEARNING
Recently, I was invited by my friends, Michael and Suri Kest, to do a speaking circuit in Los Angeles, California. One of the places I lectured was in the Yeshiva...
19 Jul THE THREE WEEKS AND A MESSAGE OF PEACE
We are now at the beginning of the period called Bein Hametzarim, known more commonly as the Three Weeks. As a nation, we mourn the destruction of our two holy...
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?...