12 Sep THE MESSAGES AND POWER OF L’DOVID HASHEM ORI – PART ONE
As we are in the heat of the Days of Awe, there is a powerful segulah, a propitious activity in which all of us can take advantage of, and yet most of us are unaware of its...
05 Sep MULTIPLYING OUR MITZVAHS FOR THE NEW YEAR
As we approach closer and closer to the Day of Judgment, we are earnestly trying to find ways to upgrade our mitzvah output for the coming year. We understand that in order to make a strong case for a...
29 Aug STRATEGIC IMPROVEMENT
The Kasav Sofer, zt”l, zy”a, says that the blowing of the shofar during Elul reminds us of the objective of shapru ma’aseichem, make your ways prettier. (Shofar and shapru, to be pretty, share the same root.) One of the...
22 Aug ELUL IS A BONANZA OF OPPORTUNITIES
The month of Elul is an extraordinary time of opportunity and investment. Firstly, it is the last month of the year and we have a Talmudic rule that, “Hakol holeich achar hachasom – Everything is determined by the...
15 Aug ONE HUNDRED BRACHOS– GETTING READY FOR ELUL- PART TWO
Last week, we explained the objective of Elul is to achieve Ani l’Dodi, a closeness to my Beloved, namely to Hashem. We also suggested that a great way to acquire dveikus, attachment to Hashem, is to make meaningfully...
08 Aug ONE HUNDRED BRACHOS– A GREAT WAY TO GET READY FOR ELUL
Once we pass T’u b’Av, the next stop is Elul. Elul is an acronym for, “Ani l’Dodi v’Dodi li,” I am to my Beloved (namely Hashem) and, in that proportion, Hashem reciprocates with special attention to me. I...
01 Aug ELUL IS FAST APPROACHING
With Shabbos Nachamu in our rear view mirrors, all sights are on getting ready for Elul. The month of Elul is synonymous with teshuva, repentance. It is also a time when we increase our charity as much...
24 Jul SHABBOS NACHAMU: WHAT IS THE COMFORT? AND THE QUICKSAND OF FAMILY FEUDING
As the nine days come to a close with the somber experience of Tisha Bav, we now greet happily Shabbos Nachamu. But what are we really comforted with? We still are bereft of the Beis Hamikdosh!? We are...
18 Jul HOW CAN WE HELP THE IRON DOME BE ACCURATE
The twelfth bracha, V’Lamalshinim, was added later to the original Shemone Esrei blessings which were instituted by the Anshei K’neses HaGedolah, the Men of the Great Assemblage. The Rambam explains in Hilchos Tefillah [2:1] that in the days of...
11 Jul CHILLUL HASHEM ALERT!
This time of year many Country Vues readers have their annual migration to their favorite vacation spots. In the tristate area, over a half million people make the annual pilgrimage to the Catskills summer homes and bungalow colonies strewn...