25 Aug THE BATTLE ROYALE
Every morning in Elul, the call of the shofar reminds us to use this special time wisely and fully. The Yeitzer Hara adroitly keeps us distracted with the still lazy days of summer coupled with the hectic, frenetic...
18 Aug A WORTHY ELUL PURSUIT
As precious days of Elul are already slipping away, we really want to utilize this special time in the best way that we can. I would like to offer my dear readers a great suggestion of a worthwhile...
04 Aug HOW SPECIAL ARE OUR MITZVOS?
In the second parsha of Krias Shema, we say at least twice daily, “V’haya im shamo’a tishma’u el mitzvosai – And it will be if you (plural) listen to My mitzvos.” This section continues in lashon rabim, in...
28 Jul STRUTTING IS NOT OKAY
The great Rav Shlomo Efraim ben Aharon Luntschitz, zt”l, zy”a, was the author of the famous commentary called Kli Yakar which graces almost every edition of the Mikra’os Gedolos Chumash. In 1602, he became the Chief Rabbi of Prague...
20 Jul A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
Shabbos Nachamu is even more special for me than most people as it’s my Bar Mitzvah parsha. I remember how 55 years ago my parents hosted a magnificent kiddush in Saltzman’s bungalow colony even though two weeks later...
14 Jul A DELICATE INGREDIENT IN SECOND MARRIAGES
As we observe the traditional and sad routine of the Nine Days, abstaining from the pleasures of music, meat, wine and swimming, we remember the recent horrific destruction of the Second Temple because of sinas chinum, senseless and improper...
07 Jul THE THREE WEEKS AND A MESSAGE OF PEACE
We are now in the middle of the period called Bein HaMetzarim, known more commonly as the Three Weeks. As a nation, we mourn the destruction of our two Holy Temples during this time. This loss is more...
30 Jun HASTE MAKES WASTE
In the fifth Perek of Pirkei Avos [5:9], we are introduced to a type of person described as a golem. Laterally, this is a very derogatory word which means a ‘clod.’ However, I do not believe this is...
23 Jun I’M ALLERGIC TO MACHLOKES
In Pirkei Avos, Ben Zoma gives the famous definition, “Eizehu chacham? Halomeid mikol adam – Who is wise? He who can learn from every person.” This immediately begs the question: What can we learn from the rasha, the wicked...
16 Jun THE MYSTERY OF THE ATARAH
All married men wear a tallis gadol in the morning when they pray and most people have a special and exclusive tallis they wear in honor of the Shabbos. Many people, especially among the Chassidim, wear an atarah,...