10 Sep THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY OF ELUL
The incredible opportunities of the days of Elul for returning to Hashem and acceptance of our repentance and prayers can be seen from an awesome statement of the Ben Ish Chai in one of his letters. He writes...
03 Sep ELUL STRATEGIES
With Elul upon us, we acutely realize that a lot is at stake at this time of year. I’d like to share with you a few atrategies that I think you might find helpful to jumpstart the...
27 Aug ELUL AND TESHUVAH
Once Tu b’Av arrives we can already wish people a kesiva vchasima tova-to be written and signed in the book of good life for the upcoming new year. Since Elul is just about upon us, it is...
20 Aug THE FUNDAMENTAL MESSAGE OF SHEMA YISROEL
In Parshas Shoftim, when the Kohein exhorted the troops before battle, he said Shema Yisroel, and Rashi interprets his message, “Afilu ein bahem zchus ela Krias Shema bilvad, k’dai atem she’yoshia es’chem – Even if you only have the...
14 Aug WHAT’S THE BIG COMFORT OF SHABBOS NACHAMU?
Shabbos Nachamu is a perplexing time. Everyone is heaving a sigh of relief after the intensity of mourning, saying elaborate, tragic sequences of Kinos, and gritty fasting. Once again, we indulge in the merriment of music, meat and wine,...
06 Aug A MISSION FOR THE NINE DAYS
During the Nine Days, we practice habits of mourning over the destruction of our two Batei Mikdashos, our two Temples, and the millions of Jewish lives that were lost in the wake of their ruin. The Gemora teaches us...
30 Jul THE SECRET TO A HAPPY HOME – PART TWO
Last week, we cited the fundamental Rashi, that the way for a man to treat his wife like a husband should, is legad’lah u’lechavevah, to make her feel important and wanted. Making her important is one of the commitments...
23 Jul THE SECRET TO A HAPPY HOME – PART ONE
In the beginning of Shacharis, the morning prayer, we say Adon Olam. The Meforshim say that this is very appropriate since the Gemora tells us that Avrahom Avinu was the first to refer to Hashem as Adon, Our Master,...
16 Jul LIFE LESSONS FROM THE ROYAL GAME OF CHESS – PART THREE
The last two weeks we’ve been extrapolating many disciplines for life from the profound game of chess. Before we continue, I thought I’d share with you an interesting chess vignette of my own. There was a shomer Torah...
09 Jul LIFE LESSONS FROM THE ROYAL GAME OF CHESS – PART TWO
Last week, I introduced the idea that we can learn many life skills from the popular game of chess. So, let us continue. When playing the game of chess properly, one doesn’t just ‘make a move.’ One must...