20 Feb DAVENING FOR PEACE!
The final blessing of Shemone Esrei is Sim Shalom, where we ask Hashem to “Grant us Peace.” The Tur, zt”l, zy”a, explains that since right before this blessing we say the Birkas Kohanim, of which the Torah says,...
13 Feb THE CRITICAL QUALITY OF A GIVING NATURE
Parshas Terumah is all about generosity and giving. This trait translates practically into our most important relationships. Rav Elya Lopian, Zt”l, introduced a fundamental lifetime concept: To strengthen one’s love for another person, one should give to that person. This...
06 Feb SUPER BOWL MUSINGS
They told me this morning at the Daf that Super Bowl Sunday is the busiest pizza day of the year. And 1.33 billion chicken wings will be consumed! As everyone gets ready for a gastronomic infusion, I would...
30 Jan REVITALIZING OUR DAVENING – PART TWENTY-FOUR
The bracha of Modim, Thanks, continues with Tzur chaiyenu, Hashem is the Rock of our lives. The Maggid Tzedek explains the metaphor simply: Hashem protects us like an impenetrable rock. The Eitz Yosef gives it a deeper meaning: Just...
16 Jan REVITALIZING OUR DAVENING – PART TWENTY-TWO
We next ask Hashem, “R’tzei Hashem Elokeinu b’amcha Yisroel uvis’filasam – Favor Hashem our G-d, Your nation Yisroel and their tefilos.” We first ask Hashem to favor us. For if, G-d forbid, He doesn’t favor us, then He despises...
09 Jan REVITALIZING OUR PRAYERS – PART TWENTY-ONE
In this all-encompassing sixteenth blessing, we ask Hashem, “Shema koleinu – Listen to our voices.” In his sefer Beis Elokim, the Mabit explains that we choose to say the words our voices, to ask Hashem that even if...
02 Jan “NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS”
The Gemora teaches us, “Im ein daas, havdala minayin – Without knowledge, how does one differentiate?” This is the reason why on Motzoi Shabbos we say the havdala the insertion of Atah chonantonu within the blessing of Atah chonein,...
26 Dec REVITALIZING OUR TEFILOS – PART TWENTY
The blessing of Es Tzemach, where we Daven for salvation, is the fifteenth bracha of Shemone Esrei. Perhaps we can say that the number fifteen hints to Hashem’s Name Y-ah [a yud and a hei], which has the...
19 Dec A LASTING CHANUKAH MESSAGE FOR THE GAZA WAR – PART TWO
The Maharal, zt”l, zy”a, in his Chidushei Aggados on Shas, asks the following question. When we say the primary Chanukah prayer of Al HaNissim, the focus is on the miracle of the conquest against the Syrian-Greeks, “T’mei’im b’yad t’horim...
12 Dec A LASTING CHANUKAH MESSAGE FOR THE GAZA WAR – PART ONE
The Maharal, zt”l, zy”a, questions a seeming contradiction between two Gemoras in Masechtas Shabbos. First, the Gemora states that the time of the mitzvah of lighting the menorah, is from when the sun sets until people cease to be around...