20 May WHY IS SHAVUOS DIFFERENT
As we draw nearer to the conclusion of our countdown of sefira, our thoughts are turning more and more to the culmination of these seven weeks of waiting, namely Shavuos. And as we make our preparations for the...
13 May THE HARSH LESSON OF THE DEATH OF THE TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND TALMIDEI REBBI AKIVA
Lag b’Omer marks the conclusion of the time period of the tragic deaths of the twenty-four thousand holy talmidim of Rebbi Akiva. This horrific tragedy even trumps the mourning period of twenty-one days leading up to the day...
06 May MAKING FRIENDS – A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK’S PARSHA
There are many people who agonize over why they don’t have friends. This is no small issue at all. Chazal teach us, “O! chavrusah O! misusah – Either companionship or death!” Such is the importance of having good comrades....
06 May THE GREAT TREASURE OF PIRKEI AVOS
At this time of the year, Klal Yisroel breaks out one of its national treasures: the Mishnayos of Pirkei Avos. This anthology of select ethical teachings, transmitted to us by our gigantic teachers, presents us with a truly great...
29 Apr DON’T DELAY
Imagine, if one was to gather the ultimate anthology, he would go to Rav Shvadron, Zt”l, and ask him to sift through all of his teachings and choose the most powerful one. Then, he would go to Rabbi...
29 Apr THE GREAT TREASURE OF PIRKEI AVOS
At this time of the year, Klal Yisroel breaks out one of its national treasures: the Mishnayos of Pirkei Avos. This anthology of select ethical teachings, transmitted to us by our gigantic teachers, presents us with a truly great...
08 Apr THE MIRACLE AT THE RED SEA
In the blessings that we say after Krias Shema in the morning liturgy, we include a puzzling statement. “V’Yam Suf bakata, v’zeidim tibata, vy’didim he’evarta, vay’chasu mayim tzoreihem – Hashem split the Red Sea, drowned the sinners, His beloved he...
08 Apr BEING AN EDUCATOR AT THE SEDER
Baruch Hamakom, Baruch Hu. Baruch she’nosan Torah l’amo Yisroel, Baruch Hu. K’neged arba bonim dibra Torah. Echad chochom, echad rasha, echad tam, v’echad sh’eino yodei’a lishol. -- Blessed is Hashem (Who is the Place of Everything), Blessed is He....
01 Apr CULTIVATING WHOLESOME EYES
This year, instead of doing the bedikas chometz on the night immediately before Pesach, we will do our search for chometz a day early, on Thursday night, since erev Pesach falls out on Shabbos, on Saturday night. In the...
25 Mar IN PURSUIT OF CHOMETZ – PART TWO
Last week, we looked at twenty-six ways that our lives could change because of our sincere pursuit of the chometz that is in our midst prior to Pesach. The pursuit of chometz is a task that we can...