10 Oct BIREISHIS: THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
Chumash Bereishis is also known as Sefer HaYashar – the Book of the Upright. This is because one of the primary aims of studying it is to learn from the ways of the Yesharim, the Righteous Ones that...
27 Sep SUCCOS AND TWENTY-TWO YEARS POST 9/11
The Yom Tov of Succos is upon us. All over the globe, Klal Yisroel sits under the schach and reflects back to over 3000 years ago when Hashem protected us from hunger, certain dehydration, and the nighttime frost...
19 Sep THE MESSAGES AND POWER OF L’DOVID HASHEM ORI – PART TWO
Last week we cited the siddur of Rav Shabtai Mei’Racksho, the Mateh Efraim, and the Chida. The all concur that the twice daily saying of L’Dovid Hashem Ori is a powerful segulah to emerge victorious in judgment, to cancel...
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...