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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
As the nine days come to a close with the somber experience of Tisha Bav, we now greet happily Shabbos Nachamu. But what are we really comforted with? We still are bereft of the Beis Hamikdosh!? We are...
The twelfth bracha, V’Lamalshinim, was added later to the original Shemone Esrei blessings which were instituted by the Anshei K’neses HaGedolah, the Men of the Great Assemblage. The Rambam explains in Hilchos Tefillah [2:1] that in the days of...
This time of year many Country Vues readers have their annual migration to their favorite vacation spots. In the tristate area, over a half million people make the annual pilgrimage to the Catskills summer homes and bungalow colonies strewn...
One of the great Biblical acts of valor was the zealous execution of the Nasi Zimri and the Midianite Princess Kozbi by the courageous tzaddik, Pinchas. Although the Torah rarely discusses rewards, Hashem informs us that Pinchas was granted a great...
When Balak, king of Moav, saw that the great giants Sichon and Og fell to the Bnei Yisroel, he was filled with terror. These giants who were born before the Great Flood and had dinosaur-like dimensions (Sichon was...