Ben Zoma’s Four Questions
We can learn from people with good character. And we can even learn from people with bad character how not to live our lives. We can extract true lessons when we hear how an enemy criticizes us. We can learn from children and those in all strata of society.
Silver Coins
The common practice is to use silver coins, whether silver dollars minted in the U.S. or special silver coins minted now in Israel with the proper silver content, concluded Rabbi Dayan. Where this is not possible, though, you can redeem with other movable items or possibly even cash of the requisite amount.
Daf Yomi
To Have Or To Hold
‘Renting Is Not Owning’
(Avodah Zarah 15a)
A Time for Gratitude
I’m not sure whether people fully grasp the magnitude of the miracle. Just the day before, the floors of the building that was hit had been cleared. Entire departments had been relocated to reinforced areas.
Q & A: Mi Sheberach (Part II)
Is there a halachic source for the Mi Sheberach other than its presence in the siddur?
Our Need for Personal Growth
Man’s fate is in his own hands – he decides for himself and for the world. Hashem did not create us as finished products, but with the need and responsibility to develop ourselves properly.
Will You Rage Against The Entire Community?
Someone who understands reality on such a level also begins to see that all of humanity is really bound together as a cohesive whole.
Post-Revolt Priestly Presents
The rise in rank for words and letters is due to Korach being above average in words and letters per pasuk. Korach is a short sedra (in a sefer with many long sedras) with fairly long pesukim (in a sefer with lots of short-pasuk sedras).
When There Are No Halakhic Responses to the Elimination of the Iranian Threat
The theological questions from October 7 appear to be answering themselves in a way we can more readily understand.
Illegitimate Dispute – Korach
[Democracy] is contingent on both sides respecting each other and not crossing red lines. When that breaks down, democracy ceases to function and it degenerates into illegitimate anarchy.
TORAH SHORTS: Parshat Korach: Polonius vs. Nachmanides
Advice is like snow—the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind. – Samuel Taylor Coleridge
A Lesson in Humility
A humble person does not take credit for his power, his riches, or his intelligence, because he knows it is all from Hashem.
The Question of Charity – Giving During Davening
I believe that Hashem is sending these unfortunate people to us as a gift to enhance and strengthen our prayers.
From Being Needed to Needing G-d
In a balanced and nurturing environment, sacrifice enhances rather than detracts from quality of life.
The Five Spiritual Stages of the Creative Process
If the Torah does, in fact, require organization, why specifically divide it into five parts?
Maintaining Perspective
Who is the biggest victim of identity theft? Every one of us. One of the greatest tactics that our evil inclination employs is to confuse us about who we really are, and what defines us.
Is it proper for Jews around the world to set aside their usual tzedakah...
Of course, our monetary funds are limited. There are so many worthy causes and we cannot support them all. However, we have a responsibility, halachically and morally, to assist those in greatest need.
It’s Time to Talk About Redemption
Israel has brought Iran to its knees—a tiny nation systematically dismantling a regional superpower in days. Then came President Trump's decisive strike, erasing Iran’s...
Torn Techeiles
As long as the other side of the string remains intact, the tzitzis are still kosher. But you tore one of the expensive techeiles strands – these aren’t easy to replace.
Daf Yomi
Don’t Tread On Me
‘If One Consulted A Sage, He May Not Consult Another’
(Avodah Zara 7a)
A Nation Rising and Roaring Like a Lion
It is no coincidence that Israel courageously attacked Iran in the week the Torah portion tells us: “When you are at war in your land against an aggressor who attacks you, you shall sound short blasts on the trumpets, that you may be remembered before your God and be delivered from your enemies.”
Q & A: Mi Sheberach (Part I)
Is there a halachic source for the Mi Sheberach other than its presence in the siddur?
Month Math & Mitzvah Categories
Shelach by the numbers:
Total pesukim: 119, ranks 21st (of 54 sedras)
Total words: Ranks 27th
Mitzvot: 3, ranks 27th
The Remarkable Israeli Soldier: Holy Of Holies
This generation is truly remarkable. They do not flee from hardship. They strive for the elite units, the most dangerous positions, not because of ego or pride, but because they yearn to be protectors.
Refusing To Join The Army
The Rogatchover Gaon emphasizes specifically that Eretz Yisrael is only acquired through tribulation (Brachot 5), noting how inappropriate it is for someone to expect to gain the fruits of the labor of another – especially when somebody has to go to war to defend the land and somebody else expects to just sit at home and benefit from this.
Our Past and Future
The last piece addressed our relationships with peers – including spouses, friends, and family. In addition to those relationships, we should also have meaningful relationships with the generations that precede and follow our own.
A Summer Warning
Many marriages have been ruined by the well-meaning but poor advice of friends.
Pure Emunah
The aveirah of the meraglim was their own lack of faith, and their determination to weaken the faith of the Jewish nation.
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