Building Good Fences
Silence has a role in the learning process that leads to wisdom, and is also a signal that one has obtained wisdom.
New Year’s Resolutions
One of the ways we can perceive the differences between the values of a Torah Jew and the average non-Jew is by contrasting the Top Ten New Year’s resolutions touted for the secular calendar and the commitments a Jew makes before Rosh Hashana.
Why Do We Eat Fish On Shabbat?
One of the reasons we eat elaborate meals on Shabbat is based on the Talmudic teaching that anyone who partakes of delights in honor of Shabbat will be blessed with all his heart’s desires.
For Prophet
Just as our ancestors didn’t want to hearken to the prophet’s message then, so do many of us not pay much attention to the words of the Prophets in our time.
Build Back Better – The Jewish Version
Regardless of the rationale for how the covenant would be originally binding, the Gemara relates that the Jews fully accepted the Torah after the miracle of Purim.
Is It Proper To Admire “Seasonal” Lights On Someone’s Yard?
Even though I don’t believe that a technical halachic problem exists by admiring these seasonal lights, I would hope that an admiration for this display does not compare to the excitement that we have for Jewish holidays and all of the beautiful customs and decorations associated with them.
Welcome Home
There was silence in the room, as she opened her mouth and recited,; Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokainu Hashem Echad. There wasn't an eye in the room that was left dry. To recite that phrase for the first time as a Jewish soul is the most incredible feeling one can ever imagine.
Mikrah But Not Mikreh
Aside from the long hours spent in the classroom, there are many more hours devoted to preparing lessons and writing and later grading tests, among many other responsibilities. And, glutton for punishment that I suspect he is, my husband also writes curriculum and a variety of texts/workbooks for his students.
The Need For A Heter Iska When Taking A Loan
But why should we need a heter iska? asked Yaakov. I’m just covering what you pay to the bank.
Daf Yomi
A Tale Of Two Cities
‘… The Destructive Force Does Not Distinguish Between the Good and the Evil’
(Bava Kamma 60a)
The Subversive Forefather and his Conformist Son
Shabbat Shalom
A Shepherd and His Flock – Parshat Vayechi
The King and Shepherd.
Q & A: Holding And Gazing At The Tzitzit (Part I)
Question: Is it proper to look at tzitzit and kiss them during the recitation of the Keriat Shema?
M. Stern
Via email
Preparing For Yud Shvat
If you see a person who has love of G-d but lacks love of Torah and love of his fellow, you must tell him that his love of G-d is incomplete.
Demystifying The Tribes Of Israel – Parshat Vayechi
What are the individual contributions of each Hebrew tribe to Israel's national collective?
Shared Responsibility, 100%
Often when a relationship heads into a downward spiral, each will feel the other somehow started, and they are only reacting. While this might be technically true, it also could be that the other may have unwittingly caused hurt or distance first.
All For The Good
Experiences that seem negative can do more than just protect. They often enrich.
Parshas Vayechi: The Power of Forgiveness
Hashem always rewards those who think about and care for others.
The End Of Time
We must never fight falsehood with more falsehood or misinformation; our dedication to the truth is our most powerful weapon in the face of this onslaught.
Grandparents
Between parents and children, he said, there are often tensions. Parents worry about their children. Children sometimes rebel against their parents. The relationship is not always smooth. Not so with grandchildren.
Torah Shorts: Parshat Vayechi: Fragmentation of a Merchant’s Mind
Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains. -Thomas Jefferson
Spiraling Through The Cosmic Symphony Of Life (Part II)
Shana means that which is cyclical and repetitive, representing mindless ritual. However, shana also has another distinct meaning: to learn and to change (shinui, l’shanos). This is because when you add chiddush to shana, i.e., when you infuse newness into the circle, you create spiraling growth.
Kidnapped
Among the many terrible decrees enacted against the Jews during the reign of Nikolai I was the forceful conscription of young Jewish children into the Russian army, its overriding aim being to destroy Jewish life.
Revitalizing Our Prayers – Part Twenty
When we say this blessing hoping for salvation, we should reflect that so many people today are in financial distress because we don’t have the shulchan that brought financial stability to Klal Yisrael.
What To Do
Belief in Hashem does not exonerate one from personal responsibility. It does not give one license to say, ‘well this is what was supposed to happen, and it’s not my fault.’ In fact, the very opposite is true.
Women And Children Tying Tzitzit
The Mishna Berurah (Orach Chaim 14:4) rules that ideally a minor may not tie tzitzit for an adult, as tzitzit must be tied with express intent for the sake of the mitzvah and a minor may not have the proper intent.
A Head In The Lap
Our Sages tell us that when Hashem creates something or someone, at the same time He creates their opposite.
Neshama Yeteira – The Extra Shabbat Soul
Believe it or not, the main purpose of the neshama yeteira is to facilitate the consumption of the many gastronomic treats and pleasures that are characteristic of Shabbat without being harmed by the excessive intake.
Is It Proper To Attend A New Year’s Eve Party?
There is some merit to the argument that New Year’s Eve is no longer a religious holiday, despite its pagan and Gentile origins.
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