Let’s Keep Holding Hands
Don't let go-
What Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah Teaches Us Today
Simchat Torah was born when Jews had lost everything else, but they never lost their capacity to rejoice.
United In Body And Spirit
As is the policy with kidney donations in Israel, if the two are not previously acquainted the donor and recipient don’t meet each other until after the procedure.
Daf Yomi
Redundancy Explained
“Such And Such [I Give My Son]…”
(Kesubos 102b)
Q & A: Women’s Simchat Yom Tov Obligation
Question: According to Chazal, it would seem that women have no simcha obligation on Yom Tov other than the purchase of new garments. Is this so?
Zelig Aronson
Via email
The Center Of The Circle
Focusing our Torah and Torah celebration on our children celebrates our passing of the Torah heritage on to future generations.
The Deeper Purpose Of Torah Wisdom
Every single thing that we see and experience in the physical world stems from the spiritual root – the transcendent dimension of Torah.
Where Did Simchat Torah Customs Come From?
A prominent Simchat Torah feature is the flags that are distributed to children to wave and strut. It is explained that the flags are intended to recall how each tribe was led and represented by its flag throughout the wanderings in the desert.
V’Zot HaBrakha – Am Segula
The Torah is not merely some disjointed ritual precepts but rather the Divine Ideal from before existence placed into this reality for the sake of elevating our world beyond its current limitations.
Revealing The Secret
...the word sod expanded in Rabbinic Hebrew to refer to any sort of restricted or confidential information to which only a select few are privy. Hence, the word sod came to mean secret.
A Sukkos Message
Since the principal focus of this festival is peace, I would like to share some thoughts I had about the shofar that are helpful tips on how to promote shalom in our lives.
Rejoicing the Rain – Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot
Unlike a regular celebration where one hires professional performers, the entertainment in Simchat Beit haShoeva was provided by the Gedolei Hador – the tzaddikim and wise men of the generation.
A Sukkah Allegory
Reb Yisrael and his sons erected their sukkah adjacent to the kitchen door of their palatial home in one of the Five Towns, as they had done for many years in the past...
The Beautiful Citron
In Modern Hebrew, the term hadar was redefined to refer to the entire citrus genus. This includes all sorts of citrus fruits, like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, tangerines, pomelos, kumquats, mandarins, clementines, and more.
A Meaningful Sukkos
Like solders, they marched off! When the job was finished, I took out my wallet to pay the children. Irina stopped me.
Daf Yomi
Seller’s Remorse
‘He Sold Because He Ostensibly Needed the Funds’
(Ketubbot 97a)
What To Know When Buying An Esrog After The Shemittah Year
There are two primary ways to allow payment for esrogim of the Shemittah year on a wide scale. The most prevalent option is through otzar beis din.
Q & A: Buying An Israeli Etrog After The Shemittah (Part II)
Question: Every year at this time we are bombarded with a proliferation of etrogim merchants lauding their wares. Some also point to the superiority of their specific Moroccan, Greek or Italian etrogim. I usually do not succumb to their pitch as my heart is always set on supporting the State of Israel, and I end up buying an Israeli etrog. This year some have made mention of a problem regarding the shemittah. What do you suggest?
Paul Gold
Via e-mail
The History Of Machloket (Part III)
When there is a dispute among contemporary poskim, the purveyor of the minority view may continue to follow their own view, even when they acknowledge that they are in the minority.
Leaving Marks That Last A Lifetime
We learn not only from classes and lectures; we educate ourselves through internalized experiences and events.
Reject The Philosopher In Your Heart
While the non-Jewish world may need to engage in philosophical speculation in order to root out bad ideas, Rebbe Nachman assures us we need not do this.
Mach Shalom – Make Peace
We are in this dark galus because of the hatred between brothers. Most of the ‘Al Cheits’ we confess to on Yom Kippur are hurts caused by our mistreatment of other people.
Hakhel Letter From The Rebbe
As we see from experience that a person can lift and carry a much larger load when another person helps him lift it.
Hashem Is Hashem
You are my candle, Hashem, and Hashem brightens my darkness.
Spiritual Ambition
We need to guarantee that we are not complacent with our prayers. Therefore, we must constantly work on better kavanah and focus, learning the meanings of the words and working on a sincere belief that our prayers will really make a difference in our daily lives.
Mirrors And Windows: The Secret Of Schach
The spiritual concept of beauty, and its relevance to marriage, is central to the connection we aim to develop through the process of Succos.
May One Sleep In The Bottom Of A Bunk Bed In The Sukkah?
The Shulchan Aruch rules that one who sleeps under a bed in a sukkah does not fulfill the mitzvah of sukkah if the bed is higher than ten tefachim.
Why Is Sukkot ‘The Festival of Our Joy’?
The first place that Am Yisrael traveled to after leaving Raamses in Egypt was Sukkot. If we go with this method, that Sukkot was a place, then what was so special about the place Sukkot that warrants us remembering it and celebrating an entire festival around it (according to R’ Akiva)?
Unconditional Love
We can imagine the outpouring of prayers, the heart-rending tears and devotion that preceded the manifestation of their atonement. It is harder to envision the joy and elation that erupted when the outcome was positive.