Rosenzweig and Weil are Dead
To understand why we don't see people like these anymore, it is worth pointing out that Rosenzweig and especially Weil could be described as “Renaissance men.”
Yafo And The Zionist Colonies: Rabbi Naftali Hertz Halevi And The Siddur HaGra
The siddur originally came out in two volumes, numbering a total of 330 pages. Despite Rabbi Halevi’s desire to produce a complete siddur, he ultimately only managed to cover weekdays and Shabbat (alongside berachos).
Inspiration From Kiryat Shmona
Indeed, this enemy gives Yaakov an enormous blessing. He bestows upon him a new and much more powerful name: ‘No longer will it be said that your name is just Yaakov, but also Yisrael.’ And this is our name until today.
Q & A: Relative Sanctity Of Various Holy Books (Part I)
Question: Because of the Torah’s sanctity, we do not place any object on top of a Torah scroll, except for its mantle or a tallit during the Torah reading. Is it a violation to put a siddur or other sefer (holy book) on top of a printed Chumash when these are placed on shelves or tables?
Alex Poultman
Via E-mail
The Status Of A Fetus In Halacha (Part IV)
The obvious question arises: what changes once the fetus leaves the womb? Why is it permitted to sacrifice the fetus to save the mother while the fetus is in utero, but the moment the fetus leaves the womb, we can't choose one life over another?
Fast Track To Destruction
Desire, Maimonides notes, will interfere with a person’s mission in life to strive for knowledge and pristine character. This will automatically negatively impact his well-being in this world.
Rachel Weeping For Her Children
Rachel’s influence was to unify Israel, to remind us to welcome and accept one another just as she was a mother to all Yaakov’s sons and her sons never treated any of the other brothers with disdain or disrespect.
The Jewish Journey
Jews don’t stand still except when standing before G-d. The universe, from galaxies to subatomic particles, is in constant motion, and so is the Jewish soul.
Our Impressionable Children
We all know that sibling relationships reenact themselves when in the presence of parents. Even when we are older and married, we slip back to the times that we were children.
Do We Create Our Own Enemies?
Let us assume for a moment that the Avot knew for certain what the repercussions of rejecting Timna would be and that they were faced with a dilemma. If they accept her as a convert, it would conflict with the halacha, because she had an agenda.
The Dual Dangers of Antisemitism
It is clear that Yaakov felt that danger of assimilating his brother's ways was the more dangerous of the two possibilities.
It’s All In The Name
In truth, Yaakov wanted to know the essence of the Satan, so that he could be better equipped to fight evil. He wanted to understand the Satan’s power that enabled him to ensnare people and bring them down.
Our Foundational Relationship
It is not only our land and our money that belong to Hashem; everything was created by Him and thus belongs to Him. This is why we are prohibited from benefiting from the world before we recite berachot, which recognize Hashem as Creator (Ber. 35a).
The Mysterious Monotheism Of King Akhenaten
It seems that Rabbi Yitzchak may have approached the disagreement with Rabbi Abba as if it were an abstract halachic debate rather than a personal dispute.
The Three Steps For Building Eternity
Have you ever felt like everything worthwhile in life eventually fades? The energy of youth fades into old age, the excitement of beginnings fades into routine, and the inspiration of a new goal fades into habit. This pattern extends to almost all spheres of the human experience.
Recharged!
The lesson is that living according to the mandates of G-d is not to confine and restrict, but to ensure that we live an elite connected life within the confines of biblical morality.
Is It Proper To Enjoy Holiday Lights And Light Shows This Time Of Year?
While there may not be a direct prohibition against looking at holiday lights and enjoying them, I think it’s important for us to always keep in mind some of the history of our people and of this very long exile.
Rabbi Velvel Finkelstein, z”l
Raffy explained to him how special the mitzvah is, and that this particular pair was donated as a merit for his uncle, who cared deeply for his fellow Jew.
Ring In The Sand
Among contemporary poskim, Hashavas Aveidah K’halacha (2:16c) writes that Shulchan Aruch maintains that the halacha applies even when there are identifying features, such as a ring, whereas Pischei Choshen (Aveidah 2:11) cites this halacha when there aren't identifying features, like the Rambam.
Daf Yomi
A Shidduch Solution
‘Known In A Town For Thirty Days…’
(Bava Basra 167b)
Powerless Idols – Parshat Vayeitzei
This is the story of Yoash, the father of Gidon.
Walking Into The Fire
At that moment both Avraham and Yitzchak created a cosmic reality that had never existed before. They gave birth to the spiritual gene within Am Yisrael of mesiras nefesh. From that moment on we were given the fortitude to walk through fire, to resist those who wish to extinguish our light.
The Artscroll Siddur ‘According To The Customs Of Eretz Yisrael’
Artscroll-Mesorah is one of the largest publishing houses in the Jewish world, and despite its strongly conservative character, it enjoys increasing popularity – including in nationally minded Israeli communities.
Q & A: Children’s Toys On Shabbat
Question: Are children’s toys or games considered muktzeh – prohibited for use on Shabbos?
M. Goldman
Via E-mail
Higher!
If Sandberg symbolizes what is happening now to our brethren in the Diaspora, we are on the right path. This phenomenon has already been given a name: The Jews of October 8, the Jews who woke up the day after.
Protecting Ourselves
Rabbeinu Yonah (Avot 1:1) adds that siyagim are essential not just because they protect us from sin but also because their enactment expresses our commitment to and concern about avoiding sin.
Redeeming Relevance: Trail Flies and the Human Condition
Ya’akov is the patriarch that reached the pinnacle of the early Biblical period by combining the strengths of both his father and grandfather and raising all thirteen of his children to follow in his footsteps.
The Birth Of The World’s Oldest Hate
Pharaoh was a one-time enemy of the Jews, but Lavan exists, in one form or another, in age after age.
Camels And Cactus
Because the Talmud pointed out that thorns are not necessarily destructive but may even be worth maintaining with human intervention, like pre-Industrial Revolution gas stations, we now have two additional reasons to be thankful on Thanksgiving and on every other day of the year – for the cacti and for the camels.
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