Chag Tu B’Shvat Sameach
A great thing creates great strengths, however great strengths sometimes create confusion
Rav Sacks (zt”l) Reflects on Tu BiShvat
If we continue to live as though God had only commanded us to subdue the Earth, we must be prepared for our children to inherit a seriously degraded planet, with the future of human civilisation put into question.
The Meaning of Today’s 10th of Tevet Fast
Asara B’Teves, the 10th of Teves, commemorates the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar that ultimately culminated with the First Temple’s destruction on the 9th of Av the following year.
The 10th of Tevet & The Forgotten Kaddish
On this day we learn to not only look at tragic events, but also on what led up to them. This is all the more important when talking about the Holocaust
Chanukah And The Great Sephardi/Ashkenazi Crossover
In a sense, then, both Sephardim and Ashkenazim may be said to be following the Rambam.
Let us Dream of a Shining Am Yisrael as We Light the Chanukah Candles
We as Jews make sure to dream, but also help others dream! We care about the light, but we also care to shine for others!
Ari Fuld on the Real Miracle of Chanukah
Ari Fuld uncovers and explores the real miracle and lessons of Chanukah.
Chanukah: Re-Examining Our Ideological Battle Against the Greeks
Ideally,nthe physical wisdom of the Greeks and Yefes are to reside within the tent of Shem, for science and the wisdom of the world to be in harmony with Torah. The problem occurred when the Greeks tried to destroy the Torah, which contradicted their ideology, and the Jews were forced to fight for their beliefs. This was the battle of Chanukah.
THIS CHANUKAH SAVOR THE MOMENT
So many of us are caught in the hamster wheel of life--just get off for an instant to savor the moment
Sukkos: Spiraling Through the Symphony of Life
The same is true for all spiritual circles. The ideal is not to transcend the circular system, but to uplift it, to transform the circle into a spiral, to find innovative ways of creating newness within the circular system, not beyond it.
From Suez to Afghanistan: A Sukkot message
As we approach the winter, God wants us to be aware just how temporary our livelihood and security really are, or can become.
Yom Kippur – An Out-Of-Body Experience
For that one day we step out of ourselves and have an “out-of-body experience.” We are no longer part of this world as we know it.
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Guide for the Perplexed, 2021
Yom Kippur is considered to be a Super Sabbath (Shabbat Shabbaton in Hebrew) – a soul-searching opportunity for pious and evil people alike.
Yom Kippur: Flying Amongst Angels
Our goal as humans is not to escape the physical, but to use it as a means of connecting to the transcendent.
Lulav & Children
Although one might think that the solution to this problem is to allow one’s child to recite the blessing on one’s lulav with the explicit condition that the child does not acquire the lulav, this is incorrect.
Redeeming Relevance: Forgiving Made Easy
Almost always, the reason we are not willing to forgive offenses against us has almost nothing to do with the offense, and everything to do with it being done to us. Once we can internalize this, we can move to a God’s-eye perspective and forgive others more easily.
Torah: The Song Of Klal Yisrael
The Torah is a song? Torah certainly doesn’t feel like a song. We think of songs as relaxing, easy, accessible. Torah can certainly be that, but Torah is also so much more.
Rosh Hashanah (New Year) Guide for the Perplexed, 2021
Wishing you a healthy, challenging and rewarding year
At the Doorstep of Shemita 5782: Signs of the Redemption – the Footsteps...
May this Shemita year hasten the coming of the Mashiach.; Shana Tova U’Mevurechet
Preparing For Rosh Hashana: The Art Of Listening
The act of listening is a two-way street. There is the speaker – trying to communicate an emotion or problem – and the listener. What is the role of the listener?
Rosh Hashana: The Three Stages of Teshuva
Elul and Rosh Hashanah center around the concept of teshuva, and Parshas Nitzavim is clearly linked to this theme as well. The pesukim in Nitzavim discuss the theme of teshuva, the importance of choosing life - choosing what is right, and connecting ourselves back to Hashem. As Parshas Nitzavim is connected to the transition from Elul into Rosh Hashanah, let us delve into the idea of teshuva.
As Good As It Gets?
"The more you draw yourself to G-d, the more you must realize how far you are from Him. When a person believes that he has succeeded in achieving closeness to G-d and understanding of Him, it is a sign that he does not know anything at all." (Likutey Moharan I, 63)
Never To Early To Say ‘I’m Sorry’
Sometimes “tomorrow” never comes. Sometimes it is too late, but it is never “too soon,” never too early to own up to one’s failings and errors.
The Lion And The Fox
The second Temple was destroyed because of baseless hatred, represented by the fox, which the sages saw emerging from the ruins. With the cunning and guile of a fox, the evil inclination instigates and stimulates baseless hatred, dissent, and strife.
The Debased Origins of Baseless Hate
The elites – the Kohanim in the Beit HaMikdash and too many others – in their zealous self-righteousness, religious coercion, and insensitivity to the way they were being perceived by others, contributed to a terrible culture of animosity and hatred.
Nine Ideas For The Nine Days
No laundries, no showers, no swimming, and no pastrami sandwiches. It seems like the big expression during the Nine Days is: "Just say no!" Please allow me, therefore, to change things up a bit. Here is a list of things you can say "yes" to during this period.
17th of Tammuz
17th of Tammuz: Beginning 3 weeks of mourning for the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Suggestions for the 17th of Tammuz
Suggestion: Along with not eating and drinking let us "fast" today from other indulgences...
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