Essentials Of Judaism: The Essence Of Pirkei Avot
Often, people use hashkafa to refer to what distinguishes between different hashkafot (Litvish, chassidishe, modern Orthodox, religious Zionist, etc.). People are eager to understand and appreciate their unique approach. That said, most hashkafic issues, including most central ones, are things all Torah Jews agree upon.
How We Ought to Care For Others
The servitude we experienced in Mitzrayim should sensitize us to human suffering. We know what being a foreigner feels like and should thus care for those in similar situations.
When We Are Good
The first generations of men made such sinful choices. Eventually, their sins corrupted the entire world. When man lost his way, other creatures followed suit. This man-induced reality caused Hashem to wash away all living beings.
The Faith Of Righteous Women
The righteous women not only saved Moshe; they also inspired him. And they inspired many others as well – including their own husbands.
Why Tefillah Is So Important
Tefillah is central to our identity. It is an essential reflection of the human soul and part of what characterizes man as distinct from animal. Hashem provides for the whole world; only man appreciates and prays for it.
My Heart Is Broken!
Israel’s mourning is not just for Kfir, Ariel, and Shiri – it is for every victim of terror, every life that was cut short in the name of hate and destruction.
Why We Call It Megillat Esther
If Esther failed to act, Hashem would find another way to save the Jews, but she and her family line would be lost.
The Power Of Our Words
When G-d created the world, He did it with words. Every action of creation was accomplished using words. And G-d said, Let there be light. And G-d said, Let us create man. Creation is realized by G-d using words.
The Miracles Of Jewish History: Our Return And Revival
Over the past century, the desert has become an oasis, and the desolation a blessing. Israel has developed innovative agricultural expertise and water conservation technologies and has planted over 250 million trees. Eretz Yisrael is the only country that entered the twenty-first century with more trees than the century before.
The Miracles Of Jewish History: Survival
We have spent most of our history as oppressed people. For almost two thousand years, we were scattered across the world; in over one hundred countries. Despite all this, we survived and continue to identify with our people and heritage.
Charity, Justice, And Morality
The failure to observe the agricultural laws such as tithes, challah, and the Sabbatical year reflects an unbridled acquisitive drive and a failure to care for the poor and needy. G-d provides the antidote to this disease of greed through the laws of charity.
Tu B’Shvat 5785: Celebrating Productivity And Resilience
The Jewish people possess unique resilience. While all nations experience decline, Jews are distinguished by their ability to recover and rebuild. Unlike other civilizations that fade after their historical peaks, the Jewish people have consistently risen after setbacks.
Culpability Should Be On Hamas! Not Israel!
It is critical to understand that Israel did not seek out this conflict... The objective has always been clear: a stable, peaceful region where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side, with dignity and security.
Works In Progress
Wisdom is not conceptualized here in any form of abstract internal intellect. Everything revolves around active listening, relevant and organized speech, and intellectual humility.
How The World Connects Us To Our Creator
The universe is impressive on two levels: the macro and the micro. Its sheer size, even of the relatively small amount we know, is massive. Within just our planet, the number and diversity of creations and creatures are incredible.
A Brief History Of The World
While the commentaries analyze each miracle on its own, the overall thrust of the presentation seems to be that G-d showed an added level of care for the continual functioning of the Temple.
Hamas: The Essence Of Darkness In The World
The entirety of the Gaza population, under Hamas’s rule, has become part of this deadly philosophy. One cannot ignore the reality that Hamas, as the governing body, has indoctrinated its people with a worldview that is grounded in violence.
How The Past Inspires Faith In The Future
The very experience the Avot lacked, their descendants had. The Jewish people in Egypt had the history of Hashem’s interactions with the Avot to build upon. He had fulfilled His promise to give the Avot the land of Israel, and they had successfully inhabited it.
I Fear We Are Losing Our Way
In Israel, elections are held on a national level with voters casting ballots for political parties rather than for individual candidates. This system, while effective in ensuring that political parties gain power based on their collective support, undermines individual representation.
How The Torah Strengthens Our Faith And Feelings
The Torah’s claim about the revelation at Har Sinai also reinforces our belief in Hashem (in addition to our faith in the Torah’s Divine origin). The claim that an entire nation (as opposed to a limited group) consisting of millions of people (as opposed to a small group) is hard to fabricate, as people would wonder why they had not heard about it from their own ancestors.
Asara B’Tevet 5785: The Significance Of Siege
Physical and political sieges are the results of spiritual separation. They are a continuation of the ancient pre-Churban siege and are due to and reflective of Hashem’s separation from us.
Understanding The Debate On Charedim Joining The Army
Serving in the IDF can provide personal development opportunities for charedi men. Many who have enlisted report a newfound appreciation for civic duty and a broader understanding of Israeli society.
G-d In Our Hearts And Minds
Because G-d-consciousness is central to the Torah, it commands us to create and interact with objects that remind us of Him.
Gratitude
Today, amid the suffering caused by the war, we can sometimes feel callous if we take our minds off those most affected. However, a lesson of Chanukah is that there remains space for gratitude, even in the face of ongoing grief.
Our G-d
Hashem equated His relationship with us to that of a father with his son. Though Hashem created all human beings in His image, He chose us as His children (Avot 3:14). All humans resemble G-d; we, the Jewish people, have a personal relationship with Him.
Confronting Vulnerability
Rabbi Elazar’s frank realization that from the time we are born we are destined to die frames the entirety of the Mishna. This knowledge is meant to instill our awareness of G-d and His judgment, informing our religious decision-making.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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