More Than Just Kapparah
Most of us are familiar with the process and stages of teshuva. But how do we purify ourselves?
Taking Torah On The Road
Whether nature is vanity or just lower on the values hierarchy than Torah study, both of these approaches seem to agree that nature disrupts the learning process, and presumably, if possible, learning should be done inside, with minimal distractions from the natural world.
Spiritualize Your Strengths
We can express gratitude for a benefit bestowed by a friend, but that gratitude can also have a spiritual component if we also thank G-d for helping to orchestrate the place of this friend or the significance of the gift in our lives.
Days Of Fear And Trembling: A Yamim Noraim Reflection On The Yom Kippur War
Though the Yamim Noraim should also be a time when we draw close to and strengthen our love of Hashem, they begin with recognizing that He is judging us and determining our fate for the upcoming year.
How To Respond To Suffering
Difficult times should inspire reflection and improvement. This is why the word we use to describe life lessons – mussar – shares a root with the word yisurin (suffering). Yisurin should inspire us to learn and internalize mussar lessons.
The Payoff Of Prioritizing Torah
Commentaries are bothered by two main questions. First, what is the symbolism of Torah being referred to as a yoke? Second, what exactly is the mechanism behind what seems to be guaranteed removal of these other responsibilities?
Rules For The Road
The importance of not squandering opportunities to learn is not just an abdication of personal responsibility or failure of personal growth but has larger repercussions for the national survival of the Jewish people, and that is why Rabbi Chanina uses such strong admonishment.
All For The Good
Looking back at Jewish history, we see that periods of suffering were always followed by periods of success and growth.
When “Bad” Things Happen: How To View Suffering
We must remind ourselves that everything, including suffering, emanates from Hashem. Though Hashem is the source of ultimate good and wants the best for us, we know that grief also comes from Him: a person does not stub his toe below unless it was declared from above (Chullin 7b).
Torah: The True Social Medium
Learning alone is valuable, but not ideal. Words of Torah are enhanced through social interaction and social interactions are enhanced through words of Torah.
Good At Heart Or Bad To The Bone?
While we can be hopeful and optimistic that people will express their naturally benevolent and compassionate sides, we also need powerful external systems in place to curb the also natural human tendency towards maleficence and cruelty.
Attributing Our Success
We are meant to work hard to support ourselves, and the amount we earn seems proportional to the effort we invest. This leads many to assume that their efforts determine their success.
The Benefits Of Negative Emotions
These negative visualizations can be particularly important when the long-term consequences of our actions are not immediately resonant.
Who We Turn To And Rely Upon
Though we occasionally face difficult situations, we should be optimistic about our future.
Toiling For Torah
The second chapter of Pirkei Avot ends with two related teachings from Rabbi Tarfon, both centering around procrastination and productivity.
When Strange Things Happen
Because Hashem directs the world, things that happen to and around us are more than just coincidental.
Fixing The Big Picture: How To Achieve Ahavat Yisrael
Though the Torah commands many mitzvot that guide our relationship with Hashem, the mitzvot that govern interpersonal relationships are the most important. Disregarding them causes churban and subsequent mourning.
Building Blocks For Successful Torah Study
Following his approach that each element of this mishna relates to advice for Torah study, Rabbi Lipschitz explains that knowing before whom you toil will also help with effective learning.
Self-Compassion
When someone considers himself as a wicked person, there is a strong likelihood that will lead to him sinning even more.
We Are All Important
The very fact that the Haggadah that we recite on Pesach speaks to four distinctive personalities is proof that our Sages realized that people are different and they articulate their belief in G-d in many ways.
Appreciating The Good And The “Bad”
The Chafetz Chaim explained that it took him a long time to complete his Shemoneh Esrei because of the time he spent reciting the Modim beracha. (He was shocked that others could say the beracha so quickly.)
How Grit Builds Greatness
The better self-awareness we have, the better our relationship with others will be, and the stronger connection we will have to G-d.
Where W/He Takes Us
Each day we set and realize many goals. As these goals seem naturally within our grasp, we assume that we accomplish them on our own. We set our mind to something we are capable of accomplishing and we succeed in doing so.
Banishing The Evil Within
From ancient times, the idea that animals and people can affect their surroundings with their eyes was considered perfectly normal, and even to have a scientific basis.
The Ultimate Decisor
As opposed to Yosef who saw Hashem’s Hand in determining the results of our decisions, Dovid saw Hashem as behind the decision itself!
Anger Management
There is a philosophical debate as to whether it is possible to completely excise anger from our emotional repertoire. This debate plays out within the Jewish ethical literature as well, with Rambam, at least in one place, indicating that one should never feel anger.
The Director Behind the Scenes
Hashem’s control over what happens in the world means that our lives and fate (even in this world) are fully in His hands.
The Heart Of The Matter
What does it mean to have a good heart? It is common in the modern era to associate the heart with emotions, and contrast that with the mind, which represents thought.
Sanctified Accouterments
The Chasam Sofer explains that a Jew who learns Torah is likened to a Sefer Torah...
Appreciating OUR Creator
As part of the world Hashem constantly recreates, our existence also hinges on Hashem’s continuous constant renewal.
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