Torah

Hashem wants us to realize that we are not in control of Har Habayis, and this should disturb us.

A leader that has lost faith in his people cannot lead his people and conquer the land of Israel.

We wish to express our desire to achieve closeness with Hashem as we approach Him to ask for our daily needs and requests.

Our sages tell us that there is no calamity that befalls the Jewish people that does not carry within it the sin of the Golden Calf. So devastating was this incident that it was never forgotten in all the succeeding persecutions of the Jewish people.

Kids today... that’s not the way we behaved when we were younger!! That is the mantra I hear repeated as parents bemoan the spoiled nature and lack of responsibility of today's children. The problem is - it is not a fair comparison.

QUESTION: On Purim we read the Megilla but do not recite Hallel, unlike other holidays. I am told that the Talmud teaches that the Megilla replaces Hallel. If so, could the Passover Haggadah replace Hallel as well? (Yet we do say Hallel on Passover.) I also remember learning that there is a connection between the holidays of Purim and Passover. Please explain.Andy Goodman(Via e-mail)

Obviously, our awareness of the constant presence of Hashem’s “eyes” should have an even stronger impact. That is part of what makes religion a force for honest and altruistic behavior and mitzvah observance: the belief that G-d sees what we do.

When we donate our money, time or effort to Hashem, we naturally assume that we are giving Him something that is our own. In truth, we are merely giving Him what is (already) His.

While the process of change is very personal and needs to be individualized, there are also commonalities and trends that traverse both time and person.

In order for a person to properly confess a sin he must first feel that he is great. He must have an appreciation for himself and his self-worth.

Our Sages tell us that if you want to overcome the hate that you have for someone, give them something – do for them a favor and ultimately the hate will transform to love.

The media today tries to take advantage of this aspect of human nature by making stories sound sensational and as introducing it as breaking news.

Let us take encouragement from the way Hashem responds to Aharon in reminding us that our children have the right to make their own decisions, and we are not to be blamed for these decisions.

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.

‘Woe to a person who is not aware of his faults, for he does not know what he needs to correct. But double woe to a person who is not aware of his virtues, for he is lacking the tools for correcting himself’ – Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz

It is not that I don’t want to or that I don’t force myself to make time to. Sleep just won’t come. I lie in bed and even shut my eyes, but what’s supposed to happen next just doesn’t.

Many argued that it would be downright dangerous not to attend as their absence might raise the monarch’s ire after all the trouble he went through to accommodate their needs.

Korach and Haman were also both brought down by their wealth. Both were fabulously wealthy, and the Midrash informs us that very wealthy people become impudent.

“Selichah” also refers to a type of liturgical poem, or piyut, characterized by begging for forgiveness.

The very first lesson is that we must be very careful not to hurt someone’s feelings. Sometimes, hurting someone deeply can have a long-lasting effect and impede us from success in our own lives.

People who occupy prestigious positions in world-famous companies have admitted to me that they have never experienced anything as challenging as raising children.

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While this story carries a painful and penetrating message, you might ask, “Rabbi Weiss, what are you advocating? That we shouldn’t dance on Simchas Torah?” Of course not!

A good friend shares one’s values, goals and sensitivities. A good friendship involves friends who can be trusted with personal information and care about helping one another.

How wonderful it is to cultivate in marriage a "Teflon" personality, where the small nuisances of life slip off and are not made a big deal of.

Have you noticed that we seem to have preferential memory for the unpleasant things that happen to us? Try as we might to provide our children with good experiences and positive memories, it is the memories that evoke fear, pain, sadness, etc. seem to be the ones that stand out.

Except in extremely northern locales, the sky is dark and filled with stars well before the time that people claim is tzeit ha’kochavim according to Rabbenu Tam.

One of the most important factors in delivering and receiving feedback is the relationship between the giver and the recipient.

The Medrash takes this further by asserting that the Jewish people themselves embody G-d’s glory, and that one of the purposes of their galut is to spread G-d’s word throughout the world.

There is no question that unity and respect amongst Jews are more vital than the chumrahs that separate one Jew from the next.