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 Chanuka: Endless Light of Education .: Viewed: 2650 times :.
There is an interesting Talmudic passage in Tractate Shabbat : 23: "One who is careful about the Chanuka lights will have children who are talmidei Chakhamim (scholars)." Rashi explains this enigmatic passage by referring to the verse in Proverbs 6 which says: "a candle is a mitzvah and the Torah is light."On the basis of the mitzvah of the candles of the Sabbath and Chanuka , the light...
Published: November 25, 2013 |
The Chanuka Dreidel – Symbol of Life's Spinning Wheel .: Viewed: 2303 times :.
Chanuka commemorates our victory over the Syrian-Greeks and the Hellenists – Jews who betrayed their own people in order to curry favor with the Gentiles. Not much has changed in this respect in almost 2200 years. The battle continues. We cleaned up and purified the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple), but were we truly liberated? The Greeks were ousted from our land, but were they ousted...
Published: November 25, 2013 |
Yosef's Land of Affliction .: Viewed: 2591 times :.
"And the name of his second son he called Ephraim, for G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction", (Bereshit 41:52).
When Yosef's two sons were born, he gave them names which reflected particular circumstances in his life. The older son he called Menashe (making to forget), because, he said, "G-d has made me forget all the sorrow of my father's house",meaning the evil that his...
Published: November 13, 2013 |
Why is the Bride Veiled and Silent .: Viewed: 2500 times :.
Why does the groom place an opaque veil over his bride's face?
The father of the first Jewish family, Yaakov, was the victim of a last minute switch on his wedding night. His father-in-law, Lavan, substituted Leah, the older of his two daughters, for Rachel, the one whom Yaakov loved and worked for. Yaakov discovered the deception only after he had consummated the marriage with Leah....
Published: November 5, 2013 |
Does G-d Wear Tefillin? .: Viewed: 2797 times :.
The Talmud in ( Brachot 6a) states, " That G-d Wears Tefillin". However, one of the Thirteen Principles of Faith of the Rambam states that G-d has no physical body, so how does He "wear" Tefillin? To answer this question, we must ask another, because a Jew answers a question with a question. The question is why do we pray?
We are accustomed to regard prayer as a person either praising G-d...
Published: October 28, 2013 |
The Origin of the Blood Libel .: Viewed: 2388 times :.
We Jews have been accused of various heinous crimes throughout our long and tragic history. Perhaps, the most devastating accusation we have faced is the blood libel - murdering Christian children and then using their blood for baking Matzoh on Pesach. Of course, this vile accusation is absolutely ludicrous and false. The Torah warns us many times never to taste any blood. We are halachically...
Published: October 16, 2013 |
Why Avraham Prays for Sodom but Rejects His Own Nephew .: Viewed: 2479 times :.
The Torah states, Avraham approached and said, "Will You also destroy the righteous along with the wicked?" (Bereshis 18:23) Avraham's love for all people is exemplified in its noblest form as he intercedes and prays on behalf of the people of Sodom. Even the wicked Sodomites were worthy of his sympathy and compassion. He prayed to G-d to spare them from impending doom and destruction....
Published: October 9, 2013 |
Noach vs. Avraham – Why Avraham Wins .: Viewed: 1635 times :.
G-d tells Avraham, "Walk before Me and be complete." (Bereshit 17:1) Rashi says that Avraham's completeness, his capacity to be Tamim, was obtained by his observance of the Mitzvah of Brit Milah. As long as he had the orlah (foreskin) he had a physical imperfection. With its removal, Avraham now became complete. The question is why Avraham needed the Mitzvah of Milah to become a Tamim...
Published: October 9, 2013 |
Experiencing the Wonders of Creation! .: Viewed: 2403 times :.
When I study Parshat Bereshit, I try to imagine all of the exotic creatures that G-d created. Thus I took my grandchildren to the wonderful Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem. Can one do a Mitzvah at the Zoo? A visit to the Zoo is a chance to experience the wonders of G-d's creation and acknowledge that opportunity with the appropriate blessing.
The Mishnah in Avot 2 states, "Let all of your deeds...
Published: September 3, 2013 |
The Sukkah – G-d's Response to Job's Torment .: Viewed: 2564 times :.
There is a strange and perplexing Midrash, "When Iyov (Job) complained about his unbearable suffering, G-d showed him a Sukkah of three walls." The meaning of this enigmatic Midrash could be as follows. A Sukkah by definition is a temporary residence. The Halachic rule is that it must have at least three walls or even two walls and a Tefach (a hands breath) that comprises a third wall....
Published: August 15, 2013 |
The Antidote For Anger .: Viewed: 2258 times :.
Many people lose their temper and then regret it. Is there a magic formula to prevent or at least control our anger? The Talmud in Shabbat 105b and Nedarim 22b say, "When one becomes angry, it is as if he is serving idols". This seems to be a very extreme and exaggerated statement. How can the Talmud compare anger to the severe sin of idolatry? Upon deep reflection, we can perceive a...
Published: August 11, 2013 |
The Unknown Hero of Yom Kippur .: Viewed: 2530 times :.
Most impressive and awe-inspiring was the Yom Kippur Avoda (Service) in the Temple. The Kohen Gadol (The High Priest) had the most awesome task on this day. He performed many duties. He offered many Korbanot (Offerings) and prayers on behalf of the Jewish People. Prior to Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol was secluded in the Temple precincts for a period of seven days. There he studied and reviewed...
Published: August 5, 2013 |
The Shofar: Horn of Unity and Freedom .: Viewed: 2395 times :.
One aspect of the Mitzvah to sound the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah is to achieve the concept of unity. The Talmud in Rosh Hashanah 16a states that the primary purpose of the Shofar is to proclaim G-d's Kingship, "G-d says, ' Say Malchuyot before Me so that you will make Me King over you. With what? By blowing the Shofar.' The authority of a king is contingent on the existence of unity among his...
Published: August 5, 2013 |
G-d's Children: Don't act like Shiites! .: Viewed: 2539 times :.
“You are Children to G-d, you shall not cut yourselves as a sign of mourning for the dead.” Dev: 14-1.
Being G-d's Chosen People, His unique treasure in this world, carries with it awesome responsibilities. Since G-d calls us His Children, we are commanded to exercise constraint when mourning for the passing of a loved one. The pagans mutilated their bodies as an expression of...
Published: July 28, 2013 |
Shabbat – A Portal to a Perfect World .: Viewed: 2739 times :.
The Talmud (Shabbat 154) states,"Torah scholars grow wiser as they grow older, but boors become more foolish as they age." We all see the same world, but how we interpret the events that we see varies greatly. King Solomon says (Mishlei 2:14), "The eyes of a wise person are in his head." How shall this verse be understood? Aren't everyone's eyes in one's head? The explanation is that the head...
Published: July 4, 2013 |