| Sort articles by: date | title | views |
 Prayer - A Daily Conversation With G-d .: Viewed: 1456 times :.
The Talmud (Berachot 26b) says, "Tefilot Avot Tiknum" – "Prayer was established by the Avot". The Talmud then uses the following verse (Bereshit 19:27) to prove how Avraham established Prayer: "And Avraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before G-d".
The connection here is in the word "AMAD" – "Stood" and its association with the Amida Prayer....
Published: October 18, 2018 |
Serving God in Joy Despite CORONA .: Viewed: 1454 times :.
King David tells us in Tehillim 100, "Serve G-d with Joy." How is it possible when we are surrounded by a deadly invisible enemy called CORONA?
Rambam provides the solution - the Fear of G d. When someone fears G d, he serves Him in joy. As it says, "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright of heart." (Tehillim 97:11) A person derives happiness from serving G d.
Yet,...
Published: April 12, 2020 |
Yom Kippur - G-d’s Debate with Israel .: Viewed: 1451 times :.
The Mishna in Yoma 8 states, "Sins that are between a person and his fellow Jew are NOT atoned for on Yom Kippur." One cannot offend and harm another person and ask for forgiveness from G-d. Forgiveness must be asked and can only come from the person that we hurt, and only he can pardon us.
Thus, on the morning of Yom Kippur we read the amazing words of the prophet, Yeshayahu, (Ch.58) where...
Published: August 31, 2018 |
BIKUR CHOLIM - A Real Life-Saver .: Viewed: 1449 times :.
We learn the mitzvah of BIKUR CHOLIM from G-d’s visit to Avraham after his illness from his Brit Mila. Thus, the Sefer Mitzvot Katan 47 counts BIKUR CHOLIM as one of the 613 Mitzvot, citing the verse “You shall walk in HIS ways.” (Devarim 28:9)
However, Rambam in Hilchot Evel 14 states that all specific acts of CHESED, such as comforting mourners, BIKUR CHOLIM and hosting...
Published: October 31, 2018 |
Noach vs. Avraham – Why Avraham Wins .: Viewed: 1447 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 |
The Mishkan Altar - A Virtual Gan Eden .: Viewed: 1446 times :.
“G‑d tells Moshe, you must make the Altar of hollow planks of wood…” (Shemot 27:8) This Altar was situated in the Courtyard, outside the Mishkan itself. This wooden Altar was a hollow structure that was filled up with earth each time the Mishkan was set up.
Why did G‑d command that the Altar of Atonement should be filled up with earth? The Yerushalmi Nazir 7 and the...
Published: February 17, 2020 |
613 Mitzvot or 913 .: Viewed: 1445 times :.
“But they shall not come and look as the Holy Objects are covered, lest they die.” (Bamidbar 4:20)
The Sefer HaChinuch writes that Parshat Bamidbar does not contain any of the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah.
The Baal Halachot Gadolot disputes the words of the Sefer HaChinuch and says that Bamidbar does have one Mitzvah, the verse cited above. This verse prohibits the Levi’im...
Published: May 6, 2021 |
Moshe-Prince of Egypt .: Viewed: 1443 times :.
Although born to a noble Levite family, the son of Amram and Yocheved, Moshe had an upbringing in his formative years in the palace of Pharaoh. Moshe grew up as a Prince in the mightiest world power of his day. Despite the fact that all the Jewish boys that were born during the same period as Moshe were ordered killed by being cast into the Nile, G-D manipulated events so that Moshe would not...
Published: February 8, 2017 |
SUKKOT - When the Sages Became Entertainers .: Viewed: 1443 times :.
All the festivals are times of rejoicing, but only Sukkot is called ZMAN SIMCHATEINU (season of our joy). While today we immediately think of Simchat Torah when it comes to joy, the Mishna (Sukkah 5:1) tells us about a ceremony held on Sukkot that “he who has not seen the rejoicing at the place of the water-drawing has never in his life seen true rejoicing.”
Something about this...
Published: September 5, 2018 |
Megilat Esther - Where Is G-D? .: Viewed: 1434 times :.
The Rambam states in Hilchos Megilah, Chapter 2, Halacha 18, that all books of the Prophets and all of the Holy Writings will be cancelled in the Messianic Era except for Megilat Esther, which will exist forever like the Torah and the Talmud. What’s even stranger is that Esther is the only book in TANACH without G-d’s name in it. Why is the only book in Holy Scripture (Ketuvim) so...
Published: February 10, 2018 |
The Message of Moshe’s Rod .: Viewed: 1433 times :.
G-d commands Moshe, “Take this rod in your hand, that you may perform the miraculous signs against Egypt with it” (Shmot 4:17).
Moshe carried the Rod of G-d in his hand. It was the instrument that initiated the various plagues which afflicted Egypt. One might think that this rod was only able to bring punishment and to exact retribution.
However, we see in the Torah that when...
Published: December 31, 2017 |
How lashon hara leads to metzora .: Viewed: 1431 times :.
The Torah warns that one who speaks Lashon Hara will be afflicted with Tzoraat. In fact, the word METZORA is an acronym for Motzi Shem Ra, which means slanderous and evil speech. What is the Middah K'neged Middah here? We know that G-d always punishes measure for measure.
The answer here is, a person who has Tzoraat may be 99% healthy. There may be only one small blotch of Tzoraat on his...
Published: March 24, 2018 |
Mt. Moriah vs. Mt. Sinai .: Viewed: 1430 times :.
After the Akeida on Mt. Moriah, Avraham named that site “Hashem Yireh” which means G-d sees all. Then he continues, “On this mountain G-d will be seen” (Bereshit 22:14). According to the Rambam Hilchot Beth Habechirah 7, even today we are prohibited from walking on Mt. Moriah, where the Temple stood. The reason is that this place still retains its Kedusha even in the...
Published: October 24, 2017 |
Why Thank the Nile? .: Viewed: 1430 times :.
“and G-d said to Moshe, say to Aaron, take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, and they will become blood….” (Shemot 7:19).
As G-d is about to bring the Ten Plagues on Egypt, the Torah relates that G-d tells Moshe to tell Aaron to stretch out his hand over the Nile River. Why does Moshe not strike the Nile River himself?
Rashi explains that...
Published: January 15, 2018 |
MY WAY! .: Viewed: 1430 times :.
In Parshat Naso, each tribal leader presents gifts and sacrificial offerings for the dedication of the Alter in the Mishkan. And although the offerings of the tribal chiefs were all identical, the Torah enumerates and repeats each one 12 times over. This is despite the fact that there is a general rule that the verses of the Torah are written with the upmost brevity. There are exactly 304,805...
Published: May 16, 2018 |