| Sort articles by: date | title | views |
 Can Prayer Change G-D’s Mind? .: Viewed: 2039 times :.
What does a sick person hope to accomplish through prayer? G-D knows exactly what we need. My Rebbe Rav Pam, would repeat the question a cancer patient asked him in all sincerity. If pain and suffering are caused by one’s sins (Shabbat 55) and serve as a purifying process to spare the person from suffering in Gehenom, how may one pray that G-D remove the pain?
Does a critically...
Published: November 3, 2016 |
Can You Take It With You? .: Viewed: 1539 times :.
Is there a way to take it with you? Jack Benny famously said, “If I can’t take it with me, I’m not going.” But as we all know, he went anyway.
The Torah states in Parshat Terumah, “Speak to the children of Israel and have them TAKE to Me a contribution.” (Shemot 25:2)
Why does the verse state “TAKE to Me” rather than “Give to...
Published: January 30, 2019 |
Chanuka - Light Up My Life .: Viewed: 1725 times :.
There was a number one hit song in the ‘80s by Debbie Boone called “Light Up My Life”. Was she singing about the Chanuka lights? Chanuka is the symbol of the Divine Light in the human soul, as Shlomo Hamelech says in Mishlei, " the candle of G-D is the soul of the human being”. We are part of G-d’s Endless Light – the EIN SOF. Why does Rambam call Chanuka...
Published: December 2, 2017 |
Chanuka - Teach Your Children Well .: Viewed: 1610 times :.
Crosby Stills and Nash had a number one hit song called “Teach Your Children Well.” Were they singing about the Festival of Chanuka? Because the Talmud Shabbat 23 states, “One who is careful about Chanuka lights will have children who are Torah scholars.” Rashi explains this enigmatic passage referring to the verse in Mishlei 6 which states, “A candle is a Mitzva...
Published: December 9, 2019 |
Chanuka: Endless Light of Education .: Viewed: 2574 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 |
Chanuka: Festival of Education .: Viewed: 3153 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 of Torah...
Published: December 6, 2011 |
Chanuka: Festival of Education .: Viewed: 2098 times :.
The Talmud Shabbat 23 states, “ One who is careful about Chanuka lights will have children who are Torah scholars.” Rashi explains this enigmatic passage referring to the verse in Mishlei 6 which says, “ A candle is a Mitzva and the Torah is light.” On the basis of this Mitzva of the Chanuka candles, the light of Torah will come. However, Rashi does not explain why. To...
Published: December 6, 2015 |
Chanuka: Ongoing Miracle of Israel's Eternity .: Viewed: 3011 times :.
By lighting the Chanuka Menorah, each and every Jewish home becomes a virtual Bet Hamikdash. We are transformed into virtual Kohanim for the eight days of Chanuka. Thus, the miracle of Chanuka continues forever.
Chanuka is the symbol of the Divine spark in the human soul, as Shlomo Hamelech says in Mishlei, נר ה ' נשמת אדם ," the...
Published: May 24, 2011 |
Chanuka: The Miracle of Israel's Eternity .: Viewed: 1939 times :.
By lighting the Chanuka Menorah, each and every Jewish home becomes a virtual Bet Hamikdash. We are transformed into virtual Kohanim for the eight days of Chanuka. Thus, the miracle of Chanuka continues forever.
Chanuka is the symbol of the Divine spark in the human soul, as Shlomo Hamelech says in Mishlei, "The candle of G-D" is the soul of the human being.
Why does Rambam call...
Published: December 29, 2016 |
Chanukah - 8 Days a Week .: Viewed: 1699 times :.
The Beatles had a number 1 hit song called 8 Days a Week. Were they singing about Chanukah?
2,182 years ago the Greeks had outlawed Torah observance among the Jewish People in Israel. They made it a capital punishment to observe the three Mitzvot of Shabbat, Milah and Nidah, which happens to be an acronym of SHEMEN (oil) (שמן). Parshat Vayeishev always falls out around Chanukah time. Thus...
Published: November 29, 2018 |
Chanukah – Symbol of the G-dly, Eternal Soul .: Viewed: 2824 times :.
The Festival of Chanukah celebrates two miracles – the miraculous military victory over the Syrian Greeks and the supernatural phenomenon of one small cruse of oil supply for one day providing light for eight days. The miracle of the light, however, is the main focus and central theme of this Festival.
Thus, according to Halacha, when we light the candles in celebration of...
Published: November 29, 2012 |
Climbing the Soul Ladder! .: Viewed: 2922 times :.
The Zohar says that Eliyahu Hanavi was the Reincarnated soul of Pinchas, the grandson of Aharon, the High Priest. Pinchas was the hero whose act of Zealotry saved the Jewish People from destruction by a deadly plague (Bamidbar 25). Is Reincarnation mentioned in TANACH (The Bible)?
The Ramban and other Kabbalists state that the Book of Ruth teaches the doctrine of Reincarnation (Gilgul...
Published: July 2, 2014 |
CORONA - The Mystery of God’s Justice .: Viewed: 1702 times :.
Why have so many righteous people died of Corona while many wicked people like Abu Mazen and his PLO henchmen are not affected at all. It’s the age old question that has haunted humanity since the dawn of time.
In the Tanach and Talmud we find 2 very different approaches to the concept of G‑d's reward and punishment. They are typified in the very different ways in which catastrophe...
Published: May 18, 2020 |
CORONA’s Wake-Up Call .: Viewed: 1743 times :.
The Rambam in Hilchot Taanit informs us that times of great distress and suffering, like we are now experiencing, are times for introspection. G‑d wants us to reflect and think about how to become a better person. This Coronavirus is telling us that there are two areas where we should improve ourselves: The value of quality family time and the pain of loneliness.
This mandatory quarantine...
Published: March 23, 2020 |
Days of Awe or Awesome Days .: Viewed: 2053 times :.
We will begin to observe a period of time that has come to be called the Days of Awe, hayamim hanoraim . What is the implication of the term "awe"? In popular Hebrew parlance today it seems to mean something terrible ( ayom v'nora ). On the other hand American slang has taken "awesome" to mean something extrodinarily wonderful and fantastic. Which is it?
Although the term Days of Awe does...
Published: August 25, 2011 |