Atem nitzaveim hayom kulchem—You are standing here today. When? “Hayom”. When is that? The “BIG” day of Rosh Hashanah. How are we positioned? Standing in a victorious pose, as a group who were just judged favorably. Why were we judged favorably? Because of “ALL of you” - we weren't standing with just the Jews with [...]
"You are standing today… "(Devarim 29:9) The Medrash tells us that the words “Atem nitzavim” at the beginning of this week’s parsha are in response to the curses in last week’s parsha. Last week, Parshas Ki Savo, Klal Yisrael heard the Tochacha, what was being demanded of them, and the punishments that they would have [...]
"אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙" (דברים כט:ט) מדרש אגדה (תנחומא נצבים פ"א) (מובא ברש"י): "למה נסמכה פרשת אתם נצבים לקללות, לפי ששמעו ישראל מאה קללות חסר שתים חוץ ממ"ט שבתורת כהנים, הוריקו פניהם, ואמרו מי יוכל לעמוד באלו, התחיל משה לפייסם, אתם נצבים היום, הרבה הכעסתם למקום ולא עשה אתכם כלייה, והרי אתם קיימין לפניו" המדרש אומר [...]
Halacha Shiur on blowing the Shofar with Rav Avrohom Baruch Zachariash. Includes: Do women and children need to hear shofar; A Shofar in the Churva shul; and more!
The Rav's "Seniors" shiur discussing the concept of "danger" in halacha. Topics include: Eating Maror at the seder; fasting on Yom Kippur; praying in a minyon during the COVID panic; and more!
Shabbos Newsletter Parshas Ki Savo 5780 This issue is sponsored by the Yossi Wachtel לע"נ שמעון אליעזר בן יחיאל נפטר ט"ו אלול לע"נ מרדכי זאב בן יצחק נפטר ו' אלול Reminders: Mincha Erev Shabbos at 13:30, 17:20 and 18:44. Davening times (especially Mincha) are changing due to the changing times of sunset. Please see [...]
As the Rav writes this week, Ki Savo is the parsha of giving thanks. There are so many things to be thankful for, but some are just not so obvious. Hashem has given me health—thank you Hashem! But I can also thank Hashem for being able to thank Him! Just look at the penultimate line [...]
And you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground (Devarim 26:2) Chazal state that when workmen would see people bringing bikurim to Jerusalem, they would stop their work and give honor to those bringing their first fruits to Jerusalem. The Alshich wonders, what is so special about this mitzvah, which [...]
" וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל-פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה" (דְּבָרִים כו:ב) חז"ל אומרים שכאשר השכירים היו רואים אנשים נוסעים לירושלים עם ביכוריהם, הם היו מפסיקים את עבודתם כדי לכבד את אלו שמביאים ביכורים לירושלים. האלשיך שואל, מה כל כך מיוחד במצווה זו, שמחייבת את העובדים להפסיק מחובותיהם כלפי מעסיקהם, לכבד את מקיימי מצווה זו? בגמרא ברכות כתוב שחז"ל לא [...]
Halacha Shiur on blowing the Shofar with Rav Avrohom Baruch Zachariash. Includes having 9 men blow all the notes at once, or two men blowing the notes together; Why is a shofar mukseh on Shabbos; If a person ignored that and blew on Shabbos would they fulfill the mitzvah; and more!
