The Fast Track
Isaac said to his son, โHow did you succeed so quickly, my son?โ (Bereishis 27:20) Rav Meir Shapiro once described to a wealthy man the number of hours that the boys were learning in his Yeshiva, yet the wealthy man was unimpressed. Rav Shapiro responded, โThough you may work in [...]
ืืืกืืื ืืืืืจ
"ืึทืึผึนึคืืึถืจ ืึดืฆึฐืึธืงึ ืึถืึพืึผึฐื ึืึน ืึทืึพืึผึถึื ืึดืึทึฅืจึฐืชึผึธ ืึดืึฐืฆึนึื ืึผึฐื ึดึื" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ื) ืืจื ืืืืจ ืฉืคืืจื ืชืืืจ ืคืขื ืืคื ื ืขืฉืืจ ืืช ืืกืคืจ ืืฉืขืืช ืฉืืืืืื ืืืืืจืื ืืืฉืืืชื, ืืื ืืขืฉืืจ ืื ืืชืจืฉื. ืืจื ืฉืคืืจื ืืกืืืจ ืื, "ืืฃ ืขื ืคื ืฉืืชื ืขืฉืื ืืขืืื ืืืฉืจืื ืืืชืจ ืฉืขืืช ืืื ืฉืืืืืจืื ืืืืืื, ืืกืืื ืืื ืืื ืฉืืฉืืชื ืื ืขืืื, ืืื ืกืคืง [...]
ืืื ืืืืื ืืืื
"ืึทืึฐืึดึื ืึผึทืึฒืฉืึถึจืจ ืึผึดืึผึคืึผ ืึทืึผึฐืึทืึผึดืืึ ืึดืฉืึฐืชึผึืึนืช ืึทืึผึดืงึผึทึคื ืึธืึดืืฉืึ ื ึถึฃืึถื ืึธืึธึื ืึผึถึืงึทืข ืึดืฉืึฐืงึธืึืึน ืึผืฉืึฐื ึตึคื ืฆึฐืึดืืึดืืึ ืขึทืึพืึธืึถึืืึธ ืขึฒืฉืึธืจึธึฅื ืึธืึธึื ืึดืฉืึฐืงึธืึธึฝื" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ืื) ืืืืจื ืืกืคืจืช ืื ื ืืฉืื ืืืื ืืืืจ. ืืืื ืขื ืชืืืื ืืื ืื ืงืื ืืืืจืื. ืืคืฉืจ ืืื ืืืฉืื ืฉืืืืจืื ืืขืืื ืืืืืื ืื ืงืื ืืืื ืชืืืื ืืื! ืืืืข ืืืจืฉืื ืืื ื ืืชื ืืืืช ืื? ืื"ื ืืกืคืจืื ืื ื ืขื [...]
All in Good Measure
When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose-ring weighing a half-shekel, and two gold bands for her arms, ten shekels in weight. (Bereishis 24:22) The gemora tells us something very peculiar. A talmid chacham has an obligation to take revenge on others. One would have thought [...]
ืืงืคืืฅ ืื ืื ืืงืคืืฅ – ืื ืืืืื
"ืึทืึผึดืฉืึฐืึทึคื ืึทืึฐืจึธืึธืึ ืึถืชึพืึธืึืึน ืึทืึผึดืงึผึทึื ืึถืชึพืึทึฝืึผึทืึฒืึถึืึถืช ืึดืฉืึฐืึนึื ืึถืชึพืึผึฐื ึฝืึน" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ื) ืืฉื ื ืืืฉืืช ืฉืื ืืช ืืืื ืืื ืืกื ืืืจืืืช ืืฉืืืื. ืืฉ ืื ืฉืื ืฉื ืื ืกืื ืคื ืืื ืืฆืขืืื ืงืื ืื ืืืฉ ืฉืคืฉืื ืงืืคืฆืื ืืฉืจ ืืืื. ื ืจืื ืื ืฉืืืืื ืืื ืืืืฉืืช ืืืืกืก ืขื ืืขืืคื ืืืจืื ืืืืื ืงืื ืื ืืืืจื ืืื ืืขืืืช ืืื ืืืื ืืืฉื ืืื ืงืฆืจ. ื ืืืจ ืขื ืจ 'ืืจืืื, [...]
Testing 1-2-3
And Abraham extended his hand and took the knife to slay his son. (Bereishis 22:10) There are different approaches as to how to enter a swimming pool. Some people go in inch-by-inch, and others just take the plunge, jumping right in. It seems to me that the difference of approaches [...]
Leave It To Someone Else
Hashem said, โNevertheless, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Yitzchak and I will maintain My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring to come. (Bereishis 17:19) Sometimes people have good news and they want to share it with their loved [...]
ืชืขืืืจื ืืช ืื ืืืืฉืื ืืืจ
"ืึทืึผึนึฃืืึถืจ ืึฑืึนืงึดึืื ืึฒืึธืึ ืฉืึธืจึธึฃื ืึดืฉืึฐืชึผึฐืึธึ ืึนืึถึคืึถืช ืึฐืึธึ ืึผึตึื ืึฐืงึธืจึธึฅืืชึธ ืึถืชึพืฉืึฐืึืึน ืึดืฆึฐืึธึืง ืึทืึฒืงึดืึนืชึดึจื ืึถืชึพืึผึฐืจึดืืชึดึฅื ืึดืชึผึืึน ืึดืึฐืจึดึฅืืช ืขืึนืึธึื ืึฐืึทืจึฐืขึฅืึน ืึทืึฒืจึธึฝืื" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ืื) ืืคืขืืื ืื ืฉืื ืจืืฆืื ืืฉืชืฃ ืืืฉืืช ืืืืืช ืขื ืืงืืจืืื ืืืืจืืื. ืืืฉ ืกืื ืฉื ืชืืจืืช ืฉื ืื ืืืื ืืจืืฉืื ืืกืคืจ ืืช ืืืฉืืจื ืืืืื ืขื ืืืจืื. ืื ื ืจืื ืงืฆืช ืืืืจ, ืืืืืื ืฉืืกืืคื ืฉื [...]
What a ืฉื
And they said, โCome, let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves; lest we be scattered all over the world.โ (Bereishis 11:4) The sin of the dor haflaga is discussed by many commentators, yet I believe that [...]
ืืืื ืฉื!
"ืึทืึผึนืืึฐืจึืึผ ืึธึฃืึธื ื ื ึดืึฐื ึถืึพืึผึธึฃื ืึผ ืขึดึืืจ ืึผืึดืึฐืึผึธืึ ืึฐืจึนืืฉืึฃืึน ืึทืฉืึผึธืึทึืึดื ืึฐื ึทึฝืขึฒืฉืึถืึพืึผึธึื ืึผ ืฉืึตึื ืคึผึถืึพื ึธืคึืึผืฅ ืขึทืึพืคึผึฐื ึตึฅื ืึธืึพืึธืึธึฝืจึถืฅ" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ื) ืืืคืจืฉืื ืื ืื ืืขื ืื ืืืื ืฉื ืืืจ ืืืคืืื, ืืืื ืื ื ืืืฉื ืฉืืื ืฉืื ืจืืื ืืื ืืื ื ืืจืืจื ืื ืืื ืืืืช ืืืื. ืืจืฆืื ื ืืืืืฉ ืืกืืจ ืืืืืกืก ืขื ืคืืจืืฉื ืฉื ืืจื ืฉืืฉืื ืจืคืื ืืืจืฉ, ืฉืืืขืชื ืจืืืื ืื ืืืืื ื ืืืืื ื ืืงืืืืชืืื. [...]
Shabbos Party
The Medresh Rabbah tells us that we are supposed to have good things to eat on Shabbos. Actually, I think most of us are already aware that there is a mitzvah of โOneg Shabbosโ. But why is it that on such a spiritual day we are supposed to be involved [...]
ืืกืืืช ืฉืืช
ืืืืจืฉ ืจืื ืืืืจ ืื ื ืฉืื ืื ื ืืืืืื ืืืืื ืืืืืื ืืขืืืื ืืฉืืช. ืืืขืฉื, ืื ื ืืืฉื ืฉืจืืื ื ืืืจ ืืืืขืื ืืืฆืืื ืฉื "ืขืื ื ืฉืืช". ืื ืืืืข ืืืื ืจืืื ื ืฉืืื ืื ื ืืืืจืื ืืืืืช ืืขืืจืืื ืืืืจืื ืฉื ืจืืื ืืฉืืืื ืืืื? ืืืขื ืฉื ืืื ืืกืืืจ ืืืช ืขื ืืฉื: ืืื ืืื ืขืฉืืจ ืฉืืืฉืืจ ืืช ืื ื ืืืืื ืืชืคืงืื ืื ืืืืืช. ืืืืง [...]
Beautifully Accepting what Hashem Sends
After the Yomim Noraim, we are confronted with two mitzvos that are customarily beautified more than any other mitzvos in general: The mitzvah of sukkah and the mitzva of daled minim. Why is it that these mitzvos get the special privilege of being enhanced over most mitzvos? The Chasam Sofer [...]
ืืืืืจ ืืืืืงืืจ
ืืื ืืืจื ืืืืื ืื ืืจืืื ืืฉ ืื ื ืฉืชื ืืฆืืืช ืฉืืืจื ืืื ืฉืืื ืืืฉ ืขื ืืืคืืื ืืืชืจ ืืืฆืืืช ืืืจืืช: ืืฆืืืช ืกืืื ืืืืฆืืื ืฉื ื' ืืื ืื. ืืืืข ืืืฆืืืช ืืื ืืฉ ืืช ืืืืก ืืืืืื ืื ืื ืืืชืจ ืืืจืืืช ืืืฆืืืช? ืืืชื ืกืืคืจ ืขืื ื ืขื ืฉืืื ืื ืืืืืจ ืฉืืืืช ืจืฆืื ืื ื ืืื ืืืืคืืช ืืช ืื ืืืฆืืืช ืืืืชื ืืืื. [...]
Improve your Relationship
Generally when we think about teshuva, we think about a person who did something atrocious, either in his personal life (bein adam lโMakom) or to someone else (bein adam lโchaveiro). Indeed, Chazal spend a lot of time explaining the subject of repentance, which begs the question โhow can one change [...]
ืืืืง ืืช ืืงืฉืจ
ืืืจื ืืื ืืฉืื ืื ื ืืืฉืืื ืขื ืขื ืืื ืืชืฉืืื, ืื ื ืืืฉืืื ืขื ืืื ืฉืขืืจ ืขืืืจื ืืืืจื, ืืื ืืื ืืืงืื ืื ืืื ืืื ืืืืืจื. ืืืื, ืื"ื ืืฉืงืืขื ืืื ืจื ืืขื ืืช ืขื ืืฉืืื ืืงืฉื ืื ืืฉื ืืืืจื ืืชืฉืืื: "ืืืฆื ื ืืชื ืืฉื ืืช ืืช ืืขืืจ?" ืืืฉืจ ืื ื ืืชืืื ื ืื ืืืื ืืืืคืืจืื ืืฉืืช ืฉืืื ืื, ืื ื ืืืฆืืื ืฉืืืืจื, ืืขืฉืืช [...]
Donโt / Blow It
On Rosh Hashanah we focus our prayers on coronating the King of Kings, expressing His grandeur, and standing in awe of Him. As we read the verses of malchiyos, zichronos and shofros โ especially shofros, where we vividly describe Hashemโs appearance on Mount Sinai โ many of us will daven [...]
ืื / ืืชืงืืข
ืืจืืฉ ืืฉื ื ืื ื ืืืงืืื ืืช ืชืคืืืชื ื ืืืืชืจืช ืืื ืืืื ืืืืืื, ืืืขืช ืชืคืืจืชื ืืขืืืื ืืคื ืื ืขื ืืจืืช ืืืืื. ืืฉืื ืื ื ืงืืจืืื ืืช ืืคืกืืงืื ืฉื ืืืืืืืช, ืืืืจืื ืืช ืืฉืืคืจืืช - ืืืืืื ืืฉืืคืจืืช, ืฉื ืื ื ืืชืืจืื ืืฆืืจื ืืื ืืช ืืืจืื ืฉื ื' ืืืจ ืกืื ื - ื ืชืคืื ืืืืื ืืืืจืื. ืขื ืืืช, ืืื ืฉืื ืืืจ ืื ืืฉื ืืชืฉืืื [...]