Drawing Light from the Darkness
ืึผืึฐืึธื-ืึผึฐื ึตื ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตื ืึธืึธื ืืึนืจ, ืึผึฐืืึนืฉืึฐืึนืชึธื. (ืฉืึฐืืึนืช ื:ืื) But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. (Exodus 10:23) During the plague of darkness there was a thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt. Hashem made a special miracle and illuminated the area where the Jews were. The Chasam [...]
ืืืฉืื ืืืจ ืืืืืฉื
ืึผืึฐืึธื-ืึผึฐื ึตื ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตื ืึธืึธื ืืึนืจ, ืึผึฐืืึนืฉืึฐืึนืชึธื. (ืฉืึฐืืึนืช ื:ืื) ืืืืช ืืืฉื ืืื ืืืฉื ืกืืื ืืื ืจืืื ืืฆืจืื, ืื' ืขืฉื ื ืก ืืืืื ืืืืืจ ืืช ืืืงืืืืช ืฉืืื ืืื ืื ื ืืฉืจืื. . ื"ืืชื ืกืืคืจ" ืฉืืื, ืืื ืขืฉื ื' ืืช ืื ืก ืืืจื ืืื? ืืื ืืื ืื ืคืฉืื ืขืืืืจ ืืช ืื ืืืฆืจืื ืขื ืื ืช ืืงืื ืืช ืืืชื [...]
Are You a REAL Man?
There are many times in our day-to-day interactions that someone will point out to us that we have done something wrong. When this happens, our natural response might be to challenge the accuser and deny the accusation. We might even just change the subject of the conversation in order to [...]
ืืื ืืชื ืืกืืื ืืืืืช ืืืจ ืืืืชื?
ืืจืื ืคืขืืื ืืขืกืง ืืืืืืืื ืฉืื ื, ืืืฉืื ืืืืจ ืื ื ืฉืขืฉืื ื ืืฉืื ืื ืืกืืจ. ืืืฉืจ ืื ืงืืจื, ืืชืืืื ืืืืขืืช ืฉืื ื ืขืฉืืื ืืืืืช ืืืชืจืืก ืขื ืืืืฉืื ืืื ืืืืืืฉ ืืช ืืืืฉืื. ืืืื ืืคืืื ืืขืืืจ ืื ืืฉื ืืืจ ืืื ืื ืืืืืืช ืืืฉืื. ืื ื ืืืฉื ืฉืชืืืื ืืื ืืื "ืืื ืกืืื ืงื ืืืฉืจืืืช" ืืืืคืขื ืืื ืืขืืืจ ืืขืฆืื ื ืืฉืืืจ ืขื ืืืืื ื [...]
A Personal Connection
In his senior years, when the Chofetz Chaim had already become frail and had difficulty moving about, Rav Chaim Ozer requested that he come from Radin to Vilna in order to speak on the subject of taharas mishpacha. Rav Chaim Ozer was convinced that the simplicity and purity of the [...]
ืงืฉืจ ืืืฉื
ืืฉื ืืชืื ืืืืืืจืืช, ืืฉืืืคืฅ ืืืื ืืืจ ืืื ืืืฉ ืืืชืงืฉื ืื ืืข, ืืืงืฉ ืืจื ืืืื ืขืืืจ ืฉืืื ืืืื ืืจืืืื ืืืืืื ื ืืื ืืืืจ ืขื ืขื ืื ื ืืืจืช ืืืฉืคืื. ืืจื ืืืื ืืื ืืฉืืื ืข ืฉืืคืฉืืืช ืืืืืืจ ืฉื ืืืคืฅ ืืืื ืืืืื ืืืืื ืืชืืฆืืืช ืืืืืืืช ืืงืืืืช ืืืื ื. ืืืงืืจืืื ืืืคืฅ ืืืื ื ืืกื ืืื ืื ืืืชื ืืืขืืืจ ืืช ืืืกืข ืืื, ืืฉื ืืกืื ื [...]
“Counsel”-ation
When someone harms or upsets us, but eventually apologizes we still might think to ourselves โdoesnโt he know how to ask for forgiveness in the proper way?โ Yet, when we are the ones who offend the other party, we tend to think that if we just apologize, we have done [...]
ืืชื ืืืืช ืืื ืคืืขืื
ืืืฉืจ ืืืฉืื ืคืืืข ืื ื ืื ืืจืืื ืืืชื ื, ืืฃ ืื ืืกืืคื ืฉื ืืืจ ืืื ืืชื ืฆื, ืื ืื ื ืขืืืื ืืืืืื ืืืฉืื ืืขืฆืื ื "ืืื ืืื ืื ืืืืข ืืื ืืืงืฉ ืกืืืื ืืจืืื?" ืขื ืืืช, ืืืฉืจ ืื ื ืคืืืขืื ืืืืจืื, ืื ื ื ืืืื ืืืฉืื ืฉืื ืจืง ืืชื ืฆืืื, ืงืืืื ื ืืช ืื ืื ืฉืขืืื ื ืืขืฉืืช. ืืื ืืื ืืืืช ืขืฉืื ื ืืช [...]
Find the Light
The question has been asked by many commentators โWhy do we not find discussions in the Mishna about the mitzvah of neiros Chanukah?โ It is only mentioned in passing regarding the liability of a storekeeper who kept a fire lit outside his store, which subsequently ignited the load of a [...]
ืืืืฆืื ืืช ืืืืจ ืืื ืื
ืืฉ ืฉืืื ืฉื ืฉืืืช ืขื ืืื ืืคืจืฉืื ืจืืื, "ืืืืข ืื ื ืื ืืืฆืืื ืืช ืืฆืืืช ืืืืงืช ื ืจืืช ืื ืืื ืืืฉื ื?" ืจืง ืืืงืื ืืื ืืขื ืื ื ืืืงืื, ืืืฉืจ ืืฉ ืฉื ืืืงืช ืืืืฅ ืืื ืืช ืฉืจืคื ืืช ืืืขื ื ืฉื ืขืืืจ ืืืจื. ืืืฉื ื ืืืืจืช ืฉืื ืืืฉ ืืืืขื ืื ืจ ืื ืืื, ืืขื ืืื ืืช ืคืืืจ ืืืฉืื ืขื ืื ืืง, ืื ืืืชืจ ืื ืืืืืืง [...]
If it Doesn’t Work it Could be Groundwork
The Medrash (Medrash Raba 85:1) tells us about Hashemโs reaction to some of the thoughts of our leaders. In this parsha, the Shevatim were thinking about the sale of Yosef (that they did the wrong thing); Yosef was doing teshuva; Reuven was involved with teshuva; Yehuda was involved in finding [...]
ืืฉืืื ืกืืืื ืื ืืฉ ืกืืืื
ืืืืจืฉ (ืืืจืฉ ืจืื ืคื:ื) ืืกืคืจ ืื ื ืขื ืืชืืืืืช ืฉื ื' ืขื ืืืง ืืืืืฉืืืช ืฉื ืืื ืืืืื ืฉืื ื. ืืคืจืฉื ืื, ย ืืฉืืืื ืืฉืื ืขื ืืืืจืช ืืืกืฃ (ืฉืืชืืจืื ืขื ืื ืฉืขืฉื), ืืืกืฃ ืืื ืขืืฉื ืชืฉืืื, ืจืืืื ืืื ืขืกืืง ืืชืฉืืื, ืืืืืื ืืื ืขืกืืง ืืืฆืืืช ืืฉื ืืขืฆืื, ืื' ืืื ืขืกืืง ืืืจืืืช ืืืจื ืฉื ืืฉืื. ืืืืจืฉ ืืกืื [...]
What comes after Success?
...and he encamped before the city. (Bereishis 33:18) The Medrash tells us that Yaakov came to the city at twilight, and he made boundaries (โtechumimโ) for Shabbos. What is the idea that Chazal are teaching us through Yaakovโs actions? If he had reason to travel outside the normal boundaries, what [...]
ืืฆืืื ืืืจืฉืช ืืฆืืื
"ืึทืึผึดืึทื ืึถืช-ืคึผึฐื ึตื ืึธืขึดืืจ" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ืื) ืืืืจืฉ ืืกืคืจ ืื ื ืฉืืขืงื ืืืืข ืืขืืจ ืืขืจื ืฉืืช ืืื ืขืจืืืื, ืืืื ืขืฉื ืขืืจืื ืชืืืืื ืืฉืืช. ืื ืืืืืื ืืืชื ื ืื"ื ืขื ืืื ืืขืฉืื ืฉื ืืขืงื? ืืคืืื ืื ืืืชื ืื ืกืืื ืื ืกืืข ืืืืฅ ืืชืืื ืฉืืช, ืื ืืจืืืื ืืืืช ืื ื? ืืขืงื ืืืื ื ืืืื ืฉืืฉ ืื ืชืคืงืื ืืขืืืืช ื', ืืขื [...]
Positively Negative
The Torah tells us that when Yaakov was discussing with Leah and Rochel his desire to run away, he first tells them that he sees that their fatherโs disposition is not the same (31:5). He doesnโt first mention that Hashem told him explicitly to run away. The Chasam Sofer asks [...]
ืฉืืืื ืืืืคื ืืืืื
ืืชืืจื ืืกืคืจืช ืื ื ืฉืืืฉืจ ืืขืงื ืืชืืืขืฅ ืขื ืืื ืืจืื ืขื ืจืฆืื ื ืืืจืื, ืืื ืืกืคืจ ืืื ืชืืืื ืืื ืืื ืจืืื ืฉืืืกื ืฉื ืืืืื ืืืคืื ืืฉืชื ื "ืจึนืึถึคื ืึธื ึนืึดืึ ืึถืชึพืคึฐึผื ึตึฃื ืึฒืึดืืึถึื ืึดึผึฝืึพืึตืื ึถึฅื ึผืึผ ืึตืึทึื ืึดึผืชึฐืึนึฃื ืฉึดืืึฐืฉึนืึื" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ื). ืืื ืืืจืืช ืฉื' ืืืจ ืื ืืืคืืจืฉ ืืืจืื ืืื ืื ืืชืืื ืขื ืืืืข ืื. ืืืชื ืกืืคืจ ืฉืืื [...]
The Long Way/The Short Way
Has it ever happened that you are trying to do a mitzvah, and then all kinds of things get in your way? Do you wonder to yourself โWhy is Hashem making it so difficult โ I am trying to do a MITZVAH!โ Or perhaps you are thinking that it is [...]
ืืจื ืืจืืื ืืงืฆืจื
ืืื ืคืขื ืงืจื ืื ืฉืืชื ืจืืฆื ืืขืฉืืช ืืฆืืื, ืืื ืืื ื ืืคืจืขืืช ืืื ืขืืช ืืืชื ืืืงืืื ืืืชื? ืืืชื ืชืืื ืืขืฆืื "ืืื ื' ืขืืฉื ืืช ืื ืื ืื ืงืฉื - ืื ื ืจืง ืื ืกื ืืขืฉืืช ืืฆืืื!" ืื ืืืื ืืชื ืืืฉื ืฉืื ืืืฆืจ ืืจืข ืฉืืฉืชืื ืืขืฆืืจ ืืืชื ืืืขืฉืืช ืืช ืืืฆืืื. ืืืชื ืกืืคืจ ืืฆืืข ืืคืฉืจืืช ืฉืืืฉืืช: [...]