Friday, January 23, 2026

the chronology of the makkos and the mitzvah of kiddush ha'chodesh

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Apologies for writing a bit b'kitzur this week. The challenge of figuring out the chronology of the makkos is getting three facts to fit...
Thursday, January 15, 2026

a question that need not be answered

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Last week's parsha ended with Moshe questioning Hashem: לָמָה הֲרֵעֹתָה לָעָם הַזֶּה לָמָּה זֶּה שְׁלַחְתָּנִי. Why, wondered Moshe, di...
Thursday, January 08, 2026

geulah delayed is geulah denied

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Hashem told Moshe that if the people ask him what G-d's name is, he should reply (3:14): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקים אֶל מֹשֶׁה אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶ...
Wednesday, December 31, 2025

bris k'rusa li'sefasayim -- words shape reality

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וְעַתָּ֗ה אֶֽעֱלֶה־נָּ֛א וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־אָבִ֖י וְאָשֽׁוּבָה׃... (50:5)  Why stick in the extra word וְעַתָּ֗ה?  We have a concept of ...
Wednesday, December 24, 2025

is there an ethical taint to chochma achieved through the motivation of kinas sofrim? Chazon Ish vs Rav Kook

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 (45:22):לְ כֻלָּ֥ם נָתַ֛ן לָאִ֖ישׁ חֲלִפ֣וֹת שְׂמָלֹ֑ת וּלְבִנְיָמִ֤ן נָתַן֙ שְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֣וֹת כֶּ֔סֶף וְחָמֵ֖שׁ חֲלִפֹ֥ת שְׂמָלֹֽת  The gem...
2 comments:
Monday, December 22, 2025

rosh chodesh Teives / Chanukah -- 1 chiyuv to say full hallel, or 2 independent chiyuvim, full hallel + chatzi hallel

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When we daven b'tzibur the custom is for the chazan to say out loud the last sentence or two of each section of hallel, similar to other...
4 comments:
Thursday, December 18, 2025

the Divrei Chaim's practice of preparing the menorah before havdalah

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In the Mishnas Sachir on the Moadim, Rav Teichtel writes that he found in a sefer that quotes the practices of the Sanzer Rav, the Divrei C...

hadlakas menorah as a kiyum of binyan mikdash

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The Ramban famously asks why the torah puts the parsha of hadlakas ha'menorah after the gifts of the nesiim for the chanukas ha'mish...