Thursday, September 25, 2025

make your requests l'shem Shamayim

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The Tiferes Shlomo comments on our parsha: ונתנם ה' לפניכם ועשיתם להם ככל המצוה אשר צוויתי אתכם. הידוע מספרים הקדושים שכל מצוה מתרי...
Sunday, September 21, 2025

the lesson we can learn from the confusion of the satan; the shofar's echo into the future

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1) We do a lot of things before R"H with the intent of confusing the satan.  Some explain that the reason we don't bentch rosh chod...
2 comments:
Thursday, September 18, 2025

what a difference a day can make

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פֶּן־יֵ֣שׁ בָּ֠כֶ֠ם אִ֣ישׁ אֽוֹ־אִשָּׁ֞ה א֧וֹ מִשְׁפָּחָ֣ה אוֹ־שֵׁ֗בֶט אֲשֶׁר֩ לְבָב֨וֹ פֹנֶ֤ה הַיּוֹם֙ מֵעִם֙ ה׳ אֱלֹקינוּ לָלֶ֣כֶת לַעֲבֹ֔ד...
Sunday, September 14, 2025

why no nechama after the tochacha -- my 2 cents

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I want to add something to what I wrote last post. To review, Shu"T Radbaz ( 2:769 ) gives three reason why there are no pesukei necha...
Thursday, September 11, 2025

bikkurim -- not just thanks to G-d; why no nechama in this tochacha; choser kol - not if you have a gemara!

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1) The Maor v'Shemesh has a striking hesber of the mitzvah of bikkurim that emphasizes the chassidic idea of connecting with the tzadik....
7 comments:
Thursday, September 04, 2025

one small step in the right direction

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לֹֽא־תִרְאֶה֩ אֶת־שׁ֨וֹר אָחִ֜יךָ א֤וֹ אֶת־שֵׂיוֹ֙ נִדָּחִ֔ים וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ֖ מֵהֶ֑ם הָשֵׁ֥ב תְּשִׁיבֵ֖ם לְאָחִֽיךָ וְאִם־לֹ֨א קָר֥וֹב אָח...
Thursday, August 28, 2025

revenge is not a mitzvah

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Way back over 10 years ago we discussed the difference between the two words the Torah has for "maybe" --   פּן   vs   אולי .     ...

does lo techanem apply to aku"m only? heter mechira, land for peace

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Shu"t v'Darashta v'Chakarta ( vol 1 OC 54:3 ) responds to someone who claimed that lo techanem applies only to ovdei avodah zar...
3 comments:
Thursday, August 21, 2025

Doesn't everyone have free choice? Why does the pasuk call it a gift given just to us?

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I'm afraid I don't have much to say this week. 1) נָת֤וֹן תִּתֵּן֙ ל֔וֹ וְלֹא־יֵרַ֥ע לְבָבְךָ֖ בְּתִתְּךָ֣ ל֑וֹ כִּ֞י בִּגְלַ֣ל׀ הַד...
4 comments:
Thursday, August 14, 2025

you can't play innocent if your behavior proves otherwise; limud haTorah trumps ahavas haTorah

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In 9:7-21 in our parsha Moshe recounts the cheit ha'eigel and the smashing of the luchus. From pasuk 25 until the end of the perek Mosh...
Thursday, August 07, 2025

Someich Hashem l'kol ha'noflim -- T"U b'Av

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Brachos 4b אמר רבי יוחנן מפני מה לא נאמר נו"ן באשרי מפני שיש בה מפלתן של שונאי ישראל דכתיב נפלה לא תוסיף קום בתולת ישראל במערבא מתרצי ל...

seudas mitzvah for a siyum by a woman or katan

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Is a siyum made by a katan enough of a reason to allow eating meat during the 9 days? What about a siyum by a woman? Why am I bringing th...
4 comments:

when remaining passive is not a choice

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I went to a minyan on 9 Av that invites community members to do a little intro and explanation of each of the kinos before it is recited by ...
Thursday, July 31, 2025

inyanei 9 Av: techi'as ha'meisim of Beis HaMikdash

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R' Shlomo Fisher (Beis Yishei) quotes from R' Yitzchak Isaac Chaveir and other sources that binyan beis ha'mikdash of the (near)...

inyanei 9 Av: saying shiras ha'yam in pesukei d'zimra; women reciting havdalah

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1) The Tur (559) quotes a view that on 9 Av in shacharis the shiras ha'yam should be omitted, as 9 Av is not a time of shirah. Beis Yos...
Monday, July 28, 2025

mitzvah for a ben noach to bury their dead?

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The Chasam Sofer comments ( d"h yatz'u ) on the pasuk  וּמִצְרַ֣יִם מְקַבְּרִ֗ים אֵת֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִכָּ֧ה ה׳ בָּהֶ֖ם כׇּל־בְּכ֑וֹר וּבֵ...
Thursday, July 24, 2025

a war for kedushas yisrael

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The Midrash comments on the pasuk וַיִּשְׁלַח אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה אֶלֶף לַמַּטֶּה לַצָּבָא אֹתָם וְאֶת פִּינְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן לַצָּבָא:...
1 comment:

which haftara to read on shabbos rosh chodesh av

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There is already debate in the gemara (Meg 31) as to which haftarah to recite this shabbos.  Most communities follow the Maharil who writes ...