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...
Thursday, December 11, 2025

attention to the little things and the little people is the key to greatness

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At the end of the parsha we have the story of Yosef's interpretation of the dreams of the Sar haMashkim and the Sar ha'Ofim, but bef...

kesones pasim and distinctive dress

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וַיָּבֹא יַעֲקֹב שָׁלֵם after leaving Lavan's home is interpreted by Chasam Sofer as an acronym for שׁם, לשׁון, מלבּושׁ. Yaakov preserved h...
Wednesday, December 03, 2025

tefilah makes a world of difference

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Rashi writes that Yaakov prepared for his meeting with Eisav in three ways, התקין עצמו לג׳ דברים: לדורון, למלחמה, לתפילה.  Ramban mentions ...
Wednesday, November 26, 2025

hiding right under Eisav's nose

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Rashi in last week's parsha quotes the gemara in Meg 17a that Yaakov spent 14 years in yeshivat Shemv'Eiver before heading to Lavan...
Monday, November 24, 2025

the "minhag" of adding a bit of water to the cup before putting in the oil for your chanukah menorah

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I don't buy those pre-filled cups with oil for my menorah.  I do things the old fashioned way and pour in the oil myself.  Unlike the pr...
2 comments:
Thursday, November 20, 2025

Rebbi and Antoninus as the answer to Rivka's worries

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Rivka was troubled by the pains she experienced in pregnancy, וַיִּתְרֹֽצְצ֤וּ הַבָּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִם־כֵּ֔ן לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה ...
Thursday, November 13, 2025

Are the Avos in Chevron this Shabbos along with the thousands of others who are there?

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Many people make a point of spending this Shabbos in Chevron in commemoration of the episode of Avraham Avinu buying Me'aras haMachpeila...
Thursday, November 06, 2025

hidur, zerizus, mitzvah bo yoseir m'bshlucho -- which takes precedence over the other?

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What takes precedence, zerizus or hidur? Is it better to do a mitzvah faster, or to do it in a nicer way? For example, if you can take a l...
3 comments:
Thursday, October 30, 2025

the reason the malach told Hagar not to flee: how can you leave Eretz Yisrael?!

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1) Rashi interprets the angel's question to Hagar, וַיֹּאמַ֗ר הָגָ֞ר שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרַ֛י אֵֽי־מִזֶּ֥ה בָ֖את וְאָ֣נָה תֵלֵ֑כִי (16:8), as ...