יום חמישי, כ׳ תשרי תשפ״זThursday, October 1, 2026
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We always have to be striving to climb our personal Har Sinai – a climb to the peak which is not too overwhelming and daunting to the top.
Marriage is a mitzvah. But so is divorce. Marriage is a mitzvah we look forward to fulfilling. Divorce is one of the many mitzvos – like cities of refuge and eglah arufah – that we hope we’ll never have to deal with.
In order to preserve the child’s respect for the institution and its instructors, the parent must exhibit that respect in the child’s presence.
We are taught that addressing one's teachers by their first name is so severe an offense that the Talmud labels one who does so as an apikores – one who has distanced himself from Jewish norms.
We all have the same father, we all have the same goals and purpose, which is to serve the Almighty in the best way possible.
If I had my way, I'd redeem it tomorrow! responded Shimon. I'm simply not interested in being a partner in the bond!
A Wonder Worm “When The Temple Was Destroyed The Shamir…Ceased” (Sotah 48a-b)
Especially given our Western culture, it’s spiritually far healthier to get married in one’s early twenties, as most frum people today do. But then you’re stuck working in the opposite direction of the Torah’s formula! As a community, is there any way we can get back on track?
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky notes that in the post-Holocaust years there was an unverbalized message conveyed to every child that he/she was vital to the Jewish cause. As a nation we had lost so much and had endured such utter devastation and destruction that every individual was crucial for our efforts to rebuild.
Some mistakenly believe that using a multi-wick candle is a requirement, citing the wording of the blessing Borei me’orei ha’eish (Who creates the lights of fire) as proof for this position.
Some students may thrive in a secular university because they may be called upon to take on leadership roles in a religious capacity, such as to help make the minyan or to arrange Torah study opportunities, when they might not be able do so in a Jewish college setting when there are already plenty of minyanim and Torah study opportunities.
I have been going to Meron for so many years, over 20 years on this special day, I cannot imagine this day anywhere else but by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai's side. I felt hugged, I felt loved, I felt protected, and I felt like the heavens were opened wide to all my heart's desires.
Last year, when you made the bonfire, the smoke wafted heavily toward us, said Mr. Wasser. I found it quite intolerable!
The Impropriety Of Flattery “They Flattered King Agrippas” (Sotah 41b)
An individual who is miserly and jealous of others’ material prosperity will not truly want them to be blessed.
In the years before my mother left this world she said over and over –‘kinderlach, children… I know what I am seeing. I know what I am saying. The world is on fire and we are sleeping.
It is believed that one who donates this Chai Rottel quantity of refreshments will be blessed with all forms of miraculous salvation.
Bridges do not remove the massive abyss that separates two bodies of land, but rather create specific points of connection. In a similar vein, sometimes our disagreements with other people or groups are valid, and we may not have the authority to overlook or forgive those differences.
Such public entertainment is similar to what people do during the rest of the year and thus completely undermines, and even vitiates, the mourning of the omer period.
The demonstrations from the left-wing, have been challenging. The air was filled with tension and anxiety and hate.
The Burning of Kever Yosef “Alongside Shechem” (Sotah 32a)
I placed the printer in the apartment with intention that it should be Shimon's, said Reuven. He may have already acquired it! We are learning now in yeshiva about kinyan chatzer, acquisition through one's property.
Although one might think that a day of fasting and introspection would be in order for the yahrzeit of a tzaddik, as is the case regarding the yahrzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu, Lag Ba'Omer is uniquely different.
Because we are so blessed with material comfort and convenience, we need to remember that growth and greatness only come with exertion, persistence, and effort. Discomfort, and often pain, are par for the course.
It is clear that the prohibition obtains only when one dyes his hair to achieve the same result as women who dye their hair.
As we moved around the country to different locations, every section had its own beautiful way of celebrating on this special day. I was so proud. And felt so honored to be living here in the holy land of Israel.
If we have seats, and charge someone for using them for Shabbos, answered Sol, perhaps it's like we're charging rent for the seats for the Shabbos games!
Incurring Lashes? “On That Day Rabbi Akiva Expounded” (Sotah 27b)
Almost all contemporary halachic authorities rule that in our day, when sefarim are abundant and relatively inexpensive, it is permitted to ship or otherwise take sefarim out of Eretz Yisrael without exception.
There were some key phrases she used that resonated with me; quips such as, It’s a no brainer and Have your money do the work for you.
Dubai was so majestic and picturesque that it gave me clarity and strengthened my faith how royal I am as a Jew, and just how beautiful and wonderful the true and final Redemption will actually be.
A Special Syllabus ‘As One Who Is Exempt, But Nevertheless Does’ (Sotah 21a)
Judaism does not necessarily laud one who knows many facts. When the Torah refers to a chacham it refers to one who possesses a deep desire for knowledge.
The Stepfather In A Kesuba “He Was the Stepson of Kenaz” (Sotah 11b)
If the Jew accepts responsibility for the chametz – that of shomer sachar or, according to some, even that of a shomer chinam – he violates bal yimatzei (O.C. 440:1).
When one is riding on cloud nine and feels that longing to be close with their prospective spouse he/she can spend hours working out minute details to enhance the experience even more.
The other purpose of charoset is symbolic. The traditional ingredients of the charoset mixture – nuts, figs, and apples – are used in Scripture to describe the Jewish people.
There are the other components of the Seder which we must consume: the wine, the maror and the matzah. Thus, if one does not consume any meat, fowl and/or fish, that will suffice as regards the evening’s requirements.
We see that the wine for Arba Kosot must be considered chashuv. Rav Moshe Feinstein, in turn, rules that grape juice is not chashuv.
A Hot Air Blower “Whoever Eats Bread Without Wiping His Hands…” (Sotah 4b)
In any case, added Chaim, I assume that if you have a share in the chametz, you can include it in mechiras chametz. I don’t think I can simply sell my stocks the way I sell the liquor that I own, objected Mr. Krumbein.
Four times we mention the word ‘baruch’ – blessed. Because we must know that every child is considered to be ‘baruch’ – a blessing. Yes, even in the most difficult situation, there is bracha to be found. Seder night gives us a new perspective.
Many other sources view the word Mitzrayim as a portmanteau of meitzar (narrow, border, strait) and yam (sea).
The ancient Egyptians worshipped sheep. When they saw that the Jews were tying sheep to their beds, they became enraged and demanded an explanation for this sacrilege.
If consuming these products are an enhancement of one's simchas Yom Tov and done l’shem mitzvah, they can be sanctioned with moderation.
Re-burial In Eretz Yisrael ‘If One Finds Three [Corpses]…This Is A Graveyard’? (Nazir 64b – 65a)
Rabbi Wein recounts that they imparted to his generation the need to appreciate being part of the eternal people and the responsibility it entails. He also speaks of our need to pridefully convey those messages to our progeny.
Many individuals have the custom to cover or remove any knives that are on the table before reciting Birkat HaMazon. This is because knives, reminiscent of swords, are items that shorten a man’s life, while the table, which represents the altar of G-d, lengthens it.
If I understood him correctly, Rabbi Pappenheim differentiates between zavit and pinah by explaining that a zavit refers to the inner part of a corner, while a pinah refers to the outer part of a corner.
In my opinion, what is at stake here is whether one can permit these acts since they represent only a professional interaction with no personal implications.
The whole Jewish nation set their calendars and holidays based on the words of the witnesses. It was even permissible to come on Shabbos from afar to testify.
A Matter Of Health ‘He Who Rounds The Corners Of A Minor[’s Hair]…’ (Nazir 57b)
There is also hilchot treifot. According to the rules of hilchot treifot, we are obligated to check almost every internal organ of an animal. But we don’t. We rely on all types of leniencies and only check the lungs.
The Torah does not merely demand that we ‘do certain things.’ The Torah demands that we develop and foster a passionate connection with it.
Neither conservative or liberal politics represent Torah politics. There are definitely aspects of each which are in line with Torah perspectives and ethics, and definitely aspects of each that are opposed to Torah perspectives and ethics.
Netanel tried to straighten the hat as best he could since it was Shabbos, but the damage was done. The hat had a clear crease in it and would need to be either reshaped or replaced.
Delaying A Funeral To Honor A Deceased A Nazir May Defile Himself for a Mes Mitzvah (Nazir 47a)
In a superficial society so focused on externals this is true on many levels. But perhaps it is never truer than regarding the holiday of Purim.
Let’s be honest. Corn on the cob has always been consumed, along with many other fruits and vegetables that Rav Vaye’s rulings have forbidden (or considerably regulated).
When Maimonides (Laws of Klei HaMikdash 2:4) translates the ingredients for the ketoret into Arabic, he renders tzari as al-balasan (i.e., balsam), but the Biblical term for this ingredient is actually nataf (Exodus 30:34), literally meaning the thing that drips.
Even Queen Esther went to the king, which she was forbidden to do, in disguise. She dressed up. Yes, she was a queen and she dressed up as a queen. However she was Jewish and nobody knew that, so she was dressing up.
Shmuel the Amora rules that although most people buy oxen for work, not meat, we do not follow the majority likelihood in monetary issues.
Curling Peiyos “Hair of a Nazir” (Nazir 42a)
Though we live in times of incredible chaos, and there are layers of darkness obscuring Hashem’s light in this world, there are moments of great light where we see the power of hashgacha pratis, a hug from Above.
When the Beis HaMikdash stood we were keenly aware of our ‘marriage’ to Hashem... In exile however, we are isolated and surrounded by a culture that does not ascribe to Torah values.
Many of these commentaries stress that drinking is meant to enhance an appropriate Purim celebration.
Is it acceptable for the meshulach to take a percentage of the donation? Is this counted as part of my tzedakah?
Normal Consumption ‘Leave Aside Babylonian Kutach’ (Nazir 36b)
Education is not just about compliance, but about instilling values into our children’s souls, so that it becomes part of them for life.
When Rabbi Feldman referred to her with the title rabbi, she registered surprise that an Orthodox rabbi would acknowledge that a woman was ordained. Rabbi Feldman responded, I accord you the same respect that I accord to your male colleagues.
On this day, as you become bar mitzvah, we wish you the privilege to see the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash. Your half-shekel will join with the half-shekel of another Jew – with the half-shekels of all the Jews around the world – to purchase the korbanos.
Like Father Like Son ‘A Man Is Obligated To Train His Son’ (Nazir 29a)
Each holiday brings with it unique spiritual blessing and specific components of Divine service that can be attained. When a weekly Shabbos Torah reading includes a discussion about a holiday, a taste of that holiday’s blessing is spiritually palpable.
It might just be that the use of a rabbinic title should be evaluated differently nowadays when it is no longer used in the manner that it once was.
Rav Landau writes, hunting for sport is improper and anyone who does this follows in the footsteps of Nimrod and Esav, and not Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.
What happens when there is a difference in time zones? Mr. Samson asked his chavrusa. For example, I use call centers in India. When it's Friday in America, it's already Shabbos in India. Is that a violation of amira l'nochri?
A Distressful Situation ‘No Lashes Are Administered’ (Nazir 23a)
While it is clear that the Torah's preference is for one to perform yibum rather than chalitza, this is rarely the case nowadays and yibum is generally no longer an option – a man does not marry his brother's widow.
We feel like we are racing down the runway picking up speed, as the plane pulsates from the acceleration. And then suddenly the shaking ceases and we are airborne.
Unfortunately, some people view the kiddush as the most important feature of Shabbat morning at shul.
There is a whole section of the Talmud devoted to that sort of thing.
The normal use of ‘company’ or ‘workplace’ indicates an office, not one's home, even if the employee typically works remotely.
Facing The Consequences ‘Uncleanness Is Retroactive!’ (Nazir 16a)
Abba Zayda filled each home with his towering presence, his laughter, his love of life, his never ending patience and his constant wisdom.
If you would dig beneath the basement of my house, I’m not sure you’d find anything too intriguing.
It is a virtually universal practice to light a 24-hour memorial candle on the evening before the yahrzeit so that it burns throughout the yahrzeit. It is said that the soul derives pleasure when candles are lit in its honor.
The decision will ultimately be based on a variety of factors, depending on the reason for the parents’ disapproval. Perhaps their disapproval is temporary or based on unwarranted concerns.
My grandfather used to call me his precious little Michali and I cherished those words every time I saw him.
If the parshiyos are pasul, that should be the sofer's problem! Mr. Rosenblum exclaimed. He wrote them. Please let me speak with him.
In Short – Just One Day! “I Am Hereby A Nazir” (Nazir 5a,7a-8a)
There is a mistaken belief that one should cease reciting Kaddish on the yahrzeit of a parent once fifty years have passed since their death.
Most simply don’t have much to say to aveilim and that’s fine; it’s still a great mitzvah to visit with aveilim even for a short time.
Since the signature of witnesses on a loan document becomes void upon repayment, no inherent testimony remains about the second loan, whereas when the borrower resubmits an IOU to the lender, he obligates himself again, as if signing anew.
Que Sera, Sera? ‘He Daubed Him With Mud’ (Nedarim 89b-90a)
It is explained that the reason one may not leave a sefer lying open is that there is an angel whose name is Sheid – an abbreviation for “shomer dapim” (guardian of [book] pages) – who causes anyone who leaves a sefer open to forget what he has learned.
The concept of both sides being correct flies in the face of the prevailing attitude and mindset of our society.
If a person receives a summons to appear before a reputable beit din, it is halachically mandatory to show up. But some people, for various reasons, choose to ignore the summons.
The daily experiences do not, and are not usually earth shattering or traumatic. Any small event or disappointment, aggravations and so on, are sometimes even harder to get up from than from big traumas.
To be honest, acknowledged Rabbi Kadosh, I am not sure how much the kesubah is worth in dollars. I see Rabbi Dayan over there, though. Maybe he knows.
Truth Or Consequences ‘Consecrating The Non-Existent’ (Nedarim 85b)
October 2, 2026 
