יום רביעי, ה׳ תשרי תשפ״זWednesday, September 16, 2026
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By Yaffa Tova
The turmoil called everyday life whisked me along and before I knew it my children’s children were in that unrelenting ride of shidduchim. It was time for us to take a step back and allow our children to move into the driver seat, but once having driven down the road one’s antennas are ever sensitive for signs of new possibilities.
During the evening, someone was riding a bike and crashed into the branch. He wasn’t injured, but that bike also was ruined. What’s the story with these bikes that were ruined by our tree? Mrs. Feiner asked her husband. I suppose that we are liable for them, said Mr. Feiner, but I’ll check.
A Wedding Dance ‘It Is To Be Said While Standing...’ (Sanhedrin 42a)
Offhand, one could think of scarier pests than frogs.
According to the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 93:10), Aba Kohen Bardela says that the shock and shame of the brothers is nothing compared to what each and every one of us will experience on the Day of Judgement, when we go up to Heaven after 120.
The name Rechovot Hanahar (Streets of the River), derived from its mention in Bereishit 36:31, was interpreted by Kabbalah as referring among other things to the period before Creation, and was also tied to names such as Nahar Shalom – one of the famous books by the Rashash himself.
The entirety of the Gaza population, under Hamas’s rule, has become part of this deadly philosophy. One cannot ignore the reality that Hamas, as the governing body, has indoctrinated its people with a worldview that is grounded in violence.
Question: I live in a small community where it is sometimes a struggle to get a minyan together. When this occurs on Shabbos, it is extremely upsetting. I am so concerned that I was wondering – may we ask some of the non-observant Jews who live in the neighborhood to join us to complete a minyan? Name withheld Via E-mail
Even a katan has enough da'as to qualify as a rodef; by engaging in this type of act, the katan shows that he has at least some form of da'as.
Kinas sofrim (the envy of scholars) can actually be a good thing; it’s the Torah phrase for healthy competitiveness in the learning of Torah, to fight for the truth.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Outside the promised land Jews in the biblical age are in danger if they tell the truth. They are at constant risk of being killed or at best enslaved.
It is possible to be enslaved but not to suffer brutality, and also to be tormented without being a slave.
While I respect many of the moral accomplishments of the West, I believe that Judaism still has much to offer in critique of the West’s many remaining failings.
When a person is beleaguered with problems that disrupt his avodas Hashem and his Torah learning, he may ponder why he is suffering when his friend – who is not as devout – enjoys the good life, is well-to-do and at peace.
Reb Moshe asks, Why would we need someone coming out of a coma to teach us something so obvious?
How often in ancient and contemporary Jewish history have we seen things become desperate before they improved? And yet we persevered and survived. And with this perseverance, our faith in G-d as our ultimate savior survived too.
The very experience the Avot lacked, their descendants had. The Jewish people in Egypt had the history of Hashem’s interactions with the Avot to build upon. He had fulfilled His promise to give the Avot the land of Israel, and they had successfully inhabited it.
Hashem was internally good, but He was not actively expressing this goodness by giving or doing good unto others. Hashem chose to express His capacity for doing good unto others by creating man, upon whom Hashem would bestow the ultimate goodness.
This staff was given by G-d to Adam HaRishon. It was then passed down from generation to generation, to Shet, Chanoch, Metushelach, Noach, Shem, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov and then to Yosef.
This raises an important question: When should leaders and authorities confront and rebuke immoral behavior, and when is it wise to remain silent?
Sometimes we may wonder why we need to daven so much. Isn’t praying three times a day on a weekday a bit much?
By dvora
I was terrified of the fall that seemed inevitable. Suddenly I felt my hands holding onto a handle which I had not seen before. Now holding onto the handle I was able to steady myself. The crisis was over. Days later I thought that Hashem put my hands on that handle.
On his way home from work, Mr. Appel pondered the issue. I sense that Mr. Berger is really disappointed, he said to himself. Is it right of us to refuse him?
D’tzach, Adash, B’achav ‘Everyone Is Qualified To Judge’ (Sanhedrin 36b)
Nowadays, stressing the shva na is an accepted and fairly common element in many siddurim. But when Ishei Yisrael appeared, it wasn’t common at all.
In Israel, elections are held on a national level with voters casting ballots for political parties rather than for individual candidates. This system, while effective in ensuring that political parties gain power based on their collective support, undermines individual representation.
Each of us is like a diamond, and each of us has the potential to be brilliant. -Simon T. Bailey
Question: I live in a small community where it is sometimes a struggle to get a minyan together. When this occurs on Shabbos this is extremely upsetting. I am so concerned that I was wondering – may we ask some of the non-observant Jews who live in the neighborhood to join us to complete a minyan? Name withheld Via E-mail
Did Pharaoh's Daughter Speak Hebrew?
Historical perspective should humble us. It should make us realize how little we understand the true nature of what is going on around us. But it should also make us realize that things truly worthwhile have a staying power.
Another fundamental nafka minah is whether one needs to have kavanah (intent) in order to be categorized as a rodef.
The double language of reckoning also encompasses two aspects of the Divine Judgment that the true redeemer would have to know to invoke – Hashem will do good to Israel and lead us out of our misfortune, and He will also punish those who tormented us and hold them accountable.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Consider, now, the choices Moses faced in his life. On the one hand he could have lived as a prince of Egypt, in luxury and at ease. That might have been his fate had he not intervened.
The thought process of believing that rather than having a child murdered he would separate from his wife was incorrect. Miriam revealed the will of Heaven that the exact opposite was appropriate.
While the yeitzer hara has many arrows in his quiver, and his aim is focused on getting us to speak lashon hara and to fight with our spouse, to look at the wrong things, and to say hurtful words, there is nothing that the yeitzer hara tries harder to accomplish than to stop people from learning Torah.
Regardless of the interpretation, it is essential to recognize that the relationship between the parents of married children is not akin to the attachment one has with other blood relatives.
GRATITUDE, We don’t need to wait for something extraordinary to say thank you.
The Torah describes the voluntary gifts that the Jewish people donate toward the building of the Mishkan, the place where Hashem was most potently manifest in the physical world. The emphasis of these donations is their voluntary nature – Hashem commands Moshe to collect from Klal Yisrael whatever their hearts inspire them to give.
It’s one of the sad realities of life – we often fail to take advantage of the things closest to us. The things we can do at any time often become the things we don’t do at any time.
By Guest Author
The students of Talmud Torah Netzach Yisrael in Beit Shemesh have launched a meaningful learning project in memory of a fallen soldier from Jerusalem that they never met.
Interestingly, some argue the exact opposite: her original name was Batya, but she changed it to Bitya as an act of humility.
The Torah’s claim about the revelation at Har Sinai also reinforces our belief in Hashem (in addition to our faith in the Torah’s Divine origin). The claim that an entire nation (as opposed to a limited group) consisting of millions of people (as opposed to a small group) is hard to fabricate, as people would wonder why they had not heard about it from their own ancestors.
When Yosef entered, Pharaoh tested him – he said hello to him in Dutch, Greek, and Danish and each time Yosef conversed with him fluently in each language and ascended another step until finally he was on the top 70th step together with Pharaoh.
Sunday afternoon they dropped by for a visit. He had small pieces of shrapnel on his face and left hand, and he said that the surgeon told him that, over time, the body would rid itself of the shrapnel. That was comforting to know.
Indeed, the Torah requires redeeming the firstborn son (bechor), and also entitles him to a double portion in his father’s estate, but not in his mother’s, replied Rabbi Dayan (Y.D. 305:1; C.M. 277:1).
A Parrot Or A Lie Detector? ‘… We Admonish The Witnesses’ (Sanhedrin 29a)
It was difficult for him to write without errors, but his ambition was so extraordinary. It would have been worth it to me to stand there for hours in the sun or the rain just for the opportunity to help him in his quest.
Question: I live in a small community where it is sometimes a struggle to get a minyan together. When this occurs on Shabbos this is extremely upsetting. I am so concerned that I was wondering – may we ask some of the non-observant Jews who live in the neighborhood to join us to complete a minyan? Name withheld Via E-mail
Kind words are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world. -Lawrence G. Lovasik
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
On the surface, Joseph holds all the power. His family are entirely dependent on him. But at a deeper level it is the other way round. He still yearns for their acceptance, their recognition, their closeness.
We are actually doing a chesed for the rodef by preventing him from spiritually destroying himself. The rodef now gets to die without the blemish of murder tainting his soul.
When Lavan decided to trick Yaakov, and essentially Rachel too, Rachel nevertheless played along and gave the secret codes to Leah to enable her to succeed in the ploy. Rachel realized that what was happening must be the will of Hashem, and that it was not possible for Yaakov to have only one wife.
Even as Western society has become uncomfortable with religion, it has also become increasingly uncomfortable with its own discomfort.
Every individual who finds himself in challenging times only needs to know how to recognize the smile of Hashem from Above.
It’s always important to remember how different we are, and to thank Hashem that He allowed us the privilege to be part of this Holy Nation.
Because the person who is betting doesn’t fully commit to losing, and therefore, when the winning bettor collects winnings from the losers, he is essentially stealing their money.
How can it be that Hashem made a mistake – that He originally wanted to create the world with din but then changed His mind?
The doctor cautioned us that the treatment contained risks, including that it might not remedy the situation. He told us that we had to decide if we wanted to proceed with it or not.
Physical and political sieges are the results of spiritual separation. They are a continuation of the ancient pre-Churban siege and are due to and reflective of Hashem’s separation from us.
There is no question that they lied, but incredibly, the Gemara above says that they were right to lie because there is a special circumstance when one is permitted to lie and that is to make peace, what is known in English as a white lie.
For one agonizing moment, Meir thought his time in the world was about to end. But glancing at the note taped to his gun, he quickly murmured the words: Hashem Hu Elokim, ein od milvado. Then, a few meters in front of Meir, the missile changed direction in midair, as if it struck an invisible force field.
But today is 2 Teves, said the printer. I tried reaching you yesterday, but you were unavailable. Because it was a rush job, I corrected the Hebrew date. But we’re getting married at night, so the Hebrew date is 3 Teves, explained Aharon. Now the date is wrong!
Maintaining A Library ‘He [The King] Shall Write a Sefer Torah... (Sanhedrin 21b)
As has been noted elsewhere, Shlomo Tal originally sought to produce Rinat Yisrael based on nusach Sfard so as to unite people who had different traditions, but he found himself ultimately also producing siddurim for Ashkenazim and Mizrachi-Sefardi Jews.
Serving in the IDF can provide personal development opportunities for charedi men. Many who have enlisted report a newfound appreciation for civic duty and a broader understanding of Israeli society.
It is not enough to scream out from your pain and suffering. You must hear the cry of the person sitting next to you. You must open up the gates in shamayim for the aching hearts of those waiting for refuahs, yeshuas, simchas and shalom.
Question: I live in a small community where it is sometimes a struggle to get a minyan together. When this occurs on Shabbos this is extremely upsetting. I am so concerned that I was wondering – may we ask some of the non-observant Jews who live in the neighborhood to join us to complete a minyan? Name withheld Via E-mail
No guilt is forgotten so long as the conscience still knows of it. -Stefan Zweig
The sum of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts
People of deep conviction and burning passion are often swept away by the force of their ideals. Drawn to lofty principles and grand visions, they can lose sight of the day-to-day emotions of those around them.
As to the U.S. budget, strict judgment would require that money should be spent by the government on necessities. The problem is that there is no agreement on what is necessary; hence, the need for compromise.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Abraham prays for justice. Judah prays for mercy. Elijah prays for G-d to reveal Himself.
When Yehuda approaches Yosef, he touches his garment, and this is said to be a manner in which individuals may connect with Hashem when they are not at the level of achieving proper communion.
Even when Yosef believed he was right, he considered the possibility that perhaps he had done something wrong that warranted his excommunication.
Since the objective of marital unity brings the coveted blessing of the Shechina, the yeitzer hara tries mightily to block one’s marital harmony. We therefore must strive vigorously to maintain the magic of our oneness at all times.
Challenging times do not necessarily stifle spiritual growth or intellectual achievement.
Because G-d-consciousness is central to the Torah, it commands us to create and interact with objects that remind us of Him.
The first stage is a gift, a spiritual high. It’s there to help you experience the goal, the destination. It’s a taste of what you can and hopefully will ultimately accomplish, but it’s not real. It’s given as a gift and is therefore an illusion.
My family has been blessed to spend our summers at Camp Dora Golding in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, where I am part of the camp administration. The drawback was that as a shul rabbi it wasn’t easy to be away from my kehilla for two months.
Surely a gift that is given absolutely without any provisions one should have no qualms in re-gifting to another if it is not to one’s taste. But, as mentioned, take care not to give to someone who you think might give it back to the original party.
After Yosef reveals himself to them and they get over their initial shock, the Midrash says – they wanted to kill him! Kill him? Just a few hours earlier they were intent on rescuing Yosef, and willing to pay any price to do so. Now that he is standing in front of them, they want to kill him?
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Jewish law rules that if we can only light one candle – the Shabbat light takes precedence, because in Judaism the greatest military victory takes second place to peace in the home.
I asked her about the baby’s name, and she said, yes, they had named him after Daniel in the Tanach, but they had also thought of my late husband Dan when naming him. She sent me several photos and videos from the bris. I was overcome with emotion as I watched the segment where the baby received his name.
Throughout Chanukah, Mr. Lichter and Shmuli lit in the glass case outside their door. On the last night of Chanukah, the flames burned brightly and warmed the winter night. The family was inside, enjoying latkes and jelly doughnuts, when suddenly they heard shattering outside.
Awaiting Elijah / ‘Semicha… Is Performed By Three’ (Sanhedrin 13b)
There’s short term and long term, and we must always take the long term into account.
Israel’s innovative, young commander of the Negev campaign was Yigal Allon. In order to break the Egyptian hold, he would have to get his troops to the south undetected. This was a significant challenge as the only surfaced road was bordered by several Egyptian strongholds.
Question: If one forgot to recite Al Hanissim on Chanukah, does he have to repeat the Shemoneh Esrei or Birkat Hamazon? Moshe Jakobowitz Brooklyn, NY
Certain truths can never be fully grasped without exposure to a perspective beyond oneself.
We know Yosef never forgot his father. Even though he no longer lived next to him, his father was an ever-present influence wherever he went and whatever he did.
It appears that killing a rodef is not only a complicated halacha, but only bidieved (a secondary choice). We are therefore left with a fundamental question: Why are we allowed to, or supposed to, kill a rodef?
September 11, 2026 
