יום שישי, ז׳ תשרי תשפ״זFriday, September 18, 2026
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Genuine teshuva is not just about fixing our mistakes in Elul and Tishrei; it’s about self-expression, returning to our true and higher selves.
Rashi’s experience is reminiscent of a number of great thinkers and scientists who described their breakthroughs as coming from imaginative visions.
Having children of any sex is a gift of unimaginable kindness. I know of people who have been trying to have a child for such a long time who would give anything to have a child male or female.
Each year Hashem grants us only one year ahead, which means every year our lease ends completely and we have to ask again for a new life.
New York City CANDLE LIGHTING TIME September 13, 2024 – 10 Elul 5784 6:49 p.m. NYC E.D.T. Sabbath Ends: 7:47 p.m. NYC E.D.T. Sabbath Ends: Rabbenu Tam 8:18 p.m. NYC E.D.T. Weekly Reading: Ki Tetze Weekly Haftara: Roni Akara (Isaiah 54:1-10) Daf Yomi: Bava Basra 80 Mishna Yomit: Bava Kama 10:4-5 Halacha Yomit: Kitzur […]
You found the money this afternoon, but it was lying all day in the shul’s premises, replied Mr. Shatz. I locked the shul after the last Shacharis minyan, so – if there is no obligation of hashavas aveidah – the shul should acquire the $20 bill, since it was secure in the shul’s premises.
An Implacable Foe ‘Therefore Those Who Speak In Parable Say …’ (Bava Basra 78b)
The Kohanim and Leviim did not have a share in the Land, it was therefore up to the other tribes to provide for them. In Parshat Shoftim we read about a few of these gifts that are given to the Kohen for support: from a non-korban that is slaughtered, the Kohen receives the zero'a, lechayayim, […]
Question: My husband and I are frequent Shabbos guests at our children’s homes nearby (we eat the meal with them and return to our home after the meal). Where should I light Shabbos candles – in my home or in theirs?
Rachel spoke: I want to thank G-d right now in front of all of you for giving me this magnificent present of my son Hersh. For 23 years I was privileged to have the most stunning honor to be Hersh’s mama. I’ll take this moment to say thank you.
I would never get to hear my bubby’s voice as she sang me a lullaby. My bubby would never hold me in her arms. I would never get to see her smile. I would never get to taste her delicious Hungarian cakes and delicacies. I would never feel her hand in mine. So many ‘nevers’.
We are not only able to help ourselves, we are also responsible for doing so. Though many assist us throughout our lives, in the end, we are responsible for ourselves.
As favor and riches forsake a man, we discover in him the foolishness they concealed, and which no one perceived before. -Jean De La Bruyere
In the opening chapters of Orot HaTeshuva, Rav Kook examines the categories and characteristics of teshuva. He posits that teshuva is an aspect of natural law which triggers an awareness of Divine Mercy that in turn precipitates the exercise of Divine Mercy.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Why do crowds riot? The short answer is, because they can.
On the eve of battle, 4 groups can leave. Who are the 4 & what does it mean "allowed to go home"?
And what greater matter for self-sacrifice can there be than to help bring about the full Redemption of all Israel?
The Zera Shimshon asks: Why does the Torah need to state that the people will be judged. Who else is presenting before the judges?
If we succeed in developing a strong sense of justice in our homes and communities, perhaps our prayer for God to restore justice will be justly heard and accepted.
If you don’t rinse out your mouth in the morning before davening, grab the opportunity to do so. You can fix in your mind that you are doing it so that the many names of Hashem that you will articulate during davening will come from a clean and pleasant source.
Law helps society, even if certain individuals do not benefit, or even suffer.
I had always dreaded color war. What had suddenly changed? The obvious answer was that for the first time I had been involved in color war.
The Torah standard for the conviction of criminals is set much higher than in most contemporary systems of law
By Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman
By honoring our teachers, we learn through the interpersonal social dynamics how to revere G-d as well.
Sometimes, Hashem will send us a wake-up call, begging us to wake up from our slumber. When we hear it, we must remind ourselves what time it is.
We had a year of sorrow, and bloodshed and it's time for our salvation. It feels almost unfair what we are going through.
As he was trying to work out the mystery of who had cleaned the shul, he mentioned it to one of the cooks in the school’s kitchens. And she admitted to having cleaned the shul herself.
When Moshe uses this phrase to rebuke Am Yisrael in parshat Ha'azinu, he states this as a fact, not as a conditional statement...Moshe is saying – it is for sure going to happen!
The last month of the Jewish calendar is actually the most important – serving as preparation for the High Holidays.
Must A Typical Sale Be Generous? ‘A Seller Sells Generously’ (Bava Basra 71a)
The Talmud notes that when the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed for the second time, there was an increase in the number of ascetics within the Jewish community, who decided to limit themselves by not eating meat or drinking wine. Rabbi Yehoshua asked them why they restricted themselves in this way.
We are Hashem’s children. We are prohibited from gashing our skin, or ripping out hair upon suffering the death of someone close.
Question: What if an eruv was breached on a Shabbat – is it permitted to be repaired and if it is how is this to be done? Zvi Kirschner Via E-mail
As this period of Kaddish comes to a close, one bereaved family asked me to thank the general public on their behalf.
There is no question in my mind that we as a nation have improved in becoming more sensitized to the plight of our Jewish impoverished and in general to providing chesed, kindness, to people in need... But there is something more that is wholly missing!
How can we reconcile the fact that the pasuk says that the mitzvos are both tov and yashar are in Hashem’s eyes while Rashi says that yashar refers to the way man views the mitzvos?
Halakhic man’s goal is to bring G-d down into this world by first understanding the blueprint He created for this world – the Torah, and its practical expression through halacha – and then striving to align this world with that ideal system.
Hashem taught Moshe and us this lesson through the construction of the Mishkan and the giving of the luchot. When Hashem told Moshe to assemble the Mishkan, Moshe protested that it was too heavy for him to lift. Hashem told Moshe to do what he could: Make it look like you are trying to erect it.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. -Mary Schmich
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Charity is always voluntary. Tzedakah is compulsory. Therefore, tzedakah does not mean charity. The nearest English equivalent is social justice.
By Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman
Noted marriage therapist Dr. John Gottman also contends that each marriage has perpetual, unsolvable problems. The goal is not to resolve those conflicts but to know how to relate to those conflicts in healthy ways.
Just like the antagonists and disputants who came before, Dan Bilzerian, Candace Owens and the raging antisemites of our time will not be effective and will not be remembered, but our sacred Torah and our timeless Talmud will continue to be learned around the world.
The reward matches the challenge.
Sometimes the soldier and his family are most bothered by the worry that their difficulty adjusting is not normal and reflects severe psychological distress.
We learn that every effort that is expended for the collective Jewish people is a merit for the individual.
Hashem, I know that this person might even repeat such an offense against me in the future but I am still willing to forgive him for now. Please forgive me as well even though I might likewise slip up with aveiros, sins, sometime in the future.
I have observed younger people who will not speak English in front of their elderly grandparents. Those gestures and degree of respect are lost on most of us. Kids today are brought up to feel that their teachers are like buddies and friends.
When I walked into the pizza shop not too long ago, I noticed two high school girls holding bentchers and reciting beracha acharona meticulously. It was a chizuk to me about the importance of reciting berachos carefully even in a public and somewhat harried setting.
For Rav Hirsch, this is the true embodiment of the national spirit of Israel – feeling responsible for one another, meeting the needs of one another, and celebrating together in the joy of the community experienced as a community.
How many things are we holding ourselves back from achieving simply because we believe them to be impossible?
The family should belong in the picture at home, not at the Temple. Why reverse it?
Unlike all the other types of Korbanot that are offered to atone for a sin, the Shelamim is offered purely out of love for Hashem.
By dvora
When he quoted the source as being Rabbi Charney, I jumped up, and running over to him. I cried out: Do you know that Rabbi Charney is my Uncle Rebbe? I had absolutely no idea how he had gotten this sefer!
Hung Out To Dry ‘A Roof With A Parapet 10 Tefachim High Is Not Included’ (Bava Basra 63b-64a)
The consequences of the Mitzvot.
Question: The eruv at a facility was discovered to be breached on Shabbat and was repaired without everyone residing there being told anything at the time. Some people learned about it only after the repair. What is the halachically proper manner of dealing with such a situation? If an eruv is breached on a Shabbat, is its repair permitted? If permitted, how is this to be done ideally? Is there a need to announce the breach? Zvi K. Via E-mail
Tu B’Av is the holiday of bringing back together that which was apart
The Book of Devarim describes the great danger of living in a prosperous society that offers people everything they desire and in large amounts. It’s challenging to live in poverty – but it’s also challenging to live in wealth.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: When Hashem created the world, He desired to have a dirah b'tachtonim, a place for Him to reside below the way He had above.
On the most basic level, challenges inspire reflection and appreciation. The need to work hard to regain something lost or return to a previous position deepens our appreciation for what we had and where we were beforehand.
Eretz Yisrael is blessed with seven species of food. One of the joys of living in Eretz Yisrael is having the privilege of eating these special foods.
G-d didn’t have to admonish Avraham that the mitzvos are not a yoke around one’s neck, but rather vitamins for the soul.
Ambition makes the same mistake concerning power that avarice makes concerning wealth. She begins by accumulating power as a means to happiness, and she finishes by continuing to accumulate it as an end. -Charles Caleb Colton
Part of the process of pursuing our goals certainly requires that we work as hard as we can to achieve them, and it is perfectly appropriate for someone to be proud of their hard work. But they must never forget either the source of their power or the ultimate purpose of their efforts: to uphold the covenant with Hashem.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
What Moses was saying to the new generation was this: You thought that the forty years of wandering in the wilderness were the real challenge, and that once you conquer and settle the land, your problems will be over.
NEVER lose sight of the gol
Although the individual who seems to be evil, may, in fact, enjoy great success in life, when he dies, he has already received all his reward in this world. This is in contrast to the tsaddikim who will receive the lion’s share of their reward in the world-to-come.
Taking one’s time to have these thoughts in mind is well worth it. The Gemara informs us, Kol hamarich b’Echad, marichin lo yomov u’shnosov – Whoever prolongs the word Echad will have one’s life qualitatively and quantitatively prolonged.
It is notoriously difficult to fully prove or disprove the level of helplessness and depression the person has versus possible laziness and avoidance. Because of this, and the frustration, embarrassment, and confusion, it is difficult for loved ones to respond objectively.
Every thought, word, action, and decision have infinite, cosmic reverberations and repercussions. This may be overwhelming to consider, and it may be unhealthy to continuously fixate upon the severity of each infinitesimal aspect of our lives, but the truth remains nonetheless.
I have a hard enough time balancing all of the responsibilities in my own life. Am I obligated to strive to fully internalize the pain of others? If I am, how can I ever be happy and dance at a wedding or appreciate a sunny day, when there is so much suffering and sadness in this world?
This is a lesson we must pass on to all to learn from. As dark as it gets, do not despair since the light is right around the corner.
By Eliana Klein
I thought of posting on our local email list to see whether anyone was driving to that neighborhood in the coming days, but the chances of anyone nearby to my location driving to that far off destination during the two remaining afternoons of the shiva were infinitesimal, especially since I required a seat up front.
I’m hesitant, though, to move tzedakah money out of the bank account, said the gabbai. What if we suddenly had a great need for the funds around the Yamim Tovim, or if the market crashes…?
A Matter Of Priority ‘Lands Shown By Hashem To Moses Are Subject To Tithes’ (Bava Basra 56a)
By Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman
If left to our own merit, the rabbis presumed that divine justice would demand punishment.
The paradox of unwanted thoughts is that by trying not to think them, we are automatically reinforcing them. Thoughts are electrical impulses in the nervous system.
This year, Tisha B’Av was not just symbolic, but painfully real. It is not a coincidence that our enemies are threatening to attack us on that day, G-d forbid.
No one in this generation has any clue. This makes me so sad to tell you but it’s true. Either they don’t know or they don’t care. They are clueless.
Question: Our family enjoys reading and studying your weekly column as it gives us invaluable insight into our Torah practice. Our question is as follows: If the fast of Tisha B’Av (the 9th of Av) concludes the mourning period for the destruction of the Temple, why wait until the 15th of Av to rejoice? Is there a distinct significance to this date? Sara Gutman Via E-Mail
Because the great sound that did not falter was simultaneously a great sound that would never be repeated, no navi sheker could ever produce evidence that could rival Sinai.
If you love Hashem, if you are in awe of Him, then things will go well for you. As they should. But one mustn’t serve Hashem in expectation of a reward.
The fact that the rebbe knows that his students are looking up to him, and that he serves as an example for them, compels him to act the part, even if he would not otherwise do so.
In Parshat Va'Etchanan, Moses speaks, a lot - but it all seems so boring, and disconnected. What is he REALLY talking about?
The Sforno says that the essence of the sin of the golden calf was the dancing, without the dancing the sin would not have been so severe.
Suffering may be painful, but when we realize that Hashem is behind it, the month truly becomes Menachem Av.
The real community of man, in the midst of all the self-contradictory simulacra of community, is the community of those who seek the truth, of potential knowers... of all men to the extent that they know. -Allan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind
...And Why You Might Have Thought Otherwise
By Tzvi Fishman
Our being a persecuted minority among the gentile nations was to teach us to appreciate the importance of our own holy, Jewish Land.
When the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, the world died. The soul of the world, i.e., Hashem, left its body, its vessel – the physical world – resulting in a cosmic spiritual chasm and a shattered reality.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
To this day American politics is based on the biblical idea of covenant. American presidents almost always invoke this idea in their Inaugural Addresses in language that owes its cadences and concepts to the book of Devarim.
I believe the nechama, the comfort, is that we have changed as a result of our efforts during the Three Weeks and the Nine Days, learning how to be more careful with sinas chinam, baseless hatred, and lashon hara, evil slander.
One should not become discouraged thinking that he will not be able to master the depth and breadth of the Torah, and therefore he might as well not learn at all. Our sages teach us (Avos 2:16), You are not required to complete the task.
All the prophecies and all the events that have been going on in the land of Israel, and all over the world, in the past year, all point the finger in the same direction, to Hashem.
How is it that Rachel’s tears evoke such a powerful response from God? If we can make sense of this passage, it may be able to shed light on our process of mourning on Tisha B’Av, and help our tears and grief become a catalyst for action.
By Tzvi Fishman
“If you really want to keep it? GO IN AND POSSESS THE LAND! That’s the basis of Torah. Only in the Holy Land will you be able to understand what the Torah is all about, and only there can all of the Torah be kept.”
September 18, 2026 
