יום שישי, ה׳ חשוון תשפ״זFriday, October 16, 2026
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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.”
Overview and laws of the Jewish national day of mourning.
I usually don’t accept returns, said Mr. Solomon. I very much need the income. You took two pictures, so you need to pay for them.
What Was She Thinking? ‘I Did So Only To Please My Husband’ (Bava Basra 49b)
The power of speech, both positive and negative is large part of our legacy as Jews. Guarding our speech is one of our foremost weapons in bringing blessing upon us or, G-d forbid, the opposite. We cannot underestimate the power of our words, as the following stories demonstrate.
Question: May leftover meat from the Sabbath during the Nine Days be used during the week so as not to violate “bal tash’chit” – the prohibition against wastefulness? Rabbi Yaakov Spivak, zt”l Rosh Kollel, Kollel Ayshel Avraham Monsey, NY
Both the U.S. and Israel signed a document in support of the ICC under pressure, but neither of these countries ratified the treaty that established the ICC, and as such neither is obligated to submit to the ICC’s jurisdiction.
The Land of Israel being the ideal homeland of the Jews is that it is the only one. It is ideal, and nowhere else
Because Avraham is no longer physically with us in our world, this personal role is fulfilled through the exercise of the divine attribute that Avraham exemplified – that of chesed (kindness). When the power of the kindness of Avraham is made to resonate in the world, then we will know that the redemption is at hand.
And the Devil did grin, for his darling sin is pride that apes humility. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
What is unique about the covenant in Judaism is, first, that one of the parties is G-d Himself. This would have been unintelligible to Israel’s neighbors, and remains extraordinary even today.
Many of us have lost it because we don’t see the true value of it. What would having the Beit HaMikdash add to my life that I don’t have already?
Even though the realm of evil may at times become stronger, one need not fear as he has hope and faith that Hashem is with us.
The Chovos HaLevovos gives us a chilling deterrent from speaking lashon hara. He warns us that if we speak lashon hara about someone, Hashem will take away some of our merits and give them to the person we spoke badly about.
By Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman
Learning how to politely say no to opportunities that take us away from our top priorities and goals is essential for fulfillment and success. Moreover, once we neglect studying Torah, writes Arvei Nachal, we will lose motivation to study, leading to even more idleness.
When one realizes he is sinning, there is a psychological urge to either rationalize the behavior, or deny obligation or connection to G-d.
If you take a moment to contemplate nature, you will find that almost everything in this world involves a cause-and-effect relationship. The world seems to abide by certain rules, with very few exceptions.
Letting things go is generally a virtue, at least regarding releasing acrimonious feelings towards others. However, when it comes to personal struggles and overcoming negative character traits or following through with a life-long dream and aspiration, letting it go in the face of adversity is not a virtue at all.
Our thoughts now must be directed to those families who are still suffering, whose loved ones are still in captivity, and to our brave soldiers who are fighting for our very existence – and to the hope that we are nearing the end of our galut when the Jewish people will be redeemed with the coming of Mashiach.
How could my best friend have left? I didn't say goodbye, I screamed and cried but he was gone.
The family told him that they would not be burying Eran but cremating him, instead. The Chassid was of course horrified by this information and started trying to convince them to have him buried. He called repeatedly until the family threatened to call the police if he bothered them again.
The Gemara (Kesubos 34b) presents two opinions on whether a guardian becomes liable for the entrusted item only from when the loss occurs, or retroactively from when the item was entrusted, Rabbi Dayan replied.
A Tax-Free Meal ‘A Town Whose Torah Scroll Was Stolen…’ (Bava Basra 43a)
By Adina Broder
Just as a mourner would find a cheerful greeting to be out of touch with what he is experiencing, that is how we should feel on Tisha B’Av.
Older Americans may remember one of the great betrayals felt by American military service members upon their return from fighting in Vietnam, when many were greeted with jeers and accusations. Indeed, the type of homecoming a soldier receives was found to predict PTSD up to 40 years later (Steenkamp et al, 2017).
Question: May leftover meat from the Sabbath during the Nine Days be used during the week so as not to violate “bal tash’chit” – the prohibition against wastefulness? Rabbi Yaakov Spivak [zt”l] Rosh Kollel, Kollel Ayshel Avraham Monsey, NY
The Land of Israel is the most desirable of all lands. Hashem watches over the Land constantly and more closely than any other land.
Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together. -Carl Zwanzig
Getting up from a fall can often feel very difficult. Understandably, many think that after falling, they cannot rise again.
once Aharon dies and they confront the king of Arad, they decide upon a different journey in which they will enter Israel through the “side door.”
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
According to Maimonides, the death of the High Priest has nothing to do with guilt or atonement, but simply with the fact that it causes a collective grief so great that it causes people to forget their own misfortunes in the face of a larger national loss.
October 16, 2026 
