יום שלישי, ט׳ חשוון תשפ״זTuesday, October 20, 2026
Follow Us
As part of the world Hashem constantly recreates, our existence also hinges on Hashem’s continuous constant renewal.
Summer is the ideal time to catch up on spiritual matters that were overlooked throughout the year.
When a person maintains clarity of mind and the Torah is the basis of his rationale, the Evil Inclination will not be able to mislead him to go against the will of Hashem...
The Maharal says that Hashem deliberately waited until after Miriam was punished for speaking lashon hara so that the spies would be given an opportunity to take to heart what befell that tzadeket and to draw the proper conclusions for their own conduct.
The heights by great men reached and kept / Were not obtained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept / Were toiling upward in the night. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
G-d wanted the Israelites to create a model society where human beings were not treated as slaves, where rulers were not worshipped as demigods, where human dignity was respected…
Had Moshe been allowed to enter Eretz Yisrael, he would have immediately built the Temple. If that would have happened, G-d would not have been able to vent his anger by destroying the Temple that Moshe built and He would instead have destroyed the Jews.
In general, the smarter way to pray, is in anticipation, before we have a problem.
What exactly makes something beautiful? When you watch the sun set along the beach, for example, the sight is undeniably beautiful. What, though, makes this scene so beautiful?
When we are alone, when we have a chance at peace and quiet, we can take in the world, organize it, organize our minds, experience the lovely and reassuring peace of being in control. But when someone else enters the scene, all of that comes to an end.
It depends what type of politics is being discussed. If it is politics that has a direct effect on Jewish interests and has therefore Torah issues involved, then as the Chofetz Chaim was reported to say Hashem also has His politics.
Most Ashkenazic authorities rule leniently in case of need. This is especially true with today’s high-quality household appliances that make very little noise and often cannot even be heard in an adjacent room.
I now opened my eyes that were wet with tears of the past, the present, and the future and saw how beautiful Hashem's world is and how perfect the cycles of life are. How little of the circle we see at a time.
As a result of eating from this tree of disparate parts, Adam and Chava themselves became split into disparate parts, the physical and the spiritual, and were no longer the integral unit that Hashem had intended.
By Risa Rotman
My husband, Chaim, felt it was his obligation to create a Kiddush Hashem at every moment in his life. He felt strongly about dressing as a chareidi Jew wherever he went.
By Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo
The more man did not see himself as created in the image of God, the more he devaluated himself and the more his use of language deteriorated as well. Thus, over many years, language has declined, one stage after another, suffering the loss of its grandeur
But you lent me the money, and, in the end, it was never returned to you, insisted Levi. I don't want you to be out the money. But it's also not fair to make you pay double, replied Menachem. I took the risk, so it's my loss.
Presumption Of Life? ‘The Husband Was Elderly or Ailing...’ (Gittin 28a)
By Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman
Without denying the importance of tradition in determining ethical obligations and norms, Pirkei Avot in chapter 2 seems to offer a complimentary method.
When we donate our money, time or effort to Hashem, we naturally assume that we are giving Him something that is our own. In truth, we are merely giving Him what is (already) His.
Moshe begs Yitro to not leave Am Yisrael.
Question: My physician prescribed certain medication in the form of pills that I am to take daily, twice a day. The question is, what am I to do as regards the Sabbath – may I take the pills or must I skip taking them? There is also a question, since I am diabetic, that skipping a day’s dosage might prove harmful. Should I take them on the Sabbath or not? Name withheld on request Via email
I often sit at the opening of the Old City of Jerusalem witnessing the prophecies of the prophet Zecharya and others come to fruition, and I wonder why others don’t see what I see.
Everything that happens in camp is fun, including the learning. Learning in camp is full of fun and excitement, part of a large program.
The Zera Shimshon elaborates that Aharon and Miriam reckoned that Moshe Rabbeinu was deemed worthy of ascending to Heaven because of the collective merit of all of the Jewish People – it was not necessarily because of his own personal merit.
The spies that led Israel to national catastrophe mistakenly thought that the value of preserving life overrides the commandment to free Eretz Yisrael.
We cap off this request by pleading that Hashem should do it lema’an Sh’mecha, for the sake of Your Name. This refers to His Name of Shalom, Peace. Please Hashem, for the sake of Peace, remove the friction between me and others.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
The spies feared success, not failure. It was the mistake of deeply religious men. But it was a mistake.
This is not to say that there is no such thing as a wrong turn. Though we can even learn from a mistaken path, we have good reason to want to avoid it.
The more you depend on forces outside yourself, the more you are dominated by them. -Harold Sherman
A puzzling feature of the story of Pinchas and Zimri is the striking omission of Zimri’s name from the story as it is first told in Parashas Balak. Only afterwards, when recounting the story again in Parashas Pinchas, does the Torah name the perpetrator of this evil act. Why is this so?
The author of the essay asserts that David HaMelech had this mizmor in the shape of a menorah inscribed on his shield that he carried into war, and his enemies fled before him.
The term asirah derives from another triliteral root, aleph-samech-reish, which appears close to ninety times in the Bible.
More recent halachic authorities, however, recognize that hats and jackets are no longer a component of standard dress, especially in warmer climates.
No doubt every one of us would follow the details of a Divine command directed specifically at us – does Aharon deserve to be singled out for this?
It could well be that their goal in visiting the zoo was not (only) for simple entertainment or leisure, but to be able there to marvel at the wondrous creation of Hashem’s world.
For best result, ensure plenty of good consistency.
It was a wretched situation for my father, my mother and me – an only child – who had left my job to look after my mother; we had no idea where to turn, what to do.
Mr. Berger is considered a shomer chinam since he has no gain, even incidental, from guarding the calculator.
Painting Tefillin Straps Black “He May Go Over the Letters With a Pen” (Gittin 20a)
The minhag of washing the Cohen's hands for Birkat Kohanim is not arbitrary.
We are not created as a finished product, but, rather, with the need and responsibility to develop ourselves properly.
Question: Is one allowed to go to Madam Tassaud’s Wax Museum? Is this not a violation of the Torah’s prohibition of graven images? Ben Moseson Via email
In front of me the story of Am Yisrael came alive. The world may proclaim our end but here we are. One must only kindle the flame. The spark is never extinguished.
The guiding factor is that Hashem did not make anything without a reason. If a certain reality exists, then it must be another opportunity to add in avodas Hashem – the service of G-d.
By Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman
Some commentators state that it is simply a way of complimenting his fine character. Others connect the praise more directly to his mother. But why should his mother get the credit for his character?
Through Israel's returns home and national rebirth, we have already seen sparks of prophecy return.
Each of the leaders of the tribes brings a gift which is identical to the gifts of every other one. The Torah relates the gift of each and every tribe in detail, in spite of the fact that they are all the same.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
To be a Jew is to seek to make a difference, to change lives for the better, to heal some of the scars of our fractured world. But people don’t like change.
Only when we negate our egos and acknowledge that the goodness and beracha in our lives comes not from our own independent efforts but from Hashem, can we then receive more beracha.
A person should walk in the ways of Hashem and accord mercy and kindness to people and other members of Creation.
It would seem to me that the controversy centers on why we should say ‘please’ or ‘now’ just by this blessing and not by the other requests in our Shemone Esrei, such as to forgive us, or to cure us.
When we think of people who, in a healthy state, go through radical changes and stages, we know of whom we think, and it is not the middle aged or retirees.
It is noted that in past generations there were very few individuals who had semicha, let alone were practicing rabbis, while today everyone seems to have semicha.
In this passage, three different words are used for “rope” or “string”: chevel, tikvah, and chut. This essay attempts to trace the etymology of those words, seeking to clarify exactly how they relate to one another.
The more complicated question is whether we should give our children a smartphone at all or at a young age.
When it comes to both parenting and teaching, we don’t like to watch children make mistakes. We also don’t like having to take the time and energy to enforce the consequences of those mistakes.
According to our Sages there are seven layers in Heaven (this is where the expression seventh heaven comes from). The fifth layer is called Ma'on, and it is from this layer that simcha originates.
He continued with his barrage of insults, which The Jewish Press surely would find unfit to print, and this was in front of the whole congregation. Thousands of men became silent, trying to understand what Reb Chaim did to deserve such treatment.
Question: Is one allowed to go to Madam Tassaud’s Wax Museum? Is this not a violation of the Torah’s prohibition of graven images? Ben Moseson Via email
At the time of Megillas Rus, the Yovel – Jubilee year – was in force, replied Rabbi Dayan. If a person sold a field that was his sedei achuza – ancestral heritage from when the Land of Israel was first divided – it would return to him in Yovel.
Last Will And Testament “A Deathbed Request Is As Sealed And Delivered” (Gitin 14b)
By Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman
Perhaps, instead of framing these as debates in terms of which one is superior (intelligence versus character, fluid intelligence versus crystallized intelligence), it would be beneficial to take a different approach to this issue.
Throughout life, a Jew is to always stand strong in the face of challenges and to choose to climb the mountain of Hashem.
We are asked to make Kiddush over wine and we are told that wine can make one wise (Yoma 76b). But enjoying anything in moderation requires self-control and sometimes, when that becomes too difficult, the only way out is to deny oneself the pleasure altogether.
If a person is wealthy enough to own a field, why would he think that he would be able to keep the corner of the field, which is designated for poor people? Presumably, he would be excluded from the corner of any field, let alone his own!
Boaz wasn’t sure if he would be the “go’el”, the redeemer, for Elimelech’s estate...
Once we understand the concept of time, and the distinct opportunity and importance of tapping into the unique theme of each point of time in the systematic process of ascension, we must delve into the specific theme that Shavuos presents.
Talmud Torah is not just the world’s purpose; it is also the Jewish peoples. As the mishna in Avot (2:8) tells us, If you have learned much Torah, do not take special credit; it is why you were created.
That HaShem forgoes His Honor for the sake of making peace between man and wife comes to teach us the importance of humbling our own egos for the sake of making our relationships work.
As franchisees of Shell Oil, the Raffs had to sell a certain amount of fuel to be eligible for loans and other company benefits. Alas, a filling station that cannot pump gas is what rain is to a garden wedding.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
We do not need to prove ourselves in order to receive a blessing from G-d. All we need to know is that His face is turned toward us.
The Three Days of Preparation and the Festival of the Giving of our Torah indeed come once a year, but there is a small-scale version of this preparation and of Matan Torah every day.
R’ David opens his remarks on Shavuot by examining the word Anochi that he identifies with the essence of truth – the secret code revealing His G-dliness, the nexus of His inscrutable justice.
Why do some many people behave in such a paradoxical way? The answer is simple. When a spouse or a parent compliments their mate or their child, the act is about the other person.
During the years when the commercial was popular, my Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Berel Wein, quipped, What can you expect from a generation whose slogan is to ‘Be like Mike’?
The popularity and interest in pursuing semicha studies has surged in recent years, and there is even a widespread practice for men to make an effort to receive semicha before marriage. This is true even if one has no intention of serving professionally as a rabbi.
Various prohibitions in the Torah use the word lo when mentioning a proscribed act while the rabbis instead use the word bal.
Since the minhag of Klal Yisrael has been to stay up all Shavuos night and learn Torah in preparation for our yearly reacceptance of the Torah, it is definitely proper to fulfill the minhag.
By dvora
My childhood was filled with a tremendous amount of stress and abuse. By the time I was three years old, that stress had manifested in a physical illness, Crohn’s disease.
Mr. Eisner arranged to meet with Rabbi Dayan. He showed him the terms-of-use agreement and asked: Are these terms acceptable and binding according to halacha? Do the borrowers need to sign?
Repulsive And Disgraceful “The Holy One … Does Not Cause Mishaps To The Righteous” (Gittin 7a)
By Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman
In the previous mishna, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai cautioned against the dangers of self-praise. In contrast, here he explicitly praises his students, naming what he perceives as their signature qualities.
THE DEBATE OVER CNN'S TOWN HALLBY RABBI EFREM GOLDBERG
When the Kotel was returned to us in 1967, we heard Hashem’s call to reconnect with Him. The state founded 19 years earlier took on new meaning.
A people's army is necessary for Israel to fulfill the Divine commandment of sovereignty over our land.
Question: Is one allowed to go to Madam Tassaud’s Wax Museum? is this not a violation of the Torah’s prohibition of graven images? Ben Moseson Via email
The Jews reckoned that the giving of the Torah, the fiftieth level, was so sublime and beyond their reach that the best preparation would be to sleep and thus enable the soul to be unfettered by the physical body.
WHY YOU SHOULD CELEBRATE YOM YERUSHALAYIM
It is too difficult to think nobly when one thinks only of earning a living. -Jean Jacques Rousseau
Although we likely take it for granted that berachos are a pillar of our daily lives, they have not always existed as they do now. Until the Second Temple era, there was no standard set of berachos or prayer.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
The service of the Priests in the Temple was accompanied by silence. The Levites sang in the courtyard, but the Priests – unlike their counterparts in other ancient religions – neither sang nor spoke while offering the sacrifices.
There is no question that the nations of the world can trace their lineage; rather, their association with it is tenuous. They are not especially proud of their ancestors, and each succeeding generation believes they are wiser and more progressive than those who preceded them.
Consider the fact that when we pray, we are conversing with the Creator of the universe, the One who holds the key to life and death, the One who can grant our deepest desires. Shouldn’t we be even more focused and mindful during our prayer than during a job interview?
One school of thought is that Shavuos is the yahrzeit of Dovid HaMelech. Therefore, we lein Megillas Rus which reveals to us the wonderful beginnings of Dovid HaMelech.
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.
October 16, 2026 
