Blog Posts

Moshe tells the people of Israel how he implored G‑d to allow him to enter the Land of Israel, but G‑d refused, instructing him instead to ascend a mountain and see the Promised Land. Continuing his heavenly monologue, Moshe describes Exodus from E…

Moshe tells the people of Israel how he implored G‑d to allow him to enter the Land of Israel, but G‑d refused, instructing him instead to ascend a mountain and see the Promised Land. Continuing his heavenly monologue, Moshe describes Exodus from E…

This Shabbos, the Shabbos following Tishah B'Av, is known as Shabbos Nachamu. It is named after the opening words of the Haftarah, "Nachamu, nachamu ami" ("Comfort, comfort My people"). The Haftarah is the first of seven readings called the "Shiva …

The Shulchan Aruch (551:10) rules that one may not eat meat or drink wine during the nine days unless it's a Seudas Mitzvah.  Included in the list of what's considered a Seudas Mitzvah is making a siyum. What is the source of a siyum being a Seuda…

The Hebrew Month of Av (also Menachem Av) is the eleventh month of the civil year and the fifth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 30 days and usually occurs in July–August on the Gregorian calendar. Av means …

The Nine Days begin on the evening of Rosh Chodesh Av, Sunday, August 4th, at Shekiya. The restrictions of the Three Weeks remain in effect in addition to the following rules: Eating meat or chicken is prohibited. Wine is forbidden, but alcoholic be…

Rabbi Shmuel Rozovsky (1913–1979) was an extraordinary rabbi known as an expert Talmudic lecturer at the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Israel. He was counted amongst the great rabbis of his generation.  He was known worldwide for his clarity in ex…

Rav Moshe ben Yaakov Cordovero (1522–1570) was a central figure in the historical development of Kabbalah and the leader of a Kabbalistic school in 16th-century Safed, Ottoman Syria. He is known by the acronym the Ramak (רמ״ק). In the introduction …

According to Ashkenazim, music is prohibited during The Three Weeks. What's the source of the prohibition, and can one listen to Acapella music?  Interestingly, we don't find any early sources explicitly prohibiting listening to music. The Magen Av…

Omitting parts of Pesukei D’zimra to pray with a minyan: As mentioned last week, one should recite Pesukei D’zimra slowly, as if counting money. Therefore, one should make an effort to arrive at the shul early enough to pray at an appropriate pace.…

Moshe chronicled the Israelites' journey from Egypt as guided by God, passing through various locations from Rameses to Moav. God instructed the Israelites to dispose of all land inhabitants upon crossing the Jordan into Canaan, destroy their object…

Moshe conveyed God's commands to the Israelite tribe leaders regarding commitments (נדרים‎, often known as "vows"). Following God's instructions, Moshe led a successful attack on the Midianites. The Israelites butchered every man, including the five…

Why is there a small yud in Parshas Pinchas? Harass the Midianites. That's interesting. Why? What with the sidebar for Korach, Dasan, and Aviram? Can you name the daughters of Tzelofchad? What with the large nun at the end of the story of Bnos T…

Bamidbar Rabbah (21.14) “May the Lord, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation” (Numbers 27:16).  “Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: May [yifkod] the Lord, God of the spirits…appoint” – anyone who pleads for the needs o…

God announced that because Pinchas had displayed his passion for God, God granted him a pact of friendship and priesthood for all time. God then told Moshe to attack the Midianites to repay them for their trickery, luring Israelite men to worship Ba…

The 15th of Tammuz marks the Yahrtzeit of famed Torah commentator Rabbi Chayim ben Attar (1696-1743), author of the Ohr HaChayim and the passing of Reb Aryeh Leib, Author of Shaagas Aryeh (1785). Rabbi Chayim ben Attar (the Ohr HaChayim) was Born i…

The fast of Shiva Asar B'Tamuz is on Tuesday, July 23rd, and marks the beginning of the Y'mei Bein Hametzarim, the Three Weeks. The Y'mei Bein Hametzarim, between the 17th of Tamuz and the 9th of Av, is a national mourning period over the destructi…

What's the proper way to daven? Eyes open, closed, or looking in a siddur? The Gemara Yevamos (105b) teaches that one should face his eyes downward while davening, based on a verse in Melachim (1- 9:3).  The Tur and Shulchan Aruch (95:2) also brin…

The days between Shiva Aser B'tamuz and Tisha B'av are referred to as "Ben Hametzarim" (the dire straits) based on the verse in Eichah (1:3). Shibbolei Haleket (263) references the verse in Daniel (10:2), which says, "Daniel mourned for three weeks…

The passing of Rav Yaakov ben Asher (the Tur) (1348) Rav Yaakov ben Asher, son of Rav Asher ben Yechiel (the Rosh), was one of the most prominent Torah scholars in medieval Europe.  His classic work on Jewish law, named the Tur, also known as Arba…

The first printed edition of Sefer HaChinuch, 1523, is published.  The Sefer HaChinuch was composed in the Middle-Age Spain,  c.1255  – c.1285 CE. The Sefer HaChinuch ("Book of Education") is an anonymous work written in thirteenth-century Spain th…

Balak, the king of Moav, was concerned about the Israelites' victories and asked the prophet Bilam to curse them. God told Bilam not to curse the blessed Israelites. Despite Balak's offers of wealth, Bilam initially refused to act against God's com…

Parshas Balak, Or HaChaim (23/8) Exploring the mechanics of curses and unraveling the intentions behind Bilam's actions. To understand the matter properly, we must first discuss the condition of the person or people subjected to a curse.  If the …

Pesukei Dezimra, or "Verses of praise," are a group of prayers recited during Shacharis. They consist of various blessings, psalms, and sequences of other Torah verses. Two sources mention the obligation of saying Pesukei D'Zimra every day.  The fi…