Time of Year

The posuk in Tehillim (103) says, “Kirechok mizrach mimaarav,” as far as the east is from the west, “hirchik mimenu es peshoeinu,” that is the distance Hashem has removed us from our sins. Rav Nosson Dovid of Shidlovtza explained that the distance of east from west is es...

As we begin the study of this week’s parsha and encounter the narrative of “aishes yefas toar,” we wonder if there is more here than meets the eye. And there is. While the course of action for a man who went to war, emerged victorious, and then chanced upon a yefas toar ...

ראש חודש אלול. It's that time of year. When I usually sit down and write a list of everything I've done wrong. Of all the ways that I messed up. When I contemplate what a disappointment I've been to myself, my family, and those who don't even have any knowledge of h...

The whole year is about an individual's struggle against his internal forces of evil as he tries to become a perfect person. Tish'a b'av is the same thing on a national level. It's about our national struggle against evil as we try to rectify the wrongs we have done so th...

The Torah informs us that when Hashem punishes us and drives us out of the Land of Israel into exile, leaving us to the mercy of the nations of the world, it is not out of disgust or repulsion, or an attempt to destroy us. It is a method of discipline, as a father discipl...

A few questions on the Parsha of מי מריבה, (Chukas: 20): 1.When the Yidden complained that they didn’t have water, they said things like “Halevai we would have died with our brothers… and why did you take us out of Mitzrayim to die, etc…”. This is the same way of speaking...

At the receiving of the Torah, Hashem said to the Jewish people: “For you are a Kingdom of priests and a Holy Nation”. What does this really mean? The world has 4 basic levels of evolution. The first level is DOMEM – Dirt, Rocks, Water, etc. The second level of evolution ...

In the sugya of Matan Torah in Mesichta Shabbos there are (amongst many others) two mamorei Chazal: 1. The Yidden said Naaseh V'Nishman 2. כפה עליהם הר כגגית- the Eibishter held the mountain above the Yidden thereby forcing them to accept the Torah. The question arises if...

Chanukah is all about Messiras Nefesh, about giving the fight over to Hashem. The Sefarim say that every year, the same great light that came down in the time of the Chashmonaim comes down again on Chanukah. In the zechus of their messiras nefesh back then, every Jew can...

It says in the Sefarim that Zos Chanukah is the G'mar - the sealing of the judgement and the last chance for those who still haven't been able to do Teshuvah since Rosh Hashana... I wanted to share something from personal experience. For years, I had difficulty to avo...