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The Inner Light of Chanukah #2: EVERYTHING is a Miracle!
THE GEMARA IN Shabbos states that the proper time to light Chanukah candles is, “Mishetishka hachamah ad shetichleh regel min hashuk”, “From the time the sun sets until the marketplace is emptied of people.” There is much discussion in the Rishonim and Achronim regarding the definition of these parameters. With regard to the starting time,…
Read More“V’acharei chein” – The Menorah’s Reflection of a Brighter Future
Chanukah is upon us once again, and, like every year, it couldn’t come at a more perfect time. Sure, Chanukah 2020 will likely look a bit different than in years past, but even Corona surely can’t touch the essence of a chag that is already so bound with a yearly “stay-at-home order” we are most…
Read MoreMy Chanukah Miracle: Thank You Rabbi Weinberger
The following letter was written to Rabbi Moshe Weinberger shlita by a well-known posek, author, and teacher who discovered Rabbi Weinberger’s shiurim a number of years ago and experienced a paradigm shift in his avodas Hashem. I received permission to share this letter publicly (all details have been changed) as I feel that it powerfully…
Read MoreThe Inner Light of Chanukah #1: Universal Individuality
In the beginning of hilchos Chanukah, we find two halachos whose contrary implications point to a deeply fundamental idea in Jewish thought. The Shulchan Aruch (671:1) states that one who does not have enough money to afford the materials required to fulfill the mitzvah of hadlakas ner Chanuka in even its most basic form (a…
Read MoreDon’t Ruin the Rare “Neshama Sighting”!
You are at the zoo with the family on a lazy summer Sunday. As you enjoy watching the cute little Capuchins perform their antics and marvel at the majesty of the elephants, something catches your eye. You notice a crowd of people crowding around one of the enclosures over by the lions or the bears.…
Read MoreThe Greatness of the Mekablim
It has long been suggested that the world is split into two kinds of people – givers and takers; “Mashpi’im u’mekablim”. I think this truth comes to the fore particularly in the area of Torah study, especially with regard to matters of “hashkafa”. There are those who feel comfortable wading into the vast ocean of…
Read MoreUnderstanding “Chassidishe Kana’us”
I received the following question and thought it might be something others have wondered about as well. I know the answer is more complicated than can be properly treated over a short Facebook message, but I think it is a start. Question: Hi! I have a question about the different sects of chassidut… These sects…
Read MoreA Sentence is Completed
A few minutes ago, I was working on a future book, merrily pounding out words on the keyboard and minding my own business when something suddenly caught my eye. As I typed, I noticed a small creature, so tiny it was barely there at all, scurrying frantically between the keys on my laptop. It is…
Read MoreThe Ocean of the Talmud
The term “Yam HaTalmud” traditionally serves as a metaphor for the Gemara’s breadth. However, perhaps even more so, it must be seen as a reference to its awesome and mysterious depth. The black and white columns of static letters ebb and flow; questions and answers, challenge and resolution, Halacha and Aggadah. Those with sensitive hearts…
Read MoreLikutei Moharan – Where to Begin?
Although it is known as one of the most difficult and formidable of the Chassidic works, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov’s Likutei Moharan also contains lessons that are more easily understood which prove very useful for beginners who seek a doorway into this wondrous world of Torah thought. In this list, I have, b’siyata d’Shmaya, compiled…
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